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Seven Sexy Sins, Summer Fling, Remember Me, White Hot Christmas &...
A few weeks ago, Ruthie Knox was raving about this book on Twitter so I decided to give it a whirl. I'm glad I did. Seven Sexy Sins is a bawdy, diverting read that skims the surface of real emotion just enough to make one care for its characters.
Faith Hillman is, though only twenty-two, a successful writer for a New Zealand magazine and web-site. (Her column was recently voted "the best editorial on women's matters in the southern hemisphere.") Her latest topic: spicing up women's sex life. As she explains it to her friends,
I'm going to call it 'Seven Sexy Sins'. I'm going to base it on the seven original sins, with each one relating to a 'sexy sin'. The idea is that your average housewife, who's struggling in the bedroom, could show her partner the list and work through them with him."
She's got a problem, though. Faith's only had two boyfriends in her life and both of them were fizzlers in the sack; she's never experienced the delights she wants to turn her readers on to. Her friends–her brother Dan, his girlfriend Eve, and Dan's two best friends Rusty and Toby–are shocked when Faith shares with them her sorry sexual history. Toby offers himself up as a test case, but it's clear he's not really serious–for starters Dan would kill him. However, Rusty, while giving Faith a ride home, says he thinks he's the answer to her problem. Faith is stunned.
She stared at him, her mouth falling open. "What are you saying, exactly?"
"You need to do some research for your articles. And I'm happy to help."
"You want to help me research the seven sexy sins? Personally? Like, not in books?"
"Absolutely. Sounds like great fun." They studied each other for a moment. Eventually he gave a short laugh. "You needn't look quite so shocked." His eyes twinkled. "Don't you find me attractive?"
She gave him a wry look. "Of course I do—you know you're sex on legs. That's hardly the point."
Faith not only thinks Rusty's a hottie; she's jonesed for him ever since she met him. He kissed her on her 18th birthday and she'd hoped it might lead to something more, but Rusty never made another move–Dan had punched his lights out and warned him to stay far away from his little sis–and Faith has seen Rusty as off-limits ever since. When he offers up his gorgeous body for her use, Faith realizes she'd be crazy to say no and she doesn't. She does, however, take steps to protect her heart and her friendship with Rusty. She writes up a contract saying 1) there will be only seven sexual encounters between them (one for each sin), 2) no one is to know about their rendezvous, and 3) they will work to remain friends when their trysts are done. Rusty, amused but game, signs the contract and he and Faith become lovers.
I liked so much about this novel. Seven Sexy Sins is one of the better friends to lovers tales I've read in a while. Rusty and Faith are close friends and their relationship means a great deal to them both. They also care deeply about the others in the circle; their group functions as family for them both. Rusty comes from a long line of abusive alcoholic losers whom he hates and works to distance himself from. Faith's and Dan's parents died in a car crash three years ago. Faith and Rusty constantly weigh the benefits of their own actions–super hot sex, a lot of laughter, and a growing romantic attachment–against the possible damage those actions could do to the cohesion of their group. Everyone in the group is distinctly and compassionately rendered. Dan, in particular, though he comes across as an over-protective jerk at times, is sympathetically portrayed and shows himself to be the sort of big brother any woman would be lucky to have. I appreciated the tension between the joy Faith and Rusty found together and their fear it would ruin the most important relationships in their lives.
The sex in this book is incinerating and well-written. I enjoyed both the pairing of the sins with the acts Faith picked and the enactment of those acts. (Envy=watching porn, Sloth=oral sex, Gluttony=sensual food applied all over, Pride=mutual strip-teases, Wrath=bondage complete with handcuffs, Greed=as many orgasms as they can fit in a day, Lust=quasi-tantric sex.) Each encounter–and the first few are endearingly awkward as Faith and Rusty figure out who they are as lovers–enriches the growing romance between the two. The more the two make love, the more the two become equals between the sheets–I loved watching Faith discover and revel in her sexual self with Rusty's unwavering support. Here, Faith experiences the joy of cunnilingus for the first time.
She rested her forehead on her arms. The sensations he was creating were incredible. He caressed her thighs and hips and brought a hand underneath to stroke her, parting her lips with his fingers to access the heart of her sensitivity. He slipped his fingers inside her, deep inside, his thumb joining his lips and tongue in teasing the responsive spot at the top so that she groaned and widened her hips, begging him to take her further.
So he did, slowly, making it last as long as he could. He drew out her pleasure until in the end he was barely touching her, each little brush of his tongue, graze of his teeth or sucking of his lips making her teeter on the edge of the chasm, until eventually she pleaded for him to let her fall. And so he covered her sweet spot with his warm tongue, slid his fingers back inside her, and held her tightly across the thighs with his other arm as her orgasm exploded within her like fireworks.
Rusty let her lift herself off him and collapse onto the bed. He looked across at the sliding doors to see the twilight settling, and watched a moth hover around the lamp outside, although it didn't come in. There were no lights on, but the full moon that hung low in the sky like a Christmas bauble lit the room, and as he turned his head to look at Faith, he saw her skin glowing, luminescent like an oyster shell. She looked as if she were made of marble, each muscle delineated by light and shadow, like a Greek statue of a gracefully reclining woman, sculpted with a careful hand.
The only part of the book I found to be less-engaging is the barrier standing between Faith's and Rusty's long-term happiness. (It's not the dynamics of the group nor Dan's conviction his friends shouldn't have sex with his sister. Both of those issues are resolved in measured, interesting ways.) No, the real problem is that Rusty has convinced himself he can never marry and have kids because of his family's awful track record. Even he knows he's kinda nutty about this.
Part of him knew how ridiculous he was being. He loved women, and he'd never even spoken harshly to one, let alone mistreated any of his girlfriends. He wasn't stupid—he knew there was no guarantee he'd react like his father or brother, even if he drank. He hoped he was a fair man, a kind one, a person who hated injustice and unfairness, who worked hard at his job, and who loved his friends. But the thought that Mr. Hyde might be lurking deep within him scared him enough to make him stay alone.
He is pretty stupid about this. As Dan says, when Rusty shares his fear, "You mean Rusty Thorne. One of my best mates. Secondary school teacher, steady job, reliable income. Honest, solid, trustworthy." The strength of Rusty's belief in his possible fucked-up future is hard to understand given how smart he is about everything else. Everyone but Rusty can see he's the stuff happy families are made of; his repetitive adamant refusal to see himself as he really is frustrated me.
That said, I liked Rusty and all his self-analysis. This is a book where the reader is given lots of insight into what the lovers are thinking. I often find this tiresome but, in Seven Sexy Sins, that depth of exploration worked. I had a blast watching Faith and Rusty work through their list of sins and their internal issues. By the time they got to their happy ending, the only thing I really disliked was that the book was over! There was nothing for it but to read another Serenity Woods book… and another… and another. I ended up reading five in all and of the five, Seven Sexy Sins was my favorite. I give it a B+.
Summer Fling
My second favorite book by Ms. Woods was Summer Fling. Like all but one of the books of Ms. Woods I read, the story is set in New Zealand, this one in the Bay of Islands. Summer Fling is really a novella, but it tells a fairly straight forward love story and I wasn't bothered by its brevity. The hero of this book, Garth Rowland, is an American now living in New Zealand, running a sky-diving business. Garth meets Chloe, a native New Zealander, when she, determined to prove she's not a wimp, signs up to jump out of one of his planes. It's clear from the story's opening lines, Garth finds Chloe quite enticing.
"I should be on top," the willowy blonde protested.
She sat on the bench in front of Garth with her back against his chest and her butt nestled between his thighs. He stifled a groan. What red-blooded male wouldn't misconstrue that statement?
His brain had been in sex mode since she'd pulled on her jumpsuit. She'd leaned forward and the neck of her T-shirt had gaped to reveal generous breasts only just covered by the cups of her lacy white bra. He'd fought hard to concentrate on her training, too rusty at flirting to make a comment, but now the image of her sitting naked on top of him returned in full force.
He attached the last clip of his safety harness to the one on her right shoulder and chuckled in her ear. "That's kind of forward, Chloe, considering we've only known each other for thirty minutes. But I'm not going to argue with you."
Chloe is so terrified she's almost unable to make the jump but, just before she can pull away, Garth kisses her and the two of them plummet out of the plane. After the two land–safely–Garth asks Chloe to have a cup of coffee. The two talk about Chloe–she's a control freak because her mom's bi-polar and made Chloe's childhood an unstable hell–and Garth makes it clear he'd like to see her again, preferably naked. Chloe shuts him down.
"Garth, I'm not a thrill seeker. And I could never date a guy who was. I want stability and security in my life. I made a pledge to myself years ago that I wouldn't turn into my mother, and I haven't changed my mind."
A week later, however, after running into each other again, they both agree to go to a beach party being thrown by a mutual friend. There the two talk some more–Garth tells Chloe about his tragic past (He was a journalist covering the war in Afghanistan, was imprisoned, escaped and came back to New Zealand to find his wife had left him for another man.)–and Chloe decides to take a risk after all. The two share a very steamy–in more ways than one–encounter in Garth's tent and, when the party's over, Chloe goes home with Garth.
There are, of course, obstacles to their happy ending. Chloe is trying to open up her own chocolate shop–I learned lots about chocolate in this book which was fun–and Garth's vendetta against the man his wife left him for gets in the way of Chloe's dream. Even more importantly, Chloe–rather like Rusty–is determined to let her past limit her future. Her feelings for Garth scare the hell out of her and she is sure the best choice is to run away.
"It's not because I don't feel anything for you. It's because I do. I shouldn't be feeling these emotions, Garth—I've only known you a week. And I won't give in to them and make wild declarations of love, only to find out in a week's time that we're totally wrong for each other. I won't turn into my mother."
He gripped her wrists and moved her arms behind her back. She gasped. His mouth was grim, his lips inches from hers, his hazel eyes hot, intense, and for a moment she thought he was going to give into the raging emotion he was obviously feeling and kiss her anyway. Part of her wanted him to. To fight her, to take her anyway, because then it wouldn't be her fault if it all went wrong. She was desperate to feel his mouth on hers, his hand on her breast, to have him inside her again.
But he didn't move.
Instead, he released her. "This isn't over. I'm telling you now."
She shivered at his possessiveness. "Don't be like that."
"Like what?" He looked out the window for a moment. The muscles bunched at the corner of his jaw as if he'd clenched his teeth. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before looking back at her. "I guess we both have our demons that make it difficult for us to trust in love. And maybe we have to exorcise those demons before we'll be able to make things work. I've got things I have to sort out, things to do with the past, and I don't want you caught up in them. But you're the best thing that's happened to me for a long time, and I'm not taking cowardice as a reason for us not to be together."
"I'm not a coward."
Yes, actually she is and it takes her a while to overcome her fears. It didn't take too long, however, and by the end of the novella, I believed she and Garth had a good shot at happiness. There really wasn't anything I disliked about this book, but I didn't find it as riveting as Seven Sexy Sins. For me, Summer Fling was a charming B read.
Remember Me
Remember Me is the most serious of the Woods books I read. It too is a novella and here I felt the brevity of the story was problematic. Its hero, Hamish McIntyre, has an even rougher past than Garth. Hamish was a soldier in the New Zealand Army and, while on duty in Afghanistan, was blown-up by a suicide bomber. He is now missing much of his right leg and his memory of the past fifteen years of his life. He's returned to his family's beach house on the west coast of the Northland Island to recover and rebuild his life. There he meets Rose, a woman his brother tells him he was involved with before he left the last time for Afghanistan.
"You met her the day you came home on leave, at a party. Her folks have a beach house somewhere nearby. You brought her back here for a drink. After the party, I went back to Kerikeri, so I only met her briefly. Far as I know, she stayed the night—and every night after that for three weeks. Mum and Dad loved her. So did Brandon." He patted the boxer's rump. "But then you had to return to Afghanistan. I don't know what happened. You told me you didn't want to talk about it."
Rose has never gotten over Hamish and, now that he's back, she inserts herself in his life again. One of the lovely parts of this book is their back story–Rose tells Hamish (and the reader) what happened between them in the past which is both sexy and sad. I struggled more with Hamish and Rose in the present. The conflict that pushed them apart in the past still exists for them now but, this go-round, it's resolved in the blink of an eye. I liked the bones of their story–and it's fabulous that a one-legged, amnesic vet is portrayed as decidedly sexually desirable–but I needed more to believe Rose and Hamish could have the happy ending Ms. Woods writes for them. I give their story a C+.
White Hot Christmas
It's possible that I was beginning to burn out on Ms. Woods–this was the last of her books I read–but White Hot Christmas didn't really work for me. (Jane liked it better than I did. You can read her review here.) The hero, super-hunky fire fighter Neon (short for Napoleon) Carter, falls for his cousin's wife's sister while she's visiting New Zealand over her Christmas holiday. The heroine, beautiful and brilliant Merle Cameron, is taking a few weeks to escape her miserable life in Southwest England where she's single, underpaid as a university lecturer in archaeology, and stuck taking care of her demanding, mean mom. Merle and Neon, in lust from the moment they first saw one another, embark on a passionate affair knowing it has a set end date. They have lots of great sex–and it is great sex, Ms. Woods writes passion well–and, of course, find they want more than the time they have.
Neon is too faultless a hero for me. He's gorgeous, smart (which is supposed to be surprising because he's just a fire fighter–this irked me), the best lover in New Zealand (and maybe in the whole Southern hemisphere), and saves small children and cats with courage and kindness. He's the best at everything he does–even his parents are flawless. I never cottoned to him. Plus, the stunt he pulls to win Merle's love at the novel's end seemed ridiculous and somewhat trashy. I didn't find him sexy–although he seems like he'd be great to have sex with–I found him predictable.
I didn't like Merle much better. For starters, she comes to New Zealand to visit her sister whom she never sees and then she spends all her time with a studly guy. She violates the 'ho's before bros rule. She also has sex in the bathroom of her sister's in-law's house while his family and Neon's are in the next room. This threw me–here again, it seemed smutty rather than hot. Lastly, she's a bit of a martyr and she takes way too long to value herself and Neon. For much of the book, she annoyed me.
I did, though, enjoy other parts of the story. There's lots of witty banter in this book between many of the characters and some of it is laugh out loud funny. New Zealand is a character in this book and is described so gorgeously I wanted to emigrate tomorrow. I think if I'd read this book first, I'd have liked it more. It's a light, fun read. It's just no Seven Sexy Sins so, for me, it was a C read.
Stranded with a Scotsman
Stranded with a Scotsman was my least favorite Woods book. It seemed more like a chapter from a longer, possibly boring, novel. The couple in it, Ewan Macbeth and Cori Spencer, are stranded in a ten-by-four-foot wooden box during high tide off the coast of Scotland. The two were once involved, her father put an end to it, and neither is really over the other despite the fact Cori is engaged to marry another man. They sit in the box, play a game of Truth or Dare, and discover… well, I'm sure anyone can suss out what they discover. I was actually bored by this book–I never liked Truth or Dare–and thought its premise forced. Part of the problem is it's just 53 pages long–I had no context for the subtext that infused their interaction and found very little to like in their box. Upon finishing it, I wanted my half an hour back. I give it a D-.


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During the Montreal Drumfest, Zildjian's John DeChristopher (VP Artist Relations and Event Marketing Worldwide) and Aaron Jackson (Artist Relations Liaison & Events Coordinator) presented Steve Smith with an award commemorating his 30th anniversary of being a Zildjian endorser. Steve has been playing Zildjian Cymbals since he bought his first cymbals in 1967, but he officially signed on with Zildjian as an endorser in 1979.
The cymbal encased in the award is signed by Craigie and Debbie Zildjian, Paul Francis and John DeChristopher.
The Avedis Zildjian Company Inc. All Rights Reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


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Motsoaledi for hospital cash plansComment on this story
Johannesburg - Hospital cash plans offered by insurance companies could be a thing of the past if Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has his way.
The products, popularly known as "hospital cash-back plans", are insurance covers that promise to pay clients an amount of cash if they are hospitalised for a certain number of days in exchange for monthly premiums.
Motsoaledi said insurance companies were actually selling "ill-health", encouraging clients to get sick instead of promoting a healthy lifestyle.
"As a department, we are encouraging people to lead healthy lifestyles but these people are actually selling ill health," he said.
"They are basically saying, 'get sick, and we will pay you R1 000 every day that you are in hospital'.
"The adverts are everywhere, so people are buying these products and many of them never get to claim. The insurers are cheats," Motsoaledi said.
He also said the practice encouraged collusion between patients and medical doctors.
He said he had spoken to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan about options for regulating the hospital schemes, but appeared to favour a total ban.
The plans are thriving in South Africa, with even major retailers offering them to account holders.
According to a Finmark Trust study last year, there were between 1 million and 1.5 million hospital cash plans in place, covering about 2.4 million South Africans.
The study estimated that 50 000 new policies were sold each month.
But while Motsoaledi was worried the industry appeared to cash in on people's fears, the industry itself was worried about what appeared to be an increasing trend of fraudulent claims.
Fears are that this could lead to the collapse of the cash plans.
The Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (Asisa), a body representing most life insurance companies, said hospital cash plan fraud was a growing problem.
In 2011, Asisa detected 549 cases amounting to R4 million. In 2010, 649 cases were detected, amounting to R12.6m. The next figures would be available next month.
Asisa deputy chief executive Peter Dempsey said the industry might have to pursue stringent measures to police the schemes, including raising premiums, introducing standard cancellation clauses, and even stopping the plans completely.
Sunday Indepdendent
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Letterpress Print Shop
After completing Intro to Letterpress or equivalent, the letterpress print shop at the IPRC has open print hours with trained staff available to help you with your project.
Currently the print shop open hours are:
- Sundays 2 - 8pm
- Mondays 5 - 9pm
- Thursdays 6 - 9pm
(After you are fully trained, you may qualify for full-access printing during all IPRC open hours.)
You may call ahead to sign up for a press. To use the presses you must purchase a $30 10-use punch card, or pay $3 each time you ink a press. The Letterpress print shop is always looking for volunteers to help out, and volunteers may use the letterpress room for free.


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Sun 10th Mar at 10:30am - 11:30am
WOW - Women Of The World Festival 2013: Global Feminism & The Middle East
@ Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
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WOW - Women Of The World Festival 2013: Global Feminism & The Middle East
In this second of two panels on the subject, a look deeper at women's movements in the Middle East and their relationship with their sisters in the West. Can common cause be made to deal with them? And what is the role of
feminism in the Middle East in these times of revolution? Panellists include SOAS professor Deniz Kandiyoti, Jordanian/British author Fadia Faqir, Kings University Professor Madawi Al-Rasheed, and BBC Journalist Shaimaa Khalil. Chaired by Ahdaf Soueif.
Held in the Front Room.
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Fridays are our one day off here in Kabul, so I'm about to go to the bazaar that is run at the ISAF base (ISAF = International Security Assistance Force, i.e. our military coalition force). Before I go, here are a few images from outside my hooch:
The world-famous Duck and Cover bar, established 1387 (or 2008, in Gregorian calendar years).
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Posted by Bridget Lines at 10:59 PM
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Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic is considering merging with Rochester General Health System.
- Filed Under
Across the region, hospital leaders are discussing where you get care, the types of services provided at that location and even the number of people working there.
Maybe not in those exact words. The executives are couching their conversations in the terms of health care reform - and the prospect of merging keeps cropping up as way to adjust to changes in the health care industry.
"It's a reflection of the current health care marketplace," said Dr. Lewis Zulick, president and chief executive officer of Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic in Ontario County, which is considering taking the ...


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Edith Pope
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A former Craggy Correctional Center inmate prevailed in a federal lawsuit claiming that he was sexually assaulted by a prison supervisor who later accused him of rape.
A jury concluded that convicted murderer Shane Smith's constitutional rights were violated by Edith Pope, who served as the Buncombe County prison's assistant superintendent before her 2006 conviction for sexual battery by a custodian.
However, the jury ruled that Smith is entitled to just $1 in compensation, according to court records. The trial was held this month in U.S. District Court in Winston-Salem. ...


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Kidsports Of Salisbury LLC
Are you looking for a positive environment for your child to flourish? Kidsports Of Salisbury LLC is the area's premier child care facility which offers your child high quality care. We are the place . . . "Where Kids Have Fun!"
We specialize in providing a youth facility which offers quality care ...read more.
Website: http://kidsportsnc.com/


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Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) pericarp is a major byproduct which contains a significant amount of polyphenol. This study was designed to biotransformation litchi pericarp extract (LPE) by Aspergillus awamori to produce more bioactive compounds with stronger antioxidant activities.
The study exhibited that the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activities significantly (p < 0.05) increased from 15.53% to 18.23% in the water-extracted fraction and from 25.41% to 36.82% in the ethyl acetate-extracted fraction. Application of DNA cleavage assay further demonstrated the enhanced protection effect of the fermented phenolics on DNA damage. It is also noted that the water-extracted fraction of the fermented LPE possessed a much stronger capacity than the ethyl acetate-extracted fraction to prevent from damage of supercoiled DNA. Interestingly, it was found that some new compounds such as catechin and quercetin appeared after of A. awamori fermentation of LPE, which could account for the enhanced antioxidant activity.
The DPPH radical scavenging activity and DNA protection effect of LPE were increased by Aspergillus awamori bioconversion while some compounds responsible for the enhanced antioxidant activity were identified. This study provided an effective way of utilizing fruit pericarp as a readily accessible source of the natural antioxidants in food industry and, thus, extended the application area such as fruit by-products.
Keywords:Litchi pericarp; Phenolics; Aspergillus awamori; DPPH radical scavenging activity; DNA protection; HPLC
Phenolic compounds as secondary metabolites are widely present in fruits and vegetables. A positive relationship between consumption of food with abundant phenolics and low incidence of degenerative diseases, including cancer, heart disease, inflammation, arthritis, brain dysfunction and cataracts, has been confirmed [1]. Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a subtropical fruit with a brightly red pericarp which contains a significant amount of phenolics such as epicatechin, procyanidins, cyanidin-3-glucoside, and quercetin-3-rutinoside [2]. These phenolics exhibit good antioxidant ability [3], and anticancer and immunomodulatory activities [4].
Currently, biotransformation of plant byproducts by microorganisms is one of an effective means to produce bioactive compounds. Many fruit byproducts, such as grape pomace, pineapple waste, citrus peel and banana peel, have been used to produce gluconic acid, carotenoids and citric acid by microorganism biotransformation [5-7]. Botella et al. [8] have used grape pomace as a solid substrate to produce xylanase and pectinase. Furthermore, grape pomace could induce the production of laccase for Trametes versicolor[9]. Some species of microorganisms belonging to the Aspergillus genus can produce tannase [10], naringinase [11], β-glucosidase [12], feruloyl esterase [13] and flavonol 2,4-dioxygenase [14], which make it possible to transform bioactive compounds. Hung et al. [15] have found that the antimutagenic activity of black bean can be increased after the treatment with Aspergillus. awamori. In the present work, A. awamori was chosen as a fermented microorganism to biotransformed litchi pericarp extract (LPE). The changes in the content and antioxidant activity of bioactive compounds in litchi pericarp before and after biotransformation by A. awamori were investigated.
Contents of total phenolics and flavonoids
As shown in Figure 1, the phenolic content of the water fraction of LPE decreased and then increased on the 15th day in the fermentation period. On the contrary, the phenolic content of the ethyl acetate fraction of LPE decreased, then increased on the 6th day and finally declined on the 15th day. Similarly, a change in the flavonoid content of the water fraction was observed. In addition, when the fermentation with A. awamori on the Czapek-Dox medium without LPE was conducted, very small amounts of phenolics (i.e., 0.121, 0.093 and 0.046 mg GAE/ml extract in the water fraction and 0.081, 0.073 and 0.066 mg GAE/ml extract in the ethyl acetate fraction on the 3rd, 6th and 15th day, respectively) were observed. However, no flavonoids can be detected in either the water fraction or the ethyl acetate fraction.
Figure 1. Contents of total phenolics (a) and total flavonoids (b) in the non-A. awamori-fermented LPE (NF) and A. awamori-fermented LPE after 3 days, 6 days and 15 days. Each value represents the means ± SD (n = 3).
Scavenging activity of DPPH radical
As shown in Table 1, a great change in the DPPH radical scavenging activity occurred after fermentation with A. awamori. Maximum value of DPPH radical scavenging activity of the water fraction of LPE was achieved after 3 days of fermentation, and then declined, which was associated with reduced phenolic content. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of the ethyl acetate fraction of LPE decreased within the first 6 days of fermentation, and then dramatically increased on the 15th day. However, a poor DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed when fermented by A. awamori on the Czapek-Dox medium without LPE (data not shown). Moreover, no significant change in the DPPH scavenging activity of litchi pericarp extract in the absence of A. awamori was observed (data not shown) in the culture period. Thus, concentration and composition of phenolic compounds greatly affect the DPPH radical scavenging activity of LPE in this study. HPLC analysis showed that catechin (peak 6), a unidentified compound (peak 7) and quercetin (peak 6') appearing on the 3rd, 6th and 15th day during fermentation (Figure 2) may account for the increased DPPH radical scavenging activity of the A. awamori-fermented LPE.
Table 1. DPPH radical scavenging activity of LPE
Figure 2. HPLC chromatograms of the A. awamori-fermented (F) or non-Aspergillus awamori-fermented (NF) LPE. Chromatogram (a), the water fraction of non-A. awamori-fermented LPE; Chromatogram (b), the water fraction of A. awamori-fermented LPE; and Chromatogram (c), the ethyl acetate fraction of the A. awamori-fermented LPE.
DNA protection capacity
Some human diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disease involve in imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant defense system. Oxidative DNA damage caused by reactive oxygen species including hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, and hydrogen peroxide are responsible for these diseases [16]. In this study, DNA protection capacity was used to further investigate the effect of biotransformation on antioxidant capacity of A. awamori-fermented LPE. Plasmid DNA has three forms on agarose gel electrophoresis, namely supercoiled circular DNA, open circular form, and linear form. The ·OH radicals were able to cleave DNA strand (Lanes C and D) resulting in the cleavage of supercoiled circular DNA to open circular and linear forms [17]. As shown in Figure 3, the water fraction of the A. awamori-fermented LPE showed a better DNA protection ability (Lanes H, J and L), compared with non-A. awamori-fermented LPE (Lane F). The DNA protection ability enhanced after 6 days of fermentation (Lane J) and then decreased after 15 days (Lane L). HPLC analysis showed that compound 7 appearing on the 6th day during fermentation may account for the increased DNA protection of the A. awamori-fermented LPE. However, no DNA protection ability was observed in the ethyl acetate fraction of both the A. awamori-fermented (Lanes I, K and M) and non-A. awamori-fermented LPE (Lane G).
Figure 3. Electrophoretic patterns of plasmid DNA in the presence of LPE.A, water; B, water and ethanol; C, water and damage solution; D, ethanol and damage solution; E, 100 μg/ml ascorbic acid and damage solution (negative control); F, the water-extracted fraction of LPE with damage solution; H, J and L, the water-extracted fractions of the A. awamori-fermented LPE (after 3, 6 and 15 days of fermentation) with damage solution; G, the ethyl acetate-extracted fraction of LPE with damage solution; and I, K and M, the ethyl acetate-extracted fraction of the A. awamori-fermented LPE (3, 6 and 15 days) with damage solution.
HPLC analysis
The HPLC chromatographic profiles of A. awamori-fermented and non-A. awamori-fermented LPE are present in Figure 2. Based on the comparison of the retention time of standard compounds, procyanidin B1 (Peak 5), epicatechin (Peak 8) and epicatechin-3-gallate (Peak 10) were identified in the non-A. awamori-fermented LPE, while peaks 4, 6, 9 and 6' present in the A. awamori-fermented LPE were recognized as gallic acid, catechin, quercetin-3-glucoside and quercetin, respectively. However, some minor peaks were not identified due to lack of standard compounds in this present study. As shown in Figure 2a, a decrease of compound 3 along with an increase of compound 2 was observed in the non-A. awamori-fermented LPE in the fermentation period, possibly due to compound degradation or oxidization. Figure 2b presents the HPLC profile of the water fraction LPE during fermentation by A. awamori. The contents of compounds 1 and 2 increased to the maximum value on the 6th days and then decreased slightly. Meanwhile, compound 6 appeared on the 3rd day and then decreased continuously while compound 7 appeared on the 6th day and then increased continuously within 15 days. Figure 2c presents the HPLC profile of the ethyl acetate fraction of LPE during fermentation by A. awamori. A decrease of compound 1' along with an increase of compound 2' was observed on the 6th day while the maximum contents of compounds 2', 4' and 5' were obtained on the 6th day. Furthermore, the contents of compounds 3' and 6' reached the maximum values after 15 days of fermentation. In addition, in the culture extract of the Czapek-Dox medium of A. awamori without LPE, only a single peak was observed after 3 min of elution and no other peaks were found in further elution (date not shown), which drew a conclusion that the fungus could not synthesize those phenolic compounds such as compounds 6, 7, 1', 2' and 5' appearing in the A. awamori-fermented LPE. Regarding some unknown compounds, further investigation is needed to identify them in the fermented LPE by A. awamori.
In this study, A. awamori was selected as the starter microorganism to biotransformed phenolic-rich LPE. After fermentation, the phenolic content of the water fraction dramatically decreased within the first 6 days and then increased on the15th days. Degradation and absorption of phenolics available used as a carbon source by A. awamori to maintain its growth may account for the decrease in the phenolic content within the first 6 days [18]. Natural degradation of phenolics in LPE without A. awamori was observed (data not shown). This is consistent with the finding of Huang et al. [19], who reported decrease of total phenolic content in black soybean koji during storage. Previous reports [12,20,21] pointed out that some hydrolases (e.g. β-glucosidase, β-Xylosidase and α-arabinofuranosidase) present in A. awamori were able to crack the linkages between phenolics and their glycosides to produce more hydrophobic compounds, which might account for the increased hydrophobic phenolic compounds in the present study. Similarly, a change in the content of flavonoid content of the water fraction of LPE was observed (Figure 1). Hund et al. [14] and Stoilova et al. [22] reported that some flavanoid-degrading enzymes such as quercetin 2,3-dioxygenase was present in A. niger or its variant. These enzymes can cleave C2 and C3 positions in B ring of quercetin to form 2-protocatechuoylphloroglucinol carboxylic acid [23]. The decrease in flavonoid content in the A. awamori-fermented LPE might be due to the action of these enzymes.
The effect of A. awamori on antioxidant properties of various plant material, such as black bean [24], wheat grain [25] and rice [26], were previously investigated. Among those studies, the increase in phenolic content after fermentation was supposed to be responsible for enhanced antioxidant activity. In this present study, DPPH scavenging activity of the LPE water fraction increased greatly while phenolic content decreased within the first 3 days. Moreover, a slight increase of phenolic content coupled with enhanced DPPH scavenging activity was observed in the LPE ethyl acetate fraction, which indicated that some compounds with higher DPPH scavenging capacity were produced after fermentation.
Plasmid DNA protection of LPE against Feton-reaction mediated breakage was used in this study. The water fraction of A. awamori-fermented LPE exhibited much higher DNA protection effect than the non-fermented fraction. However, no such effect was observed from both the A. awamori-fermented and non- A. awamori-fermented ethyl acetate fractions. Aqueous extract rather than organic solvent extract of plant tissues such as black gram husk [27], Asplenium ceterach[28], and areca inflorescence [29] were reported to possess DNA protection activity. In this study, the results concerning DNA protection activity was not completely consistent with DPPH radical scavenging activity. Zhang [30] demonstrated that no significant correlation between DNA protection activity and DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed. Thus, application of DNA protection capacity to antioxidant activity evaluation was needed to be elucidated further.
To further understand the effect of the fermentation on individual phenolic compound, the phenolic profiles of the A. awamori-fermented and non-A. awamori-fermented LPE were determined by HPLC. The HPLC chromatogram revealed that the main phenolics present in non-A. awamori-fermented LPE were procyanidin B1 (Peak 5), epicatechin (Peak 8) and epicatechin-3-gallate (Peak 10), which were also reported by Zhang et al. [31] and Zhao et al. [32]. Great amount of compounds eluted as a hump at the retention time of 15−35 min was in agreement with the report of Roux et al. [33], who demonstrated the hump as proanthocyanidins with different polymerization degree. After the fermentation of A. awamori, many peaks disappeared in the water fraction but appeared in the ethyl acetate fraction, which might be attributed to β-glucosidase produced by A. awamori[12] as the enzyme can hydrolyse glycosided flavonoids to more hydrophobic aglycones. This assumption was confirmed by the appearance of new compounds (Compounds 1', 2' and 4') after 3 days, and the presence of quercetin (Peak 6') and the absence of quercetin-3-glucoside (Peak 9) after 6 days of fermentation. In this study, A. awamori could cleavage the C4 and C8 bond of procyanidin B1 and then form catechin and epicatechin which reduced the content of compound 5 but increased the contents of compound 6 (catechin) and compound 7 (unknown compound) on the 3rd day of the fermentation (Figure 2b). Meanwhile, B-type procyanidin and catechin were reported to be further metabolized to more hydrophobic A-type procyanidin by some phenol oxidase [34,35], which may account for the appearance of several compounds in the ethyl acetate fraction (Figure 2c).
A. awamori generally recognized as safe filamentous fungi [24] was widely present in traditional fermented foods (i.e. miso, natto and tempeh) in East Asia. In the present study, A. awamori was used to bioconvert the phenolics-rich LPE. To the best of our knowledge, the study was the first report on the increased antioxidant activity and DNA protection effect in relation to the conversion of phenolics of litchi pericarp by A. awamori. This work provided a better way of utilizing litchi pericarp as a readily accessible source of the natural antioxidants in food industry. The fermentation technology can further extend to the bioconversion of phenolic compounds in agriculture-derived by-products. Further investigation into the biochemical pathway of these phenolic compounds converted by A. awamori will be needed.
Materials and methods
All chemicals used for preparing the Czapek-Dox medium were obtained from Guangzhou Reagent Co. (Guangzhou, China). Gallic acid, catechin, procyanidin B1, epicatechin-3-gallate, quercetin, and quercetin-3-glucoside were purchased from Sigma Chemical Co (St. Louis, MO, USA). Methanol used for HPLC analysis was obtained from CNW Technologies Gmbh (Dusseldorf, Germany).
Litchi pericarp and starter microorganism
Fresh fruit of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) cv. Huaizhi were harvested from a commercial orchard in Guangzhou, China. The fruit were cleaned carefully with distilled water, and then peeled manually. The pericarp was collected, then dried out door, and finally ground into powder by a grinder (DFT-50, Lingda Mechanics Co., Zhejiang, China).
The microorganism Aspergillus awamori GIM 3.4 was obtained from Guangdong Culture Collection Center, Guangzhou, China. The fungus was cultured for 3 days on potato dextrose agar (Guangdong Huankai Microbial Science & Technology Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, China) at 30°C, and then the spores were collected by washing the agar surface with sterile distilled water containing 0.1% Tween 80. The spore suspension was finally adjusted to a concentration of ca. 106/ml with sterile distilled water, which was served as inoculum for the fermentation of litchi pericarp.
Biotransformation of litchi pericarp extract
Litchi pericarp powder (100 g) was extracted twice with 500 ml of 60% (v/v) ethanol coupled with ultrasonic treatment (40 min at 210 w and 30°C). After filtration through Whatman No. 1 filter paper, litchi pericarp extract (LPE) was concentrated at 50°C using a rotary evaporator under vacuum to remove ethanol, and then adjusted to 500 ml with distilled water. Fresh spore suspension (1 ml) of A. awamori was incubated with the sterilized (121°C, 30 min) Czapek-Dox medium (100 ml) containing NaNO3 (0.3 g), K2HPO4 (0.1 g), KCl (0.05 g), MgSO4.7H2O (0.05 g), FeSO4 (0.001 g), sucrose (3 g), LPE (15 ml) and distilled water (85 ml). The inoculated flasks were then cultured at 30°C with shaking at 130 rpm. In addition, incubation of fresh spore suspension (1 ml) with the Czapek-Dox medium (100 ml) without the LPE was also conducted under the same condition. After incubation for 3, 6 or 15 days, the fermented product (100 ml) was filtered through the Whatman No. 1 filter paper and then extracted twice with ethyl acetate (50 ml). The ethyl acetate fraction was concentrated under vacuum and then re-dissolved with absolute ethanol (50 ml), while the hydrophilic fraction was vacuum concentrated to 50 ml. These fractions were collected and then stored at 4°C for further analyses.
Measurements of total phenolic and flavonoid contents
The measurement of total phenolic content was conducted by the method as described by Quettier-Deleu et al. [36], with some modifications. An aliquot (0.1 ml) of these samples was mixed with 5 ml of distilled water and 0.5 ml of Folin–Ciocalteu phenol reagent. After incubation for 8 min, 20% Na2CO3 (1.5 ml) were added and heated in boiling water for 1 min. Absorbance was recorded at 760 nm at 25°C in dark. Gallic acid was used to make a calibration curve. Phenolic content was expressed as mg gallic acid equivalent per gram on a dry weigh basis (mg GAE/g DW). All testes were conducted in triplicate.
The total flavonoid content was determined according to the method of Jia et al. [37], with some modifications. Sample or (+)-catechin standard (1 ml) was mixed with 4 ml of distilled water and 0.5 ml of 5% sodium nitrite. After incubation for 6 min, 0.5 ml of 10% aluminum nitrate was added, and then allowed to stand for another 5 min before 4 ml of 1 M NaOH were added. The absorbance was measured immediately against the methanol blank at 510 nm using a spectrophotometer (Uico Shangshai Instrument Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China) in comparison with the standard (+)-catechin. Total flavonoid content was expressed as mg catechin equivalent per gram on a dry weigh basis (mg CE/g DW). All testes were conducted in triplicate.
Assay of DPPH radical scavenging activity
The method described by Sánchez-Moreno et al. [38] was used to assess the scavenging activity of DPPH free radicals. Briefly, samples were diluted to 100 μg of total phenolics per ml, and then an aliquot (0.1 ml) of the diluted sample was mixed with 2.9 ml of 0.1 mM DPPH solution in methanol. The absorbance was measured at 517 nm after 30 min of incubation at 25°C. The control was carried out with water or ethanol instead of the tested sample, and methanol instead of DPPH was used as blank. The antiradical activity (AA) of the tested sample was calculated using the following formula:
Protection against DNA breakage
The assay was conducted to determine the protective ability of the A. awamori-fermented and non-A. awamori-fermented LPE against supercoiled DNA by the method of Kang et al. [17], with some modifications. Escherichia coli DH5a cells were transformed with pUC19 plasmid DNA and then grown overnight in the LB medium containing ampicillin (50 μg/ml) at 37°C. Plasmid DNA was purified using the UNIQ-10 Plasmid Kit (Wuhan Sikete Science & Technology Development Co., Ltd., China). The damage solution (1 mM ·OH) was prepared by adding 3.1 μl of 30% H2O2 into 100 ml of 1 mM FeSO4. The reaction solution consisted of 5 μl of plasmid DNA, 5 μL of damage solution, and 5 μl of the tested sample. Three microlitres of loading buffer [30 mM EDTA, 36% (v/v) glycerol, 0.05% (w/v) xylene cyanol FF and 0.05% (w/v) bromophenol blue] were added after 1 hour of incubation in dark, and the reaction products were then electrophoresized in 1% of agarose gel for 40 min under 120 V condition. Agarose gel was stained with 0.05% (w/v) ethidium bromide and then analyzed with image analyzer (Image station 2000R, Kodak, New York, USA).
HPLC analysis of phenolic compounds
All samples were filtered through a membrane with 0.45-μm pore size prior to injection. Separation, analysis and quantification of phenolic compounds were performed using a Shimadzu LC-20 AT (Shimadzu Corporation, Japan) separation module coupled with a Vydac C18 column (218 TP, 250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm of particle size, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) and a SPD-10A UV–VIS detector by the method of Yang and Zai [39]. Solvent A (0.1% trifluoroacetic acid) and B (methanol) were used as the mobile phases, with a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The gradient elution program was as follows: 0–5 min, 10% B; 5–35 min, 10–100% B; 35–40 min, 100% B; and 40–45 min, 10% B. The temperature of the column was maintained at 25°C. The injection volume was 20 μl. The chromatogram was recorded at 280 nm. Identification of phenolic compounds was estimated on the basis of retention time.
Statistical analysis
Data were expressed as means ± standard deviations (SD) and then analyzed by OriginPro 8 (OriginLab Corporation, Massachusetts,USA). The graphs were done using Sigmaplot (Systat Software Inc., San Joes. CA). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Turkey's post-hoc test was applied for multiple comparisons. Differences between means at the 5% level were considered significant.
The results demonstrated that increased antioxidant activity was produced after fermentation of LPE with A. awamori. The water-extracted fraction of the fermented LPE possessed more DNA protection capacity. HPLC analysis showed that some new compounds such as catechin and quercetin appeared after of A. awamori fermentation of LPE, which could account for the increased antioxidant activity and enhanced DNA protection capacity.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors' contributions
SL made a significant contribution to acquisition of data, analysis and manuscript preparation. BY has made a substantial contribution to experimental design and data analysis. FC participated in study design and manuscript revision. GJ participated in partial experiments. QL participated in partial experiments. XD participated in experimental design and data analysis. YJ made a significant contribution to experimental design, data analysis, and manuscript revision. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Financial support from the Special Fund for Agricultural Research in the Public Interest (grant no. 200903043), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant No. 31071638), Guangdong Province Science and Technology Project (grant No. 2009B040600004), Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant No. KSCX2-EW-J-28), Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and International Foundation for Science (grant No. F/4451-2).
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text:
is "Into Darkness" Quinto's last as Spock?
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November 19 2012, 02:46 AM
Greg Cox
Location: Oxford, PA
Re: is "Into Darkness" Quinto's last as Spock?
These kind of quotes often get blown out a proportion. I remember when, several years ago, a weary Anthony Hopkins, who had just come off a couple of exhausting shoots, made the mistake of mentioning to an interviewer that he was worn out and tired of making movies. Naturally, this led to a flurry of headlines about how Hopkins was retiring, quitting acting, and so on, when, really, he had just been expressing a desire to take some time off . . . .
Needless to say, Hopkins' "retirement" proved to be greatly exaggerated.
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text:
The first volume of [Anything Goes!] contains three short stories featuring various characters from Figured It Out!
Chapter #01: Vampire Conundrum
Chapter #02: What Noir We Doing?
Chapter #03: Anything Goes Tag!
A standalone companion to the web manga of the same name! Join Kuroi Kasame, a Japanese High School Girl who loves to cause trouble! And she's backed up by a weird cast of friends; one's a vampire, another is a Cat Alien, and yet another is a registered psychopath! Time to Figure It Out! Figured It Out was created December 31st, 2010, after I first found the Manga making program called Comipo! The title was literal, as I slowly figured out the then Japanese exclusive program. Eventually, I hit
100 pages, using only various free trials of the Japanese version, and I finally purchased it in time for Volumes 3-5. The title now doesn't really make sense in the long run, but it's hard to drop. I've grown attached to these characters, and the title itself. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did making it


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Differential fate and functional outcome of lithium chloride primed adult neural progenitor cell transplants in a rat model of Huntington disease
1 Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
2 Current address: Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, BSB 403, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC, 29403, USA
Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2010, 1:41 doi:10.1186/scrt41Published: 22 December 2010
The ability to predetermine the fate of transplanted neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and specifically to direct their maturation has the potential to enhance the efficiency of cell-transplantation therapy for neurodegenerative disease. We previously demonstrated that transient exposure of subventricular zone (SVZ)-derived adult NPCs to lithium chloride during in vitro proliferation alters differential fate in vitro and increases the proportion of cells expressing neuronal markers while reducing glial progeny. To extend these findings, we examined whether in vitro priming of adult SVZ-derived NPCs with lithium chloride before transplantation into the quinolinic acid (QA) lesion rat model of Huntington disease altered in vivo neuronal differentiation and sensorimotor function compared with nonprimed NPC transplants.
NPCs were isolated from the SVZ of the adult rat brain and cultured for 2 weeks. Four days before transplantation into the QA-lesioned rat striatum, the cells were labeled with BrdU and primed with lithium chloride. The rats underwent regular evaluation of forelimb use and sensorimotor neglect to establish functional effects of NPC transplantation. Twelve weeks after transplantation, the brains were analyzed with immunohistochemistry to compare the differential fate of primed and nonprimed NPCs.
We observed that in vitro priming of adult NPCs with lithium chloride reduced gliogenesis and enhanced the occurrence of DARPP-32-positive neurons when compared with nonprimed cells 12 weeks after transplantation into the QA-lesioned striatum. Lithium chloride priming also augmented the formation of efferent projections from newly formed neurons in the damaged host striatum to the globus pallidus. This was associated with acceleration of sensorimotor function recovery in rats receiving transplants of lithium chloride-primed adult NPCs compared with nonprimed transplants.
These initial findings indicate that in vitro priming of adult NPCs with lithium chloride may augment transplant efficiency and accelerate sensorimotor function outcome in vivo.


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˃˃˃ Baking Soda and Vinegar Uses
There's also a comprehensive section on baking soda and vinegar where you'll discover baking soda and vinegar uses for each room in your home.
Scroll up and Grab a copy now!
About the Author
Sherrie Le Masurier is an organizing and decorating consultant and lifestyle columnist who helps parents better organize their home and family life. Sherrie is the founder of www.home-organizing-made-easy.com where she offers up a variety of organizing tips and ideas along with creative storage solutions and a FREE 'Welcome H.O.M.E.' Newsletter. Visit www.SherrieLeMasurier.com to learn more about Sherrie and how she can help you better organize your home and family life. In addition to smart solutions for busy families, Sherrie offers a FREE 'Balancing Act' Newsletter.


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iPhone, iPod touch 1.1.3 updates [U]
updated 01:20 pm EST, Tue January 15, 2008
iPhone iPod 113 Update
Apple at Macworld today introduced the expected version 1.1.3 of its iPhone software, upgrading the handset with several heavily requested features. The device now includes a fully customizable home screen that lets users rearrange the order of icons; users can simply press and hold an icon to move it to a different location. For the first time, users can also add icons to the home screen through a Webclips feature that adds shortcuts to particular Safari websites. Users can now also send SMS text messages to multiple users at once.
Google Maps has also been significantly revamped, Apple says. The software can now triangulate its own position using cell towers, providing a rough approximation of the user's location; users can now also view maps in hybrid view and add marker pins of their own without depending on preset locations.
The iPod touch also receives its largest update yet, according to the company. The previously limited media player now receives all the iPhone's non-telephone programs, including Google Maps, Mail, Stocks, and Weather; all the features of the iPhone 1.1.3 upgrade carry over, Apple says. The iPod uses Wi-Fi to estimate its location when near available networks.
The iPhone's update should be free; new iPod touches will also receive the new apps for free, but existing owners will need to pay $20 to upgrade to the new software. Upgrading to 1.1.3 for bug fixes on the iPod remains free.


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HELP CAR STUCK IN MUD HELP? : remove a little dirt from the front of the wheels and put some flat pieces of wood as close and below the tires as possible, with a small angle, the
How to Drive in the Mud 14 Steps (with Pictures) : To avoid getting stuck or rolling your vehicle, you'll need some maneuvering skills. If you get stuck in the mud, put it in park, calm down and get out of the car /van/truck. Lowering tire pressure may help you gain more traction in the mud.
How do you get a car out of the mud : *Always be aware of people around the vehicle, particularly those helping. A stuck vehicle When a car gets stuck in the mud, two things are at work. First of all
Car Stuck in Mud? : There are a couple of ways to free a car stuck in the mud. First, make sure that you how to get a stuck car free of mud or snow? It helps a lot in snow or ice. 2 .
How to Free a Car Stuck in the Mud : Calling a tow truck to pull your car out of the mud can be frustrating, as possible , the weight of the vehicle can work in your favor to help the tires find traction.
How to Get a Stuck Car Out of the Mud : How to Get a Stuck Car Out of the Mud. roads and frequent mud problems, but most drivers can work their vehicles free of mud without needing to call for help.
4 Ways to Pull a Truck from the Mud : Drive through enough mud, and you're probably going to get stuck. Passengers should get out of the vehicle and help push if necessary. Bystanders should stay two to three car lengths from the vehicles and out of their
What to do if you get stuck in snow sand or mud : If you're stuck along a busy roadway, you and your car are at risk of being hit by. Traction mats or grids might also help in snow, sand, or mud.
Getting Your Car Unstuck from Snow or Mud (Tips) : Have you ever had the miserable experience of being stuck in snow or mud? If so , there are a few things you can do to help get out faster and without a tow truck
miDrive resources : Getting your car stuck in a muddy car park is one of the risks of festivalgoing. but this surprising technique should be able to help you tog et unstuck from mud.
Stuck in mud : Stuck in mud Stuff With Wheels. What is the best way to get a car out of mud without assistance or specialist gear? the wheels more purchase. Youll want a low gear and often a rocking motion will help you get unstuck
What To Do If Your Car Is Stuck In Mud Car Talk : What To Do If Your Car Is Stuck In Mud Car Talk Nairaland. Nairaland Forum HELP: My Car Is Consuming Too Much Fuel. / Which Car Is
Coping with car park mud : Try pulling away in second gear to reduce wheel spin and, if you get stuck, placing some cardboard in front of the driven wheels can help regain grip or even car
How to get a heavy truck out of the mud? : Lets say your 35,000lb 4×4 is stuck axledeep in mud. deal with broken down busses and trucks all the time, sure they can help you round up more suitable equipment for the job. Looking for a snow car Ma
If Your Car Is Stuck In The Mud And You Dont : Answer to If your car is stuck in the mud and you dont have a winch to pull it out, you can use a piece of rope and a tree to d
Car Driving > Roadside Assistance : TOUCH 4 HELP with the AAA Roadside App for iPhone or Android. AAA will attempt to get your vehicle running or tow your car. Stuck in the mud? AAA will
Are You Stuck in the Mud? : Im in the mud. I need your help. Lord He said, Are you stuck? I replied We hooked up my car to his truck and he pulled me slowly out of the mud. And he
Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom gets £100000 car stuck in the mud : Wisdom himself was not available for comment. Andre Wisdom, car, leave, mud, stuck He was forced to leave his car there as he left for help
Man on walk gets stuck in mud calls 911 for help : Man on walk gets stuck in mud, calls 911 for help Three people are suspects in the robbery of two people trying to buy a car in Ellwood City.


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Stars Photos
Photos: Jamie Benn puts Predator in headlock; Erik Cole fights; Dallas Stars struggle in road loss
Photo: Mark Zaleski/AP
Nashville Predators forward Rich Clune (16) shoves Dallas Stars right wing Erik Cole (72) after Clune lost control of the puck in the second period of an NHL hockey game on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
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Many Boxwood Road plant employees held out hope they could again build cars at the site.
- Filed Under
It's been almost five years since the last car rolled off the assembly line at the General Motors plant on Boxwood Road, but John Maloney is still showing up to work, keeping hope alive.
About a mile down the street from the ghost town that is the old plant, Maloney, president of United Auto Workers Local 435, and Financial Secretary Jim Brown still walk into the union hall three days a week as they wait for the saga of Fisker Automotive, the plant's onetime savior, now in bankruptcy, to play out.
Maloney said he and Brown "don't want to be the ones to walk out the door for the last time. It's just been a ...


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Qt Developer Days: Previews of Qt 4.5 and 4.6
In his keynote at the Qt Developer Days 2008, Matthias Ettrich covered the upcoming versions 4.5 and 4.6 of Qt due to release the beginning and end of 2009, respectively.
As to Qt 4.6, Ettrich highlighted its animation features and promised improvements to the user interface. The Qt libraries will also be extended and work is underway for USB and Bluetooth ports. He expects Qt 4.6 to release by end of 2009.
45 Qt developers are currently working in Oslo and 15 in Berlin, says Ettrich. Nokia is looking for additional Qt programmers.
KDE founder Ettrich is head of Germany's R&D operations at Nokia's Qt Software, formerly Trolltech. The Qt Developer Days 2008 is the fifth annual conference that took place October 14 and 15 in Munich
Issue 23: Raspberry Pi Adventures/Special Editions
Buy this issue as a PDF
Photon Controller Goes Open Source
VMware bids for a stake in the container industry with a bold effort to integrate containers with its classic virtualization system.
New Point-and-Click Exploit Kit Appears in the Wild
3ROS attack tool lowers the technical bar so anyone can be an intruder.
Firefox Finally Gets Tracking Protection
Mozilla's latest browser offers powerful new privacy feature
New Password Looter Tool Steals Passwords from a Password Manager
If attackers are on your system, saving your passwords in a password vault is no protection.
Over a Million Websites Are Still Using SHA-1
Faulty hash algorithm persists, despite efforts by experts to raise awareness.
Dyreza Malware is Back
Powerful man-in-the-middle attack is now targeting online shopping.
Kernel Developer Matthew Garrett Forks the Linux Kernel
Another high-profile coder says the kernel team needs a kinder, gentler culture.
Bugzilla Bug
Bug database has a bug of its own that could allow an intruder to create an unauthorized account.
US Launches New Strategy for Broadband Access
Report focuses federal resources on achieving universal Internet access.
RC4 Finally Gets the Fork
Leading browser makers say "no" to porous encryption algorithm


text:
Tap Here to view the Mobile Optimized TFLN
Divorce is final. Doing tequila shots at 1 in the afternoon.
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real men do shots at 8 in the morning
In celebration or mourning the loss?
Enter future ex-husband number 2...
If you don't start drinking before noon, you can't say you've been drinking all day.
Holy shit, aunt tonda?
Phys, there's a difference?
@Pierre I agree real men have a liquid breakfast
I think maybe that's why you got divorced... Too sauced to have a normal relationship.
this calls for a celebration......
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- Filed Under
BALTIMORE -- For freshmen competing at the high school level for the first time against older athletes, it can be nerve inducing.
That hasn't been the case for first-year Fairfield Union runner Jessica Swaim. The freshman finished second out of a field of 66 in 20:03 on Saturday at the Liberty Union Invitational.
"I am pretty darn pleased with her. She's a worker (and) she puts 100 percent effort into everything she does," Falcons coach Marilyn Leitnaker said. "She is really good about staying behind and really good at pacing herself." ...


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Debbie Marriott Harrison, the global officer of culture and business councils at Marriott International, talks about giving others a helping hand.
Scott Cutler, StubHub president, shares six lessons he's learned while summiting professional peaks.
More Americans than ever are reaching for buzzy beverages to stay awake, but the cure is more sleep.
As one of the NFL's newest officials, management grad Bart Longson knows how to make quick decisions on and off the field.
America may be the land of opportunity—but is the American Dream equally accessible? No, says Marriott School research.
Relocating twelve time zones is difficult. But for Wendy Smith, a 1992 MBA grad and exec at Johnson & Johnson, the move to Asia was a happy homecoming.
@hbll @byu_creamery @BYU @byuadmissions @BYUOneStop @MarriottSchool @BYUCASC leave the ambiance to us bit.ly/1PXvrVZ
@hbll @BYU @MarriottSchool We'll award a grant to the group that presents the best pie. You'll need to defend it with a 'dessert-ation'.
@hbll @BYU @MarriottSchool - We're obviously the distant relative everyone forgets about...but we'll bring the jelly beans and popcorn!
@hbll @BYU @MarriottSchool We can provide the photographer for the family group photo with the ugly Christmas sweaters.
@hbll @BYU @MarriottSchool We will bring the spiritual thought.
This drawing I received from a fan today reminded me of how special it is to wear that Y on my chest! #ThisIsY https://t.co/pzw8n9HFRV
@MarriottSchool @BYUmpa Very proud of my brother! He is an amazing public servant!
Epitome of #AdobeLife: a benefits fair with DJ, food, swag, and free massages. Thanks @Adobe! #ilovemyjob https://t.co/OPhHsarnJR


text:
World media reaches swift Cannes consensus
Media outlets around theworld were quick to reach a near unanimous view about this year's Cannes FilmFestival line-up.
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Chapter XV.
The Hermetic Teachings, while always having been kept securely locked up in the minds of the fortunate possessors thereof, for reasons which we have already stated, were never intended to be merely stored away and secreted. The Law of Use is dwelt upon in the Teachings, as you may see by reference to the above quotation from The Kybalion, which states it forcibly. Knowledge without Use and Expression is a vain thing, bringing no good to its possessor, or to the race. Beware of Mental Miserliness, and express into Action that which you have learned. Study the Axioms and Aphorisms, but practice them also.
We give below some of the more important Hermetic Axioms, from The Kybalion, with a few comments added to each. Make these your own, and practice and use them, for they are not really your own until you have Used them.
One may change his mental vibrations by an effort of Will, in the direction of deliberately fixing the Attention upon a more desirable state. Will directs the Attention, and Attention changes the Vibration. Cultivate the Art of Attention, by means of the Will, and you have solved the secret of the Mastery of Moods and Mental States.
This is one of the most important of the Hermetic Formulas. It is based upon true scientific principles. We have shown you that a mental state and its opposite were merely the two poles of one thing, and that by Mental Transmutation the polarity might be reversed. This principle is known to modern psychologists, who apply it to the breaking up of undesirable habits by bidding their students concentrate upon the opposite quality. If you are possessed of Fear, do not waste time trying to "kill out" Fear, but instead cultivate the quality of Courage, and the Fear will disappear. Some writers have expressed this idea most forcibly by using the illustration of the dark room. You do not have to shovel out or sweep out the Darkness, but by merely opening the shutters and letting in the Light the Darkness has disappeared. To kill out a Negative quality, concentrate upon the Positive Pole of that same quality, and the vibrations will gradually change from Negative to Positive, until finally you will become polarized on the Positive pole instead of the Negative. The reverse is also true, as many have found out to their sorrow, when they have allowed themselves to vibrate too constantly on the Negative pole of things. By changing your polarity you may master your moods, change your mental states, remake your disposition, and build up character. Much of the Mental Mastery of the advanced Hermetics is due to this application of Polarity, which is one of the important aspects of Mental Transmutation. Remember the Hermetic Axiom (quoted previously), which says:
The mastery of Polarization is the mastery of the fundamental principles of Mental Transmutation or Mental Alchemy, for unless one acquires the art of changing his own polarity, he will be unable to affect his environment. An understanding of this principle will enable one to change his own Polarity, as well as that of others, if he will but devote the time, care, study and practice necessary to master the art. The principle is true, but the results obtained depend upon the persistent patience and practice of the student.
As we have explained in previous chapters, the Hermetists hold that the Principle of Rhythm manifests on the Mental Plane as well as on the Physical Plane, and that the bewildering succession of moods, feelings, emotions, and other mental states, are due to the backward and forward swing of the mental pendulum, which carries us from one extreme of feeling to the other. The Hermetists also teach that the Law of Neutralization enables one, to a great extent, to overcome the operation of Rhythm in consciousness. As we have explained, there is a Higher Plane of Consciousness, as well as the ordinary Lower Plane, and the Master by rising mentally to the higher Plane causes the swing of the mental pendulum to manifest on the Lower Plane, and he, dwelling on his higher Plane, escapes the consciousness of the swing backward. This is effected by polarizing on the higher Self, and thus raising the mental vibrations of the Ego above those of the ordinary plane of consciousness. It is akin to rising above a thing, and allowing it to pass beneath you. The advanced Hermetist polarizes himself at the Positive Pole of his Being — the "I Am" pole rather than the pole of personality, and by "refusing" and "denying" the operation of Rhythm, raises himself above its plane of consciousness, and standing firm in his Statement of Being he allows the pendulum to swing back on the Lower Plane without changing his Polarity. This is accomplished by all individuals who have attained any degree of self-mastery, whether they understand the law or not. Such persons simply "refuse" to allow themselves to be swung back by the pendulum of mood and emotion, and by steadfastly affirming the superiority, they remain polarized on the Positive pole. The Master, of course, attains a far greater degree of proficiency, because he understands the law which he is overcoming by a higher law, and by the use of his Will he attains a degree of Poise and Mental Steadfastness almost impossible of belief on the part of those who allow themselves to be swung backward and forward by the mental pendulum of moods and feelings.
Remember, always, however, that you do not really destroy the Principle of Rhythm, for that is indestructible. You simply overcome one law by counter-balancing it with another, and thus maintain an equilibrium. The laws of balance and counter-balance are in operation on the mental as well as on the physical planes, and an understanding of these laws enables one to seem to overthrow laws, whereas he is merely exerting a counter-balance.
By an understanding of the practice of Polarization, the Hermetists rise to a higher plane of Causation and thus counter-balance the laws of the lower planes of Causation. By rising above the plane of ordinary Causes they become themselves, in a degree, Causes instead of being merely Caused. By being able to master their own moods and feelings, and by being able to neutralize Rhythm, as we have already explained, they are able to escape a great part of the operations of Cause and Effect on the ordinary plane. The masses of people are carried along, obedient to their environment; the wills and desires of others stronger than themselves; the effects of inherited tendencies; the suggestions of those about them; and other outward causes; which tend to move them about on the chess-board of life like mere pawns. By rising above these influencing causes, the advanced Hermetists seek a higher plane of mental action, and by dominating their moods, emotions, impulses and feelings, they create for themselves new characters, qualities and powers, by which they overcome their ordinary environment, and thus become practically players instead of mere Pawns. Such people help to play the game of life understandingly, instead of being moved about this way and that way by stronger influences and powers and wills. They use the Principle of Cause and Effect, instead of being used by it. Of course, even the highest are subject to the Principle as it manifests on the higher planes, but on the lower planes of activity, they are Masters instead of Slaves. As The Kybalion says:
In conclusion let us again call your attention to the Hermetic Axiom:
In the above axiom, the Hermetists teach that the great work of influencing one's environment is accomplished by Mental Power. The Universe being wholly mental, it follows that it may be ruled only by Mentality. And in this truth is to be found an explanation of all the phenomena and manifestations of the various mental powers which are attracting so much attention and study in these earlier years of the Twentieth Century. Back of and under the teachings of the various cults and schools, remains ever constant the principle of the Mental Substance of the Universe. If the Universe be Mental in its substantial nature, then it follows that Mental Transmutation must change the conditions and phenomena of the Universe. If the Universe is Mental, then Mind must be the highest power affecting its phenomena. If this be understood then all the so-called "miracles" and "wonder-workings" are seen plainly for what they are.


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PartiPalooza is THE children's entertainment center located in Livermore, California. We provide a clean, safe, fun and family friendly environment to celebrate children's parties, events and just plain fun.
Also a great place to get all of the excercise we need. PartiPalooza is dedicated to provide the best service to help create a special and memorable party experience for you and your child.
PartiPalooza is for children of all ages. Our professional party hosts can help you design a party that will impress your child and be the envy of their friends and family.
-Our front activity room features inflatable jumpers �slides, obstacle course and jump house
-Our back activity room filled with fun includes miniature bowling, rock climbing, more jumping plus arcade games
-A variety of game tables �basketball, air hockey and foosball
A great entertainment system with fun music to keep the party jumping!
-Our large party room is a separate comfortable place to have refreshments and another room to open gifts


text:
Leland Stowe papers,
This collection has:
1.20 cubic ft.
Leland Stowe (1899-1994) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent and the author of seven books.
View Online Materials
Some of the materials from this collection are available online. Not all materials have necessarily been digitized. View the finding aid or contact DCA for more information.
View Finding Aid
A finding aid is a description of a collection of archival material, which will help you discover what records are available for research. It provides information about a collection, the collection's creators, and an outline of the collection's contents. Learn more about finding aids.


text:
Behold: Benedict Cumberbatch & A Penguin
Yesterday marked Cumberbatch's very first Comic-Con appearance. (He's not the only one: Matthew McConaughey and Christopher Nolan also made their Comic-Con debuts.) While there, Cumberbatch attended a Dreamworks Animation panel to promote his new movie, Penguins of Madagascar. The animated film, however, was quickly eclipsed by Sherlock-mania, courtesy of Cumberbatch's TV fans.
But, in the words of Entertainment Weekly, "None of that is actually necessary to appreciate the simplicity of this photo. It's Benedict Cumberbatch with a penguin, and that's pretty much everything you need to know."


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Staybridge Suites Times Square - New York City
Visitors to Times Square Enjoy Hotel's Central LocationBoasting an ideal location and cool design, the Staybridge Suites® Times Square - New York City hotel is a sleek, modern extended-stay hotel that's perfect for all travelers visiting Manhattan. This hotel's studio suites are within walking distance to the best that Midtown has to offer.
Leisure travelers enjoy being so close to Times Square, and Broadway theatres, Restaurant Row and Bryant Park are just a few blocks away! Take in the grandeur of New York City from the hotel's central location and see it all as you walk everywhere, even to the Empire State Building.
If you're on business in Manhattan, the hotel's location is ideal as we are within walking distance to many Fortune 500 companies. As one of the closest hotels, it's an easy walk to the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
After you've explored New York City, the hotel's studio suites, featuring pillowtop mattresses, welcome you to a restful night in the midst of this vibrant city. Take advantage of the complimentary evening receptions and stay on top of your exercise routine with a 24-hour Fitness Center that features Cybex equipment with personal TVs. You can stay connected with the free high-speed, wireless Internet access throughout the entire hotel. Book yourself an extended stay or a single night at the Staybridge Suites® Times Square - New York City hotel and enjoy the comforts of home as our guest.
Quick Info
- Check In: 4:00 PM
- Check Out: 11:00 AM
- Minimum Check-In Age: 21
- Late Check Out Available
- Self Parking Fee: 35.00 USD
- Print Fact sheet
- Chat Online
Hotel Highlights
- On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities
- Housekeeping Full Service
- Complimentary Breakfast Buffet
- Standard Wireless Internet service is free for all members
- On-Site Fitness Center Available
Guest Reviews
Overall Experience
Front desk needs improvement
November 23, 2015
I like the hotel, but it was too cloud and staff members were not enough to attend the demand.
I am Spire Elite, but I could not get even a greeting or offered a complementary water (I needed to buy it), which suppose to be standard for elite status member.
experience as a tourist
Bysisters and niece
November 23, 2015
The main problems were very slow lifts 10-15mins wait at times, some times more, not enough seating at breakfast times so took breakfast to room at times, they forgot to clean our room, very poor option for vegetarians at breakfast times,
Attente ascenseurs
November 23, 2015
A notre arrivée, personnel d'accueil pas très chaleureux. Nous avons dû demander pour avoir une carte de Times Square mais en aucun cas la standardiste nous a expliqué les lieux touristiques à visiter.
Attente parfois de plus de 15 minutes pour l'ascenseur.
well located, comfortable
November 23, 2015
We had a comfortable stay in this hotel, no great issues with the lifts as some have had, breakfast is busy, but we always had somewhere to sit and the staff are very attentive.
All in all a very pleasant stay


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Flyers captain Chris Pronger was injured in the first period of Monday's game after being stuck in the face by the stick of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski.
Pronger covered his face and immediately skated to the Flyers dressing room.
The stick appeared to hit Pronger near his eyes, and if one was struck, this injury could be serious.
The Flyers' only initial response was general manager Paul Holmgren issuing a statement saying, "Chris Pronger will not return."
There was no penalty called on the play and Flyers fans booed loudly, but, by rule, the referees made the correct call because Grabovski hit Pronger on the follow-through of his shot.
Pronger went into the game leading the Flyers in ice time at 23 minutes, 30 seconds per game. He also was second on the team in scoring with seven points on one goal and six assists.
Flyers rookie forward Matt Read also was injured in the first period of Monday's game after being struck in the face by a stick, but he returned later in the period.


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Andrew Spitz
This time lapse follows 24 hours of my life. I wrote a Max/MSP patch to capture a 100ms slice of sound and a frame from my webcam every 144 seconds.
I call it time lapse phonography because the focus is on sound, not on the visuals. I added the visuals because I find it interesting to see and hear the space rather than just hear it.
Check out http:soundplusdesign.com for more details


text:
I'm about half way through a Ph.d program in Political Science, plan to teach at the university level after finishing.
Join OkCupid
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—% Match
—% Enemy
30 • Saint Louis, MO • Man
I'm looking for
- Women
- Ages 18-35
- Near me
- Who are single
- For new friends, long-term dating, short-term dating
My details
- Last online
- Jul 29
- Orientation
- Straight
- Ethnicity
- White
- Status
- Single
- Height
- 6' 0" (1.83m)
- Body Type
- A little extra
- Smoking
- Yes
- Drinking
- Socially
- Drugs
- Sometimes
- Religion
- Atheism and it's important
- Sign
- Gemini
- Education
- Working on Post grad
- Offspring
- Doesn't have kids but wants them
- Pets
- Has dogs
- Speaks
- English (Fluently), German (Somewhat), Russian (Somewhat)
What I'm doing with my life
Don't overthink this one; tell us what you're doing day-to-day.
I'm really good at
Go on, brag a little (or a lot). We won't judge.
Trivia, Scrabble, Arguing, Relaxing, Swimming, Boating...
The first things people usually notice about me
I'm an empty essay… fill me out!
I know a lot of people get all poetic about a personality trait or something here, but I'll be brief and honest: my beard.
Get a lot of comments about it from all sorts of people. :)
Get a lot of comments about it from all sorts of people. :)
The six things I could never do without
Think outside the box. Sometimes the little things can say a lot.
1) Friends.
2) Warm weather.
3) Boats/Jet Skis
4) My dog.
5) Family.
6) Strawberries in all their forms.
2) Warm weather.
3) Boats/Jet Skis
4) My dog.
5) Family.
6) Strawberries in all their forms.
I spend a lot of time thinking about
Global warming, lunch, or your next vacation… it's all fair game.
"The future". I'm really anxious to be done with this last degree and move on to the life I've been studying for/working toward for a friggin' decade.
On a typical Friday night I am
Netflix and takeout, or getting your party on — how do you let loose?
With my trivia teammates, playing a filthy version of the trivia show we frequent.
Always good for a laugh! ;)
Always good for a laugh! ;)
The most private thing I'm willing to admit
I'm an empty essay… fill me out!
I occasionally allow my dog to cuddle up on my chest to sleep.
Not manly, but that dog is friggin cute!
Not manly, but that dog is friggin cute!
You should message me if
Offer a few tips to help matches win you over.
...you like talking about things that are deeper than Kanye West and whoever-the-hell's baby.
...you think we might get along well.
...you want to. I'm not your boss! :P
...you think we might get along well.
...you want to. I'm not your boss! :P
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