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Twitchers is an 19th century converted former Oast House. Set in the grounds of a Grade II listed Queen Anne house with 3 natural ponds. The garden is a haven for wildlife with regular visits from heron and kingfisher and, of course, our resident mallards and moorhens With three double en-suite bedrooms, Twitchers is an ideal cottage for three generation holidays. Wonderful walks from doorstep over North Downs and Pilgrims Way. Train to London or South Coast station half mile. Excellent village and farm shops, three period pubs all serving food. Golf at Chart Hills, Biddenden and Royal St Georges, Sandwich. Perfect for day trips to France, Eurostar station at Ashford 20 mins, Eurotunnel 45 mins, Dover 50 mins.
1 Bedroom sleeps 2 + Cot Leeds Caste 1.5miles
Set in the delightful gardens of a Grade II listed Queen Anne house with 3 natural ponds, visiting heron, kingfisher, mallards and moorhens. Twitchers and the Barn are well equipped and comfortable self-catering properties from which to explore Kent, The Garden of England. Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Walks from doorstep, North Downs Way and historic Pilgrim's Way. Wonderful views over fields with cattle, woodland, lake and stream. Hollingbourne has many listed houses, 3 period pubs, village and farm shops. Perfect for visiting National Trust properties, steam trains at Tenterden and New Romney. Golf at Chart Hills and Royal St George's. Many castles, Leeds, Bodiam, Hever, Rochester and Dover. Hourly train to London Victoria 65mins, station half mile. Great for day trips to France, 20 mins Ashford International, 40 mins Eurotunnel Terminal at Folkestone, 50 mins Dover. Both properties have private gardens with seating and table for 'al fresco'
Swimming Pool: Swimming is available from early June to early September, exclusively for guests of Twitchers, the Barn and residents of Penn Court only.
Top Traveller Review
Home from home
Would highly recommend.
My family of five were more than comfortable in this spacious property.
The three bathrooms were great for my three daughters.
Central location for sightseeing the garden of England.
Thank you
About the Owner
Available Rentals
Refundable security deposit £100 payable on arrival
Small dogs by arrangement £20 per week
Sofa beds £30 per week
Payment for holiday in advance, £100 payable with Booking Form balance payable 8 weeks before commencement of holiday
Short breaks of 3/4 nights 75% of weekly rate 5 nights 90% of weekly rate
Please enquire about smaller groups using 2 bedrooms and 'last minute' rates
23 Reviews
4.8/5 -
(23 traveller reviews)
Home from home
Lovely property in a beautiful location.
Would highly recommend.
My family of five were more than comfortable in this spacious property.
The three bathrooms were great for my three daughters.
Central location for sightseeing the garden of England.
Thank you
The most relaxing holiday - ever!
We arrived at Twitchers holiday cottage in Hollingbourne at 5pm on a Saturday evening. After a long drive with four children and a dog, we were surprised and delighted at how instantly relaxed we felt
The setting is quite stunning, with various fruit trees, ponds and chickens roaming.
The layout of the accommodation is practical, cosy and definitely ample for our family of six.
We find it easier to cater for ourselves on holiday and found the kitchen area to be well stocked with all of the pots, pans, crockery and cutlery and glassware to meet our needs. There was also a plate of delicious, homemade shortbread waiting for us.
Pauline our host introduced herself to us, after giving us about an hour to settle and provided us with information and then remained available but unobtrusive for the duration of our stay.
We had two wonderful days visiting Leeds Castle and then Go Ape, both of which were a five minute drive from our cottage.
The rest of the time was spent playing in the pool, which we all loved.
We had a lovely, relaxing time and enjoyed every moment in this beautiful part of the country and would not hesitate in recommending Twitchers.
paradise near London
Last Easter, we stayed at Twitchers for a whole week. We had a great time. Very beautiful place, very helpfull nice landlady. It is nice to come home to a quiet space after a busy day in London. Not only London is just around the corner, also the nice This place is a place you must book and stay !
A little gem in Kent
Would recommend this property for location and character. Owner very friendly and helpful. Compact kitchen / living facilities for 6 adults. A couple of plumbing issues were well compensated for by a wealth of interesting features in the property which even included original hop oasting markers on beams. Enjoyed great food at local pubs . A great week.
Wonderful stay
We had a wonderful stay at Twitchers during a week in September. The cottage lies in a beautiful park, very quite. We made wonderful walks in the neighbourhood in the country side. The cottage is very cosy, complete and clean. Pauline is very helpful, she gave us good tips for toristic trips. We hope to return one day!
A gem of a holiday cottage
We have just returned from a wonderful family holiday spent at Twitchers. We arrived at our beautiful holiday home and were welcomed by Pauline who showed us around the old Oast House, gardens and swimming pool. Homemade jam and lemon cake awaited us in the kitchen. The location is great for day trips in the county - we visited Leeds Castle, Canterbury, Rye and spent an afternoon soaking up the English sun at Camber Sands beach. We ate out at the Windmill pub in the village - the food and service was wonderful. The children loved the pool and as the weather was so warm we were in the water every day. We enjoyed every minute of our stay and wouldn't hesitate to stay here again on our next visit to the UK.
Activity and Interests
Hollingbourne is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. An ideal location for visiting Leeds Castle 1.5 miles, Sissinghurs 35mins, Great Dixter 50mins, Hever Castle 50mins, Chartwell home of Winston Churchill 60 mins, Downe House, home of Charles Darwin 50 mins, and, of course, London, station 0.5 miles hourly trains to London Victoria 65 mins Delightful long sandy beach at Camber Sands, Rye. Canterbury with its famous Cathedral 50 mins. Excellent walks on Pilgrims Way and North Downs from Barn. Brighton and Charleston, home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant are 1.5 - 2 hours drive. `Many more National Trust and English Heritage properties to visit.
Other Activities: Bird watching at Isle of Sheppey, Samphine Hoe, Dungeness and our own garden.
Property Type
- cottage
- Away From It All
- Family
- Computer Available
- Heating
- Internet
- Iron & Board
- Linens Provided
- Parking
- Parking Off Street
- Towels Provided
- Tumble Dryer
- Washing Machine
- Wireless Internet
- Free Wifi
- 4 Ring Stove
- Blender
- Coffee Maker
- Cooking Utensils
- Dishwasher
- Freezer
- Grill
- Microwave
- Oven
- Refrigerator
- Hob
- Toaster
- Child's Highchair
- Dining Area
- Audio Tape Player
- Books - Fiction / Non-fiction
- Books for Kids
- CD Player
- DVD Player
- Games
- Games for Kids
- Radio
- Stereo
- Television
- Toys
- Video Player
Pool / Spa
- Communal Pool
- Heated Pool
- Outdoor Pool
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- suitable for elderly or infirm
- wheelchair accessible
Location Type
- rural
- village
- churches
- museums
- playground
- pond
- recreation centre
Leisure Activities
- bird watching
- horse riding
- outlet shopping
- sight seeing
- walking
Local Services & Businesses
- ATM/bank
- groceries
- hospital
- laundrette - serviced
Sports & Adventure Activities
- fishing
- freshwater fishing
- golf
- ice skating
- swimming
Floor Area
- 150 m²
- Bathroom 1 - Toilet, Shower Enclosure
- Bathroom 2 - Toilet, Shower Enclosure
- Bathroom 3 - Toilet, Bath with Shower
- 3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6
- Bedroom 1 - 2 Single Bed
- Bedroom 2 - 1 Double Bed
- Bedroom 3 - 1 Double Bed
- Twin beds downstairs can be zipped together, extra long 6'6'. Upstairs bedrooms have sofa beds and televisions. 2 cots available. Cots and high chair available, sofa beds for children £30 per week.
- Garden
- Barbecue
- 8 garden chairs
- 8 deck chairs
- Self-catering
House Rules
- Max. occupancy: 6
- non smoking only
- pets considered
- children welcome


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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Ultra Light High Comfort Mattress Pads
Jun 17, 2007 at 6:04 pm #1223727
On my 9 day hike last year I did not get as good a sleep as I would like. The problem with a 4' sleeping pad is that to be comfortable, your head is typically on a pillow in front of the pad. An extra 8" of length would really be nice. I have considered the Woman's Prolite 4 Regular which is 5'6" long but it weighs 24 oz. The closest I could come to this comfort, after evaluating a slew of alternatives is this:
A cut-down to 58" long Texsport Dual-Foam Sleeping Pad (1.25" thick of foam) plus two Office Max Bubble Wrap Protective Packaging Wraps cut down to 20" by 36 feet (folded in 58" segments. This amounts to 2" of cushioning, and it does take a lot of space, but the plastic Package acts as a waterproof wrapping for the Dual Foam pad too. With Rubber straps, the entire thing weighs 18.4 oz, which is 6 oz less than the Thermarest alternative.
I could get by with just one bag, but I wanted the two setups to be 100% equally as cushionable, and it took two Bubble Wrap packages to get it to that identical level of cushioning.
I'm wondering if anyone else has come up with something as comfortable as a 1.5" Prolite 4 pad that weighs less than one pound and is at least 54-58" long.
I have tried the Walmart Closed Cell Foam pad, the REI Closed Cell foam Pad, the ZLite pad, the Gossamer Gear 1/8" thin pad, and nothing came identical to the cushioning of a Prolite 4 pad as did the above combination.
Yes, it is bulky, but I am going to be using a LuxuryLite external frame this year, and it is easy to strap this 18 oz sleeping pad to the top of the LuxuryLite frame.
I wish Thermarest would create a 58" long Prolite 4 pad — I hate the huge gap between 48" and 72" (Yes, the woman's is only 66" but it weighs the same as the man's 72" pad).Jun 17, 2007 at 6:26 pm #1392572
For ultimate comfort with min. weight, it would be hard to beat Stephenson-Warmlite's DAM (down air mattress). If they made them in a shorter length, they'd be even lighter but their smallest (65" long and 22" wide) offers 3-4" of downfilled (for insulation) air-filled comfort at a weight of 18 oz. At a cost—$140.
Bill Fornshell, a frequent poster on the "make Your Own Gear" portion of this forum(forum search), made his own version at an absurdly light weight.Jun 17, 2007 at 10:09 pm #1392590
Kevin, thanks for the most fantastic vendor website ad in backpacking world! Talking about getting word of mouth advertising, that ad (product display picture to be more precise) will generate a lot of interest.
Anyway, do you use this mattress? If so, does it fit in ordinary sleeping bags or do you have to order one of their sleeping bags?
Thanks again, that ad was something for sure.Jun 17, 2007 at 10:44 pm #1392593
Guess you could accuse me of pimping for their site. They've been an institutuion in the Outdoor Community for over 40 years.
You can use the DAM by itself with any bag although it is elegently designed to be integrated into the Warmlite bag system. I don't own a DAM but I have tried them—-they are very posh. Personally, I favor very light pad systems ( I use a Torso-lite or the Gossamer Gear Nightlight pads) but then again, it doesn't require a lot of pad for me to get a good night's sleep.Jun 18, 2007 at 5:46 am #1392597
John MackeyMember
I have used Stephenson's DAM for the past 4 years and have thru-hiked the Colorado Trail and section hiked 90% of the PCT with it. I use the size "60" which is 70 inches long and 24 inches wide at the shoulders. It gradually tapers down in width to be about 20 inches wide at the feet. It is 3 inches thick. My DAM and the stuff sack together weigh exactly 22.9 ounces on my scale. Since the stuff sack is necessary for this mattress in order to pump it up (blowing into the DAM with one's mouth will wet the down and ruin the DAM's insulating properties), its weight needs to be included in the calculation.
This is one of my 3 favorite pieces of gear (my Gossamer Gear G-5 pack and my Squall Classic being the other two). It is far superior to both Big Agnes' Insulated Air Core Pad and Pacific Outdoor's version–lighter, thicker, more durable, more comfortable, and warmer. It is pure ecstasy to climb on top of this pad after 12 hours of hiking and settle in for the night. I sleep on my side and I sleep better on the trail on this DAM than I do at home in my own bed.
Any negatives about this DAM? Well most ultralighters wouldn't want to carry the 22.9 ounces this pad weighs. However, this particular tradeoff is worth it to me. Comfort in camp versus comfort on the trail. Since I spend about 12 hours a day on the trail and about 12 hours a day in camp, I don't believe that comfort in camp should be ignored, especially when comfortable deep sleep contributes to a much better day on the trail. Many people also don't like the bother of having to blow up this DAM with the accompanying stuff sack. Of course I would prefer not having to do this every night in camp as well, but I've made a habit of timing myself blowing the DAM up and making a game of how fast I can do it. After blowing it up hundreds of times now, I've improved my technique so that the task is usually completed within 5 to 7 minutes.
This is a great piece of gear and it is worth noting that after 4 years of continuous use it has never developed any leaks. I don't think you can use this DAM and expect to have a base weight under 5 pounds, but I have not found it difficult to hike with it, as well as carrying the Squall Classic, and being under 7 pounds.Jun 18, 2007 at 4:25 pm #1392646
Ross BleakneyBPL Member
@rossbleakneyLocale: Cascades
Like Kevin, I use just a GG NightLight (closed cell) pad. Once in a while, if I'm stuck on bumpy ground (usually caused by roots) this can be inadequate (from a comfort standpoint). Does anyone knows of any really light air mattresses? I know the big drawback is that they don't insulate, but I could put a thin-light pad on top or bottom (adding a couple ounces and a smidge more cushion). Does anyone know what a open cell foam air mattress weighs without the foam? Is most of the weight in the foam, or the covering for the foam? Are there less durable alternatives? If there are and they are really light, it could open an up an interesting option as you could use a closed cell foam (such as the NightLight) on the bottom and then put the air mattress on top. If the inflatable breaks, you would still have the closed cell foam. To be worth it, I would think you would want the air mattress to be about 4 ounces or so.
I know there are a lot of combo mattresses out there, but most of them are relatively heavy. By the way, I think the DIY air mattress Kevin was talking about is here: http://tinyurl.com/3ckzun
really cool as it doubles as a kilt.Jun 18, 2007 at 5:16 pm #1392655
If you want ultralight, you can get 1 or two of these:
OfficeMax Bubble Wrap Protective Packaging, 24" X 18' Roll
Item # 20882305 , Style # OM96051
The bubbles are 3/17" thick. One bag makes a sleeping pad 24"x58" of 4 layers, weighing about 4 oz. You might accidentally pop a bubble or two. It only costs $3 so you can try it out. Check out my first reply, 2 of these with the Sportex dual foam pad ends up being as comfortable as a prolite 4 pad but it is very bulky (but light) and is 18 oz versus the 24 oz of the Prolite 4 regular.
http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/product/prodBlock.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&prodBlockOID=1611533657&expansionOID=-536892117Jun 19, 2007 at 12:15 pm #1392724
Russell SwansonMember
@rswansonLocale: Midatlantic
I use a Pacific Outdooor Equipment Max Compact. Basically an uninsulated mummy-shaped air mat that weighs 18 ounces (manufacturer's spec: 17 oz). It's been replaced by the Ether Compact 6, which is essentially the same product. There's a 3/4 length version as well. http://www.pacoutdoor.com/2007/index.cfm?action=product&productID=134&groupID=23&familyID=1
Other options: there's also the balloonbed- http://www.balloonbed.com/Index.htm. Weighs about 3.5 ounces. I know someone here on BPL has done a MYOG version, probably Bill Forshnell or possibly Mark Verber. Try a search in the MYOG forum.
Edit: I see Ross beat me to it with regards to the MYOG balloon bed. Good on you!Jun 19, 2007 at 12:37 pm #1392727
Insul Mat Max Thermo. I don't care what it weighs, it's worth it, and I'm carrying it. The balloon bed looks interesting though, but I bet you'd get pretty aggravated blowing it up every night.Jun 19, 2007 at 6:12 pm #1392769
Doug JohnsonBPL Member
@djohnsonLocale: Washington State
For a night of excellent SUL sleep:
1) Take one Gossamer Gear Nightlight pad
2) Eat two Advil PM
3) See you in 8 hours!
Guaranteed better sleep than a Big Agnes Aircore or a Exped Downmat (my two favorite comfy pads).Jun 19, 2007 at 6:23 pm #1392770
The slightly less UL version of above is to take a deep swig of a good single malt scotch, like a 20 year old Talisker, before retiring, in lieu of the Advil PM. %*}Jun 19, 2007 at 6:33 pm #1392771
Michael FogartyBPL Member
@mfog1Locale: Midwest
I sleep much better now since I switched to an Isul-Mat 2.5" tubular, blow up pad.
Uninsulated is approx.16oz and 24oz for the insulated, rated at 15 deg.
If, I'm only going to do a one or two night trip, I may use, my (19.5"x59") GG Nightlight pad, along with a 2 section GG Nightlight under the torso for double the cushion.Jun 19, 2007 at 8:07 pm #1392783
Aaron SorensenBPL Member
@awsorensenLocale: South of Forester Pass
Other than experimenting with balloon beds, I have slept on the 1/4" GG pads since they came out.
Balloons between two 1/4" GG pads is what really work good.
There are 2 reasons I can do this.
One is that I never sleep at camp grounds. I always look for a cushy area to sleep, and they do exists unless your hiking on solid granite.
The other is that I push when I hike and I'm so tired when I go to sleep I could probable even sleep on that slab of granite.
Putting clothing under the arc of your back helps a lot as well.
You really just need to find a better place to sleep!!!Jun 19, 2007 at 8:31 pm #1392786
John S.BPL Member
If you are experiencing any signs of altitude illness, I'd advise against taking respiratory depressants (advil pm, other meds containing diphenhydramine, and alcohol) until you are symptom-free.Jun 19, 2007 at 11:30 pm #1392795
Mark VerberBPL Member
@verberLocale: San Francisco Bay Area
My vote is for an insulated air mattress. BA or POE to save money, Warmlite DAM if you have the cash and/or need something for the dead of winter.
As others have mentioned there are a number of truly ultralight options. With any of these, I would recommend using a light foam pad for insulation if the temp is below around 55F. I found the balloonbed to be inconsistent performer.Jun 20, 2007 at 6:32 am #1392807
I think a lot of the ability to sleep depends less on your pad, and more on your age. I know when I was 30, I could sleep great on anything. The aches and pains of a misspent youth have really caught up to me at 50.Jun 20, 2007 at 9:50 am #1392822
Michael DavisMember
@mad777Locale: South Florida
I agree with Joe, the necessary thickness of a
sleeping pad is propotional to the age of the sleeper.
If this keeps up, I'm going to have to get a taller tent
to make room for my sleeping pad :-)
My setup is a 3/4 length Insul Mat Max Thermo (15oz)
plus 24" of 3/8" closed cell foam (2 oz) for the feet.
They are so tired at the end of the day, they don't know what they're on.
Since the air mat is insulated (synthetic), this will suffice to below freezing when I add a 1/8" Gossamer Gear pad (2 oz).Jun 20, 2007 at 5:38 pm #1392883
john TierSpectator
@peter_panLocale: Co-Owner Jacks 'R' Better, LLC, VA
Take a serious look at hammock camping…. These rigs can be extremely light, very warm, compact and offer the best night sleep…. as a bonus they serve as chairs and loungers in camp… all around great answer.
PanJun 20, 2007 at 5:45 pm #1392884
Hammocks work great, I'm sure. Except where I live. I'm not carrying two trees around.Jun 20, 2007 at 6:03 pm #1392885
… that's hammock territory.
Aye, there's the rub ( from the perspective of 10,800 ft, in the Sierra.).
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.


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American litigation lawyers are unlikely candidates for hero-status, but when your own government has allowed your pension to go down the pan, all bets are off.
American litigation lawyers are unlikely candidates for hero-status, but when your own government has allowed your pension to go down the pan, all bets are off.
And so it is that US class action firm Cohen Milstein Hausfeld & Toll could reap the PR reward of legal action on behalf of a million Equitable Life policyholders whose pensions have been flushed.
Policyholders' first victory was when parliamentary ombudsman Ann Abraham held that they are victims of "a decade of regulatory failure", urging the Government to compensate them for losses incurred after Equitable almost collapsed eight years ago.
Whether Cohen Milstein goes ahead is yet to be seen, but unlike the milk debacle of recent months, when the firm was unable to find funding, the million people affected by this campaign have a lot more to gain than those ripped off by their supermarket on their annual milk bill.
Even if some of them have gone to their grave penniless in the meantime.
So are Cohen Milstein the heroes of this tale? Or just vultures come to pick over the bones of other people's financial disasters? You decide.
Regulating the regulators
In his first interview after taking on the job, David Edmond, former Natwest Group MD, now chair of super-regulator the Legal Services Board (LSB), told The Lawyer that "choosing the right board will be the first step to what I'm expecting will be a world-class agency."
And with that board now chosen, you can make your own mind up on how he's done.
Included is former Reuters GC Rosemary Martin, now chief exec of consultancy the Practical Law Company; FSA general counsel Andrew Whittaker; Irwin Mitchell senior partner and former Law Soc president Mike Napier QC, David Wolfe, founder member of Matrix Chambers; and three experts with backgrounds in media, the police and judicial appointments.
Sounds a classy bunch. But between them, the ten have a lot to prove.
Set up as a result of the fiercely contested Legal Services Act, the LSB will cost some £3.9m to set up and won't be fully operational until Spring 2010.
Not only that, it does not regulate the profession itself, but rather is the regulator of twin regulators the Solicitors' Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board.
Already responsible for upping minimum salaries for trainees, launching a new code of conduct, planning to split the LPC in two and gearing up for the Legal Services Act, those bodies have been busy since they started.
So can six lawyers and three business people working one month a year keep them in check? Log on to have your say.
Time is money
"We are in the vanguard of the slowdown," says Travers Smith managing partner Chris Carroll, one of the law's most quotable personalities, explaining the firm's 7.6 per cent drop in PEP from £817,000 to £755,000.
But Carroll was also describing the market as a whole.
Travers and its silver circle rival, Macfarlanes, are more exposed to the M&A slowdown than most, but Travers has the added disadvantage of a June year-end, meaning that its figures include almost 10 months of credit crunch fallout against most firms' eight.
One of the market's realists during this period, in January Carroll told The Lawyer that he didn't "like the look of 2008" – one of a number of instances, when while others have stuck their heads in the sand or vowed to fight the crunch, Carroll has been unafraid to tell it how he sees it.
But as today's Top of the PEPs blog asks, is sticking it out the best strategy in an increasingly global market place? Or should Travers be taking a leaf out of the book of Lovells or DLA Piper and ramping up overseas? Let us know your thoughts here.
What friends are for
Being good friends with hyper-acquisitive Banco Santander is a relationship worth having, but it can take time to pay dividends.
Just ask Slaughter and May, which is leading the advice for the Spanish bank's £1.25bn Alliance & Leicester approach, but took an age to get there.
The roots of the relationship lie in another friendship way back in 1993, when Slaughters' best friend in Spain, Uría Menéndez, acted for Santander on its acquisition of Spanish rival Banesto.
In parallel to the Uría/Santander bonding, Slaughters developed a longstanding friendship with Abbey and in 1996 advised the National & Provincial building society when it merged into Abbey National (as it was then known).
But in 2004 Santander bought Abbey for £8.9bn, and Uría faced coming up against Slaughters on the deal table. Each of the best friends was conflicted, and Uría was forced to pair with Clifford Chance for Santander as a result while Slaughters had to spoon with Spanish firm Perez Llorca for Abbey.
However in 2007, with seemingly every law firm in the world involved or conflicted, all friends were reunited for the RBS consortium's £49bn ABN Amro bid.
With Abbey under the Santander umbrella, Uría recommended Slaughters act for Santander as part of the consortium.
And finally, yesterday, Santander returned to Slaughters in its bid for Alliance & Leicester. And that's how good friends are made.
All your questions answered
Doubling your profit is a good result by any standards. But, as The Lawyer reveals today, that's pretty much what the UK's top 30 firms have done since 2000. But which firms in the top 30 have come on the fastest this millennium?
Of the top 30 firms in 2000, which have dropped out of the race? Why has the line-up of the top 10 remained pretty much static?
Which firm is the fastest growing after increasing revenues by 310 per cent? Bet you'll be surprised by that one. And which firm has recorded the slowest growth? You may not be as surprised by that one.


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Internet providers will be able to charge rights holders to process allegations of copyright infringement under a controversial law designed to prevent illegal file sharing.
The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act, which was passed under urgency in April and comes into effect on September 1, allows copyright owners to send evidence of alleged infringements to internet service providers (ISPs), which will then send up to three infringement notices to the account holder.
If the warnings are ignored, the copyright owner can take a claim to the Copyright Tribunal and the tribunal can make awards of up to $15,000 against the account holder.
Commerce Minister Simon Power today announced Cabinet had approved regulations that meant ISPs would be able to charge rights holders up to $25 to process allegations of copyright infringement.
Mr Power said the fee was an appropriate compromise between what rights holders and the ISPs wanted.
"However, we will review that six months after the Act comes into effect to make sure it's at the right level," he said.
Mr Power said the fee level was more cost-effective for rights holders than taking mattes to court, and allowed them to pursue "a reasonable number" of alleged infringements to educate internet users.
"For ISPs, the fee level prevents them from being inundated with alleged copyright breaches to the point they find it difficult to comply with the regime, and allows them to recover a reasonable proportion of their costs."
The application fee to take a claim to the Copyright Tribunal would be set at $200.
The new regulations also set out the information rights holders need to provide to ISPs in order to trigger the infringement notice process; the form and content of infringement notices sent to internet account holders by their ISP; the method by which the Copyright Tribunal determines the amount of an award for copyright infringement.


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Chevy Chase Facial Plastic SurgeryCosmetic Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery, Anti-Aging, Minimally Invasive Surgery (BOTOX®), Medical Spas & Medspas
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LocateADoc Q&A
What does living in the Bethesda community mean to you?
The Chevy Chase community is an ideal place to work and live. It is small enough for me to make an impact. I give back to the community by serving on the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board as a business representative. The Board listens to the concerns of the community and communicates these concerns to the county council. Being appointed to the position by the County Executive was a distinct honor.
What makes your specialties the right fields of medicine for you?
Facial Plastic Surgery is the field for me because it combines surgery and art with a splash of instant gratification. The patients are upbeat and I always look forward to a day of work. I feel very fortunate to be in this position.
Finish this sentence: If I weren't a doctor I would be___.
an architect. I have always loved art and structure. Architecture works with balance and proportions to achieve a work of art.
Can you tell us in your own words what you consider a perfect outcome of a surgical procedure?
Perfect outcome from a surgical procedure is a natural result with a happy patient and happy doctor.
What is your favorite procedure to perform and why?
My favorite procedure to perform is rhinoplasty because no two noses are exactly alike. It is always a challenge and I am up for it! Immediately following rhinoplasty would be botox and fillers because they have a rapid impact, with a very high satisfaction rate, and an ongoing relationship with the patient. I always look forward to seeing patients back so that I can hear about what is new in their life. So often surgeons aren't able to develop ongoing relationsips with their patients.
What Sets Us Apart
The ability to limit the practice to plastic surgery of the face allows us to focus on the nuances and subtleties that lead to successful outcomes.
Dr. Porter, a native Washingtonian, completed her undergraduate studies at Brown University and was awarded a full tuition merit scholarship to attend Duke University School of Medicine.
After completing her residency in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, she was able to train with internationally renowned facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons, Dr. M. Eugene Tardy, Jr., and Dr. Dean M. Toriumi.
Subsequently, Dr. Porter was recruited to return to Baylor College of Medicine as an Assistant Professor, to lead the Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery training for the residency program in the Bobby R. Alford Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Communicative Sciences. While at Baylor she was successful in establishing the Baylor Facial Plastic Surgery Center prior to her return to the Washington, DC area.Dr. Porter has fast become a leader in the field of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Chevy Chase, MD. She was awarded a research grant from the American Academy of Facial Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery and has been appointed to several faculty positions within the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. She has completed a 3 year term of writing board questions in the Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery section.
Dr. Porter has numerous book chapters, journal articles and has served as guest editor for several journals. Topics on which she has published include rhinoplasty, chemical peels and her area of research interest, ethnic variations in Facial Plastic Surgery, to name a few.
Other Affiliations
Clinical Associate Professor at Georgetown University Medical Center - Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
American Board of Otolaryngology
American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Fellow of the prestigious American College of Surgeons
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Another relevant set of ideas to visual management are those raised by Dan Pink when he talks about the surprising science of motivation. In his book Drive [5] he says that rather than the carrot and stick approach of extrinsic motivation, a better approach is intrinsic motivation, which consists of three elements: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Autonomy, or the "desire to direct our own lives," is achieved when team members can see what needs doing, understand the working agreements, and choose themselves what they should do. Mastery or "the urge to get better and better at something that matters" is achieved through being able to interact with the visualization to evolve and improve it. Purpose, or "the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves," is achieved when the persistence of the visualization makes it clear what the value of the work is and why it is being done.
A visualization consists of multiple pieces of data, and in the classic book The Visual Display of Quantitative Information [6], Edward Tufte introduces a set of principles for the effective display of data and it is insightful to review some of these ideas.
Tufte talks about a number of different types of graphical designs. Time series is probably the most common, where time is along the horizontal axis and another data type along the vertical. This is probably the least relevant design, because a system visualization is typically a snapshot of the current status. Similarly, a space time narrative, which tells a story in a spatial dimension over time, may not be the most obvious choice. It does raise the question of visualizing the narrative of the work over time though, which could be interesting. Maps also introduce some different ideas. What would a visualization look like if it showed the terrain of a project and where each piece of work was on that terrain? The most common form of visualization is probably a relational one, where the two axes show different types of information, such as scope and status.
Most of Tufte's book is spent discussing ways of improving the way that data is presented; specifically, maximizing data ink, reducing chart junk, and improving data density. Data ink is the ink that actually represents data. While physical visualizations generally use more than just ink, the principle holds true for making sure that as far as possible, anything on a board should hold information. The corollary to this is that anything that isn't data ink is chart junk. Grids, redundant data, or decorations and embellishments for aesthetics may create noise, which masks the real story. Finally, data density is the amount of data within the given space. The eye can take in a high precision of detail, so by maximizing the data ink and being clever with multi-functioning graphical elements, it is possible to visualize many dimensions in a small space.
A kanban system visualization is what Tufte would call a multi-variant display, with the variants typically being the usual project management details, but also including the concerns of any member of a system's community of interest. As a starter, there are the popular "iron triangle" variants of scope, time, resource, and quality. Other common variants are things like priority, status, issues, risks, constraints, dependencies, and assumptions. More recently, teams have been talking in terms of variants such as capacity and demand, not to mention value and other economic aspects.
To visualize all these variants we can use a number of techniques. Properties such as size, color, format, location, and alignment can all create multi-functioning graphical elements to achieve a high data density, while for a physical visualization, material and texture can add further depth.


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The Pirelli Great 8 finalists were selected today at the 2013 Detroit Autorama. On Sunday evening, one of these vehicles will win the prestigious Ridler Award. Click through to see the eight finalists.
This year's crop of Great 8 finalists is an impressively diverse group: six cars, two pickup trucks; also, four V8 hot rod-era Fords; a Corvette, and a '56 Buick Special, of all things. One feature they have in common: All eight vehicles are built to an astonishing level of fit and finish. Which one will win on Sunday? Stay tuned.
Click here for a big gallery featuring the rest of the cars on display on the Autorama main floor.
Ron and Deb Cizek 1940 Ford Coupe Checkered Past
Mark Willman 1956 Buick Special
Ken Seresen 1934 Ford Tudor Sedan
John Mayer 1935 Ford Phaeton Fearless
Buddy Schulz 1972 Chevrolet Pickup Reaper
Alan Woodall 1965 Corvette Coupe C2/SS
Christian Harker 1934 Ford Archetype
Alan Beers 1956 Chevrolet Pickup Quicksilver


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donald mcpherson
"Fashion is a vampiric thing, it's the hoover on your brain. That's why I wear the hats, to keep everyone away from me. They say, 'Oh, can I kiss you?' I say, 'No, thank you very much. That's why I've worn the hat. Goodbye.' I don't want to be kissed by all and sundry. I want to be kissed by the people I love."
Born Isabella Delves Broughton in 1958, Blow was a fashion editor, consultant, muse and nurturer of young fashion talent. She was renowned for her extrovert dress sense, which sometimes involved little more than a fur coat, red lipstick and a hat. To many she was the embodiment of the English eccentric, but her life was marred by tragedy, depression and unhappiness.


text: Add elegance to your showcase and home decor with this resin black elephant which has a golden crown and seat. Elephants are considered to be good luck, and hence you can spread good luck in your house with this elephant. Elephants symbolize strength, wisdom, courage etc and if you want all that you must definitely get one. The most striking aspect about this resin elephant is the golden crown on its head and golden seat. This is something very peculiar about this idol. You must have never seen such an elephant idol in your life before as this is just one of its kinds.If you want o make your house look beautiful, you can bring home this elephant. Apart from this, you can also choose to gift this idol to your loved ones. You can also keep this elephant at your office entrance to welcome guests. In this way this elephant can enlighten the place it is kept in and thus you must get one soon.. Measures 18" x 9" x 16". Some assembly required.


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The new aviation minister opposes a third runway opponent and once "twinned" his Yorkshire farm with a village near Heathrow in a tree-planting ceremony.
Campaigners for air expansion may be surprised to learn that Robert Goodwill invited six Greenpeace activists to the unusual twinning ritual.
Mr Goodwill, the Tory MP for Scarborough and Whitby, was appointed to take charge of air policy in Monday's reshuffle.
But in 2010, when the village of Sipson was earmarked for destruction to make way for a third runway, he asked Greenpeace to join him at his Terrington home to plant a Cox's apple tree. He said at the time: "I am delighted that the Conservative party and Greenpeace are working together in opposing the third runway at Heathrow."
He did not return calls from the Evening Standard to check if his views had changed.
Another opponent of expansion, former Lib-Dem mayoral candidate Baroness Kramer, was also made a minister in the Transport Department in the reshuffle.Reuse content


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VCU Gifts
VCU Gifts feature a selection of flags, banners, pennants, and tailgating gifts! Each item page offers the recommended accessory which combined with the item results in a unique gift idea for the sports fan! These VCU Gifts are team and league Officially Licensed which ensures top quality, authentic logos and insignia, and genuine colors.
Virginia Commonwealth University Premium 3x5 Flag$45.95
American 3x5 Flag - Embroidered$28.95
VCU Rams Stripes Nation Flag$29.95
VCU Rams 3x5 Flag$29.95
Virginia Commonwealth Rams VCU Flag$29.95
VCU Rams Flag$29.95
VCU 3x5 Large Flag$27.95
Virginia Commonwealth Rams House Flag$31.95
VCU Rams Two Sided House Flag$31.95
VCU House Flag$33.95
Virginia Commonwealth Rams Jumping Ram Banner Flag$18.95
VCU Rams Car Flag$14.95
VCU Rams Logo Garden Banner$14.95
VCU Rams Garden Banner$14.95
Virginia Commonweath College Pennant$5.95
Virginia Commonwealth University Team Banner$27.95


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At the Wildlife Conservation Society, we don't think the herd mentality is such a bad thing. Elephant herds are compassionate, giving, and capable of great feats-and when we work together, we too can do so much. 96 Elephants partners are uniting to help spread the word so that people everywhere stop buying ivory and end the senseless slaughter.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums envisions a world where, as a result of the work of accredited zoos and aquariums, all people respect, value and conserve wildlife and wild places.
Horizon Media, Inc. is the fastest growing media services company in the world and the 8th largest in the US (Adweek 2013). The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York.
One of the largest orgs for young people and social change, our 2.5 million members tackle campaigns that impact every cause, from poverty to violence to the environment to literally everything else. Any cause, anytime, anywhere. *mic drop*
LOVE ALL - SERVE ALL® Since 1971, Hard Rock has been committed to a wide range of philanthropic causes and activities around the World. As Hard Rockers, our actions are guided by mottos, which can be seen on the walls of every Hard Rock Cafe, Hotel and Casino location, and help us in our goal to make the Earth a safer, healthier and better place for all. -ALL IS ONE
Ivory For Elephants (IFE) leverages the power of media to inform people globally about the elephant crisis. Working with sponsors and media partners, our goal is to increase awareness and raise funds to support non-profit organizations which protect elephant and rhinoceros populations in Africa and Asia.
The Bodhi Tree Foundation is dedicated to mobilizing travelers and the tourism industry to protect places, help people and support cultures around the globe, preserving them for future generations of travelers to experience.
The Enough Project fights to end genocide and crimes against humanity, focused on areas where some of the world's worst atrocities occur. We get the facts on the ground, use rigorous analysis to determine the most sustainable solutions, influence political leaders to adopt our proposals, and mobilize the American public to demand change.
Audubon Zoo and Park
Beardsley Zoo
Birmingham Zoo
Brandywine Zoo
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
California Academy of Sciences
Cape May County Zoo
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Chattanooga Zoo at WarnerPark
Cleveland Zoological Society
Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
Denver Zoological Society
Detroit Zoological Society
Edmonton Valley Zoo
Ellen Trout Zoo
Fresno Zoo
Greenville Zoo
Happy Hollow Zoo
Henry Vilas Zoo
Hogle Zoo
Humane Society of the United States
International Animal Exchange, Inc
Kansas City Zoo
Knoxville Zoo
Lee Richardson Zoo
Lincoln Children's Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo
Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden
Milwaukee County Zoo
Naples Zoo
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Oakland Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
Racine Zoo
Safari West Wildlife Preserve
San Diego Zoo
Santa Ana Zoo
Sedgwick County Zoo
Sega School Anti Ivory Club
Shark Reef Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium
South Carolina Aquarium
Toledo Zoo
Tracy Aviary
Tulsa Zoo
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Wild Act
Wildlife Conservation Network
Wildlife Works
Zoo Boise
Andrew Shore
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Audra McDonald
Bill Frist
Billy Joel
David Burtka
Dr. Deepak Chopra
Ellen DeGeneres
Gloria Steinem
John Heminway
Katie Lee
Monica Medina
Nancy Grace
Neil Patrick Harris
Rick Lazio
Robert Hormats
Will Swenson


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Paper Doll Boutique
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Matt Mays calls Dartmouth the New Jersey of Nova Scotia. If that's the case, you could say he is the Bruce Springsteen of the Maritimes. Songs about life in Mays' unheralded hometown located on the other side of the big city are reminiscent of how Springsteen so often wrote about the characters on the Jersey Shore during his early career.
Mount Stewart, Prince Edward Island -- Olympic moments happen across this country on a daily basis. The participants may not be going for gold medals like the competitors at the London 2012 Summer Games, but they are striving to achieve ultimate success. Although they do it in obscurity, the spirit with which these entrepreneurs pursue their goals is similar to the dedication elite athletes have for their disciplines.


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Date of Stay: January, 2014
Price is based on monthly rate. This park is just wonderful. Rural, but not completely isolated. The Leaping Lizard's owners and staff are not only helpful and incredibly friendly, but will work out excursions for you, give you info on Anza Borrego SP, and the area surrounding the RV Park. LL owns about 135 acres, that is our backyard view from the RV, and a fine place to take the dogs for a big run. There is a trough for the horse which the dogs (2 golden retrievers) can jump in and cool off! We are about 20 minutes from Borrego Springs and 40 minutes from Brawley, which has all the big box stores if you need a big "shop." We arrived after dark, and the owners and two staff showed up with flashlights to help us back into our primo spot (#18). The bathrooms and showers are immaculate. I am serious! This is the first RV Park Review I've done and I'm inspired to do so since this is such a perfect place for us. If you like big-in-town luxury parks, this is probably not for you, but we were mightily amazed even to find every one of the 60-some sites raked and surrounded by tamarix for ultimate privacy. WiFi is fine, but we don't have cell coverage. You can walk a block to get three bars. There is a store for emergency goods a half mile away. They are building a pool that should be open next year. Come visit!
Date of Stay: January, 2014
A great place to park overnight if you are traveling E-W on Highway 58. Easy on and off. We arrived after dark and it was easy to park in the generous pull-throughs. In the morning, we picked a few of the oranges remaining - one does indeed park among a large grove! They serve coffee and pastries in the morning, which was very nice - all in all, we really like this spot and the people.


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Last Modified: Saturday, October 26, 2013 9:34 PM
By Alex Hickey / American Press
THIBODAUX — If Saturday afternoon was a trap game, Southland Conference opponents are going to need something bigger to haul in McNeese State this season.
The fourth-ranked Cowboys eclipsed the half-century mark for the fourth time, cruising to a workmanlike 55-30 win over host Nicholls State.
"At this time of the year, you either win or you lose," said McNeese head coach Matt Viator. "There are no moral victories. There's no 'Well, we improved here.' You win or you lose. Our kids took care of business and we move on to next week."
After going three-and-out on their first possession, the Cowboys didn't punt again until after the final points had been scored by both teams.
"We just ran our base offense," Viator said. "We just wanted to come out and execute what we do on offense. We didn't try to scheme anything because they're so multiple on defense. We just tried to do what we do."
McNeese (7-1, 3-0 Southland) gained 512 yards of total offense, marking the fifth time this year that the Cowboys have surpassed 500. That number may have been even larger if McNeese hadn't operated on so many short fields thanks to its return game.
The Cowboys started five drives on the Nicholls side of the 50, and didn't even need to take the field when Khalil Thomas returned a Colonels kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the third quarter.
Thomas' kickoff return wiped away Nicholls' only remaining hope by giving McNeese a 48-23 lead.
Kelvin Bennett led the Cowboys with 169 yards on 13 carries, while Marcus Wiltz added 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 14 attempts. Dylan Long was again the vulture at the goal line, rumbling for two touchdowns on his four carries for 8 yards.
"It's important for us to get (Bennett) going as the season goes on along with Marcus and Dylan," Viator said. "And we still haven't gotten Javaris (Murray) mixed in because there's only so many carries. But we're going to need them all if we are to continue moving forward."
Bennett has had some of his best career efforts against the Colonels. The sophomore from Newton, Texas, had 94 yards on eight carries at Nicholls last season.
"There's something about being on the road that gives you an extra push," Bennett said.
McNeese led 27-10 going into the half and made sure Nicholls didn't harbor illusions of comeback grandeur by taking the opening drive of the third quarter 44 yards in six plays with a 17-yard Wiltz touchdown run providing the finish.
"The speech in the locker room was 'The score's 0-0. We have to go back out there and start fast again,'" Wiltz said. "It was a great start for us."
It took the Colonels (4-4, 1-2) two plays to respond to that score with a 21-yard Tuskani Figaro touchdown run, but it took McNeese only four plays to put things back out of reach with another Wiltz touchdown run.
Cody Stroud was an efficient 16 of 21 for 179 yards and a touchdown. He threw two passes in the second half.


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Child in Need: Are you ready to be a mentor?
How often do we take a moment to look at the people who shaped our lives? Think for a moment — who were the important men and women that influenced you?
Imagine now if you took all of them away.
That is what life is like for many of the children waiting for someone like you to come into their lives as a Kinship Partner mentor.
The wonderful thing about mentoring is that you are already equipped to be a great mentor. You bring to the table something unique that these kids do not have in their lives — the ability to be their friend.
And mentoring is simple because the most successful relationships are built around common shared activities and interests.
Kinship Partners provides the support, structure and supervision needed to make sure everyone experiences a safe and positive relationship. You only need to be yourself – a caring adult, willing to spend time with a child who needs a role model.
The choice to share your time with a child who needs a mentor results in a living expression of who you are; a legacy of caring.
For more information about becoming a mentor call 218-829-4606, toll free at 877-730-5437 or visit our website at www.kinshippartners.org.


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Abigail Greenwood Model
silverset imagesPhotographer Male Las Vegas, Nevada, US
My MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/silverset24
Mayhem # 1508774
About MeHello and thanks for stopping by!
I have always been very interested and passionate about photography but I am now looking to expand my creative experiences with exceptional people. My main interest and focus is glamor, beauty/fashion and pin-up work. I looking to create dynamic images in the evolution of my portfolio, that capture the beauty and diversity of the human spirit. I see photography as a collaboration between two unique talents, one controlling lighting, angles and exposure the other shape, look and attitude, and both are critical for success of mood, feel and story. I am looking to build a high quality network of people to work with on creative and expressive opportunities in the future.
I like to have fun when I work, because life is too short for drama and it is hard not to enjoy something you are passionate about. I am always professional and respectful of individual boundaries to create a safe and comfortable environment for working.
I travel often so please fell free to drop me a line if you would like to work with me when I am in your area......or maybe while you are in Vegas!
Please contact me for my rates. I am very fair and reasonable to work with.
All models that work on shoots with me, will be required to sign a standard model release. All photos are the copyright of the photographer.
Have you worked with silverset images? Add Credits for silverset images! >>
Susan Franklin
See Sample Worked together 2-10 times; Most recent: June 2010
Credit NotesA few models that I have asked to share feedback about working with me:
Jeff, I thoroughly enjoyed our shoot today. Your blend of warmth and professionalism is simply perfect and I can't wait to see the images. I give you my highest recommendation and hope to work with you again.
xoxo, Nyato - Model Mayhem #1912531
Jeff is such a pleasure to work with, he has a great presence that would put any model at ease, I would work again with him anytime! I was also overwhelmed with the results of my photos, he has such a great eye for capturing a woman's figure and personality in an image.
Gwendolyn Sweet - Model Mayhem #1875858
Jeff is alot of fun to shoot with, he's very professional and kind. He's also very eager to get a great shot. He's great at directing the shoot and I felt very safe in his presence. He's an all around great photographer to work with. I would defintely shoot with him again. Holly Jean H - Model Mayhem #1249516
Hey, I love the pics they turned out awesome, not only that but I had a great time and it was a lot of fun. You were very easy to work with and so professional. I would definetly work with you again anytime and will definetly refer you to all my friends hope to see you again soo here in OKLAHOMA!!!
Princess Hershey - Model Mayhem#1593873
If you get the chance, work with Jeff.
He is professional, has great ideas and gets the job done. It was a pleasure to shoot with him and hopefully we will be able to work together in the future.
Kelli - Model Mayhem #638678
Jeff knows what he's doing and gets the job done fast. Iv'e worked with a lot of photographers and he is by far the FASTEST and most PROFESSIONAL. I enjoyed shooting w. him and would def. do it again. Thanks Jeff!!
Celeste Fields - Model Mayhem #768462
Any model that gets to shoot with you is very lucky!!! You are super professional, easy to get along with and know what you want to shoot and don't waste time. Plus you are good at picking out wardrobe. I really liked shooting with you and any time you want to shoot again just let me know.
Marissa R - Model Mayhem #1069857
Abigail Greenwood Model
Lina Martini Model
HALEY JOE Model
Jolene Hexx Model
Lori L Johnson Model
Emmy Elle Model
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Moderators: LaRedneck, birddog crazy, buffleheadnc2
jrockncash wrote:Hey don i like the Lumenok but for hunting check the regs in my state it is illegal gay but true. I like the cobra sights but Some other good ones are the limbsaver and spothogs. The cobra is my favorite you can get away with a 3 pin this year until you are shooting so much you can justify a 5 or more pin.
Most drop aways are connected to the bow by that little cable you have to serve on there. The ones that arent you have to physically lift up with your finger when its time to shoot. Not the best in my opinion.
For peeps just get a regular one that serves in and is plenty big the straight round one should be good. Especially since you shoot instinctive. I stay away from the ones with the rubber hose cause they are a pain and can cause tuning probs. Cobra makes a decent release and I would stick with a caliper style not rope or back tension, more like pulling the trigger on a gun. Smith I think makes a decent release also. Check to see if you can shoot a mechanical broadhead cause they can fly a little better for a new guy. One that deploys from the rear.
skybuster20ga wrote:huh. i guess i dont hunt??? when you have your bow in a press to twist your string after a severe stretch why wouldnt you fix your peep at the same time?? man your simple.i would never pay money to kill an animal i can kill on my own.
if mathews are "single cam" and dont have timing problems why are there timing marks on the bottom cam. what ever you know more then everyone else i guess.
What I dont get is why you would want to twist your string If your string has stretched twisting it will only make things worse.Once it has stretched its garbage.How are you going to twist it to the same exact length it was when new .Whats going to keep your peep from twisting after you twisted your string to shorten it.I can see why you cant keep a sigle cam bow in tune.
I dont pay anyone to kill an animal I can kill on my own either.Do you have antelope,caribou or elk runnin around your property Alaska Wyoming, Illinois,Canada,ect.All beutifull places.I cant wait to hunt mulies in Nebraska next year.(for free)
just for the record dont by a cobra releaSE. BY A SCOTT. either a wildcat or a sabertooth. the little goose is a good release too
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Avoiding Scams
Hi all, I have a favor to ask those who read this: Can someone who is educated on buying from fellow FF members create a write-up regarding secure transactions? I've been reading a lot of scams, and although I may be one of few who need it, it would be extremely helpful to give a how-to on safe buying/selling. Links to different companies who handle these transactions would be good too. Although I'm not a victim, I'm quite concerned about how to avoid scam, should I choose to buy/sell from another member. Thanks.
-MODS: Move please if this doesn't belong in right location, I just used best judgment.-
One thing is to look at the sellers Buy-Sell-Trade Rating under their name.
That usually gives a good indication as to what kind of seller they are.
order with a american express or a credit card that has good fraud pretection.
A few tips...
I will not purchase unless the person has over 100 posts (has begun establishing himself as a member)
The bst rating is also another good indicator altho not the best since some don't sell very often or have never till that point. (look at my bst, does it mean i'm a bad seller because i've never sold on here before?)
Use an escrow service if possible. the escrow holds the money until you recieve the product and will not release the money until you've inspected and let them know you recieved and inspected. they do track the shipping so its known when recieved and after 3 days of reciept if you dont call the money is released.
If something just doesnt feel right about the deal, back out, no matter how mucyh you may want it.
guess my main concern is those with low post count who come here basically to sell then drop out of sight, as i said, the higher the post count the better.
not everyones a scammer and sometimes problems occur with shipping and life in general.
yep yep, biggest thing i look at, as goinloco1 said, is the post count + bst rating. the higher the post count, the more they've been around on the board, the more likely people know of them and maybe some people on here know them personally or have done business with them. the buy-sell-trade rating, good to know that others may have already had good transactions with the user. oh, and ask questions. it never hurts.
didn't know bout the escrow part though...
I had around 50 post when I started buying parts off here so I guess it all comes down to seller.
Make sure the seller as a good rating.
Have a look around for what the item cost new then see if your getting a fair deal.
The 1st few times how I paid had was with a International money order from my bank so that person can only bank it then I have them if they don't send it.
Paypal is cheaper and faster to send money but, its header to use.
This is good information. Any other tactics are welcome and appreciated- not just for myself, but for anyone who may need some good tips from those more experienced.
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Feb 02, 2004 - 8:19 am
Hi all,
I know I can better manage this with diet; I tend to be a no red meat leaning towards vegetarian type (Sorry Em, I'm trying! and my 16 yo son has been vegetarian for 4 yrs now!!)
Feb 02, 2004 - 9:49 am
Hi, Judy -
Sounds like you and I have similar diets - mostly chicken/fish and rice. OK.. the occassional pizza now and then! Hardly ever red meat.
In my case my trips to the reading room didn't slow down after chemo. That's attributable to my hemi- being on the right side (where all the water is typically removed by the body). It will probably be this way forever so says my doc. Being ever the optimist, though, I looked for silver lining in that and found it:
1. At least I CAN go to the bathroom
2. Think of all the reading I'll get done!
3. The value of my stock in Glade air fresheners recently doubled!
Seriously, though, I have found that Metamucil (I prefer the pills) helps a lot! I have also found that a small glass of merlot helps settle the rumbles and aid in digestion. I think it's the tannins in the wine that do it.
Hope this helps!
- SpongeBob
Feb 02, 2004 - 11:32 am
Hi Judy,
Feb 02, 2004 - 4:05 pm
I take senncott stool softener can't take the other stuff (M) this seems to work well for me.
Feb 02, 2004 - 7:18 pm
My doctor suggested small sips of PeptoBismol off and on during the day and within 24 hours the diarrhea was gone. Be careful not to go too far with it. I'm now taking stool softeners.
Feb 02, 2004 - 8:42 pm
Thanks for the posts; my dad depended on Metamucil after he lost a big hunk of his colon, and I'm planning to re-review this with my onc. Seems like a trial of it is in order. Anyone use Miralax? I have to check if it's also psyllium; it's supposed to be tasteless and grit free! Judy
Feb 02, 2004 - 9:54 pm
It's a problem that we have all had and I have some advise that differs greatly from most people here. I had uncontrollabel diarreah for 6 months solid. NOTHING helped, not even perscription medications. I cchanged my diet a lot. When I first started my chemo, my Dr. told me to eat comfort foods because the might be easier on the stomach. That only made it worse. So, I tried a high protien/low carb diet. It did the trick, it cut WAY down on the bulk that my body was passing and my stool was much more consistent. Normally that kind of diet plugs people up, but it really seemed to help me. I still don't each much red meat. Mainly chicken, turkey, fish and LOTS of veggies. So...just one more opinion that worked for this 5FU/leucovoron survivor.
Feb 03, 2004 - 1:15 pm
Yes Judiths I use miralax and it is tasteless and no grit you can mix it in anything just stir it well
Feb 03, 2004 - 5:13 pm
Judy-You may have seen this, but thought I'd send it along.. Bud
Feb 03, 2004 - 5:18 pm
Judy: I word-searched this site with "diarrhea", and came up with over 140 hits..Happy reading.. bud
Feb 04, 2004 - 6:43 am
And just imagine, Bud - that's with the word spelled correctly!


text:
A couple meet in College. She has a low opinion of herself and he's a farm boy with little experience with the social graces.
TIM'S MEL, THE BELLE - - - by Bobjj123
Melanie Tormanni had always considered herself losing in the game of life; never beautiful enough, smart enough, clever enough or sensitive enough. She had felt that way from her earliest recollections and the feelings she had developed in those early years were still with her. It wasn't that she didn't try to measure up but rather, she failed to meet the goals she set for herself. Others were always better or quicker or better coordinated or seemed to excel in ways she couldn't complete. In Junior High School, she began her growth spurt and while other girls were sprouting breasts, she simply grew tall and skinny and came to loath her personal appearance.
In school, she always made the Dean's list and the honor roll but even when she ranked first in academic excellence in the school, she was sure that other schools had higher standards therefore she wasn't really the best. In sports, she was always first to every practice and the last to leave which resulted in her playing several sports and lettering but; again, there were always better players.
Socially, might have been popular but she chose instead a kind of social isolation. While other girls her age were getting experience in social situations, she remained aloof and apart from her peers.
By the time she'd reached the University on a full scholarship, she had never been on a real boy/girl date. It wasn't that she didn't want to; rather, it was because of her attitude of remaining apart and aloof. Of course, to her the problem was simply that she was a loser in life's game.
It was in her sophomore year that Mel made the decision to find out more about boy/girl relations and what all the talk about sex that seemed to pervade every conversation in the dormitory was all about. Then, having made the decision, she set about a plan to meet and seduce a man.
Of course, by this time, Mel had changed. Her awkward, gangly body had developed a certain grace and her dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and clear complection fairly cried out for sex - a situation that several of the older Senior men were quick to notice. One, in particular, was quick to avail himself .
This Senior football player was sidelined for the year with a leg injury and Mel found herself seated next to him at one of the football games. She was very amenable to his line of chat and it was late that night, as they returned to Mel's dorm room with every intention of getting it on.
The seduction had been closer to a rape than a love affair as the guy gave no thought to her virgin status, preferring instead to simply get it on. As he moved on her, Mel had no experience or understanding of what should be expected of her and simply bowed to the big lugs vast experience. His kisses had been neither pleasant nor passion filled and as his hands began to explore her breasts, she had sensed that he was simply there to use her. . . to take all she had to give!
Again, Mel was facing a problem as the loser she perceived herself to be. She simply perceived the whole matter as a guy, lowering himself to give her the sex she had set as her goal. She could expect no more! She must grit her teeth and submit to the advances of the guy who she'd only met the afternoon before.
As she considered her plight, the big guy had been steadily undressing her and mauling her breasts. She offered a steady stream of , "No! Please. . ." or ,"Stop, " or, "That hurts. . ." in low tones so as not to alert the rest of the dormitory to what was happening. Only once did she cry out loudly, when the big cock had entered her unprepared vagina for the first time and tore away any remnants of her hymen. The, "UUNNN GGGGHHHhhhh. . . ." that signaled the loss of her maidenhood was easily hear in the halls of the dorm.
The rest of the act was simply the big guy ramming his cock into her newly opened pussy without mercy as her pleas to stop or slow down continued. Then, as she felt the spurts of hot semen splash into her belly, it was over. The big guy, having deposited his load, simply moved off from her, dressed, offered a quick "thank you" and departed oblivious to Mel's sobbing.
As she lay, collecting her thoughts, Mel knew she had made a made a big mistake and in her usual fashion, held herself entirely to blame. It had been just another in a long list of mistakes that she held herself personally accountable. After a time, she arose from the bed, changed the sheets and picked up the clothes that had been scattered about before taking a long, hot shower.
Meanwhile, as Mel was being so rudely used, Tim Rocci lay in his bed, a few scant inches from the action and separated by the only thin wall that divided their rooms. He had heard the couple come in and gave them little thought until he heard them on the bed, close to the wall. Mel's cries had been plainly audible and the sound of their sexual intercourse were unmistakable.
At first , Tim had mistaken Mel's pleas to stop as part of their play and gave them no thought. It wasn't until the action was over and he heard her sobbing that he realized that it hadn't been a pleasant experience for her.
Then, as Tim considered his neighbor, he realized that he really didn't know her. They had passed frequently in the halls and around campus but they had never really chatted or befriended each other. She was really quite beautiful and he wondered why such a girl seemed to be a "loner" without close friends. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought, "Oh well, She's outta' my league."
Next morning, as Tim left his room to go to breakfast, he bumped into Mel quite by accident as she returned to her room with a load of clean washing. As he sought to apologize, he noted her eyes, red and deep sunk into their darkened sockets and felt a surge of sympathy for this girl he had never really befriended before. Suddenly, he spoke, "I was about to go get some breakfast and could use some company. Are you up for Sunday brunch"
Mel offered a quick, "No!" and Tim felt a challenge as he responded, "Ah, come on. You look like you could use some food and a friend." Thirty minutes later they were in the dining room, getting big plates of food and moving together in silence.
As they ate, Mel was cold and unfriendly. Somewhat frustrated by her icy attitude, trying to start a conversation, Tim, made several attempts but was met with no success as Mel seemed preoccupied. Finally, he said, "The walls in our dorm are thin and I heard you in your room last night." With that revelation, Mel was completely stunned. She sat trying to come up with the right words to respond as the horror of the knowledge that Tim knew her secret settled into her thinking. . . Then, getting no response, he continued, "I wasn't spying on you nor did I intentionally listen but it's hard to not hear when the walls are so thin. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
Then, as Mel's anger arose, she spoke again, "So you decided to invite me here to what. . . . I suppose you had something in mind."
As Tim heard the words, he felt his own anger rise. He responded, "Well, actually, you sounded like you needed a friend, someone to talk to. . ." And his words were cut off by Mel saying, "So you thought you'd be my friend . . Why"
Tim had enough. He reasoned it had been a mistake to get involved and arose to extricate himself from further embarrassment by leaving. Then, as he turned to go, he spoke, "Sorry to have interfered in your business. It won't happen again."
Back in her room, Mel's anger soon abated and she thought about the unanticipated turn of events. Tim knew her secret. He could expose her to embarrassment and ridicule at any time simply by talking. On the other hand, he had said that her secret was safe. Monday came and went and the events of Saturday night were soon relegated to history. It was Monday night that Mel lay awake in her bed, still pondering her situation when she heard a sharp rap on the wall as if someone had struck it. She listened but heard nothing save for some usual bedroom noises.
Then, on an impulse, she knocked on the wall, three distinct knocks, and waited. In a moment, she hear three knocks in reply. With that Tim heard Mel's voice ask, "Is that you Tim. He answered, "Actually, I'm exotica, a male stripper in disguise. " he replied. Her response was in low tones as she said, "Cut that out Tim. Can we talk Can I come over and talk to you Nothing'll happen." "Nothing, are you sure Come on over.!"
A minute later, Mel appeared at his door and Tim admitted her.
As she entered, Mel had never looked more beautiful. The few added pounds since arriving at the university had set well on her. Of course, her beauty had not gone un-noticed by Tim and he felt the faint tinge of lust as she entered. Of course, he reasoned, she was out of his league.
Mel spoke first, "I'm sorry about the way I treated you in the dining room. It was stupid and hurtful of me and you deserve better. I feel bad about it." Tim, accepted the apology lightly and suggested that Mel sit and talk for a bit. . . get acquainted!
It was nearly 0100 hours when Mel left Tim's room. Her mind was awash in conflicting thoughts. Tim was surely a nice guy but he seemed such a wimp - he was hardly taller than she was and a real weakling. He had no interest in sports and performed only the minimum physical education requirements to stay in the university. She sensed that he had treated her like a friend and that was a rare experience for her. He just didn't seem sexy. . . She needed a friend!
As the weeks passed, Tim and Mel found themselves together often. Both were excellent students and on the Dean's List. Both were enrolled in difficult academic majors. More importantly, he had quickly learned how Mel perceived herself and set himself to helping her regain confidence and faith in herself. He spoke often of her good features and adored her with his eyes and mind at every opportunity. Of course, even as he paid court to her, Tim realized that he was only a farm boy, the son of sharecroppers and not in her social class. Mel, on the other hand, was developing new respect for Tim. He was a true gentleman in the finest sense, sensitive to others, responsible and very intelligent. Each day, she sensed his masculinity more and more.
It was on the first day of their sophomore second term that they met after returning from Christmas holiday that Mel made the decision. Tim was the only guy to ever display any real interest in her and he was a prize she might never get close to again. Her plan was simple - she'd seduce him and he'd make her a woman. . . unlike that past event that she'd decided didn't really count!
Having made the decision, she realized, that having no experience in these matters, she hadn't the faintest idea how to proceed. Then, using some female logic, she went to Tim and said simply, "I want to go to bed with you. I want you to show me what it's like to be a woman." and Tim, stunned by the suddenness of her proposal, stalled for time even as he was agreeing with all his heart and mind and body. He said simply, "I'd like that but you should know that I've got no experience in those matters either. Perhaps we could learn together."
It was at that precise moment that their bonding began. Mel walked to him, kissed him on the lips and embraced him as Tim responded with some moves of his own. No matter that it was an awkward embrace and a sloppy kiss that offered nothing - they would improve as they gained experience together.
That evening, Tim and Mel walked to the dining hall together , holding hands and feeling their togetherness. After dinner, back in Mel's room, Tim seated himself beside her on her bed and kissed Mel squarely on the lips and lingered as they felt the felt their first rush of lust rise up. They kissed again and again. . .perhaps a dozen times with each experience providing more pleasure than the previous.
When they seemed to have developed their proficiency at kissing on the lips, Tim had felt Mel's tongue pressing for entrance into his mouth. His lips parted and their tongues met in a wild dance. By midnight they seemed to have developed their art of kissing to that of experts and it was Tim who said that he had a big day coming and needed to get some sleep before departing for his room.
Next day, Mel and Tim hurried back to their room after classes to complete their homework. It was nearly 1900 hours when Tim knocked on Mel's door and was admitted. They were together in an embrace even as the door closed. Then, together they kissed, a deep soul kiss, and pressed their bodies together in the embrace. Again they felt awkward as they strove to feel as much of their bodies pressing together as possible. . . practice would improve that condition.
They kissed as old and experienced lovers and felt their bodies quicken in respone to the sensual feelings that their kisses aroused. They looked into each other's eyes; only a glance at first as neither was experienced in eye contact; then, with real effort, they met and maintained the eye contact and slowly learned to communicate from their very soul. An hour passed as they worked on communicating their feelings through the eyes. Then, as they sat on her bed, Mel suddenly turned and pushed Tim on to his back on the bed; then proceeded to remove his polo shirt. It was done half in fun and half in earnest as she sought to look at his bared body. Then, done, she saw the taut muscles and well toned flesh and wondered how she's ever thought of him as a wimp. As she considered him, she felt her own blouse fall from her shoulders and with a single motion deposited in on the floor.
On seeing her still straddling him and much bare flesh showing, Tim stopped what ever he was doing and proceeded to adore her with his eyes. Nothing was said. Nothing need be said! Mel was well aware of his thoughts and suddenly, for possibly the first time in her life, she felt adequate - she held him in her power! Giddy with the knowledge, she reached behind her and loosed the clasp on her bra.
As Tim lay quietly adoring Mel with his mind and body, he was pleaqsantly aware when she had reached behind her - His eyes were ready for their feast as the bra fell clear and her breasts stood out before him. Not big, but perfectly formed, they were more exciting than anything Tim had ever witnessed before. He reached out to touch them. . .
As she saw Tim's hands reach for her breasts, Mel reacted instinctively and backed away only to realize that it was what she wanted more than anything. On reconsideration, she moved closer and allowed his hands to touch the warm, soft, firm flesh of her globes. "I'm sorry they're not bigger," she said and Tim immediately responded, "On you, they're juswt right. They're beautiful!
As his hands tenderly explored her breast, she sat over his groin as before, only now she began to feel something stirring beneath her. With the sudden realization that it was Tim's cock that she felt and realized that Tim was becoming aroused she felt her own arousal beginning to develop. It was all new to her and Mel soon felt both eager and fearful of the unknown which lay ahead. She moved from astraddle Tim to his side in a move to temper the excited state they were approaching - she needed time to think.
Whatever her plan, it was not to be as Tim rolled over her and, from his position on top, proceeded to plant a series of exciting deep soul kisses on her as his hands made feather light caresses of her breasts and nipples. Mel had responded both biologically and emotionally as her mind and body forgot their concerns and met him wholeheartedly. She was hotter than she'd ever been! Her nipples had grown and hardened and become more sensitive than she could ever remember and her panties were soon wet with her vaginal fluids.
Then, as he moved to suckle and lave her erect nipples, Tim sensed that Mel was not entirely at ease with the situation; rather, she seemed troubled and he slowed his action. Then as he looked into her eyes, he realized that something was amiss. He stopped!
As he lay, hesitating, Mel cried out, "Don't stop! Keep doing it!" and Tim, still uncertain of her feelings asked, "A penny for your thoughts" Mel, recognizing his extreme sensitivity to her needs and desires, said, "It's all so new and I guess I'm a little afraid. I really want you though!"
When Tim returned his attentions to her nipples and breasts, he found all her constraints gone and she participated completely with him but he did not press her further; instead, they covered their old familiar routines and adored each other with their eyes and hands and bodies.
At midnight Tim went to his room, with one stop at the bathroom to relieve his aching balls, before retiring.
Thursday night, Tim had a school function that kept him away for the evening and he did not see Mel but sometime after midnight, he heard a knocking on the wall and he answered with a responding knock. He heard Mel say softly, "I love you ," and without really thinking responded in kind. It was only a little later as he lay awake in his bed that he realized the enormity of what he had said.
Classes ended at noon for both of them on Friday. Homework was quickly assembled and completed in the shortest possible time. Both seemed to sense that tonight they would joint together in sexual intercourse. They both wanted it; more than they'd ever wanted anything; yet, they both approached the evening with a certain trepidation. By this time, they had strong feelings for each other and failure could only damage their otherwise perfect relationship.
When Tim had suggested they go off-campus for dinner and drinks, Mel was glad. The free bus trip was made in haste and when they arrived at the brew pub, they found the food to their liking and the drinks perfect for relieving their tension.
Then, as they were returning to their dorm, Tim stopped briefly at the pharmacy to purchase condoms and not knowing anything about them, simply purchased the most expensive. Then, with the purchase in his pocket, they stopped at the package store to buy a bottle of champagne and a dozen tea roses.
Knowing the preparations that Tim was making excited Mel. He was doing them for her. He wanted her and all her life she had needed to be wanted. As they rode on the bus, Mel felt her determination to please Tim growing. . . she simply had to be good and to his liking for the next few hours! Her only concern was failure but this time there was no resignation to such a fate.
Back in Mel's room, with the door locked and bolted, they placed the champagne on ice in the sink, set two glasses on the counter, placed the roses in a vase and placed the package of sheepskins on the night stand. All was done in silent cooperation; then, with preparations completed, they met and embraced. They kissed and with each continuing kiss, their excitement grew.
In minutes, they were bared to the waist and moved to her bed for comfort in their play. As he caressed and suckled her breasts in what was now a familiar pattern, Mel sensed that she was pleasing Tim. It was what she wanted and she pursued that end with her entire being. She sought only to please and in doing so brought her own passions to new heights. When she felt the zipper open her form fitting jeans, she rose off the bed and wormed the trousers and panties over her hips and of to stand totally exposed to Tim's gaze.
Seeing Tim's adoring looks, she was suddenly she was proud of her body. . .a first! She moved back to allow him a better view. She turned and posed her body for his pleasure in a manner that denied all her previous feelings about her body and brought further increases in the heights of her passions.
Tim stood and in a single motion dropped his trousers and shorts to stand equally bared before her. He stood uncertain and tentative as he contemplated the picture he presented to Mel, being was aware of her first experience with a 6' -3", 250 lb. football lineman and knew his body no way compared, with his.
Had he known what Mel was thinking, he'd felt no concern. She hadn't really looked at her former lover. . .he had been big and furry and smelled of sweat and she had been in fear of him. She had avoided looking at her former lover's cock but as she saw Tim's she was pretty sure Tim was bigger. In fact, she felt a rising concern that he was too big for her! Then, she steeled her mind and resolved to take him even if it meant injury to herself. . .
As they returned to the bed and pressed their bodies together, both felt an urgency that had never been so compelling before. It was Mel who spoke first, "I can't wait any longer. Do it to me now!" she said.
Tim, acted immediately and spoke as he moved, "Are you sure Is this what you want No reservations" and a simple look into her eyes gave him positive responses to all his question. He moved over Mel by instinct alone and settled into the classic missionary position where he fumbled with his cock, trying to find Mel's vestibule. Then, with his fingers to guide him, he failed to make the connection again and it was on the fourth try that he felt his cock slide into the soft, warm, wet, smooth folds of her vagina and her ass rise off the bed in an instinctive move to meet him.
It was like no other joining, before or since, and Mel lay, her body steeled against the pain that she had felt in her previous experience. Then, as the giant man-meat slid into the entrance of her vagina, she felt only the extreme pleasure which continued to mount rapidly as it penetrated deeper. There was no pain. In her excitement, Mel raised her ass off the bed to meet his invading tool and put her arms around his to hold him in a deep soul kiss as Mel's cock slid to it's fullest penetration. Only then did she feel a slight pain as his crown pushed against her cervix.
With the pain came the realization that she had taken Tim completely into her and she felt exaltation - joy such as she had never felt before! She kissed him again and again as he lay fully embedded in her. She had succeeded in her quest to make it good for Tim.
When their eyes finally met, Mel saw adoration like she had never seen before. She saw love such as she never knew existed. She saw excitement and passion and lust. For the first time in her life, she felt confident and fully in control. . .she was a winner!
Over her, Tim had also read much from Mel's eyes. First, he saw passion and a complete woman - a very beautiful one that was completely his! He saw love and gratitude and caring and most of all, a compelling need which he was prepared to fulfill.
It had been very good sex right from the first entry of Tim's cock into Mel's pussy. There was no need for familiarization or experience as they seemed to know instinctively what to do - each worked to bring pleasure to the other guided by some deep animal instinct within them! Each was putting forth their maximum effort. With every new move came a new sensation and increased pleasure as it demanded another move that brought another round of sensation and pleasure. .
Three or four minutes later, Tim cried out top Mel that he was about to cum and she shuddered as her orgasm overtook her. It was at the height of her peak that she felt Tim's first spurt of semen into her body.
Several minutes later, as they enjoyed the intimate, peaceful afterglow that Tim remembered, "Oh My God! I forgot about the condom." And Mel said simply, "We'll go to the medical center and get a "Morning-after" pill. I wanted to feel you this first time."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
So it began, nearly 20 years ago now, and fate has brought may changes. On graduation, the couple were separated as they took job s two thousand miles apart. They had e-mailed and instant messaged each other several times a day at first; then, with time the messages diminished and stopped all together.
Some 15 years ago, Tim received word that Mel was marrying a fellow she had met at her new location and was happy for her. Then, he had gone overseas on a tough job assignment and there he met a woman who was good in bed and married. The marriage had been a disaster and after a year and a huge financial settlement, they were divorced.
Then, four years ago, Mel was back in her old haunts with her husband and two kids and Tim saw her occasionally in passing. It was shortly after their return that Tim picked up the morning papers to read that Mel's husband had been convicted and sentenced to prison for a giant stock swindle and the next day another headline that the husband had committed suicide in shame.
As he still had feelings for Mel, Tim had gone to her to offer his sympathy and found her quite unshaken. They talked and as they spoke, Mel made it clear that the marriage was a sham and had been for nearly two years. When she had discovered his criminal dealings, she had begged him to quit and he had not listened. She had lost her confidence and her old feelings of inadequacy had returned. The love she had felt for him was soon diverted to her kids; Andy, age 13 and Ella, age 11.
Today Mel and Tim are married. Still enamored from college days, they have undertaken to rebuild Mel's shattered life with a very active sex life and succeed a bit more each day. Tim has chosen to adopt Andy and Ella. Mel has lost none of her beauty but has regained some of her confidence; in fact, she's grown even more desirable to Tim with age. Today, one of Tim's greatest pleasures is having her dressed in a sexy outfit and coiffed to the nines as they walk in public places and men turn to observe her long legs and shapely body.
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In 'Curb' Finale, Bloomberg Banishes Larry David From City
Warning: Spoilers lie ahead.
Pretty good, Mr. Mayor. Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.
After participating in a flurry of Sept. 11 memorial events around the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's final public appearance Sunday was a pre-taped cameo on the season finale of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
In the episode, one of many this season filmed in New York, comedian Larry David finds himself battling actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's disease.
David thinks Fox is holding a grudge against him after David shushed the actor at a club. David's girlfriend was playing background piano music at the club, and David thought it was rude of Fox and others to be making noise while she performed. So, he shushed him.
David and Fox have a number of awkward encounters throughout the episode. In the scene involving the mayor, David creates a disturbance, as is his wont, at a fundraiser that Fox is holding to raise money for medical research into Parkinson's.
When Fox confronts David at the fundraiser, the mayor, also attending the fundraiser, steps in to help out the former star of "Family Ties" and the "Back to the Future" movie series.
"Wait a second, Mike," the mayor says to Fox. "Let me, let me handle this — I'm the mayor."
Looking at David, the mayor says, "I'm not going to stand here here and listen to anybody denigrate Michael J. Fox. He's a great New Yorker and a great American."
The crowd at the fundraiser stirs, appearing to support the mayor's dressing down of David. "Larry, let me tell you something, this guy's trying to put Parkinson's out of business, and I'm here to put you out of this city," the mayor said. "Get out of town."
Sure, the mayor didn't look genuinely angry when he banished David. Sure, he threw David out of town without demonstrating the vitriol he reserves for certain members of the mayoral press corps. But Bloomberg's performance was apparently good enough for HBO, because the scene made the final cut.
As fans of Bloomberg's acting stints know, the mayor is still miffed that the scene he filmed years ago for the first "Sex and the City" movie ended up on the cutting-room floor.
"It turned out that they wanted more sex and less city," he joked in 2008 about not sharing the screen with Carrie Bradshaw and the ladies.
"That's fine. Their loss," he sniffed.