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Small Group Photo Tours
Join us and a few like-minded photographers on one of our exciting Photography Tours:
Each tour is built on a simple premise: Give you the opportunity to capture the most compelling, breathtaking images possible.
To do this we make sure you are on location at the perfect time of day. We've taken the hours of study and guesswork out of the equation for you and place you in the perfect spot for those award winning shots.
To further the quality of your experience each Small-Group Tour will be limited in number of participants – generally 5 people total. This will ensure that you are getting individual attention and instruction.
What to expect:
- Long days – early morning and late evenings
- Amazing photographic opportunities
- Helpful instruction for beginners or seasoned veterans
- Inspiration that will translate into better photos
Tuscany, Italy – May 14-18, 2017
Provence, France – June 25-29 and/or July 2-6, 2017
Republic of Ireland w/Crom Castle – September 17-23, 2017
Crom Castle w/Northern Ireland – September 24-30, 2017
Please click on one of the links above for further details about each Tour.


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By: Ron Mullins and Thom Bolsch
Police Officers, Military Personnel, CCW Holders dress for that moment that everyone prays won't happen.
When you get ready in the morning; do you consider shoes, handbags, jewelry or firearm, extra magazines, flashlight, knife? What we wear and how we wear it may impact the activities of our day – and could be the difference between normal day, assault or death.
Whether we like it, or want to accept it, women are at greater risk of being the target of an attack! What to consider.
Rapists look for an easy target: In two different research reports that surveyed convicted rapists, they shared their targeting considerations. (This is disturbing; but important for every woman to know.)
- Hair style: is the target wearing a pony tail, bun or braid? Either are easy to grab and control the victim.
- Clothing style: is she in a dress or skirt? Either are easily removed
- Distraction: is she on the phone, digging in her purse? The target is not aware and can be caught off guard and easily overpowered.
- Location: target rich environments include grocery store parking lots, mall/office parking garages and public restrooms.
The attacker's strategy: Grab the victim quickly, over power her and drag her to a remote area where they will not be seen.
Victim Proofing: Stay Alert! Being seen as aware of your surroundings is a KEY deterrent. If you think you are being stalked; Make Eye Contact, engage in conversation, collect information. If the attacker thinks you could identify them as an attacker, they may look for another target. Paying attention to details. Important facts to observe: clothing (style, color and images), tattoos, hair color, jewelry, ethnicity, build and smell.
Fight Back: Any "fight", "scene" or resistance that can bring attention to you and your attacker may cause the attacker to release and run; they want an easy target; and they don't want to have attention drawn to them! Additionally, long object (i.e. umbrella) are seen as potential extended weapons and can remove you from target consideration (recognize that keys in a fist can allows the attacker to get too close, which could allow the attacker to overpower you).
As a follow up: Report any and all suspicious activity. If the hair on the back or your neck stands up let law enforcement know even if that person ignores you. Remember, Actions are suspicious; and report the activity.
Stay Alert, Stay Safe.

subset: commoncrawl


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Posts: 1155
We had a Trailer Parked behind the Fight Lab in Murrieta Ca, with ALL OF OUR Grappling X Tournament Set up and someone stole it last night. We are offering $1000 Cash Reward to information that leads to arrest of the suspects. There is a video and... we should have a vehicle description soon.
Please Guys Check EBay, Craigslist and just watch for anyone trying to sell Metal barriers and Mats.
28 Foot White enclosed trailer.
Black and grey Dollamur Mats (With the Grappling X and Dollamur Logos Painted on them)
Metal Barriers
This was pretty much our full tournament set up, that Shawn, Brian and Cory had worked hard to build up. We are 100% self funded and that was everything
Plate # 4EW9275
There are Picture of the Mats on our Facebook


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Are DEMs specific for each country? I mean I got a preloaded DEM in my 3790T from the US, will that be applicable if I use it here in the Philippines?
Also, what does Basemap exactly show? In the tutorials, it says it shows the map of the world. Do I need it if I'm using my device here in the Philippines?
Please let me know. Thanks.
Aren't DEMs same as 3D maps because they seem to be in 3D right?
Last edited by catymag; 16th June 2011 at 03:07 PM. Reason: merged 2 consecutive posts
You have to navigate to get to the good.
Galaxy S5 Kitkat 4.4.2 / Nuvi1200->1250 / Nuvi3790T->34xx / Nuvi 2200 / Nuvi 66 / Oregon 600


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This page is to assist users with the reporting and data access functions of the DMO's website. If you are trying to extract a large amount of data and the page 'times out' try extracting the data in smaller chunks - for example apply smaller date ranges.
Some reports offer the option of selecting data for individual gilts. To choose individual gilts you will need to:
Reports viewed in html can be navigated using the report viewer toolbar as described below.
A number of reports are available in xml format to allow for automatic downloads. Please see below for instructions on how to automatically download Gilt issuance data into Microsoft Excel.
If you are using Excel 2003-2007 you can replace step 4 with "New XML Query" and follow the prompts.
Other data are available to import. To do so, replace the link in step 6 above with the following:
There are four advanced reports available on the DMO website allowing users to perform detailed queries on data. These are:
To perform a detailed query select which fields you wish to show in your report under "Show in Results". Choose fields to query by selecting under "Apply Selection Criteria" and follow the prompts.


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Produced by the Chamber, in partnership with San Diego Private Bank , this monthly economic report conducted by Competitive Edge Research provides valuable insights into future trends of the regional business community as well as topical issues.
October Business Forecast Click Here
San Diego County Business Confidence Remains Moderate. Many county businesses believe ending visa programs like DACA … Read More
September Business Forecast Click Here
Business Confidence Drops to Lowest Point of 2017. Tax reform regarded as very important to the economy by nearly half of county businesses … Read More
August Business Forecast Click Here
Plateau Persists in Business Confidence, Most county businesses believe upcoming minimum wage increase will hurt the economy … Read More
July Business Forecast Click Here
Annual measure of business climate and those considering a move from the county unchanged from 2016 … Read More
June Business Forecast Click Here
Business Community Maintains Steady Optimism Looking to Summer. Concern for potential cyberattack on business grows from 2015 …Read More
May Business Forecast Click Here
Tank Empty on Business Community's Enthusiasm for New State Gas. Tax Overall business outlook maintains positive outlook May 2017 … Read More
April Business Forecast Click Here
Business community holds steady with BOI at 23.7. Q1 2017 logs the best quarter since Q2 2015, but "Trump effect …>Read More
March Business Forecast Click Here
Business Confidence Continues Positive Trajectory brings continued good news with back-to-back months of healthy optimism. The Business Outlook Index … Read More
February Business Forecast Click Here
Business Confidence Soars in First Quarter! The positive trend we have seen the last few months from county businesses continues with a surge in optimism … Read more
Wells Fargo Business Forecast Click Here
January Business Forecast Click Here
New Year Brings Cautious Optimism
Majority of county businesses anticipate positive economic impact from Trump administration County businesses reported a moderately optimistic outlook at the close of 2016 … Read More
December Business Forecast Click Here
This month's Business Forecast, shows the Business Outlook Index (BOI) among county businesses rebounded from nine to a far healthier 18. With a brighter outlook ahead, it seems the … Read More
November Business Forecast Click Here
County Business Outlook Drops To New Low. Continuing a trend that extends back over a year to mid-2015, San Diego County's Business Outlook Index (BOI), which reflects how the business community assesses the coming three months, took a big 7.5 point drop Read More
October Business Forecast Click Here
Outlook Among County Businesses Holds Steady, Majority view their industry as overworked and say 30-hour workweek would hurt bottom line. After testing a new low point last month, county businesses show little change in their optimism for the last quarter Read More
September Business Forecast Click Here
County Business Outlook Takes Another Dip, Finds New Low. Feelings on diversity in business success mixed, but those that highly value diversity are enjoying far more success Read More
August Business Forecast Click Here
The region's housing shortage continues to be a topic of much discussion and this month the Silvergate Bank-sponsored Business Forecast looks at what county businesses think of the issue. The findings reveal … Read More
July Business Forecast Click Here
Annual measure of business climate and those considering a move from the county remains stable. Confidence among San Diego County businesses in this month's Silvergate Bank-sponsored Business Forecast has fallen to a new low. Inconsistent since the beginning of Read More


text: Swype BETA for Android gets an update hello all, please see the link above re: a swype android update, but am not sure if or how it applies to us droid x folks. the swype version number (the one that came preinstalled) on my droid x is 126.96.36.19980, and the new version apparently is 22.214.171.12470. when i tried to goto the link on my droid x, it said i didnt have a "beta swype" login, and therefore could not update. anyone know about this issue? questions: 1. is it value-added to get the update? my swype works pretty great already. 2. is the version that came with our droid x a trial version that will expire? if so, when? 3. how do you we droid x folks update to the newest version? thanks in advance. rsteabo


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♥ Ask for help when it's needed! Doing it all yourself won't be fun, or good for you. Be it a wedding planner or your Bridesmaids. Get the girls together and spread the load.
♥ Know your limits! You can't DIY everything, nor can you buy a dress double your whole wedding budget. Be sensible, and go with the flow.


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City staff presented proposed ordinance changes to the Savannah City Council Thursday to better protect the city's trees, but Mayor Edna Jackson and aldermen said the revisions do not go far enough in making sure developers are held accountable when they break the rules.
The most significant changes proposed include the introduction of a new "specimen" class of protected trees, which would offer more incentives for preservation of trees with at least a 24-inch diameter trunk and require additional mitigation for their removal.
In addition to receiving more points for preserving specimen trees, developers would receive more points than the current amount given for designating certain trees "exceptional," which are permanently protected from being cut down, even if the property is sold.
But the council wanted language added that would make it less tempting for developers to cut down significant trees without city permission. They talked about issuing monetary penalties, as opposed to simply requiring additional trees be planted to make up for the loss.
"We need to fine them," Jackson said. "That's the only way to correct their behavior."
Alderman Tom Bordeaux said he did not want the city's ordinance to encourage an "ask forgiveness" attitude. The ordinance should instead get developers to ask permission before taking down a significant tree, Bordeaux said.
Alderman Tony Thomas raised two instances in which he said live oaks were cut when they should have been preserved, including a case years ago of a live oak being cut down on the southside during a weekend on the site of a national chain restaurant.
The developer was not fined, even though the property owner had not received permission from the city for the tree's removal, because enough trees were planted afterward to accumulate the required amount of points, according to staff.
A nursing home on White Bluff Road was used as a more recent example of how the city's current rules do not work after the city had failed to get the property owner to declare a live oak "exceptional."
Instead, the city allowed the tree to be cut down last year rather than have the city face a lawsuit.
The loss of the tree, which was probably 250 years old, was criticized by area residents, Thomas said.
"That was a mistake made here," he said. "We're not going to be making that mistake again."
Under the new policy, the City Council would be informed of such situations and given the choice of whether to potentially go to court to continue blocking the tree's removal, said Joe Shearouse, leisure services bureau chief.
Shearouse said staff welcomed the council's tougher stance, stating that under a previous administration, they had once been directed to "stand down" when a developer was cited for cutting down a tree without permission.
It is not clear when the new ordinance will be adopted. The City Council said they want to hold a public hearing to receive input from residents and developers first.
Alderman Van Johnson said they also did not want to be so aggressive that the city comes across as not being business-friendly.
"There is a delicate balance here," Johnson said.


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INCOME TAX PREPARATION CLINICS Tax returns for 2012 only with the exception of April 27 at 7120 Hurontario St. and April 20 at 10 Peel Centre Dr. where tax returns for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 can be prepared.
Saturday, March 9Saturday, April 6Saturday, April 279:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Region of Peel Human Services Department7120 Hurontario St., Mississauga ON L5W 1N4 Map: http://mapq.st/yeB7XtAdvance sign up required. Call 905-793-9200, ext. 8427 or sign up in person.
Saturday, March 16Saturday, April 13Saturday, April 20 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Region of Peel Human Services Department10 Peel Centre Dr., Brampton ON L6T 0E6Map: http://mapq.st/excS57Advance sign up required. Call 905-793-9200, ext. 8203 or sign up in person.
Saturday, March 239:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Peel Youth Village 99 Acorn Place, Mississauga ON L4Z 4E2 Map Hyperlink: http://mapq.st/eeObmP Advance sign up required. Call 905-792-5576, ext. 0.


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New research out yesterday found that potatoes and other vegetables kept more of their health-boosting compounds when fried in extra virgin olive oil than when boiled in water
Chip fans can rejoice – frying food is better than boiling it.
New research found that potatoes and other vegetables kept more of their health-boosting compounds when fried in extra virgin olive oil than when boiled in water.
A Spanish study has proved that vegetables fried in extra virgin olive oil increased their anti-oxidant capacity and chemicals which prevent long-term diseases such as cancer, diabetes and loss of eyesight.
The researchers set out to discover the effects of various cooking methods on the healthiness of vegetables commonly eaten in the Mediterranean diet, such as potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkin and aubergine.
In a controlled experiment researchers cooked four ounces of each vegetable by frying in olive oil, boiling in water or boiling in a mix of the two following traditional Spanish recipes.
The results showed that using extra virgin olive oil for frying vegetables increased their fat content and reduced moisture, something not seen in other cooking methods.
Co-author professor Cristina Samaniego, from the University of Granada, said: "Comparing the content of anti-oxidant phenols with that of raw vegetables we found increases and reductions alike, depending on the chosen method.
"Oil as a means of cooking increases the amount of phenolic compounds in vegetables, opposite to other cooking methods such as boiling, where heat transfer is done through the water."
This is due to a transfer of phenols from olive oil to the vegetables, enhancing phenolic compounds which are not naturally present in raw vegetables.
Prof Samaniego said: "Therefore, we can confirm that frying is the method that produces the greatest increases in the phenolic fraction."
In some cases, boiling the vegetables in water reduced their health-boosting properties.
The findings are revealed in the Food Chemistry magazine.


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The role of language skills in child development cannot be underestimated. A new study says that kids who learn more than 2 languages tend to attain problem solving skills faster than kids who know only a single language.
Researchers conclude that learning more languages can help kids in many ways as mastering two languages involves utilising certain mental and cognitive skills.
As the child grows older, he or she becomes a master in switching between several languages during a conversation effortlessly.
The brain stores information and vocabulary of various languages and also retrieves the information faster and this skill comes handy when it comes to problem solving.
When researchers studied the performance of two groups of kids out of which one group is monolingual (knows only one language) whereas the other is bilingual (2-3 languages), the results proved that bilingual kids can be faster and more efficient in some tests or tasks.
In fact, this is the reason why many schools teach more than two languages to children. During the growing phase, the mind tends to be receptive. Also, as certain tasks or activities tend to activate certain paths or areas in the brain, a kid must be given more opportunities to learn.


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Integrated Asset Management Claims Compliance with Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®)
It has been independently verified for the period of October 1, 2005 through December 31, 2015. The verification report is available upon request. GIPS® verification should not be construed as approval or endorsement by any government or regulatory entity.
The GIPS standards are a set of standardized, industry-wide ethical principles that provide investment firms with guidance on how to calculate and report their investment results to prospective clients. The GIPS standards were created and are administered by CFA Institute, the global, not-for-profit association of investment professionals that awards the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation, among others.
To receive a list of composite descriptions of IAM and/or a presentation that complies with GIPS®, please email David Mather at firstname.lastname@example.com, or write to IAM, 70 University Avenue, Suite 1200, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2M4 Canada


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Data base marketing, with its promise of an individualized and perfectly tailored message for each worthy consumer, has electrified the business mainstream and given the term "household name" a new meaning.
With a reported $160 billion in supermarket sales now being made by consumers flashing frequent shopper cards, efficient, targeted marketing through the retail store may finally be at hand.
Quick access to household data is becoming available through retail chains across th


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About Us
Whether you are downsizing, expanding or re-locating, we believe building and owning your new home should to be a fun and rewarding experience. Our team has the knowledge and insight to make your new home experience gratifying.
Meadowridge, St. Marys, Ontario
A short walk from Little Falls Public School, and indoor pool, dual ice pads, soccer fields and so much more. Come enjoy active Living in a vibrant community in Meadowridge, St. Marys.
Select one of our stock plans or collaborate with our professionals to draft your dream home from scratch. At Bickell Built Homes you have the power to bring your vision or our vision to life.
Over our 30 year history we have been be able to collect many different industry awards. In 2016 Bickell Built Homes received 4 Stratford and Area Builders Association Awards including 2016 Builder of the Year.
Lifestyle Bungalows
Elegance and efficiency are abundant in our Oriole Lifestyle Bungalows. With handsome Craftsman style exterior and finishes, combined with above expected features and amenities. This ideal 1122 sq. foot semidetached offers incredible value with a no-compromise, you've earned this lifestyle.
If pictures speak a thousand words we've put together a novel for you in our Professional Portfolio.
WestOver Place, St. Marys, Ontario
Welcome to Westover Place St. Marys. Nestled into the treed hill top just steps from the iconic Westover Inn Manor, new homeowners will enjoy the natural greenspace setting of "lovers lane", and the Thames River just a short stroll down the hill. Enjoy all the quaintness of small town charm with all the convenience and efficiency of high performance Bickell Built Homes.
Diamondridge Park, St. Marys, Ontario
Our award winning lifestyle bungalows & bungalofts, as well as beautiful custom home lots are all available in St. Marys newest distinct community Diamondridge Park.
Contact Us
Get in touch with our team today.
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Thank you to #signontario for decking out our #bickellbuilt fleet. https://t.co/BVJBDSwick
Beautiful day in Diamondridge Park, St. Marys. Enjoy your weekend everyone!! #bickellbuilt #perthcounty #stmaryson… https://t.co/vZofjxuT1m
RT @HandCStratford: Have @BickellBuilt build your dream home! 114 Wilson Crt St Marys just listed! Contact us to talk details/options. https://t.co/mRR2h78mLl


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Though little information is known, Gotham City Sirens is on a fast track to production. #MargotRobbie is executive producing the film as well as bringing the Clown Princess of Crime to life again. She will also reunite with #SuicideSquad director David Ayer, who is taking this project to action. Fans of #HarleyQuinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman are thrilled for the movie, and many of us are wondering which other DC characters will appear.
The feature will undoubtedly take place in Gotham (hence the title), so it's possible that we could see members of the Bat family, including the Dark Knight himself.
See also:
- Gotham City Sirens: Here Are The Team's 6 Best Comic Moments
- 4 Plot Points Gotham City Sirens Should Include To Triumph In The DCEU
Margot Robbie Is Doing Research For Gotham City Sirens
Back in November, Robbie was photographed reading a Harley Quinn comic at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport). She was also kind enough to take pictures with a few fans.
The image of Robbie has resurfaced, and a Reddit user did detective work to discover that she was reading Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Kiss Kiss Bang Stab. But more accurately, she was browsing Harley Quinn Valentine's Day Special #1, which is collected in that graphic novel. Here is a close-up of the pages she had open:
In the Valentine's Day special, Harley robbed a corrupt Wall Street banker to win a date with Bruce Wayne for a charity auction. Both Harley and Bruce experienced dreams of them as a couple, proving that they would make a horrible match after all. Towards the end, Harley enjoyed a fancy dinner date with the millionaire, even sneaked a kiss.
Minutes after the date concluded, #Batman appeared on her roof to thank her for her act of justice. But there was something else in her mind that she was determined to find out:
So, is there any significance of Robbie reading this comic? Maybe she's looking for a Bruce Wayne-related storyline to incorporate in Gotham City Sirens. This could also indicate that we'll see the independent version of Harley that we're familiar with in her comics.
On the other hand, maybe Robbie just wanted to read her character's stories because truly, they're awesome. But regardless, this shows how dedicated she is to this role and capturing the essence of Harley.
Batman's Role In The Sirens' Comics
In 2009's Gotham City Sirens, Dick Grayson took over as Batman. Bruce Wayne was gone and only appeared in flashbacks. He briefly returned as Batman in Issue #23 and #24 to help Catwoman end chaos at Arkham, which Harley and the Joker caused.
Bruce and Selina have a deep, complicated connection, and it's possible that their romance could be brought to the big screen in Sirens. Well, if the movie has a part for him to begin with.
Final Thoughts
I believe it would be important for Batman to be included in this #DCEU venture. I mean, he dedicates his life to protecting Gotham City, so why wouldn't he be there? There are so many directions that this movie could take with his character: They could create their own Batman story with Ben Affleck reprising the role. Or perhaps, if they follow the comics, an actor could be cast for Dick Grayson to assume the Batman title.
But at this rate, who knows what Ayer and Robbie have up their sleeves — only time will tell.


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We respond to valid requests relating to criminal cases. Each and every request we receive is checked for legal sufficiency and we reject or require greater specificity on requests that are overly broad or vague.
|Request Type
|Total Requests
|Users / Accounts Requested
|Percentage of Requests Where Some Data Produced
We restricted access in Turkey to categories of content in response to requests from the Telecommunications Authority and Turkish courts. We also restricted access to content in categories identified as illegal that have been brought to our attention by non-government entities, such as NGOs and members of the Facebook community. The majority of the content was restricted under local law 5651, which covers a range of offenses including personal rights violations, personal privacy, and defamation of Ataturk.
|Number of pieces of content restricted


text: repost from HungryMan, who got this from Twitter from the dev of LauncherPro. Edit your build prop any of the various ways you like. Add the following to the bottom of your build.prop file (located /system/) windowsmgr.max_events_per_sec=60 reboot, and your done full details and XDA discussion: Smoother Scrolling on the Eris - xda-developers I noticed a subtly smoothness, but it may just be a placebo effect. Please note some roms may already have this line added, just depends on the dev. I believe KaosFroyo already has this as a default (I may be wrong). to undo just delete the line


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Closed-loop liquid cooler roundup: 9 AIO coolers reviewed
- Written by Petrus-Iulian "Devon" Fatu
- Published in Cooling reviews
Fractal Design S24
Fractal Design updated the Kelvin AIO series earlier this year. While it looks technically the same as the previous generation, several small tweaks have been made to the series. Unlike the flashy, bright and colorful all-in-ones we've covered until now, the S24 is unassuming in design, having a glossy lid on the pump, but no added LEDs or clear tubing / reservoir windows.
One thing worth mentioning is that this is one of the most customizable AIO in this round-up, as it allows you to add extra radiators, custom-loop reservoirs or GPU blocks.
At first glance, Kelvin has a standard looking radiator – similar to Nepton's or Water 3.0 Extreme's. The single noticeable difference would be the smaller fin per inch count (only 14FPI) that lends itself to better airflow through the radiator at the expense of surface area.
However, the radiator is made entirely out of copper, and is in fact, very similar to Alphacool's NexXxos ST30 radiator. Measuring 30 x 124 x 275mm, the radiator supports up to two 120mm fans on each side.
The 320mm rubber tubing is not special in any way, but it is fitted with anti-kink spring coils that prevents any kinks while installing quite effectively.
The diameter is 11mm outer and 8mm inner, and it measures up to 320mm. What's interesting is Fractal Design decided to use black-painted brass fittings (the kind you would find in custom loops) to keep everything in place.
Pump & Waterblock
The downplayed CPU-Block features a ceramic bearing pump, with a 2400RPM pressure, resulting in a maximum flow-rate of 120l/h, and a rated lifespan of 50.000 hours.
The base is of copper build, with copper screws attached to it. It's not polished to a mirror sheen, but close enough.
As most modern AIOs, the coldplate features micro-channels for better heat transmission. The plate is sealed with rubber rings, ensuring the water flows directly onto the copper base and does not escape in other directions.
Two seven bladed HP Silent Series 120mm fans dynamic bearing fans are included in the package. These feature PWM controls and an RPM range of 500-2000RPM.
These should put out 87.6CFM, at a pressure of 2.30mm H20. Granted, they're not the most silent fans used by a cooler in this round-up, having a noise level rating 32.2dB(A).
In terms of clearance, Fractal Design eats up even less space than Silverstone's TD02-E. The waterblock / pump are small enough to be fitted even on smaller boards, while the radiator (albeit slightly thicker than the 27mm variants we checked until now), shouldn't cause any issues at installation.
Sadly, the installation procedure is unpleasant. Following the instructions will not be difficult, but mounting the waterblock will. You see, the mechanic uses a backplate that features no dedicated slots on its spacers, which means the nuts are free-moving. Since these are so small - I often had them pop out of the motherboard while trying to mount the screws. Still, on paper, to mount the AIO cooler all you have to do is:
1. Install the plastic backplate onto the motherboard;
2. Lock-in the two mounting-brackets onto the waterblock;
3. Attach the block onto the motherboard and tighten the spring fitted bolts and screw in;
4. Connect the pump 4-pin connector to & the fans' 4-pin connector to the appropriate header;


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Here are some more of Photos Of The Week. Don't forget anyone can send us a picture, you don't have to be a professional!
Firstly we have a photograph taken by Scarletstrue Cavachons. The photograph was taken from Cilymaenllwyd Farm Lane.
Next we have a photograph of some butterflies taken by Mark Griff
Here we have a photograph of a horse and it's foal, taken by Simone Emma Carter
This photograph was taken by our very own Carmarthenshire Wildlife Watch's Darren Harries! To view more of Darren's work, visit his website; www.dazoo-photography.com
Next we have a photograph taken by photographer Carly Graudins. This was taken of the cafe down Llanelli Beach. To view more of Carly's work, you can visit her facebook page; www.facebook.com/carlyphotographic.com or website; www.carlyphotographic.com
Lastly we have a lovely photograph of a woodpecker taken by Trixie Evans.
Write for usHave you ever wanted to write for a newspaper, but need to gain experience? Do you have your own blog?


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VideoHive Corporate Resort Showcase 2916222
After Effects Project \ Video Displays \ Corporate
After Effects Project - Corporate Resort Showcase 2916222 by zanimotion @ VideoHive
After Effects Project \ Video Displays \ Corporate
After Effects Version: CS4, CS5, CS5.5, CS6; File Size: 166mb; Requires Plugins: No; Resolution: 1280x720.
Hey Guyz,
Here's my Brand NEW Corporate Resort Showcase Project.
The animation is meant to be powerfull and dynamic. The project is build in a way that you can either choose the animated corporate look background or you can enable the mediaholders to display your content.
For an easy edit, layers are commented and the following color preset are already set up : white, black, pink, yellow, orange, green, red. The project also includes two FREE abstract HD background clip (Intro & Logo Ending).
Hope you will like it.
Project Main Features
- Runs for 1mn.37 sec
- 7 Ready made Color Preset
- 13 Scenes
- Dynamic Logo Intro & Ending, with headlines & mediaholder
- 12 Mediaholders
- 12 TextHolders
- Activate the placeholder background or use the corporate look within each scene
- Specific Contact & Network Slide
- 5 Business Keyword Ending
- No Plugins required – Prerendered version included
- Well detailed user guide included
Important note
- Font used in the project can be downloaded to the below link .
Optimus Princeps
- Background Movies shown in the preview are not included, it's only for demo showcase
- Music used in the preview is from the Brand X Music Catalogue If you need the full info and procedure to get the track, drop me a line via email.
- Trapcode Plugins (Particular) & Optical Flare are required to use the project. For those who don't have the plugins, A PRE -RENDERED VERSION IS INCLUDED , within the original archive.
- You will also need the powerfull Free plugin from Regiant Software, Knoll Unmult It can be downloaded here .
- For any additional request on the files, or for any questions please contact me via my e-mail only, use the contact form on the right of my videohive profile page.
Please don't forget to rate it, If you like it
Keywords: business resort, business showcase, company resort, corporate folio, corporate video, epic presentation, fullscreen display, incentive video, industry showcase, marketing video, powerfull, resort showcase.


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if answered i would like to know some of the techniques you give that will guarantee me to be well prepared and confident that i can do it.
The reading section is more properly a reading comprehension section. It will test your ability to read a passage, think critically on it, and answer questions about what the passage communicates or argues. It will not be testing whether or not you can read. The English section will test your grammar and syntax. I hope this helps, but you can find practice tests for free online if you'd like to test yourself and see how you'd do if you took the test right now. For any further help, I recommend you buy a practice book or find an ACT prep tutor as it would be difficult to learn the material on your own without help. Good luck!


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One of the new modules that will be officially available with Qt 5.1.0 is QtSerialPort, a way to have support for serial ports such as those that follow the RS-232 standard. As described previously in my post, serial port modules for Qt have existed for some time (QExtSerialPort likely the most known of them) however none of them were officially part of Qt.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
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New DVD features exciting three-part contest including Sunny Garcia's cliffhanger victory and never-before-seen footage of Pipe legends Gerry Lopez and Kelly Slater
Santa Fe Springs, CA (July 26, 2005) — Each winter, Hawaii's notorious North Shore of Oahu draws the best surfers inthe world to compete in six weeks of contests at the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, pro surfing's longest running competition. The Vans Triple Crown is staged at the most legendary of Hawaii's big waves, the coral reefs of Haleiwa, the shifty, deep water peaks at Sunset Beach and the world's most famous wave at the Banzai Pipeline. Now, the exciting highlights of this three-part contest, is edited down to sixty riveting minutes on DVD in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing 04, released on July 26. The release also includes a bonus full-length CD featuring music from Epitaph's biggest bands, from Pennywise to the Dropkick Murphys. Available online at www.vans.com, MSRP for the DVD/CD is $14.95.
Surf fans will get the chance to see all the highlights from Winter '04 from Sunny Garcia's dramatic win at Haleiwa to kick off his quest for a 5th overall Crown to World Champion Andy Iron's dominating performance at the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing to wildcard entry Jamie O'Brien winning his first ever WCT event in his own front yard at the Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters. The DVD also features 30 minutes of never-before-seen bonus features that go behind the scenes of the event and get into the personalities of legendary North Shore surfers, from Kelly Slater to Gerry Lopez.
"We're very pleased to bring all the excitement from the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing to DVD for the very first time, said Doug Palladini, Vans' Marketing Director. "Both casual and diehard surf fans will be excited by the big wave footage and the in-depth interviews with the personalities who make this surfing's preeminent event.
In 2004, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing was the internet's single most watched action sports event, offering up more than 2.2 million webstreams to viewers from all over the globe. The television broadcast of the series yielded over 2 million viewers over six hours of TV programming.
Look for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing '04 DVD with the Epitaph bonus CD at better surf shops across the US and also at www.vans.com.
Founded by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz in 1981 to be an artist-friendly haven for the burgeoning Los Angeles punk scene, Epitaph Records has since evolved into one of the most respected and influential independent record labels in the world.
For more information, visit www.vans.com.


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A masculine print with a funny saying makes these Men's Novelty Knit Lounge Pants stand out. They make an ideal gift for a man who loves sports. Each has an elastic drawstring waistband, button fly and 2 side-seam pockets. Cotton. Machine care. Imported.
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$7.15 - $8.35 Men's Novelty Knit Lounge Pants


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Hey y'all, Brother is trying to get to 100 subscribers on his YouTube channel, Games Kave. He does mostly animations and sometimes gaming videos. He uses Flash for his animations. He just turned 12 in October; he is in 6th grade. I'm proud of him, obviously, his animating skills are improving constantly. His videos are clever and fun. Check it out, this latest one he made for his friend Pheng:
Thanks for watching! Please subscribe here. And tell us, what did you think?


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for Hypertension some one is taking bisoprolol. He has recently got portal hypertension. Is it necessary to add propranolol to this patient for portal hypertension. If so can propranolol be combined with bisoprolol ?
Can propranolol be combined with bisoprolol?
- Asked
- 23 Nov 2010 by chagol
- Active
- 23 Nov 2010
- Topics
- bisoprolol, propranolol, hypertension
Responses (1)
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Germany's pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), junior partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition, Tuesday triggered a cabinet reshuffle by designating a new economy minister.
The small FDP party decides who holds the cabinet posts attributed to it under the terms of the coalition deal agreed in 2009 with Merkel's conservatives.
Philipp Roesler, 38, the outgoing health minister who is expected to take over as FDP leader this weekend, annnounced Tuesday that he had been chosen by his parliamentary faction to replace outgoing economy minister Rainer Bruederle, 65, who is himself tipped to take over as FDP parliamentary leader.
The changes follow a decision by Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle not to seek re-election as party leader following a string of election debacles for his party since the start of the year.
Once Roesler has been elected leader at a party conference this weekend -- he is the only declared candidate -- he will take over from Westerwelle as vice chancellor, or number two in Merkel's cabinet.
Westerwelle, 49, however has said he intends to remain foreign minister.
It was not immediately known if Merkel would take advantage of changes brought about by the FDP to further revamp her cabinet.
Roesler, who was adopted as an child from a Vietnamese orphanage by a German family, was only appointed to the federal cabinet in 2009.
He will take over as party chief from Westerwelle who had held the job for the past 10 years.
A heart and chest surgeon by training, Roesler last year helped steer a controversial set of health reforms through parliament which increased the financial burden on patients in an attempt to address healthcare deficits.
Merkel swept to a second term at the helm of Europe's top economy largely on the coattails of the FDP, which secured a record 14.6 percent in federal elections in September 2009.
But the party has since sunk to new depths in the polls, scoring roughly five percent nationally, the threshold for parliamentary representation. It also failed to win parliamentary seats in two recent regional elections and only just managed to do so in a third.


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Post Edited (Bohemian) : 6/19/2010 11:11:40 AM (GMT-6)
Yea i also try to keep my wife in the loop with how i am feeling. Even though i am generally hypomanic more days than not there are days when i am sad, or irratiable. I tell my wife about it so she knows how i am doing. It seems to activate her "mama Bear" instinct and she becomes very protective of me when i am down or not feeling well.
And not to put to fine of a point on it, may be you were just a little cranky that day. You dont have to be BP to be cranky now and then. Sometimes i think we may look at all emotions as BP based but in truth everyone gets a little sad, cranky, horny, silly, you name it. Its when it starts feeling like an extreme feeling that i get nervous and take note.


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Now in paperback, this critically acclaimed book features photographs, poems, and interviews with nine children who reveal the hardships and hopes of today's Mexican-American migrant farm workers and their families.
PW called this compendium of interviews, poems and photographs spotlighting nine migrant Mexican-American children in California's Salinas Valley "a well-rounded, moving look at a small, struggling group." Ages 10-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|


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15 Best Face Washes for Pimples
Pimples are the most common teenage problems for girls and boys alike, sometimes following us into our adult lives much to our annoyance. Acne or pimples break out when an oily substance called sebum clogs pores. They usually pop up on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. Outbreak of pimples may be aggravated by harsh scrubbing, picking or squeezing blemishes, changing hormones, and stress. Many people suffer from the problem of pimples and these can be quite irritating and swollen. These can lead to infections and aggravated skin. There are certain face washes or gels that are quite good and are easily available in most shops. These contain extracts of neem or may be containing other anti bacterial solutions and may be medicated. These can help reduce irritations.
Below are the top 15 face washes that are good for pimple prone skin.
1. Vedic Line Charcoal Disinfecting Face Wash:
This is a very popular product and the price is quite moderate. The charcoal keeps the pimple prone skin germ free and disinfects it. Activated charcoal boasts beauty benefits for skin by drawing oil, dirt, bacteria and other harmful micro-particles to the surface of skin from clogged pores, helping you to achieve a flawless complexion and fight acne. The average price of this is approximately 118 INR for a pack of about 100 grams. This is known to remove dirt, grime and oil. This is especially suitable to sensitive tone people.
2. Himalaya Clarina Anti Acne Face Wash Gel:
This is a popular gel product that gives small amount of foam and can be used by people who has rash. It is a gel based non-comedogenic face wash. It cleanses thoroughly and is not very harsh on the skin. It contains neem, turmeric and willow bark extracts which have anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties. With a pleasant musky fragrance, it is highly suitable for oily, acne-prone skin. This can be bought for about 130 INR for a moderate and easily available size.
3. Ayur Tea Tree Face Wash:
This is a very well known brand for many people. This contains extract and chemical formulation that deep cleanses and takes the dirt off to give a clearer skin. Tea tree has terpenoids which nourishes it with anti fungal and anti septic properties. It is a soap-free cleanser which removes excess oil from the skin and controls the bacteria which can cause acne and pimples. It is mild and pH balanced to minimize the stress on the skin. This is quite affordable at a moderate pric to about 150 INR for about 100 grams.
4. Lotus Herbals Neem wash with Clove Extract and Active Neem Slices:
This is another very popular brand which offers very good products. It contains the goodness of neem and clove and removes surface oils, dirt and pollutants. It helps the skin fight bacterial build up. It is a cleansing, refreshing and soothing face wash. This is also quite affordable from the price point. This costs about 120 grams for about 175 INR. This contain active neem which is very good for fighting any rashes and infection.
5. The Body Shop Seaweed Facial Wash:
This is a very popular brand and the products are moderately priced. Body Shop Seaweed Facial wash balances the oil production of the skin and helps in achieving a matte complexion and also helps remove oil without drying skin or clogging pores. With a very light fragrance, it is soothing and gentle on the skin. This can give oily free skin for about 6 hours. This is enriched with active mineral and sea weed extracts which provides nourishment to problem tone people. This comes for about 600 INR.
6. Aroma Magic Neem and Tea Tree Face Wash:
Aroma magic is a very well known brand. It is free of parabens, soap, alcohol, artificial coloring & fragrance. It cures acne with Neem & rose extracts. It additionally helps prevent black heads and soothe skin irritations with the blend of tea tree & lavender essential oils. The products contain extracts of essential oils in most cases. This contains extracts of neem and tea tree oil both of which are good rash fighting agents. This costs moderate about 60 INR for a moderate content.
See More: Best Skin Care Products For Acne
7. Nyassa Tea Tree Oil Face Wash:
This is a popular brand. This provides various types of natural products or with natural extracts like eucalyptus and tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has terpenoids which nourishes it with anti fungal and anti septic properties. It treats pimples by cleansing off oil and dirt. It has a strong herbal-mint smell and is highly effective. This is a costly cleanser with 145 ml that costs about 400 INR. This is quite good for almost all skin types.
8. Everyuth Neem Face Wash:
It does not have a hint of soap at all. It is nourished with nano sea and aloe vera extracts. It deeply cleanses the pores and removes impurities thus protecting the skin from the harmful effects of pollution; thereby controlling outbreak of pimples. It also tones, purifies as well as cools your skin. This is a popular brand and this face wash costs about 82 INR for about 100 grams. This can be used on almost all types of skin which has acne.
See More: Antibiotics For Acne Vulgaris


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The Challenge
Heineken's music strategy is all about involving the audience to create unexpected social experiences. For the partnership with Sensation Asia we teamed up with Heineken to develop a brand activation that people would accept as integrated part of the show, while at the same time standing out as the highlight of the night. Heineken's goal was to contribute and entertain without intruding. The target audience consisted of Sensation fans. They weren't necessarily fans of Heineken, yet...
To make the crowd part of the experience, the audience was given a wristband at the entrance. The visitors were merely asked to put them on, without informing them about what it was capable of. At the apex of the night, the DJ set off the Heineken Moment by spinning a special dance version of the brand's music campaign title track produced by us. As the opening chords played, the wristbands lit up, engulfing the crowd that was entirely dressed in white in an ocean of green lights. Forty thousand madly enthusiastic hands in the air made for an epic social brand experience that resonated well beyond the stadium walls.
The Idea
Heineken is a beer brand, not a music company. That's why its music strategy evolves around the social aspect of music – live events. Any music activation should involve the audience to create unexpected social experiences that make an already great night even better. For the Sensation activation, we faced two challenges: a target audience that doesn't particularly like brand involvement and an event organizer that had already carefully orchestrated the show from start to finish. We needed a solution that was original, engaging and a natural part of the line up. The wristband activation proved to be exactly that.
The Heineken Moment had the crowd go wild at each of the Sensation events. But its impact didn't stop there. Thousands of fans captured the moment on their mobile phones and shared it with their friends across the world. With over 500,000 mentions on blogs and a 150% increase in Heineken Facebook fans, the Sensation brand activation gave Heineken more than its money's worth. € 19.4 million worth of PR value, sponsorship awareness of 74% and a sponsorship return on investment of € 26 million, made this partnership impactful on every level for both Heineken and the audience.
Key contact:
First record
'Feel The Rhythm', Def La Desh
Favorite album
'What's Going On', Marvin Gaye
Favorite noise
Ocean waves
Making the cut


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Mum's Views
Join the Tonka Twitter Frenzy
We're celebrating all things Tonka this week and as part of our celebration of the heritage brand we're having a Tonka party on Twitter, and we'd like you to join us!
Join us on Twitter for the big Tonka event on Tuesday, November 22. The Twitter Frenzy starts at 1pm and lasts for 90 minutes. Join in, tell us what you love about Tonka and see what others have to say using the hashtag #TonkaToys.
We hope you can join us!


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This is part two of a series of posts dedicated to breaking down components of resilience. The series is an elaboration on a post I made in 2015, continued now as part of the June 2016 Carnival of Aces on Resiliency. In part one, I introduced the series and covered tenacity. In this post, I will cover affect management and positive frameworks. Continue reading
Defining & Conceptualizing
Updating the Map: Romantic Attraction and Friendship vs. Romance
This post is for the October 2015 Carnival of Aces. The theme is aromanticism and the aromantic spectrum. Cross-posted to The Asexual Agenda.
Until relatively recently, I never considered whether I might be on the aromantic spectrum. It was patently obvious to me that I've experienced whatever feeling it is that people refer to as "romantic attraction." It didn't really matter that I've only had that happen (with complete certainty) once—if it happened once, then surely it could happen again. The potential was all that mattered. Except as the years went on, and I tried very unsuccessfully to find someone (else—I've been polyamorously partnered for the past seven years) to date, it's started to seem less and less like that potential feeling is accessible. So after much consideration, I've started identifying as greyromantic. Continue reading
Review: The Invisible Orientation by Julie Sondra Decker
I've been waiting for this book for a long time.
Years before it was written, I remember reading a conversation on LJ in which the author, Julie Sondra Decker (also known as swankivy), talked about potentially writing a book like this. Then, when it finally came out, my copy got lost in the mail! It took months for me to get the situation sorted out and actually receive a copy, although part of that was that I was out of town and without internet access for a significant part of last fall.
But it's finally here, and now that I've read it twice, I can say with complete confidence: it's excellent!
Before we continue, please note: Although I've been part of the ace community for a long time, and spent a bit of that time talking to the author several years ago, I was not in any way involved with the creation of this book. I didn't provide any quotes, nor did I do any beta-reading. Because I took a long hiatus from the community starting in 2012, I didn't even know that it was finally being written until after a release date had been announced!
So when I read this, I came into it with, perhaps, fewer expectations for exactly what was going to make it into the book than those who contributed to it… and also more criticisms, because one can generally expect most of the contributors' criticisms to have been addressed before release.
What/Who is this book for?
As stated in the introduction, the book "should function as a starting point for people interested in asexuality." It's "for the layperson, written in everyday language" because "everyone will benefit from knowing that asexuality exists, that it isn't a disorder, and that asexual people can be trusted to describe their own feelings."
Fair enough! So I'm judging this based on those stated goals. This isn't supposed to be the be-all and end-all of any writing on asexuality—it's just a beginning.
And does it succeed at being a good beginning? Yes!
This is the Asexuality 101 book. It's for laypersons, but I think it should also be required reading for professionals looking to better serve their asexual clients. It's a starting point for real understanding, and one that outsiders looking in just can't provide.
Books are prone to becoming quickly outdated as societal understanding deepens, and even less than a year after its release, there are already some passages beginning to show their age. But that's more about how fast our high-level community discourse moves! On that level, it makes sense to forgive the subtle nuances rooted in older discussions. Here, we find the community's foundation, preserved by someone who has been part of it much longer than most of us.
On such solid ground, we can now take steps toward further progress.
What Works
First, let's talk about the best parts.
- The writing is clear, concise, and casual. It's easy to follow for a layperson, so it definitely achieves the right level of accessibility for its intended audience—and, crucially, it does so without feeling like it's talking down to anyone.
- It has a great hook for anyone starting the book right from the beginning. The author's personal experiences and history of involvement with the community (pre-dating the establishment of AVEN) contextualize the book, and quickly dispel any notions that asexuality is "what the kids on Tumblr are making up these days" without having to directly address that charge. I particularly appreciate the acknowledgment that she's been fairly lucky in terms of having "supportive family, unshakable confidence, no serious problems or issues in [her] life, and a thick skin," because it's important for readers to know that others haven't been so lucky.
- The structure of the book is very well thought out. It is divided into five parts: 1) Asexuality 101, 2) Asexual Experiences, 3) The Many Myths of Asexuality, 4) If You're Asexual (Or Think You Might Be), and 5) If Someone You Know is Asexual (Or Might Be). This allows a person searching for specific information to pick up the book and flip to the most relevant section. The author also makes very good use of headers, sub-headers, lists, and bold text so that skimming readers will still pick up on the most important points.
- I love the quotes from other community members highlighted in gray boxes throughout the book. They tie in others' experiences, clarify concepts, provide illustrations of things described in the main text, visually break things up so that the reader will tend to feel less overwhelmed by walls of text, and serve as extra hooks to draw readers (back) in.
- My personal favorite highlighted quote is at the top of page 38: It's an anonymous person's illustration of their experience with grayness through the metaphor of soda vs. water vs. water-with-a-bit-of-soda-in-it. I think that's a brilliant analogy to explain experiences of graysexuality not defined by rarity, and I think it will be clarifying for a lot of people. It resists the most common way of explaining grayness, and I think that's exactly the sort of thing that's needed in visibility efforts to allow others to really understand these concepts.
- Many points are supported by footnotes leading to more information, with a great bibliography in the back so that readers can look up the relevant studies for themselves. There is also a large list of other resources in the back—although books can't keep up with the constant change of the internet, so a few of them have already disappeared.
If you're a writer, all of the above are great lessons.
I also appreciate the minimalist cover, because it really mirrors how minimized and, indeed, invisible asexuality tends to be. Technically, that's not part of the writing, and probably not something the author could control. Many people will tell you "don't judge a book by its cover." But I think that people also tend to greatly underestimate how important packaging really is in whether or not a book will sell. And considering that this is supposed to intrigue people enough to introduce them to asexuality for the first time and legitimize the orientation in their minds, in this case a professional look is especially important.
What Doesn't Work
Now, I was all set to rate this five stars… but upon rereading the first half of the book and counting up the places where there are serious issues, I have to take it down to four. These are issues that (mostly) seemed very minor to me… until I really started thinking about the implications of them. I summarized these in my Goodreads review, but here I will fully explain them.
If these points seem to take up too much space, that's only because they are such subtle points that I have to use a lot more space to explain! I'm citing specific examples with page numbers so that everyone can see what I'm talking about for themselves and come to their own conclusions. I think we can apply the lessons we learn from these examples to other visibility efforts. Continue reading
The False Dichotomy of Repulsion vs. Indifference
This post is for the July 2014 Carnival of Aces.
About a month ago now, as I started trying to catch up on things that had been going on in the asexual blogosphere while I was on hiatus, I came across this post about how sex-repulsed and sex-averse aces are apparently being treated as (per the title of the post) a "dirty little secret" in the ace community (mostly on Tumblr, which is why I haven't seen it), and that being "indifferent" towards sex is apparently now seen as the "default" or True Way to Be Ace.
My reaction was along the lines of "What the hell? Since when?"
Like I said in my comment to that post, I've been part of ace communities (multiple) for ten years now. In 2004, when I joined AVEN, it certainly wasn't the case that there were way more resources for asexual people who do have sex than for those who don't. Sex-positive aces felt very much NOT welcome, to the point that in (I believe?) 2007, a bunch of members of AVEN went to form their own forum specifically devoted to creating a non-judgmental space for higher-level discussions of sex, among other things (although this sort of discussion has since migrated off the site). Believe it or not, it was actually to the point where forum posts on AVEN that were about sex, especially asexual people trying to figure out healthy and positive ways to have sex, were regularly derailed with "ew, that's so gross" and comments both implying and even outright stating that True Asexuals don't want to have sex, ever.
So from where I'm standing, it's a complete reversal to hear that now "indifferent" aces are treated as the default at least in some circles, even if that's not universally true. It's weird, yo.
And it's fucked up. 100% stupid.
Do not ever go around saying that people who don't want to have sex because they feel repulsed/averse to it should go to therapy to "fix" that so that they can have sex. Having sex is not a universal goal. If you have aversion and you want to work through it, then okay! Go work through it! But don't assume that other people have the same goals as you. They don't and shouldn't. Putting that sort of pressure on people is completely inappropriate and harmful in many ways, not to mention counterproductive because it is more likely to increase feelings of aversion that decrease them.
And DON'T think that just because I write resources for asexual people who want to have sex, that I am somehow implying that all asexual people should want to have sex. I didn't think that was something that I should have to say, but apparently it is.
This post has gotten linked around. A lot. Like, more than everything else I've ever written over the past 6 years combined. And while the reaction seems to mostly have been positive, I'm pretty sure that not everybody has read it fully or understood it, and it seems mostly to be an issue of not understanding the audience that it was intended for and weighing their level of interest/engagement against the desire to have everything included, everyone represented, in that particular post. I don't want to get into a long discussion of this now, although I do intend to talk about it in more detail later. I fully acknowledge that the post is not perfect, there are several ways I have noted that I should edit it. But there are also several criticisms of it that I do not think are valid, and one of them is that I am "contributing to erasure" of sex-averse aces and survivors of sexual violence.
That makes no sense, because I am myself in both of those categories. I made reference to the latter without making it explicit, because it is not something that I am comfortable talking about publicly just yet. Even saying it that explicitly puts me in some danger of private harassment, which is something I'm trying to figure out how to manage. And so for now, I'm not going to go into any more detail than what I've already said in previous posts and comments. Also, my blog is not a community. It's one person, talking about one life, with occasional guest posts. A single voice does not a community make, and even in the educational essays I write there is not room to cover everything. I think to try to cover aversion within the same breath as advising potential sexual partners to asexual people of how to (appropriately) approach sex with those who are interested in having sex is inadvisable, because it would not do justice to either topic, not least because I don't have the expertise required to write such a thing. At best, I could maybe link to something else about aversion to make the point, but when I wrote it, there was the little issue that I didn't know of any such posts to link to.
But anyway, let's get one thing straight here: just because I've described myself as being "indifferent" or (more accurately) on the whole pretty much neutral towards sex, just because I can and have enjoyed it in the right circumstances, that does not mean that I don't also have feelings of aversion or repulsion about it. It's NOT mutually exclusive, and I think that's the danger of categorizing ourselves as if we fit into either the Indifferent box or the Repulsed box. Independent of any of this nasty shaming that's apparently started going on mostly (from what I gather) on Tumblr towards averse/repulsed aces, I've felt for the past few years that these categories have outlived their usefulness. What exactly is the point of dividing ourselves thus? For me at least, it's gotten to the point that I'm more misunderstood for using the label of "indifferent" than I would be if I just dropped it entirely.
And, related, I'm starting to see the phrase "Sex-Favorable" come up in various places around the asexual community. I missed this word being coined during my absence, apparently, so I'm just catching up on its usage now… but from a lot of the comments I've received and seen on various other sites where I've been linked to, I seem to be categorized as sex-favorable more often than anything else (even before this word was coined). Just because I make efforts to say that, contrary to popular assumptions by those unfamiliar with asexuality, attraction and desire are not the same thing, and asexual people can enjoy sex. Those are things I have devoted a lot of my writing to talking about, because I saw that it was lacking, and I saw that people unfamiliar with and even within ace communities assume that by default, asexual people are sex-averse/repulsed (and still do, as some comments I recently deleted attacking other commenters on my previous posts indicate). So yeah, since that's what I talk about, that's how I seem to be perceived a lot of the time.
And… no, I don't think it fits well. Some of my experiences with sex have been favorable, yes. But me, myself, the whole of my experiences? No. Certainly not, and especially not in the past couple of years. My overall interest in sex has greatly decreased. Fortunately for me, so has my partner's. There have been no freak-outs about how I "can't do this anymore," nothing like that. Instead, my partner tells me, "I'm glad you're asexual, I don't know how I could date someone who isn't right now."
So there isn't a label that fits me. It's inaccurate to say I'm indifferent, and it's also inaccurate to say I'm repulsed. I can't categorize myself on a scale between Averse-Neutral-Favorable, because I range at different points on that scale at different times, depending on my mood. It doesn't even make sense to me to make it a scale. I feel like what gets subsumed in this sort of discussion, even when there is an acknowledgment that these categories are not mutually exclusive, is an understanding that it should be expected that people in general, not even specifically asexual people, will tend to have different feelings about sex at different times throughout their lives. There are times when I can consent to it enthusiastically, and there are times when I can't. The default assumption should always be that a person doesn't consent until they explicitly give permission, and as a matter of sexual safety, there should be check-ins if it ever becomes unclear that someone is enjoying it. There shouldn't be any situations where people's consent gets thought of as a "give once for all time" sort of thing, because it should be understood that people's moods change, and sometimes suddenly without warning. Aversion and repulsion can just suddenly happen in the middle of sexual activity that was previously fine, even if most of the time it's not enough of an issue to even discuss it. And they can even happen at the same time as sexual desire, just as you can hit the brakes and the gas at the same time in a car, because desire and aversion work on different mechanisms.
So for me personally, while I could maybe oversimplify to describe myself as sex-favorable (as I might have in the past), sex-neutral, or (as I have in the past for lack of a better word) just indifferent… it still doesn't work, because it loses that nuance. And while I'm not one to decry labels (they're useful and necessary, and I'm not having that argument here, I'm sick to death of it), these particular ones leave me feeling uneasy in general, even though I'm not using them myself. This sort of categorization still gets applied to me as people read my posts and assume I'm "erasing" sex-aversion/repulsion and such just because I'm not talking about those topics right then, and they do sometimes lash out at me for that perception, in exactly the sort of dynamic Siggy described here.
And for that reason, I'm left wondering… Is there some better way we could possibly describe this sort of thing? Something that encapsulates this sort of shifting, ambivalent experience? Something that could express more diversity, more variability, while also allowing space for people who find themselves at both ends of the aversion/desire "spectrum" (for lack of a better description) consistently enough to identify as sex-averse or sex-favorable, without encouraging so much conflict?
Having separate communities for many different groups of aces would be a start, of course. Focus groups, if you will. But for someone like me, while I would probably take a sex-favorable community over one focused on aversion (mostly because I think my personal experiences of training myself to tolerate sexual touch would be seen as anathema to people seeking to avoid being pressured to do that very thing), I don't think I would really feel at-home in either type of (hypothetical) community.
The distinction between Verbal vs. Oral
Still too busy to make a proper post, but I wanted to write a response to this comment on my How to Have Sex With an Asexual Person post that I just saw on Tumblr:
This is a great article aside from the emphasis on exclusively verbal communication. I agree that clear communication and having a complete understanding of how and when a person(or persons) is ok with what is entirely necessary; however, it is also important to remember that there are other entirely unambiguous forms of communication that some people use that are nonverbal.
You mean communication like signing, right? Thank you for the reminder, and sorry for not picking that up. I'll try to keep this in mind.
I do mean communication like signing, using an communication board, using a pen or pencil and paper, using a tablet pc, using an alphasmart or any other adaptive technology. Just because someone is nonverbal (to whatever extent and for whatever reason) doesn't necessarily mean that they can't give consent and frequently the sex education and consent education that any nonverbal (for reasons of disability) people receive is inadequate or nonexistent. This is related to the lack of disability related material on this subject overall but is also of course related to the general forced desexualization of disabled bodies.
I think there's a miscommunication in how we're defining terms. I'm a little confused, here. How is writing something down using any of those different methods, or signing or using a "talker" (this is what we've called them in my family), non-verbal communication? Is sign language not still a language? Verbal, to me, means using language. Sign language and written communication are INCLUDED under the category of "verbal communication." At least under my definition!
Here's what is NOT included under the (very broad) category of "verbal communication" by my definition: sighing, facial expressions, what clothes you're wearing, that you have gone home with someone for a night, that you had coffee with someone, etc. Basically, any kind of assumption that someone might make about whether or not you want to have sex without asking you in some form of direct language whether you want to or not.
I was quite deliberate about the word that I chose, because I wanted to avoid this exact miscommunication. If I wanted to refer ONLY to spoken communication, I would have said oral communication.
However, I probably should have consulted the dictionary before I posted, because I was not aware that one of the definitions referred specifically to oral communication. Every definition but the third one refers ONLY to words. So I see where the confusion came from, and I apologize for causing it. My intent was not to exclude anyone with a disability.
Is there some phrase more specific than "verbal communication" to refer to a BROAD UMBRELLA of different types of communication that include words? Or do I just have to go back and elaborate on what I mean every single time? How can I make this more inclusive when I revise it?
Edit: I also touched on this in my last post responding to Tumblr comments, but it bears repeating: The person who is being asked for consent can give it with a clear nonverbal signal, like a thumbs up. But the person who INITIATES must use some kind of direct, unambiguous language to do so rather than relying on assumptions based on body language or circumstance. (Unless, of course, what is and is not okay has already been pre-negotiated, using words. You still should check in to make sure it's still okay every now and then, though.)
Why I Identify as Sex-Postitive, Despite Seeing Sex as Neutral
Author's note, August 2015: This is an old blog post that no longer reflects my current views. I no longer find it useful to identify as sex-positive, especially in asexual spaces, although many of my political views still align with the goals of sex-positive feminism.
I regularly see asexuals saying that they don't identify as sex-positive because they don't see sex as an inherently positive thing. They often feel alienated and attacked by people who identify as sex-positive, because sex is good and people who aren't interested in having sex therefore must have something wrong with them. But while I know that people who say this do exist, I think they're wrong about what being sex positive actually means.
Sex is not inherently positive. It CAN be positive. It CAN be a fantastic, mutually enjoyable experience. It can even be something that inspires feelings of transcendence in people. But it isn't always. A lot of sex is painful, coerced, deeply terrifying and traumatic. And sometimes sex that feels good at the time can bring all kinds of awful consequences.
The point of sex positivity is acknowledging that sex isn't inherently negative. It's not saying that ALL sex is positive. It's saying that it doesn't have to be that way. Here's how Carol Queen, one of the leaders of the movement*, defines it:
It's the cultural philosophy that understands sexuality as a potentially positive force in one's life, and it can, of course, be contrasted with sex-negativity, which sees sex as problematic, disruptive, dangerous. Sex-positivity allows for and in fact celebrates sexual diversity, differing desires and relationships structures, and individual choices based on consent.
Emphasis in original. This quote is from wikipedia, as access to the original interview is restricted.
There are cultural forces out there that are strongly anti-sex. To people who buy into them, sex is seen as inherently bad, dirty, and shameful. It is only acceptable within a very narrow set of circumstances. That set of circumstances is seen as being narrower or wider according to different people, but it's all relatively narrow. Primarily, the people who see it this way are religious. It makes sense, right? They want to make you feel guilty for sex you will still be having anyway**, so that then you'll feel the need to keep coming back to confess your sins to them.
Sex positivity is a response to that. It's a philosophy that says that, hey, there's nothing wrong with having sex before marriage, or sex with someone of the same sex, or a million other kinds of sex, as long as that's what you both want. Consent is key. And so is the idea that everyone is different, and it's totally okay for different people to want different things.
If you don't want to have sex, then don't have sex, because having sex that you don't want is bad for you. That is what a sex-positive person should be saying.
So those nominally sex-positive people who say that everyone should want sex, because sex is good? They're doing sex positivity wrong, because they're forgetting about both consent, and the tenet of individual preference.
I see these people as a breed of Disingenuous Liberal, essentially. These are people who have thought about sex positivity just enough to start labeling themselves as such, but not enough to have actually thought through their positions and arrived at a reasonable, logically consistent conclusion. These are people who are still having knee-jerk reactions against religious conservatives saying that sex is inherently negative, and as such, their reactions lack nuance. They are basically saying, "NUH UH, SEX IS GREAT!" without considering how it isn't always the best thing for everyone. They have challenged whatever sex-negative attitudes they previously held enough to start identifying as sex-positive, but not enough to actually stop telling other people how they should feel about sex.
These are the people who tend to assume that asexuality is the same as being anti-sex. These are the people who are likely to equate asexuality with a "purer than thou" religious attitude towards sex, and attack it on that basis. They are still fighting their own battle with sex-negative conditioning, so they assume we are saying that we're somehow "better than" them, for not feeling sexual attraction.
These are the people who are most likely to say we're "just repressed" and push concern-trolling ideas like how we should go get our hormones checked.
But, as Natalie Reed said yesterday, people who see themselves as liberated and enlightened can easily fall into the trap of thinking that they are much more so than they actually are, and stop actually examining their words and actions, because of course they are so enlightened that nothing they say can actually still be enforcing sex-negativity. They have fallen for the Dunning-Kruger effect, and they genuinely think they know our feelings about sex better than we do.
But sex positivity is about cultivating positive sexual experiences, and reducing harmful ones. Pushing asexual people to have sex that they don't want is pushing them to have harmful, deeply negative sexual experiences. Telling us that we're "just repressed" is an aggressive attempt to frame any conversation about asexuality through a lens in which we don't actually exist. It's an attempt to marginalize us based on our different sexual preferences. It is not an act that is in any way sex positive.
Then there are other disingenuous liberals, like this recent commenter, who insist that they think that asexuality exists, but that our definition of asexuality is wrong, because it's "too broad." This is still an attempt to marginalize. It's still a direct attack on someone's identity, despite her attempt to cloak it in the abstractions of semantics. When you're the signified, discussing how the signifier is wrong to include you is still pretty personal. And, unsurprisingly, she replied once and then after that didn't bother to come back to see what else I said. This isn't someone who is actually interested in interrogating her own biases. This is someone who is only interested in telling me how I'm wrong.
Like I said to her, it doesn't matter whether you see a need for someone to identify as asexual or not. What matters is that THEY see that need. And asexuality is not only entirely compatible with sex positivity, but sometimes understanding yourself as asexual is what it takes to be able to have positive sexual experiences.
Before I realized I was asexual, I was celibate, and completely closed off to the idea of having sex until such time as I started spontaneously wanting to have sex (which has still never come even though I'm in my mid-twenties, because I'm not a "late bloomer"). Realizing that I'm just not attracted to people in that way has allowed me to think about whether or not I wanted to have sex anyway, and under what circumstances. When I had a partner who didn't accept me as asexual, the sex was bad. Like, the stuff of nightmares bad. But when I met C, she actually listened to me and tried to understand what my experience was like. She didn't pressure me. At times I still felt like our relationship was moving too fast, but we always negotiated what was and wasn't okay sexually, and we've been able to have some very positive, mutually enjoyable sex.
Sex isn't for everyone, though. Some people just don't want it. And that's okay.
Sex positivity is all about recognizing that different people have different preferences, and that's okay. It's about recognizing that sex isn't always bad, but not all sex is good sex, either. Sex has to be entirely consensual, or it won't be any good, and people also need to understand and have access to ways to prevent negative consequences of sex like STIs and pregnancy. Sex positivity is about recognizing that when those criteria are met, sex has the potential to be very positive. Living a sex-positive life means finding ways to have a positive relationship with sexuality in your personal life, even if that means saying, "Hey, it can be great for other people, but it's not for me."
* Several years ago, DJ interviewed Carol Queen about asexuality and the sex positive movement. There are two installments, and it's well worth a listen.
** Researchers have found that religious people have sex at the same rates as non-religious people. Abstinence-only sex education is ineffective. There are plenty of studies about this, but one particularly interesting one compares the sex lives of secular people with those of religious people.
Sex With Friends: An Asexual Perspective
I planned to write my post for the Carnival of Aces quite a while ago, but something came up this month that made me reconsider what I had planned to write about. I've decided to go with the original idea, but make it more generalized than I had originally planned. My blog is receiving a lot more attention lately (by several orders of magnitude!) than it normally does, so I'm being more cautious about what I talk about here.
Today, I want to talk about having sex with friends, and how while it may not seem intuitive, it might be a choice that some asexual people do want to make, and they can come out of it just fine. But the language we use to describe relationships like that tends to exclude asexuals, so it can be an even more difficult minefield to navigate than engaging in sexual activity while in a romantic relationship.
Back when this blog post by Snowdrop Explodes* about the phrases "friends with benefits" vs. "fuck buddies" was written, I stuck a link to it in a draft and decided to come back to it later, but then forgot about it until now. In it, Snowdrop says that he prefers the term "fuck buddies" because it is more honest than the euphemistically named "benefits" that also imply that friendships don't normally come with benefits. In his words:
So how come the only "benefits" that are worth mentioning, or making special mention of, are sexual favours? Why is the rest of it considered not to be benefits of friendship, such that the only friends who come with benefits are the ones who'll let you fuck them? Do you think that it is too literal-minded of me to suggest that "friends with benefits" means that all other friends are "friends without benefits"?
I don't think it's too literal-minded at all. At the very least, it shows that everything else in a friendship is being taken for granted. I think it's very much worth considering the implications of the language we use to describe relationships like this on a literal level, because it says something about how we value certain things and devalue others. If on a cultural level we truly valued friendships as highly as sexual relationships, the phrase "friends with benefits" wouldn't sit right with most people, and it would fall out of use.
I disagree with Snowdrop's use of the term "fuck buddies" as basically a synonym for FWB, since I think (and he does note that this is how he sees others using the terms) they do indeed refer to different kinds of relationships, or at least, the same relationship viewed with very different emphases. If you say you have a "fuck buddy," then you are saying that the primary activity that you do with that person is fuck them, just like if you say you have a "drinking buddy" or a "knitting buddy," you're saying you primarily drink or knit with that person, respectively. The activity is the focus, not the friendship itself. If anyone describes a friend as a "_____ buddy" to me, I will assume that they do hardly anything else but [fill in the blank] together. With the phrase "friend with benefits," however, you indicate that the friendship comes first, and the "benefits" are an added bonus, although the fact that this particular thing is the only thing that gets to be called a "benefit" still devalues friendship.
The other term that I think really needs mentioning is "casual sex," which wikipedia informs me has no set, commonly agreed-upon meaning. The way I tend to view it is as a wide umbrella term for different kinds of sex outside the context of a romantic relationship, including both one-time encounters with strangers and, on the other side of the spectrum, habitual encounters with friends. So both fuck buddies and FWBs are engaging in a type of casual sex, and while the relationships may be similar, the two phrases have a different emotional tenor.
To demonstrate… if I were in a relationship that I considered basically a FWB-type arrangement (for lack of a better term), I would be hurt if I found out I was being described as a "fuck buddy" to others by my FWB. Because to me, that means they consider the rest of our friendship to be shallow, nearly meaningless. It strongly implies to me that should the sex ever stop, so would our friendship.
I personally can't imagine a situation in which I would be okay with having a relationship that focuses solely on sex. I always want to be friends first and foremost, and that includes in romantic relationships. I'm not the type of person who would be comfortable having sex with strangers, since there are so many considerations that I need my sexual partners to keep in mind about me in order to have a truly positive sexual encounter.
But with a friend? Maybe that's possible.
Things we don't have words for
C and I made this observation over lunch today:
We have a word for someone who abstains from sex (celibate) and the idea of abstaining from sex in general (celibacy). Actually, we have two words for it if you count abstinent as well.
But as far as we know, there isn't really a word for someone who has decided not to pursue romantic relationships for whatever reason (whether they're celibate during this period or not). The closest we have (as far as I am aware, at least) is aromantic, but that's different. The vast majority of people who don't pursue romantic relationships are not aromantic, they've just decided that now is not the time, for whatever reason. Maybe a bad break-up, maybe they have career goals that they don't want to be distracted from, maybe they just want to spend time single to get to know themselves well and gain a sense of independence. It's the same as the difference between asexuality and celibacy, only with aromanticism and… a person who is abstaining from romantic relationships, I guess. You see what I mean? We have a description, but not a word.
Has anyone heard of such a word? It gets rather unwieldy to say that every single time when you're trying to have a conversation about someone who is intentionally, purposefully single like that. I guess there's "independent," but that's more of a general personality trait used as a euphemism than an actual term for it. Since it has that general meaning as well, if you say that without explaining what exactly you mean, other people are liable to get confused. You can say, "She's very independent" about a married woman, too.
And what does it say about our culture's values that people have never thought to name this concept? It's like the idea of people being single on purpose is considered so wrong that people don't even consider naming it, even though it's not unheard of. It always seems to be considered just a temporary thing that requires explanation.
Willing Consent
[Potential trigger warning for extended but non-explicit discussion of consent.]
Enthusiastic consent is probably a concept you've heard about if you've been hanging around here for a while. It's a term that was coined in an attempt to raise the standard of consent, in order to avoid allowing rapists to defend their actions by claiming that they were simply a "misunderstanding" as well as to remove any form of coercion as socially acceptable to use when pursuing sex. The idea is that all sex should be wanted sex, that a "yes" can never be assumed unless explicitly stated (unless perhaps you know your partner VERY well and have already discussed where each of your boundaries are), and that if anyone is being pressured to have sex, then the deal's off. I think it's a very good idea, and if it was expected that everyone follow this protocol when seeking consent, we'd all be much better off.
However, I realize that a lot of asexual people have a problem with the way that enthusiastic consent is framed. There seems to be an expectation of a certain level of desire there, and the word "enthusiasm" throws people off. It seems to be interpreted as pressure to "be sexual" if you will, or in other words to not be asexual (and indeed some people probably do intentionally mean to pressure others to reject asexuality because they view it as some kind of unhealthy "repression" but many who embrace the concept have explicitly clarified that they are not), though personally I don't interpret it that way because I think desire and sexual attraction are independent of one another. Tons of people, including my own partner, have sex with people they are not sexually attracted to, but desire nevertheless. You can be asexual (and for the inevitable confused googler who will eventually arrive here, I'll say that asexuality only means not experiencing sexual attraction, not to be confused with anything else) and still have some desire for sex. So I think that yes, asexuals can very well enthusiastically consent.
Still, for those who don't particularly desire sex, it may seem like too high a standard. Ironically, a standard designed to remove pressure may actually be causing some people to feel pressured, so it may be a good idea to start using a new term in addition to enthusiastic consent. A couple weeks ago, Emily Nagoski made a post on different types of consent, proposing a new category of willing consent:
Enthusiastic consent:
When I want you
When I don't fear the consequences of saying yes OR saying no.
When saying no means missing out on something I want.
Willing consent:
When I care about you though I don't desire you (right now).
When I'm pretty sure saying yes will have an okay result and I think maybe that I'd regret saying no. (edited from the OP, see comments)
When I believe that desire may begin after I say yes.
Unwilling consent:
When I fear the consequences of saying no more than I fear the consequences of saying yes
When I feel not just an absence of desire but an absence of desire for desire.
When I hope that by saying yes, you will stop bothering me, or think that if I say no you'll only keep on trying to persuade me.
Coerced consent:
When you threaten me with harmful consequences if I say no.
When I feel I'll be hurt if I say yes, but I'll be hurt more if I say no.
When saying yes means experiencing something I actively dread.
I think this idea works pretty well. I wouldn't classify my own consent as willing consent personally, even though I only have responsive desire, because I think it pretty much always meets the qualifications for enthusiastic consent. But if it works for anyone else? Sure, it's a fine term, although I feel it's a little redundant because consent means willingness in the first place. But since that has gotten muddied up by people not understanding what consent actually means, the redundancy is okay. I want to put quotes around "consent" for those last two though, because I think they describe compliance, not consent. Calling those things "consent" is harmful, in my opinion, because it may give people the wrong idea of what consent means, and make them think any of those behaviors are morally acceptable just because they think it still constitutes consent, and therefore "it's not rape so it's okay."
I want to point out something else, though: sometimes people both desire and feel repulsed by the idea of having sex, at the same time. Sometimes people are not completely sure if they want to have sex, but do still make an unpressured decision to go ahead with it and see how it goes. I'd call that cautious consent. In that situation, as long as there is no pressure to have sex, no fear of what your partner would do if you said no, and as long as the initiating partner asks for consent explicitly and gives you time to decide, I'd say it still constitutes consent. But if the initiator doesn't ask for permission and just starts touching before giving you time to make up your mind, if they try to persuade you into having sex, or if they do gain permission but ignore your reservations or limits, I wouldn't call it consent. In that sort of situation I think it's best to proceed slowly and carefully, like you're at a yellow light. It may turn green or it may turn red, so you have to keep checking in to see if it's still okay.
So, what do you all think? Do you like these terms? Can you think of any better ones?
[By the way, please be patient with me this time, because I'm not at home right now so it may take comments a while to go through.]
PSA: Attraction and Desire are Not Synonyms
So there's a new study out about asexuality (which is free to read, and available here), and I've barely started reading it, and I'm already annoyed. Check this out:
"[AVEN] holds that an independence from sexual desire is the key feature of asexuality, claiming that 'an asexual is someone who does not experience attraction.' Asexuals might choose to develop an emotional closeness to particular individuals that is devoid of sexual contact. Or, they might engage in sexual behavior, but experience no desire or pleasure in the act." (emphasis mine)
But… but… that's not what it says at all! Not experiencing sexual attraction is NOT the same thing as being independent from sexual desire! And asexuals CAN take pleasure from sexual behavior.
Look, really, what is so hard to understand about this? It's possible for an asexual person to experience non-attraction-based desire for sex. Nothing about my partner (or anyone else) is sexually attractive to me, and yet I still sometimes think, "Oh, that would be nice." Because it's pleasurable. Imagine that.
I am so sick of this misconception being perpetuated. I really wish people would cut it out.
Reading further, their measure of whether a person is "behaviorally asexual" (i.e. whether they are virgins, though they refer to it as celibacy even though it is a measure of lifetime rather than current/recent sexual activity) is 1) for males, answering "no" to the questions a) "Have you ever had vaginal sex with a female?" and b) "Have you ever had anal or oral sex with a male?" and 2) for females, answering "no" to the questions a) "Have you ever had vaginal sex with a male?" and b) "Have you ever had sexual contact with a female?" Meaning that apparently, males and females who have had anal or oral sex with one another still count as celibate? What? No. Stupid.
I find it really bizarre that there are such vastly different standards for what counts as homosexual female sex vs. heterosexual sex. I mean really, any sexual contact vs. specifically PIV sex? And why exactly doesn't anal or oral sex count if it's between a male and a female? But it does for any other combination of participants? Plus there's the issue of manual stimulation, which counts as sex, but only if you're a girl with another girl. What's up with that?
I also just don't think that trying to retrofit some old demographic survey to figure out how asexuals might have responded is going to result in any meaningful data at all, considering that there weren't any responses provided with the idea of asexuality in mind. Make new surveys with new response options, and THEN analyze the data. Even if their definitions of what constitutes asexuality weren't so ill-conceived, this is really just grasping.
I am not impressed.


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text: Hey all, I'm a guy in his early 20's and was a competitive junior player back in the day and am probably about a 4.5 player currently. I really, really want to start playing tournaments, but what do and where do I look to find a list of tournaments in my city. I went to the USTA's website and looked up tournaments but it seem they just list a few overall one's. I want to become better than I ever was and I know that the only way to do that is with playing tournaments. I don't really think I'd like a league, doubles or anything like that as I like to play by myself vs others. I might even try an open tournament (yea, I'll get my butt kicked, but it will only get me back to where I was quicker!). I just need to find a list of tournaments though. I know this question probably sounds silly, but I've been out of tennis for so long and when I was really into it I was very young and didn't know many of these sorts of details--I just played and I remember it was very easy finding junior tournaments, but then again, my Mom did do that for me, hah.


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