text:
October 22 2014
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. & Castle convention Nov 8-9. Fan convention in Los Angeles run by the California Browncoats with 6 cast members & some crew already announced.
July 16 2014
Read Shangel's in-depth review of London Film and Comic Con 2014 , with guests from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Shangel is a UK blogger, passionate about Joss Whedon and his works. He runs a blog where he currently reviews Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Firefly, Dollhouse, and other non-Whedon shows are also planned!
August 11 2013
Tom Hiddleston and Christina Hendricks sing. Promoting their upcoming movie, The Pirate Fairy (a Peter Pan re-imagining), at the D23 Expo Tom and Christina sang Bare Necessities together. More...
February 12 2013
Nicholas Brendon to appear at Rhode Island ComicCon. Rhode Island Comic Con announced last night that Nicholas Brendon will be returning to RICC for 2013 after such huge popularity in 2012. More...
May 24 2011
Eliza Dushku to appear at SFX Canada convention in Toronto. The convention (among the largest sci-fi conventions in North America) will run from August 25-28 this year.
September 09 2010
Eliza Dushku to attend convention in Los Angeles. It's Creation Entertainment's Buffy/Firefly/Dollhouse event.
July 12 2010
Adam Baldwin coming to Baltimore's Farpoint Convention in Feb. Adam Baldwin has been announced as a guest at Farpoint, which takes place just outside of Baltimore, MD on Feb 18-20, 2011.
July 06 2010
Whedonites United host their second annual "WhedonFest" charity convention/camp-out. This year it's in Scottsville, Kentucky, August 6-8. More...
June 18 2010
Stephanie Romanov confirmed for Hallowhedon 2. She will be joining Anthony Head and Alan Tudyk at the London convention in October.
May 23 2010
Tonner Convention Browncoats breakfast blog coverage. Tonner has posted images of the new Firefly dolls: Inara "Shinon" and Captain Mal. I love them. More...
March 26 2010
Charisma Carpenter signing this weekend in NY. Charisma will be signing on Long Island this weekend at ICON 29 in Stony Brook. ETA: And a Q&A with her from the event can be found here.
June 09 2009
Seth Green announced for Melbourne and Auckland Armageddon Expo. Melbourne: October 17/18th, Auckland: October 24-26th. More...
May 06 2009
T1 Convention Recap. A good recap of all the goings on at the T1 convention that happened in the UK about a week and a 1/2 ago with lots of photos. Guests included Summer Glau, Dichen Lachman, Miracle Laurie, Felicia Day and Adam Baldwin. More...
April 25 2009
Echo-1 convention announced for 2010. The announcement was made last night, it's a UK Dollhouse convention. At the bottom of the website the dates are listed as May 7-9 next year in London.
January 30 2009
Georges Jeanty talks about BtVS S8 with Dollar Bin at Charlotte Mini-Con 09. Jeanty mentions Dark Horse's expectations and professes delight that the book seems to be bringing more women into comic book-reading. More...
December 01 2008
Amber Benson to appear at NY Comic Con '09. She'll be there to help promote the release of her next novel, Death's Daughter, along with a couple or three new indie films she's in that will be released in the next few months. More...
Firefly Creation Convention report. Summarizes events and cast Q&A, podcast with Marian Call interview/music and interviews with Andy Gore & Geoffrey Mandel.
November 23 2008
Creation's Salute to Firefly and Serenity reports. Well? How did it go? How was the concert? Did you make Ron laugh? Tell us! Tell us!
September 23 2008
Jewel Staite to make a special appearance at the Sci-Fi Expo in Plano, Texas, October 25-26. The convention details are here.
July 21 2008
Faithful followers of cult TV. Article about Comic-Con, conventions and fandoms in general. Includes mention of Firefly, The Browncoat Cruise, Creation and quotes from some Browncoats. More...
April 04 2008
Nathan and Ron are coming to Australia! The Hub Productions presents Nathan Fillion, Ron glass and Jason Palmer, May 10-11! More...
March 10 2008
Jewel Staite reconfirms Supanova 2008 Melbourne & Brisbane! Unfortunately this means Jewel will not be appearing at the Dallas Comic Con as the Brisbane event is the same weekend. (I have it on good authority that she's definitely going to be in Brisbane that weekend)
February 08 2008
Summer Glau at WonderCon. She'll appear later this month along with TSCC actors Thomas Dekker and Brian Austin Green and Consulting Producer James Middleton. A presentation and Q&A are scheduled for the final afternoon of the con at 2:30pm.
January 01 2008
'The Chosen' and 'Serenity: Complete' - UK cons for 2008. The Starfury UK website has details of the Buffyverse and Serenity conventions that they are doing this year. The guest list for both cons seems good.
October 28 2007
Fan reporting in on Creation Firefly/Serenity Convention. I love reading these. More...
September 19 2007
Christian Kane, Mercedes McNab, Elisabeth Rohm, Michael Muhney & Ellen Muth coming to Australia in October! The Hub Productions have just announced their fifth guest for the October 27/28 convention happening in Sydney and Melbourne. More...
July 31 2007
Nicholas Brendon joins lineup of Creation's Salute to Supernatural, Smallville & Buffy/Angel. The convention takes place November 10-11 in Chicago.
July 20 2007
Creation adds Sean Maher to Serenity Salute. Lots of events and ticket info posted also. More...
July 09 2007
Booster Entertainment assets being sold off? It looks like their assets are going to be liquidated to pay their creditors (which includes many Browncoats and stars), possibly on eBay.
Juliet Landau added to Dragon*Con guest list. She joins fellow Whedon-alum James Marsters, Mark A. Sheppard and Ron Glass at the event, which takes place Aug 31 - Sept 3 in Atlanta. More...
June 29 2007
California Browncoats produce exclusive mugs for charity at Comic-Con. The California Browncoats (http://www.californiabrowncoats.org/) are doing a run of 500 each of two different mug designs (by two of our favourite Browncoat graphic designers/artists) and selling them as a Comic-Con exclusive, the proceeds of which will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
June 21 2007
Summer Glau added to Creation's LA Firefly/Serenity convention. She joins Morena, Alan and Geoff Mandel at the event, which takes place October 27-28 at the Burbank Marriott.
June 15 2007
Creation announces "Salute to Supernatural, Smallville and Buffy/Angel" convention. The event is scheduled for November 11-12 in Chicago. No Whedonverse guests announced yet, but many castmembers have appeared at various Creation cons in the past. More...
Morena Baccarin to appear at Creation's Chicago Stargate convention. The event takes place August 24-26, but it appears she will only be there on Saturday from the tentative schedule posted on the site. More...
June 07 2007
Jewel Staite to appear at FedCon XVI this weekend. The mostly-Star Trek convention is being held in Bonn, Germany from June 8th to 10th.
January 17 2007
Tony Head coming to Sydney - exclusive concert for fans! The Hub Productions is holding a convention in Sydney, Australia featuring Tony. He'll also be performing an exclusive concert! More...
January 09 2007
Farpoint loses Summer, gains Ron. Alas, Summer Glau has a commitment precluding her from attending the Baltimore-based Farpoint, where she was previously slated. Ron Glass will be taking her place. The convention is Feb 16-18. More...
December 20 2006
Adam Baldwin added to FX Show line-up. He'll be appearing at the Orlando convention, January 26-28, alongside fellow Whedon-alums Ron Glass, Christina Hendricks, Sam Anderson, Andy Hallett and Bianca Lawson. More...
December 14 2006
Browncoats Backup Bash makes Wikipedia. Marsia Powers found this newest entry into Wikipedia. This could be one of the few entries on fan conventions on this site.
December 06 2006
More Flanvention Confusion. An afternoon scare as Booster Events claims the Hilton cancelled Flan 2, then deletes the thread and says to disregard. Later, an attendee calls the Hilton and they say they've not been told of any cancellation. (Title here changed on late edit.) More...
November 22 2006
Jewel Staite is attending Darkcon in Phoenix, Jan 2007. Jewel will be the Media Guest of Honor at the event Jan 4-7, 2007 held in Phoenix, Arizona.
September 01 2006
Booster Event's BE SCARED and FLAN 2 Luncheon Tickets on sale now. Special luncheon tickets for both BE Scared and Flan 2 are now up on ebay. To view all auctions, go here. The luncheons have limited seating. More...
June 30 2006
Booster is having a Blowout giveaway each week in July. A new thread will start with survey questions about the shows represented at Blowout. Everyone who posts in that week will be automatically entered into a drawing for a free Weekend Pass for Blowout. This week's thread. More...
June 25 2006
Alan Tudyk's leaf blows into Plano, Texas in July. Well more than his leaf will be at the SciFi Expo on July 8th. General admission to the event is free. An express pass is $10, and can be purchased online now.
June 18 2006
Morena Baccarin Joins the SuperComic Fest for her first East Coast appearance. The convention is from August 19-20, and is at the Crown Plaza Secaucus in Secaucus, NJ.
May 29 2006
Episode 32 of Firefly Talk features the last half of a recording from the Serenity panel at ComicCon 2004, with Joss and all the BDH's in attendance, and an article about creating and running Firefly/Serenity panels at conventions.
Mid-Atlantic Farpoint Con announces Firefly guest. Summer Glau has first right of refusal, if she passes then it will probably be Ron Glass. More...
March 29 2006
Three more confirmed guests for Vulkon Slayercon. Mark Metcalf, Brian Thompson and Jonathan Woodward!
March 27 2006
Make a Date with James Marsters. The only US convention for James Marsters this year will be held in Los Angeles in September.
March 26 2006
BE Scared with Juliet Landau and Dennis Christopher. Both will be appearing at the Halloween themed event Oct 13-15, 2006 in Burbank, Ca.
February 15 2006
A Cop turned Lawyer makes her first Convention appearance, and Boosters the Wizard World LA line-up of the verse Mar. 17-19, 2006. Elizabeth Rohm is joining Stephanie Romanov and Christian Kane at BE's booth at Wizard World on Sat. Mar 18, 2006. More...
February 07 2006
Mercedes McNab joins the lineup of Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors convention. It'll be held June 2-4 at LA's Burbank Airport Hilton.
January 15 2006
New Firefly and Serenity cast UK convention transcripts up at Summer Glau's official site. There's three transcripts from the last couple of years. Well worth reading. More...
January 02 2006
Summer Glau & Alan Tudyk at FX 2006 in Orlando. Summer and Alan will be attending the FX 2006 con January 27 - 29 for signings. Jason Palmer, mentioned several times around these parts will also be in attendance (and has created new art for the con program).
November 27 2005
Flanvention News at Bella Online. Read all about it.
November 11 2005
Welcome To Our Hell: City of Angel coverage of the Quor'toth convention. Featuring anecdotes from the likes of Amy Acker, Andy Hallett, Jenny Mollen and more. Find out about David Boreanaz rescuing dogs from pounds and what Amy thought of Fred being killed off.
November 01 2005
The FX Show in Florida will feature Alan Tudyk. Dubbed "The Florida Extravaganza," the event takes place January 27-29 at the Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando.
October 17 2005
(SPOILER) Adam Baldwin Q &A at Dallas Comic Con. 7 1/2 minutes of video clips of Adam Baldwin's Q & A at 16 October 2005's Dallas Comic Con. MAJOR Serenity SPOILER ON PAGE and in video. More...
September 07 2005
The Serenity Flanvention convention changes location. The first US Serenity convention to be held Dec 9-11, 2005 has moved from the Westin Century City to Burbank Hilton, which is just 10 minutes from Universal Studios. More...
Tony Head is unable to attend the Knoxville event. Due to rehearsals for a new play he is in, Tony Head will not be in attendance at the Slayercon convention being held this weekend in Knoxville, TN. Those who have Platinum and Gold tickets will receive an autographed photo of him. More...
September 01 2005
A convention from the guests point of view. At the Angel Booster Bash back in July, cameras were given to all the guest to take pictures with to get an idea of what they would take pics of. Some of those have now been developed and posted to their photo gallery. More...
July 25 2005
Pre-Order Amber in Houston on DVD. Amber Benson is raising funds for her next independent film, "Lovers, Liars, and Lunatics" by selling a DVD compilation of her convention appearance in Houston this past April. (reg req) More...
July 19 2005
Ron and Summer at Gen Con in Indy Aug 18-21. Gen Con welcome as part of their Media Guest line-up, Ron Glass and Summer Glau to the gaming convention held in Indianapolis, Indiana. More...
May 03 2005
Serenity Convention in LA in December 2005. From the people bringing you the Angel Booster Bash this July, comes the Serenity Flanvention. Guests announced so far: Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Ron Glass, Summer Glau, Morena Baccarin and Sean Maher. Tickets on sale May 31st. More...
January 13 2005
Win a Weekend Pass to the Angel Booster Bash. They are raffling off a weekend pass for both Jan and Feb, for the July event in LA. The tickets are 10 dollars each. Currently, this is the only known U.S. convention appearance for Alexis Denisof in 2005. More...
August 19 2004
Jane Espenson joins David and James for Halloween. Jane is more than likely the final guest at the Halloween convention unless someone has to drop out. More...
August 05 2004
Oakland Slayercon has a handful of premium tickets available. Due to cancellations and miscalculations, there are a few Gold, Silver, and Deluxe tickets now available for the convention. **UPDATE** Stephanie Romanov has been announced as Juliet's replacement.
[ edited by RavenU on 2004-08-07 21:46 ] More...
[ edited by RavenU on 2004-08-07 21:46 ] More...
July 04 2004
James Marsters in Australia. Convention report by bookworm54 at the MtS forums (scroll down). Things to note, Macbeth seems to be on the backburner and David Greenwalt is currently pitching a series for James to the networks.
May 29 2004
May 23 2004
Eliza Dushku Q&A. Excerpt from her talk at Wizard World Philadelphia.
April 19 2004
Darla takes a chunk out of The Motor City Comic Convention that is. Julie Benz is one of the media guests lined up to be at the Motor City Comic Convention May 14-16th, 2004. More...
February 19 2004
Last Platinum Ticket on Ebay for Oakland Slayercon and with only 3 days left it's already over $4000 US dollars.(Edited current price - at the time of original posting it was over $2000) More...
January 18 2003
"The David Boreanaz European Event 2003". The only European convention David will be at this year. To be held in Brighton, England from August 29th till August 31st.
next 100 »


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Unilife Corp (NASDAQ: UNIS) | Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN)
Unilife is having an incredible day in the market today after disclosing an SEC filing with regard to an exclusivity agreement with Amgen. The agreement surrounds Unilife's proprietary technology. Today, we'll talk about what that technology is, what the agreement entails, how UNIS is reacting in the market, and what we can expect to see from the stock moving forward.
Details Of The UNIS/AMGN Agreement
The agreement between Unilife and Amgen is associated with the companies' previous announcement with regard to potential strategic alternatives. Under the agreement, UNIS will provide AMGN with the exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and supply wearable injector devices for use with large volume drug products. The company will also be providing Amgen exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and supply a 1ml wearable injector designed for use with small volume drug products.
In exchange for providing AMGN with the exclusive rights to this technology, UNIS will receive an up-front, non-refundable payment in the amount of $15 million. Amgen has also agreed to purchase up to 19.9% of Unilife's outstanding common stock. For more details with regard to the agreement, click here.
How The Market Reacted To The News
As investors, we've learned that any time we see positive news with regard to a publicly traded company, we can expect to see gains in the value of that company's stock. That's exactly what we're seeing today as a result of the agreement between AMGN and UNIS. Currently (10:08), UNIS is trading at $0.82 per share after a gain of 65.79% so far today. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for AMGN. As the market continues to react to higher interest rates and worrisome economic conditions around the world, AMGN is following the overall trend downward. Currently, the stock is trading at $157.54 after a loss of 2.95% so far today.
What We Can Expect To See Moving Forward
Moving forward, I have a relatively bullish opinion of what we can expect to see from UNIS. First and foremost, the new agreement with Amgen offers Unilife the capital it needs for further growth of its operations. Also, under the agreement, we can expect to see a massive purchase of UNIS common stock relatively soon. Naturally, this will send the stock skyrocketing. Moreover, with the support of a well-established biotechnology company, Unilife will have better insight with regard to what it needs to do to achieve growth. All in all, signs are pointing toward positivity in the long run.
In the short run however, it's important to remember that price movement in the market tends to happen through a series of overreactions. While UNIS gains are warranted to an extent, it's not likely that this agreement is worth more than 50% growth that will hold up for any substantial period of time. As a result, I'm expecting to see a correction in the stock, bringing the price down to a more sustainable rate before growth continues.
What Do You Think?
Where do you think UNIS is headed moving forward? Let us know your opinion in the comments below!
[Image Courtesy of Wikipedia]
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text:
Kingston Thief Doesn't Have Wooden Heart
The Gordon "kids" are back.
Eighteen painted, plywood cut-outs of children, stolen from Gordon Elementary School's driveway fence earlier this week, have been found. A Kitsap County Sheriff's deputy called principal Claudia Alves Friday to tell her they were left at Bayside Church in Kingston with a note attached that read, "I'm sorry I took them."
Teachers shared the good news and discussed with students how a person can make a mistake and right it with a good act, said Chris Case, North Kitsap School District communications director.
Tom Waggoner, owner of Kingston Lumber, had volunteered to donate wood to replace the silhouettes and find somebody to cut them out. Another person called the school and said he'd build the replacements, Case said.
Last summer, 13-year-old Jesse Nichols, a former Gordon Elementary student, spent a month cutting out and sanding the "kids" as a community-service project. Each Gordon class got to paint one.


text:
5 alternative Valentine's Day cards... Irish style
Give us a shift willyeh?
PHOTO: The best cover letter of all time?
"I am so fast more than train."
3 top questions schoolchildren asked Dublin's Lord Mayor
"What colour are your pyjamas, Lord Mayor?"
Last night's Deception: Orange juice, blackmail and LOTS of bare arse
Here's how it went down. (Bare arse photos NSFW.)
Did you know Bosco had a brother? Here's what he looked like
He was never shown on TV, but we've got a photo.
Are Pat Kenny and Miriam O'Callaghan suited for each other?
What will happen when they join forces tonight? We look at the evidence.
VIDEO: The most embarrassing supermarket fail ever?
He tried to be cool. It didn't work.
7 people who feel hurt and abandoned by Golden Discs
They ran out of Justin Bieber's new album. There were tears.
17 insane moments of Beyoncé at the Super Bowl
We are speechless.
Tweet Sweeper: Rosanna Davison is dribbling
All down herself. Our pick of the week's tweets from famous people.
Dubliner films January 2013... one second a day
This was the month that was.
8 reasons wind is the most frustrating weather of all
It's the little things.
VIDEO: People Versus Fitness
This is why it's OK to give up on that New Year's resolution.
Last night's Deception: Hatstands, baked beans and the worst sex ever
Oh, and someone faking their own death. Here's how it went down.
The Dredge: It's a Malcolm In The Middle reunion!
And it's happening on Breaking Bad. The very best of the morning's celebrity dirt.
The Dredge: Morto for Jennifer Lawrence, her dress fell off
The very best of the morning's celebrity dirt.
7 everyday actions which always end in humiliation
Seriously, guys. We should just stop doing these things.
Are you a child of the 1990s? Here are 26 ways to tell
Best. Decade. Ever.
Tweet Sweeper: Nicky Byrne shows no mercy to his children
Our pick of the week's best tweets from famous people.
VIDEO: There's a problem with this man's car…
But he just says "Yo, wassup?"
'Rare' vintage Quinnsworth plastic bag for sale... for €997
Possibly the best money-making scheme ever.
This? Just a dog, taking a horse for a walk
Nothing to see here.
15 things whose serious purpose is ruined by googly eyes
It's hard enough out there. Googly eyes make it worse.
WATCH: Man races underground train... on foot
With a helmet camera on, naturally.
VIDEO: Man sits on bidet, tries it out, reacts ridiculously
While his cat watches in puzzlement.
Unsettling Tumblr of the Day: Actual Facebook Graph Searches
Well, this is weird.
9 ways to text like your mam
Where r u? Who r u with?
Last night's Deception: Bullying, stabbing, and amazing angry faces
Things got crazy. Here's everything we learned.
WATCH: The best falling-off-a-bicycle video you'll see today
Or ever. "We're cycling at the moment, see?"
16 reasons why snow is the absolute worst
As if you needed telling.
VIDEO: Meet the most polite toddler in the world
Some kids have ALL the manners.
The 8 all-time biggest Irish lies
We are a nation of liars. Here are the lies we tell.
Tweet Sweeper: Brian McFadden yearns for the Westlife days
Our pick of the week's tweets from famous people.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme tune... put through Google Translate
"Getting environmental problems in my territory."
The Dredge: Which Spice Girl is taking her clothes off on Twitter?
The very best of the morning's celebrity dirt.
12 of the best puns anyone has ever made about horse burgers
Can you do better?
Did your bike get robbed? This person wants to return one...
"This is not a joke, I really want to give this bike back. I'm not a scumbag."
The Dredge: Which star believes in actual leprechauns?
"Humans are so disappointing". The very best of the morning's celebrity dirt.


text:
Pairing: Jay James/Rich Boucher
Rating: NC-17
POV: Rich
Prompt: 27: Tattooing
Warnings: BDSM
Notes: For lc_ffaf cause of her awesome fic
There were many attractive men in Wales, however most lacked other traits that I required. A few times I almost gave up my search, but I persisted. It was how I ended up meeting him. I'd met him in a bar and he'd been wearing quite the outfit. It was mostly tight black rubber, with a collar around his neck. I licked my lips at the memory. I'd taken him home for a good screwing but found out he fitted my other needs as well.
I looked down at him now, sprawled over my bed naked and smirked. He had a black rubber hood on around his head, which he wore every night, but he was otherwise nude. His limbs were stretched out, cuffed to the bed posts. He always looked so perfect laid out like that, so slutty, which was appropriate because he was such a whore. His cock was as hard as mine, achy and needy, although his was pressed against the bed sheets. I gave mine a quick squeeze, then went over to get my tools.
Strictly speaking they weren't mine. I'd borrowed them from a friend. Well, borrowed wasn't the right word exactly. We'd come to an arrangement. I wasn't sure my slut would be pleased by that arrangement but it hardly mattered. It got what I wanted. I licked my lips lightly, shifting closer and giving his arse cheek one last, quick wipe before getting started. I lifted up the tattoo gun, feeling it's weight for a few moments before starting it up and pressing it against his skin.
It wasn't too difficult to do what I wanted, but I was glad for my steady hand as I inked his flesh. I'd wanted to do this myself, rather than get someone else to as I thought such a thing defeated the whole purpose. He was mine and I wanted to mark him as my own myself.
Once I was satisfied with it I tuned the machine off, set it back down and smiled, giving the freshly inked skin another, gentler wipe. It would be awhile before I'd be able to do anything with him, but that was ok. I could wait.
I gave myself just over a week. It wasn't exactly easy, resisting the urge to pound the little slut's ass, especially as the plump cheeks now beared my mark. Now, however, I was just too needy. Blow jobs were fine, especially since he was so fucking good at them, but what I really needed was good, hard fuck.
Hence why he was bent over, rounded cheeks high in the air. His ass was filled with a dildo almost as big as my cock, so I wouldn't have to work him open. I grasped the flared base of the toy, pulling it out of him steadily. It was hard to resist the urge to just rip the thing out of him. I cast the dark rubber aside, lining up with his opening. I didn't ask if he was ready, I didn't need to. Instead I just thrust hard into him, smirking at the grunt he made in response.
"Mmmm you still feel good you dirty little slut." I gripped onto his sides, starting to pound hard into his tight ass. My hands moved up his body, over his rounded features to his hair, pulling his long locks back hard. "Slut. Begging for my cock every day like the whore you are." I thrust deep and hard into him, growling low in his ear. "Don't worry, you'll never have to go through a dry spell like that again."
"Mmm yes sir..." He whispered, but I made sure to slam into him hard again to cut him off. Not that I didn't like his desperation, but it wasn't something I wanted to hear now. I shifted my other hand around his waist, feeling his hard cock twitch as I fucked him. He'd been ringed since before I'd inked him so I was sure he was as desperate as I was to cum. Not yet though. Once I felt he'd earned it, then he'd cum again. Shouldn't take the slut too long.
I groaned low in my throat as he squeezed around my length, desperate to make me spill. I was glad to have one so desperate to please me. "Little slut..." I moved my hand around him, my fingers ghosting over his new ink, the black, sylised r that I'd made to mark him as mine. I hissed in pleasure as he squeezed around me again, feeling myself get closer. "Fuck..." I growled slapping his fresh ink and smirking at the sound he made.
I gave him a few more hard thrusts before releasing into him, pulling out just in time for the last of it to decorate the ink. I smirked and grabbed my camera phone, taking a shot as the white droplets rolled over the tattoo. I snapped a shot, knowing it would be my new wallpaper. "Good slut." I purred, wiping the excess cum from my cock over the ink, snapping another pic for good mesure. I patted his other ass cheek lightly before shifting away. "Keep it up and you'll be orgasming again in no time."
"Yes sir." I grinned at him and left him there. Now that he was good enough to fuck it was time to arrange the payment for that equipment.


text:
If you've followed all of my Top Tips in How to choose your Wedding Venue – pt 1 then you'll be well on your way to making a success of your Wedding Day, but before you hit that 'Book' button have a thought about your Wedding Photography too and consider your Wedding Venue's photographic opportunities; so here's some of my Top Tips from a Barnsley Wedding Photographer's point of view 🙂
Many modern Brides like to have their entire day captured to record the full story of their day as it unfolds, and this often starts with shooting what's called 'Prep'
Prep is basically a time for fun & silliness, laughter (sometimes nervous, sometimes hysterical) and contemplating the day ahead. As your Barnsley Wedding Photographer or even your Lake District Wedding Photographer its a time for me to observe, anticipate and capture the fleeting moments and emotions of your transformation from Pajama Babe into Princess Bride – a process that is usually completed by a series of Bridal Portraits
So how can you help make this more successful photographically ???
The secret to successful Prep shots is space & light
Space being…
if you have any option at all then please aim to get ready in the BIGGEST room you can. If this is your own home then of course you may be very limited in your options, but if you're booking a hotel to get ready in make sure you hire the largest room you can so we're not all getting in each others way. Remember, there could be me, your hairstylist or two and your MUA, your 5 Bridesmaids and your mum all trying to work in the same room at the same time !!!
while it may sound obvious that photographers need light it doesn't always seem to occur to MUA and hairstylists that they do too!!! I've seen MUAs in particular trying to work in the darkest of corners just because that's where the chair is, or because that's the only place with a table for them to put a mirror on, when the simplest of answers is usually to MOVE the chair or table or BOTH !!!
Being close to a large window is ideal, not really 'in' the window as it can be too glaring, but just a few feet back can give both your MUA & hairstylist some of the nicest light for them to work in, which funnily enough is also best for your photographer too 🙂
Wedding Ceremony at the hotel
Its increasingly popular for a Bride & Groom to concentrate all their planning efforts into moving as little as possible on their Wedding day. For many, gone are the days of the Bride getting ready in one place, the Groom in another, then meeting at the church for the ceremony followed by a car trip together to the reception venue. Getting ready and marrying in the same place has 3 great advantages
- TIME – not traveling to your church and then from your church clearly saves time. I've known Weddings where Prep to the church has been 40 mins and from the church to the reception venue at least another 40 mins, which is fine if that's your priority but it can be trickier for Guests, especially the elderly or those with smaller children, and you've 'lost' well over an hour of your day
- COST – Wedding cars are not cheap! Doing everything at the same venue means you don't need a Wedding Car and you may have instantly saved hundreds of £s you can put to a better use – like a BIGGER Wedding Album!
RISK – as soon as you introduce travel into your day you are increasing the risk of something going wrong! I've heard of some amazing stories of travel based issues but even from my own experience I've seen
- a Wedding Car arrive on fire !!! Admittedly it was only a seized on brake caliper on a very old Rolls Royce, but it was somewhat alarming all the same
- I've known a B&G turn up 20 mins late for Reception as their Chauffeur got lost
- I've seen a couple turn up in the wrong car as the one they hired broke down
- one Guest car arrived late as they'd had a minor collision en-route from the church, and the ultimate failure…
- one Wedding limo driver dropped off the Bridesmaids and then WENT HOME !!! Yep – the driver FORGOT to go pick up the Bride & her Father !!!
What makes a Wedding Venue great for photos?
You're probably thinking "Stately Home", "Scottish Castle", gardens by such incredible landscape architects as "Capability Brown" of old, and while all of these can indeed lead to some amazing photos the truth is far simpler and far CHEAPER than that
What you ideally need for great Wedding Photography at your Wedding venue is:
- that it has character and interesting places, nooks & crannies even, both inside & out – so it has somewhere to shoot inside even on a crappy weather day
- that its grounds are interesting, varied and small – why small? Because its your Wedding Day not a formal shoot where we can take all day, so we need to be able to shoot a varied selection of images of you both as newlyweds incorporating all the best features of your venue, but ideally without it taking too long. For example… Broadoaks has character aplenty and varied but small grounds, we can easily shoot a wide range of images there and have you back to your partying within 20-30mins; whereas the lovely Wentworth Castle Gardens needs us to take you away on Golf-buggies for anything up to 2 hours, simply as its so vast and spread out. Its obviously your choice and I'm perfectly happy to spend hours photographing you at a big venue, but we can do great things in small places with limited time if you'd prefer
- that there's a view to the West horizon, if there's any chance of a glorious sunset on your Wedding Day then how wonderful would it be to capture that as a great double spread image, perhaps to end your Wedding Album with. I've been asked for this sort of shot many times, but sadly at the wrong venue for it in that there is no line of sight to the Westerly horizon. So if BIG skies and sunset images appeal to you, bear that in mind when you book the venue 🙂
CLICK HERE for a Testimonial which shows how useful it can be to have an experienced & professional Wedding Photographer helping & guiding you through your Wedding Day, then CONTACT ME for availability and to discuss me helping you too


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Product Description
Champagne gold accents add undeniable elegance to this luxury foosball table in white. Offering superior playability and uncompromised style, this design features hand carved details, decorative metal elements, and metal sabots at the bottom of each leg. The side skirts are artfully trimmed to create the high and low texture of crown molding, providing a beautiful contrast against the smooth, tapered legs. With its distinctive combination of form and function, this pool table is a noteworthy addition to any room.
As with all of our designs, this table can be customized in your choice of bespoke sizes, colors, and finishes.


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What Are the Benefits of Macadamias?
A balanced diet that includes five 1-ounce servings of nuts weekly benefits your health, indicates to the Linus Pauling Institute. The Institute notes that nuts help fight cardiovascular disease and lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and people who consume a diet rich in nuts tend to maintain a healthy body weight. Macadamia nuts contribute to your overall nut intake and also offer specific health benefits due to their rich nutrient content.
Macadamias provide you with dietary fiber, a type of carbohydrate. Fiber does not break down into energy, so it does not contribute to the calorie content of macadamia nuts, but it offers health benefits. It bulks and softens your stool to keep you regular, slows digestion so that you feel full for longer after your meal and also helps control your blood sugar levels. Everyone should consume at least 20 grams of fiber daily, recommends the Harvard School of Public Health, while men might need 30 to 35 grams daily. An ounce of macadamias contains 2.4 grams of fiber, or 12 percent of your minimum daily recommended fiber intake.
Manganese helps keep you healthy as you age -- it helps activate antioxidant enzymes, which fight the cellular damage that causes aging and disease. Getting enough manganese also helps you heal after an injury and promotes skeletal health by stimulating bone growth. An ounce of macadamia nuts boosts your manganese intake by 1.2 milligrams, providing approximately two-thirds of the daily recommended manganese intake for women and half the recommended intake for men, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
Eat macadamia nuts as a source of copper. Copper helps keep your tissues strong and resilient; it activates lysyl oxidase, an enzyme your body needs to cross-link collagen fibers. It also aids in red blood cell production, making sure your red blood cells can access the iron they need to function. An ounce of macadamias offers 214 micrograms of copper -- 24 percent of the 900 micrograms of copper you require daily, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
Eating More Macadamias
Macadamias add texture and nutritional value to hot and cold dishes. Try adding crushed macadamia nuts to your morning oatmeal -- they pair well with cranberries for a tart and flavorful dish, or with blueberries and banana for a sweet and creamy option. Top your salads with chopped macadamias, or pair macadamias with arugula, chopped apples and low-fat cheddar cheese to make a decadent whole-grain wrap. Alternatively, try seasoning macadamias with the Indian spice garam masala and chili powder and then roast for a flavorful and filling snack.
Photo Credits
- Macadamia Nuts and Shell image by MrGreenBug from Fotolia.com


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Advertising is not just giving a link to another site - some sites are well known to the extent that nicknames are just as bad. The usual punishments apply here as they do to giving links.
0 Members, Big Brother and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I'm planning on actually voting this year. If not because I feel like I should, but because I have a friend who is quite vehemently UKIP, and it winds me up to no end when he goes off on one.I'm not letting those types of people force their political opinions on me, and their reasoning is wrong. Besides, from what I can see UKIP is doing everything in its power to prevent equal rights and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks it's a tad ridiculous?
Worst thing with UKIP is that most the people shifting to them are working-class Labour voters who've just been fed the garbage "immigration is the bane of the nation" that the media seems to be spouting, when UKIP would hurt those people more than even Thatcher. Like, Tories are always painted as being the ones who want to privatise the NHS, but UKIP would be much quicker in doing it.Although tbf, I'd still rather have UKIP than the Labour/SNP garbage it looks like we'll be getting. Ed may say he won't join the witch of the north in a coalition, but even if he were being truthful (which I highly doubt), he'd need to form an informal coalition to prop a minority government up and if Nicola gets her way on trident Russia'll be a real problem haha. Don't mind Labour on their own, like I'd rather not have them but when the alternative is a Labour minority propped up by SNP it doesn't look so bad.
Personally, I would actually like to see immigration tightened. I'm not all BLOODY FOREIGNERS about it but I would much rather see a points based system similar to Canada, Sweden etc. I feel like it's impossible to have this opinion without someone labeling you as a racist, it just makes sense to me especially when you consider our land mass. Same with social/council housing waiting lists, I don't know why nationals don't get priority, surely it's just common sense that the people who don't have another country to go back to should be housed first. I don't consider it a matter of racial self-importance, just common sense that you should take care of people from your own country first to keep the numbers as even as possible before working on getting other people in. Every country should be doing it really and no other country should have to change their ways because some other country is refusing to play ball.
why vote UKIP when there's always the BNP if immigration is your main concern!
Besides, from what I can see UKIP is doing everything in its power to prevent equal rights and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks it's a tad ridiculous?
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If potatoes and peas were already on your Easter dinner menu, try combining the two in a more creative way than just mashed potatoes with peas on the side. Potato salad doesn't have to be mere picnic salad moistened with mayonnaise. This version is a riff on traditional potato salad made with sour cream, peas, bacon, and fresh mint. It's salty, creamy, savory, and refreshing. The creaminess comes from sour cream, and just a touch of heavy cream. This is just a different way of using the same ingredients to make your holiday dinner even better.
This potato salad strays from the mayo-based classic but is just as creamy and flavorful. First, cook the bacon until brown and crispy; then sauté the shallots in the bacon fat. Add some peas and mix everything together with boiled new potatoes, sour cream, a touch of heavy cream, and mint.... Read More
View Recipe


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CNRS Institute of chemistry
Drive and coordinate research, from the atom to material
Chemistry is the art of assembling atoms to create molecules and materials of the future. Therefore it is in direct contact with our daily lives. Chemists from laboratories that the CNRS Institute of Chemistry (INC) steers with its academic and industrial partners are advancing knowledge both in France and abroad.


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Bet the World Cup Final: odds, pick, bonus
If you won or lost money during the World Cup so far or if you are looking to place your first wager on the biggest game of them all, here is what you need to know as Germany faces Argentina in the World Cup final.
Where to Bet the World Cup Final
Depending on where you live, the choice of a sportsbook is a much different situation.
In the USA, shops such as Bovada top the list of best places to bet as they offer tons of fun World Cup props, great underdog lines on Argentina, and a whopping signup bonus. They are the No. 1 rated book here on OddsShark.com and currently have Germany at +115 with the Argentines at +250 to win the match in regulation time.
Other shops for US players including BetOnline who are the acknowledged leaders in huge bonus offers and TopBet. Also in the mix for stability and cool bonus specials are BetDSI.
In Canada, one of the best shops is Bodog, a mainstay in the sportsbook space. As well, 5Dimes is one of the most trusted names in the industry.
If you are overseas, the best book in OddsShark's opinion is Bet365 . It has the best bonuses, the best betting platform, the best live betting options and the biggest variety of bets to make on the World Cup final.
Germany is favored
Almost all sportsbooks have the Germans as significant chalk on the heels of their 7-1 massacre of host Brazil in the semi final. Argentina offers great value and they boast the world's top player in Lionel Messi.
Odds Shark predicts a 2-0 result
For what it's worth, our team of soccer handicapping experts have predicted a 2-0 victory for Germany. If that prediction turns out exactly correct, betting on the exact score at Bovada would pay out 8-1 odds.
Remember that the final score must be 2-0 exactly for that bet to win. Other props and player odds can be seen here.
South American teams always win South American World Cups
This is the fifth time that South America has played host and South American teams have never lost on home soil. Is that enough to make you wager on Argentina? It wasn't enough to turn a profit for bettors when they bet on Brazil to beat Germany.
Germany beat Argentina in 1990 Final
If you believe history will repeat itself, Germany defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 1990 World Cup. A controversial penalty call gave the Germans a late goal and the title.
Show me the Matchup Report | Let me read the game preview | Let's go bet it now - Bovada


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Category Archives: UK
Hehe, crazy Brits…
The Scottish Government Attempts to Play God
So they have a report out that has to do with adapting to climate change (thanks to the CA Forum for finding this!) and this stood out:
…on the proposals for a strategic centrally co-ordinated plan for adapting to climate change…
Erm, beg pardon, but isn't centrally planned adaptation…Intelligent design? I'm all for adaptation. I think that it is the best response to changes that inevitably will happen (whatever their sign/magnitude) but it is what people have always done to changes in their environment. So aside from violating seperation of Church and State 😉 Scotland and Big Cousin Haggis now will tell you how to react to the weather! I say, is your umbrella quite up to code sir? It seems your coat is in violation of section c3-r-26-j, eh wot? I'll have to write you a fine.
Now that sounds familiar…
What is it about the things this guy says? It all seems to fit with something, but I can't put my finger on it. 😉
Comments Off on Now that sounds familiar…
Filed under UK
1066 and what not
Having a little fun with temperature data here. If you live in the UK, this may be of interest. I'm going to have a little fun with one of the oldest temperature records in the world. Central England Temperature. Should be fun. Well, what's the verdict? Have a look:
Ah ha! It's warming! That ought to silence us deniers, right? Wait. Let's do a double take here for a moment. I looks like it has been warming in Central England for 300 years! Not only that, we are of course only able to see that it is presently warmer now than during the depths of the Little Ice Age. Hardly news. But its warming faster right? Well that's testable, let's look at the rate of change, shall we?
Damn! Looks like rate of change isn't really increasing. Accelerating warming? Hardly.
Incidentally, we might expect some creeping urban and microsite biases. Sure, these are probably at least partly corrected for. So why does the mostly rural record subject to much of the conditions at the Armagh Observatory disagree? That's a puzzler for you.
The trends are different, the simple explanation is that CET is biased. In which case it should show, in reality, very little warming at all (but not none! I don't want to be label a "denier" here! Oops to late!)
Here's a bit of interest to you: The actual series, monthly:
Which probably looks like red noise, but there is a cyclic 12 moth pattern in there. The change in the temperature over 300 years is dwarfed by monthly temperature variation. The rate of change between months is also huge:
So Central England has warmed slightly, evidently becuase of some change. Perhaps Carbon Dioxide, perhaps the sun, and almost certainly due in part to urbanization (even if you believe its been corrected for, clearly any correct means urbanization is known to have warmed it). It certainly seems the former is the most popular explanation, and the latter two maligned fringe positions in the highly politicized science of Climatology. But I still think they are more likely. By the way, getting back to Armagh, it's pretty damn well correlated with solar cycle length, evidently:
From this essay by Joe D'Aleo, by the way, and I admit it's rather old:
So to things to think about, if you live in the UK: any global warming your experiencing is mostly due to Urban Heat Islands and the Sun. Oh, and it's trivially small, nothing you don't already deal with on a month to month basis. Indisputably it isn't accelerating.
Well, that was fun.


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KIWI Group: Kotton-Wilson-Ikonomou
Click here to see our individual lab websites for:
The Kotton Lab
The Wilson Lab
The Ikonomou Lab
Mission Statement:
The Kotton-Ikonomou-Wilson (KIWi) group is a collaborative basic science laboratory in the Boston University Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM)– recently featured in BU Today. The KIWi group's goal is advancing our understanding of lung disease and developmental biology with a focus on stem cell biology and gene therapy. We are a group led by three PI's with a shared mission and shared resources, working in shared space in a large physically continguous lab. We believe that novel treatments for many lung diseases can be realized based on a better understanding of how the lung develops as well as regenerates after lung injury. We are particularly interested in understanding how lung cells decide and remember who they are. To this end, one focus of our group is defining the genomic and epigenomic programs that regulate lung cell fate. A longer term goal is the de novo generation of the full diversity of lung lineages and transplantable 3D lung tissues from pluripotent stem cells.
Many of uur projects utilize pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to advance lung-related biomedical research. This scientific mission is carried out with an equally important emphasis on mentorship of trainees and participation in local, national, and international research agendas in partnership with patient advocacy foundations and in collaboration with a close-knit international community of pulmonary basic scientists. We are advocates for an 'Open Source Biology' approach to sharing our cells, reagents, and ideas without restriction or exclusivity, and we adhere to the philosophy that ultimately all basic scientific research is "translational" (i.e. can advance clinical care), if performed rigorously and with a thirst for new knowledge.
An overview of active lab projects is summarized below. We invite those interested in more detailed views of our work to click on the following link to our most recent publications on pub med.
Project Areas Under Study, By Theme:
Project Theme 1: De novo derivation of lung cell lineages from pluripotent stem cells
Lung disease is responsible for tremendous worldwide suffering. Our lab is interested in developing new treatments for genetic lung diseases, such as the two most common inherited lung diseases: emphysema due to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and cystic fibrosis. We also develop reconstituting therapies designed to replenish the injured or degenerating lung epithelium, such as that seen in tobacco smoke-induced COPD/emphysema, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and ARDS.
A unifying approach we have taken over the past decade is the de novo derivation of lung lineages from pluripotent stem cells. We have published tools and approaches for the derivation and purification of primordial lung progenitors based on cell sorting endodermal cells expressing the transcriptional regulator, Nkx2.1. This locus is the first to be activated during the cell fate decision to become lung epithelium, which occurs early in embryonic development within the anterior foregut's developing endoderm. Since the entire lung epithelium develops from these rare Nkx2.1+ primordial lung progenitors, our lab is particularly focused on understanding the regulation of the Nkx2.1 gene locus, including its epigenetic status. A rare cohort of children with mutations in this locus, suffer from the Brain-Lung-Thyroid syndrome and hence this is one of the disease targets of our work, which is performed in collaboration with the Children's Interstitial Lung Disease Foundation (chILD).
Beyond the lung epithelium, lung structure also includes vasculature and interstitium. We have active projects in our lab using pluripotent stem cells to also derive lung endothelium, fibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells as part of our long-term goal of generating the full cellular diversity and structural complexity of the entire lung organ for future transplantation studies and disease models.
Project theme 2: Bioengineering 3D Lung Tissue
In many ways the lung is defined by its primary function: the exchange of gases required by air-breathing mammals. Successful lung function requires an intricate 3D structure and the integration of many cell types. Beginning as a postdoctoral fellow in 2009 and rising to faculty in 2010, Dr. Laertis Ikonomou joined our group to lead a new program in biomedical engineering focused on lung regeneration. In 2009, we began a now long-standing collaboration with Dr. Harald Ott of Massachusetts General Hospital, resulting in 2010 in the publication of the first successfully transplanted bioartificial lungs in rat recipients. In addition to this productive, NIH-funded collaboration with Dr. Ott, our program includes investigators across both medical and Charles River campuses at Boston University, including the biomedical engineering research laboratories of Dr. Joyce Wong, Dr. Bela Suki, Dr. James Collins, and the Physics research program of Dr. Pankaj Mehta. Together this team constitutes one of the most expansive lung-related biomedical engineering programs in the country. Our focus currently is to develop bioreactors designed to grow bioartificial lung tissues or an entire transplantable lung organ. We focus on using mouse or patient-derived iPS cells to generate a diversity of lung lineages to construct bioartificial lung tissue. Disease models and mechanistic studies are a current focus of these projects and in the future we hope to derive transplantable organs, even though accomplishment of this ultimate goal in patients remains many years, if not generations away.
Project theme 3: New therapies for lung diseases, based on increased understanding and stem cell models.
In previous years we have developed technologies for reprogramming patient skin or blood specimens into iPS cells. We have generated a large bank of lung disease-specific iPS cells and we are currently focused on using this bank to model a variety of lung diseases. For example we have large iPS cell repositories generated from patients with cystic fibrosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and a variety of childhood genetic lung diseases (chILD). The in vitro disease models we are developing we hope will allow a better understanding of disease pathogenesis and enable the development of novel gene therapies, cell-based reconstituting therapies, as well as optimized screens of new therapeutic drugs. We believe patient-specific iPS cells provide a platform for the ultimate accomplishment of personalized medicine, the tailoring of therapies individualized for each patient's own genetic background and unique disease phenotype. In the past we have published a proof-of-principle of this concept, generating iPS cells to understand individualized drug therapy for a patient suffering from long QT syndrome. In the future we hope to apply this approach to better understand and treat the following diseases:
- COPD/emphysema
- Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Childhood Interstitial Lung Diseases (ChILD, including those due to genetic mutations in the lung epithelial genes, NKX2.1, SPC, SPB, and ABCA3.)
- Inherited Pulmonary Vascular Diseases due to BMPR2 mutations
We are supported by several patient-focused foundations to target the above diseases, including The Alpha-1 Foundation, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Americal Lung Association, and the ChILD Foundation. We have a particularly long and fruitful relationship with the Alpha-1 Foundation as our investigators serve on the Foundation's scientific boards and Grants Advisory Council. For many years this remarkable Foundation has funded our gene therapy and stem cell work whose focus is understanding and better treating both the lung and liver diseases, caused by Alpha-1. In 2012, Drs. Andrew Wilson and Darrell Kotton co-founded BU/Boston Medical Center's "The Alpha-1 Center", dedicated to the comprehensive care of patients and families suffering from Alpha-1. In recognition of our research contributions, in 2010 Dr. Kotton received the Alpha-1 Foundation's 'Golden Shillelagh Award', given each year to honor a researcher whose work most impacts those with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. In 2013, Dr. Wilson was awarded the Foundation's 'Alpha-1 Clinician of the Year' prize and that same year Dr. Kotton was awarded the Foundation's 'Alpha-1 Researcher of the Year' prize.
Project theme 4: Developmental biology of the lung
The lung is a beautiful organ. Its embryonic development is complex and barely understood. More than just a passion and curiosity of ours, understanding lung development holds the key for developing stem cell therapies for our patients. Since our ES cells and iPS cells resemble the earliest, pluripotent state of the developing embryo, consequently we believe the most efficient way to derive lung cells from these pluripotent stem cells is to recapitulate in vitro the full sequence of developmental milestones that Nature employs in vivo each time an embryo forms lungs during pregnancy. It is known that the lung develops from the definitive endoderm germ layer in the embryo, and hence we have a long history of publications studying the basic biology of definitive endoderm development as well as the development of downstream endodermally-derived lineages such as the lung, thyroid, liver, pancreas, and intestine. An important focus of our lab remains studying and understanding the basic biology of endodermal and lung developmental biology, using in vivo mouse models as well as in vitro mouse and human ES cell and iPS cell models.
Project theme 5: Gene therapy of lung disease
We have a long history of developing lentiviral and other vector based approaches for the future treatment or cure of genetic lung diseases, such as alpha-1antitrypsin deficiency. New gene therapy approaches, involving in vivo lentiviral instillations in mice or gene editing of pluripotent stem cells in vitro continue to be an important focus of our lab and follow a history of publications in these areas.
Most importantly, we continually strive to ensure our laboratory remains a vibrant, fun, and rigorous environment where trainees from across the world come for mentorship and the pursuit of new knowledge. We are most proud of the graduates of our lab, including pulmonary MD fellows and post-doctoral PhD fellows who have gone on to academic faculty positions and our student PhD graduates who have gone on to successful post-doctoral fellowships. Truth, scholarship, rigor, curiosity, and 'Open Source Biology' sharing continue to be the underpinnings of our training style.


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Suggested wine pairing: Banfi Centine Tuscan red wine blend (about $11) or Chianti Classico ($15).
Now in its 25th year, Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito™ is the longest running cooking series in television history. Mary Ann has also been featured on The Today Show, Regis and Kelly, QVC, the Food Network, Discovery Channel, Fox, Martha Stewart Radio, RAI International, The Victory Garden, and Simply Ming (to name a few) and has worked beside world-renowned chefs such as Julia Child, Todd English, Daisy Martinez, Sara Moulton, Jacques Pepin, Martin Yan, and countless others who share the same passion for cooking. Additionally, she's authored a dozen cookbooks, and leads the Mary Ann Esposito Foundation, whose goal is to continue the tradition of Italian cooking in the United States by providing scholarships to the next generation of authentic Italian chefs in USA.


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Building Transformative Ministries for a 21st Century Metro-Urban Context
April 18, 2017 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
The Warren Dennis Metro-Urban Lecture Series
Building Transformative Ministries for a 21st Century Metro-Urban Context:The Next Steps
Saturday • May 6 @ 10:00 am–2:00 pm
Keynote Speaker:The Rev. Dr. Katie Day, Charles A. Schieren Professor of Church and Society The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
The ministerial needs of the metro-urban community create great demand for leaders who are skilled and equipped to address the various issues that prohibit human flourishing in urban communities. This year's Warren Dennis lecture will address these issues and provide pastors, institutional chaplains, and not-for-profit urban practitioners with new ideas for addressing the challenges encountered in a metro-urban context.
Following the keynote, there will be a panel discussion of representatives from organizations who are doing innovative ministry in the areas of hunger, poverty, homelessness, criminal justice, environment, and healthcare.
Admission is free, but registration is required. Lunch will be Served.Please RSVP to email@example.com by Friday, April 28.


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Susan and Robert loved the idea of a charming, elegant winter wedding with tons of sparkle so when it came time to execute their wedding, this couple knew they needed the help of Simply Sienna to bring their vision to reality. Held at the luxurious Chateau Le Parc Simply Sienna worked with the couple to incorporate just the right amount of winter details to make the wedding reflect the season without having it become too chintzy. Thanks to Boakview Photography for capturing this wonderful winter day and letting us enjoy this amazing wedding too!
As guests arrived at the dazzling reception, they were greeted with a choice of signature cocktails. The whole space shone in silver and gold, contrasting nicely with centerpieces of crimson, peach, white and green provided by Fleurisma Events. The tables were set with clear, sparkly, gold-rimmed plates, gold vases, candlesticks and lanterns. At the center of each plate was a glowing jar of honey with a little tag designed by Lovely Little Design Co.. Susan and Robert entered the room already dancing, signalling it was time to get the party started! Guests ate an extravagant meal at the sparkling tables and after dinner enjoyed a heavenly naked cake made by The Cocoa Cakery. Everyone ended this unforgettable night by hitting the dance floor as bb Blanc Entertainment played great tunes.


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September flights to Manchester, UK just dropped - $584 roundtrip after tax
A large number of Air Transat flights to Manchester in September have fallen to $584 roundtrip after tax...
September 3 - 12/24/26
September 5 - 10/12/17/24/26
Use it as a cheap way to get to Europe, and then take a cheap flight from there to wherever you need to go.
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2 Responses to "September flights to Manchester, UK just dropped - $584 roundtrip after tax"
Thanks so much Chris.
Booked a one way to LGW in October with your tip on canadianaffair.com via the forum.
Been following your tweets and facebook groups since the beginning, when they were on RFD and beyond.ca. Stoked something like this worked out for my wife and I. Now we just need to figure out how to travel around the rest of Europe. Plan on going all the way to Turkey...
Hey Cyrus,
No problem, thanks for following along! There's plenty of cheap budget airlines in Europe, just try to travel as light as possible because they really nail you with the bag fees.
You can get all the way from London Heathrow to Istanbul (one way) for as cheap as $128 after tax on British Airways. But it sounds like you might be checking out other countries along the way!
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text: (AP) A Potomac River toll bridge linking Allegany County to Green Spring, West Virginia, is back in business. The Cumberland Times-News reported that the reopening Tuesday of the Oldtown Bridge came about 10 weeks after it was damaged by flooding. The private toll bridge was washed out June 12. The nearest crossing is 15 miles in either direction. The Maryland Public Service Commission approved rate increases last year that tripled the passenger-car toll from 50 cents to $1.50.


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The Medical Information Bureau Inc. (a/k/a, MIB Group, Inc., a/k/a, MIB, Inc., a/k/a, MIB Solutions, Inc.) collects and furnishes information on consumers to all Medical Information Bureau (MIB) member corporations for use in the insurance underwriting process. According to MIB, Inc. marketing materials,
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In addition to an individual's credit history, data collected by the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) may include medical conditions, driving records, criminal activity, drug use, participation in hazardous sports, and personal or family genetic history, among other facts.
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On the final page of the MIB "At A Glace" marketing materials, in the "Consumer Services" paragraph, The Medical Information Bureau, Inc. reveals,
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Under Federal law, the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) is a "consumer-reporting agency" and is required by law to provide medical report file disclosure to consumers every 12 months upon request.
MIB Inc Medical Information Bureau Fact Sheet
Under Federal law, all consumers are entitled to an annual copy of their medical report files from the nationwide specialty consumer reporting agencies.
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- What is the Medical Information Bureau Inc. (MIB Inc.)?


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Pfaudler Reactor Systems, a specialist in providing glass-lined process components and part of the Process Solutions Group of Robbins & Myers, was recently retained by a South Africa-based precious-metals refiner to upgrade mixers in an effort to significantly increase the capacity of the customer's process reactors.
Working in conjunction with sister company Chemineer, Pfaudler developed what it describes as a process solution designed to ensure optimum mixing of platinum group metal concentrates, which can severely damage vessels when not configured correctly. Pfaudler Process Engineer Chris Drysdale said: "As platinum group metals are very heavy, the tendency is to run mixers at excessive speeds in order to achieve sufficient solids suspension. This not only increases energy bills, but it causes the heavy metal concentrates to damage the glass interior of the tank, which can make the surface increasingly rougher and ultimately lead to chemical attack and failure of the vessel."
Using Chemineer's Maestro process-development software, Pfaudler said it was able to show the customer how efficient top-to-bottom mixing in the tanks would be achieved. The company noted that optimum mixing that keeps solids in suspension also improves productivity by reducing downtime required for cleaning.
Because the dimensions of the customer's vessels were not standard, Pfaudler said it had to design new dual-flight agitator shafts, but used the same size hub; the new design allowed for a single-diameter shaft with two honed areas for the two flights. The installation also incorporated Pfaudler's Cryo-Lock system, which uses the cryogenic fit between the glass shaft and the glass impeller hub for precise interference fit. The major benefit gained is that impeller changeover can be carried out inside a reactor, rather than having to remove the drive, shaft or access cover.


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Last year, Sarah Wendell, leader of the Bitchery at Smart Bitches and I formed The TBR, where we aim to build your To-Be-Read list one good book at a time. The TBR administers the Save the Contemporary campaign, an iPhone app, as well as the DABWABA (coming soon omg) our ... more >
Diana Gabaldon disclosed to a reading group in Charleston that her eighth novel in the Jamie/Claire saga won't be released for a couple of years. It sounds like the book is yet unwritten. Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner should be released in 2011. **** Heather Osborn, formerly an editor ... more >
This past weekend, I was part of a small panel sponsored by International Association for the Study of Popular Romance (IASPR) which was held during the Popular Culture Association conference in St. Louis. The panel that I sat on was about romances safe spaces. Dr. Pam Regis presented a paper ... more >
We will be posting our Top 10 of 2009 this entire week. Today's list is from Dr. Sarah Frantz aka Joan. The list is unranked. You can find more of her reviews here. Alex Beecroft, False Colors Alex Beecroft, "Hidden Isle" in Hidden Conflict anthology James Buchanan, Hard Fall Victoria Dahl, The Wicked ... more >
Sydney Morning Herald has a nice article about romance in conjunction with Beyond Heaving Bosoms, a guide to romance written by SB Sarah and SD Candy. So thank Eros for two Americans, Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan, who dreamed up Mavis for their book Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' ... more >
Welcome to the My First Sale series. Each Monday, Dear Author posts the first sale letter of bestselling authors, debut authors, and authors in between. Today's first sale story comes from well known bloggers, Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan. Their nonfiction, women's studies, literary criticism, comedy, technical manual, work of ... more >


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Hello again
It's been a frenetic month of ropes! After the workshops in Valencia we spent two weeks full of workshops, private lessons and rope jams.
We have given a 3-hour mini beginners' workshop in collaboration with SexAcademy, two 8-hour workshops of introduction to partial suspensions and three 8-hour workshops beginners' workshops. In addition, we gave four private lessons of three hours each and we were continuously updating the website and social networks and answering all messages from people interested in workshops and ropes.
But despite the stress and fatigue we feel enormously proud and grateful. Madrid Shibari is giving us the opportunity to meet amazing people with whom we not only share a love for Shibari but also a beautiful friendship.
Thank you very much to all of you for trusting us, it is a heart of joy to see you move forward with so much enthusiasm, dedication and humility. Keep using the ropes to give your best to the other person, listening to each other and having fun together.
See you soon
Esta entrada también está disponible en: Spanish


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1973 special
the world trade center (1973-2001):
a tribute
chapter 1
the rise of the twin towers (1966-1973)
part 3
opening and critics
Hi, friends, I'm back again with this travel through the history of the New York skyscrapers. Now, continuing with the year 1973 and few days before of 9th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, I show the third and last part of the first chapter of my personal tribute of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Now, I show the history of the towers since its dedication on April 4, 1973 until the completion of the complex's original buildings, in 1976 and the critics about the building.
Opening Ceremony
In the rainy day, on April 4, 1973, the World Trade Center complex was officially dedicated, three years before its completion. The complex's two first lower building, (5 and 6 WTC) included the new headquarters of the U.S. Custom House, on 5 WTC, and its unfinished 110-story Twin Towers (1 and 2 WTC) were finally open to the busines. The official dedication of the World Trade Center including words from New York's Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, and the ceremony were held in the North Tower's lobby.
According with Robert A. Stern (1997), the inflation causes the cost of the construction of the World Trade Center was finally more high than originally planned:
"Through it was no larger than when it was originally planned, economic inflation and vast overruns had combined to push its price tag from $350 million to $800 million. Ten thousand people were already to work in it and 80 percent of its office space was spoken for" (Stern, Robert A.M., Mellins, Thomas., Fishman, David. New York 1960. Architecture and Urbanism Between the Second World War and the Bicentennial. New York. The Monacelli Press. 1997. Page 202).
Aerial view of the unfinished Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in the time of its dedication. View looking west showing other Lower Manhattan's skyscrapers April 1973.
Aerial view of the unfinished towers. April 1973.
The lobby of the North Tower. April 4, 1973. Photo: Wavz13. Flickr. Link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/wavz13/
Minoru Yamasaki and his master work. April 1973. Behing him, the Fritz Koening sculpture "Globe".
World's Tallest Buildings
At the time of the towers were dedicated, in 1973, there was the World's Tallest Buildings supprasing the 102-story, 1250-foot Empire State Building. It was preserved the tittle only one year until the Sears Tower was dedicated, in 1974. Finally, the towers' exterior were completed on the last months of 1974.
In May 1973, the WTC towers were dominated Manhattan Island. Aerial view of Manhattan Island looking northeast.
The two rivals: The former king, the Empire State Building (foreground) and the new New York skyline's king: the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Aerial view looking south. May 1973.
Several aerial views of the Unfinished Twin Towers of the World Trade Center after its official opening. May 1973.
View looking west.
View looking northeast.
View looking southeast showing the old skyscrapers that was the former Lower Manhattan's tallest and now with the Twin Towers it was reduced to liliputhiense size.
Another view looking northeast.
Aerial view looking west from East River, with Brooklyn Bridge on foreground.
The Twin Towers dominating the new look of Lower Manhattan skyline. View from Governors Island. May 1973.
The new kings of New York skyline. Aerial view looking northeast showing the Statue of Liberty. May 1973.
Night view of the new Lower Manhattan skyline dominating by WTC towers, with the Brooklyn Bridge on foreground. may 1973.
Golden Towers. Sunset view looking southeast from Hudson River. May 1973.
World Trade Center (Minoru Yamasaki and Emery Roth & Sons. 1966-1973). View of the unfinished Twin Towers looking southwest from
Radio Row, showing the tower of St. Paul Chappel on foreground. May 1973.
Ada Louise Huxtable vs Yamasaki. Acid criticism
The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center was considered a great engineering marvel, but the Center was not lovely by many architect specialists and criticists.
The reason was very simple: the monumental size of the Twin Towers was dramatically altered the traditional composition of the Lower Manhattan's skyline. Many specialist considered that the World Trade Center towers destroyed the "mountain" shape of Financial District skyline that it was preserved since early 1930s and was dominated by towers like the Bank of Manhattan Building, the 60 Wall Tower, the City Bank and Farmers Trust Building, the Irving Trust Building, the Woolworth Building, the 120 Wall Street Building, and others, and in this panorame were included the modern 64-story slab of the Chase Manhattan Bank Building of 1960.
In effect, while the Twin Towers was under construction, simultaneosly, a great number of office buildings were built on Lower Manhattan and many of them rounded between the 30 and more of 50 stories high. Many of these buildings were built, mainly, in the East River shoreline, between Battery Park and Brooklyn Bridge and the Financial District's zone to east of the towers and mean the destruction of many landmarks buildings like the Singer Building or the old South Street 18th and early 19th Century buildings.
Many of these buildings that be constructed between 1966 and 1973 was:
° 54-story U.S. Steel Building (One Liberty Plaza, 1968-1973), that was build on the site of old Singer Tower and the City Investing Building.
° 55-story 55 Water Street Building (1969-1973), that was build ond the site of many old 19th Century buildings, included the old 13-story Seamen Church Institute office building (1913)
° 52-story Marine Midland Building (1967)
° 50-story One New York Plaza (1969)
° 44-story Two New York Plaza (1971)
° 44-story Bankers Trust Building (1974, latter was known as the Deutsche Bank Building, that was under construction in 1973 and was damaged by the destruction of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001 attacks)
° 40-story One Battery Park Plaza (1969)
° 37-story One State Street Building (1971)
° 35-story East River Savings Bank (1971)
° 33-story 127 John Street Building (1971)
° 33-story 88 Pine Street Building (1973)
° 30-story 100 Wall Street Building (1969-70)
° 27-story 77 Water Street Building (1970)
° 27-story First National City Bank Building (1968)
° 23-story Four New York Plaza (1968)
° 23-story Seamens Church Institue on Battery Park (1968)
... and the others.
The most acid criticist of the World Trade Center towers was Ada Louise Huxtable, where, in a article that was published on The New York Times, one day after the opening of the Trade Center, on April 5, 1973, wrote about the towers critc Yamasaki's masterpiece. A fragment of her article, was reproduced by Robert A.M. Stern on his book New York 1960:
"The towers are pure technology, the lobbies are pure schmaltz, and the impact on New York ... is pure speculation ... In spite of their size, the towers emphasize an almost miniature module... The module is so small, and the 22-inch-wide windows so narrow, that one of the miraculous benefit of the tall building, the panoramic view out, is destroyed... These are big buildings but they are not great architecture. The grill-like metal facade stripes are curiously without scale. They taper into the more widely-spaced columns of 'Gothic trees' at the lower stories, a detail that does not express structure so much as tart it up. The Port Authority has built the ultimate Disneyland fairytale blockbuster. It is General Motors Gothic" (Huxtable, Ada Louise. Big but Not So Bold: Trade Center Tower Are Tallest, but Architecture Is Smaller in Scale. The New York Times. April 5, 1973. Page 34. Reproduced by Stern, Robert A.M. New York 1960. 1997. Page 202).
But Yamasaky defended his work. Harris (2001) arguying that during a press conference, Yamasaki says:
"' I was trained in the twenties and early thirties, when Classic design was the theme of the day. Though the traditional historic architectures I was taught then are not appropiate to our present-day techniques of building, they graceful proportions are still vital to any structure.' Otherwise, the architect kept his own reaction to criticism to himself. During a press conference at the Trade Center dedication, a reporter asked why he had built two 110-story towers when the new techniques would easily have allowed him to build a single one rising up to 220 stories... 'I didn't want to lose the human scale,' he quipped" (Harris. 2001. Page 57).
"These are big buildings, but they are not great architecture" Ada Louise Huxtable. April 5, 1973, about the monumentally of the Twin Towers.
The Towers that the people begun to love.
Fortunatelly, a serie of events begun to change the image about the World Trade Center's towers and made a possitive atention about the Towers to begun to be see a lovely icon.
The first event succeded in the morning of August 7, 1974, when a french acrobat, Philippe Petit, walk in a tightrope between the two towers, 1450 feet above the street. According with Stern, Petit, "set out on a forty-five-minute, 131-foot-long walk -a walk along a tightrope that he had secretly stretched between the roofs of the two towers during the night- astounding thousands of office-bound workers in the plaza below as he entertained them with knee bends and other stunts. Asked why he did it, Petit, a professional stuntman who was to develop architectural high-wire walking into a speciallity, replied: 'If I see three oranges I have a juggle. And I see two towers, I have to walk'" (Stern. 1997. Page 205).
Philippe Petit. August 7, 1974. Photo: Mr. Memphis1982 Flickr.com
The second event, In October 1975, a observatory deck were open on the 107th and 110th floors of South Tower. Designed by interior architect Warren Platner and the graphic designer Milton Glasser, the observatory "not only offered extraordinary views of the city, the harbor and the suburban areas beyond, but also treated visitors to an informative exhibition about marketing around the world" (Stern. 1997. Page 205). In 1976, a new luxury restaurant, Windows on the World, was open on the 107 floor of North Tower.
Windows on the World restaurant. 1990's
Midtown Manhattan looking north from World Trade Center's observation roof. 1976. Photo: CanadaGood. Flickr.com. Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/canadagood/
The thrid event was definitive for the fame of the Twin Towers. In Dino de Laurentis' 1976 remake movie King Kong, the World Trade Center was usurped the role of the Empire State Building had player in the original film of 1933.
King Kong. 1976. Photo: The New York Times. Link: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/20..._CA0ready.html
Aerial view of Lower Manhattan looking west from East River. July 1973.
The Twin Towers. July 1973.
Aerial view of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in October 1973. View looking southwest.
The Twin Towers of World Trade Center when it was finally completed. 1974.
Towers elevation. 1974.
A sunset view of the Twin Towers. January 1974.
Next week, a 1973 special of 55 Water Street and One Liberty Plaza.
your opinion are very important!!!
if you have a opinion about my thread or you want to put a picture of new york city's skyscraper history, please, show here!!!!!


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10:00 AM to 10:30 AM
IG Live: Storytime
11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Please enter date, time. NEARBY and attendance at end of session.
Zoom Book Club: Plainfied Twp. Branch (afternoons)
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Plainfield Township Branch
Zoom Book Club: Krause Memorial
6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Krause Memorial (Rockford) Branch
CANCELLED -- Live Streaming: Rhyme Time Music and Movement
7:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Watch this event online. Move and groove together with action rhymes, songs, games and hands-on musical activities


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When we ran our "Finding Customers through Networking" webinar and blog series earlier this year, we had so many questions around Social Networking that we decided to run a separate webinar dedicated to the subject.
During that webinar, entitled "Effectively Using Social Networking to build your IT Support business" (now available to view again) we had a lot of really good questions and requests for more information – so we fingers to the keyboard to write this blog as a companion to the webinar.
We hope you find it useful!
Let's start with the golden rule. When using Social Networking - Do Not Sell!
In the modern age, everyone is bombarded with advertising messages wherever they go. If you're using Social Networking to advertise, then you're just another message to be filtered out.
If, however, you use Social Networking to provide content and messages that people will find useful – if you add value and not noise – then you're much more likely to be successful.
The easiest way of adding value is through education. By providing your network with help, education and opinion on topics you specialize in, you'll position yourself as a subject matter expert and someone they are interested in listening to.
Also remember that Social Networking is about conversations. It's not a one-way street! Social Networking gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide audience. It gives people a chance to ask questions, to give you their feedback and opinion. These are things you rarely get when using traditional marketing – so focus on their benefits.
Finally, it's about quantity – not quality. Having 1,000,000 followers on Twitter is great if you're a celebrity who appeals to the mass market, but if you're a local IT company looking to work with Small Businesses – wouldn't it be better to have a number of good quality conversations with a smaller audience, rather than trying to be all things to all men?
The analogy I often use is that you attend a party. There are 100 people at the party, but you stand in the corner, overawed by the crowd and so don't speak to any of those people. At another party, there are only 10 people there, but you comfortably chat to each of them. Which would you say is the better party?
People often talk about the Return on Investment (ROI) of Social Networking. It sounds great, but what does it do for me? How does it help me grow my business?
Firstly, business *can* be won through Social Networking. My own Managed Service Provider (MSP) won business purely through relationships we had developed on-line.
But in most instances, Social Networking is an activity that helps you start conversations and then develop them through tradition means – telephone, e-mail and face-to-face meetings.
What Social Networking importantly allows you to do is to build trust.
You may be the best IT company in the world, but until your prospective clients know that – you won't be as busy as you'd like to be.
Social Networking allows people to learn about you, your business and your viewpoints and attitudes from a "safe" distance. Like minded people are drawn to one another, and people do business with people they like – so by putting yourself out there, you'll draw people who share your viewpoints and want to work with you.
We'll talk more about how Social Networking and traditional business networking can work hand in hand later in this article, but when thinking about the ROI of Social Networking – think conversations.
It's worth briefly mentioning the two phrases you'll often come across – Social Networking and Social Media. What's the difference between the two?
Most people use them interchangeably, and that's fine – but typically Social Networking is all about conversations.
Social Networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook thrive on the fact that most of their "content" is generated through conversations between connected parties.
These sites give you the ability to easily exchange fairly public messages and information between you and your network. There's a lot of value in these conversations.
On the other hand, Social Media sites tend to be about content such as Images, Videos and Documents. Sites such as Flickr, YouTube and Scribd actively seek members uploading their self-generated content and then sharing it with others.
As an IT company, you could be using YouTube to post video testimonials with clients, or educational videos showing bite-sized learning on applications.
Flickr could be used to host photographs of your team and your office (remember, people do business with people they like) or for the technically minded, shots of Comms Cabinets and equipment.
Scribd is a great place to upload White Papers and articles that you want to share.
In all three cases, there are still opportunities for conversations – people leaving comments for instance. But the real trick to effectively using Social Media sites is to generate "Content Loops".
We'll talk more about "Content Loops", along with Blogging and the tools to use to be effective with your Social Networking in the second part of our article.
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Under the surface of our fast-paced lives our Kidney Yin may well be draining away. Kidney Yin represents the nest-egg of nourishment deep within us. It corresponds to the parasympathetic system, responsible for restoration and revitalization. Many of us are so caught up in the drama of Kidney Yang with its action-packed stimulation that we fail to refresh our Kidney Yin; yet, if we neglect it, we run the risk of depleting our core vitality.
As Daverick Leggett, author of Recipes for Self-Healing, says, "Yin is like a well which must not run dry, a reserve of nutrients which form the basis of growth and the fuel for all physiological activities." In this article we'll explore the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) view of Kidney energy, and specifically the pattern known as Kidney Yin Deficiency. We'll learn how to recognize it in ourselves and in our clients, and discover the secrets to replenishing its life-giving power.
Main Function of the Kidneys
The role of the Kidneys is to store life essence, govern reproduction and growth, maintain bones and brains, control the flow of urine and keep the will power strong. Kidneys are vital to every other organ system in TCM.
Jing Essence
We inherit Jing or essence from our parents, and we also create new Jing from the air we breathe and the food we eat. This is the nucleus of our get-up-and go, the foundation for our zest in life. If our parents were old or ill when we were conceived, we inherit less Jing. If we indulge is too much sex, drugs and rock and roll, we quickly burn through Jing. If we breathe poor air or breathe shallowly, we add less Jing to our Kidney stores. If digestion is impaired or if we eat poor quality food, we create less Jing. Ultimately, when we completely run out of Jing, we die.
Kidney energy or Qi provides the juice for sexual desire, fertility, reproduction, and growth. If we were to draw a parallel between TCM and Western physiology, the action of Kidney Qi would be similar to the endocrine system with its hormonal influences. Substances that stress the adrenal glands, such as caffeine, are draining to Kidney Qi. Deficient Kidney Qi could mean issues with infertility, slow growth, low libido, and aging.
Bones and Brains
Kidneys produce the Marrow which includes the brain, the spinal cord, the bone matrix and marrow. When I practice CranioSacral Therapy I sense I am working deeply with Kidney Qi as I palpate the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid and the tension in the membranes surrounding the central nervous system. Drugs that imbalance brain chemistry are especially draining of Kidney Qi. Drawing a parallel to Western thought, Kidney energy could be corresponded to the neurotransmitters that send messages across nerve synapses. Low Kidney Qi may manifest as poor nerve function, memory problems, weak teeth or osteoporosis.
Note: In TCM, Kidneys are referred to as a whole system in the body and mind, and not an individual organ pair as we talk about in the Western anatomical and physiological approach. To remind us of this difference the words referring to TCM are capitalized.
Kidneys are correlated with the Water element and Kidney energy acts as a gate that opens and closes to control the flow of urine. If this gate is too open there will be copious pale urination, a sign of Kidney Yang deficiency.
The ability to use our will power to express our unique creativity is dependent on good Kidney energy. With strong Kidney Qi we have the resolve to overcome fear and to pursue goals. If Kidneys are weak, our sense of purpose will be shaky and we will be easily distracted.
Kidney Yin Deficiency - Signs and Symptoms
(from The Foundations of Chinese Medicine by Giovanni Maciocia)Tongue: Red, no coating, cracks Pulse: Empty and rapidKey Symptoms: Dry mouth at night, night sweating, red-peeled tongue
Emotional / Mental Signs of Kidney Yin Deficiency
Feeling deeply drained. Fear, anxiety, paranoia, panicMemory and concentration problemsLack of inner calm and strengthA floating or drifting sensation
Signs and Symptoms
In our nutrition offices we often meet people who have Kidney Yin Deficiency. The main signs and symptoms are dry skin, dry eyes, vaginal dryness for women, dark scanty urine, a pale face with flushed red cheeks, a red peeled tongue, a rapid pulse, fatigue, irritability, afternoon heat, night sweats and hot flashes. Emotional or mental signs might be agitation or even panic attacks, feeling tired but wired, a sense of floating, or of being drained. Nutritional recommendations focus on foods that build the Yin or healthy moisture in the body, at the same time nourishing the Kidney energy. The key is to realize that the heat signs are not a sign of excess heat, but a deficient heat that reveals a lack of cooling moisture in the body.
Menopause and Kidney Yin Deficiency
Menopause often results in the classic signs of Kidney Yin Deficiency. According to TCM, menopause occurs because we have used up much of our inherited Jing, and at the same time digestive power has decreased so we create less Jing from food. The net loss of Jing results is the creation of a smaller amount of Blood. The available Blood is used to nourish the organs and sinews, with no leftovers to overflow the uterus. The result is the cessation of menses.
Menopause is natural and reflects our bodies' intelligent conservation of Jing; but at this crucial transition stress, emotional upset, nutritional deficiency, overwork, or other physical dysfunction can throw off the balance between Yin and Yang. Yin Deficiency means that there is more Yang relative to Yin. If there is not enough of either, the lack of relative Yin will mean that there will be more signs of Yang's heat and dryness.
Nutrition for Kidney Yin Deficiency
By Anasuya Batliner, NC, Dipl. ABT, CST
Published in Nutrition Professionals Quarterly, 2004