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I stumbled upon this piece of street art in Newcastle, NSW. I'm struggling with the message, I'm aware that may make me stupid.
It appears as if the lady is talking messages of love to the dog, as it appears to be a speech bubble rather than a thought bubble. But her mouth is closed… So maybe the speech bubble is someone else's graffiti added later on? Without it, she simply looks like a lazy cleaner, sweeping things under the curtain. This makes sense on its own.
But with the speech, I don't know what message it conveys. Is she angry at the dog for making a mess and she is trying to teach the animal some human morals? Is it a thought bubble and although pretty mad at the dog, she is trying to remain a compassionate person?
Sadly, I haven't been able to find info on this one, so we may have to resort to personal perspectives. What do you think?


text: Unfortunately, not all inventors that have great ideas know how to deal with the red tape involved in protecting and submitting their product and as a result some of these ideas never come to fruition. Fortunately, there are various resources and tools designed to help inventors get their products off the ground these days. One of the providers that can help to make your invention a reality is InventHelp, which offers a wide range of services to help inventors. InventHelp Caveman

subset: commoncrawl


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Five Star Reads are in Your Future Magnetic Bookmark
Brand: Emily Cromwell Designs
The illustration for this bookmark was illustrated by me and is then printed and made into this cute magnetic bookmark by me here in my home studio!
• Size: When folded, bookmarks approximately measure 2.75" - 3" tall.
• Material: 300gsm Luster Photo Paper and magnets
• The back is the same design
• Shipped in a rigid cardboard mailer
Copyright ©2022 Emily Cromwell Designs


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WICKED SHOT Rob! Wow! Amazing job! Thanks so much for sharing!
WICKED SHOT Rob! Wow! Amazing job! Thanks so much for sharing!
Great shots! Looks like the KC-135 is still circling over NYC as of 5pm (seen on ADS-B)
Just to follow up on this: that day, I spotted an F-15 down low over eastern Nassau. Flying multiple 360s. Later on, it was reported all over the news that *someone* busted the Presidential and/or UN TFR! One F-15 came by to successfully intercept the GA aircraft. A few hours later, the same thing happened with a different plane busting the TFR! There were two F-15s on patrol that day for just this purpose.
Certainly was exciting to see since we usually don't have that kind of action here, except during an Airshow!


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Gregorian Chimes® - Soprano 4.9 star rating 12 Reviews $46.45 Qty. 1 The Soprano Gregorian Chime has a cool, clear voice - and beautiful tone. Experience the inner quiet that comes from listening to the peaceful patterns of Gregorian chant. Tuned to a medieval scale, this wind chime echoes the vocal music that has been sung as a part of daily devotionals and meditation in the monasteries and churches of Western Europe for more than a thousand years. Many believe this music to have remarkable healing powers. The sound is beautiful, relaxing and mysteriously compelling. Like the free-flowing monophonic lines of the chant, this windchime's resonant tones will surround the listener as the sounds linger in the breeze.
All prices in USD ($)
Gregorian Chimes - Soprano
Gregorian Chimes - Soprano - $44.00


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It used to be so simple.
A billboard here. A radio or television commercial there. Perhaps a print ad or two thrown in for good measure. That was your marketing strategy, and it worked.
Want to watch the latest episode of The Dukes of Hazzard? You had to sit through that commercial for cereal. Enjoying an article in the new issue of HBR? You at least glanced at the ad for the new Volkswagen as you flipped the pages.
Marketing messages were everywhere as they are today, but one thing has fundamentally shifted in favor of the consumer: they now have the ability to tune them out, skip them entirely, or block them completely.
DVR allows viewers to fast-forward through commercials. Podcast and YouTube ads can be skipped immediately or after a few seconds. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are commercial-free. Good old-fashioned terrestrial radio is on life support.
And let's not forget about AdBlock and similar services. A tiny extension or a standalone browser dedicated to better user experience like Brave lets you stop them in their tracks. These tools either block or filter advertising content from websites, pages, and apps. Consider:
- Ad blocker penetration is pegged at 18% in the United States. That number is even higher in Canada and many parts of Europe.
- There were 600 million devices with ad blocking software in December 2016, and 62% of those were mobile.
- Reasons for using the technology include exposure to malware, interruption, speed issues, too many ads, and privacy concerns.
- eMarketer predicts that 30% of all internet users will be blocking ads by the end of 2018.
We've entered the Age of Ad Blocking. And banner blindness. And instant gratification. Patience may be a virtue, but it seems to be in dwindling supply. Ain't nobody got time for commercials and ads. (Unless it's the Super Bowl).
And if you think the solution is using an adblock wall – restricting or prohibiting access to content until users turn it off – think again: 74% will simply leave your site.
It might seem a catch-22. You need ads to market your products and/or monetize your website. You need to attract visitors to click those ads. But those same visitors claim to despise ads.
Look at the reasons why people use ad blockers for some quick insight. According to PageFair:
And according to MarketingSherpa:
And according to Hubspot:
You'll notice quite a bit of overlap. People don't like sketchy ads, intrusive ads, ads that negatively affect page performance, ads that are irrelevant, ads that are annoying, and more.
What takeaways can you glean from that? It's a straightforward list of what not to do with your advertising and messaging.
So, is marketing dead? Far from it.
Despite the seemingly overwhelming odds, marketers are still able to get their message across in an ad-blocking world. How? By adapting to the changing landscape. If the old ways don't work, you have to find innovative new ways. Intrusive ads that interrupt the user experience are out. Honest, timely, and relevant "ads†are in.
Say hello the rise of Digital Advertising 3.0.
Influencer Marketing
In the simplest terms, an influencer is a content creator or personality with a relatively large following on a given platform. Their popularity or expertise gives them a great deal of clout with their fans.
But they need not be celebrities in the traditional sense of the word. Individuals like Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber have tens of millions of followers, but that doesn't automatically make them a good fit for you and your brand.
In fact, research has shown that influencers with fewer than 1000 followers – often called micro-influencers – saw likes 8% of the time, and comments 0.5% of the time on their posts and shares. Celebrities with 10+ million fans? Those numbers plummet to 1.6% and 0.04% respectively.
Influencer marketing is a partnership with an influencer to review, promote, or link to your content, brand, and products. It's widely used and considered one of the most cost-effective and powerful strategies used today. Interest in it grew 90x between 2013 and 2016, and doubled again in the first nine months of 2017. 2018 looks to be no different.
And because there is no "ad†in a sense, nothing is blocked or filtered. This puts your message in front of as many eyes as possible, and if you've done your homework beforehand in finding the right influencer, it's a targeted audience.
If you haven't tried it yet, there's no time like the present. A few things to remember:
- Decide on the most appropriate platform for your ideal customer. Are they business professionals? You'll do better on LinkedIn. Are they teenagers? Snapchat is a safe bet.
- Move away from targeting just the numbers. Kim Kardashian has 58.6 million followers on Twitter, but she's probably not the best fit for your new email marketing service. Look for micro-influencers – say 50,000 or less – active in your industry or popular with your target audience.
- Check a potential influencer's post history before making contact. You don't want to discover objectionable, racist, or sexist material after they're already linked to your brand.
- Finding the right influencer is the most important part of the whole strategy. Take your time. Do it right.
- Look at the engagement a typical post generates. Is it getting plenty of likes, shares, and comments?
- Next, follow them. Engage with their content. Leave genuine comments. Then, reach out to them via email or a private direct message. Talk about why you think a partnership would benefit you both, and how your product fills a need for their audience.
- Don't give them too much or too little in crafting a message that will resonate with their audience. Work together.
Done right, influencer marketing bypasses ad-blockers and delivers marketing that people actually want to see. Teenagers on YouTube, for example, trust the opinion and recommendations of influencers more than celebrities. They relate better to them, and believe the influencer understands them as well or better than their friends.
Native Advertising
Traditional online ads try and stand out from the background. They might use a different font or color. They might flash, or wiggle, or bounce. They might autoplay a video or audio clip.
They want you to notice them. And that's their downfall: traditional display ads are very easy for blockers to identify and filter.
That's where native advertising comes in.
Native ads mimic the digital environment in which they appear. They try and blend in. They don't want to interrupt the user experience in any way, and ideally, they don't even want you to notice it's an ad at all. In fact, they might only be discernible as an ad by the Sponsored or Promoted tag most sites place on them.
Click a native ad, and it usually leads to a page that looks and feels like a regular blog post or article. It can easily be shared.
But it still has a message. The post includes or features the brand, product, or service being promoted in some way. It often has a call-to-action such as signing up to receive a special report or newsletter.
You've encountered native ads in your daily web browsing, even if you don't realize it. They're very popular on news and aggregate sites:
Scroll down the top stories on Yahoo, and you might not even notice the "Sponsored†tag on the post about an investment opportunity. It looks like any other article (with perhaps a bit of a clickbait headline).
Click on it, and you're taken to a landing page that looks like a blog post. It mentions that Jeff Bezos – the richest man in the world – is pouring millions into a new tech innovation. Others are following his lead.
What is it? Just enter your email and download the free report.
The post is a native ad for The Motley Fool to collect leads for their financial services. And it works because there's nothing to block. Users choose to click it.
Google search ads are another powerful example of native ads at work. For any given search query, you'll be presented with thousands of organic results…and a few paid ones, too. These are identified by the Ad tag, but otherwise look exactly like a regular search result.
Facebook in-feed ads are considered the most lucrative type. As you're scrolling through your account feed, you'll encounter them all the time, but they blend in with posts from your friends, family, and pages you follow.
Some are a bit more obvious, like this ad for ChinesePod, an online platform to learn Mandarin. It's definitely an ad, but because it appears in your feed rather than your sidebar – and includes like, shares, and comments – it takes on the appearance of a regular post.
Others appear decidedly un-ad like, like this one promoting the new Netflix film The Cloverfield Paradox. You'll notice the Sponsored tag if you look for it, otherwise it just seems like someone posted the trailer for a cool new sci-fi movie. From the stats at the bottom, we can see hundreds of thousands have watched it, thousands have liked it, and hundreds have shared and commented on it.
In essence, it's an ad that's not an ad. And that's the most powerful and effective type of ad you can create.
With this "adâ€, Netflix has generated interest, excitement, and buzz for its latest big budget release.
Yahoo's recent Perception Study found 4 key components to a native ad that produces a positive impression:
- Photos of people rather than objects
- Legible and identifiable logos
- Short format (15 seconds or less) videos
- Prominent brand name placement
Native ads can generate a click-through rate (CTR) 4x higher than non-native display ads, and they're predicted to generate 74% of ad revenue by 2021.
Want to experiment with Google search ads? Go through Google. Facebook in-feed ads? Contact Facebook. For various news and aggregate sites, you'll need to work with a native ads network such as Native Ads, Outbrain, Taboola, or Nativo.
And if you want some inspiration, check out a few spectacular native ad examples.
Native ads are not a fix-all. You still need to find the right platform(s) for your target market, and deliver relevant and timely "adsâ€.
Social Ads
You don't need me to tell you just how popular social media is today. We spend more time on social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others than we do on any other type. It's our favorite online activity.
There are over 2 billion monthly active users on Facebook, 800 million on Instagram, 500 million on LinkedIn, 330 million on Twitter, and 178 million on Snapchat. Worldwide, there are 3.03 billion active social media users (compared to 3.82 billion internet users). That's a massive potential reach and audience.
So it makes sense that social ads are taking over.
Everyone spends time there. And it's relatively easy to blend in and make your ads appear less like ads and more like shares, posts, and tweets.
Every social media platform now offers the ability to advertise and market in some way. Facebook makes the majority of its revenue – the vast majority – via selling ads space to businesses. In 2017, it earned $39.94 billion in ad revenue, up 49% from the $26.85 billion it made in 2016.
The story is the same for Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others. Ad revenue is big, big bucks. But as an SMB, you don't have to spend millions, or even thousands, to get in on that action.
On Facebook, you can work with sponsored posts, in-feed video or image ads, or more traditional banner ads. Instagram? Sponsored posts, Stories, or video ads. Twitter? Promoted tweets and hashtags. YouTube? Video and banner ads. LinkedIn ads? The #1 rated platform by marketers for B2B leads. You're spoiled for choice. Where does your market hang out online?
And let's not forget Snapchat. Its growth may have slowed recently, but it's still a tremendously popular platform for tweens, teens, and millennials. It provides traditional ads, Stories, geofilters, and lenses to spread awareness, increase engagement, and have fun. It may not seem so at first glance, but Snapchat and business can be a match made in heaven.
Social ads don't strike social users as ads at all. They're part of the experience. It's marketing in a more organic, natural, and unobtrusive way. The hardest part is choosing the right platform and the right ad type to reach and resonate with your customers, not deciding whether you should try it in the first place.
Global social ad spend doubled from $16 billion in 2014 to $31 billion in 2016, and is expected to have grown another 26% in 2017. Big bucks. Big results. And nary an ad-blocker to be seen, because the ads are part of the platform experience itself.
That's winning the advertising game the 2018 way.
In-App Ads
You've no doubt noticed the proliferation of in-app ads over the past few years. Any time you download and install a free app, you're most likely going to be subjected to at least a few ads. It's only fair, right?
Apps are big business. As the saying goes, there's an app for that. Gaming, entertainment, finance, travel, reviews, meditation, exercise, and on and on. You need something, anything? An app exists to help you with it.
And in 2018, in-app ads are the fuel that drives the mobile app engine.
As you can see in the graphic above, video ads, display ads, and native ads account for 56% of app revenue sources. Developers need to make a living, too.
But it is a very fine line. If you've ever encountered an in-app ad, you've also likely been annoyed by one. There's only so much space on a smartphone or tablet screen. Losing any to an ad can be irritating and frustrating.
So what's the secret sauce? Many marketers and developers are seeing positive results with rewarded video ads.
App users are offered a choice: watch a brief video ad in exchange for an in-app reward (a free upgrade, additional life, downloadable template, exclusive content, etc), or skip it. No coercion. No aggressive sell. It's entirely up to the individual whether they watch or not.
But those that do agree are actually seeing your ad. Typically 30 seconds or less, the videos play while the user patiently waits and watches. It's a captive and willing audience for marketers.
Services like AdColony and Unity can connect advertisers and publishers in the app world to the benefit of both…and the app users themselves. That's a triple win. Everyone's happy.
As with any type of advertising, actively work to improve it over time. Monitor. Tweak. Manage. Improve.
Content Marketing
Perhaps the original ad-blocker killer, content marketing is still going strong. Even without the existence of blockers, it would still be a crucial cog in your digital marketing efforts.
Providing valuable, targeted, and useful content for free is a great way to spread awareness of your brand, increase engagement, build authority and expertise, and generate both goodwill and leads. Creating and sharing blog posts, infographics, videos, podcasts, and more is the ultimate method for winning in the digital arena.
It's not salesy. It's not pushy, or aggressive, or in-your-face. But pound for pound, content marketing delivers like no other. According to the Content Marketing Institute:
- It delivers 3x more leads per dollar spend than paid search ads
- It costs 62% less than traditional outbound techniques, but generates 3x more leads
- It combats ad overload by delivering your message without the use of true ads
- It produces conversion rates 6x higher than other methods
Content marketing is a long game. It's not based on clicks or conversions, per se. Use it to engage, connect, and build relationships that you can leverage into sales and revenue down the road. When it comes to business in 2018, just getting known is more than half the battle.
And because the ad is the content itself, blockers won't block, filters won't filter, and your audience is being advertised to without realizing it. They get something valuable from you, and you get to deliver your message to them.
If you market online at all, content marketing should be a cornerstone of your strategy whether you're concerned about ad-blockers or not.
I could go on in great detail about other methods to slay the ad-blocker beast, but I'm sure what we've already covered is more than enough to get you started. Suffice to say, there are other channels to explore:
- Email marketing is still one of the most powerful methods to connect, engage, educate, and nurture leads and customers.
- Interactive ads are a fun way to engage with your fans, leads, and customers. Give them something enjoyable and active to do while delivering your message, and the likelihood of getting blocked goes down exponentially. 360-degree video, augmented reality, virtual reality, and clickable maps are just a few examples of what you can do and use.
- Adapting to the growing use of mobile devices. Smartphones are ubiquitous. Start delivering content – and ads – on the platform your audience uses every day. You need to create mobile ads that target engagement and conversions if you want to succeed.
Keep looking, and you'll find plenty of additional tips, tricks, and channels to beat the blockers.
If you're only pushing ads the traditional ways – popups, banners, sidebars – you're doing it wrong.
Advertising is changing. Evolving. Understand why people are blocking to better understand how to win them back. The idea isn't to sneak past the blockers anymore, but rather to make them unnecessary.
People are using them because of performance – some studies suggest ad-blockers can reclaim 24 hours annually by making sites load faster – privacy, and security concerns. Keep that in mind when designing and launching your ad campaigns.
They don't like repetitive display ads. They don't like retargeting ads that follow them around.
They don't like popups, before-content ads, and banners.
In the United States, 54% of ad-blocker users feel ads are annoying and/or irrelevant, 48% believe there are just too many ads, and 47% feel that they take up too much screen space.
The good news? 83% of respondents in a Hubspot survey agreed that not all ads are bad, but they want the ability to block the obnoxious ones.
The solution? Make sure your ads are not the obnoxious ones. Pay attention to what they hate, and create accordingly.
How have you adapted to the ad-blocking age? What methods have you used to get your message across?
About the Author: Neil Patel is the cofounder of Neil Patel Digital.
Source: New feed 2


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Posted by Bridgette
Extra, Extra, Read All About It!
Obama "Most Wanted Corrupt Politician"
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption released their "10 Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" List.
Obama, the USA Usurper pResident, made their list while presumably sunbathing in Hawaii, or checking in on Janice Okubo at the DOH. As Gomer Pyle would say, "Surprise, Surprise, Surprise…Shazammm."
Obama can't be bothered to respond to the USA Citizens regarding two potential terrorists attacks or the uprising in Iran. But we know from CBS that he "sprang into action" when he was notified. He ordered another Mai Tia and a Hawaii Kai Swizzle to go. Now compared to the Nobel Peace Prize, this is an "award" we all understand and can agree upon. Continue reading


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A court battle with big implications for some 34,000 foreign workers in the U.S. is turning into a nail-biter. In one month's time -- Feb. 12 -- these workers may be forced to stop working and will have little choice but to buy tickets back home.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently filed a motion asking the court to extend that deadline 90 days, until May 10. This extension is opposed by the plaintiff, the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WashTech).
A decision is due by U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Huvelle in Washington.
The affected workers are employed under the Optional Practical Training STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) extension. All foreign students are eligible to work on a student visa for 12 months under the OPT program. But a 2008 rule enables STEM students to work an additional 12 months. The STEM extension is controversial because it's seen by its critics as a way to circumvent the H-1B cap limits.
In August, Judge Huvelle ruled that the U.S. erred by approving the extension without first seeking public comment.
The DHS recently published a new rule that increased the OPT extension from 17 to 24 months, in addition to the 12-month extension already allowed. But the DHS missed deadlines for getting the rule acted on.
One of the problems that the DHS said it faced was the sheer volume of comments.
In total, DHS said it received 50,500 comments, of which 85% of 43,000 "are unique." The department said it's the most public comments it has ever received -- since its creation in 2003 -- for any regulation.
But WashTech argued, in its response, that DHS had plenty of time to prepare, and said it was a "false premise" for the department to assert that the time to act began once the court imposed the deadline.
DHS "made a critical mistake" in 2008 when it denied the public the opportunity to comment on the rule. DHS had nearly eight years to make the correction, argued WashTech.


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Today is the first day of a massive recall for Brembo brakes, as our inbox just received the first official notice of what is expected to a recall that touches a multitude of brands that use the Italian company's high-performance line of brake master cylinders.
The issue stems from the Brembo's popular PR16 radial master cylinder unit (the master cylinder that is often paired with the Brembo M50 calipers), which apparently can crack internally at the piston, which can then lead to front brake failure.
Because of the physical properties of the piston material used on the master cylinder, and the porosity generated during the injection process used to create them, the piston could crack when used on race tracks, or with frequent ABS intervention, or when the motorcycle falls to the ground.
As such when the piston cracks, the front brakes may not operate properly during a braking procedure, which can lead to the front brakes failing entirely.
Brembo has been able to identify that the faulty piston is made from a type of plastic (polyphenylene sulphide), and to remedy the situation, an aluminum piston will need to be used as a replacement piece.
Today's recall deals only with Aprilia models fitted with the Brembo kit, which means that it affects the 2016-2017 Aprilia RSV4 lineup and 2017 Aprilia Tuono 1100 models.
According to documents filed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 1% of the 1,800 affected Aprilia units are expected to show cracking of the master cylinder piston.
However, noting that several other brands use the same master cylinder setup on their superbikes and high-performance sport bikes, our sources have indicated to us that other recalls can be expected in the coming weeks from a multitude of other brands, including Ducati and KTM.
It is not clear at this time how this recall affects those who bought Brembo radial master cylinders as an aftermarket replacement for their bike's braking setup. Hopefully we can find more information on that, though the PR16 is typically not bought as an aftermarket part.
For now, concerned Aprilia owners may contact Aprilia customer service at 1-212-380-4433, but know that Aprilia dealers will replace the front master cylinder free of charge. The Aprilia recall is expected to start January 15, 2018.
We will post subsequent notices from NHTSA for other brands that are affected by this Brembo brake recall. Stay tuned.
Source: NHTSA & Bothan Spies


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Has your love life gone from sizzle to fizzle? You don't have to memorize the Kama Sutra to spice things up between the sheets. In fact, it's the positions you assume outside the bedroom that could really heat things up. According to research in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, sexually dissatisfied women who took up yoga and practiced mindfulness techniques reported higher levels of arousal and desire, and better orgasms. To reap similar benefits, perform the 10 poses below at least three times a week, spending a minute or so in each position. If this is your first time practicing yoga, don't worry; we've linked each pose to a video tutorial so you can learn them at your own pace.
Wide-Legged Straddle Pose (Upavistha Konasana)
"This move is good for low libido," says yoga instructor Kate Hanley, author of The Anywhere, Anytime Chill Guide. "It improves blood flow to the pelvic area, and where the blood goes, so do energy and vitality." Research shows that below-the-belt circulation is directly linked to arousal. The more blood coursing through your veins, the higher your "state of enlightenment." See the move here. Photo: Shutterstock
Shoulder Stand (Salamba Sarvangasana)
Sagging skin isn't the only effect of the Earth's downward pull. The lower half of your body is more likely to suffer from sluggish circulation because the blood returning to your heart faces an uphill climb. Beat gravity at its own game by flipping upside-down. According to Hanley, this pose works on many woes that can plague a healthy sex life. "It relieves fatigue, calms the mind, lessens symptoms of depression and anxiety, and eases digestive problems," she says. See the move here. Photo: Shutterstock
Child's Pose (Balasana)
"Many women are so in their head that they can't get into their body," says Ellen Barrett, yoga instructor and author of Sexy Yoga. When your mind gets in the way of a good romp in the hay, try this pose to help you focus and relax. "Everything that helps you to be in the moment is going to help you be more sensual," she explains. Child's pose is very soothing and can really tune the mind to the body. See the move here. Photo: Shutterstock
Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana)
"Lizard is a great way to ease the hips open and calm the mind," says Tara Stiles, yoga instructor and author of Slim Calm Sexy Yoga. Take long, deep breaths while resting in this position. "When your attention is focused on your breath instead of your thoughts, you are brought right into the moment, which helps for all sort of things, including time in between the sheets." See the move here. Photo: Shutterstock
Goddess Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
According to Hanley, this pose can help alleviate PMS and menopause––both of which can make you feel as sexy as a sack of potatoes––and it promotes healthy function of the reproductive organs. "Plus, it teaches you how to get comfortable with being vulnerable, which true, mind-blowing intimacy requires," adds Hanley. See the move here. Photo: Shutterstock
Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
"Pigeon is the best way to release deep tension in the hips and put the mind in total chill mode," says Stiles. Whereas men tend to store tension in their shoulders, women tend to hold it in their hips. So this pose can help relieve tightness and restore flexibility. Relax into the position and hold for 10 long, deep breaths, advises Stiles. See the move here. Photo: iStockphoto
Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
"Downward dog calms the mind and invigorates the body, both important ingredients in good sex," says Hanley. "You can almost feel the tension sliding off your back when you do this pose. Plus, you've got your butt up in the air, which is about as 'come hither' as it gets!" See the move here. Photo: iStockphoto
Eagle Pose (Garudasana)
This move is so sexy, it's even in the Kama Sutra. In this pose, you wrap one leg around the other like a rope. This, says Barrett, has a tourniquet effect. When you release, all the blood rushes through the cervix, which primes the whole area for some TLC. Don't be intimidated by this move, she says; it's not as challenging as it looks. Photo: Shutterstock
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
Exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, like Kegels, were invented to help treat urinary incontinence, but it was discovered that they had other benefits as well. Namely, they tone the vagina and improve orgasms. According to Barrett, holding the bridge pose is similar to doing a Kegel, because you squeeze those same pelvic muscles. Photo: Shutterstock
Plow Pose (Halasana)
Even though stress can make sex seem as appealing as a root canal, it may be just what the doctor ordered; pleasurable activities like sex alleviate stress by blocking anxiety responses in the brain. Still, if you can't seem to muster the energy, plow pose can help you rejuvenate, says Barrett. "In this position, blood flows to the brain to wake you up. Plus, with your legs draped over your head, you're looking straight at your hips and connecting to that area visually, which can be a powerful aphrodisiac," she explains. See the move here. Photo: iStockphoto
Check out groundbreaking science that helps you lose 20 pounds and look 7 years younger.


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Conservationists desperately want to minimize the impact of overfishing on the oceans and their inhabitants. Doing so requires defining which species are most at risk, and so far, that has not been done on a global level. In terrestrial ecosystems, large-bodied species and top predators seem to be the most susceptible to human impacts; it has been assumed that the same holds true in the water. However, a recent report in PNAS indicates that this is not the case.
Pinsky et al. analyzed two independent fisheries databases, collectively describing 578 species over 60 years, to figure out which life-history traits might correlate with population collapse. They looked at a number of traits that had previously been shown to cause vulnerability to human activity in the seas, including large body size, late maturity, long lifespan, low fecundity, high parental involvement in offspring (large egg diameters), and high trophic levels (being at the top of the food chain).
Contrary to what they expected, they found that almost twice the percentage of smaller, low trophic-level fish stocks had collapsed compared to large top predators. They could not find a correlation between collapse and any of the life history traits they examined, in any combination.
Small fish that live near the surface tend to have rapid growth rates and are highly catchable, so are particularly at risk of being overfished. They can also have a "fast" life history strategy that led people to erroneously believe they were less vulnerable to overfishing. Perhaps this disparity with the situation on land is precisely because fisheries had been targeting these smaller fish, assuming that their populations were more resilient than they actually are.
The fast growth rates and short generation times might also render these short-lived species particularly sensitive to environmental variability. There are plenty of these examples. Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) and Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) are two short-lived species with stocks that collapsed; herring (Clupea pallasii) is a small, fast growing species with a stock that collapsed. Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) and chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) are other delicious species low in the food chain that also collapsed.
In his book Four Fish, Paul Greenberg laments that we have come close to depleting the oceans of edible wild fish, and will eventually limit our dining options to farmed tuna, cod, sea bass, and salmon. Hopefully, the acquisition and analysis of data on a global level such as reported here will impact fisheries management to the point where we can continue to enjoy the ocean's bounty without completely destroying it.
PNAS, 2011. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1015313108 (About DOIs).
Listing image by Flickr CC


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Even the smallest cities have a great deal of history. My hometown, Wheeling, West Virginia, is no exception. As a matter of fact, every time I turn my head, I spot another area deemed a "Historic District." One such spectacular piece of history is the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, which spans 1,010 feet across the Ohio River. Built in 1849, it has quite literally stood the test of time.
So, rather than poo poo your place of birth, do a little research on your city's history. You never know what interesting artifacts you may uncover.
dress: Band of Gypsies, hat: Big Buddha, belt: vintage, clutch: vintage, sandals: Dolce Vita, watch: Michael Kors
Get that Wheeling feeling.


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Demons Deceit
King of Kings. Liar. Crutch. Alive. Irrelevant. Messiah. What words do you use to describe Jesus? In front of others and during quiet moments with yourself… who do you say He is?
Demons know exactly who He is. When Jesus encountered a demon-possessed man (Luke 8:28) they acknowledged Jesus as God and considered Him worthy of worship. But that acknowledgment of God is not something demons advertise freely.
In reality, demons vie for our attention with alluring false testimony. The lies they peddle may sound familiar because the falsehoods are often packaged and delivered to you in the form of self-doubt: "I'm not competent enough," "No one cares," or "I will never conquer this temptation."
However, the very demons dispatched from the devil's rank and file to deceive you are themselves keenly aware of the truth. They will convince you not to pray. In fact, forget praying, "America's Got Talent" is on television tonight and you don't want to miss it. Meanwhile, even demons submit to His word. (Luke 8:32-33)
They will tell you there is no hell, "live it up," and there is no consequence for your sin. Yet, demons fear Jesus as Lord over the coming judgment. You may hear demons whisper, "prayer doesn't work" and "cut corners on your faith" and "God has failed you." Meanwhile, the Bible shows us that God expels demons and they always submit to His authority.
Have demons convinced you to live your life as a Christian in a bubble? Maybe your Christian bubble is just big enough to fit in a two-hour service on Sunday mornings. Some Christians have a more spacious bubble; your friends may know you go to church but lack understanding about a personal relationship with Jesus. Maybe you don't talk with anyone about your faith. You're an undercover Christian.
Collectively this has been one of the most paralyzing lies within the Christian faith. We've been lulled to laziness and cajoled to complacency.
How far would you go to defend your relationship with Jesus? What would you do to defend his name? The disciples all died for their faith. Threatened not to preach, they preached anyway. (Acts 4:13-19, 5:17-28) Beaten and jailed, they praised God. (Acts 16:16-25) Martyred for their faith, they saw God. (Acts 7:54-60)
Christianity is in dire need of believers with courage and motivation to create change. Creating change is not something that's incredibly complex or expensive. In fact, your own testimony is the most powerful tool you have. All of us have experienced some type of struggle in life and most of us have experienced a miracle of God that changed our path altogether. I challenge you to talk about your story as much as you can. It's the most credible thing you have. What God has done in your life is the most compelling and impactful narrative you can share.
"I was blind and now I see. I was once lost, addicted, suicidal, addicted to pornography, insecure, self-absorbed…but I gave my life to Jesus and guess what happened?" Whatever it is you've been delivered from -- that's the most valuable tool you have to reach others and articulate the hope, love and deliverance awaiting others.
The power of your testimony will overcome demons. (Revelation 12:11) Don't keep it to yourself. Because it's one thing to stroll along with Jesus, maintain safe distance from others and live within your comfort zone. It's another thing to enter into battle to spread His good news and defend His name. Which type of Christian are you?
To learn more about Pastor and author Miles McPherson, please visit MilesMcpherson.com
Follow Miles on Facebook - FB.com/Pastor.Miles.McPherson
Follow Miles on Twitter - Twitter.com/MilesMcpherson


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How do organisms make such amazing and complex structures out of such simple building blocks? Our lab focuses on discovering the fundamental mechanisms by which self-assembly happens across a wide range of spatial scales, from atoms and metabolites to proteins and polymers to cells and communities. For example, by assembling nanometer-sized proteins into micron-sized cytoskeletal polymers, bacteria make the measurements necessary to achieve their characteristic shapes. We focus our attention on the cell biology of bacteria, whose awesome experimental power allows us to attack questions with an integrated combination of genetics, biochemistry, microscopy, genomics, quantitative analysis, and computation. Our interdisciplary efforts are aided by our wonderful group of Princeton friends and collaborators..
Gitai Lab
Principal Investigator
Zemer Gitai
Thomas Laboratory, 355
Bacterial cell biology: fundamentals of cytoskeletal dynamics, polarity, and mitosis


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Written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope
"Now not for his sake only was it written, that it was reckoned to him," (Romans 4:23 NAS)
"20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of one's own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." (2 Peter 1:20-21 NAS)
""And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very distinctly."" (Deuteronomy 27:8 NAS)
"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4 NAS)
""Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things." (Revelation 1:19 NAS)
""The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." (2 Samuel 23:2 NAS)
""But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer, He has thus fulfilled." (Acts 3:18 NAS)
"But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel from Egypt, And by a prophet he was kept." (Hosea 12:13 NAS)
"24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you. 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28 "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. 29 "And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass, you may believe. 30 "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; 31 but that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here." (John 14:24-31 NAS)
"And when they did not agree with one another, they [began] leaving after Paul had spoken one [parting] word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers," (Acts 28:25 NAS)
"whom heaven must receive until [the] period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time." (Acts 3:21 NAS)
"thus says the Lord GOD, "It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass." (Isaiah 7:7 NAS)
"16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NAS)
""Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works." (John 14:10 NAS)
"And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17 NAS)
Preceding articles:
Poussés par le saint-esprit que des hommes ont parlé de la part de dieu
Observe la loi et la justice écrit d'avance pour notre instruction
Écrit pour Dieu de mettre à une vie vertueuse
Vrai Dieu donne Sa Parole pour obtenir la sagesse
L'esprit saint vous rappellera toutes les choses dites
Partage de la richesse, la sagesse de Dieu
Neergeschreven namens God om op te voeden tot een deugdzaam leven
Alle dingen eertijds geschreven tot ons onderricht
Denn Gott aufgeschrieben, um bis zu einem tugendhaften Leben zu erwecken
Neergeskryf namens God om op te voed tot 'n deugsame lewe
All things written aforetime for our instruction
Additional reading:
- Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
- No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation
- Bible Falling Apart Belongs to Someone who isn't
- Bric-a-brac of the Bible
- Youth has difficulty Bible Reading
- Written to whom it is about to be reckoned
- Bible, best Book of books to get to know the truth
- Focussing on oneness with Jesus like Jesus is one with God
- Written down in God's Name
- God giving signs and producing wonders
- A way to look for Christ, the Bible, Word of God


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The challenges we face during the first year after the death of a life mate/soul mate (or any other significant person in our lives who connects us to the world), are too great to enumerate. It's all we can do to cope with the seemingly endless chores of laying our beloved to rest while dealing with the emotional shock, the physical pain, the psychological affront that are our constant companions. Sometimes the first anniversary of his death is one of peace when we realize that we managed to survive the worst year of our life, but then we wake up to the second year and find a whole other set of challenges to meet.
The five main challenges we face during the second year after the death of a life mate/soul mate are:
1. Trying to understand where he went.
2. Living without him
3. Dealing with continued grief bursts.
4. Finding something to look forward to rather than simply existing.
5. Handling the yearning.
There are other challenges, of course, some unique to each individual, but all the challenges are dealt with the same way: by continuing to feel the pain when it erupts rather than turning away from it to satisfy the concerns of those who don't understand; by taking care of ourselves even when we don't see the point; by trying new things.
In other words, we meet the challenges of the second year by living. It sounds simple, but nothing about grief for a life mate/soul mate is simple. By living, we begin to move away from our pain, but we also move away from the person we loved more than any other. For some bereft, this feels like a betrayal of their love — how can you continue to live when life on this earth is denied him? For others, it seems like a betrayal of themselves — how can you become the person you need to be without betraying the person you once were?
The third year of grief seems to be a year of transition with only one new challenge — beginning to rebuild our lives. (We still have upsurges of sadness, still miss our loved one, still yearn for him, but these feelings are not as prominent as they once were.) Most of us no longer feel that continued life is a betrayal of our love because we understand that we had no choice in the matter, either in his death or in our continued life. Nor do we feel we are betraying the person we once were — we are no longer that person, though we have not yet developed into the person we are to become. Most of us are still trying to figure out who that person is and what that person wants and needs.
Many of us third-year bereft are caught in circumstances beyond our control — we are taking care of aged parents, new mothers, grandchildren. Although this transition between our old coupled life and our new life alone seems to be a time of stasis, we are still rebuilding our lives day by day, becoming who we need to be. We are also beginning to look beyond this transitional stage to what will come after, which is a sign of life and hope for the future even if we are not yet feeling hopeful.
By now, some bereft are ready to be in a new relationship, and they too seem to be in a transitional stage — not yet in a relationship but looking for possible partners. In other words, dating. I can't even begin to go into the challenges such bereft face; it seems an impossible task, to go from where they are to where they want to be.
A few people jump into a relationship too soon, and then have the added grief of an aborted love affair. Some find that while they want emotional intimacy, the would-be partner only wants physical intimacy. Complicating the typical adult dating woes of ex-wives, grown children, incompatible schedules, is the date's incomprehension of the bereft's grief. Too often, he doesn't want to hear about the deceased, which leaves the bereft dangling in an emotional limbo, because how can you have a meaningful relationship with someone who denies that which once gave your life meaning?
Others in this third year of grief are not looking for a new relationship, though they wouldn't turn love down if it came their way.
Whatever the challenges we bereft have to deal with in this third year of grief, we will meet them as we did all the other challenges we have faced: with courage, perseverance, and strength.
Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One. "Grief: The Inside Story is perfect and that is not hyperbole! It is exactly what folk who are grieving need to read." –Leesa Healy, RN, GDAS GDAT, Emotional/Mental Health Therapist & Educator.
Like Pat on Facebook.


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This is the story of Cori - who found a box with a pretty lid. Then she opened it up and the magic was revealed . . . .
I would definitely have flipped my lid if I had found this box - and the best part - it was only 5 bucks - lucky girl! All images from Cori's blog.


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Jake Gyllenhaal has been everywhere promoting Prisoners, opening this weekend. This morning it was with Kelly & Michael. I was watching during makeup and by the end of it, every nipple in the room was turned up, he is that appealing. Mostly during the part where they played a game called You Don't Know Jake. Is he in or is he out…on topics varying from PDA to twerking. His reaction to the twerking question is particularly funny. Like not in a stand-up comic Louis CK way but spontaneously he makes it interesting, his organic reactions elicit a smile, his personality seems authentic and irresistible. I want to keep watching. I don't want him to go away. In the end, that's good television. Jakey, always, is good tv.
As for his answer to PDA…well… I saw it for myself. He and Alyssa Miller at TIFF – click here for a refresher – did not pretend they weren't super hot for each other. They were super hot for each other and super hot period. And all the nipples at the party were turned up all the way for that too.


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Print Media Is Officially Scary Now
Mailing it in for Hamilton Nolan, who's, er, on assignment, I'm here with your post-inaugural, Nobama media column.
Postal rates are going up. Rather inconvenient for magazines, since their revenues aren't.
Portland's mayor, Sam Adams, may have hired local newspaper reporter Amy Ruiz for a job she was unqualified for, all to stop her from reporting on his relationship with an 18-year-old man. (Most gay guys we know would brag about dating an 18-year-old, but whatever.)
Newsday editor John Mancini disappeared for almost a week after the Cablevision-owned newspaper published a story about a sexual-harrassment lawsuit against Eddy Curry, a player for the Cablevision-owned Knicks. Now he's back on the job.
The Los Angeles Times, having cut 310 editorial jobs since July, is planning more layoffs. Wait — wasn't the editor bragging about how he could pay his reporters on online revenues alone? We're confused.
Radio talk jocks at Clear Channel are losing their jobs, too.


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When I was a kid growing up in Montreal, I spent more than a year filling a big brown bottle with pennies. When they reached the top and I poured them out, I was crushed that they totaled less than 20 bucks.
Ever since, I've had little love for the lowly Canadian cent -- it's 2.35 grams, mostly steel, and has been nothing but dead weight in my pockets. The government now feels the same and has announced that the Royal Canadian Mint will stop distributing pennies this fall.
"Pennies take up too much space on our dressers at home," Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said in announcing the federal budget. "They take up far too much time for small businesses trying to grow and create jobs."
Desjardins Group has estimated that the coin costs businesses $150 million a year in counting and transport costs. Meanwhile, it costs a penny and a half to mint every penny, and cutting it will save $11 million annually, according to the Department of Finance.
At least Canada is only losing on its pennies -- the Mint says other Canadian coins cost "well under face value" to produce.
Not so south of the border. It costs the United States Mint 2.41 cents to produce every cent and 11.18 cents for every nickel. In the year to September 30, 2011, that resulted in a loss of $116.7 million, according to Coin Update, a site devoted to coin news.
That's nothing, but in the recent book "The End of Money," author David Wolman cites research estimating that economies could save 1 percent of GDP by going cashless. That's a lot of loot.
At its plant in Winnipeg, the Royal Canadian Mint still churns out more than a billion pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars, dollars, and two-dollar coins annually. It even fashions numismatic oddities like this $100,000 gold coin, a mere 22 pounds in your wallet.
These curiosities may be the only future in coinage. Ottawa has counted 17 countries that have also phased out coins of little value over the past 40 years. Some are going further.
Sweden's cashless buses, church offertories, and other moves toward a cashless society have recently drawn attention, with observers commenting that less cash equals fewer bank robberies and less graft.
That may not necessarily be true, but what is remarkable is that Sweden's cash only makes up 3 percent of the economy, compared with 7 percent in the U.S., according to the Associated Press, quoting Bank for International Settlements data.
In Canada, the billions of pennies estimated to be in circulation -- the government has been churning the coppers out for nearly 150 years -- will be legal tender indefinitely.
Though I love analog technology, preferring a book to an e-reader any day, I don't see why we should retain any form of cash. Yes, coins and bills are convenient in that they're universally accepted, won't fail in a blackout, and are handy for informal transactions like tips and donations.
But they can also be forged, lost, damaged or destroyed, and easily stolen; your credit card can be stolen too, but at least you can freeze it. Besides these hidden costs and the security risk, they're cumbersome. And if the frequency of the above crimes is at all related to the amount of cash floating around, why keep physical money at all?
Part of the inertia is nostalgia. Cash has a cultural dimension, but culture can change. High-tech Japan, for instance, has a mysteriously strong cash culture, with myriad small shops and restaurants still refusing plastic. But e-money functions have been around on Japanese smartphones for years and are getting increasingly popular with commuters and shoppers.
As part of the exploding mobile payments industry in the U.S. and Canada, PayPal and Visa have been developing digital wallets that go beyond mere vehicles for NFC (near-field communications) payments. They could store your favorite purchases, access cards for your workplace, and coupons and loyalty cards.
It won't be long before digital wallets are as common as cameras on cell phones. That's a positive trend. Too bad it will probably take years or decades more for all cash to leave our analog wallets permanently. Hang on to your piggy banks.


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I made the mistake of telling Mona that my PLL recap was going to be late again this week. She didn't take it well . . .
Que Pasa, My Pretties! Wow, with one character faking blind, another faking pregnant, a third possibly faking crazy, and a fourth faking her student's good grades, who would have thought that the PLL Girls would end up being the most honest characters on the show?
This week on PLL, quite a few supporting characters found their lives caught in an ever-growing web of Big Fat Fibs.
Also, Lucas became a Pyro, and Mona continued her new weekly trend of doing completely random things, by singing, temper tantruming (Is tantruming even a verb?), and playing solitaire, all in the same episode!
That Rosewood . . . it sure is a wild and wacky place. Let's review, shall we?
In which Lucas and Caleb Swap Personalities . . .
So, remember back when Lucas was still "nerdily delicious?"
Ahhh . . . those were the good old days. And while, I must admit the peach fuzz he started sporting on his face, ever since the day the writers decided he was "BAAAAAD" is kind of hot (in a dirty way) . . .
. . . I miss my adorkable stud muffin . . . A LOT.
But I digress . . . the episode begins with Lucas getting reamed out by his principal, for having a BAAAD attitude, and getting BAAAAAD grades.
Here's hoping he merely has a bad case of Senioritus, because he already got into Yale or something. And yet, somehow I doubt it . . . A very concerned Hanna rushes to comfort the dude she once voluntarily pushed out of a boat.
Lucas responds by burning a letter to his parents, and allowing the "flaming missive" to set fire to a random classroom trashcan. (That's right, Lucas! You show that trashcan who's boss!)
Martyr Hanna rushes toward the flames to rescue the letter. And Caleb — the guy who used to sleep in the school library, get lots of detention, and steal everyone's cell phone, in turn — rushes to rescue Hanna. It's one big happy rescuing family . . .
Apparently, Caleb stopped hanging out with Lucas . . .
. . . around the same time Lucas started slinking around the streets of Rosewood at 4 a.m., like a homeless person.
This, coincidentally was also around the same time that Caleb stopped BEING an actual homeless person, because he got a rich mom he never knew he had.
Am I the only one noticing a pattern here? These two just totally did a personality swap . . . kind of like in that movie where Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman pee, in the fountain and subsequently switch bodies . . .
Now, Caleb, a.k.a. the guy who started dating Hanna, because Formerly Blind Jenna paid him to do it, is the one lecturing her about honesty, and fearly protecting her from creepers like Crazy Mona.
And Lucas is the one HANGING out with the creepers, making vaguely threatening statements to everyone he encounters, and trying to convince Hanna not to be so gosh darn naive.
Oh . . . did I mention Lucas also VISITS crazy Mona at the loony bin . . . the same girl who, in the not so distant past, bullied him almost as aggressively as Alison, herself, did?
The plot . . . it thickens . . .
Speaking of good girls and boys going bad . . .
In which Mama Montgomery gets herself into deep doo doo . . .
So, last week we watched Mama Montgomery help an unwitting Emily cheat on a test, by taking it for her. This week, Emily becomes convinced that "A" helped her cheat on the test, and spends most of the episode, whining to everyone who will listen that she should have gotten a lower grade.
As my brilliant friend sassyfran so cleverly noted, Emily should really consider SHUTTING UP.
We don't get much for free in this world. And when life hands you a 94%, proverbial or actual, you TAKE IT, say thank you, and then run away, before anyone realizes you don't really deserve it . . .
But this story really isn't about Emily, for a change. It's about Mama Montgomery, who's being brought before the principal on suspicion of cheating, and Fitzy, who knows ALL ABOUT wanting to provide a little extra pleasure to students in his English class . . . if you catch my drift.
In the end, Fitzy comes to Ella's aid, saving her from having to confess to her crimes, and possibly losing her job.
When Ella asks Fitzy why he did what he did, he tells her
"because I rather enjoy f*&king your daughter, and wish to consider doing so for the forseeable future" "a long time ago, we used to be friends" . . .
. . . which, of course, distracts me from the rest of the episode, because I can't stop thinking about (and singing) this . . .
Damn you, Fitzy, and your catchy theme song phrases!
Speaking of teenage girl super sleuths . . .
In which we wonder why anyone would want to go through the trouble of faking preggers for multiple months . . .
Spencer gets to make her trademark Spencer Face plenty this week, when she catches BOTH her mom and her aggressively unlikeable, crazy pants' sister in a MASSIVE lying game.
It all starts with Mama Hastings admitting to her daughter's that she has agreed to represent Police Boy Garrett, the very same possible double murderer that she FORBID Spencer to visit in jailing just two weeks prior.
B*tch Sister Melissa, who's been looking remarkably baby bump free, of late, seems surprisingly cool with the idea, which leads Spencer to suspect foul play.
Apparently, Melissa's been mightly chilly with Spencer, ever since the summer, when she supposedly had a miscarriage out of town, and Spencer wasn't there to support her in her "hour of need."
You must be wondering why I put "hour of need" in quotes. After all, losing a baby is AWFUL . . . right? At least, I assume it's awful . . . I never actually lost one . . . or found one for that matter.
Except, as Spencer finds out later, Melissa didn't lose her baby this summer, she lost WAAYYYY earlier than that, possibly back in Season 1, after that car accident. This pretty much means girlfriend's been waltzing around with a pillow up her shirt for MONTHS. And Spencer's mom's been keeping that secret for at least half that time.
The question is why? And what the eff does it have to do with Police Boy Garrett, who Melissa claims is the only boy who never lied to her, despite all those times he lied to Spencer . . . the cops . . . and everyone else on this show.
Could Police Boy have been the real father of Melissa's baby? Had she carried it to term, would it have come out looking like this?
Or this . . .
We may never know . . .
In which Not So Blind Jenna gets busted . . . FINALLY . . .
Last week, I cheered on the PLL girls, when they decided to use their recently acquired knowledge of Blind Jenna's not-so-blindness as leverage against her and the so-called "A" team.
So, of course, I was thrilled to see Aria going undercover as Blind Jenna's Band Geek friend, and super excited, when the littlest PLL found the handwritten note, instructing Jenna to go to "H.Cobb at 4:15" and bring "earplugs."
It all started out great, with the girls tailing Jenna, as she went from cab to car, and ended up at a SHOOTING RANGE. You know, because Blind People have SUCH great aim.
(Note: If you recall, last week the "A" team was picking up some guns and Ammo. This might be one of the reasons why.)
And while it was wholly satisfying to watch Hanna corner Blind Jenna, as she DROVE HER CAR away from the shooting range, I have to say, I was a bit disappointed that the girls never ACTUALLY played the A game, by blackmailing Jenna into giving them intel about "A" like they initially planned.
Hanna TOTALLY jumped the gun here.
And that speech Blind Jenna gave, about faking blind to PROTECT herself from "A?"
If you believe that, than allow me to let you in on a secret, I've only been pretending to be an anonymous girl blogger. I'm actually Ian Somerhalder, star of The Vampire Diaries . . .
Riiiight . . .
In which Mona entertains everyone, but especially herself . . .
But if I had to pick an MVP of this episode, it would absolutely be Mona. Seriously, how entertaining is this Looney Tune?
You just never know what you're going to get with her. One minute she's the clingy outcast . . .
. . . the next minute she's Queen B . . . Then, all the sudden she's a homicidal sociopath, with super human strength. Two episodes later she's a drooling invalid, who cuts herself with tweezers, in moments of "clarity."
Now, she's the Belle of the Crazy Ball, regaling all the other nut jobs with beauty tips she learned in magazines . . .
. . . gossiping with Hanna, having secret meetings with BAAAD Lucas, and teaching Caleb how to play solitaire, while giving him makeout advice . . .
But wait, by the end of the episode, she's changed again. Now, she's a RAVING LUNATIC . . . a secret American Idol candidate . . . and a hoarder of playing cards?
Maybe next week, SHE'LL be Ian Somerhalder . . . (Now THAT'S a Mona I'd like to see . . .)
In which A drinks coffin vodka . . . EWWW!
Ahhh, we've the final scene of the episode . . . the "A" team moment. We pan out on a floor filled with "A" paraphenalia. There are teeth, twine, and letter blocks, like the ones "A" used to make that gross necklace Emily got last week.
Ever the lush, "A" chugs down an already open bottle of vodka, and returns it to its natural resting place . . . an ice box . . . with Ali's body (presumably) inside.
Mmmmm . . . nothing like a little dead corpse flavor to go with your mixed drink.
I'm thinking one of the PLL girls (probably Hanna . . . that lush!) . . .
. . . put the bottle in Ali's coffin as a "keepsake" of some sort . . . just as Aria had put in that ugly pair of earrings.
But still, did "A" really have to drink it? That's just gross . . .
Until next time, my Pretties!


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The Weekly Show by FRED.fm!
Big FRED Tuesday is the new weekly show by FRED.fm with Matt Micucci!
BFT is your weekly roundup of all things cinema, featuring news from the world of film and interviews with various international guests.
The show will be broadcast each Tuesday at 7.30am, 2pm, 6.30pm and 12am on Entertainment Channel and also on English Channel at 9.30am, 4pm, 8.30pm, 11.30pm.
Do not miss it!
Find it also on iTunes, Spotify, Spreaker, Castbox, Tune in, Deezer, Google Podcast, Mix Cloud, iHeart Radio, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, JioSaavn.


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Some details on Google's upcoming smartphone were released by Boy Genius Report today. With the working title Google Nexus 4G, the phone looks like a monster, and will have among its trappings the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, a 720p screen, 1080p video capture, and a 4G LTE radio.
Google's last two phones, the Nexus One and the Nexus S, were not wanting for top-of-the-line hardware, but they failed to win the hearts of carriers. By many of its specs, the Nexus 4G sounds as if it's set to burn even the latest crop of phones by a big margin.
The Nexus 4G will have either a 1.2 or 1.5GHz dual-core processor that BGR speculates will be a Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 or a low-power Krait-based Snapdragon model. The phone may also have 1GB of RAM and a 720p "monster-sized" screen—we're not sure if that means the phone will transcend the 4-inch diagonal size barrier.
Cameras will also be a big emphasis for the Nexus 4G, as the 5-megapixel rear camera will have a superior sensor for better image quality and low-light shots, and will also record video in 1080p. A less-impressive one-megapixel camera will be on the front.
One of the most interesting changes is the handset's apparent lack of the four standard physical Android buttons, previously required by the OS on all phone models. The button's functionalities will be moved to software-based interactions.
BGR speculates that the Nexus 4G will debut on AT&T and will be the flagship device for this major Android revision, as the Motorola Droid was for Android 2.0 and the Motorola Xoom was for 3.0. While the phone sounds beastly by today's standards, Google isn't planning on releasing it until Thanksgiving. The Nexus 4G is one of the first phones announced for that timeframe, so the competition still has some time to catch up.


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New Blackberry Q5 Unveiled As Cheaper Alternative, BBM Heads To iPhone And Android
ORLANDO, Fla. – Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled a lower-cost Blackberry aimed at consumers in emerging markets, including Latin America, as it tries to regain market share lost to Apple's iPhone and Android devices.
The lower-cost gadget, called the Q5, is the company's third smartphone to run the new BlackBerry 10 system. It will have a physical keyboard, something that sets RIM's devices apart from Apple's iPhone and most Android phones.
RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said the "slim, sleek" device will be available in red, black, white and pink. He announced the phone Tuesday to a packed ballroom to open RIM's annual three-day conference in Orlando, Fla.
The device will be available in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America beginning in July. The Q5 isn't expected to be released in North America for now. The company did not disclose prices for the new phone.
RIM's higher-tier Q10 has been released in most markets, but delays have meant that U.S. carriers aren't likely to have it until June. The U.S. delays complicate RIM's effort to hang on to customers tempted by Apple's iPhone and a range of Android smartphones. Even as the BlackBerry has fallen behind rivals in recent years, many users have remained loyal because they prefer a physical keyboard over the touch screen found on other devices.
The Q5 differs only slightly from the Q10. Both have 2 gigabytes of working memory, though the Q5 has only 8 gigabytes of flash memory for storage compared with 16 gigabytes for the Q10. Both have 2 megapixel front-facing cameras, but the Q5's rear-facing camera is only 5 megapixels, compared with the Q10, which has 8 megapixels and also records high-definition video.
Also, the Q5 has a 3.1-inch LCD display, while the Q10 has an OLED screen of the same size. Organic light-emitting diodes provide for more vivid colors.
RIM unveiled new BlackBerrys this year after delays allowed Apple and others to continue their global advance.
RIM's iconic BlackBerry device, introduced in 1999, was the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and consumers for nearly a decade. But rivals came out with a new generation of phones that could do more than just email and messaging, starting with the iPhone in 2007 and followed by devices running Google's Android system. Suddenly, the BlackBerry looked ancient.
According to research firm IDC, shipments of BlackBerry phones plummeted from 46 percent of the U.S. market in 2008 to 2 percent in 2012.
Though RIM continues to do well in many overseas markets, the company faced numerous delays modernizing its operating system in an effort to compete with the iPhone and smartphones running Android.
Heins, who became RIM's CEO in January 2012, said the company has made a lot of progress in a short period of time.
He restated BlackBerry's committed to "mobile first" and took a subtle jab at industry predictions that he might not make it to this year's conference as CEO because of the competitive mobile landscape.
"I'm happy to say they were wrong," Heins said. "We are not only still here. We are firing on all cylinders as a company."
RIM's stock fell 63 cents, or 3.8 percent, to close Tuesday at $15.25.
RIM, which is formally changing its corporate name to BlackBerry, also said it will offer its once-popular BlackBerry Messenger service on iPhones and devices running Google's Android software.
Heins said iPhone and Android versions of the BlackBerry Messenger app will be available for free, subject to approval by Google Play and the Apple App Store.
"It's time to bring BBM to a greater audience," Heins said. "I cannot wait for the day when all of our BlackBerry fans can send BBM invites to all their friends on other platforms. They have asked us for this for years."
The BBM service was once a reason for BlackBerry users not to defect to other smartphones. Now, there are many rival messaging services. Still, there are more than 60 million BBM users worldwide.
BBM works like text messaging but doesn't incur extra fees.
Colin Gillis, an analyst at BGC Partners, said offering BBM on rival platforms is a good move because closed ecosystems don't work anymore. He said the company was forced to do it but said it might be too late.
"BBM is a communication network and it's only as powerful as people who are on it," Gillis said.
Heins said RIM is "definitely in the race" and that he is excited about the company's outlook, predicting the most successful year for BlackBerry.
"What I can say is that 12 months ago I was told we would be out of business in two quarters, and that we could burn through our cash within two quarters. It didn't happen. We are confident in the future of BlackBerry 10."
Asked about a move away from tablet technology, Heins said that the future is in mobile and that BlackBerry's new initiatives are to target a consumer it thinks will rely on one mobile device for all communications within seven years.
RIM's tablet, the PlayBook, has not sold well.
"You will always have people that are in a very limited view (asking questions) like 'when are you going to take on Apple?'" Heins said. "That's not the way I'm thinking about this."
Based on reporting by the Associated Press.
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|Dr. Fred Browning (second from left), associate professor of physics at Palm Beach Atlantic University, watches as Conniston Middle School students and teachers attempt to launch a pumpkin into the air using a spring-operated mechanism and scientific principles. Dr. Browning and several of his students at PBA had been working with after-school classes at Conniston to construct catapults prior to the "Flying Pumpkins" event, which was held on the athletic fields at Conniston in October 2013.
At this year's Volunteer and Business Partners Awards Breakfast for the School District of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Atlantic University received the Gold Award in the Not-for-Profit category.
About 500 volunteers, business partners and community members attended the recognition event, presented by the school district's Office of Community Involvement and held recently at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. The faculty and administration of Conniston Middle School nominated PBA for the award.
Conniston Middle School and PBA are members of the Parker Avenue Consortium. The consortium was developed as a means to bring resources together to benefit kindergarten through university students and their families, and ultimately to bring a renewed vitality to the neighborhood near PBA's Rinker Athletic Campus.


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Man suspected of killing 3 Canadian Mounties caught
MONCTON, New Brunswick (AP) - Police say the man suspected in the shooting deaths of three Royal Canadian Mounted Police was arrested unarmed and without incident earlier Friday.
Police said at a press conference that they received a tip that led them to the New Brunswick location where they found 24-year-old Justin Bourque.
Supt. Marlene Snowman says Bourque was arrested in Moncton at 12:10 a.m. without incident. She says no weapons were on him, but were found nearby. Charges will be brought later Friday.
Michelle Thibodeau says she saw the man arrested in the front yard of her home and heard the suspect say, "I'm done," before his arrest by officers with guns drawn.
RCMP Commander officer Roger Brown said identified the dead as Constables Fabrice Georges Gebordin, 45; David Ross, 32; and Douglas James Larche, 40.


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The re-interment of Paddy McGrath in 1948 – notes from Ruairí Ó Brádaigh
In December 2017, the National Graves Association launched a campaign to reinter the remains of the National Invincibles, currently buried in Kilmainham Gaol and give them a dignified burial in Glasnevin Cemetery. Since the formation of the Irish Freestate, re-interments of Irish republicans were nothing unusual.
While the re-interment of Roger Casement is widely known, there were more occasions of Irish nationalists being re-interned throughout the 20th century. In September 1948, for instance, the remains of six Republicans executed by the Fianna Fáil government were exhumed and given over to their families for re-interment. Among those six was Paddy McGrath, an Easter Rising veteran executed on 6 September 1940.
A note by the late Ruairí Ó Brádaigh
A handwritten note by the former O/C of the IRA, President of Provisional Sinn Féin, and founder of Republican Sinn Féin, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh on the re-interment is held in the archives of NUI Galway (POL28/11/19). The note dates from 15 June 2011 and says:
"In mid-September 1948, the remains of all six Republican executed by the 26-County State under Fianna Fáil were exhumed and given over to their families for re-interment. Paddy McGrath was one of these six. His remains were removed from Mountjoy Prison ground and were given a Republican funeral through the centre of Dublin to Glasnevin Cemetery where they were buried in the Republican Plot. The National Graves Association made the arrangements, and the Irish Republican Army was in charge of the funeral.
"There was a huge attendance. Brian O'Higgins gave the oration vindicating McGrath and his comrades. The two Clann na Poblachta Ministers of the new (1948) Administration at Leinster House, Seán MacBride and Noel Browne, were present.
"The procedure was similar to that of the 1920s when the bodies of the 77 Republicans executed by the Free State in 1922 and 1923 were handed over to the families in 1924. The last letters of the executed men were delivered to their relatives immediately in the early 1920s. In the 1940s such letters were suppressed and only reached the families when the bodies were given over in 1948."
The last hours of Lieutenant-General Paddy McGrath, IRA
The note is attached to a one-page document entitled "the last hours of Lieutenant-General Paddy McGrath, IRA". It was given to Ó Brádaigh "by Séamus Fitzpatrick of Dún Laoghaire on June 11, 2011. He was the son of Seán Fitzpatrick, Secretary of the National Graves Association, from its foundation in 1926 until his death in the early 1960s". The document itself is dated 18 October 1948, hence, written approximately six weeks after the execution.
The document says that
"Fr. John McLaughlin was a member of "G" Company, 4th Battalion, when Sean Dowling was Battalion Commandant and who was until recently an Army Chaplain, was present at the execution of Patrick McGrath and Tom Harte in Mountjoy Prison on September 8th, 1940. (…) Fr. McLaughlin gave details of the device adapted to ensure that the names of the twelve men who took part in the shooting would never be divulged. He said that the Officer in charge of the firing squad was, like Paddy, an Easter Week man and was 'deeply affected'. He also expressed the strongest admiration for Tom Harte whom he said was one of the finest men he had ever come into contact with."
The Invincibles Re-interment Campaign
To me, there is no obvious reason why the current Irish government should not follow the example of preceding administrations, just like the one in 1948, and support the re-interment of the five National Invincibles. After all, the Invincibles fought for the independence of the island, this government partly rules.
As I said in an endorsement of the campaign last autumn: "The Irish National Invincibles were executed for being Irish Republicans. As such, they fought for the establishment of an independent Republic, as women and men did all over Europe in the 19th century, from Hungary and Italy to Poland and Russia. They understood their actions against the colonial rule as their chosen medium to communicate these aims. In that regard, they were no different from Roger Casement. However, while Casement is remembered as an early advocate of modern human rights who received a state funeral when his remains were finally repatriated in 1965, the five Irish National Invincibles are still hidden in Kilmainham Gaol almost inaccessible to their descendants and the public. As Irishmen who were executed by a foreign ruler for their fight for the independence of their country from colonial rule, they deserve to be honoured accordingly."
Aidan Lambert, secretary of the Invincibles Re-internment Committee, explains: "We made a pledge that post the 2016 celebrations, we would campaign with the NGA to have the remains of Joseph Brady, Daniel Curley, Michael Fagan, Thomas Caffrey and Timothy Kelly exhumed from the prison yard where have lain since 1883."
The late historian Shane Kenna wrote a book about the Invincibles which was published by O'Brien's Press in February, and I reviewed it for the current edition of An Spreách.
A commemoration for the National Invincibles will be held by the National Graves Association on Saturday, 18 May, at Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. Assemble at the gates at 12noon.
dieterreinisch - 19:16 @ History, Ireland, Irish Republicanism | 1 comment


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Tuomas Holopainen
The Life and Times of Scrooge
Released: 11th April, 2014
Folk/Symphonic Rock
Released via Nuclear Blast
Being his first solo record, Tuomas Holopainen did an outstanding job of creating a masterpiece that is very different from anything he has ever done in his primary band, Nightwish. This is a concept album that is based off of the Disney novel, The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, and if this book did have a movie, I'm confident that this album would be the soundtrack. There are, of course, keyboards and a symphony which doesn't branch too far from Nightwish, but there are also elements of folk heard at different times which gave this the light-hearted, childish feel you might get from a Disney movie.
Many musicians helped to create the album, and most of them were not from metal bands. However, Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica played the part of the "storyteller" and one of Nightwish's newest members, Troy Donockley, played the pipes and whistles. I like that even with the help of metal musicians, it still did not derive away from the over feel of the album. There are some times when songs definitely were a bit more aggressive and heavier, and that subtle influence was enough to remind me that this album was made by a metal musician.
One track in particular, Cold Heart of the Klondike, had an intro that reminded me a lot of something that Nightwish would have written. This is probably because it starts out with primarily the keyboards and then gradually goes into violins paired with dramatic choir vocals, and that's something I would expect to hear on any kind of symphonic metal album. While I greatly enjoyed these small bits of fast and epic music, it's primarily what I looked forward while listening to this album. I felt that the tracks were much too long and kind of dragged out after a while. The only tracked I really enjoyed listening to was their single release, A Lifetime of Adventure. To me, it was the most memorable because it had the most vocals and didn't drag out for too long. While the other songs were done beautifully, they were just entirely too long and repetitive for my liking.
Overall, this album was a great listen. I highly recommend picking it up once it is released next month if you are a fan of symphonic, folk, or power metal. A Lifetime of Adventure has a music video out if you want to preview what the album actually sounds like as well. I was impressed by the musicianship and overall quality of this album, and I hope Tuomas Holopainen continues to make more solo records.
Lauren Gowdy


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Today marked the North American launch of BlackBerry KEYone, the first BlackBerry branded smartphone sold and marketed by BlackBerry Mobile, a subsidiary of TCL Communication. BlackBerry KEYone is built by TCL Communication, incorporating several hardware features and software applications under license from BlackBerry. The former leverages Blackberry's legacy hardware patents, such as for the keyboard; […]
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BlackBerry 10: My European Travel Companion(s)
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Gentle readers, this week's theater review for the LA Weekly is of the fun and frothy tap-musical parody Dames at Sea, currently running at the Colony Theater in Burbank.
Click here to go to the LA Weekly's page with my review of Dames at Sea, and then scroll down a bit to find it.
You can just read it here!!
Happy reading!
Dames at Sea
Frothy nonsense involving a diva, an irascible stage director, a handful of plucky chorines and two handsome sailors, Dames at Sea is a peachy-keen tap musical. First staged in the late 60s, the sweet and mildly racy show sends-up the lavish 1930s Busby Berkeley-style movie musicals where an understudy steps into a lead role on Broadway gaining instant stardom. The inside joke is that the parody is achieved with a mere cast of six, a tiny stage and two pianos and percussion (performing off stage). You can only imagine the frantic quick changes going on backstage as the performers switch characters and costumes.
Fresh off the bus from Centerville, bright-eyed cutie-pie Ruby (Tessa Grady) falls in love, has her heart broken, regains love and debuts in a (hilariously relocated) Broadway musical, in a whirlwind 24 hours. Sixteen pretty songs include the forlorn "Raining in my Heart." While the tapping could have been crisper, everyone is in fine voice.
Dames at Sea
Book and lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller, music by Jim Wise.
Playing Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Continues through May 13.
555 N. Third St.,


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New York's Next Mayor Tries New Tactic To Get Feedback
New Yorkers have a new way to deliver messages to their newly elected mayor, Bill de Blasio. It's a tent, a huge, translucent one on Canal Street called The Talking Transition Tent. More than 11,000 people have wandered through it so far, and it's become a kind of 21st-century soapbox, as NPR's Margot Adler reports.
MARGOT ADLER, BYLINE: In front of the tent is a huge, illuminated arrow that changes colors, and the word talk is spelled out in large, black milk crates with sparkling lights. Inside there are almost 50 iPad terminals where you can rate your neighborhood in regard to education, jobs, policing and more. Cindy Dee(ph) has come by almost every day. Her issue...
CINDY DEE: Education. It's my biggest priority.
ADLER: You're a teacher?
DEE: Yes, so I'm very interested in the new policies for education.
ADLER: She's waiting to listen to a discussion on education, but right now in one of the tent's rooms there's a lively conversation about city parks. In front of about 60 people, a councilman, Daniel Squadron, is having a feisty debate over a bill with a parks' advocate.
COUNCILMAN DANIEL SQUADRON: It is not extraordinarily well-funded.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: But it has not made this a major part of its mission at all...
ADLER: There are sticky notes on every wall and table where people write their concerns, and there's a hanging thought bubble, which says what's your idea for New York City, and you can stand under the thought bubble, in front of a microphone and create a video about your idea.
ANDREA SLESSINGER: The room is littered with stickers.
ADLER: Andrea Slessinger(ph) works for Soros' Open Society Foundations, one of the 10 foundations supporting this two-week venture. She gives me a tour.
SLESSINGER: We've had performances. We've had panel discussions. We've had people doing teach-in style things. We've got people sitting around tables and doing participatory budgeting exercises.
ADLER: There's a room where you can buy coffee, food. There's even music.
ADLER: Anna Mokler(ph) is from Brooklyn and teaches in a community college.
ANNA MOKLER: To talk is the beginning of everything.
ADLER: Her priority for the mayor: reducing inequality.
MOKLER: The gap between the rich and the poor in New York City, oh my heavenly mergatroid...
ADLER: Slessinger says all these sticky notes, videos, computer entries will be collected and looked at by the new mayor and everyone involved. I asked Toby Bergman(ph), a middle-age guy who wandered in, do you think this all adds up to anything?
TOBY BERGMAN: As I walked by, there seemed to be a lot of energized people.
ADLER: And there were, even groups of school kids passing through. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.
This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.