``It was rare dumbness,'' says Stephen Belless as he describes his last trip to Paris. Mr. Belless, an American TV producer based in K"oln, West Germany, arrived recently at Charles de Gaulle Airport for a business weekend, but neglected to come armed with a visa. French border police sent him right back.
Belless, apparently, isn't alone. Quite a few Americans have not gotten the message that they, as well as nationals from about 40 other countries, still need visas to travel here, ever since the French government imposed the requirement last September as an antiterrorism measure.
The decision followed a series of bombings in Paris that killed 11 people and wounded more than 160 others.
The attacks have stopped and French police have claimed several successes lately in their fight against terrorism.
But the measure, imposed at first for six months, has been extended indefinitely.
With the peak tourist season just weeks away, some American officials are worried they could be besieged with calls for help.
``We cannot go to the French and fuss too hard about their visa [requirements],'' says Marvin Groeneweg, head of the Office of American Services at the United States Embassy in Paris. Especially, Mr. Groeneweg points out, since the US requires one from French visitors.
Jean-Paul Lespinasse, a spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism, says the number of Americans coming to France without visas is ``extraordinarily slim.'' He says he is convinced France has publicized its visa policy widely and suggests if Americans do get stranded it is their own fault.
French officials admit that initially there was chaos. But now they say the confusion and long lines at French consulates have been eliminated with visas processed within a few days.
A spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry says that 600 supplementary staff have been hired worldwide to handle applications and special funds have been appropriated to computerize more French consulates.
A three-year multiple entry visa costs $15. Border police are supposed to advise travelers arriving without visas to go to an adjacent country to apply at a French consulate there. Groeneweg says emergency visits are handled by US and French officials with little difficulty.
French officials maintain that the visa requirement has been successful in discouraging terrorism, coupled with other measures including increased police patrols, greater cooperation among international intelligence services, and French counterespionage work.
But some travel professionals, hoping for a busier summer than last year's, worry the requirement is hurting business.
``It's not going down, it is down,'' says Andr'e Saurin, head of an association of restaurant and hotel operators.
Mr. Saurin's group, the Chambre Nationale de la Restauration et de l'Hotellerie, is trying to persuade the government to issue visas more quickly and free of charge.
Fears of terrorist attacks, coupled with the steep drop in the value of the dollar, last year discouraged many Americans from visiting France.
According to government statistics and travel professionals, tourism last year was down 20 percent over 1985, when a record 2.8 million Americans traveled here.
French tourism officials state that if Americans aren't returning this year in greater numbers it is not because of visas but because of the dollar's continued decline.
Suzanne Beauvallet, an American tourist from Honolulu, says she got her visa by mail from the French consulate in San Francisco without any hardship in 10 days.
Ms. Beauvallet, however, never had to show her stamped passport.
When she and her husband crossed the border into France by car, border police never checked them.
French officials admit that people who come into the country are more regularly - and more rigorously - checked when they arrive by plane.
As for television producer Belless, still embarrassed by what he calls the most expensive tour of his life, he says he has decided to cross France off his travel list.


text:
Dogasu's Backpack Discussion
Thread starter Pokemaster Justin
First Prev 2 of 161
Cybersai
Lil Brother said:
Are you kidding, Scott? The Johto starters rocked. o.o The problems were that the writers didn't do anything with them, aside from Chikorita/Bayleef.
Yeah, I'll give you Chikorita/Bayleef. It has more personality than Turtwig, which doesn't really have one to speak of. I always did think Ash's Chikorita was the cutest thing ever.
Cyndaquil and Totodile never really had personality to me. Corphish was what Totodile was probably intended to be like, so the writers got it right the second time. Noctowl, like Ash's other birds, didn't have much personality either.
Honestly, if Ash's Johto team was Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charizard, Heracross and Phanpy...it would have been a hell of a lot more enjoyable season than it turned out.
Totodile should have went to Misty, and Brock could have captured Cyndaquil to replace Vulpix. Ash didn't need those Johto starters at all and now they're completely useless compared to his other teams. No wonder why the writers abandoned them.
Pokemaster Justin
I disagree Scott I think that Chrizard would have made his gym battles less intersting..
I wish Johto he did like these other seasons and just got rid of his Pokemon/stored them at Oaks.
Perhaps than you would have like his team better.
Chickorita
Heracross
Noctowl
Pikachu doesn't really count...
The two best Johto Gyms were Falkner and Clair's Gyms though, both Gyms where Charizard participated in.
BTW, sorry if I'm going off-topic from Dogasu's site. lol.
Anyway, I don't see TR'S suits being based off those Doraemon aliens either... Looks more like a coincidence.
Agreed. A good number of Pokeani's user-submitted "parody" remarks seem like nothing but random coincidences.
Dogasu
ロケット団よ永遠
Adamant said:
Yeah...that's why I went ahead and posted the picture so that you guys could kind of see for yourself. The movie rental only cost me the equivalent of like $1.50, so it's not that big a deal that I spent money to get some screenshots of people who only barely resemble the characters in Pocket Monsters.
AtoMan
Away from Collective
I've been trying to pay close attention to things like punctuation and capitalization in the episode titles for the past two years or so (fun fact: most Pokémon USA episode titles capitalize every single word and also end in exclamation mark)
I went and checked the DVDs, and:
- "A Chip Off the Old Brock" has no exclamation mark
- "Wheel of Frontier", "May's Egg-cellent Adventure", "Harley Rides Again" too
- "Tactics Theatrics!!" has TWO
- "Queen of the Serpentine!", and everything between "Odd Pokémon Out!" and "Talking A Good Game!" has one.
As for "Queen of the Serpentine", the DVD version has wery weird bug on the title screen...
TV version:
Seems they, for some reason, chose to remake this titlescreen (which leaves in question all the "exclamation" inconsistences between your site and first boxset), then put the "corrected" title over it...
Pokemaster Justin said:
Totodile danced
The fact that "Totodile dancing" is more personality than Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander, Cyndaquil and Turtwig is hilariously sad.
Blackjack Gabbiani
A black and white world
Dogasu said:
Yeah...that's why I went ahead and posted the picture so that you guys could kind of see for yourself.
Ever agreed with any of them?
Although there's one I noticed that I don't think they did, and that's the source of Bannai's name.
Oh, there are definitly a lot of intentional references in the series. I doubt anyone believes the fact that one of Team Rocket's remote controls for one of their mecha looked a lot like a Wii remote was just a freak coincidence, for instance.
Or the nunchuk.
Maybe we'll see Wiimotion sometime soon, too.
Blackjack Palazzo said:
Some of them, yeah. But not always. This Doraemon case being one of those times when I don't.
Here are some more screencaps I took from the Doraemon DVD (and may I say...this movie looks fantastic for being eighteen years old):
I'm still not seeing it...they remind me more of Moltar, personally.
How odd...just a sidenote, but how come these images load from the bottom up?
No clue...because they're .bmps, maybe?
Or just that all the Pokedexes look like Gameboys etc. The Sinnoh Pokedex looks more like the DS than the others look like Gameboys, I think, though
archer9234
Serious Pokemon Fan
Whatever current hand held Nintendo has out, the Zukan/Pokedex will be it.
Yamato-san
yandere=awesome
looking at the Japanese version of that store sign, I think I can barely make out the outline of the word "POKEMON". I think it's also worth noting that it's spelled that way... if it was really added by 4kids, chances are that they would've used that little apostrophe over a lower-case "e", a spelling which I think first came about with Nintendo's localization (how often do you just see it spelled as "Pokemon" in official English media?). It would also kinda make sense, seeing as Satoshi went there to buy an item intended for healing Pokemon, and the outer-design is adorned by Monster Balls.
Either way, it doesn't make much sense... I could assume this store is meant to be some portrayal of the shops in the RPGs, but they're not called "Pokemon Shops", in either Japanese or English. In English, they're called "Pokemarts", and in Japanese, they're called "Friendly Shops". BTW Dogasu, I'm surprised you said nothing of Shigeru exiting the store. What's even funnier is that the scene where he hits Satoshi with the door is seen in the preview at the end of the previous episode, almost as if they were trying to hype up his reappearance (I guess English-viewers were spared this kind of teasing, seeing as the next-episode previews are removed).
Later, the Rocket-Dan hold up the shop in the town. In the English version, the duo is goofy and non-threatening from the get-go; they talk about how their guns shoot out ice and how they want dental floss to go with their bombs. The Japanese version, by contrast, has the Rocket-Dan rob the store the way the Joker would; they threaten people with guns that everyone assumes is real, get what they want, and then fire off their fake guns. Except instead of a flag coming out with the word BANG! on it, for example, they shoot out cherry blossom petals instead.
I guess the trade-off to being allowed to show the footage unedited was giving the Rocket trio goofy dialogue so that the audience knows, from the start, that nobody's actually in any danger of being hurt here.
though, this brings up another question: why? Everybody knows they're the antagonists (or at least try to be), so why not make them seem threatening from the get-go? This is why making stuff more "kid-friendly" never works out: I'm pretty sure a three-year old could figure this stuff out.
And I swear to god, if EVERYBODY in the store immediately turning paranoid from the event and pulling a gun (which they all happened to be carrying) out on the next innocent person who simply walks in isn't a stereotype of Westerners, I don't know what is (it took place in an Old West-style town, too). XD
Ah, the origiri...no joke, when I was 9 me and my younger brothers and sisters were laughing that they were calling them doughnuts instead of rice balls. We're not Japanese or anything, we're English, lived in England all our lives and never been to another country, not even for a holiday (aww).
Oh, I heard about the "we're going to dye your hair/you're going to die" edit.
It's funny...Pokémon's the only fandom I've ever been in where people grouse about removal of Japanese text. They're doing it on Digimon Data Squad (which takes place IN JAPAN and no effort has ever been made to avoid that), and the fandom is basically like "Eh, what are ya gonna do?"
Lil Brother
is watching you
Whoa, never saw that beer sign before. That's pretty unexpected, and kinda funny that 4Kids left it in. XD
Well, I'd imagine that's because that while the Pokemon dub only removes Japanese text (and on occasion English text), other 4Kids dubs will completely wipe everything. In fact, the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's dub that premiered today erased everything except for some vital information (usually the only exception) and the word "SECURITY" on Ushio's jacket.
When you have both Japanese and English text being removed, I think most people would consider the latter to be more ridiculous.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Listed below are recent initiatives and decisions of Canadian securities regulatory authorities (and one from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) and Canadian courts that we believe will be of interest to mining companies and their public markets advisors. Please contact us if you would like additional information about any of these items.
Decisions of Courts and OSC in M&A Cases
The Supreme Court of Canada issued its detailed reasons for overturning the decision of the Québec Court of Appeal in BCE Inc. Please see the article discussing the Supreme Court's reasons in this issue of Mining Prospects.
The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) overturned a decision of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), which had previously granted approval for HudBay Minerals Inc. to acquire Lundin Mining Corporation where the purchase price was to be paid through the issuance of a number of shares that would have exceeded 100 per cent of the then currently outstanding shares of HudBay. The result of the OSC's decision was to require HudBay to seek shareholder approval for the proposed acquisition (this approval was not ultimately obtained). In addition to the implications of this decision on the TSX's approach to significant share issuances for a TSX-listed issuer to acquire another public company (proposed changes to the TSX Company Manual in this regard are described below under "Canadian Stock Exchanges"), the detailed reasons of the OSC's panel included concerns with the practice of providing shareholders with a fairness opinion prepared by a firm whose compensation may be tied to the success of the proposed transaction. Please see the article discussing the OSC's decision in this issue of Mining Prospects.
The Ontario Superior Court issued an interim injunction to stop a hostile take-over bid by Rusoro Mining Ltd. for the shares of Gold Reserve Inc. because Rusoro's financial advisor had a conflict of interest (it had previously acted as financial advisor to Gold Reserve). This appears to be the first case in Canada to consider the existence and impact of potential conflicts of advisors (other than lawyers) in M&A transactions. Please see the article discussing the court's decision in this issue of Mining Prospects.
The OSC denied an application by Pala Investments Holdings Limited (Pala) to cease trade two shareholder rights plans implemented by NEO Material Technologies Inc. (NEO). The first plan had been previously approved by NEO's shareholders. The second was a "tactical" plan adopted by NEO's board in response to a partial bid launched by Pala, and specifically prohibited partial bids such as Pala's. Prior to the expiry of Pala's bid, NEO's shareholders, other than Pala, overwhelmingly approved the second plan at a shareholder meeting. After such shareholder approval, the OSC denied Pala's requested relief. As of the time of printing, full reasons for the OSC's decision have yet to be released. The OSC has indicated that its reasons will expand upon the considerations it will apply when reviewing cease trade requests in respect of such plans.
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) have proposed changes to National Policy 58-201 Corporate Governance Principles, National Instrument 58-101 Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices, and National Instrument 52-110 Audit Committees. These changes are designed to provide for a regulatory approach that is more principles-based and broader in scope. The specific disclosure requirements would be replaced with more general requirements, and the determination of independence (for purposes of determining which directors are eligible to serve as members of an audit committee) would be more principles-based. These changes could result in more discretion for board members in respect of certain fundamental matters of corporate governance.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed rule amendments that would allow shareholders meeting certain thresholds (including holding between one per cent and five per cent of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer, depending on the circumstances) to have their nominee for election as a director included in the issuer's proxy materials.
Canadian Stock Exchanges
The TSX published a notice providing guidance on amendments to shareholder rights plans adopted after a take-over bid has been announced or initiated. Among the items in the notice, the TSX reminds issuers that they must obtain TSX approval for a proposed amendment, and that in cases where a plan amendment is reasonably perceived to have been proposed in response to a take-over bid, the TSX will treat the amendment as a new plan.
The TSX published proposed changes to its Company Manual that would require shareholder approval for issuances of shares in payment of the purchase price for an acquisition of another reporting issuer if the number of shares would exceed 50 per cent of the issuer's then currently outstanding shares, on a non-diluted basis. The TSX Company Manual currently provides an exemption from shareholder approval for issuances of shares (no matter the number) to acquire a "public company," so the TSX is proposing to narrow this exemption to cap the number of shares (as a percentage of the outstanding shares on a non-diluted basis) that can be so issued without shareholder approval. The existing exemption has been brought under scrutiny in a number of recent transactions, including most recently the proposed acquisition by HudBay Minerals Inc. of Lundin Mining Corporation (as described above).
The TSX has amended its Company Manual to provide for the listing of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). This issue of Mining Prospectsincludes a detailed discussion of the TSX's rules related to SPACs, which are quite similar to capital pool companies on the TSX Venture Exchange, but have significantly higher market capitalization. SPACs have been permitted for some time in the United States, and have served as significant acquisition vehicles in the United States.
The TSX issued a notice of temporary relief relating to the remedial review process that extends the maximum period an issuer has to remedy deficiencies that trigger a delisting review from 120 to 210 days. This relief will continue until September 30, 2009. The TSX also reminded issuers of the potential to issue securities under the financial hardship exemption of the TSX Company Manual. This exemption allows issuers who establish that they are in serious financial difficulty to proceed with offerings of listed securities in excess of otherwise applicable maximum percentages, and below the otherwise applicable maximum permitted discount to market price, without the need for shareholder approval if they can demonstrate significant benefit in alleviating the financial hardship. The TSX has also provided further guidance on what will be required in order to rely on the exemption.
Canadian Securities Administrators
The CSA has launched a project to review National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects(NI 43-101). The project is being led by the British Columbia Securities Commission, and has been initiated in response to industry and regulatory concerns that have developed since the 2001 implementation of NI 43-101. The CSA has indicated that potential areas for consideration include: reducing the regulatory burden of consents of qualified persons (QPs), reducing the QPs' liability and responsibility for issuer disclosure, reassessing technical report triggers, creating broader and more flexible rules for disclosing previous resource/reserve estimates, fixing perceived disclosure irregularities, introducing a separate form of technical report for advanced mineral projects, and updating accepted foreign professional associations.
The CSA adopted new expanded requirements for executive compensation disclosure, through changes to National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations. Among the changes is the introduction of a requirement to include a discussion of: the objectives of an issuer's compensation program, what the compensation is designed to reward, the elements of compensation packages provided, the rationale for such elements, and how the elements of the compensation package fit into the issuer's overall compensation objectives.
The Derivatives Act (Québec) has been proclaimed in force. This Act is the first comprehensive stand-alone derivatives legislation to be adopted in Canada, and regulates exchange-traded and over-the-counter derivatives. It is expected that this Act will serve as a template in the effort to provide for uniform derivatives legislation across Canada.
52-110 corporate governance CSA Gold Reserve Inc HudBay Minerals Inc. Lundin Mining Corporation mining NEO NEO Material Technologies Inc. OSC Pala Rusoro Mining Ltd. Supreme Court of Canada TSX


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The Tony Volpe Award is given annually to a dental professional, offering them a place on our prestigious Senior Dental Leaders Programme (SDL). The award covers all tuition, travel and accommodation costs.
Tony Volpe is the Vice President of Colgate's Clinical Research and Scientific Development department. Having qualified as a dentist from New Jersey Dental School in 1960, he has practiced dentistry within the state of New Jersey, and served in an advisory technical capacity with a host of medical organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), and as president of the American Dental Association (ADA) Foundation from 1997 to 2003. In 2004 he was presented with the ADA's Distinguished Service Award. Also that year Tony was further honoured to receive the American Association of Public Health Dentistry's Special Merit Award and the Hadassah Special Award from the Hebrew University, Israel.
Hosted by Harvard School of Dental Medicine and King's College London Dental Institute, on behalf of the Global Child Dental Fund, the SDL programme is attended by the most senior dental policy makers, NGO figures, and dental-health academic faculty, from across the globe.
SDL hones individual's skill-sets for the most senior roles in dental policy making. The programme offers senior dental figures the chance to further their understanding of strategic change, dental health policy, and dental economics. Critically, SDL strives to strengthen each attendee's ability to deal with regional crisis, and anticipate and plan for future demands.
To learn more about the SDL Alumni please click here.
In 2016 the award was one by Professor Xiaojuan (Jane) Zeng pictured (left) with Stanley Bergman, Tony Volpe and Proffesor Raman Bedi. In 2015 Professor Jeff Yengopal won the award, pictured (right) with Marsha Butler, Tony Volpe, Professor Raman Bedi and Stanley Bergman.
1. Applicants must be a qualified member of the wider dental profession.
2. Applicants must either be an aspiring Dean of a dental school or the head of department. Or, have experience and a proven track record of operating successfully in a senior policy or other leadership role.
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4. Have the support of their Ministry of Health, Dental Association, Academic Institution, or employer.
5. Endorsement from one of the Senior Dental Leader Alumni is also encouraged. A list of alumni names and contact details can be found here.
Applications for the 2018 award are now closed.
All applications should be sent directly to the Global Child Dental Fund at awards@gcdfund.org. The deadline for applications is the end of November 2018.
Please contact us if you require further details.
Please note that all decisions are final and we regret that we are unable to provide individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants.


text:
East Lansing, Mich. – Scott Reedy's team-leading fifth goal of the season was the winner as the No. 5 Gophers defeated Michigan State 4-2 on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena to sweep the series and improve to 6-0.
The Gophers are off to the program's best start since the 2001-02 team opened 11-0-2. All six of their games have been Big Ten Conference games.
Reedy scored at 14 minutes, 14 seconds of the second period, breaking a 2-2 tie. The goal came just four seconds after the start of a power play. Reedy, a Prior Lake native who played for USA Hockey National Team Development Program, won a faceoff in the lower right circle and sent the puck back to Jackson LaCombe. The sophomore defenseman's quick shot from the top of the slot was on net and Reedy tipped it past goalie Drew DeRidder.
Reedy, who had 15 goals last season, has a goal in five of the Gophers' six games.
The Gophers' Ben Meyers, just as he did in the series opener, scored the game's first goal. It came at 5:03 of the first period and was his third goal of the season.
Jaxson Nelson made it 2-0 Gophers at 15:27 of the first period. But 19 seconds later, Kyle Haskins scored for Michigan State.
The Spartans (2-3-1, 1-3 Big Ten) tied it at 2-2 on Dennis Cesana's goal at 3:50 of the second.
Reedy got the game's biggest goal about 10 minutes later — his 10th career game-winner. He also had an assist on the Gophers' final goal, an empty-netter by Sampo Ranta with 11 seconds remaining.
"That's our sixth game where we get off to a great start. … It couldn't have been a better start for being on the road," Gophers coach Bob Motzko said. "Give Michigan State credit — they battled back hard.
"It was a good old- fashioned gut-out — we had to gut one out down the stretch."
Jack LaFontaine stopped 31 shots for the Gophers. DeRidder finished with 32 saves for Michigan State.
One of LaFontaine's best saves came with 3:19 left and the Gophers clinging to a one-goal lead. Haskins, who had the Spartans' first goal, was stopped from point-blank range. This was the 11th game in a row LaFontaine has not given up more than two goals.
Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points, Paul George added 19 and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Sacramento Kings 115-96 on Wednesday night for their season-high fifth consecutive victory.
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors brought it on both ends in their most complete game yet.
Cricket Australia has run afoul of the country's prime minister for refusing to refer to the national holiday in the marketing of three matches on Jan. 26 after a recommendation from its Indigenous advisory committee.
Saunders' message to Wolves rookie Edwards: Don't change your game
Wolves coach Ryan Saunders said he understands Anthony Edwards' frustration with not getting calls but said Edwards has to play through it — both figuratively and literally.
Sports on TV and radio
Where to find today's games.
Oturu watches Gophers with excitement while embracing NBA rookie's life • Gophers Basketball
After recent losses, Motzko looks to grab focus of U hockey players • Gophers
Gophers made huge strides defensively in upsetting Michigan • Gophers
Ex-Gopher Casey O'Brien to begin raising $1 million for U hospital project • Gophers Football
Scoggins: Pitino's weekend of joy included too many moments of sorrow • Gophers


text:
Tag Archives: lesbian
5. Sexcapades
73. Pube Shaving Party
October 9, 2016 ddjennifer	9 Comments
Okay, so this image doesn't really go with the title, but I thought it was cute.
I previously shared my Strip Quarters story as Mike suggested I share some of my sexcapades of my youth. Here's another fun experience I had in my college days/daze.
In the Strip Quarters story I shared my experienced with my childhood best friend, Amy. Amy and I also roomed together in college. It was my junior year, so about 1990 or so. We shared a two bedroom apartment with two other girls, so Amy and I shared a bedroom while our other roommates, Cheryl and Barbara shared the other.
We all had boyfriends and while Amy and I still messed around at times, our roommates had no idea that we were bisexual – although at the time I didn't think of myself as bisexual though. I liked having sex with Amy, not women in general. Anyway, suffice to say acceptance of this in 1990 was not what it is today, and Amy and I didn't want it to be well known that we had sex with each other. Barbara and Cheryl were great roommates but we didn't hang around the same crowds and they were definitely more conservative and religious – especially Barbara.
There was a weekend where Barbara had gone back home to visit so it was just us three gals. Cheryl had gone out with her boyfriend, and Amy and I just stayed decided to have a night in with just the two of us. Amy and I were on the couch and started messing around, and Cheryl happens to come in as we forgot to lock the door and were not expecting her so early. I don't exactly recall but I think Amy had her hands down my pants which were unbuttoned, and I had a hand up her shirt. Whatever the position we were in, there was no casually moving away and hoping Cheryl didn't suspect what we were doing. It was very obvious.
We looked up and Cheryl stood there for a bit and said something nervously like, "Uh, hey, hi guys. Um, I'll just leave now." And she walked out.
Amy and I looked at each other with this look that was a combination of horror and humor. We started talking about how to concoct some story to minimize the chance Cheryl would be freaked out. We didn't want her blabbing to everyone, and knowing Barbara, we felt she would completely freak if Cheryl told her. We couldn't come up with any great plan and just figured, "oh well, we'll just tell her we were drinking and it was just a one-time thing."
About an hour or so later Cheryl comes back and she is holding a bag. She looked sheepishly at the two of us and said, "Okay, I want in." At the same time Amy and I said, "In on what?"
Cheryl was pretty nervous and said, "You know, I want to be with you all, in that way." Neither Amy or I could come up with any words to say as we were perplexed. Amy opened the bag and pulled out a bottle of tequila and a porno. Amy apparently went to the liquor store and an adult video store. Amy said, "Look, I know I have been attracted to girls for a long time and tried to resist, but after seeing you two and after the night I had with my boyfriend, I just can't hide it any longer. I don't know if you all think of me in that way, but I thought if we relaxed and had a bit to drink, and watched this movie, we could, you know, get in the mood?"
Both Amy and I took on the role of more consoling Cheryl than anything else. It was clear she was nervous and uneasy. I remember that despite her nerves, she still came across very sure of herself and her feelings. She just poured her heart out to Amy and I, relived to get it all out to someone for the first time in her life. The three of us talked for quite a while. It became clear to us that Cheryl was a lesbian but had been suppressing it her whole life. Amy and I ended up sharing with Cheryl everything about our relationship together. Cheryl even shared that she had kissed Barbara once, very deeply and basically a pretty major make out session, but it didn't go further. It was alcohol induced and the next day Barbara told her she never wanted to talk about it and that it would never happen again and that was the extent of it.
Cheryl shared the many crushes she had on various girls and women throughout her life and that she knew she was different from a very young age, but worked hard to suppress it – and she was tired of it. She said she broke up with her boyfriend that evening, and when she left the apartment after seeing Amy and I messing around the couch, she decided that was it, she was "declaring her major" as she laughingly put it. She was attracted to women and she was done with men.
We proceeded to crack open the tequila and pop in the VHS. We told her we didn't need the video, but what the heck, let's see what she got. We talked over most of the flick, and as the booze took effect started to get playful with each other. At some point all three of us were naked and having sex while the movie played in the background. Occasionally one of us would glance at the tv and say, "Ha, look at that!" We'd watch for a minute and then get back to the real life action we had going on in the room.
Towards the end of the movie there was a scene where this woman shaved this other woman and it too got our attention and we all commented on it. Remember, this was 1990, ahead of the trend to go bare down there. Anyway, I don't recall if all three of us had orgasms but Cheryl definitely did. We were relaxing in silence in a naked three-way embrace as the VHS had long ended. Cheryl then said, "hey, why don't you guys shave me?"
We were half a bottle in to the tequila and probably shouldn't be trusted with a razor, but, we were game. We found some scissors and the three of us went into the bathroom. Amy had the honors while I directed, "Clip some more off here, clip some more off there." Once she was clipped down pretty short, Amy whipped out some shaving cream. We got a towel and a bowl of water and Cheryl sat way down on her bed so her trimmed snatch was easily accessible. Amy proceeded to lather Cheryl up and started shaving. Amy and I took turns at shaving Cheryl and eventually she was bare. It was quite a mess, as there was water, shaving cream, and hair everywhere.
Amy then said, "Who's next?" There was a "no thank you" from me, but Amy was eager and willing. When we finished shaving Amy the two of them were both begging me to join the "bare down there" club. Eventually I was talked into a close trim with the scissors, but no shave.
When we were all done we started back up messing around, and basically had sex the rest of night until we fell asleep. When we woke the next morning we saw the mess we had left. In our tequila-altered state we obviously had not been focused on keeping things tidy. Somehow we had a trail of shaving cream and pubic hair all over the floor from the bathroom to Cheryl's bed, even all over her bed. We frantically cleaned up, washed the towels and vacuumed as we didn't know when Barbara would be home. We kept finding more hair and would have to pull the vacuum back out. It was quite comical.
We never informed Barbara of what went on. Cheryl was indeed lesbian. She started dating other women. Barbara was a year ahead of us and while she was not happy with Cheryl's coming out, she continued to room with us the rest of the year when she then graduated and moved out. We heard the phrase "hate the sin, love the sinner" quite a bit that semester.
Anyway, Cheryl now has a longtime girlfriend and I hear they are planning to get married soon. I feel good that I had some part to play in her coming out and start her on her journey towards accepting that part of her. All thanks to a her walking in on us, the tequila confidence booster, and the resulting impromptu Pube Shaving Party.
Next: 74. Interview with Sir
bisexualcollege experiencecoming outFFFlesbianpornopube shavingsexshavingthreesome
62. Sexual Adventures of Pre-DD Jenny
August 26, 2016 ddjennifer	2 Comments
Mike gave me the suggestion (or is that an order?) to write about my sexual experiences in my younger daze, um, I mean days. I might as well start from the beginning, way back to my virgin days. Yes, hard to imagine, but I was once a virgin.
I joke that by the time I had sex with a guy (at age 17) I was a very experienced virgin. By the time the "magic moment" arrived I was well versed in mutual manual and oral stimulation – both with guys and yes, with girls (actually, girl, as in singular). My first sexual experience was in 1984, before it was an in-thing to be bisexual / lesbian. Not to say it is always accepted today, but it was not talked about back then and definitely not something you wanted people to know about.
I've know my best friend for life, Amy, since kindergarten. She lived just a few blocks away and we were extremely close. So fast forward to when we were 15. We had seen each other naked countless times so it wasn't even a thing. Amy had a swimming pool in her backyard and it was pretty secluded, so one of us, not sure which, got the idea to skinny dip. We would get freaked out every time we heard a noise that sounded like a car pulling up or a car door closing. We would run and grab our suits and then laugh when no one was there, then get naked again.
One day we were finished with a swim and we were in her bathroom drying our hair. We both had shorts on but no tops. I commented about her breasts, which I've done before, regarding her abundance and my lack thereof (she developed quite early and rapidly). She made some comment about me being obsessed with her tits because I always stared at them and talked about them. Guilty as charged! I said something about them looking so squeezable or something like that and she said something like, "Well, give them a squeeze and see." It wasn't a sexual thing, it was just playful and innocent, or at least seemed that way. Well, apparently I groped her for several minutes in a trance like state. We were real quiet while I squeezed and gave her a major feel up. Her nipples got big and when she noticed it she broke the trance by covering her tits with her arms and moving my hand away and saying "enough!" We then both just laughed and I said something like, "Yep, they are squeezable." That was that. Nothing more to it.
It wasn't much longer after that day that Amy and I were talking about masturbation. That was a common topic for us as we would tell each other about our favorite things to hump and pretend. She told me that ever since I "felt her up" (as she referred to it), she realized how good it felt to play her nipples. I was quasi-offended at her statement that I "felt her up" and part-joking/part-serious said that "I did not feel you up! I was just curious!" Amy then said something like, "Well, I am curious too. Can I feel yours?" So, I let her. It wasn't long before we both had our hands in each other's shirt. This curiosity turned sexual.
Without going into all the details, the curiosity that we satisfied that day with a mutual grope session turned into greater curiosity and greater satisfaction on subsequent days and weeks. While we took it slow, it eventually led to us exploring many facets of lesbian sex. Neither of us felt bad about it. We both liked boys (a lot) and both felt like we weren't "having sex with another girl." We were just having sex with each other. It was nice that we never attached anything negative to what we did. I think that healthy beginning, added to my zero sense of shame, set the stage for a positive outlook on all things sex and my sexuality.
I've got a lot of Amy sex stories, not all involving just her and I messing around. We also roomed together in college. I could fill several posts with our many adventures. Perhaps another time, and I'll stick to the stories that occurred at age 18+. It's kinda' creepy thinking about who might be getting aroused by stories of my early pubescent romps (yes, I am talking to you, you sick f*ck!). Just kidding.
A word from Mike: Hello all, not sure what to add, but Jen asked that I occasionally share my reaction to a post. Not much for me to react to as these stories are old news to me. Jen had confided in me about her and Amy back when we were in high school, and the story of their initial fun together is tame compared to other stories. We have nicknames for some of those stories such as "Strip Quarters," "Night Swimming," "Pube Shaving Party," and "Reunion." I'll let Jen reveal those in time. I've never known Jen to be shy in the bedroom, but even after all these years and 25 years of marriage, the last year and half have definitely taken things to an entirely new level of exploring. I am a lucky guy.
Next: 63. Ice, Ice, Baby Redux – A Solution!
bisexualDomestic Disciplinefeel upfirst timeinnocentlesbianlosing itsqueezabletitsvirgin


text:
Empowering through knowledge
March 8, 2019 in Diploma Programme (DP), Teacher stories
By Dr Dimitrina Trendafilova
It was my first lesson after the 2018 summer holidays with the second-year students in one of the Diploma Programme (DP) chemistry classes and I was eager to know how they spent the summer holiday. They all looked grown-up. I asked them to write down their personal "mission statement" and to discuss in small groups which talent or skill they discovered in themselves during the last year. The students then shared their reflections with the whole class. I always find these moments very emotional as students open up and talk freely about their experiences. I was listening to them and my sense of pride was increasing with each story. I felt I was participating in their lives; I was contributing to their growth.
There was one story, in particular, that I knew I had to share with the entire UWC and IB community. When Peter had returned home to South Sudan in May, he found his father under house arrest and, as the sole breadwinner, the whole family were left without means to live. In a matter of days, Peter came up with a solution. He went to his former school and asked whether he could help in the chemistry lab. The head of the school asked Peter what he had learned at UWC during his first year, realized that this boy had a lot to offer and hired him for three months with a small salary. The money Peter that earned became his family's entire income.
Just a year earlier, Peter had arrived in my chemistry class with non-existent laboratory skills, but his eyes were full of curiosity. He proved to be a quick learner and even decided to do his DP extended essay in the subject. He shared with me that there is a pressing issue in his country—people (including children) drink homemade alcoholic drinks without any knowledge of their alcohol content. We both agreed that this was a topic worth investigating.
The method Peter chose required the use of a spectrometer, and he became quite an "expert" in using it. By the end of the academic year, Peter was so confident that he managed to explain the principles of spectrometry to the teachers in his former school. He even went to the university lab (after obtaining permission from the country's government) to synthesize one of the homemade alcohols, and raised the interest of the researchers there. The widespread use of homemade drinks and the health issues this creates prompted the government of South Sudan to take measures and ban the production of many such drinks. And Peter has a dream—to bring at least one spectrometer to South Sudan so that he can show how the apparatus works. I cannot think of a better example of empowering through education. I am convinced that our students will make a change if supported and inspired.
This is how I see my role in the classroom—to help students connect the knowledge they acquire with the potential for action in the outside world. Scientific knowledge is a powerful tool when applied for a greater good in society. I feel empowered too—the diversity in my classroom is a catalyst which offers another way of teaching chemistry.
This post was first published by UWC International. Dr Dimitrina Trendafilova teaches DP chemistry at UWC Adriatic in Duino, Italy. A former faculty member at UWC SEA, UWC Mostar and UWC Dilijan.
Why we need to make student mental wellbeing a priority
Bringing different nationalities together


Devonport Chocolates Trio of Boxed Chocolates - three of the finest chocolates in favourite flavours - such as milk chocolate hazelnut swirl; dark chocolate salted caramel, and milk chocolate strawberry (gluten free).
All enclosed in a lovely woven natural basket. A very popular gift for her for 21st, 30th, 40th, & 50th birthday. Ideal for young & old. A corporate Christmas gift idea for a colleague or client. A gluten free pamper gift idea!


text:
García Loaysa y Girón (Talavera de la Reina, 1534 - Alcalá de Henares, 22 de febrer de 1599) va ser un religiós, escriptor i bibliòfil espanyol. Durant la seva vida va exercir diversos càrrecs, especialment a la cort de Felip II, on va ser almoiner reial, capellà major i mestre i preceptor del futur Felip III, els quals va combinar amb l'escriptura i l'acumulació de llibres a la seva biblioteca personal.

Biografia
Va néixer el 1534 a Talavera de la Reina en el si d'una família acomodada, amb nombrosos parents que foren figures importants en la seva època. Va ser fill de Pedro Girón de Loaysa, oïdor del Consell Reial i cronista de Carles I, i de Mencía de Carvajal, ambdós naturals de Talavera. Entre altres familiars, García Loaysa era nebot de: fra García de Loaysa y Mendoza, cardenal arquebisbe de Sevilla i inquisidor general, de qui García pren el nom i el cognom, car el seu pare es deia Girón de primer cognom; fra Jerónimo de Loaysa, primer arquebisbe de Lima; i de Juan Suárez de Carvajal, bisbe de Lugo.

La seva educació la va iniciar a Talavera, amb la guia del seu oncle l'arquebisbe García de Loaysa, que el va nomenar ardiaca de la catedral de Sevilla. El 1564 és nomenat canonge de la catedral de Toledo, i l'ardiaca de Guadalajara, una de les dignitats de la seu toledana, que li va deixar el seu oncle Juan López de Carvajal. Durant aquest període continua els seus estudis a la Universitat de Salamanca amb el fi de perfeccionar el grec i llatí, passant a ser posteriorment col·legial del Colegio Mayor de San Ildenfoso de la Universitat d'Alcalá, on va estudiar filosofia, especialment interessat per l'aristotèlica, i teologia. Va doctorar-se de la darrera el 1567.

Va exercir altres càrrecs eclesiàstics al Consell de la Inquisició o com a procurador del Concili Provincial de Toledo el 1582. El 1584, Felip II el nomena almoiner reial, capellà major i a més el fa mestre i preceptor del príncep Felip, que llavors tenia 7 anys. Arran d'això, va estar present a les Corts de Montsó de 1592, on el príncep va jurar les lleis i els furs d'Aragó.

García Loaysa va mantenir unes excel·lents relacions amb el papa Climent VIII i el nunci apostòlic espanyol, tant que el 1597 papa desitjava crear-lo cardenal, però Felip II, ja ancià i malalt, va retenir-lo com a col·laborador a la cort. No obstant això, García va ser nomenat governador eclesiàstic de l'arquebisbat de Toledo per l'arxiduc Albert d'Àustria, abans que aquest es traslladi als Països Baixos espanyols. Poc després, el 18 de juliol de 1598, Climent VIII el nomenà arquebisbe de Toledo, després de la renúncia de l'arxiduc per casar-se amb la infanta Isabel Clara Eugènia. El cabildo de la ciutat de Toledo va enviar ràpidament quatre canonges per felicitar-lo. El 16 d'agost de 1598 era consagrat en aquest càrrec per Camilo Gaetani, membre del nunci apostòlic i patriarca d'Alexandria, assistit per altres prelats i presenciant la cerimònia Felip II des del seu llit, malalt de gravetat, a través de la finestra de la seva habitació que donava al presbiteri del monestir de San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

L'1 de setembre, García Loaysa administrava a Felip II la unció dels malalts. Al cap de pocs dies, el dia 13 de setembre, Felip II moria i García en presideix les exèquies, celebrant una Missa Pontifical de Rèquiem.

El dia 13 el canonge i degà de la seu toledana Pedro de Carvajal prenia possessió de l'arquebisbat en nom de García Loaysa. També malalt del que en l'època s'anomenava «dolor de costado», en què els metges hi englobaven malalties del pit que resultaven doloroses,, Loaysa es va traslladar a Alcalá de Henares el gener de 1599 en vistes de traslladar-se a Toledo, però el 22 de febrer va morir sense prendre'n possessió. Va ser enterrat a Alcalá de Henares, a la Iglesia Magistral de los Santos Justo y Pastor.

Tasca cultural

Durant tota la seva vida, García de Loaysa va ser aficionat a la lectura i, a més, va amassar fins a 3000 volums en la seva biblioteca, part de la qual l'adquirí a la mort del cardenal de Burgos Francisco de Mendoza y Bobadilla; va comptar amb bibliotecari propi, Pedro Pontín, un humanista flamenc i professor de grec a la Universitat de Toledo. A la seva mort, l'hereten els seus nebots, passant a la següent generació a l'Orde de Santiago i, després, per cessió al convent dominic de Sant Vicent Ferrer de Plasència el 1650, passant definitivament a la Col·lecció Reial.

A banda de la seva vessant bibliòfila, quan García Loaysa ja era ardiaca de Guadalajara, va iniciar una de les seves majors obres, el Collectio Conciliourm Hispaniae, obra capital sobre els sínodes eclesiàstics celebrats a Espanya, que va ser impresa el 1593. Va col·laborar en l'edició de les obres de Sant Isidor de Sevilla, costejades per Felip II, i també en la reforma del Decret de Gracià a petició de Gregori XIII, amb les seves aportacions presentades el 1582.

Referències

Bibliografia

Arquebisbes de Toledo
Escriptors castellanomanxecs
Alumnes de la Universitat de Salamanca
Persones de Talavera de la Reina
Historiadors de l'Església
Alumnes de la Universitat d'Alcalá
Morts a Alcalá de Henares
Bisbes castellanomanxecs
Historiadors castellanomanxecs
Religiosos castellanomanxecs
Escriptors cristians
Artistes de la província de Toledo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
package edu.latrobe.blaze.modules.jvm

import edu.latrobe._
import edu.latrobe.blaze._
import edu.latrobe.blaze.modules._
import edu.latrobe.blaze.TensorDependency._

abstract class MaxPooling_JVM
  extends MaxPooling {

  final override lazy val outputPlatform
  : JVM.type = JVM

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  //    Forward propagation related.
  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  override protected def doPredict(mode: Mode, input: Tensor)
  : (Tensor, PredictContext) = {
    val inp       = input.asOrToRealArrayTensor
    val inpLayout = inp.layout
    val inpSize   = inpLayout.size
    val outSize   = kernel.outputSizeFor(inpSize, inpSize.noChannels)
    val outLayout = inpLayout.derive(outSize)
    val out       = RealArrayTensor.zeros(outLayout)
    val ctx       = doPredict(mode, inp, out)

    // Cleanup.
    if (inp ne input) {
      inp.close()
    }
    (out, ctx)
  }

  protected def doPredict(mode:   Mode,
                          input:  RealArrayTensor,
                          output: RealArrayTensor)
  : PredictContext

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  //    Back propagation related.
  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  final override val backpropagationRequirementsForInput
  : TensorDependency = TensorDependency.NotRequired

  final override val backpropagationRequirementsForOutput
  : TensorDependency = TensorDependency.NotRequired

  final override protected def doDeriveInputError(input:   Tensor,
                                                  output:  Tensor,
                                                  context: PredictContext,
                                                  error:   Tensor)
  : Tensor = context match {
    case context: MaxPooling_JVM_Context =>
      val oldErr = error.asOrToRealArrayTensor
      val newErr = RealArrayTensor.zeros(context.inputLayout)

      doDeriveInputError(context, oldErr, newErr)

      if (oldErr ne error) {
        oldErr.close()
      }
      newErr

    case _ =>
      throw new MatchError(context)
  }

  protected def doDeriveInputError(context:  PredictContext,
                                   oldError: RealArrayTensor,
                                   newError: RealArrayTensor)
  : Unit

}

abstract class MaxPooling_JVM_Context
  extends PredictContext {

  def inputLayout: IndependentTensorLayout

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Add a personal touch to your harvest event!
Create a new tradition this Thanksgiving when you set the table with these lovely card stock place cards. Each card features a blank area on one side, perfect for writing the name of your guest. The opposing side of the card is pre-printed with the phrase "I'm Thankful for...", where the guest can write their personal sentiment. Each 5" x 4-1/2" card features a center crease, making it easy to fold into a tent card for tabletop display. Folded size measures 2-1/2" x 4-1/2". Each card is printed in a neutral color palette of beige, with a rust and gold accent stripe, allowing it to easily coordinate with your fall, harvest and Thanksgiving decor. "I'm thankful for..." is printed in black.


Cellco Partnership is the guarantor and has a net worth in excess of $78.9B.
It has no publicly-rated debt and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verizon.
Verizon Communications Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides communications, information, and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses, and governmental agencies worldwide. Its Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data services; Internet access on various smart and basic phones, notebook computers, and tablets; and multimedia access, business-focused, location-based, global data, home phone handsets, and high-speed Internet services, as well as network access and value added services to support wireless connections for the Internet of Things (IoT). This segment also provides IoT services that support devices used in fleet management and telematics, energy, agricultural technology, and smart community markets; and wireless devices, such as smartphones and basic phones, tablets, and other Internet access devices. As of December 31, 2016, it had 114.2 million retail connections. Verizon Communications Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in New York City, New York.


How to use - Swipe on the product – with the foam tip applicator evenly over your lips. Apply a second coat of the weightless mousse, to deepen the shade and give your lips a powdery, matte look. To add a soft blush to your cheeks, dot the mousse under your cheekbones in a half moon shape and use your fingertips to blend.
Say No to touch ups with this perfect for office wear, Lakme 9 to 5 Weightless Mousse Matte Lip and Cheek Color. Lakmes first lip and cheek color comes in a mousse texture thats weightless, giving a powdery matte finish to lips and a soft blush to your cheeks. Lakme 9 to 5 Weightless Mousse Matte Lip and Cheer Color is ideal for daily office wear adding charm and lasting long. Its dual benefit makes it a high functional product for the busy and on the go working woman. Its Looks and feels weightless because of the light weight formula. Since its a mousee texture, it absorbs well giving an intense color that long-lasting. The applicator brish glides on seamlessly making is east to apply and giving a smooth and even finish. There are 10 vibrant shades designed especially for both lips and cheeks.


IBM i professionals are known for their dedication to the i. But while the platform has evolved, not all i programmers' skills have kept pace. Perhaps you still code in fixed-format RPG. Or maybe you are just getting started with RPG. Whether you're an IBM i programmer who has not yet made the leap to modern coding with free-format RPG, ILE, and the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern, or you need more practice with these technologies, you will benefit from this book.
Author David Shirey's aim in 21st Century RPG: /Free, ILE, and MVC is simple: to help programmers who have been left behind in the IBM i's evolution, so they can use newer coding methods to boost productivity, modernize applications, and upgrade their skills. Shirey uses a friendly, humorous teaching style to explain the concepts, along with plenty of code examples and exercises that let readers practice what they've learned. The book is structured so that whether you're running the latest IBM i OS or an older version, you will learn ways to improve your coding and applications.
David Shirey is president of Shirey Consulting Services (www.shireyllc.com), providing technical and business consulting services for the IBM i world. Among the services provided are IBM i technical support, including application design and programming services, ERP installation and support, and EDI setup and maintenance. He is also a contributing author at MC Press Online (mcpressonline.com).


Bharti Infratel's core mission is in line with the Bharti Group's philosophy of building businesses which positively impact the society we live in. As one of the pioneers of Shared Tower Telecom Infrastructure services, Infratel has helped Telecom operators maximize their reach in a short period of time – by providing them compelling capex saving opportunities, as a result, making them focus their investment in reaching out to more and more communities across the country, and contributing in offering highly affordable telecom services which helps integrate more subscribers into the mainstream, and connect them to the rest of the world. In the long run, this helps change their socio-economic status, and improve their 'quality of life'.
In India, Infratel has over 39,000+ towers, across 18 states, and 11 Telecom circles, and still growing. Bharti Infratel also has a 42% stake in Indus Towers which was created as a Joint Venture between Bharti Infratel, Vodafone and Aditya Birla Telecom to hive off the Towers business in 15 telecom circles.
Our 'GreenTowers' initiative is yet another example of Bharti's efforts to lead business in a manner that is truly transformational, and has a positive impact on the society we live in.
"to help underprivileged children and young people of our country realize their potential"


text:
St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey, was the highest scoring neonatal unit to be assessed by the Bliss Baby Charter team in 2019.
We asked Dr Peter Reynolds and Sister Jo Willard on the neonatal team about their experience of pursuing accreditation.
Why did you sign up to the Bliss Baby Charter?
St Peter's has always strived to give the best care to the babies and their families and as part of that, we had recognised the positive impact of family-centred care, which is a partnership approach to healthcare decision-making between the family and the health professionals.
However, there is always a difference between thinking that we are doing something well and being able to prove that we are through a rigorous externally validated process. The Bliss Baby Charter is in national standards as setting out what a safe, high-quality service with a culture of continuous improvement and development looks like. So it provided precisely the high standards to which we aspired.
Through the accreditation process, we were able to benchmark ourselves against standards set by Bliss, which helped us understand what we were doing well and identify areas where we could improve.
What support from Bliss was most helpful?
The handbook we were given at the start of the process was our bible - it contained everything we needed and explained how each principle would be assessed so we know how we needed to evidence the quality of our care in advance. It meant that we didn't need to contact Bliss except to review our self-assessments. The bank of examples of how other units have put family-centred care into practice was also very useful.
Since signing up to the Bliss Baby Charter, how has your unit's approach changed to involving parents in their baby's care?
One of the biggest changes to come from using the Bliss Baby Charter as an audit tool was the development of a developmental care ward round which aims to empower parents in caring for their child. Parents are encouraged to be present for these rounds, where we demonstrate optimal positioning and discuss skin- skin, ways that parents could be more involved in caring for their baby and reading and talking to their baby.
We also identified a way to bring family-centred care into the acute environment of neonatal stabilisation and resuscitation in the delivery room with the introduction of the "Birthday Cuddle". This meant informing staff that parents should, in the vast majority of circumstances, be allowed to spend a precious few minutes holding their baby, before they are transferred to the neonatal unit, regardless of gestation or need for ventilation support. This has created an emotionally significant moment of parental involvement right at the start of their baby's care pathway. The feedback from parents and staff has been overwhelmingly positive.
During the Baby Charter assessment period, we made a whole suite of other changes including:
Introducing 'Lullaby Hour' where a professional musician performs in the NICU to offset the otherwise stressful sound environment of the unit
Adding another room to our parents' accommodation
Reducing parking charges
Hiring a family support nurse and a breastfeeding lactation consultant
Creating a play area for siblings and providing sibling packs so that they feel involved in what is happening to their new brother or sister.
The reason we were able to make so many improvements was because the Bliss Baby Charter process enabled us to focus clearly on areas where we could make improvements. The Charter provided us with a new lens through which to look at the care we were providing, and the results have been transformative. We know, with confidence, that these improvements will have a direct and long-lasting impact not only on the future of each vulnerable baby, but also on the lives of those who care for them.
We are certain that the quality of our family-centred care has improved as a result of the thorough examination of our processes, and through the confidence we have gained, it will continue to improve in the future.
Are you interested in getting involved with the Baby Charter?
Complete our registration form to find out more and a member of our team will get in touch
Royal Devon and Exeter
Barnet Starlight Neonatal Unit
Making positive changes at Northumbria
William Harvey Neonatal Unit
Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow
The Royal Cornwall Hospital
Burton Neonatal Unit: Baby-led feeding


The Keto Diet has some guidelines on the foods that you can eat. While you must exclude foods rich in carbohydrates such as grains, pasta, and sugar, you also need to step up your consumption of beneficial foods. Easier said than done. Sometimes, including good foods in your diet is not as simple and easy as it sounds.
Keto diets work only if your body gets essential nutrients that help it burn extra fat and promote lean muscle. Blame it on our lifestyles of poor food choices, the fact remains that our diet is becoming increasingly bereft of good foods. To ensure your inability to include essential foods in your diet does not spell doom for your weight loss goals, look for supplements.
Health practitioners all over the world recommend a number of supplements to their patients on keto diets. Creatine supplements are among the most common supplements used by keto freaks. Before we delve into what creatine supplements do, let us first understand what creatine is and why our body needs it so desperately.
Creatine is an organic compound. Creatine performs a number of roles such as promoting muscle health and providing protection against neurological disorders. The compound is stored in different body parts such as muscles, brain, kidneys, liver, and pancreas. Some foods rich in creatine include tuna, red meat, and salmon.
So, why do experts recommend taking creatine supplements to people on a keto diet? The simple answer to this question is that it works perfectly well with keto. Creatine supplements help individuals on a keto diet get one step closer to their ultimate goal of increasing muscle mass (accompanied with fat loss) without necessarily losing weight.
These supplements boost brain health, which can help with sleep deprivation and other conditions. And the best part is that creatine supplements do not affect ketosis.
Apprehensions regarding the safety of creatine supplements are totally baseless. Creatine is one of the most researched supplements. Years of research and different studies have not found any major side-effects of taking creatine supplements. Additionally, there is no evidence that suggests the presence of hidden carbs in creatine supplements.
For effective and sustainable results, many experts recommend sticking to an unflavored form of creatine which should be taken with water or any other keto-friendly liquid. When deciding the appropriate dosage, consider your goals. Most importantly, before including a supplement in your diet, do not forget to consult your physician.
There are a number of creatine supplements on the market; however, not all deserve your attention. To help you make informed decisions, we, have compiled a list of creatine supplements that really work.
When buying a creatine supplement, you need to consider a number of factors.
Creatine supplements include different types of creation including Creatine titrate, Effervescent creatine, Creatine Ethyl Ester, and Creatine Gluconate. Every type of creatine comes with its unique set of advantages and disadvantages.
To get the most out of your supplement and avoid potential side-effects, learn about the types of creatine used in products by your preferred brands. Before buying a supplement, discuss the pros and cons of using each type of creatine with your doctor.
To ensure you get value for money, find out the price per dose you will be paying. Price per dose can be calculated by dividing the product's price by the number of scoops it contains. While price is an important factor to consider, it is not the only thing to emphasize. Before giving in to the temptation of buying a cheap supplement, look for user reviews and visit health enthusiast forums to make sure the product is worth your trust and money.
Look for products with enhanced solubility. Supplements that do not dissolve, often clump, which can result in particles sticking to your mouth for hours, causing you to have an unpleasant experience.
Before buying a creatine supplement, consider your goals. If, for instance, you want to add muscle mass, look for a supplement that includes a blend of Creatine Pyruvate, Creatine Monohydrate, and Creatine Alpha-ketoglutarate. If weight loss is your ultimate objective, opt for a supplement that includes CreaPure Creatine.
If you are on a keto diet, consuming sugar is the last mistake you'd want to commit. To ensure you are on the right track to achieving your goals, look for sugar-free products. Prefer powders with natural flavors over those with the artificial ones.
The best creatine supplements can help muscles produce more energy, improving exercise performance. Studies suggest that these supplements can also help with Parkinson's Disease by keeping a tab on the rate at which dopamine levels drop in the mind.
Additionally, creatine supplements have shown promise in fighting neurological disorders and keep a check on the spike of blood sugar levels in the body. Most importantly, creatine is perfectly safe for human consumption.
Look for products with Creatine Monohydrate as studies have found it to be the best form of creatine.
Check the manufacturing date. For effective results, steer clear of products that were manufactured several weeks or months before the intended date of consumption.
Make sure the product is sourced free of additives, fillers, substrates, and contaminants.
Look for micronized products that can be easily absorbed by the body.
Opt for a soluble powder.
If you are allergic to dairy products, look for a vegan, soy, and gluten-free product.
You can add creatine to your favorite liquid. It can be a smoothie, juice or any other beverage. You can also take creatine with water; however, many supplements are unflavored and taste bitter, which can make it difficult for you to drink them with water.
Before starting to use a creatine supplement, you must determine the amount of creatine your body needs every day. When determining the amount of creatine you need to take, two important factors to consider are your lifestyle and the amount of muscle mass you have.
During the loading period, your trainer may ask you to take 5 grams of creatine, four times a day. Decrease the amount gradually. If you want swift results, consider pairing your creatine with other supplements.
Though little research has been done on the right time to take creatine, many experts believe that using the supplement before and after a workout can deliver effective results. To ensure your creatine supplement works as hard as you, come up with a dosage strategy.
Creatine Powder by Genius can be used as a post-workout supplement. The supplement works on the theory of repair and rebuild, helping cells recover and increasing protein synthesis after every workout. The product has been specially formulated to boost lean muscle gain and strength.
The powder contains SR Beta Alanine that is known to enhance muscular endurance, one of the keys to enhanced performance.
The product is fit for use for both men and women. Genius Creatine Powder is lab-tested for quality and purity. Genius Creatine Powder uses 100 percent natural flavors and sweeteners. For effective results, mix a scoop of the supplement with 8 oz of water.
Creatine HCL Powder by BulkSupplements is available in five sizes, 100 gm, 250 gm, 500gm, 1kg, and 5kg. For superior absorption, the product contains pure micronized creatine. Creatine HCL Powder is lab-tested and certified for quality. The product includes hydrochloride that dissolves easily in water.
For effective and sustainable results, consume 750-1500 mg of HCL powder every day. To improve performance, take the supplement with water around 20-30 minutes before starting to exercise. If 'taste' is a concern, add the supplement to your favorite juices or protein shakes. You can also pair it with other supplements. To get the most out of the supplement, it is advisable that you use the product before its expiry date.
The supplement contains not one but three beneficial ingredients- Creatine Monohydrate, Betaine, and L-carnitine L-tartrate. While Creatine and Betaine support muscle growth and enhance energy. L-carnitine L-tartrate provides essential nutrients for fatty acid metabolism and transports nutrients to muscle cells.
The end result? You gain lean muscle mass while losing body fat. For enhanced absorption, the product includes Bioperine. The supplement helps speed up the process of muscle recovery after a workout. The product is manufactured in a GMP-certified facility, which should address any quality or safety concerns you may have. For effective results, mix a scoop of the supplement with 16oz of water.
May not be fit for use for nursing mothers, pregnant women or people with certain health conditions.
The supplement is available in two different flavors- fruit punch and strawberry lemonade. An unflavored version of the supplement is also available for those who are on a strict diet. The workout supplement contains Creatine Monohydrate, the best type of Creatine. The product includes natural sweeteners and flavors.
Legion Recharge Post Workout Supplement works faster than many other supplements on the market. Just add it to your favorite juice, shake or smoothie, and you will start experiencing results within a couple of weeks.
In addition to containing Creatine Monohydrate, the supplement includes L-Carnitine L-Tartrate and Corosolic Acid. While L-Carnitine L-Tartrate helps generate cellular energy and speed up the process of muscle repair, Corosolic Acid is known to regulate blood glucose levels in the body. The product is manufactured in a GMP and NSF-certified facility. For optimal results, add a scoop of the supplement to your pre and post workout drink.
Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder is available in four colors and five styles. The supplement includes a special formula that helps build lean muscle mass and boost energy. The supplement is micronized, which ensures superior solubility. The product is unflavored. The supplement's USP lies in its 100 percent pure ingredients.
Unlike many other supplements on the market that include fillers and preservatives, BSN's Monohydrate Powder contains pure, micronized Creatine Monohydrate. For optimum results, add 5 gm of the supplement to your favorite protein shake, juice or water. The supplement is manufactured in an NSF-certified facility.
May not be fit for use for people with certain allergies.
Though all these products include the goodness of creatine and other beneficial ingredients, when it comes to taste, Genius Creatine Powder is the clear winner. While keto fanatics do not solely focus on taste, for beginners, it can be a considerable factor. The supplement not only helps speed up the process of muscle gain but can also help steer clear of bloating and other issues.


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Into Gigantism, Kitsch and Luxuriance
Publié le : 22 mars 2015 Publié dans : Rothko Journal
The Omni Hotel in Dallas, facing the Convention Center, prides itself for its 1001 rooms. As soon as I step in, I hear that this week-end the hotel hosts the grand celebration of The Walking Dead (the most successful TV series of the day), with a two-day gathering of actors and fans. After 24 hours in the perfectly ordered streets in the Federal capital, diving into this world of zombies is sort of cultural shock -but travelling in the elevator with Chad Coleman, one of the key actors, I immediately measure the impact of his fame.
The next day, I plan to have a quiet dinner at the bar to work on my lecture, but my neighbor, the actor Nick Gomez is really fun and avid to learn, so we discuss the success of The Walking Dead as an accessible utopia. I turn him into a Rothko fan and he shows me that a selfie with him can secure 27 immediate followers on twitter ! Will they all become Rothko fans ? On a Saturday afternoon, many families are visiting the Dallas Museum of Art. In the immense white hall, people are greeted by two enormous Rauschenberg and Rosenquist works, while a 19th century marble sculpture is juxtaposed to a beautiful long Indonesian piece of sculpture.
After the conference, many docents are asking questions about the relationship between Rothko and Greenberg or Rosenberg, about the atmosphere of the Rothko room at the Phillips Collection versus that of the Rothko Chapel in Houston. In the audience, I talk to Michael Dewberry, who's about to start a MA at Bard College. When I get out, I admire the Young Masters program, in which some talented young composers or painters get to be exhibited on the same walls as the old masters. Wandering thorough the collection I select the 1905 Fish House Door by John Frederick Peto and the 1930 Buildings by Charles Demuth that I would love to take home with me. But is it because of the hurricane that has just destroyed the island today that I remain stuck in front of a magnificent 1945 Standing Male Figure from Vanuatu ? Who knows ? But in these days when so much patrimonial art gets destroyed, the Standing Male Figure definitely states its power as a work of art.
Four years ago, when I spoke in Dallas at the Rachofsky House, built by Richard Meier, I was mesmerized by the place -but now that the owners have moved back in, I am invited to see their Warehouse. Unfortunately, I have no time before the plane leaves for Miami. I am not even able to return to the Louis I. Kahn building at the Kimbell, nor to his Renzo Piano addition that, both for the collections and for the buildings, have always remained in my memory as true gems.
I am taken by surprise by the heat and the humidity when I land in Palm Beach. The luxuriance of the vegetation is staggering and a monkey greets me in the elevator of the hotel. The Society of the Four Arts, where I lectured 4 years ago, has acquired a brand new 25 million dollar education building. I am allowed to play Satie on the grand piano before I speak : what a treat ! The audience seems incredibly moved by Rothko's story. During the Q & A, I am asked to answer unusual questions : What was Rothko's participation in the WPA ? Was he linked to Josef Albers in any way ? In the audience, Henry Pillsbury's brother who was a diplomat in Africa and Jean Vallier, we used to run the Alliance Française in NYC. During the book signing, someone asks me to inscribe « tikun ha olam » in his copy, so that he remembers…
Before I leave Florida, I visit the the Norton Museum, where I select a Courbet still life of rotten apples, an enchanting Miro, I salute Rothko's mentors, Max Weber and Milton Avery, admire my friend Beth Rudin de Woody's impressive collection with beautiful Glenn Ligon's pieces –he's one of my favorite contemporary artists. And, always, the emphasis on education, with childen everywhere (here in front of two Georgia O'Keeffe paintings)
Article précédent Article précédent Art as an Experience
Article suivant Article suivant Long Live the Old Masters!


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Today's increasingly severe economic circumstances and current fiscal realities demand our continued attention. In the face of significantly reduced state funding and increasing expenses, we must focus carefully on our priorities and modify our activities, attitudes, and culture to continue reducing expenses.
Thanks to thoughtful past planning, hard work, decision making, and collaboration, Michigan State University is positioned to pursue greater efficiency and effectiveness in ways that do not compromise our values or our vision. Even as we make changes, we will continue to be guided by Boldness by Design and to maintain our commitment to being one of the best research universities in the world.
We must build a new model that will change the way we work, but not the quality of the work we do for our students and in communities close to home and around the world.
This kind of transformational change is complex but necessary to preserve the quality of our academic programs over the long term. It is not top-down. It is work that we will—and must—do together guided by overarching design principles and time-tested university governance and administrative processes. It is work that requires your engagement, as ideas are proposed, decisions are made, and changes are implemented over time.
I encourage you to visit this site frequently. In addition to providing updates and related communications and resources that will keep you informed, it offers an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments and suggestions that will allow you to share your perspective.
However challenging, these are times that play to our strengths. A can-do spirit is a hallmark of MSU. As we adapt, we will remain resilient, maintaining our momentum and our excellence.