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It’s unique.  It’s unexpected.  It’s Perspectives.

See the new Christian Perspectives magazine on the site.

A new punctuation mark? Yeah, right.

Apparently, there’s a new punctuation mark. A Michigan company is offering a $1.99 lifetime license  to use it. The SarcMark is used to highlight sarcasm in emails and texts.

Other punctuation marks you may not know of:

• The Interrobang – a question mark and exclamation point (expresses a surprised question)

• The Deflation Point – an upside-down exclamation point (for false enthusiasm)

Source

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I think it’s awesome. My notes are marked with five different shorthands to help me remember better. I’ll be adding these to my margins, too.

What punctuation mark would you like to invent? What would it be used for?

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• What Punctuation Mark Are You? (! – [:)] (jezebel.com)

(39) Literary alcoholics and addicts

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Read the details (with photos) of the following literaries and their destructive behaviors:

1. Charles Baudelaire | Booze and opium
2. Edgar Allan Poe | Alcohol
3. Ayn Rand | Dexedrine /Speed
4. William S. Burroughs | Heroin
5. Brendan Behan | Alcohol
6. Dorothy Parker | Alcohol
7. James Baldwin | Alcohol
8. Jim Carroll | Heroin
9. Tennessee Williams | Alcohol, Amphetamine, Barbituates
10. Jack Kerouac | Alcohol
11. Sir Kingsley Amis | Alcohol
12. Jack London | Alcohol
13. Edna St. Vincent Millay | Alcohol
14. Sinclair Lewis | Alcohol
15. Ernest Hemingway | Booze
16. Hunter S. Thompson | Everything
17. Anne Sexton | Alcohol, Drugs
18. Norman Mailer | Alcohol
19. Dylan Thomas | Alcohol
20. Louisa May Alcott | Opium
21. Paul Verlaine | Alcohol, Absinthe, Drugs
22. Dashiell Hammett | Alcohol
23. John Cheever | Alcohol, Various Drugs
24. J. P. Donleavy | Alcohol
25. Jean Cocteau | Opium
26. William Faulkner | Alcohol
27. Elizabeth Barrett Browning | Opium
28. Arthur Koestler | Alcohol
29. James Agee | Alcohol
30. Charles Bukowski | Alcohol
31. Eugene O’Neill | Alcohol
32. Stephen King | Booze, Cocaine, Prescription Meds
33. Malcolm Lowry | Alcohol
34. Truman Capote | Booze, Various Drugs
35. Flann O”Brien | Alcohol
36. Richard Brautigan | Alcohol
37. Raymond Chandler | Booze
38. F. Scott Fitzgerald | Alcohol
39. John Berryman | Alcohol, Various Drugs

Source

Related article: Writer and Musician Suicides

Heavenly eye [photo]

I just thought this stunning photo was worthy of a mention!

Heaven Ablaze In Our Eyes

Isn’t that gorgeous?

Reader, watch your manners.

Image by Will Lion via Flickr

From the website:

Welcome to Etiquette Hell, the Internets largest site for manners and civility. With an archive of over 6,000 stories submitted by everyday people tired of the selfish, rude antics of their fellow man, Etiquette Hell is a unique repository of what people find most offensive in their interactions with friends, family and co-workers but are too courteous to actually say it to them. While laughing, half in shock, you’ll subconsciously develop your etiquette skills by learning from other people’s misfortunes and mistakes.

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You’ll find wedding, business, and general etiquette tips. They also have a forum to discuss the stories.

Source

Cooking eggs without a pan [video]

Here’s a quick camping tip… Why take your pots and pans when you go camping? too much weight… so instead try this method… Cooking Eggs has never been so simple and fun… You will need a coat hanger and some aluminum foil…. try it!

Always wear your seat belt [video]

Powerful…

We were all this big…

I love this picture! It’s a five-day-old embryo. Amazing, isn’t it?

Rick, Weiss. “Stem Cell Research: Moving Forward Despite Obstacles.” National Geographic July 2005: 11. Print.

Source

See the world through the eyes of a beer bottle!

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Excerpt:

…You have no shame

in emptying me to fill yourself.

You drain away my heart,

longing for anything

that promises to make you whole…

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Visit http://1perspectives.webs.com/spotlight.htm

(25) Spectacular landscape photos to decorate your desktop

Autumn by Poolside

Mossbrae Falls

Red Planet

See the rest here.

Disclosure of pelvic exams in question [news]

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Medical students commonly do internal pelvic examinations while patients are unconscious before gynecological surgery.

It’s raising questions about whether the women consented. A McMaster medical school graduate has revealed the majority don’t know students do pelvic exams while they’re anesthetized.

Her study, published this month in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, found only 19 percent of women were aware a medical student might have examined them.

As a result, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario plans to speak with Ontario’s medical schools about patient consent.

“It was a surprise,” said Kathryn Clarke, spokesperson for the college. “That practice, even occurring on a small scale, is intolerable.”

At issue, is how much detail doctors have to give patients to get consent.

A pelvic exam is an integral part of the surgery. Doctors do the exam after the patient is unconscious because they can get a better sense of her anatomy when she is relaxed. That exam guides decisions such as how to make the incision.

In Hamilton, that exam is routinely done three times–by the doctor, a resident and a student.

“It’s about going through the steps of safe surgery,” said Dr. Rory McDonagh, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at St. Joseph’s Healthcare. “I do it and because they’re part of the team, they ought to do it. It’s part of safe surgical practice. It’s a necessary part of training.”

Women in Hamilton aren’t explicitly told the resident and student will do a pelvic exam. They’re told they’ll have an exam before surgery and asked if medical students can take part in the operation. Doctors say by consenting to have students on the surgical team, they’re “implicitly” agreeing to allow them to do pelvic exams.

“The consent is for the whole procedure,” said Dr. Patrick Mohide, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at McMaster. “A pelvic examination is part of the procedure.”

But the study by Dr. Sara Wainberg, who is a resident at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, suggests that’s not clear to women.

She questioned 102 women who underwent gynecological surgery at Calgary Pelvic Floor Disorders Clinic.

More than 70 percent of them say they expect to be asked for consent before medical students conduct pelvic exams under anesthesia.

In contrast, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, in guidelines created in April 2006, say women give implicit consent for students to do a pelvic examination when they agree to have them take part in the surgery.

But the associate executive vice-president of the SOGC said she gets explicit consent from her patients.

“If indeed there was going to be an examination done by someone other than the surgeon, that individual would go to the patient and indicate he is a medical student and part of the team and ask permission to do the examination,” said Dr. Vyta Senikas, who practices in Quebec.

“We have come a long way to ensure that the patient is made aware.”

One of Canada’s top medical ethicists says the issue of consent is important because a pelvic exam without consent would be sexual assault.

“Most of us put a profound trust in our physicians,” said Margaret Somerville, founding director of the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law.

“We know when you’re going to have surgery, you’re not even going to be consciously present when they do what they do.”

Mohide says Hamilton’s doctors and medical schools take that trust very seriously.

“We have strong hospital and professional ethical guidelines, which we follow and respect,” he said.

“We have great respect for women’s rights and respect for their bodies.”

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Joanna, Frketich. “Disclosure of pelvic exams in question.” Hamilton Spectator Jan. 20 2010, Weekend Edition: A1. Print.

Beekeeper’s pulse-raising rescue

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The things that happen to people!

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As the lid of his coffin was about to be sealed, Josef Guzy’s grieving widow made one last request for her late husband’s necklace.

The 76-year-old Polish beekeeper had collapsed earlier in the day and been pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor.

When the undertaker reached into the coffin for the last time, he thought that he detected a faint pulse. On closer inspection, Mr Guzy was still breathing.

The same ambulance that had been called to the pensioner’s home near the southern city of Katowice and found no sign of life now raced to the undertakers to discover that their patient was still alive.

// <![CDATA[//

The doctor who had issued the death certificate applied an electrocardiac monitor that recorded a pulse of 20 to 30 beats a minute — around a third of normal strength.

Mr Guzy was rushed into intensive care, and after weeks of recovery he is back home to tend his bees.

“Josef had gone to the barn where he keeps his beloved bees when he collapsed and fell to the ground,” said Jerzy Wisniewski, a spokesman for the Regional Ambulance Service in Katowice.

“There were no signs of life when his wife called the ambulance. An experienced doctor with a specialist qualification in resuscitation found that the patient was not breathing, there was no heartbeat and the body had cooled — all the characteristics of death.”

Darius Wysluchato, the funeral director and former miner who learnt first aid for his old job, described how he found the faint pulse and signs of breath from the corpse that he earlier placed in the coffin with an assistant.

“When we arrived, the man had been lying covered with a sheet for a few hours,” Mr Wysluchato said. “Just before closing the coffin, the family asked us to remove a couple of precious things from the body. His son-in-law wanted his watch as a keepsake and his wife wanted a chain from his neck.

“I happened to touch the artery in the neck and was totally shocked. I checked it again and shouted, ‘There is a pulse.’ My assistant checked as well. I leant in close and I could tell that he was still breathing. My God, it was a miracle.”

Doctors in Katowice have described it as a case of suspended animation, the first they have known.

Mr Wysluchato added: “Thank God I did not close the coffin. If I had done that it would have been a tragedy.

“Something touched me to touch his neck. I am so pleased that Josef is alive and I wish him luck. To come back after lying in your coffin is really a miracle.”

Mr Guzy has shown his gratitude to the man he credits with giving him a second life. “The undertaker saved my life. I am so grateful. The first thing I did when I got out of hospital was take him a pot of honey,” he said.

Source

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• Beekeeper Who ‘Died’ Found To Have Pulse While in Coffin (inquisitr.com) Photo of Josef Guzy

Diamond ring thief gets choked up

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Rebecca Moore’s two-carat diamond ring, worth about $20,000, was stolen from inside her handbag, which she had left in a car parked at the Northpark mall in Joplin.

As she mourned the loss of the family heirloom, police sent photographs of the ring to jewellers in the Joplin area after it was reported stolen on Thursday.

The owner of Newton’s Jewellery recognised the ring when a man and woman came to his store a few hours after the theft and said they wanted to sell it, according to a report in The Joplin Globe .

L.T. “Bunny” Newton and his staff stalled the pair and called police.

Police said the man swallowed the ring when officers arrived. While being questioned, he began to cough uncontrollably and eventually coughed up the ring.

The man and woman have been charged with receiving stolen property.

Source

Booksellers of ancient Athens and Rome

Image via Wikipedia

Here is some history about a fascinating subject: books and libraries in classical times. An interesting read for book lovers, librarians, authors, writers, or historians!

Did you know that:

In those days, when an author desired to make known a work, he would read it aloud to an invited party of friends. This reading of original compositions became in time a common item of the programme provided by a host for the entertainment of his guests, and it is not difficult to imagine that such a custom was often subjected to grave abuse, from the guests’ point of view. Later, the private reading developed into the public lecture. Lectures of this kind became very frequent in Rome, and we are told that it was looked upon as a sort of festival when a fashionable author announced a reading. Hut we are also told that some of the audience often treated a lecturer of mediocre merit with scant courtesy, entering late and leaving early, and frequently they who applauded most were those who had listened least. The public reading is recorded of a poem composed by Nero. It was read to the people on the Capitol, and the manuscript, which was written in letters of gold, was afterwards deposited in the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus.

If a work happened to attract attention by reason of its author’s reputation or its own merit, it was copied by students or others who had heard and admired it. This was the only way in which literary productions could be dispersed and made known to the public at large, or a collection of books be gathered together. As the literary taste developed, those who were sufficiently wealthy kept slaves whose sole business it was to copy books, which books might be either the original works of their master, who by this means disseminated his compositions, or the works of others, for the benefit of their master’s library. These slaves, being of necessity well educated and skilful scribes, were purchased at high prices and held in great esteem by their owners. But obviously it was only the rich who could command such service, and ordinary folk had to resort to the bookseller.

Read more: Book and Libraries in Classical Times: Part 1

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A related subject: Libraries in Medieval Times: Part 1

Then is shown the order in which the books lie on the shelves. Briefly, the sequence of subjects and books is as follows :-Bibles, Bibles with commentary, theology, lives of saints, sermons, canon law, commentaries on canon law, civil Jaw, medicine, arts, grammar, miscellaneous volumes, logic and philosophy, English law, eighteen French volumes, and a hundred and two liturgical volumes. Titchfield Abbey owned altogether over a thousand volumes.

The monastic librarian, as we should call him, was known as the armarius, since he had charge of the armaria or book-presses. He frequently united this office to that of precentor or leader of the choir, for at first the service-books were his chief care. It was his business to make the catalogue to examine the volumes from time to time to see that mould or book-worms or other dangers were not threatening them, to give out books for transcription, and to distribute the various writing materials used in the scriptorium or writing-room. He had also to collate such works as were bound to follow one text, such as Bibles, missals, monastic rules, etc. To these duties he often added that of secretary to the abbot and to the monastery generally.

Read more here.

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Hubble takes photograph of city in space? Heaven?

According to this website, on December 26, 1994, the Hubble Telescope supposedly took a picture star cluster and turned out to be a city in space…

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Just days after space shuttle astronauts repaired the Hubble Space Telescope in mid December, the giant lens focused on a star cluster at the edge of the universe – and photographed heaven!

That’s the word from author and researcher Marcia Masson, who quoted highly places NASA insiders as having said that the telescope beamed hundreds of photos back to the command center at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., on December 26.

The pictures clearly show a vast white city floating eerily in the blackness of space.

And the expert quoted NASA sources as saying that the city is definitely Heaven “because life as we know it couldn’t possibly exist in icy, airless space.

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Read the whole story here.

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Fact or fiction?

Princess Diana: “Being a princess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Thirty-eight candid “Princess Diana” quotes:

1) Any sane person would have left long ago. But I cannot. I have my sons.

2) Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can.

3) Being a princess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

4) Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.

5) Everyone of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves.

6) Family is the most important thing in the world.

7) HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug: Heaven knows they need it.

Hugs can do great amounts of good – especially for children.

9) I don’t even know how to use a parking meter, let alone a phone box.

10) I don’t go by the rule book… I lead from the heart, not the head.

11) I don’t want expensive gifts; I don’t want to be bought. I have everything I want. I just want someone to be there for me, to make me feel safe and secure.

12) I knew what my job was; it was to go out and meet the people and love them.

13) I like to be a free spirit. Some don’t like that, but that’s the way I am.

14) I live for my sons. I would be lost without them.

15) I think like any marriage, especially when you’ve had divorced parents like myself; you want to try even harder to make it work.

16) I think the biggest disease the world suffers from in this day and age is the disease of people feeling unloved. I know that I can give love for a minute, for half an hour, for a day, for a month, but I can give. I am very happy to do that, I want to do that.

17) I want my boys to have an understanding of people’s emotions, their insecurities, people’s distress, and their hopes and dreams.

18) I want to walk into a room, be it a hospital for the dying or a hospital for the sick children, and feel that I am needed. I want to do, not just to be.

19) I wear my heart on my sleeve.

20) I will fight for my children on any level so they can reach their potential as human beings and in their public duties.  I’d like to be a queen in people’s hearts but I don’t see myself being queen of this country.

21) I’m as thick as a plank.

22) I’m aware that people I have loved and have died and are in the spirit world looking after me.

23) If men had to have babies, they would only ever have one each.

24) If you find someone you love in your life, then hang on to that love.

25) It’s vital that the monarchy keeps in touch with the people. It’s what I try and do.

26) Life is just a journey.

27) Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life – a kind of destiny. Whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are.

28) Only do what your heart tells you.

29) People think that at the end of the day a man is the only answer. Actually, a fulfilling job is better for me.

30) So many people supported me through my public life and I will never forget them.

31) The biggest disease this day and age is that of people feeling unloved.

32) The greatest problem in the world today is intolerance. Everyone is so intolerant of each other.

33) The kindness and affection from the public have carried me through some of the most difficult periods, and always your love and affection have eased the journey.

34) There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.

35) They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?

36) What must it be like for a little boy to read that daddy never loved mummy?

37) When you are happy you can forgive a great deal.

38) You can’t comfort the afflicted with afflicting the comfortable.
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What quote is your favorite?

Top three winners of the “Perfect Proposal Contest”

Image of Korbel Champagne Cellars via Snooth

The contest, sponsored by Korbel Champagne, picks the top three creative marriage proposals:

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Casino Casanova

The grand prize winner was 27-year-old Raymond Suarez, a physician from Yonkers, N.Y., and his girlfriend, Maria Villar of Bronx, N.Y. The couple had spent their first vacation together in Atlantic City. While they didn’t win any money that weekend, they took a chance on each other and have been happy with the returns ever since!

So Suarez turned to another casino for his ultimate gamble on love. For his proposal, Suarez took a romantic roll of the dice at The Paris Hotel Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. While wandering the floor of the casino, Suarez encouraged the unsuspecting Villar to pull the lever on an oversized, eight-foot tall slot machine. What Villar didn’t know was that the machine’s reels were rigged to spell out “WILL YOU MARRY ME?” Surrounded by Las Vegas showgirls and a crowd of cheering onlookers, Suarez dropped to one knee and offered Villar a beautiful diamond ring. Luckily, it was a gamble that paid off — Villar enthusiastically accepted!

With the help of an eight-foot tall slot machine, Korbel Perfect Proposal Contest grand prize winner Raymond Suarez, of Yonkers, N.Y., played “King of Hearts” with a larger-than-life proposal to his unsuspecting girlfriend, Maria Villar, at The Paris Hotel Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Villar pulled the lever during a stroll though the casino, winning the jackpot as the reels appeared with Suarez’s “Will You Marry Me?” message. Photo by Isaac Brekken. (PRNewsFoto)

Writing the Book of Love

Window shopping took on new meaning for 31-year-old Andre Shina of Troy, Mich., and his girlfriend Kelly Keith of Roseville, Mich., the first prize winners.

Having never visited a big city, Keith always wanted to take a shopping trip to Chicago. With this in mind, Shina dreamt up an elaborate proposal incorporating the famous windows at the flagship Marshall Field’s department store. Shina whisked Keith off for a romantic in Chicago where they strolled past the unique display windows at Marshall Field’s. When the couple arrived at a curtain-covered window, two tuxedo-clad “Cupids” pulled back the curtain to reveal a magical “Book of Love”-themed display complete with an oversized, old-fashioned book page reading “KELLY, WILL YOU MARRY ME?” Violinists serenaded the duo as Shina declared his intentions on bended knee, in front of a crowd of Saturday afternoon shoppers. An elated Keith quickly exclaimed “Yes!”

A Twist on Tradition

Though 64 percent of male respondents in a recent survey would accept a marriage proposal from a woman, only 31 percent of female respondents said they would propose marriage to a man. Except for Kristin Dunn, that is!

The Boise, Idaho resident, another first prize winner, and her boyfriend Tim Szofran, also of Boise, are self- described “plant nerds” studying horticulture at Boise State University. With their shared love of flowers and gardens in mind, Dunn dreamed of using a natural setting to eschew tradition and pop the question to Szofran. While enjoying what Szofran thought was a typical weekend getaway in Denver, the couple took a tour at the Denver Botanic Gardens. They stepped outside to view a special exhibit when Dunn turned Szofran to her hillside marriage proposal made of three-foot tall, flower-laden letters spelling out “MARRY ME TIM?” Szofran was stunned, but recovered to embrace Dunn as he excitedly replied “Yes!”

Source

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Have you had a creative marriage proposal?

(29) Celebrity proposals

Image via Wikipedia

In lieu of Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be helpful to find some romantic ways celebrities proposed…

1. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: Tom Cruise proposed to wife Katie Holmes after a candlelit dinner at Le Jules Verne restaurant at the Eiffel Tower after a whirlwind romance.
2. Seal and Heidi Klum: When Seal proposed to Heidi Klum, he did it two days before Christmas at 14,000 feet in Whistler, B.C. He surprised his bride-to-be in a custom built igloo on the top of an glacier in uncharted terrain.
3. Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling: Dean McDermott had a little help from his sister when proposing to wife Tori Spelling. He proposed on Christmas Eve at a Christmas tree farm in Toronto, Canada. Dean’s sister helped by putting lights for a half a mile leading the couple to a table for two surrounded by decorated Christmas trees. The couple rode up in a horse-drawn carriage and Dean proposed.
4. John Light and Neve Campbell: British actor John Light went the traditional route when he proposed to girlfriend Neve Campbell. He got down on one knee and recited Shakespeare before he presented her with the ring.
5. Chris Ivery and Ellen Pompeo: Record producer Chris Ivery proposed to girlfriend Ellen Pompeo, star of Grey’s Anatomy, on her 37th birthday after eating a birthday breakfast together at home.
6. Corey Hardrict and Tia Mowry: Corey proposed to Tia on Christmas Day in a prankster way. He first gave her a card telling her that he loved her and wanted to give her a promise ring to work towards the future. Mowry’s younger brother then brought over a piece of paper that read “Psych!”. At the same time, Mowry’s other brother started playing the Jagged Edge song “Let’s Get Married.” Hardrict then got down on one knee and proposed for real.
7. Bill Rancic and Giuliana DePandi: Trumps first apprentice, Rancic, had girlfriend Giuliana, an E! news anchor, flying high with his proposal. When DePandi arrived in Chicago, Rancic had a limo waiting, which whisked her away to a nearby helipad. Rancic, who was waiting with her favorite pizza and champagne, proposed mid-air as the couple took a ride over downtown Chicago, taking in the holiday lights.
8. Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood: At a “Legends in Bronze” event where larger-than-life bronze statues honoring 10 country legends, including Brooks, were revealed, Garth Brooks surprised everyone. After Brooks’ statue was revealed, the country super-star got down on one knee in front of 7,000 fans and popped the question to girlfriend and fellow country artist, Trisha Yearwood.
9. Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson: While vacationing in Hawaii, Nick popped the question to girlfriend Jessica Simpson on a yacht off the Hawaiian coast. The proposal can be seen in the couple’’s MTV series, “Newlyweds”.
10. Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush: Murray pictured romance when he popped the question to “One Tree Hill” co-star, Sophia Bush. He proposed in Australia at a tennis court that he adorned with with 20 bouquets of roses and 500 lit candles spelling out a special message for Bush.
11. Aaron Carter and Kari Anne Peniche: Aaron Carter popped the question to girlfriend Piniche in a spur of the moment decision in Las Vegas. While the pair was onstage in front of 200 people during the Playboy Comedy Tour at the Palms Casino Resort , Aaron surprised Kari (and everyone else) with a proposal.
12. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey: Burnett, creator of the hit show Survivor, got down on one knee and proposed to Downey on a moonlit beach in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. The pair were vacationing over Thanksgiving and had a lot to be thankful for when they returned.
13. Brooke Burke and David Charvet: The former Baywatch star hosted a summertime party and popped the question to girlfriend Burke during the bash.
14. Benji Madden and Sophie Monk: Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden proposed to girlfriend Sophie Monk while in Australia on New Year’s Eve. According to Madden, love is “the most rewarding thing in the world. It makes everything else in your life more rewarding. Your work, your family. Home, everything. It’s great. It’s a singer/songwriter thing. We’re just hopeless romantics.”
15. Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow: The 7-time winner of the Tour de France rowed girlfriend Sheryl Crow out in a little fishing boat on a lake. While coasting along the water, the motor went out and Lance, who had been planning a proposal, popped the question. While the moment was picture perfect, one thing was missing. “I felt bad. I didn’t have the ring with me.” said Armstrong. It didn’t matter though because according to Crow, “It was very romantic.”
16. Jordana Brewster and Andrew Form: The actress and director from Texas Chainsaw Massacre found love while making the horror flick. After dating for a year, Form proposed on their one-year anniversary. While vacationing in San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, CA (where John and Jackie Kennedy honeymooned), Brewster was surprised by a hotel room full of candles and a diamond ring.
17. Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon: While vacationing in Charleston, SC at The Planter’s Inn, a romantic B&B, Ryan popped the question while serving her waffles with strawberries and cream in bed.
18. Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich: After scheming together on Survivor All-Stars, which Amber won, Rob popped the question during the live season finale by getting down on one knee in front of a shocked Amber (who was wearing an I ♥ Rob t-shirt).
19. Quentin Richardson and Brandy: The NBA star proposed to singer girlfriend, Brandy, in front of close friends and family at a private reception at L.A.’s Century Club. When she arrived, the club was decorated with rose petals everywhere and Quentin with a ring.
20. Nick Cannon and Selita Ebanks: Nick proposed to new fiance Selita after they left the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Gala. The couple was chauffeured in a Rolls Royce to Times Square where the words “Selita, will you marry me?” were projected on a giant MTV jumbotron.
21. Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer: After several faulted attempts at proposing to his House co-star, Jesse finally found the perfect romantic setting. On a trip to Paris, Spencer took Morrison to the Eiffel tower, where he handed her a box containing a ring and proposed in French, “Veux-tu m’ pouser?”
22. Jimmy Fallon and Nancy Juvonen: Fallong proposed to girlfriend Juvonen on a dock at sunset at her family’s home at Lake Lake Winnipesaukee, where On Golden Pond was filmed. According to a friend, he surprised her with a Neil Lane design one-of-a-kind ring.
23. Jimmy Fallon and Nancy Juvonen: The funny man kept his proposal to Juvonen, Drew Barrymore’s long-time business partner, a serious matter. “It was serious. I did the whole one knee thing. I tried not to cry before she did. I was breaking down a little bit,” he says. “I don’t even remember what I said.”
24. Eli Manning and Abby McGrew: The NY Giants quarterback proposed to his long-time girlfriend with a sparkling diamond down on one knee. According to a NY Daily News Source “it was really low-key – it happened at home at a very unexpected moment.”
25. Jason Wahler and Katja Decker-Sadowski: Wahler, famous for his days on MTV’s Laguna Beach and his stint as The Hills’ Lauren Conrad’s boyfriend, proposed to his girlfriend Katja during a housewarming party in front of a group of friends. The engagement announcement can be seen on MTV’s The Hills: Surprise Engagement episode.
26. Andrew Firestone and Ivana Bozilovic: The ex-bachelor proposed to girlfriend Ivana while alone on the beach prior to a surprise 30th birthday party that he had planned for her. “Just being able to be there with all our friends and family was the most special moment of my whole life,” he told Us Magazine.
27. Actor Vince Vaughn proposed to his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. According to Vaugh to Ellen on her show (from People Magazine): “Valentine’s Day rolled around and I figured this is not a ship to be missed, because I will not forget this date. So Valentine’s Day was the day that I asked her. [It] worked out great because it would have been kind of weird to have talked about [getting engaged] and then skipped Valentine’s Day as if who knows when this thing is coming.”
28. Micheal Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones: The eve of the millennium was the date, and the Aspen home of Hollywood producer and actor Michael Douglas was the setting for a New Year’s proposal. Following an evening of celebration to bring in the new year/century/millennium, etc., Douglas quietly presented actress Catherine Zeta-Jones with an antique, 10-carat marquise-cut diamond ring. Zeta-Jones — then two months pregnant with the couple’s son — said yes, and the couple announced their engagement to the expectant press.
29. Jason Sehorn and Angie Harmon: When model-turned-actress Angie Harmon (Law & Order) made a guest appearence on the Tonight Show in October of 1998, she had no idea that her boyfriend Jason Sehorn (of the New York Giants) was waiting in the wings. When model-turned-actress Angie Harmon (Law & Order) made a guest appearence on the Tonight Show in October of 1998, she had no idea that her boyfriend Jason Sehorn (of the New York Giants) was waiting in the wings. After peppering Harmon with questions about her love life, host Jay Leno brought Sehorn on stage — where Sehorn dropped to one knee and surprised a stunned Harmon with a marriage proposal on live, national television. Harmon’s father was also in attendance, as was the show’s musical guest Elton John, who made the event even more memorable by serenading the couple with a song.

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Sources

Celebrity Proposals

Hollywood’s Hottest Celebrity Proposals

Emotional body language

Image via Wikipedia

Body language is one of my favorite studies.  I’m researching this subject for a novel I’m writing. This website deals with clusters such as message clusters:

• Aggressive body language: Showing physical threat.
• Attentive body language: Showing real interest.
• Bored body language: Just not being interested.
• Closed body language: Many reasons are closed.
• Deceptive body language: Seeking to cover up lying or other deception.
• Defensive body language: Protecting self from attack.
• Dominant body language: Dominating others.
• Emotional body language: Identifying feelings.
• Evaluating body language: Judging and deciding about something.
• Greeting body language: Meeting rituals.
• Open body language: Many reasons for being open.
• Power body language: Demonstrating one’s power.
• Ready body language: Wanting to act and waiting for the trigger.
• Relaxed body language: Comfortable and unstressed.
• Romantic body language: Showing attraction to others.
• Submissive body language: Showing you are prepared to give in.

Core patterns identified with body movements:

• Crossing, Expanding, Moving away, Moving forward, Opening, Preening, Repeating, Shaping, Striking and Touching

Parts-of-the-body language

• Head: Face, Cheek, Chin, Mouth, Lips, Teeth, Tongue, Nose, Eyes, Eyebrow, Forehead, Hair
• Arm: Elbow, Hand, Finger
• Torso: Neck, Shoulder, Chest, Back, Belly, Bottom, Hips
• Legs: Thigh, Knee, Foot

And other aspects of body language

Source

Dog hairstyles [photos]

Hairstyles for your dog:

Online tools for beer lovers

Image via Wikipedia

AllAboutBeer.com – From the people behind the magazine of the same name, AllAboutBeer brings you features from the magazine as well as locators, guides and articles.
Beer100.com – Has information on home brewing, calorie counts of major brands, links to bar webcams and more.

BeerAdvocate.com – Companion site to the Beer Advocate magazine with all the information you could ever want for learning about beers.

BeerInfo.us – A customized Google search engine bringing you all the info there is to know on beer.

BeerMe.com – An ever growing collection of breweries from around the world along with notes on their beers.

BeerMenus.com – Only serves the New York City area, but it lets you search by beer to see which bars serve your favorite, or just pull up an establishment to browse their list of what they serve.

Beer Recipator – Lots of information and tools to help you with your home brewing.

BeerSuggest.com – Locate beer related events, rate and tag beers and breweries and a lot more. You can read more details about the site in Kristen Nicole’s review.

BYO.com – Brew Your Own magazine features all the news and information a budding home brewer could need to get started.

Chugd.com – A social network for the beer drinker in all of us. Create a profile, tag & rate beers, find beer related events and post photos of your parties.

Coastr.com – A social network for beer lovers all over the world. List your favorite beers and favorite places to drink, review them, give them a rating, and start getting connected.

Foamee.com – A Twitter tool to help you keep track of whom you a beer or coffee to, and vice-versa.

RateBeer.com – As the name would imply, this site is all about rating your favorite beverages.

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See the website for links.

Meaning of colored caps on blood vials

Image via Wikipedia

If you’ve ever wondered why blood tubes (vacutainers) have different colors, or the reason for the sequence in which they’re taken, take a look at this:

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The meaning of the different colors are standardized across manufacturers.

The order of draw refers to the sequence in which these tubes should be filled. The needle which pierces the tubes can carry additives from one tube into the next, and so the sequence is standardized so that any cross-contamination of additives will not affect laboratory results.

Containers containing coagulants

• Gold or ‘Tiger’ Red/Black top: Clot activator and gel for serum separation
• Red top PLASTIC tubes: Contains a clot activator and is used when serum is needed
• Orange or Grey/Yellow ‘Tiger’ Top: Contain Thrombin, a rapid clot activator, for STAT serum testing

Containers containing anticoagulants

• Green - Contains Sodium Heparin or Lithium Heparin used for plasma determinations
• Light Green or Green/Gray ‘Tiger’: For plasma determinations in chemistry
• Purple or lavender – contains EDTA (the potassium salt, or K₂EDTA). This is a strong anticoagulant and these tubes are usually used for full blood counts (CBC) and blood films. Lavender top tubes are generally used when whole blood is needed for analysis. Can also be used for some blood bank procedures such as blood type and screen, but other blood bank procedures, such as crossmatches must be in a pink tube in most facilities.
• Grey – These tubes contain fluoride and oxalate. Fluoride prevents enzymes in the blood from working, so a substrate such as glucose will not be gradually used up during storage. Oxalate is an anticoagulant.
• Light blue – Contain a measured amount of citrate. Citrate is a reversible anticoagulant, and these tubes are used for coagulation assays. Because the liquid citrate dilutes the blood, it is important the tube is full so the dilution is properly accounted for.
• Dark Blue – Contains sodium heparin, an anticoagulant. Also can contain EDTA as an additive or have no additive. These tubes are used for trace metal analysis.
• Pink – Similar to purple tubes (both contain EDTA) these are used for blood banking.

Other

• Red (glass)- Contains no additives. Tests for antibodies and drugs often require these.
• Light yellow – Contains sodium polyanethol sulfonate (SPS). Used for blood culture specimens or acid-citrate-dextrose (ACD), used for blood bank studies, HLA phenotyping, and parental testing.
• Tan (glass or plastic) – Contains either sodium heparin (glass) or K₂EDTA (plastic). Used for lead determinations. These tubes are certified to contain no lead.

Source

Video that explains the process of ‘drawing blood’

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Lab test index: How to decipher your lab report

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Last week I had to go for blood and urine tests. When I looked over the various tests that my doctor wanted (I photocopy the report for my records), I was curious as to what they meant.

For example, I noticed that the test “HbA1C” was checked off. According to the index, he was testing me for diabetes. When I searched the index, I found out the following things:

• what is being tested
• how it is tested
• preparation needed
• when the test is ordered
• how the results are calculated
• if there are any alternative home tests

This article points out some of the different sections that may be found on a typical lab report, explains some of the information that may be found in those sections, and shows you an example of what a lab report may look like.

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Knowledge is power. Understand why your doctor is ordering various tests.

Lab Test Index

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Bird musicians

This is hilarious!

French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot creates works by drawing on the rhythms of daily life to produce sound in unexpected ways.

For his installation in The Curve, Boursier-Mougenot creates a walk-though aviary for a flock of zebra finches, furnished with electric guitars and other musical instruments. As the birds go about their routine activities, perching on or feeding from the various pieces of equipment, they create a captivating, live soundscape.

A digital guitar

Interesting…

“Google Tail” narrows your search terms

Google Tail helps you narrow and refine your search term.

Screenshot of Google Tail

It gives you related phrases and other phrases to consider. I picked a random term: anatomy…

Refined search for 'anatomy'

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Try it here.

Search for music by singing, humming, or typing

An intriguing way to search…

Screenshot of midomi search page

Midomi is the ultimate music search tool because it is powered by your voice. Sing, hum, or whistle to instantly find your favorite music and connect with a community that shares your musical interests.

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Check it out here.

Childrens’ thoughts on dating and marriage [humor]

Image by allie™ via Flickr

How do you decide who to marry?

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. – Alan (10)

No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all ways before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with. – Kristen (10)

What is the right age to get married?

No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married. – Freddie (6)

Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. – Camille (10)

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?

You have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. – Derrick (8)

What do you think your mom and dad have in common?

Both don’t want any more kids. – Lori (8)

What do most people do on a date?

Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. – Lynette (8)

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. – Martin (10)

What would you do on a first date that was turning sour?

I’d run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. – Craig (9)

When is it okay to kiss someone?

When they’re rich. – Pam (7)

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that. – Curt (7)

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It’s the right thing to do. – Howard (8)

Is it better to be single or married?

It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. – Anita (9)

How would the world be different if people didn’t get married?

There sure would be lots of kids to explain, wouldn’t there? – Kelvin (8)

How would you make a marriage work?

Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. – Ricky (10)

Anatomy of a book

Image via Wikipedia

Exterior:

• Cover
• Dust cover
• Flaps
• Back cover
• Spine
• Band
• Title

Interior:

• Flyleaves
• Title page
• Back page
• Credits page
• Dedication page
• Table of contents
• The main text
• Heading
• Foot of the page
• Page number
• Imprint

Read the explanations here.

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• Self-Publishing 101 – Parts of a book (1websurfer.wordpress.com)

Behind-the-scenes look at Bible retailing

Image by Wonderlane via Flickr

I love sites like this–they inform, they reveal secrets and mysteries. It’s not enough just to buy books. I want to go behind the scenes. I will be posting more book-related ones like this in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned!

From the site:

Bookstores using TBS can choose to arrange their Bible sections by translation or by category, with the former being most common, as the trade journal CBA Retailers+Resources reported (login required) in its March 2008 issue:

“Tyndale recommends allocating shelf space based on how customers shop. For most customers the first point of decision is translation, and based on the data we’ve seen, it’s probably the primary factor in choosing a Bible. The second factor would be felt need,” [Mary Chapman of Tyndale] says. “Merchandising Bibles together that meet the same felt need will decrease walk-out rate. For example, the best-selling modern-language translations such as the NIV and NLT should be merchandised together. Additionally, make sure you give each Bible translation shelf space based on your in-store sales as well as market share across the industry.”

Categories

The adoption of new Bible-specific BISAC category codes in January 2008 by publishers and retailers allowed the unified merchandising. All Bibles fall into one of eight categories: Children, Devotional, General, New Testament & Portions, Reference, Study, Text, and Youth & Teen.

The previous category system, Christian Product Codes, had two levels of organization. The top-level categories were: Audio, Children’s, Devotional, New Testament, Parallel & Interlinear, Reference, Scripture Portion, Specialty & Misc, Study, Text, Topical, and Youth & Teen. The sub-categories were either a translation and additional qualifier, or one of the following: Bride’s, Catholic, Compact, Family, Gift & Award, Large & Giant Print, Men’s, One Year, Pastor & Preaching, Personal Size, Pew, Thinline & Slimline, Wide Margin, and Women’s.

Training

Have you ever wondered what training booksellers receive about the Bibles they sell? Zondervan and Thomas Nelson (plus, to a lesser extent, other publishers) both produce Bible-training kits for bookstores.

As of this writing, Zondervan’s Bible Training is available online for anyone to browse. It consists of nine lessons, with a few just added recently. The ESV gets mentioned in Lesson 3, “Help Your Customers Choose a Translation.” (We could only get the site to work in Internet Explorer.)

If you’re interested in a particular translation or edition, we encourage you to do research before heading to your local Christian bookstore. Visit publishers’ websites for the official story. Sites like Bible Researcher or even Wikipedia can provide you helpful third-party information. Talk with your pastor or a Christian friend for advice. Then visit booksellers for their perspective. It’s often helpful to hold a Bible in your hands before you buy it, and Christian bookstores almost certainly have a wider selection of Bibles than other stores.

Source

(4) WEIRD wallpaper for your desktop – Part 2

“Vanishing Point“

“Sharks and fish“

Source

Neuron runner (my title)

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1websurfer recommends: PDFmyURL

PDFmyURL is an easy tool that converts any webpage into a pdf document. You can add the url in the box or use a bookmarklet. It’s great for printing, saving webpages in case they crash, and a lot more!

Try it here.