text:
Hospital stays understandably come with some degree of anxiety for patients and caregivers. Some of the discomfort comes from not knowing what to expect from treatment or what comes next. WellStar Paulding Hospital launched a new program to bring this information to the patient's fingertips through MyChart Bedside inpatient portal. WellStar is the only health system in Georgia to offer this program today.
Upon admission to the hospital, patients receive a touchscreen tablet where they can view test results, medications, labs, vital signs and daily treatment schedules. Currently in pilot phase at Paulding Hospital, MyChart Bedside will be available across WellStar's Epic-based hospitals by May 2017.
This level of information and engagement in their treatment yields positive results. Research shows patients are more likely to have a better healthcare experience with lower costs if they are involved in the process and kept informed during their hospital stay.
"This program will help inform and empower patients by allowing them to review their medical information throughout their stay," said Jon Morris, M.D., WellStar's chief information officer.
The MyChart patient portal is available outside of the hospital today, letting patients access notes from their last doctor's visit, message their healthcare team and request prescription refills, as well as safely access their medical records from a personal computer or device. Patients will see the same functionality in their bedside tablet, along with other functions specific to an inpatient stay.
While in the hospital, patients will be able to communicate with their care team through the device, access instructional videos and other educational materials related to their condition, take notes and sign up for the outpatient WellStar MyChart patient portal.
As online-based systems, MyChart and MyChart Bedside don't store patient information in the device's memory, ensuring the patient's privacy. Every time an inpatient is given a tablet, there is no record of the previous patient.
About WellStar Health System
WellStar Health System, the largest health system in Georgia, is known nationally for its innovative care models, focused on improving quality and access to healthcare. WellStar consists of WellStar Medical Group, 240 medical office locations, outpatient centers, health parks, a pediatric center, nursing centers, hospice, homecare, as well as 11 hospitals: WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South, WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (anchored by WellStar Kennestone Hospital), WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, and WellStar Cobb, Douglas, North Fulton, Paulding, Spalding Regional, Sylvan Grove and Windy Hill hospitals. As a not-for-profit, WellStar continues to reinvest in the health of the communities it serves with new technologies and treatments. For more information, visit wellstar.org.


text:
It's difficult to serenely get past the winter without a decent heater in your home, particularly on the off chance that you would prefer not to be always wrapped in covers. Be that as it may, how would you pick which heater is best for your home, and after that how would you install it? While it can be overpowering at in the first place, it doesn't need to be. You can undoubtedly enlist a professional to help you with the procedure, and they will make it considerably less demanding than it would have been something else. Here's the way they'll enable you to out.
1. Finding a Heater
From remain solitary heaters to finish HVAC systems, there are various heaters available. An accomplished HVAC tech will reveal to you which would be the best for your home in view of its span and your financial plan. Subsequent to talking about the greater part of the subtle elements they will ensure the right unit is requested for your home.
2. Installation
Once the heater has touched base to your home, the HVAC tech will begin with the installation. They'll know how to do all the convoluted wiring, and will have a full stock of devices accessible so you don't need to put resources into them yourself. In only a short measure of time they can get your new heating unit installed, and you'll have the capacity to appreciate the awesome outcomes! Try not to do this without anyone's help in the event that you don't have involvement, particularly since it can be so risky.
3. Support
Over the long haul you should have your heater kept up, and that is on account of any heater can wind up having little upkeep issues. Luckily in the event that you remain in control, you will be less inclined to have significant issues that cost you a ton of cash. Your heating professional will search for potential issues while they're doing the examination, and will settle them immediately so everything keeps working like you require it to.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Advice from the experts
We regularly host webinars with subject matter experts to cover topics that are important to you and supply you with up to date information directly from the people who know it best.
Converting a classroom-based qualification course to e-learning
This webinar will discuss how Virtual College and DPG approached their collaborative project, including how the challenges of converting a face-to-face qualification programme into e-learning were successfully addressed and how the use of contextualised scenarios enabled learners to apply their knowledge in a realistic environment.FIND OUT MORE
Supporting Child Victims of Trafficking
These free CPD accredited webinar recordings are for legal professionals, guardians, advocates and social workers who want to know more about supporting child victims of trafficking and modern slavery.FIND OUT MORE
How the Apprenticeship Levy will affect companies and organisations
With the Apprenticeship Levy coming into effect on April 6th 2017, it's crucial that you understand how this may impact your company or organisation. This webinar will help you by explaining how the new apprenticeship system will work and what it'll mean for your business.FIND OUT MORE
How to choose the right LMS for your organisation
With 42% of people unhappy with their current learning management system* (LMS), and 100s of different LMSs on the market, choosing the right LMS is more important than ever. This webinar will cover the essential points in making sure you choose the right LMS for your organisation, making it a must watch for anyone who is looking to buy their first LMS or considering switching to a new provider.FIND OUT MORE


text:
Importance of Correct Word Counts
A correct word count is of paramount importance to your paper. Teachers can be varying degrees of strict over word counts, but most of them are quite specific as to their requirements. If you are a student – or, indeed, if you are writing a paper for a journal or a magazine – then you need to know the word count you have and the one you need. Sometimes you also require other tools, like a character count. Fortunately, there is a way to get these things now that is easier than ever.
Online Word Counter Tool
The online word counter, which comes with a free character counter as well, is the solution to your problems. It is easy to use – all you have to do is cut and paste. Alternately, if you would like to measure your word counts as you actually type, you can use the word counter as a word processor, too! It has a simple format which is fast and easy to use, so you won't have to worry about lags. The text will be saved so that you won't lose it easily. Forget all your worries about making sure of length and just concentrate on writing. You can check easily anytime, so you can easily see how much more you have to write. Also, there's a great bibliography reference generator to help you cope with formatting.
Why Use A Word Count Generator
Why use a word count generator instead of one of the ones available on your word processor? The answer is simple: time and ease. With our word counter tool online, you can:
- Access word counts online
- Type into it if you haven't got a word processor available
- Get easy word counts that update in real time
- Get character counts as well
- Easily count number of words in a file
It's the best option for a good word count. Particularly, many people write on the go. Your mobile device probably won't have an accurate, fast word count tool on its writing apps. So write into our word count app instead, and get them easily! Plus, increasingly, really good word processors are getting expensive. Maybe you can't afford one. We keep our service free, so you never have to worry about that.
Word Counts for You
There are plenty of word count tools available, from word processors' ones to online tools. But the accuracy and consistency of ours set it above the rest. We make sure that you can get a word count that reflects the work you've done. Using the same word count tool every time can give you much better results since you grow accustomed to how it works. That's why we make sure that our tool works correctly each time. You'll be able to get good counts of words and characters with no effort involved. Just cut and paste or type away and you'll get the precision word counts that you need with no efforts. Let us handle the trickiness and the fuss.


text:
ISP's mission is to Inspire, Engage and Empower. It is central to ISP's philosophy that the school supports each and every student to reach their full potential. Two ways ISP ensures that its mission is fulfilled are through accreditation and assessment, carried out by respected external bodies.
ISP is accredited by two organizations, the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). In 2016-17 ISP took part in a new combined accreditation process in partnership with CIS and NEASC, the first school in the world to do so.
A report published in early 2018 stated – "The Evaluation Team is unanimous in observing and confirming that the International School of Prague is mission-driven, student-focused, future-leaning, progressive on many levels, high performing and a safe, secure place for learning."
ISP chose to capture a portion of the self-study element of the accreditation process in this document, which gives snapshots of the types of learning stories that take place at ISP every day.
External Assessment
ISP students take a number of exams administered by external entities, the results of which indicate how ISP students perform compared to students at other international schools and students in OECD countries.
The International Schools' Assessments (ISA) exam is an annual test given in either October or February (ISP students take the exam in February). The ISA assessment program is designed specifically for students in international schools in Grades 3–10. It is based on the internationally endorsed reading, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy frameworks of the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
ISP does not specifically prepare its students for the test – the only recommendations are that students get a good night's sleep and that they take the test seriously.
The test is administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), and is given in the areas of Mathematics, Reading, Narrative Writing, and Science. ACER also administers the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) exam.
In addition to providing information that allows the comparison of the results of ISP students to students in other international schools, ISA results can be compared with the worldwide PISA exam, which allows us to the comparison of ISP results with those of students from over 40 countries (including the Czech Republic). ISP's most recent ISA results can be viewed here.
Information regarding ISP's International Baccalaureate and University Destinations is also available.


text: Now that winter is officially here roast garlic is becoming a staple in our kitchen. Since garlic is nature's antibiotic, it's great for wintertime when fortifying your immune system is most important.I try to pop over to Keith's Farm at the Union Square Farmer's market whenever possible because they have my favorite garlic variety. Ever since I tried their Rocambole (pronounced like rock' n roll, but rock'm'bowl) garlic it's difficult to settle for any other kind for several reasons. You're always guaranteed big cloves in each head. I've never been a fan of garlic that has tons of small cloves within one clove, it requires so much more work. Also, there is a juiciness to Rocambole, it has a superior amount of oil which makes it the perfect choice for garlic paste. Continue reading "Rocambole Magical Garlic"


text:
Top 10 Slasher Films
Neal Damiano celebrates one of horror's most loved sub-genres – the slasher film – as he looks at the worlds of Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees & Norman Bates…
Top 10 Films loves a good scare. Heck, watching hundreds of horror movies from across the years has enabled us to create definitive top 10s for the greatest horror films 1967 to 1979 and the best horror films of the 1980s as well discovering the scariest of the them all.
Now we tackle a sub-genre of horror – the slasher film. The granddaddy of the genre is traditionally thought of as Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, with Janet Leigh meeting her maker thanks to Anthony Perkins' hotelier (or "motelier" if you prefer) Norman Bates. However, the genre had to wait a few years before its conventions would be fully established thanks to a director named John Carpenter and a serial killer going by the title Michael Myers. The year was 1978. What followed in the 1980s was a string of low-budget horror films that would forever live long in the memory because of their knife-happy killers, scream-queen teenagers and jump-out-of-your-seat moments.
10. Terror Train (Spottiswoode, 1980)
A college fraternity decides to hold a New Year's Eve party on a train. But an uninvited guest, a tormented ex-fraternity member, decides to take revenge on the students by killing them off one by one. On board the terror train is then scream-queen Jamie Lee Curtis. What was so special about this slasher is the amazing cinematography. It is top notch for a horror film, creating a eerie, moody feeling.
Discover more: See our analysis of the slasher genre
9. The Burning (Maylam, 1981)
One of the first films from Miramax, this horror classic came out in 1981 and really set the slasher trend in America. When campers decide to play a cruel joke on Chopsey, a lonely grounds keeper at a summer camp, he gets burned and disfigured severly. Several years later he returns to the camp site to get his revenge armed with a huge pair of shears he slices the campers up one by one with lots of blood and gore.
Discover more: See our top 10 horror films of the 1980s
8. Maniac (Lustig, 1980)
Written and acted by Joe Spinell this classic is one of the first slasher films with themes of psychological abuse. The story centers around Frank Zito, a loner in New York City who takes his frustrations of having been abused as a child by his mother out on women walking alone at night. Very graphic in its nature, he scalps the young pretty women and takes their hair and clothes home to dress mannequins up like his mother and then sleeps with them for several nights. Often criticised for copying Psycho for its similiar plot, Maniac is more graphic and gory with a lot more killing.
Discover more: See our top 10 scariest films ever made
7. Black Christmas (Clark, 1974)
Many consider this the first slasher film due to its brutal style and nature of the killings. Black Christmas is more scary than gory to me. Set in a sorority house nearing Christmas Eve, the sisters decide to stay on campus with an unwanted visitor living in the attic. What was so fascinating about this slasher was the excessive torment the killer put these girls through, taunting them with sadistic phone calls. The suspense built up in the movie is quite frightening and the killings are very violent. One of the scariest films of its time.
Discover more: See our top 10 horror films 1967 to 1979 | Read our full review of Black Christmas
6. House on Sorority Row (Rosman, 1983)
House on Sorority Row deserves to be on this list for its cinematography alone. Six sorority sisters at a college planning a big party before school semester closes decide to play a joke on their nasty den mother by putting a fake gun to her head while throwing her cane into a swimming pool. But the gun fires by accident and kills her. They panic, hide her body in the pool and throw the party anyway. A mysterious figure comes to the party killing each sister off with the den mother's cane. A classic "whodunnit" with plenty of blood and gore. Suspense right up to the very end.
Discover more: See our top 10 monsters I don't want to find in my closet
5. Friday the 13th (Cunningham, 1980)
A lot of people believe Friday the 13th to be the film that brought slasher style cinema to the forefront of America. Others consider this a rip off of Maria Bava's "Bay of Blood". While some do not consider this the start of the Jason franchise because it was the mother who was doing the killing. But I say without this there would be no Jason series. Sean Cunningham created a slasher masterpiece – the production quality is far better than its predecessors, combining creative camera shots with really creepy music. The first to have multiple killings symbolising horny care free teenagers as morally wrong. The series became larger than life, making Jason and Camp Crystal Lake pop culture icons.
Discover more: See our top 10 Friday The 13th films
4. A Nightmare on Elm Street (Craven, 1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street truly is a unique film. I refer to it as the intelligent slasher because it broke away from the traditional storyline of teenagers having sex and getting slashed up in the woods. It added a sci fi element where the killer stalks his victims in their dreams. Wes Craven's concept was groundbreaking for a slasher film in its time. Freddy Krueger became one of the scariest figures in modern day horror. The cinematography was top notch and the overall essence of the film to this day frightens me. As a kid I could not sleep for a week after seeing this movie.
Discover more: See our top 10 horror film beginnings
3. Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960)
Alfred Hitchcock is the king of suspense. With all the countless imitations nothing comes close to the impact this film had on cinema. Touching on several themes from desperation, moral dilemma, greed, and corruption, Psycho is because it's character driven, and we really get to know the characters. The cinematography and acting is top notch for a slasher movie. Norman Bates is one of the most frightening monsters in modern day cinema. Who can forget the infamous shower scene.
Discover more: See our top 10 Alfred Hitchcock films
2. Halloween (Carpenter, 1978)
Many consider Halloween to be the greatest slasher film ever made and it's hard to argue this. John Carpenter created an amazingly scary movie. It was made on a shoe string budget. Michael Myers to me is the most frightening of all the iconic killers because his mask is a pale emotionless face. What makes Halloween so great is the way it's shot and the music in it is tormenting.
Discover more: See our comparison between Halloween 1978 and Halloween 2007 | See out top 10 John Carpenter films
1. My Bloody Valentine (Mihalka, 1981)
Not the greatest production and the acting is horrible but it had such a charm to it. The killings were unique and it swayed away from being stuck in the woods or in a house, a theme that several of these slasher films beat to death (no pun intended). The Movie Channel showed it every February 14th and I watched it everytime. The bloody heart in the chocolate candy box etched in my brain and the evil miners outfit with the pick axe. Harry Warden is an underrated killer who I feel never got his due. My Bloody Valentine scared the life out of me as a kid and it always stood out to me over all the other cheesy slasher films of its day. The remake was horrible and I always wondered why they never made a part two? Memorable phrase "Sarah will you be my bloody valentine."
Discover more: Read our full review of My Bloody Valentine
Written and compiled by Neal Damiano.
For all the latest top 10s, reviews and competitions follow Top 10 Films on Twitter!
Your turn – what are your favourite slasher horror films?
Dare you revisit Top 10 Films' 31 Days of Horror: Click the image if you dare…
Discover More on Top10Films.co.uk:
Search our collection of Top 10 lists sorted by type:
See the A – Z of films featured on Top 10 Films / Check out our film review database
36 Comments
August 17, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Great list. I really enjoyed the Scream films, especially the first two.
August 18, 2012 at 10:53 am
My Bloody Valentine is trashy fun but I don't think there's a better "slasher" than Halloween. It was where it all began and it still holds up so well today. The remake was horrid!
August 18, 2012 at 11:50 am
…any fans of Cherry Falls out there. Not many have heard of it.
August 18, 2012 at 11:55 am
@Stan: Notable for the appearance of the great Michael Biehn (or as I like to think of him – "Corporal Hicks") and the late Brittany Murphy. I enjoyed that one – one of very few modern slasher films I've liked. Heck, most of them a glossy remakes which completely defeats what was so great about these late 70s/80s films.
@moviedog23: Completely agree with you regarding the remake of Halloween. John Carpenter created a killer who was so frightening thanks to his mysterious appetite for destruction. Rob Zombie made a movie that said – hey, here's the bad guy, and this is why he's so crazy.
August 18, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Another great list guys. I love how nothing on it is newer than 1984. I feel like that says something about the state of slasher films today. The one I was most surprised to see was "The Burning" which I feel like not too many people know about. I love Seinfeld, so it's hilarious to see a young Jason Alexander in that movie.
August 18, 2012 at 4:18 pm
@Evan Crean: I totally agree with you. There was something trashy about those low budget slashers of the 1980s. Now they are far too glossy. In addition, they all try to out-gore each other as if audiences want to see more and more disgusting things.
August 18, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Of the new slasher films, Scream 4 was a big let down. Time has moved on and the self-referential stuff felt old hat.
The old ones are great. I;d have Friday The 13th right at the top. The film isn't as good a horror film as Halloween but it defined the conventions of the stalk and slash genre more so than any other. I would have also included I Spit On Your Grave and Last House on the Left.
August 18, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Cherry Falls! It was hit by production problems. Apparently there is a longer – better – version of it but I haven't seen it. Not a big fan myself though. Of the new ones, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is the most fun…yes, I did say "I Still Know…" Not least because Jennifer Love Hewitt spends some of the movie in a state of undress.
August 18, 2012 at 6:18 pm
Haven't seen Bloody Valentine so Halloween would be my #1. It's sad that nothing in recent memory even comes close to these classics though. It's like filmmakers don't know how to generate fear/terror beyond using stupid tricks like sudden loud noises and what not.
August 18, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Thanks for all the comments guys! This list took some time.
August 18, 2012 at 8:47 pm
Well there really was nothing worthy of putting on the list in cinema today. So it wasn't intentional but that really was the era of slasher film late 70s and more so into the early 80s.
August 18, 2012 at 11:29 pm
@Castor: My Bloody Valentine was not only remade but it had the added "bonus" of 3D! The reason why slasher films were so well loved in the 1980s was because they touched a cultural nerve. Kevin Williamson recognised that when he revitalised the genre in the mid-1990s with Scream by re-energising the conventions for a new audience. The later remakes have simply tried to cash in on the success of highly stylised gore cinema and failed to capture the raw anger seen in those early slashers.
August 19, 2012 at 9:20 am
Being lucky enough to have my teenage years during the slasher heyday I was interested in this list. Inevitably, my own list would be slightly different. HOSR, Valentine, Terror Train and Black Christmas would be bumped for Rosemary's Killer, Sleepaway Camp, Happy Birthday To Me and the Valentine remake (which I think is one of the best pure slashers)
August 19, 2012 at 9:28 am
@James: Ah…Sleepaway Camp…it would probably find a spot on my own top 10 list. Have you seen April Fools Day?
August 19, 2012 at 9:28 am
I saw AFD in a double bill with F13 Part 6 back in the 80's. I've now been able to introduce it to my teenage sons. Every teenage boy needs to know Deborah Foreman.
August 19, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Funny thing happened down here in Oz just over 20 years ago …
At the time one could only get Maniac and Fri 13 Part IV on VHS, and they were cut. Any way, Fangora issued its Scream Greats Vol 1 (also on VHS … this was circa 1991), which was on Tom Savini. It had all of the uncut stuff in it (Maniac – the head blowing apart scene, some of the scalping, Joe knifing the woman in the railway toilet, whispering in her ear as he slips the blade in etc; and F13 IV – the head sliding down the machete).
This meant an omnibus of sorts had thwarted the censor. Yee-haw.
When Terror Train came out in 81, one of our local TV stations did a movie show-type commentry on it, including the bit when chief conductor Ben Johnson was describing to a co-worker one of the death scenes (I think it involved a smashed mirror). The TV host (Michael Brock), tongue planted firmly in cheek, said Johnson's character was pretty calm in his delivery given the carnage he had just witnessed.
Not a slasher film fan … seen a few, including Final Exam, which was almost funny but pretty inept.
Surprised that Scream or its kin didn't make this list; ditto something by Dario Agento (maybe Bird With the Crystal Plumage cood have been a contenda?)
Personally, I believe Joe Spinell truly undermined his legacy with Maniac, which is arguably the work of degenerate pigs. I mean here is a guy who was in at least three best picture films (Godfather I, II and Rocky), had (if I'm not mistaken) a small part in the block buster Jaws and acted in Billy Friekin's two most interesting misfires (Sorcerer and Cruising).
Yeah, he was untrained, had acne scars, look a bit like Ron Jeremy but no doubt had a smaller dick and didn't get laid as much, probably drank too much as well … but he should never have stooped to this sort of codswallop, even if it meant he was going to finally have a leading role.
August 19, 2012 at 4:52 pm
@James Cheevers thanks for commenting but in no way is remake of MBV better than the original it was so hyped up with beautiful actresses that swayed away from the original story. The killings were quick and unoriginal and the 3D aspect sucked. Sleepaway Camp and Happy Birthday to Me both great slasher films and I considered them for list. I felt House on Sorority Row better production and storyline.
August 19, 2012 at 5:00 pm
@Mark thanks for reply…I've had this talk bout Maniac before …..the reason I put this on the list is because it was a unique type of slasher at the time brought something different to viewers yes it was misogynistic but most of these films were plus age discriminative too. It's entertainment first and foremost that's it. Joe Spinnell wrote a tuly frightening slasher because it could very well happen in real life and that's why it's on my list. It is not my favorite slasher in the least but I have other criteria of why films make my lists other than the fact I like a film….but it's all subjective in the end.
August 19, 2012 at 5:03 pm
@James I agree with you on Deborah Foreman and you should have him see Valley Girl it's one of my favorite films and made a number one in my quintessential 80s films list. April Fools Day great film as well.
August 19, 2012 at 5:10 pm
@Jame C also I personally feel Black Christmas has to be on this list it influenced so many slasher films to come. Not to mention how scary it was the suspense built up alone! The killings were raw and extremely violent. This is technically is the first slasher film by definition had to be on my list for sure!
August 19, 2012 at 6:05 pm
@Neal: Absolutely. Black Christmas has to be on any top 10 slasher list…Bob Clark's film was hugely inspirational to the films that followed. I don't think we would have got Halloween without Black Christmas.
August 19, 2012 at 6:26 pm
@creeper thanks for th input mate! But I Spit on Your Grave and Last House on the Left technically are not slasher films. I would put them on a feminist revenge or grind house / gore list more so. Both great films.
August 19, 2012 at 6:29 pm
@Dan thanks yes Black Christmas truly influenced so many horror films of the 80s with its stylized way ..definitely Halloween and House onSorority Row to name a few.
August 20, 2012 at 1:32 am
Would you class Deep Red as a slasher film (by Argento?) I think that ranks high on this list – plus it's scary as hell….
Looks like Imma check out My Bloody Valentine at some point if it beats out Psycho for the #1 spot!!
August 20, 2012 at 11:44 am
@Rodney I wouldn't necessarily say it beats Psycho but I stick to my ground with number ones it just happens to be my favorite from the slashers. It stood out to me as a kid watching it. I thought it had a savy stylized way to it that's all but definitely worth checking out if you like slasher films. It's certainly a quintessential slasher film by definition!
August 30, 2012 at 4:11 pm
I haven't seen your number one! I guess I have to now! I'm also quite up for seeing number ten. Nice list!
September 5, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Awesome list even though I still have to see a lot of them! I'm about to put a bunch of these in my Netflix queue to gear up for Halloween. Only movies off the top of my head not listed are Scream, as previously mentioned several times, and The Prowler. Despite it's very very weak plot, The Prowler has some ridiculously great, memorable kill scenes and inventive uses of the pitchfork as the killer's weapon of choice. Very cool if you haven't seen it.
September 7, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Fantastic list!
Very happy to see My Bloody Valentine on it. If anyone hasn't seen the added scenes on the SE DVD, it is worth it. It makes a very good slasher film a fantastic slasher film.
September 8, 2012 at 2:34 pm
@Dan Grant well thank you very much Dan glad to see someone else loves this quintessential slasher…it really was an underrated film I believe it got overshadowed by the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street buzz of that time period (the early 80s) but it stands the test of time really is a scary film (the original).
September 18, 2012 at 6:42 pm
I agree. I remember when I was younger, I heard so much about the laundromt scene. It was supposed to be to disgusting to have it in the film, so of course it was taken out. After they put it back in for the SE DVD, and we finally got to see it, of course by today's standards, it's quite pedestrian. But for the 80's it would have been quite jarring to see that body in the dryer. That was some kick ass makeup and effects.
Again, great list.
October 1, 2012 at 1:38 am
@Dan Grant. Yes, I remember that laundromat scene was taken out for cable (The Movie Channel) they did a good job with the re- release of the DVD. The sp features are excellent esp. The History of the Slasher Film documentary!
March 6, 2013 at 7:55 am
I love My Bloody Valentine, but I could never rate it higher than Halloween. Still, lots of classics on this list and it's good to see The Burning as well. I'd nominate clever, self-aware slashers like The Slumber Party Massacre, or Scream, over stuff that's not really strictly "slasher" material though. There's also The Prowler and other slasher gems that I consider much more relevant to the list than the influential stepping stones of decades past.
I know Psycho is considered the grandfather of the slashers, but I don't really consider it part of the genre. There are a lot of films that aren't as prestigious, but that are far more relevant to the genre. They deserve a spot here over a film that was merely influential to the genre while not really being part of it. I sort of feel that way about Black Christmas and Peeping Tom as well, as many consider them among the "best slasher films" but I don't agree with the genre categorization. Maybe I'm being overly picky, but I do not consider "influential to" as equal to "best of". It would be akin to listing blues guitarists in a "top 10 hard rock guitar players" list. The influence of the blues on later rock styles is evident and inarguable, but it doesn't make Muddy Waters a metal musician any more than it makes Led Zeppelin a traditional blues outfit. These films belong on a "Top 10 precursors to the slasher film" list or something.
Oh, and for the record (why can't this be typed without it sounding obnoxious?), it's Friday the 13th Part 2 that is most often accused of copying Bay of Blood. Specifically, there are a couple kill sequences that employ identical methods to Bava's film. I'm not aware of anyone who claims the original Friday to be a ripoff of the film, not anyone who would ever be taken seriously anyway. The influence is there, but Friday the 13th is an entirely different beast informed by so much else and with an identity entirely of its own. And for that matter, it's also a better film in just about every aspect.
March 6, 2013 at 2:21 pm
@Dead I appreciate your enthusiam and comments for this list. However I have to disagree on a few things. Black Christmas is most definitely influential to the slasher films of the early 80s. The style of the killings and the relentless stalking of the victims is what influenced most of the slasher films of the late 70s to early 80s. The original Friday the 13th is absolutely influenced by Mario Bava's Bay of Blood I was simply stating. I would say part 3 is influenced as well if you want to get that technical. As for being taken seriously I do quite alright a lot of people on here like reading my top ten lists, than you very much.
I put My Bloody Valentine as number one because I like the the film, it stood out to me over most of the slash and stalk style films of the early 80s.
Again, thanks for reading mate. BTW I have a vast knowledge of film my friend.
March 6, 2013 at 2:42 pm
@Dead You know the more I read your reply, I have to say look up slasher film my friend. This is a slasher film list, I don't see where your coming from ,maybe you have a different defintion of what a slasher film is? Yes, I included films that are influential to the genre, but without these films there would be no Prowler or Slumber Party Massacre,Happy Birthday To Me, He Knows Your Alone etc.
You completely lost me with the music rant??
There was a lot of slasher films that came out in that time period I simply listed the ones I felt were best that's all.
I think you might be referring to the height of the genre that was the early 80s ok. Slasher films started in the mid 70s my friend.
Thanks for reading the list.
March 6, 2013 at 6:40 pm
@Dead, furthermore, my last statement in response to your reply –
"Scream" is a mockery of the slasher genre that Wes Craven so brilliantly made.
October 8, 2013 at 1:49 am
What about the texas chainsaw massacre? was very surprised not too see it on here, is it not a slasher? and scream? not sure if psycho is a slasher or not! enjoyed reading through your lists, great website!


text:
Welcome To Reefers and Wreckers, Clitheroe
Reefers and Wreckers are a PADI 5* Instructor Development Centre based in Clitheroe, Lancashire. Offering everything from the world of scuba diving, whether you are looking to experience breathing underwater for the first time or you are looking to progress to the next level of scuba diving, Reefers and Wreckers are the only choice.
Scuba Diving Courses
A Wide Range Of Scuba Diving Courses To Suit All Experience Levels
Recreational Diving
Whether you are new to scuba diving or looking to progress, we can help you!
Technical Diving
Take your scuba diving to the next level with Reefers and Wreckers Technical Diving courses
New Products
Latest products in the Reefers and Wreckers Online Store
Apeks Fusion KVR1 Drysuit Aircore£1,743.00


text:
XLIVE- Las Vegas, NV - The glimmering strip of Las Vegas will set the stage this December 5th - 7th for XLIVE 2016: the unrivaled festival + live event convention expo and largest of its kind in the world. Having already revealed exciting new expansions for the 2016 endeavor to include 140+ guest speakers, 80+ exhibitors and 40+ interactive sessions, the masterminds behind XLIVE are thrilled to unveil the esteemed keynote speakers, topics for discussion, and workshops designed to illuminate knowledge-seekers with the latest trends and technology across the many verticals of festival execution.
Coalescing speakers that represent a wealth of industry-specific companies and brands including Eventbrite, Goldenvoice, AirBnB, Insomniac Events, Live Nation, and SFX Entertainment - to name a handful, XLIVE 2016 will offer a broad selection of immersive experiences for attendees. With a curation that covers topics ranging from cutting-edge innovation such as Augmented/Virtual Reality, Use of RFID Wristband Technology, Event Mobile Apps, and Festival Live Streaming to the inspirational with Using Festivals as a Catalyst for Inspiring and Revitalizing Communities, and Creating Memorable Festival Experiences, XLIVE has ensured that each participant of the 2016 conference will have unprecedented access to essential tools and intelligence built to transform the current state of the live event and festival industry, ultimately catapulting festival-goer experience to the next level.
As night befalls enriching days, the spotlight turns to three distinguished keynote speakers, hand-selected to present at the close of each day. Transcending a multitude of facets within the festival community, the distinguished keynotes are among the most noteworthy vanguards within the industry. Beginning Monday evening December 5th, the opening keynote will be delivered by Chip Conley, Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy with AirBnB. Looking ahead, Conley remarks, "I'm excited to take part in this years XLIVE event and connect with innovators who are cultivating big ideas that create extraordinary live events. Like Airbnb, XLIVE shares the same goal of bringing communities together through hospitality and providing unique and memorable experiences."
In the days following, keynotes will be administered by Eventbrite's Co-Founder CEO Julia Hartz on Tuesday December 6th and commencing with a closing keynote Wednesday December 7th courtesy of Rikard Steiber, Senior Vice President of Virtual Reality at HTC. "Eventbrite shares XLIVE's passion for the life-changing moments people experience at festivals and live events," said Julia Hartz. "I'm excited to mix with the industry's best and brightest at XLIVE 2016, and to share our vision for the critical role technology plays in the success of tomorrow's live events."
Other avenues up for exploration over the course of the three-day convention transcend a wealth of expertise from technology to constructing a festival from the ground up - the wide array of topics delve deep into the brilliant minds of luminaries who provide solutions and strategies to pressing issues facing event producers today and aspirant producers of the future. Integral topics for consideration include Baller Status " How VIP experiences are influencing the festival landscape, Noticing You, Noticing Me " Live event sponsorship activation strategies that make brands stand out, and Are You Experienced? " Getting ahead in the festival scene without a music industry background - an in-depth look at starting a music festival without having years of work experience with labels, agencies, talent buyers or venues.
Capitalizing on the craft beer phenomenon that has taken the nation by storm, XLIVE has even gathered a panel of experts to speak on the emergence of niche festivals surrounding interests such as craft beer, wine and food. Looking ahead to new frontiers in festival innovation, experts will discuss how to evaluate the market for Food Beverage Festivals in order to predict trends, how to deliver personalized experiences to fans through beacons and geo-fencing, and also engage audiences on getting the most out of fan engagement through social media strategy. Look forward to topics such as these led by Biasha Mitchell - Business Strategy and Solutions Manager, Eventbrite, Chris Hammond - Co-Founder, Wine Amplified Festival, Jake Schneider - Partner, Madison House, Jeff Lesan - Chief Marketing Officer, Snowglobe Music Festival, Pasquale Rotella - Founder CEO of Insomniac Events -- plus more guest speakers!
For an insider look into this year's XLIVE, be sure to check out the XLIVE 2016 video and learn more about the team behind the scenes plus what attendees can expect at the Las Vegas conference and expo this December.
For more information and/or to register for the convention, please check out the XLIVE website and be sure to like the XLIVE Facebook page to stay up to date on the latest news and speaker announcements.
XLIVE: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
About XLIVE
Previously known by two separate entities, International Music Festival Conference (IMFCON) and International Film Festival Summit (IFFS), XLIVE 2016 will host 140+ guest speakers, 80+ exhibitors and 40+ interactive sessions for participants to transform their perspective and understanding about the latest approaches to elevate live event execution and attendee experience to new, unprecedented heights. Transcending all things festival, music, film, culinary, eSports and technology, the world's premiere live event and festival conference, XLIVE 2016, touches down at the Tropicana Hotel Casino in Las Vegas Winter 2016.
VIA THE CONLUENCE: http://theconfluencegroup.com/XLIVE/Topics/


text:
I have recently been contacted by dozens of clients, colleagues, and friends who share my passion for culture change and wanted to become more informed and involved in the fight to support working parents. My goal as a practitioner is to help you feel empowered and inspired to make personal, professional and political change. I have always used the 5Ps (Personal, Professional, Parenting, Partnership, and Practical) to help parent clients manage their overwhelm. Now I am adding one more P to the mix_ Political. Every two weeks, I'll post a series of interesting articles about each of these areas and a link to an article or organization that is fighting for the advancement of family-friendly policies and practices.
Professional: Hiding in the Bathroom Podcast, Leading as an Introvert. On this episode of her Forbes Podcast host (and one of my favorite people) Morra Aarons-Mele, talks to the Blogher CEO Lisa Stone about how to lead confidently as an introvert.
Practical: The Invisible Workload That Drags Women Down. "I'm the one who notices..." Research shows that more often than not it's working moms who think about what needs to be done at home. Author Lisa Wade, suggests that the burden of household responsibilities should be more evenly split between the sexes "and when they are," Wade says, "I expect to be inspired by what (women) put their minds to."
Partnership: How the 'Dining Dead' Got Talking Again I'm not sure why this modern love piece about a marriage that was saved by a bird feeder appealed to me. It's a great reminder to find simple ways to reconnect with a partner.
Parenting: Living with Children: Your kids should not be the most important This was a hard article to get my head around. My children's happiness is typically top of mind but now, in light of the current political climate, I found this reframe helpful. "The most important thing about children is the need to prepare them properly for responsible citizenship...The primary objective is to raise a child such that community and culture are strengthened."
Political: I took the pic above when I attended the We Won't Wait 2016 Summit in September. Visit the site to find out more about the organizations behind it, all committed to elevating the voices of women from all racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. They are calling for a policy agenda that promotes economic security and communities that thrive. Add your name to the individual pledge, (written before the election) and commit to it: "I will use my voice and my power to fight for a comprehensive economic agenda that spells real change on all the issues that are important to me and my family. I won't wait for real change any longer." Amen to that.


text:
I'm listening to Matthew Taylor's Agree to Differ on iplayer. It's hard not to get caught up in the subject matter - in this case fracking - but I'm listening out for process.
I agree with Matthew Taylor's contention that in most media coverage of controversial topics "the protagonists spend more time attacking and caricaturing each other than they do addressing the heart of the issue". I also think that the orthodox approach, which is to set up discussion and disagreement as debate, with winners and losers and settled points of view, may be entertaining but is rarely a way of finding the best understanding.
In his own blog, Matthew writes about the origins of the radio series:
'Imagine' I thought 'if we applied the kind of techniques used in mediation to shed much less heat and much more light?' Vital to that method is requiring that the protagonists resist caricaturing each other's position – something which immediately inflames debate – and focus instead on clarifying their own stance.
So what is the process that Matthew has followed in this refreshing radio programme?
- Matthew is cast in the role of mediator, and our mediatees in this opening episode were George Monbiot and James Woudhuysen - one in principle at least in favour of fracking, and one opposed to it.
- There was a round of introductions: personal, anecdotal and focusing on the very early inspiration rooted in childhood experience. Matthew himself didn't provide the same kind of introduction: he's facilitating the conversation, rather than joining in. This helped to humanise George and James: it's hard to take against these small boys with the mutual connections to woodpeckers (you have to listen to it!).
- Each mediatee was invited to give a short opening statement, uninterrupted. A bit like a courtroom or staged debate, but also with echoes of the uninterrupted opportunity to speak that you might have in setting up a "thinking environment".
- We were told to expect exploration of the things the protagonists disagreed about. This might seem counterintuitive: if what's being sought is agreement, how does exploring disagreement help. But wait...
- George and James were asked to summarise back the essence of each other's argument, and to find something in it that they do agree with.
- After a round of this, our mediator then summarised back what he'd heard about the remaining disagreement, and George and James had the opportunity to correct any misunderstandings in the summary. James took the opportunity a couple of times.
- At one point, Matthew sets out a ground rule, in response to James starting to say something outside the process: "The one rule we have here is that you're not allowed to say what you think George believes." Nicely done, and an interesting insight into the process being followed.
- This process was then repeated for a second area of disagreement.
- So for each key part of the topic, we heard about areas of agreement (e.g. "in favour of nuclear and renewables" and "neither of you sympathetic to NIMBYism") and we understood more precisely the remaining disagreement.
- At the end, Matthew summarised back what would characterise the most extreme positions - investing in or protesting against fracking. Which I found a bit strange as the sign-off: perhaps the demands of the medium for positions and opposition were too strong to be ignored.
Linearity in an aural medium
I wondered about the limitations of radio (or other aural-only media) in that you can only focus on one thing at a time: no post-it brainstorms or mind maps here, where all facets of a question can be presented at once. I find this very useful in face-to-face facilitation, for getting everything out on the table from all perspectives, before beginning to sort it. Does the "one-at-a-time" nature of speech reinforce the sense of opposition?
Well done Matthew Taylor for bringing a different approach to understanding a controversial question. Future episodes are on vivisection and the future of Jerusalem. Catch them on BBC Radio 4 Wednesday's at 8pm and Saturday at 10.15pm, or on the iplayer.


text: Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet (France/Germany) ✈ FMA IA 63 PAMPA(ARGENTINA) ✈ PZL I-22 Iryda (Poland) ✈ KAwasaki t-4 (JAPAN) December 12, 2016 Dmitry Grigorev Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet (FRANCE/GERMANY). First flight: 26 October 1973 (WIKI) FMA IA 63 Pampa(Argentina). First flight: 6 October 1984 (WIKI) Although influenced by the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet design, the Pampa differs in being a smaller aircraft, it is also single-engined and has straight supercritical wings rather than the swept ones of the Alpha Jet — Wikipedia PZL I-22 IRYDA (POLAND). First flight: 3 March 1985 (WIKI) KAWASAKI T-4 (JAPAN). First flight July 29, 1985 (WIKI)


text:
I've actually had a couple posts I've wanted to do in the pipeline, but various things have conspired to prevent me from following through on them. Various things in large part being WoW. <..<
Anyways, there'll still be a year -in-review post at some point, and I also have a Transformer-like race to use in Pathfinder to post, but this isn't either of those. This is a catch-up, and maybe some rambling on random topics, for the first time in a while!
If you don't care about WoW, feel free to skip a few paragraphs. XP
First, the WoW situation has kind of sorted itself out. The two guilds de-merged, and Chocolate Disco went back to a lot more casual schedule. I've ended up on the regular Mythic team, but not quite made Core, which I'm fine with. I know there's better players than me – only reason to wish I was Core is so I would have a higher cap on guild repairs for progression nights!
Especially after I went and made myself broke. I've basically completed the follower minigame on my main until 6.1, and there's nto much to do towards raiding outside raids at the moment. So, I finally went back to see what I missed in minipets, since I had that mostly done before my break, and was surprised that they hadn't added that much. I saw some TCG pets I was missing up for relatively cheap, and there was now ay I was going to go through Molten Core any more times to try for that pet, so I went and bought myself into brokeness. Worse, I haven't been able to engage the revenue stream I had been using as I needed to make some upgrades for myself for crafted pieces for my monk alt and for a piece where RNG turned out to hate me on my main. End result though is that I just need to get about 8 more pets and I'll have every pet I can get that's not a CE pet, Blizzcon pet, or a pet only available in another country. At least until 6.1!
As for why I -need- to gear my alt, originally I was planning on raiding with both guilds, with all the time sinks that entails. There's folks I like in both guilds and I wanted to keep running with both(not to mention it's a bit of a rush to realize that I'm in the raid team of the top guild on the server!) so I was going to use my alt to run Disco raids. Then it turned out they kind of raid on the same days.
I say kind-of because the second Disco night is the same night as what is supposed to be an alt run, but I've had a couple gear holes that have forced me to run my main in said alt runs for more gear. That's solved now though until Blackrock releases, so I'll be able to roll with them for at least a couple weeks finally.
Aside from WoW, I'm moving into a different position that's more internal facing and engineering oriented at work. I'm still having to deal with some stuff here and there that isn't, but that's the life of a sysadmin, and my boss has a very healthy philosophy on outside-normal-hours work: keep it to a minimum. It's a philosophy I'm in heavy agreement with, as after some of my contracting I make it a point to grab on tight to my free time, including lunch breaks and only work on either if there is no other way. I have pushed back on scheduling before because of workload, but that's less of an issue in my new position.
My muse has finally spoken up again though, and revived one of my former identities as a separate character: Chakat Swiftwind lives again(sorta). Where my dragon is me though, Swiftie is a separate character, more along the lines of my various RPG characters. There may not be much distinction between the two for a lot of furries, but there is for me and that's the important part. Part of that is I finally have an idea of who shi is: a hotshot pilot, whether it be starship or starfighter… though given the chakat universe doesn't have a lot of interstellar conflict, shi's pretty much a starship jock at the moment in my mind.
I tried using Traveller to put together a background history for hir, but it left a bit to be desired, as there are some differences naturally between the two universes. I also was a bit confused about the difference between StarFleet and Star Corps in that universe, so I had to do a quick rewrite to fit with my mental idea of where shi is in the "present" which unfortunately has left some parts of hir past vague now for the moment.
As to what prompted me, I had a strong mental image of hir in a cockpit, hands on controls and handpaws on even more controls. Granted, as a ship's helmsman on a long-range exploration ship shi may not get to do that, but there's pinnances and such shi may have to fly for some reason; not to mention shi may be able to make that ship do tricks its builders hadn't even thought of.
Part of that also gave me the idea and framework for a story, and it even fits well to the typical framework of a Star Trek episode! After I fleshed out some identities of other folks shi'd be interacting with regularly though, I found myself without the time to actually start writing it. There's also a couple things i'm not sure about now because I want to stick to that "Star Trek episode" feeling, but I want it to be hir story, not a story about the bridge crew of the ship shi's on.
Another thing is that my original idea necessitates some ship-to-ship combat, which is where I run into another issue. In Star Trek's universe, there's other star empires to be handy antagonists. The chakat universe's Steller Federation on the other hand has no real enemies, just some pirates pretty much and everyone else in their stellar neighborhood is buddy-buddy with them. On top of that, StarFleet ships in the chakatverse have people trained for First Contact and this is a Big Thing, as opposed to Star Trek where they meet half the new civilizations over laser fire, and the other half they try not to even make contact with because of the Prime Directive.
The fact that First Contact is huge, and that I'm technically playing in someone else's playground, makes me leery of introducing a new alien race of any sort to be antagonists. Pretty much the only way to make it work would be for the alien race to be truly alien(which is hard) as most of the Federation races have been of similar mindsets, make the new race be scream-and-leap like the Kzinti, or have what attacks them be automated. None of those are truly ideal, and with how big First Contact is, a botched one, even if nothing could be done, would be a huge black mark I would imagine. So I'm stuck on that plot point and it's a major one for the original story idea I had.
Back on the topic of mental images though, there were a couple others that came to mind that I wanted to see made real, so I've started getting art again. I had a ton of Transformers come in recently, but thankfully it was end of December so technically it was part of last year's budget. I've already blown past my tentative marker for January's non-essentials budget though with the two pieces I have coming, even with that.
I'd actually wanted to get art of Swiftwind last year, but I never really got around to finding taur artists besides Kacey and trying to get it done. This time, I actually found a few artists, but was surprised how few good taur artists I was able to find, though I did stumble on another recently thanks to Twitter(and which prompted the second art piece I have inbound eventually). Right now I just have nothing I really want drawn of -me- except maybe a new icon. Problem there is I don't have a theme in mind or a specific artist to do a dragicon, so that's on hold at the moment.
I actually have a third piece in mind too, and the artist I'd like to do it is opening for commissions soon, so I'm waiting to see if I can snag a slot there. As long as I'm getting pics done of my (other) characters, I figured I'd get a pic of a major Pathfinder character I've been trying to be able to play – my Dark Tapestry Oracle, who happens to be a black-furred kitsune with a gypsy theme.
I've actually gotten the chance to game again, which allowed me to bring her up again and play her, though this is one of those campaigns where the DM looked at the (non-MMO)Elder Scrolls games' laughable attempts at balance and thought it was way too restrictive in power level. On one hand, it's letting me pull out the stops, but on the other it's feeling more like a power fantasy than RP and I feel like I'm not actually really playing so much as waiting to see what the next huge power boost is. On the other hand, they were already high level when I joined, but that doesn't help when advancement is still this rapid. I can always use her again in a different campaign I suppose that's a bit more sane.
The other campaign this group is running though definitely isn't it. While they're playing through an adventure path, the characters are more like a Marvel What If? comic instead. Since restraint on concept was already thrown to the wind, I sat down with the Advanced Race Guide and figured out how to build a Transformer, and got the GM to approve it! I'll be posting it at some point, but I still need to make the actual character. I'm thinking bomb alchemist may be fitting.
I sort of wish there was a Traveller campaign going, so I could see if I could slip in my conversion of the chakat race too and make Swiftie in that. Of course, then I'd probably have to answer some questions about where hir race comes from. I usually don't flaunt furry stuff outside of the areas of the internets where its common or such, but the group I'm playing with again in RL would probably have no problem with it, considering what some of them are into. Wouldn't help though with other groups…
When I thought about getting the art of Swiftwind though, I realized I didn't have any real good referances. The only color drawn pic didn't give hir a large enough bust(and yeah, my motives for hir having a large rack probably are less than pure if I actually sat and thought about it) and the rest were just sketches. I did have the Second Life pics form the last revamp I did to my SL av of hir, but hir upper body was out of proportion in that. So, now that mesh bodies are a thing, I went looking to see if I could find a larger base body to use for the upper torso.
I didn't find any that were just larger, but I found some that looked more natural and/or more shapely, and when I tried a demo I found to my delight that it worked just fine with my taur anims. The first one though was no-mod and you ahd to apply to be able to make skin appliers for it so I had to look elsewhere. I foudn another one that was almost as good, AND a lot cheaper, and was mod-friendly! As a bonus, it also gave hir breasts a more natural shape and increased the amount hey could scale. Of course, the slider setting I had needed to use before with the default SL body resulted in nuclear torpedo warheads with this body, so I was actually able to scale it down to get hir chest to be the right size I envisioned.
Since I was stuck in terms of upper-to-lower-body ratio though, I decided to try scaling the lower body down a bit. I'd originally had the height set to max for scale purposes in SL, but proportions were more important now and scale is jacked in SL anyways. It actually wasn't too difficult to finally get hir body properly proportioned in general once I tried. Then it was snapshot time!
While I was starting to put it together, I had the bright idea to go with a LCARS theme, and I ended up blowing an entire Saturday with putting together the template, coloring it, and retaking shots I found out were at bad angles, but it gave me a good ref sheet finally for hir, and it's already getting used for the two new pieces I have coming.
Iv'e been tempted a time or two to take hir out for a whirl on SL, but I don't know what I'd do with hir. WoW and work keep me busy enough that I wouldn't want to commit to a regular RP, and for my regular hanging out I'd rather be my dragon self. I could go hunt up furry sex clubs, but that lost its appeal a long while ago. If I just want word porn I can write it myself(and probably do a better job!) and for anything beyond that, well, that's one thing relationships can bring to the table – and there it's sex because of the love, not love for the sex.
Also looking back other than the sidegrade into a RP character, Swiftwind really doesn't fit as an identity so much as a fantasy. Whether or not I used to be more cuddly, I've found that I don't really care as much for random hugs and snugglings and such anymore from strangers, and that sort of closeness is a natural thing for chakats. Since they're natural empaths they're very informal and very sensual, for reasons which make a lot of sense when you look at it.
That also leads into the whole chakat style of mating and courtships. While I like the idea of the different levels(Companion/Denmate/Lifemate) and think that could work well, chakats tend to have multiple mates and love everyone, and I'm serially monogamous. Once I give my heart and loyalty, that's it. Maybe I'm jsut old-fashioned. I could maybe see a threesome working if the other two were both female and some circumstances worked out, but in general I have one mate and that's that.
Being a hermaphrodite also is integral to the even general idea of chakats, but not something I could see myself as anymore. The idea may be fun to play with, in that you could RP either a male or female role with the same character, depending on mood and partner, but I am definitely not bi, which is almost a requirement for that to be part of your identity. If nothing else, my (lack of) reaction to all the penis pics that showed up on my Twitter AD account's timeline proved that to myself – and that's ignoring the time I did try to use a chakat as my identity.
I supose, going back to what I said earlier about my reasons for hir chest size, that it's in part a fusion of myself with one of the representations of my potential ideal mate. Self and fantasy in one, so that either you can be the one doing, or you can mentally put yourself in the other person's shoes while playing the female role when it comes to the more adult activities; and all without changing characters.
While I'm mentioning AD and dick pics, that's something I've noticed a lot of. People taking pictures of just their bits, which frankly gets pretty boring. You've seen one, you've seen most of them, girls included. Most of the actually hot pictures include more of the body, body language, expression and so on.
Then again, maybe it's just because I'm older and have my sexual urges more under control, since most of said folks are several years younger. I'll admit I can think with the wrong head at times, but it seems like (effectively) going into rut isn't that often an occurrance for me. Heck, just look at when I've posted adult stories fairly close together, and you can get an idea.
I'm actually feeling tired now, and this is one of the longest entries I've written in a while so I guess I'll leave you with the art piece I got most recently, from right around the new year. Enjoy!


text:
Lipscomb Volvo is delighted to provide the people of Kent with a fine range of vehicles from the renowned Swedish marque. Operating from our Canterbury and Maidstone showrooms, we supply brand-new and Approved Used Volvo models to private motorists, Motability drivers and business customers alike.
Volvo is acknowledged for the exceptionally high safety standards of its vehicles, each offering premium build quality and looks and leading-edge technology. We deliver excellent aftersales care too, ensuring that your Volvo remains in peak condition, long into the future.
Lipscomb Canterbury is situated on Ashford Road, Chartham, close to the historic cathedral city Canterbury, and we can be contacted on 01227 208512.
Located a short distance north of Kent's county town, Lipscomb Maidstone can be found on Forstal Road, Aylesford, and is available by calling 01622 238374.
Both branches are open all week round so please feel free to phone or visit us at your earliest convenience. Alternatively, please use our Live Chat facility during normal opening hours – or complete our online contact form any time you wish.
We also provide service and parts at our Chart Road, Ashford location (01233 220763 and 01233 220763 respectively), which is open Monday to Saturday inclusive.


text:
M Power World is every bit as unique as the BMW M automobiles themselves. It is where BMW M fans can obtain exclusive information on the high-performance sports cars by BMW. And much more besides: from a direct look behind the scenes of BMW M GmbH, and an online forum for exchanging experiences with other BMW M drivers, to the service section with direct contact to the BMW trading division. If you want to experience BMW M direct and undiluted, come and explore the virtual world of BMW M Power.
BMW GmbH looks back on an outstanding history of motorsport and stands for excellence through passion. And that every day – on the road or on the racetrack.
Also at BMW-M.com. The international platform is the heart of the brand and the meeting point of the global BMW M community. Fans and drivers will receive exclusive information about the high-performance sports cars from BMW M and the M Performance Automobile as well as BMW Individual and other BMW M GmbH offers.
However, the focus is on the magazine and the online forum. From the looks behind the scenes to exciting articles about the past, the present and the future of BMW GmbH to sharing the exclusive range of experiences of other drivers of BMW M and M Performance Automobiles, you can also experience virtually the fascination of the world's most power letter on BMW-M.com.


text:
Everyone Is Talking About This Mashup-Up Of Famous Dance Scenes… Now I Understand Why.
Admit it: Even if you're a crabby curmudgeon with a cynical eye when it comes to movies, you smile a little bit whenever a movie has a dance scene. Don't worry, it doesn't ruin your street cred - at least not that much.
The only thing better than a dance scene is a whole bunch of dance scenes, crammed together into one big supercut. This video, set to "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk The Moon, has 89 fan favorites packed into three minutes and 18 seconds - how many of these rug-cutting moments do you recognize?
If you enjoyed this, you should check out this compilation of Christopher Walken dance scenes.
Source: MsTabularasa


text:
Standing before the vast temple doors in the quiet halls of Vordakai's tomb, the intrepid adventurers were joined by general Zaltek, who informed them that the treasurer had finally fallen asleep in the chamber below. Trying to decipher the arrangement of altars in the temple, the sharp Iathiel believed she had the key to passing un-assailed, and the blood of Zaltek was added to the stained bowls upon the altars, leaving the lamps unlit. Whether too much or too little had been done will likely remain unknown, but upon testing the door, the group found the room full of cold, black fire. Minds and bodies ravaged by the flames, the group persevered, pushing into the rooms beyond. They first came upon a small room adorned a priest's quarter, but seeming strangely unfinished. A dark hallway led to a pillared chamber just beyond the edge of the lights brought by the group. Another set of doors led from the room to a dead-end stair, seeming even more roughly cut than the former room. Finding no sign of secret passages onward, the group dared the pillared room, and found themselves greeted by a grotesque creature, asking them to state their errand in a telepathic voice that left them with a vague feeling of mental moistness. Failing to satisfy the fiend, a brief combat ensued, and for the first time the group found themselves faced with failing magics, as their onslaught of majestic fire failed before touching the shiny carapace of the creature. Brought down by spell-wrought blades, the fiend returned to Abaddon. In the room behind the pillared hall, the paralyzed form of a young centaur was found, and restored to mobility and a semblance of health. She was indeed the daughter of the Nomen priestess, and the group decided to escort her home.
On the way, they decided to try capturing a mastodon for the king to ride upon, in spite of the king definitely being conscious of his height, like, at all. The general figuring that his skills as ranger would make him the best person for calming the herd, and as a discussion between the naturalists of the group concluded that the herd would follow the elder female in the absence of a protective bull, he chose to use his magic charms on that beast. Aided by invisibility, he made it close enough to cast his spell on the mighty animal. It tensed briefly at his spellcasting, but calmed under the influence of the spell. The herd, initially near panic, quickly calmed as they saw the elder tolerate the small hunter. This was the point when Zaltec realized he had neither the skills nor a plan for how to handle the animal, so he made a beeline back for the group, and they all left before the spell could wear off.
Back at the centaur camp, the Nomen centaurs rejoiced to see the young warrior returned, and at the tale of the defeat of the dread Vordakai, they threw a brutal party that lasted into the early morning of the new day. The group awoke to find themselves honorary centaurs, allies of the Nomen tribe, and covered in painted patterns that did not seem in a hurry to be washed away. They were given the sacred bow Skyfire to keep as a sign of their alliance.
Departing from the Nomen camp, the group decided to scout some land on their way back to Varnhold. A mostly uneventful trip, they did run across the territory of the landshark the Nomen had named Kankerata, but against adventurers such as these, even this mighty creature was quickly done away with. They quickly skinned the beast, to the best of their ability, and returned to Varnhold, where they released the villagers. The king quickly executed the skinner for his actions against centaurs, bringing the population of the village down to 41. Realizing that maestro Pendrod was amongst the survivors, the group decided to bring him along with them, and they headed North to Nivakta's Crossing, setting the number to 40. Realizing they had little and less defense against future horrors, the villagers offered to declare their city for the Greenbelt, if the territories could only be connected.
Another landshark was discovered on the way, and done away with just as decisively as its larger cousin. A small village of 140 souls, the mighty King Zanzuket, may he be eternal, nonetheless in his infinite magnificent wisdom decided to advertise the glories of his kingdom in the market square, hoping to motivate some villagers to move. The group decided to brave the river on the return trip, but quickly realized that none of them knew how to steer a boat, even if it was a magical folding boat. Knowing of the waterfalls and rocks common to the Shrike River, they elected to hire a fisherman from Nivakta's Crossing, and left for home.
As maestro Pendrod was handed off to his happy colleague, the rulers of the kingdom set to work arranging for roads to connect the kingdom to Varnhold's holdings, starting the roadwork, but otherwise saving their resources to some much needed repairs.


text:
Set in a British military hospital during World War Two, PATIENT 39 is the simple but moving story of the relationship between Doctor Moran and a wounded soldier known only as Patient 39.
Patient 39 enters hospital with a serious head wound, an unknown soldier with no memory and only a fragmented sense of self and of the world around him. Under Moran's compassionate care, he slowly starts to recover and so begins a search for his identity and past.
As the engimas of Patient 39's identity start to unravel, a gentle friendship blossoms between patient and doctor. Unlike Moran, who clings to scientific precision, Patient 39 lives in his imagination, moved by beauty and the power of images. Inspired by their friendship, Moran begins to see the world in a new kind of way.


text:
HomePal is a family owned and operated plumbing and heating company that has been serving Essex since 2009. Our reputation is built on trust and recommendation. We are committed to providing every customer with the highest quality professional services, using the finest materials available and unbeatable workmanship.
I was very impressed with this company. Turned up on time, very professional , efficient, cleared up everything, very knowledgeable and had a lovely personal style, very cheerful and helpful. Even stayed later than I anticipated as equipment was late being delivered. Very reasonable costs too. Will definitely use them again.
- Brenda, Bishop's Stortford
My boiler stopped working and I was told I needed a new boiler, I was not convinced and I was recommended Homepal, so I gave them a call to seek a second opinion, well, they got the boiler up and running within a few minutes, what more can I say? Brilliant.
- Keith, COLCHESTER
our PROMISE
Homepal can back our work with a complete guarantee of quality to ensure that we can get the job done right the first time every time. If you are not 100% satisfied, we will come back to ensure the work is completed to your standards.
SEE our WORK
About Us
We are a friendly, qualified and dependable company, all our work is fully guaranteed for 12 months. No plumbing job is too big or too small. Appointments made to suit you, transparent prices and testimonials from previous clients always positively approved.


text:
Hi there! My name is Janet Page and I have been a
Sales Professional here at Countryside Motors for nearly 6 years. In that
time, I have had the opportunity of helping so many customer's with finding the
perfect Car, Truck, Polaris, or Hustler mower to fit their specific needs and
desires. Whether it be "New", or a "New to You" vehicle, I hope you will
come out and ask for Janet! I will do my very best to make your
experience at Countryside Motors…..unforgettable!!!
From the moment you step on our lot until the time you drive away in your next car, your buying experience with Countryside Motors is our number one priority. We encourage you to use the expertise and resources of our sales staff; they are here to help you find the right car at the right price. Call us today at 620-326-7433 to schedule your test drive!
I hereby consent to receive text messages from or on behalf of dealer at the mobile phone number I provided above. I understand that I am opting in to receive text messages from dealer or their employees. I include consent to receive phone calls at the mobile phone number I provided. I understand that message and data rates may apply.


text:
The Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis is a Fun and Festive way to kick off your holiday season! The race begins at 7pm on December 7th on 12th St in Bradenton along Old Main Street. Wear a holiday themed costume and put bells on your shoelaces. Run or Walk the 5K, or sign up for the 1 mile Fun Walk. All proceeds go to the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis Foundation.
To sign up, please visit the Arthritis Foundation for more information on the event.
For some more great Anna Maria Island Holiday information visit our information page on the Anna Maria Island Holiday parade, the privateers santa event as well as the various Anna Maria Island Holiday walk about's in Anna Maria City and Holmes Beach.


text:
Terms and Conditions
Version 1.2 – 25 May 2018
Quotes and estimates
We provide quotes at the start of each project and the estimate includes 2 rounds of corrections or alterations. Any additional concepts, alterations or work not specified in the initial project proposal will be either re-quoted or charged at an hourly rate.
All quotes are valid for 3 months from the date the quote is supplied.
Our fees are based on the time and expertise required by the individuals assigned to the design task, plus any direct out-of-pocket expenses.
Our standard payment terms are 7 days. Payment can be made by Direct Deposit, our account details are located on our invoices.
The client agrees to pay a non-refundable 50% deposit of the quoted fee before the project commences. The balance of the quoted amount is due prior to the delivery of the finished artwork or the website before going live. Final artwork/website will not be delivered until the full payment has been made. Interim invoices may be issued at monthly stages if the project runs longer than two months.
Copyright / Ownership
The client will have the reproduction rights after the project has been paid in full and handed over to the client.
In the event of cancellation of a project, ownership of all copyrights and original artwork will be retained by Punch Bowl Design. The 50% deposit is non-refundable and will act as a cancellation fee.
Artwork Approvals
Punch Bowl Design takes care to avoid spelling mistakes and other errors in the final artwork or website design. It is the client's sole responsibility to check all the information is correct before approving final artwork/website. Please take your time approving the artwork/website: checking all the spelling, grammar, phone numbers, addresses and other important information extra carefully. Punch Bowl Design cannot offer refunds or free re-prints for any errors in the artwork/website noticed after final sign-off of the artwork or website.
All correspondence is treated as confidential. Punch Bowl Design reserves the right to use the designs as part of marketing, portfolio and other promotional activities. Your information will not be sold or given to any third parties except in the normal course of fulfilling design services for you. No banking details will be recorded and stored.
Acceptance of these Terms & Conditions
Commencement of a project with Punch Bowl Design constitutes acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
Privacy Policy
Version 1.2 – 25 May 2018
Protecting your privacy is important to us. We hope the following statement will help you understand how Punch Bowl Design collects, uses and safeguards the personal information you provide to us on our website.
Contact Form
We collect the information you provide when you use the contact form facility on this website (on our Contact page). This may include name, address, email, contact information and other information that you include in your message. This information you provide is not shared with any other organisations, except in the normal course of fulfilling design services for you.
Our website contains links to other websites. Punch Bowl Design is not responsible for the policies and privacy practices of other websites. When you leave our website, please read the privacy statements of each website that collects personally identifiable information. Our privacy policy applies to data collected by our website only.
Our website uses cookies. Cookies are small pieces of data (stored on your device) containing information about how you interact with our website. Squarespace, the CMS platform our website is based on, uses Analytics and Perfomance cookies to record visitor traffic data. We use this collected data to track site activity – such as how many unique visitors we've had, what pages visitors view, how long they stay, what other websites our visitors have come from etc. To learn more about what Squarespace does with visitor data, see sections 4(b), 5, 6, and 12 of their Privacy Policy. Squarespace also uses Functional and Required cookies to keep the platform in working order. A full list of the cookies Squarespace uses can be found here. We do not use Google Analytics or any other third party tracking service for data tracking.


text:
Easy Methods To Invest Genuine Estate
The question may seem obvious to some; Why doesn't everyone just commit to Real Properties? The answer however, probably isn't what you're expecting. You see, epidermis investment opportunities and all the places would-be investors can plunk down their money, Real Estate is probably one for the scariest. What would you like to accomplish by investing? Is the money to grow you out of debt? A down payment on individuals who? Your child's education? A flat? Income to live on in their golden years? One of your dangers of government intervention is there exists always unintended consequences. Always things happen that for starters that were perceived. Singapore Property When it's hyper inflation in ingredients country or mass crime, there usually unattended consequences when you mess a problem money origin. What could happen to the s&p is it could be very erratic. It may be a higher for a time and then lower, it will likely be hard to calculate. We should be from a secular bear market but government interventions is making everything so volatile.
Beneficial print money, there are the few that benefit. The middle class the lower class usually hurt probably the most as they get hit in the pocket. Are the doors equipped with peepholes and deadbolts? Most newer apartment complexes feature these security measures, it can be always advisable Singapore Condominium to search. About Gilmore Tower, You acquire it on an easy terms like one year to pay on the down costs. It's because it is still Pre Develop platform. These are the type of inner City Pocket Development. Are usually close to Malls, Hospitals, School and Universities, Church. Usually, the vicinity of this type of project has already been complete regarding the total creation. Still these type of Investment can generate a wonderful Return on Investments. Today of popular in the vicinity is among the major aspect to consider in Singapore Real Estate. Timeshares is as well hard to unload if you need to get from your struggle. They're not the best marketplace investments, even when prime vacation spots, to add this main reason. That's why; if you speak with the right people, you will see some timeshares at drastically cut rates, as consumers are willing to do whatever it requires to escape from under them the best thing. By the way, my investor friend, who is an auto mechanic, worked on your property after work and on weekends, spent $2450 plus his labor, and seven weeks later sold the home or property for $98,500, netting approximately $15,000 since of course costs for himself.


text:
By Katie Feifer
In a world that blames, shames and disavows rape victims, how do we as a movement respond to a victim rights organization that invites one of the culture's most public and polemical victim blamers to speak at their fundraising event?
"It Happened to Alexa Foundation" is a rape victim advocacy organization that was founded in 2003 by Tom and Stacey Branchini. Theirs is a worthy group that has done much good in the last few years, which makes their selection of Fox News pundit Bill O'Reilly as a headline speaker at the foundation's March 19th fundraiser both shocking and deeply troubling. O'Reilly has a long history of misogynistic and victim-blaming rhetoric, most notably calling 18 year-old rape and murder victim Jennifer Moore "moronic," and suggesting that, because of the way she was dressed, she was "asking for it." O'Reilly also said of victim Shawn Hornbeck -- who was abducted and allegedly sexually assaulted at the age of 11 and held for four years -- that "there was an element here that this kid liked about his circumstances." Media Matters, a media watchdog group, has compiled a long list of problematic O'Reilly statements about women, minority groups and victims.
Faced with online protests and hundreds of calls and emails - many from survivors of sexual violence - the leadership of "It Happened to Alexa Foundation" stands by their choice. "Bill O'Reilly is still speaking at the fundraiser. We are aware of his comments. We don't have any comment about it. I don't feel as if it would be productive." says Ellen Augello, the group's Executive Director.
Actually, a public conversation about their choice of O'Reilly as a speakerwould be productive. We need to start talking about how representations of victims in the media shape public attitudes about rape and drive outcomes in the courtroom. We need to be clear about the ways that the words of "talking heads" like Bill O'Reilly have contributed to a culture in which victims of sexual violence are blamed for the violence that has been done to them, and shamed into silence. We need to ask how a pundit at a major news network can continue to express outdated ideas about rape and its victims that have been discredited and de-bunked.
Most immediately, we in the anti sexual violence movement must respectfully challenge any ally who provides a public platform and organizational support for someone with such a long and unapologetic history of hostile and damaging statements. A high profile speaker may be a fundraising draw. But those who have been wounded by O'Reilly's ill-informed and uncompassionate rhetoric have already paid too high a price.


text:
This was a long time coming, and a fairly big deal. And, as things which are a long time coming and a fairly big deal always happen to be, this is so simple. You can now subscribe to deeper practice videos. All of Karin's deep anatomy and deep philosophy, ruthless ditch the sequence and the alignment and find the breath, teaching. In your pocket, your cellphone, or your living room.
Each week you'll get a 90 minute asana sequence AND a 30 minute breath/meditation/technique video. That's two hours of practice a week, at your convenience, for fifty bucks a month.
More expensive than the freebies on youtube or the other subscription sites, yes. But I'm not teaching canned vinyasa. I'm not looking for mass production, but for a way to interact with human beings, provide a context for learning and practice. This is deeper practice, my teaching, getting the tools and actually understanding what's going on, feel the difference in your life, stuff. I draw the people who are called to personal change. To deep thinking. To reason, not vapid hippy-dippy stuff. I teach to people who love yoga but have become disillusioned with the culture and the studios. To people who realize it isn't about contortions. Folks who realize sun salutations aren't always possible, chronic illness is hard, that there's something to asana and breath that is NOT about alignment or advanced postures. I teach to soul and am only really interested in teaching, that. Let the masses learn, elsewhere.
More expensive than the freebies and the cheapies and the franchised studios, yes. But, still, you could pay for unlimited classes in studio, and get the subscription, for less than other studio's class packages. Those things are two and three hundred bucks.
This is what I believe: learning, healing, the gifts of practice are available to anyone who makes an honest commitment. But the gifts of practice involve breath, meditation, study, developing body literacy, and intelligence AS MUCH AS ASANA. Asana are, ideally, paths right up to those other bits. You could practice postures for years and still be a jerk. Or, practice postures for years and wonder why you're still miserable. Or, practice a certain style for a while and then be lost and confused when illness, injury, or life trouble comes up. Or, finish your RYT 200 and realize you don't know diddley squat, yet, and long for more.
We need practices that go to depth, and don't snag on the superficial.
Put this in your toolbox. If you miss my teaching, sign up. If you can't make studio classes. If you've never been to the studio, but are still drawn to reading and the idea, of having a personal yoga practice.
Yoga is personal. Take it that way.


text:
Dirty Apron, city's first Eurasian restaurant by Piano Man launched their new menu and we were invited for a tasting session of the same. At the onset, loved the warmth and vibes of the place. Its a very relaxed kind of an atmosphere where you can just sit back and relax while enjoying some good food.
The menu designed for the evening comprised of some selected cocktails, salad, soups, pizzas and desserts.
We ordered POT, a vodka based cocktail, and it tasted quite good. We were also served a n assortment of canapés which weren't really a part of the menu, but were good to taste.
The canapés were followed by Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Soup and Green Apple & Vermouth Cold Soup. Both the soups were unusual and tasty. I loved the distinct taste that each soup had, without overpowering any of the ingredients. The green apple & vermouth cold soup is something you should definitely try, this is one thing I am going back for very soon.
Along with the soup a platter of assorted salad was served and it had three different types of salad, each better than the other. This is something you must try whenever you visit the place.
A variety of pizzas were served in main course and we tried Pepperoni Pizza, Bulgogi Chicken Pizza and Chicken Basilica. All of them very very good, but I personally loved the Pepperoni one. The crust of the pizza is something really worth appreciating, so thin and crisp, its great.
The desserts were amazing too, there was Blueberry Cheesecake and Kaffir Lime Scented Creame Brulee. I opted for the cream brulee and found it to be really awesome. The taste of lime infused in the creamy custard was perfect.
I would surely love to visit the place sometime soon again and recommend it to all the readers.


text:
Grey Mare's Tail Nature Reserve
Planning your visit
Parking is £3 (free for members). The car park is surfaced with gravel. There are interpretation panels and a trailer (seasonal) in the car park.
The weather can change dramatically, even in summer. Warm, waterproof clothing and walking boots with good grip are essential.
The nearest public toilets are 5 miles to the north-east at St Mary's Loch or 10 miles to the south-west in Moffat.
Dogs must be kept on a short lead or under close control at all times.
Use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) at Grey Mare's Tail: amateur drone operators must seek and receive permission from the Property Manager before flying an unmanned aerial vehicle at Grey Mare's Tail. All requests from commercial operators must go via the Trust's Filming Manager to email@example.com. Drone operators (both commercial and amateur) must have public liability insurance in place and provide insurance details on application.
For more information about planning your visit please see our frequently asked questions.
If you'd like to speak to us we can be contacted by email:
email@example.com or telephone 07713 786230.
FacilitiesSee full accessibility information
Opening times
- Grey Mare's Tail
- Open all year, daily
Entry prices
- Adult
- Free
- Family
- Free
- One adult family
- Free
- Concession
- Free
Members go free
At all Trust places, admission is free for members.Join from £50
- The car park is surfaced with gravel.
- A 100m surfaced path leads over a footbridge to a waterfall viewpoint.
- The surrounding terrain is rough and the hills are very steep.
We have an ongoing programme of accessible content development. Detailed accessibility guides for the most visited Trust places are available on our Accessibility pages as well as links to useful resources.
We'd love you to visit the Euan's Guide website to review the accessibility of Trust places and tell us (and others) what's good and where we need to do better.


text:
Spending time alone with her father-in-law is not usually a top priority for a newly married woman, but the Duchess of Cambridge is enthusiastically taking to the role of "daughter" to the Prince of Wales.
Mandrake can disclose that Kate has made a series of visits to the Royal Opera House with her father-in-law. Prince Charles, a lifelong opera and ballet devotee, is understood to be encouraging her interests in the art forms, with a view to her supporting Covent Garden in an official capacity.
"The Duchess of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales have made several private visits to the Royal Opera House together, before and since the royal wedding, to watch opera and ballet productions," says my man in the tuxedo. "Both have been very enthusiastic about the productions they have seen together."
Among those they have enjoyed is the Royal Ballet's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Kate has a particular interest in Carroll and wrote her university dissertation on the author's photography.
The visits reflect the strengthening bond between the pair. Last month, Charles called upon his "darling daughter-in-law" to step in for him at the last minute for a charity dinner at Clarence House in her first solo engagement.


text:
British insurer Aviva posted a 16% rise in life and pensions sales on Tuesday, boosted by U.S. business, with its newly acquired AmerUs unit making its first full quarter's contribution.
Britain's largest insurer said sales of life and pensions policies climbed to 7.75 billion pounds ($15.5 billion), a touch above an average forecast of 7.53 billion pounds from analysts.
Estimates from 16 analysts polled by the company had ranged from 6.82 billion to 8.11 billion pounds.
Aviva, which makes over 60% of its sales outside its home market and largely in continental Europe, said international life and pensions sales rose 25%.
In the U.K., where growth across the sector has slowed from a bumper 2006, Aviva said sales ticked 3% higher.
"The outperformance came from their new acquisitions, rather than from organic growth. The organic growth looked pretty much in line," said analyst Peter Eliot at Man Securities.
Aviva's stock, which has underperformed the U.K. life sector by 6% and fallen 3% since the start of the year, was up 1.7% at 788-1/2 pence.
Aviva raised eyebrows last year with its $2.9 billion acquisition of U.S. life insurer AmerUS. At the time of the announcement in July, analysts criticised the full price being paid for what they said was a second-choice deal -- coming just months after its 17 billion pound approach for U.K. rival Prudential was rebuffed.
But the company said Tuesday's figures proved it had benefited from the deal to boost its undersized U.S. presence.
Life and pensions sales in the United States, now Aviva's third-largest life business outside the U.K., saw a fivefold increase to 837 million pounds. Pro-forma sales rose 67%.
"It's clear we really benefited from this acquisition," Andrew Moss, Aviva's finance director and its incoming chief executive, told reporters. "We are very confident that this year Aviva USA will deliver new business growth of at least 20%, at the same level of margin."
Home Grown
At home, Aviva said it was pushing ahead with its efficiency review and with plans to improve persistency -- or the length of time customers keep a policy -- targeting its 200 poorest performing distributors.
Pensions sales, boosted in 2006 by pension reforms encouraging people to save more for retirement, were almost 10% lower in the quarter, but growth elsewhere helped total life and sales tick up 3%. Investment sales rose 48%, taking total long-term savings sales up 9%, with margins rising to 3% from 2.8% last year.
Aviva has said 2007 will see levels of growth below last year's bumper levels in the U.K., but it confirmed forecasts of 5-10% growth for the life market, with its own business aiming to grow at least in line with that.
A reshuffle of Aviva's top management announced on Monday included the departure of its well-respected U.K. head, Patrick Snowball. He is not expected to be replaced, as Aviva shakes up its top jobs to reflect its more international outlook.
International life and pensions sales, which now account for more than half the total, jumped 25% in the quarter, boosted by AmerUs, Ireland and Italy.
France, the second-largest market for Aviva outside the U.K., saw an 11% drop in sales, and the group said it expected ongoing weakness and a broadly flat 2007, as French investors remain cautious before the outcome of the presidential election and the intentions of the winning candidate become clear.
Profit from new business across the group climbed 17% to 271 million pounds, just above the average estimate.
The figures are on a present value of new business premiums (PVNBP) basis, which allows a better comparison of the sales performances of life assurance companies across Europe.


text: BWS Landscaping Share: Landscaping Design & Services BWS Landscaping Visit Website Request Info 1108 Dinneen St. Richmond, VA 23220 804-204-1568 About Map About We are an organization in the business of creating extraordinary memories for families and friends. We do this by designing, building and maintaining superior outdoor living spaces. What's Nearby? Distance: 5 10 15 20 25 50 mi.


text:
We made this ambient DVD called "The Original VIDEO PIZZA". It's awesome to put on in the background at parties. Imagine, no more waiting for it to be ready, and no more pizza boxes to clean up. Just an hour of spinning pizza montage. Available at Videopizza.biz.
The latest ambient DVD from Wolf Choir, coming in 2010: Video Psychedelic Hockey Mask.