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You have your e-commerce website up and running, with all of the products you want to sell ready. Now you're just waiting for the visitors to your site to make the final step and convert into a sale. It's very important to maximize the amount of people who purchase as getting people to merely view your products can be a very expensive process. With the costs of Google AdWords, social media marketing, and other online advertising avenues can all add up to a large sum of cash, you want to ensure you make the most of the customers you do draw to your site.
The best ways you can do this is to ensure that the pages and products are optimized to meet your goal(s). How you optimize each page can be tricky however as there are quite a few options to try out. This blog post is going to discuss a 5 different changes that you can make to your products, order process and website that you can try out to increase the amount of people purchasing from you.
Inclusive wording
The way you word certain things dealing with your products and ordering process can have a surprising impact on your sales. Specifically, if you write to the client like you're working with them, it gives a sense of teamwork and that it is a combined effort, not just them working by themselves. For example if you say "we're almost there" in place of "You're almost there" when they're in the check out. It also gives the impression that you are there to help them and it's not just them and the company doing separate things. "We" also helps take off pressure off the client as the word gives the impression that responsibility doesn't solely rest on them. Using the word "get" increased Encyclopedia Britannica's Conversion rate by 103%!
Simplicity can include a wide variety of different aspects of your site. Things like the payment and order process, the layout of the website, keeping as many fields as you can optional and the products available should all be kept simple and easy to understand. Whenever things get complex and a little too tricky to understand, people start to see that the effort is not worth the outcome, and may abandon the process. For example, making the order process take as few steps as possible and give clear instructions on what the client should do next makes them more likely to see the process to the end. Websites that are more simple and easier to understand have been shown to have a 86% increased conversion rate than those that were seen as more complex. Although giving more choice is usually seen as a positive, you don't want to overwhelm the customer with choices as well as if you do it will make them unsure of what they really and may not purchase anything.
Customers also abandon carts when they are forced to give information they don't want to give and can't make a purchase just as a guest. If a customer is forced to give their phone number in order to make a purchase they may think twice and change their mind, so as to avoid getting phone calls in the future. Another issue that customers have with e-commerce sites is when you have to make an account to purchase and can't purchase as a guest. This is because if a client may not want to go through the process of creating an account when it takes a long time and only want to buy the products. Keeping things simple also helps reduce distractions. You don't want to draw the user's attention to something else when they are purchasing an item. It may lead to them abandoning the cart. It is advisable to remove anything unnecessary from the payment and ordering process screens as if they leave the process because their attention has been grabbed by something else, they may not come back to finish the order.
Looking official and trustworthy
When people are purchasing products online there is a hefty amount of trust involved. You are sending a company the information to take money out of your bank account and you need to trust they won't take more than they specify or won't take out more after the order is complete. This is why you need to show that your company is trusted and official. You can do this by ensuring that your website has a strong design, is up-to-date, being active on social media and being easily contactable. These all help prove to the customer that you are a legitimate business and trustworthy.
Being trustworthy extends further than how legit your business is as it customers want to be sure that the service or product you provide is worth the price paid, and that you get what you want to get. This is important to customers as they want to know whether the company they are purchasing from can provide what they state or they are being a little hyperbolic with their description. The most common way to do this is to show reviews on your site for the products and your service. studies have shown that 74% of customers will trust a business more after they have seen that they have positive reviews. However you can increase your trustworthiness even further by using a third party review service like Trustpilot. This can help even further as your clients will know that you haven't tampered with the reviews or are only showing positive reviews.
Discounts and timed offers
People love the idea of getting things cheaper that their original price. That's why when people see that something is on sale they are likely to purchase it straight away without even looking at the competition. This is mainly due to the mind assuming that it is cheapest you can get it because it is on sale. Something that makes this even more effective is when you put a deadline on the offer. Saying that the offer is valid for a month, a week, a day or even just for a few hours adds a bit of urgency to the customer as they will want to take advantage of the offer before it becomes too late and they will have to buy it at the regular price. The company DaFlores increased their conversions by 27% when they added the deadline to an offer. People may click onto your site just to browse and see what is available when they see that an offer is available but expires soon. This could be the very thing that pushes them to make a purchase.
One phrase that every customer loves to hear is "Free Delivery". Making your way through the purchase process can be halted immediately if the client doesn't realize that there is additional costs for delivery. A lot of people only purchase products that have free delivery as, linking back to our previous point, it makes things simpler and easier. In fact customers are 4 to 5 times more likely to purchase if delivery is reduced completely. Even if free delivery is only on shipping that take more time than paid delivery, customers are still willing to wait the extra days to get the service for free.
Offering something extra
If a customer sees that purchasing a product will not only get them that product but something else for free, they see their value for money increase as well, making them more likely to purchase. They are getting more for their money even if the extra item is not actually worth that much. Studies have shown that people are 4 to 5 times more likely to purchase a product if they get something for free with that order. Doing this also makes your company stand out in front of the competition. If you sell the same item as another provider but you provide a freebie alongside the product, they are more likely to purchase from you. For example, getting a free promotional product with an imprint of your logo alongside the actual product can be a very good incentive to purchase. The extra can also work as marketing in the future as well.
Every successful online business understands the importance of optimizing your website for conversions as they are what allows a company to survive and expand. Hopefully you will try some of these out to increase your own conversion rate and help drive your business sales. Do you have any other tips? Let us know below.


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Photograph Details
Harvest gold
Late one July evening, walking slowly along the edge of a wheat field near his village - Cousset, in Switzerland - looking for subjects to photograph, Etienne noticed 'a little ball' stuck to an ear of wheat. 'To my surprise,' says Etienne, 'it was a harvest mouse, nibbling the grain.' Etienne approached until he was a few metres away and managed to photograph the tiny mouse at various angles before it scuttled back down the wheat stalk. 'The meeting was brief but extraordinary,' he adds. 'This was my favourite out of all the portraits,' showing it eating, its prehensile tail helping it to balance.
Technical specification
Nikon D7000 + 300mm f4 lens; 1/320 sec at f4 (-0.3 e/v); ISO 500.
Cousset, Switzerland
Sign up to receive emails from the Natural History Museum about events and exhibitions, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Etienne Francey, Switzerland
Etienne started taking pictures of wildlife at the age of 10, and was taught about photography technique by his grandfather. He photographs the nature around his home, and finds that this allows him to relax, observe and discover different species. He hopes to teach photography when he is older.
- Website: www.etiennefrancey.ch

subset: commoncrawl


text: I saw these 2 recent and similar threads http://www.droidforums.net/forum/ne...sistance/17964-missed-calls-texts-alerts.html http://www.droidforums.net/forum/te...s/119463-missed-calls-texts-other-issues.html but they're slightly different than mine. I recently got a Droid 2 a couple months back. Three times in the past month or so, I haven't received texts or calls that I should have. I assumed it's because I had 0 bars (a rarity) and Verizon just doesn't allow non-service messages to be "caught-up". I.e. when I had ATT, if i had 0 bars, once I received service again, I'd get some texts and missed call/voicemail notifications that I guess were "stored" until I got service. Is this not the case for Verizon? Or is something wrong w/ my Droid just not receiving texts/calls on rare occasions. Anyway, I know the call/text was sent to me b/c the sender said I was ignoring them (it was 3 separate senders, so it isn't just like 1 person lying to me lol). But, obviously, I wasn't ignoring them, I just never got the text or call...or even missed call notification. So is this a Verizon service thing? Or a Droid 2 problem? Thanks


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I did take some quiet time today to relax and make some templates. Tomorrow we're making a a special dish in class and I'm nervous. I don't like molecular gastronomy. Well, I do like it but I find it is kind of confusing. Science wasn't my favorite class to begin with.
I have made a couple new templates and put them in my stores, DSD and TKO. I wanted to post them here too.
I hope you're having an amazing week!


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Have a say on pedestrian improvements on Lindesay Street, East Maitland
Monday, 5 December 2016
Roads and Maritime Services is inviting the community to have a say on a proposal to improve pedestrian access and safety on Lindesay Street at East Maitland.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald, said the NSW Government provided $550,000 this financial year for improvements to pedestrian connections between Cumberland Street and Raymond Terrace Road.
"Proposed work would involve installing three pedestrian refuges and upgrading pedestrian facilities near the High Street roundabout to reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians," Mr MacDonald said.
"The work would also include building connecting footpaths to the refuges, kerb and gutter and ramps to improve pedestrian access.
"To ensure motorists have a clear line of sight and to allow for the pedestrian refuges, 23 on-road car parking spaces would need to be removed and a bus stop between Narang and George streets relocated around 40 metres east."
Mr MacDonald said a 70 metre section of Lindesay Street near the intersection of Pierce Street would be resurfaced with water main adjustments carried out between High Street and Raymond Terrace Road.
"Roads and Maritime will consult directly with property owners affected by the removal of on-road parking spaces," he said.
Community members are invited to provide feedback by Friday 9 December by emailing Roads and Maritime's project manager Jo Withford at firstname.lastname@example.com or phoning
0400 076 608 during business hours.
All feedback will be carefully considered before the design is finalised. For further project information please visit the Roads and Maritime website at www.rms.nsw.gov.au.
View the original media release.


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Gupta empire era sites restored in Madhya PradeshJuly 19th, 2011 - 5:48 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) Many monuments of the Gupta dynasty era in the ancient archaeological site of Eran in Madhya Pradesh have been restored by the government, the ministry of culture said Tuesday.
The ancient site at Eran village in Sagar district is covered as a protected monument of national importance by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Eran was an administrative division of the Gupta empire (320-550 AD). In early coins and inscriptions, it appears as 'Airikina'. The residents of the city were said to have donated generously to the Buddhist stupa of Sanchi. The oldest monument in the area dates back to 510 AD.
The first excavations at Eran were carried out in 1960-1961 to 1964-1965 and in 1987-1988.
The culture ministry said that conservation work at the site was carried out regularly and this year spent Rs.3.87 lakh on the restoration. The monuments are in good state of preservation, it added.
Antiquities of neolithic or New Stone Age, beginning 9,500 BC, and chalcolithic cultures have also been found in Eran. Chalcolithic or Copper Age extended from the middle of the fifth to near the end of the fourth millennium B.C.
- Holistic understanding of heritage conservation needed: PM - Dec 20, 2011
- ASI urged to launch heritage awareness campaign - May 27, 2011
- Introducing children to Humayun's tomb - Nov 14, 2011
- Begumpuri mosque to serve as new conservation model: Selja - Nov 11, 2011
- Delhi is a living museum: PM - Sep 27, 2010
- ASI to excavates ruins near Vikramshila University - Mar 21, 2012
- Dalai Lama to visit Kashmir excavation site - Nov 14, 2011
- Buddhist relics to be housed in Orissa museum - Apr 25, 2011
- Tourism ministry has no data on pilgrims: Kumari Selja (Spot) - Aug 21, 2012
- Rethinking heritage conservation in India (April 18 is World Heritage Day) - Apr 17, 2011
- Bihar stupa could contain Buddha relics - Feb 11, 2012
- India to gift Buddhist temple to China (With Images) - May 06, 2010
- 33,826 monuments in India unprotected, says ASI - May 03, 2011
- Rs.28.34 lakh spent on Assam monuments till June 2010 - Sep 24, 2010
- Himachal seeks amendments to archaeological act - Jul 01, 2012
Tags: administrative division, antiquities, archaeological survey of india, buddhist stupa, chalcolithic, conservation work, copper age, culture ministry, excavations, gupta dynasty, gupta empire, inscriptions, lakh, madhya pradesh, ministry of culture, monuments, neolithic, New Delhi, new stone age, stupa of sanchi


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were do i begin? i first met james (a.k.a J.R.) and jessica about a year ago when they booked me. i was able to get to know them and work with them a little at their engagment session. the whole time i was with them, i noticed that there was something familiar about jessica that i just couldn't put my finger on, until i was going through their engagement photos. jessica looks almost identical to one of my good friends that i've known since grade school! but, regardless of who she looks like, j.r. and jessica are an amazing couple, and they threw an AMAZING wedding! they booked their dj from one of my FAVORITE dj companies: toast and jam with dj kristin marks. j.r. and jessica's taste of music is VERY similar to my own, and i have to admit that towards the end i started dancing and singing along with everyone else!! (there are just some songs that i can't resist!!) anyway, it was so much fun, and i am so glad they chose me as their photographer!
this is definitely in my top 10 favorite wedding dress pics of all time!


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Utskrift från Malmö universitet - mau.se
Utskrift från Malmö universitet - mau.se
|Article, peer reviewed scientific
|How confident are general dental practitioners in their decision to administer antibiotic prophylaxis?
|Ellervall, Eva ; Brehmer, Berndt ; Knutsson, Kerstin
|English abstract
|Background: Common dental procedures induce bacteremia. To prevent infectious complications from bacteremia in patients with specific medical conditions, antibiotic prophylaxis is considered. Recommendations are often unclear and ambiguous. In a previous study we reported wide variations in general dental practitioners' (GDPs') administrations of antibiotic prophylaxis. We hypothesized that within such a conflicting clinical area, decisions are made with a high level of personal uncertainty. This study examined GDPs' confidence in their decisions and analyzed the extent to which case-related factors might explain individual variations in confidence. Methods: Postal questionnaires in combination with telephone interviews were used. The response rate was 51% (101/200). There were no significant differences between respondents and non-respondents regarding sex, age, or place of work. The GDPs were presented to patient cases of different medical conditions, where some should receive antibiotic prophylaxis according to recommendations when performing dental procedures that could cause gingival bleeding. The GDPs assessed on visual analogue scales how confident they were in their decisions. The extent to which case-related factors, medical condition and dental procedure, could explain individual variation in confidence was analyzed. Results: Overall the GDPs exhibited high confidence in their decisions regardless of whether they administered antibiotic prophylaxis or not, or whether their decisions were in accordance with recommendations or not. The case-related factors could explain between 30–100% of the individual variation in GDPs' confidence. For 46%, the medical condition significantly explained the individual variation in confidence. However, for most of these GDPs, lower confidence was not presented for conditions where recommendations are unclear and higher confidence was not presented for conditions where recommendations are more clear. For 8% the dental procedure significantly explained the variation, although all procedures could cause bacteremia. For 46% neither the medical condition nor the dental procedure could significantly explain the individual variation in confidence. Conclusions: The GDPs presented high confidence in their decisions, and the majority of GDPs did not present what could be considered a justified varied level of confidence according to the clarity of recommendations. Clinicians who are overconfident in their decisions may be less susceptible to modifications of their behavior to more evidence-based strategies.
|https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6947-8-57 (link to publisher's fulltext.)
|BioMed Central Ltd
|BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
|article 57
|eng (iso)
|antibiotic prophylaxis
decision making
Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Social sciences
Research Subject Categories::ODONTOLOGY::Odontological behavioural science
|http://hdl.handle.net/2043/8106 Permalink to this page


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With the results of the profits for the Premier League the last financial year announced by Deloitte yesterday – it does seem like Premier League clubs are knuckling down and trying to at least break even financially – which is why the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules put in place some years ago by UEFA President Michel Platini – to do exactly that.
Lee Charnley and Mike Ashley
We'll pay only this amount for any player
The bottom line of the Financial Fair Play rules is to have clubs at least break even, so they don't lose massive amounts of money such as clubs like Manchester City, Liverpool, QPR and many other PL clubs have over the last five years or so.
Newcastle have done well both on the revenue side and on the profit side, and we could well be the most profitable PL club for the last financial year – and that shows Mike Ashley strengths – he certainly knows how to manage the finances.
Hopefully the Newcastle owner will now shift gear – and give us a good team by spending much more money on the squad – starting with big money being spent this summer.
Adam Bull is a Senior Consultant in the Deloitte Sport Business Group, and this is what he had to say about the impact of the Financial Fair Play rules:
"The introduction of cost control regulations at both a European and domestic level has caused many clubs to watch their spending more closely than ever before and created a useful tool for clubs to reduce the inflationary pressures during negotiations with players and agents."
"Also, the current broadcast deal has given Premier League clubs such a large revenue advantage over the vast majority of European clubs that they can still attract the top playing talent without overstretching themselves financially."
Of course the FFP favor the bigger clubs because they will have higher revenues than the smaller clubs – which means they can spend more money on transfer fees and wages and therefore are better positioned to get the best players.
However, clubs like Atletico Madrid and Southampton have shown in the last few years they can compete with the bigger clubs, even though they have much smaller revenues.
Look what Diego Simeone has done for Atletico Madrid since signing on for them in December of 2011, and Ronald Koeman and previously Mauricio Pochettino have done for the Saints – Southampton have shown thya can compete for a top four place in the PL.
Newcastle also showed that three years ago, and the club should stop telling us we can no longer compete with the top clubs in England – because that's simply not true.
In truth there is not much to choose between the top sides and the bottom sides in England's top league, and we saw that in action a week or so ago when Burnley beat Chelsea 1-0 and deserved to win.
The result was good for football and good for the fans – and shows to some extent that money isn't everything in football.
Newcastle are at a crossroads right now, and have the opportunity to bring in a top coach this summer who can inspire our players, and a coach like that is worth an awful lot to any football club, and we hope we get one of those coaches in over the summer.
We should be able to pay a top coach big money to attract him to our club – so everything's in place.
Newcastle just need to appoint a top coach now and the future may even be bright – as difficult as that may be to grasp by the large majority of Newcastle fans, after all that's happened.
Howay The Lads!!
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17 comments so far
Newcastle will clearly be top of the money league
No money spent
Increase in TV money
Increase in commercial revenue
Player sales
Reduced wages
We'll still be one of the worst teams in the prem though fatty will be happy enough.
you forgot,
first in injuries
first in rumors of new players
first in liver abuse by the supporters watching this team
Ahh I see.
Well I. Think it has an impact versus the reet of the premier league at least. It's a lot closer in Newcastle in the winter than it is in London. I've lived in both for many years.
But I didn't say it was only that. I remember Albert Luque having an issue with our training pitches being too hard and at the time there were a few mentions of it.
But if they've been redone since Luque was there then maybe not. Depends how well they've been built I guess.
I agree too that our staff are pretty poor. Including our coaches and our fitness guys. Their track record is poor.
But no matter who we have had employed at this club, we've always had injury problems. There must be something causing it.
Hi all, getting back into blogging and starting some stuff for The Mag again soon too.
Wrote an article ahead of the England match tonight, some NUFC link win there too about Michael Owen. Hoping this'll be the start of me getting back into things!
The cost of international football: Five famous club vs country debates http://bdai.ly/uy2F
Cheers, Carrying
And it's why commercial revenue is so important. Under FFP all of the commercial revenue profit can be used to improve the team.
With who knows what retail agreement we have and free advertising for SD, it's another area where Ashley skims from the Club rather than letting it truly punch it's weight.
Can at last compete with the top clubs? Don't go there… I've been well and truly telt. "Sickening… fcuking insult…" etc. When Newcastle finished 5th on 65 points in 2012 it was – we have it on the good authority of several here – it was only because of the underperformance of other teams. That's right folks! We only achieved 5th because we were better than 15 other teams that year! We were just lucky!
Hang on, I'll check that… just chortle over my computer for a mo'… Well, we didn't just scrape a top 6 place. We were 9 points clear of 7th, and only 5 short of 3rd (needed for CL qualification that year).
Let's compare that with the last time we finished 5th, in the glorious SBR years. That achievement was based on just 56 points, only 3 points ahead of 7th and a massive 19 points behind 3rd.
So, no, not a freaky 5th in 2012 at all. The GD was low, and the reason isn't hard to find – several multigoal thrashings which were ugly to watch. Nevertheless, 5th with 65 points is a successful season.
Do the sums.
I was trying to find a line graph to show the finishing places of all the PL clubs over the past 5 years, but I have run out of time. Alternatively take a look at this and see what summary you can make of the 2011-12 season overall.


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Dr. Boris Balson, MD
Would recommend this doc.
1180 Beacon Street, Ste 6ABrooklineMA02446
Need to make an allergist appointment this week? Use Zocdoc to find allergists near you who take Cigna insurance. It's simple, secure and free.
Managing your healthcare is easier than ever before with Zocdoc. Just search for a doctor in your insurance network, see available times, and book an appointment on the spot! You can read real doctor reviews from other patients, see the doctor's background and education, view photos of the office, and more. It's simple, secure, and free!


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Ayaq zapatilla (Calceolaria Sp.)
Popularly known as the "devil's slipper", this plant's original Quechua name has been lost. In its different varieties, it is used in traditional medicine.
Flowers ensure the conservation of many species, providing as they do certain elements essential to the maintenance of the ecosystem as a whole. The abundant flowers in our gardens attract countless species of birds and insects to pollinate them. In addition, our plants have been used traditionally in the medicine, diet and folklore of the Andes. Below we list some of the species found in the Sacred Valley of the Incas:
Ayaq zapatilla (Calceolaria Sp.)
Popularly known as the "devil's slipper", this plant's original Quechua name has been lost. In its different varieties, it is used in traditional medicine.
Chimpu Chimpu(Fuchsia boliviana)
Also known as "queen's earrings", this Andean fuchsia produces juicy and tasty fruits, enjoyed by local children, birds and insects.
Chinchircoma (Mutisia acuminata)
This flower was once considered as a candidate for Peru's national flower (F.L. Herrera). It is used in traditional medicine.
Hamanqae (Ismene amancay)
This popular flower is found in hedgerows or at the base of trees, where it thrives in the shade. It flowers in the rainy season.
Llaully (Barnadesia horrida)
It is said that only an astute lover can pick this flower (the plant has a thorny calyx).
A traditional song is dedicated to the llaully.
Mentzelia (Mentzelia cordifolia)
This delicate plant grows in poor soil and is used in traditional medicine.
Michi Michi (Hesperoxiphion peruvianum)
This popular and delightful iris can be seen throughout the rainy season. Its whorls resemble cat's heads ("michi" in Quechua), hence its name.
Ñuqchu Imperial (Salvia dombeyiia)
The flowers of this climbing plant are sought after for their medicinal properties and used to treat bronchial complaints, and they feature in Andean legends.
Oqa Oqa (Oxalis Sp)
Connoisseurs say that the juice of this plant's tender stalks is the best way to calm a walker's thirst. It attracts bees in search of nectar.
Panti (Cosmos peusedamifolius.)
This is perhaps the most sought after of local plants, because of its medicinal qualities. It is used in the treatment of bronchial complaints.
Pisonay (Erythrina falcata)
This leafy and robust tree with its abundant flowers attracts birds, including parrots and hummingbirds. It is useful as part of river defenses.
Pupa (Psitacanthus cuneifolius)
Also known as "little matches", "liga liga" and "pupa", the resin from this delightful plant is used to prepare strong glue employed to trap birds.
Qantu (Qantua buxifolia)
This is Peru's emblematic shrub. Its many bright colors adorn ravines and valleys, and can been seen along pathways and in gardens.
Rata Rata (Abutillon molle)
This shrub is considered important as an ingredient in medicinal poultices.
Rayan (Sambucus nigra)
Known locally as "sauco", the bittersweet dark berries of this plant are eaten by local people. In the Sacred Valley, traditional families have passed on the secrets of this plant.
Sunchu (Viguiera mandonii)
A large flowering plant, it attracts insects and is used medicinally.
Tumbo (Passiflora mixta)
Like all plants of the Passifloraceae genus, the flowers of this species are fragrant, and the delicious fruit it produces is enjoyed by birds, insects, rodents and local people.
Warango (Tecoma stans)
This medium-sized tree is valued for its wood, which is used for tools and furniture.
These flowers coexist with the epiphytes and ferns that also thrive in the loose and rich soil of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and beneath the shade cast by the native queuña forests of the valley's many ravines and gullies.


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I would love to write, I had pain free sex. Yeah! That would be like the ultimate post. But I'll take what I can get! He was at least able to enter me, but not without pain level. I would rate the pain at a 6. With my body memories and intimacy issues, combined with well the fact that it was painful, the thoughts of clouds just kind of went.
I did try the pillows and the other suggestions. They seemed to help to at least allow entrance. The last attempt it was the wall. While some would probably say I should of stopped, that isn't me. Plus I wanted to give a gift to my husband. So I pushed myself. My personal goals in our future attempts is to really focus on the relaxation strategies and on those muscles. This is where I sometimes think botox might be an option for me. Especially since my bodies natural defense mechanism is to tighten up. But I am making progress again. Assuming I don't get pregnant, which is reduced by the condoms and by well breastfeeding. I may have a chance at working on the pain levels. We shall see. I'm hoping that pushing it doesn't cause the wall, but we shall see. This process always seems a little bit like a back and forth kind of motion.
I would love to write, I had pain free sex. Yeah! That would be like the ultimate post. But I'll take what I can get! He was at least able to enter me, but not without pain level. I would rate the pain at a 6. With my body memories and intimacy issues, combined with well the fact that it was painful, the thoughts of clouds just kind of went.
My most recent session with the Physical Therapy went well. We went through a bunch of different muscle strengthing exercises. Here we go again with that weak left side. I'm lopsided, I've decided. It doesn't change or get better. Lol.
We then moved to internal. Oh boy!! My favorite part. When inside the physical therapist asked the pain level. I think I said 3 or 4, but now that I think about it that was me lowering the pain number which isn't great, but thats me. I was told to think of clouds. Which ironically thinking of clouds helped. Because the tightening and pain level went down. I had the choice of going up or to the left. I avoided my left side because that is where I usually experience excruciating pain. I figured that the PT would go that direction, but hey if I get the first choice I'm going north even though I knew it wasn't completely pain free.
After a few minutes of reminders to loosen muscles (thinking of exercises) and we go again with the clouds, I got the best news I thought possible. My pelvic floor has created space (functionable space!!!) even more than prior to the pregnancy!! :)!!!! Yes!!
So my homework assignment is to think clouds and make an attempt with my husband. Now comes the tricky situation. I'm not to dissassociate and stay present. As the PTs fingers were inside, and talking about homework, I kept tensing up. The PT kept saying "You're tightening up as I'm talking about having sex". (I'm not trying to tense up.. It's my bodies defense mechanism). So now I gotta fight body memories and dissociating (my mind) to hopefully have sucess.
So we shall see. I was happy to hear about the functionable space and muscles. I'm not done Physical Therapy, but its a positive big step!! This is such great news. I'm guessing my next step is too really find a sex therapist to help me deal with my bodies natural defense mechanism due to things that happened in my past. I almost wrote the word. But not quite comfortable and to a certain degree. I know I'll hear this discussion another session. I still feel to a certain degree, even though I know I have been told it is not my fault. I feel responsible. There I put it into words about what I feel. I feel I'm responsible for my situation. I guess I know what my next counseling session will be about.
Incunclusive. Without having an internal examination of an ultrasound, it was difficult for them to get an accurate picture. So I'm waiting for the doctor to return from brake to decide what if any is the next step. I will say the bleeding has stopped. Thankfully! Like I said it wasn't lot and constant. Just spotting. That was what triggered the phone call. I get lots of pains due to my pelvic floor condition, it was the pain and bleeding that said "hmm." Especially since I just got done having a period.
The pain level is down to a 3-4, which for me is managable with over the counter medication. So I'm not sure what the bleeding was, but I have a feeling the pain was just my pelvic floor.
The frustrating aspect with the whole appointment process was scheduling. The doctor that ordered the ultrasound, had spoken to me over the phone during after hours. He specifically gave me a number to the scheduling place and said to call them to set up an appointment. So when I called, they kind of hasseled me because I didn't have the doctor's order on me. How could I when most places send doctors orders electronically.
Other than that, it was okay. The lab technician asked if there was any way an internal could get done. Only because I know of how tight it is down there and the discomfort I was already in, did I say no. There is an update on what took place yesterday.
Monday I started to feel a stabbing pain on my right side while I was at work. Unfortunately with pelvic floor pain its often hard for me to say "I am in pain" because that is almost a daily state, its just leveling the pain. It was bad enough that another individual noticed me holding my side. So I just figured, run of the mill pelvic floor pain, not too horrible, but up there.
Then today, the pain started to feel somewhat crampy like, by tonight, I'm noticing spotting and the pain escalated. Since, my husband and I while painfully had some sucess, and there is a chance of a pregnancy, I'm wondering is it a miscarriage. Breastfeeding certainly diminishes pregnancy from happening. Is it possible that there was sucess, but I lost the pregnancy. Is it my pelvic floor and I should just ignore?
The pain got bad enough I called the doctor to see what I could safetly take. I'm thinking if its not Pelvic floor it has to be Miscarriage. Not that I'm an expert. I'm not. I don't even claim to know that area of the body. But to me I figure, its nothing medically seriously wrong. Since the regular pain killers weren't working I figured maybe that something safe for breastfeeding could be prescribed. When I called, the doctor felt that while it could be miscarriage, based on the symptoms, he's leaning toward a cyst on the ovaries.
So I don't know. He also increased the amount of over the counter medication I can take. So tomorrow. I'll be hauling my butt at some point for an ultrasound. If its a miscarriage, can that actually be seen or known? I know that if there is a cyst that can be viewed. The pelvic floor won't be seen there. So I'm prepared for the "nothing can be seen" and awaiting for some goose chase. Sorry.
I just figure its one of two things and I'm not a doctor. Its probably cocky to say it can't be the cyst on the ovaries or worse. I just feel strongly because I feel like I have been down this road with the pain. If there had been no bleeding, I would have just toughed it out. The slight bleeding made me think miscarriage. Since the pain was esclating, I was hoping to find out what I could safetly take since breastfeeding limits my abilities to take muscle relaxants.
I will be praying that there will be no cyst on the ovaries or something else. I really don't think. I really want a year where ultrasounds and tests are not run. Since I figured out what the pelvic floor pain is, I've kind of have avoided really dealing with doctors. I just ride it out with all kinds of different things. The pain and the knowledge that it could be a miscarriage and the level of pain sent me to calling the doctors.
Oh well. I guess I am in for the long haul.
It didn't help that today was very stressful for various reasons. The only good thing is that this guy seemed to know that giving me an internal ultrasound would really set my pelvic floor muscles into action, so he's only doing an external one. He said with my weight it shouldn't cause any problems. So I guess that is one victory thing out of all the things going on right now.
After a physical therapy session of fitting tightly one finger, I stupidly pushed myself with my husband to try for sex. He managed to painfully get inside of me. The pain was at an 8 or 9 and when all was said and done, I spent an hour in the tub trying to calm my muscles below. Why do I do that? Actually I should know from counseling. While I don't understand it, I guess it goes with my whole past. Some people would run from the pain, I guess because at an early age I experienced pain, I figure that this is what life is about. So I push on.
I need to stop pushing or I could damage my ability to get to the point where my body feels its okay to relax. I could really shoot myself for being so stupid. I guess hearing my husband voice quietly "I want to be inside you!" was the incentive I needed to push myself. The worse part is, I feel bad about the fact that the burning pain caused me to be in the bathtub.
My husband says that I shouldn't feel like a baby, but I do. A little bit of blood from the event and a lot of burning and I'm pretty much stuck in the tub. Some people when they experience what they might label a 7-8 pain would be calling the doctor or going to the hospital. Not me. Its deal with it in the bathtub and count the hours til my body decides that enough time has passed to calm down.
It isn't like I can really call a doctor. My doctors office doesn't know much about my condition. A gyn would just say "It's going to take time." There isn't really any kind of medication or ointment I can put down there. I guess I could apply ice, but its not exactly able to be placed inside. So I just have to sit it out. Maybe this was my wake up call to take things slowly and not push myself.
I guess I know what my next counseling session will be talking about.
I went for physical therapy. I have some new stretches to work on. I'm realizing that my left side is weaker than my right side. The physical therapist decided to do internal work. I feel like a big baby.The PT managed to get their one finger inside me for stretching after some time. It was amazing to notice that most of the pain and burning seemed to connect more to the left than right. Although the further inside the finger went, the harder it was to say that the pain wasn't all over the place. The burning pain was very evident and the pain was a level 3.
What I don't understand is why these muscles act up, even when I do nothing sexually related? At the time I was in college and nearly stuck to my bed because of pains, I had no way of knowing that I had this condition and this pain would be connected to the pelvic floor. That was because I wasn't doing anything at the time, but I have since learned that this isn't the case.
I would love a day where I could wake up and not think "Oh there goes my pelvic floor muscles."
I'm thankful when the pain level is a 1-2, because I typically can make it through the day without pain killers. However when it is at 3-4, I'm usually getting out the advil. Then when it goes to a 5-6, out comes the percoset. Anything above that and it becomes a percoset and I'm down for the day.
Today the pain level is at a 5.
I really wished I understood what gets the muscles to act up when I'm not doing anything with my husband.
I went to my physical therapist today. I was nervous because of the internal. The therapist did a evaluation of posture and breathing. When you breathe from your ribs, your ribs should move out to about 90 degrees and 2 centimeters (at least). I was at a 1/2 centimeter which means that the area in the pelvic floor wasn't going to be able to have space. I also wasn't at 90 degrees which I didn't quite understand, but I know that the therapist knows.
The clinician started by doing an excercise that went down the side of my stomach. It was to work on the large intenstines. It was there that my legs began to squirm because when people touch me, I do show some response. Sometimes its noticeable and other times its not. I actually didn't think it was that noticeable but I guess being a professional the therapist knows what to look for. The individual only asked why I was moving down below.
I was given a few muscle stretches, and breathing excercises. The therapist stated that there wasn't going to be any internal until I have the breathing mastered. The clinician also said that I might consider going for Sex Therapy. This is because when someone touches me I'm tensing up and my body memories are causing me to clench up which means that I would have problems relaxing to allow for intercourse.
So it is back to square one. I've got my homework cut out for me. But I know that I need to do the homework or I will not make progress. The therapist said its going to take time, but that they feel that I can use my mental skills to compensate for what my body wants to fight due to things with my past. The therapist said it could be a few years before my body really begins to feel like its got nothing to be afraid of, however, I could use my mind to overpower and with given time be able to fight my bodies natural defenses.
I have no idea what set off the muscles today. They are a roaring and I couldn't sit at all. I have been taking muscle relaxants and doing my exercises when I got the chance. If anyone has found a thing that gets the muscles to stop spasming, let me know. I could understand if I tried anything this morning or last night, but I honestly haven't done anything since Sunday. Just plain too busy.
I went for another appointment with the physical therapist. She asked how the "long term goal" is coming and it was the typical "still pain response". Today's internal portion of the exam was a bit more painful at the entrance. This was different than the previous three visits. It was slightly frustating, but I'm assuming its due to the wearing of tampons. I learned a bit more about the muscles in the pelvic floor. The area that is causing all the pain is a muscle that is acting up. She told me to pull up my belly button and then hold for a second and then relaxed. I will give it a try. She tried to explain me the reason for this, but I totally forgot. But I will give it a try.
I have an appointment the next three to four weekends. I'm hoping there might be a chance that I could say "I'm cured" by Christmas, but I know that there is more than Vaginismus that I am working on. But I'm thankful for the progress that has been made.


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Hyndland Physiotherapy Clinic
170 Hyndland Road
Tel: 0141 339 1329
Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm
Late night, weekend and home visits also available.
Foot and Ankle problems
The foot and ankle is a complex interplay between bones, joints and ligaments which have a protective action upon one another and can be prone to a selection of injuries including Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and sprained ligaments.
Ankle sprains are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries. Sprains are injuries to the ligaments of the ankle, causing them to partially or completely tear as a result of sudden stretching. The typical injury occurs when the ankle is suddenly "twisted" in a sports activity or by stepping off an uneven surface. The pain is initially severe and immediate swelling over the area of injury often occurs. The degree of pain may not necessarily indicate the degree of damage to the ligament(s). Ligament injuries are often graded from I to III, ranging from partial to complete tears. Partial tears retain some ankle stability, whereas complete tears lose stability because the strapping ligaments no longer brace the ankle joint.
Tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendon. Achilles tendonitis is an injury that occurs when your Achilles tendon, the large band of tissues connecting the muscles in the back of your lower leg to your heel bone, becomes inflamed or irritated. The signs and symptoms of Achilles tendonitis often develop gradually. You may feel pain and stiffness in your Achilles, especially when you first get out of bed. The pain lessens as you warm up, and may even disappear as you continue running. Once you stop, the pain returns and may feel even worse.
When you place a large amount of stress on your Achilles tendon too quickly, it can become inflamed from tiny tears that occur during the activity. Achilles tendonitis is often a result of overtraining or doing too much too soon. Excessive hill running can contribute to it. Flattening of the arch of your foot can place you at increased risk of developing Achilles tendonitis because of the extra stress placed on your Achilles tendon when walking or running.
Plantar fasciitis is a common, painful foot condition. Plantar fasciitis refers to the syndrome of inflammation of the band of tissue that runs from the heel along the arch of the foot.
Plantar fasciitis is most often seen in middle-aged men and women, but can be found in all age groups. Plantar fasciitis is diagnosed with the classic symptoms of pain localized over the heel area of the bottom of the foot. Often the pain from plantar fasciitis is most severe when you first stand on your feet in the morning. Pain often subsides quite quickly, but then returns after prolonged standing or walking. Plantar fasciitis is also sometimes seen in recreational athletes, especially runners. In these athletes, it is thought that the repetitive nature of the sports causes the damage to the fibrous tissue that forms the arch of the foot.
A thorough examination and assessment can be made at the Hyndland Clinic and treatment plan devised.


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From the Languedoc, we gave this a shot as we liked their Rose. The embossed tactile gold, almost Patrick Scottesque, label appealed too.
So too this wine. Dark plum skin colour, slight whiff of oak, rich cherry fruit. slightly strong @ 14.5%. nice structure and mouth.
Estibals apparently refers to the Minervois plots where most of the grapes are plucked.
A layered blend of 60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 20% Carignan.
Quality presentation and content but pricey at 16.99 from O'Briens.


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pay per click company Things To Know Before You Buy
Generally brand creates images for alone to emotionally attract their shoppers. On the other hand some would disagree using this graphic and make alterations to this impression and existing in humorous or cynical way, as a result distorting the brand name graphic, that's why creating a Doppelganger impression, website or written content (Rindfleisch, 2016).
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Date: Thursday August 17, 2017
Time: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Location: https://hacc.zoom.us/j/830556410 (Join using your first and last name)
Contact Name: Emily Fox
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Banner [1984.097.001]
Date: 1940-1945
Creator: Designed by Joachim Mauritsen and sewn by the Bjornson Ladies Auxiliary
The banner, which was designed by Joachim Mauritsen, was made in the early 1940s for the Bjornson Male Chorus. The chorus was formed 1924 with the mission to preserve a Nordic heritage through music. The front of this banner features a Viking…
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Great family Thanksgiving vacation!
5 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip)
Sail Date: November 21, 2011
Ship: Carnival Triumph
Cabin Type: Balcony
Traveled As: Family (young children)
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Review SummaryThis was the first time cruising for my children and they absolutely loved it. For my husband and I, it was the first time on a Carnival cruise and we have nothing but great things to say about the excellent level of service, options as a whole during the cruise and the list goes on and on. Also considering this was a cruise during Thanksgiving week, it was an amazingly priced vacation! Truly a vacation that the whole family enjoyed!
Ship Experiences
Food and Dining
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ports Of Call
Pros: We enjoyed all the options avlb for the whole family
Cons: The only complaint I would have would be the portrait pricing is a bit high or at least more packages should be offered.
Recommends Carnival Triumph? Yes!
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Remember: Be polite and respectful. Our diverse community is home to members with different opinions and a broad range of cruise experiences.


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Phone number: 0423 59....
Email: Click to view
Business Info
Specialize in hair braiding, Can do cornrows with either own hair or hair extensions. For those with less hair who are looking to add more volume to it can do weaved in human hair extensions or synthetic extensions. If you are looking for just a change in style can do single braids the whole head. For more info and description give us a call and we can see what we can do for you.
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I need to quickly get trained on Informatica for a project.
Could you please let me know what book I can get for this? Any other
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I feel that you can download a free version of informatica and learn . Reading a book and learn may take time. Lots of materials are also there. Did you check here https://community.informatica.com/ and some links on informatica?


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People! Can you BELIEVE it? We're here, we've made it, it's done! Ding dong, the witch is dead (or flown away anyway), and a new era begins. Oh, I am jaded, but I'm also full of hope, optimism, and love.
Whatever your political stance, whatever your beliefs, whoever you voted for: you have a new President now. If you come here regularly, I suspect that you, like me, were shedding tears of joy today; but maybe not; maybe not. And you know, you know I love you anyway, regardless of what you do in a voting booth. That's something we are privileged to be able to do: to be able to disagree about the hows and whos of governance, and at the same moment honor and see and love one another. If you hate the man's politics, if you hate his middle name: we can handle that, right? We can join in celebration, in recognition, on that enormous common ground that we share despite those differences. We can. We do. We will.
We have a leader who you may not have voted for, but who — I feel certain — will lead your country, our country, forward with intelligence, resolve, wisdom.
We have seen a historic blow against our racist past, our history that we do share in some sense even if our grandparents or parents only recently arrived.
We have a man whose smallest gestures declare him to be a loving and respectful husband, a devoted and committed father, a man of deep decency, living in the White House, living in the eyes of the world.
We've witnessed, again, the peaceful and ceremonious transfer of enormous power that, even in days that seem grim, ought make us rejoice in and of itself.
I have cried today, over and over, cried standing in a crowd this morning and rising all together to witness the swearing-in. I've cried during the speech and cried witnessing the emotional tears of an African-American mother and cried standing in front of a class of people from fifteen different countries, trying to share the transformative potential of a leader committed to changing the ways this country relates to the rest of the world. I've cried to think that torture in the name of the U.S.A. will end. And when I think about the tax bill I'll owe after six years of refusing to pay up to Bush, well, I gotta say I choke up all over again.
But, oh … they are tears I rejoice to shed.


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Commentary: Singapore's impending urban mobility revolution
The future of transport will see commuters get more convenient, accessible and comfortable options to get to their destination, says Permanent Secretary for Transport Pang Kin Keong.
SINGAPORE: Disruptive technologies are redefining urban mobility. New options such as on-demand buses, autonomous pods and aerial taxis are set to transform the way we travel in the future. What kind of transport landscape can we look forward to, come 2030?
In our vision, transport options will be need-responsive. Recommended routes and travel modes can be pushed to your smart-phone ahead of time, anticipating your travel through your online calendar and travel pattern.
Think of it as your virtual transport butler – who will proactively arrange for an autonomous pod to ferry you from your doorstep to the MRT station at your usual time every morning, or for an on-demand bus service to bring you from your office to an external meeting.
You will board and alight without having to tap in and out. You just need your travel card or a smart-phone with a travel app somewhere on your person. You will pay for these transport expenses via a single monthly bill, like how you settle your credit card payments
How will this pave the way for a car-lite Singapore? To be sure, car-lite does not mean no cars. Rather, it embodies our aspiration to make public, shared and active transport so convenient, accessible and comfortable, that it becomes the choice mode of mobility for our daily commute.
To have some idea of what the future of mobility could entail, we looked at key driving forces behind disruption in the transport sector. First, there are rapid advancements in and proliferation of big data, robotics and artificial intelligence. Real-time analysis of big data from diverse sources can yield valuable insights into commuter behaviour and travel patterns for instance, enabling the design of more effective transport policies and better use of resources.
Second, commuter expectations are changing, in part brought about by advances in mobile technology. The demand for just-in-time, demand-responsive transport has grown, in tandem with growth in public expectations for higher service levels.
At the same time, we cannot forget Singapore's constraints in land and manpower. There is limited scope for further expansion of the road network. What little land we have should be prioritised for other needs like homes, community spaces, parks and employment. Hence the pressing need to encourage greater use of public, shared and active transportation. We are also not finding it easy to recruit drivers, whether for buses or trucks.
We can achieve a car-lite Singapore as we deliver a transport system that is defined by high quality public transport, more choices for personalised shared transport and the seamless integration of these services into a single platform that will be able to anticipate and arrange our transport needs.
Trains will remain the backbone of our transport system, offering unparalleled connectivity, as we expand our rail network at an unprecedented pace of about one kilometre every month. By 2030, eight in 10 households will have an MRT station within a 10-minute walk. Our trains will be smarter, equipped with condition monitoring tools and advanced analytics to monitor and predict the health of the rail network, akin to the sophistication we find today in airplanes. This will enable us to fix faults before they occur.
Empty public buses during off-peak hours and in more remote locations would become a thing of the past. With real-time capabilities and autonomous technology, they can be deployed according to live commuter demand and routed dynamically based on where commuters are waiting, instead of plying fixed routes and fixed schedules as they do today.
Journeys on our roads (mostly for public and shared transport, and the occasional private car trip) will be smoother. Leveraging Global Navigation Satellite System technology in our upcoming next-generation ERP system, which will give us aggregated, real-time and comprehensive data on all road traffic in Singapore, we are re-developing our traffic lights management system to make it much more intelligent and capable of better optimising traffic flows. Real-time, targeted traffic updates will be pushed to vehicles' on-board ERP units, recommending alternative routes that are less congested and which optimise road usage.
With enhanced vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications enabled by this next-generation ERP system, vehicles will be more aware of their surroundings, improving road safety.
Commuters will be able to book autonomous pods to travel in comfort from their doorstep to the MRT station. This will dramatically improve first- and last-mile travel, in particular for vulnerable groups of commuters such as the elderly, families with very young children and people with disabilities.
At the same time, walking and cycling will be a breeze, with a 700 km-long island-wide cycling path network in place and as we continue to expand our covered walkways linking homes and offices to transport nodes.
Equally exciting, with the rapid advances in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) technology, urban mobility will no longer be about surface transport. You can hop onto a passenger drone, or hail a flying taxi. These aerial vehicles will ply dedicated aerial corridors, with different altitudes designated for different routes.
Drones will also deliver parcels to households and offices quickly and efficiently, while heavier goods will be transported via autonomous truck platoons. Utility vehicles performing functions such as road-sweeping and watering of roadside greenery will also be autonomous, further reducing reliance on labour.
With such a plethora of mobility modes, the paradigm for urban mobility will evolve into procurement of services, away from today's mindset of owning your own transport assets such as a car. There will be less inclination to do so and be restricted to one mode of transport, when instead, you can choose from a wide range of options which are convenient and ideal for different travel needs.
We will work with partners from the public and private sectors, local universities and research institutions to implement our vision for future mobility. In the process, we will develop and transform our industries to take advantage of economic opportunities, elevate the skills and capabilities of our workforce, and create new and better jobs. For instance, bus and truck drivers can be up-skilled to become fleet managers overseeing the deployment of fleets of autonomous vehicles and earn a better wage.
Our future towns will feature even more lush, open spaces that can be enjoyed safely by pedestrians, rather than a landscape blighted by roads, car parks and cars. For those who still insist on driving, we will provide roads, but underground, as far as possible.
We look forward to developing this exciting future for mobility in Singapore and improving the quality of life and the living environment for Singaporeans.
Pang Kin Keong is Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Chairman of the Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore and the UAS Committee.


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Before I begin to analyze Bart H. Welling's Ecoporn, I just want to say that I found this article to be very well written, enlightening, and intriguing. I will admit that when I first began reading, I thought the concept of ecoporn was completely ridiculous (I actually underlined the first sentence of the article and wrote "...what?"), but having read the piece in its entirety, I think Welling makes many valid and interesting points on the way that we view nature and what this realization means for the future of the animal kingdom. From my understanding of the reading, there are four overarching points (and multiple examples) that he touches on to connect the way that nature is portrayed by so called "environmentalists" and the characteristics of pornography...
1. Staging/intentionalism: It goes without saying that traditional pornography is not a natural recorded act of sexual behavior, but is instead a staged performance created for an intended audience. Welling argues that the same goes for ecoporn. Wildlife photographers and camera men rarely capture the beauty of wildlife in completely natural conditions. Instead, they use tamed creatures in controlled habitats versus untamed animals in the wild, and create artificial situations that will provide the desired response, such as using a seal decoy to lure a shark up out of the water and into the air. Staging creates the facade of capturing animals in their "natural" environments, thus making it a necessary and integral part of the ecoporn industry.
2. Objectified/over-sexualized subjects: Sex sells. We hear these two words time and time again, and society proves them to be true. Susanne Kappeler says in her book The Pornography of Representation that the "representations of women and of nonhuman animals in modern Western culture are interchangeable in truly uncanny ways, and the effects of being objectified visually, whether in zoos or in peep shows, can be sickeningly close for women and animals" (Welling 58). To further stress this point, we can think of nature itself as a female, which many male heros in wildlife shows all over television (eg. Steve Irwin, Jeff Corwin, etc) aim to "tame" and dominate, just as women in the pornography industry as well as throughout history have been treated. Another one of Welling's points that caught my attention was his facts about the "We'd Rather Go Naked than Wear Fur" campaign. He says that the campaign is "one of many headline-grabbing projects linking vegetarianism, fur-free fashion, and so on with sexual performance and sexiness" (68). He says that the campaign uses naked models in erotic poses to get their message across, but in reality it only enhances the problem of over-sexualization in our culture.
3. Exaggeration: Similar to staging, another characteristic of pornography is exaggeration. Porn is a much more exaggerated version of what sex really is. The participants are paid actors that are instructed to be "over the top" and to do things that viewers have not seen/experienced in hopes that it will be visually appealing. This is the same for wildlife shows and photographs, that boast "never-before-seen" material and warn viewers to never attempt anything they see on TV at home. This exaggeration only enhances the appeal of the photos/shows, which leads to the companies selling T-shirts and coffee mugs and refrigerator magnets, turning what was once an environmental message into a money-making frenzy.
4. Untouched "virgin" ideals: In ecopornography, photographers and advertisers for the environment use photos that capture an animal in their own serene habitat, happily resting on a tree branch or swimming along with other nonhuman members of their families. Virginity and purity are appealing in both nature and sexuality. The idea of an "untouched" world like what you see in these photos is pretty, but it isn't real. If it is photographed, it can never be truly unaltered. Camera men equipped with truckloads of lighting equipment and cameras "rape" (62) this so called virgin world as they venture down into unknown deep-sea caves and poke their lenses in the faces of wild animals. This begs the question, is anything really wild? And if it is, which presumably means we have yet to discover it, how much longer will it remain untouched?
Is our society simply over-sexualized? Is there a way to escape ecoporn, or is it something that is stitched into the inner workings of human nature?
September 16, 2012
Posted by Nicola Wood at 11:32 PM
1 comment:
- Victoria said...
I find this a very effective summarization of Welling's article and a very interesting point. I think that it's less that our society is over-sexualized, and more that the concept of sex/sexuality is overly stigmatized. "Sex Sells" because sex is 'shocking', it is scandalous and sensationalized, and thus has very specific connotations attache to it.
As for whether or not ecoporn is apart of human nature, I don't think so either, but rather that it's an effect of our society's views on 'sex' and 'nature'
- September 17, 2012 12:24 AM


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Marketing Executive (Automotive Account), Marketing Agency, Ref:JG44
Job added: 24 April 2014
Salary : Up to £25,000
Location : Birmingham
Job Type : Permanent
Company : Copeland Select
Contact : Nicola Hedges
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a successful marketing agency who handles the marketing for an automotive manufacturer and their dealer network. They are now seeking a Marketing Executive to support the team in Birmingham.
The Marketing Executive will form part of the Marketing team supporting a dealer network. High levels of customer service are paramount as you will support the marketing department and the Area Marketing Mangers on a day to day basis.
The ideal candidate will have knowledge of media, print and digital. You will ideally have worked in an account handling role in a marketing agency – experience working on automotive accounts would be desirable but not essential. You will need to have excellent organisational and communication skills and be used to working in a fast paced environment.
The Successful candidate:
• Experience in a marketing role ideally within an agency
• Experience in Digital Marketing is advantageous but not essential
• Be organised with the ability to manage your own workload.
• Be able to work with and communicate effectively with others across the Marketing team, other departments and agency
• Be able to manage projects independently
To be considered for this role, please forward your CV and a covering letter to Nicola Hedges at Copeland Select, Automotive Recruitment.
Please visit our website: www.copelandselect.co.uk for further opportunities in the Automotive Industry.
Apply for this job
Please complete the form below.
Your data is used to notify the employer of your interest and they may contact you about the vacancy. We will not use your data for any other purpose. Your details will be deleted from our database seven days after the vacancy closing date.


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Urban Light Studios presents:
The Art of Shanna Duncan
A collection of bold, expressive paintings & canvas prints featuring Shanna's distinctive style & handmade wood frames.
See available pieces: HERE
Opening Reception:
Friday, 10 August, 6-10pm
Closing Reception:
Friday, 8 September, 6-10pm
About Shanna:
Artist. Illustrator. Designer. Shanna Duncan wields oil, acrylic, watercolour, ink, charcoal, mixed media, and digital media like a boss. Her style combines a "gritty symbolism with a macabre sense of humor infused with a whimsical air" (SD), and you might recognise her designs from clients such as Fender Guitars, Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast, Skullcandy, National Geographic, and more! She currently designs toys for Funko!
More info:
Photos by Rodrigo DeMedeiros
Video by Isabella Richter de Medeiros
Shot @ Urban Light Studios
Urban Light Studios & the Seattle Arts Coalition present:
Friday, 14 July from 6-10pm
Opening Reception (Main Gallery):
"Mechanical Aviary"
by Braden Duncan (ClockworkArt)
Watercolour birds augmented with mechanical accoutrement
Closing Reception (Auxiliary Gallery):
"The Art of Greg Colligan"
Oil paintings & pin-ups
Braden Duncan (a.k.a. Clockwork Art). Artist & curator. Watercolour & oil. Steampunk & circuitry. She is inspired by the intricate elegance created by the convergence of biological and mechanical elements, and fascinated by the effects of transformative technologies on contemporary society. She aims to take over the world with the strange and the adorable.
Her current bodies of work focus on kittens, birds, bunnies & bugs augmented with mechanical & pop culture accoutrement.
Braden is the co-founder of the Seattle Arts Coalition, writer of Art Scene Seattle, curator of Steamposium's Artist Alley, and a member of the international Strange Dreams Surreal Artist Collective. She lives and works in Seattle and regularly assists with curating & art installation for a number of galleries around the Northwest. She can usually be found covered in oil paint, watercolour, engine grease, and cat hair.
Braden's little black kitten, Diesel, is her constant companion & artistic muse. Ghost & Earl Grey are her newest studio assistants and aspire soon to follow in Diesel's paw prints.
More info:


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Switching blogs…
So I've been thinking about this for quite some time and I've finally bitten the bullet and created a new blog site. This blog (stockyardmama.wordpress.com) was created with the purpose of keeping our families up to date on our life from afar and now that most of our family/friends are on social media that's not fully necessary. On the new blog I will be more focused on writing, reviewing books, posting devotionals, encouraging other believers, etc.
Please join me and follow my new blog: treasuringchristdaily.wordpress.com


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Month: June 2013
[ WONDERING ] how to make my images appear in a nicer way
I added some photos to the last post. Have yet to figure out how to order them so they appear nicely. Right now all images are shown in their various sizes, one by one. Would be nice if they did a gallery or something. Also, just figured out how to add some widgets. Unsure if …
Continue reading [ WONDERING ] how to make my images appear in a nicer way
[ LEARNING ] how to set up a wordpress
Today, I attempt to learn how to use WordPress! This effort stems from my desire to set up a decent website for my pro sc2 playing boyfriend. We shall see how this goes!


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Upper Deck Wants You, Join the Volunteer Alliance!By
Fans of Upper Deck's trading card and memorabilia products are encouraged to enroll to earn special items from the trading card giant
Upper Deck's Volunteer Alliance Aims To Improve The State Of The Hobby across the world. Upper Deck Wants You to Join the Volunteer Alliance!
Through a strategic initiative to further engage its loyal customer base, Upper Deck is pleased to announce the formation of the company's new "Volunteer Alliance." Upper Deck is encouraging fans of its products to enroll to receive special monthly "missions." Those who make the biggest impact with their volunteer efforts on the company's behalf will receive special Upper Deck-branded items or product.
"By engaging our worldwide consumers so successfully on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the Upper Deck Blog, we have found there is a very passionate group of positive brand advocates who want to help share how much fun the hobby can be with others," said Upper Deck's Sports Marketing Manager Chris Carlin. "We want to enlist these fans in the Upper Deck Volunteer Alliance to help us promote marketing programs, charity programs, general awareness for our business initiatives and other announcements. Members who help to make an impact through each month's mission will be rewarded for giving back to the hobby they love."
To become a member of the "Upper Deck Volunteer Alliance" fans simply need to have an online account with Upper Deck and e-mail the company at email@example.com with the following information:
- Upper Deck Online Account Username
- Name
- Email Address
- Favorite Sports
The first mission in July for members of the "Upper Deck Volunteer Alliance" is to help create awareness for brick-and-mortar hobby shops. Future missions will be shared directly with members of the "Upper Deck Volunteer Alliance" each month through direct e-mails.
"We have always been very focused on coming up with programs to help small business owners who run hobby shops stay profitable," said Carlin. "We know once assembled, our corps of volunteers will be able to creatively help increase interest in their business. Members may create a YouTube video to promote the shop, help to arrange an event at the store, or create and assist in managing a Facebook business page for the store owner. Really, the sky's the limit. As members report back to us what they have done, we will reward the top 20 who made the biggest impact every month."
Top monthly volunteers may receive items like Upper Deck-branded bags, binders, hats, boxes of trading cards, rare insert cards and even Upper Deck Authenticated Memorabilia. The company will also have other smaller missions and giveaways for members of the group as well. It is absolutely free to join the "Upper Deck Volunteer Alliance," so what are you waiting for? Become a member today!
About Upper Deck
Upper Deck is the leading sports and entertainment trading card and collectibles company. For more information on Upper Deck and its products please visit www.upperdeck.com
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Brain 3-Mercaptopyruvate Sulfurtransferase 3MST: Cellular Localization and Downregulation after Acute Stroke
Brain 3-Mercaptopyruvate Sulfurtransferase 3MST: Cellular Localization and Downregulation after Acute Stroke - Descarga este documento en PDF. Documentación en PDF para descargar gratis. Disponible también para leer online.
3-Mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase 3MST is an important enzyme for the synthesis of hydrogen sulfide H2S in the brain. We present here data that indicate an exclusively localization of 3MST in astrocytes. Regional distribution of 3MST activities is even and unremarkable. Following permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion pMCAO, 3MST was down-regulated in both the cortex and striatum, but not in the corpus collosum. It appears that the down-regulation of astrocytic 3MST persisted in the presence of astrocytic proliferation due to gliosis. Our observations indicate that 3MST is probably not responsible for the increased production of H2S following pMCAO. Therefore, cystathionine β-synthase CBS, the alternative H2S producing enzyme in the CNS, remains as a more likely potential therapeutic target than 3MST in the treatment of acute stroke through inhibition of H2S production.
Autor: Heng Zhao, Su-Jing Chan, Yee-Kong Ng, Peter T.-H. Wong
Fuente: http://plos.srce.hr/