text:
e-Learning Digest No 166 - Jun 18
Cloud created by:
Jim Ellis
19 June 2018
UK Conferences & Workshops
2 Jul, Oxford, Jisc and CNI leaders conference 2018: digital scholarship. [Jisc]
3 Jul, London, The 16th Academic Practice and Technology Conference: Adapting academic practice for an evolving digital world. [ALT]
3 Jul, London, >Proceed with caution: Fees funding and the future of higher education. [Wonkhe]
3 Jul, Nottingham, Learning and Skills Research Network – East Midlands launch. [Bill Esmond]
3-5 Jul, Birmingham, Advance HE (formerly HEA) Teaching and Learning Conference – Teaching in the spotlight: Learning from global communities. [Advance HE]
4 Jul, Bromsgrove, Independence Learning Day: Promoting and sharing best practice in independent, blended and digital learning. [ALT]
4-5 Jul, Brighton, Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Conference, 2018. [Clayton Wright]
4-6 Jul, Worcester, FACE 2018: Transformative Higher Education - Access, Inclusion and Lifelong Learning.
6-8 Jul, Windsor, BELMAS Annual Conference 2018. Education Policy and Sustainability: global perspectives from the field of educational leadership. [Clayton Wright]
6-8 Jul, Leeds, Association for the Teaching of Psychology Annual Conference. [Clayton Wright]
9-10 Jul, Brighton, European Conference on Media, Communication and Film (Euromedia). [Clayton Wright]
10 Jul, Sheffield, Digital apprenticeships community event. [Jisc]
10-11 Jul, Walton Hall, Social History of Learning Disability Conference 2018: Family and Self-Advocacy. [Lucy Rai]
10-12 Jul, Glasgow, Times Higher Education Teaching Excellence Summit: Teaching in Higher Education – The Evolution of Excellence. [THE]
11-12 Jul, Bristol, Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Scholarship Conference. [Richard Treves]
11-13 Jul, Manchester, Playful Learning 2018 Conference. [Mark Childs]
12 Jul, Oxford, IFSTAL Showcase Event 2018: Food for Thought. [ALT]
23-24 Jul, London, Fifth International Conference on eBusiness, eCommerce, eManagement, eLearning and eGovernance 2018. [Clayton Wright]
25 Jul, London, >M25 Learning Technology Group meeting: Instructional design-Learning design. [ALT]
22-24 Aug, Edinburgh, The 7th International Conference on Knowledge and Education Technology (ICKET 2018). [CONAL]
3-6 Sep, Leeds, EC-TEL 2018 – Lifelong technology enhanced learning: Dealing with the complexity of 21st century challenges. [ALT]
4-5 Sep, Exeter, BDTA 2018 - 9th EAI International Conference on Big Data Technologies and Applications. [CONAL]
4-5 Sep, London, TIE 2018 - 2nd EAI International Conference on Technology, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Education. [ALT]
4-6 Sep, Cambridge, NET2018 Conference: Networking for Education in Healthcare. [HEA]
11-13 Sep, Manchester, ALT Annual Conference 2018. [ALT]
12 Sep, Swansea, Virtual and Augmented Reality to Enhance Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. [Rebecca Galley]
19-21 Sep, Colchester, 10th Computer Science and Electronic Engineering Conference: Special Session on Immersive Technologies and Learning. [ALT]
10 Oct, Manchester, Curriculum confidence: Designing for digital capabilities in the curriculum. [Jisc]
19 Oct, Walton Hall, Computers & Learning Research Group (CALRG) 40th Anniversary Conference. [Rebecca Galley]
31 Oct-1 Nov, Liverpool, Advance HE's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Conference. [ECU]
Online learning and adult education MOOCs
18 Jun (4 wks x 4 hrs) Learn Moodle 3.5 Basics [Moodle]
25 Jun (4 wks x 4 hrs) The Online Educator: People and Pedagogy, Open University [FutureLearn]
- 25 Jun (3 wks x 4 hrs) Introduction to Enhancing Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, UNSW [FutureLearn]
- 25 Jun (4 wks x 12 hrs) e-Learning Ecologies: Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning for the Digital Age, University of Illinois [Coursera]
- 1 Jul (12 wks x 2 hrs) Contemporary Approaches to University Teaching, Swinburne University of Technology [Canvas]
- 2 Jul (3 wks x 7 hrs) Predictive Modelling in Learning Analytics, University of Texas [edX]
- 2 Jul (5 wks x 4 hrs) Basics of Inclusive Design for Online Education, University of Colorado [Coursera]
- 2 Jul (2 wks x 2 hrs) Learning Online: Searching and Researching, University of Leeds [FutureLearn]
- 2 Jul (2 wks x 2 hrs) Learning Online: Reflecting and Sharing, University of Leeds [FutureLearn]
- 2 Jul (2 wks x 2 hrs) Learning Online: Learning and Collaborating, University of Leeds [FutureLearn]
- 23 Jul (3 wks x 7 hrs) Feature Engineering for Improving Learning Environments, University of Texas [edX]
- 13 Aug (8 wks x 6 hrs) Instructional Design and Technology: Learning Theories, University of Maryland [edX]
- 13 Aug (3 wks x 6 hrs) Using Data to Provide Personalized Student Support, University of Texas [edX]
- 13 Aug (5 wks x 4 hrs) Becoming a Student Assistant: Teaching and Mentoring, University of Groningen [FutureLearn]
- 15 Oct (3 wks x 6 hrs) Multimodal Learning Analytics, University of Texas [edX]
- 22 Oct (8 wks x 6 hrs) Instructional Design and Technology: Learning Theories, University of Maryland [edX}
Self-paced online learning and adult education MOOCs and BOCs
21st Century Learning, Bath Spa University [EMMA]
- Accessibility of eLearning, Open University [OpenLearn]
- Am I ready to be a distance learner?, Open University [OpenLearn]
- Assessment for learning in practice, Open University Netherlands [EMMA]
- Assistive technologies and online learning, Open University [OpenLearn]
- Becoming an open educator, Open University BOC [OpenLearn Works]
- Blended Learning with edX, [edX]
- Blockchain for Business - An Introduction to Hyperledger, Hyperledger/Linux [edX]
- Copyright for Educators, iKEEPSAFE [Canvas]
- Corporate Digital Learning, KPMG [iversity]
- Creating a Course with edX Studio, [edX]
- Creating Effective Online and Blended Courses, [Stanford Online]
- Designing an Exemplary Course, [COURSEsites]
- Designing Online Courses with the 7Cs Framework, University of Naples [EMMA]
- Digital Scholar, Open University BOC [OpenLearn]
- Educational Assessment: Practices, Principles, and Policies, [Indiana University]
- ePortfolio Self-development Study, Universitat Oberta De Catalunya [EMMA]
- General and Social Pedagogy: theory and research, University of Naples [EMMA]
- How to run a world class MOOC, [openlearning]
- How to become an online facilitator, Open University BOC [OpenLearn Works]
- Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success, [COURSEsites]
- Introduction to eLearning Design, [Box Hill Institute]
- Introduction to UX Design, University of Michigan [edX]
- Learning to Learn, Open University [OpenLearn]
- Learning to (Re)Use Open Educational Resources, Open University [OpenLearn Works]
- Learning with MOOCs for Professional Development, [BizMOOC]
- Locating, Creating, Licensing and Utilizing OERs, SUNY [Blackboard]
- Making MOOCs on a Budget, Sligo Institute of Technology [Canvas]
- Prototyping Interaction, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences [iversity]
- Reading and note taking – preparation for study, Open University [OpenLearn]
- Universal Design and Accessibility for Online Learning, [COURSEsites]
- User Experience for the Web, [Open2Study]
- Web Accessibility: Developing with Empathy, Google [Udacity]
IBM's Cognitive Class offers 60 short, self-paced, badged training courses on topics relating to Machine Learning, AI and Big Data, plus access to tool sets used within them. Similarly, Microsoft's AI School offers modules of varying length and depth on AI, Analytics, Azure and more. [Tony Hirst]
For potential users of Adobe Captivate, Paul Wilson has compiled more than 140 video tutorials that are freely available on his YouTube channel. [Stephen Downes]
[OU News; Alice Bucheler; Wonkhe; BBC]
The OU has seen the end of direct grants from the government for 'transitional students' (who began their studies prior to the 2012 fee increases), removing £10.6 million from the University's income. A dramatic fall in overall OU student numbers from 240,000 to 174,000 coincides exactly with the introduction of the changes, with acting VC Mary Kellett commenting, "Stripping people of the ability to learn while they earn deprives them of the chance to improve their lives and deprives the economy of the skills needed to tackle our low productivity […] The Government says it values the role of part-time and flexible study. If so, it must urgently consider some form of 'flexible learning incentive' that would help bring down direct costs to students."
Meanwhile, data from HESA shows an increase in students starting full-time and part-time taught PG courses in 2016-17, up by 22% on the previous year for FT courses and 8.6% for PT. However, further analysis by OfS shows the increases are almost entirely attributable to courses eligible for masters' loans, introduced in 2016-17, while non-eligible courses witnessed a 1% decline.
The drop in apprenticeship starts since the introduction of the levy is getting more severe, with provisional figures showing 23,900 starts in March – down by more than half from the 50,000 who started in March 2017 – prompting Apprenticeships and Skills minister Anne Milton to defend the programme. Meanwhile, Tim Blackman claims that degree apprenticeships are bucking that trend and so they should if we are serious about social mobility. School leavers from disadvantaged areas are still far less likely enter HE than other young people, especially young men, and the number of part-time students has collapsed since the 2012 fee increases. He also believes they "have the potential to break the mould of a prestige-ridden higher education system" and can open doors to address national shortages in professions such as teachers, nurses, social workers and police officers.
The neglect of part-time and mature students is short-sighted warns a new House of Lords report, Treating Students Fairly: The Economics of Post-School Education, to which the OU was a contributor. Chapter 5 deals with flexible learning and the evidence and commentary on pp 57-65 makes depressing reading, such as this from Prof Sir Alan Tuckett: "If you tried to design the decline of adult learning opportunities in Britain over the past 15 years, you would struggle to do it as well as we have done it by accident."
A HEPI survey of 14,000 UK students found less than 40% thought they were getting value for money and that tuition fees, teaching quality and lack of contact hours were the biggest causes of dissatisfaction. Although many students thought fees were too high, there was also support for the principle of students making a financial contribution for their degree. The study also showed that almost two-thirds of students, if they had to make the choice again, would still continue with the same course and at the same institution.
Brexit Update
[University World News]
Speaking last month, Theresa May affirmed her desire for the UK to have a "deep science partnership with the European Union, because this is in the interests of scientists and industry right across Europe", singling out Horizon Europe and Euratom R&T as specific examples. She also acknowledged that, "such an association would involve an appropriate UK financial contribution, which we would willingly make. In return, we would look to maintain a suitable level of influence in line with that contribution and the benefits we bring."
The EC's new proposal for Erasmus+ doubles the budget for the 2021-27 from €14.7bn to €30bn and trebles learning and mobility opportunities to 12 million people. It also calls for the future Erasmus+ to be open to third countries, which the European University Association believes is a "proactive response" that would open the door for participation of the UK after Brexit – perhaps even provide a way forward for UK participation in other areas of European HE and research.
A new policy brief from Centre for Global Higher Education finds the proportion of academics at British universities from other EU countries continued to rise after the Brexit vote and is now 17.4% (35,920) across all institutions, 24% in the Russell Group and around a third in N Ireland due to the impact of Irish nationals. However, there are signs that historic growth is now tailing off, particularly among academics in the
M(O)OC News
The New York Times famously called 2012 the "year of MOOCs" and now Dhawal Shah believes the second wave of MOOC hype is here – online degrees. So far, ten universities have announced a total of 25 MOOC-based online degrees, with over 9,000 students already enrolled and more than a thousand graduated – which he estimates represents a combined potential revenue of over $80m. One of the attractions for providers is that content which is initially free creates a large user base and therefore a marketing advantage over traditional online degree programmes where "the cost to acquire a single paying student can reach several thousand dollars". His main concern is that that the majority of that content continues to remain freely available, thus extending the breadth and reach of MOOCs.
Udacity, in partnership with Google, is making 12 career courses freely available to recent graduates and mid-career professionals to help them improve their chances of getting a job, no matter whether that's a first job or a mid-career course change.
Courtney Brown, Lumina Foundation's Vice President for Strategic Impact discusses NanoDegrees and NanoMasters, working with employers to make high quality education more accessible to the wider US population. Time will tell if this is possible while companies are cutting costs, but opening up access to education could be beneficial for the have-not population.
Commercial News
[Inside Higher Ed; Avril Jamieson; EdSurge; TechCrunch]
MissionU, whose founder promoted his startup as an alternative to "broken" traditional higher education, has closed after a year, having admitted just one 25-person class. Joshua Kim considers what lessons can be learned, starting with "MissionU may have failed, but it is not a failure". I suspect the venture capitalists who invested $11.5 million may see life a little differently.
The recruitment and staffing company Adecco Group has acquired General Assembly (GA), a coding boot camp operation, for $412.5m. GA operates 20 campuses internationally including in London, New York, Hong Kong and Sydney, and its course offering has expanded beyond coding to include UX and design, marketing, and product management, offering learners a direct and alternative route to a career.
French MOOC provider and online HE platform OpenClassrooms has raised nearly $70m in venture capital funding. The company claims to have about 3 million unique visitors each month and it grants its own online degrees as well as those of partner colleges and organizations. The funding will help it expand internationally, add new programme offerings and build more government and corporate partnerships.
Memrise, a UK based startup that uses machine learning for language lessons, has raised $15.5m in funding to expand its AI platform, adding more features. The company claims it is used by more than 35 million users worldwide.
Probably of more interest to techies but Microsoft has acquired code repository and collaboration service GitHub for $7.5 billion in Microsoft stock. GitHub claims there are 28 million developers in its community, and 85 million code repositories, and yet the company has yet to make a profit.
Growing demand for short courses
[Avril Jamieson]
Studyportals, an international platform covering over 170,000 courses across 110 countries, reports that demand for short courses is growing twice as fast as that for degree courses on its study choice portal. Prospective international students are particularly interested in short courses – around half of which are delivered online – in Business and Management (24.9%), followed by Engineering and Technology (12.2%), and Social Sciences (10.6%). Although demand for degree courses has not decreased, the company suggests that providers should take note and expand their offer to include short courses which cater for the growing trend towards the 'unbundling' of degree content for the modern knowledge economy.
Internet Trends 2018
It's that time of year again and Mary Meeker's Internet Trends 2018 report is here, this time approaching nearly 300 slides containing a thorough if slightly US focused picture of providers, users, usage, trends and implications. Highlights (IMHO) are:
Digital media usage at 5.9 hrs/day with continuing growth on mobile devices (Slide 11)
The explosion of messaging (but not on Twitter) (#22)
Continued growth of e-Commerce (#45)
…and the role of social media in this (#71)
Technology adoption/disruption (#143)
The growth of AI (#226)
The growth of (presumably online only) lifelong learning (#233)
Ignore China at your peril (#239)
Dropbox and Slack (#264)
ePortfolios – customisation or overcomplication?
[Martin Weller]
Academic institutions risk overcomplicating ePortfolios by customising them and moving the focus away from users. Martin Weller reflects on a tool that was once intended to collect evidence of lifelong learning but which itself has become a tool that students must first learn to use, creating an unnecessary barrier. He suggests that perhaps the blog remains a better route to establishing a lifelong digital identity.
Online College Students 2018
[Inside Higher Ed]
The seventh annual edition of Online College Students 2018 has examined the attitudes and behaviours of 1,500 current or soon-to-be [US] students in fully online academic programmes on a range of topics.
Findings include:
Mobile-friendly content is critical because virtually every online college student owns a smartphone or tablet which they use to search for their online programme of study (87%) and complete online course work (67%).
Three-quarters of online college students pursue a degree for employment-focused reasons and so good career services and the support of a career advisor are increasingly seen as applicable to their post-graduation success.
Sixty percent of those who recently searched for an online programme had completed one in the past and, for those who have experienced both F2F and virtual classrooms, 85% feel that learning online is as good or better than attending courses on campus.
Although cost is the most important factor in choosing a particular academic programme, many students were willing to pay a little more for one that "best matched my interests/needs" (24%) or institution with the best reputation (13%) – and 86% felt the value of their degree equals or exceeds the cost they paid for it.
Smartphone Shipments Slow
[Campus Technology; BBC]
Latest data from IDC shows smartphone shipments down by 2.9% in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period last year. Although users continue to trade up to more premium devices, "there are no longer as many new smartphone converts, resulting in shipments dropping". Samsung leads the field, with 78.2m shipments in Q1 (23.4% market share), followed by Apple (52.2m; 15.6%) and Huawei (39.3m; 11.8%).
Shares in Dixons Carphone fell by nearly 20% after it warned of a sharp fall in profits this year and plans to close 92 of its Carphone Warehouse stores this year (but with no job losses). Chief executive Alex Baldock said the problems were all "fixable".
Lecture capture, friend or foe?
While there are clear benefits of lecture capture technology, its use is littered with controversy that cannot be easily addressed through policy-making. It is ironic that the process of recording lectures for the purpose of widening access can reduce active participation, stifle open conversation and change the tone of delivery. Additionally, where a session includes group activities, students accessing the recording miss out on opportunities to collaborate, making them assimilative observers rather than more active participants.
Can the universities of today lead learning for tomorrow?
[Steve Rycroft; MIT]
A new report from Ernst & Young asks if higher education needs a new paradigm to serve Australia's needs in the Transformative Age, with the authors considering 4 scenarios:
Champion. Universities are strategic national assets, streamlined by transforming service delivery and administration. Most students enrol in traditional degree programmes
Commercial. Universities are financially independent with closer teaching and research links to industry. Students favour degree programmes that offer work-integrated learning
Disruptor. Government deregulates the sector to drive competition, efficiency and expansion into new markets and services. On-demand learning and micro-certificates dominate
Virtual. Integration of HE and FE, focused on continuous learning and employability through unbundled digital/online courses as humans begin to be replaced by machines
As a result, they recommend that all universities should begin to consider their potential to:
Embark on double transformation to optimise and grow
Make the shift from being faculty-focused to learner-centric
Integrate with industry to co-create and collaborate
Re-imagine the physical campus for the digital world
Unbundle degree programs and the university value chain
On a similar theme, MIT's Sanjay Sarma speaks on the future of education, noting that HE is still more or less based on a model that was developed to "train villagers coming in from the country to operate machines". In a short but engaging video (10m thesis followed by 5m questions), he speaks on the science of learning, some of the myths, customs and practices that pervade and his views on how higher education will need to evolve to prepare students for the era of AI.
Greater contribution to OER will increase benefits
[EdSurge, Martin Weller]
Open Educational Resources (OER) are widely used by teaching staff, but commitment to contribute is lacking. Suspected reasons relate to restrictions on time and a lingering culture to do enough, but no more. The benefit of OER to students and teachers, keeping content fresh and relevant, is clear so institutions need to change priorities and support faculty staff to enable them to join the OER movement. Maybe then sustainability models for OER will be more successful.
Martin Weller, Rob Farrow and Dominic Orr are co-authors of a new report from ICDE on Models for online, open, flexible and technology enhanced higher education across the globe – a comparative analysis. They undertake a deep dive into the online, open, flexible and technology-enhanced education (OOFAT) model, considering different variants, how they are being used, issues and potential next steps.
Blended Learning delivers positive student outcomes
[Campus Technology]
Online & Blended Learning: Selections from the Field is a new e-book that brings together advice and best practices relating to online and blended learning, with contributors describing six reasons why they believe blended learning is so effective in higher education:
Improved instructional design compared to face-to-face counterparts, often with support from learning designers or educational technologists
Increased guidance and triggers as the course environment provides a clear path through resources, activities, and assessments with explicit guidance each step of the way
Easier access to learning activities online, allowing more students to engage with these as and when their learning and circumstances needs allow, which may lead to more complete learning
Individualized learning opportunities according to needs, with automated assessments providing immediate, corrective feedback that directs students to revisit materials
Increased engagement through social interaction, class discussions, collaboration, etc, which may increase the amount of student-to-student interaction, engagement and motivation
Greater time on task through intensified student focus on more relevant work through the course website, with analytics accurately tracking student behaviour
Teachers as Designers of Learning Environments
[Mark Childs]
Newly released by OECD, Teachers as Designers of Learning Environments "explores new approaches to teaching and learning and provides original frameworks and concepts to better understand the conditions through which innovative pedagogies can be developed and scaled". It comprises 3 sections, covering broad pedagogic theory, specific approaches (blended, gamification, experiential, etc) and networks of innovative schools. It's a dense (200pp) read but with plenty of interesting and relevant content for those in this field.
Creating the Next in Education
[Inside Higher Ed]
A new report from the Georgia Tech Commission on Creating the Next in Education (CNE) looks ahead to 2040 and offers an ambitious proposal entitled the Georgia Tech Commitment to a Lifetime Education. The authors identified five initiatives to better understand the challenges standing in the way of achieving the vision of the Georgia Tech Commitment and to create tools, invent methods, and collect data that will be required to make progress:
Whole-Person Education
New Products and Services
Advising for a New Era
Artificial Intelligence and Personalisation
A Distributed Worldwide Presence
Print vs Online – emotional attachment
[Martin Weller]
Martin Weller throws caution to the wind and chips into the ongoing print v online debate, considering our emotional attachment to books as artefacts and also some of the differences between what students say and what they do (e.g. OU students ask for F2F tutorials but far greater numbers participate in online ones). Considering his own preferences, he notes, "It's a bit like opera – I like the fact that it exists, but I'm going to be found watching Netflix." His conclusion is no great surprise: it depends.
Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018
In their first survey of US Teens Use of Social Media since 2015, Pew researchers find that 95% of teens have access to a smartphone and 45% say they are online 'almost constantly', with YouTube (85%), Instagram (72%) and Snapchat (69%) the top three apps. Facebook comes fourth with 51% (a notable fall from its 71% back in 2015), followed by Twitter (32%). The survey also showed that boys (97%) are more likely to play video games than girls (83%) but girls are more likely than boys to say Snapchat is the site they use most often (42% vs 29%), and teens from lower income families are more likely to use Facebook (70% of <$30k vs 36% of >$75k).
Ahead of next month's Playful Learning Conference, ALT's Research in Learning Technology journal has published a special collection of 5 new papers on the subject. [ALT]
Apple's iOS 12 will allow users to monitor how much time they spend on devices and apps, control distracting notifications, and control the device usage for their children. [TechCrunch]
Carnegie Mellon's new Bento browser uses clever UI design to organise and display complex search information on smaller phone screens. [Campus Technology]
Rice University is set to provide master's-level online short courses, starting with Project Management. [Inside Higher Ed]
Stencila is open source office suite with intuitive word processor and spreadsheet interfaces that aims to make reproducible research more accessible. [Tony Hirst]
The BBC reports on the YouTube stars, some as young as 12, being paid to promote EduBirdie, which allows students to buy essays from Ukraine. [BBC]
Practising [US] >Instructional Designers offer a variety of tips for colleagues and those who wish to move into the field. [Inside Higher Ed]
UK universities slammed for not recruiting enough poor students. [University World News]
Thunkable X lets users drag, drop and build cross-platform apps. More than 500,000 users have so far built more than 1 million apps. [EdSurge]
French President Macron reveals he almost formed an EdTech company. [Forbes]
The Association for Talent Development recommends creating multiple versions of courses to provide personalised learning. [ATD]
Uber's kepler.gl open source geospatial toolbox allows users to embed maps with rich location data and rapidly render millions of GPS points and derive insights from them. [Tony Hirst]
Increase in unconditional offers from UK universities criticised. Is opening access to HE really a bad thing? [University World News]
Interesting new definition of Information Literacy from CILIP, shifting the emphasis from searching to "think critically and make balanced judgements" about what we find. [Rosie Jones]
Amazon's Alexa can now encourage children to say "Please" and "Thank you" when issuing voice commands; parents can also set time limits on requests and can block some services. [BBC]
And Finally…
[Simon Kuestenmacher]
What Happens in an Internet Minute in 2018? Lori Lewis and Chadd Callahan's simple pie chart shows the enormity of activities taking place in each 60 second span.
And Really Finally…
This will be my last Digest before I leave the University next month. What began as a short email for about 70 LTS software and web developers back in 2004 survived and evolved over 165 months and an OU Teaching Award into what you see now. I'm proud of that, and of the fact that I simply got on and did it – no permission, no reviews, no approvals, just a whole bunch of stuff and a touch of irreverence I thought people would find interesting. My apprentice, Dot Coley, takes over the reins fully next month; she has lots of ideas and I wish her well in delivering them for a further 165 editions.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
PA Sumo Lifestyle | Supermoto group ride to Roberts Valley Summit
PA Sumo Lifestyle is alive and strong. We had an amazing turnout for our first group ride this past weekend. We started out in Harrisburg at the Giant on Linglestown road, we met all the guys at the Sonic there and then headed up front street riding by the Susquehanna river to Roberts Valley Road. If u haven't been up there yet, the Dauphin Towers are a sight to behold, and you can't beat the view of the entire valley from up there. After a short photo session, we headed back down and over to Fishing Creek Valley Road where we found a surprise awaiting us somewhere in the 2,000 block, explorers will love this.


text:
How are you lovelies? I hope you have had a wonderful Tuesday. I have had such a busy day, from sports day drama too huge period meltdown, you can say that I have been through every blooming emotion today.
but I am happy to announce that tonight's interviews with very lovely girl called Clara. it was an absolute pleasure getting to know her and I am pretty sure you're all gonna love her too.
So why don't we get to know Clara.
Clara's interview
1. Introduce yourself, what is your name?
- Hello! My name is Clara. I am a 19-year-old from Montreal Canada. I am a lifestyle blogger here on WordPress.
2. What made you want to start a blog?
- I've always had a love for writing. I would write all the time when I was younger. (Even if it was absolutely horrible) I think I was mostly inspired to start my own blog because of my mother. My mother had a Mommy Blog when I was growing up. I loved that she was able to write and do what she loved while making money.
3. What inspired your blog name?
- It's actually a funny story. I was originally ClaraGoingVegan when I first started blogging. I felt like I was too stuck in one niche. So, I had a little brainstorming session where I just thought up some names and words I really liked. Collecting Glitter just stuck.
4. Do you think your blog has been a success?
- I think I have been very lucky with my blog. In the last 3 months, my followers went up pretty quickly to me. I am currently at 56 followers as I write this. I am hoping to reach 100 by June. I think there will always be room for my blog to become even more successful than it was the day before. I am proud of my blog and I think I am successful in just having the courage to post online for all to see.
5. How do you spend your day to day life when you are not blogging?
- I am the queen of juggling. When I am not blogging or living the "blogger lifestyle" I am at school, work, or travelling the two hours to my boyfriend's place. I also love to watch Netflix and read books on my downtime.
6. Who knows about your blog and are they supportive?
- I took the bull by the horns at let everyone know on all my personal social media accounts that I have a blog. I share a lot of my posts and YouTube videos with people I know. I figured if I wanted my blog to go anywhere I had to be open about it. My Mom is my biggest supporter. As I mentioned she was a Mommy Blogger back in the day. My boyfriend and best friend are also huge supporters. They encourage and support me more than I could ever imagine.
7. If you wasn't blogging, what do you think you would be doing?
- If I wasn't blogging I would be writing still. I would probably be more focused on writing a book. I honestly think writing has always been my thing, it was what I was meant to do. If I wasn't writing at all I would probably have more time to watch Netflix haha.
8. What/who inspires your new posts?
- I think the seasons have a lot to do with what I am posting. I post about lifestyle, so my posts tend to be a bit about everything. I also get inspired by things that happen in my life or what other bloggers are talking about. I like to try and post things I think people would be interested in.
9. Do you have any social media links you would like to share?
- Of course, my blog is CollectingGitter here on WordPress, I would love if you guys followed and joined my little family. I post every Monday at 9pm eastern time on my YouTube channel. I also have an Instagram and Twitter account that I'm really bad at posting on but I try. If Facebook is your thing, I got one of those too!
10. What is your blogging goal for the next 5 years?
- My biggest blogging goal for the next 5 years is to be able to live off of my blog. I would love more than anything if blogging could become my career. I just hope that my blog is still around in the next 5 years and life doesn't get in the way of posting. I just want to love what I'm doing.
Thank you so much Clara for taking part in my interview series it was so nice to get to know you and I will definitely be following all of your social media accounts. I hope you enjoyed taking part and I look forward to possibly working with you again in the future.
For those of you who don't follow Clara or have never heard of her before make sure you check out her links you'll never know if you like someone until you read their posts.
if you do end up following Clara on any of her accounts you should always be supportive and so as much love as you possibly can. I feel there has been a negative energy hanging around bloggers at the moment and I want to change that.
thank you all so much for a reading I hope you have enjoyed this interview if you did be sure to leave me a like and leave Clara some love.
I will be back tomorrow at a later time of 9pm but I still hope to see all of you there.
Sending you all lots of love I hope you have a wonderful evening,
A x


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Competition: Premier League – Everton vs. Sunderland
Venue: Goodison Park – Sunday, November 1 – 13:30 GMT (08:30 ET)
Match Odds: Everton 4/9 – Draw 7/2 – Sunderland 6/1
Match Preview
Everton welcome Sunderland to Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon for an important Premier League clash.
The Toffees edged past Norwich on penalties in their midweek League Cup tie after a 1-1 draw, but they're looking to rediscover some Premier League form having lost their previous two, albeit against Manchester United and Arsenal.
Roberto Martinez's side are currently eleventh in the Premier League and need to improve on their poor home form so far this season, which has seen them win just one of their five games at Goodison (D2, L2).Embed from Getty Images
Six of Everton's next nine Premier League fixtures, including this one, are against opposition in the bottom half of the table, so they'll be looking to go on a run that can elevate them towards the top, starting with an important three points here.
Everton's Premier League record: P10 – W3 – D4 – L3
Sunderland finally secured their first win of the Premier League season last weekend as they beat bitter rivals Newcastle 3-0 in the Wear-Tyne derby at the Stadium of Light.
New boss Sam Allardyce will be hoping that result will provide the boost of confidence that can turn their season around, but there is still a lot of work to be done, particularly addressing their dismal form on the road.Embed from Getty Images
The Black Cats are eighteenth in the table and have picked up just one point on their travels this season, giving them the joint worst record in the league away from home.
Sunderland's Premier League record: P10 – W1 – D3 – L6
Sunderland's recent experiences at Goodison Park are promising, having won on their last two visits without conceding a goal – a third consecutive win at Everton would be the first time they've done so in the top-flight since 1904.
The last meeting between these two sides was that 2-0 win for Sunderland at Goodison Park in May – a result which helped keep them in the division.
Team News
Everton will be without skipper Phil Jagielka who is out for as long as two months with a knee injury. Seamus Coleman is also a major doubt as he's suffering with a stomach bug, which also kept him out of their midweek game. On a positive note, both Leighton Baines and Muhamed Besic returned to training this week after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.Embed from Getty Images
Sunderland have a number of doubts as John O'Shea, Younes Kaboul and Ola Toivonen all suffered injuries in the win over Newcastle last weekend. A late decision will be made on their fitness, while Fabio Borini is likely to miss out because of an ankle problem.
Key Points
Everton's last five in the Premier League: D/W/D/L/L
Sunderland's last five in the Premier League: L/L/D/L/W
Key Stat: Everton have only beaten Sunderland once in the last five meetings between the two sides (D1, L3).
Key Player: Ross Barkley – The young Englishman has contributed three goals and three assists from midfield already this season and the Toffees will be looking for him to really kick on and take the Premier League by storm in the next few months. He could be the game-changer on Sunday afternoon.Embed from Getty Images
Score Prediction
Everton 2-1 Sunderland – Everton showed signs of promise at Arsenal last weekend and it seems only a matter of time before consistent results start to come. Sunderland will be solid and compact under Sam Allardyce this season but they might not quite have enough to contain their hosts.


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Life Instyle is a boutique trade event where designers of high end giftwares, homewares and fashion brands, showcase their latest collections, with a clear emphasis on style, design, creativity and quality. Life Instyle attracts local and international buyers, interior designers, stylists and the media, looking for the most exclusive brands in the country, enjoy the relaxing ambience and open floor plans that have become the trade mark of Life Instyle
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So much for being under the radar. I'm not buying here, but I'm hopeful that I'll find a price I like at some point. Perhaps when the lockup ends.If I were thinking like a trader, I would have bought (ticker) ZOOM yesterday. In restrospect, buying and flipping that one was a slam dunk but I'm not wired that way.
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03 December 2015
Harvest Dandelion Root
And Make a Tincture
When we start to see frosty nights, perennial herbs send their medicine below the ground to store in their roots over the winter—so this time of year, the roots are at peak potency. Time to dig for medicines!~
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is an herb that has been used medicinally for many generations, but has become detested as a weed today. Dandelion is highly nourishing for the liver and, in today's world, everyone's liver is challenged by environmental toxins. It's ironic: we have dandelion offering herself in great abundance in yards and lawns and gardens—where she is largely disposed of or ignored—at a time when we all could use some liver support!
The liver is also where our hormones are manufactured; supporting our livers is an essential part of supporting female hormonal balance. Eaten raw in salads, dandelion leaves are an acquired taste, but one that's worth developing. In the fall, the leaves taste sweeter, as the plants concentrate sugars in their leaves to prevent early freezing. The leaves contain so many easily absorbed nutrients: vitamins A to D, calcium, potassium, iron . . . the list goes on and on. This wholesome, free food also benefits the blood, stomach and kidneys.
Making your own tinctures is easy. In fact, the strongest tinctures are those made from fresh plants in your backyard. Many commercially available tinctures are actually made from dried plants that have been stored and shipped long distances, which reduces their efficacy.
Step outside your door and harvest a basketful of dandelion plants—roots and all—and follow the simple "Fresh Herb Tincture Making" directions to receive the medicinal benefits of this common "weed!"
Fresh Herb Tincture Making
- Identify and harvest the plant parts you want to tincture
- Look through the plant material and discard damaged parts
- Do not wash any part of the plant except roots
- Flowers, berries, and most leaves can be used whole. Tough leaves and stalks can be chopped coarsely. Roots can be chopped with a knife or blended with the alcohol
- Fill a jar to the top with the plant material, packed tight
- Fill the jar to the top again, with 100-proof vodka, and cap
- Label the jar—eg, Dandelion root, 100 pf vodka, 11/3/2015
- Top off the liquid level the next day
- Leave your tincture brewing on your counter for six weeks
- Strain out the plant material
- Store the tincture in a cabinet out of direct sunlight (or an amber bottle); potency will be retained for at least 3-5 years


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This is a great summer soup when it is too hot to cook.
My Vitamix seems to always be in use in my house. Especially in the summer! I love that you can blend a soup for about 5 minutes and it comes out slightly warm.
So healthy and so easy! No hot kitchen. Just cool and refreshing.
-Celery- 3 ribs with leaves
-1 jar roasted red peppers (with liquid)
-2 avocados
-1/2 bunch cilantro
-6 oz plain yogurt
-Spices to taste: cumin, chili pepper, crushed red pepper/tabasco/cayenne pepper
I add everything to the Vitamix. Blend on high until it warms up just a bit. Put into serving bowls. Garnish with fresh herbs and avocado. Enjoy!
Interested in how YOU can Make Nutrition Fun? Start our Make Nutrition Fun online course for FREE here.
This course includes simple yet actionable advice about how you can make healthier living fun AND within your reach (for the entire family).
You'll receive helpful tools including the Meal Matrix, SEE food plan, and pantry setup guide.
And as another special gift for you, receive the #1 bestselling book, Make Nutrition Fun: End Food Fights and Find Family Peace in Just 30 Days for Free!
Here's what Marci Shimoff, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Transformational Leader had to say about the book:
"Who knew nutrition could be so fun? Kathryn Kemp Guylay marries the practical with the hilarious. The result: A healthier and happier you. I loved this book!"


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Call Center Pre-Hiring Strategies: An Interview with Kimberly Warrick of New Jersey Shares
The economic crisis has put financial stress on many middle class families. These challenges are often because of unforeseen circumstances, such as a job loss or illness. New Jersey Shares provides relief to people who are not eligible for other types of assistance. It is the only statewide, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides grants to pay the utility bills of households in need through a statewide network of more than 213 community-based social service agencies operating out of 238 sites. Kimberly Warrick, Client Service Center Manager of New Jersey Shares, oversees New Jersey Shares' two call centers. In this economy, it is crucial for her to assist her call center representatives in providing excellent customer service; because of the increased financial strain on the middle class, Warrick must accommodate a higher call volume at the call centers. Warrick, who shared the New Jersey Shares call center case study at IQPC's Call Center Week this June in Las Vegas, speaks with Call Center IQ's Blake Landau about her presentation "Pre-Hiring Strategies-Beyond Background Checking to Reduce Turnover Costs and Increase Customer Experience."
Describe New Jersey Shares and their call center operations.
New Jersey Shares is a non profit organization operating for over 11 years in the Garden State. We run an energy assistance program for families and individuals who make over the low income guidelines for state run programs, assisting families in crisis who are struggling to pay their energy bills. We have partner sites throughout the state of New Jersey, mayor offices, State Assembly offices and other non-profit offices, as well as many churches where people can go to apply for our program. These offices are located in all 21 counties, making it easy for people to get the help they need. In addition to our energy program, New Jersey Shares also runs a water assistance program in partnership with United Water in nine states. This is a discount for people who need assistance paying their water bills.
We operate two call centers, one in partnership with Verizon New Jersey in which we administer Communications Lifeline and the Link-Up America Telephone discount program to low income seniors and program eligible families. We have been working in this call center partnership with Verizon for five years. It is a very successful partnership as we maintain and assist over 140,000 clients through the call center, who are currently receiving this discount. With the economy changing almost daily we expect that number to increase over the next year. At the call center we assist these families with the application process, recertification and basic questions and concerns regarding the program.
Our most recent partnership and newest call center is with the State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. We estimate that before the year is through we will have handled over 600,000 calls through this new call center. We answer call center calls in relation to LIHEAP, Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program and USF Universal Service Fund for the state of New Jersey. All of our programs service families and individuals in the entire state of New Jersey. New Jersey Shares slogan of Offering Hope and Delivering Help applies to each of the four programs that New Jersey Shares runs. Be sure to visit our Web site for more information on all of our programs.
How has the economic downturn affected your call center operations?
Since we are in the business of helping people, we have seen a dramatic difference in call center numbers. Our call center calls are on the rise. We have assisted close to 30,000 people in the month of March alone in the DCA call center and even with heating season winding down in New Jersey we are still retaining this kind of volume at the call center in May.
In the Verizon Call Center inquires regarding the program have also jumped. People are out there looking for any means of assistance. The telephone discount program for Verizon is the difference of having a phone or not having a phone. Many seniors have to make difficult choices in this economy, and it is sad that without this program many would not have a phone available to them to talk to family, doctors or for emergency purposes.
You presented on "Pre-Hiring Strategies-Beyond Background Checking to Reduce Turnover Costs and Increase Customer Experience." What was the key take-away from your talk for call center managers?
I provided assistance to call center managers who have to deal with a high attrition rate. We have implemented several solutions in conjunction with the standard interview that have allowed us to better screen our potential call center representatives. During my time at Call Center Week, I shared several ideas that perhaps other call centers might consider. There are many services or options available to call center hiring managers that perhaps are not being used or are being overlooked.
How do you get your call center representatives to bring their "A game" to the phones each day?
We do many different things to inspire call center representatives at Shares. There are many different contests and rewards programs that go on throughout the year. These are sometimes food and sometimes complimentary time-off tickets. Sometimes just the recognition alone is enough to keep them smiling on the phones. Sometimes it is reward enough to know that you really helped a client who called the center and perhaps saved them from being cold or not having a phone. We have involved reps and empower them to be involved in so many different areas of our organization. We use cross-training over the different programs that we administer as well and place our call center representatives where they are most comfortable and successful. Ongoing training for call center representatives is also key.
Knowledge is power and we want our call center representatives to represent New Jersey Shares and all of our programs in a positive well informed light.
How did New Jersey Shares streamline hiring, the interview process and background checking for the call centers?
In addition to conducting an in-person interview we now conduct a phone interview of prospective call center representatitves. After all these are the call center representatives that will be answering phones for your company. We also employ background checking. There are different organizations that offer personality screening through online testing. Which is something else that we have started using during the screening process for call center hires. It enables us to better determine whether or not the client has the right skill-set within their personality to handle the types of calls we receive. Many of the companies that offer these types of tests are able to identify specific personality traits possesed by call center candidates.
What is the number one piece of advice you have for call center management struggling with call volume?
Call center managers cannot allow customer relations associates on the phones if they cannot handle your call center's projected volume. Make sure that you are hiring right, training and following through with weekly monitoring and scoring call center representatives. Really keep that open door policy and be involved with your call center staff. Ensure that the right customer relationship associations are on the phones dealing with your client base.
Listen to a podcast with Kimberly Warrick here.


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Genres: PC Mah Jongg Games
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Put your Mahjong skills to the test and save Ariel's fiancé, Tarlan, from captivity by the evil wizard Cornwall! Stolen from the altar on their wedding day, poor Tarlan has been taken deep into the Country of Four Seasons. Meet a whole cast of crazy characters as you help Ariel go on an exciting journey and explore the world of Love's Power Mahjong! Can you track down Tarlan and defeat Cornwall before it's too late?


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It is confirmed that Mark "The Hammer" Coleman has suffered a second degree MCL tear and has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 106 bout with Tito Ortiz. Coleman suggested moving the bout back to UFC 108 on January 2, but that is not likely. So who will step in and face Ortiz? Hint: It won't be Kimbo.
There are many fans that are throwing out all sorts of names, but people must remember that this is Tito's comeback fight. He will not face a huge threat. Mark Coleman was the perfect opponent because he is good, but not elite. In other words he is very beatable and the UFC does not lose a contender if Coleman loses. There are several bouts that would make good fights. Let's break down the available fighters and see who is likely.
Stephan Bonnar – Very possible, but Bonnar needs a fight he can win. The UFC will want a guy who can lose easily or who is disposable. Bonnar is not really.
Houston Alexander – Too heavy handed
Jason Brilz – A very good wrestler and this one is possible, but probably does not have the name recognition to get this fight.
Steve Cantwell – This may be a good fight down the road, but Cantwell is a real threat to Ortiz.
Forrest Griffin – Forrest needs a win. He could beat Ortiz, but that would foil Ortiz's comeback. Would be a good re-match, but again maybe this one would be good down the road.
Keith Jardine – Another dangerous guy in need of a win to stay in the UFC. This one could happen, but I do not know if Ortiz wants a top tiered guy yet.
Eliot Marshall – Not a big enough name in the sport.
Vladimir Matyushenko – A very good possibility. He is a top 25 guy in the world. Ortiz owns a win over him in 2001. He is older, but very good.
Krzysztof Soszynski – Another possibility. The Polish Experiment does not mind stepping in late notice. He could be a good opponent who Ortiz can beat, but be exciting.
Brian Stann – Rumored to be facing Rodney Wallace in December
The other options are a new signing to debut against Ortiz and a middleweight moving up to 205 to face him. Let me throw a few more names out there…
Seth Petruzelli
Ricardo Arona
Patrick Cote
Trevor Prangley
My guess…
1. Vladimir Matyushenko
2. Seth Petruzelli
3. Krzysztof Soszynski


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CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Digital video recorder pioneer TiVo Inc. and electronics retailer Best Buy Co. said Thursday that they've formed an alliance that will greatly increase the number of TiVo devices available at the retail giant's stores.
The two companies plan to investigate the development of a user interface specifically for TiVo TIVO, +0.00% DVRs purchased at Best Buy, increasing TiVo's reach while allowing the retailer to "more effectively market its digital services," they said.
Best Buy BBY, +0.38% will also use TiVo's platform to market directly to consumers, offering tips and other information that will help customers get more out of the two-way possibilities television now offers. The company said it will "substantially increase the levels of marketing and merchandising of retail TiVo DVR devices, as well as other devices that may feature the TiVo user interface and platform in the future."
Specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Customers continue to find new ways to access information and interact, on their terms, with brands they trust," said Barry Judge, Best Buy's chief marketing officer, in a statement.
TiVo Chief Executive Tom Rogers said the company "could not be more gratified" with the partnership.
TiVo is best known for its pioneering role in developing the digital video recorder, which enables viewers to pause, rewind, play back or instantly replay any broadcast by recording it onto a computer hard drive.
About a third of U.S. television households now have some kind of DVR, and consumers are increasingly likely to watch shows hours or days after they are broadcast.
Through its operations in North America, Europe and China, Best Buy generates $45 billion in annual revenue.
TiVo shares rose 3 cents to close at $8.63 on Thursday, while Best Buy stock advanced 2% to $32.86.


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"Mosley" follows the eponymous hero and his family of four-legged "Thoriphants," intelligent creatures with the ability to speak like humans but that have been cursed to live a life of servitude. In an attempt to free his family, Mosley embarks on a perilous journey to find the mythical land of Kinesareth.
© 2012 Rialto Distribution All Rights Reserved |
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- 3 beds
- 3 baths
- $154,900 price
- 165797 mls id
- Square Feet: 1,836 sqft
Move right into this lovely home in the village the day of closing! You will love the huge lot and all the beautiful updates this home has to offer. It also features a detached 30x30 garage. Enjoy two porches and so many places to enjoy in your spacious yard. Come inside and find all newer hardwood flooring, lovely paint colors and a home that is very inviting with all the natural light! You will have a first floor master ensuite and laundry room. The wonderfully appointed kitchen has stainless appliances that include a double oven and features tile flooring and a formal dining with hardwood. Go upstairs and find two additional bedrooms and a full bath with a walk-in tiled shower. There are spaces for everyone in this home and in a fabulous location close to the banks, food markets and gas station. Very reasonably priced nearly 20K below appraised value. Call today!
- Site Link
- Style 1.5 Story
Listing Agent: Donna Gannon
Updated: 9th December, 2019 8:55 AM.
304 Solida Road South Point, OH


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According to the radio ads, the "world's biggest garage sale" (!) will be held on Saturday (January 12th) at the Montana ExpoPark (Trades and Industry building). I suppose it's like a huge flea market, with vendors paying a small fee to set up a booth and then selling whatever they want to. I imagine a pretty good turnout. Any of you folks planning to either sell stuff or attend? And if you are going to be selling stuff, leave an comment here telling everyone what you will have up for grabs! The sale will run from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm.
UPDATE: "early birds" can get in at 8:00 am for a $3.00 fee; open to the general public at 9:00 am at no cost.


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Paper Lounge has harnessed the natural simplicity of paper and created a range of design pieces
The Paper lounge range includes a paper stool, side tables, foot stools, tables, pillars/plinths and benches. Our products are available in different sizes and three 3 cool contrasting colours to suit all taste. Made from the purest , basic natural material, our products reflect a clean, crisp design for the home and office. Cool design, sharp geometrical lines create an urban yet chic look.
Concertina Bench
Perfect as a bench,low side board, daybed, display stand…… shape it as you like !!
- Brown, White and Recycled –150 L x 38 H
- Brown, White and Recycled –300 L x 38 H


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Tartu city's summer campaign 2018 "Tartu lies at the end of the street!"
Tartu City Government Press Release
1 June / This year's Tartu city summer campaign takes Tartu in the form of fabulous pop-up festivals to Narva, Pärnu and Tallinn, where, in addition to various performances and awesome exhibitions, several prizes will be given out.
The pop-up festivals take place on 2 June from 1 PM to 4 PM in the Narva castle park, on 9 June from 12 PM to 3 PM in Pärnu at Martens Square and 16 June in Tallinn at Freedom Square. The aim of the campaign is to introduce the many recreational opportunities of Tartu and Tartu County to local tourists, and, at the same time, disprove the idea of Tartu being too far from these cities.
In each city, the main prize is a holiday package in Tartu, whereto the winners can drive in a brand new BMW i3 with an economic electric engine.
Several Tartu businesses have joined the campaign: museums and attractions, hotels, restaurants and cafes, as well as other businesses involved in the tourism sector, who, for their part, have contributed to the preparation of stands introducing Tartu's opportunities as well as the prize funds. The exhibition created for the campaign, consisting of ten double-sided stands, will remain in each city for a week for the locals of the city to see.
The main prize for the draw – a rental car to Tartu, is contributed by BMW. Together with the brand new BMW i3 rental car, the prize package in Narva includes:
- an overnight stay in the Hektor Design Hostel family room;
- tickets to Science Centre AHHAA;
- tickets to Upside Down House;
- tickets to Ice Age Centre;
- a tasty gift bag from Salvest.
Accommodation, catering and activities for the whole campaign are provided by: Hektor Design Hostel, V Spa and V Spa Hotel, Cafe Pööre in the Atlantis building, Science Centre AHHAA, Upside Down House, Aura Centre, Ice Age Centre, Vudila Playland, Salvest, Tartu Market Hall and its vendors, Seto Line tours, the University of Tartu Museum, Vanemuine Theater, businesses along the Onion Route: Alatskivi Castle, Peipsimaa Visitor Centre, Gallery Voronja, Juhan Liiv Museum and Kadrina Manor, and several other partners.
Contributing to the festival's programme are associations that have received cultural support from the city of Tartu as well as Salvest, who, in addition to prize packages for the draw, also supports the performers with a small meal and presents the winner of the main prize with a tasty gift bag for the way.
The campaign is organized by Tartu County Tourism Foundation in cooperation with Creative Union.
More information about the festivals is found on the Facebook page "Tartus on rohkem" and at www.visittartu.com/et. You can already visit the Facebook link for the event in Narva at: https://www.facebook.com/events/171014983745136/
Additional information: Annika Ojasaar, Tartu County Tourism Foundation project manager and marketing specialist, +372 5886 7883, +372 740 0782, firstname.lastname@example.com
Last changed 01.06.2018


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Maisy, Charley, And The Wobbly Tooth: A Maisy First Experience Book
I plan to share with you this excellent child's book called Maisy, Charley, And The Wobbly Tooth: A Maisy First Experience Book. The author is Lucy Cousins and it was published sometime in 2009 by Candlewick. The children's book is 32 pages long. The child's book is 7.49" Height x 9.17" Length x 0.2" Width and has got a weight of 0.3 lbs, add to cart by selecting the weblink below.
What exactly is a good book by Lucy Cousins? maisy charley wobbly tooth experience book
Author: Lucy Cousins
On his first trip to the dentist, Charley gets lots of moral help from Maisy and friends in a full-length story readers will probably be eager to sink their teeth into. Maisy's friend Charley features a wobbly tooth! Luckily, Maisy, Tallulah, Eddie, and Cyril are happy to accompany their toothy friend towards the dentist's office, where they make some fun discoveries: a twirly chair that goes up and down, a special cup to spit in, and a proper tooth-brushing demonstration. He's going to the dentist for the initial time, and he's a little nervous. Charley gets an x-ray, a smiley button, plus a book to take home, but what will happen with his wobbly tooth?
- No. Pages: 32
- Languages:
- English (Unknown)
- English (Original Language)
- English (Published)
- Dimensions: Height: 7.49" Length: 9.17" Width: 0.2"
- Weight: 0.3 lbs.
- Package: Height: 0.2" Length: 8.9" Depth: 7.5"
- Package Weight: 0.25 lbs.


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Put simply, we don't think like other firms. We keep busy by trying to solve tomorrow's problems, today. We look forward, challenging the conventional to find better ways of working. By finding inspiration in unexpected places, we approach challenges from a different perspective. And we're not afraid to explore new, unexpected technologies to lead the way in the industry.
We're striving to build a better world. Sometimes our creative influences come from outside of our industry. Or by combining our diverse skill sets. As a collective of businesses we collaborate to share our knowledge, experience and expertise. We're architects, designers, coders, technicians and sometimes inventors. It's this diverse creative culture that enables us to reshape the built environment.


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Nashville: Helping adults who need a marketable credential for today's economy
A guest post by Jessica Toglia
Nashville War Memorial Auditorium (iStock / SeanPavonePhoto)
Nashville, one of two dozen communities that have earned national recognition for their efforts to increase post-high school education and training, is seeing success with neighborhood "ambassadors" who guide people through the sometimes-bewildering educational system.
"In a lot of pockets of Nashville, if someone says, 'I would like to go to college, but I don't know how,' there's not someone to say, 'Hey, I know a person who can help you,'" says Laura Ward, director of adult talent initiatives with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ward is a member of the team coordinating the work that has made Nashville a Talent Hub — one of 24 communities across the country that have been recognized for their extraordinary efforts to help people of all backgrounds receive an education beyond high school. The Talent Hub designation is awarded by Lumina Foundation, with support from The Kresge Foundation.
My organization, Jobs for the Future, works with Lumina to help communities develop local partnerships, pathways to learning, and to address unfair outcomes among African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. Late last year in Tennessee, we brought together six of these communities — Albuquerque; Cincinnati; Columbus, Indiana; Elkhart County, Indiana; Nashville, and Tulsa — to learn from each other and to share best practices.
We're making special efforts to help adults who need a marketable credential for today's economy. Many adult learners have specific goals and a real drive to succeed, but need extra wraparound supports to realize their dream of going to college or getting a better job. Lumina's efforts with these people are part of the foundation's national goal of increasing the percentage of adults with college degrees, certificates, and other quality credentials to 60 percent by 2025. Currently only 47 percent of working-age adults have such a credential.
Each city's Talent Hub guiding team is unique, but most include representatives from higher education, community organizations, nonprofits, business, and government. Nashville's strategy includes education ambassadors who live and work in the neighborhoods they are targeting. They help recruit adults who may not know about available services — free college tuition in Tennessee, for instance — but can be convinced by someone they trust to enroll in education or training.
The ambassador program has been used elsewhere in Tennessee and is now being deployed in Nashville's Promise Zones, high-poverty areas where the federal government partners with local leaders to address priorities identified by the community.
The Talent Hub work coincided with the launch of the Tennessee Reconnect Grants for community colleges, which help adults complete a postsecondary degree tuition-free at one of the state's community or technical colleges. These grants are reaching people who never thought they could afford to go to college or get training.
Nashville also has two navigators who are helping prepare students for college, and education ambassadors work in their neighborhoods to connect would-be students to the program. That local connection is vital, since we know that key decisions like attending college are often made at home, at church, or by talking to neighbors or friends.
Nashville plans to expand Reconnect Ambassador Training, originally created by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, to help those on the sidelines of prosperity — people coming out of incarceration in particular, get access to funding for education and guidance on career pathways. Working with people who may have been overlooked in the past — officials hope to change the narrative around talent development.
Innovative strategies like Nashville's are making a real difference, and all six of the Talent Hubs at our fall meeting said they are rethinking traditional recruitment, so they can serve their target populations better. Guiding team members are gifted problem solvers, and with the support of Lumina and JFF, they are changing lives in Tennessee.


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Pret a Porter DVD
Starring Anouk Aimee, Marcello Mastroianni, Sophia Loren, Kim Basinger, Stephen Rea, Lauren Bacall, Julia Roberts, Tim Robbins, Lili Taylor, Sally Kellerman, Tracey Ullman, Linda Hunt, Rupert Everett, Forest Whitaker, Richard E. Grant, Danny Aiello, Teri Garr, Lyle Lovett, Jean Rochefort, Jennifer Blanc, Michel Blanc, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Ute Lemper, Anne Canovas, Francois Cluzet, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christiansen
Directed by Robert Altman
Robert Altman brings us an insight into the fashion industry after his look at the corrupt film industry in 'The Player'.
A top designer (Jean Pierre Cassel) chokes to death, and is presumed murdered.
In the subsequent hysteria, the fashion industry is consumed with paranoia, and everybody becomes a murder suspect.
Meanwhile, an American sports reporter (Tim Robbins) gets caught up in events when his briefcase is stolen by the dead man's partner...
- Format: DVD
- Region: 2
- Certification: (15)
- Catalogue number: MIRLGD94539
- Studio: Miramax
- Release date: 16/05/2011
- Genre: Comedy
- Colour: Colour
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Monsters fans will have much to celebrate this summer when the biggest movie monster of them all returns to screens. Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the follow-up to 2014's blockbuster Godzilla, and sees the legendary radioactive reptile joined by several other classic creatures from Godzilla mythology. A new teaser has now been released.
While this teaser is a lot shorter than the most recent trailer, it contains plenty of new footage. We see Godzilla being studied in a giant tank by a group of scientists–including Silicon Valley's Thomas Middleditch–causing the Big G to light up his back and thunder past them in scary style. There's also brief shots of three-headed King Ghidorah and the winged Rodan doing battle, plus a villainous voiceover from Charles Dance. Check it out below.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is directed by Michael Dougherty, whose previous credits include the Christmas monster movie Krampus. It stars Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring), Kyle Chandler (Game Night), and Millie Bobbie Brown (Stranger Things), plus Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Ken Watanabe (Inception), and O'Shea Jackson Jr (Straight Outta Compton). It hits theaters on May 31, 2019. For more check out everything we know about Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
In a recent interview with Japanese site Tamashii, Dougherty spoke about approaching the new movie after the success of the first, which was directed by Rogue One's Gareth Edwards. "I think I had to be mindful of the reaction to the previous film," he said. "So it was a matter of trying to look at the previous film, and look at what worked, which I thought was the tone, the scale, the design. Luckily, we got to bring in Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan, which helped, because these are the crown jewels of [production company] Toho. I felt like we already had the advantage of getting to bring in antagonists and allies for Godzilla, which were beloved legacy characters, so that was a huge, huge help."
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the latest entry in Legendary Pictures' so-called MonsterVerse, following Godzilla and 2017's Kong: Skull Island. The fourth movie in the series will be Godzilla vs Kong, which is now in production and scheduled for a May 2020 release. The cast includes Alexander Skarsgård (Hold the Dark), Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), and Demián Bichir (Alien Covenant).


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The Remit and Terms of Reference of the Citizens' Assembly of Scotland
17:11 pm
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a Citizens' Assembly on Scotland's constitutional future in April. The Citizens' Assembly of Scotland has today [27 August] published the details of its remit and terms of reference, which will define the scope of the the Citizens' Assembly's work going forward. CommonSpace re-publishes the full document below.
The Citizens' Assembly will consider—


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What: Ways of Binding, Part 4
Who: Byakuya x Renji
Rating: R for yaoi, language, angst, cursing, sexual situations, and bondage & discipline.
Spoilers: None, really. Just SS stuff.
Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach or any of these hot boys. Just like to play with them.
Author's note: For everyone who reads this series and thinks, "Whoa, that's major OOC..." First of all, I (obviously) regard Byakuya as rather dark and perverse (and emotionally repressed). As for the bondage & discipline... Certain aspects of B&D can incorporate structure, highly defined roles, characterization/roleplay/masks (ahem), a degree of emotional distance, power, and, of course, discipline. The way I see it, incorporating B&D into Byakuya's sexuality makes more sense than turning him into a super-uke. After all, as per canon...Renji was the one who ended up in handcuffs...not Bya.
Beyond that, Ways of Binding is a bondage-themed fic. Work with gogo a bit, 'k...? Some interesting things are bound to happen between Bya and Renji... (bad pun...couldn't resist). As alway, thnxxx for reading. xoxo- gogo
Part 4:
Renji hung his head and let his shoulders slump. He bit his lip to keep his eyes from welling up, unable to bare the rawness of pain and the humiliation of tears. His teeth reopened the same spot he'd bitten when Byakuya first caressed him.
The elder shinigami was surprised by how much it stung to see the younger man deflate before his eyes. He hadn't expected the loudmouthed rogue to crumple in misery and defeat. That wasn't how this exchange was supposed to go. The hotheaded whelp was supposed to be brash and indignant, challenging Byakuya to "be a man" and "finish what he started." Or something to that affect.
"Renji…" Byakuya grabbed his fukutaichou's chin and raised it none too gently. He wanted the younger man to look at him.
"While I do not know your original intentions for sneaking into my office…" Renji recognized the ice-cold venom of Byakuya's angry tone, "And I am appalled to think you might have planned to…strike…me in such a manner…. I do know that you took great pains to hide your reiatsu and enter this office without expressed consent."
Renji tried to pull his face away; he wasn't ready to look taichou in the eyes. Byakuya held firm. He had no intention of letting his subordinate squirm away. While the vice-like grip restrained Renji's movements, it could not control where the younger man cast his dejected gaze.
"Let's be frank with one another, Abarai fukutaichou." The redhead winced at the use of his title, but knitted his inky eyebrows together at the dash of playfulness creeping into taichou's voice. Renji was the only one who could discern the minute differences in the aristocrat's expressions and inflections.
"You hid your reiatsu and snuck into this office. Yes or no?" Renji nodded, the elder shinigami's iron fist moving along with him.
"You knew that I was in here. Yes or no?" Again with the nods.
"You watched me for some time before making your presence known?" Renji hesitated for a moment and then signaled "yes." No use lying about anything now. He'd embarked on that ridiculous mission practically planning to get caught.
"You enjoyed watching me? You enjoyed it…very much?" Byakuya didn't need Renji to answer that one. The immediate flush of color on the younger man's neck and cheekbones told all.
"I see," Byakuya said, as if it all made perfect sense. Which, perhaps it did—to him. His lips were twisted into the barely there smirk Renji had decided to label the 'innuendo sneer.' Only time would tell whether this new expression would be a 'good sneer' or a 'bad sneer.'
"So… When and why did you decide to come at me with physical force?" One dark eyebrow arched gracefully as Renji's jaw was released.
A flash of indignation made his cheeks turn even redder. "Physical force?" Renji thought, "You pompous baka! That was a fuckin' spankin', and you know it!" He was confused, frustrated, sore in all the wrong places, in mental and physical anguish, and, now, thoroughly embarrassed…all thanks to Captain Mindfuck here.
"Er…" was all he actually said.
It was strange for Byakuya to see the loud, brazen ruffian at such a loss for words. Usually, the smartass had something to say about everything.
His reiatsu didn't feel right, either. When in the presence of his powerful, regal taichou, Renji's reiatsu usually conveyed a mix of deference, awe, and poorly hidden desire, yet it had never conveyed such…despondency. The rough, cocksure pride that outwardly frustrated (and secretly titillated) the refined noble was all but missing, replaced by something sour and self-deprecating.
"Renji…" Byakuya's tone made the word both a prompt and a command.
Unlike Rukia, or that cheeky bastard Urahara, Renji had never been very good at talking his way out of altercations. He was much better at fighting his way out. "Dunno," he jerked his shoulders forward in a half-shrug, mindful of keeping his stiff fingers wrapped around the damn desk. "Jus' sorta happened…. I guess…."
The elder man nodded once, indicating that Renji should continue.
"Uh… You were facin' the window, an'…the idea jus' came to me…" Renji scowled. He was getting tired of this. Kuchiki taichou was toying with him, proving once and for all that the tattooed redhead was nothing more than the noble's personal court jester. Renji never doubted the ice-lord's potential for cruelty, but…for a minute there…when taichou had pressed their bodies together…touching…moving…licking…panting…s
But it was just a game. Another fucking game.
"The idea?" the Kuchiki prompted in his uncaring, unfeeling voice.
"T-the idea…." Renji felt the hot flush of embarrassment warming the tips of his ears. "That, uh…ya know…that-I-should-spank-you." The last bit came out in a rush of mumbled words.
Renji desperately wanted to move his arms, stretch his fingers, and get those loose strands of hair out of his eyes, but the outré aristocrat seemed to be adamant about his annoying "all hands on desk" rule.
"Ah," Byakuya said. He, for one, seemed to be enjoying himself. He moved forward to clasp Renji's face again, but thought better of it, diverting his fingers once more into the sexy mess of hair.
The redhead leaned into the strong fingers and deepened his scowl. "Such a troublemaker," Byakuya thought.
"Was it your goal to thus engage me in hand to hand combat?" The question was rhetorical. Byakuya was only asking for the sake of making a point. He let his fingers trail continuously through Renji's fiery locks, tugging gently at the roots every now and again. Even thickened as it was by sweat and tangles, the scarlet hair was incredibly soft. The pampered noble imagined it would feel quite luxurious when freshly washed.
"No…" Renji grumbled, eyes downcast. He hadn't snuck into Kuchiki taichou's office looking for a brawl. He'd been looking to ruffle those pristine feathers, shake that perfect poise, and push those rigid buttons the way taichou was always pushing his.
Even now… As the dull, throbbing pain of rejection festered in his gut, his traitorous body had begun to respond to the strong, careful fingers that stroked his hair and gently massaged his scalp.
Simply being near taichou was enough to get his blood flowing. Hearing taichou's low, sensual voice always quickened his pulse. But having taichou touch him…dear gods…caress him…basically sent his hormones into bankai.
And damn that canny Kuchiki for already mastering some of his erogenous zones. He wouldn't even be able to wield a brush now without thinking of those steely fingers raking through his long crimson hair. As said fingers paused to rub slow circles at the nape of his tattooed neck, fresh blood flowed south, inconveniently invigorating his arousal yet again. His manhood rose slowly this time, twitching and pulsing as if shuddering from the stress of being re-engorged—yet unsatisfied—no less than three times in the span of one afternoon.
Damn that man and his effortless power! When push came to shove, whether on the battlefield or perched the edge of a desk, Byakuya repeatedly mastered Renji's battle-hardened body with apparent ease.
A pained sigh escaped Renji's lips as he opened his hips slightly to accommodate the hardening mass between his legs.
Acute gray eyes missed nothing as they flickered discreetly over the redhead's groin. The sly, calculating scion shifted his weight to allow one lean thigh to graze against the inside of Renji's knee. The redhead moved his leg away in response, not trusting any more below-the-belt contact from Byakuya. It was shameful enough to be outwardly savoring the ministrations to his hair and scalp. Of course, pulling away only served to spread his legs further, stretching the thin material of his hakama over the noticeable bulge.
"So…" Byakuya drawled, his voice patronizing yet deadly serious. "You, Sixth division's fukutaichou, purposefully hid your reiatsu with the intention of secretly entering this office….with the objective of spying on Sixth division's taichou…for purposes still unknown…. You eavesdropped on a private discussion between two senior level taichous… Then, for reasons that have not been sufficiently clarified, you assaulted the unarmed Sixth division taichou while his back was turned, and struck without warning or provocation…."
Dammit. When taichou put it that way…. Yeah. Renji was fucked. Hardcore.
The list of offenses committed by Sixth division's fukutaichou continued unabated... "The first strike was then followed by a direct challenge to engage in hand to hand combat…"
The supercilious taichou didn't try to stop the trace of smug humor that crept into his voice. "You were…neutralized…as a threat…and ordered to return at once to your office and administrative duties…"
Great. Thanks. Kuchiki taichou had effortlessly "neutralized" his brawny subordinate with one elegant, flawless hand. As if Renji needed to be reminded about that. He shifted uncomfortably on the desk, shoulders sagging into another defeated slump.
"You disobeyed these direct orders…only to attempt a second strike once the Sixth division taichou's back was turned…"
At that, Renji sat up, bristling, and had every intention of speaking up in his defense. Kuchiki taichou had purposefully turned his back and taunted him. The way he'd bent over his desk like that… The way he'd all but wiggled his ass...
"C'mon…" he thought, "even yer damn reiatsu was darin' me to take another swing! What the hell was I s'pposed to do? Jus' ignore that shit?"
"But…" was all he got to say before Kuchiki taichou smoothly interjected.
"Renji…" Byakuya sighed lightly and shook his pretty head. "Have you not considered the appropriate course of discipline for your inappropriate actions? What you've done is grounds for immediate suspension, and…pending investigation…potential dismissal...."
Renji closed his eyes and heaved an enormous sigh. Fuck. He'd rather die by Kuchiki taichou's hand than be utterly and irrevocably…dismissed. To be cast away in such a manner…like a damn stray dog…was a fate worse than death.
The strong, slender fingers continued to languidly comb through his hair. "This is not the first time you have…challenged me…Abarai fukutaichou…" The touch of dark humor had returned to the noble's voice. "Though not by my choice…you were neither stripped of your title, nor dismissed from active duty following your previous bouts of…insubordination."
Renji scowled, remembering all too well how taichou's disdain had cut deeper than Zangetsu. And how the wounds from taichou's scorn had taken far longer to heal than any injuries sustained in actual battle.
"And…I am glad for it…" the deep voice continued.
Renji's eyes popped open in surprise.
"Renji…" Byakuya said again, voice thick and deep, "at this time…I have no intention of suspending you…nor have I any desire to instigate your dismissal…"
The noble allowed his words to sink in, slowing his hand only when Renji turned to finally…finally…look into his eyes.
Renji's exotic red-brown eyes widened even further. Taichou's icy, impenetrable grays had actually started to thaw. They were warmed by little sparks of…interest?...amusement?...and tiny embers of unnamed emotions. Coupled with the noble's fine features and devious little smirk, the overall look was incredibly sexy.
"Incarceration only serves to fuel your disregard for authority…" The crafty Kuchiki moved his talented fingers to tease at the soft, sensitive hair at the nape of Renji's neck. He suppressed a wider smile as he felt the redhead suppress a shiver. "However…such insubordination cannot go unpunished…"
Renji blinked and looked away. "Kuso," he thought, "here it comes…"
"So…" Byakuya deftly threaded his fingers back into the scarlet locks and tugged down with just enough force to bring Renji's eyes up to meet his own. "In lieu of traditional castigation…I have chosen to personally address your…misconduct…with a punishment better suited to the crime…"
Renji's mouth dropped open in surprise. Oh. So that's what all that…that… touching…and… 'Mmmm'ing'…and...uh…gods…well, teasing… had been about?
"Damn, taichou…" Renji thought, suddenly hoping that the Kuchiki's pretty little ass was smarting something awful, as his poor, neglected cock was sure to be aching for days.
He hadn't figured the proud noble to be such a masterful cock tease… But then again…what did anyone really know about the private, intimate ways and means of the Kuchiki heir?
Renji's tongue slipped out to wet where he'd previously bitten his lip. The quick movement caught Byakuya's eye. He arched an elegant eyebrow and cocked his head in a way that would have been adorable if he wasn't, well, Kuchiki Byakuya, and leaned in to follow Renji's tongue with his own.
"Oh…gods…" Renji thought, as his stomach plummeted out of his body and his heart tried to lodge itself in his throat, "what new torture is this?"
No torture. Just…a kiss…
Byakuya delicately traced the contours of Renji's full lips with his tongue, pausing to gently suck on the bottom one for a few moments before…softly…slowly…bringing their mouths together.
That's when Renji's restraint finally snapped. He dove into the kiss, catching his superior off-guard. A few minutes ago, the redhead hadn't been able to meet those piercing, platinum eyes. Now, he was snaking his tongue into Byakuya's luscious mouth, eager to taste and explore.
Now that he'd gained back a measure of confidence, Renji went after Byakuya's tongue with his trademark energy and enthusiasm. One very husky moan managed to escape as he ran his tongue over the perfect, ivory teeth and nibbled on his taichou's delectable lips.
Byakuya fisted a chunk of scarlet hair and pulled sharply, reminding the younger shinigami exactly who was in control, and returned the kiss fiercely. His left hand returned to the redhead's hip, going so far as to dig strong fingers into the muscular swell of his ass.
Renji's auburn eyes rolled up into his head as taichou's soft tongue twirled around his own.
"Our first kiss. It's really…Wow…." Renji thought, trying to focus on the moment, so as not to think about the likelihood of there ever being a second kiss.
Byakuya loosened his grip on the wild mane of hair, tugging gently as he moved to place wet little kisses over the redhead's cheekbone and temple. Every tug made Renji's cock twitch with a need that was growing increasingly desperate.
A low moan escaped Renji's lips, followed by a pleasure-induced shudder as the slender shinigami began nipping at his jaw.
"Kuso…," he thought, "My cock can't take much more of this. Does that teme even know what he's doin' to me? Gods…it fuckin' hurts now."
Renji's moan deepened as Byakuya shifted to nibble and suck on a sensitive part of his neck just below his ear, prompting the elder shinigami to "shhhh" him once more.
"Very responsive…" Byakuya mused to himself. "Hot blooded... Cocky, impulsive. foolish, infuriating…and dangerous."
The heir's voice was low and smooth against Renji's ear; his reiatsu was hazy and seductive. "It has very recently come to my attention that I have mistakenly neglected your training, Abarai fukutaichou. Trust that, henceforth, I plan to be much more...hands on…in my role as your captain."
He bit Renji's ear—hard.
By now Renji was too far gone to sit still. "Hands on, mouth on…" he panted, "Whatever, taichou... Just bring it on!"
A sharper tug on his hair told him to be quiet. "Hush," Byakuya breathed, while inwardly chuckling at the ardent words of encouragement. This was what he expected, what he craved, from the spirited young shinigami.
"Today's events have made it patently clear that you are in sore need of discipline. Instinct is a…remarkable resource…but it is discipline that truly separates us from animals. Mmmm?"
Renji stopped fidgeting.
"Good," Byakuya purred, testing the redhead's resolve by tracing his devious tongue over the sensitive contours of the younger man's ear.
Renji gasped, but otherwise remained still.
"Yes…just like that…." Byakuya murmured, his deep voice as rich and thick as velvet.
He closed his eyes and inhaled, reveling in the firebrand's uniquely spicy scent.
The powerful taichou of Sixth company ghosted his fine lips over his fukutaichou's ear and whispered, "Bakudou 21: Heaven's Silk, Hell's Torment…."
The demon art took hold immediately. Renji was frozen in place, his head still cocked to the side, his hands still gripping the edges of taichou's massive desk.
Byakuya stepped back to admire his handiwork.
Renji couldn't move a muscle. He could breathe, though there was no evidence of breath passing in or out of his lungs. And he wasn't actually frozen. It was more like hundreds of invisible silken cords had woven and twisted themselves in around his entire body.
There was a similar
At that moment, Renji was utterly and undeniably…bound.
Byakuya was pleased to see that the auburn eyes were wide open. They registered surprise, while the swollen, slightly parted lips conveyed a look of pure lust. A quick glace down assured the elder that his subordinate's arousal remained at its fullest.
Byakuya smirked. "Excellent."
Byakuya smirked. "Excellent."
his hair. It's uncanny... love it so much. Whoever the artist is...big yaoi hugs and thnx from gogo.
Visuals: gogo is so spoiled! Many thnx to friends and readers who've sent sexy bondage-related pics. Posting some here for everyone's viewing pleasure.
(forgot where this came from. srry) this lovely is by naorin this sexy is from a doujin
& sent by thalia33ad</span> </div>


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Licensing myelin-reactive T cells
Multiple distinct populations of potential antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are interspersed among the different anatomical components of the brain, including microglia, B lymphocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells (DCs). Mundt et al. investigated which steady-state APC types are responsible for displaying peptide fragments of myelin proteins to pathogenic CD4+ T cells with the capacity to initiate neuroinflammatory disorders such as human multiple sclerosis. Adoptive transfer of myelin-reactive CD4+ T cells to mice with conditional deletion of MHC class II molecules in specific brain APC subsets identified conventional DCs as the essential APCs enabling initiation of T cell–mediated immunopathology. The results of this study will assist in the precision targeting of immunotherapies aimed at restraining rogue T cells responsible for human neuroinflammatory diseases.
The central nervous system (CNS) is under close surveillance by immune cells, which mediate tissue homeostasis, protection, and repair. Conversely, in neuroinflammation, dysregulated leukocyte invasion into the CNS leads to immunopathology and neurological disability. To invade the brain parenchyma, autoimmune encephalitogenic T helper (TH) cells must encounter their cognate antigens (Ags) presented via local Ag-presenting cells (APCs). The precise identity of the APC that samples, processes, and presents CNS-derived Ags to autoaggressive T cells is unknown. Here, we used a combination of high-dimensional single-cell mapping and conditional MHC class II ablation across all CNS APCs to systematically interrogate each population for its ability to reactivate encephalitogenic TH cells in vivo. We found a population of conventional dendritic cells, but not border-associated macrophages or microglia, to be essential for licensing T cells to initiate neuroinflammation.
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