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Study reveals how HIV infection may contribute to metabolic conditions
Baker Institute scientists showed that the HIV protein, Nef, released from infected cells in specialized vesicles, is taken up by uninfected 'bystander' cells, impairing cholesterol metabolism in these cells. This impairment triggers inflammation, contributing to the development of diseases including dementia, heart disease and diabetes.
A single viral factor released from HIV-infected cells may wreak havoc on the body and lead to the development of chronic and potentially deadly diseases like heart disease, diabetes and dementia, according to a new study by scientists at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.
By explaining the mechanisms, it paves the way for targeted treatment that could help provide a longer and healthier life for the 36 million people globally living with HIV/AIDS.
The treatment of HIV/AIDS is so advanced that today life expectancy of people living with HIV is very similar to that of uninfected persons. However, people with HIV may experience co-morbidities like heart disease, diabetes, dementia or related complications. Studies show that not only are people living with HIV at increased risk of these chronic diseases, they are occurring at an earlier age and progress faster.
These co-morbidities persist even after successful application of antiretroviral therapy, when no virus is found in the blood. Scientists have been intrigued as to what is going on in the small number of infected cells, believing that HIV-infected cells instead of the virus release a toxic substance that kills cells around them.
Most co-morbidities of HIV infection share a common element in their pathogenesis, impairment of cholesterol metabolism but exactly how and what was happening remained a mystery. But in this new study published in PLOS Pathogens, Baker Institute scientists have been able to pinpoint the mechanisms involved.
Baker Institute scientists showed that the HIV protein, Nef, released from infected cells in specialized vesicles, is taken up by uninfected 'bystander' cells, impairing cholesterol metabolism in these cells.
This impairment triggers inflammation, contributing to the development of diseases including dementia, heart disease and diabetes.
Head of Lipoproteins and Atherosclerosis at the Baker Institute, Professor Dmitri Sviridov says the study demonstrates how a single viral molecule released from infected cells into circulation may contribute to a range of pathogenic responses.
"The good news is that there are many drugs on the market and in development to tackle impaired cholesterol metabolism which could be repurposed for this specific population to effectively treat these diseases," says Professor Sviridov.
Repeated semen exposure may help prevent HIV infection in women, says study
But semen-treated animals that remained uninfected after exposure to low viral amount became infected when subsequently challenged with high doses of virus, confirming that they were still susceptible to infection and that repeated semen exposure provides only partial protection and does not block HIV infection.
Semen exposure CAN promote host resistance but DOES NOT protect against infection.
This is according to scientists at The Wistar Institute and the University of Puerto Rico, who found that frequent and sustained semen exposure can change the characteristics of the circulating and vaginal tissue immune cells that are targets for infection, reducing the susceptibility to a future infection. This goes contrary to the long-held view that semen can only act as a way to transmit HIV-1 from men to women.
This finding, published in the journal Nature Communications, also provides a potential explanation as to why a small number of female sex workers worldwide continue to test negative for infection despite continuous high-risk sexual activity.
Research previously reported by the laboratory of Luis J. Montaner, D.V.M., D.Phil., the Herbert Kean, M.D., Family Professor and director of the HIV-1 Immunopathogenesis Laboratory at Wistar's Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, together with investigators at the University of Puerto Rico, showed in a 2015 paper how continued semen exposure in female sex workers resulted in changes in the cervicovaginal tissue that predicted an increased resistance to HIV infection. The current study directly addressed if semen could be a factor in resistance.
"While HIV infection has been with us for more than 30 years, this is the first study that describes how semen exposure over time could result in local tissue changes that limit HIV infection in humans," said Montaner, lead author of the new study. "Apart from defining a new factor that may regulate HIV transmission, this unexpected finding could directly impact the design of future HIV vaccine studies that commonly recruit female sex workers. Currently, condomless sex is assumed to only promote the likelihood of infection. Our observation, however, raises the hypothesis that frequent semen exposure may potentially reduce HIV transmission."
According to Edmundo N. Kraiselburd, Ph.D., professor at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), "this research clearly shows the valuable information the macaque model can provide when used to study what may determine HIV infections in humans."
Kraiselburd co-directed this research project and supervised the use of non-human primates (NHP) from the Caribbean Primate Research Center. NHPs are a principal pre-clinical research model used to test prophylactic anti-HIV interventions.
In the study, animals were exposed to semen twice a week over 20 weeks with or without inactivated particles of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV is an HIV-like virus that infects primates and causes a disease similar to AIDS). After this conditioning period, the animals received low-dose intravaginal SIV challenges.
Semen-exposed animals showed a 42% decrease in the risk of infection. Scientists analyzed specific markers of immune activation in the cervicovaginal microenvironment and in the bloodstream. On circulating CD4+ cells, semen conditioning was associated with lower expression of the CCR5 receptor, which acts as a binding site for HIV to enter its host cells, supporting the observation of a lower susceptibility to SIV vaginal challenge. Furthermore, semen-conditioned animals had higher levels of the CCL5 cytokine, a natural HIV-suppressive factor, in the cervicovaginal compartment in response to SIV challenge.
Repeated semen exposure also resulted in elevated cervicovaginal tissue levels of antiviral factors such as MX1, which also positively correlated with levels of IFN-epsilon. IFN-epsilon, which can be induced by semen and protects human cells from bacterial and viral pathogens, has direct anti-HIV properties and was described to be induced in tissues from sex workers in association with sex without condoms.
Nonetheless, semen-treated animals that remained uninfected after exposure to low viral amount became infected when subsequently given with high doses of virus. This confirms that they were still susceptible to infection, stressing that repeated semen exposure provides only partial protection and does not block HIV infection.
"Importantly, we show that semen exposure can promote host resistance but does not protect against infection," said Montaner. "Therefore, our data do not change the fact that prevention methods, such as condom use and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) remain our best strategies to prevent infection."
Co-authors of the study included: first author Shaheed Abdulhaqq, Jocelin Joseph, Livio Azzoni, Xiangfan Yin, Megan Wise, David Weiner, and Qin Liu from Wistar; Melween Martinez, Idia V. Rodriguez, Stephanie M. Nichols, Carlos Sariol, and Edmundo N. Kraiselburd from University of Puerto Rico; Guobin Kang and Qingsheng Li from University of Nebraska; David Beaumont and Georgia D. Tomaras from Duke University; Andrea Foulkes from Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA; Jan Münch and Frank Kirchhoff from Ulm University, Germany; Christos Coutifaris from University of Pennsylvania; and Preston A. Marx from Tulane University.
HIV spreads through direct cell-to-cell contact
Despite over 30 years of research, many key aspects of how HIV, the causative agent of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) spreads are still not understood. One of these unresolved questions concerns the interactions between the virus with the environment in the human body.
The spread of pathogens like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is often studied in a test tube, i.e. in two-dimensional cell cultures, even though it hardly reflects the much more complex conditions in the human body. Using cell culture systems, quantitative image analysis, and computer simulations, an interdisciplinary team of scientists from Heidelberg University has now explored how HIV spreads in three-dimensional tissue-like environments. The researchers' results show that the tissue structure forces the virus to spread through direct cell-to-cell contact.
Despite over 30 years of research, many key aspects of how HIV, the causative agent of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) spreads are still not understood. One of these unresolved questions concerns the interactions between the virus with the environment in the human body.
Traditionally it has been assumed that infected cells release viral particles which then diffuse and eventually infect other cells. But it is also possible that viral particles are directly transferred from one infected cell to the next through close contact. Until now it was unknown which of these modes of transmission prevailed in tissue.
"Studies on HIV replication in the lab are mostly conducted in simple cell culture experiments in plastic dishes that do not reflect the complex architecture and heterogeneity of tissue", explains study director Prof./Dr. Oliver Fackler of the Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research (CIID) at Heidelberg University Hospital.
In their approach, the Heidelberg researchers took into account that the so-called CD4 T helper cells, the preferred cell type infected by HIV, are highly motile in their physiological environment. They used a novel cell culture system, in which a three-dimensional scaffold was generated with the help of collagen. This allowed for maintaining the cells' mobility and monitoring primary CD4 T cells infected with HIV-1 in a tissue-like environment over the course of several weeks. Using this approach, the researchers measured a number of factors that characterize cell motility, virus replication, and the gradual loss of CD4 T helper cells.
"This yielded a very complex set of data that was impossible to interpret without the help from scientists of other disciplines," explains Dr. Andrea Imle, who worked on the project during her PhD at the CIID.
In analyzing the data, the scientists who conducted the experiments collaborated with colleagues from the fields of image processing, theoretical biophysics and mathematical modeling. Together they were able to characterize the complex behavior of cells and viruses and simulate it on the computer. This made it possible to make important predictions on the key processes that determine HIV-1 spread in these 3D cultures, which were confirmed by subsequent experimentation. "Our interdisciplinary study is a good example of how iterative cycles of experimentation and simulation can help to quantitatively analyze a complex biological process," states Prof./Dr. Ulrich Schwarz of the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Heidelberg University.
The data analysis revealed that the 3D environment of the cell culture system suppresses infection with a cell-free virus while simultaneously promoting direct virus transmission from cell to cell. "Our models allowed us to integrate short single-cell microscopy films with long-term cell population measurements and thereby to estimate the minimal time span required for cell-to-cell contacts to transmit infection," explains Dr. Frederik Graw of the BioQuant Centre of Heidelberg University. The researchers hope that these findings will eventually lead to new therapeutic approaches in the treatment of HIV.
The research was conducted within the Collaborative Research Centre, "Integrative Analysis of Pathogen Replication and Spread", (CRC 1129) funded by the German Research Foundation and supported by the Center for Modelling and Simulation in the Biosciences (BIOMS) of Heidelberg University. The results were published in Nature Communications.
Holes in the immune system left unrepaired despite HIV drug therapy
A study showed that ART leaves unrepaired holes in the immune system's wall of defence. This suggests that some of these long-lasting defects may contribute to the lack of viral control once the antiretroviral therapy is interrupted.
If they don't receive antiretroviral therapy (ART), most HIV patients see a progressive weakening of their immune system. But a very small percentage of patients–0.3%–spontaneously control the virus themselves, without ART. Could an explanation lay partly in the sets of genes expressed by scarce white blood cells that recognize HIV? Yes, according to a study published in Nature Immunology and conducted by researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM).
Critical for the coordination of immune responses, CD4 T cells are important white blood cells (lymphocytes) that help control chronic infections like HIV. But on average only about one cell in 1,000 in the CD4 T cell population can recognize the virus.
"With my research team and my collaborators, we comprehensively determined the entire set of genes expressed by these rare cells from the blood of people chronically infected with HIV in whom the virus was abundant prior to ART," said Daniel Kaufmann, a CRCHUM researcher and an infectious disease specialist. "We then compared it to the cells of HIV controllers, infected people who control the virus in the absence of therapy. This type of powerful approach, also called genome-wide transcriptional profiling, measures the activity of thousands of genes at once, thus creating a global picture of cellular function."
Using sophisticated cell analysis techniques, lead author Antigoni Morou, a postdoctoral fellow in Kaufmann's lab, identified major functional differences between the two groups of patients in the study. The HIV controllers had much more robust immune responses, known as Th17 and Th22, which are important for the defense of the gastrointestinal tract, for example. But chronically infected patients with high levels of viral replication showed dysregulated CD4 T cells targeting HIV, and some of their cell subsets showed signs of abnormal functioning.
Continuing their investigation, the CRCHUM scientists wondered whether ART leads to an immune response akin to the one found in HIV controllers. "We followed up chronically infected patients after control of the virus by ART and checked if the treatment can 'repair their immune system' and allow them to have CD4 T cells with features similar to those of the HIV controllers," said Kaufmann, a professor at Université de Montréal.
The result was double-edged: some gene modules were sensitive to ART, while others turned out to be expressed very differently than in HIV controllers.
"We showed that ART leaves unrepaired holes in the immune system's wall of defence," said Kaufmann. "Our results suggest that some of these long-lasting defects may contribute to the lack of viral control once the antiretroviral therapy is interrupted. We now know which holes linger in the immune system. Do we have to fill them in, and if so, how? This is another science question."
Paving the way to new therapies that could complement ART, Kaufmann's team identified important features of an effective HIV specific immune response compared to a dysfunctional one and showed how the response can be affected by ART.
The next step will be to study the underlying programming of these CD4 T cells (epigenetics) in the hope of developing new targeted strategies to reverse immune dysfunction and complement ART. Kaufmann's lab is now using the same approach to evaluate candidates for an HIV vaccine.
In 2017, nearly 37 million people were living with HIV. Every day, 5,000 new infections are reported to health authorities around the world.
"Altered differentiation is central to HIV-specific CD4+ T cell dysfunction in progressive disease" by Antigoni Morou et al. was published July 15, 2019 in Nature Immunology. The research was funded by the US National Institutes of Health; the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Network of the Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Santé; and a Canada Foundation for Innovation Program Leader grant.
For children born with HIV, adhering to medication gets harder with age
Researchers found that from preadolescence to young adulthood, the prevalence of non-adherence increased from 31% to 50%. In addition, the prevalence of detectable viral load among the same age groups increased from 16% to 40%.
Paolo (not his real name), now nine years old, doesn't know he has HIV.
"Ang alam niya lang, kailangan niya uminom ng gamot gabi-gabi (He just knows he has to drink his meds every night)," his aunt, Virginia, said. "'Di niya alam para saan 'yun; basta gamot lang na kailangan niya (He doesn't even know what they're for; just that they're meds that he needs)."
Paolo calls Virginia "mama", but his biological mother – Virginia's younger sister Vicky* – already passed away over eight years ago. And when his biological mother died, Vicky's child Paolo was given to Virginia, the ate (elder sister).
And now that Paolo is growing up, this – the taking of medicines – continues to be an issue that Virginia said is one of those that "we continue to face."
Apparently, though, this issue is not exactly surprising.
A new study in the US found that children born with HIV were "less likely to adhere to their medications as they aged from preadolescence to adolescence and into young adulthood." The study – led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – found that additionally, the prevalence of detectable viral load – an indication that the virus is not being managed by medications and a factor that's often associated with non-adherence – also increased with age.
The study is one of the first to examine why different age groups stop adhering to treatment (non-adherence). While the factors related to non-adherence varied by age group, youth who were concerned about side effects of the drugs were less likely to be adherent at most ages.
"As they approach adulthood, many youth face challenges, such as entering new relationships, managing disclosure of their HIV status, and changing to an adult HIV care provider. Ensuring successful HIV medication adherence before and throughout adolescence is critical," said lead author Deborah Kacanek, research scientist in Harvard Chan School's Department of Biostatistics. "We found that the factors that either supported adherence and a suppressed (undetectable) viral load, or made it harder for youth to adhere to treatment, varied depending on their age."
The study was published in AIDS.
This study is worth highlighting in the Philippines because HIV continues to also affect younger Filipinos.
In April 2019, there were 38 newly diagnosed adolescents 10-19 years old at the time of diagnosis. Further, two cases were 17 years old and 36 cases were 18-19 years old. Almost all (95%) were infected through sexual contact (six male-female sex, 19 male-male sex, and 11 had sex with both males and females), one was infected through sharing of needles and one had no data on mode of transmission. In addition, there were three diagnosed cases less than 10 years old and all were infected through vertical (formerly mother-to-child) transmission.
Globally, 1.8 million adolescents live with HIV; and adhering to regimens of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is key to managing the disease and reducing the risk of transmission. And yet "sticking to a daily regimen of medicine, however, is especially challenging for adolescents and young adults, who are navigating a range of physical, cognitive, social and emotional changes.
"Adherence can be more complicated for youth growing up with perinatal HIV, whose lifelong experiences with HIV, stigma, and multiple antiretroviral medications may pose challenges to achieving viral suppression that are different from youth who acquire HIV later in life."
To better understand these challenges and why young people may not adhere to their medications, the researchers followed 381 youth with perinatally acquired HIV for an average of 3.3 years. The youth were participants in the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study, which follows children and youth born with HIV or born exposed at birth to HIV to determine the impact of lifelong HIV and the long-term safety of antiretroviral regimens.
The preadolescents, adolescents and young adults in the study ranged from age 8 to 22 and were recruited from 15 different clinical sites in the US, including Puerto Rico. As part of the study, the researchers examined results from blood tests that measured viral loads, and they examined nearly 1,200 adherence evaluations in which study participants or their caregivers self-reported any missed doses of medication in the prior seven days.
The researchers found that from preadolescence to young adulthood, the prevalence of non-adherence increased from 31% to 50%. In addition, the prevalence of detectable viral load among the same age groups increased from 16% to 40%.
For each age group, different factors were associated with nonadherence. For example, during middle adolescence (15-17 years old), alcohol use, having an unmarried caregiver, indirect exposure to violence, stigma, and stressful life events were all associated with nonadherence.
"It is important to talk with youth about how to take medications properly, but our study highlights the need for those who care for these youths to focus also on age-related factors that may influence adherence," Kacanek said. "Services to help support adherence need to address both the age-related risks and build on the sources of strength and resilience among youth at different stages of development."
Other Harvard Chan School researchers who contributed to the study include Claire Berman, Yanling Huo, and Katherine Tassiopoulos.
Back in the Philippines, Virginia said that "mabuti ngang may gamot na (si Paolo)… pero marami pa ring isyu na di nasasagot, di nagagawan ng paraan (it's good Paolo's already taking antiretroviral medicine… but there are still numerous unanswered/unresolved issues)."
And with dealing with children living with HIV, this still continues to be the case…
Antiretroviral agent such as rilpivirine could improve pre-exposure prophylaxis
In an ex vivo model of HIV PrEP using tissue samples in the laboratory, the drug was associated with significant inhibition of HIV replication in rectal tissue, which persisted for up to four months after the last dose of rilpivirine. The drug was not, however, associated with viral suppression in cervicovaginal tissue.
A long-acting antiretroviral agent such as rilpivirine could further improve pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), already shown to be safe and effective at preventing AIDS in high risk populations, as it could overcome problems with poor medication adherence.
This is according to a new study examining the safety, acceptability, and effectiveness of multiple doses of injected rilpivirine, published in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
The article entitled "A Multiple Dose Phase 1 Assessment of Rilpivirine Long Acting in a Model of Preexposure Prophylaxis Against HIV" was coauthored by Ian McGowan, Orion Biotechnology (Ottawa, Canada) and an international team of researchers from University of Pittsburgh (PA), Magee Women Research Institute (Pittsburgh, PA), Alpha StatConsult (Damascus, MD), University of Liverpool (U.K.), University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Janssen Research and Development (Beerse, Belgium), The Translational Science Corp. (Los Angeles, CA), and University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine (Miami, FL).
In this phase 1 study, women and men received three intramuscular doses of rilpivirine eight weeks apart. The injections were shown to be safe and well tolerated, with injection site pain being the most common adverse effect. In an ex vivo model of HIV PrEP using tissue samples in the laboratory, the drug was associated with significant inhibition of HIV replication in rectal tissue, which persisted for up to four months after the last dose of rilpivirine. The drug was not, however, associated with viral suppression in cervicovaginal tissue.
Thomas Hope, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses and Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL states: "There is currently a significant effort to develop long-acting formulations of drugs that prevent HIV replication and can be utilized to prevent HIV acquisition (PrEP). PrEP works if properly taken. Long-acting formulations can eliminate problems when high risk individuals forget to take their pills every day. The development of successful long-acting PrEP formulations will decrease new HIV infections by providing improved protection from HIV acquisition by eliminating problems for individuals who don't like pills or can't remember to take their pill every day."
PLHIV who have compassionate care providers start, remain in treatment longer
Rutgers researchers find patients who perceive their primary care providers as lacking empathy and not willing to include them in decision making are at risk for abandoning treatment or not seeking treatment at all.
Adults with HIV are more likely to continue life-saving treatments if their primary health care providers show respect, unconditional empathy without judgement and demonstrate an ability to partner with patients in decision making to address their goals, a Rutgers study finds.
The systematic review appears in the Joanna Briggs Institute Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports.
The findings showed that the complexity of the illness, treatment regimen and overall healthcare system frequently overwhelms the patient and fear of stigma often prevents them from beginning or continuing treatment. The researchers found that patients need help in understanding their illness and care needs using understandable language to translate complex information, letting patients know what to expect and reinforcing that HIV is now a treatable, yet complex, chronic illness.
"Today, HIV is considered a chronic, treatable condition. However, this study found that many patients continue to view it as a death sentence," said lead author Andrea Norberg, executive director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center at Rutgers School of Nursing, which provides care for people with HIV, infectious diseases and immunologic disorders. "We know that people who are knowledgeable about HIV, who are engaged in care and taking antiretroviral therapy medications remain relatively healthy. Our challenge is to reach those people diagnosed with HIV and who are not retained or engaged in ongoing care. In the United States, this is approximately 49 percent of the 1.1 million people diagnosed."
The researchers included 41 studies published between 1997 to 2017. The sample populations included adults with HIV and their healthcare providers. All adults with HIV were between the ages of 18 and 65, represented diverse races and ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender identities. Healthcare providers included physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, social workers and others. The included studies had 1,597 participants.
They found that many patients experience stigma and a lack of compassion that is often grounded in primary care providers' ignorance about HIV and transmission risks. The resulting poor communication between providers and patients results in many patients' failure to seek or remain in care and adhere to antiretroviral therapy medications.
Patients reported feeling "grilled" by providers who often assumed they were not taking medications. Norberg suggested providers would be more successful in getting information from patients by allowing them to be honest, inquiring about their health goals and telling them how other patients have managed treatment.
Conversely, the researchers found that patients were more inclined to adhere to HIV treatment when their primary care providers showed empathy, true listening, trust, consideration of the whole person and involvement in decision making. However, many patients reported that healthcare providers viewed care only as "prescribing antiretroviral therapy medicine."
"Providers should use common language, not medical jargon, to educate patients about HIV, medications and how they can live a healthy life," Norberg said. "They should thoroughly teach them about the disease, the medications and side effects, and the meaning of the tests."
The researchers noted that providers who help patients navigate the health system, offer one-stop location of services and provide connections to psychological support, health insurance, medicine, transportation and other services, can help their patients stay engaged in care.
Primary healthcare providers can enroll in professional education to improve their knowledge about HIV, use of motivational interviewing skills and seek opportunities for experiential learning, observation and hands-on practice working directly with patients with HIV, Norberg said.
Other Rutgers authors included John Nelson, Cheryl Holly, Sarah T. Jewell and Susan Salmond.
New York City to repeal 'conversion therapy' ban to safeguard broader LGBTQIA protections
Being LGBTQ+ means nothing
Fathers may protect their LGB kids from health effects of discrimination
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The sign of beauty
Non-binary pronoun 'they' added to Merriam-Webster dictionary
Trans woman hacked to death in Bolinao, Pangasinan
'Labanan ang hamon ng buhay'
Easy access to modern tech has changed the face of multiplayer gaming
Bulacan holds 1st LGBTQIA summit
Behind the bars on LGBTQIA life in prison
Clarifications given on SOGIE Equality Bill; focus on 'facts over fake news' pushed
Trans woman hacked to death in Bolinao, Pangasinan
Gay entrepreneur Ricky Reyes – earlier sued for discriminating gay man with HIV – expresses opposition for equal rights
Jesus Is Lord Church founder cum politician claims SOGIE Equality Bill will only promote 'special' rights
SOGIE Equality Bill does not create, ascribe new rights – CHR
Robredo stresses SOGIE Equality Bill backing amid hesitant support from pols, says VP spox
'Conversion therapy' predominantly perpetrated by people acting in name of religion, pseudo-healthcare
'Give attention to people who actually suffer discrimination and violence' – Sister Mary John Mananzan
'Practice what we believe without inciting hate'
'Labanan ang hamon ng buhay'
'Practice what we believe without inciting hate'
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subset: commoncrawl


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According to Duc De Sully also called MARQUIS DE ROSNY , Maximilian de Bethune b. 13 December 1560, Mantes France. d. Dec. 22, 1641, Villebon, The son of François de Béthune, Baron de Rosny, he was brought up as a Huguenot and was sent at an early age to the court of Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV of France) Prime minister of France under the reign of King Henry IV of France. He said that the name Bethune "derives its origin, by the house of Coucy, from the ancient house of Austria: we must not , however, confound it with that which is at present in possession of the possession of the empire of Germany, and the two Spain's. This last is descended only from the Counts of Hapsburg and Quiburg, private gentlemen, who, three hundred years since, were in the pay of the cities of Strasburg, Basil, and Zurich, and who would have thought themselves highly honored by being stewards of the household to such a prince as the King of France..." (Memoirs of Sully, Book 1. 1570, pp. 60,61)
He goes on to say "The house of Bethune (which has given its name
to the city of Flanders, and from whence
issued the counts who anciently governed that province) boasts of one Robert
de Bethune, protector of the church of Arras, whose father and
grandfather, bearing also the name of Robert, were declared protectors
of the province of Artois."
See also Beaton of Balfour and Bethunes of Skye
Amorial Bearings of the Bethune Family
1999 Clifford P. Bethune
The material, images and information contained in these pages is copyright of Clifford. P. Bethune
Reproduction for personnel and research purposes is allowable. For other use's please contact the author.


text:
Interested in a T-shirt or coffee mug declaring TATTOO BITCH? Want a notebook that screams romance? Want to carry a tote bag with a monster on it? All of this and more can be yours! Check out my REDBUBBLE STORE, and TATTOO BITCH the shit outta some shit ;) Below are just a few examples of what you'll find there.
Note: I'm just saying that I enabled two miniskirts. If someone feels moved to rock a Roan Parrish miniskirt and post a pic of themselves doing so, it will be the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, and I will probably send you a book. One of these could be on your ass:


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Tag Archives: death
Professional Courtesy
Magazine: Galaxy's Edge Jul 2015
Galaxy's Edge Magazine – Issue 15 I'm shuffling through snowdrifts towards a Himalayan mountaintop temple. Why does it always have to be a mountaintop temple? Why can't it be the 'temple next to the burger king'? The wind dies down for a moment, giving me a glimpse of my goal through the blowing snow. Or […]
Goodbye, Little Girl
Warning: this post rambles and contains very little science fiction content. In my previous post, I inadvertently gave people the impression that I would quit blogging. The post was actually about the end of my latest career and my move from Catfish City, where I put up with backstabbing, theft, and fraud for three years. […]


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Art vs Commerce
Creative people pyramid scheme
3 Monetise
2 Build Audience
1 Make Good Things
So I've heard this a few times recently (Stripped Documentary & Surviving Creativity Podcast) and it's something I am trying to put into practice. When I first got excited about webcomics back in 2009 I worked my butt off to create these stories and worlds that I was passionate about. I wrote a business plan and printed books and even a few t-shirts (Webcomics Weekly Podcast said over and over not to do this but would I listen?) and tabled my first convention. I was serious about this being a business and being an indie startup. But I was getting WAY ahead of myself.
I think I just about broke even on the convention table (which is not bad) and it was fun meeting people who were genuinely interested in my work. There just weren't that many of them. I now have a couple boxes of books being stored at my folks place that I am now too embarrassed by to ever sell! That's because I've been keeping my head down for the last 5 years making things that excite me and pushing myself to improve my art and storytelling. I've made one other book which I am fairly proud of and I only printed up the pre-orders that came in so I learned my lesson. It is a tricky thing because you are told that you have to be an entrepreneur and be tenacious to get somewhere in this field but at the same time you need to be working on the right things to improve your art.
This pyramid explains how to make money from your creativity using the internet as a platform, be it art, music, film whatever. You can't skip steps and the first rung of the ladder is not as easy as it sounds. If you love what you are doing and do it for the love of your art then you will most likely make it up this ladder. Most people who become successful talk about being a ten year overnight success. No-one sees all the blood, sweat and tears that go into making a success. They just hear about it when you reached the top and say oh, how did you get up there? This is how.
3 Monetise
2 Build Audience
1 Make Good Things


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Hi everyone! Amy Prior back with you all again today to share a recent journal cover that I have decorated using tonnes of Shimmerz gorgeous paint products.
This Canvas journal comes raw and is an oldie from Prima Marketing. To start off the process of painting, I have sprayed the entire cover with water to help me avoid wasting too much paint. The whole journal comes apart so I could lay the journal cover flat which was a plus. With the cover nice and saturated, I have started blobbing random Shimmerz paints over the background using Magenta, Sunny & Tickle Me Turquoise. I have let the colours mix a little on the background to create green, orange and purple tones but I have dried it quickly using my heat gun to avoid too much mixing which would have created mud brown.
Next up I have added the stencilling using Shimmerz Tidy Widy Texturez paste through a Dina Wakely stencil. When the texturez paint was drying, I have started to paint my Blue Fern Studio Chipboard piece using various Shimmerz Inklingz colours as well as various Dazzlerz for added texture. The chipboard title was painted simply with some Spun Sugar Shimmerz Dazzlerz also.
The next process for this journal cover was to simply adhere it all together. I have added the chipboard circle first before adding my string pearls and metal trinkets. Next step was to add some Lace to the top and bottom followed by lots and lots of flowers because well I just never get enough flowers. Finally I have added some Jamie Dougherty arty chipboard stickers plus some Shimmerz Texturez paint to the tips of my flower petals. All that was left to do was put the journal back together and fill the interior. Stay tuned for the inside details another day.
Shimmerz paint products used include...
Shimmerz in Magenta, Sunny & Tickle Me Turquoise,
Dazzlerz in Gummy Berry Blue, Sour Apple, Jelly Bean Green, Lemon Drop, Spun Sugar,
Inklingz in Blue My Mind, Me and Blue, Meet Me @ Sunset, Giddy About Green & Beets Me
Shimmerz in Magenta, Sunny & Tickle Me Turquoise,
Dazzlerz in Gummy Berry Blue, Sour Apple, Jelly Bean Green, Lemon Drop, Spun Sugar,
Inklingz in Blue My Mind, Me and Blue, Meet Me @ Sunset, Giddy About Green & Beets Me
Thanks so much for stopping by and until next time, happy scrapping!


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Puppies Meal Time Description
Lord, Spike, Lassie and Spot are 4 lovely puppies who share the meal every day. They live near the forest and they have a mini restaurant there. They can choose every specialty they want because the restaurant is supplied every morning. Usually Spike and Lord eat more than the others so you have to give them more because a satisfied with food dog is a happy dog and a friend to you. Help the puppies with their requests because they need a human to serve them at every meal. Enjoy!
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Chicago Big Box Living Wage
Local 881 UFCW, in partnership with community and labor organizations, supported the Big Box Living Wage Ordinance in the Chicago City Council. The proposed ordinance, as adopted by the Committee on Finance in June 2006, would have required large retailers of at least 90,000 square ft. who make $1 billion in annual sales to pay its workers a living wage with health benefits by the year 2010.
|Phase-in to $10.00/hr in 2010
|Phase-in to $3.00/hr in 2010
|July 1, 2007
|July 1, 2007
|July 1, 2008
|July 1, 2008
|July 1, 2009
|July 1, 2009
|July 1, 2010
|July 1, 2010
**After 2010, living wage rate increases by the cost of living for wages and benefits.
Click here to see Big Box Living Wage Ordinance
Although the Chicago City Council voted in favor of the BBLW Ordinance on July 26, 2006 (35 Yes, 14 No, 1 Abstained), the Mayor vetoed the ordinance and the veto was ultimately sustained. Despite massive spending by corporations in opposition, a poll commissioned by NBC Channel 5 and the Chicago Sun Times at the time found that 74 percent of Chicagoans favored the passage of the Big Box Living Wage Ordinance.
Local 881 UFCW applauds the 31 Chicago City Aldermen who stood with working families by voting to override the veto of the Big Box Living Wage Ordinance and withstood immense pressure from multi-billion dollar corporations:
- Alderman Joe Moore (Chief Sponsor)
- Alderman Toni Preckwinkle
- Alderman Freddrenna Lyle
- Alderman Todd H. Stroger
- Alderman Anthony Beale
- Alderman John Pope
- Alderman Frank J. Olivo
- Alderman Edward M. Burke
- Alderman Theodore Thomas
- Alderman Latasha Thomas
- Alderman Thomas W. Murphy
- Alderman Virginia A. Rugai
- Alderman Ricardo Munoz
- Alderman Michael R. Zalewski
- Alderman Michael D. Chandler
- Alderman Billy Ocasio
- Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr.
- Alderman Ed H. Smith
- Alderman Ariel E. Reboyras
- Alderman Ray Suarez
- Alderman Theodore Matlak
- Alderman Richard F. Mell
- Alderman Rey Colon
- Alderman William J. P. Banks
- Alderman Thomas R. Allen
- Alderman Margaret Laurino
- Alderman Patrick J. O'Connor
- Alderman Brian G. Doherty
- Alderman Patrick J. Levar
- Alderman Gene Schulter
- Alderman Mary Ann Smith


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Invisible Teeth StraighteningBeautiful Smiles For The Whole Family
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Renting a one-bedroom apartment will cost you more in San Francisco than anywhere else in the U.S. — and the market for buying a home isn't any better.
PropertyShark did an in-depth analysis of home sales over the last decade, seeing how the median price per square foot has changed since 2004. While some neighborhoods, like Russian Hill in the northern part of the city and Excelsior in the south, saw no change at all, most neighborhoods saw at least a modest rise in median sale prices.
The neighborhoods that saw the greatest increases are highlighted in red in the map below. 2004 prices were adjusted for inflation.
The areas that are home to tech companies like Zynga, Dropbox, and Yelp had the biggest 10-year increases by far.
In the Inner Mission, home sale prices have risen a full 47% since 2004. SoMa saw home prices rise by 32%, while the Dogpatch recorded an increase of 43%.


text: eric aho studied at the central school of art and design in london, england and received a bfa from the massachusetts college of art in boston. in 1989 he participated in the first exchange of scholars in over thirty years between the u.s. and cuba. from 1989 to 1998, aho taught painting at the putney school in putney, vermont. he completed his graduate work at the lahti art institute in finland supported by a fulbright fellowship in 1991-92, and an american-scandinavian foundation grant in 1993. aho was elected national academician of the national academy museum in 2009. the currier museum of art was the first american museum to present a survey exhibition of eric aho's work in 2012. aho's latest abstract paintings capture the lived, remembered, and imagined experience of being outdoors. through the unexpected use of color, vigorous paint handling and surprising compositions, his paintings make palpable the immediacy of nature and the intangibles of light and movement.


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Large Tote Bag - Heritage Turquoise
Large Tote Bag - Heritage Turquoise
Large tote bag to match your Heritage Turquoise scarf! Bag measures 19"W x 14H" x 5"D. Design is printed on both sides of the tote bag and is a durable micro fiber. Black leather trim. Complete with long shoulder strap. Inside padded compartment large enough for a 15" computer.
There are 3 of these in stock now.
Also available as a special order to match any other Kathy Beal Signature Scarf. 4 week delivery. Please email me if you'd like to order one.
Add To Cart


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- Home
- About NAFCM
- Become a Member
- Practitioner & Program Resources
- Public: Need Help?
- Donate
- Contact Us
|Overview of Community Mediation
Share |
Community mediation provides a non-profit framework for creating access to mediation services at the community level with control and responsibility of dispute resolution actions staying in the community.
Mediation helps to rebuild relationships, find agreements and develop permanent solutions to disputes.
Mediation is a process allowing individuals to speak for themselves and make decisions that are correct for them.


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I have a question. Ive set up our new website, all css based. It works great in all but IE7 (even IE8 looks good). I'm stressed and cannot figure out what to do. I've got repeating regions that are not recognizing the float CSS code. (Only the 1st region on each row reads properly.) and an entire floating div isn't floating left. driving me nuts
- Can you be more specific? I checked the site in FF/Mac and IE7/PC and can't seem to duplicate the problem.
- Same here, looks similar in IE7/WinXP and Fx3/WinXP
2 answers
Good idea to fix code first, then sort out browser differences: [Invalid] Markup Validation of urbanedition.biz - W3C Markup Validator
IE8 does not act like IE8 compatibility mode which does not act like IE7 which does not act like IE6 and none of them act like any other browser on the planet and that is the hand Microsoft has dealt you.
What doesn't help is not having valid markup and you have far too many validation errors in your html and one in your css that all need to be cleaned up first.


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Thursday, September 3, 2015
IFA 2015 - Lenovo YOGA Tablet 3 - 8" and 10"
Lenovo has unveiled two new tablets to their YOGA line , the new Lenovo YOGA Tablet 3 series consists of a 8" model and a 10" model which are well price and LTE equipped . The Lenovo YOGA Tablet 3 8" model (the 10" model is almost identical in some specs) comes with a 1.3Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 Soc , 1GB of RAM , 16GB of storage and a MicroSD card that supports upto 128GB . This Android 5.1 powered tablet has a 1280x800 resolution display that supports a pixel count of 189ppi and a feature that lets any metallic object be used as a ad-hoc stylus . The tablet has Dolby Atmos stereo speakers up front , as well as Lenovo's signature metal stand that tucks away into the chassis which is also where you can find a 8MP rear camera which you can use as a swivel head to take either a front photo or rear one . A 6200 mAh battery is present on the 8" model and the wifi version of this tablet can be bought for $169 while the LTE version can be bought for $199 .
The specifications inside the 10" model of the Lenovo Yoga 3 is almost identical to the 8" model .The processor , ram , storage options , the design and even the camera and display resolution is kept the same , the only difference can be found in the display where the 149ppi provided by the 1280x800 resolution can be easily found out .The 10" model has a larger 8400 mAh battery but both the 8" model and the 10" one are calibrated to have 20 hours of moderate usage . The Lenovo Tablet 3 10" model costs $199 for the wifi one and $249 for the LTE one .
Source - Digitaltrends
reported by Unknown at 9:16 PM
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Sandbox Tutorial for JSON
This section provides a tutorial that will help you build a Java application using the MapR-DB JSON Java API library.
This tutorial is an implementation of the Open JSON Application Interface (OJAI) API library. Basic information about using the MapR-DB Shell (JSON Tables) utility for JSON tables is also included in this document.
About OJAI
The MapR-DB JSON Java API library leverages MapR-DB support for OJAI in many areas, including:
- Tables
- Sub-documents
- Efficient access to data
- Large document support
- Security
Key features of the API library include:
- APIs for manipulating JSON documents
- Extensions to the Hadoop ecosystem:
- Efficient parsing of large files
- MapReduce integration
JSON Support
MapR-DB, in addition to its support of the key-value model (column family), now offers a Document Model. This means that applications can use a JSON document to represent data. JSON is built on two structures:
- A collection of name/value pairs. In various languages, this is realized as an object, record, struct, dictionary, hash table, keyed list, or associative array.
- An ordered list of values. In most languages, this is realized as an array, vector, list, or sequence.
{ "_id" : "001", "first_name" : "John", "last_name" : "Doe", "age" : 45, "email" : "email@example.com", "interests" : ["sports", "movies"], "address" : { "street" : "1015 Main Street", "city" : "San Jose", "state" : "CA", "zip" : "95106" } }
MapR-DB stores the documents in tables. An interesting aspect of MapR-DB JSON is that inside a table, documents can have a different structure.
Documents inside MapR-DB must have a unique identifier stored in the
MapR-DB does not store the documents as a whole in a single location. Instead, MapR-DB creates fields for each attribute and nested documents/attributes. This allows MapR-DB to access the information very efficiently. When you read, for example using projection, or when you edit a document, only the necessary fields will be modified. MapR-DB can store very large documents, for example, multi-GB documents, if the application requires it.
- Download MapR Sandbox (Version 5.1)
- Configure OJAI in your Maven project.
- Sample Projects


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International Summer University WU
ISUWU stands for ...
"I" for International Academic Education...
…provided by a team of experienced WU and international lecturers who offer a large variety of business-related courses in English. These courses do not aim to provide basic knowledge, but to deepen the students' understanding of business topics. Engaging teaching methods are used in all courses and are complemented by interesting company visits.
"S" for Social Networking…
…by living and working together in an intercultural students group during an intensive 3-week program with the possiblity to immerge into the Austrian culture. Courses, company visits, field trips, and many social activities in and around Vienna provide participants with ample opportunities to interact with peers from around the world, build long-lasting friendships, and widen their cultural horizons.
"U" for Unforgettable Experiences
Students will make unique experiences by also benefitting from the location of the program:
... The Campus.
Europe's largest university of economics and business with just under 23.000 students originating from 110 countries moved to a brand-new campus in October 2013. Making its home right beside the famous Prater park, the campus catches attention due to its unique modern architecture providing an ideal environment for students, teachers and research purposes..
... The City of Vienna.
Not only rich in history and culture, Vienna has also been voted the city with the highest quality of living according to the Mercer survey for several consecutive times in a row. The capital is home to magnificent historical buildings, traditional coffee houses and offers beautiful landscapes and recreational opportunities in the immediate surroundings. Numerous international organisations are based in Vienna, such as the United Nations.
... The Country, Austria.
Lying in the heart of Europe, the small alpine nation is a gateway between East and West in Europe and a central hub for travel and commerce. Balancing perfectly between the urban and the outdoors, Austria provides opportunities for every taste, from cresting high mountains to strolling down the streets of imperial Vienna.
from WUtv
Joining the ISU WU has been an enriching experience on both the academic and personal levels. The academic courses deepened my knowledge in my field of study. The diversity within the classroom created a challenging environment where everyone tried to share and communicate their thoughts as clear as they can. I'm going back home and leaving a piece of my heart in this delightful city and its amazing people and atmosphere. Until we meet again, Vienna!
Farah Ibrahim, ISU WU Scholarship Holder (American University of Cairo)


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This sale lasts 12 hours...but these 10 boxes won't!The last time I did a lightning sale for the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo it nearly wiped out my entire stock. And for good reason! Last year these sticks were named 'The Best Cigar of 2015' by Cigar Aficionado. Truth is...I only have enough of these smokes left for a 12-hour sale. If that. So if you're already privy to the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo line, get a head start here:
Save 12% on My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo (For the next 12 hours!)This cigar's box pressed torpedo shape gives it a pleasing look and a nice, weighty feel. It has a wonderful draw and a steadiness throughout, burning as beautifully as it looks. No touch ups required. The smoke starts off very mellow and smooth. I immediately noted a thick nut like flavor followed by a hint of pepper that quickly builds. (Side-note: be ready!) During the second third, there is a nice creaminess paired with a delicate hint of chocolate. The light chocolate flavor continues to build and gracefully transitions in the last third to a woody, spicy finish. Ready to try one for yourself? For the next 12 hours...save 12% off Boxes & 10% off 5 Packs! PLUS! If you order a My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo right now and you'll also receive: ++FREE Black Sheep Extra Large Ice Mold Set ++FREE Shipping (with Box Purchase) PS. I'm including the Black Sheep XXL Ice Sphere set for free. They're basically large ice spheres and I love 'em! They'll keep your beverage cool, yet strong. Because a cigar like the Le Bijou 1922 deserves the perfect beverage. My gift to you! :) PPS. This 12% off "Lightning Sale" ends in 12 hours...or when we are sold out
Perfect...we've got you covered.
Join the Cigars Direct Insider's List today...and get 10% off your first purchase immediately! Enter your information below for instant access!


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Andy Serkis plays dual roles for 'The Hobbit'
An exclusive clip featuring Andy Serkis from the bonus features of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" Blu-ray and DVD. Warner Bros. Pictures
The actor reprises Gollum plus helps Peter Jackson in the 'Unexpected Journey' director's chair.
Andy Serkis was important on both sides of the camera for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
The English actor reprised his motion-capture Lord of the Rings role as the weathered little weirdo Gollum in the first of Peter Jackson's Hobbit movies, but also was a second-unit director for many scenes of the film, including several battles.
The special features of The Hobbit Blu-ray and DVD (out Tuesday) include a slew of Jackson's behind-the-scenes production videos, with Serkis and others part of a special look at location scouting, filming in 3-D and other production ins and outs. (The home-video release also includes a code for Jackson's live first look this Sunday at the second Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug, in theaters Dec. 14.)
Camera crews were constantly documenting Jackson's video diaries, Serkis says. "There isn't a single second of a day that isn't recorded in some way, shape or form and you just got used to it. You become so used to conversing with the cameras — it is like this other character which is there monitoring what is going on."
The first thing Jackson filmed for The Hobbit two years ago was the memorable meeting between Gollum and Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) in the Misty Mountains, where Gollum — the transformed former hobbit named Smeagol — has been hanging out while going on a downward spiral of crazy for 500 years.
It's a different Gollum than we saw in Lord of the Rings, though, according to Serkis. He hasn't been tortured by Sauron, still is in possession of the One Ring and is simply delighted to have some company.
"Suddenly, to have someone who he recognizes as a fellow hobbit — because of course, he was a hobbit before he became addicted to the ring — and to be able to have a game of riddles, nothing could be better. Life is good," Serkis explains.
"Of course, the Gollum side of his personality just wants to kill Bilbo in a very expedient way so that they have some dinner. Therein lies the conflict in the character."
Serkis also enjoyed his behind-the-scenes role as a director, and found that the key to a great battle scene — and adding to the "hack and slash of it all" — is having human beats in the storytelling that make it poignant. (He's also taking on the role of second-unit director for The Desolation of Smaug as well as the third Hobbit movie, next year's There and Back Again.)
"In Helm's Deep, for instance, as much as it is people hacking on the battlements, it is the women and children who are hiding underneath that you cut away to which gives you the import and the fear and the implications and the ramifications of the battle," Serkis says. "So it is always the human cause and cost within that conflict."


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Patrick Windhorst of Metropolis has defeated two other challengers Tuesday evening in the Republican race for state representative of the 118th District.
With 99 percent of the vote counted, Windhorst had a commanding 54 percent of the vote compared to his nearest challenger, Wes Sherrod of Harrisburg, who received 26 percent of the vote. Samuel Stratemeyer of Metropolis was in third with 20 percent of the vote.
The 118th District covers 11 counties in Southern Illinois, from Hamilton County to Alexander County.
"I'd like to thank all my supporters, friends and family for their hard work to make this night possible," Windhorst said. "Without them, I wouldn't win this primary. I am going to cherish this victory and maybe take a couple of days off and then get right back on the campaign trail."
The Massac County state's attorney since 2004, Windhorst said he is running for state office because he believes he can make a difference in Springfield.
"I made my decision to run mainly because of my family," he said. "I have a wife (Holly) and two young children (Lucy and Leo). I want my children and the people of my district to have a bright future. But we can't have that bright future if things stay the same in Springfield. The policies that have been set are holding us back. I want to be a part of change."
Sherrod said he has no regrets about running.
"We tried as hard as we could," he said. "My wife (Kirsha), kids (Brandon and Tiffany) and I ran the entire campaign. We just didn't have the funding to make it work. It was quite an education, though. I won't be running for public office again."
Sherrod said he wishes Windhorst well in the fall.
"Patrick's a great guy. We became friends during the campaign. When I conceded to him, I told him that I would help him any way that I could."
Windhorst said he believes his race is "winnable" and that his opponent, Natalie Phelps-Finnie, and her extended family (former congressman David Phelps and former state Rep. Brandon Phelps) have failed to bring positive change to the district.
"She supports Mike Madigan, and if elected, I will vote to replace him, because whoever is Speaker will have control over what is voted on in the House," Windhorst said. "The people of Southern Illinois feel left out down here. I think they're ready for a new direction in Springfield and I want to be part of that new direction."
Windhorst added that he first needs to improve his standing in Saline County, where Sherrod easily outdistanced him.
"It's important to have a good showing there in the fall. I will be spending a lot of time there between now and November."


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Top Tips for Membership Renewal
We've got some insights into the things your organisation can do to keep members hooked. Get comfortable, grab a notepad and dig in…
The leaky bucket is one of our favourite subjects, for membership organisations the ability to hold on to existing members is a crucial part of day-to-day work. It's no surprise then that a high membership renewal rate can be the secret to success when paired with intelligent acquisition efforts. But what can organisations do to keep members satisfied and coming back for more?
Value is crucial
At Infinite Rewards we're obsessed with value, and for good reason. For membership organisations, delivering tangible value for members should be central to everything you do. Of course it's easier said than done, with real value invariably costing more. Awareness of your competition is one way to benchmark your organisation's offering, could you do more while keeping your costs in line with your targets?
The secret is to measure your value. If you can put a figure alongside it, do so. If not, rank it alongside your competition or the industry standard. Is the value you offer directly related to your core business or organisational offering? Or do you provide value that transfers into other elements of your members' life? Could doing this help you to differentiate from others in your field? It'll certainly be a consideration for members when it comes to time for renewal.
Make it happen
Offering benefits to members is a simple way to attract people, but without those benefits actually being utilised by members, they have no value. It's as much up to you as your members to ensure they access and enjoy their benefits. An unused membership will not be renewed. There are a variety of ways you can prompt members to take advantage of benefits, from marketing and informational communications to special offers and exclusives, you'll have to be creative.
If you have the ability to measure use, remind those who haven't taken advantage of benefits for a while. They might have forgotten about membership, or maybe they just needed prompting. Members will feel valued and, dependent on what you can do to reel them back in, could be more persuaded to use their membership.
Do your homework
Successful membership recruitment is more than hit and hope. Renewals are no different. Find out what benefits your members are using and offer up more of the same. Reach out to them through the channels they prefer and make it easy for them to access the things they want. Increased uptake of benefits will be the first indicator of success, increased renewals will be the second.
So, how do you find out what members want? Well there are two ways – you can ask, or you can monitor. Simple questionnaires are a great way to get in-depth information on your members' preferences and interests. Where surveys fail, you could try tracking. It doesn't have to be too invasive, simple things such as keeping a record of the most popular benefits and how they relate to demographics in your audience will be enough to go on. Once you have that intel, use it!
Make renewals easy
Let your members know well ahead of time when renewals are approaching. You can do this via an inexpensive method such as SMS or email, but remember to research and use the member's preferred form of contact. Informing members is only half the battle. You'll also need to make it as easy as possible to extend memberships.
Web signups are a simple way to make membership renewals as painless as possible. Make sure it's equally useful on a smartphone as on a laptop and try to present a few key elements on a single, secure page. Of course you'll have to present all of the standard Ts & Cs and it'll need to be passed by your legal department or advisor. If you're using an SMS system, you'll want to have a call centre option available for signup.
Budget smart
There's a balance to be struck in all things, and in membership organisation budgets it's paramount to strike a balance between acquisition and retention. While it may be true that it's cheaper to keep an existing member than to acquire a new one, your growth depends on adding to a stable figure. Emphasise renewals over acquisitions in your budget, and if you get the balance right you'll note that growth is the most likely result.
It's a forgotten element in much of modern marketing, but referrals only result from happy customers. You'll be surprised how many new members you can gain just by treating existing members well. Invest in delivering the best service possible to your members and they'll do some of the leg work for you when it comes to securing the next generation of members.
Value long-standing customers
Do this quite literally. Put a figure alongside how much you would be willing to spend to keep each member. Once you know this, put that sum into marketing, offers and discounts to make renewal more attractive to your existing members. Money off a renewal doesn't have to be the first attempt, but don't forget about it as an option.
If money off memberships isn't your style (for premium clubs or luxury brands it might not fit your narrative) you might try to tempt renewals by putting that value into benefits towards the end of the membership. It means when renewal dates arrive, the memory of something great will be fresh in the minds of your members.
There are lots of ways to tempt members to renew. Often it's a matter of demonstrating value and removing the barriers to renewal. At Infinite Rewards, we make it possible for membership organisations to provide measurable value through easily redeemable offers and benefits. Find out more about our service here.


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Sounders Insider
Reign: USA women vs. Brazil in Seattle
Here's the word from the club:
Seattle Reign FC announced today that the club has begun accepting deposits for 2016 Season Ticket Memberships.
In a unique arrangement with U.S. Soccer, with a deposit of $50 fans will receive a pre-sale code for early access to purchase tickets to the U.S. Women's National Team's (USWNT) Victory Tour match against Brazil at CenturyLink Field on Wednesday, October 21 at 7 p.m. PT. In addition, fans placing a deposit will receive a limited edition #SRFCUSA scarf and gain automatic entry into a drawing to attend an exclusive pre-match party hosted by Reign FC at THE NINETY before the USWNT match.
"The fans in Seattle and Washington State mean so much to me - I am so excited for the opportunity to play with the USWNT in my hometown," said two–time World Cup golden glove winner and Reign FC Goalkeeper Hope Solo. "I've been playing soccer for 30 years in Washington State and dreamed of winning a World Cup since I was a kid. Being able to bring the USWNT Victory Tour to Seattle and share it with my friends, family, and fans is a dream come true."
Reign FC's Rapinoe and Solo were both key members of the USWNT World Cup winning squad. Rapinoe played 462 minutes and started a total of six matches. Her two goals lifted the USA over Australia in their 3-1 opening group stage win of the tournament on June 8. Solo had a standout tournament as well, capturing the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper. She played all 630 minutes of the tournament in goal for the USWNT, recorded five clean sheets, and allowed just three goals in seven matches.
The match at CenturyLink Field will be the fifth on the USWNT's Victory Tour. The U.S. Women's National Team has not played in Seattle since 2002, when it played a CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup match at Safeco Field.
"The support for Seattle Reign FC has been incredible, especially after the World Cup win by the US Women's National Team in July," said Bill Predmore, owner of Seattle Reign FC. "With this support we believe Seattle showed they deserved a place on the USWNT Victory Tour, giving fans their first chance to see the US Women's National Team play in Seattle in over a dozen years."
"Seattle is a great soccer town with a long history of supporting its local clubs and our national teams," said Sunil Gulati, President of the U.S. Soccer Federation. "Over the last three years the Seattle Reign have done a tremendous job of giving fans in Seattle the chance to experience world-class women's soccer on a regular basis, giving us confidence that there will be significant interest when the U.S. Women's National Team plays Brazil in Seattle this October."
Fans interested in placing a deposit on 2016 Season Tickets should visit www.reignfc.com/seasontix or they can call (855) REIGN-FC. Despite record-breaking attendance this season, Reign FC will not raise ticket prices for the upcoming season. To accommodate expected increases in attendance for the 2016 season, the club will open up the lower level of the south grandstand at Memorial Stadium.
About Seattle Reign FC:
Seattle Reign FC is one of nine teams in the National Women's Soccer League. The NWSL is supported by the Canadian Soccer Association, Federation of Mexican Football and the United States Soccer Federation. The NWSL is the premier women's professional soccer league in North America, featuring many of the top players from the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as talent from around the world. Seattle Reign FC train and host home matches at Memorial Stadium, located in the shadow of the Space Needle next to the Seattle Center. For more information on the club visit www.ReignFC.com or call 855-REIGNFC.
Don Ruiz: 253-597-8808


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OFDM superchannel that consists of multiple low speed individually-modulated subbands has been proposed for high speed optical transmission and flexible optical networks with multiple data rate accommodation. In this work, we investigate the feasibility of superchannel multicasting and verify it utilizing multiple-pump FWM in highly nonlinear fiber. 400 Gb/s PDM-OFDM superchannel that consists of ten subbands is successfully delivered from one superchannel to up to seven different superchannels with error free operation. Pump power and signal power are also optimized to achieve the optimal multicasting performance.
©2013 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
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"Meaning makes a great many things endurable – perhaps everything." Carl Jung
Meet Lysle: I believe people seek meaning and contentment in their lives. I am passionate about self-discovery, life transitions, identity, spirituality, and life purpose. Who am I? Where do I belong? What is next? How do I break free from rigid roles, deep-rooted patterns, and old ways of thinking that no longer work? With creativity, curiosity, and hope these are the questions I like to explore with clients, no matter the age or stage of life. From adolescence through adulthood we strive for growth and happiness, ponder our deepest selves, and seek our place in the world – as human beings it is our nature to evolve, develop, and grow. In a sense we are always becoming, always emerging into that person we are meant to be. Yet, life is messy, uncertain, and complex with no single belief system or way to live; tragedy, trauma, transitions, and life interruptions arise. Growth stops. We get stuck. We lose sight of who we are and what we want. I like to help clients sift through the messiness of life and regain a sense of vitality, purpose, and meaning. I firmly believe there is meaning in the messiness!
My approach is holistic with an emphasis on personal transformation through exploration of one's inner resources. I help clients tap into the natural wisdom of the mind, body, and spirit. I incorporate tools to integrate and foster connection between the unconscious parts of oneself and the present moment. By honoring the "here and now" while at the same time taking a deeper look at past experience we can illuminate a new path forward. Expanded consciousness that brings about change is built through intentional cultivation and deeper knowledge of oneself; real and lasting change begins with awareness. Suffering stands to be a part of life but when we begin to unpack our suffering in the presence of a trusted other we can shift our thoughts, attitudes, and ability to manage the ups and downs of life.
I am a Licensed Master Social worker and psychotherapist under the supervision of Tammy Linseisen, LCSW, ACSW. I incorporate modalities from both Western and Eastern traditions drawing from depth psychology, attachment theory, family systems theory, relational psychology, and body-centered therapies such as Yoga. I believe in the power of healing through connection and consider the therapeutic relationship a powerful and transformational relationship that offers a sacred space for growth and change. At heart, I believe meaning and joy can be found amidst the messiness of life!
*Keep an eye out for our expanded group offerings that will begin in September. These will include parent groups, LGBTQ and non-binary groups for teens, college student groups and other adult groups. Get on the list to be the first to hear about all our new offerings!


text: Home - About Us - Scientists Kent Smith, Ph.D. Kent is the Associate Dean of the Office for the Advancement of American Indians in Medicine and Science and Professor of Anatomy at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and an Affiliated Research Associate at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Kent attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University to pursue his interests in science, but completed his bachelor's degree at Cameron University where he majored in biology and biochemistry. He continued his studies at Midwestern State University where he earned his master's degree in biology. At the University of Oklahoma, he earned a Ph.D. in Zoology. Kent's research interests include the paleobiology, biogeography, and systematics of late Neogene mammals of the Great Basin, Great Plains regions, and Colorado Plateau of North America. He uses a number of techniques and approaches including multivariate statistical analyses, computer-assisted phylogenetic analysis, field collections, and surveys. His teaching duties include an array of graduate courses in gross anatomy, comparative vertebrate anatomy, field techniques in vertebrate paleontology, paleomammalogy as well as clinical courses in human anatomy and sports medicine. Nick Czaplewski, Ph.D. Nick works as a Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology of the University of Oklahoma. Nick received his bachelor's and master's degrees in biology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and his PhD in zoology at Northern Arizona University. Nick's research interests are in the systematics, paleontology, natural history, and biogeography of Cenozoic mammals in the western hemisphere, especially in the North American Southwest. He feels privileged to have been trained and mentored by many skilled persons close to the earth and nature in both professional and nonprofessional capacities. He actively works to "pass it forward" to youth and adults by teaching museum public programs, OU classes, and volunteering in ecological restoration, conservation projects, and field programs such as Native Explorers. Nick lives in Norman with his wife Cheryl and their daughter Jessica. Ian Browne, Ph.D. Ian is a postdoctoral fellow at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences where he co-teaches gross anatomy to first-year medical students, and is a research associate at the San Diego Natural History Museum. His research interests are focused on the response of small-mammal communities to a period of climate change that occurred approximately 15 million years ago and on developing new methodologies to dramatically decrease the cost of 3D scanning microscopic fossils.Ian received a BS in geology from California State University San Bernardino in 1999, a MS in geological sciences from the University of California Riverside in 2003, and his Ph.D. at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in 2015. Prior to returning to graduate school to pursue his Ph.D. Ian worked for five years as a mitigation paleontologist for the San Diego Natural History Museum's Department of PaleoServices where he documented and recovered fossils from construction sites. Rich Cifelli, Ph.D. Rich is Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Sam Noble Museum and Presidential Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Oklahoma. He joined the museum staff and university faculty in 1986 and has served both continuously since.Cifelli earned an A.B. (1976) in Sociology at Colby College and an A.M. (1979) in Anthropology at the University of Chicago before turning his interest to paleontology, then completed his M.Phil. (1980) and Ph.D. (1983) in Geology & Geophysics at Columbia University. Subsequently, he was a Fellow-in-Residence (1983-1985) at the Smithsonian Institution, and served briefly as Visiting Curator (1985-1986) at the Museum of Northern Arizona, before coming to Oklahoma.Cifelli's primary research interests include vertebrate assemblages from the Mesozoic of the Western Interior. He has collaborated on studies of varied types of vertebrates, from lungfishes to dinosaurs, but his primary area of interest is in Cretaceous mammals. Subject matter for Rich's research comes from the collections made in the course of field work over the past 34 years, particularly in Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, and Texas. At OU, Cifelli teaches an introductory geology/ biology class on dinosaurs and an advanced undergraduate/ graduate course in vertebrate paleobiology. He has also served as faculty mentor for a number of undergraduate and graduate students. Holly Woodward Ballard, Ph.D. Holly Woodward Ballard is a paleohistologist, and studies fossil bone tissue microstructures to understand the growth and development of extinct animals. Specifically, she makes use of large-sample osteohistology to assess growth dynamics, individual variability, and survivorship in dinosaurs and other extinct vertebrates, while utilizing the bone microstructure of extant vertebrates to provide a framework for paleohistologic inferences. Her interests led to fieldwork in Mongolia and Australia, as well as to ongoing fieldwork in North America. As an undergraduate, Holly majored in Geology with a paleontology concentration at North Carolina State University. She was introduced to the field of paleohistology while a graduate student at Texas Tech University, resulting in her M.Sc. thesis describing the bone microstructure of the sauropodAlamosaurus. In 2012 she received a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from Montana State University. While at MSU, she studied histologic variation in archosaurs, with particular emphasis on the growth history of the dinosaurMaiasaura. After spending a year as Paleontology Collections Manager at the Museum of the Rockies, Holly joined the faculty of Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences as Assistant Professor of Anatomy. She holds research affiliations at the Museum of the Rockies and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Paul Gignac, Ph.D. Paul Gignac an evolutionary biomechanist and vertebrate paleontologist. His research focuses on how highly integrated anatomical systems undergo phenotypic change without compromising their biological roles. He is particularly interested in musculoskeletal and dental development and evolution among fossil and extant archosaurs and other reptiles. Paul received his BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 2004 from the University of Connecticut. His honors senior thesis examined cranial kinesis as an adaptation for feeding in lizards. He received his PhD in Biological Science in 2010 from Florida State University, where he studied ontogenetic changes in crocodylian feeding biomechanics. After joining the faculty of Stony Brook University as a Human Gross Anatomy Instructor, Paul is now an Assistant Professor at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa, OK. He has done paleontological fieldwork in North America and Africa and holds research affiliations the American Museum of Natural History, Field Museum, and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Anne Weil, Ph.D. Anne is an advocate of inclusivity in the sciences and of projects involving citizen science; her first involvement in a science project as a child was catching and tagging Monarch butterflies on their Fall migration, as part of an enormous study run to discover the overwintering area of the Eastern North American population. Eschewing entomology, Anne is now a vertebrate paleontologist, researching mostly the extinct mammalian group Multituberculata, and also biotic recovery from mass extinction events in Earth's history. She is also at least a little interested in all things Mesozoic, and has worked extensively in the Late Cretaceous age (110-66 million years old) sediments of North America. Current projects include excavation of a dinosaur-bearing site in the Morrison Formation, which is about 150 million years old. Anne's teaching responsibilities are diverse, including Medical Gross Anatomy, Statistics, and field methods in Paleontology. She is currently an Associate Professor at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, and an Affiliated Research Associate at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Her education followed a less straight line than many, as she received an A.B. in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard College in 1988, an M.A. in Geological Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin in 1992, and a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by postdoctoral research in Duke University's Department of Biological Anthropology. Lee Bement, Ph.D. Leland has been with the Survey for 20 years. Significant research projects include the 10,500 year old Cooper bison kills, and the 10,800 year old Jake Bluff bison kill. Education: Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1991 M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1986 B.A. from Fort Lewis College, Colorado in 1979 Specialization: Paleoindian studies, Animal bone identification, Hunter-gatherer adaptations, rock art, stone tool technologies, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Publications: 2 books, including one on the Cooper site 48 journal articles numerous other research reports Much of this work has been funded by Historic Preservation grants, the National Geographic Society, and the National Science Foundation as well as from private donations. Tribal workings: Cheyenne-Arapaho, Apache, Comanche, Kiowa. Classes at the undergraduate and graduate level include archaeology field schools, archaeological laboratory techniques, animal bone identification, and human mobility and sedentism. In addition to being a Research Archeologist at the Survey, Leland is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Anthropology and Graduate Faculty member at OU, Adjunct Full Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences and Graduate Faculty member at OSU, Stillwater, and a Research Fellow at the Museum of Texas Tech, Lubbock.


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UN Side Event Webcast April 23: Radioactive Waste and Canada's First Nations
Message from Dr. Gordon Edwards of CCNR (Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility):
The following is a link to the United Nations archived webcast of a special event, "Radioactive Waste and Canada's First Nations", held on April 23, 2018, on the occasion of the 17th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Speakers are:
1. Candace Neveau, youth and mother, Bawating Water Protectors, Anishinabek Nation.
2. Grand Chief Joseph Norton, Mohawk Nation of Kahnawà:ke, Iroquois Caucus.
3. Grand Chief Patrick Madahbee, Anishinabek Nation, Union of Ontario Indians.
4. Dr. Gordon Edwards, President, Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility.
5. Chief April Adams-Phillips, Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne, Iroquois Caucus.
6. Dr. Ole Hendrickson, Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County and Area, Ottawa, Ontario.
7. Chief Clinton Phillips, Mohawk Nation of Kahnawà:ke, Iroquoid Caucus.
8. Chief Troy Thompson, Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne, Iqoquois Caucus.
April 24, 2018 | Print Article | | Email Article


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Money effects everyone and whatever our financial situation, it has the potential to cause us stress.
The Christians Against Poverty Money Course is a free three week course that will teach you budgeting skills and a simple, cash-based system that works so you can budget, save and prevent debt. Whether you feel pretty organised or it's like a lucky dip every time you try to withdraw cash from your account, this course will help you take complete control of your finances.
Topics Covered
How to Build a Budget
Balancing a Budget
The CAP Money System
Using Cash
Debt Reduction


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Step by Step is to assist women who are, have been or are at risk of being incarcerated to claim their gifts and strengths as the foundation on which to rebuild their lives. And Step by Step fulfills its mission through the various programs it offers to incarcerated women and women on the outside.
The heart of Step by Step's programming is a highly-structured eight-week workshop focusing on the life stories of women and the gifts and strengths that can be discovered and claimed in their stories.
Eight workshops are provided with various themes: self esteem, survival, relationships, following our dreams, etc.
The common beliefs that guide the workshops are:
These workshops offer the women a structured environment for learning and self-reflection. They provide a safe environment for discussing issues of concern and provide role models of women who are leading productive lives. The workshops incorporate self-esteem building and goal setting into the curriculum.
Workshops are offered at correctional facilities and in drug court and treatment programs. Some have offered workshops at high schools for at-risk girls and are exploring the possibility of reestablishing that program. Retreats on the Spirituality of Recovery run four times a year for women who are incarcerated and also to women who are in the community who have been in our programs.
For women who have been incarcerated, we also have a weekly support group, a mentoring program and special events for the women and their families.
"Still I Rise" is a newsletter that contains writings of the women in our program and is distributed to women at the county jail and mailed to the women on our mailing list, women who have been incarcerated and are now out.
Because the best group facilitator is often a woman who" has been there" we train and supervise women who have been incarcerated and are now in recovery to co-facilitate groups.
Ministries >


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Belshazzar the king of Babylon had a party. The notable thing was that he called for the golden vessels that his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem years before. When they were brought to him he and his guests used them for their drunken revelry.
The God of Israel was angry that the holy vessels were used by Belshazzar to drink to their pagan gods. The hand of God wrote a message on the wall of the banquet hall. The king was terrified at the sight, but he could not read the writing on the wall.
I think of the present hour when the leaders of America are receiving warnings from God. The warnings come but they are unable to read them. The president of the U.S. is offending God by his repeated betrayals of Israel. The warnings are coming from the Lord, but he cannot read them.
We saw it in Hurricane Katrina, when George Bush forced Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. In fact, as everyone from Israeli rabbis to U.S. senators have noted, it seems to happen every single time the U.S. pressures Israel to divide the land. The handwriting is on the wall, but the warnings go unheeded.
Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, even terrorist attacks have hit America often within 24 hours of calls by U.S. officials for Israel to withdraw from Jewish land.
We saw it once again in May. We saw the U.S. hit with a series of deadly super-storms following Barack Obama's pledge to return Israel to pre-1967 borders. Just days after Obama insisted Israel must give up lands it won through military victory with its enemies, some 200 people were killed by a tornado in Joplin, Mo.
The fact is that nine of the 10 costliest insurance events in U.S. history followed dramatic calls by U.S. officials for Israel to make land concessions in bids for peace with its neighbours. Three of the four largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history followed such developments.
Daniel says that King Belshazzar knew that he was doing wrong. He had seen how God had dealt in judgment with his father in the past. "And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this...." Belshazzar's sin was a wilful sin.
It seems impossible that President Obama has not been made aware of the situation. The warnings come, and he must have some understanding of the implications involved, yet he ignores the warnings from the Lord just as George Bush did before him.
Daniel gave the interpretation of the message and Belshazzar just kept right on with the party. "In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." (Daniel 5:30).
Some day the last warning will be given and when it is ignored the judgment of God will fall on America.
The warning signs of the impending demise of America are everywhere. The process is already underway in a number of areas. In a CNS news report we read, "Former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), co-chairman of President Barack Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility, said Tuesday (June 7) that he agreed with his fellow co-chairman, former Clinton Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, that the United States faces 'the most predictable economic crisis in history' within the next two years."
Simpson added, "That the tipping point will come when the rating agencies find out we have no plan to seriously address federal spending and the national debt."
In fact there are other situations that could bring the U.S. economy crashing down at any moment. If the economy goes down the military and political power will quickly dissipate with it. Military might is useless without the billions it takes to run it. We know that America has no part to play in the end time events and we are actually watching the American goliath in the process of collapse.
In Genesis 12:3 the Lord made a pledge to Israel, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee...." Over the centuries nations have risen and fallen on that promise to Israel. Great Britain is a classic example of this pledge of God to Israel. The record of history reveals that shortly after her turning against Israel the British Empire disappeared from the scene, and that took place in our lifetime.
In the coming weeks Obama is moving to put the maximum pressure on Israel to surrender her land to her sworn enemies. By his example he is actually encouraging the EU and others to do the same. Could it be that at some point in this process the warnings of God to America will turn into the judgment of God on America?


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Internet adspend has once again outstripped the rest of the market, showing a rise of 51.5%, compared with a 5.3% rise in adspend across all media to £3.99bn.
Internet advertising accounted for £210m during the first quarter of the year, a rise of 48.9% in real terms compared with the same period last year, according to figures published by the Advertising Association in conjunction with the World Advertising Research Centre this week.
This figure puts it well ahead of radio, and nipping at the heels of cinema adspend, which stood at £213m for the quarter.
It showed that spend on television advertising was up by 13.6% in current prices, a rise of 11.7% in real terms. Other sectors to perform well were cinema, up 18.8% with the release of hits such as 'Sideways' and 'Meet the Fockers', and outdoor, up 14%.
One surprise fall was for spend on direct mail, which includes mailouts but not doordrops nor other forms of direct marketing, which saw an 8.8% decline in real terms.
A decline was also seen in business magazines, which showed a 2.7% decline, measured as 4.3% in real terms.
Return to internet news headlines
View Internet News Archive


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November 16 and 17 gets a double-whammy contra dance in Gainesville! Saturday evening, November 16, we have visiting talent from Atlanta - "Whistlin Rufus" and caller Doug Singleton at the Thelma Boltin Center, and Sunday afternoon is the University of Florida contra dance club featuring Jonathan King calling and "Just Twistin' Hay".
November 16 - Doug Singleton will be calling the dances to the music of "Whistlin' Rufus", 8pm, at the Thelma Boltin Center, 516 NE 2nd Ave. Introductory workshop for beginning dancers starts at 7:30pm and is highly recommended! Experienced dancers, be there early to partner with those newcomers and help them have the time of their lives!
Bring a snack to share and a cup or water bottle to reduce waste. Recommended donation is $8/$5 for students and under 21. Childcare is provided for the youngsters who don't wish to dance, but children old enough to know left and right are welcome to join us!
There is waltz instruction by Andrea Wise-Farr featuring live music, beginning at 6:45pm. Your donation to the contra dance will get you into the waltz lesson as well. If you only want to waltz, and not stay for the contra dance, we suggest a $5 contribution.
November 17 - Jonathan King will be calling to the tunes of "Just Twistin' Hay." The dance is held in the Rion Ballroom on the second floor of the Reitz Union Student Center on UF Campus. Price is $5 for ALL students and $8 for everyone else. Parking is free on campus on Sundays. There is no childcare provided at the UF dance and no shared snacks are allowed in the ballroom, but do bring a cup or water bottle, and you may bring a wrapped personal snack if you like.


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Manchester United offer trials to Luke Tingey & Kyran Wiltshire
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Manchester United have handed two exciting talents from the MK Dons academy the chance to impress coaches during a trial at their Carrington training ground, reports The Mail.
Luke Tingey and Kyran Wiltshire will arrive in Manchester later this week to take part in some routine training sessions with the United youth squad. Louis van Gaal is keen to strengthen the academy at Old Trafford ahead of the Uefa Under-19 youth tournament next season.
Manchester United fans may have heard of Tingey, 18, who became a YouTube sensation last month after scoring a 40 yard free-kick for the MK Dons Under-18s in a 5-3 win over Swindon.
The next Beckham
The goal drew comparisons with the famous goal David Beckham scored against Wimbledon for Manchester United. However, as a central-defender, Tingey is unlikely to emulate the Red Devils legend.
Wiltshire, also 18, plays as a centre-midfielder and has already threatened to break into the first-team squad after being included in the squad for friendlies in pre-season friendlies.
Both have reportedly accepted the offer to take part in a short trial at Manchester United and Carrington coaches will run the rule over the pair before officials decide whether to further their interest.
The move draws comparisons with the loan deal for Bolton left-back Andy Kellett, who was brought in purely to boost the Under-21 squad. Kellett lined up against Leicester City on Monday night, but looks set to depart Old Trafford having never made a senior appearance.
A similar fate could befall both Tingey and Wiltshire, who are being considered as fodder to strengthen the youth team and give them a better chance of winning a youth tournament. Their ability to develop into first-team players does not seem to be in consideration.
Youth development
Manchester United have a fine reputation for developing local talent but have failed to bring through prospects in big numbers over the past few years. Adnan Januzaj, a Belgian international, is the only notable player to break in to the first-team from the academy.
Having spent £150million last summer and with more arrivals expected this summer, it seems Van Gaal's priority lies with signing established players, rather than developing raw talent. That will come as music to the ears of some fans, but like nails on a chalkboard to others.
Are Manchester United fans happy with the club spending big if it means youth products go to waste?
Give us your opinion in the comment box below!
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