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Tour des Trees
The TREE Fund Tour des Trees has become known for its fun-loving, supportive group of men and women of all ages and professions who enjoy road biking, great scenery, and making a difference in the future health and beauty of community trees.
The Tour des Trees is the signature event of the Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund), a 501(c)3 organization. It is a 5 to 7 day cycling event that covers distances up to and over 500 miles.
Tour des Trees riders participate in public education programs and tree planting events to help raise community awareness of the importance of urban and community trees and forests. They also help the TREE Fund raise money for the research and education programs it supports.
This film covers the most recent Tour des Trees. I highly encourage you to join us on next year's ride. The TREE Fund Tour des Trees has become known for its fun-loving, supportive group of men and women of all ages and professions who en... more -
Lip to lip kissing: the new greeting?
The latest shock trend in so-called polite circles is the full-on lip kiss.
If you thought being air kissed by a complete stranger was bad enough, you ain't seen nothing yet. Lip-to-lip kissing is fast becoming the new air kiss. And it's not just your nearest and dearest puckering up. Even people who have forgotten your name — or only just met you — are planting one on the mouth.
It's true. Last week, the London Telegraph reported that the air kiss is out and the mouth-to-mouth kiss is in, after a spate of saliva-swapping sightings at London Fashion Week and the GQ Men of the Year Awards, where every winner received a wet one on the lips from hosts Lilly Allen and Sir Elton John.
"On the party scene, air-kissing — that horrible 'mwah, mwah' used by the kind of people who know your job title and dress size but forget your name — is out. Instead, there's a far worse social plague doing the rounds: being kissed on the mouth," the article read.
But it's not just the Brits who are being subjected to this new lip-smacking pandemic. It's happening here, too. From the bar to the boardroom colleagues, friends, complete strangers are moving in for a bit of lip action.
If you don't believe it, just ask body language expert Allan Pease, who has been smooched on the lips twice in the past few weeks by complete strangers. His wife, Barbara, also copped a mouthful from her gynaecologist just last week. "I don't know where it started but it's certainly catching on. It's big in Britain and it's filtering through here, too," he says The latest shock trend in so-called polite circles is the full-on lip kiss. ... more -
Sarah Palin acting un-Christian
People should think through if she has been acting in Alaska the way they would expect of an authentic Christian act.
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United Kingdom Talk Video Thursday 2nd October 2008
Thursday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats.
In today's show :
The dogs name has changed.
The Norfolk Broads.
Advice for anyone wanting to move to Bracknell.
The taste of onions.
It all happens on "Orange Blossom Trail".
I went around 6 times.
More credit card stories.
Oranges & lemons.
My neighbours wife has beautiful clothes.
Moving to get a bigger house.
Welcome Tammy.
Trash television.
An all day breakfast.
Bargains at Travel Lodge.
Cheap vodka.
You couldn't get a word in edgeways.
When is Susan off to the Dallas reunion ?
An old ice cream container.
Old people who move - it doesn't always work well.
Be careful where you drink water.
Is Ross an alcoholic ?
We don't do D.I.Y.
A couple of old friends appear.
Katie is being naughty.
More hanging baskets.
Close your eyes & I'll describe.
Fussy again.
I do hate waste.
Does she wanna be stroked ?
chris@unitedkingdomtalk.co.uk
WWW.UNITEDKINGDOMTALK.CO.UK Thursday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats. ... more -
Teen tortured by friends for 13 hours over 'stolen' mobile phone
A 19-year-old British woman endured a 13-hour torture session at the hands of friends who thought she had stolen their mobile phone.
Katie McNamara had her hair chopped off and was forced to lick her own blood off the floor after being repeatedly kicked, punched, stabbed, burned and then locked in a cupboard during a violent bashing last November, London's Daily Mail reported.
She was admitted to hospital for four months and her hearing was permanently damaged.
Among her attackers was Francesca Raby, 18, a former friend who had lured the victim to a house under the guise of patching up their broken friendship. A 19-year-old British woman endured a 13-hour torture session at the hands of friends who thought she had stolen their mobile phone. ... more -
Penpals meet for first time after seven decades of letter writing
A pair of friends have met for the first time after writing letters to each other for seven decades.
Wilma McIvor, from Scotland, and Mabel Hamilton, who is Australian, have been sending letters since the start of the Second World War. Over that time they have shared all of their successes, disappointments and dreams, as well as their weddings and the births of children and grandchildren.
But it was only after Mrs Hamilton, 86, from New South Wales, moved to a retirement home that she decided to take the trip of a lifetime to Scotland to meet her friend. Mrs Hamilton said: "When I finally decided to go and see her I immediately rang Wilma and told her I was coming. After I got off the phone I remembered I hadn't even asked her if I could come, so I had to ring back and apologise."
She continues: "When we saw each other at the airport, we simply fell into each other's arms. Since then I haven't been able to stop talking. I am so happy to be here – I have been looking forward to this holiday for all of my life."
The pair were introduced to each other through a friend of Mrs McIvor's, who went to Australia to live and work on the Mrs Hamilton's family farm in Wagga. When the friend returned to his hometown of Hamilton to look after his mother, he asked Mrs McIvor, a family friend, whether she wanted pen friend. She eagerly accepted and within space of a few letters a firm friendship was born.
Mrs McIvor, 85, of Carluke, Lanarkshire was thrilled to meet her companion. She said: "Before Mabel arrived I was very nervous as to how it would be between us. When we met it was fantastic – far better than reading a letter. It's been absolutely wonderful and there has not been an awkward moment. We are so close anyway, I feel silly for having worried about what it would be like. I'd always thought about going to Australia, but I'd never managed to pluck up the courage to get on a plane. Mabel is my best mate and I tell her everything about my life and visa versa. We used to write to each other quite frequently, and since international calls have got cheaper, we have also spoken a lot on the phone. But finally meeting Mabel is brilliant and I just wish that she didn't have to go home."
The pair are spending the next three weeks sightseeing. A pair of friends have met for the first time after writing letters to each other for seven decades. ... more -
Laganleia Outdoor Adventure (2007)
During my last year of Primary School and last year if Secondary school, I went to Laganleia, an outdoor education centre which provide a fun filled week of water rafting, team exercises, raft races, canoing, cycling, archery, gorge walking, rock climbing and navigating. I went the first time for a week and a weekend the second time. The highlight of the first was hitting a rock while rafting and having the boat turn upside down, however we didn't fall in thankfully. The second time I went, we had a huge raft race where my team won but we were catapulted into the water by an opposing team who cheated by pushing our boat over. The water was freezing as it was in December. Another funny highlight was when we had to fill up a tube with water and the leader told us to step away from it afterwards; unknown to us, there were holes in it and so we got a little wet. During my last year of Primary School and last year if Secondary school, I went to Laganleia, an outdoor education centre which provid... more
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Vogrie School trip (1997)
During Primary School, each year from 1 to 4 would go on an outing to either Yellow Craigs or Vogrie Country Park in Midlothian. I remember how you used to be able to take tadpoles home as a pet which everyone looked forward to. A few years after this trip, they banned the public from doing this for obvious reasons but it was something which made the trip special to everyone. Still today though are the giant's chair and bicycle along with the huge slide. I hadn't been back for years until in 2007 where I became involved with the rangers cleaning up a pond and staying in the guides accommodation which the green team used. Some of my oldest friends are in this video and we have moved on in life, sadly never kept in touch since primary. This video feels old too with the addition of the SMT style buses which were last seen in the late 1990's. Enjoy this addition to my photo video series. During Primary School, each year from 1 to 4 would go on an outing to either Yellow Craigs or Vogrie Country Park in Midlothian. I rem... more
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Would you ask a friend to be the father of your child?
A new survey has revealed that more than half of women would think about asking a friend to have children with them if the right person doesn't come along. The study found that 56% of women would consider it if they hadn't found someone by a certain age - with 28 to 31 year-olds being the most likely.
The survey shows that many single men and women are worried about meeting a true love as well as fertility issues. About half of the women who answered the Vitabiotics survey admitted that they think about finding the right partner either frequently or on a daily basis. Many also said they would settle for second-best if they didn't meet the right person.
Psychologist Linda Papadopoulos said: "Interestingly, social norms of parenting and of the conventional family structure are being challenged - no longer do we see the mum, dad and 2.4 children as the only ideal. Reconstituted families, same sex families and single parents are much more prevalent these days. And rather than ascribing to the 'norm' it seems that women and men are more flexible with their definition of 'family'." A new survey has revealed that more than half of women would think about asking a friend to have children with them if the right perso... more -
Palin's church to host "Night to Honour Israel"
Ken Silverstein and Sebastian Jones have listened to some of the sermons given by Sarah Palin's preachers, Mike Rose of Juneau Christian Center, and David Pepper of Church on the Rock in Wasilla. The clips show why the religious right is so excited about Palin; she attends theocratic churches that extol the myth of the "Christian nation," disparage evolution, claim that the only way to heaven is through Christ, and marvel at how we are living in the last days before Armageddon and the Second Coming.
Yet so far nothing has emerged showing the preachers disparaging Islam, like Rod Parsley did, or claiming that God sent Hitler for a good purpose, as did John Hagee -- statements that provoked John McCain to reject their endorsements. Still, McCain can run, but he can't hide from Hagee; some of his closest friends and advisers, including Joe Lieberman, Gary Bauer, and Sam Brownback, are close with Hagee (and Parsley, in Bauer's and Brownback's cases). And Rose's church, Juneau Christian Center, is hosting one of Hagee's "Nights to Honor Israel" in Juneau in March 2009, according to the Christians United for Israel Web site. (The original Web page has been taken down, but the cache shows the Juneau church on the schedule.) Indeed, in one of the excerpts Rose refers to what can only be a Christians United for Israel gathering involving Newt Gingrich and the prime minister of Israel.
Continued.... Ken Silverstein and Sebastian Jones have listened to some of the sermons given by Sarah Palin's preachers, Mike Rose of Juneau Ch... more -
Jesus is a friend (who inspires song, apparently)
Don't try to run, he'll find you, and touch you deep inside.
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Back to school
Back to reality! Summer is over and it is back to the books
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Superman and a friend.
Here is a link to a wonderful animated short by Chris Appelhans about Superman and a friend. The rest of the work on his site is excellent as well. Here is a link to a wonderful animated short by Chris Appelhans about Superman and a friend. The rest of the work on his site is excel... more
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19-year-old gives friend a kidney
Faced with watching a lifelong friend suffer through dialysis, a 19-year-old Cooper City native donates one of his kidneys.
The night before Jonas Read became a kidney donor, his mother was almost frantic. Dressed in his hospital gown, he mocked her concern: ``Oh, no, you can't go driving around. What if you get in a car accident? No, you can't do this because you're gonna die. No, you can't do that because you're gonna die. Everything was gonna kill me!''
To calm her, Read, 19, said: ``If I die, give Austin my kidney.''
Just hours away from his surgery last month to donate one of his two healthy kidneys to free his lifelong friend from the clutches of dialysis, this teen with dirty-blond hair, button earrings, chin stud and platinum beard was all too calm about becoming a donor.
The surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center was his moral obligation, he felt, to help Austin Pence, 22, a friend since both were toddlers modeling on South Beach, earning $75 an hour. ''We were so young back then,'' Read says.
He's so young now, as well, to be making such a life-saving decision that he considers ``no big deal.''
But it is a big deal. As with all major surgeries, there are risks -- infection, pneumonia, blood clots, death. There's also the risk of a collapsed lung because of its proximity to the kidney. And although studies have shown living with one kidney does not increase health risks, heavy trauma could lead to the loss of a single kidney -- and dire consequences.
The benefit of donor surgery, however, is the gift of life.
In the decades since kidney transplants first appeared as leading-edge surgery, the procedure has become increasingly common -- more than 16,000 were performed last year. Most transplants involve one family member donating to another, but friend-to-friend or stranger-to-stranger transplants are not uncommon.
''There's about a 10 percent chance to get an identical match'' outside your family, says Dr. Linda Chen, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine and director of the live kidney donor program.
''When [Jonas] got tested, my insides felt like it was right,'' Pence says. ``It was really a weird feeling.''
Jonas felt it was right, too. Faced with watching a lifelong friend suffer through dialysis, a 19-year-old Cooper City native donates one of his kidneys. ... more -
Sebastian’s Voodoo: A Question of Protecting Friends
"Sebastian's Voodoo" is an acclaimed visually dark and beautiful four-minute animation short-film, which is set to a haunting musical score. The film is an exciting, tension-filled four-minute production that leads into several cringe-worthy moments throughout the story.
As a universal tale, "Sebastian's Voodoo" serves as a powerful metaphor about kindred relationships. At this level, the film's story represents a challenge for us to find in our own natures the capacity to protect others from imminent and mortal dangers, as well as raising the ultimate question of how far we would actually go to save the lives of our friends and partners.
Stunning photographs and a video of this strikingly memorable short film are included. "Sebastian's Voodoo" is an acclaimed visually dark and beautiful four-minute animation short-film, which is set to a ha... more -
The Cheater's Handbook
The John Edwards scandal has got us thinking about infidelity.
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What's in a Name?
Finding the Right Word is (Almost) as Important as Finding the Right Person
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How an Affair Saved My Marriage
In an unexpected twist, an affair brings a marriage back to life.
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Beau vs. Buddies
What happens when your best friends hate your boyfriend?
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