by wildcherry on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 | Love, Love Story | 1 Comment

Two German children - aged five and six - have been stopped by police from eloping to Africa to tie the knot in the sun, reports say.

The three were trying to travel without passports or money

The budding lovebirds, identified as Mika and Anna-Lena, packed bathing costumes, sunglasses and a lilo and headed for the airport.

They even had the presence of mind to invite along an official witness - Anna-Lena’s seven-year-old sister.

The three got as far as Hanover railway station before police intervened.

The young couple were “very much in love” and had decided to get married in Africa “where it is warm”, police spokesman Holger Jureczko told the AFP news agency.

Sun-seekers

The idea for the getaway wedding was born as the children’s families celebrated New Year’s eve together and Mika regaled the two girls with stories of a recent holiday to Italy.

The following morning, as their parents slept, the intrepid trio walked 1km (0.6 miles) to the local tram station at Langenhagen, where they hopped aboard a tram for Hanover central station.

But the group aroused the suspicion of a guard as they waited for a train to the airport, and police were called in.

Officers persuaded the children they would not get far without tickets and money, but consoled them with a free tour of the police station, where they were shortly picked up by relieved parents.

Although any marriage plans have been put on hold for now, police did not altogether rule out the possibility of an African wedding.

“They can still put their plan into action at a later date,” AFP quoted the spokesman as saying.

Source:BBC Europe

Tags: elope, german children elope

by nate on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 | Love | 2 Comments

See for yourself and make comments… or you can be speechless like me.

Christian was a lion originally purchased by Australians John Rendall and Anthony ‘Ace’ Bourke from Harrods department store of London in 1969 and ultimately reintroduced to the wild.

Rendall and Bourke (erroneously cited in various sources as Berg), with their girlfriends Jennifer Mary and Unity Jones, cared for the lion where they lived in London — until it was a year old. Christian’s increasing size and the increasing cost of his care led Rendall and Bourke to understand they could not keep him in London. When Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the film Born Free, visited Rendall and Bourke’s furniture shop and met Christian — they suggested that Bourke and Rendall ask the assistance of George Adamson, the Kenyan conservationist who, together with his wife Joy, was the subject of their movie. Adamson agreed to help reintegrate Christian into the wild at his compound at Kora National Reserve.

Adamson introduced Christian to an older lion ‘Boy’ and subsequently to a female cub Katiana in order to form the nucleus of a new pride. The pride suffered many setbacks: Katiana was possibly devoured by crocodiles at a watering hole, another female was killed by wild lions, and Boy was injured, afterwards losing his ability to socialize with other lions and humans, and was shot through the heart by Adamson after fatally wounding a man. These events left Christian as the sole surviving member of the original pride.

Adamson continued his work, and over the course of a year the pride established itself in the region around Kora, with Christian as the head of the pride started by Boy.

Reunion with Rendall and Bourke in 1972

When Rendall and Bourke were informed by Adamson of Christian’s successful reintroduction to the wild (reported in some newspaper articles to be in 1971, and by George Adamson to be 1972), they travelled to Kenya to visit Christian and were filmed in the documentary Christian, The Lion at World’s End. According to the documentary, Adamson advised Rendall and Bourke that Christian may not remember them. The film shows the lion at first cautiously approach and then quickly leap gently onto the two men, standing on his hind legs and wrapping his front legs around their shoulders, nuzzling their faces. The documentary also shows the female lions, Mona and Lisa, and a foster cub named Supercub welcoming the two men.

A viral video of this reunion (edited from the documentary) received worldwide attention more than 30 years after the event. As of December 2008, several versions have been viewed millions of times. Various news sources have tracked down Rendall and Bourke for their current perspective on the events surrounding their life with Christian.

Reunion with Rendall in 1973

Rendall details a final, unfilmed reunion that occurred (reported in some newspaper articles to have been in 1974, and by George Adamson to have been in 1973). This reunion occurred without Bourke, and by this time Christian was successfully defending his own pride, had cubs of his own and was about twice the size he was in the earlier reunion video. Adamson advised Rendall that it would most likely be a wasted trip as he had not seen Christian’s pride for nine months. However, when he reached Kora, Christian and his pride had returned to Adamson’s compound the day before their arrival.

Rendall describes the visit he and George Adamson made:
“ We called him and he stood up and started to walk towards us very slowly. Then, as if he had become convinced it was us, he ran towards us, threw himself on to us, knocked us over, knocked George over and hugged us, like he used to, with his paws on our shoulders. ”

The second reunion lasted until the next morning. According to Rendall that was the last anyone saw of Christian.

Adamson counted the days from the late spring 1973 final reunion. He notes in his memoirs that after 97 days, he stopped counting.

source: wikipedia

Tags: berg, Bourke, christian the lion, Hug, Kiss, Lion, Love, Rendall, reunion

by bintangkecil on Monday, January 5th, 2009 | Family, Health, Knowledge | 1 Comment

Is there a fourth-hand smoke? I thought there is only “second-hand smoke” term.
I just read this article today and found out about “Third-Hand Smoke”:

What is Third-Hand Smoke?

Third-hand smoke is the particulates and gases which settle on any surface where a person is smoking. These gases and particulates include nicotine, cotinine (a byproduct of nicotine), arsenic, cadmium, lead, and ammonia, besides 244 other toxic substances. The surfaces a smoker’s exhalations may settle upon include the smoker’s skin, clothing, upholstery of vehicles and furniture, and any surface in the smoking environment including carpet, curtains, and wallpaper. Particulates and gases may travel beyond the room in which the person confines his smoking through the ventilation system and air currents of the building.

Is it dangerous?

Third-hand smoke has been a concern since the first research into the subject done at San Diego State University in 2004.

Of the 250 gases and particulates in cigarette smoke, eleven are labeled Class 1 carcinogens. These eleven are among those deposited upon the smoker and the surfaces of the environment in which he smokes.

The San Diego researchers back in 2004 discovered cotinine present in the urine and hair shafts of 49 infants thirteen months old and younger whose parents smoked. This was a level fifty times that found in the infants of non-smokers. Even the infants of smokers who confined their activity to the outdoors had cotinine levels seven times higher than the babies of non-smokers. The head researcher, Professor Georg Matt, admitted more extensive studies should be conducted to prove any harm to children in households with third-hand smoke where a parent smoked indoors or had smoking particulates on his clothing from smoking outside.

When I was trying to quit smoking, my husband could immediately tell from the smell on my clothes when I had sneaked a smoke, even if I stood outside on a windy day to do it. Our clothing, bedding, and the mobile home itself retained the smell for months after I finally quit. Our daughter was three years old at the time. Our home had six years’ worth of cigarette gases and particulates absorbed into its paneling, carpet, and furnishings.

“When you smoke — anyplace — toxic particulate matter from tobacco smoke gets into your hair and clothing,” Winickoff said in a statement. “When you come into contact with your baby, even if you’re not smoking at the time, the baby comes in contact with those toxins. And if you breastfeed, the toxins will transfer to your baby in your breast milk.”

There are difficulties in establishing solid links between third-hand smoke and the presence of cigarette particulates and gases in the urine, blood, and other fluid samples of babies exposed to it. In many cases, the parents smoked before the baby was born and the baby could have been exposed in utero. The amount of smoking done in the home while the baby is not present affects levels of accumulated particulates and gases. So does the amount of room ventilation. A study to definitively prove third-hand smoke to be harmful to young children must consider the effects of many variables on the study results.

Children are much more easily affected than adults by many environmental hazards including carbon monoxide from inadequate ventilation, lead poisoning from plumbing, and mercury from fish. While third-hand smoke may not be conclusively proven a hazard, the least a parent can do is to shield their children from long term exposure to second-hand smoke and carefully watch the studies about third-hand smoke.

Read complete story

Parents who smoke, please watch this issue if you love your children.

Tags: cigarette smoke, cigarette smoke effects on children, cotinine levels, Professor Georg Matt, Second-Hand smoke, third-hand smoke, third-hand smoke studies

by wildcherry on Friday, January 2nd, 2009 | Dating, Love | 4 Comments

Reading body language is an important way to communicate with others and pick up on their unspoken signals. Whether you’ve spotted an attractive stranger across the room, are on a first date, or have been married for decades, these 10 signs of flirting will help you decipher nonverbal messages. These flirting signals are often unconscious and frequently seen.

Flirting is all about sending messages or nonverbal communication.

1. Raised eyebrows. Research shows that when a potential mate appears, people raise their eyebrows slightly. This sign of flirting can be an unconscious sign of interest on the flirter’s part.
2. Eye contact. You know she’s interested when she not only makes eye contact, but holds it for a significant amount of time. If you’re across the room from one another, regular brief instances of eye contact may be strong signs of flirting.
3. Hair flick. Women will flick their hair – you see this in movies all the time. Even women with really short hair can flick their hair. Remember Cameron Diaz in the first Charlie’s Angels movie? Total hair flick after she met the bartender – and her hair was almost as short as his.
4. Playing with accessories. This signal from the opposite sex involves playing with earrings, twirling hair, and fiddling with necklaces. Men may offer similar signs of flirting: playing with their neckties or jingling the change in their pocket.
5. Leaning in. If he leans close to you, he’s giving you a nonverbal message that he wants to be closer (this may seem to be an obvious sign of flirting, but it’s often misread).
6. Open body language. This is a significant sign of flirting for both men and women. The opposite of open body language (closed body language, which is easier to describe) is turning away, crossing arms or legs, or pulling back.
7. Sideways glances. You’ve seen the demure sideways glances – and perhaps you’ve even thrown a few. When you’re attracted to someone, it can be difficult to meet their eyes. Sideways glances are a strong sign of flirting.
8. Looking at lips or body parts. When you find yourself looking at his lips or jaw, you may be sending a flirting signal. This may be an unconscious sign of flirting – when you’re attracted to someone, you can’t help but to check out their assets!
9. Laughter. You laugh at their jokes, no matter how silly or unfunny. This sign of flirting isn’t all about attracting mates. Laughter can endear you to your boss or babysitter, which may make them acquiesce to your requests.
10. Light touches. This is a fairly obvious sign of flirting. Lightly touching someone’s arm, knee or shoulder shows interest. It’s a nonverbal signal that you’re open and friendly.

Tags: Dating, dating tips, flirting tips, online dating, signs of flirting

by vschaos on Monday, December 29th, 2008 | Dating, Friendship, Love, Relationship | 10 Comments

I am a newbee to blogging so please bare with me.

I have been somewhat friends with a girl I met through some other friends. At the time I met her she was dating another guy so I was not interested, but thought she was a very intelligent and interesting young woman. Fast forward about a year passes and I run into her again, she is single and I end up asking her out. We begin to enjoy spending time with one another and have great times each and every moment we spend together.  The bad news is now she is leaving to go off to college. We have only been dating for 3-4 months, but I still had to ask if she wanted to be my GF. The answer was no and she explained. While being so far away in college and trying to concentrate on school….she wouldnt be able to having to worry about me back here at home. So she says “At this time I have to say no for those reasons, but if it were different I would”.

So I am fine with that and think it sucks, but hey I dont regret asking or the time we spent together. Not so long ago I wanted to go on a trip here for new years, but did not want to do it alone. So I called and asked her if she would be interested when she came home for the holidays to go with me. She said sure thing she would love it and has been excited ever since to go as I have been. Since neither of us have been to this city I looked online and have made a list of places we could tour while there and have a good time. Well tonight she calls and mentions that she does not want to string me along and lead me to think she wants to be BF and GF…that she hopes I am not thinking this. My response was no I am not getting that impression…..I wanted to go on this trip and instead of going alone I asked you to come along…this way we both have an enjoyable time. She said ok that is good, etc.

So I guess my main concern is am I doing anything wrong? I do really like this girl and the only intentions I have with her are to be a good friend to her at this time and to just have fun. If something happens on down the road when she returns after school where we date again thats cool…if not that will stink, but I figure at least I put some sort of effort to stay in touch and show her a nice welcome home so to speak when she does come home.

Tags: Love, relationship

by nate on Friday, December 26th, 2008 | Dating, Love, Love Story, Relationship | No Comments

By Wendy Atterberry

If I have a daughter one day, among the many things I’ll teach her will be how to tie her shoes, to look both ways before crossing the street, to never end a sentence with a preposition, and to always let the man say “I love you” first.

I’ll give her plenty of other relationship tips, too, like how it’s perfectly okay to ask a guy out, to make the first move, to even propose, but when it comes to the “L” word, the ball’s in the guy’s court.

This issue can cause a bit of commotion. “What is this, the Victorian era?” wrote one person, “if you truly love someone, tell them. Otherwise you’re just playing outdated coquettish games.” Another put it more diplomatically: “I don’t think I’ve ever said ‘I love you’ first, but someone has to do it. It’s okay to take a few risks.”

I appreciate both arguments and understand the sentiments behind them, but at the risk of having my feminist card revoked, I think it’s naïve for a woman to utter those three little words before a man does.

Unlike asking a man out, making a move on him, or even proposing, there’s no action-based response to the first “I love you.” It’s all words, it’s all emotion. In that moment, he either loves you back or he doesn’t — you only hear the black or white of a ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ not the grey of “Well, I like you a whole lot and I could see myself falling in love with you, but I’m just not quite there yet.”

And the truth is, it often takes men longer to get there than it does for women. Men process their emotions more slowly, they’re usually more cautious about taking their feelings and relationships to the next level.

So what happens if you get there first and you say it and he’s not there yet? What happens when your “I love you” is met with a “thank you,” or worse, a deer-in-headlights look? Well, it stings, sure, but more than that, it can stop a perfectly happy and healthy relationship in its tracks before it’s even too far from the station.

If a woman asks a man out and he says ‘no,’ at least she knows where she stands with him and she doesn’t waste any time pining over someone who isn’t interested. Same thing goes if she makes a move on him and she’s rejected.

If she’s in a serious relationship — one where the expression of love as been made clearly by both partners — and she’s eager to make a deeper commitment, there’s nothing wrong with proposing. At the very least, it’ll start a conversation of where the relationship is headed so the woman can decide for herself if and how long she’s willing to wait if man isn’t interested in getting married yet.

But an “I love you” uttered too soon, before the man has processed his feelings and reached the same level of adoration could end a relationship that just as easily could have had an eternal shelf life. As soon as those words are said, they change the dynamic. If a man isn’t feeling the love quite yet, he may suddenly feel pressure to manifest that emotion. And if the woman doesn’t get the response she expected, it could damage her confidence enough to derail the whole relationship entirely.

I guess my advice to my future daughter would be this: “If you love a man and want to have a long relationship with him, give him time to get there. If you think you’ve given him enough time and you’re ready to move on if he doesn’t feel the same way for you, then go ahead and tell him you love him. But only say those words if you’re prepared to let him go.”

Then I’d teach her how to make my famous chili and do a one-handed cartwheel.

taken from http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/12/26/tf.women.say.love.you/index.html

Tags: Dating, Love, roman, woman and love

by wildcherry on Sunday, December 21st, 2008 | Dating, Love | 3 Comments

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Looking for something more environmentally friendly than your typical dinner-and-a-movie date? Here are several green ideas:

Pick up your date in something other than a car

Tandem bicycles or Rollerblades are a fun green way to get around. For bikes, check your local rental shop. Rollerblades can often be found at secondhand stores. Be sure to bring a backpack to carry spare shoes!

Skip the store-bought cut flowers

They are covered in pesticides, and won’t last more than a week or two. If you really want to give a token of your affection, consider a potted plant, or flowers picked from your own garden. Or bring some fresh, local, organic produce! Nothing says “love” like strawberries.

Consider an outdoors date

* Long walks along the beach (or lake, or river) are romantic, free, and non-polluting.
* Check out what events are being held by your local state parks. Some parks even offer rental equipment (canoes, skis, etc).
* Think about packing a picnic using Pyrex dishes to store the food, and real plates, silverware, and glasses that can be taken home to be washed afterward. Local food and organic winewill definitely set the mood.

Think about staying in

* No transportation needed!
* Turn the lights off for a candlelit dinner.
* Cook with local, in-season ingredients.
* Pretend you’re old-school and woo your date with poetry, or perform a little serenade on that dusty guitar.
* Get a little crazy and play board games!
* If the weather permits and if you have a backyard, get cozy in a two-person hammock.

Source:Yahoo

Tags: Dating, dating advice, dating free, dating services, dating sites, free online dating, green, green dating, ideas for date, online dating, online dating site, service dating