5 Non-Sexual Ways To Touch Your Partner And Improve ... - xoJane

It is a well-documented fact that I am a bit physically awkward.

I don't need help -- as Tyler Perry would say, I Can Do Physically Awkward All By Myself. If there were a camera in my apartment, those fortunate (and creepy as balls) enough to be watching the live-feed would be displeased with what they found.

Because, while some naughty self-touching does occur, for the most part I spend my time at home doing things like somehow falling off my slippers (I know, right?), hitting my head and hip on every possible sharp corner, and pouring assorted sauces upon myself which I later remove with the warm and stale Doritos which take refuge in my vast underboob region.

If that?s what I?m like alone, you can only imagine what I?m like when other people are involved. Frankly, the fact that there have been no serious injuries is verging on miraculous.

There are no exceptions to this rule. I am challenged when it comes to interacting with others physically, no matter how close we are. When my dad and I try to say goodbye at the train station after a visit, a passing stranger would not be at fault were they to mistake us for two drunken, brawling brown bears who are also on roller-skates for the first time. I communicate my deep love for my best friend from college by invoking John Travolta in "Face/Off" and roughly dragging my fingers down her face while quietly saying, ?Face/Off, dude.??

The closest I get to touching myself on the internet.

For the most part, I can chalk it up as part of my charm. This usually involves shrugging while sitting in a pile of horse feces and tossing my beret up in the air girlishly.

This is less feasible when it involves wooing. Because, let?s face it, being physical with the person you are dating, hope to be dating, or wish to continue dating and/or being married to is a big part of your life together. Just because I?m bad at being touchy doesn?t mean I don?t like it or recognize its importance. According to psychology professor Sonya Lyubomirsky, introducing more nonsexual touching and affection on a daily basis can keep your relationship functioning.

I think even the most touch-me-not folks among us will agree that when you?re feeling disconnected from a partner, something as simple as a hand on the small of your back can remind you of the charge you both have for each other.

The most successful relationships I?ve been in are the ones where we physically checked in with each other. And there?s a reason for that -- touching sustains our relationships. But, just like alcoholics acclimate to alcohol, and need more and more of it feel an effect, so it is with our love affairs -- we need more and more physical contact to sustain that feeling of ?Damn I wish I Was Your Lover? style-romance.

The good news? This doesn?t necessarily mean you need to have things shoved inside your holes at all times -- non-sexual touching totally counts.

Here are five non-sexual ways of touching the person whose potential absence? makes you feel the most like falling to your knees and demanding answers from a god you heretofore did not believe in.

1.) Hand Holding.

Is your relationship running the very real risk of ending forever? Are you not OK with that? Why should you be?! CHANGE IS THE WORST. To prevent your partner from ever leaving you, show them you care by keeping their hand perpetually locked in your own vice-like grip. Cold weather making it a challenge to keep your entwined digits toasty? There?s a mitten for that.

2.) Head Slapping

My dad and one of my brothers have a hard time being all ?I love you? to each other. So my dad, a fan of "NCIS," has taken to walking up behind him and whapping him upside the head while bellowing, ?Gibbs!? If it worked for them -- it might work for you!

3.) Conga Dancing

You?re reading a book, he or she is walking past you to go to the bathroom, you know, more of the same on a Tuesday night. So let?s get weird up in here! Take this opportunity to grab their hips, and swing what Carmen Miranda gave you. What is more non-sexual than a Conga line for two, right?

4.) Putting Your Chin Directly Between Their Shoulder Blades

You know what is slightly more irritating than someone coming up to you when you are grumpy and wrapping their arms around you while asking in a sing-song voice, ?Whatcha doing?? Doing all of this while also grinding their chin into the space in between your shoulder blades. If they?ve been thinking about leaving you, this will quickly change their thought process from, ?What?s wrong with this relationship?? to, ?Oh, my god, what is wrong with this person I let sleep in my bed?!?

5.) Find a Proxy

If you?ve made it to five, you?ve tried all of these tactics to no avail. If anything, your partner now makes sure to keep their back to the wall in your presence, inching from one room to the inch along the room?s perimeter making sure they know where you are at all times. Don?t despair! You can use a proxy. While rubbing the dog?s ears, or fondling a table lamp, smile at them and say, ?I?m pretending this is your boob.? Because, guys, that?s romance. That?s communication.

What ways of non-sexily checking in with your partner do you have? Do you like "NCIS"? Does anyone when you know? You guys, when is it even on?

Source: http://www.xojane.com/relationships/nonsexual-touching

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CashMoneyPlay Just Can't Get Enough of Great China Mania Holdings, Inc. f.k.a. Great East Bottles & Drinks Hldgs (OTC:GMEC)

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again". This seems to be the credo CashMoneyPlay (CMP) live by. You might remember that they tried to tout Great China Mania Holdings, Inc. f.k.a. Great East Bottles & Drinks Hldgs (OTC:GMEC, GMEC message board) in the past and the outcome was not that great. Instead of being embarrassed about the failure, they must have thought: "That was fun, we should totally do it again!". Investors weren't laughing, though.

Since there are so many of them, we are going to put GMEC's pumps into a chronological order so that you can get a better understanding of what we are on about. Damn Good Penny Picks were the first to try and hype the stock back in October and they managed to do it... briefly. They saw what sort of mess they did and decided to call it quits. Then, it was the turn of CMP. December was quite busy for them with numerous emails advertising GMEC flooding the inboxes. On December 31 they started yet another promotion which significantly increased the price... once again, briefly. Since that pump stopped, GMEC have fallen down by a staggering 70%. CMP are not finished yet, though.

Yesterday, we received the last in a long line of emails dedicated to GMEC and it's pretty much the same story - "extremely undervalued", "low float", "millions in revenue". Words that are almost enough to make you think that GMEC is a company with guaranteed success. Things don't quite stack up, though.

For a start, we find it rather hard to pin point exactly what GMEC do. According to the descriptions available on the Internet, they are an electronic content provider. The content is supposedly dedicated to lifestyle and leisure, but what is it exactly, and where can we find it? Your guess is as good as ours. Their official website is not much of a source of information, if we have to be honest. The Board of Directors link leads you to the company profile at Bloomberg Businessweek, the Investor Relations link lets you send an email, and the About Us section, which should be among the most important ones leads you to the quote page on the OTCMarkerts website. The rest of the website is full of videos that look like commercials of some sort (unfortunately, we're not fluent in Chinese).

That being said, GMEC is indeed an operating company as is evident from the financial reports that they file with SEC. And, in that respect, CashMoneyPlay are just about right: during Q3 of 2012 GMEC generated a total of $1 million in revenue. Put in the operating and selling costs, however, and you will see that the they have ended the three months with a net loss of $305 thousand. What's more, compared to previous years, the revenues are continually getting smaller and smaller while losses are mounting.

In addition to the financials, GMEC have also filed an 8-K report recently, according to which they have secured an investment from a company called Kodiak Capital Group, LLC. Kodiak is supposed to invest $2 million in GMEC, and for that, they will get some shares, which, of course would cause some massive dilution. We just couldn't resist ourselves doing a short research on Kodiak and we found that they have invested in other companies in the past. The problem is that things didn't go quite according to plan, as is evident from this post on Investors Hub.

To wrap it all up, we would like to return to CashMoneyPlay. GMEC is not the only copany advertised by CMP. There are plenty of them, in fact. As you would probably guess, they didn't live up to CMP's expectations. You can check out Toron, Inc. (PINK:TRON)'s chart and you will see exactly what we mean.

Source: http://www.hotstocked.com/article/43452/cashmoneyplay-just-can-t-get-enough-of-great.html

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Global Communications Director ? MSC

Introduction

With one of the most successful ecolabels in use today, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has established itself on the world stage, and in little more than 10 years has achieved a truly global presence, affecting positive, ecological change in oceans providing certified sustainable seafood in more than 80 countries, across all five continents.

The MSC has experienced remarkable growth, employing more than 100 staff across 15 offices around the world. We are now seeking an experienced Global Communications Director to lead and set the strategic direction for all aspects of the organisation?s communications activities, with the aim of promoting, representing, enhancing, and protecting the organisation?s reputation internationally.

The Global Communications Director at the MSC is responsible for worldwide strategies and activities which promote the MSC program and its benefits directly to target audiences, as well as leveraged marketing relationships with our commercial, fishery, NGO and other partners. The Director will coordinate a virtual global communications team, and directly lead the Corporate Communications team in the London office. The successful candidate will have extensive experience of working in a similarly complex international environment, developing and delivering high-quality, innovative communications across the full range of channels.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the post holder will be responsible for ensuring the MSC?s capacity to respond to communications challenges and opportunities, and proactively building engagement with, and support for, the MSC amongst relevant global stakeholders.

With a track record of achievement at executive level within the private or public sector, the successful candidate must be an excellent leader; they will combine vision, creativity and innovation with exceptional communication and negotiation skills and abilities, energy and a strong spirit of teamwork. They must also have the ability to represent the MSC in an international arena at the highest levels. An interest in protecting the world?s oceans for current and future generations will be essential. This exciting and demanding role offers a tremendous opportunity for the right individual to make an enormous contribution towards the delivery of MSC's mission

Skills Required

The Global Communications Director will combine vision, creativity and innovation with exceptional communication and negotiation skills and abilities, energy and a strong spirit of teamwork.

• Significant proven and relevant experience at a senior level in communications in an international organisation with diverse issues, interests and audiences.
• Significant relevant experience within one or more of the following areas at a senior level: consumer product marketing, brand development, ecolabelling, and/or related marketing.
• Demonstrated strategic planning and project management, and delivery and evaluation at an organisation-wide level.
• Demonstrated excellence in written communication and editing in the English language.
• Demonstrated excellence in spoken communication skills with a diverse range of people and evidence of an ability to represent the MSC as an ambassador and negotiator in an international arena at the highest levels of media, business and the not for profit world.

Download the job description Global Communications Director (PDF 165 KB)

Application process

Please email the following material to recruitment@msc.org:

• A cover letter outlining how your skills, experience and knowledge directly address the roles, responsibilities, and requirements detailed in the respective job specification (see web link above), which constitute the position selection criteria.

• A copy of your current CV.

Please include in your cover letter your current salary and the media (website, advertisement, newsletter etc.) in which you first became aware of this vacancy. The subject of your email should read: Global Communications Director

While email is the preferred application route, alternatively you may send or FAX a hard copy of your application to MSC's London office, to:

Mona Chergui (GCD recruitment)
Marine Stewardship Council
Marine House
1 Snow Hill
London EC1A 2DH
United Kingdom
Office: + 44 (0) 20 7246 8900?
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7246 8901

NOTE:? Applications must be received by the closing date/time of 4 February 2013 at 17.00 GMT.

Final interviews are due to take place in late February/early March.

If you would like to discuss the role, please contact Alene Wilton, Director of Resources, on 0207 246 8954.

Please also note:?
??Only successful candidates will be contacted.

Source: http://www.msc.org/about-us/jobs/global-communications-director

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Barnacles Mate via 'Spermcasting'

Oversized penises are not always enough to let these immobile crustaceans mate if the animals live in solitude, so they release sperm into the sea which allows other barnacles to capture it and thus fertilize eggs

By Daniel Cressey and Nature magazine

The penis in this barnacle (appendage at top) is barely the length of its tentacles ? unlike the extra-long ones in some other species. The mollusk however disperses its sperm directly into seawater. Image: D. W. & Palmer

It can be hard to find a sexual partner when you are glued to a rock.

Barnacles famously get around this problem by having penises longer than their bodies, so that they can seek out relatively distant mates. But now it seems that some adopt another strategy, entrusting their precious bodily fluids to the currents.

Some of these crustaceans live alone, with no neighbors near enough to have sex with. In the case of the gooseneck-barnacle species Pollicipes polymerus, this presented a mystery: although some barnacles are thought to self-fertilize, scientists have never been able to witness reproduction of solitary P. polymerus, so these animals were thought to have to mate.

But Richard Palmer, a marine biologist at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and his team have now shown that the barnacles are capable of capturing sperm released into the sea, which gives them another route to procreation.

?Barnacles are a highly studied animal,? says Palmer. ?It?s exciting to us to find something so totally new in a group that is so extensively studied.?

Palmer and his team describe in Proceedings of the Royal Society B how they collected barnacles that were ?well outside penis range? of any other individuals, but bore fertilized egg masses. By analyzing the genetic make-up of these animals and their eggs, the researchers found that all the isolated barnacles' eggs contained DNA that could only have come from another animal. This indicated that they must have collected sperm from the water in a process sometimes called spermcast mating. Further genetic analysis showed that even barnacles located within mating distance of a fellow P. polymerus still collected sperm from the water.

Cast upon the waters
John Bishop, a marine ecologist at the Marine Biological Association of the UK in Plymouth and one of the scientists who coined the term spermcast mating, points out that this mechanism of fertilization is quite different from broadcast spawning, in which some aquatic animals release both eggs as well as sperm into the water.

Spermcasting seems to be linked to animals that are fixed in place ? or ?sessile?, he says.

In the past, people often assumed that isolated sessile species ?must sit there and self-[fertilize]? he notes, but now barnacles can be added to the list of spermcasters, which also includes sponges, corals and some mollusks. They are the first crustaceans known to employ this strategy.

?Most of the sessile groups have had the box ticked in spermcast mating,? says Bishop. ?It goes with a sessile existence and more particularly with filter feeding.? (As filter-feeding animals, barnacles already posess the equipment to capture small particles in the water: see video below.)

And Pollicipes polymerus may not be the only species of barnacle that does it. Palmer and his student Marjan Barazandeh, the lead author of the latest paper, are now exploring whether two further species also trust their sperm to the waves.

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This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on January 16, 2013.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=85ca13274822c437a7617c5cbb6cde12

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Fremont appointed Governor of California

A leader in the successful fight to wrest California away from Mexico, the explorer and mapmaker John C. Fremont briefly becomes governor of the newly won American territory.

Still only in his early mid-30s at the time, Fremont had already won national acclaim for his leadership of two important explorations of the West with the military's Corps of Topographical Engineers. Shortly after the government published Fremont's meticulously accurate maps of the Far West, they became indispensable guides for the growing numbers of overland emigrants heading for California and Oregon. In 1845, though, the lines between military exploration and military conquest began to blur when President James Polk sent Captain Fremont and his men on a third "scientific" mission to explore the Rockies and Sierra Nevada?with 60 armed men accompanying them. Polk's ambition to take California from Mexico was no secret, and Fremont's expedition was clearly designed to place a military force near the region in case of war.

When Mexico and the U.S. declared war in May 1846, Fremont and his men were in Oregon. Upon hearing the news, Fremont immediately headed south, calling his return "the first step in the conquest of California." When the Anglo-American population of California learned of Fremont's arrival, many of them began to rebel against their Mexican leaders. In June, a small band of American settlers seized Sonoma and raised a flag with a bear facing a five-pointed star?with this act, the revolutionaries declared the independent Republic of California.

The Bear Flag Republic was short-lived. In August, Fremont and General Robert Stockton occupied Los Angeles. By January 1847, they had put down the small number of Californians determined to maintain a nation independent of the United States. With California now clearly in the U.S. hands, Stockton agreed to appoint Fremont as the territorial governor. However, a dispute broke out within the army over the legitimacy of Fremont's appointment, and the young captain's detractors accused him of mutiny, disobedience, and conduct prejudicial to military discipline. Recalled to Washington for a court martial, Fremont was found guilty of all three charges, and his appointment to take the position of governor was revoked. Though President Polk pardoned him and ordered him back to active duty in the army, Fremont was deeply embittered, and he resigned from the military and returned to California a private citizen.

Although he never regained the governorship of California, the turmoil of Fremont's early political career did not harm his future prospects. In 1851, citizens of California elected him a senator, and became the territorial governor of Arizona in 1878. Today, however, Fremont's youthful accomplishments as an explorer and mapmaker are more celebrated than his subsequent political career.

Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fremont-appointed-governor-of-california

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US envoy says Taliban peace process stuck

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? The United States wants serious peace negotiations with the Taliban to begin, but it has not been possible to get the process under way, the American ambassador to Afghanistan said Thursday.

James Cunningham said it was important for the Afghan government to get the talks started and to get the best results possible, yet he acknowledged that the peace process has not "even really begun."

The Afghan peace process, which has made little headway since it began several years ago, is hobbled by distrust among the major players, including the United States. While talks with the Taliban remained stalled, there are signs of increasing efforts to get them back on track. U.S.-backed talks broke down last March in a dispute over the release of five Taliban detainees held in U.S. custody at a military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

With Afghan presidential elections and the withdrawal of most foreign combat troops looming in 2014, Afghanistan and its international allies are trying to push a peace process with the Taliban to bring an end to the conflict.

"Our goal, or rather what we would like to see and I think the Afghans would like to see, is the beginning if not conclusion of a negotiation ? at least the beginning of a serious process on peace and reconciliation ? as soon as possible," Cunningham told reporters. "But so far it hasn't proven possible to bring those pieces together to get that going."

Cunningham made the remarks following President Hamid Karzai's meeting in Washington last week with President Barack Obama. Peace talks were part of that discussion.

"We think it's important if we can do it, to help the Afghans get this process under way and then we will try to help them steer it to the best result possible," he said.

There are hopes that Pakistan's decision to release more than two dozen members of the Taliban will help get the peace process going. But it remains unclear if those Taliban figures will help the peace process or rejoin the insurgency.

The last release came on Dec. 31, when Pakistan freed eight men, including the Taliban's justice minister when the hardline regime ruled Afghanistan before being ousted in 2001, and a one-time guard of Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

Cunningham said that although their release was a positive step, there was no indication of where the former detainees had gone "or where they are going."

He said the Afghan government was trying to ensure they did not return to the insurgency.

"We obviously don't want dangerous individuals released to become a threat again to Afghan civilians, Afghan forces or our forces," Cunningham said. "So we have been working with the Afghans to make sure that doesn't happen ? through a variety of reintegration and other mechanisms."

He added that the Pakistanis so far have taken a "hands-off kind of approach to the people that they have released."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-envoy-says-taliban-peace-process-stuck-125416981.html

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featured: Ford Previews Future Pickup Truck

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Ford?s presentation at the 2013 North American International Auto Show concentrated on work vehicles. As a surprise, a new concept full-size pickup truck concept was unveiled. Called the Atlas Concept, the truck shows where Ford might be headed in terms of styling for the next generation F-150. The Atlas adopts a more chiseled, angular shape language over the sweeping arcs found in many of their other vehicles including the Fiesta, Focus and even Transit van.

Ford

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Source: http://www.psfk.com/2013/01/ford-previews-future-pickup-truck.html

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