It's true that some fathers will do anything to make their daughters happy -- just ask one British man who started growing marijuana to pay for his daughter's wedding.
Local newspaper The Spenborough Guardian reported Friday that respected builder Wayne Longley was plagued by financial problems caused by the economic recession. Yet, he felt pressured to pay for his daughter's wedding in Jamaica later this year, so he began growing marijuana under his garage and intended to sell it.
In August 2011, police discovered a hidden room under Longley's garage where 31 cannabis plants were growing (valued at about $25,000). He had also been using about $7,900 worth of electricity illegally to grow the plants.
Longley pleaded guilty to producing marijuana and extracting electricity, and destroyed the garage. His family testified that Longley's daughter would be "tremendously affected" if he were unable to attend her wedding. But according to the Spenborough Guardian, Longley will not be able to get a visa to travel to Jamaica -- he was sentenced to 150 hours of community service and 18 months in prison (only if he violates the terms of his two-year probation).
Don't worry, dads -- you are NOT expected to grow pot to earn the cash for your daughter's weddings. HuffPost blogger Maria Lin offers the dos and don'ts of paying for your child's wedding here.
Check out readers' wedding disaster stories in the slideshow below.
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Lauren_Young2"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://graph.facebook.com/1547323411/picture?type=square" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Lauren_Young2">Lauren Young2</a>:<br />We had to reschedule our wedding because Hurricane Irene Hit us, Best Man couldn't make it because his wife said no because it was their anniversary, Original photographer cancelled with one month till the wedding because she was pregnant and ended up in the hospital...and the list goes on
Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Why It's Cool: The brand with the three stripes acquired Five.Ten, a climbing and cycling-shoe label, about a year ago. That deal is now paying dividends with this new approach shoe, which uses Five.Ten's sticky outsole rubber?a proprietary material called Stealth, which flat-pedal mountain bikers discovered a few years back and climbers have flocked to for decades because it is exceptionally grippy and wears quite well. The Adidas Terrex Solo is meant for light hikers who really need extra traction for rock scrambles; should help Stealth reach a wider audience.
Age does not hinder you from having fun and experiencing what it feels to be enjoying the different cultures and sights of other countries. People who are now in retirement age usually would want to live a break-free life without any troubles that could cloud their mind. After all the years of hard work, they surely need a time for relaxation and pleasure.
For this, they should start looking for a holiday package to a place they dream of visiting. However, they shouldn?t be too excited in traveling to forget about purchasing the senior citizen travel insurance. Having this kind of insurance policy will insure them while on having fun in their holiday vacation. Since they are miles away from home and other relatives, they need to be properly taken cared of once they get sick during their travel. With the senior citizen travel insurance, senior citizens don?t need to worry about paying the expensive hospital bills once unexpected situations happen.
The senior citizen travel insurance allows them to enjoy their vacation and lead a worry-life when on a foreign country. Before making your decision on what kind of insurance policy you need to purchase, you need to take a look first at the different coverage of the senior citizen travel insurance. As opposed to the other travel insurance policies, this kind of insurance policy will cover all medical conditions,NBA Jerseys.
Also, additional medical premium can often be paid in order to cover the condition, and the standard policy conditions will be maintained for the other aspects in your holiday vacation. Since this plan covers the older travelers and there is an increased percentage that they may encounter sickness during their travel, they would find great refuge in purchasing the senior citizen travel insurance.
The senior citizen travel insurance is perfect for those who are planning on a vacation that falls in the maximum age of 79 for the annual cover and any age for the single trip. Many people actually worry on getting the ideal coverage for their insurance plan especially if they are older. This kind of insurance is perfect for them since accidents, delays, cancellations and loss of baggage can happen anytime during your travel.
Though they say that senior citizens are the most likely age bracket to travel abroad however, they are the group that can easily get discounts and affordable deals on travel insurance. You can easily find an insurance company only and they can provide you excellent deals that would surely fit all your needs. You can surely find the cheapest travel insurance in the market today. There is a huge number of insurance companies that offer affordable travel insurance for old travelers.
However, there are also old travelers who have to pay a relatively higher rate because of the increased risk that is associated with their age. The senior citizen travel insurance can provide affordable quotes for persons up to the age of 89 years old,air max shoes sale. Just make sure that they insurance you are going to purchase will provide you with all your needs.
President Barack Obama talks with Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, at the conclusion of the Inaugural??Um, bipartisanship? President Barack Obama ?would object? to the annihilation of the Republican Party, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Thursday. His comments came two days after Republican House Speaker John Boehner charged that doing away with the GOP would be one of the Democrat?s top second-term priorities.
?I know it?s not his goal. His goal is to work together with Congress, with members of both parties to achieve progress on behalf of the American people,? Carney said.
But Obama would not object if somehow the GOP were destroyed, right?
?I think he would object,? Carney insisted. ?He believes that the two-party system is part of the foundation of our democracy and that it is a healthy aspect of our democracy even if it?s contentious.?
Boehner leveled the accusation in a speech Tuesday to the Ripon Society, which describes itself as ?a Republican public policy advocacy organization,? as he reflected on the president?s inaugural address.
?Given what we heard yesterday about the president?s vision for his second term, it?s pretty clear to me that he knows he can?t do any of that as long as the House is controlled by Republicans,? Boehner said. ?So we?re expecting over the next 22 months to be the focus of this administration as they attempt to annihilate the Republican Party. And let me just tell you, I do believe that is their goal?to just shove us into the dustbin of history.?
Carney disputed Boehner?s contention.
?Even though we have profound differences, and differences that we will not resolve necessarily in the next year?or two, or three, or four?it is imperative that we come together and act on behalf of the American people,? the spokesman said.
?The president believes that a strong two-party system is the foundation of our democracy and looks forward to working with Republicans as well as Democrats and get things done,? Carney added.
What about the political polarization in Washington?
?We need to have spirited debates, but not debates that paralyze us. We need to compromise, not be absolutists,? Carney said, stressing that politicians should pursue government by compromise, ?not confrontation and crisis.?
For the past 2 years we?ve been publishing a list of the top UK focused internet marketing blogs in advance of speaking at events.?This year I?ll be presenting on Creative Content Marketing at SES London February 19th.
Since bloggers do more than just write posts, I?ve shifted the focus of this list from blogs to individuals. With the increasing importance of authorship and personal brands, I think it?s important to consider individual bloggers and the content they share whether its tweets, status updates, or other useful information created online.
As a result, the people on this list are recognized for their overall social sharing about ?online marketing? related topics, not just blogging.
Thanks to nominations made from some really helpful UK bloggers and the folks at Traackr we?ve created the?Top 50 UK Online Marketing Influencers & Bloggers.
Here?s more info about this year?s Top UK Online Marketing Influencers & Bloggers List and a few inevitable questions:
How did you create the list? To start, we drew upon our top UK internet blogs lists from past years then asked an array of UK based internet marketers to nominate their favorite blogs and bloggers that cover search engine optimization, content marketing, search engine marketing, social media and other online marketing practices.
TopRank Online Marketing also partnered with Traackr to discover new influential bloggers, track their online content and measure their reach, resonance and relevance.
To make the list, a blogger needed to write consistently about online marketing and have an engaged audience. This ranking is updated every week to take into conservation new content published by UK bloggers on the social web, so be sure to return to see if your ranking has changed. How do you define ?online marketing?? To develop this list, we defined online marketing as the practice of using digital channels to attract and acquire customers. The bloggers selected for the list write consistently about topics such as search engine marketing and optimization, social media marketing, content marketing, online public relations and similar topics.
How can I be included on this list? The only way to be included on this list is to be based in the UK, write and share original content about online marketing. Your relevancy to the topic is most important. We also look at metrics to determine the size of your audience and their level of engagement with your content.
Why did my rank change? The influential bloggers listed here are identified by Traackr and their online content is monitored over time. As new content is published, we reassess everyone?s relevance and engagement metrics on a weekly basis. New people can emerge and current list members can move in rank depending on these factors.
What is Traackr? Traackr provides influencer identification and analytics software for businesses and agencies. The tool discovers, ranks and monitors online influencers and the content they produce on the web. Midsize and large companies use Traackr to build better influencer programs and earn more attention by engaging with the right people. You can learn more at www.traackr.com.
Thank you
To the following UK based marketers and all around helpful people who nominated many of the bloggers in this list:
Also a HUGE THANKS goes to Evy Wilkins from Traackr for all her hard work to make this new list template happen.
Inevitably, there are people that our readers feel should be included in the lists we publish. ?You can share your suggestions of course, but publishing content on social networks and on blogs on a regular basis is really the best way to make it into the consideration set.
Here?s a little more about that event I?m speaking at in London next month:
Creative Content Marketing?Winning Hearts, Minds, & Wallets Investments in content marketing are on the rise, but few companies have fully realised what the best practices are for creating high-quality content over a long period of time. Developing ideas for effective marketing can be a challenge. This session will help you to:
Develop a framework for creative and efficient content creation.
Find resources and ideas where others cannot.
Leverage a mix of evergreen, repurposed, curated, and co-created content for better marketing results.
Apply SEO and social media optimization principles to amplify content reach and engagement.
The top 2 live tweeters during my #SESLON?session will win a copy of Optimize (sorry, no ?Optimise? version is?available) ?:)
New test predicted presence of harmful BRCA mutationsPublic release date: 22-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jeremy Moore jeremy.moore@aacr.org 215-446-7109 American Association for Cancer Research
PHILADELPHIA A new multiple gene expression profile test was able to predict the presence of harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations in otherwise healthy women carrying the mutations, according to data published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
"This novel technology aims to provide a layer of information regarding the cell functionality aspect of BRCA mutations that could greatly enhance the doctor's ability to identify high-risk carriers," said Asher Y. Salmon, M.D., a breast cancer specialist at the Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel.
Women with a mutation in their BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene have a significantly increased risk for developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer, and for many of those at risk disease may develop at an early age. Researchers are investigating ways to detect these genetic mutations so women carrying the genes can consider taking measures to reduce their cancer risk or increase the chance for detecting cancer in its early stages.
"The current tool for mutation detection is gene sequencing, which is expensive, time-consuming and, in many cases, lacking clear and decisive clinical decision making information," said Salmon. "In many cases, the current sequencing tool identifies a mutation, but we do not know if the mutation is neutral or harmful."
According to Salmon, emerging evidence has revealed that cells with a mutation in one of the two copies of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have a distinct gene expression profile when exposed to causes of DNA damage, such as radiation.
After collecting white blood cells from blood samples donated by nine healthy women with a mutated BRCA1 gene and eight healthy women with a mutated BRCA2 gene, Salmon and his colleagues cultured the cells and exposed them to radiation. They then extracted the total RNA from these cells and compared it to the total RNA from identically treated white blood cells from 10 healthy, noncarrier women.
About 1,500 genes were differentially expressed between carriers and noncarriers. They narrowed this list to 18 genes that were the most significantly differentiated between the two groups of women. The final narrowing was done with a validation study of a model using 21 of the newly identified genes and five control genes to predict the risk for carrying a mutation. They used blood samples from an independent group of 40 women who were carriers of mutated BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 and 17 noncarrier women. The model had a sensitivity of 95 percent and a specificity of 88 percent.
According to Salmon, this test can portray whether a patient carries a harmful mutation regardless of the patient's ethnic origin or specific mutation. In addition, it is affordable and quick, he said.
"In wealthy societies, it can become a screening tool for identifying individuals with a very high susceptibility for carrying a mutation, and full sequencing can be reserved only for them," Salmon said. "In societies in which sequencing is not feasible, this test can substitute for it with a very high accuracy rate."
Salmon and colleagues are assembling a large validation study in Europe and North America to analyze the efficacy of the test in heterogeneous populations.
###
Follow the AACR on Twitter: @aacr #aacr
Follow the AACR on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aacr.org
About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world's first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 17,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
New test predicted presence of harmful BRCA mutationsPublic release date: 22-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jeremy Moore jeremy.moore@aacr.org 215-446-7109 American Association for Cancer Research
PHILADELPHIA A new multiple gene expression profile test was able to predict the presence of harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations in otherwise healthy women carrying the mutations, according to data published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
"This novel technology aims to provide a layer of information regarding the cell functionality aspect of BRCA mutations that could greatly enhance the doctor's ability to identify high-risk carriers," said Asher Y. Salmon, M.D., a breast cancer specialist at the Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel.
Women with a mutation in their BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene have a significantly increased risk for developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer, and for many of those at risk disease may develop at an early age. Researchers are investigating ways to detect these genetic mutations so women carrying the genes can consider taking measures to reduce their cancer risk or increase the chance for detecting cancer in its early stages.
"The current tool for mutation detection is gene sequencing, which is expensive, time-consuming and, in many cases, lacking clear and decisive clinical decision making information," said Salmon. "In many cases, the current sequencing tool identifies a mutation, but we do not know if the mutation is neutral or harmful."
According to Salmon, emerging evidence has revealed that cells with a mutation in one of the two copies of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have a distinct gene expression profile when exposed to causes of DNA damage, such as radiation.
After collecting white blood cells from blood samples donated by nine healthy women with a mutated BRCA1 gene and eight healthy women with a mutated BRCA2 gene, Salmon and his colleagues cultured the cells and exposed them to radiation. They then extracted the total RNA from these cells and compared it to the total RNA from identically treated white blood cells from 10 healthy, noncarrier women.
About 1,500 genes were differentially expressed between carriers and noncarriers. They narrowed this list to 18 genes that were the most significantly differentiated between the two groups of women. The final narrowing was done with a validation study of a model using 21 of the newly identified genes and five control genes to predict the risk for carrying a mutation. They used blood samples from an independent group of 40 women who were carriers of mutated BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 and 17 noncarrier women. The model had a sensitivity of 95 percent and a specificity of 88 percent.
According to Salmon, this test can portray whether a patient carries a harmful mutation regardless of the patient's ethnic origin or specific mutation. In addition, it is affordable and quick, he said.
"In wealthy societies, it can become a screening tool for identifying individuals with a very high susceptibility for carrying a mutation, and full sequencing can be reserved only for them," Salmon said. "In societies in which sequencing is not feasible, this test can substitute for it with a very high accuracy rate."
Salmon and colleagues are assembling a large validation study in Europe and North America to analyze the efficacy of the test in heterogeneous populations.
###
Follow the AACR on Twitter: @aacr #aacr
Follow the AACR on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aacr.org
About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world's first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 17,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
(CNN) ? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is undergoing physical therapy in Cuba, an ally said Tuesday, a development that would be a significant step for the ailing leader, if true.
Bolivian President Evo Morales, during his state of the union speech Tuesday, said he spoke Sunday with Cuban officials who shared the news of Chavez?s recovery.
?I have good news,? Morales said. ?Our brother, president-commander Hugo Chavez, is already doing physical therapy to return to his country.?
Venezuelan and Cuban authorities have been secretive about the health of Chavez, who has not been seen since undergoing a fourth cancer surgery more than a month ago.
Morales? comment, along with another by Venezuela?s foreign minister, paint an uplifting picture, but officials have previously provided rosy reports that did not bear out.
Chavez is awake, joking and, most importantly, still making decisions for the country, the foreign minister, Elias Jaua, said.
Jaua said he met with Chavez on Monday in Cuba.
?Compatriots, leaving the meeting with our President Commander Hugo Chavez. We shared jokes and laughs,? Jaua said in a tweet.
Jaua said Chavez was making decisions about the upcoming summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, a coalition of the region?s countries.
?He made decisions about our participation in the Summit,? the foreign minister tweeted. ?Very happy that progress continues ??
Two weeks ago, Chavez was unable to be sworn in for a new term because of his health.
The postponed inauguration raised constitutional questions about who is in charge of the country, opposition politicians have said.
But the Supreme Court ruled that Chavez remains president and can be sworn in at a later date.
Chavez has not made a public appearance or spoken on state television since doctors operated on him. The long absence is not typical of the loquacious leader.
For the past 2 years we?ve been publishing a list of the top UK focused internet marketing blogs in advance of speaking at events.?This year I?ll be presenting on Creative Content Marketing at SES London February 19th.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sQRHxQDSBrEjkfpR4ed5VUB2iScFavXvqrVPKsQQi8raakJvNwSHHDjpr02mG8Cc3vWCg942rNTGC3gxCdIDeh_Ol0aRFwJHeBYqfaEds=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 22-Jan-2013
Share ]