The Life Engineers: Prometheus asks, is a culture as stupid as ours ready to create new life?

Photo: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox.

Pinning down exactly what Ridley Scott?s larger-than-life Prometheus means may be impossible. But it?s safe to say that the movie ? the 3-D quasi-prequel to Scott?s seminal technoscience-horror fable, Alien ? is self-consciously a myth for our scientific era.

Prometheus opens over the shoulder of an alabaster figure on the edge of a prehistoric waterfall. This alien, called an Engineer, drinks a poison and falls into the waters. Our camera-eye follows, diving into his cells, which are darkening and cracking apart. Then we dive further ? into his very DNA, which is rapidly rotting and unwinding, but not disappearing. We are left unsure where his broken-down DNA is headed. Cue title sequence.

Why does Scott open with an act of alien genesis triggered by crumbling, black DNA? Regardless of what else the filmmakers want the opening scene to convey, this is a horror movie. Its opening suggests that something about DNA and DNA manipulation is a source of dread ? even as society today embraces biotechnology.

The biggest questions Prometheus asks may be, if DNA is a type of code or a language, who wrote the code of human life, and what did they intend for us? Our discomfort with the fact that manipulating DNA is a technique like any other ? something you can learn and exploit for useful, perhaps lucrative ends ? is driven by concerns over the motivations of those doing the manipulating.

Photo: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox.

If we were coded by authors with a motivation ? the Engineers in Prometheus ? can we be sure that we?re acting on our own volition? Our discomfort with being ?programmed? is logical, because free will presents us with a reason to behave more responsibly (you can?t blame anyone else) and a gift of constant discovery.

The Engineers are not new to our trove of archetypes. In a way, they?re unknowable like God, but in another way they?re just a larger, paler version of ourselves. Scott makes this clear when his archeologists discover that we share genomes. Humans are the Engineers? golems, Pinocchios, and Frankenstein?s creatures. The horror that comes with this discovery is that our makers are just about as ungodlike as we are.

The movie isn?t really about the Engineers, however. The Engineers are us. Do we want life to be given purpose by people as fallible, silly, vain, and stupid as we are? Of course, we?ve been bioengineering already. Since the advent of agriculture and animal husbandry, we?ve shaped the genetic direction that species take. Think: wolves into Pomeranians. But breeding has always been a slow, sloppy form of programming.

So here we are at the gates to the age of biotechnology, where scientists bioengineer yeast and bacterial cells to produce materials for us like medicines and plastics, where they use genetically engineered viruses to manipulate the brain cells of mice as if neurons were the strings of a marionette. The moment when bioengineering becomes indistinguishable from computing is coming. Companies like Autodesk are already developing bioCAD software, and undergraduate students are doing bioengineering for their summer projects. With the Engineers ? humanity?s Gepetto ? Prometheus offers a slant on where this all might lead.

Sure, just as the Engineers, we?ll weave our own messy psychology into the life we make. But will we also leave something out? That is, free will ? the ability to desire, act, and react in new ways. When behaviors are programmed, free will gets lost. Perhaps that?s okay when we think about a lowly E. coli churning out fuel. But we feel disgust the more we can identify with the organism we?re programming. Imagine owning a bioengineered dog that never veered from its hardwired instructions; it would be more of an appliance than a pet. And a completely programmed human being? This is the stuff of horror.

Photo: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox.

Science fiction?s forecasts have many times hit dead-on (submarines, space travel, computer hacking). Stories that focus on biotech often come back to a central theme, perhaps the predominant question of our age: When DNA becomes just another toolset, what will separate us from any other object that?s made? And what?s transcendent about life if we can design it ourselves?

In the biotech era, the creation of new life may be the ultimate source of bio-angst-the feeling that there?ll never be a satisfactory reason for our existence. If life is just stuff to be worked into new forms, then nothing separates life from ore, plastic, or anything else we can manipulate with tools.

Scott?s Prometheus shows that ? as a culture forced to make increasingly difficult decisions regarding science ? we haven?t escaped the debate central to Mary Shelley?s Frankenstein or what she called The Modern Prometheus (no coincidence). Shelley?s creature ? abandoned by his genius creator ? asks, why did you make me? Scott?s movie just reverses the equation. In Prometheus, we are the creature, abandoned, and we want the Big Answer.

Prometheus is not simply the most recent, biggest-budget story of humanity?s bio-angst ? it?s also the story that comes at a time when humanity is finally able to test the reasons for its angst empirically. Here at the opening of the biotech era, we?re both excited and afraid of what our future holds.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=bdee9b6c1b9bdebb4fc1f31a07779be2

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Yoani Sanchez: Cuba's Schools Are Failing Its Children

To brag about the achievements of our children and to crow about the good grades they got on a test are some of the pleasures that we can't forgo when the opportunity presents itself. June comes and we bump into a neighbor or a friend and the obligatory question is, "How is your child doing studying for the final exams?" The heat takes a backseat, and summer's apathy gains some mystery with the questions: Will they pass or fail? Will they be promoted to the next grade, or not? Long nights are spent solving math problems, the tutors can't keep up with so many students, and outside the schools they post the listings with the standings. The year-end vortex sucks us in... but this year there are several new features.

After testing one educational method after another, now several batches of students trained in these teaching "laboratories" have come to the university. I am referring to those who, from the first day of junior high school, faced those so-called "emerging teachers" at the blackboard; the same teenagers who, for years, received 60 percent of their classes through a television screen. My son is a good example of this. He benefited from the abandonment of the "high schools in the countryside" program -- excellent news -- but he suffered from the restructuring of the school program, plagued with misfits, lost hours, and the poor academic preparation of the educators. He has also been affected by the high desertion rates among the ranks of teachers whose salaries remain on the symbolic, if not the ridiculous, plane. Added to this is the presence -- excessive and continuous -- of an ideology that pervades even subjects and materials as far from the political spectrum as possible.

These winds are now bringing real storms. The lack of educational quality is bumping up against an increasing rigor in the final exams for high school. The result: entire schools where they are barely able to pass three or four students; complete groups who must cram and take the test second time, and even a third; parents on the edge of nervous collapse on learning that their "intelligent" child doesn't even know the Pythagorean theorem. To the lack of control comes the firm hand; the delirious educational system starts to see reason. But we're not talking about numbers here; it concerns young people whose learning has been far below what now appears on the test. People for whom volunteerism and school experimentation have been shown to fail.

Yoani's blog, Generation Y, can be read here in English translation.
Translating Cuba is a compilation blog with Yoani and other Cuban bloggers in English.
Yoani's new book in English, Havana Real, can be ordered here.

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Follow Yoani Sanchez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/yoanifromcuba

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yoani-sanchez/cubas-schools-are-failing_b_1640256.html

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Blake wins 200 meters, goes 2 for 2 vs Bolt

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) ? No posing, no salutes, no fist pumping. First, Yohan Blake fell to both knees and rested his head on the track. A bit later, he simply paced in front of the jam-packed grandstand at National Stadium and stared into the crowd, letting all those fans soak in a nice, long look.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the man to beat at the London Olympics.

In a result that no longer feels like a surprise, Blake beat Usain Bolt in the 200 meters at the Jamaican Olympic trials Sunday, finishing in 19.80 seconds to edge the world-record holder by 0.03.

When it was over, Bolt was the first one to approach his training partner and buddy and give him a big bear hug. Moments later, Bolt was down on the ground, getting his right hamstring stretched out, while Blake was going through his understated celebration. At one point, he raised one finger to his mouth, as if asking everyone to "shhhhh." But the fans didn't listen. They now have not one, but two, legitimate gold medal prospects for the men's sprints in London.

"Usain always gives me a lot of encouragement and tells me to keep coming to this race," Blake said about the 200.

Boy, did he.

The win came two days after Blake, the reigning world champion at 100 meters, beat Bolt in the 100 by running a personal-best 9.75.

That was a shocker, but there were explanations ? most notably the terrible starts Bolt got off to throughout the 100 heats and in the final, to say nothing of any doubt that might still linger over the false start that scratched him from worlds last year.

Bolt has always considered the 200, which better suits his lanky 6-foot-5 frame, his real work. And now, indeed, he has work to do there, as well.

As they approached the finish, Bolt was grimacing ? or was that the hint of a frustrated smile? ? as he looked to his left to see what very few thought possible earlier this week: Blake beating him to the line for the second time in three days.

"I can never be discouraged," Bolt said. "I'm never worried until my coach gets worried, and my coach isn't worried, so I'm OK."

Said Glen Mills, who coaches both runners: "Usain, he has the experience, the ability, he has been there already. He might be a little off at the moment, but I'm sure when the time of delivery comes around, he'll be on top of his game."

The clock is ticking. As of Sunday, there were 34 days until the start of the men's 100 heats at Olympic Stadium.

In the women's 200, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a personal best 22.10 seconds to also complete the 100-200 sweep. She'll be joined by Sherone Simpson and two-time defending Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown.

Fraser-Pryce took the world by surprise four years ago when she won the 100 at Beijing. Her next act could be this 200, her second-best event, where she beat Simpson with lots of room to spare, a 0.27-second margin.

"I'm still learning, you know," Fraser-Pryce said.

Even at that, Fraser-Pryce and the rest of the Jamaicans have some ground to make up. At U.S. trials this weekend, Allyson Felix won the 200 final, also in a personal best of 21.69 seconds.

"I'm happy for Allyson," said Campbell-Brown, who finished third in 22.42. "That's a very good time for her. And the faster we run, the sweeter it will be at the Olympic Games, because anyone who wins that will have to run very, very fast."

While word of Felix's mark had been swirling around Jamaica for about 24 hours, details of Blake's victory were just working their way to the States, where Wallace Spearmon won the 200 in 19.82 seconds Sunday.

"Honestly, I figured they'd run about 19.5 or 19.6 today," Spearmon said. "You caught me off guard a little. Not a bad thing, but I didn't know."

Now, the guessing game figures to take on Olympics-sized proportions.

Blake, Bolt and Mills all conceded that Blake came into these trials in better shape than the man whose marks ? 9.58 and 19.19 ? sit atop the record book.

So, was Bolt genuinely just coasting through this weekend in front of all his home fans, making sure he made it, getting ready to defend his Olympic titles? Is his conditioning not up to snuff, and if so, is there time for him to get there? Or, might he be hurting, as it appeared when he was getting his leg worked on while lying on the track?

"I don't want to get into that," Bolt said. "I was just working (the leg) around for a few moments to get myself back together. I'm not far off. I can get it done."

Blake will be making his first trip to the Olympics, which can be a daunting prospect. After these pair of benchmark victories, he sounded ready for more work, not a celebration.

"It leaves me to get back into training," Blake said. "It's not over. I still have the Olympics to go."

On the other hand, if Bolt was feeling any sense that he had it made ? well, he no longer has to worry about that.

He said Sunday's race was lost in the curve ? the same curve Blake has been watching Bolt run for the past several months in practice, picking up tips, learning the nuances.

"I was very sad with my turn, it was awful, but I've been working more on the 100 meters," Bolt said. "I can't blame it on that, though. Just have to get my things together and get it done."

After Bolt's bad curve, he came into the straightaway with a deficit. Finally, over the last 50 meters, the Olympic champion started closing.

Like a racecar driver catching a glimpse of something lurking in his rearview mirror, Blake could see Bolt making up ground out of the corner of his eye.

The best ones know how to close things out.

"I felt him on my right-hand side. No need to panic," Blake said. "I just stayed focused."

___

Associated Press Writers Pat Graham in Eugene, Ore., and David McFadden in Kingston contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blake-wins-200-meters-goes-2-2-vs-005939152--oly.html

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An Interview with Jessica Lauryn

1. How did you get started writing?

As a child, I had a very overactive imagination. ?I created an imaginary world for my dolls, sort of like the fictitious towns we see in soap operas.? Though my scripts weren?t nearly as colorful as the ones used in daytime TV, I worked constantly to keep my plots going, having no idea that I wasn?t merely playing, but actually writing.? Years later, when I was taking creative writing classes in college, I told my professors I was going to write soap operas after graduation.? I joined a critique group, and, knowing that romance was the genre of my passion, I attempted to ?write a romance novel,? never having read one!? My gut telling me that what I?d put together wasn?t quite ready for an editor?s desk, I decided to crack open a real romance novel and ?see how it was done.?? I was instantly hooked, and from that day forward I set out to pursue what would become my path to publication.

?2.??? Tell us about your current series.

I am currently writing the Pinnacles of Power Series, which is a 5-book series that is centered around a secret diamond smuggling operation called Project Gemstone.? The heroes?Ryan, Alec, Colin, Lucas, and Jack?each play a part in Project Gemstone?s progression, whether they are taking down the bad guys, trying to escape conflicted pasts, or helping to shut the criminal expenditure down once and for all.? The heroines?Abigail, Lena, Julia, Lilah, and Corinne?are strong and independent women, each of which falls for a man who is involved with Project Gemstone.? Each heroine must help her hero to battle his inner demons, and decide whether the love, passion and desire they feel is worth the risk it poses to their hearts.

3.??? ?What is your favorite part of writing?

I love the feeling I get when I write, where I escape into a secret world, in which I, the writer, am in total control of a story.? Heroine?s actions, hero?s actions, secrets of the past, even the outcome are all controlled by me.? I love creating premises, and I love working those premises out, smoothing out all the kinks in a story until it is ready for publication.? Long story short, (no pun intended!) I love many, many things about writing, most especially the fact that I get to do it every day!

4.??? How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?

I?ve had many people over the last several years come up to me and say, ?Can you make me a character in a book??? And the most common answer I give is ?I?d love to, but you?re too nice of a person.?

But characters are nice.? Which is certainly true enough.? But it is rather difficult to gauge emotional conflict in people we meet in everyday life as people tend to keep their deepest darkest secrets?well?secret!? And emotional conflict is the key ingredient to creating dynamic characters, and consequently, to writing great stories.

Some people on the other hand will strike you as being just a little odd or unusual.? Which tends to beg the question, ?why??? For me, that is where the imaginative process begins.? If I meet someone who strikes me as unusual or different, I tend to spin my own story about them and yes, they will most likely become a character in a story.? Just not usually the very next story, as that?s probably already on its way.? But three stories past my current WIP is definitely fair game ;)

?5.??? Tell us a little about yourself and your latest book.

In my first release, Dangerous Ally, Lucas Ramone, diamond smuggling kingpin, vows to destroy the man his father has hired to spy on him with the intention of stealing his smuggling operation, Project Gemstone?

Hardly a man Lilah Benson goes ahead with her venturous plan to take a job at the Ramone Mansion, for the chance to get the story of a lifetime?

But an unexpected attraction to her source makes it quite difficult for Lilah to get the information she seeks. She soon realizes that the true mystery will be figuring out how to keep from putting her heart into the hands of her eager adversary?

And here?s a little about Dangerous Proposal, my latest release coming this month from Siren BookStrand!?

At nineteen, Alec Westwood nearly committed the most horrific of crimes?murder in cold blood?and narrowly escaped the assigned task with his life.? When a stunning young woman crosses his path wearing the insignia for the organization that recruited him, Alec vows not to let fate get a second chance.? But when the enchantress gives him a kiss that leaves him spellbound, he realizes the power she holds is greater than all his strength and fortitude combined.

On the run from her psychotic fianc?, Lena Benson vows to forge a new life.? But when her new friend Jack tells her to stay away from Alec Westwood?the man she believes her fianc? hired to track her down?she takes matters into her own hands.? Alec may have the look and the charm, but she?s calling the shots this time, even if that means resisting a man who?s eyes and touch rob her, literally, of sense.

6) Tell us about your heroes.? Give us one of their strengths and one of their weaknesses.

Lucas Ramone, hero in Dangerous Ally, is a mysterious, yet, deeply troubled man.? Lucas lost his mother at a young age (rather, he believed she was dead) and he spent the majority of his young life being manipulated by his father, fighting for his father?s affection.? It is this need to fill the emptiness in his life that often drives Lucas to do the bad things he does.? On the flip side, Lucas is strong, brave and chivalrous and he would protect the people he loves to the death, something the heroine Lilah Benson becomes keenly aware of as Lucas comes to her rescue on a great number of occasions.

Alec Westwood, hero in Dangerous Proposal, would give anything to step out of his older brother Colin?s shadow.?? In his typical frustration, he has a tendency to make bold moves without thinking, and this tends to get him into trouble. ?Alec?s greatest strength is his strength of character.? This is what keeps him from crossing the line at times, like when he is nineteen years old, and, for the sake of proving a point, briefly contemplates committing murder.

7.??? What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on the third story in the Pinnacles of Power Series, Dangerous Proposition.? (Which come after Dangerous Proposal, before Dangerous Ally) In this story, Julia Dyson (Lena Benson?s roommate in Dangerous Proposal) learns that her father has been abducted, and believes her teenage crush, Colin Westwood, may be responsible.? Colin, determined to keep Julia from learning his true involvement in her father?s abduction, makes the red-headed temptress an offer.? In exchange for helping her retrieve her missing father, he wants Julia to be his mistress.

8.??? What do you have planned for the future?

I?d like to complete the five stories in the Pinnacles of Power series, then, write another romantic suspense series that centers around the Broadway stage.? After that, we?ll see where the wind takes me J

?

BIO

At two years old, Jessica became a devoted fan of both listening to and reciting the books her parents would read to her at night. When she was a little older (about four), she sought a greater challenge in her life, and began making up stories of her own, acting them out with her dolls. ?When the dolls got ?boyfriends,? she says, ?I knew I was getting too old for dolls!?

As a romance novelist and a reader alike, Jessica is most intrigued by dark heroes, who have many demons to conquer?but little trouble enticing female companions into their beds! She feels that the best romances are those where the hero is already seducing the heroine from that first point of contact. ?Isn?t it the hero?s job to seduce?? she says with a grin.

Jessica loves to see the sparks fly when a stubborn, domineering hero crosses paths with a bold, feisty heroine, and uses the combination frequently in her stories.

When she?s is not writing, Jessica enjoys listening to as much 80?s music as possible, watching the same re-runs of Smallville over and over, shopping for exceptionally unique cameos, and taking long walks in nature where she can daydream about anything romantic. Though she resides in Central New Jersey, her heart belongs to the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.

Excerpt:

Dangerous Ally

Feeling the warmth of tears in her eyes, Lilah rose from the table. She never became so emotional over nothing. What in God?s name was wrong with her?
Lucas?s strong hand came against her shoulder. She didn?t pull away. In fact, she had the strangest urge to just lean into him. Like somehow, he would take away all of her doubts.

?Lena?s happy in her life with her children, and with Alec Westwood,? he said. ?I?d never begrudge her that. All I ever wanted was her happiness.?

The way he said the words, she almost believed them. He seemed to care, or at least, maybe was trying to be a better person.

?You?re trembling,? he said, reaching in before she could stop him. His finger brushed her quivering lip.

Her instinct was to smack his hand. But the tingling sensation racing from mouth to spine kept her in place. Lucas?s touch was so soft. It made her crazy. She was consumed by the strongest desire for his lips to be where his finger was now.

He took her wine glass and held it out to her. ?Here,? he said. ?This?ll calm your nerves.?

Senses returning with a bang, Lilah held up two hands in protest. ?Are you trying to get me drunk?? she snapped, not entirely sure whether it was him she was angrier at or herself.

?Am I that obvious?? He laughed as if the whole thing was funny, setting the glass back down.

She enjoyed being in the company of a monster?there was nothing lighthearted about it!

?I?m guessing you?ve probably been down this road too many times, hmm?? Lucas replaced his hand on her shoulder.

?What road would that be, exactly??

His gray eyes looked deeply into hers. ?I?m sure I?m not the first man who?s tried to get you into a relaxed state, Lilah.?

?Actually?? She hesitated, not wanting to get so personal yet feeling she could probably tell him anything and he?d somehow understand. ?It?s been a long time, longer than you?d imagine. After I finished college, I had every intention of becoming a journalist. Meaning I?d be out most of the time chasing a story despite whatever danger came with it. It?s all I?ve ever wanted, for as long as I can remember.?
He nodded, coming closer. ?You must have been very persistent. It takes a good deal of perseverance and sacrifice to become a success at such a young age.?

Lilah sure knew that. While her friends had been enjoying their last semester of college, she?d been frantically gathering writing samples, sending them out to every newspaper who would give her the time of day. But had her father noticed? Even when she became one of the youngest reporters at the New York Times, he?d barely raised a brow.
Deep down, she knew this was why she?d accepted Raphael?s offer, even in spite of the danger that came with it. A story about Raphael Ramone?s family laundry wasn?t going to impress Blake Benson. But exposing Lucas?s diamond smuggling operation would be a print-worthy unearthing that would win her father?s admiration as well as her first Pulitzer.

She lowered her gaze. ?I haven?t given up anything so wonderful.?

Lucas lifted her chin. ?But if it came to that, do you think you?d be willing to make that sacrifice? Give up something you want?maybe something you want more than anything?to attain some ultimate level of self-victory??

A chill came over her at his words. Lilah came back a step, unsure of what had just happened but wanting desperately to pretend it hadn?t.

Lucas cleared his throat. ?Let?s get some air, shall we??

Something she needed desperately. She followed him to the balcony, welcoming the cool night breeze as it caressed her hot skin.

?It?s beautiful here,? she said, hoping very much to steer the conversation in a new direction.

?It is.? He nodded and came beside her, bracing the rail with one hand. He slipped an arm around her back.

His body was warm?like a furnace?and he felt strong, as if he spent his days loading lumber instead of dabbling away at a computer.

Lilah shivered, goose bumps forming along her bare arms. It felt so nice being close to Lucas. Too nice. Maybe she?d just stay there with him a few minutes longer. They weren?t exactly hurting anyone by being in each other?s company.

He leaned into her, speaking in a tone she could only describe as husky. ?Those men you never met,? he said, ?that was their loss.?

She blinked, keeping her eyes on the night sky. ?Please. A man?s the last thing I need in my life.?

?Are you sure about that?? Lucas asked, his warm breath coming against her ear. ?Or is it possible you?ve been hiding behind your work for so long, you don?t even know how things could be?? His palm brushed her bare shoulder as he turned her to face him. ?No one knows what it?s like to be hidden from the world more than I do, Lilah. You can trust me on this. I think we?re more alike than you realize. And it?s possible we?re both missing out on something incredible.?

She didn?t push his hand away as it cupped her cheek. Or his arm as it encompassed her waist. No, she let him do what he wanted. She wanted him to touch her?

Dangerous Proposal

Trista?s sweet laughter filled the air as Lena opened the door. The little girl was pointing her finger up at the doctor. His back was turned in her direction, but he was tall and had wavy, black hair. There was something strangely familiar about him.

Lena had never been to Memorial Hospital before. How would she know anyone who worked there?

?I?m not a little monkey,? Trista said, laughing. She gave the doctor?s white coat a tug.

?Oh yes you are.? He pressed a finger to her little nose.

?No, I?m not.? She laughed, pushing him back. ?You?re a monkey head.? Her eyes lit as she turned around. ?Miss Lena!?

Fresh tears formed in Lena?s eyes. She raced to the bed, throwing her arms around Trista. Faintly, she heard the doctor?s clipboard hit the floor with a smack.

She must have bumped into him as she ran by. But there was plenty of time to apologize.

?Trista, I?m so glad you?re ok,? she said, holding the little girl tightly against her chest.

?I?m all better now, Miss Lena,? Trista said. ?I bumped my head. But it?s ok now.?

Lena did her best to hide her watery eyes. Trista seemed completely unfazed by what had happened. It was as if a different child had cracked her head open on the playground.

?You scared me today,? she said softly. ?We?re going to hold the handle bars every time we ride our bikes from now on, aren?t we?? She turned to the doctor. ?My God, I don?t know how to thank??

Lena gripped the bar surrounding the bed. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Trista?s doctor was the man from Valley Tavern, the man from Julia?s backyard. He was none other than Alec himself!

A doctor?he was a doctor! Wearing a white coat and looking at her with eyes as wide as her own. With a professional ensemble to compliment his handsome exterior, he was the heartthrob of every woman?s fantasy for sure.

Suddenly, he began to look her over more slowly. With his deep blue eyes locked with hers, intensity transformed to pure, wicked deviltry. He wasn?t simply looking at her, as he had those other times. He was challenging her. Daring her to speak first. She swallowed, tightening her hold on the handle of the bed.

?Trista,? a soft voice called from the doorway.

Lena released the breath she?d been holding in. She?d almost forgotten about the little girl sitting beside them. Suddenly there were two other people in the room. A man, with curly blonde hair, like his daughter?s. And a woman with a long brunette mane.

Well, it was better late than never. She?d begun to think maybe Trista was an orphan. After a brief reintroduction, she decided to give the family a few minutes alone. She went to the door, assuring herself that she definitely needed some air.

Clutching the doorknob, she jolted as a hand touched down on her back.

?A moment of your time, Miss Gallagher.?

Alec was right behind her, their bodies practically touching. She didn?t dare turn around out of fear that she might fall straight into his arms?exactly where he wanted her. He placed his large, warm hand over hers and turned the doorknob, urging her into the hall. Moving steadily behind hers, his body forced her to either walk forward or risk bumping right up against him.

Moments later, Lena found herself in a dimly lit corridor?a place she was certain no one else in the hospital even knew existed. Though, the darkness didn?t make it any easier to hide her trembling hands. Her heart beat wildly as Alec circled her, caressing her body with his sinful blue eyes. She moved back a step, coming against the wall.

A mischievous smile formed on Alec?s lips. Putting his hand against the tile behind her, he barricaded her exit.

?Lena Gallagher.? He shook his head, making a tsking sound with his tongue. ?Imagine that. Allowing an innocent child to fall from a tricycle. What sort of a negligent caregiver does a thing like that??

Lena?s face burned. ?Negligent caregiver? I??

?It?s certainly a good thing I was there to come to the rescue. But then that?s just the kind of man I am, you see. Lucky for you. Otherwise??he lowered his voice??you?d be in an awful lot of trouble right now. Wouldn?t you??

?Are we through here, Dr. Westwood? I wouldn?t want to be taking up anymore of your precious time.?

?Now, now, Miss Gallagher. That isn?t any way to speak to the man who just saved your little girl. Not to mention job, I?m sure. Correct me if I?m wrong. That makes the score two to zero. Does it not??

?Is that what this is to you? Some sort of sick game? Trista could have died! No doctor with any true ethics would try to take advantage of something like that. Just how big of a jerk are you??

He grinned. ?Don?t you wish you knew??

She put her hands against the front of his jacket, shoving him back as hard as she could. ?I?m leaving.?

She started forward, but he caught her by the arm. Her eyes came wide open as she turned around. ?What do you think you?re doing??

?Perhaps you ought to think more carefully before making bets you have no chance of winning. I let you walk away from me once. This time, I don?t intend to make it quite so?easy.?

?What do you want from me?? she asked in a whisper.

?You know what I want, Lena. And I know that you want this as much as I do.?

?

Saturday, June 30th, 2012, by Cindy Woolf and is filed under "Guest Blog, Interviews ". You can leave a response here, or send a Trackback from your own site.

Source: http://cynthiawoolf.com/blog/an-interview-with-jessica-lauryn/

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Personal Finance Tips That Actually Work - CareCrunch Answers

Too frequently, men and women try to disregard their economic problems with the hope that they may go away. This article is absolutely beneficial mainly because it gives you lots of approaches on how to be in charge of your financial situation. Get yourself a hold in your financial situation now!

Your car and property are incredibly likely gonna be your largest expenses. Repayments and interest on these matters is definitely the factor spent the most on each and every month. Pay out them more quickly if you are paying extra or using your income tax reimbursement and having to pay much more about your balances.

When you are buying the foreign exchange market view the developments. You must have your finger around the pulse from the foreign exchange trading markets, so that you can make the most of industry inefficiencies. Usually do not market anything at all with a swing that may be great a treadmill which is lower. Fully grasp what you really are wanting to obtain if you decide to go up against the trends.

Pay out your bills as early as you are able to when you are getting these people to continue to keep excellent individual financial situation. Paying bills earlier will eradicate pressure and let you recognize how very much discretionary cash flow you might have. This can also provide you with peace of mind when an unforeseen finances occurs, as you will not be concerned in regards to the imminent monthly bills.

A single strategy for remaining on finances is to use more than one banking account. One account could be used to include repaired costs yet another would be focused totally to adjustable costs. Accomplishing this will make it easier to keep track of your money outflows, and also this can also help to ensure you have ample cash to cover expenditures.

Using an university level can produce a large affect with your generating possible. An university scholar features a life-time getting prospective that is certainly nearly dual that from an increased school scholar or a dropout. An schooling past secondary school will probably be one of many only methods to dual exactly how much you will make during your life.

With respect to obtaining your funds in much better form, it is best to start out late than not at all. It will be a very good thing to accomplish, so at 60 you might be well prepared instead of never ever beginning by any means. With regards to personalized budget, any moment is a great time and energy to start off maintaining points as a way.

Analyze your money like you were actually a financial institution official to acquire on the right course. Which means taking the time to precisely discover your exact revenue together with your precise bills. Estimate the cost high, so you can use the funds you possess put aside to cover it and downpayment any extra amount into a bank account.

Individual financial can vary with each diverse personal, it is therefore under your control to understand how to control the finances in your own home. With a little luck, this article has provided you excellent advice on the way to better handle your individual finances so that you?re in a position to save money. Post a couple of reminders of distinct techniques you wish to eat areas of your house that you will observe regularly probably the washroom vanity mirror or in your family fridge entrance. Making use of everything you learned will produce positive results!

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Source: http://answers.carecrunch.com/?p=60952&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=personal-finance-tips-that-actually-work

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Weather's Weird Role in the Slowing Economy

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/weathers-weird-role-slowing-economy-203519490.html

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How to succeed in Retail multichannel, multinational market?

Implementing a comprehensive and fueling integrated multichannel retail system is essential when ensuring the smooth, daily function of any Retail business. Regardless of the vertical type that means, from restaurant to department store, having all facets of the business directly communicating with one another is important. In absence of an integrated ?system that communicates well ,needless errors and avoidable problems occur, reducing possible profit flows and draining valuable man hours. Using an Integrated retail system, which converges data of all multichannel retail touch points and is able to do so in multiple languages with multi-currency facets is vastly important in the success in any global company.

Retailers whether big or small are now keenly focusing to invest in Retail technology that ?communicates in multiple languages and has built in currency conversion features, which was earlier ignored. The multi lingual, multi-currency integrated retail system connects all areas of the business across borders, across locations ranging from ordering new products, to placement of shipments, when shipments are expected & received, what is out on the floor and when particular material is running low in stock. All this while, relevant data is stored at the local store server as well as the Enterprise server. Facilitating smooth operations of a Retail chain is an important concern of a multichannel retail company, which is ensured by an Integrated Retail management solution. Each branch must consist of its own, locally based currency and language system, in order to best service the department, and customers. ?Reports in respective language can then be sent back to the head office, detailing information regarding sales & other allied functions. This pinpoints popular products in different areas of the world, allowing management to determine what services should be offered in different countries and regions.

The point of sales (POS) system is essential in helping customers and clients feel comfortable with the company. This is the point in which the individual pays for and buys the desired product. Often times, this is the only time (when done in person) where face to face interaction is performed, although many companies are moving towards self-service. The POS, acts like a point of Service with the Integrated retail systems, it is possible to follow when products are sold, what is the most popular, sales during a given point in the day and what customers like specific products the best. A POS that functions in the local language & processes all data & prints in local language connects well with a local customer service system, improving ?customer-management & strengthening relationships, as complaints and concerns are handled locally, with agents who speak the language and understand their way of life.

The opportunities Multichannel Retail presents to ?businesses are both exciting and challenging. ?Businesses that embrace innovative technologies are able to act quickly and adapt to reap benefits at the expense of their slower moving counterparts.

Source: http://www.citixsys.com/blog/emerging-trends/retail-trends/multi-channel-retail/how-to-succeed-in-retail-multichannel-multinational-market/

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