COOKING-VARIETIES : FOOD AND HEALTH BENEFITS: GREEN ...

??A great idea should always be left to steep like loose tea leaves in a teapot for a while to make sure that the tea will be strong enough and that the idea truly is a great one.??

??

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Research shows that there is one kind of tea which can be up to 100 times more potent at blocking growth of cancer cells than another.? While all tea (green, oolong or black) contains antioxidant compounds called catechins that protect against cancer (especially of the lung, breast, colon, stomach and skin) by neutralizing free radicals, green tea contains about 7 times more catechins than black tea.? Green tea also has unique catechins that block an enzyme involved in breast, prostate and colon cancers.? Green tea is 10 to 100 times stronger than black tea in blocking the growth of cancer cells.? Catechins also prevent heart disease and stroke, primarily by defending against the harmful effects of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. I can drink tea until the cows come home and I love the atmosphere in tea-shops.- Zola Budd Green Tea and The 'Asian Paradox' There is a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer in Asia where people smoke heavily, which may be accounted for by high consumption of tea, particularly green tea, according to a review article published by a Yale School of Medicine researcher.? "Our trouble is that we drink too much tea.? I see in this the slow revenge of the Orient, which has diverted the Yellow River down our throats." Bauer Sumpio, M.D., professor and Chief of Vascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery. "We do not yet have a full explanation for the 'Asian paradox,' which refers to the very low incidence of both heart disease and cancer in Asia, even though consumption of cigarettes is greater than in most other countries," ?"But we now have some theories."? Sumpio, the lead author of the review in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, said he and his colleagues reviewed more than 100 experimental and clinical studies about green tea in writing the article.? He said one theory is that the average 1.2 liters of green tea consumed daily by many people in Asia offers the anti-oxidant protective effects ?EGCG. EGCG also reduces the amount of platelet aggregation, regulates lipids, and promotes proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells, which are all factors in reducing cardiovascular disease.

?Sumpio said other reports show that EGCG prevents growth of certain tumors.

Tea, according to studies, also can improve gastrointestinal function, alcohol metabolism, kidney, liver and pancreatic function, protect skin and eyes and alleviate arthritis. Tea has been used in managing and preventing allergies, diabetes, bacterial and viral infections, cavities, reduce or cure diseases with an inflammatory component and improve neurologic and psychological health. "More studies are necessary to fully elucidate and better understand green tea's method of action, particularly at the cellular level,"

??Sumpio said. "The evidence is strong that green tea consumption is a useful dietary habit to lower the risk for, as well as treat, a number of chronic diseases. Certainly, however, smoking cessation is the best way to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer."

Reference: Journal of the American College of Surgeons 202: 813-825 (May 2006)? "Although my neighbors are all barbarians,
and you, you are a thousand miles away,
there are always two cups on my table." - Tang Dynasty

Source: http://cooking-varieties.blogspot.com/2012/08/green-tea-and-asian-paradox-green-tea.html

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Fantastic cheap ghd straghteners Manual On Internet Hosting You ...

When deciding on an online number, you have to be aware of what you will be acquiring ghds for your investment. Should you be not well-informed on things such as data transfer, devoted and shared web servers, then it will be very difficult to find out if your hold is reliable and in case you are getting the best value. This post offers you some very nice suggestions which gets you around speed on what you need to know in relation to internet hosting.

If you are web hosting service your site with a Linux centered website, make sure the business you decide on changes their info on a regular basis, as well as at all degrees. You don?t would like web page to collision or be insecure because your host is not really appropriately sustaining their servers and networks, so appearance for people who do.

When choosing a web web hosting service service, check their document for down time. When you are conducting business through your internet site, you will almost definitely drop buyers when they are unable to entry your web site always, day or night. Examine not just cheap ghd straghteners how often they have black outs each week, but exactly what the time of these black outs are.

A very important thing to consider when attemping to choose an internet internet hosting service is to check how frequently a hosting providers? websites are available online. You don?t want to sign up by using a web hosting assistance that may be consistently causing your web site to become down all the time, would you?

Check out a host?s work segment in order to determine if they?re presently employing. Should they be, then its probably their company is growing. For that reason, this hold ought to be a safe decide on. If they aren?t using the services of, then they are most likely definitely struggling. Consequently, you must almost certainly ghd straighteners prevent them.

Consider signing up your website name by using an independent business, instead of your online variety. This way, if stuff go awry with your web host, there will not be the possibility of your website address simply being kept for not good purpose. Too, internet hosting businesses usually do not have by far the most robust organizational instruments for domain names. A company focused on domain names could be more appropriate in case you have a great deal of websites.

When selecting an internet hold, look at how much the number expenses. Some hosts cost on the for each-season time frame even though some might be 30 days-to-30 days. Choose a variety that costs about about $5 per month since this will most likely supply you with a great value for your money instead of a free internet hosting site which may cheap ghd straghteners not provide as many alternatives.

Since you are now informed in the nuances of website hosting, you need to have no problems being familiar with this vocabulary. When you are educated, then you will be aware things to search for and rapidly ghd straighteners realize if you are receiving a whole lot, or something that ought to be averted. Implement the recommendations with this report when a company wants to market you their web hosting service providers.

10 years on from revolutionising ghds with the launch of the company?s initially straightener, Ghd Sale remains to be in keeping with it?s founding ethos: the actual spirit of virement.

Source: http://articlereference.net/business/fantastic-cheap-ghd-straghteners-manual-on-internet-hosting-you-should-know.html

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Facebook for Business: 10 Tips to Rock Your Brand! | Social Media ...

It?s not news that the noise on the social platforms is getting louder. It?s becoming harder to stand out from the crowd. Many Facebook pages are finding themselves at a social table for one with little conversation going on despite all those ?likes? they begged for in the early days.

Quality over Quantity!

Anyone who follows me knows that ever since I hopped on Facebook for business I have been preachin? that it is not about the likes. It?s not the number of likes that will grow your business. It?s the quality of those likes, why they liked your page in the first place and most importantly what happens after the like. You can check out this post I wrote in 2010 and it is still relevant today!???What Happens After the Facebook Like? 20 Tips to Engage Your Audience After the Like!

Imperfect Perfection

So the next question many ask me is ?then how do I stand out from the crowd? How do I brand myself without being too over promotional?

Many think that it?s going to cost them an arm, leg and their Q3 budget to develop an online brand strategy that rocks. Yes, it is going to take time, resource, smart planning and eventually some cash. ?However, there is much you can do to maximize your investment. You can start with baby steps and build as you go.

Remember when it comes to marketing and branding, there is no such thing as ?perfection.? Learn to embrace imperfect perfection. A marketers work is never done. If you wait to launch until it?s perfect, chances are you will miss the bus entirely.

If you are new to branding, you should also check out a blog I wrote recently ?How to Build a Social Brand That is a Sweet Orange in a World of Bitter Apples.? ?It?s loaded with solid tips for building your social brand.

Here are a few tips to help you rock your brand on Facebook without going for broke! Most of these tips are applicable on any site, not just Facebook.

5 Essential Attributes of Rockin? Brands:

1. Deeper than a logo: Your logo is not your brand. Your brand is the essence of who and what you are. It?s everything from your CEO to the receptionist that answers the phone. It?s your tweets, avatar, Facebook cover image and even the description on your LinkedIn business page.

2. Consistent: Did you know it takes 6-7 brand impressions for someone to remember your brand at all? Yup, so that means every impression must count. The more consistent you can be the more easily each and every brand impression is going to leave a memorable imprint in their brain. Even if budgets are tight, find a way to build consistency across the various platforms.

3. Unique: There is only one you so be that person and business. Do not copy your competition or partners. Focus on your unique value you bring to your target markets, partners and community as a whole.

Don?t just throw up your boring logo or a picture of your CEO. Think in terms of emotional brand connection. How can you truly connect with your target audience? How can you ensure you are a brand they remember, click like and want to come back and visit? Being a cookie cutter copy of everyone else is not going to get you there, sorry!

4. Relevant: Your brand must mean something and resonate with your target audience. They need to be able to connect with who you are, what you say, what you do and how you make them feel.

5. Simple: I love brands that make people think but at the same time are easy to understand.

?

10 Tips to Brand Yourself on Facebook (and any social network platform in reality)

1. Profile Photo:?Your profile photo (aka Avatar) ?is the small image right beneath the Facebook cover image. This is an important image as it appears in news feeds and pages when you comment. It appears right next to your comment. You may need to mess with it a little bit to ensure that your logo or face is positioned correctly and can be seen or read in news feeds. Be sure to check it on several different types of devices such as a computer hooked up to a large monitor, laptop, iPad, and mobile phone.

2. Cover Image:?Your cover image presents an amazing opportunity for you to present your brand to the world. It is a first impression that all visitors are going to see at least one time. Give them a reason to come back! Don?t just grab the closest photo you can find and slap it on there. Take some time to ensure you select an image and/or concept that is fresh, unique and represents you and your brand appropriately.

Try mixing it up frequently to keep your fans inspired and entertained. If they know you keep it fresh and it connects with them chances are they may be back to see what you have done next.

Both the cover image and avatar should support your brand promise, vision and mission. This is where the consistency begins. Colors, tones, design, overall look and feel should be consistent. If you fall down on consistency starting with your avatar and cover image you are headed for trouble. Keep them clean, simple, free of jargon and something that makes your fans say ?wow!?

However, even with this don?t wait for perfection. Get something up there. If you are short on design resources go for simple over complicated. Make the message simple, inspiring and memorable.

Download a?free template?I created in both Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator formats?here.

?

?

3. Application Thumbnails & Icons: Each application offers the ability for you to assign a small image to it. Each of these images can be branded in a simple and unique way that can support your brand! Choose images that are descriptive of the content in the application / tab. Ensure they are simple and relevant.

Most application provides an opportunity to upload a custom thumbnail image as well as the smaller icon that is shown beneath the application thumbnail.

4. Applications / Tabs: The application pages are an excellent opportunity to integrate your brand. You can utilize many different apps that will help leverage content you have developed and published on other social and web platforms that you own or manage. This includes blogs, website etc. You can also create custom application tabs which include custom content, video etc. Even though Facebook no longer supports the custom default landing tabs you can still grab the unique url for each tab and leverage it as a landing tab when pointing to it from other social networks, status updates, blog posts or websites.

Take the time to research appropriate apps for your market, partners and community. Have fun with them and don?t be afraid to try something different? What?s the worst that will happen? People won?t click like? Who cares! They won?t click like if you bore them to death anyway!

?

5. Video: Creating a custom video that represents your brand can be an amazing way to organically attract the right audience. You can see the latest video we created with the launch of our new agency, Marketing Nutz, here. The video highlights what we believe in regard to social media. We believe the heartbeat of social media is YOU. It?s the people, the conversation and connections made that keep the social heart beating lively. The more work you do up front on your brand foundation, the easier it becomes to create content in different mediums.

6. Content: How long has it been since you reviewed the description, about section and other content on your Facebook business or personal page? Many people and businesses set up their pages when they are still learning how Facebook works. They often forget to go back and modify the content so it properly aligns and represents their brand.

Even if you think your content on these sections is fine, I challenge you to go back and double check within the next week. Take a minute and refresh the content and be sure it is the best possible representation of you and your brand.

Check the urls and other contact information to be sure it is accurate and up to date!

7. Status Updates: Many people over look the simple status update or don?t see it as a branding opportunity. Remember, your brand is not just your logo. Everything you say, post, tweet and update can and will be used for or against you when it comes to brand perception. Your brand are the people you hang out with both online and offline. Your partners, clients and even Friday night dinner friends if you?re posting photos to Instagram and tweeting them to the world!

Take the time to plan an editorial calendar if possible. Doing this will help ensure your status updates align to your goals and objectives and are not simply Random Acts of Marketing (RAMs).

The more you can inspire your fans with good content, the more they are going to click like, comment and share with their friends. The more they do this, the higher your edgerank score will be and thus your chances of Facebook presenting your status update in the news stream of your fans increases. Facebook is definitely becoming an animal to manage when it comes to edgerank. The best thing you can do is focus on your audience, their needs and how you can help them. Spend more time focused on adding value than you do on tweaking the edgerank algorithm. The only guarantee with social media is change. So go figure, just as you think ?you have mastered the Edgerank algorithm? guess what!? It?s going to change!

?

8. Contests: Contests are a great way to integrate your brand in a fun way. Are you launching a new product or logo? Leverage Facebook as a way to poll your community on their top preference. Or even use it to help them select a tag line, product name or logo. There are many apps that can help you do this without a whole lot of custom development or effort.

We have hosted some very successful campaigns for our clients even on limited budgets for helping them name products, businesses, select a logo etc. They can be a great way to engage your audience pre-launch and start to build a community who helps build you and your brand from day one. The benefit of this is that if you are humble and share your ups and downs as you grow, then when you win, your community celebrates with you, as they helped you get there!

9. Images & photos: Obviously the social networks are becoming more and more visual. Pinterest receives 1.3 million visitors a day! Ensure that images are a core component of your brand strategy. Select at minimum a handful of images that support your brand. Use them consistently on social profiles, for product descriptions etc. ?Images can really drive home key messages and be the glue of consistency you need to make the most positive brand impression possible.

Use images as a foundation to demonstrate that you have developed and integrated a consistent brand across the various platforms. You can write a blog post and insert a branded image. You can then share that blog post to Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn etc. Each time you share the post the featured image will come right along with it. As a result it increases the ROI of the blog post, investment in the image and your brand as a whole. It?s a great example of why integrated marketing developed with a plan based upon goals and objectives delivers far better results than a set of random acts of marketing (RAMs)!

Did you know photos are the most viewed content on Facebook? Next time you are at an industry event or host a fun team meeting, take some photos! Post them to your different social profiles such as Pinterest, Flickr, Instagram etc. ?Leak them to Facebook over time. Maximize their life time. I like to load a few at a time over a couple of weeks if it makes sense. Sometimes it is better just to upload them all at once depending on the event and purpose of the photo.

10. Be Available! Don?t just launch your page and never go back or only visit once a week. Ensure that you have the email notifications setup if you do not frequent Facebook often. Most people who ask a question want an answer fairly quick. If they happen to ask a question on your page and don?t get an answer, chances are they will hop right over to your competition. Every conversation you can have with your fans is an opportunity to build relationships. Don?t look at it as a negative. It?s a good thing when people come to you as a go to source of information. Embrace it and ensure you have proper resource to cover the demand and respond in a timely manner.

I don?t think there is anyone better at ?being available? 24/7 than?Mari Smith! She ensures that someone is always available on her?fan page?to answer questions. If she is going to be out of town she assigns a resource to cover the page and questions and tells her community who it will be. I know I can always get an answer from her within 24-48 hours MAX even if she is out of town. Love it!

Remember, everything you say and do is a brand impression. This includes being available and ready to engage, inspire and connect with your community on a regular basis!

Additional resources:?

Free Facebook Cover Image Template:?Free Facebook Cover Image Adobe Photoshop Template

Worksheet:?Download?our?POST audience analysis worksheet?to help you identify and prioritize your top audiences. It is based upon the Forrester POST methodology.

?

Additional Facebook Resources:?

Below I have compiled some of the top Facebook resources to help you get acquainted with the most recent changes as well as the standard guidelines for Facebook features such as advertising and promotions.

Start setup of a new Facebook Business Page:?https://www.facebook.com/pages

Facebook Basics:?https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=260315770650470&ref=hcnav

The Facebook Blog:?https://blog.facebook.com/

Facebook Marketing Solutions Timeline Page:?https://www.facebook.com/marketing

Build Your Brand with Facebook Pages:?https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=198605806884743&ref=hcsubnav

Facebook Ads & Business Solutions:?https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=195623423828629&ref=hcnav

Facebook Advertising Guidelines:?https://www.facebook.com/ad_guidelines.php

Facebook Promotions Guidelines:?https://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php

Facebook Cover Guidelines:?https://www.facebook.com/help/search/?q=cover+guidelines

Facebook Pages Guidelines:?https://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php

Your Turn!?

What do you think? How is your Facebook brand doing? Is it a good representation of your company brand promise? Or could it use an update? If you have made huge strides in the development of your online brand, what tips can you share with others who may just be starting out?

Source: http://socialmediatoday.com/pammoore/656901/facebook-business-10-tips-rock-your-brand

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Home advantage: Britain celebrates 'sensational' Olympic medal haul

BBC via Twitter @suttonnick

Britain's newspapers celebrate Saturday's host nation gold medal haul

By Alastair Jamieson, NBC News, and Reuters

LONDON - Olympic host nation Britain was in euphoric mood Sunday, celebrating an?"extraordinary" haul of six gold medals on Saturday, sending the UK media went wild with Games fever.

Two golds in rowing and one at the cycling velodrome were followed by a hat-trick of victories in athletics from Jessica Ennis (heptathlon), Greg Rutherford (long jump) and Mo Farah.

---

Britain, which enjoyed its most successful Olympic day since 1908, took their collection of golds to 14 at the London Games to lie third in the overall medals table behind the United States (26) and China (25).

?Phelps, Rupp, Pistorius:?Emotional moments

"Their extraordinary efforts have brought rapture to streets, parks and living rooms in London and all over the country if not the planet," London mayor Boris Johnson said in a statement.

London's funny zip-lining mayor taken seriously

"It has been a remarkable first week and my hearty congratulations go to every single athlete that has taken part," Johnson added.

"They have entertained billions of people around the world and I for one cannot wait to see what they serve up for week two."?

London mayor Boris Johnson attempts to make a dramatic entrance at an Olympic party?but gets stranded on a zip wire instead. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

London Games chief Sebastian Coe, a double Olympic 1,500 champion, said: "I think we've witnessed something sensational. I've never known a night in UK athletics like that, it was unbelievable."

It was also a cathartic moment for London, coming almost exactly a year since rioting brought the city's safe hosting of the games into doubt.

"Today, London rose from the ashes," wrote blogger Ronnie Joice on Twitter.

The mood was reflected in Sunday morning's press coverage. "Britain awakes to an unfamiliar sensation: winning," wrote Jill Lawless of the Associated Press, noting that?"a country accustomed to sporting disappointment could scarcely contain its disbelief."?

British newspapers continued the theme, the front page of the Sunday Times describing it as "Our Finest Olympic Hour" alongside a spectacular picture of Rutherford flying through the air in mid-jump.

The Sunday Telegraph had one word for it - "Sensational". The headline ran above photos of all six British gold-medal victors from the second Saturday of the Games.

"That Was Pure Gold" was the Independent's?reaction with a sub-heading that read: "One by one we counted them in on another astonishing day of British Olympic success."

BBC via Twitter @suttonnick

The Sunday Telegraph marks Saturday's British medal haul

"Britain's Greatest Day" said the Observer above a picture of a smiling Ennis with a Union Jack draped over her shoulders.

More world stories from NBC News:

?

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/05/13127602-home-advantage-britain-celebrates-sensational-olympic-medal-haul

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Iran Space Agency to launch a monkey into space

Iran isn't a country with a high profile in space tourism ? but that could soon change. On Wednesday, the Iran Space Agency (ISA) announced its intention to launch a live Rhesus monkey into space. But can it bring the animal back?

A previous attempt to launch a craft carrying a monkey failed last October, stalling Iran's space ambitions. Now the mission is back on track, with a launch planned for mid-August, after the Islamic month of Ramadan endsd.

It is not the first time Iran has shown interest in launching animals into orbit. In 2010, the ISA's Kavoshgar-3 rocket carried worms, a mouse and two turtles as passengers. More significantly, the animals were reportedly safely returned to Earth.

It would be a major advance in Iran's space programme if the country is able to successfully return a monkey to Earth. "This would show its capability to return scientific payloads from orbit," says Bhupendra Jasani of King's College London, who studies the military use of space. "However, to launch a human may take some time."

Iranian forays into space exploration have surprised international onlookers due to their speed and secrecy. Iran has launched three domestically made satellites in as many years, and a fourth is to be launched in the next few months. Iran is the ninth country to put domestically built satellites into orbit, and the sixth to send animals into space.

Military milestone?

Some countries are wary of an Iranian space presence, concerned that the technology used to carry satellites, animals and potentially humans into space could also be used to transport weaponry. A successful round-trip for the monkey could have "worrying implications", says Jasani. "This launch would be a major milestone in a military sense. Iran, like many other spacefaring nations, is developing a space programme not only for the sake of prestige but also for national security reasons."

Iran has repeatedly denied that there are any military intentions behind their space programme, instead stating reasons including earthquake monitoring, imaging and improvement of telecommunications. Their space programme remains ambitious, with the aim of launching a human into space by 2020, and landing an astronaut on the moon by 2025.

Brian Weeden of the Secure World Foundation, which promotes ideas about the use of outer space, says it is interesting to compare Iran's space programme with that of North Korea. "The world community hasn't tried to stop Iran's rocket program like they have North Korea's because overall Iran is doing things that demonstrate it is serious about having a space programme. Although North Korea says they have a space programme, their actions lead many to conclude that it's really just a way to legitimise their development of ballistic missile technology."

Weeden says Iran's motivation is more likely to be to improve its national image rather than develop military capability in space.

"I think prestige is the most likely because it's the main reason why most countries pursue human spaceflight. You can demonstrate your country's technical and scientific prowess with robotic satellites, but those are hard to show off because they stay in space. A living, breathing organism is much easier for the public to identify with and, if you can bring it back down safely, much easier to publicise."

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

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Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/2205818d/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn221360Eiran0Espace0Eagency0Eto0Elaunch0Ea0Emonkey0Einto0Espace0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

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RolePlayGateway?

You enter a dark corridor aged by the centuries of inactivity, evident as the pungent smell of mildew and stale air is wafted into everyone?s nostrils. At the end of the corridor there are three levers on the left wall and a bar gate halting your advance. It appears you must choose a lever to activate the gate, but there being three and no other object around to be activated as a device it would suggest that two of them are a trap, or at least false.

With no one in your party being professional trap disablers or detectors, you decide to pull one of the levers at random. You choose poorly, the floor beneath you gives way as your party plummets into a small reservoir of water, unharmed but certainly wet.

You see another corridor leading out of the reservoir room, and although at first dark, up ahead you can see a dim light illuminating the rest of the way. As you approach, the light seems brighter and by its end you find yourselves in room the size of at least two houses put together, and inside is exactly what you journeyed here for: mountains of gold and precious gems enough to buy a palace and stuff it with food for a life time.

But alas, before you could even begin to try and formulate a way of transporting your fortune, your party hears an awful and less than human moan reverberate within the room. It is only now that you notice a casket within the treasure?s epicenter, and with an explosive display its lid soars to the ceiling, before returning to earth with a snapping thud that would make most check their ears. Emerging from the casket is what appears to be an emaciated figure, which on second glance you easily notice that his flesh is sickeningly thin and obviously rotting.

The animate corpse is garbed in tattered yet ornate robe supposedly for ceremony, and given the circumstances it is rather safe to assume that this is his burial tomb that you have disturbed. His body ascends into the air hovering over the casket by a power you know not of, and in a chilling and authoritative voice he bellows, ?INFIDELS! YOU WOULD PERVERT MY SLUMBER WITH YOUR PRESENCE? NOW YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY!?

---

Hello and welcome to Beyond the Realms! I hope you enjoyed that little demonstration, clich? and incredibly cheesy as it was, but that was to show you the sorts of things you can expect from this RP. Although you?re probably wanting a better clarification on what that actually means.

What it boils down to is good old fashioned, fair and balanced roleplaying.

It will take place in a persistent world largely based on the settings of Dungeons and Dragons, and in fact most of the races and archetypes in the world are based on the well known RPG, but here?s the kicker:

You don?t have to play as any of them.

That?s right, you can either create a character from the already established world, make one purely from scratch, or even a character based on a fandom, as long as they are original. You cannot however take on characters that already exist, or make carbon copies of them to where the only difference is the name and a slight tweak of maybe their personality or abilities. Certain fandoms will not be allowed due to potential OP characters, the last thing we need is a goddamn Super Saiyan or kryptonian running around, so make sure their grounded ok?

This RP will be part narrated, part sandbox. Your characters will start off in the setting and will have options on how to interact with the world. Depending on what you choose I may create a flexible quest line based on the characters? personalities, histories, and abilities. There is no specific ?end game? yet, as in there is no one goal all characters have to meet, like killing that evil wizard in the tower and that?s it. Your character?s story ends when you want it to end, or if they die, whichever comes first.

Quest lines are open to change and evolve as they go on, and they can range from retrieving objects in dungeons, to political missions or even exploring character pasts. This allows for a real, organic and in-depth way of storytelling wrapped around the characters and constantly testing them to see how they change and react.

I will be your GM , and unlike most RPs I will NOT be joining as a player myself, rather I will be taking the traditional route of creating settings, acting out all NPCs, and refereeing the game. Though at times I can be critical, know that I am not ?out to get anyone?, and will conduct the game with fairness.

Currently there are 10 character slots. Notice I said character slots instead of player slots. Each player is allowed a maximum of two characters at once, meaning we could have 5 people playing all with 2 characters, 10 people playing 1 character each, or any variation in-between. Depending on how far along we get and observing how comfortable people are with the amount of players, in the future I may add or subtract slots.

KEEP IN MIND THAT IF YOU TAKE ON 2 CHARACTERS, THAT TAKES A POTENTIAL SPOT FROM SOMEONE ELSE.

Apps will be taken in first come first serve, however if an app is denied and someone else posts theirs that is satisfactory, then it is they who will get the spot. Think of it as a job application, the person with most well written and appealing one is the most likely to get the job.

THIS IS A HIGH STAKES RP, MEANING YOUR CHARACTER CAN DIE. But don?t whine about it, you can make another if you would like, however it must ABSOLUTELY have very little common with the deceased one, no avenging relatives with the same powers or any of that crap, completely from scratch.

Or else.

You should also know that because this is a persistent world that you are in, there are CONSEQUENSES to your actions and even inactions. You can?t go around slapping babies with a ladle without the NPCs coming after your ass, and if you do something really stupid it could get your character killed.

ADVICE: Make sure your character isn?t very alike to any others people have here. If we already have a stoic swordsman with a dark past we most certainly won?t need another, and I may deny your app upon that premise. You need to be both original and separate from everyone else.

You must first submit an app in the form of a PM to me, NOT in Character Application. After you?ve submitted your app I will go over it, essentially ?grading? it. I will then make a PM you back saying whether or not it is accepted, if it isn?t quite up to snuff I will point out whatever needs tweaking or improvement, at which time you can go back and edit the needed areas.

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Character Progression

The characters that you submit and are accepted are not set, not in the least. They are subject to change as the RP goes on depending on their experiences, what they acquire and what they encounter on their journeys. Say if they were cursed by an affliction that changed the nature or added to their powers with a negative aspect, the character sheet would be updated. The same goes for any items you acquire, likely they will be added to your Possessions section.

Loot

You can?t have a good RPG without some kind of reward for all of your troubles right? Lucky for you your character will have plenty of chances to either score some gold, maybe a potion, weapons and items. You might even get some magical shit if you?re lucky. However you?r not going to receive epic level equipment right away, you need to earn by RPing well, and the longer your character stays in the better stuff you?r going to get. And it isn?t limited to things you can carry, you can win mounts, following NPCs, and even land. Work hard and long enough and you may be rewarded for it.

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This RP will also feature musical accompaniment, playlists for every occasion. Starting with the Official Beyond the Relams playlist!

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Q&A

Q: Isn?t this exactly like Multiverse?

A: I didn?t exactly put ?original? in the tags now did I? There are some major differences however. For one thing I?m not allowing just anyone to jump into this, like say add an avatar for the character app and nothing else to just wander around looking pretty. We?re looking for meaty, in-depth looks into characters and their interactions with the world as well as the people in it; it?s for this reason why not that many will be allowed to participate initially, to create a more ?intimate? atmosphere.

Q: Wait, exactly what kind of character can I make?

A: Any kind you like. As long as it isn?t a character from established fiction or a piss poor copy of one with only slight differences. It doesn?t even have to look remotely human.

Q: So I can be some kind insect cyborg with a split personality?

A: If you can explain such a thing believably than yes.

Q: Can I be a pony from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic? :D

A: You can even make it a cyborg too.

Q: Can I be an Anthropomorphic character?

A: We already have humanoid dragons as a major race in this game, you can be whatever the hell you want, it just has to be believable for what it is.

Q: How powerful can my character be?

A: Depends, generally however it?s recommended that they are no more powerful than any class of D&D. They have to be able to bleed.

Q: Do I have any say in what the content will be?

A: As a matter of fact you do, I?m always open to input and your ideas. You will have significant say in how this RP shapes out.

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

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Mountains, seaway triggered North American dinosaur surge

Friday, August 3, 2012

The rise of the Rocky Mountains and the appearance of a major seaway that divided North America may have boosted the evolution of new dinosaur species, according to a new Ohio University-led study.

The finding, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, may explain patterns of evolution and migration of North American duck-billed and horned dinosaurs in the years leading up to their extinction 65 million years ago, said Terry Gates, a postdoctoral researcher with Ohio University's Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine who is lead author on the study.

"Over the past century, paleontologists have found a wide variety of dinosaurs in rocks dating to around 75 million years ago, but right before the asteroid hit at the end of the Cretaceous, there appeared to be fewer species in North America," he said. "The reason for this discrepancy in dinosaur diversity has never been adequately explained."

Gates and collaborators Albert Prieto-M?rquez and Lindsay Zanno turned to the geologic record of western North America for possible answers. They examined trends in mountain and ocean formation during a period 80-70 million years ago, when there was an apparent explosion of dinosaur species, and later, when species became less diverse.

The record painted a picture of pronounced geological change.

During the early to middle Cretaceous, geological forces lifted the western United States, creating a huge mountain range (the Sevier Mountains) that extended in a line from the American southwest through Alberta, Canada. The area just to the east of the new mountain range flexed downward, creating a shallow North American seaway (known as the Western Interior Seaway) that flooded the continent from the Canadian arctic to the Gulf of Mexico.

This seaway cut the continent into three large islands to the north, east and west that were densely populated with dinosaurs. The dinosaurs of the west lived on an island known as Laramidia. Most fossil discoveries have been made in the area of the northern part of the island, in places such as Alberta, South Dakota and Montana, while dinosaurs have been found only recently in the former areas of southern Laramidia.

"Western North America has been a hotbed for dinosaur discoveries for more than a century," Zanno noted, "but the recent explosion of new dinosaur species coming out of Utah is sending waves through the paleontological community and revolutionized our understanding of dinosaur evolution on the continent."

The new discoveries have helped illustrate how dinosaurs evolved on an island with changing geography. The rise of the Sevier Mountains and the growing seaway caused dinosaur habitat to shrink on Laramidia. Later, one of the tectonic plates under North America's crust shifted position, building another mountain range?the Laramide Orogeny, or the infant stage of the modern-day Rocky Mountains?further east.

"At that time, it appears that geographic, as well as probably also ecological, barriers created by the rise of mountain ranges and the seaway caused isolation of the northern and southern populations of the crested duck-billed and horned plant-eating dinosaurs. We hypothesize that such isolation facilitated rapid speciation and increased diversity in these animals," explained Prieto-M?rquez.

The new species of duck-billed and horned dinosaurs were being born at an astounding rate of every few hundred thousand years during the brief time when the two mountain ranges and the seaway coexisted, Gates said. "Isolating populations allows them to evolve new features more rapidly, especially when skull ornamentation such as head crests and horns play a role," he said.

Eventually, however, the continued rise of the Rocky Mountains would evict the seaway from the continent's interior. Gates and his colleagues argue that this second geological change opened up a wide territory for duck-billed and horned dinosaurs to roam, that, in turn, reduced how fast new species evolved in the region to every few million years.

"Our data suggests that changing geography contributed to the pattern we see in western North America, but also that this pattern is unique to this region and should not be blindly extrapolated to infer global diversity leading up to the K-T extinction event," Zanno noted.

The study also found that the same species of at least some duck-billed dinosaurs lived from Canada through southern Utah at some points in the Cretaceous. Yet, during the times of isolation, these giant plant-eaters "roamed a much smaller area than you might think given that many were larger than elephants," Gates noted. Scientists hypothesize that there are ecological as well as geological reasons behind this, including the possibility that dinosaurs evolved to eat specialized plants found only in certain regions.

The mountain and seaway changes not only impacted dinosaur diversity in North America, but may have had implications in other parts of the world. Global geological changes during this time created migration routes to Asia and South America. The team speculates that the rise of the early Rocky Mountains in North America created a barrier. Only species living in the southern part of Laramidia island could get to South America and only species living north of the mountains would have been able get to Asia across modern-day Alaska.

"These giant herbivores were truly invasive species that seemingly came to dominate these other continents," said Gates, adding that this idea needs to be tested further with additional fossil remains.

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Ohio University: http://www.ohio.edu/researchnews

Thanks to Ohio University for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/122328/Mountains__seaway_triggered_North_American_dinosaur_surge

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