The Hope for Love: First Crushes

Every February I can't help but think back on old crushes and first loves. Those loves that caused the most joy and the most pain.


I could never forget Patrick, who stole my heart in second grade. His blonde curly hair and blue eyes, made him the perfect match for me, a blonde headed, blue eyed girl. We even got to walk home together. He lived just up the street. He never knew I liked him. There was no way I would have ever told him. That would have been too embarrassing. And guess what? I saw him just the other day at a book signing. And you know what? He's an author, too.....

Then came the crush that seemed to linger forever. Nathan. I'd tell you his last name, but who knows, he could be reading this. I better protect the innocent.  Oh, I fell hard for that boy, and it wasn't just me. Everyone loved him. Any girl that breathed in our elementary school or the near vicinity couldn't help but be drop-dead in love with him.


The horribly terrible and yet most lovely thing about it all was that he lived near me and attended the same church, so, not only did I see him every day of the week at school, but on weekends, too.


But honestly, the worst part was that the most beautiful girl also lived near us and went to church with us. I never had a chance, really. But, I never let the dream die. Even when they got together, the two most beautiful people in my world, I had a hard time swallowing it. Surely one day he'd see the error of his ways. He never did. He just got more luscious and more amazing, while I kept on wishing. He did occasionally talk to me, but in truth, I was on a completely different level socially than he was. I was on the bottom rung, while he stood on the top. Yep, I still have neck problems from looking up at him. I have seen him since I moved away. I saw him at Lagoon, an amusement park in Utah a few years ago.
We're forty now and guess what? My heart jumped.

Do first crushes and loves ever die?
Who was your first crush and have you seen him lately?

PGD: The third way?

Apart from prenatal and carrier tests, which I discussed in my last two posts, there is a third option: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Here, the mother's eggs are fertilised in a test tube, just like in standard in virto fertilisation (IVF). The genotype of the resulting embryos is determined, and those that are likely to develop disorders are screened out. Only one or two embryos that are judged to be least likely to develop a disorder are implanted into the mother's uterus and allowed to develop further.

Currently, most IGV clinics select embryos based on factors such as size and healthy appearance. There is no company that I could find during 15 minutes of googling that offers a sequencing-based PGD solution, and only two that provide an array-based solution: BlueGnome and Natera.

Sequencing-based tests are more common for prenatal diagnosis, but currently only detect trisomies. There are fewer companies marketing PGD tests than carrier or prenatal tests. Source: Genomeweb.com and Company websites

This is surprising, as such technology would in principle allow screening for a similarly large number of disorders than carrier tests, and even positive screening, as imagined in the film Gattaca. The most likely reason for this lack of competition is in my opinion that ethical and technical hurdles remain.

An alternative explanation is that the PGD market is severely limited by people preferring to make babies the traditional way.

BOOK OF THE MONTH - A FRONT ROW SEAT BY KIRSTIN SINCLAIR

With London Fashion Week opening on 17th February, it seems timely to launch our regular series of book reviews with a review of a gorgeous book  - A Front Row Seat, by Kirstin Sinclair

Author Kirstin Sinclair is a well-known photographer on the catwalk circuit and she gives us insight into the fashion week world through a series of beautifully shot candid photographs taken over the last 7 years that cover all the different elements that make up the catwalk shows - Backstage, Front Row, Catwalk and Street Style.

It shows a behind the scenes view into the chaotic world that makes up the  glamorous fashion shows! Unlike many images from the shows published in women's fashion magazines the book has a much more documentary style feel to it. The book has a forward by Erin O’Connor and features quotes from different people from the industry including make up artists, hair stylists, models, editors, designers and bloggers. The book would bring a touch of sophistication to anyone’s coffee table and makes the perfect gift for fashionistas. If you can't get a ticket to any of the forthcoming shows, this book might just console you!

By Alison Lewy 

Follow @FashionAngel1

Tell your business story with Google+ Pages

When we launched Google+ Pages last November, we saw more than a million businesses create new profiles to better connect with their customers. Page owners have been hosting Hangouts, updating their customers on the latest news and deals, and sharing exclusive photos and videos. We’ve loved the creativity and wanted to share what some business owners have been learning as they use Google+.

Over the next couple months, we’ll be introducing you to some cool small businesses who’ve recently joined Google+, both here on the Small Business Blog and on the Google+ Your Business page. We’ll be sharing what they’ve learned along with their tips and tricks for managing a great page.

First up: Meet Best Made Company, a group of outdoor enthusiasts that specializes in designing and handcrafting wilderness supplies. Their passion is to inspire people to experience the outdoors — a passion that inspired us to share their story.



If you’re just getting started on Google+, here are a couple quick tips on how to create a great page:

1. Select your profile photo. This is the first thing people will see, so choose a good representation of your business.
2. Make sure to add five scrapbook photos, complete the “About” section, and add links to other destinations where you can be found on the web. These three sections help you get your story out there. 
3. Decide on a tone for your page and stay consistent in your messaging. You want your posts to feel personal and authentic. You can even link your personal Google+ profile in the “About” section so people know who’s posting. 

Want to learn more? Visit the Google+ Your Business site, and stay tuned for more Google+ stories and tips from the following businesses:

• North Bowl 
• King Arthur Flour
• Loluma
• Birds Barbershop
• Happy Hound Play & Daycare
• CoffeeCakeKC
• The Pablove Foundation (non-profit)

Have Google+ stories and tips of your own to share? We’d love to hear them. Add the Google+ Your Business page to your circles and tag your posts #mybusinessstory.

Posted by Evelyn Lee, Google+ Pages Associate Product Marketing Manager

Do You Want to Just Trade or Do you Want to Make Money?

Many traders on the road to CP believe that the more they trade, the more they will make. Not necessarily true. Yes, you need a lot of screen time when you are learning but have very specific trading pictures in your trading plan and just trading those makes more sense.

Every time you click that mouse, you are assuming risk. Only assuming that risk when your chances of making money are the greatest makes economic and psychological sense.

Achieving CP on only one picture on one market is easier than blasting around with a shot gun. Once you are CP on one picture, you can add additional pictures one at a time.

This morning in London was quiet. Light Crude was where I was. The day started with CL failing to change from a down trend to an uptrend. Like the Sherlock Holmes story "The Dog that didn't Bark in the Night", when something doesn't happen, it tells you a lot. After that failure which I caught with the first trade, it was all down hill (pun intended).

Long and Short Symmetry or Not

My back testing has become more and more sophisticated as the technology has improved. One of the things I had decided a long time ago was that my long and short parameters should be symmetrical. By this I mean, for example, that if the stop loss is $200 per contract then it should be $200 for long trades and $200 for short trades.

The reasoning for this was that I wanted to eliminate an element of curve fitting by not having data bias.

But the market trades differently when it is crashing out compared to when it is rising because markets just don't fall UP. I have known about this phenomenon for many many years but have stuck to my guns and have had symmetrical trading models, both discretionary and auto. The discretionary ones were less problematic as I used my discretion to deal with every trade individually and the impact of symmetrical inputs was somewhat less.

I haven't come to a firm conclusion yet and am still testing but it's worth thinking about.

It doesn't get much easier than the DAX in the London morning. The order flow took the market straight up with so much momentum that price never pulled back to the 33 EMA. I then went to slow blow the drive. Now that the snow has stopped, I'm waiting for the sun to come out to I can go and ski.

Why do we crave Pretty?

 Image by Pretty as a Picture on DeviantArt.com

I'm as guilty as the next person in craving Pretty.  I buy books that have Pretty covers or Pretty characters.  My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast. And I'm always on the look-out for art and photography that express Pretty through an artist's eye (like this photo above, which is stunning. Wouldn't that make a great book cover?)


But I digress.  Before writing this blog post, I got to thinking about Pretty in young adult literature.  I can only come up with a handful of main characters that aren't Pretty.  (And yes, I'm capitalizing Pretty on purpose, because the way I'm using it here makes it more of a proper noun. An entity unto itself.)  There was The DUFF by Kodi Kelpinger, although interestingly enough, the main character, Bianca, is neither fat nor ugly.  And there's The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, where the main character starts out fat and with low self-esteem, but gradually becomes a force unto herself (coincidentally as she loses weight).


And then I got to thinking, would people still read a YA (particularly the romantic books) if the characters weren't Pretty?  What if Anna from Anna and the French Kiss wore a size 14? Or what if your favorite kick-butt heroine was so plain she was almost invisible?  Even when the characters don't see themselves as Pretty, it turns out that everyone else thinks of them that way.  (Think Bella Swan or Lena Haloway from Delirium.)


Putting the media and marketers aside, why is it that we don't read books about normal looking people?  Or for that matter, why don't we as authors write more normal-looking people?  When was the last time you read a book where the MAIN CHARACTER had an acne problem?  Why do we consistently reinforce the message that you'll only ever be in a supporting role if you're not Pretty?  


I have all these questions swirling through my brain, knowing I suffer from these very problems myself, but I don't have any answers (short of calling myself shallow, that is).  I mean, did I not spend hours scouring the internet looking for the most beautiful brunette I could possibly find for the cover of my own novel?  And what can I do about it going forward without losing readers?  After all, you don't get the TV news from unattractive anchors.  Are people will to read about unattractive characters, even if their looks are not the focus of the novel?


So here's what I want to know -- particularly from any teens out there -- would you be more or less likely to read a YA novel where the character had a physical flaw or was less than attractive?  Would you pick up a book if the cover model looked like the girl on the right instead of the one on the left? Or or why not?