75-year-old Dutch Priest Assassinated In Syria

A 75-year-old Dutch priest paid with his life for choosing to stay and serve the Syrian people. Fr. Frans gave 50 years of his life to serve in Syria and was committed to stay in the city of Homs despite the war going on around them. He felt he could not abandon the few Christians the also remained. He was killed by a masked gunman who came into the monastery and pulled him into the garden and shot him. It is still unclear exactly who is responsible for his assassination.

#persecution.org

PHOTOS: Christians nailed to wooden crosses as part of a Good Friday custom in Northern Philippines

These pictures show devoted Christians partaking in an extreme re-enactment of the death of Jesus Christ .
Penitents were nailed to wooden crosses as a major aspect of a Good Friday custom in San Fernando in northern Philippines.
Five-inch stainless steel nails were punctured through the skin of individuals partaking. Pictures demonstrated numerous grimacing in anguish as they clung the crosses.
One of the partakers was Danish producer Lasse Spang Olsen. He was nailed onto a wooden cross but was later taken away by surgeons on a stretcher, plainly in agony.
Also involved in the event was Ruben Enaje, in his 28th year of torturous killing.
The occasion happens each Good Friday and is the most compelling showcase of religious dedication in the Philippines, a dominatingly Catholic nation.

Man detained in mental hospital for committing random acts of kindness by giving out cash to strangers

Yahoo: Richard Wright was brightening the days of dozens of strangers in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) in Canada, by handing out C$50 and C$100 bills. As reported by Metro News , last week Wright was giving cash to different people he encountered in HRM and asking that the recipients, “thank God” for the gift and if they didn’t need the money, to pass it on to someone else. The Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) Royal Canadian Mounted Police were called to conduct a wellness check on Wright. So, when he was seen driving, officers stopped the generous man. After speaking with him, they felt that Mr. Wright needed “further assessment by a medical health person.”

Mr. Wright’s daughter, Chelsea, called attention to her father’s circumstances when she recently posted a photo of him and said that he had received “unfair” treatment by the hospital and the police. Her father has not been allowed to leave the hospital despite insistence that he is had no mental-health issues. Chelsea explained that her father worked hard to save money and when the family was on vacation in Halifax, he simply decided to share “some extra money” with those in need.

Health P.E.I. would not comment on Wright’s specific case, but released a statement saying, “A patient is always admitted at the clinical recommendation of a physician who has met with and assessed the patient.”

In an earlier report, Metro News noted that some who met Wright said that he told people he lived in the woods and spoke about, “…a movement coming to take the wealth from the ‘one percent’ and distribute it to the people.” Questions were then raised about the mental-health of the man and if it was right to accept his money. But Bev Cadham of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s local branch, said that that Wright had spoken to two people affiliated with the program. Cadham doesn’t believe he’s mentally ill, instead she said, “He’s a generous individual and is wrapped up in the acts of kindness, and is wanting to help people.”

Mr. Wright has many supporters who have started the Facebook group, #OpFreeRichardWright, calling for his release. In the group’s description, Wright’s advocates say that the giving man handed out the money anonymously because he did not want attention for his random acts of kindness.



#fellowshipofthemind.com
#yahoo
#metro

Serena Williams flaunts her muscular but shapely physique in Miami beach

The same week Serena Williams told the world that she has learned to love her 'curves,' the tennis ace has made sure everyone can see exactly what she is talking about.

The 32-year-old put her muscular but shapely physique on full display in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday.



No missing her: Serena Williams showed her impressive curves off in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday




Beach day: Looking like she was having a blast, the player and a girlfriend alternated between soaking up the sun on beach chairs and sipping on drinks in the small waves














Watch out Kim! Serena donned a black and patterned bikini, which she pulled up over her hips, drawing attention to her rear end that would even give Kim Kardashian a run for her money









Ready for her close up: The player wore a full face of makeup and sheltered her eyes from the sun's rays with a pair of black square glasses









Twins! Serena's friend also made sure to show off her impressive curves wearing a neon yellow retro-inspired one piece



The two ladies are obviously very good friends as they did not stop smiling throughout their beach session.

Enjoying what appeared to be a frozen margarita in the water, the ladies even posed up for a picture with Serena's fan.


While many women try to hide their curves, Serena said this week in Fitness magazine that while it has taken time, she loves her shape.




Just dipping: Serena obviously had no plans to actually go for a full swim as she left her long auburn locks out but with a black scarf tied around them like a large headband













She told the May issue of the magazine: 'When I was young I thought I should be built more like an athlete - long and lean - not with a womanly figure.'

But with her fans' support and admiration realized she was perfect the way she was.


'People my age started coming up to me and saying, "I love you because of the way you look." That was really motivating.










'So I learned to be proud of my curves and embrace my large boobs.


'It’s all about loving who you are and realizing that you’re beautiful.'





Say cheese: The ladies even posed up for a picture with Serena's fan






Mixing it up: The ace likes to combine dance with her tennis and fitness routine


'For me it’s so important to mix it up, I ran, and then I biked,' she told Fitness. 'Then I did elliptical … I tried yoga.


'I started dancing because I couldn’t train when I was sick. We started making up moves, and it was fun. Now I run for 10 minutes and then I dance.'

As one of tennis' greats, Serena has always been very fit but two serious health issues - both her own and her sister's - has changed the way she trains and eats.












More relaxed: The 32-year-old champ says she now plays tennis not because she has to, but because she loves to




Shape support: The star said positive comments from her fans made her realise her shape was perfect the way it was













#dailymail

Happy 40th birthday Victoria Beckham!

VICTORIA BECKHAM - English businesswoman, fashion designer, model and singer turns 40 today!

In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice .
Famous first for boosting the confidence of 12-year-olds everywhere along with her Spice Girl band mates, she then became one half of the country's most famous couple when she married then-Manchester United number seven David Beckham in 1999. A solo career and four children later, she is one of Britain's most successful designers - and also one of the world's most photographed women.

Victoria Beckham woke up to beautiful sunshine and a gorgeous view for her 40th birthday today...
The star posted a sexy photo of her in a very short top/dress while staring out at some mountains in the distance.
Stood stretching with her arms up, the fashion designer and former Spice Girl shows off the bottom of her perfect bum and absolutely every inch of her toned legs.

What a sunny start

Earlier today the singer sent a heartfelt thank you to all her fans and family for their "beautiful" birthday wishes.

This morning Vic posted one on Instagram of Alice in Wonderland blowing out some candles and wrote: "Good morning LA, it's my birthday!!!! x vb."

She followed it later on with a video of Snoopy dancing and wrote: "Thank you for your beautiful birthday wishes, I feel so blessed and happy on my special day x vb."

 



#vogue
#Wikipedia
#mirror.co.uk

How the position couples sleep in reveals the strength of their relationship

Partners who sleep less than an inch apart are far more likely to be happy together than those maintaining a gap wider than 30 inches, researchers have found. And couples who spend the night making physical contact are happier than those who do not touch. The study found that 42 per cent of couples sleep back to back, 31 per cent face the same direction and just 4 per cent face one another.



New research shows that the position in which we sleep is highly revealing about the strength of our relationships.


The key is the distance between couples, according to a study of 1,100 people.


Partners who sleep less than an inch apart are far more likely to be happy together than those maintaining a gap wider than 30 inches, the researchers found.

 

The happiest couples: Partners who sleep face to face while touching were found to be 100% satisfied in their relationships

Results: Couple who sleep while touching were found to be much happier than those who don't make any contact while sleeping

And couples who spend the night making physical contact are happier than those who do not touch.

The research, published today at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, expands on work by psychiatrist Samuel Dunkell.

He found people who lie curled up in the ‘full foetal’ position are likely to be indecisive, anxious and sensitive to criticism.

Those who sleep in a ‘semi-foetal’ position, with their knees drawn up, are conciliatory, amenable to compromise, and unlikely to take extreme stances, he said.

People who sleep in the ‘royal’ position – flat on their back – tend to be confident, open, expansive, and sensation-seeking.

And those who lie ‘prone’ on their face show a tendency for rigidity and perfectionism.

The study found that 42 per cent of couples sleep back to back, 31 per cent face the same direction and just 4 per cent face one another.

Around 34 per cent sleep touching and 12 per cent spend the night less than an inch apart, while 2 per cent are separated by more than 30 inches.

Of those who fall asleep touching, couples tend to be happier if they are face-to-face than if they ‘spoon’ their partners, facing the same direction, or if they face in opposite directions.



Revealing: Couples who sleep less than an inch apart are happier than those that have a wider gap between them when they sleep

Of those who do not touch, the largest number of happy couples face the same direction – above those who sleep back to back or facing each other.

University of Hertfordshire psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, who led the study, said: ‘Ninety four per cent of couples who spent the night in contact with one another were happy with their relationship, compared to just 68 per cent of those that didn’t touch.

‘This is the first survey to examine couples’ sleeping positions, and the results allow people to gain an insight into someone’s personality and relationship.’

The study found 86 per cent of couples who slept less than an inch apart felt happy in their relationship, compared with 66 per cent of those who slept more than 30 inches apart.

The latest results are part of Professor Wiseman’s wider research on sleep and dreaming. He is using Dr Dunkell’s ideas to examine the ways people relate to each other in their sleep.

His initial findings suggest that people who sleep very close to their partners are more likely to be extroverts.

He has written a book, Night School, about his work.

Professor Wiseman said: ‘Thirty four per cent of people said they slept touching, but this rose to 45 per cent among extroverts.’

#dailymail.co.uk

New Harvard University study claims that babies cry on purpose to stop their parents having sex

A new study, conducted by Harvard University, speculates that babies cry at night to prevent their mum from having sex and giving birth to a sibling.


The theory, published in the journal Evolution, Medicine and Public Health, claims that infants who cry in the early hours of the morning are unconsciously applying a survival of the fittest technique.

ParentHerald.com reports that by keeping their parents to tired for sex the babies are more likely to survive.

Evolutionary biologist David Haig told NPR-Shots "The waking becomes a different issue. ... I'm just suggesting that offspring have evolved to use waking up mothers and suckling more intensely to delay the birth of another sibling."

Researchers say that typical baby behaviour, like crying while hungry, is an innate evolutionary response.

Stopping mum and dad getting busy by crying at night may help ensure the infant's survival during times of food shortage and disease.

This is because there are no siblings to take the parents attention or share resources with.

Anthropologist Holly Dunsworth says crying at night may well benefit mothers by encouraging love and affection.

"There are so many good juices running through infant and mom," Dunsworth adds.

"It's rewarding beyond the calories and hunger satiation for everyone involved”

When you look at it from that perspective, waking up to feed looks more like cooperation than conflict."

"The expectation that mothers and infants 'should' have uninterrupted, consolidated sleep is, in many ways, a historical artifact," evolutionary biologist Katherine Hinde wrote.

#dailyworld
#sundayworld