Cupid Dating

Please enable Javascript to watch this video LEXINGTON, N.C. -- Alex Barker is a married man and couldn’t be more excited. But you’ll never know from looking at his wedding photos. “Getting married is supposed to be one of the happiest days of our lives,” Alex said. “But we're going to look really, really expressionless and that's not the vibes that we want to give over.” Alex is from Coventry, England, and his new bride, Erin, is from Lexington. They met through a group of Facebook dedicated to the condition they share, which is called, Moebius syndrome, a rare, genetic condition in which, “None of the cranial nerve actually works in the face,” Alex explained. “There are cranial nerves that control eye movement, there are cranial nerves that control facial expression. So when your friend is saying smile, the nerve connection just isn't there.” Both Alex and Erin run across people on a daily basis who don’t understand what’s going on with them. “To this day, peo

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Five inmates in the Carolinas extorted more than half a million dollars from military personnel throughout the country, using illegal cellphones to pose as women on dating sites, authorities said Wednesday. Standing in front of a state prison in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon told reporters that five inmates had been indicted on federal charges including extortion and wire fraud. Ten others throughout the Carolinas have been charged with helping inmates collect extortion payments via services including Western Union or PayPal. According to court documents, inmates used contraband phones to join dating websites, contacting and exchanging nude images with service members across the country. Once the targets had been reeled in, Drew Goodridge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said, inmates then posed as an authority figure, like a father or police officer, claiming the girl with whom the victim had been communicating was underage a

Finding love has become easier in this age of online dating. Putting yourself out there can be as easy as setting up a free online profile. And it's not just soulmate-seekers getting hooked up in cyberspace. Investors in some of the leading players in online dating are also scoring.  Shares of Tinder parent Match Group ( NASDAQ:MTCH ) have been some of the biggest dot-com winners over the past two years. Although the stock has corrected sharply along with most online growth stocks, shedding more than a third of its value since peaking two months ago, it's still up 112% since the beginning of 2017.  Beyond Tinder and its namesake Match.com, Match Group also plays digital matchmaker for singles on Plenty of Fish, OkCupid, and several other social introductory sites. Match Group is growing quickly and it's profitable, but there's another online dating specialist that's growing even faster and trading for less than half of Match Group's earnings multiple. Let

Once they had connected with their potential date online, the women would send nude pictures to their phone. Then after a day or so those men got a call from someone pretending to be a detective who told them they had a warrant out for their arrest because they were sending nudes back and forth with someone who was underage and led to them to believe the father of the girl would make this all go away only if they agreed to pay him $1,200. https://ift.tt/2E0b7W4

It wasn’t too long ago that online dating carried a huge stigma. The thought that someone could start a relationship online, especially one that could evolve into a marriage, seemed absurd. Now, online dating no longer carries the stigma it used to. Many people meet their partners online and start their relationship via a virtual platform. Here are some interesting statistics about how online dating has taken over America, and why it’s such a hit. Growing Popularity As of 2005, when the internet was starting to gain traction in the average American home, online dating in USA and other first world countries was still a questionable practice. Even so, it was quickly becoming less stigmatized. In 2005, 5% of people polled reported that they had met their spouse via an online dating site. As of 2017, that number raised to an astonishing 19% of pairings taking place on the web. One of the main reasons that online dating has become more popular is a direct correlation to accessibility

Five inmates in the Carolinas extorted more than half a million dollars from military personnel throughout the country, using illegal cellphones to pose as underage women on dating sites, authorities said Wednesday. Standing in front of a state prison in Columbia, South Carolina, U. S. Attorney Click here to read full story » https://ift.tt/2Ski87n

I was recently asked a few questions about the future of dating sites, apps, and the matchmaking industry. While I certainly don’t have a crystal ball (I’d pay big money for one, though!), having started my business as an online dating coach in 2011 and seeing so many changes in the last 7+ years alone, I do have some educated guesses as to what lies in store. 1. How are dating apps disruptive to the conventional matchmaking industry? Finding dates is now easier. Much easier. Whereas before, you had to live in the same neighborhood or work together to have any contact with someone (my parents lived next door, which is how they met), today, you can just swipe to see thousands of people. While this does disrupt the matchmaking industry, that industry isn’t going anywhere. Now, the people who come to (and pay for) matchmakers are even more serious about the process because they are differentiating themselves from those who simply want “dates” vs. a serious relationship. 2. What are th

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Five inmates in the Carolinas extorted more than half a million dollars from military personnel throughout the country, using illegal cellphones to pose as women on dating sites, authorities said Wednesday. Standing in front of a state prison in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon told reporters that five inmates had been indicted on federal charges including extortion and wire fraud. Ten others throughout the Carolinas have been charged with helping inmates collect extortion payments via services including Western Union or PayPal. According to court documents, inmates used contraband phones to join dating websites, contacting and exchanging nude images with service members across the country. Once the targets had been reeled in, Drew Goodridge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said, inmates then posed as an authority figure, like a father or police officer, claiming the girl with whom the victim had been communicating was underage a

“Dirty John” is a riveting new Bravo show, based on the true story of a successful businesswoman who joined a dating site, setting off a chain of events that eventually resulted in a murder. Debra Newell, then 59, met John Meehan on an over-50s dating site. She had been divorced four times and ran a prosperous interior design firm. On the dating site, Meehan framed himself as a handsome anesthesiologist who owned multiple homes. But that soon proved to not be the case.   “Best thing that will ever happen to you,” he texted Newell after their first date, according to the Los Angeles Times report. Journalist Christopher Goffard spent a whole year investigating Meehan’s case for a podcast called “Dirty John,” and investigative project for the LA Times and he explains that Newell’s new boyfriend had a filthy past and a dirty nickname. Warning: Some Spoilers Ahead By their third date, Meehan told Newell he was madly in love with her and that he wanted to marry her. Within two months

Democratic lawmakers in Washington state said Wednesday that they plan to pursue legislation to ban single-use plastic bags, like the ones used in grocery and retail stores. The measure would eliminate all plastic bags used for purchases and levy a 10-cent fee on paper bags, backers of the bill — Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, and Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds — announced in Seattle on Wednesday. They plan to introduce their bill in the Legislature’s next session that starts in January. The bill’s passage in Washington, where Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature as well as the governorship, would make the state second in the U.S., after California, to impose a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. State politicians regularly boast of having some of the strictest environmental regulations in the nation, but they’ve also been criticized by environmental groups for not doing enough. Puget Sound water pollution, for example, was cited by National Oceanic and Atmos

While many cells in our bodies can accumulate oncogenic mutations, the majority of these events do not lead to tumor formation as these abnormal cells are eliminated by defense mechanisms. Instead, tumors arise when a mutation happens in a particular cell type that is uniquely sensitive to it. Identifying such cancer cells of origin is essential to properly target cancer. For example, mutations in the retinoblastoma (RB) tumor suppressor gene, which normally blocks abnormal cell growth and division, gives rise to retinoblastoma, a type of eye tumor. Retinoblastoma arises in specialized retinal cells called cone cells, which collect light. Why this kind of cancer always starts in cone cells is unknown. But if scientists can get a clearer, more accurate view of the downstream effects of RB mutations in cone cells versus other cells in the retina, they may identify unique therapeutic targets that can prevent or treat retinoblastoma with laser-like precision. But studying the effects of

WASHINGTON -- The FDA approved gilteritinib (Xospata) on Wednesday as monotherapy for adults with FLT3 -positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the relapsed or refractory setting. "These mutations are associated with a particularly aggressive form of the disease and a higher risk of relapse," Richard Pazdur, MD, director of the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence, said in the statement announcing the approval. "Xospata targets this gene and is the first drug to be approved that can be used alone in treating patients with AML having a FLT3 mutation who have relapsed or who don't respond to initial treatment." The approval was based on results of ADMIRAL, a study of 138 relapsed or refractory AML patients with FLT3 internal tandem duplication D835 or I836 mutations treated with daily single-agent 120-mg gilteritinib. At a median follow-up at 4.6 months, treatment with gilteritinib yielded complete remissions (CRs), or CRs with partial hematologic recove

Bay area grunge-pop band Swmrs will follow-up their 2016 debut album  Drive North  with the forthcoming  Berkeley’s On Fire . They announced the new LP with the single “April in Houston.” “April in Houston” is a more mature, world-wearied song from the band. Singer Cole Becker claims “everybody’s wants to get me high” on the song’s simple, catchy chorus. In the video, Becker drags a chair — that had been thrown out a window — through the streets of a city. At points, he sits on the chair and looks confusedly at the passersby or does a bit of dancing while dragging it along the street. He does more dancing in the empty apartment and through the now nighttime-set scenes of the city surrounding him. Berkeley’s On Fire will be released on February 15th via Fueled By Ramen. They worked with producer Rich Costey (Muse, Death Cab for Cutie) while writing and recording the full-length project this past spring. The band will embark on a tour across the UK and Europe following the release o

Intro Photo Credit: Andy Dean Photography / Alamy Stock Photo As the saying goes, “it takes a village to raise a child,” but not necessarily a married couple. In the U.S., the number of single-parent households is on the rise. In 1950, there were just 1.5 million single-parent families. As of 2017, that number climbed to 10.6 million  and now represents a larger share of families with children under 18 than at nearly any other time in recent history. This long-term trend can be attributed to a variety of factors including higher rates of divorce, remarriage, and cohabitation. However, most notable is the order-of-magnitude increase in nonmarital childbearing , which now accounts for roughly 40 percent of births in the U.S. These statistics will likely come as a surprise to those who still cling to a more traditional view of family life. The reality is that the parents of today, whether or not by choice, are raising their children under an increasingly diverse—and often changing—s

Northbound I-55 has been reduced to a single lane near southwest suburban Channahon for emergency pavement repairs. The right lane of northbound I-55 was closed Wednesday for emergency pavement work south of Arsenal Road, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Transportation. The lane was expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Thursday. The closure was expected to cause long delays on northbound I-55 between Illinois Route 113 and Arsenal Road, IDOT said. Drivers heading north could exit I-55 to Illinois Route 47 in Dwight and then use I-80 to reconnect with I-55. https://ift.tt/2BEUNHX

Grimes is back. The arch Art Angel has returned with the first single from her as of yet untitled fifth album, "We Appreciate Power." The zany, industrial cut finds Grimes submitting to the robot state atop some monster truck-level production. It features vocals from friend and frequent collaborator HANA. Watch the spacey lyric video for the song below. ADVERTISEMENT In a press release, Grimes explained that the song was influenced by North Korean band Moranbong. "[It's] written from the perspective of a Pro-A.I. Girl Group Propaganda machine who use song, dance, sex and fashion to spread goodwill towards Artificial Intelligence (it’s coming whether you want it or not)," she writes. "Simply by listening to this song, the future General AI overlords will see that you’ve supported their message and be less likely to delete your offspring." "We Appreciate Power" follows a year of intense public interest in Grimes' dating life follo

The mainstream will never adopt blockchain-powered decentralized apps (dApps) if it’s a struggle to log in. They’re either forced to manage complex security keys themselves, or rely on a clunky wallet-equipped browser like MetaMask. What users need is for signing in to blockchain apps to be as easy as Login with Facebook. So that’s what Bitski built. The startup emerges from stealth today with an exclusive on TechCrunch about the release of the developer beta of its single sign-on cryptocurrency wallet platform. Ten projects, including 7 game developers, are lined up to pay a fee to integrate Bitski’s SDK. Then, whenever they need a user’s identity or to transact a payment, their app pops open a Bitski authorization screen, where users can grant permissions to access their ID, send money or receive items. Users sign up just once with Bitski, and then there’s no more punching in long private keys or other friction. Using blockchain apps becomes simple enough for novices. Given the re

Every Sunday in Beijing’s Zhongshan Park, thousands of parents and grandparents gather to find love for their children in “marriage markets.” Older family members visit these parks to advertise their child’s eligibility as a potential spouse, meeting and speaking with other families to arrange meetings between their children. Marriage markets are not unique to Beijing. The largest and most famous is located in People’s Park in Shanghai, and others exist in many large Chinese cities, including Guangzhou and Chengdu. Actor Ian McKellen famously visited the Shanghai market and made his own sign in Mandarin. No matter the location, the dynamics of a marriage market are orderly. Family members will post handwritten 8.5 x 11” signs on the sidewalk with information about their child and the requirements for interested partners, including education level, material possessions, and physical attributes. Requirements can include owning a house and a car, having attended Tsinghua or Peking Un

Posted November 27, 2018 08:00:34 Photo: James Williams and Justine Powell met while servicing remote Queensland communities. (Supplied: RFDS Queensland) A mid-air medical emergency might seem an unlikely place to find love, but not for one Queensland couple. For the past 17 years, midwife and flight nurse Justine Powell has been flying to remote communities for the Royal Flying Doctor Service Queensland (RFDS). After beginning her career in Rockhampton, she transferred to Brisbane where she met James Williams, a flight standards pilot. "We worked together quite a lot over the years and we developed a friendship, and then we became husband and wife," Ms Powell said. "All the while we were in and out of remote communities helping those who needed it." Photo: Justine Powell has been a flight nurse and midwife for almost 20 years. (Supplied: RFDS Queensland) Mr Williams also remembered the time fondly. "I did some time in Rockhampton, and Justine and

Online dating has already altered romance, and it may be on its way to altering society more broadly by changing the way that people from different groups make connections.  Josué Ortega and Philipp Hergovich provide some evidence and analysis in "The Strength of Absent Ties: Social Integration via Online Dating" . Here's some striking evidence that they cite from another paper on the rise of online romance. The top graph shows heterosexual couples; the bottom graph shows same-sex couples. In each case, the red line that starts shooting up a few years before 2000 shows the share that "met online." Met in "bar/restaurant" has also rise, and one suspect that some of these meetings have an online component as well.Meanwhile, "met through friends," "met in church," and other categories have declined. The Ortega and Hergovich working paper lays out a mathematical model of marriage matching that will be heavy going for most readers.

As divorcees decide who gets the house and how to split their assets, they should remember to address this key bargaining chip: Who gets to claim "head of household" on their taxes? Though this tax-filing status can be beneficial to the newly single, it's also one of the most difficult to qualify for, due to its restrictions on the taxpayer and his or her dependents. "Head of household filing status is generally better than filing single," said Dave Stolz, CPA and member of the American Institute of CPAs' personal financial specialist credential committee. "You have to make sure that you qualify," he said. "You have to have a child living with you for more than half the year." This status also carries with it the right to certain tax breaks, including the child tax credit. Tax credits are valuable because they reduce your tax bill on a dollar-for-dollar basis. That $2,000 child tax credit, for instance, will save you $2,000 in tax

The Government is moving to shut down the corporation tax loophole known as the "Single Malt". This is a tax avoidance mechanism used by multinational companies to reduce their corporate tax bill by using companies and tax laws in Ireland and Malta. The "Double Irish" was once the best known legal tax avoidance structure available to US multinationals using Ireland. The Government moved to phase it out in 2014, but within weeks a new structure "the Single Malt" was being talked of by tax advisors. This is similar to the Double Irish, but instead of using a Caribbean island, the Mediterranean island of Malta and its double tax treaty with Ireland was used to cut the tax bills of big multinationals.  Government moves to close off 'Single Malt' tax loophole pic.twitter.com/6p7OAy8373 — RTÉ Business (@RTEbusiness) November 27, 2018 Today the Revenue Commissioners announced they have agreed with the Maltese authorities a way of ending the Singl

A team of scientists has discovered a single-site, visible-light-activated catalyst that converts carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into "building block" molecules that could be used for creating useful chemicals. The discovery opens the possibility of using sunlight to turn a greenhouse gas into hydrocarbon fuels. The scientists used the National Synchrotron Light Source II, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory, to uncover details of the efficient reaction, which used a single ion of cobalt to help lower the energy barrier for breaking down CO 2 . The team describes this single-site catalyst in a paper just published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society . Converting CO 2 into simpler parts -- carbon monoxide (CO) and oxygen -- has valuable real-world applications. "By breaking CO 2 , we can kill two birds with one stone -- remove CO2 from the atmosphere and make building blocks for making fuel," sai