"Wealthy Britons can now pay to freeze and store their stem cells as an 'insurance policy' that could be used to treat diseases they develop in the future or even grow new organs.  "The companies behind the project, which charges £2,495 to collect and store the stem cells in cryogenic freezers for 20 years, have begun taking the blood samples from their first clients..." Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8556764/Blood-stem-cell-bank-to-provide-biological-insurance-for-adults.html

"The paradigm experience of solitude is a state characterized by disengagement from the immediate demands of other people - a state of reduced social inhibition and increased freedom to select one's mental and physical activities." Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201105/solitude-vs-loneliness/solitude-part-2-the-benefits-it-brings-and-the-special-str This reminds me of Tristan.  He was certain that the only way to develop any real knowledge of the self was through embracing solitude.  By removing the demands and distractions of other people, he hoped to then focus on discovering the true essence of his inner immortal self, (or soul, if you prefer that term).  I tend to stand somewhere in-between, in that while I'd agree that solitude offers uninterrupted opportunity for inner work, I find also that a deliberately created contrast between solitude and socialising presents a greater strengthening of unfolding knowledge.  In plain English, it'

The dark history of an ancient faerie well is revealed in this short fantasy tale by Adele Cosgrove-Bray, read live on 7 Waves Radio in 2008.

    Ducklings are extraordinary characters.  Something about them makes just about everyone smile.  They're cute and fluffy,  so tiny and yet so brave. Imagine how big their pond looks to them, and how much courage it must take to waddle away from the only place they've ever known - the nest - then leap into water without even knowing what will happen next.  To a duckling, that pond and muddy bank is the whole world. Have you ever  considered what ducklings make of us, watching them?  What does a duck know of our lives - of vehicles, cookers, DVDs, Prada and all the other stuff with which will forever remain irrelevant to a duck's life.  Nothing, of course. Think about a ladybird, then, crawling along a rose.  If the ladybird sees you watching it, how does it react?  It might fly off or, more likely, ignore you completely.  You're not relevant to its sphere of life; and why should you be. We're surrounded by animals, insects and plants that, similarly, get on

"Retailer HMV Group is selling its Waterstone’s bookshop business to A&NN Capital Fund Management for £53 million...  Waterstone’s sales had deteriorated due to weakness in the book market." Source:  http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/28459/hmv-sells-bookshop-chain-waterstones-to-tackle-debt-28459.html Personally, I suspect Waterstone's sales have dropped off because of poor choices in stock.  Browse the shop these-days and I rarely find anything that appeals amidst a growing mountain of junk - cookery books, 'celebrity' biogs and TV-related trivia.   The Mind, Body & Spirit shelves groan with sickly-sweet 'angels' and the kind of introductions to Wicca which begin with "This is a cauldron.  Mine has pink sparkles".  The Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror sections are ok if you want to read anything by someone you've already read most of the books by already.  Hmm, or maybe that's because I read a lot... 

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If someone stole your car, would anyone suggest this wasn't so serious an offence if the vehicle was later found abandoned and in a repairable condition?  Hey, you got your car back when it was all over. Or if a burglar broke into your home and stole favourite, valuable or useful items, would the fact that the house wasn't also set alight and reduced to rubble mean that the burglar should then be handed a lesser sentence?  There was no visible damage, not even chipped paintwork, to show for the invasion of a person's private sanctuary. What if a team of professional criminals broke into The Louvre and swiped the world's most beloved paintings, then later admitted, "Sure, it was us!", should they then be made to do a spot of community service, perhaps, since no real harm has been done?  The paintings survived.  And if these same thieves claimed they'd merely misunderstood the exact meaning of the phrase "public ownership", would any jury belie