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Sustainability Stories – Conundrum and Opportunity
Filed in Communication
We've all read and heard the word sustainability but how many of us can articulate what it means? When I started working in the sustainability space several years ago, I was frankly baffled that so many people knew the word, but so few could really explain its meaning. I still regularly ask people for their understanding of the concept and aside from sustainability officers and their troops, I continue to get a wide range of answers.
Sustainability directly involves economics, ecology, politics and culture. It encompasses wide areas of expertise and includes numerous business sectors. I like to say it encompasses the worlds of earth, air, wind and fire! Herein lays the conundrum. There is no easy way to explain sustainability; sustainability is truly Complex.
A sleep inducing definition
In 1987 the UN's Brundtland Commission coined the definition most often quoted for the term, Sustainable Development: "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
This is an important concept; perhaps one of the most important concepts of the latter 20th and early 21st centuries. But it puts me to sleep! It's instantly forgettable (read it again, how much can you remember?!?)…in one ear and out the other… why should I care when I can't even remember?
Why is one of the most profound and important ideas of our present era so unmemorable?
How to connect brand and sales with oral stories to accelerate growth
Filed in Business storytelling, Changing behaviour, Communication, Strategic clarity
Salespeople detest brand gobbledygook.
And it's no wonder. Have you heard brand lingo lately?
Lovemarks, saliency, brand-defined competitive sets, brand character, brand claims, brand personality, 80-slide PowerPoint presentations sprinkled with made-up words and forgettable catchphrases …
It's hard for a salesperson to understand this brand bumf, much less translate it into something they can share with a prospect. Good salespeople do convey the brand, but they do it intuitively by sharing stories that illustrate the brand in action. Like most experts, however, they're mostly unaware of this skill and their story repertoire. They just do it.
A systematic approach to sales storytelling can bridge the divide between brand and sales and bring the brand to life.
There are 4 steps in building this bridge. Read the rest of this entry »
Overcoming entrenched views using stories
Filed in Business storytelling, Communication
We're all rational beings, aren't we? If I want to convince you of something, surely I just need the necessary facts or a convincing argument?
Well, behavioural science research tells us that this approach simply doesn't work. This post describes something that scientists have known for nearly 40 years and which organisations stubbornly refuse to accept.
If the story is in their heads, it's hard to change
Once someone has decided to believe something, they will tend to keep on believing it, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, facts and plausible arguments. Lilienfield (2002) researched a phenomenon called 'belief perseverance' and found that false beliefs often persist long after they are discredited. You don't need long in a history book to discover many famous examples of this: the earth is flat; longitude cannot be solved by clocks etc. The same thing happens in organisations.
Belief perseverance helps us understand why it is so hard to change entrenched views. In organisations, this phenomenon becomes critically important when trying to implement any sort of change; changing culture, embedding values or executing a new strategy. If people in the organisation believe something that runs counter to what you are trying to achieve, traditional approaches to changing these beliefs are ineffective.
Normal approaches don't work
The normal approach is to reach people using reason, facts and slick PowerPoint presentations. When it doesn't work, we try even harder. We think we just need to find the right argument and we will win them over.
Not only is providing evidence to discredit a belief ineffective, it can also work against your objective by triggering the confirmation bias. Research conducted by Lord, Ross and Lepper (1979) suggests that people will not only persevere in their original beliefs but may come to believe in them even more strongly.
We often encounter this challenge when helping organisations convert their strategies into strategic stories. In every circumstance, we find what we call anti-stories, beliefs that significantly impede acceptance, and hence execution, of a new strategy.
For example, in 2009 we worked with an organisation whose strategy centred around the need to integrate three previously separate departments into a single organisation. We discovered a strongly held belief (anti-story) that integration was pointless as the organisation was bound to be split apart again in the near future. This belief stemmed from experience in the early 1990s when the three departments had been merged and then later separated again. This belief persisted despite countless assurances from leaders that it would not happen again.
Once inappropriate beliefs such as these arise, they are stubbornly resistant to change (Slusher et al 1989). Simply discrediting the evidence that caused a belief does little to change the belief itself. For example, in research by Anderson et al (1982), subjects were given fictitious research that led them to believe that either a positive or negative correlation existed between a firefighters preference for risky versus conservative choices and their success as a firefighter. Half the subjects were debriefed about the fictitious nature of the research and the other half received no such debriefing. Fascinatingly, subjects who were explicitly informed that the initial data were completely bogus held beliefs that were only slightly less extreme than the corresponding beliefs of the subjects who were never told that the data was fictitious.
Stories open their minds to new possibilities
While we don't pretend to have a silver bullet for this challenge, we have had considerable success changing beliefs (we call it tackling anti-stories) using our storytelling, story-listening and story-triggering approaches. Our white paper on tackling anti-stories describes some approaches that can help. You can download it here http://www.anecdote.com/whitepapers/?wpname=Anti-stories
You can't beat a story with just the facts, only with another story. Or, as philosopher Gordon Livingston more eloquently puts it, "it is difficult to remove by logic an idea not placed there by logic in the first place".
- Anderson, C. A., Oliver, M. R., And Ross, L. (1980). Perseverance of social theories: the role of explanation in the persistence of discredited information. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39, 1037 1049.
- Lilienfield, S. O., & Byron, R., Your Brain on Trial, Scientific American Mind January/February 2013, p47.
- Lord, G.C., Ross, L., & Lepper, M.R. (1979). Biased assimilation and attitude polarisation; The effects of prior theories on subsequently considered evidence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 2098-2109.
- Slusher, M. P., & Anderson, C.A., Belief Perseverance and Self-defeating behaviour, in R. Curtis (Ed), Self-defeating behaviours: clinical impressions and practical implications. New York, Plenum Press, 1989, p11.
Storytelling for Leaders workshop in Los Angeles
Filed in Business storytelling, Communication, News
In 92 days we'll be running Storytelling for Leaders workshop in Los Angeles. I'm looking forward to this week in LA because I'll have just finished a week-long road trip with my brother between San Francisco and LA (should create lots of stories) and we are planning a get together for fellow business storytelling practitioners in the LA region (let me know if you are interested in coming).
To buy tickets to the event just click below. We are currently looking for a good venue. Any suggestions would be great.
A simple way to embed your values with stories
Filed in Communication, Zahmoo
What do your organisational values actually mean? Do you have a list of 4, 5, 6 one-word, abstract concepts such as integrity, responsive and agile that represent your values? You might even have a few paragraphs describing each value.
Most organisations I've worked with have something similar and it hasn't helped them that much. These espoused values sound good but just like having a glorious view from your office, after a while they become invisible. So, how do you keep them alive so people really know what they mean and care about them.
Earlier this year one of the banks asked us to collect stories to help their managers understand their values. They had connected their values to their performance management system and wanted to rate employees on how well they were living them. Both employees and managers didn't really know what to say in the performance review about the values because they were unsure what they actually looked like in action.
Enter stories.
One of the anecdotes from the bank was about a young lawyer. He'd just started with the bank and was asked to provide a series of legal documents to the folk over in retail. After he'd finished the work and sent it over to his client he realised he'd made a mistake. It wasn't a huge mistake and chances were nobody would noticed it. At first he thought he'd let is slide but then he pull himself up and thought "is this the way I want to start my career as a lawyer?" and promptly called his client and told them what had happened. His client praised him for his honesty. He fixed the mistake and felt good about fessing up.
For the bank this is what integrity can look like. It also says something about what should happen when a mistake is found. It is one small example that illustrates integrity at the bank.
But one example is not enough. Managers and employees need a richer picture of their values and this comes from hearing a range of different stories that show a value in action.
In fact you need to create a systematic way to not only share the stories across the company but help people talk about what the story actually means to them. It's only in this discussion that they make sense of the value.
Imagine if your your entire organisation is discussing the same story at the same time, say every month. Imagine the gradual but robust understanding everyone would have about what the values mean. And by telling their own stories (because hearing a story invariable prompts other stories to be told) they will, over time, begin to really own these values. They are no longer a set of abstract ideas handed down by the head office.
We have developed an approach to making this happen that makes use of our story bank software (Zahmoo.com) backed by a systematic and structured process. And once it is in place you can use it for any number of other story-led conversations, such as examples of your strategy in action.
Writing oral stories
Filed in Business storytelling, Communication
When you see a poem you know it's a poem.
When you see a screenplay you know it's a screenplay.
Most people, however, have never seen an oral story written down. Probably because it's an oxymoron. Yet there are times when it's useful to write an oral story down. For example, when you're helping a company create the story of their strategy.
Let's look at the difference between oral and written stories and then I'll describe a significant problem that can happen when you write down an oral story for a company.
First and foremost we talk quite differently to how we write and read. For example, when we speak we say things in short bursts.
When we speak /
We say things in short bursts. //
Yet we can write a sentence that is much longer and more elaborate than we would normally speak. Punctuation helps a reader but doesn't go far enough for a speaker (more on this below).
When we talk it's quite reasonable to repeat ourselves. We can say the same thing a few times and no one will give it a second thought. It gives us time to gather our ideas and emphasise our point. In fact repetition helps our audience hear what we are saying.
Repetition is spurned in prose unless it's a literary effort of Joycean proportions. But in business writing it's a no no.
And "it's a no no" would never pass for business writing but we could easily and acceptably say it. We can speak colloquially but brows wrinkle when we write it.
Most of the time we are speaking we use short, simple words. When we're chatting with colleagues and recounting what happened in the meeting we all just went to (editor, please replace 'went to' with 'attended'), we use short, concrete phrases.
"Did you see Bob's face when Bronwyn said we'll need to create a new job role? I can see this being a problem."
People don't speak corporateez. Most people, that is.
We don't typically say transformation, core competency, retrospective coherence (yep, I've heard that), strategic leverage, commercial sustainability, I could go on.
Now let me explain the problem that often happens when you try and write down an oral story such as the oral story of the corporate strategy.
When it's written down it looks a lot like any other business document in that there are words in paragraphs but the writing seems overly informal and even naive. Things might be repeated and there are informal phrases all over the place. So the business language wordsmiths appear and begin to make it sound like a piece of business writing. I've even had footnotes added!
Here's what I suggest you do.
First write the story in a format that doesn't look like normal business prose.
Much like a poem, break up the story based on the short bursts we speak in. At the end of each line either insert a "/" to indicate a minor pause and the sentence just flows on to the next phase or a "//" when there's a bigger pause. This is how experts in discourse analysis write conversations down.
The great advantage to this approach is that it looks different. Internal comms immediately thinks, "Whoa, what in the hell is this?" And you can share with them the difference between oral and written stories.
Let me know if you have ever had this challenge and how you dealt with it.
Family narratives
Filed in Communication, Fun
At Christmas, I was in Melbourne with my two kids. All my family live there and I needed to do what I could to ensure there was no disharmony or feelings of favouritism. So I applied Shawn's guiding principle in these matters: 'Families are like fish. After three days they start to go off'. So I stayed for a few days with each of my relatives.
It turns out that there is another way to maintain harmony and indeed, to build resilience in families, especially children. Have a family narrative.
This article in the NY Times claims that "The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative."
Three types of narrative are described:
- The ascending family narrative which goes 'when we came to this country we had nothing. We worked hard and look at us now'
- The descending family narrative which goes 'we used to have it all and then we lost everything'
- The oscillating family narrative which goes 'we've had our ups and downs, but no matter what happened we always stuck together as a family'
Apparently, this last narrative is the healthiest, especially for building the confidence and resilience of kids.
Many thanks to Ken Everett from Think On Your Feet® for the pointer to this article.
Being just like your audience
Filed in Communication
We have talked a lot in this blog about the power that comes from showing how you are like your audience for improving the effectiveness of your communication.
From telling stories that show you are like them (The 'I'm like you' story), to using their words, phrases or idioms. There are a number of ways that you can connect to your audience by showing them that you are like them.
I saw an example recently where one of the world's best known brands was using a similar concept here in Australia.
In a world first, McDonald's Australia has changed its signage to 'Macca's' at selected restaurants.
McDonald's Australia, Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Lollback said McDonald's was incredibly proud to embrace its 'Australian-only' nickname.
"With one in two Australains giving us the nickname Macca's…it was a perfect time to embrace the moniker and change our [name] across the country." Lollback said.
"Changing our signage to Macca's is a world first for our business and we're thrilled to be celebrating the nick name that only Australians have given us," he added.
For me, this is an example of a brand trying to show they are 'just like' their audience; "so much so that we even changed our name to the name you call us!" Clever.
Your stories must be plausible
Filed in Communication
One of the things that we tell people in our workshops is that your stories need to be true, particularly in a business context.
Your stories should be genuine and authentic. They must also be accurate, plausible and believable. If they're not, you run the risk of damaging your credibility.
Consider this example of UK Primer Minister David Cameron, cited in a recent [BBC article](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20956126):
During the first televised prime-ministerial debate in 2010, David Cameron told a story about talking to a "40-year-old black man", who had served 30 years in the Royal Navy.
Read that again. A *40-year-old*, who had served *30 years* in the Royal Navy. Clearly, it is not accurate, nor plausible. This would mean he had joined the armed forces aged 10.
In this instance, Mr. Cameron failed to communicate and convey his wider ideas, simply because his story was inaccurate and implausible.
Don't make the same mistake when telling your stories.
How to respond to misinformation that's hurting your business
Filed in Business storytelling, Communication
I like to ask senior executives this simple question: is there a story going around your company that's causing you pain?
I remember asking one HR director this question who immediately sighed and said that their board recently appointed a new CEO. A couple of months after he arrived a new strategy emerged and the story employees told was that the CEO went home one night, pulled out the strategy for his previous company, did a search and replace and presented it as the new company strategy.
Now, the reality actually involved the executive team meeting a few times to work out the strategy. It's probably a good example of what can happen without broader participation. But here's the thing: no amount of just setting the facts straight would change employees' minds. A recent article by Lewandowsky et. al. (2012) summarises the research on how misinformation emerges, is sustained and can be corrected. And the answer hinges on storytelling.
When a misunderstanding takes hold we formulate a story to understand what's happening. This story is important because it's how we decide whether what's happening might affect us: good, bad or benign. Once we have the story in our head, and it reinforces what we believe, then we'll retell it and with each retelling the neural connections become stronger. It sticks.
The story of how the CEO pulled his strategy out of thin air, for example, might reinforce a dim view employees have of management and this story is just more evidence of management's incompetence. It makes sense. It's plausible. It's gets told.
The worse way to combat misinformation is to just set the record straight by merely setting out the facts:
- our strategy was created by the executive over a three week period
- we used a well defined and accepted strategy formulation method
- the board has approved the strategy and all the executives are committed to its execution
It turns out that by simply stating the facts merely reinforces the misinformation. The original story gets stronger.
So what do you do? Well, you can only displace a story with a better story. And in fact you need to tell two stories to correct misinformation.
The first story should explain how the misinformation happened in the first place.
For example, you might say that when Bob (the CEO) joined in May we were in one of our busiest times of the year. The end of the financial year was looming and everyone was focussed on closing sales. At the same time Bob wanted to get our new strategy in place quickly and rather than get everyone involved he only included the executive team over a short period to create the strategy. It must have felt like it came from thin air.
The second story should then explain what actually happened.
Bob kicked off our strategy process by asking Sally to manage it. We engaged the services of Acme Consulting to facilitate the process as they were already working with us to design our leadership framework. The executive met for four sessions over three weeks where we reaffirmed our purpose, assessed our opportunities and competitive landscape and made a series of strategic choices, which you have now all seen. In hindsight we should have got more people involved but moving forward we will do just that as we learn and improve our approach.
The original story can only be displaced by an alternative narrative and these two stories (plus a glimpse of the future) combine to create a new story of what happened.
A couple of caveats. 1) The stories you tell must be what happened: no spin. 2) Your leaders must be able to tell these stories orally and tell them often. Repetition matters because we believe what is told often and what is believed by our colleagues (influence psychologist Robert Cialdini calls this social proof).
Lewandowsky, S., Ecker, U.K.H., Seifert, C.M., Schwarz, N. & Cook, J. 2012, 'Misinformation and Its Correction: Continued Influence and Successful Debiasing', Psychological Science in the Public Interest, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 106-31.
Cialdini, R.B. 1993, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Quill Publishers, New York.


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Link to Sixers-Celtics notes (with Thad Young video):
Here is a portion of the story:
Garnett was asked to compare Boston fans to Philadelphia fans.
"Not even close. Not even close," Garnett said. "You got fans and then you got fair-weather fans. Take it how you want it."
Elton Brand defended the Philly faithful, telling reporters Tuesday that "we'll see the fans tomorrow."
"We know they've got our support and our backs," Brand said. "I'm sure they're going to show him how fair-weathered they are tomorrow."

subset: commoncrawl


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Conference season.
Those words probably either inspired a burst of excitement or a cloud of anxiety for you. If you're anything like the average blogger, you might even have felt both! Totally normal.
Conferences, for bloggers or other, take us out of our comfort zone by dropping us in a maelstrom of excited bodies, forcing us to sleep in unfamiliar spaces, bombarding us with information on all sides. And that's only once you've arrived. If you suffer from travel anxiety, the stress starts even before you get there!
Fact is, conferences don't have to be angst filled. Join us Thursday, July 12th at 10am PST/1pm EST for this month's Twitter #SplashChat when we'll discuss 'Keeping Your Sanity While at a Conference.' I'll be tweeting from Evo'12, demonstrating my own #1 rule: bring your own Wifi!
Anxious to get some tips before Thursday? Check out these blog posts written by some awesome Splashers. If you have posts of your own, leave them in the comments and we'll add them to the list!
Surviving Bringing the Family to a Blog Conference at The B Keeps us Honest
5 Tips to Make Sure You Have a Blast at a Blog Conference at 5 Minutes for Mom (Bonus goofy awesome pictures!)
10 Tips for Being a Great Roommate at The Guavalicious Life
Practical Tips for Being at a Conference at Blogging Basics 101
Tips for Finding Your People at Super Exhausted
More Conference Survival Tips at House of Prince
Why Big Bloggers Should be Nice to "Small" Bloggers at Mommy Niri
Don't Forget Why you Blog at It's my life…
Preparing for Big Blog Conferences at Uppercase Woman


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We help seasoned, successful small-business owners, including dentists, build a strong foundation for financial security and independence. Our services are a good fit for near retirees and retirees as well. We provide comprehensive fee-only financial planning services based on individual financial goal planning and effective risk management.
Many of those who start a small business do so with an eye on three common outcomes:
- Doing work they enjoy and providing a service that makes life easier for others
- Having the ability to steadily increase his or her financial base
- Experiencing a sense of independence and influence over his or her own destiny
We know that life doesn't always go as planned. Business revenues wax and wane, the market ebbs and flows, and laws and options change every year. As life becomes more complicated, you have less and less time to oversee both your business and your personal financial portfolio of assets.
At some point, an alarm is likely to sound. It may be that slightly uneasy feeling that keeps you on edge during the day or a life event that alerts you to vulnerability previously unimagined:
- You've been so focused on building your business that you haven't been able to pay as much attention to building your investment portfolio that will carry your family through retirement.
- You (or a family member) suddenly face a health condition that requires an allocation of time and/or resources not previously anticipated.
- You had a growing portfolio of assets that were significantly depleted in recent years. You thought you could count on your broker to protect you, but they didn't.
If you are like many of our clients, you actually enjoy staying current and on top of your personal finances. But you sense, just as in business, that you would benefit from engaging an expert to oversee and manage this ever-changing financial landscape through professional money management, tax planning and financial independence planning.
Imagine what would be possible if you could take full advantage of your time, money and opportunities. Imagine being able to fully protect and nurture your family, and achieve your financial goals.
Rick Epple, CFP®, president of Epple Financial, is an expert, fee-only, certified financial planner who offers personal and direct guidance to small business owners, many of whom are starting to think seriously about retirement planning. He has been selected by Dental Practice Report Magazine as one of the "2013 Best Financial Advisers For Dentists."
Because we make financial planning our business...
you can tend to yours.


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Alro: Government's measures to reduce energy costs, inefficient
Alro Slatina's electricity bills are too high and the Government's measures to lower this burden for industrial consumers have been inefficient so far, Marian Nastase, chairman of the aluminum producer's Board of Directors, stated. "Postponing green certificates has not reduced the cost of bills because 1,000 MW in photovoltaic were commissioned last year. The market is overflowing with green certificates. We hope Minister Nita's proposal (editor's note – Constantin Nita, Minister Delegate for Energy) to cut back green certificate prices for industrial consumers by 85 percent will be implemented in time," Nastase stated at the ZF Power Summit, as cited by Mediafax.
He added that Alro pays an average of USD 80 per MWh of electricity, while the average price in Germany is USD 46.6, in the U.S USD 36.7., and in France USD 59.6. Industrial electricity consumers have criticized the Government's support of renewable energy production for a long time and they claim high energy prices could determine factories to relocate to other countries. Aluminum producers cannot transfer additional costs to clients because the price of aluminum is set by the metals stock exchange in London. "At present, because ecotaxes account for so much of our expenses, we are uncompetitive. We want taxes to be reasonably reduced. We must be supported in this respect. I am paying USD 300 per ton, ecotaxes included," Nastase said further.
In turn, Bruno Ribo, General Manager at Arcelor Mital Galati, stated that current gas and electricity prices render Romania uncompetitive and the negative impact of these prices cannot be denied, even if large investments were made. "We must come back to the levels prior to 2009. Every component of the energy price has gone up. We need more time to adapt; we were not consulted and no impact study was conducted," Ribo continued. In his opinion, major gas consumers need the same period of transition to adjust to European prices before 2018 as household consumers. "Half the major consumer companies may shut down, resulting in 400,000 lost jobs, if gas prices continue to spike. Import prices are higher than European stock exchange prices," he concluded.


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The following institutions are sponsors to the 2000 symposium/Las siguientes instituciones son patrocinadores de este simposio del ano 2000:
John A. Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas (US), College of Business Administration St. John's University (US), Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico), Institute for Work at Seton Hall University (US), International Association of Jesuit Business Schools (IAJBS), Uganda Martyrs University (Uganda), ILADES (Chile), Loyola Institute of Business Administration (India), Loyola College of Maryland (US), Financial Monitoring Centre (Switzerland), John F. Henning Institute and the School of Economics and Business Administration at Saint Mary's College of California (US), University of St. Thomas' Graduate School of Business (US). Advisory committee members are/Miembros de la comisión consultiva: Charles Clark and Michael Naughton (co-chairs), Ramiro Bernal Cuevas, Manuel Rodriguez, Xavier Enriquez (hosts), Gabriel Codina S.J., Patricio Crichigno, Robert Kennedy, Johan Verstraeten, Jeanne Buckeye, Dennis McCann, Peter John Opio, Helen Alford O.P., Lee Tavis, Ernest Pierucci, Paul Dembinski, Mary Maury, Jean-Loup Dherse, Edwin Epstein, Thomas Bausch, Bill Toth, Michael Stebbins, Sandra Gooding, Louis Xavier S.J.
The John A. Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought, The Aquinas Foundation, and the Graduate School of Business at the University of St. Thomas, College of Business Administration St. John's University, and an anonymous donor/y un donate anónimo


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While many of this year's Grammy® Award nominees and winners were honored last weekend for the magic they created in the studio, some of the top honorees relish in knowing that they can get their same studio-quality sound live on stage thanks to the Digidesign® Venue live sound environment. In fact, four of the five artists nominated for Record of the Year—Mary J. Blige, the Dixie Chicks (who won this category), Gnarls Barkley, and Corinne Bailey Rae (along with John Mayer who was nominated for Album of the Year)—rely on Venue to reproduce their Grammy-nominated sound live on tour.
"I've been wishing for this console for years," says audio industry veteran Horace Ward, former front of house engineer for Blige. "It's one of the best-sounding, fully digital consoles out there right now."
Not only does Venue deliver stunning audio clarity in a live environment, it offers many of the same features and tools that sound engineers are accustomed to using (and artists are accustomed to hearing) in the studio, including access to over 100 professional TDM plug-ins by some of the most influential innovators in the industry. Plus, its seamless integration with Pro Tools provides even more production opportunities, including capturing live performances and performing "virtual soundchecks."
"It is the whole package," Ward raves. "The EQs are wonderful, and I like the visuals. I like the fact that Venue has built-in plug-ins, and that the gates and compressors on each channel can also be augmented by an additional four plug-ins per channel. The flexibility is marvelous, the sound is marvelous, and the seamless linking of Pro Tools® for recording is completely over the top. It's a tool that I cannot do without. Venue is a console for engineers who want to expand their ideas and bring studio quality to live sound."
Robert Scovill, Digidesign's live sound market manager, is delighted that more and more artists are adopting Venue for their tours. "Venue brings comparable tools from the studio to the stage, which has never before been available," he says. "It's no coincidence that all of the Grammy nominees this year are some of the hottest touring acts worldwide, and we wish to congratulate all of the nominated artists that share this vision through employing Digidesign products. It's very rewarding to see Venue as a centerpiece for presenting award-winning music to a live audience."
The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 11, 2007, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA, and televised live on CBS.


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Hello and welcome to the April OT Thread part II. Here we will discuss not hockey, cool things, and anything.
Cool things include:
- NBA playoffs (Ha!)
- Baseball. The A's are awesome right now and the Gnats... are the Gnats
- Funny Pictures
Okay I'm out of cool stuff to post. That was a bad effort for me...
Oh! FTF's first fantasy hockey league recently ended. Here are the final standings:
And, um, why don't we end this with a poll.


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Related content
David Hasselhoff 2013 Australian Tour
Fresh off the back from performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, David Hasselhoff is bringing his live show to Australia.
The Hoff's live performances have been described as "an intimate, hilarious evening of song, dance and audience interaction.Knight Rider to Baywatch, Broadway and the Berlin Wall." Well, alright then.
An Evening With The Hoff comes to the Corner Hotel on Thursday February 14. Tickets on sale from the Corner box office on Monday August 27.


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Now that the kids are on Christmas vacation, they'd want to do one thing – and that is to go out and have fun. Giving joy to children is the one thing that we prioritize during the Christmas season and bringing them to amusement or theme parks is one way of making their vacation an enjoyable and memorable one. One of the happening place to treat your kids and the whole family to a day of ultimate fun is at Seriland Fantasy World.
SERILAND FANTASY WORLD is a 1,200-square meter theme park located at the 2nd Level, South Wing of the Manila Ocean Park, Quirino Grandstand, Luneta Park, Manila, and offers never before seen attractions in the country. It was established on November 20, 2010 and was developed out of curiosity of the science of 3D technology and the ambition to bring to the Philippines the attractions of SEOGWIPO SERI WORLD theme park in Jeju, South Korea. Eventually, friendship and business partnership between Filipino and Korean investors was developed and both committed to provide unique and challenging attractions and promote fun-learning experience through the educational and entertainment value of Seri Fantasy World.
Its three (3) main attractions, namely TRICK ART MUSEUM, MIRROR MAZE and 3D CINEMA PLUS, are equipped with different angles of 3Dimensional technology for visitors of all ages.
TRICK ART MUSEUM, a gallery of 3Dimensional art freehand painted by famous Korean artists, highlights interactive paintings that visualize 3D optical illusions when a picture is taken with it.
MIRROR MAZE is a labyrinth with multiple glass panes. It challenges the sense of space and direction. It gives the reflection of thousand images.
The 3D CINEMA PLUS, offers stereoscopic scenes and multi-sensorial effects to the viewers.
But the fun never ends there! KIDS' PARADISE, a fun land with rides, jungle playpen, book café and toy world, gives limitless entertainment to toddlers and young-at-heart guests.
Just by looking at the photos, I can't wait to bring all my 3 kids to visit and enjoy all the attractions. I, too, can't wait to have a grand time with my kiddos at this fun place.
They also have a Christmas promo right now that you can avail to make your visit an enjoyable one. Do check out the promo poster below or you may call them at (02) 559-9563. Make sure to visit and like them at Facebook (SERILAND) or visit their website at www.serifantasyworld.com.
It is indeed the Land of Happy Thoughts. Discover happiness right here, right now!


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(Redirected from User:The Halfblood) | User talk:Darkest Reaper
A. Ignore the Red links in my sig. B. Ignore my Avatar. C. Hello there!
I arrived here while I was searching another wiki. I also happen to be an expert on Fanon, as I am a Respected User on Halo Fanon. So, Next Stop: Who the Slag knows!


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text: Current THE GREAT WAR: Printmakers of World War I Works on Paper Focus Gallery States of Change in Africa Evans Court Ryan McGinness: Studio Visit Signs of Protest: Photographs from the Civil Rights Era New on View Edgar Degas European Art Jacob Lawrence American Art James Karales Mid to Late 20th-Century Art ARTshare Support Digital Outreach Help share VMFA's outstanding collection with the world Today Upcoming Weekend Young @ Art: Land, Sea, and Sky [YA3]10:00 amWednesday Aug2010:00 amYoung @ Art: Land, Sea, and Sky [YA3]Early ChildhoodWalk-in Highlights Tour1:00 pmWednesday Aug201:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourToursWalk-in Highlights Tour3:00 pmWednesday Aug203:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourTours Color Me Glad! [PA3]Thu 11:00 amThursday Aug2111:00 amColor Me Glad! [PA3]Early ChildhoodWalk-in Highlights TourThu 1:00 pmThursday Aug211:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourToursWalk-in Highlights TourThu 3:00 pmThursday Aug213:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourToursWalk-in Highlights TourThu 6:00 pmThursday Aug216:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourToursJazz CafeThu 6:00 pmThursday Aug216:00 pmJazz CafeMusic & Performing ArtsWalk-in Highlights TourFri 1:00 pmFriday Aug221:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourToursWalk-in Highlights TourFri 3:00 pmFriday Aug223:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourToursFriday Art & WineFri 5:00 pmFriday Aug225:00 pmFriday Art & WineEvening EventsWalk-in Highlights TourFri 6:00 pmFriday Aug226:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourToursFourth Fridays: Meet Up with ArtFri 6:00 pmFriday Aug226:00 pmFourth Fridays: Meet Up with ArtEvening EventsFriday Art & Wine ToursFri 7:00 pmFriday Aug227:00 pmFriday Art & Wine ToursToursFriday Art & Wine ToursFri 7:30 pmFriday Aug227:30 pmFriday Art & Wine ToursToursWalk-in Highlights TourSat 11:00 amSaturday Aug2311:00 amWalk-in Highlights TourToursWalk-in Highlights TourSat 2:00 pmSaturday Aug232:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourTours Walk-in Highlights TourSat 11:00 amSaturday Aug2311:00 amWalk-in Highlights TourToursWalk-in Highlights TourSat 2:00 pmSaturday Aug232:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourToursWalk-in Highlights TourSun 11:00 amSunday Aug2411:00 amWalk-in Highlights TourToursWalk-in Highlights TourSun 2:00 pmSunday Aug242:00 pmWalk-in Highlights TourTours Full Calendar Featured Events Teacher Open House 3 in 30: Official War Artists: Recruited to Record Beyond the Walls and Open Studio Sunday Book Club: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See How…do you apply for a VMFA Fellowship? Wine & Dine Friday Art & Wine Second Fridays: Wine Tasting After Dark Jazz Cafe First Fridays: Performing Arts VMFA Shop Check our Trunk Show calendar! Visit the Shop #VMFA @FireFlourFork 4 weeks ago 11/1 Dinner: Peter Chang teams with @AmuseVMFA chef Haley at @vmfa! Dinner coincides with the Forbidden City exhibit Country Living magazine 2 weeks ago Places to go, things to do, and food to eat in Virginia's rejuvenated capital—all recommended by a local. Richmond Times-Dispatch Opinion 2 weeks ago Art remains essential to human souls. The Virginia Museum contributes to Virginia's collective health. There are few state agencies as valuable as it Kim Drew 2 weeks ago Love that @vmfa is FREE. Art for the people. @JeffersonHotel 1 month ago Announcing the next great blockbuster event at @vmfa & great package at The Jefferson! Forbidden City arrives 10/18. http://ow.ly/zi6c3 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts 4 weeks ago YouTube: Forbidden City: Imperial Treasures from the Palace Museum, Bejing Richmond Times Dispatch 2 weeks ago The most important and largest international travel exhibition ever assembled by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will bring the splendor of China's Forbidden City to Richmond this fall.


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Where are the Delta updates in iOS6?
I've read about many articles where people said that in iOS6 their app updates take faster than usual. However, I'm not experiencing this.
Apps like Real Racing 3, Subway Surfers, etc etc still take very long to download (most likely the same time it takes to download the app just after purchasing them).
In fact I think they download the entire application. What gives? Perhaps they haven't implemented the delta update system?


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Daniel "Andrew" Lyzen, 102
Daniel "Andrew" Lyzen, 102, died Sunday, December 30, 2012 at the home of his daughter and son-in-law.
He was born February 17, 1910 at Alton, Iowa to Albert and Alice (VanEngen) Lyzen. He spent his growing up years in Iowa after which he spent a few years in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
He enlisted in the army where he served 3 ½ years during WWII in the US and in Europe. In his youth he accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ which has been the focus of his life.
He married Mildred Bucy on December 1, 1945 in Paris, Tennessee. To this union was born one daughter.
He and his wife made their home in northwest Iowa where he worked for the Central Telephone Company until he retired. In 1978 he and Mildred moved to Alliance where they lived until Mildred died in August of 1984. On November 1, 1985 he married Ethel Flair and moved to Missouri where he lived until May 2011 when he moved back to Alliance to live with his daughter and son-in-law.
He is survived by his daughter, Fern (Ben) Weeda of Alliance; 3 grandsons and 4 great grandchildren; his 2nd wife Ethel of Chillicothe, MO; two stepdaughters, Johnna Townsend of Chillicothe, MO, and Joy (LaMont) Townsend of Scottsbluff, NE; 8 step grandchildren and several step great grandchildren and step great great grandchildren, 2 nieces and 1 nephew. He was preceded in death by his parents, 3 sisters and 1 brother and first wife Mildred.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. at the Bates-Gould Chapel. LeRoy Sandford will officiate. Burial with military honors will be in the Alliance Cemetery.
Memorials may be given in care of the family at 724 East 9th Street, Alliance, Nebraska, 69301.
© 2014 Rural Radio Network. All rights reserved. Republishing, rebroadcasting, rewriting, redistributing prohibited. Copyright Information


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Link Love: Selling Scraps, Traina in Givenchy and Flavor Flav-Inspired Margiela?
Daily reads from our feeds...
American Apparel now selling Bag O' Scraps: DIY inspiration or desperation? (via PSFK)
Sure to have our closets, jeans and Google Reader bursting at the seams, Refinery 29 gives us the low-down on the best fashion+foodie bloggers on the web.
The Mad Men Fashion File discusses the wardobe highs (Betty's sheath) and lows (Peggy's plaid) of the latest episode.
Local fashionista Vanessa Traina leaves us swooning over her Givenchy masterpiece, via Jak & Jil.
Thanks to OutsaPop Trashion, our latest DIY project takes inspiration from Maison Margiela's brilliant Rolex frame necklaces for Fall '09.
The Big Drink 2014: 50 Cocktails to Try Before You Die
The Big Eat 2014: 100 Things to Try Before You Die
The 2012 Big To-Do SF: 100 Things To Do Before You Die
The Big Veg 2011: 50 Vegetarian (Or Vegan) Things to Eat Before You Die
The Big Sweet SF: 50 Treats to Eat Before You Die
50 Things to Do in Wine Country Before You Die


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Here is the link to the sale ad which starts this weekend. If you're new to shopping at CVS for free, go here to learn all about it. You can hunt down your own deals by looking at the sale ad, but there are plenty of sites (like this one) with lists that apply coupons if you don't want to do the hunt yourself. I love the lists when I'm feeling a little lazy.
CVS Deals 11/16/08-11/22/08
One Response to "CVS Deals 11/16/08-11/22/08"
Thank you so much for this Lisa. Really appreciate it
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A versatile pant and jacket combo, designed to keep you warm and shelter you from the elements during cold weather running or cross country skiing.
When you're heading into warm weather and desire a cool fabric, make sure you have the HeatGear Leggings. Designed to wick moisture away from the body, they leave you feeling dry and comfortable so you can last longer on the trail.
Newly redesigned with a revised fit, the Rho is incredibly versatile. Insulated, this tight can be worn as an insulated base layer, or as a stand-alone outer layer during cool-weather workouts
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These baselayer tights use Radiant Hybrid technology to provide warmth where exposure is greatest, and breathability where you need it most. Can be used as a baselayer for hiking or a single layer for high-intensity, cold-weather exercise.
Copyright © 2012-2014 Trekt.com All Rights Reserved - A Division of Aleva Stores


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Continuous and Measurable Maintenance Development
Konecranes Machine Tool Service (MTS) provides services for all types and brands of machine tools in the engineering industry.
We are one of the world's biggest international machine tool service providers with local presence in many countries.
We tailor make service for your machine tool
We offer services from machine tool inspections and on-call service of a single machine tool to full responsibility of the maintenance development of your production equipment. Konecranes Machine Tool Service handles maintenance needs of small and big customers in automotive, manufacturing and aerospace industries.
Konecranes Machine Tool Service has a long experience in preventive maintenance services that are designed to reduce uncontrolled downtime. We serve you 24/7 by giving better maintenance control, transparency and cost efficiency.


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© Patrick Duchesneau
Rencontre châteauguoise collected a record sum during its recent financing campaign. From left to right: Francine Laberge, director; Denise Poirier Rivard, president of Rencontre châteaugoise; Sonia St-Onge, lawyer and co-president of the campaign; Nathalie Simon, Mayor of Châteauguay and co-president of the campaign, and Jacques Blanchet, treasurer of Rencontre châteauguoise.
CHÂTEAUGUAY – Fixing an ambitious goal of $230,000.00, the recent financing campaign of Rencontre châteauguoise in fact raised more: a total of $ 234,374 was collected, as announced on April 25 by the organisation. The announcement was made on volunteer day, in line with Volunteer Action Week.
Choosing Châteauguay Mayor Nathalie Simon and lawyer Sonia St-Onge as honorary presidents, the financing campaign beat the previous record of about $223,000. This sum will help the organisation continue its activities in helping the underprivileged, particularly in serving popular meals to them. "There's an increasing number of families who come for our meals", said the president of Rencontre châteauguoise, Denise Poirier Rivard, saying that the number of meals served to those in need is always on the rise.
For Mayor Nathalie Simon to accept the campaign's co-presidency was natural. "We don't know when we'll need the Rencontre" she said, referring to the economy's ups and downs. "We're lucky to have such an organisation of choice with volunteers of choice", the Châteauguay Mayor continued.
"As for me, I was pleased to discover that the organisation helps many families", added Sonia St-Onge who did not know about Rencontre châteauguoise until she was asked to participate in the financing campaign.André Barrette, volunteer of the year
The day was also an occasion for the Rencontre châteauguoise team to acknowledge one of their long time volunteers - André Barrette – by bestowing upon him the title "volunteer of the year." "It was a huge surprise. I wasn't expecting it", Mr. Barrette said. He has been devoting time to the organisation for about 15 years now. "Once you start doing volunteer work, you want to do more of it. It takes a hold of you", André Barrette explained.
Three students on their fifth year in Louis-Philippe-Paré secondary school have also officially unveiled the 17 works completed by 33 students in the plastic arts class of Virginie Théorêt. These works serve as the décor for the premises of Rencontre châteauguoise. "In each of the works, there is a different theme. We wanted to show, in a creative way, what happens here", Andrey Robertson said; her colleagues, Maggie Gosselin and Jade Landry, on the other hand, explained what some of the works symbolised.


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AGLCA Radio Is Here!
The launch of our radio show took place March 4, 2011, and we are growing more every day! Each episode of the weekly show, which airs Fridays at 10 am EST, will focus on an aspect of preparing for, planning or cruising America's Great Loop. The show is part of AGLCA's commitment to providing Great Loop Information & Inspiration to everyone who dreams of taking the trip or is already in the thick of it.
Interested listeners may access the show via a link on the GreatLoop.org website, as well as the BlogTalkRadio.com website, in the Travel section, on AGLCA's Facebook page, and on iTunes. Each show will be archived immediately after the broadcast and will be available for re-listening on the GreatLoop.org website, providing a rich source of knowledge.
Hosts Janice and Steve Kromer will welcome guests to the show, who will provide their expertise on everything from cruising Lake Michigan to repairing your engine. Listeners can call in with questions and get immediate answers, making this an excellent educational tool.
To volunteer as a Guest Host, click here.
Instructions for Guest Hosts & Listeners, click here.
To listen live, or listen to previous shows, click on the player below. If you would like to call in with a question, please use our toll-free number, 1-877-497-1815.
Listen to internet radio with AGLCA on Blog Talk Radio


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(10/15/13) - A Lapeer County Sheriff's Deputy is being credited with saving a Saginaw man's life.
Deputy Craig Ross responded to a rollover accident shortly before 2 Tuesday morning on North Lapeer Road near Swaffer Road in Rich Township.
The Sheriff says Ross was able to break the front windshield and pull the driver from the wreckage as fire was consuming the passenger side of the vehicle.
The 43 year old had only minor injuries.
The Sheriff says tragedy was avoided due to Deputy Ross' courage and quick action.
ABC12 Main Station810-233-3130
Mailing Address:2302 Lapeer RoadFlint, Michigan 48503


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Three Steps to a Simplified Holiday
Editor's note: This is a guest post by Robyn Devine of Minimalist Knitter.
When I was a little girl, I used to love heading to downtown Chicago on Thanksgiving to watch the tree lighting ceremony outside of Marshall Fields, and then squeeze in around their storefront windows as they displayed their holiday scenes.
It was a night that marked the start of the holiday season for me: crowded into a square and on sidewalks, wrapped up in coats and hats, and holding hands with loved ones – both so we wouldn't get lost and for some sort of extra warmth.
Seeing those window displays filled not of merchandise for sale but of elaborate holiday scenes marked time for me. The holidays weren't about presents and parties and scheduling, but about family and big reveals and crisp winter evenings.
Now that I'm all grown up, that focus has shifted, and I'm not happy about it! For far too long, Western culture has convinced us that the best types of holiday celebrations involve more – more decorations, more presents, more time commitments, more stuff.
While out scouting a craft store for one skein of yarn this past August, I saw a huge holiday display packed full with ornaments, menorahs and tree toppers, and I almost lost my mind. It was still hot outside, and my nieces hadn't even gone back to school yet! Who needs to be thinking about the holiday season?
The easiest way to put a stop to this sort of consumerist view on the holiday season is to decide here and now to simplify. By choosing not to freak out in August, not shop until November or December, and instead to leave room in your schedule for those magical moments of togetherness, your holidays will be simpler and happier.
It can seem hard, but simplifying your holiday season can be done with a few swift decisions and then just a few minutes a day of triage and maintenance. You really can simplify your holiday to the point of doing only what you want to do, giving freely without concern of a consumerism take-over, and finding time to sip hot chocolate by a fire with loved ones!
Three Steps
- Decorate Less. Easier said than done for some, but by making the decision to decorate fewer parts of your home, or to put up fewer decorations than normal, you'll simplify your holiday almost instantly. Donate the supplies you don't use, and you'll be storing less, dusting less, and packing/unpacking less each year!
- Shop Less. Instead of buying arm loads of presents that most people on your list will promptly stuff in a closet or drop off at the Goodwill, commit to purchasing only one present per loved one, and making those presents consumable. Gift certificates to restaurants, wine, and memberships to museums come to mind – all can be enjoyed without the problem of clutter!
- Travel Less. You don't have to attend every party you're invited to. You don't have to drive halfway across the country to spend a few short days with people you hardly know. Commit this year to spending your time with your immediate family and closest friends, and use Skype to your advantage to send your love to those living far away. You'll spend less on gas, hotel stays, and plane fares, and you'll be far less stressed!
These three steps can help you cut bucket-loads of stress from your December, and free up hours upon hours of your time! Now, go to bed early, snuggle under blankets, drink hot chocolate, and enjoy all your free time this holiday season!
** For more tips and tricks to simplify your holiday season, pick up my e-book Holiday Made Simple!
Robyn Devine blogs at Minimalist Knitter, where she spends her time knitting more with less.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less and connect with me. Check out courtneycarver.com for simple ideas for your life and business.
- 31 Days of Gifts you So Deserve begins on December 1st. This is a beautiful gift to share with friends, families and co-workers to enjoy the season together. If you want to purchase 5 or more subscriptions to share, email me and I'll make the process really easy.
23 Responses to "Three Steps to a Simplified Holiday"
Read below or add a comment...
These are great suggestions. We get so caught in the "have-tos" at the holidays. That said, however, I would say that personally I don't follow #1. For us, decorating our whole house is a tradition that we look forward to. We have been married nearly 30 years. Decorating the tree in particular is an important ritual for us as our ornaments include ornaments that decorated our the Christmas trees of our childhood, ornaments made by our children and grandchildren. Christmas decorating for us is about remembering and connecting to Christmases past and dreaming about future Christmas memories. Putting Christmas lights on our house was a tradition my daughter and my husband shared, a special moment both looked forward to. Now, when she visits with her family, her son is now a part of that ritual. But our Christmas decorating is motivated by family traditions and memories and not about trying to keep with the Clark Griswold's on our block!!
I love that you've got a tradition that doesn't weigh you down! My theory on the holidays is to do what brings you joy, and let everything else go – if decorating brings you joy, then by all means do it!
I would challenge you then to find your own personal "decorate less" – what can you do less of this year that you've always felt you "had to do"?
These are some great tips here! And for you Julie, if you make the concious decision to do the decorating because it is an important tradition to your family, that is absolutely fine. I think the big thing is cut out the fluff, the stuff that isn't adding value, just craziness!
Thanks, Robyn, for a thoughtful post. Like you, my early memories of Christmas involve going into New York City to see the tree at Rockefeller Center, and seeing the window displays at Sachs Fifth Avenue. The magic of those memories!
My husband and I relocated to Michigan for his work, and both of our families are split between Connecticut and Virginia respectively. There is nothing more I want than to spend my holidays with my parents, and he with his. This means 35 hours of driving broken up over three days. This means gas purchased, and perhaps a hotel stay so we stay safe. Our gifts to our parents is our presence, not our presents. For us the holidays wouldn't mean the same without family.
Plus it gives me at least 22 hours of knitting time to squeeze out those last handknit gifts for siblings, and brothers-in-law.
yay for knitting time!
i think it's good that you're choosing how you want to spend your "presents money", and that you're choosing a way that gives you what you love best about the holidays: time with family!
It seems to be a theme this year, toning down and simplifying. Rather than pulling out my old decorations (which includes a large Santa collection) I decided to do something different. I purchased a few bouquets of artificial poinsettias and used them to decorate the mantle and the kitchen bar. Simple, uncluttered and beautiful!
sounds so wonderful! and you won't have to store them!
So very true – all of it Robyn! Christmas does not start til 1st Dec in our home! I have made 'My Simple Christmas Pledge' on my blog, and I wish you all the simplest and happiest Christmas ever! Now if I could just transport my family to 'Simple Christmas island with like minded people' it'd be perfect (with snow of course!) – Jo (simplybeingmum – "family life simply done")
"Christmas does not start til 1st Dec in our home!" – this is the hardest part of all of it for me, honestly. i love putting up our simple tree and listening to as much Christmas music as possible, but we wait until after Thanksgiving – despite the fact that many of our family members and neighbors have lights and trees going around November 10th.
Being in the UK probably makes it easier – however it is getting earlier and earlier over here!
A great article. This is my first minimalist christmas and also my first christmas without my parents and sister. However I'm determined that my partner and I will create a wonderful day just between the two of us. New traditions in line with your new values can't be anything but good. I like your tip about skyping to loved ones you can't be with. I'm sure I will be teary at some point not being with my family. Merry Christmas everyone!
starting new traditions is such a fun thing – not that you won't miss your family, but you can look at it as a chance to try out a new way to do the holidays! could be exciting …
downsized my ornament collection by letting daughter take what she wanted for her new home, but still have enough that I only choose some to use on the tree each Christmas: red/white one year, clear glass/lucite another, shiny metals another, etc.
I loved your 3 Steps to Simplify the Holidays. My wife and I have been putting these 3 things into practice for the past number of years. It took some work to get to where we wanted to be in simplifying the holidays as we faced resistaence from family, particularily around gift giving. We had to go in baby steps. Our first steps was to convince the family that we could draw names and just buy one gift for the adults. To sweeten the deal we set a dollar limit and each person provided a list of things they wanted. We have now moved on so we only buy gifts for the children. Everyone seems happy with this arrangement now.
Each year my wife and I decorate less, we are really starting to embrace the minimalist Christmas. We did away with the Christams tree years ago and now just put up a few things that have meaning to us.
Less shopping and thus less gifts means spending less money, less debt and more time to enjoy family and friends. Afterall, I believe that a simplier life, one that requires less money and give you more time is the key to happiness. So it only makes sense to apply this to the holiday season.
baby steps seem to also be the best way to help changes like these stick. had you just suggested not doing presents for the adults, people may have balked – but now you've got a much more manageable holiday season on your hands!
We're doing a handmade Christmas this year, making the gifts we'll give to family and friends, and the only decorating we'll be doing is the tree. But visiting family and friends is one area in which I've found it much harder to cut back – I have more guilt associated with that one, when we don't make the trip to see all of our parents and grandparents. One more suggestion I would make to simplifying the holiday season is cutting back on the cooking – there's no reason a holiday meal has to break the bank, involve 19 sides and three different kinds of meat. Simple can be beautiful (and quite tasty)!
I like the idea of simplifying the holidays but for me I think the decorating and the gift giving/receiving should be based on the "want" to decorate and give gifts. It seems as though society today "needs to gets things done" and the idea of spending the quality time with family to decorate or just be together is lost in the mix. That's what I miss the most about the holiday season — Families getting together to enjoy each others company over a well prepared meal; watching the kids get excited over the prospect of a filled stocking; seeing your loved one's face light up because you were able to think of the right gift for them; and yes, even being surprised because someone actually heard your words and was able to think of the right gift for you. So, I think it's the holiday spirit that needs to change, because simplifying without holiday spirit doesn't cut it either.
I like the pure simplicity of this list and they are three things that we can forget and then kick ourselves for getting caught in the circle again. We absolutely do these on our end. One thing that really helped was just to remember that it my life and I do not have to do anything out of a sense of obligation – it is ok to say "no" and spend this precious time with your family, just chillin' out.
Very nice quick and easy party fare!
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Monday, i expect to see the most Nets fans at a Nets game in a long time. I know im going and im sure a lot of other people are but how many?
1. Do we expect to see a sell out?
2. Does VC get a standing O?
3. Does Dwill get a standing O?
This game will be very interesting. We got our new franchise player, and the Suns already have a great PG and former Net. Any thoughts on what you expect?
On another note, i heard the sections 22 and 21 have great entertainment and a view of the game. Can anyone tell me what the expierence is like in this area?


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Deputies said they seized 107 illegal gaming machines at three stores in Greenville County as part a joint effort.
On Aug. 9, Greenville County deputies along with South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents went to the stores located at 3023 White Horse Rd, 6516 White Horse Rd. and 1386 North Pleasantburg Dr. to serve search warrants.
Authorities went with Chief Magistrate Diane Cagle, who deemed the machines illegal, and seized the machines, which have "slot" style games where players received cash payouts.
Greenville County Sheriff Steve Loftis said deputies have been monitoring the sweepstakes and Internet cafes where the alleged illegal gambling took place.
SLIDESHOW: Illegal gaming machines seized
The machines seized were not the same as video poker machines and the majority of them were computers.
Loftis said people would enter the business, pay for internet time, then play games with cash payouts. The games were slots-type games.
"These types of businesses will not be tolerated in Greenville COunty," said Loftis. "Any business that is a front for criminal enterprise will be investigated and charges will be made."
As of Thursday, no charges have been filed in connection with the seizures.
Loftis asks anyone to report similar activity to the sheriff's office or CrimeStoppers at 864-23-CRIME.
Copyright 2012 FOX Carolina (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
A boy calls 911 from inside a carjacked vehicle with four other kids.


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Product Details Return to the 50s to rule over the school as one of the Pink Ladies. The costume looks like it came right out of one of the most popular musicals of all time. The costume includes the iconic Pink Ladies jacket with the Grease logo on the front and the Pink Ladies logo on the back. The look is completed with a white V-neck shirt and a pair of black capris. This typical 50s teen costume is finished off with a black and white scarf. As a senior you command the school and have everyone below you looking at you with envy. Walking the halls of Rydell high you will never have to put up with teachers who dont understand you, or goody two shoes who have never really lived in their life. Sleepovers are so overrated so sneak out the window and down the drain pipe in order to have a night on the town. You might just get lucky and find some cute guy to take you down to lookout point for a nice long make out session. A pair of shades and a Pink Lady wig will finish off this completely authentic look. Live the life of everyones favorite bad girls.
Year of Release 2008
Product features: Grease Pink Lady, Rydell High & Pink Lady
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Stephanie Gillette - San Bernardino , CA
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Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale 2004 - Stone Brewing Co.
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
Ratings: 138 | Reviews: 121 | Display Reviews Only:
4/5 rDev -5.2%
Pours an amber-brown with a small bubbly head that dissapates quickly.
Strong bitter and floral hops, alcohol, spice and dark fruits all come together in a delicious aroma, with a touch of sweetness.
Full bodied and very smooth. Bitter hops up front blend with caramel sweetness and fruits. The alcohol starts warming you immediately and a brief alcohol flavor flashes. Finishes with a sweet alcohol flavor and leaves a bitter aftertaste.
A fine barley wine, more "English" than others but the bitter hop burps start coming quickly. Very drinkable.
09-11-2004 03:36:02 | More by Southernbrew
4/5 rDev -5.2%
Absolutely gorgeous deep orange color with a nice head that leaves some great lace on the top of the glass.Strong aroma-hops/malt.Nice bitterness-not as big as some US barleywines.Slight sweetness-toasted flavor,a trace of smoke.Alcohol burn in the backround.Definately shows its strength.Pleasant mouthfeel-the alcohol bite is there.Could be a tad fuller for my liking.Overall a great barleywine and another great beer from Stone-these guys are rapidly becoming my favorite brewery-how about a Maryland distributor?
04-15-2004 01:08:07 | More by lackenhauser
4/5 rDev -5.2%
08-27-2012 14:43:27 | More by beerpadawan
4/5 rDev -5.2%
This year's version of Stone's barleywine is more potent at 10%. It pours lighter than last year's though, a nice copper color forming a foamy off white head that vanished leaving lacticed lace on the sides. Very little visible carbonation, even with the nice head. An aroma of hops and malt that gets overpowered by the alcohol present. The taste was of hops and malt, but the alcohol once again seemed to cancel out other factors. A bitter finish to it. Not as good as last years, and seams more like an old ale. Is definately one that could use some cellaring to bring out some better qualities.
02-20-2004 04:29:29 | More by Wildman
4/5 rDev -5.2%
22oz. bomber poured into a pint glass. It pours a light orange color with two fingers of head. A lot ligher in color than the 03. There is just a little bit of lace. The smell has lots of juicy hops. Pine and grapefruit really letting their presence be known. The taste has a slightly sweet malt background, but the hops are the stars of the show. A great floral hop finish. The mouthfeel is nice and strong. The drinkability is good too, for being such a strong brew. I <3 Stone.
10-19-2004 04:58:14 | More by SheepNutz
4/5 rDev -5.2%
New Year, Old Guardian. This one is noticeably lighter in color than previous vintages. It looks more like an IPA than it does an '03 OG. This is Stone, so hops are expected in the smell, but this OG has a fairly strong candy-like smell: a bit like a fruity jawbreaker. The taste also seems considerably sweeter than it did in previous years. It's nicely drinkable for a freshly brewed barleywine, and I'll look forward to re-sampling this one next year.
03-29-2004 06:20:43 | More by mickeymac
4/5 rDev -5.2%
12-29-2013 23:35:22 | More by 2beerdogs
3.98/5 rDev -5.7%
picked this up at bottleworks, they had 03, 04, and 05 so i grabbed one of each, cracked this one first. Pours an unusual shade of burnt orange with some ruby notes. Glows nicely in the light but for some reason I was unable to coax much of a head out of this. Nose has an emphasis on caramel malts combined with some fruit and just a little dash of alcohol. Hits the palate in a big way with sweet caramel maltiness up front followed by some intese oily hops which are somewhat tropical in essence, aftertaste is fairly alcoholic but not in a bad way, cleanses the senses. My first barleywine and I am pretty impressed, Definitely not an everyday type of beer but full of interesting flavors and scents, I can't wait to check out the other vintages.
12-30-2005 02:12:01 | More by masikon
3.98/5 rDev -5.7%
A generous gift from a fellow BA. I cellared it for as long as I could, but had to bust it open today because it has been a crappy weekend and I'm dog-tired of English ales. Anyway...
Appearance: deep amber, slight haze, sudsy layer of yellowy foam that dissipates to a thin dusting of fine bubbles
Aroma: huge bouquet of pine sap, dark brown sugar, bitter almonds, alcohol, chocolate, rich caramelly malts, and sherry
Flavor: starts off with a big, chewy dose of malt that tries desperately to get sweet but it is kept deftly at bay by burly hop bitterness in riot gear; hop flavor is sappy and quite earthy; the bitterness akin to unripe persimmons or peach pits, but it's not overwhelming; also notes of sherry and fresh hop leaves; plumes of alcohol; finishes semi-sweet with an aftertaste of the aforementioned hop flavor/bitterness and dark caramel
Mouthfeel: full body, big hits of alcohol warmth, fine carbonation
Other comments: I've often been disappointed in Stone Brewing; the feeling of the beer not living up to the hype, usually. However, this beer is exceedingly good and a fantastic pick-me-up on this cold English winter day. The guys across the street at the Hyde Tavern can keep their Greene King ales, I'm happy right where I am, drinking this luscious barleywine!
11-27-2005 17:42:37 | More by GreenCard
3.95/5 rDev -6.4%
Beautiful medium copper with a substantial light tan head. Very inviting.
Wow, a myriad of aromas. Lots of hops and generous malt, with a mild sweetness.
Quite young and rough. Good hop bitterness, some malt richness and sweetness, with a slight medicinal character. Needs some time to smooth out.
Rich flavorful, and coating. Not too heavy. Long, lingering bitter finish.
Much different than the 03, with the recipe change. The balance isn't there yet. Good for being young and rough around the edges. Can't wait to see how this one ages. Grab some of this one while it is still available.
02-19-2004 20:16:58 | More by winomark
3.95/5 rDev -6.4%
The body was pale golden to amber colored with some copper tones. The head was about an inch thick and was fed by medium carbonation from beneath. This is my first barley wine, so I could be wrong, but I was anticipating a darker colored and thicker brew. The aroma was floral, perfumey hops with medicinal alcohol. The first sips also revealed an insane level of hops. This comes across as flirting pretty close to being a double/imperial IPA. The underlying malts are really sweet, with notes of toffee, pear, bubble gum, and banana being quite pronounced, along with a fair bit of grain.
Being very young, this brew had a bit of a harsh mouthfeel with flavors flying rapidly past each other and having not quite melded together. The tender age also made the alcohol too much up front with a warm burning sensation detracting from drinkability, and making this quite difficult to quaff. As I finish the 22 oz bomber, this beer is kicking my ass. I like my beers to have a more subtle punch than this. I will be cellaring my second bottle at least for an year, for it to come together better. I can see that the ingredients for an exceptional brew are all in here; they just need some more time.
For those of you stuck in 6% ABV Georgia (for now at least), Liquid Solutions ships here, and that's how I got this one.
03-08-2004 03:09:30 | More by rajendra82
3.93/5 rDev -6.9%
This potent beer pours a deep golden almost orange like color. Head on my sample was thick and left nice lace. Smell of sweet malt, hops, and fruit. Powerful on the taste buds, with hops leading the way. very fruity but balanced my malt base. Thick motor oil like mouthfeel. Drinkability is tough to gauge for me, I liked the taste, in some ways it might be my favorite barleywine, however it's very potent. Excellent though overall, I might prefer the smoother milder Old Nick from Young's. As far as domestics, this is right there.
03-05-2004 20:29:58 | More by Mark
3.93/5 rDev -6.9%
This beer was a medium copper color with an off-white head that dissipated quickly. The color seemed too light. Lacing continued for a while but eventually stopped.
The taste was very good, lots of sweet maltiness and all the hops necessary to balance it out. It should be great after 6 months in the hole. After that I'm not sure things will get better. This definitely doesn't taste like the 2003.
The mouthfeel is excellent, very thick and alcoholic. The carbonition is a little low, but overall it is very pleasant.
I started drinking this by itself, but it really shined when paired with a nice spicy, garlicky plate of Toledo style chili-mac!
03-16-2004 05:00:14 | More by bigbubba
3.93/5 rDev -6.9%
Stone's annual "different recipe" barley wine. I envy Stone, thinking of how much fun they have developing a different barley wine year after year.
I hate to reiterate but this beer is pretty light for the style and much lighter in color than last years version. The head: white and creamy and the lace: intricate in its falling. Quite the handsome beer for sure.
The nose is quite alcoholic but also quite tropical. Dripping juicy hops, caramel, melon and pineapple are all over the nose.
This tastes odd. It is quite tasty but this doesn't taste even close to any other barley wines I have had before. The so called "tropical notes" that I experienced in the nose appear old in the flavor and smashed with a hammer. Strong and very pleasant citrus notes in the mid-palate with mandarin oranges, caramel and lemons. The finish is long, quite alcoholic and very bitter.
02-19-2004 04:40:49 | More by Crosling
3.93/5 rDev -6.9%
Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a nice crisp off-white head. The bottom of the glass is a light golden color, transistioning to a dark orange color near the top. A constant flow of tiny bubbles from the bottom of the glass can be seen, keeping the head from disappearing altogether. The smell is a pleasant estery bouquet. A citrous aroma is present, I'm thinking oranges. Very crisp taste up front tingling the tongue. A good malt taste follows, a full bodied mouthfeel. Here is the citrous the smell hinted at. The malty taste is quickly followed by a pronounced alcohol presence. The alcohol produces a nice warming effect, although it hampers the drinkability. A pretty tasty beer, very good for sipping and enjoying slowly.
01-25-2005 01:59:49 | More by BeerFink
3.9/5 rDev -7.6%
An attractive, slightly hazed medium reddish amber body catches the light nicely so that it seems to glow a little. The head is reserved and fades relatively quickly. Raisins and dried apricots meld with firewood and creosote on the nose. The body is full and a bit cake-like. The bitterness isnt overblown, but balances the sweetness of the beer nicely. Nice barleywine.
10-09-2004 00:58:41 | More by aracauna
3.9/5 rDev -7.6%
Poured from a 22 oz bottle. Pours a rich copper/amber color with a thin and stiff head very similar to the 2002 and 2003 versions. Very tangy and tart with a mellow sweetness. Once the sweetness clears there is a very malty flavor that makes this beer feel thicker than it really is. Very enjoyable but this beer could use some cellaring to make it even better.
08-09-2004 00:32:36 | More by BrewMaster
New York
3.9/5 rDev -7.6%
I'm rating this one on an average. I've had a few bottles of this over time and have gotten quite varying results. It has ranged from sweet and cloying to bitter hoppy nonsense.
But hoppy nonsense is a mark of pride for the Stone people, it seems, and it eventually grows on you.
The last bottle I had reminded me very much of Double Bastard.
The smell is striking, very floral and fruity.
It's usually a little too... something... to make it highly drinkable, but it has always been interesting.
I can't wait to get my hands on other vintages of Old Guardian.
05-07-2005 01:37:53 | More by ommegangpbr
3.9/5 rDev -7.6%
Pours a clear copper color with a frothy tan head. The aroma is of thick chewy crystal malts and hops, though the malt character seems to surprisingly dominate. The beer itself is thick and chewy, with lots of malt character. There is hop flavor in the finish with notes of orange and a grassiness. A bitterness then kicks in at the very end. This beer is surprisingly malty, though with definite hop character, it is quite subdued for Stone. I much prefer the regular Stone lineup to this one.
04-01-2004 16:30:12 | More by Gueuzedude
3.9/5 rDev -7.6%
Cellared for almost 1.5 years. Pours a golden amber to rose-copper with a finger of tight, off-white head. Toffee and butterscotch on the nose, with a resinous, singed hop burn. Madeira notes indicate aging perhaps? A bit astringent overall. Butterscotch malt up front, with aged vinous edges. Toasted notes come through before a wallop of bitterness. Sharp and cleansing, if a bit one-dimensional. I like it though! Piney and warming in the finish, with port-like flashes. Full-bodied with a feel that borders on light syrup. Nice, but I think I prefer this BW fresher. But then again, I prefer most BWs fresher.
07-21-2006 03:03:09 | More by alexgash
3.88/5 rDev -8.1%
22 oz. bottle pours an amber color with a white head that quickly fades to a sheen. Has a strong alcohol smell with breads, caramels, and a whiff of floral hops. The smell of this brew alone is intoxicating.
Full bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. Strong, bittersweet taste of sweet plums and caramels folowed by a bitter hop and warming, raw alcohol finish.
A great west coast Barleywine that should only get better with time.
10-17-2004 18:15:28 | More by beerceller99
3.88/5 rDev -8.1%
22 oz bomber imprinted with the stone brewing gargoyle to scare away any impurity.
Pours a red orange with a nice tan head. A little bit of a hard pour was needed to get the small head. While the head subsided quite quickly, a nice lacing was left behind.
Big malty aromas, lots of hops (as is to be expected from the fellows at Stone), and alcohol solvents dominate the nose.
Sweet malt and hops are up front in this one. Very citrusy for a barley wine in my opinion, but very warming nonetheless.
While I enjoy all of the other Stone products I have tried, I must admit, I am a little disappointed with this brew. When I think of a barley wine, I think of a dark ale, not something that for all intents and purposes could be passed off as a darkish IPA on looks alone. This said, I did enjoy this beer, but I think that the coloring and overwhelming hops detracted from the style it is supposed to represent.
04-27-2004 02:41:38 | More by LuckySevens82
3.85/5 rDev -8.8%
Unfortunately served in a pint glass at Monk Cafe's "Everybody Must Drink Stone" Tasting on 5/22/07.
A - with, for obvious reasons, virtually no head, this barleywine carried a little less depth of color than expeted, but altogether, pleasing to the eye. Slight bubles collected around the rim, but no lacing whatsoever. The body on this is on the hazy side, but I cannot tell if this is from aging, or simplt that the brew is to be.
S - less than to be expected out of an aged barleywine, maybe it was just sensory overload here. It was served at the perfect temperature, so it wasn't overly frigid, locking in aroma. It carried a moderate to heavy hoppy nose, some flowers behind it, following with a spruce resin liner. A step of soap was present as well.
T - moderately sweet brew with a slight acetic hint to it. Here is where you can translate alot of the corresponding aromas into taste. Nothing stood out beyond what I described in the aromas. The alcohol shone through with a warming, non harsh demeanor, just to let you know this isn't for lightweights.
M - a medium to full body accompanied this with an appropriately oily texture and flat carbonation.
D - not for too long...too quickly. A great brew, while not a classic, a worthy addition to anyone's cellar.
This brew makes you sit up, wake up, then, it kick's you in the face, leaving a warm burn behind. But then, you go back for more...
05-24-2007 19:00:50 | More by boelker62
3.83/5 rDev -9.2%
Again, this bottle was brought over by sheepnutz for a side-by-side comparison with the 2003 version. As he said, the color is much lighter than the '03, but still has a good amber color. Has a decent size head that leaves just a tiny bit of lacing. Aroma is alcohol and bread, and caramel, and pine and citrus hops. The flavor is much the same as the aroma: caramel, alcohol and a citrus character. Drinkability is good, but not for the faint of heart. Full body and nice mouthfeel. I enjoyed the 2003 version slightly more. This one possibly needs a little age. I also believe this one was the killer for my sobriety on said tasting night.
10-20-2004 15:24:46 | More by clvand0
3.83/5 rDev -9.2%
A nice golden pale ale color, thin foam, little or no lacing. Aroma of malt and caramel, good hopping. Slightly sweet, but not at all an unpleasant experience. Alcohol is present, but not over the top. As with most Stone offerings, plenty of hop flavor! But neatly balanced with the malt. Dry, prickly aftertaste. Might improve with aging - but goood now!
03-29-2004 03:27:57 | More by palliko
Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale 2004 from Stone Brewing Co.
93 out of 100 based on 138 ratings.