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Small Talk Ice Breakers 15. November 2011 Maranda Gibson Business Communications (0) It's not always easy to walk up to someone new and try to get some new connections. It's one of the things you have to do in business if you want to keep growing. When I'm networking, I will do much better at making a great connection if someone will break the ice for me. (In fact, once you get me started talking I might not stop.) Making connections goes well beyond asking someone "how's the weather". Here are some great ways to break the ice when you're simply trying to make small talk. Are You From Around Here? When attending conferences, this can be a great ice breaker. If you're visiting the city you and your new connection can share experiences at the airport or hotel opinions. This is even better if someone is visiting your city - you can offer them suggestions on places to see and go. Comment On An Article of Clothing. This works better for women, I'd imagine, but it's a great trick to get you and another person speaking to each other. Saying something like "I love your dress (or tie..)" can serve to break the ice. A compliment is nice to share because it makes you appear very nice and everyone loves a compliment. Tech Talk. Did you spot someone using the latest gadget or device that you've been wanting to get your hands on? Ask them about it. Feel free to jump in and ask them how they think it compares to a competitors device or something else that might be coming on the market soon. Boom - instant connection. Small talk is my least favorite part of networking events. Once I can start talking with someone, I feel much better and can start getting to know someone. That breaking the ice part just always feels like the hardest thing. People who are good at small talk are that way because they have been doing it for a long time. What are some of the practices you use in breaking the ice to start making new conversations?
The Handy Dandy Notebook 8. November 2011 Maranda Gibson Business Communications (0) Our intern, Laura, weighs in on how she stays organized in her busy life As a student who has an internship, works 2 part time jobs, plays on a co-ed softball team and lives on her own with her boyfriend and a puppy, I often get questioned- how do you keep up? Sometimes I don't know how I manage, but I couldn't do it without my planner, or as I call it, my "Handy Dandy Notebook." (Yes, I got that from Blue's Clues) While I don't have much of a social life, I do get by somehow without my grades suffering. Here's how I use my Handy Dandy Notebook to keep up with my busy life: Carry it Around- I like for my planner to be small enough to carry in my purse so I can have it with me when I need to remember what's on my to-do list or add something to it. However, it needs to be big enough so that I can see what I wrote clearly. I keep a paper clip on the current week so I can easily open it up and see what's on my agenda for the day. Plan Ahead- At the beginning of every semester, I take the syllabus from each class and write down all of the due dates in my planner. I know sometimes these dates change, but professors will let you know in advance when they do. Give Yourself Time-Every week I look at what assignments are due for the next two weeks and make sure I give myself enough time to complete them without pulling an all-nighter the day before it's due. This is especially important when taking an online class, because it's easy to forget when you aren't reminded when you meet in class every week. Write Everything Down- In the past, I was bad about forgetting to pay some of my bills. I don't even want to think about how much money I could have saved on late charges if I would have just remembered to pay on time. Even if it's something that is due the same day every month, I write it down- and how much it is. I also write down how much my paychecks are and how much I make on the weekends as a waitress (it's always different) – it helps me with budgeting. Once I pay the bill, I cross it out on my planner. Check it Daily- Due dates will creep up on you quickly if you put it in the back of your mind. By checking my planner often, I remind myself of what I need to accomplish in the near future. If I ever feel like procrastinating, I remember one of my pre-Handy Dandy Notebook days where I took a midterm on 2 hours of sleep and then had to work till midnight. That experience was a big motivation to adopting the Handy Dandy Notebook and helps me remember to get things done. As simple as it sounds, this really helps me keep up with my busy life. I like to see everything written out in one place that is easily accessible. What are some things that you do in order to stay organized and in control?
The Power of Words (And How We Destroy Them) 3. November 2011 Maranda Gibson Business Communications (0) There are some words that are never used. In a post earlier, I wrote about the power of language and how our fear of it was hurting our exchange of ideas. Our fear of saying the wrong thing can put up a roadblock to changing the world and the way we see things. Writing that post made me think about the fact that while we hesitate to say things that may be seen as controversial we don't hesitate to let someone else know when we feel like they have crossed the line. We use the "o" word liberally in communication. We ponder the ramifications before we say something and wonder if our statement will inspire someone to use the "o" word in response. What is the "o" word? Easy - offended . When I was a kid, I loved to learn and use new words. When I learned the word hate my good Southern mama told me that I shouldn't use that word as liberally as I did. Hate had a strong connotation. Hating something meant that you wanted to see it disappear forever - so when I would get mad at my brother and tell him that I hated him, it meant I wanted to see him disappear, and I didn't really want to do that. Now, I'm sure that a lot of the other mothers out there have told you all the same thing and maybe you do the same thing with your children. It's a difficult balance to try to teach someone that there are certain words that have a stronger meaning than others. Offended is one of those words to me and I'm concerned about how often I hear it tossed around in common language. Merriam-Webster defines offended very generally as "to cause dislike, anger, or vexation". This is a pretty broad definition, in my opinion, and maybe when we drop the "o" bomb we're not taking it too far, but that word has always meant more to me. I've always felt like this word has too powerful of a tone for every time you disagree with something. I made a list of some times where I believe that offended is not always needed. Disagreement. Some people are not very good at debating or holding their own opinions. That's fine - not everyone can be a great debater. But the word "offended" is often thrown into a conversation simply to end it. Saying "That offends me" when it really doesn't isn't the proper use of the word. Instead, just simply say that you disagree and explain why you feel that way but remember the rules of debate and don't cross any lines. As a warning You know it's true but any time we start a sentence with "I don't want to offend anyone" the entire room immediately goes on edge and we all know you're about to say something really horrible. If you ever have to start a sentence like that - just don't. The words we choose to use have a lot of power - they are designed to have power but when we over use a word it loses the power that it's been given. Just like the word "hate" the word offended is one of these words. Using it every time you feel wronged will only lessen the power of the word and when a truly offensive situation appears, the meaning will be lost. Do you think there are any powerful words in language that are overused? Does it worry you that these words will loose their meaning over time?
The 10 Minute Presentation Rule for Brains 26. October 2011 Maranda Gibson Business Communications, Conference Calls (0) We say a lot of things to ourselves to pump ourselves up for giving a presentation. Don't trip. Don't stutter. Don't fall. Your slides look amazing. This is a great looking suit. Don't be boring. Huh? What does don't be boring even mean? To many of us, it means that we are going to speak in a friendly tone - keeping our voices from getting monotone. It means that we have lively slides and we don't plan to read off them. Don't be boring means that we are going to make an excellent presentation and we are going to make sure that we provide information to our audience that they want and need. It should be as simple as that. John Medina, the author of the book Brain Rules took a moment to remind us that simply reminding ourselves to not be boring isn't all it takes to be a great presenter. In his eBook, he discusses some rules to the brain and Rule #4 stood out to me. Rule #4 (paraphrasing here) states that our brains respond to emotion and in order to keep an audience engaged, we must provide them with something that will reinvest them emotionally into the presentation every ten minutes. Not only is the 10 minute rule important psychologically, it's also important when you're dealing with an audience surrounded by smartphones, iPads, Facebook, Angry Birds, and the wonders of the Internet. You have to be prepared to make sure that you can draw them back when their distractions become too much. When your audience is in front of you it is a little easier to keep these kinds of distractions in check. Most members of an audience will do what they can to give a speaker the respect and attention they deserve - since the person is practically staring them in the face. When you're dealing with a conference call or web conference, it becomes even more difficult. Now you can't see what your audience is doing - and they can be easily distracted while "listening". Here are some of the things that I think work well to reconnect with your audience through emotion in that 10 minute span. Tell a Story This is a best practice used by so many speakers. If you pay attention the next time you're listening to a presentation, you'll find that this is a common occurrence. A lot of speakers tell the story at the beginning and then launch into their information. I suggest you use a story every time you are shifting the focus from one idea to the next. This makes them invest emotionally into your presentation again. This gives them yet another reason why they can relate to the information presented. Raise Your Voice No, I am not advocating that you scream at your participants. What I'm suggesting is that you use emphasis to your advantage and put special notice on the words that might make a difference in the presentation. Instead of saying "I just really don't like..." put the emphasis on the "really" and wake your participants up. A change in pitch can make a world of difference to your participants. It's kind of like clapping your hands in a room full of children. Ask Questions. If you're running short on stories you can draw your audience back in by asking them questions every ten minutes. When you're running on a specific time limit, it's not always feasible to let everyone participate in an open Q&A session. What a question can do for participants is poke their brain with a stick and remind them that oh, hey, I need to be paying attention . Reminding yourself to be entertaining and not boring is a great idea when you set out to make your presentation, but if you fail to operate within the psychology of our attention spans, you might lose your audience after the first ten minutes. How do you pull your audience back into the conversation and get their brains to engage with the subject being discussed?
Tips for Self-Improvement & Evaluation 20. October 2011 Maranda Gibson Business Communications (0) One of the first parts of improving something is determining what you need to improve and what you don't. You have to know where you excel and where you fall short of your own personal expectations. The problem with evaluating yourself is that humans tend to be self-critical. We have a tendency to look at something with the critical eye and see nothing that is worth saving. Remember when you were in school and you would hand in a paper? You worked your tail off on a paper or assignment and when it comes back, you have a shiny red B on the top of the page. You thought to yourself awesome - a B! but once you started to scan the paper you realized that there were far more red marks and notes than you had expected. The back of your brain would start first, telling you how poorly you did on the paper, even though there is a B on the front page. We get lost in criticism and don't see it for what it really is - help. You made a speech and now you're going back to listen to your conference call recording or watch the video tape. You're ready to see what went well and what didn't, but you feel like that was an A+ performance. The problem is once your mind is open to evaluation it can quickly become judgmental and critical. Your A+ feeling can drop to an F- never do it again feeling. Before you give up completely - here are some things you need to remember about self-evaluation. We Don't See The Big Picture You had a B on your paper. That's a pretty amazing grade for something you worked incredibly hard on. When you scan the pages all you can see are the notes and suggestions. They are seen as an immediate negative and take over the space in our mind that was occupied by a feeling of success and happiness. We do the same thing to ourselves now when it comes to making improvements. Being overly critical is a difficult beast to defeat. You'll Never Know Everything You will never be the best . Athletes who get paid millions of dollars report to practice and have to make sure their skills are at the best level they can be. They still drop pop flys in center field and throw wild pitches. They still fumble the ball and get their passes picked off from the opposing team. You will never be in a position where you don't need to improve something so if that's your hold up, you need to let it go. What Did You Like When you get done with a speech and you feel like a million bucks, it has to be a good sign. When we mess up or let ourselves down, we know it as soon as we hang up the phone or step off the stage. When you get done with your presentation and feel awesome - you should be able to find some things that you did very well. When evaluating your speech, stop about halfway through and look down at your notes. How many negatives have you found? How many positives? If there's nothing positive on your page you're probably being a bit of a jerk to yourself. Don't Be Afraid to Ask Someone you trust can give you great insight. When you don't trust yourself to see what's good and what isn't a close friend or a co-worker is probably willing to take an hour or so of their afternoon and give you some thoughts. Bonus Tip In the mood for some raw feedback? Send out a survey to participants when your presentation is over. Ask them to tell you one place you can improve and one place where you did pretty well. (Positive reinforcement is a joy to improvement) The next time you sit down to do some personal improvement be easier on yourself. Think about the grade that is actually on the page, rather than the notes for improvement. Those notes are places where you can become an even better speaker, writer, or employee. How do you evaluate yourself and take something away from it that is going to help you improve and not feel bad about yourself?
Are We Afraid of Language 17. October 2011 Maranda Gibson Business Communications (0) I just have to ask a question. When did we become afraid to speak? I've noticed it lately - we tiptoe around things that are controversial, even if that's not the speakers intent. I feel like a lot of people who have made headlines for something they have said probably didn't mean it the way it sounded. Everyone is guilty of making a mistake in the way they use language and usually it's not that big of a deal. Even the people surrounded by talking heads that are coaching the speaker on what and how to say something make mistakes. I feel like we've gotten to a point where we fear language. We fear discussing ideas or sharing different opinions. We are terrified of offending someone - and because of it, we keep our mouths shut. The Problem When we become afraid to speak out and declare that there is something that could be changed we kill the free exchange of ideas. Yes, there are some subjects and words that over time and historical changes have fallen out of our lexicon. There are some words that, like many of diseases, have been eradicated from our daily life. These words (which I won't list) are the kinds of words that only people who are ignorant or just downright hateful still use in their everyday language. Who's At Fault? Everyone. That's the truth. History is littered with people who have opened their mouths and caused the world to be completely flipped on its head. These are people who have flipped the world in both good and bad directions. Intent with language is just as important as the words that are said. Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and Martin Luther King, Jr. are just a few examples of people who have flipped the world. So are Hitler, Stalin, and Castro. The difference? Intent. The people who speak with hate are doing so because that is exactly what they want to do. For them, it's not about creating healthy debate and exchanging ideas. When it comes to debate, we apply it on an emotional level. This is a part of human nature but when we become afraid of expressing opinions and our thoughts, we stop progress. We stop understanding. We stop the idea that you can walk a mile in someone's shoes . Having a debate is not the same as standing on a street corner with signs and screaming obscenities. Debate is the exchanging of ideas - an understanding of two people who come from different backgrounds, were raised under different circumstances, and have different values. Debate is not about changing someone's mind, proving yourself right , or hurting someone's feelings. You want to have an effective debate? Listen & Learn - Do not discount someone else's opinion simply because you disagree. There's a lot you can learn from another person. (Try to)Keep Your Emotions Out of It - Easier said than done, I know, as heated debates are often based on things that get people pretty fired up, like politics and religion. In friendly company, these are subjects that people are comfortable enough to bring up and discuss. Try to think of things in a logical manner rather than a personal one. Avoid The Okay, Whatever factor. - When someone says something you disagree with there is no need to snort laugh and say okay buddy, whatever . If you do this, you are only proving that you're closed minded and not open to another person's perspective. Debate is a touchy thing but it is where some of the greatest ideas are born. I'm concerned about the state of communication to see that more and more people are growing afraid of language and how it can be used to discuss the things that are happening around them. Don't be afraid to speak and to voice your opinions. The problem with language is that it can be twisted to serve someone's needs. Stop twisting the ideas - stop twisting the language. Listen to someone else and open your mind to the fact that there could be other opinions besides your own out there. Are you afraid of language? Why? Do you feel it stops you from gaining a different perspective because you're afraid to ask a question?
Are Your Emails Clear? 6. October 2011 Maranda Gibson Business Communications (0) Email, texting, and chatting are very popular forms of communication but these written forms of communication do something that we weren't expecting when we embraced them with open arms. They are hurting our ability to deliver clear messages In our company, email is a very popular form of communication - we email customers and each other to get follow ups on accounts or answer inquiries. It's important that everyone in our company knows how to write a great email, but I've noticed lately that some messages are getting lost in translation. When you remove elements from communication like tone and non-verbal signs things become more open to emotional interpretation. Since how someone says something is just as important as what they actually say, email can cause more problems than it means to. To make sure that you're communicating effectively when using email be sure to embrace these suggestions and start applying to your emails immediately. When In Doubt... Have you been emailing with a co-worker or customer a couple of times and there are still questions? Make your last email say something like Is there a good time that I can call you to go over this? Like I said we communicate with our customers through email and many times they need instructions on how to use some of our different features. If a customer has to email us twice to get the answers to their questions, we pick up the phone and give them a call. Simple as that. Get a Second Opinion There may be a chance that your email needs to send a stern message. Most often this occurs when you are the customer and you're trying to make your point clear. Just be sure to have a friend or someone else check the message over before you hit that send button. Being stern is one thing - being a jerk is another. Ask for Confirmation When setting up plans to meet or set up a conference call if you initiate the contact, be sure to ask the other party to confirm the date and time selected. A simple Just let me know if that works for you and I'll look forward to seeing / speaking with you then can cut down a lot of confusion on who is going to start the call or if it's even a good time for all the people involved. Email is not a perfect form of communication and when you're communicating in writing, you lose a lot of the other clues in your communication strategy. Be sure you're writing clear and effective emails to your customers, co-workers, or even your friends. What are your must have rules for writing emails?
Improving Communication Skills {Part One} 26. September 2011 Maranda Gibson Business Communications (0) Part One: Define Exactly What You Want to Improve The umbrella of "communication skills" encompasses quite a bit. It can come down to every aspect of how another person receives a message from you and this can be everything from your nonverbal cues to the tone in which you use to speak to someone. For me a skill is something that can always be improved and should be evaluated periodically. For example, I'm a good writer, but I just started a writing improvement course, because writing is a skill. I need to practice, define some strengths, identify weaknesses, and work to improve them in a practical way that I can incorporate to my daily life. Communication skills are the same. Even the seasoned and experienced public speaker or presenter can find things that they can improve on. A lot of speakers chose to tape their events and much like a coach or player on a sports team, will go back after the game and see where they could use improvement. No one is going to be 100% perfect every single time and professionals know that. So if you're looking to improve your communication skills you have to first be able to define exactly what needs to be improved, otherwise you're simply going to be all over the place. A pitcher will work on getting his fast ball perfected, then his slider, and so forth. He won't try to perfect all of his pitches at once and any skill that needs to be improved needs to be approached in the same way. I recommend recording your recent speeches or presentations and then reviewing them so that you can spot areas of improvement. Some things to be on the lookout for when you're watching your video: Are you reading the text from your PowerPoint slides? This should be avoided because it doesn't encourage the audience to listen to your every word. There's no fear that they might miss something amazing because you're just reading something they could read on their own. Use your slides to enhance your presentation but don't let it steal the show from you. Watch to see if you're standing in one place or dancing around like an extra from The Nutcracker. If you're not moving enough then you're not doing enough to visually stimulate your participant's brain. If you're moving around too much then you make it difficult for the audience members to keep up with you. There needs to be a happy medium between the two. On a conference call or a webinar the power to stimulate your audience visually is almost completely gone. If you're lucky you have your PowerPoint slides to back you up, but it could all come down to the way you sound when you speak. Do you speak too fast and make it difficult for participants to understand you? Are you speaking in a monotone and boring voice that almost always guarantees your audience is going to do something else? When the audience can't see you, you have to use your voice to mimic the same kinds of movements they would be exposed to – and too much or too little of a good thing is never a good idea. What's going on non-verbally? The way your body looks on stage or on a video conference can be a huge factor in how much your audience retains. You want your body to be open to the audience and you want your arms to move in a comfortable fashion. If you are standing in front of the audience with your arms crossed over your chest, you're basically throwing up a wall between you and them and indicating that you don't care if they listen or not. Those are just some of the communication improvements that you might notice you need to address. The next part of this series will talk about identifying your strengths and weaknesses within what you want to change so that you'll know exactly what needs to be fixed. And I'll tell you what I'm going to work on improving. What are you going to work on? {Image Credit to West Point Public Affairs on Flickr}
Communication Relationship: How Social Media Can Affect Our Skills 22. September 2011 Maranda Gibson Business Communications (0) And What We Can Do To Get Back to the Basics. Something horrible happened this weekend. I was downtown with a friend having a great time and when she said something funny, I responded by saying, "L-O-L!" My hand clapped over my mouth in shame. What was this? I'm a communications professional and I write about presenting in front of large audiences and now, here I am, busting out "chat speak" in the middle of my conversations. This is an unacceptable influence that texting and social media are having on my communication skills. I'm almost certain this same influence is bleeding over into my written communication as well. Email correspondence and written letters (yes – I still send things that way) have been effected not only by the dominance of Twitter, SMS messaging, and Facebook in my life, but also in general by my proximity to the computer and smart phone. Things like spelling and punctuation are suddenly less of a concern because something with an artificial brain will now think for me. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln studied a similar phenomenon in regards to the use of calculators in the classroom. A teacher working on their MAT noticed that assessment scores were low for sections on the tests that did not allow the use of calculators and decided to test the theory that technology was taking the students too far from the "basics". In the end, the teacher found that there was an increase in non-calculator related sections of tests. (It should be noted that her findings were small and didn't move her to abdicate removal of calculators from the classroom). Now, I don't care about math because I've never been very good at it, with or without the calculator, but I do care that technology can have detrimental effects on both communication and social skills. And while I support and love the growth of social media – the fact remains that when you find a "new" way of doing things, you forget the "old" ways. (Do you think a five year old would know what to do with a record or an 8-track?) So while you're Tweeting and texting, take a few moments to keep your communication skills fresh. Write something on paper. Step away from the keyboard. Sometimes, I just can't help but go old school and write things out on paper. I feel like it helps me to get a better flow when I'm writing and I can always go back and type it later. Make a phone call. If you are at the point where the same question has been asked twice, it's time to pick up the phone and give your friend a call. There's a pretty good chance that the person on the other end of the conversation is now inferring your responses with emotions and confusion. It's time to let your voice take over the communication – a little bit of inflection goes a long way in clearing up the confusion. Read a book. Personally, I prefer the bound with glue and paper kind to unwind and step away from technology, but if you're going to use an e-reader, make sure it's a dedicated device (we like the Kindle from Amazon). The reason for this is because you don't want anything to disrupt you while you're reading. Using a device like the iPad keeps you exposed to email, Words with Friends updates, and Facebook notifications. Do you think your communication has been affected by technology? Are you trying to get back to having those basic skills of writing and speaking to others without the technology buffer zone? What kind of tips do you have? Image Credit to scubasteveo on Flickr.
Master Your Voice to Captivate Your Audience 21. September 2011 Chilton Tippin Business Communications (0) An often overlooked aspect of a presentation is your voice. I'm not talking about the things you say; this post isn't about filler words or the context of your presentation, but about the actual quality of your voice. A study conducted at UCLA by Dr. Albert Mehrabian found that when visual, vocal and verbal sounds are inconsistent, the actual content of your presentation counts for a mere 7 percent of the entire message. Everyone's paying attention to what you do. In fact, 55 percent of the message, according to Mehrabian, comes from your facial expressions and body language. The remaining 38 percent comes from your voice. Sure, it's less of a factor than your posture, your gestures, and your facial expressions combined. But mastering your voice gives your message a 38 percent better chance of getting through. With that in mind, here are some tips for improving your voice quality. Let yourself be heard…by yourself Have you ever heard yourself on a recording and discovered that your voice sounded different than the way you hear it in your head? That's because it does. Your voice enters your inner ear via vibrations in your chest, throat, and mouth. This is called bone-conditioned sound, because it hits your inner ear after traveling through the tissue of the head. All external sounds travel through the air, where they're dispersed, then enter your ear. This is called air-conditioned sound. The latter sound type typically sounds less rich, higher in pitch. So one of the best ways to get an accurate idea of what you sound like is to leave yourself messages or speak into a recorder. You can try different things out and alter the pitch of your voice to get the best clarity. Animate Your Voice Some people think it's best to sound casual when they speak. But if you sound too casual you may come off as dispassionate, monotone, or downright boring. Instead, focus on animating your voice, delivering key emphasis on important aspects, varying pitch and tone. With some practice your talks will become livelier, your audience more engaged. Physical Vocal Support There are a number of physical things you can do to improve voice quality. You can sit or stand up straight, which ensures your airway is unhindered. Take deep breaths; the more air the better. As you talk you can use your lower diaphragm to push the air back out, helping your voice to sound clear and confident. You should also focus on using the muscles in your tongue and mouth to articulate the words correctly and avoid slurring. Paying attention to the actual quality of your voice is one of the best ways to captivate an audience. Though it may seem tedious, taking the time to learn the above steps is one of the best ways to improve your public speaking. Looking for ways to improve your speaking abilities? Here are four more resources: Our Book on How to Make Meetings Great - Lessons from the Bored Room Our eBook on Webinars - How to Plan, Setup, and Execute a Successful Webinar Non-Verbal Communication Resource The Everything Guide to Public Speaking


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Police in Bexley, Bromley and Lewisham are to start wearing cameras on their uniforms as part of a new trial scheme.
Five hundred of the devices will be distributed to officers in seven other London boroughs as part of plans to both raise conviction rates and monitor officers' conduct.
The pilot scheme will be implemented over the next few weeks in response to criticism of the Met over the shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham which sparked the London riots in August 2011.
The cameras will capture evidence at crime scenes and firearm officers will also use them in training.
Met commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "Our experience of using cameras already shows that people are more likely to plead guilty when they know we have captured the incident.
"That speeds up justice, puts offenders behind bars more quickly and protects potential victims.
"Video captures events in a way that can't be represented on paper in the same detail and it has been shown the mere presence of this type of video can often defuse potentially violent situations without the need for force to be used.
"I believe it will also show our officers at their best, dealing with difficult and dangerous situations every day but it will also provide clearer evidence when it's been alleged that we got things wrong.
"That has to be in both our own and the public's interest."
The video above shows police dealing with a GBH incident. A person involved in a stabbing admits to the offence. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Have you been in a situation with police where you think cameras would have helped? Call us on 01689 885702 or e-mail email@example.com
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- Crowd trouble at Rotherham v Millwall game
- Fawkham nudists battle to save caravans at naturist club
- VIDEO: Has a ghost been caught on film at Orpington Priory?


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Advanced Search | Shop by Brand
The Karcher Window Vac will get your windows squeaky clean with no streaks and in no time at all! It doesn't just clean windows either as it is ideal for removing condensation from windows - just switch on and suck the condensation away! It is also ideal for cleaning mirrors, shower screens, tiles and even spills on floors and worktops.
Karcher's Window Vac is a lightweight handheld lithium ion powered rechargeable unit small enough to be stored in the kitchen or bathroom, charges in just 2 hours and can clean up-to 20 windows per charge.
A range of accessories are also available including replacement microfibre pads, concentrated glass cleaner, waist hip storage bag, replacement squeegee blades and more.
Also available is the brand new Karcher Window Vac Extention Pole which allows you to extend the use of your Window Vac to 2 Metres!
Why not take a look at the video's and models below and see how the Karcher Window Vac can make your cleaning easier!
Karcher Window Vac Video
Karcher Window Vac Application Video
Karcher Window Vac vs Window Cleaner Video
Karcher WV 50 Cordless Window Vac
Karcher WV 60 Cordless Window Vac with Spray Bottle, Pad & Small Nozzle
Karcher RM 500 Concentrated Glass Cleaner 500ml for Karcher Window Vacs more details... Quick Link : QL192479
Karcher Concentrated Glass Cleaner 20ml Pack of 4 for Karcher Window Vacs more details... Quick Link : QL192480
Karcher Extension Pole with Vacuum Nozzle Extends to 2 Metres for Karcher WV 50, 60 & 70... more details... Quick Link : QL199838
Karcher Small Vacuum Nozzle 170mm for Karcher WV 50, 60 & 70 Window Vacs more details... Quick Link : QL192477
Karcher Replacement Charger for Karcher Window Vacs more details... Quick Link : QL194670
Karcher Replacement Squeegee Blades 280mm for Karcher Window Vac Pack of 2 more details... Quick Link : QL193660
Karcher Replacement Microfibre Pads Pack of 2 for Karcher Window Vacs more details... Quick Link : QL192476
Karcher Spray Bottle & Microfibre Pad Kit for Karcher Window Vacs more details... Quick Link : QL193636
Karcher Waist Hip Bag & Belt for Karcher Window Vacs more details... Quick Link : QL192478
Karcher Replacement Squeegee Blades 170mm for Karcher Window Vacs Pack of 2 more details... Quick Link : QL193661
A skilki reviewed the Karcher WV 50 Cordless Window Vac on 29/08/2012
This is a fantastic product! Windows, showers, worktops car windows, floors all come up really gleaming. One criticism is that the little rubber plug is a bit awkward to undo to empty resevoir but mine has had heavy duty work whilst renovating my house, even drying off marble floors and bathroom tiles. You can't believe how dirty the drained off water is when you empty it. Windows do not need cloth drying off. The resevoir needs emptying as indicated on the container and will spill out if used upside down. Charge lasts quite a long time. I bought another size top fitting which was handy as i've small georgian windows as well as wide patio and french windows. Its not heavy to use and sits well in the hand. I thoroughly recommend this product. Read all reviews...
Steven young reviewed the Karcher WV50 KIT PLUS Window Vacuum Cleaner with Small Blade, 500ml Cleaner & Holster on 07/07/2012
I was a bit sceptical at first of this product, but i was recomended it by a work friend who said it was great. When i ordered it from tooled up it came within 2 working days, which is excelent service. Using the window vac could not be simpler, just spray the solution on the windows and rub over with the pad then switch the window vac on and run in down the window and hey presto streak free and sparkling windows. This product really does save time, effort and a lot of elbow grease. A fantastic product that i would highly recomend to anyone. I love it (mite even let the girlfriend use it) Read all reviews...
Lin yates reviewed the Karcher Window Vacuum Cleaner with Spray Bottle & Pad on 02/08/2012
This is a fantastic window cleaner. Very easy and quick to use. It leaves no smears. I have also used it on mirrors with the same results. I loved this product so much i bought one for each of my 2 daughters. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who hates cleaning windows, as i did. It is now a pleasure rather than a chore. Read all reviews...


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Secure Investments
Councils can place funds with the Authority on the following terms:
- At Call Deposits (24 hour)
- Short Term Deposits (30-180 days)
- Long Term Deposits (1-5 years)
Funds on deposit will earn a competitive interest rate return and will participate in the LGFA's annual bonus payment to Councils. These bonus payments are based on the average deposit and loan business each individual client conducts with the LGFA.
Deposits are safe and secure as under the Local Government Finance Authority Act 1983 all deposit funds are guaranteed by the Treasurer of South Australia.
The LGFA's investment products are also convenient. Councils can advise the Authority of their lodgement and withdrawal instructions via email, phone or fax. Once appropriate authorisations are in place, the LGFA is able to debit or credit Councils' bank accounts by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) as required.
Fee Free Borrowings
The LGFA provides access to borrowings with a minimum of fuss.
Councils obtain loan funds secured by a debenture charge over their general revenue.
Some important benefits to receive are:
- competitive interest rates
- no fees for applications, documentation, cash advances or unused limits
- a potential for borrowers to receive an annual bonus payment
- and terms up to 20 years
An expansive range of borrowing options is available: eg
Credit foncier style loans
These fixed rate interest loans are repaid with equal instalments of principal and interest for the term of the loan.
Interest only borrowings
Provide for instalments of interest and repayment of principal at the completion of the loan term.
Specially Structured Loans
Tailored to meet the individual borrower's needs.
Cash advance suite of products
These facilities make loan funds accessible either on a 24-hour floating rate basis or variable rate for terms of 30 to 180 days OR may be a fixed rate for periods of one to five years within a single long term funding facility.


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Location: |
Sydney, Australia |
Forum Post Count: |
5507 |
Join Date: |
5/14/04 |
Last Online: |
6 hours, 5 minutes ago |
Headphone Inventory |
HAVE: AKG K20 AKG K145 AKG K240 Sextett EP AKG K340 (4x various bass-versions) AKG K401 (recabled) AKG K601 (recabled) AKG K1000 (recabled) Beyerdynamic (1980's) DT-880 600Ω (recabled) Beyerdynamic (1980's) DT-990 600Ω Grado RS-1 Sennheiser HD 25-1 II Sennheiser HD-600 Sennheiser HD-650 Sennheiser HD-800 Audio Technica ATH-CK10 Audio Technica ATH-CK100PRO HAD: AKG K240 Sextett MP (recabled) AKG K340 (1x bass-heavy, 2x bass-light) AKG K601 (recabled) Alessandro MS-2 Grado SR-60 (recabled) Grado SR-80 Sennheiser HD-570 Sennheiser HD-580 Sennheiser PX-100 Etymotic ER-6i |
Headphone Amp Inventory |
HAVE: Graham Slee Solo Ultra-Linear (PSU1) JDS Labs C5/C5D Creek OBH-21 (regulated PSU) Meier Audio Corda Move Microshar uAMP107 Black HAD: Headamp Gilmore Lite LE #9 Meier Audio Corda Headfive #500 |
Source Inventory |
Electrocompaniet ECD-1 DAC JDS Labs C5/C5D M-Audio SuperDAC 2496 (w/ upgraded 9V PSU) |
Cable Inventory |
HAVE: Sennheiser HD6xx Balanced Cardas (Smurf blue) Sennheiser HD6xx Headphile Blacksilver V2 Sennheiser HD6xx Oehlbach Moon Audio Blue Dragon Mains cable (Australian plug) *Many DIY cables for different purposes* HAD: Sennheiser HD6xx Moon Audio Silver Dragon |
Power-Related Components |
Belkin PureAV Powerstrip |
Other Audio Equipment |
HAVE SPEAKERS: Epos M5 Quad 12L HAD SPEAKERS: Wharfedale Diamond 7.1 HAVE: Headphile Sennheiser woodies (Full-screen Zebrawood) |
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The only Beachouse scuba dive Hostel. Side by side comparison, our guests and ratings show the highest quality in... 추가 정보 »
One of the best small Cozumel Hotels very well located right in downtown Cozumel , at 4 blocks from the waterfront !... 추가 정보 »
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Take any PADI scuba diving course with Dive School Cozumel and the full cost of your accommodation is subtracted from... 추가 정보 »
Due to our location, Hotel Plaza Cozumel offers an excellent panoramic view of the Island and Cozumel's Sea Channel.... 추가 정보 »
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This little and cozy hotel was inspired on the authentic colonial architecture and it surrounds a lush garden plenty... 추가 정보 »
Villa Ana Maria is a very unique site , it is the house of an architect,that is developing an eco vision towards the... 추가 정보 »


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Strega Nona: Beloved Children's Book Comes to the Stage at Carpenter Performing Arts Center
* Additional fees apply. No coupon or promo codes necessary to enjoy the displayed discount price.
The last date listed for Strega Nona was Sunday December 5, 2010 / 2:00pm.
Currently at Carpenter Performing Arts Center, CSULB
David Sanborn: Grammy-Winning Saxophone Superstar
- Full Price:
- $55.00
- Our Price:
- $27.50
One of the best known saxophonists in the world, David Sanborn blends jazz, pop, rock and R&B into a smooth-as-silk sound that no other sax player has quite managed to copy. The career of this multiple Grammy winner was launched in 1975 by his (aptly-titled) debut album, Taking Off, and it hasn't come down since, spanning more than two dozen other albums. Established as both a soloist and a collaborator with the likes of Bowie, the Stones and Clapton, Sanborn now brings his "sweet-tart alto sound" (The New York Times) to Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beachfor an impassioned performance.
Venue Details
Reviews & Ratings
Featured review from Rolling BStones
view more less of this reviewThis song-and-dance production was a creative and entertaining adaptation of the children's book. There are several plot and character elaborations added to the simple story line. Our kids (<5 years old) loved it. It also maintained the interests of the adults in our party.
star this review starred report as inappropriateIt was geared more for children. I'm 21 and went with my 26 year old brother. The song and dance put us in a trance so we kind of dozed off a little but being one of the stories we heard as a child, we enjoyed it.
Quotes & Highlights
See a video preview of Strega Nona on YouTube.
Based on the award-winning and much-loved children's book by Tomie dePaola, Strega Nona comes to the stage in the musical tale of a kindly witch who cures the ills of her tiny Italian village. When she hires Big Anthony to help out with chores, Strega Nona warns him not to mess with her magical pasta pot, but he touches it anyway. When Anthony is to his ears in pasta (literally), can Strega Nona save the day?


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Los Angeles Showroom
415 N. Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
If we touch it we try to find the most environmentally friendly way of processing it.
All of our packaging is recycled. When we pick up a used mattress from a customer's home we gift it to a company that picks it up and recycles it. None of the mattresses that we pick up end up in a landfill.
All of our mattresses are manufactured in the USA. Many of them like Sealy, Simmons, Stearns & Foster, Aireloom, Civilized Sleep, Society Of Sleep, Ivy Organics, Organic Mattress Inc. and Anatomic Global are produced in California. Aireloom, Civilized Sleep, Ivy Organics and Society Of Sleep are locally owned and operated, keeping the jobs here.
Our furniture arrives from all over the world. We request each company's environmental policy before allowing them to be featured. We also have several local manufactures on display and we're always on the lookout for local companies that can provide us with well built furniture at affordable prices.
We're not perfect, but we do continue to evolve and introduce changes that will help make our business greener.
Check out these fun ideas for the whole family.
Choose the best size mattress for your space.


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Shipping Information
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Polish off your look for less with our outlet accessories. With up to 50% off, these chic bags, shape-defining belts and soft scarves are the ideal accompaniment to your maternity style and are great little treats for a loved one or yourself.
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Tuesday, October 28 2014
Pride and Mourning: "Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #2"
How does a woefully ill-equipped teenage girl cope with the loss of a loved one?
Wednesday, July 23 2014
The Victor Belongs to the Spoils: 75 Summers of the Batman
Just a single thought about what Batman has come to mean over the last 75 years.
Wednesday, June 11 2014
Eve Babitz, with Los Angeles at Her Feet
As the cynosure of the counterculture, Eve Babitz knew everybody worth knowing; slept with everybody worth sleeping with and better still, made herself felt in every encounter.
Tuesday, May 13 2014
'Shelter Island' Makes Harald Olsen's Art a Living, Breathing, Organic Experience
Shelter Island is the sort of film that can take audiences who know nothing about art or care nothing for it and make them feel something.
Monday, October 7 2013
'Beyond Good & Evil', Beyond Art & Not-Art
Culture, civility, and empathy. When crafted with the elegance and care of Beyond Good & Evil, videogames exceed every arbitrary 'requirement' for Art demanded by those who would deny them worth.
Wednesday, August 28 2013
Here's a Thrilling Look at Comics from a New Perspective, and It's Better Than Most Superhero Films
What happens when our sense of security is diminished and the lines between good and evil are no longer identifiable? What happens when heroes take on characteristics of villains, and perceived villains garner our sympathy?
Wednesday, August 7 2013
In Defense Of ... Sarah Polley Being One of the Best Directors in Modern Cinema
From Away From Her to Stories We Tell, the child actress-turned-director is a mastermind at both presenting and analyzing the fine details of a life. To realize she's still so young is both exhilarating and unnerving.
Tuesday, July 23 2013
David Lynch: The Big Dream
The Big Dream, is an exciting, unnerving, and at times, unsettling experience for the listener, which should satisfy any fan of David Lynch's films, or innovative blues music more generally