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Treat yourself to the AAR bookbag!
February 15, 2005 - Issue #196
From the Desk of Laurie Likes Books:
Every as-close-to-Valentine's-Day-as-we-can-get-it, we run our Isn't it Romantic? Contest (our eighth annual this year), and every year for the past four years, Blythe Barnhill, AAR's managing editor, surveys the rest of us at AAR for our choices of Best Romance of the Year just past.
We realize we spend quite a bit of time going into each new year talking about the best of last year's reading, but we like to give the best their due, for without favorites, why would anyone want to read? Which is one reason we present Robin's annual look at buried treasures - the other is to kick off the annual reader poll to give all of you perhaps some last minute choices before voting. We keep the poll open for a full month, waiting until its close before sharing our own nods for "best romance" so as not to influence anyone in the voting process. Indeed, the poll closed at midnight last night, and after all the last-minute votes have been tallied, I'll be contacting the big winners and preparing the results column, which will go online on March 1st.
Each year Blythe's column is different, reflecting the changes in our staff, our reading, and which authors have caught our imaginations. Some years we see a clear winner while in others there are nearly as many choices as there are AAR staff. For 2001, for instance, seven of us named Suzanne Brockmann's Over the Edge as "best" - the very next year, for 2002, 28 of us had spread our vote for "best" among 23 titles (two books received three votes apiece: Suzanne Brockmann's Out of Control and Connie Brockway's Bridal Favors). Last year, in choosing our "best" of 2003 releases, twice as many of us couldn't pin down a "best" as the title to actually receive the most votes, Nonnie St. George's The Ideal Bride. But it was also the first and only time my personal choice "won" among our staff, although way back in 1999 (before Blythe started to do this annual column), my pick actually won as 1999's Best Romance in our annual reader poll - it was Nora Roberts' Sea Swept, btw.
Without further ado, let me turn things over to Blythe. After her presentation I'll wrap things up by revealing the winner in our Isn't it Romantic? Contest.
Reviewer's Choice (Blythe Barnhill)
I look forward to writing this column every single year. One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is that it's an opportunity for reviewers to gush with impunity. It's easy for us to get caught up in analyzing a book and discussing its pros and cons, but when we talk about our favorite books, we get to rave like the fans of romance reading we are. It's also fun to see what we all think of as the best of the best. In the past, it's been hard for some reviewers to pin down a choice, which is one reason that some of us talk about our second (and third, and fourth) favorites. But this time, nearly everyone had a clear favorite right off the bat. We also achieved something that has eluded us in recent years - a definite winner and a strong runner up.
Even with one clear winner this year, there was plenty of room for diversity. Our reading tastes vary, and some of us go through phases where certain sub-genres are more appealing than others. In previous years Rachel Potter's choices were two connected historical fiction novels - Paullina Simons' The Bronze Horseman and Tatiana and Alexander - and the time travel romance George and the Virgin, by Lisa Cach.
Right now, though, and for quite a while, she's mostly focused her reading on Young Adult Fiction, so it's not really surprising that her choice for 2004 is a YA book, Sarah Dessen's The Truth about Forever. As a matter of fact, Rachel admits that nearly all her 2004 DIKs were for YA books, and added a plug for an ineligible favorite: "I wish, wish, wish I could name Sloppy Firsts/Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty, but I'm at least a year too late." (LLB, btw, strongly recommends the McCafferty titles as well, and thanks Rachel for writing a combo-DIK on the two books, which inspired her to re-read the first and read the second at the end of 2004. Both were among her favorite reads of 2004.)
Leigh Thomas has always read mostly Series Romances; indeed, anyone visiting AAR in the past couple of years has certainly noticed we now review quite a few series titles. Though making a final choice was difficult, Leigh ended up choosing a series title (for the third year in a row) from Silhouette's new Bombshell line, Evelyn Vaughn's A.K.A. Goddess. Given the lackluster quality of the line's first couple of releases, Vaughn's book, the seventh Bombshell, sends a hopeful sign. FYI, the Bombshell line is Harlequin's first non-romance series line and instead is more of a woman-centered action/adventure line featuring "kick-ass" heroines. (Leigh's previous choices are Some Men's Dreams by Kathleen Korbel and Harper Allen's The Night in Question.)
"I didn't love any romance I read in 2004 the way I did my favorites in previous years, but Evelyn Vaughn's A.K.A. Goddess came the closest. It's not technically a romance novel, but it is a very romantic story that, combined with its sequel, Her Kind of Trouble, told one of the most compelling love stories I read all year. The author introduces a fascinating mythology while delivering an action-packed plot, plenty of humor, and poignant emotion. The heroine is phenomenal, the settings are exotic, the storytelling is layered and complex. This is a series I hope continues for a long time, and it gets off to a great start here. Other standouts I'd like to mention:
"Catherine Mulvany's Run No More – A flawed book, with so many things I wish had been done differently or better, yet it says how strong the story was that I loved it all the same. Both emotional and thrilling, it was such a wonderfully creative and unpredictable read that, even with its flaws, it excited me in a way few romances do anymore.
"Lisa Cach's Dream of Me – A terrific, very original story. I loved the morally ambiguous hero, the fascinating world the author creates, and both the nicely romantic ending and the final, creepy grace note the story ends on. If it wasn't for some of the wacky humor that felt out of place and didn't always work for me, it might have been my favorite book of the year."
So far we've seen a YA novel and a series title each receive one vote as Best Romance of 2004. Another genre/sub-genre represented just once on this list of reviewer favorites is the traditional Regency Romance. Though several of us read them, only Jane Jorgenson chose one as her "best" of the year, although it is an "also-ran" for LLB.
Jane's earlier choices? Almost a Gentleman by Pam Rosenthal, Tracy Grant's Daughter of the Game , and Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.
Interestingly enough, the author of Jane's choice for 2004 was also last year's "winner" - Nonnie St. George. The book? Courting Trouble.
Those of us who love traditional Regencies will sorely miss this author's writing; after just two trads she is moving on to contemporary romantic comedy. We hope she'll continue to tickle our funny bones.
Three of us chose Alternate Reality Romances as favorites. Long-time reviewer Liz Zink, whose choices in previous years include Kinley MacGregor's Born in Sin, Nora Roberts' Face the Fire, and Dance Upon the Air, also by Roberts, found that although she's been loving historicals forever, she found little to like in that vast set of sub-genres this year. Fortunately, she was able to fill the gap with paranormals. Her stand out book was Robin Owens' Heart Duel.
Liz found 2004 to be an "excellent year for paranormal romances," something she finds unusual in that she can generally count on reading "one or two really good ones." The rest she has previously found wanting. Her second choice for the year was another AR read - Anne Kelleher's Silver's Edge (from Harlequin's new Luna imprint for Fantasy Fiction).
Liz was quite surprised that historicals proved to be generally disappointing in 2004, something that has not happened before. She did, though find one terrific historical even though she considers that she "bombed in the historical department this year," and that was Brockway's My Seduction.
One of our newest reviewers, Diana Ketterer, also chose an Alternate Reality read as her favorite – MaryJanice Davidson's Undead and Unwed. She had this to say about her choice:
"It wasn't the best book I read all year, but it was the one that I emailed all my friends about, saying they just had to read it. It was also the first vampire romantic fiction I really liked, so in some sense it opened a new sub-genre to me as well (gotta give it props for that!). It was funny, often hilariously, sexy, and very inventive. Embodies all the things I really like about Chick Lit."
"It wasn't the best book I read all year, but it was the one that I emailed all my friends about, saying they just had to read it. It was also the first vampire romantic fiction I really liked, so in some sense it opened a new sub-genre to me as well (gotta give it props for that!). It was funny, often hilariously, sexy, and very inventive. Embodies all the things I really like about Chick Lit."
TaKiesha was our third reviewer to pick an Alternate Reality title as "best" of 2004. In fact, this is the second year in a row her best loved romance has been from the AR sub-genre (last year it was Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dance with the Devil). She read several great books this year, but gave top honors to Susan Sizemore's I Thirst for You, which she thought was a great example of the current vampire trend.
TaKiesha is just one of our reviewers who reads widely across sub-genres, and her other standouts illustrate that point. Although Brenda Jackson's the Playa's Handbook "was not a traditional romance," she "loved the way [Jackson] told the story."
Another of her favorites was Adrianne Byrd's romantic suspense If You Dare. TaKiesha thinks Byrd "keeps getting better and better." Her last mention was Suzanne Enoch England's Perfect Hero. In typical "bookie" fashion, as a result of enjoying Enoch's book so much, she went on an Enoch glom and "ended up reading her whole backlist."
While three of us chose Alternate Reality reads, another four of us - Lynn Spencer, Sandi Morris, Lori Sowell, and LLB - thought the best romances of the year were Contemporaries...but each chose a different one.
Last year Lynn's top choice was St. George's The Ideal Bride. This year it is the contemporary romantic suspense novel, Echoes, by Erin Grady, which she decided to read as a result of Sandy Coleman 's DIK review. She had this to say about her choice: "It has been a very long time since I got completely engrossed in a romantic suspense novel like that. Both the modern and the historical storylines drew me in and I did not want this to end." Lynn also had some honorable mentions:
"The Linnet by Elizabeth English - This is a beautiful and touching Medieval. English has a beautiful style and I think it's just criminal that she now seems to be without a contract.
"The Knave and the Maiden by Blythe Gifford - Gifford does a great job of evoking the medieval mindset in this novel. She is certainly my debut author of the year, and I hope to see her in print again.
"Separation Anxiety by Karen Brichoux - Brichoux set up her story very well, and her characters stuck in my mind long after I finished reading."
Technical Editor Sandi Morris is one of the fastest readers of our group, so she always has a large pool of books to choose from (last year she read around 400 books). Though she expressed a wish to vote for favorites by category (as in our AAR reader poll), she singled out Linda Howard's Kiss Me While I Sleep as her favorite of the year. Sandi's favorites over the years include Sharon Sala's The Way to Yesterday and The Phoenix Code by Catherine Asaro, and, interestingly enough, another Linda Howard title - Cry No More - earned her nod for best romance last year.
Lori Sowell, another of our new reviewers, chose Miss Fortune by Julia London. At times she's felt like the lone voice in the wilderness; no one seemed to love the book as much as she did. For her it was by far the most memorable book of the year.
LLB's "best" choice was obviously Lucy Monroe's The Real Deal; she's almost as sick of talking about it as everyone else is in hearing about it, although "clearly, that's no reason not to list it along with everyone else's favorites." Like many on our staff, her selections over the years are spread among more than one sub-genre - both St. George and Anne Gracie earned her top spot for traditional Regencies (The Ideal Bride and Tallie's Knight, respectively). But The Real Deal isn't her only Contemporary to land on top. Nora Roberts did it with Chesapeake Blue for 2002.
LLB says she's far more excited about the 2005 reading year than she was for most of 2004, though, and has already awarded her first DIK of a 2005 romance - Linda Howard's To Die For - and that was before the end of January, as was MJD's Derik's Bane, which she thought was "lots of sexy fun." And even though LLB listed her favorite reads of 2004 in an earlier column, many were not romances - or current romances, she also wanted to share "the best of the rest" of 2004 romances:
Four of us chose Historical Romances this year. While Ellen Micheletti's choice stands alone, Teresa Galloway, Cheryl Sneed, and I all chose the same Regency-set historical.
Reviewer/Editor Ellen, whose previous stand-outs include St. George's The Ideal Bride, Stef Ann Holm's Girls Night Out, and Carla Kelly's One Good Turn, picked The Runaway Duke by debut author Julie Ann Long this time around: "It takes real talent to make a light Regency historical seem fresh and new. I can't remember when I've been so charmed by a book. Runner ups are Under a Lucky Star by Diane Farr because of its delightful characters and sweet story, and The Real Deal by Lucy Monroe because I love a good brainy hero."
But it was Mary Balogh's Slightly Dangerous that Teresa, Cheryl, and I voted as the best book of the year, which puts it in second place among our staff. Teresa added a child to her family this year, and consequently had less time for reading. Though she felt like her choices were pretty limited, Balogh's book was head and shoulders above the competition. (Previous choices for her are Gone too Far and Over the Edge by Brockmann, and Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon.)
On the other hand, Cheryl, who is one of our very newest reviewers, is a voracious reader who had a good reading year in general. Slightly Dangerous tops her list of favorites:
I've had a pretty good reading year with ten books I graded A - all of them earned A's or B's from AAR reviewers, so I'm feeling pretty well in sync. But if I have to pick just one book as a favorite it would be Balogh's Slightly Dangerous. It was a great finish to a series that had far more hits than misses. Here are my other hits:
I've had a pretty good reading year with ten books I graded A - all of them earned A's or B's from AAR reviewers, so I'm feeling pretty well in sync. But if I have to pick just one book as a favorite it would be Balogh's Slightly Dangerous. It was a great finish to a series that had far more hits than misses. Here are my other hits:
As for me, I agree that this was a good year for historicals, something I couldn't have said in years past. Slightly Dangerous led the pack for me because I loved Wulf's character. I found myself re-reading scenes after I finished the book, and I was reluctant to pick up anything else (a rarity for me). I also enjoyed Julia Quinn's When he was Wicked, Farr's Under a Lucky Star, Chase's Miss Wonderful, and Julia Ross's delicious The Wicked Lover. My choices in earlier years, btw, include Julia Justiss' Wicked Wager, Kelly's The Wedding Journey, and Brockmann's Over the Edge.
And the winner, receiving the top nod from ATBF co-columnist Robin Uncapher, reviewer/editors Jennifer Keirans and Sandy Coleman, and pollster Shelley Dodge, is Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me.
Robin, whose previous votes have gone to Dorien Kelly's Do-Over, Balogh's A Summer to Remember, and Simons' The Bronze Horseman, is among several staff members who had a hard time choosing, but the fact that she recommended Bet Me to friends who didn't even read romance was a deciding factor, as was its staying power. While other DIK's fade begin to fade from memory by the end of the year, Crusie's hero and heroine remain vivid in her mind. For Robin, this book "really stood out from the crowd...it was a book I admired as well as liked...as I read it I could not help thinking, again and again, 'I wish I'd said that'."
Two other 2004 romances came close to Bet Me for Robin, including St. George's Courting Trouble, which features dialogue that, in her view, is "written in the same snappy style" as Crusie's book. Her other "next best" was Balogh's Slightly Dangerous, about whose hero she says was "so humorless and dry that you just could not forget him."
AAR's Jennifer, who earlier choices were Holly Cook's The Sea Wife, Cheryl Reavis' The Older Woman, and Brockmann's Over the Edge, loved Crusie's winning romance because: "it was very fresh and seemed very real - this was
not romance-novel-land, but seemed like a real relationship between two real
people." Jennifer believes that Crusie "writes better witty repartee than just
about anybody in the business," adding that she "liked listening to the protagonists fight
so much, I was almost disappointed when they were getting along."
Sandy found excellent reading in 2004 and believes that Crusie had some very tough competition. Her top reads for the year included seven Historical Romances and three Contemporary Romances and/or Romantic Suspense novels. She loved Ashworth's Duke of Sin and Balogh's Slightly Dangerous, finding both "lush and adult stories that prove that there's a lot of life out there on the historical front." And she should know, having chosen historicals such as Grant's Beneath a Silent Moon, Brockway's Bridal Favors, and Diana Gabaldon's The Fiery Cross in the past.
Two books each by two authors also make Sandy's list - Guhrke's Guilty Pleasures and His Every Kiss, and Brockway's My Pleasure and My Seduction, particularly the latter, which "reminded [Sandy] quite forcefully why I think Ms. Brockway creates some of the most wonderful heroes in romance." Guhrke was a new author for Sandy and a "wonderful find." Finishing her list of historicals is Quinn's When He Was Wicked. Sandy says Quinn "deserves a lot of praise for switching gears a bit and delivering [this] excellent and decidedly more somber romance than the kind of books for which she's become justifiably famous. She's a talented author whom I've always thought makes it look so easy that she never quite gets the credit I think she deserves."
As for her final choices, three books "blew me away this year" - Northern Lights by Roberts, Echoes by Grady, and Crusie's Bet Me. She thinks Northern Lights was Roberts' "best book in years" and "a book I would unhesitatingly recommend to almost anyone - including men." Sandy lucked out with Echoes, which she chose off a list of books to be reviewed nearly by happenstance. Grady, whose one and only previously book was published more than a decade ago, "deftly juggled two equally riveting stories, one set in the the late 19th century American West and another in the present. I'm starting to feel a bit like a pusher of this book since I keep encouraging everyone to read it, but everyone, please read it!"
Even with so many stellar reads, Sandy's top choice was Bet Me:
Overall, I found it encouraging that so many of us had great reading years; it's a real contrast to last year's column, when several staff members couldn't even name a favorite. And as often happens, there are several authors who didn't get anyone's top nod, but still appeared on several lists, as well as "winners" who were runners up for other reviewers. How well did our favorites match with yours? And if you've read this column before, are there certain reviewers whose favorites often match your own?
You can answer some of these questions on the ATBF Message Board, but for others you'll have to stay tuned for the next ATBF column, where results in our ninth annual reader poll will be revealed.
Isn't It Romantic? Contest (LLB)
Our annual Isn't It Romantic? Contest brought in perhaps the most entries ever received in the eight year history of the contest. Some years picking a winner is relatively easy. Other years I agonize about choosing a winner, and one year the choice was so hard to make that I encouraged the runner-up to submit her entry the next year.
That's how I feel about this year's slate of entries. I waited until Friday, after all had been received, to read any of them. Three brought tears to my eyes, and by Saturday I'd narrowed sixteen entries down to two. Dead stop - until late Monday night - when I finally made my decision. Once again I'm going to ask that those who did not win resubmit their entries next year. All were strong, three were wonderful. Of the three wonderful entries, two were great, and the final submission was...wow.
Congratulations, Michelle Scaplen...you're the winner in our eighth annual Isn't it Romantic? Contest!
Here is Michelle's story:
How would someone pick the most romantic thing that ever happened to them? Would it be a day filled with flowers and champagne? Would a room lit with candles and a sexy lingerie be involved? Personally I think it should be something more, something deeper. And since this is the most romantic moment, and not the most passionate moment, I think it should also hold a certain innocence.
I knew Frank for almost a year before that "moment". We worked at McDonalds together, I was a senior in high school and he had just graduated. It was so easy to become friends with him, he was such a nice guy. And kind of cute too. He had dark hair, unusual but enticing green-gray eyes, and a nose just slightly too big for his face.
During that year, we worked hard but still had fun. We even competed for the Crew Member of The Month award. He won for Feburary, I won for March. The more I worked with him, the more I realized I how much I liked him. But he was older, and I was your usual insecure teenage girl. I never thought of myself as being pretty, and never had a real boyfriend before. But I got the courage to have my friend tell him that I liked him. I didn't even have the nerve for her to say my full name. She just told him that someone with the initials M S likes you. Later that day Frank asked me out.
I was so excited. We had been out before with friends, but this was an actual date. He picked me up at my house, met my parents, and took me to the movies. In all that time we've known each other I don't think we were ever alone together. And even though I had been kissed by boys before, I knew this night was different than your usual teenage party games like Spin the Bottle and Seven Minutes in Heaven.
After the movie, we were a block away from my house when the song Glory of Love by Peter Cetera came on the radio. I loved the song, and since it was the theme song from the movie we had just seen, I asked him to drive around the block one more time so I could hear the whole song. What I was actually doing was buying time so I can get up the courage to kiss him when we arrived in front of my house. In all the time we've known each other, he'd never tried to kiss me, and I'd be damned if I let this opportunity pass. Frank seemed to be shy at times, and I wasn't sure he would take the initiative.
But when the song was over, and we were parked in front of my house I couldn't do it. And I said as much. "I can't do it." I whispered and banged my head on the headrest in frustration. And in that moment, the softest, sweetest lips were pressed against mine. It was a kiss of innocence and tenderness. There was no groping hands or tongues thrust deep into my mouth, and it sent my teenage heart racing.
When the kiss ended probably a few minutes later, but felt like a sweet eternity, he asked. "Can't do what?"
Two years, two days, and thousands of kisses later, we kissed each other in front of a reverend after we said our wedding vows, and later danced our first dance to The Glory of Love at our wedding reception. I wasn't even twenty years old at the time. Now I am thirty five and still feel a sense of excitement each time we kiss.
Michelle's story touched me and I'm sure I made the right choice. For winning in this year's contest, Michelle will receive one of the very last AAR Bookbags, stuffed full of romances. Once again, congratulations.
Time to Post to the Message Board
Now that we've closed the poll in our annual reader poll, we know you all want to talk about your favorite romances, so we're not going to stop you now! We can't see ourselves asking, "What did you think about my choice as best romance of the year?" so there will be no individual questions this time around - just an open forum for you to start talking about the books presented in the column and others you loved from 2004.
We understand there will be a lack of concensus regarding some of our reviewers' choices given that there's so much disagreement even among ourselves as to which romances were the best in 2004. If any of the titles presented in this column were of books you didn't care for, here's where you can talk about that. We didn't add a new category in this year's readers poll because it's already lengthy and complex, but wonder whether or not we should add this one next year: Over which book did you most disagree with AAR? We ask this even though the poll results have already revealed a partial answer...but you'll have to wait to find out.
The March 1st issue of At the Back Fence will present the winners/losers in this year's annual readers poll. It will include, as always, analysis of the biggest winners/losers and comments from some/most of the winningest authors. You'll be free at that point to share why you agree or disagree with the results.
In the meantime, though, feel free to talk about the books you loved from last year; you'll probably convince someone to try a book they hadn't considered; in fact, if reading this column does that for you, we're thrilled.
(AAR uses BYRON for its romance reference needs)
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Get your free PDF download of the scripted role-play called "Little Red-Riding-Hood and Omega Wolf Bert." Just scroll down near the end of this article for the free download link.
This is one of several Communication Skills role-plays appropriate for middle school students that teaches anti-bullying techniques and strategies to utilize good communication skills techniques.
Role-play description
What is the role-play about? You can watch the slideshow to find out. You can also read the description below.
Communication Skills role-play description: Here is a modern version of an old favorite called "Little Red-Riding-Hood and Omega Wolf Bert." The story teaches the importance of finding common ground between two opposing forces, empathy, using your survival instincts to help you through dangerous situations, the unpleasantness of name-calling, and the importance of making sincere apologies for wrong intentions and wrong-doing.
Frequently, other kids call Connie Blake by the name of Little Red-Riding-Hood because she regularly wears a red cloak. On her way to bringing muffins to her sick granny, she met an Omega Wolf by the name of Bert. Hoping to be more popular with his wolf pack, Bert hatches a plan to capture Connie. Will Connie survive?
Role-play directions
Note to the teacher: In addition to the role-play, you can also read it in story form. You might want to read the story to the class first and then have the class act out the role-play. Here's the link:
- Story link: Little Red-Riding-Hood and Omega Wolf Bert
Teacher Says or Asks: We will now act out the role-play based on the last story you just heard called "Little Red-Riding-Hood and Omega Wolf Bert."
The role-play features two guy actors: Omega Wolf Bert and Ranger Bob.
The role-play also features two girl actors: Connie Blake aka Little Red-Riding-Hood and Granny Blake.
The big parts are Connie and Bert. The small-sized parts are Ranger Bob and Granny Blake.
The rest of the class will take turns reading the parts of Narrator 1 and Narrator 2.
Who is interested in playing these roles? (Either pull names or accept eager student volunteers.)
Other lesson plan links that go with the story
Here are the other lesson plan links that go with this story:
Section 1: Lesson Objectives
Section 2: K-W-L MODEL discussion ('K' and 'W' questions)
Section 3: Vocabulary
Section 4: Story
Section 5: Popcorn Review
Section 6: Role-Play
Section 7: Main idea discussion questions
Section 8: Writing assignment
Section 9: K-W-L MODEL discussion ('L' questions)
- Bonus: Role-play slideshow: Little Red-Riding-Hood and Omega Wolf Bert (See above article and slideshow role-play.)
- Bonus: Printable anti-bullying worksheet: Write about 'Little Red-Riding-Hood and Omega Wolf Bert'
Free scripted role-play PDF download link
To get the free scripted role-play PDF download link, click the link below. You can download the role-play to your computer, print it off, and duplicate it for the students in your class.
- Free PDF role-play link: Little Red-Riding-Hood and Omega Wolf Bert
A paper-saving suggestion
To save paper, you might only want to duplicate ten copies of the role-play and then have your students share the script between them. If you have an overhead projector or some way to project the role-play from the slideshow onto the wall or screen, you could save paper altogether.
For your viewing pleasure, please enjoy the video called "Elusive Wolf Pack Shows Its Colours in Banff National Park Wi."
Other Communication Skills role-play slideshow links
- Role-play slideshow: Dennis Learns about Responsible Reporting
- Role-play slideshow: Fred learns to make Good Observations
- Role-play slideshow: Goofy Jane
- Role-play slideshow: Josh takes a Risk
- Role-play slideshow: Little Red-Riding-Hood and Omega Wolf Bert
Other Peer Pressure versus Exercise No Muscle role-play slideshow links
- Role-play slideshow: Peer pressure is hard to resist (coming soon)
- Other role-play slideshows on this topic to come (coming soon)
Other perception role-play slideshow links
- Role-play slideshow: Julie's big challenge
- Role-play slideshow: Joshua's experiment in sending positive peer pressure
- Role-play slideshow: The Confrontation
- Role-play slideshow: Frogs and newts or gold coins
- Role-play slideshow: Jessica's painful experience
- Role-play slideshow: Jessica and Tonya combine their resources
- Role-play slideshow: Clever Angie thinks fast
- Role-play slideshow: Christy and Laura both like Brandon
- Role-play slideshow: Roxanne and Courtney jump to the wrong conclusions
- Role-play slideshow: The misunderstanding
Other anger management role-play slideshow links
- Role-play slideshow: Angry Blake
- Role-play slideshow: Sam self-mentors versus psychological warfare
- Role-play slideshow: Control your anger with SPAM
- Role-play slideshow: A role-play that demonstrates the SPAM method
- Role-play slideshow: SPAM and Stairstep Thinking
- Role-play slideshow: Aftermath of the first kiss
- Role-play slideshow: Debbie tries to fix her mistake
- Role-play slideshow: Pranks, Idle Threats, and Promises
- Role-play slideshow: Matt falsely accuses Jonathan of stealing
Other fight or flight role-play slideshow links
- Role-play slideshow: Bully Jake and Eddie
- Role-play slideshow: Jake tries to rebuild his trust level with others
- Role-play slideshow: Tyler chooses between Dennis and Shawn's gang
- Role-play slideshow: A Mediation session with Shawn, Tyler, and Dennis
- Role-play slideshow: Thicken Your Skin to Put-Downs
Other basic needs role-play slideshow links
- Role-play slideshow: A false rumor about Brittany
- Role-play slideshow: It all happened because Mark overslept and missed breakfast
- Role-play slideshow: Oscar the Outcast
- Role-play slideshow: Who will make the Princess laugh?
Other self-mentoring role-play slideshow links
- Role-play slideshow: Hyena's dilemma at a fork in the path
- Role-play slideshow: Jacob listens to his Inner Wisdom
- Role-play slideshow: Jerry Checks His Facts
- Role-play slideshow: Jesse needs to learn to set firm boundaries
- Role-play slideshow: Who Really Started the Rumor about Cindy?
See Debbie Dunn's articles on | School Conflict Resolution | K-8 Classroom Activities | Women's Health | Storytelling Website
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Where in the Gemara do you find the concept of meat being "glatt"? Or where do you even find the concept of "kosher lmehadrin."
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- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
See this article in Hebrew for more detail.
The overall concept is based on Chulin 37b:
The Gemara is saying that if something was not obviously kosher, and took a great deal of erudition to allow it, then it would be a measure of piety to avoid it.
The Rama thus rules in Shulchan Aruch YD 116:7:
So that's basically "Glatt" as we use the term today, to mean "extra kosher." The Gemara says a Jew has to observe the milking, so at first glance, American grocery-store milk wouldn't be kosher ... but Rav Moshe Feinstein and Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin explain that "observe" means "ascertain" ... it required a sage's judgement to allow something non-obvious, thus it's a measure of piety to avoid it. Same with veal that was fed exclusively meat-and-milk products ... at first glance should be prohibited ... but, JD Bleich goes through the advanced concepts in Yoreh Deah about exactly how the formula is mixed, to allow it. If it took a lot of erudition to allow it, the pious would avoid it.
The original use of the word "Glatt" meant whether the lungs were obviously smooth, or if there were some questions about them that required an expert examination/consultation to allow. That would really just be another example of this concept.
And throughout the Shulchan Aruch, you'll find "In the case of XYZ, most authorities allowed it but some prohibited it, so an extra-spiritual person should be strict." (Or "if you're strict, bless you for doing so.")
As user160823 observed, the Gemara uses the term "Mehadrin" regarding how many chanukah candles to light.
In Hulin, Daf מו עמ' ב. The concept is perhaps not what you think it is. It is one of the Triefos, a hole in the lungs (called Sircha), which some Poskim (like Rashi) say that if you find some scar in the lung, you need to check if there is a hole, and others say that the scar indicates a hole no matter our further observations find, and the meat is Trief.
The concept of "kosher lmehadrin" is to eat only things with fewer Sfeikos (instances of doubt), Kulos (leniencies), and Machlokos (disagreements of Poskim),and is much wider than food. It is doing more then one needs to "by the book," and showing that we do Mitsvos not only because we need to,but we want to. It is found elsewhere, with regard to lighting Hanucha candles in שבת כה עמוד ב
The word glatt was invented in America when the union workers in the slaughterhouse industry were irreligious and unreliable, but couldn't be fired. So the Rabbis of the time ingeniously invented a new indefinable word which allowed them to choose the workers they pleased. This information is courtesy of Rabbi Belsky. This has nothing to do specifically with sirchos which the shulchan aruch and ramma argue about, although that might have been an area of distrust. Kosher limihadrin, or at least the theory of it, is a matter of not being somech on any hetteirim of bidieved and such, and bassar shehora bah chacham. Whether or not any hashgachos that make this claim live up to it, who knows. Marketing shpiel.


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Oct. 7, 2012
Box Score |
Photo Gallery
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama Crimson Tide women's volleyball team suffered a 3-1 (19-25, 25-22, 18-25, 16-25) loss to the Missouri Tigers in a Southeastern Conference match on Sunday afternoon from Forster Auditorium. With the loss, Alabama drops to 13-6 overall, 2-5 in SEC play, while the Tigers improve to 13-5 overall, 5-2 in conference action.
The Tide was held to a .142 hitting mark, as the Tigers forced UA into 26 hitting errors, while recording 11 total blocks. Missouri finished the afternoon with a .281 hitting percentage.
Alabama had three players reach double figures in kills, as freshman outside hitter Laura Steiner led the way with 14. Kayla Fitterer and Kanesha Burch added 10 kills each, with Burch posting a season-high. Cristina Arenas had a career and match-high 30 digs, as she tied the sixth most digs in a match in school history, matching Lorian Newcomer and Amy Pauly (who did it twice). Sierra Wilson posted her fourth double-double with 42 assists and 14 digs to go along with four kills and two blocks.
For the Tigers, Lisa Henning led the way with a match-high 23 kills with a .305 hitting percentage. Whitney Little had a .448 hitting percentage to go along with 14 kills and Regan Peltier added 12 kills. Sarah Meister had 24 digs as the Tigers finished the match with 79 digs as a team.
Alabama got off to a quick start to open the match, taking a 6-1 lead in the first set. The Tigers responded by tying the score at 15-15, before winning the set, 25-19. The Tide was held to a .065 hitting percentage in the set, while the Tigers hit .231.
The Tide evened the match at 1-1 after taking the second set, 25-22. UA fell behind 4-1 to start the set, but rallied to hold a 9-6 lead behind three kills in the run by Steiner. After Missouri took an 11-10 lead, Alabama went on a 9-2 run to open a 20-13 advantage. UA led 24-17, before the Tigers scored five straight points to get within two (24-22), but a kill by Steiner put the set away for Bama.
After the intermission, the Tigers controlled the third set, leading by as much as eight (21-13), before winning the set 25-18. UM led from wire-to-wire in the fourth, after opening the set with a 7-1 run. Alabama rallied to get within three at 12-9, but Missouri opened an 18-11 lead, before closing out the match with a 25-16 victory in the fourth.
Alabama returns to Southeastern Conference action on Friday, Oct. 14, when it travels to Columbia, S.C., to take on South Carolina for a 6 m. CT match. The Crimson Tide will then travel to Baton Rouge, La., for a Sunday match against the LSU Tigers at 1 p.m. CT.
Like Alabama Volleyball on Facebook and follow it on Twitter @AlabamaVball.


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Nick Lancaster
From Grand Theft Wiki
Nick Lancaster is a ladies man who during GTA IV wrote a book entitled Women Are Idiots which gives men tips on how to get women. He has allegedly slept with over 500 women and has a website accessable on The Ballad of Gay Tony. He also has a CD version of his book.


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Venue :
National Exhibition Centre - NEC
Country :
United Kingdom
Address :
West Midlands,
Industry :
Apparel & Fashion
Organiser :
Organiser :
Book Hotels near Exhibition
Moda 2014 will showcase a wide collection of apparels, accessories, footwear, lingerie and swimwear among thousands of visitors under one roof. Featuring leading brands and designer outfits, this fashion show will attract visitors and exhibitors from every nook and corner of the world. Over 1,450 exhibitors from more than 25 countries will come up to display exclusive range of apparels among several retailers and consumers. Attend the catwalk and seminar programmes to get the best business advice at this fashion exhibition and grow business networks with industry experts. To participate, book lodgings with hotels near NEC Birmingham and easily commute to the event. Exhibitioncentrehotels offers best accommodation deals in Birmingham close to Moda 2014 show venue.
Event is Over
Please fill the form to contact the organiser as a participant or as a visitor


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History Says Much Larger Sell-Off Looming for S&P 500144 views 2013-06-24 02:25 Tags: surprise purchase blank selling stocks
While Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's announcement that a reduction in the asset purchase program will begin later this year was not a surprise to me, stocks felt the impact as selling ensued across the board.
However, though the S&P 500 did pull back, it is still near its all-time highs. Over the past few weeks, I have been recommending that readers reduce their overall exposure to the S&P 500, and any other assets that have benefited from the stimulus program for that very reason.
In addition to beginning the reduction of asset purchases, the Federal Reserve chairman stated that he expects to end any asset purchases by next year, and to begin raising the Fed funds rate in early 2015, as opposed to previous Federal Reserve statements that indicated that the Fed funds rate would begin to rise in late 2015.
While Bernanke was careful to note that this did not mean that monetary policy would begin tightening immediately, it is clear that the next move will be toward a reduction in monetary stimulus.
This will certainly impact the stock market and any other asset class that has benefited from easy monetary policy. Many investors in the S&P 500 have been blindly buying, not basing their buys on fundamentals, but rather, assuming the Federal Reserve will continue monetary stimulus indefinitely.
Continue Reading: History Says Much Larger Sell-Off Looming for S&P 500


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Lochte 4th in men's 100 free at U.S. Nationals
Published: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at 10:03 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, June 27, 2013 at 10:07 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS — Port Orange's Ryan Lochte finished fourth in the men's 100 free at the U.S. National Championship with a time of 48.58 seconds on Tuesday night.
Lochte finished behind Nathan Adrian, the defending Olympic champ in the men's 100 free (48.10), Jimmy Feigen (48.24) and Anthony Ervin (48.49).
Lochte's time was enough to qualify for the Americans' 400 free relay team, and it was good enough in an event that has been far from his best.
"My meet doesn't really start till tomorrow, " Lochte said. "This was just a fun race for me to do."
Lochte finished sixth in the prelims (49.17).
Lochte is scheduled to take part in three prelims — the 200-meter freestyle, the 200-back and the 50 fly — on Wednesday morning.
On Thursday, Lochte is scheduled for four prelims — the 400 IM, the 100 fly, the men's 50 breast and the 50 back.
Lochte is entered in the 100 breast prelims and the 100 back prelims Friday.
He concludes the U.S. Nationals with the 200 IM prelims Saturday.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Project WISE, a provider of mental health services, mentoring, leadership and advocacy skills development for women with low incomes, announced today its crowdfunding campaign to raise money for Wise Care for Aging in Place, a social enterprise of Project WISE.
Crowdfunding today
According to Sumari Macleod in the March 7, 2014 article titled, "Ten reasons why more women are turning to crowdfunding, in The Globe and Mail,
"Crowdfunding represents a global market estimated at $3-5 billion (U.S.), based on a tally of dollars contributed to crowdfunding projects in 2013. And that number's only getting bigger according to a January report by TD senior economist Sonya Gulati.
For women entrepreneurs who plan to spend this year's International Women's Day pondering their next business idea, crowdfunding platforms like Indiegogo, Kickstarter, and RocketHub can help turn these dreams into reality."
Eli Regalado, founder of Mad Hatter Agency which specializes in consulting on the development of crowdfunding campaigns, explains that the key to the success of crowdfunding are two elements of the strategy implementation, the pre-launch preparation and sharing the campaign far and wide. Mad Hatter donated its services to Project WISE to help create the Wise Care crowdfunding campaign. Regalado suggests,
"Shares and exposure are everything to these grassroots campaigns to raise money for great ideas."
Wise Care for Aging in Place
Wise Care for Aging in Place will empower low-income women by training and placing them in important, middle-skills jobs as well as provide help, support and some sense of normalcy to seniors who want independence in their daily life.
The social enterprise will initially provide training to individuals for home care to seniors and others in need of home aide services within the metro Denver area. In time, Project WISE may launch its own home care services business.
On March 7, 2014, Melissa Chaffin, volunteer board chair for Project WISE, said,
"The current market for these services is rapidly growing with more and more seniors expecting to age in place and stay in their homes living independently. Adults naturally want to stay in their homes for as long as possible and home care aides can be an important part of making this work, both for the elder and for their family."
The goal of the campaign is to raise more than $10,000 for a 6-month start up budget to help:
- Support the time of the staff to participate in national StartUp Home Care members training,
- Recruit and train volunteers to help implement the idea at the outset,
- Develop a message and produce effective materials to recruit caregivers to participate in the training and help place them with partner non-medical home care businesses,
- Produce ads, communications and a website that get the message out to the public, and
- Host events throughout the community, particularly in the faith-based and seniors communities, to spread the word.
To add fuel to the campaign, the Denver Foundation has generously offered to match $7,500 of the monies raised from new donors or increased donations from prior donors by Project WISE by May 31, 2014, with a $10,000 Challenge grant.
A big initial focus for the Wise Care for Aging program, given the long-standing commitment to inclusiveness of Project WISE, will be older adults of the Colorado GLBT community, as well as adults with development disabilities whose parents may not be in the best position to be primary care givers any longer.
There is no doubt that the launch of this crowdfunding campaign was a community effort. Armes Photography donated the original video that helps make the Wise Care crowdfunding campaign more compelling. Great women's organizations such as CampExperience committed a substantial pledge to the campaign and agreed to share the video among its members. Kate Cuenoud Photography, a Boulder woman-owned business, donated two original prints to the campaign. Rose Community Foundation made a generous capacity-building grant in fall 2013 to Project WISE from its Aging Program to boost the project.
To view or to share the Wise Care for Aging in Place social enterprise campaign, click here.


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WMA detail report
Additional Information:
New! Make comments on this WMA's facilities or habitat conditions.
Gustave-Melby WMA
County: Douglas
Directions: From Melby, go 1 1/2 miles W on CO RD 24 and CSAH 82.
Restrictions: Part of Lake Christina is a Waterfowl Feeding and Resting Area - motors cannot be used north and east of a marked line north of the access. WFRA signs are placed across lake Christina from east to west.
Description: For more information on this WMA, contact the Area Wildlife office at 320-634-0342.
WMA is adjacent to Lake Christina and Christina Access
At this scale, these WMA boundaries are general, and do not accurately represent the actual legal boundaries. WMA users still need to verify public lands boundaries by observing boundary signs and contacting local DNR Wildlife offices.


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"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Yolanda Foster has been living in her dream home for quite some time with her husband, David Foster. But yesterday, reports surfaced that she would be moving out of the home with her husband. She didn't reveal why, until now, as people were questioning why she was selling the home. According to a new Us Weekly report published on Feb. 11, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Yolanda Foster is now revealing that she is selling her dream home because she can no longer care for the home with her lyme disease.
"This is our dream home, but due to my battle with Lyme disease for the past two years I just don't have the strength to run this almost 5-acre property anymore and should really focus on my recovery with as little stress as possible," she has revealed about her decision to sell the home. "My daughter Gigi moved to New York last July and my Bella will move this July, so it will be just the two of us with my 14-year-old son, Anwar."
She offered no word as to where she would be moving. However, she isn't relocating to Beverly Hills. "I am not a city girl. I [was] born and raised on a farm, so for me, I need nature," she explained. "If I had to live in Beverly Hills seven days a week, my spirit would probably die."
What do you think of her selling her home?


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May 14, 2012 8:50 AM
We have always daydreamed about crocheting ourselves an innovative, eye-catching evening gown, but somehow keep ending up with piles of scarves. This Techno Tape Yarn Dress ($448) is definitely what we didn't know we were aiming for. We love the color contrast of the soft grey and the startling orange-red, as well as the vaguely postapocalyptic feel to the open knit.
If you've got a product or service that you'd like to promote on Outblush, click here to find out about our advertising opportunities.
Outblush is a blog for girls who love to shop. Our staff digs up the best clothes, home stuff, beauty items, and more. New items are posted every day — bookmark us and check out:


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The two actors who started the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival in 2010 were living the idea behind the festival long before that. "I've played Judys and Monicas and all these other types, which is awesome," says Patricia Isaac, … Continue reading
The Expendables RSS
BOOK REVIEW: The Last Refuge by Ben Coes
Ben Coes' latest Dewey Andreas' novel was released on the 3rd of July 2012, it is an action-packed thriller with many twists and turns that would make a great light read for the back-to-school season. My little fellow just started … Continue reading


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What is the 457 visa processing time frame?
This is the most common question we are asked. While DIAC ultimately controls the time frame, the biggest influence on your 457 visa processing time is the quality of the applications lodged. Many applications fail because they do not meet technical requirements. Others fail because further information is not provided to DIAC - when requested - within the requested time frame, resulting in a refusal.
Getting it right the first time is the best way to avoid the delays, anxiety and cost associated with DIAC having to request further information.
How long will your application take to process? We have set out in a table our performance over the past year and then quarterly for the current year. The table is simply our past results. It is not a service level agreement or indication of your visa processing time, but shows how we have performed historically.
Many people fail to appreciate that the 457 visa process has three distinct stages. Each requires a separate application and approval. It is for this reason the three application stages have been set out in the results table.
The stages - in order - are:
Sponsorship is the step in which the employer provides evidence about itself and demonstrates that is it lawfully and actively operating and has a history of training Australian workers.
The nomination application is the stage at which the nature of the position to be filled by the overseas worker is identified, the proposed candidate is identified and demonstrated to have the skills and experience necessary to perform the work and the employer demonstrates that the candidate would be paid no less favourably than an Australian worker in the same position.
Visa Application
The visa application is the third stage in which the candidate is assessed as being suitable to perform the position. The candidate and any family members are all assessed against health and character requirements.
See Also: Mackey Lawyers 457 visa processing time


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Firefighters face unknown materials when some industrial facilities catch fire in Phoenix
PHOENIX - The Phoenix Fire Department inspects recycling and industrial facilities "on a regular basis," according to Phoenix Fire Inspector Brian Scholl. First on their list are facilities with hazardous materials on site, he said.
But, he said there is no code that requires the fire department to inspect them a specific number of times a year.
After a string of industrial fires in Phoenix --two at paper and metal recycling plants and at least one involving hazardous materials-- fire officials told the ABC15 Investigators firefighters can access some information from an inspection on the way to a fire, but not the entire inspection.
"There will be a site map, hopefully giving them a better idea of where their access is, where their hydrants are," Scholl said, "in addition to where the hazardous materials may be, and the amounts they can be."
That's the most important information they need when they're approaching the scene of an industrial fire, Scholl said. But, when it comes to recycling or scrap yards, he said first responders can't guarantee they know every kind of material that's held at a facility.
"Especially with a scrap yard, you never exactly know what's been brought onto the site," he said. "So, when our firefighters get there, they take a look, they assess the situation and then they use their training to take care of it."
With constantly changing materials at recycling and scrap yards, fire inspectors focus on access to fire hydrants, routes for fire trucks and materials stored in smaller piles.
If a facility stores hazardous materials, then the business will have to report what's on site to the fire department.
Scholl said fires at facilities like this have actually gone down in recent years because the department has made an effort to work with companies to make sure their facilities are safe and organized to prevent the spread of most fires.
Recently, the department has made an effort to reduce the number of fires that break out at mulch facilities. They re-wrote fire code and worked with companies to make sure fire prevention practices were in place.
The department saw 18 fires at mulch facilities in 2013 and, so far, only five in 2014, according to records provided by the fire department.
They plan on working with paper and metal recycling facilities like the ones that experienced fires this week to reduce fires in those kinds of facilities, as well.


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Body Of Missing St. Anthony Man Found In RosevilleA missing St. Anthony man was found dead inside of a vehicle late Thursday morning. According to St. Anthony Police, the body of 56-year-old Todd Hoffstrom was found on the 2700 block of Fairview Avenue North in Roseville.
Family Searching For Missing Man, Whose Son Was Killed By Cops A Twin Cities family that's already endured shock and trauma is asking for help. Fifty-six-year-old Todd Hoffstrom of St. Anthony went missing early Monday morning.
St. Anthony Man, Whose Son Was Killed By Police, Is MissingSt. Anthony Police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing man, whose son was shot and killed by Orono Police last November after allegedly killing a physician. Police say Todd Hoffstrom, 56, was last seen at his St. Anthony home early Monday morning.
Police Chase Ends With Car Crashing Into Arden Hills HomeA police chase ended with a car crashing into an Arden Hills home early Saturday morning. St. Anthony Police say the chase began after officers tried to pull over a suspected stolen vehicle.
Stolen Statue Returned To St. Anthony Elementary SchoolAn elementary school in St. Anthony is still investigating after a beloved statue that was recently stolen has been returned, according to officials.
Crime Notes: St. Anthony IncidentSt. Anthony Police say they have no idea what prompted a 71-year-old man to pull into their parking lot this morning and shoot himself in the chest with a shotgun.


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5 Symptoms of Bulimia: Knowing These Could Be The Difference Between Life Or Death...
The symptoms of bulimia come in all shapes and forms...
From sneaking away after meals to throw up, to the more subtle psychological bulimia symptoms such as anger and depression...
Bulimics are so good at hiding their purging from people that it's important to know what other symptoms you can look out for.
Being able to spot the psychological symptoms of bulimia could be all the evidence you need to know that there is something seriously wrong.
Spotting these symptoms could be the key to getting your loved one life-saving help...
Bulimia Kills - Knowing and sharing the signs of this illness will help prevent people from suffering and even dying.
Click here to share Any Bulimia Signs That You know...
1) Bulimics can't see anything good about themselves...
Often people suffering from bulimia and anorexia will have a distorted body image.
They focus so narrowly on the parts of their body they're unhappy with that it becomes obsessive. After a while they look in the mirror and can't see anything good about themselves.
Try to notice if the person you suspect is bulimic is unhappy with their body. Do they spend lots of time obsessing over what they wear and complaining that they have an awful body?
These distorted thoughts could be a symptom of bulimia.
2) Depression and bulimia are two illnesses bound together as one
I don't think that you can be bulimic without suffering from some level of depression. I know the years that I suffered from bulimia were the darkest of my life.
Keep an eye out of bouts of depression and anger. Bulimics are often so repulsed by themselves that they lash out at the people around them. I still have a hole in the wall from where I threw my cell phone... Not surprising though... I don't still have the phone!
Depression and anger are easily missed bulimia nervosa symptoms in teenagers. Don't blow them off as being 'moody teens'... The truth could be much more serious.
3) Becomes withdrawn and spends lots of time alone
Bulimics are so controlled by their disorder that they gradually slip away from society. Even the most social individuals (such as myself) can become 'loners'.
I would spend school lunches sitting in the computer room, where I could be alone and nobody would see me eating.
When I was bulimic, I remember thinking that life was much easier when you had nobody around you...
You isolate yourself and push away those that you love.
4) Aggressive or Fiery Temper
One of my main symptoms of bulimia was a terrible temper. I was so angry at myself that it caused my to fly off the wall for pretty much anything.
I remember once my dad commented on me having 2 rounds of dinner. Most people would have shrugged it off... But I threw my plate in the sink - still full of food - ran out the house, slammed the door and didn't come back until early hours of the morning.
I spent the night sobbing in a construction site nearby. I was so angry at myself.
5) Constant thoughts of food
Bulimics are obsessed with food and weight. Sometimes they hide their obsession really well.. But, other times it is quite obvious...
Try to notice if the person you're concerned about seems obsessed with food:
- Are they always picking or eating?
- Does fun always have to involve food?
- Do they seem agitated or angry when they're unable to eat?
Other Symptoms of Bulimia That Could Confirm Your Suspicions...
If the person you suspect is bulimic suffers from any of the following, please confront them gently about your suspicions... If they're bulimic they need serious help.
- Extreme mood changes
- Extreme anxiety, especially after a binge
- Feelings of shame and guilt
- Feelings of being out of control
- Suicidal thoughts
- Paranoia (I had this one really badly!)
Suspect That Somebody You Love is Bulimic?
From laxative abuse, secrecy around eating and "Bulimia Teeth", there are many different signs to watch out for. If you have noticed odd behaviour in someone you love, it could be due to bulimia. Share the bulimia signs you have noticed here...
Signs of Bulimia - Shared By Others...
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Marks on their hands and having a cold
I've noticed marks on their hands, red marks, and also they seem to have a cold almost all the time.
I think I'm bulimic
As a kid, I was more on the "healthy" side and was often teased for being fat. When I was 13, I began hating the way I looked and desperately wanted to …
Always eating is a symptom of bulimia
I have a friend who is bulimic. She doesn't know that I know... She is always eating. Often she tries to hide it - but you'll see her hand slide into …
excessive vomiting with no medical explanation, taking long baths when "sick" Not rated yet
My sister has been binging and purging for several years now. She has developed cavities. She goes to the bathroom after eating to throw up. She has been …
Swollen face Not rated yet
Whenever I purged, i would end up having bloodshot eyes and a really swollen, chipmunk face because of the swollen glands.
Article by Shaye Boddington
Author of your-bulimia-recovery.com
and creator of The Bulimia Recovery Program and Community


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I've upgraded my iPhone 3GS to iOS 5 and hence changed my baseband to 5.16.05. Now it is not possible for me to unlock the phone. Is there any way I could get both GPS and phone working?. I've done jailbreak with redsnow. I don't need iOS 5 and is willing to downgrade without breaking anything. Is it possible to do it?
By now it is possible to down-grade your baseband - at least for the iPhone 3G and 3GS (unfortunately not 4/S) - from the iPad's 06.15 to 05.13.04 (un-lockable) thanks to the great work of the iPhone Dev Team:
See this post on their blog.
No. You are out of luck.
Even if you had saved the SHSH blobs for iOS 4.X (which are what you'll require to rollback), you can't revert the baseband, which is required for the unlock. So even if you did manage to install iOS 4.X, you'd still be running baseband 5.16.05.


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Agenda Widget Plus
Everybody all the time
- November 6, 2013
( 2,505)
Highly customizable homescreen widget which allows you to show Calendars from Google and Touchdown exchange and the following task applications:
- Team Tasks
- Ultimate ToDo
- Task Sync for Exchange
- Astrid
- SSI gTasks
- Dato GTask
- Google Task Organizer (Full version)
- Got To Do (Full version))
- Team Tasks
- Ultimate ToDo
- Task Sync for Exchange
- Astrid
- SSI gTasks
- Dato GTask
- Google Task Organizer (Full version)
- Got To Do (Full version))
Scrolling is available with ADW Launcher, Launcher Pro, Go Launcher and others
Zeam has dropped scrolling launcher support
Please E-MAIL with bug reports, comments are useless.
Unfortunately with this release I have had to drop support for phones with an SDK lower than 2.1 due to upgrades to the settings interface. If you are using an older version of Android please try contact me to help and help me create a 1.5/1.6 compatible version!
IF your events do not show after update (from <1.5.7 to 1.5.8) please untick/retick the calendars on the choose calendars page!
Worked great until receive update Works flawlessly on Galaxy Note 2. Downloaded to Nexus 7 and continues to crash since update to 4.4.2. It won't allow me to view calendar since upgrade. Please fix. Once fix I will give a higher rating.
was my favorite It is not working anymore after Lollipop upgrade and keeps crashing. Seems like an abandoned app.
Was almost perfect for many years Almost perfect for my needs for the last 5 years. It does have a glitchy time keeping GTasks lists on the widget. But alas it's years of being abandoned have finally caught up and I have to sadly switch to Pure Calender Widget.
Updates PITA 2.20.15 The Description says to email with bugs, but no email address found. The crash on trying to change settings is still a problem. This widget worked fine on my galaxy tab 3 which was stolen a week ago. Keeps crashing on my new galaxy 3 tab when I try using the customization feature. Why? The months later and this is still happening. Just got a galaxy 4 and this app is still crashing every time I try to change the settings.
No longer working Since the latest update to Google Calander the widget no longer works correctly , it crashes on update and when changing the data sources if you rest the data sources it will work unless you start to change some of the customizations. You also find that the Dev forums are dead
I used this app everyday! I purchased it years ago and it worked great... Starting with kit-kat the settings would occasionally crash. Since I've had it configured the way I like for a long time I just soldiered on assuming it would eventually be fixed. But then with my update to lollipop it won't even install! Neither fresh installs from the play store or restored versions from backup work. The both generate errors and fail! Once I can install and configure this app again I'll update the review, until then save your money!
What's New
Any.DO task support
Fixed bug with overdue, today and future task color highlighting


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Sail That Mother Into My Yard!: Pirate Ship Fire Pit
Yaaaar -- set sail for smores!
That...is a nice setup. To the right of the ship you can even see some swords for roasting hot dogs/marshmallows/squirrels. So yeah, this pirate ship fire pit: you want it, I want it, let's go steal it. Then we can alternate ownership on weekends -- I'll even let you have the first one! "You're gonna call the police on me, aren't you?" Already hid a dead body on your property to seal the deal.
Thanks to my buddy Terry, who I refuse to go camping with anymore because he never puts up his tent until it's dark and too late and then wants to share mine. He's a creeper.


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By Brad Locke/NEMS Daily Journal
It's been 12 years since Richard Williams finished his tenure as Mississippi State's basketball coach. So, in John Brady's mind, it's way past time for his old boss to be honored for what he accomplished on the bench.
On Saturday, prior to MSU's football game against Georgia, Williams will be recognized as one of three members of the 2010 class of the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame. His qualifications: In 12 seasons, he won 191 games, was named SEC Coach of the Year twice (1991, '95), took MSU to the NCAA tournament three times, and led the program to its only Final Four appearance, in 1996.
"He probably should've been in the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame earlier," said Brady, who coached with and under Williams at MSU (1983-90). "What needs to happen now is he needs to be in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, only for this reason – or for many reasons, but really for this one: Mississippi State University basketball goes to the Final Four in '96. When's that going to happen again?"
According to Bulldog Club by-laws, a coach is not eligible for selection "until he/she (has) been separated from the Athletic Department for at least three years." Inductees are determined by a majority vote of the Sports Hall of Fame Committee, which consists of five people anonymously appointed by the M Club president.
Joining Williams in the 2010 class are football player Harvey Hull and softball player Kellie Wilkerson.
Williams, who left State in 1998, said the long wait for induction doesn't bother him.
"How do you decide if you're due to be inducted into a hall of fame?" he said. "It's not something personally for me – I don't know other people – it's not something I've spent a lot of time dwelling on it. I'm happy about it, excited about it and looking forward to being in Starkville (this) weekend."
Williams' new boss
Brady has also been to the Final Four, with LSU, and now he's Williams' boss. The former hired the latter in August as a full-time assistant, allowing Williams to return to his roots as an on-court coach and teacher.
Truth is, the 65-year-old Williams wasn't looking for a job. The past couple of years he had served as a consultant for the UAB and then Louisiana Tech basketball programs.
"I told (my wife) Diane that I thought I was going to relax, stay home and watch some games, just be a fan this year," he said.
But the jobs came to him. George Brooks, who recently left Meridian Community College to become Rick Stansbury's assistant at MSU, asked Williams if he was interested in replacing him.
Then a professional team in Qatar expressed interest. But Williams didn't want the MCC job, and the Qatar job wasn't offered until two days after he'd accepted the Arkansas State position.
Jonesboro is just the latest stop on Williams' post-MSU coaching odyssey. He's coached four minor league teams, spent a year at Pearl High School, done individual lessons, and had the one-year stints at UAB and Louisiana Tech, where he wasn't allowed to do on-the-floor coaching.
He also did some TV work over the years.
Now, Williams has to get back in college coaching mode. He's had to take that "crazy" compliance test for the first time in 12 years, he's back on the road recruiting, and he's having to increase his knowledge of technology and social media.
Being able to coach makes all that worth it.
"I'm going to be able to be on the floor coaching and teaching and doing individual workouts, and those are the things I really enjoy doing," Williams said. "So I'm looking forward to it."
Williams and Brady agreed to approach this arrangement on a yearly basis. Maybe Williams will come back, maybe he'll move on.
It might depend on how well they work together. The two have known each other since Williams was coaching at South Natchez High School, which was in the same division as McComb and its shooting guard, Brady. Their role reversal could prove a big challenge, one Williams thinks they can handle.
"There will be days we will have probably serious discussions about what he thinks and what I think," Williams said. "But at the end of the day, John Brady's the head coach, and I will do like he did when he was my assistant and disagreed with some of the things I wanted to do – when it's all over with, he's the boss, and we're going to do what he says do. And we're going to do it the best we can."
Williams still gets asked a lot about that Final Four run, when the Bulldogs, as a No. 5 seed, made history as the first Mississippi school to go that far in the NCAA tournament. They lost to Syracuse in the national semifinals.
"It still gets brought up all the time," he said. "People still talk about it and remember it, and rightfully so. It was something that's one of the greatest things that's happened not only in Mississippi State sports but in the state of Mississippi sports."
Contact Brad Locke at 678-1571 or email@example.com.


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Last updated on July 30, 2014
2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 Cross Country (Sophomore): 2010-11 Prior to Fresno State: Personal: CAREER BESTS
Outdoor Track (Senior):
Competed at three meets... recorded her best times at the Bulldog Invitational in both the 100m with a time of 12.81 and 200m with a time of 26.04.
Indoor Track (Senior):
Competed at one meet, the Run for the Dream meet held at the Save Mart Center, there she placed 22nd with a time of 7.73 in the 55m.
Track (Junior):
Competed in five meets this season and ran two career-bests this season. The first one was in the 200m at the Cal Poly Dual meet with a time of 25.79. She then ran 12.44 at the Bulldog Open in the 100m. Named to the 2013 Spring Academic All-Mountain West team.
Track (Sophomore):
Competed in four meets ... set a personal best with a time of 7.59 in the 55-meter dash at Run For the Dream ... set season records at the Cal Poly/Fresno Dual Meet in both the 100-meter dash (12.77) and the 200-meter race (26.29).
Did not participate in any events.
Track (Freshman):
Competed in five outdoor meets for the Bulldogs.
Four-year varsity track and field participant...her team went undefeated her freshman year and placed second in conference twice...Southwestern League Champion in the 4x100...set the 300-meter hurdle school record her freshman year.
Born August 9th in San Diego, Calif....parents are Michael Washington and Vanessa Banks...has one brother, Malcolm and one sister, Cynthia...enjoys cooking, playing piano, horseback riding and listening to music...lists her favorite athlete as Allyson Felix because she is strong and passionate about running and she wins without being arrogant...lists her biggest athletic thrill as being when a race is dead even and she pulls away from the rest of the group...most admires her parents because they work very hard every day to provide for her and her siblings...chose Fresno State because it is a Division 1 team and has her major academically.
●100m - 12.44, Bulldog Open (4/27/13)
●200m - 25.79, Fresno State vs. Cal Poly Dual Meet (3/9/13)
●55m - 7.54, Run For The Dream (2/17/13)
Cross Country (Sophomore):
Prior to Fresno State:
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A team based interactive table top training resource.
Hospital LifeTM is for those who are involved in or interested in the health service and want to develop professional and personal skills such as those listed below, discuss issues relevant to the health service and explore the complexities and dynamics of capacity management and patient flow.
The aim of Hospital life is to provide an engaging, entertaining and reflective learning resource which provokes appropriate discussion during a workshop.
Hospital Life has been developed by Scottish Health Innovations Ltd in conjunction with NHS Borders. The product is being sold on behalf of the organisations by Focus Games.
To order please visit Focus Games website by clicking here.
Hospital Life allows participants to develop professional and
personal skills such as those listed here:
Hospital Life allows participants to learn about, review or discuss issues relevant to the healthcare system. The issues are left undefined so that they may be tailored to each workshop. For illustrative purposes they may include national guidelines, standard/best practice policies or regional policies and targets.
As examples, participants will:
Potential Audience
As examples, Hospital Life can be used by the following participants:
As examples, Hospital Life has the following applications:
Overall Hospital Life encourages enjoyable learning and allows people to speak freely and broadly. The expected outcome is skilled healthcare professionals and improved operating efficiency.
Multifocal Imager 3GEN


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Creating a fictional musical artist on a TV show then releasing an album of songs for said made up artist is nothing new. While much of the music is poorly written corporate garbage with the sole purpose of making a buck off of the name of the TV show or the popularity of its stars, every so often you get a true gem such as the Archies, the Monkees or the Blues Brothers. This only happens when the right team of songwriters, musicians and singers are pooled together on the project. On the record Cherlene, songs from the TV show Archer, this is exactly what has happened.
Turning one of the main characters of the hit FX show Archer into an "outlaw country" star the creators of the show enlisted the service of Kevn Kinney. The front man for the ever popular rock band Drivin' n' Cryin' as well as a critically acclaimed solo artist has assembled a collection of songs – some familiar, some not – that would stand alone as a regular album, much less a TV show soundtrack. With a crack band assembled and songs in place all that was need was a singer, enter Jessy Lynn Martens. Here sultry Southern voice brings the album to life and offers up a different perspective on the songs. Hearing her belt out "Straight To Hell" (Drivin' n' Cryin'), Chattahoochee Coochie Man (Kinney) or "40 Miles of Mountain Road" (Kinney) is strange at first, but when the music ends you realize just how damn good it is. Well known songs such as "Eastbound and Down" and "Please Don't Go" are given a fresh new approach and Marten's duet with Kenny "K-Log" Loggins on "Danger Zone" is worth the price of the record. The humorous "I'll Burn It Down" and the sultry "Gypsy Woman" will rattle around in your brain for days keeping you singing or humming the tune, but the pièce de résistance has to be the reworking of Kinney's tune "Broken Hearts and Auto Parts". One of the best written songs of his career it is an iatrical part of this record.
When you first hit play there will be some level of skepticism, but trust me this is a good album. If you dig classic country twang, sultry vocals and some mighty fine guitar picking then this is the record for you. You do not have to be a fan of the TV show to like this album all you have to do is like good music. However, watching the show and having a little background on the artists does help out. So go give it a spin and if you dig the music here then go check out the tunes of Kevn Kinney.


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Bimini is a tiny set of islets in the Bahamas just a short plane ride across a deep ocean channel from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in the USA. Bimini is probably most famous as the angler's paradise that spawned immortal tales from writer Ernest Hemingway. But today the fishing has to share the spotlight with some spectacular marine encounters. Visitors can snorkel with Caribbean reef sharks, visit reefs layered in snapper schools and sea fans, explore shipwrecks old and new and play with friendly southern stingrays just like in Grand Cayman Island.
But best of all, they can snorkel with wild Atlantic spotted dolphins. This pod off of Bimini's shores has been called the most playful and curious group in the Atlantic and possibly worldwide. The encounters can be great fun and even Zen experiences for some. Bimini's normally clear waters make such encounters even better.
We joined Bimini native Captain Al Sweeting Jr. for exploration of all of Bimini's ocean attractions. We also looked around its quaint town and explored the stunning white sand beaches. The following pages show just some of our encounters.
- Tim Rock
Professional photography website specializing in underwater photography, travel and environment
Comment posted.
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Diving and Snorkeling Guide to Raja Ampat and Northeast Indonesia Published April 03, 2016
Diving and Snorkeling Guide to Bali Published March 21, 2016
Diving & Snorkeling Guide to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands Published March 13, 2016
Diving and Snorkeling Guide to Truk Lagoon, Pohnpei and Kosrae Published March 04, 2016
Diving & Snorkeling Guide to PALAU & YAP Published March 03, 2016
Hidden Treasures, Second Edition Published October 22, 2013
Guam: Diving & Snorkeling Published May 21, 2013
FSMVB E-Book Published May 11, 2012


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The City of Modesto maintains a 24-Hour Job Line containing information about city job openings.
Information on the Job Line is updated on Monday mornings. To hear a list of current employment
opportunities, please call:
(209) 577-5498
For further information on employment opportunties with the City of Modesto, visit our website at
Home | About | Contacts |
Employment | Newsroom | Forms |
City Services | Departments | City Hall 24/7
1010 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354 •
P.O. Box 642, Modesto, CA 95353 •
(209) 577-5200
© 2016 The City of Modesto. All Rights Reserved. Web site errors may be addressed to:
Site Map | Online Privacy and Use Policy


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Comments (4 Comments)
Juan –
Big trade rumor talk going on with White Sox and Marlins on Chicago sports radio…….First baseman Paul Korneko going to the Marlins….If Marlins get Korneko, that would be a BIG plus.
Big News: Auggie and I won free tickets to the HEAT game tonight !
… and FREE parking !
We will bring our own snacks, so the entire evening of fun is FREE !
Thank you, Miami Heat Organization.
I love my Miami Heat ! Can`t wait for the Heat to go up 3-2 !
King James scores 38 and Dwade gets 39 ! Heat 101 Pacers 66 final.
If Dwade and Lebron played the entire Indiana team without others,
would they win ? and by how many ?
send buck out of here the biggest stiiff ive ever seen


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Press Releases
Shuster Statement from Hearing on Charleston, WV Chemical Spill
Washington, DC, February 10, 2014 | Jim Billimoria, Justin Harclerode (202) 225-9446 |
Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA)
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Hearing on "The Charleston, West Virginia Chemical Spill"
February 10, 2014
I want to thank Representative Capito for requesting this important hearing and hosting the Committee here in her hometown of Charleston. I also want to thank Ranking Member Rahall for working with us on this hearing and ensuring that we understand how important this issue is to him and his constituents as well.
It is critically important for this committee to be here today, to hear from the folks who have been on the ground since the spill occurred, and to gain an understanding of what happened in this incident. I can only imagine how difficult it has been for the residents of this region over the past month. The uncertainty and unanswered questions must be overwhelming at times.
As Americans we all should feel safe to drink the water that comes out of our faucets. We should be able to take a shower without worrying what's in the water. We should have confidence that our governmental leaders are doing everything in their power to ensure the safety of our water supply. That is why we are here today.
The past four weeks have no doubt been a rollercoaster ride for everyone here. I know that people are concerned, frustrated, and looking for answers. Representatives Capito and Rahall have made it very clear how important it is for us to be on the ground to see firsthand and truly understand what is happening here.
We are here to get your firsthand accounts of what happened -- what went wrong, what went right, and what needs to be improved; where we need to focus our attention and work to find solutions for the future; to hear directly from those who were at the spill site when it first became clear what was happening; and to hear from those who have been working day and night since then to help clean up and protect those who live here.
Again, I thank everyone who has taken precious time out of their days to be with us here.
# # #


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Liberal's Caleb Cline knows what it takes to be successful at LHS. Cline watched Redskin teams win state football and track championships with regularity as a young boy while his father Mike Cline coached with Gary Cornelsen. He helped the Angry Red win a couple of state track championships and win a lot of football games. Now he is cracking the collective whip in the weight room where Liberal's athletes clearly have lagged behind in recent years.
Cline worked with athletes from all sports this summer in the school's "Bigger, Faster, and Stronger" program and saw gains.
The Redskins worked on improving their vertical jumps and their times in 20's and 40's. But they testing came in five core lifts. Combining gains in the bench press, squat, power clean, incline, and towel bench. Cristian Torres went up 130 pounds. The average was about a 55 to 65 pound gain. Female average gains were about 25 to 35 pounds gained.
Cline also talks about attendance at the Fun Runs and hopes to keep that tradition going. To hear the interview, click on the audio icon.
©2016 Seward County Broadcasting Company, Inc.
1410 N. Western Ave. Liberal, KS 67901


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Echoey tropical vibes on this new Men Among Boys "PurpleBlack" tune. Finding bits of Frank Ocean here, which we inevitably love.
New Track: Novellus – "Reign"
Resonant electro-soul abounds on "Reign" by mysterious newcomer Novellus.
New Track: Misun – "Eli Eli"
DC and LA based band Misun give us their best vintage soul on the bouncy "Eli Eli." Makes us wanna wiggle!
New Track: Bob Moses – "I Ain't Gonna Be The First To Cry"
Brooklyn based Bob Moses give us a dose of their electro blues-pop on the smooth new track, "I Ain't Gonna Be The First To Cry."
Look out for First To Cry on June 17.
Video: Gabriel Garzón-Montano – "Keep On Running"
Gabriel Garzón-Montano's new video for the Maxwell-esque "Keep On Running" is a dark animated animated affair.
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This week's substantial User Review of the Week is brought to you by Endyo, with a long look at Skyrim. Of course, we'll be amazed if any of you still haven't played Skyrim, it's a must-play.
More Quality Elder Scrolls Goodness
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of those titles that you know well before the release date that it will kick the face off of your schedule and bury you in more content than seems should fit on your hard drive. That's just the way Elder Scrolls games work. Personally, I started with Morrowind as many modern gamers did. We suffered a bit through Oblivion, but knew that we were only at a turning point. One that made the game more accessible and lively and didn't have you aimlessly wandering a vast landscape based on a jumbled set of journal entries. Bethesda certainly had a challenge laid before them and I'm glad to see they didn't back down or sacrifice the core qualities that made this series what it is.
If you've played any modern Elder Scrolls game, starting out in Skyrim is not all that surprising. You know you'll be designing a character and experiencing a fairly talkative introduction. Of course, Skyrim changes it up a bit by having a ridiculously over–the-top dragon attack event immediately after that, before you even get to pick up a weapon or cast a spell. You'll find that you'll have fewer character skill options than you did in Morrowind or Oblivion, basically none, but a wide selection of physical appearance and race options that will have some minor influence on how the game plays out for you. What Skyrim does better than most RPGs on the market is allowing you to dictate your gameplay style primarily based on what you choose to do. For instance, if you pick up a sword and shield, you'll be gaining skill in one handed weapons and blocking. Whatever armor you choose, you'll gain levels within that as well. All of which contribute to the overall leveling structure. When you finally do level up, having performed enough tasks with your chosen skills, you'll be given a menu that allows you to place a single perk point into a perk tree of your choice. It isn't wholly dependent on the actions you've taken to raise your level, but each perk you choose has a particular skill level (for instance 20 one handed skill) that must be attained first. This proves to allow you to do as you choose to level up, but have a bit of freedom in the skills you choose to master and at what time you choose to upgrade them.
Using your skills can be a bit of a mixture of satisfying to somewhat lackluster. You'll find that casting certain spells feels fantastically powerful and significant while other spells and much of the melee combat can get a bit repetitive and seem bland. A few weapons, particularly the two handed varieties, feel quite weighty and give reasonably satisfying results on impact, but ultimately the hours you invest in the game, you most likely won't even be aware of the weapon outside of recharging the enchantments. Archery can allow for some exciting sneaking sniper-like shots that will make you feel like you're playing an old Thief game, but as many have found, later in the game this becomes so significantly powerful that you may lose interest in using it at all. One redeeming factor of all of this is that weapons you find and upgrades you can perform upon them definitely make the adventure a little more engaging from a combat perspective. Being able to create what you perceive is the ultimate weapon or armor is a pleasant experience.
Outside of direct combat skills and spells, there are plenty of skills associated with old favorites like sneaking, lock picking, illusion, persuasion, crafting, and so on. These are all leveled quite logically, by doing what you'd normally do, and add to the depth of the game. Some of the skills from previous Elder Scrolls games are gone, like athleticism and medium armor, but outside of acknowledging their non-existence, you won't really miss them unless you found some deep satisfaction in jumping everywhere you go or having that specific type of armor. The skill and perk system is pretty well made in Skyrim and it shouldn't leave you looking for more even though it lacks the detail of previous games in the series. The more streamlined approach is a joy for anyone who isn't tied to spending long hours min-maxing on stat sheets and most likely acceptable to those that do and understand the reasoning behind it.
An element of Skyrim that I found appealing that often isn't talked about much in reviews is how well some of the quests are laid out. Some seemingly simple quest could start from picking up a book and flipping through it. Then it may lead to a large arc of tracking down clues, finding specific items, and talking to certain people to get to the end. These are things that aren't part of the main quest or even any of the side quest chains, just things that happen in the world. It is wildly impressive to me that Bethesda would take the time to invest in decent writing and recording voices and audio for a quest a player may literally never come across. Even after over 100 hours in game, I find new quests of this nature. Quests that are part of the proper side quests and of course the main quest are equal and often greater in quality than these random quests, but that is what one would expect from a triple A title. It's the little things that really get me going.
Quests aren't perfect though; there are some underlying issues that can affect gameplay. For instance, when I started playing initially, I wanted to get into the game as much as possible, so I turned off quest markers in hopes of having an experience more like Morrowind. However, I found that even simple quests, such as going to a place and finding an object, became incredibly difficult as some objects would blend in to their backgrounds or not be clearly marked in any way. I spend upwards of half an hour running around a small crypt of a few hallways looking for a necklace that was completely invisible to my mildly color deficient eyes. So I've spent the rest of the game with the quest markers on feeling like my time was spent being guided by arrows. The caverns and dungeons quests often resolve in are also a bit bland for my tastes. The vast majority are just a twisting hallway that leads to the quest resolution and a "hidden" doorway that leads back to the entrance. For a while this isn't something you notice, but as dozens of hours are dumped in to the game, it becomes a glaringly obvious issue. I can certainly see the reasoning behind it, as even when navigating the halls of a dungeon set up in this manner, you can easily get lost and turned around for a bit. The walls of a crypt really start to look the similar in the dark.
Skyrim is receives equal parts love and disdain for its graphical quality. While it's a massive step up from Oblivion, some textures can still be muddy and blotchy (even with the HD texture patch) and certain elements seem as though they should have some additional liveliness. I, however, stand more on the side of appreciation for what Bethesda has achieved with Skyrim's engine. Even on a lower end computer, it can create vistas of a quality that should be acceptable, but it really shines on the Ultra setting. You'll often be standing on one of the many mountains of Skyrim looking out over a vast wilderness with wispy clouds and blowing snow and you'll feel the chill of that wind and the bite of that cold. While some of the vegetation is a bit sparse and features to the land seem to wither away as you view them up close, the game shines in those broad grandiose views of what has been created. The characters in particular have come a looooong way since Oblivion's odd faces with awkward close-ups. Animations are tighter and more realistic and facial expressions actually make you believe these people are conveying emotions rather than being pulled around by strings. However, as appealing as the graphical design is, it is enhanced a great deal by community mods. These will enhance textures, add more vegetation, make people more unique and exciting, and jus t simply make Skyrim better than it is. I added a water texture that makes looking at a lake so wonderful that occasionally I find myself just standing on a dock admiring the beauty of what someone created. Mods, just as they were with previous Elder Scrolls games, are a wonderful and welcome addition to the game.
The sounds of Skyrim are of a pretty high quality. Little bits of audio really help with the immersion of the game. Weapons clashing against armor sound just as you'd expect and spells crackle and sizzle with their respective elements and properties. All that pales in comparison to the soundtrack. The score of Skyrim is more extensive and of better quality than many movies. Jeremy Soule has gone above and beyond with these tracks and it helps set the mood for the entire game. Even the iconic Elder Scrolls theme with its soft woodwinds and strings was worked over to include a truly Nordic sounding male choir that just makes it so "Skyrimmy" that you can't help but think of the game when it's played. It probably helps that they play it every time you're in combat – which is often.
If there are some particulars about Skyrim that I don't like, and there are, it's mostly in elements that dig in like a tiny pebble in your shoe as you go along. Stuff you'd never really notice until you do, and then it's painfully annoying. For instance, I don't mind the random dragon attacks, but I do mind that everyone around you, even seemingly incapable citizens of towns leap to help you fight a giant deadly death-breathing beast. Why are they doing this? They should be running away to their homes and hiding like they do in the intro. I mean the whole premise is that dragons have been MIA for thousands of years and only exist in lore as terrible things. Beyond that, there are the issues that happen with the inventory and menu. The menu is clearly designed to be used with a controller because highlighting of objects and text seems to happen independently of your cursor. This leads to often misclicking choices and items because what you have the cursor on hasn't been highlighted. There are some mods that give you a much better organized inventory, but the issue with highlighted objects is still ever-present and ever-annoying.
However, when taken as a whole, some issues can be overlooked and accepted. The game itself does a great job making you feel like you're part of something living. Maybe not quite as much so as the hustle and bustle of GTA games, but much better than previous iterations in the Elder Scrolls lineage. Skyrim is immensely enjoyable to a point that you'll have probably invested at least a few dozen, if not a few hundred hours in the game before you finally put it down. The fact that it is so moddable and has a stable of quite well crafted mods already available on top of a decent set of DLC means you can pretty much play this game as much as you'd like. You have a wide variety of tasks and quests all with rich story elements told through text, voice, and in-game books at your disposal. It's hard to find an open world RPG with so much beauty and detail that isn't fundamentally flawed in some respect. Skyrim delivers on just about every front and is a must-have for any RPG fan or PC gamer.
Want to write your own review? Just find the game on our site, and scroll to the bottom of the game's page and start writing! Bear in mind reviews are checked manually so there may be some time before (and even if) it goes live.
Want to read other user review winners to see how high the bar is to win that extra pile of store credit? Click here.
GMG Trivia: Team Member Al decided to share some of his favourite things with us today. He tells us his top five drinks, in a very vague way.


text: Hi Guys :D I'm doing a drawingchallenge of 50 days. Every day I have to draw something. This was my drawing from day 2. I had to make a person, an animal and a food with a moustache. I love chibi, so I decided to draw a chibi boy eating an ice cream, and yes, with a moustache! I also made a penguin begging for the ice cream. Hope you like it! I'll gonna upload more of this drawingchallenge artworks, so I hope you like them! :D