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We maintain our Neutral recommendation on Texas-based oil and natural gas exploration company, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC). The company posted mixed results in the second quarter 2012 with earnings surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate while sales falling short of it. Reported earnings per share in the second quarter were 85 cents which lagged behind the prior-year figure of $1.14 per share.
Lower realized prices of products sold were chiefly responsible for the lackluster top-line performance in spite of volume expansion. Nonetheless, recent forecasts reflect an uptrend in retail natural gas prices in the US markets, which bode well for top-line benefits going forward.
Anadarko's major natural gas discoveries at Golfinho and Atum in offshore Mozambique and oil discovery in Côte d'Ivoire will aid in the future growth prospects of the company. In addition, joint ventures of about $1 billion related to the Salt Creek Enhanced Oil Recovery project in Wyoming as well as in the deepwater Lucius development in the Gulf of Mexico will fetch lucrative returns for the company.
Conversely, Anadarko's operations are exposed to periodic risks such as unexpected natural disasters, unplanned outages and higher oil field service costs. The company's deep sea operations are time consuming, contributing to lags in production and leading to increased costs.
Operations on foreign soil could also be threatened by political and economic uncertainties like war and civil unrest.
On a positive note, we believe Anadarko's deep and diversified asset base provides the company with substantial growth potential over the medium-to-long term. It has a proven track record of identifying and executing high-impact projects which could act as major growth driver.
However, a sluggish pace of the US macro-environment and failure to fund its future capital requirements, acquisitions or development activities and debt payments could limit growth opportunities
Anadarko nevertheless revised its full year sales expectation on the basis of its first half 2012 performance. Anadarko increased its 2012 sales expectation by 3 million barrels to 261–265 million barrels of oil equivalent (:MMBOE) from the prior range of 258–262 MMBOE.
The Zacks Consensus Estimates for the third quarter and full year 2012 are currently pegged at 70 cents per share and $3.43 per share, respectively. The company's closest competitor is ConocoPhillips (COP).
Anadarko presently holds a Zacks #3 Rank implying a short-term Hold rating. The company is primarily engaged in the exploration, development, production, gathering, processing and marketing of natural gas, crude oil, condensate and natural gas liquids (NGLs).
Read the Full Research Report on COP
Read the Full Research Report on APC
More From Zacks.com


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Modern architectural staircases, contemporary furniture, and artful interior design by Steve Morris DesignsSchedule a Consultation
For over 20 years, Steve Morris Designs has been creating artisan-quality staircases, railings, gates, furniture, lighting and architecture/interiors for clients in and around New York City, as well as the mid-Hudson Valley. Our knowledge of materials and our ability to fabricate what we design make us a rarity, for individuals desiring a piece for their home or business to architects and interior designers looking for support in making their clients' visions take form. Whether your project involves modern stairs, contemporary furniture, interior design, a custom piece straight from your imagination or all of the above, we make it happen.
Custom staircases and railings specializing in contemporary designs for modern homes, boutiques, galleries and restaurants
Combining stainless steel, bronze, glass, sustainable wood, eco fabrics and reclaimed material to make high-quality, unique furniture & functional art
Engineering, structure, material: our artisans are an invaluable tool for architects and interior designers
Gates, garden sculptures, trellises, and arbors for designers, landscape architects and homeowners: as unique as it is functional

subset: commoncrawl


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Amy Grant Joins the Pacific Symphony for CHRISTMAS WITH AMY GRANT, 12/13-15
America's sweetheart Amy Grant makes her debut with Pacific Symphony Pops for festive, heartwarming holiday concert, "Christmas with Amy Grant".
Amy Grant, whose warm spirit, heartfelt lyrics and chart-topping vocals have made her an American-music icon, joins forces for the first time with Pacific Symphony Pops for "Christmas with Amy Grant"— an uplifting concert full of festive holiday music. With more than 30 million albums sold, six Grammys and numerous Dove awards, Grant has successfully erased the boundaries between contemporary Christian and pop, mixing in folk, country and her own personal song-writing style. With six No. 1 hits, including "Baby Baby" and "Every Heartbeat," she is one of only two Christian artists to be awarded a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. For this concert, Grant sings favorites from her popular Christmas albums such as "Grown-Up Christmas List," "Winter Wonderland," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Breath of Heaven," all backed by the lush sounds of the Symphony orchestra.
Opening the concert, Principal Pops Conductor Richard Kaufman leads the orchestra in a variety of holiday favorites including "March of the Toys," "Sleigh Ride," and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" from "Babes in Toyland," which includes a tribute to Kaufman's friend, the late Andy Williams. Plus, the audience is included in a very merry sing-along and treated to the classic tale, "The Night before Christmas," narrated by radio and TV personality Wink Martindale, with music by Randol Alan Bass.
This Christmas extravaganza takes place Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 13-15, at 8 p.m. In response to strong demand, a matinee performance has been added on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 3 p.m. All performances take place in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and feature the Foothill High Dickens Carolers serenading an hour before the concert begins. Tickets are $50-$160; for more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org.


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One man's ceiling…South Side Renovation January 31st, 2013
During the third week of our South Side Branch renovation process, a painter scrapes and carefully prepares the ceiling for painting while electricians measure, remeasure and mark the floor to receive electrical wiring and outlets. The tan T-shaped strip on the ceiling is where the old HVAC ductwork was located and removed, now revealing decades old paint.
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plaster sand
i need to do some plaster over brick repair.
i was told to use hydraulic lime and not cement and to use regular (coarser) sand for the first two coats and fine white or silver sand for the final coat.
when i went to a local masonry supply dealer, all they had was CONCRETE SAND (coarse) and MASONRY SAND (finer). but they didn't have any white or silver sand.
it is hard to take pictures or in some other way convey the texture of sand over the internet but i am wondering if anyone could wager a bet whether these two kinds that i got would correspond to the coarser and finer sands that i need. or should i altogether get rid of the concrete sand and use masonry sand for the initial coats and look for white sand elsewhere. the masonry sand that i got is pretty fine compared to the concrete one but it is still kind of quartzy, i.e. has granules and is not powdery.
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Located just off Finchley Central Tube Station, Yijo - Korean BBQ brings the flavours of Korea to North London.
Photos by Cindy robert and moses kim.
About Yijo and Chef Jun Pyo Kwon :
After working for the last 15 years in prestigious restaurants in South Korea and London, Chef Jun Pyo Kwon took over Yijo Restaurant, one of the oldest Korean restaurants in London, at the end of 2013.
Each of our tables is equipped with a built-in charcoal BBQ and allows you to be the Chef for the night while you cook away our delicious prime cuts of meat and seafood like Wagyu Rib Eye, beef short ribs, pork belly,... You can enjoy as well an extensive menu of Bibimbap, Jjigae, Noodles, ... expertly crafted by our team of Korean chefs.
Our Cooking Classes : Yijo is also THE place if you want to learn more about Korean cuisine in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. With only 7 students maximum per class, you will be able to talk with the Chef and ask as many questions as you want.
We offer a range of cooking classes from Kimbap (Korean rice rolls) to Homemade Tofu, Bulgogi and of course the now famous Kimchi.
0208 346 1239
1 Station Road
N3 2SB London
Tube : Finchley Central
Northern Line
M-Th 12-3pm / 6-10pm
F-Sa 12-3pm / 6–11pm
Su 12-3pm / 6–10pm
We work with valuable suppliers from Smithfields and Billingsgate markets to source our fish and meat, which come from sustainable farms.
We use free range eggs.
Our Kimchi is homemade and taste will change with the different stages of the fermentation process.
If you have any allergies or dietary requirements, let a member of our staff know when you place your order. A version of this menu with detailed informations on allergens is available on request.
A discretionary 12.5% service charge will be added to your bill. Ask us about our loyalty card.
More new dishes will be added soon. Keep an eye out for it !
Enjoy a selection of our dishes at a discounted price for lunch time.
Available Monday to Friday, from 12 to 3pm. Eat in or Take away.
Find us just opposite Finchley Central Tube station exit, on Station Road.
1 Station Road, N3 2SB
0208 346 1239
Email us : firstname.lastname@example.com


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Your Cat, Your Life
The Scoop
Cat News, Politics
Meow-Out-Loud Humor
Cat Chic
Gear and Glam
Your cat loves a clean toilet -- don't we all? Catster's singing Cat Lady, Sarah Donner, explains why.
Cat Breeds
Foods & Treats
Health & Care
Behavior & Training
Cats & Cleaning
Cat of the Day
Photo Comments (2)
Photo Comments
Photo Comments (1)
It is with great sadness that Mom has to share this difficult news, and I asked her to share it through me.
I was diagnosed with intestinal lymphoma in November and skin cancer earlier last year, and because I was more than 15-years old Mom decided on palliative care versus aggressive treatment.
This past weekend I took a turn for the worse. I was running to the litter box 3-5 times a day and had lost a significant amount of weight. I was having trouble jumping up on my favorite surface (the kitchen table and counter), stopped sleeping on the bed, didn't play, etc., and generally started to lose interest in all those things that make for a great, kitty life.
Mom and I talked Sunday afternoon, 4/3/16, and we decided it was best to not prolong my suffering. Mom said that the next 12-24 hours would be awesome. And she was right! She gave me constant treats, cooked some chicken for me to eat if I felt up to it and indulged me in fresh catnip from her garden! And bread! OMG, do I love bread!?! She toasted a slice and broke it into little pieces for me. I only had a few bites, but I loved it!
But the best part was the love - the nonstop hugs and kisses! She held me most of the evening last night and almost all day today until it was time to start the long journey into peace. She told me how much she loved me, and I hope she knows how much I loved her. She saved me from death row, and gave me an amazing home and furmily for 13 years!!!!!!!
She wanted me to leave on this high note: Never underestimate how important it is to always be there for someone you love whether in the midst of a healthy life, or most importantly, in death. She held me, talked to me, loved me and stayed with me until the end. She gave me a kindness like no other.
The Last Battle
If it should be that I grow frail and weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done?
For this -- the Last Battle -- can't be won.
You will be sad I understand,
But don't let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.
We have had so many happy years,
Through happiness, laughter, sadness and tears.
You wouldn't want me to suffer so.
When the time comes, please, let me go.
Take me to where to my needs they'll tend.
Only, stay with me till the end.
And hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time you will agree
It is a kindness you do to me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.
Don't grieve that it must be you
Who has to decide this thing to do;
We've been so close -- we two -- these years,
Don't let your heart hold any tears.
In Loving Memory
Hannibal 2000 - 2016
...For all your warm thoughts during this difficult time. It means a lot to me and my mom. I'm mostly resting and comfortable; Mom's a basket case. But that's probably because I'm her favorite ;) I sleep in the bed with her, and love attention. And she loves me for it.
She has spent the weekend doing extensive research, like she always does (MOL!), and has found a clinical trial in Gainesville, FL (UF Veterinary School) that is accepting participants with nasal planum squamous cell carcinoma. It's tumor-targeted therapy via injection. No surgery, and nothing invasive. She sent an email for more info, but if she feels the treatment will be worse than the disease or they say I'm not a good candidate, no trip to Gainesville for us.
She has also decided that I can have whatever I want whenever I want it! She even said something about ice cream. I'm not a big fan of ice cream, but I love to drink from the faucet...all of them, actually! So instead of me hanging out by the kitchen sink and waiting for her to turn on the H2O, Mom picks me up and puts me right by the faucet and turns it on. Life is difficult, but life can also be quite grand.
Mom knows SCC can be aggressive and invasive, so we're probably looking at less than 12 weeks. But for me, that's around 12 weeks of H2O from the faucet without asking! And probably some other treats she's been hiding, like fresh catnip from her garden :)
Time to sign off. Mom needs her rest from an emotional weekend and has to go to work to be distracted from the emotional and physical pain at home. She broke her toe 2 weeks ago...OUCH!
Again, thanks to everyone who has given rosettes, prayers and thoughts to my furmily, and especially Miss Hazel Lucy, the heart and soul of Catster. Mom will be in touch soon, Miss Hazel Lucy...just as soon as she stops crying :(
noun, often attributive kə-ˈmyü-nə-tē
: a group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood)
: a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc.
: a group of nations
Full Definition of COMMUNITY
: a unified body of individuals: as
a: state, commonwealth
b: the people with common interests living in a particular area; broadly: the area itself
c: an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location
d: a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society
Copyright © I-5 Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Blogs // 1 Articles
Media // 1 Articles
Avey Tare: Down There
26 Oct 2010 // 5:00 PM
Animal Collective's co-leader, Dave Portner, steps into the solo spotlight with a song cycle dealing with death, illness and depression. Surprisingly, it's often a warm, comforting album.
Avey Tare - "Lucky 1" (video)
17 Oct 2010 // 10:50 PM
Crying snake eyes. Skeleton Wallpaper. Crocodiles juxtaposed to mandalas. There's a sort of screen-saverish/tour backdrop quality to Avey Tare's video for his first single


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Results 1 to 5 of 11
August 21st, 2014 06:20 PM #1Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2014
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- 151
Girl names with similar feel as Ryland
My new name crush for a boy is Ryland. I found it in a baby name book over the weekend and I just loved the sound of it instantly. I like that it is unique but not too out-there, it's fairly easy to pronounce and spell, and it just sounds strong and rugged to me.
The problem is that I'm having trouble coming up with girls names that are of a similar feel. My top runners up until now have been Sadie, Corinne, and Emilina, but I'm not completely in love with any of them, and they feel either cutesy or elegant, which I don't think fit with Ryland. Any suggestions are appreciated!Audrey Lila - June 2015
August 21st, 2014 07:10 PM #3Claudia ♢ Daphne ♢ Helen ♢ Iris ♢ Lily ♢ Lyra ♢ Mira ♢ Niamh ♢ Renée ♢ Saoirse
Blaise ♢ Edward ♢ Finn ♢ James ♢ Kieran ♢ Niall ♢ Osric ♢ Percy ♢ Samuel ♢ Theodore
August 21st, 2014 07:33 PM #5Senior Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2014
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- 1,466
August 21st, 2014 08:35 PM #7Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2014
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August 21st, 2014 08:48 PM #9Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2014
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Thanks for the ideas, everyone!
I absolutely LOVE Layla, but my cousin just named her new daughter Jaylah (and yes, we are close enough that it would be confusing often). I also really like Charlotte and Lena (or Lina), but can't use them for similar reasons.
I think Delilah would be a great match, but my husband says the negative history of the name ruins it for him. :/Audrey Lila - June 2015


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The ACLU protects freedom of speech, assembly, association, petition, and press, including when we vehemently disagree with the message.
The ACLU fights to redress the harmful and unconstitutional effects of broken government systems on vulnerable Illinois youth.
We fight to secure the basic human right to bodily autonomy and access to the full range of reproductive health care for all.
The ACLU works to ensure equal opportunity, without regard to race, and opposes government and private sector discrimination.
The ACLU protects the free exercise of religion, and opposes government endorsement of and aid to religion.
The ACLU fights for an Illinois free from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The ACLU protects people from unreasonable government surveillance.
The ACLU protects the rights of people accused of crimes, who must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The ACLU opposes federal, state, and local programs that, in the name of national security, invade civil liberties.
We oppose the broken death penalty system & support making permanent the moratorium on executions in Illinois.
The ACLU works to ensure that non-citizens enjoy our Constitution's fundamental guarantees of due process and equal protection.
The ACLU uses the Illinois Freedom of Information Act to gather information about whether government is violating our civil liberties.
The ACLU protects civilians from unlawful searches and detentions, and targeting on the basis of race, ethnicity, or political belief.
The ACLU protects our personal privacy from government use of cutting-edge technologies to build a surveillance society.
The ACLU fights to ensure that everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, has the right to privacy and bodily integrity.
Fighting to end discrimination against people in Illinois with HIV/AIDS.
The ACLU protects the right to vote, which undergirds all of our other rights.
The ACLU works to systematically end sex discrimination and ensure that all women and girls are able to lead lives of dignity.
Who We AreWe are a non-profit, non-partisan organization, dedicated to protecting freedom, liberty, equality and justice for all within the United States. With a membership of more than 23,000 across Illinois - a total of more than 550,000 across the nation - the ACLU accomplishes its goals through litigation, lobbying and education programs.
Read more | Join us on Facebook
© 2017 This is the website of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and the Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU, Inc180 N. Michigan, Ste 2300 » Chicago, IL 60601


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Gameboy Digital Sampling Oscilloscope
Anyone in the forum ever used/built one of these. Its a rather interesting idea and i have a gameboy laying around the house...I really only want it for audio (its only got 100k bandwidth)....anyone just wonderin if anyone built one and thinks its junk...
many thanks,
The full artcle is here :
And they want 135us dollars....think its worth it?
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text: Liquid Daffodil is quite the name within the Windows Phone community. We've covered the developer numerous times here with multiple apps, services and incredible deals and offers for both consumers and developers to get involved. Through receiving a number of requests from developers, today we'll be looking at App to App protocols and how simple it is to connect to Liquid Daffodil apps.


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/// A + E Reveals Lifetime U.K. Launch Details
July 4, 2013 | Variety
MADRID – The girls are back in town. Expanding its presence in the U.K. market, A + E Networks U.K. has confirmed it will launch femme-focused entertainment channel Lifetime there some time this fall giving a new U.K. TV outlet to shows starring a high-profile Hollywood femme list including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Glenn Close, Queen… Read more
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- 09/05/2014 • NFL Has a Lot of Leverage in Negotiating TV Deals
- 07/29/2014 • DirecTV Refuses to 'Bail Out' Time Warner Cable in Dodgers Standoff
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Today, Governor Martinez praised the passage of the Veteran Employment Tax Credit in the New Mexico House of Representatives. House Bills 10/154, sponsored by Rep. Terry McMillan (R-Las Cruces) and Rep. Thomas Garcia (D-Ocate), will provide business owners with a tax credit of up to $1,000 for hiring veterans returning to New Mexico from deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. The tax credit is part of Governor Martinez's tax reform package designed to help create more jobs in New Mexico. The legislation was passed on the House floor this afternoon by a unanimous vote of 60-0.
"We owe it to the men and women who fight for our freedom to make sure that they have jobs available to them when they return home," said Governor Martinez. "Sadly, our veterans are coming back to some very difficult economic times and it is heartbreaking that many of these heroes are forced to stand in the unemployment line. This tax credit will provide New Mexico employers with a significant incentive to get our veterans back to work and honor the brave soldiers who have sacrificed so much on our behalf. I applaud the House of Representatives for passing this bill and I'm hopeful that it will receive the same broad, bipartisan support in the Senate."
Source: http://www.governor.state.nm.us/uploads/PressRelease/191a415014634aa89604e0b4790e4768/veterantaxcreditrelease.pdf


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Skrillex Releases New Video With Damian Marley, Launches Remix Contest For "Make It Bun Dem"Dubstep meets dancehall reggae thanks to this wicked new collaboration between EDM superstar Skrillex and reggae legacy Damian Marley.
Nas Gives Damian Marley Credit For "Life Is Good," Outlines Album ArtNas' new album title, Life Is Good, calls to mind cool breezes and cold glasses of lemonade. While the 38-year-old MC created the set in the midst of life-changes, he's once again given hip-hop a look at life from another perspective. He recently revealed where the title came from and where the music is going.
Top 10 Hip Hop Albums of 2010


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In 2005, the Soltage model was born out of a belief that there is a better way to generate and provide electricity to energy consuming entities nationwide. In discussions with institutions including businesses, government, academic centers, and non-profit organizations, Soltage's founders repeatedly heard a clearly articulated desire to better manage energy costs by employing greater control over means of production and procurement. Strategies were available to these institutions, but the cost and complexity of implementation represented barriers that were difficult to overcome.
Soltage's founders viewed the solar energy capital cost barriers as both a challenge as well as an opportunity - and harnessed financial, technical, and operational expertise to create a business model that provides clients with energy strategies that they want alongside to the cost structure and ease of implementation that they need.
Today Soltage is pleased to provide clients a no-fee solar option that is practical, simple, and accessible. At no cost to our partners, we install a customized Soltage™ PowerStation on their premises, generate as much energy as the site can support, and then provide this energy at a fixed cost that is at or below retail rates.
Join us in our mission: reduce your energy bills, shield yourself from retail energy market volatility, differentiate your company, and support domestic energy resource utilization. Straightforward solar energy options are available for your operation.
Get Started
Request a Free Site Assessment
Ask Questions
Call (201) 432-1786
Did You Know?
Soltage customers source up to 80% of their energy consumption from affordable solar.


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Enjoy the Career Perks & Benefits Reserved for the Elite Group of Top Business & Professional Presenters who Motivate their Audiences to Action when You Discover the Secrets of Effective PowerPoint Presentations and
Get Step-by-Step Instructions You Can Use to Quickly and Easily Create Your Own Outstanding Slides
Dear fellow business presenter,
When the academic division of Prentice Hall wanted to publish a book on using PowerPoint, they wanted it to be different from every other book on the market. It was to be part of their highly successful Series in Advanced Business Communication, which is used in MBA and college programs all over the world. It had to combine the best ideas on slide design with the clearest instructions on exactly how to use PowerPoint to produce focused, meaningful slides. They turned to Professor Mary Munter, their long time editor of the book series.
She searched for an expert who could bring the deep technical knowledge required for such a ground breaking book. But she also needed someone who could translate that technical prowess into clear, easy to understand language. And someone who knew what was effective when presenting through years of actually standing up and delivering high-stakes presentations. She found a former student, an honors MBA grad who has been delivering seminars and workshops in this area for years. I am that person. My name is Dave Paradi, and if you are a fellow presenter in the professional world of business or at conferences,
You really need to read the book we wrote, "Guide to PowerPoint".
That's a pretty bold statement, I know. You are probably thinking to yourself, "I'm a pretty good presenter, in fact I'm a lot better than most people around here. Where does he get off saying I need to read this book?!?" And you probably are a pretty good presenter. But how do you know if you are as good as you can be? You're good, but compared to who? The person who stands there and reads their slides word for word? Anybody can be better than that. And that won't get you to the top of the heap by a long shot.
The reason I can make such a bold claim is that we have created a book like no other. It combines the best design ideas - the "What To Do" and why it is effective based on years of experience and academic research - with clear step-by-step instructions on "How To Do It". Design books are great for showing you ideas, but short on how you implement them. Traditional technical manuals are long (far too long) on every feature and button in the software but don't tell you which of those features will be effective with your audiences (that's because most of the features aren't effective).
Listen to what Mary Russell, the presentations expert for New York Times company About.com said in her review: "What is most impressive is the wealth of information contained in these 190 pages - from planning the presentation to structure of the slides and finally, to delivering the best presentation for your business clientele. It is jam-packed with all sorts of "Now why didn't I think of that?" tips and more importantly, many more "I never would have thought of that" tips, on how to make a winning presentation." She starts her review by saying, "If this is your first business presentation or your 700th presentation, Guide to PowerPoint should be part of your library." and she concluded by stating: "If you ever have to make another professional presentation, give this book a read."
Readers also sing the praises of "Guide to PowerPoint". Lynne Farrow wrote to me after purchasing the book and said. "By page 15, I felt I more than got my money's worth." And a customer review on Amazon.com states, "I highly recommend this pragmatic, well written book to anyone who wants to put together a presentation that will knock their socks off!"
Your career depends on delivering outstanding presentations. Communicating is the top rated skill for advancement to the executive floor. If your presentations matter (and if they don't, why are you delivering them), you want to be the best you can be. This book is written for professionals like yourself. It is concise, focused on business presentations and contains easily followed instructions. This book is used to train MBA students at top schools, including the Wall Street Journal's top ranked MBA program. You better get this information before these grads join your firm soon and show off the skills they have gained from this book.
How can this book specifically help you?
- Need to know the best way to take the ideas you want to share and organize them into a laser focused message? See chapter 1
- Want every slide to be crystal clear to your audience within 2 seconds? See page 23
- Want to know the best colors for your slides so that your audience will be able to read your slides in almost every lighting situation? See page 34 (and the detailed color settings on page 39)
- Which fonts are the easiest for your audience to read? Serif or sans-serif? Answer on page 42
- How big should your font be so everyone can see it? Page 44 has the answer
- How do you design a standard look for all of your slides so your presentation looks professional? See page 54
- What type of chart should you use to make your data crystal clear to your audience? The table on page 62 shows you
- Why are the default PowerPoint charts so confusing? Page 64 shows you the problems and pages 70-75 give you detailed instructions on how to fix the problems
- How can you link charts created in Excel to a PowerPoint slide so the slide is automatically updated when the Excel chart changes? Page 76 & 77 show you the way to save time updating slides every month
- When you are explaining a process or a relationship, what diagrams help your audience understand it easiest? The table on pages 80-81 shows you which diagram to use in what situation
- How do you create customized diagrams to visually show a process or relationship? Detailed instructions on pages 83-91 give you step by step guidance
- Want to pack your slides with text? Please read page 95 before you commit this common error
- Want to write your slide text in Word and automatically convert it to slides, saving time and effort? See pages 108-109
- Adding digital photos can make your presentation more effective, but how do you do it so that the photos are clear but don't make the file huge and run slowly when you are presenting? See pages 112-116
- How can you add video clips that show client testimonials or illustrate ideas? See page 122-125
- Need tips or reminders on best practices for delivering your presentation? Chapter 10 gives you the secrets of the pros
- Want to be able to jump to any slide in your presentation, blank the screen to focus the audience on the presenter or draw on the slide like the TV commentators do? See page 155
- How do you create handouts your audience will keep and use years later? Pages 156-161 gives you all you need to know
- How do you make sure your equipment is set up for success? Pages 162-164 give you ten key tips to remember
- You are all set up but the projected image doesn't look right. Don't panic, refer to page 165 for the top five things to check that will solve most of the problems you will ever encounter.
I speak at plenty of conferences and see the awful slides that are shown. In fact, I spend most of my time taking notes on what latest mistake I see rather than listening to the content – I see that many. This book will help you avoid the mistakes and create slides that others will marvel over. They will be so clear, so meaningful that others will regularly ask for copies of the slides so they can copy the format and ideas.
By now you know how valuable this book will be to you personally and your future presentations. But why keep this information to yourself? "Guide to PowerPoint" is a great gift for speakers at an upcoming conference you are organizing – help them shine on stage and your event will be even more successful. How about distributing the book to all new associates in your organization so they don't learn bad presentation habits and can start off confidently in their new career. If you are looking for a resource for sales professionals and executives that has a high Return on Investment, "Guide to PowerPoint" is a resource that will help them deliver more customer focused presentations that result in more sales.
For PowerPoint 2003, Click here to purchase Guide to PowerPoint at Amazon.com
For PowerPoint 2007, Click here to purchase Guide to PowerPoint at Amazon.com
For PowerPoint 2010, Click here to purchase Guide to PowerPoint at Amazon.com
You can also order the books through your regular bookseller.


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CLVR V3 Dev Sneak Peak
Here is a sneak peak into the development process for the next version of our Web Platform. We are excited to finally be nearing Beta after months of R&D, and this captures just a glimpse of how much fun we have chasing our passion for creating elegant and beautiful technologies. It's something we love to share. Even without understanding a fraction of what is going on in the video, there's a mesmerizing aspect to watching 2 hours unfold in 5 and a half minutes. Stay tuned – V3 is coming.


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The "Group Leader" was Jesse Pinkman's primary counselor at the rehabilitation clinic where he was previously a patient. After Jesse was released, he began attending regular group therapy sessions in a local church which were also lead by the leader from the clinic. His name has never been revealed.
Early life
On July 18, 1992, while drunk on vodka and high on cocaine, he killed his six-year-old daughter by accidentally hitting her with his truck.
Season 3
Jesse first meets the Group Leader after he has been living at the facility for the past two months and attends an outdoor group therapy session at a campfire with several other recovering addicts.
When Jesse asks the group leader how he has accepted himself, he reveals he hit his daughter with his car, killing her. Jesse, still reeling from Jane's death, asks the Group Leader how can he not hate himself for what happened. The Group Leader responds that self-hatred and guilt stand in the way of achieving true change.
Season 4
After not attending his meetings for several weeks, Jesse decides to return as he is feeling distraught about killing Gale. However, during the session, Jesse nearly breaks down and yells at Group Leader claiming that his philosophies on "accepting yourself" aren't true. Jesse then mentions the death of Group Leader's daughter and admits to the whole group that the only reason he came to the group meetings is to sell meth to them. He asks Group Leader if he's okay with that, to which the group leader responds, "no". Jesse then says, "about time", and leaves the session ("Problem Dog").
The Group Leader takes a calm, non-judgmental approach to leading discussions and emphasizes that those attending his sessions are there not to improve themselves, but to learn self-acceptance.


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Township officials group celebrates 100 years
The Indiana County Association of Township Supervisors marked its 100th anniversary during a meeting held Friday at the Rustic Lodge in White Township.
From left are George Lenz, ICATS president; Kimberly Luther, ICATS secretary; Robert Pozik Sr., ICATS first vice president; Helen Hill, ICATS treasurer; Ron Paul, of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors; and Michele Papakie, ICATS second vice president. (Tom Peel/Gazette photo)


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Politics blog + Americas
Michael White: The main parties may need to pour themselves a stiffener: Ukip has gone way beyond being a mere protest-vote party
Michael White: Venezuelan president's death reminds us, unfortunately, that many people still cling to the monochrome liferaft of good and bad
Commentators have been quick this week to point out how lucky Margaret Thatcher was 30 years ago, but she was also strong
Michael White: This is not 1982, and it is foolish of David Cameron to start making wild statements about the Falklands as if it were
Nicholas Watt in New York: Germany may like to hear Mexico's views on how to run the single currency. But Berlin could take a different view and ask Britain to contribute more to the bailout
Michael White: When was the last time this happened? I've been racking my brains. I can think of a few happy ones. Unfortunately most such unifying experiences seen around the planet are negative
Michael White: In 1982 the war with Argentina put the then-Labour leader in an awkward bind. Surely the islanders' underdog arguments should still appeal to the left today
Canadian PM asked aide to prepare official statement before identity of Thatcher in question was revealed
Michael White: As the armed forces become more integrated to reflect society at large then the risk of soldiers being drawn into the doomed politics of racial purity diminish
Michael White: Foreigners have their problems too, even in nice, slightly sleepy Canada
Katherine Baldwin: G20 leaders pose for group picture – but why was Stephen Harper missing?
It is a wise leader who knows when to give up power
Michael White: I hope George Osborne was watching Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling's Downing Street press conference this morning
So Fidel Castro has finally resigned as president of Cuba, a post he has held since 1976, having previously been a rather powerful prime minister way back to the 1959 overthrow of the hated Batista regime. My old Guardian colleague and predecessor as political editor, Ian Aitken - at 80 a year younger than Fidel - was in Havana for the then-mighty Daily Express when the rebels took the city. Actually Ian was in the hotel pool, but he later got an exclusive interview with Fidel, so Lord Beaverbrook was satisfied.


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|Shogren, Randal
|Biresaw, Girma
Submitted to: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/27/2006
Publication Date: 1/1/2007
Citation: Shogren, R.L., Biresaw, G. 2007. Surface properties of water soluble starch, starch acetates and starch acetates/alkenylsuccinates. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects. 298(3):170-176. Interpretive Summary: Finding new, high value uses for corn starch will depend on a better understanding of the physical behavior of starch. Specifically, the surface tension of starch in water or its tendency to spread over other surfaces is critical to applications as coatings, adhesives and dispersing agents. However, previous studies of the surface properties of starch and chemically modified starches have been conflicting and incomplete. This work has used a newer technique to determine values for the surface tension of starch and modified starches which are probably much closer to the correct values than previous studies. In addition, one of the modified starches acted as a good emulsifier for soybean oil. This work should help scientists and engineers in the food and industrial sectors predict how to improve the effectiveness of starch coatings, adhesives and dispersants.
Technical Abstract: Surface and interfacial tensions with hexadecane were measured for starch and water soluble starch ester solutions in order to determine their potential as stabilizers or emulsifiers. The surface tension for an acid hydrolysed starch (maltodextrin) initially declined with concentration and then reached an equilibrium value of 56 dyn/cm at 20-40 wt. %, suggesting that hydrated starch has this surface energy. Surface and interfacial tensions of starch acetates decreased more rapidly with concentration reaching values of 41-44 and 11-13 dyn/cm, respectively at 40 wt. %. There was little dependence of surface or interfacial tensions on DS between 0.3-0.8 and amylose content of starch acetates. Surface and interfacial tensions for starch acetate/alkenysuccinates were lower than those for starch acetates, particularly at low concentrations. Soybean oil/water mixtures were emulsified for more than 1 day by waxy starch acetate/OSA and acetate/DDSA but not starch acetates. In summary, these starch esters may represent biodegradable, economical alternatives to some emulsifiers and coating polymers currently in use.


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Though he wasn't quite as blunt as ESPN's Merril Hoge, who recently called Titans quarterback Vince Young a "soft baby," Colts G.M. Bill Polian has kinda/sorta thrown Uncle Rico under the van while assessing the quality of Young's team.
Polian also doesn't think much of the various NFL pregame shows.
Speaking regarding some of his observations from the bye week, which gave him a chance to watch football on television, Polian had this to say: "Don't forget I said earlier that they were the team that no one was talking about but that everybody would be soon. It's amazing how little tape and how little preparation the people that speak on the pre-game shows really do. That's shocking when you hear some of the statements that are made, particularly from ex-players. You don't get an accurate picture in virtually any situation. Those that know football know Tennessee had a very good team last year. They were hamstrung by inefficiency at the quarterback position. Jeff [Fisher] would probably be the first to tell you that. In fact, he as much as said that recently. . . .
"Kerry Collins stepped in and does what Kerry Collins does," Polian said. "He wins football games and makes accurate throws and makes the right decisions and leads the team with his toughness and his grittiness. They are not a mirage. They are a very good team. They are the best team in this division right now, because they are healthier by a lot than we are."
Polian's assessment serves only to confirm our belief that the Titans have a huge decision to make after the season.
Though he wasn't quite as blunt as ESPN's Merril Hoge, who recently called Titans quarterback Vince Young a "soft baby," Colts G.M. Bill Polian has kinda/sorta thrown Uncle Rico under the van while assessing the quality of Young's team.
Darth Ringo says: Oct 1, 2008 11:04 PM
That's really going to hurt Vince Young's feelings.
Phyxsius says: Oct 1, 2008 11:07 PM
Jeff Fisher,
Vince Young is the most amazing athlete to ever grace the NFL. He needs to be reinstated as the Titan's QB ASAP. Please, for the love of everything holy, put Young back in as the starting QB!!!!!!
Colts fans everywhere
lezmaka says: Oct 1, 2008 11:08 PM
Wow, you made it through an entire post about Polian without taking any swipes at him. I know that must have been difficult. You didn't hurt yourself did you?
ParkerFly says: Oct 1, 2008 11:13 PM
They've got Chris Simms. Let Young go to wherever, sign Collins & Simms on for another year while letting Collins start, then hand it to Simms.
NFLed says: Oct 1, 2008 11:17 PM
Vince Young is a bust and shouldn't be made a starter again. He can be an okay backup. Pollian is right about NFL analysts, it's astounding the things they say just so that they will have something "meaningful" to say. It's mostly rubbish (though not all of it).
onanygivensunday says: Oct 1, 2008 11:18 PM
Jealousy rears its ugly head.
MC Dropkick says: Oct 1, 2008 11:19 PM
They are the best team in this division right now, because they are healthier by a lot than we are."
No, actually, Mr. Polian, it is because Harrison is an overrated junkmobile on cinderblocks and your crap defense was hidden by an offense that could keep up with people.
snivlem says: Oct 1, 2008 11:20 PM
which must mean he really thinks Jacksonville is the best team in the league right now….
lebus says: Oct 1, 2008 11:28 PM
This could also be because Bill drafted Kerry Collins first overall in Carolina, has always liked Kerry as a quarterback and is probably glad to see him playing well.
Joe.Dallacqua says: Oct 1, 2008 11:31 PM
Maybe Vince young can grow from this season. He will likely be on another team next season, and that fresh start might be just what he needs. He has talent; he could become a premier NFL QB. As far as his mental illness issues they are equally overlookable with the right help and possibly some medications. There are far nuttier guys in the NFL, I can think of an owner in northern California that sets the bar in the crazy department.
Bottom line is almost any of us would love to be a QB in the NFL, aside from not having the talent or the physical ability to do the job, the pressure to be great must be tremendous to win and at very least not fail. An interception, boo's from the crowd would do more than rattle most men no matter how tough we think we are. The QB position is the toughest in any sport. But in the NFL it is unbelievably difficult. Just like learning anything in the NFL it takes time and a lot of trail by fire. He could be great, but I am sure it will be somewhere else. Tennessee will be on the hunt for a new franchise guy soon. Collins will carry the job for a few years and likely do great things. How many great QB coming out of collage have been started too soon in the NFL and they were ruined because of the rush to start the money now. A different place at a different time is what will be best for him…………………
Slow Joe says: Oct 1, 2008 11:37 PM
When I was at the Titans-Bucs game last year, I remember quite vividly being more worried about the Titans when Vince Young got hurt and Kerry Collins came in.
It seems that in today's NFL, a lot of coaches aren't automatically starting the best QB on the roster. If Uncle Rico never got hurt, he'd still be starting even though you just know Coach Fisher knows Collins is a better fit. We have Jon Gruden starting Brian Griese for God-knows-what reason even though he has a Pro Bowl QB on the bench in Jeff Garcia. The Pack technically had Brett Favre on their roster this summer, and insisted on Aaron Rodgers.
I remember when I was growing up in the 80s, salary or other public relations crap weren't a consideration in determining the starting job. You had to simply be the best QB. You had to earn that starting job on the field.
The way it is nowadays, not only is the team getting cheated, the fans are as well.
bdub85 says: Oct 1, 2008 11:42 PM
Vince Young is a scrub. Collins is showing Young how to be a real QB.
ejf27 says: Oct 2, 2008 12:01 AM
Easssssyyyy Polian……you never know what Vince Cobain might do?
ClevelandSucks says: Oct 2, 2008 12:19 AM
Vince Young to Minnesota next year?
CaptainFantastik says: Oct 2, 2008 12:41 AM
He's right. These analysts make their living off a finely crafted image with no substance. The image assumes that the average couch potato will see somebody on TV and automatically equate that with some sort of unique knowledge of the game. Not so in many cases. Case in point: both Ron Jawarski and Peter King said this week that losing Kendoll Simmons was a huge blow because he "is the Steelers best O-lineman". It's obvious these guys don't actually watch the film they say they do because every Steelers fans knows Simmons has been a total underachiever. The line actually played better once he went out.
Tampa Hoss says: Oct 2, 2008 12:48 AM
Joe.Dallacqua = Vince Young
You're not fooling anyone VINCE DALLACQUA
Eustus says: Oct 2, 2008 1:05 AM
I'm not a Titans fun but my initial thought is perhaps Ole' Bill might have an agenda other than offering his candid opinion of the QB situation facing another team? I suppose he offered his opinion out of the goodness of his heart? It certainly wouldn't hurt Polian if he did whatever he could to mess with the confidence of a highly-paid, cap-eating young QB on a division rival, would it?
Hey, Polian, shut your piehole and worry about your own damned team. I sincerely hope that someone on the Titans organisation tell Bill Polian what he can do with his opinion.
Favre2012 says: Oct 2, 2008 1:18 AM
"Polian's assessment serves only to confirm our belief that the Titans have a huge decision to make after the season."
Newsflash, Florio. EVERY team has lots of huge decisions to make after each season. That's what makes it the NFL. You love some easy predictions, don't you?
Here's a prediction on par with yours: The Raiders need to hire a qualified coach and give him time to turn the sinking ship around. Look how I took something that everyone knows and wrote it out!!
JAXSUN says: Oct 2, 2008 1:35 AM
"Vince Young is who we thought he was, and we left him off the hook." – DG
E-Nasty says: Oct 2, 2008 2:43 AM
@ onanygivensunday: Jealous about what? Jealous that he's stuck with Peyton Manning over Vince? Vince has/had TONS of "upside". More often than not "upside" gets coaching staffs pushed out on their "backsides".
Just remember…a decade ago, there was a debate over who would be the better pro QB, Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf.
"Leaf has tremendous upside".
JSpicoli says: Oct 2, 2008 3:41 AM
Vince Young will rise again, bandwaggoneers.
The Q-man says: Oct 2, 2008 8:00 AM
Remember now that Polian was at the Panthers when Kerry Collins was there! Does that clear it up for you now? Polian is just patting himself on the back again.
mike hunt says: Oct 2, 2008 8:43 AM
lol people like mcdropkick are funny. The ONE year the Colts are not playing up to standards, he talks as if the Titans are the rulers of the gd universe. Try making the playoffs for 8 straight yrs or whatever it is, win a superbowl, do something, do anything, hell, try beating the Colts for one time in their life. Get a qb that either isnt an average veteran like Collins or some mental midget in Young. Until you do anything in this world, beyond coming up one yard short in the superbowl ten yrs ago then my best advice is to know your place.
Kevin from Philly says: Oct 2, 2008 8:43 AM
Wow, first you're shilling for Al Davis, now Bill Polian? Well, it IS getting close to Christmas – never too early to get on the "nice" list.
empty13 says: Oct 2, 2008 10:05 AM
collins did outplay young last season. still doing it, but even moreso now.
griese seems to be doing ok, and the last i saw, the pack and the jets had the same record.
benevolent anarchist says: Oct 2, 2008 10:06 AM
Finally someone high-up called these buffoons out. I've been saying this for years. It's frustrating to the intelligent and knowledgeable football fans that are out there.
Think about it; if you were being paid a large sum of money to talk as an expert on a certain subject and you didn't have your facts straight, OR were just flat-out wrong–you would be fired. Yet it happens repeatedly time and again on television and radio.
There are exceptions; Charley Casserly, Troy Aikman, Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan, but the idiots outnumber the buffoons at an alarming rate AND the chuckleheads are usually in higher visibility spots.
zoinks says: Oct 2, 2008 10:20 AM
Since Vince Young is the #2 rated QB from the 2006 draft, are we to assume that it was simply a horrendous year for QB's?
Or…here's a crazy thought: maybe it takes more than 2-3 years to develop a QB?
Anybody waving the "Vince Young sucks" flag needs to go back and look at the first two years of guys like Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Randall Cunningham, Warren Moon, etc. There passing numbers were as bad or worse than Vince Young's….and it seems like they turned out okay.
Hollywood Wags says: Oct 2, 2008 10:22 AM
VY do what, he wanna do, man.
VY gotta say, "Hey, I gotta do what's best for VY.".
Pea Tear Griffin says: Oct 2, 2008 10:26 AM
I still can't believe he was a top 3 pick. I guess Rose Bowl hype really over shadows mechanics, decision making, awareness, pocket presence, various intangibles . . .
footballnut says: Oct 2, 2008 1:24 PM
I love how Polian throws in that the Titans are the best team in the division because they are healthier…
C'mon Polian, no excuses. The Pats have a injury much larger than any of yours, but you won't hear them bitch about it or even hint that is there reason for any failures this year.
Other than that you have to agree with him, Young is a bust who prayed on slow linebackers in college, but is learning the hard way they are a bit faster in this league.
tgfpftandmf says: Oct 2, 2008 8:45 PM
It is all about you Bill, and how brilliant you are. No one else in football can understand football like you, especially the fan. You love to denagrate people.


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Hey new to fine arts forum. I do painting and signs, often together.
Comments welcomed.
This is a detail from a sign I did. The horse was paint on vinyl, then applied to sign. Done in acrylics.
This is a portrait of my daughter who is soon to be twenty one.
and detail:


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Except if those heads belong to two blonde twins with a serious case of the stupids. Because after reading Sweet Valley Confidential, I have come to the conclusion that there is no fate worse than the Wakefields. They are the worst twins ever!
Well except for maybe these twins, because, ew.
Anyway to prepare you for this, I ask you to think back to high school, or perhaps say, junior high. You remember how you had that one friend you thought was supercool and who could pretty much do no wrong in your eyes? But then, you got older and you realized they were kind of a gigantic dickbag loser? That is what reading this book is like. You start out with happy memories and then watch them get slowly destroyed by poor continuity and even crappier writing.
When I was much younger, I thought that the Wakefields were the $h!t. I related heavily to Elizabeth because I fancied myself a thoughtful literary type, but there was part of me that wished I could be a little more like Jessica and possess more of her sultry, boy-nabbing qualities. In fact, when I was very young and used to steal my babysitter's Sweet Valley High books, I remember thinking that it would be awesome to be a cheerleader. I have no idea why I thought this considering:
a) I am not a joiner,
b) I find all sports except hockey incredibly boring,
c) I am so uncoordinated I was once stabbed by a tree,
but there you have it. The seven-year-old heart wants what it wants.
But enough complaining, it's time to get to the meat of the thing and start my recap. Needless to say, if you want to read the book and haven't got the chance yet, this is your warning because HERE BE SPOILERS!
The book starts off with Elizabeth, who is now living in New York like the serious-minded good girl she is. No more being a bubble-headed California girl! She's a real writer now! She is returning to her apartment after a dinner out with her boss when the phone rings. Because this is New York and therefore a scary, crime ridden place according to literature, it takes them too long to get into the apartment to answer the phone because of all of her door locks, so Elizabeth's answering machine picks up instead.
It is Jessica, whose voice is whining codependantly at them through the speaker. Elizabeth ignores it. Elizabeth's boss is baffled by the fact that the voice on the machine sounds exactly like Elizabeth and is somehow not her. You know, for someone who is supposed to be the mastermind behind the crappy theatre magazine she works for, he seems a little bit dumb, like, if you worked at it, you could manage to convince him that Elizabeth was a sorcerer.
Anyway, Elizabeth doesn't want to talk about HER INFINITE SADNESS, so she gives her boss a glass of wine and considers sleeping with him to stop his annoying questions. She spends a moment drooling over his apparently doable body, but then decides better of it because she cries after her orgasms now. Aren't you happy that Francine Pascal mentioned your childhood literary pal Elizabeth having orgasms? How thoughtful of her! I mean think of how much more enjoyable Little Women would have been if Louisa May Alcott had been saavy enough to mention Jo March's favourite sexual position! Totally pertinant to the story and not creepy at all, right?
Oh, and also as a minor note, Elizabeth also doesn't sleep with him because he's her boss and, you know, professionalism and all that.
So, having decided that there are no sexytimes to be had, Elizabeth unceremoniously dismisses her boss from her apartment. She briefly thinks of calling her best friend Bruce Patman (I think I speak for all of us when I say WTF?!), but decides not to so she can truly Garbo it up and feel sorry for herself. I don't know what it is you guys, but I think something superbad happened between Elizabeth and Jessica! Cue the sad music! This is mucho serious!
The next thing you know, we're treated to a flashback of the twins in high school. They are driving to school and stop to pick up Elizabeth's friend Enid Rollins who Jessica thinks is the lamest of the lame. They also discuss uberdreamy Todd Wilkins a.k.a. The Todd who Jessica thinks is going to invite her to "the big dance," as though they don't have dances ever damn day of the week in Sweet Valley.
Anyway, two funny things about this sequence:
1) It's supposed to take place 10 years ago which is awesome because, going by the timeline of the books, the twins started high school in 1983 which means that they were either incredibly stupid, which I would totally believe, or time in Sweet Valley moves at a practically glacial pace, which is also possible considering how much crap the twins got up to. I mean with all the spa-based face stealing and werewolf boyfriend having and white supremacist battling they were doing, I would imagine they would have pretty packed schedules!
2) If this storyline is true to what happened in the original books, this means that this is the dance from the first Sweet Valley High book Double Love. Many things happen in that book, but two of the most noteworthy are The Todd mistaking Jessica for Liz and subsequently thinking Liz is a slut and deciding Jessica is more worthy of dating him and Jessica getting so mad at the fact that The Todd has no interest in her she fabricates a story that he tried to force himself on her so that Liz doesn't like him anymore. But apparently, neither the slut shaming or the supposed sexual assault are a big deal to anyone and everything ties up in a nice happy bow at the end of the book. Sweet Valley: perpetuating horrible sexual standards since 1983!
Moving back into present day, Jessica is kvetching to The Todd about how Elizabeth is ignoring her. The word "Facebook" is used several times to indicate that Francine Pascal is hip and with it. This is not your Meemaw's Sweet Valley y'all! . . . you know, in case you didn't get that from the orgasm talk. They don't get into everything that happened to cause the rift between the two sisters, but they tell us enough so that we know that Elizabeth and The Todd, Sweet Valley's Original OTP!, were engaged and about eight months ago, he left her for Jessica and now they are getting married instead. Oooh burn!
To throw old Sweet Valley lovers a bone, Jessica and The Todd head over to a party at Lila Fowler's house. I have discussed my love for haughty Miss Lila before, so I won't get into it again, but Lila is criminally underused in this book. If anyone should be calling the twins on their crap, it's her, but instead she just stays in the background, wearing tiny shorts. Remember when your Viscount husband tragically died and then you hooked $h!t up with Bruce Patman in the forest, Lila? That was awesome! You are better than this! Now Lila's only defining characteristic – aside from the tiny shorts – is that she is married to Ken Matthews. To jog your memory, Ken was the Aryan posterchild who played football in high school . . . and as a grown up, he plays in the NFL. That is what you call smooth character development, people! Actually just to stay on Ken for a minute as this is an interesting tidbit: in the high school, he dated Olivia Davidson who was crushed to death by a fridge during a horrible earthquake at the series' end. However, when the twins came back from their first University break in SVU, Olivia was at a party they attended. So Ken has actually dated a zombie, which is pretty progressive if you think about it.
But back to the party. In attendance are:
– Elizabeth's old soccer playing high school boyfriend Jeffrey French. He is now a dentist and has a boring nameless wife.
– Sweet Valley Gossip Monger Caroline Pearce. She apparently had cancer (SAD!) and now runs a gossip website that gets upwards of 500 hits a day!
– Elizabeth's old Debbie Downer friend Enid Rollins. She is now a gyno doc and has become a crazy right wing conservative . . . but apparently, she's not too conservative to knock boots with . . .
– A.J. Morgan. AJ Morgan was apparently some hot ginger kid Jessica was into. He works as a shoe salesman at the mall.
And to round out the group, we have:
-Former fatty cheerleading captain Robin Wilson. She is apparently a caterer now and Jessica is impressed she hasn't gorged herself to death on all the free food.
It seems kind of weird to me that a bunch of these people were Elizabeth's friends and are now at Lila and Ken's party, but I guess that all of them are pals now. Or they all belong to some secret underground Stonecutter's cult and this is a meeting or something. At least that would be interesting, which is more than what I can say for the book thus far. Let's pretend, shall we?
Who condescends with every glace?
Who wears some nifty jumpsuit pants?
We do! We do!
Who has a sister looking mom?
Who spikes the punch at jungle prom?
We do! We do!
Sorry, but I really needed to listen to that song. So yes, we're at Lila and Ken's palatial estate for num-nums or whatever and everyone is kind of standing around bored, until Caroline Pearce makes the tragic mistake of asking about Elizabeth which sends Jessica into a rage. Jessica is so pissed in fact that she yells "You're sick!" at Caroline who is currently regrowing her hair after chemo which . . . yeah . . . awkward. Jessica storms out of the party, The Todd in tow, but not before yelling at Lila for having the nerve to invite Caroline to her own house for her own party. *sigh*
Switching coasts back to New York, Elizabeth is heading out to interview some playwright guy for the crappy theatre magazine she works for. The playwright's name is Will Connolly and addition to being a prick (language!), he is a dead ringer for The Todd! *gasp* Seeing this of course, sends Elizabeth into flashback land . . .
Where she and The Todd are in college and supposed to go to a party. However, Elizabeth's superior physical makeup (stunning aquamarine eyes and size six figure!) wasn't enough to keep her from catching the plague, so she is not well enough to go. Instead she suggests that The Todd go with Jessica . . .
In a weird bit of happenstance – perhaps they're in the Matrix?- Jessica and The Todd are remembering the same party . . .
Where people mistake Jessica for Elizabeth and Jessica and The Todd decide that it's fun and don't bother correcting them because they are both kind of into it . . . and in a creepy turn, they sort of forget that they were pretending and then head back to The Todd's apartment to bone. Just . . . so many . . . wrong things about that.
Back in present day NYC, Elizabeth runs into Will a.k.a. Prick Todd at a bar and they start drinking together. They are served by random Irish stereotype bartender Liam who Elizabeth notes, is so hot her favourite cheaty twin sister Jessica would be all over him. This of course leads to a discussion about family and relationships and drama, things that Prick Todd and Elizabeth have in common. They bond over this and then Prick Todd invites her back to his apartment where they fool around a bit. Go Elizabeth! You get your mack on!
Elizabeth heads home after some decent heavy petting and gets a call from her mom. Apparently, her grandmother is celebrating her 80th birthday and they want Elizabeth to return to Sweet Valley for her birthday party. Elizabeth says no way, but then thinks that perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if she had Prick Todd come with her as her date. She calls him up and
tries to lure him into her trap asks him to come with her but with his play only a couple of weeks from launching, he tells her that he can't afford to get away. He does however joke that Elizabeth should bring hot Irish sterotype Liam with her to use as boy bait for stupid flaky Jessica. So the fool, I'm afraid she gets thinking . . .
A dangerous pasttime I know. But that crazy blonde bitch is her sister and her fidelity's only so so . . . So the wheels in her head they get turning as Liz thinks of that loony old tart, see, with quite cunning use of that dumb Irish dude, little Lizzy can split them apart!
But before it gets too good, we're back in flashbackland again. This time we've moved up from Jessica and The Todd boning on his futon to a mere 8 months ago where Jessica is married to a dude named Regan. You remember the name Regan, don't you Jess? He was president when you first started high school! Anyway, Regan is Jess' husband (second one by my count!) and he's much older and basically pays for her to shop and jetset around the world. However, Jess is unhappy. Apparently, he doesn't like to party enough and he gets jealous when she flashes her boobs at other guys. I know, right? What a monster. So, six months into being married for a second time before she hits 30, Jessica decides that she wants to end the relationship. Instead of talking to him about it like an adult, she lets him believe that he's taking her shopping for the millionth time and then ditches him to run off to the airport where she catches a plane back to Sweet Valley. My eyes are rolling so hard in my head right now, I am afraid they'll get stuck at an odd angle.
Oh and a couple of sidenotes before we head back into present day:
1) Steven Wakefield is now a successful lawyer and is married to Cara Walker. According to Jessica, Steven cheats on Cara regularly and Cara copes by turning into one of those girls who eat their feelings.
2) Winston Egbert developed some software or something that he made a bunch of money on and now everyone says he's a jerk. You know, considering what a prick everyone else in Sweet Valley is, I have to wonder what the hell Winston did to make everyone hate him. I mean is he running a child prostitution ring or hosting dogfights? Because from what I've seen so far, I think Winston's golden.
Back to present day for a double shot of the twins!
In NYC, Elizabeth goes back to the bar where Liam works and pumps him for personal information. When she finds out that he in fact has family in California, she manipulates him into coming to the party for "Grandmommy" (yuck).
In Sweet Valley, we learn that Jessica works for an environmentally conscious cosmetics company. We also learn that her boss has the hots for her, but Jessica has too much integrity . . .
Sorry, I had to stop for a minute there since my eyes were watering from the hysterical laughter . . . Jessica has too much integrity to sleep with him and instead heads home to The Todd. This gets her to thinking about the past and when she came back to Sweet Valley after escaping her tyrannical husband.
In flashbackland, Jessica is living with Elizabeth and The Todd. Elizabeth thinks that Jessica and The Todd are getting on eachothers nerves, but anyone with eyes can see that they are really just sporting wood/ladywood for eachother. To get out of the house and away from The Todd so they don't accidentally have sex again, Jessica goes for a walk on the beach and comes upon her brother who is locked in a loving embrace with . . . not Lila as many first supposed, but Aaron Dallas!
Steven Wakefield's totally gay, everybody! I think this deserves a super sassy dance break because it is the first interesting thing that's happened all book!
It's Mercutio from The Edge! He seems to be having a much better time in this video than he ever did being mauled by THE EVIL BEAR.
There are many back and forth flashbacks to Steven's new gayness but for the sake of not jumping around so much, let me just keep it all in one tidy section.
Steven was out and about running Wakefieldian errands one day when he ran into Aaron. They had been friendly in high school but never really close, so Steven gets caught up with Aaron quickly. Apparently after high school, Aaron went off to a real University (Stanford) and studied architecture. After that, he lived in San Francisco for a while (I think this is Francine Pascal's version of a pink flag) before coming back to Sweet Valley. I am not really sure why, after living in a place as exciting and progressive as San Francisco, one would want to come back to Sweet Valley. It's like a crazy sinkhole for hopes and dreams! But yeah, he's back and they arrange to get together. The night that they are supposed to meet, Steven doesn't tell Cara where he's going and he gets really excited at every dude who walks in the door thinking it's Aaron. They hang out in the bar for a bit before Aaron tells Steven that they are heading back to his (Aaron's) place. Holy $h!t, you guys! Steven Wakefield is keeping it on the downlow! Fifteen minutes in a Chili's with Aaron Dallas and he's totally up for gay sex! And those jalapeno poppers weren't even laced with anything so he can claim ignorance later! And now I am wondering if he is a top or bottom! Aah! My head is so filled with questions! Why, Francine Pascal? Why are you putting these things in my head?
So Jessica knows and Steven is freaking out because everyone else still thinks he's straight and he's not ready to tell them that he isn't yet . . . and you know guys, I'm not really one for advocating spousal deception, but knowing a lot of people who have come out, it can be heart-breakingly difficult. Coming out, even when the people around you support you, is hard. Because there are a lot of people who won't support you and those assholes can be loud and mean and sometimes they carry rocks as one of my awesome friends learned the hard way. Hell, putting aside other people, even just admitting it to yourself can be a major emotional struggle. According to this book, Steven not only just discovered he liked dudes in his late twenties, but he just discovered it like a month ago and now he's forced into the awkward situation of having to incidentally come out to a family member. It's scary.
Steven begs Jessica not to tell anyone yet because he kind of needs to process this himself and figure out how to deal with his own personal situation and Jessica agrees. Well, let me amend that. Jessica agrees for about five seconds, then drives over to Steven's house and interrupts one of Cara's marathon pie baking sessions to out Steven to her. Jessica does this as she thinks it is her duty to get involved and believes that Steven will thank her for it later. Because it's better to be dragged out of the closet than to come out of your own accord. Man, Jessica, sometimes (by which I mean all the time) you are one cold, conceited bitch.
Back to our present non-outing time, Liz has lunch with Prick Todd and tells him she took his advice and is now bringing yummy yummy mantreat Liam with her to her grandmother's birthday. Will is like "Yeah, I was joking about that, you lunatic. That is a supreme bad idea and you will live to regret it." You know, Prick Todd, you actually speak some decent sanity! I'm changing your name to Nonprick Todd! Unfortunately, the sanity is not really working for Liz who is annoyed that someone is finally calling her on her bull$h!t and, instead of directing her anger at her stupid no-good sister and stupid no-good The Todd, she turns on Nonprick Todd and yells "Fuck you!" right in his face. According to Elizabeth, she is 27-years-old and that is the first time she has ever said those words. Seriously, Liz? You've never even song along to this song?
(Yes, this is the real song with the real swear word in it so if you're at work, sport some headphones. The clean version drives me crazy.)
After she swears at Nonprick Todd like a Tourette's Sufferer and runs back to her apartment, she decides the most awesome thing to do is to call up her bestie Bruce and discuss the grandmother birthday party happenings. As it is, he has already been invited to the party by Mrs. Wakefield to act as Liz's pseudodate, so he's feeling a little put out that Liz is now bringing her own party guest. And why is Bruce feeling so put out, you might ask? Because he secretly loves her!
Flashing back to some years ago, Bruce's parents got in a horrible accident and were both rushed to the hospital where they both later died. However, while poor Bruce was waiting to discover their fates in the hospital, Elizabeth came to be with him. In fact, she came every day and held his hand when no one else would. It was one of the few things that got him through that horrible time and it made him realize that he truly loved her. Oh my God, you guys, is Bruce Patman my favourite character in this book? Because I think he is.
At some point, before the truth is revealed to Liz, Bruce finds out that Jessica and Todd have been carrying on behind her back. Bruce wants to tell her, but is incredibly conflicted because he feels like he would just be telling her for his own personal gain and that would be kind of malicious. These doubts are removed from his mind when, over burgers at local restaurant, Elizabeth tells him that she and The Todd are close to setting a wedding date. Not wanting her to marry a man who is secretly horrible to her, Bruce bucks up the courage to tell her the truth when Ken Matthews runs into the diner they are sitting in (because there was an APB out on them?) to announce what is the most surreal and thankless thing that happens in the entire book.
Winston Egbert is dead.
. . .
I cannot even tell you how annoyed by this I am. Winston gets one scene in this entire book where he is actually present and do you want to know what that scene is? He almost unknowingly spilled the beans about Jessica and The Todd cheating (he shared the apartment with The Todd and thought he and Elizabeth were having sex in it) and then The Todd moved out and totally dumped him as a friend because he was scared Winston would rat him out! So from there on out, none of his friends talked to him and he was completely abandoned! And then, all anyone did was talk about what a dickbag they thought he was! Until one day, when he got sad and drunk and fell off his balcony and died! All Winston ever wanted to do was to make people laugh and have friends and wear glasses and then, for the sake of drama, Francine Pascal unceremoniously offed him! What the suck, dude?!
While Elizabeth and Bruce are off at the diner hearing about poor dead Winston, Steven has been home and I guess been confronted by Cara about the whole gay thing and the fact that Jessica told her. So, as he is super angry at Jessica – and kind of rightly so since it was not her secret to tell – he barges over to Elizabeth and The Todd's where Jessica is staying and yells in her face about it. Steven calls Jessica a selfish bitch (AMEN!) and because she can't deal with being confronted with her $h!tty behaviour (doesn't that sound familiar, LIZ?!), she starts to cry. The Todd, being a sucker for a damsel in distress, goes to comfort her and the comfort turns to kissing and Elizabeth walks in on them . . . except she isn't really looking at them and doesn't see what they're doing so, instead, she assumes someone told them about Winston and they are comforting each other. Bruce, however, totally sees them and thinks they're jerks.
Later at Winston's funeral, Jessica gets all sappy and sad about his passing and Elizabeth actually thinks that Jessica is sorry for how crappily she treated Winston, but it is totally a ploy to get Elizabeth to agree that forgiveness is important. If it's not a self-serving bitch, then it's not Jessica Wakefield.
Sometime after the funeral, Jessica's rich old husband Regan shows up at Elizabeth and The Todd's place in Sweet Valley. I am not really sure to what real end since he doesn't seem to have divorce papers or even be all that invested in getting Jessica back. But Regan does totally see Jessica and The Todd jonesing for each other which he manages to point out to Elizabeth before scooting away in his sports car.
Elizabeth finally totally notices the fact that they're kind of inches away from doing it again and she confronts them. They are so lame that they neither try to deny it or apologize for it. C'mon The Todd! At least, play her a meaningful song or something! In fact, I have the perfect one!
"I know you won't believe it's true, I only went with her 'cause she looks like you!"
And that is the last flashback! THANK FREAKING GOD!
In now permanent present time, Elizabeth has arrived at Grandmommy's birthday with man-bait Liam. There is some reference to how this is just like a movie (Picture Perfect?) except that Liam doesn't sound as charming as Jay Mohr. Much to Elizabeth's irritation, Jessica doesn't seem interested in Liam but Liam seems hella-interested in Jessica and keeps fawning all over her. This makes The Todd pretty angry and before you know it, all the Wakefield siblings are fighting and Alice is yelling at Ned to "bring out the fucking cake!" I kind of like that Alice has finally reached her limit with her stupid scheming children to the point that she starts yelling about fucking cake in the middle of her octagenarian mother's birthday. That's kind of boss.
Elizabeth leaves Sweet Valley and heads back to New York where she still has to interview Nonprick Todd. I'm going to switch it back to Will now because I am tired of typing the word Todd more than I have to. She is a little stressed out about how it's going to go due to the "Fuck you!" face-shouting incident, but he somehow apologies to her and they manage to get through the interview relatively painlessly. Then, when the interview is over, out of both horniness and a desire to keep him from asking questions about her family, Elizabeth has sex with Will. And she doesn't even cry once! Hooray? I don't know about you, but I think it's kind of creepy that Elizabeth is constantly using sex to shut dudes up. Is her vagina some sort of crazy cone of silence? Does sex with her cause select muteness? I don't get it.
So after sex with her interview subject (at least it's slightly more professional than sex with her boss?), Liz returns home to her apartment to find Jessica waiting for her. Jessica has apparently left The Todd! *sigh* For Christ Sakes, you stupid moron! You are pushing 30 now! Running away should no longer be your go-to relationship move. Because, seriously? Relationships can be hard. Sure, there are awesome, kick ass, fun times, but there are other times that are not so fun where people lose their jobs or your sex drives are at odds or one of you gets sick or whatever. And part of loving someone – I mean truly loving someone – is realizing that no matter what you are enduring at the moment, you're enduring it with your partner because you are a team and they have your back. That's what love is. Getting through life together. And you know what? At the end of the day, sometimes getting through the crappy parts together means more. Getting through all the great stuff together is nothing, because anyone can stand by you through the great stuff. It takes someone who loves you to hold your hand and help you make it through the hellish parts. Grownups don't run!
And yes, readers, I do realize that I just lectured a fictional character but it annoyed me so much I had to. Make of my mental state what you will.
Back to the twins. Jessica starts crying over The Todd and Elizabeth sees that she loves him and with like five teardrops, their 8 month feud is at an end. Can you believe it? Jessica's tears must be made of diamonds or something because I have never gotten out of anything that easily.
Jessica heads back home to be with The Todd and Elizabeth stays in New York to finish her article and see Will's play. The play does pretty well and Liz is happy for Will but she realizes when she sees him with his ex-girlfriend that she is not in love with him and that they are better off as friends. Is this a mature decision from Miss Elizabeth Wakefield? Did someone switch the book I am reading? Because I don't believe it.
I also don't believe it when Elizabeth heads back to Sweet Valley to be Jessica's Maid of Honour in her Wedding to Elizabeth's long time boyfriend. When Wakefields mend fences, they do it with iron posts, bitch! But before she goes and deals with wedding stuff, Elizabeth pops by to see Bruce Patman who has big news. First, he tells her he sold his house in Sweet Valley (for $10,000 less that they buyers were willing to pay because he doesn't care about money anymore. Is this really Bruce Patman?!) and second, he's moving to New York because he loves her and wants to be where she is. Bruce Patman is my favourite character in this whole book you guys! What is up with the universe?!
Now I could go into the description that follows of them having sex, but I am going to forego that creepiness and instead post another song because that is how I role today. But know this – Elizabeth Wakefield has taut nipples!
Let the soothing sounds of Mr. Big wash that mental image out of your head.
I know bands don't have slogan, but if they did, theirs should have been "Mr. Big = Huge hair. Rhythmic clapping. Denim."
So both Wakefield sisters end up with people who have personalities that match their opposing twin. Snarky and brash Jessica marries sensitive and thoughtful The Todd and sensitive and thoughtful Elizabeth is lovers with snarky and brash Bruce! I am sure there is some sort of weird Freudian theory that this is an example of, but the book's happy ending is Jessica and Todd's wedding, so I don't want to get too far into that.
Mini character recaps for anyone who is interested:
Bill Chase – The surfer dude who dated Dee Dee Gordon back in the day married a female basketball player.
Mr. Collins (Roger, if you're nasty) – The twins' old English teacher is in a long term relationship but never got remarried. His son is at UCLA.
Lila Fowler – Divorced Ken and attended Jessica's wedding with Jeffrey French who seems to have lost the wife he was saddled with a couple of hundred pages ago.
Ken Matthews – Divorced Lila and was injured in the NFL but now works as a commentator.
DeeDee Gordon – Bill's ex is a working artist.
Charlie Markus – Married Annie Whitman, the slutty cheerleader that Jessica and her friends almost pushed to commit suicide. He is a writer.
Annie Whitman – Married Charlie and has a baby now (see what all your slutty, slutty sex has led to, Annie?)
Betsey Martin – Still the crazy drunken sister of beautiful dead Tricia Martin, Steven's first girlfriend.
A.J. Morgan – Broke up with Enid but still selling Reeboks.
Enid Rollins – Broke up with A.J. Morgan, planning to run for city council.
Roger Barrett Patman – Bruce's illegitimate cousin. Works as a music producer and is married to a rock star.
Caroline Pearce – Still recovering from cancer. Still a gossip.
Nicky Shephard – Former Sweet Valley bad boy. Now in AA.
Cara Walker – Divorced from Steven. A math student baking her way to a Masters degree.
Robin Wilson – Still a caterer. Still surprisingly thin according to Jessica.
Bruce Patman – Once a snide rich kid, now reformed by the love of Elizabeth.
Aaron Dallas – Steven Walkfield's boyfriend.
Alice Wakefield – Still the twins' mom and survivor of breast cancer because Francine Pascal needed to give her another character trait in the epilogue.
Ned Wakefield – Still the twins' dad and a successful lawyer.
Todd Wilkins – Married to Jessica and clueless about what a harpy she is.
Elizabeth Wakefield – Twin sister of Jessica, now happily sexing it up with her lover Bruce.
Jessica Wakefield – Married to Todd, twin sister of Elizabeth and learner of no pertinant lessons whatsoever.
As for poor Winston, if you were hoping he might get a last second reprieve from his drunken balcony death like Olivia got a last minute reprieve from that stupid refrigerator, it looks like you are shit out of luck as he remains dead.
Poor, poor Winston.
So that is the entire book. Now don't get me wrong, it was pretty awful, but I also fully acknowledge that if she writes another one, I will still be all over that garbage because there's nothing quite like a good train wreck. Oh Sweet Valley, you are totally, yet fascinatingly, awful.


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Mind. Body. Soul.
it all begins here
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Its not everyday that you find a set of videos that involve singing teachers and students having fun, but Westerville South High seemed to have cracked it. They have created a set of videos teaching math using popular rap songs. The result is a great catchy way of learning math concepts such as trigonometry and factorials using math raps. Students interact to make these videos which is an excellent example of collaborative learning in the classroom.
All I do is Solve (All I do is Win – Dj Khalid)
Super Base (Super Base – Nicki Minaj)
Teach me How to Factor (Teach me How to Dougie)
Some of the youtube comments:
Why cant my school learn like this?! heyHEYheyallie 4 months ago 22 likes
Love this!!! It's student/teacher relationships like this that help kids learn, help teachers connect with the students & make school a great learning experience!! I would've LOVED to have teachers like this! Lucyanne1377 3 days ago


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|Topic Review (Newest First)
|i'm about your stats and my fun.kink was a 154. if you're in the park more, get a 154, if you're all mountain more, get a 156. my 154 did fine all mountain, but a bit more edge would not have hurt me.
|Had a look at the whatever today and can get it for a super good price. However, should I get a 154 or 156? I am 5'11 165 pounds..I ride a 154 right now but am unsure if I should go 2cm longer
i rode a fun.kink most of this season, which is just about the same board except one flex rating softer than the whatever. i could do anything on that board... moguls, steeps, trees, jumps, etc... and it could totally handle a lot of speed with no issues. i just sold it to a friend who can't get boards very easily in his country, after he had ridden it for a day, he was soooo excited. i didn't get into park until the last week or two, and it kept me entertained on the mountain, natural jumps and side hits all season.
i was looking at the goliath for next year to replace both my fun.kink and NS SL, as the whatever is very close to what i already had. we'll see.
to answer your ?s:
what's tbt like?
it's amazing. the edge to edge on tbt is so smooth and catch free, but you can still load up the camber for ollies/nollies and that kind of stuff. i like it much better than traditional or reverse camber, or any of the hybrids. carves and skidded turns just seem to roll into each other, and it's a very natural feeling ride.
how well does it ride?
my fun.kink was pretty much the same board, only a slight bit softer, and it's the best board i have been on all winter. i like it way better than any of the other brands/profiles that i have tried. i'm not out there demoing 100's of boards, but i've definitely made it a point this year to try every style of board to see what i like most. aside from traditional camber, tbt is the way.
is the extruded base fast?
yes. it's faster than a lot of the freshly waxed sintered bases i've tried, even after a week of neglect. it takes a beating too.
|I tested it 2 years ago. Loved the tech. Very fun board, very responsive.
I recently (10 days ago) demoed an Evil Twin and a Disaster.
The Evil Twin was too stiff for me so it was a no-go right from the start; I didn't ride it very long.
The Disaster was awesome. Completely catch-free, which was awesome for landing spins and just messing around. I had a bit of trouble launching spins on it tho, because the edge isn't immediately available. I don't know if that's true for all TBT's or only for the Disaster, which is a jib-specific board, or if I just didn't give it enough time. Still, it put a big smile on my face the whole time I was on it.
|Nobody ride bataleon boards?
Bataleon Whatever 2014
Want to try something other than Burton for the 2014/2015 season. (Round of applause please lol jk). Thinking of trying out the Whatever. Whats the triple base tech like? How well does it ride? Is the extruded base fast? Being a guy who has only ever ridden sintered bases will I notice a significant loss of speed? Also what are inserts like compared to the Burton Channel? Noticeable difference?
Any info is appreciated. Many cheers.
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Photo courtesy of New York Cosmos
By DAN KARELL
Before they had played a game, before they had even finished building their roster, the New York Cosmos made it their goal to win the NASL Fall Season.
Last Saturday, the Cosmos realized their goal, defeating the San Antonio Scorpions, 2-1, in typical comeback fashion on the road. The win extended the team's unbeaten run to ten games and gave the Cosmos a place in the NASL Soccer Bowl on November 9.
On Tuesday, in a small ceremony following training at the Cosmos practice facility in Hempstead, N.Y., the Cosmos were awarded the trophy and given a chance to lift it high above their heads as a reward for the team's success this season.
"It feels great," Cosmos midfielder Danny Szetela told SBI in a phone interview. "Our goal from the beginning (of the season) was to get to the Soccer Bowl and to win the fall season and that's what we did. It's another step towards the goal that we made ourselves, to win the Soccer Bowl, so now we have to continue to work hard and prepare for the game."
One of the underlying reasons behind the team's success all season is head coach Giovanni Savarese. In his first year as a head coach, the 41-year-old veteran of American soccer somehow managed to bring an entire team together and mold them into a unit.
Savarese's calming influence on the squad is one aspect which veteran defender Hunter Freeman believes makes the difference with this squad.
"There's been a few games that we've come in at halftime and for me as a player, I felt like he had every right to rip into us a little bit, and he never has," Freeman told SBI. "Maybe the times where I personally thought he was (mad), he's probably been the calmest.
"He always gives us confidence when we're down or maybe we're not playing good or just as a team we look like we're frustrated, he just continues to tell us to do the things we're good at. It's definitely worked and it's part of a successful season so far."
NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson was on hand on Tuesday at the practice facility to present the Fall Season shield to captain Carlos Mendes.
"Winning this trophy and the right to play for the Soccer Bowl is a magnificent achievement by the Cosmos," Peterson told NASL.com. "They had very little time to gel as a team on the field, but found an instant chemistry and lost only once on the way to winning the title."
And the 2 Soccer Bowl teams meet this weekend for the regular season finale. Guess we can call that a "trial run."
I want to see if these guys can do any damage in the Open Cup.
Congratulations Cosmos!
It's their league from now on. No more excitement in NASL unless you live in NY.
OR the other teams can ramp it up a bit.
Its not like the Cosmos spent a lot of money on players other than Senna. Most of these guys are MLS castoffs (Mendes, Freeman, Nane, Reynish) off the scrap heap (Szetela), unknowns ( Diaz), locals (Guenzatti) or past it (Noselli).
Cosmos did a better job scouting & they won. Well deserved.
Archie, how can you say that? the rowdies, strikers and Silverbacks were all in it 'ill the very end.
Is this like the globetrotters beating the nationals?
This team is one of the most interestIng in sports. They easily win their diet year in the second division. Will expect to compete well in the Open Cup against first division teams but won't have an opportunity to move to the first division. There are so many possibilities but something will change if they continue to succeed in fulfilling their plans. What happens if they win an Open Cup? I imagine an ABA/NBA style reconstruction of the major leagues. They could force the hand of those in power in USA soccer in a new direction.
Boy was THIS written by a fanboy.


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All Abilities names new director
May 19, 2013 4:39 AM
Tina Jackson-Heacox has been promoted to executive director of All Abilities Inc., an approved provider of services for people with physical disabilities in 15 counties, including Indiana County.
A resident of Latrobe, Heacox has 15 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities. She spent the last five years with accessAbilities Inc. as a service coordinator and as an attendant care supervisor.
All Abilities provides information and assistance for people with physical disabilities to ensure a connection to resources and services within their communities.
All Abilities is a subsidiary of the accessAbilities Foundation Inc.


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Sanford Center for Health and Well-being Date Night Cooking Series
Enjoy quality time with someone special and learn the art of preparing and cooking cuisine loved around the world. Our date night cooking series including hands-on instruction with the full meal included, so make sure to come hungry.
February 28:
Valentine's Day celebration with French cuisine
(CLASS is FULL)
May 2:
Italian cuisine
(CLASS is FULL)
August 8:
November 7:
Make your own pizza, including styles from New York, Chicago, Naples and more.
$30 per couple (Sushi class is $40/couple). Payment taken at the door
Sanford Center for Health and Well-being
1301 W. 18th St.
Ground Level of the Sanford Heart Hospital
Sioux Falls, SD
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Online Registration closed on Thursday, November 06, 2014.
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