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Majors That Employers Look For The Most
If you're wondering which degree to earn in college, here are ten majors that are at the top of employers' lists.
Let's face it. A lot goes into deciding what to study. Yes, you should be passionate about your major, but you should also want a degree that ups your employability odds upon graduation.
And while most of us already know what we like and what we're good at, we're not as familiar with what employers are looking for.
But fret not - last year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) surveyed employers who are members of the organization about their future hiring plans, and which degrees they would most be on the lookout for. Based off of the employers' answers, NACE put together a list of top ten bachelor's degrees employers want most.
So if you're still having trouble deciding what to study, keep reading to find out which majors have made NACE's list of top ten bachelor's degrees.
Employable Degree #1: Finance
Topping NACE's list of employers' most sought after bachelor's degrees is finance, with nearly 67 percent of companies surveyed saying that they plan to hire candidates who've studied this major.
This is really good news if you're into keeping up with the stock market, or reading financial publications like BusinessWeek or The Wall Street Journal - two activities that could be part of a finance program, says the College Board, a nonprofit organization that promotes higher education.
Click to Find the Right Finance Program.
Why Employers Love It: "As our financial system grows more complex, the demand for finance majors will continue to grow," says Bonnie Kerrigan Snyder, a private college and career consultant and author of "The Unemployed College Graduate's Survival Guide." Why? Well, students in a finance program "understand the basics of economics and how to make complicated financial deals happen."
Career Options*:
Employable Degree #2: Computer and Information Sciences
Coming in at number two on the NACE list is computer and information sciences, with 65.3 percent of employers from the survey saying they plan to hire students who majored in these fields. And this is no surprise, since these majors also held the second spot last year, says the NACE.
This is great news for those who can't keep away from their computer, as according to the College Board, students in this major could learn the way computer systems and humans interact in a computer science program or how to create systems for storing data in an information science program.
Click to Find the Right Computer Science Program.
Why Employers Love It: Today, businesses rely on computers for smooth business operation, says Snyder. In fact, Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, chief career writer and president of Career Trend points out that technology has threaded its way through every job.
She believes computer and information science majors are in demand because "nearly every company needs computer-savvy professionals to keep pace with the company's technology needs, as well as with the dependence on network systems for global virtual operations, and security issues abound. "Those with information technology departments, or whose product development is tech-centric, need these majors, too, says Barrett-Poindexter.
Career Options*:
Employable Degree #3: Accounting
Accounting is the third most popular bachelor's degree, according to NACE. The fact that over 58 percent of employers surveyed are planning to hire accounting majors is the reason it ranked so high. So if you're into numbers - you're in luck.
Accounting majors not only learn to create balance sheets, but they also learn to prepare tax filings, says the College Board. Students may also spend time learning to keep track of financial transactions and interpret financial performance and risks.
Click to Find the Right Accounting Program.
Why Employers Love It: Employers value this degree because accounting majors know how to track where money comes and goes, and that is essential for business operations, says Snyder. Barrett-Poindexter agrees and says, "It's all about the bottom line, and accounting directly impacts the numbers. Virtually all employers, even those who outsource this function, value this degree."
Career Options*:
Employable Degree #4: Business Administration and Management
And what major has the fourth spot on NACE's list of top bachelor's degrees? Business administration and management. In fact, 55.6 percent of employers who were surveyed said that they want to hire candidates who graduate from this program.
In a business administration and management program, the College Board says you could learn the ins and outs of controlling an organization's activities. You might even discuss case studies of issues affecting real companies. So if you enjoy leadership roles and have solid problem-solving skills, this might be a good option for you, says the College Board.
Click to Find the Right Business Administration Program.
Why Employers Love It: This degree increases your employability because "it ensures employers that you understand how their business operates and that you grasp their core operating concerns," says Snyder. Not only that but it also "prepares you to compete for a wide variety of entry-level positions."
Career Options*:
Employable Degree #5: Mechanical Engineering
Ranking at number five on the list is mechanical engineering. In fact, half of employers that NACE surveyed plan to hire these graduates, making this the top in-demand engineering degree. But what does it take to pursue this degree?
Well, according to the College Board, it helps to be "a fan of science and math, a creative problem solver, and someone who likes to take things apart to find out how they work."
Click to Find the Right Engineering Program.
Why Employers Love It: In a mechanical engineering program, students develop the skills needed to help businesses improve and streamline their technological efficiency, says Snyder. Because of this, "they are central to the core technology of every manufacturing enterprise," says Snyder, making them attractive candidates.
Career Options*:
Employable Degree #6: Management Information Systems
Nearly half of employers are looking for these majors to fill job positions, making management information systems (MIS) the sixth bachelor's degree in demand from the NACE study.
The College Board says that if you're usually the one explaining technology to others, this might be a great fit for you. As an MIS major, you could focus on learning how to make technology work and how businesses use it.
Click to Find the Right Information Systems Program.
Why Employers Love It: Information systems students gain the knowledge needed to oversee an entire organization's technology planning process, Snyder says. Not only that, but they also develop the specific technical skills needed to implement and sustain the system once it's in place, adds Snyder.
Career Options*:
Employable Degree #7: Electrical Engineering
If you're a hardcore science fan and have a thing for electricity, majoring in electrical engineering might be the best way to go. This degree is in demand by 49 percent of the employers surveyed by NACE.
But the best part is that you'll learn how electricity works and come up with your own electric-powered projects if you major in electrical engineering, says the College Board. "You'll get to build things like logic circuits, processors, amplifiers, and even small vehicles and security systems," it says.
Click to Find the Right Engineering Program.
Why Employers Love It: Employers need electrical engineering majors because they are the only ones with the skills to translate the potential power of electricity into safe applications that everyone can access, says Snyder. "They literally make businesses run!"
Not only is our world powered by electricity, but many products require the expertise of electrical engineering majors to design microchips, communications systems, and medical devices, says Barrett-Poindexter. Plus, the degree is invaluable for companies incorporating the use of laser and robots to solve problems. Engineering firms, energy companies, and telecommunications organizations are a few of the types of employers who need professionals with this degree, she adds.
Career Options*:
Employable Degree #8: Computer Engineering
Almost 44 percent of employers say they will hire those who've graduated from this major. And computer engineering not only holds the number eight spot on NACE's list of top in-demand bachelor's degrees, but it also ranked third in its list of top engineering degrees in demand.
This is great news for those who'd like to know what makes computers work, since according to the College Board, students in this degree program learn to develop computer hardware and software. But that's not all you have to like. An interest in solving math problems could be a good asset, since the College Board adds that you could spend lots of time figuring out tough math problems, and might take courses like calculus and discrete mathematics.
Click to Find the Right Engineering Program.
Why Employers Love It: "Every businessperson needs someone to call when it's time to set up a new computer network, create new business-specific software, upgrade Internet security, or just to handle an annoying Error 404 message," says Snyder. Computer engineering majors are equipped to handle all this and more and this makes them employable, she adds.
Career Options*:
Employable Degree #9: Marketing
Do you enjoy watching TV commercials more than you enjoy watching TV shows? Then you might want to enroll in a bachelor's degree in marketing. Why? Because this major ranked ninth in NACE's report, with 41 percent of employers surveyed saying that they are seeking these majors.
As for what you'll study, the College Board says you could analyze past advertising campaigns and learn how to build a loyal group of customers. Learning to discover why consumers buy the things they do is also part of this program, along with consumer behavior and marketing research courses.
Click to Find the Right Marketing Program.
Why Employers Love It: "Marketing is at the heartbeat of promotion, public relations, and sales," says Barrett-Poindexter. These majors are needed because they drive traffic to a company's door, "especially in today's highly competitive environment and with the explosion of serving customers on the Internet and through social networking," she says.
Career Options*:
Employable Degree #10: Economics
And finally in tenth place, is a bachelor's degree in economics. Even though it comes in the last place of NACE's list of top in-demand degrees, that doesn't mean its demand is low. In fact, a whopping 40.3 percent of employers from the survey say they will hire economics graduates.
So what will you study in an economics program? Well, according to the College Board, you'll learn about economic systems and models, and may take courses like international trade and econometrics. You might also have to compare Republican and Democratic tax plans and play investment simulations games with fellow students, says the College Board. Oh, and let's not forget reading up on the news every day.
Click to Find the Right Business Program.
Why Employers Love It: "Those who understand economics have an advantage in understanding the bottom-line fundamentals that drive all business success," says Snyder. And employers like that. "It makes them irresistible hires," she says.
Career Options*:
* All career options listed are from the 2012-2013 U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook. The Department of Labor cites the associated degrees as common, required, preferred, or one of a number of degrees acceptable as preparation for the potential career. In some instances, candidates might require further schooling, professional certifications, or experience, before being qualified to pursue the career.
Next Article: Flexible Degrees That Busy People Can Earn »
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Shop a collection of jewelry-making essentials including bails, earwires, headpins, spacer bars and other must-have jewelry findings to complete your designs.
Choose between precious metals, plated or finished pieces such as gunmetal, sterling silver-filled, antiqued copper and others. You'll also find brand named components like Swarovski, JBB Findings and TierraCast®.
Stock your workbench with these jewelry-making staples.
Save money per item – and save time reordering – by bulking up on the findings you use most. Take advantage of bulk package sizes, in best-selling finding components, and get more bang for your beading buck. Repackage for quick and profitable resale.

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- 1 Motorcyclist, 29, dies in early morning wreck
- 2 Teen hits ledge, not water, in Sabino cliff jump
- 3 Cities reel from ballooning Pima Animal Care costs
- 4 Estate gives $50 million for UA scholarships, research
- 5 UA football: Should Arizona schedule harder nonconference games?
- 6 As coach, Dykes still trying to find his way
- 7 Cats hope to end drought in Pac-12 openers
- 8 Gay marriage undermines traditional nuptials, state argues
- 9 Syphilis cases rise sharply in Pima County
- 10 Athlon Sports ranks Wildcats No. 3
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By Gavin Keefe
Publication: theday.com
UConn junior Enosch Wolf is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a concussion in practice on Friday.
Wolf, a 7-foot-1, 245-pound center, tweeted about his injury.
"Hate concussions! Especially 3 in 10 months. I just wanna put that UConn jersey on and play ball!!!"
He had two concussions last season, including one prior to the Big East tournament in March that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
The Huskies can't afford any injuries to an already thin frontcourt. Coach Kevin Ollie is taking a cautious with Wolf.
"It's his third concussion," Ollie said. "We just don't want it to get to a point where he has to retire from basketball. ... He's feeling much better now but we just want to see once he starts doing cardio if the side effects come back."
Wolf is the only true center on the roster. The Huskies have only two other players over 6-8 in junior Tyler Olander and freshman Phillip Nolan, two 6-9 forwards.
The news comes just over a week before UConn's exhibition opener Nov. 1 against American International College. The season opener is Nov. 9 against Michigan State at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Ollie expects that Wolf will make the trip to Germany.
For regular UConn basketball updates, follow me on Twitter @GavinKeefe
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If your vacation entails a busy schedule of relaxing on charming beaches where the alarm is only set to watch the sunset, then Bethany Beach might be right for you. This quiet Delaware resort practically breeds award-winning restaurants, tax-free shopping hubs and picturesque spots for the whole family to enjoy. Named one of the "Best Secret Beaches on Earth" by Travel + Leisure Magazine, Bethany Beach sits along the Atlantic Ocean with a boatload of vistas. Live it up in HomeAway's condo rentals, where the beach is only minutes from your doorstop.
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Each morning, KHQ's team mom, Beverley, has set us up with fun live shot locations for our shows. The Empire State Building. Lombardi's Pizza. Ripley's Believe It Or Not. This morning, we left it up to our viewers to decide where in New York City we were going to go (with Beverley working quietly behind the scenes to get us access). Who knew that between going through Central Park on a horse-drawn carriage and visiting Toys R Us, the toy store would win big?
Don't get me wrong. The carriage ride was awesome. Saul was kind enough to give us a tour of the 800-plus acre park, with his trust steed, Charlie, pulling us every step of the way. Saul told us about the Plaza Hotel and the numerous movies that were shot there (including Home Alone 2). We also found out that Tommy Hilfiger bought an apartment overlooking Central Park for $50 million, and flipped it a few years later for $80 mil. And that a Russion billionaire spent a record $88 million on his apartment. Makes your mortgage or rent seem a little more reasonable back in Spokane, doesn't it?
After a quick bagel breakfast sandwich near Central Park (sadly, we couldn't find the "Central Perk" from Friends), we hoofed it over to Times Square, without the help of Charlie the horse. We made good speed, arriving well in time for our next morning live shot at Toys R Us. We got to see a 60-foot tall ferris wheel INSIDE the store... a 34-foot long T-Rex (fake, but with an imposing roar)... Folks, this place is huge. 110,000 square feet. That's a lot of toys.
I knew ahead of time that Todd McFarlane would be there signing autographs, so that was a lucky break. For those of you not in the know, he played baseball at Spokane Falls and Eastern Washington in college. His "Spawn" comic series was wildly successful in the 1990's, giving him enough money for him to buy millions of dollars in sports memorabilia, including Mark McGwire's 70th homerun ball. If I had to describe him, I'd say he's a lot like me. But with hair. I'm a closet geek at heart... I love video games and comic book movies. Always have. Todd is a geek-sports hybrid. He told me there weren't a lot of guys like that back when he was doing Comic Con (a giant Comic Book Convention), and that it was difficult to relate to fans sometimes because they were so hardcore into comics, but had zero interest in sports. Those Marvel and DC movies have brought comics to the mainstream and made them cool.
But folks, I've buried the lead here. As we strolled up to get some video of McFarlane shaking hands and signing autographs, I couldn't help but notice Stan Lee at the table. THE Stan Lee, ribbing McFarlane with jokes and posing for cell phone photos. The Spiderman creator, now in his 90's, was hamming it up for the cameras, telling everyone to focus on Stan and not Todd, giving his younger contemporary a hard time for having a dozen different pens to autograph with. It was a surreal moment to see these two standing side-by-side in this unscripted moment.
Though I didn't ask for an autograph or a photo, I did decide to push my luck and ask for a one-on-one interview, and Mr. Lee happily obliged. He's a great New Yorker, folks. I asked him when the next Avengers movie is coming out ("soon"). I asked him about his cameos in the Marvel movies (he doesn't decide the role, but he always goes along for the ride). Most importantly, he told me he's rooting for the Seahawks, "because they're the underdogs. So I'm rooting for them, and when I'm rooting for someone, they better win."
No pressure, Seahawks.


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16 U.S. Code Chapter 39 - MINING ACTIVITY WITHIN NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM AREAS
- § 1901. Congressional findings and declaration of policy
- § 1902. Preservation and management of areas by Secretary of the Interior; promulgation of regulations
- §§ 1903 to 1906. Omitted
- § 1907. Recordation of mining claims; publication of notice
- § 1908. Damage to natural and historical landmarks; procedures for determination and enforcement of abatement of damaging activities
- § 1909. Severability
- § 1910. Civil actions for just compensation by mining claim holders
- § 1911. Acquisition of land by Secretary
- § 1912. Financial disclosure by officer or employee of Secretary
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October 14, 2011
Realize the Benefits of Cloud Computing with Office 365
In today's economy, the cliché "time is money" has never been truer. Businesses are getting busier while their resources fluctuate. With Office 365, a combination of Microsoft's most trusted communications and collaboration products—Microsoft SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Lync —and the latest version of Microsoft Office desktop suite and companion web applications, you get the tools to weather these changes.
Office 365 is simple to use and administer. It offers robust security, IT-level phone support, geo-redundancy, disaster recovery, and business-class privacy controls and standards. And it enables you to serve users of all kinds—from power users to fly-by workers—with the same Office tools and information. Whether they're in airports, offices, or taxis, using their PCs, phones, or browsers, users can work productively and securely.
Benefits at a Glance
- Stay in control: Maximize your current technology investments, deploy at a workable pace, and harvest the benefits of the cloud by integrating cloud-based and on-premises workloads.
- Boost your return on investment: Read about ROI potential for midsize businesses and enterprises in the June 2011 commissioned Forrester Consulting study: "The Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Office 365."
- Ride out business changes with scalability: The globally redundant architecture of Office 365 allows you to scale your infrastructure alongside changes in your business.
- Be guaranteed uptime: Microsoft provides a financially-backed 99.9% uptime guarantee for Office 365.
- Leverage existing technology investments. Access, integrate, distribute and manage data and information across organizations more efficiently and effectively.
Meet Some Office 365 Experts
Atidan, LLC: Headquartered in Yardley, Pennsylvania, Atidan provides planning and support around Office 365 and SharePoint Online solutions. "When it comes to the cloud, one size does not fit all," the company says.
BCG Systems, Inc: BCG Systems offers Microsoft cloud computing implementation and support, and is located in Akron, Ohio.
New Signature: Washington, DC-based New Signature provides Office 365 strategy and implementation services to customers of all sizes—from nonprofit organizations to commercial enterprises, from sole proprietors to Fortune 1000 firms.
Vorsite: Vorsite provides "seamless on-boarding of cloud solutions, leveraging our careful investigation of your business and technical environment." Solutions include: Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Live Meeting, and others. Vorsite is based in Seattle, Washington.


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Like us on Facebook for inter-esting movie poster-related stuff:
Babel dvd coverCopyright by respective production studio and/or distributor. Intended for editorial use only.
Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal, Adriana Barraza, Harriet Walter, Peter Wight, Koji Yakusho, Rinko Kikuchi, Mohamed Akhzam
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As the families of two
more of the Chardon High School shooting victims prepare to bury their sons,
dozens of community members flocked to Chardon Square looking for comfort.
Marissa Steiner reads the
St. Joseph's prayer written on the candle she brought to the square Sunday
afternoon. "You just don't know what to do. So you bring some candles..
and flowers. Our hearts are still aching" says Steiner.
The downtown gazebo has become a place where
anyone can come to pay their respects to the Chardon High School shooting
victims. Residents can view candles, flowers, pictures and words of healing and
strength for the victims' families.
Chardon Square now serves
as a reminder of who was lost nearly one week ago, and what will never be
Monday morning, February
27th, suspected student gunman TJ Lane reportedly opened fire at
Chardon High School shooting five students. Three of the students later died.
Lane was taken into
custody about an hour after the shooting and was charged Thursday with three
counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one
count of felonious assault.
2012 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Chardon High School Shooting One student killed, four others injured after being shot at Chardon High School See Photos More>>


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Masonry barbecues can provide an attractive focal point in any garden, the santiago barbecue is built using reconstituted stone and marble meaning it is long lasting.
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Did you know that Greenland has their very own Grand Canyon? Neither did Greenland. Until now.
Scientists and geologists with NASA have discovered that under the 660,000 square miles of ice that covers Greenland, lies a gigantic canyon about twice the size of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Unlike most big canyons in the United States that were created by glaciers, the Greenland canyon was almost certainly created by an ancient river. A river that science people think still runs under the ice from about the middle of the country into the Arctic Sea.
Here's a 3-D image of the canyon under Greenland's ice sheet, courtesy of J. Bamber at The University of Bristol.
Just when you think that everything on this planet has been discovered, along comes news like this. Mother Earth continues to surprise us with her majestic beauty and mystique.


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Pepcid AC Maximum Strength - 100 ct.
by Pepcid | Item #: 371327 |
Even at night, Maximum Strength Pepcid AC is strong enough to prevent tough heartburn or relieve it after it strikes. So relax, knowing you have strength on your side all day or all night.*
Maximum Strength Pepcid AC lasts all day or all night.* You can even take it as little as 10 minutes before an evening meal.
Does heartburn keep you from falling asleep at night? Then let Maximum Strength Pepcid AC come to the rescue. It works on tough heartburn, even at night. So start dreaming, heartburn free.
* Based on 9-hour acid control studies during the day and 12-hour acid control studies during the night. Acid control does not imply symptom relief.
Prevents heartburn if taken 10 to 60 minutes before a meal.
Assembled Size
100 ct.
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Warranty InformationThis product is covered by the Sam's Club Member Satisfaction Guarantee.
There is no additional information available for this item.


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customers bought with this dress
Peep-Toe Platform Pumps with Crystal Bows Style VW370143 3 3
Gorgeous! Perfect fit! I purchased this pair on line for my wedding on October, and got them after a week..I didn't have to wait very long. They're amazing and they fit perfectly! I like the vintage style to it, which goes with my theme. I just can't wait to wear them on my wedding day.. I'm very happy to have bought this pair. August 28, 2013
Comfy This is a comfy shoe for having a 5 inch heel. The crystal bow is the perfect touch on this modern platform. I tried these on with my gown and did not have any problems walking in them. I say, if you're looking for height and are accustomed to walking in heels, then go for it because these are as good as its going to get in terms of comfort and style. August 25, 2013
Love these SHOES!!!! I bought these shoes to go with my after party dress. They are comfortable and I can't wait to show them off June 22, 2013 May 6, 2013
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Evening Reading: 3D 3DHere's a fresh chatty for you all to enjoy on this Friday night. We've had our ups and we've had our downs, but it's been a pretty good first week to start off the new year. It will no doubt be remembered as vividly and with the same fondness as all the other first-weeks-of-the-year past. That is, not much at all.
The weekend is almost upon us. May yours be as fun and exciting as an endless stream of sharp news, snappy headlines, and witty comments from Faylor, Alice, Garnett, Jeff, and the rest of the Shack.
In case you missed it, here's a taste of all the fun and excitement we had today:
- PlayStation 3 getting into the 3D game
- Lost Planet 2 hands-on impressions
- Heavy Rain gets a release date
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta details revealed
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NIH Conference on Tobacco Use Identifies Research Gaps
An NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on "Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control" issued a draft statement at the conclusion of its June 12-14 meeting that identifies the research, programs, and policies necessary to achieve further progress in reducing the individual and societal burdens of tobacco-related illnesses.
Dr. Mark Clanton, NCI deputy director and deputy director for Cancer Care Delivery Systems, stated, "We're here for this important and timely conference because tobacco prevention, treatment, and control research are so important to improving the nation's health. The purpose is to facilitate an objective review of the evidence: to clarify what is known and to identify what research gaps remain."
Panel Chairman Dr. David F. Ransohoff, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, stated that tobacco use remains the nation's leading preventable cause of premature death and that cigarette smoking alone is responsible for more than 30 percent of cancer deaths annually. Despite declines in tobacco use in recent decades, Dr. Ransohoff noted that "it is unlikely that the Healthy People 2010 objectives of reducing smoking prevalence to 12 percent or less in adults and 16 percent or less in youth will be reached on schedule." Read more
Using NCI's Expertise to Prepare for Avian Flu
Avian flu strain H5N1 represents a potentially devastating threat to public health in the United States, and preparation for its arrival on our shores is one of our nation's utmost priorities.
Responding to a potential public health threat from a virus is nothing new for NCI. Twenty-five years ago with the emergence of HIV/AIDS, the viral oncology expertise within NCI was mobilized, resulting in the successful development of therapies that have had global health impact on people living with HIV/AIDS. Read more
NIH Conference on Tobacco Use Identifies Research Gaps
An NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on "Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control" issued a draft statement at the conclusion of its June 12-14 meeting that identifies the research, programs, and policies necessary to achieve further progress in reducing the individual and societal burdens of tobacco-related illnesses.
Dr. Mark Clanton, NCI deputy director and deputy director for Cancer Care Delivery Systems, stated, "We're here for this important and timely conference because tobacco prevention, treatment, and control research are so important to improving the nation's health. The purpose is to facilitate an objective review of the evidence: to clarify what is known and to identify what research gaps remain."
Panel Chairman Dr. David F. Ransohoff, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, stated that tobacco use remains the nation's leading preventable cause of premature death and that cigarette smoking alone is responsible for more than 30 percent of cancer deaths annually. Despite declines in tobacco use in recent decades, Dr. Ransohoff noted that "it is unlikely that the Healthy People 2010 objectives of reducing smoking prevalence to 12 percent or less in adults and 16 percent or less in youth will be reached on schedule."
About 70 percent of the nation's 44.5 million adult smokers want to quit, but fewer than 5 percent succeed in a given year. "Despite strong evidence that a variety of pharmacologic and behavioral interventions are effective for tobacco cessation, only a small proportion of tobacco users receive them," the draft report notes. "This gap represents a major national quality-of-care problem."
The conference panel addressed several key questions, including: "What are the effective strategies for increasing the implementation of proven, population-level, tobacco-use cessation strategies, particularly by health care systems and communities?" Evidence suggests that media campaigns, telephone-counseling programs (quitlines), and increases in tobacco pricing and taxation are effective.
"Although some approaches are promising, considerable heterogeneity exists within each approach type," the draft report notes. "For example, telephone counseling programs vary in intensity, referral sources, and inclusion of pharmacotherapy." The panel recommended research to examine the effectiveness of different components of telephone-based counseling, including "population quitlines vs. provider-associated programs, self-referral vs. provider referral to telephone-based counseling, and bundling of services within programs."
The panel also addressed the question, "What research is needed to make the most progress and greatest public health gains nationally and internationally?" Their recommendations include determining the effectiveness of incorporating social context in interventions and evaluating approaches to reduce tobacco use in populations that "are particularly vulnerable or where tobacco has a disproportionately adverse effect, including people who have co-occurring conditions."
Dr. Clanton commented, "While tobacco use is decreasing in developed countries like the United States, it is increasing in developing countries. A better understanding of how effective strategies for tobacco prevention and treatment can be developed and implemented across diverse populations, as well as better methods to reduce health disparities, is crucial to accelerate progress to reduce tobacco use both in the United States and worldwide."
By Bill Robinson
Using NCI's Expertise to Prepare for Avian Flu
Avian flu strain H5N1 represents a potentially devastating threat to public health in the United States, and preparation for its arrival on our shores is one of our nation's utmost priorities.
Responding to a potential public health threat from a virus is nothing new for NCI. Twenty-five years ago with the emergence of HIV/AIDS, the viral oncology expertise within NCI was mobilized, resulting in the successful development of therapies that have had global health impact on people living with HIV/AIDS.
As with HIV/AIDS, an avian flu pandemic could be particularly catastrophic for some of the most vulnerable populations, including cancer patients, who constitute the largest segment of immunocompromised patients in the country and would be most susceptible to this deadly strain. In addition, the impact of a pandemic would be felt for decades to come, as it could compromise many clinical trials and render useless the resources devoted to those trials.
At my urging, NCI's Center for Cancer Research (CCR) has recognized this threat and developed an excellent preparedness and response plan. The plan draws on the impressive breadth of knowledge and know-how of CCR scientists, outlining the role CCR could play, in general, in responding to an avian flu pandemic, but more specifically in aiding cancer patients and oncology care professionals.
Among the vital activities CCR scientists would perform in the case of a pandemic is the development of high-throughput molecular assays for diagnosing flu strains and detecting genotypes of the flu that are resistant to antiviral agents.
Advanced testing technologies already available in CCR laboratories for use in HIV-related research can be quickly adapted to highly sensitive tests for the H5N1 strain. Accurate testing will be extremely important in the case of an avian flu pandemic. The availability of effective antiviral agents would likely be limited, thus accurate tests that can ensure that such drugs are not used in people with nonvirulent influenza strains or strains that are resistant to those agents are imperative.
In view of their expertise in conducting phase I and II trials, CCR researchers also are well positioned to rapidly perform trials of newer antiviral agents, such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in pediatric and adult patients.
Also, because we cannot predict the exact strain of an avian flu pandemic, vaccines that elicit broad immunity will be critical. The specialized skills of CCR researchers in developing vaccines designed to work in immunocompromised individuals will be of paramount importance in these efforts.
Beyond research, CCR would have an important role in training oncologists and oncology nurses to diagnose, prevent, and treat avian flu infections in their patients. Under this plan, the more than 125 physicians and clinical associates in CCR could be trained in activities such as vaccine administration, managing vaccine and antiviral stockpiles, and using and interpreting rapid diagnostic tests; they could then become part of rapid response teams sent around the country to combat the pandemic.
I'd like to offer my sincere congratulations to CCR Director Dr. Bob Wiltrout and all of the CCR staff who helped to develop this plan. I'm hopeful that it will be one that we'll never need to act on, but, if we do, I'm confident in NCI's ability to help soften the impact of an avian flu pandemic.
Dr. John E. Niederhuber
Of Dogs and Men: Lessons on the Fight Against Cancer
In a story featured early last year, the NCI Cancer Bulletin highlighted a program, then just getting underway, that helps answer human clinical research questions through studies that include pet dogs that have developed naturally occurring cancers. Now the program has convened a Comparative Oncology Trials Consortium (COTC), led by Dr. Chand Khanna of NCI's Center for Cancer Research (CCR), and several of the participating institutions are nearing the end of their first trial.
"CCR has added value to cancer research by taking on this responsibility, bringing people from the pharmaceutical industry, the federal government, and the veterinary community together," says Dr. Khanna. "I think this is quite important. It's one of the ways the intramural program at NCI is valuable. We can respond quickly and coordinate large projects successfully."
COTC includes 14 veterinary teaching hospitals across the country. All members have met strict staffing criteria and have MRI and CT imaging equipment, a dedicated clinical trial coordinator, tissue banking capability, onsite radiation therapy, and experience in electronic data reporting.
"Our clinical trials are monitored and reported on the same bioinformatics backbone that exists for human clinical trials," says Dr. Khanna. He notes that the technological platforms they use all comply with NCI technology initiatives, such as caBIG™, and that a parallel program, the Canine Comparative Oncology and Genomics Consortium, is guiding their tissue-banking efforts so that the potential of tissues collected in these trials can be maximized.
COTC's inaugural study is testing the targeted delivery of the cytokine TNF-alpha to tumor blood vessels in dogs. The TNF-alpha gene is delivered through viruses that are labeled with arginine-glycine-aspartic acid, a combination of amino acids that "sticks" to proteins found prominently in tumor vasculature. COTC investigators at the veterinary schools of the University of Tennessee, Colorado State University, the University of Missouri, and the University of Pennsylvania are participanting in this first canine clinical trial.
Dr. Steven K. Libutti, head of CCR's Tumor Angiogenesis Section in the Surgery Branch, developed the biological rationale for the study. He says that there are early indications that the targeted vector is reaching its desired destination and is not causing toxicity in the dogs. Full results will likely be published before the end of this year. "If we can confirm tumor targeting, this will make the vector extremely interesting to us for use in human clinical trials," he says.
There are distinct advantages to studies that evaluate novel human clinical agents in canines. Dogs are genetically more similar to humans than are mice, and because of their large body size, their physiology lends itself to human comparison. Also, dogs naturally develop many of the same cancers that people develop, while lab mice must be genetically engineered or triggered to develop these diseases.
Naturally occurring tumors consist of cells that are genetically diverse. The consequences of this diversity include disease recurrence and emergent resistance to therapy, problems frequently encountered in human cancer patients. Another result is metastasis, which occurs naturally in dogs with cancer, as it does in humans.
In addition to the comparable complexity of their tumor biology, an advantage of testing clinical interventions in dogs is that investigators can perform serial biopsies before and after treatment to see how a new agent is affecting the tumor over time - something that's difficult to do in human trials.
"We have some really exciting opportunities as a result of this initiative," says Dr. Khanna. He notes that the consortium is engaged in conversations with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about how data from the COTC trials could be included in the drug development pathway for new human drugs.
"One aspect of this discussion is when it's appropriate for canine trials to be conducted, and when it is not," says Dr. Khanna. "Our goal is to determine how these complex, relatively expensive, large-animal studies can complement mouse and other preclinical models and optimize the drug development process."
In the current trial, Dr. Libutti notes that if it demonstrates targeting of spontaneous tumors in dogs, "we can potentially study the activity of a wide variety of agents that have the potential to be active in the local tumor microenvironment. Such therapies may be beneficial both to the pet animals with tumors, as well as to our patients.
"It's an excellent example of how dogs can truly be man's best friend," he says. "In this case, both man and dog have the potential to benefit."
By Brittany Moya del Pino
In his keynote speech last week at "Genomics and Cancer," the 2006 General Motors Cancer Research Foundation's Annual Scientific Conference on the NIH campus, Dr. Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute, noted some of the significant advances that have resulted from the mapping of the human genome, referring to it as "biology's first great community-building infrastructure."
The conference featured some of the world's leading scientists in the field of genomics and cancer research, including Dr. Napoleone Ferrara of Genentech, Inc., who was the Research Award winner for his discovery and cloning of VEGF and his role in developing bevacizumab, and Dr. Victor Velculescu of Johns Hopkins University, who described the genetic alterations in PIK3CA, one of the most highly mutated oncogenes in human cancer.
The completed genome sequence, Dr. Lander stressed, has "lit the fires of imagination" among many researchers, resulting in tools that have fundamentally altered the way in which they work.
He outlined six major goals that must be reached to fulfill the promise of genomics. Among these, he argued, is the need to fully describe, at the molecular and cellular level, all functional elements encoded in the genome and all human genetic variation. By mapping the cancer genome, through projects such as The Cancer Genome Atlas, he added, researchers will continue to break cancer down into distinct diseases and subtypes, and map out that part of the human genome relevant to each.
He also highlighted the need to develop genetic signatures of cellular response, singling out the "connectivity map" being proposed and developed by Dr. Todd Golub and colleagues that "allows researchers to essentially 'Google'" a cell signature they are working on, and get possible matches for drugs and pathway mechanisms they might never have considered. Video of the conference is available at http://videocast.nih.gov/PastEvents.asp?c=1.
New Drugs Benefit Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Two experimental drugs are expanding treatment options for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who cannot tolerate imatinib (Gleevec), the primary treatment. The drugs, dasatinib (Sprycel) and nilotinib, were designed to overcome imatinib resistance, and results from clinical trials suggest that the medicines can be used to treat cases of CML when imatinib fails or is not tolerated.
Dasatinib is expected to be approved in the coming weeks by the FDA based on the recent recommendation of an advisory panel, which reviewed results from early-stage clinical trials. The complete results from a phase I dasatinib trial, led by Dr. Charles Sawyers of UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, appear in the June 15 New England Journal of Medicine along with results from a phase I trial involving nilotinib.
The two trials provide "immediate hope for patients" whose CML cells no longer respond to imatinib, says Dr. Brian Druker of Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute, who led the development of imatinib, in an accompanying editorial. The results, he says, demonstrate the clinical value of understanding the molecular changes that result in imatinib resistance because this knowledge led to the development of the new drugs at an "impressively rapid" pace.
Dasatinib, manufactured by Bristol-Meyers Squibb, targets nearly all the genetic mutations that cause resistance to imatinib. To create nilotinib, chemists at Novartis modified imatinib so that the drug binds more tightly to its target, the ABL protein. Both drugs, which are pills, are more potent inhibitors of the ABL protein than is imatinib; the drugs inhibited all tested imatinib-resistant mutations except one, called T315I.
Dr. Hagop Kantarjian of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, who led the nilotinib trial, says that imatinib should remain the standard of care for now because most CML patients respond to imatinib and 93 percent of them are doing well after 5 years of treatment. Phase II studies of the drug are ongoing. Like dasatinib, nilotinib has side effects, and patients should have their heart function monitored, the researchers said.
The editorial suggests that the drugs might be useful at earlier stages of CML, and clinical trials are being planned. "The good news for patients with CML is that the long-term prospects for control of the disease are excellent," writes Dr. Druker.
Melanosomes Contribute to Multidrug Resistance in Melanoma
Melanoma, the most deadly of skin cancers, is resistant to radiation therapy and to many chemotherapeutic drugs, making adjuvant treatment difficult. Currently, the cellular mechanisms behind the multidrug resistance of melanoma are not well understood. A new study from researchers in NCI's CCR, published online June 15 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has identified an important role in resistance to chemotherapy for melanosomes - the organelles within pigment-producing skin cells that protect them from the toxic byproducts of pigment synthesis.
The investigators, led by Dr. Michael Gottesman, administered fluorescently labeled cisplatin to both melanoma cells and control cells from a non-melanoma skin cancer line. The labeled drug was found in the cytoplasm of melanoma cells but not in the nuclei, where it would exert its cytotoxic effect. In contrast, the drug was found in both the cytoplasm and nuclei of control cells. In melanoma cells, cisplatin found near the plasma membrane colocalized with a melanosome marker, suggesting that it was trapped inside the organelles.
Further in vitro experiments indicated that treating melanoma cells with cisplatin caused an increased production of the pigment melanin and a corresponding increase in the number of melanosomes. The melanoma cells then exported the melanosomes containing the cytotoxic drug out of the nucleus through a mechanism called melanosome transfer.
"The components that regulate the dynamics of melanosomes (i.e., melanosome numbers, melanosomal trapping, and export) are likely involved in drug resistance," wrote the authors. "In principle, the components of the entire melanogenic pathway could be molecular targets for the therapy of melanomas."
AHRQ Study Details Effectiveness of Anemia Drugs
A study released in May by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) finds there is no clinically significant difference in the medical effectiveness of epoetin and darbepoetin, the two drugs commonly used for managing anemia in cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment. The drugs showed no clinically significant difference in improving hemoglobin concentration and reducing the need for transfusion, according to AHRQ's latest comparative effectiveness review.
The review found that both drugs reduce the need for transfusion. But, it did not find evidence that they improved survival when added to cancer treatment. The report also found that many other significant questions remain unanswered about the safety and best use of both drugs.
The report, Comparative Effectiveness of Epoetin and Darbepoetin for Managing Anemia in Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment, was produced by AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program, the first federal program designed to compare alternative treatments for significant health conditions and make the findings public.
Anemia occurs in 13 to 78 percent of patients with solid tumors and 30 to 40 percent of lymphoma patients. Blood transfusion can restore a low hemoglobin concentration, and adverse transfusion-related events are uncommon.
Drugs that mimic the actions of erythropoietin can be used to correct anemia and reduce the need for transfusions. Two drugs are commercially available in the United States - epoetin alfa (Epogen and Procrit) and darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp), a newer, longer acting drug that requires fewer injections.
The review compared the drugs' effectiveness and safety. In particular, it sought to determine whether darbepoetin differed from epoetin in its ability to achieve key treatment goals. The evidence showed that the drugs did not differ significantly in reducing transfusion need; it was uncertain whether either drug had a meaningful effect in improving quality of life.
Development of Advanced Genomic Characterization Technologies
This funding opportunity will use the R21 award mechanism. For more information, see http://cri.nci.nih.gov/4abst.cfm?initiativeparfa_id=3491. Inquiries: Dr. Daniela S. Gerhard - email@example.com
Development of Advanced Genomic Characterization Technologies
This funding opportunity will use the R43 and R44 award mechanisms. For more information, see http://cri.nci.nih.gov/4abst.cfm?initiativeparfa_id=3492. Inquiries: Dr. Daniela S. Gerhard - firstname.lastname@example.com
Development of Advanced Genomic Characterization Technologies
This funding opportunity will use the R41 and R42 award mechanisms. For more information, see http://cri.nci.nih.gov/4abst.cfm?initiativeparfa_id=3493. Inquiries: Dr. Daniela S. Gerhard - email@example.com
Targeted Therapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Name of the Trial
Principal Investigator
Why This Trial Is Important
Clinical trials have shown that chemotherapy with the drug docetaxel improves the survival of men with metastatic, androgen-independent prostate cancer. Currently, the combination of docetaxel and prednisone, a steroid drug, is approved by the FDA for treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer.
This trial is evaluating the addition of two targeted therapies, bevacizumab and thalidomide, to chemotherapy with docetaxel and prednisone. Bevacizumab and thalidomide both interfere with the formation of new blood vessels in tumors, which is required for tumor growth and survival. These targeted therapies inhibit different cell-signaling pathways used by tumors to make new blood vessels and should, therefore, be more effective when given together than when either is given alone.
The preliminary results of this trial have been promising. "Of the 26 patients we've enrolled so far, only one patient has come off the trial for progression of disease," said Dr. Dahut. "The trial has been open for about a year, and the median survival of these patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer is about 15 months. That patients are still responding after a year is encouraging."
Who Can Join This Trial
Study Site and Contact Information
An archive of "Featured Clinical Trial" columns is available at http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/ft-all-featured-trials.
On June 21 and 22, A Lion in the House , a two-part documentary about childhood cancer, will air on the "Independent Lens" series on most public television stations across the country. The 4-hour documentary details 6 years in the lives of five young people aged 6 to 19 - and their families - as they undergo cancer treatment at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. In a review of the film, The Lancet called it a "fascinating tale of bravery and hope."
At the Children's Inn at NIH last week, representatives from the national media heard the inside story of the making of A Lion in the House . The discussion touched on many psychosocial issues that emerge in families of children with cancer and was moderated by Susan Dentzler, a medical reporter from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). NCI participants included Drs. Crystal Mackall, acting chief of the Pediatric Oncology Branch; Lori Weiner, coordinator of the Pediatric Psychosocial Support and Research Program; and Steve Channock, head of the Genomic Variation Section in NCI's CCR. They emphasized the crucial role of the health care team in supporting the family. "You're simply not a good doctor if you can't communicate with that family, which starts with hearing their story as they see it, so that you can meet them where they are," said Dr. Mackall.
For more information about the film and air times on local PBS stations, go to http://www.pbs.org/previews/itvs_lioninthehouse.
New Monograph Available
A collaborative effort between NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and the NCI-funded Children's Oncology Group, the monograph gathered population-based incidence, mortality, and survival data specific to cancers in the older adolescent and young adult population, along with epidemiological data and risk factors for the development of age-specific cancers.
The monograph is intended to educate medical providers and the public about cancer incidence and survival among those aged 15 to 29, and provide the impetus for further research to improve the survival and the quality of life in this population. The monograph can be viewed and downloaded at http://seer.cancer.gov/publications/aya.
caBIG™ Wins Computerworld Award
NCAB Meeting Held
NCI-Frederick Redesigns Web Site
University of North Carolina (UNC) Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Director: Dr. H. Shelton Earp • CB# 7295 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7295 • Phone: 919-966-3036 • Web site: http://unclineberger.org
Patient Care
Research Activities
Other Notable Programs
UNC Lineberger outreach activities extend across North Carolina to increase cancer prevention and screening activities through partnerships with community leaders, businesses, and government agencies. The Center has special research expertise in medically underserved populations and health disparities, as well as an emerging strength in molecular studies of racial differences in breast, colon, and prostate cancers.


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This is kind of a spin-off of my previous thread about community. I've been thinking a lot about these subjects after reading a thought-provoking article a friend sent me:
The article is about things people do to cultivate happiness/contentment. One of the main points was about building a strong social fabric, which is where my other thread came from. But there was also this, which I found interesting:
They cultivate spiritual emotions. According to Lyubomirsky, there is a growing body of science suggesting that religious people are happier, healthier, and recover more quickly from trauma than nonreligious people.[5] In addition, authors Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener explain in their book Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth that spiritual emotions are essential to psychological wealth and happiness because they help us connect to something larger than ourselves.
It made me wonder: If you are a nonreligious person, do you consider yourself spiritual? Do you need spirituality? A sense of connectedness? If you don't, do you feel content without it? If you do, where do you find it? Do you meditate, do yoga, practice gratitude and kindness (I am thinking of one particular friend of mine who, I think, practices kindness as her religion)? Do you practice any rituals that feel spiritual to you but may not to others? (Thinking here of a cousin, a marathoner who seems to find her daily run a spiritual experience.) Do you think ritual practice and spirituality can exist without a god or gods, and if it's not connected to worship of a god, can it still be an enriching part of life?


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From Hollywood.com Staff
The listmaking continues! We've already unveiled our picks for the Best and Worst TV Series of 2012, but that doesn't mean we've stopped giving some critical thought to our friend the Tube. Choosing your favorite series is one thing, but an even bigger challenge may be the act of identifying precisely the most (and least) satisfying thirty to sixty minutes you've had this year while sitting in front of the small screen. And no, those of you who have sex while watching The Daily Show don't count.
Hollywood.com's intrepid staffers took this challenge upon themselves and brainstormed a new list of the Best and Worst TV Episodes of 2012. When we thought about our favorite eps, the possibilities became far more sweeping--and unexpected. Suddenly, shows like Big Brother and Smash, which we didn't put on our Best TV Series list, could get the representation they deserve. Check out our staffers' thirteen selections for the Best and Worst TV Episodes of 2012--thirteen, so that the makers of TV will know what to aim for in 2013--and feel free to nominate your own in the comments below.
Breaking Bad, "Dead Freight"
Picked By: Aly Semigran
I can't think of an episode of television from 2012 that had me as anxious and engrossed as the thrill ride that was ""Dead Freight."" Part action caper drug heist, part noir homage, this nail-biting game-changer of an episode makes you watch through your fingers. And nothing could have prepared anyone for that gut-churning final moment.
Girls, ""All Adventurous Women Do""
Picked By: Kelsea Stahler
There's not a single episode of HBO's Girls that doesn't get me even after fourth and fifth viewings (I really, really love this show, okay?), but no episode hits like this one, in which Hannah learns she has HPV and finds solace in Jessa's proclaimation that "All adventurous women do." The closing scene is simply Hannah writing and rewriting a tweet to express her helluva day and finally settling on the cryptic and social-media-encompassing phrase from her fearless friend. Finally, she and Marnie end their unfathomable day by dancing shamelessly to Robyn in their Brooklyn apartment. It's simple, but it so robustly captures the subtle dance of friendship between two 20-something girls and the daily struggle of self-reflection that it brings a tear to my eye Every. Single. Time.
Big Brother, "Dan's Funeral"
Picked By: Kate Ward
On the block and surely headed for eviction, Big Brother Season 10 winner Dan Gheesling decides to stage his own ""Big Brother funeral,"" appealing to his fellow houseguests with high compliments and tears. Like most funerals, the moment inspired tears from the cast, but unlike others, the subject rose from the dead after falsely accusing his closest ally of betrayal, and aligning with his biggest enemy via the best reality show speech since Susan Hawk's ""rat and snake"" Survivor monologue. It was a TV moment made better by the series' respectable ability to resist teasing the episode, leaving viewers as shocked by the moment as Dan's own castmates. It's funny it took a funeral for Season 14 to prove it was alive.
Mad Men, "The Other Woman"
Picked by: Abbey Stone
Tightly written, playfully structured, and filled with character-driven suspense, ""The Other Woman"" showcases all the elements that make Mad Men a truly great television show. In this episode, not only are the characters' morals and goals tested, but so is our knowledge of these characters we have come to know in the course of five seasons. Do we believe that Peggy will really leave Don and Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, or that Joan is capable of selling her body for a slice of the company's profits? As all becomes revealed in this less-than-chronological episode's denouement, viewers were left scraping their jaws off the floor while the characters struggle to hold on to whatever dignity they have left.
NEXT: Game of Thrones gets the first of a couple of shout-outs. Plus, we have not one, but two series with characters breaking into song [PAGEBREAK]
Game of Thrones, "Blackwater"
Picked By: Shaunna Murphy
It's pretty crazy that, despite the glorious battle sequence seen through the eyes of the imp Tyrion, the greatest part of this episode was the performance by Lena Headey back in the castle. She deviously and drunkenly manipulated the ladies of King's Landing into trusting her (hiring an executioner, acting as a ""bodyguard"" to kill them all if they lost), verbally tortured Sansa Stark, and ran around making plans to kill her own young son because death, to Queen Cersei, would be preferable to defeat. Her tremendous anxiety was apparent in her actions, but not in her icy cool demeanor. A real battle raged outside, but the one going on in Queen Cersei's mind was the most fascinating one of all.
The Newsroom, "5/1"
Picked By: Anna Brand
The show's saving grace, ""5/1"" actually delivered some real tension and angst. Just as the White House is about to address the nation with game-changing news (Osama bin Laden's death), Don, Elliot and Sloan are trapped on a plane and Will is suffering from a severe case of pot-brownie intoxication. Throughout all the chaos, Aaron Sorkin is able to capture the newsroom chaos with the perfect amount of humanity to such unimaginable news.
Dexter, "Chemistry"
Picked By: Lindsey DiMattina
Jennifer Carpenter's Lt. Deb Morgan steps out in this episode as the main attraction. Deb not only finally accepts that her brother Dexter is a serial killer, but she actually pushes him to use his talents to take out another victim. We are starting to see Deb's character change in a way that (I or we) never thought possible. The episode leaves us waiting to find out if Dexter will give into his sister's demands to kill his new girlfriend, or if will he betray Deb to follow his murderous heart.
Smash, "Pilot"
Picked by: Brian Moylan
Watching the pilot of Smash was like walking out of a great Broadway play. It had you so energized that you wanted to sing all the songs, sign up for a tap dancing class, and watch it all over again right away. The show had so much promise, so much buzz, so many full-scale production numbers. It was what happened if Glee grew up and became something that was actually watchable. Well, sadly the series never lived up to the promise of that first episode, but it hooked me hard enough that I watched the entire season, even though most of it stunk worse than Times Square when it's full of farting tourists.
Glee, "The Breakup"
Picked By: Leanne Aguilera
This episode left me devastated, heartbroken, and in a sea of tissues as I full on ugly-cried on my bed. And this is exactly why it was so great. It made us feel something so powerful that we literally could not control our emotions. The heartfelt and brutally honest acting from the six main characters involved in said breakups were beautiful and the episodes' six songs were flawlessly woven into the storyline. Overall, it was painful perfection.
NEXT: So many great Louie episodes to choose from, but there was one that really stood out. Plus, our picks for the Worst TV Episodes of 2012[PAGEBREAK]
Louie, "Daddy's Girlfriend, Part 2"
Picked By: Michael Arbeiter
When you can be recognized as a creative force capable of delivering both the funniest bits of standup in the business today as well as the most unimaginably sad episode of television all year, you've made quite a name for yourself. In this Season 3 episode of Louis C.K.'s FX series Louie, the multi-hyphenate tells a story of his hapless character's night on the town with a strange (in every sense of the word) woman whom he met at the bookstore. Playing Louie's date is Parker Posey, channeling a subtle but all-consuming pain with unprecedented poise, terrifying the viewer with her unpredictable behavior and striking an all-too-familiar nerve when her giddy façade fades to black at the end of the ep, revealing the tortured soul hidden beneath it. An Emmy-deserving performance no doubt, and planted elegantly in such a profound illustration of human loneliness. We won't soon forget the name Tape Recorder.
Community, "Digital Estate Planning"
Picked By: Christian Blauvelt
In any other year the worthy Wreck-It Ralph would have been the best homage to eight-bit videogames possible. But not in 2012. That's because creator Dan Harmon and the mad geniuses on NBC's Community gave us "Digital Estate Planning," a luscious, textured pixelscape that, unlike Wreck-It Ralph, remains true to the gameplay tropes of an '80s arcade side-scroller all the way through. It's funny, because it's right. I've argued before that Community is so much more than just the sum of its referential parts, but when it is in full Homage Mode, it's the most inventive show on TV.
Game of Thrones, "Valar Morghulis"
Picked By: Sydney Bucksbaum
For those who don't read George R.R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series on which Game of Thrones is based, the Season 2 finale's last 30 seconds were a total mind-f**k. Zombies?!? What is this?!? GOT knows how to leave you with cliffhangers, that's for sure.
Homeland, "Q&A"
Picked By: Alicia Lutes
What is there to say that hasn't been said about Homeland's stand-out 5th episode, ""Q&A""? In terms of story, this episode was perhaps the most significant of the season. Carrie's stinging honesty in wrangling Marine-turned-US-Congressman Sgt. Brody during the interrogation was nothing short of a masterstroke. Here were two very broken people whose relationship was becoming all-the-more complicated thanks to their increasing involvement in Abu Nazir's plan to unleash a terrorist attack on US soil. Every word was a turn, a dance shaded with double-meaning and doublecrossing. In ""Q&A,"" Claire Danes and Damian Lewis were at their besttreating each phrase as a puzzle piece to create the image of a double (or is it triple) agent in crisis, being rebuilt from the ground up. And it was calculated, ruthless, painful, and constructive. I'll be shocked if this episode isn't nominated for a whole slew of Emmy's. Because when Homeland is good, it is really, really f**king good.
How I Met Your Mother, "Pre-Nup"
Picked By: Michael Arbeiter
Where How I Met Your Mother used to be a sweet, quirky celebration of unique characters living in a heightened reality of New York City, this episode exemplified the show's recent descent into lackadaisical schlock. When Barney, Marshall, and Ted team up in a shallow and chauvinistic union against their respective romantic partners, it was hard to like or root for any of the characters we had built up an affection for over the past eight years. We know you're getting older, HIMYM, but you can't just stop trying altogether.
New Girl, "Menzies"
Picked By: Shaunna Murphy
Like the world needed another reason to think women are insane and completely irrational when we're on our periods. Newsflash: It's a myth. We just crave crazy junk food, is all. Thanks for the step backwards, Zooey.
Gossip Girl, "Raiders of the Lost Art"
Picked By: Sydney Bucksbaum
When we found out Bart Bass faked his own death and was actually still alive, it was the moment when Gossip Girl officially jumped the shark. And that's saying a lot for a show that's still as juicy and soapy as it's always been.
Revenge, "Legacy"
Picked By: Christian Blauvelt
Usually the one and only thing we end up learning from flashback episodes of a TV series that isn't Lost is that people in the past had terrible hair. Revenge's first season flashback episode was no exception, though we did learn that Emily VanCamp's 2002 version of Amanda Clarke liked to krunk it in da club to 50 Cent's "In Da Club." It broke the momentum of an otherwise killer first year, just two episodes before the season finale, and hinted at the unfortunate pacing issues to come in season two.
Work It, ""Pilot""
Picked By: Aly Semigran
I like to think the pitch for the pilot episode of Work It sounded something like this: ""Imagine Bosom Buddies, only make it not funny or charming and instead fill it to the brim with sexism, out-of-date references, blatant racism, and a prehistoric view on men and women. Can't you just see it now?"" Thankfully, only a few people did see the Work It pilot, the most offensive, unfunny episode of television all year, and ABC canceled this dreck.
Follow Christian Blauvelt on Twitter @Ctblauvelt
[Photo Credits: FX; HBO; NBC]
The Best and Worst TV Series of 2012
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The Northland Go Red For Women Challenge is back! The American Heart Association is looking for 10 women to participate. If you'd like to make heart healthy changes to your lifestyle, learn more and apply HERE! All the instructions are provided on the form, submissions must be received by November 18th 2013!
You can also download the application HERE but be sure it's postmarked by November 18th, 2013- good luck!