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Greenwich, Conn. - February 24, 2016 - Bradley Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of XPO Logistics, said, "In the fourth quarter, we delivered organic adjusted EBITDA growth of 33%, and organic revenue growth of 8.4% ex-fuel. EBITDA growth in our transportation segment was led by our asset-light freight brokerage business, which continues to improve productivity through technology and the increasing tenure of our sales force. For freight brokerage, last mile, expedite and global forwarding combined, we grew organic net revenue margin by 280 basis points to 21.7%. In our logistics segment, we realized higher-than-expected EBITDA and operating income, led by our European logistics business. We're winning multi-year contracts with world-class customers in Europe, some of which can use our new last mile network. Globally, our transportation and logistics segments both have deep roots in e-commerce, the single biggest growth trend in retail.
"We completed the Con-way transaction one month into the quarter. The integration is going extremely well, and we've already taken out over $50 million of costs in annual savings in the first three months, while improving customer service levels. We're on track with our plan to deliver $170 million to $210 million of profit improvement within two years."
Jacobs continued, "Looking at 2016, we have a high-impact agenda that includes accelerated cross-selling, the strategic sourcing of nearly $3 billion of spend, the optimization of our purchased transportation, and the global integration of corporate services. These and other major initiatives give us the ability to grow the business across a range of economic conditions."
Fourth Quarter 2015 Results by Segment
• Transportation: The company's transportation segment generated total gross revenue of $2.1 billion for the quarter, a 216.8% increase from the same period in 2014. The year-over-year increase in revenue was primarily due to the acquisitions of Norbert Dentressangle, Con-way, Bridge Terminal Transport, and UX Specialized Logistics, and to organic revenue growth led by the last mile and freight brokerage businesses.
• Net revenue margin for the fourth quarter improved to 27.3%, compared with 20.0% in 2014. The increase in segment net revenue margin was primarily due to the acquisition of the less-than-truckload business, and to significant year-over-year margin improvements in all of the company's existing businesses, including freight brokerage, last mile, expedite and global forwarding. The improvements in existing operations were largely driven by better pricing, lower purchased transportation costs, and the shedding of unprofitable business.
• Fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA for the segment improved to $151.4 million, compared with $31.6 million a year ago. Fourth quarter operating loss was $6.1 million, compared with operating income of $10.7 million a year ago. The increase in adjusted EBITDA primarily reflects the impact of acquisitions, as well as improved profitability led by freight brokerage. The decrease in operating income reflects non-cash depreciation and amortization expenses, as well as one-time transaction-related costs. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to operating income for the transportation segment is provided in the attached financial tables.
• Logistics: The company's logistics segment generated gross revenue of $1.3 billion, compared with $166.5 million from the same period in 2014. Gross margin was $166.4 million, up from $25.2 million a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA was $98.5 million, up from $26.0 million a year ago. Operating income for the fourth quarter was $34.8 million, versus $13.1 million a year ago.
• In the logistics segment, the year-over-year increases in gross revenue and gross margin, adjusted EBITDA and operating income were primarily due to the 2015 acquisitions of Norbert Dentressangle and Con-way, as well as organic growth. Adjusted EBITDA and operating income were both higher than expected in the quarter, primarily due to operational improvements, strong demand from the retail and e-commerce sectors, and the shedding of unprofitable business. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to operating income for the logistics segment is provided in the attached financial tables.
• Corporate: Corporate SG&A expense was $66.6 million, compared with $17.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2014. The increase was largely due to one-time transaction-related costs, as well as higher incentive compensation, health insurance and legal costs.
Full Year 2015 Financial Results
For the full year 2015, the company reported total revenue of $7.6 billion, a 223.5% increase from 2014.
On a GAAP basis, the company reported a net loss of $191.6 million for the full year 2015, compared with a net loss of $63.6 million last year. The net loss attributable to common shareholders was $245.9 million, or a loss of $2.65 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $107.4 million, or a loss of $2.00 per diluted share, for 2014. The 2015 GAAP net loss includes: $165.2 million of one-time after-tax transaction-related costs net of noncontrolling interests; a $102.2 million non-cash after-tax amortization charges; and $52.0 million of non-cash accounting charges related to the beneficial conversion features of the $1.26 billion equity private placement in June 2015.
The adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders, a non-GAAP measure, was $36.9 million, or a loss of $0.40 per share for 2015, excluding the items detailed below. This compares with an adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders of $33.0 million, or a loss of $0.62 per share, for 2014.
Adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders for 2015 excludes: $220.7 million, or $165.2 million after tax, of one-time transaction-related costs net of noncontrolling interests; $52 million of non-cash accounting charges related to the beneficial conversion features of the $1.26 billion equity private placement; $10.0 million, or $8.2 million after-tax, of costs related to the conversion of convertible senior notes; $2.4 million, or $1.5 million after-tax of accelerated amortization of trade names; $12.0 million of unrealized foreign exchange benefit, net of tax; and a $9.5 million benefit, or $5.9 million after-tax, related to the gain on sale of intermodal equipment. Reconciliations of adjusted net loss to common shareholders and adjusted EPS are provided in the attached financial tables.
Adjusted EBITDA for 2015 improved to $493.1 million, compared with $81.4 million for 2014. Adjusted EBITDA for 2015 excludes $201.0 million of one-time transaction-related costs; and a $9.5 million benefit related to the gain on sale of intermodal equipment assets. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net loss is provided in the attached financial tables.
XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO) is a top ten global provider of cutting-edge supply chain solutions. The company provides services for truckload brokerage and transportation, last mile logistics, engineered supply chain solutions, high-value-add warehousing and distribution, ground and air expedite, less-than-truckload transportation, intermodal, drayage, managed transportation and global forwarding. XPO serves more than 50,000 customers with a highly integrated network of over 89,000 employees and 1,443 locations in 33 countries. XPO's corporate headquarters is in Greenwich, Conn., USA, and its European headquarters is in Lyon, France. www.xpo.com
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined under Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") rules, such as adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders, adjusted diluted loss per share ("EPS"), and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("adjusted EBITDA"), in each case for the three- and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, and earnings before interest, taxes, deprecation and amortization ("EBITDA") for the Transportation and Logistics segments for the quarters ended December 31, 2015 and 2014. As required by SEC rules, we provide reconciliations of these measures to the most directly comparable measure under United States generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), which are set forth in the attachments to this release. We believe that adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders and adjusted diluted loss per share improves comparability from period to period by removing the impact of nonrecurring expense items, including preferred stock beneficial conversion charge, acquisition-related transaction and integration costs; debt commitment fees; costs related to the rebranding to XPO Logistics (including accelerated amortization of trade names); loss on the conversion of the company's convertible senior notes; impact of non-controlling interests; and gain on sale of intermodal equipment. We believe that EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA improve comparability from period to period by removing the impact of our capital structure (interest expense from our outstanding debt), asset base (depreciation and amortization) tax consequences, and the nonrecurring expense items noted above. In addition to its use by management, we believe that EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are measures widely used by securities analysts, investors and others to evaluate the financial performance of companies in our industry. Other companies may calculate EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA differently, and therefore our measure may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are not measures of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to net income, cash flows from operating activities and other measures determined in accordance with GAAP. Items excluded from EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are significant and necessary components of the operations of our business, and, therefore, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA should only be used as a supplemental measure of our operating performance.
Forward-looking Statements
This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including the expected maturity of the company's debt, the expected customer interest in our last mile network in Europe, the expected ability to integrate operations, cross-sell services, realize cost savings, synergies and profit improvement opportunities, expected market trends and growth, the expected performance of our business units in economic downturns and our 2016 and 2018 financial targets. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "continue," "could," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "should," "will," "expect," "objective," "projection," "forecast," "goal," "guidance," "outlook," "effort," "target" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we believe are appropriate in the circumstances.
These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to a material difference include those discussed in XPO's filings with the SEC and the following: economic conditions generally; competition and pricing pressure; the expected impact of recent acquisitions and the related financing, including the expected impact on XPO's results of operations; XPO's ability to successfully integrate and realize anticipated synergies, cost savings and profit improvement opportunities; XPO's ability to attract and retain key employees to execute its growth strategy; litigation, including litigation related to alleged misclassification of independent contractors; the ability to develop and implement suitable information technology systems; the ability to maintain positive relationships with XPO's networks of third-party transportation providers; XPO's ability to attract and retain qualified drivers; XPO's ability to retain and add customers; XPO's ability to find suitable acquisition candidates and execute its acquisition strategy; XPO's ability to raise debt and equity capital; fuel price or fuel surcharge changes; rail and other network changes; labor matters; weather and other service disruptions; and governmental regulation. All forward-looking statements set forth in this document are qualified by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, XPO or its businesses or operations. Forward-looking statements set forth in this document speak only as of the date hereof, and XPO undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, changes in expectations or the occurrence of unanticipated events except to the extent required by law.


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Native Hawaiian-Owned Small Business
Small Business Administration 8(a) Firm (graduation date July 2018)
Established 2007
CAGE Code: 51CG5
Principal NAICS Codes: 236210, 236220, 541330, 562910
Surety/Bonding Capacity: $20M per project/$55M aggregate
Small Business Administration 8(a) Firm (graduation date July 2018)
Established 2007
CAGE Code: 51CG5
Principal NAICS Codes: 236210, 236220, 541330, 562910
Surety/Bonding Capacity: $20M per project/$55M aggregate
Founded in 2007, GSI Pacific Inc. (GSIP) is an experienced Department of Defense (DoD) contractor providing design-build construction, fuels construction, environmental services, and munitions and range services across the United States and Pacific Region. GSIP will soon graduate the Small Business Administration Program which has helped Over the past decade, GSIP has grown from a small Hawaii-based firm to a successful national contractor with an extensive workforce, office locations, and programmatic management tools and procedures in place to manage a wide range of projects of varying size, complexity, and locations simultaneously. Since our founding, GSIP has performed more than $80M of munitions and environmental services for USACE Omaha, Albuquerque, Sacramento, Honolulu Districts and the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville; and nearly $135M in construction projects for USACE and NAVFAC.
Design-Build and Fuels Construction
GSIP has successfully performed both design-build (DB) and design-bid-build (DBB) projects for new horizontal and vertical construction and renovations, including construction for petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) facilities and infrastructure for the DoD across the Continental United States and the Pacific Region. Our experience includes performing these projects for the USACE Honolulu and Omaha Districts; U.S. Army and Engineering Support Center, Huntsville; Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC); Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii, Northwest, and Marianas; NAVFAC Expeditionary Warfare Center (EXWC); National Park Service; and private sector clients. To date, GSIP has been awarded nearly $2B in multiple award contract capacity and has successfully executed over 110 construction projects valued at nearly $135M.
GSIP's construction division offers quality and cost-effective general contracting and DB services. GSIP provides project management, construction quality and safety management professionals, knowledge of DoD contracting, logistical support, local engineering, and construction professionals for any project to meet our clients' needs.
- General contracting, construction management, logistics
- Design-build horizontal/vertical construction
- Facility renovation & repair
- Site work
- Infrastructure improvements
- Demolition
- Classified/highly secure facilities
- Design-build repair of POL systems
- Clean, inspect, repair tank systems
- Asbestos inspection and abatement
Environmental Services
Environmental Consulting and Remediation Services
GSIP is an experienced environmental services contractor possessing the technical capability and proven experience to address a wide array of environmental services. Since our founding, we have completed projects for the USACE, Honolulu, Albuquerque, Sacramento, and Omaha Districts; NAVFAC Pacific, Hawaii and Marianas; National Marine Fisheries; National Park Service; San Pasqual Band of Indians; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; as well as private sector clients.
We achieve technical excellence through thorough research, meticulous data gathering and analysis, attention to details, and stringent quality control. GSIP's environmental professionals are well versed in all aspects of the regulatory process, and provide turnkey environmental services from remedial investigations / feasibility studies (RI/FS) through remedial design / remedial action (RD/RA), including long term monitoring, remedial system operation and maintenance (O&M), and process optimization. We provide project management personnel, engineers, environmental scientists, biologists, hydrogeologists, geologist.
- Environmental consulting
- Environmental compliance and permitting
- RCRA/CERCLA activities/documents
- Operations/maintenance/optimization of remediation systems
- Transportation and disposal of hazardous, toxic, and radioactive materials
- Lead and Asbestos Surveys and Abatement
- UST removal and closure
- Bench and Pilot Testing
- Long-term management
- Community/public relations support
GSIP brings a national reputation for execution excellence in all facets of munitions and range services. GSIP has a strong knowledge and experience performing munitions work at Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) and active DoD installations under CERCLA and the RCRA for both the USACE and Navy. Over the past decade, GSIP has grown its munitions division from the ground up, initially providing unexploded ordnance/munitions and explosives of concern (UXO/MEC) removal action and construction support in Hawaii and Guam as a subcontractor. GSIP's continued positive performance resulted in awards of more than $60M in MMRP services contracts by the USACE Omaha, Sacramento, Albuquerque, Huntsville, and Honolulu Districts over the past three years. GSIP possesses extensive self-perform capability with its in-house depth and breadth of resources. On average, GSIP self-performs approximately 75% of the work on our MMRP contracts. In addition to providing overall project management, safety, and quality, GSIP has the ability to self-perform MEC investigation, removal and disposal of MEC and munitions debris, Digital Geophysical Mapping (DGM), data management, data evaluation, and geographic information systems (GIS).
GSIP holds all appropriate Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) licenses for purchase and use of explosives, and has on staff project management personnel, engineers, scientists, geophysicists, licensed blasters, and over 60 permanent certified UXO personnel. All work performed to date has been executed with ZERO SAFETY INCIDENTS.
- Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP) Services
- Construction support
- Archaeological, cultural, and natural resource monitoring
- Explosive Safety Submission/Explosive Siting Plan (ESS/ESP) preparation
- GIS support
- Geophysical mapping/surveying
- Land and underwater MEC/UXO investigations and removal actions
- Operational range clearance
- Munitions debris handling and disposal
- Public relations support
Jeff Khoo, Construction Programs
Email: email@example.com
(671) 888-9321
Sonia Shjegstad, Environmental Programs
Email: email@example.com
(808) 371-5640
Michael Warminsky, Munitions and Range Programs
Phone: 908-824-7452
Email: email@example.com
Michael Coyle, Business Development
Phone: 808-349-3178
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


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Aluminium Double Glazed Windows From Aluminium Windows South Yorkshire
The best double glazed aluminium windows in South Yorkshire are available at Aluminum Windows South Yorkshire made according to your requirement at very reasonable prices. The aluminium double glazed windows South Yorkshire that we offer here at Aluminium Windows South Yorkshire are among the best on the market and you can expect to get very good prices for our products that will offer you excellent performance while lasting a very long time. In order to spread the installments over a series of payments we even have installment arrangements .
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Double Glazed Aluminium Windows In South Yorkshire
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South Yorkshire Wonderful Double Glazed Aluminium Windows Replacement
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Thank you for being a part of Earthdance 2019 around the world!
Producers can now submit their post-event reports. and additional donations using the PayPal button below, or please let us know if that isn't working for you for any reason.
The next Earthdance will take place September 19, 2020 – !
We invite you to organize, support and attend an Earthdance event in your community. Independent promoters interested in creating local Earthdance gatherings may register 2020 events soon – we'll present and promote your event on our official map and Facebook page.
Earthdance events are large festivals, small outdoor parties, club nights, private community gatherings or even house parties (now FREE to register – press the button below!).
Every gathering, larger or small, is linked by the synchronized Prayer for Peace.
Join our Email List and Facebook group to stay connected with the global Earthdance community while cultivating peace, social responsibility and Earth consciousness at home.
2020 marks the 24th year Earthdance International has organized events throughout the world, bringing people together in a single moment of focused intention. Our synchronized peace meditation takes place along with with the United Nations' International Day of Peace.
The official time for the 2020 global meditation will be September 19, 2020 at 0:00 UTC, which is the same as 1 am Sunday morning (0100 hrs.) in London, and 5 pm (1700 hrs.) Saturday afternoon in California. Countries have many different ways of determining local time – in general, the meditation will take place on Saturday, September 19 in the west, and on Sunday, September 20 in the east.
More precisely: to see what time that is in your country, please click here:


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Germany: Access to electricity
(measure: percent; Source: The World Bank)
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
Germany: Access to electricity, percent of the population: For that indicator, The World Bank provides data for Germany from 1990 to 2017. The average value for Germany during that period was 100 percent with a minimum of 100 percent in 1990 and a maximum of 100 percent in 1990. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
Download as:
Definition: Access to electricity is the percentage of population with access to electricity. Electrification data are collected from industry, national surveys and international sources.


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Love them.
Ok, so you know Barack and Michelle Obama. Former President and First Lady. Legend and icon. King and queen.
Chris Kleponis / AFP / Getty Images
It features songs like Ben E. King's "Stand By Me," Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby," Beyoncé's "Hallo," and Diana Ross' "Endless Love."
And get this — the playlist has 44 songs (since Barack was the 44th President of the United States)!
Mark Wilson / Getty Images
How could you not love these two?
Oh, and you can listen the playlist here!
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/celebrity.xml


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Having stayed in Merida for more than a month, we had plenty of time to explore the city. Beyond just taking a quick tour of the historic center, visitors often rush off to see the pyramids, which is understandable. But if you have more than a day or two in the city, check out these less-known spots, whose discovery was a pleasant surprise for us.
Merida, The Colonial Capital in the Land of the Maya
After 2 months in Guadalajara, coming to Mérida was almost like visiting another country. Different people, different food, in some places even signs in a different language. On our way from the airport, the driver was telling me that his father is Maya while his mother is a mestizo. "Did your father speak Maya with you?", I asked him. "No, my mother wouldn't let him speak Maya in the house". Continue reading "Merida, The Colonial Capital in the Land of the Maya"


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General Question
How can I tell if my rash is of Poison Ivy or Shingle source?
Asked by kokkonuts (5) June 9th, 2009
I had what I thought was a persistant Poison Ivy situation but the third doctor I saw, which happened to be a dermatologist,explained my condition as Shingles and Poison Ivy. So I've stopped the first cortizone cream. I've started the antihistimine, the steroid cream and antibiotics. Since he diagnosed me with both. I wish a doctor would take more time to explain the how's and why's. So here I am…. Ciao!!
Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0
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Practical Tips on Choosing the Right Perfume
Perfume is thought about to be one of the most must-haves for any status-conscious person in any culture. Initially, it was being utilized by the upper-class culture as a high-end accessory; yet, later on it appeared even to one of the most common person in the society. In the modern age, using perfume has actually ended up being virtually indispensable as it possibly contributes to the character of a person. The background and also history of perfume can be traced back to the old times of Egypt. The word 'Perfume' has been created by the combination of two Latin words such as 'Per' Through and also 'Fume' Smoke. The art of making perfumes occurred in ancient Egypt but it was the Romans and also the Arabs that boosted it consequently.
How to pick the appropriate perfume?
Choosing the appropriate perfume and scent has become progressively hard for the clients as the cosmetic market is being gotten into by countless new perfumes and scent brands every single day. Now a days, fragrances and fragrances can be found in different flavors and active ingredients. They are being produced and used in bottles of various shapes and sizes according to the demands of the targeted customers. While checking out a cosmetic shop, a client usually gets perplexed about what can be the right one for him/her. Nonetheless, there are some standards if complied with can aid those perplexed consumers remove their questions and pick the appropriate perfume for them. Click here for more details here at Perfumedor.es.
They are as complies with:
Try different fragrances and scents to know what suits your skin the most effective. No 2 fragrances are alike in scent, flavor and odor. For this reason what matches the most, might not always suit you. Do not thoughtlessly adhere to the top quality perfumes. It truly pays to attempt various fragrances prior to you settle for one.
Constantly opt for a perfume which contains fresh scents and makes you eye-catching and also outstanding. Frequently, it is the various other individual that can tell you what goes right with you.
Components and Flavors:
Fragrances can be picked making use of various ingredients and also tastes. They are different categories of fragrances such as woody perfume, fruit perfume, floral perfume, nautical perfume, greens perfume and Asian perfume. Normally, each of these fragrances appropriates for a male or women depending upon their personal choice. Nevertheless, you can always opt for one those finest suits your individuality and life-style.
Environment and also Season:
While selecting a perfume, one should take into consideration the climate and season. What goes best in the winter might not be also sufficient in the summer season. Hence, it is exceptionally essential to choose the perfume that ivies the climate and also to your skin. In addition, perfumes need to be picked according to the occasions and events as well.Read More Practical Tips on Choosing the Right Perfume


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Script Synopsis:In the year 2035, convict James Cole (Bruce Willis) reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to discover the origin of a deadly virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth's population and forced the survivors into underground communities. But when Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990 instead of 1996, he's arrested and locked up in a mental hospital. There he meets psychiatrist Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe), and patient Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), the son of a famous virus expert, who may hold the key to the mysterious rogue group, the Army of the 12 Monkeys, thought to be responsible for unleashing the killer disease.
Twelve Monkeys Script Resources:*4699
Other Links:
- Twelve Monkeys Script at Horror Lair
- Twelve Monkeys Script PDF at Script Slug
- Twelve Monkeys Transcript at Springfield! Springfield!
- Twelve Monkeys Script PDF at Script Fly ($)
- Twelve Monkeys Script PDF - 12/16/94 PRODUCTION DRAFT at Script City ($)
- Twelve Monkeys Script - Production Draft, June 27, 1994 at Screenplays For You
Note: Multiple links are listed since (a) different versions exist and (b) many scripts posted become unavailable over time. Please notify me if you encounter a stale link.
Other Links:
- Twelve Monkeys ( tt0114746 ) at IMDb
- Twelve Monkeys ( 63 ) at TheMovieDB.org


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ddavist necessitava di un nuovo design di personaggio o mascotte e ha lanciato un contest su 99designs.
È stato scelto un vincitore tra 140 design presentati da 23 designer.
San Marin High School
We are a public high school in California. We have 25+ sports teams. We have been using a mix match batch of logos since the school started in 1968. We are looking a Mustang Logo to call our own. It should have appeal to a modern audience, but still have the classic feel of a high school that is 50 years old.
Attached are the Mustangs that we have used the most. We are looking for a Mustangs Logo that can be used in several ways. We want a primary logo (word-mark with Mustangs jumping over/through). The same mustangs that is a stand alone mustang. And a mustang head that matches the full mustang. I have also attached our "SM" logo. We want to keep some version of this, it does not need to be changed very much, but it may need to be cleaned up. If possible I would like to have the "SM" logo to be easily paired with the Mustang Logo or mustang head.
I know this is not a ton of money, put our athletic program is fully funded by parent donations. It is a stretch for us to make this work. Thank you in advance for taking the time to consider this.


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Before traveling to the Philippines, my husband and I knew we needed a smaller and lighter-weight stroller to use for Miguel during our trip.
We've made good use of his Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Stroller (Bombay model) ever since he was born (which I absolutely loved), but because it got quite bulky after a while (it got stuck at an airport screening machine during one of our domestic travels), we decided to hit our local Babies "R" Us store prior to traveling to check out some smaller models.
There were some things about Miguel's Graco stroller that I didn't want to give up, the main thing being the large storage basket underneath, which always came in handy during our trips to the mall or the park (I carry a LOT of stuff with me whenever we go out). I also liked the included cup holders (for Mommey and baby) and the built-in sun shade on this thing.
We looked at umbrella strollers first, since nothing beats them if all you're considering is the weight. Plus, they're the cheapest, costing only at around $29.99 each. Unfortunately, most umbrella strollers do not come with any of the stuff I wanted to keep (basket, cup holders, shade), so we tested models that were a "happy medium" between umbrella and travel strollers.
We first considered the Chicco Capri Stroller (Black model, $79.99*). It is the closest you can get to an umbrella stroller, but it was better-built, and it came with a small basket underneath and a shade on top. Sadly, the basket was too small, and it didn't have any cup holders. Price-wise, it wasn't bad. It seemed practical for our needs.
Next, we looked at the Maclaren Quest Sport Stroller (Black and Scarlet model, $229.99*). This was very similar in terms of features to the Chicco stroller we were considering, but I was put off by the flimsy rubber footrest. I expected much better for something like this. Maclarens are fancy (and so are their price tags), and I know a few friends that use them. There are days when I also dream of owning a branded baby item (hello Bugaboo!), but at this time, I just could not see us spending over $200 for a stroller that I know will get a lot of abuse at the airports (and pretty much everywhere else we take Miggz to).
Then we saw the Baby Trend TrendSport Stroller (Nile model, $54.99*). This one got everything we needed checked off.
It was the perfect compromise between a bulky travel stroller with all the bells and whistles, and a lightweight stroller with its ease of use and transport. It had a nice, roomy storage basket, a decent canopy, and a cup holder/food tray for Miggz, plus an additional cup holder for two up by the handle. It didn't fold like an umbrella stroller, but folded compactly enough to not give us any headaches at any airport we went to. And the best part, it was only $54.99, cheaper than the Chicco we were eyeing, and costed much, much less than the Maclaren. All in all, it was a great buy! Practical and tested! Needless to say, we took it everywhere we went and definitely got our money's worth.
*Prices listed are the costs when we looked at these models at Babies "R" Us three months ago back in November 2010. Since it's now February, these prices have actually gone down. An idea for those who are wondering how long it takes for some baby items to go "on sale." At times…it actually takes sooner than three months 🙂


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A dairy farm combined three RDP supported operations to increase and modernise milk production and secure one full-time job.
Projects & Practice
Total results: 4.
Set up an operational group to improve the efficiency of the fruit production sector in Spain by developing new approaches for joint management of farms.
Developing an innovative model of local-level bio-waste.
Supporting vulnerable people and facilitating their re-integration into society through small volunteer jobs on local farms.


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Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.
Fortune favours the prepared mind.
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running.
Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image.
Power is like being a lady; if you have to say you are, you aren't.
No company, large or small, can succeed over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
If you take a flat map
And move wooden blocks upon it strategically,
The thing looks well, the blocks behave as they should.
The science of war is moving live men like blocks.
And getting the blocks into place at a fixed moment.
But it takes time to mold your men into blocks
And flat maps turn into country where creeks and gullies
Hamper your wooden squares. They stick in the brush,
They are tired and rest, they straggle after ripe blackberries,
And you cannot lift them up in your hand and move them.
It is all so clear in the maps, so clear in the mind,
But the orders are slow, the men in the blocks are slow
To move, when they start they take too long on the way -
The General loses his stars, and the block-men die
In unstrategic defiance of martial law
Because still used to just being men, not block parts.
It's not easy, but it is simple.
The most important management lesson I have learned in the last 25 years is that success is driven not so much by technology or one idea, but by people. A good company is driven by the needs and desires of customers, which are met by a well-trained, well-focused and creative workforce.
People are not your most important asset. The right people are. Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.
There's no rule book. The past is the past. We can't preserve it; it would be silly for us to try. But what we can do is look for the next generation of the right sort of people. Like everybody else, we're looking for dedication, and belief, and a willingness to go that extra mile for colleagues and customers. But we keep certain other thoughts in mind, too. It seems to me that when you love what you do, you're too busy to stand on your dignity. When you're good at what you do, you don't worry so much about you image. So I think it's a positive sign whyen people don't take themselves that seriously.
Across the whole Virgin Group, we encourage people to take ownership of the issues that they confront in their working lives. In a service-led industry especially, this kind of attitude pays huge dividends. I think if people are properly and regularly recognised for their initiative, then the business has to flourish. Why? Because it's their business; an extension of their personality. They have a stake in its success. Herb Keller of Southwest Airlines in the US once said: 'It's difficult to change someone's attitude – so hire for attitude and train for skill.' I've talked a little bit about what I look for in people, but there's one key quality I haven't mentioned yet, and this might surprise some people: it's discipline.
Interviewing is an artificial reality designed to keep people out.
Some organisations use the censored version of the [no asshole] rule, calling it 'no jerks'. But at least one renowned company uses an even more outrageous term (at least to my ears). Robert Care is CEO of Australian and Asian operations for the engineering firm ARUP, which has applied its technical prowess to iconic structures like the Sydney Opera House and the Water Cube in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games. In 2007, Care wrote me that he was inspired by the Sydney Swans of the Australia Rules Football league to implement a 'No Dickhead Rule' – which team members had credited for enabling them to win their first league championship in seventy-two years. As Care explained in a memo to his colleagues: "To me 'no dickheads' means recruiting and retaining people who support and enhance our culture rather than weaken it; it means getting square pegs into square holes and round pegs into round holes – the right people for the right jobs; it means that we are team players working for each other, not ourselves; it means that it is not alright to be a bully or abuse people who are in less powerful positions; it means that if it doesn't feel right then it probably isn't"
Steve Jobs has a saying that A players hire A players; B players hire C players; and C players hire D players. It doesn't take long to get to Z players. This trickle-down effect causes bozo explosions in companies. If there is one thing a CEO must do, it's hire a management team that is better than he is.
In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first one, the other two will kill you.
The only way to do great work is to love the work you do.
Focus is about saying no.
If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame. But, if his orders are not are clear and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.
It is managerial discipline. Good management is boring. It's un-sexy. It's un-pretty. It's repetitive. It's disciplined. - Manager Tools cast: Managing A High I: Dangers Part 2
In the best establishments, promises are always kept, whatever it may cost in agony and overtime. - Confessions of an Advertising Man
Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.
An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.
The productivity of work is not the responsibility of the worker but of the manager.
It is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do, the less time one finds to do it in. One yawns, one procrastinates, one can do it when one will, and therefore one seldom does it at all.
The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.
If your people aren't talking to each other, how are they ever going to get ideas? It was physicist Albert Einstein who said: 'What a person does on his own, without being stimulated by the thoughts and experiences of others, is even in the best cases rather paltry and monotonous.'
By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work 12 hours a day.
The right kind of friction can help any organisation. To take a famous example, Intel cofounder and retired CEO Andy Grove is renowned for sticking to the facts and inviting anyone – from brand-new Intel engineers to Stanford students whom he teaches about business strategy to senior Intel executives – to challenge his ideas. For Grove, the focus has always been on finding the truth, not on putting people down. Not only do I despise spineless and obsequious wimps, but there is good evidence that they damage organisations. A series of controlled experiments and field studies in organisations shows that when teams engage in conflict over ideas in an atmosphere of mutual respect, they develop better ideas and perform better. That is why Intel teaches employees how to fight, requiring all new to take classes in 'constructive conflict'. These same studies show, however, that when team members engages in personal conflict – when they fight out of spite and anger – their creativity, performance and job satisfaction plummet. In other words, when people act like a bunch of assholes, the whole group suffers.
The University of Michigan's Karl Weick advises, 'Fight as if you are right; listen as if you are wrong.' That is what Intel tries to teach through initial lectures, role playing, and, most essential, the ways in which managers and leaders fight. They teach people how to fight and when to fight. Their motto is 'Disagree and then commit,' because second-guessing, complaining, and arguing after a decision is made saps effort and attention – which obscures whether a decision is failing because it is a bad idea or it is a good idea that is implemented with insufficient energy and commitment.
Stand-up groups took 34 per cent less timem to make the assigned decision, and the quality of their decisions was just as good as those made by sit-down groups.
Genius begins great works; labor alone finishes them.
Kindness is loving people more than they deserve.
A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read.
There's nothing wrong with personality. And by the way High Is I'm not dooming you to a life of non-management. You can be a great manager. You just need to combine your energy with some discipline. And frankly, some of the High Cs who are listening – you could combine your discipline with some energy thank you very much. Sometimes you really are a wet blanket and you don't provide any effective discipline as well. Enthusiasm is good. We want both enthusiasm and discipline. That's what we want.
Most companies organize around personalities rather than around functions. That is, around people rather than accountabilities or responsibilities. The result is almost always chaos.
Every soldier carries a marshall's baton in his pack.
Assholes have devastating cumulative effects partly because nasty interactions have a far bigger impact on our moods than positive interactions - five times the punch, accordingly to recent research. Andrew Miner, Theresa Glomb, and Charles Hulin did a clever study in which each of forty-one employees carried palm-size computers. Each completed a brief survey via the device at four random intervals throughout the workday, over a two to three-week period. The device would alert the employee, a short survey would be presented on the screen, and the employee would have twenty minutes to report (among other things) if he or she had a recent interaction with a supervisor or a co-worker; and whether it was positive or negative. Employees completed a checklist about their current mood, whether they were 'blue,' contented,' 'happy', and so on. The employees had more positive than negative interactions; for example, about 30 per cent of interactions with co-workers were positive and 10 per cent were negative. But negative interactions have a fivefold stronger effect on mood than positive interactions - so nasty people pack a lot more wallop than their more civilised counterparts. These findings help explain why demeaning acts are so devastating. It takes numerous encounters with positive people to offset the energy and happiness sapped by a single episode with one asshole.
Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.
Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow. The shadow is what we think it is and the tree is the real thing.
Live a good life. In the end it is not the years in a life, but the life in the years.
Those who look for the bad in people will surely find it.
People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.


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Pediatrics Dentistry
Dentistry for Children at Oval Dental Centre
The British Columbia Dental Association recommends a child's first dental visit should occur by age one or within six months of when you see the first tooth.
Regular dental examinations support good health. The earlier your child visits the dentist, the better the chance of preventing a problem, such as decay. This can also increase your child's comfort with the experience. At the clinic, the dentist will:
Preparing your child for their dental visit
To help create a positive experience for your child:
Contact us to book your child's dental appointment at Oval Dental Centre in Richmond BC.


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I hope you find inspiration for what to read next in my inaugural round up of the best of the best books that I've read and reviewed in 2015! I read nearly eighty books this year and out of those books, these are the ones I wanted to share with you. Look for the genres you love and for each book listed you can find my review and the Amazon buy link to make it easy peasy lemon squeezy for you to have enough books to see you through the holidays – enjoy!!
Mummy Lit
Escapades of a suburban school mum, no sexy shmexy here but lots and lots of guaranteed belly laughs. So far I've only read one Mummy Lit genre book but next year I'm scouting for more because I adored this one so much! Up and In was also picked as the stand out fiction book of 2015 by the "So What Are You Reading" team on their end of year video, so it's not just me who is shouting about it.
Up and In – Deborah Disney
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1229044002
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Up-Deborah-Disney-ebook/dp/B00LZB9FFY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446214589&sr=1-1&keywords=up+and+in
Chick Lit
Romantic comedy books that will brighten any day with lots of laugh out loud moments. These are my go-to books to escape from reality when my reality is crazy-busy-stressed-out-mum-life. They're also a great read after I've read a heavy book.
Dear Internet: It's Me Avery – Jennifer Ammoscato
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1244506275
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Dear-Internet-Avery-Fowler-Book-ebook/dp/B00XNP1PLC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446280772&sr=1-1&keywords=dear+internet+its+me+avery
Cocktails at Le Carmen – Isabelle Andover
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1306758177
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Cocktails-at-Carmen-Isabelle-Andover-ebook/dp/B00XZS6EAO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446215532&sr=1-1&keywords=cocktails+at+andover
The OMG Test – Pippa Franks
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1381870103
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/OMG-Test-Pippa-Franks-ebook/dp/B00SXKFSZ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446215659&sr=1-1&keywords=the+OMG+pippa
Husband Hunters – Genevieve Gannon
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1414311432
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Husband-Hunters-Genevieve-Gannon-ebook/dp/B00MLLK8SA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446278368&sr=1-1&keywords=husband+hunters
Yes Chef – Lisa Joy
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1258766205
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Yes-Chef-Joy-Lisa-ebook/dp/B00LIQ9HP4/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450520827&sr=1-2&keywords=yes+chef
Prosecco and Paparazzi (The Passport Book 1) – Celia Kennedy
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1381870611
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Prosecco-Paparazzi-Passport-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0163F3BWO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446278426&sr=1-1&keywords=prosecco+and+paparazzi
Up To I Do – Samantha March
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1381879431
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Up-I-Do-Samantha-March-ebook/dp/B012L6IP3E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1448849246&sr=1-1&keywords=Up+to+I+do
Confetti Confidential: They Do, I Don't – Susan Murphy
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1229047556
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Confetti-Confidential-They-Do-Dont-ebook/dp/B00OFDQK5M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446278584&sr=1-1&keywords=they+do%2C+i+don%27t
Dating the Alphabet – Samantha Napier
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1229047162
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Dating-Alphabet-Samantha-Napier-ebook/dp/B00RKOJ9R4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446278674&sr=1-1&keywords=dating+the+alphabet
What's it Gonna Be? – Cassandra Piat
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1381888630
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Whats-gonna-romantic-comedy-Mauritius-ebook/dp/B00RABO7R4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446278751&sr=1-1&keywords=cassandra+piat
Women's Fiction
Have the tissues handy and be ready to have your heart strings tugged at. These books really moved me and it's my favourite genre!
Outback Promise – Maggie Bilotho
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1414329205
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Outback-Promise-Maggie-Bolitho-ebook/dp/B013O98W6W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446278827&sr=1-1&keywords=outback+promise
Losing Kate – Kylie Kaden
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1381863847
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Losing-Kate-Kylie-Kaden-ebook/dp/B00H30IZ7U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450520595&sr=8-1&keywords=Losing+kate
What Matters Most – Dianne Maguire
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1244261297
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/What-Matters-Most-Dianne-Maguire-ebook/dp/B00TNTXYK2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446278927&sr=1-1&keywords=dianne+maguire
Season of Shadow and Light – Jenn J Mc Leod
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1407990549
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com.au/Season-Shadow-Light-Seasons-Quartet-ebook/dp/B00S2SU5U2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446279029&sr=8-1&keywords=season+of+shadow+and+light
The Replacement Wife – Rowena Wiseman
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1381864879
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Wife-Rowena-Wiseman-ebook/dp/B00WDN9R24/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446279706&sr=1-5&keywords=the+replacement+wife
Fall in love with these beautiful stories of the heart and you'll also find yourself falling for the major swoon-worthy leading men. Even knowing there was bound to be a feel good romantic ending with these novels made no difference to how glued I was to discover the journey to happily ever after.
Down Outback Roads – Alissa Callen
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1318923494
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Down-Outback-Roads-Alissa-Callen-ebook/dp/B00IEM4Y2Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446279110&sr=1-1&keywords=down+outback+roads
The House at the Bottom of the Hill – Jennie Jones
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1248240549
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/House-Bottom-Hill-Swallows-Fall-ebook/dp/B00PA4O4VM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446279257&sr=1-1&keywords=the+house+at+the+bottom+of+the+hill
Fairway to Heaven – Lily Malone
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1248241758
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Fairway-Heaven-Lily-Malone-ebook/dp/B00TQIML4A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446279347&sr=1-1&keywords=fairway+to+heaven
A Leap in Time – Engy Albasel Neville
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1306760124
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Leap-Time-Travelers-Albasel-Neville-ebook/dp/B00OFBHICI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446279463&sr=1-1&keywords=a+leap+in+time
Secrets at the Maple Syrup Farm – Rebecca Raisin
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1248239944
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Maple-Syrup-Farm-Lifetime-ebook/dp/B00OQD8HNY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446279549&sr=1-1&keywords=secrets+at+the+maple+syrup+farm
Luna Tango – Alli Sinclair
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1245156055
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com.au/Luna-Tango-Dance-Card-Book-ebook/dp/B00K5IZ4QW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446279663&sr=1-1&keywords=luna+tango
Romantic Suspense
Books that will keep you guessing and also have sexy sizzle or heartfelt romance in them too. These stories range from sweet romance to whoa baby and I loved them all!
A Pretty Mess – Carla Caruso
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1229045845
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Pretty-Mess-Astonvale-novel-ebook/dp/B00KEZ7W0M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446279786&sr=1-1&keywords=a+pretty+mess
Pieces of a Lie – Rowena Holloway
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1381871458
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Lie-Rowena-Holloway-ebook/dp/B00NXGIWEY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1449414219&sr=1-1&keywords=pieces+of+a+lie
The Trouble with Dying – Maggie Le Page
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1473164892
Amazon buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Dying-Maggie-Page-ebook/dp/B00QTAAGFY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450520727&sr=1-1&keywords=The+trouble+with+dying
Lethal in Love: Episode one – Michelle Somers
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1381873428
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Lethal-Love-Episode-Michelle-Somers-ebook/dp/B00UJ2UEJQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446279857&sr=1-1&keywords=lethal+in+love+1
Risking Ruin - Mae Wood
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1244503406
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Risking-Ruin-Give-Memphis-Book-ebook/dp/B00PP6ZTA0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446279945&sr=1-1&keywords=risking+ruin
Young Adult
Not just for young adults. These incredibly talented authors can transcend generations! Moving and addictive reads that me and my daughter loved.
Don't Call Me Kit Kat – KJ Farnham
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1244504924
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Call-Me-Kit-Kat-ebook/dp/B00XFKMG0O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446280023&sr=1-1&keywords=KJ+Farnham
Forget Me Not (Collective Series #1) – Stacey Nash
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1340727666
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Not-Collective-Stacey-Nash-ebook/dp/B00K1Q9NA6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446280104&sr=1-1&keywords=forget+me+not+stacey+nash
Historical Fiction
Not my usual fare, I'm way too shallow for literary reads, but this page turner is one of my favourite books ever as in ever, ever – it's Shakespeare like you have never seen him, so this book is defiantly sitting here as the sole representative of this genre. And it is brimming to the full with scandalous SEX so it's not at all slow or tiresome to read!! Next year two of my close friends are releasing historical fiction books so watch this space for more.
Shakespeare's Will – Meredith Whitford
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1229054706
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Will-Meredith-Whitford-ebook/dp/B00C2TK2R8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446280193&sr=1-1&keywords=meredith+whitford
Rock star reads
Sexy rock stars with attitude, clearly I have a thing for them, I've read books about three of them this year alone and I have two more waiting to be read in the New Year. Have to admit I love masculine rock stars with edge (hellooo Bruce Springsteen) and there are macho bad boys galore in these stories!
A Tide too High – Carole Brungar
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1318925741
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/tide-too-high-Carole-Brungar-ebook/dp/B00P5ZSESA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446280275&sr=1-1&keywords=a+tide+too+high
Don't Mention the Rock Star – Bree Darcy
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1229056569
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Mention-Rock-Star-Darcy-ebook/dp/B00P9T92ME/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446280345&sr=1-1&keywords=bree+darcy
Summer Sky – Lisa Swallow
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1306760414
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Sky-Blue-Phoenix-Book-ebook/dp/B00JEYQIFY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446280438&sr=1-1&keywords=summer+sky
Some spice and nice to hide from your grandmothers and your children. I'd never read erotica before this year, but after becoming friends with these beautiful ladies who write erotic fiction, I just had to give it a go (so much fun to read when you know the author!). I found these stories to be light-hearted, full of tongue-in-cheek humour and I read the naughtiest scenes out loud to my hubby who did not complain one little bit!
Loving Evie – Juanita Chavez
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1409823771
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Evie-Juanita-Chavez-ebook/dp/B01509EZ8S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446280505&sr=1-1&keywords=loving+evie
An Upside Down Christmas – Loretta Laird
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1248835590
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Christmas-Loretta-Laird-ebook/dp/B018T1L7OO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1449414388&sr=1-1&keywords=an+upside+down+christmas
Deep Heat – Selene Zanetti
My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1409828945
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Heat-Spicy-romance-women-ebook/dp/B010MOYKX6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446280667&sr=1-1&keywords=deep+heat+selene+zanetti
And that wraps up my first ever Tess Woods Ultimate Holiday Reading Guide! So what did you think? Have you found some inspiration for your summer reading (or winter reading for those of you on the other side of the world)? I look forward to showcasing more talented authors next year and finding great books for you to read. Judging by the titles on my reading list, it's looking like a fantastic year of books in 2016! Happy holidays lovely people xx
I'm delighted to introduce the very gorgeous Engy Albasel Neville and her debut novel A Leap in Time. Most (if not all) authors have a reading list a mile long. Other authors read our books so we in turn read theirs so that as a community we're supportive of each other. I'm no exception to this rule, I sometimes feel as though I need ten lives to get through my reading list. The last thing I need is more new books to read.
But when I saw A Leap in Time being promoted on some book blogs that I follow, I just had to buy it! In 2015 it's the only book I've bought purely because I wanted to for my own reading pleasure, without knowing the author. The premise of a love story set between modern day Los Angeles and ancient Pompeii was too good to pass up. I'd been to Pompeii and the ruins of this amazing city fascinated me, so of course a time travel love story set there grabbed my attention.
Not only did I buy the book but it jumped straight to the top of my reading list ahead of all the books that were patiently waiting their turn. And I wasn't disappointed. I was drawn to Engy's sweet and emotional writing style and then I was drawn to Engy herself when I got to know her afterwards – she's a true kindred spirit and has become a very close and treasured friend.
I hope you love A Leap in Time as much as I did. I kept waiting for horrific things to happen to the characters I loved, with it being set in Pompeii and all, but it was just the most beautiful sweet read with no gory bits!
Here is the Amazon blurb of A Leap in Time, followed by my review of the book, a bit about Engy and my interview with her.
You can learn more about Engy by visiting her website http://www.engyalbaselneville.com/ and her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/EngyAlbaselNeville?fref=ts
The morning after hanging an antique painting, Lexi Carter notices strange noises in her living room. Scared beyond words, she confronts the sounds only to discover that the landscape itself has come alive. Did Roman soldiers on horseback just gallop across the thing?
She impulsively touches the painting and is sucked into the world of ancient Pompeii. Lexi meets Marcus, a Roman Adonis, who occupies her every thought, and sends her senses into a tailspin.
The year is 59AD and Pompeii is at its peak of glory and prosperity. Lexi is faced with the decision of choosing between two worlds, her modern day Los Angeles or ancient Pompeii…with the man who captured her heart and soul.
My review of this book:
What a lovely, lovely story! From the first page I was hooked and needed to know how the story would end. This book shot straight up my reading pile when I saw it featured on book review sites because I was intrigued by the premise of a time travel storyline involving Pompeii where I visited last year. And Engy Albasel Neville didn't disappoint me by very cleverly bringing Pompeii to life in all its splendour. The main characters Lexi and Marcus are just beautiful inside and out and their emotional and brave journey had me cheering them on. Loved the setting, loved all the characters, loved the ending and can't wait to read the next book in this series!
About Engy Albasel Neville:
Engy Albasel Neville was born in Lod, Israel and grew up in Riverside, CA. Engy and her two younger brothers were raised in an Arab household infused with American culture, music, and food.
Even at a young age Engy enjoyed writing in all forms, although creative writing is where she flourished. Engy attended the University of LaVerne in Southern California, where she majored in Broadcasting and became a member of Sigma Kappa sorority, an organization she continues to hold near and dear.
Engy landed her first job in Los Angeles in the entertainment industry where she got her first taste of working with celebrities, coordinating red carpet events and overseeing press needs. Over the next decade, Engy worked across various sectors of brand management, leaving behind the glitz and glamour of "the biz", although its imprint stayed with her enough to influence her debut novel.
Engy actually started writing A Leap In Time a few years after graduation. But for some reason, the timing for completing her novel was off. It wasn't until she married her long-term boyfriend, Brian that the pieces began to fall into place. While honeymooning in Italy, they made a life-changing detour to Pompeii. A Leap In Timewas originally set in England during the Jane Austen era, but Engy felt an immediate magnetic attraction to Pompeii and knew without a doubt that it needed to be the focus of her story.
Engy lives with her husband, two active toddlers, and super hyper dog on Long Island, NY. She is currently working on the second novel in The Travelers series.
An interview with Engy Albasel Neville:
Tell us about your book:
A Leap In Time is a time travel romance set in ancient Pompeii (59 AD) and modern day Los Angeles.
Lexi Carter, the heroine in the story discovers a time travel portal disguised as painting of Pompeii. She's freaked out as most of us would be but soon learns that time portals are not as uncommon as people thought and that. A gifted few are granted the gift of traveling to other worlds and she was one of the chosen travelers. Unable to resist the intrigue and adventure, Lexi takes a leap of faith and ventures to a world known best in modern day history books.
Pompeii doesn't disappoint from culture to the sophisticated infrastructure and architecture. Lexi is drawn to the historical city immediately, feeling that somehow she belongs there. Enter Marcus, a wealthy Roman Adonis that captures Lexi's heart and soul, defying any logic.
As Lexi becomes more attached to Pompeii and Marcus, she must choose between the two worlds.
What are you currently working on?
I'm currently working on Loved In Time, the working title for the sequel of A Leap In Time. I had finished the sequel some time back and after much thought, I decided to revisit it and change some major plot ideas that include a few complications to the storyline and some challenges to the characters. Although it's taken me a bit longer to wrap up the sequel, I know in my heart the story is stronger because of the revisions.
What do you love most about your main character?
I've loved Lexi Carter from the moment she spoke to me over a decade ago. She's the girl next door at first sight but more than that below the surface. She's an adventurer with a rooted sense of herself, a loyal friend and a compassionate human being that genuinely cares about the greater good than self-serving benefits. When her character began to take shape in my mind, her energy felt restless to me because on some level she wasn't satisfied with status quo of working and socializing. Deep in her bones, she felt there was more to life than met the eye. Maybe it was a connection with worlds past or even the possibility of having past lives. When the enchanted portal chose her as a traveler, she felt it was a nod from the Universe confirming her intuition and therefore, it was her responsibility to give back somehow.
What is your writing routine like?
I write every single day. Some days, I'm lucky enough to be in the writing zone and I'm able to write for hours without stop. Other days I struggle with finding the words to express the storyline weaving in my head. Regardless of the kind of day I'm having, I make sure to write every day even if it's just an hour.
Why do you write?
I love to write and have always found writing to be a wonderful creative outlet and release. When I'm writing, I feel a deep sense of calm that helps me stay grounded and connected to my inner higher self.
How do you beat writer's block?
Writers block is every author's worst enemy and we've all experienced it. Some authors believe that if you continue to write in spite of it, you'll push through the difficult part and eventually get past whatever hurdle was causing the block. That method has never worked for me. Instead, I walk away from my laptop. Being a lover of nature, I draw energy and inspiration from being outside whether that's in my garden or a nearby pond, hiking trail or park. I just know that I need to be outside. More often than not, whatever was blocking my creative flow is squashed during my outdoors escape.
Are you big on research? Tell us how you researched the book.
For A Leap In Time, I immersed myself in books, movies, visits to the museum, online research and even a trip to Pompeii. Visiting Pompeii in person while on our honeymoon is what actually began my obsession with the historical city buried in ash. I loved Pompeii and like Lexi, I felt an unexplainable connection to the city, the culture and way of life. Research is high on my list.
If you could be any fictional character for a day, who would you choose?
If I could be a fictional character for one day, I would be Lexi Carter, my adventurous heroine from A Leap In Time. The idea of time traveling to another world for a day sounds incredible.
What is your favourite motivational quote?
My favorite motivational quote is by Maya Angelou: ""I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better."
Describe your dream writing office.
My dream office is airy with lots of windows overlooking a beautiful quaint garden and the ocean just beyond it. I'm a lover of nature. The sounds and smells of a garden … a beach … chirping birds … give me such peace of mind and inner calm.


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Soundview's Middle School program, for students in grades 6–8, addresses the developmental needs of younger students by fostering social and intellectual growth in an atmosphere that respects emerging adolescence. Middle School students enjoy a homebase in their own building on campus that provides a warmer, more nurturing setting. Our curriculum is designed to establish a foundation of knowledge and skills in each major academic area and to promote good study skills, organization and work habits.
The Middle School academic program emphasizes reading and writing across all subject areas, which include language arts and literature, history, mathematics, science, foreign language, computer skills, physical education and the arts. Students are encouraged to become engaged learners by working on individual oral and written assignments, group projects and interdisciplinary explorations, all designed to develop individual responsibility and classroom cooperation. Arts performances and class activities promote a feeling of belonging. Highlights of the year are the fall Middle School trip, a fun-filled overnight excursion that offers students the opportunity to get to know one another in a relaxed setting, the Science Fair, in which students exhibit their independent research projects, and the end-of-the-year picnic, complete with games, crafts and delicious food. At Soundview, we provide Middle School students with opportunities to build self-confidence and a healthy self-image.


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Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Two Roads Diverged
"contentment" is a word that has many different connotations. when we are content, do we accept immoral, hurtful actions as being ok if we are not the perpetrators or victims of those actions? do we believe that all persons must be content with their lives, even if they lack the basic necessities of life? do we think that those who live under oppressive governments should be content with their lack of freedom? certainly, contentment with such conditions would be a faulty way of thinking.
so, the question becomes, how do we address the mistreatment of others, abject poverty, and oppression while experiencing contentment? perhaps, we should think of inner contentment as our goal, while cultivating the ability to see things as they are. if we can see that those who injure others, those who cause others to lack the basic necessities, those who lust for power and for wealth beyond what is needed for sustaining life are living lives of great suffering, then we are able to have compassion for them, just as we do for those who are their victims. as we work to alleviate the suffering of those victims, we are also working to alleviate the suffering of those we often think of as the perpetrators of evil.
the lack of contentment manifests itself in small ways, too. for instance, last saturday my wife and i both had made plans to accomplish some tasks outside while the temperature was still cool. we wanted to finish our work and retreat inside before the heat of the day arrived and to spend the rest of the day relaxing. to that end, my wife began her work, which was more physically demanding than mine, while i prepared breakfast for us. when i went out to call her to breakfast, i discovered a friend had seen her working outside and stopped to visit, interrupting her work. he lingered, and the day didn't work out the way we planned it.
all during the remainder of the day we lamented how our plans had gone awry. by the time we were able to return to our yard work, it was hot outside. my project had to be abandoned altogether, as i helped my wife finish hers, since she was already in the middle of it. nothing else for the rest of the day seemed to work out as we had hoped, and we arrived at the evening feeling anything but contentment.
as we reflected on our day and our frustrations, we realized that our feelings were natural, but if we wished to enjoy what little time remained before bedtime, we could accept our feelings of discontent with how the day had gone and then let go of those feelings as we relaxed into the few hours we had left. as soon as we talked ourselves to that conclusion, we were content--though our ideal day did not happen, the problem was that we expected an ideal day. now our plan was to accept the remainder of the day and enjoy what came our way as we relaxed in our den.
how often we allow ourselves to suffer, when all that is needed is to cultivate an accepting attitude about what the day brings us! how much better it is to be content to enjoy each moment as it comes and to let go of the stories we tell ourselves about what should be. my prayer for each of us is that true contentment will be our experience at least some of the time as we work to live skillfully! shalom.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?
we sometimes act and speak in anger before we realize it and then regret what we've done. i know i fail to live skillfully in this way, perhaps less frequently now than i might have earlier in my life. for example, a few days ago, i had a sharp exchange with one who is dear to me. i was already experiencing irritation with this dear one because my friend kept reminding me of tasks not completed after i had worked very hard that day. my desire was to let go of thinking of more work and to allow my mind and body to relax, to spend some time in quiet, abandoning all conscious thoughts. my friend just wasn't going to allow that to happen. finally my friend insisted on having my attention despite the fact that i kept saying, "just a moment, just a moment." when i turned my attention to this loved one, it was too late--the anger was apparent in both of us.
as i reflected back on this exchange, i realized that i behaved in a way that failed to show lovingkindness to my friend who is not as far along on the path as i. certainly there was fault in both of our thinking and actions, but i was so intent on my own needs that i forgot my early morning commitment to think kindly toward others, to refrain from anger, and not to think badly of others. i had forgotten that love is not irritable or resentful, and i showed neither love for myself nor for my friend.
continuing to meditate on my feelings as i looked back, i accepted that my emotions were natural. my shortcoming was not the emotions i felt, but rather my neglect of looking at them mindfully. i did not allow myself to see the need in my friend, as i was so intent on what i perceived to be my own need. so the question is, "do i continue to beat myself up for my errors?" my conclusion is that i should not, but i should discipline my mind to see things as they really are, to have an intention to act on thing as they really are, to speak only after analyzing what is really taking place, and to make the effort to mindfully act in lovingkindness. in short, to walk along the path instead of clinging to my own thoughts.
my prayer for myself and you today is that we will allow our minds to focus on what is true, not on the stories our minds are telling us about our condition. may our actions be based on rational analysis, accepting our emotions that run contrary to that analysis without allowing those emotions to cause us to act in anger and irritability. may lovingkindness be our overriding desire. shalom.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
I'll Be Satisfied As Long . . .
do you sometimes find yourself thinking, "i wish he (she) wouldn't behave in that way! if only [this person] would do as i think best, life would be so much more pleasant," or something along those lines? i know i do. lately i've been catching myself as i think such thoughts and asking myself why i would wish someone i care about deeply to behave in a way that is not of their choosing but my own. what does that say about my desire to control others, to have life on my own terms even if it means changing another's behavior in ways that are not in keeping with that person's own nature?
as i catch myself willing a friend to stop behaving or speaking in ways that are irritating to me, i realize that the thought is about me, not them. instead, how much more loving it would be of me to accept my friend and realize that friendship is not a matter of control or expecting another to do as i wish. if we (i) act in lovingkindness toward others, we let go of the need to control and to eliminate that which rubs us the wrong way and instead appreciate the overriding sense of joy found in being in the presence of one we dearly love.
maybe what is needed when we catch ourselves wanting to control another is to accept that we are feeling irritation and say to ourselves honestly that we are irritated and that's ok, but our irritation has nothing to do with the apparent source of the irritation. instead, it has to do with what's going on in our own heads. why should we allow the expression of someone else's personality to irritate us? instead, let's celebrate our differences and realize that, if we were able to control others so that irritation at another's beavior were eliminated, the world would be a duller, less enjoyable place.
my prayer for myself and for others today is that we give ourselves permission to experience irritation and that we accept that our irritation is more about ourselves than it is about what we perceive to be the source of the irritation. may we live lives that rejoice in ourselves and others as we are and give ourselves permission to experience life fully with lovingkindness and compassion. shalom.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
As We Forgive Our Debtors
i have a dear friend who grew up in a home where she and her sisters were abused by their father. their abuse was both physcial and mental, though there was no sexual abuse. their father beat them with leather belts, with water hoses, with automobile fan belts. they were thrown to the ground and kicked. one sister tells of being beaten for begging her father to quit spanking an infant sister because the baby was crying. they lived in constant feat that a minor, or imagined, infraction would result in some horrific punishment. this abuse affected each sister differently. the oldest has deep resentments of the younger sisters, because as the oldest she believes she suffered most. another sister refused to discipline her children in any way because she feared turning into an abuser like her father. another sister harbored deep resentments toward her mother because the mother never tried to stop the abuse. the fourth sister was able to forgive her father, though the hurting child inside her sometimes emerges, and she becomes a "control freak" to create an environment where she feels safe.
it is difficult to have compassion for such a father, but as i've listened to descriptions of this man, i can see a person who was hurting deeply while he was inflicting such pain on his children. he grew up in a home ruled by a mother who was constantly on the lookout for "sinful" behavior, a home in which the father regarded his children as little more than farm laborers and who had deepseated hatred of anyone who was of a different religion or race. one of the children in this home died of heat stroke working in the fields because she was not allowed to stop working until she had completed her assigned tasks.
later in life, the father of my friend suffered a severe head injury while working in a manufacturing plant. in those days, there were no laws to protect workers from unsafe conditions, and his employer felt no responsibility for the injury. the attitude of the factory owner, who was known in the community as a devout christian man, was that a worker's carelessness must be the cause of any injury, and since the worker had caused his own injury, he was on his own--no medical care, no sick leave pay, no job.
by all accounts, my friend's father was never the same after this injury, and he took out his anger on whatever vulnerable creature was handy, be it a child or a farm animal. the story is told of him beating the family dog to death in front of his daughters because the dog, on his orders, had attacked a cow at which the man had become angry when the cow became obstinate. what a profound impact that must have had on the daughters as they witnessed what their father was capable of when he was provoked.
what is amazing to me is that while each of the daughter carries deep scars from their childhood, all have become successful adults. they have treated their children with kindness, and the pattern of abuse that began at least two generations earlier stopped with them. three of the daughters have great difficulty relating to their husbands, frequently berating and criticizing them, and such behavior is not surprising. the fourth daughter, my friend, who has been able to reach a sort of forgiveness towards her abusing father and passive mother, has the most loving relationship with her spouse, who she describes as her best friend.
when i see how she conducts her life, i am convinced of the power of forgiveness and the need to understand how the behavior of others is often the result of how they were treated as children. i stand amazed that, little by little over the passing years, my friend has worked to come to terms with the unspeakable horror of her childhood. while there are times when the old hurts surface, they have become less and less frequent, and love has become stronger than the hatred she may never be able to rid herself of.
my prayer today is that each of us learns the power of forgiveness to heal, that we are able to be forgiving and kind toward ourselves and others, and that we will look beyond the cruel actions of others to try and understand the motivations that are at the root of such cruelty. shalom.
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1st Stokesley Market
Last summer my wife and I spent a nice relaxing weekend away with friends in the Stokesley area and whilst wending our way home we happened upon Stokesley Farmers Market. At this point I have to say, in my defence, that this was purely accidental and not contrived, contrary to what family and friends seem to think! It would appear that every time we have a night away we always manage to find a farmers market!
It's nice to visit other markets to get a feel of how things are run, so we stopped off and had a walk round. There were a lot of familiar faces on the stalls, all of whom spoke very highly of the market and its organisation. There was a large variety of produce and in the town hall were stalls with local crafts. I would certainly recommend a visit; we spent a lovely two hours wandering around looking at everything.
My enthusiasm must has showed when discussing the possibility of taking a stall, as it was agreed we should go ahead and make inquiries. A stall became available, starting in March, so we jumped at the opportunity. Our first day was cold and crisp but the skies remained blue throughout, this must be a good omen. The market was as advised, well supported by the locals and it was great to see such a good turn out, especially with the cold weather. We look forward to returning next month! Our thanks to Nigel (market manager) for making us very welcome.
Our route to Stokesley takes us through Helmsley where the scenery is superb. The road is peppered with village pubs which look very inviting. I shall look forward to visiting them in the summer months and enjoying something to eat on the way home.
Our next market is the first Saturday of April, come along and try the oils or even just to have a chat.


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FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Southern Vermont College baseball team played its final two games in Florida Thursday with the Mountaineers being edged 9-8 and then 9-7 by Gallaudet University at the Lee County Player Development Complex.
SVC's comeback fell short in the opener with the tying run being left at third in the bottom of the seventh, and GU then overtook the Mountaineers throughout game two en route to the sweep.
Southern Vermont (3-6-1) is scheduled to next play a three-game weekend series at Wells College with the first two starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
GAME 1: Gallaudet 9 – Southern Vermont 8
The Bison took advantage of early SVC mishaps and put up eight runs through the first three innings; they were also aggressive on the base paths—converting on seven of their 10 steal attempts during the contest. The Mountaineers chipped away at their deficit and made it an 8-6 game going to the seventh, but that's when Gallaudet used a squeeze play to bring home what proved to be the winning score.
After loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, Southern Vermont brought two home and got the tying run to third; he would be stranded there, however, as GU closed the book.
Mountaineer senior center fielder Zack Stacey (Saratoga, N.Y.) went 3-4 with four RBI's and a run scored while sophomore infielder Zac Cronk (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) was 2-2 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI.
SVC senior righty Ryan Serrato (Whittier, Calif.) made his first appearance of the year on the hill—taking the loss (0-1) after giving up seven runs on just three hits and a walk; he also plunked three batters while striking out two in his 2.1 innings of work.
Gallaudet scored four runs in the top of the first with a sacrifice fly, an RBI-single, a balk, and an SVC error. The Bison added four more in the third to stake an 8-0 upper hand.
Stacey put SVC on the board in the bottom of the third as he launched his sixth career home run well over the 330-foot marker in left field. Sullivan then followed with a solo blast of his own in the fourth to make it an 8-4 tally, and Cronk brought home another with a single up the middle.
After a Stacey single through the left side plated one in the sixth to make it a two-run margin, Gallaudet turned a triple into a run with a well-executed squeeze—one which proved to be the difference maker. Southern Vermont then filled the pond with ducks in the bottom of the seventh and no outs. A wild pitch scored the lead runner before a double play brought in one more and put the tying run at third; a final strikeout, however, put it away for the Bison.
GAME 2: Gallaudet 9 – Southern Vermont 7
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 5-1 lead by the end of their second at bat, but Gallaudet came back to tie it up with five in the bottom of the second. The lead went back-and-forth over the next few innings with the Bison going ahead 9-7 after the fourth. Neither team could cross the dish the rest of the way for GU to complete the sweep.
Stacey finished a solid day at the plate with a 2-3 performance in the box—hitting another homer in addition to working a walk and scoring three total runs. Serrato moved to first base and turned in a 3-4 showing at the plate with two RBI's and a run scored while sophomore Nick Guajardo (Mansfield, Texas) was 2-4 with the stick.
SVC junior right-hander Nick Gambardella (Hollywood, Fla.) threw the fourth inning and was strapped with the loss (0-2) after giving up the go-ahead run.
Serrato singled through the infield to score the first two runs of the game, and a balk then allowed him to come in from third. With the bases loaded, junior designated hitter Ryan Richardson (Pasadena, Md.) took a pitch to the back for SVC to go in front 4-0. Stacey would send his second homer of the year over the fence in left once again in the top of the second to pad the Mountaineers' cushion.
The 5-0 lead would be short lived, however, as GU connected to score five runs on five hits in the bottom of the box—three of those going for extra bases. The Bison then pulled ahead in the third with a run-scoring single to right-center.
With runners at second and third in the fourth, Southern Vermont junior Kyle Liddy (Oriskany, N.Y.) put a ball high in the air and right towards the sun; it would land in shallow center field for him to leg out a double while two runs came around to score.
Once again, Gallaudet had a response as the Bison scored three times in the home half of the inning. Just like game one, a squeeze play resulted in what proved to be the winning run. SVC would strand three runners over the next three frames as the Mountaineers' couldn't capitalize to make a comeback.
– #LetsGoSVC –