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Speaking? Tips.February 27, 2006
Over the past few years, I've been invited to come speak at various events. No big surprise there, as I've probably met a bunch of you at them. Since there's a chance that some are publicly speaking for the first time in Austin this year, I figured I'd share a few things I've tried along the way.
These tips will probably be more relevant if you're a nervous talker and you suspect you won't fill in enough time. (If you're a rambler, there are other people who can offer you far better advice than I.) It's timely in a way, because I think I've finally crossed a threshold in my own speaking. I started off early 2004 in a bit of a fluster, went into overdrive preparation mode during most of 2005, and now in 2006, I think I'm easing into speaking naturally and comfortably. Finally.
When I first started, I wasn't sure how to plan for time constraints. Speaking for an hour seemed like a long time to keep going, and there was always a good chance I'd miss important points along the way and end really early.
So I approached my preparation as if I were writing an article, which would take approximately an hour to read out loud. I'd hole up in a cafe and breeze through a logical progression of thoughts that ended up being 10 pages or more of printed text, and try to separate that out into smaller bite-sized points for easier scanning when presenting. Then I'd build slides based on that. It was a lot of work.
Not only was I concerned about the time constraints though, I also got spooked out of allowing myself to ramble at all. I've talked through three slides past the one that's currently on screen, only to madly catch up later. I've realized halfway through that I didn't make a bunch of important points earlier to help support the current slide, so it in turn makes no sense without that context. I've even gotten completely stuck from time to time, I think the most notable was on stage at WE04. "Uh, I completely forgot where I was going with that…" So to help myself avoid any repeats, I've been meticulous in my preparation and made sure to have the entire presentation outlined, with a paper backup on hand, to ensure I could talk my way out of any glitches.
But that spiraled out of control, since every time I presented I tried to deliver new material, adapted to the theme of the conference. And thus, new supporting material. Not such a hot idea, I found out, as it's probably more important to be familiar with your material and comfortable when delivering it, than to be fresh all the time. Not to mention the extra time and effort creating a new set of slides every single time.
So recently, I've realized a few things that I think are making me a better speaker. I've stopped spending ages coming up with finely-detailed outlines of each presentation, and instead I'm leaving more to real-time interaction. I'm still no Veen or Molly, and likely will never be, but at least I'm comfortable in my own methods now, and I think that's the real key to presenting well.
- Know your material. But plan to make mistakes anyway. If you talk through a bunch of slides, oh well. Make them available later, and it's no big deal. If you have to back up and provide extra context that you missed earlier, go right ahead. You can even tell people that's what you're doing, although you probably don't need to. Also, if you're more of a bullet-point presenter, you can even use your slides as notes to keep you focused throughout. That's hardly a bad system, though we all know why PowerPoint is evil…
- Nervousness goes away. Five minutes into it, you'll stop being nervous and start having a bit more fun. And after doing a few presentations, you'll stop getting those butterflies in your stomach before hand, and feel a lot more at home on a stage.
- Pause. Get used to taking small pauses here and there, to take a sip of water, to collect your thoughts, to slow yourself down, or whatever else. It's okay to have a few seconds of silence.
- Have a water bottle with you on stage. You'll need it for the dry mouth. Some lip balm might not be a bad idea either, if you're talking more than once.
- If you get stuck on-stage, it's not a bad thing. You simply move on to the next topic. The audience might notice, or they might not. A lot of the things you're thinking internally during that moment will never get picked up by anyone else, so if what you're saying still makes some form of sense, chances are no one will catch it. (And if it doesn't make sense, often that's just glossed over! Not everyone is 100% coherent all the time when speaking, and it rarely matters.)
- Be prepared to allow for spontaneity. You can't really plan for the asides and diversions that you might make while on stage, but allow them to happen when they do. Often you'll explore a related idea that ties in with your main points nicely, and it'll work its way into future presentations. Try to keep yourself always coming back to the topic at hand, or at the very least, make sure to highlight why your diversion is relevant to the discussion. Don't spend too long on them, however.
- Have a lot of slides. If you're worried about time, just make sure you've got more material than you need. Chances are you won't get through it all, but that's not a terrible problem to have. I'd say 40 to 50 slides is probably enough to fill up an entire hour, as that's just over a minute each. As you get more comfortable, you can start bringing that number down.
- Be prepared, but it's not worth killing yourself. Don't go for broke on the slides, go for broke on familiarizing yourself with your topic and your slides. Do three dry runs before you get up on stage. Time yourself, and don't try to back up and re-try anything during the dry runs. Learn how to talk your way out of a factual error you just caught, speaking flub, or even just simple mispronunciation. Pretend there's an audience right in front of you and you only have that hour. This will quickly highlight the problem points, and often it'll cause you to re-arrange your slides.
- If you don't fill the entire hour, no big deal. (If you're only hitting the 30 minute mark, you might need to have more material next time.) Q&A can usually fill up the rest of your time slot, and ever since I've started speaking I've had more fun answering questions than talking during the actual presentation. Try to make your talk amenable to follow-up questions, and if you've got a small enough room (anything over 50 people is pushing it) you can even encourage questions throughout.
- Make sure you've got a strong start, and the rest will fall into place. The first few minutes are the most important. The audience doesn't know what you're like, you don't know what they're like, so you need to get people interested. Plus, the sea of quiet faces is a bit overwhelming, so if you need to script any part of your presentation, this is the best part to script. After you've gone through the introduction and started getting into the meat of it, people are likely to be more receptive and you won't feel so on the spot.
- Re-use material. I don't think there's anything wrong with this. If you're giving repeat presentations, feel free to dip into past talks and pull out points. I lean towards illustrated slides instead of bullet points these days, so I've even built up an illustration library which I'll happily re-use for new talks, even if the subject matter changes.
Of course SXSW is more oriented toward 15 or 20 minutes of talking, so the time frame is a bit different. But chances are sooner or later you'll need to talk for an hour or so. Hopefully you'll be a natural, but if not, maybe these tips will help.
Good points, though I'd like to add a few of my own (and reemphasize a few of the above):
To #4) Water is really important. You can't depend on a stack of cups and water (though sometimes, they are there).
To #9) There will always be questions, so don't worry about coming up short. The only times I've ended up with a sea of blank faces was the result of losing everyone on about slide 3 or so. One colleague of mine would often break his presentation into four parts: everything important, questions on everything important, everything else, and questions on everything else. The questions in the middle would break the long talk and make sure the most interesting things are covered. Questions always tend to be more interesting, and certainly the most humorous.
1) Avoid slides full of text. When the audience is given a slide full of words, they will be furiously writing everything down and no longer listening to you. I believe it was a professor in college that told me 6 words per bullet, 6 bullets per slide maximum. I've actually found this to be a really comfortable amount of information to hand out. This of course, is contingent on if your presentation is full of bullet points.
2) Note cards. It never hurts to have little blips that remind you of tidbits you want to mention. Though if you go this route, punch a hole on the top left/right and thread them on a key-ring. Dropping even 15 note cards mid-presentation will spell the end of the note card idea.
3) If you can, find a presentation buddy. During our larger presentations, I've grown used to presenting with one of the artists on our team. We play off of each other well, and can cover for each other really easily. If you know you are presenting with someone else, take some time to get to know them and work on things together. This also presents tag-team presenting where halfway through you "tag out" for the other guy. If you're presenting solo, your presentation buddy is a great person to present to when you run through the first couple times.
4) Find your "style". During your run-through and after your presentation, take a few minutes and reflect on what did and didn't work for you. A lot of times, the first reaction was "phew it's over!" and then things move on. By stopping at some point to look at what you liked doing and what you didn't, you'll start to carve out your own style.
I attended both of your presentations at this year's Web Design World in San Francisco and I really enjoyed your presentation style - it was a good balance of keeping everything structured and understandable, while still leaving wiggle room for questions or spontaneous add ins.
In regards to this list, I think you've forgotten one of the most important aspects of any presentation: have fun with it. Nobody wants to feel like they're sitting through Calculus 101 again.
I think too many technical speakers spend so much time refining and perfecting their presentations that the whole experience comes off feeling dry and without life.
It's interesting that you suggest 40-50 slides for an hour. My favourite talks / lectures (and the ones I try to emulate when presenting) are the ones where the speaker is so engaging that the slides pale into insignificance, so it doesn't matter if there are far fewer than that.
I've always thought that they should be there for the speaker to hang their ideas on, not as reading material for the audience. I'd be sad if I thought my slides were more interesting than me!
Great articles, Dave. This is the first time I've posted here, but I've been lurking for a long time :-)
I think one of the key things I've learned about successful presentations comes from my experience as a teacher. At the end of a good presentation the audience should feel as though they've been taken on a bit of a journey - good presentations need to have a destination.
When I'm working on a talk I try to keep this in mind, and almost always start at the end and work my way back. I ask myself "where do I want the audience to be when I'm done talking?" Once I've figured this out, I step back and try to figure out how to get the audience there, step by step.
I think slides are like makeup. You can do a great presentation without them, but used sparingly and in the right amounts they can really help bring a presentation alive. Too much, however, and you can risk ending up with an overblown mess.
I personally look at slides like visual emphasis - you use them to augment a point, but just like bold text you don't want to be augmenting everything or else it'll all start to blur together.
SXSW will indeed be my very first ever speaking engagement (although I did an informal lunch-time half-presentation to a few people during d.Construct last year) so your post was of great value to me.
I'll add two dietary tips that I've discovered while researching speaking engagements (for someone else, originally):
1. Don't eat heavily beforehand. Any food you may have to process during your presentation takes blood away from your brain to think clearly, so it's best to be a little hungry.
2. Water, water, water. If you don't like water, at least stay away from stuff like orange juice or anything else that'll roughen up your throat. Also stay away from anything with milk – milk has chemicals in it that cloud your mind, and a clear mind is important for a presentation.
I've not had the fortune to attending your Geek Dinner in London, but I heard from friends who did that you were very relaxed and natural about it.
Also, for anyone looking to improve their presentation skills:
3 pieces by Guy Kawasaki:
The 10/20/30 rule of Powerpoint:
How to Kick Butt on a Panel:
Lessons from Steve's Keynote:
And then, "Presentation Zen" by Garr Reynolds:
(just dig around on that blog)
All above are great reads. Great examples are Steve Jobs' Keynotes; his slide simplicity is the heart and soul of why his presentations are so fantastic. Study his Keynotes and you'll learn so incredibly much.
I would recommend joining Toastmasters for people who want to improve their speaking skills. While the speeches rarely last for more than 10 minutes, it's still a great opportunity and a "safe" place to make all your beginner mistakes.
Great tips, Dave, and commenters! A topic near and dear to my heart. And, having spoken together with you, I heartily agree that you are a clear, cogent speaker with lots of interesting things to say.
Obviously, comfort level is different for people. No joke: Most people offered the choice of death or public speaking choose death! This is why the Veens of the world are great speakers - they are themselves and comfortable in front of people. I never have the jitters or fears of any kind because I adore being the center of attention and seek it out with glee :) My only concern, always, is that I serve the audience well.
But even with my natural enjoyment of being on stage, I have been confronted with many challenges over the years. I was helped a lot through private speaker training, which I decided was an important step toward becoming a professional speaker. Not everyone who speaks professionally does this, but if you're really thinking about speaking in public a great deal, I'd say a few sessions with a good speaking coach or attending a few Toastmaster meetings is terrific.
One very fascinating piece I learned from my speaking coach is that 90% of speaking success has little to do with your slides, your voice, or your jokes. It has to do with how you use your body. Body language is the most important facet of speaking because via our bodies we can draw focus to or away from us or our materials, deal with the dynamics of Q and A more successfully. A great example is if you are answering a question, turn your face to the questioner but your body away from them and toward the rest of the room. This keeps people from feeling left out of the conversation. Also, the tendency is to move toward a person asking a question (called "compression"). Don't! Move slightly back from the audience, further opening the physical environment so everyone feels included.
Doing audience polling is a fantastic way to start out a presentation too, raising your hands as you ask the question. This gets physical energy going from the get-go, as well as getting people involved right from the start. So I'll ask a few questions, such as "How many people consider themselves visual designers?" and raise my right hand. Then, on the next question, such as "How many people consider themselves Web developers?" I switch hands. Then, even if time is short, I'll ask for three volunteers to quickly introduce themselves, say what their job title is, and find out a particular item they are frustrated with - this not only warms people in the room toward you and each other - but gives you an idea of the level of general focus and skill.
I could go on, but I'll leave it with this one golden rule: Repeat audience questions. No matter if they are speaking into a microphone, always repeat the question before answering it. This also keeps everyone feeling included as well as ensuring that everyone hears the question and a conversation is created, rather than a monologue or dialogue.
I'm looking forward to hearing you speak again very soon, Dave!
There are always the additional topics that get raised in audience questions or just naturally as you go through a presentation, the things that make you say, "That's interesting, let me get back to you," or "That would be a great topic when I write Part 2 of this presentation." Depending on the talk format, you should have some way to record these ideas. If it's a small lecture setting, you can simply keep a list on a writeboard, or in a larger setting, your "presentation buddy" can take notes. Your buddy should also help you afterwards with any style or behavior issues; if you co-present, do it for each other.
Molly's comment about repeating questions reminded me of something else I think is very important. In un-miked situations, make sure you always talk to the person furthest away from you. If someone near you mumbles a question, repeat it and answer it so that everyone can hear you. Showing this kind of consideration for your audience improves your image and helps you remember how important each individual audience member's experience is.
Slides can help you an awfull lot in timing your speach. If i've got a 15 minute presentation, I subtract 3 minutes for starting and ending the speach propery. That leaves 12 minutes, so 12 slides.
Each slide has got a title and 3 bullets, with a keyword or small phrase on it. If I can cover each bullet on each slide in 20 sec. on average my timing works out. 20 seconds is just enough time to say three lines or one and a pause.
Dave M: Awesome point regarding feedback. If you're speaking at a conference and they ask for detailed feedback on speakers, make sure you read that feedback. It can be painful at times, sometimes you'll get criticized for things that don't make sense or you simply won't agree with, but the audience can be your best friend in terms of your own growth. And when those yummy comments come in, like "GREAT JOB!" well, it just feels so good.
I am leaving this web site now or I'll be here all day! I love talking about talking :)
Edward Tufte has some good guidelines for public speaking, and his The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint has some good tips.
Personally, I avoid slides if at all possible. What I mean is, very often I come to give a talk and what I have is a computer with a projector and a web browser, and that's it. I have my notes (or not, depending on how well I know what I'll talk about) and then just go.
I like to be able to go to places I wasn't expecting, to respond to the audience's interests, or to go into greater depth than I was expecting on a particular matter. It's sort of the opposite of Larry Lessig and Dick Hardt's approach of many, many slides, with one graphic or word on each, impeccably timed to what they have to say – which is also effective.
That doesn't mean I think slides are bad, in other words. I just think that most slides people use, which are really PowerPoint outlines of their talk, are useless. My father-in-law gave a talk once about dental technology (he's a retired dentist), and he was freaked out about having to learn PowerPoint. I told him he should forget about PowerPoint (so should most people) and just pick some images to go along with his talk. The result is here:
It went great. And there were no bullet points. I think each speaker's style suits different styles of visuals.
If you want to hear how I sound when I give a presentation (minimal slides), try this:
Two tips I have:
- Move around. Get away from the podium. Stride. Look at the audience. Use your hands. If you have a lot of demo stuff at the computer, have NON-demo stuff that lets you get away from it.
- Stand to the audience's left of the screen (your right). Most people in the West read from left to right, so they will look at you, then the screen.
My rants on this topic:
re: Avoiding slides. I think that's fine if you can get away with it, and if your talk is more philosophical/theoretical than technical in nature.
I definitely need the visual aids to explain things like floats and the box model, though. My slides are mainly imagery these days anyway, with very minimal text, and often a page of links as footnotes.
A question that occured to me that some of you may have dealt with – if you DON'T have slides, does the audience grant you the same credibility? Slides make it look like you've prepared in advance, winging it without them might cause a different perception. That's something I'd wonder about were I to drastically drop my slide count.
Perfect timing Dave! I'm co-hosting a presentation about CSS on Thursday & this post along with all the comments has been very helpful!
I just remembered this awesome tip from Paul Ford on breathing and nervousness that might come in handy:
As far as dispensing with slides goes, I think it depends on a few factors:
1. How long your presentation is
2. How complex or involved your subject material is
3. Whether or not your material is rooted in the visual
4. How inherently interesting your subject is
5. How inherently interesting you are
I think if you have a long, complex presentation, you had better have the verbal part of your presentation down cold; you're going to be out there bare naked. Holding an audience's interest with a long, complex presentation is a challenge even if you're got an interesting subject and slides.
It's like a singer singing a capella (yes, I'm full of analogies) - it can be done, but you better be absolutely amazing as every flaw, every mistake, and every nuance is going to be completely evident.
Besides presenters who read their slides, the one thing that annoys the crap out of me (and I've been guilty of this too) are presenters who are obviously not totally prepared, and come in and say, "I want this to be a conversation, so I want to talk less and hear what you have to say."
9 times out of 10 that's the beginning of a terrible presentation.
I think everyone has their own approach to slides, no one formula works for all speakers or all presentations. The only thing which really doesn't seem to work is overloading slides with information.
Ultimately I've found the best presentations come from a speaker who gives the impression they could do the talk off the top of their head… particularly when they are confident enough to let their passion for the topic shine through. Anyone who has been to Web Essentials can probably instantly think of five speakers who fit the bill :)
I've been running a knowledge sharing group at work for the past two years (a group for web developers at a university). My role largely consisted of chasing people up to speak at the meetings. I was amazed to find just how reluctant most people are to speak to a group - even a small, friendly group like ours! It just hadn't clicked for me since I don't have that level of fear (a little nervousness is natural, keeps you on your toes).
The interesting thing was that most people do just fine once they stop worrying and start talking, particularly on topics they care about.
Great collection of presentation basics. From my experiences, I would like to add a few things:
- if you do not know the background or expectation of people, try to find out at the beginning; this offers you a lot of opportunities to refer to during your presentation and even makes a standard presentation more "customer"-focussed
- be careful with jokes or humor; not everyone has the same sense; some might find it boring, unappropriate or even offending
- stories you experienced yourself are always a good thing to tell; they make you authentic and prove that your presentation is relevant to practical issues
- if possible do a dry-run of your presentation with people, who know both your target group and the topic you are talking about; this helps to find the most common errors and/or missing links in your chain of logic; you will also get used to your presentation - and not do it first time, when it really matters
A couple of thoughts:
- I categorize all of my slides into "must deliver", "should deliver", and "would be nice to deliver". I scatter time points throughout my presentation, such as by slide 10 I should be at 25 minutes, and slide 20 should be 50 minutes.
As I present I watch the time - if I'm ahead, I spend more time on "would be nice" - if I'm behind, I stick with "must". Its tricky to do this, but if there is a lot of audience participation, you can often use this as a chance to regroup.
- I create an awful lot of slides, and actually present very few. Many of my powerpoint slides are merely structure for what I have to say. An outline, if you will. What I actually write on powerpoint and what I think will add value to the audience by displaying them are two different things
- My goal for any presentation is "what do I want my audience to DO as a result of this presentation?" Anything short of that goal makes the presentation unnecessary. if you just want to inform them, write an article and hand it out.
- The single most powerful tool in Powerpoint - the "B" key (it makes the screen go blank during a show). When you have a point that is critical - hit the "B" key. Then say "Now, this is VERY important". Just the shock of the screen going blank brings every eye in the room back onto you.
Tomorrow I have my first ever public presentation - a seminar on blogging and communities. It's 45 minute slot.
The advice in this post and the comments is excellent, and I hope I can remember it all. But one thing springs to mind.
I'll be making sure that, at the start, people are aware that they will receive electronic copies of my presentation. I've been to conferences where the same has happened and it immediately removes the need to frantically scribble down notes from the displayed slides.
Love the "B" tip, will be using that and Molly - some excellent advice on body language that I hadn't considered.
I may even point to this post as an excellent example of how blogging works!
I was a comfortable speaker in my youth, but a professor in college was integral in teaching a better way to public speak.
He wouldn't let us read directly from paper. And he abhorred "memorization." The human brain can only memorize so much, and then it gives up. He contended that this WOULD happen during a public speech and leave the speaker 10 times more anxious than they were to begin with. So, much to the chagrin of the majority of the class who saw notes as security blankets, he banned reading from paper or memorization. Instead, he taught us "speaking on the fly."
You take your topic, research it and follow this simple formula:
1. Tell them what you're going to tell them
2. Tell them it
3. Tell t hem what you just told them.
You use small notecards to put in brief points about what you're telling them, and you learn to adjust on the fly your intro and conclusion.
For the security seekers who clung to paper, it shattered their world, but once they got used to it, they realized their comfort levels with public speaking increased because they were ALLOWED to make mistakes. The structure ensured they didn't go off on tangents but gave them flexibility to make changes and engage in a more animated "discussion" than a stoic speech. Audiences, in general, appreciate this. Because you repeat yourself 3 times (but you mix up how you do) their memory retention of the message at hand increases greatly.
I think a common theme emerging here is that the more natural and spontaneous you can make your speaking, the better it will come across to everyone. Which is exactly what I've discovered for myself.
Carsten in particular (#18) raised some great points I missed – knowing your audience is tricky, do what you can to find out in advance. Personal stories are a huge win, if told well. You humanize the presentation, and it's easy enough for you to tell them since they happened to you. And planned jokes almost always bomb (or at least they have for me), it's the things you don't think people would find that funny that get the biggest laughs sometimes.
When you feel comfortable with your material you can talk WITH your audience not at them.
While everyone is there to hear you, when the opportunity arises to interact with people it eases any tension you might have about speaking. It's like having a conversation where everyone wants to listen to you and you don't have to fight for air time! -g
These same tips can be applied to those who run Podcasts (I say that because I do one myself). During the first few episodes I had found that just having a small outline in front of me helps tremendously to simply just stay on task.
In earlier shows there was plenty more "ums, hmms, and uhhs" than I anticipated. That was only revealed to me after the fact.
On the flip side, I do in fact think one can be a bit too slow… pausing for the sake of thinking you're going to mess up in every single instance can get a bit out of hand. It will indeed take away part of my personality if I chose that route. It's nice to let people know that you're human and you too have a thought process and verbalizing that isn't all that bad.
Then again, not all of us are Veen or Molly.
Great tips. What I would love to have is my notes on the computer screen in front of me and my slides on the projection screen that the audience can see. Does anyone know if there any way of doing this without having a two-screen set-up (not available in most conference venues)?
@Lesley: see here:
I'm strongly in favour of new material for each session. However, I charge for that, which means I'm more expensive, which means I have fewer sessions (and none of that speaking-for-free-at-SXSW nonsense anymore).
Don't be afraid to swear onstage if necessary. I have, however, never gone beyond two syllables.
While having notes on one screen and slides on another is good, don't forget that a simple paper outline or (as others have mentioned) note cards can do just as well or better.
Oh, and another point: confirm and reconfirm and re-re-confirm what equipment and connectivity there will be at the venue. Then prepare for any of it, or all of it, to be missing.
I have had to give talks about websites where there was no Internet connection, even though I'd been promised and re-promised, and re-re-promised one, and was only able to pull it off by caching a bunch of examples on my laptop in advance, just in case.
In a worst-case scenario, you can make do in a smallish room with just a whiteboard or a flip chart and some pens. I've occasionally planned it that way:
Now, if you don't get the gear you were expecting, you _can_ just say, "Well, I can't do this" or stand around waiting for some AV helped to rush stuff in for you. But if you are well prepared and can semi-wing it with what you do have, you'll make an excellent impression. "We don't have a projector or an Internet connection, and my laptop's battery just died because there's no power strip up here, but I'm going to get started anyway."
If you can give a good talk like that, you'll (a) blow 'em away when you do have what you need, and (b) get asked back, if that's what you want.
Oh, I'm surprised I missed that one. Excellent addition Derek, make DAMN sure you're prepared to speak without an internet connection.
Another from direct, painful personal experience – also make sure your slides are backed up in at least three places: your laptop/presentation computer, a USB drive, and the internet. (And if you're using Keynote, export them to something that'll work on a PC.)
Chances are good your computer won't die on you a few hours before you go on stage, but I've had that happen. Backups are essential, as is the ability to port your slides over to another platform if that's all that's available. (More of a Keynote issue, I'm sure Powerpoint users are safe)
Some great advice, especially about preparing, preparing, preparing, and then letting go and having fun.
I will heartily disagree with two of your points, however. First, using 40-50 slides as a backup for being nervous is a poor solution. In my experience, fewer slides are better. For an hour presentation, no more than 10 slides or so, and ONLY if they illustrate a point better than you can say it. In short, more slides won't make you less nervous!
Also, with regards to time–if you don't know how long your presentation will take, you haven't prepared. "Preparing" isn't just writing out a talk; it's actually saying it OUT LOUD, real-time at least three times, just as if you really had an audience. If you don't know EXACTLY how long your talk takes, then you haven't rehearsed it enough.
The golden rule of presentations:
Tell them what you're going to tell them.
Tell them.
Tell them what you told them.
This way, they get the message three times.
Having seen Dave in action I can say that despite him not being the funny man, the illusionist or the evangelist he does just fine.
Here's why. First up his credentials precede him - I wanted to hear THE Dave S speak. and That leads me to my second point - the audience WANT to hear you. I don't care if you stumble a bit I really don't. Be yourself and remember you are amongst friends.
The only thing that ever frustrates me is when I've paid good money and I don't get all that was promised. Timing is all, the rest will largely take care of itself I believe.
Just a few years past, I was pursuing a History major, and it just so happened that the courses I was taking required a lot of speaking in front of groups of people—something I always dreaded and generally bumbled. No matter what I tried, I was always nervous, fidgeting, clammy—and it would always reflect on the presentation.
I soon realized History was not the path for me, and I eventually gave in to my inner nerd and started taking design classes (heck, I needed _some_ kind of excuse to buy a mac).
Well, wouldn't you know it—more presentations. Actually, a lot more. And you know what? The only times I'm ever nervous presenting—whether it's to a class or a client—is when I personally don't believe in what I'm selling. That's why I could never convincingly pitch the French Revolution or Louis Riel—I didn't care: I didn't believe.
So while I may not be delivering speeches at world-class conferences, I think it's still important to note that as long as you're passionate about what you're preaching, your audience is bound to pick up and feed off the energy, regardless of whether or not you keep up to or fly pass your slides.
Or maybe those television evangelists are getting to me.
Oh, and another point: confirm and reconfirm and re-re-confirm what equipment and connectivity there will be at the venue. Then prepare for any of it, or all of it, to be missing.
My first career was aimed at the theatre industry, having studied both stage performing, and then focussed on the backstage production work. A voice coach once dispensed advice that has proved invaluable: forget water, eat a bananna.
There is something about water that never fully quenches your thirst and takes away the dry-mouth feeling. If you take just a single bite of a bananna it will soothe your throat and leave you free to speak clearly and comfortably.
A performer in a small caberet-style production (lots of singing required) showed up at the performance with almost no voice. The bananna was litterally the only thing that kept the show from being cancelled.
Over the years I have made many presentations to small and large audiences and this little piece of advice has always served me well. Of course, I keep water with me too, but I rarely need it.
Some good tips….
I'm a voice & presentation skills trainer - the voice work I do is based upon the technicues used by the Royal Shakespeare Company - and I need to add a cautionary note about point number four.
Water on stage isn't a good thing for your voice; if you need it for lubrication in your mouth, it's too late! You should have drunk more water BEFORE the gig. (It can be useful as a prop, to give yourself time to think though :) )
In fact, drinking on stage just dries your mouth out in the longer term, making you more and more dependent on using water more and more. As it evaporates it takes the mouth's natural moisture with it.
In any case, as your vocal folds are working at aboutg 150 times per second (for a guy), why would you want to put something cold like water anywhere near them?!? You'd not take a cold shower after playing a hot game of squash would you? (Go on, admit it, you like a hot shower, don't you?)
The "propper" advice is to drink plenty of liquids early (not tea, coffee, cola, fruit-juice or alcohol) to give you body time to prepare itself.
Simon - http://www.curved-vision.co.uk


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- "A wild rabbit. Don't be fooled by his gentle appearance."
- —Folio Bruti[src]
Rabbits, if needed to be dispatched by magic, are particularly vulnerable to Vermillious, as well as the Fire-making spell.
Purple rabbit
In 1991 Harry Potter's Transfiguration class turned a lit candle into a rabbit, which escaped from class and around in the Hogwarts Castle. Harry was entrusted by Minerva McGonagall to capture it. He was awarded 25 House points for this.
Rabbit Slippers
In 1992 Harry Potter's Transfiguration class had to transform rabbits into Rabbit Slippers which was given to Minerva McGonagall. Harry and Ron Weasley had problems with this spell.
In 1993, Lavender Brown's pet rabbit Binky was killed by a fox.
Repeating Rabbit
In 1996 Fred and George Weasley ran a product called Repeating Rabbit in their shop Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley.
Babbitty Rabbitty
The fictitious Babbitty Rabbity in Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump from The Tales of Beedle the Bard was a witch who was an Animagus who could transform into a Rabbit.
Known rabbits
- Rabbit Slippers rabbits
- Chase Rabbit
- Billy Stubbs's rabbit
- Binky
Frog-rabbit hybrids
If Conjuration is not performed correctly, mistakes such as Frog-Rabbit hybrids can occur, explainable by the Principle of Artificianimate Quasi-Dominance.
Behind the scenes
- The Lapifors Spell transforms things into rabbits.
- When the Sorting Hat was introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry thought that his and the other new students' task might be to pull a rabbit out of it, thinking of the Muggle magic trick.
- In the magical creature shop in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry spotted a fat white rabbit that kept changing into a silk top hat and back again, likely another reference to the Muggle magic trick.
- The exterior of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes depicts a rabbit underneath a top hat lifted and lowered repeatedly on the head of one of the proprietors.
- In an deleted scene in the first film adaption of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows called Rabbit Chase, Harry and Ron chase a rabbit, using spells against it.
- In the Danish version of The Tales of Beedle the Bard , Babbitty Rabbity was replaced by Hare Hop, and such her Animagus is an Hare.
- In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it is revealed that Tom Riddle, although it cannot be proven by Muggle means, caused a rabbit to be hung from the orphanage rafters when he was young, to take revenge on another boy, Billy Stubbs.
- The Fat Friar was executed by senior churchmen, in part because they were suspicious of his habit of pulling rabbits out of the communion cup.[1]
- James Potter sometimes referred to Remus Lupin's being a werewolf as his "furry little problem." Because of this, many came to believe that Lupin was the owner of a rather badly behaved rabbit.[2]
- Rubeus Hagrid sometimes wears gloves made of rabbit fur.[3]
- After being bitten while trying to help Hagrid care for Norberta (known at the time as "Norbert"), Ronald Weasley stated "I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit."[4]
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First mentioned)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (GBC version only)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Deleted scene)
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Not Danish)
- Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book (Appears on Weasley's Wizard Wheezes exterior)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Harry Potter Film Wizardry
- Harry Potter Trading Card Game
- Pottermore
Notes and references
- ↑ Writing by J.K. Rowling: "Hogwarts Ghosts" at Pottermore]
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 16 (A Very Frosty Christmas)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 11 (Quidditch)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 14 (Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback)

subset: commoncrawl


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The edge of one of Hargett's fields is shielded from the north wind by a tree line. The cotton in that area is larger and healthier than cotton just a few feet away where the trees did not provide a barrier.
"Cold ground hurts cotton. Cold, damp ground hurts cotton worse. Cold, damp ground with a north wind is just about a no-no," says Hargett, who farms several thousand acres in Crockett and Haywood Counties in west Tennessee.
While warmer temperatures reportedly have helped improve the Mid-South crop's prospects, the north wind and unseasonably cool temperatures in mid-May have taken their toll, cotton specialists say.
As a result, the Mid-South's cotton acreage is expected to fall from 360,000 to 560,000 acres below USDA's earlier estimate of 4.02 million acres. Nationwide, some analysts say, U.S. farmers could plant as few as 13.5 million acres (vs. earlier predictions of 14.8 million).
"I've had only one other crop to start off this bad and that was 1967. It stayed cool during the year and we had frost in September. We made 250 pounds to the acre. This start is worse," said Hargett, who replanted about 12 percent of his 5,000 acres of cotton this year.
Extension specialists say West Tennessee farmers lost 26,000 acres of cotton to bottom-land flooding in Lauderdale, Lake and Tipton Counties along the Mississippi River. Growers will probably try to plant the ground in soybeans.
"It's too late for replanting cotton," said Craig Massey, University of Tennessee area Extension specialist, in a June 3 interview.
Massey estimates growers replanted 25 percent to 30 percent of cotton acreage in west Tennessee this spring. "In some of the southern tier counties, where growers started planting cold, wet bottom land in April, we replanted anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent."
In March, USDA projected plantings for Tennessee at 580,000 acres. The final number could be closer to 500,000 acres because of this spring's environmental conditions, according to Massey.
Missouri's cotton acreage could drop from an estimated 405,000 acres to 390,000 to 395,000 acres due to sand damage, cold weather, thrips and seedling disease.
"I'm guessing that we'll replant between 30,000 acres and 50,000 acres," says Missouri Extension cotton specialist Bobby Phipps. "There will be about 10,000 acres to 15,000 acres lost that will go to soybeans."
Because the Bootheel has such a short-growing season, a better-than-average cotton crop yield at harvest is not likely even under optimum growing conditions, according to Phipps.
Phipps described the condition of the Bootheel cotton crop at the end of May as "very poor. You have to really look hard to find a nice-looking field. We had the most replanting that we've had in years."
Farther south, producers are looking at drought or flooding, depending on which side of the Arkansas-Louisiana line they farm.
"We've been hit hard with the drought," says Randy Machovec, consultant with Pest Management Enterprises in Cheneyville, La. "We finally got some timely rains, but I'm not sure how far they'll go. It's certainly too late in some fields that are being replanted."
Machovec said central Louisiana received two days of rain the last week of May – "our first two rainy days of the season."
And it hasn't rained in Machovec's portion of central Louisiana since. "There are cracks in these fields that I can put my arm into up the shoulder. It's unbelievable, especially with all the rain further north."
Machovec still sees fields with no stand. The state is in a horrible rain deficit and the crops are going to be impacted negatively. Machovec sees yields being 25 or 30 percent off normal.
The big problem, besides being perilously close to being outside the planting window, is farmers are spot planting into fields that are already eight-and-nine-node cotton. That cotton is going to be tough to manage, especially with Roundup Ready varieties. "Unless a farmer has a hooded sprayer or a shielded sprayer, he's going to be behind the -ball," says Machovec.
Because of the drought, farmers have had major troubles with thrips and are now running into aphids. Unlike Texas, Louisiana doesn't have a Section 18 on Furadan. "We've tried a couple of other old, standby products and didn't get anywhere," Machovec said. "We've got failures reported, and we need that Furadan Section 18."
In northern Louisiana, aphids are the predominant pests, although thrips still plague some late-planted fields. It won't be long before farmers will be seeing tarnished plant bugs as well, says Ralph Bagwell, Extension entomologist with the LSU AgCenter.
"Up until the rains we got the last week of May, we had a few fields already being irrigated. If we hadn't had the last rains, we'd have been in real trouble. But since the rain fell, north Louisiana seems to be in better shape than much of Arkansas and further south," says Bagwell.
Making a comment on cotton acreage in the state is still guesswork, says Louisiana Extension cotton specialist Sandy Stewart. "The highest estimate I've seen was from the USDA at 660,000 acres. The National Cotton Council had us around 600,000 acres recently. I suspect both those estimates are optimistic."
"With this late date, a portion of the acreage originally slotted for cotton is going to be planted in soybeans. What you can take to the bank is this: cotton acreage in the state is going to be a lot lower than anyone suspected a couple of months ago."
In Arkansas, cotton has been hammered statewide by cold, wet conditions.
"We've got some seedling disease, some Rhizoctonia, some black root rot in southeast Arkansas and some other things. It's just too cold and wet," says Don Plunkett, Ark. Extension cotton verification program coordinator.
On top of the cold damage, farmers in the state are seeing many thrips. "We're telling farmers that if they've got an older, struggling crop, they need to keep the thrips off and give the plants a chance. We're not through seeing some of the older, besieged plants die. Some of the sicker, stressed cotton is going to go ahead and bite the dust. The young crop planted in the last couple of weeks in May, should come up okay, though," says Plunkett.
"At one time, I thought we'd have around 1 million acres of cotton, which was up from USDA's estimate of 970,000 acres," said Bill Robertson, Arkansas Extension cotton specialist. "Now, I think we'll be closer to their estimate – around 960,000 acres."
In driving around the state looking at fields (the week of June 3), Robertson says it appears that the cotton crop is starting to come around. Plants are getting new growth and "it looks a whole lot better than it did a week ago."
"Take out your calendar, tear the month of May out and throw it away. We lost the month of May," said Mississippi Extension cotton specialist Will McCarty.
"Farmers south of U.S. Highway 82 were extremely dry," McCarty said. "Those north of Hwy. 82 were cold and wet. And I've had as many calls about hail damage in May as I usually get for the whole year.
"It's unusual. Cotton has not grown; the wind blew out of the east and north a lot, which is very harmful and very tough on young seedling cotton. Up until about May 20, cotton never had a chance to grow. The thrips jumped all over it. It's one of the most non-uniform starts I've ever seen," McCarty said.
"Some friends of mine in the Natchez area were too wet to plant on one side of the farm and the Mississippi River was coming up and flooding them out on the other side of the farm. We're losing a good bit of cotton in the Vicksburg and Natchez areas."
Acreage "is anybody's guess," said McCarty. "I'm having a hard time coming up with a figure. I still see fields rowed up with nothing on them. And we're still planting (as of June 5). I think our acreage will fall somewhere between 1.1 million acres and 1.2 million acres. Some people say 1.1 million is optimistic."
"Our acreage will likely be a bit off from the USDA planting intentions report of 1.4 million acres because some Mississippi growers are choosing soybeans and corn over cotton this year," said Charles Snipes, Extension area agronomist and cotton specialist for the Delta region of Mississippi
There are many questions for the crop to answer, says Arkansas' Robertson, and the margin for error is now non-existent. In a normal year, if farmers are a little late on the initial shot of fertilizer or irrigation, it won't hurt terribly. That isn't the case this year.
"If we put out too much nitrogen, it'll make a late crop even later and hit farmers' pocketbooks. There just won't be any extra time at the end of the season to make up for an early season misstep. Management decisions are absolutely critical now. I think with precise, proper management much of the losses we're looking at can be made up. But everyone must be on their toes," says Robertson.
Growers will have to manage this cotton crop very closely, according to the University of Tennessee's Massey. "It's been under so much stress and stands are going to be thinner. It's going to try and go vegetative, so we're going to have to manage our Pix applications for earliness. We have to make it fruit just as early as we can.
"We can't handle much plant bug or worm damage," Massey added. "We're also expecting a big stinkbug population. We're still not sure how we're going to manage it because we don't have a tight enough threshold to trigger sprays."
On top of the weather and insect problems, west Tennessee growers also are encountering higher-than-expected levels of glyphosate resistance in horseweed this spring. "Our post-direct sprays are going to be a challenge because the cotton stem is a little tender, and we have weeds coming on faster than the cotton."
Massey noted that a small percentage of cotton, "looks healthy on top, and it's coming back some. But Rhizoctonia is just now starting to appear. We've had a lot of calls on that in Crockett County."
In other parts of the Cotton Belt:
As of early June, 93 percent of Georgia's estimated 1.5 million-acre cotton crop had been planted. "Parts of the state, particularly that which was established early in central and south Georgia were off to an excellent start," says Steve M. Brown, University of Georgia Extension cotton specialist.
"Extreme drought had halted planting in early to mid-May, but Georgia received showers in late May and early June. The relief was welcome but temporary. More rainfall is needed in most areas. Thrips have been heavy in many fields, revealing the good and bad of control measures. Growers' primary focus now is on weed control," he says.
Brown lists the following "lessons learned to date" for Georgia cotton producers:
- Initiating planting in mid-April when moisture is adequate and when prevailing temperatures are reasonable is a sound strategy for non-irrigated producers.
- Re-running a planter unit over the row is an acceptable substitute for a rotary hoe where crust busting is needed. Properly timed, the planter slices through the crust with little harm to emerging plants.
As of early June, 41 percent of Georgia's cotton crop was rated in fair condition, 39 percent in good condition, 10 percent in poor condition, 7 percent in excellent condition and 1 percent in very poor condition.
Drought conditions for central and some areas of south Alabama were eased temporarily in early June with scattered rainfall, says Dale Monks, Auburn University Extension cotton specialist. Many areas received from one-fourth to more than 1 inch of rainfall during this period.
"For some, the cotton crop looks much better. But for others, it may have come too late to save the stand," says Monks. "The cotton crop in the southern part of the state has suffered from thrips, seedling disease, drought and slow growth related to cold weather earlier in the growing season."
Samples submitted to the state plant diagnostic lab from west Alabama have shown signs of Alternaria leafspot disease and heavy thrips damage, he says. Slow growth caused by the drought and cold weather have made plants more susceptible to these organisms, he adds.
The north Alabama cotton crop had been in very good condition until a period of unseasonably cool weather, says Monks. "The result has been wind damage, foliar diseases – including Alternaria and Ascochyta – and slow growth. These conditions set the crop back by as much as two weeks. Several acres of cotton in northern and southern counties have been treated for weeds and/or thrips," he says.
As of early June, 55 percent of Alabama's cotton crop was rated in fair condition, 30 percent in good condition, 10 percent in poor condition, 6 percent in excellent condition and 4 percent in very poor condition.
North Carolina
More than three-quarters of the cotton crop in North Carolina is rated either good or fair. According to the North Carolina Ag Statistics Service, the crop was rated 37 percent fair and 64 percent good the first week in May.
The North Carolina cotton crop is behind because of heavy pressure from dry weather, thrips and cool weather earlier in the season. "We need some water to get it going," he says.
North Carolina producers had prospects of planting some 950,000 acres of cotton, a decline of 20,000 acres from 2001 numbers.
South Carolina
In South Carolina, cotton appears to be growing well in most areas of the state following showers the last week in May, says Mitchell Roof, Clemson University Extension entomologist. Not all areas got the rain, however.
South Carolina had prospects of 290,000 acres of cotton this year. Roof says the state's producers may not quite get there. Dry weather is the culprit. Most cotton plants now have four to five true leaves. Cotton planted in early April is only a week or so away from first bloom.
Almost 70 percent of the crop in Virginia is rate either good or excellent – 65 percent good, 3 percent excellent, according to the Virginia Ag Statistics Service on June 2.
Dry weather is prevalent over the state. Virginia producers had prospects of 98,000 acres of cotton, down from 105,000 in 2001.
Texas farmers are planting the 5.7 million to 5.8 million acres USDA was forecasting earlier. But substantial acreage in South Texas is being lost to dry weather and yields in the Corpus Christi area could already be down 25 percent from last year.
"Some acreage close to Robstown has also been lost to dry weather," says Carl Anderson, Extension marketing specialist with Texas A&M University. "Thus, without timely rain during the next two or three weeks, Texas will have 1 million or more acres abandoned, and it could approach the 1.75 million acres abandoned in Texas last year."
On the High Plains, farmers have planted about 80 percent of their intentions, but some of those acres will have to be replanted due to hail damage.
"Most of the dryland is still waiting for a rain," said the Plains Cotton Growers' Shawn Wade. "A good bit of the irrigated is up to a stand, but in various stages of progress. Cool conditions and some rains have combined to slow growth."
Oklahoma's acreage likely will hold steady at 240,000 to 250,000, but continued dry weather could limit planting, says J.C. Banks, Oklahoma Extension cotton specialist, who says he had hoped to see an increase this year
New Mexico>
Analysts say New Mexico's upland cotton acreage could fall 27 percent to 55,000 acres this year. American-Pima cotton is expected to remain stable at 6,000 acres.
California and Arizona
In California and Arizona, growers are almost afraid to talk about their crop for fear they will be like the emerging sports stars that appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated and are never heard from again.
"You don't want to say too much good because you are afraid you'll jinx it," said Steve Husman, University of Arizona field crops agent for Pinal and Pima counties, in the heart of Central Arizona's cotton country.
"We are off to a pretty good start," said California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association president Earl Williams.
Heat units could be higher for San Joaquin Valley Pima producers; not all stands are adequate, and there are spotty reports of early, heavy insect pressures, said Williams.
"However, we did not have much replanting. Heavy thunderstorms and hail moved to the valley in mid-May, but we have had no reports of damage to cotton," said Williams.
"Considering the year so far, we are in good shape," said Williams, who estimates 245,000 acres of Pima were planted and about 400,000 to 450,000 acres of upland. That differs significantly from the first USDA estimate of 590,000 acres of upland, but right on with the 245,000 Pima estimate.
Arizona's acreage totals about 267,000 acres, and it's even better than California's crop.
"Good to excellent," is the early season analysis of Husman.
"There are fields here and there with less than ideal stands, but for the most part we are off to the best start in several years," he said.
"We are seeing retention as early as the fifth node and for sure seven and eight node," Husman said. In his April 1 test plots, heat units are nine days ahead of normal.
It has been hot already exceeding 110 in Arizona but growers are getting that first irrigation on in a timely manner.
Maricopa County field crops agent Pat Clay said seedling disease has not been a problem and no early season insect problems have surfaced.
"Our biggest problems so far have been a couple of early season cold fronts that did some serious sandblasting, but replanting was minimal," he said.
Early, March planted was going into bloom by late May.
"Overall, we are off to a good start," said Clay.
Seedling disease thinned some San Joaquin Valley cotton stands and thrips were heavy enough in some areas to warrant treatment, but overall problems have not been significant enough to hold back the 2002 crop overall, according to University of California Extension cotton specialist Bob Hutmacher.
By June 1 there were cotton fields that had already reached 10 and 11 nodes in many areas of the valley. Six and seven node growth was common, said Hutmacher.
Producers had begun first irrigations. "We are not far off the typical starting date for that first irrigation and with the threat of 100-degree temperatures on the horizon, I expect a lot off irrigating over the next 10 days," he said.
Treating for thrips damage is unusual for the San Joaquin Valley, but Hutmacher said it was severe enough that some growers treated. "It has been scattered in Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. Those fields are a little behind, but should come out of it with good weather," he added.
"By comparison to other areas of the Belt, I think we are off to a good start. I was pretty disappointed in the thrips damage I saw, but when we started looking at the university's variety trials up and down the valley it was a lot different. The trials looked very good," said Hutmacher.


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Mission Mountains Wilderness
IntroductionThe United States Congress designated the Mission Mountains Wilderness (map) in 1975 and it now has a total of 74,524 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Montana and is managed by the Forest Service.
DescriptionThe Mission Mountains are a land of ragged peaks with snow on them most of the year, small active glaciers, alpine lakes, meadows, clear streams that run icy cold, slab-like boulders, vertical cliff faces, and talus slopes. The average elevation is 7,000 feet. In the northern portion you'll find the terrain less severe and more heavily timbered. The southern portion, however, receives more visitors, primarily around the alpine lakes (most of which do not thaw until mid-June). The dense forest includes pine, fir, larch, and western red cedar. In summer high basins are painted with a sea of wildflowers. The Flathead and Pend Oreille Indians once hunted, fished, gathered berries, and sought visions (they would go into the Wilderness alone, often depriving themselves of food and water, in hopes of seeing a vision) in the rough and broken Mission Mountains. The first organized exploration of this area did not occur until 1922, after which part of the region was set aside as the Mission Mountains Primitive Area in 1931 and then expanded in 1939. The Wilderness you see today stretches for about 30 miles and varies from two to six miles in width. Wildlife lives in abundant numbers in the Missions: elk and deer, black bears and grizzly bears, mountain goats and mountain lions, a few gray wolves, and a wealth of smaller furbearing animals. Approximately 50 species of birds have been identified, including bald eagles. A small population of fish is generally confined to the lakes. About 45 miles of maintained trails are used almost exclusively by backpackers, the terrain being generally unsuitable for horses. Few of the trails are easy, and many are tremendously steep. There is no overnight camping at Glacier, Upper or Lower Cold Lakes. The area shares its entire western and southern boundaries with the Flathead Indian Reservation. A permit must be obtained from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to enter the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness
Planning to Visit the Mission Mountains Wilderness?
- Print a fact sheet
- General things to consider when visiting any wilderness
- Regulations
- Contact the Forest Service
- Visit the National Forest wilderness website
Leave No TraceHow to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Mission Mountains Wilderness.
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors


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7 March 2012 at 1.59pm | 2 Comments
We're teaming up with A Younger Theatre to give an exclusive insight into The Royal Ballet's production of Romeo and Juliet as it is broadcast live to over 700 cinemas around the world on 22 March.
Six people aged between 18 and 26 will be live tweeting and blogging about their experience of seeing a ballet for the first time, as well as giving a glimpse behind the scenes with backstage access prior to the performance.Tweeting will happen before and after the performance as well as during the intervals.
If you'd like to be one of the six, have never previously attended a performance by The Royal Ballet, are digitally competent and use social media, apply online. If you're in the Royal Opera House or in the cinema that evening, tweet your thoughts with the hashtag #ROHmeo.We are planning to show a selection of tweets on-screen during the second interval. Please don't tweet during the performance itself.
A Younger Theatre is a platform for young people under the age of 26 to have their voices heard in the arts. Founded in 2009, AYT boasts over 100 young writers covering reviews, interviews, featured articles and blogs about theatre. AYT also hosts events, offers competitions and ticket offers, and is partnered with The Guardian's Culture Professionals Network. AYT was named About.com's Top Theatre Blog of 2011.
The deadline for applications is noon on 15 March.


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Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before January 20, 2004.End Preamble Start Supplemental Information
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Dated: November 17, 2003.
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Federal Student Aid
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Title: Clearance Package for Federal Student Aid (FSA) Customer Satisfaction Surveys Master Plan.
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Affected Public: Individuals or household; Businesses or other for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local, or Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs.
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Responses: 12,000.
Burden Hours: 2,900.
Abstract: In order to redefine the planning and decision-making processes to improve the quality of FSA products and services.
Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the "Browse Pending Collections" link and by clicking on link number 2370. When you access the information collection, click on "Download Attachments" to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to Vivian Reese, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4050, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC 20202-4651 or to the e-mail address Start Printed Page 65685 firstname.lastname@example.com. Requests may also be electronically mailed to the internet address email@example.com or faxed to 202-708-9346. Please specify the complete title of the information collection when making your request.
Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be directed to Sheila Carey at her e-mail address email@example.com. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.End Supplemental Information
[FR Doc. 03-29079 Filed 11-20-03; 8:45 am]


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Chances are if you've ever been at home during the week and turned on the television, you will have come across the legend David Dickinson hosting either Bargain Hunt or, more recently, Dickinson's Real Deals. What this man doesn't know about antiques simply isn't worth knowing but it's his flamboyant style and eccentric turns of phrase that have made him such a well-loved TV personality. Items aren't a bargain they're "cheap as chips" and female contestants are always called 'girls' regardless of their age.
I knew that any cake selected by 'The Duke' would be a right bobby dazzler and he didn't disappoint. He sent a very lovely reply to my query re his favourite cake written with a proper ink pen in artistic and flowing handwriting – it really made my day receiving it!
David selected a Christmas cake. He reminisces about his grandmother making the fruit cake a couple of months before Christmas, then later making the marzipan. I love the way he describes licking out the bowl as "heaven" – a sentiment I can totally understand! This was the cake that stood out in his memory but he adds that having an 'old fashioned' gran, he was never short of wonderful cake. Yet again, it highlights to me that cake is so cemented in our psyches probably as much for the people we connect it to as the actual cake.
To set about making The Duke's request I used my Christmas fruit cake recipe and a new marzipan recipe to make a Simnel cake. Simnel cake is a traditional Easter cake comprising of fruit cake with a marzipan topping. The marzipan balls on top symbolise the apostles (minus Judas). I'm not really one for religious symbolism so jazzed the design up with some chicks. Incidentally, when the CCD (Caked Crusader's Da) saw the cake he asked why it had pickled onions on it!
The recipe for the cake can be found here.
Now anyone who read my recent Battenberg cake post will know that I sometimes struggle with marzipan. Not any more! I came across this easy-peasy recipe and, what do you know? It produces awesome marzipan in a matter of minutes, and it's all made in one bowl – no heating eggs in bowls balanced on saucepans. The only small issue to point out is that it contains raw egg, so anyone slightly vulnerable with health issues shouldn't eat it. The recipe is set out below.
My other Easter bakes were :
Easter biscuits (recipe can be found HERE) – they're so tasty I have to make them every year!
Strawberry, blackberry and raspberry cheesecake (recipe can be found HERE) – no reason other than it's delicious!
For the marzipan:
230g ground almonds
115g icing sugar
115g caster sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 eggs, separated
Place the almonds and both sugars into a bowl and stir until combined. I did this in my Kitchenaid mixer.
Add the egg yolks and almond extract and mix until well combined.
Add a spoonful of the egg white and beat, continue to add tablespoonfuls of egg white until the marzipan forms into a firm ball.
Roll the marzipan out between two sheets of clingfilm – this means you don't have to add any more icing sugar to it, plus peel off only one sheet of clingfilm when you wish to position on the cake – you have far more control over it while the clingfilm supports it (obviously put it face down on the cake i.e. so the clingfilm is on top!)
Peel off the clingfilm.
Cut the marzipan to size.
For this cake I rolled out about half of the marzipan to cover the top of the cake and used the rest for the balls.
Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have made.


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Workshop: Politics & Tools for Creatives, Jan. 9 2013 @Pawa254 Hub
January 8, 2013 at 8:06 pm Njathika Leave a comment
With two months until the election, what can you do?
Join Pawa254 for an afternoon of workshops designed for the active Kenyan youth and creative. Learn about tools and strategies to achieve social and political change, using your creative skills.
Experts will discuss political social media strategy, digital content production, information visualization, grassroots organizing strategy, and creative activism, from music and video, to Facebook and one-on-ones.
Date: January 9, 2013
Venue: Pawa254, State House area
Time: 12:30 – 4:30pm
Entry: Prior Reservation [email@example.com]
Workshop Experts
– Ahmad, Sudanese activist and artist, Girifna
– Natalie Finstad, Community Organiser and Trainer, Marshall Ganz leadership tradition
– Sam Drzymala, DC political strategist, recent projects include BindersFullofWomen.com
– Anant Bhardwaj, VoiceX civic SMS platform developer and data visualisation expert
– Riche Zamor, political and social media strategist, many contexts
–Tactical Tech Collective, global experts in tech design and information visualisation for activism
… and shorter presentations by data visualisation and civic engagement technology experts
Topics include
– Best practices in social media for political and civic purposes
– Effective campaigns and creative tactics
– Managing and mobilising a social media community
– Content: what goes viral and why, how to release, how to engage people
– How to create engaging visuals of news and civic information
Entry filed under: Workshop. Tags: Ahmad, Natalie Finstad, pawa254 hub, Riche Zamor, Sudanese activist.
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Talk:Lola Del Rio
| This talk page is for discussing the Lola Del Rio article.
This includes commenting on the article, questioning whether it is correct, or adding suggestions for improvements
Questions about GTA games, not about the wiki page itself, should be asked at Community:Questions.Remember to always add your signature to the end of your comments/replies using four tildes:
Is there an existing myth where people have claimed to have seen her, or is it confirmed that she doesn't exist in-game? ShakeZula7 12:56, 22 August 2009 (UTC)
- I've never seen her. Ghost Leader 15:10, December 4, 2009 (UTC)
- Haven't seen her. I'm pretty sure she's doesn't exist in-game..Kandreik
- Use a colon instead of a number symbol so that your replies won't have a number stuck in front of it.--Spaceeinstein 16:09, December 4, 2009 (UTC)
It took me a while to find out about this page. It's kind of isolated to only people who know it's here. These page need more links to it.--Black Artist 00:30, December 25, 2009 (UTC)
I love the idea of this myth but people on grand theft wiki do not give me hope I will try and find her with my friend and bring back the results tomorrow if I manage to record a video I will post it.


text:
On Monday, the White House submitted a trio of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to Congress for approval. In the works for years, the agreements – with Colombia, Panama and South Korea – have faced a bumpy ride on the way to ratification.
For more, see here and Free Trade Agreements move forward.
Following the submission, a long list of farm advocates and commodity organizations lined up to support passage of the FTAs. Approval of the Colombia FTA "will enhance U.S. competitiveness and benefit farmers and manufacturers by removing the tariffs which are currently applied to U.S. products," said a statement by the National Cotton Council.
For more commodity group reactions, see here.
The FTAs "will support tens of thousands of jobs and add billions of dollars in economic activity to our economy," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during a Tuesday morning press conference.
"When they're approved, these agreements will clear the way for new American exports around the world. (This will) create jobs and provide new income opportunities for (U.S.) agricultural producers, the small businesses that will assist in the export of those agricultural products, and rural communities from whence they come.
"American agriculture will benefit to the extent of $2.3 billion in additional exports. That will support nearly 20,000 jobs" in the United States.
One major sticking point for the deals was the insistence of the Obama administration to tie them to an extension of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. House Republicans were opposed to extending the TAA, which would assist U.S. workers who lose their jobs in the wake of the trade deals.
Vilsack said the White House had reached "an agreement on the terms of meaningfully strengthening and renewing the (TAA program). The agreement reached preserves the key goals of the 2009 program. That means it will provide covered service for workers whose jobs have shifted to China, India or other countries.
"That's important, but it was also reformed and improved and we believe the changes will save approximately $733 million when compared to a straight extension of the full program."
What assurances does Vilsack have that the House will pass it?
"We have the commitment of (Ohio Rep. John Boehner) the Speaker of the House. The speaker (has) indicated a strong desire to move the trade agreements and TAA. I take him at his word and we all should."
Vilsack expects Congress will now "work swiftly to pass these FTAs. Korea, Colombia Panama have approved, or negotiated, trade agreements with a host of other nations. So, we need these agreements to be completed quickly to level the playing and secure markets for American products."
The deals
Vilsack had the following to say about each deal:
- South Korea.
"While the United States used to be Korea's largest trading partner, over the last decade we've fallen to fourth place behind China, the European Union and Japan. In that decade, our share of Korea's import market has fallen from 21 percent to 9 percent."
The FTA "will immediately eliminate duties on a majority of U.S. farm products exported to Korea."
It should be noted that U.S. rice is not part of the Korean trade deal.
- Colombia.
"Two objectives were reached (under the FTA). It immediately provides vastly improved access to Colombia's markets and really levels the playing field with respect to third-country competitors in the Colombian market.
"Colombia is already an important market for (U.S.) farmers and ranchers. But in 2010, we did almost $832 million in exports. We anticipate an increase of several hundred million dollars to that number."
- Panama.
"This basically acknowledges that duty-free trade must be a two-way street. (The FTA) is an important building block for our strategy to advance free trade not just to Panama, but the entire western hemisphere.
"In 2010, we did about $450 million worth of agriculture exports to Panama. … We expect to see that increase by, hopefully, several hundred million dollars."
Asked why the Colombian deal took so long, Vilsack pointed to several things.
"First, President Obama decided there was a need to strengthen the nature of the (FTAs). When he came into office, he (made) an aggressive effort to renegotiate portions of each agreement to make them better.
"There were some serious concerns about violence against labor leaders and lack of prosecution of such violence. We wanted to make sure the agreement provided basic protections.
"Once that was done, we were then faced with the dilemma of the House of Representatives essentially telling us they weren't interested in dealing with individual trade agreements. They wanted all the agreements as a package…
"When we were prepared to submit these as a package, it was pointed out that there would need to be commitment from Congress that there would be appropriate action on both the TAA and the Generalized System of Preferences (which provides preferential duty-free entry to the United States for up to 4,800 products from 129 beneficiary countries and territories). The GSP system, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, helps to support about 80,000 jobs in this country – so, it was important that be extended.
"We finally got commitments from the House very recently that they were willing to move those in conjunction with the FTAs. That allowed (Obama) to submit the FTAs to Congress."
Once Congress passes the FTAs the focus will shift to ratification by governments in the three countries. Vilsack was unsure how long that might take, "but I'm heartened by the fact that the president of South Korea will visit the United States in the next week, or so. It's anticipated and expected that such a visit wouldn't take place if … there isn't going to be ratification."


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Posted on Dec 18, 2014
Happy Holiday Wishes and Home Care for Seniors
The most festive time of year is finally upon us. Many people have been gearing up for the winter holiday season for quite some time. Since the summer officially ended, it seems like retail stores have been preparing for this merry holiday. The gift-giving part of the season may make it difficult to stay focused on the true meaning of holidays. This year, make this cheerful time a reason to get together with family and loved ones.
This time of year can be difficult for elderly loved ones who might be suddenly living alone. They might find the holidays especially hard without little children running about and without the twinkling tree lights to brighten their evening. If you have an elderly loved one in your life, make it a point to drop off holiday treats, and perhaps share a home cooked meal together. Nothing brings people together quite like food.
If your senior loved one is still fairly active in their community, but you worry about how they will travel alone; a compassionate caregiver might be the solution. Certain medications and mobility issues are usually a main reason elderly adults shouldn't operate vehicles. This doesn't have to mean they should be housebound and unable to maintain their active lifestyle. A responsible caregiver will provide the reliable transportation to and from local events and will make sure your loved one is safe while out and about. A caregiver from Senior Helpers of Fountain Valley might be the perfect gift of peace of mind for you and your family; especially during the holiday season of shopping and dining out.
Holidays are a wonderful reason to get together with those we love. Some families love to go through neighborhoods caroling. Perhaps your family would enjoy a cookie swap. Another tradition for some is to purchase a gift for a family in need. Many families choose to watch an old Christmas movie together with hot cocoa and popcorn. Whichever way your family chooses to celebrate the holiday, be sure to do it together.
Happy Holidays from Senior Helpers of Fountain Valley! If you would like to learn more about gift ideas for seniors and in home elderly care, call Senior Helpers of Fountain Valley to speak to a senior care specialist today 714-593-1177! The compassionate senior care specialists at Senior Helpers can show you the many benefits of professional senior care at home or dementia and Alzheimer's care. The senior care specialist will also guide you through the process of receiving the Veterans Administration Aid and Attendance Benefit if your elderly loved one is a veteran. In home senior care and in home assisted living allows your loved one to stay in the comforts of their own home for as long as possible while receiving the level of care they need. Senior Helpers of Fountain Valley provides a wide range of services including Alzheimer's and dementia care, personal assistance, companionship, and so much more to all areas of Orange County, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills, and Laguna Woods, California.


text: Verona (about 263,541 inhabitants) is the administrative centre of the homonymous province; every year, due to its artistic wealth and to the variety of annual shows, like the lyrical season held at the Arena, it is visited by thousands of tourists, many of them foreign.Because of its artistic and archaeological wealth, Verona is considered one of the top Italian art cities.The most famous monument, which has become the city symbol, is the "Arena", the third largest Roman amphitheatre after the Coliseum and the Capuan Amphitheatre, but among them it is actually the best preserved, in fact nowadays is still used to hold concerts.The Arena hosts several international events and shows; the most renowned event is the Arena Lyric Festival, which is held every summer, since 1913, when the festival was inaugurated with "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi, to celebrate the centennial year since the artist's birth, drawing people from all over the world.The "San Zeno" Basilica, of medieval period, is perhaps northern Italy's finest Romanesque church. It is linked to the homonymous abbey, of which there are some towers and some cloisters left. Thanks to William Shakespeare, Verona is nowadays one of the most renowned and loved city in the world. He never visited Verona, but he learnt of it through some written works which inspired him to create one of his own most famous works "Romeo and Juliet".


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In a piece for the Huffington Post, NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tackles the messages of the popular HBO series Girls.
… Girls wants to tell us something important about twentysomething females of the 21st Century. And, as the elders of our society, we should always be listening to those new voices crying out.
But what are they telling us?
1. Their world is mostly white.
Last season the show was criticized for being too white. Watching a full season could leave a viewer snow blind. This season that white ghetto was breached by a black character who is introduced as some jungle fever lover, with just enough screen time to have sex and mutter a couple of lines about wanting more of a relationship. A black dildo would have sufficed and cost less …
2. They like to talk about (and sometimes engage in) sex.
It's like a checklist of being naughty: masturbation (check), sex during period (check), oral sex (check), anal sex (check), virginity (check), etc. The show is actually at its most engaging during these awkward, fumbling, and mostly embarrassing (for the characters) scenes …
3. They're too self-conscious, too cutesy, and not that funny.
We're supposed to find these girls somehow charming because of their flawed characters. Their intense self-involvement is meant to be cute and it can be … at times. But not enough to overcome our impatience with their inability to have any personal insight. They're all educated but fatally ignorant …
4. The guys are more interesting than the girls.
Adam, Hannah's (Lena Dunham) abrasive boyfriend, is a wonderful character whose quirkiness never diminished his depth of character. The episode in which he performs in the one-man show is brilliant. Charlie, Marnie's ex-boyfriend, is a complex mix of too stable and too nice. The fact that he's dumped by a girl who is actually more boring and shallow than she claims he is, makes for some excellent social commentary, although that seems like an accidental byproduct. Could it be that Dunham actually is better at writing guy characters than girl characters? …
Read Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's entire piece at the Huffington Post.
The Root aims to foster and advance conversations about issues relevant to the black Diaspora by presenting a variety of opinions from all perspectives, whether or not those opinions are shared by our editorial staff.
Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.


text:
Pam Anderson's poker palace goes titsup
Bombshell replaced by wrinkled cowboy
The collapse of internet gaming activity following the recent enactment of anti-gambling legislation in the United States has claimed another victim- Pamelapoker.com, the online poker website founded by none other than Pamela Anderson.
Pamelapoker.com was the latest attempt by a Hollywood celebrity to cash in the Texas Hold'em craze that has swept across the US in the last few years, but unfortunately for the artificially enhanced Canuck, her timing proved even worse than her acting.
Pamelapoker was started about four months ago by the buxom sex kitten as an adjunct to the Doyle Brunson Poker Network, and, according to her online diary at pamelaanderson.com, everything was going swimmingly until the United States Congress got its panties in a bunch over the easy accessibility of online gambling to Americans, where wagering is generally illegal. Her diary that had been full of eager plans for revealing photo shoots and online poker games with horny fans took a pouty turn yesterday:
Poker site should have been shut down last month. I have nothing to do with it anymore. Too many shady areas. I really don't want to encourage people to gamble. This must be turned off. It just didn't work out. Even in my heart. Good luck to Doyle's Room. I love him. He is authentic to the game. I made a mistake getting involved in something I know nothing about for a quick buck! Yuck. So unlike me. Glad it's over.
Doylesroom.com, the site run by John Huston look-alike and self-proclaimed poker legend Doyle Brunson, has taken over the operation of Pamelapoker.com - a development that only underscores her rather strange and unstable relationship with the gaming industry. According to the gambling news site Gambling911.com, Anderson and her entourage had a meltdown a couple of months ago at a party for the aforementioned impresario Brunson.
Comedian Brad Garrett, formerly of the hit American sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, emceed the evening and repeatedly hurled sexually charged comments such as "you don't play at the table - you play under the table" at the former Playmate and Baywatch star. Notwithstanding that this was a celebrity roast, where such comments are part of the tradition, all hell broke loose and Anderson's manager challenged Garrett to a fight. As Anderson stormed out of the party with manager and friends in tow, Garrett tore into her one last time, yelling to her that she "still had enough time to blow all the members of Whitesnake."
Nothing personal, of course. Although the pressure group Poker Players Alliance has vowed to get an exemption from Congress to the recent legislation - claiming that poker should be reclassified as a game of skill, not chance - the decline of Pamelapoker.com bodes ill for the online poker community.
Attempts from the online poker community to elect sympathetic members to Congress met with decidedly mixed results, and yesterday's capitulation by Betonsports.com to civil penalties by the DOJ indicates that the tide is still going against them. The days of Chris Moneymaker parlaying an online tournament victory into a World Series of Poker Championship are long gone. ®


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Tech Grad Invites Students To Set A Guinness World Record
SOCORRO, N.M. November 1, 2012 – NRAO engineer and New Mexico Tech graduate Ephraim Ford is working to eliminate one item from his bucket list – getting into the Guinness Book of World Records.
Ephraim Ford displays the upsized beanbag case for his attempt at setting a world record for the largest cornhole game board. Assisting Ford is his son, Robinson.
A diagram for a regulation size cornhole board. Ephraim Ford and friends will build a board 10 times this big.
What's cornhole? It's a popular game in the Midwest in which players toss beanbags at a 2-foot by 4-foot board and try to get the beanbag into the hole from 24 to 27 feet away. In other words, think of a beanbag and board take on horseshoes.
He's already heard from the Guinness organization that he would earn his place in the book of world records if his effort is a success, adheres to a few guidelines and is successfully documented. Guinness already recognizes some records related to the game – such as longest throw and most people competing at once – but no one has tried to build the largest board.
Because there is no record, Guinness requires new feats to represent a 10-fold increase over the standard board to guarantee a record. He could have built a board a bit smaller, but Guinness wouldn't guarantee him a "world record." "Go big or go home," Ford said.
This means Ford and his cohorts will build a game board that is 20-feet-wide by 40-feet-long, with a five-foot hole to accommodate a 5-foot wide square beanbag. It will be 3 feet off the ground in front and 10 feet off in the rear.
The board and beanbag also must be made of the same materials as the customary game. So, Ford and friends will be using lumber and plywood – 25 sheets of plywood and over 1000 feet of lumber. In all, he expects the structure to weigh a little over a ton.
A native of Las Cruces and a graduate of New Mexico State University and New Mexico Tech, Ford learned the game after earning his bachelor's in Industrial Engineering and moving from Las Cruces to Iowa, where cornhole is a popular game at backyard gatherings and tailgate parties.
"I've built a few cornhole sets," he said. "When I came back to New Mexico, I spread the word and got some friends to play it."
As a longtime resident of Las Cruces, Ford grew up attending the Whole Enchilada Festival, where the world's largest enchilada is cooked up each year. He originally thought of breaking a food-based record, but recently settled on cornhole while playing the game during a family vacation.
Because of the size of the endeavor, the planning has required some degree of engineering and planning. "I'm an engineering manager with NRAO and graduated from Tech with a Master's in Engineering Management, so this is a sort of silly application of what I do – and a change of pace."
A standard sized cornhole game board
The beanbag is the easiest thing to upsize, Ford said. He has a friend with an industrial sewing machine who will take care of that operation. Will it be too heavy to throw? Not really, he said. He compared it to throwing a large garbage bag since it will weigh around 15 pounds.
After an off-site assembly of some modular pieces, the crew will be building the game on Monday, Nov. 12, on campus – likely just south of Speare Hall. Students are welcome to join the effort, which is expected to take all of the morning.
Ford is married to Dr. Julie Ford, Associate Professor of Technical Communications at Tech. She is skeptical about the project's timeframe, but she is confident her husband will make it happen.
"I think it's great," she said, she said between chuckles. "He is the kind of guy who – when he says he'll do something – as ridiculous as it sounds – he'll make it happen."
Another factor for inclusion in Guinness is that the game must be functional. In other words, upon completion of construction, people will play the game. Anyone will be welcome to join in the not-so-competitive competition and pose for photos in front of the board.
Following the tailgating tradition of having your team or university's logo on the board, Ford is planning on putting an oversized Tech logo on the board. And he'll have to have an expert, ideally a licensed surveyor, to measure the board to provide official dimensions. There will also be plenty of photographic and video evidence provided to Guinness.
The game will be left up all day November 12, and then disassembled that evening or on November 13. Ford plans on donating much of the materials – unless a student group volunteers to help disassemble, store and take responsibility for the game.
Anyone interested in helping build the game or willing to house and store the game can contact Ford at email@example.com.
By Thomas Guengerich/New Mexico Tech


text: I followed the guide on installing ISPConfig 3 on a fresh CentOS 6 and its all up and running well now. When I goto "Monitor" => "Disk Usage" within ISPConfig I see this: Code: Filesystem Type Size Used Available Use% Mounted on /dev/mapper/VolGroup-lv_root ext4 50G 3.3G 44G 7% / tmpfs tmpfs 1.8G 0 1.8G 0% /dev/shm /dev/sda1 ext4 485M 98M 362M 22% /boot /dev/mapper/VolGroup-lv_home ext4 864G 269M 820G 1% /home Whenever I add a new site and all the files, it is going onto the / partition and not the /home partition. My /home partition has 820G and the / partition only has 44G. I'm not really sure what to do, apart from the guide I've never had to deal with mounting or partitioning myself, as I'm new at this. Can someone please let me know what the optimal solution here is to either swap the capacities of the partitions or to change which partition the website files are stored on and how to do it? Thank you.