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domingo, dezembro 27, 2015

Grand and Gorgeous Libraries

Beinecke Rare Book Library in New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Boston Public Library in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Codrington Library, All Souls College, Oxford, United Kingdom

George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

José Vasconcelos Library in Mexico City, Mexico

Kanazawa Umimirai Library in Kanazawa City, Japan

Library of El Escorial, Madrid, Spain

Liyuan Library in Beijing, China

Mackintosh Library, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, United Kingdom

New York Public Library in New York City, New York, USA

Royal Portuguese Reading Room in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Sainte-Geneviève Library in Paris, France

Sir Duncan Rice Library in Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Stuttgart City Library in Stuttgart, Germany

The Admont Library in Admont, Austria

The Royal Library Of Copenhagen in Copenhagen, Denmark

Trinity College Dublin Library in Dublin, Ireland

Vennesla Library and Cultural Center in Vennesla, Norway


These Date Ideas Will Take Your Next Date from Boring to Awesome in an Instant (20 pics)

Museum of Natural History Why?
Because Dinosaurs. That’s why.
Go to your local animal shelter
Take a trip to the see the cute kittens and puppies. Your date will love it, and the animals will too.
Visit and escape room
While this may not be a good first date, these escape rooms can be great to better get to know your date through interesting challenges and stressful situations.
Try the escalating date
If you’re not sure that a first date is going to go well, try an escalating date. Start at a coffee shop around 4:00 PM to chat and learn about each other. If it’s a good match, suggest maybe going out to dinner or a movie. This is the perfect way to protect yourself from prolonging a terrible date.
Go to a putt-putt golf course
A little bit of competition is a great way to get close with someone. Brush off those golf shoes and get out on the course for a great date. Bonus points if there’s ice cream afterwards.
Stay in for a ‘Lego Date’
Head to your local toy store with your date and pick out a decent sized lego set. Take it home and together you can build it. This is a great way to stay cozy at home while doing something fun and creative together.
Laser Tag!
Who doesn’t want to shoot their date with lasers to see who will reign champ? Or, choose to work together to create an unstoppable team against the enemies.
Try the local arcade
You can really learn a lot about a person by playing against them in Air Hockey. Stir up some competition and at the end, see who walks away with the most tickets.
Go analog with a board game
Head on out to any department store and pick out a board game that you and your date have never played before. Take it home and learn together for a cheap and fun little date night.
Sight see at a botanical garden
Mix exercise with some beautiful sights at a botanical garden. There will be hints of romance, and plenty of things to keep the both of you occupied for hours.
The Googly Eye Graffiti Date
Take your date to the dollar store to stock up on a bunch of different sized googly eyes. Then head out around the town, “tagging” some awesome locations for a good laugh.
Head to the theme park
Adrenaline and excitement are great tools for nailing a first date. When your date goes home and thinks about the experience, they will associate you with exciting feelings which is a win for everyone.
Explore space at the planetarium
Planetariums are much like movie theaters except full of outer space. Go on a journey through the stars with your date for an unforgettable experience.
The Chef’s Challenge
Give your date a budget and a time frame and set them loose in the grocery store. Tell them that they can pick out as much as they can with the budget they have and you’ll go home and cook it. This will only work if you’re a decent cook, but if you nail this one, you’ll look pretty damn impressive.
Go Geocaching
If you want to show your date your adventurous side, head out for an afternoon of geocahing. This may not be a great first date though, as your date may be hesitant to follow a person that they just met out into the woods.
Get out on the water
There’s no denying that it’s beautiful out on the water. For about $80 you can take your date out kayaking or canoeing for a beautiful and adventurous day out.
Have a go-kart race
Combine the excitement of the theme park with the competitiveness of laser tag with a good old fashioned go-kart race.
Take a walk
Taking a walk in the park is one of the best ways to have an engaging conversation while getting out and enjoying the day. Your date will enjoy the fact that you genuinely want to talk and get to know them better.
Watch a minor league game
Minor league sports are great date ideas as you can have a few drinks, watch a good game, and get to know each other, all for pretty cheap.
Show off your moves on the ice
Ice skating is always a good go-to, especially if your local rink serves alcohol. Plus, slipping on the ice is the perfect excuse for grabbing your date’s hand. Just saying.

How to Conquer Public Speaking Fears

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Does the thought of speaking in front of a room of people make your stomach queasy, palms sweaty and voice shaky? You’re not the only one! Many adults fear public speaking, but in the business world, it’s almost impossible to avoid having to do it. So, how do you get over this paralyzing, crippling fear of public speaking? Here are a few tips:

Focus on the audience.

Have you ever been told to avoid eye contact with the audience and direct your gaze elsewhere around the room to ease your nerves? Although this is popular advice, it’s not effective when it comes to easing your nerves. In actuality, the right way to get over your public speaking fears is to focus carefully on the audience. Focusing on the people that are listening to your speech will help you take attention away from your inner thoughts, which at this point are probably full of self-doubt and negativity. Quiet this inner voice by paying attention to the people in the room instead of focusing on your thoughts.

Practice in the mirror.

If you can’t perform your speech in front of your own reflection, you won’t be able to do it in front of a crowd so practice, practice, practice. Take note of your body language and facial expressions to see what kind of impression you’re giving off to the audience. The audience will respond well if you appear welcoming and project a sense of calm, so work on controlling nervous gestures and relax your facial features so you don’t seem tense and closed off to your listeners.

Nail the intro.

Nerves tend to be the worst during the first few minutes of your speech. How you perform during this crucial time period will determine how you approach the rest of your speech, so it’s important to nail the introduction. What will happen if you make a slip up in the beginning? That inner voice, you know the one that’s been telling you about everything that could go wrong, will work you up and amplify your jitters for the remainder of your speech. Nail the intro, and you’ll realize your fears were unfounded, making the rest of your speech a breeze.

Make it personal.

As a public speaker, you’re not there to relay information and statistics as if you’re reading directly from an encyclopedia. Your job is to use the information you’ve dug up from research and add your own personal twist to it. Inject personal stories and career advice into your speech to make it your own, and to grab your audience’s attention. Are you wondering how making a speech more impactful will help you calm your nerves? It’s simple, the more confident you are in your speech, the more relaxed you’ll be. Looking at a public speaking gig as sharing a piece of your story with the audience will help you realize it’s really not a big deal!

Do a practice run.

If possible, visit the room where you will be speaking in one day in advance. Where will you be standing in relation to the audience? Will the lights be shining in your face? Will there be a podium for you to place note cards on? Knowing the logistics of everything will help you ease your anxieties because you won’t have to worry about being unprepared. If your speech is accompanied with a presentation or visual, be sure to check what technological equipment is available for you to use. Don’t just check to see if it’s there, do a test run and make sure it actually turns on and works correctly!

The most effective leaders are often times the greatest public speakers, so conquering this fear will be beneficial to your career in the long run. Do you know what other aspects of your professional development you need to work on? Take this free assessment courtesy of Joel Goldstein, President of Mr. Checkout Distributors to find out your strengths and weaknesses as a leader.

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7 Delicious Cocktails That Batman Superfans Can’t Miss

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Anyone knows that combining drinks with your favorite things will only make things even better, and that’s why these Batman themed cocktails are the best way to enjoy a Dark Knight marathon or Arkham Knight game session.

We’ve totally got anyone sorted who’s looking for the perfect drinks menu for a Batman/comic book themed party, or just wants to take a moment to envision themselves as Bruce Wayne in the bat lair. Buzzfeed has ingeniously come up with seven themed cocktails that, with one sip, will instantly transport you over to the dark world of Gotham.

1. The Bruce Wayne

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4½ oz. black iced coffee
2 oz bourbon

¼–½ oz. maple syrup

To make this, you’re going to have to let a brewed pot of coffee chill until cold. Once cool, you can measure all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with some ice and shake thoroughly until chilled and foamy. Strain into a glass over ice.

This one’s perfect for those dark and mysterious types, who’ll no doubt sneak off on ‘official business’ before the night’s over. Combining black iced coffee with bourbon, with a sweet slither of maple syrup, this cocktail oozes the sophistication of all caped billionaires out there. Bad guys might want to back away from anyone found drinking this, they’re no doubt already onto you.

2. The Boy Wonder

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3 oz. orange juice
2 oz. sparkling wine
1 oz. silver tequila
Splash grenadine or maraschino cherry juice

Pour the orange juice, sparkling wine and tequila into a champagne flute and stir. Tilt the glass slightly and carefully pour the grenadine or cherry juice down the side so that it settles at the bottom. Garnish with lime slice.

This cocktail pairs up perfectly alongside the Bruce Wayne and is great for anyone ready to step up and be adventurous. Constantly on the look out for trouble and mischief, you’re ready for action at any time of the day. You just gotta make sure you get one of your five a day, as you’re still growing.

3. The Joker

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3 oz. Jolly Rancher-infused vodka
¼ oz. lime juice
Seltzer

You’re going to need to prep a little bit for this one, but for looks and the taste – it’s so worth it. Unwrap 10-12 purple Jolly Ranchers sweets and put them in a sealable container along with 1½ cups of vodka. Shake and let this sit overnight (or at least until the candy has dissolved fully when the container is shaken) and chill until the party. Add your infused vodka to a glass along with the lime juice and seltzer, garnishing with a lime slice to finish off the look.

Uh-oh, the Joker’s about! This is the ultimate cocktail for anyone with a mischievously cheeky side and ready to pull some fun and frolics. Pair this up with an outfit of a similar palette and your party guests will be in absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the Joker is in attendance and ready to cause trouble.

4. The Poison Ivy

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2 oz. gin
1 oz. St. Germain
¾ oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
3 sprigs fresh basil
2 sprigs fresh mint

Combine the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake well. Open up, fill with ice, and shake again for at least 20 seconds to give the herbs chance to break up and flavor the drink. Then strain into your glass.

Beautiful yet deadly; which of your party guests does this match up with? Looks can be deceiving and whilst this one may look stunning, it packs a secret punch – but it’ll still leave you wanting more.

5. The Mr. Freeze

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6 oz. pineapple juice
1½ oz. white rum
1½ oz. blue Curaçao
3–4 blue raspberry Jolly Rancher candies (optional)

Another that takes a bit of pre-planning. To get the sweet taste and bright color, you’ll need to crush some raspberry Jolly Rancher candies (you might as well stock up at this point) in a bag with a rolling pin. Rub the rim of your glass with a lime slice and then roll the crushed candies on to coat. This is entirely optional, if you can’t be bothered doing this – just skip this.

The night before making the party, divide pineapple juice into an ice cube tray and stick it in the freezer.

To make this, get out your blender and put the pineapple ice cubes and the rum/Curaçao and pulse – blending til smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy the freeze.

This one’s perfect for anyone who has a suave and cool attitude, but quite perhaps a villainous side too.

6. The Catwoman

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2 oz. bourbon whiskey
1 oz. sweet vermouth
½ oz. creme de cassis
½ oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Dash bitters

Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice and strain into a martini glass (or serve on the rocks, if your prefer).

Shake the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a glass Serve on rocks if desired.

This one is sophisticated, with a dark side. Perfect for anyone ready to pounce at any moment.

7. The Alfred

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2 cups Pimm’s No. 1
3 cups brewed black tea, chilled
2 12-oz. bottles ginger beer

1 lemon
1 orange
6 sprigs fresh mint

To make this beauty, slice your freshly-washed fruit into thin rounds and then add them into a large pitcher along with the Pimms and chilled tea. Once stirred thoroughly, chill in the fridge for at least an hour. When ready to serve, stir in the ginger beer and pour into glasses filled with ice.

This one’s quietly reserved and low-key, but packs a punch… Just like a certain butler we all know. It’s a drink for the intellectual stood at the back of the room watching as the party events unfold, storing up all their new-found knowledge ready for when necessary to act upon.

Which cocktail best describes you?

For more information on the drinks included, be sure to check out the original Buzzfeed article.

Bat’s all, folks.

Featured photo credit: Surian Soosay via flickr.com

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