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Arts Calendar

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:46 +0000

Raina LeGarreta compiles these listings. If you would like an event or show included, send details via e-mail to Raina.egcitizen@gmail.com Please put “Arts Calendar” in the subject line; include as much information as possible, including dates, times, ticket prices, address and details on purchasing tickets.

Local artist Marlene Kidd will be the featured guest artist at the Elk Grove Fine Arts Center for the month of August. The center is located at 9080 Elk Grove Blvd. in Old Town and the exhibit runs from August 3 to August 27. Reception is August 5 from 5pm to 9pm. Marlene will be exhibiting 10 colorful and whimsical landscape paintings.

Call for Artists! The Elk Grove Fine Arts Center is inviting artists who create 2D and 3D artwork to join them and become members of their organization. They have a limited number of openings, but are looking forward to expanding their membership. The Art Center is located at 9080 Elk Grove Boulevard in Old Town Elk Grove and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation created by local artists. Please contact Dick Beymer, Membership Chair for details, at 916-685-9808, egfinearts@frontiernet.net, or visit website www.elkgrovefineartscenter.org. We are also on Facebook – “Elk Grove Fine Arts Center.”

The Elk Grove Artists “Art2Hang” program features artwork from local artists displayed at Elk Grove businesses. Artwork will be currently displayed at the following locations in the month of July: Circle Of Life: Dee Tschida; Choice Framing: Kanika Marshall; EG Urgent Care: Michael Gill, Betty Warmdahl, Cynthia Hobson, V. Johnston; Farmer’s Insurance: John Paul; Franklin Ranch Pet Hosp-Hotel: Cheryl Griess; Friends of Franklin Library Camillus: Betty Warmdahl; Mark Lai, DDS: Nula Fales; Running Zone: Dick Beymer; Sutter Heart Vascular Institute: Patti Williams. For more information about the Art2Hang program contact Dee at (916) 684-4802.

The Elk Grove Fine Arts Center will be presenting the following workshops during July and August at the art center, 9080 Elk Grove Blvd. in Old Town Elk Grove: KIDS Fun with Art with Marie Crockett. These are weekly sessions held on Wednesdays and Thursdays, continuing through September 1, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Portraits-Watercolor with Terry Garcia on Aug. 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the fee is $35. No materials fee. Weekly Drop-in Art Classes: Watercolor for Beginners, with Terry Garcia, Instructor, $20, Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. 687-8908; Open Watercolor Studio with Terry Garcia, Instructor, $10 Tuesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 687-8908; Open Studio All Media – Painting with friends, no instructor, $5 on Fridays from noon to 3 p.m. For more information or to sign up, please call (916) 685-5992 or email: egfinearts@frontiernet.net. Visit: www.ElkGroveFineArtsCenter.org for complete details. Pre-registration and payment required.

The CSD’s Hot Summer Nights Concert Series Begins on Aug. 5. Pack your picnic basket, bring your blankets and beach chairs, and kick off the weekend when the Hot Summer Nights Concert Series begins on Aug. 5 each Friday during the month from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Laguna Town Hall at 3020 Renwick Ave. This series is presented by Food Source and the Cosumnes Community Services District. Food will be available for purchase and children’s activities will be offered at various costs. This year’s lineup includes:

Aug. 5: Road 88 – Hot Local Country

Aug. 12: Mother Mayhem – Dance Band

Aug. 19: Pan Extasy – Reggae Night

Aug. 26: Solsa- Sizzling Latin and RB

The Sacramento Ballet Announces 2011/2012 Season. This year’s season promises enough thrills, chills and frills to satisfy every age, taste and interest. With a tip of the hat to the story ballets, the Company will feature some of its most popular works, along with new choreography by some of the country’s most eclectic and exciting choreographers. You will be able to enjoy the gothic chills of Dracula, just in time for Halloween; live the fairytale all over again with a Valentine’s Weekend presentation of Cinderella; enjoy the sheer exuberance of a Modern Masters that truly “rocks”; share the holiday wonder of The Nutcracker, and take part in numerous behind-the-scenes opportunities to see the dancers up-close-and-personal in studio performances. What’s new this year? There is a Main Stage package that lets you see three performances at the Community Center Theater for as little as $45. With a storybook package of well-known titles, this season is perfect for the whole family. The company will offer single Orchestra Level seats at the Community Center Theater for as little as $25. Also new this year, Modern Masters will become the fourth production of the Season Package, and will be performed in the beautiful and intimate new $50 million Three Stages Theatre at Folsom Lake College. With a spacious stage, and acoustically dynamic seating area, it is the perfect setting for groundbreaking choreography. In addition to breathtaking repertory, the company continues its mission to entertain, inspire, and educate with its sustained commitment to bring the art of dance to audiences through such programs as Beer Ballet, Inside the Director’s Studio, The Genius of Balanchine, Second Saturday Living Sculpture, and more. For more information, visit: www.sacballet.org

California State Fair’s “Rock U: The Institute of Rock ‘N Roll” presented by Stage Nine Entertainment runs through July 31. The signature pop-culture exhibit tour at Sacramento’s California State Fair and Exposition in Sacramento, CA will feature interactive stations covering the different origins of this great music genre and live entertainment. Playing such an important role in America’s history, Stage Nine Entertainment is taking Rock ‘N’ Roll on a North American tour providing guests with the opportunity to experience it from the beginning to present time and every step along the way. Special celebrity guests including Dick Dale, the father of surf rock music, Jane Weidlin, co-founder of the Go-Go’s and YouTube sensation Brodie Cumming are scheduled to visit Rock U.

Fairytale Town presents their Children’s Concert Series on Sundays in July at 2 p.m. Matinee performances will feature favorite local children’s artists. All performances will be held on the Mother Goose Stage and are free with paid park admission. Scheduled performers include: July 24 – Mister Cooper; July 31 – Octopretzel. These performances are free with paid park admission. Weekend Admission is $4.50 per person and children age 1 and under are free. The Loveall Foundation sponsors these concerts for children. For more information call (916) 808-7462 or visit: www.fairytaletown.org.

Bob and Ro Productions presents “The Sunshine Boys” on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. until July 24. Lewis and Clark were a legend in the world of Vaudeville, bringing laughs to everyone for years. And by the end of it, they hated each other. Now it’s years later, 1972, and Clark’s nephew wants to bring the two elderly comedians together for a television special on the history of comedy. Is there anyway this is going to work out? You bet your bippy! But not without a lot of laughs, rancor, one-liners and some bittersweet memories. Tickets are $20 general admission, $18 seniors and $15 students, and can be arranged by calling the box office at (877) 532-7171 between 12 pm – 5 pm Tuesday – Saturday. Tickets can also be purchased at the door, The Studio Theatre, 1028 R St., Sacramento, CA 95811. The play contains some strong language

The Sacramento Zoo presents summertime entertainment every Thursday until July 28; the Zoo will stay open late for extended summertime entertainment. Enjoy seven Thursdays of hot cars, live music, good food and cool drinks. Dinner, beer and wine are available as you check out live music, car shows and the animals! Music starts at 5:30 pm with the evening ending at 8 pm. General Zoo admission gets you in for this evening of fun! If you’re a Sacramento Zoo member, free admission is one of your membership benefits! Not a member yet? To view this year’s entertainment lineup and to get your membership today, visit: www.SacZoo.org.

Davis Musical Theater Company’s Young Performers Theatre presents a summer workshop “Introduction To Musical Theatre”. Instruction by Jan Isaacson and Helen Spangler will include the basics of acting, singing, dance steps, vocal projection and other basic performance skills through theater games, improvisation and beginning scene study. The workshop culminates in a recital of songs and scenes performed Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. Registration packets are available at www.dmtc.org or at the DMTC Performing Arts Center, 607 Pena Drive, Davis.

The Crocker Art Museum presents Jonathon Keats, a conceptual artist, fabulist, and critic who have developed a gourmet cuisine for the world’s first photosynthetic restaurant. Set in the floral plantings in front of the historic Art Gallery building of the Crocker Art Museum, Keats presents The Photosynthetic Restaurant: Gourmet Sunlight for Plants as Catered by Jonathon Keats, running through July 17. For more information. Visit: CrockerArtMuseum.org

San Joaquin County Historical Society and Museum presents The New Christy Minstrels® 50th Anniversary Concert: A Grander Edition of “Sparks in the in Park” This year the concert will celebrate both Randy’s 78th birthday and the 50-year anniversary of the world-famous folk group. The event will be on the grounds of the Historical Museum (in Micke Grove Regional Park) on Friday, July 29, beginning at 6:00 p.m. A donation of $70 per person includes a New York steak dinner and the concert. Tickets are available at the Music Box stores (4653 Pacific Ave., Stockton 95207 and 101 E. Lodi Ave., Lodi 95240) and at the Museum office. See: www.SanJoaquinHistory.org or call (209) 331-2055 or (209) 953-3460. For more information on The New Christy Minstrels® visit: www.thenewchristyminstrels.com

Fahn Company presents Tower of Power on Aug. 12 at 7:30 pm at The Radisson Hotel Sacramento. The band will bring their high-energy show back to the hotel Grove for the 18th semi-annual “Bump City Dance Party”. Best known for hits like “Down to the Nightclub”, “What is Hip?” and “You’re Still A Young Man”, Tower of Power’s performances have been bringing excited crowds to their feet for more than 30 years. The Radisson Hotel Sacramento is located at 500 Leisure Lane, Sacramento, CA 95815. For dinner or room reservations, please call (916) 922-2020.

The Crocker Art Museum is presenting more than 20 classes for children, teens, and adults during the Museum’s summer session of Studio Art and Art History courses until Sept. 17. Classes are designed for a range of skill levels and led by skilled teaching artists. Summer art experiences for children are particularly bountiful with weeklong classes offered in morning and afternoon sessions for students aged six to 17. A special “Summer Portfolio Class” will also be offered for teens. Offerings range from cartooning and painting to “anime” and clay. For a complete schedule of classes and a registration form, visit crockerartmuseum.org. For more information, call (916) 808-1182 or email education@crockerartmuseum.org.

The Mondavi Center presents Return to Forever IV, the definitive jazz/rock fusion ensemble, on September 21. The performance will begin at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis. Return to Forever IV includes Chick Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass. Lenny White on drums, and French violinist and Mahavishnu Orchestra veteran, Jean-Luc Ponty. “Zappa Plays Zappa”, a Frank Zappa tribute group led by the late jazz-fusion artist’s son, Dweezil Zappa, will also be on the bill. Tickets will be available to the general public starting May 21, from the Mondavi Center Ticket Office at 866-754-2787 or online at MondaviArts.org.

Ongoing Events

The Elk Grove Fine Arts Center is offering Weekly Drop-In Art Classes. Watercolor for Beginners $20, Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with Terry Garcia. Open Watercolor Studio $10, Tuesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. with Terry Garcia. Open Studio All Media $5, Fridays, from Noon to 3:00 p.m.

Painting with friends, EGFAC, no instructor. The Elk Grove Fine Arts Center is located in Old Town Elk Grove, 9080 Elk Grove Boulevard, (916) 685-5992, egfinearts@frontiernet.net.

The Elk Grove Fine Arts Center invites artists to be a part of their Community Art Display program. Artists do not have to be members of the Fine Arts Center to submit artwork. All submissions will be juried for acceptance and subject to available space. Size limitations apply. The display fee for 2D and 3D artwork is $20 per piece, jewelry is $20 for pieces shown on one pedestal and there is a 25 percent sales commission. For more information contact (916) 685- 5992 or e-mail egfinearts@frontiernet.net.

The Elk Grove Fine Arts Center presents Open Studios Watercolor Sessions with Teresa Steinbach-Garcia, Tuesdays 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Beginners and super beginners welcome. Focus will be on finding solutions to problems and demonstration of watercolor techniques. Contact Terry at (916) 687-8908 for details and reservations. $10 per session. The Elk Grove Fine Arts Center is located at 9080 Elk Grove Boulevard, in Old Town Elk Grove.

The Elk Grove Fine Arts Center presents “Let’s Start At the Very Beginning: A Watercolor Class for you!” held every Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to11:30 a.m. at the center located in Old Town Elk Grove, 9080 Elk Grove Blvd. Taught by Teresa Steinbach-Garcia, this class is for anyone who wants to explore or improve their watercolor paintings in a nonjudgmental environment. Cost is $20 per session or $15 with your own supplies. For more information call (916) 687-8908.

The Elk Grove Artists “Art2Hang” program features artwork from local artists displayed at Elk Grove businesses. Artwork will be currently displayed at the following locations: (April Only) Sutter Heart Vascular Institute: Cheryl Griess; Running Zone: David Fowkes. (April/May/June) Choice Framing: Cheryl Griess; Circle of Life Medicine: Marie Crockett; EG Urgent Care: Kelly Croisdale, Nula Fales, Dee Tschida, John Paul. Farmer’s Ins.: Dick Beymer; Franklin Ranch Pet Hosp-Hotel: J. Batherson; Jaquelyn’s Salon: Arlene Palmer; Mark Lai, DDS: Virginia Johnston. To read more about the Art2Hang program and the Elk Grove Artists visit www.elkgroveartists.org or contact Nula at (916) 685-9789.

Poetry Unplugged will be performed every Thursdays at Luna’s Café, 1414 16th St., in Sacramento. To read, sign-ups start at 7:30 p.m., readings begin at 8 p.m. There is a one-drink minimum or $2 cover. For more information call (916) 441-3931 or visit the Web site www.lunascafe.com

Every Wednesday and Saturday the Davis Farmer’s Market will be open rain or shine. The certified farmers market brings farmers and consumers together twice a week, year-round. For more information visit http://www.davisfarmersmarket.org

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Martin County Community Calendar, updated july 19

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:45 +0000

NEW LISTINGS

Honor Flight Spaghetti Dinner: Fundraiser, entertainment, music, raffles. Knights of Columbus Hall, 7251 SW Gaines Ave., Stuart, 6 pm, Aug. 6. $15. Ticket: 954-292-4128; honorflightsefl.org.

Best Management Practices Session III: Pesticide Label is the Law, Record Keeping. Indian RiverSide Park, 1707 NE Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach, 12:30-2:45 pm, July 27. Adults. $20 for CEUs. Register: 772-288-5654; martin.ifas.ufl.edu.

Mensa Testing: Entrance tests offered. Jensen Beach Community Church, 3900 NE Skyline Dr., 9:30 am, July 23. 14+. $40. Reservation: 772-463-0495; janice@aposner.net.

How Money Works: Making, saving money. Financial education seminar, business opportunity. Primerica Financial Services, 7190 SE US 1, Stuart, 7-9 pm, July 19. 18+. Reservation: 772-260-9848; primerica.com/bobcarlino.

Pizza Party: MC Teenage Republicans. Tower Building, 1111 SE US 1. Suite 134, Stuart, 11 am, July 30. All teens. 772-286-0615; martingop.org.

Kiwanis College Football Preview: Speakers from six Florida universities discuss upcoming season. Lyric Theatre, 59 SW Flagler Ave., Stuart, 7 pm, July 29. $25-$30. Ticket: 772-286-7827; lyrictheatre.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS

TUESDAY

Foundations: Class for those interested in dog agility training. Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, 4100 SW Leighton Farm Ave., Palm City, 6 pm, July 19, 26, Aug. 2. $120.

Spanish Grammar Rules: In Spanish. North Stuart Baptist Church, 1950 N US 1, 6-7:30 pm, July 19, 26. Ages: 14+. Register: 772-237-6732; hispanicsinaction.org.

Teen Summer Reading Program: Experience ancient Indian henna body painting, sample foods. Hobe Sound Public Library, 10595 SE US 1, 6-7:30 pm, July 19. Grades 6-12. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

WEDNESDAY

Van Duzer Fundraiser: Big Apple Pizza, 2311 S. 35th St., Fort Pierce, 4-10 pm, July 20. 100% of sales benefits two cancer fighting families. thevanduzerfoundation.org.

National Parks, America’s Best Idea: 6-part PBS documentary film series by Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan. Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Rd., Stuart, 2-4 pm, July 20, 27. Middle school-adult. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Wild About Reading: Combines photography, reading, scavenger hunt, take-home activity for families with kids. Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Kimbell Education Center, 16450 SE US 1, Hobe Sound, 10 am-2 pm, July 20, 23, 27, 30. Ages 6-10. $6. 561-745-5551; justreadflorida.com.

Best Management Practices Session II: Fertilizer regulations and how fertilizers are made. Indian Riverside Park, 1707 SE Indian River Dr, Jensen Beach, 12:30-2:45 pm, July 20. Adults. $20 for CEUs . Register: 772-288-5654; martin.ifas.ufl.edu.

RECURRING EVENTS

TUESDAY

ARTS/CRAFTS

Peggy’s Art Studio: Log Cabin Senior Activity Center, Langford Park, 2369 NE Dixie Hwy., Jensen Beach, noon-3 pm. $7. 772-334-2926; zcarter@martin.fl.us.

DANCE

Country Line Dance: Absolute beginner. Save The First Dance, 881 NE Jensen Beach Blvd., Jensen Beach, 7-8 pm. Ages 15+. $5. 772-934-6407.

Ballroom Dance Class: Vince Bocchino Community Center, 2369 NE US 1, Jensen Beach, 6:30-8:30 pm. Ages 16+. 772-529-3325; sdancer516@aol.com.

Salsa Lessons/Party: Latin dance lessons followed by party. 1630 NW Federal Hwy., Stuart, 6 pm till close. $10/lesson. 772-486-9198; SalsaLessonsForEveryone.com.

EXERCISE/HEALTH

Jazzercise: Jazzercise Fitness Center, 741 NW US 1, Stuart, 5:45 am, 8:05 am, 9:10 am, 10:15 am lite, 4:35 pm, 5:40 pm, 6:45 pm. 772-215-7123; jazzercise.com.

Jazzercise: Church of the Advent, 4885 SW Honey Ter., Palm City, 8:30 am, 9:45 am, 6 pm. 772-919-1358.

Senior Fitness Classes: Grand Island Athletic Club, 3216 SE US 1, Stuart, 11:15 am. Age 55+. $5. 772-287-0222; GrandIslandAthleticClub.com.

Stand Up Paddleboard: Exercise class on the water. Jupiter Outdoor Center, 960 N A1A. 9:30 am. $20; Ages: 15+. Reservations: jupiteroutdoorcenter.com.

Zumba Gold: Low-impact. Port Salerno Civic Center, 4950 SE Anchor Ave., 5:30 pm. Ages 18+. $5. 772-201-0832; zumba.com.

GAMES

Bridge Lessons: 8-week session. Beginner. North County Senior Center, 5217 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 1 pm. Seniors. $55. 561-694-5435; pcgov.com.

Bridge Lessons: Advanced. North County Senior Center, 5217 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 2:45 pm. Seniors. $5. 561-694-5435; pcgov.com.

Texas Hold’em Charity Poker: Young Guns Fundraisers, 6550 SE US 1, Stuart, 7:30 pm. Benefits Make A Wish Foundation, Salvation Army Dove Program, Children’s Cancer Association. 772-634-6980.

LANGUAGES

French: Mary’s Episcopal Church, 623 E Ocean Blvd., Stuart, 6-7:30 pm, starts June 28. Ages: 14+. Register: 772-237-6732; nelsonmerchancely1@gmail.com.

Spanish Classes: All levels. North Stuart Baptist Church, 1950 N US 1. Advanced, 9-10 am; intermediate, 6-7:30 pm, rm. 208; beginners, 6-7:30 pm. Ages 14+. Register: 772-237-6732; hispanicsinaction.org.

Music

Parent-Child Music And Movement: Moving, exploring, singing with Helping People Succeed. Florida Arts and Dance Company, 57 SW Monterey Rd., Stuart, 9:30-10:30 am, Ages 10-18 months; 10:45-11:45 am, Ages 3 months-5 years old; 12:15-1:15 pm, Ages 3-5 months. $34/month. Register: 772-529-5075; hpsfl.org.

Piano Instruction: All levels. Jensen Beach. Ages 7+. 772-934-6812.

NATURE

Guided Nature Trail: Through mangrove swamp. Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, 890 NE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, 10:15 am, noon, 3 pm. 772-225-0505; floridaocean.org.

Marine Life: Lagoon fish feeding, Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, 890 NE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, 11:30 am, 2:30 pm. 772-225-0505; floridaocean.org. Also: Stingrays, 2 pm; sea turtles, 11 am.

WEDNESDAY

DANCE

Argentine Tango Lessons: Beginner or experienced. Craig’s Dance Studio C, 1708 NW US 1, Stuart, 7-8 session 1; 8-9 pm session 2. Teens+. $10-$15. 561-818-7295.

Club Dance Crystal Ballroom: Ballroom dance party. Renar River Plaza, 3700 NE Indian River Dr., Jensen Beach, 6 pm. Ages 18+. 772-334-4900; kevin@crystalclubdance.com.

Salsa, Latin Dance Classes: Immanuel Lutheran Church, 2655 SW Immanuel Dr., Palm City, 7-9 pm. $6.50-$10. 772-486-9198; SalsaLessonsForEveryone.com.

EXERCISE/HEALTH

Cardio Party: Grand Island Athletic Club, 3216 SE US 1, Stuart, 11:15 am. Age 18+. $10-$80. 772-287-0222; grandislandathleticclub.com.

Chair Aerobic Exercise: Log Cabin Senior Activity Center, 2369 NE Dixie Hwy., Jensen Beach, 9-10 am. Ages 50+. $2. 772-334-2926; zcarter@martin.fl.us.

Jazzercise: Jazzercise Fitness Center, 741 NW US 1, Stuart, 5:45 am, 8:05 am, 9:10 am, 10:15 am lite, 4 pm express, 4:35 pm, 5:40 pm, 6:45 pm. 772-215-7123; jazzercise.com.

Jazzercise: Church of the Advent, 4885 SW Honey Ter., Palm City, 8:30 am, 9:45 am. 772-919-1358.

Stand Up Paddleboard: Exercise class on water. Jupiter Outdoor center, 960 N A1A, 8 am. Ages 15+. $20. Reservation: jupiteroutdoorcenter.com.

games

Texas Hold’em Charity Poker: Young Guns Fundraisers, 6550 SE US 1, Stuart, 7:30 pm. Benefits Make A Wish Foundation, Salvation Army Dove Program, Children’s Cancer Association. 772-634-6980.

LANGUAGES

Spanish For Beginners: Palm City Presbyterian Church, 2700 Martin Hwy., 6-7:30 pm. Ages: 14+. Register: 772-237-6732; hispanicsinaction.org.

Music

Parent-Child Music And Movement: Moving, exploring, singing with Helping People Succeed. Florida Arts and Dance Company, 57 SW Monterey Rd., Stuart, 9:30-10:30 am, Ages 5-10 months; 10:45-11:45 am, Ages 19-26 months. $34/month. Register: 772-529-5075; hpsfl.org

Piano Instruction: All levels. Jensen Beach. Ages 7+. 772-934-6812.

NATURE

Guided Nature Trail: Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, 890 NE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, 10:15 am, noon, 3 pm. 772-225-0505; floridaocean.org.

Feed Marine Life: Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, 890 NE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, 11:30 am, 2:30 pm. 772-225-0505; floridaocean.org.Also: Sea turtles, 11 am; stingrays, 2 pm.

OTHER

Computer Boot Camp: 4-week session. North County Senior Center, 5217 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 10-11:30 am. Seniors. $5. 561-694-5435; pcgov.com.

SPORTS

Open Pick-up Tennis: Bring can of balls. Hobe Sound public courts, Hercules St., 8-10 am. 772-546-6633; tctennis.blogspot.com.

Virtual Golf, Bowling: Hobe Sound Public Library, 10595 SE US 1, 11 am. Adults. 772-546-2257.

UPCOMING JULY EVENTS

Music And More: Don Meritt, Annette Moreau sing show tunes, popular music, opera. Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Rd., Stuart, 6:30 pm, July 21. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Treasure Coast Macintosh Users Group: iPads, iMacs, iPods and iPhones. Morgade Library, 5851 S.E. Community Dr., Stuart, 5 pm, July 21. 772-283-5646; tcmug.net.

Snorkeling 101: Learn snorkeling basics; explore worm reef. Bathtub Beach, 1585 SE MacArthur Blvd., Stuart, 9-11:30 am July 21. Ages 7+. $15-$20. Register: 772-225-0505; floridaocean.org.

Science Lecture Series: Treasure Coast Unitarian Universalist Church, 21 SE Central Pkwy., Stuart, 6:30-8 pm, July 21, 28. Donation. 772-223-5020; tcuuc.com.

Voting Rights: Town hall forum, speaker Adrienne Gardner. 10th St. Recreation Center, Stuart, 7 pm, July 21. 772-834-5823.

Bowling For Balls: Jupiter Lanes, 350 Maplewood Dr., Jupiter, 7 pm, July 21. $20. Benefits High Fives For Hope. Register: highfivesforhope.com.

World Wise Nutrition For Teens: Speaker Marybeth Pena; multicultural dinner focusing on nutrition with worldwide stories. Hoke Library, 1150 NW Jack Williams Way, Jensen Beach, 5:30-7 pm, July 22. Grades 6-12. Register: 772-463-2870; library.martin.fl.us.

Summer Film Series: Alfred Hitchcock films followed by discussion. Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Rd., Stuart, 2 pm July 22, Aug. 19, Sept. 23. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Children’s Movies At Your Library: IRSC Morgade Library, 5851 SE Community Dr., Stuart, 6 pm July 27; Cummings Library, 2251 SW Matheson Ave., Palm City, 6 pm July 22, Aug. 12; Lahti Library, 15200 SW Adams Ave., Indiantown, 2 pm, July 28, Aug. 4; Hobe Sound Public Library, 10595 SW US 1, 3:30 pm, Aug. 19. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Lighthouse Sunset Tour: Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, 500 Captain Armour’s Way, July 22, 27; Aug. 5, 10, 19, 24, Sept. 9, 14, 23, 28; Oct. 7, 12, 21, 26. $15-$20. RSVP: 561-747-8380 ext. 101. jupiterlighthouse.org.

“Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.” And “The Little Mermaid”: Two shows in one. Lyric Theatre, 59 Flagler Ave., Stuart, 2 pm, 7 pm, July 23. Ticket: 772-286-7827; lyrictheatre.com.

Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival: Palm Beach State College, Eissey Campus Theatre, Palm Beach Gardens, 8 pm, July 23, 30. $25. pbcmf.org.

Learn To Zentangle: Relax, relieve stress, create art. Hobe Sound Public Library, 10595 SE US 1, 10:30 am-12:30 pm July 23. Ages 10+. $15-$30. Reservation: 772-528-7383; doodlewithdebbie@gmail.com.

Garden Festival: Master Gardener presentations, plant sale, hourly giveaways. Salerno Bay Manor, 4801 SE Cove Rd., Stuart, 9 am-noon, July 23. RSVP: 772-233-6673.

“Silly Sam The Music Man”: Children’s Summer Reading Program interactive musical show. Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Rd., Stuart, 2 pm, July 23. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Scouting Showcase Day: MC Fairgrounds, 2616 SE Dixie Hwy., Stuart, 9 am-noon, July 23. Ages 10-17.

Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup: Volunteers meet at boat ramps in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River counties, PO Box 1639, Stuart, 8 am, July 23. Register: 772-285-1646; tcwaterwaycleanup.com.

Bowling For Honor Flight: Stuart Lanes Bowling, 1638 S US 1, noon-2:30 pm, 3-5:30 pm, July 23. $20. 772-286-9700; info@honorflightsefl.org.

Food-Fun, Games Around The World: Duck in the Truck Puppets, Professor O, Speaker the Wonder Dog. Cummings Library, 2551 SW Matheson Ave., Palm City, 11 am, July 23. Grades K-3. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Welcome Home BBQ, Benefit: Marine Lance Cpl. Chris Sills returns from Afghanistan. Route leaves Indian RiverSide Park at 1:45 pm heads through downtown Jensen, ends at VFW Hall, 1805 NE Savannah Rd., Jensen Beach, BBQ 2-8 pm, July 24. Benefits Honor Flight.

Tee It Up: Lost Lake Golf Club, Fazio Dr., Hobe Sound, 1 pm, 4 pm celebration, July 24. $40. Benefits Meals on Wheels. hannakbach@gmail.com; 772-221-3152.

Norton Museum Of Art Trip: Transport by Midnight Sun Tours. North County Senior Center, 5217 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 9:30 am-3 pm, July 27. $25. Register: 561-694-5435; pcgov.com/communityservices/programs/seniorservices.

National Parks Film Series: Janeen Mason discusses her Biscayne National Park exhibit. Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Rd., Stuart, 2 pm, July 27. 772-221-1403; nps.gov/bisc/parknews/janeen-masons-drawn-to-the-sea.htm.

Family Story Time: Stories, music, craft. Lahti Library, 15200 SW Adams Ave. Indiantown, 11-11:45 am July 28. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

College Football Preview: Lyric Theatre, 59 SW Flagler Ave., Stuart, 7 p.m., July 29. $25-$30. Ticket: 772-286-7827; lyrictheatre.com.

“Honk Jr.”: Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E Indiantown Rd., 6:30 pm, July 29-30. $15-$20. 561-575-2223; jupitertheatre.org.

Teen Scene – Game Night: Video, board, card games, refreshments. Cummings Library, 2551 SW Matheson Ave., Palm City, 5:30-7:30 pm, July 29. Grades 6-12. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Free Movies: “All the King’s Men” 4 pm July 30, 5 pm July 31; “My Cousin Vinny” 7 pm July 30, 2 pm July 31. Lyric Theatre, 59 SW Flagler Ave., Stuart, Ticket: 772-286-7827; lyrictheatre.com.

“Mariposa Martinez And More Tales From Latin America”: Hispanic stories illustrated with shadow puppetry. Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Rd., Stuart, 2-2:45 pm, July 30. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Rendezvous for the Riverkeeper: Harry and the Natives, Hobe Sound, 6-10 pm, July 30. $65-$100. Benefits Indian Riverkeeper. 772-631-5827; IndianRiverKeeper.org.

Special July Sale: Ladies bags, shoes. All Saints Episcopal Church Thrift Shop, 2358 NW Patrician St., Jensen Beach, 10 am-2 pm, thru July 30. 772-334-0228; allsaintsjensenbeach.com.Salerno Swagger Pub Crawl: Six stops. Pirate’s, Finz, Manatee Island, Red Eye Cafe, Gettin Crabby, Coconuts. 6 pm, July 30. $25-30; ages: 21+. portsalernocp.org.

Makeup Master Class: Makeup specialist demonstrates eye makeup techniques, basic skin care. Hoke Library, 1150 NW Jack Williams Way, Jensen Beach, 10:30 a.m., July 30. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

AUGUST

Teen Photography Contest: Capture being a teenager in MC. Cummings Library, Palm City, through Aug. 1. Ages 12-17. 772-288-2551; library.martin.fl.us.

Book Talk, Signing: Former Bon Appetit owner, chef to celebrities, author of “Ms. Tiffany’s Palm Beach: Above Stairs to Below Stairs.” Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Rd., Stuart, 2 pm, Aug. 3. Reservation: 772-221-1403; mclsprograms@martin.fl.us.

Photography Classes: Bring camera. Jensen Beach Community Center, 6-8 pm Aug. 4, 11, 25; Sept. 1. $75. Register: 772-263-1654.

Focus On Foreign Film: Cinema club for screening, discussion. Cummings Library, 2251 SW Matheson Ave., Palm City, 2 pm Aug. 5, Sept. 2. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Jellyfish Lecture: Speaker Evan Orellana. River Center, 805 N US 1, Jupiter, noon, Aug. 5. RSVP: 561-743-7123; RiverCenter@Loxahatcheeriver.org.

Gardens Night Out: Burns Road Recreation Center, 4404 Burns Rd., Palm Beach Gardens, 6-8:30 pm, Aug. 5. 561-630-1100; recinfo@pbgfl.com.

“Yappy Hour”: Dog, owner social. Le Posh Pup, 4550 PGA Blvd., Ste. 109, Palm Beach Gardens, 6-9 pm, Aug. 5, 561-624-3384; LePoshPup@aol.com.

Antiques Festival: South Florida Fairgrounds, West Palm Beach, 10 am, Aug. 6-7, $6-$10. 941-697-7475; wpbaf.com.

Art Spot Study, Film Series: With Jane Miller. Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Rd., Stuart, 2 pm, Aug. 9. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Hot Summer Arts: Live art, music, performances, workshop demos. Harbour Bay Plaza, 3766 SE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, 5-8 pm, Aug. 11. 772-287-6676; martinarts.org.

Adult Summer Reading Program: Novel Destinations Book Swap ‘n’ Talk; raffle, refreshments. Blake Library, 2351 SE Monterey Rd., Stuart, 10:30 am Aug. 13. Adults. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Atlantic Arts Academy: Register for dance, theatre, music opportunities. 6743 W. Indiantown Rd. #34, Jupiter, 10 am-7 pm, Aug. 15. 3+. Register: 561-575-4422; AtlanticArtsAcademy.com.

Teen Movies At Your Library: Cummings Library, 2551 SW Matheson Ave., Palm City, 5:30 pm, 6 pm Aug. 26. Grades 6-12. 772-221-1403; library.martin.fl.us.

Dancin’ In the Streets: Downtown Stuart, Osceola St., 3-11 pm, Aug. 27. $10. Ticket: 772-286-2848; facebook.com/stuartmainstreet.

Summer Sizzle Savings: Receive $25 for every $100 spent in one week at PGA Commons, Palm Beach Gardens. 7 am, thru Aug. 31; pgasummersizzle.com.

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World’s Leading Bible Publisher Zondervan Purchases the Bestselling Storybook …

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:45 +0000

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Beginner’s Bible®, which has dominated the top 10 bestsellers list in the Christian industry for 20 years, has been acquired from Mission City Press by leading Christian children’s publisher Zonderkidz, a division of Zondervan.

The concept for the product was first developed in 1985 and The Beginner’s Bible was introduced in 1989 as a complete storybook Bible. Designed specifically for children six years and younger, The Beginner’s Bible shares the life and fun of Bible stories in an engaging, entertaining and educational way. Its simple retelling of favorite Bible stories and unique style of artwork made it an instant bestseller and over the years it has become a classic. It became the first branded property in the children’s religious publishing category and is widely credited with creating the children’s storybook Bible category.

Zondervan first entered into a distribution agreement with Mission City Press in 1997 and has served as the exclusive publisher of The Beginner’s Bible since 2004 with Zondervan’s children’s group, Zonderkidz, managing the publishing program. Since that time, Zonderkidz has introduced a robust product line that includes a variety of Bible storybooks as well as full text Bibles that feature art from The Beginner’s Bible, children’s books, devotionals, I Can Read Bible stories, Bible covers, audio products and seasonal titles, among others. In 2005, Zondervan introduced a full revision of the product, updating both the art and text. To date, over six million copies of The Beginner’s Bible have sold in all editions and it is available in more than 20 languages worldwide. It has received the 2006 Retailer’s Choice award by the Christian Booksellers Association in the U.S. and the 2006 Children’s Nonfiction Book of the Year Award in the U.K. The entire product line of The Beginner’s Bible books, Bibles and other branded products has sold more than 18 million units since the brand was first introduced.

“Zondervan has enjoyed a great partnership with Mission City Press as both organizations have long shared a common vision to bring God’s Word to life to the youngest generation,” said Scott Macdonald, President and CEO of Zondervan. ”We are honored that Mission City Press trusts us to carry forward this wonderful brand and we intend to continue to enhance and develop it to impact more young hearts for Christ.”

Tim Lyles, President of Mission City Press, added: “There are times when a highly successful past turns out to be just the warm-up for an even more astounding future. We feel that way about The Beginner’s Bible – its amazing legacy as a #1 bestseller for over 20 years was preparation for the best that is yet to come. There is no better company than Zondervan, our longtime publishing partner, to take The Beginner’s Bible brand to new heights.”

Zonderkidz has supported the brand by producing more than 55 different products through the years and offers an interactive website complete with on-line games, teaching resources, and product information (www.TheBeginnersBible.com). There is also a Facebook page and a Twitter account to engage consumers with The Beginner’s Bible. Moving forward as owners of the brand, Zondervan intends to continue to build out The Beginner’s Bible product line and has several new products planned including:

The Beginner’s Bible: Kid-Sized Devotions — is the perfect starting point for children as they develop a stronger relationship with God through daily devotions.
The Beginner’s Bible Book of Prayers – a great way to teach preschool age children to pray while introducing them to Scripture. Each prayer is accompanied by a suggested Bible verse to read and a character from the Bible with whom children can relate.
Heroes of the Bible – a treasury of five popular Old Testament Bible stories from The Beginner’s Bible, I Can Read series. The hardcover edition will include a CD with the audio reading of each of the stories with a read-along signal for turning pages.

Zondervan recently released The Beginner’s Bible Deluxe Edition, which features the bestselling storybook Bible accompanied by two audio CDs enhanced with compelling narration, music, and sound effects that help bring more than 90 Bible stories to life like never before.

“The Beginner’s Bible is a household name and is beloved by millions of parents and children worldwide as one of the most trusted names in early religious education,” said Annette Bourland, senior vice president and publisher of Zonderkidz. ”We are eager to build on the strong foundation and brand Mission City Press has developed and introduce even more new products in multiple formats, all designed to share God’s Word in a relevant and age appropriate manner. We have exciting things planned and look forward to sharing these with children and their families in the coming months.”

About Zondervan

Zondervan is the world’s leading Bible publisher and a leading publisher of Christian books. With a vision to see more people engaging the Bible more, Zondervan offers bestselling study, devotional, reference, text, audio, software and digital Bibles designed to inspire readers at every age and each stage of life. Zondervan holds exclusive North American publishing rights to the New International Version (NIV). The most popular modern-English translation of the Bible, the NIV has more than 400 million copies in print worldwide. Zondervan also publishes Bibles in the KJV (King James Version), NIrV (New International Reader’s Version), NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), NASB (New American Standard Bible), the Amplified Bible and parallel Bibles featuring The Message. During the past 75 years, Zondervan, a HarperCollins company, has grown to be a global leader in Christian communications through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, children’s, and new media products. Visit Zondervan Bibles on the Internet at www.zondervan.com/Bibles.

About Zonderkidz

Zonderkidz™, a division of Zondervan, inspires young lives through imagination and innovation. As the leader in Christian children’s communications, it produces bestselling and award-winning Bibles, storybook Bibles, books, board books, audio, video, and digital products that awaken the hearts and touch the souls of kids under 16 and the people who love them, from family members to educators. Zonderkidz is the publisher of the NIrV (New International Reader’s Version) Bible translation, the 3rd-grade reading level edition of the NIV that is ideal for children and those who speak English as a second language. Visit Zonderkidz on the Internet at www.zonderkidz.com.

SOURCE Zondervan

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July 18: Intermediate, Advanced Chess; Facebook; Possible Severe Weather

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:43 +0000

1. Southeast’s Zoning Board is scheduled to meet at 8 p.m. at the town offices on Route 22. Click here to read the agenda.

2. The local chess competition is slated to heat up this evening at Mahopac Public Library. From 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., intermediate and advanced players are invited show off their skills and pick up some new ones, too. The program fee is $20 and registration is required.

3. Turn your Monday blues into something positive with a power-hour of yoga. The 7 p.m. class at Sacred Space in Somers promises to accommodate all practitioners, from level-one beginners to level-three pros.

4. If you’re a news-junkie or a Brewster-Southeast lover, be sure to follow Patch on Facebook. We are committed to bringing you the inside scoop on everything from community events to breaking news, and Facebook helps us do it!

5. The National Weather Service is predicting afternoon storms — with possible hail, strong winds and lightning. Otherwise, expect a high around 90 degrees and partly-sunny skies.

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Community donations fund disc golf course in Prospect

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:41 +0000

PROSPECT – The Prospect Community Park is the home of the area’s newest disc golf course thanks to continued support from the community.

Volunteers installed a nine-hole disc golf course at the village park as the sport continues to grow in popularity. It is the second new feature to be totally funded by donations at the park.

The idea originally came from Prospect resident Sean Mehaffey, who discovered the sport while searching for a new way to get in shape. He had been posting his disc golf adventures on Facebook and suggested it would be nice to have a course in Prospect when village park board member Scott Pierce saw the post and reached out to Mehaffey.

“It’s an added feature to our park,” Pierce said. It’s an easy sport to learn and an inexpensive one to play.

The Disc Golf Association describes the sport as being similar to golf, except players use discs and aim for a disc pole, which sticks up from the ground and contains a wired basket in which the disc lands. Players compete to finish the course in the fewest number of throws as they start from a tee area and throw toward the pole.

Mehaffey said he was attracted to the sport because it’s cheap to buy the equipment, and it’s a sport one can play alone or with others. It is also free to play at most places.

He said discs can be purchased for $10 or less at area stores including MC Sports at 230 McMahan Blvd. in Marion and Dunham’s Discount Sports at 1300 Mount Vernon Ave. in Marion.

Prior to the course he traveled to either Sawyer-Ludwig Park in Marion or Delaware State Park near Delaware in order to play.

Mehaffey said the Prospect course is also friendly to beginners and children because it has both short tees, more preferred by beginners, and long tees.

“You can get more people playing,” he said, adding that the Marion course can be a bit overwhelming for beginners.

Pierce said he just recently picked up the sport and finds it fun to play. Mehaffey said he often sees someone new playing as he stops by frequently.

The course is currently playable but has a temporary setup. Mehaffey said the plan is to play the course over the summer and determine if any of the sections should be moved before putting in concrete tee areas.

Sponsors paid for the entire course including the equipment. Ken Rollins, an Ashley resident who helped bring the 2010 Professional Disc Golf Association Amateur and Junior World Championships to Marion, said they raised enough money in about a month.

Rollins, who helped set up the Prospect course, said with municipalities and park departments seeing cutbacks there was no way the park board could have done it on its own.

“None of this came out of our park fund,” said Pierce. It is the second time in as many years that donors have come forward to pick up the total expenses after donations paid for a new field for Prospect Baseball for Youth T-Ball in 2010.

The Prospect Community Park, located at the end of Fourth Street, also features baseball fields, basketball courts, a horseshoe pit and a shelter house.

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Google+: The Complete Guide

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:40 +0000

Already using Google+? Follow Mashable News for the latest about the platform’s new features, tips and tricks as well as our top social media and technology updates.

Google+: It’s the hot social network on the block. In just three weeks, Google’s competitor to Facebook and Twitter has amassed more than 10 million users, and its users are sharing more than 1 billion pieces of content daily. It’s become a hotbed for early adopters, tech luminaries, marketers and businesses around the world.

Google+ isn’t the easiest thing to understand, though. It has a lot of features that can confuse beginners. Even advanced users can miss a lot of the little gems and nuances that define Google+.

That’s why we decided to dig into every aspect of Google+, from Hangouts to Circles, from Google+ for businesses to what’s next for Google’s social network. The result is an extensive guide on all of Google+’s key features, as well as an introduction to the service and the important things you need to know about it. We’ve included commentary, videos, photos and more in our in-depth guide. In addition, we will update this guide regularly with the newest information on Google’s Facebook competitor.

So, without further ado, here is Mashable‘s complete guide to Google+:

What Is Google+?

Google+ is the search giant’s latest attempt to create a social network that rivals Facebook. Google launched Google+ on June 28, 2011 with a private beta. The project was led by Vic Gundotra, Google’s SVP of social.

The social network is a collection of different social products. These features include Stream (a newsfeed), Sparks (a recommendation engine), Hangouts (a video chat service), Huddle (a group texting service), Circles (a friend management service) and Photos. We explain all of these features later in this guide. More features such as Games and Questions are expected to launch in the near future.

Google chose the name Google+ because it wants Google+ to be “an extension of Google itself,” Gundotra explained to Mashable days before the launch. It’s designed to be an improvement to all of Google, which is why the company also decided to change the iconic Google navigation bar to include a link to a user’s Google+ profile, as well as a new icon that displays how many notifications a user has received, much like how Facebook handles notifications.

This isn’t Google’s first shot at dominating the social space. It has a long history in social media, including Orkut and its biggest success in social, YouTube. However, it’s had two very big flops in social: Google Wave and Google Buzz.

Screenshots: What Google+ Looks Like

This gallery will provide you with a quick overview of what Google+ looks like. Keep reading this guide to learn more about how to use all of Google+’s features.

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Why Should Someone Use Google+?

Great, Google made a social network. Now you’re probably asking yourself: Why the heck should I use Google+?

We aren’t here to pitch Google+. Instead, we asked our Google+ followers a simple question: Why should someone use Google+?

The response was overwhelming. We got more than 500 responses on the Mashable News account and my Google+ account. Since we can’t post everybody’s responses, we’ve chosen six we believe encompass why so many people are excited by Google’s new social initiative:

“Google+ is a much cleaner way to selectively share data with others. As Google integrates more of their other cloud products, like Documents, Calendar, and Reader, you’re going to see it become one of the primary means of absorbing the data streaming from the Internet and sharing it with others.” ~ Jason Poggioli

“It’s the combination of being able to share based on (hopefully!) mutual interests with the ability to get exposure to interesting people and ideas. The relationship doesn’t really have to be two way, but it doesn’t all have to be public.” ~ Holly Henry

“For some reason, the level of engagement is higher. Commenting and resharing seems to happen at a higher rate here (so far.)” ~ Bill Shander

“I’ve had a Facebook account since 2003. It’s time for something more grown up that gives me more control and has a more organic user experience.” ~ Sean Cooper

“The clean user interface of Google+, combined with the lack of distracting elements, or so-called features (such as all of the add-on games and apps on FB that clutter up your stream), that I never use, attract me to Google+. This, combined with the Circles feature, choosing who you share with, are the primary draws.” ~ Scott Davis

“If Facebook and Twitter had a baby, they’d call it Google+.” ~ Olaf Wempe

Getting Started

At the moment, you need to be sent an invite by a friend to join Google+. While this restriction will eventually be lifted, it’s best if you ask a friend to send an invite to your Gmail account. You must use a Gmail account to sign up for Google+. Google Apps accounts are currently not supported, though the search giant plans to add support for Google Apps email accounts in the near future.

Once you accept your invite, you are taken to a page where you are asked to create your public Google Profile. Fill in information like your name and your birthday, and you are taken to Google+. If you have already filled out a Google+ Profile in the past, you skip this step and are taken to Google+.

While we go through every single one of Google+’s features step-by-step in this guide, it’s always smart to know the basic commands and syntax of Google+. To that end, we have included a Google+ cheat sheet that explains how to mention friends in your posts (like you can already do on Facebook or Twitter), how to bold your text and more.

A Video Explanation of Google+

The following videos, produced by Google, provide a quick introduction to Google+. Check these videos out, then keep reading our guide to learn more about each of Google+’s key features.

View As One Page »

Profile

Once you have your Google+ account set up, the first thing you should do is fill in your user profile. If you’ve already created a Google Profile before, that data will automatically be imported to your Google+ Profile — in fact, your Google+ Profile replaces it.

When you first join Google+, it will ask you to enter a few key details, such as your tagline (a brief description of yourself), your employment and your education. It will also ask you to choose a profile photo. Once you set these details, you will have the opportunity to populate your profile with a myriad of other profile details. These include “Introduction,” “Bragging rights,” “Occupation,” “Places lived,” “Relationship,” “Looking for,” “Other names,” “Nickname” and “Search visibility.” On the right-hand side, you have the opportunity to add links that relate to yourself. Most users add a personal website or blog, as well as their Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.

While you’re on your profile page, you also have the opportunity to change some of your privacy settings. You can allow people to email you from a link on your profile, and you can set this to be public, private or somewhere between using Google+ Circles (explained below).

Your profile also displays who is in your circles, and who has added you to their circles. You can change the privacy settings on the left-hand side of your profile to make this data public or private.

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Circles

Understanding Circles is essential to mastering Google+. The search giant has opted not to let you simply “friend” your friends, like you do on Facebook, or “follow” different people as you would on Twitter. Instead, Google+ gives you more control over who sees your content.

Circles allows users to drag-and-drop their friends into different friend groups, which categorizes them. This allows you to put your mom in your “Family” circle, your boss in your “Business” circle and your best friend from college in your “Friends” circle. You can create as many circles as you’d like, though making too many becomes cumbersome and diminishes the usefulness of Circles.

To add friends to a circle, all you have to do is drag-and-drop them into the appropriate circle. You can add friends into as many circles as you want. You can also select multiple friends and drag them into a circle. It initially suggests friends based on who’s in your Google Contacts, but it also lets you find friends by importing your address book from Yahoo!, Hotmail or your desktop. Removing friends from a circle is simple as well: just drag-and-drop from in the circle to outside the circle.

Clicking on a circle gives you more granular control over adding and removing people. You can also rename your circle, write a short description about it, view the stream for your circle, open your circle in a tab and delete your circle.

So why should you create circles in the first place? The answer is simple: You want to share different things with different friends. You may want to share a risqué photo with your close friends, but share a link about your company’s newest hire with just your business network. Google+ Circles gives you the ability to have this kind of control over both what you share and what content pops up in your stream.

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Stream Sharing Content

Facebook users will instantly get the hang of Google+ Stream — it’s just a newsfeed of the latest content shared by your circles. This content can be anything from a status update to a photo.

There are a few differences between the Google+ Stream and the Facebook News Feed. Posts by your friends move back to the top based on which post has the most recent comment, though eventually older posts are eventually buried in the stream. Instead of “liking” a post, you can “+1″ a post — this is part of Google’s push for the +1 Button. You can also share posts with your circles or mute a post if it’s clogging up your stream.

Updating your status is a snap — all you need to do is type some content in the “Share” box at the top of your stream and choose who to share it with. You can share it with the public (all of your followers) or just share it with certain circles. In addition to text, you can share photos, videos, links and your location. Like Facebook, Google+ automatically detects the content of the links you share and allows you to choose a thumbnail from that link.

The left-hand navigation includes a Stream option where you can filter your Google+ Stream. If you want to see posts only from your business network, you just have to click on that circle under the stream. Under the Stream option is a link to Google+ Sparks, which we explain later in this guide. There’s also an option to activate Google Chat for your Google+ account.

The right-hand navigation includes a link to manage your circles and a Suggestions section, where Google suggests people to add to your circles, based on who is in your Google Contacts and who your friends are following. Google also lets you start a Google+ Hangout video chat from the right-hand menu (we explain this feature in another section). You can also invite your friends to join you on Google+ from the right-hand nav.

Sparks

Stumped about what to share first on Google+? Want to find more stuff about your favorite animal or band? Google has you covered with Sparks, a content recommendation engine that finds the most relevant and interesting articles and videos on almost any subject you can imagine. The Spark for Android, for example, contains links and thumbnails from articles about recent Android news.

Google doesn’t publish how it determines which content is the most relevant, but we imagine it uses signals from search, Google News, Google+ and others to determine which content is the most relevant algorithmically.

Google provides a list of suggested topics, but you can type in almost any topic that suits your fancy. Some sparks have more content than others, though. You can also “pin” your favorite sparks to your left-hand navigation for easy access at any time. Sparks also lets you directly share the content you find with your circles.

Hangouts

In our opinion, Google+ Hangouts may be the social network’s killer feature. It’s a novel twist on the traditional group video chat, and it’s definitely received a positive reaction from the Google+ community.

Here’s how it works: You click on the “Start a hangout” button on the right-hand menu of the Stream. Clicking it opens up a chat window where you can check your mic and choose who will be able to join the hangout (either by inviting individuals or sharing it with your circles). Once the hangout is live, your friends will see the hangout prompt in their stream. They can then join the hangout until a maximum of ten people have joined.

If you’ve never used Google Talk before, you will have to install a small piece of software before Hangouts works properly.

Google SVP of Social Vic Gundotra compares Hangouts to friends sitting on the porch vs. knocking on a neighbor’s door. Few people are willing to knock on a neighbor’s door just to start a conversation, but if you see friends sitting on a porch and you walk by, it’s almost rude not to drop in and say hi. Gundotra thinks one-on-one video chats are much like knocking on a neighbor’s door, while a Google+ Hangout is like friends sitting on a porch.

Once you’re in a hangout, you will notice a couple of things. First, you will notice that the video switches from person to person. This is based on who is talking into the microphone. You can hover over a person’s video feed and either report them for abuse or “mute” them. Muting someone will mute them for everybody in the hangout, at least until he or she unmutes his or her mic. Users can also mute their video if they wish.

Google+ Hangouts also comes with a group text chat feature (similar to Google Talk). Another cool feature of Hangouts is that users can jointly watch a YouTube video. Settings lets you adjust the mic, camera and other video settings.

Photos

Google+ comes with a fully-built photo albums product, powered by the technology behind Picasa (also owned by Google).

Clicking on the Photos tab on the top of your Google+ page will display recent photos uploaded by your friends, as well as how many comments each photo has received. Clicking on any of these photos brings up a photo slideshow with the most recent comments on the right-hand side and photos from your other friends on the bottom.

The slideshow is simple to navigate — click on a picture to bring it up, or click and drag your mouse from side to side to scroll through other pictures. In this slideshow view, you can also tag yourself or a friend in a photo, or check out photo details such as what type of camera was used to capture the photo.

Another section of Photos lets you check out photos in which you’ve been tagged. This is also the area where you can approve or reject photo tags. No photo will be tagged with your name until you approve it.

The most important feature of Photos, though, is the ability to upload photos and create albums. By clicking the giant “Upload New Photos” button at the top right, you can create a photo album by simply dragging and dropping photos into your browser. Once created, you can share that album with your circles, with individual friends or with the public. Albums remain private until you share them.

Once uploaded, you have the ability to edit your photos right from Google+. The browser-based editor includes simple features such as cross processing, auto contrast and black-and-white effects. You can also rotate the image or delete it entirely.

One more thing: Any photos you upload via the Stream will be added to an album called “Photos from posts,” available in the “Your albums” section of the Photos app.

View As One Page »

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Privacy

The last time Google treated privacy as a secondary feature, it got burned with a lawsuit. This time around, Google isn’t playing games with Google+ and privacy.

In the Google+ settings page (available if you click on the gear icon on the top right of the black bar), you can change all of your privacy settings. From the “Account overview” tab, you can change your password, activate multiple account sign-in (an advanced feature for users with lots of Google accounts) and delete your profile and/or Google account.

The “Profile and privacy” tab is where you can really dig deep into your privacy settings. From here, you can edit the visibility of every part of your profile, manage your circles, change your network visibility, adjust your photo settings, or visit the Google Privacy Center. Google+ also has a feature where you can view your profile as your mom or your friend would see it. This is a useful feature that lets you know for sure if the content you want private is indeed private.

The settings page also has options for editing your email and mobile phone notifications, as well as options for changing the default language and connecting other social accounts to your Google+ profile. The latter feature is designed to improve Google Search more than your Google+ profile.

Finally, Google is walking the walk when it comes to data liberation. As Google data liberation lead Brian Fitzpatrick explained to Mashable, the company believes that if it’s to be trusted with more of your social data, it needs to provide users an option for taking that data out hassle-free. That’s why you can download your Google+ data, including stream posts, profile data and photos. The export feature is powered by Google Takeout.

Mobile

Google owns one of the world’s most popular mobile operating systems (Android), so it’s no surprise that Google+ prominently features its mobile apps. As of July 16, Google+ only has an Android app, although it has a mobile web version and the iOS app is awaiting Apple App Store approval. The iOS app is almost identical to the Android app.

The Google+ mobile apps are relatively straightforward. It comes with five different icons and a notifications bar. The mobile app allows you to access your stream, take and upload photos, view and update your profile and manage your circles.

Two features stand out about the Google+ mobile apps. The first is a feature called “Huddle,” which is essentially a group texting feature not unlike GroupMe or Beluga. It allows you to put a group of your friends together so you can send and receive group texts.

The second unique feature of Google+’s mobile apps is something called “Instant Upload.” The Instant Upload feature automatically takes the pictures you take and syncs them with your desktop. This makes it dead-simple for you to share photos you upload when you get home. These photos are uploaded into a private album you can manage and share at your convenience.

As mentioned before, Google+ also has a mobile interface that allows you to post updates, check what your circles are posting, comment and +1 your friends’ posts, and update your location. We expect Google to add more to Google+’s mobile apps as it improves the service.

Google+ For Businesses

Google+ already has a lot of users, so it makes sense that businesses would want to get in on some of the action. Several businesses are already on Google+, including Mashable, Ford, CBS News and others.

But hold on! Before you start making your company’s Google+ account, there are a few things you should know. The most important thing is this: Google doesn’t want businesses creating Google+ profiles yet. The search giant announced on July 6 that it would be creating a platform for businesses, but that it would take some time to build.

The result is that the future of businesses and brands on Google+ has yet to be determined. Google could choose to delete all business entities, or it may transfer the followers of existing businesses to brand new business accounts. The search giant is accelerating the development of Google+ for businesses and will begin beta testing in the next few weeks.

We will update this guide as we learn more about Google+ for businesses.

What’s Next for Google+?

Google refers to Google+ as a project because it believes it’s far from finished. The product is only a few weeks old and it has a lot of bugs that still need to be fixed.

We do expect two Google+ features to launch in the near future, though. The first one is a Questions feature that will let users poll their friends, much like Quora or Facebook Questions.

The second and more interesting product is Google+ Games, a product rumored to be in development ever since Google invested $100+ million in Zynga, the creators of FarmVille and other social games. Google+’s code has multiple references to Google+ Games, so we expect it’s only a matter of time until Empires Allies makes its Google debut.

Most of all, expect Google’s social network to evolve as it tries to meet user requests and sets its sights on Facebook, Twitter and the rest of the social media universe.

Follow Team Mashable on Google+

To help you get started on your Google+ journey, we’ve included a full list of Mashable staff members that are actively using Google+. In addition, you can follow Mashable News for the latest social media, technology and digital news from around the world. We look forward to engaging with you!

+Ada Ospina – NYC Office Manager

+Adam Hirsch – COO

+Adam Ostrow – Editor in Chief

+Amy-Mae Elliott – Features Writer

+Andrew Reedman – U.S. Director of Sales

+Ben Parr – Editor at Large

+Brenna Ehrlich – Associate Editor of Media Entertainment

+Brian Anthony Hernandez – Copy Editor

+Brian Dresher Director of Business Development

+Brie Manakul – Ad Ops Manager

+Charlie White – Senior Editor

+Chelsea Stark – Community Intern

+Chris Heald – Lead Developer

+Christina Warren – Mobile and Development Design Reporter

+Connie Preti – Community Intern

+Emily Banks – Assistant News Editor

+Erica Swallow – Partner Content Associate Editor

+Frederick Townes – CTO

+Jennifer Van Grove – Startups Reporter

+Josh Catone – Features Editor

+Karen Hartline – Events Director

+Kate Hayden – Events Assistant

+Lauren Drell – Partner Content Assistant Editor

+Lauren Indvik – Marketing Media Associate Editor

+Louis Dorman – Art Director

+Matt Silverman – Associate Features Editor

+Meghan Peters – Community Manager

+Pete Cashmore – Founder and CEO

+Robyn Peterson – Senior VP of Product

+Sana Ahmed – Executive Assistant

+Sarah Kessler – Startups Reporter

+Sharon Feder – Publisher

+Stacy Green – Communications Director

+Stefanie Rennert – HR Manager

+Stephanie Buck - Editorial Intern

+Stephanie Haberman – Community Assistant

+Tamar Weinberg – Community and Global Advertising

+Tanya Salah – West Coast Sales Director

+Todd Olmstead – Community Intern

+Todd Wasserman – Business and Marketing Editor

+Zachary Sniderman – Social Good Assistant Editor

+Zoe Fox – Social Good Intern

More Helpful Google+ Resources

The following is a collection of Mashable‘s top resources on Google+. We will update this list on a regular basis:

1) Google Launches Google+ To Battle Facebook [PICS]

2) Google+: First Impressions

3) The Google+ Cheat Sheet [PIC]

4) Google+: The Pros Cons

5) 5 Chrome Extensions That Improve Google+

6) What’s In a Name: Google+ Is Your Plus One

7) A Closer Look at Google’s Facebook Competitor [VIDEOS]

8) HOW TO: Upload iPhone Photos to Google+

9) 10 Top Google+ Users Weigh In on the Web’s Newest Social Network

10) Zuckerberg on Google+: It’s a Validation of Facebook’s Vision

11) Can Google+ Sustain Growth Beyond Early Adopters?

12) HOW TO: Make a Google+ Desktop App

13) 5 Hilarious Google+ Parodies [VIDEOS]

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Spotify: A Beginner’s Guide

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:29 +0000

The day has come and Spotify has finally launched in the US. Unfortunately, Spotify will start to roll out free access to its music streaming service via an invite system, so if you don’t have one yet I suggest you head over to the Spotify website and apply.

If you applied early and were lucky enough to secure your invite and can now access Spotify, you might be wondering what makes the service unique, what differentiates it from its rivals, or even how to use it.

Many of us at The Next Web are based in Europe, so we have had access to Spotify for nearly two years. That means we are perfectly placed to give you the rundown on what makes the service tick. If you want to know the ins and outs of the service, this beginners guide should help you get up and running within minutes.

Signing Up And Choosing A Plan

When you receive your invite, you will be taken through the signup process and asked for your personal details. You will also be asked to supply a unique username which will identify you on the service but allow you to generate unique playlists and use the service on your mobile devices.

Once you have completed the signup process, you will asked to choose a Spotify streaming plan. The music service offers three unique plans that have their own unique advantages:

Open (Free) – It will allow you to play local files, share tracks and playlists with friends and stream millions of tracks instantly. Spotify will allow users to stream an unlimited number of tracks for free but invitations to this will be very limited.
Unlimited ($4.99 p/m) – The Unlimited subscription removes all advertising and time limits, giving you unmetered access to your music whenever you want it.
Premium – ($9.99 p/m) – If you are looking for access to Spotify on any device, to listen at any time, this is the plan for you. Spotify’s Premium subscription gives you unlimited music without advertising to your computer and your mobile phone. The great thing about this subscription is that it provides offline access to your playlists, offers streams at a higher audio bitrate and give you access to exclusive content like early album launches.

At launch, users will not be able to download tracks, as European users can now.

Downloading And Using The Client

Many users will choose Spotify Open initially, just to get an idea of how the service operates (after all you don’t want to spend money on something you might not like). Whatever plan you do choose, you will still need to download the same desktop player, which will provide access to 13 million tracks from your computer.

Windows and Macs are supported, so grab the client and install it.

Once installed, you will need to login to the service using the username and password you specified when you signed up.

Once you have logged in, you will be presented with an interface that isn’t too dissimilar to Apple’s iTunes software. Spotify employs simple menu and navigation buttons, adding a search box at the top of the screen. Playback controls are located at the bottom.

The sidebar on the left has links to the home page, radio, your play queue and playlists.

The “What’s New” section suggests new albums for users to listen to, also adding a “Top Lists” section which details the most popular tracks but also albums that Spotify users are either sharing or queuing in their clients. You can see how popular a song is at any time by looking at the Popularity indicator next to every song.

Adding music is as simple as searching for the track or the artist using the search bar located at the top of the client. The beauty of Spotify’s extensive catalog is that you will normally see a number of results for the same track that list live, acoustic or remixed versions of that song.

Double-clicking starts playing the song but you can also add each track to your play queue or you can add tracks to a playlist. To do one or both, you can right click on the track and select “Queue” or “Add to” where you can specify a playlist to add the track to.

The Library is similar to iTunes in that it lists music you have bought but it also includes the music you have starred or added to a playlist. If you come across a track that you can’t get out of your head but you don’t want to add it to a playlist, starring it will ensure it is filed away for you to come back to later, whether it is in the Starred section or in your overall library of music.

Social Options

Spotify has baked in some social features to help users share playlists and recommend songs. The company has already confirmed that it will allow US and European customers to use the same playlists, so you will finally be able to share that new Lady Gaga album that you love so much and want everyone to hear.

Every playlist you create can be shared by right-clicking it and copying either the HTTP Link or the Spotify URI. The HTTP link will allow you to share the playlist on websites and the Spotify URI will open the Spotify client if the person you share it with has it installed on their system.

Individual tracks can also be shared by hitting the small arrow on the Now Playing track in the sidebar. You have the option to connect your Facebook, Twitter, Windows Live Messenger accounts to send out links to your tracks. The service also provides a way to send a message to another Spotify user using their username:

Spotify is also tied deeply to Facebook, connecting you to your friends to see what they are playing, sharing and adding to their playlists. To add your Facebook account, there is a little icon on the top right of the client which provides a small right sidebar to connect your social networking account. Clicking this will prompt Spotify to authenticate with Facebook and connect you to your friends already on the service:

Once you have joined your Facebook account to your Spotify account, you will immediately be able to see a list of your Facebook friends on Spotify all listed on the right hand side.

For each user you click, you will see their playlists in the main body of the client. If you particularly like a certain playlist, you can subscribe to it, adding it to the left sidebar alongside the rest of your own. Once you have done this, that selection of music is now available for you to make available offline if you have a Premium account, meaning you can sync music to your mobile to listen back to it without needing a mobile connection.

To do this, you simply head into the playlist you want to make available offline and then switch the toggle (you can also share it to your social accounts should you wish):

Adding friends opens the possibility of collaboratively managing playlists. Perfect for an office or a party, you can enable Collaborative Playlists by creating a new playlist, right-clicking and then selecting the option. This playlist can then be shared amongst friends but will also be shown to your friends if they click on your profile from their friends list. Additionally, the URL of a collaborative playlist can be shared publicly, allowing any other user to add to it – help us build The Next Web playlist here.

There is also the option to subscribe to thousands of public playlists over at ShareMyPlaylists.com.

You will also receive a list of recommended songs in your Spotify Inbox. Users who love a track and want to pass it on can use the sharing tool described above and it will land in the recipients inbox instantly. You can also drag tracks from the inbox to your playlists, and also share music with others by dragging it to their username.

You have complete control over your data and can edit the data you share with your friends at any time.

Mobile

Spotify’s mobile access is seen as its ace card, with many subscribing just so they can take advantage of the service whilst they are on-the-move. Currently, the service is only available on iOS and Android devices but the company is working to release an app for Symbian, Windows Phone and WebOS devices.

How you can use Spotify Mobile depends on what account you have. If you have a Premium account, you can enjoy wireless syncing of your Spotify playlists, offline access and the ability to search over 13 million tracks in the Spotify catalog. Streaming works over 3G and WiFi, allowing you to listen to and update playlists on-the-go.

Free, Open and Unlimited users will only be able to listen to files they already have on their phone and buy Spotify tracks and add them to your library.

Local Music

Worried that all of that music you bought is now useless? Don’t fret, as Spotify provides a service that will import all of your tracks into the Spotify client to all but replace iTunes as a desktop music player.

Clicking the “Local Files” on the left sidebar will index the tracks already on your computer or your iTunes Music Library, list them and make them available for playing. If you want to upload the music to your iPod, Spotify also has the ability to transfer your MP3s to your music device via a USB cable.

With a Spotify Premium subscription, you can sync your MP3s from your computer to your phone by just connecting your mobile to the same network as your desktop computer. Add MP3s to a Spotify playlist, then open Spotify on your mobile to sync them for offline availability.

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Hot Spot to put focus on social media at Las Vegas Market

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:22 +0000

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Furniture Today Staff — Furniture Today, July 20, 2011

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas Market attendees looking to enhance their social media knowledge will get a chance to bone up on the latest tips at the Hot Spot Social Media Bar, which is returning to market for the third time.

Market attendees will have a chance to meet with experts who will discuss ways to maximize a company’s social media presence and share tips on how to connect with customers.

The Hot Spot will offer two courses a day, one for beginners and one for intermediate users, from Aug. 1 to Aug. 3 in its new location in World Market Center C-301. Christi Tullis, founder of online marketing and social media consulting firm Putting’ Out, will lead the training and also will help attendees in setting up their own accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other sites.

“Social media continues to be an important platform where businesses can connect with their key audiences,” said Dana Andrew, vice president of marketing and public relations for the WMC. “But the fact remains that many people do not know how to take full advantage of this medium as a method of generating business. We see Hot Spot as a value-add for our attendees that will get them tweeting and updating their fans and followers in a way that will ultimately benefit their bottom line.”

To follow news about the Las Vegas Market, which runs Aug. 1-5, search #lvmkt on Twitter.

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FurnitureCore.com is a dynamic web application aimed at the furniture industry. Retailers and manufacturers alike will find our deep reserve of tools to be exactly what their furniture business needs.www.furniturecore.com…
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A fitness game plan for beginners or those that slacked off

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:22 +0000

Enjoy Sexy Lingerie » Beginners

Ewan McGregor didn’t have an ideal woman ‘checklist’

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Arts Calendar

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Martin County Community Calendar, updated july 19

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World’s Leading Bible Publisher Zondervan Purchases the Bestselling Storybook …

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July 18: Intermediate, Advanced Chess; Facebook; Possible Severe Weather

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Community donations fund disc golf course in Prospect

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Google+: The Complete Guide

What Is Google+?

Screenshots: What Google+ Looks Like

Why Should Someone Use Google+?

Getting Started

A Video Explanation of Google+

Profile

Circles

Stream Sharing Content

Sparks

Hangouts

Photos

Privacy

Mobile

Google+ For Businesses

What’s Next for Google+?

Follow Team Mashable on Google+

More Helpful Google+ Resources

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Spotify: A Beginner’s Guide

Signing Up And Choosing A Plan

Downloading And Using The Client

Social Options

Mobile

Local Music

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Hot Spot to put focus on social media at Las Vegas Market

Furniture Today Staff — Furniture Today, July 20, 2011

FurnitureCore.com

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A fitness game plan for beginners or those that slacked off