Books
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"Perfect Chemistry"
Once you start reading this book, you will be hooked. The novel, "Perfect Chemistry", is the first book in the Prefect Chemistry series by Simone Ekeles. It reminds me of a modern day version of the play "A Westside Story". It is one of the most exciting and enchanting books that you will ever get to read.
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Powerful memoir delivers strong, touching storyline about sisterhood
Imagine being the eldest of two siblings. Imagine losing one to fatal illness, and then, another. No longer a sibling, what are you now? "The only one left," Jessica Handler writes in her memoir "Invisible Sisters," a powerful story of loss, bereavement, and the human capacity to heal.
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Growing up gay
Ryan Van Meter's If You Knew Then What I Know Now is an introspective memoir of Van Meter's acquaintance and acceptance of his homosexuality. Through a collection of essays, Van Meter recounts events throughout his life that added to his understanding of himself and that, ultimately, helped to shape him into the person he is today.
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Moore is more
Have you ever wondered what Jesus did before miracle work? Ever mused over an adolescent Christ and the trouble he undoubtedly caused? Christopher Moore explores the possibilities in his hilariously funny epic, "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal.
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Palahniuk goes limp with sordid "Snuff"
Immersing yourself in a steamy fantasy such as "Snuff" by Chuck Palahniuk can leave you feeling high and dry by the end. Palahniuk's 2008 addition to his collection of shock-inducing, pop/avant-garde is a pieced narration of pornstar Cassie Wright, who sets out to make world history.
Crossword Puzzle Answers
Dorm Cookin'
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Signs of Autumn: Nutella Mug Cake & French Onion Soup
I have welcomed Autumn with open arms this season. Pumpkin spice lattes, ginger spice cookies, soups, and hot chocolate are all the things I like most about this time of year. Here I have found two recipes I hope you all love to welcome the season. The first is a yummy desert made in a microwave.
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Balanced proteins
Staying healthy isn't always easy. Often when people try to diet they cut out a lot of necessary nutrients from there food supply, which can result in weight gain or a weakened immune systems. A healthy balanced meal is composed of a lot of vegetables, one appropriately portioned protein, one portion of grain, and one portion of dairy.
Local locations
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Warm chocolate gingerbread man
4 ounces Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar 1/2 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated white sugar 2 tablespoons ground ginger 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 cup molasses 1 large egg Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
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An ultimate treat for Valentine's Day
A long standing staple of romantic meals, red wine and chocolate seem to be the perfect pairing. ChocoVine has attempted to blend the two to create an ultimate dessert liqueur. The taste of their signature wine, ChocoVine Original, is reminiscent of cherry cordials, with a heavy, creamy finish similar to Bailey's Irish Cream.
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Chattaway Drive-In a hidden St. Petersburg gem
Behind a pink building is a jungle inhabited by painted metal peacocks and pelicans. Just below a canopy of red and green drapes, a wooden chameleon the size of a coffee table perches on the roof of the pink structure, grinning at customers as they enter.
Movies
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Documentary gives glimpse into lives of soldiers in combat
"I want you guys to mourn," Captain Kearney instructs, "and then I want you to get over it and do your jobs." In one of Afghanistan's most deadly locations, soldiers have little time to grieve over fallen comrades. Instead, they must face constant conflict, deadly fire fights a part of their daily routine.
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New British film brings chuckles
British actors Steve Coogan ("I'm Alan Partridge," "Hamlet 2") and Rob Brydon ("Gavin and Stacy," "The Rob Brydon Show") play the most convincing and hilarious roles of their careers – themselves. The 2010 comedy film "The Trip"follows Steve Coogan, a middle-aged actor separated from his American girlfriend Mischa (Margo Stilley) by thousands of miles, as he takes a road trip through the English countryside to review restaurants for The Observer.
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Sink your teeth into the latest movie
The first part of the finale to the Twilight series, long awaited "Breaking Dawn", came out Nov. 18. The Twilight producers pulled a Harry Potter and split the last movie into two parts, leaving the last part to be released in Nov. 2012. Breaking Dawn continues the vampire romance story with the usual cast: main character Bella is played by Kristen Stewart, her vampire fiancée Edward is played by Robert Pattinson, and Bella's ex-boyfriend/werewolf Jacob is performed by Taylor Lautner.
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"Immortals" won't stand up to test of time
The entire future of Greek society has come under attack in "Immortals." King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) has enlisted an army of followers on his bloodthirsty quest for the fabled Epirusbow, a weapon created by the Olympian gods that's capable of releasing the fallen Titans upon the earth and destroying known civilization.
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"Hanna" doesn't quite hit the mark
A caribou bounds through snowy forest, pursued by a figure clad in furs. An arrow whizzes through the air. The caribou crumples to the ground. The figure pulls its scarf down, revealing the wide-eyed face of a young girl. "I just missed your heart," she murmurs, and pulls out her gun.
Music
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Skrillex drops fourth album for the holidays
Two days after Christmas, dubstep fans got another present from electronica music sensation Skrillex. Sonny Moore who produces under the pseudonym Skrillex dropped his fourth record titled Bangarang EP. The EP does not qualify as a full length album since it only has eight tracks, but it manages to include an array of guest artists from 12th planet, Wolfgang Gartner, Sirah and Ellie Goulding.
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Tampa rocks heavy metal
If a double bass kick assaulting your solar plexus doesn't soothe you, if a hardcore riff throbbing in your ears doesn't hurt so good, if a synchronized melee does not entice you to join, read no further. In the early days, the Tampa area was to metal what the Bronx was to hip hop.
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Rising band gives free mixtape download
New artists enter the music scene every single day. Usually the artists will release a CD or mixtape with one or two good songs and the rest is nothing but filler. To create an album that can be listened to without skipping a single song is very rare, especially for an up-and-coming act.
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Free mixtapes
Mash-ups are often hit or miss when bringing together rappers and singers but the recent mixtape from Miami DJ duo Urban Noize seamlessly and effortlessly brings together three of the biggest names in entertainment today. Elements from Jay-Z and Kanye West's catalog of rhymes blended with Adele's soulful choruses come together to create an album of incredible artistry and weight that is so good that it is almost hard to believe that it is merely a DJ's conglomeration of recycled parts.
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Southern music gems highlighted
Bassnectar w/ SuperDre and Amp Live @ Jannus Landing October 23rd It won't be a quiet Sunday night in downtown St. Petersburg on October 23rd. San Francisco electronic DJ, Lorin Ashton, is scheduled to appear at Jannus Landing for the fist time on his Divergent Spectrum tour.
Sex on the Beach
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Can your LDR go the distance?
As the spring semester begins, a handful of couples are entering a very trying semester. Between study abroad programs, transfers to other schools, winter break hookups back home and even the unfortunate dropouts, some couples are being split apart by hundreds, even thousands, of miles.
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Bring a little romance to your relationship this holiday
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir and folks dressed up like Eskimos" The dulcet tones of the crooners Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Judy Garland greet our ears wherever we go constantly reminding us of the season of giving being upon us, corporations constantly attacking us with messages of the perfect gift, the romantic jewelry and chocolate our loved ones desire.
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Love 'em and leave 'em
The one night stand is truly the trademark of what the single life is like for a college student. The hit-it-and-quit-it method fulfills a purely physical need whether you are a guy or a girl. In a good one night stand, the short lived explosive chemistry sends both of you (or at least one of you) into waves of crazy insane pleasure.
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Do you remember your first time?
Whether you got it out of the way during ninth grade like the slutty girls, or waited until sophomore year of college for "Mr. Right," you no doubt remember your first time. Maybe you don't remember every pain-staking minute, or second, of the encounter that launched your sexual career, but there are undoubtedly some features of the incident that will stay with you for better or for worse.
Television
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"Hell on Wheels": Gritty and realistic
Any show that features an opening scene of a man being shot in a confessional booth is bound to grab attention. This holds true for "Hell on Wheels," AMC's newest addition of original programming. The opening scene, set in post Civil War America, shows a soldier walk into a church and attempt to confess for the atrocities he helped cause during the war, only to be gunned down from the other side of the confessional screen by slow-talking southerner Cullen Bohannon, played by Anson Mount.
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A fairy tale for adults
One of the unfortunate parts of growing up is when we begin to realize that all the fairytales that we believed as children are not true at all. There isn't going to be a prince waiting to sweep you away to a happily ever after, and there sure aren't any mice that are willing to clean my dorm room.
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"Beavis and Butthead" back after extended hiatus
More than 18 years since its debut on MTV and after a 14-year hiatus, Mike Judge's "Beavis and Butthead" returns to television screens for a new generation. Many Eckerd students may be too young to fully appreciate the show; having barely been in elementary school the last time new episodes were aired.
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Get "Psych"-ed up for new season
"I can't believe this," Shawn said. "You lifted your look right off this mannequin! " " On the contrary, Shawn. Clearly, someone is stealing my look," Gus said. "Right... I did see Tommy Hilfiger creeping from bush to bush sketching you." Slightly harassing and highly entertaining, Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and childhood best friend Burton "Gus" Gustor's (Dulé Hill) playful bromance is the essence of the humor of USA show "Psych.
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Pan Am: retro lives on
Get ready to take to the skies in ABC's delightful new drama "Pan Am." After the success of the 1960s' show "Mad Men," network television hoped to jump on the retro-bandwagon by ordering two shows set in the 60s'; NBC's "The Playboy Club" and ABC's "Pan Am.
Theatre
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“How to succeed in showbiz” actor/singer Darren Criss makes his Broadway debut
Darren Criss is on a roll. He has gone from YouTube sensation (with his online theater company Team Starkid) to Glee regular and, recently, he has taken over for Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter fame) in the Broadway musical "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying," a performance that I was lucky enough to see.
Video Games
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Adventure's new name: Uncharted 3
These days adventure is alive and well and it finally has a new name. Returning in its third installment, Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception is an awesome cinematic experience. In this new game we find our protagonist, Nathan Drake, in search of another lost civilization and looking to find the treasure of a lifetime.
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Skyrim proves incredible RPG for loyal fans and newbies alike
My journey through Skyrim begins at midnight of November 10th, waiting patiently in line for a game I've been anticipating for years. I was there early, so I was in my car and headed home barely ten minutes after the release began. The first thing that struck me as I installed Skyrim was that it required an internet connection and Steam account to install.

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