My New Books

Book Description
Kaplan GMAT 2008: Premier Program is designed to maximize a student’s score on the GMAT, including an accompanying CD-ROM with additional questions and tests, as well as an interactive online study planner that provides fresh practice questions every month and quizzes that can be downloaded to PDAs and cellphones for test-prep anytime, anywhere.
This comprehensive, up-to-date guide also presents Kaplan’s exclusive test-taking strategies for achieving a higher score, as well as an online diagnostic test to target areas for score improvement. No serious test-taker should be without it.


Features:
*6 full-length practice tests (1 in the book, 1 online, 4 on the CD-ROM)
* Hundreds of additional practice questions
* Detailed answer explanations
* Personalized online progress report that adapts to a student’s goals and schedule


About the Author
World Leader in Test Prep and Admissions

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions has helped more than 3 million students achieve their educational and career goals. With 185 centers and over 1,200 classroom locations throughout the United States and abroad, Kaplan provides a full range of services, including test-prep courses, admissions consulting, programs for international students, professional licensing preparation, and more.

Yet Another Sweet OOF Message

Since it is the holidays and all the FTE's are on their 3 week paid vacation, all I receive are OOF messages. Since everyone is in a good mood becuase they get a 3 week paid vacation, we get some crafty OOF messages back. Here is another one:


Dec 13 - Jan 1: Not in the office, like most everyone else. But, I'll be mostly in town, and therefore on email but probably less responsive.

PLEX stuff: plexpert
Complaints about me: IlanB

Another Sweet OOF Message

I love when I actually get personality from the people I work with:

Hello and thanks for emailing me,

I’m currently OOF until Thursday January 3rd 2008. I'm pretty much out of reach so it's probably not worth trying to find me. Well... unless I've won money... then just leave it under my keyboard. No one will notice it. Really, just leave it there. I'll get it when I'm back. Thanks.

What I Did at Work Today

Absolutely nothing! I took a long lunch and met Kara for Thai food in Factoria. All of the FTE's are on vacation from December 15th to January 6th which means I am stuck at work but cannot do anything. I am trying to browse the internet that Julie loves so much, but I am having a hard time finding something interesting. Booooooooooooooooored.

Kitty Alarm Clock

Hiking at Twin Falls

Conor, Kara and I went hiking at this trail near the Snoqualmie Falls called Twin Falls. We expected it to be a good workout, but instead just turned into a pretty walk.

San Francisco Half-Marathon

Jingle Bell Run

On Dec. 9, 2007, Julie, Kara, Kat, and I ran in the Arthritis Foundation's Jingle Bell Run. It is a 5k run starting at downtown Westlake Center and running on the express lanes of I-5. It was a cold morning and it even snowed a little bit. But it was exciting to see so many runners and it was a really fun event! Everyone was dressed in red and green and some sported bells and some had amazing elf, santa, or reindeer costumes. And it started snowing!

Walk Score

Stealing this from Julie's blog because I like it a lot:

http://walkscore.com/

My Kirkland apt has a walk score of 89

How it works:
1. Type an address
2. See what's nearby
3. Get your Walk Score

What is Walk Score?
We help homebuyers, renters, and real estate agents find houses and apartments in great neighborhoods. Walk Score shows you a map of what's nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. Buying a house in a walkable neighborhood is good for your health and good for the environment.

How It Works
Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc.

What does my score mean?
Your Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100. The walkability of an address depends on how far you are comfortable walking—after all, everything is within walking distance if you have the time. Here are general guidelines for interpreting your score:
90 - 100 = Walkers' Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It's possible to get by without owning a car.
50 - 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
25 - 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
0 - 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!

How it Works
Walk Score™ uses a patent-pending system to calculate the walkability of an address based on:
The distance to walkable locations near an address.
Calculating a score for each of these locations.
Combining these scores into one easy to read Walk Score.

This website rates locations based on their proximity to established businesses. For example, the Friend's (TV Show) apartment has a walk score of 100, while Bill Gates's suburban Medina house has a low walk score of around 6.