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Your First Look at ‘Curious George’ Goes Online
Your First Look at Curious George Goes Online
Brian B.
— October 3rd, 2005
USA Today have revealed the first look at the upcoming animated adventure, Curious George, starring an all-star voice cast including Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, David Cross, Eugene Levy, Dick Van Dyke, Joan Plowright and Ed O'Ross.
"The books usually introduce the Man with the Yellow Hat at the beginning. He says, 'Goodbye, George, I'm going to work.' He leaves, George gets into all his adventures, and the Man is absent until the end," director Matthew O'Callaghan says. "My approach was to make it more of a buddy comedy."
The Man (voiced by Will Ferrell) is a timid museum employee who is reluctantly dispatched to the jungles of Africa to find artifacts for exhibit by his curator boss (Dick Van Dyke).
There he meets George, who spots his yellow hat from the trees and mistakes it for a banana. What follows is a story about owner and pet, about giving kindness and getting kindness in return, O'Callaghan says.
In the books, the Man befriends George after catching him for a zoo, but O'Callaghan feared that would seem harsh today. "He basically steals George," the director says.
Instead, the movie presents the Man as the first friend George meets, and then George follows him to the city, O'Callaghan says.
CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE to explore the premiere look at the film.
Co-founder of Movieweb. Heavy-metal-horror head. Guitar in Ignite & Into Another. Freshly minted Pinball guy. I like to create.
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Government Delivers on Promise to Phase Out Full Fee Degrees
Home > The Hon Julia Gillard MP > Government Delivers on Promise to Phase Out Full Fee Degrees
Wednesday 29 October 2008 Media Release
The Hon Julia Gillard MP
The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, has announced that the Australian Government has approved the allocation of 2 607 new Commonwealth supported places and $9.76 million in transitional assistance for public universities in 2009 to phase out full fee undergraduate degrees for Australian students.
As promised at the last election, the Rudd Government is phasing out full fee paying places for domestic undergraduate students at public universities.
The Rudd Government wants to make sure that young Australians have the skills to make Australia a more productive and prosperous nation.
The Government is committed to phasing out full fee degrees to ensure Australian students gain entry to university on merit, not ability to pay.
Funding of $26.45 million has been allocated to 18 universities for 2 607 commencing undergraduate places in 2009. These places are expected to grow to 7 382 places by 2012 and funding is expected to amount to $192 million.
Thirteen universities did not request Commonwealth Supported Places to replace full fee paying places. They were either offering no full fee paying places or only a small number that could be absorbed, generally because of under enrolment in their existing allocation of Commonwealth supported places.
Six universities sought less than a one-for-one replacement place and seven requested one-for-one replacement places. Five universities sought more than one-for-one replacement places.
Transitional assistance will help universities offering replacement Commonwealth supported places in activities such as Indigenous medicine, nursing and health initiatives at Monash University, improved law teaching facilities at the University of Sydney and the provision of medicine places at the University of Queensland’s Ipswich campus.
Transitional assistance of $9.76 million has been allocated to nine universities for 2009 bringing the total Budget allocation for 2009 to $36.2 million.
The 2008–09 Budget provided $249 million in additional Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding for up to 11,000 Commonwealth supported places by 2011. This funding is being used flexibly to support the places requested by universities and to provide transitional assistance.
The Government will consider changes to funding arrangements that may be required following the Review of Higher Education and the negotiation of mission-based funding compacts to take effect from 2010.
The Bradley Review will provide its final report and recommendations to the Government in December as scheduled.
A list of the universities receiving the Commonwealth supported places and the transitional assistance funding is attached.
Universities receiving additional Commonwealth supported places to replace full fee paying places Number of Commonwealth supported places for 2009
The University of New South Wales
Australian Catholic University
The University of Melbourne
The University of Newcastle
Universities receiving transitional assistance funding in 2009 Funding approved
University of Technology, Sydney
$9 762 250
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Media mailbox: media@employment.gov.au
Last modified on Monday 3 September 2018 [7525|28796]
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Posts Tagged ‘vaccines’
DAV, imports, of, orders, vaccines
DAV orders imports of vaccines
In Uncategorized on March 24, 2010 at 6:11 am
Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) has instructed importers and distributors to make large orders for foreign-made vaccines to cover an urgent shortage in HCMC and Hanoi.
DAV instructed clinics, who were waiting for imports of three-in-one vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella, to use individual vaccines until stocks arrive.
The drug administration said there was a general shortage of all vaccines especially in the major cities and told preventative health clinics to provide distributors with lists of vaccines they need.
Supplies of five-in-one vaccines for Hib, diphtheria, whooping-cough, tetanus and poliomyelitis have already been restocked, DAV said.
Source: SGGP Bookmark & Share
measles, produces, vaccines, vietnam
Vietnam produces measles vaccines
In Vietnam Health on November 14, 2009 at 10:37 am
Vietnam has successfully produced a measles vaccine, deputy Minister of Health Cao Minh Quang said November 13.
Children at a nursery school in HCMC receive measles vaccines (Photo: SGGP)
After four years since the project, “enhancing the ability to produce measles vaccine in Vietnam,” was implemented, the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biology (POLYVAC) has been able to provide high-quality vaccines for Vietnam’s expanded vaccination program.
Following the success of the measles vaccine production, POLYVAC has continued research to produce a rubella vaccine and combined vaccines, like MR (measles and rubella) and MMR (measles, mumps and rubella).
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After Nishwa’s death
Dr Zeshan Khan
The Hippocratic Oath requires a new physician to swear, by a number of healing gods, to uphold specific ethical standards. These include the principles of medical confidentiality and non-maleficence.
“I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm”. A statement, which certainly encompasses the rights of a patient in critical condition fighting for his or her life.
Minor girl Nishwa, who was administered a wrong injection at Karachi’s Darul Sehat Hospital, has passed away a week ago and hospital is fined five lac only.
There is no working regulatory framework that governs the health sector in Pakistan. Where markets are incomplete (no doctors for the old) and have large information asymmetries (where it is not clear if what is being prescribed is in the patient’s best interest), regulation becomes very important. Otherwise, the temptation to take patients for a ride becomes too much. Even if some doctors and hospitals do not indulge in unethical or illegal practices, it becomes impossible to differentiate between these and the less scrupulous ones. Word of mouth is not enough to make clear distinctions. But there is more to it than that. When each specialist is visited, they order a panel of tests to be done before they will even start talking of treatment.
Hospitalisation is sometimes the only option left if you want a team of doctors to examine the patient holistically. But even that is not easy. Getting admitted into a private hospital is costly and even there you are placed under the care of a particular doctor. It may not be easy to get other specialists to come and visit.
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More importantly, even if they do, they still diagnose and prescribe in isolation. There is no primary doctor who coordinates with other specialists or looks at issues of medicinal interactions, the effects of one treatment on another, and so on. It comes down to the patient himself/herself or to the family of the patient to coordinate between doctors. But they have no way of knowing medicinal or treatment interactions.
There are too many cases in Pakistan that one hears of where mistakes have been made by doctors and care providers like more about the lack of an effective regulatory structure that should have been created for this sector.
Our Judicial institutions must also quick to dispense justice which will allow for a remedy against malpractice. Usually hospitals have strong internal peer group-based quality audit systems.
The strength of each of the checks including governments, usually local governments, imposing strong external quality assurance audits on hospitals, medical practices and doctors, strict licensing requirements as well. Medical profession also has membership requirements, standards, checks and balances, can vary across societies. Nonetheless, almost all checks and regulatory structures are in place in most societies. In some places we even have insurance companies and other intermediaries coming in on behalf of the patients. We have none of these in Pakistan. It is no wonder medical markets are lucrative in Pakistan but provide, on the whole, terrible service to the people.
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A medical research study in US has shown that 30% of all deaths in US happen because of a medical mistake or negligence somewhere during patients’ lives. The most important thing is not the doctor. It is to have a very well-funded, well organized and very centralized form of health care. Oath does not improve health care. It is the system that does (eg. see Scandinavian health models). In Pakistan a junior doctor in public sector works like a donkey. Realize condition of hospitals, no better than doctors themselves, being under equipped and under stuffed in addition to being overburdened. Being a developing country, Pakistan has always struggled with health issues. This also makes us stand at 122nd position out of 190 countries in a report by World Health Organization (WHO). There is need to increase the health budget. In such circumstances, the current number of government hospitals and doctors are not enough to cater the large population while the private hospitals are out of reach for any lower or middle class patient
Pakistan is ranked 149th out of 179 countries in 2015 on the Maternal Mortality Ratio Index. New healthcare blueprint needs increased funding, efficient cross-sector linkages.
According to Unicef, despite significant improvements over the past two decades, Pakistan ranks towards the bottom among other countries when it comes to infant and neonatal mortality. There is a need to keep democratic institutions strong. The three tier approach should be switched with a four tier approach, with the 4th pillar being preventive Healthcare. This is a very wide branch but if launched, could do wonders in our Healthcare system. Furthermore, there should be strict penalties for wrong doings. A procedure for proper investigation for such cases should be set and punishment should be applied accordingly. Moreover, every person of medical field must have defined duties whether he is a doctor, pharmacist or any other paramedical staff. PMDC and Drap must awake from slumber. SOPs must be followed so that cases like Ismat can also be prevented.
The writer is medical doctor by profession and a content writer, freelance writer and a poet. He is a motivational speaker and columnist and has written for a number of English dailies like Dawn, Express Tribune, The Business and The Educationist etc. He is also Alumni of LUMS and doctor at CMH Hospital.
READ MORE: NAB to freeze Shehbaz Sharif's properties in illegal asset case
dr.zeeshan.alias.ghazikhan@gmail.com
@DrZeeshanKhanA1
There is no working regulatory framework that governs the health sector in Pakistan.
Man gets death for killing boy after sexual abuse
Wani’s Death Anniversary
3rd death anniversary of Burhan Wani today
Ranjit Singh’s Death Anniversary tomorrow
HOPE OF CHANGE
Malik Muhammad Ashraf
BRI a road map to global prosperity
Senator Sehar Kamran
Unbridled population: A ticking challenge
Of Triumph, Policy And Hope
On Press Freedom
An Important Compromise
Brexit: Deal or no deal?
Gas price hike
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Navalny repeats call for mass rallies on Sunday
By XSoviet on January 25, 2018 • ( Leave a comment )
In Kaliningrad the venue for Navalny’s campaign rally changed at the last minute and he led supporters through the city. One of the scenes shown in his video today.
Alexei Navalny has called on people to protest against the election in rallies across the country this Sunday, in a video published today called “First Step to Victory”. He showed images of mass protests against corruption all over the world, including in France, South Korea and Hong Kong, and told viewers that their actions can make a difference in Russia if enough people come out onto the streets as they do everywhere else.
Navalny announced his planned day of protest a month ago and since then police have raided many of his regional campaign offices, detaining his employees and volunteers and confiscating leaflets about the voters’ strike, computers and other equipment. A court has also ordered the closure of his foundation that manages campaign donations, and banks have frozen the foundation’s accounts.
The person Putin is most scared of
This week Navalny has been Strasbourg appearing at the European Court of Human Rights in an appeal by the Russian government against an award of 63,000 euros for some of his arrests. Navalny told the court that the chances of his case not being political were the same as “the chances of meeting a dinosaur in this building, or Putin losing the election in March.” His lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, said that Navalny is the person Putin is most scared of.
This certainly seems to be the case, judging by the efforts Putin has made to stop Navalny and his supporters, while at the same time insisting that nobody is interested in Navalny (while refusing to say his actual name). Putin has little to offer voters, and when asked by a worker in Ufa recently whether he would bring back awards for factories, he replied, “How about I just kiss you?”
In St. Petersburg amused residents made a video of a man painting the word “LIAR!” in huge letters on one of Putin’s election billboards. Meanwhile, Russian authorities have withdrawn the licence for the British comedy “The Death of Stalin”, calling it insulting to the Soviet past. But it seems what Putin is most concerned about is that it ridicules a repressive leader, and might start to give people ideas.
Tagged as: Alexei Navalny, ECHR, Human rights, Politics, St. Petersburg, Stalin, Strasbourg, Vladimir Putin
Navalny’s Rostov employees jailed
Two Navalny supporters in Kirov jailed
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Home / Blockchain / Walmart is ready to send blockchain to some food suppliers
Walmart is ready to send blockchain to some food suppliers
After several years of testing, Walmart Inc. is ready to request the use of blockchain technology from its US suppliers, marking one of its biggest commercial uses.
As of September 2019, Walmart and its Sam & # 39; s Club division will require fresh and leafy vegetable suppliers to implement end-to-end product traceability in real time using a digital ledger developed by International Business Machines Corp. .
The world's largest retailer plans similar mandates for other suppliers of fresh fruit and vegetables by next year, according to Frank Yiannas, vice president of food safety.
"It's becoming a business requirement, it's part of our supplier agreements," Yiannas said in an interview. The goal is to speed up response times in the case of diseases and food-related recalls.
Walmart's move shows that IBM's huge bet on the blockchain, the technology that supports Bitcoin's digital currency, is starting to bear fruit. With the green mandate, more than 100 companies will be required to use the blockchain service from IBM at Walmart.
A larger number of suppliers will join the expansion of the mandate. While IBM offers service users a free tier, many are required to pay a fee, which will start at several hundred dollars a month for a company with less than $ 50 million in revenue, according to Brigid McDermott, the company's vice president.
Search for a scale
"What matters is that you're climbing," he said in an interview. "You have a path towards critical mass".
IBM is working on food traceability with 10 other companies, including Dole Food Co., Unilever NV and Driscoll & # 39; s Inc., a berry supplier. The IT giant holds a 32% market share of over $ 700 million for blockchain products and services, said WinterGreen Research Inc. in January and has 1,500 field employees.
Walmart is going ahead with its blockchain project even though many other companies are stuck. The company tracked 25 random products – very few of them green-leafed – using blockchain from the start of 2018.
"What convinced us that this is a solution, and we would like to scale it, is the ability to track food at the speed of thought," said Yiannas. "When there is a fright or a recall of food, you can not wait days or weeks".
Copyright 2018 Bloomberg.
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Tags blockchain food Ready Send suppliers Walmart
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Aberdeen primary school’s digital creativity hailed “outstanding” as national inspectorate rank it best in class
An Aberdeen Primary school was hailed today as one of the best in the country after its pioneering head teacher transformed its curriculum for the modern age.
Outdoor learning, multi-media courses and film-making are all part of the curriculum for youngsters at Middleton Park School in Aberdeen's Bridge of Don.
Education officials at Aberdeen City Council said they were genuinely overwhelmed at the school's performance, reflected in the glowing report by inspectors of Education Scotland.
The school received an unprecedented Excellent in 11 out of 12 Quality Indicators, which determines the success in meeting the Curriculum for Excellence.
Head teacher Jenny Watson was praised for her forward-thinking approach to education and for putting technology and creativity at the heart of the school's vision for learning.
Innovative initiatives such as 'Live Learning' sees pupils create feature films and animations using the latest digital tech.
One feature – Macbeth in Mandarin - was shared with their partner school in China last week.
Their collection of over 200 films has had a total of 50,000 views in over 80 countries.
The school excelled in subjects including modern languages, history and maths, which is taught outdoors… when the weather allows.
Aberdeen City Council Leader, Councillor Jenny Laing, said: "The report released today is a testament to the leadership and vision of Jenny Watson.
"Digital and creative learning is not all about giving every child a tablet. Technology is, of course, important but a school without a clear strategy of purpose will not succeed no matter how advanced the resources.
"What we have seen here at Middleton Park is a game-changing approach to education and the results speak for themselves. The staff, pupils and parents, who have all worked together over the past year, should all be very proud of themselves. We are immensely proud of them."
She added: "What is really incredible in this report is that not only are our pupils striving academically – but a picture is also painted about how well-adjusted, confident and happy the children are.
"The emotional well-being of pupils in our schools is as important as their academic achievements – and this glowing report reflects that.
"The education of our young people is our top priority and we are committed to delivering the outstanding work being done at Middleton Park School across the city."
The report details particular areas where the school has excelled and mentioned that there is very high quality delivery of the curriculum and learning experiences. The Middleton Park pupils were writing at higher levels than would be expected, their attainment in maths was graded outstanding and the teamwork and partnership between staff, the head teacher and the community was hailed as "outstanding".
Head teacher Jenny Watson said: "Partnership is at the heart of our approaches to learning. And the live Learning has been particularly beneficial for the pupils, parents and staff.
"The children are excellent at making videos and it demonstrates that they understand the topics being thought in our classrooms.
"Teachers and pupils at the school have the confidence to try these things out. It's always about the children and giving them a rich learning experience."
Primary Five pupil Ellie Lang said: "Live Learning allows our parents to see what we are doing at school. Sometimes it means our parents can help us at home.
"All my friends get really excited when they are on Live Learning. It makes us feel really important and very special that our films are shown around the world."
Primary Six pupil Joe Esposito continued: "I like making the films with my class and that my Mum and Dad can see what I'm learning about in school. One of my favourites is our Space Film because it shared what the whole school was learning about."
The report from Education Scotland can be viewed here: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/reports/school/primsec/MiddletonParkSchoolAberdeenCity.asp
The report details the following areas of note:
Articulate and high achieving children who leading learning and play a key role in the life of their school and community
The outstanding use of digital technology to develop and share learning.
The outstanding leadership of the head teacher and teamwork of all staff
Education Scotland shall work with the school and Aberdeen City Council to record the innovative practice and share it more widely.
Primary children achieve exceptionally well in terms of leadership, citizenship. Teamworking, creativity and problem solving.
The standard of writing across the school is outstanding and many children are writing at higher levels than would normally be expected.
Children's attainment in Maths is outstanding
The school achieved excellent in 11 out of 12 quality indicators – the evaluation areas Education Scotland use to determine how good a school is.
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Behind the Beat
Watch: James Hype Breaks Down His Craig David-Assisted Single ‘No Drama’
In September, U.K. DJ/producer James Hype connected with R&B legend Craig David for a feel-good house single, “No Drama.” The track, which reached No. 8 on DJcity UK’s monthly top 20 chart, has gone on to amass 15 million streams. It has also been named a “Future Dance Anthem” by BBC Radio 1’s MistaJam.
We recently stopped by James’ studio in London to see how he made the track. The Liverpool native explained how the song came together and broke down each layer in Ableton Live. He also discussed his creative process and the role that DJcity has played in his career.
Watch above and download “No Drama” on DJcity.
Follow James Hype on on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Twitter.
Related: DJcity UK’s Most Downloaded Tracks of Oct. 2018
Anthony Polis | DJ Culture, DJcityTV, Videos
Behind the Beat, Craig David, James Hype, Music Production,
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The first lady of lint
86-year-old alumna found fame with a fuzzy artistic vision
by Roy Rivenburg / UCI | March 28, 2017
UCI alumna Slater Barron achieved minor celebrity status by turning laundry lint into works of art, including faux sushi and boxes of candy. Steve Zylius / UCI
It started with an annoying dryer buzzer, then morphed into television appearances, museum exhibits and celebrity portraits commissioned by Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
The year was 1974, and Slater Barron was toiling in her Fountain Valley garage, dabbing at a canvas while doing laundry for her four teenage children. Distracted by the dryer, she devised a way to make the machine her ally. She turned the lint screen into a palette.
And so began Barron’s fuzzy artistic vision. Instead of watercolors and oils, she set about “painting” with fiber fluff, a medium she continued exploring as a studio art major at UCI and still uses four decades later.
To simulate rice, Barron uses lint from torn white towels.
“UCI really opened my eyes to conceptual art,” says Barron, a New Jersey refugee who served as a Navy officer during the Korean War. After graduating in 1975 (at that time, she was known as Mary Lou Barron), she refined her lint technique and also fashioned sculptures from the downy material. Among the results:
A life-size lint picture of actor John Wayne, the first of several VIP images created for Ripley galleries in Hollywood and other cities
A 30-foot-long installation titled “The Magic Laundry Room,” complete with a fuzz-smothered washer, dryer and elves (In 1982, Barron displayed the piece on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” along with a lint likeness of the host’s Carnac the Magnificent character.)
Heart-shaped boxes of candy and platters of sushi made from puffy dryer detritus
A wooden Easter egg decorated with a lint bird of paradise and showcased at the White House in 1987
News reporters dubbed Barron “the Lint Lady” and a “Laundromat Leonardo.” Friends and neighbors supplied her with a steady stream of colorful fabric flotsam. Colleges invited her to teach art classes.
Not all of Barron’s handiwork involves lint. She also crafts pieces from teddy bears, wasp nests and other curios. But dryer residue remains her signature element. She even communicates with the stuff.
“The lint sometimes tells me what it needs to be,” Barron says.
Although much of her art is whimsical, she tackles serious subjects too, such as her parents’ descent into Alzheimer’s disease. During a 2008 television interview with KCET’s Huell Howser, Barron described lint as the ideal medium for depicting her folks’ dementia saga because it’s “faded, sort of like their memories” and is “a throwaway material,” a metaphor for how some people view the elderly.
At one point, several portraits documenting her mother’s decline decked the walls of USC’s Institute for Genetic Medicine Art Gallery, but the collection now sits in storage at Barron’s Long Beach studio. At age 86, she would particularly like to find a home for the dementia pictures, which she considers her most important, but many of her other pieces are also in limbo.
“When I was 70, I had four different groups of friends and relatives come to parties, and everyone took home some art,” Barron says. “My kids have lots of it as well, but still I am overwhelmed with how much is left.”
UCI names 18 recipients of 46th annual Lauds & Laurels awards
That’s the ticket!
UCI Department of Art
http://studioart.arts.uci.edu
Claire Trevor School of the Arts
http://www.arts.uci.edu
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Navigation: Home > News > News > BREAKING NEWS: South-East Governors ban IPOB with immediate effect
BREAKING NEWS: South-East Governors ban IPOB with immediate effect
By Charles Onyekwere, Enugu on 15/09/2017
Governors of the South-East geo-political zone on Friday night announced the proscription of activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), asking its members and all aggrieved groups in the zone to articulate their positions on all national issues and submit to them.
They also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw military presence in the zone, assuring that they have taken concrete steps to protect lives and property of non indigenes and indigenes in the zone.
Rising from their emergency meeting in Enugu attended by leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, General Officer, Commanding the 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, National Assembly members, the governors resolved to ensure no activity of IPOB exists any longer in their various states.
Although the IPOB was invited to the meeting but did not come, Chairman of the governor’s forum and Ebonyi state governor, Dave Umahi said that they sent their apologies
Other resolutions of the meeting according to Umahi are: “Southeast governors forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and National Assembly members do hereby reinforce their commitment to a united and indivisible Nigeria.
“We also reinforce our desire for the restructuring of Nigeria where all National issues will be discussed and amicably settled to achieve justice and fairness to every Nigerian
“We reiterate our earlier position that the November 18, 2017 governorship election in Anambra State must hold.
“Accordingly, we appeal to President and Commander in chief of armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to please withdraw the military in the southeast zone, while police perform their traditional role of maintaining law and order.
“We are in touch with the Northern governor’s forum and they have assured us of safety of all our people living in the north and we have also planned for exchange of visits between the governors and to re-enforce the confidence of Nigerians in this respect.
“In keeping with our earlier position, we wish to assure Nigerians that full investigation is ongoing on all allegations of killings maiming and other unlawful conduct in the southeast zone with this period. The governors and the security agencies are in agreement that appropriate action will be taken against anyone found culpable.
“We advise all residents of the southeast to go about their normal businesses as government of each state is committed to protecting everybody. We advise our people in the southeast to please be law abiding.”
All the governors excerpt Rochas Okorocha (Imo) – who was represented by his Deputy, Eze Madumere – attended the meeting.
Posted 15/09/2017 8:32:43 PM
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Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia announce new codeshare partnership
Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia have announced a new codeshare agreement. From the end of January, travellers booking through Virgin Atlantic will be able to buy tickets directly to Melbourne, with flexibility to connect via either Hong Kong or Los Angeles from Virgin Atlantic onto Virgin Australia services. Additionally, customers travelling through LA will be able to fly directly to Sydney and Brisbane as part of the new codeshare. The deal will also open more domestic options across Australia – enabling customers to easily add flights to or from eight Australian cities including Cairns, Brisbane and Perth operated by Virgin Australia.
“We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Virgin Australia which means customers can soon travel around the world using only Virgin airlines,” says Shai Weiss, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic. “The new deal will create more travel options between the UK and Australia by giving customers the choice of connecting through Los Angeles or Hong Kong to Melbourne and beyond. It also offers customers the security and ease of booking through a codeshare, as well as through check-in and a single bag drop for the entire journey. We’re looking forward to welcoming our Australian customers back on board, and couldn’t think of a more fitting way to do it than with our sister airline.”
Group Executive of Virgin Australia Airlines, Rob Sharp, welcomed the codeshare arrangement, saying that it will provide a streamlined customer experience when flying with the airlines.
“One of the key priorities for Virgin Australia is to provide choice to our customers and we can now offer that flexibility under this codeshare. We are looking forward to working with Virgin Atlantic to provide our customers with a seamless booking, check-in and travel experience when flying between Australia and the United Kingdom,” he said.
Virgin Atlantic offers up to three daily flights between London Heathrow to Los Angeles with a further one daily to Hong Kong. Both routes are operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Alliance + MergersEuropeAsia Pacific
SF Express International Air Cargo Network Expands from Nanjing to Osaka
Korean Air Takes Delivery of First Bombardier C Series Aircraft Powered by Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan Engines
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comedy of errors
Whatever you wanna say about how lamely it was organized -- suspect voting procedures, a lack of advertising/outreach, a Yuk's monopoly in the stand-up categories -- the Canadian Comedy Awards are still a good thing.
Highlights of last Thursday's annual bash included Dave Foley evoking 9/11 and calling it "the events of November 9th," and his statement, "If we don't mock the United States, the terrorists will." Winner for best sport surely goes to Laurie Elliott, who accepted for all the no-show winners (the majority).
We needed more edgy acts like Dave Martin, who presented the Pretty Funny Stand-up Newcomer Award as his glue-sniffing alter ego, Glue Guy.
"Oh god, I love my life!" he said, in Julia-at-the-Oscars style, handing the award to Debra DiGiovanni, who immediately asked if she'd also won a tiara.
Big winners included husband-and-wife duo Bob Martin and Janet van de Graaff, who hauled in four Beavers (the unfortunate name of the award).
"These are gonna go in the awards room, right next to the failure room, which is quite full right now," said Martin at the after-show party, fresh from his performance in The Good Life.
Post-show gossip included news that Jessica Holmes scored a deal for 22 episodes of her new variety show (a half-hour pilot airs April 14); Second City alum and quick study Tracy Dawson filled in -- with 24 hours' notice -- in the new SC show; Karen Hines has a starring role in Ken Finkleman's new NBC series; and winner Sean Cullen just scored a TV pilot to be produced by Madonna's company, Maverick.
Best outfit went to winner Kristeen von Hagen, in a track suit and gold money chain. Who was she wearing? "Old Navy," said von Hagen, who's touring with Puppetry Of The Penis.
brown's best bets
It's been a busy year for third-year George Brown theatre students. After staging a classic (Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost) and a contemporary piece (Road, with Equity Showcase), their last work before graduation includes contrasting plays running in rep: George Farquhar's Restoration comedy The Beaux' Stratagem, about a pair of fortune hunters, and American Sophie Treadwell's 1928 darkly expressionistic Machinal, in which a stenographer, caught in an impersonal society, escapes a loveless marriage by murdering her husband. Catch these talented actors -- including Ben Clost, Neil Mathews, Jonathan Geenen, Sara Wood and Sarah Wilson -- before they move on to bigger stages. See listings page.
Theatre Gargantua always impresses with its physical-theatre work, so it's appropriate that its 10th-anniversary production is called Phantom Limb. Created in collaboration with Welsh company 2021 Performance, it's inspired by the life and work of poet John Mackie, remembered by six friends affected by his death. Written by Spencer Hazel with contributions by Jane Siberry and the Cowboy Junkies' Michael Timmins, the multimedia piece -- it toured the UK last fall -- blends text, choreography, music and video. Hazel, no stranger to Toronto audiences, worked with Gargantua on The Exit Room and in last summer's Toronto Fringe. See listings page.
jonkap@nowtoronto.com
glenns@nowtoronto.com
stage scenes Critics' Picks
Jon Kaplan
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Glenn started writing for NOW’s theatre section in 1997. Currently, he edits and contributes to the film and stage sections. He sees approximately 280 live stage shows and 150 movies a year. His mother once described his job as “Seeing The Lion King"
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Politicians Urged to Keep Campaign Promises
Reps. Scott Tayor (R-Va., center), and Don Bacon (R-Neb.) pledged to cosponsor national Right to Work legislation during their successful 2016 campaigns. But so far they haven’t done so. Many of the constituents who helped elect them want to know why. Sources (L to R) Scott Taylor: WVEC-TV (Norfolk, VA); and Don Bacon: Tom Willliams/Zuma Press
Politicians Urged to Get Off the Fence
Constituents’ Message: Keep Pro-Right to Work Campaign Promises
A little more than a year and a half ago, 22 candidates were elected to Congress for the first time after pledging, in response to the National Right to Work Committee’s Survey 2016, to sponsor or cosponsor legislation abolishing federally imposed forced union dues and fees.
And the vast majority of the U.S. House members who promised to support forced-dues repeal are now cosponsors of H.R.785, the National Right to Work Act.
But a relative handful of the representatives who answered their Committee surveys 100% in favor of Right to Work, such as U.S. Reps. Scott Taylor (R-Va.), and Don Bacon (R-Neb.), have yet to follow through by cosponsoring forced-dues repeal.
This summer, the Committee is mobilizing members and supporters in several targeted congressional districts and states to convince fence-sitting politicians to cosponsor H.R.785 or its Senate companion measure, S.545.
Constituents of Taylor and Bacon Are Strongly Pro-Right to Work
Later this year, the Committee mobilization will be geared primarily at persuading Big Labor politicians to change course and stop supporting compulsory unionism.
Throughout the course of Survey 2018, candidates will be given several chances to return their surveys and answer 100% in favor of American employees’ Right to Work.
National Right to Work President Mark Mix commented:
“This year, as in previous election years, millions of grassroots Right to Work supporters are being enlisted to lobby federal politicians seeking election or reelection to oppose compulsory unionism across the board.
“ Scott Taylor, Don Bacon, and other U.S. representatives who are currently being targeted through the Survey Program represent some of the most strongly pro-Right to Work jurisdictions in America.
“There’s no sensible reason why House members whose constituencies are overwhelmingly and passionately opposed to monopolistic unionism should hesitate to cosponsor H.R.785.”
No One Should ‘Be Required To Join’ Any Private Group ‘Against His Will’
Wherever Big Labor wields the power to collect forced dues, union bosses funnel a large share of the confiscated money into efforts to elect and reelect business-bashing politicians. Job and income growth lag as a consequence.
Of course, it isn’t just in a subset of congressional districts that public opinion strongly supports the Right to Work principle.
“Poll after poll shows that the American people as a whole recognize that compulsory unionism is wrong,” said Mr. Mix. To illustrate the point, he cited an August 2014 nationwide scientific survey of adults aged 18 and over conducted by Gallup, Inc.
The poll found that 82% of adults agree that “no American should be required to join any private organization, like a labor union, against his will.”
“Unfortunately,” observed Mr. Mix, “federal labor policy has long been in conflict with the common-sense views of the vast majority of ordinary citizens across the country.
“For more than eight decades, it has explicitly authorized the termination of employees for refusal to join or pay dues or fees to a union, even if they don’t want it, and never asked for it.”
But all this would change if H.R.785/S.545 became law. This legislation would simply repeal the current provisions in the federal code that authorize and promote the termination of employees for refusal to pay money to an unwanted union.
Top 14 States For ‘Economic Outlook’ All Have Right to Work Laws
In addition to enjoying the support of the clear majority of Americans, federal Right to Work legislation is almost certain to foster faster job and income growth around the country, based on decades of experience at the state level.
Rich States, Poor States, a survey of state economic policies, past performance and prospects prepared by Arthur Laffer, Stephen Moore, and Jonathan Williams, and published by the Arlington, Va.-based American Legislative Exchange Council, helps show why this is so.
The Laffer-Moore-Williams analysis highlights an “economic outlook ranking,” a forecast of economic performance “based on a state’s current standing in 15 state policy variables” related to taxes, spending, and business regulation as well as labor-management relations.
And, according to the 11th edition of Rich States, Poor States, published this April, every single one of the 14 top-ranking states for economic outlook has a Right to Work law. Not a single one of the 17 bottom-ranking states for economic outlook protects employees from compulsory unionism.
Right to Work has a much greater influence on a state’s overall climate for job and income growth than one might expect.
This is partly because, wherever Big Labor is endowed with forced-dues privileges, it funnels a substantial share of the loot extracted from workers into efforts to elect and reelect politicians who support higher taxes, more government spending, and strait-jacket regulation of business.
As Rich States, Poor States shows, all of these union boss-favored public policies are negatively correlated with job and income growth and economic health.
Ideal Is For All Candidates to Oppose Forced Unionism
And while the detrimental impact of forced dues-funded politicians is greatest in Big Labor-dominated states, employees nationwide lose economic opportunities because of the actions of union-label U.S. congressmen and senators.
Mr. Mix concluded: “Americans find the very idea of compulsory unionism distasteful.”
“And it has been a disaster in practice. The ideal, therefore, would be for all federal candidates to vow to oppose it in the future, regardless of what their records have been up to now.”
All major-party candidates as well as key significant third-party and independent candidates in every House and Senate race are asked to participate in the Right to Work Survey Program.
And pro-Right to Work citizens in every House district and every state where there’s a Senate race are contacted and requested to help turn up the pressure on their candidates to respond to their surveys.
“Of course,” said Mr. Mix, “the Committee reserves the vast majority of its resources and mobilizes far more freedom-loving activists for House and Senate races that are at least potentially close and in which at least one candidate has taken a strong stand in favor of Right to Work.
“At the very least, Right to Work members and supporters want one candidate in each race this November to be a credible opponent of Big Labor’s monopoly privileges.
“In cases where only one of the two principal general-election candidates stands up for the Right to Work, the Committee’s job will be to let concerned citizens know about the contrasting positions of their candidates on the forced-unionism issue.
“I’m confident that, if there is a choice between a strongly pro-Right to Work candidate and a compulsory unionism candidate, the pro-Right to Work candidate is in a better position to gain public support.”
(source: June 2018 National Right To Work Newsletter)
Andy Biggs
Don Bacon
forced-dues
Mark Mix
NAGE
National Right to Work Committee
NRTW
Scott Taylor
Retaliatory Firings of Nonstriking Workers Illegal!
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Big Labor-Controlled States Look for Ways to Bypass Constitution and Janus Decision
Big Labor Politicians Flaunt Supreme Court Washington Governor Poised to Sign Unconstitutional Legislation It’s now been roughly a year since the…
UAW Rejected in Tennessee Again
Monopolistic Unionism Hurts Autoworkers Union-Free Factories Help Make Tennessee an ‘Automotive Leader’ As this Newsletter edition goes to press in early…
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John Garcia's Newsletter Archive
Sat, May 18 2019
Hello and welcome to my Nuzzel newsletter! Jon Garcia (I am Time's Magazine Men of the Year for 2006)
Fire, ice and fate: Endgames arrive for 'Game of Thrones
Associated Press – Andrew Dalton – May 17, 7:30 AM
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When season eight of “Game of Thrones” began, The Associated Press examined the arcs of the major characters who had survived the bloody series until its final season. With Sunday's finale of the HBO show…
The Borderless Empire of the Interior by André Naffis-Sahely
Gunslinger: 50th Anniversary Edition by Edward Dorn For years, glancing at my copy of Edward Dorn 's Gunslinger yielded nothing but anger. After chancing across it toward the end of my undergraduate degree, I spent a long time picking it up…
The Muslims of South Korea
Al Jazeera – Nov 15, 2017
The number of Muslims in South Korea is estimated to be around 100,000, including foreigners. Seoul, South Korea - This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan, which was a turning point in the history of Islam…
How I Switched to Sony (And Took My Best Friend Along With Me)
PetaPixel – May 18, 8:05 AM
It's time to confess. I've been converted to Sony! But there's more. Somehow I converted my best friend, wedding photographer Charlotte Palazzo, at the same time. I've been a Nikon fangirl for more than a decade. I absolutely loved my most recent…
Trace Evidence by Charif Shanahan
When I say But mother, Black or not Black, Of course you are polyethnic, your look does not change Though it does harden, a drying clay bust Abandoned or deliberately incomplete, Except the eyes. What I'm trying— I mean—You are an…
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NVIDIA Home > Support Home Page > Knowledgebase Home Page > Support Plan for 32-bit and 64-bit Operating Systems
Support Plan for 32-bit and 64-bit Operating Systems
NVIDIA is making the following updates to our operating system support effective April 2018:
Drivers: Game Ready Driver upgrades, including performance enhancements, new features, and bug fixes, will be available only on 64-bit operating systems. Critical security updates will be provided for 32-bit operating systems through January 2019.
This includes the following operating systems:
Microsoft Windows 8/8.1
GeForce Experience: Software upgrades with new features, security updates, and bug fixes will be available only on Windows 64-bit operating systems. Existing features and services such as optimal game settings will continue to work on Windows 32-bit operating systems.
Support Plan for Fermi series GeForce GPUs
Which Operating Systems are supported by CUDA?
How do I play High Resolution Audio on my SHIELD TV?
How to Enable 10 and 12-bit Greyscale Technology
How to enable 30-bit color on Windows platforms
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How deep is the Article Processing Charges market?
Author: Witold Kieńć 1 Comment Share:
26.8% of academic authors predict that they will have money to cover publication fees in the year 2016. Researchers from the field of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences seem to be more pessimistic than their STEM colleagues. Also an army of academic authors who are not paid for conducting research see even smaller possibilities of funding for their publication fees.
In the Key Challenges of Research Communication De Gruyter Open Author’s Survey we have asked researchers if they will have any money to pay publication fees in the year 2016. Among 898 academic authors who answered our survey, only 1 did not respond to this question. 26.8% of the rest (which is equal to 241 respondents) answered “Yes”. 42.9% (381) claimed that they will not have any money for this goal in 2016, and 29.9% (265) did not know.
Disciplinary differences have shown a classic pattern, with STEM disciplines seeming to have better access to money than HSS.
Researchers-volunteers with little resources
Academic authors who are not paid for research work are less likely to have access to any publication funds in 2016. This group is quite large and as many as 33% of authors, who responded to our survey, were not paid for doing research in the time of our survey. What is more interesting is that more than half of unpaid authors of academic works claimed to be “established in research career”, and to hold a doctorate. Therefore this group may consist of independent researchers, people hired in industry or teachers.
Only 23.1% of them believed that they will be able to pay a publication fee, versus 33.1% of those who are paid for doing research. Among authors hired in the research sector type of contract (permanent vs. temporary) have no significant influence on the dependent variable.
Productive authors get more funding
Authors who published more papers than their average disciplinary colleagues in the last 3 years were more optimistic with regard to the availability of publication funds for them (34% predict to have access to these funds vs. 24% of researchers with average or lower publishing output). This is also quite easy to explain, while those who publish are not perishing. They are benefiting most from the various funding programs.
Career level has no impact on the discussed issue.
Surprisingly, geographical location has not much influence here, which supports my previous conclusions – that researchers from the global periphery pay APCs as frequently as other scholars do. What amounts are available for them? I will answer this question in the end of this week, but my next post will cover the sources of funding available to our respondents. The whole database will also be published soon. Stay tuned!
Tags: academia in data, APCs, authors survey, Funding, Key Challenges, news
Who pays the bill?
Is money the problem?
Witold Kieńć View all posts
The European Union Promotes Open Access Amid Concerns Over Publishing Industry and International Policy Implications
DE GRUYTER – Traditional Scholarly Publisher’s Shift Towards Open Access. The Facts Behind the Numbers
Pingback: Open Science
Key Challenges De Gruyter Open OA popularization Hybrid Open Access Open Access peer review APCs Open Access to Books article processing charges models Green Open Access journal Open Science Funding Open Access in Sciences authors survey Gold Open Access De Gruyter opinion academia in data journals guides news Elsevier
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Senate takes crucial step toward protecting wild horses!
2017-11-21T20:23:24+00:00November 20th, 2017|
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday unveiled the Fiscal Year 2018 Interior Appropriations bill that would bar the Bureau of Land Management from killing healthy wild horses and burros.
“Appropriations herein made shall not be available for the destruction of healthy, unadopted, wild horses and burros in the care of the Bureau or its contractors or for the sale of wild horses and burros that results in their destruction for processing into commercial products,” the bill reads.
The language was released as part the Fiscal Year 2018 chairmen’s recommendation and explanatory statement for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.
The inclusion of protective language for wild horses and burros is a big win made possible by the thousands of calls made by you and other advocates – thank you! — and we’re pleased the committee has heard the voices of the American people.
This fight is not over yet, however.
Senate appropriators have stood against both horse slaughter (as part of the Fiscal Year 2018 Agriculture Appropriations bill) and against allowing BLM to kill wild horses (as part of the Fiscal Year 2018 Interior bill).
In July, the House Appropriations Committee first rejected language barring horse slaughter, then approved an amendment that would throw open the door to BLM killing tens of thousands of healthy unadopted wild horses and burros.
We need your help to ensure that the Senate’s protective language remains as the bill text its next step. We are starting with the Senate but will be diligent in providing you with additional action items in the days ahead.
Please call the senators listed below.
Sen. Mitch McConnell: (202) 224-2541; Sen. Chuck Schumer: (202) 224-6542; Sen. Thad Cochran: (202) 224-5054; Sen. Patrcky Leahy: (202) 224-4242; Sen. John Hoeven: (202) 224-2551; Sen. Jeff Merkley: (202) 224-3753; Sen. Lisa Murkowski: (202)-224-6665; Sen. Tom Udall: (202) 224-6621
Tell them:
Thank you for listening to the American people, who overwhelmingly support an end to horse slaughter and who wish to see wild horses and burros protected from being killed to cover up BLM mismanagement.
There are humane solutions for managing wild horses and burros on the range that should be promoted – and they do not include the misguided proposals that include killing them.
Please stand strong on protecting horse slaughter defund language.
Please stand strong on protecting wild horses and burros from destruction, either by the BLM or by being sold to someone who would slaughter them.
Donate to RTF’s Wild Horse Defense Fund, which fuels our advocacy, selective litigation and on-range monitoring of roundups
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Gaza govt. calls for an international investigation into Palestinian refugees’ sinking
[ PIC 14/10/2013 – 08:15 PM ] GAZA, (PIC)– The Palestinian government in Gaza Strip has called for an international investigation into the sinking and death of hundreds of Palestinian refugees in incidents that took place recently in the Mediterranean sea. The government expressed its deep concern over the tragic incidents to dozens of Palestinian […]
camp, camps, Children, Deportation, Ethnic Cleansing, Human Rights, Israel, israeli, Nakba, Occupation, Palestine, palestinians, Refugees, Religion, Solidarity, Support, فلسطين, War, Warcrimes
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| #OpenRafahBorder | Government appeals to Egypt to open Rafah to avoid a disaster
Al Qassam Website | 30-09-2013,08:47 The Palestinian government appealed to the Egyptian authorities to take into account the conditions of the besieged people in the Gaza Strip and open the Rafah crossing. Kamel Abu Madi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior in Gaza, in a press conference held on Sunday afternoon at the Rafah crossing […]
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Hamas calls for biggest ever sea convoy to bust Gaza blockade
[ PIC 18/08/2013 – 09:46 PM ] GAZA, (PIC)– Hamas movement called on free people of the region and the world to exert all efforts possible to lift the siege on Gaza Strip especially after the closure of Rafah crossing and destruction of most of the tunnels. Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, called […]
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#StopPrawerPlan | Palestinian gov’t slams Prawer plan, calls for resisting it by all means
[ PIC 16/07/2013 – 11:52 AM ] GAZA, (PIC)– The Palestinian government in Gaza said that the Israeli plan (Prawer plan) to displace the Negev Bedouins is illegal because it would be carried out by an illegitimate occupation entity, and called for resisting it by all means. In a press release on Monday, the government […]
bedouin, Demolitions, Deportation, Ethnic Cleansing, Israel, Negev, Palestine, Zionism
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Gaza Government: “We Never Prevented Muslim Students From Attending Christian Schools”
Tuesday June 18, 2013 09:15 by Saed Bannoura – IMEMC & Agencies The Palestinian Ministry of Education, under the Hamas-led government in the Gaza Strip, denied reports claiming that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and its government ever prevented Muslim students from attending Christian schools in the coastal region. Image By Radio Bethlehem 2000 The […]
Christianity, Palestine, palestinians, Religion
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Resheq: Hamas did not ask Fatah to delay the formation of the national gov’t
[ PIC 11/06/2013 – 08:32 PM ] BEIRUT, (PIC)– Member of Hamas’s political bureau Ezzat Al-Resheq denied claims made by Fatah faction that Mahmoud Abbas postponed the formation of an interim consensus government at the request of Hamas. In a press statement to the Jordanian newspaper Assabil on Monday, Resheq said that the formation of […]
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Hamas: The formation of a new gov’t by Abbas is unconstitutional
[ PIC 03/06/2013 – 03:51 PM ] GAZA, (PIC)– The Hamas Movement criticized Mahmoud Abbas for forming a new government in the West Bank and described it as illegitimate and unconstitutional. Its spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told Al-Jazeera satellite channel that the government to be formed by Rami Al-Hamdallah would be illegal because it would not […]
Palestine, Politics
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Netanyahu’s government steps up Judaization schemes in al-Aqsa mosque
[ PIC 23/04/2013 – 09:29 PM ] OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)– Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage warned against Natanyahu’s approval of Sharansky’s plan in al-Buraq wall, considering it a real threat to all al-Buraq area and al-Aqsa mosque. The Foundation called on the Islamic nation to intervene immediately to confront such plans that represent a […]
Action Alert, Activism, Al Aqsa, Al-Quds, Jerusalem, Palestine
#blog4Aqsa, Action Alert, al quds, al-aqsa, aqsa, aqsa mosque, blog, Blog4Quds, Ethnic Cleansing, global march, Global March to Jerusalem, government, holy site, islam, Islamic, jerusalem, judaization steps, muslims, netanyahu, palestine, Quds, step up, third temple, zionism
Haneyya gov’t asks Egypt to restrain Israeli provocation
[ PIC 22/04/2013 – 11:11 AM ] GAZA, (PIC)– The Gaza government of Ismail Haneyya has categorically denied Israeli allegations that elements from Gaza infiltrated into the Egyptian Sinai desert and fired rockets at Eilat. Taher Al-Nunu, the government’s spokesman, said in a terse statement on Sunday that the remarks by Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu […]
attack, Egypt, Gaza, Israel, israeli, Massacres, Violence, Warcrimes, Zionism
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Mohammed Mustafa to head PA government with U.S. blessing
[ PIC 14/04/2013 – 10:51 AM ] RAMALLAH, (PIC)– PA chief Mahmoud Abbas is expected to appoint Mohammed Mustafa, former chairman of Palestine Investment Fund, as head of the PA government in Ramallah, following Salam Fayyad’s resignation, informed sources said. Mohammed Mustafa resigned from the presidency of the Investment Fund three days ago, and met […]
government, head, Mohammed Mustafa, PA, palestine
Analysis: New Israeli government may wage military operation on Gaza
[ PIC 19/03/2013 – 09:46 PM ] KHAN YOUNIS, (PIC)– The director of Al-Mustaqbal Research Center in Gaza, writer and political analyst Ibrahim al-Madhoun affirmed that Israel intends to step up its operations against the Gaza Strip. “Israeli Ministers have never accepted the existence of Hamas and its rule in Gaza. They consider that Hamas […]
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Palestinian gov’t in Gaza pans PA for its wager on peace talks with Israel
February 11, 2013 by occupiedpalestine 0 Comments
[ PIC 11/02/2013 – 11:09 AM ] GAZA, (PIC)– The Palestinian government criticized the Palestinian authority (PA) for its persistence in wagering on the peace talks with the Israeli occupation state and described it as a losing bet. Its spokesman Taher Al-Nunu said on his facebook page that the PA believes that the Palestinian reconciliation […]
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Gaza Gov’t slams Israel’s mounting settlement activities in occupied lands
“Settling” constitutes a warcime according to international law and ICC statute. Even under US’ own military legislations’ Law resources below this article [ PIC 26/12/2012 – 11:01 AM ] GAZA, (PIC)– The Palestinian government in Gaza reiterated its strong condemnation of Israel’s escalating settlement and Judaization activities in the occupied territories of the West Bank […]
Annexation, Ethnic Cleansing, Israel, israeli, Occupation, Palestine, Permanent Occupation, Settlement Construction, Settlements, Warcrimes, west bank, Zionism
annexation, Art 27, art 49, Article 8(2)(b)(viii), breach, Ethnic Cleansing, Fourth Geneva Convention, gaza, government, ICC Statute, israel, israeli, law, Occupied Palestine, palestine, permanent-occupation, settlement construction, settlements, settling, violation, warcrime, west bank, zionism
#GazaUnderAttack | Gaza gov’t: UN and European officials contacted us for a truce with Israel (+ Photos for Context)
[ PIC 17/11/2012 – 07:41 AM ] GAZA, (PIC)– The Palestinian government in Gaza said it received contacts from the UN and European countries appealing for a truce with the Israeli regime and to listen to its demands in this regard. Al-Jazeera net quoted a Palestinian official in Gaza as saying that senior officials from […]
attack, Gaza, Israel, israeli, Violence, Warcrimes, Zionism
#GazaUnderAttack, aggression, aggressive, assault, attack, attacks, contact, Defense, EU, Europe, european, gaza, gaza under attack, gaza under fire, genocide, government, israel, israeli, massacre, military, occupier, operation Pillar of Cloud, palestine, Pillar of Cloud, resistance, right, truce, UN, under fire, violence, warfare, zionism
#GazaUnderAttack | Palestinian cabinet HQ flattened in Israeli airstrike
[ PIC 17/11/2012 – 08:44 AM ] On the roof of a building overlooking the razed cabinet HQ in Gaza City November 17, 2012. GAZA, (PIC)– The headquarters of the Palestinian cabinet in Gaza city was completely destroyed in an Israeli aerial attack at dawn Saturday. The Palestinian information center (PIC) reporter said Israeli warplanes […]
#GazaUnderAttack, aggression, aggressive, assault, attack, attacks, bombed, cabinet, Defense, falttened, gaza, gaza under attack, gaza under fire, genocide, government, hamas, israel, israeli, massacre, military, occupier, operation Pillar of Cloud, palestine, Pillar of Cloud, resistance, right, rubble, under fire, violence, warfare, zionism
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Yashwant Sinha supports Jaswant on Kanimozhi
Edited By Odishatv Bureau Published By Odishatv Bureau On Jul 3, 2011 - 8:15 AM
Chandigarh: A day after senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh questioned the rationale behind refusing bail to A Raja and Kanimozhi, who are accused in the 2G spectrum scam, Yashwant Sinha today supported the views of his party colleague.
Endorsing the opinion of Singh, he said, "Those who are in jail have a right to seek bail."
The senior BJP leader was speaking with media here after flagging off `Janjagran Abhiyan` of the party.
He said that a criminal has the right to move court to get bail, adding that the issue of granting an alleged criminal a bail or not falls under the purview of the courts.
Like Singh, Sinha too categorically said that his views were personal and not that of the party.
Singh, in an interview to a private channel, had yesterday reportedly wondered how both Raja and Kanimozhi could interfere in the CBI investigations when the trial in the case is already on.
After Jaswant Singh, Sinha became the second BJP leader to speak out on issue of bail to Raja and Kanimozhi.
Sinha appreciated the move of civil society members, including Anna Hazare, to involve political parties in framing of Lokpal Bill.
He said that his personal opinion is that the Prime Minister should also be under the ambit of Lokpal.
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A set of multiplex panels of microsatellite markers for rapid molecular characterization of rice accessions
BackgroundThis study aimed to analyze the efficiency of three new microsatellite multiplex panels, which were designed to evaluate a total of 16 loci of the rice genome, based on single PCR reactions of each panel. A sample of 548 accessions of traditional upland rice landraces collected in Brazil in the last 25 years was genotyped, a database of allelic frequencies was established, estimates of genetic parameters were performed and analysis of genetic structure of the collection was developed.ResultsThe three panels yielded a combined matching probability of 6.4 × 10-21, polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.637, and a combined power of exclusion greater than 99.99%. A few samples presented a genetic background of indica rice. The 16 SSR loci produced a total of 229 alleles. Gene diversity values averaged 0.667, and PIC values averaged 0.637. Genetic structure analysis of the collection using a Bayesian approach detected three possible major clusters, with an overall FST value of 0.177. Important inputs on the knowledge about upland rice germplasm differentiations which happened in Brazil in the last few centuries were also achieved and are discussed.ConclusionThe three multiplex panels described here represent a powerful tool for rice genetic analysis, offering a rapid and efficient option for rice germplasm characterization. The data gathered demonstrates the feasibility of genotyping extensive germplasm collections using panels of multiplexed microsatellite markers. It contributes to the advancement of research on large scale characterization and management of germplasm banks, as well as identification, protection and assessments of genetic relationship of rice germplasm.
Similar protocols
Protocol publication
[…] As it was mentioned before, the analyzed accessions had been previously classified as japonica rice on its majority. In order to confirm this premise, pairwise genetic distances among the 548 accessions were estimated in order to classify the accessions according to the indica or japonica genetic background. Genetic distance values were based on the ratio between the sum of the proportions of common alleles between two accessions (Ps) for all loci and twice the number of tested loci [,], and were obtained following the parameter [(-ln (Ps)] on the web-based Genetic Distance Calculator []. The genetic distance diagonal matrix was submitted to clustering analysis following the Neighbour-Joining method, and a genetic distance dendrogram was built using the NTSYSpc version 2.10z software []. In addition, bootstrap analysis of the obtained data was performed so that an estimation of the relative probability of inclusion for any of these accessions in the japonica or indica subspecies would be obtained. The distribution of allelic frequencies for each subspecies (indica and japonica) as "baseline populations" was taken as a reference []. The relative probability of inclusion was estimated using the Whichrun software []. The likelihood that an individual accession may come from one of the source populations (indica or japonica) is presumed to be equal to the Hardy-Weinberg frequency of its specific genotype at each locus in each respective source population.Based on the results of the genetic distance and clustering analysis, the accessions classified as japonica rice were used to evaluate the performance of the three marker panels in comparison to previously reported multiplex marker analyses using the program PowerMarker v.3.23 []. Estimates of allele number, observed heterozygosity (Ho), gene diversity under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and polymorphism information content (PIC) were calculated. Fisher's exact test was applied to individual marker loci to test the conformity to HWE expectations. Expected gene diversity was calculated based on the unbiased estimator formed by multiplying the sample expected heterozygosity (1 - Σi pi2) by the factor (2n)/(2n - 1); being pi the frequency of the ith allele for each locus and n the number of analyzed samples []. A database of allelic frequencies for all loci was established using PowerMarker v.3.23 []. The combined efficiency of the panels for questions regarding line discrimination, seed contamination or hybrid origin (paternity analysis) was estimated by parameters such as matching probability and power of exclusion (PE). The matching probability or the probability of identical genotypes [], defined as PI = Σpi4 + Σ(2pipj)2, was estimated for the selected loci individually, and later, for all loci at once. The power of exclusion, the probability of excluding a random individual from the population as a potential parent of an offspring based on the genotype of one parent and offspring, was calculated as PE = Σpi (1-pi)2 - 1/2 Σpi2pj2 [].The genetic structure of the germplasm collection was analyzed according to a contrast between an a priori model of population structure based on the clusters defined by the genetic distance analysis and an unknown a priori model using the software Structure version 2.1 [,]. Genetic distance and cluster analysis were initially used as a reference to depict possible signs of structuring, suggesting potential composition of subpopulations. For comparison purposes, the analyses were performed both on the complete set of 548 accessions and on the set of 485 japonica accessions using a burn-in period of 20,000 in the model-based program Structure, followed by a run length of 200,000. Five independent runs for each K – the number of inferred groups estimated by Structure – were performed, with K values ranging from 1 to 15. The model choice criterion to detect the most probable value of K was ΔK, an ad hoc quantity related to the second order change of the log probability of data with respect to the number of clusters inferred by Structure []. An accession was included in a particular cluster inferred by the program if at least 70% of its genome value, as measured by its membership coefficient (ranging from 0 to 1), was estimated to belong to that cluster. Overall FST values for the inferred clusters were calculated using PowerMarker. The correlation between clusters defined by Structure and clusters defined by genetic distance analysis followed by Neighbor-Joining grouping was estimated by Pearson's correlation coefficient.The extent of genetic differentiation among groups, as defined a priori by the genetic distance and clustering analysis, was also estimated under the premises of the infinite allele model (FST) [] and under the stepwise mutation model (RST) []. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was also employed to evaluate the substructuring level of the collection using the program PowerMarker.The majority of the accessions (Additional file ) have been collected in five major geographic regions of Brazil (Northern Region, Northeastern Region, Southeastern Region, Southern Region, Mid-Western Region) and a few originated in other countries (International accessions). The correlation between geographic origin and FST values of the collection was analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. […]
2007 BMC Plant Biol
PMCID: 1888689
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-7-23
Pipeline specifications
NTSYSpc, PowerMarker
Population genetic analysis
Oryza sativa, Oryza sativa Indica Group
link Neobenedenia melleni Parasite of Red Snapper, Lutjanus erythropterus, with Regression Statistical Analysis between Fish Length, Temperature, and Parasitic Intensity in Infected Fish, Cultured at Jerejak Island, Penang, Malaysia link Better Cognitive Performance Is Associated With the Combination of High Trait Mindfulness and Low Trait Anxiety link Extremely Low Microsatellite Diversity but Distinct Population Structure in a Long-Lived Threatened Species, the Australian Lungfish Neoceratodus forsteri (Dipnoi)
link SE2Fs Mediate A Fundamental Cell Cycle Deregulation in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinomas link Expression data from E11.5 mouse embryonic forelimbs - various mutant conditions or dissected limb domains link A Comprehensive, CRISPR-based Approach to Functional Analysis of Essential Genes in Bacteria
link yMap link Sentieon TNscope link VLifeMDS
manaswini jagadev
KIIT University
Jaturong Pratuangdejkul
MIN LIU
link MExDB link SEA link DarwishEtAl2016
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Women’s basketball downs Demon Deacons, 70-64
Senior forward Danielle Garven (1) led Pitt’s offense with 21 points during Thursday evening’s 70-64 victory over Wake Forest.
Kaycee Orwig | Staff Photographer
By Dominic Campbell, Staff Writer
In a game of ACC basement dwellers, the Pitt women’s basketball team put on one of its best performances of the season to beat Wake Forest 70-64 on the road, giving the Panthers their second ACC win in 15 tries.
It was also the Panthers’ (11-18 overall, 2-13 ACC) first road win since Feb. 1, 2018, when they beat Clemson 58-42, which ends a 10-game ACC road losing streak. The win also ties last year’s ACC win total and gives Pitt 11 wins on the season — beating last season’s total of ten. The Panthers’ four-game losing streak against Wake Forest (10-18 overall, 1-14 ACC) is now over, and the tie-breaking victory ensures they don’t finish in last place.
The first quarter started close, as Pitt held a slim 6-5 lead with 6:19 left. Sophomores Kyla Nelson and center Cara Judkins, as well as senior forward Kauai Bradley, made layups for the Panthers while sophomore forwards Maya Banks and Ivana Raca converted a second-chance layup and a 3-pointer, respectively, for the home team.
But it soon changed in the Demon Deacons’ favor as they went on a 13-2 run. Raca continued to make a big impact for Wake Forest, scoring eight consecutive points which included two jumpers and a 3-pointer. Junior Alex Sharp and sophomore Gina Conti made two free throws each and junior Ona Udoh scored a layup to cap the run. A mid-range jumper by junior Jasmine Whitney was the only basket in this time for the Panthers.
The quarter ended with Wake Forest on top 20-12. Both teams shot about equally in the first quarter with the Demon Deacons going 7-15 and the Panthers 6-13 from the field.
The second quarter saw Pitt quickly jump out on an 11-2 run to take a 23-22 lead with 5:37 remaining. Danielle Garven scored four points on a jumper and a layup on the fast break, senior guard Cassidy Walsh and Judkins also made layups and Nelson made a 3-pointer, while all Wake Forest could muster was a layup from Raca.
The rest of the quarter was more back-and-forth, with the Demon Deacons taking a small lead into the second half, 34-33. Conti led for Wake Forest, making three free throws and converting an and-one opportunity off a layup for six points. Other contributors were Sharp and Raca, who both made jumpers, and first-year forward Lindsey Jarosinski, who made two foul shots.
Garven kept producing, making two more layups to get her up to 10 points in the game. Whitney made another jumper, Judkins made a free throw and first-year guard Ismini Prapa converted from 3-point range.
Pitt started well again in the third quarter, notching a quick 7-2 run to gain a 40-36 lead with 6:53 left. Garven scored three points on a free throw and a layup, Nelson made a free throw and Whitney hit a 3-pointer.
But the Demon Deacons responded with an 11-3 run of their own. They scored nine consecutive points after a Garven jumper and a Whitney free throw, with Raca scoring six points on two foul shots and two layups and Conti making an and-one off a layup.
In the last minute of the third quarter, Pitt managed to go on an 8-0 run to take a 51-47 lead into the fourth. Whitney was crucial for the Panthers as she made a 3-pointer and converted an and-one opportunity to get her up to 16 points in the game, while Walsh made two free throws.
Both teams shot poorly in the third quarter, with Wake Forest going 4-15 and Pitt 5-16 from the field.
Both teams scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, with the Panthers holding steady in their lead to secure the win.
Garven led Pitt once again with six points in the quarter off of two layups and a jumper. She finished with 21 points, making this her sixth straight game as the Panthers’ leading scorer.
Judkins chipped in four points off two layups from Demon Deacons’ turnovers, Walsh and Nelson hit from 3-point range and Whitney made three free throws. Whitney had a great overall game as well, scoring 19 and dishing out a career-high 12 assists in 36 minutes of play.
Conti did all she could to keep Wake Forest in the game, draining three 3-pointers to tie her with Raca for 20 points as top scorer. Banks, Jarosinski and Sharp all made layups and first-year Ellen Hahne scored a jumper to round out the scoring for the Demon Deacons.
For all their efforts, the Demon Deacons just couldn’t close the gap down the stretch. Pitt remained unfazed and led by at least six points throughout the final quarter.
Next, Pitt will look to pull off an upset on Sunday at home on senior day against the No. 3 Louisville Cardinals.
Tags: 70-64, campbell, pitt, Wake Forest, women's basketball
Dominic Campbell, Staff Writer
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Home / Ghosts / Revisiting the Cursed Tiki Mask in Las Vegas
Revisiting the Cursed Tiki Mask in Las Vegas
Paranormalglobe December 19, 2018 Ghosts, Strange Leave a comment 1,462 Views
Las Vegas has more than its fair share of mysteries and hauntings. It’s a popular tourist destination after all, with millions of people from over the world visiting every year. That’s why one should expect to hear all kinds of stories. In fact, it was suggested that the dybbuk box at Zak Bagan’s Haunted Museum was responsible for rapper Post Malone’s series of bad luck. In 2016, Paranormal Globe even covered a UFO sighting over the mountain range in Nevada.
One of the most popular ghost stories in Vegas involves a gigantic tiki mask at the entrance of the Tropicana Hotel and Casinos. It is said that anyone who touches the mask will mysteriously develop a purple rash. According to Ranker’s list of Las Vegas ghost stories, guests who took photos with the mask also claimed that the photos show a purple mist distorting the mask’s appearance.
How did the mask end up there in the first place? Well, the Tropicana first opened in 1957. At the time, the hotel opted for a tropical island theme, hence the construction of two 35 foot Aku Aku gods, a long house with tiki carvings, and a large tiki called “Kalanui”, also known as the God of Money. Apparently, it became a tradition to touch the mask before entering casino, as people believed it would bring good luck.
But because of paranormal accounts from numerous guests, the management has decided to move the large tiki elsewhere. Visitors can no longer find it at the main entrance of the Tropicana.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the hauntings in the hotel have stopped. In February 2007, an anonymous guest who stayed on the 64th floor of the Tropicana claimed to experience a haunting. She said that on one night, she had difficulty falling asleep because of an uncanny feeling that she was being watched.
After finally managing to doze off, she suddenly awoke to discover a human standing right next to her but with his back to the bed. Scared out of her wits, the woman screamed, and this prompted the mysterious man to turn towards her. The lady immediately turned on the lamp next to her bed, and the moment the light came on, the figure disappeared.
Like with many other stories on this website, there’s no physical evidence proving any of this. Perhaps the tiki and the haunting on the 64th floor are simply urban legends.
Regardless, these stories have made guests think twice about booking a stay at the Tropicana. But the hotel itself still enjoys a large number of guests, most likely because of its gorgeous casino attraction. But for those who are easily scared by such stories, they are fortunate to still have the option to experience the Tropicana’s casino. The company has released an online version where gambling enthusiasts can register and play. Top NJ Casinos even indicated that online players get extra bonuses that aren’t offered in the land-based casino. It may not compare to the live experience, but at least people will not have to worry about encountering ghosts.
Tags ghosts haunting hauntings hotel las vegas paranoral tiki tropicano
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US8803683B2 - System, method, and device for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in storage tanks - Google Patents
System, method, and device for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in storage tanks Download PDF
sensing device
storage tank
fluid level
Benjamin A. Schnitz
Claude T. Masters
George D. Survant
TRACKPOINT SYSTEMS LLC
Florida Power and Light Co
2011-07-20 Priority to US201161509816P priority
2012-07-20 Application filed by TRACKPOINT SYSTEMS LLC, Florida Power and Light Co filed Critical TRACKPOINT SYSTEMS LLC
2012-10-03 Assigned to TRACKPOINT SYSTEMS, LLC, FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY reassignment TRACKPOINT SYSTEMS, LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: SURVANT, GEORGE D., MASTERS, Claude T., SCHNITZ, BENJAMIN A.
2018-02-23 Assigned to TRACKPOINT SYSTEMS, LLC reassignment TRACKPOINT SYSTEMS, LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
G08C17/00—Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
G08C17/02—Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link using a radio link
G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
G01F23/00—Indicating or measuring liquid level, or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume, indicating by means of an alarm
G01F23/0061—Indicating or measuring liquid level, or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume, indicating by means of an alarm characterised by the level signal processing means
G01F23/22—Indicating or measuring liquid level, or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume, indicating by means of an alarm by measurement of physical variables, other than linear dimensions, pressure or weight, dependent on the level to be measured, e.g. by difference of heat transfer of steam or water
G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading, distribution or shipping; Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
G06Q20/20—Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
G06Q20/203—Inventory monitoring
G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal operating condition and not elsewhere provided for
G08B21/18—Status alarms
G08B21/182—Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
A system for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in a storage tank includes a sensing device having a fluid level sensor, an accelerometer, a wireless transceiver, and a microcontroller for detecting the volume of liquid in the storage tank in response to determining that the storage tank is not moving and sending an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount. The system also includes a central tracking computer having a tracking database and being interfaced to the Internet, and a master control unit attached to the storage tank. The master control unit is for: receiving the alert message from the sensing device; obtaining the location of the storage tank; and communicating the alert message and the location of the storage tank to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.
This application claim the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/638,943, filed Apr. 26, 2012, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/509,816, filed Jul. 20, 2011. This application is a continuation-in-part of prior U.S. application Ser. No. 13/152,061, filed Jun. 2, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/854,201, filed Sep. 12, 2007 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,978,065, issued Jul. 12, 2011), which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/825,560, filed Sep. 13, 2006. The entire disclosures of the above-identified applications are incorporated herein by reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system, method, and device for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in storage tanks
2. Background Art
Many utility companies utilize 40 foot (12.19 meters) or 50 foot (15.24 meters) long liquid tanker trailers that are pulled behind semi-tractors to be moved between job sites or wherever fuel is needed. Such liquid tanker trailers typically have between three and five compartments for different types of fuel. The liquid tanker trailers are used, for example, at job sites where utility construction may proceed over the course of weeks or months.
Liquid tanker trailers are also used to transport and store liquids other than fuel.
Liquids may also be stored and moved in rail cars, skid tanks, and other non-permanent tanks.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, a system for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in a storage tank includes a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, a central tracking computer, and a master control unit. The wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device includes a fluid level sensor for detecting a level of liquid in the storage tank, an accelerometer, a sensing device wireless transceiver, and a sensing device microcontroller in communication with the fluid level sensor, the accelerometer, and the sensing device wireless transceiver. The sensing device microcontroller executes instructions for: detecting, using the fluid level sensor, the level of liquid in the storage tank, in response to determining, using the accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving; converting the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank; and sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount. The central tracking computer has a tracking database and is interfaced to the Internet. The master control unit is attached to the storage tank, and includes a solar panel for converting light-energy into electrical power, a control unit battery for receiving and storing the electrical power from the solar panel, a GPS receiver module for receiving signals from a global positioning system and determining a location of the storage tank, a cellular data transceiver module for communicating with the central tracking computer via a cellular data network interfaced to the Internet, a local wireless network master transceiver module in wireless communication with the sensing device wireless transceiver, and a control unit microcontroller. The control unit microcontroller is for: controlling the local wireless network master transceiver module to receive the alert message from the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device; controlling the GPS receiver module to obtain the location of the storage tank; and controlling the cellular data transceiver module to communicate, via the cellular data network and the Internet, the alert message and the location of the storage tank to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.
In one implementation, determining, using the accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving includes: taking a plurality of samples of each of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis of the accelerometer; determining a standard deviation of each of the plurality of samples of each of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis of the accelerometer; and determining that the storage tank is not moving when: the standard deviation of each of the plurality of samples of each of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis of the accelerometer is less than a predetermined constant value and the storage tank was previously determined to be still; or the storage tank was previously determined to be in motion but a percentage of the plurality of samples of each of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis of the accelerometer indicating motion over a plurality of sample cycles is less than a stillness threshold percentage value.
In another implementation, the sensing device microcontroller executes further instructions for sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, a liquid volume status report message with a current volume of liquid in the storage tank when the volume of liquid in the storage tank has not changed for a predetermined amount of time; and the control unit microcontroller is further for receiving, using the local wireless network master transceiver module, the liquid volume status report message and controlling the cellular data transceiver module to communicate, via the cellular data network and the Internet, the liquid volume status report message and the location of the storage tank to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.
In yet another implementation, the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device further comprises a sensing device battery for use as a power source, and a power management circuit in communication with the sensing device battery and the sensing device microcontroller, the power management circuit providing voltage level detection, regulation, and control, and power switching for autonomous operation of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device. The sensing device microcontroller executes further instructions for sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, a battery status report message indicating a status of the sensing device battery. The control unit microcontroller is further for receiving, using the local wireless network master transceiver module, the battery status report message and controlling the cellular data transceiver module to communicate, via the cellular data network and the Internet, the battery status report message to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.
In yet another implementation, the control unit microcontroller is further for sending, using the local wireless network master transceiver module, a configuration message for configuring a variable parameter of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device. The sensing device microcontroller further executes instructions for configuring the variable parameter of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device in response to receiving, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, the configuration message.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in a storage tank, includes: detecting, using a fluid level sensor of a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, a level of liquid in the storage tank, in response to determining, using an accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving; converting the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank; sending, using a sensing device wireless transceiver of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount; receiving, using a local wireless network master transceiver module of a master control unit, the alert message from the sensing device wireless transceiver; obtaining, using a GPS receiver module of the master control unit, a location of the storage tank; and communicating, using a cellular data transceiver module of the master control unit, via a cellular data network and the Internet, the alert message and the location of the storage tank to a central tracking computer for storage in a tracking database.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device includes a fluid level sensor for detecting a level of liquid in a storage tank, an accelerometer, a sensing device wireless transceiver, and a sensing device microcontroller in communication with the fluid level sensor, the accelerometer, and the wireless transceiver. The sensing device microcontroller executes instructions for: detecting, using the fluid level sensor, the level of liquid in the storage tank, in response to determining, using the accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving; converting the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank; sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, an alert message when the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount.
In one implementation, the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device further includes a magnetic detector in communication with the sensing device microcontroller. The sensing device microcontroller further executes instructions for initializing the fluid level sensor, the accelerometer, and the sensing device wireless transceiver in response to detecting, using the magnetic detector, that a magnet has been positioned in proximity to the magnetic detector.
In another implementation, the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device further includes a temperature sensor in communication with the sensing device microcontroller. The temperature sensor is for detecting an ambient temperature value of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device. The sensing device microcontroller further executes instructions for adjusting the volume of liquid in the storage tank based on the ambient temperature value.
In still yet another implementation, the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device further includes an intrinsically safe barrier device for providing intrinsically safe communications between the sensing device microcontroller and the fluid level sensor.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of operating a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device includes: detecting, using a fluid level sensor, a level of liquid in a storage tank, in response to determining, using an accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving; converting, using a sensing device microcontroller, the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank; sending, using a sensing device wireless transceiver, an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in or apparent from the detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention found below.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in storage tanks, according to an aspect of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a functional illustration of a master control unit device attached to a liquid tanker trailer, and various wireless autonomous fluid level sensing devices, according to an aspect of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of exemplary wireless autonomous fluid level sensing devices and a master control unit according to an aspect of the invention.
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic views of an exemplary wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device using a continuous-level float sensor as a fluid level sensor, according to an aspect of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device according to an aspect of the invention.
FIG. 7-1 and FIG. 7-2, together, are a flow chart of an exemplary method of operation of a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, according to an aspect of the invention.
FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary master control unit according to an aspect of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an exemplary master control unit according to an aspect of the invention.
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the exemplary master control unit of FIG. 4.
FIG. 11 is top view of the exemplary master control unit of FIG. 9, wherein an electronics housing is folded back over a solar panel, exposing an underside of the electronics housing and a baseplate member.
FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the exemplary master control unit of FIG. 9.
FIG. 13 is a side view of the exemplary master control unit of FIG. 9.
FIG. 14 is a schematic view of an exemplary wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device using a ultrasonic sensor as a fluid level sensor, according to an aspect of the invention.
FIG. 15 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of determining whether a liquid storage tank is moving or not.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
It is desired to know at all times where such liquid storage tanks are located, and how much liquid is in each compartment (sub-tank) of each tanker trailer so that, for example, a compartment can be re-supplied when it gets low.
Further, in an emergency situation, such as following a natural disaster (e.g., a hurricane), a utility company may utilize liquid tanker trailers for supplying fuel to restoration crews during a recovery operation. In such a case, it is also desirable to know where such liquid tanker trailers are located so that they can be topped off prior to the natural disaster and positioned at staging areas prior to or immediately following the natural disaster.
A system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention includes: a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device (a “WAFLS device”), a central tracking computer, and a master control unit (such as a Tr/IPS™ MCU (Master Control Unit) by TrackPoint Systems, LLC of Nashville, Tenn.). The system may also include backend interface/web application and infrastructure.
The WAFLS device is a single self-contained unit. The WAFLS device is preferably installed in a 2″ NPT threaded bung in each storage tank to be monitored. The 2″ NPT threaded bung may be pre-installed in each storage tank, or may be included in a replacement hatch that can be easily exchanged with an existing hatch present on each storage tank.
The WAFLS device measures the fluid volume in the tank at regular intervals, typically on the order of every minute or several minutes. If the WAFLS device detects a significant change in the fluid volume from the last alert, it issues a new alert and resets the baseline fluid level. If the WAFLS device goes for some significant period of time without detecting a change in the fluid volume, it issues a status report and resets its timer.
The WAFLS device issues an alert or status report by sending a wireless transmission to the master control unit. The master control unit then acquires a GPS fix and collects other system information, such as battery status, before sending the message through the cellular network to system servers.
The central tracking computer handles all acknowledgments, routing, addressing, and database management to ensure that the data connection with the master control unit is robust and secure. Once a message from master control unit is authenticated and acknowledged, the data is saved in a tracking database.
A custom Interface is used for providing the data collected in the tracking database. The Interface provides new data to the customer as requested for integration into the customer's internal business software and practices.
FIG. 1 shows a system 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The system 10 includes a plurality of liquid tanker trailers 12 a-12 c, master control units 14 a-14 c attached to respective liquid tanker trailers 12 a-12 c, a cellular data network 16 in communication with each master control unit 14 a-14 c, the Internet (or an equivalent global data network) 18 in communication with the cellular data network 16, a central tracking computer 20 in communication with the Internet 18, a tracking database 22 in communication with the central tracking computer 20, and various internet-access appliances 24 a-24 c in communication with the central tracking computer through the Internet 18. Also shown is a backup computer 26 for providing data backup and disaster recovery services for the central tracking computer 20 and the tracking database 22.
The master control units 14 a-14 c, which are described in more detail below, each include a microcontroller, a solar panel, a battery and a battery charging module, a cellular data transceiver module, a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver module, and a local wireless network master transceiver module, all in an integral, one-piece, sealed, water-tight unit. The master control units 14 a-14 c receive data regarding the location of the respective liquid tanker trailers 12 a-12 c and the fluid levels in the respective tanks from the fluid sensors and the sensor electronics, and transmit the data to the tracking database 22 of the central tracking computer 20 via the cellular data network 16 and the Internet 18.
The cellular data network 16 is preferably a GSM cellular network or the like, which receives data transmissions from the cellular data transceiver module of the master control units 14 a-14 c and communicates the data transmissions onto the Internet 18. Additionally, the cellular data network 16 is utilized to transmit updates to software programs that reside in the master control units 14 a-14 c for operation and control of the master control units 14 a-14 c. Still further, requests for immediate data reporting from the master control units 14 a-14 c can be transmitted to the master control units 14 a-14 c through the cellular data network 16, rather than waiting for the master control units 14 a-14 c to receive the data and transmit the data to the tracking database 22.
The Internet 18 (or an equivalent global data network) receives the data transmissions from the cellular data network 16 and delivers them to the central tracking computer 20 in a manner that is known in the art.
The central tracking computer 20 receives the data transmissions from the Internet 18, saves the data to the tracking database 22, and also serves as a secure gateway for reports generated from the data in the tracking database 22 from the various internet-access appliances 24 a-24 c.
The various internet-access appliances 24 a-24 c, for example, are a laptop computer 24 a, a personal digital assistant (PDA)-type device 24 b, and a desktop computer 24 c that access the central tracking computer 20 through the Internet 18 to obtain the reports generated from the data in the tracking database 22.
FIG. 2 shows an exemplary configuration of a master control unit 14 attached to the outside of the top 28 of a liquid tanker trailer 12. The liquid tanker trailer 12 is characterized in that the liquid tanker trailer 12 includes a plurality of compartments (storage tanks) for storing different types of liquid. Each compartment has a hatch located on the top 28 of the liquid tanker trailer 12. A WAFLS device 30 a-30 d is installed in a threaded opening in the hatch or elsewhere in each compartment (storage tank). The WAFLS device 30 is described in more detail below.
As shown in FIG. 3, the local wireless network master transceiver module of the master control unit 14 comprises the master node in a local wireless network with the wireless sensors. An exemplary wireless network uses the hardware specified by IEEE standard 802.15.4 coupled with a proprietary communication protocol. The local wireless network allows sensor data from the WAFLS devices 30 a-30 n in the network to be gathered by the master control unit 14 and transmitted to the Internet 18 using the cellular data transceiver module of the master control unit 14.
Particular WAFLS devices 30 are paired with a particular master control unit 14 to prevent crossing signals between multiple liquid tanker trailers 12 that may be in wireless sensor transmission proximity to each other (i.e. liquid tanker trailers “parked” next to each other). This may be done at the factory before the master control unit 14 and associated WAFLS devices 30 are delivered, or it may be done in the field if, for example, a wireless sensor is replaced. For instance, when a WAFLS device 30 first boots up it sends a message out requesting for master control unit 14 with which to pair. If a master control unit 14 is present, the master control unit 14 issues an encrypted challenge to the wireless sensor. The wireless sensor must decrypt the challenge, re-encrypt it with a second key, and then send it back to the master control unit 14. If that is successful, the master control unit 14 presents its network ID to the wireless sensor and they are then paired. From this point on, a master control unit 14 will only acknowledge messages from the paired wireless sensor.
FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 14 are schematic views of an exemplary WAFLS device 30. The following is a description of the characteristics of the exemplary WAFLS device 30. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the exemplary WAFLS device 30.
With respect to housing characteristics (FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 14), the material provides UV and temperature stability, chemical inertness, and compatibility with IS requirements. The material withstands all pertinent UV and temperature requirements, is non-reactive to any chemical that may be used, and is appropriate for the requirements of IS.
With respect to the size, the size is <=3″ l/w/d×<=6″ tall. The housing protects the sensor electronics in a weatherproof IP-67 rated enclosure while providing for a simple attachment to the sensor itself
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show an example enclosure size and shape for a continuous-level float sensor.
FIG. 14 shows an example enclosure size and shape for an ultrasound sensor.
The housing mounts directly to a 2″ NPT flange or directly to the sensor itself, if the sensor mounts directly to the flange. Other than the flange, there is no additional requirement for mounting brackets, screwing, drilling, tape, etc. to attach to the housing to the tank.
Turning to FIG. 6, the fluid level sensor 31 could be ultrasound, float-level, submersible pressure, or the like. Both practical and IS (Intrinsic Safety) requirements show that pressure sensing works well for diesel but may not be the ideal method for combustible fuels. A continuous level float indicator is more straightforward for IS certification testing due to the inherent safety and “zero-power” requirement, although the sensor length must be customized for each tank. The sensor modality balances several factors including the power requirements, suitability to IS requirements, cost, ease of implementation, and extensibility throughout the system.
With respect to sensing range, the exemplary WAFLS device 30 functions to measure a range from 2″ to the tank depth minus 2″, up to 72″ maximum. Some sensing modalities may not be able to detect changes at the extreme bottom or top of the tank. For example, most pressure sensors have the sensing element in the center of the sensor and therefore cannot measure the bottom ½″ to 1″ of the tank. Continuous level (float) sensors typically have a shock spring at the top and bottom of the stick. Regardless of the selected modality, the WAFLS device 30 is able to detect fluid changes for all but the top 2″ and bottom 2″ of the tank.
With respect to the sensing resolution, the exemplary WAFLS device 30 functions to measure to less than ½″. There are several variables that contribute to the sensing resolution, including the sensor itself and the electronics design. The exemplary sensor has between ½″ and ¼″ resolution.
With respect to mounting, the exemplary WAFLS device 30 mounts to a 2″ NPT mount, or to an electronics housing. Because this is a mobile application, the mounting of the sensor is important to ensure stability and long life. Depending on the selected sensor, the sensor itself may mount directly into the 2″ NPT bung, or the sensor may be held within the electronics housing.
With respect to power, the exemplary WAFLS device 30 requires less than 12 Vdc at less than 10 mA. The sensor power is a key consideration for both battery life and IS testing. Keeping the voltage level below 12V will make the IS testing more straightforward, while a current below 10 mA will contribute to the necessary battery life.
An IS barrier 32 provides required protection circuitry (e.g., protection diodes) for hazardous atmospheres.
With respect to a power source, the exemplary WAFLS device 30 utilizes a Primary Lithium, field-replaceable battery 33. The electronics are self-powered, i.e. have an integral battery 33. There is no reliable source for recharging the battery 33 or powering the sensor, so the battery 33 is solely responsible for providing power. Primary Lithium (LiSoCL2) batteries are ideal for their high energy density, low cost, and excellent temperature characteristics. The battery 33 is field-replaceable.
With respect to battery life, the battery life of the exemplary WAFLS device 30 is approximately 3 years. The battery life is estimated by considering parameters including the sleep current of the electronics, how often the device checks the fluid level, the sensor current, and how often the device sends a message to the MCU. A conservative estimate of 10 messages per day with a level check once per minute shall give a battery life of greater than 3 years.
Power management circuitry 34 of the exemplary WAFLS device 30 provides battery protection, voltage level regulation and control, and power switching, as necessary.
A microcontroller 35 of the exemplary WAFLS device 30 executes the main program and controls operation of the WAFLS device 30, as described in more detail below.
An external memory 36 of the exemplary WAFLS device 30 provides for storage of data, operating parameters, and other information.
A temperature sensor 37 provides ambient temperature information to the exemplary WAFLS device 30. As discussed below, the temperature sensor 37 can be used to adjust volume measurements to account for changes in fluid density resulting from temperature changes.
An accelerometer 38 provides motion information to the exemplary WAFLS device 30. As discussed below, the accelerometer 38 is used in a “anti-slosh” algorithm to determine if volume changes are due to fuel sloshing caused by motion.
A magnetic detector 39 functions as a power switch to activate or deactivate the exemplary WAFLS device 30. To preserve the integral, sealed characteristic of the WAFLS device 30, a Hall-effect sensor is included for functioning as an on/off switch. Prior to activation, only the Hall-effect sensor and the microcontroller 35 are running, and the microcontroller 35 is running in a super-low power mode. Upon activation with a magnet external to the WAFLS device 30, the microcontroller 35 senses the presence of the magnet via the Hall-effect sensor 70, and the microcontroller 35 turns the other components of the WAFLS device 30 “on” for operation.
A wireless transceiver 40 provides wireless communication between the exemplary WAFLS device 30 and the master control unit 14.
With respect to the measurement interval, the measurement interval of the exemplary WAFLS device 30 is 1 minute. The measurement interval is selected as a balance between quick response and notification to changes in fluid volume, and battery consumption relating to decreased battery life. Preliminary calculations show that there will be little overall affect on battery life if the device checks the volume once per minute as opposed to every five or 10 minutes. Therefore, the exemplary WAFLS device 30 evaluates the fluid volume once per minute.
With respect to an automatic reporting interval, the automatic reporting interval of the exemplary WAFLS device 30 is 12 hours. If the WAFLS device 30 does not detect a change in fluid volume for some period of time, it automatically sends a message with the current fluid volume to act as a “heartbeat” indicator of device operation. Again, this is a balance between having current, up-to-date information and battery consumption. The 12 hour interval (2 times per day) could be increased to every 6 hours while staying above the battery life requirements.
With respect to an alert reporting delta, the alert reporting delta of the exemplary WAFLS device 30 is less than 450 gallon (1703 liters) change. The sensor reports the fluid level in inches (or fractional inches), but due to the elliptical-cylindrical shape of the tank, 1″ at the bottom or top of the tank is far less volume of fluid than 1″ in the center of the tank. For example, for a certain liquid tanker trailer, 1″ at the bottom of the tank is 35 gallons (132.5 liters) of fluid whereas 1″ at the center of the tank is 140 gallons (530 liters). The exemplary WAFLS device 30 sends alerts based on volume changes rather than level changes, so that excessive alerts are not sent for small changes near the extremes of the tanks, as described in the following paragraphs.
Each WAFLS device 30 is programmed, either at the factory, in the field, or over-the-air, with the length, width, and height of the tank in which it is installed. The WAFLS device 30 then uses these parameters to calculate the maximum volume of fluid that could be contained in that tank.
Each WAFLS device 30 is also programmed, either at the factory, in the field, or over-the-air, with the threshold percentage of change in fluid volume that will trigger an alert message. The WAFLS device 30 uses the threshold percentage of change and the maximum volume to determine what the threshold volume of change is for that tank.
With each fluid level measurement, the measured fluid level is mathematically converted to a fluid volume. That fluid volume is then compared to the fluid volume of the last transmitted message; if the difference is greater than the threshold volume of change, then an alert message is sent.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an exemplary method 700 of operation of the exemplary WAFLS device 30, executed by the microcontroller 35 thereof. In step S702, power is applied, preferably via a signal from the magnetic detector 39 (FIG. 6) that a magnet has been positioned external to the WAFLS device 30. In step S704, the components of the WAFLS device 30 are initialized, as indicated. Step S706 is a power-up beep.
Step S708 is listening, via the wireless transceiver 40 (FIG. 6) for a configuration message (i.e., a configuration message for configuring a variable parameter of the WAFLS device). For example, the configuration message could contain information on what the threshold is for determining that there has been a change of fluid volume, how often to check for a change in fluid volume, or how often to report if there has not been a change in fluid volume. As indicated by the determination of step S710, if a message is received within a set time (e.g., 10 seconds), then the message type is determined (S712) and, if appropriate, an acknowledgement is sent (S714), the appropriate parameters are programmed (S716), and the components are (re)initialized (S704). If a message is not received within the set time, or if the message type is unknown, then normal operation is initiated in step S718.
Step S720 is “set to production PAN.” The local wireless network between the master control unit 14 (FIG. 2) and the WAFLS device 30 utilizes a Personal Area Network ID (PAN ID) that is unique per master control unit 14. Only devices on that PAN can communicate with each other. Thus, as mentioned above, particular WAFLS devices 30 are paired with a particular master control unit 14 to prevent crossing signals between multiple liquid tanker trailers 12 that may be in wireless sensor transmission proximity to each other (i.e. liquid tanker trailers “parked” next to each other). When the WAFLS device 30 powers up, it goes to a generic PAN to listen for a configuration message. This is primarily a manufacturing process, so the WAFLS device 30 can be configured before being shipped to a customer. Then the WAFLS device 30 reconfigures itself for a specific production PAN for the master control unit 14 on the trailer on which it is installed, and then enters normal operation.
Step S722 is “set alarm chime for 1 minute.” This means the WAFLS device 30 sleeps for one minute at a time to save power, accomplished by setting a hardware alarm in a RTC module to “wake up” and execute instructions after one minute elapses.
Step S723 is sampling the accelerometer 38 (FIG. 6).
Step S724 is determining, as described below, if the liquid tank (e.g., the liquid tanker trailer 12) is moving. If the liquid tanker trailer 12 is moving, then no further action is taken until the movement stops.
FIG. 15 is a flow chart of an exemplary method 1500 of determining if the liquid tank (e.g., the liquid tanker trailer 12) is moving. The accelerometer 38 is used to determine if the device is currently in motion, or currently still. This is done by turning on the accelerometer 38 prior to taking a fluid level measurement (step S1502), taking several samples of each of the x-, y-, and z-axes at known intervals (step S1504), and turning off the accelerometer 38 (step S1506). A typical interval would be 10 ms between measurements, to accurately capture varying vibration levels within the transportation spectrum.
Then, the standard deviation of each axis is calculated to measure the variance of each of those samples (step S1508). The standard deviation of each axis is then compared to a stored constant value to determine if the samples are varied enough that they represent motion, or if they are grouped tightly enough that they represent stillness (step S1510). When the standard deviation of the samples is calculated, a large number indicates a large amount of vibration occurred, and therefore the device is in motion. A small number indicates very little vibration occurred, and therefore the WAFLS device 30 is still.
If the device has been determined to be still (S1512), and has previously been determined to be still, it will then sample the fluid level and continue on with normal operation (step S1514).
However, if the device has been determine to be in motion (step S1516) but has previously been determined to be still, then the device does not sample the fluid level immediately. Instead, it starts to schedule repeated cycles of determining the motion state at a more frequent rate (e.g., every 10 seconds as opposed to every 60 seconds) than in the still state (step S1517). With each cycle, the motion state is recorded and an array of the last ‘n’ measurements (e.g., ‘n’=30 or 5 minutes of measurements) is kept (step S1518). With each cycle, the percent of stored “still” measurements in the array are calculated (step S1520). When that percentage of stored “still” measurements exceeds a predetermined amount (e.g., 75%), the device then has determined that the overall state of motion has ended and the WAFLS device 30 can safely return to a state of stillness (step S1522). Normal operation then resumes, including level/volume measurements.
For example, using the exemplary values described above, 10 samples of each axis at 10 millisecond intervals are taken. A threshold of ‘15’ mg (where g means g-force) is used to determine if it is still or in motion. ‘15’ has been empirically determined to be a good value for this application. A 10-bit A/D converter (1024 states) is utilized, and the standard deviation is calculated from the raw A/D converter states. Thus, ‘15’ is a measure of variability of the accelerometer measurements, and, therefore, is related to g-force. The exemplary accelerometer 38 is has a range of +2 g to −2 g, so that means each A/D converter state is 4 g/1024 or about 4 mg. So ‘15’ would be about 60 mg. Thus, a standard deviation of about 60 mg between the samples indicates that the WAFLS device 30 is in motion and, therefore, is not still.
When the motion state is detected, the motion checks are rescheduled for every 10 seconds rather than once per minute. A sliding array of 30 measurements (which represents 5 minutes of measurements at 10 second intervals) are kept. There is no “check” to see if the device has been “still enough” until all 30 slots are filled up. Once that occurs, a check is performed with each new cycle to see if at least 75% of the slots in the array are considered to be still. If so, the state is transitioned out of the motion state back to the still state.
Returning now to FIG. 7, if or when the liquid tanker trailer 12 is not moving, then a sample fluid level is taken (S726).
It is then determined if the volume has changed from a baseline volume by a threshold amount (S728). The baseline volume is the fluid volume the last time that the WAFLS device 30 sent a message. A status counter increments once/minute. If the volume has not changed by the threshold amount, it is determined if the status counter has elapsed (S730). If the status counter has elapsed, then the counter is cleared (S732) and a “status update” message is sent (S734). Step S736 is sleeping for the remainder of the measurement interval before returning to the determining if the liquid tanker trailer 12 is moving (S724) and sampling the fluid volume (726). If the status counter has not elapsed, then the counter is incremented (S738) and the sleeping step (S736) begins. If the volume has changed by the threshold amount, the status counter is cleared (S740), and an “alert” message is sent (S742). Then, it is determined if an acknowledgement is received (S744). If an acknowledgement is received, then the baseline is re-established (S746), and the sleeping step (S736) begins. If an acknowledgement message is not received, then it is determined if a number of reattempts has elapsed (S748). If the reattempts have not elapsed, then the reattempt counter is incremented (S750) and the “alert” message is re-sent (S744). If the reattempts have elapsed, then the sleeping step (S736) begins.
Additionally, it is well-known that fluid density is affected by temperature. Within a contained space such as a sealed fuel tank, an increase in temperature is reflected by an increase in volume of the fluid in the tank. This can cause error in the fluid volume measurements if not adjusted. The integral temperature sensor 37 (FIG. 6) of the WAFLS device 30 measures the ambient temperature inside the fuel tank. The temperature information is used to adjust the volume measurements with each measurement to account for volume changes which are the result of temperature changes as opposed to fluid added to or removed from the tank.
For example, using the density of the liquid and the thermal coefficient of expansion of the liquid in the storage tank, the percent increase of the volume of the liquid is calculated relative to a nominal measurement (typically 25 C). The volume of liquid in the storage tank is determined using the normal methods. Then the temperature is used to determine the % increase (or decrease) in the volume of liquid at that temperature. The volume of liquid in the storage tank is then corrected by simply calculating out the increased (or decreased) amount of volume caused by the increased (or decreased) temperature.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an exemplary master control unit 14 including solar cells 50 and an electronics module 52, which are integrated into a one-piece unit as described below. The solar cells 50 converts light energy, such as from the sun, into power for operation of the electronics module 52.
Preferably, the solar cells 50 provides electrical power to a solar voltage regulator 54, which steps down the voltage for a pulse-charge battery charging circuit 56. The pulse-charge battery charging circuit 56 charges a battery 58. The solar cells 50 are inherently a current-limited source, because the instantaneous current output of the solar cells 50 differs greatly depending on cloud cover, angle of the sun, etc. A traditional linear charger does not work well because when the current output of the solar cells 50 decreases (for example if a cloud obscures the sun), then the linear charger will “drop out,” meaning it will stop the charging thinking the power source was removed. As a result the charging process would continually start and stop, and never finish properly. The pulse-charge battery charging circuit 56 is able to compensate for varying instantaneous current levels because the pulse charge circuit delivers the charge current in “packets” rather than linearly. Thus, if the source becomes current-limited, the pulse-charge battery charging circuit 56 will store up enough power until it can deliver a packet of current. The result is that even in cloudy weather the pulse-charge battery charging circuit 56 charges without dropping out, even though it is less efficient than in sunny weather. The pulse-charge battery charging circuit 56 communicates its charging status to a microcontroller 60 using status pins 62, and the microcontroller 60 controls the pulse-charge battery charging circuit 56 via the status pins 62.
The battery 58 preferably utilizes lithium-ion chemistry, due to the high charge density and high number of recharge cycles of lithium-ion batteries. However, it is not intended that the claims be limited to any particular rechargeable battery chemistry. The battery 58 provides power, either directly or through a main voltage regulator 64, to the components of the electronics module 52 described below.
A fuel gauge circuit 66 is powered by and monitors the power level of the battery 58. The fuel gauge circuit 66 communicates the power level of the battery 58 to the microcontroller 60 using an I2C bus 68.
The microcontroller 60 uses the information about the power level of the battery 58 and the charging status of the pulse-charge battery charging circuit 56 to manage power usage if the master control unit 14 is shielded from the sun for an extended period, as described in more detail below.
Additionally, to preserve the integral, sealed characteristic of the master control unit 14, a Hall-effect sensor 70 is included for functioning as an on/off switch. As will be discussed below, a housing of the master control unit 14 is provided with a recess for receiving a magnet 72. When placed in the recess, the magnet 72 is aligned with the Hall-effect sensor 70, which is located on the inside of the housing. When the magnet 72 is not in the recess, only the Hall-effect sensor and the microcontroller 60 are running, and the microcontroller is running is a super-low power mode. When the magnet 72 is placed in the recess, typically at installation of the master control unit 14 at a customer site, the microcontroller 60 senses the presence of the magnet 72 via the Hall-effect sensor 70, and the microcontroller 60 turns the other components of the electronics module 52 “on” for operation.
The electronics module 52 includes a GPS receiver module 80, a local wireless network master transceiver module 82, a cellular data transceiver module 84, and a bulk memory module 86. The microcontroller 60 uses proprietary firmware to control all functions of the electronics module.
The GPS receiver module 80 is interfaced to the microcontroller 60 over a GPS serial Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) 88 and through GPS pin controls 90. Additionally, power for a digital portion of the GPS receiver module 80 is supplied by a GPS digital voltage regulator 92, and power for an analog/RF portion of the GPS receiver module 80 is supplied by a GPS analog/RF voltage regulator 94. The GPS digital voltage regulator 92 and the GPS analog/RF voltage regulator 94 are supplied directly by the rechargeable battery 58, and enabled or disabled by the microcontroller 60, thereby providing and removing power as desired. The microcontroller 60 also communicates with the GPS receiver module 80 over the GPS UART 88 for instructing the GPS receiver module 80 to enter different modes, such as low-power or active modes, or to configure the GPS receiver module 80 to output messages in a desired format. The GPS receiver module 80 collects radiofrequency Global Positioning System data from a passive GPS antenna 95, and converts the data to a digital format for transmission to the microcontroller 60 over the GPS UART 88. An active GPS antenna could be used, but because the GPS receiver module 80 and the passive GPS antenna 95 are in the same package and physically close to each other, the passive antenna 95 is adequate, providing lower cost and power benefits.
The local wireless network master transceiver module 82 is interfaced to the microcontroller 60 over a local wireless network master UART 96 and through local wireless network master pin controls 98. The local wireless network master transceiver module 82 is powered by the main voltage regulator 64. The local wireless network master transceiver module 82 communicates wirelessly through a 2.4 GHz antenna 100 to the WAFLS devices 30, such as discussed above with respect to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The 2.4 GHz antenna 100 is soldered onto a circuit board with the local wireless network master transceiver module 82. Alternately, the 2.4 GHz antenna 100 can be attached to the circuit board through several methods, including being printed onto the circuit board. The microcontroller 60 and the local wireless network master transceiver module 82 communicate data to and from the wireless sensors via the local wireless network master UART 96. Additionally, the microcontroller 60 communicates commands and instructions via the local wireless network master UART 96 that change the mode or function of the local wireless network master transceiver module 82. The microcontroller 60 controls power and reset functions of the via the local wireless network master transceiver module 82 via the local wireless network master pin controls 98.
Advantageously, the local wireless network master UART 96 and the GPS UART 88 may be the same UART channel, with the microcontroller 60 controlling a dual SPDT IC switch (one switch for RX and the other switch for TX) to switch the destination as necessary.
The cellular data transceiver module 84 is interfaced to the microcontroller 60 over a cellular data transceiver UART 102 and through cellular data transceiver pin controls 104. The cellular data transceiver module 84 is powered directly by the rechargeable battery 58. The microcontroller controls the cellular data transceiver module 84 by issuing and receiving data over the cellular data transceiver UART 102, and by using the cellular data transceiver pin controls 104 to control power and reset functions. The cellular data transceiver module 84 is used to transmit data out of the master control unit 14 to an end user over the Internet 18, and to receive data from an end user over the Internet 18. The cellular data transceiver module 84 takes digital data from the microcontroller 60 and converts it to radiofrequency waves, which are transmitted using an integral GSM/GPRS antenna 106. Similarly, radiofrequency waves captured by the GSM/GPRS antenna 106 are transmitted to the cellular data transceiver module 84, which converts the waves to digital data for communication to the microcontroller 60.
The bulk memory module 86 is interfaced to the microcontroller 60 over a serial peripheral interface (SPI) 108, and is powered by the main voltage regulator 64. The bulk memory module 86 is used to store GPS or other operational data, and to store microcontroller program memory for bootloading applications.
FIG. 9 through FIG. 13 show an exemplary master control unit 14, including a solar panel 110 and an electronics housing 112. The solar panel 110 contains the solar cells 50 (FIG. 8) and the electronics housing 112 houses the components of the electronics module 52 (FIG. 8). FIG. 11 shows the exemplary master control unit 14, where the electronics housing 112 is folded back onto the solar panel 110, exposing the underside of the electronics housing 112 and a baseplate member 114.
The solar panel 110 includes a solar film 116 placed on a rigid base sheet 118 made of a durable material, such as aluminum. The solar film 116 has power output contacts (not shown). A circuit board 120 is placed on the base sheet picking up the V+and V− from the power output contacts of the solar film 116. Two wires 122, 124 electrically connect to the power output contacts and are soldered onto the circuit board. The solar film 116, base sheet 118, circuit board 120 and about one inch of the wires 122, 124 are then covered with weatherproof and UV stable Teflon-based coating using a process that uses heat and pressure to adhere the coating.
The baseplate member 114 is preferably injection molded using a black UV-resistant ABS plastic. A watertight first grommet 126, preferably made of a rubber material, is received in a molded recess 128 in the baseplate member 114. The two wires 122, 124 from the solar panel 110 are led through a channel 130 on the underside of the baseplate member 114. The two wires 122, 124 are then inserted through the first grommet 126. A small, round, second grommet 132 is inserted over the two wires 122, 124 and slid down about halfway down the wires 122, 124. A locking connector 134 is attached to the free end of the two wires 122, 124 so they can later plug into a battery PCB 136. The baseplate member 114 is riveted to the base sheet 118 of the solar panel 110, preferably using an Arbor press. The channel 130 containing the wires 122, 124 and the recess 128 with the first grommet 126 are then filled with a waterproof sealant, which is preferably a silicone material.
The electronics housing 112 is also preferably injection molded using a black UV-resistant ABS plastic. The electronics housing 112 houses the battery PCB 136, a main PCB 138, a cable assembly 140, the battery 58 and battery leads 142. The electronics housing 112 has a main PCB compartment 144 including mounting standoffs (not shown), a battery compartment 146, a molded battery PCB frame 148, and a cable way 150 for the wiring.
The main PCB 138 is inserted into the electronics housing 112 upside down and attached to the electronics housing 112 by fasteners, such as sheet-metal screws. The main PCB 138 includes the components (see FIG. 8) for: the microcontroller 60; the GPS receiver module 80; the local wireless network master transceiver module 82; the cellular data transceiver module 84; the bulk memory module 86; the main voltage regulator 64; GPS digital voltage regulator 92; GPS analog/RF voltage regulator 94; the antennas 100, 106; and the Hall-Effect Sensor 70. The cable assembly 140 connects the main PCB 138 to the battery PCB 136.
The battery PCB 136 includes the components for the fuel gauge circuit 66 (FIG. 8) and receives connections for the battery leads 142, the wires 122, 124 from the solar panel 110, and the cable assembly 140 from the main PCB 138. The battery PCB 136 is inserted into the battery PCB frame 148, and held in place by friction.
The battery 58 is placed in the battery compartment 146. The battery 58 is secured in the battery compartment 146 with a silicone or double-sided tape. The purpose of this step is temporary and is intended only to keep it in place when the electronics housing 112 is flipped upside down and placed onto the baseplate 114.
The cable assembly 140 connects the main PCB 138 to the battery PCB 136. The battery leads 142 connect the battery 58 to the battery PCB 136. The two wires 122, 124 from the solar panel 110 connect the solar cells 50 to the battery PCB 136.
The baseplate member 114 serves to connect the solar panel 110 and provide a watertight pathway into the electronics housing 112 for the two wires 122, 124 from the solar panel 110. The baseplate member 114 has a gasket channel 152 adjacent to its perimeter.
In the assembly process, a gasket 154, preferably of rubber, is placed in the gasket channel 152. The small round second grommet 132 on the wires 122, 124 is inserted into the cable way 150 that helps keep the wires 122, 124 in place. The electronics housing 112 is then flipped upside down and placed on the baseplate member 114. The electronics housing 112 is attached to the baseplate member 114 using fasteners, such as screws and nuts. Threadlocker is used on the screws to help secure the screws in place. Adhesive members 156 a-156 f, such as a VHB tape, are attached to the bottom of the baseplate member 114 and the base sheet 118 of the solar panel 110 for attaching the master control unit 14 to an outside surface, such as a roof 28, of a liquid tanker trailer 12 (FIG. 2).
Also, prior to installation on a liquid tanker trailer 12 (FIG. 2) the magnet 72 is placed in a magnet recess 158 formed on the bottom of the baseplate member 114, as described above.
Returning now to FIG. 8, in normal operation, the solar cells 50 will maintain the battery 58 in a charged condition, and the battery will operate the master control unit 14 during periods when the solar panel 110 does not generate power. In the event that the master control unit 14 is shielded from sunlight, however, the microcontroller 60 will operatively shut down components of the master control unit 14 to conserve power. For instance, if the storage level of the battery 58 drops below a first predetermined threshold (e.g. 25%), the microcontroller 60 will turn off the cellular data transceiver module 84 except when the master control unit 14 needs to transmit data to the central tracking computer 20 (FIG. 1). If the storage level of the battery 58 further drops below a second predetermined threshold (e.g. 10%), the microcontroller 60 will continue to monitor the storage level from a “deep sleep” state, but turn all other elements of the master control unit 14 off. When charging resumes, the microcontroller 60 will wait until the battery 58 is charged to above the first predetermined threshold before it turns the other elements of the master control unit 14 back on.
Thus, the integral, one-piece master control unit 14 may be attached to an outside surface of a liquid tanker trailer 12, collect data wirelessly from the WAFLS devices 30, and transmit the data to the tracking database 22 of a central tracking computer 20 via a cellular data network 16 and the Internet 18, for access by various internet access appliances 24 over the Internet 18 (FIG. 1).
One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional steps and configurations are possible without departing from the teachings of the invention. This detailed description, and particularly the specific details of the exemplary embodiment disclosed, is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modifications will become evident to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention.
1. A system for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in a storage tank, comprising:
a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device including:
a fluid level sensor for detecting a level of liquid in the storage tank;
an accelerometer;
a sensing device wireless transceiver; and
a sensing device microcontroller in communication with the fluid level sensor, the accelerometer, and the sensing device wireless transceiver, the sensing device microcontroller executing instructions for:
detecting, using the fluid level sensor, the level of liquid in the storage tank, in response to determining, using the accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving;
converting the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank; and
sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount;
a central tracking computer having a tracking database and being interfaced to the Internet; and
a master control unit attached to the storage tank, said master control unit including:
a solar panel for converting light-energy into electrical power;
a control unit battery for receiving and storing said electrical power from said solar panel;
a GPS receiver module for receiving signals from a global positioning system and determining a location of said storage tank;
a cellular data transceiver module for communicating with said central tracking computer via a cellular data network interfaced to the Internet;
a local wireless network master transceiver module in wireless communication with the sensing device wireless transceiver; and
a control unit microcontroller for:
controlling said local wireless network master transceiver module to receive the alert message from the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device;
controlling said GPS receiver module to obtain the location of the storage tank; and
controlling the cellular data transceiver module to communicate, via the cellular data network and the Internet, the alert message and the location of the storage tank to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein determining, using the accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving comprises:
taking a plurality of samples of each of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis of the accelerometer;
determining a standard deviation of each of the plurality of samples of each of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis of the accelerometer; and
determining that the storage tank is not moving when:
the standard deviation of each of the plurality of samples of each of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis of the accelerometer is less than a predetermined constant value and the storage tank was previously determined to be still; or
the storage tank was previously determined to be in motion but a percentage of the plurality of samples of each of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis of the accelerometer indicating motion over a plurality of sample cycles is less than a stillness threshold percentage value.
3. The system of claim 1,
wherein the sensing device microcontroller executes further instructions for sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, a liquid volume status report message with a current volume of liquid in the storage tank when the volume of liquid in the storage tank has not changed for a predetermined amount of time; and
wherein the control unit microcontroller is further for receiving, using the local wireless network master transceiver module, the liquid volume status report message and controlling the cellular data transceiver module to communicate, via the cellular data network and the Internet, the liquid volume status report message and the location of the storage tank to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.
wherein the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device further comprises a sensing device battery for use as a power source, and a power management circuit in communication with the sensing device battery and the sensing device microcontroller, the power management circuit providing voltage level detection, regulation, and control, and power switching for autonomous operation of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device;
wherein the sensing device microcontroller executes further instructions for sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, a battery status report message indicating a status of the sensing device battery; and
wherein the control unit microcontroller is further for receiving, using the local wireless network master transceiver module, the battery status report message and controlling the cellular data transceiver module to communicate, via the cellular data network and the Internet, the battery status report message to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.
wherein the control unit microcontroller is further for sending, using the local wireless network master transceiver module, a configuration message for configuring a variable parameter of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device; and
wherein the sensing device microcontroller further executes instructions for configuring the variable parameter of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device in response to receiving, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, the configuration message.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the master control unit further comprises a fuel gauge circuit, said fuel gauge circuit for communicating a power level of the control unit battery to the control unit microcontroller, said control unit microcontroller turning off said cellular data transceiver module except when the master control unit needs to transmit data when the power level of the control unit battery drops below a first predetermined threshold, said control unit microcontroller further turning off said GPS receiver module and said local wireless network master transceiver module when the power level of the control unit battery drops below a second predetermined threshold.
7. A method for measuring and reporting changing levels of liquids in a storage tank, comprising:
detecting, using a fluid level sensor of a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, a level of liquid in the storage tank, in response to determining, using an accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving;
converting the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank;
sending, using a sensing device wireless transceiver of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount;
receiving, using a local wireless network master transceiver module of a master control unit, the alert message from the sensing device wireless transceiver;
obtaining, using a GPS receiver module of the master control unit, a location of the storage tank; and
communicating, using a cellular data transceiver module of the master control unit, via a cellular data network and the Internet, the alert message and the location of the storage tank to a central tracking computer for storage in a tracking database.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining, using the accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving comprises:
9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, a liquid volume status report message with a current volume of liquid in the storage tank when the volume of liquid in the storage tank has not changed for a predetermined amount of time; and
receiving, using the local wireless network master transceiver module, the liquid volume status report message and controlling the cellular data transceiver module to communicate, via the cellular data network and the Internet, the liquid volume status report message and the location of the storage tank to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.
sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, a battery status report message indicating a status of a sensing device battery of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device; and
receiving, using the local wireless network master transceiver module, the battery status report message and controlling the cellular data transceiver module to communicate, via the cellular data network and the Internet, the battery status report message to the central tracking computer for storage in the tracking database.
sending, using the local wireless network master transceiver module, a configuration message for configuring a variable parameter of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device; and
configuring the variable parameter of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device in response to receiving, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, the configuration message.
converting, by the master control unit, light-energy into electrical power using a solar panel;
storing said electrical power from said solar panel in a control unit battery;
receiving a power level of the control unit battery from a fuel gauge circuit;
turning off the cellular data transceiver module except when the master control unit needs to transmit data when the power level of the control unit battery drops below a first predetermined threshold; and
turning off the GPS receiver module and the local wireless network master transceiver module when the power level of the control unit battery drops below a second predetermined threshold.
13. A wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device comprising:
a fluid level sensor for detecting a level of liquid in a storage tank;
sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, an alert message when the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount.
14. The wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device of claim 13, wherein determining, using the accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving comprises:
15. The wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device of claim 13, wherein the sensing device microcontroller executes further instructions for sending, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, a status report message with a current volume of liquid in the storage tank when the volume of liquid in the storage tank has not changed for a predetermined amount of time.
16. The wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device of claim 13, further comprising a sensing device battery for use as a power source, and a power management circuit in communication with the sensing device battery and the sensing device microcontroller, the power management circuit providing voltage level detection, regulation, and control, and power switching for autonomous operation of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device.
17. The wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device of claim 13, further comprising a magnetic detector in communication with the sensing device microcontroller, wherein the sensing device microcontroller further executes instructions for initializing the fluid level sensor, the accelerometer, and the sensing device wireless transceiver in response to detecting, using the magnetic detector, that a magnet has been positioned in proximity to the magnetic detector.
18. The wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device of claim 13, wherein the sensing device microcontroller further executes instructions for configuring a variable parameter in response to receiving, using the sensing device wireless transceiver, a configuration message.
19. The wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device of claim 13, further comprising a temperature sensor in communication with the sensing device microcontroller, the temperature sensor for detecting an ambient temperature value of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, wherein the sensing device microcontroller further executes instructions for adjusting the volume of liquid in the storage tank based on the ambient temperature value.
20. The wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device of claim 13, further comprising an intrinsically safe barrier device for providing intrinsically safe communications between the sensing device microcontroller and the fluid level sensor.
21. A method of operating a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device, comprising:
detecting, using a fluid level sensor, a level of liquid in a storage tank, in response to determining, using an accelerometer, that the storage tank is not moving;
converting, using a sensing device microcontroller, the level of liquid in the storage tank into a volume of liquid in the storage tank; and
sending, using a sensing device wireless transceiver, an alert message if the volume of liquid in the storage tank has changed from a previous volume by a threshold amount.
22. The method of operating a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device of claim 21, wherein determining that the storage tank is not moving comprises:
determining a standard deviation of each of the plurality of samples of each of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis of the accelerometer;
23. The method of operating a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device of claim 21, further comprising initializing the fluid level sensor, the accelerometer, and the sensing device wireless transceiver in response to detecting, using a magnetic detector, that a magnet has been positioned in proximity to the magnetic detector.
24. The method of operating a wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device of claim 21, further comprising:
detecting, using a temperature sensor, an ambient temperature value of the wireless autonomous fluid level sensing device; and
adjusting the volume of liquid in the storage tank based on the ambient temperature value.
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USPTO/ISA, International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US07/78365, Mar. 14, 2008.
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US8330414B2 (en) 2012-12-11 Contactless battery charger, electronic device, battery pack, and contactless charging system
US7245230B2 (en) 2007-07-17 Dual magnetic field sensor unit
US7969318B2 (en) 2011-06-28 Flow detector with alarm features
US7411492B2 (en) 2008-08-12 Pet tracking systems, other tracking systems, and portable virtual fence
US6339397B1 (en) 2002-01-15 Portable self-contained tracking unit and GPS tracking system
JP4164996B2 (en) 2008-10-15 Power management system
EP2183526B1 (en) 2018-11-21 Electronic communication unit
US6069570A (en) 2000-05-30 Asset location system
US5719564A (en) 1998-02-17 Utility meter reading system
US5057383A (en) 1991-10-15 Battery system
US20150084769A1 (en) 2015-03-26 Apparatus and methods for geolocating an individual with respect to a perimeter
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US6822565B2 (en) 2004-11-23 Wireless gauge alert
US8093864B2 (en) 2012-01-10 Battery with electronic compartment
US7248181B2 (en) 2007-07-24 Automated meter reading system
US8947194B2 (en) 2015-02-03 Theft detection and prevention in a power generation system
US7977823B2 (en) 2011-07-12 Load condition controlled power module
US7389674B2 (en) 2008-06-24 Sensor
US20170373524A1 (en) 2017-12-28 Battery with electronic compartment
US20110251751A1 (en) 2011-10-13 Motorized equipment tracking and monitoring apparatus, system and method
US20070285053A1 (en) 2007-12-13 Portable charger
US20070271044A1 (en) 2007-11-22 Fault tolerant power system architecture for fluid flow measurement systems
Owner name: TRACKPOINT SYSTEMS, LLC, TENNESSEE
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Tag: A321 NEO
Boeing 737 vs. Toyota Prius (this might surprise you)
We’re surrounded by advertising designed to convince us that some product or activity is green. Lighting, transportation, and hot water combine to form a significant portion of our daily energy consumption. Looking outside our homes, transportation is the largest controllable expense and energy user. Efficiency is tricky and subject to opinions and interpretation so I won’t create an absolute efficiency measurement here. Given Delta Airlines’ recent announcement that they will purchase an oil refinery to better manage their fuel costs let’s compare transportation on a relative basis and use empirical data to show us how different forms of getting around compare against one another?
I define efficiency as an amount of fuel required to move one person one mile (a passenger seat mile). On that basis we can rank Ford F150 pickup trucks against Global Express 550 corporate jets and a Toyota Prius against a motorcycle. Two additional ways we might look at this question are: 1. What’s the maximum efficiency a particular mode could achieve? 2. What’s the most likely efficiency a given mode will achieve?
Data and calculations have been updated to include a Tesla model S, and four airplanes that entered service since this was originally published in 2012. The new list includes the 737MAX, Airbus A321 NEO (New Engine Option), a Boeing 787-900, and the Airbus A350-900. When people are asked which is more efficient, a Boeing 737 or a Toyota Prius, most make a common error and allow speed to affect their judgment about efficiency. The answer depends on the number of full seats. In fact, a 737 filled with a typical number of passengers is more efficient than a Prius with a single occupant. The Prius excels when you start to pack people into it, but most respondents assume that modern jet aircraft couldn’t compete against a hybrid car. This exercise showcases how efficient certain vehicles are. Our runaway winner is the world’s fleet of large tour busses. Operated at capacity these vehicles can move one person between Los Angeles and San Francisco with one gallon of diesel fuel, while a 737 will consume five gallons, and a loaded Prius needs more than two gallons per seat.
The other end of this spectrum is interesting too. How does traveling in First Class by commercial carrier compare to the fuel ‘cost’ required for an individual to travel onboard a private jet? Before we answer this we need to calculate the fuel burn for a first class seat. Boeing reports the 777-200 aircraft could hold 440 seats in a coach class configuration, so we know this plane can achieve 81 miles per gallon for each passenger. Assume that Business Class seats use twice as much fuel as a seat in coach, and First Class seats consume four times more fuel than the average seat in Coach, then for the Boeing 777 we would expect to achieve 20 miles per gallon for each First Class passenger. Compare that to the 13 miles per gallon each seat could generate in a Gulfstream Global Express 550 if every seat was full! Even filling half the seats in the plane would require a fuel burn more than three times higher than consumed by a First class seat on a Boeing 777-200ER and that ignores the frequent ‘repositioning’ flights private jet travel requires.
This table normalizes fuel efficiency based on passenger seat miles. In this example, a Prius with four people would generate four passenger seat miles for every mile driven, while a Boeing 737-800 could generate up to 175 passenger seat miles for each mile flown.
This exercise also points out a paradox in aircraft design – a single aisle Boeing 737-800 is nearly twice as efficient as the larger, double-aisle Boeing 777-200ER. The design requirements for long-haul international flying require more lavatories, large galleys, more storage space, life rafts and a host of other overhead not needed for shorter hops. This paradox creates an opportunity for shorter stage long-haul flying as fuel costs continue to rise. I’ve already shown that absolute fuel burn does not correlate to efficiency the way seating capacity does. Commercial aircraft can move many people very rapidly, and they do it at least as efficiently as cars, and advanced aircraft designs like the 787 Dreamliner, and A350-900 are closing the gap with their single-aisle peers. Motorcycles and minivans are great for moving one or a few people, but it’s very clear that technology scaled for personal transportation doesn’t beat mass transit today. Buses and mini-buses continue to shine in a world where liquid fuels are scarce and expensive and it will be interesting to watch how efficiency demands will shape international and domestic travel in the coming decades.
If you’re interested about commercial aircraft fuel economy you should check out these posts:
The Secret Behind Airline Fuel Surcharges.
Strategic Travel Managers Know Chemistry
Aviation Featured Travel Management
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Taxonomy Name: Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities
Adults with Developmental Disabilities (ADD) - Job Power
215-886-9990 · 261 Old York Road, Jenkintown, PA, 19046 · Map
Work is an essential element in the lives of people with developmental disabilities. Members learn how to become "employable" at weekly meetings that take place in conjunction with Rap Sessions. With the responsibilities of employment come feelings of pride and…
Program: Adults with Developmental Disabilities (ADD) - Montgomery; Jenkintown
Agency: Adults with Developmental Disabilities (ADD)
Similar: Adults…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Developmental Assessment…, Developmental Disabilities…, Developmental Disabilities Activity Centers…, Developmental Disabilities Behavior Management Programs…, Employment Preparation…, Job Finding Assistance…
See Also:Developmental Screening, Disorders of Infancy/Childhood, Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays, Functional Behavioral Assessment, Military Recruitment Programs, People With Disabilities/Health Conditions, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Psychological Testing, Special Education Assessment, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Vocational Education
ARC of Armstrong County Social Opportunities for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
724-545-3426 · 320 Market Street, Kittanning, PA, 16201 · Map
Provides programs and events for persons with intellectual developmental disabilities…
Program: Social Opportunities for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
Agency: ARC of Armstrong County
Similar: Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Intellectual Disabilities…
See Also:Acrocephaly, Coffin-Lowry Syndrome, Cretinism, Down Syndrome, Dysautonomia, Ectodermal Dysplasias, Farber Disease, Fragile X Syndrome, Galactosemia, Klinefelter's Syndrome, Krabbe's Disease, Mucopolysaccharidosis, Phenylketonuria, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Rett Syndrome, Rubella, Shaken Infant Syndrome, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18, Turner Syndrome, Williams Syndrome
ARC of Fayette County Social Opportunities for Persons with Intellectual and Physical Disabilities
724-438-9042 · 80 Old New Salem Road, Uniontown, PA, 15401 · Map
Provides programs and events for persons with intellectual disabilities…
Agency: ARC of Fayette County
Brian's House - Client Employment Services
610-399-1175 · 1300 South Concord Road, West Chester, PA, 19382 · Map
We help people with disabilities maximize their successes in the world of work. Based in the Downingtown Business Center, Brian's House Enterprises (BHE) provides employment training to adults with mental retardation, autism spectrum disorders, brain injury, and other disabilities. Individuals…
Program: Brian's House, Inc. - Chester; Exton
Agency: Brian's House
Similar: Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Job Situations…, Prevocational Training…, Supported Employment…, Vocational Assessment…, Vocational Rehabilitation…
See Also:Clubhouse Model Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Comprehensive Disability Related Employment Programs, Disability Related Center Based Employment, Educational Testing, Job Coach Volunteer Opportunities, Prevocational Training, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Psychological Testing, Special Education, Special Needs Job Development, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Supported Employment, Vocational Rehabilitation
CareLink Community Support Services - Day Services
610-874-1119 · 605 E. Baltimore Pike, Media, PA, 19063 · Map
Day Services program provides intensive mental health treatment to individuals through group and individual psychotherapy, psycho-educational groups, psychiatric consultation and medication management. Day Services offers supports for individuals who have been diagnosed with serious mental illnesses, developmental disabilities and have…
Program: CareLink Community Support Services - Delaware; Crum Lynne
Agency: CareLink Community Support Services
Similar: Anger Management…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Mental Health Drop In Centers…, Programs for Sex Offenders With Mental Disabilities…, Psychiatric Disorder Counseling…, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment…
See Also:Abuse Counseling, Abuse/Violence Related Support Groups, Adolescent/Youth Counseling, After Hours Crisis Drop In Programs, Child Guidance, Clubhouse Model Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Conflict Resolution Training, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Domestic Violence Intervention Programs, Drop In Centers, General Psychiatry, Health/Disability Related Counseling, Mental Health Related Support Groups, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Sex Offender Counseling, Sexual Assault Counseling, Sexual Assault/Incest Support Groups, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment
Children and Adult Disability and Educational Services - Early Intervention
610-328-5955 · 401 Rutgers Avenue, Swarthmore, PA, 19081 · Map
Programs include Early Intervention (home based and center based), an approved private school, Adult Day Programs, Community Residential Programs and transportation services. Programs serve persons from the ages of birth through senior years with a wide range of disabilities such…
Program: Children and Adult Disability and Educational Services - Delaware; Swarthmore
Agency: Children and Adult Disability and Educational Services (CADES)
Similar: Cerebral Palsy…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays…, In Home Developmental Disabilities Habilitation Programs…
See Also:Developmental Assessment, Developmental Screening, Early Head Start, Early Identification Programs, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment
Children and Adults with Special Needs
570-839-6140 · 1547 Mill Creek Road, Newfoundland, PA, 18445 · Map
Devereux CARES day school provides state-of-the-art educational services to children with autism spectrum disorders and their families. The primary goal is to provide an educational environment that will support each student to become a productive, socially connected and personally fulfilled…
Program: Devereux Pocono Center
Agency: Devereux Pennsylvania
Similar: Adults…, Children…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays…, Inpatient Health Facilities…, Mental Health Assessment and Treatment…, Mental Health Care Facilities…, Residential Special Schools…, Special Education Issues…, Transitional Housing/Shelter…
See Also:Boarding Schools, Developmental Assessment, Developmental Screening, Domestic Violence Motel Vouchers, Domestic Violence Shelters, Early Head Start, Early Identification Programs, Education Issues, Health Facility Licensing, Homeless Alternative Housing Developments, Homeless Courts, Homeless Permanent Supportive Housing, Homeless Shelter, Homeless Shelter Volunteer Opportunities, Inpatient Mental Health Facilities, Inpatient Rehabilitation, Inpatient Substance Use Disorder Treatment Facilities, Medical Respite Facilities/Beds for Homeless People, Mental Health Halfway Houses, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Street Outreach Programs, Street Outreach Volunteer Opportunities, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Transitional Residential Substance Use Disorder Services
Compass Corner
717-447-1830 · 31 South Dorcas Street, Lewistown, PA, 17044 · Map
- Licensed adult training facility - Both facilities operate year round, five days per week - Program designed to maximize an individual's opportunity to lead "everyday lives" - Staff serve as adult role models and challenge each participant to reach their highest level…
Program: Compass Community Connections
Agency: Compass Community Connections
Similar: Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…
See Also:Psychiatric Day Treatment, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment
Developmental Enterprises Corporation - Adult Training Facility - Center Point
610-277-3122 · 1581 N Trooper Rd, Worcester, PA, 19490
DEC staff enhance the quality of life of the people served in these day programs through the development of sensory/perceptual motor skills, stimulating each individual's senses, and providing an important link to his or her environment. The staff also helps…
Program: DEC-Center Point Training Center
Agency: Developmental Enterprises Corporation
Similar: Adult Day Programs…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Developmental Assessment…, Intellectual Disabilities…, Travel Training for Older Adults/People With Disabilities…
See Also:Acrocephaly, Adult Day Program Licensing, Coffin-Lowry Syndrome, Cretinism, Developmental Screening, Disability Related Center Based Employment, Down Syndrome, Dysautonomia, Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays, Ectodermal Dysplasias, Farber Disease, Fragile X Syndrome, Functional Behavioral Assessment, Galactosemia, Klinefelter's Syndrome, Krabbe's Disease, Mucopolysaccharidosis, Orientation and Mobility Training, Phenylketonuria, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Psychological Testing, Rett Syndrome, Rubella, Shaken Infant Syndrome, Special Education Assessment, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Transition Services for Students With Disabilities, Transportation System Orientation Programs, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18, Turner Syndrome, Williams Syndrome
Developmental Enterprises Corporation - Adult Training Facility - Willow Grove
215-659-5904 · 2710 Terwood Rd, Willow Grove, PA, 19090
Program: DEC Willow Grove Training Center
Devereux Pennsylvania - Children and Adults with Special Needs
800-345-1292 · 444 Devereux Drive, Villanova, PA, 19085 · Map
Devereux has a continuum of care for children, adolescents and adults, ranging from residential and day treatment programs, community-based group homes, respite care programs, hospital inpatient and outpatient settings, partial hospitalization, transitional living arrangements, supervised apartments, foster care homes, special…
Program: Devereux Pennsylvania - Delaware; Villanova
Similar: Adults…, Children…, Counseling Services…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays…, Inpatient Mental Health Facilities…, Mental Health Evaluation…, Outpatient Mental Health Facilities…, Psychiatric Services…, Residential Special Schools…, Special Education Issues…, Transitional Housing/Shelter…
See Also:Adoption Counseling and Support, Birth Control Counseling, Boarding Schools, Central Intake/Assessment for Mental Health Services, Counseling Approaches, Counseling Settings, Developmental Assessment, Developmental Screening, Domestic Violence Motel Vouchers, Domestic Violence Shelters, Early Head Start, Early Identification Programs, Education Issues, Functional Behavioral Assessment, Homeless Alternative Housing Developments, Homeless Courts, Homeless Permanent Supportive Housing, Homeless Shelter, Homeless Shelter Volunteer Opportunities, Inpatient Health Facilities, Medical Respite Facilities/Beds for Homeless People, Pregnancy Counseling, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Special Education Assessment, Street Outreach Programs, Street Outreach Volunteer Opportunities, Student Counseling Services, Substance Use Disorder Counseling, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Support Groups, Therapy Volunteer Opportunities, Transitional Residential Substance Use Disorder Services, Truancy Counseling
Devereux Pennsylvania - Children and Adults with Special Needs - Adult Service Division
610-269-6800 · 139 Leopard Road, Berwyn, PA, 19312 · Map
Campus and community homes and apartments offering respite, semi-independent living, supported living programs, and shared-living programs/lifesharing, vocational and employment services.…
Program: Devereux Pa Adult Services Division
Similar: Adults…, Children…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays…, Inpatient Mental Health Facilities…, Mental Health Assessment and Treatment…, Outpatient Mental Health Facilities…, Residential Special Schools…, Residential Treatment Facilities…, Respite Care…, Special Education Issues…, Transitional Housing/Shelter…
See Also:Boarding Schools, Caregiver Consultation and Support, Central Intake/Assessment for Mental Health Services, Developmental Assessment, Developmental Screening, Domestic Violence Motel Vouchers, Domestic Violence Shelters, Early Head Start, Early Identification Programs, Education Issues, Homeless Alternative Housing Developments, Homeless Courts, Homeless Permanent Supportive Housing, Homeless Shelter, Homeless Shelter Volunteer Opportunities, Inpatient Health Facilities, Medical Respite Facilities/Beds for Homeless People, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Residential Treatment Facility Licensing, Respite Care Registries, Respite Care Subsidies, Respite/Home Health Care Volunteer Opportunities, Street Outreach Programs, Street Outreach Volunteer Opportunities, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Transitional Residential Substance Use Disorder Services
Devereux Pennsylvania - Children and Adults with Special Needs - Beneto Center
800-935-6789 · 655 Sugartown Road, Malvern, PA, 19355 · Map
Acute and sub-acute psychiatric hospitalization, intensive and community-based residential treatment, special education day school programs, psychiatric services, school-based services and pre-vocational programs.…
Program: Devereux Beneto Center
Similar: Children…, Counseling Services…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays…, Inpatient Mental Health Facilities…, Mental Health Evaluation…, Outpatient Mental Health Facilities…, Psychiatric Services…, Residential Special Schools…, Residential Treatment Facilities…, Special Education Issues…, Transitional Housing/Shelter…
See Also:Adoption Counseling and Support, Birth Control Counseling, Boarding Schools, Central Intake/Assessment for Mental Health Services, Counseling Approaches, Counseling Settings, Developmental Assessment, Developmental Screening, Domestic Violence Motel Vouchers, Domestic Violence Shelters, Early Head Start, Early Identification Programs, Education Issues, Functional Behavioral Assessment, Homeless Alternative Housing Developments, Homeless Courts, Homeless Permanent Supportive Housing, Homeless Shelter, Homeless Shelter Volunteer Opportunities, Inpatient Health Facilities, Medical Respite Facilities/Beds for Homeless People, Pregnancy Counseling, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Residential Treatment Facility Licensing, Special Education Assessment, Street Outreach Programs, Street Outreach Volunteer Opportunities, Student Counseling Services, Substance Use Disorder Counseling, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Support Groups, Therapy Volunteer Opportunities, Transitional Residential Substance Use Disorder Services, Truancy Counseling
Devereux Pennsylvania - Children and Adults with Special Needs - Children's Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services
610-431-8100 · 390 East Boot Road, West Chester, PA, 19380 · Map
Campus and community based residential treatment, including specialized programs and schools for individuals with autism; sexual responsibility programs for males, special education programs including day school programs, treatment family program, community integration and employment programs.…
Program: Devereux Children's Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services
Similar: Adults…, Children…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays…, Intellectual Disabilities…, Mental Health Assessment and Treatment…, Residential Special Schools…, Residential Treatment Facilities…, Special Education Issues…, Transitional Housing/Shelter…
See Also:Acrocephaly, Boarding Schools, Coffin-Lowry Syndrome, Cretinism, Developmental Assessment, Developmental Screening, Domestic Violence Motel Vouchers, Domestic Violence Shelters, Down Syndrome, Dysautonomia, Early Head Start, Early Identification Programs, Ectodermal Dysplasias, Education Issues, Farber Disease, Fragile X Syndrome, Galactosemia, Homeless Alternative Housing Developments, Homeless Courts, Homeless Permanent Supportive Housing, Homeless Shelter, Homeless Shelter Volunteer Opportunities, Klinefelter's Syndrome, Krabbe's Disease, Medical Respite Facilities/Beds for Homeless People, Mucopolysaccharidosis, Phenylketonuria, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Residential Treatment Facility Licensing, Rett Syndrome, Rubella, Shaken Infant Syndrome, Street Outreach Programs, Street Outreach Volunteer Opportunities, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Transitional Residential Substance Use Disorder Services, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18, Turner Syndrome, Williams Syndrome
Devereux Pennsylvania - Children and Adults with Special Needs - Phoenixville
610-933-8110 · 1041 West Bridge Street, Phoenixville, PA, 19460 · Map
A 32 week maximum intensive, in-home, team-delivered service to families in which there is a child/adolescent with a serious mental illness or emotional disturbance who is at risk of psychiatric hospitalization or out-of-home placement.…
Program: Devereux Community Services Phoenixville PA
Similar: Children…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays…, Mental Health Assessment and Treatment…, Mental Health Care Facilities…, Residential Special Schools…, Special Education Issues…, Transitional Housing/Shelter…
See Also:Boarding Schools, Developmental Assessment, Developmental Screening, Domestic Violence Motel Vouchers, Domestic Violence Shelters, Early Head Start, Early Identification Programs, Education Issues, Health Facility Licensing, Homeless Alternative Housing Developments, Homeless Courts, Homeless Permanent Supportive Housing, Homeless Shelter, Homeless Shelter Volunteer Opportunities, Medical Respite Facilities/Beds for Homeless People, Mental Health Halfway Houses, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Street Outreach Programs, Street Outreach Volunteer Opportunities, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Transitional Residential Substance Use Disorder Services
Erie Home for Children and Adults (EHCA) - Making Opportunities for Volunteerism and Exploration (MOVE) Program
814-315-1901 · 4950 West 23rd Street, Erie, PA, 16506 · Map
Adult day program that focuses on inclusion through volunteering and socializing in the community. Services include arts, crafts, and dance as well as opportunities for aquatic, nursing, and physical therapy services.…
Program: Erie Home for Children and Adults (EHCA) - Making Opportunities for Volunteerism and Exploration (MOVE) Program
Agency: Erie Home for Children and Adults (EHCA)
Family Services Inc. Alternative Day Program
814-944-3583 · 2022 Broad Avenue, Altoona, PA, 16601 · Map
This licensed program gives adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to enhance their everyday skills, learn to socialize and participate in the community.…
Program: Family Services Inc. Intellectual Disabilities Program
Agency: Family Services Incorporated
Hall Mercer CMH/MRC - Developmental Disability Services for Children and Adults
215-829-3461 · 245 South 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19106 · Map
Provides case management for children and adults.…
Program: Hall Mercer CMH/MRC - Philadelphia; Washington Square West
Agency: Hall Mercer CMH/MRC
Similar: Case/Care Management…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Developmental Disabilities…, Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays…
See Also:Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Case/Care Management Referrals, Developmental Assessment, Developmental Screening, Disaster Related Case Management, Disorders of Infancy/Childhood, Early Head Start, Early Identification Programs, Economic Self Sufficiency Programs, Family Based Services, Family Maintenance/Reunification, Family Permanent Supportive Housing, Long Term Care Options Counseling, Medical Social Work, People With Disabilities/Health Conditions, Psychiatric Case Management, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Resident Services Coordination Programs, Service Cost Payment Assistance, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment
Hanover Street Neighbors
717-258-8005 · 34 - 36 North Hanover Street, Carlisle, PA, 17013 · Map
A collaborative effort between people with intellectual disabilities, their families, and CPARC to provide supervised activities in the community that include opportunities for socialization and volunteerism…
Program: Hanover Street Neighbors (Participant Family Focused Program)
Agency: Arc of Cumberland & Perry Counties (CPARC)
Similar: Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Intellectual Disabilities…, Social Development and Enrichment…
See Also:Acrocephaly, Coffin-Lowry Syndrome, Community Groups and Government/Administrative Offices, Cretinism, Down Syndrome, Dysautonomia, Ectodermal Dysplasias, Farber Disease, Fragile X Syndrome, Galactosemia, Klinefelter's Syndrome, Krabbe's Disease, Mucopolysaccharidosis, Phenylketonuria, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Rett Syndrome, Rubella, Shaken Infant Syndrome, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18, Turner Syndrome, Williams Syndrome
Lifesteps, Inc. - Adult Training Facility Basic Education and Socialization Training (BEST) Beaver
724-283-1010 · 138 Friendship Circle, Beaver, PA, 15009 · Map
Provides learning opportunities for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities in a supportive environment. A team of Direct Care Professionals work with each individual to develop a customized support plan, with goals of greater independence, enhance communication and basic life skills, and…
Program: Adult and Senior Services
Agency: Lifesteps
Similar: Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Developmental Disabilities…
See Also:Disorders of Infancy/Childhood, People With Disabilities/Health Conditions, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment
Lifesteps, Inc. - Adult Training Facility Basic Education and Socialization Training (BEST) Butler
724-283-1010 · 383 New Castle Road, Butler, PA, 16001 · Map
Provides learning opportunities for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities in a supportive environment. A team of Direct Care Professionals work with each individual to develop a customized support plan, with goals of greater independence, enhance communication and daily living skills, and…
Lifesteps, Inc. - Community OutReach Center - Armstrong
724-283-1010 · 184 Nolte Drive, Kittanning, PA, 16201 · Map
Adult Training Facility that focuses on assisting individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities to become active members of their community through volunteerism, participation in community events, and social interaction within the community. Transition Program focuses on job readiness skills to prepare…
Lifesteps, Inc. - Community OutReach Center - Indiana
724-283-1010 · 1455 Church Street, Indiana, PA, 15701 · Map
Adult Training Facility that focuses on assisting individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities to become active members of their community through volunteerism, participation in community events, and social interaction within the community. Transition Program focuses on job readiness skills to prepare participants…
Lifesteps, Inc. - Community OutReach Center - Washington
724-283-1010 · 2705 Route 136, Eighty Four, PA, 15330 · Map
Lifestyle Support Services - Warren Regional Office
814-723-4074x201 · 245 Pleasant Drive, Warren, PA, 16365 · Map
Provides services to persons with intellectual disabilities in a variety of settings.…
Program: Lifestyle Support Services - Warren Regional Office
Agency: Lifestyle Support Services
Similar: Adult Residential Treatment Facilities…, Day Treatment for Adults With Developmental Disabilities…, Intellectual Disabilities…, Life Care Planning…
See Also:Acrocephaly, Coffin-Lowry Syndrome, Cretinism, Down Syndrome, Dysautonomia, Ectodermal Dysplasias, Farber Disease, Fragile X Syndrome, Galactosemia, Klinefelter's Syndrome, Krabbe's Disease, Master Trust Administration, Mucopolysaccharidosis, Phenylketonuria, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Psychiatric Day Treatment, Residential Placement Services for People With Disabilities, Rett Syndrome, Rubella, Shaken Infant Syndrome, Special Needs Trust Preparation Assistance, Substance Use Disorder Day Treatment, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18, Turner Syndrome, Williams Syndrome
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Community / Paizo Blog / Tags / Remko Troost
Journey to the Pact Worlds
We're just little over a month away before the next hardcover addition to Starfinder releases! Starfinder Pact Worlds is your guide to the 14 major worlds at the heart of the Starfinder campaign setting. Before we start revealing the content of Pact Worlds, we wanted to show off the book's amazing new cover by artist Remko Troost!
This book will be full of information about the civilizations of the Pact Worlds system, new aliens, starships, and all kinds of options for your Starfinder game. What are you hoping made it into Pact Worlds, and what are you most excited about for Starfinder? Let us know in the comments!
Tags: Remko Troost Starfinder
Meet the Iconics: Raia
Raia Danviri was born and raised in the lashunta city-state of Komena, near the southern tip of the continent of Asana on Castrovel. Komena's proximity to the formian-inhabited continent of the Colonies has made it a center of military activity for millennia, but to the Danviris, it was a home filled with hope and promise. Raia's parents were diplomats, and devoted their lives to brokering a peace between the lashuntas and the formians, a goal that spanned decades. They taught their daughter the value of all sentient life, for even among creatures like the insectile formians, who were so unlike lashuntas and had been enemies for so long, one can find similarities like culture, society, and civilization. But even more important are the differences. The details that separate one species from another are not only what make them interesting, but also teach one new things, and inspire one to question and re-examine one's own assumptions and beliefs.
The countdown to Starfinder is on! We're highlighting the iconic characters and core classes that appear throughout the pages and covers of the Starfinder line. Today we meet Raia, the iconic technomancer!
Illustration by Remko Troost
The fact that Raia's parents actually succeeded in helping to negotiate peace with the Colonies only reinforced their teachings in the young lashunta's mind. Raia became almost obsessed with alien life forms. She devoured any texts she could find that described the myriad species that inhabited the worlds beyond Castrovel, and dreamed of someday traveling among the stars and meeting new species. When she reached puberty, Raia chose to develop into the tall, intellectual damaya subspecies, following the example of her parents, both of whom are damaya.
When she was old enough, Raia applied to and was accepted into one of Qabarat's famed universities. Her aptitude exams showed a talent for both technology and spellcasting, so she studied the discipline of technomancy, using experimentation to blend science and magic together. At the same time, however, she also excelled in xenobiology and xenoanthropology, applying academic rigor to her childhood passion. During this time, Raia discovered Yaraesa, the lashunta goddess of knowledge and wisdom, whose faith was more akin to the scientific method. Raia wholeheartedly embraced Yaraesa's teachings, seeking self-perfection through the acquisition of knowledge and the development of one's mind and intellect.
It was also at university that Raia met Danese, an exchange student from Triaxus. Raia was immediately enthralled with the exotic ryphorian and his silky white fur, but it was Danese's quick wit and keen intellect that turned the initial attraction into something more. Danese was the first real "alien” that Raia befriended, and their friendship eventually blossomed into love. Raia and Danese were inseparable during their time at university, but knew they would need to reassess their relationship when their studies were complete. Danese had already accepted a commission in the Skyfire Legion and had to return to Triaxus after graduation, while Raia had been accepted into a graduate program on Absalom Station. Danese offered to resign his commission, but Raia refused. In her opinion, neither of them should have to sacrifice their own advancement and improvement for the sake of the other; instead, each of them should follow Yaraesa's example and figure things out for themselves—intellectually and spiritually, as well as romantically. They bid each other a tearful farewell, and promised to reunite whenever circumstances allowed.
After completing her studies, Raia realized that her passion for studying alien life-forms was actually a calling, and her technomantic abilities were the currency she could use to fund her life's work, exchanging her skills as a scientist and technomancer for berths on ships heading out to undiscovered regions of the Vast. Raia believes there is a certain nobility in contacting an alien species for the first time and working to ensure that both they and the peoples of the Pact Worlds advance and improve from the relationship. She seeks out new technology and alternative magical techniques from the aliens she encounters, trading her own knowledge in exchange. Raia doesn't hold to any unrealistic expectation of non-interference in alien cultures, but believes strongly in doing the right thing, and in always striving for honor, compassion, and justice.
Despite her love of exploration, Raia remains firmly tied to the Pact Worlds. Besides her parents and friends on Castrovel, Raia still loves Danese, and the two remain committed to one another, even across the vast distances involved in interstellar travel. They stay in regular communication, and treasure the infrequent times when their paths bring them physically close to one another. Some day, they might choose to settle down and build a life together, but for now Raia is content. She knows love, her life has purpose and meaning, and the galaxy is filled with an endless number of aliens to discover, befriend, and study—one species at a time.
Robert G. McCreary
Starfinder Creative Lead
Tags: Iconics Meet the Iconics Raia Remko Troost Starfinder Technomancers
The Ironfang Resolution
The Ironfang Resolution Thursday, July 19, 2017 This month marks the conclusion of the Ironfang Invasion, and even as I type, issues of Pathfinder Adventure Path #120: Vault of the Onyx Citadel are being furiously packaged and shipped by our warehouse raptors. Some of you may already have them in your dice-stained hands. We finally get to see what makes Azaersi tick, and what sort of danger her sly inner circle truly present. Your heros will (hopefully) slay the witch worm Zanathura (again)...
This month marks the conclusion of the Ironfang Invasion, and even as I type, issues of Pathfinder Adventure Path #120: Vault of the Onyx Citadel are being furiously packaged and shipped by our warehouse raptors. Some of you may already have them in your dice-stained hands. We finally get to see what makes Azaersi tick, and what sort of danger her sly inner circle truly present. Your heros will (hopefully) slay the "witch worm" Zanathura (again) as well as the Ironfang Commanders, Kraelos and Azlowe as they explore a pocket of the Plane of Earth originally mastered by the ancient xiomorn, and left abandoned with its mysteries and powerful artifacts intact. Hopefully you all have as much fun killing everything as the authors and I had breathing life into them.
Developing this AP was a hell of a journey that helped my skills travel almost as far as your PCs will. I learned that sometimes you need to make a giant mess on an office wall with sticky notes before you can make a complex system work, and that greater barghests are a lot bigger than I realized. I also learned that my fellow developer, Amanda Hamon Kuntz is a sick little monkey. Traditionally, the AP developer uses this blog to mention their favorite thing from the six volumes, but my authors did some amazing work all around, and I don't think I have a favorite. There are too many weird characters and bizarre encounters, and my brain is too leaky from years of drinking and traumatic head injury to really have a favorite thing for more than five minutes. I will say that I'm pretty happy with the art; we gave the art team some really strange requests—from balding bugbears to morlock matriarchs—and their artists delivered.
I also learned in this six-month process that I am not—counter to what the internet tells me—infallible. I have in fact fallibled. I fallibled so hard, you guys. Sometimes it was little things, like not remembering when I swapped a character's name out or whether they were called "onyx towers" or "obsidian towers." Thank the dark gods for editors or else it would have been a lot worse. But there's one glaring omission: The onyx key itself. I never included a statblock for the macguffin that powers the entire campaign! In early volumes, I decided that since it largely acted as a plot device that the PCs wouldn't interact with, we could leave off a statblock until later volumes. But by the time we reached said later volumes, I knew that surely I'd included the statblock in the first adventure (it was would be asinine not to, I think you'll agree).
Now that your players are ready to kick General Azaersi's butt and take her stuff, here at last is the statblock for the onyx key:
Illustrations by Will O'Brien and Remko Troost
The Onyx Key
This jagged growth of crystal pulses with warm pink and range hues. Carvings of spires and crenellated walls transform the top into a model fortress or palace. Nine uncarved spikes grow from the citadel's base—eight jet-black and the ninth a brilliant red.
Onyx Key Major Artifact
Slot none; CL 20th; Weight 8 lbs
Aura strong conjuration
Illustration by Miguel Regodón Harkness
Though deceptively small, the onyx key is a powerful artifact that serves as the focus and control mechanism for the vast dimensional energies collected by the xiomorn facility called the Onyx Citadel. The citadel itself maintains a complex network of extradimensional tunnels known as the Stone Roads—once used by the xiomorns to travel across the Plane of Earth—and allows this network to bridge into other planes, granting its user the power to move resources or entire armies. Eight shards of black crystal grow from the onyx key's base, and may be broken off as a standard action. If an onyx shard is plunged into natural earth or stone as a full-round action, it begins rumbling and grows into a thirty-foot spire of translucent black stone with an archway in its base. The tower's archways can be commanded to open an extradimensional tunnel to the archway of any other onyx tower no the same plane. The tower requires a full thirty seconds to grow. A Stone Road opened between two towers is typically a 100-foot stone tunnel, but as with many elements of xiomorn magic this is far from certain, and gates may occasionally run far longer, with smaller side passageways leading off into the unknown.
A crystalline matrix—a network of circles and imbedded stones—embedded in each spire may be manipulated to open and close the tower's connection to other towers, destroying it, or restructure the tower's design. Linking to another tower requires a successful DC 25 Knowledge (geography) check, reshaping the tower requires a successful Knowledge (engineering) or Use Magic Device skill check, with the DC ranging from 20 for simple additions, such as stairways or a single room—to 35 or higher for sophisticated layouts or defenses. Open or closing the tower's connection to the Stone Roads takes a standard action, while inputting changes requires one minute of work and 1d4 weeks for the tower to slowly make the appropriate alterations to itself. Destroying the tower requires a successful DC 35 Knowledge (engineering) or Use Magic Device check and a full 36 rounds to activate. A tower's footprint cannot exceed 120 feet on a side, and cannot grow taller than 80 feet.
In addition to the nine black shards, a single sardonyx shard grows from the onyx key's base. This shard cannot be used to grow a tower, but instead may be installed in an existing tower to augment its power, allowing it to open a Stone Road to the Onyx Citadel itself, or connect to onyx towers on other planes.
Whoever possesses the onyx key itself may mentally destroy an existing onyx tower as a full-round action, but cannot destroy a shard that hasn't yet been transformed into a tower, nor the sardonyx shard if it hasn't been installed in a tower. Once a tower is destroyed, its corresponding onyx shard regrows from the onyx key over the next month.
The eight onyx shards of the onyx key must be planted in the eight ends of the Stone Road, stretching itself magic thin, while the onyx key itself is cast into the Storm of Fangs on the Plane of Air.
While the Stone Road predates the onyx key—the Onyx Citadel and other hubs of xiomorn science already capable to opening gates to this network—the artifact gave its ancient creators the gift of mobility and the power to leap the dimensional barrier with ease, expanding their experimentation to new worlds. As the xiomorn withdrew from Golarion, they left the onyx key, alongside many other treasures, in a sacred stronghold in the Darklands layer of Orv.
The artifact entered the modern history of Golarion when it was discovered by the dwarven explorer Kraggodan, who followed strange whispers in the earth to the vast treasures the xiomorn left behind. Using the onyx towers as a series of ever-advancing strongholds, Kraggodan and his clan completed their Quest for Sky swiftly and with minimum casualties—most notable Kraggodan himself, who died defending his people from the orcish hordes—and the clan named the city they founded in honor of their late savior. Once settled in, the dwarves began to experiment with the onyx key in hopes of understanding its powerful magic, and instead opened a Stone Road to the Vault of the Onyx Citadel, allowing all manner of outsiders to flood through and devastate their population. Wary of a similar tragic mistake, they sealed the artifact in a sacred vault dedicated to their people's history, safely locked away from curious hands.
And there the onyx key stayed for thousands of years, largely forgotten by all but a few, until it was stolen by the hobgoblin warlord Azaersi, beginning the events of the Ironfang Invasion.
Tags: Ironfang Invasion Miguel Regodón Harkness Pathfinder Adventure Path Remko Troost Will O'Brien
Meet the Iconics: Altronus
Altronus Barasul Dovenayan was born into House Holdare, a traditional and respected family on the kasatha generation-ship-turned-homeland Idari. The Holdare trace their lineage to Great Families already well respected when the Idari left Kasath for their centuries-long trip to the Pact Worlds, and have maintained strong connections with both the houses that rose to prominence on the ship while crew functions were paramount, and younger houses risen to prominence since the Idari became an enormous space station. Much of the influence of House Holdare comes from their renown for producing skilled adata—scholar-priests who oversee the removal and preservation of thin slices of the brains of deceased kasatha in technomagical temples called adats. Even in times when ships officers, pilots, and navigators find their social relevance waning, the adata remain highly respected in kasatha society.
The countdown to Starfinder is on, and to celebrate, we're continuing to delve into the backstories of the iconic characters that appear in illustrations throughout the Starfinder line. Today we meet Altronus, the iconic solarian!
The eldest living member of House Holdare, Barasul Naedarin Allar of Clan Allar, Keeper of Ten Million Thoughts and doyen of the ship's adata, took a special interest in Altronus shortly after his birth, though he was but a distant nephew to her. Of course the attention of so great a clan elder comes with more responsibility and expectation than comfort, and though Altronus was raised with significant prestige and resources as a youth, he was also pushed to begin adata training very early, his family even going so far as to name him after famous adata doyens.
While Altronus did not excel at his studies the way his family had hoped, neither did he do poorly, and most people chalked his merely adequate results up to his relative youth. In truth, Altronus was indeed an excellent scholar, simply one who had trouble focusing on a single topic for long. Inevitably, some interesting fact in his studies would pique his interest and draw his research off into unrelated sidetracks. This broad, self-directed education made him adept at making connections between disparate fields, yet earned him little love from traditionalist teachers who saw his scattered studies as a failure to focus and a deliberate rejection of tried-and-true scholarly practices.
Though his close family were dedicated worshipers of Talavet, the Storyteller deity, one of Altronus's more sympathetic teachers felt his wandering focus could be better brought into line with training in the philosophy of the Cycle, which teaches that existence is an endless, connected series of events as stars are born, die, and born again. Though the Cycle is the guiding philosophy of the solarians, contemplative warriors with a tradition stretching far back into the history of Kasath, it's also seen as a useful tool for training body and mind in preparation for the rigors of other vocations.
Altronus was accepted as a student into a prestigious cosmonastery on the Idari, and taught to focus his thoughts on the forces of the universe around him, to draw strength and guidance from the endless repetition of celestial creation and destruction. He took to the training immediately, and soon was among the most advanced students, most of whom sought not just to understand the lessons of the Cycle, but to embody them in the path of the solarian. Altronus, however, was still slated for a career as an adata. This preordained path didn't bother him—as he approached adulthood and the yearlong ritual walkabout of the Tempering, he was allowed to take on guard shifts at the ship's famed Sholar Adat. There he watched over rooms of stasis pods where adata connected to the Sensorium, the technomagical temple archive where flashes of memories from archived kasatha brains could be experienced, sorted, and analyzed. On rare occasions, he was even allowed to experience ancient Sensorium memories himself, and it was these glimpses of lives and secrets long lost that most drove Altronus to complete his studies and become a full adata.
During one of his last scheduled shifts as an adata student, Altronus was assigned to an inactive Sensorium access node—one rarely used, but like all Sensorium access points still important enough to be protected by force fields and a round-the-clock guard. Though most such shifts were uneventful, on that night Altronus was surprised by the appearance of a fully cloaked and apparently rushed senior adata, Remura Esolla Kaiban of Clan Senthen, flashing a warrant to allow unscheduled access to the memory of a recently deceased citizen. Thanks to his tendency to collect trivia, Altronus knew Remura was scheduled to be giving a lecture at the far end of the Idari. What, he wondered, could be of such great importance that the revered adat would end the lecture early, not to mention need an emergency Sensorium warrant?
Altronus knew he should mind his own business, but again curiosity overrode his training. Altronus contacted a friend at the far end of the ship, who informed him that not only had Adata Kaiban not left the lecture early—she was still on the stage.
Immediately Altronus sounded an intruder alert, and rushed into the Sensorium access node to confront the false adata. To his surprise, Altronus discovered not a kasatha, but a small, sickly gray humanoid standing in a pile of robes and strange machinery, with long wires and humming crystals latched onto the Sensorium feed and hundreds of images flashing from the access node to the gray creature's alien devices. Altronus leapt to activate the Sensorium emergency disconnect, but the bulbous creature struck him with a taclash, ripping the pulsecaster from his grip, then shot him with a pistol that fired a searing green ray. Through the resulting haze of pain, Altronus managed to seal the access node's security force fields, trapping himself and the gray intruder inside.
With a shock, Altronus realized the severity of the situation. Any response to his alarm would take precious moments to arrive, and still more to disable the force field. Unarmed, Altronus had little chance of holding the intruder at bay. He had no way of healing the wound from the creature's pistol. For the first time in his life, Altronus truly confronted the fact that he was going to die. Like the stars themselves, he too would be extinguished, his body breaking down and eventually being reincorporated over millennia into new entities, new worlds, new stars. At last, he truly understood the Cycle. With his final moments, he reached out to the universe, embracing it.
And the universe answered.
Altronus was as surprised as the strange gray alien to find a long, shining golden blade suddenly sprouting from his lower right forearm. Yet he had seen enough of solarian training to recognize the blade of stellar energy for what it was, and leapt to put it to use, placing himself between the creature and the node's access panels. The two fought in grim silence, and though it was clear the gray invader was the more skilled, Altronus stood his ground, putting to use every scrap of training he'd gained. He didn't need to win—only buy time, keeping the creature from finishing its infiltration of the Sensorium until help arrived.
Blow after blow fell upon Altronus, and the pistol's strange green rays continued to singe and scale his flesh, but Altronus would not fall. His blade scored many fewer hits, and at times seemed to pass cleanly through his foe to no effect, but he pressed the attack as best he could. As he did, a fierce joy welled up in him, a sense of the rightness of the path that had led him to this moment. This cosmic contentment continued to expand until he had no choice but to release it, unleashing a burst of searing stellar flame in all direction.
At last, ship security arrived, using their command bypasses to deactivate the access node's force fields and dragging the half-dead Altronus from the fight. Yet upon seeing that it was outnumbered, the bulbous-headed alien didn't continue to fight, or attempt to escape. Rather, it paused to take stock of the situation, toggled a device on its arm—and detonated its own head like a bomb.
The security team secured the body and questioned Altronus. When several true adata arrived, they immediately attempted to preserve part of the horrid gray thing's exploded brain. While their efforts to pull meaning from the splatter were greatly hindered, two ideas were recovered. The first was that gray spies had deeply infiltrated the Pact Worlds. The second was that the time of something important called "Phase Three" was coming soon.
The Doyenate of the Idari was informed, and additional security added to Sensorium access nodes. While the matter of gray infiltrators was officially left open to investigation, with no more solid leads and no further incidents, official attention quickly turned elsewhere.
But Altronus couldn't let the issue lie.
Questions filled his mind. How thoroughly had grays infiltrated the Pact Worlds? Had they successfully infiltrated the Idari? What did this gray seek to learn from the Sensorium? Why had it sought to destroy its own brain when capture became inevitable? And, most importantly, what was Phase Three, and how soon would it arrive? Altronus tried to quiet his mind with further solarian training, but while his powers grew, his sense of calm did not.
As it came time for Altronus to begin his Tempering, he realized he could never accept a role as an adata while the mystery of the gray invader hung over him. He sought, and received, approval from his house doyen to abandon the path he had long trod, and informed his family that he was leaving the Idari. He had no firm idea of where he would go, nor how his investigation would advance, only a vow to chase down every strange occurrence that might mark a potential gray incursion within the Pact Worlds. While many of these events had other—sometimes equally strange—explanations, he found enough potential connections to the grays to support his growing suspicion that secret conspiracies indeed existed just out of sight. Still a rigorous scholar, he began to accept that he'd need to give more credence to outrageous claims and unlikely stories if he ever wanted to uncover the truth.
Now inarguably an adult, Altronus has nevertheless remained on his Tempering for much longer than the traditional year, and still sees himself as working to form the traditions that will guide him through his later life. He often signs on with freelancers and adventuring companies as a guard, scout, or researcher in order to support himself—especially if their activities align with his obsession—yet his primary goal always remains researching the shadowy web of plots he first glimpsed that night in the access node. Ironically, while he comes across to many kasatha as overly impetuous and offbeat, his natural kasatha love of traditions, his devotion to the Cycle, and his scholar's desire to monologue about admittedly unconventional research often causes members of other races to see him as an eccentric professor or addled conspiracy theorist. Any skepticism as to his usefulness, however, disappears in the first firefight, as Altronus launches himself into the fray and "lets the cosmos take control," slicing through hordes of enemies with terrifying calm.
Owen KC Stephens
Tags: Altronus Iconics Meet the Iconics Remko Troost Solarians Starfinder
Meet the Iconics: Quig
Jun 26, 2017, 12:00 pm
Born to a poor family barely eking out a living in the small settlement of Estuar on Akiton, Quig Dexel developed a fascination at an early age with the various water-purification plants that skirted the nearby polar ice caps. Spurred by this curiosity, he taught himself the basics of engineering by stealthily tinkering with valve-control mechanisms and reverse-osmosis regulators until he was old enough to work for one of the shady syndicates that controlled the flow of water out of town. Initially hired as a de-icer, he made sure that the storage tanks' outflow lines didn't freeze over during the cold nights. Though he worked odd hours, he was able to make friends by helping his coworkers when their shoddy flamers malfunctioned.
The countdown to Starfinder is on, and to celebrate, we're continuing to delve into the backstories of the iconic characters that appear in illustrations throughout the Starfinder line. Today we meet Quig Dexel, the iconic mechanic!
In his spare time, Quig began constructing the first iterations of what would become his drone companion, Scout, using spare parts he scrounged from Estuar's junk heaps and alleys. One early morning after his shift, as Quig hunted for scraps that he could fashion into an actuator, he was winged by a stray laser blast from a passing firefight waged between a shobhad bounty hunter and her human quarry. Ignoring the pain, Quig dropped the hunk of metal he was holding and chased after the fracas. He arrived on the scene in time to see the bounty hunter tackle the fugitive and slap him in restraints. Flushed with adrenaline, Quig realized then and there that this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
That afternoon, after gathering up all of his belongings and mounting a pistol to Scout's undercarriage, Quig said farewell to his family and set off into the wider world. He eventually made his way to the bustling streets of the Hivemarket, where he signed on as a caravan guard with a group of ikeshti traders. Quig spent the first few hours of the journey questioning the lizardfolk about their society, until several pointed stares gave him the hint that he should keep to himself. He proceeded to valiantly suppress his curiosity and tinker quietly on Scout for much of the trip, pausing only when a flock of hungry norkasa swooped too close to the caravan and gave him the chance to impress the ikeshti with the improvements he'd made to his trust de-icing flamer.
The journey ended in the ancient city of Arl, a haven for blood sports in the coliseum known as the Crimson Forum. After getting paid, Quig explored the city's labyrinthine streets and was promptly ambushed by a gang of street thugs who not only took his money, but disabled and absconded with Scout. Enraged yet already streetwise enough to be suspicious of the city authorities, young Quig began asking around about other gangs or freelancers that could help him get his revenge.
It was there, in one of Arl's seediest dive bars, that Quig ran into Dhareen the Vise, the same shobhad bounty hunter who inadvertently set him on his life's path. As an awestruck Quig launched into his entire life story, Dhareen sighed wearily and told him to forget about his lost drone and head back to his backwater town. But at last Quig said the four words the shobhad lived to hear:
"I can pay you."
Dhareen scoffed, but as the ysoki pointed out a dozen ways she could improve her gear, the bounty hunter reluctantly agreed, and the two planned a raid of the gang's headquarters.
One week later, Quig and Scout had been reunited, and the ysoki was apprenticed to Dhareen, having impressed her with his quick thinking during the rescue of his drone. Quig learned much from the gruff shobhad over the next year as they traveled the system, and though they often butted heads over methods of tracking and capturing their quarries, the two enjoyed a relationship of mutual respect. Upon the completion of a sizable job where they collected five bounties simultaneously—right under the noses of several competing bounty hunters—Dhareen announced that she was ready to retire and travel with her clan once more. Quig was saddened about the dissolution of their partnership, but also felt ready to operate on his own. The shobhad returned to Akiton to live what she hoped would be a quieter life, while Quig continues to make a name for himself across the Pact Worlds.
Quig is personable and outgoing—often significantly chattier than his comrades would like—and his constant traveling for work has left him with friends and contacts across the Pact Worlds. He prides himself on being a good judge of character, and while he's savvy enough to withhold actual trust until it's been earned, he's not above throwing himself into a fight on behalf of a near-stranger if he's got a good feeling about them. Though fully capable of working alone, he tends to get bored easily without people to talk to, and thus prefers to sign on with teams of adventurers, where he can act as the group's resident tracker and starship engineer. While he still keeps in touch with his family, he doesn't speak about his hometown much, as he's a bit embarrassed by his unglamorous upbringing—when he does mention it, it is with a liberal helping of humor. He's a fan of both taking minor trophies from previous jobs and scavenging spare parts that he's positive may come in handy someday, inevitably turning his cabin or bunk into a riotous nest of cherished junk.
Quig's closest companion is his drone, Scout, and he spends the majority of his downtime puttering about in the robot's systems. He often talks to Scout as way of thinking out loud or voicing his innermost thoughts, attributing them to the drone in a way that can make him seem a bit unbalanced to those who don't know him well. (And in truth, sometimes to those who do.) When he's captured a bounty and is feeling particularly mischievous, he often pretends to consult with the robot about the person's fate, ultimately claiming that he sympathizes and would like to let the target go, but "the robot says otherwise."
Jason Keeley
Tags: Iconics Mechanics Meet the Iconics Quig Remko Troost Starfinder
Meet the Iconics: Obozaya
Obozaya was born on Vesk Prime, the planetary capital of the Veskarium, to a family of low-level military bureaucrats. Distinguishing herself with her determination and ferocity on the sports field and in the dueling ring—if not in her academic studies—Obozaya quickly established herself as a top-notch military cadet, enlisting as soon as her basic studies were complete.
The countdown to Starfinder is on! We're highlighting the iconic characters and core classes that appear throughout the pages and covers the Starfinder line. Today we meet Obozaya, the iconic soldier!
In classic vesk fashion, Obozaya Ymeros lets her friends shorten her name to "Obo," but not even Damoritosh himself can protect those who attempt to use her nickname without earning it first.
Obozaya took to military life like a swamp lion to water, and soon outpaced many in her cohort. In Veskarium society, social status is most easily earned through excellence in combat, and Obo had no desire to spend her entire life at the same forgettable rank as her parents. Though her dreams of glory were hardly unique, she nevertheless proved herself in several early battles, putting down a vicious rebellion among the feline barbarians of Vesk-6.
Yet in her youthful arrogance, Obozaya overlooked the power of political connection. After dueling and deeply shaming another member of her unit—one with family ties to high-ranking military officials—she found herself promoted and assigned to patrol a section of frozen tundra on Vesk-8, where the staunchly pacifist residents refused to give her any opportunity for righteous combat. It soon became clear that neither appeals to her superiors nor prayers to Damoritosh the Conqueror were going to get her a better assignment. Thus, as her first term of enlistment drew to a close, a frustrated Obozaya took the Soldier's Due, the time-honored vesk tradition of being honorably discharged and taking your government-issue armor and weapons with you.
Still in love with the idea of one day becoming a major player in vesk society, and disgusted by the idea that politics could exist within the Veskarium's vaunted military meritocracy, Obozaya followed in the footsteps of many other legendary vesk warriors and left home to work as a mercenary in the Pact Worlds. Here, at last, she found what she'd been searching for: an endless series of battles and adventures, with no restrictions but her own sense of honor. Rather than signing on with an established mercenary company, Obozaya found herself better suited to working with small groups of explorers and adventurers. Small teams mean more glory per person when you succeed, and she often finds herself the sole front-line fighter on a crew, which appeals to both her vanity and her showboating style. As she's fond of saying, battle is too important to leave to amateurs, and Obozaya believes that the best way to win a fight is to move fast and hit hard. Though she's drifted away from Damoritosh's faith in recent years, coming to appreciate some other races' criticisms of the Conqueror, she still adores using his sacred doshko for her close-up fighting.
Personality-wise, Obozaya is a study in contrasts. While she appreciates material wealth and creature comforts, her true desire is for recognition. This is perhaps best exemplified by the holoprojector on her back, which usually projects a modified version of Damoritosh's symbol to advertise her as a warrior for hire, but which is capable of projecting a personalized holographic war-banner in combat to make sure the enemy knows exactly who's coming for them. Brilliant on the battlefield, Obozaya nevertheless finds herself a little slow on the draw in most intellectual pursuits, having little patience for any education not directly related to her vocation. She believes that honor demands honesty, and while she's not against lying by omission, she would rather die than break her word or renege on a contract. In conversations with new people, she's either unnervingly stoic or direct to the point of rudeness, and thinks that most species talk more than they need to as an attempt to cover up their cowardice.
All of which makes it that much more surprising to discover how much her companions adore her. Sure, Obo may explain her loyalty as a mercenary's pragmatism, yet everyone in her crew knows they can count on "the big lizard" to pull them out of a scrape, no matter the cost. As with many vesk, her gruff manner is punctuated with sudden outpourings of emotion, and with her characteristic directness, Obo finds no fear or shame in telling her friends how much she loves them. Much of her life is spent on or training for missions, yet when Obozaya sets out to celebrate a success, it's with her trademark bombastic zeal. Eschewing the berserker drugs favored by some of her kindred, she's nevertheless fond of the Veskarium nose-hookahs sometimes called "dragon's breath," as well as the mildly hallucinogenic brain snails of Vesk-2 and other traditional vesk snacks. More than one bar has been sacrificed to (and well compensated for) her parties, and the heavy bass of her beloved revelaz dance-pop beats is notorious for bursting rivets on ship bulkheads.
Tags: Iconics Meet the Iconics Obozaya Remko Troost Soldiers Starfinder
Interview with Gears of Faith Author Gabrielle Harbowy
In the madness of the Starfinder launch, I wasn't able to do my usual blog about the new Pathfinder Tales novel, which was a real shame, given that Gabrielle Harbowy's Gears of Faith is a novel that's been so eagerly awaited by fans here on the Paizo boards! Fortunately, Pathfinder Tales author Liane Merciel (of Nightglass, Nightblade, and Hellknight fame) swooped in to save the day, interviewing Gabrielle on what it was like to write the novel. For my part, I'll just say that I knew since the very first installment of "Inheritance," Gabrielle's web fiction story that introduced the main characters of Gears of Faith, that Keren, Zae, and the bold riding dog Appleslayer, were going to star in a novel someday—there was something so deep and genuine about all three of them, and their relationships with each other. So it was gratifying but not surprising that the fans felt it, too! And now, 3.5 years and a new publishing partner later, the book's finally hitting shelves, and I couldn't be happier about it. But enough from me—let's hear from Liane and Gabrielle!
Liane Merciel: What inspired the two main characters in this piece?
Gabrielle Harbowy: I love Pathfinder's take on gnomes, which was why I wanted to feature one in the first place. In Pathfinder, gnomes crave novelty and don't have many hang-ups about how they get it. They're long-lived, fey-tied creatures, so they have an outsider perspective on humanity. I had a great time diving into the gnome mindset. I've come to love Zae's skewed perspective on the mostly human world around her. She gives me an opportunity to take things to their literal extreme, to question things people don't question, to think about the names of things, and to approach a fascinating world with the kind of wide-eyed wonder that we all eventually lose when we live in a place and see it every day.
Illustration by Roberto Pitturru
Keren came into being because a character like Zae has to have a contrast to work off of. Keren gave me an opportunity to explore and chip away at the stereotype in our culture of holy knights as emotionless, unquestioning valor-machines.
When I write Zae, I bring out that playful, questioning side of myself, and I often channel Dr. Walter Bishop from Fringe as my guide. When I write Keren, I bring out that using-cynicism-as-a-shield side of myself. My hope is that both characters ring authentic because both of them are driven by sides of me. There isn't a me-analogue and then "the other main character." This is especially important because the novel is the first time we get to see Keren's point of view.
I originally envisioned Keren as spending more time on horseback, so Zae also needed a mount to ride if they were going to adventure together. I decided early on that I wanted her to ride a dog, but it was a generic dog at first. It wasn't until I met Rufus, a friend's Samoyed puppy, that Appleslayer got a personality and a name. At eight months, Rufus was big enough for a 3'6" child—already taller than a gnome—to ride. He was a goofball, and he wasn't finished growing. (As of now, full-grown, his paws are bigger than my hands.) I knew this was the dog for Zae.
LM: What inspired the story itself? What part of it came first—plot, characters, setting, or something else? And how did you build the rest from there?
GH: The characters got their start in the short story "Inheritance," to really great reader response. When it came time to build a novel I knew I wanted to tailor it around them. I'd only written short stories, though, and I had trouble coming up with a book-sized plot—especially if Keren was tied to Lastwall and her vigilance against the Whispering Tyrant.
James Sutter and I brainstormed quite a bit on where else a Knight of Ozem could go without feeling like she was neglecting her calling, and James suggested Absalom. As a bonus, even though it's the biggest city in the world, it hadn't been featured in a novel yet. I was very excited to have the chance to bring it to life. Especially fun was the Clockwork Cathedral, and the structure of its cognates. Very little is written about it, so I got to think about what it would be like to work there, to flesh it out and make it feel real... all without revealing any of its secrets.
The plot was harder. I'd never written anything as complex as a novel has to be. Just by virtue of having to take up so many words, a novel has to have a lot more going on than a short story does. And I didn't want them to be super powerful, so the threat had to be something they could face, but that still had some far-reaching consequences to make it important. As it stands, the conflict in the story provides a physical, intellectual, and emotional challenge to Keren and Zae, and they have to fight their way into the team that confronts it.
A random aside: the villain got his name from a kid my niece hated at school that year. (I got serious aunt-points.)
LM: What made you decide to pair up Zae and Keren?
GH: What I really wanted most was to normalize their diversity. Here's a couple who've been together a while and aren't in the new romance phase of a relationship, and they've obviously made it work. It's not a coming out story, because coming out isn't the only story. And there's no way to dismiss it with "well, it won't last." It's lasted. It doesn't matter to the story that they're both female, or that they're not both human, or whatever. They're people having genuine emotions and genuine quirks and flaws. It's not the big reveal or the punch line or the plot twist. It's just people being honest with themselves about who they are and/or who they love.
In our world, people are still marginalized for these things. And because they're not who our society sees as its default, it's rare for people who identify in diverse ways to be able to find themselves depicted in fiction. My intent was for diverse readers to find the perspective refreshing, and for readers who hadn't come across much of that sort of thing to maybe find their horizons widened and assumptions challenged.
LM: How exactly did they meet? I've always wondered that.
GH: I think they met in Vigil, while shopping. There's a line about Keren helping Zae by reaching something on a high shelf for her. :)
LM: There was a long gap between the release of the short story and the release of the novel. What kept you enthusiastic through that?
GH: The Paizo forums helped so much. The readers loved Zae and Keren and Appleslayer—Apple in particular has some devoted fans!—and the clamoring for a novel never really stopped. Not to mention the requests for miniature figures, cards, and other accessories. (And yes, I would love to see Appleslayer as a mini.)
Publishing is a strange beast. Between turning in the manuscript for Gears of Faith and seeing it come out in print, I wrote, sold, and published another whole novel (Hellmaw: Of the Essence). And that's honestly pretty normal. Working for publishers, I saw delays happen all the time, and that helped me keep from taking it too personally. They can only put out so many books in a year, and they've got to balance the list, is what it comes down to.
In the end, I think that the experience was good for Zae and Keren. I learned a lot from writing my second first novel, after I had the confidence from having already finished one, and that ultimately helped me come back and strengthen this book.
LM: Where did the title of the novel come from?
GH: From [Pathfinder Tales author] Chris A. Jackson, actually. I'm great at coming up with titles for other people, but awful at coming up with titles for myself. There were words and phrases I had to avoid, because they were either too similar to other titles or because they gave too much away, so of course the moment someone says, for instance, "Don't use the word blood," all your ideas include the word blood. I had a two-column list of Pathfinder-title-sounding words to mix and match, I was so desperate, and I sent it to Chris with a short synopsis of the book. That was the one he came up with, along with a prediction that James Sutter would like it. I sent it along to James with a list of five or ten others, and sure enough, Chris's title was the one.
LM: Do you think there's a central theme to Gears of Faith? If so, what is it, and how do you see it reflected in the story and its characters?
GH: I think at its core, the book is about overcoming fear of failure.
Keren is afraid of failing—failing Zae, failing her father by learning magic, failing her deity by not believing well or strongly enough. The villain is not afraid enough of failing. He's convinced himself that he can become a god. Between the two extremes is Zae. She's never really cared about failing before, but through her relationship with Keren (and the events in "Inheritance") she's learned that failure can impact others and have an emotional cost.
Gabrielle Harbowy got her start in the publishing industry as a Pricing Analyst at Scholastic. Since leaving the corporate side of publishing in 2006, she has edited for publishers including Pyr, Lambda Literary, and Circlet Press, and spent a decade as the managing editor at Dragon Moon Press. She copyedits professionally and is a submissions editor at the Hugo-nominated Apex Magazine. Her short fiction can be found in several anthologies, including Carbide Tipped Pens from Tor. She is the author of two novels: Hellmaw: Of the Essence (TEGG), and Gears of Faith (Paizo). For more information, visit her online at @gabrielle_h or gabrielleharbowy.com.
Tags: Gabrielle Harbowy Liane Merciel Pathfinder Tales Remko Troost Roberto Pitturru
Meet the Iconics: Keskodai
For those inducted into the faith of Pharasma, the Lady of Graves, death is not an ending, but a doorway: an entry into a new existence and way of being. The shirren Keskodai understands this transition well, and greets it with the joyful reverence it deserves—an outlook that's not always comforting to the patients in his medical bay.
The countdown to Starfinder is on! We're highlighting the iconic characters and core classes that appear throughout the pages and covers the Starfinder line. Today we meet Keskodai, the iconic mystic!
Keskodai grew up in the burning deserts of Fullbright, the side of tidally locked Verces that's always turned toward the sun. Though cosmopolitan, his hometown of Takoris was primarily shirren, having been an early satellite settlement of the original shirren colony on that world. The child of a priest of Hylax, the Forever Queen, Keskodai grew up steeped in the values of friendship and diplomacy, and felt a deep connection to the divine, yet chafed at the idea of serving the same god as his parent. Exactly which god he'd serve instead remained unclear, until the coming of the Gray Shakes.
Believed to be the result of a biotech experiment gone wrong at the local university, the plague called the Gray Shakes burned through the city like a wildfire, turning shirrens' chitin gray, rotting off their antennae, and eating away at their telepathy and motor function, leaving them awake but unable to communicate until they finally expired. In the weeks it took the local government to find a cure, thirty percent of the city's shirren population died.
In the midst of this horror, a young Keskodai first encountered priests of Pharasma, black-robed beings of all different races who'd come at news of the plague. Somberly, the Pharasmins walked among the afflicted, offering magical healing where they could and comfort to those too far gone, whispering to them of the Cycle of Souls and the new worlds that awaited them. The beauty of their ministry moved Keskodai, and he quickly joined their hospice work, leaving home to study at a temple in the Ring of Nations once the plague was safely contained.
After years as an initiate, Keskodai returned home a full priest of Lady of Graves, ready to tend to his people. He quickly fell in love with two members of his congregation, a female-host couple, and the three soon joined arms in marriage. Yet as much as he loved his community and his partners, a part of him remained unsatisfied. That part of every shirren that thrills at choice and decision-making began to wonder: Had he made the right choice in coming home? In choosing a life so similar to his parent? How could he know if he wanted this when there was still so much out there that he'd never experienced? The desire to explore continued to grow, until at last, after the birth of their first son, he and his partners sat down and made a plan. He would leave and see the galaxy, taking their child with him to expose him to the same new experiences. Once the child was old enough to leave his cradle-jar, Keskodai would decide whether he'd seen enough to return in good conscience, in which case both of them be welcomed with open arms. If not, the child would return alone.
In his effort to see as many worlds as possible, Keskodai took to signing on with freelance adventurers and starship crews, particularly those headed out beyond the edges of the solar system. While quite capable in combat, he prefers to act as the ship's medic, trusting that his mercenary companions will give him plenty of opportunities to employ his goddess-granted magic in patching up the broken or blessing them on their journey into the Great Beyond. The cheerful manner in which he talks about death often initially disturbs those under his care, yet anyone who spends much time with the shirren quickly learns that his even-keeled, fatalistic approach to life and death doesn't make him cavalier about it: for him, to give less than his best effort in healing his friends would be to risk them dying before their appointed time—a loss for him, and a grave failure in his duty to his goddess.
As with many shirren, Keskodai is a team player, always ready to throw in to help others, and a social butterfly who loves meeting new people. A crewmate once called him "the galaxy's friendliest death priest," and he wears the badge with pride. Though quite fond of option bars and other artificial means of stimulating his choice centers, he's careful not to let himself overindulge... usually. More often he satisfies his need for independence by customizing his gear—though he doesn't consider himself vain, Keskodai is intensely proud of the aesthetics of his gear, his collection of trophies, and his mustache (which he thinks lends him an air of gravitas). His greatest pride, however, is his son Chkoresk, still in his larval stage. Like many shirren parents, Keskodai constantly carries Chkoresk—affectionately nicknamed "Chk Chk"—around in a heavily fortified cradle-jar designed to let Chk Chk learn about the world from relative safety. While Chk Chk isn't old enough to speak yet, his telepathy only good enough to grant brief blasts of childlike emotion, Keskodai holds conversations with him regularly, with Chk Chk tapping on the glass to communicate his answers.
Though Keskodai is generally as easygoing as he appears, he still has his demons. The Gray Shakes tragedy left him deeply distrustful of certain types of research and technology, and he's constantly torn between his faith in individual freedom and his desire to protect the community through heavy government regulation. Worse, he's come to love the life of a wanderer and the friends he's made along the way, and deeply fears the day when Chk Chk grows old enough to return home, and Keskodai has to choose whether to head back to Verces with him, or continue on alone.
Tags: Iconics Keskodai Meet the Iconics Mystics Remko Troost Starfinder
Meet the Iconics: Iseph
As biomechanical entities, androids can theoretically live forever with the proper repairs. While some embrace this form of immortality, most androids live what they feel is a full life—usually around a hundred years—and then voluntarily instigate a process called renewal, in which the android's soul leaves its body, allowing a fresh android soul to inhabit it. Most people consider this a joyous occasion, metaphorically equivalent to the old android giving birth to a child, and understand that a post-renewal android is an entirely new person who just happens to inhabit the same body. Yet not all people are willing to honor this change or forgive past debts and slights, and such is the case with Iseph.
The countdown to Starfinder is on! We're highlighting the iconic characters and core classes that appear throughout the pages and covers the Starfinder line. Today we meet Iseph, the iconic operative!
Iseph awoke in an abandoned storage facility on the machine world of Aballon, standing upright in a black-market renewal crèche. Around them, the place was completely empty, save for a note and a pen left in the center of the concrete floor. Clearly hastily scrawled, the note read only: Run. Hide. Retaliate. Beware the mark. Next to the words was a drawing of a symbol—the same inexplicable design branded on Iseph's chest. Yet the biggest shock was when Iseph picked up the pen, as the note's writer had clearly intended—for the handwriting on the note matched Iseph's own.
Confused and disoriented, with only some basic downloaded knowledge of the world they'd just been born into, Iseph did as the note instructed, doing their best to disappear into Aballon's bustling android population. It was here that, among other things, they first met other androids and discovered that some identified with particular genders, though Iseph never felt any such personal connection. But the questions raised by the note continued to plague them. Who had worn their body before them? Who were they running from, and why? What was the mysterious symbol? Eventually, Iseph worked up the courage to begin making surreptitious inquiries into the planet's infosphere. All of these searches failed, yet in curious ways, as if the information was being actively scrubbed and redacted. Worse, Iseph began to get the sense of being watched, faces in the crowds that seemed strangely familiar. After a month of tentative forays into they city's silicon underworld, Iseph at last tracked down someone who claimed to recognize the mark, but who insisted on meeting in person at a nearby virus bar.
Iseph was almost to the tavern when it exploded in a massive fireball, the blast consuming an entire city block.
Thoroughly spooked, Iseph fled Aballon, taking passage on a ship to the Diaspora. Yet as they worked there, quickly finding themself a deft hand at piloting rock-hopper shuttles and mining tugs, Iseph's fear turned to anger. Wider Pact Worlds society proved far messier than Aballon's orderly machine culture, and Iseph was first confused and then disgusted by the prejudice and jealousy androids still encountered from some humans. They met android escapees from illegal colonies in the Vast, bearing blatant symbols of corporate ownership and scars from cruel disciplinary implants, and began to suspect what their own mark might say about their origins. Incensed, Iseph made contact with the Android Abolitionist Front, learning to fly more combat-oriented craft, to sneak through the shadows, and to put down the enemies of their people with ruthless efficiency. Under the AAF's guidance, Iseph became a black ops expert, until a disagreement with their handler over a messy job led them to go independent. Today, Iseph officially hires on with freelancer crews as an elite pilot specializing in dangerous transport or exploratory missions—and if those jobs sometimes require a little infiltration or a bullet from the shadows, well, that costs extra.
Though paranoia over being hunted by their mysterious enemy (as well as friends of former assassination targets) makes Iseph something of a loner, the android desperately craves companionship, and is fiercely loyal to those few who prove themselves trustworthy. As a result of their early days on Aballon and personal experience as an android in a largely biological society, Iseph questions or rejects many aspects of mainstream Pact Worlds culture, and enjoys exploring the countercultures on different worlds. Iseph believes the ends often justify the means, yet strives to only take on jobs that fit with their sense of morality. An initial focus on android rights has broadened into a tendency to identify with oppressed people and underdogs everywhere, no matter how alien, and to hate any form of slavery with a passion. While Iseph finds the most joy in flying any manner of ship or vehicle—usually too fast and recklessly for the comfort of their passengers—their infiltration abilities remain as sharp as they ever were, and the former assassin has no objections to pulling out their trusty sniper rifle again when the cause is just.
Unrelated Starfinder Note: We've been doing a lot of previews recently, both here on the Paizo blog and on other websites. There's more than we can contain on the blog, so if you want to see more of the neat stuff that's been revealed (including new art for planets, races, ships, and more—and that's just in the last week!), be sure to bookmark the new Starfinder News Hub thread!
Tags: Iconics Iseph Meet the Iconics Operatives Remko Troost Starfinder
Meet the Iconics: Navasi
Born into a prominent family on Absalom Station, the envoy who calls herself Navasi spent much of her childhood avoiding her parents in their "sky-villa," as they called their sprawling, six-story home in the Nyori Palisades. Navasi's mother had designs on her canny-but-headstrong daughter inheriting the family's business. Her father had visions of a queenly young woman sitting in silk among the station's most prominent socialites.
The countdown to Starfinder has officially begun, and to kick us off, we're highlighting the iconic characters and core classes that appear throughout the pages and covers the Starfinder line. Today we meet Navasi, the iconic envoy!
Navasi wanted neither. A quip on her lips, she eschewed glitzy playdates and family soirees in favor of zipping through Absalom Station's streets with her best friends, the children of the household employees. She'd take the rush of riding a screaming hovercycle over the pompous sniggering of the wealthy any day of the week.
As she befriended more and more stationers from less-privileged walks of life, Navasi's irritation with her parents and their deliberate aloofness from the rest of society turned into outright disgust. The inequities of Absalom Station, where the rich lived in fortified enclaves and the poor lived in little more than metal boxes, pained her. Simply giving away her pocket money didn't seem like enough. She began to dream of a fairy-tale life in which she could steal the affluent's unearned wealth and give it to those truly in need, and idolized the Free Captains of the Diaspora—pirates living by their own rules. Navasi could only imagine the fun she'd have with such freedom—and the good she'd do, of course.
On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Navasi sat in her plush quarters, staring at the gold-fibered holo-gown that was to be her debut dress. Two choices stood before her. She could don that false uniform, attend the gala, and accept her mother's gift of an executive position in the family company. Or she could leave.
It took less than an hour for Navasi to slip out of the manor and stow away onto a ship bound for the Diaspora.
Navasi arrived on Broken Rock with a pocketful of stolen credsticks and a gleam in her eye. She quickly signed up as a "procurement specialist" with a contracting firm called the Sixth Finger—little more than a starfaring thieves' guild—ready to use her new position to steal from exploitative corporations and make herself a hero to those in need.
The reality of life in a pirate enclave hit her like a meteorite. Having quickly blown through her money, and too stubborn to return home in shame, Navasi found she no longer had a choice in which jobs she took. Under the guildrunners' threats, she roughed up innocents, stole from the less fortunate, and worse. Though she never completely lost her egalitarian beliefs, she hardly recognized the naïve idealist she'd once been. A few years in the streets showed her how much of her former life she'd taken for granted, and taught her that if she wanted to take care of others, she first needed to take care of herself. That, at least, she was good at, and she quickly gained a reputation in the gang as the best fast-talker and facewoman around, spinning bold plans and quick wits into fat paydays.
Now a jaded young woman, Navasi found that the wealth from her scores brought little joy without friends to share it with, and she took comfort in the hardscrabble survivalists and secretly softhearted rogues she recruited to her crews. Yet it was in one particular woman that Navasi truly found herself again. Purple-haired and tattooed, with eyes like blue supergiants, the newcomer was outspoken against those in power. She bucked the pirates' authority and operated alone, pulling the sorts of righteous jobs Navasi had once dreamed of. She was the bravest, most exciting woman Navasi had ever met, and despite Navasi's continuing allegiance to the Sixth Finger, the two quickly became inseparable.
That all came crashing down the day the Sixth Finger arranged to knock over a medship full of supplies bound for Absalom Station. To the gang's leaders, the ship's mission—aiding refugees of a wartorn star system—was inconsequential compared to the valuable drugs in its cargo bays. Navasi's objections were overruled.
It was the final straw. Together, Navasi and her partner formulated a plan, alerting the medship to the imminent heist and carefully sabotaging the fighters the gang had designated for the assault. It all might have gone unnoticed, had the gang's resident technomancer not decided to check the security cams one final time. In the ensuing ambush, Navasi and her partner were pinned down, their backs to the sole spaceworthy ship—a single-seat fighter with only enough life support for one of them. Unwilling to leave her companion, Navasi prepared for them to go out in a blaze of glory—only to have her partner shove her into the cockpit and slam the canopy. As Navasi scrabbled with the latch, the other woman winked, pulled the pins on her grenades, and sprinted straight at their ambushers.
The wealthy scion of Absalom Station died that day, as did the pirate she'd become. As she made her way back to Absalom Station with the medship, knowing that neither the Sixth Finger nor her spurned family would ever stop looking for her, she forsook both of her previous incarnations. Abandoning her old identity, she took the name of her fallen love—Navasi—and swore that henceforth she'd carry on the fight they'd started together, only stealing from those who deserved it, putting her finger in the eye of anyone who thrived on exploitation, regardless of which side of the law they were on. Knowing she'd need a new appearance as well, she continued borrowing from her partner, dyeing her jet-black hair purple and adding a single blue contact. Yet when she considered mimicking the original Navasi's tattoos, she was shocked to learn that they were symbols of Weydan, the god of discovery and equality, famous for taking mortal form. Though her partner had never spoken of religion, Navasi took it as a sign, and even holds out some hope that perhaps her companion might have been more than she seemed, though she recognizes that such thoughts are probably just a manifestation of her grief.
Today, Navasi has built a reputation—perhaps more than is truly wise for a woman with a price on her head—as a talented freelance captain, putting together crews for adventures ranging from planetary scouting and private security to her old talent for "procurement," though she's careful about what sorts of jobs she and her friends take on. Navasi still believes in freedom for all, spreading the wealth, and taking plutocrats down a peg—but she also knows the value of earning credits, and takes pride in the ability to take care of herself and her crew (though she still has a sometimes inconvenient tendency to empty her pockets for those in need). As a scoundrel, a fast-talker, and a brilliant negotiator, Navasi is happiest when the chips are down and lives hang in the balance, as that's when you truly know who your friends are. Above all, she knows to always look beneath the surface, for like Navasi herself, nothing is ever quite what it seems.
Amanda Hamon Kunz
Tags: Envoys Iconics Meet the Iconics Navasi Remko Troost Starfinder
Starfinder Iconic Characters Revealed!
Last Friday, our friends at Game Informer released a sneak preview of all seven iconic characters for Starfinder. We wanted to share that image with you as well, but first—what do we mean by "iconic character," anyway?
As many of you probably already know, in the Starfinder Roleplaying Game, as in Pathfinder, every class is represented by an iconic character: a single individual who illustrates and embodies the concept behind that class. Originally, way back when Paizo was still publishing the magazines Dungeon and Dragon, this was just a convenient shorthand for us—rather than explaining to each new artist what made a ranger a ranger, we could just show them a single piece of art and say, "Draw this ranger." But to our surprise, as these reference characters appeared in more and more illustrations, fans began to grow attached to them and wonder about their stories. So when we launched Pathfinder, we went ahead and gave these characters names and backstories, and they quickly became some of our most popular characters, going on to star in comics, audio dramas, and more. (I know that I personally have a heck of a lot of fun writing Valeros, Merisiel, and all the rest in the Pathfinder comics!)
Character Illustrations by Remko Troost
Now, with Starfinder, we're excited to unveil a whole new lineup of iconic characters to showcase their respective classes and races! In the coming months, we'll be giving you each character's backstory in blog posts here at paizo.com, but for now here's a sneak preview of their art, plus their names, races, and classes. Going clockwise and starting with the leftmost character, we've got:
Raia (lashunta technomancer): Lashuntas are a race of telepaths, and technomancers are the magical version of computer programmers, hacking the laws of physics.
Iseph (android operative): Androids are artificial people, and operatives use stealth and skill to get in and out of dangerous situations.
Obozaya (vesk soldier): Vesk are powerful reptilian aliens, and soldiers specialize in heavy weapons and armor.
Keskodai (shirren mystic): Shirrens are insectile people who recently broke free from a predatory hive mind, and mystics channel the universe's mysterious energies, often through faith in a god.
Altronus (kasatha solarian): Kasathas are four-armed aliens from a desert world, and solarians shape the energy of stars and black holes into armor and weapons for themselves.
Navasi (human envoy): Humans are... well, humans, and envoys use wit and charm to bolster their allies and demoralize or befuddle enemies.
Quig (ysoki mechanic): Often called "ratfolk," ysoki are a plucky and hotheaded race, and mechanics build their own custom drones or rely on an implanted AI to aid them in combat.
Which of course leads to the question—which of these is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for more Starfinder previews and design blogs!
Introducing Starfinder’s Final Core Race: The Shirren!
Apr 5, 2017, 01:00 pm
Two weeks ago we revealed a brand new Starfinder core race, the reptilian vesk, leaving us with just one mystery race left. Now, at long last, we're revealing that final core race: the insectile shirrens!
Shirrens were once part of the Swarm, a monstrous, locust-like race that traveled from world to world, consuming all it encountered before moving on. Generations ago, however, a mysterious mutation caused an entire subcolony to break from the Swarm's hive mind, with each of its members gaining a sense of self. Addicted to the new drug of individualism, these renegades rejected the Swarm's mindless consumption, forming a new race called shirrens that eventually came to settle within the Pact World system.
Illustrations by Remko Troost
Shirrens are arthropods with chitinous exoskeletons, large compound eyes, and sensitive antennae that aid in their telepathy. Unlike many arthropodan races, they walk upright, manipulating items with three-clawed hands. In addition to their two sets of main limbs, they also have two sets of smaller limbs growing from their thoraxes. While often displayed, these “mating arms” are extremely weak and used only for ceremonial and reproductive purposes—to use them for mundane activities would be seen as grotesque and shameful.
Shirrens have three sexes: male, female, and host. During reproduction, female and male shirrens provide the initial eggs and sperm, and hosts incubate the fertilized eggs while also adding their own genetic material and immunities. Shirren young spend their first 2 years in a tiny, wormlike larval form, and are often carried around in protective containers to let them safely observe the world.
Shirrens define themselves by their individualism. When they left the Swarm, they assumed partial control over the neurological pleasure and pain systems by which they were formerly directed, and even generations later, making choices for themselves can literally flood them with pleasurable neurotransmitters. While this ability is not always beneficial—some shirrens deliberately drug themselves this way, becoming “option junkies” blissed out on sequences of trivial decisions—freedom of choice is crucial to shirren identity. At the same time, shirrens remain highly communal, and are valued as collaborators by other races due to their ability to foster teamwork and put the goals of the group first.
All 7 of the core Starfinder player races—humans, androids, kasathas, lashuntas, vesk, shirrens, and ysoki—are joined in the core rulebook by updated versions of Pathfinder's core races, and even more playable races will be following shortly behind in the Alien Archive. Now that the core rulebook is off to the printer, you're going to be seeing a steady stream of Starfinder-related preview blogs right up through the game's launch at Gen Con, so keep your transponders on and open to future transmissions!
Shoot For the Stars—Final Starfinder Core Rulebook Cover Revealed!
One year. It's hard to believe that only a year has passed since we first started working on Starfinder. So much has happened in that time. We've built a setting. Designed a whole new game. Charted out an Adventure Path. Somehow managed to squish 800+ pages of content down into a 528-page Core Rulebook. Successfully avoided throwing each other out of windows over design disputes. You know, all the challenges associated with a new game.
And now we're here. Today, the Starfinder Core Rulebook ships to the printer. It's been a monumental undertaking, and I'm incredibly proud of and thankful for everyone who worked on it, from all of the Starfinder design and development team to Managing Editor Judy Bauer and her editorial strike force and our Creative Design Director Sarah Robinson, who's been responsible for overseeing or creating literally every visual element in the entire book. It's been a massive undertaking, and we couldn't have done it without everyone here.
Cover Illustration by Remko Troost
In celebration, here's a first look at the final Starfinder Core Rulebook cover! After all this time, it's both exciting and terrifying to step back and know that, from this moment forward, the Core Rulebook is out of our hands. Will it make it to orbit? Will it survive reentry? We've done our best, and all we can do now is watch.
We are go for launch!
Unveiling a New Starfinder Race: The Vesk!
For months now, we've been teasing the fact that Starfinder has seven core races, of which only five have been announced—humans, androids, lashunta, kasatha, and ysoki. What's more, we've hinted that the remaining two would be brand new races you've never seen before. So now, for the first time ever, we present... the vesk!
Resembling 7-foot-tall humanoid lizards with beards of spiky bone, vesk come from the nearest inhabited solar system to the Golarion system. Fiercely militant and highly organized, vesk have strict honor codes and social mores based on conquest and prowess in battle—a cultural focus that quickly led them to conquer all the other races in their solar system, establishing a massive empire called the Veskarium. For generations, their conquest ended there, stifled by the vast distances between stars. With the introduction of Drift travel, however, they quickly turned first contact with the races of the Golarion system into an all-out war of invasion (and inadvertently created the Pact Worlds as the governments of that system banded together in mutual defense). The brutal conflict lasted for centuries, until the sudden arrival of the Swarm threatened to annihilate all life in both systems. Forced to put aside their differences, the Veskarium and the Pact Worlds were able to join forces and drive off the Swarm, and the tenuous truce forged in that fight continues to this day—if only barely.
While merchants and others with peaceful professions can advance economically in vesk society, political power is the exclusive domain of those who've proven themselves in armed conflict. Surprisingly, this proof doesn't need to come through military service, or even benefit the Veskarium. Many vesk attain similar elevation in social status through performing mercenary work, engaging in dueling, or providing security on exploration missions. Though obsessed with conquest, dominance, and social rank, vesk find an equally strong sense of honor and pride in fulfilling their agreements and treating subordinates of all races fairly. They are stoic and taciturn with strangers but capable of great bursts of emotion in private or in the heat of battle. Vesk society tends to be efficient, respectful, and law-abiding—especially since nearly any insult or violation of custom could trigger a brutally violent blood debt.
Vesk adventuring with races from other systems fall into two categories. The first are mercenaries or glory-seekers looking for a chance to engage in honorable combat and build up their prestige. The second are nonwarrior vesk who have rejected their home society for its obsession with combat and have chosen instead to seek opportunities among more open-minded races. Warrior vesk most often fit the soldier class, though a growing number have become intrigued by the path of the solarian. Noncombatant vesk often lean toward becoming mystics, though some overcome the traditional vesk culture's dismissal of education to become mechanics or even technomancers.
Stay tuned for more Starfinder blog posts in the coming weeks as we ramp up to the game's release at Gen Con 50!
New Starfinder Interview!
More exciting Starfinder work continues to churn around these parts, and with that, more information about the upcoming roleplaying game has made it's way to the masses! In an interview with Matt Miller over at Game Informer, our own James L. Sutter divulged more details about the process behind Starfinder (and creating this all-new core rulebook full of gameplay and setting material). I've snagged some of the new artwork and other information (including captions from James) to show off here, but you should check out the whole interview for all of the new juicy bits.
First up is our next iconic character, Iseph, the iconic operative!
This is Iseph, our iconic operative. The operative class is all about stealth, speed, and agility—whether you want to be a smuggler, a scout, an intrusion agent, or a black-ops assassin, this is the class for you. You'll also notice that Iseph is an android. Androids in Starfinder were originally created by humans as servitors, but in recent centuries fought for and won independence and recognition as full citizens of the Pact Worlds. While they have some interesting physical properties—they don't age, they handle vacuum much better than humans, and they have internal circuitry that glows when they're stressed—they also strive to distinguish themselves culturally from their former oppressors. One way in which some androids—like Iseph—do so is through the rejection of gender, which they see as an unnecessary mark of their former bondage.
Next, travelling to new worlds is a given in Starfinder—perhaps your future galaxy-hopping group may find themselves on a journey to either Liavara or Verces starting next summer?
Illustration by Leon Tukker
Liavara is a gas giant, with no solid surface at all, and those terrestrial races who come to mine its gasses or trade with the native creatures are forced to live on massive floating arcology platforms like this one. Much of the planet is held as a nature preserve by the Brethedans—gelatinous dirigible-like creatures who can alter their own DNA to produce whatever tools they need, from simple chemical compounds to tailored viruses. What's more, the Brethedans can actively merge together to create linked consciousnesses more intelligent and powerful than the sum of their parts, and some Brethedan biotech corporations are actually single massive entities consisting of millions of merged Brethedans.
Illustration by Sebastien Hue
Verces is a tidally locked world, with one side always facing the sun, the other always facing away. Civilization exists primarily in the narrow band of habitable terrain along the terminator line, where day meets night, and the massive cities that have grown there ring the globe in a single massive urban sprawl. In addition to being at the forefront of Pact World technology and industry, Verces is also the birthplace of the Stewards, a police-like organization of warrior-diplomats sworn to maintain the Pact, who hunt down interplanetary criminals and preserve peace between the sometimes fractious worlds of the solar system.
As always, keep your eye out on the Paizo blog for Starfinder news! You can also keep track up interviews and other features by following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr.
Tags: Iconics Iseph Leon Tukker Remko Troost Sebastien Hue Starfinder
This is Not a Dream
The end of 2016 is proving to be an exciting and incredibly busy time around the office! The Starfinder team is chipping away at the process of filling the gaps in our grand science fantasy plans and working with our playtesters. More and more bits of truly stunning artwork are trickling in, and it's starting to feel like this is all really happening now! Yesterday Polygon released an exclusive article, and since I've taken over the blog for today, it's about time we show off some places and a new iconic character here. Meet Navasi, an iconic Envoy!
The envoy is a class dedicated to aiding and manipulating others. They are giving orders and encouragement that help your allies do better, while taunting and demoralizing your opponents. Envoys are naturally charismatic leaders and smooth-talkers, ranging from celebrities and starship captains to con artists and cult leaders. Lando Calrissian, General Leia Organa, Ruby Rhod and Inara Serra would all be envoys. And as you can see, Navasi and Lando would definitely appreciate each other's taste in clothes.
Earlier this year we revealed a preview of Absalom Station on the main Starfinder page, and the final illustration is even more fantastic! Akiton and Eox are new planetary locations, seen below, and were also shown off in the article.
Illustrations by Sebastien Hue and Leon Tukker
Keep an eye out for more Starfinder news as we get closer to it's launch next August!
Tags: Iconics Leon Tukker Navasi Remko Troost Sebastien Hue Starfinder
Pirate's Prophecy Sample Chapter
In Pirate's Prophecy, Captain Torius Vin has given up the pirate life in order to bring freedom to others. Along with his loyal crew and Celeste, the ship's snake-bodied navigator and Torius's one true love, the captain of the Stargazer uses a lifetime of piratical tricks to capture slave galleys and set the prisoners free. But when the crew's old friend and secret agent Vreva Jhafe uncovers rumors of a terrifying new magical weapon in devil-ruled Cheliax—one capable of wiping the abolitionist nation of Andoran off the map—will even their combined forces be enough to stop a navy backed by Hell itself?
Chapter 3: Prophecy and Deception
Water as dark as a devil's soul slipped past Stargazer's hull. The hiss of foam, creak of wood, and occasional flap of canvas would have been soothing to Celeste if not for the low scudding clouds that blocked the moon and stars. She felt stifled, as if a blanket of ignorance had been pulled over her head. Even the steady, familiar scuff of Torius's boots as he paced the quarterdeck couldn't assuage her frazzled nerves.
Without the stars, I'm blind.
They were following their usual indirect route to Almas, first sailing southeast toward Osirion to avoid any encounter with the Chelish navy, but had yet to make their turn northeast toward their true destination. Unfortunately, with the continuous low overcast, Celeste had been unable to accurately fix their position for several days. She only knew that they were approaching the Garund coast. Dead reckoning put them somewhere north of the Alamein Peninsula, but without the stars, her estimate could easily be off by fifty miles. Even if they missed the peninsula itself, such an error could put them on the unforgiving rocks of the Coast of Graves.
Who names places like that? She stared southward and saw nothing but blackness. Where was the light at Djedefar? Could the monks have let it go dark for some reason? Celeste tried to keep her tail from twitching. Generations of mariners had used the light of the tower for navigation—not because it was a designated lighthouse, but because monks faithful to Irori kept the Stepped Tower lit for their own inscrutable reasons. Had she missed some significant date or convergence of the stars that would signify a darkening of the beacon? Not seeing the stars for two days was bad enough. Approaching an unseen shore only made her more nervous.
Torius paused behind her, so close she could taste his intimately familiar scent on her sensitive tongue. The brush of his hand along her smooth scales eased her anxiety a little.
"Don't worry, love. The mercury in the weatherglass has been rising since sunset. The stars will show themselves soon." The confidence in Torius's voice might have been affected, but it was welcome."
"Right now I'm more worried about rocks than stars. I hate approaching a shore in the dark with no solid navigational fix."
"It's quiet enough to hear surf from a mile off, and we can tack in a heartbeat if we spot the shore. I just want to get a solid position fix so we can set a proper course."
"I know." Without the stars, a sighting of shoreside landmarks was the only sure way to know where they were. "It concerns me that we haven't seen the light of the Stepped Tower. If there's fog on the coast—"
"There!" Torius pointed low on the eastern horizon. "A break in the clouds."
Celeste caught sight of a single star glimmering to the east through the overcast for a moment before it vanished. More gaps in the clouds gave tantalizing glimpses of the heavens, but were too fleeting to distinguish constellations or identify individual stars. Celeste glanced at the rack of hour and minute glasses she used to keep time, and quickly calculated where the planets would be in the sky. Those she could identify even without constellations, but none of them shone through the overcast yet.
Bretheda, Verces, Castrovel ...where are you, my dears?
Celeste floated up her silver sextant in preparation. All she needed was a clear sighting on two of the three planets, and she would have their position.
"There!" She caught sight of Bretheda and raised her sextant to take a sighting.
A glint of red light on the instrument's polished silver caught her eye. At first she thought it was a reflection of the lamp from the binnacle compass, but the helm was behind her, blocked by her body. Lowering the sextant, she stared into the darkness, scanning the invisible horizon from windward to leeward. Nothing. What the... Then she looked up. A faint glow pulsed red through the thick, low clouds directly in front of the ship. Even as she opened her mouth to cry out a warning, the color shifted to purple, and Celeste knew exactly what it was.
"Torius! The Hor-Aha light!"
At the same moment, the lookout shouted down, "Light off the port bow! Up in the clouds!"
The Hor-Aha tower loomed out of the heavy mist not four ship-lengths ahead. Deadly stonework soared hundreds of feet high, a line of white surf frothing about the razor-sharp rocks at its base.
"Wear ship!" Torius thundered. "Sheet in the main! Man the braces!"
"Helm's hard astarboard!" Windy Kate called out as she hauled the big wheel over.
The crew responded like a well-oiled machine. Feet pounded down the deck, and callused hands pulled frantically on lines. Surf rumbled over black rocks a stone's throw off the port side. The deck leveled briefly as Stargazer turned downwind, then the heavy mainsail boom swept overhead with a lurch, and the deck heeled sharply to port as they rounded to the north. The rack of finely calibrated sand glasses and the small leather bag with Celeste's instruments started to slide toward the edge of the deck. She snatched the bag up with magic, and slithered to block the heavier rack of sand glasses with her coils.
As the brigantine steadied on her new course, slipping easily through the sea once again, Celeste watched Hor-Aha's lurid red shift to deep purple, then vanish into the mists in the ship's wake. The ancient lighthouse had once served as a navigational aid and warning for pending storms to Osirian ships, but the light had gone dark ages ago. Only recently had the light renewed, though it now only showed red and purple, the chromatic code for violent gales. Rumors about haunts and curses abounded, and the weather and currents around the spire were unnatural and unpredictable.
"Well, that was close." Torius plucked the rack of sand glasses from Celeste's coils and put it down on the upwind side of the quarterdeck. Nervous laughter sounded around the middeck as the crew settled from the near catastrophe.
"Too close." She put her bag of instruments down beside the rack, and glared down at the chart she'd pinned to the deck. "We're forty miles east of where I had us plotted. There must have been a countercurrent off the Alamein Peninsula that pulled us off course."
"Don't fret about it. I told you we could turn in a heartbeat." Torius caressed her scales and smiled.
Celeste fought to still her pounding heart as she looked to the east. More stars winked in the sky along the horizon as the overcast broke up. "Of course, now I can get sightings, since I no longer need them." She snatched a pencil out of her bag and marked an X on the chart right next to the symbol representing the ancient lighthouse.
"Gozreh's luck." Torius brushed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. "Good eye spotting the light."
"Thank you." Celeste smiled and leaned into the caress. Between her lover's touch and the stars now twinkling overhead, her stress slowly ebbed away. She drew a deep, calming breath and gazed skyward.
"After days of clouds, it's no wonder you're tense... " Torius pulled her close. "I'll leave you to enjoy the stars. We're headed for open sea, so I won't need a fix for the rest of my watch."
"Very well, my captain." Grogul wouldn't come up for the morning watch for an hour, so Celeste tucked her instruments back into her case.
Raising her face to the sky, she took in the beauty of the emerging stars. As the blanket of clouds swept to leeward, the heavens unfolded like a mound of glittering treasure. Overhead marched the constellations of the Cosmic Caravan, the planets scattered among them like brilliant escorts. For a little while, she tried to put aside her worries and just enjoy the view.
Spies... Never had Celeste thought that they would one day be trafficking secrets in a covert war for freedom. She remembered when freedom meant sailing the sea in search of plunder, taking fat merchant ships, stealing their illicit or smuggled cargo, and selling the ill-gotten prizes in Katapesh's dark markets. Now freedom meant fighting to free others, sailing the same circuitous route from Almas to Ostenso month after month, living in a ship full of lies. Glancing at the crew toiling about the deck, she wondered if any shared her misgivings. Torius's choice to get involved in Andoran's covert war against slavery had very nearly destroyed them all, but not a single member of the crew had abandoned ship.
They'll never abandon their captain, and neither would I, but... is this the only life for us?
Panged by guilt, Celeste gazed up at the stars. She often sought guidance in the heavens, seeking answers among the paths of the planets among the constellations. She had faith in the cosmos. It wasn't capricious or vindictive, and didn't take sides in right and wrong, good and evil. Its message might not always be easy to interpret, but the stars never lied. Tonight, Bretheda—the Cradle—shone from within the Stargazer, Celeste's birth sign, which had no immediate significance, and Castrovel approached the Lantern Bearer, which was Torius's. Celeste smiled. She'd never really noticed an increase in her lover's libido when the planet of lust and fertility crossed his sign.
Perhaps I'll start taking data.
The only other planet in the sky, Verces, glimmered between the constellations of the Stranger and the Follower. Interesting... Verces, the Line, signified choice. Between a stranger and a follower? How might that apply to us? The answer was there, if only she could discern it. If I could just see it clearly in the stars, hear it in the song of the heavens.
The celestial chorus sang through her soul...
"Sails!"
Celeste blinked. To the east, the sky glowed with the light of dawn. Hours had passed since Torius had left her to her musing. She'd lost herself among the stars yet again, oblivious to the bustle of sailors around her, undisturbed even by the changing of the watch. Damn it... Celeste felt as if a piece of her life had been stolen away, angry at her lapse, but also frightened at her loss of control.
"Where away, and what type of sails?" Grogul's bellow to the masthead lookout rattled Celeste's eardrums.
"Southeast," came Lacy Jane's answer. "Lateen rig. Two masts, but it's too dark to tell the color. She's hull down. Could be a felucca or a galley."
A felucca meant a merchant or fisherman. A galley could be a slaver.
Celeste opened her case and lifted out her telescope with a flick of magic. It was a far finer instrument than any other aboard. "Grogul." She floated the telescope to him. "Do you want to send this up to Lacy?"
"Sure, if you promise not to bite me if it goes overboard." He knew she cherished the instrument, and obviously appreciated the offer.
Celeste knew he was joking, but smiled to show her fangs. "I promise. I haven't bitten anyone in days!"
"Thanks." Grogul turned to his bosun's mate. "Kalli, run this up to Lacy."
"Aye!" Kalli the gillman tucked the telescope through her belt and climbed up the ratlines, her webbed hands and feet sure on the ropes.
In moments, Lacy Jane called down, "Galley! Yellow sails! She's turning north!"
"They're turning to follow us."
"Seems that way." Grogul's predatory grin spoke volumes. He shouted orders to the crew. "Maintain course, but slack the sheets to slow us down a bit. Someone wake the captain."
Celeste looked to the sky, but the light of dawn had already dimmed the stars. She would get no more guidance from there, but she remembered her earlier observations. Verces between the Stranger and the Follower. A choice... As usual, the signs could be interpreted numerous ways. If the ship they'd spotted was the follower, who was the stranger? Or perhaps the choice wasn't between a follower and a stranger, but between fleeing or fighting the stranger who followed them? If they chose to fight, they risked more than the ship and their lives, for they carried Vreva's coded logbook, a repository of secrets invaluable to the Andoren cause. They could never let slavers get their hands on that book.
Torius and Thillion hurried up to the quarterdeck. Snick followed, rubbing her eyes, her sea-green hair sticking up at all angles. She dyed it blue for her disguise in Ostenso, but insisted on washing it clean every time they left port, just like she insisted upon changing the identity of the ship from Sea Serpent to Stargazer.
"Looks like an Okeno slaver, sir," Grogul reported. "Still hull down, but they've turned to follow. I slacked sheets to slow us, and in this light wind, they'll catch up quickly. We should get a better look soon."
"Thanks, Grogul."
"Couldn't you have waited until after breakfast to bellow like a bull elephant?" Snick glared up at the bosun and tried to smooth her hair.
"Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep. I know you need it." Grogul grinned down at her, showing his tusks.
The gnome made a face. "You should get some, too."
"We could lure them in and take them, Captain." Thillion squinted to the south, his elven eyes sharper than theirs by far. "Unless she turns out to be as big as the Bloody Scourge, of course."
Celeste could only agree. That ship had very nearly been the death of them all.
"We may have to let this one pass." Torius squinted at the sea and sky, obviously gauging the variables that might affect their chances. From his frown, he was also undoubtedly thinking about Vreva's logbook. He turned to Celeste and cocked an eyebrow. "Unless you have some insight from the stars?"
"I don't... " Celeste paused and considered the choice that faced them. Should we fight and risk Vreva's book?
"Yes." The answer came out of Celeste's mouth before she knew what she was saying. She had no idea where the overwhelming feeling of promise had come from, but it couldn't be denied. The song of the heavens sang it loud in her soul, a familiar rightness, just as when she'd considered facing Lothera Cothos.
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
"You do have some guidance from the stars?" Thillion sounded dubious.
Torius had learned to respect her astrological prophecies, but knew better than to ask for specific information. Long experience had taught him that her predictions were fraught with uncertainty, often only becoming clear in retrospect. The rest of the crew still often saw her prophecies as more troublesome than accurate. But this time, she was certain.
"Yes, I have. The choice is clear. We should take them."
"Captain!" Lacy Jane called down from the foretop. "She's hull up! One deck of oars, and she's pulling hard! They're coming after us!"
Torius turned to Celeste. The slaver wasn't so large that Stargazer couldn't take her, but there was still doubt in his eyes. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure, my captain." Celeste reared up, more sure of this than she had been about anything lately. "We should take that ship. Trust me!"
Torius grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that." He turned to his officers. "We take them! Thillion, I like your idea of luring them in. Let's make like we're a merchant fleeing in panic. Grogul, something aloft is going to break. Nothing catastrophic, just enough to foul the rigging and kill our speed. You'll command the main boarding party amidships."
"Aye, sir!" The half-orc hefted his axe and thumbed the razor edge.
"Snick, put the Sea Serpent placards back on, and load your babies with the usual tricks. We'll take them by surprise."
"Surprises are my specialty, Captain!" The gnome scurried off to tend her ballistae. Stargazer would look like a benign merchant until the cunningly disguised firing ports opened and the tips of six of Snick's specialized ballista warheads nosed out.
"Thillion, you and your archers will rake their deck from our forecastle as they come alongside, then board and continue the barrage from their own foredeck."
"Yes, sir."
"Celeste, you, Windy, and the bosun's mates will board aft with me. Once we've cleared their quarterdeck, I want you to rake their middeck with your spells."
"It'll be my pleasure." Celeste's heart raced in anticipation of the battle. Having suffered in chains herself, there were few things in life she enjoyed more than blasting slavers with destructive magic.
"Good! Windy, start steering wild. Grogul, tell the crew to handle the sheets and braces like lubbers. Thillion, pick your archers and stand ready. Remember, we're merchants until the trap is sprung!"
Canvas and tangled cordage flapped in the wind, and sailors scurried around the deck in apparent panic. The slaver was closing fast, near enough now that Torius could read the placard on her bow. The Golden Chain bore a figurehead of a woman bound in gilded manacles and a collar.
"Keep coming, you bastard." Torius lowered his glass and turned to shout panicked orders to his crew. They had to play this right. If the slaver got a whiff of the trap, they would rake Stargazer with arrows and ballista bolts from afar. But Torius had learned how to play on slavers' greed by appearing vulnerable. To traffickers in flesh, sailors were potential merchandise, not to be damaged unless they resisted. Few merchantmen could offer much of a fight. Most would choose slavery over death.
Torius knew better. He'd die before he became a slave again.
"Yaw to starboard, Windy. We're panicked, remember."
"Shakin' in my boots, sir." She grinned at him and hauled the wheel to starboard, her strong right hand working in concert with the hook-and-pike combination that had replaced her left. A slaver had taken that hand some months ago. Already, Windy had filed five notches in the pike for the slavers she'd killed as payback.
"Sea Serpent! Heave to and nobody dies!" The bellowed command from the bow of the Golden Chain brought a cold smile to Torius's lips.
Glancing over his shoulder, Torius assessed their foe. Slavers armed with nets, grapples, and cutlasses crowded the galley's middeck, ready to board. On the forecastle, a ballista crew stood ready beside their engine, but the adjacent catapult wasn't even loaded. There were no archers. There were, however, more slavers than Torius had counted on. He hoped he hadn't underestimated this foe.
"Kalli, ready the colors. I want to scare yesterday's breakfast right out of those bastards!" The instant the slavers saw Andoran's flag, they'd know they were in for a fight, and Stargazer had a deadly reputation in Okeno. "Dukkol, pass the word down to Celeste. Two minutes."
The two bosun's mates hurried to comply, the gillman clipping the flags to the mainmast halyard, and the one-eyed dwarf thumping down the stairs to where Celeste hid inside the sterncastle door. Moments later, the dwarf returned, and Torius heard the rasp of scales on the deck beside him.
"Ready, my captain." Celeste's disembodied voice sounded like music to his ears.
"Good. You know your target."
"Anyone who looks like they're about to cast a spell."
"Right." Recently the Okeno slavers had begun contracting powerful wizards to protect their ships. Torius winced as he recalled the Gray Corsair Gold Wing, sunk by a blast of magic before their eyes. That was another reason he chose to lure their prey in for the kill. Up close, a caster was an easier target. With any luck, Celeste could neutralize the threat before they had a chance to blast Stargazer to kindling.
Torius glanced over his shoulder again, trying to look scared as he gauged the angles and distances between the two ships. He muttered a prayer to Gozreh that Celeste's guidance on this battle would prove true. They were taking a serious risk in this venture. He'd probably catch hell from Marshal Trellis for putting Vreva's logbook at risk, but they did have to maintain their reputation as privateers. That meant actually taking on a slaver now and then. Besides, Torius never tired of killing slavers and freeing slaves. The looks on their faces—the horror of the slavers and the amazement of the slaves—when they realized what was happening made him feel more alive than just about anything else in the world.
"Yaw to port, Windy! Keep them guessing."
"Aye, sir!" Stargazer slewed to port. The slaver shifted course accordingly.
"Sea Serpent! Heave to, or we'll fire on you!" The crack of a ballista backed their threat, but the warning shot flew harmlessly overhead, a holed sail the only damage.
"Don't shoot! We surrender!" Torius dashed to the taffrail, waving his arms in a panic. "Let fly sheets! Helm to windward!"
Stargazer turned to starboard and Golden Chain back-paddled her starboard sweeps to come alongside. Torius scanned the galley's deck, noting the satisfied smiles and laughter among the slavers. That's right, just keep laughing... The two ships closed to barely ten yards.
"I have the caster, Torius." Celeste's voice came from right beside him.
"Do it."
Arcane words flowed, harsh and garbled to the captain's ear. Celeste materialized as lightning lashed out toward Golden Chain's quarterdeck. The bolt struck a robed woman there, blasting her to the deck in a flutter of smoldering cloaks.
"Stargazer!" Torius drew his sword and thrust it high, the familiar rush of adrenaline surging through his veins.
Two flags flew up the mainmast, the golden eagle of Andoran on a blue-and-gray shield, and directly beneath it, Stargazer's own long black-and-silver pennant bearing a serpentine silhouette of a naga with flowing white hair. Thillion's archers leapt up from hiding to rake the galley's forecastle with a deadly volley. The crew of the enemy ballista fell, riddled with arrows. Stargazer's deck shuddered beneath Torius's feet as six ballistae cracked in perfect unison. The bolts cleared the galley's rail by mere inches, and the triggering tethers came taut, detonating the ceramic warheads. Blue-white liquid splashed forth onto the astonished slavers, encasing them in freezing alchemical ice. Grogul and his boarders boiled up from the main hatchway, heaving grapples to pull the two ships closer.
"Celeste, Dukkol, Windy, Kalli, with me!" The helmswoman and bosun's mates drew weapons and ran with him to the rail, but Celeste didn't move. When he glanced back, she just stared at him with a questioning look. "Come on!"
"Que towlre nokta?" Celeste gaped at him wide-eyed.
Torius stared at Celeste, trying to interpret what she'd said. "Celeste! Come on!"
She blinked at him, uncomprehending, and spoke again, but her words came out as a string of gibberish.
What the hell language is she speaking?
The two ships met with a crash. Torius couldn't wait, even for her. He leapt the rail onto the enemy quarterdeck, parrying a pike thrust even before his feet touched the deck. Windy gutted the pikeman as she landed beside him, and parried a cutlass with her hook. Kalli lunged to skewer a slaver officer through the neck with her rapier. Dukkol bellowed a curse as he took a pike in the leg, but his axe clove through his opponent's arms in riposte. More slavers closed in on them, pressing them hard. Torius parried wildly, glimpsing the slaver captain beyond the flashing blades. The officer knelt over the smoldering form of the fallen wizard, a blue glass bottle in one hand. The caster reached up for the bottle with one charred hand.
"The caster's still alive!" The Stargazers were holding their own so far, but if the slaver captain healed the wizard, they'd be in trouble. "Celeste!"
Torius couldn't break through the flashing blades before him, but the answering crackle of lightning was all he'd hoped for. The bolt caught both the wizard and the captain in its fury. The caster was reduced to a smoldering corpse, but the captain rolled to his feet and drew a pair of hooked silvery hand axes from his belt. Ignoring the smoke trailing from his singed jacket, the man charged to the attack.
Torius pressed his opponent hard, slashing through her guard to open a horrible gash in her leg. The woman stumbled, and Windy took the opening to slash her cutlass across the slaver's neck. The helmswoman took a cut to her other arm from her own opponent, but Kalli put her rapier in the slaver's ribs. Dukkol, though limping, guarded their flank as more slavers charged up the steps from the middeck to reinforce their officers.
Torius kicked away the twitching corpse and met the captain's attack, parrying one gleaming axe and dodging the other. The man was quick, however, and Torius missed his next parry. The slaver's blade ripped through the fine mail beneath his shirt, gouging a furrow down his ribs. Pain took his breath away and weakened his knees.
"Gozreh's guts!" Torius was no stranger to injuries, but this felt like he'd been plunged into boiling oil. He managed to evade the other axe and slash at the man's legs, driving him back.
The slaver captain grinned maniacally and flourished his weapons, which glimmered strangely. "You're no match for—"
A beam of searing energy from Celeste caught the man square in the face. The axes clattered to the deck and a horrible scream rose from the slaver captain's blistered lips, his hands clawing at eyes charred to cinders in their sockets.
"Match that, asshole!" Torius silenced the captain's screams with a slash of his sword. Clutching the wound in his side, he clenched his teeth against the excruciating pain and turned to face the enemy charge.
Then Celeste was beside him, her scales shimmering with a starry radiance. At first, Torius thought it was the mesmerizing shimmer she often used to distract an enemy, but the effect was different. Instead of her scales shimmering, it looked as if she wore a luminous cloak of glittering motes. A slaver lunged at her, and Torius thought the cutlass would surely rake her, but the starry nimbus turned the blade before it touched her side. Celeste struck like a viper, sinking her fangs into the slaver's throat. His screams died in a gurgle, and she flung the twitching corpse aside with a twist of her body.
Torius spared a moment to assess the battle. Thillion and his archers had taken the foredeck, and their bows sang a song of death, shots picking off slavers as they struggled against Grogul's boarders. Two Stargazers had turned the enemy ballista around to fire down upon the slavers crowding the middeck. Snick's ballista crews now fired crossbows from the conjoined rails, and Torius spotted the shock of the gnome's green hair as she scrambled toward the enemy forecastle. The surprise of their assault had given them a foothold, but they were still outnumbered. Here on the quarterdeck, slavers poured up two flights of steps to oppose them. Even with Celeste's aid, they were being pressed hard.
"Rally!" he called out in encouragement. "We've got to take the quarterdeck!"
Celeste shouted something unintelligible, but her tone bespoke urgency.
"I can't understand a word you're saying, Celeste!" Had the wizard gotten off a spell to tangle her tongue? Torius swallowed his worry for her and slashed to drive the enemy back. If they could take the quarterdeck, Celeste could rake the middeck with her spells, but not while fighting at close quarters.
A flight of glowing motes shot from the naga to riddle the enemy, and Torius breathed easier. Two dropped their weapons, and were instantly skewered, and Dukkol hacked the legs out from under another. The Stargazers surged forward, and Torius drove his opponent over the forward rail.
They had taken the quarterdeck.
Lightning lashed out from Celeste, arcing the length of the deck to blast a furrow through the enemy force. Arrows streaked from the rear of the slaver ranks in reply. Kalli took a shaft in the shoulder, and Torius felt a burning sting as one creased his thigh, but the one aimed at Celeste glanced off her starry shield.
"Nice spell, Celeste!" He slashed at another slaver trying to regain the quarterdeck, sending her tumbling down the steps. "Dukkol, block the stairs! Don't let them get a foothold! We've got to give Celeste cover!"
Celeste yelled something else, but still he couldn't understand her. Fortunately, she knew her role. Another searing bolt of lightning blasted the enemy force. Grogul and his fighters were pressing the slavers against the far rail now, so reduced were their numbers. Celeste slithered quickly to the port side of the quarterdeck.
"Guard the stairs!" Torius commanded the others. "Nobody gets—" His orders died on his lips as a burly slaver with a hooked falchion leapt down at Celeste from the ratlines. The full force of the man's falling mass backed the two-handed stroke. "Celeste! Look out!"
Celeste turned to Torius, eyes uncomprehending as the blade fell like a guillotine toward the back of her head.
An iron-tipped ballista bolt struck the slaver the instant before the blade would have cloven her skull. The heavy falchion sheared away a lock of the naga's platinum hair, then skittered down her scales. The glancing blow brought her around in a flash of fangs, ready to strike, but the shaft had spitted the slaver through the chest. Her would-be assassin lay twitching on the deck, clutching the wrist-thick bolt and gasping for breath.
With a sigh of relief, Torius traced the bolt's trajectory back to the foredeck, where a grinning gnome leapt with delight at her life-saving shot. He'd have to remember to thank Snick, but the battle wasn't over yet.
"Celeste!" Torius pointed to the deck, since in her current state she seemed incapable of understanding him.
Celeste turned away from the dying slaver and cast her lightning yet again, blasting the tightly pressed slavers and thinning their remaining ranks by half.
The devastation shattered the enemy's waning morale. Some dropped their weapons to plead for mercy, while others, rightly assuming that none would be given, leapt over the side. This proved a poor tactic, however, for the school of sharks that often followed slave galleys had been alerted to a pending meal by the blood running from the ship's scuppers. The water roiled, and shrill screams rose above the din of battle.
The surviving slavers fought grimly on—ravaged by Grogul's boarding party, Thillion's archers, and Celeste's spells—until the last fell in a welter of blood. A cheer rose up from the Stargazers, and Torius thrust his bloody sword to the sky in triumph.
"Grogul, search the ship and free the slaves! Snick, see to the wounded! Thillion, pick a prize crew and take stock of all she's carrying. You'll be taking her into Almas as usual." As the three hurried to follow his orders, he turned to find Celeste coiled over the slaver who had attacked her. She had ended his suffering with a bite to the throat, a kindness Torius doubted the slaver would have returned. Her cloak of starlight had vanished, and her black scales were spattered with blood, but she seemed unhurt. "Celeste! Are you all right?"
She turned to him with a startled look. "I'm... fine." She glanced down at the gash in his side. "You're bleeding."
"I'll live." He winced as he flexed his side. It still hurt abominably, but the crippling pain was gone. The blade had skittered across his ribs like a stick along a picket fence, but the wound wasn't life-threatening. "What happened to you? I couldn't understand a word you said."
"I... don't know. I couldn't understand you, either." She gazed at the charred corpse of the slaver wizard. "Maybe she cursed me."
"Well, it's lapsed, at least." He ran a hand down her truncated hair. "Though it cost you a haircut."
"Yes... I didn't see him." She looked forward. "Snick saved my life."
"Yes. She's certainly got a way with ballistae. That was an amazing shot. I'll have to give her a bonus. But that cloak-of-starlight saved you as well. That's a handy spell." He laughed, but was surprised to see that his mirth wasn't mirrored in her eyes. Instead, she looked rather shaken. "You sure you're okay?"
"Just a little rattled, I think." Celeste smiled weakly. "Close call, you know. But we won."
"That we did." Torius surveyed the deck. "Your prophecy was spot-on!"
The Stargazers were hard at work, and already the deck looked less like a slaughterhouse and more like a ship. Snick and her ballista crews tended the wounded with a satchel full of potions for those close to death and bandages for the rest. At a glance he saw only two dead Stargazers. They'd be in Almas in just a few days, and there was enough in the death fund they all paid into to have them brought back by the priests there. Torius looked over his crew with a surge of pride; taking on such a superior force with only two deaths was an amazing feat.
He cleaned his sword on a dead slaver's shirt and slipped it into its sheath. "Yes, it's a good day to be a pirate."
"Privateer, you mean," Celeste corrected.
"I suppose." He gave her his best piratical grin and laughed. "Doesn't have quite the same ring to it, but I must admit there are advantages."
The first of the freed slaves stumbled onto the deck, pale and blinking in the sunlight. That look of delighted astonishment on their faces made all his pain worthwhile.
I still think I should go in with you. Mathias rubbed up against Vreva's leg and lashed his tail. You might need my help.
"Not this time, love." Vreva took a calming breath and peered out the window of the carriage as it turned onto Ostenso's waterfront. She loved Mathias and might have used his help, but having him along would distract her. In the belly of a Chelish flagship, surrounded by a thousand sailors and marines, the last thing she needed was a distraction. "It's just dinner. I'll be in and out in a trice."
Dinner with you is never just dinner. Mathias knew better than to be put off by her assurances. Tell me you're not planning to befuddle his brain with your feminine charms, drug his wine, break into his mind with magic, and steal his every secret right down to his mistress's favorite color.
"Mathias!" She reached down and scratched him behind the ears. "Never all of that on the first date."
Right. He didn't sound convinced.
The truth was, Vreva didn't have much of a plan other than to make her best possible first impression on Admiral Ronnel. She'd done some digging on him, of course, and deemed him a hard man, a brilliant naval tactician, a political hawk, and—thank Calistria—a ladies' man. The only way she could get more information about him and this Kellid witch and her weapon, neither of which they had seen in several days of Mathias spying from the waterfront alleys, was to meet him in person. Unfortunately, her letter of introduction and invitation to a private dinner at the Officers' Club had been answered with regrets and an explanation that his duties would not let him leave his ship—but also with a return invitation to visit him aboard his flagship, Devil's Trident. If she got him alone, and detected none of the magical precautions so common among the powerful and paranoid, she might risk casting a spell on him or drugging his wine. Then, with some careful suggestions, she might attempt to discover what this secret weapon was. Vreva was experienced enough to know that things like this took time. Besides, the admiral wasn't going anywhere soon. Rumor had it that Devil's Trident would be tied to the dock for some time yet awaiting an unknown deadline.
The carriage rumbled to a stop, the iron wheels sounding hollow on the thick wooden planks of the wharf. Vreva smoothed her dress, and then cast a spell on Mathias that made him vanish from sight. Her familiar would skulk about the docks within range of her empathic messages. If something untoward occurred, at least he would know.
Vreva stepped from the carriage and tamped down her trepidation. She'd been in many dangerous places in her career, but never had she stepped aboard such an intimidating ship. This close, the sheer immensity of Devil's Trident made her feel as if she stood before the ramparts of a castle. Looming over lesser ships, the flagship's four towering masts soared so high they seemed to pierce the evening sky. Three rows of ballista ports checkered the hull, more than she'd ever seen on one ship. The gangplank looked more like a drawbridge than a simple ramp, sporting gilded rope handrails and carpeted steps that led up to a wide boarding hatch on the middeck.
Vreva approached with an easy, fluid gait that belied her tension. She had taken great care with her attire for the evening, remembering one of her very first lessons as a courtesan: you have only one chance to make a good first impression. Her gown—deep crimson silk brocade with gold accents—plunged low at both neckline and back, though a shawl clasped at her throat currently hid the full effect.
Security around the ship was tight, especially since it was docked not at the naval pier, but rather at the main commercial pier of the port. A score of Chelish marines were stationed all along the dock, and another ten in formation at the base of the gangplank, all of them resplendent in black-and-red uniforms. An army couldn't have easily breached the flagship's defenses—but Vreva could. She'd done some careful reconnoitering earlier in the day, looking for magical defenses, wards, traps, and the like. Though she'd found none, her skin crawled with unease. She had no doubt there were spellcasters aboard. For this first incursion, she'd taken great care to leave all of her magical trinkets and lethal poisons behind—nothing that would raise suspicions if discovered.
The marines at the gangplank snapped to rigid attention, but couldn't hide their covert glances at the admiral's guest.
"Madame Korvis." A tall lieutenant bowed stiffly, his face a mask of propriety. "Lieutenant Draell of the Imperial Marines at your service. The admiral's expecting you."
"And he's supplied me with quite a dashing escort." She proffered a silk-gloved hand. "Delighted to meet you, Lieutenant Draell."
He took her hand in a formal fingertip grasp and bowed again, his unsmiling face flushing slightly. "You'll excuse the formality, ma'am. We're under very strict security." He placed her hand on his arm and gestured to the gangway. Four of the marines fell in around them, their faces chiseled from stone.
"Well, I'm honored to receive such royal treatment." She wasn't really. Five soldiers surrounding her meant she couldn't make any haphazard observations en route to the admiral, but that wouldn't stop her from learning as much as she could. "I've never been aboard a flagship before. Perhaps you could point out a few things on the way."
"I'd be happy to, ma'am."
At the boarding hatch, another squad of marines stood around a man in a black jacket with two silver emblems on his lapels, a pair of crossed lightning bolts and a junior officer's insignia. He was young and good-looking, and Vreva knew instantly that he was a spellcaster. Here, it seemed, was the magical security.
"One moment please." The darkly clad caster stepped forward and held up a hand, his fingers bent in a crooked gesture as a whisper of arcane words issued from his mirthless lips. His hand shimmered briefly in the dim light of the deck lanterns.
"Magic?" She cocked an eyebrow at her escort. "You are being very careful, aren't you?"
"Just a precaution, Madame Korvis." Draell's face remained impassive. "I'm sure you understand."
"I understand perfectly." She fixed her features in a facade of mild affront. "Will there be a search of my person, as well?"
Draell looked momentarily horrified. "No, ma'am. We just look for magic."
That's good to know. She sighed as if mildly put out.
"Nothing." The caster nodded respectfully and tipped his tricorne, but remained impassive. "Your pardon, ma'am."
Vreva smiled sweetly at him, then turned back to Draell. "Now, about this wonderful ship, Lieutenant... "
Vreva feigned rapt interest as Draell happily spouted nautical mumbo-jumbo, drowning her in meaningless details about buntlines, cat-harpins, and double-preventer stays. Only once they entered the lofty sterncastle did the deluge of sailor-speak ease to a trickle, and her attention sharpen. She memorized every twist and turn of the corridors in case she had to make a quick escape. Surviving such an escape, however, seemed unlikely with all the sailors and soldiers about. Dour marines stood at many of the doors, and every passage branch. If she had to flee, she'd need to sprout wings and go out a porthole.
Finally, they came to a pair of double doors guarded by two more marines and narcissistically emblazoned with the crest of the Admiral's house. Cheliax's queen had granted Ronnel the title of baronet for his service to the empire, which barely qualified as nobility. At Lieutenant Draell's knock, a white-jacketed steward opened the door and stepped aside.
Draell escorted Vreva inside, and executed a crisp military bow. "Milord Admiral Vaetus Ronnel, Madame Virika Korvis."
A slim man of perhaps fifty years wearing an immaculate dress admiral's uniform turned from the broad expanse of stern gallery windows. "Madame Korvis, how very delightful of you to accept my invitation." Ronnel approached with a smile and a conspicuous brush of the golden epaulets atop his shoulders. "I regret terribly that I couldn't meet with you at your establishment, but the duties of command never end, and my presence is required here." The admiral executed a precise quarter-bow, the proper formality for a noble greeting a guest of lower standing.
Ronnel was surprisingly handsome, which didn't matter in the slightest. What did matter was his obvious arrogance. She could use that to her advantage. From her youth in Egorian, Vreva was all too familiar with the propriety and pomposity of the new nobility. She'd be living in that world still, had she not abandoned her true name, family, and heritage. She also knew enough about Ronnel to be on her guard. The man was skilled, intelligent, and ruthless. He was also an idiot when it came to money. Without a war to supply him with prize money from naval conquests, his lavish habits had resulted in a considerable debt. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, he enjoyed female company.
"Milord Admiral." Unclipping her shawl, Vreva handed it off to the steward and curtsied gracefully, giving the admiral a delicate smile and a perfect view of her daring neckline. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet the commander so highly spoken of by his officers. I'm thrilled to be invited aboard such a fabulous ship!"
The last part, at least, was the absolute truth; she was thrilled by this opportunity to spy on a fleet admiral, and the ship was indeed fabulous. The great cabin was nothing short of palatial. Polished brass lamps hung from every beam, bathing the teak-paneled walls in a soft golden glow. The decor was both masculine and military. A large desk stood to the right, emblazoned with yet another coat of arms, a pair of crossed swords displayed on the wall behind it. A table set with burnished silver plates and sparkling crystal stood in front of high, gilt-framed windows that arched along the entire back wall, providing a glorious view of the harbor. White-gloved servants stood behind each chair, ready to attend.
Not exactly intimate. I'll have to get him alone somehow.
"Everything's so lovely and bright." She beamed at Ronnel and placed her hand on his proffered arm. "I expected a military vessel to be stuffy and cramped."
"We keep Devil's Trident in fighting trim," he said, puffing up his chest, "but I also enjoy my comfort. As Admiral of the Ostenso Fleet, I do require accommodations to entertain guests." He dismissed Draell with a wave and gestured toward the table. "A glass of wine before dinner?"
"I'd prefer whiskey, if you have a single malt handy."
"Whiskey?" Ronnel looked at her as if she'd asked him for a cup of freshly drawn blood. "Really?"
"Really, Milord Admiral." Vreva curved her lips in a licentious smile. Her request had caught him off guard, accomplishing exactly what she intended. "A dear friend introduced me to the pleasure of a finely crafted single malt whiskey." Memories of that friend and their ill-fated romance muddled her mind for a moment, but she thrust them aside and focused. "The flavor is so very... smoldering, don't you think?"
"I've never really tried whiskey, but I think my steward might be able to find something you'll like." Dragging his eyes away from hers, the admiral snapped his fingers and his steward hurried off, doubtlessly to delve the flagship's cellars. "You're a woman of eclectic tastes."
"Eclectic?" She shrugged and squeezed his arm. "Not to my thinking. I like my liquor like my men, strong and straight up."
Ronnel gaped at her for a moment, then laughed out loud. "By the stones of Asmodeus himself, you really are something!" He laughed again, fully and without reservation. "Quite refreshing! Quite refreshing indeed after so many simpering shrews. A real woman, not afraid to speak her piece to someone above her station. Quite refreshing!"
"Why, thank you, Admiral." First task accomplished. Vreva had just set her first impression in stone, distinguishing herself from any other woman the admiral might entertain. Squeezing his arm again, she joined in his laughter. "Not every man has the self-assurance to recognize me for what I am, but you've hit the proverbial nail on the head with the first stroke. No doubt one of your officers has told you of me."
"They have not. I swear it on my honor." Ronnel placed his hand over his heart and bowed. "Please, let's forget all this propriety and simply enjoy ourselves. I can't think of a single person with whom I'd rather spend an unabashed evening of frivolity."
"Unabashed frivolity just happens to be one of my favorite pastimes, Admiral." Vreva beamed up at him, enjoying the blush that rose to his cheeks. She had him exactly where she wanted him: mirth up, inhibitions down, and his libido ready to jump out of his pants and prance around the cabin.
The steward arrived with a bottle that looked like it had spent several years rolling around the ship's bilge. The label was barely legible, but when the steward proffered it for inspection, she recognized the crest of a New Stetven distillery in distant Brevoy.
"Ah, you have good taste, Admiral! Let's give it a try."
"Damn the ballistae and full sail ahead! Ha ha!" The admiral snatched up two tumblers from the sideboard and clapped them down on the table. "I do believe I'll join you!"
"Please, allow me to serve your first taste!" Vreva plucked the bottle from the startled steward's hands, expertly cracked the seal, and twisted the stopper free with a resonant pop. She poured a measure into each glass and held one out to Ronnel. "To a night of unabashed frivolity."
He took his glass and glowed at her. "To that, Madame Korvis, I will drink!"
The heady flavors of smoky peat and malt exploded in Vreva's senses, but she was prepared for the shock of it. She gasped in a cleansing breath, enjoying the liquid fire that warmed her throat and stomach. The admiral's gasp evolved into a fit of coughing, his face turning an astonishing shade of scarlet before he managed to draw a full breath.
"Rather takes you off guard, doesn't it?" She relieved him of his tumbler before he dropped it.
"Like a summer squall!" He coughed again and tried to smile.
"It's an acquired taste."
"I think I'll stick with wine." Ronnel motioned the steward forward.
"To each his own poison." Vreva strolled around the vast cabin, brushing her fingers lightly over the requisite portrait of Queen Abrogail II, and peering in admiration at the crossed swords mounted on the bulkhead behind Ronnel's broad desk. "This cabin is positively lovely! Would it be possible to get a tour of the rest of the ship?"
"After dinner we can take a turn on deck, but I'm afraid most of the ship's off-limits to visitors." The admiral joined her, sipping a glass of deep-red wine. "This cabin is for formal dinners and meetings, mostly. I sometimes host dinners for the captains of the fleet here, but I generally use it as an office. I have more intimate quarters for entertaining... special friends."
Not too subtle, are we, Admiral? Vreva gave him a sultry smile. "I'd love to see them."
"After dinner, then." He guided her back to the table with a hand at the small of her back as two stewards entered bearing several covered dishes. "I've arranged quite a feast for us. I have one of the finest culinary slaves money can buy, you know."
"Really?" Vreva wondered about people who used slaves as their personal chefs. Didn't they realize how easy it was to poison someone?
Hoping that tonight wasn't the night the enslaved chef decided to rebel, Vreva took the seat a servant held for her. Just as Ronnel took his own seat, however, a knock sounded at the door. When the steward answered, a harried lieutenant burst into the cabin, gasping for breath and dabbing a handkerchief at four parallel scratches etched across his cheek. Vreva recognized him from the Officers' Club—the disgruntled lieutenant.
"Milord Admiral!" The officer saluted stiffly. "I beg your pardon, but there's an emergency, sir."
The admiral flushed crimson, the veins in his neck and face bulging. "Pardon me for a moment, my dear. The drudgeries of command again, I'm afraid."
"I understand perfectly, Admiral." Vreva smiled sweetly and sipped her whiskey as her host thrust himself out of his chair.
Ronnel stalked over to the injured lieutenant and backed him up against the door, his voice harsh and low. "This better be important, Lieutenant Emero, or you'll be scrubbing the bilges for a month!"
"It's that witch again, sir!"
Vreva could just make out the officer's hushed words. She gazed out the window as if entranced by the view, covertly watching the two men's reflections in the glass. She longed to cast a mind-reading or eavesdropping spell, but didn't dare with a servant hovering at her elbow. Even casting a silent spell might be noticed.
"What's she done now?" the admiral demanded.
Emero lowered his voice further, and Vreva strained to hear.
"She's... with that... and that bloody devil hit my... the infirmary... and when I... blood on my... immediately... "
"Right now?"
In the window's reflection, Vreva saw the admiral cast her a quick glance, then turn to glare at the poor lieutenant.
"I'm sorry, sir, but she... "
"Oh, fine! Wait here." Ronnel returned to the table and bowed to Vreva. "I'm very sorry, my dear, but I'm afraid I'm being called away."
"Oh, how dreadful!" Vreva put on her best pout and stood. "Can I wait for you here?"
"I don't know when I'll get back, but if you like, please stay and enjoy the meal. I'll be an hour, at least, but could be longer."
"Oh, I could never accept your hospitality without the pleasure of your company, Admiral." Vreva leaned forward to brush his cheek with her own, her voice a sultry whisper. "There's no hurry. An unabashed evening of frivolity must be done properly, you know." She trailed her nails down his taut waistcoat.
"Oh, I agree." Ronnel stepped back and took her hand in his, bending to kiss it. "I'll arrange another dinner, and we'll do it properly. You have my pledge of honor."
"I'll hold you to it, Admiral." Vreva curtsied again.
"Jensen, escort the lady off the ship and hail a carriage." The admiral cast Vreva one more longing glance before stalking out of the cabin, Lieutenant Emero at his heels.
Well, that was a waste of time! Smiling sweetly despite her disappointment, Vreva accepted her shawl from the steward and wrapped it around her shoulders. She looked wistfully at the dishes on the table. The covers hadn't even been removed, but the tantalizing aromas made her mouth water. Maybe she should have taken Ronnel up on his offer and dined alone, but it would have given the wrong impression. She'd done the right thing. She did, however, finish her whiskey before she followed the steward back through the labyrinthine passages. She caught the faint sound of distant raised voices, and considered what she'd overheard. Devils and witches and blood, oh my...
As her carriage approached, Vreva felt a surge of urgency. Mathias. She sent him a nudge of affirmation, and feigned a misstep as she boarded the hackney. Her marine escort caught her arm, and she pressed against him long enough for Mathias to slip ahead of her, his black fur rendering him virtually invisible in the darkness. Thanking her escort, she stepped up and settled into the carriage.
What the hell happened? Mathias mewed as they jerked into motion.
"The admiral was called away. Something to do with this witch of theirs. There might also be a devil involved, too, though it could have been just a turn of phrase."
Are you kidding me? This is Cheliax! If someone says devil, they're probably talking about a real one!
"Regardless, I think we need a different strategy."
A little feline reconnaissance?
"Exactly." Vreva scratched Mathias under the chin, but he was already purring with excitement. "One more ship's cat should go unnoticed, though getting you aboard might be tricky. They scan everyone who comes aboard for magic."
As long as you don't use a cat-apult, I'm in!
"Oh, my love, that was dreadful." She picked him up and nuzzled the back of his neck. Born an ordinary cat, Mathias had only been speaking since becoming her familiar less than a year ago, and was still learning the finer points of language. Unfortunately, he was also learning how to pun. "Stick to chasing rats."
I'm so unappreciated...
"Celeste?"
Something brushed through her hair, shattering the song of the heavens into a thousand shards. Celeste whirled and lashed out, fangs extended.
"Celeste!" Torius jerked his hand back. "Gozreh's guts! What's gotten into you?"
"Torius!" She slithered back, her panic receding, though her heart still raced. Then she saw the blood on the back of his hand. "By the stars! Torius, I'm sorry! I didn't... Clean it! Quickly!" If any of her venom got into his bloodstream, his addiction might flare back to life. Lunar naga venom was dangerously habit-forming, and that dependency had nearly destroyed their relationship once before. He'd all but accused her of trying to enslave him, and she'd thought he wanted to be rid of her. The last thing either of them wanted was to go through that again.
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch." He wiped the tiny trickle of blood away and sucked on the wound. "Be more careful, will you?"
"You startled me!" Dread descended on her like a shroud. Once more, she'd lost herself so deeply in the stars that she'd been oblivious to her surroundings. What's happening to me? Maybe I have been cursed...
Celeste didn't know what to think. Her inability to speak or understand a word of Taldane during the battle with the slavers might have been a spell cast by the dying wizard, but she wasn't sure. The shimmering cloak of stars that shielded her from enemy blades and arrows, however, had come from within her. She had felt the magic arise from deep inside her. It hadn't been a spell, at least not in the way she was used to casting spells, but something... internal. The magic might have protected her, but it also scared the hell out of her. And now she had bitten Torius.
"You're sure you're okay? How do you feel?"
"I'm fine." He sucked again at the tiny scratch and spat over the rail. "No venom got in. Believe me, I'd know."
"Thank the stars!" She felt a flood of relief, but still the nagging worry. Cursed... "Don't touch me like that when I'm stargazing. You startled me."
"Well, you can bet your scaly tail I won't do it again!"
"I said I was sorry."
"Forget it. No harm done." Torius reached out to touch her again, but she reared back out of reach. He stopped and stared at her. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I'm just rattled, I guess." Celeste glanced around the quarterdeck, but nothing seemed amiss. They were still sailing northbound, though the lights of Almas weren't yet visible. In fact, the only lights other than the stars were those of the captured galley following a mile in their wake. "What's going on?"
"Nothing serious. I just need our position. It's almost midnight."
"Of course." She had apparently been lost for hours again, and hadn't even heard the ship's bell tolling the watch change. Cursed... She took quick sightings on Bretheda and Castrovel, and ran through her calculations, grateful for something to occupy her mind for a while. Only after marking the chart and jotting down the time did she realize that Torius was staring at her. "What?"
"Nothing. You just seem jittery." He noted their position on the chart, ordered a minor course change, then returned to her. "You're sure you're all right?"
"I am a little jittery, I guess. I don't know. Perhaps that close call aboard the slave galley unnerved me." She wanted to tell him about the strange spell, that she felt it might be linked to her inability to communicate during the fight, but couldn't force herself to form the words. Celeste glanced about the quarterdeck at the sailors bustling about in their duties. Sailors were notoriously superstitious, so later might be better, when they could talk privately. Or maybe she shouldn't tell him at all. Should I tell him about this?
A curious feeling washed over her. The song of the heavens resounded in her mind, but unlike the feeling of rightness she'd felt when she suddenly knew taking the slave ship was the correct thing to do, she now felt a swirling uncertainty, a morass of good and bad, benefit and detriment, boon and bane. She shook her head at the strange sensation, and thought for a moment she heard musical laughter. She twisted, scanning the deck for the source, so clear and loud, but it wasn't any voice she'd ever heard. Now I'm hearing voices in my head! What the hell's happening to me?
"Celeste!" Torius reached out to her again, and she couldn't shy away. Not from him. His warm hands felt good on her scales. Soothing. Familiar. "What's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost!"
"I... don't know." That was the truth at least. Hearing voices, strange spells, speaking in tongues... Her mind whirled with potential causes, none of them good. Is this what it feels like to be possessed by a spirit or demon? "I just... feel strange. I can't explain it."
"Just try to relax." He pulled her into a comforting embrace. "We'll be in Almas today, and it'll take at least a couple of days to get the ship straightened out. Snick said we sprung a few joints coming up against that galley, and they'll need to be repaired. We can afford to take a little time for ourselves."
"Time—you mean a few days off?" Maybe that was all she needed.
"Sure. We'll have to meet with our contact, of course, but after that... how about a night on the town? Almas is a big city. There are lots of places you haven't visited yet."
"That would be nice." Celeste smiled and leaned into Torius's warm arms. Almas also undoubtedly had innumerable wizards and clerics who might be able to discern what was wrong with her. Maybe I can even find someone to lift this curse...
Purchase the whole novel here!
Tags: Chris A. Jackson Pathfinder Tales Remko Troost
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7 Free Graphic Design Tools For Churches
If you're looking to create graphics for your church while keeping it quick, easy and affordable - look no further! Brady shares 7 free graphic design tools.
Canva (0:35)
Adobe Spark (1:59)
Dribbble (2:33)
Noun Project (4:00)
Coolors (5:03)
Unsplash (6:56)
Instagram Stories (8:29)
Canva for work
Alex Mills: Well, hey there and welcome to Pro Church Daily, the show where in 10 minutes or less you’ll get your daily dose of tips and tactics to help your church share the message of Jesus while we navigate the biggest communication shift that we’ve seen in the last 500 years. I’m your host, Alex Mills, joined as always by the hype man, it’s Brady Shearer. Today, we’re talking about seven free graphic design tools for churches.
Brady Shearer: If you want to create graphics quickly, easily and affordably, so affordably you won’t have to spend a dime, this episode of Pro Church Daily is for you. We’ve got seven free graphic design tools that we use, have used and recommend. Let’s dive right in. The very first tool, canva.com. Canva is an online graphics creation and editing interface that is 100% free to use. Like most products, they have an actual paid version as well. It’s called Canva for Work. It’s $10 a month. What’s amazing about Canva for Work is that it’s also free if you are a nonprofit, churches included. You can apply for that and you can get it absolutely free as well.
What’s great about Canva, especially with the Canva for Work edition, is that you can upload your brand colors and you can basically create this brand style guide within the interface, so if you have multiple different people that are using the platform, they can log in and choose from preselected colors that fit with the brand. Logos are already uploaded. That way, you can keep visual consistency across the board as much as possible even when you are using the platform with different people in the church, maybe people that aren’t even that skilled already with the graphic design. Canva is perfect for that. It’s really a graphic creation and editing interface for those that aren’t skilled with graphic design. Whereas a Photoshop might be more for an advanced user, Sketch definitely for a more pro user, Canva, anyone can use.
Alex Mills: It’s pretty ridiculous how powerful this tool is and how intuitive it is, like you said, for someone who maybe doesn’t even know where to begin. But for making graphics for social media posts, for Instagram, for Facebook, Canva is … Your church, if you’re not using it, you need to be using it. It’s great.
Brady Shearer: The second tool on our list, very similar to Canva, is Adobe Spark. Adobe Spark is essentially Adobe’s spin on Canva. They have a mobile app as does Canva. They have a tablet version and they also have an online version very similar to Canva and that you can create graphics, especially for social, digital delivery quickly, easily, without too much existing skill.
Alex Mills: Yeah. I haven’t had the chance to get my hands on this, but I’ve looked at a little bit. But being part of the Adobe suite, you can rest assured that this is going to be a really great product for you and, like you said, perfect for churches.
Brady Shearer: The third tool on the list is Dribbble and I used this tool just this week to get graphic design inspiration. We had a meeting with our product team the other day. Basically the action step they left me with was, Brady, we need to start creating a mood board for this new project. We need inspiration. What type of resources are inspiring you and what should influence the direction of this creative project? We need to know what you’re thinking. Get it outside of the abstract that’s in your head like here’s what I’m thinking. Well, it’s hard to explain it. Give us some examples of what you like and we can mix that all together, create a mood board and then use that to drive our decisions when we get into the design phase of this project.
I went to Dribbble, with three Bs, D-R-I-B-B-B-L-E dot com, and I started searching for designers that I already know and love, other examples of designers that have done creative projects like this one before, and I basically just started copying the links and pasting them into our Trello card where we have this mood board that was growing as I added resources and this is where I go again and again to get inspiration. The best designers in the world gather here. It’s completely free to see the portfolio and see what are others up to and it’s great for getting inspiration when you feel stuck or when you need to communicate these very difficult ideas to put into words. Really the best way to communicate them is through other visuals. This is my go-to resource.
Alex Mills: Awesome.
Brady Shearer: Number four, The Noun Project, a curious name. The Noun Project is an amazing free resource for iconography. For instance, if you are creating a social media post that was promoting your Twitter account and maybe you wanted to post it on Instagram because you wanted to cross-promote your platforms, a great way to grow, post on your Instagram account a link to your Twitter handle and say, “Follow us.” Something like that. You can go The Noun Project and you can search Twitter and you can download a Twitter icon directly,
Alex Mills: That’s sweet.
Brady Shearer: … From there and then you could put that into your post. Of course it’s not just logos. They have every type of icon that you could possibly want. Let’s say you wanted a church icon and you found one with a cool steeple outline, you download that and use that. Iconography is a great way to elevate your graphic design skill and polish really with custom illustration, but they’re not custom because you downloaded them for free on The Noun Project.
Alex Mills: Yeah, and they’re fun. You can use them as buttons on your website, too. You can use an icon, assign a link to it. Instead of using text as a hyperlink that says, “Click here,” all of a sudden, you’ve got an icon that you can take an action there and it’s fun.
Brady Shearer: Perfect. Number five, coolors.com.
Alex Mills: I love this one.
Brady Shearer: Basically the word “colors” with two Os with the first O so C-O-O-L-O-R-S dot co? I think it’s dot co.
Alex Mills: I think it might be dot io?
Brady Shearer: Dot io?
Alex Mills: Maybe.
Brady Shearer: I think you’re wrong.
Alex Mills: Okay.
Brady Shearer: I don’t think it’s dot com. Coolors, C-O-O-L-O-R-S in Google and that will direct you to the correct URL. I just looked right at you when I said, “I think you’re wrong.”
Alex Mills: Hey, I probably am.
Brady Shearer: Stone cold. What’s amazing about Coolors-
Alex Mills: Yes. Not the name.
Brady Shearer: There’s no way that’s how it’s pronounced. We’re surely butchering it. Maybe it’s colors but it’s just stylized differently but I like Coolors with that emphasis is that it’s a free tool to generate beautiful color palettes.
Alex Mills: Oh, I love this so much.
Brady Shearer: I’m just such a color theory nerd. What’s amazing about this is you can take a hex code, a six digit color code, #FFFFFF, which would be …
Alex Mills: White.
Brady Shearer: 000000, which would be …
Alex Mills: Black.
Brady Shearer: There you go. Then every single unique color has its own six digit code. What you can do is you can go into Coolors and put in the six digit hex code, click generate and it will create an entire color palette based on your original color. If you want to go completely free style, you can just generate without a preexisting color code and it will generate color palettes for you on the fly that are stunning.
Alex Mills: This was helpful for our church when we’re doing a bit of a rebrand, designing a new church website. We had one strong brand color. It’s like this teal color but I knew I needed some secondary colors to fill out our palette and so I went to Coolors, I put in our hex code for a strong brand color. It gave me a color palette. It generated this color palette that I fell in love with immediately, put that right into our style guide and now we have secondary colors and some text colors that I would have never known could have gone with this teal color but Coolors dit it for me and did it for free.
Brady Shearer: Free graphic design tool number six, everyone’s favorite, Unsplash.
Alex Mills: Yes.
Brady Shearer: Unsplash is the absolute best free resource that I know about when it comes to free stock photography. Now, it goes without saying, don’t go to Unsplash and then find a picture of someone’s face and then plaster it on your website. But if you want to find a beautiful photo of a goat standing in a green field, go for it. Or a beautiful photo of a urban landscape, kind of cityscape sort of look, go for that.
What’s amazing about Unsplash is that even though there are tens of thousands of photos and now they have a search feature which makes finding the perfect photo amazing, they do have a certain level of quality that you must reach to get your photo on that site. A lot of the time these free sites where anyone could submit a photo are not that helpful because most of the photos are trash whereas Unsplash, #Canadians who put the site together, make sure that if you’re going to get your photo posted on the site, it’s going to have to measure up to a certain level of quality so you know that any photo you find on this site will not only be free but high quality as well.
Alex Mills: Yeah, and we’ve talked about it before. Google Images is not a free stock photo site. You can’t search what you’re looking for in Google Images, right-click, save as and use that photo.
Brady Shearer: Don’t be a thief.
Alex Mills: But as a church who maybe can’t afford to hire a photographer or buy stock photo, you say, “Okay. If I can’t use Google Images, where can I get these photos?” Unsplash is the place. Like you said, their standard, their quality standard is very high and it’s all free. The photos are really good and really usable.
Brady Shearer: Final graphic design tool that is free, Instagram Stories. The Instagram Stories interface has so many features within it now that I often find myself going in there to edit a photo that I then post elsewhere, Facebook, Twitter. It’s just easier to jump into the Gram Stories interface. I made a list of all the things that you can do with the photo editor within the Stories interface. You can add text. You can add GIFs. You can make a poll. You can add graphics. You can add the temperature. You can add the time, the location. You can shoot a normal photo, a Boomerang photo, a focus photo which now allows you to blur out the background even without,
Alex Mills: That’s crazy. It’s crazy.
Brady Shearer: … Portrait mode and that’s brand new. They’re always adding new stuff. You can do a super zoom video, a rewind video, a hands-free video, a stop motion video. A lot of those are video/GIF capabilities but the number of pure photo and image editing that the Instagram Stories interface will allow you to use is one of the reasons I go to it again and again.
There you have it, seven free graphic design tools your church can leverage and use, icons, photos and everything in between. That will do it for today’s episode of Pro Church Daily. We’ll see you next time.
How 250 Churches Are Successfully Reaching Millennials
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Accidental Data Loss, Data loss, email privacy, Information Security, Top News, US Embassy
US embassy accidentally emails invitation to ‘cat pyjama-jam’ meeting
by Louisa Hardwick
Canberra’s US embassy accidentally exposed details of one of its more enticing get-togethers last week, after an employee distributed a meeting invite to an undisclosed number of email recipients, The Guardian reported.
Gavin Sundwall, US Mission to Australia public affairs counsellor, was, however, unperturbed, by what he claimed was a “training error”:
Sorry to disappoint those of you who were hoping to attend this ‘cat pyjama-jam’ party, but such an event falls well outside our area of expertise. It was a training error made by one of our new staff testing out our email newsletter platform.
The email – entitled “Meeting” – featured an attractive tabby cat relaxing on the sofa in a Cookie Monster-style onesie, with a plate of delicious edibles on his or her lap.
Sundwall also said that they would be employing “strong new management controls” to prevent a repeat of the mistake.
Marketers like to have a bit of fun occasionally, and featuring fluffy, cosy, baked-goods consuming felines could be considered an essential weapon in winning managerial approval when templating new communications.
However, it’s worrying just how often this sort of thing is delivered to the masses before its error-free and thoroughly vetted time.
How often have you, as a consumer, received an “Oops” email from a brand you’re subscribed to? It could, perhaps, be a cunning marketing ploy to get us to read it (who doesn’t want to see a big company making a fool of itself, after all?) But at least some of these premature firings are genuine mistakes.
The US embassy was lucky, really, that it hadn’t exposed confidential information, insensitively emailed everyone on its list, or featured a disturbing image (although some may find a cat in a Cookie Monster suit disturbing).
Other examples of companies lacking due diligence when it comes to emails range from the humorous to the dangerous, and include:
Facebook, who sent its weekly app email to the wrong people. It blamed it on an “error” in its email delivery system.
A benefits management vendor who accidentally emailed the names and Social Security Numbers of an unknown number of Google employees to someone at another company.
Shutterfly, who sparked an angry buzz on social media when it mistakenly sent an email intended for new mothers only to its entire subscriber list. The email was deemed insensitive and hurtful to those who’d suffered fertility issues or recent miscarriages.
Fab, a retailer who sent a blank-apart-from-a-cat-picture “test” message to all of its subscribers. Cats again! I’m telling you, they’re a marketer’s dream. They followed it up with another cat apologising for the first cat.
Ucas – the UK’s university admissions organisation – emailed thousands of students a congratulatory message on their acceptance into Nottingham University, before they’d actually been accepted.
Accidental Data Losscyber securityData Lossemail privacyTechnologyUS Embassy
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Question from Patricia - Anne Boleyn as Henry VIII's great love
Don't you think that finally, Anne Boleyn was Henri's only great love ?
[Some similar past threads linked below. - Lara]
http://queryblog.tudorhistory.org/2008/01/question-from-leigh-jane-seymour-was.html
http://queryblog.tudorhistory.org/2008/10/question-from-marie-which-wife-did.html
History Chick said...
I think they had a very passionate relationship. First, that passion was in the form of love and lust but it turned to hatred. But I think Henry at least believed that he loved all his wives, just perhaps in different ways. Some people feel he was too selfish to ever really love anyone.
Henry VIII was in love with the idea of being in love. While married to K of A, Henry called himself "Sir Loyal Heart". We all know how that turned out! While Anne Boleyn was pregnant, he was on the hunt for a mistress among the court ladies. When Anne objected, he told her that she should "close her eyes as her betters had done".
I think if someone had asked Henry, at the time of his death, who his greatest love had been, he would have said it was Jane Seymour. Easy really, Jane gave him a son and died before Henry got sick of her.
Then there was Katherine Howard, his mid-life crisis bride, whom Henry was said to have "kissed and caressed more than he did the others". I don't think this was love either, since he was perfectly willing to execute his teenage bride out of wounded vanity.
Then there was Katherine Parr, his most suitable wife since Katherine of Aragon. She was, if not his intellectual equal, at least in the ballpark. Henry almost had her sent to the tower (over the Anne Askew affair) but she was forewarned, and was able to circumvent it.
I have to agree with History Chick. I think that Henry really was too selfish to truly love anyone!
I think you are right. That is the point : “she died before he got sick of her”.
Henri was a womanizer, “un coureur de jupons”, as we use to say in French.
I wish Anne gave him a son, it would have probably changed her destiny.
Thank you all for your answers, I am very interested in the Tudors’ history, especially in Anne Boleyn’s one.
I would like to read Eric Ives' book about Anne Boleyn, (he is said to be the specialist) but I have been learning English on my own for 6 months and I think that the level is too high for me .
I must wait, or maybe I should try to read 2 or 3 pages at a time, no more !!
You are right, of course, that if Anne Boleyn had given Henry a son her destiny would have been quite different.
A lot of people think that Henry broke with the Roman Catholic Church for the love of Anne. While his infatuation with Anne cannot be discounted, I can't imagine that he would have divorced Katherine of Aragon if she (Katherine) had given him a son, no matter what he felt for Anne. The Tudor Dynasty would have come first.
Question from Patricia - Anne Boleyn's French
Question from Alexandra - Another guardianship sce...
Question from Maud - Tudor Rose at Holyrood Palace...
Question from Michael - Burial vault in St. George...
Question from Renee - Differences in punishments b...
Question from Nick - Elizabeth I's other motto
Question from Patricia - Anne Boleyn as Henry VIII...
Question from Jo - Origin of Elizabeth I's motto
Question from Val - Boat Anne of Cleves traveled t...
Question from Monica - A Narrative of the Pursuit ...
Question from Tudor Fan - Henry's potential career...
Question from Monica - MPs in the 1560s
Question from Ruth - History of the Great Hall at ...
Question from Jordan - Henry VIII State Papers onl...
Question from Stuart - Henry VIII's banner in Fran...
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Tag Archives: Kim Jong-il
Promethean Times’ 2011 Person Of The Year: Us Again
Posted by Smaktakula in Celebrity, Crime, Culture, Entertainment, History, News, Politics, Religion
'Lil Kim, 1492, 2010, 2011, 2012, Afghanistan, Amy Winehouse, Arab Spring, Armenian Genocide, Arnold Schwarzenegger, arson, Barack Obama, California, Celebrity Death Watch, Charlie Sheen, Cleveland, Code Pink, Democratic Republic of Congo, Democrats, Diana Spencer, Dirk Nowitzki, dumb kids and the dumb things they do to fuck up their lives, ennui, Fidel Castro, Flower of American Skankhood, Gabby Giffords, gay people, Jani Lane, John Boehner, Julius Malema, Kate Middleton, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un, Kim Kardashian, LeBron James, Leslie Nielsen, Lewis County, Libya, LiLo, Lindsay Lohan, Mayans, Muammar al-Gaddafi, muslims, Nancy Pelosi, narcos, North Korea, Oakland, Occupy, Osama bin Laden, places that suck, Prince William, prognostication, Promethean Times' Person of the Year, puppy-killing, Randy 'Macho Man' Savage, Rapture, Republicans, Robert Mugabe, San Francisco, self-promotion so shameless that it borders on hucksterism, Smaktakula is aware that 'penises' is the accepted plural but if it's good enough for Steinbeck it's good enough for us, Smaktakula's decades-old vendetta against the French, Smaktakula's vendetta against Lewis County, South Africa, Steve Jobs, Tea Party, the cult-like devotion accorded to Steve Jobs by effete Mac users, the French, the West, United States of America, Washington State, Zimbabwe
By The Promethean Times Editorial Staff
We Looked Among All The Nations Of The World, And Could Find None More Deserving Of Our Praise.
We’ll admit it–we didn’t think it would come to this. We figured we’d be rich by now, or at the very least the Rapture would have freed us from our myriad woes. Since it didn’t (it didn’t, right?), we’ve picked ourselves up and resolved to make a game go of it. Moreover, we’re concentrating our hopes on the admittedly feeble chances the Mayans were right in predicting doom for 2012, and that very soon sweet nothingness will obliterate the pain that is existence.
Turns Out Somebody Made A Calculation Error When They Came Up With The 2012 Date. The Revised Figure Is 1492.
Until then, though, we’re even more delighted that, last December, we were the inaugural winner of the Promethean Times’ Person of the Year. Now, as we say goodbye to what we call ‘The Year of Promethean Times,’ it’s time to recognize a new mover and/or shaker for his/her/its contribution or impact to our world.
Having outstripped the rest of the field by light-years in the 2010 contest, Promethean Times could be forgiven for feeling like it has an edge in this year’s selection. After all, no one disputes that Promethean Times’ many, many contributions to the betterment of society rank among the more significant developments in 2011. Still, the beloved news journal remains humble. “Would we like to repeat?” asks Smaktakula, lead writer, “Absolutely–who wouldn’t? But we’ve got important events to cover, and we can’t really spend time thinking about things like that. Besides,” he adds, “Some other stuff happened.”
Among that stuff was a string of dead dicks, despots and men of low character. 2011 bid farewell to a number of those comical tyrants who, through nothing more than style, a ridiculous outfit and balls the size of grapefruit, commanded legions to do their bidding. Osama bin Laden’s cringing demise among the fluid-spattered catacombs of his porn library taught us all to laugh again, while the image of Keystone Cops stumbling after wacky sand-despot Muammar Gaddafi in a madcap chase aross the Libyan desert gave us reason to laugh even harder. The ascendance of Steve Jobs and Kim Jong-il to their respective heavenly kingdoms reminded us that Gods too can die.
Among The Many Proposed Reforms Of The 'Arab Spring' Which Began In The Winter Of 2011 Is A Calendar That's Worth A Damn.
Fortunately, the world is in no immediate danger of losing its megalomaniacal dickheads–it seems as if for every despot hanged, another sprouts from the puddle of piss at his twitching feet. The loss of ‘Lil Kim was a blow for North Korea, but made easier when Kim Jong-un waddled into his father’s shoes and accepted his mandate to drive the shitstain of a country further into the ground. Africa maintained its preeminence for venal strongmen throughout 2011, with brutal racist Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe single-lippedly keeping alive the Hitler Mustache, while Julius Malema, an exciting new face on the South African scene, promises to continue the ruination of the one-time economic powerhouse. And throughout the world, Muslims continued to blow things up in protest of the western world’s inexplicable and persistent view of Muslims as violent and reactionary. The West countered with fiercely abject apologies.
Fidel's Still Hanging In There.
Another theme embraced wholeheartedly worldwide was indignation. Contrary to the age-old adage, “What goes up must inevitably continue to do so,” 2011 saw a further decline in the still-ridiculous standard of living enjoyed by the West. Like going out to lunch with Grandma, the belief arose that it was enough to wait it out, and somebody would eventually pick up the check. The jarring reality that Grandma died during a visit to the ladies’ room brought angry people into the streets. In America, this phenomenon took the form of “Occupy Wall Street,” a Tea Party for the under-40 crowd, who still like to break things and enjoy the novelty of humping in Liberty Park, where rank coils of human feces suffice for scented candles and complete exposure for privacy.
For Real, We Totally Would.--Only, It Smells Like Pee And There's A Ton Of Poor People Walking Around.
The year was momentous for the United States. Although ending its involvement in Iraq (kinda, not really) the US steadfastly continued interminable bank-busting conflicts in places like Afghanistan, while also embarking on other daring adventures such as temporary conflicts in Libya and a secret war¹ in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On the home front, the government turned its attention against homegrown enemies, like pot shops in California, while Operation Fast & Furious ensured that narcos and Mexican Army assassins could continue to terrorize the citizenry of the failed state and disappear the occasional American tourist.
The year began with the Arizona shooting that turned US Representative Gabby Giffords into a living martyr, and the rest of the nation into a gang of loudmouthed assholes. Throughout the year the citizenry continued the tradition of killing one another, often in new and surprising ways.
America: Where Our Unsettling Anthropomorphic Monsters Are Just A Little Bit More Patriotic.
President Obama was once again unable to deliver on his promise to make the United States a magical Care Bear land of milk & honey scented with the sweet strains of children’s choirs singing liltingly of the unifying joy of diversity, but from their bastions in college quads and Code Pink meeting-houses, the President’s dwindling cadre of true believers assured us it was Republican obstructionism. And secret racism. Republicans countered that their sole aim was to restore sanity to a beleaguered nation, and promised that only as a last resort would they burn the fucking thing to the ground.
The Bad News Is That Rome Is Burning. The Good News Is That Everyone In Our Studio Audience Will Be Going Home Tonight With Shiny New Fiddles!
Political penii² proved productive in promoting prick-principled puns, as well as gratuitous alliteration. The destructive power of the penis was ably demonstrated by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who showed us that even a wealthy Hollywood/Government powerhouse with an even richer (albeit skeletal) wife will fuck an ugly woman if given the opportunity. Late night talk-show hosts methodically shook every last droplet of humor from the Weiner situation, before putting away their pricks at the disgraced NY Rep.
Political mores and identities changed more than ever, particularly in institutions such as the US Military. The US Navy broadened its long and proud tradition of maritime homosexuality by allowing gays to be open about it. At the same time, former Gay Mecca San Francisco saw its fabulousness eclipsed in favor of dumps like Oakland and Cleveland. Meanwhile, in Washington State’s rural Lewis County, citizens continued their proud practice of frequent–and flagrantly public–sexual congress with barnyard animals.
For Newlyweds Lisa And Bingo Lamb, A Day At The Fair Is A Great Reason To Dress Up.
As did the death of beautiful paper-doll Diana Spencer over a decade before, the wedding of Prince William to commoner Kate Middleton proved Americans are still fascinated with the royal family from which their forefathers once strove so mightily to emancipate themselves. Although America does not have a royalty per se, the Twenty-First Century has seen the rise of a new class of publicly-owned do-nothings. Paramount among these is the vile Kardashian Klan, a bloodline and marriage-based conglomerate that may just be the strongest argument yet advanced in support of the Armenian Holocaust.³ Kim Kardashian’s sham-marriage to basketball legend somebody-or-other netted the vapid perfume-tycoon more money than you’re likely to see in a thousand lifetimes.
There were a few stars whom we were relieved to see survive 2011, not least because their delightfully destructive antics provide regular low-hanging fruit for Promethean Times. Toothless cretin Charlie Sheen managed to bring his life and career to a shattering halt, suffering the additional injury of losing his place in America’s most beloved half-hour of insipidity to a genial retard. Yet through a heroic lack of self-awareness and the public’s perverse predilection for the doomed, the former Carlos Estevez is more popular than ever. The same cannot be said for Lindsay Lohan, once hailed as ‘The Flower of American Skankhood,’ who like Sheen, is one of 2012’s most likely fatalities. Despite a loving and supportive family, worldwide adoration and impeccable personal hygiene, the only audience to prove capable of tolerating LiLo’s act for any length of time were her customers at the LA County Morgue.
It Gets A Lot Less Sexy When You Realize She'll Be Dead Soon.
Sport continued to be a necessary diversion around the world, uniting and dividing people not by races or ethnicity, but by the overpriced merchandise they wore. In American sports, Jesus, sole scion of the Jehovah Dynasty, briefly tried His hand at football before quietly retiring once again to the sidelines, much to the dismay of football fans in the Mountain States. Although a strike marred the beginning of the 2011-2012 NBA season, the 2010-2011 season ended in a thrilling contest that satisfied both haters of LeBron James and fans of Schadenfreude in general. In what was nearly universally regarded as a black year for baseball, the one bright spot was the continuing absence of a World Series trophy in the Lone Star State. And in sports outside of America’s shores, a group of Japanese ladies won some soccer thing.
A Little Bit Like Schnitzel.
With all these notable events and people, both tragic and sublime, from which to choose, our editors had an unenviable task in determining Promethean Times’ Person of the Year for 2011. It was only after a thorough and at-times grueling vetting process, at several points during which the acrimony grew both increasingly bitter and ad hominem, that the worthy candidate emerged. Promethean Times is proud to name as this year’s Promethean Times’ Person of the Year and our first two-time back-to-back recipient, Promethean Times, honoring the venerable publication for its indefatigable and often thankless dedication to fighting the barbaric practice of puppy-killing.
Bravo, Promethean Times.
NEVER AGAIN.
To The Dear Friends To Whom We Bid Farewell In 2011: May You Find Yourselves In Heaven Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead:
Amy Might Still Be Alive If She Had Filled Her Drug-Pipe With Harmless Tobacco Instead Of What She Actually Filled It With--Drugs.
The Thing We'll Miss Most? The Laughter.
CNN News Personality Anderson Cooper Was Too Beautiful To Live.
Sure, It's A Tragedy For The Ages, But We Take Some Small Consolation In The Knowledge That There's One Less Drunk On The Streets Tonight.
Quiet, Modest And Unassuming, Mr. Savage Exemplified The Qualities For Which America Is Admired Across The Globe.
Get It? We're Being Metaphorical. Trust Us, Chicks Dig Metaphors.
The Colonel's Friends All Believed It Was Gaddafi's Fascination With Thriller-Era Michael Jackson That Prevented His Promotion To General.
This Beautiful Creature Learned Too Late That If Something Lives, The Germans Will Find A Way To Kill It.
This One Time, When Smaktakula Was In Juvenile Hall On An Arson Charge, He Met A Guy Who Claimed To Be Jani Lane's Half-Brother, And Damned If The Kid Didn't Look Just Like Him. No, That's It.
Old Friend, We'll Miss You Most Of All. Circumstances Demand That We Dispense With The Childish, Insensitive Caricatures Upon Which We So Often Rely, But Rather, Respect Your Culture By Offering You A Farewell Not Only More Dignified, But In Keeping With The Proud Traditions Of Korea. In This Last Hour, Dear Leader, We Say Simply, "Sayonara."
¹ While it’s not actually a secret that 100 US ‘advisers’ have been sent to the DRC to help combat the Lord’s Resistance Army, it might as well be for all the media talks about it. ∞T.
² ‘Penises’ is the accepted plural of ‘penis,’ but Promethean Times has always been, and will forever proudly remain, a penii-loving publication. ∞T.
³ It’s a joke, Tanzr–don’t let it curdle your yogurt soda. Yes, what happened to your great-great aunt whatsername at the hands of the Turks all those years was a tragedy, but at least we provided a link to Wikipedia. That’s a hell of a lot more than the US Government ever did. ∞T.
North Korea Fires On Santa’s Sleigh
Posted by Smaktakula in Crime, News, Politics
Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un, Merry Christmas!, Nodong-2, North Korea, pariah nation, places that suck, Pyongyang, rogue state, Santa Claus, South Korea > North Korea, you can't tell us that 'Pyongyang' doesn't sound like a filthy word to you
Mr. Claus Is Said To Be No Fan Of The Pyongyang Regime.
In a move considered dickish even by the attenuated standards of blighted pariah nations, rogue state North Korea fired two Nodong-2 missles at Santa’s Sleigh early Sunday morning, narrowly missing the beloved quasi-diety. Santa and his reindeer are reportedly unhurt, much to the delight of good boys and girls throughout the first world.
No, You're Thinking Of Vietnam. In North Korea, Santa Says "Kim! Kim! Kim!"
Western observers are divided as to the reasons behind the military action. Some view the attack as a show of strength by newly-appointed dictator and enfant terrible, Kim Jong-un. Others disagree. Proponents of the so-called “Bad Santa” theory contend that the attack was a calculated maneuver, and was never intended to harm St. Nick. Santa would be so furious following the encounter, according to the theory, that he would leave the entire North Korean nation nothing but coal, something the wretched citizens of the failed state desperately need to heat their desolate hovels.
Whatever. You Weren't Getting Anything, Anyway.
"And T-T-To All A G-G-Good Night!"
‘Lil Kim Adjusting To New Life In Witness Relocation Program
'Lil 'Lil Kim, 'Lil Kim, California, comical despots, Compton, Ding Dong the Dick is Dead!, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un, liquor stores, Muammar al-Gaddafi, North Korea, Saddam Hussein, So Ronery, South Korea, Witness Relocation Program
"Hey! This Not A Rending Ribrary! You Buy Or You Get The Herr Out!"
Kim Jong-il, the once-feared despot of blighted hellhole North Korea, is said to be transitioning easily into his new life as a Compton, California liquor store owner. Although the blue-collar life might seem like a comedown from the palatial existence previously enjoyed by the tiny madman, ‘Lil Kim claims to be very happy.
Kim's Youngest Son Is Sorry To See The Old Man Go.
“Rife is so much easier now. I got none of the probrems of running rearry big and important country,” says the diminutive ex-despot, referring to the asswipe country he inherited from his own father and ran further into the ground. He has high hopes for the prospects of his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, who has taken over the reins of state in his stead. “My boy, ‘Ril ‘Ril Kim, gonna fuck South Korea up good!”
'Lil Kim Has Been Welcomed To The Neighborhood By Such Businessmen As Terry Davis, Owner Of Sandbox Liquor.
Although ‘Lil Kim isn’t at liberty to discuss the matter, it is believed he is joined in his exile by several other former world leaders. “Yeah, I see some famiriar faces–let’s put it that way. At reast I’m not . . . so ronery any more.”
"You Better Not Be Selling Any Goddamn Falafels! I Make The Mother Of All Falafels!"
North Korea: Crazy For The Orympics
Posted by Smaktakula in Culture, News, Politics, Sport
'Lil Kim, 2018, competitive eating, football, Golf, happiness, impoverished third-world backwater, impoverished third-world hellhole, incredible sporting achievements, Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, North Korea, Olympics, places that suck, Soccer, South Korea, South Korea > North Korea, Westchester County, Yemen
We're Not Making Excuses For N. Korea's Poor Performance, But The First Time The Team Saw An Actual Soccer Ball Was During The Match.
You have to admire those plucky North Koreans. Starving, impoverished and confined to a backwater shithole that makes Yemen look like Westchester County, the North Koreans still manage to delude themselves with dreams as distorting of reality as those of any first-world nation.
South Korea > North Korea
North Korea has achieved this interior disconnect by building upon an incremental foundation of self-deception. Recently this manifested itself in a self-scored second place in a worldwide happiness ranking. Emboldened by their program of denial, the North Koreans have now expressed interest in piggybacking onto South Korea’s 2018 Olympic bid. Unsurprisingly, South Korean reception to this notion has been tepid at best.
The North Korean Power-Lifting Team Is The Pride Of Pyongyang.
Sport has taken on a greater emphasis under the comically despotic reign of Kim Jong-il than it did under his father, Kim Il-sung. ‘Lil Kim is an accomplished athlete, numbering among his many athletic accomplishments an amazing eleven holes-in-one the very first time he played golf.
Goat Kicking: Shitty Country, Shitty Sports.
Despite being the global equivalent of the athsmatic fat kid picked last for kickball, the average North Korean is excited about the blighted hellhole’s negligible chance to co-host the Olympics. Moreover, enthusiasm for the Games has grown in recent weeks with the spread of the false rumor that competitive eating has been added to the Olympic program.
In Famine-Ravaged North Korea, This Qualifies As Pornography.
Third-World Hellholes More Fun Than Disneyland
Posted by Smaktakula in Culture, News, Politics
'Lil Jim, 'Lil Kim, abundance, arbitrary ratings, China, Cuba, Dr. Earl Wickenburg, happiness, Hugo Chavez, impoverished third-world hellhole, Iran, Kim Jong-il, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, North Korea, places that suck, so happy, So Ronery, statistics, tyranny, United States of America, Venezuela
Not The Vague Cop-Out It May At First Appear To Be.
The International Happiness rankings are in, and the news is not good for the United States. In a humiliating reversal of expectations that stunned all but a few of the world’s nations, the first-world nation and so-called ‘last remaining superpower’ finds itself dead last in the rankings. Making matters worse, it appears that happiness quotients in the United States were too low to be accurately measured by the comprehensive survey, resulting in no score at all.
America: It Turns Out That The Absence Of Fear, Want And Tyranny Can Leave You Pretty Bummed.
Faring the best at number 1 was the People’s Republic of China. Rounding out the top five were such Shangri-las as North Korea (2), Cuba (3), Iran (4) and Venezuela (5). Although to varying degrees these nations had been thought shitholes (particularly #s 2 & 3), it’s now believed that the authoritarian (and in some cases totalitarian) governments in these top-five governments actually aid happiness by removing many of the daily life-choices that can contribute to unhappiness.
Each Culture Is Unique, And Thus Will Express Delight In Differing Ways.
The survey was conducted by pollsters in North Korea, who were no doubt glad to have the work as a distraction from the constant gnawing of hunger in their distended bellies. The polling agency that completed the survey assured various watchdog groups that it employed a highly-subjective and ever-changing set of criteria on which to base its findings.
We Agree--These Folks Really Know How To Live.
America’s poor showing in this wholly unbiased study has caused concern throughout the formerly great nation. Scientists such as Dr. Earl Wickenburg of the Bahl-Tikkler Institute blame ‘Plethoritis’–literally the bounty of choices Americans face every day in employment, eating, healthcare and travel–for the US ennui. “Americans think they’re happy,” says Wickenburg, ‘But they’re not ‘Venezuela Happy.'”
The 4th And 5th Place Winners In The Happy Derby Congratulate One Another, And Look Forward To A Spirited Competition Next Year. "Look Out, Cuba!" Ahmadinejad jokes.
Not everybody is surprised by this. “I totarry saw this coming,” says one high-placed observer, who asked that we call him only by the alias ‘Lil Jim, “Americans think they’re happy, but rearry–they’re so ronery.”
''Lil Jim' Says That America's Endemic Unhappiness Is The Big Secret Nobody Talks About.
However, if the world economy continues to sour, experts believe that the United States has a chance to improve its dismal status in the rankings. “If the nation can get back to its lean, mean fighting weight of the Great Depression,” Wickenburg says, “America can usher in a new age of ‘do-without’ greatness.'” According to Wickenburg’s calculations, an indicator of America’s growing happiness will be the complete stanching of northward immigration across the US’s southern border, coupled with the heretofore-unobserved phenomenon of a southward flow into Mexico.
Community Is One Secret To North Korea's Happiness. Here, North Korean Elites Gather For An Ultra-Swanky "Food" Party.
Know Your Dictafro
Posted by Smaktakula in Celebrity, History, Politics
'Lil Kim, Alexander the Great, Angela Merkel, because he declared himself King of Scotland. Get it now?, Benazir Bhutto, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Bono, Chairman Mao, ChocoFührer, dictafro, Evo Morales, Fugeeman, Golda Meir, Hillary Clinton, Idi Amin Dada, Imelda Marcos, Indira Gandhi, John Holmes, Julius Caesar, Kim Jong-il, Manuel Noriega, Mao Zedong, Marlon Brando, Muammar al-Gaddafi, mulletards, Napoleon Bonaparte, Pyongyang, Richard M. Nixon, Robert Mugabe, Ronald Reagan, Saddam Hussein, Silvio Berlusconi, Ted Kaczynski, Wyclef Jean, you can't tell us that 'Pyongyang' doesn't sound like a filthy word to you
The individual hairstyles of powerful men and women are as unique as fingerprints. Observe:
The Caesar
The Cover-Up
The Forgettable Fire
The Martyr
The John Holmes
The Kaczynski
The Pyongyang.
The Schultz
The Carpetbagger
The Bubbie
The Big Boy
The Thriller
The ChocoFührer
The Imelda
Le Petit Tyran
The Consigliere
The Supercuts
The Frampton Comes Alive
The Bride Of The Monster-Doctorwallah
The Foreign Exchange Student
The Moe Howard
The Sex Mo-Sheen And The Pantsuit
‘Lil ‘Lil Kim: The Least Of Three Evils
'Lil 'Lil Kim, 'Lil Kim, Brilliant Comrade, comical despots, comically despotic dynasties, Eric Clapton, impoverished third-world hellhole, Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-chol, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-un, Kimkinder, Korean Succession Crisis, life in North Korea sure is shitty!, loser, Macau, North Korea, Numba One Son, Numba Two Son, Pyongyang, the dude who owns the liquor store a block away from where you work, United States of America, video games, WikiLeaks, Wishnik Troll, you can't tell us that 'Pyongyang' doesn't sound like a filthy word to you, Young General
Ever Mischievous, Kim Jong-il Told This Soldier That The Cookie Jar Shaped Like The U.S. Capitol Was Filled With Nourishing Rice.
In the weeks following the announcement in Pyongyang regarding the planned succession of Kim Jong-un, the corpulent youngest son of decaying comical despot Kim Jong-il. Kim Jong-un, known popularly as “The Brilliant Comrade” or according to some sources, “The Young General,” was initially considered a longshot for the succession due to his youth, backwardness and lack of a girlfriend despite being in his late twenties.
A Promotional Still From Kim's Short-Lived Reality Show, "Who Wants To Be A Third-World Despot?"
The Brilliant Comrade’s elevation caught most observers by surprise. It was thought that the dying dictator might not name a successor at all, instead leaving the impoverished third-world hellhole in the capable hands of its generals. However, revelations from documents released recently by WikiLeaks help to shed light on the succession mystery.
Kim Jong-chol: "Rook Out, Radies! Hot Stuff, Comin' Through!"
One source says of Kim Jong-un, “‘Lil ‘Lil Kim is a historical accident,” adding, “If either of his older brothers was worth a damn, the Brilliant Comrade could return to his first love: building intricately designed cuckoo clocks for his vast collection of doll houses.” But for the tongue-tied tyrant such carefree days are behind him; although he never asked for the responsibility, it is incumbent upon Kim Jong-un to perpetuate the ruination of their homeland begun by his grandfather, Kim Il-sung and then continued by his father, Kim Jong-il.
When Asked The Reason For His Love Of Doll Houses, Kim Jong-un Replied, "Dorries Never Starve To D-D-Death."
For years it was assumed that Kim Jong-nam, eldest of the Kimkinder, would succeed his father upon the elder Kim’s much-rejoiced eventual death. However, the demented Wishnik Troll is said to have soured on his playboy son after the younger Kim was caught trying to sneak into Japan for the admitted purpose of visiting Tokyo Disney. Currently living an exile’s life in Macau, Kim Jong-nam has criticized his father’s choice of successor. Sources close to Kim Jong-nam say that he is hoping to take power in Pyongyang when his younger brother fails. This, of course, remains contingent on his surviving the inevitable assassination attempt resulting from his poorly chosen words.
Eldest Son Kim Jong-nam Looks Amazingly Like The Dude Who Owns The Liquor Store A Block Away From Where You Work.
The next son, Kim Jong-chol is no better. A fan of Western music, Numba Two Son is said to have lost favor with his father after being spotted at an Eric Clapton concert in Germany. Adding to Kim Jong-chol’s troubles is the perception that he lacks the requisite masculinity for North Korea’s premier job. Most damning, however, are the revelations that the second son has moved into the dungeon below Kim’s palace, where he devotes all his time to video games.
The Video Games Were One Thing, But When Kim Jong-chol Began Showing Up To Strategy Meetings In Costume, His Father Could Take No More.
The anointing of ‘Lil ‘Lil Kim begins to seem less strange when weighed against his cretinous siblings. True, the tubby tyrant is an awkward, maladjusted, friendless toad–but he may just be North Korea’s last, best hope.
Ever The Pragmatist, Kim's Philosophy Is "If You Can't Be With The One You Ruv, Baby, Better Ruv The One You're With."
Tonight, A Father And Son Are A Rittre Ress Ronery
Posted by Smaktakula in Culture, News
'Lil 'Lil Kim, 'Lil Kim, 'Lil Kim is dying, bonding, Brilliant Comrade, comical despots, comically despotic dynasties, daddy issues, fat people, Glorious Blossoming, Great Leader, impoverished third-world hellhole, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-il is batshit crazy, Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-un is most likely batshit crazy, Korean War, life in North Korea sure is shitty!, Meet the Un-Kim, North Korea, Pyongyang, So Ronery, South Korea, unprovoked attack, you can't tell us that 'Pyongyang' doesn't sound like a filthy word to you
In Another Time, Another Place--This Could Have Been The Kims. Perhaps Then They Wouldn't Be So . . . Ronery.
In the dismal, crumbling concrete tomb that is Pyongyang, there are small but increasingly hopeful signs of life. In a touching moment of bonding, dying despot Kim Jong-il is reportedly spending quality time with his youngest son and chosen successor, Kim Jong-un. ‘Lil Kim is said to be teaching ‘Lil ‘Lil Kim about the trials and tribulations of statecraft by launching an unprovoked attack on a South Korean island.
Father And Son: Only A Few Short Feet Separates Them, But They Are Divided By A Chasm As Huge And Unrelenting As Heartbreak.
Said a North Korean ambassador:
“The Great Leader knows that continuity is important to our great nation, and he has every confidence that when the day comes for the Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong-un to take his rightful place as our terrible master, the transition will go smoothly and gloriously.”
He then added:
“Do you have any food? I would very much like some food.”
Launching a sneak attack against neighboring South Korea is thought to be an excellent bonding opportunity for North Korea’s two most powerful men, as Kims ‘Lil and ‘Lil ‘Lil are both fans of large-scale violence. According to sources, the elder Kim wants to show his son that the international community will huff and puff, but that as long as the repressive third-world regime dangles the nuclear carrot, will stand by helplessly.
"Seriousry? You're Afraid? Now, Risten To Me You Stuttering Toad--If They Were REARRY Gonna Do Anything, They Woulda Done It Rong Time Ago."*
Sources close to Pyongyang, who agreed to speak to Promethean Times upon conditions of anonymity and after being provided with food, said that Kim is doing more than preparing his son for leadership. “The Great Leader is hoping that by spending time with the boy, it will bolster his self-esteem. When the younger Kim is feeling better about himself, we expect to see an end to his Glorious Blossoming,” he said, employing the official euphemism for ‘Lil ‘Lil Kim’s ‘Lil weight problem.
'Lil 'Lil Kim Awaits Reaction To His New PR Campaign: "Meet The Un-Kim."
*Please read here for more details on ‘Lil Kim’s unusual accent.
‘Lil ‘Lil Kim’s ‘Lil Weight Problem
Posted by Smaktakula in Culture, History, Politics
'Lil 'Lil Kim, 'Lil Kim, 'Lil Kim is dying, Asia, Brilliant Comrade, comical despots, despots of size, fat people, impoverished third-world hellhole, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-il is batshit crazy, Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-un is batshit crazy, North Korea, people of size, succession, Why am I so fat?
Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss. Except Much Fatter.
It’s not typical in the information age for the political rising star of a nuclear-capable rogue state to go unnoticed by nervous foreign powers. But in the case of the Brilliant Comrade, Kim Jong-il’s mysterious and until recently unknown son, Kim Jong-un, that appears to be exactly what happened.
Because Despots-In-Training--Even The Comical Kind--Do Not Smile For Photos.
Now the old man is trotting ‘Lil ‘Lil Kim out at every opportunity, giving the world a chance to examine the Brilliant Comrade in detail. He’s a little heftier than previous pictures indicated, not unremarkable in a country so desperately lacking in food. Moreover, ‘Lil ‘Lil Kim’s porcine features coupled with the irascible disposition he is said to have inherited from his father lends him that special brand of terrifying goofiness which should allow him to lord over the impoverished third-world hellhole as long as its crumbling infrastructure holds out.
"Th-Th-Th-That's All, F-F-F-Forks!"
‘Lil ‘Lil Kim Promoted
Posted by Smaktakula in Celebrity, Culture, History, News
'Lil 'Lil Kim, 'Lil Kim, 4 Star General, Big Kim, Brilliant Comrade, Central Military Commission, comical despots, comically despotic dynasties, Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un, North Korea, Regions
Pyongyang announced recently that The Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong-un, son of comical despot Kim Jong-il has been made a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and promoted to the rank of Four Star General. Most North Korea analysts see this as confirmation that ‘Lil ‘Lil Kim has been tapped to be his father’s chosen successor.
Big Kim, 'Lil Kim, 'Lil 'Lil Kim (Maybe).
At the tender age of twenty-seven (or possibly twenty-eight), The Brilliant Comrade has succeeded wildly in comparison to the shiftless couch-warmers who comprise his generation. This kid’s a four-star general–guess you being the youngest partner at Lemitz, Lemitz and Mulcahy isn’t such a big fucking deal, huh?
"My Regions Will Destroy You! . . . What? . . . Regions. I Can't Berieve You Never Heard That. You Know, Rike A Bunch Of Sordiers. Regions."
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Sancho's Mexican Food Cart
Mexican, Tacos, Churros, Boulder Food Trucks
1 year on Roaming Hunger
About Sancho's Mexican Food Cart
When Boulder's looking for some real authentic traditional Mexican food, there's only one name that comes to mind. And that's Sancho's Mexican Restaurant. They're well known for the best meals in town, serving up all the staples of true Mexican cuisine. But soon, they realized they could expand their culinary reach even further, serving up the most popular dishes on the go. Thus, Sancho's Mexican Food Cart was born.
At Sancho's Mexican Food Cart, they've got two simply delicious meals on board: tacos and tamales. Which is anything but a bad thing. Here, they're sticking to traditional preparation methods, using authentic spices and seasonings to add to that full bodied flavor. Craving tacos? They've got 5 tasty varieties, filled with meats including carne asada, pollo and sweetly savory al pastor. How about tamales? That irresistibly tender corn dough is stuffed with flavorful ingredients, plus meaty stews to amp up the flavor. What we're saying is, you've got options, and they more than deliver. Literally. Book 'em to cater your next event, or find Sancho's Mexican Food Cart in Boulder. It really is that good.
Tacos - stuffed with your choice of meat on corn tortillas dressed in cilantro and diced onions, you'd be hard pressed to find more authentic tacos anywhere. Oh, and add the homemade salsa to spice things up a bit
See Sancho's Mexican Food Cart’s Website
Upslope Brewing Company
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM — 1898 S Flatiron Ct, Boulder, CO
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Huge great white shark surprises stunned New Jersey fishermen
Dan Radel
USA TODAY 19 June 2019
NEPTUNE, N.J. – A party of sport fishermen had a rare brush with a huge great white shark Monday off the coast of New Jersey.
In an encounter that was very similar to a scene from the 1975 blockbuster "Jaws," the shark came right up to the stern of the boat and grabbed a bag of ground up fish bait called chum.
The once-in-a-lifetime experience was caught on video and has shark researchers buzzing.
"We've fished for sharks a lot and never seen anything like that. We were amazed by how big it was," said captain Jeff Crilly, owner of Big Nutz Required II, a 31-foot Bertram sport boat.
Spotted: Great white shark was found in Long Island Sound for the first time ever, researchers say
East Coast sharks: Great white sharks have been spotted off the coasts of Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas
Crilly, 31, estimates the shark's length was more than half the size of the boat, or 16 to 18 feet.
"It was harder to guess the weight because we had nothing to compare it to, but it was probably about 2,000 pounds," Crilly said.
A party of fishermen about 30 miles southeast of the Manasquan Inlet got a shocking visitor: a huge great white shark.
Crilly and a five-man crew were participating in a mako shark tournament and had several types of bait in the water as attractants, including the body of a small tuna drifting on a rope and the chum.
The shark was not hooked and, after stealing the bag of bait, swam off on its own power and vanished, Crilly said. The encounter lasted a couple of minutes.
They were positioned about 30 miles southeast of Manasquan Inlet in Manasquan, N.J., in an area with a water depth of 110 feet, home of the wreck of the R.P. Resor, an oil tanker that was torpedoed in 1942 during World War II.
On board was Ray Kerico, Sean Smida, Steve Minkena and Kevin Schellar.
A great white shark eats a bag of ground up fish bait, called a chum bag. The shark encounter happened on Jeff Crilly's boat Big Nutz Required II on June 18 when the boat was 30 miles southeast of Manasquan Inlet.
Crilly, an experienced captain, has won several local shark fishing competitions.
The length of the shark is the same as social media sensation Mary Lee the Shark, a great white shark that weighed 3,500 pounds in 2012 when researchers put a satellite tag on her.
Mary Lee's satellite tag went silent in June 2017 when she was just miles from Beach Haven, but the shark-tracking organization OCEARCH that tagged her believe she's still alive.
Great white sharks: Cape Cod study to examine feeding habits following two attacks
While great white shark populations are on the rise on the East Coast, marine experts said Crilly's encounter is still rare.
"As the population continues to rebound, of course, these chance encounters could increase. This is still a very rare encounter off New Jersey for this elusive fish," said Melissa Michaelson, a volunteer at the Shark Research Institute in Princeton, where she helps verify shark bite incidents.
Michaelson said the shark could be a mature female shark that could be here to pup. The New York/New Jersey bight, an underwater indentation along the Atlantic coast, has long been theorized to be a nursery for great white sharks.
Follow Dan Radel on Twitter: @danielradelapp
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Huge great white shark surprises stunned New Jersey fishermen
---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
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AZ prepares for showdown with AbbVie/J&J as Calquence shines in CLL
Richard Staines
AstraZeneca has announced data showing its cancer drug Calquence outperformed standard care in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia – reducing risk of disease progression or death by 69%.
The UK pharma’s revival has been based on sales of new cancer drugs and with Calquence it looks like it may have another winner.
Calquence was first approved by the FDA in October 2017 for mantle cell lymphoma, and although sales in the last quarter were a modest $29 million, this was from an almost standing start the previous year.
AZ is also developing Calquence for CLL and other blood cancers, where it could compete with Johnson & Johnson/AbbVie’s Imbruvica (ibrutinib) and the company says it expects it to be an important source of sales in the coming years if approved in other uses.
The company will be hoping to recoup the $4 billion investment it made on acquiring a majority stake in the privately-held biotech Acerta Pharma, which originally developed the drug.
Things are going well – AZ has already stopped the ASCEND trial early because of the strong efficacy results, along with ELEVATE-TN that compared it in combination with Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab), versus Gazyva alone.
Latest results give cause for optimism about Calquence’s prospects – detailed results of ASCEND showed that at a median follow-up of 16.1 months, Calquence reduced risk of death or disease progression compared with patients treated with rituximab combined with Gilead’s Zydelig (idelalisib) or bendamustine.
Median time without disease progression for patients treated with Calquence has not yet been reached versus 16.5 months in the control arm.
At 12 months, 88% of patients on Calquence showed no disease progression compared to 68% for the control arm. The safety and tolerability of Calquence was consistent with its established profile.
Calquence also had a very different safety profile compared with the competition – the most common issue was headache, affecting 34% of patients.
With those on the Zydelig combination the most common issue was diarrhoea, affecting 47% of those on the study, and in the bendamustine combination arm the most common issue was neutropenia, affecting 34% of patients.
The strong efficacy shown compared with Zydelig, which in 2016 was hit with a warning from EU safety regulators about risks of serious infections.
This has left Zydelig languishing in terms of sales, with doctors choosing to prescribe Imbruvica instead and it’s this that AZ has in its sights with Calquence.
Sales of Imbruvica are expected to peak at around $7 billion, and AbbVie reported that its total revenues from the drug stood at nearly $3.6 billion last year.
Imbruvica also generated just over $700 million last year for Johnson & Johnson as part of a profit sharing agreement.
NICE recommends funding for psoriasis and type 1 diabetes drugs
Q4 results roundup 2019
Case Study: How AstraZeneca evolved its digital supply chain
New Speakers from Roche & Imperial College announced for SMi’s ADMET Event
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Fushi Yuugi : The Wish of Sealing.
November 26, 2015 November 26, 2015 / razorbackwriteraus
Fushigi Yuugi: The Wish of Sealing
The Priestess’ of the Gods…. Their pure-hearts brought forth benevolent wishes that blessed both worlds. Over the years, many have been called to the Universe of the Four Gods to restore it to balance and prevent chaos from entering the modern world. However, the power used to render those wishes into realities have weakened the Four Gods, and their Universe threatens to unravel itself into the modern world.
Therefore it had been decided by Suzaku, Seiryu, Byakko and Genbu, that their Universe would be sealed away indefinitely to prevent such a disaster. Despite that, not all is as it seems. An even greater power lurks to upset the balance and plunge both worlds into eternal chaos.
Verse 1
The Journey’s Outset
Location: Art Institute of Asia
Date: April 1st 2020
” Your first step is crucial. Ensure that it is in the right direction.”
– Shao lang Da, wandering monk
University Campus of The Art Institute of Asia. Renown for its pursuit in the arts of acting and literature as well as contemporary classic and digital artistry, it was a vibrant and active place, full of young students aspiring towards their dreams. It was also the ‘home’ of two individuals with a unique destiny. Although they may not have known each other for very long, they were about to be sent into the journey of a lifetime.
Mei:
MEI-LIN SUNG
“What? What are you all looking at? OH! Do I have something in my teeth? Is my underskirt showing? Alright, let’s just get this over with. No, I am not seasick. Yes, I’ve always been green. No, I didn’t eat grass as a child…”
Mei-Lin Sung considered herself the model when it came to the future of theater. Not in a selfish or mean sort of way, though at times the nineteen year-old female could be a bit conceited and full of herself, but she envisioned herself as an exemplary actress and singer in the institute. She only considered one other person equal to herself, and that was a new friend she made almost six months back here on Campus, Koi Miazaki. Both achieved lead roles in the musical Wicked, with Koi playing Glinda the Good and Mei-Lin playing Elphaba, the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West in this retelling of The Wizard of Oz. Finally, she hit the role of a lifetime, the chance she always longed for and through hard work combined with her fierce determination was hers at last.
Location: The Art Institute of Asia, on the way to the final dress rehearsal
Mood: Super Focused and excited~!
With: No one right now, though where is Koi?
Clothes: Black knee-length dress with dark stockings
and ankle-length black boots.
The native of Beijing was reading her lines out loud currently for the dress rehearsal tonight, making sure every word was perfect and on point. Thanks to the windy Autumn day, however, she nearly lost her script and her long black hair that was usually in pigtails (which she decided to leave down today) kept getting in her eyes and mouth, and she had to keep moving it out of the way of her reading with a small growl of irritation. She finally made it to the building and headed inside, making sure she had all of the script pages together in one folder. Satisfied knowing all was accounted for, she peeked in to the theater from the double doors leading into the auditorium, giving a small huff at not seeing her friend and fellow lead inside, “For goodness sake, where the Heck is Koi?!” She muttered to herself under her breath, clearly not amused as her dark blue eyes narrowed a bit in frustration, “The dress rehearsal is going to start in ten minutes!”
Koi:
Koi Miazaki
^v^v ^v^v ^v^v ^v^v ^v^v^
Location: Auditorium
What am I doing? Inviting the cast to eat pizza
^v^v ^v^v ^v^v ^v^v ^v^v^
Tak tak tak…
The sounds of high heels was heard in the midst of the busy streets outside the academy. Humming of a very perky tune was heard along with it.
“Popular” – the steps had stopped and the face of its owner quickly turned to the window of a closed store reflecting her face, winking, and singing – “You’re gonna be popular!” She continued to skip her way to her destination, still singing with matching facial expressions and hand gestures, “I’ll show you the proper ploys when you talk to boys. Little ways to flirt and flounce. Ooh! I’ll show you what shoes to where, how to fix your hair. Everything that really counts to be popular…”
Despite her easy-go-lucky attitude, Koi really only had 10 minutes left till the final dress rehearsal starts. It was very important to be on time of course, but the girl was having a hard time to act like a perky, sossy blonde lady that she just had to act like Galinda while she was on the way. On stage, she can act it out perfectly, the actress just had to get in character before she starts playing it seriously, and hence, the practice while walking.
Almost 5 minutes till the rehearsal starts, the girl ran into a small pizza stand by the gates of the school. She stared at it for sometime, brushing her beige hair on top of her right ear to the back as she thought, We might not get to eat till late night today. Hmmm… Without further hesitation and thinking that she still had time, she went ahead and bought 3 enormous boxes of pizza, each with a variety of flavours.
Ten minutes after the rehearsal have started, after everyone had already settled in and ready to start with the practice, a familiar voice echoed. “Hey! Sorry I’m late. I got pizza though. We might as well eat before we start”, the girl smiled at everyone as she casually entered the room. From the way she just entered, it was obvious that one of the lead roles weren’t always on time. Her happy gaze then landed on Mei-Lin, a friend she enjoyed spending time with, even if they only see each other in practices. “Right, Mei-chan?”, she asked for her approval as she raised her boxes of pizza as if enticing the black-haired girl.
MEI-LIN SUNG
Mei-Lin was sitting in one of the seats, arms crossed and ready to get in her Elphaba costume while growing impatient with Koi. Finally her fellow lead and friend showed up, but before Mei-Lin could scold her for being late, she caught sight of pizza, much to the delight of the cast and crew. Even the director suddenly seemed to be in a good mood, and Mei-Lin’s look softened when Koi addressed her. She couldn’t help but smile a little, giving a soft sigh as she rose to join her companion.”Well, at least you still got here on time, Koi-chan. But you had me really worried! Luckily, it’s our last rehearsal before the show tomorrow night, so let’s do our best, okay?” Her smile widened a bit, “Come on, let’s get to our dressing rooms, we can eat there!”
Location: The Art Institute of Asia, from the auditorium to the dressing room
Mood: Relieved to see Koi-chan and excited for the last rehearsal!
With: Koi-chan~
She along with the cast went to get ready, going to the dressing room she shared with Koi. When she opened the door, she threw her bag down on the sofa and sighed, “Oh, boy, I can’t wait until tomorrow night, Koi-chan! We’re both going to be amazing, I know it!” She sat at her mirror, her costume for Elphaba already hanging up, “I’ll have to transform into a green witch soon, but first I need to get into costume. You’re lucky, Koi-chan, you get to wear much less makeup than I do!” She giggled, then looked to her friend, “Oh! I need to make a quick stop after our dress rehearsal, I have to go to the school bookstore to get a book for improvisation class. Luckily, they’re open late tonight. Wanna join me?” She then gasped as an idea hit her, “We should get ice cream afterwards to celebrate our victory, too! It’s a little early, I know, but I know we’ve got this!” She grinned from ear to ear at her friend.
Shin:
Monk Gensho
Date: September 2
Location: Koukan Empire, Touran Capital City.
The Emperor of Koukan issued a decree several month back in an effort to locate and assemble the warriors of Genbu should any be found already. A special search force lead by the Minister of War had located two in this short time. One was already an older young man who trained in the isolated mountain area, the other a young boy in the service of the underground world. But they were all that were located for the time being.
Once every lunar cycle, they would gather in the capital City of Touran to discuss the status of the search and the roles they would play as Celestial Warriors of the Priestess of Genbu. One such meeting had taken place and ended. The Minister of War expressed his frustration towards them for not being able to find the other warriors, even though it was him that was tasked with this assignment. The two were exiting one of the many halls of the great palace.
” Namame, please wait.” Gensho asked formally approaching his fellow celestial warrior. ” Please take this. “ the young monk offered him a gift, a crystal orb.” The Priestess may come before the other warriors are assembled. We need to stay in touch. “ he figured. He went on to explain the use of the crystal orb, how it was able to communicate with another crystal orb Gensho had in his possession. ” Try not to lose it.” he jested, seeing if he could get anything other than stares and nods from his fellow celestial warrior.
Location: Dressing Room
What am I doing? Talking to Mei-chan/Rehearsing
A little anxious that her friend would reject the pizza and just scold her for being late (again), Koi stood their waiting for a response as Mei-lin stared at her. Even if she kind of knew that the girl would be patient with her and just let them eat the delightful food in the box, Koi was also aware that tonight was very important because this is the last rehearsal before they show what they’ve got to thousands of audience tomorrow at the big night. Alas, her hunch was correct and Koi was invited to eat pizza in the dressing room. “Sure! We’ll definitely do our best. We’ll work better with pizza in our tummies”, she joked while undoing the strings holding the three boxes together. “Here you go. Eat up. We’ve got a lot of work to do today”, she told the crew with a smile as she opened two boxes for them to eat. “Coming!”, she said in response to her co-lead, taking the last box of pizza with her to the dressing room.
In the dressing area, she set the box she held on top of the table and invited Mei-chan and the other crew with them to eat. “Oh yeah. I can’t wait. Though I’m a little bit scared though. Galinda’s character is… well it’s kinda me… but so not me”, she answered in response, feeling a bit nervous about how well they, especially she, will perform tomorrow even if they have already perfected the performance during the past rehearsals. Her nervousness was wiped out when her friend joked about the make up which made her chuckle. “Yeah! Poor you, your Elphaba look takes forever to get done.”, she ate a bit on a huge slice of pizza almost as if she was slurping the cheese. “I just have to wear perky dresses and different types of wigs, and a little bit of makeup. And voila! I’m Galinda-fied”, she said as she tossed her hair as if she was already in character.
Her friend then mentioned about going to the bookstore and getting ice cream after the rehearsals which she agreed on. After all, they need a girl time relaxation after all their hard work. “Sure! I’ll go with you. We might as well go to the bookstore first before getting an ice cream since we have to rest our voice a bit after singing. You might sound like a real wicked witch if we ate ice cream first”, she said as she laughed while her make up was being put on, making it hard for her Galinda look to get done. “I wanna grab that new Super Sundae people keep talking about at the new store.”, she said as she closed her eyes while reminiscing what that dessert looked like in a poster she saw. Her dreamland of Sundaes stopped though once she was asked to put her dashing blue dress on for the first scene which seemed to call her mind back to take the final rehearsal seriously. Thankfully, she loved musicals so much that her determination to put on a good show tomorrow won throughout the whole rehearsal and the thought of the sundae has not returned for a while.
Assasin Namame~~~~~~~
Location : Touran, Koukan Empire
With… : Celestial Warrior Gensho
~~~~~~~
They told him he was was needed for a special purpose. A whim? A request out of pure curiosity? No, no. It was something else. Something else entirely. His eyes had travelled to the character carved in his left collarbone as his master had told him to undress his upper garments. The character that he had all this time hidden from the sight of those around him was now all that mattered. “I had suspected that this day would come.” His master had murmured under his breath. He had been the only one not aware of his fate. But why had master kept the existence of the character hidden from everyone? It was something he had never the courage to ask him. Just like many other doubts that lingered within him.
Time passed, his mission had been given and his fate had been delivered. He didn’t really know what to think of it. To the eyes of all, he was nothing but a child who had been dragged into a scenario he could never understand. Namame certainly looked the part. He would follow the orders of the minister and the emperor without questioning, as he always did with his master. But beyond that, not much else. It was if as he was indifferent to all of this. Could that be it? He wasn’t sure of it himself…
Namame exited the council meeting in a calm pace, with his quiet steps barely heard across the hallway. A habit he would never part from. Once again, disappointment filled each man who had attended said meeting, as the search of the Priestess of Genbu had still yet to bear fruit. Waste of time, it was all that the young assassin thought of it, why ask to come if there is nothing to report? Of course, he would never voice such words to the council. Silence was all that he delivered, only nodding and shaking his head with a gaze devoid of any clear emotions.
Anyhow, he should not make his master wait. Quickening his pace, Namame headed towards the gates of the palace when he heard an abrupt call, making him stop on his tracks to tilt his head. The sight of the fellow Celestial Guardian made him slowly face him properly. Despite not at all sharing a close relationship with him, the meetings had made it clear for Namame that there was no need to be cautious around him like he was with most that surrounded him. The way he acted around the older male was the sole proof of it. He silently took the orb in his hands, eyeing it with curiosity as Gensho explained its properties. Before he knew it, the assassin was consumed by what one could only describe as awe, reflected clearly through his golden orbs, as he observed it, having never seen such an item in his entire life. It was if his inner child had taken over him, showing what was beyond his aloof and cold persona. He was only brought back to reality as the nest reached his ears, realizing how shamefully childish he must have looked. “…Understood.” He avoided the eyes of the white-haired man as he opened his mouth for once. “…Be careful…I will.” As expected his speech was just as incoherent as always, only further embarrassing him. Bowing somewhat clumsily, the boy bid farewell to Gensho and thanked him in silence, proceeding to make his way once again outside.
“Don’t worry, Koi-chan, you’re going to be amazing tomorrow night. We both will be, and the way you play Galinda is so adorable!” Mei-Lin cooed over her friend, then laughed, “Yea, I better get my costume on then head over to makeup.” She paused, then grabbed a slice of pizza to eat, “After I eat this, of course!” She laughed and went to get changed, “Neat! The bookstore is very close by, so we can pop in and out then get the ice cream. Hm, you have a point, Koi-chan, if I wanna sound more authentic, I should eat ice cream before the performance!” She laughed and dressed into her Elphaba costume, heading over to makeup. “See you on stage, Koi-chan, we’ll talk more after rehearsal, and I wanna try that new Sundae tonight as well!” She giggled then ran over to makeup.
Location: The Art Institute of Asia; Dressing room, then bookstore
Mood: Pumped up and ready to go!
Clothes: In Elphaba costume for rehearsal, then
back to black and white dress, black stockings and black ankle-
length boots.
After dress rehearsal ended and Mei-Lin was free of all that green makeup, she changed back into her clothes and this time put her hair up in two long pigtails that reached down to her waist. She waited for Koi-chan to change as well, then led her to the book store an hour before it closed. “That was an amazing rehearsal tonight, Koi-chan! You did an amazing job-we both did, really!” She clapped her hands in delight, “You and me, we make a great team, huh?” She beamed happily and walked into the book store, going down the aisles to find what she was looking for. Suddenly she stopped, as a book seemingly out of place was on one of the shelves. “Huh?” She tilted her head, then reached for the book and puled it out, looking at the front of it, “Hey, Koi-chan…have you seen this book here before? Maybe it’s new?” She looked at the symbol and the words on the front: “Universe of…The Four Gods? What kind of play is this?” She looked to Koi-chan in confusion, “And it looks very old, too.” Curiosity getting the better of her, she opened it to the first page. “What’s it about, anyway?”
Location: In a busy town
What am I doing? Looking for Mei-chan while wondering where I am
It was already late night when the final rehearsal ended. Koi felt very accomplished with the performance they put on today. It was perfect! The girl felt very alive even though her body was very tired after all the hard work they did. However, it was her and Mei-lin’s girl relaxation hour and Koi would not let their exhausted state hinder their plan to go to the bookstore and indulge themselves in the taste of the new sundae. She decided to take a bath to feel fresh again. She just loves the that feeling, the feeling of being fresh, a feeling like you just had quality relaxation by the beach side. She then wore her favorite set of clothing that made her look cute and breezy: an egg colored dress with pretty laces. Her whole shoulders are shown, and the skirt ran down just before her knees. In addition, she also wore her floral semi-high heel, sandal-like footwear. And to finish it all, her bronze bracelet her mother gave her as a gift. It was true that her personality was not flirty like Galinda, but her outfit was not your ordinary type as well. Koi just loves anything that looked bubbly. On the way to the bookstore, she and her friend talked about how great they were together. “Mhm! If we work in tandem. There’s no fight we cannot win. Just…you…and…I… Defying Gravity!, she sang her way in response before she chuckled with her mouth smiling as wide as they can.
As the two of the friends headed towards the bookstore, Koi immediately went to the manga section to check the titles out before Mei-lin called her attention. Seeing that her stage partner held a very curious book, she repeated the title herself as if the name of the book itself was luring her. “Universe of the Four Gods? I wonder what it’s about…, she held the other side of the book near her as her friend flipped to the first page.
“And thus, the girl of legend opened the door to another world.”, she read an excerpt and turned her face towards Mei-lin as if to check her friend’s reaction. She continued reading, “The story itself is an incantation and whomever reads it gains the main character’s power to have their wishes granted. This is because once they turn the first page, the story will become real and begin… What the shocks now?”, she asked her friend in a funny tone looking at Mei-lin once again before the book overpowered both of them with a light so powerful, everything turned dark.
Unconscious for some time, Koi slowly opened her eyes, blinking for a couple of times, before fully seeing her current state. “Mmm… Wh-what happened?”, she uttered to herself before fully gaining her consciousness back. Surprised to see that she was not inside the bookstore anymore, she found herself under an old bridge, beside the river. It was night and all she could hear besides the running water was the sound of people nearby, as if she was near a marketplace. “Mei-chan???, she immediately stood up and searched for her friend in a slight panic. Despite not having an idea where she was, and how strange the place looked like compared to the city she lived in, she walked around in search of her friend, feeling slightly scared as to what might have happened to them. “Mei-chaaaaaaannnn????”, she shouted as she looked for her company in the midst of a busy city which seemed to look like ancient China. Her outfit and the way she looked seemed completely different from the provincial clothing other people had and she can’t help but notice people staring at her. It made Koi feel uncomfortable which led her to decrease her pace as she looked around for her friend. She stopped in the middle of the road where people ran to and fro, she turned her gaze around searching for a familiar face and hints as to where she might be.
Quirky:
Imperial Librarian Kailai Wen (Tomo)
Location: Kutou’s Palace Library, Shunrou Capital City
What am I Doing? Reading the Universe of the Four Gods, while contemplating the situation at Kutou’s palace, and ultimately deciding to reveal my identity as Tomo.
Seated in a small corner of the royal library, so as to not be disturbed by the many people visiting the Imperial Palace, Kailai once again re-read Seiryuu’s version of the ‘Universe of the Gods’. Passed down from generation to generation through Kutou’s royal line, the scroll had been preserved in the Palace’s library for centuries. It was a national relic, only accessible by members of the royal family…or Kutou’s Imperial Librarian. As a child Kailai had always been curious about the scroll—partly because of its historical significance and partly because of his own identity as Tomo, one of the Seven Celestial warriors destined to protect the priestess of Seiryuu. It was an identity Kailai had hoped to take to his grave. Or, at least, that had been the plan.
Kailai sighed and rested his face against a table, his brown locks falling over his eyes. Ever since finding out about the Emperor of Hokkan’s “secret” search for the Warriors of Genbu, His Imperial Highness—Kutou’s Emperor—had become anxious. Not wanting to be outdone, the Emperor issued a decree that had the entire Kutou Empire hunting for the Celestial Warriors of Seiryuu. A huge reward was offered for anyone who found a Seiryuu Warrior or offered clues concerning the whereabouts of one. Hundreds of civilians came to the Palace daily claiming to have “seen” a Seiryuu Warrior. Several had even drawn symbols on themselves pretending to be one! It was madness.
Next they’ll claim to have spoken with the Priestess of Seiryuu, Kailai thought in an irritable manner.
The Imperial Librarian had no desire to reveal himself as Tomo. It would mean the end of his peaceful days where all he had to worry about was running the the royal library and educating the youngest Prince of the Kutou Empire. Unlike his peers in court, Kailai disliked war and he was under no illusion that the Celestial Warriors of Seiryuu would be used as anything more than tools to increase the country’s military strength.
But if it’ll end this chaos it might be worth it. Kailai closed his eyes. His identity would be found out eventually with so many people searching for the Seiryuu Warriors. Rather than wait for someone to claim the reward for discovering his secret, it was better for him to reveal himself to the Emperor.
I can’t hide in the library forever. Besides, if His Majesty found out that I’ve been hiding right under his nose the entire time, having my peace disturbed would be the least of my worries.
Kailai’s thoughts were interrupted by the cry of a grey falcon as it swooped through the open window.
Straightening up, Kailai grinned and held his arm out his arm to the predatory bird. “Senru! Finished your usual hunt in the forest, have you?”
Senru landed on Kailai’s forearm, letting out a sound off affirmation.
“Did you meet with that human friend of yours?” Kailai tilted his head as his listened to Senru’s response. “I see. So he’s left the forest.”
Kailai paused. He found it strange that a human lived in the forest just outside of the capital city, but Senru seemed to like him and that was all that mattered. Animals were good judges of character. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll see him again.”
Kailai lifted his arm as Senru spread her wings, flying out the window and back into the sky. Senru wasn’t a tamed bird. She was wild and free, going wherever she wanted. Sometimes Kailai wished he could be the same. After listening to Senru, he had made his decision. He would see the emperor.
Location: Koukan Empire, Touran Capital City.
The young man was taken aback by the sudden answer of his fellow celestial warrior. He was certain that talking was not one of Namame’s strong suits, but was never sure if he could speak at all. Those first words he uttered were enough to make a wide eyed expression on a person who has traveled far and wide over his years as a monk. Although surprised, it was in a good way, as expressed by the smile the young man had for his comrade. The curious young boy suddenly left after observing his gift. Gensho turned as he walked by. ” Well then, see you again soon Nama….)” He quickly stopped in mid sentence. Something was different.
Due to his training with the monks on Mt. Kokureishin, Gensho was able to enhance his perception of Ki and Mana. Being a celestial warrior helped much to hasten this result. Drastic changes of such forces only occurs during significant events, such as wars or natural disasters. However what he was feeling at present was something else. Finally he hurriedly removed the glove on his left hand. The ‘Emptiness’ Symbol, the symbol that distinguished him as a Warrior of Genbu, started pulsating. He understood the significance of this event. The priestess has descended unto the World of the Four Gods.
” Namame!” he yelled. Gensho turned around. Surely his comrade would have sensed the same thing. They needed to find the priestess quickly. From his studies he could discern the priestess’ appearance has always been random never occurring in the same place, almost like a safeguard to the process. Fortunately, Gensho’s skills could eliminate a long search. Closing his eyes, the young man lifted his left arm, using it to feel where she might be. The priestess would have overflowing mana which Gensho would be able to pick out in a densely populated area such as Touran. ” There! Namame, the priestess is in the Grand Market District. We must find her.”
Mei-Lin’s eyebrows raised upward in confusion as soon as Koi read the first line, giving her friend a quizzical stare. “Um, alright…” She fell silent as Koi read the rest of the words, then Mei-Lin gave a laugh, “This sounds like one of those ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ stories! Why don’t we take this home and–whoa!” Mei-Lin exclaimed in surprise as a bright light surrounded herself and Koi, and she shut her eyes tightly, teeth gritting, “What on Earth is this?!” She then saw nothing but darkness, and once the light vanished, both girls were gone.
Location: The Art Institute of Asia’s bookstore; Unknown town?!
Mood: Confused, afraid and alone
With: Was with Koi-chan, but now she’s gone!
Clothes: Black and white dress, black stockings and black ankle-
length boots. Hair is in pigtails tied by black ribbons and reaches down to lower back.
Mei-Lin blinked her blue eyes open slowly, noticing it was still night. She saw the moon clearly up ahead, and she gave a groan of pain as she sat up and rubbed her head with a frown, “Ow, what the Heck?!” She rose shakily to her feet, then looked ahead to see a city in the distance, behind her the tree line leading into a forest. She turned around to face it, then turned again to face a great city-it looked like something out of a History book she’d read in school years ago. She leaned against a tree, her heart racing in her chest as fear seized her heart. “Where…am I? Wait!” She gasped and spun around, “Koi-chan?! Koi-chan, are you nearby?! Where are you?!” She called out desperately to her friend, panicking as the worst thoughts gave her dread. Was she dead? Were they both dead?! What was this place? What was that light?She fell to her knees and started crying and hugged herself in a vain attempt to keep herself from shaking with fright. The cold night air was adding to the chills in her skin, and it further served her distress.
“K-Koi…Koi-chan…I…I wanna go home!” She shut her eyes and continued to sob, almost hyperventilating as she tried to figure out logically what this was, but her racing mind could not stand still. If this wasn’t a dream…but it couldn’t be a reality! Right?
Suspicious:
Pastless Wanderer Ashitare
Location: On a dusty path towards Shunrou Capital City
What am I Doing? Slowly walking down the path contemplating his decision.
The dusty hard ground was all Ashitare could see as he looks down at the unfamiliar man made path. He looked back he could still the forest, his home, on the horizon. The lush green trees hiding the secret bamboo forest within. Animals all wound filling the forest with life and curious sounds. The thought of the forest gave him comfort. He could turn back now and return his familiar home. However, he turned around and shook his head. ‘No, I’m going to find her.’ Taking a deep breath he took one step forward and continued along his lonesome path.
He looked up at the cold night sky, curious as to how it comforted him. He liked the cold of the night and the illuminating glow of the moon lighting his way to the city. It wasn’t far, but for his first journey it felt like it was miles away hidden across valleys of grass. Behind him he could hear the creek of a wagon slowly gaining behind him. He turned around to see a small wagon filled with sacks of rice being pulled by a old ox and manned by an even older man. He looked at the old man and began to move to the edge of the path to let him pass.
The ox noticed the man and grunted, the old man man looked up as the ox made a grunt. Seeing the odd looking man with multicolored hair and fine clothing he stopped his wagon and spoke up. “sir are you alright?” Ashitare looked at the man surprised, he didn’t expect for the old man to call out. He gave a kind smile and nodded, “yes sir, I’m fine, I’m just headed to the city.” The old man looked Ashitare up and down, seeing as he didn’t have any weapons he ruled out bandit. The old man always believed in doing the right thing first, so he spoke up. “The roads are dangerous at night, if you’d like you may ride in the back of the wagon.”
Ashitare was more than surprised, “oh! Well thank you sir, this is so very kind of you.” He made his way to the back of the wagon, before getting on he looked at the city. The houses all seem to merge together only small golden light from the square doors and windows separated the large unity of blackness. The moon glistened on the ornamented rooftops. Aspirate gave a soft whisper, like a prayer only the wind could hear “soon I will find you.” Getting in the back he sat on the edge as the wagon began to move once more.
After Some Time
Getting closer to the town Ashitare was wide awake looking at the scenery that passed him by. He turned his head up to the stars that glistened across the clear sky like a second road above him. He felt something familiar, as if her could ride that road in the sky. But why? Why did he feel this way? His answers lie in a past long forgotten. Ashitare has accepted his amnesia, realizing that his previous amnesia plus the sudden feeling of lost time was a sign that things may only get worse if he tries to pry into the past. There was a slight pain ovet his heart, he didn’t know what it was. How strange, I’ve never felt this before. His introspection was cut off as the old man spoke up. “Now what is this girl doing? How many people are out walking at such a late hour?”
Ashitare turned his body and looked over the grain sacks to see a girl clinging to a tree shouting loudly near them. “Sir, can you please stop the cart?” The old man grunted but pulled the reins of the ox back. Ashitare hopped off the cart and slowly walked over to the strange shouting girl. From the distance he could only make out her small figure, however closer she could see her odd clothing. She wore a strange dress and accessories that he had never seen. It was strange, he has never seen anyone other than Rima and yet he knew this was not normal attire.
He could see her tears and pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve. Cautiously he approached the girl, “excuse me miss?” He raised his hand up palm open to show he meant no harm. With the other he extended her the handkerchief, “here.” He looked at the girl feeling sorry for her, “are you alright? Did you get separated from your group?”
Assassin Namame~~~~~~~
Location : Grand Market Discrict of Touran
Priestess Koi Miazaki
Embarrassing, embarrassing, embarrassing. One could call him a one-track mind for attitudes such as this. But, much like an animal, Namame had always been someone that let his instincts command him entirely. One at a time. Sometimes out of impulse, sometimes out of reason. He was but a peculiar boy, one might say. He shook his head energetically, trying to drive off the conflicting emotion still lingering within him. He had let his guard down, showing himself to be a naive child instead of a strong Celestial Warrior. Shameful. Disgraceful. Ridiculous. A familiar voice reached his ears once again, making the young man turn back in a swift movement to find a rather taken back Gensho. Before he could question him in any fashion, he felt it.
The symbol, the mysterious character carved into his skin which he had all this life…It was if as it had gained life. Pulsating over and over again, even covered by his clothes, he could feel it. It did not know what it meant, a few weeks back he had not even know of its origins. But one thing was clear for him.
He had to run.
He had to escape the palace.
He had to fight his way through if he had to.
He had to find her.
Gensho yelled but he could not listen to him no more. His senses were blocked completely. He DoD not think, he did not hesitate for a second there. Namame grabbed the monk by his wrist, dragging him out of the castle in complete silence. That’s right…there were more like him. He was not alone.
…But how could he know it was her? Gensho most likely knew how to identify her. But Namame? His expression faltered for a moment, as he felt at loss. His feet would lead him forward, his eyes wandering furtively through the crowd. Where was she? Where was she? They had to find her, they had to…!
It all stopped. Time, space, sound, everything seemed to cease completely. There was only him, Gensho…and her. A young woman of bizarre vests, long flowing hair.
Yes…it was her.
His arm slowly reached for his left shoulder, tugging the fabric that hid away the warmth that graced his answer. The character of his Celestial Symbol, Wall, glowed intensely in his skin in bright green. But his gaze never once wavered away from her.
“…The Priestess of Genbu…”
Location: Shunrou Capital City
What am I Doing? Taking the scenic route home.
It was a beautiful creature–with scales that shone more brilliantly than any sapphire on earth. Enclosed in an aura of azure, it weaved its large, elongated body through the night sky the same way a snake might weave through the grass—fluidly and powerfully. However, to compare such a majestic creature to a mere snake was inappropriate. It was akin to comparing a lion to an ant. A mountain to a molehill! As if hearing the thoughts of its observer, the creature turned around…and opened its mouth.
Kailai jolted awake, his breaths coming out in harsh pants and his heart thumping loudly in his ears. Taking a couple of moments to re-orient himself, Kailai looked around confusedly. He was still in the library.
Did I fall asleep while reading?
Kailai’s gaze landed on the ‘Universe of the Four Gods’ scroll, which lay unraveled on the table in front of him. Unable to help himself, Kailai let out a chuckle. It had been a while since he had fallen asleep from reading. Not only that, he’d dreamt about the guardian deity of Kutou trying to EAT him.
“If my brothers find out about this, they’ll never let me hear the end of it,” Kailai muttered in an amused manner. Then he frowned, reaching for the back of neck where he could feel a warm, pulsating sensation.
Strange…my mark has never reacted like that before.
Shrugging his shoulders , Kailai cracked his neck, got to his feet, and glanced out the window. It was too late to visit the emperor. He’d have to come back to the Palace tomorrow and reveal his identity then. Carefully rolling up the ‘Universe of the Four Gods’, Kailai placed the scroll back in its usual position on one of the shelves before exiting the library. Nodding his thanks to the guards outside, Kailai left the palace and made his way back to the Wen Family compound.
Before telling his Highness that I’m Tomo, I suppose I should first break the news to my family…
Kailai paused. Then, slowly, the Imperial Librarian started walking in a different direction.
Ah. There’s really no need to hurry. My family’s not going anywhere. I think I’ll take the scenic route home–enjoy a nice stroll before the big revelation.
Mei-Lin felt as if she were trapped in her own mind, the fear refusing to let her go. Koi was missing, she was in a strange land that seemed familiar but was all too foreign, and she was alone. Mei-Lin hated to be alone, she always surrounded herself with people for that very reason. It wasn’t until a soft male voice released her from her thoughts that she finally looked up, still on her knees in the soft grass. Her dark blue eyes widened a bit as she stared up at one of the most intriguing and strange sights she ever laid eyes on: did this man really have black and white hair? He looked like something out of a fairy tale to her.
At first she couldn’t really understand him-the dialect was different, but it was still Chinese. Ancient Chinese, it sounded like, she remembered from school. But as he spoke something strange began to happen-when she couldn’t quite understand what he was saying at first, she immediately began to comprehend his words, as if he were speaking her dialect of Chinese! What was going on here?! Since when could she understand an Ancient tongue? She gratefully took his handkerchief to wipe her tears away, giving him a soft yet sad smile, “Th-thank you, sir. Um, well, it’s kind of a strange story, but I’ve lost my friend. One moment she was with me, we were reading this book, and the next minute I woke up here outside this forest, and now she’s gone. I..I can’t find her anywhere, and I’m very worried.” She looked into the man’s eyes now, “Who are you? Thank you for coming to help me.” She smiled softly.
Location: Near Shunrou Capital City
Mood: Empathic
What am I Doing? Trying to comfort a oddly dressed girl.
The girl looked at him confused at first, as if she couldn’t understand him. He was worried that she may be deaf or blinded. However, poking into her blue eyes he could tell she could see him clearly. With such wide eyes she looked like a gentle innocent doe. Her hair and attire were so strange, she seemed so out of place in this world. Ashitare could empathize with her, waking up lost with no idea where you are. He listened to her tale not really understanding her situation. Maybe she was kidnapped or lost her memory as I have. Still unsure what happened to her, he knew he wouldn’t leave her alone in such a dangerous place. The old man said there were bandits roaming the woods. It would be troubling if they got a hold of this young girl, bandits were not the most gracious of people.
“It was no trouble at all miss, I am Ashitare, a traveler. Your predicament is troubling to say the least. I can see why you are worried, but wandering around here at night is dangerous. There are bandits in these forests who attack at night. I am headded into Shunrou Capital City.” He gave her a warn smile to reassure her that he meant no harm. “It would be dishonorable of me to leave you here. Would you like a ride into town? I was lucky enough to meet a man who was kind enough to give me a ride. I am certain he would extend his kindness to you.” He stepped to the side to show her the ox pulled wagon waiting on the path. With a bashful smile he added, “I know it is not luxurious by any means, but it is the quickest way into the city.”
Group: Gensho, Namame, Koi
At a moments notice, the young boy took his comrade by the arm and dragged him along as he hurriedly tried to search for the priestess. Gensho knew that when they came close to her they may be able to recognize who it was due to some mystical bond they and the priestess were supposed to share. Half way through the run Gensho broke off the grip of his companion in order to make sure they were not being followed by anyone else. The young monk was certain that they were not the only ones that were able to sense the presence of such great mana. He wondered what they should do once the priestess is found. The other warriors were not assembled, and he did not trust the Minister of War with such a discovery. Having the priestess’ arrival made known in the empire would garner grave consequences for the people.
He watched Namame stop dead in his tracks. Gensho started to locate her, as the intensity of the presence seemed to overwhelm him. He wondered if this was what it felt like being close to the priestess. As his young fellow warrior whispered, the priestess of Genbu was before them. ” ….and the otherworldly girl would be the salvation of our peoples…..” he said reciting an old text from the ancient writings of his monastery. He wondered whether she knew there was a symbol on her forehead that started to glow. Gensho saw his left hand, the light shining brightly even through the cloth of his glove. ” It is her….”
She was in a panic, searching and calling out for someone named Mei apparently. Such actions would no doubt draw the attention of the populace and especially the Special Task Force of the Empire. With a howl of the wind, Gensho seemed to vanish from beside Namame and reappear just behind the Priestess. ” Forgive me.”he said while striking the priestess out cold with his staff. He caught her with his free arm. He had a moment to observe the glow of the Symbol before it dissipated.” Namame, quickly this way.” he said quietly carrying the priestess into an alley. Gensho knocked over a pot spilling its contents of water over the ground before them. He pulled a sutra shard and placed it on the water. It began to glow and the water which reflected them, became a gateway showing them another location.” Please, Quickly.” he told Namame this time it was him who was doing the dragging. They were brought into a small temple in the town near Hanun River.
Location: Temple in the town near Hanun River
What am I doing? Trying to break free, and strangling Gensho
Koi had a glimpse of a tall white haired man and a petite, young boy before something hard hit her and she felt unconscious. Unprepared for what happened, she got carried away by those strangers with her mouth widely open due to all those shaking while both warriors were trying to escape from the crowd as quickly as they can. The girl was woken up when an insect almost similar to a butterfly landed between her upper lip and nose. It was so close to walking inside her mouth that upon impulse, her right hand shooed the insect away.
Mmm…, she made such sounds as if she can still remember the hit that knocked her out. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw the face of the stranger she saw standing a while ago, she felt the big, manly arms that held her, and she also felt that her feet were dangling in mid-air. Fully waking up from unconsciousness, the girl’s eyes widened and she looked around in a panic as to what was going on. “Huh???”, she shouted in a very surprised tone as her body shook, her heart beat fast, and her face turned red, looking at the stranger who held her. “Huhhhhhh????!!!”, she exclaimed in a louder tone as she looked at her surroundings, where she saw the boy, the trees, the dark sky, the temple, and realized that she was alone with the two males.
Thinking that she was ambushed and kidnapped, which seems to be that way, she shouted angrily at Gensho. “Are you trying to kidnap me????!!!”, she slapped Gensho on his right cheek. The slap was so hard and sounded so crispy that it made her hand slightly red. “Who are you people???!! You’re the stalkers I saw a while ago and I know you guys knocked me off!!!”, she kept shouting at them as her body strived to escape from Gensho’s arms. Her voice disturbed the silence of the temple and echoed throughout the whole place. Still trying to release herself, Koi grabbed Gensho’s scarf hard with both of her hands, pulled, and shook it violently, almost as if strangling him to disturb the stranger. “Let me gooo!!!!”
“Ashitare? That’s an interesting name. My name is Mei-Lin Sung. You can call me Mei, if you want.” She gave the traveler a small smile, but her face fell when the male mentioned bandits roamed these woods. She gave an audible gulp as a look of worry crossed her features, “B-bandits?!” She looked around, seeing if there were any of them around. Luckily, it was only herself, Ashitare and an old man on a wagon being pulled by an Ox. “Shunrou Capital City? Oh! You mean that city over there?” She pointed to it, then looked back up at him with a smile, “I would love a ride into town, if the kind driver of the wagon permits it.” She bowed to the man at the wagon now, “May I please join you, sir?” She asked very formally and politely.
She rose to her full height then and looked up into Ashitare’s eyes. Feeling her cheeks warm a little she gulped again and glanced down at the grass. “Thank you very much, Ashitare, you’re very kind to me. By the way, where exactly am I right now? I’ve never been here at all before in my life, at least I can’t recall.” She looked back up at him once more,”Oh! I’m afraid I don’t have much money or any home to go to, what should I do once I get to the city? Is there someone that can help me with those things there?” She felt more like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz than her title role of Elphaba, being in a strange land and all. All she was missing was a basket, a puppy and a cute blue dress. But in that story, at least it was a dream…maybe. “I also need to find my friend, hopefully she’s in the city as well, she must be worried sick about me too! I really hope she’s doing okay…”
Jun had been traveling for about a week now. She was looking for a new town to stay in. To be honest she had lost track of where she was which was a little irritating. The Prince hadn’t caught up with her yet which was good. While walking she noticed some people and a wagon!! “Yes! I can hitch ride!” She started running over their towards then yelling out Excuse me! Excuse me!” She the moment she made it closer she noticed a girl with strange clothing. “Um……what are you wearing?” She said bluntly then instead of waiting for answer she looked over at the wagon. “Hey mind if I can hitch a ride with you guys? I’ve been walking for days.”
Mood: Warm
What am I Doing? Conversing with Mei and being surprised by Jun.
Ashitare listened to her as she spoke, Mei? What a interesting name. If she doesn’t know what Shunrou is she must be far away. The old man looked at the Mei and nodded, “of course miss, hop in back. We will be here a hour or less. This old ox isn’t what it he used to be.” Ashitare turned to Mei with a smile, he saw her bashful actions and became self cautious himself. He could feel the heat growing in his cheeks, and was lucky that she asked another question. “You are in Kutou, Shunrou is the capital of Kutou and home to the Imperial family of the Kutou Empire.”
He paused for a moment not realizing that she didn’t have any money. Although, it would make sense if she was kidnapped or lost her memory. He could feel the weight of his own money pouch, which his dear friend gave to her. Contemplating for a moment he decided that he didn’t really need it and would give it to Mei. She was in more need of it than he was. Besides, I can survive on the land, I’d probably prefer it. Nature is where I feel most at home, and staying in the city sounds too strange to me.
He looked at her and was about to speak when another girl came towards them. This one had flaming red hair, and was quite energetic. Surprised by the sudden burst of energy he was taken aback. “Oh, uh, I don’t see why not. Although it is not up to me, but the owner of the cart.” Ashitare turned to the old man yet again waiting on his reply. The old man thought in the back of his head that this boy seems to be a chick magnet, I swear if one more girl arrives, I will believe it. The old man grumbled and nodded, “yes, yes, I don’t see why not, but the young man will have to walk along side the wagon.”
Ashitare spoke up, “I don’t mind sir.” The old man nodded and looked up at the sky, tracking the movements of the stars to predict the time. Ashitare looked at the two women, first looking to Mei, “do not worry miss Mei, I am certain you will find your friend and I will happily assist you in any way possible.” He turned to the woman with the scarlet hair, “and you as well miss. I know not of your story, but I believe strongly in doing good deeds for those who need assistance. In which case, I will do my best to be of assistance.” He stepped to the side, presenting the wagon to the two women. “Well shall we head to the Capital City?”
Ryuko:
~A few months after the decree was announced~
The light sound of water flowing from the stream, the cheerful chirps of the birds, the bright and clear sky, and the feeling of the fresh morning breeze, a young man sitting by a creek savors the peaceful moment. Overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery, he quickly picks up his brush and replicate the view in a piece of Chinese calligraphy paper. After a few minutes, he firmly grips his drawing tool, slightly grinds his teeth, his brows begun to furrow, and his eyes is brimming with frustration.
“A decree… huh…” He said to himself while looking up the sky. Then he carefully pulls down the clothing wrapped around his arm where the symbol is located, and touches his wrist with his fingers, and releases a deep sigh.
The thought of being a Celestial warrior was never appealing to him. To him, the world they live in is already peaceful. Summoning the gods would only cause chaos and corruption; and the maiden should just return to where she came from, away from danger. This might also be beneficial in all sides.
His eyes widened when the symbol suddenly appeared in luminous green, brighter than it ever reacted before and instantly disappeared, then a weird sensation crawling through his body immediately follows.
“What was that?!” He uttered, and chuckled “Maybe I should lay off troubling myself about this nonsense eh? Passaro?” Showing a gentle smile while stroking the neck of his hawk with his pointer finger after it landed on his right shoulder.
“Midou! Midou!” shouted an old woman from behind running towards him.
He turned his head towards the direction of the call.
“Midou!” *huff* *huff* “Your uncle! He…”
The old lady (which Midou calls ‘Aunt’ though he was the grandmother of his late ex-girlfriend) and the black haired boy rushed back to the village only knowing that his uncle was already suffering a terrible disease. The herb that could temporarily help his uncle is heard to be available only at the City of Shunrou. The Capital City is quite far traveling from the North to the East but the young lad is very determined.
“Have a safe journey, my son. Please don’t worry about us. I will take good care of uncle ’till your return” his aunt said before embracing him good bye.
After gathering the sfuff he needs, he immediately travels to the location.
The journey lasted for several days and nights before he finally arrives at night fall to the woods wherein the City is visible from afar.
While walking, a soft voice with a tone of despair sparks his curiosity. Quietly following the sound, the ninja come across a maiden dressed in an unknown clothing crying behind a tree.
Passaro flew all the way to a branch just on top of the mysterious lady.
“This isn’t my business…and girls being emotional like that will just be a pain for us” trying to whisper to the bird as if it understands. He raised up his right heel to start walking, but he can’t seem to ignore the fact that the lady is different. Every time he tries to continue, he can’t keep his crimson red eyes away from the cute girl thinking if she might be the reason his symbol reacted, until a tall man with a weird taste for hair due approaches the young woman. Still fascinated by her appearance, he swiftly snucked up the tree peeking at a short distance and eavesdropping on their conversation.
As the third person appears asking to hitch a ride to the city. Midou, having a keen sense, noticed a huge wild beast lurking behind the large bushes and creeping towards the strange maiden.
Passaro flew and made one huge noise.
Throwing his long-dark coloured claws tied up with chains, it swiftly brushed behind the long haired girl’s hair. Just before the beast could land a touch, he follows to the wagon with an amazing speed piercing the animal in its torso. The end of the right sharped-clawed weapon could be seen dripping with blood outside the left rib, and same with the other side.
While his arms are still raising up the beast in the dark blue sky, he slightly tilted his head down, and his eyes focused again to the lady, as if there are no other people around.
“Are you hurt?”
“It must’ve picked up a strange scent…” he says as he removes the corpse from one hand to the other. Then he went closely face-to-face with the girl hoping for another celestial sign. “so you became an interesting prey.”
Mei-Lin smiled and bowed to the man on the cart once more, “Thank you very much, kind sir!” She headed to the back of the wagon and stopped before as she got on it, looking at Ashitare in confusion, “Kutou Empire? And Shunrou is the Capitol?” She racked her brain, trying to recall her History courses in school…wait, did he say ‘Empire?’ Empires in China had not existed since the early nineteen-hundreds! That meant that she…somehow traveled back in time?! Was the book she and Koi read some sort of time portal?! But that meant time traveling was possible, and thus far humanity had yet to discover such a thing! She nodded to the male, “I see. Well, this is certainly my first time being in an Empire, that’s for sure! This’ll be a fun adventure!” She was about to hop on the cart when another voice-a female one-startled her.
Location: Apparently The Kutou Empire
Mood: Still confused, but less afraid and alone
With: Ahsitare and a female stranger
Mei-Lin turned to look at the woman with a surprised look on her face, but instantly she admired the way she looked, was she a female warrior of sorts? Because that would be pretty awesome. She was caught off-guard by the question about her dress for a second, “Er, this is-” She was cut off when the female asked for a ride as well, and the man allowed it provided Ashitare walked alongside, to which the traveler agreed. Mei-Lin grinned brightly to him, “You’re such a gentleman, Ashitare, thank you! You’re amazing, and so very helpful!” She hopped onto the wagon and waited for the woman to get on, looking to her now as well, “This is called a dress, it’s like…robes, but you have more freedom of movement. I’m Mei-Lin, by the way, What’s your name-huh?!”
She felt a sudden burning on her forehead, and she touched at it when it began to throb, little knowing that a symbol of some sort was appearing there, and pulsing thanks to the presence of both Ashitare and the female stranger. “Wh-what the Heck is going in?!” She whispered frantically, trying to rub at her forehead in an attempt to get rid of it but to no avail, then covered it as she sat down in the cart in fear, not wanting attention on herself for once in her life-but the fear of garnering negative attention was imminent.
Location : Temple of Hanun River
Namame was abruptly pulled away from his state of shock…but could it really be called that? He was not so sure of it himself. Simply consumed by the sight before his own eyes…or maybe by the fact that this woman was now his and Gensho to give their life for? No, no, that could not be it. That was unthinkable, ridiculous. To show weakness was something he could have never afford to do. Never. But there he was, standing still, his eyes fixed on the bizarre-looking girl in panic. It was…almost pitiful to look at her. But at the same time, it was a sight that he could not avert his eyes from. Such was his fate from now on. To protect this female of unknown origins, to devote his life to her. That much was clear to him. The Gods sure worked in strange ways… But before he could approach her or even so much as making any movement…
His eyes blinked as his body jolted ever so slightly, breaking apart his cold façade for brief seconds. He had seen him, he had heard him, he had felt him leave his side. But the moment Gensho send the young woman into a deep sleep, Namame’s body reacted on its own impulses. He approached the two of them. He didn’t what he was doing, what were his intentions. But it was not something good, not good at all. Danger? No, he could not sense it. Nothing made sense, it was all nothing but a blur to him. Only when the voice he knew well reached his ears that he gained full control over himself again. It all happened in a rush. All was mechanical once again. No out of impulse, not out of his….emotions?….And then, there they were, in an unfamiliar place, no trace of a soul, only the sound of Nature.
Namame felt his shoulders flop ever so slightly down, his chest relaxing at long last. Had he been holding it in for all this time?…His eyes wandered through his surroundings. His feet lead him forward, the temple’s sight now growing closer and closer. Even though he was no entity of abundant knowledge, he could feel it within himself. A great power protected this place. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, any last remains of wariness leaving his body. They were safe, no danger, no threats. That was what he thought. But such foolish thoughts are not to be taken. Such was evidenced as the voice of a very, very distressed Priestess disturbed the peace. Namame slowly turned to find himself staring at the pair with an expression devoid of any distinct emotions. He kept his distance, however, showing a certain reluctance in even approaching the two… But why…?
Location: Koukan Empire, Temple near Hanun River
Gensho was surprised when the Priestess had awoken after being transported to their current location. He did not find her demeanor or attitude surprising considering her extraordinary situation, however it did not stop him from thinking how ungraceful it seemed, not to mention quite illogical. If he were in her position threatening the person who captured her would be far from what he would do much less slap the person. It would be in their best interest that he not lose his demeanor and patience because of her presumptuous actions. ” Calm down.” he said firmly, using little effort to pull apart her grip from him. He let her go with a small push away and put a little distance between them. The young man sighed with a displeasing countenance as if to say he expected more from the Priestess meant to bring Salvation to the people.
He looked at Namame who stared at them with the same neutral expression. Gensho was certain he would be of no aid in this instance, for talking was not his specialty. Perhaps the choice of location was not correct. The young Monk chose a temple because it had a significance as a place holy, clean and free from malice. He had hoped this would offer some relief to the young girl. ” This one is named Gensho, this is my comrade Namame. “ he said in answer to her question. ” No harm will come upon you…you have my apologizes for taking you here without warning, but it was important to move out of the city. Are you aware of where you are? Or what has happened to you?” he asked the girl. Explaining what happened to her will help her to calm down is what Gensho believed. The young monk then laid his staff down and sat on the thick floor rug. He motioned for Namame to do the same. He hoped this would further ease her mind as a person who is seated cannot do much in terms of harming a person who is standing.
Jun looked watched the guy and the old man in the cart. When gave the ok she smiled. “Awesome.” She next to the girl and noticed her rambling about something. Oh right the clothes apparently it was dress. The girl then introduced herself as Mei-Lin. Jun leaned back and relaxed herself. Her mannerisms at that moment seemed tomboyish. “It’s Jun just Jun.” Sometimes people try to ask for a last name. She never really did think of one so she just tell them plain and simple just Jun. She glanced over at Mei and noticed her franticly trying to cover head. Jun raised and eyebrow and said, “Hey are you alri-” She stopped when she suddenly felt her back burning. “The hell??” She mumbled to herself as she toughed her back swearing quietly to herself. She then took a quick glance at the girl. “I wonder…….” She then decide to just forget about it she already had enough trouble as it is. She didn’t need any strange things happening. She then looked ahead trying to ignore the throbbing on her back.
Supicious:
Ashitare could feel the heat growing across his face, form her complement. He was not used to such complements, having not heard one ever since Rima stop coming by. He gave a polite bow to the girl to show her his gratitude. “Thank you miss Mei.” He watched as the two women conversed between each other, standing behind them. He didn’t mind walking, besides for him to not give his seat away would be rude. Both women seemed to have worked hard and all he had done was step out of his home for the first time. Or was it? I wish I could remember. What happened to me? How did I loose so much of my memory? He shook his head trying to get the question out of his head. He knew that if he just sat and wondered, all it would do was leave him with a headache.
Trying to avoid is introspection he tuned into the girls conversation. So this odd attire she in is a variation of a dress. He then turned to the girl who’s name was Jun, how interesting, she also has no surname. He thought that maybe this was common, come to think of it Rima didn’t have a surname either. He snapped out from his train of thought when a strange symbol appeared on Mei’s head. Going over to see what happened, he felt a strong pain over his heart. He winced in pain as his character burned on his chest.
Swallowing the pain, he stood back up and looked at the two women. “Are you two alright?” Seeing as the pain subsided from Jun he turned his attention to Mei. He leaned into her face and looked at the symbol. Raising his hand he hesitated for a moment, “pardon me miss Mei.” He gently moved some of her hair around to get a better look at it. “Odd, it must be some kind of magical marking. You shouldn’t worry about it.” He gave her a kind smile, before standing up and taking a step back. He looked over to Jun, “are you alright miss Jun?”
Mei-Lin looked to Jun in concern, seeing that she too was in pain as she was, and then Ashitare had that look about him as well. What the Heck was going on here, and why?! Was Mei herself the cause of all this, because of she was, she wanted no part in making others suffer. She looked up into Ashitare’s eyes and felt her cheeks darken again, scolding herself inwardly for that weird feeling every time she looked into those eyes. Now was not the time to admire this guy, however handsome he was! But when he felt his hand move her bangs out of the way to take a look at whatever was on her forehead, her heart stopped. She felt her breath hitch, then gave Ashitare an odd look, “Magical marking? You mean…gah?!” She rubbed at her forehead again, hissing as it burned her a little, “There’s something on my forehead?!”
Mood: Scared and concerned
With: Ahsitare and Jun
Ah, if only she had her mirror on her! Then she would have seen what exactly Ashitare was talking about. She then looked at both Jun and Ashitare, “But…you both looked like you were in pain just now. Are you both alright?”She looked back and forth between them, biting her lower lip in worry. She then gave Jun an awkward smile, “By the way, you have a really pretty name, Jun! You can call me Mei!” She smiled a little, trying to make light of this weird scenario, then sighed, “I’m sorry all this strange stuff is happening, is there maybe someone that can help all three of us in the capitol?” She asked Ashitare. Goodness, she hoped so, if only to get whatever weird marking was on her forehead off-she couldn’t be on stage with that thing glowing all night! Then again, a thought occurred to her: would she be able to go home? And where the heck was poor Koi-chan?!
Jun didn’t respond when Ashitare first asked if they were alright. She was trying to ignore it. Then finally it stopped she sighed in relief then she looked over at her when she heard her say Magical Marking. ” A marking huh?” She wondered if any mark had appeared on her back. She looked at Ashitare and answered him. “Yeah mines was on my back.” She was trying to figure just what the heck was going on. She smiled at Mei then said, “And I wouldn’t worry about it to much…who knows maybe this means I have powers that can help kick but better then before.” Yeah right she wished. Then something hit her. “Wait a min did you say the capital?!” How did she not realize where the heck she was heading. She was trying to het away from the capital. Then again maybe would recognize her. She did cut her hair and she has been gone for while. Plus this would be a good time to check out everything to see what’s going on. Plus she felt like if she justran away now it would make her feel like a coward. So instead she decided she would go but make sure to keep identity hidden.
Location: Shunrou Capital City Gates, Kutou Empire.
What am I Doing? Going to meet Senru’s forest friend.
The city of Shunrou was quiet save for the occasional song of crickets and frogs. To many normal people, the night portrayed a sense of tranquility, stillness, and inactivity. However, to Kailai, it was as busy as any afternoon in the marketplace. Kailai could hear it all—the hooting of owls as they greeted one another, the chattering of crickets as they discussed the whereabouts of food, and the calling of a male frog as it searched for a lover. It was all very distracting, but—at the same time—reassuring.
Arms folded in his sleeves, Kailai strolled through the empty streets, enjoying the night breeze that brushed against his hair. He passed a bulletin board with several wanted posters. Most of the posters depicted bandits that seemed to have made their homes in the woods outside of the city. However, there was one portrait that caught Kailai’s attention. It was a crudely drawn sketch of a beast of some sort. Kailai frowned, leaning over to read the description.
A vicious, wild creature known to prey upon humans. Travellers beware. Any brave warrior that kills the beast and brings proof of its death to the palace will receive 100 gold by order of the Emperor. @Ryuko Seiko
Kailai sighed. Logically, he knew such an order was necessary to protect the citizens of the city. Not all animals were friendly and quite a few in the forest preyed upon humans. However, as someone who could speak to animals, Kailai couldn’t help but feel saddened. It was misunderstandings like these and lack of communication that led to animosity—both in humans and animals. Ever since the mysterious death of the previous emperor and the disappearance of Princess Akemi—which essentially ended the royal Konishi line—the Kutou Empire had grown more militaristic under the leadership of the new emperor. It had allowed the country to grow more prosperous and the citizen’s lives to improve drastically, but at the cost of increased warfare.
Hence the search for the Celestial Warriors.
Kailai was diverted from his thoughts when he heard Senru call out to him. Glancing up, the Imperial Librarian caught sight of the falcon circling his head. He chuckled.
“Well, aren’t you exited? Find your forest friend, did you?” Kailai tilted his head. “He’s coming here?” Kailai nodded, an amused smile on his face. “Sure, I’d love to meet him. Lead the way.”
Kailai watched as Senru took to the skies. It had been a while since he’d seen Senru so lively. Brushing a stray lock of hair behind his ear, the Imperial Librarian followed Senru…but at a more leisurely pace.
Half an hour later…
When Kailai arrived at the city gates there seemed to be some sort of commotion. Armored guards surrounded a small ox-drawn wagon.
“Who are you guys? What are you doing arriving at Imperial Capital so late at night? State your purpose.”
“Look at her clothes!” One of the city guards pointed at the pigtailed-girl riding in the back. “She must be foreigner! And she’s covering something!”
Another guard reached forward to yank the foreigner’s hand from her forehead. “What are you hiding? We won’t allow suspicious people into the city—,”
What am I doing? Talking to Namame and Gensho
The strange man and the boy were obviously displeased seeing her shake violently and eventually almost strangling one of them. She was pushed a little by the man who held her putting a distance between them, almost tripping her as her feet walked backwards. Luckily, though her balance was slightly a little wiggly at first, she managed to stand firm with her feet apart trying to stop them from taking another step. Her arms were both at her front close to her body, as if they were on guard for any attack she might receive. Koi looked at both men who indeed looks so strange. One of them was a little boy who just stared at her stoicly. He looked cute and innocent but him being involved in this “kidnapping” puzzled her a lot. She then looked at the tall man with white hair who held her not long ago. She was much more afraid of him even if the stranger’s face didn’t look like he was a bad guy. Both of them looked educated and they didn’t look like the usual gangsters with the gangster kind of face. The sight of the temple and the aura of the environment did calm her quite a bit, but it didn’t remove her fear and confusion for what was happening back then. Not to mention, her friend was still missing and a lot of strange experiences happened in less than an hour.
The taller man then introduced himself and the boy as Gensho and Namame. She listened very attentively to the next sentences his mouth uttered. Gensho apologized and assured Koi that no harm will be done to her. He then asked her the same questions she was asking herself. Calmer than before, the girl couldn’t care if they were good or bad people now. She had no one to turn to and the experiences she had today was just overwhelming. Like a broken fosset, tears in her eyes seemed to come out of nowhere and dripped all over her cheeks. Her mouth contracted as if they want to wiggle, and her chest tightened up. Unconsciously, the maiden was already crying. “N-no… I’m sorry”, she apologized and answered in a shaky voice while wipping her cheeks and eyes with a handkerchief from her shoulder bag. The girl felt ashamed of crying in front of complete strangers. “I’m not from here. This place looks like ancient China., she described as she looked around not intending to mock the place. “I don’t know what’s happening. I w-was with my friend, and we went to a bookstore. And then we read this book titled Universe of the Four Gods. And then a light flashed at us and the next thing I knew was I was under the bridge near a town and my friend was missing”, she narrated in an unorganized manner as she stared at an empty space in between Namame and Gensho, trying to recall what happened.“Have you seen her?”, she asked them looking directly to their eyes, trying to ask for help. Sensing that the men will help her in some way and that they were there for her for some kind of reason she is yet to understand, she asked a question, “Why…Why did you get me? Who are you?” , asking the same question again, now with a different meaning.
The young monk watched as the girl from the other world has been set by grief and started to cry. He could only listen to her explain what happened as anything he did may be perceived by her as inappropriate. At that time, he considered how she was at first angry and confused, which quickly was followed by sadness and worry. He looked over at Namame. ” Perhaps we should have some dinner prepared for us. ” he suggested as he noticed the shadows were lengthening through the halls of the temple. Gensho would stay behind with the priestess to explain a few things to her. ” Namame will get food ready for us…. It was not of our doing to have you brought here to us young lady.” he began. “ The ‘book’ you had in your possession, possess’ great magic. Strong enough it is to have brought you here to our world. If this one is not mistaken, there is a way for you to return home.”
Gensho thought further on what she mentioned. The priestess said she was with a friend. Although she was not seen to be with her when the two celestial warriors came to her, he did believe in the possibility her friend was also meant to be in this world… as another priestess. Such a revelation concerned him about the future, but it would do no good to mention that to her now, as it was only a mere guess. ” If your friend was not with you perhaps she did not come with you. But if she has, she will be safe. That is something that can be assured.” he added. Gensho got up to unlock the doors of the temple. ” You have yet to share your name.” he said.
Mood: Calm to Angered
What am I Doing? Conversing with Mei and Jun, when some guards barged in.
Ashitare wasn’t too worried about the marking, he thought it was only natural to have one. For as long as he remember the symbol on his chest was there. It is supposedly a symbol meaning Ashitare, at least that is what Rima told him. He smiled at Mei as she tried to rub it away. As she inquired on his won well being he gave her a soft smile, “I am fine Miss Mei, and you should not worry about the symbol, it will fade. Rubbing it will only make your forehead red.” He looked between the two girls as they conversed about the capital. He thought back to a falcon who seemed to come from the capital. His owner must be very wealthy to have such a prized creature. It is possible that he may be able to help them. I don’t know much of Jun’s predicament, but if a nobleman would be willing to help, he be much more useful than I. Turning to the two girls he spoke up, “I may know someone in the city who may help you two. It is a slim chance, but I see no harm in asking.”
Before the girls could even answer the cart began to jerk forward. “Sorry the old ox does what he wants sometimes.” As the cart slowly headed closer towards the capital city Asitare followed behind. When they were at the capital gates the cart came to a sudden halt as a group of guards came up to them. From their brutish mannerisms and voice Ashitare knew that this would be trouble. He hadn’t been around men in years, but somehow remembered the stern tone and aggressive nature, he didn’t like it one bit.
Ashitare spoke to the men, “we a simply weary travelers. Hey!” He walked over to the man who grabbed Mei’s arm and grabbed the man’s hand tight with his left hand and put his right on the man’s chest pushing him back. “Let go of her,” he said in a intimidating tone, he clenched down o the guard’s wrist causing him to wince a little. Ashitare held on tightly until the guard let go and stepped back. With a huff he looked at the guards “is this really how you treat travelers?”
The old man was shocked by the sudden action. He just hoped that he wouldn’t be imprisoned for this, he had a family to provide for and tend to. He stayed quiet hoping that the guards would burn out of steam and let them pass with a warning. Keeping his head down someone caught his eye, he looked up. His face grew pale when he realized that it was a imperial lord. He turned to Ashitare, “hush boy do not cause a scene.”
Mei-Lin looked to Jun, “You have one as well?” She then looked to Ashitare, “And you?” She had to admit, it felt good not being the odd man out in that respect, as she was the oddball of everyone by her ‘strange clothes.’ Did she really go back in time somehow?! She gave them both a smile,”I’m glad you guys are alright, I know we just met but I care about anyone who treats me with kindness.” She looked to Jun, “You already look like someone who can kick lots of butt, Jun! I really admire you for being a strong and independent woman!” She looked to Ashitare with hope in her eyes, “There is someone who can help us there?! Great! I wonder if he’s a wizard of some sort that can take me home!” She thought of the Wizard of Oz, and considering this was all too real, it wasn’t a far fetched idea. When the cart began to move she gasped in surprise, but then smiled to her new companions. “Yep, seems like we’re headed that way, Jun, but if Ashitare is right there is someone there to help us both!” She said with the utmost confidence.
Location: Apparently The Kutou Empire; now the capital gate
With: Ahsitare and Jun; there are guards at the gate with some Lord
When they got to the gates, however, Mei’s hopes were dashed. Already the guards were hostile, apparently they did not like foreigners in their city-and she was the one that had to stand out the most. She stood up,”W-wait a second, I just came to ask for help–ahh!” She screamed as a guard grabbed her arm, and as Ashitare came to her rescue, the symbol on her forehead glowed brighter than before, and in the skies the sound of lightning began to crackle-and it was a clear day. She glared at the men, her heart racing in fear as she tried to stand her ground. “Look, we mean no one any harm, alright?! I need to see someone that can help me in the city, so please, let us pass?” She said with urgency but with a strong firm tone as well. Her look softened as her dark blue eyes rested on Ashitare, “Thank you, again, for saving me, Ashitare.” She then looked to the skies, “Um…did anyone one else hear thunder earlier…?”
Jack:
Date; September 2
Location; Koukan Empire, West Side Touran
It had been several months since a Decree by the Emperor to find the Warriors of Genbu came out. Well, that was fine and all but one person in particular didn’t really care.
Hak. He is a Celestial warrior of Genbu, supposed to answer the calls of the Empire. To discuss a duty he was well informed of from a early age. Quite frankly, He eluded the Search force sent by the War Minister almost hilariously. He had more or else actually tailed them back to Touran fairly recently. As such, he had two choices that day; Go the the Palace or go to the Tavern. He elected to go for a drink, the plan would be to go to the Palace later to make himself known.
Several days passed since and he had completely forgotten about the summons.
Come to the present day, Hak woke up in a room. he remembered that he had almost got caught by the Search Force and forced himself to hide in the more dangerous parts of Touran; the West side. Even though many tired the attack him or swindle him, he usually beat them back either with words or literally beating the crap out of them in frustration. Yesterday he had helped some women get away from a group of thugs who more or less wanted them for devious things. It eventually became known that a man in west side helped people out. He kept his identity a secret, especially since those in the Palace know what he looks like.
And it was like that, he was staying at a place above a tavern in the west side close to one of the exits for a quick getaway. But that wasn’t why he woke up, he had a strange feeling on his chest. Literally. He pulled back his shirt and saw his mark pulsating. “What the heck?” The first thing he thought was that if he was still drunk. But he didn’t feel like crap.. He knew what this meant, and he moved quickly. Grabbing his sword he left his other weapon behind.
Quickly heading towards where he felt to go, he hurried quickly. Eventually finding himself in the Grand Market District. he looked around as the pulsating got more apparent. Turning a few corners, he eventually came across an unusual site.
The girl was wearing strange clothes, calling out for someones name. ‘Oy oy, not very discreet?’ Suddenly, two man were near her, thinking that he should remember who they were, one of them, a Monk, suddenly moved behind her and knocked her out. ‘Oh crap..’ Hak moved quickly, but they moved quicker. As he got closer they left through the ground, Hak instantly knew he used magic. Before he could jump in to follow, the portal closed and became a normal puddle of water. The Pulsing was still there, but wasn’t as strong. Where did they go? Hak stood there… then started to have a headache. “Ah… Hangover…” He suddenly heaved and threw up.
After that, he decided the best course of action was to remain in Touran for the time being. ‘The Priestess is here, which means those two were most likely the other Celestial warriors.. Did they take her to the Minister?’ He was sitting in a bar, strangely not drinking as much. But he figured, he may as well wait for them. He knew the girl’s face. While thinking about this he took a big gulp of his drink. “Still sucks compared to the villages…”
Helral:
Mitsuhide
Location: Seiryuu Court
Activity: Visiting library after work.
Mitsuhide was finally done with his work in the treasury. Afterwards he decided to visit the library. Still dressed in his court outfit he slowly walked towards the library. The outfit isn’t as restricting as it seems to be, although he is forced to take short steps. For anyone who doesn’t know him, he seems unarmed. All he’s carrying about is his fan.
Arriving at the library he walks through it, in search of more books about signs and symbols. On passing he notices Kailai, the thought ‘now there’s an odd sight, a sleeping head librarian.’ passes through his mind as his eyes fall upon the scroll. Not wanting to disturb him he moved on towards the books and starts browsing the titles. Several titles pass his eyes, Family symbols, Military companies. Mitsuhide sighs, he has already read and committed all of these to memory, but none matched the symbol on his shoulder.
While browsing he suddenly senses the symbol on his shoulder growing warm. Quickly looking around he sees nobody nearby, and lets out a sigh of relieve. ‘Why would it do that now, after being silent for so many years…. Maybe Kailai could help me finding information about it.’, he thinks as he decides to reveal his mark for the first time to someone else. After deciding this he goes back to where he saw Kailai, but he isn’t there anymore. “Just my luck”, he mumbles as he moves off to search the library for Kailai.
While searching for Kailai he meets up with another librarian, keeping that librarian in his sight Mitsuhide wonders whether or not he knows where Kailai went. Taking his time Mitsuhide finally decides to ask the librarian where he can find Kailai. “Excuse, do you know where the Kailai, the head librarian is?”. ‘I saw him leave the library some time ago. Is there anything else I can help you with?‘, Mitsuhide sighs as he hears the librarians response. “Well, I guess I’ll go back and browse through some more symbols. Can you get me a book containing rare symbols or markings?”. The librarian nods and moves off. Moving to a nearby table Mitsuhide awaits the librarians return.
While waiting he thinks about how he should approach Kailai when he sees him again. His thoughts get interrupted as the librarian returns with a book containing legends, ‘I’ve read this once, and there are some symbols mentioned here.‘ To prove this the librarian places the book open in front of Mitsuhide on a page containing a drawing of a person with a marking. Sadly the marking is ineligible. “Thank you”, Mitsuhide says as the librarian moves away to continue what he was doing.
Jun looked over at Ashitare and was about to speak when suddenly the cart jerked. She then settled back into her seat and looked at Mei. “Yeah trust me there isn’t a single person in that capital that can help me.” She smiled a laughed a little to herself. “Besides I don’t need any help I’ve been ok so far on my own.” As they reached the gates to the city the cart stopped. then a group of guards headed towards them. “Crap….” Jun thought for moment maybe they wouldn’t recognize her. She decided not to hide her face and see if the guards knew her face. The guards seem hostel, no surprise there. Suddenly one of the guards grabbed Mei. Jun was about to help but Asjhitare ended up taken care of it. But wow did that girl’s symbol glow bright. Jun wondered who the heck this person really was. Jun looked over at Mei, “Nice looks you can stand up for yourself. And yeah I didn’t hear thunder….I think that was you.” As she was talking to Mei one of the guards walked up to her. “Hey! Haven’t I seen you before?” Jun cussed in her head then turned around. “Um nope never been here in my life.” The guard stared her. “You sure cause you really look like Prin-” The guard fell to the ground in mid sentence. Jun had punched him and got knocked out. She then cracked her knuckles. “Can’t believe that guard was so easy to knock out.” She might had made thing s little worse but she didn’t care she would take them all on if needed be.
What am I Doing? Breaking up a fight.
Kailai frowned, wondering why the city guards had stopped the small cart from entering Shunrou. It appeared to be a normal-looking wagon driven by an elderly man. Surely an old man and a small group of travelers didn’t require so many guards. There were even a couple of girls riding in the back—granted one of them was oddly dressed. Kailai frowned, trying to recall if there was a country that wore such unique black and white attires. However, before he got a chance to ponder his inquiry, things took a turn towards violence.
“What’s going o—,” Kailai stepped forward only to stop, his jaw dropping slightly at what he saw. A blue light emitted from the pig-tailed girl’s forehead where the character for Seiryuu appeared. He could feel his own celestial mark beating in response.
She can’t be—
“Sorceress!” One guard glanced warily at the sky.
Another guard supported his knocked-out comrade while the rest of the soldiers took an aggressive stance. “Enemies—possibly rebels! They’re trying to infiltrate the city!”
“Someone sound the alarms!”
“STOP!” Kailai shouted in the most authoritative voice he could muster. It was only a pale imitation of his father deep commanding tone, but it managed to interrupt the chaos nonetheless. All the guards turned towards him. Some had relief on their faces…at least until they heard Kailai’s following order. “Everyone put down your weapons this instant.”
“B-but Lord Wen! They—,”
Senru screeched and swooped down, landing on one of the travelers’ shoulders—the pale one with black and white hair.
So this is Senru’s forest friend.
“—are my guests,” Kailai finished, watching his best friend peck affectionately at the handsome stranger’s ear. He ignored the incredulous looks he received and approached the group of travelers in a friendly manner. His eyes flickered to the pig-tailed girl wearing a strange dress.
I can’t be sure if I’m right about her—at least until I double-check the scroll—but if I am, she may very well be Kutou’s savior.
Placing his right fist in his left palm, he greeted them. “I apologize for the rude welcome. My name is Kailai Wen, scion of the Wen family and third son of General Bakryuu.” Kailai paused, a sardonic smile forming on his lips. “But you can also call me Tomo. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Assassin Namame
Namame was now but a figure lurking in the shadows watching over the monk and the priestess with what appeared to be little to no interest. A separate entity, as if a barrier stood between him and them, as the bizarre female seemed to settle down and show willingness to abide to Gensho’s attempts to lead this to a civilized conversation. Lost in his own thoughts, the boy’s attention was brought back to them as his name was spoken in the distance. What was it? Why had they spoken his name? Was something wrong? Was it something important?
His doubts were cleared in the moment the white haired male motioned him to come forth and join them. Reluctance would be a euphemism in order to describe what he felt towards this action. Was it really necessary for him to do so? He was most likely of no use in this situation. But if he refused…? Sighing, the young assassin allowed his feet to lead him towards the man and the woman, sitting down by Gensho’s side in absolute silence. The moment Koi joined them in a soon-to-be circle, however, did not go uncertain from his part. His immediate reaction was of a subtle jolt, followed by an attempt to keep a certain distance from her.
Koi seemed to break down little by little, her voice trembling as she spoke, something that he could not find help but feel most…uncomfortable just by beholding the sight of her baring herself before them like that. Perhaps because he felt no empathy towards his stranger whom he was supposed to protect. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had cried, much less knowing of what to do in a scenario like this. He would simply glance her from the corner of his eye, his body stiff, tense. What could this be, this narrowing feeling inside him? Annoyance? Confusion? Frustration? The moment their eyes met shunned any chances of this action to go any further, making Namame violently reject her gaze and thus, refusing to answer her question. It was not as if he knew any better anyhow…
He could not be more grateful for Gensho’s intervention as the latter turned to face him. A wise decision too, as expected of someone like him. The night was coming. They should not be careless, even in such an isolated place. He nodded his head and quietly left his…companions? Could he really call them that as of now? He was not sure, not sure at all. But no matter, he had a task to do. He could might as well get started instead of wasting his time thinking about trivial things. He found himself left to his solitude in an unknown area, surrounded by plant life. But for some reason, that did not inflict him with any signs of wariness or hostility in the least. Animals and plants had always been something he felt rather comfortable to be around. As if he was amongst his own. Such would most likely not come off as a surprise for those who knew him…
Now, what was there to do…? Food, food…well, a river was nearby. Perhaps some fish could be caught there. Berries and other fruits could also work too. Eh, it was strange…even after so long living in the estate, the thought of hunting and whatnot would come to him quite naturally. Well, habits die hard, as his master would say whenever he would reach for his missing arm, touching nothing but air with his gentle smile that never wavered. Namame did not waste any time. Soon after, he would raise three fishes in a…victorious fashion, if you could call it that. He could do this much, it was really nothing to be so proud of…how childish. But then, something assaulted him in that exact instant. Did Priestesses eat fish? Or rather, did people eat fish in her world? “….Hm….” His confidence faltered as he confronted this issue. Gensho surely expected him to get food for all the three of them…
Agh, why was he so concerned about this? The woman was in this world now, she had to grow used to their mores eventually, did she not? But even his argument would not stop his feet from heading further into the forest. He should find something else for her to eat in here…but what? His eyes darted from trees to grass, his ears careful to not miss any sign of a presence nearby. And thus, it paid off. Caws in the distance would faintly reach him, bringing a sense of relief to him. Perhaps a bird would do the trick.
But the moment he arrived at the place emanating these sounds, Namame felt as if his heart sank. He stood speechless, staring at the sight before him wide-eyed, holding his breath for what to seem an eternity. The bird was small, fragile just by its looks alone. It cried out in despair, cries of help, fear, pain. The crow was merciless, its craving for the small creature growing more and more, it kept attacking it. Again. Again. Again.
Until the blade of death was carved in its breast, blood dripping down its black form. With one last caw, it succumbed to numbness. Again. Again. Again. Blood spilled, staining his face, his clothes. But he didn’t stop. He did not stop until it stopped breathing completely. Until its warm vanished completely. It took him a while to move again, his hand trembling ever so slightly before he let go of the corpse. His eyes followed the trail of scarlet where a dying baby bird fought to keep breathing. The young man simply picked it up as gently as he could, as if cradling the creature in his hands. And like that he stood, impassible, incapable of doing anything.
No hope was left for the weak.
That was…what he had learned that day.
“End his pain, Wei Lun.”
A gentle, kind voice, hands upon his shoulder. Cold, so cold.
“He’s in pain. Do you want to see your friend in pain?”
Cold hands. Such cold hands over his. Now, a head, a small head.
“There is no hope left for him, child.”
No, no, no. Tears stream down his face. His head shakes again and again.
He can’t hear it. He can’t…
“It’s an order, Wei Lun.”
And then, all its darkness from him. He is blinded, stolen away, he disappeared.
The neck is broken. The body falls on the ground. Breathing ceases.
It’s so, so cold.
Namame screams.
The night had came and so he returned. Carrying the three fishes, fruits, berries…a decent seems to be in store for the trio. And his clothes are scarlet here and there, as well as his cheeks. Ah, he had forgotten those spots. But at least his hands are clean. He won’t spoil the meal. “Gensho.” He calls the older Celestial, gesturing the food towards him, as if awaiting for his approval or disapproval.
Razor:
Warrior Toyu
Location : Yangzhou bathhouse, Shunrou Capital City
What am I doing? : Enjoying the hospitality of the Famous Public Bathhouse, after a rigorous training session.
One of the few pleasures that Toyu enjoyed was to head to the Yangzhou bathhouse, rather than go back to the barracks with the other officers. He was never really one for mixing it with his fellows, though he let them think that they were worthy of his attention. A military man that lived and breathed his life of service to the Emperor. Few could fault him upon the training fields, and he had proved his worth many a time in active service. Some say he had no heart, others whispered about his fallen father. None dared speak it to his face however. Not if they valued their life. So when he turned in the direction of the city commercial district, there were none that batted an eyelid, nor asked after him. It was just how it was.
Approaching the bathhouse, that was modestly signed from the outside – Toyu let out a contented sigh. His body ached after the rigorous training, and he could really use this time to reflect and simply enjoy the pleasures that the bathhouse attendants offered. One young girl was already waiting at the door. Her black hair pulled back into a neat bun, and she bowed low as Toyu approached.
“Welcome again, Boss.”
“Mmm.” The girl was lucky to even illicit a reaction or sound from him at all. His face showed no emotion as he passed her, and she quickly hurried on in, ringing a small brass bell to alert the other attendants that they had a very distinguished client. Whilst Toyu was not a “Boss” per say, that was the term used by the attendants to all the notable clients. Being one of the Emperor’s own, he wore the colorful cape, that draped over his shoulders and covered half of his chest. His weapons strapped to his belt, which he would remove along with the rest of his kit, once he had entered the inner sanctum. Within the bathhouse, the lighting was dim and the air filled with the scent of exotic burning oils that helped to relax the clients and make them feel right at home. Here was a place, where he could be treated like the Emperor himself and it was something that Toyu truly didn’t mind.
Lead out into a larger room, where there were other half naked males already being seen to by their attendants. Waiters that held their clothing on long poles, that kept their valuables and clothing on a pile at the very top. At least three metres from the ground. This was to ensure the safety of their belongings – another notable service.
Being led to a seat, Toyu started to remove his armor shoulder guards, and then his sword belt which he handed to two separate waiters. The weight of his armor was such it was a little bit too heavy for the poles. Toyu could feel the eyes of a few other men, possibly politicians or wealthy merchants gazing at his well toned physique. It was not uncommon to be considered attractive, even to men. Toyu acted as though it didn’t phase him, making a bit of a show of removing his clothes, and kicking off his boots. As he went to sit, a pretty attendant came in and offered him a cup of green tea – part and parcel of the services. It was to help the Warrior relax, and Toyu accepted the cup without word. The young girl hovered for a moment, as though something had caught her eye. Being that Toyu was now shirtless it wasn’t uncommon for the girls to stare. But what she was staring at, was something that even he didn’t expect. He could feel the slight twinge sensation. For a moment he thought that she might have spilled tea on him, but on looking down he see the burning symbol that was now glowing on his chest. The warrior’s eyes narrowed as he set down his cup on the side of the wooden bench, and then ran the tip of his finger over the symbol.
“it’s never burnt like this before” Toyu thought to himself. Glancing up, he could see the girl was ogling it now almost like she was mesmerized by the glowing mark. When she saw that the warrior was now staring directly at her, as though he could incinerate her just with his gaze, the young girl caught herself and snapped back to reality. She squeaked that the warrior would need his hot towel, while his clothing was raised on the pole. But with what was happening to him, he knew that the time for lazing in the steaming waters would have to wait.
Was this the sign? Was this the moment he had been waiting for in what felt like forever?
Growling angrily, he snatched back his clothing and hastily started to dress himself again. Toyu needed to find the answers as to why his mark had come to life. He had almost finished fixing on his cape, when he heard the sounds of raised voices that were coming from a short distance away.
“Enemies—possibly rebels! They’re trying to infiltrate the city!”
Hearing the commotion, Toyu tied off his belt and with his boots put on a little haphazardly, the statuesque warrior thundered back outside, only to see some sort of altercation occurring near the city gates. A wagon – nothing really out of the ordinary there, but as Toyu drew closer he heard the sound of the Imperial Librarian’s voice. It was unmistakable, and he said loudly – “I apologize for the rude welcome. My name is Kailai Wen, scion of the Wen family and third son of General Bakryuu.”
A name dropper. It was one of the things that Toyu simply refused to do. No point dragging up the wretched history of his family, when Toyu had been able to carve out a name for himself. Stopping just a few feet away from the gathered group, the blonde haired warrior folded his arms, as the guards appeared to take the Imperial Librarian at his word. But it was the next part that caught Toyu off guard.
“But you can also call me Tomo. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Toyu’s blue eyes narrowed on hearing this and even more so when he saw the young girl with the pig tails in the strange clothing. She certainly didn’t look local at all. The warrior took another two steps and saw the flash of what was a blue symbol that had glowed from her forehead. Surely he was mistaken. Could this….child be….the one? Seeing an opportunity to make himself known, Toyu strolled up, with his arms being dropped to his sides till he came to one of the guards who had yelled so shrilly about the ….enemy invaders. Snatching up one from the scruff of the back of his neck, he lifted him high enough so that his feet dangled precariously underneath him.
“These….don’t look like murderous rebels to me.” Toyu’s fingers dug hard into the back of the scared guard’s neck as Toyu then gave a sly smile towards ‘Tomo.” “Ah Lord Wen. How nice to see that you have taken to manning the gates, instead of dusting the tomes in the Imperial Library. All this…excitement must be invigorating for you, hmm?” Toyu let the guard fall suddenly and without warning so he landed in a crumpled heap. As the guard tried to crawl away, Toyu made sure to stomp on his hand as he approached the young girl with pigtails, who may well have found all this a little intimidating.
“Let me guess, you’re….a Princess travelling in disguise?” Toyu blatantly ignored the others that were her travelling companions, as he had already found this girl to be more than interesting.
anime, China, collaboration, creative, dialogue, drama, fandom, four gods, legends, magic, mystery, supernatural, writing
← RPC – Warrior Toyu – Fushigi Yuugi
AMV : Mmm Mmm yeah yeah! →
6 thoughts on “Fushi Yuugi : The Wish of Sealing.”
Fascinating story. I look forward to reading more. 🙂
Glad you like it. Another chapter should be coming out in about a week or so.
I especially like how you use the Fish out of Water archetype to its full effect. Well Done and I will be following with great interest.
The Girl From Jupiter
Wow! Once again, very creative story idea and interesting characters. A few of them seemed vaguely familiar, as though I’d met them once in a dream…
Love the Wicked references, btw. I saw Wicked some years ago on Broadway, and it was a very impressive show. Elphaba and Glinda are equally awesome characters, IMO. 😉
Oh, I meant to add that I love the premise of the girls getting accidentally pulled into this strange world through a mysterious book. And the mystical details, too, like the dark mar…um, I mean magical glowing symbols.
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CONTACT USRedstone Resort
Q and A with Les Furber—Redstone’s Architect
Les Furber is a partner in GDS Golf Design Services Ltd. in Canmore, Alberta. A former associate of Robert Trent Jones, Furber has designed and built courses throughout Canada and beyond. GDS sports a unique international portfolio, including, in 1991, the first modern day course in the Czech Republic, the first 18 hole course in Cuba as well as courses in the USA, Switzerland, and Germany. GDS and Les Furber Design have just recently undertaken a 27 hole project in Lithuania plus an 18 hole course in the Czech Republic. Furber’s portfolio includes the renovation of Banff Springs.
Q: What attracted you to the project at Redstone?
A: It’s a beautiful area and I liked the developer’s vision for the course and the community.
Q: What was the biggest challenge?
A: Every environment has challenges but an alpine course is challenging because you want to avoid too many uphill shots and maximize downhill or relatively flat shots. I think we achieved this at Redstone. We also preserved the natural beauty of this stunning location.
Q: What about the green complexes?
A: They are large and there are bunkers but there are catchment areas to keep golf balls from running into trouble. The greens are not overly contoured. So it’s possible to score and golfers should not have major problems on or around the greens.
Q: What about the playability of the course?
A: From the back tees, it’s not for the feint of heart but from the blue or white tees, it’s more forgiving and a lot of fun. I tried to minimize forced carries from the forward tees.
Q: What have people said to you about the course?
A: It’s memorable. I think that’s a testament to the beauty of the area and the vision of the developer.
Q: What’s the defining architectural element of the course?
A: There are two things. First, it’s a visual delight. Second, it rewards well-executed golf shots.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge on an alpine course?
A: There are lots of challenges but it’s especially important to avoid blind shots. There are no blind shots on the course.
Q: How does the course compare to other courses you’ve designed?
A: I like all my courses! But the natural beauty here is second to none. From tee to green, this course is a test that will make golfers want to come back. Around the greens, it’s not overly difficult but you have to be careful to avoid long putts. I was certainly fortunate to be able to design and build a golf course here.
For a full list of Les Furber golf courses, click here.
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Western Branch of the DuPage River
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Jeff Banowetz
This small, meandering river can get low in the summer time, but when the water level is high it’s a great way to see DuPage County.
Destination Distance From Downtown
2 of 5 diamonds
Spring, Summer, and Fall
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The West Branch of the DuPage River is probably known best as the centerpiece of Naperville’s Riverwalk, which encompasses both banks of the river as it flows through downtown Naperville. The Riverwalk is indeed a beautiful urban park, featuring a covered bridge, public art, fountains, paved pathways and Centennial Beach, the former quarry turned into an impressive swimming facility. It’s the perfect place to walk off a meal from one of Naperville’s restaurants.
What Makes It Great
It’s also a great place to paddle—which makes one wish there was an easier way to do so. But while paddling along the Riverwalk takes a little more work (more on that later), much of the rest of the Western Branch of the DuPage River is an easy and enjoyable trip that includes many of the forest preserves in Western DuPage County.
The DuPage River flows from north to south, running through DuPage and Will counties before reaching the Des Plaines River in Channon, Illinois. The East Branch of the river is channelized and used more for drainage than recreation, but the West Branch has been incorporated into the forest preserve system, with several put-in locations that allow for an easy trip.
The route from Lion’s Park to McDowell Grove is tree-lined with plenty of wildlife to see, and appropriate for any level of paddler. After a heavy rain the current can become strong, making it more difficult to paddle upstream. But most of the time, paddlers can travel to and from the some drop-in point without too much trouble. But a point-to-point route is certainly easier (at least when it comes to paddling) and all of the above forest preserves have plenty of parking.
Paddlers can continue down the river from McDowell Grove Forest Preserve to Pioneer Park just south of downtown Naperville. It’s a beautiful trip, but requires a major portage around Fawell Dam. You have to carry your boat several hundred feet up a steady incline, around the dam and then several hundred feet down the other side back to the river.
Who is Going to Love It
At most points, the DuPage River isn’t much more than a large stream, and often during the summer the water level can make it difficult to navigate sections, even in a kayak. But when the water level is high enough—and it is during much of the year—the river offers a natural setting that may surprise you in the suburbs.
Directions, Parking, & Regulations
The northernmost put-in is at Lion’s Park in Winfield, Ill., (on Beecher Avenue two blocks west of Winfield Road). From there, the river flows to the West DuPage Woods Forest Preserve, and on to the Blackwell Forest Preserve, which has a paddling drop-in/take out on Mack Road next to the dog park. Two miles further down the river is Warrenville Grove Forest Preserve, with another entry/exit point. And two miles beyond that is McDowell Grove Forest Preserve, offering paddlers another point of entry/exit.
The other option for paddling to the Riverwalk is to drop-in at Pioneer Park, which is about two miles south of downtown Naperville, and padding north. Or save downtown Naperville for dinner and go south to exit at either Weigard Park or Knoch Knolls Park. Whichever way you go, you’ll be see plenty of wildlife, including great blue heron which next in the area.
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Bench Patriots’ Tom Brady for Jags’ Blake Bortles
Chris Mitchell December 22, 2017 12:51PM EDT
Kareem Hunt, RB Kansas City Chiefs
Hunt faces a Miami Dolphins defense that ranks third-worst in points allowed to running backs after back-to-back weeks in which he had 24 or more carries, 116 or more rushing yards, and at least one touchdown. He is clearly a must-start, Top 5 play in championship week just three weeks after being a debatable flex starter. Some guys step it up and win championships for owners, and Hunt’s timely resurgence could make him that guy this year.
Tom Brady, QB New England Patriots
Statistical trends say bench Tom Brady and play much-maligned QB Blake Bortles instead. Credit: AP Photo/Keith Srakocic
Brady has thrown for fewer yards, rushed for fewer yards and produced fewer touchdowns than Blake Bortles over the last four weeks. He has thrown two touchdowns, combined, in his last three games and scored fewer than 16 Fantasy points in each of those games. Brady has a rivalry game against a Buffalo Bills defense that ranks third-best in points allowed per game to quarterbacks (12.2 points per game), while Bortles faces a 49ers pass defense that is third-worst in points allowed to quarterbacks (19 points per game). It would be blasphemous to even suggest owners claim Blake Bortles and start him while benching Brady…. but all the trends suggest you should. Seriously. It pains me, as a Patriots fan, to say such vulgarity, but the odds are very good that Bortles outscores Brady in the Fantasy championship Week 16 game.
Blake Bortles, QB Jacksonville Jaguars
A much-maligned pariah, Bortles has scored 22,25,18, and 25 Fantasy points over the last four weeks. He has thrown for at least 268 yards and two touchdowns in three straight games. In two of those games, he threw for over 300 yards and he rushed for two scores in Week 12. In Week 16, Bortles is as close to a must-start as a player as maligned like Bortles can be. He’ll be facing a 49ers defense that ranks third-worst in Fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks – less than a point from being ranked the worst. Looking back with glory, Bortles, like Hunt, could be 2017’s gift that won some owners their leagues.
Keelan Cole, WR Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars’ receiving corps has flown mostly under the NFL radar and Cole has become one part of that group, but he has a touchdown in three consecutive games with 99 and 186 receiving yards respectively in the last two games. Cole led the Jaguars in targets for Week 15 after being mostly ignored in Weeks 13 and 14, making him a dicey but intriguing risk/reward option. DeDe Westbrook received ink in this column last week and Marqise Lee (out for Week 16), when healthy, has been Fantasy-relevant for most of the season. Now its Cole’s chance for some props. Fournette is banged up. The Jaguars may want to ease up on his workload to be prepared for the playoffs, and the 49ers have a leaky pass defense. Cole and Westbrook have both been targeted and productive in recent games, and they have one of their best matchups of the season in Week 16.
Marquise Goodwin, WR San Francisco 49ers
Goodwin has scored double-digit Fantasy points in four straight games and he has done it without scoring a touchdown. He’s had back-to-back 100-yard receiving games and six receptions or more in three straight games. Since Jimmy Garoppolo took over under center, Goodwin has led the team in targets in three straight games (13 targets in Week 8, 12 in Week 14, and 13 in Week 15). The knocks against lining up with Goodwin in your league championship is that he hasn’t scored a touchdown in any of those games and the Jaguars are second-stingiest in points allowed to wide receivers (24.5 per game). It depends on your alternatives, but Goodwin’s floor in PPR formats is probably 10 Fantasy points and if he can find the end zone, you could get a 20-point week at the flex spot from a guy that was available on the waiver wire over Thanksgiving.
Bengals Run Defense and Theo Riddick
Jerick McKinnon punished the Bengals in the passing game in Week 15, Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen ran all over them in Week 14 and Le’Veon Bell did it all in bunches in Week 13. Theo Riddick struggled against the Bears in Week 15, but he scored 17 and 27 points in Weeks 13 and 14, and he has practiced fully this week. The juicy matchup makes him a tasty championship week flex play.
They have scored eight,12 and 10 Fantasy points in their three previous games, and the NFL schedulers gave them Deshone Kizer and the futile Cleveland offense on Christmas weekend. The Bears have nine sacks in their last three games and have generated a turnover in five straight. They rank seventh on the season in Fantasy scoring in ESPN leagues, so they should be owned. But if they’re not, they are a premier stream this week.
Phil Dawson, K Arizona Cardinals
Robbie Gould kicked more than a few undeserving Fantasy teams into their league championships with six field goals in Week 15. Dawson has scored 16,12, 5 and 17 Fantasy points in his last four games and faces the lowly Giants, who are giving up points by the bushel. He should be a 10-point kicker this week, kicking at home in the friendly conditions of Arizona.
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Category Archives: Weekly Picture
Royal Gold & Silver at Palais du Tau in Reims, France
Posted by Diana Mandache in British Royal Family, European royal families, Events, Exhibitions, Romanian Royal Family, Royal jewels, Weekly Picture
Exhibition in Reims Palais du Tau, exposition Marie de Roumanie reine et artiste, Marie de Roumanie, Marie de Roumanie reine et artiste, Palais du Tau exposition Reine Marie, Queen Marie of Romania, Queen Marie of Romania in Reims
The exhibition “Marie de Roumanie, reine & artiste” (13 April – 28 July 2019, Palais du Tau, Reims) presents symbol laden objects, survivors of dramatic political changes in her country and the continent, which once belonged to the Queen’s collection, all being marked by her creed “Per Amore ad Lucem”, leading us into a world of symbols of Queen Marie. The historical record of Queen Marie’s patrimony has been one highly conditioned by the shifting grounds of the intervening political regimes and legislations. Many of the objects were thus lost, scattered in many places, confiscated by the communists in 1948, or destroyed in the upheavals of the 20th century, but their memory and beauty can still be glimpsed in old photographs, documents, or as museum exhibits.
Photos by DM, MB, MA/ MNIR
Marie de Roumanie, reine et artiste – exhibition in Reims, France
Posted by Diana Mandache in European royal families, Events, Exhibitions, Romanian Royal Family, Royal jewels, Weekly Picture
Diana Mandache curator, Exhibition dedicated to Queen Marie of Romania, Exhibition in Reims Palais du Tau, Exposition, France, Marie de Roumanie reine et artiste, Palais du Tau, Queen Marie of Romania in Reims, Reims, Reine Marie de Roumanie
” Marie de Roumanie, reine & artiste” – exhibition opened at Palais du Tau in Reims, France: 13 April-28 July 2019. Queen Marie’s regalia is displayed for the first time in an international exhibition.
Queen Marie by Philip de Laszlo, oil painting, 1924 – exhibited at Palais du Tau. Once the painting adorned the reception room from the Cotroceni Royal Palace in Bucharest, today belongs to Peles Museum in Sinaia.
Queen Marie is one of the important personalities of modern Romania, a flamboyant and charismatic royalty. She continued to fascinate even after her death due to her character and education achieved at the Victorian court and circles. Marie’s nature and imperial ascendency imprinted her actions with courage, spontaneity, sometimes vanity, artistic sensibility and originality. She had been a talented painter, photographer, a royal diplomat, writer, and also a curious traveller who explored North America and the Middle East, including Egypt, where she went to see and get informed about the famous discoveries of the British archeologist Howard Carter.
100 years ago, in the aftermath of the Great War, the Romanian government entrusted Queen Marie with an informal mission to Paris, where she met the leaders of the Peace Conference, among them Georges Clemenceau, Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George. As she later wrote, “So many diplomats and politicians were having their say that it was difficult to get a hearing. It needed an exceptional ambassador to plead for a country which did not enjoy special popularity”. At the same time, she gave interviews, also holding press conferences, a novelty for a royalty. “I’m glad the Press is nice about me, it’s something gained for Romania! All honour shown to me is shown to my country – so if Paris goes off its head, a bit about me, all the better; it opens the way for the work I have to do”. The Queen thus has been lobbying for Romania, and her image was associated with her country.
Queen Marie did not wear a tiara or other important jewels at any of the meetings or dinners at which she was invited, as the royal protocol would have required. She lost most of those adornments in Bolshevik Russia, where they were sent during the war by the Romanian government for safekeeping, within the first such transport, in December 1916, which also included the state treasury. The jewel maker, Cartier, offered to lend her a tiara, but she respectfully declined it, perhaps wanting to draw attention to the precarious situation of the Romanian state treasury, now lost in Russia under the Bolsheviks, a problem that was also raised at the conference by the representative of the National Bank of Romania, G. Danielopolu, in April 1919, within the Reparations Commission.
The historical record of Queen Marie’s patrimony has been one highly conditioned by the shifting grounds of the intervening political regimes and legislations. Many of the objects were thus lost, scattered in many places, confiscated by the communists in 1948, or destroyed in the upheavals of the 20th century, but their memory and beauty can still be glimpsed in old photographs or documents, her correspondence, bills and her will. The old photographs, paintings, regalia, jewellery, personal objects, exude the spirit of a princess, who later became a queen, and was a keen collector of jewels and art of a multitude of styles and fashions, from the Byzantine designs to the Victorian ones, from flamboyant Art Nouveau to the reduced to essence Art Deco.
The exhibition “Marie de Roumanie, reine & artiste” presents symbol laden objects, survivors of dramatic political changes in her country and the continent, which once belonged to the Queen’s collection, all being marked by her creed “Per Amore ad Lucem”, leading us into a world of symbols of Queen Marie.
This exhibition is a tribute to a great personality of Romania, whose fate and actions were so much intertwined with many European countries, including France, making from her a sort of avant-la-lettre European.
This cultural event would not have been possible without the concourse of our partners from France, especially the colleagues at Centre des Monuments Nationaux and the illustrious host Palais du Tau, to all of whom I would like to address my thanks on behalf of my colleagues from the National History Museum of Romania, also from Peles Museum and the Romanian partner institutions, for their collective effort and cooperation in making possible this interesting and timely project.
Curator: Dr Diana Mandache, Historian
My new Book: MIGNON
Posted by Diana Mandache in European royal families, Events, Historic Residences, Royal Books, Weekly Picture
Balkans, European royal families, Mignon, Queen Marie of Serbia, royal history, Serbia, Serbian Royal family, Yugoslavia
Diana Mandache, “Mignon. Princess of Romania. Queen of Yugoslavia”, Curtea Veche, September 2018, hardcover, 276 pages, cca 200 ill., (Romanian language).
A modest and apparently unassuming personality, Mignon faced with great dignity personal tragedy and the misfortunes of her native and adopted countries’ during the two world conflagrations of the twentieth century. Today the old Yugoslavia doesn’t exist anymore, there are several independent states, but the admiration of many among her people still continues.
Maria – Mignon, Princess of Romania, was a great granddaughter of Queen Victoria, the second daughter of Queen Marie and King Ferdinand of Romania. At the age of 22 she became the queen consort of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, and from that moment on her destiny become linked with the tragic fate of her husband and country.
Diana Mandache, “Mignon. Princess of Romania. Queen of Yugoslavia”, Curtea Veche Publishing, September 2018, hardcover, 276 pages, cca 200 ill., (Romanian language).
My previous book published by Curtea Veche in November 2017: “The inheritance of Elena Lupescu and the communist state”, 288 pages + 32 pages with colour & b&w photos.
http://www.elefant.ro/carti/carte/istorie/istoria-romanilor/mignon-1678583.html
https://www.librariaeminescu.ro/ro/isbn/606-44-0103-8/Diana-Mandache__Mignon-Principesa-Romaniei-Regina-Iugoslaviei.html
https://www.librariaonline.ro/stiinte_umaniste/istorie/diverse/mignon_principesa_romaniei_regina_iugoslaviei-mandache_diana-curtea_veche-p10122933
Welcome to the royal history weblog written by Diana Mandache
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The Balcic of Queen Marie
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Home › Beyond Grits › Crank & Boom’s New Chapter
Crank & Boom’s New Chapter
How one coconut ice cream recipe became a Lexington ice cream phenomenon.
Crank & Boom
All they wanted was to make a little coconut ice cream. Mike and Toa Green thought it would pair well with the extraordinary Thai food they served at their Lexington restaurant, Thai Orchid Café. That was in 2011.
Mike and Toa Green
That ingenious thought, along with the help of a two-quart Cuisinart ice cream maker, gave life to an ice cream phenomenon that attracted customers to Thai Orchid Café for orders that contained nothing more than the ice cream itself. The couple’s passion for the dessert led them to officially launch the sweet treat known as Crank & Boom Ice Cream in 2013 at Thursday Night Live.
The quick success that came along with the coconut flavor at mobile events led to experimenting and creating innovative signature flavors like Bourbon & Honey, Kentucky Blackberry & Buttermilk, SuperFudge, and more.
In a whirlwind of keeping up with demand, the Greens discovered an eager audience who had a hankering for their ice cream at festivals, weddings, parties and other events where they sold it, as well as among local restauranteurs who wanted to serve it at their establishments. As the mobile business kept churning, the community craved a permanent spot to savor the unforgettable flavors.
In 2015, the couple decided to expand on the concept and opened Crank & Boom Ice Cream Lounge in Lexington’s popular Pepper Campus, site of the former James Pepper Distillery. Here they serve dips, drinks, sundaes and more in an industrial chic setting.
Now, the Crank & Boom family is prepared to embrace the farm chic trend, as the Greens near the opening of a second retail location in the region’s first food hall, The Barn at Fritz Farm.
That’s why building their own ice cream shop is so important to them – because it brings people together.
The thing that has driven the demand and growth for Crank & Boom is simple: The Greens and their team make really great ice cream. It also helps that they are totally obsessed with ice cream.
Treats at Crank & Boom
Crank & Boom uses all-local, all-natural ingredients, like 100% Kentucky dairy from JD Country Milk and blackberries from neighboring farms. They combine these ingredients to create fun flavor combinations from scratch that have brought joy and happiness to fans since 2013. Additionally, all ice creams, except those that include baked goods, are egg and gluten free; they also don’t contain any artificial sweeteners or flavorings.
Crank & Boom is now sold with more than 40 retail partners and served at over 100 events each summer. The pair’s second retail location will soon inhabit a stall within The Barn at Fritz Farm where they will continue creating melt-in-your-mouth, chef-crafted, flavor-filled combinations that will keep the Lexington community and visitors alike coming back for more.
Mike and Toa believe that community is the most important part of any business. That’s why building their own ice cream community is so important to them – because it brings people together. They are committed to giving back to the people and city of Lexington which is why they are involved with more than 50 local charities in the surrounding area.
They understand the importance of creating a community by establishing strong relationships with other local producers and are eager to join The Barn at Fritz Farm, a community within a community that Toa feels “has such an exciting, Lexington feel to it.” The couple is eager to join the region’s first food hall in the coming weeks and to continue inspiring other entrepreneurs to go after their own dreams.
Olivia Rink’s Lexington City Guide
Smithtown Seafood at the Summit
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How Four Roses Distillery got to be Four Roses Distillery.
10 Reasons Why Lexington is One of America’s Best College Towns
UK student Alex Francke delves into what makes Lexington a great college town.
50 Reasons Why Lexington, KY is the Best Place in America to Grab a Drink
We’re positive that Lexington is the Best Place in America to Grab a Drink. Here’s why…
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Home Rose Campion Seed Pack
Rose Campion Seed Pack
Rose Campion:
Lychnis coronaria
Lychnis coronaria was found in Britain as early as 1596 and was growing in American Colonial gardens by the 1700s.
Rose campion is a short-lived perennial, commonly grown as a biennial and will readily re-seed itself. It prefers moist soil but is tolerant of dry conditions. Rose campion produces a rosette of low growing, woolly, silver-green foliage and sends up 2-3' flower stems topped with bright, magenta or white flowers in early summer. Deer resistant.
Seeds may be sown indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost date and then transplanted outside. Rose campion seeds require a cold treatment to germinate. Mix seeds in a small, plastic bag of moist germination mix and place in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Alternately, direct sow seeds into the garden in the late spring or early fall. Press the seeds gently into the soil. Do not cover. Keep seeds moist. Seeds germinate in 3-4 weeks at a soil temperature of 70°F. USDA Zones 3-9.
Mount Vernon 2018 Annual Ornament
"I am now enjoying domestic ease under the shadow of my own Vine and, my own Fig tree" April 4, 1784, G Washington." Home for the Holidays is the t...
United States Flag Flown Over Mount Vernon
This United States flag was proudly flown at Mount Vernon, the beloved home of the first president of the United States of America, George Washingt...
"We…all unite in offering you, & yours, the compliments of the season; and the return of many, many more, and happy ones. G Washington". George...
Ties That Bound
"Ties That Bound: Founding First Ladies and Slaves". By Marie Jenkins Schwartz. ISBN-13: 978-0-226-14755-0. Copyright 2017. Hardcover with 420 page...
George and Martha Washington were renowned for the abundant hospitality that they offered at Mount Vernon. As George Washington's status as a world...
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About Us Comment Policy
Your Amazon Purchases Can Help Educate People About Vaccines
Make purchases throughout the year with AmazonSmile and Every Child By Two could receive .5% of the price of your eligible purchases as a charitable donation to help in their mission to educate people about vaccines.
AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you may already know, with the same products, the same prices, and the same service.
The only difference is that when you first visit AmazonSmile, you’ll make a few clicks to designate Every Child By Two as your charitable organization of choice. From that point on, every purchase – whether it’s holiday gifts or household necessities – will result in automatic donations to Every Child By Two, at no added cost to you!
It may seem like pennies to you, but last year, Every Child By Two embarked on an ambitious mission and every penny helped.
They started the new year by launching the Vaccinate Your Family website and Facebook page to help educate people about the importance of vaccines throughout the life span, and they’ve made great strides in reaching new audiences with timely news and evidence based information. In fact, for nearly 25 years, Every Child by Two has been a credible resource for reliable, science-based information about vaccines and their safety.
Every Child By Two is committed to improving vaccination rates at all ages, but they need your continued support.
All the donations they receive help fund their ongoing efforts to educate the public about the dangers of vaccine-preventable diseases and the critical importance of following the recommended immunization schedule. They also provide critical support for the development of educational programs, as well as strong immunization policies aimed at protecting families from vaccine-preventable diseases.
They have accomplished so much, but there is still much to be done.
Nationwide adult vaccination rates remain dismally low, and only about half of pregnant women are getting the recommended vaccines that can help pass immunity on to their unborn children. There are still many preteens and teens that are not fully protected from meningococcal and HPV. And people of all ages continue to suffer and die from vaccine preventable diseases.
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Your Vaccination Status is a Matter of Life and Death to My Autistic Son
This guest post was written by Alethea Mshar out of concern for her son Ben. A version of this post originally appeared on her blog Ben’s Writing, Running Mom. Like all parents, my child’s health...
Your Signature Needed to Preserve Congressional Immunization Funds
Every Child By Two asks you to join in urging Congress to protect crucial funding for immunization programs. Politics aside, if and when the Affordable Care Act is repealed, nearly $600 million in funds...
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1992 Albertville Olympic 10 Piece Coin Set
Obtain your 1992 10-piece gold and silver coin set at the cheapest Lowest price from our online store today! This elegantly designed coin set was designed to commemorate the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville France, and the 16th instalment of the Olympic games in the modern era.
The obverse of the coins Monnaie de Paris pays homage to Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic games and founder of the International Olympic committee, with his portrait in vivid detail on the sole .5028 oz gold coin in the set. The remaining coins feature the various Olympic spectacles on .6423 oz silver coins.
The reverse of each coin features the official emblem of the 1992 Albertville Olympic games, the date, and the denomination.
Diversify your collection with this beautiful set, in its original mint packaging today!
Paese FR
Corso legale 1400 Francs
Peso metallo (oz t) 10.0000
1400 Francs
1992 Albertville Olympic 10 Piece Coin Set Obtain your 1992 10-piece gold and silver coin set at the cheapest Lowest price from our online store today! This elegantly designed coin set was designed to commemorate the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville France, and the 16th instalment of the Olympic games in the modern era. The obverse of the coins Monnaie de Paris pays homage to Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic games and founder of the International Olympic committee, with his portrait in vivid detail on the sole .5028 oz gold coin in the set. The remaining coins feature the various Olympic spectacles on .6423 oz silver coins. The reverse of each coin features the official emblem of the 1992 Albertville Olympic games, the date, and the denomination. Diversify your collection with this beautiful set, in its original mint packaging today!
Moneta in oro 1/10 oz 2013 Panda cinese
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The Nazis Purge American History In ‘The Man In The High Castle’ Season 3 Trailer
Posted August 24th, 2018 by Jax Motes
“Have you ever heard of the Man in the High Castle?” asks Juliana Crain in the bombastic new trailer for the third season of Amazon Prime Video’s series of the same name. The often somber series seems to ratchet up the explosions and thrills in this new trailer, as the Nazis attempt to destroy all signs of American society, melting down or demolishing any symbols that may inspire resistance to their rule. But these extreme actions only intensify the resolve of the freedom fighters, including Juliana (Alexa Davalos). But things are stirring on the other side of this conflict as John Smith (Rufus Sewell) braces himself for the upcoming war that he senses is coming.
‘The Man in the High Castle’, based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, depicts a parallel universe where the Nazis won World War II and conquered America, splitting it in half, with the Germans taking the eastern side, while Japan claimed the west. But because this is a true science fiction series, these Nazis discover other realities and are building a humongous device with an eye on conquering these worlds as well… and that could include our own.
Check out the new trailer below:
The new trailer is set to U2’s classic anthem ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’, written about Martin Luther King Jr., as covered by German singer Lxandra. As Amazon’s press release stated, “this is the first time that U2 has allowed ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’ to be covered and used commercially.”
As Mike Benson, Head of Marketing for Amazon Studios stated:
“This song ties in perfectly to themes in season three including those of hope, heroism and the importance of fighting for the world that you want.”
The release stated that Lxandra’s cover will available to purchase from Amazon Prime Music and other outlets.
In addition, Amazon released three new pieces of artwork, featuring Davalos, Sewell and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who plays Japanese leader Nobusuke Tagomi, which also incorporate ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’, carrying on this theme.
New episodes of ‘The Man in the High Castle’ will be available on October 5, 2018.
Source: Collider
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Jax Motes
Jax's earliest memory is of watching 'Batman,' followed shortly by a memory of playing Batman & Robin with a friend, which entailed running outside in just their underwear and towels as capes. When adults told them they couldn't run around outside in their underwear, both boys promptly whipped theirs off and ran around in just capes.
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YouTube/Instagram Star Chella Man Will Portray Jericho On ‘Titans’
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richardmitnick 9:06 pm on February 3, 2016 Permalink Reply
Tags: Applied Research & Technology ( 5,640 ), Light studies ( 8 ), Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics ( 3 ), phys.org ( 229 )
From New Scientist: “Shortest ever pulse of visible light spots photons fleeing atoms”
Colin Barras
Got a light? Christian Hackenberger/Attoelectronics MPQ
The ultimate high-speed flashbulb just measured how quickly electrons inside atoms respond to light. The work could speed the development of light-based electronics.
At 380 attoseconds long – 380 x 10-18 seconds – the flashes are the shortest pulses of visible light ever created in the lab.
Eleftherios Goulielmakis at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany, and his colleagues achieved a similar feat in 2008 when they generated pulses of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light that were just 80 attoseconds long.
But making such short pulses of visible light is more challenging – and also more useful. EUV is energetic enough to strip electrons away from an atom altogether. Visible light makes a gentler probe: it energises electrons in an atom, encouraging them to emit light of their own, without actually removing them from the atom’s clutches.
This time, Goulielmakis’s key tool was a light field synthesiser, which carefully combines several light pulses of known wavelengths to generate the incredibly short flashes. Those pulses are brought together with their wavelengths slightly out of phase, so some parts of the combined light cancel each other out and leave a super-short pulse behind (see video, below). The same principle explains why two ocean waves that are perfectly out of sync will destroy each other on contact and leave an apparently calm surface.
Kicking out a photon
Theory suggested that electrons take a few hundred attoseconds [1×10^−18 of a second, quintillionth of a second] to kick out a fresh photon after they’ve been hit by an incoming beam, but the precise figure was unknown. The 380-attosecond-long light pulses are ideal for testing this idea. Not only can the pulses energise the electrons, they can then act as a camera flash, illuminating the process just long enough for scientists to measure the time it takes the electrons to respond.
Goulielmakis and his colleagues aimed their short pulses at gaseous krypton atoms in a vacuum, and found that the electrons in the krypton kicked out UV photons 115 attoseconds later.
The atoms behaved a bit like an energy-saving light bulb, Goulielmakis says. “Turn on the switch and the lamp is a bit dim – it takes time to get bright,” he says. “An electron in an atom also needs time to respond and maximise its emission of radiation – it needs about 100 attoseconds.”
“This work indeed represents a major step forward in the control of electrons,” says Peter Hommelhoff at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany.
Overtaking electrons
Goulielmakis and his colleagues plan to extend the work to examine the way electrons behave in other materials – particularly solids.
“[This] may lead to important new insights into the dynamics of electrons in a wide class of materials,” says Jon Marangos at Imperial College London. Those insights could help improve the design and efficiency of electronic devices.
Many people predict that computer circuits will eventually use photons rather than electrons to ferry information, but for that to work, photons have to interact with each other inside physical matter – things like the semiconductors used in today’s computers. So exploring how rapidly semiconductors and other solids respond to incoming light will help determine exactly how fast such light-based electronics will be able to operate. “This is the bridge between photonics and electronics,” says Goulielmakis. “We have to make sure we understand it.”
Journal reference: Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature16528
← From phys.org: “Galactic center’s gamma rays unlikely to originate from dark matter, evidence shows”
From LBL: “New Galaxy-hunting Sky Camera Sees Redder Better” →
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What other Harry Potter related writings has Rowling written?
Which Harry Potter related writings has J K Rowling written (not counting the seven main books)?
I'm ideally looking for writings set in the Harry Potter world, not writings about the books. (i.e. The Tales of Beedle the Bard is good; an essay about her experiences with the fandom is not) I'm also only looking for writings that were published at one point in some form or another (be it online, in print, or even for a now defunct official fan club).
harry-potter canon jk-rowling
Edlothiad
ibidibid
Do you want just published works or all writings credited to her? – user31178 Jan 12 '16 at 4:51
::looks at title of question:: what a tongue twister! – Thirsty Kitty Jan 12 '16 at 7:36
@ThirstyKitty you're so right. Try saying "related writings has Rowling written" 5 times fast! lol – RedCaio Jan 12 '16 at 7:40
Related: Did the Harry Potter supplemental books contain clues relating to the main storyline? and Reading order for Harry Potter auxilary books? and Are there any discrepancies between HP1-HP7 and supplementary books? – Möoz Jan 13 '16 at 2:34
@Mooz Maybe the reading order one, I don't know about the others. – ibid Jan 13 '16 at 4:21
Note: Many smaller tidbits (example) are not mentioned in this list. Lots of these can be found on Accio-Quote
Companion books
Quidditch Through The Ages
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (both the 2001 and 2017 editions)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Book of Spells (stories and descriptions were written by Rowling)
Book of Potions (stories and descriptions were written by Rowling)
Published on the old jkrowling.com (2004-2012)
various early drafts/sketches of the books
Rumor tabloids
Wizard of the Month
FAQ's with long answers (Thestrals, Mirror, Mark Evans, half-blood, Marauder's Map, technology, Neville, communication, Flitwick, Veritaserum, Avada Kedavra, Secret keepers)
Nearly Headless Nick's ballad
W.O.M.B.A.T. Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Answers
Weasley family tree
Other small bits of writing (Crookshanks, Dudley, Weasleys, Owls, Spells, Squibs)
Various tidbits (in the style which she would later do on twitter)
Published on the new jkrowling.com (Technically there was a site in-between, but we wont talk about it.) (2016-present)
Published on the old Pottermore (2011-2015)
Quizzes (Sorting, Wand)
'New Writing from J.K. Rowling' (The Quill of Acceptance and The Book of Admittance. Number Four, Privet Drive, Measurements, Vernon & Petunia Dursley, Ghost Plots, Clothing, Mr Ollivander, Wand Woods, Wand Lengths & Flexibility, Wand Cores, Hogwarts Express, Platform Nine and Three-Quartures, Toads, Professor McGonagall, Hatstall, Sorting Hat, Hufflepuff Common Room, Familiars, Hogwarts School Subjects, The Original Forty, Mirror of Erised, Nicolas Flamel, Professor Quirrell, The Philosopher's Stone, Technology, Floo Powder, Celestina Warbeck, The Malfoy Family, King's Cross Station, Pure-blood, Gilderoy Lockhart, Peeves, Hogwarts Ghosts, Draco Malfoy, The Polyjuice Potion, Ghosts, Chamber of Secrets, The Sword of Gryffindor, Marge Dursley, The Knight Bus, Sir Cadogan, Professor Kettleburn, Boggart, Hogwarts Portraits, The Marauder's Map, Gobstones, Dementors and Chocolate, Firebolt, Secret Keeper, Werewolves, Time-Turner, Patronus Charm, Remus Lupin, The Floo Network, Portkeys, Colours, History of the Quidditch World Cup, Quidditch World Cup (1990-2014), Scottish Rugby, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Durmstrang Institute, Daily Prophet, The Great Lake, Owls, Pensieve, Illness and Disability, Ministers of Magic, Thestrals, Dolaras Umbridge, Sybill Trelawney, Naming Seers, Azkaban, Cokeworth, Florean Fortescue, The Leaky Cauldron, Cauldrons, Potions, Vampires, Inferi, Order of Merlin, Extension Charms, Alchemy)
House welcome messages
Book extracts (Curses and Counter-Curses, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, Book of Spells, Book of Potions, other spell books)
Quidditch World Cup daily prophet articles (Disastrous Opening Ceremony Leads to Questions about Quidditch World Cup Security, Norway v Ivory Coast, Nigeria v Fiji, Brazil v Haiti, USA v Jamaica, Liechtenstein v Chad, Bulgaria v New Zealand, Japan v Poland, Wales v Germany, Brazil v Wales, Bulgaria v Norway, USA v Liechtenstein, Late Breaking News, Hans the Augery, Japan v Nigeria, Place your Bets with Ludo Bagman, USA v Brazil, Bulgaria v Japan, Dumbledore's Army Reunites at the Quidditch World Cup, Quidditch World Cup Final)
Published on the new Pottermore (2015-present)
The Potter Family
Wizarding Schools (Wizarding Schools, Castelobruxo, Mahoutokoro, Uagadou)
Magic in North America (History of Magic in North America, Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA))
Illvermorny Sorting Quiz
Patronus test
Fact files (Dolores Umbridge, Minerva McGonagall, Garrick Ollivander, Quirinus Quirrell, Remus Lupin, Sybill Trelawney, Horace Slughorn)
Published in Pottermore Presents (2016)
Animagi
Horace Slughorn
Online Chats
First Barnes & Nobles
Second Barnes & Nobles
First Scholastic
Second Scholastic
Third Barnes & Nobles
cBBC Newsround
The Famous Wizard Cards (written by JKR for the video games) See also this image.
The Daily Prophet newsletters (Written for Bloomsbury's Official Harry Potter Fan Club)
The Black Family Tree (created for a charity auction)
The Harry Potter Prequel (written for a charity auction)
Random tidbits on twitter
Various drawings and sketches
The original screenplays for the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them films (it is unknown how much of the final product will be based on Rowling's work, and whether she wrote them as book canon or as movie canon)
The LEGO Batman Movie (Rowling wrote some of Voldemort's character and dialogue)
Somewhat Canon works not written by Rowling:
Interviews (Herald, Electronic Telegraph, Herald, Scotland on Sunday, Guardian Unlimited, Amazon, Salon, School Library Journal, Family Education, Connection, Star Ledger, Boston Globe, NPR Radio, Diane Rehm Show, Chicago Sun Times, Orange County Register, Sans Francisco Chronicle, People, Associated Press, London Times, Daily Telegraph, CBBC Newsround, Bloomsbury Press, Guardian Unlimited, The Herald, South West News Service CBCNewsWorld, Telling Tales, Entertainment Weekly, eToys.com, Larry King Live, Canadian Press, Time Magazine, Maclean's, Cinescape, Reader's Digest, Raincoast Books, Blue Peter, Houston Chronicle, Sydney Morning Herald, Candis Magazine, Ananova, BBC, CBS News, Scotsman, IGN, CoS DVD, BBC Newsnight, Royal Albert Hall, Edinburgh Book Festival, PoA DVD, Leaky Cauldron part 1 2 3, ITV, ITV Network, ITV, Time Magazine, Dateline NBC, BBC Radio, Tatler magazine, Chanel Four Corporation, Press Conference, Radio City Music Hall part 1 2, bigbadread.com, Jonathon Ross, Scotsman, Blue Peter, USA Today, Today Show part 1 2, Reuters, MTV.com, MTV.com, hollywood.com, Times-Picayune, The Leaky Cauldron part 1 2 3, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian Press, BBC News, Pottercast part 1 2, Time Magazine part 1 2, J.K. Rowling, A Year in the Life, XLSemanal, Lexicon book court case, NBC Dateline, Conversation with Steve Kloves, Scholastic, Wonderland)
Artwork from the old jkrowling.com
Artwork from the old Pottermore
Pottermore content of the new Bloomsbury editions
The Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play by Jack Thorne (Rowling was a producer, and possibly had a little input to the story.)
Wikipedia's list for her publications is accurate:
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (supplement to the Harry Potter series) (1 March 2001)
Quidditch Through the Ages (supplement to the Harry Potter series) (1 March 2001)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (supplement to the Harry Potter series) (4 December 2008)
Harry Potter prequel (July 2008)
In addition to that, she writes the articles found on Pottermore, which not only adds background details to the Potterverse, but has also released information about events after the series. Not all content on the website is authored by her, however. For a more complete breakdown of her online and digital works, see @ibid's answer.
She is also a regular user of Twitter, and more than once has posted new Word of God canon through her tweets and not elsewhere.
Rowling has also been said to have written the story for the new Harry Potter play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, but the story is also credited to Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. (Thanks to @JasonBaker for the reminder.)
She also wrote the screenplay, as mentioned by @DVK, for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them the movie, based loosely on the book (or more accurately, the character said to have written that book In-Universe, Newt Scamander).
A spin-off/prequel of the Harry Potter film series and directed by David Yates, the film was written by Rowling as her screenwriting debut. It is the first installment of a trilogy. Rowling produced the film alongside David Heyman, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram.
Some here speculated that post-reboot Pottermore isn't written by her. No proof either way, of course. – DVK-on-Ahch-To Jan 12 '16 at 4:40
@DVK Without proof to the contrary, I'm happy to assume it's her. Although, considering her aptitude for contradicting herself, and her terrible maths ability, I'm not sure it would make a difference. – user31178 Jan 12 '16 at 4:41
The quality seemed to have dropped significantly, and broadly. A somewhat subjective judgement, admittedly. – DVK-on-Ahch-To Jan 12 '16 at 4:43
@DVK The two new pieces of writing marked as by her on the post-reboot Pottermore is by her, everything else there is Buzzfeed style top 10 lists and doesn't even resemble new canon. – ibid Jan 12 '16 at 4:46
Apart from what is mentioned in @CreationEdge's answer, JK Rowling has recently completed a story that picks off from where the seventh book ends. This is called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and will be presented in the form of a play. You can check out more information here
RedCaio
ʀᴇᴅ_ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ226ʀᴇᴅ_ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ226
She didn't write the play. She was heavily involved with it, but it's not the same. – ibid Jan 12 '16 at 4:49
@ibid She didn't write the script, but she's credited as having written a story that the script was based on – Jason Baker Jan 12 '16 at 4:52
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged harry-potter canon jk-rowling or ask your own question.
Which Harry Potter works are considered canon?
Why was the old Pottermore shut down?
Is there a complete list of JK Rowling's Harry Potter tweets?
Which Harry Potter novel is the quote “Things are gonna get serious for you” from?
Reading order for Harry Potter auxiliary books?
Are there any discrepancies between HP1-HP7 and supplementary books?
Will there be a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them novelization?
Did the Harry Potter supplemental books contain clues relating to the main storyline?
Why did Snape need Filch's help to cure his leg?
Is a distinction between “food” and “drink” ever specified as per Gamp's Law?
What is the official position of JKR franchise on “canonicity” of facts in Harry Potter universe?
What's the relationship of Harry Potter Trading Card Game to J. K. Rowling?
Did J.K. Rowling give two or more unrelated characters the same first name in any of the 10 books?
Harry Potter characters with alliterative names?
Does Harry Potter contradict any historical events?
In what ways does The Cursed Child contradict established Harry Potter canon?
Has JK Rowling ever directly contradicted the books?
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Are there any female characters in the Hobbit?
I believe Bilbo's mother, Belladonna Took, is mentioned briefly in the beginning, but are there any female characters who actually appear in the novel, rather than being merely referenced?
Even background characters who aren't explicitly named, but who are identified as female, would count.
Has Tolkien ever acknowledged or discussed the general lack of female characters in the story?
tolkiens-legendarium the-hobbit
BeofettBeofett
Sure... Smaug! ;) – Junuxx Jun 6 '13 at 17:45
I'm pretty sure Smaug was referred to as male in the book, wasn't he? – Beofett Jun 6 '13 at 17:50
Do fairies count? – Sam Jun 6 '13 at 20:13
@Sam - do they have explicitly specified gender? – DVK-on-Ahch-To Jun 6 '13 at 20:27
It's impossible to answer this definitively. If someone were to answer that "no this was never addressed", there's no way to know for certain that this would be true. Someone might dig up a letter or paper he wrote tomorrow. – John O Jul 9 '13 at 5:53
From: What are the Roles of Women in Tolkien? Middle-earth & J.R.R. Tolkien Blog (the author, Michael Martinez, is a Tolkien scholar known for very thorough digging through Tolkien material for analysis like this). Emphasis mine:
The Hobbit — There are no active female roles in The Hobbit. Published in 1937, this children’s story was essentially composed for J.R.R. Tolkien’s sons and although he expanded the original tale for publication he did not add any speaking female roles to the story. Nor did he add female characters in the two subsequent major revisions of the story that were published in 1950 (the Second Edition, which incorporated theoretical changes Tolkien had suggested to his publisher in 1947) and 1965 (the Third Edition, which was rushed into publication to address a copyright dispute). That said, there are three female characters who are mentioned in The Hobbit: Bilbo’s mother Belladonna Took, the unnamed mother of Fili and Kili, and the unnamed wife of Girion of Dale.
All three women serve a similar purpose in the story: their roles are to provide connections between major characters in the story and their predecessors. Through Belladonna Bilbo is connected to the Old Took, Gandalf’s friend; through their mother Fili and Kili are connected to Thorin, Thrain, and Thror; and through Girion’s wife Bard is connected to the ancient kings of Dale. These references to women in The Hobbit unfortunately set a precedent in the publication history that is hard for Tolkien to overcome.
As a side note, while the mother of Fili and Kili wasn't named in The Hobbit, she was named in LOTR, in Appendix A, part 3 (Durin's Folk):
Dís was the daughter of Thráin II. She is the only dwarf-woman named in these histories. It was said by Gimli that there are few dwarf-women, probably no more than a third of the whole people. They seldom walk abroad except at great need, They are in voice and appearance, and in garb if they must go on a journey, so like to the dwarf-men that the eyes and ears of other peoples cannot tell them apart. This has given rise to the foolish opinion among Men that there are no dwarf-women, and that the Dwarves 'grow out of stone'.
It is because of the fewness of women among them that the kind of the Dwarves increases slowly, and is in peril when they have no secure dwellings. For Dwarves take only one wife or husband each in their lives, and are jealous, as in all matters of their rights. The number of dwarf-men that marry is actually less than one-third. For not all the women take husbands: some desire none; some desire one that they cannot get, and so will have no other. As for the men, very many also do not desire marriage, being engrossed in their crafts.
DVK-on-Ahch-ToDVK-on-Ahch-To
I was about to say Galadriel as well, but she isn't in the novel – eggy Jun 7 '13 at 0:13
@eggy - well, Tolkien didn't need to sell a trilogy to make back millions of $$$s of investments :) – DVK-on-Ahch-To Jun 7 '13 at 12:58
It is worth noting that Dís is the only female Dwarf named in any of Tolkien's works. – maguirenumber6 Feb 19 '17 at 15:42
A previous answer says that 3 female characters are mentioned in The Hobbit:
Belladonna, Bilbo's mother
The mother and Fili and Kili
The wife of Girion of Dale
I can add :
2 sisters of Belladonna, as she it is mentioned that she is one of three of the Old Took's daughters
Gollum's grandmother. In the chapter Riddles in the Dark, "Gollum brought up memories of ages and ages and ages before, when he lived with his grandmother in a hole in a bank by a river"; and later, "Gollum remembered thieving from nests long ago, and sitting under the river bank teaching his grandmother, teaching his grandmother to suck - "Eggses!" he hissed."
There are also females referred to, in the plural:
First chapter. We know that there are hobbit girls as well as boys "[Gandalf] had been away over The Hill and across The Water on business of his own since they were all small hobbit-boys and hobbit-girls."
Smaug is said to devour inhabitants of Dale, especially young women. "Later he used to crawl out of the great gate and come by night to Dale, and carry away people, especially maidens, to eat, until Dale was ruined"
Finally, when inhabitants of the city of the lake flee from the fire, "women and children" get into the boats.
So, though there are no female roles, we at least get to know that hobbits and men have daughters and wives. As for elves, there is no mention of females ever; and for dwarves, the sole mention of the mother of Fili and Kili is very short. Yet, it doesn't say that there aren't females elves and dwarves, it's just that they aren't specifically mentioned.
Quite often, we think that there are female characters in the hobbit, because they are in The Lord of the rings, like female elves, female hobbits, and we mix the two stories in our memory. But in The Hobbit the terms stay in the gender-undetermined plural : the elves, the hobbits, the Sackville-Bagginses. As an example, in the last chapter, the Sackville-Bagginses are suspected of stealing the silver spoons but it's "they". No mention of Lobelia in The Hobbit; she appears only in The Lord of the Rings.
VincentVincent
IIRC Lobelia Sackville-Baggins is in there at the end, present at the auctioning of Bag End (The Hobbit, Chapter XIX: "The Last Stage"). – Stefan Urziceanu Jul 3 '14 at 10:16
Not by name. Lobelia was in her early to mid twenties when Bilbo returned home; she wouldn't have been married yet and would still have been Lobelia Bracegirdle. – Matt Gutting Jul 4 '14 at 3:57
IIRC, the spider is female. I'm not referring to Shelob, the spider in Mordor - there's one in The Hobbit that attacks Bilbo and the dwarves in the woods.
Amy WashburnAmy Washburn
Good answer, I didn't even think of her! – Daft Jan 8 '15 at 10:10
There are several spiders in the book; I don't see that any of them are referred to by gender. – Matt Gutting Jan 9 '15 at 20:30
@MattGutting - I don't know if this is what the OP was referring to, but in one of the earlier drafts published in HotH the spider is explicitly female. – ibid Nov 29 '18 at 10:43
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged tolkiens-legendarium the-hobbit or ask your own question.
Why did Peter Jackson replace Glorfindel's role with Arwen?
Who is Tauriel and why are they adding her to the Hobbit movies?
Who was the first female dwarf identified by name in the Hobbit/LOTR saga?
Is there any evidence that Lucas' “Willow” was a “Lucas-remake” of “The Hobbit”?
Are there any direct flashbacks in The Hobbit book?
Are there any plans to novelize the Hobbit movies?
In Hobbit-III movie, are there any hints of Saruman turning over to the dark side?
Are the LOTR + Hobbit movies racist?
Is there a reason the bees in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug are so big?
Why don't any characters sing in the 2nd and 3rd Hobbit films?
Are there other dragons in Middle-earth by the time of The Hobbit?
Did any of the remaining Dwarves visit Bilbo after the events of The Hobbit?
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Barcelona Travel
by Santorini Dave • Updated: May 3, 2019
The 92 best hotels, restaurants, shops, tapas bars, craft beer, cafes, modernist buildings, museums, galleries, markets, neighborhoods, and things to do in Barcelona, Spain.
Best Hotels in Barcelona
Best Hotels in Barcelona for Families
Best Boutique Hotels in Barcelona
Best Budget Hotels in Barcelona
Barcelona with Kids
Best Time to Visit Barcelona
Best Restaurants in Barcelona
Where to Stay in Barcelona
Gaudi’s Park Güell in Barcelona, Spain.
1. Cotton House • Eixample • $$$$
This 5-star design hotel inside a 19th-century mansion combines historic elements with contemporary design, bold colors, and modern art. Understated elegance is the theme in the light-filled rooms and suites. There’s Mediterranean dining on-site, and the hotel’s signature Gossypium cocktails are served in the atmospheric library. Rooftop pool, solarium and an ideal location for sightseeing in Barri Gòtic and Eixample. • Map • +34 934 50 50 45
2. Sir Victor Hotel • Eixample • $$$$
Barcelona’s first design hotel (formerly Hotel Omm), with a cutting-edge interior, a winning Eixample location, and excellent dining. Of the minimalist rooms, superior ones come with large tubs and private terraces, while suites are decked out with four-poster beds and antique furnishings. Both Michelin-starred and casual dining on-site and excellent views of Gaudí’s La Pedrera from the rooftop pool. • Map • +34 934 45 40 00
3. Hotel Casa Fuster • Gràcia • $$$$
Five-star Casa Fuster is an Art Nouveau masterpiece, with vaulted ceilings, antique lamps, Gaudí-designed chairs and plenty of marble. Besides the understated luxury of the rooms, there’s avant-garde Mediterranean dining and live jazz and poolside cocktails on the roof terrace. Well-situated for shopping and dining in both Gràcia and Eixample and for exploring the best of Barcelona’s modernist architecture. • Map • +34 932 55 30 00
4. Mandarin Oriental Barcelona • Eixample • $$$$
Chic, opulent 5-star hotel, a stone’s throw from two of Gaudí’s most celebrated buildings. Oriental-themed, enormous suites and sizeable rooms in soothing creams, plus three superb restaurants, including 2-Michelin-starred Moments. Besides the fitness center and rooftop pool, there’s a luxurious basement spa. Casa Pedrera, Casa Batllò and several other attractions just a few minutes’ walk away, as well as numerous restaurants and fashion boutiques. • Map • +34 931 51 88 88
5. Ohla Hotel • Barri Gòtic • $$$$
Straddling the divide between Barri Gòtic and La Ribera, this chic yet understated 5-star hotel is ideally placed for exploring the attractions and dining scene of Barcelona’s historic center. Two excellent restaurants (Michelin-starred French and casual Catalonian), well-soundproofed rooms, plus a bar with award-winning mixologists. Terrific, clear-sided rooftop dipping pool. • Map • +34 933 41 50 50
6. Claris GL • Eixample • $$$$
Vast luxury hotel that’s an eclectic mix of early 20th-century architecture, modern amenities and ancient Egyptian artifacts in its private on-site museum. Archaeological finds and artworks in every sumptuous, Brazilian-rosewood-panelled room. Seasonal Mediterranean restaurant next to the rooftop pool, plus an excellent spa. Stellar Eixample location, just steps away from Gaudí buildings and convenient for high-end dining and shopping. • Map • +34 934 87 62 62
7. Hotel Bagués • El Raval • $$$
Ritzy, super-central Bagués overlooks La Rambla. Exotic materials (Venetian glass, rosewood, leopard-print upholstery) and unique jewelry pieces in its sumptuous rooms pay homage to the hotel’s past as a jeweler’s showroom. While amenities are limited due to the building’s heritage status and design, there’s a rooftop plunge pool. Perfect location for sightseeing and dining out in Barcelona’s historic center. • Map • +34 933 43 50 00
8. W Barcelona • Barceloneta • $$$
Stylish, all-glass hotel at the south end of Barcelona’s string of beaches, with some of the best views in the city – particularly from the Extreme Wow corner suite. Young and the trendy clientele, plus DJs in the lobby and upstairs in the Eclipse bar. Floor-to-ceiling windows in all rooms, several on-site dining options, plus a super-popular rooftop infinity pool. Barceloneta, La Ribera, and Barri Gòtic all within walking distance. • Map • +34 932 95 28 00
9. El Palace Barcelona • Eixample • $$$$
This former Ritz is the grand dame of Barcelona hotels – all resplendent onyx and marble, chandeliers, and liveried doormen in top hats. Regency furniture, fireplaces and mosaic-clad marble baths in the ivory-and-cream rooms, plus old-school, impeccable service. Refined on-site dining, as well as British-style afternoon tea and live jazz and blues at the cocktail bar. Convenient Eixample location for visiting some of Barcelona’s best Modernist architecture. • Map • +34 935 10 11 30
10. Hotel Neri • Barri Gòtic • $$$$
Intimate hotel spread across a medieval palace and an 18th-century stone mansion on a pedestrian street in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. The individually decorated, minimalist rooms and suites are a seamless blend of exposed stone walls, contemporary paintings, and antique furnishings, while the inviting rooftop terrace doubles as a summer bar. Easy walking distance to El Raval, La Ribera, and Barceloneta. • Map • +34 933 04 06 55
11. ABaC Hotel • Vallcarga I Els Penitents • $$$$
Its fifteen minimalist rooms and suites surrounding the on-site Michelin-starred restaurant, intimate, 5-star boutique ABaC is a revamped 19th-century mansion in the leafy, northern outskirts of the city. Some rooms have whirlpool tubs, while the penthouse suite comes with a roof terrace. Full-service spa with a pool, hammam, and Jacuzzi, plus personal shopping service. Most attractions and restaurants are an easy metro or taxi ride away. • Map • +34 933 19 66 00
12. Mercer Hotel • Barri Gòtic • $$$$
Hidden down a tiny pedestrian street, 5-star Mercer is a layered history of Barcelona: a medieval building with an intact Roman watchtower. Neutral color scheme, ancient lintels, and thick, exposed stone walls, coupled with contemporary bathrooms. Mediterranean dining on-site, plus a delightful rooftop terrace with plunge pool. Ideal for exploring Barcelona’s historic center. • Map • +34 933 10 74 80
13. Hotel Miramar Barcelona • Montjuïc • $$$$
Surrounded by lush gardens on the slopes of Montjuïc, this converted early 20th-century palace benefits from excellent sea views, its own Mediterranean restaurant, and relative proximity to downtown’s restaurants and nightlife. Understated yet luxurious rooms come with either a terrace or balcony, plus pool and full-service spa. Family-friendly and ideally located for exploring Montjuïc’s art galleries, fortress, and landscaped gardens. • Map • +34 932 81 16 00
Barcelona Restaurants
14. Enigma • Sant Antoni • $$$$
Over 40 courses served to just a couple dozen diners nightly inside a structure resembling a futuristic igloo, Enigma is Barcelona’s most secretive fine dining experience. The brainchild of Ferran Adrià (formerly of elBulli, the best restaurant in the world), and his brother Albert, Enigma requires diners to pass through six different areas in the maze-like space, tasting delicate bites and mini-cocktails as they proceed. Advance reservations essential. • Map • +34 616 69 63 22
15. Lasarte • Eixample • $$$$
Blow-your-paycheck fine dining at Barcelona’s first 3-Michelin-star restaurant. Once-in-your-lifetime treat by decorated chef Martín Berasategui, with two tasting menus (7- and 11-course) to choose from, plus a la carte. Expect the likes of seabass with mantis shrimp broth and clam mayo and charcoal-grilled pigeon with olive and galangal. Smart-casual dress code. Advance bookings essential. • Map • +34 934 45 32 42
16. Can Cullertes • Barri Gòtic • $$
Step back in time in Barcelona’s oldest restaurant (1786) and taste some centuries-old recipes: rice casserole, wild boar stew, pork sausage with beans. Old-world decor, popular with families. Reserve ahead for dinner. • Map • +34 933 17 30 22
17. Dos Palillos • El Raval • $$$
Michelin-starred Spanish-Asian fusion bar dining at its finest. Diners sit around the open kitchen and choose between the 17 and 20-course tasting menus. Courses range between bite-sized and tapas-sized and are a fun, creative exploration of Spanish, Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese flavors. Reservations essential. • Map • +34 933 04 05 13
18. Moments • Eixample • $$$$
Michelin-starred, creative reimaginings of traditional Catalan cuisine by celebrated chef Carme Ruscalleda and her son Raül Balam. Feast on the likes of venison with black garlic and artichokes, rice with prawn tails, and wild seabass with eggplant. Splurge on the 14-course tasting menu, with each dish inspired by a classic movie. Seating at the chef’s table available. Reservations essential. • Map • +34 931 51 87 81
19. 7 Portes • Barceloneta • $$
Old-school seafood restaurant with linen service and bow-tied waiters, once favored by Picasso, poet Federico García Lorca, and Orson Welles. It’s also one of the very few arrocerías (rice restaurants) in Barcelona where you can get portions of paella, fideuà (paella-like vermicelli dish), and other rice dishes for one person. • Map • +34 933 19 30 33
20. Alkimia • El Raval • $$$
Seasonal, creative Michelin-starred dining by Jordi Vilà. All dishes are created from locally-sourced ingredients, with surprising textures and clean, unpretentious flavors; served in a striking dining room with a frescoed ceiling. Choose between a la carte and two tasting menus. Relaxed atmosphere, romantic, friendly. Reservations recommended. • Map • +34 932 07 61 15
21. Oaxaca • Barceloneta • $$-$$$
Some of the most authentic Mexican cuisine in Barcelona, with traditional dishes such as cochinita pibil (Yucatan-style slow-roasted pork), chicken with mole negro, and tacos al pastor. Sultry decor, plenty of Mexican art, plus a mezcal bar next door. • Map • +34 933 19 00 64
22. Suculent • El Raval • $$$
Just three multi-course tasting menus to choose from here, with celebrity chef Carles Abellan wowing diners with his innovative takes on seasonal Catalan dishes, such as oxtail and mushroom croquettes and calçots (seasonal spring onions) with hazelnuts. Book ahead. • Map • +34 934 43 65 79
23. Koy Shunka • Barri Gòtic • $$-$$$
A block north of La Catedral, this casual Japanese oldtimer is all minimalist decor and open kitchen. The short but sweet menu is divided into rice, seafood, meat, udon, sushi, sashimi, and maki; standout dishes include white fish carpaccio with straw mushrooms, and anything with toro (fatty tuna belly). The 10-course surprise tasting menu is worth the splurge. • Map • +34 934 12 49 91
24. La Bella Napoli • Poble Sec • $$
Red-and-white checked tablecloths, Neapolitan waiters, and some of the most authentic Italian pizza in Barcelona, fresh from the wood-fired oven. Good selection of fresh pastas and gnocchi, made in-house, plus quality Italian wines. Popular with families. Reservations are a good idea for dinner and on weekends. • Map • +34 934 42 50 56
25. Totora • Eixample • $$
Refined Peruvian restaurant that specializes in seafood and different types of ceviche in particular as well as tiradito (sashimi-style fish). Alternatively, go for a classic arroz con mariscos (seafood-fried rice), or ají de gallina (chicken in a spicy, nutty sauce), and wash them down with a killer pisco sour. • Map • +34 936 67 43 72
26. Disfrutar Barcelona • Eixample • $$$$
Helmed by three head chefs formerly from elBulli, this 2-Michelin-starred dining extravaganza consists of 28 adventurous, surprising little courses that celebrate the Mediterranean culinary heritage, served in a light, bright, pared-down setting. Expect the likes of melecular gastronomied olives, made using elBulli’s famous spherification process, one-bite lobster baguettes, wagyu beef cannelloni and much more. Reservations essential. • Map • +34 933 48 68 96
27. Restaurante Angle • Eixample $$$-$$$$
A much more central and modest little sister of chef Jordi Cruz’s 2-Michelin-starred restaurant in Hotel ABaC, Angle serves two tasting menus of beautifully presented, playful dishes, such as scarlet shrimp bouillabaisse, veal rice with oysters, and sardine with black garlic charcoal bread. Stylish yet informal; romantic ambience. Book ahead. • Map • +34 932 16 77 77
Barcelona Shopping
28. Artesanía Catalunya • Barri Gòtic
Unique, locally made gifts, from thimbles resembling Gaudi’s chimneys and Salvador Dali-inspired sculpture to jewellery, wooden toys, scarves, paintings, and more. • Map • +34 934 67 46 60
29. Sala Parés • Barri Gòtic
Barcelona’s oldest art gallery doubles as a shop selling many works from Catalan artists such as Magí Puig, Xavier Rodés, and Núria Guinovart. Also paintings from Spanish artists further afield. • Map • +34 933 18 70 20
30. Lurdes Bergada • Eixample
Lurdes Bergada has been designing affordable, offbeat men’s and women’s fashions made from natural fibers since 1978. She now works in partnership with her son and has several outlets in Barcelona alone. • Locations
31. Altaïr • Eixample
Vast travel bookstore with an excellent selection of guidebooks (mostly in Spanish, but also English and other languages) that span the world, as well as maps, travel literature, and more. There’s a good café downstairs. • Map • +34 933 42 71 71
32. La Manual Alpargatera • Barri Gòtic
A local institution for decades, this footwear store has been selling hand-made espadrilles (rope-soled canvas shoes) since 1941. Salvador Dali famously bought a pair here. • Map • +34 933 01 01 72
33. Dr. Bloom • Eixample
Barcelona fashion label that releases a new collection of colorful, bold dresses, tops, skirts and other women’s streetwear every month. Also a range of wallet-friendly accessories, such as purses made of leather and natural fibers. Several branches around the city. • Locations
34. Art Escudellers • Barri Gòtic
One of several gift shop branches in Barcelona that sell both functional and decorative handmade ceramics, some with Modernista designs, as well as candelabra, metal and glass sculptures, tiles, and colorful homewares. • Map • +34 934 12 68 01
35. FC Botiga • Eixample
This is the official Barcelona FC football club merchandise store, with several branches around the city, including in Barri Gòtic and Eixample. Get your Lionel Messi jerseys, footballs, signed photos of the team, and other memorabilia here. • Map • +34 932 69 57 93
36. La Capell • Barri Gòtic
Inside the Collegi de Arquitectes, this terrific gift shop sells original gadgets, educational toys, original, Barcelona-themed jewelry, and books on architecture and art. • Map • +34 932 24 39 32
37. Custo Barcelona • La Ribera
Cutting-edge Barcelona threads for men and women. Come here for jackets, pants, dresses, and more. Two more stores around the city. • Map • +34 932 68 78 93
Barcelona Tapas Bars
38. Tickets • Sant Antoni
Owned by Albert, the brother of Catalan superstar chef, Ferran Adrià, this is a circus-themed tapas bar with the most creative tapas you’re ever likely to taste – a globally-inspired world tour in a few dishes. It’s a casual, informal, buzzy place, and the only tapas bar in town that you have to book online two months in advance. • Map • +34 932 92 42 52
39. Alcoba Azul • Barri Gòtic
Tiny, candlelit bar with low ceilings and medieval stone walls. Squeeze in for good tapas – morcilla, tostas (open-topped sandwiches), patatas bravas – and plenty of wines by the glass. • Map • +34 933 02 81 41
40. Bar Pinotxo • El Raval
Arguably the best tapas counter bar in La Boquería market, going strong for over 70 years. Just look at the platters along the counter and ask the bow-tied owner, Juanito Bayen, about the daily specials, such as truita de carfoxes (artichoke omelet), botifarra (grilled Catalan sausage), bacallà amb Samfaina (codfish with ratatouille), and cap i pota (veal head and leg). Busy, fun, quick meal. Cash only. • Map • +34 933 17 17 31
41. Euscal Etxea • La Ribera
Super-busy Basque tapas bar, with a great variety of pintxos (tiny, elaborate tapas piled on slices of bread) piled high on the counter. Choose the ones you want and keep the toothpicks for the staff to count. Wash them down with a crisp txakoli (Basque white wine). Mostly standing room. • Map • +34 933 10 21 85
42. Tapas, 24 • Eixample
A gourmet spin put on classic tapas by superstar chef Carles Abellan. Feast on McFois burgers, bikinis (ham and cheese toasties with truffles), slow-cooked oxtail, and more. Book ahead. • Map • +34 934 88 09 77
43. Viana • Barri Gòtic
Vintage decor, internationally-inspired tapas (burrata with guacamole, slow-cooked beef cheeks, cod in blood orange sauce), carefully chosen wines and great service. Of the house cocktails, the signature blackberry mojito is a winner. • Map • +34 934 63 82 95
Barcelona Cocktail, Wine and Vermouth Bars
44. Sor Rita • La Ribera
The leopard-print wallpaper and Barbie lamps at this kitschy bar were inspired by Pedro Almodóvar films and the irreverent theme continues throughout – from the original cocktails to offbeat weekly events, such as tarot readings on Mondays. • Map • +34 931 76 62 66
45. Zona D’Ombra • Barri Gòtic
A wine shop with over 300 wines and a wine bar attached, Zona D’Ombra is a great place to acquaint yourself with a couple dozen Catalunyan wines by the glass, accompanied by classic tapas (cheese platters, marinated sardines…). • Map • +34 935 00 58 02
46. Boadas • El Raval
Barcelona’s oldest cocktail bar has a timeless elegance about it, as well as professional, bow-tied bartenders who’ll mix you a Fantasia or a Dracula. Hemingway used to hang here. • Map • +34 933 18 95 92
47. Bar Marsella • El Raval
This dedicated absinthe bar has been around since 1820 and the decor looks like it hasn’t changed since. You’ll soon be propping up the counter just like Hemingway once did. Drip the mineral water over the sugar cube provided into your absinthe glass for that sweet, warm buzz. • Map • +34 934 42 72 63
48. Bitter Cocktail Bar • Sant Antoni
Stylish bar popular for late-night drinks, with a lounge out back. Expertly prepared signature cocktails (try Bamboo, Adonis, or Catamaran Cooler), DJ sets on weekends and decent bar nibbles, including generous grilled sandwiches. • Map • +34 935 32 71 99
49. Tandem Cocktail Bar • Eixample
Long, windowless cocktail bar going strong for over 30 years, with velvet bar stools and a loyal clientele. Bartenders in white tuxedo jackets are particularly good at mixing classic cocktails. Laidback ambiance; ideal for a date or tete-a-tete. • Map • +34 934 51 43 30
Barcelona Craft Beer
50. BlackLab Brewhouse • Barceloneta
Barcelona’s first brewhouse inside the historic Palau del Mar. There are nine homebrews on tap, including a passionfruit IPA and German-style pilsner. Offbeat seasonal offerings, such as the coconut toffee stout, plus a lively kitchen sizzling with burgers. • Map • +34 932 21 83 60
51. Ølgod • El Raval
With 30 craft brews on tap from Denmark, the rest of Scandinavia, Catalonia, and the UK, this Norse mythology-themed bar brings a touch of beery sophistication to bohemian El Raval. Creative beer cocktails and well-priced tapas, too. • Map • +34 934 43 90 82
52. Kælderkold • Barri Gòtic
This Danish-run, intimate craft “beertopia” has 15 regularly rotating beers on tap, with a particularly good selection of Scandinavian brews. There’s always pils and weizenbier on tap, and you can also go for a beer cocktail. • Map • +34 932 77 96 71
53. Garage Beer Co • Eixample
One of Barcelona’s original craft beer breweries, with mismatched furniture and a tap room open daily for tastings of beers brewed onsite as well as guest beers from Catalonia and beyond. Of their own, IPAs (Loose, Virtue Signals, Soup) and DIPA (Hærdball) are particularly good. Good bar food, lively in the evenings. • Map • +34 935 28 59 89
54. Kraftank Barcelona • Eixample
Apart from its own five beers brewed onsite (three IPA, plus a red ale and a wheat beer), this gleaming steampunk brewpub sources guest beers from all over the world (Slovenia, Czech Republic, New England). Supporting cast of tapas and Angus beef burgers. • Map • +34 934 08 91 62
Barcelona Cafés
55. Xurreria • Barr Gòtic
This little café is among the best places in the city for crispy, piping-hot churros (deep-fried tubular doughnuts), served in paper cones. For best results, dip them in the hot chocolate – so thick that you can stand a spoon in. • Map
56. Black Remedy • Barri Gòtic
Gallery-like, laptop-friendly hipster café, responsible for Barri Gòtic’s best coffee. Great for gooey red velvet cake, New York cheesecake, various variations on eggs cocotte, plus smoked meat sandwiches. • Map • +34 934 61 92 12
57. Cereal Hunters Café • Eixample
Popular Spanish chain of all-day breakfast cereal cafes. If you’re hankering after some Lucky Charms, Trix, or Cap’n Crunch, there are plenty of American favorites, too. • Map • +34 937 06 10 83
58. Cafés El Magnífico • La Ribera
These guys take their coffee seriously, with single origin beans sourced from as far afield as Burundi, Costa Rica, and Papua New Guinea. Alternatively, you can try one of their own house blends, prepared using a variety of methods. Cakes and sandwiches also served. • Map • +34 933 19 39 75
59. ARTiSA • Barri Gòtic
Steps away both from La Rambla and Plaça Reial, this bright café is a favorite for brunch (crepes, classic local ‘pa amb tomàquet’ sandwiches with Iberic ham…), smoothies and shakes, excellent coffee, and a fantastic array of cakes. Outdoor seating ideal for people-watching. • Map • +34 931 86 36 23
60. Take a Stroll along La Rambla
Strolling the length of La Rambla is a quintessential Barcelona experience. Stretching from the waterfront to Plaça Catalunya, the city’s most famous pedestrian boulevard is overlooked by stately 19th century buildings and lined with restaurants, bars, and souvenir stalls. It throngs with strolling crowds, palm readers, and caricature painters, and is a great place for people-watching. La Rambla acts as a divide between Barri Gòtic to the east and El Raval to the west; a leisurely walk from the Columbus monument on the waterfront to Plaça Catalunya takes around half an hour. • Map
61. Climb Up or Down Montjuïc
Named after the small Jewish community that once lived on its slopes, Montjuïc is the dramatic hill that rises above Barcelona’s port, topped with a fortress and covered in extensive landscaped gardens. Montjuïc is also home to two of Barcelona’s most important art galleries and the Olympic stadium. It’s a joy to wander around the hill’s lush gardens, and there are terrific views of the city and/or the sea from the cable cars that rise to the summit, from the ramparts of the fortress, from the Olympic terraces and from the steps leading up to the Museu Nacional. • Map
62. Visit the Palau de la Música Catalana
Covered in tiles and mosaics and boasting an elaborate façade, this 2,138-seat concert hall was built in 1908 by modernista architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. Inside, Catalan music is celebrated in a series of playful sculptures of Muses surrounding the main stage and representations of nature and music in the stained glass. The pièce de résistance is the stupendous stained-glass skylight that turns the concert hall into a “box of light”. Attend a concert (September to June) or join one of the excellent hour-long day tours (book online). • Map • +34 932 95 72 00
63. Spend an Afternoon at Park Güell
On a hillside on the northern edge of Barcelona, Gaudi’s sculpted urban park requires an admission fee and specific half-hour time slot (book online). A monumental stairway ascends past the ceramic dragon fountain to the huge Hall of Columns that resembles a petrified forest. Continue up to the “pathway of columns”, where organic-looking stone arches support a long arcade. Terrific city views from the terrace on top of the Hall of Columns, flanked by a meandering ceramic bench and covered in colorful broken tile-and-glass mosaic. • Map • +34 934 09 18 31
64. Catch the Sound-and-Light Show at the Font Màgica
Part of the purpose-built 1929 World Expo fairgrounds at the base of Montjuïc, in the evenings, the Magic Fountain becomes the centerpiece of a sound-and-light extravaganza. The waters of the fountain rise and fall to the tune of “Barcelona” by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé – Barcelona’s theme song from the 1992 Olympic Games, as well as other songs. The free shows last around 20 minutes and commence every half hour between 9.30pm and 10.30pm, Wednesday to Sunday (June-September) and Thursday to Saturday between 9pm and 10pm from April to December. Popular with families. • Map
65. Take the Kids to Tibidabo
A big hit with kids, this collection of old-school fairground rides sits at the top of Barcelona’s highest peak. Most of the rides – the Ferris wheel, the merry-go-rounds, the hanging monorail – are suitable for younger kids. It’s worth coming up here for the view alone: if the weather is good, you can see the whole of Barcelona spread out beneath you, with the Mediterranean Sea just beyond. • Map • +34 932 11 79 42
66. Ride the Aeri del Port Cable Car
The telefèric is an exhilarating, vertigo-inducing ride high above Port Vell from Barceloneta to Montjuïc. The cable car soars 107m above Barceloneta, above the yachts clustered in the harbor. You get a great bird’s eye view of La Rambla as well, with the pointy turrets of La Sagrada Familia in the distance, before the cable car gently glides to a stop at the Miramar viewpoint park, about a third of the way up Montjuïc. From here, it’s an easy walk to Montjuïc’s museums and other attractions. Try to go on a weekday, or as early as possible on the weekend, as lines can be long. • Map • +34 934 65 53 13
67. Catch a Football (soccer) Game at Camp Nou Stadium
If you’re a football (soccer) fan, you wouldn’t want to miss visiting the legendary home of Barcelona FC. It’s easy to get tickets to most home games, and if you’re lucky enough to get tickets to one of the big matches – particularly against bitter rivals Real Madrid – the atmosphere is incredible! Even if you don’t attend a match, you can come by for a day tour of the stadium – the press room, the impressive trophy room, the interactive museum, the warmup bench, and the football field itself. Stock up on all the Barça merchandise you want at the gift store. • Map • +34 902 18 99 00
68. Take the Kids to L’Aquarium Barcelona
This state-of-the-art aquarium showcases different marine ecosystems: the shallow coastal waters of the Mediterranean, the Caribbean Sea, Great Barrier Reef, and the Red Sea, as well as sharks of the open ocean. There are also the ecosystems unique to Spain: Catalonia’s Delta del Ebro and the Medes Islands, complete with fish and other creatures. Highlights include the shark tunnel, the clownfish and their anemone home, the seahorses, and the octopus tank. Daily feedings (sharks, penguins, rays, moray eels) are particularly fun for kids. • Map • +34 932 21 74 74
69. Hit the Beaches
Barcelona’s string of beaches stretches for three miles east of the city center. The most central is the Sant Sebastià beach, a wide stretch of white sand, popular with older sunbathers and families. To the east, it morphs into the Barceloneta beach, lined with numerous seafood restaurants and cafes. It’s paralleled by the palm-backed esplanade (Passeig Marítim), busy with cyclists, rollerbladers, runners, and strolling beachgoers. East of Port Olímpic are the family-friendly Nova Icària and Bogatell beaches, with open-air cafes and playgrounds. Further along are Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella, and Llevant, popular with a younger crowd. • Map
Barcelona Modernist Buildings
70. La Sagrada Familia • Gràcia
Due to be completed in 2026, on the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death, this remarkable mega-church is the symbol of Barcelona. There are three façades – Nativity, Passion and Glory – that chart the life of Jesus, while the extraordinary interior gives you the illusion of being in a forest, its soaring columns blossoming with leaves and branches, and stained glass windows filtering light in a myriad different hues. You can choose whether to take the elevator up either the Passion or the Nativity tower. Book entry tickets online days in advance. • Map • +34 932 08 04 14
71. La Pedrera/Casa Milà • Eixample
This UNESCO World Heritage Site was designed by Gaudí from the ground up, from the rippling façade (inspired by the mountains of Montserrat) to the apartments with their balconies of tangled metal. An elevator whisks you up to the jaw-dropping rooftop, lined with Gaudí’s undulating chimneys. Great views of the city from the top. Check out the multimedia exhibit on Gaudi in the vaulted attic. There are daily after-dark visits that include a glass of cava and a visit to the eerily-lit rooftop. Book tickets online. • Map • +34 902 20 21 38
72. Casa Batlló • Eixample
Gaudi’s sea-themed apartment building. The light-filled interior with its rippling walls and window frames is every bit as fascinating as the mosaic-covered exterior, complete with balconies that look either like toothy fish maws or carnival masks. Point the audioguide at a room, and the display screen comes alive with fish and other creatures of the deep, reflecting the architect’s vision. The indoor courtyard gives the illusion of being underwater, while the roof terrace sparkles with kaleidoscopic patterns made of broken ceramic tiles. • Map • +34 932 16 03 06
73. Hospital de Sant Pau • Gràcia
Designed by modernist architect Lluís Domènch i Montaner, this early 20th century public hospital is a dazzling Art Nouveau complex with a riot of ironwork, mosaic, stained glass, and sculpture. Its 23 pavilions, topped with golden domes, have now been restored and sit among sculpted grounds dotted with orange trees. Domènch believed that being among trees and beautiful gardens would do wonders for the patients’ convalescence. • Map • +34 932 91 90 00
74. Casa de les Punxes • Eixample
Designed by renowned modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch and built in 1903, this striking modernist building looks like a Gothic castle that’s been dropped in the middle of the city. You can admire the spectacular exterior: the tiled conical roofs, ending in spikes, the wrought-iron balconies, beautiful stained-glass windows, and Gothic-style sculpture. Since 2016, visitor can also visit the interior, where one of several interactive displays for kids lets them look for dragon elements in the design of the house. • Map • +34 930 18 52 42
Barcelona Museums and Art Galleries
75. Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA) • Barri Gòtic
Ruins of Roman Barcelona. The excellent Barcelona History Museum walks you through the excavated ruins of the Roman town of Barcino (12 BC to 600 AD), spread through a labyrinth of buildings surrounding the Plaça del Rei. Don’t miss the temporary exhibitions in the beautiful 14th century Santa Agata chapel, or the vaulted Gothic Saló de Tinell, where Christopher Columbus briefed Ferdinand and Isabella about his New World discoveries. • Map • +34 932 56 21 00
76. Museu Picasso • La Ribera
One of the world’s most important collections of Picasso’s work, spread across five medieval palaces. While you won’t find Picasso’s most famous works here, this extensive collection traces his development as an artist. Look out for his boyhood pencil drawings, Impressionist landscapes, and paintings of Parisian can-can dancers, as well as a few Cubist works, paintings from his moody Blue Period, and ceramics. Book entry tickets online. • Map • +34 932 56 30 00
77. Fundació Joan Miró • Montjuïc
World’s best collection of works by Catalan abstract artist Joan Miró. Housed in a white modernist building, this collection loosely follows Miró’s entire career. Look out for the “assassinate art” works from his Constellations series (1930s) with their distinctive bright colors and bold shapes, and the dark, brooding black-and-white lithographs from the Barcelona Series (1939-44) that reflect the turmoil of war. Don’t miss his enormous tapestries or the outdoor sculptures on the roof terrace. • Map • +34 934 43 94 70
78. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya • Montjuïc
Located inside the grand Palau Nacional on Montjuïc, this tremendous art museum showcases a thousand years’ worth of Catalan art. There are extraordinary biblical frescoes from Catalan churches (11-13th centuries AD), Renaissance landscapes by Zurbarán, as well as works by Old Masters, such as Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, Tintoretto, and El Greco. Take the glass elevator up to MNAC’s unsurpassed Catalan modern art collection, particularly strong on the modernista art movement (Gaudi, Salvador Dali, Picasso). • Map • +34 936 22 03 60
79. Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) • El Raval
Barcelona’s premier contemporary art museum. The permanent collection focuses mostly on contemporary art movements in Catalunya and Spain since 1945, while regularly changing themed exhibitions can be anything from sculpture and paintings by Catalan greats such as Antoni Tàpies or Joan Miró to installations by the likes of Francesc Torres, and video productions by Martha Rosler. • Map • +34 934 12 08 10
Barcelona Food and Flea Markets
80. Mercat de la Boquería • El Raval
Barcelona’s most famous produce market – meat stalls with dangling legs of jamón and displays filled with botifarra (Catalan sausage) and chorizos, seafood stalls with heaped razor clams and shrimp, olive stalls offering dozens of different kinds of olives, and fresh juice stalls. The tapas stalls that fringe the main market area make an excellent stop for a snack and a drink. • Map • +34 933 18 25 84
81. Mercat de Santa Caterina • La Ribera
Produce market housed inside an architecturally-striking Modernist building with undulating roof. Come here for all your charcuterie, olive oil, and fresh produce needs; there are also a couple of good cafes here. • Map • +34 933 19 57 40
82. Mercat de Sant Antoni • Sant Antoni
This large market has over 230 vendors, with numerous fresh produce stalls inside, a Sunday book and trinket market on c/Urgell outside, and various food stalls. • Map • +34 934 26 35 21
83. Mercat del Ninot • Eixample
Modern steel and glass market with numerous fresh produce stalls. The food stalls get particularly busy with diners at lunchtimes. Open all day Monday to Saturday. • Map • +34 933 23 49 09
84. Mercat Gòtic • Barri Gòtic
This flea market has been taking place in front of La Catedral every Thursday for over 40 years. Browse the stalls for antiques, decorative art, vintage cameras, silverware, coins, and more. • Map
Barcelona Neighborhoods
85. Barri Gótic
Barri Gòtic is Barcelona’s historical and geographical center. A tangle of medieval streets and plazas, the largest hosting the city’s Gothic cathedral, this part of the city has been inhabited since Roman times. Barri Gòtic is within a 20-minute walk from numerous attractions and most other neighborhoods of interest. This part of the city attracts the tourist crowds, and with good reason: it’s an all-rounder, with great dining, shopping, and numerous great places to stay.
Best stuff: Ohla Hotel • Hotel Neri • Mercer Hotel • La Rambla • La Catedral • Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA) • Museu Frederic Marès • Sinagoga Mayor (Barcelona’s last surviving medieval synagogue turned museum) • Can Cullertes (Barcelona’s oldest restaurant, hearty Catalan dishes) • Capet (stylish bistro, seasonal Mediterranean dishes) • Pla (medieval dining hall, creative fusion dining) • Koy Shunka (terrific Japanese dining, surprise tasting menu) • Xurreria (one of the best cafes in Barcelona for churros) • Alcoba Azul (excellent tapas inside a tiny, candle-lit medieval space) • Zona D’Ombra (wine shop and wine bar, terrific Catalan wine selection) • Kælderkold (Danish-run, intimate craft beer bar with plenty of Scandinavian brews) • Viana (internationally-inspired tapas, signature blackberry mojito; reserve ahead).
86. La Ribera
To the east side of Barri Gòtic is La Ribera, another maze of medieval streets with popular attractions of its own, from the Picasso Museum to the family-friendly Chocolate Museum. Plus there are good markets, plenty of tapas bars and boutiques to boot, as well as a vast park separating La Ribera from the hip neighborhood of Poblenou.
Best Stuff: Museu Picasso • Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar (Barcelona’s finest Catalan Gothic church) • Palau de la Música Catalana • Parc de la Ciutadella (huge landscaped park, home to Barcelona’s zoo) • Museu de la Xocolata • Museu de Cultures del Món • Mercat de Santa Caterina (produce market with food stalls inside a striking Modernist building) • Casa Delfín (sleek bistro, traditional Catalan dishes) • Ziryab (intimate bar, fusion tapas) • Euscal Etxea (bustling Basque tapas bar, great variety of pintxos) • Sor Rita (kitschy bar inspired by Pedro Almodovar movies) • Bar Manchester (inexpensive beers and cocktails with 90s Britpop soundtrack).
87. El Raval
The edgy, arty neighborhood of El Raval was formerly one of the roughest parts of town, as well the city’s red light district. El Raval has shed most of its negative image through gradual gentrification, though its independent character is still very much on display, along with a terrific contemporary art museum, quirky stores, independent boutiques, and good restaurant and bars.
Best Stuff: Hotel Bagués • Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) • Mercat de la Boquería • Palau Güell • Suculent (old-school bistro specializing in Catalan cuisine) • Gats (fusion bistro with good cava and wine selection, popular for lunch) • Caravelle (Mexican-style hipster eatery with craft beer on tap) • Dos Palillos (Michelin-starred Spanish-Asian bar dining, daring tasting menus) • Alkimia (season, Michelin-starred dining, book ahead) • Bar Marsella (absinthe bar that Hemingway used to frequent) • Boadas (Barcelona’s oldest cocktail bar) • Bar Pinotxo (the pick of La Boquería’s tapas bars, no menu) • Ølgod (Scandinavian craft beer bar with beer cocktails and tapas).
88. Barceloneta
Barcelona’s sun-drenched coastline stretches along the city’s most central beach, its waterfront promenade popular with runners and strolling families. The narrow streets here are dotted with (mostly seafood) restaurants, as well as a handful of bars. Barceloneta flanks the yacht-filled marina, also home to the city’s aquarium, while a cable car soars above the harbor towards Montjuïc. Besides several high-end hotels on the waterfront, there are a few good midrange options in this neighborhood.
Best Stuff: W Barcelona • Take the Kids to L’Aquarium Barcelona • Teleférico del Puerto (ride the cable car high above the harbour) • Platja de la Barceloneta (Barcelona’s most centrally-located beach) • 7 Portes (classic seafood restaurant, plus rice dishes for one) • Oaxaca (authentic Mexican food, exotic decor, mezcal bar next door) • El Vaso de Oro (long and narrow restaurant, meat-heavy Catalonian dishes) • Perikete (numerous wines and vermouths by the glass, limited seating) • Can Paixano/La Xampanyeria (cava bar pairing bubbly rose with tapas) • BlackLab Brewhouse (nine own brews on tap, plus burgers).
89. L’Eixample
Bordering the medieval heart of Barcelona to the northwest is Eixample, the expansive, upscale neighborhood whose bright, tree-lined avenues are a complete contrast to the Ciutat Vella’s dark and narrow streets. Here you’ll find most of Barcelona’s striking Modernist buildings, including Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, as well as the most upscale shopping and plenty of fine dining.
Best Stuff: Cotton House Hotel • Sir Victor Hotel • Mandarin Oriental Hotel Barcelona • Claris GL Hotel • El Palace Hotel Barcelona • La Sagrada Familia • Casa Batlló • La Pedrera/Casa Milà • Casa de les Punxes • Museu Egipci • Casa Amatller (Modernist building designed by architect Puig i Cadafalch; guided tours in English) • Fundació Antoni Tàpies • Disfrutar Barcelona (adventurous 2-Michelin star dining) • Lasarte (3-Michelin-star once-in-a-lifetime meal) • Moments (creative reimaginings of traditional Catalonian dishes) • Tapas, 24 (creative spin on classic tapas) • Totora (refined Peruvian dishes, terrific ceviche and pisco sours) • Garage Beer Co (long-standing craft beer brewery, terrific IPAs) • Kraftank Barcelona (popular brewpub with plenty of guest beers from around the world).
90. Gràcia
Formerly a separate village just north of Eixample, bohemian Gràcia with its narrow streets and tiny plazas retains its individual character. Popular with arty types and young families, the neighborhood has some excellent bars and restaurants, particularly around Plaça del Sol and along Carrer de Verdi. Flanking Gràcia to the north is Park Güell – Gaudi’s striking open-air project.
Best Stuff: Hotel Casa Fuster • Park Güell (park full of Gaudi’s colorful mosaics and other creations) • Casa Vicens (Unesco-listed building decorated by Gaudi; free guided tours) • Mecànic (hip space with art gallery, art books and a café) • L’Arrosseria Xativa (terrific rice restaurant with many spins on the paella) • The Hip Fish (poke bowls and sushi burritos) • La Rovira (tapas, sandwiches and good craft beer – bottled and on tap) • Bodegueta Cal Pep (50-year-old tapas and vermouth bar) • Viblioteca (cheese and wine are the specialties here).
91. Montjuïc, Poble Sec & Sant Antoni
To the west of Barcelona’s center, the verdant hill of Montjuïc rises above the sea, topped with a fortress and adorned by the lush gardens and two world-class art museums that perch on its slopes. Built for the 1929 World Expo, a wide pedestrian boulevard leads to the foot of the hill, with the Font Màgica halfway. Flanking the hill’s north face is the former working-class neighborhood of Poble Sec, short on sights but dotted with excellent bars and eateries. Across the busy Avinguna del Paral·lel from Poble Sec is the hipster neighborhood of Sant Antoni, home to some of Barcelona’s best dining.
Best Stuff: Hotel Miramar Barcelona • Castell de Montjuïc (fortress with terrific harbour and city views) • Fundació Joan Miró (terrific gallery dedicated to the Modernist artist’s work) • Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya • Jardí Botànic (botanical garden dedicated to Mediterranean flora) • Font Màgica (fountain with a popular sound-and-light show) • Enigma (secretive, spectacular fine dining experience from the world’s best chef) • Quimet & Quimet (terrific seafood, tiny sandwiches, and one of Barcelona’s best wine cellars) • Masclans Origens (part-fish shop, part-tapas bar inside Sant Antoni market) • Hoja Santa (high-end, authentic Mexican restaurant) • Tickets (Barcelona’s one-of-a-kind tapas bar; reservations essential) • Barna Brew (Belgian-style craft beers with a local twist) • La Tasqueta de Blai (homemade vermouth and inexpensive pinchos).
92. Camp Nou, Pedralbes & La Zona Alta
To the north of the city, this vast area comprises the hills of La Zona Alta with its rugged parks popular with walkers and cyclists, the lofty Tibidabo mountain, topped with an amusement park, the high-end gated residences of Pedralbes and, just south of Pedrables, Camp Nou – one of the world’s best football stadiums.
Best Stuff: Tibidabo Parc d’Attraccions (old fashioned amusement park popular with families, reachable by funicular railway) • Camp Nou Stadium (attend a football game or tour the stadium during the day) • Museu-Monestir de Pedralbes (centuries-old convent and museum of monastic life) • ABaC Restaurant (3-Michelin-star fine dining inside an exclusive hotel at the foot of Tibidabo).
• Affiliate Disclosure: Booking.com is my favorite website for booking hotels (and yes, it’s the site I always use when reserving a room). It’s safe, easy to use, and consistently has great rates. All links to Booking on my site are affiliate links meaning I earn a small fee when you book a hotel. (There is never any extra cost to you for using these links). I use some of these earnings for my monthly donation to the wonderful non-profit GiveDirectly. Read more about my charitable giving here.
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What will HDMI 2.1 mean for PC gaming?
March 28, 2017 18:03:04
There’s a new HDMI specification in town that could transform PC gaming.
HDMI 2.1 promises support for higher video resolutions and refresh rates, Dynamic HDR, and a significant bump in bandwidth via a new 48G cable. If you’re thinking of buying a 4K HDR telly in 2017, you might want to hold fire.
If you currently play PC games on a big HD TV, then you’ll appreciate why HDMI 2.1 will be an improvement. Yes, the current HDMI 2.0 spec is certainly capable — it can support 4K (4,096 x 2,160 pixels) video at 60 fps and has a maximum bandwidth of 18 Gbps. Even so, 4K gaming over HDMI 2.0 often suffers from motion blur and lag.
HDMI 2.1 should fix these imperfections. The new spec supports a range of higher resolutions and faster refresh rates from 4K50/60 and 100/120 through 8K50/60 and 100/120 to the dizzy heights of 10K. It also nearly triples the bandwidth, boosting it up to 48 Gbps. That’s fast enough to pipe 8K (7,680 x 4,320 pixels) video with HDR.
Mass Effect 5 in 8K120?
While we won’t be playing Mass Effect: Andromeda in 8K120 any time soon, HDMI 2.1 lays the technology foundations to make 8K a reality at some point in the future. (So certainly in time for Mass Effect 5).
Ditto HDR gaming. While HDMI 2.0 already supports 4K HDR, the 2.1 specification will go a step further with Dynamic HDR. Similar to AMD’s FreeSync 2 tech, Dynamic HDR will ensure that “every moment of a video is displayed at its ideal values for depth, detail, brightness, contrast, and wider color gamuts.” At least that’s what the HDMI Forum says.
So instead of applying a generic HDR setting to a video output, Dynamic HDR enables the effect to be applied precisely “on a scene-by-scene or even a frame-by-frame basis.”
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
There’s more to HDMI 2.1 than HDR, however. A FreeSync-style Game Mode VRR feature for PCs and consoles promises a Variable Refresh Rate, enabling a GPU to “display the image at the moment it is rendered for more fluid and better detailed gameplay.” In real terms, this means a reduction in lag and frame tearing, both of which can torpedo any sense of immersion.
HDMI 2.1 will improve the audio experience too, adding support for object-oriented audio codecs like DTS X and Dolby Atmos. These technologies focus on 3D sound and aren’t limited to traditional channels. Sounds can be “precisely placed and moved in three-dimensional space,” says Dolby, including the reproduction of sounds above you.
So, the big question is this: when will HDMI 2.1 be available? Whenever a new HDMI spec is released it requires a new Compliance Testing Specification (CTS) for equipment manufacturers. According to the HDMI Forum, CTS 2.1 won’t be published until Q2-Q3 2017. This effectively makes HDMI 2.1 a technology for 2018.
If you’re thinking of buying a 4K HDR-capable TV to take your PC gaming experience to the next level, you might want to wait just a little bit longer.
Main image copyright: Shutterstock/PinkBlue
Dean Evans
Dean Evans is a long-time gamer and reviewer who built his first PC at the age of eight. He is powered by That Media Thing, a collective of journalists who believe in the power of passionate content.
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Sarah Jones Author
Book Pairings
Tag: Chateau de Bel-Air
Book Pairing: Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand & Chateau de Bel-Air
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. New York: Random House, 2010.
It began with the Churchills – a pair of rifles given to the Major’s father by the Maharishi himself after the Colonel saved the spiritual leader’s wife from a riot during the bloody Indian Partition of 1947. The Major was a mere boy then when his family lived in what is now Pakistan, but the honor associated with these fine guns is still a point of pride for the Major. He has long dreamed of walking the fields with the local aristocracy, the Churchills broken across his arm and ready for the hunt.
On the Colonel’s death bed, the Major and his brother Bernie were each given a Churchill with the understanding that the pair would be reunited upon their deaths and passed on to Roger, the Major’s son and sole heir to the family name. The Major takes such pride in the proper execution of family matters that he often opens his small iron strongbox, spreads out the thick pages of his will and reads over the list of assets and distribution. “It reads like a list of achievements.”
So it is to be expected that on the day of Bernie’s death, a moment that pains the Major with great grief, his thoughts naturally go to the reunion of these guns. They must be cared for – their stocks polished to a sheen, their barrels oiled, their triggers at ready. But there’s a problem – Bernie has left his estate to his wife Marjorie without any mention of the father’s directive, and all she and her daughter – and Roger, too, for that matter – can think of is the money the guns will fetch, especially if sold to an American businessman who is buying his way into the English gentry.
But the Churchills are not the only concern disrupting the Major’s carefully manicured life. He finds himself drawn to the elegant Mrs. Ali – the Pakistani shopkeeper at the local convenience store where he buys his tea and a widow like himself. They share a love of books, especially Kipling, and a familial connection to Pakistan. But therein lays the rub: the locals don’t approve of immigrants (Mrs. Ali was born in Sussex, but never mind), and even the Major wonders whether his growing attraction to her is proper. “They pretend to be English. Some of them were even born here. But under the surface were all these barbaric notions and allegiances to foreign customs.”
Helen Simonson’s witty and touching story blends generational, cultural, class and gender conflicts into a delightful read, especially when these elements collide at the annual golf club costume party. Wanting to trump last year’s successful ‘Last Days of Pompeii’, the planning committee, composed of every gossip and old bitty in the neighborhood, chooses to blend Bollywood with a reenactment of the Colonel’s famous heroic efforts, complete with the gift of the Churchills.
As might be expected when cultural differences are mixed with great quantities of alcohol, the evening ends in disaster, and Major Pettigrew confronts a dilemma: Should he follow his heart and pursue Mrs. Ali, who was humiliated by the offensive pageantry and struggles with her own family traditions, or accept that the world is, indeed, made up of us and them?
For anyone who has lived in a small community where one’s every action is scrutinized by others, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand will seem familiar territory. Chocked full of characters – from the twittering next-door neighbor to the crass American to the obnoxious son – the novel has an enjoyable blend of humor, hubris and a happy ending.
My Wine Recommendation
Major Pettigrew is a traditionalist, so when he has wine with dinner, it must be a proper claret. To the British, that means a French Burgundy. My recommendation for the Major and Mrs. Ali is the 2015 Chateau de Bel-Air, Lalande-de-Pomerol. It has a seductive floral nose with violets and jasmine and tastes of red fruits and sweet spices. $25
Author sarahgentlyPosted on September 20, 2017 September 20, 2017 Tags Book Club, Book Review, Books, Chateau de Bel-Air, England, Fiction, India, Novel, WineLeave a comment on Book Pairing: Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand & Chateau de Bel-Air
Quicksand: A Cautionary Love Story
“I can’t believe you brought more flowers.” I gestured to the half dozen arrangements that stood like fragrant bridesmaids awaiting the opening notes of a processional.
“These are different. I’ve never given anyone roses. And you must remember,” he added, taking my hands, “I’ve never loved anyone like I love you.”
Justin’s words were exactly what Sarah Jones wanted to hear—what she needed to hear—to boost her chronically low self-esteem. As she married the man who brought her to such euphoric highs, Sarah wondered if she was addicted to Justin’s love. What then would become of Sarah when the perfect love story was cut to the core by a web of betrayal so profound that it threatened her very existence? QUICKSAND is much more than the story of a woman who married a bank robber. It is the story of every woman who has loved and lost and lived to tell about it.
Summer Squall
Through a fogged mask, Beth saw the sharks fly in from all directions, dozens of them, all sizes, attacking the bait as it descended. Knocking into one another. Chasing after bits of fish. Swishing their bodies through the clear water. She looked at Mark. Even with a regulator clinched in his mouth, she could see his broad grin, his teeth as alarming as the swarming fish. She wrapped her arms about her torso and thought, if this is the honeymoon, what comes next?
Sarah Jones Author Blog at WordPress.com.
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Home OPINION Can we say that Morata is back to form?
Can we say that Morata is back to form?
These are good times to be a Chelsea fan with regards to how the club’s key striker has performed recently as against his sulking mood that was apparent in some games in the ongoing season.
Alvaro Morata appears to be getting back to his best in a Chelsea shirt, and hopefully, this will be worthwhile and not just a fluke. Neither will it be a ploy to stop the Blues from going all out for a striker in January as some fans have funnily asserted.
This could be arguable, but for the first time this season, I saw a very happy and fulfilled Morata based on how well he celebrated his goals against Crystal Palace.
The joy on his face and energy exerted in those celebrations was of one whose confidence was at high levels. Thankfully, the player admitted it after the game by stating categorically that his bad times at Chelsea were over.
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It may be said that he missed some clear-cut chances in the game, but come on, he was never going to score all the chances he had.
His finishing for the two goals against Crystal Palace was top notch, and his goal haul with his feet thus far in recent games has definitely put another assertion that he’s only good with his head to bed.
ALSO READ: Chelsea are condemned to beat Brighton at the Amex
Regardless of his recent performances, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri insisted that the Spaniard may not have the mentality to carry the Chelsea side all the way.
Well, this is an obvious challenge that Morata has received from his boss, and we hope that he responds in style not just in the press, but with his feet and head on the pitch.
ALSO READ: Report - Kante set to renew contract with Chelsea
Morata has now scored 4 goals in his last 4 Premier League games, and he has 5 in 10 appearances in the current campaign. This is with 7 starts and 3 substitute appearances.
I believe that Morata’s recent performances are not a fluke. I believe that he is back and very eager to get amongst the goals.
His next stop in the Premier League will be when Chelsea welcome Marco Silva’s Everton to Stamford Bridge on Sunday in a tricky encounter.
Hopefully, Morata continues his goalscoring form and goes on a run!
morata back to form
morata brace for chelsea
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St Andrews Table Tennis Club Scotland
News of events and activities at the St Andrews' club
Eglinton Cup
GROVE TROPHY
NEILSON TROPHY
The Legacy Shield
Relegation threatens three of St Andrews Table Tennis teams
With Prospects having to postpone their trip to Brechin, there were four teams from St Andrews Table Tennis Club on league business this week.
In Division One, Prefects’ hopes of making up ground on near rivals Kings suffered a setback with the non-availability of Clyde Johnson and Peter Bladen. Alain Leger manfully stepped into the breech but neither he nor Howard Lee could back up Michael Hahn’s fine hat-trick of singles victories. Howard could feel aggrieved though at not putting a point on the scorecard when he fought back from two sets down against Plamen Kostadinov, only to be pipped 9-11 in the decider. Prefects may yet have to rely on league reconstruction saving them from relegation to Division Two.
Sascha Roschy also played a couple of close five-setters in the Truants match against Viscounts at Ward Road Gym, but he emerged with his 100% record intact. Graham Wood added another two wins and they combined to take the doubles for a 6-4 victory which consolidates their fourth place in Division Two.
To assist with player availability, New Kids switched their Division Two home tie against Lundin to the Lasers’ venue but perhaps emerged from the fixture regretting this decision. On a night when they just couldn’t get firing in the squash courts, Ian Smith and Ken Falconer only managed one win each for an 8-2 defeat.
Emma Bissett’s win over in-form Stephen Caird was a highlight in an otherwise disappointing Swots defeat to Kingsway.
Similarly, Swots did not find the carpeted conditions of Kingsway’s home patch to their liking. In the clash of bottom against third bottom. It was a strange evening, with no one player dominating. Dave Beveridge got Swots off to a good start with a win against Alan Carrie, coming back from 0-2 down to win 15-13 in a cliff-hanger fifth game. Collin Bleak was best for Swots with two wins and Emma Bissett was the first player to beat Stephen Caird for a few weeks. However, that only gave Swots a total of four points, which was far from ideal against the lower placed team.
Let’s hope Swots and New Kids are saving their best for the latter stages of the season, otherwise the club could be looking at both teams being relegated from Division Two.
This entry was posted in Match reports, St Andrews Table Tennis Club on January 29, 2017 by standrewstt.
Swots snatch draw from the jaws of a heavy defeat
With Prospects having a free week and Prefects’ fixture postponed, there were only three St Andrews table tennis teams in league action last week.
On Monday, the much anticipated Division 2 relegation derby between Swots and New Kids kicked off the week. It might have given either team a desperately needed advantage over the other but a long, tough battle saw the points shared five a piece with six of the ten matches requiring five games to decide. New Kids started best with Kong Wan edging out Dave Beveridge 3-2 before Collin Bleak levelled with a 3-1 win over Ken Falconer. Ian Smith put New Kids in front again with a 3-2 win over Emma Bissett, only for Collin to level things yet again with a 3-2 win over Kong. The Kids took the next three matches, including a tight doubles match (3-2 of course). With Swots facing a heavy defeat they produced their best form of the night when Collin and Emma beat Kong and Ian in straight games. The final match between Dave and Ken looked like securing the win for the Kids when Ken went 2-0 ahead with relative ease. However, a perceptible change of tactics in favour of a defensive war of attrition led to lengthy rallies, often exceeding 60 shots. Dave’s switch to a more conservative approach gave him the edge as he won the next three games to secure a draw that Swots had seemed highly unlikely to earn forty minutes earlier. Collin was the hat-trick hero of the evening, achieving his treble in front of two members of his fan club who were watching the action from the balcony. They agreed that the fixture was their social highlight of the year so far.
Truants’ Sascha Roschy has won all 21 of his league matches since joining St Andrews TTC this season
Tuesday saw Truants at home to fellow Division 2 ‘middle-tablers’ Tigers. Truants’ Alain Leger lost a tight first match 3-2 to Paul Jackson, but our Gauldry based team then reeled off eight straights wins, including fine hat-tricks for Sascha Roschy and Graham Wood, with the latter avenging Alain’s defeat with a 3-2 win over Paul. Tigers took the last match to make the final score a more respectable 8-2 for Truants. It’s an understatement to say that Sascha is proving to be the find of the season, having won all 21 of his matches since joining the club mid-way through the first half. The German secured a place in the DDTTA interleague squad this week and could yet walk off with the District’s award for the highest league average across all three Divisions. Watch this space.
Swots trump Aces
With Rob Brown (second from left) nursing an injury, it was left to Emma, Collin and Dave to see off Aces in the handicap cup.
It was Handicap Cup week in the Dundee & District Table Tennis League and Swots were one of the teams who enjoyed having a break from the strain of relegation worries. The St Andrews side played hosts to Forthill’s Aces and, while they benefitted from the handicapping system which gave them a start in each encounter, the Swots trio committed themselves to attacking tactics which didn’t allow their Division One opponents to settle. Collin Bleak was in particularly good form, winning six out of six, but Emma Bissett and Dave Beveridge also turned in three wins from four to give a 12-2 scoreline. Swots now join clubmates Prefects in round two, the latter having enjoyed a first round bye.
Brechin made the long journey to take on New Kids on the same evening in the Victory Memorial Hall. This was a tricky one for the handicapping committee as the home side are second bottom of Division Two while Brechin are riding high in Division Three – and in retrospect the officials underestimated the form shown by the Angus side. Only Kong Wan managed two wins for the Kids, with Ian Brumwell and Ken Falconer not able to make any inroads.
Prospects’ captain Jon Fraser was also left cursing the handicappers at Telephone House on Thursday evening. Team mates Emily Howat and Neil Lea revelled in the starting scorelines and put eight wins on the board between them against Telsports, but Jon had been given too big a hole to climb out of and the St Andrews side lost out 8-10.
Back to league business this week, when the focus will be on the derby between Swots and New Kids, which will have a huge bearing on the end of season final positions at the bottom of Division Two.
This entry was posted in St Andrews Table Tennis Club on January 15, 2017 by standrewstt.
Mid-Season Report: Could (must) do better!
With a few honourable exceptions, the mid-season report card for all five St Andrews Table Tennis teams reads ‘could do better’ and for two of our Second Division teams there is a stern warning that they ‘must do better if relegation is to be avoided.’
In Division One of the Dundee & District League Prefects are sitting seventh of ten teams but have the comfort of knowing that there is unlikely to be any relegation due to the division not having its full quota of teams. However, the team’s trio of Clyde Johnson, Howard Lee and Peter Bladen will be looking to back up their star man, Michael Hahn, to try to put some distance between themselves and their closest rivals, Rockets and Kings, with the target of finishing in sixth place. Availability of players is a problem at times for captain Howard, but if Michael is available on a regular basis to build on his thirteen wins from fifteen starts, then moving a place higher is a real possibility.
Sandy Pearson (right) demonstrates how to serve from the wrong side of the table in doubles. Sandy will be missing for Prospects in the second half of the season, while Swots’ Collin Bleak (left) will be hoping that work commitments will not make him miss so much play as in the first half.
Division Two team, Truants, is the highest placed of all our teams at the halfway stage. Graham Wood has turned in his usual solid performances, with thirteen wins from eighteen matches, and Alain Leger must be delighted to be sitting with an average of 53% after several seasons away from league play. However, the main reason Truants sit in fifth spot has been the arrival of Sascha Roschy who is unbeaten in eighteen starts.
At the other end of the table, New Kids and Swots find themselves second and third-bottom respectively and it will take a big turnaround in form if one or the other is to avoid relegation. Both teams are well adrift from fourth bottom Lundin Lasers who have enjoyed an excellent run in their first season at this level. The Swots v New Kids derby clash in the third week of January will have a big say in deciding who will accompany current relegation favourites Kingsway in the drop.
Unusually, four of the Prospects team are sitting on the same 67% average in Division Three. However, Sandy Pearson sets off soon on his world travels so that captain, Jon Fraser, will need to lean more heavily on Dave Goddard, Fabio Sani, Emily Howat and Neil Lea to lift the team above their current eighth position. At the moment, only two points separate four teams in the bottom half of the division so a good run of results could take Prospects into the top half of the table.
Whatever the fate of the five teams in 2017, rest assured that all the players will give it their best shot in their usual sporting fashion – which makes the Victory Memorial Hall a cheery and vibrant place to spend winter Monday evenings.
This entry was posted in St Andrews Table Tennis Club on January 5, 2017 by standrewstt.
The season’s legacy
Another league season concludes
Mixed League Results for the Club
Local derby does not disappoint
On the home straight
Eglinton Trophy
St Andrews Table Tennis Club
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Larry Hodges – Tip of the Week
Thoughts on TT
William Henzell
Ping Skills – Ask the Coach
Tom Lodziak coaching advice
mytabletennis
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PRSS – all news in one place
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Royal table tennis in high heels
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Number of visitors to this site
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Florabelle
Stashed Goods > Products > Florabelle
Select a category 3″ Art Book CD Deluxe Digital DVD Sale STAFF PICKS Tape Uncategorized Vinyl
John Atkinson / Talya Cooper – Plains
Includes an insert and digital download of the album. ALSO includes a digital download of the original soundtrack of the film Two Plains & A Fancy - a whole other album produced by John Atkinson + Talya Cooper! As an LP, Plains grows out of elements of the film’s original score, but it’s also very much its own thing—a quartet of glimmering, weightless pieces that, free from the need to score certain scenes of certain lengths, unfold and envelope at their own pace. Anchoring the album is the side-long “Chillien”, a delicate, harmonic bloom punctuated by the whirs and clicks of Cooper’s guitar and voice. Atkinson, taking control of the processed elements of composition, allows the b-side sequence to grow more expansive and dynamic with each track, maintaining an unmistakably warm glow. This is ambient music with an appreciable sense of landscape and scale.
Josh Mason – Coquina Dose
Comes with a two-sided insert as well as a download code. Includes unlimited streaming of Coquina Dose via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Coquina Dose is an album of uncommonly intimate gestures and reflections, many of which are inspired by Josh Mason’s lifelong home of Florida—what it means to live there, other people’s perceptions of it, and its unofficial status a “humidity kingdom.” In evoking this atmosphere, Mason utilizes guitar and tape, which has been so emblematic of his work, but also further engages with new ideas in synthesis, and even the bio-feedback of plants. The processes are fascinating but ultimately secondary to the emotional tenor of the album. It’s remarkable how gentle, reflective, and quivering—really, how alive this music is.
Olli Aarni – Nielu
Mastered by Taylor Deupree. Limited to 150 LPs, comes with a two-sided insert and download code... The quality of Olli Aarni’s music has remained remarkably high given his consistent output over the last five years for labels like Preservation, Cotton Goods, and Dauw. Often working in the cassette format and primarily composing extended, gorgeously textured drones, Aarni’s new album, Nielu, is one of his first releases on vinyl and a kind of culmination of the sound he has crafted for years. Even in the context of such an impressive discography, Nielu is noteworthy and Aarni considers it to be his personal definitive ambient album. The hallmarks of Aarni’s prior work—exceptional attention to texture, ghostly looped figures, enveloping sound fields—are especially immersive on Nielu, which, in his native Finnish, can be translated as “vortex,” “throat,” or “swallowing”—all appropriate imagery here. Taking inspiration from the harsh weather conditions of Fennoscandia, both side-long pieces are enveloping compositions that reward close listening but, even more, invite surrender to wide washes of sound. Evocative and sometimes, bleak, Nielu is fundamentally beautiful and grows more emotionally engaging the louder it is played.
Ned Milligan – Nature Always Needs Improving
This album is limited to 100 copies on black vinyl. Comes with a two-sided insert and download code... Ned Milligan now presents his new album, Nature Always Needs Improving, building on the momentum generated by his admired third LP, Continental Burns. Echoing that album’s mode and structure, Nature Always Needs Improving offers a handful of tender, minimalist pieces before giving way to a spectral side-length conclusion. The deep intimacy of the album is enhanced by its process—primarily recorded outdoors on porches or in yards—and by the unpredictable interaction of incidental sounds with traditionally musical sound sources, especially resonant chimes.
Ned Milligan – Continental Burns
Sale, Vinyl
The third album by Ned Milligan and the first to reach an audience beyond family and friends, Continental Burns is the result of getting reacquainted with the act of making music and diving into the experience of creating short films. Limited to 100 LPs, comes with a two-sided insert and download code... Composed primarily over the summer of 2014, Continental Burns was created with two sides in mind. The first five tracks (which also score the video of the same name) share a certain kinship; the sixth complements what came before while departing from it at the same time. A lot of this music came out of Ned’s longstanding interest in repeating figures and loops of both musical and traditionally non-musical sound sources. In contrast to the suite of songs on side A, the B side is taken up by “The Station in Spuyten Duyvil,” an extended reworking of a track that first appeared on Rambler, Ned’s 2005 debut. Entirely composed of processed melodica, it proudly bears the influence of long-form works by Jim O’Rourke, early Rafael Toral, and Stephan Mathieu. Mastered by Sean McCann.
John Atkinson – Asasin In Lege
CD, Sale
Limited to 200 in four-panel gatefold sleeves and comes with a download code... The soundtrack to the investigative documentary Asasin în Lege by John Atkinson (of the long-running Brooklyn experimental rock ensemble Aa) is the inaugural release from Florabelle, a New York-based label for experimental music and media founded by Ned Milligan. Debuting on Romanian and Moldovan national TV in November 2014, Asasin în Lege (Killers Inc.) investigates the assassination of an influential Russian businessman, tracing a barely-underground war between Kremlin-connected businessmen and bankers fought with brigades of assassins for hire. The soundtrack’s eight instrumental compositions combine field recordings with dense digital textures to establish an atmosphere that is alternately luminous and menacing, giving the sinister proceedings an otherworldly air. The album was mastered by Andrew Weathers (of Full Spectrum Records).
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Mell Tierra
Mell Tierra is aiming for the top and wants to reach everybody with his music. His progressive and electro house releases on some of the world’s biggest labels such as Revealed Recordings, Spinnin’, Armada, CR2 and Flamingo Recordings prove his talent and got him supported by world famous DJs such as Tiësto and Hardwell. Over these last few years Mell has garnered a loyal fanbase. Next to support from Tiesto and Hardwell, there is a wealth of goodwill for this talented DJ from all corners of the scene. Also well-known artists such as Armin van Buuren, Gareth Emery, Marcus Schossow, Laidback Luke, Markus Schulz, Paul Oakenfold, Paul van Dyk, Sander van Doorn and Thomas Gold have all supported Mell Tierra’s tracks. In Holland, Mell Tierra has entertained the audience of the biggest and most popular venues. Clubs like Escape, Matrixx, Bloomingdale, Panama, Westergasfabriek and Crystal Venue are among the grand list of Dutch venues where Mell has performed. With the support of his releases, the international career has made a flying start for Mell. Aruba, Russia, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria, Ireland, Taiwan and even Tomorrowland in Belgium made it onto his list of gigs abroad. Mell Tierra gives the audience the urge to dance and injects clubs and festivals with the maximum amount of energy. Mell also aims to reach an audience through online media with his DJ mixes. In Mell Tierra Monthly, fans of the genre can listen to a balanced mix of known hits, Mell Tierra exclusives, bootlegs, and also the deeper style of Mell’s taste in genre. Mell Tierra is an artist who continues to develop as a producer as well as a DJ. The aim of being a DJ is essentially to play what the crowd wants, not simply what you like to play. However, building your own crowd, by producing your own music, allows the possibility to be able to play what you like. Mell is keen on participating in the EDM scene on a global level, and has his mind set on reaching the entire world with his music. Bookings: bookings@melltierra.com Management: management@melltierra.com
Mell Tierra’s tracks
Soulvation Ft Mr V - Free Your Mind (Mell Tierra Remix) Snip by Mell Tierra
Lose Your Mind (feat. Santa Rosa) by Mell Tierra
Mell Tierra - Nova [OUT NOW] by Mell Tierra
Mahkenna - String Around My Heart (Mell Tierra Remix) by Mell Tierra
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Home » Columns
By: Father Pablo Migone
Originally Appeared in : 9914-7/4/19
On a Sunday morning 10 years ago while visiting the fascinating city of Istanbul, I left my hotel to attend Mass in one of the few Catholic Churches of the city. I went early since I did not have the exact address, but the concierge at the hotel had somewhat explained to me where the church was located. I walked back and forth, back and forth, down two blocks of a busy street and I could not find the church. How could I miss it? This was after all the cathedral of Istanbul.
By: Rachel Balducci
I took five of my children to serve with the Missionaries of Charity last week, helping out with their summer Bible camp for Burmese refugee children. It was an intense week, full of service and prayer and lots of fun.
By: Jason Halcombe
Leftover Chinese food and straight to bed sounds like a blessing to most adults and all parents (Magan: “Can I do that, every night?”), but a curse to any child less than two weeks into summer vacation.
That’s what stared Jesse straight in the face after an epic fail in attempting to draw a rise out of his older brother at a computer coding class hosted by our local library.
La puerta estrecha de la cruz
By: Padre Pablo Migone
En una mañana de domingo hace diez años durante mi visita a la fascinante ciudad de Estambul, me dirigí a una de las pocas iglesias católicas de la ciudad para asistir a la Misa. Fui temprano ya que no tenía la dirección exacta, pero el portero del hotel si me había explicado un poco donde se encontraba la iglesia. Caminé varias veces por las dos mismas cuadras de una avenida muy transitada de la ciudad y no pude encontrar la iglesia. ¿Cómo podía no verla? ¡Esta era la catedral de Estambul!
The beaches, cliffs and hills of Normandy
I arrived to the office where I had booked a tour of the landing beaches of Normandy. It was a beautiful spring day; the sun shining brightly with an occasional cool breeze reminding me that I was close to the edge of the world. The tour appeared to be delayed, so I sat for several minutes outside the office which was right across the street from the train station of Bayeux. About 10 minutes after the anticipated departure time, the gentleman who was to lead the group informed me the tour had been cancelled. I demanded an alternative as the man rudely walked away.
From the fear of aging, deliver me
“Age is only important if you’re a cheese.” — author unknown
Discordant notes
The emergence of a polka-dotted member of the family had created a conundrum for Vigil Mass attendance that evening.
Magan had been giving Elijah a summertime trim in the garage when we both noticed our 5-year-old bespeckling before our very eyes.
A gaze through the window
A dark green Mercedes-Benz slowly came to a complete stop on a busy intersection as the light turned red. It was a cold day. On the tan leather back seat of the car sat a 15 or 16-year-old young man. Riding alone, his eyes had been fixed on the headrest in front of him, but as the car reached the light he turned his eyes toward the window. Within seconds another young man about his same age approached the car selling something. He held a wooden box full of bubble gum tightly secured around his neck with a weathered piece of yarn. wThe young man wore old, tattered clothes.
It's not you; it's May
It’s not you; it’s May and end of the year collections and pool parties will be ancient history. It will all be behind us. But today, as I write my column, I’m staring it down. I’m right smack dab in the middle of the last week of school, and life feels nuts.
Sad at the "Happiest place on Earth"
The “Happiest Place on Earth” would be the last place you’d expect to find someone with a sad, disappointed look on their face (unless you’ve listened to Jim Gaffigan’s hilarious take on Disney World), but there Jesse was, shoulders sagging and usually perky cheeks drooping as we strolled through New Fantasyland.
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Leeds Building Society makes improvements for portfolio landlords
Jordan Williams | 07:28 Wednesday 20th September 2017 | 0
Leeds Building Society has announced changes to its buy-to-let lending criteria and processes in advance of the new PRA rules for portfolio landlords.
The building society has simplified criteria and improved processes for buy-to-let mortgages for both portfolio and single property applicants.
It has also created a dedicated webpage for intermediaries.
From 29th September, portfolio landlords will need to provide details of assets and liabilities, and declare future investment property intentions.
Aldermore reveals new application process ahead of PRA changes
Hampshire Trust Bank to issue new documentation ahead of PRA changes
OneSavings Bank updates criteria for portfolio landlords
“We want to reassure our broker partners that we remain committed to supporting landlords and the buy-to-let market and have been preparing for some months to be ready for these changes,” said Jaedon Green, director of product and distribution at Leeds Building Society.
“Our aim is to make our buy-to-let proposition as straightforward as possible and ensure our service supports brokers and is user-friendly.
“We've refined our criteria since the start of this year and strengthened both our underwriting and intermediary teams, with extra specialised training to cover these latest changes.
“Now, by creating a dedicated portfolio buy-to-let page on our intermediary website – with a new declaration form and step-by-step guide for submitting portfolio business – we're making the process as simple as we can.”
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Cardiff City 1 Bristol City 0: Zohore the hero again as Bluebirds win derby
Kenneth Zohore scored his second winner in as many games as Cardiff City reaffirmed their grip on second by beating Bristol City.
Nicholas McGee
25 February, 2018 20:22 IST
Cardiff City celebrate Kenneth Zohore's winner against Bristol City - Twitter (@CardiffCityFC)
Cardiff City re-established their grip on the second automatic promotion place in the Championship as Kenneth Zohore again made the decisive impact in a 1-0 derby win over Bristol City.
Aston Villa had narrowed the gap to a point ahead of the Bluebirds' clash with the play-off chasing Robins by beating Sheffield Wednesday 4-2 on Saturday.
There are just 45 miles between the two clubs and there was little to separate them in South Wales in a match typically high on intensity.
Chances proved few and far between in the opening 45 minutes, but the introduction of Zohore for the second half proved pivotal.
The Dane saw a low cross almost turned into his own net by Korey Smith, before Bristol substitute Jamie Paterson had an effort deflected wide at the other end.
But, four days after scoring the winner at Ipswich, it was Zohore who made the crucial intervention by firing home Joe Ralls' low cross from the left.
Cardiff have now won four games on the bounce and are unbeaten in eight, while it is just one win in 10 league games for sixth-placed Bristol.
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Australia makes short work of Windies in final warm-up game
The Australian women's cricket team bowled out its West Indian counterpart for less than a hundred runs to cap off a 43-run victory in its final warm-up match before the ICC World T20.
Praveen Sudevan
Chennai 14 March, 2016 19:41 IST
Kristen Beams of Australia celebrates the wicket of D. Dottin of the West Indies in a World T20 warmup match at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. - K Pichumani
Chasing Australia’s 140, West Indies’ Hayley Mathews lofted the second ball of the innings, that pitched once before going past the long on boundary. The next ball, she lofted again, only to be caught by Australian skipper Meg Lanning between the covers and mid-off. What followed was a series of stifling overs and regular loss of wickets, which resulted in Australia winning by 43 runs.
Rene Farell and Kristen Beams picked three wickets each, wrecking the West Indies batting order.
Earlier, Elyssa Villani’s half-century (51 off 42 balls) and skipper Meg Lanning’s unbeaten 49 (off 39 balls) got Australia to 139 for three. Villani and Alyssa Healy got Australia off to a good start, putting on 70 runs in 10.1 overs. Villani, who was more aggressive of the two, scored runs in different directions.
When it was pitched full on the fifth-stump line, she played it through the covers. When the ball was slow, she jumped down and hit the ball to the long on boundary. She even attempted a reverse-sweep, when the ball was pitched wide.
With her opening bowlers failing to provide a breakthrough, West Indies skipper Stefanie Taylor brought herself on in the ninth over. She struck an over later, pouching a return catch to dismiss Healy.
West Indies, then, slowed the rate down for a while forcing Villani to go for a big hit but she was caught and bowled to Deandra Dottin. Lanning then steered her team’s innings, scoring at least a boundary in the following overs.
West Indies, tried seven bowling options, with only opening bowler Shamilia Connell and its primary spinner Afy Fletcher completing four overs.
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Annexation of Chiraz - Game #1 - Battle of Petreville - The Game
...and so to the game - you may wish to read the previous post to refresh yourself on the set up..
Just a last couple of pieces of administration before we started....
Firstly, DG and I rolled for 'first player', and perhaps in a portent of what was to come (and you'll have to read on to find out if it was ) DG won the roll so he gets two moves before I can move; this could be important...
Second, we then organised our troops into brigades so as to allocate command figures and came up with the following - they're colour coded by brigade.
Allies (Me - 2 Brigadiers plus CinC):
The garrison in the Powder Mill were treated as a brigade in their own right and given their own command..
Country Unit Type Unit Name SP MP
British Cavalry Schomberg 5 5
British Cavalry Lumley 5 5
Dutch Cavalry Nassau Friesland 5 5
British Infantry Dering's 5 5
British Infantry Lord North and Grey's Regiment 5 5
Dutch Infantry Beinheim 5 5
Dutch Infantry Sturler 5 5
Franco-Bavarian (DG - 3 Brigadiers plus CinC):
French Cavalry Orleans 5 5
French Cavalry Chartres 5 5
French Cavalry Souastre 5 5
Bavarian Hvy. Cavalry Weickel 5 5
Bavarian Infantry Lutzenberg 5 5
French Infantry Navarre 5 5
French Infantry Toulouse 5 5
French Infantry Royal Italiene 5 5
French Infantry Lee (Irish) 5 6
French Infantry Dorringtons (Irish) 5 6
...and so to the game, and a little experiment in time lapse photography for this report... click on any of the following pictures to 'embiggen' as CK [clicky] would say
End of second move (below) - the guard unit in the powder mill are alerted to the arrival of the French flying column top right - 3 squadrons of cavalry burning horse shoes to get to the powder mill as quickly as they can in an attempt to pull off a coup de main.
Bottom left the allied force have just entered with the same aim but in their case, to scupper the French plan.. the race is on...
End of third move (below) - this was going to be very close... both sides have now started to bring their infantry on - it was about now I mentioned to DG that I might appreciate some of Jackson's foot cavalry...!
Good fun, and fairly tense...
End of fourth move (below) - SO close but I've brought my cavalry on in two columns so will have the benefit of numbers when it comes to the crunch - DG is hampered by the bridge which can only take a one column wide formation...
End of fifth move (below) - so about an hour in real time - both sides have arrived within striking distance of the mill at the same time - DG has paused to deploy his second cavalry squadron into line, but has failed and they are milling about in a state of disorganisation... [Note: in our rules a change of formation requires a test; 6+ on 2D6. We add a cumulative +1 to each subsequent move] His cavalry are out of range of the garrison so no shooting..
End of sixth move (below) - I swing Lumley's into the powder mill yard without even pausing and deploy the other two squadrons into line (good dice throws!)... DG is more successful in doing this with his first unit, but the second unit continues to mill about in a state of disorganisation ... On my side, my ability to march in two columns is allowing me to concentrate my force quicker...
End of ninth move (below) - apologies for the gap in coverage - too damn exciting on the table and I forgot to take pictures! So a quick recap is in order:
The two cavalry forces clashed - and despite them being inherently better, the French squadron (Orleans) sees off Schomberg's (known as "the Black Horse", and one of my favourite units - dour beyond dour...) Quelle catastrophe! That was move 7 - in the picture you can see them with the red pin to the right of the hill...
In move 8, Orleans then charged the Allied second line (Nassau Friesland) and saw them off as well! The first laurels of the campaign are awarded.... Nassau Friesland rout - that's them with the red pin to the left of the hill... Bah!
The Allied infantry are entering the powder mill enclosure; I have their flank covered by Beinheim's Foot (who are covering the gap between the corner of the Mill and the hill to their left)
Orleans are eventually seen off following a somewhat cheeky charge by Lumley's who, still in column, managed to charge them in the rear, and then caused them to rout. Lumley's then about turned and managed to get back into the yard.. a sweet manoeuvre if ever I saw one! Orleans can be seen top left of the action, with the red pin. That should stop them repeating their previous successes..
In the yard, Lumley's are mid-formation change (was trying to do an about turn after the successful charge)
DG's infantry are entering the village - it doesn't take a genius to see where the assault will come from..
End of eleventh move (below)
..and again too much excitement on the table to keep stopping for camera work... I must apologise to DG for the lack of refreshments - we didn't seem to reach a natural break for me to get out the tea pot!
So - the British cavalry has recovered (for the time being) - they're still shaken (yellow pin) but they have at least stopped running.
Beinheim are edging forward, and DG is edging his cavalry back - a wall on one side, and the hill on the other is good flank protection.
Sturler's are beginning to line the wall on the right of the powder mill, the garrison has spent the whole game marching up and down the far wall trying to decide where to stop and which way to face!
Derring's have entered the yard bottom left - Lord North & Grays regiment are providing support to Beinheim's.
I am at this point slightly perturbed by the thought that DG might not actually halt, and might carry on with his infantry around the bottom of the Mill in a flanking attack..
Close up of the action end of Move 11 - Derring's going over the wall - Lord North and Grey's regiment to the right, providing cover for Beinheim's (in front) - in the yard Lumley's are facing forward..
End of thirteenth move (below)
Back to time lapse... in the interim the Allied Nassau Friedland cavalry have failed two more morale tests and routed from the field...
I've got DG's guys coming at me from all directions and I am failing formation change rolls left, right and centre.. in the yard Lumley's and Sturler's are both disorganised (blue pin), and I've made an error with Derring's - they've advanced too far for me to be able to swing them the other way round the Mill building.
On the plus side Schomberg's has recovered - but are weak - and Lord North and Grey's regiment have changed into column with a view to moving to the right as a counter to any out flanking move..
End of game (below):
...and that was largely it...both Derring's and Sturler's were routed by DG's coordinated infantry assault from the village, while on the left the Garrison melted away like snow under a desert sun in the face of the Wild Geese (and I can't blame them!)
On the far side of the Mill Beinheim's have done a superb job holding off DG's cavalry (winning the second laurels of the day) but are clearly isolated...
A last ditch attempt by my cavalry (foreground) is clearly wasted time - DG has the objective and I pass the word to my Brigadiers "sauve qui peut"... the French have taken the day, and the objective..
Wild Geese assault column - two battalions of Ireland's finest - Lee's and Dorrington's with Toulouse on their right
Refreshment on the evening comprised Tanglefoot - in my view Hall & Woodhouse's [clicky] finest - but I can only cringe and fawn Uriah Heep'like for the lack of anything else offered, I really was just too pre-occupied with the game, which provided a fine mental tussle...
We both agreed that mentions in dispatches were well deserved for DG's cavalry Orleans, and my infantry, Beinheim
The forces were loaded slightly in the French's favour as I felt they needed the assistance, one because the scenario demanded it (or the campaign could end fairly quickly!), but two, as I assumed they would have to assault the Mill and casualties were likely - as it happens DG fought as fine a game as any I've seen, and the Allies were swept away with minimal fuss...... calls by myself that the dice gods weren't looking on me favourably is mere churlishness...
The tussle in the Powder Mill was entirely engaging while being frustrating at the same time as manoeuvring battalions in such enclosed confines gave some special challenges!
I made a couple of mistakes though - in the yard I errored with Dering's (as noted above) advancing them too far and leaving me with a bit of a complicated move to extract them. Similarly, I advanced Lord North and Greys regiment to far at the end of the game and covered the gap between the yard wall, and the village such that my cavalry couldn't engage.....
The Allied butchers bill was severe:
Country Unit Type Unit Name Starting
SP Ending
Chiraz Infantry Garrison 3 1
...for a total of 15 SP's lost - almost 40% casualties...
The French casualties were significantly less...
...for a total of 7 SP's lost - just less than 15% casualties...
Good game - so now we move to the second game in the campaign which will hopefully be just before Warfare in November....
8 comments: Labels: Chiraz, WSS
Annexation of Chiraz - Game #1 - Battle of Petreville Set Up
…or my interpretation of it anyway….
As DG was down for the Colours weekend we were looking forward to a game. Having bought this at last years Colours I read the first chapter and scenario set up for the Chiraz linked series of scenarios, thought it sounded interesting, and suggested it with a view to fighting the campaign in the same way we did the St Michel Campaign.
DG agreed, so here we are...
I have to admit that the first game as described was not really suitable – it’s almost a large skirmish game as Charles Grant uses his big regimental organisations and this scenario was set at company level, it's also a siege game and in the scenario featured individual scaling ladders etc. It had possibilities though, so I have taken the premise, and the background to the campaign, and the scenario objectives, and modified it slightly with a view to fighting the campaign, but using the standalone versions of the scenario's rather than the fully linked versions…..
Chiraz is an independent state’let that lies between the much larger states either side, which for our purposes, will be France (and their Bavarian allies), and the Allied maritime powers (comprising England/Holland/Austria) rather than those of Lorraine and the VFS.
Chiraz is a fairly prosperous state – agriculturally based – a wine making area – but their primary benefit is twofold:
1. The country is bounded on both sides by major rivers that provide much needed transportation opportunities to the French and the Allies – control of Chiraz by either major power could put this in doubt for the other power as they would have control of one bank of the river...
2. The north of the country is mountainous and provides a major source of saltpetre – the primary constituent of gunpowder…
After previous invasion attempts have led to bloody stalemate on each occasion, the major powers have agreed that Chiraz should remain neutral as a demilitarized zone. This state of restless peace has lasted for several years, but the French have now found out that the eldest son of the Dutch Staatholder has started to pay suit to the (only) daughter of the Duke of Chiraz – who is the sole heir to the throne. Further his attentions are returned in spades; clearly the danger is that the Allies would gain control of the country without a shot being fired.
This cannot be allowed to happen, and the French launch an invasion to protect their interests…
The campaign starts with the planned seizure of the gunpowder mill at Petreville…
A 6’ x 4’ table - looking length ways - Allies enter bottom left, Franco-Bavarian from top right, the powder mill is in the centre of the table - roughly equidistant from both corners...
The French as invaders have a free move - DG and I agreed that they would move, and then we would dice to see who moved next.
The powder mill is garrisoned by an understrength battalion of the Chiraz army who for the purposes of the campaign are allied with the Maritime Powers – the powder mill itself is a substantial walled enclosure with factory in the middle.
River only crossable at the bridges
NB. Neither side has artillery – you really don’t want stray cannon balls flying near one of the largest gunpowder mills in Western Europe!
Rules are my variation of Will McNally's SYW rules - check my Marlburian project page (link top left) for the details.
Allies (me):
Garrison:
Chiraz
Heidebrecht Regiment
Main force:
Nassau Friesland
Dering
Lord North and Grey's Regiment
Beinheim
Sturler
Franco-Bavarian (DG):
Hvy. Cavalry
Weickel
Lutzenberg
Royal Italiene
Lee (Irish)
Dorrington (Irish)
Capture (or retain) the powder mill!
If I could bottle it...
...I'd make a fortune.......
I have no idea what drives these things, but there are probably cleverer people than I 1 who could drum up Powerpoint2 presentations until the point I lost the will to live, to explain the reasoning....
So I was just typing up my post for Salute 2013 and spotted that the review I did of the last Scarrow book had an implausible3 number of page views, so on a quiet afternoon, and after 600 posts I thought I'd look and see which one was the most popular...... I wonder what drives these things??? I can only assume someone on a more popular blog has mentioned the following for some reason.....!
....astonishing..... well.... anyway, it passed an interesting 5 minutes....
Zvezda 1/100 (15mm) Pz II.. a review 27 Nov 2012, 5 comments 3572
Definition of "Old School"?? 18 Feb 2013, 55 comments 1239
"Arena" - a review... 30 Aug 2013, 3 comments 1121
A slight diversion... Maunsell Navy Sea Forts 21 Aug 2011, 6 comments 991
Salute 2010.. 25 Apr 2010, 13 comments 525
1 you know who you are - shiny silk suit, two sizes too small, loud lining, much taken with talking loudly on latest model Apple iPhone (or whatever is considered must have gadget of that time) while wearing those very pointy shiny leather shoes....
2 in the words of the BBC, "other presentation tools and applications are available"...
3 I'm amazed anyone reads this drivel so anything more than 3 is implausible (that's me, my mum, and one accidental hit)..... haven't you people got better things to do - in the words of the Legatus [clicky], don't you have little metal men to paint??
17 comments: Labels: General Wargaming
Colours 2013
....it was that weekend again, and as the rain battered down on the conservatory here at chez Steve the Wargamers, I can't help thinking that I'm glad I went Saturday rather than Sunday!
I love Colours, always have, I liked the old venue (the Hexagon had a unique charm) but I like the new venue even more - it's easier to get to, and the light is hugely better for seeing things and taking pictures...
So it was that DG and I found ourselves in a queue to enter the venue by about 10:20 (albeit by luck more than a sound grasp of our social diaries), and in my case wondering why I hadn't put my thermals on... just for once I quite envied the English Civil War cum renaissance re-enactors across the way practising with their broom poles, sorry, pikes...
So how was Colours this year?
"Busy" it seemed to me (though I don't have much experience of the show on a Saturday as we normally go on the Sunday), the trader count seemed higher - in fact for the first time the organisers have opened a separate annexe/hall, just across from the main entrance.There were a lot of punters, and there were plenty of £20 notes in evidence.....
I can confirm the annexe was well worth visiting, definitely not an after thought, with some fine games on display and also some interesting traders. Among these was a new manufacturer to me, Eagle Figures [clicky] whose "generic" 17th Century armed civilians [clicky] definitely caught my eye - these are sold in their SYW range but would make a lovely unit of American War of Independence militia - 28mm but not chunky, and they didn't look huge - may need to buy some to see if they compare with my Minifigs...
Elsewhere, the usual culprits appeared Antenociti/Caliver/Essex/Foundry/Langton etc etc Nothing burning new to buy it seemed - but the following thoughts occurred later.......
the new Lardies rules Chain of Command [clicky] featured heavily everywhere, and I have to admit I was tempted.What put me off was one, the size of the book - the rules were laid out quite clearly but seemed more complicated than I wanted, and at 100+ pages (albeit including army lists) I think I might have lost the will to live before I got some little metal men on the tabletop. My second reservation is entirely personal, in that every set of their rules that DG and I have ever used ("Shoot an Elephant", and "I Ain't Been Shot Mum") we have found difficult to read, understand, and have been full of ambiguities - the word among the bloggeratti is that these are considerably improved in that area, but the combination of the two was enough to keep me moving on...
I think the Saga glut might be coming to a close - only saw one stand all day selling the rules and the dice
the overpowering smell of burnt MDF when I came through the front door put me in mind of visiting a carpentry shop! Laser cut everything this year, especially more complex stuff like buildings and terrain items, ships etc
among the demo/participation games WWII seemed to predominate - I was quite surprised there were no WWI actions given the upcoming anniversary, I might be too early though...
....w.r.t retail therapy, I had money to spend (DG and I had just concluded some sales on eBay) but couldn't find anything to spend it on - I am within the skin of my teeth of starting a new English Civil War project, but am not going to until I can find a decent set of rules - so I browsed "Pike and Shotte" and "Forlorn Hope" and wasn't taken with either... any suggestions from among my followers gratefully appreciated and accepted.... I want a set that models the interaction between pike and shot, regimental level, on the simple side while giving the flavour of the period.... I may even write my own...
So the money stayed in the pocket except for two packs of bases and a bag of static grass....! There's Warfare coming up in November - it can wait...
...and so to the games.... even with the Annexe I thought the game standard might have been down this year; there was a humungous Napoleonic game in 54mm put on by the Skirmish Wargames group which left me thinking "why?" as it seems to defeat the purpose of both the scale and the group ethos, a number of hex games (blechhhhh...), a number of games that looked lovely except for one thing that spoiled the look and made me move on (usually a terrain feature/item that just didn't fit)... so among the myriad of games (and there were a large number that would be appreciated by those less fussy than your correspondent) I have come up with a top 3...and so, in reverse order we have...
..in third... this game was hosted/presented by Bruce Weigle using his own 1866 [clicky] rules
Not my scale - 6mm - but what captured my eye was the glorious looking terrain/table top, which flowed in a most pleasing and realistic manner.. this game represented the Battle of Rossbrunn on the 26th July 1866 in the Austro-Prussian War
...and in second place, this WWII game by the Loughton Strike Force using 15mm figures...
...action on the Eastern Front .. we like ruined trains......
..a very nice table top - they were demonstrating the new Second Edition Panzer Grenadier rules...
...simply lovely.... loved the onion dome church and the water tower...
..but in first place this game!
...this was put on by the Society of Gentlemen Gamers (edit: thanks, Will) ..
...and represented the action at Naqb Rala where the Foreign Legion and Free French took on the Italian Folgore Division in the Western Desert (23rd October 1942)
...this action was part of Operation Lightfoot and took place just north of the Qattara Depression
Nice simple terrain and lots of lovely models - you'd know this was Rapid fire without even having to ask!
...a worthy winner I thought....
By the way...something of a milestone as this is my 600th post!
Donald Featherstone (1918-2013)
It's with huge sadness that I have to report that it's been reported on a number of other blogs and sources that after a short spell in hospital following a fall at home, Don Featherstone died yesterday..
Dons books single-handedly propelled me into a hobby that has now fascinated me for almost 40 years, and while I may have dabbled with Charles Grant and "Charge!" I am at heart, a follower of Featherstone...
His writing was crisp, easy to follow, his hints and tips worked, and as a hideous, spotty, kid of 12 or 13 I devoured his books whenever I could get them from the library.
For me his seminal works were the big four - "Wargames", "Advanced Wargames", "Wargames Campaigns" and "Battles with Model Soldiers" - if I hadn't come across the first (and I've no idea how I did) my life story could have been entirely different....
He was approachable (and I count myself blessed that I got to meet him twice at Colours), always free with words of encouragement, and I for one am very much sadder today for hearing of his passing....
Thanks for everything, Don.....
http://theminiaturespage.com/editorial/
http://wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.com/2013/09/donald-featherstone.html http://hordesofthethings.blogspot.com/2013/09/donald-featherstone-1918-2013.html
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race start - London
My sister and I headed up to the smoke on Saturday, for the start of the Clipper Round the World yacht race [clicky] a brilliant day out as we had tickets for one of the spectator boats courtesy of her husband who works for the race.. the sun shone, huge crowds and the boats looked superb....
We then followed the boats down the river to their last overnight stop at Tilbury before they start the race proper... the river is an absolute delight, I had no idea there was so much to see, so much history on view from the days when London was thriving trading port... docks, dry docks, wharfs, superb very much recommended.. Greenwich looked simply fantastic and I've pencilled that in for a future "I have been to..." (I got lucky with one of the photo's as there was also a Tall Ships event on the same day)
Having enjoyed our time on the water we then took ourselves off to the pub, the Dean Swift [clicky], which was an absolute triumph, and entirely down to my sisters research. A hitherto undiscovered (by me anyway) gem in the heart of London serving some of the best beer I've seen anywhere, at entirely un-London prices, good food, in a lovely, traditional type beer house... a lot of people enjoying themselves - recommended (a definite 9 out of 10'er)
...and finally the GPS track for a bit of fun ... and no, the spectator boat didn't suddenly sprout wheels, we lost satellite signal a couple of times!
5 comments: Labels: Sailing
Annexation of Chiraz - Game #1 - Battle of Petrev...
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Head Light (Live)
by The Great Affairs
© Copyright - The Great Affairs / The Great Affairs (194171347542)
While they may have cut their teeth on KISS and The Black Crowes, or Queen and Humble Pie, The Great Affairs simultaneously draw from the Pop well of such ‘80s icons as Rick Springfield and Bon Jovi, juxtaposing these elements with the sound of more contemporary acts like The Gaslight Anthem, Butch Walker, and The Stereophonics, to offer up the kind of sweaty, gimmick-free, big guitar anthems that'll rattle your brain, just as easily as they might slip into lonesome troubadour mode and soothe your soul.
Genre: Rock: Hard Rock
1. Head Light (Live)
"...the instant hooks and melodies of Cheap Trick, with the Americana of
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers..."
-Screamer Magazine
In June 2018, Kivel Records released the band's latest LP ‘Ten & 2’.
"The Great Affairs is a rock ‘n’ roll band., and they made a rock ‘n’ roll record. You get it all: classic rock, power pop, roots rock, Southern Rock…
When you think you are hearing Cheap Trick, The J. Geils Band, The Bottle Rockets and Bad Company at the same time, you are probably a good listener.
More important, if you are looking for a Saturday-Night-Record, I have found you one." -Patrick Donders, Sweet Sweet Music
Once again recorded with Grammy-winning mixer and engineer Michael Saint-Leon(Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Kingfish), this record finds the band pursuing a more muscular, guitar-heavy sound, owing as much to their Classic Rock forebears as formative efforts had to the Singer/Songwriter model. Inspired perhaps by their 2017 covers EP ‘Six Pack’, where the band mined and re-imagined gems from ‘70s FM stalwarts like Thin Lizzy, Fleetwood Mac, and Cheap Trick, the forthcoming collection openly embraces their various influences to create a sound that is both comfortably familiar and refreshingly its own.
THE GREAT AFFAIRS are:
Denny Smith: vocals, guitars, harmonica
Patrick Miller: lead guitar, vocals
Matt Andersen: bass, vocals
Kenny Wright: vocals, drums, percussion
"..a surefire cure for your ailing rock n' roll heart"
-Eric Allen, Modern Songwriter
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For the Home Kitchen & Dining Drinkware New York Coffee Cup
New York Coffee Cup
Item# v53396
Select Styles for Availability and Member Pricing
https://store.moma.org/for-the-home/kitchen-dining/drinkware/new-york-coffee-cup/v53396.html
The iconic "We Are Happy To Serve You" paper coffee cup was introduced in 1963 by Leslie Buck. More than 180 million of the distinctive blue-and-white Grecian-style cups are used in New York City every year. The environmentally minded design group, Exceptionlab, in conjunction with the Sweetheart Cup Company, Inc. and Aid to Artisans, converted the design from disposable to permanent. This ceramic New York Coffee Cup and Espresso Cup was designed by Graham Hill.
Why We Chose This
Anyone who’s ever gone to a New York City diner or street vendor knows this Greek-inspired design. With sustainability in mind, Exceptionlab made what was once ephemeral and disposable into something more permanent and Earth friendly. The cup is an authentic token of time spent in the city, whether in 1963 or 2017.
Icons of Design
The buying team for MoMA Design Store embraces the same spirit of modernism upon which the Museum's architecture and design department—first of its kind anywhere in the world—was founded. Our selection starts with designers and manufacturers that were integral to the establishment of modern design, and whose iconic designs remain relevant today.
3.75h x 3.75" d
Service Size
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| 0.761122
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Defiant till the end: Egypt’s deaf dictator
Mubarak remains and we are still in shock. For nearly six hours last night, we watched, we waited and we dared to hope. Twitter was exploding, and for good reason. Every source out there, from the CIA to CNN (including the NDP’s own secretary general, Hossam Badrawi) told us Mubarak was finally standing down.
The rumour mill went into overdrive: Mubarak was resigning and handing over his powers to Omar Suleiman. The Army had taken over and ordered Mubarak to leave. He’d been spotted at the airport heading for Dubai or he’d already fled to Sharm El Sheikh, having pre-recorded his speech. Meanwhile, the Brotherhood was claiming there’d been a military coup while the BBC cut to Obama, live from Michigan, who told us history was taking place. Whichever way you looked at it, it seemed like a done deal.
We had our own dilemma – did we go and listen to Mubarak’s resignation speech in Tahrir or stay at home and watch it on TV? We compromised – we’d rush there as soon as the speech was over and join the crowds to celebrate. Tahrir was packed within an inch of its life – it was like a thousand wedding ceremonies happening at once, according to one tweeter. Even hardened news correspondents seemed overcome by the emotion. We were this close to history being made – it was like the Berlin Wall falling, someone said. And then we watched the speech and everything crumbled.
At around 10.45pm – almost an hour behind schedule – Mubarak appeared on State TV, looking more and more like his fellow beleaguered politico, Silvio Berlusconi (they share the same plastic surgeon, as one joker said). He looked neither cowed nor emotional; instead, he was forceful, upbeat, determinedly presidential. There were the same old lines: I speak as a father to his children, I will live and die in Egypt, etc. There were a few new ones: an acknowledgment of the deaths of innocent victims and vague talk of political ‘mistakes’. And then the crucial line, almost rushed through: I have decided to delegate some powers to Vice President Suleiman.
By the end, we were stunned, speechless – and confused. What exactly had just happened? I called a friend of mine who’d been in Tahrir – M, a lawyer, who was already heading home. People were angry but calm, he said. Ninety per cent of the people there hadn’t been able to hear the speech properly and were also confused. His own understanding was that Mubarak had handed over all his powers to Suleiman and would remain in an honorary capacity – no bad thing. “It would have been too insulting for him to spell it out any more than that,” he told me. “This was his way of saying that he was resigning.”
That may well be the case but it’s become abundantly clear since that no one knows exactly what Mubarak meant – which would be farcical if it weren’t so serious (check out William Hague’s reaction last night for some classic political blustering). The only thing that matters is that he is still around (it must surely go down as one of the worst, and most incompetent, speeches in history: never have so many people been so disappointed by so little). Meanwhile, that sense that Mubarak, and also now Suleiman, inhabit a different universe to the rest of us was stronger than ever – they seemed like two grandfathers who’d stumbled into a hip hop concert by mistake.
What’s becoming clear is that this revolution is no longer just about a clamour for democracy. It’s now a power struggle between young and old – between the old guard clinging on to tradition and power, and a new generation fighting for respect and the right to be heard, politically and beyond. Even as they praised Egypt’s youth, Mubarak and Suleiman were sticking desperately to the old language of paternalism – appealing to the protesters once again to behave themselves and go home. Where the rest of the world sees a generation coming of age, Mubarak and his cronies see troubled children who can, and should, be put back in their place.
Mubarak’s last speech may have won him new support – and sparked the bloody clashes of last week – but it’s unlikely that this one will do the same. The tide has been turning against him in the last few days – rumours of his estimated $70 billion fortune have been leaking out and there is less and less trust that the regime will keep its promises. Tahrir has virtually become a republic in its own right, drawing thousands of ordinary Egyptians from all over the country who are savouring their first taste of political freedom there – that sort of momentum is difficult to derail. There is more and more public dissent – yesterday doctors and lawyers joined the protests and there were strikes and demonstrations all over Cairo.
But yet again last night, this revolution confounded us. Today, on Farewell Friday, thousands upon thousands of people are once again massing in Tahrir and throughout Egypt. The violence that some of us expected after last night’s speech has not materialised – yet. The army remains neutral, for the moment. There are rumours that Mubarak and his family have left Cairo – surely he must have got the message by now? The drama continues to unfold before us: a play where everyone seems to know their lines except the lead actor.
Cairo, Politics
Cairo, Egypt, Mubarak, Revolution
← 10 reasons why this foreigner (still) loves Egypt…
Eighteen days: A Tribute to Tahrir →
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Learn about the security content of OS X Server v2.1.1,
OS X Server v2.1.1 includes the content of OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.2. For further details see About the security content of OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.2, OS X Lion v10.7.5 and Security Update 2012-004.
Messages Server
Available for: OS X Mountain Lion v10.8 or later
Impact: A remote attacker may reroute federated Jabber messages
Description: An issue existed in the Jabber server's handling of dialback result messages. An attacker may cause the Jabber server to disclose information intended for users of federated servers. This issue was addressed through improved handling of dialback result messages.
Impact: Multiple vulnerabilities in PostgreSQL
Description: PostgreSQL is updated to version 9.1.5 to address multiple vulnerabilities, the most serious of which may allow database users to read files from the file system with the privileges of the database server role account. Further information is available via the PostgreSQL web site at http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.1/static/release-9-1-5.html.
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How to Check if Google Analytics Is Installed Correctly
by Jason Artman
Track your website's performance with Google Analytics.
1 Refresh Web Pages Automatically
2 How Do I Know Google Analytics Is Working?
3 Access a BellSouth Account
4 Start an Account on Craigslist
Google Analytics is a free service that allows you to track various aspects of your business website's performance, such as the number of visitors it receives and the percentage of visitors who become paying customers. To track this information, you need to alter your website's source code to call a JavaScript function on each page. You can confirm that you have installed Google Analytics correctly by logging in to your Google Analytics account or by checking your website's source code.
Google Analytics Account
Navigate to the Google Analytics website. Click the "Sign In" link and provide your Google account credentials if prompted.
Click the name of your website after reaching the "Account Home" page.
Click the "Admin" button in the upper-right corner of the page.
Click the "Tracking Code" tab.
Examine the "Tracking Status" section near the bottom of the page. If the Google Analytics code is installed properly, this section displays the words "Receiving Data."
Navigate to any page on your business' website. To operate properly, the Google Analytics code needs to be present in the source code for every page. If the website does not use a template-based content-management system such as WordPress, you should check every page to confirm data is being tracked properly.
Move the mouse pointer to an open are of the page. Right-click and select "View Page Source" or "View Source." The source code for the page appears in a new window.
Press "Ctrl-F" to open the "Find" dialog.
Type "google-analytics" in the dialog to locate the following code:
If you find this code, Google Analytics is installed properly.
Google: How Do I Check My Website's Source Code?
Jason Artman has been a technical writer since entering the field in 1999 while attending Michigan State University. Artman has published numerous articles for various websites, covering a diverse array of computer-related topics including hardware, software, games and gadgets.
Artman, Jason. "How to Check if Google Analytics Is Installed Correctly." Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/check-google-analytics-installed-correctly-49238.html. Accessed 15 July 2019.
Artman, Jason. (n.d.). How to Check if Google Analytics Is Installed Correctly. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/check-google-analytics-installed-correctly-49238.html
Artman, Jason. "How to Check if Google Analytics Is Installed Correctly" accessed July 15, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/check-google-analytics-installed-correctly-49238.html
Check the Number of Viewers on Tumblr
Turn Off Security Check on Facebook
Check the Deletion Status of a Gmail Account
Save a Doc in Word 2007 As HTML
Change Your Business Profile on Twitter
Add a Website to a Facebook Profile Page
Delete Facebook Business Pages
Blocking Someone From Seeing What You're Doing on Google+
Disable the Internet Explorer Security Certificate
Check if Your PC Is Constantly Connected to the Net
Send Notifications From a Business Facebook Page
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Lawrence North’s Winzenread wants Wildcats to play with ‘no regrets’
March 29, 2017 stvkrh905 11 Comments
“No regrets.”
Lawrence North High School baseball coach Richard Winzenread expects nothing less than the best from his Wildcats.
There should be no sleepless nights because of lukewarm effort.
It’s been that way since Winzenread took over as leader of the LN program in 1992.
“If we work hard, good things will come,” says Winzenread. “We want to be the best team our talent level will allow. If we do that, we’ve had a successful season.
“At tournament time, we’re a pretty tough out. You have to bring your best game to beat us.”
Winzenread has gathered a wealth of baseball knowledge from coaches at the high school, college and professional level and he shares that with his LN players.
Then he lets them take over.
“We don’t clone them,” says Winzenread. “I don’t want to take away their natural ability. I tell them it’s their responsibility to get better.”
Players need to take the initiative to get extra swings in the batting cage or more ground balls on their own time.
“We’ve had quite a few kids over the years that have made themselves better,” says Winzenread. “Kids have to take ownership.
“Kids today don’t practice enough. You should practice more than you play. You need to be the best player you can be, so you have no regrets.”
The coach can be tough, but he has the student-athlete’s best interests at heart.
“What makes me the most proud is seeing how the kid grows through his four years of our program,” says Winzenread. “I think the kids know I care about them. I want them to be the best version of a person they can be — as a student and a player. We want them to be ready for college.”
Winzenread does his coaching and teaching on the northeast side of Indianapolis. He first learned baseball on the south side from his father Richard and then played at Southport High School, graduating in 1982 and moving on to play for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Dick Naylor at Hanover College.
Naylor is also in the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
A right-handed pitcher, Winzenread was drafted in the 21st round by the Baltimore Orioles in 1986. In the O’s system he learned much from then-roving pitching instructor Mark Wiley — things he still uses today at Lawrence North.
In his third pro season, Winzenread was injured and decided to come back to Indy. He worked for UPS and helped coach at Southport with Cardinals head coach John Carpenter (John Dwenger was head coach when Winzenread was a Southport player).
Winzenread stayed close to the game by giving lessons and found many of his clients were in the Lawrence area. He completed his education degree and took a middle school teaching job in the Lawrence Township district.
After teaching at various middle schools, Winzenread landed at the high school four years ago as a physical education and health teacher.
Seeing another chance to give back to the game that had been so good to him, Winzenread applied to replace Tim Fitzgerald as LN head coach when he stepped down right before the 1992 season. Fitzgerald is now the varsity assistant on a Wildcats coaching staff that also includes Chris Todd (junior varsity) and Kyle Green (freshmen).
Not knowing how to run a high school program back in ’92, Winzenread made a trip to Indiana University to pick the brain of head coach Bob Morgan.
“He did a lot for me early in my career,” says Winzenread. “He’s one of the best baseball minds around.”
In Winzenread’s first decade at Lawrence North, assistant coach Bob Kraft brought things to the program he had gained while being associated with Stanford University baseball.
Tony Vittorio, who was head coach at Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne and is now in his 18th season as head coach at the University of Dayton, followed a similar path to Winzenread in that he played at Southport and Hanover before going into coaching.
“He’s such got tremendous passion,” says Winzenread says of Vittorio. “He works those kids. He can be tough at times. But, in this business you have to be.”
Winzenread has a passion for developing pitchers. Ideally, the Wildcats will have seven or eight capable arms in a season. Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference games are played on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Winzenread uses his top two starters in those games with a third pitcher expected to handle to relief duties. Those pitchers have a bullpen session on Saturday and are ready to go again the following week.
“They build up arm strength to be a starter or build up arm strength to be a reliever and they work different,” says Winzenread.
LN hurlers are expected to throw strikes, but not necessarily rack up K’s.
“Strikeouts are fine, but they’re not something we strive for,” says Winzenread. “Our philosophy is to have (the batter) hit our pitch. Our pitch counts are usually not that high.”
Batters are kept off-balance by the mixing of speeds and location — up and down, in and out, back and forth.
One location in the strike zone is off limits.
“We don’t want to throw it over the middle of the plate,” says Winzenread. “When we warm up, the middle part is black and we have two white edges.
“We want to have a little bit of movement.”
Winzenread calls anything over 15 pitches a stressful inning.
If a pitcher strung together a couple of 26-pitch innings, he would be at 52 and might be done for the day, depending on the athlete.
If those same 52 pitches were spread over five innings, that would be a different story.
“I enjoy winning,” says Winzenread. “But I would never put a kid’s health in front of that — ever.”
With that in mind, he will always protect a pitcher’s arm. If they throw 85 pitches Tuesday, it’s a good bet they might be used as a designated hitter but will not take a field position Wednesday.
The 2016 Mt. Vernon (Fortville) Sectional — won by Lawrence North — was set up with pitching in mind. Games in the six-team format were played on Wednesday with semifinals and finals Monday.
“That’s the only thing that’s fair,” says Winzenread, who has seen LN take seven of its eight all-time sectional titles, both regionals, one semistate crown and one state runner-up finish (7-6 loss to McCutcheon in the 1999 Class 4A final) on his watch. “I wish we’d seed the draw and we don’t. Everyone says ‘pitching and defense (wins championships).’ You can hit all you want, but eventually good pitching is going to shut that down.”
With those factors in mind, LN changed its regular-season schedule and has as many three-game weeks as possible.
No matter where they play on the diamond, Winzenread expects his player to know their role. That might mean starting or coming off the bench.
“Everyone’s got a role to way and you’ve got to accept it,” says Winzenread. “(Reserves are) always constantly paying attention to the game so when you’re number is called, you’re ready.”
And with no regrets.
Richard Winzenread is in his 26th season as head baseball coach at Lawrence North High School.
Richard Winzenread took Lawrence North to the IHSAA State Finals in 1999. He has been head baseball coach for the Wildcats since 1992.
ABCABaltimore OriolesBob MorganDick NaylorHanover CollegeIHSBCAIndiana UniversityIPFWLawrence NorthLawrence Township SchoolsMetropolitan Interscholastic ConferenceRichard WinzenreadSouthport High SchoolStanford UniversityTony VittorioUniversity of Dayton
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You are here: Home / Senior Nation / Homepage Notes / Five Champion Trees Recognized at Londonderry on the Tred Avon
Five Champion Trees Recognized at Londonderry on the Tred Avon
January 10, 2019 by Londonderry on the Tred Avon
Five trees on the Londonderry on the Tred Avon campus have been recognized by the Maryland Big Tree Program as Talbot County Champion Trees. Champion trees are identified at the County and State level as being the largest identified members of their species. They are measured and scored based on their circumference, height and average crown width.
The trees were identified as Londonderry was taking care of routine forestry work around its campus and were nominated for recognition by Agnes Kedmenecz of the University of Maryland Extension Service. The trees were later measured by members of the Londonderry Community, University of Maryland Extension Service and the Maryland Big Tree Program, which is a volunteer-coordinated effort sponsored by the Maryland Association of Forest Conservancy District Boards and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Forest Service.
The five trees are in various areas of the campus with several near the Manor which was constructed at the close of the American Civil War.
The five trees identified as “Champion Trees” are the following:
• Japanese Maple measuring 5’ 8” in circumference, 33’ high and a 44.5’ average crown width
• Bitternut Hickory measuring 9’8” in circumference, 144’ high and a 68.5’ average crown width
• Nordmann Fir measuring 7’8” in circumference, 73’ high and a 34.5’ average crown width
• American Beech measuring 12’4” in circumference, 104’ high and a80’ average crown width
• Southern Red Oak measuring 20’3’ in circumference, 107 feet high and a 107.5’average crown width
“Our community is beyond thrilled to have five champion trees on our campus,” said Londonderry CEO, Irma Toce. “These trees are part of our rich history and it is wonderful that they can now be recognized by our residents and our neighbors throughout Talbot County. I’d like to thank our community members who worked so hard on this project.”
Londonderry on the Tred Avon was originally part of a 600-acre land grant known as Westmoreland which was granted to Irish Quaker immigrant Francis Armstrong in 1667. A portion of the land grant was sold to Talbot County upon which the first Talbot County Court House was built. As the property changed hands over the next 100 years, it became known as London Derry, and eventually Londonderry, as it is called today.
About Londonderry on the Tred Avon
Londonderry on the Tred Avon is an intimate residential cooperative community for adults ages 62 and over, offering a variety of housing options from convenient apartments to spacious cottages among 29 acres, including 1500 feet of waterfront shoreline. For more information, visit www.londonderrytredavon.com.
Filed Under: Homepage Notes, Londonderry on the Tred Avon, Portal Notes
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7 Scenic and Little-Known Tea Towns of India
26 May 17 | By Aditi Mittal
It is a well-known fact that the British smuggled varieties of Chinese tea into India and set up plantations all over the country. Aided by burgeoning global trade, the “Indian” teas soon became one of the favourite beverages in the world.
Tea is a delicate shrub that requires a pleasant climate to grow and is therefore found typically in regions with a cooler climate, intermittent rain and a few hours of sunshine. The towns which have come up around tea plantations are therefore lush green, shrouded in mist, and ideal destinations for a relaxing holiday. When thinking of these towns Darjeeling and Ooty instantly pop into our heads; however, there are various other little towns where the same landscape can be enjoyed in tranquility.
Valparai
Photo Credits: Thangaraj Kumaravel
If you're craving a break right now, this tiny hamlet in the Annamalai mountain range of Tamil Nadu awaits you. Drive through the serpentine roads - mind you, there are 40 hairpin loops - to reach this retreat.
A walk in the verdure tea estates in the pleasant weather of Valparai is indispensable. Be prepared to find a bison or a long-tailed macaque meandering far away in the gardens. The nearby Manompally forest offers a good base for those with an adventurous. However, the Grass Hills National Park is the jewel in the crown here: this protected reserve is a remnant of the Shola grasslands, which is unique to the Western Ghats and found nowhere else.
With dozens of temples, waterfalls, and scenic viewpoints, Valparai deserves more than a weekend.
Photo Credits: Navaneeth Ashok
Peermade is a the perfect place for people who love long walks, without the pressure of sightseeing. Your aimless wandering will take you to the top of Eagle Rock from where you can witness the panoramic views of tea gardens or to Thrissanku Hills for a breathtaking sunset.
You can smell the earthiness of cardamom in the air. The story behind its spice cultivation goes that a Sufi saint Peer Mohammad, who was also the first spice trader in the region, spent his last days here. Take some time to visit the Summer Palace, the summer retreat of the Travancore royal family, and Panchalimedu, the fabled pond which is believed to have been used by Draupadi from the Mahabharata.
Peermade in the Idukki district of Kerala is a deserving alternative to Wayanad when planning a relaxing holiday.
Photo Credits: Jon Connell
Palampur in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh would never cross your mind when thinking of tea belts in India. During the British rule, Kangra tea was regarded as one of the finest in the world for its flavour and quality, but the tea industry here died a slow death. Lately, the state government has been taking initiatives to revive the industry once again.
Palampur is easy to reach but still a sequestered spot, exactly the kind of retirement paradise you’ve dreamed of. While walking through the rolling tea gardens of Palampur, you can also savour the unique backdrop of the snow-capped Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas. Sitting at the foothills, you can explore several treks that lead out of Palampur.
Just 13 km away from Palampur is Andretta, famous for its handicrafts. Many well-known artists call this village their home, giving you a great opportunity to try your hand at pottery.
Kotagiri
Photo Credits: sugandha_banga
Unlike Ooty which is overrun by tourists, Kotagiri is a small idyllic town in the Nilgiris where you can seek solitude. You can visit the memorial of a British governor John Sullivan, who set out to explore the fabled “Blue Mountains” of the south, got smitten by its temperate climate and settled for good.
Hold your breath as you watch the sun rising over the Mysore Plateau from the famous Kodanad Hill. Spend rest of your day in the evergreen Longwood Forest which is home to rare species such as the Flying fox and the Malabar giant squirrel. Trek through thick tea gardens to reach the double cascaded Catherine waterfall or swim in the Uyilatty Falls, which is located just 7 km from the town.
Whatever you choose to indulge in, Kotagiri will not disappoint you in any aspect.
Photo Credits: Aditi Mittal
Relish the good old Darjeeling tea in this picturesque town of Kurseong, which makes a fabulous alternative to the bustling Darjeeling. The town gets its name from Kurson-rip, the small white orchids that grow prolifically here.
Relive your childhood on the toy train as it chugs down the Hill Card Road through the captivating landscape. Climb to the Eagle Craig to get a bird’s eye view of the town or spend some time at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Museum where the veteran freedom fighter was kept under house arrest by British.
If you are in the mood for doing nothing, then a walk in the expansive tea gardens should do the trick.
Samsing
Photo Credits: Abhijit Kar Gupta
Samsing is a picturesque hamlet in Dooars region in West Bengal. A slow paced three hours’ journey on the narrow roads from Siliguri to Samsing is a feast for the eyes.
Wake up to the chirping of birds, gurgling of streams and the reverberation of silence. Samsing is the gateway to the Neora Valley National Park, which is known for its rich biodiversity – you may just spot the elegant red panda here! Explore the unknown terrains of this park which offers some great trekking routes to keep an outdoorsy person busy for days. Take a dip in the crystal-clear water of the Murti River, which crisscrosses through the heart of Dooar plains, or try fishing if you like. Acquaint yourself with the local culture at Faribasti, an eco-village next to Samsing, which boasts of pristine landscape and homestays.
Photo Credits: indianstorytime
A bit of an offbeat destination, Koppa is surrounded by dense jungles and misty mountains and is endearingly known as the ‘Kashmir of Karnataka’ for its scenic beauty. Originally, Koppa has been famous for its coffee production, but lately, several tea processing centres have sprung up, slowly making it popular for its tea gardens.
If you are yearning for divine weather and some quiet time then, Koppa is where you should be right now. Trek to Kote Gudda Fort, the ruins of which are covered by trees, reminding of the famous Ta Prohm temple of Angkor in Cambodia. Visit Hariharapura and Shakatapuram temples located on the banks of the Tunga River. Do not forget to pay homage to Kuvempu, the famous Kannada poet whose ancestral house is now open to visitors.
A 7-hour scenic drive from Bangalore, Koppa makes a splendid weekend getaway.
Whether you prefer adventure or solitude, walks or treks, the restorative potential of a great getaway is unparalleled.
Holidays, Koppa, Kotagiri, Kurseong, Palampur, Peermade, Samsing, Sceneries, Tea Towns, Tranquility, Vacations, Valparai
Aditi Mittal
Since Geography lessons in school always interested Aditi, she decided to travel full time and work part time. With each passing adventure, her wanderlust knows no bounds. The Sailing Bee' is a collection of her travel tales from around the world (www.thesailingbee.com)
Steamed vs. Pan-fired tea
Ever wondered how green tea is processed? Learn about the two most common methods: pan-firing and steaming.
Types of Mint and their benefits
Get to know the different kinds of mint and all the benefits they have to offer.
How to brew Kombucha with your favourite tea
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The beauty of Indian Tea Gardens
3 Ideas for Daily Zen
5 perfect tea and dessert pairings
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The most popular slots by number of spins in June 2019
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It seems incredible that it has been a month since we last did this article looking at the slots that enjoyed the most number of spins on them back in May. How time is flying at the moment. Once again our lists for this month have shown some changes in the top five, but in others we see the same names cropping up once again.
I guess what this shows is that even though there may only be differences in theme and a little bit of content between some slots, there are some that resonate with players far more so than others. If any lesson can be learned from this by slots development studios, it is that it may not be the theme of a slot which is so important (there's not a single theme that seems to come out on top every month, including May, for all slot development companies) but rather more that the balance of the slot is key to producing a game people will want to play repeatedly.
Once again, as well as the most popular slots for each of the five development companies we have information on this month, we will also bring you information on which casinos are the best options to play them at. We'll also give you a quick run through of the bonuses available for new players at each of the casinos, so you can see what you will get if and when you sign up.
So, what does this data tell us? We haven't received data from Red Rake Gaming for the last couple of months, so we are not going to include them in the review until we start getting information from them, but here is the most popular slots, by number of spins played, for five top slots studios in June 2019.
May 2019 Top Five
Plentiful Treasure (1)
Cash Bandits 2 (3)
Ghost Ship (Re-entry)
Aladdin's Wishes (2)
June 2019 Top Five
Caesar's Empire (Re-entry)
It's a bountiful harvest for the Plentiful Treasure slot from Realtime Gaming as the slot has held on to the top spot in the chart for the company for the fourth month in a row, a fantastic achievement and one that clearly shows the game has struck a chord with those that play Realtime Gaming slots.
In truth, it is pretty much as you were with Real Time's slots this month with four of last month's top five back in the charts. A re-entry though in second for Caesar's Empire, which means that the Sweet 16 slot may be a bit bitter about dropping down to third in June. Cash Bandits 2 also drops a spot to fourth, while Aladdin's Wishes weren't quite granted but did ensure that he finished in fifth spot once again this month.
If you want to try out any of the top Realtime Gaming slots listed above at a top quality casino then Sloto'Cash Casino is the ideal choice. Simply sign up and when you make your first deposit on the site and for that you will be eligible to receive a massive $7,777 Matched Bonus plus 300 Free Spins! This could potentially be worth up to $4,000 in bonus money if you make the maximum $1,000 deposit.
Ultimate 10X Wild (1)
Fruit Loot (New entry)
7X Lucky Sevens (2)
Cash Grab (Re-entry)
3X Wild Cherry (4)
Fruit Loot (2)
Cash Grab (4)
King Tiger (Re-entry)
Things have been getting a little fruity at WGS Technology this past month with the news that the Fruit Loot slot has jumped up one place in the charts to occupy the top spot, in doing so it knocked off the very popular Ultimate 10X Wild slot down from the top spot and into second place in the chart.
Coming in at third with a strong hand hold on the chart is the Cash Grab slot which moves up from fourth to third, while the 7X Lucky Sevens falls in the opposite direction as it drops down to fourth this month. The King Tiger slot makes a roaring return to the charts in fifth.
If you fancy playing any of the slots listed above by WGS Technology, then why not check out the current great value new player bonus on offer at Red Stag Casino? The site has recently updated its bonus offer to new players which means that now there is a fabulous $2,500 Bonus available to players across their first few deposits on site.
However, that is not the only benefit as with each deposit you make you will also qualify for some Free Spins additionally, with up to 500 Free Spins available to new customers, allowing them to trial many of the most popular slot games available at the casino.
Dark Hearts (Re-entry)
Whale O'Winnings (5)
Mystic Wolf (1)
Chariots of Fire (3)
Wishing Cup (Re-entry)
Smoking Gun (Re-entry)
Big Cash Win (Re-entry)
King Winalot (Re-entry)
5 Reel Circus (Re-entry)
Once again there are plenty of changes in the chart for Rival Gaming this month with the last number one, Dark Hearts, crashing out of the charts completely and indeed, four of last month's top five are nowhere to be seen in June's list of the top slots.
What could be the cause of this, well maybe the Smoking Gun gives us a clue. This 5-reel and 50 pay line slot didn't really impress me a huge amount when I reviewed it, but it seems I was in the minority as a fair few Rival Gaming punters have seemed to enjoy it this month. I'll be interested to see though if it retains its top five place next month.
Mystic Wolf retains its place in the top five, the only game to do so from last month, and it moves up one place from third to second. The other slots are all re-entries into the top five with Big Cash Win coming in third, King Winalot, which sounds rather like a brand of high-quality dog food if you ask me, coming in fourth and then the 5 Reel Circus slot making a return to the list in fifth.
If you want to see what the high quality slots from Rival Gaming are like for yourself, then you will need a reliable and trustworthy casino at which to play them. Slots Capital Casino is an ideal choice for this as it has a very good value bonus offer for players at the moment.
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3 Genie Wishes (1)
Wolf Gold (2)
Great Rhino (5)
Mustang Gold (New entry)
Egyptian Fortunes (New entry)
Dragon Kingdom (Re-entry)
Chilli Heat (Re-entry)
Mustang Gold (4)
There's a big change at the top of the charts for Pragmatic Play with last month's number one, 3 Genie Wishes not even making the top five this month and instead it is a triumphant return to the top five as Dragon Kingdom begins to roar long and loud to lay claim to the top spot.
If you can hear the howling at the moon in the distance then that will be the familiar tones of the Wolf Gold slot which landed in second place once again this month. Over the years, this has certainly been the most popular of all Pragmatic Play slots and its popularity still shows no sign of abating.
Spicing things up in third is the excellent Mexican themed Chilli Heat slot which makes a welcome return to this list. It lands just ahead of the Great Rhino slot, which seems to have run out of steam in its latest charge as it has dropped one place from third to fourth this month. Finally, Mustang Gold is another familiar name in the chart but it too has dropped one place from fourth to fifth in June, we have a review for this slot coming very shortly.
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Charms and Clovers (5)
Lucky 7 (1)
Magic Shoppe (Re-entry)
Jumbo Joker (2)
Viking Voyage (New entry)
Stampede (Re-entry)
Spinfinity Man (New entry)
Charms and Clovers' popularity looks like it is showing no signs of slowing, which is good news for all of those at Betsoft. The slot was the most popularly played game for Betsoft for the third month out of the last four, with only April seeing it relegated down to one of the lesser placings in this chart. Similarly, the Lucky 7 slot holds on to second place again this month and these two slots do seem to be the flavor of the month at the moment.
It's a very welcome back to the rather excellent Stampede slot in third place in this chart for June. We reviewed this slot a while back and I have to say that it is one of my personal favorites from Betsoft, so I am more than happy to see plenty of other slot players enjoying it too.
There's a new entry into this list at number four with the new release Spinfinity Man proving to be a very popular slot, racking up a strong showing despite only being released during June. We do have a review coming for you of this game very shortly (and if the link is live, then you'll know it's published on site) and we were rather impressed with this rather quirky take on the super hero slot theme. The top five is rounded off with the Jumbo Joker slot, which drops down one space from fourth to fifth in June.
If you are looking to play any of Betsoft's great slot games then one casino to consider is Box24 Casino. To get the first part of the generous new player bonus on offer, simply head over to the site and register your details and you will receive 25 Free Spins, no deposit required, to allow you to trial at least one slot on the site.
If you then decide you want to play further, you are then offered the chance of a fabulous Matched Deposit bonus on your first deposit of 200%. This will treble the amount of money you have to play with instantly at the casino and means that you get far more bang for your buck.
Remember to check back in August for the latest update on what were the most popular slots by amount of spins played for July. That article may be a little later in the month than usual as I am away on holiday for the early part of August, so we will just have to keep you on tenterhooks for a little longer to bring you the charts from July!
Next Post: Ten of the best Habanero Systems slots we've reviewed
The best Rival Gaming slots you can play right now
Ten of the best Habanero Systems slots we've reviewed
What are the most under-used (and under-appreciated) slot features?
The top Pragmatic Play games that Surewinner.com has reviewed
The ten best Betsoft Games we have reviewed at Surewinner.com
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Miriam Wagner Steps Down as Head Coach at Valparaiso
Valparaiso's head coach vacancy is the 27th to occur in Division I this offseason alone, and third we've reported in the last week. Stock photo via Jack Spitser/Spitser Photography
by Torrey Hart 6
July 11th, 2019 Coaching Changes, College, NCAA Division I Mid-Major, News
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Valparaiso University head swim coach of two years Miriam Wagner has stepped down from her role, the school announced Thursday.
She took the helm of men’s and women’ programs in December 2017 after two seasons as an assistant at her alma mater Duquesne University, where she trained the distance and mid-distance training groups.
“We are truly appreciative of the hard work Coach Wagner has invested into our swimming program over the last two years,” athletic director Mark LaBarbera said in the school’s release. “She was committed to helping our student-athletes reach their full potential, both in competition and in their academic endeavors.
Under Wagner, the men’s team transitioned into the Summit League (where they finished sixth of six teams) and the women’s team debuted in the Missouri Valley Conference (finishing eighth of eight teams), and Valparaiso swimmers set six new school records. The women’s team has been named a CSCAA Scholar All-American Team the last two semesters and the men’s team earned the distinction for the spring 2019 semester.
As a member of the Duquesne team, Wagner was a two-time Atlantic 10 champion in the 400 individual medley and broke shattered six school records: the 200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 breast, 200 breast and 400 medley relay. She was a 12-time individual Atlantic 10 conference finalist and was named a mid-major All-American before receiving her bachelor’s degree in athletic training in 2014 and masters in sports business in 2017.
Valparaiso becomes the 27th Division I school to seek a new head coach this offseason. While head coaching vacancies appeared for a time to be slowing down, earlier this week, we reported that New Mexico’s Dorsey Tierney-Walker would head to Columbus to become an assistant at Ohio State, and Eastern Illinois’ Jaqueline Michalski stepped down to become a head coach elsewhere (yet to be announced). Late last week, Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Reed Robelot also resigned.
Eleven vacancies remain with about two months until the 2019-2020 season begins: Saint Francis, William & Mary, Old Dominion, West Point, University of the Pacific, SMU (men), Denver, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Eastern Illinois, New Mexico, Valparaiso.
« Which Super-Suited Records Can Be Broken? Tier 2
Still No Deal Between Australian Broadcasters And FINA For World C’ships Airing »
Army?
Anyone have any info on the army job? Potential candidates… Front runners?
Well, we know that Jacqueline Michalski is going to have a new job soon, and she’s just left Eastern Illinois, and she’s big into New York. So, that’s one guess. But, just a guess.
AAswimmer
A typo that Jacqueline Michalski is from Eastern Michigan… isn’t she Eastern Illinois?
Yes? I think that’s what my comment says…Eastern Illinois…
Koolaide
They meant in the article
Oh, now I follow.
About Torrey Hart
Torrey is from Oakland, CA, and majors in media studies and American studies at Claremont McKenna College, where she swims distance freestyle for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Outside of SwimSwam, she has bylines at Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and The Student Life newspaper.
More from Torrey Hart
Sun Yang Expected to Face CAS Hearing in September
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Motorola Schedules Launch Event on April 19, Moto G6 Series Expected
By Rudradeep Biswas April 5th, 2018 AT 11:49 AM
Motorola has already confirmed that it’s going to launch new smartphones this month in several countries and it looks like Motorola Brazil is taking the initiative as it started sending media invites for an event to be held on April 19. While the Brazilian unit did not reveal what it’s going to launch at the event, we’re expecting the Lenovo-owned company to launch the Moto G6 and Moto E5 lineup at the event. In the past too, Motorola has launched smartphones in Brazil before making them official in other countries. Going by the reports, the Moto G6 lineup includes three phones- the standard Moto G6, the bigger Moto G6 Plus and the smaller Moto G6 Play. The Moto E5 lineup is also said to come in three versions- the Moto E5, Moto E5 Plus and the Moto E5 Play.
It’s unknown whether the company is planning to launch the Moto Z3 smartphones at the same event. As far as specifications are concerned, the Moto G6 Plus will come with a bigger 5.93-inch Full HD+ display, Snapdragon 630 SoC, up to 6GB of RAM, dual rear cameras, Android 8.0 Oreo and a 3250mAh battery. The G6 Plus is said to arrive in five different colours: Silver, Gold, White, Blue and Cyan.
Next on the list, we have the Moto G6 which is said to sport a smaller 5.7-inch Full HD+ display, Snapdragon 450 SoC, up to 4GB of RAM, dual rear cameras, Android 8.0 Oreo and a 3000mAh battery. Lastly, the Moto G6 Play is rumoured to flaunt a 5.7-inch HD+ display, Snapdragon 427 SoC, up to 3GB of RAM and a beefy 4000mAh battery. It’s unknown whether the Moto G6 Play will house dual rear cameras or not.
The Moto E5 devices, on the other hand, will be less powerful when compared to the Moto G6 devices. As stated, the Moto E5 lineup also consists of three smartphones- Moto E5, Moto E5 Plus with a massive 5000mAh battery and the Moto E5 Play aimed at some emerging markets such as India.
Right after the launch in Brazil, Motorola will launch the smartphones in India. The Moto G6 Plus will compete with the Nokia 6 (2018) in India.
Xiaomi Mi Crowdfunding Program Introduced in India
Data of 87 Million Users in Jeopardy After Facebook Scandal, Half a Million Users from India
Airtel User
Xiaomi and honor are brands for 5-6 years like Leeco and micromax. Xiaomi and honor should go back to china.
Nikhil Mumbai-Pune
I hope Honor 7X and Redmi Note 5 Pro takes up all the market this year!!!!!
BSNL Introduces Rs 96 Prepaid Voucher Offering Unlimited Calling and 100 SMS per Day for 180 Days
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As Tories and the council keep failing over Grenfell, residents demand change
Published Tue 20 Jun 2017
Residents took the lead in helping victims when the Tory council failed (Pic: Guy Smallman)
The Grenfell Tower fire showed the Tories’ contempt for working class people.
They have left survivors, grieving friends and relatives to fend for themselves.
Days after the fire, anti-social behaviour orders were hand delivered to tenants at a nearby block.
And before the fire two women who raised safety concerns were threatened with legal action.
Kensington and Chelsea’s Tory council leader Nicholas Paget-Brown has now said that tenants didn’t want sprinklers because it would cause disruption.
But Andrea Newton, vice chair of the Grenfell Tower residents’ association, told a crowd on Monday, “I don’t remember the consultation where we were given that option.”
Paget-Brown has done nothing apart from cover his own back.
Authorities announced on Monday that the number of people dead is estimated to be 79.
Zana Pazeraite is a worker from the school at the base of Grenfell Tower. “One family I know has been completely wiped out,” she said.
She told Socialist Worker, “Two women were working with me. After the incident I found out that one of them was in hospital.
“I found my other colleague’s picture attached to the mural wall where people leave messages about the missing.”
It’s likely that the real figure of the dead will never be known.
Undocumented migrants will not want to come forward to report deaths if they fear that they may be deported as a result.
A central demand of the campaign for justice must be the right for any undocumented migrants to have the right to stay here.
People are reportedly being displaced as far away as Preston. This is all while some 1,400 houses and flats lie empty across the borough.
“Theresa May promised to rehouse those who lost their homes in fire in the area, but now they sending people as far as Peterborough,” said Zana.
“If they don’t take what they are being offered, the council will consider them as intentionally homeless.
Where is the justice? Theresa May must go.”
We need to demand justice for the victims of Grenfell.
We should requisition the empty homes of the rich to house people displaced by the fire.
Fire audits are needed now, along with sprinklers fitted in all tower blocks.
The rich should be taxed to pay for these upgrades, repairs and maintenance of council housing.
Our lives must be put before the bosses’ interests and profits.
Saturday’s March for Homes demonstration can pull all these demands together.
Working class people should not have to fall asleep with the fear they may not wake up because of their landlord’s greed.
How many more Grenfells could there be?
The flammable cladding used on Grenfell is being used on some 30,000 buildings across Britain.
The Tories have ordered inspections of social housing.
That’s not enough—any building with that material on it should have it stripped off.
Yasmin from Camden, north London, came to Grenfell to volunteer to help survivors last Saturday. “The block of flats opposite my house is covered in exactly the same material,” she told Socialist Worker. “How many more are there?”
Michael Carlish, a construction project manager, organised the refurbishment of Charecroft Estate in Hammersmith and Fulham.
A similar material was used on window frames then, resulting in a fire.
“It’s not within the imagination of the people carrying out the risk assessments that the panel can come away and expose the flammable materials,” said Carlish.
New evidence shows the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation that managed Grenfell Tower did not report faults.
When he was minister for local government Eric Pickles asked local authorities to consider installing sprinklers in tower blocks. It should have been an order.
Many people who died in Grenfell would be alive for the sake of the cost of a new sprinkler system—£200,000.
One firefighter told Socialist Worker, “The strategy in a tower block is simple. The walls and the ceiling in each flat should contain the fire for 60 minutes. The scale of the loss of life at Grenfell was completely avoidable.
“Those responsible must answer for it.”
Tue 20 Jun 2017, 17:02 BST
Tories must answer for deaths in Grenfell fire
Kensington and Chelsea, where the super-rich live in luxury and the poor live in death traps
Grenfell Tower fire shows up everything wrong with our system—it's time to end it
Grenfell Tower survivors, relatives and relief workers abandoned by callous council
Bosses knew about worries over combustible cladding
'The Daily Mail won’t stop me protesting over Grenfell blaze'
'We will support Grenfell fire victims,' says Hillsborough justice campaigner
'It’s a wall of indifference', Grenfell survivor slams council
Anger over Grenfell murder needs to focus on the very top
Opening rally at Marxism Festival says, ‘We can change the world’
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The Future of the Arts: The Most Important Investment You Can Make.
via @UNCSAcam / photo: @thedotmatrix
When the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) recently reached out for support in promoting their upcoming NextNow Fundraiser and Winter Dance, I jumped at the chance. Every time I am with a UNCSA student I am reminded of why the arts matter. Where others might simply see a young actress, filmmaker, dancer or designer, I see a disciplined and innovative professional whose talent is critical to progress.
via @UNCSAcam / photo: @nlautman
I see someone who understands the importance of self-awareness and collaboration and is willing to take risks.
via @UNCSAcam / @trent.spivey
Someone who has taken the time to develop a natural voice through hard work and embodies the perseverance required to thrive in this complex world.
via @UNCSAcam / @jacob_harbeck
I am constantly in awe.
via @UNCSAcam / @jewelled_ballerina
NextNow is UNCSA’s annual scholarship benefit, and the funding generated through this event gives the school the ability to provide competitive awards that will attract and retain the very best students from around the world.
via @UNCSAcam / photo: Dane Shitagi
We, as a community, ultimately reap the rewards of these scholarships by having such an intense pool of young creative talent in our backyard with countless opportunities to see the next great artists now.
via @UNCSAcam / Dane Shitagi
Leveling the playing field for success.
This was evident as I sat with college senior, Chessa Metz in the school’s library cafe. A native North Carolinian, Chessa first learned about UNCSA, the country’s first public arts conservatory, through a summer intensive program while in high school. Shortly after attending that program she was encouraged to enroll as a full-time student to finish out her senior year of high school. “There is something about being in a place where everyone else is as invested, talented and passionate about their craft as you are. You just cannot get that in a public high school setting.”
via @UNCSAcam / photo: @boschsj_
A natural talent with a work ethic to match, Chessa earned several competitive collegiate opportunities at prominent national institutions after high school. But when it came down to making her selection, she said UNCSA was her clear choice because of the financial assistance and genuine support available to her at the school.
“With the background that I come from, I am so grateful for the chance to feel like I have the same opportunities as everyone else. To not have to constantly worry about money or feel like I’m struggling all of the time was such an incredible relief.”
“Being in an acting program, I was able to root through a lot of things that I didn’t allow myself to process growing up. I feel like I’m walking away, five years later, better able to present a truer version of myself. This is helpful in all areas of life – personal and professional.”
photo: UNCSA
She adds, “Acting is really just teaching you how to be empathetic. I’m now much easier with myself and less judgmental of others. So aside from all of the technical skills I have learned, I feel like the work I’ve done to understand myself will make the rest of my life happier.”
via @UNCSAcam / @deychen_volino
Like many UNCSA artists, Chessa certainly put the “full” in “full-time student”. A snapshot of her schedule included classes all day followed by performance rehearsals for a major musical followed by rehearsals for a second, student-run production until 1:00 am.
While her days are full, she still feels energized because she’s committed to doing something she loves – and that matters. She has also built key relationships through advisors, professors and industry professionals during her time as a student to give herself an advantage when entering the New York City market later this year.
Building confidence for life.
Filmmaking student and fellow senior, Torin Bradshaw echoes this sentiment. Raised in Memphis, Torin says that what he found most attractive about UNCSA was the unique opportunity for hands-on training from day-one. He plans to head to L.A. after graduation and says, “ I definitely feel confident about joining the film industry. After all, that is really what this school sets out to do – give real world experience so you have the confidence you need to succeed.”
photo: Jay Batchler
Like Chessa, Torin was awarded a full scholarship to cover his college expenses based on academic achievement, talent and community involvement. He still remembers his parents’ tears of joy when he was awarded his scholarship. “It took a huge financial burden off of them – and me.” Entering the workforce debt-free is invaluable to him because he can focus on building his career instead of paying off debt. While in school, his scholarship also afforded him the opportunity to forgo working multiple part-time jobs and instead invest more time on his film training. He says he learned early on that continuous practice is what sets you apart, along with constant communication and collaboration with peers. “The more you meet with your crew the better your work will be. We learned to figure things out together, like new programs and production challenges. Now I know how to successfully handle these things in the real world.”
via @UNCSAcam / @tetheredfilm
photo: @tetheredfilm
Invest in others and invest in yourself.
In a few short weeks, on Saturday, February 25th UNCSA will host their annual NextNow scholarship fundraiser, presented by Wells Fargo. It includes the School of Dance’s Winter Dance Concert, with special guests, members of the Paul Taylor II company, followed by the NextNow after-party with UNCSA students and honorary chairs, Dwana Smallwood (Dance ’93), named “one of the greatest modern dancers” by Vogue magazine, and Wanda Plemmons (Dance ’68), founder of the Academy of Dance Arts in Winston-Salem. They are promising a dance party you won’t soon forget.
photo: Peter Mueller
Tickets for the fundraiser start at $200 per person and can be purchased here. Proceeds directly benefit students like Chessa and Torin and passionate young artists like them. A small investment considering you’re helping to foster the type of talent that has historically inspired and moved us all. Plus, these students know how to put on one heck of a show, and there is no greater stage for them than the one right here, right now in Winston-Salem.
via @UNCSAcam / photo: @briancole1
Posted in Art & Design, Music & Dance, SponsoredBy Andrea @ TowniesWSLeave a comment
← Around Town :: February 3rd – 5th
Around Town :: February 10th – 12th →
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You are here: South Carolina Traffic Ticket / Legal Tips / Possible Changes Coming to South Carolina DUI Law
Possible Changes Coming to South Carolina DUI Law
In South Carolina, when a person is arrested on suspicion of DUI, the arrest must be videotaped, unless the arresting officer swears that a camera was not available at the time. All aspects of the arrest, including any field sobriety tests, must be recorded. State law establishes strict standards for these recordings. However, according to NBC Charlotte, new legislation seeks to make these standards more lenient, which could leave more drivers at risk for questionable DUI convictions.
Under current state law, flaws or technical problems in a recording of a DUI arrest may provide grounds for the dismissal of the DUI charge. According to The Post and Courier, common examples of flaws or technical issues include:
The accused individual’s face or eyes are obscured or in shadow during sobriety tests.
The accused individual’s feet are blocked or leave the frame during heel-to-toe walks.
The videotape runs out or loses sound at any point in the arrest.
These strict standards help protect against wrongful charges. Recordings can capture any departures from established law enforcement protocols. Recordings can also offer insight when DUI suspects and authorities give conflicting accounts of an event. Flawed recordings may lack crucial information that could make the difference between the dismissal of charges and an inappropriate conviction.
Proposed Changes
NBC Charlotte states that in late 2014, an investigative report called attention to South Carolina’s recording standards and various DUI cases that were dismissed as a result. Since the report, critics have expressed concern that the standards are too strict and that some DUI charges may be dismissed even if other evidence supports the charges.
Bills recently introduced in the South Carolina House and Senate would prevent the dismissal of DUI charges based on technical recording issues alone. Such issues could provide grounds for a recording to be thrown out as evidence, but this wouldn’t be an automatic outcome. Flawed recordings could theoretically be admissible in court, where the strength of the overall evidence presented in the recording would be evaluated.
Ensuring Appropriate Evidence
These changes could have adverse impacts on people accused of DUI, since even small flaws in a recording may obscure a key moment during an arrest. If either bill passes, more people may be at risk for questionable DUI charges.
At Nosal & Jeter, LLP we understand the importance of evaluating the accuracy and legitimacy of all materials used to support a DUI charge. We know how to challenge the validity of various forms of evidence, including arrest recordings. If you have been charged with DUI, we can help you ensure that no inappropriate evidence is used against you during your case.
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Tag Archives: Alison Dorsey
Nonprofit Radio for October 21, 2016: LinkedIn Volunteer Marketplace & Stop Talking At Me!
October 19, 2016 Tony Martignetti Nonprofit RadioAlison Dorsey, Christine Hughes, communications, engagement, Fundraising Day 2014, internal communications, LinkedIn, non-profit, nonprofit, Nonprofit Radio, Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio, Vikki Jones, Volunteer Marketplace, Weill Cornell Medical College, Westchester Medical Center FoundationNonprofit Radio
Listen to the October 21, 2016 archived podcast
Alison Dorsey: LinkedIn Volunteer Marketplace
Alison Dorsey is the social impact manager at LinkedIn. She wants you to understand the value of their Volunteer Marketplace and how to use it.
Vikki Jones & Christine Hughes: Stop Talking At Me!
Vikki Jones (l) & Christine Hughes at Fundraising Day 2014
Vikki Jones and Christine Hughes will help you avoid common problems and improve your internal communications between people and departments. Christine is director of individual giving and external relations at Westchester Medical Center Foundation and Vikki is planned giving officer at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Recorded at Fundraising Day 2014)
Hello and welcome to tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent. I’m your aptly named host. Oh, i’m glad you’re with me. I’d be stricken with calla boma if i saw that you missed today’s show linked in volunteermatch it place. Allison dorsey is the social impact manager at linked in she wants you to understand the value of their volunteermatch it place and how to use it and stop talking at me. Vicky jones and christine hughes will help you avoid common problems and improve your internal communications between people and departments. Christine is director of individual giving and external relations at westchester medical center foundation, and vicky is planned giving officer at weill cornell medical college that was recorded at fund-raising day twenty fourteen and both segments today are from the november seventh twenty fourteen show. And for that reason, you’re going to hear some live listener love that is spurious and erroneous because i didn’t quite give sam the show information about which one we’re going to use in time and it just it gets all complicated. You you really you don’t want to know how the sausage gets made just suffice to say today’s sausage has a little bit of trichinosis, so just a couple of cells, so make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after. After touching the rock show on tony’s, take two my charity registration webinar we’re sponsored by pursuant full service fund-raising data driven and technology enabled, you’ll raise more money pursuant dot com, and by we be spelling supercool spelling bee fundraisers. We be spelling dot com here is alison dorsey from that november seven twenty fourteen show i’m very pleased to welcome from california. Allison dorsey she’s, the social impact manager at lincoln, helping linked in members connect with non-profit opportunities. She also works with non-profits to build their brands and identify talent, and she leads lengthens veterans initiative on twitter follow-up at linkedin for good that’s the number four and, of course, the arabic number four don’t use the roman ivy linked in arabic number four good ilsen dorsey, welcome to the show. Thanks so much for having me, tony. I’m glad you’re in from california san matteo, is that right? Yeah, we’re in mount view it’s great to be in new york, a mountain view we’ll get sent matteo from i’m from near sama. Tasks okay. Are you one of the got to know? Are you one of the aipo billionaire? If only now i’m not going after that? We don’t have a billionaire on the show now. Not today. Unfortunately, both of us. Yeah. Okay. Um, what’s it like working there. I mean, that’s a pretty high energy place. Yeah. World famous world known. I don’t know how many members there are, but ten lines. Yeah, over three hundred twenty million. Two hundred twenty million. Okay, hundreds of millions what’s it like working in a place like that. It’s exciting, i think it’s a lot like you see about silicon valley fun culture. You know, we have the ping pong tables and all the people running around having a good time and it’s also a lot of people working really hard and we get, you know, there’s always the profiles of the super genius engineers who are creating the tools. And we definitely have that. Yeah, okay, they barefoot in the winter time. California that’s. It doesn’t matter that sometimes they are, but doesn’t get that. I went to carnegie mellon. Where were computer science majors? And they were they’d be barefoot or they’d be flip flops or even barefoot in the winter? Not in the snow, but that’s. Pittsburgh personally had to stay inside. Yeah, i guess they yeah. There’s. Just shuttling between their dorm and the computer. Science, but still barefoot in the winter. Yeah, but yeah. That’s. The stereotype exists for a reason. One of my very favorite co workers, this guy matthew shop, is our hacker and residents and he’s very famous for wearing flip flops all year round. Yes. Does he wear the holiday parties like family events? Everything okay? Um, what’s going on there anything before we talk about the volunteer marketplace? Anything like insider and he anything coming up exciting you can share. I think the biggest excitement right now is the content platform. You know, we have this influence or platform that you’ve probably seen where? It’s, about three hundred incredibly famous people who do their writing on lengthen now. And we opened that upto all members, and so i can now write blog’s on lengthen. You can write logs on lengthen, and they get much more attention than they probably. What if we were doing it on a stand alone website? So content on linked it. Has been a big new thing for us. Okay, cool. Now you mention the influence of some people. Our designate? Yeah, i’ve seen that on some some profiles, i think designated influence. So you’re talking about used to be on ly there were three hundred or so. Right. Right. Good block. Okay, okay. Um now when it goes over five always wondered about this when it when it goes over five hundred, you have more than five hundred connections. Right? Then it just has five hundred plus. But there are people who have tens of thousands, but they only still say five hundred plus why is that? I think it’s because we don’t want to create a competition for having the most connections that your lincoln connection should be people you really know. And if we show on your profile exactly how many you have, we might have people just trying to compete to have the most, which would be a really valuable use of lincoln’s, which conan o’brien did it want famously in the nonprofit sector? Because he shouted out beth cantor! Yeah, i remember that because that was a great red hat. That’s, right and profile he had her hurry at her profile picture on the on his show, saying that he would he was lamenting that he didn’t have as many followers as beth, who had three hundred thousand or something like that. Yeah, i think it was in the three hundred thousands, and he made fun of her saying if he wore a red hat more and she came back saying instead of focusing on my red hat, how about you shout out? I think it was giving tuesday last year, right? But he didn’t he didn’t invite i think i’ve still got a lot of attention, though, for bath and giving tuesday, so you know, he still helped in his way. Yeah, beth beth was more informed. Beth was was more valuable, though, but he brought attention certainly linked in yeah, yeah e-giving tuesday’s doing very well later in december, going henry tim’s on he’s the founder is the executive director of ninety second street y here, our city, but also credited for being the founder of e-giving tuesday, yeah, i’m a big fan of henry’s and what they’re doing e-giving tio okay, so he’ll do a recap for us in in december, great, but we have you here to talk about the volunteer marketplace. What is this, and why is it valuable for non-profits so the volunteer marketplace is how non-profits can recruit skilled volunteers and board members on lengthen and it’s valuable because linked into the largest global network of professionals in the world, and eighty two percent of them want to volunteer their skills, which is really remarkable if you think about that. Yeah, so the vast majority of people globally are saying we want a volunteer, we just need to find a place to do it, and so we’re working with non-profits now to post volunteer opportunities and their board positions on lengthen and connect those with members so it’s the same system as we use for jobs, they are essentially job postings on lengthen. We just offer them to non-profits at either an extremely heavy discount or for free. Okay, where will non-profits find volunteermatch kit place? So at non-profit dot lengthen dot com all of the resources for non-profits air there, as well as links to post opportunities on the marketplace. Okay, and we’re going to talk about some of the resources i was clicking through. There’s some good. Stuff in there. Um, why? Why are we still called? Cos provoc way get that thing, i think it’s really just about having one tool that everyone uses. I get this question all the time, people saying, hey, why do i have to have a company page on dh? But we’re going non-profit dot lengthen dot com, right, right, but it’s so much we can provide so much more value as a company by using the tools we already have than building new tools for non-profits so we give non-profits company pages, we give them job postings instead of re creating tools that are just non-profit pages and have it be the same thing? Yeah, i mean, but like, just on the screens, couldn’t we just say non-profit name instead of company name? Could we could we do that? Yeah, yeah, i understand that. I mean, we we definitely know it’s. Ah, something that non-profits would prefer we’re working on the clerks. Um, yeah. It’s like, you know, we’re trying to be we are different. Yeah, non-profits are different. Andi. I know i’m not the first person to mention it, but okay, so you go to non-profit that linked in dot com and then you click volunteer opportunities. Is that right? So on non-profit darlington dot com there are a few different pages. One of them is fine volunteers, and that talks a lot about posting and searching there’s another tab for finding board members, and that really focuses first on searching because we also offer non-profits of free premium subscription that enables greater search visibility specifically to find board members. That’s the board connect you’re talking about okay, okay? And we have talked about that on the show, and you and i may have a chance to talk more about that bmc argast got boardmember connect, okay, but for posting the volunteer opportunities you click, click post volunteer opportunities, right? Right. So when you’re on non-profit, darling, do not come and you click any of those post links they send you right into the job posting flow just with a discount code there so that you get the discount. Oppcoll yeah, ninety percent discount is that right? Yeah, but actually i really want to offer all of the listeners to the show free volunteer postings, and so we will have a new option available where if you email volunteermatch murcott place at lincoln dot com and you say that you are listening to tony’s show today, we will send you a free posting code to be able to try out the volunteer marketplace. Okay, we have to say this again. You email volunteermatch kit place at linkedin dot com. Is that right? Yes. That’s. Right. Ok. And just and mentioned non-profit radio. Exactly. Okay, and this will be a test to see. Ah, you know what kind of ligeti this show’s got? Um that’ll be interesting because sometimes podcast listeners it’s a little tough to get feedback from them. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but i know they’re out there because i see the download statistics, but to try to survey them, get them to feedback. Um, it’s it’s difficult, you know, i’m not trying make apologies, but i’m just letting you know now i can understand that i think they kind of do their podcast listening all in one stream of things like that, right? Or they’re driving while podcast is on, and so they’re not in front of their computer to e mail me write for them the third out of five that they listen to we got to take a break, alison and i’ll keep talking about the volunteer marketplace. Stay with us, you’re tuned to non-profit radio. Tony martignetti also hosts a podcast for the chronicle of philanthropy. Fund-raising fundamentals is a quick ten minute burst of fund-raising insights published once a month. Tony’s guests are expert in crowdfunding, mobile giving event fund-raising direct mail and donor cultivation. Really, all the fund-raising issues that make you wonder, am i doing this right? Is there a better way there is? Find the fund-raising fundamentals archive it. Tony martignetti dot com that’s marketmesuite n e t t i remember there’s, a g before the end, thousands of listeners have subscribed on itunes. You can also learn maura, the chronicle website, philanthropy dot com fund-raising fundamentals, the better way. Welcome back to big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent let’s do live listener love in the us? We’ve got multiple live listeners, but they’re yours. They’re masked. I don’t know, we don’t know even what state it is, i don’t and i don’t know why they’re mask that’s unusual but live listener love to our unidentified us listeners, and in japan we’ve got listeners tokyo, chiba and yokohama. Konnichi juana is more live listener love coming. Allison dorsey, thank you again for that generous offer, you’re welcome for non-profit radio listeners were so thrilled offering, but we’re looking for more people to try out the volunteer marketplace and get to connect with lengthened members looking to serve okay, three hundred twenty million and eighty six percent one of volunteers they are, yeah, metoo doesn’t wanna volunteer, and seventy eight percent want to be on a non-profit board it’s also pretty remarkable that is that’s outstanding and board connect. I hope we have time to talk about that. But we have covered that on another show before. Um okay, what are i mean, that’s? Another little thing? Yeah. It’s called it’s called job not volunteer opportunity. Right, so look for jobs don’t look for the window don’t look for the place to enter the volunteer opportunity will be called job well when you’re on non-profit darlington dot com it’ll say volunteer opportunity when you click over yet puts you into the job posting flow, and then when we send it to members that comes through in two ways. One lift your aa member who’s looking to volunteer, and you see all of your job recommendations from lengthen your right, they’re listed as jobs. The volunteer positions are mixed in with those based on your skills and interesting experience where we think you’d like to volunteer. And then if you are one of the members, think around six million now, something like that. Members who have added the volunteering causes field to your profile. We know that you have an extra interest in social causes, so we send you separate emails of just volunteer opportunities. Ok? We’re going to talk about that because i know you want you want non-profits to encourage their volunteers toe add that time were going absolutely. Get that. Okay. Um, what is cem cem common volunteer opportunities that you see, i think our most successful campaign so far has been around social impact managers. Sorry, social media managers. We see this all the time, especially on linked in, you know, a non-profit joints linked in, they set up a new company page, and now they need someone to help them manage that company page and post the right content and get more followers. And so that’s, our most common is people saying, okay, i need a volunteer to be my social media manager and also managed those those lesser twitter a secondary second responsibilities from social media yeah, way focus a fair amount on this show. Amy sample ward is the ceo of intend the non-profit technology and i heard her show with you last week. Yeah, she’s on every month talking she’s, our social media contributor is i know that that is a big difficulty. Big challenge for non-profits first deciding where to be you have to consider your resource is time and especially time and my right where to be and then how to keep that active what’s your advice around keeping the company page for a non-profit active what should we be doing? Yeah, i think the best thing to do is to distribute that responsibility so it’s good to have a social media manager who keeps track of everything and make sure that there’s enough content and that its content that’s engaging the followers. But it’s also really helpful tohave multiple people in the organization keeping this top of mind and either posting information themselves or funneling that information to that social media manager for them to post then the other thing is to post different types of content, you know, maybe a graph speaks to me, and i like to see data in that way, and maybe a video speaks to you, so having that variety of content forms so that different types of people can stay engaged with paige, we have to remember to there are lot of non-profits small and midsize that don’t have a social media manager, right? Maybe they have a volunteer if they’re lucky, but a lot of times it’s falling to the earth, person in charge of fundraising, director, development a lot of times, even smaller organizations, it could be falling on the executive director, right? So empowering others, including at those smaller organizations, the volunteers absolutely you encouraging an empowering feeding content? Right? Yeah. And i also think that it’s a great role for a volunteer tohave who’s. Not looking for a big commitment. If you say please post into my group around my company page every monday. You know, giving a really small role, teo, someone who wants to be involved with your organisation but doesn’t necessarily want to commit to being your overall social media manager. You mentioned opening up blogging now is that is that possible on the company pages so it’s on your individual account. So you posted and it links to your profile. And then what we see a lot of non-profits do is then post links to those on their company page. So if their executive director rhoda blogged, then they would link to it on the company page and is video a possibility there, too? Yes. Okay. In the volunteer opportunity section, i mentioned there’s a lot of resources. You got something from some advice from catching fire? Yeah. How to do the best. Ah, profile. Best volunteer opportunities. Profile. Yeah. There’s other resource is there? Yeah, absolutely. So catching fire provided a lot of those sample descriptions of skilled volunteer opportunities and they’ve been a really great partner of ours on the volunteer side and then bored source created sample postings on the board side because non-profits air frequently posting both board openings and volunteer partings. So those templates around there, and then we also have just kind of advice there, so separate from here is the template description is here’s how to make sure you’re representing yourself well on linked in, you want to have a strong company page so that when you write your volunteered job description, you’re linking over to that company page, and you’re keeping one centralized brand on lengthen. So a lot of those recommendations are on that site. The catch a fire ceo has been on the show. I know that, you know that too fantastic and following the show. Oh, yeah, cool. Not just saying that i don’t know what you really did. Look. Okay, let’s, talk about the this is interesting. The those profiles company profile pages for non-profits advice about keeping those up to date. I mean, aside from what you already mentioned and advice about maybe creating one if you don’t have one. Yeah, so that actually we got a lot of questions around. Should i have a profile for my organization? And yes, you absolutely should, but it should be a company page, so you don’t set up a separate account like a person instead, within your individual must take a lot of people make the page, they make a personal page because maybe company confuses them or you just don’t know, ok, but it should be, and i think it feels a little different to do it within your personal account, and so sometimes that throws people off. So once you’re within your personal account on the top of langton, there is a tab that says interests within that tab is the option for cos you follow, and when you’re looking at your list of companies you follow for other company pages, there’s also the option to create your own company page so that’s where you would do it, and then you would be the administrator of that company page. Okay, and how about advice on setting those up? Yes, so the setup process actually only takes about five minutes. You’re going to probably paste in information that you already have on your website about your mission and your values and your programs. And then i think images air really important. So usually i recommend tohave your logo be thie image that’s associated with that page whenever anyone links to it. And then you’ll also have the opportunity for a background image. So there i think it makes sense. Tohave, you know, smiling faces of the people you serve have it be really programmatic image and then post updates. That’s the best thing you could do is post updates there all the time. And i think a little known fact about most social networks is that the majority of actions taken on linked in our one member copying another member. So tony posts on update about non-profit who he follows, and then i go follow that company paid, too, because i trust tony and his instincts on which non-profits have content i’d want to see. So if you are just getting your company page going and you want more followers ah, great thing to do is to send the link to your company page out to your board, your volunteers, your other supporters and ask all of them to follow it. And then when they take that action and follow it, it will be shared with their network so everyone they know we’ll find out about your organization, okay? And that’s how your stream gets propagated out. Exactly. Okay, your page gets gets noticed. Okay, um, let’s see? Well, uh, you were encouraging. We also want to encourage hyre employees and our volunteers to take actions around our company page right kapin okay, we’ll start with the employees. What should they be doing? So your employees should to start with have strong linked in profile, so that that means is they have a photo. They have a summary. They have their experiences listed, and within their experiences they’ve listed you as their employer, and they’ve linked to your company page when they do that, so they’re selecting your name exactly as you have it on the company paid and then on your company page, it will show who all of your employees are. So those brands are linked, and they could also put the name of your organization within the list of organizations they support which just shows that they believe in your mission is organizations who support. Is that something you have to add or that’s by default on a profile? So that is within the volunteering causes field so you can choose to add that field, and when you’re setting up that field, you’ll be asked about thie organizations you support the cause you care about the ways in which you volunteer and how you’d like to volunteer in the future, and that one is really interesting to us or how you’d like to give of your time and talent. It’s actually, the first time we’ve asked a question on the profile so it’s, the first ford looking party, your profile where you get to eighty two percent so that’s from survey. So this new check box that says, how would you like to give your time and talent? You can check skilled volunteering or board service that has, i think around three million people who have checked that and it’s growing really rapidly every week, and so that’s part of why we’re so focused on getting mohr volunteer opportunities up on lengthen is to feed the demand from those professionals who are saying, hey, linked in, i’d like to serve you asked me if i would, and so now we’re we want to be ableto answer them and give them the right opportunities for them to fill in let’s, go to volunteers. What wish? What should be encouraged should we be encouraging our volunteers to do teo show their allegiance to the organization? So within that same section, they should be putting you on organizations they support, and they should be listing their volunteer experience within that field and again, linking over to your company paid so everyone knows that they’re volunteermatch your organization, and then they should be the most active proponents of your company page. They should be sharing your updates out with their network so their network knows that they care about this, and they’re keeping your mission and programs top of mind for all of the people that they know. And how does that how do they share? So when you post an update it they’ll see that on your company page. Yeah, and there’s just a share button on the update so they’ll share it out with their network. Any any unusual, weird volunteer opportunities that you’ve seen way see so many great ones. I don’t know if this is weird, but we our favorite story lately has been one warm our love story. They’re amazing. So one warm coat, i think, goes to that point of what you’re saying, you know, some small organizations don’t have a social media manager and might think that they don’t have time to do these things. And one warm coat is an all volunteer run organization where their board share sherry would has been so forward leading on all new tools. So when we launch boardmember connect, she joined it right away to use premium search to find boardmember sze. Then when we started testing out two years ago, what would it look like if we were to have volunteered board postings on lengthen? She volunteered to test those out, and then she found two new board members through these postings, and one was in seattle and was in texas. And this is ah, nationwide organization. So people aren’t in touch all the time, and she realized, you know, i really want to be able teo build community among my board members have a brain trust so that we can really set the strategic plan the next three, five years. And so let’s have a retreat and let’s get some volunteers who could be strategic planning consultants. Teo, facilitate those discussions managed the retreat really get us tto plan by the end. So she posted on linked in again. And she found this strategic planning consultant who said she would love teo volunteer her time during that weekend, and that she also want to bring in a friend of hers because he thought it needed to planner’s so they were amazing. They facilitated this whole retrieve they actually filmed themselves saying thank you for the opportunity and senate and dust, which was pretty cute. And, you know, sherry would the director of one warm coat, the chairwoman, one warm coat, one warm coat they collected and distributed four million coach last year. And it’s all volunteers. So i feel like if sheri and her volunteers have enough time to find a volunteer to manage their social media, really everyone khun take that opportunity because it doesn’t have to be you. It could be someone else who wants to volunteer their time. We have a couple of minutes let’s talk about the boardmember connect is the way of finding boardmember sze let’s, let’s remind listeners because its been many months or maybe even over a year since i’ve we’ve talked about this, and actually we have some updates since then. So one very exciting change on lengthen is that there’s a non-profit interest search fassett, this is a free search fast it available in everyone. Search experience on lengthen, and it allows you to identify those specific members that i was talking about who have checked the box, saying that they want to do skilled volunteering or serve on a non-profit board. So if you wanted to find someone in new york who has finance expertise and who is passionate about education and who wants to be on a board, you could select all of those facets within lincoln, search and find the hundred or two hundred or three hundred people that meet that criteria outstanding. Yeah, it allows you to tape a powerful, sir. Absolutely. You know, you could go from the three hundred and twenty six million lengthened members to drop down there going. Oh, yeah, all the time. But you could go from this huge pool where the huge pool is not really useful in and of itself. It’s. Only useful when we can take that pool down, teo the hundred or so that are exact members are going to talk to you. Okay, um, what do you love about the work? You do it, lincoln. I love the non-profits they’re using the tools we feel so lucky to get individual stories sent in all the time i managed our email aliases. So, like, i was saying, you can email volunteer marketplace that lengthen dot com that inbox gets so many great inbounds from non-profits saying, you know, i needed a logo and i knew i didn’t have money to pay for a logo, and then i found this volunteer on linkedin and here, check out the logo he designed for me. It’s so rewarding to hear how it’s actually working outstanding and the offer again is for ah, for free posting of volunteer opportunity, you email volunteermatch marketplace at lincoln dot com ilsen dorsey, it sounds like you’re going to be the one who sees the emails. I will, and then i’ll send you your free posting codes, okay? And mentioned non-profit radio, of course, in that important email. Thank you very much for being against. Yeah, thank you so much for having me. And i’m glad it worked. My pleasure. I’m glad it. Worked out that you’d come in the studio and you can find them again on twitter, follow at linked in four arabic number for good that linked in for good allison dorsey, thank you again. Yeah, thanks, tony. My pleasure, tony steak too, and stop talking at me are coming up first. Pursuant they’ve got another free resource for you it’s the donor pipeline report card it’ll help you evaluate the health of your pipeline spot possible weaknesses and you’re donorsearch i plein and help you spot areas of greatest opportunity it’s an infographic you’ll find it at pursuant dot com under resource is check that one out. We’ll be spelling spelling bees for non-profit fund-raising they’re not like the spelling bees that you are accustomed to through your years. They have live music and dancing and stand up comedy, and of course they’re raising money for your charity, and they weave spelling in there. Also take a look at the video ideal events for millennials the video is that we be ea spelling dot com now tony steak too! I’ve got a webinar coming up it is charity registration demystified it’s hosted by rally up, which isn’t all in one fund-raising platform rally up dot com i’m going to explain in plain language what this charity registration morass is all about so that you can get your organization properly registered in each state where you are soliciting donations like, why do you need to comply? What’s, what happens if you don’t? And how do you register and how to exemptions, work and one of the forms? And i’ll be taking questions, of course. Get those questions answered from you, it’s on october twenty fifth, it’s at one thirty eastern it’s free free webinar my video with a link to register for the webinar is at tony martignetti dot com. And that is tony’s take two now for quick, non spurious real time live listen, love podcast pleasantries and affiliate affections you know that all three of those go out last week i felt bad gave it a little short shrift. We ran out of time. I hate that it cost me nausea and wolber rig mus last week after that happened. So the live listener love the podcast pleasantries and the affiliate affections are going out to you. Here are vicky jones and christine use stop talking at me. Welcome to tony martignetti non-profit radio coverage of fund-raising day two thousand fourteen or in times square. New york city at the marriott marquis hotel. And with me now, are you, christine use and vicky jones. Christine is director of individual giving and external relations at the westchester medical center foundation. And vicky jones is planned giving officer weill cornell medical college. Ladies welcome. Thank you. Thank you, tony. Thank you for inviting your welcome. Glad to have you. Thank you very much. Your seminar topic is it’s all about communication. Vicki. Let’s, let’s. Start with you. Why? Let’s make it explicit? Why is communication so important? Well, it’s, especially important in the world of flynn of playing e-giving for many reasons, your donor may no longer be able to help you realize how the gift is to be allocated when the gift actually comes in. So communications and understanding that donor’s intent documenting that gift is very, very important. And, christine, what do we see non-profits not doing so well around communication? Well, i think communication is the key to relationship building. And i think that is really the basis for our line of work. Weigh have tio you. Know, build, strong, concise and really just heartfelt relationships and without good communication skills, you can’t do that. So and, you know, we’re we’re focusing on internal communication is that you’re focusing on the but in the office, correct. So in order to i think to have a strong outreach, you need a very strong to build a very strong infrastructure within the organization and that’s all based on communication and relationships. Okay, where do we get started with this? So take it. So so for me, i know we don’t we don’t do like volleyball. You talk for a few minutes, a few minutes, he took great. So i know for me a lot of times the challenge has been to build internal communications, internal relationships, and one of the i think i think the best way to start is just getting off your chair in your office and going around visiting the other departments that you need to work closely with developing strong relationships, inviting them out to lunch, making sure that you’re all on the same page, figuring out how you can help each other, how you can work together and i think it’s a lot of fun and one of the results i’ve had and i’m sure vicky would agree is, you know, when you leave in an organization you leave with all of those wonderful network, you know, that wonderful network and all those those contacts. Zoho so it’s, uh, not always necessary to just send an email to a colleague who maybe in the office next door cubicle down the hall we can actually get up on go talk to them? Absolutely yeah, email, email is so misrepresented or miss spread in many cases, people will read a tone into something that may not even be there. So i think that when you have communicated face-to-face is a good idea, and then just really saying it was great talking with you, i think this is a great plan and just reiterating what you decided to do based on those communications closer, very important and yeah, email texting i mean, haven’t we sort of lost the the art of face-to-face on dh, the joy of face-to-face i mean, isn’t it for me? I’m so much more pleasurable to have a conversation where i can see the person now a lot of times, it’s not feasible. But when it is when it’s just a walk down the hall, vicky, i mean, shouldn’t we take the walk? Oh, yeah, i think the walk. We have a lovely deep bass voice. Have you a radio trained or opera singer? I think i’m just coming back from either bronchitis or pneumonia, so i just got me on a good day. I got it perfectly. Uh, okay. Let’s, let’s, let’s, let’s. Go back. Christine, what are some strategies were beyond? You know what we talked about so far? And we have a good amount of time together. What else should be paying attention to internally? Well, i’ll just give you some examples of what i’ve done. And it’s been it’s been fairly successful so far. But, you know, basically again identifying the key department that you need to work with, figuring out how you can work together and making it attractive for them. So for instance, you know, just skip over. I know i’m in the world of health care, but in the world of education, admissions and advancement, if they can team up together, they can work together to pair alumni and incoming students and prospective parents and it’s. The most magical thing in the world and it’s so easy to dio but it’s just again, it’s just forming that relationship and we all know here that when relationships, they’re going arrive of the reason usually is because of communication, communication, breakdowns, miscommunication. So if we can really work on those skills and be very proactive, which i think is what we’re talking about, i think we can really change the landscape again building that internal network building the internal structure really speaks volume when you step outside of that institution and go out into the community and start spreading the good word about that institution. If you’ve got a strong network inside, it is amazing what you can do. You know, tony, one of the wonderful things about working at weill cornell medical college for thirteen years is that i’ve built a lot of relationships, not only with my donors, several physicians and faculty of the universe with the medical college, and we also because in dealing with playing, giving, you have to work with your director of operations. You have to also, in my particular case, work with cornell university’s, department of gift in trust, administration and when you work with somebody and in that function in so many different ways, you’re able to identify this, this is a problem, how are we going to be able to stop this from happening or re occurring in cannes? Come on, what are the steps that we can ensure that this one market and you have that relationship history so that you’re not only going to your colleagues when there’s a problem, but you have a long history of working together around problems, and i didn’t very smooth times that when a problem does develop, you’ve got that history behind treyz next-gen one of my favorite things to do, too. And now speaking more towards the medical side of it is just taking doctor’s out to coffee and identifying identifying what it is. They’re funding opportunities are what their hopes and dreams are. And then when you sit down and talk to donors and their expression, a certain wish to be apart, you know, have a philanthropic foot print at yours institution it’s really wonderful because you have all this knowledge in your head about the doctors and the researchers and what it is they want. Teo moved forward. With so i think a lot of what we’re talking about is just consciousness. You have to be conscious of deepening relationship, getting up from your chair, going to talk to colleagues, going to lunch with colleagues, it seems, you know so basic, but we’ve lost we’ve lost consciousness, i think about a lot of these things, tony, one of the things i’ve been working on in the past year is to try and break down the silos in playing e-giving there are many gift officers that i worked closely with that we’ll work together in meeting with a donor and discussing dinner situation with the donor on the telephone and meet with them together, and what i tried to do is i try to make sure that my colleague gets a shout out when any kind of playing gift happens, even if it comes through the annual phone let’s they perhaps somebody passed way. All right, this i always look at the donors giving history, and then i’ll say so and so passed away just received two hundred fifty thousand dollars through there, a state plan towards cancer research they gave for years to doctor and morris breast cancer. Research and i help the people that have been working in building the program know that they’ve been successful in a way they’re not maybe realizing so it’s, you know, it’s, it helps them build their understanding of playing, giving and make them a little more secure with concern. Among a lot of fundraisers is that if i give credit elsewhere, then i i’ve diminished my contribution to the to the to the gift you’re a plan to give the officer and you’re giving credit to the annual fund. A lot of people would think that, well, you know, now now my my vice president or directed development may not appreciate my role in that in that gift. How do we overcome that thinking what i try to do is they try and save this is, you know, i laugh and i told people i don’t get paid commission, so it really doesn’t matter, but what i want to do is to show a serious building relationships of working with gift officers, working in collaboration, you know, we’re trying to say that as gift officers, major gift officers working with our donors, we want to be able to tell them. Yes, i have thought about maybe, including will. I want my gift officers to work with me on a one to one level so that they can hear me saying to the donor, oh, i’m sorry. I have to ask to stay a couple of questions. I hope they’re not too sensitive, and that reassures the gift officers and understanding and feeling a little more comfortable themselves in approaching this questions. So as far as getting credit are, we’re working towards making metrics for our major gift officers and principal gift officers that they work her assist on a plank after two or three within a quarter. But where is beginning to incorporating that by incorporating that, we’re encouraging people to work together. More clap, christine is there. Is there another thought that you might have around? Measuring employees methods of collaboration so that it sort of becomes part of their their formal evaluation process. Well, one of my experiences just recently, too, has been that when you collaborate, it really inspires you to think outside of the box so normally funding sources that everyone thinks about, you know, again, we’re all sort of going after those individual donors, you know, corpse and found things like that. And recently, just sitting in a meeting and i heard a doctor give a presentation, and it reminded me of the research that was going on at a pharmaceutical company, not too far away from where we’re located. So it’s sort of opened up my creative juices, teo, maybe start talking, having talks with that pharmaceutical company to underwrite some of the research that we were doing. That really was a great match. And so i was able to work with the doctor, other team members. So we have team members on our development staff at our corpse and founds the, you know, corporate relations. So we were able to really pull in my individual giving experience with corpse and found with the doctor in the researcher and then the senior staff. And it was it was. It was an incredible collaboration, and it’s been very successful. So i love the way that vicky talks to collaboration and how important it is and how it’s being measured. But what i think the part that really astounds me is the amount of just ingenuity that is a result of, you know, innovativeness, that’s, a result of that collaboration. Like what you’re hearing a non-profit radio tony’s got more on youtube, you’ll find clips from stand up comedy tv spots and exclusive interviews catch guests like seth gordon. Craig newmark, the founder of craigslist marquis of eco enterprises, charles best from donors choose dot org’s aria finger, do something that worked. And naomi levine from new york universities heimans center on philantech tony tweets to, he finds the best content from the most knowledgeable, interesting people in and around non-profits to share on his stream. If you have valuable info, he wants to re tweet you during the show. You can join the conversation on twitter using hashtag non-profit radio twitter is an easy way to reach tony he’s at tony martignetti narasimhan t i g e n e t t i remember there’s a g before the end he hosts a podcast for the chronicle of philanthropy fund-raising fundamentals is a short monthly show devoted to getting over your fund-raising hartals just like non-profit radio, toni talks to leading thinkers, experts and cool people with great ideas. As one fan said, tony picks their brains and i don’t have to leave my office fund-raising fundamentals was recently dubbed the most helpful non-profit podcast you have ever heard. You can also join the conversation on facebook, where you can ask questions before or after the show. The guests were there, too. Get insider show alerts by email, tony tells you who’s on each week and always includes link so that you can contact guests directly. To sign up, visit the facebook page for tony martignetti dot com. I’m dana ostomel, ceo of deposit, a gift. And you’re listening to tony martignetti non-profit radio. Big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent. Yeah. I think you’re doing a lot of nodding. Oh, yeah, yeah. That’s what i love about playing giving its i used to joke around with one of my former directors and i said, it’s kind of like mcdonalds too. You want deal number one don’t number to remember three it’s like once you get together with your donor and you’re talking about what are they interested in? Then you start thinking there’s a project and you know, how much money do they think they could do? Do they realize they could stretch it out over five years? Do they realize that they might be able to create a chair? Believe trust that could provide a income for their child and at the same time provide a societal gift to the medical college? You know, those air, the exciting things, and i think that when everybody starts talking about possibilities that’s, what’s amazing that deal one, two and three also reminds me of monty hall let’s make a deal. I was i was on let’s make a deal in my early twenties, like a deal. What was your costume? I’ve had a green cut out a piece of carpet and my sign said, monty, don’t be a jerk. Let’s. Make a deal. Don’t be a girl. There’s a there’s a deal and let’s make a deal. You don’t say let’s. Make a deal. Did you let’s make a deal? Oh, you did, d i don’t know don’t know. Don’t be a girl, let’s make a deal. Correct. Did monty pick you? I did get picked by you. Did you? Did you indeed a rubber band or a paper clip or something? That he was? I’ll give five dollars for the next rumor mill. I was offered door number one, two and three. And how did you do? I did. Well, i walked away with twenty five thousand dollars. Oh, my goodness. No kidding. That’s well and yeah, that’s. Outstanding. Yeah, about it in a box in new york candy bars. Go figure it’s better than a case of canned squid behind door number three. You got the song? So that was the big deal. You want the big deal? You know, it was more the first deal of the day. Oh, it wasn’t even the deal. Did he ask you if you wanted to trade your oh, yeah, traded every door. But you didn’t. You didn’t trade, you know, i think that’s where i got my first experience. And looking at playing, giving, like, do i really want to do this? Or how about that, eh? So you held on. You held on to your twenty five thousand dollar deal, has spent it quickly. How cool! Glad i mentioned it, by the way. You know, the lights overhead lights went out martignetti non-profit radio with casey crown, the lights are our lights never damn way. Go right through. That doesn’t matter here, uh, bring on the earthquake. No earthquake coming now don’t don’t. Okay, what else? Communications your seminar description. It’s all about communication. You mentioned events. Things can go wrong. Miscommunications around events. Somebody have a story about that or something admonition or something like a bout of each one of us are doing as a certain topic. I’m sure that both christine and i could talk about snappers and events, a lot of them, but we’re actually today i’m the one i’m going to be talking with. The workshop i’m goingto be leading is called dahna a donor disease in a doctor on what we’re going to be doing this. We’re gonna be talking about how a donor came and decided he wanted to support huntington’s research and he wanted to be with one of our top physicians that was doing research in that department. And then we’re going to talk about communications that happened involving that deal of you know what? He wanted to find and this makes the snafu who’s with this started with the fact that he was talking with the director of playing giving at new york presbyterian hospital. Many of you and our donors also were confused as to what’s new york presbyterian hospital while cornell medical center. Well, talk about communications mean, now, that’s not your department is branding and marketing, but that is that is there absolutely right? That is critical. There’s a lot of misunderstanding just in the general population of new york city. Where the heck newyork presbyterian, weill cornell and begin well, it’s a wonderful partnership, but what happens is when we’re working with their donors, we really have to listen to what they’re talking about supporting in this particular case, the the donor met with the director of playing, giving and the head of the department, and they did a little walk through, and the doctor discussed the kind of research he was doing on the donor was in love with everything that was going on and said, this is great, i want include something in my estate plan. I want to find an assistant professorship or maybe a full professorship. And at that point, the director of playing e-giving for new york presbyterian hospital went, i’m gonna have to give you to the medical college because the professorships air with college, because so so we have a collaborative work. Exactly. So he introduced me to the diner, and we put together a suggested request language for the the donor to help achieve his goal. Okay, in a collaboration, well, you know, actually, we could he handed it off to me because you can’t after that point wants to realize with gift is really going to benefit another organization, you know, you know, it’s professional e-giving professionals, we all have unethical standard. We have toe here too. And so, you know, knowing that professorship was, you know, through the medical college, he knew he couldn’t facilitate the gift any kindly directed the donor in the right direction. Christine, what is what are you sharing? So basically, i’m talking about something that mickey mentioned earlier about the silo ing and give you a quick example in the educational arena that i used to work in. And just, you know, just this morning i had a a meeting with a donor i had been trying to get a meeting with for nine months, and the key to the meeting was the chaplaincy at the hospital chaplain, one of the chaplains of the hospital, she this particular dahna was very connected to him personally, and it was because of that relationship, and i was able to get the meaning and working with him in collaboration. So here i am fundraiser working with chaplin, teo teo, just educate the donor, thank the donor for their gift and then to educate the donor on the programs that are coming up to see if there was anything she’d be interested in funding in the future and, you know, it’s like magic, i think you know, vicky would agree. It’s it’s, amazing when you have those internal relationships and those collaborations, the strength of your meeting is phenomenal, and i think that really shines through to the donor. So you’re really presenting a well unified well, educate, you know, you’re you’re well educated, your unified and i think it just presents a great picture to the donor and you feel the key to those relationships is communication. Absolutely so i’m one teo always get up from my chair. And, you know, walk to somebody’s office or walk around the hospital or, you know, go and visit a physician, i think the best place to have those informal meetings in the cafeteria and the coffee shop and those air sometimes some of my best meetings internally just catching up with people, finding out how they’re doing, you know, finding out what they did on the weekend and and all that time you’re building those great, trusting relationships internally, look, you’ll be doing a lot of nodding, yeah, because it’s that’s a wonderful thing i love is that love building relations it’s just it’s always i’ve always been a people person, you know? In addition to being fine getting officer welcomed a medical college, i’m also the president of the philanthropic planning group of greater new york, and what i really like about that organization is the closeness of the relationship between playing, giving people throughout the entire community. Um, you know, it’s, it’s, great tohave relationships that build over the years, one of the things that we know by staffing donors and since i’ve been there for thirteen years, it’s really quite unusual in the non for-profit world is that unfortunately, i’ve seen some of my gifts become realized, but i’ve developed relationships with my donors who at one time wanted to make a gift for cancer research because they knew somebody who had cancer. And then what happened is they learned about stem cell or the geo gnome, and they’re so excited about the science that’s happening today they’re like, oh, thank you. Tell me more about this what’s going on with that, and they wanted that, you know, our donors really want to know more about basic science and about what are we doing and how you’re curing diseases? And what do you mean some forms of lin former now curable? They’re very excited they have this huge, you know, diversion of interest. Now what’s the lesson in communications, you have to keep fluid, because usually what happens in the medical institution? Our gift officers work in either neural cancer. They work in pods, surgery, breaking down those silos right your earlier in christine’s. Exactly, because even though you’re you have a cancer donor-centric might change, but it’s building the relationship with a donor that you’re able to really truly understand, you got to get outside your own world. Exactly. Ladies, we have to leave it there. Thank you very much. Thanks, danny. My pleasure. Christine hughes, director of individual giving, an external relations at westchester medical center foundation and vicky jones, planned e-giving officer for weill cornell medical college. Thanks again. Thanks. Thanks much pleasure listening to tony martignetti non-profit radio coverage of fund-raising day two thousand fourteen. Next week. Have i ever let you down? I won’t. Again. Professor eugene fram returns with his new book going for impact the non-profit director’s essential guide book. If you missed any part of today’s show, find it on tony martignetti dot com, i beseech you, responsive by pursuant online tools for small and midsize non-profits data driven and technology enabled, and by we be spelling supercool spelling bee fundraisers. We be spelling dot com. Our creative producers. Claire miree half sam liebowitz is a line producer. Gavin dollars are am and fm outreach director shows social media is by susan chavez. And this great music is by scott stein be with me next week for non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent. Go out and be great. What’s not to love about non-profit radio tony gets the best guests check this out from seth godin this’s the first revolution since tv nineteen fifty and henry ford nineteen twenty it’s the revolution of our lifetime here’s a smart, simple idea from craigslist founder craig newmark insights orn presentation or anything? People don’t really need the fancy stuff they need something which is simple and fast. When’s the best time to post on facebook facebook’s andrew noise nose at traffic is at an all time hyre on nine a m or eight pm so that’s when you should be posting your most meaningful post here’s aria finger ceo of do something dot or ge young people are not going to be involved in social change if it’s boring and they don’t see the impact of what they’re doing so you got to make it fun and applicable to these young people look so otherwise a fifteen and sixteen year old they have better things to dio they have xbox, they have tv, they have their cell phones. Me dar is the founder of idealist took two or three years for foundation staff to sort of dane toe add an email address card. It was like it was phone. This email thing is fired-up that’s why should i give it away? Charles best founded donors choose dot or ge somehow they’ve gotten in touch kind of offline as it were on dh and no two exchanges of brownies and visits and physical gift. Mark echo is the founder and ceo of eco enterprises. You may be wearing his hoodies and shirts. Tony talked to him. Yeah, you know, i just i’m a big believer that’s not what you make in life. It sze, you know, tell you make people feel this is public radio host majora carter. Innovation is in the power of understanding that you don’t just do it. You put money on a situation expected to hell. You put money in a situation and invested and expected to grow and savvy advice for success from eric sacristan. What separates those who achieve from those who do not is in direct proportion to one’s ability to ask others for help. The smartest experts and leading thinkers air on tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent.
Nonprofit Radio for November 7, 2014: LinkedIn Volunteer Marketplace & Stop Talking At Me!
November 5, 2014 Planned GivingAlison Dorsey, Christine Hughes, Fundraising Day 2014, internal communications, LinkedIn, Vikki Jones, Volunteer Marketplace, Volunteer Recruitment, Weill Cornell Medical College, Westchester Medical Center FoundationNonprofit Radio
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Hello and welcome to tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent. I’m your aptly named host and i’m glad you’re with me. I’d catch a rhinovirus if i came to learn that you missed today’s show linked in volunteermatch kit place. Allison dorsey is the social impact manager at linked in she wants you to understand the value of their volunteermatch kit place and how to use it and stop talking at me. Vicky jones and christine hughes will help you avoid common problems and improve your internal communications between people and departments. Christine is director of individual giving and external relations at westchester medical center foundation, and vicky is a planned e-giving officer at weill cornell medical college and that was recorded at fund-raising day this past june on tony’s take two between the guests where’s the coolest airport we’re sponsored by generosity siri’s hosting multi charity five k runs and walks i’m seeing this sunday’s run here in new york city. I’m very pleased to welcome from california, allison dorsey she’s, the social impact manager at lincoln, helping linked in members connect with non-profit opportunities, she also works with non-profits to build. Their brands and identify talent, and she leads link things veterans initiative on twitter follow-up at linked in for good that’s the number four and, of course, the arabic number four don’t use the roman ivy linked in arabic number four good ilsen dorsey, welcome to the show. Thanks so much for having me, tony. I’m glad you’re in from california. San matteo, is that right? Yeah, we’re in mount view. It’s great to be in new york. A mountain view. We’ll get sent matteo from i’m from near sama tasks. Okay, um, are you one of the got to know? Are you one of the aipo billionaire? If only now i’m not going after that. We don’t have a billionaire on the show now. Not today. Unfortunately, both of us. Yeah. Okay. What’s it like working there. I mean that’s. A pretty high energy place. Yeah. World famous world known. I don’t know how many members there are, but zoho lines. Yeah. Over three hundred twenty million. Two hundred twenty million. Okay, hundreds of millions what’s it like working in a place like that. It’s. Exciting, i think it’s a lot like you see about silicon valley fun culture. You know, we have the ping pong tables and all the people running around having a good time and it’s also a lot of people working really hard, and we get, you know, there’s always the profiles of the super genius engineers who are creating the tools, and we definitely have that. Yeah, okay, barefoot in the winter time, california that’s it doesn’t matter that sometimes they are, but doesn’t get that. I went to carnegie mellon where were computer science majors and they were they’d be barefoot, or they’d be flip flops or even barefoot in the winter, not in the snow, but that’s. Pittsburgh personally had to stay inside. Yeah, i guess they yeah. There’s. Just shuttling between their dorm and the computer. Science, but still barefoot in the winter. Yeah, but yeah. That’s. The stereotype exists for a reason. One of my very favorite co workers, the sky matthew shop, is our hacker and residents and he’s. Very famous for wearing flip flops all year round. Yes. Does he wear the holiday parties like family events? Everything okay? Um, what’s going on there? Anything before we talk about the volunteer marketplace? Anything like insider and he anything? Coming up exciting. You can show i think the biggest excitement right now is the content platform. You know, we have this influence or platform that you’ve probably seen where? It’s, about three hundred incredibly famous people who do their writing on lengthen now. And we opened that upto all members, and so i can now write blog’s on lengthen. You can write logs on lengthen, and they get much more attention than they probably. What if we were doing it on a standalone website? So content on like there has been a big new thing for us. Okay, cool. Now you mention the influencers. Some people are designate. Yeah, i’ve seen that on some some profiles, i think designated in-kind shimatsu you’re talking about used to be on ly there were three hundred or so. Right. Right. Good block. Okay, okay. Um now when it goes over five always wondered about this. When it when it goes over five hundred, you have more than five hundred connections. Right? Then it just has five hundred plus. But there are people who have tens of thousands, but they only still say five hundred. Plus why is that? I think it’s because we don’t want to create a competition for having the most connections that your lincoln connection should be people you really know, and if we show on your profile exactly how many you have, we might have people just trying to compete to have the most, which would be a really valuable use of lincoln’s, which conan o’brien did it want famously in the nonprofit sector because he shouted out beth cantor! Yeah, i remember that, right? Because that was a great red hat that’s, right and profile. He had her hurry at her profile picture on on his show, saying that he would he was lamenting that he didn’t have as many followers as beth, who had three hundred thousand or something like that. Yeah, i think it was in the three hundred thousands and he made fun of her saying if he wore a red hat more than and she came back saying instead of focusing on my red hat, how about you shout out? I think it was giving tuesday last year, right? But he didn’t. He didn’t invite. I think it still got a lot of attention, though, for bath and giving tuesday, so, you know he still helped in his way. Yeah. Beth beth was more informed. Beth was more valuable, though, but he brought attention. Certainly linked in. Yeah, yeah. E-giving tuesday’s doing very well later in december going henry tim’s on he’s. The founder is the executive director of ninety second street y here our city, but also credited for being the founder of e-giving tuesday. Yeah, i’m a big fan of henry’s and what they’re doing e-giving tio so he’ll do a recap for us in in december. Great, but we have you here to talk about the volunteer marketplace. What is this, and why is it valuable for non-profits? So the volunteer marketplace is how non-profits can recruit skilled volunteers and board members on lengthen and it’s valuable because linked into the largest global network of professionals in the world and eighty two percent of them want to volunteer their skills, which is really remarkable if you think about that. Yeah, so the vast majority of people globally are saying we want to volunteer, we just need to find a place to do it. And so we’re working with non-profits now to post volunteer opportunities and their board positions on lengthen. And connect those with members so it’s the same system as we use for jobs. They are essentially job postings on lengthen. We just offer them to non-profits at either an extremely heavy discount or for free. Okay, where will non-profits find volunteermatch kit place? So at non-profit dot linked in dot com all of the resource is for non-profits air there, as well as links to post opportunities on the marketplace. And we’re going to talk about some resources i was clicking through there’s, some good stuff in there. Um, why? Why are we still called? Cos provoc way get that thing i think it’s really just about having one tool that everyone uses. I get this question all the time, people saying, hey, why do i have to have a company page on dh? But we’re non-profit dot linked in dot com, right? Right. But it’s so much we can provide so much more value as a company by using the tools we already have than building new tools for non-profits so we give non-profits company pages, we give them job postings instead of re creating tools that are just non-profit pages and have it be the same. Thing? Yeah, i mean, but, like, just on the screens, couldn’t we just say non-profit name instead of company name? Could we could we do that? Yeah. Yeah, i understand that. I mean, we we definitely know it’s. Ah, something that non-profits would prefer we’re working on. It works. Um, yeah. It’s like, you know, we’re trying to be we are different. Yeah, non-profits are different, andi. I know i’m not the first person to mention it, but okay, so you go to non-profit that linked in dot com and then you click volunteer opportunities. Is that right? So on non-profit darlington dot com there are a few different pages. One of them is fine volunteers. And that talks a lot about posting and searching. There’s another tab for finding board members. And that really focuses first on searching because we also offer non-profits of free premium subscription that enables greater search visibility specifically to find board members. That’s the board connect you’re talking about okay, okay. And we have talked about that on the show, and you and i may have a chance to talk more about that. Bmc argast got boardmember connect. Yeah. Okay. Um, but for posting the volunteer opportunities you click click post volunteer opportunities, right? Right. So when you’re on non-profit darling, do not come and you click any of those post links they send you right into the job posting flow just with a discount code there so that you get the discount. Yeah, ninety percent discount. Is that right? Yeah, but actually, i really want to offer all of the listeners to the show free volunteer postings. And so we will have a new option available where if you email volunteermatch murcott place at lincoln dot com and you say that you are listening to tony’s show today, we will send you a free posting code to be able to try out the volunteer marketplace. Okay, we have to say this again. You email volunteermatch kit place at linkedin dot com. Is that right? Yes. That’s. Right. Ok. And just and mentioned non-profit radio. Exactly. Okay, and this will be a test to see. Ah, you know what kind of validity this show’s got? Um that’ll be interesting because sometimes podcast listeners it’s a little tough to get feedback from them. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but i know they’re out there because i see the download statistics, but to try to survey them, get them to feedback. It’s, it’s difficult, you know, i’m not trying make apologies, but i’m just letting you know now i can understand that i think they kind of do their podcast listening all in one stream of things like that, right? Or they’re driving while podcast is on, and so they’re not in front of their computer to e mail me write for them the third out of five that they listen to the way we got to take a break, alison and i’ll keep talking about the volunteer marketplace. Stay with us, you’re tuned to non-profit radio tony martignetti also hosts a podcast for the chronicle of philanthropy fund-raising fundamentals is a quick ten minute burst of fund-raising insights published once a month. Tony’s guests are expert in crowdfunding, mobile giving event fund-raising direct mail and donor cultivation. Really all the fund-raising issues that make you wonder am i doing this right? Is there a better way there is? Find the fund-raising fundamentals archive it tony martignetti dot com that’s marketmesuite n e t t i remember there’s a g before the end. Thousands of listeners have subscribed on itunes. You can also learn. Maura, the chronicle website. Philanthropy. Dot com fund-raising fundamentals the better way. Welcome back to big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent let’s do live listener love in the us? We’ve got multiple live listeners, but they’re yours. They’re masked. I don’t know, we don’t know even what state it is, i don’t, and i don’t know why they’re mask that’s unusual but live listener love to our unidentified us listeners, and in japan we’ve got listeners tokyo, chiba and yokohama. Konnichi wa is more live listener love coming. Allison dorsey, thank you again for that generous offer, you’re welcome for non-profit radio listeners were so thrilled offering, but we’re looking for more people to try out the volunteer marketplace and get to connect with lengthened members looking to serve okay, three hundred twenty million and eighty six percent one of volunteers, you say? Oh, are you having? Yeah, metoo doesn’t want a volunteer and seventy eight percent want to be in a non-profit board just also pretty remarkable that is that’s, outstanding and bored connect. I hope we have time to talk about that, but we have covered that on another show before um okay, what are ah, i mean that’s. Another whole thing? Yeah. It’s called it’s called. Job not volunteer opportunity, right? So look for jobs. Don’t look for the window. Don’t look for the place to enter the volunteer opportunity will be called job well, when you’re on non-profit darlington dot com it’ll say volunteer opportunity when you click over yet, puts you into the job posting flow, and then when we send it to members that comes through in two ways one if life your aa member who’s looking to volunteer and you see all of your job recommendations from lengthen your right, they’re listed as jobs. The volunteer positions are mixed in with those based on your skills and interesting experience where we think you’d like to volunteer. And then if you are one of the members, think around six million now, something like that. Members who have added the volunteering causes field to your profile. We know that you have an extra interest in social causes, so we send you separate emails of just volunteer opportunities. Ok? We’re going to talk about that because i know you want you want non-profits to encourage, they’re volunteers toe add that tab were going absolutely get that. Okay. Um, what is cem cem? Common volunteer opportunities. That you see, i think our most successful campaign so far has been around social impact managers. Sorry, social media managers. We see this all the time, especially on linked in, you know, a non-profit joints linked in, they set up a new company page, and now they need someone to help them manage that company page and post the right content and get more followers. And so that’s, our most common is people saying, okay, i need a volunteer to be my social media manager and also manage those those lesser twitter a secondary second responsibilities from social media. Yeah, way focus a fair amount on this show. Amy sample ward is the ceo of intend the non-profit technology and i heard her show with you last week. Yeah, she’s on every month talking she’s, our social media contributor is i know that that is a big difficulty. Big challenge for non-profits first deciding where to be you have to consider your resource is time and especially time and my right where to be and then how to keep that active what’s your advice around keeping the company page for a non-profit active what should we be doing? Yeah. I think the best thing to do is to distribute that responsibility so it’s good to have a social media manager who keeps track of everything and make sure that there’s enough content and that its content that’s engaging the followers, but it’s also really helpful tohave multiple people in the organization keeping this top of mind and either posting information themselves or funneling that information to that social media manager for them to post then the other thing is to post different types of content, you know, maybe a graph speaks to me, and i like to see data in that way, and maybe a video speaks to you, so having that variety of content forms so that different types of people can stay engaged with paige, we have to remember to there are lot of non-profits small and midsize that don’t have a social media manager, right? Maybe they have a volunteer if they’re lucky, but a lot of times it’s falling to the person in charge of fundraising, director, development a lot of times, even smaller organizations, it could be falling on the executive director, right? So empowering others, including at those smaller organizations, the volunteers? Absolutely. Hating you? Encouraging an empowering feeding content, right? Yeah. And i also think that it’s a great role for a volunteer tohave who’s. Not looking for a big commitment. If you say please post into my group around my company page every monday. You know, giving a really small role, teo, someone who wants to be involved with your organisation but doesn’t necessarily want to commit to being your overall social media manager. You mentioned opening up blogging now is that is that possible on the company pages so it’s on your individual account. So you posted and it links to your profile. And then what we see a lot of non-profits do is then post links to those on their company page. So if their executive director rhoda blogged, then they would link to it on the company page and is video of possibility there, too? Yes. Okay. In the volunteer opportunity section, i mentioned there’s. A lot of resource is you got something from some advice from catching fire? Yeah. How to do the best profile. Best volunteer opportunities. Profile. Yeah. There’s. Other resource is there? Yeah, absolutely. So catching fire provided a lot of those sample descriptions. Of skilled volunteer opportunities, and they’ve been a really great partner of ours on the volunteer side and then bored source created sample postings on the board side because non-profits are frequently posting both board openings and volunteer partings. So those templates around there and then we also have just kind of advice there, so separate from here is the template description is here’s how to make sure you’re representing yourself well on linked in, you want to have a strong company page so that when you write your volunteered job description, you’re linking over to that company page, and you’re keeping one centralized brand on lengthen. So a lot of those recommendations are on that site. The catch a fire ceo has been on the show. I know that, you know that too fantastic and following the show. Oh, yeah, cool. Not just saying that i don’t know what you really did. Look, okay, let’s, talk about the this is interesting. The those profiles company profile pages for non-profits advice about keeping those up to date. I mean, aside from what you already mentioned and advice about maybe creating one if you don’t have one. Yeah, so that actually we got a lot of questions around. Should i have a profile for my organization? And yes, you absolutely should, but it should be a company page so you don’t set up a separate account like a person instead within your individual must take a lot of people make you feel the pain. Yeah, they make a personal page because maybe company confuses them or you just don’t know, ok, but it should be, and i think it feels a little different to do it within your personal account. And so sometimes that throws people off. So once you’re within your personal account on the top of langton, there is a tab that says interests within that tab is the option for cos you follow and when you’re looking at your list of companies you follow for other company pages. There’s also the option to create your own company page so that’s where you would do it, and then you would be the administrator of that company page. Okay, and how about advice on setting those up? Yeah, so the setup process actually only takes about five minutes. You’re going to probably paste in information that you already have on your website about your mission and your values and your programs. And then i think images air really important. So usually i recommend tohave your logo be thie image that’s associated with that page whenever anyone links to it, and then you’ll also have the opportunity for a background image. So there i think it makes sense. Tohave, you know, smiling faces of the people you serve have it be really programmatic image and then post updates. That’s the best thing you could do is post updates there all the time. And i think a little known fact about most social networks is that the majority of actions taken on linked in our one member copying another member. So tony posts on update about non-profit who he follows, and then i go follow that company page two because i trust tony and his instincts on which non-profits have content i’d want to see. So if you are just getting your company page going and you want more followers ah, great thing to do is to send the link to your company page out to your board, your volunteers, your other supporters and ask all of them to follow it and then when they take that action and follow it, it will be shared with their network. So everyone they know we’ll find out about your organization, okay? And that’s how your stream gets propagated out. Exactly. Okay, your page gets gets noticed. Okay, um, let’s see? Well, uh, you were encouraging. We also want to encourage hyre employees and our volunteers to take actions around our company page right? Kapin okay, we’ll start with employees. What should they be doing? So your employees should to start with have strong linked in profile, so that that means is they have a photo. They have a summary. They have their experiences listed, and within their experiences they’ve listed you as their employer, and they’ve linked to your company page when they do that, so they’re selecting your name exactly as you have it on the company paid and then on your company page, it will show who all of your employees are. So those brands are linked. And they could also put the name of your organization within the list of organizations they support which just shows that they believe in your mission is organizations who support. Is that something you have? To add or that’s by default on a profile, so that is within the volunteering causes field so you can choose to add that field. And when you’re setting up that field, you’ll be asked about the organizations you support the cause you care about the ways in which you volunteer and how you’d like to volunteer in the future, and that one is really interesting to us or how you’d like to give of your time and talent. It’s actually, the first time we’ve asked a question on the profile so it’s, the first ford looking party, your profile where you get to eighty two percent so that’s from survey. So this new check box that says, how would you like to give your time and talent? You can check skilled volunteering or board service that has, i think around three million people who have checked that and it’s growing really rapidly every week, and so that’s part of why we’re so focused on getting mohr volunteer opportunities up on lengthen is to feed the demand from those professionals who are saying, hey, linked in, i’d like to serve you asked me if i would, and so now we’re we want to be ableto answer them and give them the right opportunities for them to fill in. Let’s, go to volunteers. What wish? What should be encouraged? Should we be encouraging our volunteers to do teo show their allegiance to the organization? So within that same section, they should be putting you on organizations they support, and they should be listing their volunteer experience within that field and again, linking over to your company paid so everyone knows that they’re volunteermatch your organization, and then they should be the most active proponents of your company page. They should be sharing your updates out with their network so their network knows that they care about this, and they’re keeping your mission and programs top of mind for all of the people that they know. And how does that how do they share? So when you post an update it they’ll see that on your company page. Yeah, and there’s just a share button on the update so they’ll share it out with their network. Any any unusual, weird volunteer opportunities that you’ve seen way see so many great ones. Um, i don’t know if this is weird, but we our favorite story lately has been one warm our love story, their basic so one warm coat, i think, goes to that point of what you’re saying. You know, some small organizations don’t have a social media manager and might think that they don’t have time to do these things. And one warm coat is an all volunteer run organization where they’re bored share sherry would has been so forward leading on all new tools, so when we launch boardmember connect, she joined it right away to use premium search to find boardmember tze. Then when we started testing out two years ago, what would it look like if we were to have volunteered board postings on linkedin? She volunteered to test those out, and then she found two new board members through these postings, and one was in seattle and was in texas, and this is ah, nationwide organization, so people aren’t in touch all the time, and she realized, you know, i really want to be able teo build community among my board members have a brain trust so that we can really set the strategic plan the next three, five years and so let’s have a retreat and let’s, get some volunteers who could be strategic planning consultants tio facilitate those discussions. Managed the retreat. Really get us tto plan by the end. So she posted on linked in again. And she found this strategic planning consultant who said she would love teo volunteer her time during that weekend and that she also want to bring in a friend of hers because she thought it needed to planners. Ah, so they were amazing. They facilitated this whole retrieved. They actually filmed themselves saying thank you for the opportunity and senate and dust, which was pretty cute. And, you know, sherry would the director of one worm code or the chairwoman one warm coat, one warm coat they collected and distributed. Four million coach last year. And it’s all volunteers. So i feel like if sheri and her volunteers have enough time to find a volunteer to manage their social media. Really, everyone khun take that opportunity because it doesn’t have to be you. It could be someone else who wants to volunteer their time. We have a couple of minutes let’s talk about the boardmember connect. Sure, this is the way of finding boardmember zl et’s remind listeners. Because its been many months, or maybe even over a year since we’ve talked about this, and actually we have some updates since then. So one very exciting change on lengthen is that there’s a non-profit interest search fassett, this is a free search facet available in everyone search experience on lengthen, and it allows you to identify those specific members that i was talking about who have checked the box, saying that they want to do skilled volunteering or serve on a non-profit board. So if you wanted to find someone in new york who has finance expertise and who is passionate about education and who wants to be on a board, you could select all of those facets within lincoln, search and find the hundred or two hundred or three hundred people that meet that criteria outstanding. Yeah, it allows us. Hey, powerful, sir, absolutely. You know, you could go from the three hundred and twenty six million lengthened members down all the time. But you could go from this huge pool where the huge pool is not really useful in and of itself. It’s. Only useful when we can take that pool down. Teo. The hundred or so that are exact members are going to talk to you. Okay, um, what do you love about the work? You do it lengthen. I love the non-profits they’re using the schools. We feel so lucky to get individual stories sent in all the time i managed our email aliases. So, like, i was saying, you could email volunteer marketplace that lengthen dot com that inbox gets so many great inbounds from non-profits saying, you know, i needed a logo and i knew i didn’t have money to pay for a logo, and then i found this volunteer unlinked in and here check out the logo he designed for me. It’s so rewarding to hear how it’s actually working outstanding and the offer again is for ah, for free posting of volunteer opportunity. You email volunteermatch marketplace at lincoln dot com ilsen dorsey, it sounds like you’re going to be the one who sees the emails. I will. And then i’ll send you your free posting. Could okay and mentioned non-profit radio, of course, in that important email. Thank you very much for being against. Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. And i’m glad it worked. My pleasure. I’m glad it worked out that you’d come in the studio and you can find them again on twitter, follow at linked in four arabic number for good that linked in for good allison dorsey, thank you again. Yeah, thanks, tony. My pleasure generosity, siri’s they host five k runs and walks, and this sunday, the ninth i’m seeing their new york city event. We’re going to be out in riverside park, expecting three hundred runners from north shore, animal league, brooklyn, autism center, tuesday’s, children, you cod, rosie’s theater, kids and a bunch of others. What is beautiful about generosity, siri’s is that none of these organizations could get enough runners and walkers tau host an event it wouldn’t be feasible for any of them, but when the community comes together and we get nine non-profits together like general with generosity series does, then they can have them. They have three hundred and now it’s worth the new york city parks permitting process, which believe me, you wouldn’t want to do for less than three hundred people and and everything else, all the infrastructure, the sound system, the porta potties, the start and finish archways, the the medals you kind of medals for winners and all that. The timing of the thing and the chips that go on the shoes it’s not worth it. You can’t do it on your own small, midsize shops, but you come together, generosity siri’s puts you together all their charity partners come together in different cities, and you got three hundred people and your, uh your participants, of course, raising money for your own charity. They’re of events coming up in new jersey, miami and philadelphia. I got to get them to be west coast or even midwest. But right now, just east coast, new jersey, miami, philadelphia. David linn, he’s the ceo pick up the phone and talk to him. Tell him you’re from non-profit radio because i like to talk to people that’s. Why i suggest that seven, one, eight five o six, nine triple seven of course, if you prefer generosity siri’s dot com in this week’s video, i’m looking for the coolest airport on the video there’s a link to my pinterest board, which is called i love airports, and i hope you will share your coolest airport pictures and videos. I don’t really know what makes a cool. Airport but let me see what you’ve got to put it all together and we’ll find something, but well, we’ll see. What what makes a cool airport feature there’s some things i’ve got a mind like the there’s this mist room in milan where this very fine mist is coming down on you as you’re walking through the terminals in milan in detroit. There’s this cool fountain that’s, it’s like tubes of water, but they’re not in the water, not in tubes. It’s just gets shoot shut out so fast that it stays in the tube as all the water is coming into the center and it’s all different timing’s that’s really cool buy-in in charlotte there’s this aviation history mobile it’s got ah biplane it’s got a, um, it’s got a a shuttle and you’re like, you know, nasa shuttle it’s got all different history, different areas of aeronautical history on this little mobile floating around above you in in charlotte airport, so those are all cool. Show me what you’ve got the video with the link is that tony martignetti dot com and that is tony’s take two for friday, seventh of november forty fourth show of twenty fourteen that’s, hard to believe here is my interview with christine use and vicky jones from fund-raising day this past june about your internal communications welcome to tony martignetti non-profit radio coverage of fund-raising day two thousand fourteen, we’re in times square, new york city, at the marriott marquis hotel. And with me now, are you christine use and vicky jones. Christine is director of individual giving and external relations at westchester medical center foundation. And vicky jones is planned giving officer weill cornell medical college. Ladies welcome. Thank you. Thankyou, tony. Thank you for inviting your welcome. Glad to have you. Thank you very much. Your seminar topic is it’s all about communication. Vicki. Let’s, let’s. Start with you. Why let’s make it explicit? Why is communication so important? Well, it’s, especially important in the world of flynn of playing e-giving for many reasons, your donor may no longer be able to help you realize how the gift is to be allocated when the gift actually comes in. So communications and understanding that donor’s intent documenting that gift is very, very important. And, christine, what do we see non-profits not doing so well around communication? Well, i think communication. Is the key to relationship building, and i think that is really the basis for our line of work weigh have tio, you know, build, strong, concise and really just heartfelt relationships, and without good communication skills, you can’t do that, so and, you know, we’re we’re focusing on internal communicating, you’re focusing on the get it in the office, correct. So in order to i think to have a strong outreach, you need a very strong to build a very strong infrastructure within the organization and that’s all based on communication and relationships. Okay, where do we get started with this? So take it. So so for me, i don’t we don’t we don’t do like volleyball, tennis, so you could talk for a few minutes with video few minutes took great, so i know for me a lot of times the challenge has been to build internal communications, internal relationships, and one of the i think i think the best way to start is just getting off your chair in your office and going around visiting the other departments that you need to work closely with developing strong relationships, inviting them out to lunch, making sure that you’re all on the same page, figuring out how you can help each other, how you can work together, and i think it’s a lot of fun and one of the results i’ve had, and i’m sure vicky would agree is, you know, when you leave in an organization you leave with all of those wonderful network, you know, that wonderful network and all those those contacts. Hyre so it’s, uh, not always necessary to just send an email to a colleague who maybe in the office next door cubicle down the hall we can actually get up on go talk to them? Absolutely, yeah, email email is so misrepresented or miss spread in many cases, people will read a tone into something that may not even be there. So i think that when you have you came face to face is a good idea and then just really saying it was great talking with you, i think this is a great plan and just reiterating what you decided to do based on those communications very important and yeah, uh, email texting. I mean, haven’t we sort of lost the the art of face-to-face on dh the joy of face-to-face i mean, isn’t it for me? I’m so much more pleasurable to have a conversation where i can see the person now, a lot of times, it’s. Not feasible, but when it is when it’s just a walk down the hall. Vicky, i mean, shouldn’t we take the walk? Oh, yeah. I think the walk. We have a lovely deep bass voice. Have you a radio trained or opera singer? Everything. I’m just coming back from either bronchitis or pneumonia. So what? He just got me on a good day. I got it perfectly. Uh, okay, look, let’s, let’s, let’s. Go back. Christine, what are some strategies will be on? You know what we’re talking about so far and we have a good amount of time together. What else should be paying attention to internally? Well, i’ll just give you some examples of what i’ve done. And it’s been it’s been fairly successful so far. But, you know, basically again identifying the key department that you need to work with, figuring out how you can work together and making it attractive for them. So, for instance, you know, skip over. I know i’m in the world of health care, but in the world of education, admissions and advancement if they can team up together, they can work together to pair alumni and incoming students and prospective parents and it’s the most magical thing in the world and it’s so easy to dio but it’s just again, it’s just forming that relationship. And we all know here that when relationships, they’re going arrive of the reason usually is because of communication, communication, breakdowns, miscommunication. So if we can really work on those skills and be very proactive, which i think is what we’re talking about, dahna i think we can really change the landscape again, building that internal network building the internal structure really speaks volume when you step outside of that institution and go out into the community and start spreading the good word about that institution. If you’ve got a strong network inside, it is amazing what you can do. You know, tony, one of the wonderful things about working at weill cornell medical college for thirteen years is that i’ve built a lot of relationships, and not only with my donors, several of the physicians and faculty of the universe with the medical college and we also because in dealing with playing, giving, you have to work with your director of operations, you have to also, in my particular case work with cornell university’s department of gift in trust administration, and when you work with somebody and in that function in so many different ways, you’re able to identify this, this is a problem. How are we going to be able to stop this from happening or re occurring again? What are the steps that we can ensure that this one mark and you have that relationship history so that you’re not only going to your colleagues when there’s a problem, but you have a long history of working together around problems, and i didn’t very smooth times that when a problem does develop, you got that history behind durney one of my favorite things to do too, and now speaking more towards the medical side of it is just taking doctor’s out to coffee and identifying identifying what it is. They’re funding opportunities are what their hopes and dreams are. And then when you sit down and talk to donors and their expression a certain wish, too be apart, you know, have a fill in topic footprint at yours institution it’s really wonderful because you have all this knowledge in your head about the doctors and the researchers and what it is they want teo forward with. So i think a lot of what we’re talking about is just consciousness. You have to be conscious of deepening relationships, getting up from your chair, going to talk to colleagues, going to lunch with colleagues, it seems, you know so basic, but we’ve lost we’ve lost consciousness. I think about a lot of these things, tony winning things i’ve been working on in the past year is to try and break down the silo city playing e-giving there are many gift officers that i work closely with that we’ll work together in meeting with a donor and discussing dinner situation with the donor on the telephone and meet with them together. And what i tried to do is i try to make sure that my colleague gets a shout out when any kind of plan gift happens, even if it comes through the annual phone let’s, they perhaps somebody passed way. All right, this i always look at the donors giving history, and then i’ll say so and so passed. Away just received two hundred fifty thousand dollars through there, a state plan towards cancer research they gave for years to doctor and morris breast cancer research. And i help the people that have been working in building the program know that they’ve been successful in a way they’re not maybe realizing so it’s, you know, it’s, it helps them build their understanding of playing, giving and make them a little more secure with the concern among a lot of fundraisers is that if i give credit elsewhere them, i i’ve diminished my contribution go to the gift you’re a plan to give the officer and you’re giving credit to the annual fund. A lot of people would think that, well, you know, now now my my vice president or directed development may not appreciate my role in that in that gift. How do we overcome that thinking what i try to do is they try and say, this is, you know, i laugh and i told people i don’t get paid commission, so it really doesn’t matter, but what i want to do is to show a serious of building relationships, of working with gift officers, working in collaboration. You know, we’re trying to say that as gift officers, major gift officers working with our donors, we want to be able to tell them. Yes, i have thought about maybe, including will. I want my gift officers to work with me on a one to one level so that they can hear me saying to the donor, oh, i’m sorry. I have to ask to stay a couple of questions, and i hope they’re not too sensitive. And that reassures the gift officers and understanding and feeling a little more comfortable themselves in approaching this questions. So as far as getting credit are, we’re working towards making metrics for our major gift officers and principal kept officers that they work her assist on a plank after two or three within a quarter. But we’re beginning to incorporating that by incorporating that we’re encouraging people to work together more class. Christine is there. Is there another thought that you might have around? Measuring employees methods of collaboration so that it sort of becomes part of their their formal evaluation process. Well, one of my experiences just recently, too, has been that when you collaborate, it really inspires you to think outside of the box so normally funding sources that everyone thinks about, you know, again, we’re all sort of going after those individual donors, you know, corpse and found things like that. And recently, just sitting in a meeting and i heard a doctor give a presentation, and it reminded me of the research that was going on at a pharmaceutical company, not too far away from where we’re located. So it’s sort of opened up my creative juices tio, maybe start talking, having talks with that pharmaceutical company to underwrite some of the research that we were doing that really was a great match, and so i was able to work with the doctor, other team members. So we have team members on our development staff at our corpse and founds the, you know, corporate relations. So we were able to really pull in my individual giving experience with corpse and found with the doctor in the researcher and then the senior staff. And it was it was. It was an incredible collaboration, and it’s been very successful. So i love the way that vicky talks to collaboration and how important it is and how it’s being measured. But what i think the part that really astounds me is the amount of just ingenuity that is a result of, you know, innovativeness, that’s, a result of that collaboration. Like what you’re hearing a non-profit radio tony’s got more on youtube, you’ll find clips from stand up comedy tv spots and exclusive interviews catch guests like seth gordon. Craig newmark, the founder of craigslist marquis of eco enterprises, charles best from donors choose dot org’s aria finger do something that worked and a a me levine from new york universities heimans center on philantech tony tweets to he finds the best content from the most knowledgeable, interesting people in and around non-profits to share on his stream. If you have valuable info, he wants to re tweet you during the show. You can join the conversation on twitter using hashtag non-profit radio twitter is an easy way to reach tony he’s at tony martignetti narasimhan t i g e n e t t i remember there’s a g before the end, he hosts a podcast for the chronicle of philanthropy fund-raising fundamentals is a short monthly show devoted to getting over your fund-raising hartals just like non-profit radio, toni talks to leading thinkers, experts and cool people with great ideas. As one fan said, tony picks their brains and i don’t have to leave my office fund-raising fundamentals was recently dubbed the most helpful non-profit podcast you have ever heard. You can also join the conversation on facebook, where you can ask questions before or after the show. The guests were there, too. Get insider show alerts by email, tony tells you who’s on each week and always includes link so that you can contact guest directly. To sign up, visit the facebook page for tony martignetti dot com. I think you’re doing a lot of nodding oh, yeah, yeah, that’s what i love about playing giving it. So i used to joke around with one of my former directors and i said, it’s kind of like mcdonalds too. You want deal number one don’t number two number three it’s, like once you get together with your donor and you’re talking about what they interested in, then you start thinking there’s a project and, you know, how much money do they think they couldn’t do? Do they realize they could stretch it out over five years? Do they realize that they might be able to create a chair? Believe trust that could provide a income for their child and at the same time provide a societal gift to the medical college? You know, those air, the exciting things, and i think that when everybody starts talking about possibilities that’s, what’s amazing that deal one, two and three also reminds me of monty hall let’s make a deal. I was i was on let’s make a deal in my early twenties, like a deal. What was your costume? I’ve had a green cut out a piece of carpet and my sign said, monty, don’t be a jerk. Let’s. Make a deal. Don’t be a girl. There’s a there’s a deal and let’s make a deal. You say let’s make a deal. Did you let’s make a deal? You did d i don’t know don’t know. Don’t be a girl. Let’s, make a deal. Correct. Did monty pick you? I did get picked. I did you? Did you indeed a rubber band or a paper clip or something that he was. I’ll give five dollars for the next room until i was offered door number one, two and three. And how did you do? I did. Well, i walked away with twenty five thousand dollars. Oh, my goodness. No kidding. That’s well and yeah, that’s. Outstanding. Yeah, about it in a box in new york candy bars. Go figure it’s better than a case of canned squid behind door number three. You got the song? So that was the big deal. You want the big deal? You know, it was more the first deal of the day. Oh, it wasn’t even the deal. Did he ask you if you wanted to trade your oh, yeah. Traded every door quick. But you didn’t. You didn’t trade. You know, i think that’s where i got my first experience. And looking at playing giving, like, do i really want to do this? Or how about that, eh? So you held on. You held on to your twenty five thousand dollar deal, has spent it quickly. Glad i mentioned it, by the way. You know, the lights overhead lights went out martignetti non-profit radio with casey crown, the lights are our lights never damn way. Go right through. That doesn’t matter here. Bring on the earthquake. North korea coming now don’t don’t. Um okay, well, what else? Communications your seminar description. It’s all about communication. You mentioned events, things can go wrong. Miscommunications around events. Somebody have a story about that or something admonition or something like a bout of each one of us are doing as a certain topic. I’m sure that both christine and i could talk about snappers and events, a lot of them, but we’re actually today i’m the one i’m going to be talking with the workshop i’m goingto be leading is called, um, a donor disease in a doctor on what we’re going to be doing this. We’re gonna be talking about how a donor came and decided he wanted to support huntington’s research and he wanted to be with one of our top physicians that was doing research in that department. And then we’re going to talk about communications that happened involving the deal of you know what? He wanted to find and listen. It’s the snafu who’s with this started with the fact that he was talking with the director of playing giving at new york presbyterian hospital. And many of you and our donors also were confused as to what’s new york presbyterian hospital while cornell medical center. Well, talk about communications mean, now, that’s not your department is branding and marketing, but that is that is there absolutely right? That is critical. There’s a lot of misunderstanding just in the general population of new york city. Where the heck newyork presbyterian weill cornell end begin. Well, it’s a wonderful partnership, but what happens is when we’re working with their donors, we really have to listen to what they’re talking about supporting and this particular case the the donor met with the director of playing, giving and the head of the department, and they did a little walk through and the doctor discuss kind of research he was doing and the donor was in love with everything that was going on and said, this is great, i want include something in my estate plan. I want to fund an assistant professorship or maybe a full professorship and at that point, the director of playing e-giving for new york presbyterian hospital went, i’m gonna have to give you to the medical college because the professorships air with college. You are so so we have a collaborative work. Exactly. So he introduced me to the diner and we put together a suggested request language for this, the donor to help achieve his goal. Okay, in a collaboration, well, you know, actually, we could he handed it off to me because you can’t. After that point, once you realize that gift is really going to benefit another organization, you know, you know, it’s professional e-giving professionals, we all have an ethical standard. We have tio here, tio and so, you know, knowing that professorship was, you know, through the medical college he knew he couldn’t facilitate the guest any kindly directed the donor in the right direction. Christine, what is what are you sharing? So basically, i’m talking about something that mickey mentioned earlier about the silo ing and give you a quick example in the educational arena that i used to work in. And just, you know, just this morning i had a a meeting with a donor, i had been trying to get a meeting with for nine months, and the key to the meeting was the chaplaincy at the hospital chaplain, one of the chaplains of the hospital, she this particular dahna was very connected to him personally, and it was because of that relationship, and i was able to get the meaning and working with him in collaboration. So here i am fundraiser, working with chaplin, tio tio, just educate the donor, thank the donor for their gift and then to educate the donor on the programs that are coming up to see if there was anything she’d be interested in funding in the future and, you know, it’s like magic, i think you know, vicky would agree. It’s it’s, amazing when you have those internal relationships and those collaborations, the strength of your meeting is phenomenal, and i think that really shines through to the donor. So you’re really presenting a well unified well, educate, you know, you’re you’re well educated, your unified and i think it just presents a great picture to the donor and you feel the key to those relationships is communication. Absolutely so i’m one teo always get up from my chair and, you know, walk to somebody’s office or walk around the hospital or, you know, go and visit a physician, i think the best place to have those informal meetings in the cafeteria and the coffee shop and those air sometimes some of my best meetings internally just catching up with people, finding out how they’re doing, you know, finding out what they did on the weekend and and all that time you’re building those great, trusting relationships internally, we can see you doing a lot of nodding, yeah, because it’s that’s a wonderful thing i love is the love building relations it’s just it’s always i’ve always been a people person, you know, in addition to being buy-in getting officer welcomed a medical college, i’m also the president of the philanthropic planning group of greater new york, and what i really like about that organization is the closeness of the relationship between playing, giving people throughout the entire community, you know, it’s it’s, great tohave relationships that build over the years, one of the things that we know by staffing donors and since i’ve been there for thirteen years, it’s really quite unusual in the non for profit world is that unfortunately, i’ve seen some of my gifts become realized, but i’ve developed relationships with my donors who at one time wanted to make a gift for cancer research because they knew somebody who had cancer. And then what happened is they learned about stem cell or the geo gnome, and they’re so excited about the science that’s happening today they’re like, oh, thank you, tell me more about this what’s going on with that, and they wanted that, you know, our donors really want to know more about basic science and about what are we doing and how you’re curing diseases? And what do you mean some forms of limb former, now curable? They’re very excited they have this huge, you know, diversion of interests now what’s the lesson in communications, you have to keep fluid, because usually what happens in a medical institution? Our gift officers work in either neural cancer. They work in pods, surgery, breaking down those silos right your earlier and christine’s exactly, because even though you’re you have a cancer donor-centric might change, but it’s building the relationship with a donor that you’re able to really to understand, you’ve got to get outside your own world. Exactly, ladies, we have to leave it there. Thank you very much. Thanks, danny. My pleasure. Christine hughes, director of individual giving, an external relations at westchester medical center foundation and vicky jones, planned e-giving officer for weill cornell medical college. Thanks again. Thanks. Thanks much pleasure listening to tony martignetti non-profit radio coverage of fund-raising day two thousand fourteen. Thanks very much to everybody in the new york city chapter of a f p the association of fund-raising professionals. I hope to be back at fund-raising day twenty fifteen e-giving excellent interviews. We got more live listener love seoul, south korea. Always very loyal. I appreciate that soul. You’re always listening, and i notice it. Thank you very much. Daniel. Haserot beijing, china also very loyal. I appreciate that. Ni hao in mexico, san juan cut down, cartman single. I bet i didn’t pronounce it right. But you’re outside puebla and i’ll bet you know who you are. Welcome live. Listen love to you in mexico also in moscow russia water being australia love it love you and vancouver, british columbia, canada live. Listen, love of course, the podcast pleasantries have to be sent also. Everybody listening wherever they may be on their own time schedule next week, maria simple, our prospect research contributor and the prospect finder, will be with me, and i’ll have another excellent interview from fund-raising day. If you missed any part of today’s show, find it on tony martignetti dot com generosity. Siri’s, i’ll be with them this sunday generosity. Siri’s dot com creative producer is claire meyerhoff. Sam liebowitz is our line producer, shows social media is by julia campbell of jake campbell. Social marketing and the remote producer of tony martignetti non-profit radio is john federico of the new rules. Our music is by scott stein. Read me next week for non-profit radio. Big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent. Go out and be great. Dahna what’s not to love about non-profit radio tony gets the best guests check this out from seth godin this’s the first revolution since tv nineteen fifty and henry ford nineteen twenty it’s the revolution of our lifetime here’s a smart, simple idea from craigslist founder craig newmark yeah insights, orn presentation or anything people don’t really need the fancy stuff they need something which is simple and fast. When’s the best time to post on facebook facebook’s andrew noise nose at traffic is at an all time hyre on nine a m or eight pm so that’s, when you should be posting your most meaningful post here’s aria finger ceo of do something dot or ge young people are not going to be involved in social change if it’s boring and they don’t see the impact of what they’re doing. So you’ve got to make it fun and applicable to these young people look so otherwise a fifteen and sixteen year old they have better things to dio they have xbox, they have tv, they have their cell phones. Amador is the founder of idealised took two or three years for foundation staff sort of dane toe, add an email. Address card. It was like it was phone. This email thing is right and that’s, why should i give it away? Charles best founded donors choose dot or ge somehow they’ve gotten in touch kind of off line as it were on dno, two exchanges of brownies and visits and physical gift mark echo is the founder and ceo of eco enterprises. You may be wearing his hoodies and shirts. Tony talked to him. Yeah, you know, i just i’m a big believer that’s not what you make in life. It sze, you know, tell you make people feel this is public radio host majora carter. Innovation is in the power of understanding that you don’t just do it. You put money on a situation expected to heal. You put money in a situation and invested and expected to grow and savvy advice for success from eric sabiston. What separates those who achieve from those who do not is in direct proportion to one’s ability to ask others for help. The smartest experts and leading thinkers air on tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent.
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Read Next: Cannabis Industry Tackles Justice Reform With 'Last Prisoner Project'
November 25, 2012 8:00AM PT
Big Apple fetes small feats
IFP Gotham Independent Film Awards 2012
By Addie Morfoot
Addie Morfoot
Contributor @kamorfoot FOLLOW
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Unlike most end-of-year talent pageants, the Independent Feature Project’s Gotham Awards largely celebrate cinema’s unknown. Eligible films are limited to those handled by independent distribs, shepherded by a specialty division or self-distributed, making the low-key awards show a rare affair that attracts major stars but also a large contingent of micro-budget gems and up-and-coming artists.
IFP fetes the big names via special tributes — which go to Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, David O. Russell and Jeff Skoll at this year’s kudofest — while shaping the other awards into unique tyro-targeted categories such as breakthrough director and best film not playing at a theater near you. On the acting front, the Gothams give only two prizes: breakthrough actor and ensemble performance (an award geared toward Robert Altman-style casts with no clear lead). Such categories are designed to draw attention to films, actors and directors frequently overlooked by the larger awards races.
“We host the show early in the season in hopes of making some impact,” says IFP exec director Joana Vicente. “If the film gets recognition at (our ceremony), then distributors will get excited, spend some more money, campaign and hopefully the film will go on to get other types of recognition.”
Whereas the Academy Awards traditionally honor well-established helmers, the Gothams acknowledge the achievements of such breaking talents as Zal Batmanglij (director of “Sound of My Voice”) and Antonio Mendez Esparza (who helmed “Here and There”). The org’s definition of breakthrough actor proves a bit more difficult to pin down.
That category includes both “Beasts of the Southern Wild” ingenue Quvenzhane Wallis (in her first film role) and “Hello, I Must Be Going” star Melanie Lynskey, who launched her career alongside Kate Winslet 18 years ago when they co-starred in “Heavenly Creatures.” Vicente says those breakthrough roles can also be considered turning-point performances in need of a boost.
The Gothams could be a serious momentum builder for 32-year-old acting nominee Emayatzy Corinealdi, whose widely lauded performance in “Middle of Nowhere” has the potential to be this year’s underdog story.
The film and TV thesp describes her lead role in the film about a young Los Angeles woman’s uncertainty over whether to stay committed to her jailed husband, as an “unbelievable opportunity”: “I never even thought about awards season or nomination or any of that while we were shooting,” says Corinealdi, who originally auditioned to play a supporting role. “I was just so excited to get the part.”
Though there’s already been considerable Oscar talk around “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” breakthrough director nominee Benh Zeitlin feels “wildly blessed” to have been recognized by Gotham’s nominating committee.
“I’ve known about the Gothams for a long time, so I’m excited to actually get the opportunity to be a part of them this year,” he says. “It’s a really important awards show because they have their own point of view on how to recognize work.
THE 2012 NOMINATIONS
“The Loneliest Planet”
“How to Survive a Plague”
“Marina Abramovi: The Artist is Present”
Best Ensemble Performance
“Bernie” : Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey
“Moonrise Kingdom” : Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban
“Safety Not Guaranteed” : Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Jenica Bergere, Kristen Bell, Jeff Garlin, Mary Lynn Rajskub
“Silver Linings Playbook” : Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher, John Ortiz, Julia Stiles, Shea Wigham, Paulie Herman
“Your Sister’s Sister” :Emily Blunt, Rosemarie Dewitt, Mark Duplass
Breakthrough Director
Zal Batmanglij for “Sound of My Voice”
Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky for “Francine”
Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin for “Now, Forager”
Antonio Méndez Esparza for “Aquí y Allá (Here and There)”
Benh Zeitlin for “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Breakthrough Actor
Mike Birbiglia in “Sleepwalk with Me”
Emayatzy Corinealdi in “Middle of Nowhere”
Thure Lindhardt in “Keep the Lights On”
Melanie Lynskey in “Hello, I Must Be Going”
Quvenzhané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
• Gotham Awards’ host adds acting nom to growing resume
Angry Birds Star Wars II
Bernie Han
Sag Nominating Committee
Sleepwalk With Me
Sound Of My Voice
Zal Batmanglij
Cannabis Industry Tackles Justice Reform With 'Last Prisoner Project'
Jim Belushi is standing two feet away in the backyard of his spacious Brentwood home, honking a harp like he’s a Blues Brother back in sweet home Chicago accompanied by noted reggae band Rebelution’s Eric Rachmany and Kyle Ahern, who provide a 12-bar shuffle. There’s the sweet smell of marijuana – and success — hanging [...]
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Five Significant Landforms in France
Erin Carson, Leaf Group Updated March 13, 2018
(Photo: )
Natural Landforms in France
Things You Must See in Provence, France
France 2018: Plant Life in France
Plant & Animal Life in France
Most people are familiar with scenes of France's majestic Mont Blanc and skiing in the French Alps. Stunning alpine scenery is just a tiny part of the natural attractions in France, a country that stretches more than 600 miles from north to south. Significant landforms in France range from the towering cliffs that protect its Western frontier, to a historically influential river valley with deep canyons, salt lakes and extinct volcanoes. Go beyond the Alps and explore some of the natural wonders that helped shape the history and culture of France.
Gorges du Verdon
This Provencal wonder, dubbed the "Grand Canyon of Europe," draws an active international crowd for hiking, kayaking, exploring, bird-watching and rock climbing. The over 15-mile-long and almost half-mile-deep gorge, formed by the distinctively turquoise-colored Verdon river, provides a haven for birds of prey such as vultures and eagles. To drive around the Gorge, follow a scenic 56-mile route that begins in the village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. Because of the Gorge’s popularity with tourists, you'll find plenty of restaurants, cafes, hotels and camping sites throughout the area.
Étretat Cliffs
These natural chalk cliffs and arches, part of a series along the Côte d’Albâtre in northwest France, make a convenient day trip from Paris or a good rest stop when visiting the D-Day beaches in Normandy. Long a favorite of French artists and authors such as Monet, Maupassant and Flaubert, today you can still stroll the same pebble beaches and see the relatively unchanged views they enjoyed. The quaint harbor town, a fashionable seaside getaway in the 19th century, offers restaurants and shops where you can dine on fresh seafood and sample the local buckwheat crepes.
The Camargue
Pink mountains, wild horses, salt lakes and flamingos are just a few of the reasons to visit the Camargue. In Provence near the French Riviera, this nature reserve provides a change of pace from the upscale beach resorts and fields of lavender and sunflowers typically associated with the region. Known as the “Wild West” of France, this is also the home of Europe’s only cowboys, the gardians, who raise black bulls for the bullfighting rings in France and Spain. Adventurous visitors can hike, kayak or ride horses, while more laid-back travelers may want to tour the region by horsedrawn carriage or visit the sandy beach of Espiguette.
Loire River
The valley formed by the Loire forms a natural border between northern and southern France. Because of its historically strategic location, kings, queens and other nobility built feudal palaces and fortresses throughout the area. Today, the region is a UNESCO World Heritage site, where visitors can sample wine at local vineyards, tour sumptuous palaces and enjoy local music festivals. More active travelers, either solo, as a couple or with a family, might opt to traverse the Loire à Velo, an almost 500-mile, self-guided and self-paced bicycle route through the valley.
Auvergne Volcanoes Park
In the Massif Central in the middle of southern France, four mountain ranges: the Chaîne des Puys, Monts Dore, Cézallier and Monts du Cantal form the backbone of one of France’s oldest and largest nature parks. The Auvergne lures nature lovers attracted to the park's ample cycling, hiking, rock climbing, hot air ballooning and gliding opportunities. In the vast area with more than 75 miles of glaciers, lakes, plateaus and extinct volcanoes, you can usually find quiet paths and empty trails, even during the peak tourist seasons of July and August.
French Monuments: Etretat
France: Geography and Climate
World Atlas: French Landforms
The Camargue: Horses, Bulls, and Gardians
As a global nomad with experience living and raising children in China, the USA and Europe, Erin Carson loves to share her knowledge of both literature and travel through her writing. Carson has a master's degree in library science and a bachelor's degree in English literature. As a freelance writer, Carson has published numerous articles on various health, parenting and travel websites.
Attribution: User:Chessrat, User:Rosss, User:Sting; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
Attribution: Tristan Nitot; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license
Carson, Erin. "Five Significant Landforms in France." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/five-significant-landforms-france-56001.html. 13 March 2018.
Carson, Erin. (2018, March 13). Five Significant Landforms in France. Travel Tips - USA Today. Retrieved from https://traveltips.usatoday.com/five-significant-landforms-france-56001.html
Carson, Erin. "Five Significant Landforms in France" last modified March 13, 2018. https://traveltips.usatoday.com/five-significant-landforms-france-56001.html
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1993, 2369, Cardassian, Klingon, Romulan, The Next Generation
May 13, 2015 Paul Leave a comment
Early attempts at ‘Hands Across America’ didn’t go well.
Picard’s former archaeology professor and mentor, Galen (Norman Lloyd) asks Picard to join him on a super-secret mission. It would mean leaving the Enterprise, so Picard passes, and a disappointed Galen moves on. He is later killed when his shuttle is attacked, and Picard takes on the mysterious mission — which seems to be aimed at gathering DNA fragments from various worlds. Soon, the Klingons and Cardassians are involved (they apparently learned of Galen’s mission) and Picard gets the two rivals to work together. After some prerequisite deception — the Cardies try to sabotage the Enterprise and the Klingon captain (John Cothran) tries to bribe Data — they all end up on a lifeless planet, where the last remaining DNA fragment is found. Then, the Romulans show up — they’d been shadowing the Enterprise — and a faceoff appears imminent. As the parties squabble with weapons drawn, Picard and Crusher extract the DNA and it activates an ancient hologram (Salome Jens) who tells the group that long ago her people spread their genetic material throughout space — possibly creating the bipeds we see all over Trek and hinting at the possibility that the races are somewhat related. The Klingons and Cardassians are unmoved, but the episode ends with the Romulan commander contacting Picard, saying perhaps they’re not that different after all.
“This artifact is priceless — but I’ll probably just leave it in the rubble after the ship crashes.”
One of Star Trek’s biggest conceits has always been that most aliens look (basically) human. Aside from face makeup, Romulans, Klingons, Cardassians, etc., all have two arms and two legs. There are exceptions like the Tholians and the Sheliak. But by and large, Star Trek would be a lot harder to pull off if the aliens were more alien, so the concession is one we have to make, along the lines of the Universal Translator or Brent Spiner’s aging. This episode attempts to explain why a bunch of the aliens look the same. It’s not an ironclad explanation, as we’ll discuss. But this episode, quietly, tries to cover one piece of back story for the entire franchise.
Beyond that, this episode is quintessential Trek as told by TNG. It involves problem-solving, getting feuding aliens to work together, Picard’s ability to think big picture and the hope that the commonalities among the aliens we encounter are more important than their differences. The last shot, where Patrick Stewart plays Picard as both hopeful and amazed after his conversation with the Romulan commander, is just about perfect. In short, there might not be another TNG episode that is so TNG. This has long been one of my favorite episodes of the franchise, as it’s engaging and comes with a message without being preachy.
“Where’s Odo? I mean — we found none, like ourselves …”
While this episode has a lot of TNG’s strengths, it also has some of its weaknesses. This isn’t the worst example of Fun With DNA (“Unnatural Selection” or “Genesis” wins that award) but it’s in the top 10. It’s also a little too easy at the end that the last fragment would reprogram the tricorder to display the holographic image just as everyone’s got guns drawn. It works dramatically, but it’s more likely that the ancient message would have to be decoded somehow.
This episode also works for TNG, which largely takes place in the Alpha and Beta quadrants in (relatively) close proximity to Earth. But are we to believe that the ancient aliens planted DNA in the Gamma and Delta quadrants? We see bipeds from the Gamma Quadrant (on DS9) and from the Delta Quadrant (on Voyager) and we know from TNG that the Borg are essentially bipeds (a conglomeration of bipeds) from the Delta Quadrant. Maybe I could swallow that the ancient aliens had advanced propulsion, but did they have the time or interest to seed so much of the galaxy? The point is left vague as to whether all of the bipedal aliens descend from the ancient aliens, or if only some did.
Also, I’m not sure why Galen didn’t just ask Picard to help him and use the resources of the Enterprise. Galen was clearly concerned about the dangerous implications of his findings — and it’s unlikely that the Federation would have refused him (particularly if Picard vouched for him). It sets up for the drama of the first act and the mystery leading up to the conclusion, as Galen would have likely clued Picard in at some point if they were working together. It’s possible Galen didn’t want the Federation or any paramilitary organization to be part of his discovery, but he never says anything like that. And hell, the Enterprise does in a few days what Galen says would take several months!
Complaints aside, I still really love this episode. It’s Picard at his best, and the guest actors are really pretty great. It’s interesting that Salome Jens shows up here as the female in the holographic projection, considering her next role is as DS9’s worst villain, the female Changeling. If this were further in Trek history — the Dominion doesn’t really pop up for another year or so — one might wonder if this were just an elaborate Dominion trick. 🙂
The Klingon messiah returns. But is he still hanging with Genghis Khan?
Previous Post“Chain of Command”Next Post“Rightful Heir”
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2005, 2155, Enterprise, Federation
“Demons”/ “Terra Prime”
April 24, 2016 Paul Leave a comment
“I knew there was something fishy with that ‘official DNA collector’ who wanted a sample of my blood and my credit card number!!!”
Demons: Enterprise has returned to Earth — for like the 10th time in the fourth season — for a summit with all the aliens Archer has buddied up with (Vulcans, Andorians, Tellarites, etc.) to form an alliance. But a woman with mortal wounds enters as the conference begins and gives T’Pol a strand of hair — which turns out to be from a human/Vulcan child created with T’Pol and Tucker’s DNA. The child was created by Terra Prime, an isolationist group who wants limited contact with alien races, who plans to use the child as a symbol of the evils of inter-species breeding. T’Pol and Tucker try to find the child and are quickly captured (duh) by Terra Prime’s leader, John Frederick Paxton (Peter Weller), who is based on the moon. The episode ends as Paxton takes control of some devices used to divert comets on Mars and aims them at Starfleet Headquarters — and broadcasts his threat to wipe it out if all aliens don’t leave the system.
Terra Prime: With the summit in danger of collapsing, Archer leads a dangerous mission to get to Mars and stop Paxton. T’Pol and Tucker are still held captive and T’Pol learns the child is dying. Eventually, the good guys prevail, but the child (whom T’Pol names Elizabeth after Tucker’s sister who was killed in the Xindi attack) dies — apparently, a result of Vulcan/human incompatibility. Archer returns to the conference and gives a speech that results in rousing applause, with the idea that the alliance will still happen. The episode ends with T’Pol and Trip talking after learning that Paxton’s methods — and not genetic incompatibility — led to Elizabeth’s death.
“Sir, ‘Robocop’ is on UPN.” “On screen, Mr. Mayweather.”
It’s sort of hard to figure to what degree, but the groundwork laid here apparently leads to the Federation and the events in the next episode. So, even if the conference in this episode just paved the way, it’s extremely important.
Also, there’s a cool callback to Colonel Green, an historic bad dude mentioned way back in “The Savage Curtain”. Naturally, Paxton admires him.
Well, Paxton’s plan is really strange.
In addition to taking over the comet-deflecting thing, he genetically engineers the human/Vulcan hybrid to make a larger point about inter-species breeding. And, I guess, that could have been somewhat disturbing to some people.
But why bother making the kid a combination of Trip and T’Pol? It’s sort of alluded to that Paxton knows that the two of them had been intimate, but why not just make a hybrid child with any old Vulcan and human? There was just no advantage for Paxton if Trip and T’Pol are Elizabeth’s parents, and getting both of their DNA couldn’t have been easy.
Then, there’s the plan to find the child. First of all, sending T’Pol (a Vulcan) to a supposed hotbed of isolationist activity makes NO sense. But beyond that, Trip and T’Pol were global celebrities after the Xindi incident. That neither of them wore any sort of disguise was just ridiculous.
Ensigns bossing around other ensigns. Did Starfleet run out of Lt. Commanders?
There was a lot of subplotting that didn’t make it into our review, from the Mayweather/reporter love thing to the Terra Prime spy on Enterprise to Sato taking command of Enterprise while everyone else is on Mars to the Earth “minister” (Harry Groener) who previously had been in Terra Prime. The two-parter covers an awful lot of ground — and even despite the strangeness noted above, it works pretty well.
Some consider “Terra Prime” to be the “true” finale of Enterprise, as “These Are the Voyages …” was not well-received. More on that later this week.
Coming later this week …
Trek’s least favorite finale. And no, we’re not reviewing “Turnabout Intruder”.
2005, 2155, Enterprise, Federation, Vulcan
“In a Mirror, Darkly”
“I liked you better with the goatee.”
Part one: We’re in the evil universe — the credits tell us so! — first seen in TOS and again in DS9. This time, though, there’s nobody from our universe who’s crossed over. Humanity still has an evil empire and it dominates the other Enterprise-era species. The ship’s captain is this universe’s version of Admiral Forest (Vaughn Armstrong), and Archer is first officer. Archer takes over the ship and sets course for Tholian space where a Starfleet vessel from about a century in the future has been found. The Tholians are tearing it apart, but Archer takes a team on board to save it. Turns out it’s the Defiant, a Constitution-class ship that disappeared in Tholian space in our regular universe in “The Tholian Web” on TOS. Archer is successful in saving the Defiant, but the Tholians destroy Enterprise (killing Forest) as part one ends.
Part two: Archer and Co. escape with the Defiant, but are stuck at impulse because a Gorn(!) slave master (employed by the Tholians and still on the ship) has stolen some equipment. Archer eventually tracks the parts down and heads to Terran territory to crush (crush!) a rebellion with 23rd century technology (technology!) led by Vulcans, Andorians and others and take hold of the empire. After putting down an insurgency led by T’Pol and goateed Soval on another Terran ship, Archer’s plan almost works. But Sato — his consort and Forest’s before — poisons and kills Archer and declares herself Empress Sato in orbit of Earth.
Ladies and gentlemen… Enterprise’s only official red shirt!
Well, this one was borderline for us. It’s another example of Fan Service Gone Wild — and the information about the mirror universe here doesn’t really play into what we see later. But we do see more here about some key races from TOS (the Tholians and the Gorn) and it ties into two episodes of TOS and “Star Trek: First Contact”.
And, hell, like Enterprise as a series was in early 2005, we’re nearing the end of our run — and we just wanted to review this one as there’s a lot to talk about.
Peak Fan Service™: Archer, in a Kirk wrap-around tunic, fighting a Gorn.
The hardest thing to swallow is that humans apparently got their hands on 23rd-century technology in the 22nd century but only had 23rd-century technology in “Mirror, Mirror” … which occurred in the 23rd century. Apparently, the Terran Empire in Kirk’s time wasn’t just corrupt and on track to collapse. It was technologically stagnant — provided Kirk’s Enterprise wasn’t the Terran Empire equivalent of a garbage scow.
Also, T’Pol and Soval in part two are just WAY too emotional. There are also plenty of other small things — like the Enterprise firing while cloaked in part one or the ridiculous uniforms worn by Starfleet crew women. And the Gorn looks NOTHING like what we see in “Arena”. But my biggest problem is what the creators do with mirror-Archer in part two.
In part one, he’s a conniving guy who’s finally got his shot to make it big. In part two, he’s a whiny, off-the-hinge nut job! Scott Bakula’s performance “Great men are CONQUERERS!” was just way, way, way over the top.
On the shooting script it literally said, “See script for Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien'”.
Despite Bakula going too far with the scenery chewing — he really likes saying technology! — there’s a lot of good stuff here. Giving Sato something to do (for once) was great, even if it was the evil version of her. And many of the evil versions were fun takes. I particularly liked the radiation-scarred Tucker.
There is an interesting line that I wanted to address. At one point, evil Archer and evil Sato, on board the Defiant, look at the bios of their good-universe selves. Interestingly, good-universe Archer is said to be the “greatest explorer of the 22nd century.” Frankly, this is pretty silly.
By this stage of Enterprise, Archer hasn’t distinguished himself as an explorer. Really, he was more of a statesman and a diplomat — or even a soldier. There are even meta lines about this in the third and fourth seasons that are clear indications the creators knew and understood this. Granted, Archer’s exploratory accomplishments could come after the series ends …
It also was very cool to see a Gorn and a Tholian (no one said the season of fan service didn’t have its charms). And the recreation of the Defiant, of course, was exceptionally well done. Archer wearing a Kirk-style wraparound — which William Shatner wore in the original series at times to disguise his weight fluctuations — was great.
I’ve heard some fans say this is Enterprise’s peak, and I’ll grant that the two-parter is a lot of fun (even if part two sort of goes off the hinge). But I’d say the end of the Xindi arc or the Vulcan three-parter were better. Enterprise, despite all its flaws, was a strong enough show where events that actually happened to our normal characters were more compelling than events that happened in alternative universes or reset timelines. Voyager, OTOH …
And if we’re talking about universes or reset timelines, I frankly like “Twilight” from Enterprise’s third season better. We’ll get to that in our series wrap up in a couple weeks.
“I said ‘It’s green!’ Are you not amused?!”
Our last two reviews of Enterprise. It’s been a long road …
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Earthquakes as weathering agents: the rubbing boulders of the Atacama
2 Comments Posted by Austin Elliott on December 10, 2012
A fairly unique study came out a few months ago in the journal Geology, in which the authors propose a novel mechanism of erosion: abrasion during earthquake shaking.
Seismicity and the strange rubbing boulders of the Atacama desert, northern Chile
The researchers were puzzled by fields of boulders sitting hardly buried atop the silty floor of Chile’s hyper-arid Atacama desert. They noted odd “moats” in broken silt crust around the boulders, and odd patterns of smoothing around only portions of the boulders’ sides. While they were out documenting these patterns they witnessed a M5.2 earthquake (centered 100km away) rock the landscape, swaying the boulders and producing a clattering roar as the rocks clapped into one another.
A boulder field in the barren Atacama desert displays evidence of clattering clasts, rubbed smooth by collisions during earthquakes. Photo by Jay Quade, hosted on http://www.geosociety.org
So… they proposed that shaking by the rather frequent Chilean earthquakes causes these rocks to rub each other, and over literally millions of years they wear each other smooth at their points of contact. A back-of-the-envelope calculation estimates that these rocks have shaken for up to 70,000 hours of their 1.3 million-year existences on this surface. That should be plenty of time to wear each other smooth, if it’s what’s really going on.
If you can read the article, note that I find their Figure 2E the most compelling, showing the abraded corner of one boulder sitting nestled into a conformable, abraded concavity on a neighboring boulder. Still, I’m not entirely convinced that the authors have ruled out wind-borne sand abrasion as a cause of much of this wear. Their main arguments against it are the localization of abrasion around the mid-sections of boulders (whereas wind-abraded ventifacts are presumably more thoroughly smoothed all around), and the broken silt crust in the moats, which would be expected to be homogeneous sand if the moats were formed by wind, with the finer silt blown away. Without more detailed documentation of the features, I’m not fully convinced that these uneven patterns of abrasion cannot still be explained by localized concentration of high-speed sand grains, concentrated in narrow gaps between boulders or low along the ground in the layer of heavy saltating grains.
That doubt expressed, I fully accept that their suggested mechanism is in fact an agent of boulder smoothing and erosion: they have anecdotal evidence that it occurs, and I think basic physics requires the rocking and colliding of these rocks, leading to thorough abrasion over repeated shaking through geologic time. Heck, there’s all kinds of evidence of boulder motion during quakes, from the bouncing pock marks I saw after the El Mayor Cucapah earthquake, to this classic toppled boulder in the Eastern Sierra.
Rocks loosened from the hillside during a M7.2 earthquake leave trails of divots where they bounced down into a wash.
The trail of a boulder, knocked during a M6 1980 earthquake from its perch atop a fault scarp, leads directly to the boulder in its resting place behind a camp site shell along McGee Creek, California.
Their final discussion makes some key points: 1) in most places on Earth, water, wind, and ice erosion act much more quickly than seismic events recur, meaning that any evidence of clattering rocks is overwhelmed and erased by the more efficient modes of erosion. 2) On barren, dry, rocky planets where water erosion does not occur, seismic abrasion may actually be a dominant mode of both smoothing and transport of clasts. In fact scientists earlier this year suggested this very notion based on photographic evidence from Mars, where fields of displaced boulders (with trails!) were concentrated around seismic fault lines.
What do you think? Are the smooth bands around the rocks explained by rubbing during earthquakes? We’ve seen weirder things….
Current developments in seismology, Earthquake Physics abrasion, Atacama, boulders, collision, earthquake, Geology, Marsquake
← Animations and Sonifications of the Tohoku earthquake and aftershocks Watch the ground ripple in Long Beach →
2 responses to “Earthquakes as weathering agents: the rubbing boulders of the Atacama”
Uncle Tim December 10, 2012 at 7:52 pm
The rocks are alive, I’m telling you! Earthquakes? Ha! Check out Outer Limits – Cry of Silence episode from 1965. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0667811/ : D
Austin Elliott December 12, 2012 at 1:10 am
I LOVE it. Found it on Hulu! http://www.hulu.com/watch/155120
Twilight Zone and Outer Limits are two of my favorite shows ever. That one was pretty freaky, actually. Love the wrap-up at the end.
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Update 87 SDStolenLives KILLED by Immigration Customs Enforcement and “Protection” & CA &US Border Patrol in SD County
Posted on December 25, 2015 by uaptsd
87 from 1980 to the present 24% OF THEM UNKNOWN!
*Summary Information used on Uaptsd is generally transcribed as it appears in the original media source
© United Against Police Terror and Uaptsd.org, 2014. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to United Against Police Terror and uaptsd.org with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this facebook’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
Full list can be found here https://uaptsd.org/victims/stolen-lives-killed-by-sd-law-enforcement/
Alexander Martin Border Patrol 3/15/2012 34 yrs old
Alvaro Vega-HaroSDPD, CBP 4/10/1989 39 yrs old
Anastasio Hernandez Rojas CBP 5/28/2010 42 yrs old
Anthony Scott Tyler CBP 10/21/1986 24 yrs old
Benito A. Gonzalez CBP 5/31/2007 40 yrs old
Carlos Hernandez Reyes CBP, SDPD 1/27/1988 24 yrs old
Claudia Garcia Chased into traffic CBP 11/5/1992 20 yrs old
Daniel Robert Avila OC Sheriff, CBP 8/4/2015 55 yrs old
Daniel Toro López CBP3/27/1999 26 yrs old
Eduardo Garcia Zamores CBP 11/18/1990 15 yrs old
Elise0 CBP1/23/1996 24 yrs old
Enrique Estrada Rodriguez CBP 3/?/1988 yrs old
Ernesto Gutierrez Cortez CBP 10/21/2013 38 yrs old
Ettore Capitumini CBP5/22/1998 85 yrs old
Francisco Antonio Bernal Moreno CBP 4/1/1986 23 yrs old
Francisco CastañedaDied in ICE Custody 2/16/2008 39 yrs old
Francisco Manuel Cesena CBP 12/24/2014 40 yrs old
Gabriel Hernandez Lozano Ran Over by CBP3/30/1986 49 yrs old
Gonzalo Cardena Solorza CBP3/27/1999 25 yrs old
Gonzalo Perez Chased off cliff by CBP2/20/1993 21 yrs old
Guillermo Martinez Rodriguez CBP 12/0/2005 18 yrs old
Hugo Cisneros Ramirez Chased Off Cliff by CBP4/7/1992 20 yrs old
Humberto Robles Valenzuela CBP 11/2/1990 33 yrs old
Ignasio Sarabia-VallasenorDied in ICE Custody1/4/2005 33 yrs old
Jesus Flores-Cruz CBP2/18/2014 41 yrs old
John Pellegrino CBP 12/19/1987 25 yrs old
Jose Alfredo Yanez CBP6/21/2011 40 yrs old
José Angel Leobardo Márquez CBP3/27/1999 39 yrs old
Jose Carlos Martinez Carrillo Run Over by CBP6/9/1991 20 yrs old
Jose Manuel Peralta Camacho SDPD, CBP4/27/1986 20 yrs old
Juan Resendiz Hernandez CBP 8/19/1987 42 yrs old
Julio Arroyo Zaragoza SDPD, CBP5/4/1985 33 yrs old
Julio Martinez Died in ICE Custody1/4/2009 53 yrs old
K.C. Janulaitis CBP 10/5/1986 43 yrs old
Leonel Valenzuela CBP 9/29/1998 38 yrs old
Leopoldo Sanchez Urutia (Mex. Customs)CBP 11/19/1985 51 yrs old
Luis Eduardo Hernandez Hernandez Ran Over by CBP 8/20/1989 14 yrs old
Maria Resendiz CBP1/18/1990 17 yrs old
Mario Perez Jasso CBP, SDPD 1/27/1988 21 yrs old
Marjorie Annmarie Bell Died in ICE custody 2/13/2014 48 yrs old
Martín García MartínezINS6/3/1994 30 yrs old
Martin Lopez CBP1/4/1989 21 yrs old
Oscar Abel Cordoba Velez CBP 9/28/1998 23 yrs old
Oscar Abraham Garcia CBP5/18/2006 22yrs old
Pablo Antunes Lopez Ran Over by CBP 3/2/1986 27 yrs old
Paul Iozzio Jr.Ran Over by Off Duty CBP 9/18/1993 26 yrs old
Rafael Alexander Vasquez CBP, SDPD 3/28/1988
Ramon Garcia CBP 8/21/1990 66 yrs old
Raymond T. Higgs CBP 4/18/1988 37 yrs old
Raymundo Sanchez CBP 8/30/1999 30 yrs old
Rayshaun Cole CBP 10/17/2015 30 yrs old
Roberto Ledesman-Guerrero Died in ICE Custody 12/2/2005 72 yrs old
Roberto Perez Perez In CBP Custody1/13/2011 63yrs old
Ronald Lee “Hawk” Deugan CBP 2/1/2008 49yrs old
Sabino Silva Chavez CBP1/4/1989 24yrs old
Sonserra Holloway Undercover CBP2/3/2000 20yrs old
Steven Bernal CBP 5/13/1986
Steven Keith Died in Custody 12/24/2013 58 yrs old
Unknown CBP 8/23/1986 (police report said. The man threw another piece of wood at Szymczak before fleeing. Others who had been watching the events from a levee pelted the officer with rocks and debris)
Unknown CBP 12/14/1986 (reach into his pocket, pull out an object that also looked like a gun, and advance toward the officers “between 20 to 30 times,” in the abdomen and seriously wounding the other)
Unknown CBP 6/22/1987 (shot and killed a man who allegedly attempted to run over the agent with a truck that was filled with migrants)
Unknown CBP 12/20/1987 (walked toward the officers, and one man, who was wearing a ski mask, pointed what appeared to be a gun at the officers, officers fired several shots, one of which struck the man in the head, killing him instantly, agents found a plastic gun at the scene)
Unknown CBP 12/28/1989
Unknown CBP 12/28/1989 (Four agents opened fire on a group of alleged thieves killing two of them, after the assailants surrounded the officers and appeared poised to attack at Border Field State Park)
Unknown CBP Pursuit 10/25/2001
Unknown CBP Pursuit 10/25/2001 (agents who sought to stop a pickup with migrants before it crashed in eastern San Diego County, killing two people and injuring 19)
Unknown CBP, SDPD 5/19/1986 ( shot killed by Border Crimes Unit after pointing a branch covered in clothes, police say resembled a gun)
Unknown CBP, SDPD 12/2/1987 (Police found after the incident that the handgun held by the man who confronted police was fake)
Unknown CBP, SDPD 12/2/1987 (A pair of scissors and a knife were found in the other man’s possession)
Unknown CBP, SDPD 10/17/1988 ( allegedly jumped from a bush north of the border, pointed what appeared to be a rifle and shouted “Don’t move!” in Spanish. Police declined to identify the man, who died of multiple gunshot wounds, but said he was holding a plastic toy rifle when he was killed.)
Unknown CBP, SDPD 12/21/1988
Unknown CBP, SDPD 12/21/1988 (Two men believed to be border bandits were shot to death shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday, after they opened fire on police and Border Patrol agents just north of the international border)
Unknown Died in CBP Custody 2/7/1988 (arrested on suspicion of entering the country illegally, collapsed shortly after his arrival at the Border Patrol detention center in San Ysidro)
Unknown Died in INS Holding Cell 8/29/1988 22 yrs old
Unknown Pursuit CBP 8/23/1989 (An unidentified woman was killed Wednesday after she ran the U. S. Border Patrol checkpoint in San Clemente and lost control of her car after a brief chase)
Unknown SDPD, CBP 8/30/1986 ( A San Diego County deputy sheriff was wounded and a Mexican national was killed early Saturday in a shoot-out between the San Diego Border Crime Unit and a group of illegal aliens.)
Unknown*CBP 9/4/1995 ( A Mexican citizen who had just been apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents was killed late Monday when a government vehicle he was riding in plunged down a steep embankment.)
Unknown*CBP 3/9/2000 ( A trucker was shot and killed during a confrontation with U.S. customs agents The confrontation occurred at the Otay Mesa border crossing. No customs agents were injured in the incident. The trucker, from Baja California, died at the scene.)
Unknown*Chased into Traffic by CBP 9/20/2000 ( A man who was struck and killed by a car on Interstate 5 on Wednesday night was running from a Border Patrol agent after being taken into custody, a Border Patrol spokesman said yesterday.
The agent had handcuffed the man, who then pulled away and ran onto the freeway near the border checkpoint)
Unknown*Crash in CBP Custody 5/1/1995
Unknown*Crash in CBP Custody 5/1/1995 (collided head-on with a pickup truck, killing three people and injuring 16. Border Patrol officials called the crash — on state Route 94 2 miles northwest of Otay Lakes Road — one of the worst involving a load of undocumented migrants in county history)
Valeria Tachiquin CBP 9/28/2012 32 yrs old
Victor Leobardo Diaz Martinez
Federal Treasury Police 11/5/1993 27 yrs old
VÌctor Mandujano Navarro CBP 9/8/1990 17 yrs old
Yusif Osman Died in ICE Custody 6/27/2006 34 yrs old
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A Star Is Born: Lady Gaga triumphs in movie debut at Venice
Channel24 3 September 2018
Venice - Lady Gaga opened up about her painful road to fame after she shone in her big Hollywood movie debut, A Star Is Born, which premiered Friday at the Venice film festival.
"Many times at the beginning of my career I was not the most beautiful woman in the room - but I wrote my own songs," she told reporters.
The story of an "ugly" girl who thinks her nose is too big and hides behind layers of outrageous makeup had obvious autobiographical echoes for US star.
A remake of the 1937 classic, the singer was stepping into some big shoes in reprising a role already immortalised by Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand.
But critics hailed her magnetic performance and on-screen chemistry with co-star Bradley Cooper of American Sniper fame, who also directed the film.
Lady Gaga said she dug deep into her own experiences for the role.
When she was trying to make it "they often wanted me to give my songs to other singers but I held onto my music with my cold dead fingers, 'You are not going to take my songs from me...'"
‘I AM MY OWN WOMAN’
"They made suggestions about how I should look," said the superstar, who thanked a journalist for comparing her nose to that of another great diva, the soprano Maria Callas.
Lady Gaga she said had to be "very strong to negotiate" the music industry's attempts to remake her.
"I would always take a left turn. I never wanted to be sexy or to be viewed like other women. I wanted to be my own artist and my own woman," she added.
Gaga, 32, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, plays an Italian-American waitress and singer who meets a country music star on the slide in a drag club where she is performing Edith Piaf's La Vie en Rose.
Sparks fly and soon this odd couple are making romantic and musical fireworks.
Gaga said her biggest fear was "being completely vulnerable and bare" on screen.
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper at the Venice Film Fe
TOOK OFF HER MAKEUP
The first thing Cooper did at the screen test was to take a makeup wipe to her face, "and I was only wearing a little bit", she said.
"I always love to transform myself and shape shift, it is part of my art and my music. But he wanted to see me with nothing... and he brought out this vulnerability in me... he made me feel so free," she added.
Cooper, 43, said their shared Italian-American roots helped weld the "amazing connection" between them, as well as the experience of shooting and singing live together in front of thousands of people at the Glastonbury and Coachella festivals in England and California.
Unlike the heroine of the film, Lady Gaga said she has never been a shrinking violet when it came to her own talent.
Never less than flamboyant, she made one of the most dramatic entrances in years at Venice, arriving on the eve of the premiere draped over the edge of a water taxi in a black bondage bustier dress.
And her appearance at the film's press conference was greeted by a clap of thunder across the Venetian lagoon.
"The character I play has completely given up on herself at the beginning of the movie. I was about 19 when I started as a singer and I hit the ground running. I was dragging my piano from dive bar to dive bar and I believed in myself.
"There can be 99 people in a room and you just need one to believe in you, and it was him (Cooper) for me," the singer said of the director.
A Star is Born releases in SA cinemas on Friday, 12 October.
(Photo: AP)
'Stay away from my wife': Piers Morgan 'furious' Richard Arnold has been texting his wife behind his back
Emmerdale's shock Robert plan and 9 more soap spoilers
Harry and Meghan join Beyonce and Jay-Z at Lion King premiere
PA Entertainment
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Fed's Barkin sees no case for a rate hike or cut
NEW YORK, May 15 - Strong U.S. economic growth and restrained inflation mean there is no argument for a rate hike or cut right now, though business confidence is fragile, a Federal Reserve policymaker said on Wednesday.
“There’s not a strong case to push rates higher when inflation is under control; there’s not a strong case to move lower when growth remains healthy,” Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin said in remarks prepared for delivery before the New York Association of Business Economists in Manhattan.
The Fed has kept rates on hold at their current 2.25-2.50% level this year, spooked by a slide in markets and questions about the sustainability of economic growth in light of issues including the U.S.-China trade conflict, which has hurt many businesses’ optimism about the future.
Inflation has been short of the Fed’s 2% goal, leaving the U.S. central bank in no hurry to hike rates. Markets are positioning for the possibility that the Fed’s next move is a cut.
Barkin said the business contacts in his regional bank’s district, which spans parts of the U.S. South and mid-Atlantic from South Carolina to Washington, see an economy that is “sound but not spectacular.”
Rising debt levels among U.S. businesses can bias how executives respond to bad news, causing them to potentially overreact to temporary market slides by hiring or slowing investment, he said.
While consumers have good income prospects and high savings, businesses do not feel they can raise prices and are anxious about the future as well as political polarization, Barkin said.
“I don’t discount the idea that we could talk ourselves into a recession,” he said.
But those businesses are not yet cutting back investments, jobs or discretionary spending, leading Barkin to believe that the economy is “sound” even if “confidence - especially business confidence - is fragile.” (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)
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8 Smartphones Releasing In September-October You Should Be Checking Out
Technology11 min read
Ever since Apple’s iPhone kick started the touch-screen mobile revolution, the industry has been evolving with each new phone released. Each of these smartphones tries to emulate the best of all worlds trying its best to stand out from the highly saturated crowd with that eye-catching feature. Besides Apple, majors like Samsung, LG, Google are a few of the leading brands vying for the coveted market share of smartphone sales. Even Nokia is back in the fray guys. As 2017 draws towards a close, smartphone giants have lined up their flagship phones teasing the tech community and fans alike. Some of the most anticipated smartphones from the giants of the game are likely to be released in September and October, as they look to grab some of the year end spending of generous shoppers.
Here are a few of the hopeful launches/release lined up for the next couple of months. Some of these launch/release events have been confirmed while the rest are likely to follow the pattern of last year’s releases.
1. Apple iPhone 8 (or X ?) – September 12
Apple have been on top of their game in getting the tech geeks all riled up each year for their product launches. iPhones have had a history of drawing attention and opinions, slew of product reviews. They have introduced features ranging from ‘Wow’ to ‘WTF!! WHY?’ (dedicated to the Late Heaphone Jack). As Apple celebrates the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone launch, iPhone 8 is rumoured to be a major upgrade as compared to the previous versions. One feature getting a massive upscaling is the price which could shoot upwards of $1000.
Here are a few of the key rumored features of iPhone 8 –
Possibly the largest screen on an iPhone (5.8 inch)
Curved, edge-to-edge OLED display
Face ID (facial recognition) could be introduced to replace Touch ID
Dual lens camera in a vertical configuration (as suggested by iPhone leaks)
Pencil support to rival Samsung Galaxy Note’s stylus
Along with the main attraction iPhone 8, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7S are also expected to tag along.
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 – September 15
Samsung’s newest flagship phablet, the Galaxy Note 8 is already on pre-order and will be officially released around mid-September. It will cost upwards of $900 like most other devices in this segment.
Being a phablet, it will have a huge almost bezel-less 6.3 inch super AMOLED Infinity display. The Note 8 will come equipped with a slyly named S-Pen with a housing within the smartphone. Here are some key specifications for Samsung’s latest offering –
Display: 6.3in Quad HD+ Super AMOLED
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core CPU OR Samsung Exynos 8995 octa-core CPU (depending on the region)
Storage options: 64GB, 128GB or 256GB
Primary Camera: 12MP dual camera with apertures of f/1.7 and f/2.4
Secondary camera: 8MP, f/1.7
3. Nokia 9 – September (Unconfirmed)
Nokia once had the largest monopoly in the mobile phone industry. The rugged handsets of the early 2000s were the bullies of mobile phones. Touchscreen phones, commonly known as smartphones today, broke Nokia’s business with iOS and Android devices flooding the market. Nokia seems to be getting back up on it’s feet again starting with the launch of Android powered Nokia 6. Nokia 9 is their latest offering as they look to enter the Game of Flagships.
Although a date is not confirmed for the launch, it’s likely it will be launched around the same time as other flagships from Apple and Samsung. This puts the spotlight on the months of September and October for a possible launch.
Some key features Nokia 9 could include –
Screen: 5.5 inch QHD OLED display
Primary camera: Dual lens 22MP Carl-Zeiss
Secondary camera: 12MP (nothing else significant so far)
Battery: 3800 mAh with fast charging
RAM: at least 4GB
Processor: Snapdragon 835
OS: Android 7.0 or later
4. Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 – October
Google Pixel and Pixel XL, launched last year, are arguably two of the best android smartphones available today. To up the game, Google has decided to bless us with Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2. The first generation Pixels launched in October last year. Hence in the absence of any confirmed dates as of now, the best guess is to assume the launch to happen sometime in October this year as well.
Specifications (unconfirmed):
Screen: Pixel 2 – 4.97 inch, Pixel 2 – 6 inch QHD AMOLED
Primary camera: Not a dual camera setup according to the rumour mills
Processor: Snapdragon 835/836
OS: Android 8.0 Oreo (because it’s Google)
Price: $649+ for Pixel 2, $769+ (same or more expensive than last year’s models)
5. LG V30 – September
With no major departure from its predecessor, LG’s flagship smartphone for 2017 was revealed at IFA 2017 on August 31. However, it will available for mass consumption September onwards.
Now all aboard the specs train –
Screen: 6 inch P-OLED, 2880×1440 resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio
Primary camera: Dual camera setup, 13MP and 16MP
Secondary camera: 5MP with facial recognition
OS: Android 7.0 Nougat
Price: No updates yet
It’s a little disappointing to have only a 5MP front camera on a flagship smartphone. But maybe the facial recognition part compensates for it.
Other notable offerings:
6. Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 – September 11
This one is expected to be a completely bezel-less smartphone. Its predecessor, the Mi Mix was the one that kickstarted the trend of reducing bezels last year which has caught up as a trend. Xiaomi aims to take some shine off iPhone 8 launch, going ahead with the reveal one day before Apple’s event.
7. Sony Xperia XZ1 – September
The sequel to last year’s XZ models, the XZ1 is should be out sometime in September. It will come with a 5.2-inch full HD display,19 MP dual camera at the back and a 13 MP front cam. The XZ1 wants to compete in the flagship segment and hence has a Snapdragon 835, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage. It seems that the pricing will be similar to that of S8 as well.
8. Huawei Mate 10 – October 16 in Munich, Germany
Mate 10 is likely to be launched with huge 6 inch bezel-less screen and with an understandable flagship price. More will be revealed via leaks and rumors as we inch closer to the launch date.
Upon analyzing the trends adopted by most flagships this year, it seems the ever decreasing bezels, dual camera setups, a minimum of 4GB of RAM are some of the trends of 2017. Quite a few smartphones have started including facial recognition technology but the tech is still not finished enough to replace touch ID as the sole security feature. Although maybe next year could be the year of this trend though.
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‘The Crow’ Remake Still Flies With Or Without A Star (Or Money To Pay One)
Buddy Chambers 11.21.15 4 years ago 2 Comments
You’ve got to tip your hat and admire producer Edward Pressman, who is spearheading The Crow remake. The project has felt its fair share of pre-production turmoil (which is being awfully kind). At this moment, the remake has no star in the role that the late Brandon Lee portrayed in the 1994 film. Jack Huston (best known as playing the tragic Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire) was slated to play The Crow, but he dropped out in June, and no one was been hired to replace Huston as of yet.
Pressman insists that this remake will be shot in 2016, but the prospect is a baffling one. Relativity Media, the company who’s going to finance the movie, went bankrupt earlier this year. This is not good news for a remake of a beloved 1990s cult flick. Pressman maintains a determined focused on the project while acknowledging the financial concerns that plague Relativity:
“Despite Relativity’s problems, we’re going ahead now. Relativity is putting up a good amount of money to do that. They are putting up significant holding money. They are moving ahead in a constructive and positive way and Ryan Kavanaugh seems totally committed to this theme.”
Director Corin Hardy is still currently attached the project. Now the search begins anew for someone to portray The Crow before filming starts next year.
(A.V. Club & Variety)
TOPICS#The Crow
TAGSCORIN HARDYthe crow
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2016 Milwaukee Film Festival Announces Black Lens Program Lineup
Showcases fiction and documentary films from emerging and established African-American directors
By Milwaukee Film - Aug 2nd, 2016 06:55 am
2014 Milwaukee Film Festival Opening Night.
MILWAUKEE – Tuesday, August 2, 2016 – The 8th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival announces the return of the Black Lens Program for a third year. Featuring work from both emerging and established African-American filmmakers, this series presents eight programs of short and feature-length fiction and documentary films. In 2015, Black Lens film screenings attracted a total audience of 3,288 (a 96% increase over 2014), with an estimated 28% of attendees being African-American.
Milwaukee Film announced in April that it had received a $10,000 FilmWatch grant in support of its Black Lens Program from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Milwaukee Film is one of 16 FilmWatch grant recipients for the 2016-2017 grant year.
In addition to support from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Black Lens has received a grant from the Johnson Controls Foundation to help underwrite the program for a second year. Promotional support for the program comes from Program Sponsors WJMR Jammin’ 98.3 and the Black Lens Engagement Committee, as well as a network of Milwaukee Film sponsors and community partners.
New this year, the Black Lens Engagement Committee is comprised of individuals from FUEL Milwaukee, Media Circus, Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals (MULYP), Milwaukee Black Professionals (MBP), and Social X. This group will work collectively with the Black Lens programmers to conduct outreach to various constituencies about the program and the Milwaukee Film Festival.
“In two years, Black Lens has gone from a worthy experiment with ambitious goals to a bona fide attraction at the Milwaukee Film Festival. The growth of the program since its inception is a testament to the need for culturally diverse programming in our city. When you consider how segregated Milwaukee is, and then see the diversity of Black Lens audiences, you realize the power of film and, more importantly, the resonance of great storytelling,” stated Black Lens Co-Programmer Geraud Blanks.
In response to the program’s growth, Milwaukee Film is announcing a jury prize for the Black Lens Program. A $5,000 cash award will be presented to the director of the jury-selected winner of the best short or feature film within the program.
“I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to say that year three for the Black Lens Program will be a game-changer,” exclaimed Black Lens Co-Programmer Donte McFadden. “What also makes year three exciting is the addition of the Black Lens Council, which is designed to provide support directly to the Black Lens Program from new and continuing Milwaukee Film Members.”
The Black Lens Council provides its members ongoing access to films by African-American filmmakers and instills a direct link between the Milwaukee community and the Black Lens Program. In addition, Black Lens Council members receive year-round and festival benefits. For more information, visit mkefilm.org/blacklenscouncil.
In cooperation with Program Sponsor WJMR Jammin’ 98.3, a Black Lens Reception will take place on Friday, September 16 at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee. The event is intended to showcase the program’s film trailers as well as provide an opportunity to engage with the Black Lens programmers, sponsors, and community partners. The event is free and open to the public; details to be available at mkefilm.org.
Facebook: /BlackLensMKE | Twitter: @BlackLensMKE | Hashtag: #BlackLensMKE
Presenting Sponsor: Johnson Controls Foundation
Special support provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Program Sponsors: WJMR Jammin’ 98.3 & Black Lens Engagement Committee
2016 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL
BLACK LENS
African-American filmmakers explore stories and topics rooted in the black community and relevant to all. This program features fiction and documentary films from both emerging and established voices.
9 Rides
(USA / 2016 / Director: Matthew A. Cherry)
Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=mhqcYoYEimA
It’s New Year’s Eve and an unnamed Uber driver (a remarkable performance from Dorian Missick) is checking in for the busiest day of the year. Over the course of the evening and his numerous fares, he’ll witness couples falling in and out of love, belligerent police officers, and solo passengers; all of these brief interactions underlying his own growing anxiety in the face of recent life-changing news. Shot entirely on an iPhone 6s (the first movie ever to do so!), Matthew Cherry’s intimate and gripping drama combines naturalistic performance with unobtrusive camerawork to tell a very modern story of life and love.
Black Lens Shorts Program
An eclectic array of shorts that represent African-American cinema in all of its glory: stories range from a documentary about the intersection of hip-hop and social justice to boy-meets-girl romantic comedies to striking suspense thrillers. An abundance of talented voices tell stories of love, self-discovery, inclusion, and justice, giving voice to an experience often neglected by our movie screens.
#Bars4Justice (USA / 2015 / Directors: Queen Muhammad Ali, Hakeem Khaaliq)
The Big Chop (USA / 2016 / Director: Derek Dow II)
Black Movie Night (USA / 2016 / Director: Sterling Milan)
Didn’t I Ask for Tea? (USA / 2015 / Directors: Rahwa Asmerom, Essence Ward)
Flowers (USA / 2016 / Directors: Nikyatu Jusu, Yvonne Shirley)
Tap Shoes & Violins (USA / 2015 / Director: Dax Brooks)
Can You Dig This
(USA / 2015 / Director: Delila Vallot)
Trailer: vimeo.com/130457181
In South Los Angeles, one of the biggest food deserts in the country, the last thing you would expect to find is a beautiful garden sprouting up through the concrete urban landscape. This inspiring documentary follows the journey of four gardeners who are part of an urban gardening revolution taking root. Each of the film’s subjects put their hands in the soil to transform their neighborhoods and change their own lives in the process.
How to Tell You’re a Douchebag
(USA / 2016 / Director: Tahir Jetter)
Trailer: N/A
A fresh, sexy romantic comedy that cuts to the heart of dating in the age of social media, How to Tell You’re a Douchebag manages to be humorous and contemporary without breaking a sweat. Ray is a 20-something struggling writer in Brooklyn, venting frustrations about his stagnant career and love life via his blog “Occasionally Dating Black Women.” A public tirade puts him in the crosshairs of the fiercely intelligent Rochelle, an up-and-coming writer with zero tolerance for Ray’s casual misogyny. Ray attempts to apologize, beginning a journey towards humility and unexpected romance in a comedy that upends all expectations.
The Land
(USA / 2016 / Director: Steven Caple Jr.)
Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=6pNpHOCRhkA
Executive Producer Nas presents this vivid inner-city saga set amidst Cleveland’s skateboarding culture. During the day, Cisco and his group of friends videotape their daring skate stunts in the hopes of one day going pro. At night, they use them to pull off kinetic carjackings. But when they get mixed up in a drug deal and cross a ruthless queen-pin, they put their friendship–and lives–on the line. The film features an impressive cast that includes Michael K. Williams (Omar from The Wire), Erykah Badu, and Machine Gun Kelly. Set to a solid hip-hop soundtrack, The Land’s engaging narrative and powerful performances match the music that sustains its energy and poetry.
(USA / 2016 / Directors: Bob Hercules, Rita Coburn Whack)
A genuine American icon receives the moving and personal portrait she so richly deserves in Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise. The film focuses on Angelou’s prolific accomplishments and allows her to tell her life story in her own words. Co-directed by MFF2011 alum Bob Hercules (A Good Man), this documentary spotlights her career, relationships, causes, and the obstacles she overcame in her ascension towards luminary status.
(USA / 2015 / Director: Lanre Olabisi)
A fractured marriage splinters off into intertwining affairs in this sexy, sophisticated romantic drama. There are certainly less than six degrees of separation between our four principals: Kofi and Billie find their marriage crumbling around them, and while Kofi finds solace in Sofiya, a fragile young woman who sees him as her potential salvation, Billie pursues a relationship with her female co-worker, Alex. Secrets and lies surface as lovers change hearts, and layer after layer of a love quadrangle slowly peels away. Moments that seemed true are revisited, turning them upside down and revealing that when stories intersect, the truth lies Somewhere in the Middle.
Two Trains Runnin’
(USA / 2016 / Director: Sam Pollard)
In the summer of 1964, hundreds of college students flooded into Mississippi to join the fight for civil rights (as seen in Freedom Summer, a selection from the inaugural year of the Black Lens Program, MFF2014). At the same time, there were two groups of musicians and record collectors that also made their way to the South, seeking to discover the whereabouts of blues musicians Son House and Skip James and convince them to come out of retirement. Containing strong performances of classic blues standards by contemporary musicians such as Gary Clark Jr. and Lucinda Williams, Two Trains Runnin’ tracks the convergence of our political and cultural institutions during one fateful summer that changed the course of both music and American history.
Festival passes and ticket 6-Packs for the 2016 Milwaukee Film Festival are now on sale. For a complete list of prices, as well as a breakdown of the discount deadlines, visit mkefilm.org/tickets.
About Milwaukee Film
Milwaukee Film is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to entertaining, educating, and engaging our community through cinematic experiences. In addition to our annual 15-day Milwaukee Film Festival, Milwaukee Film provides a number of year-round opportunities for film lovers, filmmakers, and educators. For more information, visit us online:
mkefilm.org | facebook.com/MilwaukeeFilm | Twitter: @mkefilm | Instagram: @mkefilm
About the Milwaukee Film Board of Directors
Milwaukee Film’s independent board is made up of the following members: Chris Abele (Past President); John P. Bania; Donna Baumgartner; Dr. Robert M. Davis; Michael Drescher; Karen Ellenbecker; Jeff Fitzsimmons; Alexander P. Fraser; Cecelia Gore; Bill Haberman (Past President); Carmen Haberman; Susan Haise; Katie Heil; Patti Keating Kahn; Michael G. Klein; Michael J. Koss Jr.; Tracey L. Klein (President); Kenneth C. Krei; Mary Ann LaBahn; Alexander Lasry; Steve Laughlin (Past President); Emilia Layden; Marianne Lubar; Sara Meaney; Steve Mech; Barry Poltermann; Bob Pothier; Joseph A. Rock; Lacey Sadoff; Dave Stamm; Julia Taylor; John Utz. Emeritus members: Tom Barrett, Jacqueline Strayer.
People: Alex Lasry, Alexander P. Fraser, Barry Poltermann, Bill Haberman, Bob Pothier, Carmen Haberman, Cecelia Gore, Chris Abele, Dave Stamm, Donna Baumgartner, Donte McFadden, Emilia Layden, Geraud Blanks, Jacqueline Strayer, Jeff Fitzsimmons, John P. Bania, John Utz, Joseph A. Rock, Julia Taylor, Karen Ellenbecker, Katie Heil, Kenneth C. Krei, Lacey Sadoff, Marianne Lubar, Mary Ann LaBahn, Michael Drescher, Michael G. Klein, Michael J. Koss Jr., Patti Keating Kahn, Robert M. Davis, Sara Meaney, Steve Laughlin, Steve Mech, Susan Haise, Tom Barrett, Tracey L. Klein
Organizations: 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, Johnson Controls, Milwaukee Film Festival, Milwaukee Urban League, Uber
Recent Press Releases by Milwaukee Film
2019 Milwaukee Film Festival Ticket Packages and Passes on Sale This Week
May 28th, 2019 by Milwaukee Film
Through Aug. 1, Festival passes, 6-packs and new 10-packs boast the biggest discount of the season, with Milwaukee Film Members earning an additional discount as part of their benefits.
Historic Pipe Organ at Milwaukee Film’s Oriental Theatre to Bring Back Some Movie Magic
May 9th, 2019 by Milwaukee Film
Milwaukee Film has secured a 1925 Wurlitzer, which is currently being prepared for future installation
Milwaukee Film Launches Next Phase of Restoration at Historic Oriental Theatre
Apr 23rd, 2019 by Milwaukee Film
All phase-two projects are scheduled to be complete before the 2019 Milwaukee Film Festival.
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URC joins Churches' Mutual Credit Union
The United Reformed Church has joined the Churches’ Mutual Credit Union (CMCU), enabling ministers, elders and congregations to invest savings in it, funding affordable loans to people who might otherwise have to use payday lenders.
General Assembly enthusiastically agreed to join the CMCU, commending the three years’ work done by the URC treasurer John Ellis and the finance committee to make it possible.
Immediately after the debate, Mr Ellis and the President of the CMCU, the Ven Antony MacRow-Wood, started signing up the first CMCU members from the URC.
Founded in February 2015, the CMCU grew out of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s determination to compete out of existence high-interest payday lenders such as Wonga. The URC joins existing members including the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Methodist Church of Britain. The decision to offer membership to the URC was made at the CMCU’s first AGM in January 2016.
Mr Ellis said: ‘I am delighted at the enthusiasm with which the General Assembly has embraced this opportunity, and the eagerness already shown by URC ministers, elders and staff who are signing up to join the CMCU. I urge local churches to spread the word, join this movement and do something practical in the interests of economic justice.
'This is a chance to point to the values of the kingdom of God amid current financial structures.’
The Archdeacon of Dorset, the Ven Antony MacRow-Wood, attended the General Assembly in his role as the President of the CMCU. He said: ‘We are delighted to include the URC within the CMCU and be able to offer our ethical savings and loans products to URC ministers, trustees, elders and employees.
'John Ellis has kept in close touch with the project for the last three years and in conjunction with the URC finance committee has worked with us to bring about this first extension of CMCU’s common bond. We are very grateful for his expertise and commitment and look forward to working with all of the URC in the years ahead.’
Attached is a leaflet for information.
Additional resources added 11/10/2016
Please contact the Synod Treasurer if you need to discuss further - email treasurer@urc5.org.uk
CMCU information leaflet
CMCU article for use in church magazine
CMCU Reform article September 2016
CMCU paper to GA 2016
Updated: Thu, 16/02/2017 - 10:48 Author: ModPA
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Santorum hits hard: Romney’s on the left’s team
Feb. 25, 2012 2:15 pm Feb. 25, 2012 2:17 pm by The Right Scoop • 116 Comments
Responding to attacks over his ‘team player’ comment, Santorum hits back hard at Romney over his apparent hypocrisy by launching into a litany of questionable positions Romney’s held over the years, including his siding with Ted Kennedy over government run healthcare in Massachusetts and his appointment of liberal activist judges while governor, asking the question “what team was Romney on” when he took those positions.
When asked specifically how he would characterize the team that Romney’s on, Santorum replied “Well I would say that’s the left..”, and went on to defend that position. Toward the end of the clip he also added that Romney’s tax plan adopts “the rhetoric of the Occupy Wall Street folks” and said “we don’t need someone who is going to adopt their playbook as our nominee!”
Here’s the full clip:
116 thoughts on “Santorum hits hard: Romney’s on the left’s team”
MiketheMarine says:
Romney is a liberal, all stop.
cgowlv65 says:
This was a great interview. Santorum stood his ground and called Romney out on his Liberalism past and how he has only stepped foot in the middle, pretending to lean to the right. And this correspondent is an irresponsible and utterly lazy, to not have done her own homework on Santorum’s work history after he left the congress, when she mentioned that Romney called Santorum a lobbyist. If she did her own research (which is her job to do) she would have found this out for herself, and wouldn’t have wasted the interview time, on a stupid question. Oh, and I’m a Gingrich supporter.
klaffner says:
Rick is falling into it just like the rest of them. In the past week, Romney has shifted to policy and attacks on Obama. Rick has been put on the defensive and now in the late stages of the race, he is caught up in tit for tat stuff. He looks small and petty. Romney looks presidential. You would think at least one of these guys could figure out how to NOT let Romney get under their skin.
Wow, did you check out the look on her face? I really had to admire her for putting up with that…that…why that right wing, conservative, tea-something-or-other. I’ll bet she went and washed her hands afterwards just in case it’s catching.
Johann Streit says:
Pretty undeterred. Way to go on CNN.
VoiceOfReason113 says:
It’s funny to watch two guys who are so much the same accuse each other of what they both are.
TPDanbo says:
I found this quote about Romney’s campaign that describes it perfectly ” Romney’s running a “SEINFELD” campaign, it’s a campaign about NOTHING!!! LOL !!!
DaMz says:
Ya know I’ve been thinking all day if NEWT and SANTORUM fans would unite, help eachother and bump Rombo , then they can go head to head. Everyone keeps saying on of them needs to get out of the race , when in reality they need to join forces and nix mitt!
ApplePie101 says:
There’s an important lesson here for conservatives, and I hope they’re paying attention, especially in congress. When establishment republicans ask you to sacrifice for the ‘team’, they won’t hesitate to use it against you later as they throw you under the bus. Don’t do them any favors. Stick to your conservative principles.
dsthomas94 says:
I know that this website is Romney-hater-central, but I think Romney should get some credit for the fact that he even won in Massachusetts, a deeply blue state with something like an 80% democratic legislature. He had to run as a pragmatic moderate there or he wouldn’t have gotten elected. No one else in this field has done that. Once he was in office, he governed as more conservative then he talked, and didn’t get a second chance at it because he knew they would go for the ignorant leftist Deval Patrick. The fact is that Massachusetts is no place for a conservative, and if he wanted to be seen as a conservative in the future he shouldn’t have run for office there. Give the man a break and hold him accountable if he is elected.
It’s not his fault that Obama adopted his health care plan. What if Bush had done it? The idea originated at the Heritage foundation, back in the day when an individual mandate was considered conservative legislation and an employer mandate wasn’t. And now, as soon as Obama’s adopted it, it’s evil liberalism? I think people are simply upset that it has so many similarities to Romney care. Sadly, Mitt Romney isn’t to blame for any of this.
There are many double standards emerging through this race and this presidency. All of the democrats were furious about the war when Bush was in office, and how horrible it was going, and now when Obama in office everything is hunky dory. The same goes for the indefinite detainment of US citizens, and how Obama extended the Patriot act. Where is all the democratic dissent over THIS!? I can even say the same about Conservatives. Romney loved the Paulson bailouts, but now that it’s Geithner, bailouts are somehow evil? Santorum loved No Child Left Behind, and now he’s against it? Gingrich thought Fannie and Freddie were practicing “crazy lending”, and continued to be payed millions to lobby for them?!? (read all about that here: http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/article/newt-gingrich-was-lobbyist-plain-and-simple) And don’t get me started on Ron Paul.
This entire field makes me want to puke. I know that we will take back every branch of government in 2016 though (I’m hoping for Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, or Scott Walker). It can’t get worse than this, right?
Steven Valdez says:
I don’t trust Romney and I ain’t a sucker for his pander.
Why should we give Romney credit for being a republican governor, he was 4th consecutive republican governor elected in Mass. It was a blue state when he got there, it blue when he left, it wasn’t purple.
Nukeman60 says:
‘…I think Romney should get some credit for the fact that he even won in Massachusetts, a deeply blue state with something like an 80% democratic legislature…‘ – dst
This line is getting a bit stale to me. We are supposed to like Romney because he got elected in a ‘deeply blue state’. I don’t know any true conservative that really wants to be, or would even try to be, elected in a ‘deeply blue state’ unless they ran as a conservative with conservative ideas. To imply that you need to look moderate or liberal just to get elected begs the argument, ‘well, who the heck are you anyway?’
‘I know that this website is Romney-hater-central…‘ – dst
The reason this site looks to be ‘Romney-hater central’ is because the commentors on this site, for the most part, are serious about their politics and delve deeply into it to find the truth. When someone comes out smelling , shall we say, less than aromatic, then they call them on it. It is one of the many reasons I like this site more than any other.
‘Santorum loved No Child Left Behind, and now he’s against it?‘ – dst
You can vote for something in 2001 and realize in 2012 that it didn’t work. It’s nice to know one can admit their mistakes.
‘Gingrich thought Fannie and Freddie were practicing “crazy lending”, and continued to be payed millions to lobby for them?!?‘ – dst
Newt never worked for Fannie and was a private citzen consultant for Freddie (with written clauses that prevented lobbying). perhaps some further reading on your part might be in order. A good start would be here:
http://www.newt.org/answers/#lobbying
“This line is getting a bit stale to me. We are supposed to like Romney because he got elected in a ‘deeply blue state’. I don’t know any true conservative that really wants to be, or would even try to be, elected in a ‘deeply blue state'”
Well, maybe because they have to get elected nationwide, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a few independent and liberal voters? Not only would it not hurt, we actually NEED them.
OK, then how come that doesn’t apply to Romney’s so-called mistakes? He’s said he never wanted Obama care at the national level. You just like Santorum/Gingrich more, plain and simple.
HA! Is linking to Gingrich’s website going to persuade me that he didn’t do that? Go read Tim Carney’s article at the Washington Examiner that I linked to, I don’t think you have read it carefully enough.
BigHurt29 says:
Do your homework, DST. When Romney passed Romneycare, he explicitly touted it as something that could be used on the national scale (which he then, of course, envisioned taking credit for). Moreover, ROMNEYCARE is Mitt Romney’s BIGGEST mistake – and he stands behind it, knowing the disaster that it has created in MA, and the disaster that it will create in the US since it served as the model for Obamacare. But, I guess that’s Rick Santorum’s fault for supporting Arlen Specter, who then got re-elected and served as the vote that passed Obamacare into law. Yeah, that’s it.
‘Is linking to Gingrich’s website going to persuade me that he didn’t do that?‘ – dst
I said it was a good start, as it appears you don’t know much about the issue. If you did you wouldn’t mention Fannie in the same sentence as Freddie. From his statements, you can either confirm or rebuke them with followup searches. It’s your choice. But at least you would have done some homework.
Oh, and by the way, the Washington Examiner endorsed McCain in ’08 and Romney in ’12, so we can see which way they are leaning, too.
Wait a minute – you want us to give credit to Romney because he “did what he had to” in order to get elected Governor in MA? Isn’t he the same one questioning Rick Santorum’s principles and courage because he didn’t vote against EVERY bill that contained something with which he disagreed? Mitt Romney is a hypocrite and a (admitted) liar – he admitted that he only told the voters in MA what they wanted to hear. But, now he’s telling the truth, right? No, sorry, he doesn’t get credit for that in my book. I give more credit to someone like Santorum who is willing to be straight up with voters in talking about his past failures – voting for NCLB (which for the record, DST, Romney has and continues to support, but he won’t tell you that), the abuse that developed with earmarks, helping pass bills on behalf of his President and his party with which he may have disagreed, for the overall good of the party (which btw, is how it goes in Washington, and Mitt knows that). Alternatively, Romney fully stands behind the monstrosity that Romneycare has become (at that time, he endorsed it as a potential “national model”). The fact that you say Romney isn’t to blame is appalling – he pushed it and implemented it, proclaimed it loudly upon passage and kissed Kennedy’s rear in the process. Yeah, it’s all the Heritage Foundation’s fault. Who are you kidding?
Whether you support him or not (seems like you do, yet you disavow the entire field), Mitt Romney was not a conservative leader of conviction in Massachusetts even when it became clear he was not going to get re-elected. That, sir, is not courage.
well said on every point!
Cheryl Fallon says:
States have the right to mandate but NOT the federal government. Romney attempted to help those that didn’t have insurance and what he designed for the state allowed everyone else to keep their insurance, yes the taxes went up but it was never intended to be a federal program-perhaps Obama used it because he wasn’t smart enough to come up with something on his own and by adding thousands of pages and more rules he was able to morph Romney’s plan into what we know of today as Obamacare which is worse than what MA had because Obama has taken advantage of this “health-care” to add several thousand pages of requirements which was QUITE different than Romney’s plan.
Why do you feel the states have the right to mandate that individuals buy medical insurance? Medical care providers have the right to insist on payment if the individuals don’t have insurance or to be a charitable doctor/institution where donations help to fund those so poor they can’t afford a monthly payment plan. Medical care providers have the right to offer their services on a sliding scale based on what individuals can afford with their income. But again, why do feel states have the right to mandate? Why should they have any more right than the federal government to mandate medical insurance? This is intrusive government, and should not be advocated at any level.
Santorum S-M-A-S-H-E-S mitt in this one. Great job Rick.
NasTyMoDee says:
Anybody see Rick on Glenn Beck?
Sure did. Good stuff.
keyesforpres says:
Yes, I saw it here. Scroll down and you will see it.
Art Telles says:
Santorum knows the difference between the constraints of laissez-faire (… let it be) free market libertarianism that Beck also espouses and the Murray Rothbard libertarianism that Ron Paul espouses.
Beck’s intentions are honorable, but his “purist” perspective just seems to be lacking a real-world element, as his friendly contentious exchange with Santorum suggests.
For all it’s faults, Wikipedia is handy dandy.
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laissez-faire
“In economics, laissez-faire is an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies.
“The phrase laissez-faire is French and literally means “let do”, but it broadly implies “let it be”, or “leave it alone.”
“A laissez-faire state and completely free market has never existed.
“… Argenson himself had used the phrase earlier (1736) in his own diaries, in a famous outburst:
“Laissez faire, telle devrait être la devise de toute puissance publique, depuis que le monde est civilisé…
“Détestable principe que celui de ne vouloir grandir que par l’abaissement de nos voisins! Il n’y a que la méchanceté et la malignité du coeur de satisfaites dans ce principe, et l’intérêt y est opposé. Laissez faire, morbleu! Laissez faire!!
(Trans:
“Leave it be, that should be the motto of all public powers, as the world is civilized…
“That we cannot grow except by lowering our neighbors is a detestable notion!
“Only malice and malignity of heart is satisfied with such a principle and our (national) interest is opposed to it.
“Leave it be, for heaven’s sake!
“Leave it be!)
>> “That we cannot grow except by lowering our neighbors is a detestable notion!”
I said it before and I’ll say it again… marginalize these trash faux news sites (CNN, MSNBC, etc.) and don’t appear on them… they all suck. This woman is really trying hard to “make something happen” and it’s annoying. Let the man finish speaking… then continue with your absurd line of questioning.
I realize there’s an audience that those stations reach that might never get to see what REAL conservatives look or sound like – and they may never get the clear, non-propaganda version of Santorum or Newt without these appearances. But to go on there gives them a little clout and ammunition to distort… marginalize them like they deserve… don’t go on their wretched programs.
I have changed my opinion about this. Don’t go on their sites and the audience will go where the news is… they won’t linger for the gossip, spin, or fluff pieces they’d be left with.
He needs the free-air time to counter the romney attack ads. He did a good job in IMO.
Agreed and agreed.
I just want to see these sites go bankrupt is all…
It depends. If they own it like Rick did here, I think it is a great idea to go on them. Just stand firm and talk over them.
I just want them marginalized to bankruptcy. 🙂
Donald Arey III says:
Romney would crush Obama in the democratic primary. It’s a shame we might have to vote for him.
I say that as a MA resident, haters.
stage9 says:
HOW??? he has the EXACT SAME RECORD minus foreign policy! Not only would he NOT crush him, he would be annihilated by the left and accused of being no different than Obama!
Obama’s campaign slogan would be: Why vote for Obamney when you can have the original?
HECK, even George Soros, can see the similarities, why in God’s name can’t so-called New England Conservatives??
Soros: Obama, Romney ‘Not Much Difference’
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/SorosObama-RomneyNotMuchDifference/2012/01/28/id/425830
He was making a joke. He said Romney would crush Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primary.
toongoon says:
Romney would be a better fit in the democratic primary.
las1 says:
He probably would crush Obama in a democratic primary.
But he is running in a republican primary, proclaiming himself to be a “severe conservative”.
And unless he gets someone who is truely conservative on life and marriage as a running mate, I plan not to vote for him if he becomes the nominee.
911Infidel says:
Gee Gloria, if you keep bouncing that thick head of yours around you are liable to hurt yourself. Your arrogance is so…on display. Pardon me while I push a little flatulence in your general direction. Nice retort Rick. You made her tiny brain explode.
I am liking this guy more and more. He speaks conservative values.
PapaLouie says:
I had really hoped that Santorum would stick with his positive campaign and let the others mud wrestle each other. But no, he took the bait and jumped into the mud with them. Now he comes across as angry and petty just like Newt did when he broke his promise to run a positive campaign and jumped into the mud after Iowa. What Romney’s Super PAC is saying about them is NOTHING compared to what Obama’s PACs and his cheer leading media are going to do to them if they win the nomination. If they can’t handle it with grace now, they won’t stand a chance in the general.
Now, I feel like I have no clear conservative to choose from. They have all acted like RINOs in the past. They have all chosen at one time or another to “take one for the team” instead of choosing to take one for the American people. And again I’m being forced to hold my nose and choose between the least of two evils. Our only hope is that one of them has truly repented of his past flings with progressivism and is sincere in his claim to have seen the conservative light. But which one?
I do not hear it this way. I believe he is talking about issues and actions, not attacking personally.
He said it in the interview. He is not attacking personally like Obamney; he’s attacking his record. fair game.
Rick says he’s not attacking personally like Obama says he’s not engaging in class warfare. Yeah right! If you called me a leftist or an Occupier I would consider that a personal attack, wouldn’t you? I have no problem with Santorum pointing out specific things in Romney’s record or anyone else’s record that he doesn’t like. But making general negative statements about another Republican candidate is mud slinging and personal. That is the reason that I say he has decided to get down into the mud with the others. What have other GOP candidates said that was any worse than this?
Romney’s positions are mostly left wing. What is wrong with saying it?
Every candidate, including Santorum, has taken some left wing positions in the past. Funding Planned parenthood and calling the pro-choice Arlen Specter a true conservative are just two of them. The problem is, how does Rick call Mitt a conservative and someone you can trust last time he ran, and now call him left wing for supporting the same policies? If Romney did that, you would call him a “flip-flopper” and a hypocrite. Some people just won’t see what they don’t want to see.
Enough of the navel gazing. I pick Rick because he is better than Romney. Romney said recently that Islam is one of the worlds noble religions and that jihad has nothing to do with Islam. Romney has obviously not educated himself on Islam and should not be near the WH.
Also, Romney wants to tax the one percent more, just like the left. Romney said “one percent” just like the occupiers say it. Nothing wrong with pointing that out. That’s not calling Romney an occupier. I believe Santorum said that Romney was using the same rhetoric as the occupiers. Big difference.
Louie, looks like you didn’t have your V-8 today…
Mitt Romney is a hypocrite it’s not a personal attack it’s a fact. I’m glad Rick called him out
StrangernFiction says:
Or as his wife would say (and I paraphrase), he excels at the art of BS.
I wish a superPAC would use the quote in an Ad.
How is it mud wrestling to talk about what Romney supported?
I thought Santorum handled it with good natured humor.
If you’re looking for sincerity you aren’t going to find it with Mitt Romney.
Louie, so you don’t want someone who can defend themself? I’m all for the positive vision, but you don’t let your boy get pushed around at school his whole life without eventually standing up for himself. I want to see a man out there – someone who can defend himself when and as necessary. And, I don’t see Gingrich or Santorum having problems with the real substantive debates – problem is, Romney’s team likes to lie alot and the American voter generally doesn’t know any better. Therefore, he who spends the most on ads will earn the point. Should the others just take it lying down? We’ll see how Romney takes it from Obama – I can picture it now, Romney is not a streetfighter like Newt or Rick, he will get pummeled.
And, you’ll find a 100% pure conservative choice later on tonight – in your dreams. These are politicians, after all. It’s true in life that nobody is perfect, and it’s even more true in Washington. Pure ideologues are quickly pushed to the fringe and have no chance at leadership. Additionally, nothing would get done without a little give and take. I want a pragmatic leader who has the conviction to promote and push for conservative principles, while at the same time understands what it takes to get things done.
I’m not looking for a “100% pure conservative”, I’m looking for an upbeat, positive conservative in the vein of Ronald Reagan who can articulate his own position without having to tear down his fellow GOP candidates. Reagan wasn’t perfect either. He changed from Democrat to Republican and he signed pro-choice legislation while governor. But he was still better than any of the candidates we have today.
Where has Newt’s “streetfighter” abilities gotten him other than a big slide in the polls? Now Rick is getting pummeled by the MSM for his comments on contraceptives. Those are side issues to distract from Obama’s failed policies and Rick should not let them suck him in. But he can’t seem to help himself.
Romney is the only one who has been consistently high in the polls over a long period of time. Yes, he has been more negative than I would like (or his Super PAC has been), but he’s remained #1 or #2 throughout. I don’t equate Romneycare to Obamacare. Romney gave the majority of people in Massachusetts what they wanted. Obama gave the majority of Americans what they did not want. That’s a big difference! If you disagree then you apparently want to elect a right-wing tyrant who has no qualms about going against the will of the majority to force people to do what you think is right. How is that any different from the Left and the way they want to force their ideals down our throats?
One more thing. Everyone blames Romney for forcing Catholic hospitals to provide rape victims with the morning after pill in Massachusetts. But they are totally ignoring the elephant in the room. It was the Catholic majority legislator that passed the bill and later overrode Romney’s veto. They also refused to pass the bill Romney put forward to exempt religious institutions. So how is it Romney’s fault that the Catholic majority in Massachusetts elected liberal legislators who pass these type of bills? Was he supposed to pull an Obama and refuse to enforce the law against his oath of office? Was it Romney’s responsibility to protect Catholic doctrine against attacks from other Catholics? A house divided cannot stand. See Father Trosch’s web site to read more about how Catholics are there own worst enemies when it comes to abortion: http://www.trosch.org/chu/cathabor.htm
REHLV says:
Newt is still standing the last I checked. Also the last I checked he is the only one who is attacking Obama. I have not heard any other candidate speak up for what happen in Afghanistan except Newt.
If Santorum gets side tracked during the campaign, God help us if he becomes president.
Newt is the right choice now.
FreeManWalking says:
Papa you start out with “I’m not looking for a “100% pure conservative”,I’m looking for an upbeat, positive conservative in the vein of Ronald Reagan who can articulate his own position without having to tear down his fellow GOP candidates.”
Seriously, the only description that comes close to describing Romeny is “you are NOT looking for a 100% pure conservative”, Seriously you can drop the percentage 50 points and it still works for him.
Ra ra ra ra Romney ca ca ca ca can’t articulate his own position.
Gtrjag says:
I second what FreeManWalking said.
As for the Catholic hospitals being forced to provide the morning after pill: This is not about the Catholic Church. I don’t even like the Catholic Church. This is about Religious Liberty for Individuals. Government should not force anybody to provide services that conflict with their Religious beliefs. Catholics aren’t the only ones opposed to abortion either. This type of thing affects every Christian denomination, and if you are not willing to stand up when the Government is attacking the Catholics than you will be next.
stevenbiot says:
Santorum is game. That dude is a brawler.
Cajonee? maybe we are going to see some after all.
The pot calling the kettle black. Rick must have missed Sunday school the day they spoke on ” A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” He has the audacity to use the word “hypocrite”.
When Santorum endorsed Arlene Spector a liberal pro abortion senator from his state against a pro life candidate like Toomey. Then claims he made a deal for the future judgeship votes coming down the road. This is so wrong in so many ways. He decided to make a “God” decision about the future, and compromised his own self proclaimed value system. ( I am not saying Santorum is not pro-life). This smacks of being morally wrong in my opinion.
He signs a bill that would found Planned Parenthood, & unless you are living in a hole, knows that it is pro abortion. Example: This is like making a salad with all the good veggies, nuts, etc. and then adding a little arsenic. It does not matter all the good in the salad, the arsenic will kill you.
Santorum scares me. I almost feel that he has the Obama infatuation going for him, and no one is really looking at the record.
When I do critical analysis, I try to separate the facts from the stories. Once I do that I try to see if there are any stories, that support the facts, or are they just stories.
I see a lot of stories in the Santorum campaign.
I think your critical analysis is one sided against Rick Santorum.
Here’s a fact: Gingrich says he would defund Planned Parenthood, but failed to accomplish this when he had the power to do so. Under Newt Gingrich’s tenure as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives 1995-1999, the federal government channeled $587,073,070 to Planned Parenthood components – more than half a billion dollars – and his Republican-dominated House never voted to bar taxpayer funding to this largest U.S. abortion provider.
Also no federal funds can be used to provide abortions at PP. The problem is PP provides abortions with private funds and pro-life opponents don’t like any tax dollars going to an origination that provides them. Both Rick Santorum & Newt Gingrich want to defund Planned Parenthood.
My point, you can try to spin whatever way you can come up with to turn Planned Parenthood against Rick Santorum, same thing could be done to Newt Gingrich, the same with Mitt Romney on issue of PP. (I think its cowardly for Newt supporters to piggy-back this Mitt Attack)
This was not about planned parenthood, it was to the issue of character. Your comment does not address the issue of being hypocritical.
The everyone did it rationale, never is acceptable. It is like saying I am taking one for the team. You either are principled or not. He had the opportunity to vote his principles and failed on more than one occasion to do so. Santorum is running on his principles. He made it the issue. I noticed you never dealt with the Spector issue. I guess you could not make that a Newt, Mitt & Rick issue.
If you are going to run on the issue of having the highest ethics in the race. Then you had better be able to support that fact. People who live in glass houses never should throw stones.
You really want to judge moral character when you support Newt? Really? Like I said you can try to spin anyway want. Newt = endorsed Dede Scozzafava, Mitt = Voted for Democrats, Rick = endorsed Specter.
Specter? Why are we complaining about him still? Really it’s a non-issue, but He did what Rick said he did, the proof is in the pudding. There are even reports in the press supporting Rick’s claim of Specter did indeed assured his republican colleagues he would support Bush’s supreme court appointees.
You can’t be as principled as you want when your in congress, not Rick, not Newt, mitt has no principles, but unless you want to accomplish nothing then support Ron Paul.
The issue is Rick is calling the others hypocrites. You can present all the stories you want, the issue is……… Is he justified in that statement? Your last statement I think you might want to re-think. It makes my point.
He was talking about Romney being a hypocrite and he is one. All Mitt’s attacks reek of hypocrisy on the issues.
-Mitt supports NCLB, Newt supports NCLB
-Mitt supported the Bailouts, Newt supported the Bailouts, He said that McCain’s vote for TARP bailouts “is the greatest single act of responsibility ever taken by a presidential candidate”.
-Mitt supporters Romneycare individual mandates, Newt supported individual mandates
-Mitt supported Cap-n-Trade, Newt supported Cap-n-Trade
-Mitt has washington insiders and lobbyist in his campaign, Newt lobbied er consulted(yeah right) for Ethanol and Freddie Mac
and and you are trying to piggy-back mitt’s attacks in favor for Newt attacking Rick on principles and character? Give me a break, that is hypocrisy. Get off your high horse no one can match standards on principles. No one is good enough for you.
Sir this post is a talking points library. Some of your facts need to be fact checked by you. You are taking the talking points you have heard and are just regurgitating them here thinking the volume of words really has power. One point. Please give me a place to go where Newt attacked Santorum on principles. I am really interested in this point in your essay.
Last sentence makes no sense. Full circle. Does Santorum really have the credentials to be able to call any candidate a hypocrite? If he continues on this path he is toast.
Yes, he can call Mitt out for hypocrisy. And I’m glad Rick did, he didn’t let Mitt get away with attacks he threw it back in Romney’s face. I like that better instead of whining about him being really really big liar like Newt did.
Just read an article in the New York Times where Santorum is complaining ( you call it whining) about what is happening to him via Paul & Romney. In your mindset I am sure this is just fine, but it is exactly what Newt did when they tag teamed him in Florida. If you think it is ok for Santorum but not ok for Newt, would that make you a hypocrite. Just asking.
Problem with your point is that Santorum isn’t running based on “having the highest ethics in the race.” That Catholic-schoolboy caricature is one created by the media based on his willingness to speak about his faith and beliefs. Instead, Santorum is running as the most consistent conservative who can present the strongest contrast against President Obama. He is right on both points. At no time in this campaign has Rick Santorum held himself out as a perfect man. He, unlike Romney, has admitted his mistakes. Is Toomey a stronger conservative than Specter? Yes. Did Santorum do what most (if not all) party leaders did in endorsing Specter at the time? Yes. Does every (or any) legislator vote against every bill with which they disagree? Not if they want to be relevant – so I suppose ALL politicians are therefore hypocrites, right? Do they sometimes make mistakes in endorsements? Yes, see e.g. Specter endorsement along with Romney 2008. Fact of the matter is, at the end of the day we got the conservative judges we needed on the Supreme Court. BTW, what did Mitt do in the category of appointing conservative jurists in MA???
Nice try though using the Romney team’s Specter red-herring to distract from real issues.
I find most of this post to be conjecture & not fact. It would appear from your statement that being relevant is more important then being principled.
We have come full circle once again. Do not call the other guy a hypocrite if you are one also.
Santorum had better start presenting his solutions for this country, how he intends to accomplish them, and prove to the American people he can get it done. If he continues to stay in the pissing contest with the other candidates. He loses.
Ricardo Galvan says:
“At no time in this campaign has Rick Santorum held himself out as a perfect man.”
On his campaign website it says he is a “true conservative.” His record is that of a pro-life moderate. Pro-life, but still a moderate. He has joined into funky legislation with Boxer, such as “Open Space” which limits what people can do with their own property. He has voted for bills endorsing “gun education” in schools to “reduce violence”, which invariably leads to anti-gun propaganda by schools. He has voted against Right to Work. He has praised Unions, the “working man”, as if we aren’t all working.
But more important than all of this, Santorum doesn’t have a legitimate platform. Cain was our game changer with the 999. Each candidate has endorsed a form of the flat tax (Cain’s was technically an intermediate form leading to the Fair tax). Santorum couldn’t even articulate what 999 was even about and chose to distort it. He has voted against the flat tax while in congress. He has voted to support entitlements. His platform only raises the retirement age for social security and makes promises about taking care of that money, making cuts, etc., nevermind that it has no long term future. His tax plan is still maintaining the same progressive structure, picking winners and losers, 0 percent for his Union buddies in manufacturers, his “working men”, and 17 percent for everybody else. He does not embrace a truly equitable form of taxation that treats EVERYONE equal under the law, and he denigrates the idea as going too far.
Nice try covering up Santorum’s weaknesses with platitudes, but he simply isn’t the “true conservative” you claim he is. He is a moderate from PA, his record is that of a moderate, that any pro-life Democrat could have had. Religion and social issues are his only strong issues, and the great joke here is that every Republican candidate (except Romney and Paul to a lesser degree) already shares the same positions. Santorum’s foundation is built on sand.
The non-joke is every other candidate on the platform does not share the conviction about marriage that Rick exhibits.
http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2012/02/24/gingrich-least-states-are-using-bills-not-judges-legalize-same-sex-marriage
This makes me even more glad that I voted for Rick.
Manufacturers have been outsourcing many, many jobs to other countries. The winners with Rick’s plan are Americans needing employment, because I believe rolling back burdensome regulations and cutting the tax down to zero for domestic manufacturing will be a big draw to pull at least a portion of those lost jobs back to the United States. As a consumer, I’d love to see more products with a USA label. There are some types of products it seems all they carry in most stores are made in China… and I try hard to boycott those.
Rick also wants to cut tax for domestic businesses that have not outsourced to other countries (because of the nature of their business). He wants to cut the current tax rate for them in half- in the form of a flat tax. I’d say in this case too, Americans seeking jobs would benefit from this cut because I think it would encourage job creation. And maybe it would translate to lower prices on things too.
And he also wants to cut tax rates for individuals in America to Reagan era levels. This would have the government taking less money out of tax-paying individual’s pockets. Money they can choose to give to charities, save, or spend as they choose. I’d say that would be a tax cut appreciated by a lot of people.
He understands that the deficit has sky-rocketed more than it did under a number of predecessors to President Obama combined.
There are issues like life, marriage, foreign policy, cap and trade, individual health care mandating, and wall street bailouts where he draws a sharp contrast with Obama.
He has a platform and it is resonating with many who hear it. The life of the unborn and God’s definition of marriage are not trivial issues to me. I believe Rick would fight for both and not put those issues on a back burner if elected. I was glad he was in the race when I voted here in TN (early voting). He is sure far more conservative than the two senators in my native CA state!
It is unfair for Santorum to offer a 0 percent tax cut to manufacturers rather than offering a single low flat tax treating all businesses the same. The end result will be that businesses will then race to see how they can interpret their business as a manufacturer come tax time. It’s just more playing around with the system, picking winners and losers, and giving favors to particular people over others. You used the word “flat” tax, but it is not a flat tax. He lowers the business taxes from what they are now down to 17 percent and 0 percent for manufacturers. He does not abolish the capital gains tax, but only movies it down to (I believe) 12.5 percent. For individuals, we still pay income tax between 10 to 28 percent, not including FICA which you will still pay. This is not a flat tax, even though he called it one. A flat tax is one flat tax. Not income tax, plus FICA, minus whatever deductions. The IRS is unscathed. The tax code is not destroyed. Everything remains in the same progressive framework. We have a weak President to go up against and, as a result, a tremendous chance to make some serious reforms that were not possible 10 to 20 years ago. Why choose to stick with the same games when we can make a significant move to abolish the system entirely? I also find it pretty funny that Mr. “Reagan Democrat” system just coincidentally benefits the Unions the most. Unions need to be destroyed or significantly weakened, not given an edge over non-Unionized businesses that aren’t in manufacturing.
I myself favor a fair tax with the abolishment of the 16th amendment. This is end-game for me. A flat tax, at least, is a positive first step that begins to break people away from this unequitable, progressive system of taxation we have now.
As for marriage and social issues. Santorum isn’t the strongest on that, unless you are basing it on the number of children he has. I think I read he has 7 kids. I suppose that’s a strong marriage, he should be elected to President right away! Nevermind any of his actual policies. I know Saint Rick runs on social issues, but it’s a myth that somehow he’s going to do more for them than Newt Gingrich! If you really believe that, you haven’t looked at Newt’s platform.
It’s time to move on from these moderates who abuse God for their own political benefit, when they themselves have been more than willing to be nasty and dishonest against good conservatives like Newt or Cain. The Moral Majority are ignoring the dirty politicking of their Moral Majority candidate. It’s delusions layered upon other delusions.
I think that it is unfair that it has become so hard to compete in America in the field of manufacturing because of regulations and taxes that so many jobs have gone away from this country to other countries. All that needs to be done is to have a clear definition of what a manufacturing job is. How many things in/at our houses were manufactured in America? If certain countries decided to cut off certain products to America, would many of us soon be without things we now take for granted as being available on the store shelves? Rick has said he would be in support of right to work in states. Why would manufacturing businesses in other countries have to come back to the U.S. as union only businesses?
Other jobs that are already here because the way they can operate is here- they aren’t outsourcing jobs to other countries… the jobs are still here. But Rick wants them to have, in the form of a flat percentage, a cut to half the tax rate that they currently pay. I think this big tax cut would be a big boost to hurting businesses and may also stimulate job creation.
Americans are the winners with these plans in both cases. Those looking for employment are the winners in both cases.
I’ve never heard him call the individual tax rates a flat tax.
I believe he is offering some serious tax cuts and there is still a huge deficit and there are still bills that need paying, though government spending needs to be cut. Why do you believe that the capital gains tax should be lowered to zero rather than just lowered?
I saw that Rick Santorum was the main sponsor of the partial birth abortion bill while in the Senate. Please see a strong record of fighting against abortion:
http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/21/paul-ad-makes-it-appears-santorum-suppots-planned-parenthood/
I have heard Rick say he wants a U.S. constitution amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Here’s what Gingrich said recently:
I now know that Rick is the only one in the race showing in his speech that he is determined to fight on the side of all Americans who want only true marriage recognized in this country. I do not want on this so important issue for us to become these divided states of America.
Gingrich has taken the position he opposes judges deciding the matter, but that people in states should have the right to vote to redefine marriage if that’s what they want.
God defined marriage, not people… there is a higher law and it’s written in God’s Word as well as on our consciences.
The majority of people in any state, if there is a majority in any state who, in rejecting their Creator, the Author and Definer of marriage, would vote to redefine it, should not be allowed to impose their immoral stance on those who have the conviction about marriage having the definition its Designer gave it.
Gingrich believes the right way to go about same gender so-called marriage is that people, if they are the majority in any given state, should have the right to redefine what marriage is in that state if they want to.
(I think its cowardly for Newt supporters to piggy-back this Mitt Attack)
Well it’s definitely stupid. Whatever the difference between Santorum and Gingrich in terms of how conservative they are, there is a whole lot more difference between either one and Mitt Romney. Keeping Mitt Romney from being the nominee is job one here.
Well Said. The piggy backing attacks on both sides is immature. We need a leader, not a salesman in the white house.
I like nearly everything you said on here. However, I believe Mitt is the worst of the lot when it comes to the issue of abortion:
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/12/30/mitt-romney-didnt-just-give-planned-parenthood-money-he-gave-them-extra-power/
yes definitively he is the worst.
Full disclosure: Mitt is the worst in my opinion also. Good article.
Santorum didn’t sign bills that founded Planned Parenthood. It’s been around for quite some time. Research Margaret Sanger.
Who do you support?
Fact: He signed a bill that included Title X. This is a fact. Save me the excuses please. He has a good story to go with it, but he did sign on a bill that had Title X as part of it. You cannot re-write history.
He could have voted no. What good are principles if you compromise them. He created this white elephant in the room by making his principles the main line of his campaign. Sorry You are offended.
So then, you will no longer be voting in federal elections. Do you know how legislation works??
BTW, REHLV, those who know what a real pro-life legislator is are for the most part supporting Rick Santorum.
More conjecture on your part & the pundits that promote that thought process.
I might even vote for Santorum.
I feel that your zeal has blinded your reason on this issue. Do not attack the other person for the things you yourself are guilty . How hard is this? It is merely constructive criticism.
Have a nice day. I am all done here.
NealGraham says:
Exactly WHEN was Rick Santorum President of the United States of America, such that he could SIGN a bill – ANY Bill.
He was a member of the US House of Representatives AND the US Senate, but has not YET been President. That will change in November of course…
Good Point: Bad choice of words. I think however, you really understand what was being said, but I like the attention to detail. Bravo. Thank you.
Let me change signed bill to voted for.
keyes- if you get an opportunity, please see my posting below REHLV.
Thanks for the link tj. I knew Santorum would not knowingly fund abortion. I had seen where Santorum explained about this a week or so ago, but this article is great. I figured it was buried in a budget bill and I was right.
Ron Paul is truly evil. I read an article on Townhall yesterday that explains that Paul appears to want Obama to get back in in the hopes that Rand would be able to win in 2016. I personally believe if Obama gets back in there won’t be another election.
I find that hard to believe that Paul would want Obama back in, though I am opposed to Paul from many reasons- on his Iran stance, his stance on legalizing dangerous drugs where even more drug addicts could harm themselves and those around them, for his wanting to leave abortion and marriage up to each state.
The right to take the life of the unborn and calling immorality marriage would never have been in the mind of the founders when it came to states’ rights. in my opinion. I believe they were largely a God-fearing bunch of men. (God being the Creator of life and marriage.)
U.S. President #3, Drafter & Signer of the U.S.A. Declaration of Independence
“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever; That a revolution of the wheel of fortune, a change of situation, is among possible events; that it may become probable by Supernatural influence! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in that event.”
–Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, p. 237.
Paul is obvious senile. The article speculates that Paul is helping Romney because he knows Romney would have the toughest time beating Obama. I truly believe Paul hates this country. He does not nothing but bad mouth us. I have never heard him say anything good about us.
Oh, I also think it sounds like he would not help Israel if they asked for our help. I am not in support of Paul on that either. I picked Rick here in TN in early voting!
Ouch. She was a little sensitive with the truth coming out about Romney, wasn’t she?
Then she accused Santorum of being a lobbyist. She should probably look into the facts herself instead reading the script provided by Media Matters.
I’m beginning to realize just how infected the Republican Party is with those who claim to be “Conservatives” but are far from it. I have always assumed that most who aligned themselves with Conservatism understood what it meant. They do not. Most Conservatives I see or read are JUST AS liberal as Obama on MOST issues.They are class A phoneys.
That they can look at a true Conservative in Santorum or Gingrich (minus Gingrich’s improprieties) and not stand by their OVERT Conservative message is disturbing.
What in God’s name draws them to Conservatism exactly? It certainly isn’t the strongly held defense of life or marriage. They could care less about either of those. It isn’t fiscal concerns if they can support a candidate like Obamney who parrots the radical agenda of denying the top 1% a break. So what is it? What could possibly be left? Nothing.
They are confused. Delusional. Liberal.
Rinos call themselves Republicans so they can get elected.
What in God’s name draws them to Conservatism exactly?
They aren’t prepared to go ‘rat (ie full commie).
librtifirst says:
The right has gone so far to the left that conservatism has to be defined. Otherwise it is meaningless, in and of itself. When the right pulls its base further to the left, the base actually adopts a liberal mentality. The two parties are so close to each other now that there is very little discernible difference on the major issues. Obama displayed this by continuing the Bush era in spending, the Patriot Act, and foreign policy, but at a much greater pace on some things. When people see Obama creating big government and debt spending, and saw Bush sign ‘No Child Left Behind”, and create Homeland security and the TSA, they start to look for alternatives. Then it is just a matter of who is the most “different”.
cinderellafe says:
Wow. A conservative “Missile defense shield be thy big tent” pennant, swinging for the fences. Glorious. We seek not managed decline in a Romney coalition, but constitutional limited government out of the way of free markets and free people strengthening their civic communities while manufacturing a growing economy in an increasingly bankrupt world. We pick Rick.
Santorum on Obama: he’s a snob:
vid:
http://www.breitbart.tv/santorum-on-obama-what-a-snob/
Tennessean says:
Scoop–just gotta say–you are doing a bang up job running this site. It is refreshing, first-class, and I am know addicted.
I agree. I am totally addicted too!
1vote says:
Which team does America want? We shall see.
If the propaganda machine of CNN is backing Obamney, you KNOW he’s a liberal radical!
Cindy09 says:
Mitt has a lot in common with the democrats.
Yeah, like everything he’s ever done.
I was watching a few Youtube clips covering his debates against Ted Kennedy. It is amazing to watch him shred Republican title to appear more Moderate. His record speaks well of his liberal leanings.
warpmine says:
If the sob wanted to be known as a conservative then he sure as hell could have lived in a state where conservative is something to be cherished as opposed to Massoftwoshits. Just can’t figure why Mitt with all that damn money couldn’t move to a state that wasn’t a liberal hole.
Very good tying Romney to OWS rhetoric.
36Free says:
I can’t stand the media in general, but this Gloria (whatever her last name is) just makes my skin crawl.
Nathan Obral says:
She’s a Dem strategist that’s no better than James Carville. Hell, CNN, why not have James interview the candidates? Good grief.
John Bohler says:
SANTORUM/GINGRICH 2012!!!!
Maxsteele says:
I like the sound of that ticket! Can you imagine the one two punch in debates. Wow, it would be a bloodbath.
Thien says:
Oh yeah… i’d love to see Gingrich grilling the senate… LOL.
Marky_D says:
I really like Rick Santorum – mix him with Newts intellect and you have yourself a game changing US President that can, once again, re-establish the US to become the leader of the free world.
*edit* to say that of course, even under Obamao you guys are the leaders of the free world – but your looking more like the freeist European country as opposed to a REAL freedom loving republic. Coming from a UK citizen btw.
Chris Dias says:
No, they don’t look like the freeist European country. I live in Hungary – we have the highest corruption, and the highest taxes of all the European countries, and by all definitions, we are now a dictatorship. Obamaos wanna do our program better (or worse – depends on which side you’re on to see how you define it). If I were Obama, I’d be giving myself a B+ too, because his effect on destroying America is pretty good, which is what he has always wanted to do). Besides, I’m not sure what the “freeist” country in Europe looks like, or could be. Maybe Germany, but I’m sure the German populace is pretty p.o.ed because they keep doling money out to other countries – distribute the wealth.
Which was exactly my point. Freeist European country = not free.
https://therightscoop.com/santorum-hits-hard-romneys-on-the-lefts-team/
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/ Whisky Review: Sullivan’s Cove American Oak
Whisky Review: Sullivan’s Cove American Oak
By Margarett Waterbury / April 18, 2017
While Tasmanian whisky is now rising on the global stage, for much of the island’s recent history, all distilled spirits were imported. In 1839, the Tasmanian government banned distilling outright, a position that was not reversed until the early 1990s. In 1994, Sullivan’s Cove Distillery in Hobart, Tasmania, became the first legal distillery on Tasmania in 150 years.
Isolated Tasmania is famous for the purity of its air, water, and soil—all factors Sullivan’s Cove is keen to credit for the success of its products. The distillery produces exclusively single malt whisky from Tasmanian-grown barley, malted at the nearby Cascade Brewery, one of the few remaining breweries that makes its own malt. Cascade Brewery also produces Sullivan’s Cove’s wash.
Modeled after the distilleries of Scotland, Sullivan’s Cove double-distills its whisky using copper pot stills, and uses a range of different cask types in its warehouse, including ex-bourbon casks and French oak casks. Distillation is to a relatively high proof—146—perhaps attributable to their stated distilling methodology: “The trick is to cut the run short, so that only the sweetest flavors and purest alcohol from the heart of the run is captured.” Digging deeper into the tails lowers the proof of the distillate, and can introduce some funky flavors that don’t taste great right off the bat, although some do undergo an ugly duckling-like transformation in the cask over the long term.
In any case, their strategy seems to be working. In 2014, their French Oak single malt won world’s best single malt at the World Whisky Awards. This particular release, Sullivan’s Cove American Oak, has been recognized with a bevy of awards, including Best Australian Single Malt and several “Liquid Gold” designations in various editions of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. It’s aged entirely in used American oak cooperage, it’s not chill filtered, and it’s bottled, like all of Sullivan’s Cove releases, as a single barrel release. Mine came from Barrel number HH0330, bottle 14 of 180.
Tasting Notes: Sullivan’s Cove American Oak
Vital Stats: American oak cask, single cask, 100% malted barley, 11yo. 47.5% ABV.
Appearance: Clear gold
Nose: Wowza! This is fun—a strangely tropical bouquet. Dark chocolate, banana, lily, jackfruit, freshly turned earth. If you’ve ever smelled real baijiu, this isn’t really like that, but it’s in the same universe. More malt, intense and grainy, emerges as you dig in, like sticking your nose in a bag of Munich malt.
Palate: Rich and round, the entry is gentle, sweet, and earthy. There’s apple juice, mandarin, nectarine, and hay along with a hefty dose of pure, honeyed malt. A faintly juice-like tartness is discernible at the sides of the mouth, like biting into a slightly underripe apple. For all its freshness, I might have guessed it to be younger than it is—but maybe it’s just all that clean Tasmanian living.
Yum! This isn’t a showy whisky, but it’s a deeply pleasurable one—robust yet balanced, complex yet easy to enjoy. It’s not the trendiest style—kind of a fruit-forward Speyside—but it’s unusual and distinctive all the same. Very nice.
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Wings of Hope Achievement Awards Ceremony 2014-2015 at The Royal College of Surgeons, May 2015
Wings of Hope Achievement Award (WOHAA) participants celebrate in style at the The Royal College of Surgeons.
On Friday 10th July, The WOHAA 2014-15 Finals Awards Ceremony took place at the Royal College of Surgeons in London. The prestigious venue packed in nearly 300 guests, including teachers, parents and students from WOHAA past and present.
The evening was co-hosted by acclaimed presenter and journalist Nadira Tudor, and young businesswoman, Smruti. Co-Founders Rajni and Dr Sri Ram gave inspirational speeches about the Wings of Hope’s vision as it enters its tenth year. Over 25,000 students from over 400 schools have taken part in WOHAA since 2005.
This year’s students shone with their innovative fundraising activities which included a 3-day rowing marathon, 24 hour fasts, Santa fun-runs, converting old vinyl records into fruit bowls, drastic haircuts, poster campaigns on the London Underground, and selling a Wings of Hope themed frozen yoghurt. Winners and runners up were treated to an Oscars-style evening, with trophies, video montages of their work and on-stage photographs. Trophies were presented by the BBC’s Babita Sharma, Neil Roskilly, the CEO of the Independent Schools’ Association, Lady Gill Hinchcliffe, and Dawn Butler MP.
Students had dressed up, for the evening, as characters from their favourite books, to celebrate the evening’s theme, “ WOHAA – What a Novel Idea”, which aimed to celebrate the importance of reading. The evening was filled with high-energy entertainment supporting young talent. Pineapple Performing Arts School performed dynamic street dances, and Britain Got’s Talent’s Gabz brought the house down with her UK hit “Lighters”. Emma Vangelder from Surbiton High School wowed the audience with her novel clarinet performance, and WOHAA participant Abhinav, from QE Boys’ School in Barnet, gave a stellar robot-esque breakdancing performance.
The Overall winning team were team Eclipse from Northwood College School who impressed the judges with their incredible endeavours over the seven-month fundraising period. The team of girls, held jewellery sales, did a sponsored haircut, hosted an afternoon tea for the elderly, did a sponsored swim, organized a spiritual chanting day, held a prom night, and hosted the Mayor of Harrow. Their events were widely publicised in their local news. Close runners-up for the overall prize were WOHAA Angels and Oarsome Foursome, from Surbiton High School and Dulwich College respectively. The Overall winners will get an expenses paid trip to India to teach at the Wings of Hope school, and will also visit the WOHAA slums project. The runners-up will be invited to do work experience at the Land Rover team in the UK. The Wings of Hope Best Teacher prize was given to Alison Whitehead- West Kirby Grammar School.
The semi-finals were held on the 25th June at the House of Lords and the panellists included:
· Sir David Jason, acclaimed British actor
· Mike Nithavriankis, Former British High Commissioner to India
· Richard Woolley, Design Studio Director, LandRover
· Ben Lewis, CEO, River Island
· Professor Geeta Nargund, St. George’s Hospital and Founder of Create Fertility
· Christopher Sandamas, Chief Clerk to the Private Office to Her Majesty The Queen
· Babita Sharma, BBC World New Presenter
· Suzi Woolfson, Senior Partner, PwC
· John Morris, Senior Partner, Smith & Williamson
· Martin Issitt, Senior Partner, Eversheds
· Alison Orsi, Vice President Marketing, Communications and Citizenship UK IBM
Full list of winners and runners up are listed below:
Overall winners & runners up
Eclipse – Northwood College – Overall Winners & Most Funds Raised
Oarsome Foursome – Dulwich College – Excellence in Sports and Overall Runners Up
WOHAA Angels – Surbiton High School – Overall Runners Up
Be The Change – Queen Elizabeth School for Boys – Winners – Community Action Award
Ignite – Northwood College – Winners – Community Action Award
Soar – Tormead School – Winners – Most Entrepreneurial Team
Aspire – West Kirby Grammar School – Winners – Excellent in the Arts
Wirral Whizzers – West Kirby Grammar School – Winners – Excellence in Culinary Skills
Choccy Orange – Tunbridge Wells School – Winners – Best Presentation & Most Awareness Raised
Eunoia – North London Collegiate School – Runners Up – Best Presentation & Most Awareness Raised
Fusion – Queen Anne’s School, Reading – Runners Up – Best Presentation & Most Awareness Raised
Supéro – West Kirby Grammar School – Best Presentation & Most Awareness Raised
Soar – Northwood College – Runners Up – Most Funds Raised
The Charitable Fellows – Tendring Technology College – Runners Up – Most Entrepreneurial Team
Check out videos and photos below.
@officialWOHAA
#wohaanovel
The Wings of Hope Children’s Charity Speed Mentoring: Your Path To Success 7th February at the Royal College of Surgeons
#wohaaspeedmentoring2015 @OfficialWOHAA
On Saturday 7th February 2015, over 400 teenagers gathered at the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons in Holborn, London for an afternoon of innovative careers guidance and speed mentoring from over 60 top professionals. The event was targeted at 14-20 year olds who had exclusive access to professionals from over 30 industries including banking, law, medicine, architecture, design, technology, engineering, fashion, PR, event management, journalism, pharmacy, sustainability, music production, acting and advertising. Many of the mentors work at top organisations and interesting start-ups including: Google, River Island, Change.Org, Goldman Sachs, The BBC, The Sunday Times, The Bank of England, Clifford Chance, The Tata Group, Raising IT, Supreme Creations, cyberGRID, Toshiba, the NHS and local government.We also had alumni from American Universities and Oxford and Cambridge to discuss university applications. We also promoted entering the music industry, with music sensation Arjun, and had representatives from the fitness and wellbeing industry.
Our Senior Panel of observers included senior directors from business from the Institute of Directors, the head of the Independent School Association, and the Chief Clerk to Buckingham Palace.
With ten-minute slots over a two-hour period, the students were able to gain key insights into a wide variety of industries, as they “travelled” from sector to sector to begin their journey on the path to success.
Speed Mentoring, which differs from usual careers fairs through its innovative use of interactive guidance, allowed students to receive valuable and honest advice directly from top young professionals. The uptake was huge, with pupils from Northwood College, The Featherstone High School, Queensmead School, Beaconsfield High School, Bentley Wood, Surbiton High School, North London Collegiate School, Dulwich College, Haberdasher’s Aske’s School for Boys, and we had some travelling all the way from Lille, France to join for the special event.
The feedback from the event was extremely positive with the average rating of the event at 8.9 out of 10.
See what some students said about the event:
I think it was fantastic, well organised and diverse.
I enjoyed learning about new areas and seeing a wide range of what I could do in the future
The work experience has been fabulous and all the mentors have been really helpful and gave great advice
I enjoyed everything and everyone!
Enjoyed meeting new people and professionals
I loved meeting the design mentor because I have learning information from someone involved with design and information I could not have learnt at school or in books
All the mentors were honest
I learnt a lot about the world beyond school and education
Babita was very useful, pushing me to search for work experience
Meeting Miles was the favourite part of my day
My favourite part of the day was learning about the tech industry and how to approach them
I enjoyed meeting Crystal and Meghan from the PR table because they were really interesting and actually jot me thinking about the job
I enjoyed meeting new people and learning about careers
Arjun – Music
Smruti and WOHAA Student
Sagar – Economics
Rich – Marketing
Edelman – PR
Mandy & Lucy – Medicine
Linzi – Law
Lilly – Law
Law table
Babita & Kate – Journalism
Ben – Investment Banking
British Airways work experience day
The winners of Wohaa 2013-14 were very fortunate to spend the day learning from British Airways staff all about this world famous airline and what job opportunities they offer.
CV writing , interview skills , language skills and social media was also discussed during these interesting and interactive sessions.
Trip to St. Peter’s College – Oxford University
Students from St. Mary’s High School in Chesthunt, and other wohaa participants had an exciting and informative, day out .
At the College, some of their students took time out of their busy schedule to tell them about the application and selection process at the University.
This was followed by a Q & A and then a tour of the College and its facilities.
Later on the students were taken on a walking tour of the City, covering some important landmarks of this world famous University
WOHAA 2014 Award Ceremony: Class of 2014 ‘Going for Gold’
On 2nd May 2014, the most anticipated day of the WOHAA calendar arrived! Over 500 participants, teachers, parents, friends and family descended on the Royal College of Surgeons in Holborn to celebrate their WOHAA achievements in style. The theme this year was ‘Going for Gold’ and students were encouraged to dress up as ‘winners’, channelling their sporting, acting and academic heroes for the chance to win the coveted ‘Best Dressed’ prize. The evening began with a performance from the world famous Pineapple Dancers who got the crowd ready and raring to go with a performance full of energy and electricity.
Performances from Joseph Hamm of Dulwich College and Abhinav Vudathu from Queen Elizabeth’s Boys also had the crowd entranced.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-6150" alt="IMG_1172" src="http://www.thewingsofhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_1172 online cymbalta.jpg” width=”242″ height=”161″ srcset=”http://www.thewingsofhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_1172.jpg 5184w, http://www.thewingsofhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_1172-300×200.jpg 300w, http://www.thewingsofhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_1172-1024×682.jpg 1024w” sizes=”(max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px” />
Upcoming singer-songwriter Cally Rhodes closed down the evening with an incredible performance, getting the crowd hyped up with her covers of Taylor Swift’s ‘I knew you were trouble’ and One Direction’s ‘Midnight Memories’.
Lara Lewington, BBC Presenter and reporter for technology programme ‘Click’, presided over the evening, helping to get the crowd enthused and to oversee the smooth running of presentations. We were very lucky to have an esteemed set of presenters to hand over the awards, including Bernard Sande, Malawian High Commissioner, Jackie Cooper (Global Chair of PR Company Edelman) and The Mayor of the London Borough of Sutton, Councillor Sean Brennan.
The evening was held the celebrate the achievements of WOHAA participants over the last year. Awards were handed out in six student categories and one teacher category, with students vying for prizes from Best Presentation to Most Awareness Raised and for Overall Winner and the chance to visit the Wings of Hope school in India. Students made full use of the WOHAA Selfie Corner, taking graduation shots with mortar boards and with masks of famous people. They also signed the ‘GIANT WOHAA’, adding their names to the WOHAA legacy
Awards were handed out to the following teams in the various categories:
BEST PRESENTATION:
Runners-Up:
Heros – Newstead Wood School
L & Co – Queen Anne’s School
Summit – Latymer Upper School
Live2Learn – Woodbridge High School
WOHAA Warriors – Bentley Wood and Claremont High School
Team Fuse – North London Collegiate, Heathfield School, Upton Court Grammar School and St Helen’s School
MOST FUNDS RAISED:
WOHAA Angels – Surbiton High School
Mini Monets – Notting Hill and Ealing High School
Team Reach – Merchant Taylor’s School
Runner Up:
Connect 6 – Hasmonean High School (Girls)
Team IGNITE – Claremont High School
BEST TEACHER:
Special recognition:
Ian Smith – Surbiton High School
Simon Dodd – Surbiton High School
Best Teacher Winner:
Kathryn Walley – Heathfield School
MOST INNOVATE
Team Utopia – The Abbey School
Wirral Wonders – West Kirby Grammar School
Team STEP – Collingwood College
OVERALL RUNNERS UP
e-LEMON-ators – Heathfield School, Henrietta Barnett School, Beaconsfield High School and Richmond upon Thames College
Young Volcanoes – Nonsuch High School and Greeancres High School
WOHAA Semi-Finals 2014
On Tuesday 29th April 2014, 34 lucky WOHAA teams took to the stage at the House of Lords to present in front of the panel of judges at the WOHAA 2014 Semi-Finals. Battling through the London Underground strikes, teams arrived at Millbank House to present their fundraising efforts to the distinguished panel of judges
Panellists this year included: Sir David Jason (legendary actor), Sean Biggerstaff (actor- Oliver Wood in Harry Potter films), Sophie Kinsella (author – Confessions of a Shopaholic), Alok Sharma (MP Reading West), Christopher Sandamas (Chief Clerk, Buckingham Palace), Amur Lakshmi (Tata Consultancy Services global leadership team), John Thornhill (Deputy Editor, The Financial Times), Lady Elizabeth Roberts (Dean of Studies for Scholars at Oxford University) and Baroness Verma.
The House of Lords
Teams being briefed before their presentations
The judging panel
Team Heros (Newstead Wood School) mid-presentation
Team Summit (Latymer Upper School) aboard the Team Summit Express
Sean Biggerstaff sits on the judging panel
Sir David Jason enjoying one of the presentations
Team Reach (Merchat Taylor’s School) after their presentation
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-6113" alt="Baking for Poverty" src="http://www.thewingsofhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Baking-for-Poverty.jpg" width="362" height="242" srcset="http://www.thewingsofhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Baking-for-Poverty.jpg 3179w, http://www linked here.thewingsofhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Baking-for-Poverty-1024×682.jpg 1024w” sizes=”(max-width: 362px) 100vw, 362px” />
Baking for Poverty (Hasmonean High School – Girls) having tempted the judges with some delicious chocolate cupcakes during their presentation
Green Bean (Tiffin Girls) during their presentation
Right2Write (Hasmonean High School – Boys)
Vita Nova (St Angela’s Ursuline School)
Connect 6 (Hasmonean High School – Girls) leading the judges on the Connect 6 Tour
WOHAA Warriors (Bentley Wood and Claremont High School)
e-LEMON-ators (Heathfield School, Henrietta Barnett, Richmond upon Thames College and Beaconsfield High School)
Team STEP (Collingwood College) giving it their all
The standard of presentations was exceptionally high, with students recounting their fundraising events to the delight of the judging panel. Events included a 24-hour bake-a-thon, a sponsored swim the equivalent length of the English Channel, fusion concerts, a Bollywood Ball, and International Food Cafe, sponsored walks, an online auction, a 100km cycle and even a 24-hour famine! The Award Ceremony for WOHAA 2014 is due to take place on Friday 2nd May when the winners and runners up for the six WOHAA categories will be announced.
Each team was given five minutes to present followed by a brief Q&A session with the judges.
Teams through to the Semi-Finals:
Amethyst – Woodbridge High School
Arise- Heathfield School
Aspire – St Mary’s High School
Baking for Poverty – Hasmonean High School (Girls)
Bikes for Likes – Latymer Upper School
Dynamic Dreamers – Featherstone High School
Ed-Spread – Queen Elizabeth’s Boys School
e-LEMON-ators – Heathfield School, Beaconsfield High School, Henrietta Barnett School, Richmond upon Thames College
Embrace – Tiffin School, Southborough High School, Tolworth Girls School, Richard Challenor School and Coombe Girls School
Fuchsia – Notting Hill and Ealing GDST
Fuse – Heathfield School, North London Collegiate School, Upton Court Grammar School, St Helen’s School
Green Bean – The Tiffin School for Girls
Jolly Ninjas – Whitmore High School
Mini Monets – Notting Hill and Ealing GDST
Outshine – Northwood College Reach – Merchant Taylor’s School
Right2Write – Hasmonean High School (Boys)
Spirit – Bentley Wood School
Team Change – Dulwich College
Team Heros – Newstead Wood School
Team Tomorrow – Hasmonean High School (Girls)
Team Utopia – Tormead School
Tenacity – Archbishop Tenison’s CofE High School
Utopia – The Abbey School Vita Nova – St Angela’s Ursuline Convent
WOHAA Warriors – Bentley Wood High School and Claremont High School
Young Volcanoes – Nonsuch High School for Girls and Greenacre High School
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Speed Mentoring 11th of February 2012
Speed Mentoring not Speed Dating
Wings of Hope Charity Enlist Top Young Professionals to Mentor Teenagers About the World of Work In One Afternoon, as Youth Unemployment Reaches 19-yr high
[ultimate_free 6 /]
On Saturday 11th February over 400 teenagers gathered, at the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons in Holborn for an afternoon of innovative speed mentoring by over sixty top young professionals. The event was hosted by The Wings of Hope Children’s Charity whose mission is to “Empower through Education”, with projects in the UK, India and Malawi. The event was targeted at 14-20 year olds who had exclusive access to professionals from over thirty industries including banking, law, accountancy, fashion, PR, event management, sustainability, music production, acting and enterprise. With eight-minute slots over a two-hour period, the students were able to get key insights into a wide variety of industries.
With youth unemployment at a 19-year high, entering the world of work is a daunting task. This event differs from usual career fairs, with useful interactive advice coming directly from the professionals – most of whom were under the age of 30. Smruti , 25, the organiser of the event says, “I have been involved with Wings of Hope since I was 17-years old and have grown up with the charity. I am privileged to have some great friends in top industries, all of whom have always wanted to mentor, but just haven’t found a route to do it or have very time-pressured jobs. I thought that we could replicate the speed-dating model for mentoring. That way the students get access to a large variety of industries, and mentors get to impart advice to a large number of students, all in one afternoon.”
Invitations of the event were sent out by YouTube video to all past and current participants of The Wings of Hope Achievement Award, as well as teachers. The up-take was huge, with teachers rushing to sign up the few remaining places for their students. Garry Bowe, Headmaster of Wellingborough School chartered a mini-bus from Northampton to Central London so that his students could attend the weekend event. “Our young people are entering an increasingly competitive jobs market and the greater understanding they can gain from young professionals the better informed they will be. This mentoring event will contribute towards that”.
The Rt Hon Lord McNally, Deputy Leader of the House of Lords launched the event, commending Wings of Hope on the innovation and ambitiousness of the event. “When Rajni told me about the event, I thought gosh how are they going to pull this off, but I should not have been surprised – what a fantastic turnout for a Saturday afternoon!”
Feedback from the event was incredibly positive, with over 53% of student-mentees rating the event either 9 or above out of 10 and over 87% rating it 8 or above. Popular industries included entrepreneurship, acting, fashion, accountancy, medicine and law.
The Wings of Hope Speed Mentoring Workshop, Feb 11th 2012
The Wings of Hope Achievement Award (WOHAA) is a social-enterprise programme that gives over 15,000 secondary school students in years 9-13 in the UK, the opportunity to lead and organise events and projects whilst developing essential transferable skills in enterprise, leadership, communication, and teamwork. Examples of student projects include 72-hour football matches, lobbying the High Commissioner to Malawi, crossing every station on the London Underground and Quidditch matches. Supporters of the charity include Sir David Jason, Simon Bird from the Inbetweeners, Lord McNally, CEOs of Saatchi & Saatchi, Tata Consultancy Services and Edelman. Winners of WOHAA get an all expenses paid trip to India to teach at the partner schools and see first-hand where their funds are being used.
The industries covered at the event were:
Architecture and Arts
Acting & Theatre
Fashion & Event Management
HR & Headhunting
Trading and Equity Research
Academia and Politics
Consulting & Finance
Journalism & Publishing
Law: Solicitor
Law: Barrister
WOHAA Winners & Fundraising
Wings of Hope, Speed Mentoring – World of Work event photos:
60 top professionals, mentoring 400 students.
The Rt. Hon Lord McNally, launched the event. The backdrop of youth unemployment at a 19 year high highlighted the importance of the event for students of today
Founders of The Wings of Hope Dr Sri Ram and his wife Rajni Sriram at the Royal College of Surgeons event
Dawn Butler, Former Minister for Youth Enterprise and Civil Engagement closed the event, with a motivational rendition of “I know I can, be what I wanna be, if I work hard at it, I’ll be where I wanna be”
Smruti, Head of the Professionals’ Network for the Wings of Hope, organised the event
Everyone say “WOHAA!”
Speed Mentoring Countdown Clock and Gong. 8 minutes per industry station were given to mentors and mentees.
View from the Top: Balcony view of the Edward Lumley Hall at the Royal College of Surgeons
Students giving an interview about the event to WOHAA winner 09/10 Georgina Robb
Architecture and Arts – Kate Jones from the Royal Institute of British Architects and The V&A museum
Acting & Theatre – Youtube sensation Matt Lacey (“Gap Yah”) tells students about his acting and stand-up comedy experiences
Fashion & Event Management – teams from Topshop, Jackson Couture and Instinctif
HR & Headhunting – teams from Fashion Fair, and Whistles
Entrepreneur – Tom Latchford, Raising IT being interviewed about his experiences of setting up his own business as a graduate
Entrepreneur – Siddharth Singh, Made with Joy, tells students about the thrills of setting up a business and the reality of sustaining it
Trading and Equity Research – Jerome and Zvetelina abour their experiences on the trade floor at top Investment Banks in the City
Trading and Equity Research – Mayan Uthayakumar on his experiences of further study in finance and now in Equity Research
Academia and Politics – Dawn Butler, former Minister of Youth Enterprise on running elections. Temi from the University of Cambridge on a career in academia.
Accountancy – Seita and Neil from top accountancy firm PwC on their experiences on the graduate programme
Banking – Charlie Spencer, from top investment bank, Rothschild, on life as an investment banker in the current economic climate.
Consulting – Business Strategy Consultants, Jennifer and Amit from Deloitte and British Airways
Consulting & Finance – Sagar and Raj on their experiences in financial consulting and their previous roles in consultancy roles at the Clinton Foundation and Bain & Co
Economics – top economists from the Bank of England, and Her Majesty’s Treasury, Amar Radia, Sagar Shah and Nitika Agarwal
Feedback from student attendees
Media & Advertising – Samira tells the packed student table of her experiences in the Future Media team at the BBC
Music – James Anderson giving students the “real-deal” on music production and working in the music industry with a variety of artists.
Journalism & Publishing – Bella tells students about life in Publishing at top publishing company Random House, and Madhu on life as an assistant editor at Wired Magazine.
Law: Solicitor – Deepak, Cameron and Nikita were mentoring the very popular law table – all working at top city law firms, including Clifford Chance, and Fox Williams
Law: Barrister – Adam spoke to students about life as a student for the Bar, whilst Clare and Annabel spoke about their jobs working in different courts as real-life barristers
Engineering – Pulkit and Ritika enthused students about the importance of engineering in all aspects of life.
Sustainability – Ed and Luke spoke about their differing roles in sustainability, with Ed talking about working at energy company BP. Luke talked about the importance of sustainability on all corporate agendas
Dentistry – Binita and Rajan had a very popular table. With students grilling them about how to get into university as well as working in a real life dental practice.
Medicine – Romelie and Sarah offered practical and useful advice to students, from gaining work experience at GP practices to working in a fast-paced hospital environment
Medicine – Mandy and Mel spoke of their experiences as doctors, having trained and studied at Imperial College London
WOHAA Winners & Fundraising – Hamza and Georgina inspired other students to participate in the Wings of Hope Achievement Award. Hamza was a winner in 08/09 and travelled to India to visit to the school
Posted in Top Stories
Speed Mentoring 11th Feb 2012 Sign up
Visit to Christ’s College at Cambridge University
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Christ only
455 Audio results for: Christ
The Glory of the Resurrection and the Necessity of Death (Church of the Holy Spirit, Feb 24, 2019) by: Rev. Rob Griffith
1 Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50
From the series: 1 Corinthians
Topics: Pauline Epistles, Christ, Salvation
How We Persevere in Living to Please God, #1: By Knowing the Reality of Christ's Return by: Rev. John Musgrave
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5:23
From the series: 1 Thessalonians
Topics: Pauline Epistles, Christ, Christian Living
Advent Series: A Thrill of Hope; The Weary World Rejoices - Do You Not Know? Have You Not Heard? by: Rev. Richie Sessions
From the series: Advent 2010
Topic: Christ
What are you hungry for? (Church of the Holy Spirit, Aug. 12, 2018) by: Rev. Rob Griffith
Topics: Christ, Holy Spirit, Gospels and Acts
Easter Changed Everything (Church of the Holy Spirit, Apr 21, 2019) by: Rev. Rob Griffith
Topics: Gospels and Acts, Christ, Salvation
He Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified, Dead and Buried, He Descended into Hell by: RTS Charlotte
From the series: Fall 2007 RTS Charlotte Chapel Messages
The Reality of Jesus' Resurrection and Your Blessedness by Believing In It by: Rev. John Musgrave
John 19:38-20:31
Formats: mp3 (64-bit), mp3 (32-bit), mp3 (16-bit), mp3 (8-bit)
Topics: Gospels and Acts, Christ
Christ In the Old Testament: God's Relentless Pursuit of His People by: Rev. Tim Tinsley
Deuteronomy 18:15-22
From the series: Deuteronomy
Topics: Pentateuch, Christ, Salvation
Christs Universal Church: Past, Present and Future? by: Rev. Tim Tinsley
1 John 2:18-29
From the series: 1 John
Topics: General Epistles and Revelation, Christ, Church and Sacraments
Why the cross? (Cathedral Church of St. Luke, March 30, 2018) by: Rev. Rob Griffith
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#SAFW: Thebe Magugu in Vogue on runways and beyond
Fresh from his international Fashion Showcase award in London that impressed the likes of Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, Thebe Magugu awakened the crowd at SA Fashion Week (SAFW) last night.
The collection titled "African Studies" that won him the international fashion showcase award in London and was previewed in Paris did not disappoint and proved to be the perfect fit for the SAFW: The Luxury Collections SS19 theme.
The luminous high-end women’s wear range comes in colours ranging from strong red to purple, and lime with emerald green with a touch of periwinkle blue. His showcase last night was part of the Woolworths Style by SA show.
African Studies, a collection that won Thebe Magugu a top prize in London. Picture: Eunice Driver.
Magugu, an LMVH Prize finalist talks to us about the collection and the wins he’s secured so far this year.
What was the inspiration behind the collection?
African Studies are about merging motives and references about my own culture and history, with the sort of shapes that are quite tailored and forward-looking so it is those two walls that I tried to merge.
You’re now at an international level, how does that feel?
People are looking for something new. The international fashion space has long seen European, American and Chinese designers and I think it’s time for a new market. People are captivated by South African and African stories as a whole and that’s what I bring.
WATCH: Thebe Magugu unveils "African Studies" at SAFW
As a finalist for the LMVH Prize, what does that mean to you and the brand?
It’s such a big honour. I used to watch MTV growing up and all those shows where I would watch Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Givenchy. To be part of a company that owns all these luxury brands is the highest honour I could ever imagine. It has allowed me to grow and that’s incredible because more people get to experience stories from Africa and that gives me a chance to show people what I do and what Africa is all about.
You’re at the peak of your career, what would you say is your biggest highlight?
Meeting Anna Wintour is one of them but also being part of major fashion weeks. Last year in September, I did a project with Italian Vogue which has always been a dream of mine and this year I’ll be a major in Paris which is amazing. Every little thing has been so mind-blowing and so inspirational to me.
This collection was inspired by the designer’s culture and history. Picture: Eunice Driver.
What’s next for Thebe Magugu?
I’m focusing on my export business, which is growing. Locally, my label can be found in Woolworths. On the international front, it’s available in France. Bottom line, I want to take the Thebe Magugu brand to the world. That’s my long term vision.
LVMH Prize is a platform created by Delphine Arnault, the executive vice president of Louis Vuitton to honour and support young fashion designers around the world.
Tonight you can look forward to seeing the following designers: African Style Story, Isabel De Villiers Clothing, Judith Atelier, Gert-Johan Coetzee, Erre, and Klipa.
* SAFW runs until Saturday at the Protea Rooftop in Sandton City. For full schedule visit: www.safashionweek.co.za.
-The Star
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commercial drone regulations
European Drone Rules Published Today: “Safe, Secure, and Sustainable” Drone Operations
commercial drone regulationsDrone News Feeds
By NewsBot On Jun 11, 2019
The culmination of a lengthy negotiation process, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 & Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, have been published “to ensure drone operations across Europe are safe and secure,” says an EASA post. “The rules will amongst others help to protect the safety and the privacy of EU citizens while enabling the free circulation of drones and a level playing field within the European Union.”
“Europe will be the first region in the world to have a comprehensive set of rules ensuring safe, secure and sustainable operations of drones both, for commercial and leisure activities. Common rules will help foster investment, innovation and growth in this promising sector” said Patrick Ky, Executive Director of EASA.
The rules offer Eropean businesses and drone operators the opportunity to work across borders without worrying about the laws changing, something that the United States has struggled to do as individual states continue to enact their own unique drone regulations. The set of new regulations will replace the existing regulations in European member states. “The common rules will help drone operators, whether professional or recreational, to have a clear understanding of what is allowed or not. At the same time it enables them to operate across borders. Once drone operators have received an authorisation in the state of registration, they are allowed to freely circulate in the European Union. This means that they can operate their drones seamlessly when travelling across the EU or when developing a business involving drones around Europe,” says the EASA announcement.
The regulations cover both technical and procedural regulations, and drone operations. They require, for example, that all drones be “individually identifiable, allowing the authorities to trace a particular drone if necessary.” says EASA. Additionally, the rules place drone operations in broad risk-based categories: open, specific, and certified.
While the rules have been published today, operators have a year to complete requirements to comply. “The applicability will be gradual according to a timeline that can be consulted on the EASA drone page,” says the EASA announcement.
EASA says that next steps are to develop a “common European market for drones.”
“During the next High Level Conference on Drones 2019 EASA will give the opportunity to discuss the new rules and the upcoming regulatory proposal in depth,” says the announcement.
“This yearly conference is organised by EASA and takes place from 5 – 6 December 2019 during Amsterdam Drone Week. The event with the topic “Scaling drone operations” will bring together regulatory bodies and industry experts from all over the world to discuss the development of a common European market for drones.”
Drone Delivery Canada Grows
Free FAA Webinars
From Barry Bonds and The Million Dollar Arm to Drone Inspections: J.B. Bernstein and…
WORLD’S SMALLEST 1S Brushless Quad – 57mm NANO X – HONEST REVIEW
Fineco FX-2 Nano Drone Flight Test Review
There’s a New Skydio Drone Coming This Fall
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Feehery: Realigning the parties
By John Feehery — 05/01/17 02:43 PM EDT
President Trump Donald John TrumpCNN's Camerota clashes with Trump's immigration head over president's tweet LA Times editorial board labels Trump 'Bigot-in-Chief' Trump complains of 'fake polls' after surveys show him trailing multiple Democratic candidates MORE has an unprecedented opportunity to split the Democratic coalition and deliver a radical restructuring of the political landscape, not dissimilar to Ronald Reagan and Franklin Roosevelt.
Never before has the liberal leadership of the Democratic Party been so emotionally and economically isolated from the rest of their party.
The question today is simple: Does Mr. Trump have the courage of his convictions to take advantage of this opportunity?
Democratic political activists have cleverly changed the subject when it comes to Donald Trump’s best political brand, that of the nonideological businessman who can get the economy moving again.
They have accused him of being a racist, an anti-Semite, a rapist, a tool for the Russians, a white nationalist, a fascist, a crook and worse.
Manhattan liberals and Hollywood progressives seem to hate him the most. Democrats in Washington are at times amused by and at other times appalled by him.
But it is the Democratic political activists who are most alarmed by the rise of Trump. They know how vulnerable their coalition is. They know how fraught the internal dynamics are in their party, how tense things are, how difficult it is for them to keep their majority coalition together.
The Democratic Party is made up of white union members, African-Americans, Hispanics, Jews, gays, feminists and those who think of themselves as progressive. The white Catholics who used to have a commanding position are now fleeing the Democratic Party in droves. You can’t be pro-life and thrive in the Democratic Party anymore.
But the biggest point of tension within the Democratic Party comes with economic security. Rich liberals don’t care that much about economic security as a political issue, because they are already have it, in spades.
The reason Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonTrump complains of 'fake polls' after surveys show him trailing multiple Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton responds to Trump tweets telling Dem lawmakers to 'go back' to their countries The Young Turks' Cenk Uygur: Here's how to choose a president MORE didn’t talk much about jobs during the campaign is because her political base cares mostly about other issues, such as abortion, same-sex marriage and amnesty.
To successfully realign the political parties, Mr. Trump must strike at this soft underbelly of his chief opposition. He must focus like a laser beam on economic security as the most important deliverable of his administration to the traditional Democratic coalition partners who most need the help.
Three of these constituent groups — white union members, middle-class African-Americans and Hispanic voters — are especially gettable when it comes to jobs and the economy. They don’t necessarily buy into the progressive vision of the future, especially when it comes to social issues such as gay marriage, abortion, school choice and antipathy towards organized religion.
Republicans have been successful, at times, in attracting white union members. They were the hard hats in the Nixon years, they were the Reagan Democrats, and they helped to deliver the Rust Belt to Trump in the last election.
But to truly realign the parties, Republicans must attract much more than the pittance they get from black and Latino voters. The GOP has been bedeviled by the painful legacy of the so-called Southern Strategy, which obliquely at times and obviously at other time used the race card to coalesce white voters against anybody of color.
Black voters care about jobs. But they won’t listen to Republicans or to Trump about his plans to create well-paying jobs if they think he or his administration is racist.
Hispanic voters also care about economic security. But they won’t listen to Trump’s plan on jobs if they think he wants to deport them all back to Mexico or Central America or Cuba, for that matter.
There are two things the Trump administration can do to give itself a better chance with these constituent groups. The president can demand that Congress pass an update of the Voting Rights Act, which the Supreme Court has found is necessary. And he can put immigration reform on his to-do list for next year.
White union voters already like Trump’s message on jobs. Black and Hispanic voters may be open to that message as well, but to get their support, he needs to show that he is on their side on issues that are vitally important to them.
If he can make the sale, he will realign the parties. If not, the rich liberals who now dominate the Democratic Party will continue their domination, uninterrupted.
Feehery is partner at EFB Advocacy and blogs at www.thefeeherytheory.com. He served as spokesman to former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), as communications director to former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) when he was majority whip and as speechwriter to former Minority Leader Bob Michel (R-Ill.).
The views expressed by this author are their own and are not the views of The Hill.
Tags Hillary Clinton Donald Trump
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REPORT BACK: Catalyzing Action
by Cynthia Koehler | Partners, Projects
Download our complete Summit Report Back [PDF] and view online photo album here.
On April 20-21, WaterNow Alliance held our annual summit in Boulder, CO. It was a dynamic two-day event filled with engaging conversations, thought provoking presentations, and new connections that will catalyze action for sustainable water initiatives back in local communities across the nation.
Over 100 attendees from 15 different states (though primarily from the CO River Basin) descended on Boulder. We were thrilled to partner with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National League of Cities, Colorado Municipal League and the Local Government Commission. We heard from some of the top policy experts from across the nation and covered critical topics including:
The State of Water in the Nation
Innovative Financing for Sustainable Water Solutions
What Can Water Data Do for Local Elected Officials
Water Transfers
Equity and Affordability
Looking back at this year’s summit, we’ve been reflecting on the incredible energy attendees brought to the room and their commitments to take that energy home with them. Our goal was to catalyze action and as one WaterNow Alliance member put it, “I haven’t been too involved with water in my community yet, but after this summit, I’m going to be.”
Creating change at home is what WaterNow Alliance is all about. That’s why this year we introduced our “What Happens Monday Opportunities.” Throughout the conference we highlighted tangible and specific opportunities for leaders to engage with us and our partners in new policy initiatives, on the ground projects or other collaborations. By the end of the two days, we had volunteers signing up, standing up and committing to next steps to move these critical pieces forward.
If you didn’t make it to this year’s Summit, we hope you’ll join us next year, or at one of our upcoming workshops across the nation. Stay tuned for opportunities to engage with us and as always – please feel free to be in touch with us directly if you have any questions or comments.
Download the complete Summit Report Back [PDF] & view our online photo album here.
Tia Lebherz is WaterNow Alliance's Communications & Outreach Manager. She can be reached at tl(at)waternow(dot)org.
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This Is The Expectation Vs. Reality Of Latinos Who Don’t Speak English Well
By Lucas Molandes July 6, 2016 at 11:26 am
Sex sells. That never changes. What changes, however, is what we consider sexy. Take this Las Vegas tourism commercial, in which we see three, limited-English speaking Latinas experiencing a sexy night on the town thanks to some nice Vegas men, who aren’t at all trying to take advantage of this language barrier.
Credit: Visit Las Vegas/YouTube
This, of course, has us scratching our heads. In today’s political climate, showing Latinos who can’t speak the language is a quick way to get people’s blood boiling (and not in a sexy way) about topics like immigration. But that’s how sexy advertising works. To show you what we mean, let’s take a quick look at the subtle differences between the fantasy advertisers sell to us and our reality.
On television, sexy non-English speaking Latinas be like:
Credit: Visit Las Vegas / Giphy / YouTube
In reality, non-English speaking Latinos be like:
Credit: EveryWWWhere / Giphy / YouTube
As you can see from the previous examples, the differences between advertising and reality are subtle, but consistent. The next time you see a commercial, whether it’s selling bottled water or a political candidate, we hope you’ll take a more critical look at what’s being sold to you.
READ: Latino Man Killed in Wisconsin For Not Speaking English
Don’t forget to click the share button below!
Tags: Las Vegas, Expectation vs. Reality, immigrant
She Fled El Salvador With Her Father To Escape The Civil War, Now She Is Running To Be A Judge In Texas
Selena-for-Judge / Facebook
By Araceli Cruz June 13, 2019 at 12:20 pm
If last year’s midterm primaries taught us anything, it was that everyone, regardless of their background or story, has a right to run for office. Furthermore, first-time politicians who want to help the marginalized community are encouraged to run, and we now have proof they can win.
Meet Selena Alvarenga, a gay immigrant of El Salvador, that is seeking to run for District Court Judge in Texas.
Facebook/Selena-for-Judge
Alvarenga’s campaign for judge of Travis County’s 460th District Court is steaming rolling right along as they prepare for an election. While this new seat has never been conquered, the election will be an exciting one to watch. It won’t take place until March 2020, but there’s no better time to jump into campaign mode.
She understands that her background isn’t a typical one, but that’s what makes her a perfect candidate to fight for people’s rights.
Credit: @selenaforjudge / Twitter
Her history as a lawyer spans two decades, and she’s an alum of St. Mary’s Law School in San Antonio.
Alvarenga migrated to the U.S. with her father in the 1970s after they fled the Salvadoran Civil War.
“One day, I literally woke up, and my father said everything was packed. He said it was getting too dangerous and we had to leave. We got in the car and we started driving north,” Alvarenga said in an interview with Popsugar.
According to her website, her father worked as a computer programmer at a bank in El Salvador but in the U.S. he could only get work serving fast food. “When he finally did find a job in his field, it was in Alaska. Selena was one of three Latin American immigrants in her class.”
“I didn’t know any English, so I went to [an English as a second language] school,” she said to the publication. That adversity only helped Alvarenga excel in school.
Some of the issues she’s ready to address in her campaign include LGBTQ+ rights and ending cash bail.
Her background includes serving as a current Board Member of the Austin Bar LGBTQ Association. She also seeks to reduce pretrial detention and explore alternatives to cash bail.
Click here to learn more about Selena and her campaign.
READ: These Latinx Queer Organizations Need Your Money More Than You Need Corporate Rainbow Socks
Tags: Salvadoran, Judges, LGBTQ, Elections, El Salvador, immigrant, Texas
Christina Aguilera Will Release A Spanish-Language Album And OMG I’ve Been Waiting For This Since ‘Mi Reflejo’
@MrNickLocke / Twitter
By danielli June 4, 2019 at 3:50 pm
This month marks 20 years since Christina Aguilera released “Genie in a Bottle,” and the artist is celebrating a new milestone this weekend: “The Xperience” opening show of her Las Vegas residency. It was at her Vegas residency that Aguilera dropped some highly anticipated news that is making fans flip out with excitement.
“Let us not forget,” Christina Aguilera told her fans. “The Latin album is coming.”
@idolator / Twitter
It seems that Xtina is raising a family, enjoying her residency in Vegas and working on a new album… in Spanish.
“I want to do it the right way,” she tells Billboard.
@billboard / Twitter
“I’ve been wanting to do it for years,” she told Billboard. “But I want to do it the right way. I want to work with musicians and beautiful people from the Latin world who just eat, sleep and breathe it, and live it, and learn from them. I want to really experience it from the ground up.”
Fans are already trying to help Xtina out with some references.
@NBCTeamShakira / Twitter
Twitter user @NBCTeamShakira called out Aguilera with a little suggestion, “Hey @xtina… Call @shakira to help you with your Spanish Album. She is a producer, songwriter, and singer. She has 12 Latin GRAMMYs and 3 GRAMMYs. It’s the biggest female name in Latin America, and the fans dream of their collaboration. Powerful women. #XtinaAndShakira”
And a hashtag was born. #XtinaAndShakira
Demi Lovato might have been her No. 1 stan at the show.
@ehadshealth / Twitter
Lovato filmed nearly the entire performance on her Instagram live, including selfie videos of actual tears running down her face. Fans are now wondering if Lovato will be featured in her new album.
In case you forgot, Aguilera released “Mi Reflejo” in 2000 and Latinos had a moment of representation in mainstream pop music wept.
@cammcma / Twitter
Aguilera’s “Mi Reflejo” won the Bet Female Pop Vocal Album Latin Grammy and has been promising a follow-up album for a minute now. Why the hold-up?
Aguilera revealed that she’s starting to take Spanish lessons.
@RARESTXTINA / Twitter
“I always heard my parents speak it in the house, but I never fully learned [Spanish],” she tells Billboard. “I’m even digging in and trying to start the lessons.”
“It’ll take a little time balancing the show and the recording hours, but it’s coming.“
@morganhoneyb / Twitter
Fans have heard this before and are jaded by false promises. Others, however, have high expectations.
This fan who experienced #TheXperience first hand predicts a new Latin Queen.
@levolti / Twitter
Unquestionably, J.Lo has sat at the throne for decades now. This is the “Game of Thrones” chisme we deserve.
Other fans are already opening space in their hearts for a Latin tour.
@JeanCDeLuca / Twitter
Latin America has been waiting for a tour for far too long, and @JeanCDeLuca predicts Aguilera will grace the diaspora in 2020.
We’ve moved past asking when the album will drop to begging for the tour.
@SERGIOTHEHUMAN / Twitter
We’re blasting @SergioTheHuman’s request from the rooftops in the hopes that Aguilera will hear her fans. Her Spanish language album success has only marinated into stronger cravings for more content.
Obviously fans wan a headlining performance at the Latin GRAMMYs.
@paige_t / Twitter
The biggest question folks have right now is: who will be on the album? So far, Christina has only alluded to the album being in the making.
Those ride or die fans are already making threats in exchange for live music.
@GottaLoveXtina / Twitter
Cuidado, Xtina! Your Latino stans need you more than you know.
Needless to say, fans are shooketh by the whole Xperience.
@EmanuelGtrz / Twitter
As the summer goes on, who knows what else we’ll learn from Christina’s own mouth. We hope she’ll practice her Spanish with the audience.
READ: Christina Aguilera Opened The Floodgates For Curious Twitter Fans And Her Answers Were Honest And Real
Tags: Christina Aguilera, latin music, Las Vegas, pop music, Music
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Danica Johansson
Revision as of 10:33, 29 April 2013 by Vance (talk | contribs)
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Political Information
United Federation of Planets - Starfleet
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USS Niagara
Assistant Judge Advocate General
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- Related Article: Danica Johansson (Mirror)
Commander Danica Johansson is a Federation Starfleet officer serving as Commanding Officer of the USS Niagara and Assistant Judge Advocate General within the Eleventh "Pegasus" Fleet.
1 Physical Description
2 Personality & Traits
2.1 General Overview
2.2 Strengths & Weaknesses
2.3 Ambitions
2.4 Hobbies & Interests
2.5 Languages
5 Service Record
Danica has an athletic build with brown eyes and black hair that falls to her mid back. She tends to take very good care of herself and thus has no visible scarring on her body. It has also been noted that Danica has aged well and is often mistaken for a junior officer by others until they look at her collar insignia.
Personality & Traits
Danica is a very approachable person who only demands the same respect she gives her peers. She is always confident in any of her decisions, has a great aptitude for engineering and never waivers or cowers in combat.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Confident, assertive, intelligent.
On rare occasions she is known to let her emotions get the better of her but she gets better at self control as time goes on.
Danica strives to one day receive a command of her own.
When Danica is off-duty she likes to spend alot of her time on the holodeck hiking or camping in the wildness areas of her native land. After her normal shifts she also likes to engage in reading or writing short stories.
Federation Basic
Father: John Johansson
Mother: Anastasia Johansson
Sister(s): Sarah and Anna Johansson
Danica in her youth.
Danica was born on April 8th 2354 to John and Anastasia Johansson in a rural community just outside of Moscow Russia. Having been raised on a farm she was taught the importance of hard work and dedication early. Her father started her off early with simple cleaning chores and would later incorporate her more and more into the overall operation of the farm. Danica's leadership qualities and confident nature would become more apparent with the birth of her sister Sarah. With their father and mother busy with the farm Danica would be left to care for her sister and teach her the lessons of life. She would encourage Sarah to explore the world and often take her for hikes in the nearby forest.
Her first true test to her character came when the two girls were in the woods and were confronted by a wild fox. The animal began to pace ready to attack the girls however Danica stood against it using a nearby branch for a weapon striking the fox scaring it away. When Sarah told her parents the tale they were proud of what she had done.
Unfortunately for them Danica's curiousity and desire to better herself would take her away from the farm and into Starfleet.
18 Year Old Danica joins Starfleet
Danica enrolled in the academy when she was 18 as an engineering cadet. Her instructors would astonished by her aptitude in the field and her marks reflected it. As down to earth as she was, she did not shy away from social gatherings making her not only intelligent but easily approachable. These qualities would be noted by her peers and staff alike and would eventually lead her to the Kobyashi Maru exam in her final year, an exam designed for cadets destined for a command one day.
Danica accepted the challenge knowing the background of the exam convinced she could perform well. During the exam she decided to attempt a rescue despite the results many cadets had suffered because of this decision. Her crew did not waiver as she had their trust and confidence. Unfortunately like all others before her, the ship was destroyed. Following the exam the instructors cautioned her that she had let her emotions get the best of her in her decision to rescue the stranded vessel. However they felt she did admirably by gaining her crews confidence and facing death with honor and integrity. Two very important traits behind every fleet captain.
In 2372 Danica graduated from Starfleet Academy and disembarked for her first assignment as an engineering officer. This assignment would begin aboard the USS Phoenix. It was noted she immediately adjusted to her new surroundings and quickly became a valued member of the engineering team. In the later term of her posting the chief would entrust her with taking the lead on small repair tasking in order to develop her leadership skills. Four years later Danica would receive a promotion and be sent off to a new vessel.
In 2376 Danica was assigned to the USS Olympus as the assistant chief engineering officer. This assignment would prove to be an important stepping stone and first uphill battle for the confident young officer as she and the chief would sometimes disagree. Danica was used to having to make her own decisions back on the farm while the chief knew it was protocol that he be informed of any major changes. At first this became a barrier between the two but after awhile the chief learned to trust Danica and she learned the importance of protocol and teamwork. 5 Years later Danica would be transferred to a newly commissioned ship to aid their engineering crew as well as their new chief once again as the assistant chief of engineering.
2381 was the launch date for the USS Pathfinder. Danica would have to work hand in hand and long hours with the chief to get the ship in shape for it's new mission. As the chief became burdened with meetings and reports Danica found herself making the decisions in engineering and overseeing these repairs first hand. 3 years after launch the Chief Engineer was transferred to Starfleet Academy as an instructor and Danica was to take his place. Shortly after she would undergo her first test under fire as the Pathfinder was sent on a dangerous mission along the Romulan Neutral Zone. Pathfinder was attacked by an unknown assailant and sustained heavy damage. Under her guidance the engineering crew was able to remain composed and keep the pathfinder in one piece. Her unwavering dedication to the ship earned her a promotion.
Danica leaves the Sovereign for a fresh start.
In 2385 she was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and remained on the Sovereign now as the Executive Officer. However the years would be long and arduous years as she was having troubles getting past the death of her former XO and good friend.
In 2387, the Executive Officer position aboard the USS Eagle opened up. With both Starfleet and Captain Anderson looking for an experienced officer to fill the void and Danica's wishes to move forward from the death of her former XO on the Sovereign, she requested a transfer and was subsequently accepted. Her time on the Eagle would be shortened by the sudden retirement of Captain Mark Anderson. She would subsequently be transferred to Starfleet Command while she awaited her next assignment.
Expecting her career to drop in tempo Danica, like many were surprised by the sudden and mysterious reassignment of then Commander Alexandra Vance from the USS Niagara. This void brought attention to Danica who was considered the best candidate to fill the void and sunsequently she was given command of the Niagara. Along with this new assignment came a promotion to Task Group Commanding Officer of Task Group 44-B and assigned as an Assistant Judge Advocate General.
2370-2374: Starfleet Academy; Engineering Cadet
2374-2377: USS Phoenix; Engineering Officer, Ensign
2377-2379: USS Olympus; Asst. Chief Engineering Officer; Lieutenant(JG)
2379-2382: USS Pathfinder; Asst. Chief Engineering Officer/Chief Engineering Officer; Lieutenant
2382-2385: USS Sovereign; Chief Engineering Officer, Second Officer/Acting Executive Officer; Lieutenant/Lieutenant Commander
2385-2387: USS Sovereign; Executive Officer; Lieutenant Commander
2387-2388: USS Eagle; Executive Officer; Lieutenant Commander
2388-Present: USS Niagara; Commanding Officer; Commander
2388: Task Group Commanding Officer 44-B; Captain (Resigned within year)
Retrieved from "http://wiki.pegasusfleet.net/index.php?title=Danica_Johansson&oldid=9836"
This page was last edited on 29 April 2013, at 10:33. Content is available under GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 unless otherwise noted.
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Artist: Frank Iero
Label: UNFD
Barriers Digital *
Barriers [LP] Vinyl *
Barriers [Import LP] Vinyl $37.79
Barriers CD
* = Digital Samples available for this Item.
1. A New Day's Coming
2. Young And Doomed
3. Fever Dream
5. Basement Eyes
6. Ode To Destruction
7. The Unfortunate
8. Moto Pop
9. Medicine Square Garden
10. No Love
11. Police Police
12. Great Party
13. Six Feet Down Under
14. 24k Lush
For Frank Iero, making music has always been a coping mechanism. But it's also much more than just a way of dealing with the hardships of life it s a means of stepping back to take in the hurricane that is life, both in all its glory and devastation and acknowledging the things you could, and maybe should, have done differently. 'People like to say I live my life without any regrets, and I think that's bulls**t,' he says. 'I think that if you don't have any regrets then maybe you didn't really live. Life is about mistakes and life is about scars and those are the things that help us remember that we re alive. You shouldn't get everything right you should know what it feels like to feel sorry.' Regret flows through Barriers, Iero's third solo record, more than anything he's ever made before. Made with his new band, The Future Violents, and recorded and mixed by Steve Albini, it s an album that directly and deliberately challenges the doubts that plague us, whether on a trivial, everyday basis or a more meaningful level. To that extent, its fourteen songs are much more than a deeply existential journey into his heart and mind. They also reinvent who he is as a musician and tackle head-on the fundamental question of what it means to actually be alive, to be human.
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Steve Riddle's Family Tree
Entries: 188659 Updated: 2017-08-10 17:53:19 UTC (Thu) Owner: Steve Riddle
Jost, Living
Jouett, Emily b: 13 APR 1819 in Overton County, Tennessee d: ABT 1852
Jouett, Matthew , Jr.
Jouett, Matthew III b: ABT 1775 in Caswell County, North Carolina d: 13 JUL 1830 in Overton County, Tennessee
Jourdaine, Jehosabeth b: 1640
Jourdaine, John
Jourdan, Fanny
Jourdan, Living
Journey, Peter
Joy, Bathsheba\Bersheba d: AFT 11 MAY 1797 in Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Joy, Living
Joy, Matthew A.
Joy, Samuel , Jr.
Joy, Sarah
Joyce d: AFT 19 SEP 1683 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Joyce, Abraham
Joyce, Alethea (Fullerton)
Joyce, Charles Holland 'Chuck' b: 23 FEB 1908 in Hunt County, Texas d: 9 JUN 1997 in Tyler, Smith County, Texas
Joyce, Dora M. b: 26 AUG 1889 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York d: 18 OCT 1943 in Canadaigua, Ontario, Canada County, New York
Joyce, Dorcas
Joyce, Hosea b: 1647 in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts d: 1 FEB 1712
Joyce, Jane
Joyce, John
Joyce, Living
Joyce, Lydia b: 1684
Joyce, Mary
Joyce, Mary b: 19 SEP 1680 in Yarmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusettsachuettes d: BEF 1 MAR 1743
Joyce, Mehitable b: 1687 in Yarmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts d: 10 MAR 1776 in Mansfield, Tolland County, Connecticut
Joye, Mary
Jozette, Living
Jr., Jerry Ellis Witter b: 16 JUL 1914
Jr., John Burk b: 5 FEB 1786 in Orange, New York d: 8 NOV 1832 in Darlington , Durham, Ontario, Canada
Jr., Living
Jr., Welcome Boy Covey b: ABT 1842
Jsselyn, Sarah
Juanita, Living
Juanita, Ruth b: 1917
Juban, Living
Jubb, Mary E.
Jubbs, Rose
Juckett, Nellie
Jucksch, Living
Judd, ?
Judd, Ada Thompson b: 12 JUL 1855 in St. John's Quebec, Canada d: MAY 1921 in Vermont
Judd, Albert G. b: ABT 1815
Judd, Allen b: 30 APR 1855 in Franklin, Decatur County, Iowa d: 1 JUN 1920 in Quincy, Gadsden County, Florida
Judd, Amon
Judd, Amon , Jr
Judd, Annis Thompson b: 16 JUL 1857 in Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont
Judd, Benjamin b: 17 MAR 1640 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut d: 1 OCT 1698 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut
Judd, Daniel West b: 1 DEC 1796 in Strafford, Orange County, Vermont d: 1870 in Brentwood, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Judd, Frances Allen b: 23 MAR 1911 in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa d: 23 AUG 1967 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Judd, Francis b: 12 AUG 1792 in Claremont, Sullivan County, New Hampshire d: 20 JAN 1880 in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada
Judd, Francis Byron b: 10 JUN 1882 in Brooklyn, Poweshiek County, Iowa d: 25 OCT 1948 in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
Judd, Francis Emerson b: 19 APR 1827 in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada d: 15 FEB 1902 in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon
Judd, Francis Zadock Thompson b: 23 MAY 1851 in St. John's Quebec, Canada d: 30 MAY 1869 in Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa
Judd, Frank H
Judd, Gladys Lillian b: 20 FEB 1897 in Fitchburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts d: 28 MAY 1985 in Spencer, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Judd, Hannah b: 13 MAR 1681
Judd, Jonathan b: 22 SEP 1688 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut d: 25 AUG 1725 in East Middletopwn, Middlesex County, Connecticut
Judd, Maria P. b: 1809 in Claremont, Sullivan County, New Hampshire d: 4 NOV 1876 in Plymouth, Windsor County, Vermont
Judd, Martha b: 1784 in Watertown, Litchfield County, Connecticut d: 1833 in Mayfield, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Judd, Myra b: NOV 1885 in Iowa
Judd, Philip b: 31 DEC 1715 in Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut d: 15 SEP 1776 in At Sea
Judd, Philip , Jr. b: 14 DEC 1764 in Strafford, Strafford County, New Hampshire d: 28 DEC 1832 in Strafford, Orange County, Vermont
Judd, Sarah Allen b: 1 MAY 1849 in Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont
Judd, Sarah Jane 'Jennie' b: 31 JAN 1884 in Pima, Graham County, Arizona d: 30 APR 1967 in Safford, Graham County, Arizona
Judd, Stephen
Judd, T. C.
Judd, Thomas b: 9 FEB 1607 in Langley Parish, Kent, England d: 12 NOV 1689 in Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts
Judd, Thomas Gordon b: 14 MAY 1822 in Strafford, Orange County, Vermont d: 23 JAN 1869 in Derry, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Judd, Walter Eugene b: 24 DEC 1856 in Manchester, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire d: 22 FEB 1936 in Upton, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Judd, William
Judd, William David b: 25 FEB 1891 in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa d: FEB 1970 in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
Judia
Judith b: ABT 1585
Judith b: 1595 d: 1699 in Massachusetts
Judith b: 6 MAR 1687 d: 9 APR 1769 in East Greenwich, Rhode Island
Judkins, ?
Judkins, ? , MD
Judkins, Abigail b: 28 MAY 1707 in Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire d: 1790
Judkins, Elizabeth b: 1693 in Charles City County, Virginia d: 1757 in Surry County, Virginia
Judkins, Job b: 1607 in England
Judkins, Job b: 25 JAN 1675 in Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire d: 26 APR 1738 in Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
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