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Tetsuya Nomura Talks Up Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Director shares lots of new details on Final Fantasy XIII sister project in Famitsu interview.
You've seen the recent Final Fantasy Versus XIII trailer. Now get some details on what you should be looking for straight from director Tetsuya Nomura himself.
Famitsu.com has posted a complete version of a Nomura interview that appeared in Weekly Famitsu last week. Nomura shared lots of intriguing new details on the long awaited Final Fantasy XIII sister project.
Much of the interview references the trailer, so you may want to view it here:
The 1st Production Department Premier event trailer, which offered us our first true look at Versus XIII gameplay (ignoring the few seconds from the game's brief Tokyo Game Show trailer) was almost all in-game. The opening section, which showed Noctis and his driver driving down a freeway was CG (not live action footage, Famitsu confirmed), but everything from the conversation scene between Noctis and Stella was real time running on the PlayStation 3. This includes the flyby scene with the masses of buildings that precedes the combat part of the clip.
(Nomura didn't say this, but the end of the clip does appear to have a short CG sequence.)
The trailer, Famitsu noted, allows us to better get a grasp of the characters, as we get to first hear Noctis, and his allies. Furthermore, the ally clothing has been redone.
These areas appear to be final designs, although Nomura said that he's playing around with the hair a bit. Even the voices that you hear for the allies during the combat scenes is from final voice actors, chosen via auditions.
Regarding the voice actors, Nomura wouldn't confirm who they are, but he said some fans appear to have figured it out.
Nomura detailed a few of the character and story elements that were hinted at in the trailer.
Ignis, the ally with glasses and the only party member outside of Noctis whose name has been confirmed, was raised from childhood to be something akin to Noctis' military tactician. This is why his lines in the trailer sound like he's counseling Noctis. For the trailer, they selected scenes that would make the relationship between Noctis and Ignis clear.
As detailed in our summary of Dengeki's interview from last week (read it here!), Ignis and the scar-faced party member are childhood friends of Noctis. The blonde party member is a relatively new friend.
The story of Final Fantasy Versus XIII has the enemy kingdom of Niflheim invading Noctis' country, beginning an "escape drama" for Noctis and his friends. However, Noctis thinks of himself not as fleeing but as pursuing the enemy.
In the trailer, there's a scene (at the 2:09 mark) where we see Noctics' father, the king, saying to someone that he won't give up the throne and will be the final king. This dialogue is taken directly from the game, but it's actually used in a different scene. The identity of who the king is speaking to is a secret (it's not Noctis, as some thought at first).
Nomura also said that the throne the king is shown sitting in during that scene is different from the throne we see Noctis sitting in at the end of the trailer (around the 6:12 mark).
During the trailer, there's a scene (at the 4:30 mark) set in a forest clearing in the evening showing someone walking towards the king. This scene looks like it's in first person. According to Nomura, this is an event scene that the player can control. The viewpoint is low because it's a scene from Noctis' youth.
Towards the end of the trailer (around the 6:00 mark) there's a scene showing Noctis' father in a standoff with a character in white robes. Famitsu noted that in a previous trailer, Noctis was seen in a standoff with a man in white robes. The two white robed men are different, Nomura said.
Both confrontations take place in the castle, but in different locations within the castle. The inside castle is being made large, said Nomura, and players will be able to move their character around in it.
Famitsu asked just one questions about the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology. Will the l'Cie, who were depicted in Final Fantasy XIII as humans given the power to use magic and summons in exchange for being burdened with a mission, appear in Versus XIII? Nomura confirmed that as Versus XIII is based off the same mythology as FFXIII, the term l'Cie and other such terms will appear. However, going along with the modern look of the world, the language used in the conversation will also be modern. He didn't explain what this means precisely in terms of the use of the phrases.
Moving on to the battle system, Famitsu noted that the movement in the battle scenes looked faster than in the brief Tokyo Game Show trailer. As Nomura said in post-TGS Twitter updates, the TGS footage was actually slowed down to make it easier to see the motions. What we're seeing in the new trailer is the real deal as far as speed goes.
During combat, you an do all sorts of actions, like double jumps and so-forth. All the characters move with great speed.
Asked if the battle system is similar to Kingdom Hearts in that characters perform actions once you've selected commands, Nomura responded that it's close to that.
The icons and gauges we see in the battle scenes appear to be a mix of finalized and temporary. The commands are temporary (I'm not sure if Nomura is speaking about the names of the commands or just the way they're displayed). The gauges for HP and so-forth are final. They deleted the character names from the gauges shown in the lower right. All the screenshots you see of the game in magazines and at Famitsu.com also have the named removed.
There's an orange gauge to the right of the HP gauge. This is part of an original system for the game. Nomura did not elaborate.
The character faces above the HP and orange gauges are meant to be a window showing a closeup of the character's faces as they fight. This way, even if you're separated from a character, you can tell when he's having trouble.
One of the commands shown in the command palette is "SUMMON." Nomura confirmed that there will be summon elements in the game. As he's said in past interviews, he also confirmed that you'll be able to ride Magitek Armor mecha and Chocobos. He said we can think that all the familiar elements from the Final Fantasy series will be in the game.
Regarding magic, however, there's one major story-based consideration. All characters can use magic, but Noctis must be there. As part of the story setting, magic can be used because Noctis is there.
With this connection to Noctis, it does seem that magic will be tied closely to the story. But not in one way some might have speculated from past trailers. One of the earliest realtime scenes from the game (also shown in the latest trailer) showed Noctis and Stella speaking about the goddess Etro during a scene in the trailer (see details about the Fabula Nova Crystalls mythology here). They mention something about sharing the ability to see a certain "light." This power of light is different from the power of magic, said Nomura.
Versus XIII will have a job system -- but not for your player-controlled characters. Enemies come in such flavors as dragon knights and summoners. The dragon knight character seen doing some wild acrobatics through the air towards the end of the trailer (around the 5:43 mark) is a character from the enemy side (she's not Stella, as Nomura said in past interviews). She's part of a special group of people within the enemy army, and uses unconventional armor that differs from the army's standard issue.
As shown in the trailer, your party can have up to three members. The party members will initially be chosen for you as part of the story, in part because of tutorial considerations. As you advance in the game, you'll gain the ability to select your members. Howevr, Noctis is always a part of your party. In the Dengeki interview, Nomura said that if Noctis dies the game ends.
You're free to switch off between the three party members during battle. But this switching isn't necessary. You can play the game exclusively as Noctis if you like.
Each character has their own specialties, and they attack differently depending on the weapon. Nomura said that he wants players to discover their own strategy, as far as timing and situation goes, for switching between characters.
Noctis has access to a variety of weapons, like swords, axes, lances and guns. Looking at guns alone, you'll find such varieties as hand guns, machine guns, shot guns, rifles, bazookas and more. One area the development staff is placing a focus on is making the motions for when you use the various weapons look different.
Different from Noctis, the various party members outside will be able to use only certain weapons. Here's what the party members shown in the trailer can do:
- Ignis
- Specializes in support-style attacks. He's particularly strong with magic, but can also use throwable knives and other such weapons. The trailer also shows him wielding a katana blade.
- Scarfaced Character
- He'll fight bare handed and will also use large weapons like pile bunkers and broad swords.
- Blonde Character
- He's a gunner. Noctis can also also use guns of course, but when he does so he fires with auto aim. The blonde character, on the other hand, will display a targeting reticule, allowing you to aim for enemy weak points.
The blonde guys's aiming is particularly useful for larger monsters, who have weak points in various areas and can be targeted for positional damage.
Switching between weapons is part of the base action gameplay. For Noctis, you can go into the menu to set him with multiple weapons. These will automatically switch out as you fight. Depending on the weapons you've set, you'll get various combos.
One thing Versus XIII won't have is team-up attacks that has the three party members automatically group together for a super attack. However, Nomura noted that players can time their character switches to chain together multi-character attacks on their own. This can apparently be seen in the trailer, although Nomura said that most players probably might have not noticed it as it's super quick. Examples of using this system involve having Ignis use magic to send the enemy flying back, then switching out instantly to have another character come in for an attack.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII will have a lot of freedom, Nomura noted. They're working on adding a variety of gimmicks. By "gimmick," Nomura means such things as how in the trailer we see a behemoth creature running to destroy an overhead walkway as Noctis crosses it (around the 4:25 mark, but the behemoth battle starts before this). If you don't make Noctis cross the bridge, the behemoth will not destroy it. These types of gimmicks are tough on the development side of things, noted Nomura.
Those behemoth beasts will be of different size depending on the situation. In the trailer scene, they made the creature big because the fight takes place amongst tall buildings and there wouldn't be as much impact if it was small. In the wild, the behemoths will be a bit smaller.
The city scene where Noctis is facing off against the behemoth is full of destroyable objects -- for instance, the trees and electricity poles. There's also a lot of interactivity, it seems. Following the sequence shown in the trailer, you'll end up fighting a behemoth on a three level freeway area. The road has been damaged, so you'll need to move around by jumping and so-forth. You can also make use of the buildings that line the road. The emergency stairwells of the buildings can can be entered and climbed to get to the roof, with Noctis pulling himself up to the very top via the air conditioner. Nomura was actually surprised to find this area when test playing the game.
With all the freedom, Nomura expects players to not be able to experience everything in one go.
The trailer shows just a section of the game's starting country -- that is, the kingdom ruled by Noctis' father. There are also other large kingdoms, and in between them you'll find villages. Even the villages are expansive. Nomura was once again surprised by the size when checking the game.
As indicated in the trailer, the fields have a day-night cycle. You'll encounter different beasts at different times of day. They sped up some of the time progression in the trailer to make it more easily seen.
Closing off the interview, Nomura hinted that there's still a lot that we haven't seen from Versus XIII. There will be character growth systems and other exclusive systems in the game, none of which is visible in the trailer.
The next time we can expect to see more of Versus XIII is at E3, which takes place June 7 to 9 in Los Angeles. However, an E3 showing has yet to be finalized, Nomura said.
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The government will directly finance Swiss scientists and projects excluded from the European Union research programme Horizon 2020 following February's nationwide vote to curb immigration from Europe.
Education Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann said the government wanted to create security for researchers by granting the necessary financial means to continue their work in the current year.
"It is a second-best solution – a first and crucial step," he acknowledged. But it is necessary for the success of a country like Switzerland which relies on its innovation capacity, according to Schneider-Ammann.
The interim measures include federal funding of researchers in Switzerland who take part in Horizon 2020, grants for Swiss scientists and federal funding for individual European Research Council Horizon 2020 projects.
The government has called on parliament to approve additional funds, estimated at about CHF500 million ($559 million), for the National Science Foundation.
The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation will administer the financing on a project-by-project basis.
Schneider-Ammann added the aim was for Switzerland to win full association to the seven-year Horizon 2020 package by the beginning of 2015.
Researchers from Switzerland can currently take part in the programme but they do not receive funding from Brussels.
The 28-nation bloc relegated Switzerland to the status of a third country in the wake of the controversial ballot to re-introduce immigration quotas for EU citizens.
Talks underway
Schneider-Ammann said the response from Brussels had been harsher than expected. However, he said talks at a technical level were underway to find a solution. He hinted that a partial association to the EU research projects could be possible.
Horizon 2020, the EU's framework research and innovation programme, has a total budget of €80 billion (CHF97 billion). The Swiss parliament has already approved a CHF4.4 billion credit over seven years.
Brussels also suspended cooperation with Switzerland on the student exchange programme, Erasmus+ following the February vote.
The government in April approved an interim solution for replacement funding, reinstating a system that existed before 2011. It provides direct funding to students and projects rather than via the EU.
Funds will be equivalent to those earmarked for Erasmus+, CHF22.7 million ($25.8 million) for this year.

subset: commoncrawl


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Lawn Overseeding Guide
Follow The Guide Below To Turn A Troubled Lawn Into A Picture Perfect Stand Of Turf
Renovating your lawn with our EarthCarpet Seed mixtures or blends can help you break the Cycle of Frustration and finally enjoy the lawn that you deserve.
1.) Test Soil- Test, don't guess!- Obtain a soil testing bag from us before planting. Soil testing identifies what soil needs and what soil does not need! A soil test will help determine if any amendments are needed.
2.) Select appropriate EarthCarpet seed mixture – We carry an EarthCarpet mixture or blend has been developed for practically any situation. Consult with us if you have any doubts about the right mixture for your unique situation.
3.) Spray out weeds with any of our herbicides containing glyphosate- Follow manufacturers directions for proper use!
4.) Scalp lawn down as close as possible- Mow as low as possible without stalling mower. Rake and remove clippings. (More than 1 mowing might be needed to achieve lowest available height.)
5.) Core aerate lawn to encourage abundant root growth of new turfgrass – Equipment should be available for rental from several vendors.
6.) Spread Soil - Spread a thin layer of topsoil to the entire area you wish to reseed. The soil should be at least 1/4 " thick. (Now is the time to level out any areas of your yard that have become sunken or raised throughout the years.)
7.) Spread Seed - Spread with either broadcast or drop spreader in two directions using the seeding rate appropriate for the chosen seed mixture. - Equipment should be available for rental from several vendors.
8.) Apply Greenview Starter Fertilizer – Extremely important for proper root development.
9.) Irrigate frequently at least 2X/day for 3 weeks- Water as often as necessary to keep top = inch of soil moist but not soaking. Pay close attention that soil does not dry out due to an afternoon's sun and heat. Apply 2nd application of Greenview Starter Fertilizer 3 weeks after seeding (crucial)
10.) Begin weekly mowing when first seedlings reach 2"- Keep mower blades sharp and do not mow right after watering to avoid damaging seedling plants.
11.) Raise mowing height to 3" after 6 weeks- Mow as often as required following the 1/3 rule. Never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time.
12.) Begin standard fertilization and irrigation programs after 8 weeks –Do not apply any weed control products until lawn has been mowed at least four times.


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September 23, 2015 to June 30, 2016 – Gotham Chamber Opera Gotham Chamber Opera announces its 15th Anniversary Season, which will begin in the fall of 2015 with a 15th Anniversary Celebration Concert (date and venue tba). The season continues in February 201… Organized by Michelle Tabnick PR | Type: music
October 14, 2015 at 5pm to April 12, 2016 at 5pm – BBCN Bank, 16 West 32nd Street, New York NY 10001 The AHL Foundation in partnership with BBCN Bank is pleased to present a six-month commission of artworks by Kira Nam Greene to be on view at the BBCN Bank Manhattan Branch from October 14, 2015 –… Organized by AHL Foundation Inc | Type: fine, art, exhibition
November 14, 2015 at 2pm to May 15, 2016 at 2pm – Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College Announces 2015-16 Family Performances Including Clifford the Big Red Dog and Step Afrika! Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Broo… Organized by Michelle Tabnick PR | Type: performance
November 23, 2015 to March 27, 2016 – Museum of Chinese in America In this survey exhibition, architectural historian Kerri Culhanedocuments and explores Poy Gum Lee's (1900-1968) nearly 50-year long career in both China and New York and examines Lee's modernist i… Organized by a4 - Network Admin | Type: architecture
February 9, 2016 to May 8, 2016 – Asia Society "Kamakura: Realism and Spirituality in the Sculpture of Japan"—comprising masterpieces from private and museum collections in North America and Europe—marks the first major loan show of Kamakura-peri… Organized by Asia Society | Type: visual
February 12, 2016 at 6pm to December 31, 2016 at 10pm – Great Big Story- CNN Watch this feature on CNN's Great Big Story of Butoh and Vangeline Theater Butoh is a Japanese ritual dance that expresses our entire being: the good and the bad. Vangeline of the Vangeline Theater… Organized by Great Big Story | Type: dance
February 24, 2016 at 9am to March 31, 2016 at 5pm – Gallery Korea Re:visioning HANJI Exhibitionto launch as a part of Asia Week 2016at the Korean Cultural Center New York Hanji, Korean traditional paper created by "ninety-nine touches by the maker and one touch by… Organized by Gallery Korea | Type: korean, paper, crafts, contemporary, art
March 12, 2016 to April 2, 2016 – Queens Museum March 12, 2016 4-6pm: Opening reception April 2, 2016 2-4pm: Closing reception Guest curated by Sadia Shirazi Participating Artists: Anushya Badrinath Chitra Ganesh Mariam Ghani Sue Jeong Ka Ayesha… Organized by a4 - Network Admin | Type: visual, arts
March 16, 2016 to April 19, 2016 – The Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery, New Jersey City Unviersity The exhibition, Drenched: Monumental Watercolors by Paul Ching-Bor, features recent highlights of the diasporic Chinese artist whose enormous watercolor paintings which consist of oversized paper she… Organized by NJCU Galleries | Type: visual, art
March 18, 2016 to June 5, 2016 – The Met Breuer Celebrating one of the most important artists to emerge in post-Independence India, and marking the first museum retrospective of the artist's work in the United States, Nasreen Mohamedi examines th… Organized by a4 - Network Admin | Type: visual, arts
March 24, 2016 at 7pm to April 2, 2016 at 9pm – The Public Theater A brilliantly hilarious take on Shakespeare's classic tale of power lust, TEENAGE DICK reimagines the most famous disabled character of all time as a 16-year-old outsider in the deepest winter of his… Organized by a4 - Network Admin | Type: theater
March 25, 2016 to April 16, 2016 – HERE Arts Center Rod thinks the game is fixed. Momo's still learning the rules. Twee doesn't think winning is enough. JJ hates his hand. And why the hell is Henry still playing? Two families (and some guy named Hen… Organized by a4 - Network Admin | Type: theater
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So occasionally i upgrade the kernel as they come out, I had been using 3.16 series for the last year or so and i use the amd fglrx drivers since i have a radeon card. THe latest lts stack came out today so i upgraded and during the install i saw some errors and then when i rebooted my display was jacked up, I tried to fix it with the driver manager but it didnt work so i just opened synaptic and deleted the fglrx packages and rebooted and that fixed my display issues but now when i open the driver manager it does not indicate when driver im using, it shows 3 options and has the xorg as the recommended driver but it does not have the dot in the circle to show that is the driver im currently using. should i worry about this? i added a pic to show what i mean
latest lts stack 4.4 kernel breaks fglrx??
d0pefish #1
leszek #2
If everything is working don't worry.


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Online IT Courses: the Best Way to Get That Job You Desire
July 31st, 2012
So you are thinking of becoming a web designer. This can be a highly rewarding career to choose, but first you must get your foot in the door. Once you are in you can look forward to a challenging and interesting career.
Here are a few of the job vacancies you are likely to see in this field. They tend to come up in all areas of South Africa, from the Eastern and Western Cape to KwaZulu-Natal and through to Gauteng.
As the name suggests, this is a junior position that is normally the first step on the ladder. Many businesses across South Africa require junior web designers, whether they are large businesses with in-house web design departments or web design firms. Juniors will still be expected to have a great deal of knowledge about all the building blocks of good web design. It is the ideal position to learn a lot on the job before moving on to more senior positions.
This is a more advanced role that involves the creation of applications both for mobiles and for the internet. Thus you would already have to possess experience in creating designs for various mobile platforms as well as for the internet. People working in this role will generally have advanced coding skills with the likes of html and CSS as well. Quite often this kind of designer will work in a team, so there is an opportunity for a designer with a reasonable amount of experience in the right area to jump up to this role.
This job role requires you to create interfaces for various software applications. As you can see this is slightly different from creating actual websites. This is not an entry position; rather you would already be expected to have several years experience under your belt as a web designer, with experience in this particular area as well. The ability to work with all kinds of software and to create good layouts that can be used in these situations is essential, among a range of other skills.
The title of this particular position should tell you exactly what you will be doing if you attain this position. You will need excellent skills at using html and CSS. Quite often these skills can be used in one of two ways – either to code a site from scratch, or to convert an existing design into html and CSS if it does not already exist in that format.
You will find other job titles and opportunities for web designers out there today, but these are among the main ones that are available. Clearly you can expect to start as a junior member of a team, learning as you go and ensuring you develop your skills in as many areas as possible. There are several paths into the industry, and whether you forge one alone or decide to take training, there are many opportunities if you are skilled enough to grab them.


text: Short back and sides, always. I am often asked how to cut lavender. You often see in gardens bushes that have opened up with the lavender falling all over the place. My advise is to cut as short as you dare then another couple of inches. We cut so that there is just an inch or so of leaf above the bare stem. I think these needed to have been kept shorter. Keeping the plants 'tight' increase the useful life. We need nice long stem of lavender for our bunches so that these plants will have a useful life of about five years. Our next planting this fall will have the plants keep very tightly to the ground and spaced much closer together. Lavender harvest time is June so make a date to come to the Farms Solstice party where you will be able to pick yourself a bunch.


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I am currently developing an application based on OpenCV/C++ to track small animals: Here is a example of the kind of video it should process. The program simply output the x,y position of the animal and the time for each area. This is graphical representation of the result onto the original.
My question is a bit awkward --- and maybe off topic --- in that I am not asking how to improve my program, but how to assess it. I am aware of the existence Bonn Benchmark on Tracking dataset, but it is not appropriate to my case.
The program is meant to process very long video, therefore, I cannot realistically ask independent humans to assess the position of the animals and compare human vs. program. I have also considered using robots or putting transponders on bigger animals in order to have the precise positions, but I do not really have the resources.
I came out with the idea of using a program to generate videos of blobs moving in a 2d environment. My question is simple:
Are you aware of any programmable high-level framework that I could use to graphically simulate the motion of an object moving stochastically in a parametrisable background ?
My dream would be to have a command line tool that would work like this:
$ program [BACKGROUND_OPTIONS] [OBJECT_OPTIONS] -V VIDEO_OUTPUT -P POSITIONS_OUTPUT
The background texture could be manipulated as well as the shape, colour and motion pattern of the object moving.
I know that I could probably "easily" make it myself (and I will if I cannot find anything), but I would prefer if the program assessed and the reference were as much independent as they can (for instance not both made by the same person).


text: Planning approval has been given for innovative 21st century mechanical systems and electrical equipment to be discreetly installed in a Grade II listed property within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. This exciting result will allow us to sensitively improve the overall carbon footprint of the property. Items awarded planning and listed building consent include; in-roof solar photovoltaic (PV) panels that will be connected to Tesla batteries to provide underfloor heating and heat through AC units throughout the property. We are also installing two large motor MVHR (mechanical ventilated heat recovery) units to conserve and recycle energy and making improvements to the existing windows that will improve energy conservation and acoustic qualities using bespoke secondary glazing.


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As many of Forza Motorsport's best drivers were out in Seattle along with YMTV's finest and some of TORA's top brass, there was still a quality race to be had at Indianapolis in the TORA ASCC. The Indianapolis GP circuit was the stage for round two of TORA's American Sportscar Championship.
Qualifying was a close affair, a short track coupled with tight track limits ensured a tight field. AMS and HCR locked out the DP field in the top lobby with AMS Vanquish out-qualifying HCR debutant Boxer, with AMS Nightmare and HCR Motorhead on the second row. Hamish was just a thousandth off teammate Motorhead in fifth.
In GT, there were more teams in the mix as TUS Switch took pole - and the only man in the 1:21s - as HCR Cerberus narrowly beat out AMS Moshys. AMS Blaze, SFM's own SrPhloofy and TUS Grizzly completed the top three rows.
At the start, the field remained status quo for the start until Nightmare found his way past Boxer, meaning three groups, two AMS out front, three HCR in the middle and two AMS behind, effectively a very meaty feline sandwich. Sadly, AMS Swiift was the first retirement with technical gremlins.
Switch controlled the race out front, as Moshys passed Cerberus but all three held out somewhat consistently. Further back, AMS Blaze was getting punchy with the rest of the field, trading paint with TUS Grizzly and SrPhloofy. Blaze would be called to the stewards office after the race for excessive roughing and exit with a penalty.
Privateer Koenigsegg R had a bad time in traffic, he had pace on those in front of him, namely BM Blaus, but he couldn't capitalise until the very end.
Out front, Vanquish and Nightmare were having a close battle for the lead. Nightmare got the jump on his teammate at one point but it flipped the other way after the last round of pit stops. Vanquish would hold on although cutting it very fine with fuel as the white flag came out just after the pair crossed.
Boxer found himself fifth behind his teammates after the last pit stops as Motorhead elected to pit early and Hamish chose a splash and dash, the former just getting into turn one and holding out in the inter-team battle for the final podium spot, despite big pressure from behind.
TUS Switch comfortably won in GT ahead of AMS Moshys and HCR Cerberus. Right at the death, AMS Blaze and SrPhloofy tangled in the last sector, giving TUS Grizzly an easy finish in fourth. Koenigsegg R beat BM Blaus on the road in the lower order.
It is now a short turnaround as the teams jet out to Monterey for the next round at Laguna Seca on the 8th of April.
For more information on the series check out the TORA forum here.
Article written by Motorhead
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May 2018


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Estate Sale
Sat. & Sun. June 9 & 10
10:00 till 4:00
109 Farnham Rd, off Manchester
Syracuse N Y 13219
Home is filled with Harden and Ethan Allen furniture, including, Cherry hutch, dinning room drop leaf table & chairs, Cherry Q A style china cabinet,cherry end tables, coffee table, 2 sofas, 3 Wing back chairs, dressers, beds, night stands, credenza, bookcases, Fine Mahogany Spinet Piano, Beautiful Grandfather Clock, Vict. Stand stencied Boston rocher, Mottville armchair,primitive stands & tables Hitchcock table & chairs, 5 pc mapledinette set, Mahogany Game table, wicker bassinete, bar stools,lamp tables, floor & table lamps, blanket rest, American oriental rugs, 2 champleve vases, book ends, 2 English coach prints, watercolors, paintings, 2sets Franciscan China, Set Haviland china, large cut glass vase, castor set, 2 sets silver plate, brides basket, Flo Blue, Tole spice set candle mold primitives, garden tools.comlete kitchen wares,Huge amount of glass ware china Statues, pottery,German Reg. Stein, linens Quilts, check website for pictures & updates
Sale by Jim Killius & Paul Birchmeyer
auctionpmb.com 315 383 1152Estate Sale
auctionpmb.com 315 383 1152


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One of the most common health problems that most of the people face today is maintaining the health and fit body. The reason for this problem is taking unhealthy food like hunk food, fast and spicy food and many more. The people who are taking these kinds of foods are easily becoming overweight and obese. So, the people are searching the easiest way to lose or reduce their weight in the healthy manner. For this purpose, the diet pills are offered in the shops and people sue them in the treatment of the weight loss. In addition to that, the natural weight loss supplements are also available in the market and they can be very effective for producing the best result in your weight. Moreover, the weight loss and the diet pills are also offered in the online pharmacies at lowest prices. Here, you could see about the information on the side effects of supplements for the weight loss and others.
Problems caused by the diet pills
Actually, the weight loss and the diet pills are mostly used by people all over the world and most of them do not know about the side effects of supplements. In such a way, the diet pill contains some harmful ingredients that may cause some vulnerable effects to the body. Generally, these kinds of the weight loss pills provide some side effects like heart diseases, blood pressure and diabetes to all the men and women who are using these pills commonly. Moreover, it also gives some more effects like diarrhoea, agitation, kidney problems, damage in liver, rectal bleeding and so on. Furthermore, it also gives the effects to your appearance also.
Tips to avoid the side effects
Basically, the side effects are caused due to the intake of excessive amount of pills every day. So, the overdose of any product can raise your blood pressure to high levels and put you at the risk of the heart attack or the stroke. In that manner, you have to follow some considerations while taking the weight loss pills. So, you should not take more than the recommended level of the dietary supplement. Then, you have to take the medicine after consulting with your doctor. In addition to that, you have to take the proper food while taking the weight loss pills during your weight loss treatment. It is something better to use the herbal and natural supplements instead of using the chemical products. This can also help to reduce your weight in the healthy manner and decrease the level of the risk. So, this is one of the best ways to reduce your weight and maintaining your body as slim. In addition to that, you can also take some vegetables and fruits while the intake of the tablets, because the fruits and vegetable can surely help to reduce the risk made by the chemical items. In this manner, you can take the pills to avoid the side effects of supplements.


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We are committed to healthy eating. Children are offered a wide-ranging menu that incorporates all the essential food groups.
Our nursery chefs excite the children with food and advise teachers on suitable cooking activities to do with children.
Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon high tea are prepared in our kitchen ('Five star' environmental health rated) with fresh ingredients from trusted food suppliers such as Foodari (see below). No additional salt or sugar is added to meals. Morning snack of fruit is also offered.
Our lunches incorporate a variety of flavours and textures which encourage children to develop a healthy relationship with food.
Children with identified dietary needs are also catered for. Particular attention is paid to our younger babies who are starting on their weaning journey. For us it is important to have a close partnership with parents to monitor the baby's responses to the different foods offered to them.
Mealtimes are a relaxed and social time in the nursery enjoyed as a family grouping of both staff and children sharing food and demonstrating good social skills and etiquette.
Children are offered milk and water to drink and can access water throughout the day. Older children are encouraged to manage their snack time themselves to develop confidence, independence and choice.
We try, as far as possible, to be mindful of ethical and environmental issues in our purchases and try to purchase organic and fairly traded products.
We have an extensive menu for children, which operates on a four week cycle. Below is an example of one week of our winter menus.
One of our suppliers is Foodari, who source our fruit and vegetables from local growers wherever possible. Please visit their web-site to learn more about them on thier logo below.


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White Chocolate Raspberry CheesecakeFrom ern 11 years ago
- 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs shopping list
- 3 tablespoons white sugar shopping list
- 1/4 cup butter, melted shopping list
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries shopping list
- 2 tablespoons white sugar shopping list
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch shopping list
- 1/2 cup water shopping list
- 2 cups white chocolate chips shopping list
- 1/2 cup half-and-half cream shopping list
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened shopping list
- 1/2 cup white sugar shopping list
- 3 eggs shopping list
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract shopping list
How to make it
- In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
- In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
- In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.
People Who Like This Dish 13
Reviews & Comments 5
- court13 10 years ago Was this review helpful? Yes Flag
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The Cookern Wilmington, NC
The Rating3 people
Sound and looks, delicious!bluewaterandsand in GAFFNEY loved it
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You must not forget your learners are adults and care should be taken to address their learning principles. This means when they complete an eLearning module, they should be engaged, motivated and want to know more and are not left feeling patronised.
When you develop content, your eLearning provider should ensure that as many adult learning principles are applied as possible. Here is a list of the top 6 principles we feel are key to a successful eLearning module:
1. Adults decide for themselves what is important to be learned
- All eLearning courses should use suitable 'what's it in for me?' statements at the appropriate places.
- All eLearning courses should explain to the learner how the information contained in the course will be of use to them.
2. Adults need to validate the information based on their beliefs and experiences
- The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) should include gathering information on potential learner responses to the material being covered within the application. This information should then be incorporated into the finished design.
- Appropriate use of 'real world' examples/scenarios etc. should be utilised as often as possible.
3. Adults expect what they are learning to be immediately useful
- eLearning courses should reinforce how the information contained within the module will be of use to the delegates.
4. Adults have past experience on which to draw, so may have fixed viewpoints
- Opportunities for learners to respond to questions should be maximised throughout the course.
- All courses should avoid 'telling' wherever possible.
5. Adults actively participate
- Designers should always maximise the number and variety of interactions within any course.
- Designers should avoid any 'chalk and talk' presentation style within the eLearning course. (E.g. Over reliance on text based information.)
6. Adults share planning
- Wherever possible learners should be given the choice of which section of the course they wish to tackle first (whilst avoiding the possibility of a learner commencing a section which requires another section to have been completed first).
Did you know Bray Leino Learning offer an instructional design service as well as end to end eLearning development?
We can help you with your content development and make sure that adult learning principles are applied. Contact us to find out more.
Kerry Pascall, Head of Digital Learning, Bray Leino Learning
In my series of blogs you can expect some tips on implementing eLearning, what to consider when commissioning eLearning, design tips, software and authoring pro's and con's, and general advice on everything eLearning!
Copyright © 2017 Bray Leino Learning


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We love the new season kaftans!
A kaftan dress is a perfect way to take you beach look from day to evening, with gorgeous styles to choose.
Whatever your style, you'll be sure to find beach dresses to suit your style. Inspired by the worlds hottest trends, browse for chic silk kaftans, to boho chic ponchos and to stunning lace designs for a chic and luxurious poolside look.


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Dwelling improvements could be an effective way to make a property a better place for you and your family to dwell, while growing its value on the same time. House Good Dwelling Enhancements are skilled professionals with an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. In case you plan on dwelling in your house for quite a lot of years, dearer dwelling enhancements may be worthwhile to your residing consolation. That begins with cleansing and decluttering, two enhancements that cost little cash and provide a giant return.
Take advantage of our free no-obligation quote – just call us to discuss your unique dwelling enchancment ideas and we'll find you the very best solution for you. Installing a new doorbell (kits cost about $50 to $100) or updating the lighting (anywhere from $25 to $100) are additionally inexpensive fixes that can add instant enchantment to the entrance entry.
Carpet will get worn, paint gets boring, and loos get grimy, and improving them helps hold issues from getting out of control, leading to more expensive renovations at later dates. This might be completed with a complete remortgage for the full amount but for dwelling enhancements folks usually take on additional borrowing – an additional chunk of mortgage against their home, as explained above. Its leaves are broad, its flowers attractive, the seed pods which cling to the tree until away into the winter, add a little bit of image. From the interior, whenever you add natural gentle, you create a welcoming residing house.
To simply put it, if your storage is a and native costs are £a hundred per sq. ft, then converting your garage for further living space adds an additional £10,000 in your property worth. Choose from our vary of design packages based mostly on our most popular show homes and allow us to present you simply how easy it is to tailor the design to fit your existing residence. When trying to find a new kitchen sink, you might be urged to take a look at one in every of your native residence enchancment stores.
Our renovation specialists welcome each opportunity to assist our purchasers get began with their distinctive renovation ideas and assist fill them in on the details involved. Baking our own bread to supply to consumers is a good way to impress the patrons which in flip ought to assist bump up the value and a few instances can attain to up to £849 more on your property value in accordance with Property Agents' survey. Thanks for reading our weblog, and keep tuned for other interesting dwelling enchancment information, ideas, and concepts.


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Designation: General Surgeon and Surgical Gastroenterologist.
Experience: 14 Years
Specialised Treatment/Area of expertise: Thyroid breast,Hernia,GI Surgeries, Laparoscopic advanced surgeries.
Professional Memberships: Indian Medical Council,
Association of surgeon of India, Royal college of surgeons, American college of surgeons, American college of GI Laparoscopic surgery, American college of Colorectal surgery.
Language Known: English , Hindi & Tamil.
OPD Schedule: Monday to Saturday 10:00 A.M – 2:00 P.M , 6:30 P.M – 8:00 P.M


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From spectacular stage shows and death defying acts of magic, to waltzing fountains and vast casinos, the City of Lights is a dazzling playground for all. Find sensory overload and lavishness at every turn on your Las Vegas holiday, along with opulent hotels which transport you to every corner of the world.
A Special memory is one of the only free standing wedding chapels in Las Vegas. The meticulously manicured grounds stretch over 24,000 square feet! With its New England style, this chapel offers a beautiful setting for the traditional wedding.
To book, please call our dedicated Weddings Team on: 0344 739 0748
This cute white chapel with its pretty garden is a classic Vegas wedding location. We give you the option of keeping it simple or adding luxurious extras.
To book, please call our dedicated Weddings Team on: 0344 739 0748
To travel to the USA, you will need an ESTA visa. Please make sure that you have this approved at least 3 days before you head off on holiday.
Find out more about Travel Visas here »
One person must be aged 21 years and over in each room. Hotels will require a credit card imprint when checking in to cover incidental charges.
Please note: many hotels charge a resort fee, payable locally. You'll find the exact fee in the Additional Information section for each hotel.
Las Vegas might be the only place on earth where the neon lights shine brighter at night than the blazing desert sun during the day. With world-class stage shows, relaxing spas and otherworldly desert landscapes, it's no wonder the City of Lights is a favourite for thrill seekers and chill seekers alike.
Las Vegas is a year-round destination, and though it might sound obvious the best time to visit can depend on the sort of things you enjoy doing.
Hotels in Las Vegas include breathtaking views, all-night casinos and relaxing pool zones, meaning you could almost spend your entire trip without needing to set foot outside.
Looking to indulge in a spot of retail therapy? Vegas has everything from themed shopping malls to quirky boutiques to get you your shopping fix.
Vegas is a foodie's paradise, with almost any cuisine on your doorstep, whether it's exquisite fusion food at a fine dining restaurant, or fresh All-American street fare from a market. Here are just a few of the top picks:
Las Vegas has an illustrious history of showcasing some of the world's most famous performers – including Elvis and Frank Sinatra – on the biggest stage there is. There's no shortage of shows to experience in Vegas. From musical theatre to acrobatics and illusions, taking in a show on your Las Vegas trip is not to be missed.
If you can tear yourself away from the shows and shopping, adrenaline junkies will find plenty of thrills without even leaving the city.
Of course, Vegas isn't all about being on the go all the time. Take a more relaxed route of the city beyond the Strip and you'll be surprised how much it moves at your own pace.
Whether it's your first trip, or you're coming back for seconds (or thirds, or fourths...), our Las Vegas deals will help you get to know the city that never sleeps a little better. Get booked in at one of our Las Vegas hotels today.


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The weather here has turned decidedly towards spring, while back in Michigan winter is still hanging on tight. So on our last weekend in Japan we soaked up the sun and soaked in the sight of ume blossoms as they start to fill the brown branches with pink puffs.
Nikko isn't a cold climate by any Michigander/Manitoban standards, but it's always almost 10 degrees warmer in Utsunomiya, a 45 minute drive away. Also, they have Starbucks. Which sounds so boring to people who can buy coffee at any coffee shop in a mug larger than a shot glass. But we are not those people. And so we went.
We found a park in the city that, after 3 years of day trips, we had never noticed before. The flowers were everywhere and we weren't cleaning or packing or saying goodbye-see-you-maybe-nevers so we were happy. Happy and warm.
Perhaps one of my favorite things about our girl is how much she loves being outside. Just out. In the air and the dirt on the run. She doesn't need a plan or a game or a bunch of toys, just someone to play along with her imaginary scenarios. I was happy to oblige.
I wonder what they sell at titty&Co.? Actually I am fully aware that they sell clothes but like…has no one mentioned to anyone that this name is a little…off? I mean if they sold bras maybe it could work? Sign spotting is absolutely without question my favorite pasttime in Japan. I should get out more?
We went for Thai food for lunch, because nothing says farewell to Japan like Thai.
It's funny how spring makes you forget how awful winter was. And how being a few days from going home makes the struggles of the season seem so mild. Two months ago I had it up to here with Japan. I was sick of taking off my shoes and bowing 40 times never knowing when I was supposed to walk away and eating things out of fishy broth the consistency of jello and feeling a breeze through my single paned windows. But with the sun shining on my back and the plane waiting to take me home in two days I will miss the friendly smiles and the special slippers and sliding doors and the chopsticks. You know I'm getting slaphappy because even the men's haircuts are starting to make sense.
We sipped cold drinks at Starbucks and chatted up the Australian man next to us. We are so starved for conversation with new people we would talk to anyone at this point, but soon we will be able to communicate with everyone and won't feel the need to exchange names with every person we sit next to in Starbucks. But maybe we will. Just out of habit.
My girls and I soaking up the mean streets and the friendly graffiti. As one adventure ends and we point our ship homewards I already find myself asking…where to next?


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Did you know: As of the year 2012, about 2.5 exabyte of data is created on every day basis. Further this number is only doubled post every 40 months.
Big data analytics is a process to examine large volumes of data to unveil correlations, hidden patterns as well as other insights. In the current scenario, with the available technology, it is possible to analyse the data and avail answers to it in a fraction of seconds – an effort which used to be less efficient and slower with the traditional business intelligence solutions.
The concept of big data has been around for several years now. Several organizations, both big and small today understand that if they capture every data which streams into their business, they can apply analytics and achieve a significant value from it. If we go back to the 1950s, decades before anyone heard the term 'big data', businesses were using the basic analytics in order to unveil trends and insights.
The biggest advantages which you get with big data analytics include speed and efficiency. If we go back in time, businesses used to gather the information, run analytics and unearthed information which would then be used for future decision making. At present, businesses can just identify the insights for spontaneous decision making. The very potential to stay agile and act faster gives them a competitive edge which they didn't have in the past.
Did you know: As of today, more data crosses the internet every second than was stored in the internet 2 decades ago.
The Big Data analytics assist the organizations to harness their data. This harnessed data is further used to dig in new opportunities which in turn results in more efficient operations, smarter business moves, happier customers and higher profits. So, how is big data changing the analytics? Let's find out!
Notable big data technologies including cloud based analytics and Hadoop which yield significant cost advantages when it comes to storing humongous volumes of data. Further, they can identify several efficient ways of conducting business.
With the in-memory analytics and faster speed of Hadoop, combined with the potential to analyse new sources of data, organizations are capable of analysing information spontaneously. This helps them make quicker and better decisions based on their learning.
When the organizations are capable of gauging the customer needs and satisfaction via analytics, they get the power to offer the customers exactly what they desire. So, with the power of big data analytics, more and more companies are today able to create new products keeping in view the needs and desires of the customers.
To know more about the big data insights, read here.


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Benjamin L. "Benjie" Hause, 27, of 213 Rocky Road, Emporium, PA died at his residence, Emporium, PA Friday, June 26, 2015 morning He was born February 13, 1988 in DuBois, PA a son of H.B. Von and Sandy George Hause, Emporium.
In his younger years Benjie was involved in Junior Olympic Wrestling and Little League Baseball. He graduated from Cameron County High School in the class of 2007 where he participated in football and was chosen 2006 Prom King. He later graduated from Clarion University with a Bachelor Degree in Communications and Public Relations. Benjie was training in Mixed Martial Arts in Las Vegas to become a professional fighter when he was injured in an accident which forced him to return home.
Surviving In addition to his parents and grandmother
Brother: Zachary Hause and his Fiance' Elizabeth, Pittsburgh
Maternal Grandmother: Maxine McManigle George, Emporium
Benjie's Fiance: Hilliary Lamont, Emporium
Preceded in Death By Maternal Grandfather: James George
Paternal Grandparents: Harry and Nora Howlett Hause
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the Memorial Service to be held at the Barnett Funeral Home 207 E. Fourth Street, Emporium, PA on Monday (June 29, 2015) at 12:00 PM with Rev. Rock Pifer, Pastor, Free Methodist Church, officiating.
Online Condolences may be placed at www.BarnettFuneralHome.net
BARNETT FUNERAL HOME, Inc. entrusted with arrangements.
Anna Kathryn Mehalow, age 99, formerly of Laurelwood Drive, died Thursday, June 18, 2015, in Guy and Mary Felt Manor, Emporium.
Born December 23, 1915 in Renovo, she was the daughter of William and Priscilla McAlee Gilmartin. On June 27, 1945 in St. Joseph's Church, Renovo she married Joseph Mehalow who died November 11, 1983.
A resident of Emporium since 1962, she was a 1933 graduate of St. Joseph High School in Renovo, and in 1937 graduated from State Teachers College at Lock Haven, now Lock Haven University. She was employed as a teacher by the RenovoSchool District for 6 years and St. Joseph's in Renovo for 4 years. After relocating to Emporium, she was employed by the Cameron County School District from 1963 until retiring in 1978.
Mrs. Mehalow was a member of St. Mark Catholic Church in Emporium and was an 80 year member of the CD of A. She enjoyed playing cards and was a member of the Thursday 500 Club and the Tuesday Night Rummy Club.
Survivors include: three sons, William J. Mehalow (Tish) of Smithburg, Maryland; John T. Mehalow and Joseph E. Mehalow both of Emporium; one daughter, Cecilia Mehalow of Emporium; and one granddaughter, Adrienne Mehalow ofBar Harbor, Maine.
There will be no visitation hours.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 27, 2015 in St. Mark Church, Emporium, withFr. Paul Siebert, pastor, officiating.
A graveside service with burial to follow will be held at noon on Monday in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Hyner, PA.
Memorials, if desired, may be made to St. Mark Catholic Church, Barbara Moscato Brown Memorial Library, or the Guy and Mary Felt Manor, all in Emporium.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Coppersmith-Condon Funeral Home, Emporium.
Ruth C. A. Thompson, 98, of 338 W. 4th St., Emporium, PA died at her residence on Wednesday (June 17, 2015) morning. She was born December 9, 1916 in Grand Prairie, Minnesota a daughter of the late Rev. H. E. and Adelia Schreiber Tessmann. She married the late Orville I. Thompson who died in 1998.
Mrs. Thompson loved Cameron County so much she moved to Emporium with her son in May of 2006 and enjoyed everyday here in the mountains. She was a loving person to everyone she met. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother and grandmother. Ruth was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Emporium.
Surviving Son: James (Jeannie) Thompson, Red Lion, PA
Son: Michael (Judith) Thompson, Emporium
5 Grandchildren and Several Great Grandchildren
Preceded in Death By Parents: Rev. H. E. and Adelia Schreiber Tessmann Husband: Orville I. Thompson
Six Brothers and Sisters
There will be No Visitation.
Memorial Service will be held at the Barnett Funeral Home, 207 E. Fourth Street, Emporium, PA on Saturday (June 27, 2015) at 11:00 AM with Rev. Bruce Burkness, Pastor, St John's Lutheran Church, officiating.
Burial will be in the Newton Cemetery, Emporium, PA
Online Condolences may be placed at www.BarnettFuneralHome.net
James A. Urbanski, 87, of 10247 Rt. 120, Emporium, PA died peacefuly at his residence with his companion & pastor at his side on Tuesday (June 2, 2015) morning following a lengthy illness. He was born June 4, 1927 in Munson, PA a son of the late Conrad and Bertha Drobnak Urbanski.
Mr. Urbanski served with the US Army in the Asiatic Theatre during WW II. He retired from Sylvania after over 38 years. He was a member of the First Baptist Church where he served as a deacon. He was a volunteer at the Emporium Senior Center & delivered Meals on Wheels. He enjoyed dining with Pat at the Buttonwood, gardening, watching wildlife especially deer and birds. He loved to ride his motorcycle.
Surviving Daughter: Mary U., Mrs. Reese Lee, Munson
Son: Daniel Urbanski, Chattsworth, California
Son: Stephen Urbanski, Pittsburgh
2 Grandchildren: Justin & Brian Lee
Companion: Patricia Jones, Emporium
Preceded in Death By Parents: Conrad and Bertha Drobnak Urbanski
3 Brothers: Ray, Fredie and Robert Urbanski
3 Sisters: Mary Mahoney, Emma Nasca & Anna Browne
A Celebration of life and time of sharing will be at held the Barnett Funeral Home, 207 E. Fourth Street, Emporium, PA on Thursday at 2:00 PM concluding in prayer at 4:00 PM with Rev. Andrew Johnson, Pastor, First Baptist Church, officiating.
Burial will be in the Reidy Cemetery, Wallaceton, PA
Memorial Contributions may be made to the charity of the donors choice.
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I've slipped up a bit on reporting progress with the Forty Days writing challenge. As of Saturday: 15, 750 words. I skipped yesterday (Sundays are the most likely day I'll skip) plus last Friday. And I've been doing under 1000 words a day in the last week. Still, any progress is good progress. I've also checked out a lot of books and downloaded some articles, and I think I need to add a new component to my regime: the Book A Day.
Not that I intend to read A Book A Day (too much like studying for candidacy exams). No, the idea is to pull at least one library book off the shelf and figure out why I checked it out: which project is it for? What information do I need out of it? Do I need to quote a paragraph, read a chapter, or digest the whole thing? The information goes on a sticky note stuck to the book. Then if I'm not sure what to do in a given writing session (definitely a factor in writing less: so much easier if I know I need to write Paragraph Of Close Reading or Paragraph of Historical Background), I can pull a book off the shelves and write something about it.
On an unrelated note, if any academic bloggers will spend any part of the winter break in the City of Wind (you know, in state with arrested governor), drop a line; I'm available for meet-ups.


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Winter sports abound in Yosemite
When it comes to summer vacations, many people make Yosemite National Park, with its sheer granite cliffs, thundering waterfalls and endless forests, their destination. But the park, which encompasses almost 1,200 square miles in the Sierra Nevada, can be just as breathtaking in winter.
"A lot of people don't understand how spectacular Yosemite can be in the winter," says Kenny Karst, public relations manager for Delaware North Cos. Parks & Resorts at Yosemite Inc., the park's primary concessionaire.
Snow has just arrived in Yosemite, so this is a good time to plan for a few weeks from now.
For those planning a winter trip to the park, there are several things to remember, says Dick Ewart, a Yosemite National Park ranger since 1975. "You need to be prepared," he says. This includes carrying chains (and practicing putting them on at home before your trip), flares, jumper cables, a shovel, a windshield ice scraper and extra food and water in your vehicle. Bring a warm jacket, gloves and "winter shoes, not summer loafers," he says.
The National Park Service has a fleet of snowplows operating 24 hours a day; road and weather conditions can be checked by calling 209-372-0200. Trail conditions can be checked by calling the Valley Visitor Center at 209-372-0299 or stopping by the center, located in Yosemite Village. More information also can be obtained at yosemitepark.com.
"You've come to Yosemite to enjoy nature, so take your time," Karst says.
Here are seven ways to enjoy Yosemite in winter.
Visit Lower Yosemite Fall
Open year-round, this 1-mile paved loop trail is wheelchair-accessible and stroller-friendly. Park your car in the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls lot in Yosemite Valley. Start your walk at the Yosemite Falls trailhead, across from the lodge at the entrance to Camp 4. You will meander among Ponderosa pines, incense cedars, California black oaks and canyon live oaks, gaining about 50 feet in elevation as you make your way to the base of Lower Yosemite Fall. Depending on temperature and precipitation, you may see ice buildup on the fall; the best time for this is early in the day.
"The sun starts to melt it, and you can hear the ice melting and cracking and falling off," Dick Ewart says.
Kenny Karst says that "sometimes you can hear the crashing ice from Upper Yosemite Falls clear across Yosemite Valley in Curry Village."
Walk to Bridalveil Fall
Leave your car in the Bridalveil Fall parking lot in Yosemite Valley and head to the trailhead at the lot's southeast corner. This is a 1-mile out-and-back walk on a paved trail among oaks, incense cedars and Ponderosa pines. You'll climb less than 50 feet -- with 20 to 30 feet of that at the end of the "out" portion. Depending on temperature and precipitation, there can be ice buildup on the falls; as the temperature warms, the ice breaks off. The trail is open all year.
"You can walk up pretty close to the waterfall," Dick Ewart says. "You're on the shady side of the canyon, so the ice stays frozen a little longer."
Ice skating at Curry Village
Since 1928, visitors have ice skated in the shadow of Glacier Point and Half Dome at this outdoor Yosemite Valley rink. Weather permitting, the rink is open seven days a week from mid-November to mid-March. Weekday sessions are 3:30-6 p.m. and 7-9:30 p.m. Weekend sessions are 8:30-11 a.m., noon-2:30 p.m., 3:30-6 p.m. and 7-9:30 p.m. Cost is $8 a session, $6 for ages 5-12, free for kids 5 years and younger. Skate rental costs $3. Season passes are available for $105.50, $53.50 for ages 5-12. There is a warming tent and outdoor fire pit. Concessions include hot chocolate, apple cider, coffee and s'more-making kits. A Zamboni grooms the ice between sessions.
Hike to Mirror Lake
When embarking on this 3-mile out-and-back winter walk, leave your car in the Yosemite Valley Stables parking lot (the stables are closed in winter). You will walk along a paved road that is mostly flat; there is about a 200-foot incline at the end of the "out" portion. Depending on temperature and water level, some or all of the lake may be frozen, the park's Scott Gediman says. There also are spectacular views of Half Dome and Mount Watkins.
"It's beautiful and peaceful," Gediman says.
Snowshoeing at Badger Pass
Ranger-led snowshoe excursions are an enjoyable, educational way to spend a few hours at the Badger Pass Ski Area, which is open daily 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. mid-December to April 1. Badger Pass is on Glacier Point Road 5 miles from where it intersects Highway 41. Glacier Point Road is 17 miles from the park's south entrance at Highway 41. Ranger-led trips, which last 2 to 2½ hours, cost $5 and leave at 10:30 a.m. daily. They are open to ages 10 and older.
"It's just a smooth landscape. Everything's soft and white. You're walking among white snow and green trees," says Dick Ewart, who leads excursions. "We look for animal tracks and talk about the plants and animals. It's a fun, beautiful hike as well as an educational trip."
Visitors can venture out on their own by renting snowshoes from the Badger Pass Cross-Country Ski School. These cost $19.50 (all day) or $16.50 (half day). Downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing are other activities offered at Badger Pass.
Sledding at Crane Flat
Located on Big Oak Flat Road (10 miles from the Big Oak Flat entrance to the park at Highway 120), the area is closed to campers and used as a sled run seven days a week from about mid-December to late March. Plows keep the road and parking area clear of snow. Visitors bring their own sleds. Some folks pack picnics and make a day of it.
"There generally are three or four runs. You make your own," says Yosemite National Park spokesman Scott Gediman, who also is a ranger.
The campground sits on a hill at a little more than 6,000 feet elevation. In winter, snowbanks and dense forests of Ponderosa pines and incense cedars make this a wonderland.
"It's free. It's beautiful. It's easy to get to," Gediman says.
View from Columbia Rock
Leave your car in the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls parking lot in Yosemite Valley, and start this 2-mile out-and-back hike at the Yosemite Falls trail head, which is across from the lodge at the entrance to Camp 4.
You will follow the trail one-third of the way to Upper Yosemite Fall, climbing 1,000 feet among Ponderosa pines, incense cedars, California black oaks and canyon live oaks. When you reach the railing overlooking the Valley, you are at the Columbia Rock viewpoint.
"It's on the sunny side of the Valley, and you're looking at Half Dome and Glacier Point," Dick Ewart says.


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The holidays have really had me thinking about technology lately. If you have read over the items I would like for Christmas most of them are undeniably techy in nature. The funny thing about technology is how a ton of it only exists to replace non technical items that are actually much simpler and arguably more efficient. I have also noticed that this same mentality is applied to marketing as well.
In the search for new methods of reaching potential customers, clients want to use the newest technologies. With the normal limitations of time and budget some older proven methods are overlooked or forgotten. For example, direct mail has been taking a back seat over the past few years due to the lack of glamour associated with the medium. Let's look at a recent discussion I had to further illustrate the point.
I was approached by a lawyer in a niche that is very well represented online. In order to gain more exposure this client wanted to advertise using adwords but only to a local market. Click rates in this client's niche are very high, somewhere over 9 dollars per click. After sitting down with the client and reviewing all the marketing/ advertising tools they employed I found out that they were not doing any sort of direct mail. The solution becomes very simple for me, 50 cents per person for direct mail, or 10 dollars per click.
In fact, once you add to the equation that the majority of the target market for this client does not own or operate a computer; adwords appears to make almost no sense whatsoever.
We all know the feeling, that on you got when you first saw the iPhone, Wii, or that 52" LCD TV. What this all really boils down to is taking the time to make smart decisions about technology. Undoubtedly this is a hard thing to do. The allure of tech coupled with the idea of "new" has made fitting problems to a solution easier than fitting a solution to a problem (solutioneering).
This allure makes older proven methods of doing things immediately seem outdated, however often times it may be best to stick with what works. As designers/marketers we need to realize that just because a client may request a new technology, it does not necessarily make it the right solution. I may sound a little like an old man, but the situation above has taught me that often low tech is the right tech.


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Cancer may cut fourth Chavez re-election term short
Fireworks erupted in downtown Caracas as supporters of socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez celebrated news of a further six years in power.
But his new term, his fourth, will likely be plagued by poor health. The 57-year-old said earlier this year that he had recovered from the cancer first diagnosed in 2011. But many people doubt this, and it has not been independently confirmed.
However, the election results ended speculation that his rival, Henrique Capriles Radonski, may have led by more than a million votes.
They show Mr Chavez won 54.4% of the vote to Mr Capriles' 44.9%.
Estimates of voter participation indicate just how important this election was, with around 81% of almost 19 million registered voters going to the polls this week.
Claims of election fraud are expected, but the voting system in Venezuela is contemporary enough that counterfeiting would be difficult to hide.
Mr Capriles congratulated President Chavez, saying he is convinced Venezuela can be better and that it will be better, and encouraging his followers not to feel defeated.
The 40-year-old lawyer from Miranda state had excited the disparate Venezuelan opposition. He led a nationwide campaign to reinvigorate his followers, often going door-to-door in some areas to drum up support.
A strong campaign selling point was the frequent power outages, the food shortages and a skyrocketing murder rate.
Although Mr Chavez's his support base remains strong, many Venezuelans blame his social direction for the dysfunction. He has maintained power for nearly 14 years, surviving a rough economic patch and an attempted coup in 2002.
He has managed the economy on a somewhat ad-hoc basis, leading to gross inefficiencies. Roads and bridges are literally falling apart and prisons are apparently grossly overcrowded and full of armed gangs.
The president came to power promising to spread the wealth and address the country's poor. Riding a wave of popular support, he overturned the elite and organised an inner circle of trusted officials.
But the elite did not take kindly to Chavez's reforms. A coup attempt in 2002 orchestrated by the Petroleos de Venezuela Oil Company offered him the chance to take control in unprecedented ways and crippled the national oil company.
However, his reign has expanded Venezuela's international influence significantly, especially in Central America. Nicaragua and Ecuador have benefited from Venezuelan oil exports, while Argentina trades willingly and their relationship has improved.
It is Mr Chavez's resistance to a perceived United States global domination which truly colours his international reputation.
Suspicious of US involvement in the coup attempt, he repositioned Venezuela away from America, cobbling together unusual relationships with other anti-US countries.
This has been the toughest election for leftist Mr Chavez in his long tenure. A strong support base has confirmed a fourth term but things are clearly changing for Venezuela.
Rumours of his illness subsided in the lead-up to the October elections but there are no reliable sources to confirm his cancer is in remission, and the ongoing health concerns make it unlikely he will complete this new term.
A 2009 revision of the country's constitution means the president of the National Assembly will become his immediate successor. Snap elections would be called within 30 days.
For the first time in more than a decade the opposition is united behind a figurehead like Mr Capriles so if Mr Chavez dies during this next term his rival may have a second chance to gain power.
The president's presence popped up curiously in New Zealand in September 2010, when NBR revealed his interest in the transfer of $US50 million from a Bolivian bank shares sale through a firm of Hamilton accountants – a transaction which ended in the High Court.
Bolivian bank shareholders identified a Venezuelan state-owned bank as a potential buyer for their shares. A Hamilton accountant was asked by his Panamanian lawyer buddy to hold the cash involved in trust with Westpac until the deal was finalised.
New Zealand was chosen because President Chavez was not very fond of the US and wanted the funds to go through an independent bank.
The story did not end there.
Read the full story in The banker, lawyer, president, bean counter and their loot: http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/the-banker-lawyer-president-bean-counter-and-their-loot-130409
Nathan Smith has studied international relations and conflict at Massey University. He blogs at INTEL and Analysis


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The Aroma of Illegality
It's getting stronger, that stench of illegality, and it's emanating from places high as well as low.
For the last few weeks, Madison, Wisconsin, has been Malodorous Central, as various government employees, from the 14 Fleebagging Democratic state senators to protesting teachers and sundry public union apparatchiks, have endeavored to substitute mob rule for the rule of law. "After the vote on collective bargaining in the Wisconsin Senate," John Hinderaker reports at Powerline, "armed guards led Republican Senators through a tunnel, out of the Capitol and onto a waiting bus, which reportedly was commandeered for the purpose on an emergency basis. A howling mob of union members threatened the Republicans, shouted obscenities and pounded on the bus."
Useful data point: the mobs were howling because a majority of their duly elected officials had just passed legislation that they had, while campaigning a few months back, promised to lobby for. No one should have been surprised by Scott Walker's efforts to get Wisconsin's finances under control: he just did what he had promised to do if elected. And he was elected. And elections, as President Obama said long, long ago, in what seems like another country, "have consequences." (The rest of that famous quotation: "at the end of the day, I won." Imagine if Scott Walker had said that!)
Madison has distinguished itself for thuggishness. But that "get-a-little-bloody" sort of activism (thank you, Congressman Capuano) is only one facet of the illegality that is wafting about the republic. A small fuss was made a week or two ago when President Obama announced that he was directing his Department of Justice to forgo enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act, that somewhat desperate prop to "traditional" marriage (one man, one woman) that Bill Clinton reluctantly signed into law in 1996. Many of Obama's critics cried foul, claiming that he was abrogating his Constitutional duty to uphold the law. In fact, as Andy McCarthy pointed out at NRO, presidents regularly decline to enforce statutes they believe are unconstitutional. "The problem with what the Obama administration is doing with DOMA," Andy observed, "is political, not legal."
Nothing requires a president to defend or enforce a law he truly believes is unconstitutional, or even a law he believes is constitutional but chooses, in his discretion, not to enforce as a matter of policy (see, e.g., Obama on the immigration laws).
Putting the law to the side, it is outrageous for an administration to use its Justice Department's privileged position as the lawyer for the United States to sabotage a case, and for a president to claim his legal position is evolving when, in fact, he is transparently pandering to a key constituency.
Obama and Eric "My People" Holder may natter on about "equal protection." That's just talk, though. What they care about is not the 14th Amendment but their political program. Example: if you are a white voter in Philadelphia, you don't get equal protection from armed Black Panthers who strut about polling places. And if some nebbish in the Justice Department who hasn't gotten the message brings a suit against the Panthers, a higher-up (maybe even "My People" Holder himself) can quietly drop the suit when he thinks no one is paying attention. Sniff, sniff: catch that acrid scent? Just wait: when the governor of Arizona decides to enforce the state's immigration laws, it is the work of a moment for "My People" Holder to file a federal suit seeking to declare the law "invalid." Now you smell it, don't you?


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The Air Force Thunderbirds, the "loud and proud" precision team of F-16 fighter jets, have called off plans to appear in Chicago's Air & Water Show in August because of federal budget cuts, military officials said.
Because of the cuts, known as sequestration, the Air Force has cancelled air shows and fly-overs that are not related to combat readiness, Lt. Col. Brett Ashworth said Tuesday from the Pentagon.
The Thunderbirds, based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, had been lined up as one of the headliners of Chicago's lakefront show Aug. 17-18. But the flying team announced recently that its performances would stop April 1.
Mary May, spokeswoman for the city Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, which stages the show, said Chicago had not received any official notification of the cancellation from the Thunderbirds.
"The show is going on as planned," May said, "and certainly if we have to make adjustments we are prepared to do so."
Asked about the prominent, decades-long presence of the Thunderbirds at the Air & Water show, May said, "Yes, they are exciting, but we also have some of America's top award-winning civilian pilots who also do amazing things."
According to Ashworth, there remains a chance that the team still could appear in Chicago – if budget disagreements are settled in Washington.
"The guidance we have received as a service, as best we can, is that any actions that we take (because of sequestration) should be reversible," Ashworth said. "If sequestration were to end soon, there is the possibility that the Thunderbirds could return to flight."
The Thunderbirds are celebrating their 60th anniversary this year and had more than 60 demonstrations planned at 38 locations between March and November. The team still plans to perform at an air show in Titusville, Fla., in late March, officials said.


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Castles in the Sky (2010)
- Studio: Independent
- Release: August 10, 2010
- Director: Taylor Steele
- Writer: Unknown or Not Available
- Cast: Unknown or Not Available
Video archive for the film Castles in the Sky, which has a domestic theatrical release in the year of 2010. There is currently one video available for the film, of which one and only one is a trailer, as listed below. Happy viewing!
Featured Movie Terminator: Dark Fate


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As part of our Sunday Art Makers' series, Paul Baker will be joining us from Crag Lake to demonstrate how her constructs sculptures from found metal.. Stop by Art House Carcross between 10 AM and 4 PM to see Paul share his process!
Paul Baker
867.821.5050 https://www.facebook.com/paul.baker.58367 firstname.lastname@example.com
Paul Baker has lived and worked from his studio at Crag Lake since 1988. He has always been a "builder of things", which has developed into making inventive sculptures out of recycled tools that focus on the form and movement within each subject.
artist statement
As a lifelong tradesman, I take great pleasure in transforming cheap and broken metal tools as well as metal found at the dump into art. (no snap ons were harmed). I draw my inspiration from the nature that surrounds me at my rural Yukon home.
works available
Plaza Galleries Whistler, British Columbia, Canada www.plazagalleries.com
North End Gallery Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada www.yukonart.ca
Stephen Lowe Gallery Calgary, Alberta, Canada www.stephenloweartgallery.ca
Just Imajan Gallery Cochrane, Alberta, Canada www.justimajan.com


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|1 Pkg
|Straight Cut fries
|1 cup
|(250 mL) cheese curds, chopped
|1 Pkg
|Maple Leaf® Canadian CraftTM Montreal Steak Spice Capicollo, finely chopped
|1 1/2 cup
|(375 mL) beef gravy, hot and pre-prepared
|pinch each salt and ground pepper, to taste
|3 tsp
|(15 mL) chives (optional)
Heat oven to 450°F.
Place fries on a non-stick baking sheet, place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, turn, and bake another 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as desired once removed.
Place chopped capicollo into microwave for 1 minute.
Remove the fries from the oven, place on a dinner plate or large bowl.
Top fries with cheese curds first and then then the gravy.
Add the capicollo and place back into the oven for 3-4 minutes until the cheese curds have melted.
Remove carefully and place on another plate to serve.
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The global economic weakness that slowed mergers and acquisitions and IPOs in 2012 will continue into the next year, but pent-up demand could be ready to fire up at the first sign of a spark.
M&As this year by U.S. companies are down 10% vs. the year-earlier period, at 6,357, making it the slowest year since 2002, according to the latest numbers from Ernst & Young. Overall M&A deal value is down 26% to $626 billion.
Economic uncertainty, leading to a cautious attitude among businesses, is the big reason, with the looming fiscal cliff having an impact in the U.S.
But the fuel to ignite activity is there. Big tech companies such as Cisco Systems (CSCO), Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL) have billions of dollars in cash. Interest rates are low, with easy access to money for firms with good credit.
For now, though, M&A deals that are getting done aren't blockbusters.
It's a similar story with initial public offerings. IPOs are being made, but few are blockbusters.
"There remains a hunker-down mentality," said Matthew Porzio, marketing vice president at enterprise software maker IntraLinks Holdings. "Our (M&A) deal flow indicator in the third quarter shows a slowdown from the second."
Yet it's as if the spring is coiled and ready to fly. Private equity firms are watching the market and willing to jump into M&As if conditions improve, Porzio says.
"What we're hearing from clients is that everyone has this cautious optimism, a guarded confidence that 2013 will be better," Porzio said. "All they are waiting for is some really positive news or some significant deals that will build momentum."
Nearly 60% of 143 U.S. private equity firms polled recently by accounting firm Grant Thornton International said they expect M&As to increase in 2013, but by how much depends on the economy, competitive forces and government regulations.
Private equity companies often seek to acquire firms with a long-term intent on selling them at a profit or seeing them through an IPO. Some might keep acquisitions, improve operations and use profit to help with other deals.
Not Enough Active Buyers
In 2012, private equity was more active in the consumer, health care, business service, industrial and manufacturing sectors, says the Grant Thornton report. But private equity isn't seeing enough acquirers or attractive IPO possibilities.
"Initial public offerings are becoming even less relevant as an option for liquidity," the Grant Thornton report said.
Data from market research firm Ipreo back that up. The firm found that the number of companies awaiting an IPO has steadily declined this year.
Of companies that have filed for an IPO or amended such a filing in the past six months, just 35 are in the pipeline, Ipreo says. That's down from 87 since January. Of those 35, health care accounts for the most, at nine, followed by technology, at five.
This year, 126 IPOs have launched on U.S. markets, the same number as last year, Ipreo says.
Telecommunications is the one field ripe with M&A potential, according to a study by IBISWorld.
A flurry of M&A activity among wireless communication providers has led to renewed talks of long-expected industry consolidation.
In October, Deutsche Telekom entered into a $1.5 billion agreement to merge its T-Mobile USA unit with prepaid carrier MetroPCS (PCS), the No. 5 U.S. wireless carrier.
Japanese mobile operator Softbank in October agreed to buy about 70% of Sprint Nextel (S)for $20 billion, giving it a toehold in the U.S. and giving Sprint money it needs to expand its network and, perhaps, make acquisitions. "A consensus is that things are coming to head in the U.S. market for wireless telecom operators, as with a saturated market an acquisition is the best way to grow," said Kevin Boyland, an IBISWorld analyst.
It's unlikely that AT&T (T) and Verizon Communications (VZ) will be able to pull off a mega deal, due to regulatory constraints, but others have plenty of opportunity.
"There are a lot of smaller regional carriers that T-Mobile or Sprint could be interested in," Boyland said.


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Robert Mangeot lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife, a cat-beast named Zelda, and this other ginger cat with plans all her own.
His work appears in various anthologies and journals, including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, The Forge Literary Magazine, Lowestoft Chronicle, Mystery Weekly Magazine, The Oddville Press, and in the print anthologies Mystery Writers of America Presents Ice Cold: Tales of Intrigue from the Cold War, Intrepid Travelers, the Anthony-winning Murder Under the Oaks, and Other Places. His work was named a finalist for the Derringer Awards and also won contests sponsored by the Chattanooga Writers' Guild, On The Premises, and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. He proudly serves as president for the Middle Tennessee Chapter of Sisters in Crime. He teaches short fiction and will happily debate its whethers over beverages of choice. When not writing, he can be found counting things or wandering the snack food aisles of America or France.
Or I could tell you:
Skidding into our world half-Irish and half-Southern, clearly some brush with writing was inevitable. So it was. Skidding into Louisville not so far really from Churchill Downs, I fight working in horses. Also part-French, and this part has come Mais oui, the fiction brush would come with savoir vivre. In my college days I wrote a humor column and some this-and-thats, but not much thereafter. I was counting things and wandering snack food aisles. Eventually This Whole Writing Thing rediscovered me, and I've been fortunate enough to have work appear in some excellent places.
I love all things dog, and many stories were crafted with not horses but a trusty Pomeranian nearby. Lately cats have discovered my lap. I'm fine with that so long as they keep the claws in, damn the Bond-villain parallels. Maybe I'm cool with it because of that. Blofeld is Albert Broccoli cool, that's what I'm saying. Blofeld would be cooler with a dog, though. A Pomeranian.
I dig the English Premier League, University of Louisville athletics, Dashiell Hammett, poetry, most any kind of music, and whatever sparks my French and Irish heritage. I can name the starting nine for the 1970s Big Red Machine and many of the subs. Merv Rettenmund. Ed Armbrister. Ooh, Mike Lum! I graduated from Bellarmine University–go, Knights–and they haven't tried to retract it or anything. So everyone seems cool with that.
One time they asked me to count a colorless and odorless gas. And I did it. Another time they had me counting mock turtlenecks in subzero warehouse conditions. Once for several weeks I was a ular on television–auditing the nightly Lotto drawing. Such was my brush with stardom.
My other great joy is travel, which often seeps into my stories. Look for me in a Belgian friterie or a Caribbean market or in any international snack food aisle. Otherwise I'm at a Target shopping for chips or killer dialogue.


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Looks like a very nice take on Bran castle. Bravo!
You just won't leave those vampires and gothic horror alone, ey, Sensut ?
Anywany, congratulations to the new FM. I might give it a whirl soon.
Looks like a very nice take on Bran castle. Bravo!
A lot of getting lost and running around trying to find specific rooms, but this was a heck of a lot of fun and really atmospheric! Thanks!
cant get into the cottage after the tower! ive searched everywhere for a key couldnt find anything! through help please and how to get into the castle later
Last edited by Orfeus21; 10th Nov 2017 at 20:33.
Hey! I'm really impressed with the architecture in this mission. Absolutely amazing castle!
I'm a bit lost however - I can't find the lady's bedroom. Any hints where it is? I seem to be able to peek into it (or another room I haven't visited yet) while teleporting using the overlook key, but I just don't know where the entrance to it is... :/
Orfeus21 Did you get the silverhead arrows? Kill the werewolf with them. He is wearing the key.
PinkDot - Have you found the sitting room? There's an entrance off of the outside balcony if you haven't been in there. Go through into the hallway and the stairs up to the bedrooms are straight across from you.
@Nightwalker - thanks! somehow I missed these hallways leading to bedrooms. This is a-mazing castle indeed!
I played it several times before I started to figure out where things are. It's definitely a maze but fun to explore!
My jaw dropped seeing that castle. What a fantastic mission.
this mission is a curse to me as i cant find the rope arrows on the moat wall!
The rope arrows won't be there until you have the objective to get them so if you're jumping ahead without reading books, you need to go back and check the hunter's cabin.
UPDATE to version 1.1
I wanted to make this update because of a missing object from the 1.0 pack . Fortunately it's only a decorative object and did not cause trouble, but is better if everything is in it's place. At the same time I fixed some things, especially the windows which I don't liked. I had no time to finish them because I don't wanted to pass the Halloween deadline. Now they are dressed with on/off lights as well. From now I'm starting to take apart this mission for the next works and in this form will be no longer updated.
Google Drive
Last edited by Sensut; 20th Nov 2017 at 06:31.
I'm wandering around the castle after getting there, but I don't know where to go. Can someone give me a hint to a key that might open the bedrooms, or throne rom, or where it is that I need to go first?
Search caretaker's room on the top floor.
Nice mission, sensut, it brought back the memories of Dracula campaign. I liked the castle very much, altough geographically... okay, you know what I mean!
You captured very well its feeling and atmosphere, its insides are as tight and claustrophobic as I remember from when I visited the real place.
I gave it a run today, and as usual I started directly with ghosting. Actually "we". My 8yo son was quicker than me to figure out how to use the portals and he spotted a couple of loot items just when I was about to leave those places.
Given the intention of the mission, probably is no surprize that is ghostable.
"Perfect supreme" is not possible, and that was clear quite early: procuring the hunting lodge cellar key requires an unavoidable first alert (when opening the door). So 160 loot skipped for supreme. Also: in the easter egg area, there is a remark from that worker/mechanist/whoever, but I'm not sure whether it's a "first alert" / "bust" or simply a scripted event. I am certain I was in shadows when I heard the "stalker" line. If it's not a scripted response (and therefore a bust), then this branch of portals cannot be used - additional 445 must be skipped for supreme (the locket, the opal in eagle's nest plus the 400 bonus at the end, since one of the statues cannot be retrieved; luckily, this is a bonus objective, it can be avoided altogether by not reading the scroll).
"Supreme" is possible - even with the skipped loot above, there is more than enough to meet the requirements. I think that lighting and then dousing the two candles (for two of the secret bags) is acceptable for this mode - they are not subject to the "removing of light sources" rule, at least from the "spirit-of-the-law" point of view. But even for the "letter-of-the-law" purists, it should be okay. The objective to get ALL secret bags is a bonus one and can be skipped by not reading the diary, so it's the matter of further 200 unattainable loot. Still well inside the requirement.
We did not "perfect thief" it - missed 350 in the first run, and after reading some spoilers here we could reduce the gap to 80. But damn me if I knew were that "basement" is... (is not the crypt, right?). Or the "nest on the castle roof". The bed-time for the junior and his sister put an end to our ordeal...
All in all, a nice family sunday thanks for the given opportunity!
You're welcome
Last edited by Sensut; 28th Nov 2017 at 05:14.
Could someone point me the way to the statue alter? I found it early on but now I have all the statues I cant remember where it is.
Look around the outside area of the cabin well at the beginning of the mission.
For the life of me, I can't find the key to the castle's main gate! I traveled through the overlook multiple times and still couldn't find it. Where is it exactly??
Also, does the main castle key also open Lucy's cell?
1. There are two overlook "circuits". One of them leads you to throne room. The key is in the small room from which you teleport to the throne room (second to last, so to say).
2. No. After you deal with Bogdan's ghost, you can enter an area in the crypt, previously inaccessible. In it, there is something that doesn't look exactly like a key, but...
Ah, the broom closet! That key was right in front of me and I managed to miss it multiple times. Well, I finished it, though I didn't get all the secrets I loved the atmosphere and the architecture of the castle! Keep up the good work, Sensut!
I am still stuck on setting the clock in dinning room to 12 I have read the diary and I have the objective to set clock all it does is highlight nothing I do works? Is there something I need in my inventory to accomplish this?


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Ryan has over 20 years experience working, managing, organizing and developing successful events. His hobbies include: music, DJing, jet skiing, snowmobiling, snowboarding, flying, & wakeboarding. He became a Dad in 2011 to a beautiful little boy Cameron and again in 2013 to a 2nd beautiful boy Corbin. He loves all types of music, but his favorite is House music.
Travis has over 10 Years Experience in all events, DJ/MC Wedding, dances, parties, sound systems, lighting, Etc.. His interests include playing music in his band. Currently Travis is managing our warehouse.
Experience: 5 years
Events: Wedding DJ/MC, A/V Tech,
Tech/DJ Assistant
Experience: 1 years
Events: DJ/MC, Assistant/Roadie/lighting Tech
Experience: 1 year
Events:DJ, Party DJ, Assistant DJ, Tech
Experience: 2 years
Events: DJ/MC, Party DJ, Assistant DJ
DJ for Schools, Bars and Parties. Assistant/Tech, Videographer
Experience: 5 year
Events: Production Sound Engineer
Experience: 12 year
Events: Wedding DJ, Party DJ, Night Club DJ, Festival DJ
Experience: 20 year
Events: Production crew/Pro DJ
Experience: 12 year
Events: Wedding DJ, Party DJ, Night Club DJ, Festival DJ
Sound Extreme is always looking for new professional people to add to our staff. If you feel you would like to join our team please contact us. We are looking for out-going, enthusiastic individuals that love to entertain. Music knowledge and willing to work weekends a must. We offer outstanding pay in a fun atmosphere.


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Donate to Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis has received 4 consecutive 4-star charity evaluations by Charity Navigator. Only 14% of the charities they evaluate have received at least 4 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis outperforms most other charities in America. This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator sets Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis apart from its peers and demonstrates to the public its trustworthiness.
"Junior Achievement has given me a sense of what adults go through with budget issues."
"Junior Achievement reinforced concepts for me to remember later in life."
"I thought the experience was amazing. The presentation was unlike anything I've seen."
"I liked how the Junior Achievement volunteer explained his job to us."