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Palladium Books® 2012 Open House Report
An after event report by host Kevin Siembieda
The 2012 Open House was a smashing success on every level. For me personally, it was awesome. The most fun I have had at one yet. There were some oversights, glitches and problems, but we took care of them as quickly and efficiently as we could. What was important to me and the Palladium crew, was that everyone who attended seemed to have a wonderful time. From all the laughter I heard, smiling faces I saw and feedback I received, everyone had a blast. People certainly want us to host another one in 2014, but the verdict is still out on that.
Of course, everyone who attended will have enjoyed different experiences. The events and information I'm about to relate are entirely my own, sprinkled with my recollections of things told to me.
Pre-Open House Preparations
There is a ton of pre-event work to be done. Everything from dusting and cleaning of the offices and warehouse, to scrubbing toilets, sinks and floors, to rearranging the warehouse, to buying supplies, getting ready for the auction, and preparation of food, among other things. All of it is a lot more time consuming than you might think. Furthermore, there are only FIVE of us at Palladium and we can only do so much, so fast. While we have helpers and volunteers, there is a lot to be done days and even weeks before the Open House begins.
I think the place looked the best that it has ever looked, and was even more fun and inviting.
The castle. I came up with the bright idea of using some Halloween decorations Kathy and I had purchased a year ago, to make an area of the warehouse to look like castle walls. While the idea was mine, Kathy Simmons did ALL the work to make it happen. We used the material to create a wall to section off the Open Gaming Area from the Panel Talk area as well as to create a nice looking admissions area. We used more of the castle wall material to cover up racks of boxes and files. It worked perfectly and looked good.
Zombies. Kathy brought over a dozen of her "zombies" from her own Halloween display and attached them to the pillars of heavy pallet racks for additional ambiance. Since the Endless Dead™ zombie sourcebook was "the" new release of the Open House (arriving the day of VIP Thursday), we figured zombies made perfect sense. Kathy also had a pair of zombies in the front of the building and one in the loading dock.
Space, the final frontier. Meanwhile, I had Wayne move and combine pallets of books to create more open space for our gaming areas and to accommodate general ease of movement.
The panel area. Earlier this year I moved out of my apartment and in with my sweetheart, Kathy Simmons. I used my extra furnishings – couch, love seat, easy chair, and end tables – to create a more relaxed and comfy seating area from which to give panel talks. For the backdrop, I reconfigured Palladium's convention displays covered with large posters and book covers.
The store area. We used the rolling shelves we take to Gen Con and other large conventions (as well as some other shelving) to create a sort of store area displaying all of our titles and other products. The setup looked impressive and was easy to navigate.
Auction Items. One of the things that always seems to take me a lot of time is preparing auction items. This involves not only digging up rare and unusual items people might enjoy, but bagging them, signing them (if applicable), framing art and prints, and then figuring out a price. Once that's all done, I need to write a description and display them in an attractive manner.
New Product. This year we had a lot of new products. Three recent book releases, four new T-shirts, a new coffee mug and a few other things. T-shirts had to be folded and put into bags. Kathy Simmons did ALL of that; approximately 500 shirts. Mugs had to be displayed. A couple hundred sets of bookmarks had to be collated, packaged and displayed, as did everything else.
Another big job was sorting, tagging, pricing and hanging a slew of pewter Rifts® miniatures. Carmen Bellaire had spent his weekends for the last two months making Rifts® miniatures for us. He bagged them too. But we now had to sort them out by type, add a plastic hanger, price them and hang them on the display. Nick Bradshaw tackled that job, with some help from me and Lisa Hall. Lisa is a long-time friend who came in a couple days early to help. Shawn Hall had arrived a day before his wife and worked on warehouse repairs, cleaning, bookmarks and a number of other projects to help get us ready. He and Lisa were a tremendous help during the event too. Nick, Lisa, Shawn, Carmen, Doug Lamberson and Joe Bergmans are all from out of state, so their early arrival and help was really something special and greatly appreciated. Thank you, everyone.
Endless Dead™. We always try to give our customers the best service possible. Consequently, we were thrilled to learn our newest zombie sourcebook for Dead Reign™ would arrive and ship the Wednesday before the Open House. Only it didn't happen.
There was a slight delay, and the book arrived around noon on VIP Thursday. It was cool that we'd have the book in time for the Open House, but I hated the idea of not shipping it till the following week. In a moment of inspiration or sheer madness, I decided we had enough people to help us sort, pack and ship pre-orders and distributor orders that afternoon! Yes, it was probably a little ambitious and a tad foolish, as it did put us behind by 2-3 hours and made us a bit unprepared for people showing up at 4:00 PM for VIP night. However, we were able to get the books out to our customers and make those not at the Open House happy. Win-win in my book. Besides, we were all so tired after the event, it was good not to have to deal with shipping a new book on Monday or Tuesday.
Securing Parking. This was done three weeks earlier. It required me talking to my neighbors and getting them to agree to let us use their parking. The company on the corner and the one behind us were happy to help, but the other one we used to use was unavailable. Thankfully, the owner of a building across the street and kiddie corner from Palladium allowed us to use his parking. We barely had enough room for everyone. Whew. We sent each of these good neighbors a box of pastries and cookies to say thank you.
In between all this we were helping customers, making badges, printing the collectible Certificate of Admission, printing out directions and other forms, and doing the game schedule and sign up sheets – much of which fell to Wayne Smith.
Thank goodness for our helpers. Kathy, Wayne, Joe and I – with help from our friends and volunteers – handled putting out fires, dealing with problems and troubleshooting. Joe Bergmans, Chris Guertin, Lisa and Shawn Hall, and Doug Lamberson were huge in helping take care of customers and purchases. Artist and pal, Nick Bradshaw was another guy who was quick to help on every front, from clean up, to tear down and a range of other things. We'd have been lost without them. Val Conder and Paul Deckert were also welcomed helpers. A number of gamers also pitched in at pivotal moments to help when we needed them most. Thank you all so very much.
Designing Gaming Events. Figuring out the games you want to run, working out the adventure and rolling up pre-generated characters for players is an entire job in and of itself. Julius spent months prepping for his seven different games. So do a lot of our volunteer Game Masters (some of the finest in the land).
There was other stuff to get done, but the above are the most salient points. By the end of it all, we generally feel like we've run a marathon.
And then the actual event begins.
2012 Palladium Open House
VIP Thursday, May 3
VIP Thursday officially opens its doors at 4:00 PM, but people start to dribble in around 3:00 PM. That's okay, as early arrivals are likely to find themselves asked to help out. Palladium fans being the amazing people they are, they cheerfully pitched in. Again, thank you.
Everyone who arrived got a free copy of Mutants in Avalon™ (suitable for use with the After the Bomb® RPG and Heroes Unlimited; adaptable to other Palladium game settings) and a pencil inscribed with the warning: Do Not Remove. Property of the Chi-Town Library. They also got their name badge and Certificate of Attendance.
I tried to greet people at the door as they entered, but inevitably, there were fires for me to put out and pull me away.
The VIP Dinner. For those of you who don't know, Kathy Simmons is an amazing cook. She has done professional catering and made wedding cakes for years, long before she came to work at Palladium. To help keep costs down, Kathy prepares all the food (except the chicken) herself. Without help. It is a herculean task to feed 140 people, but somehow, she manages it. Wow. As you might expect, it takes a heavy toll on Kathy. To get it all done, she went 38 hours without sleep. Crazy. Kathy set up and supervised the entire warehouse, as well as dinner, and helped process orders and manage the event all weekend! People marveled at how she was everywhere and never seemed to stop moving. Honestly, we could NOT do the Open House without Kathy.
The VIP Dinner Menu:
- Kathy's famous potato salad.
- Noodle salad.
- Leafy salad.
- Mostaccioli and meatballs.
- Sauerkraut and kielbasa.
- Tuna salad sandwiches on croissants.
- Egg salad sandwiches on croissants.
- Turkey and cheese sandwiches on croissants.
- Breaded, baked chicken from Lee's (a great local place in Plymouth).
- Cupcakes for dessert, plus some store bought pastries.
- Soft drinks, coffee and hot chocolate. No alcohol.
5:30 PM (right on time) – dinner is served. During dinner, I greet and mingle with our guests, and help out as necessary.
7:00 PM – Opening Ceremonies. I gave a brief talk and opened the session up to questions and answers. This is always fun for me and those attending.
8:00 PM – Gaming began. I don't run Thursday evening as I find it better to walk around, talk with people and sign books. So that's what I do.
9:30 PM (or so) – I hosted a panel talk and opened it up to more questions and answers. More fun and laughter ensues. I welcomed the many questions, comments, stories and suggestions. It was fun.
Around 11:00 PM, Kathy Simmons and I head home. We'll be up bright and early the next morning and we need to be relatively fresh. I think we were both out like a light seconds after our heads hit the pillow. However, a bunch of people went to the midnight showing of Marvel's The Avengers. We are fortunate to have a couple of excellent movie theaters only five minutes away, so people had an easy time seeing the movie. Of course, everyone was raving about it the next day. Thankfully people were very good about not spoiling it for others. We saw The Avengers a week later and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Gaming continued at the warehouse till around 1:30 AM when Julius cleared everyone out. Two conference rooms – one small and posh, the other a small hall that can accommodate 10 gaming tables – were made available at the hotel for those who desired to game into the wee hours of the morning.
Some Gaming Event Notes and Highlights
ALL Open House Game Masters are volunteers. Many are also Palladium creators like Brandon Aten, Carmen Bellaire, Steven Dawes, Glen Evans, Scott Gibbons, Paul Herbert, Irvin Jackson, Madman Mike Leonard, Mark Oberle, Taylor White and others. Some G.M.s are Megaversal Ambassadors like James Brown and Lonnie Langston, or just outstanding G.M.s who go all out! Hendrik from Germany created character sheets patterned after real World War II documents and incorporated real photographs. They were gorgeous. Isaac Xavier-Santos presented each player with an actual Lazlo Agency dossier that looked amazing and he ran a 12 hour game session! If that sounds crazy (it did to me), the players in Isaac's game loved every minute of it, as I heard nothing but rants and raves about his epic game (as well as many other games). G.M.s who ran three or more games got a free T-shirt, a 30% discount on purchases and the fun of running at the Palladium Open House, which is a very meaningful experience for many people.
All of this results in some of the best Game Masters around running these events. That's only fair as we have found the players who come to the Open House also tend to be top-notch role-players. I can tell you that having such excellent players makes running these games an absolute joy for the G.M.s as well as the players.
Julius Rosenstein spent FIVE MONTHS planning and creating his games. This year, as usual, he ran 7 different adventures in various Palladium settings.
- Dead Reign™ of the Red Dane – for Dead Reign™.
- The Mighty Dwarven Power Rangers – for Palladium Fantasy®.
- A Day at the Park – for Beyond the Supernatural™.
- Human Weapons, Part Two – for Heroes Unlimited™.
- The League of Egyptordinary Gentlemen – for Rifts®.
- Moonwalk – a cross genre/Megaversal game.
- Showdown at Apache Wells – a Western game using Palladium Fantasy RPG® rules.
Carmen Bellaire ran another epic extravaganza using miniatures and an entire city-scape. He made Open House history by being defeated in his own game by the players. Carmen is a gaming maniac and had lost most of his voice by Saturday. Still, he managed to make several video-interviews with me and Palladium staff writers and artists which he's posting on YouTube. See for yourself at: youtube.com/user/Maloquinn
James Brown also runs using miniatures and had his very cool dungeon set-up in place.
Scott Gibbons ran game after game of his improved and evolving Rifts® board game. Wayne and I had intended to play, but somehow we just never had the time to do so. I heard a lot of positive feedback about the game and look forward to playing it. (Scott left a copy of it for us to peruse, not that we've had time to do so yet. As of May 16, as I write this, we have been working like crazy to catch up with work and get back to releasing new products.) Scott is a frequent contributor to The Rifter® and an all-around nice guy. If I met his wife Gwen before (I think I have), I couldn't remember with certainty. It was nice meeting their son, Jacob, who is a natural born gamer. All three of the Gibbons family members played in Game Three of my DeSilca Aftermath game.
There were are many wonderful games – laughter, shouts, and cheering filled the Palladium warehouse from Thursday to Sunday. My thanks to all the Game Masters, whether they ran one or many games. Each and every one of you are appreciated. As are the 230+ gamers who came to the 2012 Open House.
As for myself, for a long while I struggled with what I was going to run. Then, one morning I woke up with the perfect idea. Part of my problem is I need to spread my time out between many duties during the Open House. Not least of which is being available to chat with people, sign books, host panel talks, give tours, host the auction, MC the Costume Contest, and help run the darn event. To enable as many players to game with me as possible (I ran roughly 75 people in two days), I decided to limit each game session to two hours. (Though advertised as 90 minutes, I made sure I had at least 30 minutes to run over if desirable, which it usually was.)
What I came up with was a thrill for me, a blast for the players and epic in scope. It was a Palladium Fantasy RPG® story arc spread over six games, with six different groups of players, totaling about 13 hours to create one epic story, gamed out in chapters. Each player group played the same set of characters and picked up where the last group of gamers left off. It was a truly wonderful experience for me and, I'm happy to report, for most of the participants. It ran smoothly and even better than I had imagined. Note: The entire summary of my six-part game is at the end of this POH Report. The reason I included it at all is that dozens and dozens of people asked me to do so, even some who heard about it but didn't get to play. I tried to write it in an interesting way and hope you enjoy it.
Friday – May 4, 2012
Friday is a day of gaming. Many games started at 9:00 and 9:30 AM and gamers were lining up by 8:30.
I decided to have fun with my games and experiment a bit. You can read the summary of the entire six part adventure at the end of this Open House Report. Suffice it to say, I had blast. One of the things I love about the Open House is the caliber of the gamers. Most are seasoned players and into characters, story and role-playing. Of course, I have fun playing with novices as well, and I had a few newbies in some of my games and they took to role-playing like ducks to water. Honestly, I would never have known they were new to gaming other than the fact that they told me. Genevieve was especially impressive. I'm always surprised how well most players work together, even though they don't know each other or their respective gaming styles.
I was also pleased with myself. All Game Masters know that sometimes you are at the top of your game and other times you are not. Well, Friday, I was on fire.
The rest of the day for me was spent in chatting with people, signing autographs, hosting panel talks, troubleshooting and having fun. Friday flew by for me; it felt like 8 hours, not 16.
Saturday – May 5, 2012
Kathy and I felt like we had been run over by a truck on Saturday morning, requiring some effort to crawl out of bed at 6:00 AM. However, after we got moving and showered, we were rockin'. I think I got to the warehouse around 7:45 AM and started to straighten up and do some prep work for the auction later that evening. Bill Korsak appeared minutes later both Friday and Saturday to lend a hand. He was a big help taking out trash, cleaning off tables, dumping ice into coolers and straightening up the place for the new day. Bill is a local gamer and G.M. who regularly lends Palladium a hand. Thanks, Bill. Joe Bergmans, Chris Guertin, Lisa and Shawn Hall, Doug Lamberson and other helpers would also show up a while later to lend a hand and help us run the show throughout the day.
Games raged on and people had fun. I ran the last two chapters of the DeSilca Aftermath. One at 9:30 AM and the other at 1:30 PM. I didn't feel quite as "on" as I was Friday, but we rocked. Both games started a little late, but ran long. There was fun for all.
At 6:00 PM, games were suspended for the Costume Contest and Auction. We had a batch of great contestants, including Scott Gibbons who set himself on fire to portray a Rifts® Elemental Fusionist. Okay, it was only his gloved hand, but it was cool. (FYI: Fire extinguishers were at the ready in case something went wrong.) Though there were fewer entries than past years, the costumes were clever, Erin Tarn was present (or at least someone claiming to be her), and the competition was great fun. The Elemental Fusionist (Scott Gibbons) won first place in the Rifts®/science fiction category, the Nightbane (Dan Deluca) won for Modern/Horror, and the Ley Line Walker costume won Best of Show. That's the second time the Line Walker took the Best of Show. However, it was especially tough deciding who should win what, especially in the Modern/Horror category.
The auction followed with some great deals, rare items and some wild bidding. It was fun.
8:00 PM, gaming resumed. I hosted fun, long and spirited panel talks, signed more books and chatted with folks before calling it a night around midnight.
Sunday – May 6, 2012
By Sunday, we were all dragging me, Kathy, the Palladium staff, creators and the gamers in attendance. The doors opened at 9:00 AM, but the place didn't start filling up till ten.
Sunday is a short day, so the morning and early afternoon were spent playing in the last of the games, making final purchases, getting books signed, and saying goodbye.
I had toyed with running a 7th DeSilca Aftermath game for some players who had requested it, but I felt too spent to run a good game and bowed out. I apologize for disappointing you guys, but it was for the best. Not just because the game may have been lacking, but because it was good to be available to chat and to be available for the many hugs, handshakes and fond farewells. I did host a morning panel talk, signed a few hundred books and spent a little time with some of my creators. Funny, but I seldom get to spend much time with the Palladium freelance writers and artists at the Open House. Oh well.
Again the day seemed to speed by. One minute it was 9:00 AM and what felt like two hours later, it was 4:30 in the afternoon and the Open House was winding down to a close. I asked Nick Bradshaw to see if he could get some folks to help tear down tables and stack them and chairs while we still had people to help. I had to take care of some business in the office and when I came back out, two thirds of the rented tables and chairs had been put away. Thanks, everyone.
Palladium video interviews. As I noted earlier, Carmen Bellaire and William Johnson made several short video interviews with the many Palladium personalities. These interviews are being posted on YouTube. I think Carmen said there are already 8-10 available for viewing and he plans to post another 6-8 over the weekend of May 19th, and more to follow the weekend after that. Though they used a corner of my office, Carmen and Will's efforts are entirely voluntary, squeezed in between games they were running, and done so that those of you who couldn't attend could still get to meet us and get to enjoy the interviews. The video interviews can be seen at: youtube.com/user/Maloquinn
On Sunday, Will couldn't make it, so Carmen had to host the last handful of interviews solo. That included the interview with me. However, I was so busy and in demand that we couldn't do my interview until 6:30 PM Sunday evening, after the Open House. I ended up doing three 10 minute interviews about the Open House and my DeSilca Aftermath games. WARNING: Though I think these interviews are fun, Carmen and I were pretty wiped out and our voices fading. We were running on pure adrenaline, so I don't know how good the interviews will look. Also, the way it was set up, I've been told that I (and some of the freelancers) look smaller than we really are. I'm actually a bit taller than Carmen, but that's not apparent in the video. That's okay, I'm sure the interviews are all still fun. Take a peek and please spread the word.
Sometime around 8:00 PM I took a bunch of friends to dinner at Bennigan's near the "official" Open House hotel. When we walked through the front door we were met with applause by the 20 or so gamers already at the restaurant. That wonderful greeting was a pleasant and unexpected surprise. We wanted to join that group, but there was available seating for only 4-5 of us and we had 8 in our group. The waitress led us to another table and I enjoyed dinner with Kathy Simmons, Wayne Smith, Carmen Bellaire, Joe Bergmans, Nick Bradshaw, my old pal Isaac Xavier-Santos and his friend Joe. The food was good and the company excellent. We were later joined by Hendrick Harterich (from Germany), and several other people dropped by to chat for a few minutes or to offer one last goodbye. Though I joke that we felt and looked like the Avengers in the clip at the end of the credits, we were a bit more animated than that, and I sure hope we looked less beat up. Kathy and I headed home around 11:00 PM and enjoyed a good night's sleep.
Monday and Tuesday were clean-up and recovery, though, in a way, the Open House continued for us, as we spent most of Monday with Will Hunter (aka "Killer Cyborg"), Matt Treml (from the UK), Hendrick Harterich (from Germany), Matthew Clements, Joe Bergmans and Nick Bradshaw. In addition, several gaming pals dropped by in the morning to say goodbye on their way out. And Joe and Nick didn't leave till Tuesday afternoon. It was a nice way to wind down, though we all continued to drag for the rest of the week.
That's the Open House in a nutshell. Or at least a glimpse of it from my point of view. Everyone had fun and it was a total success. What follows is the story of my DeSilca Aftermath games. Enjoy and keep those imaginations burning bright.
– Kevin Siembieda, Role-Playing Madman
Kevin's Six Part DeSilca Aftermath Game
– played with six groups of different players
Off and on for three decades (including several Palladium Open Houses), I have run a game known as Lord DeSilca. It was originally conceived for the first Octoberfest Gaming Event at the DGC (Detroit Gaming Center) in 1981 or 1982. It's a great game. People always enjoy it, and I have enjoyed seeing dozens of different player groups play the same characters in the same adventure. I find it very interesting to see how different players portray the same characters and respond in different ways to the same villains and challenges.
Here's the set-up for the Classic DeSilca: The sinister Lord DeSilca has ruled the city-state of Shadow Hollow for generations. It is no secret he consorts with Demon Lords and commands Lesser and Greater Demons. Lord DeSilca is a tyrant and a monster who rules with an iron fist. Over time, he used his dark magic and allegiance to demons to turn himself into a pseudo-demon or supernatural being with the head of a Jack-o-Lantern.
When word leaked out that Lord DeSilca had made a pact with the ruler of Hades (a plane of Hell) to become a Lord of Hell himself, heroes from across the land came to stop him. All the evil wizard had to do was to complete a magic ritual at the stroke of midnight on Halloween and sacrifice an innocent virgin. (A child! Not a hot young lady.) If DeSilca succeeded, the entire town and everyone in it (including the heroes) would be transferred to the Pits of Hell where they would serve him as his first minions and slaves.
Many heroes came to stop DeSilca and failed. Most lost their lives. Others were tricked into following false leads. Some ran away before the stroke of midnight. Inevitably, the player characters – a group of unlikely heroes – succeed in stopping the evil madman. (I think only two groups out of something like 50 or 60 gaming groups have ever failed to save the day.)
In storybooks this would be a happy ending. Ah, but this is not a faerie tale.
I got to wondering, what happens to the town afterward? With DeSilca gone, there will be demons running wild, and other evil villains and forces vying to fill the power vacuum left by his destruction. The child needs to be reunited with his mother, and much more. That was it! I would run SIX games in which we would play out what happens AFTER DeSilca's defeat. Thus the title: Lord DeSilca Aftermath. It was epic. 15 hours of gaming by a total of 75 gamers, to reveal the story of what transpires.
Game One (Friday) starts out with our triumphant heroes coming into town.
The original game takes place on the outskirts of town in a secret underground lair beneath the cemetery, so the group must return to town. They have the 4 or 5 year old boy they rescued in tow. All he wants is to be reunited with Mommy. The group's plan is to reunite the child with his mother. They arrive to much fanfare where the townsfolk greet them as heroes. Coltran of Wonders, the group's arrogant Wizard, is happy to take credit for the defeat of DeSilca and weaves some magic to impress the crowd. The lady playing this character does a wonderful job playing him and wins the adulation of the crowd. The rest of the group is annoyed but says nothing to change the townspeople's perception that the Wizard is their leader. They parade the child around and ask if anyone knows the whereabouts of his mother, but nobody recognizes the child. He's not from these parts.
The celebrating continues, but the heroes don't have much time to enjoy themselves before an explosion a few blocks away sets a building on fire. The child wonders out loud if that might not be "Mommy," but before the group has time to ponder that statement, there are more screams and panic in the street.
Demons run amok and people are in immediate danger. The Lady Elizabeth (a Knight) and the warriors rush off to save townspeople. They battle Alu and Shedim demons in the streets where everyone can witness their heroics. This impresses the townspeople and wins their sincere gratitude and adoration for the group. The child seems to be a target of a few specific attacks. One of the main culprits turns out to be the Scarecrow (or another one) the group fought and thought they slew to get to Lord Desilca. The villain is mobilizing the assassin's guild and commands a couple of demons, including a Baal-Rog. He is making his move to fill the void left by DeSilca and become the new ruler of Shadow Hollow. He tries to buy off the group. When that fails, he sends the Baal-Rog and assassins at them.
Gryff the Wolfen and Lady Elizabeth are particularly valiant in protecting the child and townspeople, with Gryff drinking a Size of the Behemoth potion and taking on the Baal-Rog. However, they all fight as a team and every one of the heroes has a moment to shine, be they Dwarven Warrior, Ranger, Priestess, Wizard or Thief. Our heroes destroy the Scarecrow, the Baal-Rog and send the assassins fleeing. They win the day in dynamic fashion. Annoyed by the antics of Coltran of Wonders, the group lets the Wizard take the credit for leading them into battle. The crowd starts to chant, "Coltran, Coltran," while others cheer Lady Elizabeth. The heroes are offered food, drink and accolades for being truly noble heroes. Game one ends.
Game Two: Who is this kid, anyway?
Our heroes learn there is a bounty on the child's head. A substantial one. 300,000 gold is being offered by Beloc the Soul Stealer, reputed to be as powerful and wicked as Lord DeSilca. In fact, Beloc once served DeSilca before going his separate way. Presumably, Beloc is here to fill the void left by DeSilca. Why he wants the kid and is willing to pay so much, especially now that DeSilca is dead and gone, is perplexing. Moreover, there are at least two other individuals willing to match the price. One is on the other end of town at a local tavern known to be a hangout for thieves and assassins.
Someone in our band of heroes finally looks at the kid's aura. It registers immense P.P.E. and is definitely not human. After a few minutes of well put questions, it is revealed that the child is really a baby dragon in disguise. He is only a couple days old, quite innocent and learning how to use his abilities. "Mom" told him to metamorph into a human boy because people fear and distrust dragons. It all starts to make sense now. After all, it would take more than the blood sacrifice of an ordinary human child to teleport the entire city-state to the Pits of Hell.
The rest of the adventure involves more mysteries, revelations and several kidnapping attempts of the baby dragon by thieves and assassins.
Meanwhile, hundreds of townspeople, overconfident in their new heroes, follow them in mobs chanting "Coltran, Coltran" or "Lady Elizabeth" and cheering with every feat of heroics and daring-do. The person playing Coltran plays this to the max, winning hundreds of followers. The Priestess of Od tries to use her new-found fame to promote her god and establish followers. Meanwhile, Lady Elizabeth guards the kid with her life, and Gryff the Wolfen becomes one of the town's favorite heroes as his courage and heroics make them realize not all Wolfen are evil or children-eaters.
All seems to be going well and the group plans to go investigate this Beloc and other mystery person, when there are several large lightning bolts that come crashing out of a clear night sky, setting a section of the town ablaze. This is followed by the bellow of an Elven Wizard in a voice that seems much too loud for a man. "Bring me my son or the town burns!"
This is no man nor Elf, but Daddy Dragon. And that's not a good thing. Dragons tend to view other dragons as rivals and enemies. Males tend to hunt down and destroy their young before they can grow up to become rivals. The baby dragon has no idea this is "Dad." In fact, he says to the group, "I'm sure glad he's not my father. He's mean."
The group comes up with a clever if hasty deception to trick the father into leaving with one of their own disguised as the child (a Changeling and various types of magic are available to the group). Dad sees through the deception, but recognizing they are formidable heroes, offers them a million gold for his "son." They refuse and deadly combat seems imminent as time runs out for this group of players. Then a new deception is hatched in desperation. "Our apologies, Great Horned Dragon. We were trying to deceive you to protect the town from your wrath. We don't have your son. Beloc the Soul Stealer has him." The dragon demands the location of this man. The group provides it, and just as they had hoped, the dragon flies off to Beloc.
They have bought some time. The plan is that Beloc and Daddy Dragon will severely hurt each other in mortal combat. Whichever one survives, the group will immediately attack and destroy. End of Game Two.
Game Three: Desperate Ruses
The third group of players inherits this desperate mess, but accepts it immediately. Part of the group runs off to observe the battle between Beloc and the adult Horned Dragon. One of them, Gilderon the Archer, goes to the tavern where the third mystery man is willing to pay a mountain of gold for the child.
Mother dragon suddenly arrives, appearing as an ordinary woman. The child instantly recognizes her. Mother and child reunited, the kid quickly explains how the heroes saved his life many times in the last 24 hours. She is grateful, pledges her eternal gratitude and gets ready to leave. The heroes petition her to fight the male dragon, but she wants no part of it. He is too powerful and she can't risk her child's life. They try to use the innocent townspeople who will suffer if she doesn't help, but she has little concern for mere humans. It is only when the group points out that "she owes them" and her child pleads for her to help "his friends," that she grudgingly agrees.
Coltran of Wonders and the rest of the group then go about putting out the fire that is quickly engulfing a quarter of the town. The gamer playing Coltran plays up the popularity of the wizard to the nth degree. With great fanfare, Coltran calls the townspeople to mass, follow him, and "lend him their strength." Nearly a thousand spectators chanting, "Coltran, Coltran" follow him. Since they are chanting his name and willingly "lending him their strength," he is able to draw upon their P.P.E. to cast one Extinguish Fire spell after another to quickly quell the fire. Likewise, the Warlock manages to summon a Lesser Water Elemental who helps battle the flames. The rest of the group rescue innocent people and help in other ways. When the fires are snuffed out, Coltran, again, takes ALL the credit, with a nod to his loyal servants (i.e. the rest of the player characters).
Meanwhile, back at Beloc's cottage, the battle between dragon and Wizard rages. Beloc commands Deevils, but the dragon makes quick work of them. Eventually, both combatants look battered and weak, but Beloc (pronounced "bell-lock") looks the worst for the wear. Realizing this, the male dragon pounces. When Beloc touches the great dragon, the creature shudders and a ghost-like essence is torn from its body. It is absorbed by Beloc the Soul Stealer, who now looks much restored as he drinks the dragon's soul and remaining P.P.E. The beast falls over, dead.
The three or four player characters watching in the woods are shocked by this sudden turn of events and decide they can't wait for the rest of the group. They attack immediately, firing Cyclops Lightning Arrows and hurling other ranged weapons and magic lightning. Unaware of their presence until they attack (and getting low rolls to respond), the Soul Stealer takes a considerable amount of damage. It is decided that one of these heroes needs to get the rest of the group and hurries off to retrieve them.
The entire group and mother dragon, except for, Gilderon the Long Bowman at the tavern and Lady Elizabeth guarding the child, rush off to join the battle. Gilderon soon learns that the "mystery man" is a beautiful woman. She makes a deal with Gilderon. If he turns the child over to her, she'll tell him the location of Lord DeSilca's treasure trove worth many millions. As a sign of good faith, she hands over a jewel-studded, Old Kingdom coin worth at least 20,000 gold. Gilderon plays hard to get, and she hands over two more. They hatch a plan to capture the child.
The battle that had been going in the group's favor, suddenly turns bad. When the Water Elemental grabs a near dead Beloc in an attempt to drown him, the mage steals its soul, the Elemental vanishes and Beloc smiles. He looks significantly restored and throws up a force field. He then begins to cast another spell. "Oh, crap," is the sentiment of the worn down player group. It looks bad. Then mother dragon bellows, "Now! Hit him now." And successfully casts Dispel Magic Barrier. The group hammers Beloc and he goes down for the count.
Upon returning to town, Gilderon and the Thieves conspire to turn the child over to the mystery woman. It is a clever ruse that fails to go according to plan. (I love the roll of the die and how it can determine the actions of non-player characters and players alike.) The woman playing Lady Elizabeth uses her astute role-playing skills and she matches wits with the greedy turncoats to manipulate the baby dragon. In the end, the child is rescued, and the conspirators play their evil deed so well that they convince the group it was all a ruse to capture the mystery woman. Which they do. The perfect play and double-cross. Mommy dragon thanks Lady Elizabeth for keeping her child safe, gives the treacherous trio a suspicious look and flies away with child in tow.
However, quick to convince the group of their innocence, the treacherous trio turn the woman over to the town authorities. The very authorities who served Lord DeSilca yesterday. Unknown to our heroes, as soon as the authorities are out of sight, they let the woman go, later claiming she escaped. Game Three Ends.
Game Four: Double Trouble
The new player group is brought up to speed and most of them decide to go back to the shattered ruins of Beloc's cottage on the edge of town to search for clues and treasure. It is a smart move.
Only one room, a library, remains standing. Unfortunately, there are clear indications that someone or several someones have beat them to it. There are several books missing from the shelves and drawers emptied. However, a secret passage is located and some treasure, a couple magic items (a medallion and scepter), and a diary of Beloc are recovered. The group also rescues a trio of prisoners Beloc tortured for his own sadistic pleasure.
Back in town, one of the Dwarven warriors is accused of horrific crimes by an angry townsperson. "How could you do it? We thought you were real heroes and hoped you would stay and run our town. But you're as bad as DeSilca." The gamer portraying the Dwarf does a wonderful job playing along to find out what this guy is talking about. At first, he insists it's impossible as he's been drinking at the tavern all afternoon, but the Dwarf adds with a wry grin, "Then again, maybe I blacked out. That happens sometimes. So tell me, what did I do that I don't remember?" The townsperson thinks the Dwarf is playing a cruel trick, but relates the horrors of his wicked deeds.
Turns out there are Dopplegangers of the entire group. To make a long story short, Beloc had planned to take DeSilca's seat of power. To make the transition less bloody and complete, he planned to replace the most important and powerful people in town with demonic Dopplegangers that would be secretly obedient to him alone. Without the slain Beloc to guide them, the Dopplegangers tried to follow his last order by impersonating the most important people in town. Which were now the heroic player characters.
I don't want to shortchange this adventure, but this description is running long. Suffice it to say, the heroes had to fight themselves! The battle betwen them and their evil twins was very cool. The heroes prove themselves innocent to the townspeople and again capture their hearts. Not only is Coltran's name chanted, but most members of the group. They are truly heroes, and even the monstrous members of the group (Wolfen, Ogre, Goblin) are cheered and embraced.
Again, all the players had their moment to shine, but the Warlock, Darryl the Ranger, and one of the Dwarves played central roles in this adventure. Game Four Ends.
Game Five: More Treachery
Nobody but our heroes know the boy (i.e., the baby dragon) and mama dragon have left town. Their departure took place in the woods on the outskirts of town. As a result, there is still a bounty on the child. The group wants to know who and why the child is still so important. It turns out the same woman – Lady Sarah, a Succubus who once served Lord DeSilca, is at the roots of this campaign to acquire the child. She is also in cahoots with the local assassins' guild whose headquarters is the tavern where some of the heroes have been hanging out. Yes, she is the same woman who was captured but later released. This is when they find out the woman was released and that the authorities cannot be trusted.
The player group hatches a clever plan to lure this mystery person out in the open once and for all, and do away with the Succubus, assassins and the evildoers working with them. The group pretends they have the boy and Haloric the Bold, a Thief, promises to sneak the child away and turn him over.
Of course, things don't go so smoothly. Our heroes find themselves tailed by assassins and worse: Shadow Beasts and a number of lesser demons. The assassins and demons attack in an attempt to snatch the kid and get the handsome reward for themselves. After the heroes are able to hold them off, kill and capture several of the villains, the Thief in the group convinces the evil Lady Sarah to call off her dogs and give him till sunset to produce the child. She agrees, but warns, if he fails, she and her henchmen will come for the child and destroy everyone who stands in their way.
Now comes one of those, "What the . . . ?!" Game Master moments. The heroes, realizing no place in town is safe, decide to go to, and hole up at, Lord DeSilca's castle! Really? You think DeSilca's castle is a safe haven? They decided, yes, it was. As I thought more about it, I must admit there is a certain logic to it.
The group arrives to the castle, demand entry, and as conquering heroes, seize control. They gather all the servants, sense who is evil and send them packing. They momentarily decide to keep the servants with "good" alignments on site to keep them safe. These innocent people are terrified and I point out that "safe" seems unlikely. The heroes could be double-crossed and attacked at any moment, and God only knows what evil may lurk hidden in the castle. As a result, the heroes decide to send the "good people" home. They then sweep the castle sensing for evil and looking for secret passages. They find no evil, but do locate a secret passage and a long, dark tunnel.
Some members of the team stand watch, others eat and rest, the Goblin Cobbler Thief decides to see where the tunnel leads. By herself! (An Aside: I love Goblin Cobblers as player and non-player characters. I use them as NPCs all the time. Cobblers can turn into small animals like ravens, weasels and rats. Consequently, I'm surprised how many people have never played one, and I'm equally surprised how well people play them whenever I hand them one. Cobblers are versatile, awesome and fun characters to play. EVERY person who played the character, Zandrox, in this series of games played the Cobbler to a "T" and often played very important roles in the course of the adventure.) So, the woman playing Zandrox turns into a black cat and quietly prowls down the tunnel. She goes a mile and keeps on plugging away. She discovers the tunnel leads to Lord DeSilca's secret lair under the cemetery where they battled and killed him and his legion of monsters. (She had actually played in the original DeSilca game, so she knew the layout.) Zandrox keeps going down familiar passages, taking note of the fact that this dungeon where fierce combat had taken place only a day before has been cleaned up of blood and dead bodies.
Unseen, Zandrox keeps going until she reaches the chamber with the sacrificial altar. There see observes the evil Lady Sarah talking with two robed figures. The trio discuss the final preparations for the ceremony to resurrect Lord DeSilca. All they need is the right sacrifice to bring back their master. Zandrox sneaks away and runs down the long corridor to warn her teammates. Game Five ends.
Game Six: End Game. The Resurrection of Lord DeSilca
Now knowing Lady Sarah's plans, the group cooks up the ultimate double-cross. They have the means to enable the Cobbler to appear to be the child. They'll hand the child over to Lady Sarah and get the location of DeSilca's treasure to loot at a later time. Then, knowing when and where the ritual to raise DeSilca is located, they'll attack the villains from two sides. One, via the secret tunnel which the villains don't know about and, two, from the entrance at the mausoleum in the cemetery. Best of all, the Cobbler – disguised as the child – can turn into an animal and slip away or attack at the most opportune moment. Someone points out that even if the Cobbler should be sacrificed and slain by accident, he's not the baby dragon and the ritual will be ruined. It's a win-win situation! Everyone but the Cobbler sees the wisdom in this plan, but the valiant Zandrox, dreaming about DeSilca's treasure and of becoming one of the town's new rulers (the people have asked our heroes to rule them), agrees to go along with the plan. As Game Master, I think it's just crazy enough to work.
Then comes another, "What the . . .?!" moment. Haloric the Daring announces she'll go alone to the tavern with the faux child to turn him over to Lady Sarah and everyone agrees. They prepare for the final battle at the castle, securing weapons and horses, and figuring out which teammates will go down the tunnel and which will attack from the cemetery.
Haloric literally walks into the lions den – the tavern – where Lady Sarah waits. Remember, a) Lady Sarah is known to be a Succubus. b) This tavern is known to be the headquarters for the assassins' guild. c) The head bartender is the Master Assassin who runs the guild and many of the patrons and tavern workers are assassins and thieves. Haloric "the Daring," indeed. Lady Sarah is happy to have the child delivered to her. The Succubus thanks Haloric, takes the child by the hand and starts to walk out the door.
"Wait," shouts Haloric. "What about my reward? The treasure."
"Oh," says Lady Sarah with a cat's grin. "Boys, give the thief what she deserves." And she walks out of the tavern with the child/Cobbler hand in hand. Zandrox doesn't want to tip his hand, and isn't sure that Haloric is in trouble, so he continues to play the role of innocent child and lets the Succubus lead him away.
Before Haloric can respond or take action (a sad initiative roll), she finds herself alone, surrounded by a half dozen assassins plus the Leader of the assassins' guild. They are all chuckling and taunting Haloric about how many ways they can torture and kill her. Ordinary citizens in the tavern who were celebrating their freedom from the tyranny of DeSilca run out of the tavern to avoid becoming collateral damage. A hooded figure steps back and begins to quietly mutter as he blends into the shadows. A handful of cutthroats stay to watch the show.
Outnumbered, Haloric tries to talk her way out of the jam. It doesn't work. As some of the assassins move in to cut the thief's throat, the Head of the assassins guild tells them to back off. He hands Haloric a mug of poisoned ale and instructs her to take the drink and die fast and comparatively painlessly. Haloric continues to stall and palms a smoke bomb in one hand and holds the mug of poison in the other. Things look bleak.
Meanwhile, back at the castle, nobody knows Haloric is in trouble. The group is so confident in their plan, that they haven't even considered that something could go wrong. At least not until a Magic Pigeon arrives delivering the warning that Haloric is outnumbered and in immediate danger. They need to come quickly. It seems the hooded figure was an admirer of their heroics, perhaps even one of the many other heroes who had come to town to try to stop Lord DeSilca.
The group is shocked by the news and they immediately mount up and head for town. The problem is, even the fastest horse and Gryff the Wolfen can't get there in time. They are at least 6-8 minutes away. They ride like the wind.
Haloric is out of time. She plans to throw the smoke bomb at her feet and try to push her way out in the confusion. The Master Assassin Leader has had enough. "Drink now or die by our blades!" As if on cue, the front door of the tavern, and then the back, are kicked open and a mob of angry townspeople carrying shovels and pitchforks barge inside. Inspired by the heroes, they demand Haloric's release.
"Are you insane?!" barks the Master Assassin. "These people aren't going to stay here. As soon as they're gone, someone like me will be ruling you sheep. Go home now and I'll try to forget this ever happened."
The townspeople attack. The smoke bomb goes off. A half dozen innocent townspeople die fighting. Others get hurt. Haloric gets to the street just as her comrades arrive. ALL OF THEM (except the Cobbler). They slay the assassins and help the townspeople. A short time later, they realize the ritual must be taking place. They don't have time to attack from both ways in. They ride for the cemetery. A mob of townspeople follow after, chanting "Coltran, Coltran," mixed in with the names of the other heroes, and words like "freedom" and "an end to tyranny."
Wolves howl in the distance as the heroes and the mob reach the mausoleum. There can be little doubt that the howling, which keeps getting louder and closer, is Alu Demon Hounds. The heroes convince many of the townspeople to go home to protect their families, but two dozen, nervous but heroic people insist on staying around the mausoleum to guard their backs.
The heroes charge straight down into the catacombs where they engage more Shedim demons and henchmen. The battle is fierce but goes in favor of the heroes. (Their dice rolls were fantastic. Mine were awful. Ah, I love role-playing and the fate of the die roll.) While they battle, three members of the team charge toward the ritual chamber.
As usual, Coltran hangs back near the top of the stairs where the mausoleum opens to the secret lair. So does one of the Dwarven Warriors. As the battle rages, one of the townspeople runs in. "Coltran. Coltran, we need you out here. We're scared. The howling is getting closer." The Wizard answers the "call of his people" and steps outside to calm their fears. The Dwarf stays behind to guard the group's back. The townperson who fetched the Wizard bows and scrapes before his greatness, and says, "You want to come with me."
I, as G.M., say, "Roll to save vs magic Charm." Coltran's roll fails. The Succubus, disguised as the townsperson, smiles. "You are such an arrogant fool, aren't you?" Though charmed, Coltran laughs and says, "You don't have the baby dragon. It's the Cobbler. Your ritual can't work. Your plans are ruined."
Lady Sarah smiles, strokes Coltran's hair and says, "Do you take me for a fool? We know he's not the child. It was you we were after. We don't need a baby dragon to resurrect Lord DeSilca. We just need someone with sufficient magic energy, such as you, my dear."
Meanwhile, the Cobbler, chained to the sacrificial altar, transforms into a weasel and slips away. The two hooded figures and Lady Sarah are (presumably) in the next chamber preparing for the ritual. He heads toward the sound of battle, where he is met by some of his comrades. The Warlock throws up a wall of ice, trapping the hooded figures and the Succubus inside the altar chamber. Being reunited with the Goblin Cobbler, they leave the villains with no human sacrifice and rejoin the rest of the group. The demons are dispatched and the heroes exit the mausoleum triumphant. It is only when they do a head count that they realize Coltran is missing.
Nobody saw where Coltran went. The Cobbler turns into a raven and flies around, but they are nowhere to be seen.
As the G.M., I'm thinking, "Oh, no. They screwed up big time. DeSilca is going to be resurrected and kick their behinds."
Then the guy playing Gryff says, "I know Coltran's scent, right? Can't I track him?"
"Roll for it." He rolls well under his ability. "Yes, you can follow his trail.
A short time later, however, Gryff has to roll again and fails. He rolls again and fails again. The trail is lost.
The player of Darryl the Ranger says, "We're outdoors, I search for tracks." He finds the trail but it disappears at the same location where Gryff lost the scent.
Without hesitation, the Goblin Cobbler and the two Dwarves drop to their knees and start to dig at that spot where the trail was lost. Smart. I'm impressed. They find a secret door and another tunnel. Following the tunnel it leads to the sacrificial altar under the mausoleum. Coltran is gagged and chained to it. Lady Sarah and the two hooded figures are chanting. Lady Sarah has the ceremonial short sword poised above Coltran.
The battle is swift and terrible. Coltran and the day are saved. Lord DeSilca remains dead and gone.
Game Six ends. Triumph snatched from the jaws of treachery and near defeat. Epic teamwork. Epic story. I couldn't have done it without you.
I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. Game on.
© Copyright 2012 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Beyond the Supernatural™, Chaos Earth, Coalition States, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, Warpath, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.
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This press report may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and personal enjoyment.


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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
Abstracts of manuscripts accepted for publication in the Am. J. Physiol. (Cell Physiology) are being published electronically up to four months prior to their appearance in the traditional, paper issues of AJP: Cell Physiology. This NEW publication of the American Physiological Society (APS) is entitled APStracts (ISSN 1073-0664) and is available from the APS Gopher server gopher.uth.tmc.edu 3300 under the "Publications" section. Individuals may activate their Gopher client to directly connect to the APS server, or they may select the "American Physiological Society" from menus provided by other Gopher servers. If you are using Internet viewers such as Mosaic or lynx, you may form a direct link to APStracts by using the following Uniform Resource Locator (URL): URL:gopher://gopher.uth.tmc.edu:3300/11/publications/apstracts The description of APStracts as provided by the American Physiological Society is appended below. ****************************************************************************** APStracts (ISSN 1073-0664) is published electronically on a weekly basis by The American Physiological Society, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3991. APStracts is an on-line (electronic) periodic notice of current research scheduled to be published in the journals of The American Physiological Society. The abstracts published in APStracts are of articles that have been accepted for publication in APS journals. Articles are not scheduled for a specific issue when they are accepted, and abstracts may appear in APStracts as much as 4 months prior to the print publication of the article. Dates of manuscript submission and acceptance for publication are included with the abstract. Information in APStracts is archived on the APS Gopher Information Server for future reference. Once the manuscript is published, the exact citation for the article can be obtained by referring to the journal Table of Contents posted on the APS Information Server. APStracts is distributed electronically by The Office of Academic Computing, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030. APStracts is copyrighted by The American Physiological Society. APStracts may be copied by individual scientists for research or classroom use. For permission for any other use, contact the APS Publications Office, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3991.

subset: commoncrawl


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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Behind three different goal scorers, the Montreal Impact Reserves earned a 3-1 win over the New England Revolution Reserves on Monday morning at Gillette Stadium's Lower Practice Field. Zackariah Massoudi, Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Andrew Wenger all scored for the visiting Impact, while Dimitry Imbongo scored for New England.
Despite an early Wenger chance in the sixth minute, the teams played a scoreless first 30 minutes. Montreal broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute when Montreal's Massoudi, an Under-21 player, ripped a shot from the top of the area that was deflected. Revs goalkeeper Tim Murray recovered to get a fingertip on the ball, but it still found the back of the goal for a 1-0 Montreal lead.
The Impact doubled its lead in the 42nd minute through Ubiparipovic. Montreal's build-up play came through Lamar Neagle on the left side and the midfielder slid a pass to Ubiparipovic at the top of the area. His shot clipped the far post and bounced into the goal, pushing Montreal's lead to 2-0.
New England responded three minutes later. Flo Lechner played Imbongo through down the center of the field, and the forward powered past a pair of Impact defenders and slotted his shot past Montreal goalkeeper Evan Bush to cut the lead to 2-1 going into halftime.
Montreal converted once more in the 61st minute when the number one overall selection in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, Andrew Wenger, picked up the ball off a turnover in the midfield and shot low to the far post and past Murray, giving Montreal its final goal for the 3-1 win.
With the loss, the Revolution Reserves moved to 2-3-3 (9 pts.), while the Montreal Impact moved to 4-2-1 (13 pts.) on the season.
The Revolution Reserves next see action on Friday, Sept. 7, when they host the Toronto FC Reserves at 10 a.m. at Gillette Stadium. The Impact Reserves are next in action on Tuesday, August 21, when they host the New York Red Bulls Reserves at Stade Saputo at 11 a.m.
MLS Reserve League
Montreal Impact Reserves at New England Revolution Reserves
August 12, 2012 – Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
Montreal Impact Reserves 3, New England Revolution Reserves 1
Scoring Summary:
MTL – Zachariah Massoudi (unassisted) 31
MTL – Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Lamar Neagle) 42
NE – Dimitry Imbongo (Flo Lechner) 45
MTL – Andrew Wenger (unassisted) 61
New England Revolution: Tim Murray, Tyler Polak, Ivica Majstorovic^, Darrius Barnes ©, Flo Lechner, Mike Roach (Kelyn Rowe 45), Mark Kerr^, Diego Fagundez (Ramiro Osorio* 75'), Sainey Nyassi, Blake Brettschneider (Fernando Cardenas 49'), Dimitry Imbongo (Willis Griffith* 86')
Substitutes Not Used: Matt Mozynski*
Montreal Impact: Evan Bush, Maxime Tissot*, Karl Ouimette, Wadrille Lefevre*, Calum Mallace, Steven Miller^, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Josh Gardner, Lamar Neagle, Zackariah Massoudi*, Andrew Wenger
Substitutes Not Used: Greg Sutton, Sanna Nyassi
^ Guest player
* Academy/Youth player
Misconduct Summary:
Team Records:
New England Revolution – 2-3-3 (9 pts.)
Montreal Impact – 4-2-1 (13 pts.)
Referee: Bruno Mozzo
Assistant Referees: Russ Wolf, Ben Pilgrim
Fourth Official: Kara Honthumb
Weather: Sunny, 78 degrees


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I really sat down quietly for a bit before selecting my cards this morning, and thought about what I really wanted. This is huge progress, because, although it's still mostly vague, it's an improvement from knowing only what I don't want (which, let's be honest, is a big fat cop-out). So after contemplation and the selection of my six cards, I feel really
inspired motivated encouraged by the reading, even if it is still pretty generic. It is overall extremely positive – something I hope to focus on a lot more often this year.
Card 1 (Wheel Of Fortune) : How you feel about yourself now »
Perhaps you feel due for a bit of good luck or indeed are experiencing some at the moment. The Wheel of Fortune is a card of destiny. What is happening now we could call fate, so if positive things are happening with your love life, career or finances this is no coincidence. If no such things are happening, expect a sudden change in fortune.
Card 2 (Judgement) : What you most want at this moment »
The cards suggest that what you most want at this time is a new start, to close this chapter in your life and have a brand new beginning. This is not a time for regret but for rejoicing. Rewards for past efforts will follow and you are sure to have many opportunities presented to you. Life will pick up a pace and the choices you make will have far reaching implications that could change your life dramatically. Any legal issues should be ruled in your favour.
Card 3 (The Hierophant) : Your fears »
Are you really your best counsel? Probably not at this moment in time. You are worried that you will sell yourself short and agree to something that you don't feel morally comfortable with. For example you may really desire marriage but the offer has been 'let's live together'. You may be looking at a job or business opportunity but you question how ethical it is. Seek out an advisor you can trust such as a teacher, priest, parent or anyone you have respect for. They will be happy to help.
Card 4 (The Star) : What is going for you »
A wish come true, this is a time of good luck and fortune, perhaps after a period of struggle and heartache. Good health, possibly after a time of illness, and good fortune that will give you a new zest of life. If considering a new love affair, new job or career, or travel, then go for it. You may also receive a gift or gifts!
Card 5 (The Moon) : What is going against you »
You are frozen with fear, lack of nerve and confused as to what it is you actually want. You are allowing all your fears and anxieties to hold you back when you should be opening your mind to new and unexpected possibilities. You do need to be careful however, as there are deceitful people around who may seem charming but are only out for their own gains. If in a clandestine affair beware, your secret may be exposed.
Card 6 (The World) : Outcome »
Success, fulfillment and conclusion are near at hand – the successful outcome to a venture, satisfaction in a relationship and efforts rewarded. It is a culmination of events and indicates material wealth and greater spiritual awareness. You may choose to buy that dream house or a wonderfully fulfilling relationship is on offer, enjoy!


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Several GLBT advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Campaign, evacuated their Washington D.C. headquarters after an unspecified bomb threat Tuesday morning.
Police warned the organizations—HRC, he National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Black Justice Coalition and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network—of a threat against a "national gay rights organization," GLBT news site Metro Weekly reported.
They got the all-clear around 1 p.m. and were able to return to their buildings.
It's the first time the Human Rights Campaign, a prominent lobbying group known for its popular equal sign logo, has had to evacuate their offices due to a bomb threat, the site said.
HRC spent nearly $1 million rallying for same-sex marriage in New York and continues to lobby for marriage equality as well as workplace rights, stronger penalties for hate crimes and anti-gay bullying programs.
(H/T Gawker)


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White House recognizes alumna among "Champions of Change"
July 31, 2013
Board of Alumni member Ruthe Farmer BA '92 was among 11 individuals recently recognized by the White House as "Champions of Change for Tech Inclusion."
The Champions of Change were honored for their extraordinary work in expanding technology opportunities for young learners—especially minorities, women, and girls, and others from communities historically underserved or underrepresented in tech fields. The event is part of the White House Tech Inclusion Initiative, launched after President Obama issued a call during his 2013 State of the Union address to better equip American graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy.
Since 2001, Farmer has focused her efforts on increasing the participation of girls in technology and engineering. She currently serves as director of strategic initiatives for the National Center for Women & Information Technology and spearheads the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing talent development initiative. This program is designed to increase women's participation in technology careers by providing awards, encouragement, visibility, community, leadership opportunities, scholarships, and internships.
"My years at Lewis & Clark had a huge influence in shaping my career path and passion, and I can point to my Rhetoric of Women course with Professor Jean Ward as the launching pad of my interest in fighting for equity for women," Farmer said. "How can we expect girls to aspire to greatness if we don't share the stories of the women that came before them? This is especially true in technology—many of the founders of the computing discipline were women, as were most of the early programmers. Girls need to know this heritage."
Alumni & Parent Programs Rhetoric and Media Studies


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2 dead in Lake Michigan plane crash
Debris appears to be from 1975 Piper aircraft
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office confirms two people are dead following a plane crash in Lake Michigan.
Debris was found that looks like it was from a 1975 Piper single-engine plane, said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Christopher Yaw.
The U.S. Coast Guard identified the pilot killed in the crash as William Gensler. Dave Mann, the general manager at Batten International Airport in Racine, said he knew Gensler. He said Gensler was a flight instructor and maintained an office at the airport.
"I've known him a long time. He's a good pilot. He will be missed around the airport." Mann said.
The U.S. Coast Guard said the body of one other man was recovered. but they have not yet identified him. Investigators said the plane went down about 2:50 p.m. Saturday in Lake Michigan off the coast of Cudahy.
Authorities said the plane was coming from Racine and heading to Oshkosh, Wis.
Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration said they had no record of a missing aircraft and their towers did not hear from any aircraft in distress. However, the FAA noted the plane may have been flying by visual flight rules, which means it would not have been talking to air traffic control.
The Coast Guard, fire department and other local agencies searched for the aircraft about 3 miles off the shore of Cudahy.
Divers located the wreckage submerged in 42 feet of water. Crews said they found the bodies of two men inside the plane, but have not been able to confirm if there were more than two people on board.
"We don't know how many people were on this plane. The plane seats four persons, so until we know otherwise, we're going to assume there are four persons and continue searching for two missing persons until we know differently," said Milwaukee Fire Battalion Chief Sean Slowey.


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On Thursday night, nine years to the day that he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Patriots' 2008 season opener against Kansas City at Gillette Stadium, Brady will take the field against the Chiefs in the NFL's 2017 season opener in Foxboro.
FOXBORO – It is an anniversary Tom Brady would rather not think about.
"I didn't think about that," the Patriots quarterback said Monday. "Time flies."
On Thursday night, nine years to the day that he suffered a season-ending knee injury midway through the first quarter of the Patriots' 2008 season opener against Kansas City at Gillette Stadium, Brady will take the field against the Chiefs in the NFL's 2017 season opener in Foxboro.
"It's great that we're here," said Brady. "I think all the players look forward to this weekend. It's a long offseason, it's a lot of preparation and it's for this game. When the schedule comes out, you've got this first game is the only one you're really looking at and all the preparation, everything's building for this week.
"It goes for both sides. I'm sure they're looking forward to it, too. I'm excited for this year and to see if all the hard work we put in could amount to something. It's going to be a fun week."
Far more often that not, Brady hasn't been bad for starters, his 12-2 record as a starting quarterback on opening day is the best record among any quarterback on opening day in the Super Bowl era.
"You know, everyone's pretty amped up for this one," said Brady. "It's been waiting a long time for this.
"But yeah, starting the season, and I know they've got a lot of events planned (including the unveiling of the team's Super Bowl LI championship banner), so probably families are coming in. It's a big game and it's an important one.
"You know, we're playing one of the best teams in the AFC. Last year, they were the second seed. They try to make this game big. They get good teams playing, and we know we're going to have to play a great game in order to win."
A Chiefs defense that allowed just 19.4 points per game last year (seventh in the league) poses problems to quarterbacks.
"They have playmakers," said Brady. "Derrick Johnson is one of the best linebackers in the league. He does so many things for that defense. You can tell it really hurts them when he's not out there. And (safety) Eric Berry is a big-time playmaker. (Cornerback) Marcus Peters (has) more interceptions than anybody since he came in the league. (Linebackers Justin) Houston and (Dee) Ford, I mean, they strip sack the quarterback.
"So, they're very explosive and really force the ball out of your hands quick because they get a good rush and then their playmakers in the secondary have eyes on the quarterback and they're trying to make plays, too. When they're roaming around, you can't just stare them down where they're right where you want to throw the ball. It's always like a little cat and mouse with safeties and quarterbacks.
"But they've got a lot of playmakers. That's why they've forced that many turnovers. That's why they're so complementary as a team. You know, they get the turnovers, they score points, they get a lead, they rush the quarterback, strip sacks, turnovers, and it just keeps going. Hopefully we can get off to a fast start like we always talk about, but it's a very challenging team."


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MU Sociology Home
This guide is intended as an introduction to resources for research in SOCIOLOGY in the MU Libraries and beyond.
Sociology offers a unique perspective on the world yet crosses many disciplinary boundaries. You may need to search in several subject areas, such as Women's & Gender Studies, Psychology, Education, or Health & Medicine, to find the information you need.
Click on the gold tabs above to get started. Please feel free to email your librarian to ask a quick question or to set up a time to meet for in-depth assistance.
The Sociology libraran at MU is Rachel Brekhus
Students can make an appointment with me through MU Connect.


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Sandals Resorts International Case Study
This detailed case study traces the deployment of the GULL action learning system at Sandals Resorts International and the emergence of the Sandals Corporate University.
Pacific Islands Regional Case Study
Personal Viability and GULL community applications in the Pacific Islands led by Entrepreneurial Development Training Centre Ltd. PV-GULL has thousands of participants. Photo by: Kahunapule Johnson
Eurest Dining Services Case Study
This case study profiles action learning at EDS, USA a member of Compass Group, a global leader in foodservice management and support services. Photo by: Renée S
Kenya National Case Study
This case study profiles GULL community applications in Kenya initiated by NGOs: Compassion, Tearfund and World Vision with church organizations.
TCI Airports Authority Case Study
This case study profiles action learning at the Turks & Caicos Islands Airports Authority, operator of eight regional airports headquartered in Providenciales.
Sri Lanka National Case Study
This case study features the collaborative work of the South Asian Academy for Good Governance (SAAGG) and GULL - providing opportunities for all in Sri Lanka. Photo by: Dragoad58
World Vision International Case Study
This case features World Vision International, one of the world's largest non-governmental relief, development and advocacy organizations, addressing the needs of millions of children in nearly 100 countries.
Jamaica National Case Study
This case study traces the steps involved in an action learning cascade to workplace and community organizations led by service industry professionals. Photo by: Mvongrue
Church & Community Mobilization Case Study
A case study from East & West Africa, the featured approach enables individuals and entire communities to realize their potential in bring about change and transformation. Photo by: Abir Anwar
Australasia Regional Case Study
This case study features the Voice of Samoan People community development project in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and the wider implications of this work. Photo by: Thechannelc
Our Mission
GULL is dedicated to enabling YOU to make a difference in OUR world. GULL's practical approach to personal and professional development uses self-directed action learning to help individuals, communities and organizations to sustain learning and apply the outcomes.
1 The concept of GULL
2 GULL in the community
3 GULL in the workplace
Learning and Development for a Better World
GULL in South East Asia
News & Updates
- 2019-12-10 | End of Year Highlights 2019
- 2019-06-15 | Mid Year Highlights 2019
- 2018-12-30 | End of Year Highlights 2018
- 2018-06-15 | Mid Year Highlights 2018
- 2017-12-15 | End of Year Highlights 2017
About the University
The Global University for Lifelong Learning (GULL) provides access to lifelong learning for people in communities and for workplace organizations around the world. To facilitate large scale participation, GULL only works with affiliated organizations who use GULL's system for action learning to develop their own pathways to professional certification. GULL's primary role is to recognize and certify evidence of learning and application. This arises as participants use and apply action learning and then cascade their experience to others. The evidence typically relates to change, impact and transformation and the objective is to enable participants and other stakeholders in the learning process to advance and improve.
In developing nations, GULL works with non-governmental organizations and other agencies in support of community-based initiatives for disadvantaged and marginalized groups and in economic terms, the poorest. In the workplace, GULL provides a powerful operating system for corporate business school and university applications. Please see the case studies for examples.


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Man ordered to pay $65,000 in child support for kid that's not his
A Texas man is on the hook for $65,000 in child support for a child that's not his
A Texas man is on the hook for $65,000 in child support for a child that's not his
A Houston man is on the hook for $65,000 in child support for a child that's not his.
Gabriel Cornejo, 45, took a DNA test proving a child his ex-girlfriend had 16 years ago was not his.
The test was too late. In 2003, a child support court in Houston ruled that Cornejo owed his ex-girlfriend child support because, she claims, there was no way he wasn't the father.
At the crux of why Cornejo must pay up is Texas' family code, chapter 161, which states, even if you're not the biological father, you still owe child support that accrued before the DNA test proves you're not the father, Cornejo's lawyer Cheryl Coleman told Chron.com.
"I've researched the records and found that there is an issue with the service where they served him back in 2002," Coleman said. "There are some anomalies with how this case handled by the attorney general's office. He was never served with those documents in 2002 when the actual paternity petition was filed against him."
In further support of why Cornejo is on the line for the child support is a claim from the ex-girlfriend that the child support started coming out from Cornejo's paycheck without his objection.
"There were three garnishments of $31 each when he worked at a dealership. He's never gotten a letter from the state of Texas," Coleman said. "At issue is he's still not the father. Nobody is disputing that. The mother is not disputing that."
Cornejo is now married and has three children.
A request for comment has been placed with the lawyer representing the ex-girlfriend.


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- Focus on Funds
Einhorn Moves Markets — Except When It Comes to Apple
- Order Reprints
- Print Article
David Einhorn is one of the few hedge-fund managers whose views can instantly move a stock. They're "the closest thing in finance to self-fulfilling prophecies," as Bloomberg puts it. Except, in a peculiarity, when it comes to Apple (AAPL).
Bloomberg BusinessWeek's upcoming cover story, "The Einhorn Effect," recounts a few reasons the iPad maker's stock hasn't rebounded in spite of the Greenlight Capital manager's entry. The magazine is putting out a preview this morning of what sounds like a must-read for watchers of the hedge-fund business.
Highlights from the article:
**"Einhorn is renowned for his fearlessness. Not simply for the boldness of his calls, but his embrace of the dull and unglamorous work that others simply won't do. Since launching his fund in 1996, he has been right so often and, occasionally, against such high odds, that his public positions are the closest thing in finance to self-fulfilling prophecies. When he names a target out loud, in his nasal, Wisconsin-tinged voice, it's like jolting the company with a cattle prod."
**[Enihorn's comments at the Ira W. Sohn Investment Research Conference] Unlike the other stocks he had mentioned, shares of Apple barely budged—King Midas had touched a table, and it stubbornly remained wood. Partly this was a function of Apple being one of the largest and most actively traded companies in the world. And partly it was because markets obey David Einhorn more when he is bashing a stock than when he is boosting one."
**"Einhorn's youthful persona—his boyish looks, his habit of bringing his parents to public speaking events, his tendency to litter PowerPoint slides with cartoons and animal pictures—helps to obscure that he's already lived through much of the textbook life cycle of the superstar hedge fund manager. "
**"Greenlight has long thought of itself as being on the side of good corporate governance, using its heft and the courts to push for transparency and better management. "
**"Apple stock continued its decline. Einhorn, used to having investors rushing to follow in his footsteps, was suddenly in the unusual position of fighting the market. "If you're accustomed to being someone who, when you breathe, markets respond, the risk is that you can come to believe that that's going to be true without exception," says Simon Greer, CEO of Nathan Cummings. "And when you then step into an arena with ISS and CalPERS and others—and certainly Apple's management—and you don't get that reaction? Then you're in uncharted territory."
**"Privately, some of Einhorn's peers in the hedge fund ecosystem say they're confused by his lawsuit—not its parsing of corporate governance rules, but the way it undercuts his virtuous reputation. Einhorn is a ferociously competitive investor who would never let good manners get in the way of a percentage point, but equally essential to his persona is his desire to always take the moral high ground."
**"He also relishes his image as a regular guy. He makes a point of catching the commuter train home in time for dinner with his wife and three children, aged 11 to 16, in the suburb of Rye, N.Y., each night, and he drives a Honda Odyssey minivan. He's also become more involved in philanthropy, joining the board of the antipoverty Robin Hood Foundation and donating, along with his wife, between $8 million and $25 million a year to 25 core causes."


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Funeral Held for Falls Park Drowning Victim Madison Wallace
VERMILLION - Friends and family gathered in Vermillion to say goodbye to a teenager who drowned in Sioux Falls while trying to rescue her younger brother.
Sixteen-year-old Madison Wallace died in the Big Sioux River at Falls Park late last week trying to save her 6-year-old brother Garrett, who had fallen into the water but later emerged unhurt. A bystander, 28-year-old Lyle Eagle Tail, also died trying to help.
People who knew Madison said she overcame the challenges of an autism disorder and grew into a girl who thought of others before herself, often giving family members homemade gifts.
She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and will be buried later in Utah.
Eagle Tail's funeral is scheduled Saturday in Rapid City.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text: anyweb 490 Report post Posted April 23, 2009 Canonical has announced the final release of Ubuntu 9.04; also announced were the releases of Ubuntu 9.04 Server Edition and Ubuntu 9.04 Netbook Remix, but of course also Kubuntu 9.04, and Xubuntu 9.04. This new Ubuntu release delivers a host of new features, as well as lots of improvements. Boot times were a focus of this release, and have been shortened. I've been testing the beta and RC releases for a while now, and I can indeed confirm that boot times have been shortened. Obviously, your mileage may vary. Suspend-and-resume has also been enhanced, according to Canonical. They've also put time and effort into WiFi and 3G, broadening hardware support for switching between the two. It also comes with the brand new notification system, which we've covered in greater detail already on OSNews. For the rest, the new Ubuntu release comes with all the latest Free software packages, such as GNOME 2.26, (also covered before here on OSNews), X.org server 1.6, Linux kernel 2.6.28, ext4 support, and much more. The KDE variant of Ubuntu, Kubuntu, comes with the latest KDE release, version 4.2.2, Amarok 2.0.2, the new Plasma-based network manager widget, the first KDE4 release of Digikam (it doesn't yet use all of KDE4's frameworks, though), Qt 4.5, and more. Jane Silber, COO, Canonical, says: "With every release, we see Ubuntu Desktop Edition make significant steps forward in appealing to mainstream computer users. With access to the latest office productivity suite, support for Skype and Adobe Flash, and faster boot times, we're confident that Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition will see more people join millions of others and make the switch to an open platform." Download instructions can be found in the announcements as linked to in the teaser. more > http://www.osnews.com/story/21360/Ubuntu_9_04_Released Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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As Southern celebrity chef Paula Deen certainly knows by now, people with Type 2 diabetes are routinely blamed for causing their disease by eating junky food and making unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Known for high fat recipes that raise the risk for obesity, heart disease and diabetes, Deen's revelation that she has Type 2 diabetes herself -- and that she has partnered with Novo Nordisk in a campaign to promote their drug Victoza -- has branded her as a hypocrite and made her the butt of many jokes.
But over at the Website Diabetes Mine, Amy Tenderich points out that people who live with diabetes every day were quicker to show Dean some support.
With Type 2 diabetes -- formerly known as "adult-onset diabetes" -- people have trouble putting insulin to use in the body to metabolize dietary sugars. Obesity is a major risk factor, and diet, exercise and medication can help prevent the condition in people at risk or treat the disease once it develops.
But it also has a strong genetic component, which explains why although more than 30 percent of Americans are obese, but only 10 percent have Type 2 diabetes, Tenderich said. And Deen has said there are others in her family who eat like she does, but they haven't been diagnosed.
"There's a lock and a key," said obesity specialist David Edelson, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York in my recent story, "Diabetes' Civil War.""The key is a bad lifestyle that leads to weight gain around the gut."
Will drugs help?
Still, Tenderich said we should probably be paying more attention to the medication Deen is promoting. Last summer, the FDA warned about animal studies showing the possible risks of thyroid cancer and pancreatitis from using Victoza. Meanwhile, on The Jury's Still Out over at Diabetes Mine, more than 1,025 readers have commented about the severe gastrointestinal side effects from the drug, including nausea, gas pains and constipation.
Tenderich, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as an adult – which means her pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin and eating a healthy diet won't change her diagnosis -- isn't interested in calling Deen a hypocrite.
While she thinks Deen "missed an opportunity to become a poster child for reinventing your diet," she'd rather focus on the good that can be done by moving forward. That might include taking a closer look at the drug."I wonder how long Ms. Deen has been on Victoza or whether she's tried it," mused Tenderich. "Somehow I'm sure it won't mix well with her Buttermilk Fried Chicken.
As Southern celebrity chef Paula Deen certainly knows by now, people with Type 2 diabetes are routinely blamed for causing their disease by eating junky food and making unhealthy lifestyle choices.


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Quote Of The Week
Everything a cat is and does physically is to me beautiful,
lovely, stimulating, soothing, attractive and an enchantment.
Paul Gallico, from An Honourable Cat
Happy Wordless Wednesday, dear friends! I have always been enchanted by cats with big tails, and Maine Coons sport some of the fluffiest tails in town! I love this shot not only because it shows off Tsunami's magnificent tail, but also because of the cool effect of the sunlight dancing through his fur!
A cat's tail is more than just a crowning ornament to be admired, however. It's also one of his prime means of communication and self-expression! Here's a few basic tips on how to determine what your cat is telling you through his tail:
- When your cat comes running to you with his tail high up in the air, it shows he is happy, confident, proud – the master of his domain.
- When your cat's tail is high and quivering, he is excited.
- Fast swishing means an attack is imminent – you may see this when he is hunting or angry!
- When your cat lowers his tail and tucks it between his legs – particularly when combined with slouching behavior – it indicates submission or fear.
For more insights on how to read your cat's body language, see Cats Talk With Their Tails – Learn What It Means!
The Absolutely Chocolate Cookbook Giveaway
On October 4th, I am celebrating my second blogaversary! To thank all of my wonderful followers for their support and encouragement these past two years, I am giving away a copy of Taunton Press's fabulous Absolutely Chocolate Cookbook! Whether you are a chocolate lover, a bakerella, a bibliophile or a gift-seeker – this is one giveaway you will not want to miss! Be sure to follow the link to read my review and enter the contest – and stay tuned for lots of chocolate tips and recipes over the next few weeks!
Wordless Wednesday #13 – Week Of September 21, 2011
Now, it's your turn to play! What fabulous photos are you sharing this week? Are you feeling Wordless or Wordy? The suspense is to much to bear, so let's get the party started!
To participate, simply share the direct link to your latest, family-friendly Wordless / Wordy Wednesday post, then leave a comment!
If you could also spread the word about the party by displaying our beautiful party button, linking back to this post, and/or tweeting about the party, that would be fabulous! If you're a new follower, please let me know as well!
Have a wonderful week – enjoy the photos – let the party begin!


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The United States' declaration of their attacking intentions may awaken the more thrill-seeking instincts of unbeaten, but so far underwhelming, Belgium as they prepare for "war" in Tuesday's Round of 16 World Cup clash.
The Belgians came through the group stage with three wins against Algeria, Russia and South Korea but failed to hit the heights expected of their exciting, star-studded squad with somewhat lukewarm performances and late shows.
However with talents likes Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku there is time for that to change and the Europeans will be a stiff test for a U.S. side that surprised many by beating off 2010 quarterfinalists Ghana and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal to qualify alongside Germany in Group G.
The American's mix of organization and physical fitness has been improved by head coach Juergen Klinsmann's focus on quick passing moves that have sharpened their attacking edge, and it is that high-energy mantra that could unsettle Belgium.
"Physically they are very strong. We are preparing for a war," Belgium coach Marc Wilmots told reporters.
A fast start could be key to the progress of the U.S. who will have noticed Belgium took until at least the 70th minute to score in all three of their group matches.
"We are going to take it to them," said Klinsmann, whose players' families have been told to change flights home until after the World Cup final. "We believe we have enough confidence now going into this game to beat them. We know we have to go to our extremes to make this happen."
While the Belgians may have stuttered slightly, an unbeaten qualifying campaign extended to their first three World Cup games is enviable and does support their ranking as fifth favorites with bookmakers going into the tournament.
A defense possessing Thibault Courtois in goal and dominant center half Vincent Company have conceded just once in Brazil — a penalty to Algeria — and despite their "dark horse" tag appear unperturbed by a void of anticipated flair in their displays.
"What does it mean to play beautifully?" Wilmots said. "Every game is characterized by tactics and physical fitness. What is important in the end is the result, to win the match with whatever style of play."
The Belgians have won four of their last five games with the U.S., including a 4-2 victory in Cleveland in May last year. A solitary win for the U.S. came in the 1930 World Cup.
Having sealed a second-round spot after two group games, Wilmots fielded a much-changed side in Belgium's final match with South Korea, meaning there will be many fresh legs for the U.S. clash with the line-up expected to revert to that which faced Russia.
Both Kompany and fellow defender Thomas Vermaelen are expected to play despite recent injuries but Wilmots will definitely be without the suspended Steven Defour, as well as injured duo Laurent Ciman and Anthony Vanden Borre.
For the U.S. striker Jozy Altidore is expected to be on the bench after resuming training following a hamstring injury but Klinsmann is unlikely to tinker too much with his line-up.
Toby Alderweireld, Moussa Dembele, Jan Vertonghen and Axel Witsel are one booking away from suspension for Belgium, while the same threat applies to Omar Gonzalez, Kyle Beckerman and Jermaine Jones for the U.S.
The winner of the clash at Salvador's Fonte Nova arena will play the winner of Argentina-Switzerland in the quarterfinals.