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Warlords of Draenor cinematic, release date, and other miscellaneous thoughtsPosted: August 16, 2014 Filed under: Leveling, PvP, Raiding & Dungeons | Tags: druid, hunter, leveling, lore, marksmanship, PvP, raiding, SV, Warcraft, Warlords of Draenor, World of Warcraft 1 Comment
It's been quite a while since I chimed in here…
But now, with November 13th now solidly penciled in on the calendar, we have some long, long,
-awaited closure with respect to the Warlords of Draenor release date.
As I mentioned back in March, the 11/13/14 release date means, since it is indeed after October 21st, that
"Warlords will have both A) taken the longest time-after-previous-expansion to release of any expansion in the game's history and B) given players the greatest amount of down-time after the previous expansion's final content patch in the game's history."
So, we'll have to see how this expansion unfolds, with respect to measured content updates and shorter downtime between final patches and new expansions. That will be another year or two (or more). Blizzard says that they are already working on the next one, but we've heard that before. They're still bleeding subscriptions, and they failed to solve that problem this go-round, so we'll see.
The question is, how many of us will see…
* * *
Anyway, how about that cinematic? I have to say, I loved it, in spite of the exclusion of anything other than male orcs and a demon. The setting was compelling, the production spectacular, and the action was thrilling. I absolutely loved the flying-Grommash-axe-to-the-head killing of Mannoroth.
I've watched the cinematic approximately twenty times. It makes me want to do two things: re-read Rise Of The Horde, and read all of the books post-The Shattering – in particular, War Crimes. That's something to put on the list of things to get done within the next three months.
It was quite possibly the best cinematic yet. As good as Cataclysm's seemed at the time, this and the trailer for Mists absolutely destroy it, in my opinion. Wrath's was awesome too, and I loved the original WoW trailer as well. Darkbrew published a list of his favorites, and mine would be similar.
Here's a recurring thought I have every time we get the expansion trailer: Blizzard should make a complete movie with CGI. I'm willing to be impressed by the live-action movie that will grace us in a couple of years, but I would love to see something killer like the past couple of cinematics become a major motion picture. Perhaps the cost/risk would be too great – I don't know about these things. But hey, a guy can dream, right?
* * *
I'm still playing, although I basically stopped raiding near the end of June. My job has been stressful, and I wasn't finding it a productive use of my time to come home from work and promptly beat my head against a wall until a couple of hours after midnight, particularly when I would have to be back at work early the next day.
In fact, I'm becoming convinced that my raiding days may be behind me. Barring a change of circumstances, I'm not going to have the time and focus to commit to raiding and raiding well. Real life comes first, and I am at an age and in a situation where I can't let structure in WoW interfere with my future. The idea of not raiding can be a painful one, but the way I've felt the past few months, I don't know that I can do it going forward.
With that (and other things) in mind, my plans for Warlords have been shifting over the past couple of weeks.
I had already planned to not race to level 100. What's shifting may surprise the socks off of some of you…
I'm thinking of leveling a different toon first. As in, not Mushan.
* * *
Why not Mushan? I know, it seems anathema to lifelong hunters out there, but I'm not the average WoW hunter. I'll be honest: I'm not terribly happy with what I've read about the changes to Survival. It seems like it's a shadow of its former self. I know that's a simplified way to look at changes to the spec – and I'll certainly try it out when Patch 6.0 goes live – but I'm not feeling it right now.
And, while I feel a little better about Marksmanship than SV, it seems like, pre-numbers-pass, Beast Mastery is the way to go. And (here's where I know I differ from other hunters) I don't enjoy BM. To me, it's like being a guy with a water gun and a remote-control car, and you shoot your water gun and remotely control your car, which sometimes gets stuck on a rock in the dirt or some other protrusion and ends up getting stepped on. Perhaps this reflects the true lack of skill I have in the game, but I've never enjoyed playing a hunter less in the post-mana era than when I went BM for Council of the Elders in ToT.
Anyway… *washes hands of the issue* I'll be able to better make a decision on that when the patch goes live and I've had a chance to try out each spec to see if I like one of them.
* * *
As for what I've been up to in WoW, there hasn't been much of note.
I'm steadily making cloth for Royal Satchels: So far, Mushan and my druid, Anacrusa, are fully Satcheled-up, with a few other Satchels on various other toons. Now that we have a release date, I'm certain that I will not have full Panda-bags on each of my main toons, but I won't need that space immediately since I am not racing them all to 100 ASAP, so I will probably leave Modhriel (my Tailor) at Halfhill for the foreseeable future while that project is going on.
I've taken up PvP on my druid, which has been interesting. With a gear set largely composed of Timeless Isle gear, about a week ago I stepped in and started losing a lot of random BGs. Compounding the gear problem was my inability to play the spec well, and vice-versa. It's been a long time since I PvPed regularly on my druid – three years or so – so there has been a lot to learn. I felt a bit guilty for holding my teams back, but I shouldn't have – I wasn't the main problem. Most games, we were getting crushed. Ana in full Prideful gear wasn't going to turn most of those matches into wins, believe me.
Along the way, I've picked up a few pieces of Grievous, and the weapon will be next (and a huge upgrade). Things are getting better: I'm getting the hang of the spec, which is my #1(a) goal, with #1 being to have fun doing something that is both old and new.
Aside from that, I'm casually grinding Valor on my warrior, druid, DK, and paladin. My mage has had horrible luck getting a weapon to replace his T14 Sha-Touched sword, so I've basically given up on that (and on grinding other gear and Valor) with him. When he finally gets to Draenor, he's going to destroy mobs anyway, so I'm not terribly worried about it. Frickin' guy has a 544 ilvl, so I think he's going to be just fine, even in spite of his 491 weapon…
I've also been hitting up some old raids on Mushan. A couple of friends and I went into Ulduar last weekend and wiped the floor with 25-player mode, which scored me a boatload of achievement points. Before that, we did the same in ICC-25. I also finally completed my Valorous Cryptstalker set on my hunter (at least to a point where I could use the gear), which I may talk about in the near future.
* * *
Without making this a book, these are just some miscellaneous bits from the world of Mushan.
More, soon. :)
* * *
Thanks for reading this post by Mushan at Mushan, Etc. You can follow me on Twitter at @MushanEtc. Comments are welcome!
Revisiting Outland with a new hunterPosted: January 20, 2014 Filed under: Gear, Leveling, Lore, Nostalgia, Raiding & Dungeons | Tags: hunter, leveling, lore, marksmanship, MM, nostalgia, Outland, questing, The Burning Crusade, Warcraft, World of Warcraft 7 Comments
In my "free time" – which, in World of Warcraft, generally constitutes time spent "not advancing" my level 90 characters or professions in some shape or form – lately, I've been leveling a new hunter.
Now, there is no need for me to make a new hunter, at least for the sake of hunters per se. I already have three hunters on my realm, and two of them are max level. However, I do love the class, and so when the time came to work on a new project, it was a fairly easy choice for me.
Anyway, I've got this new hunter. And this hunter has a purpose. Due to this purpose, it's extremely likely that he will never reach max level.
* * *
If I think about the history of my experience in WoW, with an eye toward my favorite parts of the leveling experience, something interesting happens.
Some people love(d) Vanilla WoW. And, the truth is, I did too; I didn't start playing WoW until the month after TBC launched, but I did spend a ton of time leveling through the "Vanilla" parts of the game when I started playing – I didn't have my first level 70 toon until just over a month before Wrath launched! And while there were frustrating and faulty aspects of that part of the game, I have a lot of good – fuzzy, but good – memories from that time.
However, that part of the game is gone. Forever.
It's not 100% gone, of course: there are areas of the game that survived the revamp (the "kill 10 Young Stranglethorn Tigers -> Stranglethorn Tigers -> Elder Stranglethorn Tigers"-type questlines come to mind, for one), but they're relatively few in number. As a whole, the Vanilla WoW experience no longer exists.
As such – and this is the interesting thing that I realized – the earliest "nostalgia-era" content that is still available in anything collectively resembling its original form is The Burning Crusade. And Wrath follows that, of course… and those two zones are the reasons that I made this new hunter.
If you've read some of my previous posts, as well as some of those from before, you may know that I'm at something of a crisis point as far as the game goes with me. A lot of times, what's needed in these situations is a break from the everyday endgame experience (or lack thereof), and that's what I've been looking for lately. Looking at the game, I realized recently that I had no characters that could play in Outland at-level – seven 90s, an 85, and two toons at or below 30. One of those lowbies is a hunter, and the other a shaman. I don't enjoy the shaman as much as I had hoped, and the other hunter is reserved for a different project, should I ever return to it.
Anyway, I decided that, while I'm not a fan of leveling the revamped content on Azeroth, I wanted to take another toon into Outland and Northrend… and I didn't feel like leveling a second DK (not that that isn't fun, but my DK is the last toon I leveled, so I'd like to give DKs a bit of a rest for the moment). So, hunter it was.
But, why Outland?
When I look back at the past few years and think about the toons I've brought to max level, starting with Mushan and including a (now deleted) mage, warrior, replacement mage, second hunter, and DK, I realized that my favorite zones to revisit during the leveling process are Outland and Northrend. They were the continents/expansions that I played before I raided, which means "back when I sucked." Back when I had no idea what was going on, or how to play. Back when the world was a complete wonder to me. When things were scary and new.
For some reason, nostalgia brings me back to those zones, to those expansions' content. To a simpler time. That's the number one reason. The revamped Vanilla content was okay for the first play-through, but there are certain aspects to the leveling process that make the experience uninteresting to me, including the lack of virtually any challenges along the way and the updating of the content to the current-as-of-Cataclysm time period.
* * *
I've set some parameters to encourage discovery, exploration, and learning… and also to ensure that I do not simply blow through to the higher levels like I usually do.
No heirlooms past level 58. I did use several heirlooms through level 57, because the goal here was absolutely to zip through large chunks of the pre-58 content at a time. Once I hit 58, I did away with them, replacing them with quest greens I had saved for exactly that purpose. I even equipped a level 15 (ilvl 22) cloak as I prepared for Outland, because that was the last one I had saved. Not that that mattered – everything has been nerfed, so the simple fact that I had something appropriate equipped in every slot ensured that questing would still be very easy.
I'm also not in a guild, for guild perk reasons (including the bonus XP perk).
Locking XP
Based on past (post-4.0) experience, a player can hit Hellfire, Terrokar, Nagrand, and SMV or Netherstorm, run a couple of dungeons along the way, and easily be 68 (and ready for Northrend) before completing any zones, and skipping the vast majority of the Outland content. My aim with this toon is to spend time in Outland, so skipping content is anathema in that scenario. Therefore, I went to Wowhead and looked up the required levels for quests in each zone. For instance, virtually all of the quests in Hellfire are available by the time players hit 61; thus, when I hit 61, I lock my XP. This means that, once I finish the zone, I can unlock my XP, move on to Zangarmarsh, and continue gaining XP until I get to 62 (when all quests in Zangar become available). Then, when I finish Zangar, I can start Terrokar with unlocked XP and re-lock it again at 64 for Nagrand. This preserves some semblance of "I'm playing at-level," which is another goal that I have. I could do each zone and run each dungeon without locking XP, but I would quickly outgrow each zone well before I finish it if I did it that way. I'm likely going to spend more time in Outland with my XP locked than unlocked, but that's ok.
By the way, I discovered the other day that locking XP also interrupts the accrual of "rest," which, for these purposes, does not disappoint me. Knowing that I won't be out-leveling a zone quite so fast makes for more fluid progression within the zone than 30 bars of rest would – to a point, of course.
Ground mounts only. Some people may think this is crazy, but I'm determined to play it very much like I did when I first took Anacrusa through it in 2007-08. And I couldn't fly back then. Taxis (flight paths) are allowed, of course.
Additionally, while I do have a vendor mount, I will not use it with this toon.
There are quests in zones, once you get to a certain point/level, that send you to a dungeon that corresponds with the story; in Hellfire, it's Hellfire Ramparts. In the interest of playing through the story, I will run the dungeons. However, I will only do this while XP-locked.
It's fairly clear, at this point, that managing the throttling of XP-gain is a large part of this endeavor. Part of this is an experiment to see how it affects immersion; I'm of the opinion that while going back several times to Stormwind to (un)lock XP is a slight annoyance, it's no more immersion-breaking than any other non-core activity in the game, such as doing my farms every day on max-level toons, or raiding the same instance every week.
* * *
It's an imperfect science, obviously: there are several aspects of the game that are impossible to recreate. LFD didn't exist back then, there were group quest elites, stats and specs and talents have been revamped, glyphs have been added, and things have been heavily nerfed. There's no way to go back 100%, but that's something I was fully aware of as I began the project.
The goal is to immerse myself in Outland. Revisit and enjoy the lore, and experience it as authentically as possible from a playstyle perspective. Revisit some memories of formative times in my WoW-childhood. There really isn't a way to completely and accurately replicate that experience any more, but I can do things to mitigate the hyper-leveling paradigm that plagues** old content.
** "Plague" indicating a certain perspective; I know that there are many who are absolutely done with Outland in every way, but I also know that there are a lot of people who love TBC and love spending time there. So for my purposes, leveling quickly is the opposite of what I'm interested in. However, for others, it's a necessity.
At any rate, along the way, I am taking a lot of screenshots, reading quest text, and completing each zone the best I can.
By the way, I'm leveling as Marksman on this hunter, which is what I leveled Mushan and Ghilleadh with back in the day. I don't play Marks anymore on those toons, but it is absolutely killer for leveling. I approach the mob. I plant, and (unglyphed) Aim, and Shoot. 95% of the time, the mob either dies from a single shot or is critically injured (and is subsequently finished off with a Kill Shot). For elites or higher-level-than-me mobs, I do the "Aimed/Chimera" combo, and if it doesn't kill them, it usually does serious damage. Even without heirlooms, the damage is punishing if it crits, and with Careful Aim, that happens quite often…
Playing this way makes me feel more like a ranger than just about anything else in the game. And that's a fun aspect of this project, too.
* * *
As I mentioned above (and in a previous post), there's no way to 100% accurately replicate the experience of playing WoW or a new expansion for the first time – once you've done it, you've done it. However, there are ways to revisit it. I'm a leave-my-poor-arms-at-the-emergency-room-afterward raider, but I also love leveling, and I love some of the old parts of the game. It's fun and relaxing to lose myself in my new character, imagining him seeing this content for the first time and experiencing that wonder and awe with him. I've seen it before, but I also like seeing it again. And perhaps I'll learn something new along the way.
Of course, this dovetails somewhat nicely with the idea that it's nice to see Outland as it was a couple of years ago on the eve of Warlords of Draenor, since a great deal of that lore (along with that of the relevant books) will be somewhat pertinent to that expansion as well…
* * *
Thanks for reading this post by Mushan at Mushan, Etc. Comments are welcome!
Mushan is 3 years old today!Posted: August 22, 2013 Filed under: Extreme Soloing, Leveling, PvP, Raiding & Dungeons | Tags: hunter, hunter extreme soloing, leveling, marksmanship, MM, PvP, raiding, Warcraft, World of Warcraft 4 Comments
Three years ago, I created Mushan, who is my third*, and oldest surviving, hunter.
It was the dog days of Wrath, when I was long done with raiding ICC, and there wasn't much to do that was more important than finally leveling a hunter. I had been listening to the Hunting Party Podcast for a good portion of the year, and was really getting excited about the class. So I decided to create and level Mushan, and it was basically the most fantastic leveling experience I have had compared with any other toon.
I loved his name, and the way he looked, and the way the class played (I leveled as MM). He was so much fun to run dungeons with as I leveled, with the added benefit that it was relaxing and enjoyable to step away from melee range for a while and just shoot things. It was great to level through the old world zones one last time on what would turn out to be my all-time favorite toon (and the toon that I've played the best). He gave me a renewed energy for the game; in reality, he saved me from letting the game peter out for myself.
Mushan is the realization, the fruition, of my affection for hunters. I had had hunters in the past, and I had loved various aspects about them, but he and I paired up for what became, and continues to be, an epic run. We've leveled, we've done extreme soloing, we've raided, we've PvPed together, we've explored the game together in many, many ways.
Additionally, without him inspiring my imagination and my play, I don't know that I would have ever created this blog – and if I had, it would probably be a very different animal!**
So, wherever I may go, and whatever other toons I play from time to time, he is the one whose birth and growth I remember the most fondly. We've had great times together, and will continue to have many more!
Happy Birthday, Mushan!
Notes about the picture: 1) Love that old guild tabard, although the one I came up with later on was even better; 2) Stupid melee weapon…; 3) He's pictured with his trusty gorilla, Korak. I still have that pet – he's just a regular gorilla, but he's still badass!
*The first two were deleted; the first, early in Wrath, had languished at level 63 for a long time; the second, during the middle of Cata, was only 24, and I immediately used his name for another hunter, who still exists. :)
**Droignon, Etc.? The Balm of Ghilleadh? um… I really can't think of anything good. I'm really, really bad at naming blogs, obviously!
Thanks for reading this post by Mushan at Mushan, Etc. Comments are welcome!
I Won't Miss You – a tribute to FrostheimPosted: July 30, 2013 Filed under: Gear, Mandatory Feeds, Music, Professions, PvP, Raiding & Dungeons | Tags: Beast Mastery, blog, BM, gear, hunter, hunter extreme soloing, leveling, marksmanship, MM, podcasts, progression, PvP, questing, raiding, stats, survival, SV, talents, Warcraft, World of Warcraft 2 Comments
Frostheim, co-creator of Warcraft Hunters Union (and all that that site has done for us hunters), progenitor of WoW Hunters Hall, long-time Scattered Shots (WoW Insider) columnist, long-time member (and poet laureate) of the Hunting Party Podcast, writer of several amazing odes to hunters, staunch defender of facts and math and balance, advocate for cool new stuff for hunters, recoverer of his own cloak, and generally fun and awesome guy, announced last Saturday on the Hunting Party Podcast – and later that day on WHU – that he is retiring.
Given his recent stretches of absence from the WHU and the HPP, to say that I didn't see this coming would be incorrect. And he is not quitting the game, but is shutting down his personal commitments to his blogging / podcasting activities in order to devote his time to other ventures. He's also apparently going to put away his white-quality weapons and lessen the amount of time he spends shooting at target dummies as if they're trying to invade his city, and actually devote more of his WoW time to playing the game! This is a good thing.
Personally, though – and I know I speak for untold numbers of players out there – I Will Miss You, Frost.
I'm A Hunter
I wasn't always a hunter. But one of my earliest toons was a hunter back when I started playing shortly after the release of Burning Crusade, although since I was a terrible player (and that's all the info anyone needs) back then, I failed to get him to level 70.
During the spring of 2010, when the Lich King was dead and we were in the midst of the longest stretch of meaningful-content-less boredom in the history of the game, I started listening to the Hunting Party Podcast. I forget how it happened; the best I can remember is that, as a reader of WoW Insider, I liked Frostheim's Scattered Shots posts more than just about anything else on the site.
(I didn't realize it at the time, but I was probably ready for a change at that point… but anyway, to continue…)
Of course, the header on each of his posts mentioned that he was from Warcraft Hunters Union and the Hunting Party Podcast, and so I checked them out. And let me say, when someone charismatic like Frostheim is available to be both read and listened to, it can be a powerful combination. I wasn't much of a podcast-listener in those days – my only constant at the time was the WoW Insider Show, which I haven't listened to in almost a year now, and I had tried out several others that either didn't grab me or didn't stick around. So when I found Darkbrew, Euripides, and Frostheim, I was hooked. I downloaded and listened to every single episode that was available on iTunes, and they were my companions that summer and fall as we inched our way toward the launch of Cataclysm.
Meanwhile, I started a few hunters. Mushan stuck, and the rest is history (which I've laid out in previous posts). Playing the hunter that summer and fall, leveling the hunter, doing dungeons on the hunter, was every bit as fun as I had imagined it would be while listening to the HPP. As a player who now had some general skill, I didn't have any of the problems I had had in 2008 with my long-deleted original. I was topping meters, learning to use my utility abilities, enjoying playing the movement/Auto Shot game, and seriously thinking about making Mushan my main. Which eventually happened.
I was "Ana" back in the day, but now I'm "Mushan," and that is indescribably largely due to the influence of one Frostheim.
Things lately have been quieter on the Mushan/HPP front. I often work on Saturdays, so I don't get to listen in live when the show is recorded anymore. And the shows have often taken weeks to come out on iTunes, and so over the past several months I've only listened a handful of times, and I expect that to continue.
But I've always enjoyed listening to Frostheim, and I'm going to miss that. He has given so much to the hunter community at this point that it's almost a cliche to say so, but I don't care. Why?
Because without Frostheim, it's almost certain that there would be no Mushan. And that's of some importance, at least to me. He literally rejuvenated my WoW experience by unknowingly reintroducing me to the hunter class. He changed the game for me. Without Frostheim, I might not have switched over to a hunter. Without Frostheim, I might not even be playing the game anymore. At the very least, without Frostheim, this blog would certainly not exist in this form.
The first paragraph of this post probably makes me sound like a bit of a fan-boy. Am I a fan-boy of Frostheim? Hell yes! I think my previous paragraph does a pretty good job explaining why.
And so, to Frostheim, Thank You for all you've done for hunters. You've been a gift to us these past several years, and I'll never forget it. I'll be following whatever you do in the future – stay in touch!
Thanks for reading this post by Mushan at Mushan, Etc. Comments are welcome!
The wrong motivationPosted: February 7, 2013 Filed under: Raiding & Dungeons | Tags: hunter, marksmanship, Mists of Pandaria, MM, raiding, stats, survival, SV, Warcraft, World of Warcraft 6 Comments
A while ago, I ranked on Feng-10N as a SV hunter.
I'm not going to deny it – it was awesome. It was particularly so because I was not expecting it to happen. It was the first time I had ever ranked, and you can only ever have that first time once.
Since then, I haven't ranked on anything. For a short time, this caused me to wonder if my damage was going down, but it hasn't been. There are just more guilds beating Feng – and therefore more hunters – and so I can't seem to crack the top 200. Which is fine, because that's not my motivation.
Ranking again would be cool. Killing more bosses would be way, way cooler.
However, last night something happened which caused me to consider doing something this weekend that, upon reflection, seems asinine.
What happened was that a player I know ranked ridiculously high on Imperial Vizier Zor'lok. When I heard about it, I checked WoL and found that this person – normally a situation-appropriate SV/BM hunter – ranked as MM.
It was an interesting temptation. My girlfriend said, rather flippantly, "I guess if you want to rank, go as MM."
Yeah, I thought. I could spend a couple of days practicing, and then bring a new MM version of Mushan into Mogu'shan Vaults, etc. on Saturday night. Most people don't play MM anyway, right? If I applied myself, I could probably get my name on a few of the charts. My heart was momentarily excited.
Then, within a few short moments, I came plummeting back down to earth and realized that that was probably one of the dumber ideas I had had in the past year or so.
Yes, maybe I could rank on a few fights. Maybe I could rank on Zor'lok, too.
But would we even kill him, if I fought him in MM spec?
- – -
As a guild, we've defeated Zor'lok three times. The last time he died, which was last Sunday, it was the closest we've had to a full guild run / our regular team. He's still rough – we're fine until the floor phase, and then it gets shaky. I'm playing as close to the top of my game as I can, trying to avoid damage and deal as much damage as possible myself. Everyone is the same – we're all playing with lightning at our finger-tips, dancing around and fighting as well as we can, trying to kill him before he kills us.
Taking MM Mushan into a fight like that would be a bad thing for several reasons.
1. It's a selfish, stupid f@%king reason to play a spec like that. For serious.
2. I'd like to play MM again someday, but I've played SV consistently for more than a year now, and even with the changes the spec/class has gone through, I've been constantly familiar with it – SV fits me as close to a glove as any spec could in this game right now. On the other hand, even the idea of playing MM seems foreign to me right now, and at this time I don't necessarily think I really even want to play the spec.
3. Making my teammates work harder to kill any of the bosses – even the "easier" ones – goes against how I view my role in raids, ethically and even morally. And it's almost certain that I would be less effective playing Marks than I am as SV.
4. Who really gives a crap if I rank on anything in 10N? Or on any fight? You don't, do you? No, you don't. None of the other hunters, whether they themselves rank or not, cares if I rank. My guildies really don't care if I rank. Nobody cares if I rank.
I don't even really care if I rank, to be honest.
5. Ranking as MM would feel hollow.
I know that BM is supposed to be the best spec, but SV is the best spec for me, and I bring my best "me" to my raid team when I'm playing SV.
And the truth is that most hunters are playing SV or BM, which is evidenced by things such as the fact that the threshold for ranking as MM on Zor'lok-10N, as of last night, was only 64,268 DPS(e) – a number that, as SV, I regularly top by a good 15-18K. The threshold for ranking as SV was 94,523 as of Sunday night, which is a full 47% higher than the MM threshold. There is an obvious disparity there – the true competition is in the SV/BM ranking charts. And so, really, I don't even know that I would feel good at all if I managed to rank on anything as MM – as a "bigger fish in a relatively smaller pond" – particularly when taking into consideration the potential detriment that my inexperience with MM and my lack of usual performance could hurt my team.
So it turned out to be a pretty bad idea. Thankfully, I didn't try it.
- – -
To those who love and excel at playing Marksmanship, I salute you. I would love to play MM and play it well, but right now I'm sticking with SV, rankings be damned. SV feels right, and it also feels like the right thing to do. Someday, I'm sure I'll pick up MM and give it a whirl, but it will be for the love of the spec and the game, not because I want to try to faceroll* onto an ultimately meaningless rankings chart.
*Not saying I would definitely faceroll onto the MM charts – I'm just self-directing some sarcasm with that comment.
- – -
Thanks for reading this (description of a thought process) by Mushan at Mushan, Etc. Comments are welcome!
Upside down and forward thinkingPosted: September 13, 2012 Filed under: Gear, Leveling, Raiding & Dungeons, Unconventional Leveling | Tags: gear, hunter, leveling, marksmanship, Mists of Pandaria, MM, raiding, stats, survival, SV, Warcraft, World of Warcraft 2 Comments
Nobody else is probably interested in this, but I am.
Even before my latest post, it occurred to me that I could certainly level all the way to 90 with my ilvl 397 gear on my hunter, including the Tier 13 set bonuses.
However, I'm actually thinking of doing the opposite.
With the two-piece set bonus and the talents from the level 60 talent tier, I am swimming in focus. As SV, ever only using Cobra shot singly, mainly to keep Serpent Sting up and to occasionally get my 28 focus or whatever the shots give with the bonus, it is very easy to be focus-capped way too much.
It strikes me that, at level 90 in Mists of Pandaria, since that gear will be gone, replaced by more powerful gear – but at a character level that will once again dilute the power of combat ratings – focus will become much more of an issue. By that, I mean that it will actually be something we have to manage and strive for.
With our Cobra and Steady Shots back to giving 14 focus, hunters will be using them more often. And if I forget to use Dire Beast or one of the other abilities that replenishes focus as close to on-cooldown as is appropriate, it is going to cost me DPS because I won't be getting the benefit of said focus.
With that in mind, I think that I will begin replacing my gear right away, as soon as I start picking up new gear during leveling. Not necessarily all of it, but certainly the tier slots.
Why? you say…
Well, I'm somewhat anal-retentive when it comes to thinking about quirky things like this, and I think that I could benefit from this. In 4.3, every class got sweet set-bonus buffs, and one of ours was focus related, and the other was haste related, and that played right along with the frenetic pace of fights like Madness of Deathwing and heroic Dragon Soul content. However, people won't be using that tier gear in end-game MoP, because they'll sacrifice (a lot of) power for focus, which is almost certainly a loss.
Now, post-5.0, we almost get the old two-piece bonus amount (18 focus) from one Cobra/Steady (14). And the set bonus still doubles it.
I've run some dungeons post-patch, and the hunter is fine. But I think that I will be better off eschewing the T-13 style of play as soon as I set foot into MoP dungeons as I level, and I'd like to get accustomed to "14 focus per Cobra Shot" sooner than later. I'd rather learn as I level, rather than hit the wall when I'm close to, or at, 90 and instinctively wonder why my hunter feels doubly slow.
I think it will help me work Dire Beast into my rotation, too. I've been horribly sloppy with it since the patch, both in dungeons and at the dummy, and part of that is because I am usually closer to full than to empty on the focus meter, so it's easy to forget about it. And higher levels will mean lower combat ratings, proc rates, and so on, so I'll be able to set myself into a more reasonable rotation.
Maybe you disagree, and think I'm talking out of my butt. That's fine. But I think replacing gear as soon as I can will make me a better MoP hunter sooner, because I won't be playing MoP dungeons with Cataclysm's proc-tastic / focus-tastic gear.
We'll see how it goes.
- – -
Thanks for reading this post by Mushan at Mushan, Etc. Comments are welcome!
Mandatory Feeds: WoW Hunters HallPosted: August 24, 2012 Filed under: Extreme Soloing, Gear, Leveling, Mandatory Feeds, PvP, Raiding & Dungeons, Transmogrification | Tags: hunter, hunter extreme soloing, leveling, marksmanship, Mists of Pandaria, MM, PvP, questing, raiding, stats, survival, SV, transmogrification, Warcraft, World of Warcraft 3 Comments
As of today (Friday, August 23), we're four weeks and change from the release of Mists of Pandaria. While this blog has been kind of dead for the majority of the summer, I am still very excited about the expansion – particularly excited for the thought of reuniting with my raiding friends as we sink our teeth into the first tier of raids that will come along with it.
I haven't been writing much about hunters this summer. Since my iMac went down for the count on June 26th or so, I haven't been playing Mushan much at all. I have, however, finally gotten my new mage (mentioned in previous posts) up to 85 (as of the middle of last week) and close to max level for both Jewelcrafting and Tailoring. so I am good to go with respect to leveling those professions once MoP drops.
However, my hunter, despite the lack of attention, is still my great love, and my greatest interest in the game, come Pandaria.
As such, I must pass along, without further ado, a must-see site if you are looking for hunter info for patch 5.0.4 (August 28 pre-xpac patch) and MoP (9/25):
WoW Hunters Hall (Tabana = curator; follow her!!) has been amazing over the life of this pre-expansion period, and her collection and linking activities have really increased quite rapidly over the past couple of weeks. A lot of bloggers and theorycrafters have been putting a great deal of time into testing out hunter specs, glyphs, new abilities, gear, and stats, as well as raiding and pvping. There is a wealth of information on WHH, and Tabana has been working very hard to bring all of that and even more discussion to your eyes and mine.
And I haven't even mentioned the work Tabana has put in when it comes to gear lists and general MoP hunter guides. She has a living, quickly-updated set of guides available, and as new info comes out that pertains to hunters, she is on it immediately, culling and presenting it to you and me and thousands of other lucky players.
She also has a great list of hunter resources, including blogs, hunter Youtube channels, podcasts, forums, theorycrafting resources, tools, and other references for just about anything you need. It's really the mandatory hunter portal for serious hunters in World of Warcraft.
I've definitely benefited from following WHH. So add the site to your RSS, follow it on Twitter, do whatever it takes to make WHH a constant part of your WoW-related reading if you're a hunter. I've personally been salivating over the gear list, glyph info, updates on buffs and nerfs and changes, and the thoughts of my fellow hunters as we blog and play our way into MoP and beyond.
- – -
(new subject)
I've been trying to decide how I'm going to replace my iMac's corpse, and I'm leaning toward building my own PC. I'm going to hazard a guess that this will (financially) become reality around Sept. 15th, at which point I will hopefully be re-downloading all 23GB of the stinkin' game and getting things set up. Once I've accomplished that, I will absolutely be playing my hunter more, and will be able to include screenshots and what-have-you in my posts again, and all that good stuff.
I have plenty of writing material on my mind, and will be playing my hunter hard-core – and he will be the first toon that I level through MoP, of course. In addition, I'm also excited about leveling my warrior and druid tanks, and I may post about this in the coming weeks. Active mitigation is an idea that fascinates me – as do the reactions of those players who feel negatively about it.
At some point, I will think about a monk. I'd love to level a Brewmaster, but I'm afraid that doing so will make me forget about my warrior. Is that weird? It probably is. But it is what it is…
Anyway, go visit WoW Hunters Hall today. You won't regret it!
- – -
Thanks for reading this post by Mushan at Mushan, Etc. Comments are welcome!
Back to Naxxramas (Thaddius-10 & Sapphiron-25)Posted: May 5, 2012 Filed under: Extreme Soloing, Raiding & Dungeons | Tags: achievements, hunter, hunter extreme soloing, marksmanship, MM, raiding, Warcraft, World of Warcraft 1 Comment
Last Saturday, I made my way back to Naxxramas with a couple of goals: Thaddius-10 and Sapphiron 25.
First, the Construct Quarter:
With Patchwerk basically on farm and Grobbulus a pushover, I used the Gluth bug (Snake Trap + dismiss pet + FD = no more zombies) to turn him into a high-health trash mob. That was a first try success, as it should have been. Gluth legit is a fight I do want to work on at some point, but I had a terrible headache on Saturday that would not quit, so I wasn't feeling up to it. Once he was down, I jumped right into the Thaddius fight with no real plan, other than the knowledge that I had to try to kill Feugen and Stalagg somewhat close to the same time. I basically brute forced that part, healing through the charge damage. Then I made the jump, set to work on Thaddius, and soon he was down for the count.
After this, I decided to try Sapphiron-25, since Sapph-10 is so easy. Sapphiron-25 – now that was a challenge! It was admittedly more of a challenge than it probably should have been, but my headache was raging, so it was difficult to really give it my best for multiple long attempts. It's a long fight; Sapphiron has more than 200% more health than the 10-player version (13M-plus compared to 4M-ish), and the 15-minute enrage timer and constant Frost Aura damage made it necessary to do around 16K DPS overall while healing and using pet cooldowns, and including the time spent entombed in frost from Ice Bolt.
Our alt-raid was scheduled to start at 9:30PM, and after taking a short break, I decided to give my final try. Right after I started the fight, the raid began to come together, so I was whispering the raid leader during air phases, telling him that it was my last attempt and so on. Amazingly, I managed to pull together the right combination of trinkets (I did end up using Veil of Lies), pet heals and cooldowns, tightening up Chimera Shots to get the most out of my healing, and keeping up strong enough DPS while avoiding Chill, and I got him down! It was a pretty awesome kill, and timely, as I was able to hop to my druid right after the kill and be on time to the alt-raid.
Unfortunately, since I abandoned ship so quickly, I forgot to take a screenshot, but since it would have looked the same as the Sapph-10 kill, I wasn't terribly concerned.
Overall, it was a productive evening in Naxx. I'm working on putting together the Heroes Crypstalker set, so I'll be going back often – although not necessarily every week – and gradually working on some of the harder fights. I'm currently 10/15 in 10-player, with KT, the Military Quarter, and Maexxna still to conquer.
Oh, yeah. I also tried Razuvious. I made it to the point of having the understudies killed a couple of times, died horrible deaths, and then dropped that in favor of Sapphiron. That fight is going to really suck, so it was a good decision, I think!
- – -
Thanks for reading this post by Mushan at Mushan, Etc. Comments are welcome!
MoP Beta Build 15640 brings some clarifications, reversions, and Tier 14 set bonuses for huntersPosted: April 25, 2012 Filed under: Extreme Soloing, PvP, Raiding & Dungeons | Tags: hunter, hunter extreme soloing, marksmanship, Mists of Pandaria, MM, PvP, raiding, survival, SV, Warcraft, World of Warcraft 1 Comment
Via WoW Hunters Hall via MMO-Champion, we have a list of the changes to hunters in the latest beta build. From what I can see, the picture is becoming clearer as far as how hunters will play when the expansion goes live.
One of the nice things that we're seeing is that some of the talents that were "mandatory" in Cataclysm are finally baked into abilities where they previously weren't. Here's what things look like for Marksmanship and Survival hunters in particular:
Focus cost
- Arcane Shot's focus cost is back down to 22 focus;
- Black Arrow now costs 35 focus;
- Explosive Shot now costs 44 focus;
- Chimera Shot now costs 44 focus.
It's great to see the changes to focus cost for these abilities. The un-talented focus costs in MoP beta were difficult to see as anything other than "they forgot to bake those talents in" rather than as new design, so it's nice that they've finally clarified that for us.
Concussive Shot
- Concussive Shot is back. Glyph of Arcane Shot (which gave a base Concussive Shot effect to Arcane) is gone.
There was a lot of discussion about the disappearance of Concussive Shot and the new ability to glyph it to Arcane, and most hunters were not happy about it. This separates the two, bringing back the no-focus, no-damage, and (as far as I can tell) run speed benefits that many hunters were eulogizing in the past several weeks, and frees up a glyph spot to boot.
Other reversions of note
- Trap Mastery now also effects Black Arrow (cutting its cooldown by six seconds).
- Black Arrow, with Trap Mastery, has been entirely reverted to its current talented state mechanically: instant shot, damage over 20 seconds, shares a CD with fire trap spells, procs Lock and Load.
- Explosive Trap now procs Lock and Load.
- Serpent Spread is back.
With these changes, the great SV reversion is in full swing, and it's for the better, in my opinion. The SV rotation has worked brilliantly in 4.3, and these changes bring back much of the flavor, mobility, and adaptability that SV hunters love about the spec.
Key changes
- Powershot now deals 400% weapon damage, plus 100% weapon damage to all enemies between you and the target, which are four times the previous values (100%, 25%).
- Silencing Shot now has a 40 yard range, up from 35 yards.
- Call Beast has been renamed. It is now Dire Beast. The tooltip is otherwise basically the same.
- Rapid Recuperation no longer gives additional focus to Rapid Fire.
- Glyph of Distracting Shot now directs the target to your pet for six seconds instead of to you.
- Glyph of No Escape no longer effects Ice Trap.
And many of our important abilities have been buffed. Please see the collected info at WHH for the complete list and tooltips.
Sad face on the Rapid Recuperation change, although this may simply be a balance issue. I like the Silencing Shot change – outer range increase is never a bad thing.
The change to Glyph of Distracting Shot is extremely interesting, because it allows us to customize an important situational ability. Sometimes, you know you want to pull something away from a tank, your pet, or a teammate, and Distracting Shot is great for that. On the other hand, the glyph gives us an additional, temporary way to direct threat away from ourselves. Either of these can be important in the right situation. Extreme soloing applications (like Deathbringer Saurfang) and other ping-ponging situations come to mind.
Tier 14
- 2-piece: Your Kill Command deals $10% additional damage, your Chimera Shot deals 15% additional damage, and your Explosive Shot deals 5% additional damage.
- 4-piece: Increases the duration of your Bestial Wrath ability by 6 sec, increases the chance for Black Arrow to trigger Lock and Load by 20%, and increases the ranged attack speed granted by Steady Focus by an additional 10%.
It's always interesting to see the set bonuses for a new tier, and there's no difference here. I'll be interested to see how this actually looks in game – at this point, tooltips show different values for spells than what they are live, and as this is beta, it's a safer bet that things will change than that they won't. However, all things being relative, these look reasonable for the time being.
- – -
Thanks for reading this post by Mushan at Mushan, Etc. Comments are welcome!


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THANK YOU to all our mission teams and staff for your Christlike service this summer with our families!
Our Vision is to end substandard housing in rural Alabama!
Our mission is "Extending the Love of Christ Through Home Repair and Children's Ministry"
With a shortage of 90,000 housing units in Alabama and homes that are rapidly deteriorating, we need you! We need your help as we serve families and work as a force in alleviating rural poverty. Families most affected are children and our elderly. You can be the difference between substandard housing and a secure home for a loving family.
Our main way of combating poverty and providing home repair and children's ministry is through volunteers. ARM hosts youth mission camps during the summer at two locations in Alabama:Livingston and Tuskegee. Our site in Tuskegee runs year round allowing for Spring Breaks, Christmas Breaks, Fall breaks, and even mission retreat weekends. Livingston runs only in the summer. Our mission camps allow groups to serve with families who need home repair and/or provide engaging activities for children at our Sonshine Kids Day Camp. Our website is about helping you find a place to serve in the rural communities of Alabama, learn ways to alleviate poverty, and extend Jesus' love.
A HUGE thanks to all of our Day Camp sponsors! You made all of this possible…
Derik is a young boy living in a single parent family with three siblings and two cousins. Many times he sleeps on the couch and his TV blares in the background. He loves math but struggles to read. Sometimes the words just don't make sense. His mom is so stressed that although she always says she loves him, she always seems to be yelling too. Life is hard. He wonders if he will make it through high school. But he comes to day camp and learns that he is loved by Jesus and many others. You can continue to help him, give him hope and dreams, and a jam up summer! Extend!

subset: commoncrawl


text: I never thought that Halo would be in second place.Based on global unique users connected to Xbox Live for the week of January 14, Call of Duty 4 is the most played game over Xbox Live. Halo 3 previously held the top spot since its release in August 2007. Before that, Gears of War was the most popular Xbox Live game. All three games are first-person shooters. Both Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 received GamePro's highest recommendation of 5 out of 5. We gave Gears of War a 4.75 out of 5.


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WATERTOWN, S.D. (AP) - A Wild Card 2 ticket sold in Watertown is worth $6,001 in Wednesday's drawing.
South Dakota lottery officials say the ticket matched all five white ball numbers but missed the Wild Card to win the game's $6,000 second prize. The ticket also won another $1 on another play line.
The odds of winning the prize are one in about 127,000. The winner has about six months to claim the money.
Wild Card 2 is played in the Dakotas, Montana and Idaho. The jackpot is at $720,000 for the next drawing, on Saturday.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Resident Evil: Revelations Demo Available Now
Posted on Thursday, January 19 @ 11:07:41 Eastern by Nicholas Tan
Coinciding nicely with tonight's Fright Night in San Francisco (that I'll be attending), Capcom has just released the demo for Resident Evil: Revelations, one of the games available during the event. As a Nintendo 3DS imagining of the action horror style of Resident Evil 5, it has strong graphics and quite a lot of infected enemies lurking in close corridors. Just the way I like my Resident Evil.
Downloadable from the Nintendo eShop, the demo will get players started on Jill Valentine's search for Chris Redfield, who last known location is mysteriously out in the middle of nowhere in the ocean. Apparently, he and his partner is trapped in a sunken cruise ship whose members have been affected by the T-Abyss virus. For further details, you can view my preview of the title.
More from the Game Revolution Network
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A 14-year-old boy walked into the emergency room of a Northwest Side hospital with a gunshot wound to the shoulder Wednesday night after being shot in an apparent gang conflict, police said.
The boy walked into Swedish Covenant Hospital and told officers he was shot about 10:15 p.m. in the 3100 block of West Lawrence Avenue, said police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer, citing preliminary information.
The boy told police he was walking down the street when an apparent gang member approached and shouted some gang slogans before shooting him, Greer said.
The boy was driven by an unidentified person to the hospital, where he was listed in "stable" condition, police said. He was later transferred to Children's Memorial Hospital.
No one was in custody as Area North detectives investigated.
Police are investigating the murder of a homeless man who was beaten to death in an alley in Logan Square.
205 N. Michigan AvenueGround FloorChicago, IL 60601Station Operator: (312) 565-5532Newsroom: (312)565-5533


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How old are the mattresses in your home?
The International Sleep Products Association recommends you reassess the condition of your mattress every seven years, or after any major life change like getting married or if you're getting older.
If you can't remember the last time you experienced a really good night's sleep, there are some things you need to consider before shopping for a new mattress.
First of all, there are numerous mattress options including pillow top, memory foam, latex foam, open coil, off-set coil, individually wrapped coil, tempered steel, non-tempered steel, and twice-tempered steel.
A mattress will cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
Brad Feichter works for America's Mattress, a retail store located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He says there are a number of mattress specifications, but when most customers walk into his showroom, "they see a room of puffy, white rectangles."
If you are ready to replace the sagging white rectangle in your bedroom, here are the tried-and-true testing tips to jumble through all the mattress-shopping jargon and a few pointers about the fine print.
For starters, the average price of a quality queen mattress will run you between $500 and $1,000.
"When it comes to mattresses, you get what you pay for," warns Karin Mahoney, a spokesperson for the Better Sleep Council located in Alexandria, Virginia.
You should never be afraid to negotiate for the deal you deserve.
Since you are paying for a combination of support and comfort on every body part, which should last about 10 years, you shouldn't be shy when selecting your mattress.
Picking the right mattress for your body type shouldn't be a hastily-made decision.
The Better Sleep Council recommends lying in your typical sleep position for no less than 15 minutes before giving a mattress a thumbs up or down.
That's how long it takes for your body to tell you if it feels right or not.
If the mattress is hard to roll over, it may be too soft.
If you feel pressure on your back and hips, the mattress may be too firm.
Most retailers will have models showing cross sections of a mattress to educate shoppers about how they are constructed, but this is where it gets confusing.
Gauge numbers, materials and coil counts determine the suspension and support of a mattress, but largely buying a mattress is subjective to your sense of touch.
"What it really comes down to is what feels best to you," Mahoney says.
Some stores offer a comfort guarantee to ensure you select the mattress of your dreams.
It's usually a trial period of a few weeks and there's usually a few fine print paragraphs in the contract including return, exchange or re-stocking fees.
Be aware that stipulations written in the contract could wipe out your warranty.
Even a speck of a stain can void your mattress warranty with most companies. Some even use a black light to search for stains.
In that case, buy a waterproof mattress cover. For $20 or less, a mattress cover is insurance for your bed and your hygiene.
"That's literally the first line of defense for your mattress in keeping it fresh and clean," Mahoney advises.
Be sure to keep your mattress right-side up. Unlike older mattresses, newer ones don't require flipping, but they should be rotated.
For a one-side mattresses, you should turn them every week or so for the first three months.
We spend a third of our life sleeping and the rest of the time wishing we were still in bed.
Take your time and try out everything a retailer has to offer so you can rest assured your new mattress is just right.
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Town Square
San Jose man charged with robberies in Palo Alto
Original post made on Mar 29, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, March 29, 2013, 1:20 PM
on Mar 29, 2013 at 1:35 pm
PAPD originally described the perp as a tall skinny white male with a large scar next to his right eye. This mug shot fits the description pretty well. He is suspected of at least 2 armed robberies reported in Palo Alto, and apparently numerous crimes elsewhere in the Bay Area.
on Mar 29, 2013 at 2:08 pm
Vague accusations and depictions by race/ethnicity are an indicator of bias and low intelligence.
on Mar 29, 2013 at 3:22 pm
Most suspect descriptions in police press release releases are vague depictions by race/ethnicity (plus height and weight). Are you accusing the police of catching this guy by racial profiling?


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1-10 of 59 properties with a garden for sale found
£475,000 Offers in Excess of
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4 bedroom detached house for sale Stirling Drive, Gourock
Scottish castle from the 15th century for sale. The entire building underwent a complete renovation in 1984 and 1987 and now provides all the requirements of modern living.This is a two-wing building into the L shape with 4 floors , which are connected by a spiral staircase. More details ›
£400,000 Offers in Region of
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5 bedroom detached house for sale 11 Killellan Place, , Gourock, PA19 1EZ
Part Exchange Available! We are delighted to bring to the market this striking, five bedroom detached villa which redefines what modern living in Scotland is all about. The property sits in a very private and large corner position within this very tranquil cul-de-sac setting. In terms of location... More details ›
Added on 29/07/2014 by McEwan Fraser Legal, Scotland. Call: 0131 291 0083 Local call rate
4 bedroom villa for sale Westering Sun, Farm Road, Renfrewshire And Inverclyde, PA19 1GY
Few homes can truly be described as unique, but this house â inspired by an open-plan Canadian design â is a one-off. This superior modern detached villa is located in a secluded woodland site of about one third of an acre on an elevated position above the Clyde shore in Gourock. The location... More details ›
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Added on 30/04/2013 by Robb Residential, Glasgow. Call: 0141 381 2142 Local call rate
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Offers Over £339,995
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£310,000 Offers in Region of
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4 bedroom detached house for sale Carnoustie Avenue, Gourock, Renfrewshire
REVISED PRICE - MUST BE VIEWED TO FULLY APPRECIATE THE QUALITY OF THIS SPACIOUS HOME! This unique architect designed executive four bedroom SPLIT LEVEL DETACHED VILLA offers a spacious family home over three levels within a highly sought after cul de sac location. The property commands highly i... More details ›
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Offers Over £295,000
5 bedroom detached house for sale Rosemount Place, Gourock, Renfrewshire
It doesnt happen often but every now and then you walk into someone else's home and you think I could live here Something different, detached from the ordinary and you are still only in the first room! If you love socialising at home with family and friends then the lower level of this property... More details ›
3 bedroom flat for sale Levan Wood, Farm Road, Gourock, Inverclyde
This rarely available property is a prestigious, spacious apartment within an exclusive woodland setting. The modern property is in an elevated position over the Firth of Clyde with views to Argyll and beyond. A lit, private driveway leads to landscaped grounds, allocated covered parking ... More details ›
Added on 09/11/2013 by Housesimple Online Estate Agents, Nationwide. Call: 0845 603 9909 Call rates may vary
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PRICED TO SELL AND MUST BE VIEWED! £25,000 BELOW HOME REPORT VALUE! Superb asking price for a substantial 5 bedroom house with countryside and River Clyde views. Occupying an exclusive elevated position within a rarely available and highly desirable cul de sac with just two properties in the s... More details ›
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5 bedroom detached house for sale Moorfield Road, Gourock, Renfrewshire
Hmm, let me think this through! On entering the lounge and having eventually contained myself I'm thinking its like being in the penthouse apartment of one of the luxury cruise liners which pass this window. Then I think about Mr James Cagney and his iconic line Made it Ma. top of the world , pe... More details ›
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Barefoot Beach Bldg 6 403 in Bonita Springs
- bedrooms 2
- baths 2
- sleeps 4
- pool yes
- hot tub no
- pets allowed no
- type Condo
- community
rates (USD)
/ night
$ 710 - $ 1,410 / week
$ 2,870 - $ 5,970 / month
vacation rental description
Featuring this two bedroom two bathroom Barefoot Beach condo with a great view of the Gulf
of Mexico and the wonderful evening sunsets. Doc's Beach House, The Fish House
and Vincenzo's are just a few of the great restaurants less than a mile away,
and the beach is at your doorstep.
Known as "The Gateway to The Gulf" this is a Mecca for sun worshipers and water sports
enthusiast alike with its world renown fishing, parasailing, jet skiing and
let's not forget some of the best golf courses around are here in south Florida.
For a winter retreat or just a few days relaxation Bonita Springs, Fl ranks as one
of the top winter destinations in the country and with Lovers Key state park
just down the road and being selected as one of the top 10 beaches in Florida
year after year you can see why this tropical paradise has become so popular.
Accommodations: Two-bedrooms (2- Queens) Two-bathroom
Amenities: Screened Lanai, Heated Pool,
Location: Bonita Springs
View: Gulf Front
Minimum Night Requirements: 1- Month
Pet Policy: No Pets
No smoking please


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As the pipeline route is decided, ranchers worry about impacts to water quality in the case of spills
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1. Enough with the MVP's and the National Title Talk. What ACC teams are going to be bowl eligible by November? Who will be left out in the cold? Heading into the season, I predicted that BC,...
Do you dream of bathing in an unending wave of college football goodness? Do you ever feel like you just see too much of your girlfriend, the sun or your Jack Russell, Bo? If so, do we have...
Brendan From Old Virginia is probably the most industrious blogger in the ACC. He's heading up the first ACC Roundtable of the 2010 Football Season with your typical and atypical preseason...
Florida State Dominating ACC in Recruiting
Blogpoll, ACC Bloggers Roundtable, and Updated Ratings!
Brian and Jeff of BC Interruption are hosting the ACC Roundtable this week. Our answers follow the jump: Now that most ACC teams' non-conference schedules are winding down and we are starting...
ACC Roundtable Week 1- Tomahawk Nation
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ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
Cosplayer AoiMizuno (Christine) > Costume of Litchi Faye-Ling from BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
- Most Recent Photo
- 06-04-2012
- Series
- BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
- Character
- Litchi Faye-Ling
- Special Variation:
- Doctor/Librarian
- Year Completed:
- Construction Difficulty:
- Prop made by
- shyot
- Costume worn at:
- Anime Expo 2011
- FanimeCon 2012
- WonderCon 2012
About this Costume
- Construction Details:
SECOND COSTUME THAT I USED MY SEWING MACHINE FOR! NO MORE HAND SEWING FOR ME HURRAY!!!! XD Um... I draped fabric around myself until it looked right and kept sewing everything together lol. There is about 5 yds of red fabric and 15 yds of the gold bias tape in there. @_@;; I need to change out the white velcro on my bodice/corset? thing? I should have used black cuz the white is very apparent. But at the time I ran out of supplies so I had to make do :( I'll fix it up for my next wear I swear!!! :x The shoes were black witch shoes that I sanded and painted white and mod podged bias tape and stuff to look like her shoes. All in all this costume was a head ache but I LOVE THIS OUTFIT!!! No one ever does it but it's SO CUTE! :3
Wig Details
- Wig Brand
- Cosplay Wig Glamour
- Wig Name
- Original Color:
- Black
- Styling Time
- 5 hours
- Styling Notes
- I cut and styled the wig to the best of my abilities. I SUCK at cutting hair btw. @_@;; The wig bun I purchased a cheap long halloween party wig. I used a flat cylinder styrofoam base and wrapped the cheap wig fibers around and held it together with hot glue. Kids, hot glue is VERY hot, please be careful. /sigh =___= The wig bun thing is attached with a big claw clip. :3
Add a Comment


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Bexley Council and Tesco in deal for Bexleyheath town centre (From News Shopper)
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Bexley Council and Tesco in deal for Bexleyheath town centre
Updated 10:17am Wednesday 27th February 2013 in News By Sam Christie
WORK is set to begin this week on a major redevelopment project in Bexleyheath town centre.
A deal was struck between Bexley Council and Tesco on Friday (Feb 15) to pave the way to convert the former Woolwich building into council offices.
Meanwhile, the building of 26 new homes on land at the rear of the building, which Tesco has sold to Bellway Homes, is expected to begin.
When the council moves into the Woolwich building in Watling Street in Spring 2014, it will leave the current Civic Offices and allow space for Tesco to create a superstore which will bring 400 jobs.
Bexley Council say moving to one big site instead of four ageing offices will save around £1million a year.
Council leader Teresa O'Neill, said: "I am delighted that all the formalities are complete, because I believe this project is good news for Bexleyheath and the borough as a whole.
"These developments will help to revitalise the town centre and make other sites available for regeneration.
"The fact that we are re-using the Woolwich building is further justification for our position as London's number one borough for recycling."
The Woolwich building has been empty for seven years and its future was in doubt. Tesco's application for a 10,000-square-metre store with 494 parking spaces got the go-ahead from Bexley Council's planning committee in July last year.
Three shops, restaurants or cafes will also be built on the site as well as a community area.
At the same meeting, permission was also granted for 126 homes – 48 houses and 78 apartments – at the back of the Woolwich building.
Comments (5)
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5:35pm Mon 25 Feb 13
simonwebb70 says...
great! Why not install some stables Bexley Council!??!
3:12pm Tue 26 Feb 13
derekhope says...
12:04pm Wed 27 Feb 13
highway warrior says...
The deal done is the most cost effective way of rehousing the council into a more modern (and iconic)building and regenerating the broadway, creating more jobs for Bexley residents. So what if it's another supermarket, Tesco seem hell bent on creating as many jobs in Bexley as possible, may as well let them continue (5 new express stores in the last year or so...)
2:13pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Invicta58 says...
2:54pm Thu 28 Feb 13
goldenbroomboy says...
Comments are closed on this article.


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San Francisco 49ers
Glenn Dorsey - DE
|6' 1"/ 297 lbs.
|Baton Rouge, LA
|Years played
|2008, 1st round, 5th pick by Chiefs
49ers' Friday pool report
San Francisco 49ers Jim Harbaugh accomplished his coaching plan of trying to make Super Bowl week a normal week for his team both in practice and in preparation.
Harbaugh brothers could envision working together
At their joint news conference Friday, Jim and John Harbaugh said they would welcome the opportunity to work together in the future.
Super Bowl matchup: 49ers RBs vs. Ravens front seven
When San Francisco's Frank Gore and LaMichael James square off against the Baltimore front seven in Super Bowl XLVII, it will be strength vs. strength.
Thursday practice report for Super Bowl XLVII
Here is Thusrday's practice report for the Ravens and 49ers for Super Bowl XLVII.
49ers' Thursday pool report
First, it's the Harbaugh Super Bowl. On Friday, it will be the Harbaugh dual press conference. Thursday offered the Harbaugh dual practice.
Jim Harbaugh: Much more than meets the eye
Jim Harbaugh has a reputation for being extremely intense. But below the surface is a warm soul and impassioned family man.
Super Bowl matchup: Ravens WRs vs. 49ers secondary
The 49ers' secondary has been a stout unit for most of the season, and faces a Ravens' passing game that has taken off in the postseason.
49ers' Culliver expresses contrition for anti-homosexual comments
A day after anti-homosexual comments made by 49ers CB Chris Culliver came out, he spoke contritely about what he had said.
Ravens moving practices to Saints' facility
The Ravens will use the Saints' facilities for practice the rest of the week, sharing it with the 49ers.
49ers' Leavitt makes best of second coaching chance
49ers LB coach Jim Leavitt isn't letting the fallout of South Florida define his career.
Wednesday practice report for Super Bowl XLVII
Here is the Wednesday practice report for the 49ers and Ravens for Sunday's Super Bowl XLVII.
Wednesday's 49ers pool report
Winds from the aftermath of a Wednesday storm sent the 49ers into the New Orleans Saints indoor practice facility for their first full practice for Super Bowl XLVII.
49ers 'reject' Culliver's comments
The 49ers released a statement Wednesday rejecting CB Chris Culliver's comments made on Tuesday.
Pierce, James diversify Super Bowl rushing attacks
Ray Rice and Frank Gore lead their teams' running games, but Bernard Pierce and LaMichael James have helped elevate them to a new level.
The Pro Game: The Age vs. Beauty Bowl
The 49ers franchise peaked decades ago; the Ravens are near the precipice, holding on for dear life. Tom Danyluk offers his take on the big game.
The Kansas City Chiefs have placed Dorsey on injured reserve with a calf injury and added defensive back Neiko Thorpe to the 53-man roster||||||| Dorsey played in just four games this season. He injured his left calf in practice in September and missed four games, then injured his right calf during a 31-13 loss to the Chargers on Nov. 1. The former first-round draft pick finishes the season with seven tackles and no sacks.
Dorsey sat out for the third straight practice Monday.||||||| Dorsey was carted off the field last Thursday with an undisclosed injury.
Dorsey has limped to the locker room just before halftime against the Buffalo Bills.||||||| Dorsey hobbled off the field late in the second quarter with a knee injury and headed inside after trying to walk it off. His return was questionable.
The Chiefs say rookie defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey should miss about a week after spraining his left knee in practice during the weekend.||||||| An MRI exam showed no additional damage, the Chiefs said Monday at training camp in River Falls, Wis. Dorsey was the fifth overall pick in the draft. The former LSU star signed a $51 million, five-year deal last month. He was hurt when he collided with another lineman during practice. Dorsey is considered vital to rebuilding the defensive line after the departure of Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen to Minnesota.
First-round draft pick Glenn Dorsey has agreed to contract terms with the Kansas City Chiefs and was expected at Saturday afternoon's practice.||||||| Dorsey, the fifth overall choice in the 2008 draft, agreed to a five-year deal with an option for a sixth year, Chiefs president Carl Peterson said on Saturday. The Chiefs have agreed to terms with 11 of their 12 draft picks. Still unsigned is tight end Michael Merritt, a seventh-round selection out of Central Florida.


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From scary indoor decor to carved pumpkins for the outdoors, these easy homemade Halloween decorations will turn any home into a spooky haunted mansion.
Make your home into a comfortable haunt with these creepy crafts.
These jolly jack-o'-lanterns can be reused year after year.
Dazzle trick-or-treaters with this larger-than-life spooky spider.
This slinky kitty makes a spooky Halloween decoration
Directions for making yummy Halloween party favors and handouts.
Create these fun hanging bats and spiders.
A Halloween treat bag idea from Spoonful.com
A harvest season table decoration for Halloween from Spoonful.
These ghosts are perfect for decorating your own mini haunted house.
A spooky Halloween ghost decoration to delight trick-or-treaters.
A haunted cardboard mansion Halloween decoration from Spoonful.com
Conjure up a green-faced witch for a haunting porch decoration for Halloween.
Offer a sugar-free goodie to trick-or-treaters with this Halloween Craft
Try a Halloween decorating idea inspired by white pumpkins.
Light up the dinner table with autumn-inspired candleholders


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Oppose "card check"
Will "oppose 'card check' schemes that (make it easier to join unions and) put Washington union bosses before individuals' right to a secret ballot."
Reduce federal pay
"We will bring federal pay scales that have become so exaggerated into line with market rates."
Conduct an immediate and comprehensive review of existing and proposed government rules, regulations and statutes
"Conduct an immediate and comprehensive review of existing and proposed government rules, regulations, and statutes that impose additional, unnecessary costs on employers and job creators."
Freeze government pay and government hiring
Freeze "both government pay and government hiring."
We want to hear your suggestions and comments.
For tips or comments on our Obameter and our GOP-Pledge-O-Meter promise databases, please e-mail the Obameter. If you are commenting on a specific promise, please include the wording of the promise.For comments about our Truth-O-Meter or Flip-O-Meter items, please e-mail the Truth-O-Meter. We're especially interested in seeing any chain e-mails you receive that you would like us to check out. If you send us a comment, we'll assume you don't mind us publishing it unless you tell us otherwise.
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When he was fifteen, Gaines moved to California to join his parents, who had left Louisiana during World War II. There he attended San Francisco State University and later won a writing fellowship to Stanford University.
Gaines published his first short story in 1956. Since then he has written eight books of fiction, including Catherine Carmier, Of Love and Dust, Bloodline, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, A Long Day in November, In My Father's House, and A Gathering of Old Men, most of which are available in Vintage paperback editions. A Lesson Before Dying, his most recent novel, won the 1993 National Book Critics Circle Award. He has also been awarded a MacArthur Foundation grant, for writings of "rare historical resonance."
Ernest Gaines and his wife Dianne now live year-round in Oscar, Louisiana. They built a house on land that was part of the plantation where he grew up. We is now Writer-in-Residence Emeritus at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (formerly University of Southwestern Louisiana).
and Leadbelly : Stories and Essays
Click to order via Amazon
Format: Hardcover, 158pp
Pub. Date: October 2005
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
In this collection of stories and essays, the beloved author of the classic, best-selling novel A Lesson Before Dying shares with us the inspirations behind his books, how he came to choose the vocation of a writer, the childhood in rural Louisiana that he continually re-creates in his fiction, and his portrayal of the black experience in the South.
Told in the simple and powerful prose that is a hallmark of his craft, these writings faithfully evoke the sorrows and joys of rustic Southern life. They begin with Gaines's move to California at the age of fifteen to complete school. Missing the Louisiana countryside where he was raised by his aunt propelled him to find books in the library that would invoke the sights, smells, and locution of his native home. Gaines never agreed with the authors' portrayal of black people: 'either she was a mammy, or he was a Tom,' he explains in 'Miss Jane and I.'
From that initial disappointment stemmed a literary career that has spanned forty years and includes five novels, which in the words of USA Today reviewer Suzanne Freeman have 'made the smallest truths, the everyday sorrows of hard choices, add up to moments of pure illumination.' These are cherished and popular books like The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, A Gathering of Old Men, and the 1993 blockbuster A Lesson Before Dying, which has sold more than two million copies around the world, won the National Book Critics Circle Award, and in 1997 was picked for Oprah's Book Club. It has been continually selected for City Read programs and praised by critics as 'an instant classic, a book that will be read, discussed and taught beyond the rest of our lives' (Charles R. Larson, Chicago Tribune). In the essay 'Writing A Lesson Before Dying,' Gaines describes the real-life murder case that gave him the idea for his masterpiece.
Included here are short stories that transport us to the rural Louisiana of the 1940s and the influences that shaped him'most lastingly, the people and the places of Gaines's own past. This wonderful collection of autobiographical essays and fictional pieces is a revelation of both man and writer.
Lesson Before Dying
Click to order via Amazon
Publisher: Random House, Incorporated
Date Published: June 1994
Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Click to order via Amazon
Publisher: Bantam Books, Incorporated
Date Published: June 1972
Format: Mass Market Paperbound
"This is a novel in the guise of the tape-recorded recollections of a black woman who has lived 110 years, who has been both a slave and a witness to the black militancy of the 1960's. In this woman, Ernest Gaines has created a legendary figure, a woman equipped to stand beside William Faulkner's Dilsey in The Sound And The Fury. Miss Jane Pittman, like Dilsey, has 'endured,' has seen almost everything and foretold the rest. Gaines' novel brings to mind other great works The Odyssey for the way his heroine's travels manage to summarize the American history of her race, and Huckleberry Finn for the clarity of her voice, for her rare capacity to sort through the mess of years and things to find the one true story in it all." -- Geoffrey Wolff, Newsweek.
Gathering of Old Men
Click to order via Amazon
Publisher: Random House, Incorporated
Date Published: August 1984
Format: Trade Paper
Mr. Gaines's narrative method has largely dictated his achievement.
He has chosen to tell a complex and heavily populated tale through 15
first-personnarrators, each of whom advances the plot in short, chronological monologues.
Ten of them are black, most of them are male, none of them proves to be implicated in the
heart of the action. They are nicely distinguished from one another in rhythm and idiom,
in the nature of what they see and report, especially in their specific laments for past
passivity in the face of suffering. . . .{Mr. Gaines} has built, with large and
single-minded skills, a dignified and calamitous and perhaps finally comic pageant to
summarize the history of an enormous, long waste in our past--the mindless, mutual hatred
of white and black, which, he implies, may slowly be healing.
From Reynolds Price - The New York Times Book Review:
Related Links
Ernest J Gaines Center Website
Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
Ernest Gaines photo at the top of the page: Joseph Sanford


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Robbie Lawler -- the last man to hold the Elite XC middleweight crown -- is among several talented mixed martial artists now out of work and looking to land a new deal because of the promotion's recent collapse.
There's a big difference, however, between "Ruthless" and most of his former stablemates -- he and his management have a very good relationship with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In fact, the 26-year-old from Granite City, Illinois, is a seven-fight Octagon veteran, racking up a decent record (4-3) while competing in the welterweight division.
That means that Lawler could one day soon find his way back to the land of milk and honey provided that his contract with Elite XC does not get mired in a legal abyss and keep him on the sidelines for an extended period of time.
Regardless, it's certainly an opportunity that he welcomes.
Lawler was in Rosemont this weekend sitting ringside with friend, training/business partner and former 170-pound champion, Matt Hughes, soaking in UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote." He even used his time at the show to squeeze in some time with White.
Here's a snip from his official Web site:
"As everyone knows Elite XC is no longer around. I enjoyed my time working for them and I was treated really well. Thank you to everyone at Proelite for the opportunity to fight in front of millions of fans. Last week I spent at the UFC with Matt Hughes. The atmosphere was awesome as usual. I spent time talking to Monte Cox about what my options are. I also had a brief conversation with the very busy prez of the UFC. All that said I think I will be just fine. I will blog when i sign with an organization. Until then I will keep my self in good shape."
Since his initial stint with the UFC, which ended in 2004, Lawler has beefed up and competed as a middleweight where he has enjoyed great success. He has lost just once in nine attempts, winning the Elite XC and Icon Sport 185-pound titles along the way.
Lawler was scheduled to defend his Elite XC strap against Joey Villasenor at "A Night of Champions" on November 8 before the promotion went under. There's no telling when he might return to action, but it appears that he will be ready to rock when given the green light.
Stay glued to MMAmania.com for more details on this developing story.


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The High Line's planting design is inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew up between rail tracks after the trains stopped running in the 1980s. Today, the High Line includes more than 300 species of perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees — chosen for their hardiness, adaptability, diversity, and seasonal variation in color and texture. Some of the species that originally grew on the High Line's rail bed are reflected in the park landscape today.
This week we share with you one of our gardeners' current favorites.
This season of High Line Food is in full-swing! Follow us after the jump to learn how you can enter to win a complimentary lunch from Terroir at The Porch.
This week we bid farewell to Sarah Sze's Still Life with Path (Model for Habitat), the intricate sculpture flanking the High Line's pathway at West 21st Street.
We are keeping our fingers crossed that the rain and clouds will break for tomorrow's stargazing session on the High Line. If the weather permits, you'll be able to see a rare astronomical event called the Transit of Venus.
At approximately 6:00 PM, the planet Venus will begin to pass directly between the Sun and the Earth. The last Transit of Venus took place in June of 2004, and projections show it won't be visible again until the year 2117!
Learn more after the jump.
High Line Food is committed to working with entrepreneurial food partners whose products are good for the people eating the food, good for those who grow it, and good for the land. With this core philosophy in mind, we were thrilled when returning food partner L'Arte del Gelato decided to make the switch to locally-sourced milk for their full-range of gelati on offer at the High Line.
This new sustainably-produced New York State milk from Battenkill Valley Creamery is a great addition to their already impressive roster of high quality ingredients.
"Italians know that the secret to good food is to step back and let the ingredients speak for themselves!" L'Arte del Gelato co-founder Francesco Realmuto says. "Using Battenkill Valley Creamery milk for all of our High Line gelati is a great way to showcase delicious local food from right here in New York State."
Learn more about the family farm supplying L'Arte del Gelato's milk after the jump.
The High Line is meant to look like a wild landscape, but it requires an extraordinary amount of work to maintain the plant life and keep the park clean and welcoming for its visitors.
With more than one mile of parkland, mechanical infrastructure, and unique operational challenges, it takes close coordination of a team of dedicated gardeners, custodians, technicians, and more to keep an elevated park like the High Line running smoothly. That's why we are pleased to welcome Ronnit Bendavid-Val to our staff, as our new Vice President of Horticulture & Park Operations.
Ronnit brings over a decade of experience with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to her new position of overseeing our team of horticultural and maintenance staff.
Join us after the jump and get to know Ronnit.
Stay Connected with the High Line


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Floyd C. Dutchess, 83, Kokomo, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012, at Northwoods Village.
He was born Aug. 18, 1929, in Howard County, to William F. and Madge R. Oldfather Dutchess. He married Emagene Snyder, and she preceded him in death on July 1, 2012.
He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and was stationed in France. He graduated from Galveston High School in 1947 and was a member of the Cass County Basketball Championship Team in 1947. He worked at Haynes and later at Chrysler where he retired after 27 years. He was a member of Bon Air Church of the Nazarene, the NRA, Walton Legion 418 and the Howard County Genealogy Society, and he served as treasurer for many years for the Galveston Alumni Association.
He is survived by one brother, Creg (Bea) Dutchess, Galveston; and two sisters, Portia M. Devore, Galveston, and Marcia E. (Jerry) Harms, Indianapolis; sister-in-law, Carla Dutchess; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his wife, Emagene Dutchess, he was preceded in death by his parents; one daughter, Jan Leslie Dutchess; and his twin brother, Lloyd A. Dutchess.
The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Sunset Memory Garden Funeral Home with Pastor Dennis Riggs officiating. Entombment will follow in Sunset Memory Garden Cemetery.
Visiting hours will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Bon Air Church of the Nazarene.
Messages of condolence may be expressed online at www.sunsetmemorygarden.com.


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, long known for its scrolling color changers, is taking its knowledge of color mixing and branching out. Nexera is a new family of luminaires that feature dichroic CMY color mixing. It uses glass-color media to provide a wide array of color that can be gracefully faded through the entire spectrum. Quiet servo movement, combined with convection cooling, means these fixtures can be used on any stage without incurring the wrath of the sound department. Nexera is bright, efficient, and easy to use.
Wybron's Nexera Wash Light
The Nexera will initially be available in two models, a Wash light version and a 25-40 degree profile Spot version.
Nexera is an incandescent fixture with a dichroic CMY color changer. Color consistency over time is assured, because the glass filters will not fade with heat or age. The chosen color is easily selected using any two of the three DMX control channels. Color fades are smoothly accomplished with your choice of color path from one color to the next. It was designed with efficiency in mind. Using a 575W lamp, the output is over 8,000 Lumens. For the Wash version, changing the beam angle is done by moving one or both lenses to optimize output over the range of beam shaping.
The Nexera ellipsoidal spotlight zooms from 25-40 degrees with handy detents at 26 and 36 degrees, so it is easy to set up an entire show's worth of fixtures and set them to the same zoom angle. It has four stainless steel, Teflon-coated shutters with an effects slot for pattern rotators or other accessories. Wybron's Goboram II would be an ideal companion since the power supplies are the same.
To maintain a cool beam, a dichroic reflector is used to absorb most of the infrared energy generated by the lamp. Convection cooling is used throughout the entire family, meaning no fans, making for a quiet unit. When the color needs to change, the combination of a precision mechanism and a servo system designed for quiet movement ensures the audience will never hear your light cues.
The Nexera use the same family of Coloram II power supplies, 6-way, 12-way or 24-way. These power supplies provide power and signal to each head in one combined cable for ease of wiring. Each unit has an in and out for daisy-chaining together and for making setup easier. Diagnostic information is available about each head connected to the supply. The dimming circuit can be supplied with your choice of connector.


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OLYMPIA, Wash. - Continuing wildfire smoke has driven air quality into the "hazardous" and "very unhealthy" ranges in several Central Washington communities, according to the Washington Department of Ecology.
This morning (Friday, Sept. 28, 2012), a newly relocated air monitor showed air quality was "hazardous" in Liberty. Air also was "hazardous" in Cashmere, and "very unhealthy" in Wenatchee and Trout Lake. Entiat experienced "unhealthy" air; Pateros and Quincy were in the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" range.
Air quality in most locations across Eastern Washington registered as "moderate" to "unhealthy for sensitive groups." Only Colville, Wellpinit and Dayton are experiencing "good" air quality.
Many communities are experiencing a pattern – smoke clears in the mid- to late afternoon so air quality improves, then smoke builds up again overnight and air quality deteriorates.
Today's forecast calls for winds to increase this evening as a weakening cold front moves into Eastern Washington. Weekend winds are expected to move smoke out of the region.
However, said Ecology forecaster Clint Bowman, "there is no precipitation in the forecast sufficient to affect the wildfires, and smoke will continue to be an air quality problem into next week as the surface winds subside."
The National Weather Service issued an Air Quality Alert for all of Eastern Washington: http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=otx&wwa=air%20quality%20alert
Gov. Chris Gregoire has banned all outdoor burning in Eastern Washington through midnight Sunday. The ban does not apply to tribal lands where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has jurisdiction.


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Women's Retreat: October 24-26, 2014
The keynote speaker will be respected speaker and author Hyveth Williams. This year's theme is based off of Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Join us as we spend time together with our God to learn more what He has in His hands for us.
Click here for more information
Miss camp meeting? All is not lost! You can watch the programs that happened in the main auditorium right here.
WATCH! June 13—John Bradshaw, "All In"
WATCH! June 14—John Bradshaw, "The Blueprint"
WATCH! June 14—Maplewood Academy, Sabbath School
WATCH! June 14—John Bradshaw, "The View from Mt. Nebo"
WATCH! June 14—King's Heralds Concert
WATCH! June 14—John Bradshaw, "Empowered"
WATCH! June 15—Mic Thurber, "Are You Some In With Jesus?"
WATCH! June 16—Mic Thurber, "When God Whispers His Secrets to You"
WATCH! June 17—Mic Thurber, "When Jesus Changes How You See"
WATCH! June 18—Mic Thurber, "What Have You Done with Your Walter?"
WATCH! June 19—Mic Thurber, "Almost People"
WATCH! June 20—Jon Paulien, "Serving Jesus Surrendered"
WATCH! June 21—Jon Paulien, "Serving Jesus Watchfully"
WATCH! June 21—North Star Camp, Sabbath School
WATCH! June 21—Jon Paulien, "Serving Jesus to the End"
WATCH! June 21—Shawn Boonstra, "Believe, Part 1"
WATCH! June 21—Shawn Boonstra, "Believe, Part 2"
A series of seminars to promote healthy churches that grow the Kingdom of God offered through the Minnesota Conference Personal Ministries Department.
Minnesota Conference Podcasts and Streaming
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