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In the hopes of getting off the mark in 2015, here's a link to our last podcast, which was posted ten days ago.
We're recording Episode 88 tonight. I'm sure it'll be much less positive.
In the hopes of getting off the mark in 2015, here's a link to our last podcast, which was posted ten days ago.
We're recording Episode 88 tonight. I'm sure it'll be much less positive.
In contrast to the Minnesota Vikings' very public push for a Major League Soccer franchise, the group being led by Minnesota United FC owner Bill McGuire has conducted its bid for a franchise almost entirely out of the public view. Where United has tread softly, the Vikings have paraded; while McGuire and United team president Nick Rogers have offered little comment, Vikings spokesman Lester Bagley and other Vikings officials have been frank.
While the Vikings unveiled renderings of a system to curtain off the new Downtown East stadium for soccer, even the merest suggestion of a stadium for the United bid met with uproar, at least in the Star Tribune comments section. Bagley, and the rest of the Vikings publicity team, aren't shy about stating their team's desire for MLS; meanwhile, Rogers was quoted in the City Pages suggesting that his team "wasn't itching" to get a deal done.
We've seen pictures. We've heard stories. Because of this, it's natural to feel that we know a lot more about the Vikings bid, led by team owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, than we do about McGuire's. But it's worth remembering that there is more to a successful first-division soccer franchise than just a stadium. It's also worth remembering that Major League Soccer is the only group that has a vote in this process, and that the league will consider much more than just stadiums in the process. And so, in some ways, it's United's bid we know the most about.
For one thing, we know a lot better how a United-led franchise would manage a soccer team. It's one of the biggest open questions about the Vikings' bid – would they do well as an MLS owner? It's been a problem for a number of MLS teams recently, from the "worst owners in the league" in New England, to Seattle, where the Sounders ended their association with the Seahawks ten years earlier than scheduled. Last week, an article by Mike Kaszuba in the Star Tribune confirmed that the Wilfs passed on a chance to buy United, before McGuire purchased the team. While the Vikings' decision may have been understandable – as Bagley has stated, the team was engaged fully in stadium design at the time – it also would have been a chance to learn the soccer business on the ground, managing the day-to-day operations of a team.
At the time, late in 2012, the three most recent MLS expansion franchises – Vancouver, Portland, and Montreal – were teams that had made the jump from the second division to the first. Stadium project or no, it's impossible to believe that the Vikings didn't at least consider that the best way to prove themselves to MLS was to own a second-division team. Even ignoring the NASL route, Atlanta – which will join MLS in 2017 under the aegis of the NFL Falcons – managed to both design a stadium and discuss soccer at the same time, which is why Falcons owner Arthur Blank already has an expansion franchise, with tens of thousands of season ticket deposits placed.
As I've said before, the Vikings deserve credit for their efforts to turn around public perceptions, and they're making a strong push to convince both the league, and local soccer fans, that they'd do well owning a soccer team. But their past doesn't speak well for them. And United doesn't need a public-relations push to convince us of their credentials, given that they've now been proving things on the field and in the front office for two years.
While the Vikings have held press conferences and unveiled renderings, United has sold tickets, built relationships, and won soccer games. They were the NASL's best team in 2014, finishing with a first-half title and the league's best record overall. They regularly drew more than 5,000 fans all the way to Blaine for home games, far and away the best regular attendance for pro soccer in Minnesota since the days of the Minnesota Kicks at Met Stadium. Though some might have a perception they haven't reached out to the local community, they have a partnership with the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association, one that's close enough for Rogers to have been the keynote speaker at the group's fall Recognition Banquet. They've developed international relationships, as well, one that led the team to do their preseason training in England, and later bring Swansea City of the English Premier League to town for a friendly match that drew nearly 10,000 people.
We don't need United to show off a PowerPoint presentation to know about that part of their bid.
As for stadiums, it's worth mentioning that financing aside, two key considerations make the Downtown East stadium less attractive. For one, the Vikings' comments indicate that they would be aiming a field that's the MLS-minimum 70 yards wide. Most soccer fans like the field to be as wide as possible, which allows for a more free-flowing matchup – part of the reason that FIFA mandates a field that's at least 75 yards wide.
Second, the field surface is a key consideration in a league whose 2014 MVP, Robbie Keane, was quoted as saying, " If this league wants to progress, turf has to go. It's very simple. Very, very simple. It's not good enough. In this day and age, playing on turf, it's not good enough." While ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman told us that certain turf fields in the league have gotten better, we also know that recently-retired superstar Thierry Henry simply refused to play on the artificial fields – a silent endorsement of grass.
While the new Downtown East stadium would be able to accommodate a 75-yard-wide field for a FIFA event, thanks to the movable north stands, the turf makes it unlikely we'd see a FIFA event or a national team match for the foreseeable future. Recent experiments to lay sod fields over artificial turf have been almost uniformly disastrous, including the event at TCF Bank Stadium last summer; it's unlikely that either US Soccer or FIFA would want to take a chance with the new stadium, not when there are so many proven alternatives available around the country.
There are many discussions to be had about stadium financing, of course, and the battles will continue to rage here and elsewhere. Given that, it's no wonder that United has been keeping their stadium plans quiet. As for the remainder of their bid, though, it's not a secret by any means. It's not hiding. It's there for everyone – including Major League Soccer – to see.
NOTE: This appeared at SoccerCentric.
This week on the Sportive, Stu and Brandon and I talked about the Vikings (better than we thought, worse than average), the Twins (worse than I think, better if I realize this) and the Wild (worse than they should be, worse for our lives).
Now, that sounds like it would take about twenty minutes, but the podcast is over an hour long. So you figure out what to expect from that.
From RandBall
NOTE: This appeared at RandBall, too, of course.
It's the eighth birthday of RandBall! EIGHT! I don't know how many people are aware of this, but when Michael started writing this blog, he was just fourteen years old. He has aged in blog years, and now, at age 52, spends his days complaining about millennials, watching the Big Ten Network, and telling people off on Twitter.
Yes, Mr. Rand is truly on the way to becoming Sid, just like we've long predicted. He's already started recording his interviews on an ancient tape deck; soon, he'll give up on the blog, and assign his Twitter to some intern, and start breaking some REAL news on Page 2, the way that Joseph Pultizer intended.
With that in mind, we should probably enjoy RandBall while it's still around. Here's an increasingly-unlikely list of things we have to look forward to in 2015, the blog's ninth – NINTH! – year:
It should be a great year! Happy birthday, RandBall! Here's to years more of tremendous entertainment!
Reminisce! RandBall's 1st Birthday | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th
Forbes.com reported today that Major League baseball league-wide revenues jumped from $8 billion in 2013 to $9 billion in 2014, mostly due to the league's new national TV contracts and to revenue from MLB Advanced Media, the league's online streaming arm.
A look back: In 2001, revenue was $3.6 billion; adjusted for inflation, $4.66 billion in today's dollars, according to Forbes. That year, three MLB teams had payrolls over $100 million; the Yankees led the way with just over $112 million. 16 more had more than $50 million in payroll that season. Since then, revenue has doubled, more or less. The Dodgers had a $235 million payroll last year, and the Yankees nearly cleared the bar to $200 million as well. 14 other teams had payrolls of at least $100 million.
$200 million is the new $100 million, when it comes to payroll. $100 million is the new $50 million.
Since Target Field opened in 2010, the median MLB payroll has gone from $85 million to $107 million – right in line with revenue, which just like the median payroll, has jumped 25% in that five-year span. During that same period, the Twins' payroll has declined, from $98 million to $85million. Don't let the Twins fool you; they will try to tell you that they're spending plenty of money. They aren't.
Remember this the next time Terry Ryan or Dave St. Peter talks about being "fiscally responsible." Remember this the next time your neighbor complains about Joe Mauer's contract being the problem with the Twins. Remember that MLB's revenue explosion, and the great gobs of taxpayer money that funded Target Field, mean that the Twins are making more money now than they ever have before – indeed more money than they could ever have dreamed of.
They're just pocketing it, instead of spending it on improving the team.
The Minnesota Vikings have long been accused of not taking soccer seriously. Though the team had the foresight to insert some questionable Major League Soccer-specific language in stadium-related legislation, until earlier this year, the franchise was simply intent on planning the gleaming new building – first getting it passed at the Legislature, then getting it designed and kicking off construction. By that point, they'd managed to infuriate a large number of local soccer supporters, mostly for what appeared to be a resolute desire to ignore questions and pleas from the ever-burgeoning cadre of fans, many of who had concerns that the stadium wouldn't be fit for soccer.
With planning now mostly complete, and the new park shooting out of the ground, the Vikings are finally circling back to their stated MLS desires. To that end, last Tuesday evening the team hosted an event to bring together soccer and community leaders, giving the assemblage a chance to see the team's new soccer-focused stadium renderings, and listen to ESPN lead soccer analyst Taylor Twellman.
It's all part of the team's latest press for MLS, focused on righting the past's perceived wrongs. The Vikings have tapped local PR and marketing firm One Simple Plan to help lead the push and the firm has run a number of events to try to connect with the area's soccer fans – especially those who regularly gather to watch Premier League matches.
While Vikings VP of Public Affairs Lester Bagley is aware of the criticisms of the team, he asks for understanding, given the demands of the ever-rising stadium at the east end of downtown. Said Bagley, "I think some of the frustration came after the legislation passed, and we had to design and build a billion-dollar stadium, and we were spread thin and we did not have the bandwidth to put an organized effort together. Me personally, I thought after 12 years at the Capitol, that we were going to put it on cruise control and that we were going to build a great stadium and that the hard part was done. But [we found] out that it's a major undertaking, it's the biggest construction project in the history of Minnesota, and it's complicated and our team is full-time on it. So that's part of it too. I think some of the frustration we've heard in the community is, where were you [on soccer] when you passed the legislation?"
To that end, the team released renderings, showing a soccer-themed curtaining system that would drop vertical curtains to block off the stadium's upper deck. Vikings CFO Steve Poppen noted that this system will cost between 3 and 5 million dollars, much of that to add reinforcement to the roof to hold the curtain; obviously, the team would like an MLS decision to be made as soon as possible, so that they know if they can delete this feature from the stadium design if a team is awarded elsewhere.
For Poppen, the curtain is more proof that MLS has always been in the team's plans. "We've been working hard from day one to design this for MLS," he said. "The MLS has been part of our process from day one. I personally don't believe that we're late to the game on this. We're trying to attract an expansion franchise to Minnesota, and we've been having discussions with MLS about it for years now."
I had a chance to ask about field width, another concern that's been on the minds of soccer lovers. FIFA's recommendations state, "It is strongly recommended that new stadiums have a 105m x 68m playing field" – that's about 115 yards by 74 yards. Most Major League Soccer fields are 74 or 75 yards wide, though both Houston's field and the pitch that's being shoehorned into Yankee Stadium for NYC FC next year are just 70 yards wide – the league's minimum width.
Said Poppen, "The minimum for MLS is 70 [yards] wide. FIFA plays at 75. We have the ability to go out there. If you remember, the north side of the stadium retracts. As part of that development, we were able to design in that ability to expand the facility as well."
This does, however, bring up the question: if the stadium was truly "soccer-specific," a term the Vikings repeatedly used throughout the night, why is moving the stands to get to 75 yards wide even necessary? Why wouldn't the field have been wide enough already? It's a question that simply adds more fuel to the arguments that the Vikings do not understand soccer – a charge that's been leveled at virtually every NFL owner that has dipped a toe into the MLS waters. Earlier this year, Boston Magazine famously accused New England Revolution and New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft of being the worst owner in the league. While the Revolution reached this year's MLS Cup Final, other NFL-affiliated teams, like Colorado and Dallas, have been mostly uninspiring through the years.
Tellingly, earlier this season, the Seattle Sounders – long twinned with the Seattle Seahawks, and fellow tenants of CenturyLink Field – ended their working relationship with the NFL team, ten years earlier than scheduled. While the team spun this as a move to refocus their organization on soccer, rumors were rampant that it was a move made to get away from an NFL team that did not care about the Sounders or the sport of soccer.
The Vikings, though, are still trying to win over soccer die-hards. They've promised plenty to fans in the new stadium – including offering to subsidize tailgating costs and bar tabs for supporters' groups. They're also promising to give fans input on the team's name and badge design, something that other clubs in MLS have done as well. ("Vikings FC" is probably unlikely, I would think.)
Some fans have the perception that the Vikings don't care about soccer, but they deserve credit – they may not have been experts in the sport, or in MLS, all along, but they are trying. They're meeting with other MLS franchises. They're bringing Twellman to town, to learn from him. They're in contact with fans, they're in contact with local soccer folks; at the moment, they're certainly not ignoring the sport. They deserve a fair hearing – if for no other reason than they're actually talking to people. Said former Kicks star Alan Merrick, who introduced Twellman at the event, of the competing bid from Minnesota United: "They haven't reached out, as far as I can see, to anybody in the soccer world." While United's work is behind the scenes, the Vikings have been very public – in part, to try to right the perception from the past.
A number of local soccer stakeholders, from Minnesota Youth Soccer Association representatives to fans to those involved with local clubs, were in attendance on Monday. While the Vikings' presentation can only have gone to convince people that there's a chance that the Vikings could be successful where previous NFL / MLS partnerships have failed, most in attendance expressed a desire simply to see the area get Major League Soccer – regardless of the whether the team is owned by the Vikings or by Minnesota United FC. Apart from some very fervent fans of the Loons, "I just want an MLS team" seems to be the opinion of most local soccer fans.
And so: MLS has announced that an expansion decision is likely in the first half of 2015. All signs point to Minneapolis being a front-runner for a team in MLS. The Vikings may have been late in making their push for that franchise, but are coming on strong now. They would have to fight an uphill battle to make soccer workable in a stadium designed for an NFL team, and if they can make joint NFL/MLS ownership viable, they would be the first to do so. But ruling out the Vikings as potential owners, based solely on past perception, is foolish.
ESPN soccer analyst Taylor Twellman doesn't remember the days of the Minnesota Kicks, or being born in Minnesota in 1980 – but, after talking to his dad Tim's teammates with the Kicks, he's ready to count himself as a native. "Now that I'm in the world of soccer, I hear all of these ex-Kicks stories," he said. "I feel like I lived here for 20 years of my life. I see the glow on my mom's face when she talks about Minnesota and the time, the fun they had here. It's amazing."
With that in mind, there might have been no one better for the Minnesota Vikings to bring to town to enthuse about the possibility of the area getting MLS. Twellman was careful to note that he has no horse in the race between the Vikings bid and the competing bid that's being led by the Minnesota United owners, but his enthusiasm for the league placing a franchise in Minnesota was palpable.
Said Twellman, "I'm asked constantly, if you had to expand Major League Soccer, where would you go? My first answer, for the last five years of my life, is Minneapolis. The knowledge and the enthusiasm of the fan base here is second to none. Soccer is a no-brainer here."
The analyst, who recently signed an eight-year contract with ESPN to be the network's lead analyst for soccer, was bullish on the potential for Minnesota in MLS during the span of his deal. "I fully expect Minnesota to be a part of that," he said. "[The potential team] will challenge the Twins, the Wolves, and the Wild. This sport is here to say, and if Minnesota does this right, and treats it on the same level as the Vikings, Twins, Wolves, and Wild, and not as the ugly stepchild – and there's many examples of it in the early days of the league – I can promise you that this will be one of the top five cities for Major League Soccer."
Twellman also noted that there's a good market for fans in Minnesota. "The truth is, there's a hipster market in Minnesota," he said. "Bikers, downtown – that's where this needs to go. Soccer moms and club moms, they're invited, but the supporter groups, that kind of stuff – that's drinking beer and knowing how to tailgate. I've been to a University of Minnesota tailgate in my life. It's one of the more fun tailgates I've ever been to. They know what they're doing. Minnesota sports fans, they get it."
With that in mind, though, Twellman also offered a pair of caveats, one that might apply to the Vikings-led bid, and one that might apply to the United-led bid. He admitted some trepidation on his part of seeing another MLS side that is owned by an NFL team – exemplified by the disaster in Boston, where the New England Revolution have long been considered second-rate, compared to the NFL, by their own ownership group. "It scares me, no doubt about it," he said. "It's got to be treated the same. Everyone says, why'd Seattle work? It's because, on Opening Day, Pete Carroll and Sigi Schmid were on the same pecking order. The Sounders front office and the Seahawks front office were treated the same. Obafemi Martins is treated the same as Marshawn Lynch. That's where it sends the message to the fans. As a fan, why do you want to be treated as an ugly stepchild, when you're not? If you're getting 20,000 people and ESPN's paying $75 million a year for your broadcast, it's got to be treated on the same level. I told them that today when I met with the Vikings. If you get it, you have to make sure it's not the ugly stepchild, and from everything I've heard, it won't be."
Meanwhile, for United – which as yet has no approved or even public stadium plan – he offered some words of caution from recent league expansion experiences. "The struggles for stadiums in MLS – NYCFC, the debacle of what's going on in Miami with the stadium – if Minnesota's getting [a franchise], which I believe it is, the stadium's first and foremost," he said. "There are no ideas of stadiums. You need to have a stadium, it needs to be approved, it needs to be ready to rock, for a market like this to work."
Ultimately, though, the former Revolution and US Men's National team star can't stop enthusing about the situation in Minnesota. "If you had told me ten years ago that there'd be two legitimate offers, two bids in Minnesota, I'd have told you that you were out of your mind," he said. "I don't technically need to sell MLS on Minnesota. The fact that there's two bids with real money and stadiums – how many other markets have two real money groups going after the same thing?"
About that turf…
Artificial turf was in the news anyway, as LA Galaxy striker Robbie Keane called for it to be outlawed for soccer on Monday, and with the Vikings unveiling renderings of how MLS might look on the artificial turf at their new stadium, the topic was naturally going to come up.
"I'm vocal about it. I hate turf. I hated playing on it," said Twellman. "However, something's changed over the past two years, because of what Portland's brought in. You never hear a player complain about Portland. Whatever they've done there should be replicated, if the game of soccer is going to be played [on turf]. Robbie Keane, Thierry Henry, they've both told me straight to my face that there's absolutely nothing wrong with that field. That's turf.
"Now, Robbie Keane comes out today and says that turf should be outlawed in the game of soccer. That's because [he's referring to] Seattle. I've walked on that field. It's one of the worst fields I've ever walked on. Seattle I like, they've got a great stadium, great ambience, great players; the game's crap. The game's crap, because if the turf's crap, it kills the game. And that's what Robbie Keane and Thierry Henry are talking about. But Henry told a couple of people at ESPN that New England's turf turned the corner. They replaced it six months ago with what Portland had. As vocal as I am about turf, I listen to players currently playing – because I'm done, my life's over – and their experiences are a little bit different now."
Today, groups from Las Vegas, Sacramento, and Minneapolis-St Paul are in New York, making their pitches for a Major League Soccer expansion franchise. Minnesota actually has two groups making pitches – the Minnesota Vikings, and a Minnesota United-led consortium that appears to (but does not officially) involve the owners of the Twins, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, and Hennepin County.
Much has been debated about what MLS is looking for, but financials will likely play a big part in the decision. Here now, a few statistics, comparing the three cities.
POPULATION – A decent proxy for the potential market for fans. (source)
TOP TV MARKETS – A measure of how attractive would a city be for a TV contract, given that this is one of the prime drivers of league-wide revenue. (source)
FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES – A proxy for the corporate base in each area, given that corporate clients are the prime market for premium seating – perhaps the biggest source of gameday revenue for a team. (source)
SACRAMENTO- 0 (source)
If you assume that money is at the heart of this decision – and if it's not, it would be a first for big-time sports – then the choice seems pretty straightforward.
We have not always been good at audio, at the Sportive. We had a laptop die in the middle of a recording once, for one; we recorded an episode in a tile-floored basement that was sans furniture once, as well. (The result was like listening to a Walkman in a metal bucket.) We also have struggled with how to audio-engineer a podcast while not having any audio engineer skills of any kind.
Really, though, our main problem has been the internet, and the inherent difficulties of recording a podcast via Google Hangout, which requires a good internet connection for good audio. This will happen, and is unfixable, and has also given our podcast a somewhat-deserved reputation for terrible quality.
I mention all this because Stu and I recorded an episode in a bar on Saturday night, and it went perfectly on the first try. You can hear us and everything. Episode 81 doesn't sound that bad, and I think we should be proud, for once.
When the news covers a negative event, quite often you will hear a news anchor say, "So-and-so is searching for answers." It's a cliche that speaks to a truth about all of us. We know, intellectually, that life is not fair and doesn't make sense… but we really, really want it to.
This is why we would refuse to accept nonsense in our narratives. We would dismiss a film in which the hero, having made his impassioned speech and saved the family business and won back his woman, was pecked to death by a heretofore-unseen flock of seagulls. That makes no sense, and we want the stories we tell each other to make sense.
Sports, after all, are their own kind of narratives. We struggle to make them fair in all sorts of ways – new rules, salary caps, drafts in reverse order of previous league finish, et cetera. We even set up frameworks so that fairness can undoubtedly follow; games last a predetermined amount of time, and just to be on the safe side, we put a referee or an umpire on the field of play, making sure that everything runs smoothly.
And yet, stubbornly, annoyingly, sports refuse to stop being exactly like real life. Sometimes – often, if you're a Minnesotan – your team loses. Even when the season chugs along unswervingly, following the course of the narrative that makes the most sense, sometimes it can take a hard turn, right at the end.
For most of 2014, Minnesota United's season followed the narrative. The franchise rescued from the brink of folding, and the team on the field re-formed around a group of veterans, Minnesota had transformed from the plucky "team that nobody wanted" into an all-conquering powerhouse. They sprinted to a spring-season title. They clinched the league's best overall record with two games still remaining in the year. Christian Ramirez emerged as the league's best young striker, tying a league record with 20 goals. Miguel Ibarra came into his own, earning a call-up to the USA national team in the process. The veteran core – Tiago Calvano, Cristiano Dias, Juliano Vicentini and Aaron Pitchkolan chief among them – formed the backbone of a juggernaut that could not be stopped.
When Ibarra knifed in behind the Fort Lauderdale defense in the first half of the NASL semifinals, stealing the ball from a defender and lobbing the Strikers keeper to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead, things made sense. When Minnesota's defense held firm through the second half, things made sense. When Fort Lauderdale coach Gunter Kronsteiner lost it and screamed at the referee until he was sent off, things made sense.
Even in stoppage time, when Strikers midfielder Mark Anderson poked a ball through the United line that deflected off of United defender Kevin Venegas and to a waiting Martin Nuñez, things still made sense, because even as Nuñez smashed the ball into the net, the linesman was raising his flag, denoting that the Strikers forward was two yards offside.
It was only then that the narrative fell apart, as Nuñez and his teammates surrounded the assistant referee to argue the call, as referee Fotis Bazakos walked over to confer with his assistant and to decide that yes, in fact, the goal would count. While Nuñez was clearly offside, the referee had adjuged that the ball had not simply deflected off Venegas, but instead had been kicked by Venegas into Nuñez's path.
Was it the right call? The debate rages, even now. But, from a narrative standpoint, whether the call was correct made very little difference.
There was one final chance to restore that narrative, after extra time had produced no tiebreaking goal. Venegas had missed his penalty in the shootout, opening the door for Fort Lauderdale to take the game. The Strikers' Jenison Brito, needing only to score the fifth and decisive penalty, instead clanked his shot off the left-hand post, and the Minnesota crowd jumped and shouted and screamed, the narrative redeemed. Pablo Campos – the returning hero, he of the torn ACL and MCL in preseason, returning to the field – scored his to send the shootout into sudden-death overtime.
Moments later, Pecka made his penalty, giving the Strikers the lead. Moments later, Pitchkolan's effort was saved. Fort Lauderdale moves on; Minnesota's season comes to a halting stop. From a narrative standpoint, it makes no sense.
Is that a flock of seagulls?
We're left searching for answers.


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29 year old man | Pampa, TX, USA | Seeking women 21-35 within 100 miles of Amarillo, TX
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Coffee and conversation , Fishing/Hunting , Movies/Videos , Nightclubs/Dancing , Political interests
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I have a female English Pointer hound, she is primarily my daughter's pal though. We have fish, hermit crabs, horses, cattle, and that's all about I can handle for now.
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I like nice cars, swimming, skiing, movies, travel (to the beach or mountains). I watch Sons of Anarchy, Boardwalk Empire, the Sopranos (re-runs) and that new show Banshee. My absolute favorite things is my darling daughter!
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Brave New World (in college, years ago)
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|$100,001 to $150,000
|$25,001 to $35,000, $35,001 to $50,000, $50,001 to $75,000, $75,001 to $100,000, $100,001 to $150,000, $150,001+
|Never Married, Widow / Widower, Currently Separated, Divorced
|Have kids:
|Yes, and they live at home (1)
|Yes, and they sometimes live at home, No, Yes, and they live away from home, Yes, and they live at home
|Wants kids:
|Definitely, Someday, Not sure, No, but it's OK if my partner has kids
|White / Caucasian
|White / Caucasian
I am part Native American, French, German, and English.
|Christian / Protestant
|Christian / Catholic, Christian / Other
I don't go to church as much as I would like to but I do my best.
|Arabic, English, French
|Graduate degree
|Some college, Graduate degree
I have a B.A. in Political Science with a Minor in History, and a Masters of Business Adminstration in Energy Managment and Finance.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The bearded man in the letterman jacket lingering around 10th and Jackson Streets before midnight Saturday looked familiar to police - like the guy in a security video wanted for a rash of restaurant burglaries in South Philadelphia last month.
Stopping to question him, the Third District patrol officers realized they were onto something when the man showed them what was protruding from his back pocket: a pry bar, screwdriver, gloves,and a flashlight.
One instrument was particularly incriminating, police said. The flashlight 29-year-old Walter Johnson of Point Breeze was carrying in his jeans was engraved "Le Virtu" - an upscale East Passyunk Avenue Italian eatery burglarized along with four other South Philadelphia restaurants on April 24.


text:
Gunmetal Black Ep 01
episode 14.26 / 5.00 5,101 Views
Lucina's First Day
A look at the first day of Lucina in Super Smash4.24 / 5.00 16,977 Views
BATMAN v SUPERMAN final showdown
SPOILERS!!4.19 / 5.00 14,827 Views
Wow I can't believe some people gave this a legit 0 stars.... lol I bet they didn't even watch it. Anyways.... I laugh everytime I watch this lmao.
I laugh every time i watch this
I love how two arrows flew into the kid's knees that was too funny!
That asswhole wont learn his lesson, nice animation though :)
This is golden, man.


text:
Photo by Dean Kaufman
Summer internship applications are now being accepted. The deadline for applying is May 31 however internships could close sooner if a suitable candidate is identified. It is strongly encouraged that students and other interested parties apply as early as possible.
MOCA internships are not exclusive to currently enrolled students. All are encouraged to apply and will be equally considered.
Please note that all MOCA internships are unpaid however students are encouraged to contact their career service office to explore the possiblity of obtaining course credit for their experience.
If you are a high school student interested in a project at MOCA, please click here to inquire about STUDENT PROJECT REQUESTS.


text:
Man Dies After Experiencing Medical Distress During Arrest
Sarasota County Sheriff's officials say a 33-year-old man died in a hospital after experiencing medical distress during his arrest by police.
Five Kids Taken Away From Couple Accused Of Neglecting Children
Child welfare officials have taken five children from the home of a couple accused of neglecting a 12-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy.
Woman Arrested After Threatening To Hire Hit-Man To Kill Gov. Rick Scott
A Florida woman has been arrested for threatening to hire a hit-man to kill Gov. Rick Scott.
Man Arrested After Leaving Doll, Running Off Near Courthouse
A Treasure Coast man has been arrested after authorities say he caused the evacuation of a courthouse by leaving a doll outside.
Priest Arrested In Florida; Accused Of Child Porn On Cellphone
A Catholic priest has been arrested after authorities say he asked a teen to help him remove child pornography from his cellphone.
Graffiti Probe Nets Tagger For $11K Damage
A seven-month investigation into graffiti vandalism in Reno has resulted in the arrest of a 19-year-old man who police say has admitted to tagging dozens of sites causing more than $11,000 in damage.
Man Accidentally Shoots Himself In The Face While Arguing With Wife
Authorities say a man accidentally shot himself in the face while arguing with his wife in their Pinellas Park home.
Suspect In 30 Fires Being Held In Volusia Jail
A Sanford man believed to be connected to over two dozen fires is being held in Volusia County Jail after being arrested in Daytona Beach.
Man Sleeping At Intersection Leads Police Chase
A man found sleeping in his car at an intersection led police on a chase before being arrested in a Greenacres gated community.
Man Jailed After Competitor's Fish Bait Found Dead
Stiff competition between two Florida fish bait companies has resulted in an arrest.


text:
Single Monitor Arm, Freestanding Base
Make your workspace more ergonomic with this adjustable monitor stand. The weighted metal, freestanding base is easily installed and provides plenty of support for your display. This affordable stand tilts, rotates and adjusts in height, giving you the ability to perfectly position your monitor and ultimately make your work space more comfortable.
this monitor stand features:
- height adjustability
- compatible with 14"-19" monitors
- pivot and tilt adjustments
- wide, v-shaped base provides plenty of support
- fits displays with VESA 100mm x 100mm and 75mm x 75mm mounting holes
Materials & Measurements
aluminum with weighted base
supports 14" to 19" monitors
mounts via VESA 75mm or 100mm brackets
adjustable monitor height
titls and pans
Your FurnitureGenius Recommendations
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Shipping & DeliveryThe Single Monitor Arm, Freestanding Base ships 3-5 days after the date of purchase via UPS standard ground shipping.
WarrantyThe Freestanding Single Monitor Arm is covered under a 30-day direct warranty.
Customizations Made Easy
Use these arrows to move through customizable aspects of this product.


text:
FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- Northern Fairfield County is not out of the woods from Thursday's nor'easter as sleet mixes in with the snow, which continues to pile up.
The snow changed to sleet and rain in coastal Fairfield County on Thursday afternoon, but the snow continued to fall in towns north of the Merritt Parkway. Heavy bands dumped snow at rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour Thursday morning.
Snow was slowing in the mid-afternoon, but the storm was expected to regain strength in the evening and bring more snow and winds from 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.
Accumulations of 10 to 16 inches are predicted in lower Fairfield County and 14 to 20 inches in northern parts.
By 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service was reporting the follow unofficial snow totals:
- Darien: 13 inches
- New Canaan: 12.8 inches
- Norwalk: 12 inches
- Greenwich: 11 inches
- Stamford: 8 inches
- Danbury: 7.1 inches
- Weston: 7 inches
Drivers are still being warned to stay off of roads on Thursday. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Friday, with overnight snow expected.
The heavy snow with a trace of ice is expected to make travel dangerous with visibility of less than a quarter mile at times.
- 1 July 4 Terror Warning Issued By FBI, Homeland Security
- 2 Danbury's Ives Park Features Grateful Dead Anniversary Concert Simulcast
- 3 Serious Accident Reported At I-684, I-84 Interchange
- 4 July 4 Terror Threat 'Nothing Routine,' Says Former CIA Deputy Director
- 5 Second Escapee David Sweat Shot By New York State Police, Now In Hospital


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Fellowes Mfg. Co. Fellowes® Memory Foam Keyboard Palm Support
Fellowes Mfg. Co. Fellowes® Memory Foam Keyboard Palm Support
Weights & Dimensions
|Item: Keyboard Rests
|Wrist Filling Material: Memory Foam
|Cover Material(s): Fabric
|Ergonomic: Yes
|Color(s): Black
|Country of Manufacture: Taiwan, Province of China
About the ManufacturerFellowes is a global manufacturer and marketer of business machines, records storage and office accessories. All their products are designed and developed to enhance the quality, efficiency and productivity of the workplace.
Fellowes Mfg. Co. Fellowes® Memory Foam Keyboard Palm Support
Still have questions about this product? We're here to help
OUR SKU # UDQ1409Fellowes® Memory Foam Keyboard Palm Support is also sometimes listed under the following manufacturer numbers: FEL9182801


text:
Hello Early Bird Medical Students, Hospital Residents, and Fellows! Welcome to Tufts!
By Kathryn Houk On July 9, 2013 · Leave a Comment · In Announcements
The Hirsh Health Sciences Library welcomes all our new patrons who arrive in July! Let us know if you have any questions about the library or Tufts. We're here to help you out.
So have a great year and make sure to stop by and say "hello!" at the Library Service Desk on Sackler 4th floor. We would love to meet you!
Welcome New and Returning Health Sciences Students! from Tufts HHSL on Vimeo.
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Making the Rhode Island economy grow and produce bountiful, high-paying jobs are the top priorities of every candidate for governor in 2014. more
By Patrick Anderson
The Pawtucket Red Sox have sent a letter to Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello and Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed in which they have backed off continuing a push to get done a deal for a new, waterfront Providence stadium by the end of the current General Assembly session. more
By PBN Staff
Rhode Island's former governor talks about his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. more
By Eli Sherman
The R.I. Commerce Corporation Monday authorized a $3 million investment in the Slater Technology Fund's new venture capital fund for Rhode Island energy sector startups. more
By Patrick Anderson
Gov.-elect Gina M. Raimondo is expected to replace Christine C. Ferguson as the head of HealthSource RI, the state's health benefits exchange, Rhode Island Public Radio is reporting. more
By PBN Staff
(Editor's note: This is the last in a series of stories on statewide ballot questions voters will consider.) more
By Patricia Daddona
Phil West spent years working to shine a light on corruption in Rhode Island government as the leader of Common Cause. Collaborating with others determined to dislodge the structure of favoritism and self-serving deals by legislators and other government leaders, West saw some things change. more
By Rhonda J. Miller
More than two-thirds of U.S. roadways are in need of repair and the poor condition of the nation's transportation network results in billions in extra costs, according to a White House report. more
By Roger Runningen
The city has begun reviewing a two-tiered proposal for standardized agreements for tax incentives in the Interstate 195 redevelopment district, including a 20-year phase-in of property taxes for five companies that propose projects of at least $50 million. more
By Mary MacDonald
Gina Raimondo became the first Democrat elected governor in Rhode Island since 1992, overcoming opposition from government workers for her role in pushing through cuts to retirement benefits. more
By William Selway


text:
VIEWS: 1,338 PAGES: 6 CATEGORY: Consumer Electronics POSTED ON: 11/15/2008 Public Domain
Mass Combat Cheat Sheet Units Complementary Unit Formations All units are either complementary units or solo units. Complementary units are also organized into Formations, which require a minimum Drill: Complementary Units Unordered (Drill 0): This is any Magnitude 1+ unit. Apply the lower of Drill or Magnitude as an external penalty Requires a commander, otherwise is considered a mob. when the unit commander or special characters are targeted in May have Magnitude x 2 special characters. an Unordered unit. Magic that targets multiple characters must be capable of A unit can be forced into Unordered if directed attacks reduce affecting a # of individuals = the unit's Magnitude to affect the relays below unit minimum (resulting in –2 Drill). entire unit. +2 difficulty on rout checks. Unmounted Speed = average Dex x 30. Complementary Unit Stats Skirmish (Drill 1): All Complementary Units have the following stats: 2x shield and cover bonuses +3 DV vs ranged attacks. Magnitude: By default, the size of a force of extras. Heroic mortals are worth 2 extras. For any other force, divide average HL by 3 Enemy units making CC attack vs a unit that is in Skirmish (round down) to determine per-soldier value for determining Formation double Magnitude to determine attack bonus. Magnitude. Magnitude applies action bonuses/penalties based on Enemy units in Close Formation making a CC vs a unit that is in relative size to other units (max +/-3). Magnitude must be 1 higher Skirmish Formation triple Magnitude to determine attack bonus. than target unit to envelop it. Any Magnitude 3+ unit must have 1 +2 difficulty on rout checks. relay special character per Magnitude dot. A complementary unit's Unmounted Speed = average Dex x 100. special character capacity is 2x Magnitude. Magic that targets multiple characters must be capable of affecting a # of individuals = Relaxed (Drill 1): the unit's Magnitude to affect the entire unit. 2x shield and cover bonuses vs. ranged attacks. Unmounted Speed = average Dex x 70. Drill: Used to determine Endurance, maximum Formation type, during disengagement, to recover Endurance during a rally, protects Close (Drill 2): special characters from targeted attacks, and is figured into rout 2x CC Rating. checks (usually as Magnitude – Drill). Reduced by –2 if the unit 2x shield and cover bonus vs CC attacks. doesn't have enough relays. 0-5. Enemy units making a ranged attack vs a unit that is in Close Formation double Magnitude to determine attack bonus. Endurance: How many points of exhaustion can be taken before the –2 difficulty on rout checks. force is fatigued, and is at –2 penalty to all actions. Drill + average Unmounted Speed = average Dex x 40. Stamina. Subtract unit's average armor Fatigue value if the members have not rested for several hours before battle. Magnitude Members (extras) Equivalent 0 1 Solo Might: Magical or supernatural enhancements to a force. Usually 1 2-10 Fang max 3. Added to unit commander's attack roll as automatic 2 11-75 Scale(s) successes. Might is added to the commander's Essence to determine 3 76-150 Talon if particular effects can target the unit and/or help defend against 4 151-300 Wing 5 301-650 Dragon hostile Charms. 6 651-1,250 -- 7 1,251-2,500 -- CC/Ranged Rating: (average Dex + average Ability + weapon 8 2,501-5,000 Legion Accuracy if all the same weapon)/2, rounded down. Added to unit 9 5,001-10,000 First Age Legion commander's attack roll as automatic successes. Add ½ CC Rating to unit commander's PDV. Non-extras are worth a number of extras = average HL/3 Each Magnitude above 9 doubles maximum member size. CC/Ranged Damage: (average Str + weapon Damage)/3, rounded down. Added to damage roll. Drill Description Example Armor: (Average full lethal soak of troops)/3 0 Undrilled Solo units, mobs, throngs, rabble, warbands, thugs in uniforms Morale: lower of either (unit's average Valor) or (mount's Valor) or 1 Barely Disciplined Poor village militia, poor quality troops, gendarmes (commander's Valor). Units with "perfect" Morale automatically 2 Disciplined Good militia, mediocre troops, pass any Morale check and are at -2 difficulty to Exhaustion roll. Lintha pirates, Imperial peltasts 3 Crisp Excellent militia, good troops, Imperial medium foot 4 Crack Excellent troops, Imperial heavy foot, Immaculate monks 5 Flawless Superb troops, tiger warriors, brass legionnaires, etc. Mass Combat Cheat Sheet v1.2 • p.1 of 5 • 5/29/2006 • Assembled by Paul Beakley (email@example.com) Solo Units and Special Characters: Spirits using Principle of Motion gain a pool of extra actions equal to the average WP of the unit. A Solo Unit is any Magnitude 0 unit, representing a single character. This may be a free-floating character on the field, or a special character attached to a larger unit (only for the purposes Special Characters: A complementary unit may have up to of making extra attacks). Magnitude x 2 special characters, freely selected as heroes, sorcerers Only has Endurance (Stamina + Resistance) as an additional and relays. Unit Commander does not count against this limitation. stat. Other Mass Combat stats = 0 All special characters in a unit always survive until the unit loses its Solo Units are never in a Formation. last dot of Magnitude, at which point they sacrifice their lives to Unmounted Speed = Dex x 100. protect the Unit Commander. Magic that targets a single character must target a special Hero: Characters capable of assuming command if the Unit character in the unit or a solo unit. Commander dies, or if the unit splits into smaller groups. Hero may attack other units in CC as if he were a Solo Unit. Heroes Unit Commander: One per unit; not considered a special character. can apply their Melee or Martial Arts dots to the unit instead of Either a PC, an ally (under the PC's control), a named NPC, or an the unit commander's, limited by the commander's War dots. extra. Archery, Dodge, Martial Arts, Melee and Thrown are capped Sorcerer: Commands ranged attacks. Use the Sorcerer's by the commander's War dots. Unit Commander's Essence is Archery or Thrown skill instead of the Unit Commander's increased by the unit's Might to defend against magic or to determine (capped by Unit Commander's War). Sorcerers can also make if particular effects can target the unit. The unit's Magnitude is independent ranged attacks as if he were a Solo Unit. Sorcerer reduced based on the Unit Commander's HLs. Units led by extras can cast any spell he knows as a (5/-2) action, but can't help his only get 3 HL per dot of Magnitude. unit or act again until the unit synchronizes with the Sorcerer's tick. Cannot assume command or lead troops to break away into Unit Commander's Anima Effects: new units. Note that these are only my best guess – there is no canonical Relay: Units of Magnitude 3+ require one relay special interpretation of how these powers are to be used. Consider this character per dot. Units with inadequate relays are at –2 Drill. section a house rule. Dawn caste's unit gain +2DV versus units whose Morale equals or is less than the Dawn's Essence. Trigger rout check against any mortal unit, difficulty +1. Zenith caste's unit gains additional lethal and bashing soak equal to Essence vs all creatures of darkness. Add Essence to minimum dice rolled for any attack vs creatures of darkness (usually 2x Essence). Twilight anima applies only to the character, not his unit. Night caste's anima applies only to the character, not his unit. Eclipse caste's anima applies only to the character, not his unit. Spirits, demons and Fair Folk will not attack the Eclipse's unit Might Unit Composition without just cause. 0 No supernatural abilities; strictly mortal troops DB Animas apply only to the unit commander, unless the entire 1 God-blooded, trained thaumaturges, young Dragon force is comprised of DB warriors with the same elemental Kings, average ghosts, Mountain Folk warriors aspect. 2 Younger Terrestrial Exalted, non-combative First Circle Lunar Animas apply only to the unit commander, unless the demons, weak gods and elementals, ghost warriors, entire force is comprised of Lunars of the same lunar caste. young Fair Folk nobles, elite Mountain Folk warriors Journey Sidereals triple charge distances for the unit. 3 Older Terrestrial or younger Terrestrials with numerous Charms for enhancing one another; Immaculate monks; Serenity Sidereals apply anima only to selves. young Celestial Exalted; combative First Circle demons; Battle Sidereals reduce damage of all attacks by one level, lesser combative deities; veteran nemissaries or war applied after damage is rolled. ghosts; experienced Fair Folk nobles Secrets Sidereals make unit immune to mental attacks from 4 Experienced Celestial Exalted or very old Terrestrial opponents with equal or lower Essence, and add +Essence to Exalted, Immaculate Masters, Second Circle demons, MDV against all other opponents. Dragon King elders, warlike divinities 5 Lesser elemental dragons, elder Celestial Exalted Endings Sidereals increase damage done by unit by one health (Essence 6+) level, added after damage is rolled. Dusk caste adds +2DV to units whose target unit's Morale Bonuses Equipment equals or is less than the Dawn's Essence. Trigger rout check +1 Thaumaturgical talismans and alchemical potions against any mortal unit, difficulty 1. +2 Basic magical armor and weapons, powerful Midnight caste grants unit +1 damage die against living target thaumaturgical artifacts (gunzosha armor) +3 Essence-discharge weapons, magical power armor units. Unit can heal Magnitude losses with a Rally action if any (warstriders, dragon armor) mortal unit has lost Magnitude dots this battle. +4 Powerful First Age artifacts, divine weapons Daybreak caste's anima applies only to character, not unit. Day caste anima applies only to character, not unit. Moonshadow caste anima applies only to character, not unit. Mass Combat Cheat Sheet v1.2 • p.2 of 5 • 5/29/2006 • Assembled by Paul Beakley (firstname.lastname@example.com) Disengage (0/-0): Complementary unit engaged with another Order of Battle complementary unit may disengage as an automatic reflexive action. First make successful roll of ([Wits + War + Drill] – Magnitude) vs Join War difficulty of (opposing unit's Drill + 3). Disengaging triggers a rout check. ([Wits + War] – Magnitude) to determine complementary unit's activation. (Wits + Awareness) to determine solo unit's activation. Turn (3/-1): Complementary units may reflexively turn less than 90 degrees on any long tick on which they take another standard action. Ambush: Roll to conceal a unit is ([Dex + Stealth] – Magnitude), Turning more than 90 degrees requires the commander roll resisted by target unit commander or special character's (Perception (Charisma + War) vs difficulty (Magnitude-Drill, minimum 1). Any + Awareness). unit being attacked from directly behind is considered to be under an unexpected attack: Dodge and Parry DV is 0, but cover can improve Actions the value. Move (0/None): May be taken in addition to any other action at no speed cost or DV penalty. Foot units move at (Formation modifier) x Split Unit (3/-1): Each resulting unit requires a hero to lead it. (normal movement – average Mobility penalty of armor). Mounted Calculate new Magnitudes of resulting units; parent loses 1 dot of units move at their normal speed regardless of Formation (see chart). Magnitude even if the breakaway group is small enough that the loss Open terrain confers up to 25% cover and no move penalty. Difficult does not constitute a full point of Magnitude loss. A new unit lacking terrain confers up to 50% cover and horses move at half-speed; adequate relays can only assume an Unordered Formation and chariots, wagons, and mounts larger than horses cannot move through triggers a rout check for goth the original and new unit: (Charisma + difficult terrain. Extreme terrain cuts infantry move in half, and War) of commander or best relay vs difficulty of (Magnitude – Drill, anything larger cannot pass. For a unit to receive benefits of flight minimum 1, +2 if original unit was engaged at the time of the split). (i.e. target unit must wait until tick on which flying unit strikes to strike back with melee attack; ranged attacks are normal), all Merge Units (3/-1): Only one of the units merging must take this members of the unit must be able to fly. action. Each commander must make reflexive (Charisma + War) vs difficulty (their unit's Magnitude – Drill, minimum 1). If either fails, Aim (3/-1): +1 die per tick, max 3 ticks. –1 DV continues through the merge fails and the failing unit hesitates. If successful, calculate attack on which Aim is used. Aborting aim does not refresh DV. new Magnitude and determine new unit commander. Special characters in excess of the new unit's capacity must become solo Charge (3/-2): Mounted units double speed for duration of action. units. Foot units move at (Formation modifier) x (Dex +6 – average Mobility penalty of armor). Solo units can charge without a roll. Convert Special Character to Solo Unit (0/-0): Automatic, reflexive Complementary units must not be in an Unordered Formation, and on any tick; cannot be resisted. the commander must roll (Charisma + War) at difficulty (Magnitude – Drill, minimum 1). The Endurance of any unit (solo or Exchange/Receive Special Characters (3/-1): Each commander must complementary) immediately decreases by the average fatigue value make reflexive (Charisma + War) vs difficulty 1. No penalty for of the unit's armor. failure. Solo unit does not need to make War roll. Cannot exceed unit's special character capacity. Guard (3/None): Per normal guard. May abort to any action other than Guard or Aim at any time, but this new action does not refresh Signal Units (3/-0): Unit commander communicates with # of other DV. Guard cannot be part of a Flurry. units = # of relays in the commander's unit. Inactive (5/Special): Use only if the unit (usually a solo unit) is Rally (4/-1): Unit commander rolls (Charisma + [War or rendered inactive. Performance]) vs difficulty (unit's Magnitude – Drill, difficulty 1). Relay can stand in for this. Various results: Join War (various/-0): Speed = (highest Join War roll at beginning Organization: Promote one rank and file to become a relay. of battle) – (Join War roll, per above). Roll on any tick. After ticks Cannot exceed unit's special character capacity (Magnitude x have passed, unit takes first action. 2). Numbers: Draw scattered allies under the commander's banner. Change Formation (5/-1): Commander rolls (Charisma + War) vs Only possible if an allied unit (or itself!) lost a dot of Magnitude difficulty (Magnitude-Drill, minimum 1) + (1 if attacked since last earlier in this battle. Can be vetoed if no reinforcements are action, 2 if currently engaged) to change Formation. Unit must have available. sufficient Drill to assume the new Formation. Any relay with a higher Second Wind: Restore Endurance points = Drill (minimum 1), (Charisma + War) may use that instead. If under missile fire, cannot increase Endurance above the unit's Magnitude. commander may immediately give Change Formation order to assume Skirmish on the tick after first incoming attack, but this Flurry (varies/varies): Unit can only attack one other unit with an triggers a rout check at increased difficulty for the new Formation action, even during a flurry. Rate is based on the unit commander's (+2 for Skirmish). weapon. Mass Combat Cheat Sheet v1.2 • p.3 of 5 • 5/29/2006 • Assembled by Paul Beakley (firstname.lastname@example.com) Activate Charm/Combo/Power: Simple charm speeds converted to attack after the first). Target commander gets +1/2 his unit's CC long ticks. May use any reflexive charm during any tick regardless of Rating to PDV. Units in Skirmish Formation gain +3 DV vs Ranged what Charms were used prior to this tick or recently. Supplemental Attacks. Roll dice granted by stunts, charms, etc. and add to DV. and Extra Action charms can also be added to any action as normal. Unit commander may cast a spell of any circle as a (5/-2) action; a 6) Defense Reroll: As normal (usually as a result of Charms) sorcerer special character may also cast a spell, which does not tie up the entire unit's action (but does require the sorcerer take his own 7) Calculate Raw Damage: Calculate based on unit commander's Speed 5 action – may take special character out of sync with rest of damage. Add unit's CC or Ranged Damage to damage. Minimum unit; must Guard until unit catches up). Spells that affect enemy units damage is based on the unit's Magnitude, not the unit commander's trigger a rout check. All scene-long effects last for the duration of the Essence. battle. 8) Apply Hardness and Soak, Roll Damage: Apply unit commander's Attack (varies/-1): Speed equals speed of the unit commander's armor. Add unit's Armor to unit commander's bashing, lethal and weapon. Follow standard breakdown for the unit and any special agg soak. characters (not the commander) attacking as Solo Units: 9) Counterattacks: Perform any counterattacks granted by charms. 1) Declaration of Attack: state that you're attacking, and what charms will be used (except reroll effects). Note if attack cannot be dodged 10) Apply Results: Unit takes damage on a health track equal to the or parried. Describe stunt. unit commander's Health Levels. At Incapacitated, the health track is reset and the unit's Magnitude is reduced by 1. Losing a Magnitude 2) Defender Declares Response: Choose best of PDV or DDV. triggers a rout check. Declare use of defensive charms (except reroll effects). Defender adds ½ unit's CC Rating to PDV. Describe stunt. 11) Exhaustion: Each living unit (not undead or automata) in the attack makes a reflexive (Charisma + War) roll vs difficulty 1 +: 3) Attack Roll: Make standard attack roll, capping the unit leader's Abilities by his War dots. Add automatic successes: Unit's Morale 3+: -1 + Unit's CC or Ranged Rating (capped by commander's War) Perfect Morale: -2 (via Heroism Encouraging Presence) 2x CC Rating if unit in Close Formation. Unit is engaged with enemy unit: +2 + Unit's Might Unit charged as last action: +1 + Difference in Magnitudes (max +/-3), modified for Formation: Hot/snowy: +1 2x vs Skirmish in CC Desert/blizzard: +2 3x for Close vs Skirmish in CC Extreme temps: +3 2x vs Close in Ranged (Minimum difficulty 1) Special attack options: Enveloping: -2 successes, and attacker's Magnitude must be 1 Failure results in losing an Endurance point. Units with 0 Endurance higher than target's. Trapped units are at +3 difficulty to are at –2 on all actions. Disengage. Larger unit is at +1 difficulty to Disengage. Ranged attacks: Every volley consumes 3 rounds. Most mounted units have enough ammo for 4 attacks; most fortified/prepared units have enough ammo for 7 attacks. Range increment based on unit's weapons, not commander's weapons. Shield and Cover DV Bonuses Sorcerers use their own weapon's stats when attacking as a solo unit. Type CC Ranged Attacking commanders and special characters: Penalty equals ½ Buckler +1 None target's Drill or Magnitude, rounded up (use the lower of the Target Shield +1 +1 two if unit is Unordered). May be done with ranged attacks only Tower Shield +1 +2 if unengaged, or else attacker's unit must have engaged the 25% Cover (Open) -- +1 victim's unit on a previous long tick. Victim may defend 50% Cover (Difficult) +1 +2 normally. Sorcerers double the Magnitude of their unit when 75% Cover (Extreme) +1 +3 determining external penalty. 90% Cover (Fortification) +2 +4 Initiate Duel: Commander or hero may call out target unit's commander or hero. Can force a duel by challenger making Formation DV Bonus Modification standard attack roll without unit bonuses as a called shot. Unordered no change Participants revert to fast ticks. Long tick count resumes at end Skirmish x2 all shield/cover bonuses of battle. Relaxed x2 all shield/cover bonuses vs Ranged only Close x2 all shield/cover bonuses vs CC only 4) Attack Reroll: As normal (usually as a result of Charms) 5) Subtract External Penalties/Apply Special Defenses: Apply target unit commander's DDV or PDV, increased for terrain and cover (modified by Formation), and reduced for onslaught penalty (-1 per Mass Combat Cheat Sheet v1.2 • p.4 of 5 • 5/29/2006 • Assembled by Paul Beakley (firstname.lastname@example.com) Hesitation and Rout On any rout check, roll unit's Morale vs difficulty 1, modified for conditions that triggered rout check as well as the unit's Formation: Triggers Suffering Magnitude loss from damage: +0 Receiving the first ranged attack since the unit's last action: +0 Receiving a ranged attack from flame or Essence weapons: +1 Being the subject of a Spell: +1 per Circle Becoming engaged with an enemy unit that is superior or led by a supernatural being: +1 (+2 vs Dawn unit commander) Becoming engaged with an enemy unit that is overwhelmingly superior or comprised entirely of supernatural beings: +2 Successful disengagement from enemy unit: +1 Formation Unordered: +2 Skirmish: +2 Relaxed: +0 Close: -2 Modify Morale dice pool by (Magnitude – Drill, max +/-3). On failed roll, unit cannot move until next action and loses 1 dot of Magnitude for every success by which the roll failed (health track is reset to full when this happens). Any special characters in excess of the unit's new special character capacity must either be expelled or fall back into rank and file. Casualties After a battle in which a unit lost one or more Magnitude dots, check to see if special characters attached to that unit died. Roll the special character's (Wits + WP) vs difficulty (largest # of Magnitude dots lost in a single attack). On a failure, the special character died. On a botch, the special character lived but was maimed. Surviving special characters must repeat the (Wits + WP) roll, this time vs difficulty (total Magnitude dots lost in the battle). On a failure, roll one die; result = # of unsoakable lethal health levels taken in the battle (which may be sufficient to kill the character anyway). Mortals check for infection. Healing and Recruitment Units that spend a period of well supplied rest can recruit reinforcements, healing lost dots of Magnitude. Healing a single dot takes days = (current Magnitude +1). A unit that recovers its first dot this way also regains full health. Mass Combat Cheat Sheet v1.2 • p.5 of 5 • 5/29/2006 • Assembled by Paul Beakley (firstname.lastname@example.com) This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.
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Tree crate carpenters get to work at Reabrook event in The National Forest
National Forest sponsor Reabrook Limited gathered saws, hammers and spades for a day out in the woods with employees and their families recently. Staff were invited to help put the finishing touches to the company's sponsored woodland at Boothorpe, a few hundred yards from the company's buildings at Moira, near Ashby de la Zouch.
New Woodland Takes Root in Wychnor
Montgomery Wood offers visitors fantastic views across the River Trent to Wychnor, with stunning views of St Leonard's parish church. This 2.3ha (5.7 acre) wood has been created by local businessman Chris Montgomery who runs a landscaping business based in Burton. Chris bought the land a few years ago and decided to create the woodland under the National Forest Changing Landscapes Scheme to provide wildlife habitat, access and wood for fuel.
- Read More: Full Press Release
Spring and other seasonal delights
Spring... my favourite season. Always has been and always will be, with the promise of new life, lighter, longer days and a hint of warmth. Then there's the colour - the gentle pinks of blossom, reddy-brown of new rose growth, and the spread of colour from emerging bulbs before the onslaught of green. And the song... oh the song!
- Read more: Full Blog Post
Latest Tweet
Why trees are important for communities
The University of Derby's Buxton campus will host a public lecture on why putting trees at the heart of England has helped communities prosper.
Speaker: Dr Sophie Churchill OBE
Thursday 28 May
Read more: Environmentalist promotes community grass roots in Buxton
Press Releases
Friday, 26th June 2015
Last call for 'School in a Garden' competition
Vitax, sponsor of this years National Forest Wood Fair, is urging schools within The National Forest catchment area to ensure their entries to its School in a Garden drawing competition arrive in time as the deadline fast approaches.
Friday, 19th June 2015
Wood Fair sponsor launches 'School in a Garden' competition
The sponsor of the National Forest Wood Fair has launched a drawing competition for schools within The National Forest catchment area in a bid to get them more involved in the event this August Bank Holiday.
Blog: Woodland Edge
The National Forest Wood Fair in the rain
It was a blessing it hadnt rained in the night. But 6am arrived and the first spots started. I bravely tweeted Come and walk the National Forest Way in the dry! - referring to the miniature version of the route we had laid out in the shelter of our marquee - and set off to the site.
Monday, 1st September 2014
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Carol Rowntree Jones
Media Relations Officer
01283 551 211
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We stayed there a few years back. What I remember the most is the food, being the foodie that I am. Chef Marie (I belive that's her name) made some fabulously exquisite dishes for breakfast. To this day, I even remember a wonderful granola mixture she made..something that sounds so simple, but had such a gourmet twist to it! There was a wonderful quiche..just wonderful.
The "back yard" is so spacious and not yard looking at all. It was like a mini getaway forrested park with trees and green lawn that stretched out back..rather big and nice if you want to sit out or walk around..it was huge so a few people could walk around back there and still feel some sense of privacy. The rooms were very old hollywood style (in my opinion)..we liked it a lot. A nice get away and I would recommend it!


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Florida Emergency Preparedness Association
FEPA 2015 Mid-Year Meeting and Work Session
Planning already has begun for the 2015 FEPA Mid-Year Work Session at the Clearwater Beach Hilton. FEPA Mid-Year is scheduled for August 12-14, 2015 and includes opportunities for both pre-session and post-session training. FEPA will present the County Emergency Management Program Director/Key Staff Training on Monday and Tuesday, August 10-11, 2015 immediately preceding Mid-Year. A WebEOC Basic Administrator training course is scheduled from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm on Friday, August 14, 2015 following the close of the 2015 Mid-Year Work Session.
A nominal registration fee of $25 for FEPA members and $50 for non-FEPA members will help off-set meeting costs related to audio/visual support, meeting room internet access and breaks. The FEPA Mid-Year Work Session has become an extremely popular event and these amenities contribute greatly to a productive meeting environment.
The FEPA room block at the Clearwater Beach Hilton is open for reservations. The special FEPA rate is $104/night and includes self-parking and in-room internet. Hotel contact information, a draft agenda and a 2015 Mid-Year Work Session Registration Form (Word and fillable pdf versions) are attached for your information and use,