text:
When Heather Robinson, a single mom, was severely injured in a car crash in November 2010, her parents took care of her 13-month-old son, Christian. Without their help, she said, she would have had to put him up for adoption.
"They 100 percent took care of me and my son," Robinson said.
Betsy Robinson, 68, and her husband, Russell, 69, cared for their daughter and grandson for about two years in their Lower Chanceford Township home.
"I can't imagine not doing that," said Betsy.
Their time together forged a special bond. Even though Heather and Christian now live in Alexandria, Va., they visit at least every other week.
"I miss him," Russell said.
While the Robinsons' situation was partly fueled by need, more and more grandparents are getting involved in their grandchildren's lives. And their involvement extends beyond the holidays and usual family functions.
In fact, today's grandparents provide more care, money and advice to grandchildren than they ever have, according to a 2012 AARP survey of 1,904 grandparents.
Becky Gillan, AARP senior vice president of research and strategic analysis, said in some cases, grandparents are assuming the role of primary care givers.
"It's not just taking the grandkids to their grandparents' place for Sunday brunch anymore," she said. "Grandparents are actively involved on a daily basis. They are involved financially -- helping with medical, education, dental expenses."
Gillan said grandparents indicate that it's important for them to spend money on and even spoil their grandchildren.
"During the recession, the one thing grandparents didn't cut back on was their grandkids," Gillan said.
Jean Koppen, director and research fellow with AARP, said research also showed that Grandpa is more involved than he ever was in playtime with the grandkids.
"The boomers have grown up in a culture where there is less of a gender role," Koppen said. "Grandpa missed out when his children were young, but he is not going to lose this second chance.
Grandparents are making grandchildren more of a priority and sharing responsibilities with parents.
They provide day care and want grandchildren to stay close: More than one in 10 grandparents surveyed said they provide day care services while parents are working. Also, about seven in 10 grandparents live within 50 miles of their closest grandchildren. More than one-third of the grandparents surveyed indicated that their grandchildren had lived with them for more than five years.
Kelly Funke, 48, baby-sits both of her grandchildren, Brynn Elicker, 2, and Rylan DeNunzio, 1. She baby-sits Brynn three days a week, and Rylan whenever his parents are out of town.
Baby-sitting is such a priority for Funke, she sometimes takes vacation time from work to do it.
"I say all of this with a smile," Funke said. "I'm glad that I'm able to do that."
She never wants her grandchildren to move away, because she said she loves seeing them weekly.
"I absolutely want them to stay close," Funke said. "I thought when my daughter moved to Palmyra, it was the end of the world."
Brynn lives 10 minutes away and Rylan lives an hour away.
Some grandparents go one step further and offer their home to their grandkids, like Mark Foreman of Dover Township did.
When Foreman's stepson fell on hard times, Foreman took him in -- along with his stepson's 6-year-old son Michael Hagarman, his stepson's fiancee and her two children.
Because Foreman, who works as a contractor with the government, travels a lot for work, Foreman told his stepson that he could stay at his place for as long as he needed.
"They have the run of the place," Foreman, 56, said. "I help them out if they need anything."
When Foreman is traveling, he keeps in touch with his family at home by phone or Internet.
They pay for educational materials, toys and play space: A quarter of the grandparents in the survey indicated that they spend $1,000 or more on their grandchildren.
Susan Ilyes, 60, from York Township, estimates spending about $1,500 on her granddaughter, Addison, annually. Ilyes and her husband, Floyd, keep the 3-year-old when Addison's mother, who is single, is working, which is every other week.
Addison has her own bedroom, complete with toys, books and a Kindle Fire, all bought by Ilyes. There is even a computer, but Addison doesn't use that yet.
"I want her to have the best that I can give her because her father is not in the picture and she's our only grandchild," Ilyes said.
She also wants her granddaughter to feel comfortable and know that she is an important part of the family.
"Basically this is home to her, too," Ilyes said.
Sandy Billet, 55, from West Manchester Township, also created a space for her 6-year-old grandchild. Billet's sunroom is a play place for grandson Brennan DeWitt. Brennan, who lives two blocks away, has an arts-and-crafts table, Legos, drawers of trucks and cars, and a drawing board. Billet even has a small table in the sunroom for Brennan to eat lunch with friends, when they visit.
"We are very close," Billet said. "He calls me Meme."
They are active, too. Billet also bought a basketball hoop for the driveway so they could shoot hoops this summer.
"I'm up in age and I have my job," Billet said. "I can spend my money foolishly on my grandchild."
She estimates she spends at least $1,000 annually on Brennan. Her grandmotherly spending might increase soon, because her daughter that lives in Philadelphia has a baby on the way. She plans to see that grandchild at least twice a month.
"Being a grandparent is so much better than being a parent, because you get to love them and spoil them and, then, give them back to the parent," Billet said.
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Whatever your situation, we'd like to see your modern family.
Send a photograph of your family to email@example.com. Please include names and ages for everyone in the photo. Also, include what township or municipality your family lives in. In the text of the email, tell us how you define family.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Exercise in the Morning to Avoid Smog on High Pollution Days
Exercise: Good for your health. Pollution: Bad for your health. If you live in a smoggy city, balancing those concerns can be tough. Most of the time, the benefits of exercise outweigh the harms of breathing polluted air, but on days with poor air quality, you may want to alter your routine. »


text:
Trial starts over boy named Jihad, his 9/11 T-shirt
SORGUES, France — A T-shirt worn by a 3-year-old named Jihad has led to an unusual and politically charged criminal trial here that tests the limits of free speech — and common sense — in a France increasingly ill at ease with its Muslim population.
"I am a bomb," the shirt read on the front. The back read, "Jihad Born Sept. 11."
The prosecution and the defense have predicted that the outcome is likely to become a legal precedent for the country's 8 percent Muslim minority.
With fear of reprisals over the ongoing war in Mali, anti-terrorism police scour the country's poor suburbs in search of Muslim youths drawn by the call to jihad or revenge. An Islamist cell broken up in nearby Marignane this month was preparing to construct bombs for attacks in French cities, authorities declared.
The case in Sorgues, a small town just north of Avignon, began in September in an unlikely place: the local nursery school. As she dressed the children after a lunch break, a teacher there became alarmed when she saw Jihad's T-shirt.
Although little Jihad was, in fact, born on Sept. 11, the teacher realized it was an outrageous reference to the al-Qaida attacks on the United States in 2001, in which nearly 3,000 people were killed.
She spoke with the principal, who was equally upset and called in Jihad's 35-year-old Moroccan-born mother, Bouchra Bagour.
The single mother, who works as a secretary, apologized for causing trouble and said she had no intention of conveying a political message via her toddler. The shirt, she pledged, would be put away for good.
The issue did not rest there. The principal wrote a report to district authorities. And the mayor immediately stepped into action, asking for an investigation for possible criminal prosecution.
Before long, Bagour and her brother, Zeyad Bagour, 29, were called in separately by police and questioned about their religious and political leanings.
The uncle, who had bought the T-shirt in nearby Avignon and given it to Jihad, said the most troubling question from police: Did Bagour induce labor three years ago, so Jihad would be born on Sept. 11? The answer from both was no.
The prosecutor decided to charge Bagour and her brother with "apology for crime," which under a 1981 French law carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $58,000 fine.
Zeyad Bagour said he had trouble understanding what the fuss was about. The front had the words "I am a bomb" printed on it, but he understood that as the expression "I am a real looker." As for the back, he said, he just wanted to put down his nephew's name and date of birth.
"I did it on a lark," he recalled, apologizing for any alarm he might have raised. "It wasn't even meant as a joke."
At a four-hour trial March 6, Deputy Prosecutor Olivier Couvignou portrayed the T-shirt as a deliberate political message.
The court is expected to deliver its verdict April 10.
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text:
I mentioned at the end of the Summer that I was beginning a site redesign. The refresh is nearly complete — the interior design is mostly done (see PDF below the jump). This is the part of the design that holds the written content and graphs.
It is much cleaner, easier to read and navigate. The first post will be fully expanded, but the next 9 subsequent posts will be headline and a sentence or so. This will load MUCH faster than 10 posts with all of their graphics, charts, text, etc, having to load also. Its about a 4X speed bump. All of the current functionality — email post, print, search, RSS, etc – will also continue. (I have been getting so many RSS Scrapers I may shift back to partial RSS feed from full post to thwart the splogs).
The header and side background are still works in progress — we started with the Jim Flora art work Money Flow as the inspiration for the design (I secured the digital rights and have the original). Then we updated it into something more modern while still retaining a little retro flavor. (So far, the TBP logo is still the same).
As mentioned, we are doing away with the 4 Tab design (its old and boring). In its place, we are using Icons to replace/identify the 4 subjects previously in Tabs: Think Tank, Video, BookShelf and Weekend. Click on anyone of these and you still get the full feed of that tab subject.
Overall, the layout is much cleaner and lighter.
Site redesign inspired by Money Flow
click for larger delightful artwork; (ginormous version here)
Click to open PDF of interior:
TBP Interior Redesign (PDF)
Click to open graphic
Category: Weblogs
Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor implied. If you could repeat previously discredited memes or steer the conversation into irrelevant, off topic discussions, it would be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous.
16 Responses to "Blog Redesign: Update"
[...] been hearing about the development of a new site now for quite a while — we are now in Countdown mode — less than 24 hours to [...]


text:
Update: Cooper on list of school-closure "final recommendations"January 6, 2009 at 2:04 pm | In West Seattle news, West Seattle school closure | 16 Comments
(photo added 3:12 pm)
ORIGINAL 2:04 PM POST: Just a small note – we're off to Seattle Public Schools HQ, where the "final recommendations" in the latest school-closure process are to be released within the hour. You'll see them here as soon as we have them.
2:52 PM UPDATE: Just handed out. Cooper is still recommended for discontinuance. Genesee Hill building still recommended for closure, with Pathfinder K-8 moving to the Cooper building on Pigeon Point.
2:56 PM UPDATE: Full list: Building closures, Genesee Hill, Mann, TT Minor, Van Asselt, Old Hay (with subtext "may be temporary depending on enrollment." Relocated programs: Half of Lowell APP to Thurgood Marshall. Half of Washington APP to Hamilton. NOVA to Meany. Pathfinder K-8 to Cooper (as mentioned). SBOC to Meany. TT Minor Montessori to Leschi. Thurgood Marshall EBOC to Dunlap and Hawthorne. Van Asselt to AAA. Also: New programs, New K-8 at Jane Addams. Discontinued programs: African American Academy, Cooper, Meany, TT Minor, Summit K-12. Again, the Cooper program closure/Genesee Hill building closure/Pathfinder move is the only West Seattle component of the list. This will now be introduced at the School Board meeting tomorrow night; final vote scheduled for January 29, and certainly the plan could change before then.
3:03 PM NOTE: Just FYI, we are in the board room at district HQ, where Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Chief Academic Officer Carla Santorno, and other district officials will brief the media shortly and answer questions. We will add anything West Seattle-specific, and a full report later. A few more details about Cooper programs: The two autism self-contained and one inclusion program, as the district describes them, would "REMAIN at Cooper to become part of Pathfinder K-8," according to the documents we've been given. The plan for other Cooper students is described in the summary as "reassign … to other schools in West Seattle." District PR says this will be on the district's website shortly – we'll add the link when we see it.
3:13 PM UPDATE: Thanks to the commenter who found the link first: Here it is. One detail we omitted: West Seattle APP elementary students would go to the Thurgood Marshall half of the split program.
3:19 PM UPDATE: In case this part is not on the website yet, we are reading the detailed briefing book about the final recommendations. Here's what it says about Cooper students:
Students who attend Cooper Elementary and live in the Cooper reference area are assigned to Pathfinder, Gatewood, Sanislo, or West Seattle Elementary depending on where in the reference area they live. Students who live within the walk zone for Cooper as well as some additional students who live near the Cooper building would be reassigned to Pathfinder where they could continue in the same building and become part of Pathfinder. The other reassignments (listed in the book) contemplate that the Cooper reference area would be merged with the Sanislo reference area, putting it in the West Seattle South Cluster.. Transportation would therefore be provided to students in the Cooper reference area who attend a school in the WS South Cluster. Transportation is also provided to WS Eleentary from both the West Seattle North and West Seattle South Clusters. Cooper studnets whose reference area is in the West Seattle North Cluster and who live close enough to walk would be reassigned to their reference area school. If not, they would be reassigned to West Seattle Elementary.
3:31 PM UPDATE: We just asked the superintendent about the fact that this would mean two buildings closed in the past few years in the West Seattle North cluster, which has had far less excess capacity than the south. She says a process is under development that will keep the district from getting to this kind of capacity imbalance in the future – no specifics yet, but it's in the works.
3:38 PM UPDATE: The superintendent says there WILL be a "design team" process for Cooper if the final recommendation for program closure does get final approval – in which a group will be assembled to work through the transition of its students to other schools. As for what happens to its teachers – she says "the teachers go with the students" in general since enrollment isn't declining, students are just moving; as for how it will be determined where teachers, like those at Cooper, go, she says that will be determined "by existing labor contract" terms.
3:44 PM UPDATE: The briefing has just ended. More links with long and short versions of the recommendations, as well as an updated FAQ and the official news release, are all now linked to the "Capacity Management" page that the district has used as a central repository for information on the ongoing process. Here's that link. We'll be writing a more detailed update a bit later; the superintendent had some comments about why the final list, citywide, was so dramatically different from the original "preliminary recommendations," and also the role advocacy played or did not play in the final determination of what's on this list.
5:16 PM NOTE: Before we get to that update – leafing through the full report, we see the "why the preliminary recommendation changed from Arbor Heights to Cooper" explanation is in it – if you want to read that, follow this link and click ahead to page 20. In part, it says:
In general, the Cooper building is a more logical choice for the relocation of the Pathfinder program. The building is nearly 30,000 square feet larger than Arbor Heights, and the building layout is more suitable for a K-8. Typically, K-8 programs prefer to physically separate the elementary and middle school students and the Cooper building allows for this. Cooper also has a full size field suitable for middle school PE. Cooper is also located on a large site that has a natural area that can be used by the Pathfinder program in support of their environmental education focus.
6:43 PM NOTE: One more link's been added to the SPS website – the final report with appendices added – click ahead to page G-9, which is actually about 50 pages in, in order to get the specifics on where current Cooper students would be reassigned, depending on what "reference area" they're in now.
16 Comments
Within the hour? I thought it was scheduled for 4pm? Are they having a press conference or just handing out documents? Thanks TR, we can always count on you to be there at the ready. It's especially appreciated when I am out of town – as long as I can get online I can know what's going on real-time!!
Comment by add — 2:08 pm January 6, 2009 #
media briefing
bummer. multiple bummers.
Comment by brittany — 2:59 pm January 6, 2009 #
HEY ALL, I just wanted to share this event with you for WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7TH. I don't think this is the time to be closing schools, and if you agree, we might be able to do something about it.
Save Our Seattle Schools!
Don't miss this important rally!
January 7 (Wednesday), 5 pm
John Standford Center
Sponsored by:
Educators, Students, and Parents for a Better Vision of Seattle Schools (ESP Vision)
We are uniting against the proposed Seattle Public School closures.
Come join us!
Students, & Parents
for a Better Vision of the Seattle Schools
(ESP Vision)
Educators, Students and Parents for a better VISION of the Seattle Schools (ESP VISION) is a newly formed Seattle city-wide organization that is working to unit all the effected schools and supportive communities in opposition to the Seattle School District's plan to close and consolidate schools across the district.
With the State refusing to fund a 21st century definition of basic education, the Seattle School District, along with teachers, parents, and students, should stand united to demand the funding it is owed—rather than bow to budget shortfalls by closing schools and disrupting communities.
The reasons we are against school closures are:
* The closures are disruptive to families and communities.
* The closures are not a budget solution: the district will only save $3.6 million, which is not even close to the projected $24 million shortfall.
* The last round of school closures resulted in 20% of the students from closed schools to leave the district. This means we lost money from the state for each student. This current round of school closures will affect almost 4,000 students. If we see another 20% dropout, SPS will lose approximately 746 students who will take with them $5,311/student from state funding and $485/student from I-782. The total reduction in yearly revenue will be $4,327,002 (which is more than saving the proposed $3.6 million!).
Website for more info:
http://www.petitiononline.com/ espvsn/petition.html
Contact Person:
Vicky Jambor
Contact Email:
Contact Ph. Number:
Comment by Iris Chamberlain — 3:11 pm January 6, 2009 #
Sorry, I hope it was ok to post that!
Comment by Iris Chamberlain — 3:12 pm January 6, 2009 #
Comment by Recommendation posting — 3:12 pm January 6, 2009 #
I don't know all of the details as far as pros and/or cons of these closures, but I have to vent and say how sad I am at the thought of Cooper closing or being "discontinued." I am a Cooper kid from years back and all my friends went their as well as all my neighbors. Cooper has been a part of this community for so long. I went to the "old old" building near the WS bridge for kindergarten and first grade and finished out elementary school at the Boren/Cooper building. Having been a Cooper kid myself, it was so great to go and visit when the current "new" building opened. What a beautiful place for these kids to learn. How lucky they all where. And how sad to take that away from all those teachers (many of whom were there back in my day and long before), students and parents who waited for so long. Pathfinder is a great program as well and they will be very lucky to have such a wonderful building to move to if this all goes down. Coming from a crappy building themselves, much like Cooper did many years ago, they will hopefully appreciate what a gift a building like Cooper is. I only hope it isn't taken away from them 5-10 years down the road too :(
Comment by MB — 3:59 pm January 6, 2009 #
I'm curious about the rationale for discontinuing Summit K-12, and I don't see one listed in the summary. Can anyone enlighten me?
Page 9 of the report link
is the only allusion I find to Summit so far. Am still going thru the entire report.
Hmm. Discontinuing Summit K-12, "restructuring" AS#1: This looks like writing on the wall; Pathfinder should prepare to face requirements to conform more to the cookie cutter in future–new building or no. This superintendent does not appear friendly to coloring outside the lines.
These are not final (the Board still needs to vote), but if it happens, the building would still be called Cooper. The program is "Pathfinder K-8″, but that doesn't change the name of the building. For example, the building that Pathfinder is currently in is still called Genesee Hill. (Indeed, the recommendation recommends closing "Genesee Hill").
Of course, I realize that it is not the same as having a program called "Cooper" in that building – so your sadness is still appropriate. I just thought it might be helpful to know that the Cooper name will remain on/with the building.
Comment by Eric B — 5:59 pm January 6, 2009 #
At least one place in the report issued today, it refers to "Pathfinder at Cooper," consistent with what Eric says.
Well, it's disappointing that the district doesn't think first about educating children, but perhaps it's my education that's lacking. I thought I was pretty good at math, but with my quick read of the Final Recommendations I must have gotten confused. The Superintendent is recommending maintaining the four classroom spaces for the Cooper Autism program; that's equivalent to about 75 students using the districts capacity planning formula. Then there's the 92 Cooper students she says she's going to 'assign' to Pathfinder (all other policies seem to be up for grabs, so why not that one!), and finally there's the 391 current Pathfinder students. Let's see 75 + 92 + 391, that seems like 558 students for a building that is listed as capacity for 460. So they are going to do what, lay on portables? Why not find a building that actually has room for Pathfinder instead??
Comment by ProudLion — 10:07 pm January 6, 2009 #
ProudLion, where do you get the 92 students assigned to Pathfinder? I read the final rec to say "We will also be assigning the Cooper students who can walk to Cooper to the Pathfinder program" That is 8 students, not 92. (P 23) Am I missing something?
Also, assuming that all 391 current students will move with the Pathfinder program is not a good assumption. Each year all schools, including Pathfinder, experience some turn-over. At Pathfinder, because it is a K-8, there is a higher rate than at many schools since many students leave and enter between 5th and 6th grades. Normally those that leave would be replaced by others from all over the district. In this case, I suspect that it will be mostly Cooper students who opt to join the program.
One final note – I too thought policy prohibited the assigning of students to an alternative program like Pathfinder K-8. However, after this recommendation was published I re-read the policy (C54.00) and it turns out there is no such limitation. The policy says that families having to choose alternative programs is an "indication" of an alternative program. However it does not seem to be a requirement.
Several points you make are spot-on. There are indeed several policies which the board will have suspended or changed to make this happen proposal happen. You are also right that the Cooper building will be quite full. I suspect that is viewed by the District as a good thing – full utilization of the Districts facilities is the primary goal of this process, not, as you point out, educating children.
Comment by Eric B — 1:38 am January 7, 2009 #
Eric B, the 92 students assigned to Pathfinder came from a fast read of the page you sited and G-9 first sentence "Students who attend Cooper Elementary School and live in the Cooper reference area are assigned to Pathfinder…" but I only got that far.
I recognize that school numbers change every year. Pathfinder's numbers have bounced around, just like everybody else's. The highest I remember seeing was 399. But with a nice new building, why would you expect them to fall? Throughout this process the magic number of 391 was used – any school considered for Pathfinder had to have at least 391 available seats, so I continued to use that number. It's the only one anybody has (as far as I know.) If you'll grant me the 391 (for lack of a better number) and the 75 for the four classrooms for the Autism program regardless of number of participants, and the 8 walkers from Pigeon Point, that still overfills the building. Even without letting the neighborhood's 8 kids in, you'll need Pathfinder to bring at least one of their portables with them. Why does the district thing this is such a good fit? Alki doesn't have enough in it's reference area to fill the building either. Let's put Pathfinder at Alki! Just as valid an argument based on the as yet unannounced priorities of the new student assignment plan. And please before I get stormed by Alki parents I only mention them because like Cooper there aren't enough students in the whole reference area to fill their school.
Comment by ProudLion — 5:12 am January 7, 2009 #
My son has already faced one school closure when he attended Fairmount Park. The transition to West Seattle (High Point) Elementary was disappointing to say the least. I chose to put him in Cooper Elementary this year and he has been doing so great. Now, we face the possibility of that school closing as well! I am frustrated and infurated with this!!!! Please DO NOT close Cooper! Attend the closure meeting on January 13th at 7 pm and speak up! – Cari Jones
Comment by Cari Jones — 6:40 pm January 9, 2009 #
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LAS CRUCES >> World-renowned trumpeter Ryan Anthony will be soloist with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra at New Mexico State University for a pair of concerts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Atkinson Music Center Recital Hall.
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I will send this link to tinyco's support on Thursday 30 May 2013 PST times or sooner when it reaches 50 comments. Please write down your thought and suggestions for tinyco on the comments on civilized manner :D. You can also tell them directly on tiny castle facebook account. Thanks to all reader on guide4gamers site.
Since tinyco said that they want to make the game become more exciting , here are few suggestions from me:
Other nice Banishing suggestion from readers:
Other suggestions those are not related with minions:
Tinyco have heard us, my Vily can kick minion's ass again :D. Hope they add other features on the next update. Thanks for your participation. Have a good day and good luck.
Put more info in the creature Encyclopedia on each creature. Like their top attack and defence strenghts. Kinda like a quick reference guide.
Any of the suggestions I have read in here would be great additions to the game. Please get rid of the minion attack first. This game will get removed from my device if it doesn't change.
Adding my suggestion here, basically would like a way to change the egg after summoning and before hatching.
We shouldn't have to wait over 3 days (in some cases) to hatch an egg.
Here's a suggestion for summoning that would make the game more interesting and fun:
One of the most disappointing things is knowing for example that after you breed 2 creatures together you're going to have a 41 hour breeding time. So now you know you're going to have to wait 82 hours to get another Yeti. Uggggghhhhhhhhh.
My suggestion is after the first 41 hours you can put the egg into "Inventory" (it's not being utilized anyway).
Then while in Inventory you can use "Magic Dust" to change the egg hatching outcome.
Naturally the more dust you use the better odds of obtaining a more rarer creature.
After you use Magic Dust on the creature the egg must move into the Nursery to see your new hatching time.
Thats a great Idea. I know Im geting frustrated trying to breed fire nyph..and Ive breed almost every combo possible. but I have 3 spots for eggs so not worried about egg space, just the same ol eggs all the time, but i guese if we finished breeding all of them than we wouldnt have anything to do would we
Few suggestion:
– improve encyclopedia : put quotes of the 3 ages on the description and also the sound of quote
– with this update there is no sense in having a monster with high attack and there is too much respawn of minions
– I can suggest alternatively to remove courage keep and put to "rest" monster after every battle for an hour, so you have to have more monster of high level to battle minions
I do not attack minions any more. What for? I have enough dust and I am on level 30. The last two days I didn't got any more any new minion or storm.
Healing time and Healing cost according to the dammage would be nice.
how much dust is enough for you? I have over 100000 and no more fogs to be cleared or fog monsters appear
I have the first 2 islands uncoverd, but still have the 3rd Island left. Im just one cloud awy from uncovering Ice..and have no minions to banish. they just are not spawning sinse this expansion…and so i have to get 4150 dust from my well wich gives me 230 a day. I cant sit here every 30 seconds to get 4 dust ll day. i have work and such
I love and agree with everyone's suggestions. I only have a few suggestions and I've wished for these changes since I started playing.
-second dust well
-ability to rename creatures (I have 3 named Sunshines)
-shorter breeding times for limited creatures
-second Enchanted tree
If any of the suggestion on my list or listed by other players happened I believe TC would have a lot of happy gamers.
These are more types of monsters
Kraken= beach+ mountain since coral nixie is gone
Chimera=desert +mountain since its a lion and a goat
Serpent=beach+polar I'm talking a guess I think they live in cold water
New magics
Dark, light ,air, metal
Have good Xp on good creatures when you get them because a sylph is rare and it gives you 164 while a Loch Ness gives you 263
Makes the eggs more fancy they are just plain with like 3 colors except sylph and rakashasa
It's not fair that you have to get the wicths castle on level 35 and some people finished the whole island except the part
Thank you for you cooperation
Is the any way you guys can add a new light and/or dark toe as well. You could either make a new island with new minions. Maybe even a pay system?
Yea make a separate island with a sun representing light and a moon for dark
And one more island for metal representing a huge machine while air could bea very high mountain with winds
And the witch could have a more evil twin sister and kidnaps mervin and the prince so it's girl power
I would like to say that I always wished creatures healing time and cost to heal was based on how much damage they took. I dread playing now with the random attack program. I actually think on paper it is cool, but the imperfection is again limiting our abilities to gain levels, pretty much the only reason to play. I have most of the creatures, tho the recent limited addition showed an anomaly in breeding times, I had different times, which I thought meant that I got the limited edition creature just under the wire, but it turned out to be the Nanuk. The time was wrong, without the ability to breed new monsters easily at all, money and time being spent to heal on weak minions, having to collect less money because I can't get rid of minions, means I can't save money to build habitats to gain exp and level up.
With breeding time of new monsters measured in days, I have no reason to play for a couple days at a time, if I have nothing to do.
And again giving us a quest to clear thistle, when most of us cleared thistle months ago, way before the third island was released? Not a level appropriate quest, it doesn't clear automatically when the game should recognize all thistles have been cleared, and new ones don't grow to complete it. Instead of encouraging us to play more, tinyco seems to want us to stop playing.
Going to uninstall the game, its become boring, healing times are dragging out the game, what a shame I loved it, tiny co need to think about what they are doing. Minons getting the first strike is a joke. Unhappy player.
I completely agree. I'm very dissatisfied with the new update. That being the main reason.
They dont always get the first shot. Ive faught against about 15 minnions sinse the release and only half of them have gone first. Maybe it depends on who is tougher..who gets to go first?
I've been playing this game faithfully. I hesitate to update regarding minion issue. Maybe option would be to alternate at different levels who attacks first???
Enjoy the 'lucky' for summoning – gets a bit ridiculous & extremely frustrating when you use every possible combination & still not able to get 'elusive' creature!
Would like to see more quests as they keep game interesting.
Perhaps more options to utilize dust? I've cleared as much fog as possible for level I'm – now sitting with 'storage full' and nowhere to use other than $$ more trees!
Let's hope Tiny Co will consider great suggestions by their dedicated players!
P.s. Noobbgodlike you are awesome!!!! And thank you again for all your hard work!
Sorry TinyCo but this update has made the game worse. The graphics have become fuzzy (on icons, market etc..) and the 3rd island graphics are now poor. The fact that the minions attack first has made it impossible to make what slow progress was allowed before and all healing should be appropriate to 'damage' done.
The times everything take now are far too long (not just based on recent update) and spoil the enjoyment. Waiting 2 days to find you've just got the same creature again is boring!
Please sort it out TinyCo as you'll lose players otherwise.
Mummy Monster= Cliff/Desert magic
Wendigo= Cliff/Polar or Cliff/Forest magic
Horus= Desert/Sky magic
Cerberus= Volcano/Cliff magic
Gorgon= Cliff/Forest or Cliff/Garden magic
Sea Wyvern= Beach/Volcano magic
any or all of these would make awesome monsters! also, it would be nice to give us back our first strike in minion attacks and maybe cut down the breeding time, it has gotten excessive.
Pleease change the combat update. People have worked so hard to summon the monsters that they want to be able to stay out of the courage keeps. They are expensive and take too long in my opinion to heal. I understand that the game has to be difficult, but hopefully you can understand that many of your players including myself are considering deleting your game from their device because it has now become not challenging, but boring thank you for your time in reading these suggestions and taking them into consideration.
I can very rarely attack first now. It means I can't play the game as often as I used to as my courage keeps are always full so I can't banish more. Its extra frustrating when one of your really strong creatures loses a tiny slither of life after a minion attacks first but you still have to heal them for half a day. It should be changed so either you only need to heal for a fraction of the time and cost, or you can keep using the same creature until a lot more life has gone. I don't find this update fun or exciting in the slightest.
You definitely have the right idea noob i do not see how a level 10 vily can be sent to the courage keep by something as lowely as a clumsy goblin even a level 10 yeti for that matter i think a mistake has been made by tinyco fair enough if the monster is the same level or has the same amount of attack or defense then it would be plausible for it to attack first but when spend so much time raising our monsters so we can efficiently deal with minions and something like this happens its almost like a slap in the face please make the change tinyco and make it soon !!!!!!
I really don't like that the minons get to attack first now. I thought part of the point of trying to get the stronger monsters was so that you didn't have to heal after every single fight and wait forever.
What I most dislike about these updates are how TinyCo do not publish on update page what changes have been made. It takes an incredibly long time to level up on this game since ninja update one; and the change that my creatures are hit first every single time is rather disheartening to say the least. I am currently trying to breed some of the higher level creatures now; and the accumulation of all the changes, I find I do not bother to log on until well over one day has passed so I can move the same creature I keep seeming to breed. I understand that the game needs to become more difficult (and making the game a little more strategy based as suggested so well by Van and lol) but not to the point of boredom.
I've really enjoyed playing this game, but it still doesn't beat Tiny Village in its hay day.
Before updating I always read what they have fixed (bugs, crash issues, better graphics etc) but this update TC listed just barely least issues while there are major changes). I guess to get Apple approval they just put down some details and not all. That's poor practice in my working world. This kind of updates might be as well as those unannounced patches we have been gotten with this game (food amount for example).
I agree with you totally.
I think it would be nice if you had the option to trade in coins for Jems or Food ( 100,000 coins = 1 Jem / 500 apples). Time / cost in courage keep should reflect damage taken during battle. Option to name creature for coins. When creatures are available for a limited time shorten summoning times, since it may take several attempts to gain limited creature.
I especially agree on the courage keep, to take 20 damage to a monster that has over 100 defense and have to leave them in the courage keep the same amount of time as when he is defeated AND have to pay the same amount is absurd! especially now that sometimes minions get the first strike
It would be fun if we could name our animals!
I totally agree. This is rediculous that the monster attackes first. This way no matter what, you loose. Healing time should be according to the damage.
Update not revealing all the details before doing so. If I have known banishing minions taking another turn then I would wait. Not only the healing time is ridiculous but also preventing me from banishing minions. Now I only play it once a day just to collect coins and kill those easy minions. Inventory has egg storing feature but not working. Storing deco is not how I spent coins. Definitely not exciting any more. Creature encyclopedia is a nice feature though.
Also breeding time is getting out of hand for new creatures. Just like the recent limited coral nixie, took long time for one breeding tree and the fail time is not helping. Limited creature should have basic elements for all players having fair chance. Takes forever to level up and unlock new capacity for homes. This would discourage players from playing if not willing to pay for gems. Concur on healing times and cost based on amount of damages take in.
I agree with the suggestion that healing time and cost to heal should depend on how much damage was done to the creature.
I absolutely HATE the fact that now the minion attacks first EVERY time!! I understood that it was only if we were using a really strong creature to attack a weak minion, but that is not the case in my game… the minion attacks first EVERY TIME!! So many of the creatures that the minions are allergic to only has a medium or lower chance of winning anyway and now that the minion attacks first, there is no chance of winning a battle EVER! And since clearing fog takes a ridiculous amount of dust and getting dust depends largely on banishing minions, this new feature has taken all the fun out of the game. I hate this so much that I am not going to play any more unless it is fixed so that my creatures stand a fair chance against the minions.
I agree the new update is really a disappointment the creatures have t go t the courage keep regardless of their strength as minions attack first loosing interest please fix this problem as have to wait for ages as the courage keep are all filled please tiny co i don't want t stop playing this game but iam being forced to stop
Take care
Tiny co should not force us to spend money on our game
They should make an option for after killing minions choose from food dust coins or some jewels
They should give an option to convert coins into jewels for example 10000 coins converted into 10 jewels
They should give the amount of time for healing according to the damage
They should lower the price of removing things or make the food dust or coin limit higher right now i need to remove this cavern and my coin limit is not even half the price of it and I have upgraded everything to its max
I have to say that I agree with most on the changes I just dont like especialy the part where minions attack first? I was enjoying the fact I could stay out of keep if I use the right creature to minion ratio. Worked hard to build up for that purpose. Its bad enough I cant seem to get those rare and ultra rare due to long summining times and running out of time to summon. I hope you understand theese requests,ty for your time too.
The new banishing is JUNK!!! I have 5 courage keeps and they are now contuiously full. Please remove the change allowing the minion the first strike in banishment. Thank you.
In regards to suggestions for the banish/battle sub-game I believe some of the following ideas would be a dramatic improvement to the overall game and definitely make the sub-game more exciting. I have tried to be fair and obtain a realistic balance in regards to my suggestions some will require extensive design changes while others would be fairly simple to implement and highly cost-effective.
1). Both the player and opponent should be able to avoid or block direct attacks.
2). The amount & cost of healing should be reflected by how much damage your creature received.
3). Instead of always receiving dust when you win a battle give the player the option to choose dust, coins, gems, or XP.
4). Allow players to control their creatures animations so he/she can decide when to execute a creature signature move.
5). Allow the opponent at random times to bring in a partner which will auto trigger the player option to bring in a partner for an exciting tag team match.
6). Allow players to choose the battle ground.
7). For a cost (gems, coins, dust) allow players to purchase a magic device to banish all minions in a limited radius.
8). At random times allow players the ability to switch places w/ their opponents.
9). Dramatically reduce the time & cost of healing.
10). Expand the bribe option an give the player the capablity of tricking the opponent into not always receiving his reward.
I think it would be so much better if healing time and cost depended on how much damage was done!! would make it that much better
First of all this and tiny monsters are my favorite games!!! Now to my request:
– go back to the old way of battling minions where we attack first
– add another dust well
– allow more farms to be purchased or reduce feed amounts for creatures
– add another breeding tree or option to breed more than one pair of creatures at a time or reduce
Breeding/hatching times
– take away the added step to plant more food after harvesting your farms. (Once you harvest the
Option to replant on that farm should automatically appear like in tiny monsters.)
– lower cost of clearing debris
– if there is a quest make it possible (for instance I have a quest to clear thistle but sense I already
Cleared all my thistle months ago I have no way to complete this quest.) Maybe new thistle should appear when quest is activated or you should get credit for it already being done, like Tiny monsters
Thank you for your time and such a great game!
I have thought of this so many times..
My creature gets one bad hit but has to heal for the same amount of time if it was completely defeated..
So I agree with this idea 100%. And it seems a lot of people agree with this comment.
I agree it is unfair that my nanuk, a really strong creature gets one tiny scratch from a clumsy Cyclopes and has to spend 12 hours in the courage keep. If that's the case we should get reasonable time and coin cost for how much damage we receive.
Other than that the update is fine by me.
Not happy with this new update. Change the times for healing then or allow creatures to protect themselves. Do something soon, or people will not play and I like the game.
When banishing creatures, I would like to know who gets the first hit before the battle. This way I could strategically choose which creature I want to battle with.
Or limit the monsters you can battle with–only certain monsters can battle certain minions.
I do NOT like the new changes at all! You now need a login name, serves no purpose. How can I har a high chance of winning a battle if I don't get to fire first. This was my favorite game but until they change things back….I will not be playing and I will NOT recommend this to anyone now!
I agree with making the healing time and cost based on hp lost. That would be much less frustrating. And a second breeding den would also be nice. Right now, I check the game about once a day to switch out things which waiting to breed my hippocamp and nereid that I have been working on for months! Also, I have purchased jewels, so I am not demanding to never pay for the game–just to make it fair.
With these changes, I quite honestly feel like I have even less reason to banish monsters. With the sheer numbers crowding my islands versus the few courage keeps I have, there's no way to keep them away. I feel like I'm loosing the war at this point, so why bother?
I think there are a lot of good ideas here, and they are worth considering by the game developers. Rewarding players for using a variety of monsters, or even limiting the number of battles each can fight would also be better avenues that would accomplish similar goals. Like a fatigue system where you can only battle with a particular monster a limited numbers before they have to rest.
Making a player feel like they can no longer "win" is not an improvement to any game experience.
The new changes are discouraging. Tiny co seems to change th rules not for the good of the game but to keep our strong creatures in the courage keep. If you want to go this route then the heal times should be much lesser. Secondly if our creatures are staying in the courage keep for days then players will become bored and move on to other games. Buying jewels will not solve this problem because a lot of players do not d
Buy them. Please rethink your decision and make necessary arrangements to make things more user friendly as far as actually getting to play the game and not deterring players from playing
I am also one of those players who are not opposed to paying for jewels. I buy diamonds all the time in tiny monsters and have purchased hundreds of dollars of smurfberries from my smurfs village game over the past year and a half but I do not buy jewels from this game even though its my fav.game of all because I feel they are too expensive. In tiny monsters you use 1 diamond per
hour that you want to speed up (breeding times, hatching times, dream room etc. ) but in tiny castles the jewels you have to spend to do the same things cost double or more . I can't afford to buy the creatures I can't seem to breed, even the less expensive ones, because I would have to spend upwards of $40 to $50 to buy enough jewels. And with the excessive breeding times it makes it very frustrating for players. Also with the new minion battling your creatures are always in the courage keeps so they are unavailable to breed which makes it even more frustrating when trying to breed a creature that takes 2 days and 20 tries to get.
– I would only agree with a minion attacking me first IF: i only have to pay for the caused damage, which should reduce the waiting time.
– Speed up breeding time with coins?
– The possibility to use, for example, 1 jewel if 8 are needed. It would be nice to have the option to choose how many jewels you would like to spend instead of a fixed amount of jewels you HAVE to pay. This way you can reduce the waiting time as you like.
– give us another chance on the Coral Nixie!
I just got a mission that says.. "Clear one thistle"
I don't have any since I already cleared away two islands of stuff.
Maybe ask for re-spawning junk?
How about bonuses for decorations?
Like, the Pyramid next to the desert habitats AND/OR on the desert part of the island, gives a tiny about of coin bonus.
What's up with collecting coin you get an option to 'finish' for jewels.
Concur about minion banisings.
1 wish be able to 'name' new hatched creatures
I have yet to update yet. As previous updates seems to remove whatever experience i have. Will update as soon as i level up. Not willing to take the risk.
Regarding the monster banishing part –> does not really affect me.I guess balances have to kick in at some point to resolve the issue of accumulating dust ( at current i have 100,000 ++ dust) thanks to vily and nanuk awesomeness in one-hit KOs. This was the main issue i felt, not so much of having long healing times or expensive healing amounts. Moreover it made the game a little harder.
Otherwise, if they were to removed all of our dust and reset this 'currency' it would be disastrous. I would like to suggest to perhaps make the option of converting dust to jewel/food/gold available.
I mean, if one had played the game long enough it should make sense that these games test your patience. And when the changes kick in, it probably stopped the easyness to rid of the monsters and having spend any gold farmed to healing/waiting. Still i do agree the cost to healing is high for some monsters. but for monsters like gargoyle its exceptional. She is powerful but healing is relatively low and cheap and fast.
On the suggestion to healing times/cost base on damage taken i guess eventually this would eventually result in accumulation of dust at a lower rate. Still it is a viable option to explore. Of cause another would be to decrease the spawn rate of monsters or simply reduce the dusts given by monsters.
I guess the burden of spending yr hard farmed gold is that island 3 debris are extremely costly as compared to 1 and 2. Perhaps moderating the cost to remove them would help too. Similarly with cost like upgrading of storages/homes (beach/polar/mountain).
As for the social connection part. I guess its a phase of transiting the game to be more connected easily with others. Yes, many including me loved the option of just minding your own game and just focusing on it. But if tiny castle was to strive, i guess this was an option it had to explore to make it equivalent to current similar games like dragon city etc.
additional suggestions not directly involved with the update but with recent events of coral nixie etc.
I guess with the long breeding times, its time to consider expanding the breeding tree. Maybe increasing 2 more trees and make the process of acquiring it fun like not just buying but through a series of quest. Hopefully not with jewels of cause.
Similarly, monsters wise. I guess they could come up with bosses (e.g. Elder Muck Monster or Boss Muck Monster that occurs once in a very long while[ low spawn rate] that gives out high dust/jewels). Of cos having quests related to it would be fun of cause.
Other issues: food. I guess making the option of a GREATER farm to generate more food than the current farms would be good.
Lastly. sorry noob for my long long post.
Homes. I guess increasing initial size from 2 to 3 and 4 to 5. would be good. this is one issue many players face if they would say for instance would like to keep a pair of every monster. its just not enough home capacity to do so.
Thanks noob for providing the platform. I seriously hope tiny castle co. would look into the feedbacks and work on them or perhaps provide other solutions/ explanations on their rational.
I agree, make the healing time and cost based on how much hp that are lost.
Whats going on had a thisle quest which has disappeared, purchased a tree for 2700 dust n thats disappeared,
I totally agree that its insane to Pay such High prices in Courage keep if there was low damage on my creature. I like the idea to add a Status like agility. There are also other possibilites for making a battle more interesting like Elements or special abilities for every creature or magic based abilities.
New update not great lost ice golem to troll, troll allergic to ice golem! N troll had first hit
Limited summon creatures of the holidays should not exceed 13 hours.
Tiny Games staff:
Please reconsider the recent change to Tiny Castle wherein a minion attacks first. This is not a good change, especially when the minion is exceptionally weak and the creature the player uses still ends up in the courage keep for hours on end. Basing the time of healing on the points lost makes much more sense.
This change has the potential to stop some people from continuing to play the game.
Thank you for your consideration
I dont want the new update, if Im forced to update I will be uninstalling the game! My 10yo son updated his & doesnt play it anymore. He doesnt have any ice creatures yet, so finds it hard to keep up with strong minions as his courage keeps are always full.
I like the suggestions above, especially the jewels for perfect hits!
Also would like to see the healing times reduced! I play on a samsung galaxy tab2 & my Villy takes 12 hours to heal.
Please reduce healing times by half, it would be greatly appreciated!
I was forced to update…. my game would not open anymore until I updated. I hate it!!
My suggestion would be creature name changes.
It can be done in 2 ways,
1: pay 1 jewel to choose one of the names from the random naming list for 1 creature
2: pay 5 or 10 jewels to create your own name for one of your creatures
I have several creatures with the same names. I got 3 Storms.
I think we should just be able to change the name if we want to. Why should we have to pay jewels to change the name? We can change the name for free in tiny monsters and dragonvale. I am not willing to spend jewels for name changes…


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Archive for Thursday, December 28, 2000
Council OKs fireworks for New Year's
While New Yorkers ring in the New Year with the dropping of the ball, Eudorans will be allowed to shoot their way into 2001 with fireworks.
The Eudora City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday night that allows the sale of fireworks within city limits from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Dec. 30 and 31. The ordinance also allows the discharge of fireworks from 9 a.m. Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. Jan. 1.
Without an amendment to the ordinance, current laws prohibit the sale or discharging of fireworks in the city limits except for July 2-4.
Mayor Fred Stewart said money raised from the fireworks sale would go into the 2001 Mayor's Christmas Tree Fund. Stewart said selling fireworks is his biggest moneymaker and he earned $1,800 in 1999.
The fireworks will be sold in the city park across from Eudora Middle School on Main Street. Stewart said he began cleaning the area Wednesday to prepare for the sale. The mayor said the cold weather would not affect his plans.
"I've got a space heater," Stewart said. "If it don't (work), I've got a pair of coveralls."
In other action, the council:
Approved Tree Ordinance #774, recommended by the Eudora Planning and Zoning Commission.
Approved hiring Diana Beebe, Lawrence, as full-time Recreation and Parks Director.
Approved the naming of the city parks as recommended by the Eudora recreation commission. The parks are now named as follows at 6th and Main, Pilla Park; at 9th and Main, CPA Park; at 12th and Cedar, Bluejacket Park; at 14th and Maple, Paschal Fish Park and at 17th and Elm, Lucy Kaegi Park.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.


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Wiebe, Langer in lead at British Seniors
Southport, England • Mark Wiebe of the United States shot a 5-under 65 Friday to share the lead with Bernhard Langer after the second round of the Senior British Open at Royal Birkdale.
Wiebe had four birdies on the back nine. Langer, the 2010 champion at Carnoustie, shot a 67 and made five birdies. Both players finished at 5-under 135.
"I really got my irons zoned in on the back nine," Wiebe said. "I know there's a long way to go, but I'm tickled to be where I am. It was unbelievable and great to shoot the low round."
Wiebe moved to 1 under by the turn with two birdies and a bogey. He had three birdies in four holes from the 13th and added another with a 15-foot putt at the last.
The German dropped two strokes at No. 6 when he double-hit the ball.
"The ball was sitting up in the long grass and I caught it high on the clubface and again on the follow through," said Langer, a two-time Masters champion. "But that was my only blemish. Most of it was impressive and good, and I putted a little better today."
David Frost of South Africa (68) finished a stroke back in third. He picked up birdies at Nos. 2, 5 and 9 to move to 5 under. He faltered slightly on the back nine, dropping shots at the par-3 12th and 14th before a birdie at No. 17.
"It was a bit of a shaky round," Frost said. "I didn't feel comfortable with the club in my hand. I hit some wayward shots, but managed to hit good irons into the greens and the putter was my savior."


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Blake Campus Apartments, 2423 Blake St., Berkeley, CA
2423 Blake Street is an 18 unit complex offering 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments. This building features an intercom system, on site laundry and a great location just ½ blocks to Telegraph Ave and close to the Cal U.C. Berkeley Campus.
Many units have been redone with new kitchens and baths. Beautiful details and soft lines compliment the elegant hardwood floors; it's easy to feel at home here. This is a fantastic apartment complex; most units have beautiful hardwood floors and many period details in the units, large living rooms and plentiful windows for natural light. It is a modern building upgraded with beautiful details and many units redone with new kitchens with cherry cabinets and granite counters.
This is a wonderful unit featuring beautiful hardwood floors, great architectural details, and large windows with plentiful natural light. Apartment has hardwood floors throughout and an excellent floor plan.
The building features a fabulous location just one block to Telegraph Ave, the gateway to U.C. Berkeley and the center of U.C Berkeley campus culture. Blake St. is perfect for those who want to live where the action is. There's easy access to everyday necessities with CVS and Whole Foods within walking distance, and just blocks to the UC Berkeley Campus.
Around the corner you'll run into Telegraph's trendy stores and street vendors. Just a little bit farther and you're right in the middle of the Elmwood/College shopping district. If you're looking to get out of town for a day trip Downtown Berkeley BART is just a bike ride away. The building has great transportation access as well. You are 30 seconds from the buses and a short walk to BART, close to freeway access, but can walk almost everywhere.
Premium Properties
6522 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland CA 94609
Phone : 510 594 0794
Fax : 510 594 3140
Open: Monday through Friday
9am - 5pm
Closed Most Holidays


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MSRP $25,765* As shown
*Picture may not represent actual vehicle. Price varies based on Trim Levels and Options. See Dealer for in-stock inventory & actual selling price. All prices plus tax, title & license with approved credit. MSRP includes delivery, processing, and handling fees. Dealer doc fee $225.00 not included in price Prices may be different outside of each advertised period and do not necessarily reflect cash price at any other time. Instant savings in the form of dealer discounts.


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Nu Image acquires control of First Look Studios
Nu Image has acquired effective control of First Look Studios in the wake of Henry Winterstern's recent departure as the latter company's co-chairman and chief executive officer.The companies had been linked for some time and it was originally rumoured that First Look would acquire Avi Lerner, Danny Dimbort and Trevor Short's Nu Image.As part of the transaction Nu Image has injected a substantial but undisclosed amount of capital into First Look through new holding ...
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Headlines August 01, 2013 Full Show | First Story >
Prosecution Witness: No "Specific Example" Manning Leaks Harmed Lives
The sentencing hearing for Army whistleblower Bradley Manning began Wednesday with a prosecution witness undermining the state's own claims Manning's disclosures to WikiLeaks harmed the United States. On Wednesday, retired Brigadier General Robert Carr, who oversaw the Pentagon task force assessing the leaks' impact, admitted that not a single person lost their lives as a result of the WikiLeaks disclosures. Pressed by Manning's defense on deaths resulting from the WikiLeaks cables, Carr said: "I don't have a specific example." Carr suggested the WikiLeaks cables' main harm to the United States was in souring relations with foreign governments and villagers in Afghanistan. Manning is facing 136 years in prison after being found guilty on 20 counts for leaking hundreds of thousands of government documents to WikiLeaks. He was acquitted on the most serious charge against him, aiding the enemy. The prosecution is expected to call up to 20 witnesses during the sentencing phase.
U.S. Internet Spying Program Revealed as Senate Tackles NSA Surveillance
The Senate held a long-awaited hearing on government surveillance Wednesday just as new details emerged on the government spying exposed by National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden. The Guardian newspaper reports a secret NSA program called XKeyscore has allowed analysts to search with no prior authorization through vast databases containing emails, online chats and the browsing histories of millions of people. According to a slide presentation provided by Snowden, XKeyscore gives NSA analysts real-time access to "nearly everything a typical user does on the internet." While the program is supposed to target overseas Internet users, The Guardian reports XKeyscore provides the technological capability, if not the legal authority, to target even U.S. persons for extensive electronic surveillance without a warrant. Speaking before the Senate Intelligence Committee, NSA Deputy Director John Inglis conceded that the bulk collection of phone records of millions of Americans under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act has been key in stopping only one terror plot, not the dozens officials had previously said.
Snowden Leaves Moscow Airport, Formally Enters Russia
National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden has been issued travel papers and has formally entered Russia after leaving the Moscow airport where he's been stranded for over a month. Snowden had remained at the airport despite reports last week Russia had granted him temporary asylum. Snowden's attorneys say he'll remain in Russia at a secure location.
Snowden's Father Rejects Involvement with FBI in Snowden Return
Edward Snowden's father has revealed the FBI tried to enlist him in traveling to Russia to convince his son to return to the United States. Speaking to a Russian television network, Lonnie Snowden said he refused.
Lonnie Snowden: "To be an emotional tool for the FBI to use against my son — to say 'your father's out on the aircraft, why don't you come talk to him' — I wasn't interested in that. I wanted to make sure there was value to my son. Ed, I hope you're watching. Your family is well, and we love you. We hope you're healthy. We hope you're well. I hope to see you soon. But most of all, I want you to be safe."
Egypt Protests Continue After Interim Gov't OKs New Crackdown
Egypt's interim government has authorized a new crackdown on protests backing ousted President Mohamed Morsi. On Wednesday, the government vowed "gradual steps" to remove the crowds that have occupied Cairo squares in a call for Morsi's return. The protests continued overnight in defiance of the interim government's threat.
Kerry Says Pakistan, U.S. Re-establishing "Full Partnership"
The United States and Pakistan have agreed to re-establish a "full partnership" damaged by rifts over U.S. drone strikes and the 2011 NATO attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke today after talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Secretary of State John Kerry: "I'm pleased to announce that today, very quickly, we were able to agree to a resumption of the strategic dialogue in order to foster deeper, broader and more comprehensive partnership between our countries. And this revitalized dialogue will address in a realistic fashion all of the many key issues between us, from border management to counterterrorism, to promoting U.S. private investment, and to Pakistan's own journey to economic revitalization."
Kerry has invited Sharif to Washington for talks with President Obama. Speaking alongside Kerry, Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, said his government still wants the United States to end the drone attacks on Pakistani soil.
Sartaj Aziz: "We have registered our concern, and we continue to do so, that drone attacks are counterproductive in terms of our relationship. So in the light of today's discussion, we will continue this dialogue on how to stop this policy of drone attacks as far as the U.S. is concerned. ... We are asking them to stop it, not just contain it."
U.N.: Attacks on Afghan Civilians Up 23 Percent
The United Nations is warning violence against Afghanistan's civilian population has increased 23 percent over the same period last year. The head of the United Nations' Afghan mission, Georgette Gagnon, disclosed the figures on Wednesday.
Georgette Gagnon: "The number of civilians killed or injured rose by 23 percent compared to the same period last year. UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) documented 1,319 deaths and 2,533 injuries, a total of 3,852 civilian casualties. This marked an increase of 14 percent in deaths and 28 percent in injures over the same period in 2012."
The U.S.-led NATO occupation force is due to end its formal mission in Afghanistan next year. A new report from the Pentagon says the Afghan military will need "substantial training, advising and assistance — including financial support," long after the December 2014 withdrawal date. The United States and Afghan government continue to hold talks on whether U.S. troops will remain when the mandate expires.
Opposition Claims Fraud in Zimbabwe Presidential Elections
Presidential elections were held in Zimbabwe on Wednesday in the latest challenge to longtime President Robert Mugabe. Mugabe's main challenger, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, called the elections a "huge farce" and accused Mugabe supporters of rigging the vote. A local observer group says up to a million people were prevented from casting their ballots. The African Union has voiced initial support for the vote, saying the elections appeared to be "peaceful, orderly, free and fair."
U.N. Threatens to Disarm M23 Rebels in DRC
The United Nations is threatening to forcibly disarm rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United Nations has given members of the M23 militant group in the eastern city of Goma a deadline of today to turn in their weapons or face a military offensive. In a video statement, the head of the new U.N. force for the DRC, General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, said his troops will establish a new security zone surrounding Goma.
Gen. Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz: "The M23 has used indiscriminate fire, include by heavy weapons, resulting in civilian casualties. The M23 has also targeted U.N. installations with its fire. In light of the risks to the civilian population in Goma, Sake, MONUSCO will support the FARDC in establishing a security zone in Goma and its northern suburbs."
The U.N. force is operating under an unprecedented Security Council mandate authorizing "offensive" capability against the rebel M23 and other groups operating in the DRC's border regions with Rwanda and Uganda. Rwanda has been accused of backing the M23's operations in the DRC. On Wednesday, the Rwandan government said the U.N. ultimatum risks undermining ongoing peace talks in Uganda between the DRC government and M23 representatives.
Fast Food, Retail Strike Continues Nationwide
A national strike for a living wage and the right to unionize in the fast food and retail sectors continued Wednesday when hundreds of workers walked off the job in Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Detroit and Flint, Michigan. Joined by supporters, Chicago workers rallied outside locations of McDonald's and Whole Foods. McDonald's employee Tyree Johnson spoke to the Chicago Tribune.
Tyree Johnson: "We're trying to accomplish $15 an hour and the right to form a union without retaliation from our employers, and respect on our jobs. We can't support our families on what we make, and we're coming together and trying to form a union."
The strike continues with walkouts at more than a dozen Chicago stores today as well as in Milwaukee. It follows earlier actions this week by fast food and retail workers in the same cities, as well as in New York City.
Obama, Dems Spar over Summers Rumors at Capitol Hill Meeting
President Obama paid a rare visit to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a meeting with congressional Democrats. Obama sought to rally support before Congress takes a five-week summer recess on issues including immigration reform, the implementation of "Obamacare," economic proposals, and a renewed budget showdown with Republicans this fall. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said the meeting was productive.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi: "We had a very enthusiastic meeting with the president of the United States. He reiterated some of the message that has gone out across the country about jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, seeing everything we do through the eyes of how we can responsibly and in a balanced way reduce the deficit to create jobs to build a better future for our children."
At least one major disagreement emerged from the meeting when talk turned to Obama's pending nominee to replace outgoing Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke. Democratic lawmakers say they raised objections to one of the top frontrunners, Larry Summers, President Obama's former economic adviser and treasury secretary under President Clinton. Summers' name has sparked opposition from progressive critics over his role in pushing deregulatory policies that helped cause the financial crisis. According to one lawmaker who attended Wednesday's meeting, Obama "was defending Summers from attacks in the left and in the media that he felt were very unfair." Some 20 Senate Democrats and 37 House Democrats have urged Obama to nominate Bernanke's current deputy, Janet Yellen. The White House said this week a decision would not come until the fall.
Minnesota, Rhode Island Enact Same-Sex Marriages
Same-sex marriages are underway in two more states today with the enacting of marriage equality laws in Minnesota and Rhode Island. Dozens of LGBT couples have already tied the knot in Minnesota after courthouses across the state began holding ceremonies at the stroke of midnight. The first same-sex marriages in Rhode Island are being held just hours later. Twelve U.S. states, along with Washington, D.C., now allow same-sex marriage.
Student Loan Bill Hiking Future Rates Clears Congress
Congress has given final approval to a bipartisan measure lowering student loan rates for now, only to hike them in just a few years. The interest rate for Stafford loans climbed to 6.8 percent last month after Congress failed to reach a deal to avoid the hike. Under the new measure passed by the Senate last week and the House on Wednesday, students will pay a lower rate through 2015, but then see those rates jump as they become attached to financial markets. The bill now goes to the White House for President Obama's signature.
Senate Confirms NLRB Members After Bipartisan Row
The Senate has voted to confirm all five members of the National Labor Relations Board, the government body that oversees labor complaints. The vote was held after the Senate reached a deal last month to approve President Obama's nominees in return for preserving the filibuster. The vote to fill the NLRB gives the panel a quorum of five confirmed members for the first time in a decade. The panel has been slowed in recent years by a Republican refusal to confirm new Democratic members, threatening U.S. workers' main recourse to defend their right to organize and to protect themselves against anti-union activity by employers.
Texas Judge Rejects Lawsuit Challenging Deportation Reprieve for Youths
A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit from a group of immigration agents challenging the Obama administration's policy suspending deportations for undocumented residents who came to the United States as children. The lawsuit claimed the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program prevents agents from detaining immigrants who could threaten public safety. But on Wednesday, a federal district judge in Texas threw out the case, saying his court does not have proper jurisdiction to decide it.
Rep. Gutiérrez Urges Release of Jailed "Dream 9" Activists
Democratic Rep. Luis Gutiérrez of Illinois spoke out on the House floor Wednesday in support of a group of jailed young immigrants known as the "Dream 9." The Dream 9 remain in an Arizona detention center more than a week after attempting to re-enter the United States in protest of record deportations under President Obama. Addressing House colleagues before they leave for the summer recess, Gutiérrez urged support for the Dream 9's release.
Rep. Luis Gutiérrez: "For those who are in detention, like the 'Dream 9' in Arizona, and the many others, who, because of their status, a trip to the hospital or getting a traffic ticket could mean they never see their children again, the American dream will end for 44,400 immigrants who will be deported between now and September 9. I hope they are in your thoughts. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert this letter from Jared Polis of Colorado and myself to the president of the United States asking for the release of the 'Dream 9' held in detention in Arizona and entered into the record."
At least two "Dream 9" activists remain in solitary confinement after launching a hunger strike and attempting to collect the stories of fellow migrants. The "Dream 9" have asked for humanitarian asylum in the United States, and several hearings are reportedly underway.
Rev. Jackson to Dream Defenders: Florida "the Selma of Our Time"
In Florida, a group of activists camped out at the offices Republican Gov. Rick Scott are continuing their push for a special session to repeal the state's "Stand Your Ground" law. The law impacted instructions to the jury that acquitted George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin last month. The Dream Defenders have entered the third week of their occupation. Earlier this week, they held a mock session of the Florida Legislature, where they were joined by Rev. Jesse Jackson. During his visit, Rev. Jackson compared their struggle to the civil rights movement, saying Florida is the "Selma of our time." Gov. Scott has so far rebuffed the activists' demands and on Wednesday called for Jackson to apologize for his remarks.
North Dakota Judge Blocks Anti-Abortion Law
A North Dakota judge has temporarily blocked a law that opponents say would have shut down the state's only remaining abortion clinic. Due to take effect today, the law requires doctors who provide abortions to obtain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. Such requirements can be impossible because abortion providers do not admit enough patients to meet hospital minimums and because some hospitals oppose abortion. Judge Wickham Corwin blocked the law while a legal challenge proceeds, saying "there is obviously no need" for it. Pro-choice activists who departed from San Francisco and New York City last week as part of a nationwide Abortion Rights Freedom Ride gathered at the courthouse Wednesday in support of the Red River Women's Clinic.
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By Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan
As Americans prepare for one of the most popular national holidays, Thanksgiving, a wave of xenophobia is sweeping the country.
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