text:
The driver of an SUV will be charged after her vehicle crashed into a New Bern business this afternoon.
It happened around 1:30 p.m. at the corner of Wellons Boulevard and Newman Road, that's behind the mall.
The vehicle crashed into the front doors of RSM McGladrey, an accounting firm.
Police say Rose Gonzalez told them she blacked out. Her SUV took out one column of the building, along with the glass front doors. It landed between a second column and the front entrance.
Police say the 59-year-old New Bern woman will be charged with unsafe movement. The fire department said there was just cosmetic damage and the accounting firm will be able to continue to occupy the building.


text:
Health officials told Ghulam Rasool, a mason from Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency, in March this year that his 18-month-old son had tested positive for polio and has been crippled for life by the virus. Angry over his decision to follow the ban that the Taliban had imposed on administering polio drops in the tribal areas, he cannot restrain himself from cursing the militants and their leaders.
"I accepted all their orders without any if and but [not knowing the consequences]," he says. "I was helpless against them." His son was born in 2009 when the militancy was at its peak in Khyber Agency and the Taliban were so much in control that no one – neither the parents nor the health officials – could defy their orders and have the children vaccinated.
Ghulam Rasool is one of scores of parents across the non-descript towns and villages in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) whose children have fallen victim to the ill-directed Taliban ban on polio vaccination, which had been termed as Western conspiracy to sterilise future generations of local Muslims. The trend in the number of children succumbing to the disease in fact reads like the story of the militancy's ebb and rise in Fata, revealing an inexorable link between the rise in its incidence and the intensity of the Taliban's control in the region. In 2010, of the 144 polio cases detected in Pakistan 95 were from Fata whereas of the 53 cases reported in the first six months of 2011, 18 have been reported from the tribal areas.
Swat is another region that categorically links an increase in polio cases to the rise in militancy but with a vastly different trend. The first polio case there was reported in 2007. Next year, the number went up to four and in 2009, when the militants were totally in control, Swat recorded 20 cases. Now that the Taliban have been driven out of the region and polio vaccination campaign has re-started in earnest after a hiatus of about two years, there has been only one polio case detected in Swat in 2010 and none so far in 2011.
That the situation in Fata is alarming seems like an understatement when seen in comparison to global statistics on polio. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), only four countries – Nigeria, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan – are yet to be rid of the disease. But in the first five months of the ongoing year, only eight cases were reported from Nigeria and one each from India and Afghanistan. Put together, all these cases are four times less than the number of cases reported from Pakistan in the same time period.
Unfortunately, it looks likely that polio cases continue appearing in Fata because a large part of the region still remains inaccessible to the health officials, mainly because of the militancy. Officials say that they do not have access to 25 per cent (272,110 out of 1,086,682) children in Fata. Dr Jan Baz Afridi, deputy director of the vaccination programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, provides an agency-wise breakdown (see table) which shows that in some agencies such as Khyber and Orakzai over 50 per cent of the children have missed out on vaccination campaigns.
Local government and other NGO officials cite a number of reasons for their inability to access these children in Fata — and all of these reasons are directly or indirectly linked to militancy. Take, for instance, Khyber Agency where many parts are virtual no-go areas for health staff since long and seven per cent children are inaccessible in villages that are under the militants' control. Health officials are afraid of visiting such villages after four of their colleagues, including a doctor, were killed and four others abducted there in the last two years while administering polio drops.
Consequently, with the threat to life, there is also a fear factor that makes the health workers reluctant to join the ranks of vaccinators. Less than 500 vaccinators are available for entire Fata which means one vaccinator covers a big area spanning four square kilometres.
But perhaps the most important factor is the lack of local cooperation, again instigated by the Taliban. Misconceptions about the polio vaccines abound and parents refuse to give up their blind faith in the Taliban's propaganda. In at least seven polio cases reported in 2011 from Fata, the refusal to administer vaccine had come from the parents. In all, 21,000 children have remained unvaccinated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata owing to refusal by their parents.
Ten-month-old Mohammad Arif, son of Zulfiqar Shah of Hissara village in Khyber Agency's Tirah Valley, is one of them. Going by his age, he should have received polio drops at least four times but did not get even a single dose because his parents had refused. In March this year when he tested positive for the polio virus, the militants never bothered to explain to his parents as to how the child had contracted the disease, let alone sympathise with them over an ailment that they hindered from being prevented and that has made Arif a handicapped person for life.
"The oral polio vaccine is in line with the specifications set by the international expert committee on biological standardisation of WHO," says Dr Abdul Jamil who is working with the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef). These specifications make it impossible for the vaccine to contain any other undeclared biologically active substances such as viruses, hormones or other materials, he says. Since 1995 it has been administered to more than one billion children globally and "no side-effects have been reported in this period," he points out.
But given the high level of illiteracy and the failure of the official media campaigns to reach the people in the tribal areas, reiterating such technical details have had little impact as far as changing perceptions is concerned. Perhaps aware of this drawback, WHO and Unicef warned the Pakistani authorities early this year that funding for the vaccination would stop if the government did not take steps to rectify the situation. This prompted the government to review its strategy. Rather than relying on media campaigns to allay fears about the vaccine's perceived side-effects, it employed the services of local ulema in an attempt to use their influence in convincing people.
The Fata Health Department, in collaboration with a non-government agency, the National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF), is now working with local ulema in Khyber Agency to reverse the apprehensions of the local people vis-à-vis vaccination. The two agencies claim to have "sensitised" all influential ulema of the agency and claim they now support the vaccinators in terms of educating and convincing people to allow their children to be vaccinated.
"We have got the services of 1,500 religious scholars, local clerics and prayer leaders, who are persuading the parents," says Tahseenullah Khan, a coordinator with NRDF. He tells the Herald that workers of his organisation go from house to house along with the ulema who argue that it is the religious responsibility of the parents to immunise their children and save them from becoming permanently handicapped. "We have obtained fatwas from known scholars due to which the people accept our argument," he says.
They have even risked travelling to areas under the control of the militants — and small gains have also been made there. Irked by such attempts, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had warned WHO officials on March 28, 2011 not to conduct polio vaccination campaign in Ghundai union council of Khyber Agency's Jamrud tehsil. Responding to the warning, the health department refused to send its teams for vaccination but when the WHO brought this refusal to the notice of the NRDF, the organisation promptly planned a visit to the area along with local ulema. They met the Taliban the next day and told them about their involvement in polio vaccination campaigns and showed them a fatwa issued by leading religious scholars of Pakistan in the vaccine's support. After two-hours, the Taliban were convinced and even admitted their mistake. "They promised to make announcements in favour of vaccination during Friday sermons," a participant of the meeting tells the Herald.
The results were encouraging. A month later, teams conducted a full-scale campaign in the area without any fear and vaccinated around 2,900 children who otherwise would have been skipped. Unfortunately, militants in other areas have not so far responded positively to the prompting of the ulema working with vaccinators.
Afridi acknowledges that the collaboration with NRDF has been helpful in convincing the parents: "Only 106 families refused to let their child be vaccinated in Swat whereas in 2007 about 13,000 children were left out of vaccination programme due to refusals by their parents." In Khyber, Bajaur and other hard-to-reach areas, the number of refusals has dwindled to less than 1,000 due to the aggressive efforts by local religious scholars, he adds. "In many districts, religious leaders are themselves administering polio vaccine to children," says Tahseenullah.
Clearly, children and their parents in Swat and many tribal areas who are now accessible by vaccinators may heave a sigh of relief at averting the fate of Rasool's son, but further gains must be made as scores of children across the tribal belt still have a steady chance of having their future blighted.
The Herald is Pakistan's premier current affairs magazine published by the Dawn Media Group every month from Karachi.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
9Kevin Johnson
Cotten: Just 'KJ' Will Do for Standout Cover Corner
In the latest Gold Rush, Stan Cotten examined what the Houston Texans are getting in first-round pick Kevin Johnson.
Demon Deacons Earn Their Degrees
A total of 66 Wake Forest student-athletes received their degrees on Monday
Kevin Johnson Drafted 16th Overall by Houston Texans
Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson became the fifth Demon Deacon to be selected in the first round of an NFL Draft.
Wake Forest to Host Black & Golden Globes
Saturday's event will honor Wake Forest's achievements during the 2014-15 season
Wake Forest to Hold Pro Day on Monday, March 2
A total of 11 Demon Deacons will be working out in front of NFL scouts on Wake Forest's campus.
Kevin Johnson - Weekly Press Conference
Kevin Johnson met with the media in the weekly football press conference (Nov. 4).
Kevin Johnson Talks Spring Football
Game Highlights - Wake Forest vs. Presbyterian
Inside the Huddle with Kevin Johnson
Behind the Scenes at the Football Video Shoot
Wake Forest vs. Virginia Tech - Nov. 22, 2014
Wake Forest vs. Virginia Tech - Nov. 22, 2014
Wake Forest vs. Boston College - Oct. 25, 2014
Wake Forest vs. Boston College - Oct. 25, 2014
Wake Forest vs. Army - Sept. 20, 2014
Wake Forest vs. Army - Sept. 20, 2014
2014 ACC Kickoff Day One
Jordan Garside and Kevin Johnson met with the media at the 2014 ACC Kickoff in Greensboro, N.C.
Wake Forest Football at Vanderbilt
USATSI Gallery
Received honorable mention All-ACC from the media and second team from the ACC Coaches . . . Second team All-ACC by Phil Steele . . . Finished his career with 35 pass break-ups, the fourth-highest total in school history . . . Had 43 tackles on the season and 3.5 tackles for loss as a senior . . . Tied for the team lead with six pass break-ups . . . Played in the Senior Bowl following the season . . . Credited with a punt return for a touchdown after recovering a blocked punt in the endzone at ULM (Aug. 28) ... Finished the game with five tackles and a pass breakup ... Made two solo tackles against GWU (Sept. 6) ... Totaled four tackles at Utah State (Sept. 13), three of them solo ... Earned one solo tackle versus Army (Sept. 20) ... Made one tackle at Louisville (Sept. 27), but was ejected after the hit was ruled a targeting penalty early in the opening quarter ... Notched two pass breakups and a tackle for loss at Florida State (Oct. 4) ... Made six tackles against Syracuse (Oct. 18) and Boston College (Oct. 25) ... Had a strong all-around game vs. Clemson (Nov. 6), totaling five tackles, one TFL, an interception, pass breakup and a fumble recovery on a muffed punt ... Totaled five tackles at NC State (Nov. 15) ... Recorded season-high seven tackles, a half TFL and two pass breakups vs. Virginia Tech (Nov. 22).
2013 (Junior)
2012 (Redshirt Sophomore)
2011 (Sophomore)
2010 (True Freshman)
High School


text: !! Legacy/A Realm Reborn* There was a cutscene in which the PlayerCharacter is doing a ridiculous dance with Sisipu.* The opening wagon-ride into Gridania in ''A Realm Reborn'' has the player seeing some Moogles (in this universe, they can make themselves invisible to people, but your freshly-wakened Echo lets you see them regardless), who greet you with adorable horn-toots that only you can hear, and then while talking, [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl one downs the drink of another passenger on the wagon]].* Biggs and Wedge make an appearance when you join a Grand Company in ''ARR''. [[spoiler:Their comedy duo nature is enhanced even further by them being a Roegadyn and a Lalafell.]]** Later in the story: [[spoiler:You hijack a Magitek Armor. In order to pilot it, the Lalafell is picked up by the Roegadyn, flung around 15 feet into the air, does a flip in the air, and lands in the pilot seat]]* The Scions of the Seventh Dawn (nee the Circle of Knowing) have a sort of clerk/receptionist who watches the front of their pad in Vesper Bay. She's a Lalafell... named [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI Tataru]]. And she even does the "taru panic" during one particular cutscene.* During the weaver quests, the quest to learn to socket [[AppliedPhlebotinum materia]] involves an aristocrat who had decided to take up gladiatorial combat. In order to "release his martial potential", he has you craft a cotton acton. However, it mustn't be any old acton like the peasants wear, it must be materia enhanced. When the guildmaster hears the request, he suggests you put in any old piece of materia, as the client likely won't be able to tell the difference.** After completing the request, the guildmaster informs you of an important fact about being a weaver: "While we are not required to respect our clients, we must appear to be respecting their wishes." Furthermore, he declares that you did an excellent job, since "as that little turd was sauntering out of here, I almost mistook him for a gladiator".* After the defeat of Ifrit, emissaries of the Three Grand Companies come to try to court the PlayerCharacter to join them, with Minfilia and Tataru both showing signs of exasperation, and even the PC has an expression at one point that just screams "YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe."* Trying to get info on how to fight Titan, you find a man [[MilesGloriosus claiming]] to be a member of a band of mercenaries famous for accomplishing said feat. He turns out to be lying, trying to coast on their reputation, and uses it to get you to do his job. When he's found out, his boss decides to settle the matter by having the two of you compete to see who can destroy a large boulder first. And of course, yours is three times as big as his. And he still cheats. The whole situation is just ridiculous. However that doesn't change the fact the things he does to cheat come back as actual mechanics when you actually do face Titan.** This is, of course, after he tasks you with [[RatStomp killing a handful of rats]]. And can't remember Titan's name.*** Even better, he thinks it's [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Tidus]].*** Later he comes back in Patch 2.2 [[spoiler:claiming to have defeated Leviabeetus (read; Leviathan) in a previous encounter. He gets a Maelstrom Private going for a while before you show up and he essentially replays a scene from ''Film/TrueLies'' complete with the comment about his [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar size.]]]]* Later, when you actually find one of the actual ex-members of the Band of Heroes, ''they'' want to [[HiddenPurposeTest test you]], too. They've got a better reason, since challenging Titan just gives the Primal more prayer fuel, but the whole god about to attack Limsa Lominsa thing is a bit pressing. Y'shtola's reaction echoes the player's.* The goal of the Band's secret test of character is getting a meal read for a feast being held in the honor of a famous hero; because the meal itself was incredibly rare and dangerous to acquire. After all that trouble of hunting down exotic ingredients and drink; you eventually discover that the feast was being held in your honor the entire time. The host himself only knew that the guests were a scholar (Y'Shtola) and a hero of many deeds (You) no one bothered to tell him either Y'Sthola's or your name. When he discovers this misunderstanding he does a jump into a bow; and is practically kissing the floor begging for forgiveness for asking the guest of honor to set up their own freaking dinner. * Lady Lilira the Lalafel. She acts like an adorably precocious child. And complains about being 'passed around like a swaddled babe'.** [[spoiler: I meant the Sultana Nanamo...]]* One of the Marauder quests. The guildmaster sends you (along with his sister, a [[WhiteMage conjurer]] who has already backed you up before) to clear out a nest of beasts as a sort of training exercise. You finish it easily and the conjurer wonders if that was supposed to be a challenge - ''then'' you're challenged by a mysterious band of warriors. Actually, they're the guildmaster and several other unnamed guildmates [[PaperThinDisguise who are all wearing face-concealing helmets]]. The conjurer says [[YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe what the player is almost certainly thinking]].-->'''Solkwyb''': What a ridiculous charade. Did he honestly think we couldn't see through those paltry disguises? [...] Oh, and as a favor to me? Pray indulge Wyrnzoen in his little deception - subterfuge is not a marauder's forte.** And after you report back to the guild:-->'''Wyrnzoen''': You did well to to topple [[ButHeSoundsHandsome opponents of such formidable skill.]] But let us not dwell on the nature of those masked men. What is important is your triumph in the face of overwhelming odds.* The ''VideoGame/DragonQuestX'' crossover storyline referenced the ''Franchise/DragonQuest'' [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything "Puff-Puff"]] RunningGag as your character's 'reward' for completing it. As usual, your character is asked to close his/her eyes as they give you your 'reward'. At the end of it, you open your eyes to catch a face full of a furry/feathery creature being held by the ladies.* [[DestructiveSaviour Shantotto]] is specifically compared to The Calamity, in terms of danger to Eorzea. Shantotto is also slightly smaller than a typical Lalafell. And then she brings out Five V... and a rhyme.* Hildibrand returns in usual fashion, digging himself out of his own grave, convinced he's a zombie because of his amnesia. His quest chain is silly, nonsensical, and ends in a way that might leave you flabbergasted by how crazy it is. At one point, Hildibrand makes a joyful face that stretches his model so much it's very obviously meant to push the UncannyValley. Hildibrand's teeth also sparkles in the light every time he smiles!* Gilgamesh's exit after his boss battle by attempting to fly away on a rooster leaves the player character so flabbergasted they forget to preform their victory pose with the rest of the party.** The fight against Gilgamesh is also beyond silly; as a nod to his character, Gilgamesh will fake defeat halfway through the first round and then says he lied, proceeding to attack one random player as he buffs himself. Gilgamesh then runs away, saying he "remembered he had something to do" while he drops a bomb behind as another ambush attack. Gilgamesh also can cause Minimum, Toad, and Confusion, which makes the fight look even sillier as shrunk down and frog transformed party members are running around trying to avoid being hit while confused party members attack each other.*** Gets Extra silly if the confused members are casters, (And even more so if they're Arcanists/Summoners/Scholars). Ever see Summoner smack a Black Mage repeatedly in the face with a book while the also confused Black Mage smacks the Summoner with their staff?*** The developers couldn't resist the comedy factor of someone being smacked with a book, the first two rocket punches will prioritize book-wielders over every other class if they're present.* Retainer Ventures can end up being [[NoodleIncident Noodle Incidents]]. Furniture? Parts of the house?.. Crafted weapons?... Loot from raid bosses?.. [[http://cdn.guildwork.net/albums/images/53378a00a068d608f9d928f8.jpg WEAPONS FROM RAID BOSSES?!]] Even WordOfGod isn't exactly sure how retainers can procure such items and says it's up to the players to decide how it all happened.* Once Leviathan has been defeated Thancred can be seen at the counter of The Rising Stones with a bottle of alcohol in his hand spilling his guts to F'lhaminn, who he's been crushing on ever since she resurfaced in 2.1. Topics include the first time he ever saw her, how pretty she is, and how he's been pretty crazy for her ever since. She seems flattered enough but decides it's time he stops drinking.* Patch 2.2 gave us someone even more over the top than Hildibrand: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbEan62z8RA His father, Godbert.]]* When the Yellow Jackets come to pester you upon joining the Adventurer's Guild, Baderon sticks up for you with this gem.-->"This fine, upstandin' young gent is me dear departed grandma's sister's niece's cousin's closest companion. The lad wouldn't be caught dead fraternizin' with such unsavory elements."* In patch 2.3, Cid's reaction to the fact that Xande seeked out the power of darkness: -->"Darkness... ''again''? Seven hells, [[LampshadeHanging what is it with megalomaniacal rulers turning to darkness in their lust for power?]]"* Upon moving to the Rising Stones, a Roegadyn by the name of Hoary Boulder joins the Scions as a minor NPC, while he's only there to give some life to the Scions' HQ, nearly every time you see him between quests, he's engaged in some minor comic relief, from being beaten up by Yda to overzealously training the Doman children.* Patch 2.3 and Hildibrand again. Nashu brings some more of her explosives along for some reason, and leaves them on a crate of fruit, and starts to (poorly) take notes of what her boss Hildebrand is saying for the record. A series of events causes all of these to fall into place when rival inspector Briardien comes back from questioning a victim of the Phantom Thief, and leads to [[http://youtu.be/pAypq6p1KbM?t=3m54s this]].* Later on in the same branch of the Hildibrand quest, Briardien tasks Hildibrand (condescendingly) with creating a distraction while he attempts to keep the bride hidden. Hildibrand [[spoiler: proceeds to wear the bride's wedding gown (provided by the player under the pretense of keeping it safe while the real bride was disguised) and proceed with the ceremony. He promptly accuses the groom of being the phantom thief in disguise since the groom had never seen his bride before, yet was able to tell at a glance that [[PaperThinDisguise Hildibrand was not the fair maiden he was betrothed to]].]] The kicker? [[spoiler: The groom actually WAS the phantom thief in disguise.]] * The Main Scenario quests for 2.3 involve a bunch of tempered sylphs [[spoiler:disguising themselves as the other Scions of the Seventh Dawn. At one point you come across Yda and what appears to be Thancred huddled in a corner, crying that he can't go on because he's afraid something will happen to his [[{{Bishonen}} beautiful face]]. After you expose him as a fake, Yda says she can't believe she fell for that trick, but the sylph's act was so convincing!]]* One of the Moogle Delivery Quests involves you bringing a dance instructor to Costa Del Sol. Said instructor happens to be a [[LizardFolk Mamool Ja]], not just any Mamool Ja, but the same one involved in a FATE in Outer La Noscea, who was kicked out of the hot springs there due to his "ritual bathing dance" in front of some of the female bathers. We never [[DiscretionShot see]] his dance, but its enough to make two dancers run away screaming and a bodyguard to fall to her knees.* The 2014 All Saints Wake event has [=NPCs=] that changes your appearance as part of an illusion. Most of the time, you'll transform into a devil based monster. Sometimes you'll be transformed into one of the alliance leaders and you can use your emotes with them, which can lead to hilarious results such as having Raubahn doing the Manderville dance or Kan-E-Senna doing the imperial salute.* Patch 2.4 introduces more shenanigans from Hildibrand's quest lines with [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Uncle Ulty]] joining the fray. Every time Ultros tries to stop the player character and his/her crew from entering the tournament, it hilariously backfires on him; a crate of explosives meant to blow up Hilidbrand's friends is tossed back to him unwittingly, he falls into one of his own pitfall traps, and gets attacked by Hildibrand's father, a guy who is known to be insanely strong. ButtMonkey doesn't even begin to describe Ultros.* The level 10 Rogue's Guild quest. The Pirates code is taken [[SeriousBusiness very seriously]], even if it is their own Guild leader taking another member's prized Bismark Finger Sandwich. --> '''V'kebbe:''' Ye've cloyed somethin' what belonged to me, Jacke. An' I can't ignore the code...--> '''Jacke:''' Ahahaha, aye, the code! We mustn't ignore the code! ...Yer havin' a laugh, aren't ye, lass? ...Lass? (Screen Fades to black, with some sounds of violence occuring) Aaargh!--> (A few moments latter)'''Perimu Haurimu:''' ...[[UnwillingSuspension That might be the swiftest string-up I've ever seen.]]--> '''V'kebbe:''' A punishment to fit the crime. Take a good long look, *Player's Name*. The code exists to preserve peace in Limsa─to keep the alleys from runnin' red with blood. This city's me home, an' I'll draw daggers on any cove fool enough to threaten that peace.--> '''Perimu Haurimu:''' A pointed lesson. Let's head inside, eh? Yer sandwich'll get cold.--> '''Jacke:''' Hey! Do ye mean to leave me here all night!? At least ye gave me a grand view o' the harbor! ...Gods piss, these ropes are tight!* In the main scenario of 2.4, there's a quest where you trail a Garlean spy with the help of Doman ninja. At one point you seem to lose track of the spy and have a discussion with the Crystal Braves second-in-command about what to do next. While this is going on, a peddler waltzes up to you and offers to sell you Eorzean Viagra. (In actuality, the peddler is a ninja in disguise with info about the spy's whereabouts).* Also in the main scenario, at one point you're back in Coerthas with Alphinaud, who's visibly shivering because of the cold just like he was during the Garuda arc. Immediately after, Minifillia (who usually wears a {{Stripperiffic}} outfit only slightly more revealing than Alphinaud's) walks up and defies LimitedWardrobe by wearing a very thick winter coat.* Once you finally gather the materials needed to create your Zodiac weapon, Jalzahn muses over what else needs to be done and suggests that the player character gather 50 more Atmas. The player character [[YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe staggers at the mere thought of having to find more rare drops all over again]] (and possibly mirroring exactly how the player feels) until Gerolt suggest that you use the relic weapon itself as a catalyst, which brings a sigh of relief to the player character. And just to screw with the player further, once you are tasked with making your relic into materia, you're told several times that you only have a 1.4% chance of success and failure will destroy the relic. The game is actually lying, but one can't help but laugh at how the developers poked fun at the whole thing. Even if you say you don't want to go through with the process, Gerolt calls you out for being a wimp [[ButThouMust and he forges your relic anyway]].* During the 2014 fanfest, when the developers were talking about how the Company of Heroes fought Leviathan in the past, they said that the group who fought the primal would "dodge the AOE lines and regrouping after the attack missed", which makes the fight sound more funny than epic. Later on in the convention, a fan asked Yoshida if there were (at the time) plans to make Stoneskin an AOE spell instead of single target due to how annoying it was to cast the spell on one person at a time. Yoshida responded by pretending to hold a controller with an exasperated look on his face, shouting "next!", and repeats a few more times as he made the situation funny and understood everyone's frustration.* Using a DPS' LimitBreak is awesome when it connects. Emphasis on "connects". When fighting a primal, they usually leave the screen for a brief moment when they unleash their ultimate attack (or if they use some other ability where they leave the screen for a moment), which means you can't hit them. It's entirely possible to use a limit break on a primal and ''completely miss'' just because your timing was slightly off. This becomes doubly hilarious when the user uses a custom macro that has a CallingYourAttacks motif when they use a limit break.* In the hard mode of Wanderer's Palace, you're tasked to save a group of Tonberries that are being held captive and tortured by a gang of Mamool Ja. When you beat the gang's leader, your character does their usual VictoryPose, only for the music to stop halfway as the Tonberries swarm the defeated boss and stab him to death. Your character winces at the sight and the victory music picks up again.* 2.5 introduces the finale of the Hidlibrand quest line and it doesn't fail to deliver on the laughs:** Hildibrand's mother shows up after the phantom thief shows up. Just when the thief prepares to attack, Hildy's mother knocks the thief out with a frying pan. Shortly after, Gilgamesh appears and prepares to fight the Warrior of Light, only for Hildy's mom to hit Gilgamesh with her frying pan so hard that he flies into a wall. Even Godbert is scared out of his wits of her when she's angry. After witnessing her knocking Godbert stupid and Gilgamesh into the wall even the player character, who at this point has made a career out of slaying gods as far up as '''''[[spoiler: Bahamut himself]]''''', followers her orders to the letter without any complaint or hesitation.*** The real kicker is that, when nodding your head as quickly as you can, your neck makes a sound that can only be described as "tennis shoes quickly squeaking on a basket court". Not to mention that certain character models (such as Highlanders) don't nod their heads completely - it looks more like your head is spasming up and down erratically.** When Briardien learns that [[spoiler: Hildibrand built up an immunity to being zombified]], the inspector gives up trying to find any sort of logic in the whole scenario and decides to just roll with it.** Hildibrand finally [[spoiler: recovers the genuine Treaty Blade]]], only to find himself being rocketed towards the sky.* Although it comes during a very tragic scene in which [[spoiler: you are currently being accused as the murderer of Nanamo, there is something just unbelievably amusing about the various smug, amused, and shocked faces that he makes while snarking either at the Scions, or at Raubahn. [[http://36.media.tumblr.com/466e2677b00659a573651f71a554f705/tumblr_nm4ezaRFu31rkfk1yo1_1280.jpg Just]] [[http://40.media.tumblr.com/4aaa9d3bfa3633f3f04ce464aa3e04b6/tumblr_nm4ezaRFu31rkfk1yo3_1280.jpg take]] a [[http://41.media.tumblr.com/f2f506c5d165a32326960e51decf1a14/tumblr_nm4ezaRFu31rkfk1yo4_1280.jpg look]] [[http://41.media.tumblr.com/b735653b3eb3c9f6adb2997732fd099e/tumblr_nm4ezaRFu31rkfk1yo5_1280.jpg at]] [[http://41.media.tumblr.com/ea6b8e172ad690b88d43e2fb392548b8/tumblr_nm4ezaRFu31rkfk1yo6_1280.jpg some]] [[http://40.media.tumblr.com/39cd888c3ab624337c3aa6a71b05d154/tumblr_nm4ezaRFu31rkfk1yo7_1280.jpg examples]]!]]* This one doubles as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming. Where did Gerolt find the one-of-a-kind book that revealed the final steps required to complete the Warrior of Light's Zodaic weapon? While going through the other Zodiac Braves-relevant tomes that Rowena had! How in the seven hells did he convince her to part with it without resorting to a king's ransom in gil? [[spoiler: He threatened to marry her.]] Again. As in ''he has used that tactic multiple times and it's worked.'' And in the middle of Gerolt's argument with Jalzahn over who gets to take credit for the weapon Rowena shows up at the shack wearing a suspiciously white outfit, only to see the argument taking place. Once the Warrior of Light notices she smiles wordlessly at them and leaves.* Good King Moogle Mog XII's battle theme, while ominous and generally creepy, gets rather amusing when hearing all the ominous chanters suddenly shout "Kupo!"* When the moogles come to warn Gridania about the summoned king, despite knowing that the Primal King is a threat to everything including themselves, Good King Moogle Mog XII's reputation is so ingrained in them that the moogles sing his praise in the same breath that they tell the Scions that they must kill him.* In the Moonfire Faire 2015 event, the [[TheCatCameBack dancing Mamool Ja returns,]] attempting to celebrate on the beach with everyone else. One of the event FATEs is to repel him for the sake of decency. Upon succeeding, the guardsman breathes a sigh of relief... and bemoans that he'll never be able to unsee the Mamool Ja's gyrations. * The 2015 Rising Event got more than a few laughs from some players when[[spoiler: they approached Naoki Yoshida's office in the 18th Floor. Why? The doorway has the same purple flame effect that boss arenas have in dungeons/raids.]]!! Heavensward* In the quest to get some food and other items for the friendly Gnath, talking to Estinien gets you this rather humorous gem:--> '''Estinien''': When I set out to master the dragoon's jump, 'twas not to strike fear into the hearts of high-hanging fruit.* After you emerge victorious from you battle against Ravana, Estinien makes fun of Alphinaud by saying how he was so worried about the player character's safety that he was pacing around and fretting like a worried maid. The man even gets a laugh thrown in, showing that he's not quite someone with a stick up his ass.--> '''Alphinaud''': Estinien! Was that truly necessary?--> '''Estinien''': Hahaha... Not truly necessary--but certainly ''true''.* After reaching the Churning Mists, the player and their companions of the quests find Moghome, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin home of some moogles that reside above the clouds.]] Everyone agrees to enlist the moogles aid in reaching out to Hresvelgr, but of course the Chieftain of the sky moogles wishes to, "''test''" you in the purity and nobleness of your intentions. Yes, "tests", and [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial most definitely not a series]] [[BlatantLies of common chores and tasks that they're too lazy to do]]. By the end, Estinien begins growling in annoyance at the obvious charade going on (and possibly voicing the player's "YouHaveGOTToBeKiddingMe" views at this point). ** Alphinaud comments before finishing quests of being judged if you are "worthy or not", that if the Moogles don't deem them as such, he's going to demand compensation in Kupo nuts out of principle.** While Kan-E-Senna didn't seem to mind the work given to her, she was more than happy to just meet the moogles, one of her guard was absolutely floored by the fact that they had the Elder Seedseerer, the highest ranking person in Gridania, sweeping and scrubbing.** The kicker, is that the Chieftain then reveals in panic, that the ''real'' reason they had you do those tasks, is because they really needed time to repair a horn used to call forth Hresvelgr for a meeting, and that aside from not being properly polished, one of the moogles had sat on it.** Ysayle through out all of this, is busy [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee being distracted by the cuteness]] [[CutenessProximity and fluffyness]] [[CutenessOverload of being so near to them and seeing moogles for the first time in her life]]. She starts first at wondering why the Warrior of Light is staring at her oddly, for isn't she still allowed to enjoy seeing cute things? Latter on, she ends up being embarrassed when they come back to check on her, and she's [[{{Squee}} still squeeing over them]] only to realize the Warrior of Light is [[RightBehindMe right behind her]].* Upon meeting with the peaceful Zundu tribe of the Vanu Vanu to discover info about the importance of Azys Lla, the party finds out from their chieftain, that it is a place where much evil was committed. And that the key that all the groups seeking to gain, or prevent access to it was ''eaten by Bismark''. Cid is forced to quip and lampshade the "Damned if you do. Damned if you don't" situation.[[note]]Let a primal, whose very existence drains the land of aether, and who routinely ''eats floating islands'' to restore it's strength to exist to keep a key protected. Or slay the aether-draining, tempering able primal, with risk that now two villainous groups are after the key will come after them to take it.[[/note]]--> '''Cid:''' "Could we not just leave the key to the forbidden land in the island-eating whale's belly? I mean, I can think of worse places to keep it. ...[[ButThouMust No? I thought not.]]"* In searching for a way to enter Azys Lla, Y'shtola guides the party to meet her master, [[spoiler:[[FinalFantasyI Matoya]].]] Which then prompts this exchange. What sells it is Alphinaud's meek delivery.--> '''[[spoiler: Matoya]]:''' The one there in the fancy duds--that'd be Louisoux's granddaughter, I take it?--> '''Alphinaud:''' ...ahem. Grand''son'', begging your pardons.* When Wedge activates the Guidance Node in Azys Lla, it asks you to agree to the terms and conditions before you can use it further. [[ButThouMust Your only choices are "Yes" and "I...suppose?"]] Wedge immediately becomes attached to the new device and treats it like a dog by calling it a "good girl". If you talk to Biggs afterwards, he tells you about how Wedge once sulked for a whole month because he wouldn't give him a dog when asked.** There's something [[BlackComedy darkly humorous]] about many of the nodes and the insight into Allagan morality -- or lack thereof -- that they provide, such as a Suppression Node sending you (a presumed civilian) out to test law enforcement mechs by picking fights with them, then deeming it an unsatisfactory result when you return alive after destroying the things.* After a vicious battle in the Alexander: Burden of the Father Mide and the Warrior of Light finally reach Alexander's core to deactivate it followed by Biggs and Wedge. Biggs takes one look at the size of the core and eases any tension remaining from the battle with snark.--> '''Biggs:''' So this is the heart of the machine, eh? ...I ''knew'' I should have brought a bigger hammer.* In 3.1, we're introduced to a Sharlayan Scholar, Krile. She apparently has a history with Alphinaud, having mentored him when he was 11. She begins to recite a story from his youth while wearing a huge shit-eating grin; stopped only by Alphinaud's uncharacteristically panicked reaction.** Krile seems full of funny moments. Such as later on, when Alphinaud hands out sketches [[spoiler:of Thancred he drew to aid in your search for him.]] Y'shtola comments on their quality, to which Alphinaud remarks that it's a skill he acquired years ago for reasons he couldn't care to remember. Almost immediately after he's out of ear-shot, Krile turns to you and reveals [[spoiler:it was to impress girls.]]*** Related to Alphinaud's artistic skills, he brings up how he shall never forget [[spoiler:Y'shtola's NakedOnArrival return from the Lifestream.]] She is of course, somewhat cross, leaving the poor boy quite flustered. A moment later, she comments that she'd rather he didn't use his talents to draw her from memory as such.* The first of the post 50 ''Heavensward'' quest for the Ninja job has both mentors of the Rogues Guild and Eorzean cell of Ninjas, Jacke and Oboro, teaming up with the player. Their goal is to investigate a theft that involves someone with the skills of a shinobi from the Far East. [[spoiler:Except the person who's hiring the guild to arrest the mysterious thieves is actually the one who stole the treasure in the first place, and can't let them live knowing this as it it's the original thief who'll suffer the guild's wrath.]] [[TooDumbToLive Said thief thinks both the Player and Oboro are just new members of the Rogues Guid]],[[note]]Granted, Jacke introduced both the player and Oboro as such, and it's technically true at least in the player's case, as by all accounts, they are fairly new members of the guild. And well, this is only the 2nd joint mission between Oboro and Jacke if you include him getting the Rogue's guild help to get your Ninja Job gear delivered from Doma[[/note]] and calls forth a hired thug (wearing Level 50 armor), to kill all witnesses. All three masters at their class and job just smile and grin at each other. CurbStompBattle is perhaps a bit of an understatement here to describe what occurs next to both the sellsword, and thief, who end up being face-planted with a few swift knockout punches akin to a scene from the Hildebrand quests.* The Dark Knight Questline is, from the moment you start it, dramatic, tense, and fittingly dark. Then you hit the level 58 Quest, which leads you to the Moogle Village in The Churning Mists. And a musical number. About the PowerOfLove. What really sells the hilarity is [[BloodKnight Sid's]] shocked and utterly uncomprehending expression as the Moogles begin to sing.* 3.1 has Alphinaud becoming the ButtMonkey at everyone's expense. If Krile's words are anything to go by, Alphinaud was a smart ass when he was a child and had mouthed off to his seniors at school. Alphinaud almost begs Krile to stop talking about his past as his face is filled with comedic horror and embarrassment. During the search for Thancred, Alphinaud draws a sketch of his comrade and the party is surprised to see how detailed the drawing is. Krile mentions (if you talk to her after) that Alphinaud had also spent a ''lot'' of time drawing pictures of girls in order to impress them. To top everything off, when the party does find Thancred and listen to his story about how he [[spoiler: arrived from the lifestream without any clothes, Alphinaud compares the event to Y'shtola going through the same experience and said it was something quite memorable, causing her to quip with "Oh, ''was'' it now?"]] Poor kid can't catch a break.-->[[spoiler:'''Alphinaud:''' Well, if you recall, you yourself emerged from the Lifestream as naked as your nameday. [[FreudianSlip It is a scene I shall never forget]]-]]-->[[spoiler:'''Y'shtola:''' ''Is it now?'']]-->[[spoiler:'''Alphinaud:''' Well, [[DiggingYourselfDeeper I was pleased to see you!]] I-I mean─ It was a simple statement of fact!]]* 3.1 gives Thancred a funny scene on how he was found after the events of 2.5. [[spoiler: Like with Y'shtola, Thancred emerged from the lifestream naked and the still image of the flashbacks showing Thancred surviving in the wilderness has [[SceneryCensor a Nutkin that just happened to jump at the right angles to block Thancred's private bits]]. Doesn't make his survival any less badass.]]* 3.2 has the return of Hildibrand and his wacky adventures are back in full force. The side quest introduces an inquisitor named Cyr who believes Hildibrand is a heretic and he quickly wonders how he and his companions are associates with a gentlemanly zombie while also wondering if he was transported to a new realm where logic doesn't exist. When the party does find Hildibrand buried head first in the snow, Godbert prepares to wake up his son, causing the Warrior of Light, Nashu, and the zombie to slowly back away as Cyr confusedly looks at them before Godbert's suplex power throws him several yards back. Needless to say, he's basically the stand in for Briardien.** It's even funnier when you question what the zombie is doing walking around Coerthas in the first place. Apparently, he was looking for Dusk Vigil (a very serious dungeon unconnected with this questline) because he heard other zombies were there and he wanted to meet them... until it's revealed that the player already went through and killed them all, much to his mild disappointment. He just decides to go along with you to find Hildibrand after.** One of the highlights is unsaid but very obvious. When you encounter Godbert in Ishgard city he's wearing more or less a full set of winter clothes. The farther you go into Coerthas (which is explicitly said it gets colder the farther north you get) he's wearing less and less clothes, by the time you find Hildibrand he's in just an undershirt... and when that gets removed (complete with the sound and effect for changing classes), ''that's'' when the people who know what Godbert is capable of start backing up.* One of the late Vath quests has you aiding dragons in Aynx Trine and one of the quests has you helping dragons overcome a flea infestation that has affected several dragons. You're tasked with spraying the dragons with a chemical mixture that will kill the fleas and they express great relief once the itching stops. For all the things the dragons have faced up against, something mundane and annoying like fleas makes them look like overgrown scaly dogs.* In another Vath quest, you're tasked with looking for a yellow dragon named Uhm Ala since he has a package that has to be delivered. You find three yellow dragons, neither which are Uhm Ala and they all have different reactions to being mistaken for him; one thinks your eyes are failing you at such a young age, another is humbled to think you mistook him for Uhm Ala, and the third dragon takes offense because Uhm Ala wouldn't reside at the bottom of the tower like a common peasant. When you do finally find Uhm Ala, it turns out that the package for him contained a spritz bottle containing chemicals that can kill fleas. The dragon express embarrassment over how someone great as himself has to resort to secret deliveries to deal with fleas.----


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Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is expected to take up the issue of some 1500 Indian students of a sham US university with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Tuesday. Ahead of the meeting, Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar conveyed to Clinton the details on the issue of Indian students of Tri-Valley University in California, which was […] Continue reading Nirupama Rao to take up sham US varsity issue with Clinton
Tag Archive: rao
She didn't want to work with Aamir Khan in "Dhobi Ghat", but once he was on board, first-time director Kiran Rao not only enjoyed working with her husband but also got some valuable tips from him. She is however not sure if she will write a script specially for him, although she says he is […] Continue reading Aamir is a dream producer: Kiran Rao
Kolkata girl Kiran Rao, who moved here after finishing her masters in mass communication from Delhi's Jamia and found both love and a career, says her directorial debut "Dhobi Ghat" is her personal tribute to the city of dreams. "Actually, I wanted to make something on Mumbai. It's about the city and how it makes […] Continue reading 'Dhobi Ghat' my personal tribute to Mumbai: Kiran Rao


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Hotel Kosta Famissi
Kosta Famissi hotel is situated in the main entrance of Kalambaka, below the imposing beauty of the Meteora eternal rocks and The Meteora monastery. It has its own architectural identity, modified and distinct from the round classic-conventional structures. Hotel Kostas Famissi combines the present time in the internal space proportion and decoration, the past by respect to the outside architectural figure and the future with the application of modern equipment. All rooms have TV, phone, mini bar and hairdryer. Beside restaurant and bar, hotel Kosta Famissi also provide central heating, internet access, room service, parking facilities, safe, lounge, conference facilities and piano bar.
A credit card is required to secure the reservation. You have up to 3 days prior to arrival to cancel the reservation without charge. If the reservation is cancelled within 72 hours prior to arrival you will be charged 1 night stay. Same day cancellations, no shows or early check out will result in 1 night charge. Payment: credit card will be charged on arrival day.
Check in: 13:00
Check out: 11:00
'In order to confirm your booking, we require a valid credit card. If there is a problem with your card, we may need to contact you to verify your card. If you do not reply to our email within 2 business days your booking may be canceled as a result.'
Verfügbarkeit & PreiseWähle bitte die Termine aus und klicke auf "Daten aktualisieren", um die Verfügbarkeit zu sehen
Hotel Ausstattungen & Richtlinien
- 24 Stunden Rezeption
- Klimaanlage
- Bar
- Frühstück inbegriffen
- Kabelfernsehen
- Kinderfreundlich
- Zahlung per Kreditkarte möglich
- Direktwahltelefon
- Aufzug
- Telefon/Fax
- Kostenloser Internet-Zugang
- Kostenloses Parken
- Kostenloses WLAN
- Haartrockner
- Gepäckraum
- MiniBar
- Außenterrasse
- Parken
- Restaurant
- Safe
- Steuern enthalten
- Ausflugsschalter
- Barrierefrei
ReiserücktrittsversicherungDiese Unterkunft hat eine 10 Tage Stornierungsfrist. Ergeht innerhalb dieser Zeit keine Stornierung, wird eine Stornogebühr in Höhe der ersten Nacht des Aufenthalts in Rechnung gestellt.
AnfahrtKarte anzeigenKarte verbergen
Hotel Kosta Famissi is located in Kalampaka in the shadow of the Meteora's rocks and the holy monasteries. The area is 400 kilometers far from Athens and 250 kilometers far from Thessaloniki. This area is in the northwest part of Thessaly, in central Greece, between the Hasia Mountains that lie in the Northeast and the Pindos Mountains that lie in the West, where the plain of Thessaly ends, gigantic rocks rise and create a universally unique spectacle. The phenomenon of the rock's birth is not mentioned in Greek mythology, or by any Greek or foreign historian. In these rocks plenty of brave hermits also found refuge, seeking spiritual calmness and peace of mind, while aiming at Christian perfection through their prayers. In the beginning those hermits prayed in isolation in small chapels, the so-called 'prosefhadia' (=places for praying), not only for their own salvation but for the salvation of all people. They led an austere life and worked arduously.


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Lip Gloss and "Goin' With": Becoming Teens
Firecracker, firecracker, boom, boom, ba boom.
Boys got the muscles, Teachers got the brains.
Girls got the sexiness, so they win the game.
--Chanted by a group of Oceanside kindergarten girls
Thus far, my analysis of kids' gender relations has relied on spatial metaphors, showing how kids mark, cross, undermine, and challenge boundaries between girls and boys. This chapter, which examines fluctuating and uneven transitions from "child" to "teen," adds temporal and bodily dimensions. The transition--for some, it starts as young as fourth grade--not only involves dramatic bodily change, but also entails striking shifts in kids' gender relations and systems of meaning. Kids mark teen meanings through modes of dress and adornment, and through group-mediated pairing that they call "goin' with" ("Judy and Nick are goin' with each other"). I conclude by assessing the shift from the relatively asexual gender system of childhood to the overtly sexualized gender systems of adolescence and adulthood. Symbolically, older girls, as the kindergarten ditty observes, may have "got the sexiness," but there is ample evidence that they hardly "win the game."