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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 5/7/2013 (1509 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
If he'd been born 400 years later, and opted to direct his talents toward the era's prevailing pop-culture medium, perhaps the world's most well-known playwright's most famous line might have been written more like this:
"TV, or not TV? That is the question."
And in a 21st-century context, the amended query in Bill Shakespeare's signature soliloquy would be a pertinent one, because just exactly what "television" is these days is a bit difficult to define.
When we talk about watching TV, what do we mean? Sitting on the sofa, remote control in hand, viewing your favourite dramas and comedies the same way your parents and grandparents did? Or refusing to be constrained by the traditional prime-time schedule, choosing instead to record programs on a DVR (digital video recorder) and watch them when it suits you?
Or do you prefer to ignore mainstream television altogether, opting to watch streamed and/or downloaded versions of popular shows that are found, legally or not, online?
As evidence of just how much, and how quickly, TV is changing these days, consider this: The biggest television news so far this year concerned a TV show that isn't really a TV show at all. Arrested Development, which was cancelled by Fox Broadcasting in 2006 after two-and-a-half low-rated seasons, was revived this year when 15 new episodes were produced for Netflix, an on-demand provider of streaming media content.
Because of its past life as a mainstream-TV title, Arrested Development immediately became a symbol for a growing trend in "television" production -- the creation of TV-style content that is not available on traditional TV networks but, instead, exists only in online form.
"Here's the bottom line," says Marc Berman, editor in chief of the industry-analysis website TV Media Insights. "Arrested Development ran on Fox for two-and-a-half years; critics loved it, and it won a lot of awards. And Fox was patient -- they didn't cancel it after one season, or even after the second season, even though they couldn't find the kind of audience it needed to be considered a success on a broadcast network.
"So here we are, several years later, and it's back, running new episodes on Netflix. Obviously, the definition of how you determine if a show is a hit or a miss is changing. There was a lot of social buzz about Arrested, and a lot of rumours that there was going to be a movie, but this (Netflix season) proves that something that can't survive on a broadcast network can live elsewhere."
TV, or not TV, indeed. In the current context, the TV you're watching might not be on TV at all.
How did we get here? Where are we going from here? And what will the future hold for television as we've known it for the past 60 or so years?
TV, the old-fashioned way:
First, a bit of writerly context: When I took over as the Free Press's television critic in the spring of 1988, the TV landscape was rather sparsely populated. Beyond the three major Canadian networks -- CBC, CTV and Global -- homegrown choices included MTN, the Portage la Prairie-based station launched in 1986 by Brandon-based Craig Media (the channel eventually relocated to Winnipeg and became A-Channel and, later, Citytv), and a limited list of Canadian specialty services that included TSN and MuchMusic, which were distributed as stand-alone cable channels. A small roster of newly licensed Canadian cable channels, including Vision TV, YTV, Family Channel, The Weather Network and CBC Newsworld would be added within the next year.
Imported cable-TV channels available to Canadians included CNN, FNN (Financial News Network), A&E, CMT (Country Music Television) and TLC (then operating with an educational agenda under the name The Learning Channel).
"The whole broadcast model is changing very rapidly, and everything is going to have to be adjusted." -- Marc Berman, editor in chief, TV Media Insights."This light bulb goes on in my head: This is the future, except the future is now." -- TV/online content producer Brian Robbins."Ultimately, we're in the content business. We've made movies that were distributed by studios; we've made shows that were distributed by (TV) networks. This is just another avenue." -- Brian Robbins, founder, AwesomenessTV YouTube channel.
South of the border, the traditional broadcast-network framework (ABC, CBS and NBC) had recently expanded to include upstart Fox Broadcasting, which launched in the spring of 1987 but was limited to two nights (Saturday and Sunday) of prime-time programming. Fox's first-year roster included Married... With Children, The Tracey Ullman Show (which would spawn The Simpsons) and 21 Jump Street (which launched the career of Johnny Depp), along with less memorable titles such as Women in Prison, Werewolf and The New Adventures of Beans Baxter.
The top-rated shows on U.S. television in the 1987-88 season were The Cosby Show, A Different World, Cheers, The Golden Girls and Growing Pains.
It would be six years (1994) before Time magazine published a cover story titled "The Strange New World of the Internet."
Until the last few years of the 20th century, "watching TV" meant just that -- sitting in front of an old-fashioned television set, viewing programs live or, perhaps, that had been taped on your VCR.
After a quarter-century on the TV beat, my assessment is this: Television has changed more -- and more quickly -- in each of the last five years than it did in the 20 years that preceded them.
TV and the digital age:
At the dawn of the 21st century, a convergence of technological and socio-cultural shifts brought rapid and massive change to the ways television programs are produced, distributed and consumed.
Cable providers made the transition from analog to digital signal distribution, allowing for a rapid and steady increase in the number and quality of channels available to their customers. At the same time, producers of TV content were shifting toward high-definition programming, and HD-ready flat-screen television sets quickly began to replace traditional picture-tube models. Old-style VCRs were replaced by DVD players and digital video recorders (DVRs). As a result of these accumulated advances, the home-entertainment experience was greatly enhanced.
Away from the couch and remote, the Internet came of age, becoming a dominant force in communication, information distribution and social interaction. Thanks to the emergence of file-sharing services like Napster and its successors, a generation of new consumers was raised with the belief content -- music, movies, TV shows -- should be available free of charge to whoever had the ability to locate and download it.
For young users of technology, the advent of smartphones, sophisticated laptop computers, iPods, iPads and other personal communication devices also meant the big TV set in the living room or rec room was no longer the only screen available.
A generational shift:
"My kids would prefer to lie in bed with their iPhones... and watch a movie that way, rather than watching the TV that's in their room," says Brian Robbins, 49, a former teen actor (Head of the Class) who successfully transitioned into the TV-production business (his executive-producer credits include Smallville and One Tree Hill) and then into production of TV-style content for online distribution. "To me, it's strange behaviour -- I want to sit back and watch something; they would rather lean forward and watch something. For our audience, there's nothing unusual about (watching content online).
"We're in a generation now of (teens) who have grown up with iPhones and iPads and computers. And for younger kids, an iPad is what's normal -- they'll go up to a TV and do this (hand-swiping motion) to try to move the screen. For them, that's normal behaviour. It's not a question of when, because it's happening now. If you're 15 and under, that's the reality."
Even for those next-generation viewers who cling to the old-style couch-and-TV-set entertainment experience, there's a different set of expectations when it comes to the content that appears on that 50-inch plasma screen.
"A lot of people I know have an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) hookup, so they can stream (content) on their computers but then attach it to a TV," says university student McClay Sveinson, 20. "There are a few people I go to school with who don't even have cable in their apartments -- they have a TV, but no cable. They only hook it up to a laptop, because that's how they watch.
"The way most other people I know watch TV is not by watching while each new episode is being aired; they'll get onto a show (online) and watch until they've caught up, and then they'll go to something else, starting with season one, episode one, and watching a bunch of them whenever they have some time."
The crumbling revenue model:
A recent study by media analyst Todd Juenger of Sanford C. Bernstein Co. suggests by 2015, nearly half the viewers of traditional television will be 50 or older. That doesn't mean people under 50 aren't watching dramas, comedies and reality shows -- it simply means they aren't watching them the old-fashioned way.
This, along with rapidly increasing use of DVRs, which allow viewers to watch TV shows without enduring commercials, has created a huge challenge for broadcasters that depend on ratings-based advertising revenue to fund their operations. Simply put, if advances in technology allow consumers to watch "TV" without viewing commercials, it becomes increasingly difficult for networks to justify the billions in ad revenue they charge for those 15- and 30-second spots in their prime-time shows.
"When I watch my favourite TV shows, I don't watch them in the normal time that they're aired," says Sveinson. "It's either streamed or PVR'd. That way, it's on my schedule and it's quicker, because you either don't have commercials or you can fast-forward through them."
Like newspapers and other media entities, TV networks have aggressively incorporated online elements into their content-distribution strategies. Episodes of shows are available for streaming immediately after they air on traditional TV and sneak-preview showings are often made available online before prime-time airdates.
And like newspapers, TV networks have had a hard time finding ways to make their online products pay. The traditional commercial-TV model may be faltering, but it's still responsible for the vast majority of revenue generated by broadcasters and ad-supported cable networks.
"Despite what you might be hearing, I believe the meat and potatoes (for broadcasters) is still (viewers) watching it on television," says Berman. "That's the main revenue source -- not just watching when it's on, but also watching on DVR (which is now calculated into TV ratings). Watching online is secondary, and it's building rapidly, but remember -- even the most popular show online is not going to attract the size of audience that a show is going to get on a broadcast network or cable. You're not going to have 13 million viewers watching (CBS's summer series) Under the Dome online. That's just not going to happen."
As the financial pressure mounts, new models are emerging. Under the Dome, a 13-episode adaptation of a Stephen King novel, premiered on CBS (and, in Canada, on Global) last month. As part of an innovative effort to maximize the series' revenue potential, the network sold its digital rights to Amazon.com, which makes episodes available to its customers online within a couple of days of each week's broadcast.
"Someone emailed me and asked what it means that it's on Amazon now," says Berman. "Will it hurt CBS's ratings when people figure out that it's online?
"My answer is that (the series premiere) got more than 13 million viewers (in the U.S.); I don't think it's going to hurt if anybody goes to Amazon.com and watches it there. It's only going to bring more eyeballs to the table. But what it shows is that if you're a network, you can't just think about running a show in a time-slot once a week. There's so much more to it now, and you kind of have to figure out a way to do it (online) while still keeping your audience intact on the network.
"You don't want to cannibalize the audience that's watching on the network, but you must realize that there are other ways now to present your product."
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves said the online-rights deal was essential to getting Under the Dome on the air.
"We wouldn't have done Under the Dome unless we knew we had it backed up 100 per cent by the Amazon deal, and combining Amazon with (the series') international-syndication deal makes Under the Dome profitable immediately," he said.
The online migration:
With a new generation of consumers accessing "TV" in different ways, the industry had to respond. It's no longer just a matter of repurposing existing TV shows for online viewing. Instead, major players in the television industry have begun to recognize the possibilities presented by producing original TV-style programming for an online audience.
For Robbins, the "Aha!" moment came during a family vacation with his two teenaged sons.
"We were in Miami... staying in a hotel room that had a huge flat-screen TV on the wall and a Mac monitor on the desk," recalls Robbins, 49. "Day one goes by and they want to watch highlights of NBA action, which they do on the computer. On day two, they want to watch The Simpsons, so they're on the computer. So now I'm thinking, 'Are they really not going to turn the television on?'
"And they didn't -- five days go by, and they never turn on the TV. And this light bulb goes on in my head: This is the future, except the future is now."
Recognizing the opportunity created by the shifting habits of young consumers, Robbins created AwesomenessTV, a YouTube channel specializing in entertainment and sports content -- including original scripted series such as The Runaways -- created for and by teenagers.
"The beauty of YouTube is that you have international distribution on day one," he offers. "That's a big deal, because you're reaching an awful lot of people right off the bat. Now, you have to be discovered (on YouTube), but if can get discovered, you're going to reach an awful lot of people."
Last year, the creator of TV's most successful franchise of the past decade -- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its various spinoffs -- made a bold move into the online world. Anthony Zuiker teamed with Yahoo! and antivirus software giant Norton to produce Cybergeddon, an ambitious cyber-crime-themed thriller that was released online last fall by Yahoo! on the same day in more than 25 countries worldwide. The 90-minute drama was released as 10 nine-minute episodes spread over several weeks.
"This movie is necessary because of the behavioural shift in how we consume content," Zuiker said before Cybergeddon's debut. "We are stepping forward to make sure we're trailblazing, (breaking) new ground."
Over the past couple of years, an increasing number of online content providers -- led by Hulu, Amazon and, more recently, Netflix, have stepped up production of original scripted programming. Netflix garnered a lot of positive attention earlier this year when it released the political potboiler House of Cards, but it was the long-awaited and heavily hyped revival of Arrested Development that thrust Netflix's original roster -- and, by extension, all created-for-online scripted fare -- into the spotlight.
Berman, who recently attended The Cable Show, a massive cable-TV industry conference in Washington, D.C., says everyone in the television industry is watching the online-programming trend with great interest, and perhaps also a little bit of apprehension.
"I think there's a lot of excitement and anticipation about this," says Berman. "I think the cable networks are looking forward to having other ways to attract eyeballs, and this is also a way for a show like Arrested Development to get a second life. I think there's also a little concern, because people don't know how to analyze what's happening -- take Arrested Development, for example. How did it do on Netflix? Was it successful? Was it good? Was it bad? Was it a good idea to do it? We don't know.
"People are excited by the possibilities, but I think there's also a bit of fear out there. It's very different now -- if you're a cable network or a broadcast network, how do you best present your product without being cannibalized somewhere else? How are these shows doing in these other forms? We simply can't analyze that yet. So I think there's a combination of excitement and concern."
Berman adds the frenzied pace of change in the on-screen and online-entertainment world makes it very hard to predict what even the short-term future will bring.
"It's very hard to say. If someone had asked me five years ago what was going to be happening now, I wouldn't have predicted this," he says. "I probably would have said there was going to be more of an online presence, but I don't think I could have predicted that Arrested Development was going to be back on Netflix.
"Five years from now, I still do believe that the main ingredient financially for a network will be when a show airs traditionally... you can either watch it when it's on or DVR it. That is still going to be the main revenue source, but I also think there are going to be many more original programs on cable.
"I think what's going to happen in the next five years and beyond is that you're going to see a lot more A-list actors turning up online -- big-name talent doing shows that are online only, and that will bring a lot more attention to the online landscape. I think you'll see much, much more original programming online and much bigger names appearing in it."
firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @BradOswald


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the fixx coffee bar tempe arizona Archives
The Fixx Coffee Bar Provides Creative Outlet For Local Artists And Musicians
March 24, 2011 by in Around Arizona | Small Biz
A new music venue and coffee shop in Tempe is providing the local art scene with a creative outlet to display artists' work – The Fixx Coffee Bar. Managed by ASU student Robbie Pfeffer, 20, The Fixx is the beginning of a completely renovated Tempe and a new addition to the artistic community. "It's a… Read More →

subset: commoncrawl


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Naturally there was the obligatory media scrum around Wade Redden downstairs just now, when we asked the former Ottawa defenseman about playing his old team. The plan is to re-enact the same scene Wednesday when Markus Naslund faces Vancouver.
Come to think of it, maybe we can just dust off the same quotes from Redden and use them for Naslund.
"It'll be good to see (insert former teammates). I really enjoyed my time in (whatever city)," (whatever player) said. "I'll always remember the time we (insert team highlight here). But it was time to turn the page. Now I'm a Ranger, but I want to thank (insert former coach, general manager, trainer, pilates instructor) for giving me a chance in (whatever city)."
OK, so Redden didn't exactly say that, and it wouldn't be completely ethical to replicate quotes like that. But it sure would be a good way to save time.
Jokes aside, here is what Redden said about facing the Senators tonight. He said he met up with Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Phillips, and only then did the significance of tonight start to hit home.
"I just think it's the final recognition, going up against the old guys," Redden said. "I think it's a good thing. It really hit home just seeing the guys yesterday. It was different. I'm excited about playing them. It's been a big change this year. I don't know. I'm just looking forward to getting out there against them and knowing that I am against them. It's good to finally play them."
So there you have it. Nice guy, Wade Redden. But he's not exactly Richard Pryor in front of a tape recorder.
Meanwhile, apropos of nothing in particular (other than of course that the Rangers power play is still struggling) I asked Tom Renney if there were any forwards he would consider using at the point.
"Maybe, but I'm just not even there yet in my own mind," Renney said. "I'm just thinking about this group of guys, this group of defensemen finding the answer."
I'm not surprised by Renney's answer. Truth is, unlike with Matt Cullen two years ago or even Martin Straka last year, there is no obvious forward worth trying at the point.
Chris Drury was tried there for a spell last season, but he wasn't entirely comfortable (plus the thinking is Drury is too valuable in front of the net). Scott Gomez obviously has the puck-carrying ability but doesn't have the shot, while Ryan Callahan might have the shot but probably doesn't have the defensive sense needed to defend a rush.
Actually, if the coach ever wanted to be bold he could experiment with Nikolai Zherdev since a player at the point is actually afforded the room to carry the puck and make a play. But don't count on it. For all of his obvious gifts, Zherdev is enough of a defensive liability at forward. Put him at the point and Renney would be in a cold sweat the entire time.


text: Editor's Note: This article was originally published at 8:01 a.m. EDT on Real Money on July 11. To see Jim Cramer's latest commentary as it's published, sign up for a free trial of Real Money.NEW YORK ( Real Money) -- Sure, it always feels great for the bulls when the futures are ripping. You get all of that juice from overseas. People are feeling that Fed chief Ben Bernanke didn't mean what he said. The dollar is going down, too, which even helps commodities. So let's go buy stocks! There's only one problem. The travails of individual companies, in dealing with this new environment, are about to come on display -- and the facts, often sadly, do not fit with the story. The stocks that are being swept up by the futures -- the stocks that we might want to buy because of today's snapshot of the dollar, the 10-year U.S. Treasury and the price of oil -- may not fit the patterns people are trying to catch. In fact, they might be performing in the opposite manner from what you would expect. Take two different companies in two different industries that have had the misfortune to report during periods when the snapshot said, "Buy, buy, buy." I'm talking about Paychex ( PAYX) and Nabors ( NBR). Paychex is a terrific payroll-processing company that grows earnings in four ways. First, when more jobs get created, there are more checks to be processed. Second, when more companies get created, there are more company payroll accounts to be processed. Third, the company profits when more products are added to those who take the payroll processing, like 401k processing and advice for tax law changes. Fourth, and perhaps most important: the float. How much can Paychex make on the $4 billion or so it has to invest between the time it gets the money and the time it delivers the checks? That's the float, and it is a bonanza for companies like Paychex -- unless, that is, interest rates are so low that they can barely make much money at all off that float, meaning they make pretty much what you make right now in your checking account. Paychex is the perfect microcosm for this moment when it comes to the Fed. It's a catch-22 microcosm, because -- as has been made clear by Wednesday's minutes from the last Federal Open Market Committee meeting -- Ben Bernanke isn't going to raise interest rates through a slowdown in bond-buying until there is more hiring and more business formation.


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Three major words in 21st century education are RIGOR, RELEVANCE, and RELATIONSHIP. This is the heart of the College and Career Readiness Movement. Education is a means to an end, and that end is preparedness for the world of college and career post-high school graduation. With this in mind, we forged the C.O.R.E. program – Creating Opportunities for Relevant Education.
Our Mission
The Mission of C.O.R.E. is to provide information and the latest news, and to bring together teachers, counselors, and administrators from West Texas school districts for collaborative workshops with members of the higher education community for professional development and training.
Our Goal
The Goal of C.O.R.E. is to help you, those in the public school systems working directly with the implementation of the College and Career Readiness Standards, create a new culture of education focused on preparing students for success in college and/or the career of their choice.
Our Objectives
The objectives of C.O.R.E. include: 1) assemble members of the education community from primarily rural areas for vertical discussions targeting increased student success; 2) facilitate professional growth for all involved; 3) increase collaboration between higher education and independent school districts to improve student success beyond high school; and 4) improve student success by narrowing the gaps in preparation and in information between secondary and post-secondary institutions.
Becoming a Part of the College and Career Readiness Culture
As members of the education community, you are already a part of the College and Career Readiness movement. The next step is to integrate yourself into the College and Career Readiness Culture. This is simple.
"Culture" is defined as a set of shared attitudes and beliefs that set apart a group of people. As a member of the College and Career Readiness Culture, you share, with many others, the attitude and belief that students leaving the public school system need to be ready for college and/or the workforce by the time they cross the graduation platform.
Joining the College and Career Readiness Culture means more than just agreeing that students need to be ready. There are several ways to be actively involved in the process.
Who is Involved?
There are many groups who take a part in creating the College and Career Readiness Culture. For detailed information about each, click the appropriate link below:
For additional information about recent CCR professional development opportunities offered by Cisco College and the CCR Initiatives Division of Student Success, click here.
To access CCR Terminology, click on books icon.
Search for "College and Career Readiness - West Texas"


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University of the Arts Names Joanna Settle New Head of Brind School of Theater
The University of the Arts has appointed Joanna Settle as the new director of the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts. Settle, a freelance theater director and educator, will begin her tenure at the university on January 13, 2014.
"We are excited to welcome Joanna to UArts," said university Provost Kirk E. Pillow. "She brings a rich history in, and an extensive knowledge of, all aspects of theater. Her leadership and her broad experience as a nationally-recognized director will help the Brind School achieve even greater levels of success."
A graduate of The Juilliard School directing program, Settle has directed and taught at undergraduate and graduate theater programs at The Juilliard School, Bard College, Cornell University and Brown/Trinity MFA.
"I'm deeply honored to be invited into the University of the Arts community, and I'm eager to lend myself to the continued success of our students and the growth of our programs," said Settle. "I can't wait to get to Philly!"
In 2014, Settle will direct two world premiere musicals by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Family Album at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and The Total Bent at The Public Theater. Recent productions directed by Settle include Harry Clarke by David Cale at the Warhol Museum, Romeo and Juliet for Shakespeare on the Sound in Connecticut. Also at the Public, she directed Winter Miller's In Darfur, the finale of Suzan-Lori Parks's 365 Days/365 Plays and Stephen Brown's Future Me (SPF). Other directorial projects included the premiere of Heather Raffo's award winning Nine Parts of Desire at Manhattan Ensemble Theater, which she also restaged for the Geffen Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, MassMOCA, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Washington D.C.'s Arena Stage.
Settle served as the Artistic Director of Shakespeare on the Sound from 2009 to 2012. From 1998 to 2004 she was the Artistic Director of Chicago's Division 13 Productions, where she directed and/or adapted and designed 15 of D13's 17 projects, including BLOOD LINE: The Oedipus/Antigone Story, two plays by Sophocles, Macbett by Ionesco, and several Samuel Beckett shorts, including Cascando, Rockaby and Play.
"Joanna comes to the College of Performing Arts with extensive connections and experience in professional theater, and a passion for training creative thinkers and theater makers for the 21st Century," said K Williams, dean of the College. "With her guiding the continuing implementation of the university's innovative new academic plan, the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts will grow even stronger. I am thrilled that she is joining us at UArts."


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Kotaku has posted a list of facts that Michael Fahey gleaned from the Q&A session and from the demo that weren't included in his original writeup. And if you missed any of his other posts about the Fallout event, Kotaku has summed them all up here.
RPG Vault's Richard Aihoshi shares his positive reactions after seeing the game at our event.
"Scooter" Nguyen has a four page preview for Gamespy that touches on most of the areas shown within the demonstration for the game.
Our German readers may be interested to know there's a brief teaser article up at PC Action related to their upcoming cover story.
After a brief false start, Game Revolution has posted their thoughts on the Fallout 3 demo.
UGO has a little piece up about the Fallout schwag we gave out, and mentions they'll be putting up a "Fallout FAQ" at some point today.
John over at Game Industry News let me know his preview of Fallout 3 is now up.
On a somewhat related note. Mike over at PC Format dropped me an email to say he wrote a bit on their blog about Oblivion as it relates to the propects of Fallout 3.
Robert at GGL just dropped me a line to let me know his preview is up over at GGL.com.
Will Tuttle's preview on Team Xbox is up as well…


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Results 701 to 720 of 792
- Join Date
- May 2012
- Posts
- 10
I'll give a quick rundown of Compound It, since I believe that was the one I remember best! The objective in this adverserial was a village nestled in a (for Takistan) lush, green valley surrounded by large, open hills, and containing three weapons caches defended by GUERFOR. BLUFOR had access to two squads of two fireteams, and a chinook.
After a takeoff slightly delayed by connection problems, the chinook deposited Bravo about 6-700m southwest of the valley, on the other side of the surrounding hills, then looped around to the East, dropping Alpha a similar distance to the northeast of the caches. It then took off with the aim of circling the village, touching down in a few different locations to disguise the true LZs.
Both teams moved up to observation points on the ridges of their respective hills in order to assess the situation. The run was a little long, but it was nice to be able to move fairly freely without fear of being shot at! I followed along with Bravo, while Alpha worked on their rather steeper ascent. Upon cresting the ridge, Bravo noticed a man and a bicycle observing from the hillside across the valley. Strongly intimidated by the enemy's superior vehicle support, it was decided that a stealthy approach was unfeasible and/or inglorious, and Bravo were sent charging headlong down the hill to a walled house about 50m from the southern cache, covered by 40mm and thrown smoke grenades, with the aim of quickly assaulting the compound before a response could be mustered.
With Alpha spreading out along their ridgeline to engage targets in the north of the village, Bravo quickly gained entry to the compound, only to immediately come under fire from the southeast, with grenades and bullets signalling the approach of several annoyed men through the bushes. With Bravo taking several casualties, the cache was hastily located and blown up, followed by a fairly successful staged withdrawal while the wounded were attended to by the ever-competent Tigershark.
Alpha reported heavy casualties sustained moving into the northwest of the village, so their 5 and Bravo's 6-ish were tasked to meet up in a compound southwest of the cache by about 100m of tree-lined path. On reaching the compound, heavy fire from the town to the east pinned down the remaining troops.
At this point I was shot, IIRC, but I believe the survivors were able to work their way around north to meet up with the last of Alpha, staging a final assault on the cache area in 2-3 groups. Tigershark flanked around behind several OPFOR, taking them down before being wounded just as the round was called (I forget who the official victors were, though!)
All in all, a nice run -- with enough scale and open space to feel less claustrophobic than some of the other village-defense missions, while not being too dispersed as to make finding a fight difficult.
Red Snow started rather slowly due to some confusion about the paradrop system, with two of my teammates dying to it and one landing very far away -- not sure to what extent this was the script's fault, and what was down to the human element! However I and Kefirz were eventually able to meet up with the rest of our northern assault group as we moved into, IIRC, Berezino to blow up various targets and shoot various mans. Although taking heavy casualties from soldiers and shilkas guarding the town, I believe we were able to complete most of the objectives.
Crateresistance was a little under-manned, but my fireteam was able to flank an enemy one as they moved in on a cache, only for me to get shot while pumping rounds into someone who was desyncing. C'est la vie! Still a fun little rom, overall.
[AAR] I44 17/11/12 - Terrible Temp Week
We played these missions:
Operation Fulcrum - Not a bad little 6 player mission.
A Bottle Of Beer - Holy smokes Batman!
Dynamic campaign pt6 - Tulga, Kamyshovo, Elektrozavodsk and Prigordki were all secured, plus the two secondary objectives.
Tunnel ambush - Weird things happened.
Any and all AAR's, comments, suggestions welcome.
As always thanks to those who came, and we hope we will see you next week.
Regards Hawk.
- Join Date
- Jul 2012
- Posts
- 49
Didn't we secure Balota also?
Something should be done to get the info-post stickied. As of right now its dangerously low on page two of the arma-subforum. Not good if we are to keep people aware of the sessions existence.
Operation Fulcrum :
Fun stuff. My first visit to hedgerow-land, and the map was really nice. Been waiting for something like this since the demo of the original Close Combat way back in whenever.
A Bottle of Beer :
Ratatatatatatatatatatatataatatatatatatata, OMGRUN, ratatatatatatatatatatatataatatatatata. A very funny mission. Unfortunately for Phalanx, the tank could hear him think....
Dynamic Campaign Pt 6 :
Uncoordinated tank mayhem. With old, annoying british? US? tanks. I think we should have been more thorough in our explorations of the villages, our pure tank sweeps left too many stragglers. Though there is a limited amount to be done with a low player count.
My VON was too low for the inside of a tank, and i spent waaay too long adjusting it.
Then the double headed truck of doom was sighted. it was fortunately defeated by its arch-nemesis, the standard forest tree. and we all headed for the hills. (unless you managed to play another mission after that)
Well post something then on the forum :D
To be honest we can stop playing the dynamic campaign if you guys don't want it, and I thought we could play different mods in Saturdays so it doesn't have to be I44 all the time ;) one of those mods could be Unsung.
If you had Churcill's then you would go mad because they are even slower :D
Yes those were Brit tanks :D
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Wiltshire
- Posts
- 26
First mission I wasn't in.
Bottle of Beer - We got slaughtered on the dam bridge. Not much else to say about that.
Commanded Dynamic Campaign Pt6 by taking over 5 locations (not 4), while completing the objectives using tanks only.
It was a slow process and quite stressful not for me, but for everyone else. Originally we was going to take over the objectives (which were 6km away) but instead, decided to take over each village one by one meaning it be more easy in the future.
There were some... issues in Elektrozavdsk. Soon we all grouped up and almost got hit by a tank's cannon due to the gunner alt-tabbing. Told the gunner to get out the tank. Then told Zitron get in the tank. He refused and disobey my command. He wanted to hoof it instead on foot.
After that, we taken overPrigordki, avoided Chernogosk, captured the Radiotower, tank race downhill to capture the powerstation and exfil from Balota.Dynamic Campaigns a break? They are a good idea but starting to irritate.
I would like to say can we give the
Tunnel ambush - Ambush the tunnel. Took out some germans near the exit of the tunnel, team planted the explosives, scouts sent away to spot germans while we waited near the exit. Waited. Waited some more... then the strangest thing happens. Germans were "popping" out of the tunnel from the sides. Then there were no germans. Suddenly an ambush from the eastern side of the tunnel. Some men died since we were expecting the AI to go into tunnel... but most didn't. Odd mission.
The double headed truck of doom bonus mission- Went into said truck, everything was fine until we turned a corner and hit one single tree. We flew 500 feet into the air, crashed into the ground hard, one truck facing towards the sky blew up while the other truck was stuck underground. Managed to get out the exploding burning truck. Shocked I was alive...
Then a german 300 metres east shot me in the head with a rifle. I was the first to die.
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Posts
- 15
pretty much CO'd the entire night, needed a little Zargabad Safari therapy post-session to get all the stress out..
Operation Fulcrum
Not a bad mission really, a few people crashed and couldn't rejoin so had to lug a complete derp AI around. We had completed all 3 objectives and were moving to exfil when I mistook Kalelovil for the previously mentioned derp AI and shot him in the head while he was driving a truck... I partly blame Hawk_Silk for this.. Then the 3 of us that were left died to 1 german in the last village before exfil, moral victory!
A Bottle Of Beer
Crazy mission, people weren't kidding when they said "As soon as you spawn, run"
Not quite sure how we made it to the Dam but we did, getting across was another story however.. As Bravo I was spearheading the assault across the Dam itself while Alpha tried to draw any fire away from us. The diversion went as planned, perhaps a little too well as all of them died shortly after engaging, I was the only one left to reach the other side of the Dam, completely surrounded by infantry - Along with a british tank that could read my thoughts.
The tank somehow tracked my movements without having line of sight making it extremely hard to advance, especially as a platoon's worth of infantry was converging on my location. In the end I got gunned down by infantry from the side while playing cat and mouse with the tank around some sandbags, but not before said tank had completely submersed itself in the lake several times and still remained functional... Wha..?10/10 would play again
Dynamic campaign pt6
Not too sure about this one, the format of this mission was quite similar to regular Domi where villages were marked with a red circle and you could capture them by killing the occupying forces.
It was quite slow to start as we first had to locate all this armour that the briefing screen had lead us to believe existed. Once we were distributed among 3 tanks it was a long drive to the first town where we must've only encountered around 6-8 troops, ok sure.. Maybe they just weren't defending this town too well.
But as we moved onto the other villages this seemed to be a recurring theme, hardily a squad of troops occupying each town. This was the case up until Elektro where we encountered enemy armour among another squad-sized group of infantry.
After destroying the enemy armour and any stragglers we could find we deemed Elektro clear. There may have been 1 or 2 left but due to the clunkiness of the tanks, small player count and because we had already spent a lot of time driving around, we decided to move onto other objectives of the mission which were to capture a radio tower and power station.
The closest objective was the radio tower, so after a crawl uphill we arrived and found it completely unguarded, amidst the perplexion a tank race was arranged.. I'm not quite sure what these tanks were made of but we flew down the hill at speeds peaking 120kph, knocking down trees as if they had just been balanced on the ground. Alrighty then! Arma physics..
Last up was the power station, which was also pretty much unguarded - I had become quite impatient at this point and instructed my driver, Hawk_Silk, to roll right into the middle of the compound ignoring any threats. Nothing happened.. As the other tank caught up they spotted a fireteam near the power station running away, we killed those and that seemed to be it.
The actual last objective was to exfil at a town south-west of our position, but we thought we'd just call it and play another mission.
Also, nice gunning Tired Hippo!
Final verdict: Quite slow, a little boring at times, mission ended up being very easy despite the small player count. I'd suggest fortifying the towns so it's harder to take a few rather than easy to take many, driving for 15 minutes between towns occupied by 5 guys isn't very fun. Maybe I'm missing something?
Tunnel ambush
This was a charlie-foxtrot if I ever saw one.. The plan to ambush the enemies in the tunnel with gunfire & explosives was solid enough but ended up falling apart we were somehow spotted, causing the AI to begin warping through geometry.. We still won in the end but wow, that was weird.
Then told Zitron get in the tank. He refused and disobey my command. He wanted to hoof it instead on foot.
- Join Date
- Oct 2012
- Posts
- 50
- Join Date
- Jun 2012
- Posts
- 27
Bottle of Beer
I got pulverised by the flanking enemy that had followed us up the river.
Dynamic Campaign Pt6
I enjoyed this, I liked the idea of rolling through the towns and clearing them as we went. Sadly "alpharidestwo" tank got chewed up in electro - by the very first enemy armour we saw. We struggled on a bit but eventually after another hit had to bail. We lost AudioX after coming under fire from ground troops at around the same time as Badger(?) tank was destroyed. I was injured (and we had no medic - daf was burned alive in the fireball that Badger had become) so my aim was terrible for the rest of the mission, I struggled on a bit before joining the replacement tank as Main Gunner after kale got demoted (heheh). Pushed on a bit and I'm not sure where we were but we were ordered out while the replacement tank returned to pick up a couple stragglers, while Command Tank, and the dismounted crew watched west and eventually fought and destroyed a german patrol. Then a jerry half track turned up and murderised me.
I did JIP but starting so far away by the time i'd got to kamshoyo the mission had been completed. yay us!
Tunnel ambush
Got murderised by the teleporting Jerry who suddenly appeared out of solid wall at the far end of the tunnel. I did manage to fire the bazooka first though - I suspect they didn't like that one little bit.
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Wiltshire
- Posts
- 26
My communication skills wasn't great on Dynamic Campaign. It did lead to some confusion, thus causing some stress. As jRides said, all of us weren't sure if the tank can take 3 or 4 men (turns out it was 4).
[AAR] Tactical Tuesday 20-11-2012 Nope
Thanks for playing!
The missions for tonight were:
- No Negotiation (Fighting the UN in Chernarus)
- Roundabout (Assault on Shamali, Takistan)
- Viva Piñata (Touch the goat. Touch it)
We died, then we died some more. And then the goat. Good playing with you all!
- Join Date
- Sep 2012
- Location
- Bradistan
- Posts
- 108
No Negotiation -
Alpha 1 AAR.
Got ambushed from behind.
Fired a lot of bullets into the ambush.
Roundabout -
MAT Assistant Gunner.
Help spot some EI and bunkers.
Did some basic medic work after he disconnected, got shot helping people up who were stood on the wrong side of the compound, being shot at from both east and west.
Viva Pinata -
A very nostalgic mission. Great fun.
Kale Mission One of which I have forgotten the name.
This mission was quite hard to command as I was having to make up plans as we went along. I had barely given Alpha their instructions when Bravo chopper went down with me in it. Alpha did extremely well but confusion reigned at the end and the objective went uncompleted.
Defence in Depth -
Blufor Commander.
Decided to use a plan that hadn't been used before. Alpha 1 showed early signs of incompetence in crashing their Humvee but I take the grand prize for an incident I do not wish to talk about.
I do hope no-one noticed.
EDIT: Apologies if I came across as a bit down and uninterested during the post-session. That wasn't my intention at all.
I also apologise for crashing my crashing my chopper straight into the forest after lecturing everyone else on why they should not do this.
Last edited by SpecialSoup; 21-11-2012 at 02:25 PM.
- Join Date
- Nov 2012
- Posts
- 4
This is not only my first post on RPS, but also my first Tactical Tuesday which was also the first time I've played ARMA online (I am new to these 'com-pute-orz' you speak of). Personal debrief is as follows.
No Negotiation -
Alpha 3 AAR.
Whilst OM to the first waypoint, our FTL's connection decided to die; I elected myself to be the new FTL (battlefield promotion!).
After getting los... That is, *ahem* , securing the surrounding area, we finally joined up with the rest of alpha.
Got shot, a lot, with enemies within 50m of my squad.
By the end of it, it came down to one squad member and I. We were promptly killed after a 'heroic final charge' (read, ran out of cover; died).
All in all, not bad for my first game I reckon.
Roundabout -
Alpha 2 FTL
Went up a hill, got shot.
Viva Pinata -
I was so close! For once in my life, I was almost *truly* happy...
Last edited by Lord Penney; 21-11-2012 at 09:22 AM.
- Join Date
- Jun 2012
- Posts
- 73
A nice session overall!
No Negotiation
Sadly I was right, we didn't make it to the town. Got mowed down by a 50 cal through a tree, which I thought at the time to be hard cover. Wrong.
MMG assistant
We followed Charlie squad, got bogged down pretty quick and all regrouped in one same compound. Praise the Lord the enemy doesn't have mortars. Well, they still have one sneaky dude camping 25 meters out of the northern door, who killed at least 5 people. I was the first.
Viva pinata
Got lost during the search for the goat and ended up near the entrance. So I thought, hey, I'm gonna hide here, and report to the guys the movements of the enemy.
Which I did, with great laughing when I saw the untactical offensive super-blob that was coming. Obviously they had ditched the bikes to all get here at the same time.
So they all get in a five meters perimeter at the entrance, except for one dude who starts flanking to the north.
I think, hey, I'm gonna shoot one, they'll see me, and I'm gonna get myself a nice firing squad. Will be fun. So I shoot one. But nothing happens. So I shoot another one. And another one. When I'm finished (executing every single one of them), there's six dead dudes by that entrance, and I'm out of ammo, so I trade my M9 for a makarov. And go tracking the last dude that I saw going around the hangars. Find him, discharge almost a full clip in his direction, and double back to flank him. Turns out I actually got him. Or someone else did, cause I really don't remember hitting him once.
What's-the-name-of-that-mission with the wreck
Alpha Blackhawk pilot
Really sorry, my apologies to the dude who died inside the chopper. There was so much talking back there that I never realized we were actually taking fire. Sorry to Zitron as well, as it took me 10 minutes to realize you were stranded in a useless seat in the chopper. I'm curious to know what exactly happened to Bravo's helicopter.
Good job to Alpha dudes for actually getting out of the chopper so quick (and so close to the objective).
Defence in depth
We avoided the confusion at the beginning by driving away as soon as possible (as the commander was somehow out taking a nap, and the dudes crashed. Not their helicopter, no. Their Humvee).
Then we went on a game of who-trips-the-most-flares-win. Came to a close tie with Ice.
Finally we went to assault the castle, two of my dudes died, the last (which I believed dead) crept on me and I accidentally fragged his ass. After I fixed that we moved to destroy the tower and the mission was called.
- Join Date
- Sep 2012
- Location
- Bradistan
- Posts
- 108
My Mouse decided to malfunction and my push to talk key is on my mouse. This was not a good turn of events, especially as I was unaware it had broken.
Sorry you had to spend so much time sat in that forest, I didn't realise how much quicker the humvees would be. The mission was called because I believe it was thought everyone was down.
http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/57...31BE79981D40C/ the glorious goat defenders.
Last edited by SuperÜ; 23-11-2012 at 03:38 PM.
- Join Date
- Nov 2012
- Posts
- 5
all followed by " I Need a Hero" in voicechat.
(You managed to hit me one time, btw.)
"offensive super-blob" en route
Bravo getting raped in Roundabout
- Join Date
- Jun 2012
- Posts
- 73
Oh, I know how you died, cause I'm still the guy who killed you. I went around the hangar.
[AAR] I44 24/11/12 - Terrible Temp Week Part II
We played these missions:
Road Clearance - Amazing hedges of death.
The Escape - The rescue was... Well deathly.
Patrol - Oh snow!
Road Escort V4 - We can not allow that abomination to live.
Jedburgh Ambush - Was the castle of death.
Yup if you hadn't guessed... We died A LOT.
Any and all AAR's, comments, suggestions welcome.
As always thanks to those who came, and we hope we will see you next week.
Regards Hawk.
Last edited by Hawk_Silk; 25-11-2012 at 12:00 AM.
- Join Date
- Feb 2012
- Posts
- 220
You forgot Road Clearance.


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Three-hundred and forty-five days until I tie the knot with my best friend Jessica Lynn Purnell.
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Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies is also encouraging residents to share their views on local health services through a nationwide survey being carried by the Welsh Conservatives out this summer.
Mr Davies said: "I would like to encourage everyone from Pembrokeshire to contribute to our debate on the future of our health services. Have you had a good (or bad) stay at a Welsh hospital? Have you had trouble getting an appointment with your GP? Do you think higher earners should have their prescriptions paid for them? These are the types of issues that we want to hear about."
He added: "I'm immensely proud of the hardworking staff with the Welsh NHS, who are dedicated to supporting patients in Wales – and so if you've received great care, we want to know about it.
"Here in Pembrokeshire, the reconfiguration of services at Withybush Hospital has certainly been a cause for concern for quite some time, so use this opportunity to once again have your voices heard.
"The people of Pembrokeshire have no problem being heard loud and clear, as we've seen over the decision to close the Special Care Baby Unit at Withybush hospital, so I urge you all again to visit the survey and once again have your say on health services in Pembrokeshire."
The survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WelshNHS


text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/6/2013 (1521 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Glance across the dairy aisle at any major grocery store during its busiest hours and you'll likely see the same thing: the yogurt section crammed with carts.
What's happening? Confused shoppers, locked in a standstill, peruse the dozens of yogurt brands on the shelves in search of the best one for them -- full-fat, low-fat, flavoured, plain, sugar-free, gelatin-free, Greek, Balkan, organic.
And perhaps the most complicated term to consider: Probiotic.
Nearly 100 experts from across North America -- including scientists who work for yogurt companies -- gathered at the University of Manitoba's Richardson Centre for Functional Foods last week to discuss the research behind probiotics.
The goal? To gather enough legitimate information together so yogurt companies can convince governments to allow them to make health claims about probiotics on yogurt labels.
The term "probiotic" refers to the so-called good bacteria in fermented foods such as yogurt.
The move to make direct health claims about probiotics on labels, says Richardson Centre director Peter Jones, will help consumers better understand the health benefits of the friendly bacteria.
He also admits it will be an effective marketing tool for the food industry.
"Businesses obviously want to sell yogurt. Scientists want to get the science right. Regulators want to have the right level of messaging on the product. That's what we are here to talk about," says Jones, the nutritional biochemist behind the $31.2-million Richardson Centre, a cutting-edge lab that receives about 60 per cent of its research funding from food companies such as Unilever and Danone.
Societies around the world have consumed yogurt -- and other probiotic-containing foods -- for thousands of years. (These substances occur naturally in all fermented products).
More recently, yogurt companies have been developing their own strains for probiotics, using them to sell their products.
Probiotics has become a buzzword in the yogurt industry, in part due to the marketing efforts of the French company Danone, the makers of Activia yogurts.
Scientists say these bacteria can do everything from preventing colon cancer to reversing vaginal infections. Most consumers have heard about the role of probiotics in promoting "digestive health." (Remember the dancing bellies that appeared for years in one company's TV spots?)
Jones and his peers want consumers to understand clearly what different strains of probiotics can do for health by printing such information on product labels.
His job won't be easy. Yogurt companies in Canada and the United States are not allowed to include health claims about probiotics on packaging.
Meanwhile, the U.S. arm of Danone settled a class-action lawsuit in 2009 in which the company paid more than $21 million for exaggerating the science behind the claims that some of their yogurts could aid digestion or prevent colds.
Shortly after, a Montreal woman won a class-action lawsuit over the same advertising issues.
Earlier this year, the European Food Safety Authority effectively banned the use of the term probiotics on food labels in Europe.
Jones and his colleagues fear the same fate is in store for products sold in Canada.
"What's happening there is the health claims for probiotics are being denied. There's not much they can do," says Jones. "(Regulators) might do the same thing here in Canada."
Gregor Reid, a Lawson Health Research Institute microbiologist who has studied probiotics for 30 years, says such a decision would be a travesty.
The former chairman of the United Nations/World Health Organization panel on probiotics was in Winnipeg for the Richardson Centre conference.
He says much of the published, peer-reviewed science proves probiotics can save lives and physicians need to understand that.
"It's verging on malpractice to not to use probiotics in certain situations," says Reid, who believes patients taking antibiotics should also be on a probiotic product to counter the drug's harmful effects.
He says hospitals in Australia have given probiotics to premature babies at risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis, a deadly disease that inflames the small intestine.
"(Probiotics are) not a fad that's just going to go away one day," Reid said.
He wrote about his proposed probiotic labelling system recently in the journal Nature.
"Unless we put a rocket in the system, it's going to take forever."
Jones may be that rocket.
The Winnipegger counts among his many accomplishments his lobbying effort on behalf of Unilever a few years ago. That's when he and a team of industry members, scientists and lawyers approached the federal government with supporting science and urged it to allow Becel margarine to print the cholesterol-lowering health benefits of its product on its label.
"We needed to find a way together to get Canada to sell plant sterols in foods. Sure enough... we found a way," he told the Free Press in a 2011 interview.
Gina Sunderland, a registered dietitian with CancerCare Manitoba, is all for probiotic labelling on yogurts.
"I just see it as a win-win," says the mother of two, noting that yogurt has always been a staple in her household, partly for its probiotic content.
Sunderland says researchers she's spoken with have suggested the benefits of yogurt in preventing colon cancer and even in treating it. "I was just wowed."
She admits certain brands contain high amounts of sugar, which can be detrimental to people with high triglycerides or diabetes.
"But there are so many options out there," she says, noting that plain yogurt is usually the healthiest option. "You can add fruit to it and sweeten it yourself."
Have an interesting story idea you'd like Shamona to write about? Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Did you know?
The name Riemvasmaak, which means 'tie a piece of leather tightly', comes from the Khoi word 'konkaib', which also means 'to tie leather thongs'.
The Riemvasmaak Hot Springs are located in a deep ravine bordered by 80m-high granite cliffs, north of the Augrabies Falls, about 60km from the small Northern Cape town of Kakamas.
The area known as Riemvasmaak spans 75 000ha of rugged and remote desert-mountain wilderness between the Orange and Molopo rivers and is very remote – it's an area known for its rugged wilderness.
The Riemvasmaak Hot Springs are the product of volcanic eruptions. Though these have long since ceased, deep underground activity still heats the waters of these springs.
The space in which the two pools are situated is made up of magnificent, lunar-like surroundings; unique vegetation that is marked by indigenous camel thorn and shepherd's trees; and wildlife that includes creatures from hyraxes (also known as 'dassies') to antelope and baboon. Raptors such as the Verreaux and fish eagle breed here, while pale-winged starlings are prolific.
Accommodation is available in cleverly designed self-catering chalets that blend into the rocky surrounds and offer great views. Once without electricity, they are now equipped with power and hot water, but visitors are advised to bring drinking water, food and towels.
Arrangements can be made at the local tourism office for meals. One can also arrange to have a meal at a local home and spend time with the people of Riemvasmaak village.
Other than the natural hot springs, tourists are drawn to Riemvasmaak by its 4x4 trails and scenic hiking trails.
Under apartheid policies during the 1960s, the inhabitants of Riemvasmaak were split up and forcibly relocated to areas a long distance away, while their lands were taken by the then-South African Defence Force for use as a military training ground.
After democracy in 1994, the Riemvasmaakers reclaimed their lands, making history by lodging the first land-restitution case in the new South Africa.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Riemvasmaak Tourism
Tel: +27 (0)73 383 8812 or + 27 (0)83 873 7715 (Clarissa Damara)
Green Kalahari Tourism
Tel: +27 (0)54 337 2800
How to get here
From Upington take the N14 towards Keimoes and then Kakamas. It is well signposted. The distance is just over 100km, and should take around one to two hours.
Best time to visit
The winter months of May to August are recommended for their mild temperatures as the summers can be very hot.
Around the area
Visit the Augrabies Falls, where the Orange River thunders down a 60m waterfall.
Tours to do
The nearby town of Kakamas, built by stock farmers at the end of the 19th century, is interesting, with its old hydro-electrical power station resembling an Egyptian temple, a memorial shaped as an obelisk, and German war graves.
Get around
Having your own car will give you the freedom to move around. Hiring a 4x4 is a good idea as there are various rough-terrain trails in the area.
What will it cost
Rates are reasonable. Enquire at Riemvasmaak Tourism Centre for details.
Length of stay
Riemvasmaak is a two to three-day destination.
What to pack
You need to be well prepared to visit Riemvasmaak as there is limited access to facilities and amenities. Take along firewood, food and beverages, fuel and personal items as well as all drinking water (about four litres a day)
Where to stay
The conservancy has comfortable self-catering chalets or camping facilities, but you'll need to bring in most of what you need. The campsite is at the hot springs and you drive about 4km on a gravel road into the gorge. A 4x4 is not required.
What to eat
The community at Riemvasmaak can prepare a traditional meal – this needs to be organised in advance. For the rest, this is your chance to indulge in South Africa's favourite pastime: the braai (barbecue).
What's happening
Check the listed Northern Cape website for events in the area during your stay.
Best buys
Fresh and dried fruit from farm stalls in the area.


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Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly has hinted the show may have a shelf life due to fears they will run out of celebrities, as the new line-up on contestants is unveiled in full.
Daly, who co-hosts the show with Sir Bruce Forsyth, said the BBC had "standards to maintain" and prided itself on a "higher class of contestant".
The ballroom dancing competition, now in its 11th series, will return to television screens this Saturday with a new line-up including BBC Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid, former Bond Girl Fiona Fullerton and Countdown presenter Rachel Riley.
The list, now confirmed by the BBC after weeks of speculation, includes rugby player Ben Cohen, golfer Tony Jacklin, television presenter Vanessa Feltz and Dragons' Den entrepreneur Deborah Meaden.
They will be joined by singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, ex-Coronation Street actress Natalie Gumede, fashion designer Julien Macdonald, Hairy Biker Dave Myers, and model Abbey Clancy.
The 15-strong line-up will be completed by actors Mark Benton, best known for his role in Waterloo Road, Casualty star Patrick Robinson and Hollyoaks' Ashley Taylor Dawson.
Speaking to the Radio Times this week, Daly, 44, said the show was "a national treasure", as she admitted it may not be able to carry on indefinitely.
"We never thought it would last this long and I don't want it ever to end, but the celebrity pool is getting smaller," she said.
"We must have gone through 150 and we pride ourselves on a higher class of contestant. We have standards to maintain."
It is the 11th series of the popular BBC show, which sees celebrities paired with professional dancers to learn ballroom and Latin moves, eventually competing for a glitterball trophy.
Daly has now given an insight into the prospects of contestants, as she claims their professions can affect how they react to the pressure.
"Sports stars are difficult as they're not used to talking about their feelings," she said. "Mark Ramprakash could barely make eye contact, he was so crippled by nerves.
"News people are not sure what to do when they start because they think it's fluffy light entertainment with sequins, body make-up and lycra, so different to anything they've experienced, but I've only come across those who really enjoy it."
This year's line-up is comprised of 15 celebrities, most of whom have already assessed their dance skills variously as "inadequate", "atrocious" and a "one out of ten".
Riley, an Oxford graduate who now presenter The Gadget Show, said she is "really clumsy" and has "never been graceful in her life", while BBC Breakfast presenter Reid admitted she was already ""aching in places I've never ached before".
The new contestants will meet their partners in the first show, broadcast on BBC One at 6.50pm on Saturday 7 September.
Last year, Olympic gymnast Louis Smith became the third sportsman to crowned champion, following the success of Mark Ramprakash and Darren Gough. Newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky was the first winner, followed by actress Jill Halfpenny, singer-turned-judge Alesha Dixon, actor Tom Chambers, sports correspondent Chris Hollins, Eastenders actress Kara Tointon, and McFly singer Harry Judd.
The 2013 line-up includes:
:: Abbey Clancy, 27, model
:: Dave Myers, 55, one half of cooking duo the Hairy Bikers
:: Fiona Fullerton, 56, best known for playing KGB spy Pola Ivanova in 1985 film A View To A Kill.
:: Julien Macdonald, 42, fashion designer
IN PICS: Strictly Come Dancing 2013 full celebrity line-up


text:
The Epic Dating History of Red Hot Chili Peppers Frontman Anthony Kiedis
There are two things that happen when you're told you're going to the Grammy Awards: 1. You make sure to tell every person who approaches you within 5 to 7 feet about it, jinxing be damned; and 2. You spend your remaining crumpled piggy bank bills on as many shiny dresses as the UPS guy is willing to deliver. (Note that if I would have actually been nominated for a Grammy, I would have sung a self-congratulatory song of joy on my balcony to alert the neighbors. Lucky for them, my Improvised Jazz album has yet to be released. Soprano saxophones crossed for 2015!)
The car arrived at 9 AM on Sunday morning to transport me and my shopping bags full of sequins and self-tanner to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, where I would be treated to hair and makeup courtesy of Herbal Essences and Cover Girl before the show. The Beverly Wilshire Hotel is also the hotel where Julie Roberts and Richard Gere had noise piano sex in Pretty Woman. Given that my style direction for the evening was "high class prostitute," I found the locale to be more than apropos.
There's actually a third thing that happens when you're told you're going to the Grammys, which is calling your mother. When I told her about the fun bonus of getting my hair and makeup done by professionals in a fancy hotel suite, she said, "Oh, I bet they'll have some nice food there for you." When I checked in with her Saturday night and reminded her about the big day ahead, her only reaction was like "You'll have a great time, and I'm sure they'll order something up for you guys to eat." Before you even go there, she is Jewish, and how. So Mom, I'm happy to report:
First stop: Hair. Waiting to caress my tresses was Herbal Essences brand ambassador Charles Baker Strahan, whom I happened to know as he is also a stylist to the stars, namely Kathy Griffin (whose Bravo show I had written on). After a million air kisses and hugs were exchanged (#LA), Charles took one look at my ends and was like, "Oh sweet Jesus no." I hadn't gotten it cut in months (I'm growing it out!) and I flat iron it on the daily. Before I knew it, my very own Richard Gere had me flipped over a chair in a last bid attempt to make me human again.
Guyliner: 6 Men Who Get it Right


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This Forum has been archivedVisit the new Forums
|Forums: Index → Narutopedia Announcements → Edit problem
Note: This topic has been unedited for 1502 days. It is considered archived - the discussion is over. Do not add to unless it really needs a response.
I don't if anyone noticed, but when we tried to make an edit, the source and visual button for the edit have disappeared. I hope this problem will be solved soon, because I can't do an edit without the source button.
Ichigo kurosaki1979 (talk) 16:44, February 1, 2012 (UTC)
- We don't have/use those buttons here though.--Cerez365™ 17:12, February 1, 2012 (UTC)


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|Flexible Location:
|Work at home or on client site while in frelance mode
|Enterprise Software Developers Consultants Freelance
|Web Site:
|Wilhelminapark 10
5911 ED Venlo
|History The venture was founded by Alberto Boin and Hugo van der Zee in 2011 and was incubated by Sage Partners, a collaborative of executive management consultants from many of the world's major consulting firms (www.sagepartners.net). Sage and other "angels" have invested well over 2 million towards the development of the platform. The venture's technology has been proven by successfully creating fully functional enterprise software solutions for more than 60 companies across many industries. Sage Partners is now moving HQ from Switzerland to Boston, MA. Technology The venture's product permits users to assemble outsourced (e.g. cloud) or in-sourced (e.g. legacy) software modules, much like Lego blocks, to create a fully functional enterprise application. The venture's technologies act in harmony to allow: --Creation of solutions from scratch --Extension of existing applications --Integration with legacy applications and data --Interaction with private and public clouds The venture's software can input and output to or from any source or destination including mainframe, desktop, laptop, tablets, smart phones, machine tools, and / or other sensory or activation devices. The venture supports an iterative approach to the creation of complex enterprise solutions and complies with the industry standard "Agile" software development methodology of Design, Develop, Test, Modify and Repeat. The platform consists of a suite of tools that support Agile life cycle steps. These tools include: --Business Process Modeler --Application Designer --Prototype Builder --Development Assembly Line --Documentation Manager --Legacy Integrator --Security Monitor --System Monitor


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The mini moos are so fun! And they are great quality. Perfect alternative to your typical business card. You can upload up to 100 of your very own photos, making the Mini Moos even more fun!
A unique little accessory for the home. This mason jar stores sunlight, and casts a subtle glow later in the night.Added 8 Years Ago from Amazon.com
Icy Bling for your drink. I think it would be fun to make the ice cubes with different colors of fruit juice to add a little color and flavor to a drink.


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Damn price is out of my comfort zone but typical of Apple. Nexus 7 sort of set the bar for small tablets, imo. Or at least, I had hoped.
I guess we are all going to be skeptics of it as most of us have owned all three already. Now we have a 4th gen and a mini. The 4th gen has the same A6X chip that the 3rd gen has..? I didn't buy the retina display iPad i own the iPad 2 and didn't see the reason to buy it. Glad i waited, now at least i can reduce the size if i choose. Can't wait to see and test one :]
Faster chip? Interesting, but not a dealmaker. The ipad line may be hitting the point where older ones are just good enough for 99% of the users (ipad2 still feels snappy, don't see the need to get something newer, especially since my eyes can't see the pixels anymore!). I think that apple needs to focus on new useful features (better audio, e.g., stereo speakers rather than the puny mono one that even points in the wrong direction). The ipad mini is a nice entry, but the price point seems out of touch with the current reality (which is that android devices have proven to be good enough). They should have kept it under $300. Besides, the price to add 3G is absurd! (and without 3G you do not get GPS, a NECESSARY feature which Nexus 7 has in the WiFi device).
I've have the iPad 2 and 3 and would like a mini for school because if it's size, but $329 that's a deal breaker. What was said earlir is true they should be working on a new speaker system, the iPad 3 speaker isn't even as good as the iPad 2. They also should've realeased a game controller, I don't think people have complained enough that android tablets can use controllers but the iPad can't this is unacceptable. Siri still needs a better update, and so does ios6 maps. Steve jobs is surely missed because I'm sure there would've been more innovation with today's event.
I'm going to wait until next year and grab myself the iPad mini 2 and iPhone 5s at the same time (if they make either of these devices and give the mini 2 a retina).
Might give it a try.
75 bucks cheaper woulda been great. guess it was too much to ask for, its not really gonna compete with the Kindle Fire at that price.
Man, that's really too bad. I really thought it'd be $250 or at LEAST (EDIT!) under $300. I may be going with the Fire HD. Also...on Apple's site, the 2nd gen iPad is still $399 and this new "4th gen" iPad is $499...where is the 3rd gen iPad?
I feel like all of these models are letting apple get away with some shady pricing.


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Flames NewsFlames Home > Women's Basketball Home > News
WBB Game Day Central: No. 7 seed Longwood
Game Day Central
Note: Includes all important Game Day links (live video, live audio, live stats, etc.)
Complete Tournament Notes
Supplemental Game Notes
Radio Coverage:
Provided by the Flames Sports Network
Broadcast - Tip-Off:
5 p.m. vs. Longwood
Broadcasting Station:
The Light (90.9 FM WWMC)
Video Streaming:
Matchup Notes
• Liberty Head Coach Carey Green is now 336-109 in his 14th season at Liberty, including 7-0 against Longwood. (He was not present for the Lady Flames' quarterfinal win over Gardner-Webb on Friday due to the death of his father, A.J. Green., earlier this week. However, he returned to the sidelines for Saturday's semifinal victory over Campbell.)
• Longwood Head Coach Bill Reinson is 27-57 in his third season at Longwood, including 0-3 against Liberty.
• Liberty is 15-15 all-time against Longwood and has won eight straight meetings with the Lancers, including both tilts this season.
• Longwood's most recent victory against the Lady Flames was a 95-88 win in Farmville on Feb. 12, 1988. That was Liberty's last season before joining the NCAA Division I ranks.
• This will be Liberty's first meeting with Longwood in the Big South Championship.
• Liberty won both of its regular-season matchups against Longwood by an average of 37.0 ppg (94-57 average score).
• Liberty posted a 91-58 home win over the Lancers on Jan. 26.
• Emily Frazier dished out a career-high 13 assists, setting the table for Devon Brown's game-high 21 points and Brittany Campbell's career-high 19 points. Ashley Rininger added 16 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
• Liberty broke open a close game with a 24-2 run that spanned both halves and recorded a 56-30 rebounding edge.
• Liberty faced Longwood again two weeks later in Farmville, notching a 97-56 victory while recording a season-high point total.
• The Lady Flames held Longwood without a made field goal for 10:24 during the first half, going on a 30-3 run during that time.
• Tolu Omotola (19 points, 11 rebounds), Katelyn Adams (13 points, 11 rebounds), Devon Brown (13 points), Reagan Miller (12 points on 4-of-4 three-point shooting) and Emily Frazier (10 points) all scored in double figures.
• Liberty shot a season-high 60.3 percent from the field and outrebounded the Lancers, 54-25.
Big South Championship Notes
• Liberty has reached the Big South Championship final for the sixth straight year and the 16th time in the last 17 seasons.
• The Lady Flames are 14-1 all-time in the Big South final, with their lone loss coming to Gardner-Webb in 2011.
• Liberty's last six visits to the Big South Championship title game (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012) have been decided by a total of 16 points.
• Liberty is 43-1 all-time in the Big South Championship when favored according to seed.
• The Lady Flames are 2-0 in the Big South Championship title game when facing a No. 7 seed (57-33 win over Coastal Carolina in 2002 and 54-41 win over Birmingham-Southern in 2004).
• The Lady Flames are now 3-0 at The HTC Center and have won 19 straight games in Conway overall.
• Liberty has also won 13 straight games away from home since a loss at Baylor on Nov. 23.
• Liberty basketball teams are 6-0 at The HTC Center, including the men's basketball team's 3-0 record in this year's Big South Men's Basketball Championship.
• With the Liberty men's basketball team playing in the Big South title game on Sunday, Liberty has a chance to become the first Big South school to sweep the men's and women's basketball conference titles since the Flames did so in 2004.
• Either Liberty or Radford have played in the Big South Championship title game every time it has been contested.
• Head Coach Carey Green is 37-2 all-time in Big South Championship contests.
• Liberty has now reached the Big South Championship title game in 13 of Carey Green's 13 seasons at the helm, winning 11 titles.
• Liberty will try to win its 13th Big South Championship title in 14 appearances as the No. 1 seed.
A Look Back at Saturday's 70-56 Win over Campbell
• Campbell opened the game with a 14-3 lead before Liberty recovered. The Lady Flames went in front with an 18-0 first-half run and never trailed again during their 13th consecutive win.
• Devon Brown keyed the victory, finishing with a game-high 25 points and a career high-equaling 14 rebounds. She had 18 points and eight rebounds in the second half alone and moved to within 25 points of 2,000 for her career.
• Liberty made all eight of its free throw attempts in the final 1:12 to seal the win, after leading by only five points (60-55) with 2:33 left. The Lady Flames shot 83.3 percent (15-of-18) from the line for the game.
• Liberty held its 27th straight opponent below 50 percent field goal shooting, as Campbell finished at 40.4 percent (21-of-52) from the floor.
• Liberty won both the rebounding battle (39-22) and points in the paint (38-22) categories in convincing fashion.


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A mum from Aireborough is hoping to sweep the floor with the launch of her own cleaning business.
After juggling being a full time mum for ten years, gaining a degree and teaching in a local primary school, Anne Goodman, from Cookridge, has launched her Bright and Beautiful franchise.
The business, which will cover the Wharfedale area, offers eco friendly cleaning, tidying, laundry and ironing services.
Anne said: "I've always wanted to run my own business and wanted to help the local jobs market at the same time.
"To attract the highest quality team I want to make working for Bright and Beautiful as attractive as possible with family friendly, flexible hours as well as the apprentice scheme.
"There are so many successful businesswomen with families that have provided me with inspiration I needed to start the business and want to succeed."
Anne can be contacted at email@example.com or on 0845 200 4067/0780 9830093.


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Great Careers Start at TCI!
Welcome to Tennessee Career Institute located at 1412 Trotwood Avenue in Columbia Tennessee. This campus occupies over 18,000 square feet of salon, spa, classroom and retail space and offers one of the most beautiful, professional learning facilities in the region. To learn more or to speak with an admissions representative, please click the "Request Information" button on this page.
TCI was established in 2006 when the Nave Beauty College was purchased by the owners of Georgia Career Institute. TCI is proud to be affiliated with Georgia Career Institute and benefits from its 30 years of success in preparing its graduates to enter into and succeed in the Beauty and Wellness fields as:
• Cosmetologists
• Nail Technicians
• Estheticians
• Massage Therapists
At the Institute, we don't just prepare you for your license exams - our approach is to teach you what you really need to know to build a successful career. Our curricula is designed to go significantly beyond the basics to help you truly understand what it takes to become a professional in your field. Progressive teaching methods are utilized which encourage originality and self-expression by our students. Our efforts are directed to serving the student who is inquisitive, eager, and responsive in recognizing the value of a top quality, comprehensive, professional education.
You have more career choices and ways to prepare yourself for that career than any generation before you. Choosing one of the Beauty or Wellness fields could be a great decision for you if this is where your passion lies. These fields are projected by the US Bureau of Labor statistics to be among the fastest growing fields in the upcoming decade.
We are grateful that you have decided to explore your options at the Institute. As we decide together whether this is the place for you, we invite you to contact us and come check us out personally so that you can get all the information you need to make the right choice for your future.
The Cosmetology Program is comprehensive and teaches the student the basics to more advanced procedures in:
• haircutting
• hairstyling
• permanent waving
• coloring
• color correction
• manicuring/pedicuring
• facials and basic skin care
This program is offered in flexible day and evening schedules and prepares the student to qualify to take the state board exam for a Cosmetology license. It takes about a year to complete during the day schedule and approximately 18 months in the evening.
Nail Technology
The Institute's Program in Nail Technology takes approximately 6 months to complete during the day and nine months during the evening. You will learn everything you need to start a career in this high-demand field from the basics of manicuring to more complex nail additions and art.
• basic and advanced manicuring and pedicuring
• nail art
• wraps
• nail tips
• sculptured nails
• gels
• acrylics
Also in this program, an introduction to basic Aromatherapy and reflexology is included.
One of the fastest growing professional segments of the cosmetology industry is Esthetics. The Esthetician is responsible for the care, repair and enhancement of the skin, our largest organ. As the general population ages and becomes more aware of the importance of this vital organ, the Esthetics industry is booming. Every day, more and more women as well as men are seeking treatment and instruction in the care of their skin.
As a student at the Institute you will be learn everything you need to know to begin a skincare career from the basic facial to rejuvenating procedures including microdermabrasion, galvanic, high frequency and ultrasonic treatments. Students learn several techniques for exfoliation as hair removal becomes more in demand for both men and women in the spa environment.
Instruction in spa body treatments will teach you how to help your clients achieve a sense of relaxation and balance as well as for detoxification of the body. The science and art of makeup is explored during the course and the student will decide if he or she wants to move more toward the spa setting or the medical setting and ample opportunity is available for study in either area.
This program is offered in both the Day and Evening Schedules and will prepare the student for a career in esthetics and for the licensing examination of the Tennessee State Board of Cosmetology.
Advanced courses are available to our graduates and other licensed esthetician in Applied Clinical Esthetics (ACE) for those interested in working for a medical professional or facility. In ACE the student will be exposed to pre- and post-operative care for skin surgery clients and more advanced resurfacing techniques. Another advanced program is available for makeup artistry that includes introductions to corrective makeup applications and makeup for the film and television industries.
Massage Therapy
Massage has been utilized for relaxation and therapeutic applications for thousands of years. Today more people are realizing the therapeutic benefits of massage than ever before. Massage therapy can be useful for the relief of many conditions including:
• Stress
• Tension
• Chronic muscle problems
• Joint and circulatory issues
The Massage Therapy Program at Tennessee Career Institute instructs the student in various modalities including:
• Swedish
• Deep Tissue
• Sports Injury Assessment
• Asian techniques
• Neuromuscular Therapy
• Reflexology
• And more
These techniques are supported by a robust study of Human Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology throughout the program. Students will also learn the basics of building a massage business and will prepare for national examination during their course of study.
The program at the Institute contains 750 contact hours of student and takes approximately one year to complete. Classes are available during the day and evening schedules. Students learn how to use the art of massage to help others increase their range of motion and flexibility to alleviate some of their discomfort and learn to help clients de-stress in this comprehensive program.
Accreditations, Licensing, Affiliation and Financial Aid
Tennessee Career Institute is accredited by NACCAS (National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences)
Our beauty programs are licensed by the State of Tennessee Board of Cosmetology
Massage Therapy is licensed by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission
We are proud members of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools, The National Coalition of Estheticians, Manufacturers/Distributors & Associations (NCEA), the Cosmetology Educators of America, The American Massage Therapy Association and an accredited business of the Better Business Bureau.
Members of our Esthetics Faculty are NCEA Certified
The Institute is approved by the US Department of Education to participate in Title IV Financial Aid programs. Our Student Financial Services Department is available to guide you through the application process for financial aid.
The Institute is approved for Veterans' Educational Benefits.
Contact The Institute!
We appreciate your interest and welcome your visit to our campus. Please click the "Request Information" button on this page to find out more. You must be a high school graduate, or possess a General Equivalency Diploma to attend Tennessee Career Institute. High School Seniors are also welcome to explore with us to plan for study after high school graduation.


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Photo Flash: Mauckingbird Theatre Company Presents TRU and THE THRESHING FLOOR
Mauckingbird Theatre Company delves into the lives of two influential gay writers Truman Capote and James Baldwin - both authors of literary touchstones of the mid-twentieth century. Produced by Mauckingbird Artistic Director Peter Reynolds, TRU by writer Jay Presson Allen and The Threshing Floor by Philadelphia playwright and actor James Ijames will run in repertory January 8 - 31, 2010 (opening nights: TRU - Wednesday, January 13; The Threshing Floor - Thursday, January 14). Held at the Adrienne Theatre's Second Stage, located at 2030 Sansom Street in Philadelphia, tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $15 for students and are available by calling the Mauckingbird Theatre Company box office at (215) 923-8909 or online at www.mauckingbirdtheatreco.org.
TRU offers a look into the psyche of Truman Capote (Breakfast at Tiffany's, In Cold Blood), one of America's most controversial and colorful authors, as he reels from social shunning by his elite Manhattan friends following Esquire Magazine's publication of a gossip-filled chapter from his never-to-be finished work Answered Prayers. Set in the writer's New York City apartment the week before Christmas 1975, the lonely Capote muses about his life and career in this one-man tour de force adapted from the author's own words and works. TRU stars Chris Faith as Truman Capote and is directed by longtime collaborator Tony Braithwaite. Written by Jay Presson Allen, TRU opened on Broadway in 1989, where it ran at the Booth Theatre for nearly 300 performances.
The World Premiere of The Threshing Floor honors the life, ideas, and everlasting imprint of quintessential American writer James Baldwin (Go Tell It on the Mountain, Giovanni's Room). From 1920s Harlem to the bohemian utopia of Paris in the 40s, to the civil unrest of the 50s and 60s, numerous figures from Baldwin's life emerge in this one-man play featuring luminaries like Josephine Baker and Eldridge Cleaver, the author's own lovers, parents, and fellow civil rights activists. The play unfolds through an imagined encounter with the author and a fictional graduate student, who comes to interview Baldwin at his home abroad. The Threshing Floor is written by and stars James Ijames, as James Baldwin and other characters, directed by Brandon McShaffrey.
"The passion that Chris Faith and James Ijames have for both Truman Capote and James Baldwin is what jumpstarted the idea for the repertoire," says Peter Reynolds. "I am very excited to be working with these talented Philadelphia artists, and with directors Tony Braithwaite and Brandon McShaffrey. Mauckingbird Theatre Company is committed to producing professional gay-themed theatre and dedicated to telling stories that really resonate with our mission. It is essential that we take another look at these two authors, who both made major contributions to American literature, and also lived openly gay lives at a time when being homosexual was not in the least socially acceptable and discrimination against gays and lesbians was rampant."
Philadelphia favorites, friends and collaborators Chris Faith and Tony Braithwaite have worked on over a dozen projects together including Grease, Good Evening, Stones in His Pockets, and The Odd Couple. TRU marks their Mauckingbird Theatre Company debut.
"What interests me the most about playing Truman Capote is the daunting challenge of playing someone who was so many things at one time - a short tempered genius, an artist, a frightened child, a deviant, a snob, an advocate for the underdog," says Chris Faith, who first became interested in TRU several years ago.
American writer Truman Capote (1924 - 1984) is the author of many influential literary classics including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) and the pioneering true crime, nonfiction novel In Cold Blood (1965). Over 20 films and television dramas have been created from Capote's vast collection of short stories, novels, plays and works of nonfiction which include The Grass Harp (1951), and his unfinished work Answered Prayers (1987, published posthumously). His writing was greatly influenced by his early childhood spent in Monroeville, Alabama. Openly gay, he was characterized by his high pitched voice and offbeat manner of dress and style. Skyrocketing to fame after the publication of Other Voices, Other Rooms (1948), Capote began a love affair with the social elite, often attending the most exclusive events in both the US and abroad. In the final years of his life, Capote battled drugs and alcohol, writing little while living in recluse before passing away at the age of 59.
Philadelphia-based playwright and theatre professional James Ijames first read James Baldwin's Go Tell It on the Mountain when he was 13 years old. Like the boy in The Threshing Floor who meets his literary idol, Baldwin's work has had a profound impact on his life as an artist.
"Among Black writers, James Baldwin stands as both a giant and an enigma," says James Ijames. "I first read Baldwin as a boy and the impression was indelible. Through his words, I learned quietness and rage, softness and coarse reproof, humility and grandeur. My beginnings as a writer were rooted between the pages of Baldwin's prose - intelligent anguish and perpetual hope in the habit of being human."
James Baldwin (1924 - 1987) was an American writer, playwright, poet, essayist and civil rights activist. Born in Harlem in 1924, he grew up in poverty, the oldest of nine children. Unashamed of his own homosexuality, Baldwin resisted categorization, both as gay novelist and as a Black writer, insisting that he was first and foremost an American writer. His major works include the semi-autobiographical Go Tell it on the Mountain (1953), his first book, essay collections Notes of a Native Son (1955) and The Fire Next Time (963), the play Blues for Mister Charlie (1964), and novels If Beale Street Could Talk (1974), and Another Country (1962). His second novel, Giovanni's Room (1956), stirred controversy when it was first published in 1956 due to its explicit homoerotic content. In 1948, disillusioned by American prejudice against blacks and homosexuals, Baldwin left the United States and departed to Paris, France, where he would live as an expatriate for most of his later life.
BIOS - PRODUCTION TEAM, ACTORS, and DIRECTORS
The repertoire production team includes Marie Anne Chiment (costume design), Matthew Lorenz (sound design), S. Cory Palmer (set design), and Maria Shaplin (lighting design).
Repertoire Producer Peter Reynolds is the Artistic Director of Mauckingbird Theatre Company. He currently serves as the Director of Musical Theater for the Department of Theater at Temple University. In Philadelphia, he has worked at Media Theatre, Act II Playhouse, Walnut Street Theatre, Hedgerow Theatre, Villanova Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, and the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center in New Jersey. Reynolds spent 6 years as Artistic Director of the award-winning HealthWorks Theatre in Chicago and has also worked at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Building Chicago, Apollo Theatre Chicago, St. Louis' HotCity Theatre, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, and Maples Repertory.
Chris Faith, Truman Capote in TRU, has appeared Off-Broadway (The Secret Garden, Like It Is) and performed opposite Linda Eder in The Seduction of Sheila Valentine. He has twice been nominated for a Barrymore Award for Best Actor/Play and Best Supporting Actor/Musical. Regionally, he has performed in productions by The Wilma Theater, Arden Theatre Company, Act II Playhouse, Lenape Regional Arts Center, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and Luna Theatre, among others.
TRU Director Tony Braithwaite is a Barrymore Award-winning actor (The Big Bang, Act II Playhouse) and director who most recently helmed The Fantasticks and Give My Regards To Broadway at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. He was most recently seen in This is the week that is by 1812 Productions. Braithwaite is an eight-time Barrymore Award-nominee, as an actor, writer, or member of an ensemble; a four-time Barrymore Award host; and a two-time Barrymore Award-winner for the Arden Theatre Company's Baby Case Ensemble, and for his performance as Boyd in The Big Bang at Act II Playhouse. For 15 years, Braithwaite has run the theatre program at his beloved alma mater, St. Joseph's Prep, where he is currently directing his 32nd production, The Drowsy Chaperone.
Playwright Jay Presson Allen (1992 - 2006) was an American screenwriter, playwright, stage director, television producer and novelist. Known as one of the most versatile and admired writers, she experienced an unimaginable pinnacle of success in playwriting and screenwriting at a time when a woman in the business was rare. She is the author of The First Wife, which would later be made into the film Wives and Lovers in 1963, starring Janet Leigh and Van Johnson. Allen went on to write the script Marine for her screenwriting mentor Alfred Hitchcock as well as Funny Lady, the sequel to Funny Girl starring Barbra Streisand, and the Academy Award-nominated screenplay adaptations of Robert Daley's book Prince of the City and Bob Fosse's Cabaret. Her Broadway successes include The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Forty Carats, and Tru.
The Threshing Floor playwright and star James Ijames is a Philadelphia-based actor and writer. Regional theater credits include Grey Gardens (Philadelphia Theatre Company), An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Beouf (Arden Theatre Company), Voices Underwater (Gas & Electric Arts), PROM (New Paradise Laboratories) and Ponies (Gloucester Stage Company; Independent Reviewers of New England Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor in a Play). Ijames has written several plays and solo performance pieces including Osiris:Redux, The Moste Lamentable Tragadie of Tobias L. Jason, Henry Box Brown Plays Westminster Abbey, Lily and Spence and She Went to War - commissioned by the National Constitution Center for their 'America I Am: The African American Imprint' exhibition. Ijames works at the National Constitution Center as a Freedom Rising actor and writer, and teaches acting at Rowan University.
Director Brandon McShaffrey, a founding member of Mauckingbird Theatre Company, originally hails from Chicago. He has choreographed productions of Meet Me in St. Louis, Some Enchanted Evening, Into the Woods, The Fantasticks and Grand Hotel. With Maples Repertory Theatre, he directed and choreographed Little Shop of Horrors, High School Musical, I Do! I Do! and Sweet Charity; and directed Sorry! Wrong Chimney! and Dames at Sea. Regional credits include Temple University Theater Productions Shot! (World Premiere, Assistant Director, Director of Movement), Ragtime and Into the Woods (Choreographer). Additional local credits: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Drexel University, Director and Choreographer); Metamorphoses (Villanova University, Director of Movement); and Hedgerow Theatre's Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, A Little Princess, and Charlottes Web (Director, Choreographer). McShaffrey is currently pursuing his MFA in Directing at Temple University.
Founded by Artistic Director Peter Reynolds and Managing Director Lindsay Mauck, Mauckingbird Theatre Company is committed to producing professional gay-themed theatre, while also exploring classic literature and musical genres and providing affordable productions of infrequently produced works. Past productions include the critically acclaimed all-male versions of Shakespeare's R & J (2008) and The Misanthrope (2008), the lesbian adaptation of Hedda Gabler (2009), and Never the Sinner: The Leopold and Loeb Story (2009).
Photos by Jill McCorkel
James Ijames
Chris Faith
Capote / Baldwin


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The Gulf Today, which is published in United Arab Emirates and available in English, published the article of Harun Yahya which is titled as "The Importance of Loyalty" on August 04th 2012 on its Ramadan pages. In this article Mr. Yahya describes how loyalty is important in terms of the moral values of a believer.
2012-10-01 04:29:58