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July 13th, 2011 (4:18 PM). Edited July 13th, 2011 by Dialga111.
Category: Original Trainer (I think?)
Rating: I'm afraid I don't know the technic names, but I guess it can be read by everyone. No violence, sex, cussing words or anything like that (well, if it counts, there are a few chapters in which characters run risk of life, but nothing too bad)
I'll put the introduction in spoiler tags, it ended up a bit bigger than I wanted (please read it!)
Hey everyone, this is the first time I write a fan fiction. It's Pokémon, but with some elements from Greek Mythology. Actually, you won't see any stories or characters from Greek Mythology in this. I thought that if I did that, it would be just crap. Instead, I used some concepts and ideas from the mythology to create a whole new Pokémon Mythology. With gods that resemble Greek gods, stories that look like real ones, but, somehow, different from anything you've seen.
I'd like to apologize for possible Grammar atrocities, English is not my first language, and I'm sure I'll make MANY mistakes. A few have already been corrected by some friends of mine, but if you spot anything that needs a change, please let me know. Also, I love constructive criticism, I take it the good way (some people don't xP) so have no fear to criticize.
I'm currently writing the 3rd chapter of the story. You'll notice, when I post everything, that I've changed the style I adopted to write it in the third chapter. In the first two chapters I was like:
Character A: text
Character B: text
And now I use the [ - ] symbol to start dialogues, itallics in the middle of narrator's paragraph to show thoughts, and stuff like that. Ok, enough talking, here's the Prologue:
According to the Ancient Tale, in the beginning, there was only Chaos. From it would have been formed the Sky, the Sea and the Underworld, each ruled by a God. As time passed by, the God-Sea would have agitated the water, separating the oceans and shaping the Land. Each Great god in their own kingdom, the land would be neutral terrain. The Big Three would have then created all life, and assigned deities to command it. This way would have been born the world in perfect harmony... until the day of the Great Segregation.
The gods' home was disturbed by a conflict between two goddesses: Ethnaa, the goddess of wisdom, and Ephrotida, the goddess of beauty. Originally a small misunderstanding, it's grown bigger, and taken as a personal war between the goddesses. The harmony in the god's home was broken, which caused it to break apart from the continent, isolating all its inhabitants, and, with them, Aesthi, the goddess of the home.
The war would then have grown to cataclysmic proportions, and the remaining gods started to choose which of their sisters they would support. By Ethnaa's side were Phetheasus, the god of metallurgy; Temrasi, the goddess of the moon; Rhemse, the god of the travelers; and Metreed, the goddess of fertility. By Ephrotida's side, Esar, the god of war; Paollo, the god of the sun; Rhea, the goddess of the wedding; and Yondisus, the god of the wine. All of the gods chose a side to support, except Aesthi, the isolated goddess, and the Big Three, until then in a deep slumber in their own kingdoms. Until then.
Uzes, the big God-Sky was the first to be awoken by the war. Enraged by how their creations were destroying the world that took so many eons to be shaped, he begun to send them warnings. Little demonstrations of his power to try to stop the war without big damages: a few thunders and tornadoes here and there. At first the gods were scared by these things never before seen, but they stopped caring. Uzes then had to take proper measures. He woke Sepodion and Shade up, the God-Sea and the God-Death, respectively. Only the powers of the three of them combined would be able to put an end to this war.
Uzes acted first: strong hurricanes were able to scare the people away: the rival groups ran to opposite directions, gathering in the coasts. Sepodion then used his power to soak the central zone of the continent, dividing it in two big islands, isolating the rival groups from each other. Shade, in the end, cursed the gods for disturbing the world peace and put them to sleep for eternity. Finally, the Big Three returned to their slumber in their own kingdoms.
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July 18th, 2011 (1:59 PM).
Well, since nobody posted I figured I should post the first chapter
???: Wake up! Wake up, Mike!
Chapter I: The Sacred Day
Mike: Uh, what? What's up, Lily? Why so hype?
Lily: It's today! The Aesthi Day! We need to hurry if we want to be chosen! Come on! Bob is waiting for us downstairs.
The Aesthi Day is celebrated every year in honor to the pure goddess who stayed out of the war. It's the only day of the year when humans can visit the Aesthi Sanctuary, deep in the Sacred Forest. This year, however, it's much more important.
Mike was a tall 16 year-old boy who lived in a small village in the Lasa Island, the heart of the Slympou continent. He lived with his parents and his twin sister, Lily, a pretty ambitious teenager. Their neighbor, Bob, is one month older than the twins and they've grown up together and became best friends. They share a common dream: explore the Slympou continent and visit all of the Sanctuaries, sacred places built by the gods to concentrate the essence of their power.
Mike dressed up and brushed his teeth in a minute and met Bob and Lily by the front door.
Bob: Hey, Mike! Thought you'd never come! Let's go! It's the most important day in the millennium and we're late for it! Your parents went ahead with mine.
Mike: Let's hurry, then!
The twins and their neighbor ran in the direction of a great forest to the North of the Lasa Island. The Sacred Forest was specially imposing today, a huge event was about to happen and it was like the trees knew how important it was: they were more green and full of leaves than ever before. As the trio got closer to the forest they could see more and more people going in the same direction as them. A path had been cleared to guide the visitants to the center of the forest. After some time, Mike, Lily and Bob arrived at their destination: a huge agglomeration of people in front of a lake and a small island in its center.
Looking from above, the Home Lake looked like a big eye watching the heavens. The water of the lake was clear as crystal, so clean and transparent you could see the glowing white fish swimming underwater. However, it was so deep that the bottom couldn't be seen, only a black pit. The feeling you'd get by looking at the river is that the fish were flying over a bottomless pit. The small island was actually floating in the surface of the water; there was no ground under it, which, considering what was located on the island, would be impossible.
In the magical small island was an imposing huge architecture made of pure marble with details in gold. Four five-meter tall pillars sustained a rooftop which consisted of two big rectangles inclined forming a right angle. Underneath the rooftop, over a white marble floor was a colossal throne, but nobody was sat on it. Right in front of the throne, a small statue of a sleeping puppy made of pure gold contrasted with the white marble. To each side of the throne was a fireplace, the one to the left being empty and cold: the fireplace that should contain the spirit of hope, stolen with the fire when the war was first starting. The one to the right burned an eternal fire taken directly from the sun. The everlasting flame would go weak in sad times, but today it was specially bright. It resisted all the storms, survived to winds and dazed the darkness. The four pillars had inscriptions in gold written in an ancient language. Near the top of the throne, in golden letters could be read: AESTHI. The island was inaccessible to all humans and animals, but every time a fire was lit, wherever in the world, it was thanks to Aesthi's fire, which provided the energy and the heat to all the homes.
Lily: The Aesthi Sanctuary… It looks more beautiful every time I come here. Have you seen how the flame is brighter this year?
Mike: What did you expect? Of course it would be! Have you forgotten what this year means? Look: the mayor will speak! Let's be quiet.
Right in front of the lake, a mid-age man wearing a black suit and a bowler hat, with a thin white beard and mustache, got up in an improvised stage. As the mayor of Lasa Village started talking, all of the conversations and rumors in the crowd stopped.
Mayor: As you all know, we were gifted to be born in this sacred peaceful island away from every war or discussion. Our Goddess, by refusing to join the war, sacrificed herself, but blessed the inhabitants of her Home. In honor to her, the Big Three leave their kingdoms once every thousand years to visit this island and give birth to three unique creatures. Today, my friends, completes exactly 1000 years since it has last happened. At any moment we might receive an unforgettable visit from the Gods. Be prepared for anything. In the meantime, I'd like to call my dearest friend, Professor Cherry, to say a few words.
By the sound of claps, an attractive young woman wearing long red hair got up in the stage. She was wearing a short red dress and a laboratory jacket over it.
Professor Cherry: Hello everybody, as you might know, I'm a Pokémon researcher and I specialize in History of the Pokémon. I am proud to announce to you all that today is also the day that I am founding my corporation of historical investigation: Mythos Inc. As its president, my duty is to find links between the History of our continent and the existing species of Pokémon. This is why this event is extremely important to me. With the probable arrival of the gods and the creation of the new species I might be able to study these new Pokémon and perhaps prove the origin of our universe by the gods. One last thing: as you probably have heard, the legends say that when the new creatures are born, they choose three humans to swear eternal loyalty to, just as Aesthi had sworn eternal loyalty to the Big Three.
At that moment, the ground started shaking. People started shouting as the skies turned from blue to white and the water of Home Lake started boiling. Suddenly, an enormous warm wave was liberated from the lit fireplace and all the people became quiet. Nobody moved a muscle. Even the animals in the trees and the fish in the lake stood still. The sanctuary started glowing brighter than anything ever seen before. At the same time, the Big Three showed themselves. From the sky, a white glowing eagle flew down in an unimaginable speed. Its white wings and tails made of clouds waved as the wind was blown through them. The blue-eyed bird opened its beak and emitted a sound that could be heard in the whole world. The sound made the people walk a few steps back. The lake started glowing blue and water was launched two meters in the air, forming a cylinder, in the middle of which, a big blue sea serpent floated around. The water then flew to it and formed spirals around its endless body. Its tail turned into water itself, fusing the creature with the lake. At the same time, in the space where previously were found the people, a dark crater opened up a bottomless pit and a black ram with bright silver horns came jumping from the Underworld. Its void-like fur turned into smoke and gave the air a cold death feeling. The three gods gathered right in front of the frightened and wondered humans, which were paralyzed by the gods' presence.
After a moment that seemed to last an eternity, when the gods were watching the humans and deciding if they were worth the gift, the Big Three turned their backs and gathered around the lit fireplace. The flame intensified so much that it now was pure white and part of it escaped from the marble construction. The first one to approach it was Shade, the smoke ram. The fire got pitch black as soon as it got close, then partially red, and white again. From the flames jumped an animal: a small puppy with a small head and huge legs. Its fur was red and it had a dark jewel on its forehead and two black stripes on its front legs, as well as a golden collar with a dark stone. The dog coughed, looked up at the immobile humans, smiled and started running around in circles, waving its tail made of flames. Shade then approached the other fireplace and emitted a noise, which, even for the humans, could be understood as "I'm sorry". The ram then joined the others and it was Sepodion's turn. The sea serpent got close to the fire as it gradually got blue-ish. When in the color of the sea, the flame then became golden, and then back to white. The same way as before, another animal jumped out of it. This time, a small equine appeared. At first confused, the blue horse that had fins and gills tripped, but then looked up and jumped in the water and started swimming. Proud of its creature, Sepodion approached the other fireplace and spoke to Aesthi's gone spirit in an ancient language what could be understood as "Thank you". The serpent then joined Shade while Uzes went ahead to the fireplace. Upon the approach of the cloud eagle, the fire immediately got silver, then green and back to white. Out of the fire jumped a bird. The beige bird with green feathers and leaf wings and tail shook its head and wings and started flying around the Sanctuary. Like the others, Uzes spoke to the other fireplace in the gods' language, but everybody could hear an "Excuse me" from the bird.
After giving birth to the new Pokémon, the gods once again turned to the humans, started glowing and left to their kingdoms, Shade jumped to the Underworld by the crater, Sepodion dived to the Seas connected to the bottom of the lake and Uzes flew back to the Heavens, above the clouds. The sky, until then white, got back to its usual blue and everybody could finally move. The mayor then spoke to the people.
Mayor: Those, my friends, were the Big Three gods, and these… are our gift.
July 24th, 2011 (7:19 PM).
Here's Chapter Two. Please, read it... somebody x.x
Chapter II: A Near-Death Choice
There was something different in the Mayor's voice when he announced that the Pokémon would be taken to Professor Cherry's laboratory. He left a feeling of, perhaps fear, transpire while he spoke to the people. His eyes had an unusual shine that demonstrated some sort of anxiety:
Mayor: The Pokémon will be taken to Professor Cherry's laboratory. A proper analysis of their genetic information will be done to help on her investigations. The legend says three people will be chosen by the new species. We don't know who will be chosen or when it will happen, so we'd like to ask you to meet us in the Mythos Building tomorrow at noon. For now, good evening, my friends.
As the sunset approached, the people started leaving the Sanctuary and going back to their usual lives. Mike, Lily and Bob, however, had a passion for the history of Slympou, and every year they were always the last ones to leave the forest. They wanted to stay all the time they could near the Sanctuary. Tonight they were sitting by the lakeside, watching the new Pokémon play.
Lily: *Sigh* I wish we could enter the sanctuary. I really want to see those inscriptions closer. And sit on that throne… and the essence of Aesthi's power is stored there…
Bob: Well, you could swim there.
Lily: Don't be dumb! You know anybody who is fool enough to dive in the lake never gets back. You are pulled down to the darkest depths of the Seas.
Mike: Well, the little horse seems to do pretty well there. It's my favorite one out of the three of them. What about you guys?
But before they could answer, somebody arrived. A really beautiful girl with long dark hair came up to them and started talking:
???: Don't even think about it! You'd never be chosen. In fact, I will get the three of them.
Lily: Oh, hi Vittoria, nice to see you too. And you know that's impossible. They choose different people.
Vittoria: Humph, just stories. My father will get me the three of them. They don't get to choose the people. And even if they did, they would obviously choose me. Who wouldn't love me?
Bob: Oh my god, I think I'm going to vomit. Seriously, Vic. Just because you're the mayor's daughter, it doesn't mean that they'll choose you. The newborns are above you or your father.
Vittoria: That's what you think! And I already told you to stop calling me Vic! I hate it! My name is Vittoria! With a double T! There isn't even a C in it! And just you wait. As soon as my dad's and prof's scientists manage to attract those things to the building, they will catch them for me!
Mike: Yeah, yeah, we know it. Why don't you go dream elsewhere? We were having a nice chat until you came here. Your father must be looking for you, go away.
Vittoria was the mayor's only child. A very spoiled and stubborn girl, she always had everything she wanted. Her father, being rich, would buy her anything and everything. She had already visited the whole world, and her favorite place was the mall at Kallone City, the city built in honor to Ephrotida. She would always get really upset when things didn't go the way she wanted.
Vittoria: I'll help them get the Pokémon to come here. They sure will want to come when they see me. See you, losers.
They kept quiet while the girl was getting away, and when she was far enough, Lily was the first one to talk:
Lily: Ugh, I can't stand her. She's so idiot! If she tries to steal the Pokémon… oh I don't even want to think what I'd do!
Mike: Calm down, sis. There's nothing she can do. They just won't go with her.
Bob: Hey, you know what? She actually gave me an idea. Let's try our chances with the Pokémon too. Who knows? We might or might not be the chosen ones, but they don't seem to be going to leave there until they find the ones they trust.
Mike: Yeah, sure, why not? Let's go!
The three of them then got up and walked to the stage, where the Mayor and Professor Cherry were trying to draw the newborns' attention. Vittoria was just talking to her father, without helping at all.
Vittoria: Please, dad, please! You will get them to me, won't you?
Mayor: I'll do my best, honey, but they need to choose you!
Vittoria: I'm sure they will! Oh, but if they don't? Dad! Please!
Professor Cherry: Oh, hey kids. Did you come to help us? We've been trying all day, but they just look at us and turn their backs.
Mike: Yeah, we wanted to give it a shot. There's no problem if we try, is there?
Vittoria: Of course there is! They are mine! Go away!
Angry, Vittoria strongly shoved Mike away, definitely a little too strong. The boy was standing near the lake shore, and fell in the lake, splashing water everywhere. The fish started shining brighter and were swimming in Mike's direction while, outside the water, a desperate Lily yelled at Vittoria as Bob tried to stop her from jumping at the lake to try save her brother.
Lily: YOU IDIOT! Look what you did! Mike! Mike, come on! You can swim! Come here, brother! I know you can get out of here! Bob! Let me go! I'll save him! I can save him! MIKE!!
Lily, Bob, the Mayor and Professor Cherry were all trying to rescue Mike without falling in the water, but he was too deep already and they couldn't reach him. Vittoria was sitting in a corner crying desperately and yelling, but she wouldn't help them.
Underwater, Mike was starting to lose consciousness. When he first fell, he tried to swim back, but it was like a strong current was pulling his legs and his arms downwards. He couldn't reach the surface no matter how hard he tried. His eyesight started getting blurry, everything was getting white – he didn't know, but it was actually the fish which were getting close to him, ready to attack.
When everything seemed lost for the poor boy, the unexpected happened. When Mike was closing his eyes and got ready to take his last breath which would fill his lungs with water and terminate his life earlier than it should, he saw a shadow overcoming the bright fish and coming into his direction. He didn't know what or how, but something didn't want him to end like that. Some sort of animal bit his T-shirt and started pulling him to the surface. In an always increasing speed, the animal, which was stronger than its size would suggest, managed to successfully bring Mike back to the surface and save his life. Even though being able to breathe again, Mike didn't stand the accident and fainted. The last thing he saw was the starry sky over his head and the light coming from Aesthi's fireplace.
When Mike finally woke up, he was in a room he had never seen before. It seemed like a hospital, but he knew it wasn't it; the hospital had white walls, while this room had them gray. Everything had a metallic feel. The place was quiet and extremely clean. Nobody else was in the room. Mike was lying in something that wasn't a bed, it seemed like a table. He sat up and looked around. There were lots of computers and screens showing graphs and charts he couldn't decipher. The wall behind of him had a huge mirror, in which he could see he was now wearing pajamas – somebody must have had changed his wet clothes so he didn't get sick. Feeling a little dizzy and unsure about where he was or what had happened earlier, he got up and was about to leave the room when the door itself opened and revealed Professor Cherry with a big smile on her face.
Professor Cherry: Hello little chosen one. Did you know you're really lucky?
Mike didn't understand at first, but then flashbacks ran through his mind: Vittoria was angry, he fell in the lake, fish got close, a black shadow, then the sky. The sky was the only thing he seemed to remember well. It seemed like it was laughing at him. A mysterious laughter that showed, at the same time, entertainment and satisfaction. Something had played with his life and he had not enjoyed it. Either way, Mike tried to move the bad feelings away and concentrate on Professor Cherry, who had guided him back to the bed/table he had been sleeping on and now looked at him entertained with his confusion, but still smiling fondly.
Mike: I… we… where are us?
Professor Cherry: We're in my lab, in the Mythos Building. When you fainted we brought you here so I could take care of you. Phil suggested me to take you to the hospital, but I thought it would be safer to bring you here. The Home Lake has unknown toxins which the hospital doesn't have antidotes for, but I do, as I've been researching the lake for quite some time now. You're probably still confused about what happened. I'll let you talk to your family and they'll tell you.
Professor Cherry kindly messed Mike's hair and left the laboratory, coming a few moments later with Mike's parents and sister. Upon seeing her brother awake, Lily started crying and ran to hug him.
Lily: Mike! Oh Mike, I'm so relieved you're ok! You have no idea of how much we were worried about you! And about that idiot, she'll never get close to us again! Never!
Mom: Oh, honey, I'm so happy to see you're ok! Don't you ever get close to that place again, you hear me?!
Dad: Hey son! Great to see you're awake. Ready for another one?
Lily: Dad!
Dad: Hey, just kidding! Seriously now, Mike. Are you alright?
Mike: Well, I guess I am… but, what exactly happened? I don't remember very well.
Lily: You fell in the lake! That stupid Vittoria did it! When you were there, you were being pulled down by some strange force, but then… he saved you. Mike, Sepodion's creature chose you! He saved your life! You are the first chosen one.
Mike: What? You're telling me I was chosen? Out of everybody?
Lily: Yeah! It's a really smart Pokémon. I'm sure it recognized how great of a person you are. It is said that only the ones with a pure heart can be chosen. That's why I'm afraid I never will… I… I wanted to do to Vittoria what she did to you… I don't have a pure heart…
Mike: Hey, don't say that. Of course you will! Come on! If it was you who had fallen, I would have felt the same way! Cheer up, little sis! There are still two more!
Lily: Yeah… either way, when you were brought back to the surface, Professor Cherry brought you here. You've been asleep for hours. She said there are way more toxins in the lake than she thought. It's a miracle you're alive. By the way, your new Pokémon is waiting for you outside. Don't you want to say hello to him?
Mike: Hell yeah! Let's go!
When Mike and his family left the laboratory, they met Professor Cherry, the Mayor and Bob waiting for him. There was no sight of Vittoria. They were sitting in chairs in what seemed like a waiting room, but as soon as they saw him, everybody got up.
Bob: Mike! You're ok, dude! Man, what a shock that was! Never do it again, ok?!
Mayor: Mike, my friend. I'd like to apologize for my daughter. What she did was unforgivable, that's for sure. But I'd sincerely want you to not keep any resentment. I only want the best for the citizens of Lasa Village, and if I knew that Vittoria would do something like that, I'd never let her come to the lake today. Be sure that she will be punished for her acts.
Mike: Well, thank you mister Mayor. I won't keep any resentment against you, but don't expect me to be friends with your daughter or anything like that. It will be really hard to me to get over it.
Mayor: It's understandable. Once more, I'm sorry.
Professor Cherry: So, enough with sad talk, right? Mike, do you want to meet your new friend? I've already made an analysis of him and he was added to the Pokédex. In fact, I believe you deserve to keep your own Pokédex, here it is.
The Professor handed the boy a small gadget: a small rectangular red instrument with a touch screen with information. In the screen could be seen a photo of a blue horse. Next to it, the number 007, a name and a description: Equide, the tide Pokémon. With its incredible force and speed, it can control currents and waves. Water type.
Mike: Equide… Can I see him now, professor?
Professor Cherry: Sure, let's go, he's in the next room.
As Professor Cherry guided Mike to the next room, her eyes met the Mayor's and sparkled severely. She didn't need to say a word, but the Mayor knew what she was thinking. And he was afraid of it. Nobody else seemed to notice this.
Mike was completely surprised when he went through the small door leading to the room where he'd meet his savior. He entered a huge room, many times bigger than the waiting room they were before. This new room had no ceiling, so he could see the sky, it was still dark outside, but it was almost dawn – the sun was slowly starting to enlighten the sky. Right in front of them were dozens of Pokémon, most of which were birds or rodents. However, one Pokémon contrasted with the others. The blue horse which Mike had seen be born in the fireplace was playing around with some other species, but it stopped as soon as it spotted the boy. With a neigh of happiness, it ran in Mike's direction and jumped on him, knocking him to the floor.
Mike: Hey buddy, I'm happy to see you too! Uh, thank you for saving my life!
Equide neighed once more and started running around Mike as the boy got up.
Professor Cherry: He only came with us to follow you. He wouldn't come if you weren't with us. The other two Pokémon remained there. We tried everything we could, but, unfortunately it seems that they will only come with the chosen ones.
Professor Cherry had a serious air whenever she talked about the legends of Slympou. As she talked, the Mayor entered the room.
Professor Cherry: Oh, hey Phil. I was telling Mike something more about the legend. I was about to tell him the part about the Sanctuary.
Mayor: Oh, the Sanctuary. Indeed. This part is rather interesting. And not many people seem to know about it. You know, my friend, that humans are only allowed to go to the Sanctuary once a year, in the Aesthi day, right?
Mike: Yeah, I know, but now it's past midnight. We can't go there anymore.
Mayor: Right. But Shade's and Uzes' gifts are still there. And they'll only leave with their chosen ones, right?
Mike: Yeah, but how can the chosen ones get there? They'd get lost in the forest forever. And more, we don't even know who the other chosen ones are.
Professor Cherry: The legend says that gods' creatures can guide their trainers through the forest. You have free access to Home Lake, Mike. And more: you can go there with two people you trust.
Mike: Seriously? Well, I think I already know who to take there then.
Mayor: However, must I add, that if the people you take there aren't the other chosen ones, the gods will punish the three of you, take back their creatures and you'll be lost forever. Mike, I'd like to ask a favor of you.
Mike: Uh, yes sir?
Mayor: Mike, I'd like to ask you to take Vittoria with you. I know it's hard for you to even hear her name after what happened tonight, but please, it's really important to her, and it's really important to me too. I helped save your life tonight, Mike, do this little favor to me.
Mike: What? She tries to kill me and you want me to trust her? I'm sorry, mister mayor, but, as Professor Cherry said, I can go there with two people I trust. I don't trust your daughter, I never will, and I'm sure the gods don't either. I'll bring the two people who I really feel that could be chosen.
Professor Cherry: Yeah, Phil, you're asking too much from the boy. It was a near-death experience, and Vittoria was responsible for it. Let's just let Mike rest for tonight and he may go in the afternoon, right, Mike?
Mike: Yeah, right. I just want to be with my family and my friends for now. Let's go, Equide.
The horse showed its happiness by neighing again and followed Mike as he left the room, without letting the Mayor say anything. Phil knew that this favor he had made hadn't pleased Mike nor Cherry, and he knew there would be consequences to his unwise request.
That night, Mike couldn't sleep very well. First of all, because it wasn't night. By the time he got home it was already morning, but he needed some sleep before going into the forest again. He had already decided who were the ones to deserve his and the gods' trust. The teenager had terrible nightmares while he slept. Dreams with the lake pulling him to the darkness and not being able to get back, the laughing sky turning into Vittoria's face, then everything would get white and he saw the Big Three cursing him for choosing the wrong people to come with him. Figures that made no sense to him hunted him in his dreams, always trying to kill him, and when they were about to be successful, he would wake up. By noon, he decided to get up. Mike had a mission in which he couldn't fail.
Downstairs, Mike met his family and Bob, visiting them.
Mom: Good morning honey, are you feeling better?
Mike: Yeah, kind of, mom. Everyone, I have to tell you something.
Lily: What's it, Mike?
Lily had been sad ever since the night. She was sure she would never deserve to be chosen by the gods. The girl had had terrible thoughts with Vittoria, in which tortures ten times worse to drowning would happen to her. Mike hadn't told anybody about his mission yet. He had decided to rest before doing so.
Mike: Last night, when I was in the Pokémon room in the Mythos Building, prof Cherry and Mayor Phil told me something about the ancient legend that not many people know. I want to tell you all.
While Mike told the story, his parents, Lily and Bob were getting agitated and anxious for his announcement, which, his mom, knowing him very well, already knew what would be.
Mike: Lily, Bob, I want you two to come with me. You're the only ones I trust enough for this.
July 24th, 2011 (7:49 PM).
I've only skimmed your story, but I have a question. Why are you not using dialogue tags (he said, she asked, stuff like that)? This doesn't seem like a scriptfic, so I'm a bit confused.
July 25th, 2011 (6:07 AM).
well, yeah, you're right. When I first started writing the story, I was really unexperienced. In fact, I had never written anything before. In the Third Chapter (which I have already written, but haven't posted yet), I've used the proper dialogue tags. I've changed a lot the way I write between these first two chapters and the third one. I'm currently writing the 4th one, and from now on, I'll always use the right tags =)
Thank you
July 25th, 2011 (8:16 AM).
Alright, I understand, though I do suggest you edit your first two chapters and put in dialogue tags. Otherwise, potential readers will be put off, thnking the rest of the fic will be like that.
July 30th, 2011 (5:52 PM).
Chapter III: Falling in love
The boy and the girl were at first surprised by the story, but Bob never thought he would choose someone else. The boy accepted the task right away. Lily, however, was afraid. She didn't want to go with them.
- Mike! I told you! I'm not going to be chosen! You and Bob will be cursed if I go with you!
- Lily – reasoned Bob – Mike chose us to this mission. He trusts us enough for this. He is trusting his life to us. He would never choose us if he didn't know everything would be ok.
- Sis, please. Do it. For yourself. For Bob. For me. Come on, Lily. You can do it. I know you can.
- Well… I don't know… - Lily feared the worst. The things she had thought about Vittoria… the gods would never forgive her. However, the girl found the courage to accept the mission. – Ok. I'm going. But you know you'll be cursed.
- That's what I'm talking about! Let's go, Sis! The forest is big and we have two Pokémon to find!
Meanwhile, in the Mythos Building, Professor Cherry and the Mayor were alone in the woman's laboratory.
- I've told you hundreds of times before! Don't do anything stupid! Bringing the girl yesterday was just dumb! And that request for the boy! Don't even get me started into it! Phil. You've been doing too many mistakes recently. I have stood once, I have stood twice. If you do something like that for the third time, don't expect me to be so nice as I am now.
- But June, there's nothing to be afraid of. Nothing is going wrong. The boy has no idea of anything. And nor does Vittoria. Just calm down and it will be alright.
- Phil. I've waited way too long for this. If anything wrong happens, and I said anything, and it's your fault, you make sure that I will not let it pass. You will suffer the consequences. And never again do anything without telling me first.
- Ok June. I won't. By the way, your siblings…
- I know. I'm heading to Kallone right now. Wait until the kids go to the forest and then head to Sofia. The girls must know everything. The boys can wait. Do not use your phone.
When the clock hit noon, everybody had gathered in the town's exit. A huge crowd gathered to watch their departure. In the center of the group, Mike, Bob and Lily, alongside with Equide, were saying goodbye to their parents and the Mayor.
- I'm so sorry that Professor Juniper couldn't come. She had an urgent appointment in Kallone City and had to leave right away. – Apologized Phil.
- It's ok, mister Mayor, - answered Mike - we understand. Mom, Dad, wish us luck!
- Don't you do anything dangerous, and stay away from the lake, you hear me? – Said Mike's mother – and this goes for you two as well, Lily and Bob.
- Don't worry mom, as long as we got Equide with us, we'll be fine!
- Ok, good luck now! Take care!
And so, our heroes left to the interior of the forest. Few knew them about the challenges they'd face in the mysterious Sacred Forest.
Upon entering the forest, everything seemed really calm. The path that had been cut in the eve had disappeared; the trees had surprisingly grown back and covered up the route to the lake, so that no common citizen could disturb the sanctuary. No Pokémon could be seen, but if they were to stop and pay attention, many noises and shadows denounced smart creatures, observing as the kids ventured through the plants, avoiding thorns and vines as they proceeded.
- It's really calm here, don't you think? – Mentioned Bob.
- Hell yeah, I thought we'd have already found something different, but all I see are trees and other plants. – Agreed Mike.
- Don't let the apparent silence fool you. This place is full of Pokémon we've never seen before. Most of them have incredible camouflage techniques, so, even though we don't realize they are here, they are here to be found.
- That's scary, isn't it? To think there are Pokémon that can see you, but you can't see them. – said Bob.
- Yeah, and the fact that most of them are bugs doesn't help either – replied Lily.
- At these times I'm glad I have Equide to help me battle anything that shows up – commented Mike, relieved.
The group walked and walked, but didn't have any success on finding either of the Pokémon they were searching for. When sunset approached, they decided to camp and rest for the night that was about to come.
- Ugh, it's still the first day and I can't stand it anymore! I'm exhausted! And we haven't found a single Pokémon all day! Let alone those two! – Complained Bob
- Don't worry Bob, I'm sure we'll have better luck tomorrow – Mike said, trying to cheer his friend up.
- We're doing something wrong. – Thought Lily - That's for sure. Tomorrow, we should try to trace a plan to find them. We need to understand how Equide came to Mike and try to find some sort of pattern to look for when…
- Ah! You're giving me headaches! Stop talking like that! Let's just walk the whole forest and we'll find them! – Shouted Mike.
- Well, when we get completely lost after weeks and all our food supply ends, don't tell me I didn't try to help. – Answered the girl.
- Well, let's just rest for tonight guys. It was a tiring day and we need to sleep. 'Night everyone! – Bob always knew how to stop fights between the siblings before they even started. It was the result of many years living with them. As they all grew up together, Bob knew exactly when Lily and Mike were about to start fighting, and always did something to stop that.
After eating and chatting for a while, the trio finally went to sleep. They had sleeping bags they had brought, which was perfect for the forest floor, and kept them warm and protected during the night. It was a starry night, and the forest was pretty silent. The three of them slept like babies the whole night. Equide, which was always walking by Mike's said, slept near the boy's feet, always trying to protect him from any kind of danger.
The night went by and early in the morning, one of the boys woke up with the sun. Bob had had great dreams that night, and now was staring at the sky while being lost in thoughts.
Even though Bob had grown up and lived with Mike and Lily his whole life, there were things about him that his neighbors didn't know. Emotions he had never showed, feelings that he had never let slip away. Bob liked all of his friends a lot, but there was one special person. And she didn't know how he felt about her. The boy had tried to show his feelings more than once, but the girl he had dreamt with last night wouldn't see what he was trying to show, no matter what he did. But then he saw it. And he had the perfect idea.
Watching the clouds and the trees, Bob saw something perfect. Up on top of a high tree, a flower. But not just any flower. He knew it was the flower he had been looking for. The flower that would make the girl understand his feelings.
Getting up in a jump, the young man decided to grab that flower. To do so, all he had to do was climbing a 5 meters tall tree, with strange – and probably poisonous – creatures hidden in its smallest holes just waiting to attack whichever pray was crazy enough to get close. Easy.
And so he started. Bob jumped the highest he could. Too bad his highest wouldn't even reach the lowest branches. Damn genetics making me this short – thought the boy when he uselessly kept jumping on the tree's roots trying to grab any little branch that his hands could find.
Stop. I'll have to do it some other way. And so the short man stopped, took a long breath and started doing it the right way. Bob got close to the tree, wrapped his arms and legs around the stem, held his body strongly against the tree, and used all his strength to start pushing him upwards. And, somehow, it worked. It seemed like a strange force was helping him, giving him enough energy to keep pushing his body to the top of the tree.
Bob had never felt so strong. Usually, he would just be overshadowed by something Mike did. He felt happy for his friend, but it was always Mike who did the cool things, who got the recognition for something important they'd do. Not that it was a bad thing, Mike had its own importance, but Bob felt like he was always left aside. He never did anything important, just congratulated his neighbor for his doings. Now, however, he was experimenting a different feeling. The feeling of actually doing something, and not just staying in the backstage. He would get that flower, and people would know it was his doing, and not Mike's. It was important for him.
So important that the simple thought of having it seemed to give him extra strength to keep climbing. He never told anybody, but Bob was terribly afraid of heights. This, however, was something he had to do for the girl he loved, and no fear could stop him from getting that great little plant. After a long and exhausting climbing, Bob finally reached the top of the tree. The boy managed to sit on its strong leaves and admire the flower he had worked so hard to get close to.
- That's it. The flower I've always wanted to give her, but none is grown in the village: a red lily. Perhaps now she'll know what I feel.
The boy was so enchanted for having conquered the tree that he had forgotten about his fear of heights. However, he was quickly reminded of this terrible sensation when, after carefully grabbing the flower, he looked down and saw the immense space of five meters separating him from the floor, where the twins were peacefully sleeping.
A strong dizziness took over his body; he closed his eyes and felt the tree shaking by the weight of his unbalanced body trying unsuccessfully to maintain itself stuck to the trunk, while the boy was still trying to hold on to the precious flower he had worked so hard to find and get. The more Bob tried to hold on to the tree, the more would it shake. The branches that were holding him started to tear apart, not able to support the extra weight for any longer. The frightened teenager felt something climbing through his leg: a bug of some sort, ready to bite him as he desperately waved his hands and shouted in a vain request for help. Soon enough, jumping seemed like the most reasonable action to take. That is, if anything at this point could be considered reasonable. In his state of mind, Bob couldn't even think on what he was doing, all he wanted was to go down and stay far, far away from any tall places he feared so much.
At long last, the branches finally couldn't stand his weight anymore and gave in to the heavy body of the ever shouting boy. The bug that was now walking on Bob's back, in its way to his head flew away when the boy kicked the air and started a free fall into the not-so-soft floor of the forest.
Bob's shouts for help managed to wake his friends up even from such a huge distance. Mike and Lily were both desperate, but there was nothing they could do. Their best friend was falling to his death and all they could do was watch. Mike could now understand how Lily and Bob had felt the previous night when he fell on the Home Lake. What he was feeling now could almost be compared to what he felt when he almost drowned in that sacred place.
Lily burst into tears the moment she realized what was going on. She had almost lost her brother a few hours ago and now Bob was falling from what seemed like the highest tree she had ever seen. It was too much for her. The feeling of inability to help was only getting worse. First her brother, and now her best friend. No, he was more than her best friend. She was sure of that. Bob wasn't just a random friend. He was different. He was special. And he was falling.
Bob started losing consciousness, but he still held the flower strong close to its body, like this was the only thing that was keeping him alive. It was the only motivation for him not to let go of his life and sleep for eternity, or so it seemed to him. When all hope seemed lost, and his hand was starting to release the flower, everything stopped. He was not falling anymore. And he was not afraid. Down on the floor, Mike and Lily could only see a green line crossing the sky, and Bob disappeared. He hadn't noticed, but the boy in love was now being carried by a bird. A beige bird with green feathers and leaves as wings and tail prevented the boy from getting hurt and was now holding him in its sharp talons. Uzes' creature saved Bob's life, and was gently soaring through the forest air, taking him to the floor in safety.
Mike and Lily were at first paralyzed and shocked when Bob disappeared, but, as soon as they spotted the bird they've been able to breathe in relief that their friend was not lost. Bob was alive, and he was chosen by one of the god's Pokémon.
- Bob! Bob! I'm so glad you're ok! You don't know how much worried I was when I saw you were falling! – cried Lily.
- Dude! What happened? We woke up with you shouting and you were high up there and then you were like, and then… woah. What. Was. That?
- Air. I need air. – was the only thing the boy could answer.
Friendly, the bird Pokémon started flapping its wings, giving fresh air for his new owner to breathe. It took a few minutes for Bob to get back to his usual self. It was a really traumatic experience. When he was better, he talked.
- Lily. This is for you.
The boy, with his hands shaking, handed over to the girl the lily he almost died to get.
- A… lily? Oh my god, Bob! I… I don't know what to say! You... You've been through all of this just to get... a flower? For me? That's so… Mike, do you mind if I talked to Bob… alone? Please?
The girl, now shaking just as much as Bob was when on top of the tree, only finished her sentence when her brother was away and could not hear them anymore:
- Bob, that was so sweet. I… I didn't know I was so important to you.
- Lily, this is something I've been trying to show you for many years now. I just had to find the perfect opportunity to show you how I feel about you. Your favorite flower has always been the one that has your name, and red… there are no red lilies growing in the village – trust me, I've searched everywhere. What I'm trying to say is that…
- Don't say it. I know what you feel. I feel the same about you. I have always felt. And I was afraid. Afraid that you wouldn't like me. Bob… I've never this way before.
The boy and the girl stopped talking. No more words could come out of their mouths. They were simply speechless. Slowly, they started getting close to each other. The moment they had waited so long for was finally approaching. Their faces got close. He hold her hand. Her lips touched and, as they kissed they felt a warm wave going through their bodies, much more intense than the wave of warmth Aesthi's fireplace exhaled the previous night. Now they were alone, in the most romantic day of their lives, feeling completely new and unique sensations. They were in love.
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FlowToys PodPoi®At Astral Hoops we're huge fans of this glow poi! FlowToys PodPoi are beautifully designed with great attention to every Detail. With multiple adjustable modes, these poi have uses ranging from mind-blowing performances to mood lighting for your cushy festival tent. The batteries last seeming forever in these and they can be easily charged through a standard Micro-USB charge-port. Not only do podpoi put on a mesmerizing light show, the silicone body is soft on impact (with your face) and virtually indestructible. Sold as a pair.
- full color - many modes - infinitely adjustable
- bright - lasts all night - usb rechargeable
- non-toxic - conscious design
- super durable - lifetime warranty
- 1 pair of podpoi with flowleashes
- 1 pair of long micro-USB cables (if you have cables and don't need more, you can choose not to include them).
You can add PomGrip knob handles or flowlight handles, just like our other poi. (All podpoi still include swivelled floop handles, and you can attach your flowlight handles or PomGrips directly to the floop handle.) You can also get a 2-bay US wall adaptor for charging to a wall and the option of adding 2 European plug adaptors, all for a super sweet deal. All options are available in the dropdown menus above.
Tech Specs
- Poi head weight: 115g (weight is distributed towards the end of the poi head, making it feel heavier - same weight as crystal poi w/ double mass, but feels heavier)
- Size: 118mm long and 66mm in diameter (4.6 x 2.6 inches)
- Leash: Flowleash with swivelled floop handle - the first leash system custom fabricated for poi spinning. Leash is adjustable from the handle end for a custom fit.
- Material: Silicone rubber shell and polycarbonate light capsule
- Battery: 3.5-4.2v, 750mAh rechargeable Li-ion
- Micro-USB: Maximum power draw of 500ma
- LEDs: 4x super-bright RGB LEDs - total of 12 LEDs!
This item qualifies for free shipping


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From MTV.com
Otis is back, Otis is back! The King of Soul may have passed 40-plus years ago, but Jay-Z and Kanye West have resurrected Redding's spirit on a new track off their highly anticipated Watch the Throne LP.
On Wednesday (July 20), Hov and 'Ye's "Otis" premiered on New York City DJ Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 radio show, and then spread throughout the Internet.
"Otis" opens with a slowed-down refrain lifted from Redding's 1966 version of "Try a Little Tenderness." The musical icon wails, "It makes it easier, easier to bare," shortly before the piano sample is chopped and reworked. As the bass line is ushered in and the drums drop, Jay shouts out, "Sounds so soulful, wouldn't you agree?" before tearing into his boastful bars.
Click here to read the rest of this story.


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7 posts
I have recently borrowed and read "The Sound Effects Bible" by Ric Viers as I wanted to increase my knowledge as a recordist as well as just get some ideas about what might be interesting to record. The book is written in quite an easy-to-understand way and the tone is fairly informal. There isn't much technical information to confuse or bog down the subject matter and even at 300 pages or so it is easy and quick to read.
The first few chapters introduce various "basics", such as how sound works, types of sounds, types of microphones, recorders, headphones, basic (and complex) recording set-ups, accessories, computers and software. There are a couple chapters where Viers lays out some suggested rules to record by which are, again, basic and common sense, but important to remember, such as slating your sound so you know what it is later, ideas for naming and organizing files, as well as little things like putting your keys in the fridge when you unplug it (to make a quiet recording environment) so that you remember to plug it back in.
Throughout the book in fact, I found those "only with experience" tidbits to be the most interesting part. Quite a bit of sound design is experimenting, so Viers is often quite general about creating a sound, for example, he makes suggestions like pitch down a sound and boost the low eq and layer more sounds, but because each situation is different it lacks specific advice much of the time. However there are lots of general ideas that definitely help sparked my mind thinking about recording.
There is a section about building a foley studio in a basement or garage, I found this section interesting despite the fact that I live in a place with neither, but the construction of some 4 by 4 sections he describes might be possible for me, and any one else who lives in a small apartment.
One of the main ideas that Viers reminds the reader of constantly is not to think with your eyes but with your ears. This sounds simple enough, but if you are designing a sound of something no one has ever heard before (monster, alien, etc.) it doesn't matter what the thing making a sound looks like, just that it sounds right. He also encourages experimenting with changing pitch and reverb and eq and layering. He goes through most or all of the situations you might find your self in for recording and gives tips for each of those, i.e. where to place mics to get various car sounds and how to mix them. Throughout these general ideas are the more interesting bits, like swinging a cheese grater around on a rope to make a new "whoosh". I wish there had been more bits like that!
By the end of the book, Viers has covered the topic of recording and creating sound effects quite completely, if somewhat generally, as again, it can be difficult to provide specific advice based on the situation. He also includes lists of things you can record around your house, car, and other locations. My biggest complaint perhaps, aside from wishing there were more "only with experience" parts, was that sometimes I felt Viers was using the book as an advertisement for his sound effects company. Overall I would give this book 3.5 out of 5.
If you wish to check it out, your library might have it, and there is a companion website http://www.soundeffectsbible.com/ (by the way, the "free sounds" section of the website is completely empty).
Thank you Corsica, an excellent and helpful review.
Thanks for review Very useable!
Thank you Corsica_s, excellent and inspiring review.
like swinging a cheese grater around on a rope to make a new "whoosh"
I got the book for my birthday and found it very helpful indeed, particularly the sections dedicated to equipment choices. I had no idea what to buy until I was pointed in the right direction. I wish that there had been a more detailed discussion of gain staging as it is a concept I am finding rather difficult but I found it an excellent and inspiring read. I also visited the website that accompanies the book and emailed the author a question, to which he replied promptly and helpfully. there are also useful sections on how to edit and mix sounds.
All in all, as the OP said, a very good general overview!
very nice review thanks
I just want to say thank you for sharing your book review about that book with us. After I read your review, I concluded that this book was packed of great information. A great book that gives you plenty of info on everything from how sound works, how to build a studio, reviews or advice on which gear to buy at different price points, and mostly how to create different sound effects.
7 posts


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I am an assistant professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Division at the University of Michigan.
NSF CAREER Award Recipient
Google Faculty Award Recipient
Facebook Faculty Award Recipient
NSF Algorithms in the Field Grant Recipient
NSF CCF Small Recipient
In Fall 2017 I will be teaching a new course titled: "EECS 547: Electronic Commerce" about algorithmic game theory. Both graduate students and undergraduates are welcome. For more information see EECS 547 Syllabus.
theoretical computer science, the intersection of computer science and social networks, the intersection of computer science and economics, linear and semidefinite programs, NP-complete optimization problems, computational complexity theory
Yuqing Kong (current PhD Student)
Fang-Yi Yu (current PhD Student)
Biaoshuai Tao (current PhD Student)
Bo Li (current Post-Doc)
A Top-Down Approach to Achieving Performance Predictability in Database Systems
J. Huang, B. Mozafari, G. Schoenebeck, T. Wenisch
Engineering Agreement:The Naming Game with Asymmetric and Heterogeneous Agents
J. Gao, B. Li, G. Schoenebeck, F. Yu
Complex Contagions on Configuration Model Graphs with a Power-Law Degree Distribution
G. Schoenebeck, F. Yu
Don't Be Greedy: Leveraging Community Structure to Find High Quality Seed Sets for Influence Maximization
R. Angell, G. Schoenebeck
arXiv '16
Sybil Detection Using Latent Network Structure
A. Snook, G. Schoenebeck, F. Yu.
General Threshold Model for Social Cascades: Analysis and Simulations
J. Gao, G. Ghasemiesfeh, G. Schoenebeck, F. Yu
Identifying the Major Sources of Variance in Transaction Latencies: Towards More Predictable Databases
J. Huang, B. Mozafari, G. Schoenebeck, T. Wenisch
arXiv '16
A Framework For Designing Information Elicitation Mechanisms That Reward Truth-telling
Y. Kong, G. Schoenebeck..
Arxiv '15
Equilibrium Selection in Information Elicitation without Verification via Information Monotonicity
Y. Kong, G. Schoenebeck..
Arxiv '15
Putting Peer Prediction Under the Micro(economic)scope and Making Truth-telling Focal
Y. Kong, K. Ligett, G. Schoenebeck.
WINE '16, Arxiv '15
Complex Contagions in Kleinberg's Small World Model
R. Ebrahimi, J. Gao, G. Ghasemiesfeh, G. Schoenebeck
How Complex Contagions Spread Quickly in the Preferential Attachment Model and Other Time-Evolving Networks
R.Ebrahimi, J. Gao, G. Ghasemiesfeh, G. Schoenebeck
arXiv '14
Buying Private Data without Verification
A. Ghosh, K. Ligett, A. Roth, G. Schoenebeck.
Characterizing Strategic Cascades on Networks
T. Martin, G. Schoenebeck, M. Wellman
Graph Isomorphism and the Lasserre Hierarchy
P. Codenotti, G. Schoenebeck, A. Snook
arXiv '14
Better Approximation Algorithms for the Graph Diameter.
S. Chechik, D. H. Larkin, L. Roditty, G. Schoenebeck, R. E. Tarjan, V. V. Williams
Potential Networks, Contagious Communities, and Social Network Structure.
G. Schoenebeck
Conducting Truthful Surveys, Cheaply
A. Roth, G. Schoenebeck.
Finding Overlapping Communities in Social Networks: Toward a Rigorous Approach
S. Arora, R. Ge, S. Sachdeva, G. Schoenebeck
Social Learning in a Changing World
R. Frongillo, G. Schoenebeck, O. Tamuz
Wine '11
General Hardness Amplification of Predicates and Puzzles
T. Hollenstein, G. Schoenebeck
Constrained Non-monotone Submodular Maximization: Offline and Secretary Algoritms.
A. Gupta, A. Roth. G. Schoenebeck, K. Talwar.
The Limitations of Linear and Semidefinite Programs
G. Schoenebeck
PhD Thesis, 2010
Optimal Testing of Reed-Muller Codes
A. Bhattacharyya, S. Kopparty, G. Schoenebeck, M. Sudan, D. Zuckerman
Detecting Spam in a Twitter Network.
S. Yardi, D. Romero, G. Schoenebeck. d. boyd.
First Monday '10
Reaching Consensus on Social Networks
E. Mossel, G. Schoenebeck
On the Complexity of Nash Equilibria of Action-Graph Games
C. Daskalakis, G. Schoenebeck, G. Valiant, P. Valiant
Soda '09.
Linear Level Lasserre Lower Bounds for Certain k-CSPs
G. Schoenebeck.
Tight Integrality Gaps for Lovasz-Schrijver LP Relaxations of Vertex Cover and Max Cut
G. Schoenebeck, L. Trevisan, M. Tulsiani.
A Linear Round Lower Bound for Lovasz-Schrijver SDP Relaxations of Vertex Cover
G. Schoenebeck, L. Trevisan, M. Tulsiani.
Chora: Expert-based Peer-to-peer web search
H. Gylfason, O. Khan, G. Schoenebeck
AP2PC workshop at AAMAS '06.
The computational Complexity of Concisely Represented Games
G. Schoenebeck, S. Vadhan.
EC '06. ACM Transactions on Computation Theory 2012.
GrowRange: Anytime VCG-Based Mechanisms
D. Parkes, G. Schoenebeck.
Fall 2015
EECS 598-06 Randomness and Computation
Winter 2015
EECS 376 Foundations of Computing
Fall 2014
EECS 574 Computational Complexity Theory
Fall 2013
EECS 574 Computational Complexity Theory
Winter 2013
EECS 203 Discrete Math
Fall 2012
EECS 598-06 Social Networks: Reasoning about Structure and Processes This class looked at social networks research and how a theoretical computer science prospective both brings new questions and gains additional insights into this growing body of research. Schedule and readings on the website.
New Jersey Governor's School: The Math Behind the Maching, Summer 2012
New Jersey Governor's School: The Math Behind the Maching, Summer 2011
3636 Bob and Betty Beyster Building
2260 Hayward
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2121
Phone: (734)647-4712
I was born in Green Bay, WI and moved to Wichita, KS when I was nine. I attended Harvard University, graduating with highest honors in mathematics. Afterwards, I attended Oxford University as the von Clemm fellow and studied theology. I received my PhD from UC Berkeley in computer science where I was advised by Luca Trevisan. Subsequently I was the Simons Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Theoretical Computer Science at Princeton University. I am excited to be back in the Midwest with my lovely wife Sarita.


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Hardware hacks and mods are quite interesting, while modern gamers get official stuff from the manufacturer. That is if you are into simply having an alternate color or some other simple cosmetic change. Modders like Vadu Amka are not content with doing that type of hardware mod though, no, just changing the color is not […]
Posts Tagged 'coffin'
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Hardware Hack: Castlevania Super Famicom Created by Vadu Amka and It Looks Crazy
October 8th, 2014 Carl Williams
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Pasadena CA (SPX) May 01, 2009
We know that average sea levels have risen over the past century, and that global warming is to blame. But what is climate change doing to the saltiness, or salinity, of our oceans?
This is an important question because big shifts in salinity could be a warning that more severe droughts and floods are on their way, or even that global warming is speeding up.
Now, new research coming out of the United Kingdom (U.K.) suggests that the amount of salt in seawater is varying in direct response to man-made climate change.
Working with colleagues to sift through data collected over the past 50 years, Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring and attribution at the Met Office in Exeter, England, studied whether or not human-induced climate change could be responsible for rises in salinity that have been recorded in the subtropical regions of the Atlantic Ocean, areas at latitudes immediately north and south of Earth's tropics.
By comparing the data to climate models that correct for naturally occurring salinity variations in the ocean, Stott has found that man-made global warming - over and above any possible natural sources of global warming, such as carbon dioxide given off by volcanoes or increases in the heat output of the sun4 - may be responsible for making parts of the North Atlantic Ocean more salty.
Salinity levels are important for two reasons. First, along with temperature, they directly affect seawater density (salty water is denser than freshwater) and therefore the circulation of ocean currents from the tropics to the poles. These currents control how heat is carried within the oceans and ultimately regulate the world's climate.
Second, sea surface salinity is intimately linked to Earth's overall water cycle and to how much freshwater leaves and enters the oceans through evaporation and precipitation. Measuring salinity is one way to probe the water cycle in greater detail.
In the last half-century or so, the subtropical Atlantic has been getting gradually saltier - a less than 1 percent increase in real terms, but an effect that is nevertheless significant.
"It might sound like quite a small change," says Stott, "but the overall salinity of our oceans is naturally relatively steady, so it's actually a lot of freshwater being factored out of the ocean."
Stott's analysis suggests that global warming is changing precipitation patterns over our planet. Higher temperatures increase evaporation in subtropical zones; the moisture is then carried by the atmosphere towards higher latitudes (towards the poles), and by trade winds across Central America to the Pacific, where it provides more precipitation. This process concentrates the salt in the water left behind in the North Atlantic, causing salinity to increase.
Water bearer
Aquarius is the first NASA instrument designed to track sea salinity from space and will be the primary payload on the SAC-D spacecraft, which has been built by the Argentinian Space Agency or Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE). The three-year mission is named after the "cup-bearer to the gods" in Greek mythology.
Sea saltiness has been measured for centuries. Most of the data we have today consist of direct measurements taken at sea (traditionally by ships and, nowadays, more often by automated buoys and profiling floats).
But there are vast areas of the ocean surface - a quarter in total - where salinity has never been measured. By covering the entire globe once every seven days, Aquarius will fill in the blanks and provide an unprecedented global picture of salinity.
Scientists measure salt levels using a practical salinity scale. One practical salinity unit or psu almost exactly represents the number of grams of salt in a kilogram of seawater. Salinities in the open ocean, free of ice or land mass, generally lie between 32 and 37 psu (the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans have maximum surface salinities around 35 and 37 respectively).
"With our instruments we will be able to measure salinity to an accuracy of 0.2 psu," explains Sen, who works at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif.
"If you take half a gallon of water and put a pinch of salt in it, that's about 0.2 psu. We will be able to detect that from space, while flying about 650 kilometers [about 404 miles] above Earth."
This is no mean feat and is possible because of some impressive radiometer technology that will fly on board the spacecraft.
A radiometer is essentially a sensitive radio receiver, which, in this instance, detects microwave radiation given off by the sea surface. The radiated power of the microwaves that are emitted enables scientists to calculate the saltiness of the water at the surface.
What's special about the three radiometers designed for Aquarius is their calibration stability - over a seven-day period, their temperature cannot stray more than 0.1 kelvin (0.18 degrees Fahrenheit). This calls for very precise thermal control and is the reason Aquarius will be able to measure salinity with unprecedented precision.
Boom boom
"As such, one of the largest errors in our measurement comes from ripples in the surface of the sea."
To correct for this, Aquarius also carries with it a scatterometer - a state-of-the-art radar instrument that senses roughness in the sea surface by booming microwave pulses down to the ocean and detecting the scattered pulses bounced back to the satellite.
While Aquarius has not yet set off, it has been a long journey for the project's scientists and engineers, who are now ready to ship their instrument from JPL to Argentina.
There it will be installed on the SAC-D spacecraft, before being transported to Brazil for functional and environmental testing and returned to the United States in April 2010, ready for its trip to space.
"People don't realize that there is so much water and so little land," Sen remarks. Aquarius, flying high above us, will shed light on El Nino and La Nina, phases of the world's most powerful climate phenomena, reveal insights into how monsoons develop and, most importantly of all, how a pinch of salt can change our lives.Share This Article With Planet Earth
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NASA'S Earth Observatory
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics
Genes From Tiny Algae shed light on big role managing carbon in oceans
Walnut Creek CA (SPX) Apr 21, 2009
Scientists from two-dozen research organizations led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have decoded genomes of two algal strains, highlighting the genes enabling them to capture carbon and maintain its delicate balance in the oceans.
|The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement


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DH has decided to splash out on a long arm for me, am thrilled and really excited about it- am now onto my third quilt! My local dealer has these two models-both are on special offers at the moment. Without trade in on my machine-1495 Euros for the 7700 and 1140 Euros for the 6600, I think its approximately 1200 dollars for the 7700 and 950 dollars for the 6600. Not sure if this conversion is entirely accurate.
Anyhow I know the 7700 has a bigger throat but what would be the difference between the two, was wondering what I would get on the 7700 that isn't on the 6600.
Which one would you get?? Would love to know your views!!


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A running gun battle between rebels and special forces trying to get supplies through to their beleaguered colleagues trapped further into rebel territory took place just outside Ladysmith. This was not a battle that made national news… But it was the best Saturday this journalist spent in a long time.
Re-supply mission ambushed by rebels


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Patriots sign DB Jones
The Patriots announced the signing of veteran defensive back Nate Jones, a 2004 seventh-round pick of the Cowboys out of Rutgers.
Jones, listed at 5 feet 10 inches, 185 pounds, was a Bill Parcells favorite; he was with the Cowboys until 2007, and when Parcells went to Miami in 2008 he brought Jones along. In 2010, Jones played with the Broncos, and he returned to Miami this season, playing in three games before being released.
Jones has played in 101 career games with 10 starts. He has 163 total tackles, with 6 sacks. He also has 59 career special-teams tackles.
Jones fills the roster spot that opened when the Patriots released Phillip Adams yesterday.


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well, i've been living and learning.
still, i can't find a legit adobe flash crack, so i can't animate anything :[
although i have been making tunes.
and i'm pretty sure not too many people will see this, but
i just wanted my latest post to be a bit more recent.
Recent Game Medals
Level 5 10 Points Have one character reach level 5 Medal Stats.
The King of Slime 5 Points Defeat King Slime Medal Stats.
Jump on 10 enemies 5 Points Jump on 10 enemies Medal Stats.
First kill 5 Points first Kill Medal Stats.
The Land Beneath 5 Points Fall through the clouds. Medal Stats.
SECRET MEDAL 5 Points Unlock this medal to see it's details. Medal Stats.
I still can't see through her lies. 5 Points But will she love me now that I can see at all? Medal Stats.
Learn to fly 5 Points Evolve the vertical movement mutation Medal Stats.
Magician's Medal 25 Points Kill the magician! Medal Stats.
Bee's Medal 10 Points Meet Bee! Medal Stats.
Total Medals Earned: 104 (From 39 different games.)
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CHARLBURY and Westbury fought out a exciting tie in Banbury Indoor League Division 1.
Craig Moss (27no) and Ashley Rump (26no) led Charlbury to 114-1 off their ten overs.
Westbury were then bowled out for 114 with two balls left, despite Tom Gurney making 50 and George Hilton-Jones hitting 28.
Great & Little Tew beat Preston Capes by two runs in another exciting finish.
Harry Smith (30) and Curtley Slatter (23) starred in Tew's 120-5, before Preston Capes were held to 118-2, with Oxfordshire batsman Rob Williams hitting an unbeaten 30.
Sandford St Martin maintained their 100 per cent record by inflicting Banbury's first defeat with a 48-run thrashing.
Paul Tanner (27) and Martin Anson (26no) took Sandford to 125-4, and then Banbury collapsed to 77 all out, Paul Cutler hitting 25.
Tony Vickers (27no) steered Cropredy to a five-wicket win over Banbury A, who could muster only 99-4, with Jamie Coles (36no) top-scoring.
Sandford St Martin 125-4 (10 ovs, P Tanner 27, M Anson 26no), Banbury 77 (7 ovs, P Cutler 25, C Thompson 2-27).
Charlbury 114-1 (10 ovs, C Moss 27no, A Rump 26no), Westbury 114 (9.4 ovs, T Gurney 50, G Hilton-Jones 28). Match tied.
Banbury A 99-4 (10 ovs, J Coles 36no, K Scott 23no), Cropredy 101-1 (T Vickers 27no).
Great & Little Tew 120-5 (10 ovs, H Smith 30, C Slatter 23), Preston Capes 118-2 (10 ovs, R Williams 30no, J Hawkes 27no, Goatley 27no).


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Issue Date: September 2, 2013
Canada's Master Appeal
Keywords: education, Canada, master's degree
With an oversupply of Ph.D.s in the U.S. and intense competition for even the most entry-level positions in industry, having a master's degree could potentially give a job seeker an edge over Ph.D. applicants who may be considered overqualified.
But in a downtrodden economy in which employers have the upper hand, U.S. companies are not satisfied with master's-level candidates who are merely qualified; they're holding out for the very best talent they can find, and that sometimes means searching for talent outside the country.
Some U.S. companies have found what they're looking for in Canada. "We've been extremely successful at recruiting quality students out of the Canadian master's programs," says Bruce D. Roth, vice president of discovery chemistry at Genentech in South San Francisco. "We get scientists who are technically trained at a very high level."
Todd O'Malley, a senior manager of staffing for the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, in Cambridge, Mass., is also no stranger to the quality of graduates coming out of Canadian master's programs. "It comes down to a really solid background in chemistry, combined with good communication skills and a good work ethic," he explains. "And the people that we've hired have been extremely successful here."
Roth says graduates of these master's programs demonstrate that they have extensive research experience and numerous publications. "We expect almost as much from them as we do from our Ph.D.s, and for them to perform at that level, they have to be really well trained. That's what we see from the Canadian master's programs."
Roth points out that in the six years he's been with Genentech, his department has filled a large percentage of its master's-level positions with graduates from institutions such as the University of Sherbrooke and the University of Montreal, both in Quebec; the University of Ottawa, in Ontario; and the University of British Columbia. "The companies who don't recruit in Canada are missing out on a great opportunity," he says.
Awareness of these programs among U.S. companies is growing, and it often takes just one successful hire from one of these master's programs to spur subsequent hires. In addition, with the exodus of many large pharmaceutical companies from sites around Canada, the U.S. is becoming a more attractive option for Canadian chemists seeking employment.
"When I started my master's, I thought I would stay in Canada and work for Merck Frosst or Boehringer Ingelheim in Montreal, but those sites don't exist anymore," says Daniel Shore, a research associate at Genentech who earned a master's degree from the University of Ottawa. "The evaporation of those jobs has made people look to see what else is available."
The Canadian master's degree in chemistry is like a condensed Ph.D., says Christian Reber, a professor of chemistry and director of chemistry graduate studies at the University of Montreal. There, for example, students interested in entering the master's program apply to the program as well as directly to a faculty member. If they are accepted into the professor's lab, the student begins doing research immediately and takes only a handful of courses. At the end of what is typically a two-year program, students submit a master's thesis.
"We take our master's students very seriously," Reber says. "We want a high research standard for our master's students, and not something that's watered down."
What's more, Canadian master's graduates enter their programs intending to earn a master's degree. "They're not students who were seeking a Ph.D. and for whatever reason didn't go on to get their Ph.D.," Roth says. "These are students who went into these programs with the intent that this is the career they want to go into."
In Canada, a master's "is not a consolation prize," says Louis Barriault, a professor of chemistry at the University of Ottawa.
Nicole Blaquiere, a senior research associate at Genentech who earned a master's from the University of Ottawa, says she had no intention of pursuing a Ph.D. "I knew that with a Ph.D., you don't actually get to do as much bench work," she says. "You have more managerial responsibilities and roles, and I like being at the bench, and I like doing chemistry."
Having a master's degree could be an advantage in this economy, says Simon Mathieu, a scientist at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research who earned a master's from the University of Montreal. "If you go all the way to a Ph.D., especially these days, it is really hard to distinguish yourself because there are a lot of Ph.D.s out there, and there is a lot of competition," he says.
Master's students contribute significantly to a chemistry department. At the University of Sherbrooke, for example, most of the research in the department is done by master's students, says department chair Armand Soldera. Students are also encouraged to do multiple industrial internships.
With such an intense focus on research, students often publish multiple papers based on research conducted during their master's training. Mathieu published three papers while completing his master's program; on two of them, he was the first author.
The success of the Canadian master's programs can be attributed partly to the specialized training that undergraduates receive there. Philipe Bergeron, a senior research associate at Genentech who earned a master's from the University of Sherbrooke, says that by the time he started his master's, he had already completed a year's worth of industrial co-ops as an undergraduate. "When I jumped into my master's program, I was ready to start in the lab doing research right away," he says.
Reber acknowledges that there's a perception among faculty members that taking on master's students is less desirable than taking on Ph.D.s. "As a faculty member, training master's students is a lot of work, and when they get good, they graduate and leave," he says. "Ph.D. students stay longer, so you get more results." But he says it's important to train master's students because they fill a critical need in industry.
The Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada offers scholarships to master's students to help them pay for their tuition and salary. Having this funding makes the students more attractive hires for faculty.
As successful as these master's programs are at producing highly trained chemists, even stellar graduates aren't immune to the effects of the sluggish economy. Barriault says that over the past few years he has seen a noticeable decrease in recruitment efforts from companies in both Canada and the U.S.
To stay competitive, the University of Ottawa is integrating business courses into the graduate chemistry curriculum. "We have to change the way we train our students," Barriault says. "The model that was good five or 10 years ago when all the big companies were taking our students because they're well trained is over, and we have to incorporate other skills or assets in their training."
Master's students can take up to nine credits at the master of business administration level, Barriault says. With this strategy, he hopes students will be exposed not only to research but also to the management and entrepreneurial skills that industry seeks.
Barriault and other chemistry faculty members in Canada hope that when hiring starts to pick up, firms like Genentech and Novartis will turn their attention toward Canada's master's graduates once again.
- International Exchange: What Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, and Canada can teach other countries about chemistry education
- Puerto Rican Tradition: Mentoring and research programs help undergraduates thrive in chemistry.
- Reforming Hong Kong: Curriculum changes inspire undergraduates to innovate.
- Canadian Masters: Master's graduates' strong research experience attracts industry job offers.
- Chemical & Engineering News
- Copyright © American Chemical Society


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It's not clear what happened when Chris Young and Jo Dee Messina crossed paths in Los Angeles recently, but whatever it was didn't sit well with Jo Dee. She had some strong words about Chris to share with her twitter followers on Tuesday.
"OMG! Just saw @ChrisYoungMusic. He was ugly, arrogant and rude. Really country radio? This guy's an ass," she tweeted.
Within minutes, dozens of Chris's fans jumped to his defense. While Chris didn't address the incident directly, he tweeted a message to his fans later in the evening. "If I have said it once, I have said it 1,000 times. My fans are #badass," he wrote.
David Nail also jumped to defend Chris." @chrisyoungmusic is one of THE most down to earth artists I've met in 12 years in this town! #raisedright" he tweeted after he saw Jo Dee's tweet.
It looks like things fizzled out as quickly as they started. Jo Dee has been tweeting about her family's adventures in first L.A. and now Utah, with no further mentions of Chris.


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Old Country School Circa-1908
20 pieces
18 comments
220 solvesSolve puzzle
The roof collapsed on this old school and a lady local to Pioneer donated the funds to restore and save it. It was locked this day but looked ready to go on the inside through the windows.


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Kingston, WA Auto Repair Shop
Kingston Auto Shop
Kingston Auto Shop of Kingston, WA is a full-service auto repair shop with 30 years of experience. Because you deserve nothing less, our auto mechanics guarantee courteous and professional assistance. Kingston Auto Shop is your affordable source for complete automotive solutions.
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- Diagnostic brakes
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Our auto repair shop is located behind NAPA Auto Parts.
Contact Kingston Auto Shop today at 360-297-2803 for expert auto repair service.
Contact Information


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Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
New scam targets farmers and ranchers
A new scam is targeting farmers and ranchers exclusively according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA warns scammers are trying to take advantage of those in the agriculture industry who are in need of federal financial assistance. It all starts over the phone with scam artists impersonating farm loan service representatives from Washington, D.C. They tell clients who have applied for federal loans that the USDA's Farm Service Agency owes them disaster assistance funds. But in order to receive the loan, the scammers say they need their checking account or a credit card number to make the transfer. The Farm Service Agency says they only collect customer's financial information at their physical office and never over the phone. "We deal with federal farm benefits, so as people come into our office and apply for assistance, there is some financial information that we might request, such as direct deposit. That's filed under lock and key at all times and protected. It doesn't go anywhere but here," said Beth Batenhorst with the Potter County Farm Service Agency. The Farm Service Agency advises to never give out financial information over the phone to anyone who claims to be a representative of their agency...more
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Mark Mikhatswrote a review of Burton Freestyle Snowboard Binding on March 8, 2012
Flying Meadows
Rode in these once, due to the end of this season but great bindings! Much better then my old, stiff, Flows. I've been boarding for over 5 years and these are the best bindings I came across! Finally got out there and landed tricks like the noes grab which was much harder in my Flows! I would recommend this to beginner to inter medians!


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It's that time of year again. This December, I'm determined to avoid the horrors of last-minute queuing in overcrowded shops - instead, I plan to do all my Christmas shopping from the comfort of my own computer. This season my friends and family will be getting some of these items.
For someone sentimental
Photobox.com has a wide range of products onto which they will print your digital photos. Pictures are easy to upload onto the site (which also does normal prints of fantastic quality). I expect a cushion (£37.95) featuring a favourite view, a prize potted plant or the grandchildren's grinning faces would go down well, as would similarly themed place mats (£14.99 for two). If I can find a sufficiently artistic picture to honour, I might even go for a canvas print (from £59.99).
For someone glamorous
A leopard-print toilet seat adds a touch of glamour (or kitsch) to the most boring of bathrooms. The aptly named Bogseats.co.uk will speedily deliver a great one for just £34. Another animalesque luxury would be a deliciously soft Dietrich fake fur throw (£89.95) from fauxfurthrows.com - another site that does what it says on the tin.
For someone's Christmas table
Black and Blum's curvy Loop candelabra owe their contemporary elegance to 13th-century mathematician Fibonacci, whose well-known sequence of numbers often seen in nature inspired the curves of the double-ended steel stem. At £16 each from the Hidden Art online shop, each one holds two candles. You can interlock three or four to dramatic effect.
Fifteen pounds might sound like a lot for a plate, but ContemPlates from Freshwest are really special. Each white china plate features a tiny silhouette of a person (or two) and their shadows, as photographed by young designers Simon Macro and Marcus Beck on the beach in Pembrokeshire, where they live. The time and date that the image was taken is printed on the back of the plate. I would like to get someone a whole set, but will have to limit myself to one to hang on the wall.
For someone who really cares
A Fine Cell Work gift card (£50) is a great present with an element of delayed gratification. Fine Cell Work is a charitable organisation that sends nice ladies to teach hardened prisoners needlework. The embroidery and tapestry they produce - described as 'soft furnishings by hard men' - provides the prisoners with an absorbing activity to fill the lonely hours and funds to support their families or to put aside for their release. The purchase of a gift card sponsors the training of a prisoner. After four months (perhaps in time for Easter) the sponsor will receive a gorgeous geometric cushion made in the sponsored prison.
'These guys have never been given a chance,' says Louisa McFarlane, who works with lifers at HMP Albany in the Isle of Wight. 'It is the first time someone has said to them, "You could do something useful." One man was sent a letter of appreciation from someone who had bought his work. He said: "I'm going to keep this under my pillow for the rest of my life".'
For someone's sad sofa
Is that a new sofa? No, but it might as well be. The maternity-leave brainwave of one Lesley Pennington based in Sweden was to produce washable slip covers to fit most popular Ikea sofas, chairs and cushions. Bemz slip covers come in a huge range of both plain colours and stylish prints, from £59.13 to cover a Klippan sofa to £147.63 in fabulous Herbarium fabric designed by Stig Lindberg. A small price for a big effect.
For someone ironic
Thorsten van Elten is always a great source of good, quirky and ironic design (often all at once). A seasonal gift that will raise a smile and be useful all year round is the Antlers hanger designed by Alexander Taylor (£49) - bent wire antlers to hang coats on. Bliss has a series of lamps reinterpreted as flowers (£50) that somehow manage to avoid naffdom.
For someone small
Instead of buying the children more toys to clutter up the house and trip over, the idea is to give them something in which to store the ones other people will give them. The Junior storage bench (£59.99) from Letterbox is a cute little settle they can sit on as well as stash their toys in, and there's a rather nice looking table (£75.99) to go with it. A little girl would love the Fairy Castle Shelf unit (£59.99) from the Great Little Trading Company, complete with little drawers to stash all her precious bits and pieces. And for someone I know who is currently struggling to tell the time, an olde-worlde children's clock complete with swinging pendulum (£34.50) from VIP Kids would give suitable them encouragement, without being the remotest bit tacky.
For someone green
A marvellous way of recycling paper is to turn it back into logs to burn on your fire. The log maker (£29.95) from the Green Shop turns old Observers into bricks that will burn for up to an hour. The fact that the product is made in the UK adds some green points. The shop also has a solar-powered door chime (£22.99), which I'm assured also works at night, and a vast range of solar rechargers (from just £14.95) for everything that is powered by rechargeable batteries - brilliant for mobile telephones and laptop computers. While I'm there, I must remember to stock up on rechargeable batteries for all those toys.


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Going Global. Focus Shipbuilding Industry in Romania
The purpose of this article is to analyze the reasons for going global from the company perspective and to show how a good logistics management can help to obtain efficiency of operations by the integration of all material acquisition, movement, and storage activities. When transportation and inventory costs are substantial on both the input and output sides of the production process, an emphasis on logistics is appropriate. In this case location is a key factor in cutting costs with logistics and producing and selling with competitive prices. From this point of view Romania has a strategic location, Constanta port being in the heart of Europe and focusing on reducing transportation cots and helping companies develop global strategies by reducing supply chain costs. One characteristic of global companies is the pressure for production costs. This can be realized by choosing appropriate logistic locations in order to improve logistics management.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
Volume (Year): 12 (2009)
Issue (Month): 32 ((2))
Pages: 105-126
|Contact details of provider:
| Postal: 6 ROMANA PLACE, 70167 - BUCHAREST
Phone: 0040-01-2112650
Fax: 0040-01-3129549
Web page: http://www.rei.ase.ro/
More information through EDIRC
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Everyone is bored of the situation.
January 10, 2009
Hanadi: "There are fewer bombings during daytime; but still there are more attacks during the night, in our area it's quieter. We still do not have water and we sometimes get electricity in the afternoon. Everyone is bored of the situation. During the daily cease fire we only go to the supermarket to buy a few things. My mom is worried a lot, she keeps asking about what is happening outside."


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SCOTT: Lots more Marvel Heroes 2015, can't hit buy quite yet on Vita/PS4 Rogue Legacy, Tried to get into Final Fantasy XIV…no luck buck. Still really enjoying my playthrough of Pixel Junk Shooter on Vita.
BRIAN: More BraveLand (This time! The Full Game), Super Trench Attack! (The Demo)
NICOLE: Divinity: Original Sin, Wolfenstein: The New Order
|EA's Xbox One sub plan
|scott knows the skinny on this. Also, this is what sony says:"We evaluated the EA Access subscription offering and decided that it does not bring the kind of value PlayStation customers have come to expect," a Sony rep told Game Informer. "PlayStation Plus memberships are up more than 200 percent since the launch of PlayStation 4, which shows that gamers are looking for memberships that offer a multitude of services, across various devices, for one low price. We don't think asking our fans to pay an additional $5 a month for this EA-specific program represents good value to the PlayStation gamer."
|brian thinks Sony is going to become the Nintendo of the late 80s.
|The evolution of video game controllers in 16 hairy armed photos
|Upcoming documentary tells the story behind Atari games buried in landfill. I think IceWarm summed it up best on Twitter: "This game sucks…bury it!" Roll credits.
|Why Video Game Voiceovers Matter
|Look at this weird ass game…LOOK AT IT! Push Me! Pull You!
For those unaware, Mrs. Nicole Spagnolo is randomly selecting a person each month from the Final Score Group who is online on Steam to win something on their wishlist. A big thanks go to all of you who have continuously donated games to our listeners.
Dear Cott, Rian and Icole
About a month ago I finally bit the bullet and bought myself an Nintendo 3DS XL, wich I love btw. It shows the company is still a big player on the handheld market.
Now, my question for you. Could you give me your top 5 Nintendo 3ds games?
So I know what's good. I trust your judgement on these things. Thanks.
Oh hey Nicole, give my best to Don Cheeto.
Antwerp, Belgium
Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes (1991) NES
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