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See child care best practices in action
Alex the Bear Goes to Child Care
Going to child care for the first time or entering a new child care setting can be a daunting experience for both children and parents. Alex the Bear seeks to make the transition exciting, enjoyable and a lot more fun! Join Alex as he prepares for his first adventure in child care.
Family Child Care
Family child care homes and child care centers follow similar guidelines for quality care. Family child care providers should demonstrate quality indicators in interactions, health and safety, ratio, planned activities and training/education.
Health & Safety
Health and safety measures are important in any child care facility. Child care programs should have plans and procedures in place to keep children safe from illness and injury.
Daily, scheduled activities provided for children in child care and early education programs offer opportunities for children to develop, practice skills and learn.
Caregiver to Child Ratios
Learn more about the recommended ratio guidelines for caregivers and children in quality child care. The lower the ratio, the more one-on-one attention each child may receive.
Caregiver Interaction
Caregiver interaction is important for several reasons. A close level of caregiver supervision helps protect children from injury. Engaging children in activities and conversations promotes learning and improves language skills.
Training & Education
Child development training for child care staff helps ensure quality programs for children. Child care providers should also receive training on a variety of health and safety topics.


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There is one thing I don't like about mountain biking – I can't ride as much as I want to. For various reasons, the two main ones being safety and time constraints. For those very same reasons, I'm very much a weekend warrior, but that can't keep me from staying fit and in top form. During my honeymoon in Italy, I ate a few too many pastas and gelatos and let me tell you – an extra five kilograms are heavy to lug around on a bike and sloooooows you doooooooown. There are people paying good money to have a bike that's less than one kg lighter than the one they have. So therefore, cross training is a necessary thing, albeit much less exciting.
After the honeymoon-weight-gain debacle, I decided I need to try multiple forms of exercise to elicit the best results. This started with me on my way to a Grid class at gym, only to be intercepted by my very dainty, beautiful, leggy, blonde neighbour who is on her way to a "Shape" class. She convinced me to join the class, but in the back of my mind I was thinking, "this class is for girly girls". Ugh! Well let me tell you, karma can be a nasty little thing, but only if you are. My biceps were aching and itching until four days later. I was stiff in places I didn't even know I had muscles. That's when I realised, I need to work on my overall strength. After all, strong is the new pretty.
So here are some cross training options that are especially good for mountain bikers:
Road cycling
That's cheating, I know. It's still cycling, but sometimes it's just easier and more accessible than mountain biking. It's also great for the lungs and requires a different kind of fitness than mountain biking, yet greatly aids in the performance of its off-road counterpart.
Because running is a weight bearing sport it increases bone strength and density, which is especially great for women, as we are more prone to diseases like osteoporosis than men. Running torches calories and is quite convenient – you put on your shoes and out the door you go. It's easier to squeeze in a running session before or after work, than a ride in the mountain. Downside is that because running is a weight bearing activity, it increases chances for injury. So, if you decide to start out, do so slowly, even if you're a seasoned cyclist. You don't want an injury you get from running to interfere with the joys of cycling.
Swimming is a great sport to loosen up your hip flexors which can get quite tight from cycling (and sitting at a desk). It's great cardiovascular exercise and improves lung capacity, which is just what you need when your lungs start burning on that last part of a steep climb. Swimming also strengthens your core and makes you stretch without even realising it.
Yoga & Pilates
Why yoga and Pilates? Indeed, why? There are many people out there who love yoga and Pilates, I am just not one of them. For me it is just not exciting enough. However, I wish I could bring myself to do these exercises as the benefits are manifold. Cycling causes muscles to become tight, especially the hamstrings, quads and lower back. These forms of exercises help with stretching these muscles out and prevents problems with posture. Although people who practice yoga and Pilates on a regular basis become very strong, it is not a cardiovascular workout and you should still make sure that you get cardiovascular exercise in addition thereto.
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
Hello Kayla! So, we all know Kayla Itsines and her Bikini Body Guide. If you don't, get yourself acquainted. A year ago I gave this programme a shot for a month or two. I was dead bored after the second week, but I could soon see how beneficial it was for my cycling. I was stronger on the bike and could just push harder for longer. Dynamic plyometric exercises are made up of explosive movements which require shorter workout time and offer great results that will get you faster off the mark. Good news for sprints. The further good news is that you can do them right where you are, as it is based on your own body weight. What fascinates me is how creative people can get about body weight exercises – the possibilities are endless. Instagram is full of inspiration for this.
As you can see, there are many options to keep fit and strong off the bike, there are simply no excuses… except if you go on honeymoon and come back fat, maybe. But after all that's said and done, I do not have words to describe how happy I am that there's no gale force wind tomorrow, and I can go ride my bike!

subset: commoncrawl


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Now that I've moved on to the next native berry and picked my first blues of the season, I was ready to make a third variation on my cherry almond cake from few weeks back…until my friend Christina, a.k.a. Culinspiration, tempted me by sharing a link for raspberry frangipane cake. Oooooh!
I'm a fool for all things almondy. But as much as a sugar girl as I am, there was QUITE A BIT in the first recipe I saw–not to mention 2 sticks o'butter and almond paste, which is already plenty sweet. Hmm. So I poked around, found an old Bon Appétit recipe, then hacked it to come up with the following. It is dense, delicious, all sorts of almondy and bursting with blueberries. Better still, it's impressively good for being so darned low-fuss.
Speaking of fuss, some recipes make things harder than they need to be! Case in point: parchment paper. I have a brand-new, nonstick springform pan (thank you, IKEA!). I buttered it, baked my cake et voilà–perfection. No need to go nuts and cut out rounds of parchment like paper dollies. Trust me, we can keep it simple.
butter to grease pan
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk (as usual, I used Simply Smart 1% milk that tastes like whole milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 7-oz. tube almond paste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 8-inch diameter springform pan. Toast almonds and sprinkle evenly over bottom of springform pan.
Use mixer to beat 2 eggs, sugar, oil, milk and vanilla till smooth. Add flour and salt, beat just till combined. Stir in blueberries.
Spread batter evenly over almonds.
Cut almond paste into small pieces. Use mixer to beat 1 egg and paste till just blended. Spoon almond mixture over cake batter and smooth with a knife or spatula.
Bake till toothpick inserted into center comes out clean–about 50 minutes.
Run knife around perimeter of pan to loosen cake. "Unbuckle" pan and transfer to a serving plate.
Serve warm or at room temp. I recommend sending any additional slices for a brief ride in the microwave before serving.
Happy belated 4th of July from Katty's Kitchen!


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Please fill in the form below and your application will be reviewed. If approved you will receive notification and can continue using your username and password but will have access to lower pricing. We will normally email within 48 hours.
If you have signed up with us but have lost your password please do not create another account, you can retrieve your password here


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Petal-style pieces of cognac glass are accented with a wiry, coppery wool in this impressive nine-light transitional chandelier.More Details >
You'll stare in awe at the shimmering sophistication and endearing charm of this organically-inspired nine-light chandelier with a stylized tropical feel. This stunning contemporary fixture features an oval armature of iron wrapped with layers of cognac glass petals, accented with a band of copper finish iron straw that captures the light as it escapes the shimmering glass. Flexible wires allow you to adjust the hang height.


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PACE's flexible business solutions allow you to do what you do best — run your business. Our customized loans offer fair and flexible terms and can be used for a wide-variety of business needs, including equipment purchases, working capital and acquisitions. PACE offers several types of business loan products detailed below:
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Microloans are typically used for equipment and machinery, inventory and furniture, startup costs, working capital, and high-interest loan re-financing. Term is three years.
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Call 213-353-9400 or click HERE to have a counselor contact you!
PACE is a Small Business Administration Intermediary Microlender.


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These comfortable Unreal Lambskin Premium
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Home / technology
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Windows patch KB 3139929: When a security update is not a security update. Microsoft buried a Get Windows 10 ad generator inside this month's Internet Explorer security patch for Windows 7 and 8.1.
infoworld.com link posted by digdug in windows
If Microsoft's documentation is correct, installing Patch Tuesday's KB 3139929 security update for Internet Explorer also installs a new Windows 10 ad-generating routine called KB 3146449. Man...
restlessdevice.com link posted by jeffs in programming
Great podcast about the Lisp programming language and why it's special.
fixr.com link posted by command_line in apple
Crypto for everyone. Crypto 101 is an introductory course on cryptography, freely available for programmers of all ages and skill levels.
crypto101.io link posted by peace_on_earth in hacking
Start to finish: Comes with everything you need to understand complete systems such as SSL/TLS: block ciphers, stream ciphers, hash functions, message authentication codes, public key encrypt...
waitbutwhy.com link posted by jeffs in technology
Part 1 of 2: "The Road to Superintelligence". Artificial Intelligence — the topic everyone in the world should be talking about.
theweek.com link posted by c_prompt in technology
Samsung has confirmed that its "smart TV" sets are listening to customers' every word, and the company is warning customers not to speak about personal information while near the TV sets. The...
goo.gl link posted by pabloapicco in technology
Android controls most part of the global market (nothing new!) But the interesting part of the trend is that is coming like the chosen one on european countries like France, Germany and Finland, plac...
FilePizza transfers large files directly to other users for free using encrypted peer-to-peer right in your browser. Never email large files again. Because the file never touches the server, the transfer is fast, private, and secure.
file.pizza link posted by c_prompt in technology
Overview FilePizza enables fast and private peer-to-peer file transfers in your web browser. By using WebRTC, FilePizza eliminates the initial upload traditionally required when sharing files...
editorial posted by digdug in technology
Never did I expect to write a screed with that as the title. But principles must be defended even when the actors are evil. First things first: however reluctantly, I admit to using Google for som...
Batteriser is a $2.50 gadget that extends alkaline battery life 800%. Someone thought it was hot enough to go to jail for.
macworld.com link posted by c_prompt in technology
Count the number of alkaline batteries in your house. Now consider replacing those batteries eight times less often. If Batteriser delivers, it could be a game changer. Bob Roohparvar tells...
medium.com link posted by sereban in technology
Advertising is a kinda shitty model. It's very exciting that we're moving beyond it.
cs.cmu.edu link posted by digdug in technology
tl/dr: The original smiley was proposed by Scott Fahlman at at Carnegie Mellon on Sept 19, 1982: 19-Sep-82 11:44 Scott E Fahlman :-) From: Scott E Fahlman <Fahlman at Cmu-...
A recent, partially Army-funded study conscripted Facebook users as unwitting participants during a weeklong experiment in direct emotional manipulation. Stop acting so surprised. It's Facebook after all.
techcrunch.com link posted by c_prompt in technology
A recent, partially Army-funded study conscripted Facebook users as unwitting participants during a weeklong experiment in direct emotional manipulation. The study set out to discover if the emotio...
editorial posted by c_prompt in technology
"Yo." "Yo." Talk about a bunch of yo-yos. This is what some savvy investors consider a $1 million idea. One person sending a one-syllable slang word to another. How many of you think that's bri...
qnrq.se link posted by digdug in technology
Brilliant response from Niklas Femerstrand to Google's attempt to recruit him.
editorial posted by digdug in technology
Embarrassing. Abysmal. Pathetic. These are the words that used to come to mind when I considered Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the US. To me, they seemed so slow and costly. Then I did some...
outernet.is link posted by c_prompt in technology
Outernet is a project to take the best content from Internet and make it available to the world for free using 150 micro satellites broadcasting from 600km above Earth. By leveraging datacasting techn...
github.com link posted by c_prompt in technology
Like many of you, I always thought of PDF as basically a benign format, where the author lays out some text and graphics, and then the PDF sits in front of the reader and doesn't do anything. I hea...
The Economy of Ideas. A framework for patents and copyrights in the Digital Age. (Everything you know about intellectual property is wrong.)
wired.com link posted by c_prompt in technology
John Perry Barlow (the author of this article) used to be a songwriter for the Grateful Dead and is a co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). It is as on-point today as it was when i...
Tracking a Bluetooth Skimmer Gang in Mexico (part I) - be cautious when using your credit/debit cards at ATMs, gas pumps, train ticket kiosks, movie rental machines, etc.
krebsonsecurity.com link posted by c_prompt in technology
...I found at least 19 different ATMs that all apparently had been hacked from the inside and retrofitted with tiny, sophisticated devices that store and transmit stolen card data and PINs wireless...
Important takeaways: Don't get Internet in your car Hackers often provide a great service to the world Hackers should be car manufacturers' best friends Car manufacturers are not to be...
waitbutwhy.com link posted by c_prompt in technology
Chris Anderson, who runs TED Talks, calls Musk "the world's most remarkable living entrepreneur." Others know him as "the real life Iron Man," and not for no reason—Jon Favreau actually...
extremetech.com link posted by c_prompt in technology
A bioengineer and geneticist at Harvard's Wyss Institute have successfully stored 5.5 petabits of data — around 700 terabytes — in a single gram of DNA, smashing the previous DNA data density...
3ders.org link posted by c_prompt in technology
On March 29, 2014, ten 3D printed houses, each measuring 200 square meters, appeared in Shanghai, China. The buildings were created entirely out of concrete using a gigantic 3D printer, and each cost...
torrentfreak.com link posted by c_prompt in hacking
While the BitTorrent ecosystem is filled with uncertainty and doubt, researchers at Delft University of Technology have released the first version of their anonymous and decentralized BitTorrent ne...
blogs.wsj.com link posted by digdug in technology
Artificial intelligence in Japan is getting closer to entering college. AI software scored higher on the English section of Japan's standardized college entrance test than the average Japanes...
It took me days to figure out a solution to this, so I'm posting for others who run across this issue. McAfee support (which stinks) didn't know how to solve it and I didn't find a soluti...
static.pinboard.in link posted by c_prompt in technology
The astonishing history of the amazing visionary and Russian engineer Lev Sergeyevich Termen, the pure awesomeness of the theremin he invented, and how technology can concentrate power and be used to...
github.com link posted by command_line in css
Attention. May I have your attention please?
About technology
"I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones." - Linus Torvalds, father of Linux on his hobby that ended up changing the world of technology
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Emails to ukfsn email returned no user ? Had some very unpleasant emails and claims raised because apparently they have been trying to reach me for days.
Emailed ukfsn support, got no such email address back.
Fed up with this Jason, your email is always going down and theres not even a phone number on there thats not entas to reach you on.


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PSG coach Laurent Blanc expresses desire to keep midfielder Adrien Rabiot
Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc has expressed his desire to keep midfielder Adrien Rabiot at the club.
Last Updated: 23/04/14 12:21pm
The Frenchman, who has previously been linked with Arsenal and West Brom, is under contract until 2015 but has been relegated to the bench following PSG's acquisition of Yohan Cabaye in January, making just six appearances since then.
But Blanc is insistent that there is still a place for Rabiot at the club, despite having competition from Cabaye, Blaise Matuidi, Marco Verratti and Thiago Motta.
"I have a lot of esteem for that boy who has a big potential," the World Cup winner told reporters at a press conference.
"During the first part of the season he proved he could expect more time in the team.
"Unfortunately he picked up a knee injury in January and Yohan Cabaye joined the club, which was a needed reinforcement because we didn't have enough midfielders.
"I can understand he is impatient. But he must not forget he belongs to a very big club and you have to be patient in life.
"I hope he will stay at the club."


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What is a Mommy Makeover?
Do you love being a mom but hate what motherhood has done to your body? If so, you are in good company. Every year thousands of women seek to counter the effects of childbearing by having a mommy makeover. Dr. Bryan Correa is facile with all of the procedures aimed at rejuvenating the post-pregnancy body. He believes it is necessary to carefully evaluate each woman to determine the right combination of treatments that are right for her. At his practice, there are no cookie cutter mommy makeovers, so if you're interested in a mommy makeover, please read on or give us a call for more information.
Patient Testimonial
"I had a Mommy Makeover, and Dr. Correa was amazing, he answered all my questions. He has great bedside manner, the best I have ever seen. Gabrielle is the sweetest she is very helpful, and answers all my questions. I would highly recommend him. He is truly an amazing surgeon, and I am beyond happy with my results."*
*Individual results may vary
What is a mommy makeover?
'Mommy Makeover' typically implies a combined rejuvenation of the breasts and abdomen. This simply coined phrase encompasses a number of surgical options and approaches that are geared to the unique issues that a woman deals with after childbearing.
Depending on each woman's body issues, she may benefit from one or more of the following procedures:
Mommy makeover procedure
The most important step in a successful mommy makeover is the planning phase. Dr. Correa develops a surgical plan after examining each patient and understanding her goals for the surgery. The plan will usually include a combination of procedures which can be done at one time. The procedures can be done individually as well if this is more agreeable to the patient. Combinations usually include a tummy tuck, breast lift, and some liposuction. The exact combination is worked out with the intention of giving you the best results in a mommy makeover possible.
Dr. Correa's philosophy on mommy makeovers
"The Mommy Makeover operation is one of the most gratifying in Cosmetic Surgery. As a plastic surgeon, it really drives home the blurry line that divides cosmetic from reconstructive surgery and illustrates one of our guiding principles of restoration of form."
Mommy makeover trio
The three most common procedures are a tummy tuck, breast lift with augmentation, and liposuction. A woman is not limited to three procedures, of course. Conversely, many women only need a mini tummy tuck and a breast lift to bring back their pre-pregnancy figure. At Dr. Correa's office, mommy makeovers take many forms.
Tummy tuck
A tummy tuck is one of the most sought-after procedures for a postpartum woman as it gets rid of excess skin, removes some or all of the stretch marks and tightens up weakened abdominal muscles.
Breast lift/breast augmentation/breast reduction
A breast lift is another procedure which can dramatically turn back the clock for women, especially if they have breastfed their children. Often a breast augmentation is done as well as a breast lift to counter the effects of breastfeeding. In some women the opposite is true; pregnancy has increased the size of the bust and now with aging and deflation they are now having back problems and difficulty finding well-fitting clothes, thus they need a breast reduction to help remedy these problems.
Liposuction is done where needed to reduce those stubborn pockets of accumulated fat that do not respond to diet and exercise. These areas could be in the back, hips, or abdomen. Usually, during a mommy makeover, the liposuction is done to provide the finishing touch on an area rather than as a standalone procedure. This is all done with the goal of providing you with high-quality results in a mommy makeover.
What you can expect in your initial consultation
It is very important to Dr. Correa that his patients understand all aspects of a mommy makeover before making the decision to move forward with surgery. It is his philosophy that his success as a plastic surgeon is dependent not only on his surgical skills but also his ability to fully understand the needs and goals of his patients. By taking the time to understand each patient's desires, he can ensure they get the treatment or procedure that is truly right for them.
Your initial consultation with Dr. Correa will last about an hour. During this time Dr. Correa will:
- Perform a comprehensive examination of the issues you are seeking to remedy
- Ensure he completely understands your goals for the procedure
- Recommend a treatment plan that encompasses your goals
- Explain the basis for his recommendations
- Answer any questions you have about the procedure as well as insurance coverage or financing
You will have the opportunity to examine photographs of his other patients who have undergone a mommy makeover so you can see his work and know what to expect if you decide to proceed. Dr. Correa will discuss the changes that you can expect to achieve and make recommendations regarding the best surgical methods to use to achieve your goals. You are encouraged to ask many questions and also to share any anxiety you may be having. Attaining your goal is a team effort. You and Dr. Correa must agree on the aesthetics and methods of your surgery so that you can obtain a result that meets or even exceeds your expectations.
Are you a candidate for a mommy makeover?
If you are in good overall health, won't be having more children and are dissatisfied with the shape of your body, you are a good candidate for a mommy makeover. You should also have post-procedure help for a few weeks, particularly if you have small children.
Mommy makeover recovery*
For the first 2 or 3 weeks following surgery, you will tire more easily and will need to be able to rest. Recovery time is completely dependent on the procedures you will have. For example, the recovery time is greater for a tummy tuck than a mini tummy tuck. Dr. Correa will review your recovery timetable with you in the consultations prior to the surgery so you have ample time to arrange work and other commitments to suit your recovery. He wants you to have a smooth recovery for your mommy makeover.
*Individual results may vary.
Take The First Step
Remember, the most important factor in the successful outcome of any surgical procedure is the skill of the surgeon. As a licensed plastic surgeon, Dr. Correa not only can provide excellent surgical skill to his patients, but his many delighted "New Mommies" are of one voice in praising his artistic skill as well. Getting back to pre-pregnancy shape is just a matter of booking your initial consultation with Dr. Bryan Correa.
Interested in learning more about a Mommy Makeover? Schedule your free consultation with Dr. Correa by filling out the form on this page or by calling Correa Plastic Surgery at (281) 419-9119. Proudly serving patients in The Woodlands & Houston, TX.


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Precipitation Map of New Jersey
Are you wondering what the average rainfall of New Jersey is during the year? This precipitation map will give you the information you need.Read More
Are you wondering what the average rainfall of New Jersey is during the year? This precipitation map will give you the information you need.Read More
Hadrosaur by Heinrich HarderPhoto is in the Public Domain, courtesy of Wikipedia Commons New Jersey State DinosaurThis page has great information on the state dinosaur, the hadrosaurus. Find out when this...Read More
Work is in the Public Domain, as it is of the U.S. Federal Government New Jersey State ShellFind out a little bit about the knobbed whelk, which is New Jersey's state shell. The page includes who signed...Read More
Photo was taken by a USDA employer and is therefore in the Public DomainCourtesy of Wikipedia Commons Arkansas State Fruit (Bill) – (Adobe Acrobat Required)Check out the bill that adopted the highbush...Read More
Image available from Clipart.com New Jersey State American Folk Dance This page has the history of square dance. Learn what "callers" and "patter" are, and find out how square dancing...Read More
Image available from Clipart.com New Jersey State FlagThis page has loads of information on the state flag and the state coat of arms that appears on it. Also, just for fun check out the municipal and country...Read More
Northern Red Oak by Barbara Tokarska-GuzikCourtesy of forestryimages.org New Jersey State FlowerThis page has great information on the state of New Jersey, and its flower. Did you know that they use violets to...Read More
ContentsOld New Hampshire Old New Hampshire Words by Dr. John F Holmes Music by Maurice Hoffman Adopted in 1949 With a skill that knows no measure, From the golden store of Fate ...Read More
Photo by Ivan MachadoLicensed under the Creative CommonsCourtesy of Wikipedia Commons New Jersey State AnimalThis page talks about the adoption of the horse as New Jersey's state animal, and gives some...Read More
Try out some of the great music from New Jersey. Music is a great addition to your state report presentation, and just great listening fun. ...Read More
The following live radar image is of the Northeast United States: This is a current satellite photo of the weather conditions across the United States. Learn more about New Jersey...Read More
New Jersey InventorsGet information on all the amazing minds that came from New Jersey. You can read about everyone from Thomas Edison to Roy Plunkett at this site.Source: State of New JerseyPowhatan History –...Read More


text: The high durable comforting wholesale Egyptian towels are made in heavyweight Egyptian cotton fabric for utmost softness, enhanced absorbency and durability. Each of the bath towels are sized in 30 by 56 inches, while the hand towels are sized 18 by 30 inches and made of hundred percent cotton fabric. These are easy machine washable and dryable pieces promising a long lasting use.


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Three and a half years into this parenting thing and it's obvious that some toddler gear is designed better than others. I never thought this blog would include reviews of kids' products, but after struggling through everything from poorly designed toys to impossible-to-program wake up lights, it feels like I've built up expertise that can benefit other parents.
Category: Fatherhood
Best Kids Books for a Two Year Old
My son is well into his second year of life. During his first year of life, I wrote about the best books for a one-year-old. He's now moved on to an entirely new set of books. As he crossed the two-year mark, I saw how the standard elements that defined a good book for him began to change. While thick pages used to be essential, the dexterity of his hands has significantly improved making it easier for him to handle books with thinner pages. And while he previously preferred simple illustrations and short bits of text, he's now graduated to books with more complex visuals and narratives.
And Then I Understood Empathy
My stomach has been in knots recently. The western edge of San Francisco – where I call home – has experienced two tragic accidents in the past week. A teenager was swept out to sea by a rip at Ocean Beach and a three year old boy was critically injured after being struck by a truck. The emotions and pain these two youngsters suffered haunts my thoughts each night while the pain and loss their families are enduring breaks my heart.
Eight Best Children's Books for a One Year Old
Every night before I put my one and a half year old son to bed we sit together and read a few books. Early in his life the book hardly mattered, but the older he's gotten the more particular he's become. A few favorites will always keep his attention, while others are tossed to the side after only a few turns of the page. A few he closes immediately with a terse reply of "no no".
In the time I've been reading to him I've noticed a handful of commonalities that make a great book for kids that are around one year of age. Here's what I look for when picking out books to buy:


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So much for getting up at 8.30. I slept for about eleven hours and woke up at 11.30 … oops …
Might need to make my alarm louder before my exam on Tuesday. And get all my friends to ring me to make sure I'm up.
Besides that it's been a really good day (not that sleep wasn't good … sleep is always very very good 🙂 ) I sort of made up for it this afternoon by getting lots of Society & Health/Epidemiology revision done, so feeling ever so slightly better about the exam on Tuesday.
Met up with Katherine at Snog at 5 for a 'revision break'…
…which turned out to not be a break, because I couldn't be bothered to do any more revision when I got back. I was just going to play my guitar for ten minutes – which somehow turned into two hours – no idea how. So instead of Epidemiology I learnt a couple of songs (1,2,3,4 – Feist; and Samson – Regina Spektor). So not completely unproductive, but possibly not much use for my exam. Then spent this evening in the common room doing karaoke 🙂 ♪♫
So that sums up my day and my week. I'll blog again soon (but possibly not tomorrow – a/ I'm running out of stuff to talk about; and b/ I'll be frantically cramming epidemiology…)
Wish me luck for Tuesday!
Em xx
3 comments for "A week in the life of an ICSM fresher: Sunday"
Hello Em!
I just wanted to say your blogs are awesome! They give me the much need motivation to push through my Alevels. I hope your epidemiology exam went well!


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Yes, since armies often had extra ammunition available in battles from their camps/local reserves/extra baggage along with them I felt I could increase the ammo count since it wouldn't break immersion.
Unfortunately those camps/extra supplies aren't represented in game (the baggage train unit is kind of that, but it takes up a slot and isn't always available for everyone) so this was the only way of doing it. You get even more ammo when you're garrisoned, illustrating the reserves that cities/towns keep - be it for the garrison militia or simply for the local hunters who use them to hunt wildlife. Garrison units have more ammo by default.
With this I felt it was finally possible to play a steppe faction or Parthia properly and have a chance against heavy armoured infantry-focused kingdoms if you micro your ranged units properly. But heavy armour units hiding behind good shields will still be tough to kill.
I've noticed that when I hover over units on the battle map, they're always highlighted in red. Both the enemies and my own units. Is this a bug?
I really like pretty much all the changes you made with this submod, except for the large amount of armies the AI sends my way. It's a bit over the top. Sure, it adds to the challenge, but it doesn't feel fair or realistic. How can this small town keep sending large armies after being defeated several times?
I understand not everyone feel comfortable with fighting several enemy forces but it's part of the challenge and synergies very well with the increased experience required to level up both generals and the soldiers themselves. Also if you play with 41-units per army a small faction will only field 1½ army instead of three 20 ones at most.
As for realism the game has a very shoddy representation of regions and provinces in general. If you for example look at Attica in-game, it only has Athens there. If you now look at Attica on a real map you'll see this:
Each city could or would send some men to the common war effort of Athens (since they are the "owners" of the whole region in the game), meaning it actually makes sense that they can field several 20-unit armies.
Boeotia (to the left of Attica) isn't even present in the Grand Campaign map at all and it's fairly big, being between Attica and Thessaly. That means it's part of those two regions too and it's like this for many of the other regions in-game.
Here's an excellent mod you can use alongside DV or normal DeI that represents some of these extra towns in different locations of the map:
By the way, I love the larger size of defenses in this mod. Fireballs weren't worth using before; but now, it's a hilarious way to start an ambush.
The increased army caps also has another purpose, it allows you to have more governor generals across your cities and towns. Unfortunately the army cap in normal DeI is way too small once your kingdom is medium-sized. I felt that your economy should be the main factor hindering you from fielding "too many" armies, generals and agents instead of an artificial low cap.
If you know how to edit army caps, you can simply lower it in your game and the AI shouldn't field as many armies at the same time.
You can try a number below 41, 30 for example. I haven't tried it myself so I cannot say how many separate hosts they will field with that amount.
Yes, I'm not naive to expect a super accurate map or anything but they could have decreased the sizes of the cities/towns (it's quite useless actually) and added some visual small buildings here and there representing the other cities/towns in the regions (like the mod I linked does).
As for the traps, I agree with you completely! I felt that in normal DeI the amount of traps weren't tailored to fit the ultra unit size. Especially spike traps were completely useless (if I remember correctly you had two of those in normal DeI), and even though I've added like 6 of them or so they still only do a miniscule amount of impact most of the time. Fireballs are awesome! It just sucks that CA never programmed the AI to deploy traps in actual town-battles. They only use it when they sally out.
We've been trying to figure out a way to expand the deployment zone in town/city defences to a bit OUTSIDE the walls/town for the defender. If this is possible it would mean you could deploy the wooden walls outside the town itself, which would make a lot more sense than just blocking random streets. Then we'd also add more wooden walls, so the players could actually create their own makeshift wall manually around the town.
I do agree that money should be the limiting factor, not a cap. So perhaps it's not the army cap itself I have issue with, but the wealth of the AI and their ability to raise armies fast.
It's not easy balancing a game like this. The AI is quite dumb, so giving them more resources is necessary. Give them too much and it'll feel wrong.
By the way, how does the AI deal with DEI's population system? Do they keep depleting their population in order to raise armies, or do they in some way take it into account?
Though I don't feel the AI even takes these walls into account. They appear to just try and run through them. Rather than walls, I would like to have seen towns and cities that were a bit more defensible just by the design of the city, the landscape. Some towns are actually pretty good, especially barbarian towns with their hills and raised town centers. Sparta is good too, except for the capture point in front of the defensible position instead of on the defensible position.
Just started a new Iceni campaign with the larger armies (40 units, nice even number).
What's the first thing my Retae enemies do? Attack with a puny 16 unit army. I suppose disbanding my only army made attacking Camulodunon hard to resist.
My other enemies haven't attacked yet, but their 40 unit armies already terrify me. So far, no swarms of armies, I'm happy.
Blame CA for the limited AI But they do actually sometimes pick governor-skills. You'll notice it if you ever confederate with another kingdom and receive their generals.
It's easier to change the cap than rework the income completely for the AI. The income is also required later in the game for them not to run out of money in their treasury, something I experienced in one of the beta versions of DV when I was testing mid-game(200+ turns). Otherwise they will never be a threat to the player later on when they have several regions. They are also not the best in choosing what kind of buildings to build, so you wouldn't be able to expect them to support their economy with building revenue.
I agree on the city map designs themselves, sadly it's not moddable as far as I know as CA didn't bother to release tools for it like they did with Warhammer and their older games.
Hope you enjoy your massive battles, but remember that it can be mentally taxing sometimes to play many large battles like this in a row so I recommend taking breaks And it's an excellent time to have a governor in your cities/towns with extra troops, because the default garrison has very little chance to defeat a host this big.
Started yesterday (finally!) an Arevaci campaign to test DV (played recently DeI 1.2 Arevaci campaign with all hardcore submods, good for comparison) and I'm really enjoying it! This time, it was quite hard to conquer Carpetani, as the army I can afford is not enough to assault their city with their army inside. Had to provoke them during 2 years raiding their lands (previously offered peace agreement, which I accepted due to income but I still continued to raid) in order to force them to declare Arevaci war and leave their settlement towards Numantia. Won with a phyrric victory thanks to the new combat overhaul, which was very tough to win (my units were of lower quality, overall) and I was very close to lose the battle, which I fully love Seriously, the battle now feels more strategic, units take far longer to flee, they mostly come back after a while, you have time to flank with cavalry, skirmishes, AI seems smart enough to hold the lines, flank and perform reasonably in the battle... I'm very impressed, as you said, it feels more rewarding to conquer a faction after all this suffering!!!
In contrast, in my previous Arevaci DeI 1.2 (no a or b) campaign, I simply had to recruit faster (get some mercenaries) in order to get a better army than Carpetani, siege their city and wait for turns until their sally, despite the balance of the battle was in favour of Carpetani. In fact, I previously used the same strategy to test the difference with DV, and logically, Carpetani sallied out the next turn after being sieged to take advantage of their bigger numbers to break the siege...
On the other hand, I have tendency to make trade agreements with Cantabri and Edetani, not just for the sake of the trade income but to improve relationships with them, and probably make alliances with them in order to secure northern (gallic tribes) and south-eastern fronts (Carthaginians) until I control most of Iberian Peninsula. Carthage declared war to Arevaci just right after conquering Carpetani. Turdetani and Edetani are already in war with Carthage and their puppets, so I considerably improved my relationships with them as a consecuence. I'm not able to make a non-agression pact with Cantabri and Edetani yet, which I like. However, I'm able to confederate (high chance) with Edetani (90 something value, very friendly) next turn after being declared war by Carthage (not with Turdetani, despite having better relationships and sharing the same enemies as with Edetani), but I'm not even able to make a non-agression pact with Edetani in the same turn (low). Is that normal? Shouldn't be more probable to start first with non-agression pact and after many years of good terms, defensive alliance or so, being able to confederate? I tested to confederate with Edetani, but I mostly inherit -8000 income debts per turn (AI turn cost per unit difference, I guess), so I won't do it haha Just informing in case there's something wrong there.
Thank you so much for your work!!! Keep it up, it's reaching the balance and fun some of us are seeking! Cheers.
Edit: Forgot to mention that I'm playing with DeI 1.2 Hardcore population submod, the one Greek strategos asked u about, to force me to not disband warrior classes but freemen. That way, I believe campaign would be even more challenging, making every defeat and the loss of warrior classes' units more dramatic.
Last edited by jdofo; June 12, 2017 at 11:18 AM.
Sounds like you're having fun!
I've also goaded my trade partners into declaring war on me by raiding them - because I didn't want to declare war myself and get a massive reliability negative which can have dire consequences.
When the AI wants to confederate with you, it doesn't just take relations into account but also faction strengths, how the AI feels they're doing in their own current wars etc. And yes, you often have to disband the AI armies when you confederate with them, otherwise you'll end up at like -10 000 or so because they spam mercs and stuff.
As for NA/defensive alliance/military alliance - I lowered the chance of the AI accepting these to stop their spam later in the game. If it's made easier again they will spam you like crazy with all those pacts every time it's their turn, unless everyone hates your guts.
I can buff it a bit in one of the next patches, but be warned that you might get irritated later on. It's nothing you come across early game though as you haven't encountered enough factions yet for it to be noticeable. But believe me when 10+ factions want to have NA with you and you click end turn...
Definitely Sounds reasonable, then. In fact, Edetani has more military power than me (yellow/red balance in diplomacy is almost red), that's why I was surprised by that...
Yes, I also suffered the NA/defensive alliance/military alliance spam in my previous Arevaci DeI 1.2 campaign after conquering most of Iberian peninsula... I was getting around 5 offers per turn, which it's quite annoying. In that case, keep it as it is, you know well how everything works internally. Just informing in case it was a bug or a strange behaviour.
As said, keep it like that, it's challenging but rewarding!
Just a small remark: the seasons seem to fall in the wrong months. I read the following post from you:
I'm not entirely clear as to what exactly is CA's work, DEI's work, or yours. Who added the months?
I'm back to normal army sizes BTW, too much stuttering and a bit unwieldy.
All I've changed in regards of the seasons are the different TPYs and some effects like less reduction to movement (and halved attrition in extreme winter/extreme summer coming up in the next update). I haven't touched when the seasons start or end, nor have I played any other mod that uses this system so I have no idea how it works in those Dresden and/or Litharion made the awesome season feature if I remember correctly.
Patch is out & changelog updated!


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The Best Hand Weeder
Our pick is still the Nejiri Gama Hoe, as it has been for the past two years. If the Nejiri is unavailable, choose the A.M. Leonard Handy Weeder, which is identical but costs $5 more. For larger weeds,…
After more than 50 hours comparing and testing weeders on dandelions, garlic bulbs, coneflower roots, Norway maple saplings, and more—for this guide's original 2013 version and for updates in the past two summers—we're sure the pint-size Nejiri Gama Hoe ($10) is the best tool to extract, uproot, disrupt, and behead the most common small weeds invading your garden. This tool was our pick in comparison against 18 tools in the past two years, and it performed better than almost a dozen new tools during our spring and summer 2015 testing.
Our pick
Nejiri Gama Hoe
This sharp, compact weeder grabbed and sliced a wider variety of plants than other tools we tested—and it was the only one that handled weeds growing in pavement cracks as well as in soil.
The light and sharp Nejiri Gama Hoe has good leverage for heaving plants out of the soil, and its blade shape allows it to yank up a wider variety of weeds than the other tools we tested. This tool can also grab unwanted plants in more locations than competing weeders can: The wide, sharp, flat-sided blade can cut, pull, and ease plants out of the earth, and the points on the blade can fit into narrow crevices in pavement to pull the plants growing in between.
Also great
A.M. Leonard Handy Weeder
The exact same product as our top pick but $5 more. An option if our main pick is sold out.
The other tools we tested were not as versatile and not as easy to use—even though many of them cost more than our pick. If our pick is sold out at Amazon, you can find it under different names from a variety of retailers—try A.M. Leonard's Handy Weeder, which is the same product but priced at $15.
Also great
CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator
Best for larger weeds
The CobraHead grabs roots from below and drags them out as a single mass. If you're inclined to dig with your hands to pull up thick, matted roots, this tool is for you.
If you've let your weeds get a little too big—or a lot too big—for the Nejiri Gama, it's time to try the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator ($25). The CobraHead is basically a grappling hook with a handle and a flattened, diamond-shaped head. This simple design lets gardeners insinuate the hook end underneath dense, matted roots and yank them up more efficiently than with any other tool we tested.
Also great
Best for small trees
Expensive but effective, this tool can pull up shallow-rooted saplings up to 2 inches in diameter, sparing you hours of digging.
The CobraHead is not as versatile or as sharp as the Nejiri Gama Hoe, and it doesn't perform as well on small, shallow-rooted weeds or taproots. But if you're dealing with sod, Rudbeckia laciniata (cutleaf coneflower), or any weed that spreads by putting out networks of underground runners, this tool will make your life much easier. It was our pick for larger weeds in this guide's previous version, and it's still better than several new tools we tested.
For 2015, in addition to the tools that were not in our last tests, we also looked at weeders tough enough to take out small trees. The best tool we found for this heavy-duty job was Exclusive Mechanical Systems's Extractigator ($155), an expensive but effective lever for dragging shallow-rooted saplings up to 2 inches in diameter out of the soil. Put the side clamps around the tree's trunk, pull the lever arm down, and the tree comes out. If you need to pull out trees without disturbing the surrounding soil, this tool will save you hours of digging.
Everything we recommend
Our pick
Nejiri Gama Hoe
This sharp, compact weeder grabbed and sliced a wider variety of plants than other tools we tested—and it was the only one that handled weeds growing in pavement cracks as well as in soil.
Also great
A.M. Leonard Handy Weeder
The exact same product as our top pick but $5 more. An option if our main pick is sold out.
Also great
CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator
Best for larger weeds
The CobraHead grabs roots from below and drags them out as a single mass. If you're inclined to dig with your hands to pull up thick, matted roots, this tool is for you.
Also great
Best for small trees
Expensive but effective, this tool can pull up shallow-rooted saplings up to 2 inches in diameter, sparing you hours of digging.
The research
- Why you should trust me
- How we picked what to test
- How we tested
- Our pick
- Flaws but not dealbreakers: Nejiri Gama Hoe
- Runner-up: same weeder, different name
- Best for larger weeds
- Flaws but not dealbreakers: CobraHead Weeder
- Best for small trees
- Flaws but not dealbreakers: Extractigator
- The competition
- Care and maintenance
- Wrapping it up
- Sources
Why you should trust me
I've been gardening in the Boston area for 19 years, on sun-baked city lots, wet meadows, forested hillsides, and all points in between. As for weeds, I've removed my share of invasive plants, including glossy buckthorn, Asiatic bittersweet, European barberry, and garlic mustard at our local Audubon sanctuary, Habitat, in Belmont, Massachusetts. I earned a certificate in field botany—that is, identifying weeds—from the New England Wild Flower Society in 2007. Currently, I spend time in my yard battling mistakenly planted Rudbeckia laciniata, lemon balm, and a particularly vigorous strain of raspberries, as well as the previous resident's pachysandra and Norway maple seedlings.
I co-founded the Lexington Community Farm Coalition, which is devoted to preserving working agricultural land. We have edible weeds like purslane, lamb's quarters, and galinsoga growing to astonishing heights. In 2010, I published Boston Gardens and Green Spaces, a Boston Globe Local Bestseller, and I am the co-creator of the GREEN SPACES: Boston app. I have appeared on NPR's Radio Boston and WCVB's Chronicle discussing Boston's open space, and my work has been featured in the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, the Boston Phoenix, and Time Out Boston. I give frequent talks to historical societies, garden clubs, and book groups about New England landscape history and agriculture. My blog about Boston's plants and landscaping appears at Green Space Boston. And I am one of the pillars of the Menotomy Gardeners e-group.
For my research into weeders, I consulted local gardeners and landscapers; members of the Ecological Landscape Alliance LinkedIn group; Larry Foglia, second-generation farmer and co-founder of the Long Island Community Agriculture Network; and his sister, landscape designer Gina Foglia.
How we picked what to test
The terrible secret of gardening is that gardeners spend more time destroying plants than growing them. Weeds are everywhere. You won't find a good definition of a weed; it's really just any plant growing somewhere you don't want it. Consequently, a lot of different types of weeds exist. Some weeds, such as dandelions, have long taproots that are hard to pull out of the soil. Others have thin, shallow roots that are easy to pluck out of the ground but regrow rapidly. And still others have dense, interlocking roots and require you to pry them out of the soil with force.
When you look at the tools for removing them, you'll find that some people don't care for weeders at all. As John Enfield, a former docent at Las Vegas's Springs Preserve, put it, "My favorite hand weeder is, well, my hand. I've tried many tools and have not found one that I'm happy with. When I am given a tool to use on a job, I usually wind up just putting a form-fitting glove on and putting the tool in my back pocket or back in the toolbox."
Point taken. But if you want to upgrade beyond your hand, you'll find that weeders can extend your reach, and good ones can dig into the soil either shallowly or deeply (depending on the weed). A narrow blade can also move with more finesse than fingers—or those bulkier garden tools that often double as weeders, trowels and soil knives—allowing you to exterminate crabgrass while leaving the tarragon in peace.
I began my research by looking into the vast universe of weeders, the Lucky Charms of the garden-tool world. You can find weeders shaped like hearts, diamonds, disks, forks, squid, corkscrews, snakes, space invaders … all with slightly different purposes and capabilities. Very few weeders have been reviewed by anyone, anywhere.
I decided to focus first on multipurpose hand weeders. I eliminated weeders that people praised for doing just one thing, like pulling up dandelions—although I did include one economical model in my testing for comparison's sake. I also ignored weeders that were designed just to remove weeds in narrow pavement cracks, or to hoe or cultivate the dirt between rows of vegetables. My perennial border is a crowded place that doesn't have nice, neat rows with wide spaces between the plants; I didn't want to select a tool that was useful only for farms. I wanted to find the one tool that would be useful to every gardener.
Quickly I realized that only a few weeder designs enjoyed attention from more than one reviewer or commenter. I also noticed that few reviewers and commenters ever did anything to rate their weeders other than look at the pretty pictures in the catalog. So I came up with my own criteria for the best weeders. I looked for signs of durability, such as secure connections between the blades and handles, as well as for blades made of stainless steel or aluminum, which won't rust, or strong carbon steel, which will rust but is harder than stainless steel. I also looked for tools that could work for more than one type of weeding—to cultivate soil to discourage small weeds, for instance, and to yank up large weeds after a week or two of garden neglect. After starting with a field of 14 weeders recommended by garden writers and professional landscapers, I narrowed the list down to six finalists; this year, I researched an additional 31 weeders, and tested 10.
I eliminated some weeders because they suffered from production problems (the circlehoe is worth watching). I also excluded some tools because they seemed to have too narrow a range of use for an all-purpose weeder (such as the Garden Bandit and most dandelion forks). Others were redundant; a dandelion fork is a dandelion fork, and none of them work perfectly against actual dandelions. I tested the few models that remained to compare their strengths and weaknesses.
How we tested
I tested the weeders that made the cut (so to speak) by using them on a variety of Massachusetts foliage in typical garden settings. I pulled up sod to make a new garden bed to test the weeders' leverage on matted, thick roots. I dug up garlic bulbs that had accidentally overwintered in my yard to test the tools' ability to uproot tender, long roots. I uprooted garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), a shallow-rooted weed with delicate roots that resprout furiously when broken, to test the weeders' finesse. I used the weeders to yank out the thick, tangled underground runners of Rudbeckia laciniata, a "clump-forming" sunflower that spreads like mad. I attempted to extract dandelion roots intact. And I put the bigger shrub/tree weeders to work on Norway maple saplings ranging from ¼ inch to 1½ inches in diameter. Finally, I scraped at the nascent weeds between rows of chamomile, basil, and marigolds in my herb garden.
These weeds did not endure their sacrifice in vain: My composter is now full, and ready to digest them into nutritious plant food.
Our pick
Our pick
Nejiri Gama Hoe
This sharp, compact weeder grabbed and sliced a wider variety of plants than other tools we tested—and it was the only one that handled weeds growing in pavement cracks as well as in soil.
The Nejiri Gama Hoe can do just about anything. The tool has a wooden handle that holds a metal rod connected to an offset triangular blade. The sharp edge cuts through sod, and the angle of the blade lets you easily tuck the blade under grass and pull it right up out of the ground, roots and all. A few other tools we tested can do the same, but here's where the Nejiri Gama Hoe is special: This model is slimmer and less awkward than the other capable weeders out there, so it can cultivate between tighter rows of plants. Plus, performing the task with this tool simply feels easier, because its blade edge is really, really sharp.The slim, sharp edge offers another unique advantage: It can slice out weeds in pavement gaps or cut just under the soil to slaughter tiny weed seedlings. The Nejiri Gama Hoe was the only tool we tested that worked effectively in both pavement cracks and soil. The handle is indented about a half-inch below the end, a small detail that makes this weeder slightly easier to grip than others—and thus more effective for pulling up long, tough Rudbeckia laciniata runners. And the tip of our pick's handle is bright red, making it easier to spot before you drop it into the compost with the remains of your weeds.
You can find this same basic tool sold under many names: the Nejiri Gama Hoe, the Nejiri Gama Hand Hoe, the A.M. Leonard Handy Weeder, the Ken Ho Garden Weeder, the Sickle Hoe, the Weeding Sickle, the Weeding Hoe, the Onion Hoe. Many hand hoes sold under different names are actually the same model manufactured by the Japan-based Kinboshi Corporation (known for Golden Star tools). They all have a 125-mm (5-inch) blade connected to a square metal rod fitted into a wooden handle with a bright red, plastic tip with a hanging loop; the tool is 280 mm (11 inches) long in total. The name "Nejiri Gama" roughly translates to "torsional sickle" on the Kinboshi website.
The tool also serves well for planting, since the narrow end easily pushes deep into soil, as well as for assisting in other basic garden tasks. As one Amazon reviewer says, "I use it to plant seedlings, aerate, to make a seed trench, to break up clods and knock the soil off the roots of large weeds, and of course to weed. It takes out deep tap roots with its narrow end, and with the broad edge slices small weeds just under the surface. Very easy to maneuver around plant bases. Just the perfect hand tool." However, the same reviewer also notes that the handle comes off the head, and that this has happened with the past three (!) weeders purchased. Other Amazon user reviews mention similar problems, but not frequently, and the complaints seem to be randomly distributed across the years. The head may pop off due to rough handling, poor storage (clean your tools!), or an occasional dud in manufacturing, but that doesn't seem to happen for most users.
Fine Gardening writer Joe Quirolo likes it as well. He says, "I can get close to plants with the short side of the blade, clear large areas with the entire blade, use the corner of the blade to get into cracks, and, with one hand on the blade and one on the handle, get under most weeds to shave them off like a razor." The Garden Tool Review comments: "The triangular blade is perfectly shaped to fit into sidewalk cracks to remove weeds or moss. In established garden beds, getting weeds out from under shrubs or perennials can be a challenge. The angled head on this scraping weeder makes it easy to reach under existing plants to remove stubborn weeds."
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Nejiri Gama Hoe
The Nejiri Gama Hoe's biggest flaw is that it's made of "hardened steel," which (unlike stainless steel or aluminum) will rust if you don't wipe it dry, and perhaps oil it, before you put it away. If you're not crazy about spending time maintaining the Nejiri Gama Hoe's blade, you can buy the Garden Works Ken Ho Garden Weeder, which is the same basic design in rust-proof stainless steel. However, you'll trade the Nejiri Gama Hoe's fascinatingly sharp edge for a blade that's considerably duller and less effective at slicing through seedling weeds.
It's also small. The entire tool is only 11 inches long, and the blade is 5 inches long. If you have a 20-by-20-foot vegetable plot, you're going to get frustrated using such a precise tool—but if you're raising that many veggies, you should be looking at the Prohoe Rogue Garden Hoe 70G, not a small hand weeder. For most home gardeners, the Nejiri Gama Hoe is the right-size tool for weeding between plants.
Lastly, it's true: The Nejiri Gama Hoe does a terrible job on dandelion roots. Instead of pulling up their long taproots, the Nejiri Gama Hoe slices right through them. In our tests it simply could not penetrate deeply enough into the soil without digging up a large area around the plant. No weeder in our sample did particularly well on dandelions, but the Nejiri Gama Hoe was worse than most on this task.
Runner-up: same weeder, different name
Also great
A.M. Leonard Handy Weeder
The exact same product as our top pick but $5 more. An option if our main pick is sold out.
The other tools we tested were not as versatile and not as easy to use—even though many of them cost more than our pick. If our pick is sold out at Amazon, you can find it under different names from a variety of retailers—try A.M. Leonard's Handy Weeder, which is the same product but priced at $15.
Best for larger weeds
Also great
CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator
Best for larger weeds
The CobraHead grabs roots from below and drags them out as a single mass. If you're inclined to dig with your hands to pull up thick, matted roots, this tool is for you.
The CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator was the best weeder in my sample for pulling up larger weeds with big, tangled root masses, and it made short work of sod, too. Plus, it's just plain fun to use. The CobraHead is a weed-killing grappling hook—a thick plastic handle with a fishhook-shaped rod ending in a sharp, flattened snake head of a blade. You stab the blade into a patch of sod or Rudbeckia laciniata roots, curl it under the roots, and pull it toward you, and it magically upends the whole root ball. It offers excellent leverage for unearthing roots and dislodging buried bulbs, and in our tests its performance on sod was astonishing.Usually you have to drag out a garden fork for getting under those kinds of roots—and in the process you end up unearthing half your garden with the fork's wide head. This tool is a welcome alternative. The CobraHead's narrow head gives you the precision to target just the roots you want to pull, and you can yank on those roots as hard as you like thanks to this tool's sturdy construction.
The CobraHead's tempered-steel blade is inserted firmly in a recycled composite handle. Positive comments about its durability from Amazon reviewers include "Used mine in California clay-type soils going on three years now. The blade is quite worn, but the tool is still solid." Another reviewer says, "I purchased the CobraHead weeder 4 or 5 years ago … After all these years, my Cobra looks brand new. Just wipe off the dirt from the head after each use and this puppy should last you many years." Still another satisfied owner says, "Our first Cobra, we found at a garden trade show about 7 years ago and it's still going strong."
The Garden Rant blogger writes, "They advertise it as a 'steel fingernail' and an 'extension of your hand.' and that's actually pretty accurate for imagining what it's best for and what it doesn't shine at. If you're the kind of gardener who tosses down your trowel in disgust and starts digging with your fingers, the CobraHead might be for you."
Flaws but not dealbreakers: CobraHead Weeder
Like the Nejiri Gama Hoe, the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator isn't quite long enough to get down to the bottom of dandelion roots, and its small head makes it impractical for cultivating between rows of plants. You can't really cut roots with this tool, either; it's just not sharp enough, and it isn't designed for cutting. If you're taking out individual crabgrass stalks, the CobraHead will be frustrating to use because positioning the narrow head under small plants is difficult.
For large, dense, shallow root masses (or any situation where you can slide the CobraHead blade under the root), however, the CobraHead simply works better than anything else we tested.
Best for small trees
Also great
Best for small trees
Expensive but effective, this tool can pull up shallow-rooted saplings up to 2 inches in diameter, sparing you hours of digging.
Sometimes, weeds get too big to pull by sheer force of will. If you need leverage to pull small trees and shrubs, consider the two main alternatives that we tested new in 2015: the Extractigator ($155 plus shipping; Big Foot base, $20) and the Uprooter ($150 plus shipping). The price is a serious investment, but these are serious tools.
Both tools are variations of the beloved, much-missed Weed Wrench, a tool whose producer decided to "opt out" of business. They both have a lever, a foot, and a sliding clamp. You place the clamp around the stem, pull back on the lever until the clamp shuts on the stem, and then keep pulling back until you extract the tree from the ground. This approach works best on plants with shallow roots, like European buckthorn.
Of the two, we liked the Extractigator better. The Extractigator was easier to position around slim Norway maple stems (¼ inch to ½ inch in diameter) than the Uprooter, as the Extractigator's jaws are closer to the lever handle than the Uprooter's (more on that below), but both tools performed well on saplings up to 1½ inches in diameter. Overall, we believe that most home users would be happier with the Extractigator, which was easier to assemble, use, and carry than the Uprooter in our tests, although the Uprooter could potentially allow greater leverage for pulling out stubborn roots.
For starters, the Extractigator comes assembled. The Uprooter comes with a small bag of red grease and instructions for greasing most of the head of the tool, attaching the base to the lever with two clevis pins, sliding in the cotter pins, and then bending the ends of the cotter pins back with needle-nose pliers to keep the pins in. That last part was a problem. I'm a gardener, not a mechanic. I needed many, many tries to simply grasp the narrow, slippery ends of the cotter pins with the needle-nose tips, much less direct them back far enough to hold the pin in a stable position. Eventually I bent the ends back through sheer force of will. Why does a tool designed to make it easier to move trees depend on brute strength for assembly?
The Extractigator's manufacturer shipped the tool to us with the optional Big Foot accessory ($20). The Big Foot makes the Extractigator's lever base larger, helping to keep the tool from sinking into the ground if you're pulling trees out of soft, crumbly, or wet soil. It's actually necessary if you're not working on hard-packed soil, as the Extractigator's narrow base runs in a straight line with the lever. The Uprooter's base is perpendicular to the lever; in my testing, it did not sink into dry, loamy soils covered with up to 1 inch of leaf litter.
Overall, the Extractigator is easier for a home landscaper to use than the Uprooter. It's lighter at 12 pounds (13.4 pounds with the Big Foot) versus the Uprooter's 15¾ pounds, and shorter (48¼ inches versus 53 inches). When you lift it, the Extractigator automatically opens and locks, making it easy to carry without a lot of banging and shifting, and ready to place around another tree. The bright orange jaws are obvious and easy to see through dense brush. Its only flaw is that the jaws are positioned 3 inches off the ground, 4 inches from the lever handle. Having the jaws close to the lever handle makes accurately positioning the Extractigator around slimmer stems easier, but when you pull the lever all the way over, you can't move the tree as far as you could if the jaws were lower.
The Uprooter takes slightly more work to use. It has "a mechanism that locks the jaws open to ease the process of placing them around a stem," which you can adjust. However, unlike with the Extractigator, that mechanism doesn't unlock automatically when you put the Uprooter down. You have to step on the connection to the jaws to make them unlock and close. It's a minor thing, but it translates into extra time and motion for every plant. That said, the Uprooter's jaws are located lower and farther from the lever than those of the Extractigator (2 inches off the ground, 6 inches from the lever handle). That location makes positioning the jaws around a tree harder, simply because the stem is farther from the lever, but it also means that you can get the lever closer to the ground than you can with the Extractigator, adding even more functional length to a lever that's already 5 inches longer than the Extractigator's 48¼ inches.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Extractigator
Although the Extractigator is versatile, you might consider it overkill for some smaller trees. If you want a smaller tool for trees less than 1 inch in diameter, the Extractigator's maker also sells a smaller version called the Extractigator Junior. This tool stands a foot shorter than the Extractigator (36 inches versus 48 inches) and weighs 9¾ pounds instead of 12 pounds. It also costs $20 less ($135). We did not test this model, but it's the same design, just smaller.
Then again, for giant uprooting tasks, the Extractigator might be less capable than the Uprooter. If you're out to pull acres of established Scotch broom or European buckthorn, you're in need of extra leverage, and you're willing to put up with some annoyance in exchange for more force, choose the Uprooter.
Despite these small shortcomings, we believe most homeowners would be happier with the lighter, easier-to-use Extractigator for taking out small trees.
The competition
The competition (2015)
Hand weeders for small plants
The Tierra Garden Cape Cod Weeder ($30; also available in a functionally equivalent left-hand version for $30) offers a classic design for cutting, pulling, and excavating weeds. It's similar in construction to the Nejiri Gama Hoe: A blade sits perpendicular to a rod connected to a wooden handle. However, the Cape Cod Weeder has a longer handle and a narrower blade that's better for digging down around long taproots, as well as a thicker, sturdier rod between the handle and the blade. The Cape Cod Weeder isn't as sharp as the Nejiri Gama Hoe, but it does a fine job overall. It excels at yanking out grass roots and shallow-rooted garlic mustard. It doesn't provide quite as much leverage as the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator for pulling out Rudbeckia laciniata clumps, and it doesn't do as well on between-row cultivation as the Nejiri Gama Hoe simply because it isn't quite as fiendishly sharp (although you could sharpen it). And, as always, dandelion roots snapped off at the end of the blade, despite my best efforts. Still, with a comfortable ash-wood handle and solid construction, the Cape Cod Weeder is an excellent performer.
The Ring Weeder ($5 plus $3 shipping) looks like something you'd buy for a quarter out of a bubble-gum machine at the supermarket, but it's surprisingly effective. The Ring Weeder is a bright orange plastic gizmo that consists of a midget dandelion fork attached to a ring. Slide the ring over your index finger with the fork behind your fingertip, and suddenly you've extended your best digging finger by an inch. It's like growing a claw. You can slide the Ring Weeder's tip down into the soil under and around roots and yank them up. Being able to take weeds out with your hands is intuitive, and strangely satisfying. Unfortunately, the Ring Weeder has the same problem that every other dandelion fork inevitably faces: Weeds with long taproots (that is, dandelions) will break off at the tip of the weeder. If you're weeding dandelions, the Ring Weeder won't help you much. The Ring Weeder is generously sized, and slim-fingered users will find that it tends to slip off if they don't wear bulky gloves. You won't want to use this weeder to clear all the weed seedlings out of your vegetable patch; it's just too slow. But for precision weeding of individual plants, the Ring Weeder is an excellent choice.
The Lawn Jaws weed pullers ($13 plus $5 shipping) have a simple design. They consist of a pair of needle-nose pliers with tiny teeth that point back toward the handle, much as a shark's teeth tilt back toward its fearsome gullet. When you grasp a stem with these weed pliers and pull up, the teeth dig in and give you a secure grip on the weed. In fact, that grip is so secure that the tip of the Lawn Jaws is exactly where the dandelion roots I pulled snapped off, leaving a healthy taproot under the lawn to regrow. If your weeds are slippery, the Lawn Jaws might help, but this weeder won't give you any extra leverage, help you get to deep roots under the soil, or cut off the roots of tiny seedlings. Amazon reviews seem to like it for weeding small crevices in driveways and rock walls, where getting a grip on a tiny stem is difficult.
The Weed Spinner ($17 plus $5 shipping) is a 33-inch-long drill bit with two protruding arms. Stick it in the ground next to the doomed plant, turn on your drill, and voilà: You now have a 33-inch-long drill bit wrapped in salad. When I tested this tool, it snapped the leaves off dandelions, leaving their energetic roots to grow new leaves in a day or two. It's entertaining, and users don't have to bend or squat to work with it, but this tool is really useful only for pulling up weeds with shallow roots or making small holes in your yard.
Large weeders
The most versatile large weeder we tested was the simplest: the Prohoe Rogue Garden Hoe 70G ($45). No gimmicks here—the 70G is a variation of one of the oldest tools known to humanity. It's simple, sharp, and sturdy, with a 60-inch wooden handle and a head made of recycled agricultural disk blades. The 70G does everything the Nejiri Gama Hoe does, but on a larger scale. It pulls up grass clumps like cotton candy, sweeps under garlic mustard, and extracts Rudbeckia laciniata roots with a bit of work and patience. The wide, flat blade of the 70G can't reach as far, and will inevitably dig up a 7-inch-wide swath, which may be larger than you'd like. Still, the 70G can slice through tiny seedlings under the soil, or yank out young Norway maples from below their admittedly shallow roots. Once again, however, it failed to remove more than a few inches of dandelion root. A Mother Earth News reviewer writes: "The blades hold a sharp edge extremely well, and have a slight curve that helps the hoe cut into the soil … We thought the Rogue Hoes might be too heavy for routine garden weeding, but the extra weight means you don't have to chop as hard." Mountain-bike trail builders use them for rooting out interfering saplings.
In 2015, we also tested two specialist weeders, the Yard Butler Rocket Weeder ($30) and the Fiskars Uproot Weed and Root Remover ($40). These tools are the Country Mouse and City Mouse of upright, clawed weeders. The Country Mouse Rocket Weeder looks old-timey, with mottled paint and rounded edges, and its Amazon page declares that it's a "19th Century Weed Puller—Updated for Today." The sophisticated City Mouse Fiskars Uproot has sharp claws, straight edges, and the typical stark black-and-orange Fiskars color scheme. At heart, however, they're two variations on the same weeder. You place the weeder over a weed and push it into the ground, step on the foot lever to close the claws around the root, and then pull the weeder back to pluck the plant out of the ground. But both models have limitations, too. You have to be able to put the weeder into the ground directly on top of the weed to grip the root effectively. Getting the claws to grip young tree seedlings and other taller plants with hard, springy stems is more of a challenge.
Both tools work well on some types of weeds that respond to steady pulling in one spot. In our tests, for instance, they both did a beautiful job of extracting garlic bulbs and got several inches of Rudbeckia laciniata root out of the ground. With Norway maples, though, the two parted ways. Using the Rocket Weeder, I successfully removed a long-rooted young Norway maple seedling, roots and all, but I had a difficult time getting the Fiskars Uproot around the trunk of the tall-stemmed seedling, and I could not pull it after several tries. And, like every other weeder I tested, the Rocket Weeder and the Uproot both broke off dandelion stems at the tips of their claws, leaving the rest of the taproot underground. Given these weeders' limited use—how many garlic bulbs do you have in your lawn?—I can't really recommend either of them. If you're renovating a neglected lawn full of soft-leaved plants with shallow roots, such as crabgrass, these weeders could save you a fair amount of bending. But you could also uproot most of those plants with a sharp hoe.
Of the two, the Fiskars Uproot has a slightly wider spread when its claws are open (4 cm or 1½ inches versus 3 cm or 1¼ inches for the Rocket Weeder). The Rocket Weeder closes its claws asymmetrically, producing a rectangle shape rather than a square, while the Fiskars Uproot closes three claws symmetrically around a fixed claw. Getting the Rocket Weeder around young tree seedlings was easier thanks to its asymmetry, but my particular Rocket Weeder also looked as if it was manufactured slightly off-kilter. I found other complaints about its manufacturing quality. As one Amazon reviewer writes, "On about the 10th time I used it, when two of the bottom prongs snapped, I could see from the place of the break that the device is not metal, but made of a composite material. (either that, or it's an awful brittle metal. It has a plastic-break sort of finish)." I also noticed complaints about the Fiskars Uproot's plastic components breaking, but they appear in a much lower portion of reviews.
The ProPlugger 5-IN-1 Planting Tool ($45) makes a 2-inch-deep, 4-inch-deep, or 6-inch-deep cylindrical hole in the ground (2⅛ inches in diameter). It has no moving parts. You simply place what looks like a short green pogo stick wherever you want a hole, step down on the side flanges to drive it into the ground, step off, pick it up, and there you go: a hole, and a Planting Tool with a wad of dirt inside. If your soil is very wet or dry (I tested it during a "moderate" drought), you will need to poke the dirt plug out by pushing down from inside the top tube with a rake or broom handle. I can't recommend this tool as a weeder, as most plants don't have roots that are exactly 2⅛ inches in diameter. In addition, the dandelions I tested had roots longer than 6 inches. This tool also doesn't work well on soil covered with vines or thick roots; when I attempted to take out Rudbeckia laciniata, it could not make its way through a mass of Virginia creeper vines. It won't help you with most weeds, and for the weeds it will pull, you'll have to spend time getting the weed out of the dirt wad, as well as putting the dirt back into the new hole. But still: It does exactly what its name says it does, and it does that very well. I respect this tool.
Fans of the original CobraHead may enjoy the CobraHead Long Handle Weeder ($55), a long-handled tool for weeding tight places. It's the same tool—a large round hook with a slightly flared, flattened end—on a 60-inch handle. This version isn't as useful for prying up tangled mats of Rudbeckia laciniata roots as the original CobraHead is; you just can't get that kind of low-to-the-ground leverage with this tool. Really, it isn't for digging at all. The CobraHead Long Handle Weeder excels at two things: It's perfect for surface weeding and cultivating narrow spaces while standing, and with its hook end it's great for catching running stems of rampant groundcovers like Virginia creeper and pachysandra. If you want to do more, you need a different tool.
The competition (2014)
The Winged Weeder Jr. ($13) has roughly the same capabilities as the CobraHead: great leverage for yanking out grass and sliding Rudbekcia laciniata roots out of the soil, enough delicacy to extract garlic mustard roots, and no luck whatsoever in pulling up dandelion roots intact. But while the CobraHead excels at pulling up sod and root masses, the Winged Weeder's specialty is the quiet art of cultivation. The Winged Weeder, which consists of a handle with a "winged" wedge-shaped blade, is designed primarily for cultivating between rows and slicing weeds. It does a fine job of dislodging tiny plants between rows. That said, it doesn't do any better than the Nejiri Gama Hoe, which costs a few dollars less. Buy the Winged Weeder Jr. if you want a tool with a longer handle and a handy right angle for making square plots and edges.
I did feel a responsibility to include a dandelion weeder in this review, even though such tools are not particularly versatile, just because some gardeners passionately loathe dandelions. Some authors recommend digging dandelions with barbecue forks, table knives, or tent stakes. Organic Life suggests extracting dandelions with the Mintcraft 13" Cushion Grip Garden Taproot Weeder ($5 plus $7 shipping), a two-pronged stainless-steel fork with a curved fulcrum attached for better leverage.
Unfortunately, such weeders are not much better at uprooting dandelions than they are at removing other types of weeds, which they do poorly. The Mintcraft tool performed this task better than the other weeders, but I still could not extract a dandelion root intact. Trying to use the fulcrum to leverage dandelions out of the soil just broke off the end of the root, ensuring that the dandelion would return to despoil my garden once again. A soil knife with a long blade would be a better investment for precise digging around long, narrow roots. A dandelion weeder does a subpar job of cultivation because of its narrow, blade-free tips, and it isn't particularly effective at uprooting sod or pulling up Rudbeckia laciniata root masses, either. This type of weeder is fine for removing old garlic bulbs and garlic mustard roots, but you can find plenty of other weeders capable of doing those tasks just as well. Skip the dandelion weeders.
The Magic Weeder ($25) has a certain charm but lacks leverage. It looks like something Aunt Hepzibah Fortitude might have used to cultivate the parsnips circa 1820. Hold the wooden handle, and your hand becomes a claw with three long, spiked metal fingers. The tool is designed to loosen the soil, and it works well for dislodging sod, old bulbs, and garlic mustard. However, it doesn't give as much leverage for pulling out long, thick roots as other weeders do, and its cultivation capability is limited to scratching the surface around weeds. It simply isn't as efficient at disrupting soil or pulling weeds out as a Nejiri Gama Hoe.
Care and maintenance
Clean your tools! Be sure to wipe all tools, especially those with rust-prone carbon-steel blades, dry of dirt and moisture before you store them—and it wouldn't hurt to wipe them with an oily rag. See this article from HGTV for garden-tool maintenance tips.
Wrapping it up
The compact Nejiri Gama Hoe is versatile enough for almost all weeding needs from grass to garlic mustard—except for dandelion roots. But other weeders don't work on those roots either, so get a soil knife if they offend you.
Genevieve, The Ken Ho Weeder, Garden Tool Review, March 16, 2013
Jessica Neufeld, Hand Weeders, OrganicLife (Organic Gardening), April 29, 2011
Bob Denman, Weeding Made Easy, Fine Gardening
Ecological Landscaping Association LinkedIn Group, Hand Weeders?
Deb Wiley, Eliminate Weed Plants From Your Garden, Better Homes and Gardens
Genevieve, Cobrahead Weeding Tool: A Steel Claw for Veggie Gardening and Weeding Cracks, North Coast Gardening, May 24, 2010
mgodfrey, Best Tools for Weeding, Horticulture Magazine, June 22, 2009
Genevieve, What to Brandish at Your Weeds: Hori-Horis, Soil Knives, and Trowels (With a Video Review of my Top Two!), North Coast Gardening, April 29, 2009
Geefrank, The Right Weeders Make All the Difference, Vegetable Gardening Gnomes
Sue Kittek, More about maintaining garden tools, The Morning Call


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Alice 150 Years and Counting...The Legacy of Lewis Carroll: Selections from the Collection of August and Clare Imholtz was on display from October 2015 through July 2016 in the Maryland Room Exhibit Gallery in Hornbake Library at the University of Maryland College Park. The digital exhibit recreates content on display in the original exhibition.
Items in the exhibition belong to the private collection of August and Clare Imholtz. All images are intended for educational and exhibition purposes only.
For additional information, visit Special Collections and University Archives or search our catalog to discover Alice-related items in our collections.
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Tags: nutrition, excuses, diet
10 Excuses you need to stop using when it comes to starting your fat loss journey
Get out of the yo-yo dieting phase and start flexible nutrition. Yo-yo dieting sets you up for failure and it is a vicious cycle that you need to break away from. Stop making excuses and fuel your body with nutritious food and be flexible with it!! Lifestyle changes are more realistic than yo-yo dieting for the rest of your life!
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Written By: Rebecca Desousa BS Nutritional Sciences


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Nowadays, social media is so powerful! Isn't it great how in just one click we can access thousands of sources of information. Whether you're looking for fashion inspiration, daily outfits or style ideas, Instagram, for example, offers a wide range of content for everybody's needs.
In today's post, I'm going to show you my TOP 5 GO TO FASHION PAGES on Instagram, that you should definitely check out. If you ever struggle connecting with your inner style guru or are running out of inspiration.
Starting off with my forever NUMBER 1 - @americanstyle
With almost 8 MILLION followers globally and over 10 000 posts, @americanstyle is with no doubt one of the biggest (and in my humble opinion) most powerful fashion curator pages out there.
Can you imagine how incredibly honoured I felt when I got a notification that this giant page reposted one of my personal pics! I mean, c'mon! It's like Leonie Hanne from @ohhcouture (or someone else who you really admire) coming to shake your hand with the words "Well done, you're doing great!".
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NUMBER 2 - @hairsandstyles
That's my second favourite curator page for fashion inso on Instagram. Beautiful colours, inspirational photos, great content! If you're like me and enjoy scrolling down beautiful feed, that's your cup of tea!
NUMBER 3 - @body_fitness_fashion
If you're a gym enthusiast or a health freak, but you like a bit of fashion too, @body_fitness_fashion is definitely your thing! A great mixture of gorgeous looking stylish girls and fitspo at the same time. What more could you possibly ask for?
I find pages like that a great visual motivation for my "getting ready for summer" period or any other time really when I'm trying to get into my skinniest jeans. How about you?
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Retro chic, freedom and romance. 4 words that sum up perfectly my favourite curation account for daily vintage and adventure inspiration. Check them out!
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This beautiful account with almost half a million followers is also in my top list of pages to follow if you are a romantic soul like me and love everything vintage. Incredible content that makes you fall deeply in love with places you've never seen and been to. Love at first sight.
What are your favourite Instagram accounts for fashion inspiration?
P.S. If this is the first article you're reading and you're not familiar with my social media activities, go and check out my Instagram account - @savinaofficial. If you like what you see, don't forget to click the follow button. It would mean the world to me!
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N.O.V.A. 3 - Near Orbit...
|04 Jun 2012
|Read the review
|05 Apr 2020
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|06 Jul 2012
Fight for mankind's survival in the greatest space shooter on mobile devices!
** Note that N.O.V.A. 3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance needs 2GB of free memory to install **
Four months have passed since Kal ruined the Volterites' plans by sabotaging their war factories, and stopping the extraction of the Judger Artifacts. However, following the assassination of President Folsom, the government surrendered the colonies to the Volterite Protectorate in order to prevent civil war.
Kal Wardin has been laying low since Folsom's death, but now he has received a desperate plea from Yelena to come to Earth. Once again, the hero must rise to save mankind!
• An epic storyline: Humanity finally returns to Earth after years of exile! Fight in 10 immersive levels across the galaxy, from a war-torn Earth to a frozen Volterite city.
• Multiple weapons and powers: Run, shoot, drive vehicles, and pilot a mech to defeat hordes of enemies.
• Join 12-player battles in 6 multiplayer modes (Capture the Point, Free-for-All, Capture the Flag, etc.) on 6 different maps.
• For the first time, multiple allies can jump inside the same vehicle and spread destruction on the battlefield.
• Discover the new FPS benchmark for graphics and gameplay (real-time shadow & lights, particle system, ragdoll physics, etc.)
For fans of the N.O.V.A. series, first-person shooters and action games on Android.
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