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Build it and they will come, it is said ... unless you have to tear it down. Which St. Jorge Winery of Acampo may have to do to an entire amphitheater.
Build it and they will come, it is said ... unless you have to tear it down. Which St. Jorge Winery of Acampo may have to do to an entire amphitheater.
St. Jorge, a small winery, expanded by ignoring the law and blowing off repeated warnings with a baffling disregard for inevitable consequences.
It's as if they hung a giant "Kick me" sign on their business. On Tuesday, the County of San Joaquin obliged. The Board of Supervisors unanimously shot down a Planning Commission decision to allow - or to OK after the fact - St. Jorge's expansion.
Meaning the amphitheater is illegal. It may not satisfy the law merely to cease operating it; crazy as it sounds, the amphitheater may have to be demolished.
"The board did discuss that they need to remove the amphitheater," said Kerry Sullivan, San Joaquin County Director of Community Development. And, by golly, "They ... expect the amphitheater to be removed," Sullivan said.
This is a highly unusual decision. Especially from the business-friendly Board of Supervisors. But then the way St. Jorge expanded was unusual.
As you probably know, you can farm on land zoned for agriculture, raise farm animals, or build your house on it. If you want to stray into other uses, you have to get a permit.
On July 22, 2005, the county gave a permit to Verne and Jenise Vierra to build a small winery. St. Jorge was named for a Portuguese island in the Azores.
"They really do make excellent wine," said Nancy Beckman, president and CEO of the Lodi Conference and Visitors Bureau. "Spectacular. And the facility has tremendous ambiance."
The permit allowed the winery to have only four "marketing events" (weddings, parties) a year. The size of these events was limited to 25 people.
Tastings and wine club events were permitted.
At some point, according to county records, the Vierras began to host more events than permitted and more people than permitted, at expanded facilities that had not been approved but which they built anyway.
This ticked off most of St. Jorge's neighbors. Romano and Judy Isola live next door to the winery.
"First off," they wrote in a June 5 letter to the county, "we have counted St. Jorge having at least six non-community sponsored events in the last 90-days, almost all of which have involved far in excess of 25 people so the idea that St. Jorge is abiding by its current event-related requirements is a joke.
"We have witnessed numerous events where alcohol-fueled participants were very loud and boisterous," the letter went on, "... weddings, class reunions, high school prom dinners and quinceaneras ... we can feel the percussion from the music inside our home."
The letter also mentioned "a sea of cars."
The county sent out inspectors. The inspectors found an amphitheater had sprung up. A "bottle sterilization and wine lab" looked suspiciously like a kitchen. Especially since the winery was advertising cooking classes.
County officials remonstrated with the Vierras to comply with the permit conditions. But, records say, St. Jorge continued to flout the law.
The Vierras even resorted to subterfuge to keep the illegal events going, Sullivan said.
County records include a document that says the Vierras billed one wedding as a meeting of the wine club.
"It was as if we were supposed to believe both the bride and groom happened to be in the wine club and they happened to show up for the wine club wearing wedding clothes," Sullivan said. "So you kind of see what we've been dealing with."
When pressure mounted, the Vierras tried to go through proper channels and get approval for their expansion. The Planning Commission did OK it. Opponents appealed.
By then, St. Jorge had become the poster child for wineries seeking to use a small-winery permit to develop event centers on farmland.
That trend must be stopped if farming is to be preserved, wrote Bruce Fry, president of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau Federation.
"If this application is approved, the County will only solidify their position that not only can you seek forgiveness for your unpermitted projects, but you can be rewarded with allowing expansion of activities ..." Fry wrote.
Ultimately, county officials agreed. The amphitheater must go. The county's wildest wine club must cease holding events, except for the four permitted. The kitchen can stay, but it must be used only for bottle sterilization and as a wine lab.
What were the Vierras thinking? They did not return calls. A person who answered the phone at St. Jorge Winery said Verne Vierra was busy making wine. Under the circumstances, that is probably the smart thing to do.
Contact columnist Michael Fitzgerald at (209) 546-8270 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/fitzgeraldblog.


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This is a great book (and system) for old and new players alike.
I recently (about 3 months ago) started up a "D&D Night" group at work. Myself and another we old greybeard players/GMs from the olden days and the others never played tabletop. They were all familiar with RPGs in the context of computers and consoles, but playing a tabletop, pen-and-paper RPG was new.
So in looking around, I wanted a rule set that was easy but still invoked the old school feelings. Most of my tenure was during the 2nd Edition days [mostly pre-Player's Option 2.5], with a smattering of AD&D 1st, BECMI D&D [where I cut my teeth initially], and some 3rd Edition. I originally though LL or OSCRIC to get really into the nitty gritty, but unless you were into that sort of thing back in the day, there is a bit a goofiness and complexity that may turn off the uninitiatied.
So I looked into C&C. It fit the bill perfectly. It plays like a lightweight AD&D 1st, mixed with some elements of 2nd, with the Seige Engine mechanics cribbed from 3rd's basic machanic. It's lightweight, plays to classic archetypes and mechanics to the point you can basically throw OD&D, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd materials at it with little thought or modification, and it works. Characters roll up quick, order of play is very straightfoward and a good deal of the rest can easily be roleplayed, ruled from the table, or house ruled in no time flat.
Although I have a soft spot for retro-clones and simulara (or amped up ones like DCC), C&C is an awesome fit for anyone wanting a simple, streamlined, yet classic D&D experience in the modern day.
In regards to this book, it is laid out well, covers everything it should, and not overburdened by too much. It is quite literally what I expect in the Player's Handbook. The art is of good quality and the quality of the PDF file is good as well. I was never a real fan of the faux parchment finish of a lot of RPG books, but since it is so ubiquitious, I will let that criticism slide.
This is a great book with some great material. It is filled with excellent art and is very well written and put together. I highly recommend this book for both collectors and regular gamers alike.
A beautiful revision of the Players Handbook. I really like the new logo as well as the full-spread artwork on the cover. The interior is a mixed bag for me; some of the artwork in color is gorgeous, while others have very odd color choices. I like the goldenrod background of the page, but the brown text is not a very good complement and is hard to read on-screen (I have no idea if the hard-copy version is any better or not). Otherwise there aren't too many changes besides encumbrance. If you have the 4th printing, I don't think you'll be missing much. If you're new to C&C, then I would say either get this printing or go ahead and get a hard-copy version.
It is often said that Castles & Crusades is the Rosetta Stone of Old School Gaming. It certainly is that, but there is a lot more going on here than just that. Castles & Crusades is very much a stripped down version of the basic 3.x SRD. As such there are lot of concepts that are modern including a one-roll mechanic for all sorts of situations. Though if that were all then there would be nothing separating this from say True20 or other "lite" d20 iterations. Castles & Crusades plays like good old fashioned D&D. The aesthetic here is 1st Ed. AD&D, with the simplicity of Basic era D&D. The concept is noble and one we see in many of the retro-clones. But where the clones attempt to use the OGL to make an older version of the rules, Castles & Crusades makes it's own rules and instead goes for the feel or nature of the game. So while you will see Thieve's abilities represented by percentage rolls in Basic Fantasy or OSRIC and as a skill in 3.x in C&C it will be a Dexterity check. Simple, elegant and easy. The Ability check, whether your abilities are Prime or Secondary, are a key element of C&C.
The Players Handbook is the first book you need for Castles & Crusades. At 140+ pages it is all about getting your character up and going. The abilities here are the same six you have always used and they are even generated by rolling 3d6 and assigning. If you have a different method that you liked back in the day OR if you have adopted some point by system from a new version I see no reason why it would not work here. I am a fan of 4d6, drop the lowest myself. The ability score modifications are a bit different than new OGL games, but are in fact much closer to older games. Bottom line is just pay attention to how many pluses that 18 gives you if you are used to playing newer games.
Next you will choose a class based on your abilities. Each class has a prime ability; one that is most associated with it. So fighters have strength, clerics wisdom, wizards intelligence and so on. Speaking of classes, all the "classics" are here and some new ones. So you have Assassins, Barbarians, Bards, Clerics, Druids, Fighters, Illusionists, Knights, Monks, Paladins, Rangers, Rogues and Wizards. There are some minor tweaks that make them different from other versions of the same class in another game, but nothing that made me scream "That's not right!" in fact in most cases I was more inclined to agree with what they did. For example I like the Barbarian for the first time ever. Each class has some special abilities and skills.
In C&C it is assumed that if a character wants to do something that instead of a skill roll an ability check is made. There is Target Number, 12 for Primes (something you are good at) or an 18 for Secondary. You add your mods, any class or race based modifications and there you go. Simple. Skills are no longer of a list of things you can or can't do, but now potential to do or at least try anything. This is something we did back in the old days, but the newer twist here is that this is just the same as any d20 based roll. Be it skills or attack. So Rangers and Barbarians are good at tracking, wizards at arcane lore and so on. makes things pretty easy. So improvement over 3.x games, no tracking skill points.
I have to add, that there is such a cool old-school vibe here that it is just like reading a book from the early 80s. Only with far better layout and art. As another aside, the art is fantastic. I love my old school games and wizards in pointy hats and all, but the wizard in C&C looks AWESOME. I would not mess with that guy, I don't care if he looks like a farmer or not.
Races are up next and all the usual suspects are here.
Races and Classes are built in such away that customization is REALLY easy. If I wanted to play a Goblin here I bet I could rather easy. Every race gets two Prime stats. Typically you want one of these to correspond with your class. Humans get three allowing for their flexibility. All other races also get modifiers to abilities and/or special traits. While the modularity of 3.x is obvious, the feel is still more 1st ed.
We end character creation on completing the character with persona, gods and alignment.
Up next are some lists of equipment and rules on encumbrance. The rules are some of the easiest encumbrance rules I have seen. So far so good? Well we have by this point gotten through roughly a third of the book. Not too bad for 50 pages.
Magic and Spells take up the remaining bulk (65 pages) of the book. Not a surprise given four spell casting classes. Spells are listed alphabetically and range from 0-level cantrips to 9th level spells for each of the four classes. That is a major break from their old-school roots when only wizards had access to 9th level spells.
The spell format itself is also closer to that of 3.x, though no XP penalties that I could see.
The nest 20 or so pages deal with the Castle Keep (GM) of the game. This includes all sorts of advice on how to handle conflict, award XP and even how to set up an adventuring party. Good advice all around to be honest and enough to keep most groups going for a long time.
There is also an appendix on multi-classing as an optional rule. I have not tried it yet, but it looks solid. Not as elegant as what you see in 3.x, but better than what we had in 1st or 2nd ed.
The Players Handbook is all most players will ever need and even some Castle Keepers.
I have the 4th ed version with the black and white interior art and the newer 5th ed with the full color art. Rule wise they are the same, but the full color version is really, really nice and the art is just fantastic.
This game is a great balance between old-school D&D and the new (3rd and 3.5). It is tremendous fun and gives you a lot of options without gobs of rules.
Originally posted at: http://diehardgamefan.com/2012/09/19/tabeltop-review-castles-crusades-players-handbook-fifth-edition/
I give a lot of love to Castles & Crusades. In the past year alone I've reviewed eight products from this line with the newest edition of the Player's Handbook being the ninth. I love the system and have since I purchased the first edition hardcover Player's Handbook back in 2004. I even picked up the Kindle version of Fourth Edition to support the line. However, when Troll Lords ran a Kickstarter for Fifth Edition, I decided to pass. I didn't really need a third copy of the book and I knew I'd be getting a review copy of the PDF. I have to admit though, the Kickstarter offered some amazing deals and the 223 people who partook in it got more than their money's worth.
The biggest change to the book is that it is now in full colour with some great new artwork by Peter Bradley and others. Other than that, the game is almost exactly the same as it has been since first edition. Even the layout and flow of the book is almost exactly the same. There are 146 pages in 5e compared to 128 in 1e, but most of the extra pages are in spell descriptions and then little bits and pieces added here and there like the new optional rules. Basically if you already have an earlier version of the book, you don't need to get this unless you just want the new snazzy colour artwork.
If you've never played Castles & Crusades, it's one of the oldest "Old School Renaissance" style Dungeons & Dragons clone. It's a mix of first, second and third edition rules with some unique twists all its own. Still, if you've played a TSR version of D&D, you'll probably be able to jump into C&C with nary a hiccup. Troll Lord calls it their "Siege Engine," but really it's the same Gygaxian product you've known and loved most of your life. It's my personal favorite OSR game and honestly, I embraced it all the harder when Wizards released…ick, Fourth Edition D&D.
You have seven races (Human, Halfling, Half-Orc, Half-Elf, Dwarf, Gnome and Elf) and thirteen classes (Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin, Knight, Ranger, Wizard, Illusionist, Cleric, Druid, Thief, Assassin, Bard & Monk). All are your basic D&D classes except for Knight which similar to the Cavalier from Unearthed Arcana. I do tend to play the Knight or Assassin in C&C. They're a lot of fun.
The biggest difference between C&C and OD&D is probably the concept of primary and secondary attributes. In D&D attributes picked what class you could be and whether you got bonus experience or not. In C&C primary attributes give you a modifier to any skill checks (straight out of third edition D&D) that you have to make. Humans get three primary attributes while all other races get two. It's not a huge difference, but as many gamers will tell you, a 1 or even a 2 can make all the difference in an important roll.
The book is primarily about making characters as you would guess from the name.116 pages of the book are devoted to character creation, along with an explanation if stats, races, classes, spells and weapons. The rest of the book is primarily for the Castle Keeper or DM, although any C&C fan can (and should!) read it. There's a lot of information about combat here. For those that are interested, C&C does use Third Edition D&D style combat rolls rather than the old school THACO. Honestly, C&C is very much a D&D clone, so if you've played first, second or third edition from that series, you should be able to pick up the mechanics of C&C without missing a beat.
Appendix A in this Fifth Edition has some new things that weren't in the original game. These includes multi-classing (taking two different classes like say, Cleric and Paladin) or "Class and a Half." Multi-classing rules aren't new to D&D gamers, but it was something that wasn't in the first few editions of C&C. Multi-classing actually does its own thing rather than following any previous D&D or AD&D rules. Here when a C&C character levels up he gains a level in both classes. However to gain a level, the character has to have all the experience needed from both classes plus a little extra. So things are slow going here if you want to multi-classing. There's no 5th Level Fighter/2nd Level Wizard things going on here. As well, demi-humans can only take up to two classes and humans up to three. These are some interesting choices and I'm not sure how many people would choose to multi-class in this situation unless the ENTIRE PARTY is multiclassing. Otherwise you'll be left behind big time.
Class and a Half is the really weird one though. A player picks a primary class and then a supporting class. Basically it is the same as multi-classing, but the secondary class only goes up every two levels. So a Fighter/Mage in this case would start off as a Level 1 Fighter. Then when he has enough experience, he would become a Level 2 Fighter/Level 1 Wizard. Then it would be a Level 3 Fighter/Level 1 Wizard and then a Level 4 Fighter/Level 2 Wizard, It's not very complicated, but you do have to pay VERY close attention to your experience points to make this work. Again, I'd stick to a single class, especially since C&C is very hack and slash combat oriented.
Overall, this is the same exact Castles & Crusades its fans have always loved, albeit it with some minor tweaks here and there and so new gorgeous full color art. I'm a huge fan of the system and can definitely recommend it to any fantasy gaming fan (although not necessarily the published adventures). If you already own a previous version of the Player's Handbook, it's probably not worth getting this unless you just want the art. As well, $21 for the PDF is a bit pricey compared to other games, especially when you realize that you could get a physical copy of the book for only ten dollars more (or roughly the same price if you purchased the hardcover book via the Kickstarter campaign!) If you don' have a Player's Handbook though, this Fifth Edition is definitely the way to go. Castles & Crusades has never looked better (or more colourful!) and it's hands down the best version so far. That said, you can find older versions for a lot less, but no matter what edition of the PH you pick up, you should definitely pick up SOME version of Castles and Crusades if you're an old school D&D fan, or a fan of fantasy RPGs in general.

subset: commoncrawl


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Don't Miss OutTime: Monday 8.30pm
Cost: FREE ENTRY!
The Candle Club was the first open mic night to be held in Southampton.
Established in 1996 by Simeon Hill and Clive Roberts at The Talking Heads in
Southampton, the Candle Club takes place every Monday night and has a
reputation for encouraging new talent of whatever age or experience.
If you think you may be able to entertain by playing an instrument, singing, reciting poetry, monologues, juggling, whatever, but have never been given the chance… well you have now!
Come and entertain 'The Candle Club'
Each 'act' gets 10 minutes on stage (8 minutes plus 2 minutes to set-up) which is timed by traffic lights (when the light goes amber you've got 2 minutes!). When it is red your time slot has finished. Acts with more than one person are very welcome but you must be able to set up in 2 minutes so, unfortunately, drum kits can't be used.
Most instruments can be accommodated without amplifiers but we do recommend guitars with pick-ups as the quality of sound will be much better given the amount of time allowed for setting up.
Also, if you are singing, please position yourself as close to the microphone as possible. We will help you setup but try and make sure the mic is in right position and you are comfortable before starting.
To be sure of taking part please arrive by 8pm.
(If you don't have any yearnings to get on stage then we would pleased to see you as part of the audience!)


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Another week that seems to be zooming by like lightning. Things continue to go well on the creative front, not so well on the financial front.
UPDATE: Online Sales. Online sales picked up a bit, but remain soft and a little scary. Compared to most past years, sales remain down by about 30%, including Christmas Surprise Packages. Between Halloween celebrations and the East Coast snowstorm, weekend sales were poor, though not as bad as we feared they might be. The same held true of Monday, Halloween itself. On Wednesday morning, however, we saw a large surge that helped make up for the low weekend, but today's sales were disappointing. The question is, will sales improve? In this economy, who knows? We remain worried about this, but pressing forward with new releases and high hopes, especially as new products continue to roll out.
On to more fun topics.
UPDATE: Christmas Surprise Package. This is the deal of the holiday season. Nobody can touch the Palladium "Christmas" Surprise Package – $80-$90 worth of product, sometimes more for only $38 plus shipping and handling. (I have been loading up many Surprise Packages with $90-$100 worth of product!) All items are handpicked from your "wish list" and if you want them, all books are autographed by available Palladium staff and any freelancers who walk through our door. Get signed books, prints, original artwork, T-shirts and other Palladium goodies.
This is a great way to get collectibles and unusual keepsakes like the bookmarks, staff photo, zombie staff photo, prints, etc., as well as holiday gifts for your gaming buddies. A great way to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions, or fill holes in your own collection, get back issues of The Rifter®, or to try new game settings. Ask for autographs and we'll sign every book in your Surprise Package. We ship every couple of days (every day as we get closer to the holidays). Take advantage of this wonderful offer and see some of the new products available below.
NEW! Palladium Bookmarks are available now. As reported last week, an attractive set of four bookmarks are available now. A set of four is only five bucks, and they are fun and useful. You get a bookmark for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Dead Reign™, and Heroes Unlimited™.
NEW! Zombie print is available now. Artist Mike Mumah outdid himself when he created a black and white illustration of a zombie horde for Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™. What makes this zombie illustration unique is that ALL of the 36 zombies are Palladium staff and freelancers (writers and artists). The likenesses are excellent even with ripped up faces and the print is fun and frightening at the same time. I liked it so much I turned it into two, black and white prints to share with you, one large, one small, both signed by me and the Palladium staff.
The Endless Dead™ Zombie Print is available in two sizes, as a small, 11x8½ inch print (signed by the Palladium staff) for $6.00 and as a large, 17x11 inch print (signed by the Palladium staff) for $10.00. It is especially impressive at the larger size as it provides more terrifying detail of the Palladium zombies. We love it. Note: A gray toned version will appear in the Endless Dead™ Sourcebook, complete with a code key to identify everyone. May be requested in Christmas Surprise Packages but only some requests will be honored and you are most likely to get the small, 11x8½ inch version.
NEW! 2011 Palladium staff photograph, signed by the six of us, is available by request in Palladium Christmas Surprise Packages. It has a value of $10.00; included only when people request one. HOWEVER, you can also (or alternately) request the Zombie Staff Photo. Both available now. Only available in the Grab Bag.
NEW! Zombie Staff Photo, now available for request in Christmas Surprise Packages. Just for fun, Wayne Smith grabbed the zombie head shots of us from the Mike Mumah black and white art and replaced our real heads in the photo with the line art. The resulting zombie-bobble head appearance was hilarious and we thought some of you might get a kick out of it too, so we are making it available in Christmas Surprise Packages. Only people who request the "Zombie Staff Photo" will be considered to receive one; $10.00 value. Only available in the Grab Bag.
BACK IN STOCK! Dead Reign™ T-shirts are available now. As announced last week, this fan favorite T-shirt is available now and selling well. They look great. Most sizes are available. The price is the usual $18.95 for Small to X-Large, more for the larger shirts. This shirt is scary, ironic and funny all at the same time. Order yours today. And a set of bookmarks too. ;)
NEW! Coalition Christmas™ T-shirt is available now. The shirt arrived Friday, October 28, as announced. This is a fan favorite back for the first time in 10 years at a special, low holiday price. We all snagged our shirts immediately. As far as I'm concerned, EVERY Rifts® gamer needs this shirt. Order yours today.
COMING SOON back in print, the Property of the Coalition States™ T-shirt. This is another popular T-shirt that's coming back in print in a few weeks. Black print on a grey T-shirt. Nice. Sizes Small to 5XL.
UPDATE: Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook in final production! We received a batch of approvals for artwork last week and continue to wait for the rest. We were assured by one gentleman at Harmony Gold that they'd try to get all the approvals and changes to us by Friday of this week. Text approvals started coming in yesterday, so we're hopeful. As soon as we have them all the book gets laid out and sent to the printer! If we get them soon the book will be out this month as fast as we can make it happen. Keep those pre-orders rolling in.
UPDATE: Robotech® Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook. The writing continues to move along nicely and we're shooting for a January release (pending approval from the Licensor). 8½ x 11 size. 96 pages. See the complete description elsewhere in this Weekly Update.
UPDATE: Rifts® Lemuria. At this point, this is all I am working on until it is finished. There is a lot of great stuff in this hotly anticipated sourcebook and I will do my best to get it finished pronto.
UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™. I am waiting for the last of the artwork which should arrive in the next week or so. The cover artist, for one, needed another week to make the cover another macabre masterpiece. As soon as it comes in, then it's a few tweaks and additions and off to the printer. This book is on track for a November release.
UPDATE Rifts® Path of the Storm™ – One writer's vision for the Rifts® Movie. I am delighted to see so many gamers excited about this book. It think it is excellent and fun. As soon as we get the final cover and art from Chuck Walton, it gets laid out and sent to the printer. I approved the interior and cover art over the weekend and Chuck is busy working away on the movie poster style cover. This book will give you a glimpse into the process of making the Rifts® Movie and provide NPC characters, villains and ideas for your own games. Those of you who keep asking for new novels will love this book. See the description elsewhere for complete details. A November release. (Yes, this is one of the things we've been working on behind the scenes.)
UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook. I am still planning to get this book out in 2011. And our goal remains to put things in place to release a new book every month starting now.
UPDATE: Back in print – soon. There are several books that need to be reprinted, but these are coming soon.
UPDATE: The Rifts® Game Master Support Kit will be available tomorrow (Friday, November 4, 2011). At last, the first Game Master Support Kit will be available for free to Megaversal Ambassadors and to the rest of you from DriveThruRPG.com for $5. Includes character sheets, combat log, hit location charts, pre-rolled characters for players, and other material that should give Game Masters a nice, solid resource to draw upon to run games on the fly and help in the running of demos and pickup games, not to mention personal campaigns. The Palladium Fantasy Game Master Support Kit will be available next week. Meanwhile, Carl Gleba is already working on a Phase World®/Three Galaxies Game Master Support Kit.
UPDATE: DriveThruRPG.com. We'll be posting more G.M. Support Kits as well as sneak previews for Rifts® Lemuria, Vampires Sourcebook, and Endless Dead™ on DriveThruRPG.com as soon as we can.
Don't forget, DriveThruRPG offers more than 90 out of print titles (and a few that are not) as PDF downloads. It is a good resource for getting The Rifter® #1-48 and to fill in your RPG library with first edition copies of Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, and other game lines, as well as books such as Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™ and both versions of the The Mechanoids® RPG (1985) and The Collected Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy (1981-1983).
UPDATE: Palladium Open House, May 4-6, 2012. If Christmas is only 51 days away, then the POH is coming up fast too. Order your tickets now and start saving to come on over and be part of this truly unique and special gaming event. I mean, you get to meet dozens of Palladium creators, chat, get autographs and game with the very people who made the RPGs you love! And it's all role-playing games all weekend. I want to make this the biggest POH blowout ever and see a record number of gamers in attendance. See the description of the event toward the end of this Weekly Update. Join the fun.
UPDATE: Kevin's Online Toy & Collectibles Store. Alex and I continue to put a lot more toys and action figures into my online store. They might make nice holiday presents. Once a week we also try to add a few Palladium collectibles, art prints, artwork and out of print books (signed) for our gaming fans. We'll keep adding toys every day or two and Palladium Collectibles at least once a week.
Halloween Store – QueenofGhouls.com – Halloween is over, but Kathy Simmons sells life-sized Halloween props all year long, as well as a few delightful Christmas figures. All are realistic, durable, suitable for all weather conditions, fun and funny. As good as they look in the photos, they are so much better in person. Kathy's life-sized Halloween props are unlike anything you have ever seen (unless you've been to the Palladium Open House). If you are looking for a standout Halloween or Christmas item for your front lawn, one of these will do the trick. Stands are also available for use on the porch and indoors. Easy to set up, wet weather is no problem. Folds up for storage.
Kathy's Halloween was amazing. She estimates at least 250-300 children came to her home trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Add in parents, grandparents, teenagers and other adults coming to just see her massive display, and it's likely 500-700 people visited that one night alone. This is in addition to the estimated 1,200 or more over the weekend. Kathy enjoyed raves of praise about her Halloween display from parents and children alike. People came from neighboring communities as far away as Ann Arbor and Brighton, Michigan (about 40 miles away). To top things off, Halloween night, a couple showed up in an actual hearse to see her display.
The highlight of Kathy's day, however, was when a bus (yes, an actual school bus) pulled up to unleash 30-40 special education children to walk through her front yard to enjoy the Halloween vignettes. I'm told the kids were delighted beyond measure. How nice for Kathy to have so many people from so many places come to enjoy her labor of love. I'm glad many of her visitors took the time to tell her how much they appreciate her erecting a display the likes of which most have never seen in their lives. Let me tell you, as good as some of the videos and photos look, they do not do her Halloween display justice. Several dozen visitors commented that Kathy's front yard (about 3000 square feet) was better than any commercial "Haunted House" they have ever seen. Great job, Kathy. We're all proud of you.
I need to get back to work and get books to the printer. You enjoy the new zombie prints, bookmarks, Coalition Christmas T-shirt, Rifts G.M. Support Kit and other new products coming out and count on seeing new books very, very soon. Keep those imaginations burning bright and game on.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer & Surrogate Santa
During the holiday season, we like to let you see some of the many comments we get with the Christmas Surprise Packages. It's a nice way to acknowledge some of our fans and to share with you the kinds of words we hear from gamers throughout the season. We show only initials as some people would rather keep their identity private. Our thanks for your kind words of appreciation and encouragement. This week's selection were so kind they made me blush.
Keep those imaginations burning bright, game on and find joy this holiday season. – Kevin Siembieda
A.A. in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, writes: Hi again Palladium Books. I am excited for the Splicers® franchise to take off. Hopefully it will attract new and old fans. The reason I order anything from this company, besides the amazing books, is because Palladium is too wonderful to be gone. It was Rifts® that opened my mind to the Megaverse® concept. These people stand out not just as authors and artists, they are hope. So thank you. Here's to a fruitful last few months [of the year].
Z.K. in Grand Junction, Colorado, writes: I love your works and there are a lot more books I would like to get. However, most of them are either pre-ordered, back-order or coming soon. I'll be making another order before the end of the year. You are all awesome. Just seeing a Palladium product makes my day.
R.M. in Waupaca, Wisconsin, writes: Great job keeping me entertained for about 25 years. GO PACK GO! Couldn't resist. You guys are most likely Lions fans.
K.K. in Littleton, Colorado, writes: Keep up the good work! Hope sales improve.
T.W. in Oakdale, California, writes: We have a group out here in the central valley of California called, Imaginations Unleashed; there are about 12 of us. We are the only group in our area that strictly plays and buys Palladium books. Every other group around our area is a mix of RPGs. We believe your system is the best, and your games are the most fun. We have all bought Grab Bags. This is my second of the year. I bought three last year. I have only been playing two years but have over 30 books. I look forward to playing and buying books from you for a long time. Thanks for all your effort and hard work. I hope that Palladium stays strong for years to come!
C.B. in Mountain View, California, writes: Keep it up guys, love your games! I'll support you as much as I can!
J.H. in Richmond, Texas, writes: I have purchased a Grab Bag every year since you started offering them and I have never been disappointed. At first, it was a great way to fill in my collection and now it is an even better way to share Palladium with my friends.
A zombie horde stumbles toward you, but these aren't ordinary zombies, they are the Palladium staff and freelancers! That's right, this horrifying mash of zombies includes Kevin, Wayne, Alex, Kathy, Julius and Matthew, as well as Kevin Long, Ramon Perez, Freddie Williams, Mike Mumah (the artist), Mark Dudley, Chuck Walton, Nick Bradshaw, Carl Gleba, Jason Richards, Brandon Aten, Greg Diaczyk and many, many others (36 monstrous faces total). Available in two sizes, both signed by the Palladium staff.
The shirt arrived last Friday and looks better than the original version printed on a white shirt back in the 1990s. We tweaked and darkened some the artwork to make it even more dynamic. We have made this shirt affordable so as many people as possible can get one if they want it.
The T-Shirt depicts a Coalition Dog Pack man-handling Santa. (He is a magic user, after all.) Scattered on the floor from Santa's bag of presents are action figures of a Skelebot, Glitter Boy, Erin Tarn, Emperor Prosek, Victor Lazlo, Mechanoids, a Dog Boy plush toy, Spider-Skull Walker, RPG books and other items. The words: "Merry Christmas from the Coalition States."
This T-Shirt has been a fan fave requested for years, but the art for the shirt was lost. The T-shirt place had gone out of business, artist Scott Johnson had sold the original art at a convention and did not have a photocopy, and Palladium's original design and photocopies had vanished. It was only recently that Publisher Kevin Siembieda found a photocopy tucked away where it didn't belong in the Palladium archives. The rediscovery of the photostat has allowed us to reissue this beloved T-shirt in all sizes for the first time in a decade.
As noted earlier, Kevin thought this fun and playful shirt should be made available for the holidays at prices affordable for everyone. These lower than usual prices are good from now through New Year's Eve. Order yours today.
The ultimate Zombie Apocalypse T-shirt: The front depicts a woman armed with a shovel standing on the roof of her car as a massive horde of zombies swarm around her. The front of the shirt reads: "Ever have one of those days?" Below the art is the Dead Reign™ logo and the words "The Zombie Apocalypse." Printed white on a black T-shirt. Art by Amy Ashbaugh.
The back of the shirt is red on black and says, "Relax, it's not like it's the end of the world or anything." - but most of that statement has lines crossing it out leaving only the words "it's the end of the world." Under it is a Nick Bradshaw zombie silhouette and a small version of the Dead Reign™ logo. Funny, poignant, awesome!
We plan to reprint this T-shirt as soon as our cash-flow improves, probably in a couple weeks. It has the symbol of the Coalition Army and the words, "Property of the Coalition States" emblazoned on it.
Don't forget there is also a fabulous Property of the Coalition States™ coffee mug; white image on black cup. Perfect for that hot cup of cocoa on a cold winter's night, or soda when you game. Looks very official. Everyone at Palladium has one. Holds 15.5 ounces. Mircrowave safe. Cat. No. 2543. Other coffee mugs include Rifts®, Dead Reign™ and Gamer mugs. See the Palladium Books online store for complete details.
A set of four, 2 x 6 inch bookmarks, each depicting a different Palladium game line: Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™ and Dead Reign™. They are attractive, useful and make a fun collectible.
The Rifter® is your doorway to unlimited imagination and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new heroes, powers, weapons, magic and adventure for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider.
The Rifter® #56: The articles are expansive and fun.
The battle for the liberation of Earth starts here. For the first time in its history, the Earth has been invaded and occupied by alien invaders – the Invid. The Invid think they have won, but Freedom Fighters, UEEF soldiers and other heroes continue to fight. This is the first sourcebook to combine ALL generations of Robotech® into one epic setting.
The Genesis Pits Sourcebook takes a deep look at one of the most awesome and terrifying powers wielded by the Invid: the ability to alter genetic structures and evolve their own species as well as other beings. To that end, the Invid have built massive evolutionary laboratories across the Earth and numerous worlds in an effort to find the perfect form to dominate the universe forever. The sourcebook includes a wide range of mutations, different types of Genesis Pits, new Robotech O.C.C.s and new "Frankenmechs" – hybrid mecha made from the leftovers of Earth's fallen defenders.
The Genesis Pits Sourcebook goes beyond the cartoon and deep into the machinations of the Invid and their deadly consequences for all who happen into their path.
The power, secrets and magic of the underwater realm of Lemuria revealed. Player characters can use symbiotes, magic and technology to breathe underwater and spend time below the waves.
Lemuria is more than an underwater civilization of aquatic beings. They can trace their lineage as far back as the Atlanteans and can survive on dry land as well as underwater. In fact, their greatest secret is that there is no one resting place for the Lemurians, their great cities are always moving. Learn about the people of Lemuria, new Biomancy magic and weapons, Biomancy engineered riding animals, sea herbs, new powers of healing, sea monsters, and more. Epic adventure awaits.
Unknown to most humans, deep within Mexico the vampires have established entire kingdoms. There they live like tyrants and gods, dominating an underclass of cattle people used as slaves and foodstock. Learn more about the vampires, their rivals, allies and the humans who willingly serve their supernatural masters for a chance to join the undead. A must-have guide for those who wish to travel deeper into the Vampire Kingdoms or play as vampires and their human minions.
As time goes on, the zombie hordes only grow in size and strangeness. This book contains horrifying new zombies to haunt your player characters along with new O.C.C.s and tons of tables for detailing Survivors' Hideouts, Safe Haven Communities, Death Cults and more. Survival is not enough. Now is the time for the war against the Endless Dead™. This book is going to be epic. Kevin and all the Palladium creators are pushing the envelope with each and every book they work on.
With zombies and horror all the rage in film and books, this RPG captures all the best aspects of the zombie genre. The setting is as much about survival in a post-apocalyptic world as it is about battling legions of walking dead. If tales of human survival, horror and zombies are of interest, you will love this fast paced game and its sourcebooks.
This is a unique, fun product that presents an entire screenplay written on speculation by Matthew Clements. That's how Kevin met Matthew, he showed up at the Palladium office with a Rifts® screenplay in hand and said, "Hi, I'm a screenwriter and I've written a Rifts® screenplay, would you like to read it?" Kevin read it, was impressed, and met with Matthew afterward several times to discuss changes and improvements. Matthew did a second draft and it was sent to Jerry Bruckheimer Films for their consideration. Meanwhile, Matthew and Kevin hit it off and the next thing he knew he became Palladium's new staff writer.
Kevin and company thought it would be fun to let Rifts® players see the type of Rifts® movie we at Palladium Books would like to see made. So we are presenting Matthew's screenplay as a proposed Rifts® movie script and Rifts® sourcebook. The screenplay is a fast, fun adventure story, and worth the read. To make it more fun, Matthew has statted out the key characters in the script and you can use the heroes, villains and story ideas in your own campaign should you want to do so.
This was all Kevin Siembieda's idea. He thought fans might like to see one of the attempts to get the Rifts® movie made. "Matthew's Rifts movie script, written entirely on spec," said the Publisher, "is one of the best I have seen. That's why I had him do a second draft and try to get JB Films to take a look at it." This screenplay is not likely to ever be turned into a movie, but now that it has been published, it is part of Palladium canon and can be drawn upon as a resource if Hollywood should choose to do so.
In addition to Matthew's Rifts® movie script and RPG character stats, there is some text by Kevin Siembieda about his adventures in Hollywood as well as some artwork. This is a unique product and a fun read that lets you step behind the veil at Palladium Books. A bit of insight on just one of the many projects that have gone on behind the scenes this year at Palladium.
The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. More details to follow, but for now, 'nuff said.
Data about the chaos and madness of the early days of the Great Cataclysm, and the brave men and women who tried to stem the tide of destruction and save lives, the First Responders.
This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We've made 90 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include:
All of the following (and more) are being written right now. A few are already finished. Most will be 2012 releases. And this does not include projects I would like to do for Palladium Fantasy®, Dead Reign™, Warpath™: Urban Jungle and new mediums.
Beyond the Supernatural™: Arcanum
Beyond the Supernatural™: Tome Grotesque
Beyond the Supernatural™ Sourcebook
Chaos Earth™ First Responders
Chaos Earth™ – Zombie Apocalypse Rifts-style during the Great Cataclysm.
Heroes Unlimited™ – Had two people who were supposed to be working on a pair of books, but they disappeared on me, so we are looking for folks to write a couple of HU2 sourcebooks.
Nightbane® – An as of yet untitled project, and looking for more.
Palladium Fantasy® – Mysteries of Magic 2 & 3
Palladium Fantasy® – Tombs of Gersidi expanded and new. Plus I have a few ideas on this front myself to revitalize this line, including writing Land of the Damned 3 for 2012 release.
Phase World®: United Worlds of Warlock™
Phase World®: Pirates of the Three Galaxies™
Rifts® Antarctica
Rifts® Black Market
Rifts® China Three
Rifts® Deep South
Rifts® New Navy™
Rifts® Northern Gun™ Books One & Two.
Rifts® Sovietski™
Rifts® Titan Industries™
Robotech® Genesis Pits™ adventure sourcebook.
Robotech® UEEF Marines™
Splicers® Sourcebook One – concepts and art by Charles Walton.
Splicers® Sourcebook Two – concepts and art by Charles Walton.
The Christmas Surprise Package is our way of saying thank you to our fans and putting smiles on the faces of gamers around the world.
What is a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package? $80-$90 (or more!) worth of Palladium Books product for only $38 plus shipping and handling. A minimum of eighty dollars ($80) retail. Sometimes much more! Santa Kevin often packs in $90-$100 worth of goodies.
It's a surprise package because you never know exactly what you're going to get or who will sign your books. We try to include many of the items on your "wish list," but we'll surprise you with stuff you are not expecting. All Surprise Packages are "handpicked" by Kevin Siembieda from YOUR "wish list." All books will be autographed if you want us to sign them. For many of you, this is the only way to get autographs!
We are taking orders right now. Buy one or ten, but get at least one. Buy them as gifts or to try a new game line, or fill holes your collection. Just don't miss out. The Surprise Packages will be available till December 23, 2011.
Spread the word. Tell all your gaming pals, because the Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, to readers of The Rifter® and on Palladium's website, so tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know and have a very Merry Christmas.
Click here for more information and to place an order.
The Palladium Open House (POH) is, plain and simply, a blast for everyone.
Think family reunion with people you like from around the world that involves laughs, fun and three days of role-playing games. (Four for those who attend VIP Thursday.) We invite you into our home – the Palladium warehouse and office – where we make the games you love and treat you like family and welcomed guests.
● 40+ Palladium creators are there for you. The Palladium staff and as many of the freelance writers, artists, Game Masters and Megaversal Ambassadors as possible (typically 30-45) are present the entire event. Many run games you can play in. All are there to sign autographs and talk with you.
Unlike game conventions, at the Palladium Open House you have unprecedented access to Kevin Siembieda and other Palladium creators, because they are there, on the floor with you all day long. They are happy to talk about Palladium Books, artwork, writing, movies, comic books and exchange stories about their own gaming experiences as well as listen to yours. Some artists are willing to do sketches of your characters, others bring prints and original artwork to sell. All are friendly and goofy gamers just like you. It seems like we laugh and have fun all weekend long, stopping only to catch a little sleep.
● Gaming events are run all day and into the night. Many are run by the very people who create the games, like Kevin Siembieda, Julius Rosenstein, Carmen Bellaire, Carl Gleba, Brandon Aten, Mark Oberle, Irvin Jackson and many others. There is also an open gaming area for pick up games. When gaming ends for the day at Palladium, there are two meeting rooms at the hotel where you can continue to play games, chat and have fun into the wee hours of the night.
● Panel talks (every day). I and others host several panel talks and question and answer sessions that reveal secrets, offer G.M. tips, player tips and lots of laughs.
● Costume contest (Saturday). YOU should make a costume based on one of Palladium's RPG settings and enter the costume contest. It is always a ton of fun and winners who take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place all get Palladium gift certificates and a plaque worthy of hanging on the wall. Best of show gets a $100 gift certificate (actually, it's Palladium Bucks redeemable wherever you find Palladium, at the POH, conventions, or via mail order). Costume contest categories are: Rifts/Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror/Modern/Superhero, and Best of Show.
● Live auction (Saturday). Get rare, out of print books, proofreader copies, artwork, prints, posters, collectibles, and strange things put up for rapid-fire auctioning by Kevin Siembieda.
● Meet fans from around the world. This year we already have gamers coming from Japan, Australia, Germany, England, Canada and across the country. Note: Our capacity is limited to about 350 people, so if there is a bigger than usual turnout, you may not be able to attend. Order your admissions tickets and reserve your hotel room now. The hotel will not be charged to your credit card till the day before the event.
● The POH is inexpensive compared to most game and comic conventions. You get more bang for your buck, total access to Palladium creators and enjoy everything for the price of admission.
The cost of admission covers everything. The games, the panel talks, the auction, entry in the costume contest . . . EVERYTHING.
The hotel is only $69.95 a night for a room with two double beds or one king-size bed. Suites are under $140. Free hot breakfasts. Note: you MUST tell them you want a room in the Block Reserved for Palladium Books to get the special rate. Your credit card is not charged until a day before the event, so reserve early. Call 734-455-8100, Comfort Inn Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel.
Food and stores all around. There are fast food places and inexpensive restaurants to eat all around Palladium Books. A Bennigans is across from the hotel. Denny's, Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's are down the street one direction, Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Lee's Chicken, Baskin & Robbins, and more are down the other way. Westland Mall is a half mile away, so is Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Kohls, Macy's, Sears, JC Penny, Lowes, Meijer, Sam's Club, Ikea and Dollar Tree, among many others. A large movie theater is around the block, almost walking distance, and another is near Westland Mall. We've got it all. ;)
$40 for the Three Day Weekend (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) when ordered in advance per each individual. $50 at the door and after March 31, 2012, if space is available. Cost of emission covers all events. Note: VIP Night, May 3, 2012, is an additional cost. A new batch of tickets will be made available in February, 2012.
$20 for Friday 9:00 AM till Closing.
$20 for Saturday 9:00 AM till Closing.
$10 for Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
$75 per person for VIP Night – Thursday – May 3, 2012. VIP night is a catered event limited to around 70-80 gamers plus Palladium creators. It is an additional cost, so if you plan to attend the entire weekend you must get a weekend ticket as well. NOTE: Since VIP tickets sell out so fast, we offer them in two batches. The first is sold out. The second offering will be in February 2012. VIP Thursday, May 3, 2012: 3:00 P.M. till 11:00 P.M.
Placing Your Order: Please include your FULL address and apartment number. Also include the complete NAME of EACH person you are ordering a ticket for, as well as your telephone number in case there is a problem and we need to contact you.
Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard and most credit cards are accepted. All Credit Card orders must include: Credit Card No. – Name on the card – Address of the Credit Cardholder – Expiration Date – Telephone Number of the cardholder. If you are buying tickets for several people, please make sure we have the full NAME of each person.
By Telephone: Call (734) 721-2903 – have your credit card information ready. You may place your reservation online in a similar way as placing a book order or you may use Palladium's order line (734) 721-2903.
Check or Money Order by Mail: Sent via the USPS or other delivery service. Send check or money order to:
Palladium Books
Dept. POH
39074 Webb Court
Westland, MI 48185-7606
Please include your FULL address and apartment number. Also include the complete NAME of EACH person you are ordering a ticket for, as well as your telephone number in case there is a problem and we need to contact you.
All tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis, so get your reservations in as soon as possible! Due to space and parking limitations and safety concerns, attendance will be limited to approximately 350 admission tickets.
Click here for more details and to reserve your tickets.
The Queen of Ghouls – Palladium's very own Kathy Simmons – is locked in her dungeon, devising new ghouls. Go to queenofghouls.com to see her current selection of life-sized Halloween props. See her zombie doctor and other new zombies, Jack Skellington and Sally, and more. New creations are on the drawing board, and so is a new website. Each Halloween prop is truly life-sized (most are 6 feet or taller – Jack is almost 8 feet) and seems almost alive.
Each is an all-weather, life-sized Halloween prop that can handle rain and snow, and is a one-of-a-kind work of art (no two are exactly the same). Each looks frighteningly "real." All come apart and fold down to slightly larger than a king-size pillow for easy storage. Comes with easy instructions, a plastic storage bag, and the lawn stake to stand it up in your front yard. Indoor stand sold separately.
Types of "Ghouls" include: Zombies (all kinds!), killer clowns, wizards, witches, devils, grave ghouls, scarecrows, executioners, mad doctors, deadly nurses, vampires, werewolves, and more. Kathy's also now offering an array of hand-painted Halloween signs, signs with heads and bodies hanging from them, witch's brewing pots, Halloween centerpieces and more. Best of all, her high quality creations are much more affordable and imaginative than most competitors or mass produced items in a store, making them affordable Halloween fun.
If you think the photos online look good, you should see them in person. A typical "ghoul," as she calls her creations, costs $129-$259. You can see some of her work at her Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store – queenofghouls.com.
Palladium Books has already reserved its booth at Gen Con Indy 2012.
We want to have a bigger presence at Gen Con Indy 2012 and that means more Palladium gaming events. We want Palladium Books to be a much bigger part of the gaming experience at Gen Con Indy 2012. Toward that end, we're hoping a number of Game Masters will step forward and run "official" gaming events at Gen Con. To do that we need your help.
Please let us know if you are planning to run at Gen Con Indy 2012, but most importantly, YOU NEED to contact Gen Con directly and fill out the Event Submission form/application and send it in to them BEFORE THE JANUARY DEADLINE. This can all be done online.
Note: Though there are different "rounds" and deadlines for submitting events, it is our experience that submitting in time for the very first deadline is the only way to sure-fire guarantee the event will be included. So please, let's plan now and get our events entered in the first round, mid-January 2012. Megaversal Ambassadors, please be a vocal and visible part of getting people to run Palladium gaming events for Gen Con Indy 2012. Any and all game settings (Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited, Palladium Fantasy®, Robotech®, Dead Reign™, Nightbane®, Splicers®, BTS, and all the rest) are welcomed. Let's make the halls of Gen Con Indy 2012 ring with Palladium gaming.
© Copyright 2011 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Beyond the Supernatural™, Chaos Earth, Coalition States, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, Warpath, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.
Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.
This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.


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The NEW Novation MiniNova Synthesizer | Small Just Got Bigger
Introducing the Novation MiniNova Synthesizer
The ALL NEW Novation MiniNova is a powerful mini-key synthesizer, featuring hands-on performance controls, VocalTune and vocoder effects.
The MiniNova By Novation comes with the same synth engine as its big brother, the Novation UltraNova, and comes together with 256 incredible onboard sounds so you can get started straight away. This synth's compact size, massive sound and performance/editing controls make it ideal for producers, performers, and computer-based musicians...
It's a true all-rounder!
The Novatioin MiniNova Synthesizer comes with a free software Patch Librarian, making it possible for you to store as many sounds as you like on your computer, plus, there are numerous soundpacks for MiniNova assembled by renowned artists and designers which can be downloaded from here.
Novation have acknowledged the fact that editing in powerful synths can be quite overwhelming at times, which is why they have generously created a software application that gives you visual access to the synth engine. The MiniNova Editor works as a plug-in within your DAW or music software. You can fully edit MiniNova using the hardware, the software simply makes it easier to see what your doing.
Novation MiniNova Key Features:
- 37 key controller keyboard with MIDI I/O
- Hugely powerful mini-synth with UltraNova's sound engine
- Brand New VocalTune
- Run guitar and other instruments through the classic vocoder and effects
- Tweak and warp your sounds in realtime
- 256 Awesome onboard sounds - instantly searchable
- Layer up to 5 effects per voice
- Comes together with editing software and a software patch librarian
More from Novation at Dolphin
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Novation MiniNova Synthesizer
Also take a look at our Novation MiniNova Synthesizer and Carry Bag Bundle here. The Novation MiniNova comes with the same synth engine as the Novation UltraNova, with the addition of 256 incredible onboard sounds so you can get straight to work. This synth's compact size, massive sound and performance/editing controls make it ideal for producers, performers, and computer-based musicians, it's a true…
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Novation Ultranova Analogue-Modeling Synthesizer
UltraNova is the new generation of Novation's iconic 'Nova' range of synthesizers. It packs the massive 'Nova' sound into a compact body with a built-in vocoder. A new 'Touch' performance system places deep control of the synth right at your fingertips – so incredible new ways to play, create and perform are just a touch away. UltraNova has 300 onboard…
Web Price:369.00
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DMK ministers meet Prez to withdraw support from UPA govt, will meet PM tomorrow
The DMK ministers led by TR Baalu on Tuesday night met President Pranab Mukherjee and handed over the letter to withdraw support from the UPA govt. The DMK ministers will also meet the PM tomorrow. DMK withdrawing support: History could turn full circledelhi Updated: Mar 19, 2013 23:41 IST
The DMK ministers led by TR Baalu on Tuesday night met President Pranab Mukherjee and handed over the letter to withdraw support from the UPA government. The DMK ministers will also meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, DMK chief M Karunanidhi announced that his party was leaving both the multi-party coalition and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government after New Delhi's failure to take a hard line against Sri Lanka.
"Continuing in this government will be an injustice to the Sri Lankan Tamils," the former Tamil Nadu chief minister said in Chennai, and charged Colombo with committing atrocities on its Tamil population.
The 88-year-old politician accused both India and the UN of "betraying" the Sri Lankan Tamils.
But Karunanidhi made it clear that if the government accepted his two demands - charge Sri Lanka with "genocide" of Tamils and demand a credible investigation into alleged war crimes -- he could reverse his stand.
Karunanidhi said the UPA government had not only refused to consider the DMK's views on the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC session in Geneva but had quietly watered it down.
He ruled out extending outside legislative support to the UPA, in which the DMK was the largest constituent after the Congress.
As the DMK decided to withdraw support, the government on Tuesday moved to bring a resolution on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue in Parliament in an attempt to placate the key ally which has set it as one of the conditions for reconsideration of its decision.
Sources said the government is drafting a resolution to be brought in Parliament.
The decision was taken after the Congress Core Group meeting, hours after DMK chief M Karunanidhi announced that his party would withdraw support to the UPA.
However, the DMK has made it clear that it would reconsider its decision if India supports a strong resolution at the UN Human Rights Council and brings a resolution in Parliament on the issue.
Earlier, finance minister P Chidambaram insisted that the government faces no threat and that consultations have been initiated with political parties on DMK's demand that Parliament should adopt a resolution on human rights violations in Sri Lanka.
Chidambaram said the Congress Core Group, headed by party chief Sonia Gandhi, had considered the two suggestions made by DMK at length.
He sought to mollify Karunanidhi, saying his "statement deserves all respect".
Asked whether he was hopeful that DMK will reconsider its decision, Chidambaram said, "According to the media, the DMK president has said that he will review its decision if a resolution is brought before Parliament. We take note of that statement also."
He insisted that the government is stable and will continue.
Read more: DMK pulls out of UPA govt, 5 ministers to resign
"Let me assure everyone that the stability of the government and the continuation of the government are not an issue. The government is absolutely stable and enjoys majority in the Lok Sabha," he said.
"The government has a majority in the House," Chidambaram said responding to repeated queries on the issue of the government's stability.
His statement came hours after Karunanidhi announced that the DMK will pull out of the government over the Lanka Tamils issue. The DMK has 18 members in the Lok Sabha and the UPA with the support of the DMK has 303 MPs in the 543-member House.
Read more: The other foreign hand
On the issue of a resolution moved at the UNHCR against Sri Lanka which DMK wants India to support, he said that the government is examining the final draft which reached here late last night.
Sonia pitches for credible probe
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday backed the southern ally's demand for an independent and credible probe into "unspeakable atrocities" on ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka, saying these cannot go un-investigated.
She said that the Sri Lankan Tamils continue to be denied legitimate political rights and expressed pain and anguish over this state of affairs.
Read more: No threat to govt's stability: Chidambaram
Her remarks while addressing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party came a day after DMK supremo M Karunanidhi made a strong pitch for establishment of a credible and independent international commission of investigation in a time bound manner into allegations of war crimes against Tamils in Sri Lanka.
As senior central ministers explored ways to placate the DMK, Gandhi said, "The plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka is close to our hearts. Our support for equal rights and equal protection of the laws to them has been unwavering since the days of Indiraji and Rajivji.
"We are most pained at the manner in which their legitimate political rights continue to be denied to them. We are anguished by reports of unspeakable atrocities on innocent civilians and children, especially during the last days of the conflict in 2009," she said.
She also noted that the plight of Indian fishermen, who are being detained or fired upon by the Sri Lankan navy is a matter of great concern. "A permanent solution to the daily violence against them is also imperative," Gandhi said.
Read more: DMK might just reconsider pull-out, says NCP
Karunanidhi had warned that he would withdraw unless the government supported a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva that condemned "genocide and war crimes" in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan forces ended a decades-long civil war with a 2009 onslaught against Tamil Tiger separatists which has since been dogged by war crimes allegations.
The UN estimated that some 40,000 people were killed in the final months of the war, while rights groups put the death toll even higher. Sri Lanka denies that its forces killed civilians.
Chidambaram, who along with defence minister AK Antony and health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, had met Karunanidhi on Monday, said the government is also examining whether amendments can be moved to that draft to strengthen that resolution as demanded by DMK."As far as the resolution in the UNHCR is concerned, we are examining the final draft that came to us late last night and whether amendments can be moved to that draft to strengthen that resolution," he said.
(With inputs from PTI, AFP)
First Published: Mar 19, 2013 18:57 IST


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NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL's wild-card weekend drew huge television audiences.
The four games averaged 34.7 million viewers for the most-watched wild-card weekend on record.
The San Francisco 49ers' 23-20 win over the Green Bay Packers had 47.1 million viewers Sunday on Fox to make it the most-watched wild-card game on record. The previous high was 42.4 million for the 2011 Steelers-Broncos game.
The two Saturday games averaged 30.8 million viewers on NBC, a record for the Saturday wild-card games. The New Orleans Saints' 26-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles was the most-watched Saturday wild-card game ever with 34.4 million viewers. The one game that wasn't as close, the San Diego Chargers' 27-10 win over the Bengals, still drew a big audience, with 30.9 million viewers on CBS. That's the most in 19 years for an early Sunday AFC wild-card game.


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BCTC Workforce Solutions, Manager Receive Award for Supply Chain Advancement
Bluegrass Community and Technical College recently received two prestigious awards. The Bluegrass Chapter of APICS, The Association of Operations Management, chose Ted F. Nicholson, project manager, BCTC Workforce Solutions, as Individual of the Year and BCTC's Workforce Solutions program as its Organization of the Year for the fiscal year 2012. The chapter gives these awards to the individual member and the organization that have provided leadership and partnership in advancing the art and science of supply chain in the central Kentucky area.
The chapter is pleased to recognize Ted and the BCTC organization for their hard work and dedication. Through a partnership that has been forged with BCTC, and personally driven by Ted, our APICS Chapter has been able to offer training to a number of local organizations from Cynthiana to Danville, from Lexington to Pikeville. Through partnerships such as this growing one, central Kentucky strengthens its workforce and its competitiveness in today's challenging supply chain market. We thank Ted and BCTC for their dedication to improving education and training in central Kentucky, and look forward to our continued and growing partnership, said Gary Jones, Bluegrass APICS Chapter president.
BCTC's Workforce Solutions provides a comprehensive approach to continuing education, employee services and assessment that addresses the needs of businesses and organizations. The services found at Workforce Solutions can be tailored to the specific needs of an individual organization and can be offered in various formats for convenience.
Partnerships such as the one with APICS are just one way BCTC fulfills its mission to up-skill the incumbent workforce of Kentucky. Developing those partnerships would not happen without the diligent work of dedicated employees like Mr. Nicholson. That dedication allows us to improve the quality of life in our community, said Mark Manuel, Vice President of BCTC.
About APICS Bluegrass Chapter
The Lexington-based Bluegrass Chapter of APICS has been serving central Kentucky since the 1970s, as the premier provider of networking for supply chain professionals and students alike. The APICS mission is to provide the individual and business community with the highest quality production, inventory, supply chain, operations, and enterprise management education and to meet the challenge of individual professional growth in the changing global economy. The Bluegrass Chapter has been recognized by APICS for 11 years in a row as a Platinum Chapter for its consistent leadership in chapter management. For more information, please see the Chapter web site, www.bluegrassapics.org, or send a message to email@example.com.


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For a spicier dish, add 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper or hot pepper sauce to uncooked pasta mixture in saucepan before cooking as directed.
Substitute 7 cups tightly packed baby spinach leaves for the bagged spinach.
Looking for a great side dish that can help you eat right? The spinach in this tasty side is not only rich in vitamin A but it also teams up with the tomatoes to provide vitamin C. In addition, the cheese is an excellent source of calcium.
* Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.


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Obama staying out of negotiations on gun bills
WASHINGTON (AP) — With gun legislation taking shape on Capitol Hill, President Barack Obama has kept a low profile on an issue he has made a critical part of his second-term agenda.
The president has not been highly visible in the debate during the past three weeks as gun bills are being written. He's been embroiled in a budget battle that has dominated his time and for now is letting Vice President Joe Biden bang the drum for tighter firearms laws.
White House officials say the president plans to speak out on gun control as the issue moves toward a Senate vote in the coming weeks. But for now, he's staying out of delicate negotiations among lawmakers. The White House says he will become more vocal if the legislative process hits a roadblock.
Obama called for a gun control vote in his State of the Union address on Feb. 12 and followed up three days later with a speech on shooting violence in his murder-plagued hometown of Chicago. He's barely mentioned gun control publicly in the time since, other than during a minute of remarks Thursday, shortly after a Senate committee approved a bill to increase gun trafficking penalties. He thanked the senators who supported it and urged other lawmakers to pass it into law.
"I urge Congress to move on other areas that have support of the American people — from requiring universal background checks to getting assault weapons off our streets — because we need to stop the flow of illegal guns to criminals," Obama said before signing a revitalized Violence Against Women Act. The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to resume voting on gun bills Tuesday, including an assault weapons ban and background checks that Obama wants.
Biden, a multi-decade veteran of negotiations over gun laws, has been more vocal in the White House's gun-control campaign with speeches, interviews and private negotiations.
Biden regularly meets with and calls his former Senate colleagues to talk about guns, including holding a White House meeting last week with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., in which they discussed negotiations on background checks that could win support from Republicans. He's even gotten involved at the state level by calling legislators in places like Colorado that are debating gun legislation. And when Obama convened the first Cabinet meeting of his second term earlier this week, he said he would turn the floor over to Biden to talk about their gun initiatives.
Matt Bennett, spokesman for gun-control proponent Third Way, said it's good for Obama himself not to get too involved because he's seen as such a lightning rod on the issue and might stir up more opposition from Republicans. "We don't want Republican attitudes about him to get in the way of a deal," Bennett said.
There's polling to back up that point. When the Pew Research Center asked about Obama's gun proposals in January, 31 percent felt Obama's proposals on guns go too far, 13 percent said they didn't go far enough and 39 percent said they're about right. But a majority of respondents to an Associated Press-GfK poll around the same time indicated support for his proposals when his name wasn't attached to them — 84 percent in favor of standard background checks, 55 percent favoring a ban on military-style rapid-fire guns and 51 percent supporting a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines holding 10 or more bullets.
Despite the high public support, all the measures face a tough fight that will require a well-coordinated campaign to pass in a Congress that has a tradition of defending gun ownership rights.
That campaign is being run out of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, located next to the White House, where the vice president's staff meets each week with representatives of gun-control groups around a leather-covered conference table. The administration officials and the advocates share updates on the debate and work with Justice Department attorneys on language they can support in the legislation.
Among those who attend are Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group started by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Third Way, a centrist organization that advocates on many issues including gun control; the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, named after the White House press secretary seriously wounded in the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981; and Americans for Responsible Solutions, recently started by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and her husband, Mark Kelly.
Mark Glaze, a lobbyist for the mayors' group, said the White House is doing something right — whether it's by keeping Biden at the forefront or by Obama hanging back. "Whatever they are doing or not doing is working," Glaze said. He pointed to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last month that found 61 percent of respondents believe laws covering the sale of firearms should be stricter, up from 56 percent the month before amid the more immediate wake of the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., that took the lives of 20 students and six workers.
That's encouraging news for the White House, where Obama acknowledged in the days after the shooting that public outrage over the deaths could fade. "I would hope that our memories aren't so short that what we saw in Newtown isn't lingering with us, that we don't remain passionate about it only a month later," Obama said at the time. He had given Biden a month's deadline to recommend steps to reduce gun violence. "I will use all the powers of this office to help advance efforts aimed at preventing more tragedies like this," Obama said then.
Biden seemed like a natural pick to lead the White House effort since as a senator, he authored a crime bill that included an assault weapons ban that became law and lasted a decade. This time, both sides in the gun debate say an assault weapons ban is unlikely to get past Congress. They agree that the trafficking and background check provisions have better chances of becoming law.
Still, Obama pushed Congress in his State of the Union address to take all the measures up. "Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that's your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote," Obama said.
The remark could be seen as an acknowledgement that the measures may not pass — he was asking lawmakers to vote, not to pass everything. But White House officials have said Obama wants to increase pressure to stop opponents of gun control from keeping the legislation tied up without a vote, a common Senate practice that can bring effective death to legislation.
Forcing a vote on an assault weapons ban that isn't likely to pass also could give political cover to some moderate Democrats to vote for background checks and trafficking bills. Then those senators can tell gun owners back home that even though they supported background checks or anti-trafficking bills, they didn't support anything that would take away a single gun from law-abiding citizens.
Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nedrapickler


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Herbalife Ltd. shares skidded Wednesday after the company disclosed an investigation by regulators a day after hedge fund manager Bill Ackman accused it of violating Chinese regulation.
Herbalife HLF, +2.34% said it is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission but did not provide further details. The nutrition supplement company said it "welcomes the inquiry given the tremendous amount of misinformation in the marketplace." Herbalife sank 7%.
Ackman has a sizable short position on the stock and has accused Herbalife of operating a pyramid scheme, which the company has categorically rejected.
Plug Power Inc. PLUG, +2.66% which fell 42% in the previous session, recovered from earlier losses to rise 13%.
Fuel cell companies were in focus after broadly plunging in the previous session on a bearish outlook from a famed short seller Andrew Left .
Ballard Power Systems Inc. BLDP, +2.71% which dropped 26% Tuesday, rose 5.1% while FuelCell Energy Inc. FCEL, -1.04% which skidded 17% Tuesday, gained 2.7%.
Tesoro Corp. US:TSO shares advanced 4.1% following three sessions of losses. Analysts at Cowen & Co. last week reiterated their outperform rating on the stock. That does not reflect an incident at a Tesoro refinery in Martinez, Calif. where two workers on Monday suffered burns from sulfuric acid.
Shares of Oxigene Inc. US:OXGN rocketed 77% after the biopharmaceutical company said it had positive results on a Phase 2 clinical trial for an ovarian cancer treatment. The firm said a study of Avastin met a primary endpoint for a rise in "progression-free survival."
Diamond Foods Inc. US:DMND topped analyst estimates in its fiscal second-quarter earnings report, sending the stock 9.9% higher. The nut and snacks company said it had adjusted profit of 9 cents a share on revenue of $220.6 million, which beat consensus estimates of 8 cents a share on revenue of $216.8 million, according to FactSet.
VeriFone Systems Inc. US:PAY surged 11% despite reporting late Tuesday that it swung to a fiscal first-quarter loss. Nonetheless, expectations for second-quarter revenue beat analyst estimates. The electronic payment systems maker expects adjusted profit of 30 cents to 32 cents a share in the current quarter on a revenue range of $440 million to $445 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected per-share profit of 31 cents on revenue of $439 million.
Freddie Mac FMCC, +2.02% slumped 17% and Fannie Mae FNMA, +3.94% fell 12% in the wake of a proposal from U.S. lawmakers to reform housing finance that in effect will liquidate the mortgage buyers. However, the drop in share prices was seen as a surprise, given the proposal had been largely expected.
Express Inc. EXPR, +1.86% sank 12% after the apparel retailer said fourth-quarter earnings were down 25% because of extensive promotions and discounting.
Progressive Corp. PGR, +6.08% shares are off 3.8%. The insurer said Wednesday its February net income fell to $47 million from $100.2 million a year earlier although net premiums earned in the month rose 5% to $1.35 billion.
Trending tickers
CSX: CSX Corp. CSX, +1.89% shares recovered from earlier lows to rise 0.2%. The railroad company on Wednesday warned that severe weather will cut its first-quarter earnings by 10 cents a share. Still, it expects full-year earnings to grow, albeit at a more modest rate.
JOSB: After months of jostling between the two clothing companies, Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. US:JOSB will be bought out by Men's Wearhouse Inc. US:MW in a history-making deal. Men's Wearhouse was down 2.5% and Jos. A. Bank closed mostly flat.
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All Hot Topics
The AFP Resource Center has produced comprehensive "Hot Topic" overviews of key fundraising areas that members have identified as being most in demand. Think a new "Hot Topic" page is needed? Let us know.
To quickly access this page in the future, just remember http://www.afpnet.org/HotTopic/All
Annual Fund
The Annual Fund is a fundraising program that generates gift support for the organization on an annual basis. It is the primary fundraising approach used to broaden support, upgrade levels of giving, and provide operating support for ongoing programs.
New! Benchmarks
How does my organization compare with others like ours? What results should we expect if we take this action or a different one? These are questions the Resource Center frequently receives. The answer is usually, "It depends – on the size and budget of the organization, the age of the development program, the degree to which the organization is known and respected in the community, and many other factors." Or the answer may be, "We don't know because no data have been collected on that topic." This Hot Topic is a summary of data on some often-asked-about topics related to fundraising benchmarks.
Boards and Volunteers
Capital Campaigns
A capital campaign is an intensive, organized fundraising effort to secure philanthropic gifts for specific capital needs, executed within a specific time period. It specifically targets buildings, e.g. funds for facilities (bricks and mortar).
Case for Support
The basis of fundraising is the organization's case for support. It is an internal document whose purpose is to state the cause and all the reasons why prospective donors might want to contribute to its advancement. The case is driven by the mission and strategic plan of the organization.
Cause-Related Marketing/Sponsorships
Many companies recognize the benefit of community involvement as a way to improve their image and identity within the community. Companies may give to their communities by providing in-kind gifts, matching gifts, pro bono services, office or meeting space, and skilled volunteers. Corporate philanthropy takes place through direct monetary gifts to a nonprofit, often made through the corporation's foundation. Companies also may support nonprofits through cause-related marketing or corporate sponsorships.
Consultants and Consulting
The AFP Resource Center receives many queries about consulting. Some relate to how and why to hire a consultant; others relate to how to become a consultant. In this Hot Topic paper we will address both. Much of the material herein is from AFP's Information Exchange paper "Thinking About Becoming a Consultant?" by Linda Lysakowski and AFP's Ready Reference guide "So You Want to Be a Consultant."
Development Office
Before an organization starts a fundraising program, certain conditions need to be in place, including leaders that have a clear sense of the organization's mission and constituency and a vision of the organization's direction, a continuous planning process for determining how it will achieve its mission and how much it will cost, and the necessary resources to achieve the plan.
Development Plans
The development plan is the organization's roadmap for fundraising success.
Direct Response/Marketing
Marketing is an exchange relationship in which the marketer attempts to influence the behavior of the target audience. The central theme of marketing is that the customer or client is at the center of everything the organization does. Direct marketing or direct response is a sub-discipline and type of marketing. It attempts to send its messages directly to consumers through direct mail, email or telemarketing. In the fundraising context, it is a way of contacting large numbers of potential donors, lapsed donors, and current donors with a specific call to action.
New! Diversity and Inclusion
As charitable organizations strive to be effective, they pay greater attention to and seek better understanding of diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence. This Hot Topic explores common definitions of diversity; provides some whys and how's of promoting diversity in the nonprofit governance structure, in philanthropic fundraising, and in the fundraising profession; and suggests additional resources related to diversity and inclusion.
Donor Relations/Stewardship
Relationships are critical in fundraising. The focus of philanthropy must be relationship-building that is customized to the needs and desires of the donor. Individuals have different motivations for and patterns of giving. The more an organization knows about potential donors' motives and how they like to give, the better positioned it is to make effective solicitations.
Endowments can be established to support the ongoing operating expenses of the organization or for designated purposes such as scholarships, projects, programs, institutes, professorships, or any aspect of its charitable work. Endowments can offer organizational stability in that they can supply revenue in years in which donations are down, or charitable need increases, and they can be a resource for new programs and innovations in prosperous years.
Ethical standards and principles are the foundation for maintaining public trust in our nonprofit organizations. Standards guide professional behavior. Especially in questionable situations, they provide a source of information that can support and assist the development professional in deciding how to act. Ensuring that the organization's adherence to ethical standards is part of operating principles and communicated to stakeholders gives those stakeholders confidence that their contributions are being given to a worthy organization.
Fundraising Basics
Raising funds to operate your organization and its programs is very likely one of the most important activities for your nonprofit. Fundraising is more than simply "raising dollars." The role of a professional fundraiser is to raise financial support through: Cultivating and deepening relationships with individuals and interested parties; utilizing effective fundraising practices; and maintaining the highest ethical standards (AFP Code of Ethics and Donor Bill of Rights). Effective fundraisers seek to discover what is important to any potential donor, and tap that need to encourage and support giving. It requires being able to look at the organization's mission and programs through the eyes of the donor rather than from the perspective of those who run the organization.
Fundraising Costs
Accountability of organizations to their constituencies has become one of the most important aspects of good governance in both the nonprofit and private sectors of our economy. In the charitable sector there is public interest in the effectiveness of organizations and efficiency of raising funds. The media has contributed to this interest through well intended reports to inform the public about fundraising costs. Often these reports are oversimplified and sensationalized, focused more on keeping cost ratios as low as possible (efficiency) rather than on maximizing net revenues to achieve the organization's mission (effectiveness).
Fundraising Policies
Policy, as defined in AFP's Fundraising Dictionary, is "broad and general statements that are guiding principles designed to influence and determine the decisions and actions of an organization."
International Trends and Resources
Job Descriptions
Major Gifts
Major gifts are contributions that make a significant difference to the nonprofit organization to which they are given. The amount considered to be a major gift varies from organization to organization, depending on the organization's size, age, funding base, and operating budget. For a very small nonprofit, $1,000 might be a major gift. For a large university, a major gift might be $25,000 or more.
Online Fundraising/Social Media
Use of the Internet and social media in fundraising is relatively new, and the whole arena is rapidly changing. However, it's increasingly important to consider these options as a key part of your fundraising strategy. Reaching out to potential donors through these media is less expensive than using traditional telephone and direct mail techniques, and has the potential to generate significant charitable donations.
Planned Giving
Prospect Research
The focus of philanthropy must be relationship-building that is customized to the needs and desires of the donor. Individuals have different motivations for and patterns of giving. The more you know about potential donors' motives and how they like to give, the better positioned you are to make effective solicitations.
Research Reports
One of the goals of the AFP Research Council is to identify and make information available on research that impacts fundraising and philanthropy. This Hot Topic contains a list of research reports available through the Internet.
Samples, Forms and Documents
Special Events
Special events are designed to raise awareness of a cause and help to cultivate relationships with donors and potential donors. Although special events tend to be more costly than other fundraising strategies in terms of return on investment, they are often incorporated into the organization's overall fundraising planning in order to provide visibility for the organization and to provide opportunities to involve people in the organization's activities.
Tax Issues
Certain nonprofits, including charities, are granted tax concessions because they provide for the public good. These organizations are required by law to provide reports to donors and to the tax authority. This Hot Topic discusses tax reporting questions, including questions related to the annual nonprofit tax return, Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT), reporting to donors on deductibility of donations on their tax returns, and other tax-related matters.
Your Fundraising Career
Don't See What You Are Looking For? For more results and resources on this and other topics, or to refine your search, please use our Advanced Search page.
AFP also has a number of Social Media sites where members can learn more and inquire about the issues and matters that concern them most. And don't forget the AFP Resource Center, the Consultants and Resource Directory, and the AFP Bookstore. Visit them today!


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Book Collection: Nonfiction
Book Collection: Nonfiction is a rich research database for school and public libraries. It contains informative abstracts and searchable full text for more than 4,100 popular nonfiction books. The database includes full text entries on core subject areas, as well as information on careers, health, sports, adventure, technology, life skills and more. Click here for a complete title list. Click here for more info.


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San Diego Collection
J&L Collection
David Hall: This event...the "shot heard round the world" at Lexington-Concord in 1775 that signaled the start of the American Revolution...certainly was a legitimate event to commemorate. A total of 162,099 coins were minted. At the initial festivities in April, 1925, there were approximately 60,000 coins sold as souvenirs at $1.00 per coin. Then the coins were sold throughout New England and, to a lesser extent, the rest of the United States. In other words, the Lexington commemorative half dollar was very widely distributed at the time of issue.
Today, Lexingtons are found in a wide range of grades, with the average grade being MS63 to MS65. Superb MS66 examples are somewhat scarce, and MS 67 examples are extremely rare. Most Lexingtons have somewhat satiny luster, though frosty white Gems are occasionally encountered. Some Lexingtons have very dull luster, probably a result of careless storage over the years by non-numismatists. Lexingtons are found with very degrees of toning and eye appeal is a real issue. Also, the leg of the soldier on the obverse often has a little "rub" so look for examples with no "rub" and a rounded knee area.
© 1999-2018 Collectors Universe NASDAQ: CLCT