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Endangered Species
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Endangered Species Organic Chocolate
Endangered Species Chocolate's hook is that the packages feature attractive, threatened animals and their profits go towards education about and protection of the environment.
They recently reformulated all their bars when they got a new cacao source (which does change the flavor profile for high end chocolate), so they sent me an array of bars to try. Today I thought I'd start with their simplest offerings, their single serving bars in Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa and Organic Milk Chocolate 43% Cocoa.
The chocolate in the bars is Rainforest Alliance Certified as well as gluten free, Kosher, organic and ethically trade. The dark chocolate bar is also vegan (though made on equipment that also processes diary, peanuts and tree nuts). The package is made of 30% post-consumer recycled material yet it's pretty nice to look at. The 70% Dark bar features the Karner Blue Butterfly, which is only about 3/4 of an inch across but a sparkling iridescent blue that draws the eye.
The bars are nicely proportioned. They're slender - about 5.25" long and only 1.5" wide. Each is divided into three segments that are slightly domed and thick enough to provide a satisfying snap when broken.
The melt is smooth for the most part, though I did get an occasional spot of grit (fibery bits of cacao). It's thick and lightly acidic with some bitter cherry notes. There's coffee and anise and maybe some light citrus peel plus a strong note of vanilla. It puddles like pudding on the tongue and though I think there's a smidge too much cocoa butter in it, the ratios support the flavor profile well. There are a lot of flavors going on and at times the finish is dry while other pieces I'm noticing a much lighter green tea note at the end.
Sometimes very dark chocolate isn't as munchable as milk or milder stuff. It's as if it's too complex; this bar is dark and has a good mix of flavors but doesn't feel too sophisticated for snacking. It pairs well with salty foods as well as nuts and dried fruits.
The second bar is the Organic Milk Chocolate 43% Cocoa Bar. I have to say that 43% is a pretty dark shade of milk chocolate. Some are as low as 20% cocoa content and there are those that go as high as 68% - but the low 30% range is what I think we're most accustomed to.
This package features a lion. The package tells me that lions spend up to 21 hours a day sleeping. The rest of that time is spent in search of food, though they don't eat every day. The package also says that lions are the only felines that live in social groups, maybe meaning that society leads to such high levels of cooperation that 21 hours of sleep are possible ... maybe we could learn something from that.
I stuck the milk on top of the dark here to show you the difference in color.
The main dairy ingredient in this bar is organic milk powder. It smells just like that - like sweet powdered milk.
The snap is much softer than the dark chocolate, though not fudgy like some milk bars like Cadbury can be. The melt is smooth, though not light and slick like Dove. It's much thicker and velvety. The dairy notes fade and there's a stronger caramelized sugar flavor along with the stronger bitter cocoa notes. There's a hint of coffee, toffee and cedar in there.
This wasn't my style of milk chocolate, it's just too powdered milk flavored to me. I don't know quite what that flavor is, but it reminds me of nutrition, which is not what I want in my treat. I'm guessing that this is just the profile that others prefer. The fact that it's organic will also have appeal for folks who are looking to avoid hormones in their dairy products.
Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:32 pm All Natural • Candy • Review • Endangered Species • Chocolate • Kosher • Organic • 7-Worth It • United States •
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Endangered Species: Eco-Rounds
I found myself frustrated last year trying to put together a "Green Halloween", and part of that is that at Halloween we're buying candy for strangers (trick-or-treaters). For Easter we're buying candy for our close friends and family, so taking that extra step to pick the most wholesome and ethically produced is perhaps a little easier on the wallet. So if you're looking to put something together this year, take a look over those product reviews for Green Halloween as most are also available for Easter (and all year round). I'll put together an updated list of green candy choices this weekend.
Endangered Species makes their little Bug Bites in a "Hoppy Treats" version, which I think are nice Easter basket options. Since I've already reviewed those, I thought I'd give a new Endangered Species item a review today!
Introduced late last year, Eco-Rounds are a set of three little dark chocolates with caramelized cacao nibs. They come in a single serving "bar" (a plastic package, instead of the usual foil & paper wrapper). The little disks of chocolate are attractive, rather thick and very shiny.
While the Endangered Species Bat Bar also has cacao nibs in it, these little morsels aren't quite as dark. The chocolate here is 60% dark instead of the 75% dark in the Bat Bar. The chocolate is smooth and a little sweet. The disks have an excellent crunch from the abundant nibs. Unlike many bars with nibs in the, these are caramelized, so they have a little sweet toffee crunch taste to them.
Excellent stuff, if these were easier to find, this might be one of my favorite new nibby items. I was very disappointed when I finished them (seriously, they could put four in there very easily)!
I think Endangered Species should really consider wrapping these individually in foil (or those little sealed sleeves they use for Bug Bites) and selling them seasonally in larger bags. I'd love a bowl of pastel ones for the spring and some fall colors later this year. Or if you want to go the non-seasonal route, maybe some different patterned foils in animal prints. Some zebra stripes, leopard Spots, tortoise shell ... it could be sassy!
Note: this is not organic, but is all natural and ethically traded. Also note that they call this dark chocolate, but the wrapper says that it contains milk products, so is not suitable for vegans. (Drat!)
POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:30 am
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Endangered Species: Raspberries & Cherries
Premium Organic : Smooth Organic Dark Chocolate with Cherry (70% cocoa). Yes, it's dark. The bar is gorgeously glossy and smells of tart fruit, smoke and coffee. For such a dark bar, it is sweet. It has a nice melt, but a slight chalky feel on the tongue. The black cherry comes across with all the floral fragrance, but without much of the tartness that characterizes the dried fruits.
Though I've professed that I don't like cherry flavor, I have no problem with actual cherries, so this was an agreeable bar.
This bar is organic and fair trade.
Dark Chocolate with Raspberries (70%). This bar has an equally smoky taste to it, dark and floral with some woodsy notes. It's not as sweet as the cherry bar, but has the same sort of grain on the tongue towards the end of the melt. There are real bits of raspberries in there (including the seed) which give a little tangy zap every once in a while. The infusion of raspberry flavor wasn't really there, but the scent lingered over the whole bar. This went really well with coffee or a savory snack like salted almonds or pretzels.
This bar is ethically traded.
I went to Target last night and noticed a nice selection of the Premium Organic line right at the check out stand candy rack. So this brand is getting much easier to find. Have you spotted it anyplace other than the Whole-Foods-style markets?
POSTED BY Cybele AT 7:04 am
Friday, October 6, 2006
Endangered Species: Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter
Around this time last year I barely knew what Fair Trade was and there really weren't that many chocolate products out there that were Fair Trade Certified. Now you can not only get cocoa and plain dark chocolate, but also some pretty cool flavored chocolate bars. Endangered Species seems to be leading the way with the Fair Trade "candy" bars in their new Premium Organic line.
Each bar is a single serving and easy to pick up at the checkout of your favorite "wholesome" market like Whole Foods, Wild Oats or Zoo gift shop.
Along with the Fair Trade and organic certifications, this bar boasts high cocoa content of 52% (high for a milk chocolate). This wrapper has a giraffe on the label and everyone knows that the pattern on giraffes is known as the peanut shell. (Okay, I made that part up.)
The chocolate is buttery smooth and very sweet on the tongue. It has very strong smoky qualities with a slight bitterness at the start but a good nutty flavor. Once I start eating the bar, the unpleasant burnt quality goes away, but each time I stop and start I have to go through the process all over again. I'm afraid I can't give it the highest marks because of that. Now, I'm one of those "supertaster" people, so I tend to be more sensitive to bitter, so your mileage may vary.
Interesting fact about giraffes from the wrapper: A giraffe's neck contains seven vertebrae, just like ours.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 7:21 am
Monday, October 2, 2006
Endangered Species Halloween Treats
In the continuing series for a Green Halloween, I'm on the lookout for no-compromise treats for kids and adults.
Endangered Species is offering up party packs of their individually wrapped tablets of milk & dark chocolate called "Halloween Treats" - I got a package of the Dark Chocolate ones as a sample directly from Endangered Species.
The package contains 24 fall colored treats that look tasty and should appeal to trick-or-treaters. The cool thing about the dark chocolate ones is that they're certified vegan, kosher and are ethically traded. Here's my full review of this product under the name of "Bug Bites." The dark chocolate is rather dark and intense, so I'd recommend the milk chocolate for trick-or-treaters (unless you want to go vegan).
That all comes at a price though, they're on the expensive side at $5.50 a bag online but I saw them at Whole Foods for only $3.29. (The display was near the bulk foods, not by the registers or with the rest of the chocolate near the bakery in my store.) They're a bit cheaper than the Bug Bites, I'm guessing because they don't have the trading cards. Though that's a bit much by the pound, the pieces are kind of small which means you get 24 in there. Mix it in with a few hard candies (College Farm - review next week) or lollies (College Farm or YummyEarth - review later this week) and the kids won't be tempted to egg your house. Ethically traded means that you're not taking advantage of families in Africa and South America, so it really can be a Happy Halloween all around.
To learn more about Fair Trade (and the difference between Ethically Traded and Fair Trade Certified) check out GreenLAGirl ... October is Fair Trade Month!
POSTED BY Cybele AT 7:22 am
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Endangered Species: Peanut Butter Brittle & Rice Crisp
The lovely folks at Endanged Species thought I should try more of their bars (well, so did the lovely Candy Blog readers in the comments section). They happily sent me a small selection to try, here are a couple of the milk chocolate bars.
Milk Chocolate with Peanut Brittle - there's an elephant on the package! I'm guessing because elephants like peanuts. The base of this bar is a very dark, rich milk chocolate with 52% cocoa content. In fact, it's so chocolatey that the sugar (made from water-filtered beet sugar) is third on the list of ingredients instead of first in most milk chocolates. That's not to say that the chocolate isn't sweet, but it also has an intense creaminess to it that I've found very rare in other milk chocolates. The dairy component is quite rich but it doesn't feel sticky.
Sprinkled in there are peanut brittle chips. They have a nice salty bite and crispness and add a good peanut crunch. I'd argue that it isn't really peanut brittle but toffee, since it's so buttery, but I don't feel that argument much matters.
This is a fantastic bar that may convert some folks who say they don't like milk chocolate because it's too homogeneous tasting but it still retains its munchability. I ate the whole bar in a matter of two days. 9 out of 10.
Milk Chocolate with Rice Crisp - this bar has a manatee on the front. I doubt manatees have a fondness for rice though as vegetarians I don't imagine they'd be adverse to it. This bar contains the same dark 52% cocoa content milk chocolate. This bar has a slightly smokier taste to it, which I'm guessing is added by the crisped rice. The first third of the bar, I hated it. The crisped rice tasted bitter and burnt to me. But I thought maybe I just had a bad rice crisp or two. I waited a day and tried it again. The crisped rice still reminds me of those bits of barely popped popcorn that end up in the bottom of the bowl. Very toasted tasting and with a much denser crunch.
Though the second try was more successful, I just wasn't keen on the rustic taste of the rice crisps. There weren't enough of them to make it a really crunchy bar and the intense flavor they added didn't thrill me. I'm a huge fan of grains and eat a lot of them (barley is my favorite, if you didn't already know) but this just wasn't my thing. 6 out of 10.
Endangered Species is now based in Indiana (they moved from Oregon last year) and the make ethically traded chocolate bars in a huge variety of flavor combinations. The cool part is that the commitment to the environment goes to all facets of the production and marketing. The packages are printed on recycled paper and with soy-based biodegradable inks. The 10% of all profits are donated to animal conservation causes. Each bar is branded with a different endangered animal and the inside of the wrapper has that animal's story. There are often coupons as well and tips for making small changes in your life to lessen your impact on the environment.
Though the bars are all natural, these are not organic (though there are other bars in their repertoir that are). Some of the cocoa beans that they acquire are Fair Trade certified and others do not have the certification but are ethically traded. Their packaging and story helps them to appeal to kids moreso than other wholesome-branded chocolates.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 6:40 am
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Endangered Species Chocolate
There are a lot of good things about chocolate. It tastes good and in moderation it could actually be a good addition to a normal diet. But one of the suprising things is that chocolate may actually be good for tropical economies and ecosystems as well. See more here.
There are quite a few free trade/organic chocolate companies now, but one that's making the best inroads with consumers, including kids, is Endangered Species Chocolate Company. (I have no data to back this up, just my awareness of people's affection for it and that I see it in far more stores than other bars of the same type.) They have a huge selection of bars and chocolate formats, good packaging and a pretty good distribution network. Oh, and they taste good, too!
Because Endangered Species has such a large selection of bars, I thought I'd start small. I saw these little impulsive tasting squares called Bug Bites that came in both dark and milk chocolate. They're obviously a little bit of chocolate for the kids, but I'm a kid at heart and I love bugs.
The little .35 ounce squares are Fair Trade certified, organic and Kosher. The little nibble has a butterfly on it and though the package says something about a bug trading card, I didn't get any in either of my packages. The milk chocolate is very sweet and in the style of the European dairy milk chocolate bars. It has a good milky, woodsy smell, but is probably too sweet for me. It's exceptionally smooth and I'm sure will please children quite readily.
The dark square was exceptional. Very fruity, with some apricot and cherry notes it also had some woodsy balsam qualities. It was buttery and had a slightly bitter finish that wasn't too dry.
Though not all the bars are completely Fair Trade or completely organic Endangered Species Chocolate Company donates 10% of profits to protect wildlife (including those animals featured on the bars). Inside the wrapper is a profile of the animal on the package, in this case it is the bat and notes that of the 45 species in the United States alone, 7 of them are endangered.
I was specifically looking for this "Bat Bar" which is 75% cocoa content and cocoa nibs. I hadn't seen it at Whole Foods, where I've been picking up my other organic bars. Whereas the other nibby products I've tried like the Michel Cluizel Noir au Grue de Cacao and Max Brenner Dark Chicao have large nib pieces in them, this bar had kind of crushed bits in it. This has its advantages, but it also creates a different sort of bar.
First, this is a very dark bar. At 75% cocoa, it's already pretty dense. Because the nibs are crushed smaller they impart a bit of a grain to the chocolate that I didn't detect at all in the Bug Bites, so I'll credit that to the nibs. The nibs add a wonderful variation in texture though, with a good fruity burst in spots and sometimes and unpleasant astringency. Nibs are pretty high in fiber too, so eating a serving gives you 3 grams of fiber! I wish the entire bar wasn't quite so sweet though.
I think if I'm going for a nibby fix I'm going to stick with the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs ... but the wide availability and decent price of the Engangered Species bar would make it a close second.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:01 pm
Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.


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This page lists all of the common weaponry used by all factions within the Anno Domini series Mobile Suit Gundam 00.
GN Technology
GN Beam Guns
- GN Beam Rifle
- A standard GN particle beam weapon for general purpose usage. As technology progresses, has become integrated in other weapons and combos. They are standard armaments of many GN-mobile suits in A.D. 2300s.
- GN Buster Rifle
- A more powerful version of the GN Beam Rifle, it is used by the CB-001.5 1.5 Gundam and the CB-0000G/C Reborns Gundam. Developed from and visually similar to the beam rifle of the CBY-001 1 Gundam, the GN Buster Rifle can be directly connected to the GN Condenser/GN Drive of the operating MS to boost its power. The GN Buster Rifle also has a variable power output, firing shots only slightly higher in power to a standard beam rifle at the minimum, but also able to fire shots whose power matches that of Seravee's GN Bazooka.
- GN Cannon
- Used on mostly heavy assault mobile suits and some battleships, GN Cannons are very powerful beam weapons that can easily destroy scores of opposing units in one shot; while the beam is powerful, a similar blast of a sufficient diameter can used to deflect and/or neutralize the assault. GN Cannons can come in many different shapes & sizes and are usually used either being mounted (Harute, Virtue, GN-X II, Seravee) or handheld(Arios GNHW/M, Nadleeh, Seraphim) depending on the specific model.
- GN Pistol
- Used by the GN-002 Gundam Dynames and its successors GN-006 Cherudim Gundam and GN-010 Gundam Zabanya, the GN Pistols are used for short-to-mid range firing. The pistols are weaker than a standard beam rifle but have rapid fire capabilities. Newer generation of pistols used by Cherudim and Zabanya have a blade below the barrel for blocking enemy's melee weapons.
- GN Submachine Gun
- Functions similar to a modern sub-machine gun, it sacrifices attack power for unmatched rapid-fire ability.[1]
- GN Beam Machine Gun
- Similar to a standard machine gun, uses the same rapid fire capabilities as GN Submachine Guns.
GN Beam Saber
As of 2307, beam equipment in the Anno Domini continuity is still in the process of being developed by most military powers as a 2nd generation mobile suit armament. Celestial Being's Gundams are the first series of units to actually employ them on the battlefield. The beam sabers function by emitting a positron field which holds condensed GN Particles in the form of a blade.[2] When in contact with another surface, the positron field breaks and releases the condensed particles directly onto the contact surface.[2] Though such weapons are more versatile than solid blades, the GN particles composing the blade body may be subjected to dispersion and other forms of disruption and grow less effective in different atmospheric environments.[3] The blade sizes of beam sabers are also constant to one size for Celestial Being's units in 2307,[3] however the 2312 saber models possess the ability to vary their GN Beam Sabers' size and shape depending on the needs of the situation, or just the wielder-pilot's preference. The emitters of GN beam sabers usually come in the form of handheld saber hilts, but they can also be integrated into various parts of the mobile suit's body as seen with the GNZ-005 Garazzo and GNW-20000 Arche Gundam.
GN Blades
- GN Claw
- Used only by the GN-X series of mobile suits, the claw is a normal manipulator hand equipped with a GN Particle infused claw weapon. Used only as a last resort in close combat.
- GN Lance
- Used only with the GNX-609T GN-XIII and the Advanced GN-X (Proto GN Lance), the weapon is similar to the old medieval weapon used by knights of the Middle Ages. It can only be used as a jousting weapon but is also armed with four independent GN Beam Guns for rapid fire capabilities. It is also designed to penetrate GN FIelds.
- GN Sword
- The physical alternative to GN Beam Sabers. The blade is made of E-Carbon, giving it tremendous cutting power. Most GN Blades are coated with a GN Field on the surface to increase it's sharpness.[2] Thus not only giving the blades even greater cutting ability, but they can also negate any GN Field. One disadvantage they possess compared to beam sabers is that the blades can be destroyed or wear out from disrepair.
- More types of physical GN swords were created in the future. Celestial Being uses the same material GN Condensers are made from.[4] These deal great damage by converting GN Particles into intense heat to help melt enemy armor.[4] A different version of a more advanced GN physical swords was also created by the Earth Sphere Federation Army for Susanowo that involves beam generation near the solid edges to improve it's cutting ability.[5]
GN Hammer
A new weapon designed by Hanayo and improved by Sherilyn Hyde before it is manufactured. It is a wire guided ball with spikes at the end, and can deliver a devastating strike to enemy units. Used only by GNY-001F Gundam Astraea Type F and its variants.
GN MissilesGN Missiles such as those used by Dynames and Cherudim are small, self-contained GN weapon systems. Each missile contains an electronics package to handle targeting and telemetry, a propulsion system, and a small GN Condenser. Particles provided by the Condenser coat the outer surface of the missile, enhancing its penetrative abilities. The missile's entire payload of GN Particles are only released once the missile has entered the target. Once the particles penetrated inside (the target's own armor serves to contain and amplify the destructive power of the warhead), the particles warps the surface and explode, destroying the enemy from within.
GN Missiles are among the remaining armaments available to the Meisters when the CB Gundams are battling in an anti-beam field (as the Gundams beam weaponry are neutralized).
- GN Micro Missiles
- Smaller and more compact versions of standard GN missiles. Despite its smaller size, its effectiveness is the same as a normal GN Missile due to improved compression technology.[6] Seen only on the GNR-010 0 Raiser and GNR-101A GN Archer.
GN ShieldA physical shield that is used for defensive purposes. It is used similar to how a modern day shield would be used. All shields in the Anno Domini era are made of E-Carbon and are durable enough to withstand most attacks. In conjunction to this, the GN based shields themselves are infused with a (invisible) GN Field on surface to strengthen it.[7] The shield can be damaged or destroyed by a beam equipped mobile weapon. Though primarily used for defensive tactics, some shields with sharp edges such as 00 Gundam and Exia's can be used as an offensive weapon as a last resort if needed.
The ESF Army's GN-X series also utilizes GN Shields, However their GN Shields also seem to combine Defense Rod technology with that of GN Fields and was often seen utilized by GNX-609T GN-XIIIs in 2312. Similar to the Union Flag's ability to generate a plasma field the defense rod mounted in a GN Shield can project a small, circular GN Field when in used. These GN Field-deploying shields could even defend against even beams fired from Gundams for a short time.
GN Composite Armor
A defense mechanism experimented on GNY-004 Gundam Plutone. The GN Composite Armor is a system in which GN Field is deployed in the small spaces within the armor. This is to isolate the GN Field from external environmental factors that affect its stability. Developed as a backup in case the issue with the GN Field is not resolved.
GN VulcanThese weapons are smaller cousins to the GN Beam weapon. Typically locations include head and wrist mounted systems, both ensuring a wide field of fire. Purely secondary weapons, they are used to engage soft targets and in a defensive capacity, mostly used as distraction or deterrent to prevent enemy units from coming in too close. Their anti-mobile suit capability is virtually nil, especially against another GN powered unit. While there is no meaningful chance of penetrating another mobile suits armor, there is always a chance that a lucky round could damage joints or sensors. They can also be used in a "spray and pray" fashion once an enemy's armor has been breached, exposing their tender innards. So despite their low power, GN Vulcans can still be a threat no experienced pilot would ignore.
While low damage potential limits their offensive utility, the trade off is a high rate of fire. This is very useful when engaging small, fast, maneuverable targets such as GN Fangs[8] and missiles.
GN Laser
These weapons are heavy artillery GN weapons mounted on the Celestial Being with a variety of different classes and power ratings types in existence.[5] Specifics about the differences between this and a standard GN Particle beam weapon (that is more common in mobile weapons) in terms of functionality is unknown although it can be inferred that the actual fired beams are not lasers due to them not moving at the speed of light. What the "Laser" in the name is supposed to mean exactly is not known although it can guessed that it either relates to the usage of lasers in the utilization of this specific weapon-type, a name to imply some sort of symbolism or simply a scientific error.
Conventional Weaponry
Carbon Blade
Exclusive to the Tieren series of mobile suits, the carbon blade is a large trapezoid shaped blade made of pure E-Carbon. Since the cutting part is on the front end of the blade, it is primarily useful for punching attacks. Its performance in battle is inferior to that of a sonic blade.
Defense Rod
Defense rods are a mix of active and passive defenses. Unlike a GN Shield or GN Field, protection comes from the physical properties of rod itself. Development of variable mobile suits with flight capable configurations resulted in a reevaluation of how mobile suits were designed. Unlike the HRL's mobile suits, the AEU's and Union's mobile suits all needed to be as light weight as possible. Even neglecting the aerodynamic concerns, the sheer mass of any shield both big enough and thick enough to be useful was prohibitive to the mobile suits mobility and maneuverability. The device is designed to deflect projectile by rotating the defense rod at high speed.
SVMS-01 Union Flag and its descendants also have ability to generate plasma field with its defense rod. Although never use as shield in the series, SVMS-01X Union Flag Custom II "GN Flag" has pair of defense rods on its legs that also function as sub-thrusters.
The GN Shields also seem to combine Defense Rod technology with that of GN Fields and was often seen utilized by GNX series mobile suits in 2312. Similar to the Union Flag's ability to generate a plasma field the defense rod mounted in a GN Shield can project a small, circular GN Field when in use. These 'GN Defense Rod Shields' could stop a beam fired from Gundams for a short time however against heavily armed units like the 00 Raiser and Seravee Gundam the GN Fields were completely useless.
Linear Cannon
Linear riles were the standard anti-mobile suit weapon of the Union and AEU prior to the introduction beam weapons. While they are still kinetic weapons, they are very different from the chemically-powered weapons of the HRL. Rather than using the combustion of a fuel source to propel the bullet, a linear rifle, or rail gun uses electricity and magnetic fields.
Instead of a tubular barrel, the rail gun has two conductive rails, parallel to each other. A voltage is applied across the two rails and the projectile is accelerated into the breech as the rails drag it. The projectile forms a conductive path between the two rails and electricity flows from one to the other. A resulting magnetic field tries to separate the two rails but weapon's receiver secures them in place. Unable to spread the rails, the Lorentz Force acts upon the projectile, pushing it out the muzzle of the weapon at great speeds. The projectile must already be in motion before it enters the rails or it will simply fuse in place.[9][10]
Sonic Blade (Plasma Sword)
A vibroblade, also known as a sonic blade, is a hand-carried weapon. The blade vibrated at a very high frequency to increase its cutting ability. While having very little visible movement the vibroblade is actually striking the target thousands, perhaps millions of times per second. Each strike, chips away a bit more armor. This happens so fast that the blade appears to "slice" through armor. Some solid blades come in a dagger like form while some others can be mounted on rifles. They have been seen to be able to parry a GN-based solid sword to a limited extent.[11]
In addition the unit, when wielding the weapon, can focus the plasma into a sword shape around the blade; the length of the blade changes depending on the power output.[12] This focusing mechanism for the plasma is taken from technology which was produced during the process of beam saber development.[12] However, one weakness of the plasma sword is that it has difficulty cutting the armor of other conventional mobile suits.[13] The Enact's version can last 2.5 minutes[13] while the Flag's can last 3 minutes.[14]
The Enact's version of this weapon has subharmonics in the audible range and a sound pressure in excess of 100 db. More than enough to cause pain to nearby observers and shatter glass.
The sonic blade weapon concept are also used in other applications, examples include being mounted on MS rifles to even human handheld scaled versions.
200 x 25mm Smoothbore Cannon
This projectile weapon is commonly found mounted to the right forearm of the HRL's Tieren units. The smoothbore weapon fires a 200mm long, by 25mm discarding sabot round. Ammunition is stored in a large, external drum magazine. Much like main battle tanks of the 20th century, this weapon mounts a 12.7mm machine gun alongside the main weapon.
The basic cannon may be fitted with a pair of large E-Carbon heat sinks that run the length of the main barrel. Although primarily intended to help cool the weapon in the vacuum of space, the heat sinks are robust enough to double as bayonets for melee attacks.
30mm Machine Gun
This small caliber, rapid fire cannon is mounted on a wide variety of HRL mobile units. It is similar in function, though far less effective than a GN Vulcan. Anfs use in the Azadistan Civil War were observed using their turreted 30mm Cannons in an anti-personnel capacity to devastating effect.[15]
NGN Bazooka
NGN Bazooka is an armament used by the Earth Sphere Federation Army in 2312 and 2314. The acronym "NGN" means "Non GN"[16] to indicate that it is not a GN based weapon. It is actually a missile launcher weapon that can be used to fire conventional missiles, but despite it's acronym also possess the ability to fire GN Missiles as an option if needed.[16]
Non-GN Laser
The usage of laser weaponry without the involvement GN Particles. Mainly these are mounted on the newer Earth Sphere Federation ships[5] as well as the Memento Mori. The A-LAWS' prison facility that held Allelujah Haptism also seemed to mount weapons of these type on its four corner pillars. It also has seen experimental appearance in mobile weapons, namely on the AEU-09/LS AEU Enact Landstriker Package. The specific utilization/function of these weapons are not known other than they differ from beam weapons. In the case of the former 2 examples, their final beam can be inferred to be not to be a true laser because of them not moving at the speed of light. Thus the specific reason why they are deemed lasers is not known at this point, whether it somehow related to a function of how the weapon prepares itself for fire or whether it's just a symbolic name.
- ↑ HG 1/144 GN-003 Gundam Kyrios model kit manual
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 300 Years Later sourcebook
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 HG 1/144 GN-001 Gundam Exia manual
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 HG 1/144 GN-0000+GNR-010 Trans-Am Raiser
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Gundam 00 2nd Mechanics sourcebook
- ↑ 1/100 GN-0000+GNR-010 00 Raiser
- ↑ HG 1/144 0 Gundam Type ACD manual
- ↑ Gundam 00 Season 1 Episode 20 "Blade of Revolution
- ↑ Power Labs
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_gun
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam Season 1 Episode 7 "Unrequited Souls"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 HG 1/144 SVMS-01 Union Flag manual
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 1st MEchanics
- ↑ 1/100 SVMS-01O Over Flag manual
- ↑ Gundam 00 Season 1 Episode 1 "Celestial Being"
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 HG 1/144 GNY-001F Gundam Astraea Type F manual

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hundreds of science-minded students bypassed Saturday morning cartoons this semester — opting instead to participate in the first year of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's "Science Saturdays" program.
Hundreds of science-minded students bypassed Saturday morning cartoons this semester — opting instead to participate in the first year of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's "Science Saturdays" program.
Open to students in grades 8-12, the program's free weekend lectures and hands-on activities centered on the science of rainbows, robotics and remote handling, the materials genome, crystals, biofuels, supercomputing, climate change and more.
"Science Saturdays was designed to introduce area students to the world-class research in science and engineering that's happening in their back yard," said Ian Anderson, ORNL director of Graduate Education and University Partnerships.
The free program spanned 10 Saturdays and attracted about 200 students from 50 regional high schools and middle schools since its launch in February.
Coordinated by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities, ORNL researchers partnered with high school science teachers to develop lectures and hands-on activities in their area of expertise.
Then, on the final Science Saturday, students had the chance to visit ORNL for tours of the lab's Spallation Neutron Source, the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, supercomputing facilities and the historic Graphite Reactor.
"I'd like to thank all our wonderful staff who volunteered to make this program a great success in its first year," Anderson said.
"It's a terrific way to get kids engaged in science and help them understand how they can use their education to make an impact in a multitude of fields."
Students who attended four of the first seven Saturdays were also eligible to apply for more hands-on science activities by submitting an essay on one of the National Academy of Engineers "Grand Engineering Challenges." Ten students will be selected for unpaid summer internships at ORNL, working with lab mentors in a variety of fields.
Organizers hope to continue Science Saturdays in the coming fall semester with a new series of speakers and activities. For those interested in learning more or participating in next year's program, contact Ian Anderson at firstname.lastname@example.com or (865) 576-7777.


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Six young students from National Chiao Tung University have created a new social networking website to satisfy Internet users, creative passions. Wretch (www.wretch.cc) was created from the schools BBS and quickly became a sensation with over 200 million members in a very short period of time.
The ultimate success of Wretch relies on very stable hardware equipment. As a growing social network site, Wretch needs to be able to fully utilize its network bandwidth to provide a feature rich environment for its members. Wretch also requires robust database servers to hold all the user created materials as well as to create and store new and exciting content for its users.
The President of Wretch, Mr. Chieh, mentions that according to the Test and Evaluation Report of Networking Services, that AMD 64-bit CPU – Opteron has outstanding performance. In 95% of tests items, the AMD Opteron has the highest Cost/Performance (C/P) value of any CPU on the market. AMD has come to realize that Server Platforms are becoming a much greater contributor to the enterprise segment and have invested a lot of resources to help better develop the server platform to capitalize on this advancement.
At the beginning stages of the AMD Opteron, TYAN was leading pioneer developing AMD Opteron products. It was difficult for AMD to break into the Server market with a new solution, but through mutual hard work and perseverance, AMD is now an accepted supplier of Server products. TYAN has always been a reliable partner to AMD and TYAN has the largest market share of AMD Opteron products in the global sales channel. After evaluating company reputation, product performance, and price, AMD selected TYAN as a solution partner to develop and provide the server platforms to meet the expectations that Wretch requires.
As a leading provider of High-End Server and Workstation products, TYAN is always focused on pushing ahead with the newest and best quality server platforms. Tyan understands the importance of both technology and service. To fulfill our customers' needs for service, TYAN provides the best High-End Server support for all current or future challenges.
The AMD Opteron is a server level CPU. This CPU contains both Dual Core and Quad Core features in single chip. TYAN provides AMD Opteron 1000, 2000 and 8000 series support on both Server and Workstation Motherboards.


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By NICHOLAS BARIYO
China and Sudan have agreed to work together at Sudanese oil fields and a refinery to reverse the plummet in the East African country's production, Sudan's state news agency reported Monday. Production has declined since the independence last year of South Sudan, where three quarters of Sudan's oil fields were located.
A deal to revamp the 100,000 bpd Khartoum refinery was reached over the weekend during talks between Sudanese Petroleum Minister Awad Ahmed Al Jaz and China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) vice president Wang Dongjin, state-owned Sudanese Media Center reported.
The refinery is a joint venture between the Sudanese government and CNPC, the largest oil-producing company operating in Sudan.
CNPC, which operates oil fields in Sudan and South Sudan, has been caught in the crossfire of tensions between the two countries.
CNPC hasn't returned calls or emails from Dow Jones Newswires seeking comment.
The news agency didn't disclose details of the amount of planned investments and expected output levels.
Sudan's oil production has nosedived to around 115,000 bpd from 500,000 bpd before the secession of South Sudan. The oil ministry is targeting to boost production to at least 150,000 bpd by the end of this year.
Mr. Al-Jaz and Mr. Wang also discussed plans to restart the shipping of South Sudanese crude through Sudanese pipelines and ports.
The Sudanese economy is trying to recover from a host of economic hardships emanating from the loss of oil fields as well as South Sudan's decision to halt transit oil shipments in January in dispute over oil transit fees. Operations at the Khartoum refinery were also thrown into turmoil in January due to a lack of crude for processing after South Sudan halted shipments.
In September, the two former civil war foes bowed to international pressure and signed a peace accord, which is expected to pave the way for the resumption of oil shipments by the end of the month. Until January, China was the largest importer of crude from Sudan and South Sudan.Dow Jones Newswires


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The guy looks more like an Abercrombie model than an actor, probably because he used to be an Abercrombie model.
In interviews, his laugh frequently turns into a giggle, like he's unconcerned about possessing the protective coating of his more guarded, seasoned Hollywood cohorts.
Not only has he worked as a stripper, but he has a sense of humor about it (check his endearing, funny turn on "Saturday Night Live") and has turned his experiences into one of this summer's most anticipated movies, Steven Soderbergh's "Magic Mike."
Sure, it would be easy to hate Channing Tatum, if you're the sort that looks for reasons to chastise people who are successful and attract shrieks from women. Wait, you say, you only disapprove of the "21 Jump Street" star because he's not a great actor, right? Just like Dustin Rowles of pajiba.com, who claims Tatum's success is a product of the "millennial mentality" and that the guy has no talent.
Except Rowles also correctly notes that Tatum's the best thing in both "21 Jump Street" and "The Dilemma," so why the continued argument that he has no talent? (Google "Channing Tatum sucks" for more people who think so.) If a talentless person is the best thing in a movie, what does that say about the rest of the cast? I haven't heard anyone sounding off about how untalented Jonah Hill, Ice Cube and Rob Riggle are. Oh, yeah: Because they're not, and neither is Tatum.
No, the rising star isn't much in the drama department. He was competent enough in "Dear John" but so out of his dramatic depth in "The Vow" that he sunk every scene in which he was supposed to emote credibly. Yet he's done well in heavy stuff like "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," and I'm puzzled that an actor who, on screen and off, manages to be appealing even when he's failing (kind of like a puppy futilely asking for people food) continues to inspire such hatred from people.
Don't get me wrong: I get as confused and frustrated as anyone when someone invades the big screen without the chops or charisma to back it up. Dane Cook. Nia Vardalos. Even Katherine Heigl. These admittedly easy targets are so grating that it baffles me that they've had the cinematic opportunities they've had. But it's hard not to sniff a certain degree of sexism in the anti-Channing Tatum contingent, which does not seem to mind as much when gorgeous women like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley land big movie roles as, essentially, the hot chick.
Because that's all many significant parts for women unfortunately require: Beauty over brains, cleavage over character. Men dominate the movies (in a recent study I can't seem to find, I believe more than 70 percent of films in 2011 revolved around a male main character) and clearly there's more concern over the acting abilities of the guys on screen than the women. In other words, a smokin' hot woman can be close to front and center, but a beefcake should stand off to the side.
Let's have a sense of scale here. The Situation isn't headlining movies. Great work from people like Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara and Viola Davis is still deservedly being heralded more than Tatum will ever be. So when the star of a comedy makes you laugh (because he's funny, not because he's awful), that seems worthy of praise. Not reason to keep insisting that this funny, likable guy should go back to the catalogue he came from.
Watch Matt on "You & Me This Morning," Friday at 7:30 a.m. on WCIU, the U
email@example.com. @mattpais


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I once predicted that state Rep. John Fresolo would someday put his foot in it. I was partly right, but his current woes may involve a different part of his anatomy.
Something is going on with the Worcester Democrat, but no one is talking except the people who know nothing about it, namely, members of the media, who typically respond to even the hint of a political sex scandal with the same studied nonchalance exhibited by radical tea party members when someone compliments the president.
Media outlets were in full fettle last week, with Worcester Magazine reporting that Fresolo would resign within 48 hours, and WTAG's Jordan Levy telling his listeners that Fresolo is under probe for pulling an Anthony Weiner with a female aide, and Boston reporter Michele McPhee asking why male legislators are so fond of photographing their, er, staffs, which happens to be a very good question regardless of its relevance to Fresolo's predicament.
What we know for sure is that House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo has directed the House Ethics Committee to investigate "serious allegations" of misconduct made by an aide against a House member. We know that the member is Fresolo for several reasons, partly because it was bound to happen to a politician who once managed to lock himself inside a cemetery, and partly because a Telegram reporter went to his house Thursday night and Fresolo immediately announced he was not resigning before he was even asked.
He also said he was advised by his lawyer not to talk, and it's not as though the reporter was inquiring about his NCAA bracket picks.
But the rumors are flying and have been reported with the same careful scrutiny employed by the sort of tabloids that break stories about alien babies in Arkansas. Initial accounts from here to Boston claimed that Fresolo sent inappropriate photos of himself to a female staffer. Then we heard reports that the details weren't as damning, that Fresolo may have had some questionable pictures on his cellphone, not knowing that they were linked to his Statehouse email computer because he's a Luddite, and that the poor staffer stumbled upon them while going through his emails.
But whatever happened is considered serious enough to investigate, and that's saying a lot for the Statehouse.
In the meantime, this story is dubbed so salacious that it's actually appeared across the pond, in Great Britain. And with all due respect to the Telegram commenter who posted, "Didn't take long for the Brits to cover it thousands of miles away, while the American media snoozes," allow me to note that the Daily Mail's story is based on local reports and blogs, like a media echo chamber.
Indeed, it's getting a bit crazy, so much so that on Friday I was asked to discuss the matter on both Fox News and Channel 4, even though I don't know a thing (You know reporters are flailing when they resort to interviewing each other). But it's not like I haven't tried.
On Friday, I squeezed countless sources and basically threatened the lives of their children if they didn't spill the beans. Some knew nothing, some had only secondhand information, and some pretended to know more than they did because they want the worst to be true.
While Fresolo remains popular within the 16th district for his constituent services, he's not the most-admired legislator on Beacon Hill or even within local political circles, where he's considered something of an opportunistic lightweight. But whether this story will eventually include depictions of naked or half-naked torsos, the media haven't clothed themselves in glory while trying to break it.


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I'm clearly falling down on the job of keeping up the Power Line sports book, as promised back in January. And I gather there's some kind of college basketball tournament under way at the moment, but I leave that kind of thing to better qualified collegiate analysts. Like Obama.
Of much more interest to those who revel in carbon footprints is the Monster Jam World Finals that have just wrapped up in Las Vegas. The perennial favorite, Dennis Anderson's Grave Digger (profiled a week ago in the Wall Street Journal!), started out strong Friday night taking the Double-Down trophy for the fastest qualifying race, but he faded in Saturday's finals in both head-to-head racing and freestyle. The racing winner was Tom Meents and Maximum Destruction, who tends to play Moriarty to Anderson's Holmes in these high octane melodramas. In the freestyle competition, Jim Koehler's Avenger came out on top, though it took a tie-breaker to determine the winner.
I wasn't able to make the trip out, but the skeptical spouse took our nine year old, and files this exclusive Power Line report:
You really need to see Meents racing to believe it. I don't know if his truck is engineered differently or he just has talent no one else can touch. But let's face it – there's nothing as improbable as racing a monster truck. They are engineered to topple over. But Tom can hit the curve at some considerable speed and you can forget for a second that what he's doing is impossible.
Dennis Anderson is the most popular guy in the stadium. When you see him out with fans you can see why. He seems genuinely happy to meet thousands of people and sign all sorts of things. He had truck issues last night and did not do as well as people hoped.
Jim Koehler has the reputation of being the clown but you can also see he has skill and real showman chops. He tied the freestyle but was named champ after they added back the high and low scores. The stadium didnt have a water feature this year, but they brought out a hot tub towed by a limo. He jumped in of course.
FWIW I thought the freestyle judging was erratic. The Air Force Afterburner
driver had a great freestyle but did not score that well. In any case it was a great time. Incredibly nice fans, beautiful stadium and well run event. I'm a believer!
Well, um, I gather, from this photo of the skeptical spouse and freestyle winner Koehler.
P.S. Set your TiVo: The World Finals will be broadcast on CBS on April 17 at 2 pm.
JOHN adds: The sports desk on this site has always been iffy. Paul has told me and many others more than we probably wanted to know about the Everton Toffees. Sure, if it were Tottenham Hotspur–greatest name in the history of organized sports–I could see it. But the Toffees?
Beyond that, I have sometimes reported on Minnesota sports, with additional contributions from Scott. Currently, however, Minnesota sports are at an appallingly low ebb. The only thing we have to look forward to is Opening Day for the Minnesota Twins, coming up on Friday. Of course, Opening Day won't be here in Minnesota, since we still have two or three feet of snow on the ground. But give us one week, to April 8, and Target Field will once again be rocking. That will keep us going through the summer, when the international beauty pageants begin. Miss World will be some time this summer, I think, but no date has yet been announced. Miss Universe will be in Sao Paolo in September. So we have a ways to go.
Now we have the monster truck beat. Is that really a sport? I don't know, but Mrs. Hayward is definitely a good sport, so we welcome her reports. Monster truck rallies take me back to my South Dakota roots, for better or worse.
Until the local sports scene really heats up, I would suggest that we sing, all together, the greatest team song in American sports: We're gonna win, Twins, we're gonna score. We're gonna win Twins, watch that baseball soar….


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Lohan 'revelations' a calculated bet on image rehab
Some might interpret this item about Lindsay Lohan as a shameless attempt to boost traffic to the blog, down significantly in the week I spent policing my kids' potty talk instead of posting wry observations on the digital parade.
These people have very suspicious minds, minds as suspicious as, say, Jennifer Aniston's must have been when Brad Pitt went off to do that movie with Angelina Jolie.
I write about Ms. Lohan, instead, because of her important place at the center of our culture and because an online betting service has just sent out what seems to be, at first glance, the most ridiculous press release of, perhaps, the millennium. It's worth calling attention to just to help readers understand the depths of this celebrity-worship thing.
Continue reading "Lohan 'revelations' a calculated bet on image rehab" »


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Hey, major college football player. Can you give us a few minutes of your time? Don't worry about drawing the attention of your school administrators. They're too busy scurrying off to a new conference or lining up some exorbitant television deal to notice what we're about to discuss. You're getting ripped off. Big time.
Hey, major college football player. Can you give us a few minutes of your time?
Don't worry about drawing the attention of your school administrators. They're too busy scurrying off to a new conference or lining up some exorbitant television deal to notice what we're about to discuss. You're getting ripped off. Big time.
Have you considered a strike? Really, I'm not kidding
Oh sure, you're getting a college education out of the deal, but that's not even close to being fair. While you're out there busting your butt every day, the guys in suits are padding their coffers with your efforts.
What you guys need is someone like Marvin Miller, the late, great baseball union chief who died this week. Someone who can drop some knowledge about just how badly you're getting hosed. Someone to get you organized. Someone with the guts to say, "Play fair, or we're walking."
Yep, walk.
While the last thing we need is another labor dispute in sports, there may be no greater miscarriage of economic fairness than what's going on amid the ivy-covered columns of higher education.
"There's a reason we call it higher education," said Ellen Staurowsky, a professor in the Department of Sport Management at Drexel University in Philadelphia. "It's supposed to aspire to higher ideals, to try to do what's best from a social justice point of view. It's such a shame for higher education to have a system in place that has really exploited the athletes in a way that is not defensible."
Think that college degree makes it defensible? Not even close.
Oh sure, a school such as Georgia might fork over around $40,000 a year to pay for your room, board and tuition, but let's do some quick math and see how you're making out.
Say a football program provides 85 scholarships a year. Multiply that by what they're spending on each of you, and it comes out to $3.4 million. So, what does the school get out of this?
Well, let's look again at how the Bulldogs are making out.
According to Forbes, which does an annual ranking of the nation's most valuable programs, Georgia turned a nifty little profit of $53 million on football last year. That figure will only rise as leagues expand into super conferences, television deals keep hurtling toward the stratosphere, and the suits figure out how much more they can make off a playoff system.
A four-team postseason starts in 2014, and ESPN has already signed on for a dozen years. You know it's just a matter of time before the four-team playoff becomes an eight-team affair, then an eight-team endeavor morphs into a 16-team version.
If that cuts into your time for classwork and taking final exams, so be it.
Even with all the extra tutoring they provide, three out of 10 football players still fail to earn a degree. Better hope you're good enough to make it to the NFL. And if you are, you'll be in for a real eye-opening experience. While the stadiums and media coverage might seem largely on par with what you just left behind, there is one big difference.
The paycheck.
Yep, in the NFL, they actually pay you to play.
At that point, it might occur to you, "Hey, why didn't I get a paycheck for the last four years?"
Good question.
A few folks are on your side. South Carolina's Steve Spurrier suggested that he and his coaching colleagues, who also make millions off you, reach into their own wallets to provide a little somethin', somethin' for the help. His plan was derided as folly, the ramblings of an aging coach who doesn't really understand how the system works.
Actually, he knows exactly how it works.
As it stands now, the NCAA won't even allow schools to provide a little financial assistance to help your family travel to a bowl game, the bowl game you made possible.
The NCAA, which senses that you might be getting a little upset with the current arrangement, is considering whether to allow $2,000 stipends for athletes.
Don't be fooled. They're just trying to buy you off.
"It's notable that while coaches have access to representatives who negotiate those multiyear contracts, the athletes are expressly denied that same kind of representation," Staurowsky said. "It speaks to just how big of a conflict there is."
So, let's try this.
Hit up Twitter. And Facebook. And any of those other Web sites you kids hang out on.
Start talking about this issue. Who knows? If social media can help overturn entire governments, maybe it can bring about real change in college athletics.
We've even got a hash tag for your cause: "treatusfair."
If they won't, tell them you're walking.


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Three MET fixes: And nothing from HassanEDITORIAL
May 13. 2014 11:48PM
Today the New Hampshire House votes on two proposals for dealing with the Medicaid enhancement tax. A month ago a judge ruled the tax unconstitutional, creating a $185 million hole in the current fiscal year and another in the next fiscal year. Tomorrow the Senate takes up its own proposal to fix the tax. What is missing?
In one month, legislators devised three complex proposals, ran them through the necessary committees, and scheduled them for votes before each chamber. In the same amount of time, Gov. Maggie Hassan has done... nothing.
The governor has the authority to adjust the state budget in response to financial emergencies, as columnst Charlie Arlinghaus points out in his column on this page today. She has the duty to explain the situation to the public and bring legislators together to craft a solution. She has done none of that.
All anyone can get out of the governor are meaningless statements about the need for everyone to work together to solve the problem. But everyone already is working together — everyone except the governor. During this very serious budget crisis, she has stepped back and let others lead. She has not so much as hinted at a favored proposal. She has not ordered state agencies to prepare for budget cuts in case the state loses its appeal.
She has only waited, as though she is a spectator to all the goings on in Concord and not the chief executive officer of state government.
The longer she waits to act, the more drastic measures will be required to fix the problem. What in the world could she be waiting for?


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Writers drop precious money—not to mention writing time—on conferences every year, which makes it doubly disturbing that so many of us fall prey to innocent mistakes that can keep us from getting the most out of them. So we asked 10 conference organizers to share the pitfalls they most often see writers tumbling into—and how to avoid them.
"All too often writers don't use common sense when approaching editors and agents. Some of the errors I've seen include following an editor into the restroom and requesting an interview, or approaching an editor or agent who is talking with just one other person. The best way is to approach them when they are not in a session or what seems to be a private conversation. I recommend a social setting or after a conference panel or workshop. Ask if they have time to meet with you. Offer to buy the editor or agent something to drink, then find a place where you can talk briefly without interruption."
—Candy Moulton, Western Writers of America
(Bismarck, N.D., westernwriters.org)
"Don't come to the conference with an attitude. We've seen some writers who seem to feel that the conference is slanted against them. They think others have access to an inside track that's closed to them, when in reality everyone is treated alike and any limited resources are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, when meeting with an agent for a consult, do not expect a complete critique of your work. Understand that this is an opportunity for you to present your pitch, and that if the agent finds it interesting, he or she will ask you to send more of your work for review."
—Jan Whitaker, Write Angles
(South Hadley, Mass., writeanglesconference.org)
"Some writers don't plan ahead. … Match what you want with what is offered by talking to the teachers ahead of time and seeing what is being taught. Conferences have websites and brochures, so basic information is available well ahead of time. A call to the conference organizer is an easy way to get additional information."
—Dan Smith, Roanoke Regional Writers Conference
"Every year I ask conference attendees, 'What genre is this?' [and] I hear, 'fiction.' It's important to appear professional and prepared: 'My novel is a supernatural suspense set in the near future. Lisa Conner has moved into a new home in upstate New York. It appears she didn't move in alone. During her trials, Lisa will face a past she wants to forget, a present she doesn't trust and a future she can't imagine. The book runs 90,000 words, is written in third person. …'"
—Alton Gansky, Blue Ridge Moun-tains Christian Writers Conference
(near Asheville, N.C., brmcwc.com)
"Sometimes writers arrive in short sleeves and sandals, without a jacket or sweater. They shiver in the air conditioning, which can get really cold when you're sitting all day. Conference attendees should always layer so they can be comfortable enough to concentrate on the speakers' messages. Also, I've seen people set down their conference tote bag and, because they all look alike, someone inadvertently picks up the wrong bag—and there go all your carefully recorded notes. Tie a piece of ribbon or attach a silk flower or your favorite sports team logo to the handle, and your bag becomes instantly recognizable."
—Donna Meredith, The Tallahassee Book Festival and Writers Conference
"You need to find the agent who is a perfect fit. … Pitching a fantasy manuscript to an agent who works primarily with literary fiction will not bring a writer any closer to publication. Conferences supply speaker bios for a reason. Read them. Old interviews, blogs and podcasts featuring these agents are often readily available online, and agency websites are full of useful information. Writing a book takes dedication, time and thorough research. Choosing the right agent to query or pitch should require the
same consideration."
—Kris Spisak, James River Writers Conference
(Richmond, Va., http://bit.ly/m6il3q)
"The biggest blunder for attendees is not planning ahead and bringing networking items like cards, brochures and books to trade and give away. Too often, attendees don't interact with each other or the speakers as much as possible. … Writers attend writing conferences for a variety of reasons, but chief among them is to network with editors, agents and fellow writers. Having a card and/or brochure is just one way to build a network of contacts and supporters for your writing."
—Margaret Walters, Red Clay Writers Conference
(Kennesaw, Ga., georgiawriters.org)
"You never know who you might meet in line for coffee or while taking a break in the lobby. If you spend all of your time with your [friends], you miss out on a lot of interesting conversations and connections. The best strategy is to challenge yourself to sit down to meals alone, strike up conversations with neighbors while waiting for sessions to begin [and] be open to meeting new people. Catch up with friends after the event is over. …"
—Stephanie Chandler, Nonfiction Writers Conference
(virtual event, nonfictionwritersconference.com)
"A lot of writers fail to follow up with editors and agents in a timely manner. … Writers might wait six months after the conference to get back to an editor on an idea, which is much too long. If you get positive feedback, you should follow up about two weeks after the conference. Don't call just to chat—have a query in mind, maybe something you discussed at the conference."
—Maren Rudolph, Travel Classics Writers Conferences
(various locations. travelclassics.com/conferences)
"There are always a few [writers] who use other writers to make themselves feel better by bragging or, worse, by deliberately diminishing the work [of] other people. The second you are feeling belittled, insecure, envious—immediately exit that conversation. Surround yourself only with people whom you find to be genuinely supportive and empathic. 'We are all in this boat together. How can we support one another?' should be the motto of everyone at the conference. You want to leave the conference feeling inspired. … You have control over this!"
—Susan Page, San Miguel Writers' Conference
(Mexico, sanmiguelwritersconference.org)
Don't hurt your chances of getting published by not sending agents what they want. Consider:
Guide To Query Letters
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'Mommy look - a mermaid, a mermaid!'
PORTLAND, Ore. - Mermaids are fictional creatures, right?
Sure they are, but that hasn't stopped 56-year-old Pauline Long from transforming herself into one for an afternoon and taking a quick dip in her neighborhood pool.
Yes, that's right. Folks have been buzzing about this for a few days now after Long (who goes by Myst when she's in mermaid mode) made her big debut earlier this week at Pier Pool in North Portland.
And as you can imagine, heads were turning.
"They were kind of looking like 'uh, ok.' " Long said when we talked to her on Thursday and asked what kind of reaction she got that first time. "There was a little girl on the side (of the pool) yelling 'mommy look - a mermaid, a mermaid!' "
"It was really cool, but somehow strange," said Jonathon Penner, one of several kids at the pool who were fascinated, and perhaps a little perplexed, at seeing a real live mermaid (ok, someone dressed up as one) at the pool. "I didn't know what was going to happen. It was kind of weird."
"I think it's cool because no one else really does that," 10-year-old Rebecca White told us when we asked her what she thought about it all. And that tail? "I kind of want one," she said.
So does Long really think she's a mermaid? No, of course she doesn't - it's all just for fun. And she enjoys the way it makes her feel.
"It's graceful," she said. "It doesn't matter whether you're a size 2 or a size 22, you're graceful as you are. You're actually more graceful in the water than maybe on land. It's just a great feeling."
"It's creative, fun loving and she's enjoying life," said Sandra Parks, a woman who was at the pool when we stopped by. She told us she thought it was wonderful what Long was doing. "She obviously has some limitations there with mobility, but she's just enjoying it."
Long has disabilities that she deals with and said spending time at the pool helps her out physically. And of course swimming in a mermaid suit is a good workout, as you can imagine. She said you basically do constant dolphin kicks to keep yourself afloat.
"Just doing it a couple of times this week I've got sore muscles," she said. "With the one fin, the monofin, it really gives you a good core workout."
So does Long plan on doing this some more? You bet she does, although she said she doesn't plan on being a mermaid every day, just every now and then. So you might spot 'Myst' at Pier Pool or you might not, depending on the day.
Long is actually part of a group of a couple of dozen mermaids here in the Portland area called Northwest Mermaid Pod. She said they are planning to do a group swim, in full costume, coming up on August 19 at the McMenamins Kennedy School.
And Long (along with her fiance) also dresses up as a pirate and attends festivals and charity events. She said she first got the idea to become a mermaid after seeing some in costume at a pirate festival.


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It's been a few months since we last checked in with the official Android 4.0 update list for Motorola, and in light of recent changes to that list (as well as comments from Motorola on the Android 4.0 update, which we will get to in a moment) it seemed like a good time for a status update.
Will my device be updated?
Motorola has perhaps been the most candid and comprehensive of the major manufacturers when it comes to their Android upgrade process. They outlined their 4-step updating process for everyone back in December and have pretty dutifully maintained the device update page found in their forums.
Unfortunately this has not translated into being the most expedient in actually delivering upgrades to their customers' devices. To date, the only device that has received its update to Android 4.0 is the WiFi-only XOOM (and only the versions in the US or Canada at that). All other devices remain in either the Development, Evaluation & Planning or Testing phases.
Now, as previously mentioned, there was a blog post from Motorola in the last few days which was designed to make clear why some devices won't be getting Android 4.0.
You may be wondering why all devices aren't being upgraded to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Here's the deal. We work very closely with Google and cell phone carriers for every software update. And, obviously we want the new release to improve our devices. If we determine that can't be done–well then, we're not able to upgrade that particular device.Motorola
I know that statement has some people riled up and it's always irritating to hear that your device won't be upgraded, but I think it's a fairly reasonable position. Now, if they start pulling the update plug on popular devices that have the specs to support the next OS, then I'll pick up a torch and join the angry villagers.
Latest News from Motorola
- 04/06/12 - Android 4.0 update for the Motorola RAZR delayed as HTC Rezound update confirmed for today
The Best Buy leak proved to be either false optimism from Best Buy or a poorly timed April Fools joke.
- 03/31/12 - Motorola DROID RAZR and HTC Rezound Android 4.0 update scheduled for next week
A leaked screenshot from an internal Best Buy system pointed to the DROID RAZR and RAZR MAXX receiving their update on April 4th.
- 03/22/12 - AT&T is the first US wireless carrier to issue an Android 4.0 update, 10 more devices to be upgraded
AT&T issued their first official list of their devices that would be updated to Android 4.0. The Atrix 2 and the Atrix 4G were the two Motorola devices to make an appearance on that list.
- 02/20/12 - A closer look at Motorola's Android 4.0.3 build for the Verizon DROID RAZR
A leaked build of Android 4.0.3 for the DROID RAZR provides a tantalizing glimpse of the future for Moto handset owners.
- 01/18/12 - US Motorola XOOM WiFi-only tablets receive Android 4.0 update
Becoming the first Motorola device with Android 4.0, the US XOOM WiFi-only tablet started receiving its delicious update during January. It is a bit simpler for Motorola to do this, as it has no UI overlay, and the manufacturer does not have to go through a carrier to get the updates out.
- 12/07/11 - Motorola details their 4-step updating process
Soon after Google released the source code for Android 4.0, Motorola decided to go ahead and let us know how things work (on their side). This explains why updates can take a good amount of time before reaching the consumer, and is a great way to get an idea of how they make it to your devices.
- 10/24/11 - Motorola promises Android 4.0 updates to be released 6 weeks after Google's release
Aiming a bit too high, Motorola promises that updates would start being rolled out 6 weeks after Google releases the Android 4.0 OS. Most devices still haven't received the update, and won't for a while, so it is evident that Motorola was overestimating its abilities.
Motorola devices that have Android 4.0
- Motorola XOOM WiFi-Only (USA, Canada)
Motorola devices that will receive Android 4.0 during Q2
- Motorola XOOM WiFi-Only (Asia Pacific, China, EMEA, Japan & LATAM)
- Motorola XOOM (Verizon)
- Motorola RAZR (Asia Pacific, Canada, China, EMEA, Japan, Korea & LATAM)
- Motorola DROID RAZR (Verizon)
- Motorola DROID RAZR Maxx (Verizon)
- Motorola MT917 (China)
- Motorola XT928 (China)
Motorola devices that will receive Android 4.0 during Q3
- Motorola Atrix 4G (USA)
- Motorola Atrix 2 (Asia-Pacific, LATAM, USA, and selected other markets)
- Motorola XOOM Family Edition (USA)
- Motorola XOOM 2 (Asia Pacific, EMEA, and LATAM)
- Motorola XOOM 2 Media Edition (Asia Pacific, EMEA, and LATAM)
- Motorola Xyboard 8.2 (USA)
- Motorola Xyboard 10.1 (USA)
- Motorola DROID Bionic (Verizon)
- Motorola DROID 4 (Verizon)
- Motorola DROID Xyboard 8.2 (Verizon)
- Motorola DROID Xyboard 10.1 (Verizon)
Motorola devices that will receive Android 4.0 during Q4
- Motorola Photon 4G (USA)
Phones under evaluation and planning: Might or might not get update, no estimated dates
- Motorola Atrix/Atrix 4G (Asia Pacific, EMEA and LATAM)
- Motorola Electrify (USA)
- Motorola Photon 4G (Japan)
- Motorola XOOM WiFi + 3G (Asia Pacific, EMEA and LATAM)
Motorola devices that will NOT get updated to Android 4.0
- Motorola Admiral
- Motorola Charm
- Motorola DROID 3
- Motorola DROID X2
- Motorola Flipout
- Motorola Milestone A854/A953
- Motorola Milestone XT720/XT701/XT711
- Motorola XT605
- Motorola XT615 / XT685 / MOTOLUXE
- Motorola XT882
- Motorola MT870
- Motorola Milestone 3
- Motorola Milestone X2
- Motorola Pro+
- Motorola Devour
- Motorola Cliq XT
- Motorola i1
- Motorola Dext
- Motorola Quench MB501/XT5 XT502/XT3 XT502
- Motorola Defy Mini
- Motorola Defy MB525 (Europe & MEA)


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By Brian Price
Our nation's "Patriot Six" culminates this July 4th weekend, but appreciation for our troops and their families will continue throughout the baseball season. The Washington Nationals, in conjunction with the USO of Metropolitan Washington, have started a new program that provides military kids free tickets to Sunday's game when star pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, takes the mound. The Nationals will provide free tickets to thousands of young fans throughout the rest of the season.
[caption id="attachment_3218" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Craig Stammen chats with USO Vice President Kevin Wensing ®."][/caption]
USO Vice President Kevin Wensing is especially pleased that the Nationals have taken this initiative. "We hope this is just the beginning and that other pro teams take a page out of the Nationals' book and get involved with military family and friends across the country,"
In anticipation of Sunday's festivities, Nationals players and their manager, Jim Riggleman, offered their thoughts on the meaning of the holiday and the military families who will be coming out to the ballpark.
BP: What does the "Me & a Friend" Program mean to you?
Jim Riggleman: "I'm so proud of every soldier for defending us. I think what the troops do is the most important thing that anybody can do for his country. Playing baseball pales in comparison to what the troops do. We provide entertainment. However, I'm honored that we can be the first team to get 'Me and a Friend' started. For a young person to have a loved one in combat is an unimaginably difficult thing. If baseball can give them a few moments of comfort than that's more satisfying than anything I can think of. I'm excited for them to come out to the ballpark."
BP: What's special about playing in our nation's capital?
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, #11: "Washington D.C. is a great patriotic city to live in and play baseball in, especially during July 4th weekend. We play within view of the capital building, which is a special thing. We're always trying to do things to stay connected to the troops and to show our appreciation. I know the whole club is really excited to kick off the 'Me and a Friend' program. Everyday we're thankful for what our troops do. We live in a great country."
J.D. Martin, SP, #51: "One of my favorite moments each home game is when we welcome home troops [in the 3rd inning]. They get put up on the jumbo screen and they always receive a standing ovation. It's great getting a chance to acknowledge them."
BP: What does this holiday mean to you?
Craig Stammen, SP, #35: "The only reason I'm able to do what I do is because of the troops. For most Americans July 4th means fireworks and barbeques, but it's like any other day for a soldier in that they're still risking their lives for the independence that we civilians are celebrating. I appreciate all soldiers and can't thank them enough."
[caption id="attachment_3219" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="(L to R) Nyjer Morgan, Ryan Zimmerman, Josh Willingham, and Adam Dunn observe the National Anthem."][/caption]
BP: Do you have any friends in the service?
Riggleman: "I just returned a letter to a veteran who was a ball boy for me when I was managing in the minors. He served in the U.S. Marines for 20 years. His first passion in life was serving this country. His second is baseball, so after having served he's back and I'm trying to help find him a job in baseball."
Stammen: "My college roommate enlisted in Officer Candidate School about two years ago. After, he spent a year in Afghanistan and now he's at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. I try to speak with him as often as I can and keep him close to my heart."
"The thing about him, and really any soldier, is that they'll never let on to how tough it is in combat. We'll play on a hot day and the first thing we do after the game is shower. He's in combat, it's 40 degrees hotter and he might not be able to shower for days at a time."
Martin: "A good family friend, Mike Hill, was in Iraq and he was responding to a roadside bomb. He was helping to pick up a wounded soldier on a stretcher when a landmine went off. It killed several troops around him and he was seriously injured. I'm from a small town, so that's something that everybody heard about. We were just glad he made it out alive."
Jim Riggleman summed up perfectly: "Our troops provide safety for us and some of them don't come back. As Americans, that's something we need to always appreciate especially when we're celebrating our independence. Freedom's not free and they're the ones paying the price."
The Washington Nationals and the USO of Metropolitan Washington have teamed up to give military kids the opportunity to enjoy a baseball game with their friends through the "Me and a Friend" program, which formally kicks off on July 4 when the Nationals host the New York Mets in Washington, D.C at 1:35 p.m..
Tickets for the July 4th game are available on a first come first serve basis through USO-Metro's TicketLine program and must be picked up at the USO office at 228 McNair Road Bldg 405 Fort Myer, VA 22211. Military families can also visit www.usometro.org/tickets to check on availability.
Their journey is everyone's responsibility. From the moment they enlist, through their assignments and deployments, and as they transition back to their communities, they can rely on your support.
More from the USO
Oct 16, 2018
He Stays at Home With Their Two Boys While She Serves in Afghanistan
Former Air Force Major Brad Eychner has no illusions about his important role as a stay-at-home dad and military spouse. Learn how he came into this role and how he takes care of their two young boys while his wife is deployed.
Oct 12, 2018
7 Things to Cheer On The Navy's Birthday
October 13 is the U.S. Navy's 243rd birthday! Originally established during the Revolutionary War in 1775, the Navy has played a central role throughout history and today, it continues its mission of maintaining the freedom of the seas. Here are seven reasons to cheer the Navy's birthday!


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*TV Show: That Winter, The Wind Blows (literal title)
*Revised romanization: Geu Gyeowool, Barami Boonda
*Hangul: 그 겨울, 바람이 분다
*Director : Kim Kyoo-tae (Padam Padam... The Sound of His and Her Heartbeats~2011, IRIS~2009, Worlds Within~2008, A Love to Kill~2005, Loveholic~2005)
*Writer : Noh Hee-kyeong (Padam Padam... The Sound of His and Her Heartbeat~2011, Drama Special - Red Candy~2010, Worlds Within~2008, Miracle~2006, Goodbye Solo~2006, More Beautiful Than a Flower~2004, Solitude~2002, Did We Really Love~1999, Lie~1998)
*Network: SBS
*Episodes: TBA
*Release Date: 2013
*Runtime: TBA
*Language: Korean
*Country: South Korea
A man (Zo In-Sung) known as the best gambler in the Cheongdam neighborhood lives a meaningless life. His parents dumped at an early age and he lost his first lover. Meanwhile, a woman (Song Hye-Kyo) is the heir to a large corporation, but she is lonely. She has also lived through a difficult life. She lost her eyesight and her father passed away. The woman has to protect herself from those around her.
1. Based on the Japanese drama "Forget Love".
2. Filming begins October, 2012.
3. Actress Song Hye-Kyo, director Kim Kyu-Tae & screenwriter No Hee-Kyung previously worked together in 2008 KBS2 drama "Worlds Within......".
4. "That Winter, The Wind Blows" takes over the Wednesday & Thursday 21:55 time slot previously occupied by "The Great Seer" and will be followed by "All About My Date" in April, 2013
Zo In-Sung - Oh Soo
Song Hye-Kyo - Oh Young
Kim Beom - Park Jin-Sung
Jung Eun-Ji - Moon Hee-Sun
Song Hye-gyo and Jo In-sung in talks for Noh Hee-kyung drama
As per usual, lots of big star names have been tossed about for writer Noh Hee-kyung's newest project, a drama entitled That Winter, The Wind Blows, but it looks like she's zeroing in on Song Hye-gyo and Jo In-sung to play the leads. They're reportedly considering the roles favorably, and their possible dual comeback to dramaland is causing quite the stir.
The project will be a re-team on many fronts, between star writer Noh Hee-kyung (Padam Padam, Worlds Within, Goodbye Solo) and PD Kim Kyu-tae (Padam Padam, Worlds Within, IRIS, A Love to Kill), and if Song Hye-gyo takes the lead it'll be her first drama since 2008′s Worlds Within. Jo In-sung took on a film as his army-comeback project, and if he signs on, it'll be his first drama since 2005′s Spring Days.
The story is a remake of the Japanese drama I Don't Need Love, Summer / Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu, which has already had one Korean film remake starring Moon Geun-young and Kim Joo-hyuk in 2006, called I Don't Need Love. It sounds like heavy-duty melodrama stuff — blind heroines, mistaken identities, and lots and lots of pain. I can't say it's new and exciting territory for Song or Jo, who both built careers on melo, but we have yet to hear how Noh Hee-kyung plans to rewrite the tale, since I'm expecting it to be a jumping off point for her, rather than a straight remake.
That Winter, The Wind Blows plans to broadcast early next year.
pray4Gaza, pray4MH17, pray4MH370
I'll check out the first episode out of my love for Noh Hee Kyung...and the original movie with Moon Geung Young. I haven't liked any of the dramas Noh Hee Kyung and Kim Kyu Tae have worked on together, but I guess I'm willingly to give them a third try.
Starting fresh & making a new account. Come and try to find me. :p
Won Bin ends TV drama comeback
After a two-year hiatus, Won Bin was set to make his comeback in the drama "Wind Blows in Winter".
The Korean adaptation of the Japanese hit drama "I Don't Need Love" was set to be Won's return to television after more than 13 years; it would also have been his first project since the hit movie "The Man From Nowhere" in 2010.
Noh Hee-kyeong, the screenwriter from the show who decided to get on board the project when Won showed interest, supposedly met with the Hallyu actor on numerous occasions to go over details of the plot.
Won put his two cents in, asking Noh to change the protagonist's occupation from a male escort at a bar to "something more relevant in Korean society".
However when Won's demands became impossible to accommodate, the 34-year-old actor decided to step away from the show.
Without Won's participation, the drama is back to recruiting a cast. In the meantime, Won is still taking part in filming commercials and doing volunteer projects
To The World You Are Someone, But To Someone You Are The World!!!
Zo In Sung and Song Hye Gyo Confirmed for ′Wind Blows in Winter′
Zo In Sung and Song Hye Gyo have been cast as the leads for the drama Wind Blows in Winter. One official recently told enews, "Zo In Sung and Song Hye Gyo have been cast for the drama Wind Blows in Winter, which is being written by scriptwriter Noh Hee Kyung."
The official added, "Many actors have been put on the list for writer Noh [Hee Kyung]′s piece, but Zo In Sung and Song Hye Gyo have been confirmed for the roles. This will be Song Hye Gyo′s second piece with producer Kim Gyu Tae and Noh Hee Kyung."
The drama will be Zo In Sung′s first drama in seven years since his last appearance in SBS′ Spring Days in 2005. It will be his first piece since his release from the military, as last year he did join the cast of the film Kwon Bob, but it will be premiering after the drama.
Song Hye Gyo will also be returning to the small screen for the first time in four years.
Wind Blows in Winter is a remake of the Japanese drama Love Isn′t Necessary, Summer. It was previously remade in Korea through the film Love Me Not, starring Kim Ju Hyuk and Moon Geun Young.
Photo credit: Hea Jung Min, Kim Byung Kwan
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APink's Jung Eun Ji Close to Joining Song Hye Kyo and Jo In Sung for New Drama
APink's Jung Eunji has been cast in a new drama tentatively titled, "That Winter, It's Windy," local media reported on October 9. "That Winter, It's Windy" is a romantic drama that already cast Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo as their two main leads. Eunji will play the role of Heesun, the younger sister of Song Hye Kyo, who is the first love of Jo In Sung.
"We expect her charms to get upgraded from her 'Reply 1997' role. She will play an important role for both Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo. We believe her agency has reviewed the terms positively and is close to confirming the casting," an official was quoted as saying.
APink's agency, however, only said, "She's been extremely busy lately with overseas promotions. We're glad to have received the offer. But it's a little too early to confirm the casting yet."
"That Winter, It's Windy" has been attracting more attention for its star-studded cast but also because it's their first show in a long time. It's Song Hye Kyo's first drama in four years while Jo In Sung is returning to TV for the first time in seven years. Stay tuned for more updates!
Kim Beom will appear on a new TV series with Jo In Sung
Actor Kim Beom will appear on the new TV series That Winter, The Wind Blows. On October 9, a senior official for the series said, "We asked Kim to appear on the series and we both considered it positively. If things go smoothly, he will shoot the series with us."
"Kim knows writer No Hee Kyung very well because he worked with the writer for his last TV series. Kim will assist actor Jo In Sung on the series." Kim previously played the role of Lee Guk Soo on JTBC's Padam Padam, on which he worked with writer No earlier this year.
The series That Winter, The Wind Blows is a remake of the Japanese series I Don't Need Love, Summer, which has already had one Korean film remake starring Moon Geun Young and Kim Joo Hyuk, called I Don't Need Love.
Writer No and producer Kim Kyu Tae, who previously worked together for KBS's series The World That They Live In in 2008 and JTBC's series Padam Padam, will make the series together.
Actor Jo and actress Song Hye Kyo will play main characters for the series, which will start shooting at the end of this month to air in the first half of next year.
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Kim Tae Woo To Join 'Wind Blows In Winter' Cast?
Actor Kim Tae Woo to be cast in the anticipated drama 'Wind Blows In Winter' .A representative from the drama said, "Kim Tae Woo has finalized his appearance in 'Wind Blows In Winter', and will add his signature bold acting to the cast".
Kim Tae Woo will star alongside Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo in the drama. The drama, with the addition of Kim Tae Woo, is highly anticipated even more.
The drama is about the love between a gambler who lost his first love, and a lonely heiress of a corporation, will premiere in the first half of 2013.
pray4Gaza, pray4MH17, pray4MH370
Kim Beom, A PINK Eunji Join Zo In-sung's New Melodrama
It looks like Zo In-sung's new melodrama will add more vibrancy than expected by enlisting two popular idol stars.
Singer-turned-actor Kim Beom and K-pop girl group A PINK member Eunji are joining "That Winter, the Wind Blows" [translated title], which will hit the airwaves on KBS next year, its promoter Shall We Talk said in a press release Wednesday.
Starring Zo In-sung and Song Hye-kyo, "That Winter" tells the love story of a top gambler and an heiress of a local conglomerate.
In the drama, Kim will portray Park Jin-sung, a hot-blooded young man who is the right-hand guy of the gambler. Eunji will play Moon Hee-sun, an off-the-wall tomboy and a sister of the gambler's first love.
This is the "Boys Over Flowers" star's second time this year to pair up with acclaimed director and writer duo Kim Kyu-tae and Noh Hee-kyong, after working together in jTBC "Padam Padam" (2011-2012).
In the meantime, the 20-year-old songstress made a successful acting debut in tvN "Reply 1997" but this is her first time to play on a major broadcasting channel.
pray4Gaza, pray4MH17, pray4MH370
Song Hye Kyo and Jo In Sung will appear on a TV series in February
SBS's Wednesday-Thursday series That Winter The Wind Blows will air in February, 2013. The series, which is receiving considerable attention by casting Jo In Sung, Song Hye Kyo, Kim Beom, and A pink's Jung Eun Ji, will start shooting to air on SBS in February of next year.
Renowned writer No Hee Kyung and stylish director Kim Kyu Tae will work with the top stars for the series, which is already receiving many offers to sell abroad.
A spokesperson for the production company says, "We finally decided to air the series on SBS. We believe that the best production crew and cast members will make the series superb. It will be such a great melodrama in 2013."
The series is a remake of the Japanese series I Don't Need Love, Summer, which has already had one Korean film remake starring Moon Geun Young and Kim Joo Hyuk in 2006, called I Don't Need Love. The cast members will start shooting the series soon to air on SBS in February, 2013.
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Jo In Sung & Song Hye Gyo Gather for First Script Reading of "Wind Blows in Winter"
The most anticipating SBS drama "Wind Blows in Winter" team has finally started gearing up for production! The pictures were taken during a drama script reading as the leading actors and actresses gather up to follow along the script lines. All the stunning team members were captured in the camera including Jo In Sung, Song Hye Gyo, Kim Bum, Jung Eun Ji, Bae Jong Ok, Kim Tae Woo, Kim Kyu Chul, Seo Hyo Rim and so on.
Overall, the atmosphere of the meeting was happy. All actors were friendly and shared talks with each other.
Accordingly, the two main characters of the drama, Jo In Sung and Song Hye Gyo overwhelmed the rehearsal stage with their charisma. They were just impeccable! As the mood lightened up, all staffs and actors gain confidence and created a team harmony.
"Wind Blows in Winter" is expected to air in Febuary 2013.
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