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Reclaiming Our Freedom to Learn
A primary school in the Zapatista village of Oventic, the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico.
Photo by Aaron Cain.
Years ago, we started to observe in villages and barrios, particularly among indigenous peoples, a radical reaction against education and schools. A few of them closed their schools and expelled their teachers. Most of them avoided this type of political confrontation and started instead to just bypass the school, while reclaiming and regenerating the conditions in which people traditionally learned in their own ways.
The people in the villages know very well that school prevents their children from learning what they need to know to continue living in their communities, contributing to the common well-being and that of their soils, their places. And school does not prepare them for life or work outside the community. In many communities in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico, parents no longer delegate their children's learning to school.
They know by experience what usually happens to those who abandon their communities to get "higher education." They get lost in the cities, in degraded jobs. A recent official study found that only eight percent of graduates of Mexican universities will be able to work in the field they graduated in. Lawyers or engineers are driving taxis or tending stalls. In spite of such awareness, people still hold the illusion that higher education offers something to their children. They don't feel comfortable depriving their children of such an "opportunity."
Life Without Teachers
We once did a thought experiment in which we took a suggestion of author John McKnight—imagining a world without dentists—and applied it to the teaching profession. For a few minutes many apocalyptic descriptions circulated around our table as we imagined a world without teachers or teaching. But then something radically different started to come into our conversation. We imagined a myriad of ways in which the people themselves would create a different kind of life.
One of the most important conclusions of our conversation was the explicit recognition that we learn better when nobody is teaching us. We can observe this in every baby and in our own experience. Our vital competence comes from learning by doing, without any kind of teaching.
Apprenticeships foster traditional skills at Unitierra.
Photo courtesy of www.berkana.org
After the exercise, a very practical question came to the table. We have learned, with the Zapatistas, that while changing the world is very difficult, perhaps impossible, it is possible to create a whole new world. That is exactly what the Zapatistas are doing in the south of Mexico. How can we create our own new world, at our own, small, human scale, in our little corner in Oaxaca? How can we deschool our lives and those of our children in this real world, where the school still dominates minds, hearts and institutions?
The most dramatic lesson we derived from the exercise was to discover what we were really missing in the urban setting: conditions for apprenticeship. When we all request education and institutions where our children and young people can stay and learn, we close our eyes to the tragic social desert in which we live. They have no access to real opportunities to learn in freedom. In many cases, they can no longer learn with parents, uncles, grandparents—just talking to them, listening to their stories or observing them in their daily trade. Everybody is busy, going from one place to another. No one seems to have the patience any more to share with the new generation the wisdom accumulated in a culture. Instead of education, what we really need is conditions for decent living, a community.
Our challenge thus became to find ways to regenerate community in the city, to create a social fabric in which we all, at any age, would be able to learn and in which every kind of apprenticeship might flourish. In doing this radical research, we surprise ourselves, every day, when we discover how easy it can be to create alternatives and how many people are interested in the adventure.
We have learned, with the Zapatistas, that while changing the world is very difficult, perhaps impossible, it is possible to create a whole new world.
So we created our university, Unitierra. Young men and women without any diploma, and better yet no schooling, can come to us. They learn whatever they want to learn—practical trades, like urban agriculture, video production, or social research, or fields of study, like philosophy or communication. They learn the skills of the trade or field of study as apprentices of someone practicing those activities. They also learn how to learn with modern tools and practices not available in their communities.
As soon as the young people arrive at Unitierra, they start to work as apprentices. They discover that they need specific skills to do what they want to do. Most of the time, they get those skills by practicing the trade, with or without their mentors. They may choose to attend specific workshops, to shorten the time needed to get those skills.
A classroom at Unitierra.
Photo courtesy of www.berkana.org
Our "students" have been learning faster than we expected. After a few months they are usually called to return to the living present of their communities to do there what they have learned. They seem to be very useful there. Some of them are combining different lines of learning in a creative way. One of them, for example, combined organic agriculture and soil regeneration (his original interest), with vernacular architecture. He is not offering professional services that allow him to move towards the middle class standard of living by selling services and commodities. He is learning how to share, like peasants, what it means to be a cherished member of his community and commons, as has been done through time immemorial—before the modern rupture.
Discipline and freedom
In Unitierra we are not producing professionals. We have created a convivial place, where we all are enjoying ourselves while learning together. At the same time, both the "students" and their communities soon discover that a stay at Unitierra is not a vacation. True, the students have no classes or projects. In fact, they don't have any kind of formal obligation. There are no compulsory activities. But they have discipline, and rigor, and commitment—with their group (other "students"), with us (participating in all kinds of activities for Unitierra), and with their communities.
Our "students" do not belong to communities. They are their communities. Of course, they can enjoy themselves and have very long nights of pachanga and many fiestas. But they have a responsibility to their communities, that is, to themselves. And hope. That is why they can have discipline, and rigor, and commitment.
Our "students" have the internal and social structure that is a fundamental condition for real freedom. If you don't have them, if you are an individual atom within a mass of a collective, you need someone in charge of the organization. The workers of a union, the members of a political party or church, the citizens of a country—all of them need organizers and external forces to keep them together. In the name of security and order, they sacrifice freedom. Real people, knots in nets of relationships, can remain together by themselves, in freedom.
"True learning," Ivan Illich once said, "can only be the leisurely practice of free people." In the consumer society, he also said, we are either prisoners of addiction or prisoners of envy. Only without addiction or envy, only without educational goals, in freedom, can we enjoy true learning.
In Unitierra we have been fruitfully following a suggestion of Paul Goodman, a friend of, and source of inspiration for, Ivan Illich. Goodman once said: "Suppose you had the revolution you are talking and dreaming about. Suppose your side won, and you had the kind of society you wanted. How would you live, you personally, in that society? Start living that way now! Whatever you would do then, do it now. When you run up against obstacles, people, or things that won't let you live that way, then begin to think about how to get over or around or under that obstacle, or how to push it out of the way, and your politics will be concrete and practical."
We call Unitierra a university to laugh at the official system and to play with its symbols. After one or two years of learning, once their peers think they have enough competence in a specific trade, we give the "students" a magnificent university diploma. We are thus offering them the social recognition denied to them by the educational system. Instead of certifying the number of ass-hours, as conventional diplomas do, we certify a specific competence, immediately appreciated by the communities, and protect our "students" against the usual discrimination. Most of our graduates are surprising us, however, by not asking for any diploma. They don't feel the need for it.
We are also celebrating our wise and our elders with modern symbols. We thus offer diplomas of Unitierra to people who perhaps never attended a school or our university. Their competence is certified by their peers and the community. The idea, again, is to use in our own way, with much merriment and humor, all the symbols of domination. Or rather, as Illich says, to misuse for our own purposes what the state or the market produces.
Our diplomas have no use for those who wish to show off or to ask for a job or any privilege. They are an expression of people's autonomy. As a symbol, they represent the commitment of our "students" to their own communities, not a right to demand anything. Nonetheless, 100 percent of our "graduates" are doing productive work in the area they studied.
But playing with the symbols of the system is not only an expression of humor. It is also a kind of protection. What we are doing is highly subversive. In a sense, we are subverting all the institutions of the modern, economic society. In packaging our activities as one of the most respected sacred cows of modernity—education—we protect our freedom from the attacks of the system.
In my place, every I is a we. And thus we live together, in our living present, rooted in our social and cultural soil, nourishing hopes at a time in which all of us, inspired by the Zapatistas, are creating a whole new world.
|Gustavo Esteva wrote this article as part of Liberate Your Space, the Winter 2008 issue of YES! Magazine. Gustavo is a grassroots activist and deprofessionalized intellectual. Author of many books and essays, former advisor to the Zapatistas, and member of several independent organizations and networks, Mexican and international, he lives in an indigenous village in Oaxaca, in southern Mexico.


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In Egypt's Sinai, military's harsh campaign earns pledges of retaliation
Like a buzzard hovering overhead in pursuit of its prey, the Egyptian military helicopter arrives over the village by 6 a.m., according to the residents of northern Sinai who've been subjected to weeks of government attacks.
As soon as the helicopter is in sight, the men flee the village. They know government ground forces won't be far behind. Some go to the Israeli border, which they consider one of the safest places in the area, the one place they think the Egyptian forces can't wantonly attack, lest they be embarrassed before the eyes of the international community. The women and children hide under their beds, some of the few pieces of furniture in the barren village homes. Then the destruction of the village begins.
Each company of ground troops seems to have its own form of attack. In one village, home after home is riddled with tank rounds. In another, the military flattens the homes. In a third, the military simply ransacks the houses it enters.
This has become the norm in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula as the country's military avenges a string of assassinations and attacks on security forces that Sinai tribesmen launched in the weeks after the overthrow this summer of President Mohammed Morsi, an Islamist who enjoyed great support here.
The military not only attacks suspected insurgents, but it's also taking out its wrath on everyone related to an alleged insurgent. Here in this Bedouin community that means everyone, as kin is never more than a house away.
The tribesmen promise more attacks and warn that every army response earns more support for radical groups with links to al Qaida.
It's a war between opaque groups, the Bedouin tribal community here and the Egyptian military. The prize: not just control of the Sinai but also of the narrative over what's taking place in this long-ostracized, ungoverned part of the country.
Military officials say the attacks are aimed at destroying enemies of the state who've killed 125 members of the security forces and wounded nearly 1,000. They deny that the assaults are anything but carefully and precisely targeted.
"What random?" said Maj. Gen. Sameh Bashady, the director of North Sinai Security, clearly offended at the suggestion that the campaign was sweeping indiscriminately through villages. "We only assault very specific targets and that is why it is very difficult, because everything is very close to one another. We only assault specific targets without harming any innocent, and it is based on very accurate information."
Ahmed Shaaban, a military spokesman, said every home targeted had tunnels, terrorists or weapons.
"If we were using excessive force, we would have finished the operations in 24 hours," Shaaban told McClatchy.
As the military is the most revered and last remaining nationalist institution in this deeply polarized nation, many are eager to embrace its version of events.
"I think the military showed great restraint for 50 days during their attacks. I am not with destroying any house in the world. But I am also not an intel man who can say what that man did," said Sheikh Abdel Hadi al Tayek, a tribal leader here who supports the military effort. "I have two choices: Criticize the army and teach my son to hate the army . . . or be on the side of my army."
Other residents insist there are innocent victims. Both versions are correct – and yet deeply misleading.
The military is keen to present its view: that it's defending the nation from a terrorist haven. Foreign journalists are largely prohibited from traveling to the area – soldiers at checkpoints check IDs to see whether journalists are among travelers – and local journalists can face criminal charges. That's what happened to Ahmed Abu-Draa, who was sentenced Saturday to a six-month suspended sentence on charges of publishing false information about the military and entering a military zone. His crime stemmed from news stories that contradicted the military's version of what took place in his home village. His family homes were among those struck in the offensive.
McClatchy managed to bypass the checkpoints on a recent visit to Sinai. What it found was a tit-for-tat battle that's destroyed many of the area's communities.
In the village of al Moquataa, Umm Alaa – she declined to allow her full name to be published – and her family heard the helicopters overhead early Sept. 8.
In their barren concrete home, built by the government five years ago for $4,285, everyone took his own form of cover. Her husband, who asked to be referred to only as Silmy, took their two young children and fled toward the Israeli border. His mother refused to leave, thinking that the troops would never hurt an elderly woman.
As the sound of exploding tank rounds grew closer at around 12:30 p.m., Umm Alaa and her mother-in-law began running toward the back room. Umm Alaa said her mother-in-law had just wrapped an arm around her when a tank round ripped through the left side of her head.
"I knew she was gone when she fell on the ground," Umm Alaa said.
Umm Alaa ran to the bedroom to hide. "They were all randomly shooting," she said. Five minutes later, the military entered the house. "I heard one of them say an old woman had been killed."
After they left, Umm Alaa came out to sleep on the floor next to her dead mother-in-law. Silmy returned at 9 a.m. the next day. A month later, the holes from the onslaught were still there, including the one from the round that entered through one side of the house, struck Silmy's mother, then exited the other side.
The neighboring houses show similar damage from the assault.
Sheikh Ibrahim el-Manei, the head of the Sinai tribal coalition, lives in neighboring el Mehehdayia. He once met with Morsi and Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during the Morsi presidency, when there were attempts at reconciliation. These days, he keeps track of civilian deaths in northern Sinai, as residents said hospitals feared recording deaths by the military.
By his count, 52 civilians were killed from June 30, the start of Morsi's ouster, through Sept. 30, while the military said there had been zero. Of those, 45 were shot and seven died when their houses were destroyed; six were children and three were women, el-Manei said.
As word spread of Silmy's mother's death, el-Manei appeared on Al Jazeera, a TV channel that purportedly supported Morsi, at least six times via phone interviews and condemned the killing of the old woman.
Three weeks later, the military had leveled his three homes, he said, "all because I spoke on Al Jazeera." His relatives' homes nearby also were leveled.
But the story isn't as simple as el-Manei described it. He's a distant relative of Shadi el-Manei, or, as he's known here, Prince Shadi. Just 25 years old, Prince Shadi is a founding member of Ansar Bayt al Maqdis, one of the most powerful terrorist groups in the northern Sinai. Founded in 2010 originally to target Israel, Ansar Bayt al Maqdis is an al Qaida affiliate that's claimed a variety of attacks on Israeli targets, including rockets fired in August that forced the airport at Eilat, an Israeli tourist destination, to close.
Israel has responded in kind, winning Egyptian military approval for an August drone strike that narrowly missed its intended target. Prince Shadi slipped away minutes before the drone struck, according to his brother, Haitham el-Manei, 20, whose home was destroyed by the Egyptian military in September.
Since the military toppled Morsi in July, Ansar Bayt al Maqdis has taken aim at the new government. In September, it attempted to assassinate the minister of interior, Mohammed Ibrahim, as his motorcade drove along a Cairo street. It may have had a role in the car bombing Monday of security force headquarters in al Tour, which killed three police officers.
Haitham el-Manei said the group had shifted its focus to attacking the government after police violently broke up a weeks-long Cairo sit-in by Morsi supporters this summer. Hundreds of sympathizers of the Muslim Brotherhood died in that assault.
"Why did they destroy my house? Because I am the brother of Shadi," Haitham said, adding that 30 family members' homes have been destroyed so far. "But with every attack, the number increases" – meaning the number of people in Ansar Bayt al Maqdis.
The tribesmen here were especially dismayed by Morsi's ouster. After decades of openly hostile rule from Cairo, Morsi had won 80 percent of the vote here in the 2012 election. Under Morsi, checkpoints were dismantled and people felt freer. Even when the army rounded up hundreds of Sinai residents in the wake of the August 2012 killing of 16 soldiers, the crackdown wasn't as harsh as residents had expected. They could still smuggle and operate tunnels, the best form of income in this impoverished area.
Then came the ouster.
"They removed my president. How am I not upset?" Haitham el-Manei said.
Checkpoints returned; smuggling tunnels were destroyed. Tribesmen responded with attacks on security forces.
Then, on Sept. 8, the helicopters and ground troops appeared and the destruction of entire villages began.
Now residents quietly hint that they're plotting their counterattack. There's a furtive campaign to acquire weapons from places such as Sudan and Libya, in an area where every house already is heavily armed.
Even those who had no apparent affiliation with groups such as Ansar Bayt al Maqdis now openly support their efforts to reinstate Morsi.
"God willing, Morsi will be back," Silmy said, looking over what the tank rounds did to his home. "Every time I hear gunshots, I think of my mother."
Ismail is a McClatchy special correspondent. Special correspondents Mohammed Sabry in Sinai and Mel Frykberg in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

subset: commoncrawl


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From Edgar Award finalist Anne Holt comes the captivating third book in the series featuring the brilliant and tough police inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen, who must investigate the grisly murder of an orphanage director.
In an orphanage outside Oslo, a twelve-year-old boy is causing havoc. The institution's aging director, Agnes Vestavik, sees something chilling in Olav's eyes: sheer hatred. When Vestavik is found murdered, stabbed in the neck with a kitchen knife—with Olav nowhere to be found—the case goes to maverick investigator Hanne Wilhelmsen, recently promoted to superintendent in the Oslo police. Hanne suspects that Olav witnessed the murder and fled, and she orders an investigation of the orphanage staff. But Hanne is hopeless at delegating and sharing responsibilities. Only Hanne's supreme deductive skills keep her on the job, but this is one case where her instincts are leading her astray.
Meanwhile, Olav makes his way to his once unfit mother's apartment in central Oslo. When police finally catch up to him, Olav will lead them on a chase that will upend all of their assumptions. A dark and captivating new chapter in this brilliant, rollicking series, Death of the Demon examines that murky intersection between crime and justice.


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Help us continue to present enchanting performances and make dreams come true on stage.
Your contribution to Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet is vital and allows us to present the highest standard of excellence in dance in Manitoba, across Canada and around the world. By supporting Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet, you are helping to inspire and enable talented students to achieve their goals as professional dancers and teachers.
Ticket sales only account for 40% of the cost of mounting performances by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. By supporting the creative and magical spirit of ballet of a world-class calibre, you become part of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet family, sharing a dream that brings our dancers to the stage.
Every gift is appreciated!
For more information on supporting the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, please contact:
Development Department
Phone: 204.957.3495
Download our donation form and mail it to the following address:
Development Department
380 Graham Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3C 4K2
Or fax it to 204.943.1994
Individual Giving
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Your support is crucial in maintaining the dramatic beauty and elegance that our audiences applaud each season.Read More
Corporate Partnerships
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Corporate investment opportunities enable you to partner with RWB in creating, presenting and teaching outstanding dance.Read More
David Moroni School Endowment
David Moroni School EndowmentRead More


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These are all the News & Announcements posted in February, 2010.
Thursday, 25
Permanent Lists in e-Library
If you have used the e-Library catalog in the past few days you have probably noticed that things look a little different. This is because we recently upgraded our software and installed some new features.
One of the most exciting and most requested new features is called Permanent Lists. Permanent Lists allows you to save a list of library items that you would like to come back to later without putting those items on hold. Visit the e-Library help to learn more about Permanent Lists. Remember, you must be logged into your account to use any of the Permanent List features.
Posted By Logan Library at 1:29 PM / Category:e-Library
Tuesday, 16
Staff Reading Pick
Here is another reading pick from the Logan Library Staff.
Book: Darkness Over Denmark by Ellen Levine
Recommended by: Barbara, Library Technical Assistant
This is the wonderful story of the people of Denmark who during one night helped rescue more than 1,000 Jews by ferrying them to neutral Sweden. Almost all of the 8,000 Jews living in Denmark survived because of the bravery of the Danes. It is good to know that some stood up when they were needed. Instead of watching, they chose to act.
Want more reading suggestions? View previous staff picks.
Posted By Logan Library at 11:18 AM / Category:Staff Picks
Thursday, 11
Library Closed and Software Upgrades on Presidents Day
The library will be closed on Monday February 15 for Presidents Day. We will also be upgrading our software on this day. Due to the upgrades, our website and the library catalog may be unavailable for part of the day on Monday. We will try to get everything back up and running as quickly as possible. Enjoy your holiday!
Posted By Logan Library at 6:04 PM / Category:Library Closed
The Latest News!
Oct 16, 2018
» Community Book Discussion Oct 10, 2018
» The Dead Awaken Oct 5, 2018
» Library Closed Columbus Day


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<b>SPECIAL REPORT: The Next Steps for Security | </b> DHS pilot helps agencies monitor network intrusions.
Source: Jerry Dixon, National Cyber Security Division, Homeland Security Department
"If I'm the Chinese trying to take over the State Department's computers, I don't use thousands of bots ... I use one or two." Alan Paller, SANS Institute
Henrik G. de Gyor
These 'soldiers' are bots'computers that have been taken over by worms, Trojans or other malware, knit together into vast networks and directed by bot-herders, the creators and controllers of these networks, to spew out spam and other useless or damaging content.
Government computers, too, are being corrupted and used as parts of a botnet, but the real threat is more insidious.
Hackers, particularly nation states, are using stealth botnets'they might be termed spearbots'to steal information from federal systems, experts say. This is different from the typical, wide-ranging cyberattack which looks for any hole in the defense.
'Botnets are going to be much more stealthy [in government computers] because of what they're trying to get,' said Buck French, CEO of Securify Inc., a security monitoring and control company based in Cupertino, Calif. 'They're not trying to get compute power, they're trying to steal sensitive data. ... They'll have a stealthy, light footprint, because with all the effort it takes to get it there, they don't want it detected.'
Alan Paller, research director of the SANS Institute in Bethesda, Md., said, 'If I'm the Chinese trying to take over the State Department's computers, I don't use thousands of bots, because it won't do any good. I use one or two. ... It's a targeted attack; that's what's been happening in the past year.'
BothuntersResearchers are looking for ways to detect the existence of a bot after it has gotten onto a computer, Paller said.
'That's the Manhattan Project [of security research], the biggest, hardest project, to get technology to help you find these things,' he said. 'They're also working on 'fingerprinting' all files, so they can tell whether the files on a machine match the fingerprints of questionable software. Both approaches have the same goal, to find the bad stuff. One is more computer behavior-based, the other is looking at the software itself.'
Government systems are safer than private-sector computers because many, if not most, botherders design their malware to avoid government computers, said Richard Barger, senior principal consultant in the federal consulting services division at Symantec Corp. of Cupertino, Calif.
'Traditionally, botnets are a low threat to [Defense Department] networks because they're loud,' creating high-profile traffic, Barger said. 'When we do reverse code engineering, we see they actually stay away from .mil or .gov e-mail addresses.'
There are good reasons for bot-herders to stay away from government systems, French said.
'There are easier systems to put bots on than government systems,' he said. 'They're more likely to go after universities [and] home systems ... than federal systems, where it might be a federal felony.'
Still, the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team in the Homeland Security Department sees an increased number of incidents in the private and public sectors (see chart, below).
And because of the growth of these threats, DHS has been running a pilot program to detect bots trying to remove information from government systems, said Jerry Dixon, director of DHS' National Cyber Security Division.
The Einstein Program, as it's called, is a combination of government and commercial software and hardware, Dixon said. It sits outside the firewall so it sees everything interacting through the Internet with federal systems. It does not look at the payload, he said.
'We did an 18-month [privacy impact assessment] to ensure we were not looking at any private information,' Dixon said. 'We look at the network address and source destination, so we know where the traffic is going to and from. If we see traffic going to a command-and-control computer, we know there might be a problem.'
If there is a problem, DHS notifies the IP provider and asks them to take it offline.
If the botherder is outside the United States, DHS works with partners in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea and India to shut it down, Dixon said. If the source is in a nation the U.S. doesn't have good relations with, Dixon said, 'We rely on Korea-CERT and India-CERT to work with countries like North Korea or China or others that they might have better ties to.'
Using Einstein, seven departments currently monitor outbound Internet traffic, Dixon said. When U.S.-CERT becomes aware of botnet activities, the organization can use Einstein to notify agencies, which then investigate to see if they have a problem. If so, NCSD will evaluate whether it's a new vulnerability or a new type of bot.
Spread the WordIf it is a new vulnerability, NCSD tries to validate it and works with vendors to get antivirus software or firewalls fixed. But if it's a new kind of bot, 'we write up a paper and send it out to all agencies through the [Government Forum of Incident Responders and Security Teams] network,' Dixon said. 'We give them a heads-up about the virus and new definitions coming, and remind them to check gateway logs for command-and-control channels.'
Einstein has shown real value, he said, and NCSD is now moving it out of the pilot phase.
'We had to get Einstein certified and accredited,' he said. 'We have quite a few agencies lined up to deploy the program.'
Dixon added that defending against botnets is like playing a game of whack-a-mole because 'they are so prevalent,' and they keep popping up everywhere you look. 'It comes back down to machines being vulnerable and not being properly protected.'
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text:
St. Joseph's - 83, Farmingdale State - 72
Farmingdale, N.Y. - Farmingdale State fell 83-72 to visiting St. Joseph's tonight in Skyline Conference men's basketball action in Farmingdale, N.Y. The Rams fall to 8-4, 4-1 with the loss, while the Golden Eagles improved to 10-3 overall and remain undefeated in the conference at 7-0.
In the first half, the Rams led by as much as 12 before St. Joe's went on a 19-5 run and took the lead on a three-pointer by senior guard Chris Jimenez (Huntington Station, N.Y.) to make it 30-28 with 6:27 remaining before the break. A dunk by junior forward AJ Matthews (Brooklyn, N.Y.) would end the Golden Eagles run and tied the game at 30-30.
St. Joe's responded on the next possession to take the lead 32-30 and Matthews followed with a layup to tie the score for the second time of the night, 32-32.
Rams junior guard Ryan Davis (Flushing, N.Y.) forced a turnover the next trip down the court which would allow Matthews to come in for another dunk to give his team back the lead at 34-32. St. Joe's made three straight baskets from long range and would hold a 49-43 advantage at the break.
Leading scorers at the break were Farmingdale's Matthews with 16 points and nine boards and Golden Eagles' senior guard Olivier Laurent (Amityville, N.Y.) with 19 points.
In the second, Farmingdale slowly chipped away and would tie the score on a three-pointer from senior guard Dyshaun Flournoy (Brentwood, N.Y.), 56-56, with 16:10 to play. The Golden Eagles used a 6-0 run to take back the lead, 62-56 and the closest the Rams would get was two points the rest of the way.
Matthews finished with a game-high 28 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 13-of-17 from the field. Flournoy had 15 points, while Davis grabbed 10 rebounds and scored seven points.
St. Joe's made 12 three-pointers on the night and was led by Laurent had team-highs of 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Senior forward Steven Velazquez (Hauppauge, N.Y.) had 19 points, 5-of-8 from three-point territory.
The Rams will now host Sage in another conference game on Saturday, January 14th at 3:00 p.m.


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Bulletin HASKINS & SELLS 15
Book Review
The Correspondence Course in Accountancy
Offered by The Syracuse Extension
Institute of Accountancy, Inc. Volumes 1
and 2. (Syracuse, New York, 1922.)
This course comprises some fifty lessons,
beginning with the most elementary consideration
of bookkeeping and proceeding
to such advanced studies as cost accounting,
auditing and the technique of financial
and statistical reports. The text, which is
contained in three volumes (the last of
which is still in preparation) has been
written by John A. Powelson, A. B.,
Throughout the text and the auxiliary
material there is evidence of the most
thoughtful and painstaking effort to make
the course thoroughly practical. The
course is logically arranged and is well
calculated to give the student an excellent
general knowledge of accountancy. The
text is well written and is to be commended
for its lucidity. A fairly thorough review
reveals no cause for criticism of the
accounting principles and practices taught.
A very interesting and valuable feature
of the course is a series of ten booklets on
"How to Study at Home," written by
Professor Mark May, psychologist. These
cover such topics as Planning the Campaign,
Study Habits, Concentration,
Learning and Memorizing, and Mental
Fatigue. It is well recognized by those
who are familiar with correspondence
courses generally that a large number,
perhaps the majority, of those who undertake
the work fall by the wayside, largely
through the lack of mental stimulus.
These booklets, which are supplemented in
a practical way by the introductions to
lessons 1 to 18 (Volume 1) showing how to
study each lesson, should have a salutary
effect in sustaining the interest of the
student and in helping him to study in such
a manner as to make the course really
To summarize, one is impressed with the
practicality of the course, as regards both
subject matter and presentation.


text:
Q&A with Junior Brian Donohoe
Related Links
Water Polo is
something of a family affair for UC San Diego junior Brian Donohoe. His older
sister, Mary Pat played four years of high school and club polo before
attending UCSD, brother, Steve, was an All-American at UCSD and his sister,
Emily, is starting her freshman season at UCLA. After scoring 55 goals in his
first two seasons as a Triton, the 6-footer from Upland, CA has already
produced 11 scores in 2011 as 12th-ranked UCSD has raced out to a 7-1 early
season record. On the heels of an exciting, 16-15, victory over Navy and with
conference rival Loyola Marymount poised to visit La Jolla on Thursday, Donohoe
took time to talk about the
progress of this year's team, his own play and the sport of water polo.
Q-Eight games into
the season, how do you feel you're playing as an individual and a team?
DONOHOE-So far I
think the team has been playing extremely well this season. We've had some huge
character tests already, including comeback wins against Claremont two weekends
ago and a huge win against Navy last Friday night. Guys like Graham Saber and
Dave Morton have really stepped up to lead us to our 7-1 record so far.
As for myself, it's been a bit of an adjustment transitioning to a different role on the team this year as more of a perimeter attacking presence than I experienced last season, but I think as we play more and more games, I'll become a lot more comfortable in that role.
Q-Even when you have a strong core of returning players like you do this year, is there a sort of "team learning curve" every season?
DONOHOE-There's absolutely a learning curve that comes with the start of any new season, and this year is no different. We lost a lot of really strong leadership last year in guys like Ryan Allred, Kuba Bednarek and Bryce Madsen, but it's clear that there are already a lot of older guys that have been willing to step into that role this season. This year is also a lot different in that we've been working a number of true freshmen into the starting rotation, meaning that we've all had to adjust to each other's playing styles in the short time we've been together.
Q-How has this year's team handled the development of that chemistry? What do you think are some of the elements that led to the team coming together?
DONOHOE-So far, I
think everyone on the team has done a great job of developing the chemistry
that's going to be so important to our success as the season continues. I think
that this trend has been most apparent in the way in which we've been able to
perform in late game situations up to this point, especially during the big win
against Navy. Our ability to maintain composure in those situations is really
indicative of the trust and confidence we all have in each other.
The biggest element that has contributed to this chemistry so far is definitely the experiences we shared during hell week. The mental and physical challenges associated with that stretch of the preseason is something that sets us apart from other people and brings us closer together as teammates.
Q-Looking back at your two previous years in the program, from a "playing style" standpoint, how would you say this year's squad is different from its predecessors?
DONOHOE-As I mentioned earlier, we've got an unusually high number of younger guys getting big minutes for us so far this season, and I think that it's this youth that sets our team apart from any other that I've played on up to this point. It's required a lot of the older guys, including myself, to adjust to new roles in the pool, and to really step up and assume a great deal of leadership and responsibility as the new guys become more comfortable at this level of play.
Q-Can you talk more about how you feel your role has changed?
DONOHOE-It's weird to think about, but entering my third season at UCSD, I'm now one of the more experienced players in the program. Accordingly, I've had to step into a role of greater leadership and responsibility in the pool, especially considering the number of younger guys on the team. It's been a bit of a challenge, as I now realize that much of what I do both in practice and in games has an effect on the development of many of those younger guys.
Q-During your freshman season, you played with your brother, Steve, who was a senior star on that 2009 club. What was that experience like?
DONOHOE-Honestly, it was one of the coolest things I've ever been a part of. It was the first time in my life that Steve and I were able to play on the same team, and one of the biggest reasons that I chose to attend UCSD in the first place. It'll definitely be something that we can always look back on later in life.
Q-How did things change for you when he graduated?
DONOHOE-After he
graduated, I definitely felt like it was my time to step up and assume a bigger
role in the program. He was able to teach me a great deal during the season we
played together, and I just hope that I'll be able to use all of that to set my
own name in UCSD water polo history.
Q-Would you have liked your younger sister to have come to UCSD?
DONOHOE-Although I would have loved to have been able to spend a couple of years with my little sister at UCSD, I can't say that I'm disappointed that she chose to attend UCLA to play water polo. If anything, I'm simply proud of the fact that she's been successful enough in her water polo career to have earned the opportunity to become a scholarship athlete at one of the most storied athletic programs in the nation. She's worked extremely hard and sacrificed a lot in order to become as talented a player as she is, and I'll do nothing but support her for the next four years that she's a part of the program.
Q-Individually, what one thing do you hope to do better this year?
DONOHOE-I came into this season hoping to become a more well-rounded player than I have been in the past. There were parts of my game last season that definitely showed some weaknesses, and I was really intent on developing a more sustained counter-attack presence than I've had in the past, as this is an area that our program traditionally prides itself on excelling in. I think that I've also been able to assume a more dominant role on the defensive side of the ball this year, which was also an area I hoped to improve on.
Q-The team got some international experience this summer with a trip to Croatia. What were some of the highlights of that trip and do you think it will benefit the team this fall?
DONOHOE-The Croatia trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It allowed us to experience some of the greatest competition in the world, and adjust to a much more physical European style of play. We also owe a lot to Russ Hafferkamp, a friend of head coach Denny Harper, who made the trip with us, working with our two-meter men and giving us a great deal of perspective from one of the most experienced and decorated players in the history of American water polo. The trip has already paid dividends in terms of team chemistry, and has led to an overall increase in the level of play of our team.
Q-How and why did you get started playing water polo? What aspects of the sport keep you playing?
DONOHOE-I've always had a huge background in the aquatic world, as I started swimming competitively at about the age of four. However, for the first 12 years of my life, I was fully committed to soccer. But my older brother and sister began playing water polo when they got to high school, and it was enough to convince me to give up soccer and start playing polo when I was in sixth grade. It's been my life ever since.
Q-For those unfamiliar, what sport or sports are most comparable to water polo and why?
DONOHOE-I always tell people that water polo is a combination of the elements of a few different sports, especially soccer and basketball. The general layout of the course is most comparable to that of soccer, with two goals being guarded by goalies, and six field players on each side attacking the opposing goal. However, the structure of the game is very similar to that of basketball, in terms of offensive and defensive strategies and the fact that every field player must participate in both offensive and defensive sets.
Q-If you could change one rule in your sport, what would it be?
DONOHOE-There were a number of proposed rule changes during the offseason, one of which involved altering the scoring structure of the game to mirror that of basketball, with longer goals accounting for three points, while shorter goals would account for two. I think that this could potentially increase the excitement of the game and hopefully garner more interest among the general population.
Q-Your coach, Denny Harper, has been the head man at UC San Diego for more than 30 years. How is he able to relate to the players? What is the best and toughest thing about playing for Coach Harper?
DONOHOE-I believe that the greatest advantage his experience has given him is, in fact, his ability to relate to his players. As he tells us all the time, there's very little that he hasn't seen or heard from at least one of his former players. As a result, I think that he's able to get the most out of the players that enter his program. I believe coaching is all about the ability to maximize a player's talent given that player's overall potential, and I don't think there's anybody in the business that's better at it than Denny.
Q-You've listed reading as one way you spend your spare time. What are a few of your all-time favorite books and what recent works would you recommend?
DONOHOE- Not to sound too nerdy, but I'm definitely a big fan of the fantasy genre, and so some of my all-time favorite books would include the Lord of the Rings trilogy and all of the Harry Potter books. Right now I'm in the middle of a really good series called the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, so if you're ever in the mood for some fantasy than I definitely recommend them.
Q-Outside of water polo, what are your favorite sports to play? Watch?
DONOHOE-I'm definitely a big fan of both basketball and football. Those are two of the sports that I enjoyed playing most growing up, and continue to be the two sports that I watch most avidly now. A lot of my family is from the Midwest, where football reigns supreme, so that had a lot of effect on my interest in the sport at a young age. And growing up in the greater Los Angeles area, almost everyone is a Lakers fan, and I'm no different.
Q-Where are you at academically and what do you hope to do in the future?
DONOHOE-I recently switched my major to History, but I still hope to attend medical school at the end of my undergraduate studies. Therefore, I still have to take a ton of science classes in order to fulfill the med school requirements, so the history classes give me a bit of a break from the monotony of repeated science courses. I also hope that the combination of history and science will diversify my resume when I apply to med school, and give me a better chance of being accepted to those schools.
Q-Is Canyonview the best home venue in collegiate water polo?
DONOHOE-No doubt about it. And not only is Canyonview the best venue in collegiate water polo, but our fans are the best in the sport too. The support we consistently get at our home games is nothing short of incredible, and gives us a huge advantage over visiting schools when we play. I truly believe that other teams fear coming to UCSD to play games, knowing how intense our fan base is.
Q-This week, conference rival Loyola Marymount comes to Canyonview. What do you expect out of that game and how do you think it will affect the remainder of the season?DONOHOE-Home opener is one of the things that I look forward to most every year, and the fact that it's against LMU this season only makes it that much more exciting. Our rivalry with LMU is one of the biggest in the water polo world, and both teams will be fired up and ready to play their best. There's no doubt in my mind that we are capable of winning this game, and I think that if we have a good start and execute our sets then we will put ourselves in a great position to win at the end of the game. The outcome will have a huge effect on the momentum that we hope to carry into the rest of the season, and will be a huge step forward in our journey to ultimately win a WWPA conference championship.
Previous Q & A Articles
Roxanne Brunsting (Women's Volleyball) August 19, 2011
Jon Pascale (Men's Soccer) August 4, 2011
Vincent Nguyen (Tennis) July 1, 2011
Patti Gerckens (Softball) May 26, 2011
Blake Tagmyer (Baseball) May 11, 2011
Theresa Richards (Women's Track & Field) April 27, 2011
Austin West (Men's Tennis) April 17, 2011
Drew Lawyer (Men's Crew) April 11, 2011
Keith Okasaki (Men's Golf) March 26, 2011
Matt Herman (Men's Swimming & Diving) March 12, 2011
Hanalei Crowell (Women's Water Polo) March 5, 2011
Camille Gaito (Softball) February 23, 2011
Tim Shibuya (Baseball) February 8, 2011
Carl Eberts (Men's Volleyball) January 31, 2011
Neda Nguyen (Women's Swimming & Diving) January 24, 2011
Amy Bianchini (Fencing) January 14, 2011
Lauren Freidenberg (Women's Basketball) January 3, 2011
Christian Hatch (Men's Basketball) December 24, 2010
Blake Langland (Men's Swimming & Diving) November 27, 2010
Sarah McTigue (Women's Soccer) November 8, 2010
Brandon Yee (Men's Soccer) October 11, 2010
Bryce Madsen (Men's Water Polo) September 23, 2010
Annette Ilg (Women's Soccer) September 9, 2010
Ricci Luyties (Women's Volleyball Head Coach) August 24, 2010
Kevin Messey (Head Athletics Trainer) July 7, 2010
Dan O'Brien (Baseball Head Coach) June 18, 2010
Christine Merrill (Women's Track & Field) June 14, 2010
Vance Albitz (Baseball) May 11, 2010
Erik Elliott (Men's Tennis) May 3, 2010
Kelly Fogarty (Women's Track & Field) April 23, 2010
Liz LaPlante (Women's Tennis Head Coach) April 15, 2010
Kirby St. John (Baseball) March 24, 2010
Dan Perdew (Men's Swimming) February 28, 2010
Calvin Ross (Men's Volleyball) February 20, 2010
Nicole Saari (Softball) February 4, 2010
Brad Kreutzkamp (Women's Water Polo Head Coach) January 18, 2010
Tyler Acevedo (Men's Basketball) January 4, 2010
Dr. Cliff Kubiak (UCSD's Faculty Athletic Rep) December 18, 2009
Chelsea Carlisle (Women's Basketball) December 9, 2009
Carianne Cunningham (Women's Swimming) November 23, 2009
Elena Inouye (Cross Country) November 6, 2009
David Morton (Men's Water Polo) October 28, 2009
Juan Pablo Carillo (Men's Swimming) October 19, 2009
Sara Spaventa (Women's Soccer) October 10, 2009
Karen Reis (Women's Volleyball) October 2, 2009
Daniel Pavitt (Men's Soccer) September 23, 2009
Daniel Anderson (Cross Country) September 11, 2009
Peter Gresham (Men's Water Polo) September 2, 2009
Alexia Zatarain (Women's Soccer) August 24, 2009
Elaine Chen (Women's Volleyball) August 12, 2009
Jared Kukura (Men's Soccer) July 30, 2009
Dawn Lee (Former Women's Soccer Standout) July 8, 2009
Rob Mamula (Director of Athletic Performance) June 18, 2009
Garrett Imeson (Baseball) June 8, 2009
Leon Baham (Men's Track & Field) May 21, 2009
Kristyn Lesovsky (Softball) May 8, 2009
Kazumi Negishi (Men's Tennis) May 5, 2009
Laiah Blue (Women's Track & Field) April 16, 2009
Ryan Andre (Men's Crew) April 2, 2009
Josh Tanner (Baseball) March 24, 2009
Anju Shimura (Women's Swimming) March 7, 2009
Stephanie Bocian (Women's Water Polo) February 20, 2009
Lauren Chastain (Softball) February 5, 2009
A.J. Maulhardt (Men's Basketball) January 28, 2009
Annette Ilg (Women's Basketball) January 22, 2009
Steven Hardy (Men's Swimming) January 13, 2009
Frank Fritsch (Men's Volleyball) January 5, 2009


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Cruise Holidays of Austin
(512) 419-7327
Home > Hotels & Resorts Packages
Cruising is a fantastic way to vacation but may not be right for you every single year. That's why we have developed the expertise to plan fantastic "land based" vacations for our clients.
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Travel to resorts around the world through our partners including Funjet and Pleasant Holidays.
Call your travel expert at (512) 419-7327 to start planning your NEXT resort vacation today.


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5pcs Large Soft Makeup Brushes Set Powder Foundation Eyeshadow Concealer Eyeliner Lip Brush Cosmetic Tool Rose Gold Color Handle
♥You are more beautiful when you are true to yourself. No one, none in this world, can replace the beauty you already poses. ♥
Item Type: Makeup Brush
Material: Nylon Hair,Synthetic Fibre
Quantity: 5pcs
Size: gold color
Handle Material: Plastic
Brush Material: Nylon,Synthetic Hair
Used With: Sets & Kits
Model Number: brush set
Returns Policy
You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. ** You must contact us within 7 days of receiving your item! ** We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). Buyer is responsible for all return fees otherwise. Shipping fees will not be included in your refunds.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the 'Complete Orders' link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.
When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.


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'Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.
So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish.' Job 8:11–13
Suggested Further Reading: Matthew 12:22–29; 43–45
You have cleansed the house, you have swept it, you have decorated it, and the evil spirit is gone; but if the Holy Spirit has not driven him out, if this has not been a work of power on the part of God, that evil spirit will come back, and he will take unto himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they shall enter in and dwell there, and your last end will be worse than the first. Better not to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to be turned back again. I believe in the doctrine of the final perseverance of every true child of God; but there are in all our churches certain spurious pretenders who will not hold on their way, who will blaze and sparkle for a season, and then they will go out in darkness. They are 'wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.'
Far better to make no pretension of having come to Christ, and of having been born again, unless through divine grace you shall hold fast until the end.
Remember the back door to hell. There is a public entrance for the open sinner; but there is a back door for the professed saint; there is a back door for the hoary-headed professor, who has lived many years in apparent sincerity, but who has been a liar before God. There is a back door for the preacher who can talk fast and loudly, but who does not in his own heart know the truth he is preaching: there is a back door to hell for church members, who are amiable and excellent in many respects, but who have not really looked unto the Lord Jesus Christ and found true salvation in him.
For meditation: Sometimes those pretending to be Christians are exposed by their present behaviour (1 John 3:10) or by steps they take later (1 John 2:19); at other times the pretence can be maintained (Matthew 7:21–23). But God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7); he knows who his people are (2 Timothy 2:19).
Sermon no. 651 / 24 September (1865) — Charles Spurgeon
– Bible Gateway.Com


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8 Pin Oak Street
Old Town, Bluffton
843-757-8111 • www.redstripessc.com
Monday through Thursday
11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday
11 a.m. to 12 a.m.
On the menu: Menu items include soup, salads, conch fritters, deviled crab and plantain nachos appetizers; jerk chicken and pork, fish and curried dishes (curried chicken, shrimp and goat), oxtails and conch stew; vegan dishes; food for kids such as fries, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers and pasta; homemade desserts. Full-service bar, including specialty Caribbean-style drinks.
Food: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Ambiance: 4.5 stars
Cleanliness: 5 stars
Cost: $ to $$
Dress: Casual
Kid friendly: Yes
Reservations: Not required
You really owe it to yourself to give Old Town Bluffton's Red Stripes Caribbean Cuisine & Lounge, owned by husband and wife team Ezron and Lakesha Daley, a try. With as broad and welcoming a smile as you'd expect from the owner of an upbeat Caribbean restaurant and lounge, Lakesha is the front-of-the-house force that segues from the bar/lounge section to the dining room serving up menus, drinks and plenty of information on what's on the bill of fare, what it contains and how it's cooked.
Despite Lakesha's recommending Red Stripes' curried goat (more on the goat later), we opted for curry shrimp and the night's chicken special for the main meal, as well as plantain nachos and conch (pronounced 'konk') fritters for appetizers.
After close to a 20-minute wait after ordering, the appetizers emerged from the kitchen. There were fried oblong pieces of fresh plantains (plantains are like bananas, only more firm and less sweet) as a base for nicely grilled strips of onion and red and green sweet bell peppers - for the nachos - and two large deep-fried conch fritters, accompanied by a remoulade-like dipping sauce. Blanketed in melted cheddar cheese, the addition of well-seasoned jerk chicken (an option, along with pork or shrimp) to the nachos was zesty and substantially satisfying and well worth the wait. Had I not chose to share them with my dinner companion, I think I could have made a meal on the nachos alone.
The conch fritters, on the other hand, are another story and most of what we ordered was left uneaten. If you have relished conch (marine snails) fritters in the Bahamas, for instance, where they are appreciated as one of the most popular delicacies in all of the Caribbean, you already know how truly delectable they are if the batter used to make them is light and airy in contrast to the chewy (clam-like) texture of the conch. The conch fritters set before us were overly large and over-fried, with dough and conch that were too tough and spongy to be truly enjoyed. Not wishing to belabor the point, I'm going to chalk the fritters up to a bad night and give them another try soon.
Sometime later, came the main courses. Steaming hot, fragrant and lush with spices, the shrimp made with yellow curry were succulent and splendidly robust. They were lovely served with coconut-flavored rice and peas, and collards, chosen from among the restaurant's list of other sides, which included, mac and cheese, fries, plantains, green beans and steamed cabbage. (I wanted to try the mac and cheese, but they were all out.) The only negative with this dish was the barely lukewarm temperature of the rice and peas, which somewhat frustrated the rice's flavor and aroma from being fully realized. Seasoned with thyme, garlic, "all-purpose" chicken flavoring, salt and pepper, three pieces of spice-marinated, battered and deep-fried chicken (served with a sweet and sour sauce) comprised the chicken special, which came with the coconut rice and a side of cabbage slaw dressed with no more than a splash of vinegar. The chicken was extremely moist and packed with exciting flavor, but, again, the rice and peas were not hot, and if you prefer your coleslaw creamy, this coleslaw is not for you.
For dessert, two homemade offerings were available - a rich sweet potato bread pudding, vibrant in color, texture and the flavors of the season, as well as a bronze-colored "pudding," dense enough to be served in slices and made with ingredients like white sweet potatoes, brown sugar, coconut milk, nutmeg and rum. As I was finishing dessert, the table next to ours was brought an order for curried goat. (It didn't look like what I expected - heck, I don't even know what I expected. I never ate goat before.) It smelled so good, in fact, that I decided I had try it and went back the next day to get an order of goat to go, thinking some things done for the first time just had to be done in private.) So, here I was - me and the goat, at home, at dining room table - my first opportunity ever to sample what statics say is the "most widely consumed meat in the world" - and it was delicious. Honestly, really delicious and fall off the bone tender, too.
The mac and cheese was very tasty, too, especially with its baked tomato sauce-based topping. And, there was plenty of it. In fact, all the portions are generous - especially in view of the restaurant's reasonable prices. (The curried goat dish, with two ample-size sides, was only $9.95.) If you decide to dine at Red Stripes, and I hope you do, don't be in a rush because their food is cooked to order. If you find the service slow, be patient and take notice of an establishment that relies on the efforts of a husband and wife team to keep things going - with a smile. When you enter Red Stripes, you'll want to set your watch to Caribbean time. Relax, slow down and get in touch with your adventuresome side. And, by all means, try the curried goat."


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Subscribe To Ender's Game First Clip: Harrison Ford Welcomes You To Battle School Updates
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Though there were probably a ton of geeks psyched to get a look at Ender's Game during the film's Hall H panel at Comic-Con yesterday, but plenty of others-- OK, fine, all of them-- were dying to get a look at Harrison Ford in person. And while those of us stuck at home didn't get to see Ford scowl in the flesh, he's at least at the center of the film's first clip, which introduces us to the heroics of Mazer Rackham and treats us as if we're enrolling in Battle School right alongside Ender.
In the film Mazer Rackham, who we see here fighting in battle during the first alien invasion, is played by Ben Kingsley, a mentor to young Ender (Asa Butterfield) as he is trained in the Battle School. During yesterday's panel, which you can read about in full here, Kingsley wasn't onstage, but Butterfield admitted he "wasn't sure" how he managed to get over working right alongside legends like Ford and Kingsley (the fact that Butterfield and Kingsley were co-stars in Hugo probably helps). But have you seen the images of Kingsley as Rackham? With those Maori-inspired face tattoos, I'd probably be intimidated by him even if he was my own father:
Almost more remarkable than the battle scenes in this clip is the very presence of Ford, who's still a major movie star but rarely seems remotely engaged by what he's doing. Reports from people interviewing Ford at Comic-Con say he's more lively and seems prouder of his work than he has in years (say, when he was at Comic-Con three years ago promoting the doomed Cowboys and Aliens). A strong performance from Ford won't be the main thing that makes Ender's Game succeed, but come on... if he's back in fine Han Solo form, you know that'll help push you toward buying a ticket.
Ender's Game has been all over Comic-Con, and we've been right there to cover it, checking out props and costumes in the extensive fan experience, interviewing director Gavin Hood about how he'll handle the film's violence and to producer Roberto Orci about adapting the book's mind game to the screen, and even keeping our eyes peeled for the pins and dog tags that are being handed out at the convention. It's not easy to get a lot of attention at an event as busy as Comic-Con, but Ender's Game has been impressing people, and word from the Hall H panel yesterday is that the battle footage shown there is even more impressive than what we saw in this clip.
Ender's Game opens in theaters November 1. Let us know if you like what you're seeing in the comments.


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Alibi Picks
Burn, Baby, Burn: El Kookooee 2013
Festival de Otoño ends in flames
Rudolfo Anaya's answer to Zozobra has been burning each October in Albuquerque's South Valley for more than 20 years. You know the drill for these burning men, right? The bad vibes of the previous year are transcribed onto paper and used as kindling. When El Kookooee burns, we all get a fresh start. Traditionally, the design of the creature, which Anaya has called "an effigy of our own personal and communal fears," has been turned over to school children—a nice touch since we all know kids are especially talented at imagining monsters. And unlike Zozobra, each Kookooee has its own unique style. What will this year's boogeyman look like? I am afraid I can't tell you that, although the flyer art has a definite Lovecraftian cast. But there's one way you can find out for sure. See ya there! Rio Bravo State Park, Behind the South Valley Library • Sun Oct 27 • 6pm • FREE • View on Alibi calendar


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One might say Big b*tt are the new black in Hollywood. A big backside, like the ones belonging to Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce or Kim Kardashian, could help fight diabetes, say top Harvard Medical School researchers. The increasing popularity and megastar fame of women like Kim Kardashian and Serena Williams, both of whom have had their posteriors lauded all over the world. An article on The Sun UK states "Men will always prefer a big J-Lo bottom,than a pretty face".As some big backside can be weight issue. Scientist and Doctors researched shows majority of men said IT'S not so much the size of a backside that is important, but its shape.
I compiled this list of Top 15 celeberities with big and best-shaped backside:
16 Jennifer Lopez
Net Worth: $250 MillionHow she made her money: Actress, Businesswoman, Recording artist
J-Lo put big booties on the map and that brings her number one on our list of the best backside in Hollywood. Her rump is reportedly insured for $27 million and we think it is worth every penny. She is credited with bringing b u t t back into fashion and for that we will forever be grateful. She proudly showed off her assets on the cover of Stuff magazine's Sept. 2001 cover, one of the magazine's best selling issues in history. - in shorts that cost thousands of dollars, no less. Other b*tts may come and go, but we think J-Lo will be defending her throne for a long time to come.
15 Kim Kardashian
Net Worth: $35 MillionHow she made her money: Businesswoman, Socialite, Television personality, Model, Actress
Her gravity defying backside- along with the s*x tape, long list of celeb boyfriends(mostly black guys) and one time BFF status with Paris Hilton - helped catapult Kim Kardashian to new heights of fame. She's also been the subject of b*tt implant rumors but she said "no way it is real,i will never outlive those rumors. No implants, no injections, no anything to my backside."
14 Beyonce
Net Worth: $300 MillionHow she made her money: Singer-songwriter, Record producer, Actress, Model, Fashion designer, Businesswoman
She coined the term "b-*-*-t-y-l-i-c-i-o-u-s" and it's obvious why. Her best selling bottom caught the eyes of star rapper Jay-Z and made headlines when Beyonce appeared in nothing but a leotard and heels in the video for her hit "Single Ladies."
13 Serena Williams
Net Worth: $85 MillionHow she made her money: Professional Tennis Player
Serena Williams is as famous for her b**ty as she is for her tennis -- but according to Serena herself, there's another woman out there whose b*tt puts hers to shame. Take a wild guess who...
12 Nicki Minaj
Net Worth: $14 MillionHow she made her money: Rapper, Singer-songwriter
When rapper Nikki Minaj burst onto the scene last year her talent as an artist had a number of people talking, but it seems that another asset of Nicki's also became a much talked about her b*tt being implants.
In a recent interview with the New York Post Nicki Minaj speaks on the b*tt pad/b*tt implants rumors. "Absolutely not," said Nicki Minaj when asked about using b*tt pads or getting implants. "People will pick anything to talk about, and that happens to be the thing at the moment".
11 Vida Guerra
Net Worth: $2.5 MillionHow she made her money: Model
While she's not as well known as other ladies on our list, Vida's backside is world renowned. She won FHM's Best B*tt In The World Award not once, but twice.She models, sings and acts, but she owes much of her recognition to her body.The fact that she won FHM's Best B*tt Award twice keeps her sexy and relevant at all time.
10 Nicole 'Coco' Austin
Net Worth: $4 MillionHow she made her money: Reality TV personality, Model, Web personality
There is no doubt that Mrs. Ice- T, Nicole 'Coco' Austin, is very proud of her body. She is prone to posting b*tt shots of herself on twitter, and it is highly likely she backs into rooms instead of walking into them.
She is constantly defending herself from rumors that she had her backside enhanced. "100% All Natural! I had my b**bs enhanced at 18 years old and that is the only plastic surgery that I ever have done to my body." Unlike her breast, her backside has been with her all her life."The first time I was called "bubble b*tt" was when I was around 12. My b*tt wasn't huge but on my small frame it would bulge out a little bit plus my back has a natural deep arch. My best friend and sister would call my backside their crystal ball and they could see the future."
9 Buffie Carruth
Buffie Carruth, also known as Buffie The Body, or simply Buffie, is a model from Athens, Georgia best known for posing for hip hop-related magazines and video appearances.
Thanks to models like 'Buffie The Body' the "Big B**ty" complex has swept across US and is getting out of control.Every one is on there grind to make ends meet so if that means shaking your b**t y at the car wash in a bikini "So be it". Buffie The Body was in B Moore at Titanuim Motors hosting the big b**t y car...
8 Jessica Biel
Net Worth: $18 MillionHow she made her money: Actress, Model, Singer
Jessica Biel got her break playing a preacher's daughter on TV, but she became famous when she posed n*ked for Gear magazine at just 17 years old. She then gave new meaning to the term skinny jeans in Texas-Chain-saw M*ssacre, shook her money maker as ex*t i c dancer in the film Powder Blue, and teased fans with the wet under-wear scene in Chuck and Larry - proving that her backside just gets better with time.
7 Sofía Vergara
Net Worth: $14 MillionHow she made her money: Actress, Model, Television host, Entrepreneur
Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara has the whole package. She's talented, gorgeous, and has an amazing b*tt.The former Colombian model is current one of the most search celebs on the internet and has huge media attention.She's ranked #3 Askmen.com 99 Most Desirable Women of 2011.
6 Melyssa Ford
Net Worth: $2 MillionHow she made her money: Actress, Model
Model-actress Melyssa Ford has also been blessed with a magnificent tush. In fact, many refer to the insanely curvaceous Melyssa Ford as Jessica Rabbit.
Well, you've seen her shaking her ample b**ty in videos for Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah, and Mystikal.She's known to be one of the most beautiful black Ladies in the world.
5 12.Eva Mendes
Net Worth: $12 MillionHow she made her money: Actress, Model, Singer, Designer
Eva Mendes' backside is enough to turn a g a y man straight (we think). Getting n*ked for a good cause? We like!
Eva gave the world a front row view of her backside when she posed n*ked for Peta. The campaign was unveiled in Rockefeller Plaza, but city authorities asked organizers not to reveal the exact time or place of the event because they were in fear of creating a mob scene.
4 13.Halle Berry
Net Worth: $70 MillionHow she made her money: Actress, Former model
Her roles in Swordfish and Monster's Ball solidified Halle Berry's place in Hollywood and on our list of the big backside around hollywood. Jamie Foxx made every man in the world jealous at the 2009 Spike TV's Guy's Choice Awards when he not only kissed Halle on stage, but palmed her backside while she grabbed his c r o t c h. Now that's good TV!
3 14.Scarlett Johansson
Net Worth: $35 MillionHow she made her money: Actress
She has one of the most voluptuous bodies on the big screen and Scarlett Johansson is proud of it. "I'm curvy – I'm never going to be 5' 11" and 120 pounds," she says. "But I feel lucky to have what I've got." And we feel lucky to get to look at it.
2 15.Shakira
Net Worth: $140 MillionHow she made her money: Singer-songwriter, Record producer
Her hips don't lie, and neither does her b*tt. She finished third in WENN.com's voter poll for the world's best b*tt.Shakira hit the scene in 2001 thanks to her crossover album "Laundry Service" and b**ty-shaking moves on stage.
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Newsletter to the SPoCs
10 July 2008
Dear SpoCs,
The IYA2009 newsletter for this week:
Organisational Matters:
Presently we have 118 National Nodes and 23 Organisational Node. New organizational nodes: World Space Week and the European Network of Science Centres and Museums
We are proud to announce that Armagh Planetarium is our latest IYA2009 Organisational Associate. Please visit Armagh Planetarium website: http://www.armaghplanet.com
Statement on the occasion of the International Year of Astronomy 2009
The Director-General of UNESCO and the President of the IAU are pleased to announce the decision to declare 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, and the designation by the UN of UNESCO as the lead agency, in collaboration with IAU, in the implementation of scientific, educational and cultural activities during the Year.
Astronomical Pictures at an Exhibition
José Francisco Salgado's now world-famous multimedia concepts is a hot topic for IYA2009. He has agreed to a special offer to all the SPoCs with is new Astronomical Pictures at an Exhibition. It is is a suite of high-definition videos that takes viewers through a virtual gallery featuring awe-inspiring visualizations of the cosmos. Read more about it on http://www.astronomy2009.org/resources/performances/detail/performances_adler/
Cornerstones and Special projects:
Universe Awareness
A message from Carolina Ödman, the Universe Awareness Cornerstone project chair:
"Dear all,
In order to facilitate the establishment of new Universe Awareness projects and initatives, we have put together a toolkit with some resources and guidelines for you to use. In this toolkit you will find an organisational framework to set up a project, a nationwide programme, a website and report on your activities. It also includes a template website that you can adapt at your will.
Universe Awareness is an organisation made up of the sum of its parts. We are a diverse international community encompassing different learning environments, approaches, structures and people. We therefore welcome the participation of all who subscribe to the goal of bringing the beauty of the universe to young children worldwide to make a difference.
The UNAWE International Office is here to support your efforts. We invite you to join the international UNAWE community with your UNAWE project and share materials, knowledge and experiences with our growing network. If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact me directly at email@example.com .
The toolkit is available here: http://www.unawe.org/join
Warm regards,
100 Hours of Astronomy
Some news about 100 Hours of Astronomy:
The 100 Hours Of Astronomy will take place from 2-5 April 2009. The Moon is at first quarter on 2 April so it is at a good phase for early evening observing over this period. Saturn will be the other highlight of observing events in the early evening.
This event consists of five main parts:
1. An opening event featuring the telescope Galileo used to make his groundbreaking observations.
2. Events at science centres, including planetariums and science museums, at which enhanced outreach programmes will be expedited through participation of amateur astronomy groups holding public observing sessions and other activities related to the science centres' regular programmes and missions.
3. School programmes, in which groups of astronomy enthusiasts such as astronomy clubs conduct educational sessions that include observing and other educational opportunities.
4. Live observatory webcasts, observing events and other activities connecting large observatories around the world.
5. Sidewalk astronomy, in which telescopes are made available to the public within population centres in order to maximise the number of people who observe through them.
Each part will be scheduled so as to maximise its impact, while supporting the others with activities and publicity.
Please feel free to contact the Task Group if you have any question regarding the 100 Hours of Astronomy Cornerstone Project: http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org
IYA2009 Special projects
The guidelines for the selection of Special Projects are available here: http://www.astronomy2009.org/organisation/structure/taskgroups/ The category of IYA2009 Special Projects is intended to give large global projects (which satisfy the vision of IYA2009) greater international recognition and an opportunity to link with celebrations worldwide. We welcome application from any global projects which fits the criteria defined the IYA2009 Executive Committee Working Group.
Report from ASP/AAS St. Louis Meeting by Douglas Isbell (US SPoC)
From the perspective of the US IYA 2009 program committee and its 10 volunteer-led working groups, the AAS/ASP symposium in St. Louis was a major success.
Attendance at the weekend workshops (~175 people) and the subsequent three days session of panels, posters and presentations (~200) was strong, and we've received numerous messages of appreciation and intent to use the workshop materials and activities in 2009. Many positive comments were heard on the opening plenary talk by IAU President Catherine Cesarsky (and we thank her for traveling such a long distance to present it). The public lecture by Dava Sobel was very engaging, especially the extensive question-and-answer session after her talk on Galileo and "How the Telescope Changed Everything."
Perhaps the biggest hit of the IYA portion of the meeting was the first prototype of the Galileoscope. This prototype was realized thanks to extensive design and development work led by Stephen Pompea of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (also the US project director for IYA 2009), and some extraordinary extra effort by Doug Arion of Carthage College, who obtained support from his administration to produce a rapid-prototype plastic model. From the outreach professionals at the ASP meeting to the astronomers on the AAS side, everyone seemed excited by the potential of the Galileoscope and the plans for related optics education curriculum materials. We also took away a growing list of people interested in receiving future e-mail updates on it.
The best factual evidence for the success of the meeting was a very instructive informal, low-cost summative evaluation done by Mary Dussault of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics during the closing plenary of the IYA symposium. Using simple paper note cards, Mary surveyed the 74 plenary participants using dashed lines to represent a seven point scale. When asked how much they knew about IYA materials a week earlier, the participants responded with an average score of 3.5. When asked how much they knew after the meeting, the average score was 6.0. When asked how likely they were to use some of the IYA materials from the meeting, the score was around 6.5. The average number of IYA-related sessions they attended was 5.5. All of these numbers are very encouraging and demonstrate both the interest in IYA, as well as the amazing organizational effort put forth by the ASP and Andy Fraknoi of Foothill Community College to harness and develop the volunteer enthusiasm in IYA.
Finally, I am pleased to announce that the US IYA program committee will launch a new this newsletter as an official publication of the US IYA 2009 effort, and we intend to provide the regular updates and content tips that you need to plan first-class IYA 2009 events in your community. More information: http://www.400years.org/newsletter.html. As always, also keep an eye on the US website at www.astronomy2009.us. Once again, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Upcoming IYA2009 meetings:
- Global Hands-on Universe Conference (Lisbon, Portugal), 20 - 23 July 2008 - http://ghou2008.globalhou.net/
- APRIM2008 (Kunming, China), 3 - 6 August 2008 - http://aprim.ynao.ac.cn/
- JENAM2008 (Wien, Austria) - 8-12 September 2008 - http://www.univie.ac.at/jenam2008/ or http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/test/symposium.html
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Kind regards,
Pedro, Lars and Mariana
IYA2009 Secretariat
Search IYA2009 Updates
National Nodes: 148
Organisational Nodes: 40
Organisational Associates:33
National Websites: 111
Cornerstone Projects: 12
Special Task Groups: 11
Special Projects:16
Official Products:8
Media Partners:22


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MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Intensifying debate over conservative social values - and Republican icon Rush Limbaugh - overshadowed the nation's economic concerns Sunday as the Republican presidential campaign hurtled toward Super Tuesday contests that could re-shape the nomination battle and shift the direction of the Grand Old Party.
Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum distanced themselves from Limbaugh, who boasts a huge conservative following and recently apologized for calling a Georgetown University law student a 'slut' and a 'prostitute' on his nationally syndicated radio program. The woman testified at a congressional hearing in favor of an Obama administration mandate that employee health plans include free contraceptive coverage. While religious institutions are exempt, their affiliates, such as hospitals and universities, were at first included in the requirement. Under harsh criticism from conservatives, President Barack Obama later said the affiliates could opt out, but insurers must pay for the coverage.
The GOP framed the issue as one of religious liberty. But Obama's chief political strategist suggested the Limbaugh's reaction - and Republicans slow repudiation of his comments - would benefit Democrats in the general election this fall.
'I think what Rush Limbaugh said about that young woman was not only vile and degrading to her, but to women across the country,' David Axelrod said on ABC's 'This Week' Sunday morning.
While the contraception debate raged on national television, Newt Gingrich predicted a strong performance Tuesday would resurrect his fading candidacy. Romney and Santorum spent Sunday racing across Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Ohio, four of the ten states to host elections on Super Tuesday, the biggest single voting day of the 2012 cycle.
Campaigning in Alaska, Ron Paul conceded he's a long shot.
'Do I believe I can win? Yes. Do I believe the chances are slim? Yes, I do,' he said on CBS' 'Face the Nation.'
Super Tuesday's defining contest may be Ohio, where Santorum and Romney have devoted tremendous time and resources in recent weeks. Santorum's performance there could well define his fate - and Romney's - in the rollercoaster race going forward.
'This is a game of survival,' Santorum said while campaigning Sunday in Memphis, Tenn.
Preparing for the worst, Romney's campaign began preparing for a possible loss in Ohio, where polls show the former Massachusetts governor locked in a dead heat with Santorum, a former senator from neighboring Pennsylvania.
'I don't think any state is a must-win,' Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said. 'I think the only must-do on a candidate's check list is getting 1,144 delegates.'
Romney has won five consecutive contests, including Saturday's Washington caucuses. His broad, well-disciplined organization virtually assures he'll collect more delegates than his opponents on Tuesday, in contrast with Santorum's looser group of supporters. Santorum and Gingrich did not collect enough signatures to qualify for the Virginia ballot, for example, and Santorum cannot win 18 of Ohio's 66 delegates for similar reasons.
But a win by the overmatched Santorum in Ohio would send a broad signal that Romney, long presumed the front-runner, is far weaker than anyone imagined. Gingrich said as much Sunday.
'Gov. Romney, who's outspent all the rest of us by multiples, is a front-runner without any question, but I think he's not a very convincing front-runner, and he's a long way from having closed out this race,' he said.
On the other hand, a Santorum loss in Ohio, coupled with a convincing Gingrich victory in Georgia, could breathe new life into the former House speaker's candidacy and impede Santorum's greatest wish: a one-on-one contest against Romney.
'For us to ultimately win this race is going to have to narrow down to two, and I think that will happen eventually,' Santorum said in Memphis.
But Gingrich is showing no signs of going away.
The former Georgia congressman has declared the state he represented for 20 years a must-win. He holds a strong lead in recent polls there. On Sunday he predicted the race would go on 'for a good while.'
No candidate will sweep all 10 contests - which feature in some cases complicated delegate rules and span politically diverse regions from Alaska to Vermont to Oklahoma.
But a Santorum victory in Ohio or broader success elsewhere will likely ensure his place as Romney's top rival. And that would help ensure that the contraception debate and other social issues play prominently in the Republican presidential contest going forward. Santorum has made headlines in recent days by emphasizing the need for two-parent families and fewer pregnancies out of wedlock. Saturday night, Santorum told an Ohio audience that the nation's inattention to conservative social values is 'damning people.'
He tried to avoid the Limbaugh controversy on Sunday, however.
'That's not my business,' he said when asked Sunday about Limbaugh's apology.
Romney has avoided the issue in recent days as well, saying only that Limbaugh's comments about the college student were 'not the language I would have used, but I'm focusing on the issues that I think are significant in the country today, and that's why I'm here talking about jobs in Ohio.'
Asked whether Romney's comments went far enough, Fehrnstrom said: 'There's extreme rhetoric on both sides of the political spectrum. I think the political process is best served if everybody tones it down, not only those on the right but also intolerant voices on the left.'
Gingrich told CNN's 'State of the Union' that he's glad the conservative commentator issued the apology on Saturday and that it's time to move beyond the controversy. He said it's 'silly' to suggest that Limbaugh speaks for the GOP.
Republican observers suggest that any continued focus on social issues could hurt the party.
GOP strategist Phil Musser said the contraception debate 'has been distracting and has sucked up too much political oxygen.'
'While this is an important issue that illustrates the overreach of Obamacare, it's nowhere near the top of what most Americans are most focused on right now,' he said, describing it as a 'short-term challenge.'
Santorum's focus on social issues has helped fuel his success in lower-turnout elections, where tea party activists and evangelical voters generally play a more active role. Lingering skepticism about Romney's conservative credentials from those voters has allowed Santorum and Gingrich to stay in the race, despite Romney's advantages.
The Super Tuesday contests and beyond are about math almost as much as political symbolism.
No candidate can technically claim his party's nomination before collecting 1,144 delegates, although history suggests a nominee usually emerges much earlier once weaker candidates lose the ability to raise money.
Romney holds a commanding delegate lead, including Saturday's Washington results, according to Associated Press projections.
He won 30 delegates in Washington while Paul and Santorum each won five, bringing Romney's total to 203, compared to 92 for Santorum, 33 for Gingrich and 25 for Paul.
There are 419 delegates at stake Super Tuesday. Also, Wyoming Republicans will hold county conventions from March 6 through March 10, with 12 delegates to the party's national convention up for grabs.


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Briton 'killed in Syria battle'
A Briton has been killed fighting in Syria, according to reports.
The man was named in reports as Abu Daigham al Baritani or Abu Daigham al-Britani - the suffix which has been adopted by those who have travelled from the UK to fight in the country.
He is said to have been part of the Rayat al-Tawheed, a collection of British combatants linked to the rebel group Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham, or ISIS.
A statement apparently issued on the Rayat al-Tawheed Instagram account said the man was killed "in a battle a few nights ago".
It added: "May Allah accept him."
Shiraz Maher, senior fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King's College London, said on Twitter that the man, who was reportedly from London, has "featured regularly in Rayat Tawheed vids".
The Foreign Office was unable to confirm the death.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said :"The UK has no representation in Syria, and we are not able to provide consular services. While we look into reports we receive of British nationals being killed or injured in Syria, these are often very hard to verify because we have no in-country presence."
Around 400 Britons are believed to have gone to Syria over the last two years to fight, with an estimated 20 having died.
Last month 18-year-old Abdullah Deghayes, from Brighton, whose uncle is a former Guantanamo detainee, died in the war-torn country.


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At this year's GenCon, the big announcements on the floor were that two major franchises had just found new homes as tabletop games: Fantasy Flight Games scored a wide-ranging license for Star Wars products, and Margaret Weis Productions will be making a Marvel RPG. I got a chance to swing by both their booths, and get the skinny on their titles.
Fantasy Flight's new license grants them rights to all card, miniature and RPG Star Wars titles, and they had two demo games on the floor. I was lucky enough to play a demo of X-Wing, a tabletop miniature dogfighting game that proved quick to learn and quick to play. In a 3-on-3 battle my squad of three X-Wings took on six of the Empire's finest TIE fighters. We lost in record time, with our leader being destroyed in the first turn thanks to some dark side trickery of the dice rolls. Even in the short time I had to play, you get the feeling that there's a lot of strategy hiding under the surface, especially for the unique movement mechanics.
The other title was simply called Star Wars: The Card Game, a cooperative game for 1-4 players. Rather than setting up a Rebel/Empire or Light Side/Dark Side player battle like other games have, this new game puts all the players together as a band of Rebel Alliance members, fighting off the Empire. You have to complete various sub-missions in a story arc, with each failure making the rest of the game harder — while fending off Empire attacks on your home base. Since it's cooperative, it makes it very easy to introduce new players to the game. Fantasy Flight's Steve Horvath called it "something very uncommon" and a whole market that no-one knew existed.
Both games are planned to debut in early 2012 with core sets available for $40, and enough content for two players. For X-Wing, that'll probably be a single X-Wing and two TIE fighters. Neither game is collectible, so when you expand your collection, you'll know exactly what you're getting.
Horvath was tight-lipped about the RPG, except to say it's in the works.
And yes, these games are original trilogy only — but might not be forever.
Meanwhile, Margaret Weis' publishing company will be releasing a new Marvel RPG in early 2012. The publishers of the Supernatural, Smallville and Serenity RPGs will add another tie-in to their stable, again utilizing their Cortex System. The publication for this setup is extremely ambitious: 16 titles are in the pipelines.
Taking a cue from Marvel's history of enormous crossovers, the system will be based around events mirroring the comics world. Each even will come in a premium and an essential version. The essential edition comes with the characters, the plot and all the campaign information. The premium edition bundles the rulebook in with that, so you can start with a premium edition, and then for further campaigns only buy the essentials. The first event will be based around Marvel's Civil War, with a number of supplements available with additional information, most likely ones for the X-Men, the Fifty States Initiative and Young Avengers/Runaways. The next two events will be based around Annihilation and the venerable Age of Apocalypse.
If you're a bit hesitant to jump on board with one of these big events, then a basic game set with just the rules and mini-event (covering New Avengers 1-6) will also be available. Weis is pricing these titles extremely aggressively: $40 for the premium edition, $30 for the standard, $30 for supplements and the core game.
The trick with these titles is going to be marrying the action of Marvel's titles with the more story-oriented nature that the Cortex System is known for. Weis Production's Editor & Developer Cam Banks emphasized that the system needs to have meaningful choices, and that "combat has to have context!"
Look for both these franchises on shelves in early 2012.


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