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Chun Shu, Novelist, 25
'I love rock'n'roll, I love parties and I love to have a good time - so what?' says Chun Shu.
The stiff moral codes devised by Confucius, adapted by the communists and imposed by parents nationwide seem to be disappearing fast. Until the early 1980s, most Chinese were still squeezed into sexless Mao jackets and a good night out meant a revolutionary sing-song at a mass meeting. But China's newly opened doors have let in new role models and tempted its youth into drinking, smoking and pre-marital sex.
'People often describe us post-Eighties generation as selfish. Maybe "self-centred" is a better word. We are certainly more self-aware, which isn't a bad thing,' Chun says, flicking a long cigarette. Her generation, almost all only-children, have been spared the material hardship and political perils of their parents', but other growing pains have taken their place. Chun grew up in Beijing in her father's military compound, dropped out of school at 17, developed a passion for rock'n'roll and had a string of boyfriends, a journey she chronicles in her coming-of-age novel, Beijing Doll
Beijing Doll is one of a wave of autobiographical novels by the so-called 'beauty writers' - young women who describe in detail their sex-drenched, drug-laced private lives. Notable rivals include Wei Hui, author of Shanghai Baby, and Mian Mian, who wrote Candy. Though it was quickly banned by the government, Beijing Doll struck a chord with Chinee teenage girls and has sold an estimated 1 million copies on the black market. It has now been published in English in the States. When asked if she feels lucky, Chun replies: 'Not particularly. I think Beijing Doll is an excellent book that deserves the success.'
Although insisting that she is different, she admits the book reflects many characteristics of the 'me-generation' youth: their materialism, their lack of ideology and their shameless pursuit of love and pleasure.
When 'bourgeois liberalism' encouraged students to demand democracy, the government cracked down. But private lives have since become private for the first time under communist rule. Young people enjoy ever-more daring choices of clothing and lifestyle, from skimpy tops to punk. 'Some accuse us of not caring enough about politics,' says Chun. 'Why should we care? In my view, our lack of interest in politics makes us more humane, don't you think?'
Lijia Zhang
Qin Liwen, Head of Sohu News, 32
Internet use is growing faster in China than anywhere else inthe world. Qin Liwen heads China's trendsetting news website, Sohu.
Qin discovered how powerful and rich the virtual world was when she attended a conference on internet media in Germany two years ago. On her return, she created an English-language website for the weekly newspaper the Economic Observer, Beijing's answer to the Financial Times, and received comments and proposals for co-operation from around the world.
She was trying to finish a novel when she was offered the job as head of Sohu News. 'I snatched it up as I felt it was a position where I could make an impact.' One year on, she has not regretted it for a moment although she suffers severe sleep deprivation, she says. In China, internet media can only republish articles that have already appeared in traditional media. 'But there's plenty of space for creativity,' she says. 'My job is to select interesting news items and then repackage them - the way people read online is different from reading a newspaper; I make sure to give the top headlines to news items that concern people, like pricing and social welfare, and never allow tabloid news to dominate.'
The biggest frustration in her job is strict state censorship, of course, but Qin is often able to find ways around it. When the Olympics torch relay in San Francisco was disturbed by Tibetan protesters, the traditional media seemed at a loss as to how to cover it. Despite being an Olympics media partner, Sohu correspondents reported the fracas by focusing on the positive story of overseas Chinese protecting the event. Now Sohu.com is catching up with Sina, China's first news portal. 'I find it immensely satisfying to communicate every day with tens of millions of users,' she says. (The precise figure is a state secret.)
Qin has lived abroad but she finds life most fascinating in China. 'China lacks freedom, democracy and a regulated market - things are changing and evolving all the time and there's plenty of chaos. Somehow within that chaos, there's vitality, and that's exciting for me.'
Lijia Zhang
Ning Ying, Film director, 48
Ning Ying, Beijing born and bred, is one of a large number of Chinese who have travelled to the West to learn their trade and then returned to apply their skills to documenting China's chaotic society.
'In the Eighties I went to Italy to study film-making. I learnt a lot, met my husband and greatly enjoyed the experience.' But when she returned, six years later - to work as assistant director on Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor - Ning fell in love with the city all over again.
'On my way home from the airport, I felt such a strong connection to the city. I settled back the following year. If I have to compare Beijing with one city in the world, then it has to be New York: both places burst with energy and creativity. As an artist, it is very exciting to be in China right now as the country is going through drastic transformations.'
Ning has directed three films in a Beijing Trilogy about these transformations. For Fun is a comedy about an old man forced to retire who organises an amateur Beijing Opera troupe in his neighbourhood. 'Beijing Opera records the sound of old Beijing and the traditional way of life, which is fast disappearing.' In On the Beat and I Love Beijing, Ying explores the impact of the speedy changes on the local people and their difficulties in dealing with the changes.
'Like any fast-changing society, there's inevitable tension and dramas here,' she says. 'People's memories are associated with concrete objects, with bricks, for instance. When a wall in your street disappears, you'll naturally feel anxious and confused. I remember a few years ago when I arrived back at Beijing airport, I realised that the old airport had vanished, taking away the smell of garlic, which I always associated with old Beijing. I felt slightly lost. In Italy when I missed home, I could always smell garlic.'
Lijia Zhang
Jian Jun Xi, performance artist, 46
In November 1999, Two Naked Artists Jump Into Tracey's Bed made the two Chinese artists - who, in fact, kept their trousers on when they foiled security guards and invaded Tracey Emin's work in Tate Britain - famous and led many to associate the Chinese with performance art for the first time.
'I actually established a performing art group called Concept 21 back in 1986,' says one of the pair, Jian Jun Xi, at his studio in Beijing, which he now calls home. 'Performance art, until recently an alien concept here, is a good medium to provoke, a good way to express our desire for freedom.'
Concept 21's first show saw four art students, bandaged in white gauze, pour ink over each other at Beijing University. It was so provocative that it led other students to protest against corruption later that day. It was a time when China was gingerly unbuttoning Mao's straitjacket and an avant-garde scene had yet to emerge. Before long, Jian Jun migrated to the UK where he met his artistic partner, Chai Yuan. Together they staged some memorable performances such as Running Naked Across Westminster Bridge with Tony Bear (starkers this time); Two Artists Swim Across the Thames, a reinterpretation of Mao's swimming in the Yangtze; and Soya Source and Tomato Catch-up Fight, commenting on the conflicts between Eastern and Western cultures.
Penis Spirit was perhaps their most shocking work. They pickled a human penis in spirit then drank it with friends in Beijing. 'It's not everyone's cup of tea. But what we'd like to do is to push the boundaries,' Jian Jun explains in fluent English.
Lured by a burgeoning and innovative cultural scene and a more mature and accepting audience, the duo - who although heterosexual are now often referred to as 'China's Gilbert and George' - decided to settle back in China. 'We feel that we've learnt a great deal from the West. It is time to return and continue our journey.'
Lijia Zhang
Carmen Zou, fashion designer, 42
Mao's wife, Jiang Qing, famously said that the pleasure of sex was short-lived while the pleasure of power lasted a lot longer. Top Beijing designer - fans include China's first rock'n'roll star, Cui Jan, and film star Huang Shengyi - Carmen Zou chose sex and power as her twin themes in her ground-breaking collection.
'I always find there's something sexy about a woman in military uniform,' she says. Nixon would have agreed. During his historic visit to China in 1972, he found the uniformed dancers performing in the ballet The Red Detachment of Women very sexy. Zou explains that, unlike in the West where being sexy means a dress that shows your cleavage, the Chinese way is to reveal a little to inspire your imagination. 'Like this one,' says Carmen Zou, pointing to a high-collared silk cheongsam with daring splits from ankle to thigh. The dress is printed with images of those girls from the red ballet. The ballerinas in the 1970s could not wear a cheongsam because they were banned as a symbol of capitalism.
Now, with capitalism and the fashion world blossoming, artists are busy reinterpreting Mao and the communist past. Zou is reforming the Mao suit, a buttoned-up tunic with four pockets, which for many years served as China's national uniform. On one sleek dress, Mao's famous words 'We daughters of China prefer military uniform to fancy dress' crawl across the semi-transparent fabric. 'It is fun to borrow from our rich history to make the design more interesting,' says Zou.
Her keynote colours are China red, army green and worker-ant blue. Her bespoke outfits are expensive: up to £1,000 for a stylish velvet coat: 'As China becomes richer and more individualistic, I am sure my business will prosper.'
Lijia Zhang
Miao Wong, queen of nightlife, 24
Miao Wong is queen of the underground techno scene in the capital city. She manages Acupuncture Records, a crew of eight local DJs - 'not resident DJs but party DJs,' she says - and organises funky parties. 'They are all outstanding DJs. They don't just do shitty remixes,' she says, swigging from a bottle of beer at a bar, 'they make their own music.'
Miao started as a DJ-groupie after going to Beijing to study but soon fell into the dark corner of underground parties. 'Something in the electronic music just knocked me off my feet. My idea of having a good time is dancing my ass off all night, to a good beat.'
It took her a long time to get a decent range of techno DJs together. Music, especially her techno-head type, is not central to Beijing's nightlife as people tend to go to discos more to see and be seen than to dance, often sitting in private rooms with their friends or preferring to karaoke with sing-song girls. However, Miao has enjoyed a lot of success, winning over growing numbers of electro-hippies, since the establishment of Acupuncture Records a year ago.
There are plenty of upwardly mobile youngsters willing to share her vision. 'The key is to come up with original venues and groovy themes.' Her finest - perhaps wildest is a better word - was last year's New Year's Eve party, Spooked, in a 4,000 sq m warehouse with 2,000 people, a mixture of Chinese and expats, dancing the night away in sweat, sound and strong rhythm.
'What I want to do is to promote local DJs, to educate the community and establish a local techno culture that is here to stay,' she says. 'But first of all, we want to have fun.'
Lijia Zhang
Sa Dingding, singer, 25
It's not every day that you hear the Chemical Brothers, Nine Inch Nails and Mongolian folk music referenced in the same sentence, but it comes naturally to singer/musician Sa Dingding.
Sa released her first album in 1998 at the age of 18 and was subsequently voted the Best Dance Music Singer in China. She has sold 2 million albums in south-east Asia alone. While the younger generation love her electronica and dance material, older people respond to her indigenous traditional music, played on the zheng (the 25-stringed Chinese zither) and the morin khuur (the Mongolian horsehead or horsehair fiddle).
Her musical nourishment began when as a toddler she travelled the Mongolian steppes with her grandmother. 'I was in the grasslands from the ages of three to six where they have all kinds of music from throat-singing to horsehair fiddle.' As a teenager she attended Bejing University and studied music where she found that traditional teaching sometimes clashed with her own musical direction.
'Everyone in music school has to learn classical music techniques and philosophy but I have a free spirit and a great imagination so there was some collision between traditional teaching and my own thinking. The greatest thing is that I have not lost my imagination.'
Neil Norman


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There is no shortage of tower defense games on the iTunes App Store. Even at the beginning, developers understand that the touch screen was a natural choice for the towers on a tray.
One of the first out the door, GeoDefense, was an instant hit with players of tower defense, offering a level of challenge that was mostly unmatched in the iTunes App Store. The game was developed by David Whatley of critical thinking games, a development house one man. He developed the game in six months the nights and weekends. Our own Josh Löwensohn wrote a story featuring Whatley back in 2010.
But things are different now that Whatley's games have become classics in the iTunes App Store. Now he has 25 people to help in the development and its last game, released last week, has a whole new level of polish.Can he follow in the footsteps of his first popular classics? You be the judge.
The collection of this week iOS Apps includes all games tower defense made by the same developer. We decided to put these games together as a collection, because you can not go wrong with any of them and provide an excellent previous contrasts with the latest games.Caution, however, once you start, you will find this is the kind of games that are almost impossible to put down.
GeoDefense ($ 1.99) is a fun and extremely difficult tower defense game with unique gameplay that combines puzzle solving with intense arcade action in a frenetic, colorful, vector graphics environment.
The interface and basic gameplay are similar to other tower defense games: you drag and drop five types of upgradeable towers in marketable strategic positions on a predetermined path to destroy incoming waves of "creeps" ( geometric shapes and beads of varying toughness and speed).What makes it so irresistible is its level design GeoDefense surprisingly rich, forcing you to make - and specifically the performance - strategies unusual for almost every level, with maps change, resources, durations, and the enemies, of 30 levels divided into Easy, Medium and Hard.
With such a quality game, the presentation and replay value, the only potential drawback for GeoDefense is that the game is difficult, even for veterans of tower defense - so novices can quickly get in over their heads (but fortunately the game has recently added a novice mode). However, GeoDefense is an absolute must for fans of the genre - even if it is one of the first tower defense titles in the iTunes App Store.
GeoDefense Swarm ($ 1.99) is monitoring GeoDefense and is an extremely difficult open-path tower defense game.Like its predecessor, GeoDefense Swarm is distinguished by a unique playing style that combines arcade action with frenzied bang-your-head against the wall-a-puzzle solving. Apart from the new open circuit format, Swarm GeoDefense has much in common with the original GeoDefense, its psychedelic vector graphics in its drag-and-drop interface and the same selection of upgradeable towers (GeoDefense Swarm added a sixth round, the Thumper, which deals damage to an area wide). You are still destroy a set number of waves of creeps geometric, all with different health and speed, and sometimes mixes up GeoDefense Swarm playing field with obstacles and places that have special effects such as scarring and accelerating creep.
GeoDefense Swarm has 30 separate levels across three difficulties - easy, medium and hard - and you can still choose the novice mode if you want to play without posting high scores.Because of the possibilities open to the more open format of path, the level design of Swarm GeoDefense does not feel as tight as the original, and you could end up having to try to find more winning strategies for the game ever the evolution of maps and configurations of the enemy. Depending on your personal preferences, this may be a feature or a bug, but Swarm GeoDefense is certainly more difficult than GeoDefense.Newcomers to tower defense games may find themselves in trouble, and unfortunately, the game is not easy learning the rules, revealing that additional guidance at the beginning of each level and piecemeal advice after losing levels.
Overall, GeoDefense Swarm is a solid, impressive game, excellent value, and as a particularly satisfying for the players power tower defense looking for a challenge.
Tiny Heroes ($ 1.99) is the last title defense tower of David Whatley and his team of Simutronics. Unlike classic games GeoDefense hero removes tiny vector graphics and has more colorful, animated characters cartoonlike. You will always drag and drop locations defensive, but in this game your main objective is to protect your treasure from wave after wave of attack units.Unlike other tower defense titles, attackers Tiny Heroes' not only need to do all the way to your treasure room, but also need to escape your booty.
Heroes minute you start easily with only one type of tower and some of the same type of attackers to defend against. But with each successive level, you get another turn or mechanism of defense and a new type of attacker. The game is balanced so that the attackers have an advantage against the towers specific, so you need to plan to attack a variety of units in each level. The game comes with over 50 unique levels and you will be able to choose from 30 towers and defense mechanisms as you defend against an attack seemingly endless.
Overall, the tiny hero keeps the challenge GeoDefense older games, while adding a new look and new unique units.With stunning graphics and new challenges, this game meets the "thinking man" tower defense legacy that began with GeoDefense.
What do you think of the tiny heroes? Is it as good as the games earlier? Let us know in the comments!...

subset: commoncrawl


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I decided to take myself to two local galleries yesterday ... I needed to get out of my studio and seek inspiration. My first stop was the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek (www.bedfordgallery.org). It's small and easy to pop in when you have 30 minutes to spare. Their current exhibit is "About Abstraction: Bay Area Women Painters". It's a super diverse and interesting exhibit. I'm particularly in love with Cornelia Schulz and Linda Geary.
My next stop was the Berkeley Art Center (berkeleyartcenter.org). Their current exhibit is "Thread Heads" and it's nothing short of breathtaking. I'm not even going to say anything about it. Just go.
Needless to say, I got inspired and I've been working away in my studio. Sigh. We're super lucky to have such a plethora of talent in this area.


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The Woman's Voice: Original Music for Guitar by Female Composers
"Throughout the disc, Sheu performs with authority, sensitivity, and flair, demonstrating the musicianship necessary to back up her programming choices."
-www.classicalguitar.org, August 7, 2012
"This is a wonderful program of very fine works that can stand entirely on their own merits and are, moreover, beautifully played...I would be surprised if other players do not take them up after hearing Sheu's recording...buy it!"
-Al Kunze, Soundboard Magazine, Vol 40. No. 4
The Woman's Voice is a groundbreaking collection of original music for guitar by female composers, much of which has never been recorded. The four composers featured on this album represent a diverse collection of musical styles and personalities. Emilia Giuliani-Guglielmi, daughter of the famous Mauro Giuliani, played duets with her father and was known throughout Southern Italy as a guitar virtuoso until she died tragically early for unknown reasons. Her piece Variazioni su un tema di Mercadante is full of her father's musical influence while her own compositional style shines in Sei Preludi. Also on the album is Ida Presti's homage to the great maestro, Segovia. Presti (of the renowned Presti-La Goya Duo) was known for her blazing technique and elegant artistry. This solo work was only recently discovered in the Segovia archives. Three Preludes were written by Canadian-German guitarist Dale Kavanagh, whose fiery playing has wowed audiences far and wide. The four movement work, Homenaje a Segovia by Annette Kruisbrink, completes the album. Kruisbrink is a Dutch guitarist who has won numerous accolades for her prolific compositional output.
Released in 2012. Mastered and produced in Los Angeles, CA.
Connie Sheu


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Neon's latest work 'Puzzle Creature' inspired by artist/architect duo Arakawa and Madeline Gins. Three exquisite dance artists drive the performance with wearable body sculptures from award winning artist Ana Rajcevic, creating curious imprints of choreographed action.
Puzzle Creature includes British Sign Language & Japanese Sign Language.
Audio Described by Louise Fryer.


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Loud, raucous and not exceptionally practical, the Jaguar F-Type remains one of our favorite sports-car indulgences. - Edmunds
The team at Jaguar San Diego would like to welcome you to our dealership in San Diego, where we're confident you'll find the vehicles you're looking for at a price you can afford. Come and check out our full selection of Jaguar vehicles, or get a great deal on a reliable pre-owned model. No matter which vehicle you decide on, our professional finance team will help you get settled with a competitive financing or lease plan.
New vehicle pricing includes all offers and incentives. Tax, Title and Tags not included in vehicle prices shown and must be paid by the purchaser. While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, errors do occur so please verify information with a customer service rep. This is easily done by calling us at 877-629-6194 or by visiting us at the dealership.
* Jaguar Approved Certified Pre-Owned Coverage, including limited warranty and roadside assistance, expires up to seven years from the original in-service date or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Original in-service date is the earlier of the new-vehicle retail sale or in-use date, as reported to Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC. Select vehicles may have the option for different warranty terms. Vehicles with the 7 years/100,000 miles limited warranty are limited in supply and only available at participating Jaguar Retailers. See your local authorized Jaguar Retailer for complete terms and conditions of the limited warranty and service coverage.
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I'm 30 weeks pregnant today, which suddenly makes Nugget's birthday seem so much closer. I know that by the end I'll probably be eager to just have it all over with, but for now it feels like there's too much to get done!
I wanted to call this post "30 weeks, then and now" and show you belly pics at 30 weeks with Jade compared to belly at 30 weeks with Nugget. But no one is around today to take belly shots, so I'll just have to make do with the old pictures.
Here's what I looked like when I was 30 weeks pregnant with Jade:
My belly was so much rounder that time! I haven't been taking naked belly shots this time because of unsightly stretch marks, but perhaps I'll brave it when Michael gets back this weekend. It would be fun to try to reproduce these poses for comparison.
Here's what BabyCenter.com has to say about Nugget's development right now:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)


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Movember NailsHi Girls, can you imagine it is November already!! Time moves so fast. Its Halloween, Fall , Christmas and then New Year. Since it is November, I did a Movember Nail today.
What is Movember ? Movember (a portmanteau of the Australian-English diminutive word for moustache, "mo", and "November") is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as depression in men, prostate cancer and other male cancers.
So I have tried to put together little elements of men like Moustache, Hat, Glasses, Gloves , Bow etc on my nails to join the awareness.I have used Orly Push the Limit and Kaleidoscopic I am Bright Blue as the base. The stamping polish is Nail Matinee Black and images are from Cheeky Home Sweet Home stamping Plate.
I also got my new Black /UV Light for my neon polishes glow, which I am inaugurating with this mani! I am happy with the nail art and the glow. I find the nail art cute. What do you say?


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Wednesday, September 28, 2011
(pictured above: no more of this kind of heartbreak)
'Synaptic tomfoolery and bio-chemical high jinks causing a chronic lack of serotonin that places your whole cognitive processor out of whack', that should be the medical definition of love. But I dealt with that terrible business in the last post and won't repeat myself here. Today I am going to introduce a new emotion, one that has all the benefits of love but none of the crappy poetry etc. I have invented this new emotion and have its formula itemised and ready for mass production/consumption.
Once ingested as a pill, my formula will cause limbic systems to blend peptides into a new chemical cocktail that will course through nervous systems everywhere and result in everyone experiencing my new emotion. Yes, that's right, a whole new emotion that will banish love to the dustbin of neurophysiological history. Expect a brand new feeling, brand new motivations, and even a brand new facial expression, not a frown or a smile but something new and better (So far I've only seen it on the face of lab rats and the best way to describe it would be that it looks as if you're having an enjoyable stroke).
My new emotion will bring with it confidence and optimism. It is a positive emotion like love pretends to be but, unlike love, it will not carry the risk of jealousy, possessiveness, favouritism, bizarre behaviour and all the faults of love I mentioned in the previous post.
In fact, once my new emotion (which I have called 'farp', a solid four letter word like the words 'love' or 'hate') is established love will be considered an unwelcome anachronism. In fact, love will come to be considered an illness. People will no longer say 'I am in love' and instead tell their GP that they 'have a terrible dose of love'. Then they will get a prescription for farp tablets and go on their happy way. I am also working on a more permanent love removal option called a 'lovectomy' that can be carried out for a reasonable price. Just think, you'll be able to get the love taken out of you like a useless old appendix. Liberated of love you'll regain control of your life and be able to get on with the farping.
'But Mr. Fugger, what does it feel like to farp?' I hear you ask. Well, I'm not sure I could describe it to you any more than I could describe a brand new taste or colour. All I can say is that farp feels good and doesn't carry a heavy price like love does. Farp is not as overbearing an emotion as love. It is more subtle and understated. It's more considered and, dare I say it, dignified. Instead of risking being made a fool of by the unruly passion of loving you will merely farp. Farping is quite modern in its similarity to liking, as in 'liking' things on Facebook. In fact, unbeknownst to you, I think many of you have made this emotional transition already. At least partially.
Please note, I don't want to give the impression that farp is a watered down version of love. No. Farp is just a more circumspect evolution of its messy predecessor. Farp does have its measure of passion. It is a modest measure of passion but a measure all the same. Once you have farped you will not regret it. At the end of your life you will look back on all the days you spent lost in farp. 'They were farply days', you will say to yourself with a farply (enjoyable stroke) expression on your face.
You know, I think if The Beatles were here today they would invite us all to join them in a rousing chorus of 'All You Need Is Farp'. They knew the benefits of chemical alterations to the cranial interior and no mistake. Had my reasonably priced farp pills been around in the sixties, I bet John, Paul, George and Ringo would've wolfed them down. Farp pills should be available soon so don't forget to place an advanced order now!!!
(Farp is brought to you in association with Pfizer and The Carnegie Endowment Behavioural Paradigms Research Project. Side effects may include headaches, indigestion, upper respiratory tract infection, sinus inflammation, oily discharge, malignant pancreatic tumours and mild lycanthropy.)
All the best,
until next time,
I farp you all,
4 comments:
- barrymore said...
Well, I mean...I can't possibly comment on that. Except to say there's a geezer owns a shop near me and he sells suits and he's a MONSTER an ANIMAL. He's old fashioned too and I'm sure he loves his wife very much. Are you gonna go in that shop and tell him what he's been feeling for his wife all these years is FARP! Good Luck! He'll tear you apart. Thats the practical implications of what you're saying. His son works there too – it's a family affair. You wanna go in there and do that? You better bring your dinner! And YOUR family
- September 30, 2011 at 2:07 AM
- Fugger said...
I would not confront such a man. Doubtless, the love he has for his wife would cause him to hate me and react violently against my offer of farp.
Instead, I would offer him a tasty beverage. A beverage laced with farp formula. He would come around to my way of thinking. Farp conquers all.
- October 2, 2011 at 8:56 PM
- Papa Hotel said...
Another oustanding breakthrough from Fugger Lab! Have you been running secret pretests on the presidential election candidates? (With the obvious exception of Moony McGuinness who appears to be mixing crystal meth with his anti-psychotics again)
- October 11, 2011 at 4:54 AM
- Fugger said...
No but Mitchell looks a bit like rat and I almost hauled him back to the lab to spray stuff in his face and all that. I realised my mistake when Kenny made a plea on his behalf. 'Please don't kill my ratty Mr. Fugger' Enda tearfully begged so I took pity and gave Mitchell back.
- October 11, 2011 at 5:35 AM


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If you haven't already heart, Chinua Achebe passed away last Thursday (March 21st). While not a genre writer, Achebe various works have had a profound impact on English-language literature. He is probably best known for Things Fall Apart, which appears from time to time on American high school English curriculum. However, he also wrote four other novels, numerous short story and poetry collections, and a number of essays. If you've never read anything by him before, I recommend you do.
My first introduction to his work was in a graduate-level course on African literature. And, as per usual, the work in question was Things Fall Apart. Since then, I've read short stories, poems, and other novels by Achebe. Most of them I have enjoyed immensely.
He was a great writer, to say the least. And he will be missed immensely.


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Matt Geller OD
Founder & President
Matt Geller is a SUNY Optometry 2013 graduate and an optometrist in San Diego, California. Matt is the founder of OptometryStudents.com and NewGradOptometry.com, the leading online publications for optometry students and new graduate optometrists.
Also, Matt co-founded CovalentCareers.com, a technology company that helps healthcare workers find jobs and opportunities in their healthcare field. Matt is an active consultant for healthcare companies and helps architect solutions to help these companies communicate authentically with the millennial generation.
Antonio Chirumbolo OD
Head of Content
Antonio Chirumbolo attended the SUNY College of Optometry and returned to his hometown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to practice shortly after graduating. He now works in a large private practice setting providing care to his local community. In addition to patient care, Antonio possesses a marked interest in the world of digital publishing.
Courtney Dryer OD
Courtney Dryer is a 2011 graduate of SCO. She opened 4 Eyes Optometry cold in her hometown of Charlotte, NC in February of 2013. She enjoys DIY projects, marathoning TV shows, and traveling in her free time.
Miki D'Angelo OD
Miki Lyn D'Angelo graduated from SUNY State College of Optometry in 2013. She completed a private practice, optometric residency in Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation with Dr. Barry Tannen, OD. Miki is currently back on Long Island in her hometown where she is integrating vision therapy into an already existing full-scope private practice. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, crafting and spending time on the farm with her husband.
Patricia Fulmer OD, FAAO
Patricia Fulmer is a 2012 graduate of The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry and former AOSA National Liaison to the AAO. After graduation, she moved to Amarillo, TX, to complete her residency in Ocular Disease and Primary Care at the Thomas E. Creek VA Hospital. Patricia currently lives in Huntville, AL, where she splits her time between patient care at Madison Eye Care Center and her role as Center Director for VisionAmerica of Huntsville, a co-management practice specializing in secondary and tertiary care, cataract surgery, strabismus, and oculoplastics. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, attending concerts, art, and Alabama football.
Quy Nguyen OD
Quy Nguyen grew up in the Bay Area in California and attended the University of California at Berkeley where he attained a Bachelors in Integrative Biology. He obtained his Doctor of Optometry from the SUNY State College of Optometry in 2013. He formally worked for an OD/OMD practice in Richmond Hill, NY and at Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn, but now is the Director of Careers Development for SUNY Optometry College. In his spare time, he enjoys playing basketball, being outdoors, reading non-fiction books, traveling and volunteering.


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It may be time to replace your Opus card
Opus cards turn four this year and it's time to start replacing them.
Introduced in April 2008, the cards expire after four years. About 1,000 will expire in April. In total this year, 190,000 will have to be replaced by Montreal's transit authority, the Société de transport de Montréal.
All other Quebec transit agencies using the Opus cards are also replacing them, including the Agence métropolitaine de transport (commuter trains), and the bodies that run transit in Laval and Longueuil .
The transit agencies will replace them for free.
You can check your card's expiration date at an Opus machine, at a retailer selling Opus fares and (as of March 1), on this website: carteopus.info (français) and carteopus.info (English).
(Transit agencies are encouraging users to register their Opus cards when they replace them. If a registered card is lost or stolen, transit agencies can restore outstanding fares on a new card. Here's how to register your card).
Here's how to replace your Opus card if it is expiring and if you use the STM (it will be a similar process at other transit agencies) :
This STM document provides more info on the Opus card and the replacement procedure:


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Our 5 panel aluminium framed office partition screens provide an attractive and effective room division solution and private noise reduction area. The 1500mm high screens are ideal for sectioning off seating areas and desk spaces or simply dividing an office or classroom. The boards are easily rolled out on their castors and are self supporting in a zig-zag, L-shape or U-shape formation. The screens are supplied in a choice of 8 vibrant nyloop fabric colours or 11 hardwearing woolmix fabric colours. The double sided 560mm wide boards accept both pins and Velcro when attaching a range of poster sizes including A4, A3 and A2 portrait.
The flexible PVC hinging ensures that the boards concertina flat against each other for space saving and secure storage. The partition screens can also be purchased in 1200 and 1800mm heights and in 4, 7 and 9 panel sets.
Inclusive of
|Approx weight (kg)
|Individual board size (mm)
|1500 (h) x 560 (w)
|Number of boards
|Approx lead-time
|1-5 working days
|Manufacturer's guarantee*
|1 year guarantee against manufacturer's defect
The standard leadtime for our screens is between 1 and 5 days. We offer some stock options for next day delivery including royal blue and grey colours. Please do not hesitate to contact our sales team to enquire about urgent orders. We also offer custom panel sizes should you require something a little different. Speak to us now on 0116 2554640 or email email@example.com.


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Venom Max 1-8x24 IR Overview:
- Weatherproof & Shockproof
- Red/Green adjustable intensity illumination
- 30MM One Piece Aircraft Grade Aluminum Tube
- Dry Nitrogen Purged & Filled
- Range > Dial > Shoot System
Select your Ballistic Turret Cap Options when adding this scope to your cart.
If you have ANY issues with your Venom Max 1-8x24 IR you can simply return it to us, and have it exchanged for a brand new one.
Learn more about the Sting Free Warranty
Download Scope Dimension Spec Sheet here.
Download Scope Measurement Spec Sheet here.


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There is an old adage that negative attention is better than no attention, and that any press is good press. For nonprofits, which depend on the public's perception of their effectiveness and integrity, nothing could be further from the truth.
From a major donor landing in legal trouble, to a defection of a top fundraiser, issues could turn into a crisis for a nonprofit. If the media pounces, the average nonprofit could find it difficult to weather the storm.
The arrival of a crisis is not the time to start thinking about a crisis communication plan. If—and much more likely, when—a crisis arrives, an organization must already have plans, people, and procedures in place to deal with it.
Nonprofits, which generally have far fewer resources than their corporate counterparts, have to first evaluate risk. That means asking what could go wrong, what a worst-case scenario looks like, and which response is most likely to work quickly and effectively under fire.
Social Media: Putting the Power of Media in the Hands of the Nonprofit
If an organization doesn't manage the media during a crisis, the media will manage it for them. During a crisis, an organization depends on its ability to project its side of the story, to appear honest and transparent, to explain its position, and to articulate its proposed solution.
Newspapers and television networks can seem to earn ratings through negative, cynical coverage, but social media puts the power of messaging back in the hands of the organization. Nonprofits have to develop a team dedicated to de-escalating a crisis through the management of communication.
That team must include an experienced social media expert.
Social media gives nonprofits a direct link to the people most concerned with their organization. It gives them not only the ability to listen to those people, but to engage them directly and personally in real time.
So, what does this look like in real life?
Southwest Airlines and Social Media: Twitter as a Crisis Management Tool
On Sunday, October 11, 2015, Southwest Airlines suffered a catastrophic computer crash that grounded 800 flights, stranded countless thousands of fliers, and rendered their website inoperable. A massive influx of phone calls shut down their phone system. As lines stretched for miles and angry passengers camped out in airports, a salivating media began labeling the disaster as "Bloody Sunday."
Although Southwest is not a nonprofit, the private sector, public sector, and the nonprofit sector alike could all take a lesson in crisis communication in how the airline responded.
With traditional communication lines like telephone networks rendered useless, Southwest quickly and effectively turned to social media. Twitter became the airline's base of operations. They responded to every single tweet (there were tens of thousands of them) from every single frustrated passenger. They answered questions about flight delays. They confirmed or disconfirmed reservations to customers who couldn't access the website. They delivered pizzas to hungry passengers trapped in airports.
In the end, catastrophe was avoided and passengers— as well as the media—generally praised the airline's quick response and innovative use of social media as a powerful communication tool. Their crisis communication plan helped them avoid a crisis that had all the ingredients for lasting brand damage.
Developing a Crisis Communication Strategy
The first step is to understand the difference between an issue and a crisis. An issue is a negative, yet predictable, circumstance that any organization should expect to encounter—say, the firing of a top executive. If allowed to fester, however, that issue could become a crisis if, for example, the media reported that the top executive was fired for embezzling funds.
This story could crush an organization that does not have a crisis management plan in place. Nonprofits, therefore, must prepare for the worst by:
- Assembling a dedicated team that includes a top decision maker (perhaps the executive director), a public relations expert, and a social media manager.
- Ensure the integrity of their communications platforms by making sure that all social channels have the correct privacy settings, as described in this article.
- Identifying a worst-case scenario.
- Assigning responsibility. Who will write a press release? Who will be the media's main contact? Who will address the staff and volunteers? Who will engage the donors? Perhaps most importantly, it should be determined which parties will not talk to the media no matter the circumstance.
- Social Media during a crisis: Who will be in charge of the nonprofit's social channels? Does the nonprofit have the proper privacy settings to prevent the wrong personnel from gaining access and control? What is the strategy in case the crisis is created by the social media team?
- Creating materials and systems: The team may create a dedicated phone line and social media accounts exclusively for use during a crisis. They may also develop materials and documents to aid their response.
Like governmental and corporate organizations, nonprofits are run by human beings who make mistakes and commit errors in judgment. Unlike their public and private counterparts, however, nonprofits don't generally have the resources and systems in place to communicate effectively when those problems and mistakes turn into crises. Nonprofits can't wait until a crisis arises to assemble a team, develop a plan and rehearse a social media-based communication strategy for handling the problem. If they do, the news media will be sure to handle it for them.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock


text: What are you going to do this Easter? If you're in Melbourne, here are the best ways to celebrate Easter. For one thing, Easter egg hunts are just thrilling for kids. Adults can also get a kick out of them, watching and joining in the excitement. An Easter egg hunt is lots of fun to plan… a great little weekend project, for sure.


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Project Description
Find us here
Someone to talk to
If you need a chat about housing, sexual health, mental health, money matters or anything else that is on your mind, then please come and see us during our opening hours.
You can call in to the drop-ins and receive information and support on housing, benefits, job seeking and more. We offer pregnancy testing on site. We also offer c-card pick up and registration and food bank vouchers.
Remember all of these services are free and you don't need an appointment. On occasion you may have to wait until someone can see you. Its a good idea to arrive at least 45 minutes before the drop-in closes to give you plenty of time to talk to us.
Support with your mental health
If you would like to discuss your mental health then please come to one of our 'Someone to talk to' drop-in sessions to meet a project worker who can assess your needs and find the best support for you – sometimes this will be counselling. It might be through Centre 33 or with another organisation. We can help you find a good fit. Read more information about counselling here.
No need for an appointment- just drop by!
The drop-in runs on Wednesdays, 2pm-5pm at the Maple Centre. You can call in to the drop-in without an appointment and speak to someone between these hours to see if we can support you. Booked counselling appointments are also available outside of these hours.
For more information contact the helpline or drop us a line. Or email email@example.com
The Maple Centre, 6 Oak Dr,
Huntingdon, PE29 7HN
Opening hours
Here are the opening hours and what we offer:
The Maple Centre
Appointments and drop-in Wednesdays 2-5pm
Community drop-ins
Appointments and drop-ins will take place in a variety of places in the community.Watch this page for more details.
Huntingdon Regional College
Counselling appointments are available to students at HRC on Wednesdays 11-1pm. Please contact us on 0333 4141809 to arrange an appointment. You can also ask your tutor or student welfare to do it for you.
The Maple Centre has a ramp, a lift and a hearing loop in reception.
Young Carers Project in Huntingdonshire
We currently offer young carers support on a one to one basis, in community based groups (8-11 year olds), schools based groups for over 11yrs and also a summer activity programme. We do transitional work with year 6 and year 9 and support any young person up to the age of 25 with their caring responsibilities.
You can call us, or drop -in, or if you would like to refer a young person to our service please see here.
What happens when I visit?
The team in Huntingdonshire
Becca Bryant – Project Worker Young Carers Team
Jo Livingstone – Project Worker Mental Health & Counselling Team
Sam Crane – New Horizons/Information and Support Project Worker
Kristi Wood – Administrator
Please get in touch via the helpline if you need to speak with us. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.


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Colonial Medical Supplies – Since 1957 Colonial Medical Supplies has supplied customers with the highest quality Home Medical Equipment with the largest showroom in Central Florida of Wheelchairs, Walkers, Mastectomy, Lift Chairs, Hospital Beds, Catheters, Compression Stockings, and more. Located in Orlando, FL.
Florida Mobility – Florida Mobility & Medical Products carry most major lines of medical assistive device. Our large inventory gives you the best products and choices. Located in Orlando, FL


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Important Events
- Mar 12 Congress accepts Pre-emption Bill: free land in West for colonists
- Apr 13 1st Pony Express reaches Sacramento, California
- Jun 30 Famous debate on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution held at the Oxford University Museum and dominated by arguments between Thomas Henry Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce
- Nov 6 Abraham Lincoln (Rep-R-Ill) elected 16th American President
- Dec 28 Harriet Tubman arrives in Auburn, New York, on her last mission to free slaves, having evaded capture for 8 years on the Underground Railroad
More Historical Events
1860 in Sport
Did You Know?
The first British seagoing iron-clad warship, HMS Warrior is launched
On December 29, 1860
World Leaders in 1860
- Henry John Temple
British Prime Minister
- James Buchanan
15th US President
Famous People in 1860
- Charles Dickens
- Giuseppe Verdi
Would You Believe?
11-year-old Grace Bedell writes to Abraham Lincoln telling him to grow a beard
On October 15, 1860
Famous Weddings
- May 22 Major General George McClellan (33) weds Mary Ellen at Calvary Church in NYC, New York
- Nov 11 1st Jewish wedding in Buenos Aires Argentina


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On Bitterness/
I drank straight from the can. I would have poured it into a glass but none were clean. I sat on my dirty couch amid squalour and gloom, binging on mindless television. The fantasy on the screen didn't stop my eye from straying over the stack of rejection letters piling up on the coffee table, but the beer helped a little. Life was running away without me, and I was caught in that blend of lethargy and resentment that leaves me steps behind the world.
The beer was a Crosswinds Pale Ale from the Lake of Bays Brewing Company. It was a gift from my mother, who thought I'd find it interesting. I suppose it did engage my attention, but only as a mild curiosity. It was bland for a craft beer, mirroring my mood. The label claimed "notes of citrus and a clean landing," but I only tasted bitterness.
And I reveled in it.
Bitterness is the backbone of beer. Despite an endless variety of brews, there's always a taste that sits at the back of your throat, asking you to spit it out. Domestic lagers try to force this taste out, watering down their formula until they lose everything except the slightest twinge of hops. Palatable to the masses.
Those of us who enjoy beer in its variety are suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Truth is, nobody likes beer the first time they drink it. After all the hype from television and teens, the first time you try Lucky Lager at the bush party behind Katlin's house it will let you down.
If this is your first disappointment in life it won't be your last. Later that year when you ask her to the spring formal she will laugh in your face. Your first job, which you were so optimistic about, will be a chaotic mess of incompetence and abusive management. As will your second, and third, and so on. And when you think you've found love, when you are ready to share all that you are with another, the skin of the relationship will flake away, revealing a hollow space where you are more alone than you were before.
Bitterness is the taste of life. Dress it up however you like. Try to hide it under the fresh spice of celebration, or the malty taste of contentment, but you will always come down with a bitter landing.
I've acquired the taste for beer, but never the taste for life.
Conor Rochon
Conor is not an alcoholic. He is an engaged and passionate person who does about half as much distraught navel-gazing as this blog would suggest. He has an aptitude for communication and a passion for storytelling. When he finds he has free time he plays silly games and enjoys good beer.


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Amazon Cuts Kindle 2 Price to $299
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Online retailer Amazon.com has cut the price of its standard Kindle electronic reader by 17 percent to $299, the company said on Wednesday.
The price cut comes amid a budding digital book battle between Amazon and Sony Corp and a host of smaller competitors anxious to get in on the ground floor of what some say is the future of reading.
Electronic readers allow consumers to read their favorite books, magazines or newspapers on a tablet that downloads content digitally. While the devices are convenient for those who travel, their high prices have been a barrier to many.
Amazon shares rose $1.73, or 2.3 percent, to close at $77.36 on Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Reporting by Alexandria Sage; Additional reporting by Brad Dorfman; Editing by Richard Chang)
© Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.


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by Karen J Mossman
Table was set. Turkey cooking. Presents wrapped. I drank wine to celebrate.
Then I stopped. "Oh my God!" What had I done? Or rather not done.
I grab my coat, run back and grabbed my phone. Ordered Uber. Shoving my shoes in my feet, purse and phone in my shopping bag, I run outside. Coat trapped in door, I lock up as Uber rolls up.
"Where to?"
"The Trafford Centre?"
"You sure?"
Trafford Centre, Christmas Eve? He's right. "The Mall, then." He nodded. He drives off.
I thank him, climb out, and rush inside. It was full of odd-balls. The four-foot man who walks with his right arm outstretched is in today. The woman with the doll in a push chair is also here. Loopy folks.
People pour around me. "Where're am I going?" I say out loud. A man looks me oddly. I turn and collide with a mobility scooter.
"Ow! Sorry!" The owner scowls as I limp into a gift shop, dabbing blood on my knee with tissue. What was he driving? A spiked chariot!!
"The Mall will be closing in 10 minutes. Please make your way towards the nearest till." Says the tannoy. I groan.
I march to the counter. Sweep eyes left and right. "I'll have one of those, one of those, that and this, please."
"Do you want them gift wrapped?"
"Yes!" I gasp. She wraps, I wait. Anxiously I look at the door.
"Thank you so much." Gave her a big smile and left.
Outside open the app. Uber. 5 minutes away. Your driver is Sharif.
I wait, and wait. Check phone. Glare at screen. Driving going in opposite direction. Rang him. Directed him back.
He's ull of apologies, "I'm new," he explains.
"Don't you track me? I was tracking you?"
"I was driving," he said. Roll eyes.
Arriving home, Christmas lights on. Hubby home is back work.
"Hello darling,"he says as I fall head long through door. Parcels scatter. "One too many?"
Presents under the Christmas tree. Smiling husband. Glass of red.
"Have we got everything now?" he asks.
"Yes," I say. I forgot his presents. Won't tell him – at least not yet.


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via press release:
Original Bond Stars Include Sean Connery, George Lazenby,
Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan
Bond Girls, "Magic City" Star Olga Kurylenko and Eva Green (Dark Shadows)
Included In Featurettes Throughout Uncut/Commercial-Free
Classic Bond Films Every Night in July at 8PM ET/PT
Beverly Hills, Calif., June 6, 2012 – ENCORE presents "The Bond Collection," showcasing 19 classic James Bond feature films, starting Sunday, July 1 at 8pm ET/PT on ENCORE. A James Bond film will air uncut and commercial-free on ENCORE each night throughout the month of July, featuring actors who have starred as the debonair 'James Bond' over the last 50 years: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan.
ENCORE kicks off the month-long celebration of the one and only "007" with an all-day marathon on Sunday, July 1 at 7:00am ET/PT starting with feature Dr. No and ending with Never Say Never Again at 4:15am on July 2.
Former "Bond Girls" Olga Kurylenko, star of the hit STARZ Original drama series "Magic City," and Eva Green (Dark Shadows) will be included in featurettes throughout the month-long Bond event on ENCORE. Kurylenko will discuss her role as former Bond Girl 'Camille Montes,' a woman deeply focused on avenging the murder of her family, and Green will share her experience as former bond girl 'Vesper Lynd.'
"James Bond films are timeless and amongst the most iconic and revered action films in history. We are delighted to bring them back to ENCORE uncut and commercial-free every night in July with the incredible former 'Bond Girl,' Olga Kurylenko from the STARZ Original series, 'Magic City,' as a featured guest throughout the month," said Stephan Shelanski, executive vice president of programming at Starz Entertainment. "ENCORE is the most widely subscribed premium channel in the United States with more than 33 million subscribers, and this is a tremendous summer event for them."
ENCORE kicks off the month-long celebration of the one and only "007" with an all-day Bond Marathon on Sunday, July 1 at 7:00am ET/PT featuring the following films:
7:00am Dr. No
9:00am A View to a Kill
11:20am The Spy Who Loved Me
1:35pm The Living Daylights
3:50pm Thunderball
6:05pm Goldfinger
8:00pm Tomorrow Never Dies
10:00pm Live and Let Die
12:05am For Your Eyes Only
2:15am You Only Live Twice
4:15am Never Say Never Again
"The Bond Collection" month-long nightly lineup includes feature presentations of the following 19 classic films at 8pm et/pt, each night throughout the month of July:
July 1 Tomorrow Never Dies
July 2 Goldeneye
July 3 License to Kill
July 4 Man with the Golden Gun
July 5 Dr. No
July 6 From Russia with Love
July 7 Goldfinger
July 8 Thunderball
July 9 You Only Live Twice
July 10 On Her Majesty's Secret Service
July 11 Diamonds are Forever
July 12 Live and Let Die
July 13 The Spy Who Loved Me
July 14 Man with the Golden Gun
July 15 For Your Eyes Only
July 16 Moonraker
July 17 Never Say Never Again
July 18 Octopussy
July 19 From Russia with Love
July 20 The Living Daylights
July 21 A View to a Kill
July 22 Goldeneye
July 23 Tomorrow Never Dies
July 24 Dr. No
July 25 Thunderball
July 26 For Your Eyes Only
July 27 You Only Live Twice
July 28 Live and Let Die
July 29 Diamonds are Forever
July 30 A View to a Kill
July 31 Goldfinger


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Laneway & Campos
Our coffee comes exclusively from Campos, who only produce sustainable and ethically sound beans. We offer their superior blend & single origins with options from award-winning varieties such as Fazenda Mantissa and Sitio Sao Sebastiao from Brazil.
The coffee farms Campos select for the Superior Blend are the leaders in the Speciality Coffee world for their regions. Not only is Campos Coffee Fair Trade but it is also Direct Trade. That's right, no middle man and higher prices for farmers. Campos works directly with these farmers to see for themselves how the money is benefiting the communities and being reinvested back in to the farms.


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If you are someone who loves riding boats and sailing to different islands, you will really enjoy what we have for you today because today we are going to be talking about boat adventures and bay charters. There are a lot of people who hire these boats or these bay charters as they are really fun to get on and they can really benefit a whole lot from them so if you are someone who really wants to try this out, you should really do so today. If you would like to know what these bay charters have in store for you, just keep on reading down below as we are going to be explaining to you the wonderful benefits of these bay charters and these yachts.
When you get on a bay charter ride, you can really get to experience the boat ride of your life as they are really luxurious and really grand as well. When you get on these bay charters, they are unlike other boats because these are designed to give you a lot of comfort and a lot of really wonderful things to make your boat trip very enjoyable and very relaxing. Maybe you have been on a boat before and if you have, you may have gotten sea sick because it was open air and this did not really do you so well. Bay charters are really wonderful to try out so what are you waiting for? Want some adventure? Go and try out these bay charters today.
Bay charters and yachts are really comfortable to stay in as they are really like staying in a hotel room except you are floating on the water. You have probably seen pictures of yachts and you have probably wondered if they could house you and keep you in for the night and they surely can. If you want to watch TV, or have a hot and cold shower, you got these all in these really luxurious bay charters and these yachts so go and try them out today if you have never tried the out yet. You can really gain so much from these wonderful bay charters so if you are really looking for an adventure that you have not really tried before, you should try going on a bay charter tour or a boat tour as these are really fun and you are really going to enjoy them so much.
The 10 Most Unanswered Questions about Parties


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Lightning Fast PHP Server With Nginx, eAccelerator, and Varnish
Published: 2010-10-17
In the word of servers, Apache is still the undisputed king. It's extendability and ability to run anything you can throw at it has led to it being the number one most used server in the world. Just because it has large numbers though, doesn't mean it's the best in terms of performance.
When running a site with lots of traffic, Apache can quickly grow into a large beast. This can be overcome by throwing more machines (and money) at the problem, but for many companies and people, that simply isn't an option. Instead why not squeeze every piece of performance that you can out of your existing tech.
Enter Nginx. "Nginx is known for its high performance, stability, rich feature set, simple configuration, and low resource consumption." In other words, it will run faster and more efficiently than Apache.
Installing Nginx on Ubuntu is fairly simple.
A simple
will get you started.
Now edit the file in /etc/nginx/sites-available/default
change it to
This assumes your root web folder is /var/www. You'll also notice I have it set to listen on port 8080 and not the normal 80. This comes into play later when we setup of Varnish, so just go with me for now.
Now we need to get PHP installed so we can actually serve PHP files.
As usual start with
You may have to add deb http://php53.dotdeb.org stable all to your packages list for php5-fpm and php5-cgi to show up.
Before configuring PHP let's install eAccelerator. "eAccelerator is a free open-source PHP accelerator & optimizer. It increases the performance of PHP scripts by caching them in their compiled state, so that the overhead of compiling is almost completely eliminated. It also optimizes scripts to speed up their execution. eAccelerator typically reduces server load and increases the speed of your PHP code by 1-10 times."
Now cd into /tmp/
Now edit /etc/php5/fpm/php.ini
and right under the [PHP] block add
Now restart PHP
Then restart Nginx
Now if you hit http://localhost:8080/index.php you should see your site.
The only thing left to setup at this point is Varnish.
"Varnish store web pages in memory so the web servers don't have to create the same web page over and over again. The web server only recreate a page when it is changed. Additionally Varnish can serve web pages much faster then any application server is capable of – giving the website a significant speed up."
Install with
After install run
to make sure it's not running while we configure it.
Now run
Varnish should now be running. Check by typing
If you see a series of lines then Varnish should be working.
You can run one more test by going to your browser and reloading the page.
If you see results like
Then Varnish is correctly intercepting your requests. Varnish is getting the requests on port 80 forwarding them to Nginx if needed through port 8080, which is why we set it to 8080 earlier. You can set the port to foward in /etc/varnish/default.vcl. You can learn more about the setup and optimization of Varnish here.
You should now have a lighting fast PHP server. This setup is a pretty basic configuration so I'm sure by tweaking each individual component to your needs would get even more performance out of it. Compared to a base Apache config, though, this is fantastic.
If you have some optimization techniques, or have any questions, let me know in the comments.


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All Screen Shots are in Beta and do not reflect the final product. Thanks!
Note: Physical Rewards are back! Sorry for the inconvenience.
- 30+ Hours of gameplay. ( Not including all Side-Quests )
- Active Turn Based Battle System. Ex: Final Fantasy
- Highly tactical Battle System. Focuses on player enhancements and Elemental weakness/resistances.
- No random encounters! All enemies will be present on screen and it is up to you to decide whether you fight them or not.
- Complex puzzle solving.
- Emotional and Compelling story line. ( Details coming soon )
- Gorgeous hand drawn battle sprites for Players and Enemies.
- Completely original soundtrack.
- Fully voice acted. ( Only in cutscenes, not for general text. )
- High Quality 32bit Goodness!
- PC exclusive. ( see FAQ section for more details )
Legend tells of a female child, born of the stars, destined to keep the world of Rivera in balance - The Eternal Maiden. With the untimely death of the last Eternal Maiden Thirty years ago, the world began to fall into darkness. Now, the new Eternal Maiden, Namie Alguard, stands as the last hope to vanquish the great evil. Can she obtain the powers necessary and save the world from Eternal Darkness? Or will she fail, and be powerless to watch as the world of Rivera descends into chaos?
Join Namie and Holland as they traverse the land of Rivera discovering the truth behind Namie's power. Friends, enemies, right and wrong, the line blurs when the action turns on, and everyone fights for their vision of tomorrow.
Your Donation will be used to make Echoes of Eternia as best as possible. The money will be used to fund the Amazing art from Melissa Hui Wang who has done so much to help out this project and has made it so much better than it ever could have been without her. It will also fund an Original Soundtrack produced by Dream Orbit Music Corps, Animation by Josh Buchanan, and Legalities like Copyrights and Trademarks. Any extra funds generated will be used to produce higher quality content and ensure us that we have full creative freedom.
Echoes of Eternia has been in production since December of 2011. Much of our time has been spent on developing a high quality story line and writing code. Development is going great and we are very satisfied with how it is progressing.
A large amount of our story line has been completed. We are now focusing on fleshing out the world and making it as real as possible. We are beyond happy with how our story line turned out. It promises to reflect the classic RPG scenarios while mixing in a unique and different take on it, we are really aiming to deliver something never seen before. You can read a short teaser of the story above.
Our Development team is made up of a lot of talent and passion.
- Ryan Harmon who is the Head Designer of Echoes of Eternia.
- Jeremy Hill who has been working with Ryan on developing the story.
- Melissa Hui Wang (www.muddymelly.deviantart.com) who has been so very kind and has delivered some truly breath taking artwork!
- Josh Bucannan who is animating the player characters and enemies for the battle system.
- Aaron Johnson Davis is our Second Artist and is focusing on enemy designs.
- Dream Orbit Music Corps (www.dreamorbitmusic.com) who is going to be producing a completely Original Soundtrack.
- Eric Niskanen: Pixel Artist. He will be developing high quality 32-bit graphics for the use of developing the game World.
- Rebecca Lemker: Pixel Artist. She will be creating original and stylish sprites for all characters in Echoes of Eternia.
- Aakaash Rao & Angelo Cicero: An awesome team of composers focused on creating beautiful and emotional music for E.o.E.
We thank you very much for learning about Echoes of Eternia and we hope we have peaked your interest. Please leave us any questions or comments, we love to hear them!
Funding period
- (30 days)


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Section 5.1./
Article 5.1.1.
In accordance with Clause 126.96.36.199. the Rules and Regulations adopted by the Directors shall be considered published when posted in the Community Clubhouse.
Article 5.1.2.
The responsibility for the adherence to the Rules and Regulations as well as for the conduct and behavior of accompanied and/or invited guests shall fully rest with the host member. Guests using Club facilities must be accompanied by a host member. Any person not in the company of a host member shall be regarded as a trespasser. Members who rent their properties shall be responsible for their tenants' conduct, behavior and adherence to the Club Bylaws.
Article 5.1.3.
For health and safety reasons, no animals are allowed in the Clubhouse, on the Clubhouse deck area or in the area surrounding the Clubhouse, including the boat ramps, boat launch or beach areas and the asphalt parking areas except animals in transport to or from a vehicle to a boat (on a leash or carried.) No animals are allowed in the swim lake, in the lake beach area, in the picnic or barbecue area, in or around the Cabana, in the playground area, or in the asphalt parking area. Obey all signs to that effect. Service animals are permitted.
Each LISE member household is limited to keeping no more than two dogs, two cats, two birds, and two female chickens. Following reproduction, the young must be removed from LISE lot premises within 8 weeks of age. No animals may be raised for commercial purposes.
Animals shall not be permitted to chase wildlife at any time anywhere. Animal owners are fully responsible for the behavior of their animals, which includes the actions and noise of their animals. All animals which are permitted to run free in violation of county ordinances will be reported to the Whatcom County Enforcement Agent for action. All animals which are permitted to run free in violation of these Bylaws on Club owned property will be reported to the County Enforcement Agent and to the Board of Directors for action.


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Hi, I'm Sara.
And I'm a writer, visual artist, and mom-person currently scrawling on Medium and for other publications. SEGwrites is the collective home for my recent writings published around the web.
Featured Stories
"Better"—A Short Story
A small snippet from my novel in progress. Max's perspective.
The sound of the highway was quite loud in the rented little Ford car.
I shifted in my seat. It angled into my back leaving me feeling like a squished giant. I peered over at Cheryl before double-checking the GPS mounted onto the dashboard. We were about ten minutes from the airport. Ten minutes of silence, I hoped.
"No More Second Chances"—A Short Story
Her life was one that housewives watched on Facebook, longing for a moment in her shoes.
"It's All Immaterial"—A Short Story
And there it was, the answer he never expected.
Three months to live and nothing can be done. He could start chemotherapy, but as his doctor said: "It may extend your life for a few months, however, it's going to be miserable. Chemotherapy may just make your last few months unbearable. I'm sorry."
Thanks, Doc.


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Bright Blue's senior associate fellow Ben Caldecott has written for the Telegraph about the launch of our new report, A greener, more pleasant land, in which we propose a new, market-based commissioning scheme for rural payments after Brexit.
Here's an excerpt:
There are significant benefits of a market-based approach to commissioning ecosystem services. Not only can competition improve value for money, it can improve the quality of ecosystem services and introduce new non-public sources of funding into rural activity. The approach we propose is adaptable and can be modified in response to changing priorities, needs and budgets.
Read the full article here.


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For years I was a fan of the game cricket. I was drawn into the game initially after watching the Indian movie Lagaan, which tells the story of a multicultural group of colonial subjects, untouchables, Hindus, Muslims and Sihks all banding together to challenge British imperial power over their lives on a cricket pitch. In the movie, the Indian team is able to defeat their imperial master at a game that he had long used to establish their superiority over those they ruled. The anti-colonial premise of the film was realized over decades when teams, most notably the West Indies, were able to rise up, defeat and dominate their former colonizer. This team of blacks and browns was able to triumph over England and the other predominantly white cricketing nations. Other teams such as India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have followed. Postcolonial studies has taken up this issue, especially in the Caribbean, where we find CLR James' book Beyond a Boundary.
Viv Richards, a famous West Indies batsmen, who helped carry his team to the championship heights during his time on the field once said, "In my own way, I would like to think that I carried my bat for the liberation of Africa and other oppressed people everywhere."
Ya-hu este na sinangan. Parehu i hinasso-ku, na gaige todu todu i bidada-hu un guinife para un mas maolek un mas gailibre na tano'. Todu hu cho'gue, hu cho'guiguiyi i Chamorro siha, na un diha siña u mana'libre.
This sentiment, which can easily be explained as idealistic, easily co-opted, and just plain celebrity nonsense, nonetheless carries within it the dreams of a better world, the hopes for decolonization.


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Health Services
Health Center
Miner Hall
8:30am – 5:00pm
Monday – Friday
During regular class days during fall and spring semesters.
On-Campus Counselors
No charge —with exception of campus sanctioned or court ordered.
Call for appointments - walk-ins as time allows.
Medical Care Options
- MidMichigan Medical Center--Emergency Department
- Available 24 Hours/ day
- Expensive option for minor illness
- Always use 911 emergency system for life-threatening events
- Walk-In Clinics Available
- MidMichigan Urgent Care
- Redi-Med
- Hope Urgent Care
- Resident Assistants and Security Personnel
- Available 24 hours/ day
- 837-4911
Health Center Contact Information
Sue Mishler


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Iowa's own guide to great gardening and landscaping. A State-by-State Gardening Publication
Some Strings Attached
by Rita Randolph
In the last few years there has been a new method developed called "string gardens." The nice thing about these hanging plants is that anything goes. They come in a multitude of sizes – tiny little things wrapped in colorful fabric and tied with embroidery thread or very large specimens in burlap, hung with a chain. They can be pottery, glass containers, or as natural as a moss-wrapped root ball. These are plants that have been wrapped in a variety of materials and hung from windows, beams, or ceilings. >> read article
Harvesting Happiness
by Laura Matthews
Placing seeds in sweet soil, backyard homesteaders grow food to grow a better life. Within the trend of increased interest in vegetable gardening, there are families who intensively garden, not as a hobby, but as a way of life. In a sense, they create mini-farms. >> read article
There's an App for That!
You can gain a lot of gardening tips on your smartphone
by Kylee Baumle
Gardening is a hands-on activity. We need to (and like to) get down and dirty while practicing our craft, but after we've come back inside and cleaned the dirt from underneath our fingernails (toenails too, sometimes), we can continue from our chair where we left off in the garden. >> read article
2017 New Varieties
Branch out and try something new in the vegetable garden
by Lori Pelkowski
It's that time of year again. The 2017 winners of the coveted All-America Selections Vegetable Awards, which recognizes only the tastiest, easiest-to-grow vegetables, have been announced. The AAS's mission is "to promote new garden seed varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America." I am growing these new varieties this year because, although they may be short in stature, they are heavy on harvest and big on flavor. >> read article


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Benson Park Pecans
Benson Park Pecans
41502 Benson Park Rd
Phone: 405-273-1235
Located on the historic grounds of Benson Park in Shawnee, Benson Park Pecans offers a lovely experience in the small gift shop with a sampling of pecans and pecan products. Visitors can stock up on pecan oil, paper shell pecans, pecan halves, pecan pieces and holiday tins filled with tasty nuts and treats like chocolate amaretto, creamy white, and praline pecans. Orchard and plant tours are available with advance reservations.
Find Nearby
Highway Corridors (within 5 mi.): US-270
Monday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tuesday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thursday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pmOpen seasonally Nov-Dec.


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The Presidential Forum is comprised of one president or chancellor from each of the 32 Division I Conferences. The purpose of the forum is to assist the NCAA Division I Board of Directors in accomplishing its strategic mission in the Division I governance structure and help ensure that the NCAA core value involving presidential leadership of intercollegiate athletics at the campus, conference and national level is achieved.
- April 2019: Apr. 2019 Report
- January 2019: Jan. 2019 Report
- October 2018: Oct. 2018 Report
- April 2018: April 2018 Report
- January 2018: Jan. 2018 Report
- October 2017: Oct. 2017 Report
For previous documents, please fill out the Archived Document Request Form.


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Black Widow Spider
Female Black Widow spiders have a red hourglass shape on their backs. Males have white spots on their sides. Males only live about a year, but the female can live up to 3 years. Hungry female Black Widow spiders have been known to kill the male spider after mating, but that isn't always the case. Geographically, Black Widow spiders can be found in the Eastern, Central and Western United States.
Black Widow Spider Description
Size: 3/4″ to 3/8″
Shape: Round
Color: Black with characteristic red "hourglass" on back
Legs: 8
Wings: No
Antenna: No
Common Name: Black Widow Spider
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Theridiidae
Species: Lactrodectus mactans
Black Widow Diet
Black Widow spiders eat other pests. Sometimes they even eat other spiders!
Black Widow Habitat
Black Widow spiders tend to live in cellars and in piles of wood or trash.
Black Widow Spider Bite
The bite of a female Black Widow spider can be poisonous but not deadly to humans. The male Black Widow spider does not bite. A Black Widow spider bite is pale in the middle with a red ring around it and is followed by severe cramping, weakness, sweating, headache, anxiety, itching, nausea, vomiting, difficult breathing and increased blood pressure.
Preventing Spider Bites
* Wear heavy gloves when moving things that have been stored for a long time.
* Shake out your shoes before putting them on.
* Just to be safe, stay away from spider webs.
Brown Recluse Spider
Brown recluse spiders get their name because of their tendency to hide in corners. They are identified by the dark brown violin shaped markings on their back. Native to Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Mississippi, they are nocturnal pests.
Brown Recluse Spider Description
Size: 5/8″
Shape: Round
Color: Light to dark brown, with a dark brown violin shaped marking on their back.
Legs: 8
Wings: No
Antenna: No
Common Name: Brown Recluse Spider
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Sicariidae
Species: Loxosceles reclusa
Brown Recluse Diet
Brown Recluse spiders eat other bugs like cockroaches and crickets.
Brown Recluse Habitat
Brown Recluse spiders live in cellars and in piles of wood or trash.
Brown Recluse Spider Bite
The brown recluse spider only bites to protect itself. Its bite is painful and can produce an open, ulcerating sore. The center of their bite becomes a blister surrounded by an angry-looking red ring, which is then surrounded by a white ring. A red, itchy rash usually appears in the first 24-48 hours of being bitten. Other symptoms of brown recluse spider bite include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and muscle aches.
Preventing Spider Bites
* Don't leave clothing on the floor.
* Store clothes and shoes inside plastic containers and shake them out before wearing them.
To eliminate spiders and unwanted pests from your home contact Johnson Pest Control in Knoxville, Sevierville and East Tennessee.


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view single item
Object Name: Chaise (side chair)
Related People:
Date: 1779
Medium: Beech; gilding, modern silk upholstery
Dimensions: Overall: 41 x 23 x 21 in. ( 104.1 x 58.4 x 53.3 cm )
Place made: Europe, France, Paris
Description: Carved and gilded beech wood Louis XVI chaise (side chair) with arched rectangular back in molded frame with carved paquerettes and acanthus; trapezoidal seat with seat rail carved similarly to the crest rail; on circular tapering spiral-reeded legs headed by leaf tips and beaded; currently upholstered in fabric reproducing original covering.
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Gouverneur Morris
Send to a Friend
Object Number: 1817.13
Marks: Stenciled on chair webbing: French royal inventory number-Versailles crowned W, "du No. 194"
This elaborately carved and gilded chair was originally part of a suite that Marie-Antoinette ordered in 1779 for her private apartments at Versailles. New Yorker Gouverneur Morris, the American ambassador to France, purchased the suite at an auction of royal effects held after the fall of the ancien régime. The chair's upholstery reproduces the design of the original.
Gallery Label:
Gallery Label:
Made for the Grand Cabinet Interior de la Reine de Versailles, Marie Antoinette, ca. 1779; Gouverneur Morris, ca. 1793 to 1816 (U.S. Minister to French Court during French Revolution).
Olson, Roberta J. M. "A selection of European paintings and objects." The Magazine Antiques 167 (2005): 182-187.
"Fit for the King (Gouverneur Morris: Statesman and Connoisseur)," New-York Historical Society, July 14–October 2, 2000.
"French Founding Father: Lafayette's Return to Washington's America," New-York Historical Society, November 16, 2007–August 10, 2008.


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We've unlocked all the Stretch Goals up to $100K to give you more dice, more promos and more encounters sooner. Scroll down to see all the new details.
Brave Delvers from across the realm have journeyed to seek their fortune within the dungeons of Skull Cavern. Gold, treasures, and perilous encounters await behind every door! Grab your gear, sharpen your swords and watch out for those kobolds!
In Delve, players guide their band of adventurers through the dungeons of Skull Cavern. Each turn, place a dungeon tile and a delver, explore the dangers below and search for loot. When a room or corridor is completed, delvers must fight for their share of the gold and treasure. If a player manages to complete a room alone, they instead must overcome dangerous encounters before collecting their riches. Designed by legendary talents Richard Launius and Pete Shirey, Delve combines tile laying and an immersive narrative experience in a new and exciting way
Delve is a tile laying game for 2-4 players that plays in under 60 minutes designed by the legendary team of Richard Launius and Pete Shirey. For more information, we encourage you to view the video content below, or simply read our draft rulebook here.
The Peril Awaits expansion of Delve contains 10 more treasure cards and 30 more encounters, adding even more dungeon-exploring adventures for you and your fellow delvers! Promos will not be part of the retail version of Delve.
We have also implemented updated tile art, which can be seen below!
We have a number of exciting goals to reach during this project - more dice, more encounters, more promos! Help us spread the word and make this project even better for everyone.
Promos are extra content that won't be in the retail edition of the game, promos are an extra reward for backers of this project.
In addition to the more traditional funding goals above, we encourage our backers to unlock more content by becoming a fan and/or follower on our various social platforms:
- Delve is the 33rd project from the combined teams behind Indie Boards and Cards & Action Phase Games. With the successful execution of our first 32 projects, we have become experienced publishers with a reputation for great games (in design and production) that are delivered in a timely fashion.
- Delve was designed by talented newcomer Pete Shirey and tabletop legend Richard Launius (Arkham Horror, Elder Sign, Defenders of the Realm). This game has undergone extensive testing and development to ensure the best possible experience. We are confident that this game will be in your collection for years to come.
- Backers will have early access to promo content in Delve, which will not be available in retail upon initial release. It may be released in the future, but if you miss this Kickstarter, we cannot guarantee that it will be available at a later date.
- All of the art assets are complete and ready for immediate upload after the project funds.
- Prices include US shipping. This project also is EU & Canadian friendly.
Kickstarter is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. Every month, tens of thousands of people pledge millions of dollars to creative projects in dozens of categories.
A person who supports a project is called a "backer." The process of giving money to this project is called a "pledge."
In return for your pledge, we (the creators of the campaign) are able to offer "rewards," depending on the amount you pledge. For example, if you pledge $38 to help back the project, we'll offer you a copy of the game along with any stretch goals we achieve as soon as it is manufactured.
You can become a backer in just three easy steps:
- Step 1: Read through the pledge levels and rewards we're offering in the right sidebar of this page.
- Step 2: Click the large, green "BACK THIS PROJECT" button to the right of the trailer video at the top of this page.
- Step 3: Enter your pledge amount, and complete the steps for filling in your information. This process takes just a few seconds! That's it! It's really that simple! Thank you for backing!
Once you've backed this project, we encourage you to share this page on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, and share with your friends and family. Also, be sure to like Indie Boards and Cards on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for real time updates about this project and more!
- DWARVEN MAP: (Pledge $1 or more) Your continued support will help the brave Delvers.
- ALCHEMIST'S RING: (Pledge $38 or more) One copy of the base game with all of the stretch goals. Shipping included in the US. Other shipping pledge rates based on location. For additional copies in the US and international, check our rates below.
- KING'S BLADE: (Pledge $45 or more) One copy of the base game and Peril Awaits with all of the stretch goals. Shipping included in the US. Other shipping pledge rates based on location. For additional copies in the US and international, check our rates below.
Our plan is to have Delve available at Origins. While our current production schedule looks like Kickstarter rewards will ship out before Origins, it may be the case that we have games at Origins before the Kickstarter backer copies are sent. It may also be the case that we are unable to get games to Origins in time. I wish we were able to absolutely guarantee results - but we simply know that we can't make such commitments when so many other parties are involved in the process.
If you want Origins pickup - DO NOT PLEDGE FOR THIS PROJECT - all you have to do is sign up for our Origins email list by giving an email address here. Shortly before each event, we will ask you what you would like to reserve for Thursday pickup (NOTE: we cannot handle prepaid reservations or hold items past Thursday).
All the specials & promo items will be available in the games we bring to Origins - your support is very valuable to Indie Boards and Cards & Action Phase Games and we look forward to seeing you again this year with lots of great new games.
International Shipping
We are very excited to be continuing our international partnerships to offer Canadian & EU Friendly shipping options as well as shipping options for Australia.
Risks and challenges
This is the 33rd Kickstarter project from the combined teams behind Indie Boards and Cards & Action Phase Games. We have learned how to streamline the game publishing process and have successfully delivered all of our previous kickstarter projects to thousands of supporters. Our previous experiences will enable us to also deliver this project on time and we have every confidence that Delve will on schedule and of the highest possible quality.
That said, there are always complexities and considerations in a project of this scope that may cause delays. Indie Boards and Cards will use contract manufacturing to make this game, freight forwarders to get games through customs and 3rd parties like Amazon, the US Post Office and FEDEX to ship the games to you - we don't control everything and there are lots of opportunities for delay. We have a track record of making everything work out for backers in the end – so please be confident and supportive of our efforts to get this great game into your hands.
We can refund you within 14 days of the campaign's end, fees included. After that, we have a policy of no questions asked, though that's minus 20% for Kickstarter and payment processing fees (which we can't get back from them after 14 days). However, if we've begun packaging your pledge for shipment (usually 4 to 6 weeks before the actual shipping date), no refunds are possible. If a component cannot be delivered AT ALL, we refund that completely, including fees.
All refunds after the 14 days close of the campaign may be processed via Paypal or reversed via Stripe to your credit card at our discretion. Refunds within 14 days are reversed via Stripe to your credit card.
This project is being funded in USD and any refunds processed will be in USD for the exact amount received in USD, excluding any applicable fees depending on the time of the refund being processed.
By pledging to this project, you acknowledge that the final look, materials and content of the rewards (and the project) are subject to change and may differ substantially from what is presented while the Kickstarter project was active.
If you do not log in and submit your project survey results (ie, provide us with your shipping address) for your pledge within 8 weeks of our notification, you agree that we have fulfilled our obligations to you in full for payment or donations received. However, we may, at our discretion, refund or ship your pledge (at additional cost for international backers) if you complete your project survey after the 8 week window has elapsed.
If you do not accept these terms, please do not pledge on this project but instead wait for the general release.Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
Funding period
- (28 days)


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We headed north into the real dry country up to the town of Menzies where we walked the street to read up on the town history & visited the only local pub for a coldy. The publican gave us a good run down on the area & its history. The publican recommended that we drive out to Niagara Dam for a stay, which we did & we were very happy that we did. This was a tremendous free camp beside the man made dam & even for this time of year was very popular. We stayed here for five days & did a lot of bush walking around the dam & other areas as well as putting in the yabby pots & catching a feed of yabbies every day. The dam was built over 100 years ago with the help of 400 camels that carried the cement to the area. There was a township 3kms north of here & the dam was originally built with the intention to service the steam trains & provide fresh water for the town, however in a twist of fate, abundant fresh water was found near the township of Kookynie & so went the main purpose for this extraordinary piece of early engineering & was never used to water the steam trains.
We continued north further into the dry country through towns such as Leonora & Leinster. These towns serve the small population that live in the area, however Leinster is a mining town set up by the mining company to serve the employees in that industry. After a long hot drive we stopped at a free camp at the Peter Denny Lookout about 114 kms west of Leinster. There are plenty of sites to choose from but there are no facilities. From here you get beautiful views of the Breakaways looking down onto a sandy plain. A really nice spot to spend a few days chilling out.
We then travelled to the little town of Sandstone, which was a delight. We purchased fresh pasties made by "Lady Di" & also a packet of her special bush herbs that she was selling in a little stall near the info centre. After a short stay looking around the town we continued along the highway & did a detour left to visit the famous London Bridge rock formation. It is a 350 million year old basalt ridge along a very dusty & corrugated road but well worth the visit. Back on the highway we passed numerous wildflowers of various colours on both sides of the road as we made our way to Mount Magnet where we fueled our vehicle. After driving around 140 kms west from Mount Magnet as well as getting late, we decided to pull over into the bush to stay for the night on the side of the road. A very basic campsite but it gave us a short drive into Geraldton the next day.
Driving into Geraldton it was a nice sunny day. We parked at the RV parking area near the jetty, which is within walking distance to the town area. This is a great site, as you are able to fill up with water & empty Rubbish. You can stay here for 24 hours only. It was great just to park & then walk down town getting a meal at one of the local cafes. We continued on to our next stop at Coronation Beach about 36kms to the north. We were very lucky to get a beautiful spot facing the beach. Within the camping area there was a good boardwalk lookout up the hill, which gives a great view of the surrounding area & the ocean. We spent four days, at $14 per night per vehicle, doing walks along the coastline & the beach as well as chilling out. The beaches were amazing with beautiful sapphire blue water sparkling in the sun. We were sorry to leave but as we have reached the northern point we wanted on this trip, we headed south back through Geraldton to our next camp at Cliff Head North, about 51km north of Leeman on the Indian Ocean Drive. This was a basic free camp right on the waterfront.
The Next day we headed down south to visit the famous Pinnacles. This is a marvelous site & not to be missed. It looks like a scene on the moon. Entry fee was $12 per vehicle to drive through the site & view these amazing formations. The Pinnacles are believed to have formed some 500 thousand years ago during the ice age. You cannot camp around this area so we moved on to a free roadside camp at Moore River Bridge. After a pleasant night's sleep, we drove south & visited the beach area of Yanchep then into the Swan Valley area to have a few nights at The Sebel Swan Valley The Vines Resort, for a bit of luxury & R&R prior to heading back across the Great Eastern Highway to Coolgardie, down to Norseman & across the Nullabor to Adelaide, then Broken Hill, Silverton, Bourke, Tenterfield, Lismore, Brisbane & up the Queensland coast to Cairns.
All in all we travelled 23,491 kms since we left Cairns in May 2016. Again we were very happy with our Coaster especially considering the distances we travelled, our bus performed like magic, however due to wear & tear we did need to replace our house batteries.
All in all we had a fantastic trip in our lovely Toyota Coaster with our next trip being from Cairns to the northern part of NT & then across to do the rest of WA.
Till our next adventure!