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Its all about start grow thrive
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Jack White brought a lucky fan on stage to play with him and his band during a gig in Milwaukee on Monday night. Click above to watch footage of the moment now.
White was performing at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee on July 21 when he reached out to the audience for help with the White Stripes song. When the female audience member stepped up, she got to wear White's hat and play two of his guitars while performing the song. She later took a bow with the rest of White's band.
Elsewhere at the gig, Jack White performed a brief excerpt of Lorde's song 'Royals', which can be seen below. The cover follows White playing Jay Z's '99 Problems' on many occasions during his current North American tour.
Jack White embarks on a three-date tour of the UK this November playing at:
Leeds First Direct Arena (November 17)
Glasgow SSE Hydro Arena (18)
London O2 Arena (19)
To check the availability of Jack White tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/TICKETS now, or call 0844 858 6765

subset: commoncrawl


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Project Description
As classic as one can get with a solitaire round diamond, the 6-claw setting of the "Eloise" ring is perfect for larger round brilliant diamonds. Diamond size and quality tailored to your taste and budget. Available in white, yellow or rose gold (both 9ct and 18ct) or platinum.


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Optical Illusions
In August 1987, the Nasdaq 100 was extremely overbought.
In July 1998, the Nasdaq 100 was extremely overbought.
In January 2000, the Nasdaq 100 was extremely overbought.
In October 2007, the Nasdaq 100 was extremely overbought.
The Nasdaq 100 is extremely overbought today.
Sell everything?
If only it were that simple. When looking at the chart below, our eyes tend to gravitate to overbought levels (using 14-period RSI) that were followed by sharp declines (most notably, early 2000). But our minds are playing tricks on us; it is an optical illusion. For we are ignoring the many other times in which overbought levels were followed by advances.
Going back to 1985, the evidence suggests that overbought is actually bullish, on average. Come again? In the year following an extreme overbought reading, the Nasdaq 100 Index has been higher 85.5% of the time with an average return of 14.8%.
*Note: The above table is price only. The returns would be higher if dividends were included.
Does that mean we can rule out another 1987/1998/2000/2007 top? No, just that one cannot predict another bear market based on extreme overbought levels alone. Bear markets can happen at any time, and "overbought" is neither a predictor nor a precondition. If one is going to predict anything based on extreme overbought levels (and I would advise against doing so), it would be further gains. I realize that doesn't conform to the prevailing narrative of "overbought is always bearish," but the truth in markets rarely does.
Related Posts:
Overbought, Oversold and the Great Paradox in Markets
Dead Cat Bounces and Armchair Contrarians
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This writing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation regarding any securities transaction, or as an offer to provide advisory or other services by Pension Partners, LLC in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The information contained in this writing should not be construed as financial or investment advice on any subject matter. Pension Partners, LLC expressly disclaims all liability in respect to actions taken based on any or all of the information on this writing.
Charlie Bilello is the Director of Research at Pension Partners, LLC, an investment advisor that manages mutual funds and separate accounts. He is the co-author of four award-winning research papers on market anomalies and investing. Mr. Bilello is responsible for strategy development, investment research and communicating the firm's investment themes and portfolio positioning to clients. Prior to joining Pension Partners, he was the Managing Member of Momentum Global Advisors and previously held positions as a Credit, Equity and Hedge Fund Analyst at billion dollar alternative investment firms.
Mr. Bilello holds a J.D. and M.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from Fordham University and a B.A. in Economics from Binghamton University. He is a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) and a Member of the Market Technicians Association. Mr. Bilello also holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certificate.
You can follow Charlie on twitter here.
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For the first time ever, Saudi women began campaigning for public office in municipal elections in Saudi Arabia, the conservative Kingdom that imposes several restrictions social and political on women.
According to the Shanghai daily, citing AFP, hundreds of Saudi women began campaigning for public office on Saturday in the Muslim kingdom, an action seen as a step forwards in the country's reform process. The elections will be held on December 12.
More than 900 women stood alongside thousands of men to put up their names for the municipal ballot, the first time women have been allowed to vote.
Two candidates were disqualified, according to the report. "I've been eliminated as a candidate for the municipal elections," Loujain Hathloul said in a tweet. "I will be filing my objection via the appropriate channels."
Hathoul's disqualification was expected because she has been in trouble wiht Saudi authorities ealrier. She was detained two months after she tried to drive into the Kingdom last December from the United Arab Emirates, in defiance of a Saudi ban on female motorists,. the report said. In the Kingdom, women also have to cover themselves in black from head to toe in public and take the permission of male family members to travel, work or marry.
Nassima al-Sadah, a human rights activist and would-be candidate in Qatif, said her name had been removed from the list. "I don't know why," said Sadah, who was trained in electioneering by the National Democratic Institute, a Washington non-profit organization.
The country's first municipal elections were held in 2005, followed by another vote in 2011. In both cases only men were allowed to take part. In Saudi Arabia, from restaurants to banks, offices and election facilities, the sexes are strictly segregated.
"We will vote for the women even though we don't know anything about them," Um Fawaz, a teacher in her 20s, said in Hafr al-Batin city. "It's enough that they are women."
It was the late King Abdullah who opened the door for women to participate in these elections. He died in anuary and his successor has followed his lead.
About 7,000 people are vying for seats on 284 municipal councils, according to the Saudi electoral commission. Only around 131,000 women have signed up to vote, compared to more than 1.35 million men, out of a population of 21 million, the report said.


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Hi Friends and Family,
Have I got a treat for you all! 🙂 Haw Par Villa is a definite must see when you are in Singapore, really it is very entertaining and also quite the learning experience (and it's free 😉 ).
Haw Par Villa
It is an (abandoned) theme park build by the company that produces tiger balm; you know the nice balm for when your muscles ache? Good thing, there is no entrance fee! Good for cheapskates like me 😉 The park shows different Chinese folklore and mythology and the best known "attraction" is the 10 courts of Hell, which I was stuck in because of heavy rain. Thus quite literally stuck in Hell…
But let the pictures do the talking 🙂
To make this look a bit more informative: "Other major attractions include dioramas of scenes from Journey to the West, Fengshen Bang, The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars,Legend of the White Snake, Romance of the Three Kingdoms; statues of mythological figures such as the Laughing Buddha and Guanyin, and historical personages such as Jiang Ziya, Su Wu and Lin Zexu; the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, and others." Quoted from Wikipedia.
Do you recognize any of the myths in the pictures? Would you visit this place?
How to get there
Address: 262 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118628
Go via MRT to Haw Par Villa MRT station. (MRT is just a shorter way of saying metro)
With Love,


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Jim Nash, reporting for Scientific American :
A New York City privacy advocate-turned-urban-guerilla fashion designer is selling garments designed to make their wearers invisible to infrared surveillance cameras, particularly those on drones. And although Adam Harvey admits that his three-item Stealth Wear line of scarves and capes is more of a political statement than a money-making venture, the science behind the fashion is quite sound.
"Fighting drones is not my full-time job, but it could be," says Harvey, an instructor of physical computing at Manhattan's School of Visual Arts and the creator of the CV Dazzle project, which seeks to develop makeup and hairstyles that camouflage people from face-recognition cameras and software.
So far he's only sold one item, but he expects that to change in the coming years as more drones take to the skies.


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Powis97 (Neil)
Alternate Name: Neil
Vidder Rank: Advanced Vidder
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
(antispam: remove 'LVI' from address)
Bio: Im a Huge fan of Lost, and im starting to like Grey's Anatomy.
1-5 of 5 Videos 1
Powis97's VideosSort by: All | Viewer Picks | Council Picks | Awaiting Judgement
What if? || AU || Lostby Powis97 07-18-2009Lost: July 2009 Contest Submission. Basically, i set out for a little trailer of the characters, then i thought 'i could turn this into the LVI contest' So i made it finish on 'What happened if they didnt crash'.
Lost - Stolenby Powis97 10-23-2008Lost: This vid is made up of random clips but together, although i think it works quite well.
Leave Out All The Restby Powis97 10-19-2008Lost: Jack and Kate and their issues.
Catch my Diseaseby Powis97 08-21-2008Lost: My 2nd Vegas Vid, my Brother wanted one with some cast in.
Jate Wiresby Powis97 08-21-2008Lost: My first Sony vegas clip so my not be as godo as all the clips on this site.
1-5 of 5 Videos 1


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Eagle Ford gives region a shot in the wallet
The Eagle Ford Shale is turning out to be more than an oil boom. It's also a shot in the wallet, pulling up personal income in counties across the region — some of the poorest in the state.
With a sudden abundance of well-paying oil field jobs, counties with Eagle Ford Shale wells permitted or in production saw an average increase in per capita income of 13.62 percent between 2008 and 2011, according to data from the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Texas as a whole saw an increase in per capita income of 1.34 percent during that time period, which included the last recession. Average pay reached $40,147.
The average Eagle Ford county's per capita income increased from $28,148.92 in 2008, when the boom started, to $31,893.92 in 2011, the latest year for which data is available.
In some counties, income growth outpaced Texas as a whole even more dramatically.
"There's full employment, literally," said Larry Dovalina, city administrator in Cotulla in La Salle County, where personal income rose 31 percent in the wake of the oil boom. "Everybody who wants a job has one."
Dovalina said all employers have had to raise wages to try to retain workers, even for service jobs. The local McDonald's has a "help wanted" sign with pay at $10 an hour, and Dovalina said that each time a new hotel opens to cater to energy companies, maids are able to jump to new jobs at higher pay.
"It's not just the oil field," Dovalina said. "It's all being pushed up or pulled up."
Dimmit County had the biggest percentage jump in average income, at 36.4 percent. McMullen County's average personal income rose 35.9 percent between 2008 and 2011.
Just one county, Bastrop, which is on the eastern edge of the shale play that has seen relatively little oil field activity, saw average personal income decline.
More Information
Only on mySA.com:
Recent coverage of the shale region and current job opportunities there.
Interactive map:Per-capita income growth across Texas
In general, "help wanted" signs have become a fixture across the region.
In Karnes County, where personal income rose 15 percent, a sign on U.S. 181 at The Lodge at Karnes City says, "Now hiring food service workers." The new 160-bed location has been rented out for about 18 months to an oil field service company, and provides meals, laundry service and entertainment such as media rooms.
Chris Kemp, hospitality manager for Cotton Logistics, a Katy-based company that provides worker housing at The Lodge and other sites throughout the shale play, said that even food service jobs can pay as much as $12 to $15 an hour.
"This is an opportunity that didn't exist before, and it's open to everyone," Kemp said.
Kemp, who has a background in hotel management, said he was unemployed for about a year and a half before joining Cotton Logistics, and counts himself among those with a new career path thanks to the Eagle Ford.
"It's another job that wasn't here before," he said.
Thomas Tunstall, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio who studies the play's economic impact, said the income increases have been sharp due to the capital-intensive nature of the energy industry.
Companies spend so much on drilling rigs and equipment that the cost of hiring workers pales in comparison.
"They're spending most of their money on the rigs and the parts. There's lots and lots of capital," he said. "They have to watch their labor costs, but they want good people. They're dealing with expensive equipment and they want to minimize accidents."
It's a different set of economics than other businesses, where the biggest expense is paying employees.
"There are a lot of things that can go wrong on a well site," Tunstall said. "You want the best, most competent people you can get."
But it's not all easy living.
LaSalle County Judge Joel Rodriguez Jr. said the rise in income has been matched by a rise in the cost of just about everything.
"The cost of living is high. Rents are high," Rodriguez said. "The price of homes has skyrocketed."
For people living on fixed incomes or not working in the energy industry, the boom can be a burden. Rents typically are well above $1,000 a month, roughly double what they were a few years ago.
"Their income is not changing. It's a burden on them," Rodriguez said. "It's a burden to be in a rental home."
Truck driver Patty Gebbie has lived in Three Rivers about 18 months after moving from Washington. She sometimes works as much as 30 hours of overtime per week, and at one point was pulling in $6,000 to $7,000 a month in overtime.
But she said everything has grown more expensive, including the $3 sandwich at the local café that now costs $7 to $8, which makes her worry for the longtime residents.
"The people with kids in schools who are trying to pay rent are really suffering," she said. "And once they go up, the prices never go back down."
Twitter: @Jennifer_Hiller


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For Arsenal ugliness is the final frontier. They're getting there. Arsène Wenger's team gave Chelsea every sort of horrible time. The visitors depressed their opponents by recovering at speed from the loss of a goal in 27 seconds to beat them for the second time in seven days. But the period after the interval was even more dispiriting for Chelsea.
This was another Arsenal, a different type from the side that buckled in the Premiership a year ago. Wenger had not quite decided whether he was explaining or apologising: "In the second half the focus was on defending well and we suffered going forward because our players didn't want to make a mistake."
Emulating the elated football of the Double seasons of 1998 and 2002 is not an immediate priority. At full-time on Saturday the team savoured its professionalism in grasping a result that gives them a seven-point lead in the Premiership.
Wenger argues that this is a stronger position than any they held last season, when an eight-point advantage lasted for just a few days over Old Trafford rivals who still had a game in hand. Real power lies in the capacity to consolidate and Arsenal have used Chelsea to show that their present strength is widely based.
Thierry Henry missed the FA Cup win and went missing from periods of the weekend action, but Wenger's group remained far superior. Just as they had at Highbury Arsenal fell behind and still won a contest that had ended long before the 90 minutes were over.
They drained the hope out of a Chelsea side who had a bevy of attackers on the pitch even after their scorer Eidur Gudjohnsen was sent off. "I feel we are stronger in the air than we were last season and concede less goals," said Wenger. Since Kolo Touré, who has developed into a centre-half, is only 5ft 10in, this was a tacit reference to the removal of David Seaman.
Although he is 34, Jens Lehmann has no hesitation about charging into the midst of the goalmouth melee. "He has come out for difficult balls many times in the last five minutes this season," said the manager.
Saturday's match, oddly enough, began with the goalkeeper powerless as Chelsea took an instant lead. The otherwise authoritative Patrick Vieira lost control and Gérémi crossed from the left so that Adrian Mutu could flick on for Gudjohnsen to drill the ball into the net.
Arsenal had great resources to call on in the fightback. The Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri wonders about Wenger's prospects of competing effectively on so many fronts with a mere "14 players", yet the true size of the Arsenal squad is not so easy to ascertain.
The 18-year-old Gaël Clichy was a marvellous replacement for the injured Ashley Cole and Edu can no longer be treated as a makeweight. At present, too, Dennis Bergkamp is a presence once more, even though he looked on the verge of vanishing 12 months ago.
"It is surprising that you can think a player is dead and then he is alive again," said Wenger. There might be another contract for Bergkamp this summer and the manager must regret that the Dutchman cannot travel to tomorrow's Champions League match with Celta Vigo, for which Vieira is a doubt with a knee injury.
After Claude Makelele had been caught in possession by Robert Pires in the 15th minute, Bergkamp crafted the delicately curving pass from which Vieira equalised. Arsenal's winner, six minutes later, saw Neil Sullivan miss a Henry corner that bounced off Gudjohnsen and left Edu to shoot into the net.
Everything now rests for Chelsea on the games with VfB Stuttgart that start in Germany on Wednesday and Ranieri refers to the knockout phase of the Champions League as "bingo". But is his number up already? Ranieri pins his hopes of keeping the job on the fact that there has been no hint that he will be sacked. On Saturday Roman Abramovich did tell him gnomically that the game with Arsenal had been "interesting".
Although Chelsea played with more passion than they had in the FA Cup, there was little excellence. Gudjohnsen's cheating when he jutted out a left leg so that he fell over Touré in an attempt to secure a penalty did not fool the referee Mike Riley. The Icelander's second yellow card was shown after an hour for clipping Clichy.
Despite the money that has been spent Chelsea are still prosaic and it undermines Ranieri that this team was actually better in the autumn when the players were strangers to one another.
The Stamford Bridge side was easier to extol last season, in times of cash-starved struggle. One fan explained why Gianfranco Zola's name is on her Chelsea jersey. She is not yet sure who she actually admires among all these unfamiliar new footballers.
Man of the match: Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal)


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Danny Bozhilov
On this episode of Healthy Body, Healthy Mind host Paula interviews Personal Trainer and Businessman Danny Bozhilov. They Discuss Danny's style of personal training, his business; a prepared meal service, and balancing his time between the two. Tune in to the episode below for all the details and be sure to check out Danny's prepared meal service at www.fitliciousmealprep.com


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FC: 2011 | Alaska | Colorado | Oregon
1: 2011 | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 | 2011
3: For Dad's 80th Birthday he wanted to go skydiving!
5: In January, Jenni and Joe moved to Denver for a few months. We went to visit the end of March for a few days. Here we are at Mount Falcon park and at Casa Bonita,which is a Mexican restaurant featuring cliff divers,mariachi bands and a pirate cave!
6: Red Rocks Amphitheater | This amphitheater has hosted all the big rock acts like the Beatles,U2 and many others. It is supposed to have near perfect acoustics. The day we were there, people were running up and down the stairs for exercise...not us butJenni has done it!
8: We toured the Phoenix Gold Mine in Idaho Springs, CO. We learned all about mining and stuff. We tried panning for gold in the stream but the water was so cold we didn't last long.
9: This is where we stayed for a few nights while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a nice place and they had games and dvds you could borrow and they gave us vouchers for snowshoes rentals so the next day, we went snowshoeing.
10: We went on the history and ghost tour at the Stanley Hotel...pretty scary! This is the hotel that was the inspiration for "The Shining" by Stephen King. Also, a few scenes from "Dumb and Dumber" were shot here! We had a drink in the bar where Lloyd waits for Mary.
11: The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO
12: Snowshoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park | Colorado
14: Redington Beach
16: In May, Chris and Channon bought an old house in the historic Kenwood section of St. Petersburg. It didn't look bad when they looked at it but we soon found out it needed a lot more repair than it appeared! All new wiring, plumbing,walls,and appliances to start. This will keep them busy for quite a long time but as everyone says.... It will be really nice when it is done!
19: Seattle
21: Cruise to Alaska on the Golden Princess July 2-9
22: Alaska
26: We had to say goodbye to Ginger in October. She was almost 16 years old. She was a sweet dog and we miss her.
28: October | Trip to Oregon | Mount Hood
30: We took a drive in Southern Washington to see the scenery and get a better look at Mount Adams
31: We noticed some ice caves on the map and decided to go check them out....we only had a tiny little flashlight so we didn't explore them like we wanted but they were pretty cool...ha ha...ice caves are cool!
32: Autumn | Leaves
35: We went to several waterfalls including Multnomah Falls, Wahkeena Falls and Ponytail Falls
36: Bonneville Lock and Dam and Fish Hatchery | only the salmon that make it into this holding tank are used for breeding | We learned everything we wanted to know about the life cycle of salmon. At the hatchery, there is an underwater viewing area where you can watch the salmon swim through the salmon ladder to breed. It was much more interesting than it sounds!
37: Herman the Sturgeon is about 11 ft long , weighs around 500 lbs. and is about 70 years old! | Rocky met a friend from England while visiting Herman the Sturgeon...this is Onricho Womble. He travels the world and has his own Facebook page.
41: In Portland we did the Shanghai Tunnel Tour,went to the Oregon zoo and the Saturday morning market.
42: Cannon Beach, Oregon
46: Trick-or-Treat !!!
48: Fun With Mustaches
50: Christmas Morning 2011


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Shoreview, Minnesota Hotels & Lodging
Visitors to Shoreview can stay at the Country Inn & Suites, Hampton Inn or Hilton Garden Inn in Shoreview or at one of the other nineteen fine lodging properties in the Twin Cities Gateway communities.
The Hilton Garden Inn in Shoreview offers deluxe accommodations, friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere, high-speed internet, microwave, refrigerator and large work desk, heated pool, whirlpool and fitness center.
The Hampton Inn North Metro Meeting and Event Center is located just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul in the scenic and quiet community of Shoreview.
The Country Inn & Suites is conveniently located off Hwy 35W and features complimentary hot breakfast, 32" flat screen TV, refrigerators, microwaves, heated pool with waterslide, whirlpool and kiddie pool.
Twin Cities Gateway Hotels
Best Western Plus
Best Western Plus
1000 Gramsie Road | Shoreview, MN 55126
Welcome to the Best Western Plus® St. Paul North/Shoreview hotel. Enjoy the convenient location in Shoreview, just minutes from the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Whether travelers are heading to...
Country Inn & Suites
Country Inn & Suites
5995 Rice Creek Parkway | Shoreview, MN 55126
Enjoy this premier hotel where you can break out of the day-to-day grind. We are conveniently located in Shoreview off Interstate 35W & Country Road J/(85th Ave NE). It's...
Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn
1050 Gramsie Road | Shoreview, MN 55126
Our Shoreview, Minnesota hotel near St. Paul and Minneapolis offers deluxe accommodations, friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere that awaits all our guests. Certain to please the busy executive or...


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DARPA expanding foam used to stop internal bleeding
// December 11th, 2012 // Medical News
DARPA funded researchers have developed a new type of expandable foam that can stop internal bleeding long enough to get the soldier off the battlefield and into surgery. The foam chemical is injected into the chest as two separate chemicals. When the chemicals come into contact with each other, they expand, molding itself around internal organs and filling the chest cavity before hardening and sealing off any hemorrhages. Pre-clinical trials in pigs showed an 8% survival rate using existing compression care techniques and a 72% survival rate using the newly developed foam.
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Topic Page: Donkeys
hoofed, herbivorous mammal of the genus Equus, closely related to the horse. It is distinguished from the horse by its small size, large head, long ears, and small hooves. There are two living species: Equus hemonius, the Asian ass, and E. asinus, the African ass. The latter species includes the domesticated variety, E. asinus asinus, commonly known as the donkey. A male ass is called a jackass and a female, a jenny. Wild asses are swift desert animals that may attain speeds of up to 40 mi (60 km) per hr. They live in herds of up to 1,000 animals.
The Asian wild ass typically has a sandy-colored coat with lighter-colored legs and belly, a short erect black mane, a black spinal stripe, and a black tail tuft. Its neigh is shrill. Different races of this species vary in size, but all are smaller than the African ass. They were once widely distributed across Asia, but they have been crowded out of their grazing lands by domestic livestock and have been hunted for their flesh and hides. Each race is now restricted to a very limited territory. Among them are the Persian ass, or onager, of central Asia; the Mongolian ass, or kulan, of NE Asia; the Tibetan ass, or kiang, presently the most numerous Asian wild ass; and the Indian ass, or ghorkhar. All are considered endangered, and the continued survival of the onager and the kulan is particularly threatened. The Syrian wild ass, of SW Asia, is probably already extinct.
The two wild races of the African species, called Nubian and Somali wild asses, are becoming rare. They are found in the mountains and deserts of NE Africa. The African ass averages about 4 1/2 ft (135 cm) in shoulder height; it is grayish in color, with longer ears and mane than the Asian ass, and with a characteristic loud, harsh bray. Its descendant, the donkey, is the oldest domestic beast of burden; it is believed to have been domesticated in Egypt by c.4000 B.C. A variety of the Asian ass was used in ancient Mesopotamia but did not survive as a domestic animal; all modern domestic donkeys are descended from the African species.
The donkey is still used as a pack and draft animal. Although not as swift or powerful as the horse, it is strong for its size and has great powers of endurance. Donkeys are more surefooted than horses in mountainous country and are cheaper to maintain, as they feed on dry scrub. They may live up to 47 years, about twice as long as a horse. In some regions the donkey is crossbred with the horse to produce a mule.
The donkey was once widely used in Mexico and the SW United States, where it was known by its Spanish name of burro. A large population of feral donkeys (wild descendants of domesticated animals) now exists in the deserts of that region. Feral donkeys are also found in the Old World, where they have given rise to some confusion about the number of true wild asses left in existence.
Asses are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Perissodactyla, family Equidae.
相关 Credo 文章
Full text Article ass
[OE] (Old English) Ass comes ultimately from Latin asinus 'donkey' (whence English asinine [16]), and English probably acquired it via...
Full text Article ass
Either of two species of small, sturdy equines. Asses are 3–5 ft (90–150 cm) high at the shoulder. The African wild ass, or true ass (Equus asinus)
Any of several horselike, odd-toed, hoofed mammals of the genus Equus, family Equidae. Species include the African wild ass E. asinus, and the Asian


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Justin Bieber Was 'Caught Lookin Fly' While Shopping
Justin Bieber exits the Joyrich store and waves at the cameras on Saturday afternoon (May 10) in West Hollywood, Calif.
The 20-year-old singer was seen leaving his hotel earlier in the day wearing a short-sleeve sweatshirt.
"Caught me lookin' fly," Justin wrote on Instagram in hashtag format along with a photo of himself outside the hotel.
It seems like Justin attracted a mob of fans wherever he went that day and he happily posed for selfies with a bunch of them while getting in and out of his van.
25+ pictures inside of Justin Bieber out shopping�
Posted to: Justin Bieber


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AktiMate's new iPod dock is set to give the competition a run for its money, thanks to a clever tie-in with hi-fi stalwarts Creek and
. The new dock – which resembles a conventional speaker in every way – uses amplifier technology from Creek and a drive unit licensed from highly respected speaker company Epos.
And at just £399, the dock offers iPod users a slice of hi-fi prestige for a very modest outlay.
Best mates
Despite the low price, the two-way AktiMate Mini has a comprehensive feature list. High amongst them is compatibility for all iPods and a flexible range of connectivity options to include auxiliary inputs – enabling the connection of other sources – plus auxiliary outputs. You can also connect the speaker to a suitable panel to display the iPod's video content.
There's far more to the Creek/Epos tie-in, too. The AktiMate was, in fact, designed by Creek founder / Epos owner Mike Creek, who has licensed a number of designs to the new company.
The speaker will use a 130mm polypropylene driver of Epos origin, a 25mm metal dome tweeter – also from Epos – plus a 40-watt Creek-designed amp, which is built in to one of the speakers in a slave / master configuration.


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Remove NSA virus (Updated Guide)
What is NSA virus?
NSA virus (also known as NSA Internet Surveillance Program virus) is a serious ransomware, which is used by cyber criminals to block down computers and make users pay for unblocking them. So, when PC gets infected with this cyber threat, user immediately loses Internet connection and finds himself/herself disabled when trying to launch legitimate programs. Besides, instead of typical desktop, NSA virus starts showing its professionally-made notification, which reports about various law violations and asks to pay the fine of $300. It presents as official notification from the National Security Agency and accuses users of storing and distributing child pornography, copyrighted content and similar activities. No matter how trustworthy this alert looks for you, you should never believe it. Instead of paying the fine and losing your money, you should remove NSA virus from the system. This is the only thing that helps to remove the block from the system.
NSA virus is distributed via security vulnerabilities found. In most of occasions, it gets inside its target PC system with infected attachments that arrive in misleading emails presenting themselves as notifications from FedEx, eBay and similar companies. Once it gets inside the system, this Trojan horse modifies some of PC's parameters and locks down the machine. After that, victim starts seeing such warning that covers entire PC's desktop:
NSA Internet Surveillance Program
Computer Crime Prosecution Section
Your Computer has been locked!
Your computer has been locked due to suspicions of illegal content downloading and distribution.
The downloaded content (photo and video files) was automatically classified as child pornograpjic materials.
Your case can be classified as occasional/unmotivated, according to 17 (U.S Code)
Thus it may be closed without prosecution.Your computer will be unblocked automatically.In order to resolve the situation in an above-mentioned way you should pay a fine of $300 (MoneyPak)
Please, do NOT believe this fake notification that is used to make people pay invented fine! We highly recommend ignoring it and also using a guide given below that will help you remove NSA virus from the system.
NSA virus locks down your computer and asks a ransom to unlock it. typical ransom sum is 300 USD. Computer is locked and you can not use. Users pay ransom out of desperate, but it dow not solve the problem. Virus stays on the system and ransom can be asked multiple times. you need to get rid of NSA virus manually of with automated help.
If you can't connect to the internet because you are blocked by NSA virus, you have to follow one of these options:
* Flash drive method:
1. Take another machine and use it to download Reimage Reimage Cleaner , SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
2. Update the program and put into the USB drive or simple CD.
3. In the meanwhile, reboot your infected machine to Safe Mode with command prompt and stick USB drive in it.
4. Reboot computer infected with NSA virus once more and run a full system scan.
* Manual NSA virus removal:
- Reboot you infected PC to 'Safe mode with command prompt' to disable NSA virus (this should be working with all versions of this threat)
- Run Regedit
- Search for WinLogon Entries and write down all the files that are not explorer.exe or blank. Replace them with explorer.exe.
- Search the registry for these files you have written down and delete the registry keys referencing the files.
- Reboot and run a full system scan with updated Reimage Reimage Cleaner or SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner to remove remaining virus files.
If you can't reboot your PC to Safe Mode or Safe Mode with networking, try these options:
* Users infected with NSA virus are allowed to access other accounts on their Windows systems. If one of such accounts has administrator rights, you should be capable to launch anti-malware program.
* Try to deny the Flash to make your ransomware stop function as intended. In order to disable the Flash, go to Macromedia support and select 'Deny': http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/help09.html. After doing that, run a full system scan with anti-malware program.
To remove NSA virus, follow these steps:
Remove NSA using Safe Mode with Networking
Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Networking
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
- Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Networking in Startup Settings window.
Step 2: Remove NSA
Log in to your infected account and start the browser. Download Reimage Reimage Cleaner or other legitimate anti-spyware program. Update it before a full system scan and remove malicious files that belong to your ransomware and complete NSA removal.
If your ransomware is blocking Safe Mode with Networking, try further method.
Remove NSA using System Restore
Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
- Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
- Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
- Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
- When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of NSA. After doing that, click Next.
- Now click Yes to start system restore.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from NSA and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as Reimage Reimage Cleaner , SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
About the author
Removal guides in other languages
November 21st, 2014 at 1:05 am
hi my galaxy S is locked by the NSA scam virus iv been using the public libray i need my android bathis is my last resortPLEASE HELP ME!!!!
Your opinion regarding NSA virus
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Tag Archives: Kickstarter
Boardgames of the French and Indian War
To understand the founding of the United States, you have to understand the American Revolution, and to understand the American Revolution, you need to understand the French and Indian War. As I've learned more about these wars in my adult life, I'm increasingly surprised the FIW gets such short shrift in American education and the general cultural conversations of the country's history.
Major campaigns and battles of the French and Indian War, 1754-1763
As I've written about previously, I've spent a lot of time touring many sites where the French and British vied for control of the continent in the mid-18th-century. In that era the French held much of the country west and north of the Alleghenies while the British possessed the eastern regions of the coast. As an extension of the Seven Years War in Europe and around the globe, the French and British empires fought over territory in America during the FIW and pulled numerous native Indian tribes into complicated alliances along the way. The clash of cultures and motives among Europeans and native peoples carried ripple effects for years to come and old grudges from the period led directly to the American Revolution some two decades later.
Some of my recent reading on the French and Indian War
My time spent touring various sites around the company has been supplemented by a stack of books. Fred Anderson's Crucible of War (2001) weighs in at over 900 pages and provides a super comprehensive treatment of the war in depth. The French and Indian War (2006) by Walter Borneman provides a similar overview with detail stripped way back into a more historical narrative. For a focus on how Indian peoples shaped the 18th-century European settlement and wars for the continent, Peter Silver's Our Savage Neighbors (2007) gives some fantastic insights which are usually breezed over in most histories. Finally, I've recently picked up a copy of Braddock's Defeat (2015) by David Preston. This book provides a great bridge story on how a key campaign on the western frontier of Pennsylvania in 1755 echoed through the events of the FIW into the American Revolution and history beyond.
With many miles traveled and pages read, getting to play boardgames of the FIW — both tactically and strategically — has provided me the opportunity to roll up my sleeves and experience the wilderness roads, forts, settlements and battlefields of this fascinating period.
Wilderness War (GMT Games)
My longtime favorite of FIW games is GMT's Wilderness War from 2001. Designed by Volko Ruhnke, WW is not only the standout game of the period but also ranks among the best of modern wargames depicting any period. The game's gorgeous hardbound game board defines the game as the war was fought amid the geography of the Northeast with point-to-point connections between major landmarks, cities, settlements and forts.
Sample strategy cards from GMT's Wilderness War
Strategy cards featuring both abstracted military actions like recruiting troops and militia, building siege works or conducting campaigns and period-specific events and personalities drive the game. Alternatively cards are played for points to activate leaders, forces stacked with a leader or individual units. Points may also be spent to construct stockades and forts to defend against attack a provide a safe haven during wintering periods.
Wilderness War by GMT Games
For me, the three key strategies to WW are in defending the important interior frontier, remaining exceedingly mindful of troop positions as winter seasons approach and playing a long game of carefully-planned campaigns. All of these factors are incredibly well factored into a game which balances abstraction with historic events, all of which can be experienced with a solid few hours of play.
The French and Indian War (Decision Games)
For another grand strategic experience of the FIW, Strategy & Tactics magazine issue #231 from Nov/Dec 2005 by Decision Games offers up a full campaign level game with The French and Indian War. Traditional wargamers will feel right at home with this hefty game although it does offer some unique elements.
S&T's FIW map and counters organized in tray
Right off the bat, experienced gamers will notice a departure with the game map laid out on a square grid instead of the more typical hex style. Past the square grid, the map itself is gorgeous with well-delineated terrain, clear colonial control boundaries and abstracted French and British home country holding areas across the Atlantic in Europe. Charts and tables for terrain effects, supply points, balance of power and colonial control displayed right around the board. The tiny cardboard playing chits likewise feature some simple and colorful art clearly differentiating units types and nationalities. In all, there's a lot to love visually in this magazine game.
Gameplay goes a long way toward representing the build up of tensions and eventual outbreak of war between the French and British in North America. Yearly turns between 1758 and 1762 are split into four seasons each, and the results of battles occupation of cities and towns shifts the Balance of Power track which drives income, initiative, random events and negotiating strength. The relatively weak and poor British at the start of the game quickly gain strength as the Seven Years War breaks out and men, money and ships begin to arrive from Europe. For the French, they have to take some early victories and then hold key cities like Quebec through the late game. Victory in one of the three included scenarios is determined by a straight points system accumulated during the game largely by capturing cities and settlements.
Aside from the game rules themselves, the magazine holds over 20 pages of background on the FIW, major battles and quick bios on some of the conflict's major personalities. This plus some nice maps and a short bibliography makes for a great package for those wanting a relatively comprehensive experience of the war. Being a magazine game, there are a couple discrepancies in the rules here and there, but the design and heft of the game is entirely satisfying.
Hold The Line: French and Indian War (Worthington Publishing)
The 2008 French and Indian War Expansion Set for the popular Hold The Line series by Worthington Publishing downshifts into a more tactical presentation of the war without sacrificing the flavor of the era.
Scenario set-up for the Battle of Snowshoes for the HTL FIW expansion
Adding to the HTL base game components, the FIW expansion comes with Indian, Ranger and French unit tiles to be played with using the British and Militia pieces in the original. Additional terrain hex tiles are included to represent lakes, boats forts and Indian villages, all of which played important roles in the wilderness battleground of the FIW. Five historic scenarios round out gameplay which will be any lover of the original HTL.
The 2016 remastered HTL French and Indian War game
The HTL series has been remastered in 2016 with a successfully funded recent Kickstarter campaign. The new version has some serious upgrades with plastic miniatures from the Plastic Soldier Company and redesigned board and tile artwork. For both the American Revolution and FIW sets there were a bunch of extra scenarios and options to buy add-on miniatures. The new game looks fantastic and breathes new life into an already immensely enjoyable game on the era of 18th-century American colonial conflict.
A Few Acres of Snow (Treefrog Games)
A Few Acres of Snow, designed by Martin Wallace and published in 2011 by Treefrog Games, is my other go-to game on the period. While not strictly a game confined to the FIW, AFAOS takes two players through the broader French-British colonial period in North America.
Playable in just over an hour, AFAOS is an area control deck-building game where British and French players draft cards into and out of their hands in order to move, settle, construct, skirmish and conduct sieges. Managing cards gives the game a campaign feel as several turns may be taken up getting all the right cards in place before executing a plan. The British player generally has more financial and naval strength while the French are much more agile and open to trade opportunities in the wilderness interior. Essentially, the game captures the overall character of the opposing forces and provides for a ton of strategic play within a simple, gorgeous design.
A recent game of A Few Acres of Snow by Treefrog Games
The major downside to AFAOS that many critics will bring up is a broken mechanic within the game where one side can all but sew up a victory through a specific series of opening moves. I'm not going to provide any details since players agreeing to play fairly and ignoring this one issue with an otherwise perfect and wildly popular game is how I choose to play the game. The look and flow of AFAOS makes it what I consider to be the best at introducing even inexperienced gamers to the period.
Struggle For New France (Schutze Games)
I picked up a copy of 2013's Struggle For New France designed by Bill Molyneaux and published by Schutze Games in a charity auction at HMGS Fall In! 2015. It's a super simple beginner's game playable in about 90 minutes with event cards and point to point movement. With just a few pages of rules, including a solo game option, SFNF is a lean game designed for swift play while still reflecting the basic character of the war.
Set-up for a play through Struggle For New France by Schutze Games
The relatively inexpensive game has a compact yet beautiful 11″ x 17″ color map, over 60 cards and over 175 small printed wooden tiles. Play is quick with a hand of five cards for each player, of which one can be played per season. In a season, both sides move and battle using standardized movement for regulars and Indians plus bonuses for having a leader stacked with a force. Forts, fortresses and Indian villages give defensive modifiers in battle along with leaders present and any cards added to the battle modifiers. Areas won or lost provide victory points, all tracked on either side of the map. After four seasons of play, cards are refreshed and the next turn year begins. Playing from the entire course of the war, British win at 50 points and taking Quebec, Montreal and Louisburg, and the French win with 45 points. While by no means as rich an experience as the offerings from GMT and Decision Games, SFNF achieves a remarkable amount in strategic experience of the FIW.
French & Indian War Battle Collection (Two Buck Games)
Another charity auction win at Fall In last year was 2014's French & Indian War Battle Collection by Two Buck Games. The game makes a nice companion to SFNF and is also designed by Molyneaux. Like SFNF, this is an easy game but with a pack of twelve major battles and engagements of the war instead of a grand campaign style of play. Each scenario is playable in anywhere from well under an hour to maybe two hours maximum. While not big on design, the game does allow a player to get down to the tactical level in some very small engagements including some personal favorites like Jumonville Glen, Fort Necessity and the Mary Jeminson Raid.
The Fort Necessity scenario from The French & Indian War Battle Collection
A brief set of rules is supplemented with specific scenario outlines for set-up and play. Maps for each scenario are printed front and back on card stock, and 88 counters come with generic information to make for flexible use representing a variety of regular and irregular French, British and Indian units at each battle or skirmish. As this is a tactical game, units move just one hex and may only by stacked alone or with an officer. Leaders die easily in combat, Indians are dangerously flexible on the attack and terrain can play a big role in a game's outcome. All these factors make planning an attack or defense finicky down at the ground level and FIBWBC goes a long way toward mimicking the feel of up-close engagements during the period.
Empires In America (Victory Point Games)
My latest addition to my FIW games is the recent second edition reprint of Empires In America from the States of Siege series by Victory Point Games. This one stands apart from the others here as a purely solo game with the player's French and Indian allies pitted against the game's British and their allied Indian forces.
My first try at the re-issue of Empires In America by Victory Point Games
It took me a few times to get a handle on the single player flow of the game and I was beaten by the non-player AI in my first two games. Having played through it about a half dozen times now, I've finally got the hang of it with quick play and a fairly rich experience. Leaders wind up being key in winning the game much as leadership could make the difference during battles during the war.
Photo from my visit to Fort Necessity in the summer of 2014
So where to start with the French and Indian War?
The 21st-century has already given us a bunch of fantastic games to take us back to the forest, rivers and battles of the French and Indian War of some 260 years ago. Despite having a half-dozen of the recent FIW games under my belt, there area always more games to play. Wilderness Empires, also by Worthington Publishing, puts the war in a block game format with beautifully-illustrated event cards and game board. Columbia Games re-released its 1972 classic block game of Quebec 1759 in 2009, and the game still stands as probably the best way to experience this pivotal siege of the war.
For me, Wilderness War sits at the top of the list for its design and depth, not only for the FIW but among all the games I play. A Few Acres of Snow, Empires In America and Hold The Line likewise win big design points for me, and their speed of play sacrifices nothing in telling the story of the period. A gamer wishing to get into the FIW with a couple very different yet always rewarding gaming sessions could hardly do better by starting with these games.
New Game Weekend: Zombicide Black Plague
Like any zombie apocalypse horde, the Zombicide series by Guillotine Games just won't die. Through four enormously successful Kickstarter campaigns, the Zombicide games have raised nearly $10 million since 2012 and have made the games among the most popular board game projects launched from the platform.
As a fan from the start with the first Zombicide, I backed Zombicide: Black Plague last year along with nearly 21,000 other devoted fans. After skipping the third round in the series, the reinvented game with a medieval fantasy theme and updated rules brought me back to the fold. Buying in at the Knight's Pledge level, I wound up with an enormous pile of gaming goodies, including the base game, the werewolf-themed Wulfsburg expansion box, 40 extra survivor characters, dozens of additional zombies and all sorts of extra playing aids. With the base game blessedly shipping ahead of the 2015 holiday season, I was able to get this re-launch of the zombie franchise on the table over the past week.
Contents of Zombicide: Black Plague
I cut my teeth on gaming with Dungeons & Dragons in the 1970s, so the theme of Black Plague and the basic dungeon-crawler play of the Zombicide series intersect nicely in this new game. Survivor player characters include a dwarf, warrior, wizard and archer which are right at home in the fantasy world of the game. As with the previous Zombicide games, the survivors work collaboratively to search the game's map of heavy cardboard tiles for items such as weapons, shields, armor, spell scrolls, food and other special gear. After following turn actions of moving, searching, opening doors, rearranging gear and gathering objectives, zombie cards are pulled and the horde builds. As zombies are destroyed in combat actions, player experience builds which leads to more and more zombies swarming the board. From there, its a race for survival as each scenario's objectives and win conditions are achieved.
The new survivor's dashboard introduced in Zombicide: Black Plague
One of the most welcomed innovations in the new game is the survivor dashboard. In a game with so many cards and experience, wound and skill tracks to manage for each player's survivor character, having a tidy and intuitive plastic base is a huge boon to game play. A slot in the center holds the interchangeable character card, weapons and other items are held in left and right 'hand' positions, five slots represent space for extra items in the character's backpack and a sliding experience track traces along the bottom of the dashboard. An extra slot overlapping the character card allows for an extra quick-draw weapon like a dagger or a protective shield or armor.
New zombie figures include: Walkers (top), Fatty (bottom, left), Runners (bottom, center left), Necromancer (bottom, center right) and Abomination (bottom, right)
While regular zombie types of Walkers, Runners, Fatties and Abominations have carried over from the previous games, Black Plague introduces a new Necromancer zombie type with its own set of mechanics. When the Necromancer enters the board, an additional zombie card is drawn with zombies to accompany him. Additionally, a new spawn point is generated where the Necromancer appears and activates once the Necromancer escapes the board via the nearest exit. Destroying a Necromancer allows the players to eliminate a zombie spawn point. While a bit complicated at first, the Necromancer mechanic adds a new twist to the game in creating an additional moving target for the survivors to deal with while also completing their main objectives, avoiding being killed by other zombies and (hopefully) winning the game.
Zombicide: Black Plague game in progress
Aside from the Necromancer, most rules have remained largely unchanged with some minor tweaks. Fatties are no longer accompanied by Walkers, making them slightly easier to kill but the Abomination is still a pretty tough foe with only a combination of a vial of dragon bile and torch able to eliminate them in a fiery combination. The jury is still out for me on the double-spawn zombie cards which can carry from one spawn point to the next in doubling and then re-doubling zombies coming on the board. This makes for a bit of a confusing mechanic which I wasn't quite certain added much to the game.
A lone survivor faces off with two walkers and two Fatties
Survivors take out an Abomination with a dragon bile and torch combination
As with all the previous Zombicide games, the art and sculpting in Black Plague makes for a stunningly fun game to look at and play.The ten base scenarios included in the rules offer a progressive mini campaign of sorts, and additional scenarios are sure to come. With all the expansions and add-ons ready to ship this year, there's going to be a ton of replay value with this game.
A survivor leads a zombie horde through the medieval streets of Zombicide: Black Plague
An enormous zombie horde from Zombicide: Black Plague
I had been feeling a bit played-out with the original Zombicide games based in more familiar contemporary environments of city streets, a prison and a mall. Black Plague's reboot preserves the easily playable mechanics and engaging design in a refreshing medieval wrapper. Where the franchise goes from here either in additional fantasy expansions or in yet another thematic direction like a futuristic sci-fi realm remains to be seen. In the meantime, sword-slashing and spell-casting through the Black Plague zombie apocalypse will be a ton of fun.
Boardgames of the American Revolution, Part I
Last month, Quartz published a crowd-sourced online survey of how the rest of the world learns about the American Revolution in school. For most outside the US, the war is variably seen as a sideshow to other 18th-century European conflicts, an extension of the Enlightenment or ignored altogether. Children in the United States itself often leave school and march into adult citizenship with only the broadest mythic stories and American patriotic heroes of the war under their belts.
My interest in the American War of Independence has fluctuated over time since growing up as a kid amid the United States Bicentennial fervor of the mid-1970s. Having been in Brooklyn for almost two decades now, I've developed a growing interest in the war as I live and commute daily through the ground fought over during the Battle of Brooklyn and Battle of New York in 1776. Over the past year or two I've also been working through a minor obsession with boardgames of the American War of Independence. I've played many and collected a few ranging from classics of the early 1970s to modern games varied in scope and mechanics.
Presented here is by no means a complete list of games themed on America's defining early conflict, but an overview of the ones I've played or chosen to add to my inventory of wargames. Style, scope and time commitments vary with these games, offering interested gamers – both new and experienced – an opportunity to play and learn about the American Revolution anew with each tabletop session.
The American Revolution 1775-1783 (SPI)
Simulation Publications Inc (SPI) rolled out The American Revolution 1775-1783 in 1972 a few years ahead of the Bicentennial celebration, and launched some revolutionary new aspects to wargaming along with it. Breaking from the tradition of a hex-based wargame map of the time, SPI's game is laid out in a graphic abstract series of areas and regions with their own victory point values. Rules for the game are slim, and reference charts for turn sequence, movement, winter attrition, combat and reinforcements by turn season and year are all printed right on the map. The overall design, from the slick Helvetica font on the plain white box edition to the map itself has a great retro feel that sets it apart from other games of the early 70s. I've played In short, the game feels very 'modern' despite being more than forty years old.
SPI's The American Revolution 1775-1783
Cardboard chits with simple iconic graphics display force strength for the two main sides of the war, and movement is standardized in terrain marked simply as either as wilderness or open. Colonial forces move more effectively in wilderness areas than the British, making it easier for them to evade confrontation with the superior English troops. Staying away from the British until enough Colonial forces can be raised is key to any success for the Revolution.
The arrival of additional British troops into ports is scheduled specifically according to the year and season of the game outlined at the edge of the board, and Colonial forces are raised and deployed through a random die roll levy. The mechanics whereby Colonial Militia and Tory forces deploy I find to be pretty accurately reflective of the regional politics of the era. Tories appear only once when British Regulars enter a region, and Colonial Militia take up arms against the British when they first enter a region they do not control and each time the British lose control. French forces arrive after a 'major success' (five or more losses by the British) in combat by the Colonials. All these well-thought deployment mechanisms stand out as big historical differentiators for me with this game.
Combat is resolved through a die roll check on a simple table in a corner of the board which can result in very bloody losses to both sides as they meet in battle. First losses in battle always go to Tories of Militia forces which historically often left battlefields when the going got tough. Sieges are pretty simple with forces defending in forts getting triple their combat strength and attackers outside the fort doubling their value when counter-attacked by the fortified foes. Victory for the British comes by controlling a value of 51 victory points on the board, and the Colonials can win with three 'major success' battles. In all its abstract area movement and control, SPI's game offers a slick game that captures just enough of the nuanced history of the period to more than satisfy.
1776 (Avalon Hill)
The other big game to come out before the Bicentennial was Avalon Hill's 1776 from 1974. With rules running almost three times as long as those in SPI's game, 1776 is often viewed as the more detailed play experience of the two. Some 400 counters represent infantry, artillery and dragoons for the Continental Army, British Regulars, Colonial and Tory Militia, French Regulars, Indians, and British and French naval units. The large mounted hex maps are filled with detailed terrain with each feature effecting movement and combat in different ways. Other tables for combat and turn sequence are contained on a series of additional reference charts, and tactical cards and scenario sheets round out the components in the hefty box.
I've only recently picked up a copy of 1776 and I'm not certain when I'm going to be able to find an opponent to give this one a proper play. A read through the lengthy rules outline the game from a quick beginner's experience to specific historic scenarios within the war to a full campaign mode covering the entire war. Advanced rules go deep in simulating the role of supply, forts, entrenchments, naval movement and combat, river movement by bateaux, wintering effects, French entrance to the war and the arrival of additional troops throughout the chosen game. Combat is achieved by a ratio of force size and a die roll modified by factors of supply, defense from forts and trenches and presence of artillery. Control of specific locations within a region is the key factor to the game, creating an interestingly complex dynamic for the raising additional forces as well as a path of victory. Aside from the game itself, the splendid designer notes offer a great general meditation on the trade-offs inherent to historic war simulation balanced with playability. For the gamer really wanting to roll their sleeves up with the intricacies of the American Revolution, 1776 is probably the game.
Liberty: The American Revolution 1775-83 (Columbia Games)
Liberty: The American Revolution 1775-1783, published by Columbia Games in 2003, bridges the gap from traditional wargames to the present with relatively swift play, wooden blocks to represent British, Colonial, French and Native American forces, and simple cards driving force activation and supply during each game turn. The long game map consists of large hexes with forest, swamp and river terrain features which affect movement as well as geographic supply towns and key victory point locations. British and French West Indies ports allow for additional options in naval movement and combat. The game strikes a balance between simple rules and rich re-playability, and my time with the game has seen victories for either side depending on the session.
Liberty: The American Revolution 1775-83 by Columbia Games
In each year of the game, a hand of five dealt cards activate forces and re-supply existing forces which have taken step losses in previous turns. Actions may either move forces already on the map or bring new units onto the board by selecting from a random pool of blocks. A limited number of Native American blocks are allied with the British player only, and French forces may arrive randomly after the first turn beginning in 1776. Colonial forces arrive in controlled supply areas, British and French forces arrive by sea to available ports and Tory Militia rise from British-controlled supply areas. When opposing forces move into contact, combat is resolved by simple die rolls depending on the quality and strength of the blocks available. Blocks are reduced in strength and then eliminated as 'prisoners' which may be exchanged at the end of the turn and returned to each player's pool of available forces. At the end of combat, forces may have the option to withdraw or stay in the fight. Weather plays a random role in the game, potentially limiting combat during a turn year, and troops may be also eliminated in a wintering phase at the end of turn. Victory is tallied at the end of each hand of cards and year with the British winning with 30 supply points and the Colonials by driving the British to under 12 supply points.
1775: Rebellion (Academy Games)
I've written previously in detail about 2013's 1775: Rebellion from the Birth of America series from Academy Games, one of my favorite quick-playing boardgames of the American Revolution. The game plays different from most in the period with two to four players able to command the American Continental Army, Patriot Militia, British Army and Loyalist forces in a game driven by card activation and randomized turn order.
1775: Rebellion from Academy Games
The four main forces plus French, Hessian and Native American allies are all represented by simple colored cubes moving and warring over a gorgeous game board representing the the colonies, territories and Canadian provinces of the northeastern American continent of the late 18th-century. Cards drive the action with movement, period-specific events and personalities, and special color-coded dice resolve combat as forces are either destroyed or flee to return in later turns. Areas flip to British or American control as combat is resolved. When two special Treaty of Paris cards are played, the game ends with victory rewarded to the player holding the most control of the board. If I'm going to play the American Revolution with a relatively inexperienced player or non-gamer, this is my go-to game for the period.
New York 1776 and Trenton 1776 (Worthington Publishing)
In 2014, Worthington Publishing launched their ambitious Campaigns of the American Revolution series with New York 1776 followed by Trenton 1776 in 2015. These strategic block games, funded through popular Kickstarter campaigns I backed, take players through specific stages of the war beginning with the action on Long Island and in and around New York City in the summer and fall of 1776 and continuing the conflict into New Jersey in the winter of 1776 and 1777.
While the games do not directly connect to each other in a grand campaign, each two-hour game is well-scaled to the strategy inherent to each series of battles in the early years of the war. Randomized turn order, variable numbers of turn actions and the block components provide a fog of war mechanic to the game as forces move by themselves or as groups under the command of the many leaders present on each side. Movement is broadly point-to-point on game boards simply illustrated with towns, ports, forts or other key geographic points of control. Combat goes off as forces meet on the map with infantry, artillery, leaders and fortified positions playing into results that can include withdrawals, retreats, fleeing Militia and follow up attacks. Command plays several roles in these games, including being able to move groups of forces and other scenario-specific special rules in battle, deployment and victory conditions.
Worthington Publishing's New York 1776
New York 1776 presents the largest meeting of troops during the American Revolution with the professional British army and navy, along with their hired Hessian allies, looking to halt the uprising of the new American Colonial army and Militia in the early months of the war. Controlling the waterways and supply routes around New York with the British navy plays a big part in the British player's path to either capturing Washington or controlling New York by game's end. For the Colonial player, the game is largely one of avoiding the mass of better rated British troops, preventing their control of New York or reducing the superior British army by 20 points.
Worthington Publishing's Trenton 1776
In Trenton 1776, the action moves to smaller scale engagements in New Jersey as the British looked to smash the Colonial army and Militia retreating from their defeat in New York. With Washington in command, he risks bold counterattacks to push the British back out of southern New Jersey or simply moving to safety south of the Delaware. Howe's pursuing British army must mass its forces against the rebel army at key towns and river crossings and hopefully push to seize Philadelphia as the icy winter settles in. With similar rules but at a smaller scale than New York 1776, multiple plays of Trenton 1776 can really show players how cautious or aggressive decisions can make or break a campaign.
Liberty Or Death: The American Insurrection (GMT Games)
I'm really looking forward to the release of Liberty Or Death: The American Resurrection, due out late this year. The sixth game in the counterinsurgency (COIN) series from GMT Games, I've had this one on pre-order based on my love for the other COIN games. Playing from solo to four players, Liberty Or Death will present the war as one of insurgent and counterinsurgency forces of American Colonials, British, French and Native Americans warring for control of the North American continent. As in the other COIN games, shifting alliances, varied turn order, separate victory conditions, irregular forces and historically-themed event cards will each play into a game which will greatly expand beyond the typical presentation of the war as one between just two opposing nations. Early reports from game tests and some sneak looks at artwork make this my personally most anticipated game of the year, and I'll surely be back with a full report in the coming months.
So where to start with the American Revolution?
The 1970s era SPI and Avalon Hill games will appeal the most to experienced strategy players looking to really dig into hours of the broad complexity of some or all the war within a very traditional wargame. On the flipside, the Worthington Publishing games provide short but replayable intros to gaming the period for younger players or those just getting into block games. The Columbia Games take on the war splits the difference by offering up relatively simple mechanics of a card-activated block game representing the entire war over a couple hours of play. The Academy Games game expands play to four players and allied forces in an abstracted area control strategy game that likewise covers the entire war in mix of card and dice action. The forthcoming game from GMT Games will reinvent the conflict anew within the context of four separate interests vying for victory.
Players wishing to play through advanced strategic simulation of 18th-century warfare will be rewarded by time invested in the Avalon Hill and SPI games. The Columbia Games and Worthington Publishing games will also provide a satisfying combat simulation albeit at a much simplified level. To experience more abstracted combat as well as the interplay of politics, alliances and events within the period of the war, the Academy Games and GMT Games games provide both relatively fast play as well as more of a learning experience about broader aspects of the American Revolution.
Each game above paints the American Revolution large or small, and together they are a fine reflection of the evolving mechanics of wargaming over the past forty years. There are numerous additional games of the American Revolution, some focusing on specific regional campaigns and many others presenting the full war. Games still on my shortlist to try include 2010's Washington's War from GMT Games and its 1994 predecessor We The People by Avalon Hill which helped launch the modern trend in card-driven wargaming.
There's a point of entry for gamers of every type to get in on the War of Independence and relive what Thomas Paine famously called, "the times that try men's souls."
New Game Weekend: Zombicide Season 2: Prison Outbreak
The Walking Dead TV series just wrapped its fifth season this past week, and my entire family huddled around the television to see where the story would leave us until our favorite survivors of the zombie apocalypse were back again. Until then, there's a spin-off series called Fear The Walking Dead premiering this summer which tell the tale of the beginnings of the zombie outbreak from the perspective of a different group of survivors in Los Angeles. There's also the original monthly Image Comics series (currently at 139 issues) I've been reading for more than ten years now for a story that both parallels and differs from the story the TV show portrays. There's certainly plenty of zombie stuff out there to keep me going.
About two years ago I also got hooked on Zombicide. Lots of people caught the bug, judging by the continued success of the game. The first game launched based on a nearly $800,000 Kickstarter funding campaign in late 2012. The following year, Zombicide Season 2 brought in over $2.25 million on the funding site. This past summer, Zombicide Season 3 topped that number with nearly $2.9 million raised. The maker of the game, Guillotine Games, has also maintained a steady flow of additional special edition products, a companion app, free customizable game resources and dozens of scenarios available online. With the new Zombicide Season 3 just being shipped to players worldwide this month, there's even been hints at a Season 4 which throws back to a Medieval-themed zombie outbreak.
Survivors, berserker zombies and zombies miniatures from Zombicide Season 2: Prison Outbreak
The base game has been a big favorite at my house for a couple years, and this past week we added Zombicide Season 2: Prison Outbreak to our home collection. As with the original base game, Prison Outbreak is big heavy box of zombie gaming goodness. Nine game two-sided game board tiles, about 150 cards, over 100 tokens, dice, Survivor player cards and 90 miniatures pack the box with components oozing in great design.
"The Break-In" tutorial scenario from Prison Outbreak
This time around, the game adds a bunch of new aspects to play. Firstly, the miniatures come with some differences for both the zombies and survivors. Berserker zombies, cast in a muddy brown, bring a new aspect to the undead horde with Walkers, Runners, Fatties and an Abomination which must be attacked at close quarters in melee combat. This means more risk for players having to get right into a messy scrum with Berserkers using baseball bats, nightsticks, hatchets, hammers or saws, leaving ranged firearms for the original zombies molded in grey plastic like the base game.
The zombie horde in the "Find The Keys" scenario from Prison Outbreak
With the game amped up with more danger, the players too have received an upgrade with the possibility of coming back as Zombivors. Yeah, that's an undead player which comes with an extra model and reverse side to the Survivor identity card. After a player is hit twice and killed by a zombie, the Zombivor comes on the table and the player fights on and may take five more wounds before truly being dead.
Grindlock goes toe-to-toe with a Berserker Abomination in "Find The Keys"
Things happen a lot faster in Prison Break as players are forced to quickly rack up zombie kills, pushing the experience level up in the game and spawning more and badder zombies onto the board each turn. To help out, a lot of new special skills have been added to the Survivors, allowing players to draw zombies toward them with "Taunt," rescue other survivors from neighboring spaces with "Lifesaver" and a bunch of other new abilities once a player turns into a Zombivor.
The Survivors poised to make their escape in Zombicide Season 2: Prison Outbreak
The combination of new weapons and skills balances nicely with the new threats from Berserkers in Prison Outbreak. Playing through the first few of the ten scenarios supplied in a storyline campaign, we've quickly found a good combination of using skills to draw zombies into close combat with characters armed with hefty melee weapons like the concrete saw while defending with nightsticks and riot shields. In a pinch, a molotov cocktail can still take out a mass of undead in one throw, but the game only amps up with so many points scored with one huge kill. Balancing skills, finding the right weapons, getting them into the best Survivor's hands, timing when to kill and when to elude zombies, and making the decision to allow a character to die and resurrect as a Zombivor all makes Zombicide Season 2 an enormous amount of high-stakes fun over and over again.
New Game Weekend: Evolution
This past summer, Evolution garnered a fair amount of attention during its successful Kickstarter campaign which netted over $120,000 on a $10,000 goal. Many gamers were familiar with the game's producer, North Star Games, and their previous casual party game favorites such as Say Anything. Evolution was a big jump into strategy game design, and the result is box a gorgeous components and a very playable game for a whole range of ages and experience. The game has been hitting the table at Metropolitan Wargamers in Brooklyn, NY over the past week or two, and this past weekend I had a chance to get in on a six person game of Evolution.
Sample trait cards from Evolution
Evolution begins with each player in possession of one species and a hand of four "trait" cards. The 129 beautifully painted cards are the core mechanic of the game. A player's turn begins by throwing a required card into the watering hole at the center of the table, contributing to a food pool with the value at the lower right corner of the card. The player then decides to play some or all their other cards in a variety of ways. Cards may be discarded to increase a species body size, grow population, spawn an additional new species or, most importantly, evolve the species by playing trait cards. This where the real action comes in.
Up to three cards may be played above a species to create evolutionary traits for that creature. Some traits provide benefits every turn with things like Long Neck allowing the species to eat first and the Fertile trait which grows species population every round. Defensive traits such as Hard Shell, Horns and Burrowing aid in providing defense against being attacked by a species with Carnivorous trait. Carnivores might add aggressive traits such as Good Eyesight, Climbing or Pack Hunting to counteract the defenses of other species.
Special Kickstarter first player miniature
With multiple species growing in size, population and traits, Evolution plays out as nature's arms race for supremacy and food. After every round of playing cards, all species are fed in turn from available food in the central primordial watering hole. Each species must feed up to its population size or risk a die off of that species. Carnivores by their very nature do not feed from the pool but on other species around the table, and those species must defend using their available traits and body size. Once feeding is complete, food tokens are swept from the species cards and stored in a bag. At the end of the game, the player with the most food points, living species and trait cards played wins.
Player pieces and the watering hole in Evolution
The designers of Evolution claim over 4000 species can be created using differing combinations of cards, and this is where the replay value really shines. Each game plays fast, with a six player game only representing about one play through the deck of trait cards. Timing and choices are critical in the game, and a player needs to figure when is the right time to create a new species or focus on building up the population or size of existing species. Keeping an eye on what other player species are evolving toward as well as the available food supply necessarily inform strategy.
A player's carnivore goes after the other species in Evolution
In my first game this past weekend, I chose to focus early in the game on scoring points by getting two species with large populations going at once. With a number of protective traits played on each of my species, I was able to hold off three other carnivore species for most of the game as they ate some of the weaker species of other players. In the end, the carnivores were effectively in a three-way stand-off with each other as the final round of food was tallied and the win went to one of them who had more than 40 points to my losing 25.
With North Star's previous focus on word and trivia style games, Evolution is a really fantastic surprise for their entry into strategy gaming. The building, card and food resource management has a feel like so many civilization building or other Euro style games, while its relative simplicity makes the entry skill level appeal to a lot of serious and casual gamers alike. The game would be a great way to break up a school biology class or engage a dinosaur-obsessed kid in gaming. Evolution plays out with nature in all its beauty and danger, and it presents a world where only the fittest player species who can wisely manage their own growth and resources is going to survive in the end.
New Game Weekend: The Resistance: Avalon and One Night Ultimate Werewolf
The mechanics of common and secret knowledge among players creates the basis for so many games we play. A game like chess has everything set on the board for everyone to see, and it is only a player's skill and strategy that remains secret until revealed in a series of successive moves of action and reaction.
More typically games involve some level of secrecy either in cards hidden in a player's hand or pieces set on a game board ready to be revealed at specific moments during play. Deduction, reason, probability, informed guesses, manipulation through bluffing and revelation of information drives much of the action of these games.
Almost 30 years ago, Mafia was created by a psychologist at Moscow University. In the game, two players act as the mafia with their identity known to each other but not the other players. The non-mafia participants take on a variety of other roles, each with select knowledge of the other players and abilities to effect other player roles. With starting roles assigned, the game enters a "night phase" with all players shutting their eyes. A non-player game moderator bears witness as the mafia players and any accomplices kill off other players in secret. Next, all players open their eyes for a "day phase" and changes in the situation of the game is revealed. Players still alive in the game discuss the new conditions of the game, and attempt to discern the mafia players among them in subsequent night and day phases.
As Mafia spread outside of the former Soviet Union in the mid-1990s, it took on a horror-themed variant known as Werewolf. In the new version, players act as werewolves or villagers attempting to identify and kill off each other in night and day phases. Once players have an understanding of the basics of Mafia or Werewolf, neither game really requires any special equipment. This had made these games popular as pick-up party games with hardcore and casual gamers alike (my wife recently played Werewolf on a company retreat as a team-building exercise).
Cards, markers and free app from One Night Ultimate Werewolf
In the past two weeks, I had a chance to play two of the more popular modern versions of these games at Metropolitan Wargamers and Brooklyn Game Lab. One Night Ultimate Werewolf is the latest riff on the classic game from Bezier Games with werewolf players hiding among villagers with a variety of roles. These include colorful characters like the Minion who knows the werewolves and only wins if they survive, the Seer who secretly knows identities of other players and the Tanner who has a death wish and wants to be killed before the werewolves are found out. Along with the cartoon artwork on the heavy-carded playing pieces, this version of Werewolf comes with a free app which acts as a game moderator and timekeeper.
Card artwork from The Resistance: Avalon
The Resistance: Avalon is a the sequel to the sci-fi-themed The Resistance from four years ago from Indie Boards & Cards. Players of Avalon take on good and evil roles from Arthurian legend and set out on a series of quests to root out the opposition. After roles are set, a king is selected each round to select other players to participate in a quest. All players vote to approve or deny the selected party on their quest, and then players on the quest vote for the quest to succeed or fail. The evil players win if more quests fail than succeed, so each quest round is the chance to reveal who may be working alone or in concert to win the game for the evil side. Like the more traditional, Mafia game, Avalon involves a non-playing moderator.
With all these games, the colorful pieces and cards are just jumping-off points for the real action which takes place among the players. Accusations are slung, theories are posited and alliances are built and then dissolve in minutes. In the games I played recently, people spent a lot of time just staring into other people's eyes, looking for a glint of deception or a sly twinkle of acknowledgement. What has made all these games in their various names and variations so enduring is that human nature itself becomes the mechanic of the game. Whether the game is Mafia, Werewolf, Resistance or Avalon, the only real equipment needed isn't in a cardstock box but in what each player brings with them to the table.


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Welcome to the web site for the Landscape Horticulture Blog at Dakota County Technical College.
We are a two-year program training students for employment in the green industry. In our home state of Minnesota, more than 3,000 companies, large and small, together generate annual gross sales greater than two billion dollars and growing. Those companies employ more than 25,000 people, with employment needs continuing to grow into the future.
Our students train for a wide variety of careers. Many graduates are successful landscape designers. Others install or manage landscapes and gardens, including such features as decks or retaining walls, landscape irrigation, or landscape lighting. Some alumni work as growers in greenhouses or nurseries. Many are employed in garden centers, engaged in retail sales to customers. Municipal park systems, golf courses, or tree care companies also hire our graduates. Nor do we neglect interior landscaping. Many of our graduates operate their own successful businesses: we provide training not only in the technical aspects of the trade, but also in business and management skills.
Our Mission
It is our mission to train students for a successful career in landscape horticulture. Our graduates will be ethical professionals knowledgeable and competent in the science, art, practices, and business of landscape horticulture.
They will be supportive of trade and professional organizations. Our program will enable students to forge successful careers, will serve the landscape industry through training and other supporting activities, and will serve the needs of the broader public and the environment through the expertise and professionalism of our graduates.