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Bancroft, Ontario is well known among mineral collectors. For over 100 years, specimens from the "Bancroft Area*" have been added to collections around the world, gracing the display cases of museums and private collectors. Photographs of minerals from the Bancroft Area often feature in 20th century North American mineral literature. However, these days, so many of these minerals are classics and can be super hard to obtain – they are seldom available on the international market. Nonetheless, they can be field collected. Although some localities in the region will never produce again, Bancroft mineral collecting continues each year. Of course, finding amazing specimens usually requires tons of hard work and some good luck (knowledge helps too). We sure don't always come home with awesome display pieces! But every year new great specimens are found in the Bancroft Area.
And fall is a beautiful time here… I thought you might like some glimpses of fall and recent mineral collecting in the Bancroft Area.
Fall colours, Bancroft Area, Ontario
(* For mineral collectors, the term "Bancroft Area" has been used informally and inconsistently over the years to refer to a broad region that extends in a radius of perhaps 50-100km from the town of Bancroft itself. The "Bancroft Area" has variously been considered to include parts of the Haliburton Highlands, Algonquin Highlands, Hastings Highlands and Madawaska Highlands, and I use it inclusively, as many of us do.)
North and Northwest of Bancroft
The regions to the north and northwest of Bancroft are stunning, but we have not seen too many spectacular mineral finds here in recent years. To the further northwest lies Algonquin Park, which is an amazing place (it's also huge, at 7,653 sq km). It is not a mineral collecting area, but just to deviate from the minerals for a short moment, if you are a first time visitor to this part of Ontario, a drive through the park (and a stop at the interpretive centre) provides great scenery and a super introduction to the wildlife native to the region.
Autumn Blue Jay
By fall, the mosquitoes and black flies are no longer an issue. However, part of the reason the bugs are gone is the cold – by fall, it can be pretty chilly in the mornings. On the bright side, the frost can be a nice compliment to the scenery.
Frosty scene near Lake Opeongo, Algonquin Park, Ontario
At times, some of the fall colours can be so bright that they appear almost unnatural. (If only our minerals were equally colourful!)
Lake of Two Rivers, Algonquin Park, Ontario
The intense colours also make for beautiful more intimate scenes.
Oxtongue River, near Algonquin Park, Ontario
And there are lots of great wild animals and birds throughout the larger "Bancroft Area" region.
Curious White-Tailed Deer
Ok, ok, now back to the minerals.
North Baptiste Lake Road
In the area north of Bancroft, and not as far as Algonquin Park, one spot that has produced interesting mineral specimens in very recent times is a forested locality known as the North Baptiste Lake Road occurrence (on private land, permission/arrangements are required). My collecting partner David Joyce and I did some scouting at this locality this year for a couple of days. We found many mineralized zones with scapolite crystals, pyroxene (augite/diopside) crystals, and minor titanite crystals, but they were all in tight seams with poor crystal development and did not yield fine specimens. The most intriguing find from this excursion was a cool molybdenite crystal.
Molybdenite, 3.5 cm blocky prismatic crystal from North Baptiste Lake Road, Hastings Highlands, Hastings Co., Ontario. D.K. Joyce collection and photo.
Out of interest, here are two specimens I acquired from the collector who inspired us to go scouting at this locality in the first place. These specimens were collected in 2013.
Diopside with Scapolite, North Baptiste Lake Road, Hastings Highlands, Hastings Co., Ontario – 5.1 cm
Titanite (1.8 cm crystal) with Diopside and Scapolite, North Baptiste Lake Road, Hastings Highlands, Hastings Co., Ontario
Certainly an interesting and prospective area. However, time, hard work and knowledge must be supplemented with good luck too… maybe next time we'll do a little better!
West of Bancroft
To the west of Bancroft, some of the area's best localities continue to produce fine specimens and others are prospected in hopes of new finds.
Bear Lake*
[*Important Note: As of May 2016, the Bancroft Chamber of Commerce has sold the property on which the Bear Lake Diggings are situated. This property is now privately owned, and all collecting and visiting are absolutely prohibited by the new owners.]
One of the Bancroft Area's most prolific localities from the 1980s through to 2015 was "Bear Lake", also referred to as "the Bear Lake Diggings" and "Bear Lake Road". For much of this time, the locality was operated on a permit basis for collecting by the public by the Bancroft and District Chamber of Commerce.
Bear Lake is a classic "calcite vein-dyke" occurrence that produced specimens of many minerals but it is best known for excellent lustrous brown titanite crystals (formerly named "sphene" – crystals can reach sizes over 20 cm), green to reddish fluorapatite crystals (in some cases Beak Lake fluorapatite has been faceted into beautiful green stones), very fine crystals of biotite, and the world's finest crystals of ferri-fluoro-katophorite, for which Bear Lake is the type locality. (Note: ferri-fluoro-katophorite is a black amphibole, sometimes locally just called "hornblende", but confirmed by electron microprobe analysis (Robert Martin and I did at McGill University) to be ferri-fluoro-katophorite. It has in the past been classified as fluor-magnesiokatophorite. (Tempting to offer editorial thoughts on amphibole nomenclature, but I digress… we're all going to be tempted to revert to the incorrect "hornblende" pretty soon!) Some of the individual euhedral crystals at Bear Lake were huge: fluorapatite to 45 cm, biotite to 60 cm, orthoclase to 30 cm and ferri-fluoro-katophorite crystals to 30 cm. However, the larger they are, usually the prettier they are not (!), and the fine mineral specimens are usually crystals under 10 cm.
I was out to Bear Lake a few times in 2014, but I confess with very limited success. I've been collecting at this locality since I was a kid, and have found many great things there over the years, but this year was more about scouting and test trenches – it did not yield much in the way of fine specimens. It was fun though!
David Joyce as we commence digging on a vein-dyke with promising ferri-fluoro-katophorite crystals at surface. Photo of final trench is near the end of this post.
After two days of major digging (by hand), we had exposed walls of sharp ferri-fluoro-katophorite crystals up to about 10 cm. Unfortunately, even down to depths of about 2 metres from surface, the crystals were either frost-fractured or otherwise weathered/damaged, and so although it was a cool crystal cavity to see, it did not yield fine specimens.
Ferri-fluoro-katophorite crystals to 10 cm exposed on calcite vein-dyke wall after two days of excavation.
Herwig Pelckmans, about to start in on a Bear Lake vein dyke. This one ultimately produced a nice large cabinet specimen of sharply terminated biotite crystals.
Bear Lake was a fine example of a place where Mother Nature reclaims the forest incredibly quickly. Even though collectors had been digging trenches here since the 1960s, the forest is quite beautiful and the old workings are sometimes truly no longer apparent.
Of course, this meant that we had to be careful not to fall into any holes that had become obscured from view. But it also meant that there is one thing that all experienced Bear Lake collectors would dread. Nope, not the black bears that roam these woods. We would fear that after hours excavating a vein-dyke, we would find incontrovertible evidence that someone already excavated it years ago (and Mother Nature had reclaimed it just enough to mask that fact… and make look like a good fresh spot to dig…).
Early-1980s Canadian 280 ml Coca-Cola can. Excavated in 2014.
I don't want to leave Bear Lake without doing it at least a tiny bit of justice – even if this was a low year, this locality has produced some great specimens in the past – here is a glimpse of examples of Bear Lake minerals from prior years.
Biotite (doubly terminated, floater), Bear Lake, Highlands East, Haliburton Co., Ontario – 5.8 cm
Titanite, Orthoclase and frosty little tracks of Anatase, Bear Lake, Highlands East, Haliburton Co., Ontario – 5 cm
Ferri-Fluoro-Katophorite, Bear Lake, Highlands East, Haliburton County, Ontario – 6.8 cm
Desmont Mine Property
Not too far from Bear Lake, another locality is generating interest – this is the Desmont Mine property, near the town of Wilberforce. Originally explored for uranium mineralization in 1954-55, this property includes more than one area of test workings which expose interesting minerals for the collector. We had a great day for an outing – I was there with local collector and Canadian mineral photographer Michael Bainbridge, Bancroft collector and geologist Chris Fouts and collector Herwig Pelckmans, as we scouted various zones of the property.
Small adit at the Desmont Mine property (me for scale). H. Pelckmans photo.
Herwig Pelckmans and Michael Bainbridge at the Desmont Mine property
At the Desmont, there are many unusual minerals and although many do not form euhedral crystals, there are some: particularly intriguing diopside crystals (including chromian diopside), sharp molybdenite crystals (apparently crystals to several cm in diameter) and most of all the locality is known for small maroon stillwellite crystals (up to approximately 0.5 cm known so far). Granted, the stillwellites are not easy to find, but they are cool for the mineral.
Stillwellite, Desmont Mine Property, Highlands East, Haliburton Co., Ontario – 0.3 cm crystal (Note hexagonal pinacoid face)
Well-known Canadian mineral photographer and collector Michael Bainbridge has had some good recent trips to the Desmont Mine, having found stillwellite crystals up to 1 cm, larger than previously reported for the property.
Stillwellite (0.6 cm crystal) with Diopside in Calcite, Desmont Mine Property, Highlands East, Haliburton Co., Ontario. M. Bainbridge specimen and photo.
I had an additional interesting find at the Desmont this year – a beautiful, sharp, complete euhedral crystal of albite, variety peristerite, with as bright a schiller as I have ever seen in an Ontario peristerite. It's small, but sweet!
Albite, variety Peristerite, Desmont Mine Property, Highlands East, Haliburton Co., Ontario – 1.5 cm crystal
The Desmont Mine locality is open to the public on a permit collecting basis – permits are obtained at the offices of the Highlands East municipality in Wilberforce. This municipality is very progressive and actively working to help mineral collectors access and open more localities in the Wiberforce area, so stay tuned! (The municipality also now administers permit-collecting access to the recently re-opened Schickler fluorite occurrence, where reddish and greenish fluorapatite crystals occur in calcite associated with deep purple granular fluorite.) Seems like the Wilberforce area will be a good one to visit over the coming years.
Northeast of Bancroft
Elk, near Hartsmere, Ontario
Miller Property
One of the most famous classic Canadian localities is often referred to in the literature or on old mineral labels simply as "Lake Clear, Renfrew Co." The Lake Clear area, northeast of Bancroft, is actually not a single locality, but rather it includes several famous old mineral localities, including Turner's Island, the Smart Mine, the Meany Mine, and the "Lost Mine". (Lake Clear is approximately 100km northeast of the town of Bancroft – not so close – and is often considered by mineral collectors to be part of the "Bancroft Area". In part, this is because of the geological and mineralogical similarities with other Bancroft Area localities, all part of the Grenville Geological Province). In recent years, in the forests east of Lake Clear, the Miller Property – in the immediate vicinity of the Smart Mine and which in fact encompasses the deposit formerly known as the "Lost Mine" – has produced some truly excellent specimens. This is another calcite vein-dyke locality, and this one is particularly known for the classic large red-brown fluorapatite crystals and excellent titanite crystals. Large augite crystals, orthoclase-microcline crystals and biotite crystals have also been found. Very rarely in the past this property also produced nice zircon crystals.
This year the Miller Property was the destination for a well-attended club field trip by the Walker Mineralogical Club and the Kawartha Mineral Club. A small group of us opened up a good vein dyke containing a large number of fluorapatite crystals.
Prominent Canadian collector Bob Beckett moved a lot of ground as we worked together at the fluorapatite trench. He did a good job hiding his disappointment we weren't finding more biotite crystals.
As is often the case, we got very dirty excavating the fluorapatite crystals. This vein-dyke was narrow and tough to collect. R. Beckett photo.
The large complete crystal from this trench is now in the collection of Herwig Pelckmans. He parked his car beside the crystal for scale before taking this photograph.
Fluorapatite, Miller Property, Sebastopol Township, Renfrew Co., Ontario.
H. Pelckmans specimen, photo and car.
Partially excavated calcite vein dyke containing fluorapatite crystals. The large crystal here is the same one in the photo above, now in Herwig's collection. It is 25.5 cm long. Note the crystals on the hanging wall. Most were attached and could not be collected (they shatter).
Many of the crystals in this trench were not so sharp and lots were frost-damaged, but there were some nice ones too. This one is quite typical for Lake Clear fluorapatite, if perhaps a little more pinkish than usual:
Fluorapatite, Miller Property, Sebastopol Twp., Renfrew Co., Ontario – 6.3 cm
Keith Miller, this property's owner, is as generous and gracious about mineral collecting as I have ever seen – for club trips, he has opened the property up, including with heavy equipment, and the fees he collects per person are then donated to a local children's hospital. Please note that one must absolutely not go to this locality (any locality, for that matter) without proper arrangements. This may include the specifically organized field trips that are set up by mineral clubs from time to time. It would be tragic should anyone undermine the goodwill and kindness between the collecting community and this remarkable property owner. How rare it is in this day and age that we (collectors) are fortunate enough to be accommodated, with specimens from a classic locality being preserved like this!
Excavator at the Miller Property, Sebastopol Township, Renfrew Co., Ontario.
One particularly interesting note from the club trip at the Miller Property this year – in the same area where the calcite vein-dykes occur, a pegmatite was excavated. The pegmatite included a few euhedral microcline var. amazonite crystals up to over 10 cm. Given the nature of the hard-rock occurrence, I am not sure how many of these were successfully removed intact but some certainly were. This is very unusual – I believe these would be considered the best amazonite crystals ever found in the Bancroft Area. We'll have to keep our ears open to learn what other collectors managed to find in the pegmatite excavation during the field trip.
Microcline var. Amazonite in situ, with Canadian "Toonie" coin (2.8 cm diameter) for scale. Miller Property, Sebastopol Township, Renfrew Co., Ontario. R. Beckett photo.
Here are a couple of specimens found at the Miller Property in recent years:
Fluorapatite, Miller Property, Sebastopol Twp., Renfrew Co., Ontario – 8.0 cm
Titanite with Fluorapatite, Miller Property, Sebastopol Township, Renfrew Co., Ontario – 5.1 cm
Bancroft Mineral Collecting, 2014
Although awesome mineral specimens continue to come from many different mineral localities in the Bancroft Area, my own 2014 experiences produced only a very few interesting specimens. The large fluorapatite we found at the Miller Property is a remarkable specimen and a true classic, and there were certainly other cool pieces here and there this year. And yet, quite often, all that hard work and knowledge still leaves you at the bottom of a big freshly-dug hole without anything brilliant for the display cabinet.
At the bottom of a two-day hole at Bear Lake, dug together with David Joyce. No collection-worthy specimens from this effort. And no help from an excavator. Emery (at upper left) supervised.
D.K. Joyce photo.
So, this was not a year full of endless spectacular specimens, and I appreciate what we did manage to find. In any event, my excursions this year could not have been better for scenery, wildlife and good times with good friends.
It's always worth going out in the woods, and you never know what lies around the next corner.
White-Tailed Deer – Doe and Fawn
Ice Crystals on Wild Strawberry Leaf
Chipmunk, Collecting Food for the Winter
White-Tailed Deer – Fawn
Bay Lake, Faraday Township
Thank you to Keith Miller, for graciously making the Miller Property accessible to the mineral collecting community, and also to the folks at Highlands East, who are working hard to bring more properties in the Wilberforce area online for collectors. And thanks to the Bancroft and District Chamber of Commerce for all that is done to keep Bear Lake open and accessible to all. I am grateful to Joe Neuhold for all that he does for the elk and the deer in the Hartsmere area. Thanks to Michael Bainbridge and Bob Beckett for the great photos, and thanks to both of you and Herwig Pelckmans for great times out in the woods this year. Huge thanks to my long-time collecting partner David Joyce, for all the fun and collaboration on our many collecting adventures (also the moly photo).
About the Minerals Photographed in this Post
Except as otherwise attributed, the minerals photographed in this post are included here because I love sharing them, not for sale. (Some of the ones that I personally collected are my children…)
About the Website
If you have landed on this post without having explored our website, please have fun looking around – there are tons of photographs of minerals from all over the world that are available for purchase (you can surf through by using the "Browse" options (click here , and you'll see the Browse options at left). Other blog articles are under the tabs Adventurers and What's New Blog (you may wish to scroll a bit to explore within the What's New Blog, as all of the weekly specimen updates are under this tab too).
If you are interested in more information relating specifically to Bancroft, Ontario and minerals, have a look – there is a post about the Bancroft Mineral Museum (the Bancroft Gem and Mineral Club Museum) and also one about our annual Bancroft Mineral Shows. A brief more general introduction to Bancroft is under About Bancroft.


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Weidmann is the latest in a string of policymakers worldwide to warn of the threat of a "currency war" as central banks pump out cash to support their economies, reducing their value in the process.
He said the pressure that Japan's new government has put on the BOJ to deliver bolder monetary easing endangered the central bank's independence, as did the actions of Hungary's government.
"Already alarming violations can be observed, for example in Hungary or Japan, where the new government is interfering massively in the business of the central bank with pressure for a more aggressive monetary policy and threatening an end to central bank autonomy."
"A consequence, whether intentional or unintentional, could moreover be an increased politicisation of exchange rates," the Bundesbank chief, who also sits on the ECB's Governing Council, said in a speech at a Deutsche Boerse New Year's event.
"So far the international currency system has come through the crisis without a devaluation competition, and I hope very much that remains the case," Weidmann added in a section of his speech entitled "independence of central banks in danger".
Last Wednesday, Russian central banker Alexei Ulyukayev said Japan is acting to weaken its currency and there is a danger that others will follow suit and foster a round of destabilising devaluations.
Russia holds the G20 presidency this year, a forum at which currencies and their relative values is likely to surface.
Plans for the ECB to begin supervising banks were consistent with a trend outside the euro zone for central banks to be given more tasks that lie beyond their core mandate, Weidmann said.
"But the overburdening of central banks with tasks and expectations is definitely not the right way to overcome the crisis in a sustainable way," he added. "Central banks protect their independence best by interpreting their task narrowly."
"The key to handling the crisis does not lie with the central banks."
Weidmann's comments echo remarks by James Bullard, a senior Federal Reserve official, who said earlier this month the world's top central banks had sacrificed some of their independence to contain the financial crisis, describing the ECB's bond programme as a "fiscalisation" of monetary policy.
Weidmann struck a bleak note on the prospects of both the euro zone and the United States overcoming their debt problems, saying there was no quick, simple way to fix them.
"The adjustment process to bring state finances and economic structures back into order is not a matter of months or a few years," he said.
But he was more upbeat on the economic prospects for the German economy, saying that although it would probably be "powerless" in the first quarter it should pick up noticeably later in 2013.
"The German economy remains in good shape," Weidmann added.
He also appeared to warm to an idea put forward by an EU advisory group last October for a legal separation of banks' commercial and investment banking operations in an attempt to shield taxpayers from having to fund further bailouts and to protect savers from any more banking collapses.
"The creation of legally, organisationally and commercially self-contained trading units can help to protect deposit banks without sacrificing the advantages of Germany's universal banks," Weidmann said, in comments that marked a shift from the Bundesbank's earlier position that did not give much credit to the proposal.
Source: Reuters

subset: commoncrawl


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Back on the air.
A word of warning, don't expect your email to work properly if you have a local network set up with two computers which use different internet browsers!
But that aside, I'm recently back from 6 weeks in the USA, visited the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival where I met a whole lot of very nice and interesting people, gave two lectures on boat design and the history thereof, participated in a lecture by small boat adventurer Howard Rice, gave talks to the students at the North West School of wooden Boatbuilding and a local Rotary group.
I enjoyed all of those, and will write up more on the show as well as the rest of the trip later.
But first, huge thanks to our hosts Peter and Helen Leenhouts, we feel that we've connected in a manner that has gained us lifetime friends, great people who made our stay there memorable.
Thanks also to Anika and Josh Colvin of Small Craft Advisor magazine, Howard Rice with whom I've been corresponding for years but met for the first time at the show, and so many others who made the show such a pleasant memory.
Like I said, I'll write more about the show, and about the rest of the trip later, I'm still in catchup mode after the trip away and will be for a while yet, so I'll just touch a highlight here.
That Highlight? A relatively small thing, and by no means the most important one but one which will remind me of the show and my new friends every time I use it.
"It"? During a rare few quiet moments Denny and I were browsing through the many exhibits at the show and came across the Lei Neilsen tool stand in the end of the Maritime Centre building, I was explaining just what it is that makes their tools special and so much better to use than the standard hardware store product when she surprised me by asking " If I were to buy you one, which would it be?"
Ever been faced with a choice like that? So many treasures to choose from and only one allowed?
The second most used hand plane in my shop is a Stanley 60 ½, a little low angle block plane which I use for light work, it fits one hand perfectly, cuts end grain as well as rounding corners and smoothing small areas, its versatile and very useful.
I've two, one is near new but I much prefer the very old one I bought from a junk shop and rebuilt.
Comparisons between the old Stanley 60 1/2 low angle block plane and the Lie Neilsen of the same size and configuration. While the differences may not be obvious, they are quite different to use.However even the old Stanley one is not as well made as it might be, and the steel in the blade provides an edge that is only moderately durable, the mounting for the blade is not properly machined so the blade is not rigidly held in the body and consequently the tool is not quite as good as it might be, so I pointed out the Lie Neilsen equivalent and bingo, later that day I became the proud owner of one. http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=60_5
Back at home in my workshop, I tried it. Even straight out of the box it cut beautifully, and with a very light hone on a 4000 grit waterstone it made silky transparent shavings even from curly grained beech. Ahhhh!
I've taken some pics below, you can see the blade bed in the Stanley is not machined, the adjustment ok but not brilliant, and the blade very thin in comparison to the new one.
The weight of the LN plane is considerably higher, the tool a better fit in the hand, and the whole function much improved. The old one did the job, but the new one is a real pleasure to use.
Worth the money? You bet!
John Welsford


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World's most corrupt nations? Afghanistan at No. 2
It turns out Afghanistan is not the most corrupt country on earth. That distinction goes to government-free Somalia, according to a new ranking of 180 nations released Tuesday by Transparency International.
But there's unlikely to be cheers in the palace of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who is under heavy international pressure to clean up his government. Afghanistan came in second worst, slipping down two ranks from last year:
Most corrupt countries:
1. Somalia
2. Afghanistan
3. Burma (Myanmar)
4. Sudan
5. Iraq
Close behind are Chad, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Haiti.
The least corrupt are all highly developed nations, and most of the top 10 are liberal democracies, save authoritarian-bent Singapore.
The least corrupt:
1. New Zealand
2. Denmark
3. Singapore and Sweden (tie)
5. Switzerland
The US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, expressed doubts to President Barack Obama about sending additional troops to the Afghan war given the problems of corruption and legitimacy surrounding Mr. Karzai's regime. In response, Karzai's government has announced a number of new anticorruption efforts this week, including a special court to try senior officials and a new anticorruption taskforce.
The Monitor spoke with Afghanistan's anticorruption czar about why the problem has proven so difficult to lick:
Nearly a year into his job, [Mohammad Yusin] Osmani and his Office of Oversight for Anti-Corruption has installed public hotlines and complaints boxes, drafted anticorruption plans with various ministries, and instigated one high-profile takedown of customs agents at the airport. But so far his group has only sent 15 cases to law enforcement agencies, resulting in just a handful of arrests.
The absence of punishment for corrupt officials raises questions about whether the new office will have real teeth either. The problem with the current effort, says Osmani, is that his office lacks the staff and mandate to investigate and prosecute cases. Instead, he must forward what his group finds to the attorney general's office, which is taking months on some cases.
Mr. Osmani's office has received training from countries that scored well on the Transparency International list: Singapore (ranked 3 out of 180), United Kingdom (17), and United States (18). They have also received help from Indonesia, which clocked in with the bottom of the pack at 111.
The global nongovernmental organization says it bases its rankings on 13 different expert and business surveys measuring perceptions of public sector fraud.
In Afghanistan, corruption isn't an abstract perception but something that nearly everyone – from the richest businessmen to the poorest fruit vendors – have experienced personally.
For example:
•Farhad Ghafoor, vice president of business development for the telecommuincations firm Rana, says a university chancellor once threatened to OK his contract bid only if the cost estimate was raised and the surplus passed under the table.
•Noor Agha, a fruit vendor in Kabul, says the police regularly shake him down for bribes so that he can operate his streetside stall.
•Mir Mohammad, an elderly man living on the poor hillsides of the city, says his son must work odd jobs to pay for private classes since the government universities ˆ supposedly free ˆ ask for huge (illegal) "admission fees."
•Haji Mir Rahman, head of Kabul's fruit depot, says police corruption is rampant on the roads. Truckers who drive through the Khyber Pass to Kabul, including Farouq Amjed and Alam Gir, say the number of Afghan police checkpoints asking for money has gone up since the summer. Mr. Amjed says the bribes range from 100 to 1,000 Afghanis ($2 to $20) and that there can be as many as 20 checkpoints on that road.


text:
How Satisfied Are Your Customers?
As global competition grows and consumers become increasingly savvy, customer loyalty is falling fast – and those that have experienced sub-par customer service in the past are even more likely to switch to a competing provider.
This brief resource provides statistics and other insights that explain why it's more important than ever to provide excellent customer service and experiences. Read on to learn more today.


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Astronomy at Stonehenge
Some people would say that advanced astronomical astronomy was practiced at Stonehenge. But, it is not likely that ancient observers were able to make advanced predictions such as when lunar and solar eclipses would happen. It is more likely that the astronomical observations made at Stonehenge were of a simple kind carried out for the religious and ritual practices of the people.Stonehenge does exhibit alignments with the Sun and the Moon. In fact, the main axis of the monument faces the horizon where the Sun rises midsummer morning, the longest day of the year. But the axis really only lines up roughly. The Sun actually rises to the left of the Heel Stone (the marker for the axis). And because of the Earth's precession, 4,000 years ago, the Sun would have risen even farther off the center axis. This failure to REALLY line Stonehenge up demands an explanation if these people were practicing exact astronomy. It is possible that since these people were only using such knowledge for ritual purposes, their standards of accuracy were different from our own.
It is clear that the placement of stones in Stonehenge was planned. This could have been Stone Age brilliance or it could have been just the moderately observant farmer's knowledge of the sky. Because we haven't found any written records from its makers, we just don't know!


text:
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text:
Gloves knitted in 100% cashmere.
Plain knitted gloves with smartphone touch in 100% cashmere.
- Plain knit
- One size
- 7 gg
- 2 ply
- 100% Cashmere
Cashmere is a fragile material and therefore we recommend that you do not wash it more often than every fourth use. In between, it is enough to just vent the garment in fresh air .
It is ok to wash cashmere in a washing machine, use the wool programe with short wash, never more than 30 degrees. Do not centrifuge the garment. In order to protect the garment as much as possible it is best to use a special wool detergent without alkali and a laundry bag. Remember to never use fabric softener.
cm | One Size |
A. Length | 25 |
B. Wrist Width | 8 |


text:
Arrow Chain - Silverörhängen
Arrow Chain - Silverörhängen
Om produkten:
Eleganta handarbetade silverörhängen från Sofia Wistam.
- Örhängets längd: 3 cm
- Material: sterling silver 925.
- Det ingår även ett extra bakstycke så du själv kan välja hur du bär ditt örhänge. Med en eller två kedjor.
Om kollektionen Arrow:
Arrow är en liten pil som symboliserar att man inte ska ge upp. Livet blir inte alltid som man har tänkt sig. Du kanske siktar och träffar rätt på första försöket. Men ibland missar du. Det är då du måste våga försöka igen och igen. Låt ditt Arrow-smycke bli en påminnelse om att du ska våga spänna bågen igen.
Läs gärna skötselråden
Om By Sofia Wistam:
- Handarbetade smycken av material i bästa kvalitet.
- Toppbetyg: 4,8 av 5 i omdöme från våra kunder.
- Fri frakt, öppet köp i 30 dagar.
- Snabba leveranser: Skickas inom 24 timmar.
jewellery is handmade in two versions – silver and gold plated. Below are some
care tips to help keep your jewellery beautiful for a long time to come.
jewellery is durable and long-lasting but all silver darkens with time. Silver
reacts to hydrogen sulphide and oxygen, which is found on our skin, as well as
in some fabrics, perfumes and body creams. Avoid showering, bathing and washing
dishes with your jewellery. Silver that is stored with other silver tends to discolour
faster and is more prone to scratching, as the pieces rub against each other.
For this same reason, necklaces and bracelets are best used in isolation from
other pieces.
Cleaning you silver
jewellery: Your silver jewellery is easily cleaned using normal
dish soap. Place your jewellery in a few drops of dish soap and leave for ten
minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water. Dry completely with a cotton towel and then
use a silver polishing cloth to restore its shine.
gold jewellery is made of brass dipped in 18 carat gold – called gold plated. These
pieces are especially sensitive when worn with other pieces as the gold layer
rubs off. Avoid perfume, makeup, damp and body creams where your jewellery is
placed, and avoid showering, bathing and other contact with water to keep your
jewellery from discolouring. The best storage place when not using gold plated
jewellery is the box that it came in. The gilding wears off with time – how
fast depends on how much you use your piece and how well you care for it. Your
skin type may also affect this.
Do not
submerge gold plated jewellery in strong cleaning agents, as this will speed up
the tarnishing process. Also be careful not to polish it too hard with a
polishing cloth.
the unfortunate case your jewellery breaks, you are entitled to a one-year
us your order number, name and photo to email@example.com if you wish to
return a product. We will send you a new identical item (or your money back if the item has been discontinued from the product
Contact us here!
- We have free worldwide delivery on all our orders.
- For all international returns and exchanges, the customer pays for the return cost.
- When returning or exchanging a jewelry, the item must be returned in its original packaging.
- If you would like to register an international return or exchange, please contact us on at firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll help you from there.
- For returns in Sweden, please resister your return here.


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BERLIN – Wor-Wic Community College's gradual withdrawal of classes sited in Worcester County continued this week with the decision to give up the Berlin-Ocean City Instructional Center, but got a boost at the same time with the donation of a golf course on Cathell Rd. that the college intends to use for some instructional programs.
The Berlin-Ocean City Instructional Center will close on June 30 to save on rental costs. The decision by the Wor-Wic Board of Trustees was made in reaction to news of $250,000 in state funding cuts.
"Wor-Wic has had a dedicated facility in Worcester County since 1977, and we have been at the present location for all but the first four years," said Wor-Wic Community College President Ray Hoy. "We regret having to close this facility, but this action will enable us to save about $100,000 a year."
With the removal of the hotel-motel-restaurant management program to the main campus west of Salisbury in Wicomico County in fall 2007, enrollment in credit courses at the Berlin-Ocean City Instructional Center fell off, according to Hoy. Non-credit classes are popular, but do not pay to keep the center open.
"We intend to continue offering classes in the community at various locations. Hopefully, we will be able to find low-cost locations convenient to Worcester residents all across the county," said Hoy.
Despite the fact closing the Berlin satellite campus takes the "Wor" out of Wor-Wic at least geographically, the news will not diminish the County Commissioners' commitment to the institution. Worcester's contribution to the school was around $1.6 million last year and is penciled in at around $1.8 million in the current budget.
County Commission President Virgil Shockley said on Wednesday the decision would not likely influence the level of financial support for Wor-Wic at budget time.
"It is a business," he said. "Unfortunately, as much as you'd like to see things stay the same, this comes down to the economics of keeping it open. With the capabilities and the facilities they have now, economically it makes more sense."
Shockley said the college, like everyone else, is faced with tough budget decisions right now and the move to close the Berlin satellite campus made sense financially.
"We're going to be in a situation at budget time where we have to make every dollar stretch," he said. "We can't criticize them for doing that because we're doing the same thing."
Despite the closure of the Berlin campus, Wor-Wic will likely continue to use classroom space at Stephen Decatur High School for some programs. On top of that, Wor-Wic students from Worcester County make up a large percentage of the student body. "We still have a large number of students from this county there," Shockley said. "Percentage-wise, I think it's around 30 percent."
As one location closes, a different one is opening up, with the donation of the $3.3 million, 18-hole Ocean Resorts golf course to the college, the largest gift the school has ever received.
The college will operate the golf course through a local liability company it has formed and is looking into ways to use the golf course academically. A new program in turf management could be implemented at the golf course, pesticide application students could use the golf course to gain experience, and business and hotel-motel-restaurant students could undertake internships there.
"Turf management has been in our academic master plan since 2001. This unexpected, most generous gift is the perfect opportunity for us to begin exploring the feasibility of adding this degree. But right now, we want to get the golf course open for business so that we can preserve the value of this gift. That's our No. 1 priority at this time," Hoy said.


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HBO's 'The Missionary': Cold War Drama with 'Vampire Hunter,' 'Breaking Bad' Star Not Moving Forward
Well, this is a bit of a bummer. Late last year we were tracking development of an intriguing new HBO Cold War drama that had initially eyed 'Breaking Bad''s Aaron Paul for the leading role, dubbed 'The Missionary.' The role went to 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' star Benjamin Walker, though 'Breaking Bad's Jesse Plemons signed on for a supporting role, with the show to be produced by Mark Wahlberg. Has the project officially gone cold?
According to Deadline, HBO has officially decided to past on the pilot, having greenlit the inaugural episode back in June of 2012. Set in Berlin during the late 1960s, 'The Missionary' centered on a young American missionary (Walker) who becomes involved with the CIA, helping a young woman escape the city. Plemons was to portray Sherwood Elbridge, a young Coca-Cola executive who aids Walker's character in smuggling defectors out of the Eastern Bloc of Berlin
The project was written by Charles Randolph ('The Interpreter'), directed by Baltasar Kormakur, and produced by Stephen Levinson, author Malcolm Gladwell and frequent Levinson collaborator Wahlberg. 'The Missionary' would have marked the second HBO period drama alongside 'Boardwalk Empire.'
We'd certainly have been interested to see what 'The Missionary' could bring to HBO, especially with such upcoming names to the roles, but oh well. For now, we'll go back to being terrified of Jesse Plemons in the final two 'Breaking Bad' episodes, which themselves were presumably extended in length for more creepy Todd action!


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Hard Candy
A story of predators and prey
Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Visually inventive films, challenging stories
Likes: Ellen Page, David Slade, vigilantes
Dislikes: Limited releases
Hates: Predators, Easy answers
The Movie
When I saw the trailer for Hard Candy, I knew I had to see this film. It's not that I'm a big fan of movies about pedophiles, but the look of the preview (and the poster) was so striking and the concept so intriguing, that I couldn't wait to check it out. Unfortunately, it didn't get a wide release and never made it to a theater near me. Now though, I've experienced Hard Candy, and I'm glad I did. Was it worth the wait? That's your call to make.
Hayley Stark (X3's Ellen Page) is an intelligent, mature 14-year-old who chats online with a guy, and decided to meet him in real life. When she does catch up with Jeff (Patrick Wilson), a 30-something photogragher, at a coffee shop, it sets in motion a day of horror and torture that leaves both people scarred and changed, as they both have an agenda and a large amount of determination. I'll avoid getting to into the specifics, as the revelations should be left to discover.
As one might expect, the film is hardly a comfortable good time, as it is loaded with physical violence, psychological combat and suspenseful moments that never allow one to relax. The main set piece, a torture scene that's played out essentially in real time, will make you squirm, as it puts the viewer in the same spot as the victim, never knowing what comes next. It's horrifying, mainly because it's portrayed without any real exaggeration, making it very believable, which is never a good thing when it comes to experiencing terror second-hand/
The best aspect of this intimate film (there's only four speaking roles, including Sandra Oh's inquisitive neighbor), is the lack of a hero. There are aspects of Hayley and Jeff's actions that make you pull for them, but they are followed by aspects that make you unhappy to have sided with them. It's the kind of ethical complexity that's rarely seen in films, which makes it such a challenging, intelligent movie. It's also part of what makes this a well-written film that favors quality over quantity when it comes to characters.
With so few parts, it was important to find great actors to fill them, especially the part of Hayley. In Page, they found a young girl with impressive range and a visual schizophrenia that sells her character's actions and words. Capable of shifting her expression from innocent to malevolent with seemingly no effort, she can be terrifying and vulnerable at the same time, the perfect combination for this film. As her foil, Wilson leaves nothing in reserve in portraying Jeff. His performance amps up the fright level, making what's already believable into gritty realism. Together, they raise a movie that could have been another come-and-go genre flick into a suspenseful character study deserving of a loyal cult following.
Though the acting makes this movie, it was already two steps ahead of the game with director David Slade at the helm, and his crew at the controls. Hard Candy's look is a big part of its appeal, as the tight zooms, purposeful coloring, and frenetic camerawork make for a claustrophobic, disorienting experience that leaves the audience shaken and stirred. This is one the examples of a film where everyone seems to be on the same page, resulting in an overall excellent film. You just need to be sure you can handle it.
The DVD
Packaged in a standard keepcase without an insert, Hard Candy is a one-DVD release, featuring a pretty animated, anamorphic-widescreen menu system based on imagery in the film. The main menu offers a choice to watch the film, adjust languages, select scenes and view special features. Audio tracks include Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 tracks in English, along with English and Spanish subtitles, as well as English closed captioning.
The Quality
As mentioned before, visuals are a big part of the film's effect, and this anamorphic widescreen transfer makes sure that it all comes across cleanly. Colors are bright and vivid, while the level of detail is very high. There's a huge number of close-ups in Hard Candy, and they all look great. Mention is made in the extras of the clean-up effort made by the film's color artist, and it was not an effort made in vain, as the image is crystal clean, without a speck of dirt, damage or digital artifacts. You couldn't ask for much better.
The audio, presented as a 5.1 mix, is also an important part of the movie, and the DVD does a very nice job with it. The film is very small, mainly made up of two people talking, but it's captured beautifully. There are a few moments where the full soundfield is put into play, normally when music is part of the scenes, and they are well reproduced.
The Extras
Considering the controversial topic at the heart of the film, it's ripe for some bonus material, and Lionsgate didn't let anyone down, giving the DVD a good spread of extras. First up, are a pair of feature-length audio commentaries, which combine to say a lot about the movie. Director David Slade and writer Brian Nelson join up for one track, which focuses, naturally, on the writing and technical aspects of the film, while Page and Wilson are paired on a chat about their perfomances and the story in the film. They are both very informative and interesting, with Slade providing the most knowledge, but Page is no slouch, and comes across as extremely intelligent.
"Creating Hard Candy," an extensive documentary about the film, running almost 52 minutes, and viewable as one show or in seven parts, covers the film from its conception to its release. Tons of interviews combine with clips from the film and some behind-the-scenes footage to create a very engaging look at how the film was made. The nine-minute "Controversial Confection: The Soul of Hard Candy" featurette goes deeper into the movie's content and everything that goes into making a movie about such a topic, using the same style as "Creating." Both featurettes have spoiler warnings up-front, so they should be viewed after the film.
Six deleted/extended scenes are included, though none of them would have changed the movie greatly. Including commentary that explains their removal from the film would have been appreciated. These can be viewed separately or all together. The extras wrap with the film's outstanding theatrical trailer, and a reel of four Lionsgate trailers.
Put the disc in a DVD-ROM drive, and you can access a nice flash presentation of the film's script, with accompanying notes and sketches from Slade.
The Bottom Line
Though the film is extremely uncomfortable, and will turn off a large amount of the potential audience, it's the kind of film that demands you watch it, as it features a controversial topic and an unconventional storyline, both handled with grace and style. It also features a performance by one of the best young actresses out there, as Page dominates the film, and a visual power that recalls the work of David Fincher. The DVD looks and sounds great, and it supplements the film with some genuinely interesting extras that are more than just EPK material. Anyone who can handle being challenged by a film to be both strong and smart, will want to see this movie, and everyone else ought to.
Francis Rizzo III is a native Long Islander, where he works in academia. In his spare time, he enjoys watching hockey, writing and spending time with his wife, daughter and puppy.Follow him on Twitter
*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.
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Are you ready for possibly the cutest Adam Lambert post on the planet? Yes? Perfect.
Imagine you're a little girl obsessed with Adam. Now imagine that you not only meet Adam, but you have him sign a photo for you, read a letter you wrote him and he gives you a hug. That's exactly what happened for 7-year-old Erin Korcz when she got to meet Adam, her idol, in South Africa over the weekend.
Erin got passes to his press conference and when the reporters were asked if they had any questions, Erin made her way to the front and asked him to sign a picture she'd brought with "Dear Adam, I love you. Love, Erin" written on it. Adam then invited her on stage–what a gem.
She also gave him a letter, which was apparently adorable. When she finished Adam told her, "I like you too and you are cute." To which Erin replied, " No you cute!" This is basically one of the cutest stories ever.
Source 1, 2


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Sampo Malin
"I am interested in the spheres, boundaries and volumes of the real and the unreal and their interfaces. The conceptual opposites of weight/weightlessness, visible/invisible and tangible/intangible, and also the moment when they turn into their opposite, these are also an important aspect of my work," says the artist Sampo Malin (b. 1977) concerning the core of his work. Malin's sculptures are typically finished with extreme care, but as an artist he could be described as a sculptor of concepts instead of matter: he calls our attention to the indefinite mental boundaries of the viewer/experiencer himself, contrasting them against the physical dimensions of the work. The delineation theme thus applies to questions about the interior and exterior of the work and the boundary between perception and the imperceptible, forcing the viewer to consider the question of which perceptions, if any, can be used to define what one sees. Malin questions the form of his works by de-materialising their dimensions. Light generated, focused or reflected in different ways, abstracting the work by virtue of its being an immaterial trace, is an essential element in many of his works. "Egoes" (2007), the two-part work in OPEN, will also draw attention to the ambiguity of the work's own boundaries as the light changes in the cycle of night and day. The light coming from inside also breaks the anatomy and clarity of the work itself, making the moment of perception and the effect of the work on its surroundings more important than the physical object itself.


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A recent research paper by Michael Lightfoot, published recently in SAGEopen, reviews the impact of technology-related education reforms, including improved access to computing and the Internet, on education in three middle-eastern countries: Bahrain, UAE, and Jordan. Detailed comments are welcome on our wiki research page.
(SAGEopen is the new open access journal by SAGE, and covers "the full spectrum of the social and behavioral sciences and the humanities.")


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Lawmakers urged the Pentagon on Monday to lift a virtual ban on Sikhs serving in the U.S. armed forces by easing the military-uniform policy to enable Sikhs to wear beards, long hair and turbans in accordance with the customs of their religion.
"We believe it is time for our military to make inclusion of practicing Sikh-Americans the rule, not the exception," Representatives Joseph Crowley, a New York Democrat, and Rodney Frelinghuysen, a New Jersey Republican, said in a bipartisan letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, signed by 105 lawmakers.
The letter comes six weeks after the Pentagon adopted a new policy giving individual troops greater latitude to groom or dress according to religious beliefs, including having long hair and wearing beards, turbans, head scarves, yarmulkes or tattoos.
With the new policy, recruits still have to request a waiver of regular military-attire policy, which is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Under the policy, the waiver requests should receive a response within a month. But six weeks after the policy was announced, one Army recruit has yet to hear on a pending request for a waiver, defense officials said.
The new policy has not satisfied everyone, with those groups most directly affected – Sikhs, Muslims and Jews – saying it still sets a prohibitive hurdle.
Army Reserve Major Kamaljeet Kalsi, a doctor of emergency medicine who served in Afghanistan in 2011, said Sikhs wanted a new policy that would ensure they could serve.
"Currently, we are presumptively banned from military service," said Kalsi, one of only three practicing Sikhs in the U.S. military. "That needs to change. We need a policy to reflect inclusion. We need to be presumptively included."
"Sikhs are not asking for a blank check," he added, noting they weren't seeking to evade the physical rigors of boot camp. "All we're asking for is a shot. But right now we can't even step into the recruiter's office."
Amardeep Singh, a spokesman for the Sikh Coalition, said the Pentagon had so far been unwilling to firmly commit to taking people whose religion included dress and grooming requirements.
"If the military wants to have a uniform means of addressing how, when and where religious garb or apparel may be worn, they're going to have to create implementation guides that are very clear and specific, like the militaries in Canada, Britain and India," he said.
In those countries, guidelines clearly state how Sikhs will dress and present themselves while in uniform.
The U.S. military's approach has not always presented such a hurdle. The first Sikh in the U.S. Army is believed to have been Bagat Singh Thind, who joined up in the First World War. Photos show him with turban and beard in a large group of bare-headed troopers at Camp Lewis, Washington, in 1918.
Since then, several dozen observant Sikhs have served in the U.S. Army, Navy or Air Force, with the peak coming between the 1960s and 1980s, according toAmandeep Sidhu, an attorney with McDermott Will & Emery, who has worked with the Sikh Coalition.
Concerned about lax discipline in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the Pentagon revised its policies in the 1980s to strengthen the military with more strict uniformity, Sidhu said.
Sikhs already in the military, including a doctor and a dentist, were allowed to continue to wear their turbans, hair and beards, but the stiffer regulations acted as a virtual roadblock to younger Sikhs trying to enter the service.
In 2009, Kalsi and a Sikh dentist being trained under an Army assistance program approached the Sikh Coalition seeking help to obtain religious accommodations.
Both received waivers and deployed to Afghanistan. Kalsi was awarded a Bronze Star for his service, and Captain Tejdeep Rattan, a dentist, received an Army Commendation Medal.
Sidhu said the three Sikhs currently serving in the military had shown they could appear neat and conservative in uniform and safely wear helmets and gas masks even with long hair and beards. But despite their success, a Sikh still cannot join the military like any other American.
"For all intents and purposes," Sidhu said, "he can't show up at basic training without shaving his beard, cutting his hair and taking off his turban, in violation of his religion."


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10 Tips to Help You Beat Insomnia
How'd you sleep last night? If you're like the millions who report they don't regularly get a enough sleep, you may have insomnia, which affects nearly 30 percent of adults.
The lack of zzz's can spell trouble. Those who struggle with insomnia are at increased risk for heart attacks, hypertension, and obesity.
I used to suffer from chronic insomnia. I would toss and turn all night, trying to fall asleep.
But my mind would race and I just couldn't relax. It was frustrating and exhausting, and it felt like there was no end in sight.
But then, I started doing some research. I read some books, talked to experts, and tried a variety of techniques to see what would work for me.
And after a lot of trial and error, I finally found a set of strategies that helped me overcome my insomnia and get back to regular sleep.
If you're struggling with insomnia, I want to share my top 10 tips for getting the rest you need:
1 / 10 Talk to Your Doctor About Insomnia Treatments
If your sleep issues are affecting your day-to-day abilities, you should talk with your doctor. You can also boost your snooze with these easy home remedies from Everyday Health Facebook fans, plus expert takes from Jeanne Duffy, PhD, an associate professor of sleep medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and Carolyn Harrington, a holistic health practitioner in New York.
2 / 10 Warm Milk for Sweet Dreams
"I drink a cup of warm milk just like my Grandma used to make." — Tracie Neeley
Dr. Duffy says: "This tip falls into the general category of establishing an evening or pre-sleep routine, which many people find helps them make the transition from the day's activities to the relaxed state that allows them to fall sleep. The good thing is that there are many different ways to do this, and the important thing is to choose a routine that makes you feel relaxed, and then stick with it every night, not just on nights when you're more stressed than usual."
3 / 10 Soothing Tunes for Sleep
"Have a relaxing CD playing on repeat all night, at a very low volume." — Mark Bonnefin
Dr. Duffy says: "While we generally recommend that people not use the television or radio to help them fall asleep, for some individuals this may help. However, in many cases, using music, sound, or television to fall asleep may backfire, as the sound may wake you later on in the night. In that case, you might want to switch from music to some other pre-sleep routine to relax."
4 / 10 A Spoonful of Apple Cider Vinegar Before Bedtime
"Drink one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water just before bedtime." — Julie Patel
Carolyn Harrington says: "Some people find that drinking this mixture just before bedtime helps them to get to sleep quicker and sleep much longer. Although it is not known exactly how or why this works, there are enough people who swear by this remedy to give it some credence."
5 / 10 A Bedtime Story
"Reading a book works for me. Just read for an hour, or until you forget what page you're on." — Jeanette Murphy
Dr. Duffy says: "Reading in bed may help some individuals relax and fall asleep, but others may be tempted to keep reading for a bit too long. As with anything else in the pre-sleep period it is important to set a limit on how long you'll do this and then be disciplined and turn off the lights at that time.
"One concern about reading right before sleep is the light exposure that comes with it. If it is bright enough and lasts long enough, the light can reset the biological clock later, leading to problems waking in the morning."
6 / 10 Aromatherapy for a Sounder Sleep
"I put a few drops of lavender essential oil on my pillow. It works for my 9-year-old son too. If he can't fall asleep, he asks for lavender and within 5 minutes he's out like a light." — Christine Genardi
Carolyn Harrington says: "Sniffing lavender has been shown to reduce anxiety and ease insomnia. In a recent study from Wesleyan University, those who sniffed lavender oil before bedtime slept more soundly than those who didn't."
7 / 10 Comforting Thoughts to Lull You to Sleep
"Thinking of how darling and lovely my family is." — Asmau Dantsoho
Dr. Duffy says: "One of the keys to being able to fall asleep is to be relaxed and not anxious about sleep. Anything that works to achieve a sense of relaxation and reduce anxiety can be useful."
8 / 10 Nighttime Happy Hour
"A glass of vino?!" — Stephanie Fisk
Dr. Duffy: "Alcohol is not recommended for people who are having trouble with their sleep, for several reasons. First, while it may help you to fall asleep a bit more quickly, it actually disrupts sleep in the latter part of the night. There is also concern that using alcohol regularly for sleep may lead to alcohol dependency. In addition, for people who have sleep apnea, alcohol increases the number of apnea events, disrupting sleep (and leading to numerous health concerns related to apnea). You (or your bed partner) may notice more snoring after drinking alcohol before bed, and snoring is a sign that there is disruption of the airway during sleep."
9 / 10 A Bubble Bath in the PM
"A warm evening bath and a cup of chamomile tea helps me have a beautiful night's sleep." — Tosin Oladimeji
Carolyn Harrington says: "A warm bath could work since sleep is thought to be induced more rapidly when skin temperature rises and then rapidly drops. It also helps us relax, especially when coupled with a cup of chamomile tea, which is known for its relaxing effects. So for both reasons, I would highly recommend this sleep aid."
10 / 10 Early Workout
"I find working out during the day and staying away from caffeine a few hours before bed helps." — Nichole Ogden Garci
Dr. Duffy says: "These are both great suggestions. Anyone who is having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep should try to reduce or eliminate their caffeine intake, and then make sure the caffeine they do use is early in the day (ideally before lunch) to reduce the chance for it to interfere with sleep. Getting regular exercise is also good for sleep, but it should be done at least a few hours before sleep."
Don't Give Up. Don't Give In.
I know how frustrating and exhausting chronic insomnia can be. But I also know that it's possible to overcome it. These 10 tips helped me, and I hope they'll help you, too. Remember, getting a good night's sleep is essential for your physical and mental health. So don't give up – you can do this!"


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Ryans Mica Local
44-46 Albion Road
High Peak, Derbyshire
Note: you do not need to take the door off its hinges, but do remove door furniture such as handles to allow the best finish.
See diagram (centre) for colour separation.
Step 1 - Prepare the door
1, Remove any peeling paint – a putty knife works best.
2, Sand the surface lightly with 120-grit sandpaper. Panel corners can be tricky, so try using a sanding sponge.
3, Clean the surface with a household cleaner so that the whole door is free from dirt and dust. Dry surface with a clean cloth or leave to dry naturally.
Step 2 – Painting the Panels
Use a good quality 5mm (2inch) brush and a solvent-based paint.
1, Start by painting the panels working your way from top to bottom. Paint the grooves of the panel first, being careful not to use too much paint (too much paint can congregate in the grooves).
2, Now paint the flat surface of the panels.
Step 3 – Paint the Centre Stile
1, Working from top to bottom of the door paint the centre stile (see diagram top right). Be careful, avoiding paint drips.
2, Paint in the natural direction of the grain of the wood. In this case paint up and down.
Step 4 – Paint the Rails
1, Again working top to bottom of the door, paint the rails working your brush left to right (see diagram top right).
Step 5 – Paint theVertical Stiles
1, Now paint the remaining stiles using an up and down brush motion.
2, Use a smaller 25mm (1 inch) brush to paint the edges of the door, avoiding paint drips again. Try not to get paint on the door hinges.
Step 6 – Paint the Frame
1, Lastly, paint the doorframe with the smaller brush.
When complete leave the door ajar and leave to dry completely.
« Previous | Pause | Next »


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The Guardian Locksmith Co.
The Professional Locksmith in San Antonio, Texas
Are you locked out of your car or house and don't know what to do? The Guardian Locksmith Co. is an experienced locksmith company that can help you get into your car or home quickly. We have a team of experienced locksmiths who are available 24/7 to help you with whatever lock-related emergency you may have. We know that being locked out can be stressful. That's why we work quickly to get you back in your car or home as soon as possible. We offer competitive rates so that you can feel confident that you are getting the best service for your money. Contact us today at (210) 987-4573 for all your locksmith needs!
San Antonio ( SAN an-TOH-nee-oh; Spanish for "Saint Anthony"), officially the City of San Antonio, is the seventh-most populous city in the United States, second largest city in the Southern United States, and the second-most populous city in Texas as well as the 12th most populous city in North America with 1,434,625 residents in 2020. Founded as a Spanish mission and colonial outpost in 1718, the city became the first chartered civil settlement in present-day Texas in 1731. The area was still part of the Spanish Empire, and later of the Mexican Republic. It is the state's oldest municipality, having celebrated its 300th anniversary on May 1, 2018.The city was the fastest-growing of the top ten largest cities in the United States from 2000 to 2010, and the second from 1990 to 2000. The city of San Antonio serves as the seat of Bexar County; San Antonio is the center of the San Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan statistical area.
Adams Hill, Braun Hollow, Brookside, Burning Tree, Camelot, Central Los Angeles Heights, Dellview, Denver Heights, Dignowity Hill, Dominion, East Side, Eastside Promise Neighborhood, Eden, El Dorado, Five Points


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NBC News has a problem with the Fitzgerald indictment and the Libby case. There are a couple of different themes in play here, but they all revolve around Tim Russert and an apparent decision by NBC to cooperate with the prosecutor rather than break news.
The indictment of Lewis Libby pits the word of Mr. Libby against that of three reporters: Matt Cooper of TIME, Judy Miller, currently with the NY Times, and Tim Russert of NBC News.
However, Matt Cooper is a bit player in this indictment, and his memory did not appear to be reliable when he testified to the grand jury about whether he and Karl Rove discussed welfare reform. Let's assume for a moment that he will not be a strong witness.
And Judy Miller? The Times recounted factual disputes with two of her editors (IIRC), and her own account of her notes and memories was opaque - she wrote "Valerie Flame", but didn't know where she got that, she wrote "Victoria Wilson", but didn't know why, she may have had other sources, or maybe not... let's imagine that she will be a disaster for the prosecution.
Which brings us to Tim Russert, one of America's most highly regarded television journalists. Mr. Russert has been criticized through the summer and fall for failing to give a public accounting of his role in the Plame investigation (Arianna Huffington has a terrific timeline).
Let's note the explanation from the NBC press release from Aug 2004 that careful readers found to be so vexing:
Mr. Russert told the Special Prosecutor that, at the time of that conversation, he did not know Ms. Plame's name or that she was a CIA operative and that he did not provide that information to Mr. Libby. Mr. Russert said that he first learned Ms. Plame's name and her role at the CIA when he read a column written by Robert Novak later that month.
Ahh, but did he tell Mr. Libby that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA? As detailed by Ms. Huffington, Mr. Russert has steadfastly refused to address that.
Until recently! On the day that Fitzgerald announced the indictment, Mr. Russert seemed to go beyond that cagey press statement when speaking to Don Imus.
However, Mr. Russert also appeared on the NBC News coverage of the indictment, portions of which I TiVo'ed. And as he spoke with Brian Williams, I honestly thought I was watching The Manchurian Reporter reciting his programmed lines. Here is my humble transcript:
WILLIAMS: He [Libby] called to complains about some programming.. something that was said or covered on one of our cable news programs...
RUSSERT: Correct. And that was the extent of it. I immediately called the president of NBC News and shared the complaint, which is why it was memorable in my mind. But to the notion that I was somehow the recipient of the leak, which just wasn't the case, or that I had shared information, which I did not know. The first time I had heard of Valerie Plame and the fact that she was a CIA operative was when I read Robert Novak's column the following Monday.
Mr. Russert hewed almost perfectly to the script, so we are back at square one - did Tim Russert mention Wilson's wife, on a no-name basis, as working at the CIA, without any job description?
[MORE: Messrs. Russert and Williams covered this twice. Per Howard Kurtz, this is what Russert said the first time:
TIM RUSSERT, HOST, MSNBC's "MEET THE PRESS": The answer was no. And whether I knew Valerie Plame's name or where she worked as a CIA operative and the answer was, no. And that was the extent of it. ]
Admirably consistent.
But let's add a bit to the story, even if NBC does not want to. Since Mr. Russert passed on the complaint to the president of NBC News, one might think that NBC News has some notes as to Mr. Libby's specific complaint. Did they share that information with the Special Counsel, and would they care to share that with their viewers?
Pending their response, we will rely on the very fine work of Michael Crowley at The New Republic and Jeralyn Merritt of TalkLeft, both of whom took it upon themselves to ask the tough question that eluded Mr. Williams - what, specifically, did Lewis Libby call to complain about?
Working independently, these two came to the same conclusion - Mr. Libby's ire was *probably* raised by a Chris Matthews rant from July 8 on - have you guessed? - Lewis Libby, Joe Wilson, and Niger [transcript].
My, my. Was Mr. Russert chatting about Joe Wilson and the Niger trip with Mr. Libby? Two people make the case, and I'm sold. Now, why did no one at NBC break that? And does it affect anyone's sense of the plausibility of Libby's story? Surely if Messrs. Libby and Russert were talking about Wilson, it is more likely that his wife was mentioned than if they were talking about New York Yankee baseball. And it is certainly more plausible that mr. Libby had an honest memory lapse, or a bit of confusion, if he really did talk with Mr. Russert about Joe Wilson.
This *suspected* linkage will come as a bit of news to Mr. Duffy at TIME, who reported that Mr. Libby "confected [the Russert conversation] out of whole cloth". Perhaps the cloth was not quite so whole.
So where is this headed? Judy Miller and Matt Cooper, two of the three key witnesses for Special Counsel Fitzgerald, have acted like newsman and told their story.
Tim Russert is acting like the surprise witness at a Mafia trial, hiding behind the same story NBC put out over a year ago. That may not be good for morale at NBC News. As a timely example, I note that the NY Times is endorsing the "Hardball" theory for Monday morning, which Brian Williams could have had on Friday afternoon, or Tim Russert could have broken on his own show, instead of annoying the viewers with his tap dance.
And what about the other NBC reporters? Do they have to watch their competitors break stories on this while their own news division lowers the Cone of Silence?
Let's look down the road to a possible trial, when Mr. Russert would finally take the stand. One presumes that Mr. Fitzgerald knows the answer to the critical question, since the indictment does not use the overly specific formulation relied upon by Mr. Russert, but rather refers to "Wilson's wife", as in:
As defendant LIBBY well knew when he made it, this statement was false in that when LIBBY spoke with Russert on or about July 10 or 11, 2003:
a. Russert did not ask LIBBY if LIBBY knew that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, nor did he tell LIBBY that all the reporters knew it;...
Assuming that Mr. Fitzgerald has not made a monumental error, Mr. Russert will deliver the expected testimony, and finally get beyond his current overly-specific denial. So why is he stuck on the press release formulation now?
At a guess, Mr. Russert is cooperating with the prosecutor by not tipping his testimony, and by not contaminating the jury pool. I'll bet that is frustrating for the other reporters in the newsroom.
Ah, well. Their time may come as we approach the trial and the defense gathers evidence. Will Andrea Mitchell and David Gregory be deposed, just to see whether they knew about Wilson's wife? Why not? And if they did, can they be called to testify? In that scenario Russert's position, that he did not mention the newsroom gossip to Libby in the course of a chat about Wilson's trip, would be even less plausible.
MORE: This just in - the Todd Purdum of the NY Times endorses the "Hardball" theory, and assures us that the cover-up continues:
Mr. Russert declined to discuss the circumstances of his testimony in much detail beyond the official statements he and NBC issued at the time, and he largely confined himself to repeating those statements on the air on Sunday.
We also learn that the cover-up will continue:
Steve Capus , the acting president of NBC News, said in a telephone interview Sunday that he was quite confident of Mr. Russert's ability to analyze the case on the air, despite his unusual role as a part of it. Mr. Cooper and Mr. Miller have each written first-person accounts of their own involvement.
"I feel that what we've done to date is a model of how we're going to handle this," Mr. Capus said. "We have tried to be as open as possible." He added: "I'm very comfortable with how Tim has handled himself."
The Times is in the tank as well - the decline to print the cryptic NBC "denial" in full, although Adam Liptak's nerve did not fail him last summer.
Now, why is the Times so coy? Perhaps they have received off-the-record advice that, although Russert is cooperating with the prosecutor by not speaking, there is no story here.
Well, I like the crossword puzzle for my puzzles, and the news section for news. But the Times has puzzles everywhere.


text:
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text:
Stains of Heresy
Cleansing Fire
Once inside the building, avoid the black ooze at all costs as it will drain your health quickly. Climb the wall to the upper floor and spin the lever there to lower the glowing orb. This will activate the other orb and cleanse the ooze so you can pass through.
Follow the main path then check the ledge to the right to find a Boatman Coin. There's a scalable wall nearby but ignore it for now since there's a crystal overhead blocking your ascent. Follow the main hallway then swing to the other side.
Corrupted Halls and Waterfalls
Continue forth until you find a large hall with waterfalls heavily corrupted with the black ooze. You can only enter the door to the east so head there and follow the corridor as it leads outside. Loot the chest behind the tree beside the stairs then continue upstairs to find a narrow passage. Once you've reached the end of the passage, climb the wall.
Before moving forward, turn around and wall-run across the hole to reach a chest and a Stone of Mystics on the wall. Move forth until you reach outside, then jump to the next area using the deathgrip.
Playing with Pressure Plates
Defeat the corrupted angels then acquire the Boatman Coin to the southwest, behind a wall. Before wall-running, drop down the hand-hold to find a chest on the ledge. Open it to get a Dungeon Map. Climb back up and wall-run until you reach the next area.
Check the western corner to find another Boatman Coin. Then, stand on the large, round metal plate then soul-split there. Use one soul to step on the smaller round plate nearby to open the canal gate. Switch to the other soul and grab on the low-lying hand-hold to the north. Step on another small round plate there to open the large plate, letting Death's stone form to fall down at the bottom.
The tower and Goldbringer
Revert to your physical form then climb out of the hole. Scale the low hand-hold to the east this time and get a shadowbomb from the floating island to the southeast. Blast the crystals leading to the tower and the crystals to the northwest.
Before heading to the tower, climb the ledge where the second pressure plate you pressed a while ago is located, to find a lever. Pull the lever then follow the opened canal to the southeast to find the Goldbringer around the pile of debris.
Obtaining the Voidwalker
Backtrack again to the adjacent area then swing to the south then enter the room. Inside you'll find the Voidwalker. Attack the floating statue to get this item. Shoot the inactive portals on the floor and on the wall in the upper ledge then jump on it to leave the area.
Exit the room and swing back to the previous area. Activate the nearby portal then activate the other leaning portal to the northwest. Don't go in yet but get a shadowbomb instead and throw it to the portal so it goes through and blasts the crystals in the other side. Enter the portal afterward and get your loot from the chest.
Voidwalker Tricks
Head back to the Eastern area (where the first of the last pair of portals were made) and activate the portal that is to the east. Go through it and pull the lever around the wall.
Now fall down the hole, loot the chest to the southeast then activate the portal to the northwest. Head to the northeast portal this time and release a charged shot on it. Go through the northwest portal to launch yourself in the air.
Once you're back at your feet, use the deathgrip to cross the gap. Continue to the next area to find another enemy: the Ayfid. Like corrupted Angels, these are flying enemies that will attack you with strong but slow slashes. Take them out to remove the iron bars and activate the portal to reach the northern island.
Clearing the path to the Tower
Cross the bridge to the east to find a fire orb. Get rid of the corrupted angels then get the Boatman Coin to the northeast. Destroy the clutter behind the portal as well to reveal a hidden chest.
Activate the portal nearby then activate the distant portal to the southwest near another orb. This should activate them both, getting rid of the black crystals blocking the bridge.
Cleansing the Tower
Cross the bridge and walk around the tower until you find a hole on the wall to the left. Enter that chamber then fire a charged voidwalker shot on the portal to the wall, then activate the one on the floor as well. Exit the area and continue along the path.
You'll find a Boatman Coin to the left and a Stone of Mystics above the arcway before reaching the stairs. Get them then continue to the next room.
Defeat the enemies inside then stand in the large plate in the middle. Soul-split then have both souls step on the iron bars on the walls to open the plate and let your stone form to fall down. The charged portal on the wall should shoot your stone form past the iron gate. Climb the wall until you reach the top.
Activate the portal there then peek over the edge of the tower to activate the portal near a fire orb below. Doing this should clean the murk and restore the tower's fresh water supply.
Follow the aqueduct then after jumping off the second level, turn around to find a Relic of Renagoth. Continue following the aqueduct until you reach a shadowbomb pod. Grab a bomb and destroy the crystals to move forward. Climb the nearby growth and enter the western door this time.
To the west tower
Get past the balcony to reach the western side of the dungeon. Continue west towards the locked door but before reaching the long set of stairs, drop down the hand-hold to the north to reach a chest below. Backtrack and head south this time. Drop down to the lower level and fight more enemies, including Corrupted Champions.
After defeating the enemies, head north then turn west to reach the tower's lower level. Exit there then look around to the left to find a Book of the Dead page. Return to the tower and drop down the hole this time. Ignore the fire orb and the portal then continue outside. Get rid of the enemies, swing across the gap then wall-run to reach the last hand-hold. Climb up to reach the upper ledge.
More voidwalker puzzles
Ignore the twin levers for now and go to the southeast to find a switch.
Look behind you to find a Relic of Renagoth in the corner.
Now, back to the switch push it- this will open some gates right next to it. To the right of this switch is a portal. We will call this Portal (A) for now since we will be dealing with 3 different portals.
Let's first start by activating this portal (portal A).
Go back to the two levers. If you are standing right in front of the stairs where the levers are, and both levers are directly in front of you, then we will call the lever on your left (Lever 1) and the lever to your right, lever 2.
With that cleared up, you want to first do a Soul-Split. Then you want to pull lever (1) and remain holding it with one of your souls. This will lower something right in front of you.You want to then have the other remaining soul go to where portal A is. (Making sure Portal A is activated,) turn around. There should now be a portal right in front of you. Let's call this Portal (B). Go ahead and activate portal B.
Now, make sure that the soul that is pulling on the lever lets go. You should now see portal (B) line up right in front of the inactive portal which we will call portal (C).
Go to Portal (A), and what you want is to shoot a charged shot into portal (A) (so it can go trough portal (B), and hit portal (C),
Now you want to Soul- Split again. Make one of your souls pull Lever (1) again. Go back in front of Portal (A) and deactivate Portal (B) it should be right in front of you. Once you have deactivated Portal (B), and then you can let go of Lever (1) once more.
Now the last step of this portal: Soul Split again, and now pull Lever (2). With this, you should now be able to jump into portal (A) and be shot straight through portal (C) with one of your souls. Make sure Portal (A) is activated once more, and just jump right through. This should allow you to warp on top of the left platform. Pull the lever there to allow your original form to pass through.
Cleansing the west tower
After pulling the lever and the gate opens, return to your original form and continue forth. Take note of the murky cavern here as you'll have to return later once the water is cleansed to get a valuable loot inside. Head for the chest and defeat enemies so you can get the Skeleton Key from it. Climb the wall to the east and bomb the crystals away. Make your way to the west tower's door. Unlock the door and look up to the right to find aStone of Resistance.
Activate the portal behind the fire orb and jump to it. This will bring you back to the other portal near the two levers. Now enter the opened gate to the south then drop down the hole to find the second pair of fire orb and a portal. Activate the portal to trigger the orbs and clean the water supply. You can then use that portal to return to the top.
Finding the loot
Follow the aqueduct south then swing across the fatal fall using the deathgrip. Loot the chest on the spot where you land then follow the dry aqueduct until you reach the eastern wall. Climb it however don't go through the door yet. Make your way back to the tower this time and follow the aqueduct to the north. After dropping to the lower aqueduct, turn around to find a Relic of Etu-Goth.
Now move along to reach a pool. Drop down from there to reach a cavern where a GnoMAD Gnome is located. Get it then make your way back to the eastern door and leave the area.
Follow the corridor until you reached the main hall where the multiple waterfalls are found. Move along the balcony and defeat all the enemies that will spawn. Before exiting through the door, look up to the statue in the middle. You should see a Stone of Power on its chest. Collect it then continue to the next area.
Enter the next door and jump down to the water below. Before climbing out, turn around to find a Boatman Coin. Continue along the corridor until you reach outside. Go to the northeast and loot the chest along the way. Proceed to the edge of the walkway however don't use the deathgrip hoops yet. Activate the two portals on the walls then swing to reach the next ledge.
Cranks and Portals
Activate the portal overhead using a charged shot then enter the nearby portal so the one above launches you to the wall, enabling you to wall-run to the next ledge. Once you reached it, get the Boatman Coin in the corner.
Now peek to the northeast edge of the ledge to find two more portals. Activate the one on the left wall then fire a charged shot at the one on the floating platform. Wall-run to the portal and you'll be launched to the next area.
Head to the large area to fight the teleporting enemies you encountered earlier. These are very fast and agile so you may want to have your Deathgrip ready and pull them towards you when you get a lock-on. Watch out when lighting bolts converge around an spot; this is a sign of a follow up attack/combo from them.
After defeating them, destroy the objects around the room then exit. Continue along the way until you find another fire orb and portal. Go to the west first to find a Book of the Dead page in the corner.
Head south to reach a crank. Split your soul nearby and turn it so it reveals an opening in the circular enclosure ahead. Switch to your other soul and pull the stone platform out of the enclosure. Revert to your normal form and step on the platform. Soul-split again and turn the crank. Push the platform inside the enclosure afterward.
Once inside, revert to normal form then continue south to find another crank. Don't turn it yet; instead collect theStone of Power above the rocks to the southwest. Drop down the ledge afterward to get the Soul Arbiter's Sacred Scroll. Open the nearby portal then climb back up.
Split your soul and operate the crank. This should reveal a portal along the wall. Switch to your other soul and activate it. Return to your normal form and let the activated portal to go back to its original position. Now fire a charged shot to the opened portal in the lower ledge so the charged shot passes through it and hits another portal to the south.
Split your soul once again and turn the crank once more. Hold it then switch to your other soul and step through the portal so you'll be launched within the enclosed area. Loot the chest to the west and revert to original form.
Purifying the Main Water Supply
Backtrack to the first circular enclosure then soul-split there. Jump down the ledge to the west the climb the wall to the north and reach the first crank again. Before turning it, find a portal to the north and activate it. Revert again to normal form and backtrack to the second crank to the south.
Operate it to activate the orb and destroy the corruption crystals blocking another portal. Proceed to the cleared path and activate the portal along the way. Upon reaching the next area, activate the overhead portal to finally purify the water supply.
Before following the canal south, head to the east to find a Relic of Khagoth behind some black webbing. Follow the canal and loot the chest along the way. After reaching the end of the canal, wall-run to the other ledge. Activate the portal there then peek through the hole in the wall to find another portal there. Activate it as well, then enter the portal to reach the other side.
To the cleansed hall
Jump down the hole and follow the trail. Once you see a pool of water, jump down and dive. You should find a Boatman Coin underneath. Return to the main path and follow the straightforward path, along the corridor until you're back in the hall with multiple waterfalls. The corruption blocking your path should be clear now so head to the door to the north.
Once inside, get the Relic of Etu-Goth behind the statue. Head upstairs to find two portals. Activate the lower one normally then activate the other one with a charged shot.
Enter the portal to reach the upper aqueducts. From there, fire a charged shot to the even higher portal. Reactivate the one at ground level, then enter it to reach the highest platform. The chest to the west is only accessible via portal. Activate the portal on the ceiling then reactivate the southern portal again using a charged shot.
Wall-run to the southern portal to reach the chest. After looting it, look up to find a Stone of Resistance. Jump down to the ground, activate the ground portal again, then enter it to return to the topmost platform. Enter the door next.
Boss: Jamaerah the Scribe
For the first part of the battle, you can fight him at ground level. He'll throw projectiles at you and summon corrupted angels. Be wary when he raises above as he will slam the ground causing a tremendous shockwave around the battlefield. Use the deathgrip to close the distance quickly and unleash your special skills unto him.
After a few shockwave attacks and after delivering considerable damage, you'll discover that the glass on the floor is already shattered, revealing a portal underneath. Open a portal there and any portal on the lower or upper part. Stand still and wait for him to aim his straight beam attack. Evade on time and when done correctly, the beam will hit him instead.
After defeating the scribe, fast travel to the Crystal Spire and trade with Nathaniel if you want. Confront the Archon to start another boss fight.
Boss: Archon
The Archon will remain airborne for the first part of the battle and he'll also have a defensive shield capable of blocking any damage. Concentrate on evading his attacks during this phase and wait for him to charge up. He'll drop his shield when doing this, so quickly close the distance by using the deathgrip and deliver mid-air damage. Continue doing this until an action button is triggered over his head. Press it immediately to remove his wings.
You'll have to continue fighting him on the ground, so use your conventional method of combat against him. After suffering more damage, the Archon will create wings made of corruption and will be airborne again. He will also become more agile and his attacks more powerful. Evade often then use the deathgrip to quickly launch the offensive whenever you have the chance.
After defeating the Archon, travel back to the Tree of Life and talk to the Crowfather. To start the next quest, you'll have to travel to the Shadow's Edge and talk to him there.


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Weber Shandwick's Firebell Wins Adweek Project Isaac Award for Invention
We're proud to announce that firebell, Weber Shandwick's proprietary crisis simulation software and crisis preparedness training, has won the 2014 Adweek Project Isaac Award for PR Invention in the Best Practices medium for its "original technique, process, mode of public relations related to the media, advertising, marketing and technology sectors."
Honoring invention in media, advertising & marketing and technology, the Adweek Project Isaac Awards highlight and celebrate the importance of genuine invention to the successes of brands and businesses.
In today's digital communications landscape, everything is knowable and sharable – and bad news travels fast. A single event or Tweet can rapidly explode into a crisis, which is why in 2010 Weber Shandwick invented the first interactive, multimedia crisis simulator.
Through firebell, participants actively engage in a real-time attack of their brand or organization – all in a secure, controlled environment, including fictional replicas of social channels and media outlets. Each training session is founded on research and tailored to participants and their media environment by our crisis readiness experts. Post-drill, our team delivers an assessment that identifies the gaps in performance, working to bolster an organization's response processes and messaging in advance of the outbreak of an issue or crisis.
In 2013, Weber Shandwick launched a fully redesigned firebell platform that meets the ever-evolving needs of clients and social platforms, and results in a more user-friendly experience for clients, allowing them to focus their attention on the decisions that matter to their business.
The Project Isaac Award follows other industry accolades for firebell, including being named PR Innovation of the Year by PRWeek in 2011 and Best New Digital Application of the Year by PR News in 2010.
The honor also reflects Weber Shandwick's longstanding legacy and dedication to innovation. Examples of recent innovative client solutions include:
- Mediaco, the firm's award-winning content publishing and distribution offering that delivers a comprehensive and consultative approach to brands as media.
- GoLive, our real-time production and live-streaming capability that incorporates live storytelling, broadcast quality-production and social distribution, extending the reach and impact of client events; and
- wpForGlass, the first ever WordPress plugin to allow Google Glass Explorers to publish directly to a self-hosted WordPress blog
For more information on firebell, please visit http://firebell.webershandwick.com.