text: Visitors react strongly to this shark! Large in size and with a mouthful of protruding spike-like teeth, this shark, like the great white shark, is the image that most people picture when they think of sharks. The sand tiger shark's snout is narrow and flattened, the two dorsal fins and the anal fin are similar in size, and the upper lobe of the tail is much longer than the lower lobe and has a deep notch near the end. The adult's body is light brown to gray above and paler below. Young sand tiger sharks often have small dark spots that may fade as the animals mature. Did You Know? This shark adjusts its buoyancy by gulping and burping air. Diet Although sand tigers can eat just about anything they want (and swallow it whole), like most sharks, they are not known to attack humans. Size Most reliable records for this species give a maximum total length of 10.5 feet. The maximum weight is about 350 pounds. Range Sand tiger sharks are widely distributed in all warm seas except the eastern Pacific. They are found near the surface, in mid-water, and at or near the bottom to depths of 625 feet. Population Status Conservation alert! The sand tiger shark is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and is a candidate species for the U.S. endangered species list. The sand tiger shark has one of the lowest reproductive rates known among sharks, giving birth to one or two large pups every two years. As a result, population growth and recovery from over-fishing are slow. Predators Commercial and sport fisheries take a heavy toll on sand tiger sharks. The meat is sold fresh, frozen, smoked, dried, and for fishmeal. The liver is used for oil, fins are dried for the shark fin trade, and the hide is used for leather. Back to the Top


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/ Friday, July 31, 2009 / 8 Comments / Soups , Spanish , Vegetables
Andalusian Gazpacho
Fancy having some gazpacho to cool you down in this scorching summer heat? I made the soup in the morning, had it chilled, and served it up for dinner. We have had some real sweltering weather here in Vancouver this summer. So, this soup was just what we needed, light, cool, and delicious - perfect! Do try the recipe, and have a good weekend.
Recipe adapted from Traditional Spanish Cooking by Janet Mandel
Andalusion Gazpacho - Gazpacho Andaluz
(Printable Recipe)
75 g (3 oz) Bread, crust removed
1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) Ripe Tomatoes
3 Garlic Cloves
2 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
6 Tbsp Olive Oil
5 Tbsp Wine Vinegar
about 300 ml ( 1/2 pint) Water
For the garnish
100 g ( 3 1/2 oz) Green Peppers, finely chopped
100 g ( 3 1/2 oz) Cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 Small Onion, finely chopped
1 Small Tomato, finely chopped
2 Slices Bread, toasted and diced
Put the bread to soak in enough water to cover for 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and put the bread in a blender or processor.
Peel the tomatoes, cut them into chunks and add to the blender with garlic, salt and cumin. Process until pureed. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow stream, then add the vinegar. The mixture will thicken and change color as the oil emulsifies. Add a little of the water and transfer to a serving bowl. You can rub the gazpacho through a sieve for a finer texture. Stir in water to the desired consistency; it should be neither thick nor thin. Chill until serving time.
Place the chopped peppers, cucumber, onion, tomato and toasted breads in a small bowls or divided dish and serve as accompaniments.
Serves 6
8 comments:
Nice to see someone making this the correct way for a change.ReplyDelete
I like this kind of soup...seems delicious...when tomatoe begins cheaper I will try to made....the picture is great...I adore ;)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 1, 2009 at 8:55 AM
I love Gazpacho. My husband makes it for us every summer and this time I'll ask him to make your recipe.ReplyDelete
Sounds delicious! It's winter here so I made a hot tomato soup for dinner last night, but will give this one a go once it heats up a bit.....ReplyDelete
Most gazpachos have a few more ingredients but your method is spot on! I Think with just the bread and tomato this is more like Salmorejo. I love gazpacho and yours is beautiful. I wish my bf would eat it so I can make some. SO healthy too.ReplyDelete
Wow I love gazpacho and this recipe sounds greatReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 6, 2009 at 12:43 PM
I made this last night and it is the best thing I've eaten this summer!ReplyDelete
I changed the recipe slightly,adding crushed ice instead of water,placed the bowl in the freezer for a while before adding the soup,and I added a couple of canned plum tomatoes and some of their juice. Also I passed the garlic through the a press before adding it to the blender.
@Debs: Thanks:)ReplyDelete
@Paula Pacheco: Do try to make them and thanks for the comment.
@Debra: Wow! You're lucky to have a husband that can cook. Lovely!
@Kate: Yes, save the recipe for a warmer weather and thanks for the comment.
@Melpy: I know many people tend to shy away from Gazpacho but once they taste it, I bet they'll be wanting more!
@Lindsay: Thanks and do try the recipe.
@Debra: Crushed ice sounds great for a hot summer! Thanks for the tip!


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You have no idea how good these are.
Just remember moderation is key. Now don't make these when you are alone because you will easily want to eat every last bite. Last month one of our friends, JM, who also has a food blog Plated Perfection, co-hosted a Deep Frying Party with her boyfriend. If you have never heard of a Deep Frying Party, it is a party where the guests bring food and then the host fries it. Zack and I decided to bring/make fried pickles, fried mac and cheese and fried Oreos. Some other items people bought/made were doughnuts, fried mozzarella, chips, chicken tenders, and calamari. I may be forgetting a couple things, but I think you get the point. The fried Oreos ended up being much more delicious than anybody expected they were tied with the pickles as my and Zack's favorite. They could not be more simple. You just make a batter with pancake mix and then fry it. When you make these, you should really serve them warm. The Oreo becomes the same soft texture as the rest of the cake. They really just melt in your mouth! I suggest dusting them in powdered sugar and going to town.
Deep Fried Oreos
recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
1 large egg
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup pancake mix
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 (18 ounce) package Oreos
Powdered Sugar for dusting
Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Whisk together the egg, milk, and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the pancake mix and salt until no dry lumps remain. Dip the cookies into the batter one at a time, and carefully place into the hot frying oil. Fry only 4 or 5 at a time to avoid overcrowding the deep fryer. Cook until the cookies are golden-brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate before serving. Dust with powdered sugar.


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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Author Tess Gerritsen has sued Warner Bros. claiming the studio owes her millions in profits from the Oscar-winning hit film "Gravity."
But the studio is pointing to her own statements downplaying similarities between the blockbuster and one of her novels.
Gerritsen sued Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. in a Los Angeles federal court on Tuesday, alleging the studio violated an agreement she had with one of its subsidiaries to turn her novel "Gravity" into a movie. Gerritsen, whose books include a series that is basis for the TNT show "Rizzoli & Isles," sold the film rights to the "Gravity" novel for $1 million in 1999.
Warner Bros. declined comment on the case, but spokesman Paul McGuire noted that in October Gerritsen told an audience at an Indiana public library that the film wasn't based on her book.
" 'Yea, 'Gravity' is a great film, but it's not based on my book," the Greencastle Banner-Graphic newspaper quoted Gerritsen as telling the audience. The paper noted the author said she had seen the movie, which starred Sandra Bullock, before her appearance.
Gerritson's lawsuit states she believes "Gravity" director Alfonso Cuaron was attached to adapt the book into a screenplay without her knowledge years before the movie was actually made. The author sold the rights to her novel to a production company that was bought by Warner Bros. in 2008.
The novel and film have some similarities, but their stories aren't identical.
The novel features a female medical doctor trapped in space after an organism infects her fellow astronauts and kills them. Her husband, who is on Earth, fights efforts to leave his wife in space to die alone.
Gerritsen's lawsuit states the author added elements such as the destruction of the International Space Station by space debris — a key moment in the film — to a screenplay she wrote to try to get her book on the big screen.
"Gravity" the film does not feature any outbreak of an organism, and Bullock's character is cut off from communication with Earth and does not receive any aid from people on the ground.
The lawsuit is not alleging any copyright infringement — a claim that would prompt a judge to compare the story lines — but rather alleges Warner Bros. has breached Gerritsen's contract for the film rights and profits.
"Gravity" won seven Academy Awards in March, but its screenplay was not nominated for an award.


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Preview of U.S. Women versus Dominican Republic
Bill Kauffman
USA Volleyball Communications
Phone: 719-228-6800
USAV Facebook - @USA_Volleyball
LONDON (Aug. 6, 2012) – The U.S. Olympic Women's Volleyball Team, in search of its first-ever Olympic Games gold medal, ended the preliminary round of the 2012 Olympic Games with an undefeated record and will now meet a familiar foe in NORCECA rival Dominican Republic during the quarterfinals on Tuesday at 7 p.m. local time (11 a.m. PT).
Team USA, ranked No. 1 in the world with a 28-1 record in 2012, ended Pool B with 15 points and a 5-0 record earning the right to face Pool A's fourth-place team in the quarterfinal. Dominican Republic finished Pool A with a 2-3 record and in fourth place, but remains a dangerous foe.
"They're going to be coming to get us," Team USA captain Lindsey Berg (Honolulu) offered on Dominican Republic. "They are emotional, aggressive and physical. We're going to have to serve tough and keep the ball away from their libero (Brenda Castillo)."
The Americans are 10-4 versus the Dominicans during the current Olympic quadrennial, but several of those matches were in tournaments in which the U.S. utilized split squads such as the Pan American Cup and Pan American Games. Team USA is 3-0 against Dominican Republic in 2012 and 7-1 over the past two years. Since 1983, the U.S. has won 40 of 51 matches.
Team USA topped Dominican Republic 25-18, 25-19, 25-15 on June 10 at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as both teams fielded essentially their top players during the first round of the 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix. In the most recent matches, the U.S. rallied from two sets down to win in five during the Pan American Cup pool play on July 16, then won a four-set semifinal Pan Am Cup match on July 19. The Americans did not compete with any 2012 Olympians during the Pan Am Cup, while Dominican Republic used its primary Olympic Games roster.
"We've seen bits of them," U.S. Olympic Women's Volleyball Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) said of the impending quarterfinal match with Dominican Republic. "I know their results have been a little sporadic throughout the year, but they have a lot of experience and have weapons that can hurt you. They are all legitimate teams at the Olympic Games."
Dominican Republic has a history of upsetting the U.S. at the Olympic Games. During the 2004 Olympic Games pool play, Dominican Republic won a marathon five-setter 26-24, 22-25, 27-25, 23-25, 19-17 in pool play in the only previous meeting between the teams at the Olympic Games.
Other quarterfinal matches will have Pool A winner Russia (15 points, 5-0) facing Pool B fourth-place Brazil (7 points, 3-2) at 3 p.m. local time (7 a.m. PT), Pool B second-place China (9 points, 3-2) challenging Pool A third-place Japan (9 points, 3-2) at 1 p.m. (5 a.m. PT) and Pool A second-place Italy (13 points, 4-1) versus Pool B third-place Korea (8 points, 2-3) at 9 p.m. local time (1 p.m. PT).
Team USA, regardless of opponent on the opposite side of the net, has worked to improve on each point of the match. In the end, the Americans defeated No. 2 Brazil (3-1), No. 3 China (3-0), No. 7 Serbia (3-0), No. 8 Turkey (3-0) and No. 15 Korea (3-1) during pool play at the 2012 Olympic Games.
"We have got better with each of the five matches," said Team USA five-time Olympian Danielle Scott-Arruda (Baton Rouge, La.).
Scott-Arruda has liked the fact Team USA has had a sizeable and very vocal following inside Earls Court from both Americans and fans of the team from other countries.
"I've played in four overseas Olympic Games and never heard such huge support from American followers in the crowd - it's given us a great lift," Scott-Arruda said.
Team USA's offense has been paced by three first-time Olympians. Destinee Hooker (San Antonio, Texas), who has become a dynamic and terminating opposite, leads the U.S. offense at the Olympics with 104 points on 87 kills, 14 blocks and three aces. Hooker, who is second overall in scoring, ranks second in Best Spiker with a .376 hitting efficiency (87-17-186). Meanwhile, Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.) has added 60 points for 16th in overall scoring. Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.) has contributed 51 points (45 kills, 4 blocks, 2 aces) for 27th place while ranking ninth in Best Spiker with a .295 hitting efficiency. Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah), a four-time Olympian, has tacked on 48 points with a .250 hitting efficiency for 15th place.
Akinradewo leads the Best Blocker category with a 1.06 block average through five matches, while Hooker is ranks fifth with a 0.82 block average.
Nicole Davis (Stockton, Calif.), the starting libero, ranks third in Best Digger with a 4.36 dig average, while both Tom averages 2.47 digs for 15th place. Davis also ranks third in Best Libero with an average of 8.29 digs and excellent receptions that includes a 72.5 excellent reception percent for sixth place in Best Receiver. Lindsey Berg (Honolulu) is the fourth rated setter with a 11.29 running set average. Larson ranks seventh in Best Receiver with a 72.50 excellent reception percent.
Dominican Republic is led offensively by explosive Bethania de la Cruz, who has 67 points (58 kills, 7 blocks, 2 aces). Milagros Cabral has added 63 points (56 kill, 6 blocks, 1 ace). Priscilla Rivera attacks at a .363 hitting efficiency for third in Best Spiker. Defensively, Brenda Castillo continues to be one of the best liberos in the world as she ranks first at the Olympic Games in both Best Digger with a 6.12 dig average and Best Libero with a 9.65 average of digs and excellent receptions per set.
"We want to step onto the podium," Dominican Republic's Milagros Cabral said. "We know we can do it. We played well, we played at the level of this tough competition and we will give our utmost. We will face USA, one of the best teams in the world, now probably the best. We often play with them and we know them very well, since we're from the same area, Norceca. They are a compact team, difficult to beat, but we will do our best."
The U.S. Women are in search of its first Olympic Games gold medal after winning silver medals in 2008 in Beijing and 1984 in Los Angeles. Team USA also won the bronze in 1992 in Barcelona. Aside from the Olympics, the U.S. has not won a major season-ending tournament including the FIVB World Championship and FIVB World Cup. However, the Americans have won the FIVB World Grand Prix, the premier annual international women's volleyball tournament, the last three years and five times overall.
2012 U.S. Olympic Women's Volleyball Team
# - Name (Position, Height, Hometown, College)
2 - Danielle Scott-Arruda (MB, 6-2, Baton Rouge, La., Long Beach State)
3 - Tayyiba Haneef-Park (Opp, 6-7, Laguna Hills, Calif., Long Beach State)
4 - Lindsey Berg (S, 5-8, Honolulu, Hawaii, Minnesota)
5 - Tamari Miyashiro (L, 5-7, Kaneohe, Hawaii, Washington)
6 - Nicole Davis (L, 5-4, Stockton, Calif., Southern California)
10 - Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., Nebraska)
11 - Megan Hodge (OH, 6-3, Durham, N.C., Penn State)
13 - Christa Harmotto (MB, 6-2, Hopewell, Pa., Penn State)
15 - Logan Tom (OH, 6-1, Salt Lake City, Utah, Stanford)
16 - Foluke Akinradewo (MB, 6-3, Plantation, Fla., Stanford)
17 - Courtney Thompson (S, 5-8, Kent, Wash., Washington)
19 - Destinee Hooker (Opp, 6-4, San Antonio, Texas, Texas)
Head Coach: Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Assistant Coach: Karch Kiraly (San Clemente, Calif.)
Assistant Coach: Paula Weishoff (Irvine, Calif.)
Assistant Coach/Technical Coordinator: Jamie Morrison (Dana Point, Calif.)
Technical Coordinator: Giuseppe Vinci (Casteggio, Italy)
Team Manager: Ken Sullivan (Laguna Beach, Calif.)
Consultant Coach: Marv Dunphy (Malibu, Calif.)
Athletic Trainer/Medical Support: Jill Wosmek (Silver Lake, Minn.)
Doctor: Dr. William Stetson
2012 Olympic Games Women's Volleyball Schedule
Pool A Standings:
Russia (14 points, 5-0)
Italy (13 points, 4-1)
Japan (9 points, 3-2)
Dominican Republic (6 points, 2-3)
Great Britain (2 points, 1-4)
Algeria (1 points, 0-5)
Pool B Standings:
USA (15 points, 5-0)
China (9 points, 3-2)
Korea (8 points, 2-3)
Brazil (7 points, 3-2)
Turkey (6 points, 2-3)
Serbia (0 points, 0-5)
July 28: Japan def. Algeria 25-15, 25-14, 25-7
July 28: China def. Serbia 16-25, 25-18, 25-13, 25-12
July 28: Russia def. Great Britain 25-19, 25-10, 25-16
July 28: Italy def. Dominican Republic 25-17, 23-25, 25-19, 25-15
July 28: USA def. Korea 25-19, 25-17, 20-25, 25-21
July 28: Brazil def. Turkey 25-18, 23-25, 25-19, 25-27, 15-12
July 30: China def. Turkey 25-20, 25-20, 29-31, 25-22
July 30: Korea def. Serbia 25-12, 25-16, 16-25, 25-21
July 30: Russia def. Dominican Republic 25-23, 25-15, 24-26, 25-22
July 30: USA def. Brazil 25-18, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21
July 30: Italy def. Japan 25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22
July 30: Great Britain def. Algeria 22-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-19, 15-8
Aug. 1: Japan def. Dominican Republic 25-20, 25-19, 25-23
Aug. 1: Russia def. Algeria 25-7, 25-14, 25-15
Aug. 1: Turkey def. Serbia 25-20, 25-12, 25-21
Aug. 1: Italy def. Great Britain 27-25, 25-12, 25-12
Aug. 1: USA def. China 26-24, 25-16, 31-29
Aug. 1: Korea def. Brazil 25-23, 25-21, 25-21
Aug. 3: Brazil def. China 25-16, 20-25, 25-18, 28-30, 15-10
Aug. 3: Russia def. Japan 27-25, 25-17, 20-25, 25-19
Aug. 3: Turkey def. Korea 25-16, 21-25, 25-18, 19-25, 15-12
Aug. 3: Dominican Republic def. Great Britain 25-9, 25-18, 25-19
Aug. 3: USA def. Serbia 25-17, 25-20, 25-16
Aug. 3: Italy def. Algeria 25-11, 25-12, 25-17
Aug. 5: Dominican Republic def. Algeria 25-15, 25-16, 25-13
Aug. 5: China def. Korea 28-26, 22-25, 25-19, 22-25, 15-10
Aug. 5: Japan def. Great Britain 25-19, 25-14, 25-12
Aug. 5: Russia def. Italy 26-28, 25-19, 22-25, 25-16, 15-11
Aug. 5: USA def. Turkey 27-25, 25-16, 25-19
Aug. 5: Brazil def. Serbia 25-10, 25-22, 25-16
Aug. 7: Japan (Pool A3) vs. China (Pool B2), 1 p.m.
Aug. 7: Russia (Pool A1) vs. Brazil (Pool B4), 3 p.m.
Aug. 7: USA (Pool B1) vs. Dominican Republic (Pool A4), 7 p.m.
Aug. 7: Italy (Pool A2) vs. Korea (Pool B3), 9 p.m.
Aug. 9: Semifinal Matches at 3 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 11: Women's Bronze Medal Match, 11:30 a.m.
Aug. 11: Women's Gold Medal Match, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 11: Women's Gold Medal Ceremony, 8:20 p.m.


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Parker Sconce
Arrives in 2-3 weeks.
Eligible for free ground shipping over $150.
Additional Information
Park Ave Twinkle With a Graphic Twist.
Our Parker Sconce features our classic Nixon pattern in a sleek, laser-cut metal iteration, further illuminated by the clean backdrop of the frosted cased glass interior shade.
Discover the entire Parker Collection.


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Staying frankly West
Dead Rising 3 first surfaced almost two years ago. So how did it end up an Xbox One title? According to Capcom Vancouver producer Mike Jones, talking to Siliconera, it was a matter of resources.
"In terms of building the game, we originally developed it on PC and everything we were doing was breaking the bank on 360," Jones said. "The number of zombies, the streaming stuff we wanted to do, memory budgets for the number of environments and items and physics and all of that stuff. Our tech team partnered with Microsoft to get early specs and figure out how we were going to get it on new hardware."
Seems as if the Xbox One's PC-like architecture aided the transition and allowed Dead Rising 3 to be a much more expansive game than previous entries in the series. "All of the Kinect things, we're making a game for hardware that isn't finished that we're all trying to launch together on day one," Jones said of the relationship between Microsoft's tech team and Capcom Vancouver. "Basically, we've been in lock step with them."
So Capcom wasn't so much infatuated with the "power of the Xbox One" -- the cringe worthy buzz phrase of Microsoft's Es 2013 -- and more annoyed by technical limitations of the Xbox 360 late in the console's life cycle. Meanwhile, the American-oriented Xbox One makes sense as the platform for the continuation of a series borne on Xbox and one that's being altered to be, "more mature and sophisticated," to appeal more to Call of Duty fans. Here's hoping there's enough zaniness hidden beneath the color-drained, tactical-strike-calling title.
Why Dead Rising 3 Moved From Xbox 360 To Xbox One [Siliconera]
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The unfished steelhead run, the hidden beaver pond; they're always around the next bend, farther up the trail or off the beaten path. We built our Sweet Pack Vest for anglers willing to go the extra mile (or 10) in search of the sweet spot. This daypack/fishing vest combo is engineered to comfortably carry and organize everything you need on the trail and on the water. Made from tough, highly water-resistant 840-denier coated ballistic nylon with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish, the Sweet Pack Vest's main compartment features multiple interior pockets for fly boxes, tippets and gear; exterior Hypalon® lash points on pack and shoulder straps; dual side water-bottle pockets; and an internal hydration bladder pocket. Up front, the vest maximizes comfort and convenience with lightweight, breathable mesh construction and easy-access vertical pockets. When fishing fast and light—or closer to the car—the vest easily detaches from the pack to be worn alone.
- Polyurethane-coated 840-denier 100% ballistic nylon is highly water-repellent, durable and protects contents
- Exterior YKK® zippers are highly water-repellent; stretch-woven polyester covers foam on back for ventilation
- Multiple Hypalon® attachment points on front padded shoulder straps as well as exterior of pack for lash points
- Dual side nylon/spandex expandable water bottle pockets; interior hydration pocket holds bladder
- Interior reel/spool pockets; mesh and polyester interior pockets for fly boxes, tippets and other gear
- Mesh vest can be worn alone or attached to front of pack; vertical pocket configuration for maximum convenience and organization; mesh body for breathability and lightweight performance
- Pack: 9.15-oz 840-denier 100% ballistic nylon. Interior: 3.3-oz 100% polyester. Back: 5-oz 100% stretch-woven polyester over foam. All with a polyurethane coating and DWR (durable water repellent) finish. Vest: 100% polyester mesh. Pockets: 420-denier 100% oxford nylon
- 1417 g (50 oz)
- Made in Vietnam.
Vendor: Patagonia
Type: Vest & Packs


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Want to combine your passion for skiing and getting a paycheck on the slopes?
Have you been pining to experience the life of a lift-op? To ski and ride for free?
Then check out some of the upcoming job fairs in the area at several North Lake Tahoe resorts! Who knows. You could be on first chair for a powder day this winter — that's if you're not working.
In chronological order:
Northstar California Resort: October 13th
Boreal Ski Resort: October 20th
Diamond Peak Ski Resort: October 20th
Alpine Meadows Ski Resort: November 3rd
Squaw Valley Ski Resort: November 3rd
Homewood Ski Resort: November 17th
If you had a season of being a "Tahoe Ski Bum" where did you work? Lots of awesome Tahoe stories start off with, "The winter I moved to Tahoe…"


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Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) & Adult Archery Program
This USA Archery program runs quarter to quarter. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a minimum of 10 weeks. This program will include achievement awards, skill training and games with focus being on skill development. No equipment required. Students should wear close-toed shoes only. Instructors on hand to teach skills, work at your own pace. Cost is $40.00 per quarter membership in USA Archery. Class is usually not held the week of a major holiday. Check "Meeting on" list above. Class is canceled in the event of a severe weather warning and/or if LPS cancels due to weather. Tickets: https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/70712.
About Outdoor Nebraska
No information provided.


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ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) Derrick Henry scored 15 points and Andre Smith added 14 points to lift Winthrop past Coastal Carolina 61-48 Wednesday night in a Big South Conference matchup.
Joab Jerome had a game-high eight rebounds to help Winthrop (9-11, 3-5) outrebound Coastal Carolina 39-27.
On top 40-36 with 8:32 left to play, Winthrop went on a 10-2 run to take a 51-38 lead with 5:31 remaining. Smith and Henry made back-to-back 3-pointers during the stretch.
Badou Diagne's 3-pointer for Coastal Carolina cut the deficit to seven, 55-48 at the 2:38 mark, but Smith answered with his fourth 3-pointer to make it a double-digit game, 58-48, with 2:01 to play. Coastal Carolina failed to score again.
The Eagles held the Chanticleers to just 33.3 percent (8 of 24) in the second half.
Anthony Raffa led Coastal Carolina (9-10, 4-4) with 16 points, but scored only two points after the intermission.


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Become a member or associate now!
Who we are
The New Brunswick Environmental Network (NBEN) is an active communication network of non-profit, citizens' groups working towards environmental goals in the province. Formed in 1991, the Network today comprises 72 member groups and 21 associate groups. The NBEN is a non-advocacy organization, which means that the Network itself refrains from taking positions on any particular issue.
Joining the Network
By joining, your group gains access to unparalleled support and an ability to help advance your and others' causes in the environmental movement. The NBEN works to enhance your communications with other environmental groups, government departments, other non-government organizations and other sectors. We:
- create opportunities for collaboration and mutual support;
- coordinate and facilitate province-wide and regional meetings;
- help identify groups' needs and provide resources for building their capacity and influence.
Caucuses and Collaboratives
Caucuses are issue-based mini-networks that offer groups an opportunity to stay informed and work together on issues of common concern. Joining a caucus can mean anything from receiving and sharing information to participating in campaigns, contributing to caucus planning, and meeting with government departments.
Collaboratives differ in that they involve not just member groups, but a wide variety of organizations and agencies.
For details on each active caucus and collaborative click on Programs on the top menu bar.
Government Consultations and Workshops
The Network is often asked by federal and provincial governments to select or invite representatives or delegates from our member and associate groups for various consultations and workshops.
Meetings in Local Areas
Local meetings bring together environmental groups, other organizations, and concerned citizens to discuss local issues and plan for actions.
An opportunity to network with people from around the province, to plan for the year, to learn more about hot issues, and see a little more of New Brunswick's places to know.
The NBEN's On-line Eco Community is for your group to connect, access resources and information, post news, and more.
Member status in the NBEN shall be open to non-profit organizations or associations who agree with the mission and the goals of the NBEN and that have as one of their prime objectives:
- enhancing or furthering of environmental quality;
- protecting the environment;
- carrying out environmental education.
Associate status in the NBEN shall be open to groups that have as one of their objectives the enhancing or furthering of environmental quality, protecting the environment, or carrying out environmental education, who agree with the mission and the goals of the NBEN and are either:
- non-profit, non-governmental organizations;
- non-profit environmental multistakeholder group;
- environmental committee of another organization such as a business or labour union, First Nations government or municipality.
Membership Fees
$40 For groups with budgets less than $1000
$50 For groups with budgets $1000 - $50,000
$75 For groups with budgets up to $50,000 - $125,000
$100 For groups with a budget greater than $125,000
For Mi'kmaq, Wəlastəkwey, Peskotomuhkati, or other indigenous organizations, the membership fee is waived.


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Hi All,
I need help in understanding exporting (download) a file using java, struts. i.e. currently, in my application we have downloading a file option in ms excel format. If i try to open the downloaded file in microsoft office excel viewer, it doesn't recognize. If i try to open it using IBM Lotus symphony spreadsheet, it opens in xml format. Now, the requirement is that i should be able to view the downloaded file in IBM Lotus symphony spreadsheet as an excel sheet and not as XML. Can anyone please let let me know how to achieve it?
Thanks in advance.


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First - I want to congratulate Kendra on winning the 4-pack of salsas from Mrs. Renfros in my Giveaway last week. I'll be posting a new Giveaway on Monday!
Next up - Road Trip! I've actually got a couple of these backed up and need to get moving on them. Typically I'm going to shoot for Restaurant on Tuesday, Road Trip on Wednesday and Recipe on Thursday. I'm sure some weeks it'll change a bit but I'll do the best I can.
A couple of weeks ago Larry decided we should go mill around UC. I think it might have even been New Years Day or the day after...we came across some hung over people :-)
Kinnick Stadium is revered and basically on lock down except for game day. The fact that we could WALK ON the field at Nippert - well - I was beside myself. I couldn't fathom it! Larry laughed at me! I'm sorry - it just isn't done at Iowa. Stepping on the field is a big deal. But I have to admit - I was glad UC was open because it was fun walking around the stadium. So "yeah!" for UC not caring as much as my beloved Hawkeyes!
The Big O!
I love when the color of the sky is so damn blue you just can't help but snap pictures.
This is like a giant tetris game just waiting to be played!
Really great weather vane.
So there you have it - my first road trip of 2011. Although I didn't go too far - it was still a lot of fun. I think the local road trips are my favorite some times. So I encourage you to drive around and keep your eyes open for unique things.


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Damian and Fiona had some unexpected news
When they thought they were pregnant with their second child, they found out that they were having triplets. In the blink of an eye, their family of three became a lively household of six. Now as the triplets turn two, Damian and Fiona reflect on what truly matters to them as they plan for the milestones to come.


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WhisperKOOL Extreme Cooling Systems
The WhisperKOOL Extreme systems are the most efficient ever put out by WhisperKOOL. The WhisperKOOL Extreme is a completely new design that improves airflow efficiency by 25% while being 10% quieter and 35% smaller than previous WhisperKOOL systems. The WhisperKOOL Extreme systems use the superb WhisperKOOL liquid bottle probe to monitor the actual temperature of the wine for more accurate cooling. The WhisperKOOL Extreme series also features an advanced electronic control system, humidity control, an energy-saving mode, and alarm capabilities. For ease of installation, the WhisperKOOL Extreme cooling systems offer flexible installation options and the choice to put your condenser outside with the optional housing. Please note that these systems do not include a line set. WhisperKOOL Extreme systems are available for wine cellars up to 2000 cubic feet. We also carry the full line of other WhisperKOOL cooling systems. For expert guidance in selecting a WhisperKOOL Extreme system, call us at 1-800-876-8789.


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THC Toronto Hemp Company - Smoke Shop, Hemp Products, Garden Supplies, Glass! - Concentrates / Extracts
We have TONS more in-store, and are constantly adding to this new and expanding web-store! Call or visit THC!
For Extraction Supplies see Gardening & Processing / extraction. For Heady Glass see Glass Art & Heady Pieces
Use the tags below to filter for products you're seeking. This Product Category is primarily divided into:
Adapters - Containers - E-Nails - Nails - Pads/Mats - Rigs - Tools&Parts - Vaporizers


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Apr 23, 1991 | ISBN 9780679727293
"…the reader of Lolita attempts to arrive at some sense of its overall 'meaning,' while at the same time having to struggle…with the difficulties posed by the recondite materials and rich, elaborate verbal textures. The main purpose of this edition is to solve such local problems and to show how they contribute to the total design of the novel."–From the Preface by Alfred Appel, Jr.
"Fascinatingly detailed."–Edmund Morris, The New York Times Book Review


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Dangerous Animals
Animal Services investigates complaints in which animals at large are accused of unprovoked attacks on humans or domestic animals and in some cases, those which appear likely to attack. Unprovoked attacks do not include those taking place in a secured enclosure, such as the animal's own backyard. City ordinance does not allow animals that have been declared dangerous to stay within Grand Prairie without very strict confinement rules and liability insurance. Some dangerous animals may have to leave the City or be euthanized. If you need more information or to report a dangerous animal, please contact the Prairie Paws Adoption Center at 972-237-8575.
By law, all bites must be reported to the Local Rabies Control Authority (LCRA). In Grand Prairie, the LCRA is Animal Services and its officers investigate all bites. A bite usually means any contact breaking the skin, so scratches are also included. The goal of a bite investigation is not to punish the pet owners or animal, but to ensure state law is followed and minimize the chances of the bite victim contracting rabies.
In the process of a bite investigation, an Animal Services officer will verify a bite occurred, collect as much information on the animal and its owners as possible, and secure the animal for quarantine. A dog or cat that has bitten a person must be quarantined and observed for any signs of rabies. Quarantine involves strict isolation at an approved facility following Texas Department of State Health Services guidelines, and will last for 10 or more days from the time of the incident. An approved facility can be a personal veterinarian who has the approval of Grand Prairie Animal Services or the Prairie Paws Adoption Center itself. Quarantining ensures the safety of the bite victim.
To report an animal bite, contact the Prairie Paws Adoption Center at 972-237-8575.


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Cloud Phone System for Referral Service Business
Copyright © 2019 JustCall.
Get more leads and give your website visitors an option to connect with you the moment they land on your website.
Give website visitors the option to request a callback and drop a message in case you are not available for a call at the moment.
Reach out to each and every lead and customer with special offers, deals and time sensitive offers using Bulk SMS.
Keep your leads updated with highly personalized, easy to create and trackable SMS campaigns.
Auto and Predictive Dialer automates manual tasks like dialing, saving call details, notes and recordings in the CRM and connect agents with answered calls only.
Measure the performance of your campaigns and agents by using our comprehensive analytics dashboard and reporting options.
With IVR, incoming leads can connect with the most appropriate agent according to the requirements.
Keep your business awake with round the clock availability. Call routing to external number ensures every incoming call is connected with the best agent.
Assist leads in buying, selling properties by quickly listing the properties and other data based on the query of the lead.
Give instant and accurate information to the leads using webhooks, APIs and without human intervention.
1. How to make more outbound calls with Auto Dialer
2. Reach to more leads using easy to make Bulk SMS campaigns.
The support team always gets back to us quickly and has even customized a few fields for us. The system is easy to use and even easier to implement. My team loves it!
Joseph R.
Distressed Property Specialist, Prime Lead
Jonah Mandel
Sales Director, Alibaba Group
Sean Dalton
Understand your customers and ensure quality of the call with Call monitoring features like listening, whispering and barging.
Keep an eye on team performance, call activity, number analytics and other metrics with JustCall Analytics Dashboard.
24X7 Support • No Set-Up Fees • Cancel Anytime
Copyright © 2019 JustCall


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WeMove.EU is funded by donations from thousands of members across Europe. Can you chip in and help make sure we can move fast to win the campaigns that matter to all of us?
If you prefer, you can also donate montly
You can make a secure donation below.
We want to be transparent and accountable about how we spend your donations - for more information please see our donation Policy.
Your personal information will be kept private and held securely. By submitting information you are agreeing to WeMove.EU keeping you informed about campaigns and agree to the use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy.


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All of my favorite things and more! Designed by Stacy Carlson, owner of Lou Lou's Decor out of Portsmouth, Rhode Island and photographed by Shelley Harrison, this bright and airy home has that beachy vibe I always adore. So comfortable and inviting, I love the furniture in the cozy family room. So many places to sit and relax or play games! The sun-drenched dining room is just beautiful too…love that chandelier! And can I tell you how much I want that dressing table?! It's perfect! Not only does Lou Lou's Decor offer design services, they are also a super cute home furnishings boutique in Portsmouth and online!
Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise…updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!


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Most people have written about the games they played in 2013. Many have tried to rank them, assigning some game "Game of the Year." Everyone has limited themselves to games that were also released in 2013. But it wouldn't be a me-piece if I didn't do things a bit differently, now, would it?
Instead of writing about the 2013 games that I played, I'm going to just write about the games I played—the games I think you might enjoy playing, regardless of the year they were produced and released.
Here we go.
Doc vs 2013.
I only beat 41 games in 2013. A few of those I didn't even 'beat,' so much as decided they weren't for me. This was the year that, yes, I decided that I wouldn't simply grin and bear gaming experiences I didn't like. Additionally, I completed 17 pieces of DLC. My backlog, unfortunately, grew—go go gadget indie bundles, amirite? When you want, say, Shelter, and it's in a $4 bundle including half a dozen other games, it's hard not to pull the trigger. Plus, I received some games for free due to exploiting various rewards programs, and, of course, there were the games I received from friends. I gave up on updating my backlog. That will be resolved, eventually.
Before I started writing this, I'd toyed with the idea of writing about some of the games I played this year that I didn't enjoy, but as I sit here thinking about it, I'd like to go ahead and just focus on the games I think you'd enjoy. There were plenty. Honestly, just avoid Hitman: Absolution and Assassin's Creed Revelations. They're interesting games wrapped up in poor execution.
I'm not going to list games in any particular order, so don't think you can suss out any sort of "Game of the Year" selection from the way I've chosen to write about these games. I've randomized my selection. Besides, it should be fairly evident which game I think was the best thing I played all year.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PC) was the last game I played in 2013. Normally, I don't like it when games are four or five hours long, but Brothers was inexpensive, and I'd heard good things. Plus, it was from the developers of The Darkness, a game with one of the most profoundly affecting emotional moments I've ever experienced in a game. In The Darkness, a first-person shooter, you meet your girlfriend. The two of you sit on a couch. This is all in-game, by the way, not a cutscene or anything. You watch a movie—To Kill a Mockingbird—and eventually, she falls asleep on you. It's really a very touching, striking moment.
Now, you may be wondering 'hey, why is he spoiling The Darkness and not Brothers?' Well, that's simple: The Darkness is old, and most people know about it or don't care enough to go find a copy and play. Brothers, conversely, hasn't been out all that long, and you really must play it to understand it. Better, I think, to describe a game with a similar feeling made by the same devs than to spoil any of the emotional moments in Brothers.
The controls are… odd. To be honest, I'm not sure whether I liked them or not, but it doesn't matter, because it all comes together in the end of the game. It works, even though it's a bit hard to appreciate it until the game's been completed. The visuals are breathtaking, and they work very hard to create this sense that you and the Brothers really are going on an epic journey, even if it only takes a few hours to complete. Stare with awe at the ruins of some giant's home, laugh with joy while riding a glider through a gorge, gasp when a whale breaches the ocean ahead of you, nearly landing on top of your boat. This is a game that tells a lot without resorting to exposition: just why is there a valley full of dead giants in battle armor? They look the same, so who were they fighting? How did a citadel come to be abandoned, when its attackers were frozen instantly—some turned to ice on the ladder they were climbing, which itself froze in mid-air as it fell towards the citadel's walls. This is a game where you can save a man just as he hangs himself; a game where you can help a lonely rabbit play with its comrades who have been shunning it.
Brothers is a game of rich mystery and emotion. It's a game that has no excessive padding, no pointless XP systems. It is a game that is pure and wonderful. I'm glad I played it, even though I shed tears at its climax, and once again at its finale. It's a wonderful emotional journey. Just, uh… make sure you play it with a 360 controller.
Thirty Flights of Loving (PC) is a first-person game where you spend less time shooting (that is to say, no time shooting) and more time shoving geese into a lake, peeling oranges, and trying to save a deeply wounded friend. It's a short game—shorter than Brothers, weighing it at a mere fifteen minutes or so, but I've replayed it time and time again.
Where most games utilize cinematic tropes to simply make people go "wow, that looked very nice," Thirty Flights of Loving toys with something quite differently: it cuts. Instead of bothering with swinging camera shots or anything of that nature, Thirty Flights of Loving is a story told entirely in first-person. It's a game that makes use of the perspective—you are who you are playing as. Treat it like a memory transplant, and try not to reject it. The cuts are like skips in your memory. You jump from moment to moment. Things change, adapt, reshape themselves as your memory does. Move from one moment to the next because it's associated. This game is a part of you. Play it like the present, but realized it happened in the past.
Nothing you do can change that fact.
There comes a moment in the game when this is readily abundant. You flash back to a place you were before, but in a slightly different location. The game's level design—which is very clever throughout, by the way—encourages you to return to the spot you were previously, but when you walk towards it, knowing what you're going to see, simply because you've already been there… you're suddenly whisked away to a different time and place.
It's a game I love showing to other people, and a game they all seem fascinated in watching. It's a game we talk about afterwards. What it meant. What it did. How incredible it is. It's a game that ends on a moment so perfect, I never want it to end, and indeed, as far as I know, it doesn't have to, except for the fact that I know I've got to move on. Got to go do other things.
Like I said, it feels like a memory. Good and bad, I suppose. Bittersweet.
Plus, it comes with Gravity Bone, the 'prequel.' It shares a character with Thirty Flights of Loving, so I'd highly recommend you play it first. The attitude's a bit more playful and happy than TFL, which has this beautiful melancholy going for it, but both games work well together. I love them both, and replay them frequently, just to experience it all over again.
Thirty Flights is immensely beautiful. Please play it.
Far Cry 3 (PC) is a Ubisoft game, moreso than the ever-interesting, totally-not-ready-for-launch Far Cry 2. You can tell it's a Ubisoft game because it features a lot of systems that have you doing a lot of extremely repetitive behaviors (like climbing towers to reveal more of the map!) in an open world environment for XP and unlocks and things. Also, there are random things to collect for no real reason other than to pad the length of the game, or give you something to do. Like other Ubisoft games, most notably, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry 3 has a crafting system, and, again, like other Ubisoft games, it's all very shallow. Also, it has really bad writing, by the way, full of those tedious and pathetic Alice in Wonderland references. The game's writing is so bad that it reached the point where an interview with the lead writer convinced me that nobody on that game had any idea what they were talking about. Some of the characters are quite enjoyable, however.
Far Cry 3 is, despite this, a really good game.
If you didn't like Far Cry 2, you might actually like Far Cry 3. No Malaria, no respawning checkpoints, no guns breaking down. You get to carry four guns, rather than three, the world's more fun to explore, you have a WINGSUIT that makes jumping off tall objects quite enjoyable, the guns are neater, you can customize them… and then there's the camera.
Far Cry 3 has the best camera in any first-person shooter. It's the subtle things—the way the camera tilts slightly when you move, or the way the WEAPONS bounce up and down and side to side, rather than the camera. It's the way that your camera rolls forward as you jump from up high, perfectly replicating that sense that you're there and you're jumping and you just have to look at the ground. When you dive into water, you sink for a few seconds before regaining control, like you would in real life. When you slide—because, yes, this game lets you slide, and it's amazing—the camera just… it's right.
As you play, you become increasingly lethal. New skills let you stab a man from below water, or chain a series of machete and knife kills. You get faster, tougher, more awesome. When combined with your weapons (which includes a grenade launcher and the second-best bow and arrow in video game history), you feel like a ninja. The game encourages stealth, but it's by no means required. Go quiet, go loud. Do whatever suits your play style.
That's really where Far Cry 3 excels: it's a first-person shooter that takes delight in being a first-person shooter. It has some of the best shooter-feel there is. Even more awesome? I recently discovered the game's co-op mode with fellow Team Orphan Meat players Xavus and Neryl. We've been murdering our way through some intense, varied, and fun co-op.
If you want a game with rock-solid game feel, Far Cry 3 will sate that need. Would that the AI was more complex, the world more engaging, the crafting system more in-depth, and the writing less crappy. This game could only be better if it were… set in a grim, dark future where cyborgs fight monsters, and better written.
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (PC) is like Far Cry 3, but set in a grim, dark future where cyborgs fight monsters, and is better-written than Far Cry 3. Oh, and you're a cyborg, so after a while, you can literally charge at an enemy Cybersoldier (BECAUSE WHY HAVE REGULAR SOLDIERS WHEN THEY COULD BE CYBER SOLDIERS?), leap into the air above him, and come crashing down, stabbing him in the throat. You are a super lethal cyborg murderbot voiced by Michael Biehn. You say things like "guess he was… heartless" when you rip out a Cybersoldier's cyberheart with your cyberfist.
Blood Dragon doesn't live up to the series potential found in Far Cry 2, but who cares? It's got the richness and polish of Far Cry 3, in a brand new world with new enemies, strategies, weapons, and stuff to do. It's lengthy, for a game that launched at $15. The only reason I'm not talking about it more is because it's got a rich overlap with Far Cry 3, so everything good I said about that applies here.
Tomb Raider (PC) is the game for people who like using arrows to kill things. When I said Far Cry 3 had the second-best bow in video game history, I said that because Tomb Raider's is the best. In Far Cry 3, it's merely an instrument for killing people. In Tomb Raider, it's not just an implement for amazing amounts of murder, it's also a tool like Batman's grappling hook and zipline. It feels right to use. And Lara? Lara feels right too. She's nice and light, but doesn't feel stiff or delicate. A strong contender in the game feel department, Tomb Raider's a blast to play. Even something as simple as climbing feels richer and more engaging than it did in Uncharted.
Speaking of Uncharted, Tomb Raider's the better game by far, despite its lack of any sense of humor. Instead of saying "hey, you, I want you to look at this thing we're showing you that isn't really that interesting," Tomb Raider lets you play it. Something about being Lara zipping down ziplines and crashing through mountain streams and stumbling out onto a massive beach full of ruined ships just feels way more engaging than any moment in Uncharted.
The puzzles are better too, though most of them are easily solved. Me, I'm honestly not that big of a puzzle fan, so having to put up with Uncharted's stupid, artificial puzzles just isn't as fun as having to deal with believable environmental hazards in Tomb Raider and solve them logically. Instead of random pattern recognition things used to open doors or trigger cutscenes, it's all 'how can I use the wind to move this platform to the right height and carry me somewhere else?' or stuff like that.
As an origin story, it's enjoyable, though the side characters aren't particularly great. Not the most amazing story ever, but it does have a great moment where Lara goes from being the victim to a person willing to take charge. She goes from a person who hates tombs to a person who conquers them. There's actual character growth in here that's really only hampered by weak relationships.
Back on the gameplay for a moment, the game actively encourages (through enemies who charge you, throw dynamite, and level design) you to keep on your toes, dashing about and stabbing people in the face with arrows. There's way more movement encouraged in Tomb Raider than any other game I've experienced.
Tomb Raider was great fun. It took a lot of mechanics I don't like all that much and makes them inoffensive at worst, fun at best. Honestly, the only things I actively found myself troubled by was the game's obsession with gore and the QTEs that were often connected to that. Seriously, there is a lot of gore in the game, especially if you fail certain QTEs.
It's a solid, fun game with some enjoyable, if fluffy writing. I'll gladly check out the inevitable sequel.
The Witcher 2 (Iorveth's Path) (PC) is a game I want to hate, on account of my latent racism against elves. Seriously, I hate them. They're so arrogant and pointy-eared and 'waaaaah, waaaaahh, we were immortal and perfect and amazing and had this great culture, and you lesser beings felled us, waaaaaah!" I hate 'em. The problem is that The Witcher 2 is one of the best RPGs I've had the pleasure of playing, so even though I was helping the elves out, I was still having fun. I first beat The Witcher 2 upon its launch, with my DRM-free GOG version, siding with Roche, the cool human bro who was totally not an elf and therefore awesome.
Iorveth's path is different. Its quests are actually… dare I say, better constructed, even though Roche's path has the better story (and I do mean that; despite my irrational dislike for elves, Roche's adventure is much more personal and emotionally satisfying). There's more variety here. It's worth playing the game through twice just to check out both paths.
The game's significantly better than it was on launch. There's a new arena mode, the initial level isn't nearly as hard, Geralt doesn't suffer from excessive input lag, etc. I still had a lot of trouble in one of the major early boss fights, but overall, the game responded much more quickly, and as such, the experience was less laggy. Getting a new graphics card—I had been using a five year-old GTX 260—really sped up the game, made things even easier. My only outstanding complaint is that the inventory UI is pretty bad in comparison to the first game, which did helpful things like tell you which books you'd already read/owned.
As RPGs go, The Witcher 2 is just fantastic. It presents a morally grey story, but instead of saying "nothing is black and white, merely shades of grey, and that shade of grey is black, because I'm hip and like quoting Monkees lyrics," The Witcher 2 actually just kinda… presents a world that feels real. Real people have real hopes and fears and prejudices and likes and dislikes and wants and needs and you, Geralt, are faced with many of these. You make choices, and instead of getting a different cutscene based on things you do, The Witcher 2 does… well, drastic things. Choices you make at the start of the game that are seemingly innocent can lead to whole quests that you might not have experienced otherwise. Then, of course, there's the choice that leads to you going to an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CITY based on what you choose.
The story is deeply engaging, the choice and consequence revealing RPG companies like Obsidian, Bioware, and Bethesda as mere pretenders to the throne. The world is gorgeous, the art design unique, the sound beyond fantastic. My second playthrough of the game was so different in the second and third acts of the game, I almost felt like I was playing another game in the series, rather than the same game I'd played in 2010.
If you want a game that respects your time and choices, go with The Witcher 2. It's a true RPG—something that values the decisions you make more than the kit you're wearing. You can't get a much richer, in-depth experience than this.
Payday 2 (PC) is my second-favorite co-op game, closely following Payday: The Heist, even though, on a mechanical level, it's a lot better, especially because it makes stealth a viable option of play. This is a game about living out your bank robber fantasies. It's a game that's received constant love and care (on the PC; console patching takes forever 'cause of the QA process), and as a result, it's improved steadily as time goes on. Do I have my complaints? Sure. But at its heart, it's a rich, fantastic co-op experience with a nice variety of missions, some fantastic gun sounds, a great selection of masks to wear and customize, and some of the coolest takes on normal guns I've ever played. I love blasting someone with the Eagle rifle, dueling a sniper with my revolver, taking out a man with a smack to the back of the head. I like cooking meth while the cops try to attack. There's something thrilling about being the last man alive and managing to revive your entire team.
Adjustments to the health and movement speed of the game mean that instead of simply sitting one spot and shooting cops, you're moving around, tying up hostages, taking cops down, filling people full of lead. This is truly a co-op game, by the way: you can play it solo, but the most fun is going to be had while voice chatting with a bunch of friends.
When it comes to the new progression system, I'm not sure I like it, because it encourages people to use one specific play style and pick certain missions based not on how much fun the missions are, but how much XP and cash they'll get. People will ignore the money bundle mechanic because it's not profitable enough, instead grinding the same mission over and over again. Likewise, the missions are a bit samey: go to X, bag item Y, take it to Z, complete. Contrasted with the variety of missions in Payday 1: opening the bonus vault in Diamond Heist, doing Overdrill in First World Bank, trying to subdue multiple hostages in Counterfeit, then securing water and electricity to blow open the safe… Payday 2's formula gets a little stale.
Still, it's a better stealth game, the gun feel is better, the in-mission UI is awesome. I love it. Both the free and paid DLC have been as much of a blast as the game. I eagerly await the next time I get to accompany friends into Payday 2.
Saints Row IV (PC) blew my mind. I'm a big Saints Row 2 fan—so big, in fact, that I enjoyed the PC version, despite how awful the port was. Then along came Saints Row: The Third, which I beat and enjoyed, but it felt too… silly. Killing off Johnny Gat didn't help matters any. I felt, in a way, that the Saints Row I was playing wasn't the Saints Row I loved.
Then along comes Saints Row IV, which is the zaniest, craziest version of the game yet, and there's, like, no way I'm going to fall in love with this, right? THQ, the original publisher, had died, the game didn't seem to be taking things seriously… honestly, I wasn't really happy with the way things were going. So when Saints Row IV exceeded my expectations by being a trip through all the Saints Row games, bringing back fan favorite characters, killing off useless ones, and, in one case, duplicating a character (though, sadly, without the original voice actress, and not replacing her Saints Row 3 portrayal with her Saints Row 2 portrayal…), I was ecstastic. The jokes were better, the story wasn't butchered the way it had been in The Third (apparently, THQ felt it was 'too dark')… everything just felt right. Plus, Zinyak? Best villain since The Director of HARM from No One Lives Forever. One of his worst (best) deeds is to accompany you and Pierce when you're singing along to Biz Markie, ruining the mood.
The gunplay, sadly, isn't exactly BETTER than it was, but the guns are more interesting; I'm sure everyone will mention the dubstep gun, so there's not really a lot to say there beyond "it's fantastic." Even better, of course, are the superpowers, which are an absolute riot to use. Super speed is now my favorite traversal in the game. Sure, some people might complain about it, because it renders cars useless, but who cares about cars when you can run so fast you explode them?
It's not Saints Row 2. It's unlike any video game I've ever played, except Mass Effect, which it parodies a lot. Saints Row IV is something new, and I love it to pieces. I was mildly disappointed by the (very short, content-free) DLC, though the whole "King of the Dinosaurs" segment is easily the series' high water mark.
Kentucky Route Zero (Acts I and II, as well as the demos from the website) (PC) was great.Y'know, when all was said and done, Kentucky Route Zero almost managed to be my game of the year, and, unless Tropico 5 fails to live up to expectations, I'm not really seeing any games that could topple its upcoming episodes in the near future. I couldn't tell you exactly why. The game's trippy, mysterious. Gorgeous. I could stare at this game for hours, but, of course, the mystery drives me on—because this is a real mystery, not some generic 'who murdered whom?' It's far more than that. I want to know who Julian is, what significance the mine has, how the barn ended up in a museum, and why the museum's occupants... why does the museum have occupants? Kentucky Route Zero is a mystery, a real mystery. I want to know more—I must know more!
And yet... the more I know, the less I understand. This is less of a traditional point and click adventure game, and more of... well, some sort of adventure. There's one point in Chapter 2 where my mouth dropped open, though I was looking at nothing more than inky blackness and a 2D map sketched in white lines.
This game looks good, but it sounds even better. The experience is practically made by sound. Oh, sure, the strange figures that appear if you shut off the lights in the mine are frightening, but something about it is way more compelling when you've got those headphones plugged in. Immersing yourself in this game's aural landscape is like taking a bath. Soothing. Gentle. Calm.
And yet... something there is unsettling, always unsettling. This is a room with a Bureau in an old cathedral, an abandoned storage facility that used to be a church, a floor occupied entirely by bears. This is a game that unnerved me with a simple phrase and a sound effect. This game... this game... it's something you, and everyone you know, ought to try.
As games I tried in 2013 go, Kentucky Route Zero was moving, mysterious, engrossing, and over all too quickly. For now. The first two chapters have released, and the game will be updated with three more in the future. I can't wait.
I loved every second of it, and I'm sure you will too. Much love to General McFist for gifting me a copy.
Metro: Last Light (PC), like the original game, is extremely linear. Seriously. I can't even begin to express how linear the game is. At first, I hated that, my frustrations assuaged only because the game's so astonishingly beautiful that it's hard not to be distracted. I'm not actually sure there are games more graphically potent than Metro: Last Light. Seriously, if you are into graphics, Metro: Last Light, has all of them. Sure, you might think that the artistic aesthetics of other games are superior, but it's pretty hard to argue that any other game flexes as much sheer technical muscle as Last Light does on the PC.
So, linear-linear-linear. Do everything the game tells you. Yaddah yaddah. Oh, so pretty. Everything Doc hates about games, right? WRONG. Because, suddenly, a story bit happens, and you're all alone. The linearity conditions you not to think, but to do as your told, so when you're robbed of that, there's this sense of unease and panic. Like, "oh no! I forgot how to think!" And you have to put everything back together, to reassemble what you know.
In doing this, the game keeps you off your toes. When you're alone, you feel really lonely, because before, you always had someone accompanying to you, talking to you, telling you what to do. So when it comes time to partner up with… well, someone new, you're happy with the company, even if you're normally feel extremely uneasy about the whole thing.
Last Light is dreamlike, wonderful, and the only game I've ever played that actively justifies its linearity by robbing you of it to enhance your emotions.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (PC) was the coolest experiment of 2013, in my mind. Ubisoft calls it "Mini-AAA." Give it the production value of an AAA game, make it a robust experience with plenty of replay value, sell it for $15, and you've got a Mini-AAA. Call of Juarez has always been an odd series. The first game was hardly anything great, though it was unusually memorable, an early-generation experiment that did a lot of things, none of them particularly well. The second game, which came for free with Gunslinger for preorder customers like myself, is, I've been told (I've yet to play) a neat little game. The modern edition of the series was, as everyone but Ubisoft's errant marketing staff predicted, nothing less than a horrific disaster.
Gunslinger's a game about a liar, or maybe he's just an old man. It's an arcade shooter. It reuses content. It lets you shoot pumpkins, throw dynamite at people, take down the toughest, meanest legends of the Wild West... at times, it's even pretty trippy. The game feels good, with rock-solid feedback, a great selection of weapons, and awesome enemy body explosions.
It's a rip-roarding, easily-replayable adventure that, for the $15 it launched at, was perfect. I hope they release more like this. If Techland could reinvent Dead Island the way they've reinvented Call of Juarez, they could do amazing things.
XCOM: Enemy Within (PC) is the kind of game that everyone should be making. I don't mean isometric. I definitely don't mean turn-based. Or strategy, for that matter. I mean ridiculously good. Let's put it this way: Enemy Within is so good, I streamed a bit a while ago, and someone fell in love with it to the point that they went out and bought it. This was a person who didn't even like turn-based games.
I, too, am a turn-based hater. I don't like 'em. Turn-based games, in my opinion, are largely for dumb people, 'cause they have plenty of time to make decisions. More time to think means the game's easier, and thus, requiring of less intelligence. That's boring and wholly unengaging. It's why I prefer my RPGs pause n' play; sometimes, I need to slow things up to manage my units, but it also dumbs down the game a lot for me.
But... well, holy crap, something about XCOM is just right. Enemy Unknown was good, but Within just... polishes the whole experience, bringing it to a new level. It could have been a sequel. They could have made a full game, and bless 'em, instead, they made an expansion. A new main enemy to fight, a new resource, new enemies, and new units to field.
I'm no convert to turn-based games, but XCOM has won me over. Enemy Unknown was a fantastic expansion to one of the best games of 2012. It's a reminder of the days before DLCs edged out expansion packs, delivering a couple hours of disconnected content or horse armor. It's a new game within a great game that enhances it in every way, shape, and form.
You might not like turn-based games either, but XCOM... well, let's just say that chances are high it'll be a hit with you.
Shadow Warrior (PC) is my Game of the Year. Yeah, I know, I tried hard not to give that title to any one game, but you know what? Shadow Warrior was such a profoundly beautiful experience that I find it hard to avoid giving it my personal GOTY. It's a game that foreshadows and establishes, then gutpunches you with a tragedy that seems inevitable. Instead of simply forcing you into a 'tragic' situation that could have easily been avoided, it carefully establishes the rules of its universe and behaviors of its characters, so when the game comes to its fantastic climax, everything makes sense.
As far as the gameplay goes, it's awesome. A friend said something to me earlier about how the current state of FPSes kinda made her forget how good linear FPSes like Shadow Warrior could be, and I'm inclined to agree: this game makes up for all the missteps of the developer's previous game, Hard Reset. It's got a cool magic system, dodging, guns, upgrades, and a Bulletstorm-like point system. While not the most polished game in the universe, on both a technical and gameplay, Hard Reset is still a blast to play. Honestly, I feel like Bethesda could learn a lot from Shadow Warrior, which implements its crossbows, swords, and magic better than The Elder Scrolls ever has.
The game's well-written, though paced a bit oddly. For much of the first half, it's silly, and the main character's something of an arrogant ass. He starts off singing Stan Bush's The Touch. He makes jokes. But… the game excels in the way it inverts a lot of tropes. See those women in skintight leather outfits? Well, A) you're wearing a skintight leather outfit too, and B) they seem to hate you as much as you hate them, and C) your ghost pal sidekick expresses a desire to be like them, because he likes bossing you around as much as they do. When playing it, I felt this honest sense of rivalry that's… it's something I've never felt in a game before. I honestly wanted to beat them at their own game, and when I did, I felt awesome. Shadow Warrior's writing is top-notch, but it's almost all done in-gameplay, instead of trying to clumsily ape a movie the way that Bioware or Naughty Dog attempts.
Some better polish and balance would have been nice, but I had a blast with what I got, and that ending made me feel… well, much like Brothers and Thirty Flights of Loving, bittersweet. Shadow Warrior was a roller coaster, and an excellent one at that. Of all the games on this list, this is the one I hope you play the most.
There you have it! The games I played in 2013 that I think everyone should play.
So, I started this piece out, listing the platform. You might have noticed that every game ends up being "(PC)." My thinking was that I'd have console and PC games to list. As it turns out, I do not. There are no console games on this list. Maybe The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto V would have been there, if I'd been able to afford them. Maybe if I'd completed Journey, it'd be on here. Forza 4 would have been if I'd managed to beat it, as would Forza Horizon, based on what I've played. At the end of the day… I just… didn't really care about most of the console games I played. I beat a few—like Forza 3—but I dunno. They just weren't all that compelling on consoles. The most interesting game I beat on a console, Assassin's Creed III, is getting its own article. I can't afford a 3DS, hence my not picking up Animal Crossing or Fire Emblem or Pokemon.
I'd like to try all of these games. Even beat them and write about them. But, hey, I'm not made of money. To be honest, things are actually pretty bad right now. Which is why I've finally listened to the advice of friends and set up a Patreon account. Think of it like an ongoing Kickstarter; you pledge, like, a dollar, and at the end of the month, I get a dollar from you. I want to write these articles. If you feel like tossing something my way, I'd appreciate it. If you have any requests you'd like me to play, let me know.
- Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall/The Brigmore Witches might be the best DLC package I've ever played. There's still something off about Dishonored's formula, something that keeps me at arm's length, but it's undeniably great DLC.
- A strong contender for best DLC of the year was Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, the only Borderlands 2 DLC that was honestly any good. It's got all the gameplay problems in Borderlands 2, though, fortunately, not the level design problems found in Scarlett or Hammerlock's Hunt, which were apparently outsourced to different developers. The story, which basically works to allow a child to deal with the death of someone she cares about is genuinely moving. "I KNOW!" she says, at the climax, "but this is my story!" Awesome stuff.
- All the Tropico 4 DLC was awesome. Tropico 5, which releases in April, is literally the most excited I have been for a video game since Alan Wake.
- Painkiller: Hell & Damnation (hahaha, HD) was surprisingly fun; even moreso than the original game, though I couldn't tell you exactly why. It's not quite Serious Sam, but I do want to obtain all of the DLC when I can.
- Gears of War: Judgement was disappointing, and easily the worst story in the series (think what you will of Tom Bissell, but he's clearly not a good writer of fiction), but the bonus campaign actually felt like more Gears of War 3, and I liked that. If you see it for like… $10 or something, give it a try.
- Game Dev Tycoon is literally the most ripoffy thing I have ever played, and I feel ashamed for having listened to people who praised it for having a clever anti-piracy scheme. Game Dev Story may not LOOK as nice, or be on Steam, but it's got everything Game Dev Tycoon copied and so much more. Don't support talentless devs who clone things. Support Kairosoft.
- Homefront is as bad as everyone said. Neat idea, bad game focused on making sure you wait for other people to say things at or around you.
- Crysis 3 seems to address all the complaints everyone had about Crysis 2, but somehow, it's still… not good. A friend on Twitter pointed out that Crysis and Crysis Warhead felt more like simulations (thus, more PC-like) than Crysis 3, and I'm inclined to agree. Oh well, that compound bow was really good.
- Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen isn't on my list because I haven't beaten it, but it's one of the most remarkable games I've ever played. It's also the best Japanese game I've ever played. The combat system is rich and deep, the character customization actually lets me build a cute, badass female brawler type, and the game's tough, but fair. This is a game where you learn through failure, and it makes you better at playing the game. It's like a Japanese version of STALKER. It's also would have been the only console game on my list, had I beat it. I love it a lot. Can't wait to spend more quality time playing.
- The rest of the Borderlands 2 DLC has been a disappointment. I kinda enjoyed bits and pieces, and the writing's a hoot, but… the level design and most of the quests make it all feel like padded nonsense that just isn't super fun. Plus, Borderlands 2 overall just has bad loot rates.
- Rymdkapsel is really great, and it's awesome to see Stephen Totilo stick it on his list of his top 2013 games. My only complaint is that, whenever I play, I feel like I have to sit down and give it an hour of my time (which is how long it takes for me to die, on average). It's such a compelling experience. I got it in a recent Humble Bundle, but I'll pick it up again on Steam, if/when it hits.
- Ridiculous Fishing is as good as everyone says. Too bad my Samsung Galaxy Player is getting long in the tooth and starting to have trouble playing it. If I had the $400 I'd need to get a new, modern Android device, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Vlambeer just can't make a bad game, it seems, which is probably why people copy them so much. Luftrausers is upcoming on Steam, Gun Godz can be downloaded here, and Serious Sam: The Random Encounter was fantastic.
- Age of Empires II HD didn't make it onto the list simply because I didn't beat it. One of the best RTSes of all time, and I've sunk like fifty hours into it, but I am not done, and as such, it'll end up being on my Doc vs 2014 list, no question. Absolutely amazing accomplishment. Can't wait to give the DLC a try.
- I'll complete Gone Home this year, but I've got some serious reservations about it, based on what I've played and what was spoiled to me.
- I wrote a lot on Bioshock Infinite (if you want to comment, here's the Kotaku link). I'll probably write more on it. I think it's a betrayal of the ideals that define the 'Shock' games, a weak shooter, and a muddled mess of philosophy that doesn't really know what it's trying to say.
- Syndicate's co-op is some of the best I've ever played, and I really want to play more of it. Too bad it relies on Origin for connections. Everyone I've played it with has loved it, when it works.
- Strike Suit Zero was a neat idea that ultimately felt unfinished. More of a prototype than a full game. But, y'know what? I had fun with both it and Infinity. I'd love to try more.
What's next in 2014?
Shadowrun's almost beaten, Gone Home and Shelter shouldn't take me too long, I just finished Assassin's Creed III, I'm well on my way through Forza 5, Age of Empires II HD's normal campaign's been beat and I'm finishing up The Conquerors, at which point I'll take on the DLC—the first new content for Age of Empires II since… what, 2002? I've heard from Craig Hubbard (he of FEAR, Aliens vs Predator 2 (2001), and No One Lives Forever fame) that Betrayer may be releasing soon. My hope is that Gearbox drops Homeworld 1 HD fairly soon, and Thirty Flights of Loving dev Brendon Chung finishes up his next game, Quadrilateral Cowboy. I'm finishing up Skyrim, eagerly anticipating Wolfenstein and Tropico 4, recently started Outlast, and am currently replaying FEAR…
There's a lot out there.
Gaming is awesome right now.
What did you think was awesome in 2013? Find anything on my list horrible? You've got comments. Go use 'em! :D
As usual, you can hit me up on Twitter, check out my Tumblr, read my reviews on Steam, and comment on my stuff using the DocTalk tag on Kotaku. And, like I said above, I've set up a Patreon account, so, y'know, if there's a game you really want me to write about, you could always consider a donation. I hope to be writing at least four substantial articles a month, every month, for the rest of the year. I'll also be working on an indie game—if you've got skills other than 'writing,' and you'd like to help, we will be selling it, and those who help will get paid once we do. Maybe sooner if we can get some funding. Oh, and on top of that, I'm doing film school/journalism school, so I'll be writing screenplays and stuff; that'll eat up my time.


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|Website URL
|Support Types
|Phone Support, Email Support, Live Chat Support
|Minimum 1st Deposit
|Up to $2000 Bonus
|Free Demo Account
|Open Demo
|US Traders Allowed
|Mobile Trading
|Tablet Trading
|Overall Score
Check Out Our Latest Easy Forex Bonus 2018!
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Easy Forex Company Overview
Easy Forex is an international forex broker with offices in Limassol, Sydney, Shanghai and Warsaw. Its services are available in more than 160 countries and allow investors to trade in over 175 instruments, including currencies, commodities and options. Easy Forex is regulated and licensed by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and the Australian Securities and Exchange Commission.
Easy Forex Customer Support Information
You can contact the site in a variety of ways if you need help or want to ask a question. Contact numbers are available for the Asia-Pacific headquarters as well as their international locations. E-mail addresses are also available for the various departments.
Easy Forex Trading Account Information
Easy Forex offers three types of accounts. The Standard account does not require a first deposit to open but requires a minimum $25 margin before you can start trading and gives you a fixed spread starting from 3 pips. The Premium account requires a $2,000 minimum deposit and a $250 minimum margin. The VIP account has a $20,000 first deposit requirement and $500 minimum margin but gives you a fixed spread starting from 1.8 pips. A demo account is also available that lets you make paper trades without having to risk real money.
Easy Forex Trading Features
When you sign up for an Easy Forex account, you are provided with a personal account manager to help with your trades as well as guaranteed stops to protect you from excessive losses. In addition, you are given trading tools such as technical analysis reports and free SMS market rate alerts that can help you identify trading opportunities. VIP and Premium account members can also enjoy the privilege of trading with the Dealing Room through phone and support from a Personal Market Analyst 24/5.
Easy Forex Trading Software
Easy Forex uses the popular MetaTrader 4 as its trading platform, whose features include the Inside Viewer that lets you view real-time trends based on the trading activities of other traders and the Trade Controller that lets you check out various profit scenarios to determine if a trade is worth the risk. You can also trade online using the web-based multilingual trading platform. A mobile trading platform is also available for iPhones.
Easy Forex Bonus
If you open an account and make an initial deposit of as low as $100, you will enjoy a percentage bonus ranging from 30% to 50%, up to a maximum credit of $5,000 that you can use to immediately start trading, and you get to withdraw any profits that you make, subject to terms and conditions. You can also enjoy a bonus on your first trade, which will be doubled if you win and covered if you lose (up to $200).Visit Broker