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Sunday, February 13, 2011
Dark, Moody, and Surreal
I doubt I need to explain what the Fighting Fantasy books are, but, on the off-chance that someone out there doesn't remember these books, I'll briefly explain. Fighting Fantasy was a series of choose-your-own-adventure books conceived by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, the founders of the British game company Games Workshop. Back in ancient times, before computers were on every desktop in the Western world, choose-your-own-adventure books were a big deal and there were lots of knock-offs of Edward Packard's original concept. But what made the Fighting Fantasy books so remarkable -- besides that they directly tapped into RPG-style fantasy -- was that, in addition to providing the reader with a narrative based on his choices, there were also elements reminiscent of tabletop gaming. Your character had stats, for example, and you had to use dice to adjudicate combat and certain other actions. Thus, it was perfectly possible to die not just to bad decisions as in other choose-your-own-adventure books but also due to bad dice rolls in combat or in trying to avoid some nasty surprise. This addition made the books perfect for RPG-enthralled kids like me who were in the car or on vacation away from his usual gaming buddies.
It's also hard to stress the importance of the Fighting Fantasy books were in introducing me to what nowadays we simply call "British fantasy." Back then, especially to someone living on the other side of the Atlantic, there was no such blanket term for the dark, moody, sometimes grubby, often surreal lovechild of Moorcock and Tolkien by way of 2000 A.D. comics that I first encountered through the pages of Fighting Fantasy. My encounter with it came at just the right time too, providing a much-needed antidote to the antiseptic, mass market-friendly art of Larry Elmore and his imitators that was increasingly coming to be the face of American fantasy gaming. I fell both in love and in fear with artists like Nicholson, Ian Miller, John Blanche, and others who presented me with a totally different take on fantasy than the bland, family-friendly stuff that TSR was serving up. Theirs was a decidedly dangerous world; it was gloomy and monster-filled and venturing too far off any road was a sure way to get yourself killed. There was a creepy, "dark fairy tale" quality to the art -- perhaps "dreamlike" or "nightmarish" might be better terms. You were quite clearly in a world of fantasy, not just the Real World-with-Elves, and that had a powerful effect on me as a teenager.
I was an avid reader of Fighting Fantasy books for the next few years, culminating in my time as an exchange student in England in 1987, when I spent a significant portion of my meager funds on picking up not only volumes of the series that never made it to the US but also UK editions of some of those I already owned. The covers of the American editions, though quite good in many cases -- how could they not be, since Richard Corben did some of them? -- lacked that surreal, hallucinogenic quality that so enthralled me and so I sought out the British originals. I still have them somewhere, along with all my other Fighting Fantasy books. One day, maybe I'll bring them out of storage and venture back into the world they describe. I had a great deal of fun with them throughout the 80s and they've been a huge, if often subconscious influence, on the way I imagine fantasy worlds and their inhabitants. I'm not an uncritical devotee of British Fantasy like many North Americans I've known, but there's no question in my mind that my imagination is the better for having had an alternative to the clean, blandified artwork TSR gave us throughout too much of the 1980s and I have Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone to thank for having introduced me to it.
45 comments:
There's a sizeable fan community for these awesome books on the web. The following are a grab-bag of links:
Rebuilding the Fighting Fantasy world of Titan!
Titannica - the Fighting Fantasy wiki!
Fighting Fantazine - the free Fighting Fantasy fan magazine:
Visit the unofficial Fighting Fantasy forums:
You can also apparently now get FF for the iPad and the Kindle. And, Arion Games will be re-releasing a new version of the classic Advanced Fighting Fantasy RPG system in April or May.
AndyI started my kids on Warlock of Firetop Mountain recently. I picked up a copy in a second-hand bookshop, and then later found my own original copy.
Did you ever play the Sorcery books? Later FF gamebooks with a simple magic system added in, starting with The Shamutanti Hills. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorcery!Growing up in a small town in Scotland, my brother and I had our introduction to D&D (Moldvay Basic) around Easter 1983. I recall my best friend Colin, on having D&D described to him in enthusiastic terms, retorting somewhat sniffily, "Hmm. Sounds like a rip-off of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain!"
I also remember laboriously planning, mapping out, and writing (longhand, in biro) my own Fighting Fantasy game, entitled "Quest for the Mystic Blade" or something similarly original. My fingers are tensing with cramp right now, just at the thought.I loved the FF series. And, here in the USA, was disappointed when they disappeared from bookshelves after book 21, "Trial of Champions." But some years later, and through the wonders of ebay and online bookstores, I've been able to get my greedy little mitts on many more titles.
FF wasn't afraid to tackle dark fantasy and portray horrific creatures through frightening, realistic artwork. The artwork of Martin McKenna, in particular, is brilliant in the later editions, and makes these terifying monsters bound off the page, in titles like "Dead of Night", "Return to Firetop Mountain", and "Legend of Zagor." Also, the options given in the books were plausible and they took themselves seriously, not falling prey to silliness or whimsy like some of the other solo adventures of the time did.
If you enjoy solo gamebooks with a RPG element, or if you were ever a fan of Tunnels and Trolls solo adventures, do yourself a favor and investigate these books. You won't be disappointed.I've never actually seen a Fighting Fantasy book in the flesh. I'm quite a bit younger than I'd imagine most of your readers are, and my start with choose your own adventures were Goosebumps books.
In the late '90s (I think) I started playing a series of Star Wars books where you played characters from the films and rolled dice and use items you got through the fanclub thing. I think it was sort of similar, but more gimmicky.
I've been a fan of Russ Nicholson's art since I first picked up the Fiend Folio. Interestingly, it's only been recently (since my discovery of the OSR) that I found out he was British and connected him to my beloved WFRP.
I'd be interested to hear what your problems with "British Fantasy" are, since you say you aren't as totally enamored with it as some others are.I too love Nicholson's work in the FF. There's similar artwork of his in the early White Dwarf issues. He has a blog nowadays:
There was a 25th anniversary release (UK only) of Warlock of Firetop Mountain a few years ago, with the original artwork and some bonus material:
http://www.amazon.com/Warlock-Firetop-Mountain-25th-Anniversary/dp/1840468378/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1297621864&sr=8-2Fighting Fantasy, Lone Wolf, Sorcery!... yes, yes, great memories in all of those. But I always found in near impossible to get through them without a bit of cheating.
In Sorcery! you weren't supposed to consult the magic book except in very specific situations. Rather the rules wanted you to memorize the names and functions of the spells and then would seek to fool you with fake names in the game text. Not having a terrible efficient memory, I usually had to sneak a peek once or twice.
And I'm not sure I ever made it through the Seven Serpents having found all seven!
Still though, the story was compelling and the art just SO evocative.I don't feel the antipathy toward Elmore, et al, that you do, since as far as I was concerned as a kid there was room for all sorts of aesthetics. Fantasy was so out of the mainstream in that age before WoW and LOTR movies that any and every bit of it I came across was treasured.
That said, yeah, the funky British aesthetic intrigued me deeply. Excitement versus comfort, I suppose. Dear God, I came to love those books. It's great to know they're [assuming it's not just book 1] in print again - I haven't played RPGs with a group in several years, and writing, teaching and raising infant twins leaves me little time to seek out a new group. But I've a gaming itch that I suspect will be better scratched by revisiting these books than by even the best-written of CRPGs.
As a side note, these First Comics adaptations of Moorcock came along a little later and deepened by interest in British fantasy. Some of the art therein was quite good/creepy/dark.I'd be interested to hear what your problems with "British Fantasy" are, since you say you aren't as totally enamored with it as some others are.
There's a certain interpretation of British Fantasy that takes the whole thing a little too far for me in the realm of, as someone once put it succinctly, "a world where everyone is covered in blood and shit." That's the kind of British Fantasy I don't much care for. I like dark, world-weary, and even cynical approaches to fantasy, but those qualities can be taken to extremes and I've often seen a lot of fans of British Fantasy, especially on this side of the Atlantic, revel in that stuff to the point of parody. People seem to forget that, for all its gloominess, the Warhammer world (to cite one example) isn't one totally devoid of either genuine beauty or heroism. Indeed, those qualities are thrown into sharper relief by the shadow cast over the whole setting.@Praetorius
FFs were designed to take the player several attempts to complete. So, it just wasn't you that found them difficult. There were sudden death paragraphs (if you go east at the junction you step into the waiting jaws of an illusory beast and are devoured, etc.) , and a number of puzzles to solve that if you didn't have the right item at the right time you were stuck. FFs were, essentially, one-offs where you, more often than not, played a generic sword-wielding, leather armor clad hero with stats in SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK.
Lone Wolf, on the other hand, was more of a true solo gamebook campaign. You could keep the same character in book after book providing you survived the previous book. I found LW much more survivable than FF, but it was designed to be a little more forgiving that FFs.- AnonymousFebruary 13, 2011 at 8:35 PM
We used to run the occasional FF book as an AD&D scenario when we were lads. Ah, for those heady days before concepts like "railroading" and "sandboxing" made us feel guilty for the way we have our fun.
ReplyDelete Lone Wolf strikes me as a lot more 'high fantasy' than Fighting Fantasy, in that you're the last survivor of an order of ranger/monks, on an epic quest against a 'big bad'. This difference doesn't effect my experience of playing them though.
By the way, if people don't know about these websites of playable online gamebooks they should give them a look:
www.ffproject.com - unofficial Fighting Fantasy adventures.
www.projectaon.org - Lone Wolf and other Joe Dever books.
www.ageoffable.net - my own online gamebook.I'm curious what kind of art you think would be innappropriate and why.
For the Fighting Fantasy books, I think art in the style of most of TSR's stable of mid to late 80s artists would be inappropriate, as would a more cartoony or comic book-ish style. The early FF books had a palpably gloomy tone to them, one at odds with with the brighter take on fantasy guys like Elmore, Easley, and Parkinson seemed to specialize in. The same goes for artists like Willingham and Dee, whose stuff feels too blatantly "heroic" for the FF world, where heroism is more subdued and ringed with darkness.Wow this is really strange James, I've been on a fighting fantasy kick for about a week now, looking for them at my local bookstores, and looking for ways to buy them online (i.e. ebay). I'm not really sold on the new covers, but if the entire art is the same, I could go for it. Tell me, does anyone know if the stories are the same, or have they been modified?
ReplyDelete@Regamer: The stories are the same, but the newest reissues include 3 sample characters you can use to play instead of rolling up your own. I'd recommend the new books: Howl of the Werewolf, Stormslayer, and Night of the Necromancer - all by Jonathan Green. They're not classics like Deathtrap Dungeon or Warlock of Firetop Mountain, but the gameplay and stories are a bit more interesting than the older books.
AndyFighting Fantasy!
Hells to the Yeah!
I picked up City of Thieves and loved the series from there. I couldn't believe how fun and cool the combination of CYA and D&D style adventuring was, and I especially liked the creepy pseudo-medieval atmosphere. A friend collected them, luckily. Oddly enough, I had no idea there was an RPG based on this until recently, I knew a fair number of people who borrowed my books woulda played. Missed opportunities..... I'll definitely pick up the RPG this time, whether we play or not.
I'm glad to see they're back!
"a world where everyone is covered in blood and shit.":
Why does everyone forget the boils? ;-) I dunno where this came from either. The Critical Hit system was a bit nasty, but therefore people(and monsters) could get killed quickly fairly often, rendering life a bit cheap, and there was a Ratcatcher class, a prominent god of disease[though Greyhawk had Incabulos, Lord of Afflictions, as a powerful deity as well], an unraveling society and a world slowly falling to chaos, but I didn't particularly see it as sordid and filth-ridden myself. I think it's kinda an exaggeration that's often mistaken for the truth. Sorta like misconceptions of, say: the silliness of Tunnels and Trolls(which I didn't know about until I talked to others; the solos were chock full of blood, guts, death, and some implied sex[in which the books assume you're a hetero male, of course... |This irked more than one female friend who played through, but the 80's, so....|])all rendered in British Fantasy style in my Corgi Editions(supposedly less lurid than the originals!), the complexity of Rolemaster,the inevitable demise of platoons of of Call of Cthulu PCs, and the unplayability of the Palladium System, and so on, ime.
I wish I still had all my T&T books, I'm re-ordering them from Flying Buffalo now. As for my FFs, I'll definitely be filling out my collections wherever I can.
Loved this post! And you never know, your kids might like the gamebooks, so pulling 'em out of storage may be an even better idea now. :-)The early FF books had a palpably gloomy tone to them, one at odds with with the brighter take on fantasy guys like Elmore, Easley, and Parkinson seemed to specialize in. The same goes for artists like Willingham and Dee, whose stuff feels too blatantly "heroic" for the FF world, where heroism is more subdued and ringed with darkness.
Oh. Yeah, I agree, I guess it just didn't occur to me that they'd go to any of those artists in the first place. Are they even still working?Talk about timing - I was just in the mood for some dungeon crawling fun and so I pulled out Deathtrap Dungeon the other week and worked my way through it again. It's amazing how much you can forget over the course of a few decades.
I pulled out the first Lone Wolf book as well and started in on it again, but there's something about the Fighting Fantasy books that I just never got from the Lone Wolf series. I love them both, but damn those Fighting Fantasy books were awesome.Oh yeah, I too have very fond memories of Russ Nicholson's art. Amazing stuff! I'd probably rank him up with Erol Otus and Dave Trampie. I'm glad that he's still producing new works.
And, like many others, I spent many wonderful afternoons with the FF books as an adolescent. I still have a half-dozen of those books on my shelf."I too love Nicholson's work in the FF. There's similar artwork of his in the early White Dwarf issues. He has a blog nowadays:
It's worth mentioning that Russ does private commissions for reasonable prices. I'm not saying it's cheap, because it's not. But for anyone who grew up captivated by the strange and powerful illustrations of Warlock of Firetop Mountain, or Citadel of Chaos, it's an opportunity to own a piece of gaming history. And, for what it's worth, his artwork now is at least as good as it was in the early 80's.Now, I'm a *big* FF fan, but in a thread discussing the best of British fantasy gamebooks I really can't quite believe that nobody has mentioned Dave Morris, Jamie Thomson and Oliver Johnson.
It's actually a little-known fact that Dave wrote one of the Fighting Fantasy books: Keep of the Lich Lord. However, Dave and Jamie are best known for writing what are possibly the greatest gamebooks ever committed to paper; the awesome but sadly-as-yet-unfinished Fabled Lands series, which is lavishly illustrated with Russ Nicholson masterpieces. Seriously, the Fabled Lands books make the Warlock of Firetop Mountain look ordinary - they're a *must-buy*!
Long before the Fabled Lands, Dave and Oliver wrote the epic Bloodsword gamebooks, which are set in the same highly atmospheric grim-fantasy world as their Dragon Warriors RPG and are again illustrated by Russ Nicholson. Meanwhile, Jamie Thomson wrote the Way of the Tiger gamebooks, which are a superbly gritty ninja experience. Bloodsword and Way of the Tiger are also *must-buy* gamebooks - although unfortunately they are currently out of print...
Dave and Jamie now have their own blog, and it makes for very interesting reading:
I can't speak for over the Pond, but in the UK bookshop where I work, Fighting Fantasy books get shelved in the "Children 9-12" section. Unfortunately in this case, the official section running order is alphabetical by author throughout, so the books end up scattered on several different shelves. D'oh!
For what it's worth, my own favourite FF book was (and is) The Citadel Of Chaos. Some reasons why:
1. You get spells.
2. The archvillain rejoices in the splendid name of Balthus Dire.
3. Russ Nicholson's illustration of the Wheelies: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0dOXQ_dv5kk/TBnpuWLlq6I/AAAAAAAAALc/fbJ4S7F7mz8/s1600/wheelies.jpgI never saw these "back in the day", though I did have a big collection of the CYOA books. Just a few weeks ago, however, I got The Warlock of Firetop Mountain for my iPad. Suprisingly, I think the minimal mechanics could work for a traditional RPG as well. I am kind of annoyed by the maze, though.
There is something very appealing about this sort of British fantasy. I seems to fit what I would like to aim for well. That's what keeps me toying with the idea of running Dragon Warriors. Wondering if it would actually help me get that tone more than trying do execute it with Labyrinth Lord.Robert: I love Dragon Warriors - it really is one of the *great* old-school RPGs. The adventures are classic examples of grim British fantasy vibe and are chock full of Dave's wonderfully atmoshperic prose.
To my mind, Dragon Warriors is well worth every single cent - even just for the "Lands of Legend" world setting alone - and if the DW system isn't to your taste, then the world setting and the adventures can all be very easily converted to LL. If you like Warlock of Firetop Mountain then I think you'll love Dragon Warriors.
BTW. The first book in the Fabled Lands series has just been released for iPad, too.- AnonymousFebruary 15, 2011 at 5:47 PM
I bought Dragon Warriors books 1-4 back in the day. Just last week I purchased the final two to round out the collection. I've got a tremendous fondness for the flavour of that system.
ReplyDelete I just bought the newly released Kindle version of Warlock of Firetop Mountain at Amazon.com. What a perfect format for gamebooks! Hyperlinks replace flipping pages, and the Kindle automatically keeps track of character stats, maps, etc. Nevertheless it still feels like you're reading a game BOOK and not just playing a video game. I hope to see more gamebook titles released on e-readers in the near future. Also, I found a website that has the Lone Wolf series converted to Mobi format that can be read on the Kindle. See here.
ReplyDeleteAhh, Fighting Fantasy! The reason because D&D failed at ruining my life was because those tiny books had done away with it already. FF made me ultimately unable to read a book from cover to cover (v. gr. I browsed through 'The Lord of the Rings' by randomly jumping forward and back).
Let me disgress. I live in Spain, and D&D wasn't translated to Spanish language until 1985. (Think a minute about it, oh grognards from the USA, and tremble: in Spain OLD SCHOOL EQUALS TO MENTZER EDITION. Do you say Chainmail, LBB, Holmes? Moldvay perhaps? Ha! Unheard of.)
So, my gateway to the wonderful world of RPG was:
1st. FF and the Lone Wolf series.
2nd. the D&D Cartoon Show (glups!).
3rd. a glimpse of the D&D Basic boxed set on the shelves of a shopping mall in Barcelona. (I fell in love with those maps on graph paper.)
Sadly, Spanish D&D turned out to be a mirage. Blinked for a moment and gone out of market without a trace (no follow ups, no modules, no Expert set...) So, let me rectify: in Spain, old school equals to Menzer edition FOR THE FEW LUCKY ONES WHO MANAGED TO BUY THE BOXED SET. For myself, Old School is 'The Warlock of the Firetop Mountain', since it became the shoehorn... I mean, the formal standart to which every other piece of Interactive Fiction Games was to be compared.
Eventually titles like Runequest, Stormbringer, Chtulhu, MERP, Star Wars were translated to Spanish and I came to play RPG as often as twice a year - with people I didn't know. But those adventures made me feel sort of short changed: I didn't care about Role-Playing (i.e. talking in funny voices), all I was looking for was a good old dungeon crawl, Firetop Mountain style. And in spite of their overly elaborated rule systems (or because of them?), I didn't percieve those games to be more, but less interactive that FF books. Where they were the branching tunnels/paths/whatever, the coupon items to fetch, the whole die & retry thing?
And there came the day in which a foolish publisher dared to translate D&D again. It was 1992. The history repeated itself and the whole edition crashed miserabily. But this time I wasn't flat-footed and purchased my boxed set at the first chance.
Unfortunately, it happended to be the infamous BLACK BOX, a misguided attempt to fit the D&D rules into the narrow boundaries of board games. It was broken at every possible level - o so I though. Anyway, I tried the 'Zanzer Tem' dungeon with different groups of people, just in case. But with me as a DM, what could possibly go right? Remember that I was an entirely CLUELESS fool doing his best to follow the rules BY THE BOOK. My players hated the game, and so did I.
I had assumed the FF books to be a pale reflection of a D&D game, but the D&D black box didn't stand to them. To be fair, no version of D&D would have lived up to my expectations. Fighting Fantasy had spoiled me.I got Forest of Doom and then Warlock in the UK when I was 11. Both of them seemed really surreal and amazing to me, really atmospheric. The art is amazing and weird. FoD was really open and if you came out through the end you could go back to the start and walk through again. And things like the clone warriors an their underground mushroom farm ...


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Here it is. A quick and easy - and very tongue-in-cheek - guide to determining if you live in a city with bike culture. All from the good people here at Copenhagenize.com.
1. "Fixed gear" is something than happens after you take your old Raleigh down to one of the 20-30 bike shops in your neighbourhood to have them look at "broken gear".
2. If a car honks at you in traffic, you hardly notice. Instead it makes you think that it's been a while since you took your kids to the park to feed the ducks... Hmmm... maybe this Sunday?
3. You think nothing of riding home in 35 degree heat, with your four year-old on the bike seat, two bags of groceries dangling on your handlebars, talking to your partner on the phone about dinner - all the while heading up a steep hill and STILL being able to growl "Stay on the right!" in three languages at the weaving, gasping tourists on their rental bikes whom you just flew past as though they were carved in stone.
4. When you feel yourself start sweating on the bike lanes on your way to work... you just ride slower. And if the forecast is for hot weather, you leave for work a bit earlier so you don't have to ride so fast and get too sweaty.
5. The only place you ever see Lycra or spandex is in old Jane Fonda workout videos or on joggers in the parks.
6. And you're quite sure that Gortex is that guy who plays midfield for Bayern München.
7. When your bike breaks down and is in for repairs you take your other bike, or you take the train or bus. Even though your car is parked out front.
8. Of the few people who wear those helmet things in the world's safest cycling nation, only a handful are actually wearing them correctly and many just carry their helmet in their basket.
9. The odd-person out in your circle of friends is the one who has never fallen off their bike while riding home drunk. You mock him/her regularly.
10. You have, at one time or another, checked to see if your clothes match your bike.
11. You and your friends have repeated discussions about which bike repair shop in your neighbourhood is the best for price and service.
12. When you see somebody with rolled up trouser legs you think, "what a shame that fellow can't afford a chain guard". You consider rolling up next to him at the next light to give him some money.
13. You don't even know that you live in a "bike culture" and have never used the expression. You just ride.
14. You use your time waiting at a red light in bicycle rush hour with over 100 other cyclists to check out new fashions. "Wonder where she got those shoes? Cool sunglasses on that guy... must be Prada."
15. Your entire wardrobe can be classified as "cycle wear". Espeically those stilettos from Christian Louboutin or your new double-breasted trenchcoast from Tiger of Sweden.
16. When the odd motorist cuts you off you fix him with an icy stare and shake your head in pity before riding off and forgetting the whole episode 50 metres farther down the bike lane.
17. You find rust on bicycles to be charming and aesthetic. Shiny new bikes are somehow gaudy.
18. It takes you over fifteen minutes to find your parked bike at the train station.

subset: commoncrawl


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Jaewon Choi's visual arts senior thesis project explores the boundaries of painting on a very large scale. Meanwhile, her physics thesis project examines the origins of light on the largest scale imaginable.
A video documenting Choi's first solo art exhibition, "Frogs + Forms," follows her process in creating a monumental 16-foot-wide by 8-foot-high painting. The central work in her show, which features a maelstrom of leaping frogs and a pair of charged and yet weary human figures, is ambitious in scope and scale. The painting was built in sections and designed for a large new wall constructed in the recent renovation of the Lucas Gallery at 185 Nassau St. Choi also displayed 14 other paintings of enlarged frogs or other creatures, and nudes and groups of people.
Jaewon's primary thesis adviser, Eve Aschheim said, "Jaewon is basically an expressionist in her approach to painting, but this show evidences styles as divergent as those of both Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and his rival in the French academy, Eugène Delacroix. While Ingres used a bounded line to contain form, Delacroix used broken lines to convey movement, gestural impact and the permutability of form."
"Jaewon's use of style really evolved from her relationship to her subject," said Aschheim, a senior lecturer in visual arts in the Lewis Center for the Arts. "She found that the figure alone was a self-contained form, while the figure in relation to other figures became an energetic, volatile, shifting form. I think that this range is terrific because it gives her the option in the future of exploring a wide amount of territory."
Rather than analyze the meaning of the characters that inhabit her paintings, Choi said she prefers to focus on the process of working within such a large frame that she has to stand far away to see all of it. She said she also enjoys playing with incongruences such as small creatures appearing huge and bloated, and delicateness coexisting with repulsiveness.
"I'm constantly back and forth from sort of freaking out and feeling really excited about it," Choi said as she was preparing for her show. "At the same time, I am trying to remind myself how happy I am to be able to paint."
Choi spent the last three weeks before her show completing the major focal painting, which culminates her exhibition by bringing together the two themes of the show, frogs and nudes, into animated conversation. During that time, Choi put finishing touches on her other large paintings of frogs and nudes. In many of these sensitive and provocative works, Aschheim said, the forms have a strangeness — they are so volumetric and oversized that they appear to press up against the edges of their canvases.
Choi's show opened Feb. 23 in the Lucas Gallery. It closed Feb. 28, immediately following a formal critique by a panel of professors and students, to make way for the next senior thesis exhibition.
Lyman Page, Choi's physics thesis adviser and chair of Princeton's Department of Physics, attended her formal critique. Her physics thesis project is about "light that's left over from the birth of the universe and how we can use that light to explore the first few instants of the universe at the billionth-of-a-billionth-of-a-billionth-of-a-second sort of age," said Page, who is also the Henry De Wolf Smyth Professor of Physics.
Choi, of Changwon, Korea, is writing a program to help make sense of data retrieved by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) over the course of nine years. WMAP is a small satellite named after late Princeton professor David Wilkinson that NASA launched June 2001 to make fundamental measurements of cosmology.
Page added that both of Jaewon's theses are about light, calling one of her large nudes "self-luminous." He added, "It's more of a stellar light or a lunar light than the sort of light that we look at. Actually, the light she is studying for her physics thesis we can't even see with our eyes."


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Strategy, Vision, and Focus
Although the words are often used interchangeably, strategy, vision, and focus do hold slightly different places in the overall library plan. Generally, strategy is a systematic way of evaluating where the library is now and where it should be in the future, while vision, values, and mission statements fit within the strategic plan. A good library-focused explanation of these terms can be found in chapter four of Library and Information Center Management by Robert D. Stueart and Barbara B. Moran (Libraries Unlimited).
There are several types of strategic planning, the most common of which is goal-based planning. Mission, values, and/or vision statements are used in most types of strategic planning. And while the format of the strategic plan will change somewhat depending on the organization's needs, a sample form can be found here.
A carefully articulated mission statement is fundamental in setting the compass bearing of an institution's overall strategic plan. Here are guidelines on how to write a meaningful mission statement.
In Academic Libraries
Because of their status as part of a larger institution, academic libraries may choose to use their parent organization's strategic plans and values, vision, and mission statements, either in whole or in part, when writing their own. This does two things: 1) ensures that the library is working toward the goals of the university, and 2) helps the university fulfill criteria for accreditation.
As an example of the latter, the North Central Association's first criteria for accreditation is concerned with the integrity of the university's mission, including that "understanding of and support for the mission pervade the organization." Further examples of how the library fits into the accreditation process can be found in the following:
1. Baker, Ronald. 2002. Evaluating quality and effectiveness: Regional accreditation principles and practices. Journal of Academic Librarianship 28 (1): 3-7.
2. Drake, D. 2007. SACS Standards vs. ACRL Standards: The facts. Texas Library Journal 83(2): 68-69.
3. Gratch-Lindauer, Bonnie. 2002. Comparing regional accreditation standards: Outcomes assessment and other trends. Journal of Academic Librarianship 28(1): 14-25.
4. Malone, Debbie and William Neal Nelson. 2006. A library compliance strategy for regional accreditation standards: Using ACRL Higher Education Standards with the Middle States Commission. College & Undergraduate Libraries 13(1): 89-105.
5. Nelson, William Neal and Robert W. Fernekes. 2002. Standards and assessment for academic libraries: A workbook. Chicago: ACRL.
6. Nelson, William N. SACS standards 2004: A compliance strategy for academic libraries. The Southeastern Librarian 52(3): 9-16.
7. Saunders, L. 2007. Regional accreditation organizations' treatment of information literacy: Definitions, collaboration, and cssessment. The Journal of Academic Librarianship 33(3): 317-326.
Examples of Strategy, Vision, and Focus Statements
Libraries at ARL-member universities:
Auburn University (mission and vision statements, statement of values, and strategic planning initiative)
Brigham Young University (mission and vision statements)
Howard University (goals, mission, values, and vision statements)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mission statement)
Oklahoma State University Library (mission and vision statements)
Queen's University (strategic plan)
SUNY-Buffalo (mission and values statements)
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Nelson, William Neal and Robert W. Fernekes. 2002. Standards and Assessment for Academic Libraries: A Workbook. ACRL: Chicago. (0838982115) Shows how to use mission statements in planning and assessment, as well as how to evaluate how library services, instruction, resources, access, staff, and facilities fit into the goals of the parent institution. Also contains appendices fitting ACRL standards to those of the various major US regional accrediting agencies.
Wallace, Linda. 2003. Libraries, Mission, and Marketing: Writing Mission Statements That Work. ALA Editions. (978-0-8389-0867-9) Brief but constructive advice for creating a mission statement that effectively anchors strategy and marketing efforts.
ACRL's Standards and Guidelines for Libraries in Higher Education (approved June, 2004). From the forward: "These standards are intended to apply to libraries supporting academic programs at institutions of higher education. Earlier standards for libraries relied heavily upon resource and program 'inputs' such as financial support, space, materials and staff activities. These new standards continue to consider 'inputs,' but they also take into consideration 'outputs' and 'outcomes.'"
ACRL Standards and Guidelines pageincludes professional standards on faculty status, tenure, and collective bargaining, as well as guidelines for such things as lending special collections materials, information literacy instruction, and distance learning services.
The National Center for Education Statistics lets you compare academic libraries using your choice of parameters, including FTE, expenditures, gate count, number of reference transactions, serial subscriptions, and number of staff. These comparisons are currently based on numbers from 2004.
Institutional Accrediting Agencies
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Global DevOps Platform Market 2019 Puppet Labs, Chef, Docker Inc., Red Hat (Ansible), Atlassian, Saltstack
Source :- globalmarketnewswire.com
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New Movie Releases: 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon,' 'Larry Crowne' [VIDEOS]
The 'Transformers' are back for two and a half hours worth of action in 'Dark of the Moon,' the third movie in Michael Bay's mega-blockbuster franchise is in our 3 local Marcus Theatres this weekend.
Reviews for the movie have been a bit on the negative side; but with it already pulling in $13.5 million on Tuesday, it's looking to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, movie of the year.
Meanwhile, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts reunite for the summer comedy 'Larry Crowne,' about a man who goes back to college after getting laid off.
Get a rundown of all of this weekend's biggest releases below.
'Transformers: Dark of the Moon'
Directed by: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Patrick Dempsey, Francis McDormand, John Malkovich
Get Tickets & Showtimes
'Larry Crowne'
Directed by: Tom Hanks
Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts
Get Tickets & Showtimes
'Bad Teacher'
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Lucy Punch, Phyllis Smith, Justin Timberlake
Get Tickets & Showtimes
'The Green Lantern'
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard
Get Tickets & Showtimes
'mr. popper's penguins'
Directed by: Mark Waters
Starring: Jim Carrey
Get Tickets & Showtimes
'Super 8′
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney and more
Get Tickets & Showtimes


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Jan 10, 2014 | Carpet One Floor & Home
It's a new year and time for a new look. But, you also want to watch your budget. Time to go shopping in your basement or attic! There could be a treasure just waiting to be discovered. That old dresser can be transformed into your favorite piece. In case you are having trouble imagining the possibilities. Here are some easy to replicate inspiring dressers to get your creative juices flowing.
1. Go Bold! If you've got a piece that has a great shape and you'd like to add some color to your room, pick a bold paint color and go for it. Add some new hardware and you have a new statement piece. And a bonus – added storage space!
2. Add a little whimsy with dots. Whether it's basic black and white or your favorite color, dots are easy to achieve. For more uniform dots, try using a stencil. Or just free hand them with a paint brush for a more abstract look.
3. Add delicate vines and leaves with a stencil. After painting or staining your piece the color of your choice, add some pretty detail by stenciling vines, leaves or flowers.
4. Grab the painters tape and a level and create some stripes. Stripes can be pretty and feminine like the pastel pink ones here or bold and sophisticated. Just take your time to make sure you get those lines straight and you'll be amazed by the transformation.
5. A weathered look goes well with country or rustic styles and is probably the most fool-proof option for a DIY dresser makeover. Brush strokes and imperfections are a must. If you find you're a little too good at painting, try a little sand paper after the paint dries to mimic the aging.


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In French strawberry is "fraise". You can find some fraise recipes in French on Recettes de Cuisine.
What kind of strawberry recipes would you like? Pick a dish or an ingredient to refine the selection.
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- UCAS course code
- UCAS institution code
- Degree awarded
- Master of Science (Ug)
- Duration
- 4 yrs
- Typical A-level offer
AAA-AAB (including specific subjects)
- Typical contextual A-level offer
AAB-ABC (including specific subjects).Find out more about contextual admissions.
- Refugee/care-experienced offer
Applicants who have been in local authority care for more than three months or have refugee status may be eligible for an offer two grades below the standard requirements.Find out more about contextual admissions.
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer
35-36 points overall with 6, 6, 5 to 6, 6, 6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and another science subject, normally Biology.
- Number of places/applicants
- 650/7000 (overall data for biological and biomedical sciences undergraduate courses at Manchester).
- How to apply
- Apply through UCAS .
- UCAS course code
- UCAS institution code
Course overview
- Develop your research skills with an integrated master's degree, making you more attractive to future employers in both academia and industry.
- Learn about a field that underpins much of today's biological research, overlapping with biochemistry, genetics and cell biology.
- Apply for membership of the Royal Society of Biology at Member (MRSB) level after just two years of practice, rather than the usual three, as this course has Advanced Accreditation from the Society.
Open days
We also operate campus tours where a student ambassador will tell you all about life at the University. You may also meet with admissions staff, subject to staff availability. These tours run on most days and are open to anybody thinking of applying for any of our courses in biosciences.
To book, please email the Admissions Office at least two weeks before you wish to have a tour to allow us sufficient time to arrange this email@example.com
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2024 will be £9,250 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £32,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
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All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
- Telephone
- 0161 529 4539
- email@example.com
- Website
- https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/biomedicine
- School/Faculty overview
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
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The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.


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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The Making of Ghee/ clarified Butter
After many experiments, I now regularly make Ghee/clarified butter at home. It make me feel happy and tastes good too. In India my mom collects cream from milk and makes butter and then ghee out of it. It used to be a wonderful process.
This is how I make it here in US.
Drop 2 sticks of unsalted butter in a deep bottomed pan and heat it on medium low flame. once the sticks have melted lower the flame slightly and leave it for about 10 minutes. Never increase the flame to high. The butter will be of a pale yellow color and it will start changing its color to light golden. once the color starts changing, turn off the flame, else it will burn. The heat of the pan will complete the process of making Ghee. It is a very delicate process and once you understand when to turn off the flame, you will get a very nice consistency of ghee.
Ghee / Clarified butter is a very important ingredient in Indian cooking especially in sweets. Along with Ghee I contribute all the following recipes to RCI Tamil Festival hosted by a very talented cook and lovely fellow blogger Viji of Vcuisine.
Urad dal vada/ ulundu vadai
3 cups urad dal
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1tsp crushed pepper
1 tsp crushed ginger (optional)
2-3 crushed green chillies (optional)
Oil for deep frying
Soak urad dal and fenugreek seeds in warm water for one hour. Grind the dal by adding very little water as possible. The batter should be very thick. When the batter is dropped in water it should float as a ball without getting dissolved.
Mix Salt, pepper, ginger and green chillies to the batter.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil. Wet your hands with little water so that the batter does not stick to the hands and make a donut shape out of the batter. Drop it in hot oil and deep fry till golden brown. Crispy vadas are ready!
Janmashtami Seedai
Dry fruit laddus
Sakkarai pongal
Rama Navami Panakam
Rava Kesari
Paruppu vadai/ masal vadai
Tamil Festive Food
There is a new member in our family! Wanted to share with you guys pictures and pleasure of our new "Toyota Highlander".
66 comments:
- Tee said...
I have been making ghee at home this way regularly since I first came to the US...i just can't bear the thought of buying ready made ghee from the store.
Great entries for the event, Sharmi!
And congrats on your new car...its gorgeous! :) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007
- Padma said...
I love to make ghee at home. Nice entries for RCI event and congratulations on the new addition!
- Wednesday, October 10, 2007
- Pooja V said...
I love homemade ghee. Kitchen is full of divine aroma for a few hours that day !! COngrats on the new car.
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- musical said...
I make my own ghee as well, and then use the same utensil to make my rice (it turns brown and has a divine taste)! You have such a yummy diplay for Tamil Festival food :). and congrats on the new car!
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Unknown said...
During festival season home made ghee is a must have. Just a spoon ful addition to any diah will make it special.
Droolibg over all your wonderful delicious sweets. Thanks. - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- KellytheCulinarian said...
Making clarified butter is a great skill to have and it's not that hard either. Just requires patience, of which I sometimes run low :)
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Richa said...
i too make ghee at home, has such a lovely aroma :) good idea combining the goodies for the event. congrats on ur new car, enjoy!
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Raks said...
I too make ghee in home...!!Pictures are very nice and your new member to the family is majestic...!!!!!!!1
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Shivapriya said...
I make prepare ghee same way, somehow I don't like the smell of store bought. My sis loves the residue, we call is godavari or gokkudu.. she use to mix sugar and eat it:).
Congrats on ur new car. Nice entry for RCI. - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Sig said...
Congrats on the new car Sharmi! I love the color, and the wood panel inside looks great!
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Namratha said...
Congratulations on the car dear...my my that's a shiny new one!:) I make ghee the same way as you do. I miss home-made ghee from India, cream-butter-ghee..awesome procedure and lovely tasting ghee! Fabulous platter for the RCI..
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Red Chillies said...
Wow Sharmi! What a spread. I am just drooling looking at the picture of all the dishes on the banana leaf. I cannot beleive how somebody can be so lucky to eat it :-)
Hearty congratulations of your new car. Looks awesome. - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Siri said...
Love the homemade ghee sharmi
Love the recipes... n
Love ur car too.. the maroon color is gorgoeus..:D - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Kribha said...
Homemade ghee looks yummy. I've never made it at home. It was only this time in my India trip I learnt how to do it. I'm so glad that you posted the step by step pics. The pics of all your festival foods looks awesome.I particularly loved your Janmashtami Seedais. And Congrats on your new car. Looks great.Enjoy!!!
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Seena said...
I bring homemade ghee from Kerala. thanks for sharing this method, some times I would collect cream in freezer and make ghee as your mom does..thanks for sharing..
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Viji said...
Thank you so much for the entries Sharmi. It will be a referring guide for many. Took all the photos. Viji
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- priyah said...
great entry sharmi..one thing that you could do to make ur ghee fragrant : add 3-5 curry leaves in the ghee before switching off the flame (my mom taught me this)...congrats on the new car :)
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- zlamushka said...
Hi there ;-)
I love ghee. I ve never made it or bought it (usually I get it on naan in restaurants). Thank you very much for showing this simple method to me. I ll definitely try :-) - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Anh said...
Sharmi my dear, what a great post! I normally use store-bought ghee... So lazy, right? :D
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Apple said...
Home made Ghee.....hmmm...I love it....Lovely entries as always...your toyota looks gorgeous....
http://cuminhut.blogspot.com - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Srivalli said...
Wonderful dishes Sharmi...
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Nabeela said...
My mom makes wonderful ghee back home in India....your post brought back memories :)
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Sia said...
nothing tastes better than homemade ghee. and congrats on ur new baby:) he is one handsome bloke ;)
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- FH said...
I make Ghee at home too, son loves a tsp in his meal. Never fried anything in ghee though, too scared!:)
Great array of food for RCI, loved it.
I have a Toyota Highlander too. Enjoy. I don't like seats though, too narrow. Nissan has the beat seats, wide and comfy. I love the color of your Highlander!:)) - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Sharmi said...
Tee, I somehow did not like the smell of store bought ghee. homemade had a very nice aroma when added to Dal.
Surili, I have had such rice in my childhood but now after coming to US it all cholesterol conscious etc:) - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Sharmi said...
Madhu, Thanks so much for visiting.
Kelly, the first time it might burn a little but the next time you will come to know where to switch it off:)
Thanks Raks!
Shivapriya, ya they call it gokkudu and my hubby side they have it with sugar:) - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Sharmi said...
Priyah, will surely try your tip next time I make it. thanks so much!
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Sharmi said...
Asha, Toyota changed the design of Highlander that you must be aware of. Ours is 2008 Limited, and Toyota did address the Seating problem this time. Currently, we don't use the third row though.
I am aware of the Seating problem and it is with 2007 model. Is yours 2007 Model ?? - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Bong Mom said...
My Mom and MIL brings home made ghee when they visit. That lasts me long as I don't use ghee in my cooking much except for my daughter's.
There is this brown thing which remains after you have made ghee, that is divine.
Congrats on the new car. Are you driving these days ? I like the color - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Laavanya said...
I use the same method too Sharmi.. never knew it was so simple until I tried it... Your dry fruit laddus look great.
Congrats on the new car... must be exciting! - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Finla said...
After your post i am going to try and make my own ghee.
Till now it was always shop bought. - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Mishmash ! said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Mishmash ! said...
I remember my friend making ghee from unsalted butter like this for her kid.....I havent tried it at home as I hardly use ghee in my cooking except for some special day cooking....and that vada...I am always green when i see others getting it done with a hole in the middle...even if I use less water, i never get that right :))
Congrats on the new baby :)
Shn - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Manjula said...
Thats a very nice post on how to make Ghee. Thank You so much.
I am sure there are many people looking around for How-to on such topics. I made Ghee successfully for the first time in my life, for this Ganesh Chaturthi. Had to call my MIL, twice and then refer couple of websites to get it right!. I had burned it a couple of times before.
My MIL also suggested to drop in one crystal of sea salt into the Ghee when its till warm. She says it preserves better. - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- sra said...
Sharmi, beautiful car! And ghee is a nice post for RCI-Tamil Festivals. The godaari is supposed to be a treat but I've never liked it.
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Suganya said...
Sharmi, As usual, yr spread is great. Tell me the secret, how do you manage to cook so much?
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- Swaruchy said...
Sharmi.....Nice yummy entries dear....I have always wanted to make ghee at home...This time I will...Thanks for ur recipe....And that new Car looks awesome dear...Congrats....Shud have a posted ur photo too besides ur car :-)
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
Hey sharmi, I tried your vathal kulumbu yesterday and it was so delicious. Thanks for the recipe. I bought the vathals when I went to california last month. Finally I got to taste them here.
- Thursday, October 11, 2007
- sunita said...
I too make ghee at home as I don't like the store bought ones here, usually a small amount, as we do not use it that much...try adding a very small lump of jaggery...gives a very nice texture.
Btw, your 'new family member' looks great...wish you many joyful rides ahead. - Thursday, October 11, 2007
- TBC said...
All your sweet preparations look great as usual but I simply loved the pic of the lam and it's reflection:-)
Congrats on the new car. - Friday, October 12, 2007
- Raaga said...
Congrats :-) the car is beautiful... and I still make butter out of malai, but since we don't use ghee much, I've not converted that butter to ghee yet. Amma adds a vettalai to the butter and the aroma it releases is awesome.
- Friday, October 12, 2007
- Linda said...
Congrats on the new "vee hickle" :) Looks lovely! I loved the vadas too... just one hour of soaking? what am I waiting for ;)
- Friday, October 12, 2007
- Lissie said...
i used to make ghee from cream just like your mother. delicious array of festival foods!!! the car looks fantastic!
- Friday, October 12, 2007
- Latha Narasimhan said...
Wow! all entries in one go!!:)) Great sharmi!:)) Congrats on your new car!:)) Red colour is lovely!:))
I admire your enthu !
In India, I suppose making ghee is like boiling water! At least in my friends circle I do not know people buying ghee for daily use! Only for some major sweet most people buy ghee! I prefer using ghee made out of home made butter!:))
And then Here navarathri is becoming very popular these days. I will do a write up in a day or two! Thanks for your regular comments in my blog dear! :)) - Saturday, October 13, 2007
- Susan said...
Sharmi, if I read your directions correctly, you don't skim the milk solids from the melted butter? Congrats on your new wheels. Just think how many bags of groceries you can load into that baby. : )
- Saturday, October 13, 2007
- USHA said...
Hi Sharmi,
Nice post....you make ghee yourself..that sounds good...Hey sorry man,actually till i read your post and from others i dont know anything about Amish starter..so only when you asked me,i asked to explain you about it...But i didn't get any response from you...anyway gr8 baking... - Saturday, October 13, 2007
- USHA said...
Hi Sharmi,
I have left information in my post area ma as comment...Anyway its alright buddy....No sorry all between friends....so nice of you. - Sunday, October 14, 2007
- Kajal@aapplemint said...
wow sharmi u have quite a feast going on here. Congrats on your new car ) Looking at your ghee , i remembered when i was little my mum too would make ghee at home and the whole house would smell of it ....and i hated it ...so i was always screamin at her ...mom cant you do this when i 'm in school..:P , well now that i havent had that smell in the last 7 yrs i kinda miss it :D
- Monday, October 15, 2007
- Susan said...
Sharmi, thanks for the clarification for your clarified butter. We skim the white solids as soon as they float to the top. I'd imagine ghee has more of a richer, browned-butter flavor.
- Monday, October 15, 2007
- DK said...
wow..a Feast and a new car! congrats! :)
- Monday, October 15, 2007
- SMN said...
Hi Sharmi..
Very nice entry fortamil cusine.. i loved ur patience in preparing and presenting great effort! nice pics tooo. loved the ghee preparation.. if you want nice aroma to it then add a leaf of Tulsi.. - Monday, October 15, 2007
- Rohini's kitchen said...
Hi Sharmi, Me too love making ghee. Great event for RCI. Me too posted Seedai two days back..Congrats for your car. Looks beautiful!
- Monday, October 15, 2007
- Chris said...
I have never had homemade ghee. I think I need to try it!
Great entries. They all look so delicious. I want some of each.
Congrats on the Highlander! New cars are fun. - Tuesday, October 16, 2007
- Roopa said...
excellent entries Sharmi as ever :)
- Tuesday, October 16, 2007
- Prajusha said...
Congrats on ur new car.
thanks for sharing the recipe of making ghee at home.
Nice entry for RCI - Tuesday, October 16, 2007
- Bhawna said...
Congratulations Sharmi, for the arrival of the new baby. i love ur tamil thaali
- Tuesday, October 16, 2007
- RML said...
Hello Sharmi,
I too have been making ghee at home the same way since I came to USA.
Wow delicious sweets.I am drooling here....
and Congrats for your new car.Cool color.
Madhuri - Wednesday, October 17, 2007
- Priyanka said...
Congratulations on your new car Sharmi. I have never made ghee at home here. Thanks for the recipe. The sweets are too tempting. And the pics of the eggs are just classic.
- Wednesday, October 17, 2007
- renuka said...
great entries Iam really hungry seeing them.congrats on the new addition.sorry iam not able to reply your comments from day one,i'll rectify it soon
- Thursday, October 18, 2007
- renuka said...
on the ghee, we do it this way only ,we add a string of drumstick leaves at the end for aroma and remove it.With the strained brown leftovers add sugar and wheat flour till you get like a powder it would taste yummy
- Thursday, October 18, 2007
- Divya and Chaya said...
Great Car! Happy for you. Also, nice recipes.
- Saturday, October 20, 2007
- Mona said...
Hi Sharmi, i was thinking of making ghee at home out of utter from some day, and this post of yours is sure gonna help me out. Thanks dear. Will try it out..
www.monaafzal.wordpress.com - Tuesday, October 23, 2007
- Kajal said...
WOW......nice CAR!!!!
Great dish for Tamil festival my dear.:) - Wednesday, October 24, 2007
- Menu Today said...
Hi Sharmi,
Adding Methi seeds in vada is new to me. Will try your version next time. Thanks for sharing. - Tuesday, October 30, 2007
- Mythreyee said...
That is a lovely post as usual. Vadais are awesome.
- Tuesday, November 20, 2007
- Michael said...
I use an electric WOK to make Ghee. I put two quarts of heavy whipping cream into my Robot Coupe food processor and process for 2 minutes until the butter separates. I then place this into the wok, bring it to a boil, then lower to simmer and let it alone until it turns a clear golden color. Nothing better to cook with. I'm an American man with a true LOVE for Ghee.
- Tuesday, June 05, 2012


text:
LOS ANGELES – Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson is off the hit A&E reality series indefinitely after disparaging gays as sinners akin to adulterers and swindlers, the network said.
A&E announced Wednesday what it called a "hiatus" for Robertson, 67, after he disparaged gays in the January edition of GQ magazine. He also said that, growing up in Louisiana before the Civil Rights movement, he never saw mistreatment of blacks.
In a statement, A&E said it was extremely disappointed to see Robertson's anti-gay remarks, which it said were based on his personal beliefs and do not reflect those of A&E Networks or the show. A&E called itself a supporter of the lesbian and gay community.
The channel's move was lauded by the gay and lesbian media advocacy group GLAAD, which had quickly condemned Robertson's comments.
"What's clear is that such hateful anti-gay comments are unacceptable to fans, viewers, and networks alike," said GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz. Robertson's removal "has sent a strong message that discrimination is neither a Christian nor an American value."
Robertson and his extended family became wealthy manufacturing duck calls and were turned into TV and pop culture stars by Duck Dynasty, which has set cable ratings records for a non-fiction series. Several family members appeared in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving parade.
In his GQ interview, Robertson was asked his definition of sinful behaviour.
"Start with homosexual behaviour and just morph out from there," such as bestiality, he said.
GQ said he then paraphrases a biblical reference: "Don't be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers — they won't inherit the kingdom of God. Don't deceive yourself. It's not right."
Robertson and his family had no comment on his hiatus, A&E said on their behalf. He may be in some previously taped scenes when the show returns Jan. 15 for its fifth season, a network spokesman said.
Robertson did respond to initial criticism of his GQ remarks.
"I myself am a product of the '60s" who indulged in sex and drugs until hitting bottom and accepting Jesus as his saviour, he said in a statement. Although his mission is to teach people that men and women are meant to be together, Robertson said he "would never treat anyone with disrespect" because they are different.
In the interview, he also said that in his Louisiana youth he picked cotton with African-Americans and never saw "the mistreatment of any black person. Not once."
"We're going across the field…. They're singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, 'I tell you what: These doggone white people' — not a word!" Robertson told the magazine.
A&E said it had received no complaints about those remarks.


text:
Superdrysale.com looks to be an e-commerce website that provides highly discounted products and it most probably caught your attention through social media promotions.
If you are wondering if it is a trustworthy site, the answer is no. Superdrysale.com is a deceptive website made by cyber criminals to deceive users and capitalize from their visits to the site.
This website is particularly similar to other fraudulent online stores, such as Alignean.com, Worthyejoy.com and Wtobgvx.com, which are known for using misleading tactics and luring users through social media advertisements.
To be precise, the website may appear like a real e-commerce website, captivating users with cheap products, but it's actually a malicious platform. Buyers who make purchases might receive replicas or nothing at all. The site might provide a fake shipment ID, leaving them anticipating a package that will not come.
However, the deception goes beyond a simple rip-off. Superdrysale.com serves as the initial step in a more darker cyber attack.
While it presents itself as an e-commerce website, its main purpose is to steal data. Nowadays, data is the new online currency, and cybercriminals exploit this to their advantage.
When you visit Superdrysale.com, your data is immediately at risk. The website logs your IP address, geolocation, and device information.
Here is what Superdrysale.com looks like:
Moreover, as part of the purchasing process, creating an account is mandatory, exposing your email address and password to cybercriminals.
The troubling aspect is that these sign-in details may be used across your various accounts, especially if you tend to reuse passwords.
As you submit your credit card information on the supposedly legitimate payment page, it's important to note that it's just a basic HTML and CSS design.
There are no actual payment providers involved; you're basically providing your credit card details directly to the cybercriminals.
To make matters worse, the payment form also requires your full name, home address, and phone number. Now, cybercriminals have a extensive amount of data – your credit card details, name, address, country, phone number, email, and password.
This much data is nearly enough for cybercriminals to commit identity theft and carry out various forms of data-related crimes.
What we know about Superdrysale.com based on public information | |
Extension | com |
Creation Date | January 30, 2024 |
Last Updated | January 30, 2024 |
Expiration Date | January 30, 2025 |
Status | ok |
Name Servers | seven.dnspod.net, tennis.dnspod.net |
Registrar Name | West263 International Limited |
Registrar Phone | 86.18030649815 |
Registrar Email | email@example.com |
Here's something you should know: When determining whether a website is legitimate or not, check its registration date. A newly created website can be a major red flag. In this case, Superdrysale.com was just registered 3 days ago as of the time of the investigation.
How The Malicious Superdrysale.com Website Work
Superdrysale.com is the starting point for a dangerous cybercrime and potential malware attack. It might sound like a big claim, but about 2,200 cyberattacks are happening every day, and over 5 million cases of identity theft are reported to the FTC each year in the US alone.
Wondering where this threat originates? Well, websites like Superdrysale.com are major contributors to these cybercrimes.
To understand how the whole scheme operates, let's break down how the Superdrysale.com website is used and what happens next.
1st Stage - Luring You In With Absurd Advertisements
The first step in the attack involves a carefully planned strategy to deceive users. The scam website, like Superdrysale.com, is promoted on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. These cybercriminals use sponsored content, often claiming clearance or closing sales with big discounts.
They might even mimic the appearance of well-known brands to trick users. Despite creating unknown brand names, people are still drawn in by the allure of massive discounts, which should raise a red flag, as such steep discounts could bankrupt legitimate companies.
2nd Stage - Stealing Your Sensitive Data Via Superdrysale.com
Once you land on their website, in this case, Superdrysale.com, the real plan unfolds. Psychological tactics come into play, such as showing limited-time offers with countdowns to create a sense of urgency.
To dispel suspicions, fake notifications claiming recent purchases appear at the bottom. These are automated and not genuine. In this stage, they now take your data, something as simple as visiting the site already logs your geolocation, IP address, and device type.
Creating an account exposes potential email and password combinations. Completing a purchase reveals your credit card number, full name, home address, and phone number.
3rd Stage - Using Your Credit Card Details For Their Gain
You might receive an email receipt or none at all. If you do receive one, it could come with a malware-infected attachment. A tracking number may also be provided for a shipment that either doesn't arrive, contains nothing, or is a poorly made knockoff.
After the initial chaos of knowing you got scammed settles down, cybercriminals will now use your credit card for their gain, ordering expensive items to a location where they can retrieve them undetected.
Their primary goal isn't just the small amount they scam from the Superdrysale.com website. Instead, they're after the valuable data that they can exploit by using the malicious site as bait.
4th Stage - Baiting You With Phishing Messages
Once they've exhausted the initial data, cybercriminals turn to phishing emails and messages, attempting to gather more information.
This could lead to extortion or selling the data on the dark web. They may send targeted phishing messages and emails, and they may appear authentic due to the crucial information that you provided to Superdrysale.com.
We recommend everyone to verify unknown sources and avoid opening attachments or clicking on unfamiliar URLs.
5th Stage - Utilize Your Data For Identity Fraud
The final, and most concerning, stage involves identity fraud. With enough data, cybercriminals can commit crimes such as taking out loans in your name or soliciting money from friends and family under false pretenses.
Identity fraud is dangerous, harmful, and can have devastating impacts. When sufficient data is obtained, cybercriminals can convincingly pose as you, leading to further breaches and potential harm to both you and those close to you.
What's the best solution? Keep yourself and your family safe from online threats like data breaches, cyber-attacks, and identity fraud by using Aura. As the saying goes, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Additionally: They can sell the collected data on the dark web
They could potentially sell the data that they have obtained to third-party advertising or on the deep web, making it accessible to cyber criminals for exploitation.
The fact that your data is distributed around the internet makes it possible for a multitude of different threat actors to use it to target you for their malicious purposes.
For instance, they can obtain further information about the user whose data was leaked and use it to send phishing and malware attacks that are particularly targeted at that person.
How To Protect Yourself Against Superdrysale.com
No one should face terrible consequences just for clicking on an ad to buy something at a discount. SecuredStatus is a website committed to stopping these cyber attacks.
Even if you only visit our site once, we aim to ensure you feel secure and confident against cybercriminals like those behind Superdrysale.com.
Call your bank for a refund and stop transactions
After making a purchase from the deceitful Superdrysale.com, it's important to contact your credit card issuer right away.
Inform them about the unauthorized purchase, providing details such as the specific product(s) you bought and where it was purchased.
You can do this by initiating a chargeback, a safety measure allowing you to dispute a transaction and ask your bank to cancel a payment made to a fraudulent website.
This process follows rules set by card networks (like Visa and MasterCard) and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), offering consumer protection for online financial transfers.
Additionally, you can request your bank to block any future transactions on your credit card, preventing the threat actors from exploiting it.
You have the option of implementing either a fraud alert or a credit card freeze, adding an extra layer of protection against financial losses.
Fraud alerts work similarly to two-factor authentications, requiring identity verification before any purchases can be made, providing an added level of security.
Prevent future cyberattacks by using an antivirus program
This is very important because Superdrysale.com is a creation of cyber criminals, so it comes with risks. They might send you fake receipts for your purchases, which could be infected with malware.
Since they have your email and other data, they can create targeted phishing emails with malicious attachments and harmful links leading to dangerous websites.
It's tough to tell if a link or file is safe just by looking at it. They may even pretend to be someone you know, tricking you into thinking the file is from a coworker, a common cause of data breaches and cyber-attacks.
So, what's the solution to this ever-growing problem?
To prevent this, it's important not to get infected with malware in the first place. One effective measure is investing in a reliable antivirus program to enhance your protection.
Yes, we used the term "investing" because that's exactly what it is. Unlike the early 2000s when malware would visibly pop up on your screen, today's threats are in stealth mode, and you might get infected without even realizing it.
We invest in insurance for our physical well-being, so it makes sense to view antivirus software as digital insurance for our online activities. In today's world, where everything we do is online, it's important to protect that part of ourselves.
This is especially important if you use your computer for work. It's even more important for mobile devices like Android phones, which are susceptible to spyware, trojans, and harmful malware infections.
Introducing... Malwarebytes Anti-malware. It has been around for over a decade, making it one of the best software for spotting and getting rid of the malware.We conducted a malware detection test using Malwarebytes and it performed really well. Its standout feature, the one you really need, Real-Time protection, ensures your computer and mobile device stay safe from malware threats coming from various attack sources.
Get Protected with Malwarebytes
You can use Malwarebytes on macOS, Windows, and Android, protecting all three devices simultaneously with a single $5 monthly subscription.
Update your login details and enable two-factor authentication
As mentioned before, using the same login details on Superdrysale.com as you do on other sites could lead to a data breach. This is because the bad actors behind the site have access to information like your email address and password used during registration.
If these credentials match those of your other accounts, the threat actors can easily gain access to those accounts as well. To enhance security on all your accounts, consider enabling two-factor authentication and regularly resetting your password.
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a verification step before logging in. This could involve entering a 6-digit code sent to your phone number.
Only you, with access to this code, can log in to your accounts. If you receive a two-factor verification request unexpectedly, it indicates that someone attempted to access your account but failed because they lacked the necessary code.
Most important of all, protect your online identity
The last thing anyone wants is for cybercriminals to use their identity for personal gain. This can lead to targeting your loved ones and extorting them, which is something nobody on this planet would want to happen.
In today's internet age, data is the currency, not just money. As mentioned earlier, those with the most data hold the upper hand online.
You might have heard about data brokers on the internet buying and selling data, and cybercriminals do the same on the dark web. The problem is, what do they do with the data? You probably don't want to know, but you might have a clue.
Data spreads everywhere, and once it's out, it seems unstoppable, right? Wrong.
Despite that, there are innovative products out there, and one of them is Aura—an all-in-one data protection not only for you but also for your loved ones.
So, what does Aura do exactly?
It provides fraud and identity protection across the entire internet to ensure your data isn't used by data brokers and buyers. With online crime on the rise, it's important to be protected, and Aura can help safeguard you and your family from falling victim to cybercrime.
It's better to be safe than sorry, and Aura offers identity protection along with financial fraud protection. It even has an online fraud protection expert to guide you.
If you truly desire a breath of fresh, secure internet air, this is something of a must-have.
Get Online Protection with Aura
To stop potential data issues before they escalate, try Aura. It will remove all leaked data from platforms like Superdrysale.com and many others that have exposed your information.
Report Superdrysale.com to the designated authorities
Finally, make sure to report Superdrysale.com to the right authorities and let them take it from here. You've done your part, and congratulations on avoiding this potentially disastrous scam.
However, you should realize that the next person visiting Superdrysale.com might not be as fortunate. They may not see the warnings and could be unaware of the dangers ahead.
To bring down those behind the malicious website, it's important to rely on authorities who can take appropriate action.
Here are the links where you can submit a report:
Please complete the form with specific details to ensure that authorities can take prompt action and conduct a swift investigation into the matter.
How To Detect Fake Online Stores Like Superdrysale.com
If you've had a bad experience with a site like Superdrysale.com, you might feel hesitant about online shopping altogether. However, it's essential to know that there are many legitimate websites out there, and encountering one bad apple doesn't mean the whole bunch is spoiled.
To assist users in avoiding such incidents in the future, we've put together ways to recognize fake online stores. This information can help you steer clear of them and, hopefully, protect other unsuspecting users from similar experiences in the future.
They use stolen images in their product category
Fraudulent online stores such as Superdrysale.com probably lack the means to feature authentic product placement images due to them not caring to purchase a bunch of products.
That is why they might resort to generating AI-generated images or, more commonly, using stock images or product photos sourced from legitimate websites.
To verify the legitimacy of an online store, take a few product placement image addresses from the website and paste them into reverse image search tools like Tineye and Duplichecker.
This will help determine if the images have been used elsewhere online, potentially indicating a scam.
Offer big discounts that are too good to be true
As the saying goes, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." This statement holds, especially when dealing with online stores.
Large discounts often serve as bait, luring unsuspecting buyers into purchasing counterfeit items or, worse, receiving nothing at all in return for their hard-earned money.
We strongly advise buyers to exercise caution and refrain from placing trust in these seemingly irresistible offers, as they are often designed to trick online buyers.
If you genuinely seek to find products at a lower price, we suggest considering waiting for genuine sales events from legitimate stores or waiting for special occasions like Black Friday, where big discounts can be found.
Legitimate ways to save money through discounts exist, but websites like Superdrysale.com are not among them; instead, such sites can lead to financial loss and potential identity fraud.
Little to no customer reviews
Our research on Superdrysale.com resulted in little to no reviews regarding the products they offer. Typically, buyers rely on reviews from other customers to gauge the credibility of a store before making a purchase.
However, in the case of fake online stores, it is common for such websites to lack genuine reviews. This lack of feedback raises suspicions about the legitimacy of the store's operations.It is also possible that any positive reviews found could be fabricated by bot accounts, aimed at boosting the deceptive store's reputation.
On rare occasions, genuine reviews may surface, warning users about the scam nature of the Superdrysale.com online store.
However, it appears that in response to such negative feedback, the store may selectively remove these reviews to mislead potential buyers and maintain an appearance of legitimacy.
They use the same website designs
Cybercriminals make websites like Superdrysale.com to trick people on the internet. They create hundreds of these fake sites at a time to target a large number of users. They might have made Superdrysale.com and many others that we haven't discovered yet.
This is why online users need to learn how to tell apart malicious online stores from legitimate ones. One noticeable thing is that cybercriminals often use the same design for all their fake websites.
While there are a great number of website themes and designs available on the internet, a small number of templates are commonly used by the people behind such sites.
Based on our research, we've identified some of the website designs that cybercriminals use for their fake online stores, like Superdrysale.com.
Common website designs used by cybercriminals:
The images above show common website templates that cybercriminals often use for deceptive websites like Superdrysale.com. If you come across enticing sales ads on social media that lead you to a website with the same design, it's a good idea to be cautious.
However, not all fake websites have the same design, as different attackers have various approaches. Some cybercriminals create websites that look legitimate and you can't easily tell if they're scams based solely on the design.
Therefore, while website design shouldn't be the only factor, it's still wise to be cautious, especially if a website uses the same hero images as the ones shown above.
Additional factors to watch out for in an online store
Considering website design is helpful, but it's not foolproof. Legitimate online stores might also use similar templates and get mistakenly flagged as scams by some scam-detecting sites.
To ensure a more reliable method for identifying whether a website is a scam, you should pay attention to specific elements within the website itself.
For instance, Superdrysale.com employs psychological tactics to encourage users to make purchases, potentially leading them to disclose personal data.
As a public website, we at SecuredStatus can analyze their site and expose the tricks they use to manipulate users into buying. Our research highlights what you should be cautious of:
The "Recently Bought" pop-up at the bottom of the screen
The "Recently Bought" pop-up is a tactic commonly used by marketers, but cybercriminals often exploit it to create a false impression that people are actively making purchases on the website.
In reality, this is a scam. Anyone can generate a pop-up with fake information, such as different names, locations, and purchased products, whenever someone visits the site.
This is a trick frequently employed in online stores run by cybercriminals. It aims to give the illusion of a trustworthy website where others have already made purchases. However, it's simply a coded message and no real purchases occurred at that moment.
Too-good-to-be-true top bar message
Another thing to watch out for is the top bar message that appears at the top of the website. These messages often show up when you first visit the site, and they play on psychology to make users believe they're getting a better deal than initially advertised in the social media ads that brought them to the website.
After analyzing thousands of websites, we've found the most common messages:
- Up to 90% off on products
- Free shipping for orders over $60
- Hurry Up! Sale Ends in 2 hours
Worldwide shipping & Clearance sale This is another marketing trick that cybercriminals frequently use. If you encounter such top bar messages, along with the other factors we mentioned, it's a sign that you need to be cautious with the website.
Discount coupon upon visit
When you visit websites like Superdrysale.com, you might encounter a sudden pop-up offering discount coupons that you can use across the site.
This is a significant psychological tactic, making users think they have valuable coupons to spend, with the idea that spending more will save more.
However, it's all a false promise. Remember, Superdrysale.com is a scam operated by cybercriminals, rendering these coupons completely worthless.
They are only used to trick users into making hasty purchases. If you come across a pop-up like the one shown above, it's best to be cautious about the website.
Considering these common website elements, along with the other factors mentioned earlier, you can now distinguish fake online stores from legitimate ones based on the behaviors and key details typical of stores created by cybercriminals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To provide more information and address some common inquiries, here are answers to frequently asked questions about Superdrysale.com, based on our research.
What are the odds of getting money back from Superdrysale.com?
In an actual fraudulent purchase scenario, your case is highly likely to be accepted for a chargeback, given that you are dealing with a fake online store and an unintentional purchase on your part.
As a result, there is a high probability that the money used to purchase the unwanted items will be fully refunded. Once your bank verifies that the purchase indeed originated from a fake website, the chargeback will be approved and the funds returned to you.
Can the cybercriminals behind Superdrysale.com steal your identity?
Identity theft is a highly widespread action among those whose personal information has been exposed. Since login information may be compromised, impersonating such a person will be fairly simple, making access to accounts and interpersonal connections easier.
If you followed the instructions above, you do not have to worry since your accounts are secure because all of the passwords have been changed, and two-factor authentication is enabled.
Not to mention the fraud alert freeze, which will ensure that scammers cannot use your identity to obtain a loan as verification is necessary.
Is it possible to get infected with malware by interacting with Superdrysale.com?
Superdrysale.com poses a great risk of malware infection because web users are required to provide sensitive information, such as their email addresses and many more. This information can be exploited by third parties to distribute malware.
As a result, you may begin to receive phishing emails with malicious attachments, which might cause infections on your computer. Using antivirus software like Kaspersky or Malwarebytes can immediately remove the malware for you in such circumstances.