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This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
Mango Learning Inc. launched an exciting portfolio of game-based learning apps at the California School Boards Association (CSBA) Conference in San Francisco. Co- Founder Bob Collins explained that Mango Learning's Decimals Series, now live on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon stores worldwide, is the first of hundreds of game-based learning apps the company plans to roll out in the future. Collins, the former Chief Instructional Officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District, has been leading the curricular development of the apps, the first set of which are now available for both consumer and school use, targeting middle school math. In the longer term, Mango will cover the entire K through 12 mathematics curriculum. As development of apps continues, Mango Learning is inviting schools nationwide to participate in an upcoming pilot program.
"Mango Learning has gone beyond typical mobile learning games," Collins explained. "We are making intuitive, engaging, and U.S. Common Core aligned experiences for children which get them excited about learning Math on levels that we simply have not seen before. When coupled with the direction of parents and educators, these games have the potential to help close those aspects of the achievement gap which often persist even after mobile device inequities have been resolved."
Mango Learning is the collaborative effort of a team of educators and game developers who have blended all that they know about game engagement, rewards, teaching methods and student learning paths to create interactive tutorials and games which make learning fun.
Some of their app include:
Decimal Division
'Mango Math Decimal: Division' is a tool tailored for kids from Grades Five to Eight which teaches them concepts of division of decimals. Concepts are delivered by interesting avatars via audio-visual tutorials. The tutorials combine both Eastern and Western teaching methodologies to explain the basic concepts.
Fun with Fractions
'Fun with Fractions: Introduction' tackles the elementary concepts of fractions and presents it to students in a format that is fun-filled, visually appealing and informative. Developed by Mango Learning for elementary school students, 'Fun with Fractions: Introduction' is a perfect supplement for text-books.
Decimal: Multiplication
A tool designed for students from Grades Five to Eight, "Mango Math Decimal: Multiplication" teaches concepts of multiplication of decimals in an engaging and visually appealing format. The tool comprises of interlinked learning activities like tutorials, gaming activities and assessments to help students master the concepts. The teaching methodologies and curriculum conform to the Common Core Standards and also exposes kids to Eastern teaching methods.
For more information visit: http://www.mangolearning.com


text: I have just purchased the L7. I was wondering if there was a solution to an annoying problem. When i go into address book from typing a SMS i only get the names showing on screen, is there a way to show the numbers as well as the name this way i dont send it to a house number instead of mobile number

subset: commoncrawl


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Brent Daniels' score for A Lonely Place For Dying wins at Park City Film Music Festival
Mon, Jun 6 2011 09:57 | Permalink
My score for A Lonely Place For Dying has been honored with the Jury Choice Silver Medal for Excellence in Original Music for a Feature Film, at the Park City Film Music Festival, a film festival specifically devoted to music composed for film. I am most grateful to the Park City Film Music Festival for the honor.Among other music projects booked for this summer, I'll be expanding and mastering the
Brent Daniels' score for A Lonely Place For Dying accepted into Utah's Park City Film Music Festival
Tue, May 24 2011 08:00 | Permalink
I'm happy (and humbled) to report that my score for A Lonely Place for Dying has been accepted into Utah's Park City Film Music Festival, a festival which rewards composers for their work in film (both independent and big budget studio films). Here's an interview with the festival's director, Leslie Harlow, talking about the festival's focus on film composers and describing their selection process
Regen Magazine Interview with Brent Daniels
Fri, May 20 2011 10:52 | Permalink
Note: thanks to Ilker Yücel, editor of RegenMag, for allowing me to repost this while their website is being restructured.INTERVIEWBrent Daniels - Reemergence from the Lonely PlaceAn Interview with Brent Daniels Posted: Sunday, February 01, 2009 By: Ilker Yücel EditorBrent Daniels is not the biggest name in the world of electronica, although he has garnered no small amount of respect for his work
Brent Daniels' Score Preview in new ALPFD Trailer
Mon, Sep 20 2010 01:00 | Permalink
If you'd like a little preview of some of my score for A Lonely Place For Dying, check out the new trailer for the film, which is now live. All the music in the trailer was pulled from various parts of the film's soundtrack. (And Zak Forsman did a killer job editing the trailer BTW) Details of a full release of the ALPFD score will be released in the near future.
A Lonely Place For Dying Sneak Preview in Los Angeles
Sun, Mar 21 2010 11:05 | Permalink
Wow, the last time I posted something was I was just starting scoring the feature film A Lonely Place For Dying, 13 months ago. Well, I'm finished and you can see a sneak preview of it next week if you're in Southern California. I'll be there too, stop by and say hi. (More info further down the post.)It took longer than I thought it would (doesn't it always?) but in the fall


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Last Minute Halloween Snacks
By KRetroK |
Got your costumes ready? We do! Now let's think about the food. Looking for some spooky ideas for last minute Halloween snacks? We are going to help you with that. You need something quick, kid friendly and delicious. Take a look to this fun and fast Halloween snacks.
Mummy Hot Dogs
Recipe from: Gooseberry Patch
- 1 1-oz. tube refrigerated bread stick dough
- 12 hot dogs
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Garnish: mustard
- Seperate dough into strips. Wrap one strip of dough around each hot dog, leaving 1/2 inch uncovered for face. Arrange on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Whisk together egg and water; brush over dough. Bake at 350° for 14 to 16 minutes, or until golden. Dot mustard on hot dogs with a toothpick to form eyes, if desired.
Recipe from: All You
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound frozen pizza dough, thawed
- 3/4 cup jarred tomato sauce
- 8 ounces sliced low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1. Preheat oven to 475ºF. Brush bottom of a 16-by-11-inch rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Press and stretch dough evenly to cover bottom of sheet. (If dough resists at first, let it rest for a minute and then continue.)
- 2. Spread sauce in an even layer over dough, leaving a 1-inch border around all sides. Bake until underside of dough is golden (lift up pizza with a spatula and take a peek), about 15 minutes. Use a ghost-shaped cookie cutter to cut ghosts from cheese. Place ghosts on top of hot pizza and bake for 5 minutes. Place two capers on each piece of cheese for eyes. Let stand 5 minutes on a wire rack before slicing and serving
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- 20 crème-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch-square pan with foil so that foil overhangs sides. Mist with cooking spray.
- 2. Make crust: Process cookies in food processor until ground. Pulse in butter. Press evenly into pan. Bake until firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly.
- 3. Make filling: With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin, then eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla, flour, spice and salt until just combined.
- 4. Pour mixture into pan. Put pan on a large rimmed baking sheet; place in oven. Pour hot water into baking sheet until it's nearly filled. Bake until cheesecake is set around edges but jiggles slightly in center, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove pan from sheet; cool completely on rack. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours.
Scary Spiders
You'll need:
- Chocolate-covered cream-filled snack cakes (such as Ring Dings)
- Mini chocolate cream-filled snack cakes (such as 100-calorie packs of Hostess chocolate cupcakes)
- Black licorice laces
- M&M's
- Chocolate and vanilla icing
- Assemble spiders:
- 1. Use a toothpick to poke eight holes in cake, insert licorice laces into holes and trim ends to desired length.
- 2. Attach M&M's as eyes using dots of icing. Pipe dots of chocolate icing for pupils and create fangs by piping small bits of vanilla icing.


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If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?îConfucius
The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it.Patrick Young
Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry: Worry never fixes anythingErnest Hemingway
That we have children coming into this world already polluted, at the same time we don`t know what the effects of that pollution will be on their mental and physical development, is both bad policy and immorally wrong.Altaf Ladak
Anger may be foolish and obsurd, and one may be irritated when in the wrong; but a man never feels outraged unless in some respect he is at bottom right.Victor Hugo
An action doesn't have to be wrong just because it is not logical. It doesn't have to be right just because it has its logic.Lion Feuchtwanger
Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.Terry Pratchett
Among the numberless contradictions in our nature, hardly any is more glaring than this, between our sensitiveness to the slightest disgrace which we fancy cast upon us from without, and our callousness to what is wrong in ourselves. In truth, they who are the most sensitive to the one are often the most callous to the other.Anonymous
A little wine sometimes, that's all. Spirits are bad. Alcohol wrong. Herb does grow.Bob Marley
No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.Albert Einstein
There is a strong tendency in explanatory prose to invoke quantities of tension, energy, and whatnot to explain the genesis of pattern. I believe that all such explanations are inappropriate or wrong.Gregory Bateson
A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who were pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person were safe in our own paradise. Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life.Richard Bach
Suspicion is far more to be wrong than right; more often unjust than just. It is no friend to virtue, and always an enemy to happiness.Hosea Ballou
Soccer is not about justice. It's a drama, and criminally wrong decisions against you are part and parcel of that.Pete Davies


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Link Building this Week (Nov. 23)
23 Nov
It is/ was Thanksgiving in the US, which means it's been a quiet week this week. However, like every other week there are always at least a few link building related posts worth mentioning.
The first one is Roger Montti's post about building links to a new site, which includes a few advantages that a new website has over a somewhat older website. David Peralty writes about the same subject, his point "If you can't think of at least three ideas for great articles, you are probably not in the right niche" is solid as a rock.
Besides "regular" link building tactics, guerrilla marketing can also be a great way to obtain links and to build a brand. Skellie listed 17 Guerrilla Marketing ideas for your website at DailyBits. If you like these kind of strategies, you might also like these 10 tactics.
And also:
- Make sure to read Loren Baker's post about 20 Essential Blog Directories
- Matt Sawyer provides some great tips in his post The Aftermath – Where Now For Link Builders at Clicks.ws
- Controlling the Flow of Link Juice was this week's subject of SEOmoz' Whiteboard Friday
- Another link building video: Eric Ward & Brandon Hopkins @ WebProNews
- Do you use Del.icio.us as a Link Building Tool?
BTW, if you think I've missed something (or if you think I should subscribe to your SEO/ link building related RSS feed), feel free to leave a comment or to drop me an email.


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Floyd Yarmuth/CNN
WASHINGTON - Americans have agonized, prayed, fought and even killed each other over abortion ever since the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision establishing a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy.
But public opinion on abortion has changed little since that landmark ruling was handed down 40 years ago today.
In 1975, just two years after the decision, 21 percent of Americans polled by Gallup said abortion should be legal under any circumstance, 54 percent said it should be legal under certain circumstances and 22 percent said it should be illegal in all cases.
When the same question was asked last year, the results showed no significant shift in either direction. Twenty-five percent said abortion should be legal under any circumstance, 52 percent said it should be legal under certain circumstances and 20 percent said it should be illegal in all cases.
Abortion has never been a black and white issue for many Americans, experts say, which is reflected in the fact that roughly half of Americans think it should be legal with some restrictions. Yet for many others, opinions about abortion are formed by deeply held beliefs about life and death.
"Because abortion is legal with restrictions doesn't mean that people's views as to whether it's terminating a life have changed," said Neal Devins, professor of law and director of the Institute of Bill of Rights Law at the College of William and Mary.
Abortion is different from same-sex marriage – another divisive social issue, but one in which public opinion has shifted so dramatically over the past decade that a majority of Americans now favor allowing gay couples to legally wed, said David J. Garrow, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
"The fetus as a prospective child makes this much more difficult (for many Americans) than gay equality," said Garrow, who has written a history of the legal struggles for reproductive rights in the United States.
"American society today is much more pro-child and child-oriented than Americans were 40 or 42 or 44 years ago," Garrow said. "And so it is because of children just being more appreciated, I think the fetus has more stature, more status, than it did in 1970 or 1973."
Public opinion about abortion may not have changed dramatically since Roe v. Wade, but the decision has had a profound impact in other ways.
Roe v. Wade made abortions safer, Devins said, but didn't really change the rate at which women were getting the procedures. The 7-2 decision also transformed the American judiciary by making the courts a lightning rod and leading to political ideology playing a far greater role in judicial appointments and confirmations.
But one of the decision's biggest legacies is a fundamental shift in how women and their role in society are viewed, said Beth Burkstrand-Reid, an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska College of Law.
"It was a fundamental shift in the statement of whether or not we trusted women to make decisions this important – not just about their bodies, but about important decisions in general," said Burkstrand-Reid, who specializes in reproductive health.
The impact of that "was really earth shattering – I don't think you can over-estimate that," Burkstrand-Reid said. "Not all women want to have kids at every point in their life, and not all women are able physically, medically or financially to do it. Roe made us look at how we make families, how we form families and how women fit into that."
While opponents have been successful in getting states to greatly restrict access to abortion providers, legal experts say it's doubtful that Roe v. Wade will be overturned anytime soon – if ever.
"I think Roe will be with us forever," Garrow said.
Roe v. Wade may not be overturned by the courts, Burkstrand-Reid said, but there is a danger that in some parts of the country abortion will be regulated of business as states keep coming up with new ways to restrict a woman's access to the procedure.
"The law might be there," she said, "but the access will not be. I don't think we have to overturn Roe v. Wade to overturn Roe v. Wade."
Contact reporter Michael Collins of Scripps Howard News Service at email@example.com


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Oh, dear.
Have you seen the recent photo of Hugh Hefner lying face-down across his dining room table in his signature silk pajamas?
Should we be worried? Nope.
The 85-year-old Playboy poobah was just having some fun...
He's was doing what all the kids are doing these days—planking!
"I got Hef to plank!" the magazine mogul's new No. 1 gal Anna Sophia Berglund shared on Twitter earlier this week with the pic of him on top of the table.
For those of you who don't know, planking is a new internet phenomenon in which people post pictures of themselves laying face-down in unusual places. "After the Uno game, Anna got me to plank on the dining room table. See her photo." Hef tweeted.
His gals got into it, too. Miss November 2010 Shera Bechard tweeted a shot of Hef giving a thumbs up over a table of seven gal pals planking side-by-side.
Good to see that Hef's recent heartbreak isn't getting in the way of his flare for fun...or planking for that matter.
Other celebrity planking enthusiasts include Eliza Dushku, Chris Brown and Rosario Dawson, who not only planked during her recent appearance on E!'s own Chelsea Lately, but also during a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live.


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Gluten and Dairy-Free Spicy Fruit Cake
This Christmas fruit cake is perfect for your family and friends who can't have gluten and/or dairy.
From: Delish A Home-Baked Christmas © 2012 by Hearst Communications, Inc. Buy the Book Now!
Level: Easy
Serves: 20
- 1¼ c. golden raisins
- 1 c. finely chopped pitted dried dates
- 1 c. dark raisins
- ¾ c. dried currants
- 1 c. coarsely chopped glacé apricots
- 1 c. tokay or other dessert wine
- 6 oz. dairy-free margarine
- 1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 c. ground almonds
- 1½ c. rice flour
- 1 tsp. cream of tartar
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- Combine fruit and 3/4 cup of the tokay in large bowl, cover with plastic wrap; stand overnight.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line deep 9-inch round cake pan with two layers of parchment paper, extending paper 2 inches above side.
- Beat margarine and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until combined; beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix butter mixture into fruit mixture; mix in ground almonds and sifted dry ingredients. Spread mixture into pan.
- Bake cake about 2 1/2 hours. Brush hot cake with remaining tokay, cover with foil; cool in pan. Serve dusted with sifted confectioners' sugar, if you like.
Tips & Techniques
More From Recipes


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Originally posted on Food Riot, which has since shut down. There wasn't much ceremony to volunteering to make pierogi at Seattle's Polish Home Association for their upcoming bazaar. Everyone else spoke Polish and was there out of love for their community. My friends and I, none of us Polish by anything other than remote heritage, were there out of a different kind of love: that of dumplings. I'm not saying I can't be altruistic at times, but I'll be honest: I volunteered because I wanted to watch these Eastern European dumpling masters and learn their trade secrets. I just had no idea what … [Read more...]
Ten Things I Was Scolded for While Making Pierogi
Blazing Cattle
"Tickets go on sale in May," says the Burning Beast Facebook page. By the time the ticket-holding public entered Burning Beast, 200 pounds of beef had been taken from the rebar-and-steel cross and were resting quietly (as dead animals tend to do) on the table. One kind of chaos ended as a new one crouched at the starting line. 600-plus people stood ready to descend on the beef and other roasted carcasses strewn around the field. The previous night at dinner Tamara Murphy, seminal Seattle chef and founder of Burning Beast, said to the participating chefs, "We come out for a great party, and … [Read more...]
The Feast Portland Top 10 Bites
I've been fattened up like a foie gras goose, and I'm ready to be rolled into the slaughterhouse. Only my version of the slaughterhouse is just a dinner made of brown rice, spinach, and salmon. A detox after a gluttonous weekend that had my stomach and tastebuds begging for mercy. Never have the words "all you can eat caviar bar," been so fearful as when they're combined with "21 of the countries best chefs making Asian or Latin American street food," and "free late-night delivery of grilled-cheese sandwiches." Yup, remember when I told you I thought Feast Portland was going to be pretty … [Read more...]
Little Nibbles: Good Taste Touring, Feasting, and Beasting
Summer in Seattle is the greatest thing ever. There's even proof now, from Seattle's own weather celebrity. Because we're just a strange enough town to have one of those. I have been doing my best to not miss a single second of the excitement, which at times has meant writing articles by hand when the sun wakes me up at six in the morning while camped out in the mind-bogglingly beautiful North Cascades wilderness, because I'm just a strange enough person to do that--and love every second of it. So to catch you up on what I've been doing while I wasn't here: I ate a lot. See below for … [Read more...]
The Time I Went to Adult Summer Camp
I'm going to deviate just a touch from the topic of eating food for a second...but there's still food preparation involved. Lady Camp was one of the most inspiring things I've done in a long time. I travel across oceans all the time, but here, just 45 minutes from my house, I met people from the foreign lands that we call "across the mountains" with strange religions (I believe they're called "republicans"). They were tall and short, old as my grandmother, and young enough that I had to use the phrase "back in my day," more than once. The common thread? They were as enthusiastic as I am … [Read more...]
App Release: Unique Eats of the Northwest
"I'm having a girl!" the text came in yesterday from my best friend. I couldn't be happier for her. THERE IS A TINY HUMAN INSIDE MY BEST FRIEND. What could be more exciting than that? Nothing. But this is my blog, not hers, so that's not my story. Instead, here's the second most interesting thing going on in my world. I've been gestating a little something myself for the last nine months: a tiny, electronic baby. If I were texting my friends about it, the message would say: "I'm having an app!" I'm not texting, though. Even just saying out loud, "My app is releasing today" feels … [Read more...]
Xinjiang-Style Lamb Skewers
This post is for a contest being put on by the folks at the American Lamb Board. The prize is cool (cooking with a chef at an event) and I'd like to win, so please vote for me! Also, that means the lamb used here was given to me by the lamb folks. Thanks, lamb folks! Xinjiang lamb skewers are the best bar snack you've never had. Unless you've been to Beijing, in which case, they might just be the best bar snack you have had. It's been almost three years since I came back from Beijing, but the many tasty skewers I had have stuck with me. It was high time to recreate them at … [Read more...]
What's in your Olive Oil?
Recently the California Olive Ranch invited a few bloggers, myself included, to join them for an evening of tasting olive oils, eating delicious food, and learning about 'the future of the olive oil industry.' I am under no obligation to write, but this stuff was fascinating, so I want to share it--and the olive oil--with you, so read to the bottom. You can win some tasty olive oil and maybe learn something. I often refer to myself as the #FoodNerd on twitter. That the phrase 'learn about the future of the olive oil industry' was so ridiculously exciting to me … [Read more...]
Little Nibbles: What to do with your (hungry) self?
A beautiful red strawberry in my garden is my first sign of summer's probable arrival (it's Seattle, we're never sure). So, here's a quick round up of all things delicious, in my kitchen, in my city and around the world… Date night for food lovers This dinner-as-theater parody of people who treat every dinner as theater hits a little close to home at times. In Cabinet of Curiosities, Chef Nordo's latest production, they simultaneously skewer both those who worry too much about where their food came from (guilty!) and those who don't quite … [Read more...]
Little Nibbles: Spring Food and Spring Events
Spring has, as they say, sprung. It sprung in 65 degree days (hey, that's warm here), in crowds walking around Green Lake, and of course, in the form of bounty at the farmers markets. Here's a round up of what spring looks like in my kitchen, my city, and across the interwebs. In my kitchen: I had bought these lovely lamb shoulder pieces to remake an incredible yogurt curry. I had made it the first time in late evening and by the time it was done I was hungry and the light was gone. It was Seattle, I was sure there'd be more time to make curry and photograph it for the blog. A few days … [Read more...]


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"i read the blogs,mfg info and warnings against pregnancy,the registry and 3rd party opinions. but no where do i see,based on pregnancies "known" to date,what the "likelyhood" that a full term pregnancy will result in birth defects,or tha..."
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This pack contains 50 unique dynastic shields for the 50 most famous families of Medieval Europe.Read full description
This pack contains 50 unique dynastic shields for the 50 most famous families of Medieval Europe. Including the historical insignia for :
von Habsburg af Bjälbo Komnenos Rurikovich Plantangenet von Wittelsbach Ylving
Crusader Kings II is required to play this DLC.
This crusader kings II: dynasty shield III dlc add focus to olden families of gds like Munso, Kraven and Stenkill. It is an Okay DLC, for good price, I'd say you should get it to add content to your game. 7/10 for players looking to add content to thier game
As the unit skin packs, this DLC is purely cosmetical, and should only be bought if you have an abundance of money and a lack of things to spend it on. While the shields are a nice little improvement on an already great game, it is not worth paying for. I got it for free (as a gift), and that price feels about right.
The Dynasty Shields DLC adds 50 shields. I can't find anything good in this DLC. It's just shields. I guess if you are a hardcore shields fan, you could get this, but there are a lot of other DLCs, which are actually worth your money.
This DLC is quite useless, and while 50 may sound like a big number, and it certainly is, it still is not worth 2$. Truth is, you probably won't use half of them. They are worthless gameplay-wise, I wouldn't recommend, at all. A perfect example of milking customers, but still, the game is great.
Simply rate this game out of 5 stars and submit
Want to share your opinion of this game with the community? Add a review now.
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Thank you for your patience whilst we complete this process.


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Complete the info below and we'll send your friend an instant email notification.
The Series 3500 Wall/Ceiling Light features a Frosted glass diffuser with a solid or decorative center accent in Hand Brushed Old Bronze, Antique Brass, Brushed Brass, Polished Brass, Polished Nickel or Satin Nickel. Available in three sizes with two lamping options. Halogen: 40/60 watt 120 volt G9 halogen bulbs are included. LED: One 29/40/58 watt 120 volt 3000K, 80CRI, 3000-5000 lumen output range integrated LED module. Dimmable with standard incandescent dimmers. Large: 16.5 inch width x 3.5 inch height. Medium: 12.5 inch width x 3.3 inch height. Small: 8.5 inch width x 3.25 inch height. ADA compliant.
Holtkoetter has been manufacturing chandeliers and lamps in Germany for more than 35 years. They are one of a handful of companies left that still design their own fixtures and do their own manufacturing from the raw metal to the finished product, resulting in chandeliers and lamps of lasting quality. Holtkotters' reason for being is defined by manufacturing tradition, manufacturing expertise, and by their dedication to quality. Holtkotter's future will be shaped by continued devotion to the technical, functional and design challenges of lighting.
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When you think about remodeling your master bathroom, what's on your list of must-haves?
It probably reads something like this: dual sinks, a generously sized shower, a tub, ample storage, good lighting for applying makeup, plenty of plugs for all the stuff we use in there and nice-looking tile for the floor. You might even add a powerful ventilation fan that's not too noisy.
"A playful ambience" would probably not be on your list, but if you hired Jeff Jenkins that would be part of the deal. Not only would he create a bathroom that you have never seen before or even imagined, but it also would bring a smile to your face every time you use it.
At least that's how I would react if I were the owner of the house in Fairfax where Jenkins recently showed me some of his work.
This Alexandria-based designer's makeover of the master bath was a radical transformation. The 10-by-12-foot bathroom in this 32-year-old tract home was standard 1980s issue with a large, built-in whirlpool bath that Jenkins said his clients hated and never used, a tiled shower stall, a separate toilet compartment, a two-sink vanity, terrible lighting and everything was "basic beige that's great for resale." Beyond the worn-out visuals and dysfunction, another major complaint was that the space felt "claustrophobic and chopped up."
The first thing you notice in the new bathroom is the most unexpected — a large, 20-by-72-inch high abstract painting in the shower that is suggestively festive and beachlike in its shapes and bright colors.
A collaboration between Jenkins and Alexandria artist Eli McMullen, the painting was Jenkins's novel solution to adding some color to the space. When he proposed this to the owners, he recalled: "They thought the idea of a painting in a shower was crazy and it's a foreign idea to most people. They were less skeptical when I showed them sketches, and once it was up there they totally loved it."
To ensure that the art was not damaged by water, McMullen used weather-resistant exterior enamel house paint, and he painted directly onto the same white marble tile that Jenkins used for the shower. The painting was also framed with the marble tile so that installed it appears to be part of the wall.
After that showstopper, your attention moves to a large, sleek, freestanding sculpture which, on further inspection, turns out to be an off-white, egg-shaped Water Works bathtub. It's made of an acrylic composite material that is similar in look and feel to solid surfacing materials like Corian that are used to make kitchen and bathroom countertops.
Once you've absorbed these highlights, you begin to notice how economically Jenkins has arranged the other functions in the room. Rather than an enclosed shower stall, the shower spray is contained behind a simple five-foot-wide sheet of floor-to-ceiling plate glass.
A single three-foot, floor-to-ceiling wall separates the toilet from an adjacent dual-sink vanity that floats about 15 inches above the floor across a span of six feet. To ensure that the vanity did not sag over this distance, Jenkins fabricated it out of alder, an unusually lightweight wood.
The mileage that Jenkins achieved with a limited number of materials is impressive. He uses the same white Carrera marble for the floors and two-thirds of the walls, but the size of the tiles differs, adding a visual texture to the space. Twelve-inch polished marble tiles cover most of the floor and one wall. One-half-by-11 / 2 -inch mini-brick matte-finished marble tiles cover a second wall and part of a third; they also provide a non-slip floor area for the shower. The remaining wall surfaces are standard drywall painted blue-gray.
The first thing that Jenkins considered when designing the space, but the last thing a visitor notices is the lighting. Although there are no windows or skylights, you feel like you're surrounded by natural light, a carefully calibrated effect that Jenkins achieved by combining the light produced by the fixtures he installed with the soft light reflected from the light-colored marble, the white tub and the white ceiling.
Most of the light fixtures, by intent, pass unnoticed, but you will definitely spot the "Sky Garden" half globe that hangs over the tub. Designed by Marcel Wanders for Flos, it has a smooth exterior surface that mimics the tub below. But get close enough to peer underneath and you discover that the inner surface is a cast polymer floral design reminiscent of the hand-made, cast plaster ceiling medallions common in the Victorian era. Jenkins selected the Sky Garden for both its look and the quality of light it provides. The diffused down light subtly adds to your perception of the tub as a piece of sculpture and not merely an unusually shaped bathtub.
The other bathrooms in the Rust Hill House also showcase Jenkins's penchant for design moves that invite an observer, in small ways, to look at the world differently.
The hall bathroom has a distinctly 1930s European cast. Unlike the multicolored master bath, this one is nearly monochromatic. The most unusual detail is Jenkins's treatment of the floor and walls. Both surfaces are covered with hundreds of rows of small blue-white "penny-round" ceramic tiles.
The powder room is a study in contrasts. There are two mirrors, one large and round that "floats" on the wall above the sink, the other a small and round porthole that's recessed into the wall. There are two flooring materials; wide plank maple is on the floor and dark slate covers one wall. Two walls are white painted drywall; the surprise is the other wall. It can only be seen when you're inside the room and it's finished with bright red Venetian plaster.
How much did it cost? Jenkins said that the master bath, including all the demolition work required, was about $51,000. He estimated that a new master bath with conventional fixtures would have been about $40,000. The big-ticket items were the unusual tub and the dome lamp above it, the plumbing fixtures (faucets and shower head), the tile and the painting.
The hall bath remodel cost about $12,000; a conventional one would have been about $5,500 to $7,000. The big-ticket items here were the penny-round tile on the walls and floor and the glass doors for the tub/shower.
The powder room, which was completed several years ago, would be about $10,000 if done today. Almost everything in it was custom; Jenkins estimated that a conventional treatment would run about $2,500 to $4,500.
Katherine Salant has an architecture degree from Harvard. A native Washingtonian, she grew up in Fairfax County and now lives in Ann Arbor, Mich. If you have questions or column ideas, she can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com or www.katherinesalant.com.


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News Item
Increase of Amur Leopards recorded
Sun Jul 24, 2011 17:14
The 2011 numbers are considered record-breaking compared to the past 5 years where only 7 to 9 leopards were identified each year.
The positive results point to a population increase of up to 50% in the targeted region and can be attributed to:
Most leopards are rarely found in cold or high-elevation environments, but instead live in the savannas of Africa where populations are relatively stable.
However, the Amur leopard, a rare leopard subspecies, lives in the temperate forests and harsh winters of the Russian Far East. They are threatened by:
To protect the Amur leopard WWF works to:
Physical description
The Amur leopard has a summer pelt of 1 inch thick fur that is replaced in the winter by 3 inch thick fur to provide warmth. Its coat is covered with widely spaced circles with thick borders and its long legs, used to walk in the snow, distinguish it from other leopard species.
Adult males weigh between 70 and 105 pounds and adult females weigh between 55 and 95 pounds. Amur leopards have been reported using their long legs to leap more than 19 feet horizontally and more than 9 feet vertically.
source (and video): http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/fi ... eForFuture
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12 Coolest Police Cars In Action
Following on from our recent post about the world's top driving roads, we decided to look into just what exactly the local law enforcement use to patrol these racing circuit roads – and we were impressed by what we found.
So here's a rundown of what we think are 12 of the coolest (and in most cases fastest) cop cars in the world.
What do you think of our choices? Which is your favourite police car? What have we missed?
Let us know in the comments!
#12. Jaguar XF Diesel S Police Car
The The Central Motorway Police Group that operates across the Midlands in the UK, have recently placed an order for 7 high performance new patrol cars based on the award-winning 3.0-litre Jaguar XF Diesel S model.
The new vehicles feature a roof mounted light bar (3600 blue flashing lights), integrated side alley lights, blue and white flashing LED lights inside the front grille, side mounted blue flashing LED lights, blue and red flashing LED lights integrated into the rear light clusters and a Home Office-specification electronics 'Police pack' that powers a full suite of electronic equipment.
#11. Lamborghini Gallardo Polizia
Back in 2004 Lamborghini supplied the Italian Polizia di Stato with a brand new and unique Gallardo. The Gallardo 'Polizia' was to be used by traffic officers Salerno-Reggio Calabria autostrada in Southern Italy and for high-speed delivery of transplant organs.
Fitted with sirens, flashing lights and a distinctive blue and white State Police livery, there was also a variety of medical equipment and advanced technological apparatus for receiving and transmitting information and images. Other sophisticated equipment included a satellite navigational system with GSM microtelephone, a 'Provida' system to record violations and send images in real time, direct connection to the Police database and an Elsag 'Autodetector' system for number plate recognition.
#10. Spyker C8 Spyder Police Car
Giving the Italians and Germans a run for their money, the Netherlands have their own super Police car, the C8 Spyder. Created for the Frevoland police, the C8 is a hand built roadster built by Spyker and powered by an Audi 4.2L V8.
#9. Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe Police Car
Yellow Gallardos have been "temporary" police cars for the Metropolitan Police in London, England, one in 2005 and one in 2006, for specific publicity events. The 2006 vehicle was seen at the start of the 2006 Gumball Rally. Both vehicles were lent by Lamborghini London and were fitted with yellow and blue battenburg markings, police logos and a small blue lightbar.
#8. Mini Cooper Polizei
#7. Lexus IS-F Humberside Police Car
The high performance Lexus IS-F features a tuned 5.0-litre V8 engine capable of reaching 62mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 168 mph.
Humberside Police's Roads Crime Section made the decision to purchase the Lexus IS-F after the vehicle proved to be exceptionally capable of remaining stable in high speed operational policing environments, despite carrying the extra weight provided by the £30,000 worth of on-board computers and communications equipment.
#6. 2005 TechArt Carrera 997 Police cruiser
Based on a Porsche Carrera S (997), this TECHART police patrol car was the symbol of a car safety campaign across Germany.
This eye catching patrol car was unveiled at the Essen Motorshow in 2005 to promote safe and responsible car tuning, and to help educate enthusiasts about the inferior and often illegal car modding products available on the market.
#5. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti HGTS Police Car
Ferrari created a special version of the flagship V12 four-seater 612 Scaglietti liveried in police colours to be used when Ferrari's 60th Anniversary relay started the UK leg.
The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti HGTS is a version of 612 with police car colour scheme, HGTS (Handling GTS package) and also has Daytona style seats, personalised stitching and leather details, yellow rev counter, yellow brake callipers and Scuderia Ferrari shields.
The vehicle began its relay at the UK on the 18th may 2007, which was driven by police officers at the front of the UK tour throughout the 1500 miles from Belfast to London.
#4. Sussex Police Lotus Exige 2007
This 220bhp lightweight Lotus Exige S was handed over to the Sussex police as a new initiative to help the officers engage with young drivers.
"Rather than sending a standard response unit to the scene of a disturbance caused by younger drivers getting together and doing donuts, we want to talk to the younger drivers," says Sergeant Paul Masterson. "We talk about the car, its performance and their cars. Once the barriers are down, we can talk to them about more serious road safety issues."
#3. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo-X-Police Car
Used by the UK's Yorkshire County Road Crime Units, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X police cruisers impressed the Police Inspectors with their "strong visual impact, performance and safety credentials."
Each Evo X is fitted with a new Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, capable of locating and tracking any fleeing motorist with ease.
The new member of the team will be used on the same missions and at the same time as its previous-generation siblings, creating such a strong visual impact that the vehicle being pursued will often simply give up the chase and pull over, knowing they won't be able to out-run the RCU. What is more, the Police Evolutions 'hunt' in packs of three, which, Inspector Slack explained is often enough of a deterrent that high-speed chases are avoided.
#2. Chevrolet Camaro SS 2010 Police Car
Built from a new Camaro SS, the Haltom City, Texas police department decided to enlist the help of a local custom shop built this menacing new patrol car.
Haltom City Police commissioned Classic Chevrolet of Grapevine, Texas to build this one-of-a-kind Camaro SS police car complete with an LED bar on top, embedded bar in the rear window and a blue light strip embedded behind the muscle car's devious grin. Scary stuff!
#1. Mercedes CLS Brabus Rocket Police Car
Revealed at the Essen Motor Show, this jaw-dropping Brabus creation was built for the German Tune It Safe! campaign.
With a top speed of 225.19 mph, the twin-turbocharged CLS V12 S Rocket certainly lives up to its nickname.
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The RCMP in Canada have used quite a few interceptors over the years. During the late 60′s and early 70′s the standard car was a Dodge Polara with a 440 cu in (7.2l) V-8 Police Interceptor package. These were fast cars that could do 135~140 mph day in and day out. Remarkable because they were the standard car used by almost all officers, plus at the time the standard RCMP colors were a distinctly purple-ish hue of blue.
The RCMP during the 90′s and 00′s used Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros in highway interceptor (full paint and lights) configuration. I've seen these cars many times; they were not the standard issue (Chevrolet Caprice with Corvette spec 350 / 5.7l V-8s and later Ford Grand Marquis 302 / 5l V-8s) but many detachments had one to go along with the rest of the fleet. I've seen them many times on highway patrol use, sometimes performing stops.GD Star Rating
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One car missed is this BC RCMP black and white ford escort.It is a fully equiped police interceptor, however it is mostly for show. To top it off, it has a red cherry on top, and a rotating ornament on the trunk.
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All of them are so awesome that I want to be a police to ride them. It makes criminals shake in terror and never want to outrun justice ever again!GD Star Rating
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I vote for the Mini. Los Angles Sheriff's Department is testing 17 Mini Cooper (electric) for BMW. For many situations the small size is very practical and stylish as well. The interior space is much larger than expected and they handle very well. They are relativly inexpensive and if the back seats are flipped down there is plenty of stowing space. Other that that they look cool!GD Star Rating
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Lexus IS-F Humberside Police Car is the best, it definitely does it for me….GD Star Rating
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I like the German Mini Cooper because the colours are so clean and fresh and make it look a little like a lettuce sandwich!GD Star Rating
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The Lamborghini Gallardo Polizia would be my first choice. Runner-up? The Chevrolet Camaro SS 2010 Police Car. I love American-made muscle.GD Star Rating
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Navy SEAL Joseph Molina walked onto the University of San Diego campus as a 32-year-old college freshman with a shaved head and seven deployments under his belt.
If in uniform, he'd wear the Silver and Bronze Stars and the stripes of a senior chief petty officer.
Despite all that, he had to suffer through calculus, just like the 18-year-olds in his class.
Universities around San Diego County are seeing older, battle-hardened faces entering the student body, as wars end and new veterans use their college benefits.
Molina is benefiting from the Pat Tillman Foundation scholarship, one of a growing number of college assistance funds for those who served during wartime.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a more generous version of the long-standing college program that America has offered veterans since World War II. But despite a payment structure designed to cover tuition at a state college, books and rent, some veterans are finding it doesn't pay the whole tab.
The GI Bill tops out at $18,000 a year, so students who choose out-of-state colleges or private institutions have a gap.
In some cases, private schools and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will make up part of the difference through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The University of California San Diego and National University both recently announced the creation of scholarship funds to help veterans offset the cost of college. San Diego State's Troops to College initiative has raised more than $2.5 million since 2007.
Molina is a unique case. He transferred his GI Bill benefits to his wife, also a USD student. The Navy is paying a chunk of his tuition through the Seaman-to-Admiral program, which puts promising enlisted sailors through college if they agree to serve several more years as officers.
The $10,000-a-year Tillman scholarship offers flexibility to him as an older undergraduate with a wife and 3-year-old daughter. It can cover child care and other important, but nonschool, expenses.
The money comes from a foundation formed by the family of Pat Tillman, the Arizona Cardinals football star who walked away from an NFL contract in 2002 to enlist.
Tillman, an Army Ranger, was killed in 2004 in Afghanistan. His death became controversial after it was revealed that the Army lied to hide the fact that he was killed by friendly fire.
This is the fourth year of the Tillman scholarships. They have supported 230 students, including two at San Diego State, with grants totaling $3.2 million.
Molina and Tillman might have found a lot in common, if they'd met.
The Navy SEAL captained his football team at Southwest High near his hometown of Imperial Beach.
He also served in Afghanistan, where he led his platoon through a fierce multiday battle in July 2009 that toppled an enemy safe haven. Cited for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action," Molina received the Silver Star, the third-highest military medal for combat.
So, it's understandable that he's the odd man out in a classroom of first-year business administration students. "I feel like I have more in common with my professors," Molina said.
Still, he is doing well. He wears his dean's-list status like another medal.
Molina has assigned himself yet another tough mission: to graduate in three years.
The Navy's enlisted-to-officer program demands it. In addition, Molina is in a hurry because the age cutoff to become a SEAL officer is 35.
If he makes it, Molina will be a mid-30s ensign or lieutenant junior grade, leading a squad of SEALs. Units to his right and left will probably be commanded by men 10 years younger.
Molina, who keeps the military bearing on campus, despite his jeans and messenger bag, said he is also preparing physically. Good nutrition. Marathons. And he started a jujitsu club for USD students.
What is he gaining by all this hard work? He has already led men in battle.
Molina said he understands the tactics of warfare after 14 years in uniform. He hopes that his studies, which focus on organizations and management, will enhance strategic thinking.
At 35, he said, "I'll just be getting into my prime."
CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story said the money for the Tillman scholarship comes from the Tillman family. A foundation formed by the Tillman family provides the scholarship funds.


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There are a lot of hair removal creams that you can find in the market. However, you have to keep an eye on the different brands and the pros and cons so that you can be sure of opting for the best products. Following are the top 10 hair removal creams that you can use to get the perfect shiny skin.
10. VI-John hair removal cream
It makes use of herbal ingredients like rose and aloe vera and it is medically certified as well. Hence, those who are skeptical of using chemicals can opt for this hair removal cream and benefit from it. It also comes with sandalwood extract that gives a glow to the skin.
9. Anne French hair removal cream
It is one of the well known brands and a lot of women who have been opting for the use of this cream. You can find a lot of healthy reviews for this cream and it has results that prove its worth too. It removes hair right from the root and the results will be long lasting.
8. Caley hair removal cream
Those who are looking for such a cream that can help them in shaving off the unwanted hair with ease right from the confines of their home can opt to use this cream. It makes use of a blend of lavender and Aloe Vera extract. Additionally, it contains lemon, orange and even vitamin C which helps in giving a smooth glow to the skin.
7. Cosmo silky hair remover cream
A lot of women often complain that using hair removal cream makes their skin hard and rough. It is definitely a turn off and all those who want to retain the smoothness, softness and silkiness of the skin can opt for this cream. It is so made that not only will it remove the extra and unwanted hair but it leaves an extremely smooth and silky skin too. The main ingredients that are used in this cream include rose blossom, aloe vera, lemon extracts, strawberry and almonds as well. The blend of so many different ingredients makes it a top choice.
6. InStyle 3 minute hair removing cream
It is the 3 minute hair removing cream that can turn out to be handy. It produces quick results and makes use of the reliable formula of Aloe Vera and almond oil.
5. Namira Herbal hair removal cream
This cream is made from natural ingredients that are all herbal products. Owing to the use of herbal ingredients, this cream is free from all types of side effects. Some hair removal creams leave a dark pigmentation. However, when you are using herbal creams, such problems are not likely to occur.
4. Fair Angel Sandal hair removal cream
This cream can come in handy in helping you shave off the hair quickly. It is affordable and can help you clean your legs and hands.. It makes use of a special formula and has a fragrance of rose, sandal and lemon. It is best for those who suffer from problems of dry skin. The use of right natural extracts ensures that the skin is smooth.
3. VI John saffron and honey cream
VI John is one of the top brands in the field of creams and all those who are looking to have a smooth skin and clean surface can choose this cream. Those who want to choose such creams that already have a good reputation can opt for VI John. It uses a blend of saffron and honey. Honey ensures that the skin will be smooth and will leave you with a glow and shine.
2. Rose hair removal cream
This hair removal cream makes use of rose, lemon and sandal extracts and you will be able to get flawless skin and the glow and radiance of the perfect skin will help you get a volley of compliments too. It does not leave dark patches and is an economical product too. It also contains special moisturizers that ensure that the skin will not remain dry.
1. Veet hair removal cream
When you are talking about the top hair removal cream, Veet deserves a top mention. It is the recommended choice among most women and provides by far the best possible results. It makes use of shea butter, berry, rose extracts, olive oil and even strawberry extracts as well and targets people with normal skin.
In order to rev up your glamour quotient, you can choose any of the above hair removal creams and have the skin that is bound to get you a lot of compliments.
Image Credit – 1


text: Michael Frank <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote:[...]> As to security, most vulnerabilities are hard to exploit > remotelyRight.> and practical security can be much more improved > by hiding detailed software versions from clients.Ever heard of nmap <http://www.nmap.org>? Or perhaps noticed all kinds ofattacks against Linux using old exploits or Windows specific ones? Hidingversions is /not/ secure. At most marginally so, and the pain for whoeverneeds the version for legitimate reasons just isn't worth it.> Apache > 2 on linux 2.6 will do instead of providing full vendor > specific package versions!> > As to drivers, in case 3 month driver delay matters, HW > vendor can improve situation substantially by not waiting > 6+ months before (if at all) releasing drivers/docs for > linux! For /server/ type workloads, where you /need/ stability, you carefully pickthe hardware and then run a selected "enterprise" distro on it. The distropeople do the hard work of keeping your kernel up to date and secure. Andeven worry about a smooth upgrade to the next version. For a price, sure.But either you really need it (and gladly pay the price) or you don't (inwhich case you have nothing to complain about).-- Dr. Horst H. von Brand User #22616 counter.li.orgDepartamento de Informatica Fono: +56 32 654431Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria +56 32 654239Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile Fax: +56 32 797513-To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" inthe body of a message to firstname.lastname@example.com majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.htmlPlease read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/


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Hola Y'all. I am Julyssa Schenk and I am thrilled you stopped by Julyssa Schenk Photography, Welcome! But enough about you, let me gush over me …
I am an Arizona photographer of families, children, women (maternity & high school/college seniors) and, on occasion, music bands and weddings. I'm located in the East Valley; Gilbert more specifically. I am available for travel, so shoot me an email for more information.
I am a proud mother to THREE beautiful children (absolutely no bias here!) ... One of my greatest joys in life.
I LOVE piecing together my style from TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack and Free People. I am passionate about running long distances and challenging myself physically. And if you want to make me laugh, just turn on America's Funniest Home Videos (weird, right?), Friends or Ellen. Music of all kinds is a great source of pleasure in my life as is decorating. In the end, what brings me the greatest measure of joy is being surrounded with those family and friends who love me just the way I am.
I look back at my life, a mountain of moments, a large collection of memories, some captured, some alive only in my mind and I wonder at it all … how fast it has gone, the ups, the downs, the accomplishments, the failures … and recognize it for what it is … a Journey.
My "photo-journey" has helped me see the world differently, see myself differently, navigate emotions, and leave my imprint on the world. I want you to be a part of my journey as an observer, as a participant, in whatever capacity... and should we meet, I would be honored to be a part of yours! So stay awhile and enjoy!
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No question Pep is a physical freak. Too bad he has the heart of Bonzi Wells.
Don't let a 10 sack/year average fool you. The Panthers have been extremely average (9-7) over his career and Pep has been able to collect more garbage stats as a result that anyone in recent memory. 6 of his 10.5 sacks last year came against Tampa Bay, Washington and Buffalo. Don't forget the brilliant '07 campaign, in which he barely sacked opposing QB's more than me (2.5). Any dude who is 6-7, 290 and runs like a RB should DOMINATE (see Mario Williams). Not jog around aimlessly for half the plays he is on the field.
What I remember is the non-existence in the run game. The lack of leadership in the locker room. The general 'not giving a shit' attitude that seemed to permeate from him on the sidelines.
Now this team unquestionably belongs to Jon Beason (thank God). If the Cats play with half of his determination, they will be fine moving forward. Without Delhomme giving the ball up every other drive with a confused look on his face and without Pep jogging to the ball every play, maybe now I can finally pull whole-heartedly for the home town team. Finally.


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An Evening with Jon Carroll
January 10, 2013 - 7:00pm
Two-time Grammy award winning, singer-songwriter Jon Carroll will appear solo in an intimate performance. Mr. Carroll has performed as a member of the Mary Chapin Carpenter Band and Starland Vocal Band, and has been a mainstay of the national music scene since the mid-1970s. He received national attention as a member of the Starland Vocal Band and their #1 Billboard pop classic, "Afternoon Delight". In 1982, Jon's original "Get Closer" became the title track for Linda Ronstadt's Grammy winning album and the song became a top-30 hit for her.
Admission $15, click here to purchase tickets
Visit JonCarroll.org


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There is a lot of reading in this issue of the Planet. The feature articles include details about two new releases: Save As DAISY Version 2 for Microsoft Word, and Obi, the DAISY 3 production tool from the DAISY Consortium.
In the February issue of this newsletter, the Kindle 2 petition was highlighted in the Letter from the Editor. Things regarding Kindle have changed somewhat dramatically since that time - and the article E-book Access Threatened will enlighten you with details and information. It is no longer a matter of menu choices having voice prompts, it is a matter of synthetic speech rendering being disabled in Kindle books. It is a matter of equitable access to information.
Efforts in preparation for the May WIPO SCCR meeting are gaining ground (WIPO Treaty: Preparations Intensify) and Varju Luceno reports of DAISY activities at CSUN.
There are of course other new points of interest in addition to the news in the regular Planet columns. There is now a DAISY YouTube Channel which is interesting, informative and sometimes entertaining. DAISY in Higher Education, a working group of the DAISY Consortium is now live in the Projects area of the DAISY website (under Interest Groups). If you are involved in higher education or if you are a student, this is an area to watch for all that is DAISY-related and relevant to education.
Registration for two DAISY conferences is currently underway. Early bird registration for the DAISY International Technical Conference in Leipzig this September runs from March 1 to May 31. Registration for the DAISY Conference 2009 New age of DAISY June 3 - 5 which coincides with the DAISY Consortium Annual General Meeting in Seoul Korea has been extended to Thursday April 30.
Thanks to Gerry Chevalier, a man with insight and foresight, for allowing us to publish his Story.
Please send topics and articles of interest using the Contact Us form (Newsletter category) so that they can be shared with other DAISY Planet readers. You can also use the Contact Us form to tell us about Your Story.
Lynn Leith
The following links are to new or recently updated DAISY Products and Services from our Members and Friends. Marketplace entries also appear on our home page.
The following links are to new or recently updated DAISY Products and Services from our Members and Friends. Marketplace entries also appear on our home page.
The same right to read, a different way of doing it... If you have bought a Kindle 2 and are unable to read from the screen, you should have access to the book you've bought with TTS, as the new Kindle 2 supports TTS, right? Maybe, maybe not.
On Tuesday April 7 there will be a protest outside the Authors Guild headquarters in New York City at 31 East 32nd Street on April 7, 2009, from noon to 2:00 p.m. Additional information and powerful quotes from members of the coalition are provided in the Reading Rights Coalition press release dated March 30, 2009: Reading Rights Coalition Urges Authors to Allow Everyone Access to E-books - Informational Protest to be Held at Authors Guild Headquarters.
In February, Amazon introduced Kindle 2, and one of the new features announced was text-to-speech (TTS). The Amazon website Kindle page lists the many new features, including "Read-to-Me: With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog, and book out loud to you, unless the book is disabled by the rights holder". The catch, of course, is "unless the book is disabled by the rights holder". This caveat is a result of the Authors Guild in the USA putting pressure on Amazon because of the Kindle 2 implementation of TTS. And although Kindle 2 TTS was not developed with people unable to read print in mind, it is very exciting for those who are unable to read print, a computer monitor display or "E-ink".
There have been interviews, blog posts, debates and much discussion since Amazon succumbed to pressure from the Authors Guild. The following statement was made by Amazon in the February 27 Amazon News Release:
"Kindle 2's experimental text-to-speech feature is legal: no copy is made, no derivative work is created, and no performance is being given.
Nevertheless, we strongly believe many rightsholders will be more comfortable with the text-to-speech feature if they are in the driver's seat.
Therefore, we are modifying our systems so that rightsholders can decide on a title by title basis whether they want text-to-speech enabled or disabled for any particular title...With this new level of control, publishers and authors will be able to decide for themselves whether it is in their commercial interests to leave text-to-speech enabled. We believe many will decide that it is."
The Authors Guild in the USA reacted to Amazon's innovation because they feel that Amazon does not have the rights to enable the use of TTS with their books automatically. The Authors Guild perspective is presented in the Engadget Interview with Paul Aiken, Executive Director of the Authors Guild by Nilay Patel. There has been discussion about an additional fee that might be charged or proof of a print disability being required to enable this feature.
The disability community in the USA has rallied in response to the Authors Guild position. Approximately twenty disability organizations, some international, have now joined in opposition. The International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI) news release Nine Disability Organizations Speak Out about Kindle 2 Text to Speech begins: "On 16 March 2009, a letter went out from disability organizations to six major publishers that sell Kindle ebooks: Random House, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, Penguin and Hachette. These letters insist that Text to Speech be turned back on. At this time, Random House has disabled text to speech on all of its ebooks. Letters were a collaborative effort written on behalf of nine disability organizations: The National Federation of the Blind, the DAISY Consortium, the American Foundation for the Blind, the American Council of the Blind, the International Dyslexia Association, the American Association of People with Disabilities, the National Center for Learning Disabilities and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law." Links to the letters are provided in the news release.
The issue is being brought 'front and centre' to the attention of the public and all concerned. Letters are being written to authors requesting support. Websites are picking it up, it is on blogs everywhere. For those who would like to read more on this topic a sampling of links is provided:
The Struggle for Book Access: Amazon (Blog Post #2), Jim Fruchterman: "The days of ignoring the problem will be coming to an end. The right solution is universal design: that ebooks are accessible to all and at a fair price."
TechFlash: Seattle's Technology News Source: "Disability groups demand full return of Kindle's text-to-speech" by Eric Engleman (in comments posted in response, several people, both sighted and not sighted stated they will not purchase books with TTS not engaged). L. Furrow wrote: "Random House has stated they are disabling the Text to Speech (T2S) on all their books for Kindle. Why does Random House want to discriminate against the disabled, to prevent them from reading/listening with equal access, with the portability on the Kindle, to books they purchase? Books purchased on the Kindle are only accessible from the device (and only to the specific device it was purchased for). They cannot be shared, loaned, or sold. The T2S is mechanical and is certainly not a performance, or a derivative work." In another post "Megan" wrote: "The Authors Guild's position discriminates against people with disabilities and it's bad business. Why don't authors and publishers want people with disabilities to buy and enjoy their books like everyone else can? Forcing people with disabilities to register as "disabled" to be able to read the same books I can when the technology for those books to be accessible is already there is discrimination, pure and simple."
VQR - The Virginia Quarterly Review: A National Journal of Literature & Discussion
Not all rights holders (authors and publishers) are opposed to Kindle 2's TTS or making their publications openly available. Bean Books, as one example, chose to not use DRM and to make their entire electronic catalog open to people with print disabilities. They have also given permission to Bookshare to convert their files to Bookshare formats and distribute them to print disabled people globally.
At present the Kindle 2 controls are not accessible. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind stated in an NFB press release "Amazon has taken a step in the right direction by including text-to-speech technology for reading e-books aloud on its new Kindle 2. We note, however, that the device itself cannot be used independently by a blind reader because the controls to download a book and begin reading it aloud are visual and therefore inaccessible to the blind. We urge Amazon to rectify this situation as soon as possible in order to make the Kindle 2 a device that truly can be used both by blind and sighted readers. By doing so, Amazon will make it possible for blind people to purchase a new book and begin reading it immediately, just as sighted people do." In the Amazon Kindle Blog: Accessible Navigation on Kindle dated March 19, the Amazon Kindle Team wrote: "We've heard from many of our blind or vision impaired customers who are excited about Kindle 2's text to speech technology. Some of these customers have asked that we make Kindle even easier for them by adding navigation accessible to the blind. We want to let those customers know that this is something we are working on and we look forward to making it available in the future." It has been reported that Kindle 2 has excellent quality TTS and can be used by many people with disabilities such as dyslexia or learning disabilities. However, unless TSS is enabled, the accessibility of the controls and the fact that the menus do not "speak" will be a non-issue.
Although this is taking place in the USA, this development may in turn affect other countries, setting a precedent on the use of alternative interfaces to books and other publications. Access to mainstream publications by persons with disabilities through TTS, refreshable braille, and other access technologies must be the norm if information access is to become truly equitable. There are more than 250,000 books plus newspapers and magazines in the Kindle Store. The DAISY Consortium's vision includes accessible mainstream content supplied through mainstream channels.
The DAISY Consortium has provided resources for the establishment of the "Reading Rights" website, www.readingrights.org/ where related documents and a discussion forum are available.
The second and recent release of Microsoft's Save As DAISY add-in for Word enables the creation of complete DAISY 3 books. This release of the translator includes a 'lite' version of the DAISY Pipeline generating full text and full audio DAISY content in one step.
This open source development project has moved forward quickly with the collaborative efforts of Microsoft, Sonata Software Ltd. and the DAISY Consortium. Version 2, 2.0 was released March 18. Some of the new features the add-in for Microsoft Word included are:
Documentation provided includes:
Praise has been received by the DAISY Consortium from around the world for its contribution to the project. Michael Hingson, the President of The Hingson Group, is quoted in the recent DAISY Press release: "DAISY navigation system is one of the most significant developments to be made available since the development of Braille. DAISY allows people who are blind to move around recorded and electronic documents easily and seamlessly in a way so far only available to sighted readers."
Work continues, and with the help of input provided by testers and others around the world, 2.1.1 was released March 27 with bug fixes and new feature enhancements. This 'dot' release corrects the Japanese character issue that was present in the earlier version of 2.0.
At the same time Microsoft also announced Project Buttercup. The Buttercup Reader is a browser-based player that uses Microsoft Silverlight for the presentation of full text and full audio DAISY books.
George Kerscher, Secretary General of the DAISY Consortium, closed off the DAISY Press release with the following statement: "This is a major step forward in attaining the DAISY Consortium's vision of a world where all people with print disabilities have equal access to information and knowledge."
In less than two months the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) will meet and the proposed Equitable Information Access Treaty will once again be on the agenda. In the article WBU Mobilizing for WIPO SCCR Meeting: Equitable Information Access Treaty in the February DAISY Planet, Chris Friend, WBU Strategic Objective Leader - Accessibility Chair WBU Global Right to Read Campaign, asked that DAISY Members, Friends and Supporters, particularly in the USA and European Union encourage their governments to support the proposed WIPO Treaty for equitable information access.
On Friday March 6, senior US government representatives met with George Kerscher, Secretary General of the DAISY Consortium, and James Love, Judit Rius Sanjuan and Manon Ress of Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) in Washington DC to hear about the proposed WIPO treaty for equitable information access. KEI has been working closely with the WBU in preparation for the May WIPO SCRR meeting. Other participants represented the US Delegation to the WIPO SCCR.
The two hour meeting opened with Kerscher demonstrating technologies available to reading disabled persons, describing the population currently being served in the USA, and providing information on formats and service providers. He explained that the reading disabled community is a good citizen about copyright and described some existing registration and encryption methods. Kerscher also presented the international dimension of the problems and the proposed solution. Regarding the WIPO treaty proposal he explained that allowing cross-border movement of publications in accessible formats would greatly reduce the existing excessive waste of resources and the lack of information materials in many countries.
James Love described the negotiations taking place within the WIPO SCCR and explained the WBU proposal process and main features, stating that the treaty would:
Questions and discussion covered topics ranging from technologies, to possible dialogue with publishers, to costs of publishing material in an accessible format. It was noted that the new Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton, wants progress on the disabilities initiative. The Copyright Office announced that there would be a request for comments between now and the SCCR meeting and that they will also organize a roundtable or a public forum.
The meeting was positive and productive. The government representatives stated that they had learned a great deal and had a better understanding of the technologies and the issues. A second meeting later that day with a representative of the National Economic Council of the President and an expert on foreign policy and civil liberties brought responses which were very supportive of the proposed WIPO treaty.
On March 9, Larry Campbell, President of International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) wrote to Chris Friend stating ...following a postal ballot of the ICEVI Executive Committee, we have unanimously decided to join the DAISY Consortium, IFLA and WBU as a signatory to the Position Paper on Access to Information for Blind and Partially Sighted People. Mr. Campbell's letter was shared with key stakeholders. Dr. William Rolland, immediate past president of WBU responded: I warmly welcome the announcement that ICEVI has become a signatory to the Position Paper on Access to Information for Blind and Partially Sighted people. They represent a constituency grossly affected by the book famine as well as the first generation that could benefit from its ending. In unity is strength.
In the February 2009 WIPO Magazine Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization responded to a series of questions in an interview entitled Talking to the Director General. Mr. Gurry's response to the question What do you hope to have achieved by the end of 2009? included the following statement: Another distinct area in which I believe that the global IP community can deliver a very positive result is in improving access to published works for visually impaired persons. We will be working with the World Blind Union, the International Publishers Association and with Member States in order to achieve a consensus on a successful process for making this happen.
The following statement was included in a KEI staff blog post entitled WIPO DG Francis Gurry highlights disability as a theme for Conference on Intellectual Property and Global Challenges: ...This proposed Treaty, tabled by the WBU in November 2008, provides an expeditious solution to the problems faced by the blind, visually impaired and other reading disabled persons in accessing protected works. The litmus test of WIPO Member States' commitment to truly integrate the development dimension into WIPO's work program rests in its treatment of the proposed Treaty for Reading Disabled Persons...
Another related article on the KEI staff blog Who should benefit from a WIPO Treaty for Reading Disabled Persons? was posted March 20 by Manon Ress. She asks Should it [the beneficiaries] only be people who are blind and visually impaired, as some propose, or should it be more inclusive with regard to other disabilities? In this post Ress references and quotes from existing definitions of the reading disabled persons who are beneficiaries of copyright exceptions in various national laws. She also quotes from the publication STUDY ON COPYRIGHT LIMITATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED by Judith Sullivan which states The best way to define the end beneficiary is likely to be by using a functional definition. A functional definition would be based on a person's inability to read the material that has already been published. (page 111).
On March 27 the DAISY Consortium released Obi 1.0, a free, open source audio recording tool for the production of structured DAISY audio books. The output is DAISY 3 (officially, the ANSI/NISO Z39.86 Specifications for the Digital Talking Book) and provides meaningful navigation to the content. Obi is released under the LGPL license and is available for download from the Obi website download area.
Minimal training is required to produce digital content that is accessible to people with print disabilities. DAISY audio books created with Obi can be produced with chapters, sections, sub-sections and pages, providing navigation to the content. With Obi teachers can produce accessible materials for their students quickly and easily, and organizations in developing countries and smaller organizations everywhere can create DAISY synchronized multimedia. The support for unicode in Obi allows producers to create DAISY content in many languages. Obi is fully accessible for those who use assistive technology such as screen readers.
The work on Obi has streamlined the development process of the DAISY Urakawa SDK (software Development Kit) and SDK-based tools. It has created a path for the development of and refinements in future DAISY tools.
Further information about Obi is provided on the Obi website and in the DAISY Consortium press release.
The 2009 CSUN Conference brought together people who view accessibility as a critical part of their lives including end users, practitioners, developers, experts, educators, researchers and policy makers. Participants were exposed to new cutting edge technologies and practical solutions that can be implemented to ensure the full participation of persons with disabilities in educational, workplace and social settings. Attendees learned more than ever about Web accessibility and accessible multimedia as well as accessible social networking tools. Hiroshi Kawamura, President, George Kerscher, Secretary General, Markus Gylling and Varju Luceno represented the DAISY Consortium at this year's CSUN.
There were more than 18 sessions that mentioned or covered the production of learning materials in DAISY format. This article mentions only some of them. A heartfelt thanks to Members and Friends of the DAISY Consortium who all did an excellent job promoting the DAISY Standard.
During the joint session by Bookshare, HumanWare and Don Johnston, Books Without Barriers-Bookshare.org Basics participants learned about Bookshare's multiple membership options, growing collection of accessible books and free reader software for members.
DAISY in Higher Education session panelists Gaier Dietrich (HTCTU), Jayme Johnson (HTCTU) and Sam Ogami (CSU Office of the Chancellor), shared their experiences with using the DAISY format in higher education, the availability of DAISY books as well as creating DAISY books on campus. The Higher Ed Working Group for the DAISY Consortium is currently being formed. More information is available on the DAISY Consortium website.
Ron Stewart, Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), talked about the advantages of DAISY in higher education and demonstrated a variety of DAISY Players in his sessions DAISY- The Road to Accessible Curricular Materials and DAISY Software Players, an Overview.
Another very informative session Word, Math and DAISY: It All Adds Up, led by Masakazu Suzuki (Kyushu University), Dennis Leas (gh, LLC) and Neil Soiffer (Design Science, Inc.) covered scanning as well as authoring learning materials that contain math and turning them into DAISY books. DAISY playback devices such as gh Player, AMIS and EasyReader were briefly introduced.
During the session Open Source Software for DAISY - Today and in the Future, George Kerscher, Markus Gylling and Dominique Archambault showcased open source tools such as Save as DAISY add-in for Microsoft Word, the Emerson Reader (a DAISY and Epub player) and Odt2dtbook. In addition, Dominique Archambault led a hands-on session and demonstrated how to use OpenOffice.org and odt2dtbook to design accessible DAISY documents.
John Gardner (ViewPlus Technologies) shared his vision and plans for making all American Physical Society publications accessible in DAISY format during his session ViewPlus-American Physical Society Collaboration: Making Scholarly Publications Accessible.
Beth and Dr. Norm Coombs from EASI shared tips for creating well-structured Word documents and demonstrated how to install the new Save as DAISY add-in for Microsoft Word during the session How to Use the Word to DAISY Add-In.
In 2010 the CSUN Conference will be held in one centralized venue in San Diego which will eliminate this year's time consuming commute between the Marriott and Renaissance venues.
Varju Luceno
Communications & Marketing Specialist
DAISY Consortium
Is there an article or column in this or an earlier issue of the DAISY Planet that you would like to comment on? Is there an topic that you would like to see covered that has not been included? Please let us know what you think using the Contact Us form (Newsletter category).
Planet Editorial Team
Dear DAISY,
I am totally blind and am interested in creating protected DAISY audio books. I am able to create unprotected DAISY content but would like to protect some of it as I want to make audio tutorials and offer some method of protection like RFB&D and NLS and Serotek do, so if I so choose, people can't just copy the content on their computer. I use both Windows and Linux.
Dear NG
The first encryption specification developed by the DAISY Consortium to turn a DAISY book into a Protected Digital Talking Book (PDTB Version 1) was not made available to the public. The subsequent specification (PDTB Version 2) describes various transformations which may be applied to DAISY books. These transformations, based on standard information technology techniques, will prevent content from being played in reading systems or other user presentation technologies unless appropriately authorized by the issuing library, agency, or publisher. The specification is designed in such a way that a single reading system can be authorized to process books from multiple libraries, agencies, or publishers. Although PDTB2 prevents unauthorized use of DTBs, it does not prevent exchange between cooperating and authorized libraries.
Please note that non-PDTB2-aware reading systems will not be able to play a protected DAISY digital talking book.
The PDTB2 DAISY Protected Digital Talking Book Specification is on the DAISY website.
The DAISY Pipeline is extensible via add-ins. It is designed to use add-ins in the processing chain. Developers are asked to contact the DAISY Consortium if they have an add-in for the Pipeline. Although the current list of Pipeline add-ins is not long, it is expected to grow. Pipeline add-ins: MathDAISY - the Design Science Mathematics Add-in and the LAME Encoder (which is included in the DAISY Pipeline and the Lite version of the Pipeline, part of Save As DAISY V2.0 for Microsoft Word).


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Drew Barrymore, star of the Universal Pictures film, Big Miracle, poses on the red carpet during the world premiere of the movie in which she plays Greenpeace campaigner Cindy Lowry in a story about how Lowry motivated oil corporations, Ronald Reagan's White House, Native Americans and the Soviet Navy to save whales trapped under sea ice in 1988.01/25/2012
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Record thoughts, memories and experiences in a stylish and sturdy notebook, or keep organized by jotting reminders and lists on beautifully packaged memo blocks and notepaper. These elegant products also make wonderful all-occasion gifts. Keep your notes and thoughts organized with a variety of journals, notepads, and memos available from Spicebox.


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What if I have a family history of cancer?
Brochure is for people who are concerned about their family history of cancer and provides information about collecting family health history, some clues about whether they may have a higher than usual chance of developing cancer and who to contact.
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List of metropolitan rural and remote cancer support groups in NSW. Call the Cancer Council Helpline 13 11 20 for information on the support groups, including contact details, where meet, time of groups and how they are run.
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Overcoming Cancer Pain DVD
Through interviews with health professionals and people with cancer, the DVD covers issues such as communication; the pain scale and pain diary; taking medication; dosage; side effects; and other ways to reduce pain, such as using meditation and music.
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A pack for people with cancer in NSW includes booklets Emotions and Cancer, Food and Cancer and Understanding Your Rights; information about Cancer Council NSW,support services, a magnet, contact card, and cancer care diary to record appointments, treatments, side effects etc. Designed so health professionals can add other material, for particular cancer type and different treatments.
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Louisiana Adventure
First posted on 01 January 2013. Last updated on 01 January 2013.
The game is available at Zodiac.
Louisiana Adventure is a contemporary point-and-click adventure game from Austrian developer SilverPlay Entertainment. Originally titled Louisiana: Mystery Cases, the game was initially announced back in 2009 by developer Infinion Production. In 2011, the project was acquired by SilverPlay Entertainment and subsequently redesigned for release under the new title name.
Inspired supposedly by real events, the story of Louisiana Adventure begins with a series of strange but gruesome murders in 1902 in New Orleans, Louisiana in which only body parts of the victims are found. Not surprisingly, the local police are at a loss to solve these crimes. With the residents of New Orleans gripped in fear, the police seek out the Bureau of Special Investigation to help to solve the case. The director of the bureau assigns his top agent, Katie, to travel to New Orleans for the investigation. Posing undercover as a tourist, you (playing as Katie) must track down the sadistic killer, uncover the killer's motive, and stop the killer from ever striking again.
Louisiana Adventure is a third-person 3D graphical adventure. The game installs easily without any glitches. Upon starting the game, you are presented with the main menu from where you can select New Adventure / Continue Game, Load, Sound Settings, Properties, or Exit Game. A brief manual is included with the game and explains the game's navigation controls as well as the use of the 11 cursors used throughout the game.
The game begins with you in the office of the director at the bureau. After learning about your new assignment and picking up your notebook which you will use to record all of your findings during the investigation, you travel to New Orleans and arrive at the Albert Hotel in the city. There, you are received by a coachman who promptly tells you to go to your suite that has been reserved for your stay. During your first night at the hotel, however, the coachman returns to awaken you and to inform you that another murder has just been discovered at a hotel (known as the Beaumont) located in a suburb outside the city. You arrive at the country hotel in the morning, only to discover that the local police is already there investigating. Not wanting to alarm the locals, you disguise as a tourist to stay at the hotel in order to start your investigation.
The game features a clean and user-friendly interface. The game can be fully controlled using the keyboard only, the mouse only, or a combination of both. For players accustomed to using both keyboard and mouse, the WASD or directional keys can be used for moving while the left mouse button can be used for changing direction. The right mouse button is used to select the different actions. As well, the scroll wheel on the mouse can be used to adjust the rotation of the camera, to zoom in or out, and to look up or down. Regardless of which control scheme you use, the Esc key returns you to the main menu and the I key brings up your inventory. Oddly, there is no provision to restart a game once a game is begun. Also, once a game is finished, you have to uninstall the game and reinstall it again in order to start afresh.
The production values of Louisiana Adventure are excellent. The plot is topnotch and an intriguing whodunit. There are many characters with which you can interact as the game progresses. Even though only a few of these characters have shady motives, it is not likely until near the end of the game that you will be able to correctly guess who the killer is. The modeled environment depicts well the period architecture of the Deep South. The costumes look authentic, as are the cobblestones. The penny farthing bicycles, the coaches, and even the manually powered fire engines, all look accurate for the period. The 3D character models look acceptable but are not very lifelike. There is also no lip movement when the characters talk.
The game features a novel system in guiding character interactions. Depending on what dialog you choose when conversing with a character, you can become more endeared by that character, remain neutral to that character, or even be disliked by that character. Making the right choices is important in gleaning the clues needed to catch the killer.
Ambient music plays throughout the game. The music is pleasant and ranges from melodic to dramatic, depending on the scene which you are in. Unfortunately, sound effects are somewhat lacking from the game, which readily detracts from the immersion. Voice acting is solid but not brilliant. English localization is good, albeit with the odd spelling errors—the name Alison is sometimes spelled as Allison.
The game supports only 8 game saves. Since you cannot restart the game if you ever mess up, picking the right moment to make a save is paramount. You can, however, save over a previously saved game. There are only 6 major puzzles which you have to solve to finish the game, all of which are fairly easy. The greater challenge, though, is locating all the items needed to be collected and knowing how to combine them in the inventory and where to use them afterward. Inventory management is made easier by the fact that there is a new inventory at the start of each major location you investigate. The game uses a scoring system (detective points) to keep track of your progress. In particular, over the course of the game, you will get to scout the swamps of Louisiana, settle a feud between a Confederate solider and a Union soldier from the Civil War, and even escape from a smuggler who has kidnapped you. You cannot die in the game.
Warning! In my own playthrough of the game, I discovered a major bug that nearly prevented me from finishing the game. This occurred in the final puzzle where I had to locate a secret letter inside a piano in a tavern. Upon playing the last note on the piano, the game would freeze and then crash. The workaround I found, which worked only inconsistently, was to hit the Esc key immediately after hitting the last note. If done correctly, the letter would then appear in the inventory. A patch was later released by the developer to try to fix this bug. However, the patch did not work in my installation of the game as it failed to pick up the directory where the game was installed.
In sum, notwithstanding a major glitch in the final puzzle, I have found Louisiana Adventure to be quite an enjoyable game to play. Despite its subject matters, the game is suitable as a family oriented game title to be played along with younger gamers. Whether you are a seasoned adventure gamer or a novice adventure game fan, you can test your detective skill and try to catch the killer in Louisiana Adventure.