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- This article is about the French-Austrian Assassin. You may be looking for the Tuscan waterway.
- "The Creed of the Assassin Brotherhood teaches us that nothing is forbidden to us. Once, I thought that meant we were free to do as we would. To pursue our ideals, no matter the cost. I understand now. Not a grant of permission. The Creed is a warning."
- ―Arno Dorian, reflecting on his perception of the Creed.[src]
Arno Victor Dorian (1768 – unknown) was a French-Austrian member of the Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins active during the time of the French Revolution. He is an ancestor of Callum Lynch.[2]
He is the only known son of the Assassin Charles Dorian, who was killed by Shay Cormac. As a child, Arno was adopted by François de la Serre, the Grand Master of the Parisian Rite of the Templar Order, where he was raised alongside de la Serre's daughter, Élise.
In May of 1789, de la Serre was murdered in one of the courtyards at Versailles as part of a coup within the Parisian Rite, and the guards framed Arno for the murder. Imprisoned at the Bastille, he met the Assassin Pierre Bellec, who told Arno of his Assassin heritage. Wracked with guilt for his past failures, Arno started upon a path of redemption and thus joined the Brotherhood, working to uncover the true instigators of the revolution, while also avenging his father and adoptive father in the process.
Throughout his journey, Arno gained various allies, including Antoine Lavoisier, Marquis de Sade, Georges Danton, Napoleon Bonaparte and Élise de la Serre, who was now a Templar opposing the radical faction within her Order. When the Assassin Mentor Honoré Mirabeau begrudgingly accepted an alliance with her on behalf of the Brotherhood, Bellec poisoned him and this caused Arno to kill Bellec in turn.
Arno and Élise later discovered that François-Thomas Germain had orchestrated de la Serre's death and was manipulating the revolution in the Templars' favor. After killing his subordinates, they tracked him down to the Temple in July of 1794. During a final confrontation, both Élise and Germain were killed, leaving Arno heartbroken over losing Élise and cynical as a result.
After accepting a mission from de Sade in Franciade, Arno met a young boy named Léon. Together, they discovered that Napoleon had planned to use an artifact buried underneath the town to take control over France. Initially hesitant to take action, Arno eventually regained his sense of duty and decided to stop Napoleon's plans, recovering the artifact, which turned out to be an Apple of Eden, and sent it to Egypt not long after finding it.
By the year 2014, Arno's genetic memories were studied by both Abstergo Entertainment as well as by an unidentified member of the Initiates hacker group.
Early life
Arno was born in a noble household in Versailles, France, on August 26, 1768, as the only child of Charles and Marie Dorian. Due to his upbringing, Arno was well-educated, mostly having access to tutors and various books. At some point, Marie, having discovered the Assassin activities of her husband, abandoned her family, leaving Charles to raise their son alone. Throughout most of his childhood, Arno traveled with his father, visiting places around Europe and North Africa.[3]
By 1776, Arno had accompanied his father to the Palace of Versailles, where Charles was attending a meeting with his fellow Assassins in regards to the safety of the Precursor box, which was a First Civilization artifact that had been recovered from the Colonial Templars twenty-five years earlier in 1751. While in the palace, Arno met and befriended Élise de la Serre, a young noble girl who also accompanied her father to a meeting with King Louis XVI. While Arno and Élise were playing outside, Charles Dorian was assassinated by Shay Cormac, an Assassin-turned-Templar, who recovered the Precursor box from him and left before he could be caught. [4]
Following the assassination, Arno was quickly adopted by François de la Serre, completely unaware that he was the Grand Master of the Parisian Rite of the Templar Order. Initially, de la Serre kept his allegiance to the Templars a secret from Arno, most likely out of respect for the boy's late father and because it had been suggestion made by his wife, Julie. From that point on, Arno was raised alongside Élise, with whom he bonded with over the years. However, there were times that Arno remained distraught over the loss of his father, often writing letters to him upon his adopted father's suggestion, in order to cope with his grief.[3]
When Julie fell ill, Élise stopped playing with Arno and spent more time at her mother's bedside. Arno, who barely knew Julie and was forbidden to enter her room, spent his days alone. François, distraught when his wife finally died, found comfort in being Arno's guardian. As he grew older, de la Serre began training Arno, sparring with him and teaching him how to hunt. The Grand Master was quite optimistic that Arno would one day join the Order, and arranged his timetable so he could train with the governor.[5]
Julie's death hardly gave Arno a thought, and was only a mere inconvenience to him since François and Élise stopped playing with him. When Élise was sent to Maison Royale de Saint-Louis school at Saint-Cyr to continue her education, she sent letters to Arno regarding her negative feelings for the students and teachers.[5]
By 1788, Arno had moved out of the de la Serre household and lived in the slums of Paris. It was there that he spent his days and nights drinking, playing cards, and even entertaining women. Despite distancing himself, Arno still kept contact with his adopted family, mostly with François and Élise.[5]
One year later, in 1789, Arno lost his father's watch in a card game to two brothers, Hugo and Victor. Although Arno endeavored to steal the memento back, he was discovered. Enraged, Arno's pursuers chased him all the way back to the de la Serre mansion, where François attempted to mediate the situation by assigning Arno to assist his butler, Olivier, with chores, which entailed cleaning the horses for François' carriage ride to meet Élise.[3]
As François left, a Templar messenger, Perrault, arrived in an attempt to deliver a letter from Chrétien Lafrenière, which Arno volunteered to deliver. Unfortunately, Hugo and Victor cornered him before he could reach François. Though he bested his attackers, he was forced to flee from the guards. Returning to the mansion, Arno decided to slip the letter under the door to François' study, confident that it would be found upon his return.[3]
That evening, Arno infiltrated the Palace of Versailles in order to attend a party that was being held in Élise's honor, though it was really her induction into the Templar Order. After sharing a romantic moment with her, Élise forced him to exit the room by going out the window, where he was forced to evade the palace's guards. When he reached the palace's courtyard, Arno came upon a mortally-wounded François de la Serre, mistaking the state that he was in as public drunkenness. Unfortunately, François collapsed onto the ground and Arno rushed over to help him. Unaware of what was going on, Arno heard one of de la Serre's attackers, Charles Gabriel Sivert, call out to the guards before escaping the palace grounds. When the guards showed up, they automatically jumped to the conclusion that Arno was ultimately responsible for his adoptive father's death. Having resisted attempts for a peaceful arrest, the guards subdued Arno and he was taken and imprisoned in the Bastille. [3]
After his first night in prison, Arno discovered that one of his fellow cellmates, Pierre Bellec, had stolen his father's watch. Infuriated, Arno demanded that Bellec give it back. Rather than do what Arno asked, Bellec decided to challenge the former to a duel, only for the latter to draw attention to the strange symbols he drew in his cell. Although Arno initially thought these symbols were nothing more than senseless scribbles all over the wall, Bellec aggressively urged Arno to concentrate, which caused Arno to realize these symbols had a much bigger meaning. This resulted in Bellec dragging Arno to a corner, realizing he possessed Eagle Vision. Once Arno introduced himself properly this time, Bellec instantly recognized Arno's last name, revealing that his late father an Assassin before returning the watch and offering to train Arno, which proceeded for the following two months of their imprisonment. When the Bastille came under attack from a civil uprising, Arno and Bellec escaped. Before parting ways, Bellec gave Arno a medallion, saying it would lead him to the Assassins in Paris, and performed a Leap of Faith from the fortress's battlements. Despite being skeptical to follow after Bellec, he was forced to follow him in the maneuver after being cornered by several guards. [3]
Subsequent to his escape, Arno visited Élise, who assumed he was responsible for her father's death. Arno professed his innocence and told Élise about her father's Templar heritage, only to learn that she was aware of it, and was a member of the Templar Order herself. She then showed him the letter he was supposed to deliver at the night of François' murder, which warned him of betrayal from someone within the Parisian Rite. Realizing his negligence played a larger part in the events than he had previously believed, Arno left the mansion afterward.[3]
Joining the Brotherhood
- "...The Assassins... They gave me a purpose. Something to believe in. To see that betrayed... I need to make it right myself. I need to know why."
- ―Arno Dorian, reflecting his thoughts to Élise, 1791.[src]
Wracked with guilt and blaming himself for de la Serre's death, Arno sought out the Assassins, discovering their headquarters underneath the Sainte-Chapelle. He was then inducted into the Brotherhood and vowed to hunt down François' murderers to redeem himself for his failures.[3]
One of his earliest missions with the Brotherhood was to protect Théroigne de Méricourt during the Women's March on Versailles.[3]
Two years later, Arno joined Bellec in tracking down Sivert, but the latter chose to acquire a ledger of Templar records rather than assassinate Sivert, since they were not assigned to kill him. When they reported to the Council, it was Bellec who criticized the Mentor Mirabeau's truce with the Templars, and the rest of the Council agreed that the new Grand Master would not keep the truce. Arno managed to gain Bellec and the Council's blessing to assassinate Sivert after learning his secrets.[3]
Arno surveyed Sivert's meeting place at Notre-Dame and determined weak points he could exploit. He proceeded to retrieve the building keys from the thieves who took them and assassinated Sivert's accomplice, Duchesneau, in order to take his place in the confessional booth where Duchesneau and Sivert was supposed to meet. Posing as Sivert's accomplice, Arno received information about the Templars' manipulations against the corruption of the church. Once Sivert had revealed all he knew, Arno stabbed Sivert in the throat with his Hidden Blade, killing him instantly. In that moment, Arno saw Sivert's memories and learned he had a partner-in-crime on the night of François' murder, the Roi des Thunes, who struck the killing blow. Having learned this, Arno returned to the Council to report his findings. When he requested permission to hunt down Roi des Thunes, he was given a Phantom Blade.[3]
On 19 January 1791, Arno arrived at the Cour des Miracles and singled out le Roi des Thunes' lieutenant, Aloys la Touche, who was in the process of amputating a young man's right foot. Before Arno could intervene, the Marquis de Sade casually introduced himself and advised Arno not to lash out so hastily, suggesting instead that he follow la Touche back to his master. Reciprocating this, Arno tailed la Touche back to his residence and interrogated him, eventually trapping la Touche in shackles. Arno proceeded to infiltrate Roi des Thunes' lair, just as la Touche had freed himself to warn Arno's target of the impending danger. Nevertheless, Arno proceeded to assassinate Roi des Thunes, learning of his motive for assassinating de la Serre from his memories, and that he and Sivert did so under the orders of their new Grand Master.[3]
Returning to the surface, Arno discovered that the Marquis de Sade had immediately superseded the position of Le Roi des Thunes. As Arno turned to leave, de Sade produced the poisoned pin that killed de la Serre, to which he identified a silversmith named François-Thomas Germain. After tracking down and rescuing the silversmith, Germain claimed that a man named Lafrenière commissioned it, and confirmed Arno's statement of Lafrenière being a Templar.[3]
With this, Arno tracked down and assassinated Chrétien Lafrenière, only to learn that he had penned the letter to Francois de la Serre, warning the former Grand Master of an eventual betrayal within the Templar Order. Arno reported his findings to the Assassin Council, who were outraged that he had assassinated Lafrenière without their consent. However, when Arno mentioned that Lafrenière was planning on attacking the Hôtel de Beauvais, and not an Assassin base, the Council begrudgingly aggreed to send him to investigate the meeting.[3]
After successfully infiltrating the hotel, Arno eavesdropped on the meeting of a group of Templars, led by an unknown figure plotting to eliminate Élise. After hearing this, Arno escaped the hotel and managed to save Élise from the Templar ambush at the Hôtel Voysin. Following this, Arno then rendezvoused with her at the Café Théâtre, where he offered to help Élise avenge her father. To this end, he proceeded to bring a blindfolded Élise before the Assassin Council where, despite the hostility from the Assassins – particularly Bellec – Mirabeau was more inclined to parlay with her.[3]
While the Council debated over Élise's offer of alliance, Arno informed her of Germain and his last known location, prompting her to run off. By the time she came to a stop, Élise informed Arno that Germain was exiled from the Templar Order for his radical views and heretical notions about Jacques de Molay. Investigating Germain's residence, they found it empty, as the man had anticipated that his deception would not hold up. Upon evading a Templar ambush, Élise found a ledger confirming that Germain had murdered her father. As they were shot at by snipers, Arno instructed Élise to go to Mirabeau's estate while he dealt with their attackers.[3]
Confronting Bellec
When Arno arrived at Mirabeau's estate, he found the Mentor poisoned. Suspecting someone was attempting to pin the blame on Élise, Arno tracked down the apothecary and had discovered that Mirabeau's murderer was Pierre Bellec. Bellec had done this because he strongly believed that no peace could be achieved between the two factions, and that purging the Brotherhood to remake it into a stronger organization was a good thing. This approach had been similar to how Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and Connor had done, but in Bellec's case, it backfired. Even though he tried to persuade Arno to join his cause, he refused and was forced to fight his former teacher.[3]
Arno managed to gain the upper hand in the fight, having no choice but to kill Bellec when he tried to kill Élise. Before dying, Bellec commended Arno for defeating him, and urged Arno to finish him off, otherwise he would never stop. Once Bellec died from his wounds, Arno paid him his final rites.[3]
As a lesser punishment for allowing two Master Assassins to die, the Council assigned Arno to "fetch and carry work." However, he did aid his fellow Assassins in aiding Théroigne de Méricourt against the Templar Flavigny's attempts to cause a food shortage.[3]
In August 1792, he was ordered to infiltrate Palais des Tuileries and destroy Mirabeau's letters to the King there which could compromise the Brotherhood. It was then, that Arno met with Napoleon Bonaparte, who was in turn searching for a First Civilization key. As the palace became swarmed with extremists, Napoleon and his soldiers helped Arno escape through a secret passage, but not before Arno noticed another Templar, Frédéric Rouille. After escaping the palace, Napoleon provided Arno with Rouille's location at the Grand Châtelet prison, allowing Arno to assassinate him.[3]
Execution of the King
Arno later joined with Élise to stop Marie Lévesque's plot of hoarding grain in order to turn the middle and lower classes against the King. After assassinating Lévesque, Arno and Élise managed to escape from the Templar extremists using a hot air balloon, before having a romantic moment between them.[3]
Arno subsequently pursued Levesque's accomplice, Louis-Michel le Peletier, with aid from Marquis de Sade. From there, Arno snuck into the cafe le Peletier was dining in and substituted the Templar's wine with a poisoned bottle. Upon its consumption le Peletier was rendered paralyzed, allowing Arno to assassinate him, to which the Assassin learned that le Peletier had cast the tie-breaking vote for the execution of King Louis XVI, and that François-Thomas Germain would be present for the execution.[3]
On 21 January 1793, Arno confronted Germain as the execution was underway, with the latter proclaiming the rebirth of the Templar Order. Germain posited to Arno that the reason for de la Serre's murder was to rid the Templar Order of corruption and bigotry, while also stating that it served only the first phase of the Order's reformation, and that it would be truly reborn with the death of the King.[3]
Germain revealed his plans as Louis XVI was placed at the guillotine. By ridding France's upper class and aristocracy of power, it would be much easier for the Templars to gain control over France, by granting power to the people instead. Once the King was beheaded, François proclaimed that Jacques de Molay had been avenged, then made his escape, leaving Arno to deal with his subordinates. With Élise caught in the fighting, Arno focused more on defending her than pursuing Germain. This displeased Élise, who desired revenge and rejected any further aid from Arno.[3]
Arno met with the Assassin Council to discuss his lead on the Templar Grand Master, however he was directed to the ceremony chamber. Arno attempted to update the Council, but they silenced him and cast judgment on him instead. The Council did not approve of what they believed was a personal vendetta for revenge, brashly killing targets without permission from themselves. They declared that Arno was banished from the Brotherhood and he was no longer welcome, but that he was fortunate they would not punish him further.[3]
Arno left the Sanctuary and Paris to live at the de la Serre estate in Versailles, where he gained a reputation for being a drunk. In his stupor, he got into a bar fight, ending in his humiliating defeat and the loss of his watch to the gang leader. He tracked the gang to the Palais de Versailles, forced to face the terrible memories of his past, and killed the entire gang, only for Élise to turn up with his watch in hand.[3]
Deducing that she wanted something from him, Arno furiously reopened old wounds from their last fight, stating that he cared more about her than killing Germain and that he wanted to assuage the guilt he felt for causing her father's death. When he allowed Élise to speak, she informed him that Paris had become more chaotic because of Germain. She encouraged him to be the man she loved and return with her to Paris. Arno agreed to come, but only after he assassinated Aloys la Touche, who had sown dissent and fear amongst the populace of Versailles.[3]
During this, he reconciled with and saved his former enemies Victor and Hugo, who were supposed to be sentenced to execution. After assassinating la Touche, Arno discovered that Germain had one final conspirator and mastermind behind the Reign of Terror, Maximilien de Robespierre.[3]
Return to Paris
Joining forces with some of his former brothers, Arno helped the Assassins in undermining Robespierre's leadership of the Republic, assassinating General Marcourt, Jacques Roux, and rescuing the spy Didier Paton. They aided the Girondists and attempted to rescue Georges Danton, but he refused. They also prevented a raid on Mirabeau's tomb in the Panthéon.[3]
In 1794, despite the anarchy, Paris was in the middle of a celebration. Élise revealed to Arno that the event was being hosted by Robespierre. Arno insisted on assassinating Robespierre, but Élise suggested a different approach since Robespierre was well-guarded.[3]
After discreetly infiltrating the celebration and locating Robespierre, Élise planned to discredit him in the eyes of the public, allowing her and Arno to kill him easily. Arno agreed and gathered incriminating evidence while Élise poisoned Robespierre's winery with powdered ergot. After Arno planted the evidence on several people, the people turned against Robespierre and arrested him, much to Arno and Élise's surprise.[3]
Despite this, Robespierre broke free of his imprisonment and sought shelter from the last vestiges of his allies in France. Tracking Robespierre down to the Hôtel de Ville, Arno and Élise infiltrated it and cornered him. As he refused to cooperate, Élise shot him in the jaw, to which Robespierre revealed that Germain was located in the Parisian Temple by writing it on parchment. Following this, Arno and Élise arrived at the Temple and infiltrated it, eventually locating Germain. Before Arno could assassinate him, however, Germain used the power of the Sword of Eden against the Assassin in combat, before using it to disappear from the chamber.[3]
Arno subsequently managed to find Élise again, and together they entered the Templar crypt in the catacombs, where they once again confronted Germain. While Élise was distracting Germain, Arno attempted to assassinate the Grand Master once more, but failed due to a shield projected by the sword. After three more attempts, Arno managed to break through, but the shock wave trapped him under rubble. Élise came to Arno's aid, but noticed Germain attempting to escape. Despite Arno's protests, Élise left him behind to pursue Germain, but failed to kill the Grand Master.[3]
Élise's sword was broken during the fight, while the Sword of Eden's power was rendered unstable. Arno managed to free himself and rushed to help Élise, but was too late as the Sword of Eden exploded, killing Élise and mortally wounding Germain in the process. In an act of grief, Arno slowly assassinated Germain by stabbing him in the throat with his Hidden Blade. In a vision following his death, Germain explained his struggle of being a Sage, and his beliefs in de Molay's and Élise's unfortunate deaths.[3]
As Germain finally succumbed to his wounds, Arno mournfully carried Élise's body out from the Temple, leaving behind Germain's lifeless body inside.[3]
Hiding in Franciade
Arno undertook another mission with his fellow Assassins and Théroigne de Méricourt, attacking the Jacobins' headquarters. Depressed following Élise's death, he took a sabbatical in Franciade, drinking away his sorrows in a local tavern. The Assassin was then contacted by de Sade, who asked him to find a manuscript made by Nicolas de Condorcet, hidden in the tomb of Louis IX of France inside the royal necropolis. During their meeting in the tavern, the Marquis paid Arno's drinking debts and promised him a place on a ship leaving France for Egypt four days later, in exchange for Condorcet's scientific studies.[6]
While searching for the manuscript in the undercity, the exiled Assassin found out that the manuscript was not in the tomb and that a group of crypt raiders were searching for the entrance of a Temple. After more investigations, Arno discovered that the manuscript was stolen by a young thief named Léon, and while searching the necropolis for him, Arno found that he had been captured by the raiders for spying on them.[6]
Hiding, Arno heard that the raiders were led by Philippe Rose and sponsored by Napoleon Bonaparte in order to open the Precursor temple under the Basilica and take the Piece of Eden stored within. Arno then saved the unruly orphan from the raiders and recovered the manuscript, though he was reluctant to involve himself in Bonaparte's affairs, wishing instead to leave France at the earliest opportunity. His resolve softened after visions of Élise and the boy's pleas, as well as the imperious need to save France. Arno eventually decided to stop the raiders from acquiring the artifact before leaving for Egypt.[6]
Finding the location of the Temple and stealing the key from one of Napoleon's officers, Arno was able to open the door leading to it but was ambushed by Rose, who intended to take the artifact for himself. Arno fell into the depth of the necropolis, but survived and managed to reach the Temple before the raiders' leader could take the Piece of Eden.[6]
Arno then killed Rose, recovered the Head of Saint Denis and used its power to repel the numerous raiders and escape the Temple. Later, as agreed, Arno met de Sade in the tavern and gave him Condorcet's manuscript. However, he repaid his drinking debt with a Louis d'or and left without a word, having decided to stay in France. Arno also contacted the Brotherhood, asking them to bring the Apple of Eden contained in the Head of Saint Denis to Al Mualim in Egypt, beyond the reach of Bonaparte.[6]
Ruddock's betrayal
Now residing in Versailles, Arno was met in September 1794 by the outcast Assassin Bernard Ruddock, an acquaintance of Élise who had contacted Arno at some point after Élise's death. Ruddock gave Arno a letter that Élise had written in the event of her death, explaining a number of her actions and directing him to find her chest of keepsakes. She only asked that Arno allow Ruddock to keep a pack of letters that she had been given by Jennifer Scott on her trip to London, which would allow Ruddock to gain favor with the Assassin Council and rejoin the Brotherhood.[5]
Arno agreed to honor her wishes, took Ruddock's address and told him he would be in touch once he had obtained the letters and Élise's chest. Arno also agreed that he would endorse any efforts he made to win favor with the Assassins. Arno traveled to the Maison Royale de Saint-Louis where he met Élise's teacher, Frederick Weatherall and was given the chest as promised.[5]
Ruddock had followed Arno and betrayed him, attempting to kill him on the order of the British Templars. However, Ruddock was killed by Weatherall before he could shoot Arno. Arno stayed with Élise's friends during the years following her death, having been invited to stay by her former maid out of respect to her mistress.[5]
Master Assassin
By October 1794, Arno had rejoined the Brotherhood and was working again with his brothers, when sixteen years after Rousseau's death, his remains were transferred to the Pantheon. As it passed through Franciade, the procession carrying the ashes of the philosopher to Paris was attacked by raiders hired by a mysterious benefactor, but the plot was foiled and the raiders eliminated by Arno and another Assassin. At some point, Arno earned the rank of Master Assassin.[3]
During the following years while undergoing several missions for the Brotherhood, Arno also tried to honor Elise's last will of reducing the gap between the Templars and Assassins. He also frequently visited Élise, blooming her grave, and proclaimed himself redeemed of his previous mistakes.[3]On 24 December 1800, Arno prevented a Royalist assassination attempt on Napoleon involving snipers, as well as an explosive device known as the Machine Infernale. Arno managed to assassinate the snipers before they could fire at Napoleon's carriage, and the Machine Infernale was detonated too early, away from Napoleon's carriage. Arno then tracked down the Royalist leader behind the assassination attempt and eliminated him and his henchmen.[3]
In 1808, Arno entered the Temple once more, accompanied by Napoleon. There, they discovered Germain's corpse which had long since decayed. They then buried his skeletal remains in the Parisian catacombs.[3]
In 2014, a DNA sample of one of his descendants living in Montreal was acquired by Abstergo Entertainment in order to find out what happened with Germain's remains. Robert Fraser was tasked with reliving his memories, however, he suffered a strong Bleeding Effect, believing himself to be Arno and eventually destroying all his work and burning his superior's hard drive in order to help the Assassins.[7]
Both sides ended up discovering that Germain's remains were useless for the Phoenix Project by the end of the year.[3]
Coincidentially, Abstergo kidnapped another descendant of Arno, Callum Lynch, in 2016, but this time to relive the memories of another ancestor, Aguilar de Nerha. Later, as Lynch fully synchronized with Aguilar, Arno was among the group of Lynch's Assassin ancestors that briefly appeared through the Animus.[8]
Personality and characteristics
- "What is this, the sixth time? Seventh? Perhaps a new hobby might be better for your health."
- ―François de la Serre, regarding Arno's troublemaking habits, 1789.
In his early life, Arno was witty and charismatic but also no-nonsense, which fed into his sharp sense of humor, falling back on it whenever he felt emotionally vulnerable. He was brash in nature, rushing into action over reason, which was a flaw seen by members of the Assassin Council. This often led him into trouble along with his adopted sister Elise. Due to the fact that he was well-educated, Arno often quoted classical books, though his noble upbringing did not prevent him from cheating at card games.[3]
After the murder of his adoptive father, Arno set out on a quest to find redemption, using this goal to help others in the turbulent time of the French Revolution. As a newcomer to the Assassins, he was prone to questioning their typical approach and age-old beliefs, but was aided in the field by his stealthy and ruthless nature. It was at this time when he began to mature and take his life more seriously. As he became more serious, his personality began to quickly change. He was much more mature, and able to focus on the task at hand. However, as a result of this, he wasn't as witty or brash as he once was.[3]
Arno, seeing the turmoil in France, desired to bring justice. He displayed dismay or even frustration when Bellec told him not to intervene when extremists were harassing citizens, or when de Sade discouraged him from saving a man getting his leg amputated by la Touche. This stemmed from the fact of his failure to save his adoptive father, and the desire to amend his mistakes.[3]
Over time, Arno realized the true purpose of the Creed, and its flaws. He concluded that the Creed merely served as a guide and a warning, rather than a principle meant for one to follow, having witnessed first-hand how ideals led to dangerous fanaticism, as seen with Bellec and Germain. Or how Elise became obsessed with getting revenge, which cost her life in the end.[3]
Following Élise's death, Arno suffered from depression and sorrow, causing him to become cynical in nature. This ultimately led to his abandonment of France, and unwillingness to involve himself in saving it from Napoleon's schemes, while also discouraging Léon from doing so. However, after witnessing the "dark magic" the Head of Saint Denis possesses, he eventually came to terms with his past, and regained his resolve to be an Assassin again.[3]
By the time he became a Master Assassin, Arno had become extremely wise and analytical. He was able to understand that an idea, if pushed to far, would be self detrimental to the person and those around him.
Arno was fiercely independent, as he questioned the Assassins' Creed and the ways of Altair, preferring to do things his own way. He also declined Napoleon's offer to join the French Army saying that he "wasn't much of one to take orders." Napoleon respected Arno for this, remarking at how they both had similar views that defined them differently to most other people. Arno also somewhat respected Napoleon's views to an extent as well.
Equipment and skills
- "I am... no longer certain of Lafrenière's motivations. In his memories, I saw him writing the letter that would have warned (Mister) de la Serre of his betrayal. When he spoke of his impending attack, he mentioned a club in the Marais - not one of our safehouses."
- ―Arno Dorian describing his gift, 1791.[src]
From his early childhood, Arno spent several days sword fighting with Elise, whom she proved to outrank him. He was later taught by François in terms of basic swordsmanship as well as hunting. By the time of his early adulthood, Arno had become a decent swordsman as proven where he was able to fend off against Hugo and Victor. He perfected the art in which he could engage multiple opponents in battle and utilize the environment to his advantage. Eventually, it was honed to the point where Arno was able to defeat his mentor Bellec. He later passed these lessons to a young girl named Marianne in the fight to reclaim her home.
Arno grew to become a skilled freerunner as he was able to scale buildings as well as natural elements with relative ease, his agile speed allowed him to traverse over and under several obstacles. In addition he proved to be a capable swimmer, able to swim great distances with exceptional ease.
Upon joining the Brotherhood under the wing of Pierre Bellec, Arno eventually became a Master Assassin trained in the methods of stealth, swordsmanship, combat, firearms, pickpocketing and lockpicking. Arno was able to wield a variety of weaponry including swords, pistols, spears, heavy weapons, rifles as well as Guillotine Guns. As he journeyed through the Brotherhood, Arno also claimed several weapons from his targets as trophies, namely a round axe (from Charles Gabriel Sivert), an officer's pistol (from the Roi des Thunes), a light halberd (from Frédéric Rouille) and finally a Sword of Eden from François-Thomas Germain.
Arno's stealthy and ruthless nature aided him. As a master of stealth, he could utilize various corners and hiding spots to silently assassinate his targets without being noticed. He proved to be potent with his hidden Blade utilizing it in both stealth assassinations as well as in open combat.
In terms of weaponry Arno wielded a Hidden Blade alongside a Phantom Blade, which was capable of firing normal and berserk darts; He carried a wide range of bombs in his arsenal including smoke, stun, cherry or poisonous gas variants, of which he could utilize them to either distract or cripple his enemies.
Arno possessed a sharp observational skill as he was able to identify and pinpoint several opportunities that could aid him during his assignments; this deductive skill also helped Arno when solving numerous murder mysteries around Paris. Arno possessed the rare ability of Eagle Vision dubbed 'Eagle Pulse' which he used to perceive his enemies, allies and objects of interest – even through walls – but only for a limited time. Additionally, his First Civilization bloodline granted him the ability to see the memories of those whose lives he took.[5]
Romantic life
Taken in as an orphan into the de la Serre household, Arno grew up along with François de la Serre's boisterous daughter, Élise. Viewing her more as a friend than a sister, his feelings for Élise eventually changed into mutual love as they both matured, though they kept the romance a secret due to differences in social class.[3] Due to their own respective educations, the lovers had very little time together and could only meet up several times a year. Additionally, although Arno loved Elise he did break his tryst to with several women during their long periods of seperation; but still loved only her.[5]
Once Élise discovered Arno's failure to deliver a letter warning her father of the betrayal, their relationship became strained. Élise held Arno responsible for her father's death, and it was not until years later, coincidentally by which point Arno had joined the Assassins, that the two began to rebuild their friendship and quickly resumed their romance. After Elise died, Arno was thrown into depression and cynicism. However, he was eventually able to get his life back on track and have descendants at a later unknown point in his life.[3]
- Arno's name is a derivative of German Arnold and French Arnaud. Its old German origin is Arenwald, meaning "eagle power", from aren "eagle" and wald "power" or "governing". Victor is Latin for "conqueror", while Dorian is a Greek name meaning "gifted".
- Much like Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad before him, Arno was an Assassin that consorted and eventually became romantically involved with a Templar. However, Altaïr had been aware of Maria Thorpe's allegiance before entering into the relationship, while Arno was not.
- Arno was mentioned in Assassin's Creed: Rogue in a message from Melanie Lemay to one of the Abstergo Entertainment employees regarding research into Arno's genetic memories. He appeared in person during the final memory of Shay Cormac relived by the Helix research analyst. This appearance takes place when Arno meets Elise, before Shay kills his father.
- In all but one trailer, Arno is shown using the Hidden Blade on his right arm, but in the game, it is on his left arm. The only trailer to show the Hidden Blade on his left arm is the TV-spot trailer.
- Arno's backstory shows it is somewhat similar to Ezio Auditore's. Both men were carefree and troublemaking in their youth, both suffered familial losses at the hands of the Templars and both ended up humbled and wiser by the Assassin Brotherhood later in life.
- Arno's birthday corresponds with the proclamation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789.
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue Template:1ST
- Assassin's Creed: Unity
- Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)
- Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment - Employee Handbook
- Assassin's Creed: Heresy (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed (film)
- Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization
|An image gallery is available for
Arno Dorian
- ↑ assassinscreed.tumblr.com
- ↑ Reddit AMA with Aymar Azaïzia
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.43 3.44 3.45 3.46 Assassin's Creed: Unity
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rogue
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Assassin's Creed: Unity - Dead Kings
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment - Employee Handbook
- ↑ Assassin's Creed (film)


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At Dulcian, we use a "thick database" approach because we believe that putting code in the database makes systems work better. Having your code next to your data means less moving of data and fewer context switches. Also, PL/SQL is the best language for data manipulation (particularly when lots of data is involved).
Any advantage of load balancing is almost always overshadowed by the cost of context switches and data movement.
In our experience, the benefits of moving code to the database include:
- About half the lines of code required
- Ten times better performance
- One-tenth the network traffic
- Fifty percent load reduction on the database server
The last result is the most surprising. How can the database server work less if it is doing more? The reason is that the cost of getting the data in and out of the database is more expensive than leaving the data there and doing all of the processing in the database.
Using Dulcian's "ultra-thick" database approach results in a lower hardware footprint than comparable systems built in other technologies. In one case, when refactoring an old Oracle Forms system to a BRIM system, one of our clients went from over 200 servers to a single rack.
Read more about thick database on our blog.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Georgia Diner was founded 1978 and has been family owned and operated since. Serving areas such as Elmhurst, Ridgewood, Jackson Heights & most of Queens has been their specialty for over 34 years. Owner Demitrios Kaloidis strives on providing excellent service while staying competitive with local diners. Georgia Diner provides authentic Greek cuisine as well as your old time diner favorites. With great food & a inviting atmosphere Georgia Diner is the place to be!


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This is going to be a long one, so get ready!
But it has lots of pretty pictures, so don't fret!
Part One. I've been in Rome for about five days, but I haven't really done anything particularly exciting. Valerio is working until today (in fact tonight we're going away to his house in the pseudo-Tuscan* countryside, yay!), and until now I've pretty much just been relaxing. Sunday Valerio and I took Spike, Valerio's brother's Jack Russell, to Villa Ada (the biggest park in Rome).
Isn't he adorable? You should have heard the ruckus he caused!
Spike eating grass, and then getting it stuck in his teeth!
There were tiny little daisies everywhere, all over the park!
There was obviously something he couldn't resist!
hehe! gotta love that little tail!
a little blurry, but still lovely!
*By "pseudo-Tuscan" I mean that technically his home is still in Lazio (the region where Rome is), but it's so close to Tuscany (the region where Florence is), and the whole area looks so much like Tuscany, that it's pseudo-Tuscan.
A blurry train window picture of a lovely yellow field.
Part Two. Then yesterday I had to take a little trip up the the beach house to trade in some of my winter clothes for summer ones. I've gotten a lot of comments when talking about the beach house (which sounds a lot fancier than it actually is), so I thought I'd take some pictures from the train on the way there and back, and a few around my beach down - a desperately sad place right now, since it's out of season- to show you what it's all about. And the scenery on the way there and back also has an unusual mix of rich agriculture and vegetation, and dilapidated wintry beach towns that seem like they've been abandoned for decades.
I'm not sure what those tall blurry things are, but they sure are cool looking!
Doesn't this look like it could be some 1950s slum town?
The grey Mediterranean, and a lonely lamp post.
An old villa, unfortunately near the highway.
The blur is a smudge on the train window.
My favorite house in Santa Marinella.
(Believe me, our house looks nothing like this, except that ours is the same pink)
Another insanely huge beach villa. This is just the side with the tower.
A sad wintry beach.
La Briciola, or The Crumb. The name of the teeniest little house in S.M.
It's literally like 15 x 30 feet.
Doesn't this look like it would lead to a secret garden!
The apricot blossoms in our back yard.
These last two are pictures from a couple of years ago.
(Yesterday I didn't get any good ones of the front of the house)
The first is our tree house, in the Eucalyptus tree, with Valerio sleeping on the "second floor"
The second is the front of the house and front garden at Lorenzo's birthday party.
Part Three. When I got back into Rome last night, I was at my cousin Lorenzo's house, making myself a cup of tea, and I saw out of one kitchen window, this perfect cloud, and just below, their neighbor's beautiful little balcony (photos above), and out of the other kitchen window, the most spectacular sunset (below).
I just love how little things of beauty make a day so much more special!


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1. Re: converting mts filesJohn T Smith Aug 23, 2013 2:57 PM (in response to sca-tv)
Yes, v11 edits MTS files... not producing output is a different issue
The Help-and-Tutorials page http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1275830 includes several links discussing different sharing options
2. Re: converting mts filesA.T. Romano Aug 23, 2013 3:21 PM (in response to sca-tv)
I am understanding that you can import your .mts files into the Premiere Elements 11 project but are having trouble with the end product.
Please clarify regarding when you wrote "..but the publish+share does not produce the finished video in my documents."
How do you want to export...as a .mov file? If so,
1. First let us get the classical question out of the way, "Do you have the latest version of QuickTime installed on the same computer as Premiere Elements 11?
2. If so, what are you selecting for Presets when you go through Publish+Share/Computer/QuickTime, and are you changing any of the expert settings under the Advanced Button/Video Tab of that selected preset?
3. Now here is what I am not sure of...what do you see designated in the export field for Save In? Does it show the path to Documents?
4. If it does show the path that you intended, what does the export progress bar show while the export is taking place? Does it come to an end with a message about "Save Complete". If not, what happens?
Looking forward to your follow up, hoping to sort through the details to find an answer that will work for you.
3. Re: converting mts filessca-tv Aug 23, 2013 3:22 PM (in response to John T Smith)
So which of those choices will convert the mts file?
4. Re: converting mts filesSteve Grisetti Aug 23, 2013 5:44 PM (in response to sca-tv)
MOVs can include any of a myriad of codecs.
How do you plan to use the MOV you output? Should it be in high-definition or standard definition MOV file?
Is MOV a requirement for your output? There may be a better output format for your particular need.


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Good luck to him for next wednesday Emma, everything crossed for you X
I'd like to say 'back in the day when I was younger.....' but I'm only 27
Agree GillyL, white 'chocolate' is cocoa butter flavoured with vanilla
Hi Fluffy Cloud
My mum was a single parent Brumbull, she had me age 3 and my brother was 6 months old when our dad died. We had a postage stamp sized garden with a lawn in the middle and the borders were roses, with an apple tree in the corner. She didn't really have time to tidy the garden so I did it from a very young age, probably about 6 or 7, whatever wasn't a rose bush was a weed, so it wasn't difficult From young I loved seeing the garden looking tidy and weed free. I got my own garden at 18 and worked as an IT tech but always loved being out gardening so when I got made redundant 7 years ago I put some ads in local newsagents and the parish magazine to do some gardening to fill the time before I found another job. Needless to say, I never did find another job and am still gardening and now have a waiting list and working for myself has been the best thing I ever did.
Music, everytime for me. Nothing in particular, anything I can have a good sing or dance to - when nobody is looking of course
I get out to the gym even if weather is awful, I've been going so long I know most of the faces and someone will have a chat if needed. Plus exercise makes me feel more awake especially over winter when I'm not working much.
Plus all you lovely folks on here
Yes please Panda x
You may as well try as you have the seed there. Be interesting to see if they grow.
Stacey and KEF, have you ever tried Hotel Chocolat - oh wow, gorgeous doesn't even begin to cover it . Give them a Google


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Tom & Jane. The Patersons (junior)!
Your classic high school sweethearts who got together at a mates house party. Jane being the confident and self assured young lady she is apparently made the first move. Tom regained the upper hand with a romantic (and very much out of the blue surprise) proposal after work one Friday evening.
They made the pilgrimage back to the part of the world where it all began to make things official. Holding the wedding in the front yard of Tom's family farm/home was one of his few requests for their big day. What a setting it was. The Patersons (senior) property is set amongst the cane fields of Farleigh a short drive out of Mackay. Tom & Jane poured their hearts and a hell of a lot of effort into making their big day one to remember. Endless amounts of planning the day and more DIY than a sane person would ever willingly take on made sure their country wedding will hold a warm place in the hearts of all in attendance.
For those chasing a little more info…
Country Wedding Photographer: Nick Evans… me, duh! (http://nickevansphoto.com/)
Bridal gown: Rosa Clara (www.rosaclara.es)
Veil / hair piece: A DIY veil made by the bride two nights before the wedding (last minute desire to wear a veil!)
Shoes: Carolina Espinosa (www.nordstrom.com)
Flowers: The Flower Planner (www.flowerplanner.com.au)
Rings: The Bride's engagement ring and wedding band is a custom design by NYCjeweller Anna Sheffield(www.annasheffield.com) and the groom's wedding band was his late Grandfather's brought back to life by Brisbane jeweller Penfolds(www.penfoldjewellers.com.au)
Jewellery/Accessories: Bridesmaids earrings were all from Lovisa(www.lovisa.com.au) and shoes by Kurt Geiger (www.kurtgeiger.com) The bride didn't wear any jewellery/accessories
Bridesmaids: dresses Zimmermann (www.zimmermannwear.com.au)
Grooms: suit Hugo Boss (www.hugoboss.com)
Grooms Shoes: Windsor Smith (www.windsorsmith.com.au)
Groomsmen suits: Country Road(www.countryroad.com.au)
Bow ties / ties: Grooms tie by Country Road (www.countryroad.com.au) and groomsmen bow ties from Myer (www.myer.com.au)
Ceremony: In a lovely paddock at Tom's family home – Farleigh, Mackay
Reception: In the same paddock!
Catering: FarviewTavern (www.farviewmotel.com.au)
Cake: Made by the bride's talented sister, Kate
Cake topper: An assortment of Fresh flowers supplied by The Flower Planner (www.theflowerplanner.com.au) and succulents picked from Tom's Mum's gardens
Reception stylist / any decorations / details: All styled by the bride (and a little bit by the groom too!) and put together by all the bridal party and friends the day before
Stationery designer: The Ink Refinery (www.theinkrefinery.com.au)
Hair and Make up: Hair by Sam at Intuition The Art of Hair (www.intuitionhair.com.au) and make up by Sarah Saunder
Music: A fun selection of tunes put into playlists for each part of the day, streamed through Spotify (www.spotify.com)
Celebrant: Nola Lloyd (no website available)
Transport: Cool cars owned and driven by friends!
Cinematographer: Pavey Films (www.jasonpaveyfilms.com.au) http://vimeo.com/113206144
Confetti Bags Blank Goods (www.blankgoods.com.au)
Wedding website www.weddingwoo.com


text:
Product Features
This rugged rock-climbing pack focuses on function so it won't get in your way on a multi-pitch climb. The slim tapered profi le conforms to your body for maximum range of motion yet it has plenty of pocketing for your climbing essentials.
Compact rock-climbing pack suitable for long routes. Durable materials with no-fuss layout. Equally at home off the crag.
Key Features of Mountain Hardwear Hueco 20 Backpack:
- Stowable rope strap deploys when needed, hides away when not
- Interior sleeve fits hydration, guide book or iPad/Tablet
- Zippered security pocket and key clip inside main compartment
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- Large zip-top opening for easy access into main compartment
- Padded shoulder straps provide excellent fit and comfort
- Reinforced grab handle ensures safe hauling when needed
- Adjustable sternum strap adds stability while on the move
- Capacity: Regular 1220 in³ / 20L
- Weight: Regular 1 lb 1 oz / 480 g
- Torso: Regular 16-22" / 41-56cm
- Load Range: 10-25 lb / 4-11 kg
- Fabric: Body: 400D HD Nylon
- Fabric: Accent: HardWear Tarp 18
All Gear by: Mountain Hardwear


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Norman Sas, Inventor of Electric Football, Dies at age 87 (1925 – 2012)
Not long after graduating from MIT in 1947 with a senior thesis titled Characteristics and Problems of the Toy Manufacturer, Norman Sas unexpectedly inherited the presidency of Tudor Metal Products in Brooklyn. Norman immediately went to work creating electric football, which hit toy store shelves in 1949 and became an instant best seller. He then guided Tudor through the post war toy boom, and into a very profitable and prominent relationship with the NFL in 1967. During the late 1960's and early 1970's, Tudor electric football games accounted for almost 2/3 of NFL Properties' income.
During this same period electric football games commanded featured toy status in the Christmas catalogs of Sears, Montgomery Ward, and J.C. Penney. Tudor's success through the years enticed three other companies onto the vibrating gridiron, including one run by a former Tudor employee with a grudge.
Tudor survived competitors, recession, and stagflation to be the last electric football maker standing in 1977. But electric football, unfortunately, was no match for the light speed evolution of computer games. Mattel's hand-held Electronic Football game would become the top-grossing toy of all-time, finalizing a seismic shift in sports games where the "blip" replaced the "buzz."
Norman sold Tudor in 1988, and eventually retired to Florida where he continued to root for his New York Giants. Although a stroke had slowed him physically, he remained strong and sharp through most of his time in Florida. Unfortunately, problems with his health began to mount over the last year.
Norman passed away peacefully on June 28, 2012, surrounded by the family he loved so dearly.
Not only was he the inventor of electric football, one of the most recognizable toys of all-time, he was a true gentleman. We will always treasure the warmth and kindness he offered through the years.
Earl and Roddy, July 1, 2012
The New York Times honors Norman Sas and Electric Football
A beautiful and well deserved tribute by The Times: "Norman Sas, Inventor of Electric Football, Dies at 87." The writer was William Yardley. An wonderful piece of writing.
Interview on KKTK Fox Sports Radio 1400
Earl Shores was interviewed by Chuck Zach and Tony Kirk on the "Headin Home Show" about Norman Sas and Electric Football (July 11). They were great hosts, with a lot of appreciation for what Norman did with the game. A recording of the interview was shared in an August 3 post here on The Unforgettable Buzz website.
More recognition for Norman Sas and Electric Football…
Many of these articles are being repeated on sites throughout the internet and on social media.
For those of us who grew up with the voice of John Facenda,NFL Films: "R.I.P., Inventor of Electronic Football."
The Bergen County Record was the first to run a feature obituary about Norman Sas: "A LIFE: NORMAN SAS, 1925-2012 He made every day a Sunday." Jay Levin was the writer, and he did a wonderful job of describing Mr. Sas and his game.
Articles or obituaries also appeared in:
Huffington Post, Yahoo! Sports, Los Angeles Times,NFL.com, Baltimore Sun,The Boston Herald, NBC Sports, AP … and many others.


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Belwin Beginning Band Kit No. 4Jack Bullock - Alfred Publishing Belwin Division
Following the successful format of the other kits, this one has four works and serves as a complete concert for your beginners. Includes the Largo theme from Dvorak's "New World Symphony," The Marine's Hymn, Down Deep and Slam Dunk. Use them all on one concert or save them for performances throughout the year. Great for the music budget!
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Hi friends, I'm really happy to say that my business picked up so I've been a busy bee with not enough time to sit down and write a whole real post (it's on the agenda soon, I promise!). But, I just wanted to stop by here and let you know that I'm speaking at a teleconference on healthy cooking TOMORROW. It's part of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day and I'm super excited to be a part of it.
You can find more details here.
I hope you sign up and listen in tomorrow. And if you're not around, a playback of the call will also be available for those that sign up.
Edited to add: You can listen to the free playback by calling 805-399-1299 and entering 152214 as your access code.
Yay, ok – I'm off to do last minute prep for my cooking lesson party tonight!
Have an awesome weekend, ok?


text:
Diva of desire Mama Gena, a.k.a. Regena Thomashauer, teaches women how to celebrate their passions, indulge their appetites and adore their lives at Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts in New York. Now she has jammed her juicy, decadent advice into a book, "Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts: Using the Power of Pleasure to Have Your Way With the World" ($20, Simon & Schuster). Check out these delicious excerpts from our chat with Mama Gena. C'mon, you know you want to . . .
Q. I expected your book to be about women adding pleasure to their lives, but it's about making pleasure central to their lives. That's pretty radical.


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First it was Lamborghini and their notebook collaboration with ASUS and now Ego for Bentley is following with a Bentley-branded notebook. We only have 5 letters as comment: sucks! Expect the unholy to be unveiled at the British Motor Show.
Each is hand built, with authentic Bentley cross-over hand-stitching. And the colour schemes match those of the famous luxury cars. The inside metal reflects the paint job on the outside, while the outer leather is taken right from the seats.
The metal carry handle is even modelled on the motor's door handle, and is satisfyingly chunky.
Under the bonnet you've got Microsoft Vista, a 64 bit processor, and a 160GB hard drive. There are also 12 direct access keys for quickly getting to the point.
Expect to see it on sale later this summer at Selfridges for about £10,000. Ouch.
Related news: GermanCarBlog, P4MR, Bentley
Source: T3


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Mgr John Woods assisting Canberra Raiders players to tackle off-field issues
When Canberra Raiders' players come up against problems in life that even they fear to tackle, they seek out someone who has been a permanent fixture at the club for almost three decades – team chaplain, Mgr John Woods.
The Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn has filled the voluntary role of club chaplain since 1986, when sports chaplaincy was a new, novel idea for many in Australia.
Raiders front rower Dane Tilse has known Mgr Woods since joining the Raiders in 2006, and says he appreciates the spiritual support.
"A lot of the boys are of different faiths in the team, but that doesn't really matter, Father John's always there for a yarn if you're having a few issues," he says. "I know in the past I've been to see him personally and I got a fair bit out of that."
Read more: http://www.raiders.com.au/news/2014/09/ ... ssues.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mgr Woods assisting players to tackle off-field issues
All the news on the Canberra Raiders NRL team, all in one place
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text:
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The Johnston & Murphy McGuffey Perfed Slip-On is perfect for casual summer days. This incredibly comfortable shoe is flexible and breathable for long days on your feet.
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Please call us at 1-800-906-4225 with any questions regarding care.
Enjoy life. Take a walk.


text:
Boredom Induced Overdue PostOk.. 9th grade crush.
I was 14. She was 14. We used to be in the same class in the academy. I didn't notice her beautiful hair and lips and so on until i overheard her from the next room commenting on my clothes one day after which she and her friends started laughing.
Now that was serious. I started wearing better clothes. BUT I got back on her on the Independence day when she was wearing clothes the colour of the flag.. Ha!
During those two years, she and her friends would throw their sandals in front of us as part of their many truth and dare games, and then walk one shoed to get them back, she would laugh at my jokes during the birdflu days, i started getting dreams about her, the phones started getting smarter, i started getting waves of pimples, she started wearing dupattas, our teachers would forever compare mine and hers handwritings, tests, etc as we were better than other students.
But she was more intelligent.
Last time i saw her it was three years ago. We passed each other by on a street, without a word like always. Da End.
FreeFallWall 26-30, M 9 Responses 0 Apr 30, 2011


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Export MYSQL data into Excel/CSV via php
Today i came across a functionality where i need to Export the MYSQL data into CSV/Excel file via PHP function/script. There are such requirement where client needs to Export the MYSQL data (Order data,Member data,Newsletter emails etc) into Excel sheet or CSV file for future reference or need to send to other team for future work. You can give a button or link from where client can click on it and get a Excel or CSV file with all data from MYSQL database tables using(through) PHP.


text:
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This Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe activity gym by Tiny Love is a great unisex product for baby to lay in from birth during the day. It provides baby with a defined area to lay in and gaze up at friendly animal toys, bright stimulating colours and even a mirror.
Dual-position baby-activated Kick & Play response pad. Selection of fun-filled rattling and swinging animal toys. A variety of 9 different features packed in one enchanting play environment
The Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe features a squeaker and crinkly area on the mat, and is suitable for ages 0-12months.
This is a retired product.


text:
Technology is always disruptive.
Think of the introduction of the printing press, or the combine harvester, or the mechanical looms that destroyed a way of life for cottage industry weavers. Some of them took to frame breaking and gave us the unfairly derisive term of "Luddite" for those who resist technological change.
Technology as disruption came to me early in life and in a very personal way. When I was in the first form at school (equivalent to sixth grade) I was appointed to a most powerful and important classroom leadership role.
I was made Ink Monitor.
It was my morning responsibility to make sure that the small porcelain inkwell that sat in a recess on the top right of every student desk was replenished with ink from the large white bottle with the metal spout that was kept in the form teacher's cupboard. Needless to say, this was a responsibility I took very seriously and performed to the best of my ability.
In my school there was a clear writing implements acceptable use policy. Work had to be written in ink, never pencil, and "biros" – ballpoint pens – were forbidden. The penalty for improper use was detention. We had to use either fountain pens or pens with nibs that were dipped into the aforementioned inkwells. The particular disruption of which I speak occurred when one student had the temerity to write using one of the illegal pens. Our history teacher – who to us seemed as ancient as the Ur of the Chaldees that seemed to comprise the entire curriculum – went ballistic. Her name was Miss Almond (we wittily called her "Nutty") and she was famous for her classroom management expertise. In other words she was a holy terror to small children.
Nutty Almond's outrage notwithstanding, ballpoints were soon everywhere. Students began using fountain pens with disposable cartridges of ink or brought their own bottles to school.
My reign as ink monitor was over.
I was thinking of this story as I read the New York Times* article last week about the Liverpool Central School District near Syracuse, New York that has stopped using laptops in its high school. As luck would have it, this article appeared on the very day that PDS wrote to parents of rising 7th and 8th graders about the new laptop requirement.
I say luck because what the newspaper article seemed to describe was a textbook example of how not to introduce technology into schools. The big disappointment it seems was that it did not raise test scores. If raising test scores was the intention then the money would have been better spent hiring a test prep company . Perhaps dispensing with expensive teachers too.
I was very struck by this particular account of "how not to introduce technology and laptops". It seemed a perfect example of how to do everything wrong: The students had no sense of ownership, were not held accountable for acceptable use and did not take care of the machines; the tech support was inadequate and could not keep up with the maintenance; the faculty were not prepared to integrate the technology in constructive ways, felt threatened by it and undoubtedly sabotaged the process. It seems that they were not trained, supported and held accountable.
A real disaster.
It is all too easy to criticize people in quite different circumstances and we should always hold back on second guessing the decisions of others. But it does not have to be that way.
At PDS we are being very thoughtful about our introduction of owned laptops. Our students and faculty are already used to using laptop technology in the classroom. Teachers have been visiting other schools who have successfully introduced laptops and they will be spending time this summer preparing to use them in constructive, creative and mission-consistent ways to enhance learning. They already are.
Technology is always disruptive and it has always been that way. We (parents, educators, schools) need to be thoughtful and keep our eye on what truly matters. Adding technology by itself is no panacea. Students need access to the power of technology in school and the laptop is the primary educational tool of our time offering unparalleled opportunity for accessing and creating information and for communication. However, educational vision and purpose are essential and teaching and teachers are always a key to any success.
With the support of David, George, and Liz the Middle School and Upper School faculty are being very thoughtful in taking this important step forward.


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My Summerfest: Cecilio Negron Jr. of De La Buena
When to see him: 5 p.m.Friday, BMO Harris Pavilion
Fest experience: The son of local musician Cecilio Negron, Negron Jr., 37, recalls going to Summerfest to see his father play beginning when he was 14. His father has performed at Summerfest at least 10 times.
Best fest moment: I got to perform in the amphitheater when I was 17. I was in a hip-hop group, and we won a radio contest and got to open for Patti LaBelle. That memory of being on that amphitheater stage definitely influenced me to pursue music full time.
Best Big Gig set: Santana a few years ago. I had never seen Santana before, and I got to see a legend.
Top show to see:Femi Kuti & the Positive Force (10 p.m. June 28, Johnson Controls World Sound Stage). Anytime Femi is around, I want to see Femi. It's a great show with a great band, really good music and a very good message. His backup singers pretty much dance the whole time, and not only that, their harmonies are just right. It's crazy.
Must-have food: Barbecue chicken from Saz's, definitely.
If I ran Summerfest: I would have a total Afro-Caribbean day — all the bands, all the food, the whole environment.
— Piet Levy
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New DVD releases for June 28: 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,' 'Kung Fu Panda 3'
2016 Milwaukee Film Festival unveils first 8 movies
Chef aims high at new Kimpton hotel's restaurant
Judge says no hurry in determining Prince claims
Summerfest 2016: Which emerging country acts you should catch at Summerfest
Justin Timberlake apologizes for tweet after backlash
Grace Kelly's childhood home is up for sale in Philadelphia
BET Awards full of Prince tributes and political moments
Lynn Sprangers to become Wilson Center president and CEO
Director Rafaeli finds the haunting music of love in APT's 'Eurydice'
Milwaukee Public TV drops 'InterChange,' 'I Remember'
On Tap Today: Live music and a free movie to perk up a dull Monday


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San Francisco Chronicle
Error (San Francisco Chronicle, Saree Makdisi, Op-Ed, 12/20/06): Israel maintains two separate road networks in the West Bank: one for the exclusive use of Jewish settlers, and one for Palestinian natives.Fact: There are no Jewish-only roads in the West Bank. Certain West Bank roads are open to Jewish, Muslim and Christian Israeli citizens (whose vehicles have yellow license plates) but off limits to non-Israeli residents of the West Bank (who have different plates).
Error (San Francisco Chronicle, Saree Makdisi, Op-Ed, 3/31/06): As the state of the Jewish people, Israel is, after all, the only country in the world that expressly claims not to be the state of its actual citizens (one-fifth of whom are non-Jews), let alone that of the people whom it governs (half of whom are Palestinian).
Fact: a) Nowhere does Israel "expressly" claim not to be the state of its citizens. b) Although Israel describes itself as a "Jewish and democratic state," it is hardly the only country to do such a thing. c) It is untrue that "half" of the people governed by Israel are Palestinian. According to the CIA Factbook, there are 3,953,239 mostly Palestinian non-Jews in Israel and the West Bank (2,460,492 non-Jews West Bank and East Jerusalem and 1,492,747 non-Jews inside pre-1967 Israel) and 4,859,370 Jews in Israel and the West Bank. Numbers from Israeli and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics paint a similar picture. (Note: Palestinian demographic figures have been criticized as inflated.)
Error (San Francisco Chronicle, George Bisharat, Op-Ed, 5/29/06): ... U.N. Security Council Resolution 242 calling for Israeli withdrawal from the territories it seized in the Six-Day War in 1967.Fact: UNSC 242 calls for a withdrawal "from territories," not "from the territories." The drafters of the resolution intentionally left out the word "the" to signify that Israel is not expected to evacuate all of the land occupied in during the war.


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by Jerome Grapel……. Oh no, not him again. Is this all there is to talk about in the world's only Stupid Power? Whatever happened to Brittany Spears? If only Michael Jackson were still alive. Can't we go back to those good old days when the title of this essay only pertained to card games? Please, Post Consumer Man, do you have to do this? I'm sorry — I tried my best and held out for a long time. But with the recent appearance of perhaps [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (This essay was written at a time when the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was making its way into the world's consciousness. More than a decade later, the horrifying chaos now prevailing in the region is sickening proof of the colossal blunder the American invasion was.) (5/04) As I write this essay, the second Bush Oil War has become the fiasco it always deserved to be. The latest piece of firewood thrown onto the flames of this madness is the graphic international diffusion [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. I recently published an essay called "Music Revisited" where I included an excerpt from Milan Kundera's renowned novel, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". In it, he spoke of an "omnipotent acoustical ugliness" that is conquering the world. Right on cue, a recent incident in my life engendered this further expansion into the subject. Contemporary life is played out in front of an uproarious avalanche of noise almost all of us have become numb to. I say "almost" because I know of one [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (This essay was written in the late 90's) I've been writing this series of essays long enough to have passed through a number of Christmas seasons. It is only now, after the accrued confidence garnered in elaborating this mounting slush of chicken soup philosophy, that I feel strong enough to take on this despotic colossus that has become such a powerful force in our culture. Given what I've written in these pages over the last few years, it should come as no [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (Some of you might remember a controversy that swirled through our culture shortly after the 9/11 tragedy. It went something like this: a Moslem owned some property in close proximity to Ground Zero and wanted to develop it with an Islamic cultural center. This immediately sent the usual American demagogs into a spittily rage of rejection, claiming it would besmirch the hallowed ground where the attacks had taken place. At the time, I wrote a letter to the editor that could be [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (One of the great thinkers of the 20th century is the immortal Czech writer Milan Kundera. I was recently thumbing through his signature novel, a masterpiece called "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", when I came upon a few passages I had underlined when reading it for the first time. I suppose I had done so because they so validated my own world view. When a consecrated genius like Kundera explains himself in a mirror-like fashion to oneself, it becomes an uplifting experience. [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. Masculine gender violence has become a high profile issue in our society, made even more salient by the rash of such behavior originating in the culture of professional football. That such behavior seems to exceed the average in this environment is not that surprising. I've had the opportunity to be an athletic participant at a large university. Although each sport is a segregated activity, all the athletes play under the umbrella of a single institution and a particular Athletic Director. This creates [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (6/15, Spain) ("Podemos" is a new political party that has made its debut in Spanish politics about a year and a half ago. I consider it one of the first credible challenges to the current form of capitalism that has bullied its way to world dominance. Optimism would be too strong a word for its future, but, as of now, they are still in the game and seem to be gaining ground. This essay is an expression of hope for its growth [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. I recently saw an interview with the philosopher Sam Harris. Harris has made his mark in the world defending the atheist position against the tidal wave of religious acceptance that is the status quo for most of the world. Being that I am not a "believer", and being that such a mind set almost always goes unrepresented and extremely under estimated in the American narrative, I've always been fond of Harris's work. It is usually precise, empirical, and easily digestible. But he [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (10/15) Quite coincidentally, I was in New York when the Pope made his — wait, I'd like to rephrase. Being that I am a native New Yorker; and being that almost all my extended family still lives there; and being that Pope Francis had never been there, let's put it like this: quite coincidentally, the Pope was in New York when I made my annual visit to my native land. Although he did not try to procure an audience with me, such [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (Quite coincidentally, I was in New York when the Pope made his blockbuster visit to the mega city. It didn't take long before I was totally "Poped out" under the weight of such an onslaught. If there is one thing I can say for sure about Pope Francis, it is this: his public relation skills are better than anyone who has ever held the Papacy. Whether he can, or intends to back this ability up with the substance of his rhetoric, is [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (Regardless of everything that has gone down since Donald Trump turned American politics into a pro wrestling show, the one issue that most brought him to prominence is the immigration issue, something he has demagogued right to the top of the Republican primary fandango. In so doing, he has made this essay, written almost a decade ago, quite timely once again.) (5/06) I write this essay just one week after the massive demonstrations by undocumented immigrants in America on May 1st, the [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (This is an essay I wrote about 4 years ago. I had no intention of posting it at this time until I read Martha Huggins' excellent article on white collar crime in this very publication. Although it lacks the statistical minutia and professional expertise Dr. Huggins always enlightens us with, as a layman's compliment to her work it might still serve a purpose). (10/11) The 2 people named in the title of this essay have written a good deal of the literary [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (5/15, Spain) For a chicken soup philosopher like myself, one who breathes in all the stimuli around him — the politics, trends, the Beyonces and Lebrons, the Oscars, presidents, divas, movers, shakers, the technological hypnotism that has us so enthralled, the ebbs and flows of who's in charge, how it's going down and the whole paella-goulash-punch bowl we live in — woo! It gets complicated, overwhelming, does anyone have an aspirin? This essay, at least from a socio-political aspect, will try to [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. (This essay is the companion to "Animal Rights and '60 Minutes'" where I took issue with CBS's extremely negative attitude towards the civil disobedience of animal rights activists. (They were disrupting research on cranial bullet wounds using cats). Both were written in the early 90's. More than 20 years later, with the eruption into our consciousness of the death of a famous lion in Zimbabwe at the hands of an American trophy hunter, its relevance regains its vigor.) Dean Koontz writes novels. [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel…….. [5/15, Spain. This essay was the offspring of a previous essay called "News From America," where I discussed the Spanish reaction to the racial unrest in Baltimore, Md.] As mentioned in the essay "News From America", other than giving me an idea as to what the Spaniards are paying attention to, this article had no educational value for me. But it did get me to thinking about our struggle with racism in America and where we've gone since the days of [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel……. Columbine, Aurora, Newtown, amongst many others, as well as the death toll taken on a daily basis within the confines of the world's most advanced nation (as they tell us here in the good 'ol US of A) — Guns. We're talking a lot about guns lately. Perhaps it is a stain on our national legacy to say we've finally begun to think seriously about this insane proliferation of firearms only after 20 little children had to succumb to it, snuffed out, [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel… (4/15) (Note to the reader: On May 1st I leave for my annual 2 month hiatus on an island in the Spanish Mediterranean. As a result, I will not contribute again to this fine publication until I return at the end of June. First and foremost, I must thank Arnaud and Naja for allowing me to vent on a regular basis in their wonderful creation, one that has become the only source of serious news and commentary in Key West. I'm also [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel… Although I've written before about the "libertarian" concept, a recent discussion I had with a number of such adepts has propelled me into a need to respond more formally. Let's begin with my theory as to how this trend found its traction on the American socio-political landscape. One of the few people working in our country's legislative body who I have a genuine respect for is a black congressman from Georgia named John Lewis. We have just celebrated the 50th anniversary of [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel… With the NCAA basketball tournament — "March Madness" — in full swing, this essay becomes timely. Using the abuse of young boys by an iconic football coach at Penn State University, Jerry Sandusky, as a vehicle, it gives voice to my outrage at the "Big Lie" the collegiate sports industry is. As I write on November 12, 2011, the minimalist quality of this essay's title is more than enough to convey its subject matter. If you are not aware of the recent [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel… (This essay was written at a time when the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was making its way into the world's consciousness. More than a decade later, the horrifying chaos now prevailing in the region is sickening proof of the colossal blunder the American invasion was.) As I write this essay, the second Bush Oil War has become the fiasco it always deserved to be. The latest piece of firewood thrown onto the flames of this madness is the graphic international diffusion [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel This is part of a series of essays that were written in Spain last summer, when a totally unknown political entity called "Podemos" (we can) broke onto the political landscape, catching all the "literati" by surprise in the wake of the 2014 European Parliamentary elections. In less than a year, they have begun to outpoll the 2 traditional centrist parties in the country. They are the offspring of Spain's version of the Occupy Movement, "Los Indignados". Their leftist politics have [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel Although I have not lived there for almost 50 years, I was born and raised in New York City and almost all my extended family still lives there. Anyone hearing the way I speak English can attest to the fact I still carry some of this place around with me — and always will. Bill De Blasio is the Mayor of New York City. People like him used to be considered a fairly normal strain of center-left Democrat, but since the appearance [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel….. (With the trauma of Super Bowl weekend now upon us, I dug back in the ar-chives and found this essay pertaining to the infamous Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction", which relegated the game itself to the smaller type of after thought in its aftermath.) I feel somewhat ambivalent about the now historical halftime incident at this year's Super Bowl, where a sacred part of Janet Jackson's anatomy was briefly exposed to the world. I'm not here to say it was the proper forum [continue reading…]
by Jerome Grapel…. For the average contemporary American, the title of this essay would not be metaphorical, but a direct reference to an iconic film made in 1992. Let's take a phrase association test: "a few good men" – famous movie starring Tom Crews, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon, about a military incident where 2 Marines are accused of — so forth and so on. You've seen it, right? As mentioned previously in this ever growing mass of dubious philosophical patter, I have [continue reading…]