text:
AT&T drops device subsidy with new tariff
US operator AT&T has announced the launch of a tariff that separates device costs from monthly service fees. The firm claims the plans will save customers $15 per month on average.
The operator's Mobile Share Value plans are available for subscribers who pay the cost of their smartphone in monthly instalments with AT&T's Next service, already have their own smartphone or buy the device at full retail price.
The plan includes shared data as well as unlimited voice and SMS, and consumers can connect up to 10 devices, including tablets and other wireless devices. Business customers will be able to connect up to 25 devices. The plans offer data options ranging from 1GB up to 50GB.
In March, rival T-Mobile USA also abolished handset subsidies for premium devices in favour of an interest-free scheme that separates the cost of the device from the cost of network service and annual service contracts were also withdrawn.


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Brazil's Supreme Court on Thursday gave its go-ahead for the Copa America soccer tournament to kick off here despite the country's alarming COVID-19 figures.
The unanimous vote by the 11 justices provides relief for President Jair Bolsonaro and tournament organizers in Brazil, which is hosting the event after the withdrawal of Colombia and Argentina.
The court rejected two suits against holding the tourney in Brazil, considering that authorization of the games is a decision made by officials in the state where they will be played; all four governors in Copa America locations are Bolsonaro allies.
Brazil is scheduled to face Venezuela in Copa America's opener on Sunday at the Mané Garrincha stadium in the capital, Brasilia. The final will take place July 10 at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
The court's ruling is a response to challenges made by the Brazilian Socialist Party and a metalworkers union lodged against Brazil hosting the tournament. "Intense circulation of visitors in national territory will obviously spread COVID-19 in several states, as well as potentially allow entry of new variants," the party said in its request. The union said no international sports events should take place as long as social distancing policies are in place.
Brazil is still suffering one of the world's highest daily COVID-19 infection rates, although the number of deaths has been declining for about two months from its record high.
Bolsonaro has staunchly supported Brazil hosting Copa America since South American soccer body CONMEBOL made a last-minute plea. He has railed against shutdown measures aimed at preventing the virus' spread and claimed their economic impact kills more than the virus.
Justice Carmen Lúcia argued in her vote that only state authorities can permit or prohibit Copa America from taking place locally, and her colleagues agreed.
"The Supreme Court can act in accordance with the guidance of the constitution and current legislation. Judges cannot act as they wish nor as they desire," said Lúcia, who has previously criticized the Bolsonaro administration's decision to host the event. She added that neither Bolsonaro nor any sports body can overrule the decisions of state authorities.
The tournament will be played in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Goias, Mato Grosso and the country's Federal District. Several other states rejected hosting matches of the tournament.

subset: commoncrawl


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What do you think of this email I received?
From: email@example.com [I made up the address.]
To: Undisclosed Recipients [That phrase filled the To line.]
Subject: Writing Skills training
I was referred to you by a colleague at Boeing.
I conduct business communication workshops and am looking for partnering opportunities in the Seattle area. Please let me know if you are taking on additional trainers or can provide referrals.
Thank you.
David Blake [I have disguised this information.]
Communications Company
Chicago, Illinois
How do you feel about the message?
It disappointed me. If this person had taken just five minutes to personalize his message, I would have phoned or emailed him within a day to talk about his experience and interests. We might have begun a mutually rewarding business relationship. But as it was, I could barely keep the sarcasm out of my "Thanks but no thanks" reply. I wanted to write, "Thank you for including me in your list of undisclosed recipients," but my husband reminded me that I am a better person than that.
Here is what "David" should have done:
- Send an individual email to me–not to a mailing list.
- Greet me "Dear Lynn."
- Name the colleague at Boeing, if there is one. If there isn't one, then tell me why he has chosen me to contact.
- Tell me something exciting about his background that would get me interested in him.
- Give me the URL for his website. (He has a perfectly fine website that I tracked down–he did not even mention it!)
- Provide a phone number.
I don't know why David even bothered sending out such an unimpressive message. Do you?
If you have friends who are looking for a job or a consulting opportunity, please remind them that bland, blanket messages are worse than useless. They frustrate, disappoint, and turn off readers.
Thanks for spreading the word.
Syntax Training


text:
The Implications of Chez Mellusi's Injury for Wisconsin Football
Wisconsin Football Defensive Snap Counts & PFF Grades vs. Purdue
Wisconsin Football Falls Outside the Top 25 in Week 4 SP+ Rankings
Wisconsin Football DAWG of the Week vs. Purdue
Wisconsin Football: Handing Out Helmet Stickers From the Purdue Victory
Five-Star Specialist Erik Schmidt Talks Recent Wisconsin Football Visit
Wisconsin Football: Badgers Expected to Land 2025 In-State Recruit
In-State EDGE Nicholas McCullough Recaps Wisconsin Football Visit
In-State OL Griffin Rousseau Talks Wisconsin Football Visit
Wisconsin Football Offers In-State Recruit & Other Badgers News
Wisconsin Women's Basketball 2023-24 Schedule Preview
Wisconsin Basketball News: Badgers Miss on Blue-Chip Recruit, Scrimmage Announced, More
Wisconsin Basketball Fans React: Badgers Miss on 5-Star Recruit
Wisconsin Basketball Announces 2023-24 Big Ten Schedule
Where Wisconsin Basketball Commits Land in Recruiting Rankings Update
Wisconsin Basketball Hosts 2025 Four-Star Forward on Unofficial Visit
Wisconsin Basketball Keeping Options Open in the 2024 Recruiting Class
Source: Wisconsin Basketball Fading in Kon Knueppel Recruiting Sweepstakes
Former Wisconsin Football Fullback Alec Ingold Inks Contract Extension
Former Wisconsin Basketball Guard Brad Davison Inks New Deal
Which Former Wisconsin Football Players Made 2023 NFL Rosters?
Former Wisconsin Football Player Balled Out During NFL Preseason
Mina Kimes Names the Best Landing Spot for Jonathan Taylor
Wisconsin Volleyball Non-Conference Recap
Wisconsin Badgers Wrestling 2023-24 Roster Preview
Wisconsin Badgers Wrestling 2023-24 Season is Almost Here!
Wisconsin Women's Basketball Lands Commitment From 2024 Forward Alie Bisballe
Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program held their annual advanced camp this past week, as they normally do. However, one surprise scholarship offer to an...


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Water Pumps › V4 Submersible Pumpset
Nimco pumps is India's largest manufacturer & exporter of 4" submersible pumps, but that is just a small part of the complete wide range of submersible pumps available to our professional dealer. Nimco Pumps, Rajkot TUV SUD certified ISO 9001:2000 Company that's what you need in your bore. Nimco has a wide range of 3" borehole submersible pumps that suit various kinds of user requirements.
Nimco's Borehole submersible pumps suitable for 4" or larger boreholes. Manufactured from corrosion & abrasion resistant materials. Close coupled to a submersible electric motor. Designed for flow rate upto 300 LPM and head upto 220 meter.
Borehole submersible pumps for wells from 3 to 10- inch wells, with 2-pole electric motors. The most complete range of submersible borehole electric pumps to meet all your borehole pumping applications suitable to replace standard surface pumps, carrying the advantages of lesser space needed, less maintenance and complete absence of noise. In all domestic, industrial and agricultural applications, where it is required to life water out from below the ground and to push it above with pressure.
Our customers know that a one-size fits all approach just is not going to satisfy today's demanding consumer. By utilizing Nimco Pumps industry leading, modern technology, state of art infrastructure, manufacturing techniques and two decades of complete pump experience.
Nimco Pumps has partnership with the industries leaders in submersible pumps for design to help create products for consumer, municipalities and original equipment manufacturers that meet or exceed large market requirements. All Nimco Pumps products are backed by trained dealers & supported by factory trained sales engineers team and in house product engineers.
Design - V4 Submersible Pumps
Single or multistage centrifugal pumps in pump shroud or in ring section design. Radial or mixed flow hydraulic systems; Suction casing fitted between motor and pump. A suction casing is fitted between the pump & motor. Suction casing is fitted with strainer to protect the pump from coarse particles / sand in the fluid. Pumps with check valve (non-return valve) in option are supplied. Available with threaded particularly suitable for vertical installation in narrow deep wells. Additional bearings are fitted depending on the number of stages. Stainless Steel inserts are fitted to the impeller. The impeller hub is protected by stainless Steel inserts are fitted depending on the number of stages. Stainless steel inserts are fitted to the impeller. The impeller hub is protected by stainless steel inserts. This design improves the starting torque & has the effect that solid particles such as sand are propelled outside. Read more...Read More
Salient Features Of V4 Submersible Pumps
- Premier manufacturing technology. The innovative mechanical design, combined with the use of an advanced manufacturing technology, results in a state-of-the-art 3-inch submersible pump line.
- Proven & Reliable Design For Critical Conditions.
- State of the art design: Delivers optimum performance and reliability in the toughest conditions.
- 25, 40, 50,100,150,165,170 & 200 LPM models feature independent centrifugal impellers to provide smooth starting and long life.
- Thick (2.0MM) stainless steel outer casing shell to protect and align internal submersible pumps components. Rigid connection between motor and pump provides a single, perfectly aligned unit.
- Rubber & bronze bearing provide low friction and high wear resistance.
- Easy assembling, dismantling. Easily serviceable pump & field rewindable motors. Suction screen and coupling are made of stainless steel.
- Standard 2 pole speed motor (2900 RPM).
- Once assembled, each 4" borehole submersible pump is individually tested to assure performance within design specifications.
- Nimco Pumps uses non-contaminating, water filled motor design.
- High pumping efficiency for reduced running costs.
- Cost effective pumping systems: The hydraulic design is such as to enhance the efficiency, thus reducing energy consumption and making pumping systems more cost effective.
- Light weight and compact.
- Lip seal and sand guard to prevent ingress of impurities into the motor.
- Maintenance and service: with time some parts subject to wear may need replacement.
- The simplicity of the assembly concept allows for easy field service without the need of special tools minimizing the system down-time.
- The MOTOR is of non-toxic cooling bath type; asynchronous with squirrel cage rotor. Suction and delivery casing are in cast iron and if required in stainless steel & brass. Impellers and diffusers are in Noryl homologated for drinkable water use and are equipped with stainless steel inserts in correspondence of the wearable zones.
- Discharge Bearing: Extra long sealed top bronze bearing insures shaft alignment and stabilization for extended life.
- Suction Adapter: Designed to ensure proper pump/ motor alignment. Open area permits easy access to pump/motor coupling. Casting made of ductile iron for increased strength.
- Pump Shaft: High tensile type 410 stainless steel provides strength and corrosion resistance. Ground and polished for smooth bearing surface.
- Bearings with sand channels; all bearings are water lubricated and have a squared shape enabling sand particles, if any, to leave the pump together with the pumped liquid.
- The motor adapter, coupling, check value and discharge head may be removed without disassembling the hydraulic stack.
Application Of V4 Submersible Pumps
A combination of multistage centrifugal pumps and submersible motors, the 4" borehole submersible pump, is designed for applications like:
- Domestic water supply.
- Water supply to high rise buildings.
- Housing complexes, bungalows.
- Gardens, farms and nurseries.
Operating Parameters
|Name of Parts
|V4 Borehole Submersible Pumps
|H. P. Range
|0.5 H.P. To 3.0 H.P. (Single phase version)
1.0 H.P. TO 6.0 H.P. (Three Phase version)
|Head Range
|Upto 120 Meters
|Discharge At Duty Point
|Max. Discharge
|Max. Head / Stage
|7 Meters
|Operating Voltage
|160-240 volt (Single Phase)
300-440 volt (Three phase)
|Max voltage fluctuation
|+15% -20%
|Max. Start/Hour
|Max. Temp. of Liquid
|Max. Permissible Amount of Sand In The Water
|30 Gram/Cubic Meter
|Single Phase - 220 Volt - 50 Hz
Three Phase - 415 volt 50Hz


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Drop-in oval with integral armrest. Variable speed blower produce powerful air streams for a better massage. A powerful heating element warms the air before it enters the bathing well. 54 strategically positioned perimeter air channels surround the bather with millions of soothing bubbles.
68" x 42" x 20"
20 minutes after the bath is turned off the blower automatically engages to forcing any remaining water out of the "Quick Drain" air channel
Simple on/off air switch also adjusts the blower speed- creating mild to vigorous whirlpool action
Drop-in installation
Color-match trim, chrome and everbrass (PVD), brushed nickel and oil rubbed bronze upgrades available
Available in white, biscuit, bone and almond
Outstanding protection – Mansfield® Limited One Year Acrylic Warranty
Optional cable operated drain in color-match, chrome, everbrass (PVD), brushed nickel or oil rubbed bronze
Standard Colors - No Additional Charge
Mansfield Plumbing was founded in 1929 and is considered the "Brand of Choice" for architects, designers, builders and plumbers.
Mansfield offers a complete line of whirlpool tubs that inspire, indulge and invigorate the senses. The Swirl-Way line of whirlpool tub deliver a complete package of hydrotherapy benefits - enhancing the pleasure of your bath and soothing sore muscles. An ergonomic fit, deeper bathing wells and exclusive features combine to make Swirl-Way whirlpool tubs unrivaled in comfort and effectiveness. For the ultimate in hydrotherapy, more horsepower, and more jets, choose Swirl-Way.
Mansfield's provides a limited 10 year warranty. Each whirlpool tub offers full national code compliance (UL, UPC and IAPMO) for total safety and reliability.


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DARPA-funded IBM researchers today said they have developed a human brain-inspired computer chip loaded with more than 5 billion transistors and 256 million "synapses," or programmable logic points, analogous to the connections between neurons in the brain.
In addition to being one of the world's largest and most complex computer chips ever produced it requires only a fraction of the electrical power of conventional chips to operate, IBM and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) stated.
+More on Network World: ; +
The developers said the chip, which can be tiled to create large arrays, is built on Samsung Foundry's 28nm process technology, the 5.4 billion transistor chip has one of the highest transistor counts of any chip ever produced. Each chip consumes less than 100 milliWatts of electrical power during operation. When applied to benchmark tasks of pattern recognition, the new chip achieved two orders of magnitude in energy savings compared to state-of-the-art traditional computing systems, DARPA and IBM said.
The high energy efficiency is achieved, in part, by distributing data and computation across the chip, alleviating the need to move data over large distances. In addition, the chip runs in an asynchronous manner, processing and transmitting data only as required, similar to how the brain works. The new chip's high energy efficiency makes it a candidate for defense applications such as mobile robots and remote sensors where electrical power is limited, IBM and DARPA stated.
"Computer chip design is driven by a desire to achieve the highest performance at the lowest cost. Historically, the most important cost was that of the computer chip. But Moore's law—the exponentially decreasing cost of constructing high-transistor-count chips—now allows computer architects to borrow an idea from nature, where energy is a more important cost than complexity, and focus on designs that gain power efficiency by sparsely employing a very large number of components to minimize the movement of data. IBM's chip, which is by far the largest one yet made that exploits these ideas, could give unmanned aircraft or robotic ground systems with limited power budgets a more refined perception of the environment, distinguishing threats more accurately and reducing the burden on system operators," said Gill Pratt, DARPA program manager in a statement.
The chip was developed on the auspices of DARPA's Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics (SyNAPSE) program which looks to speed the development of a brain-inspired chip that could perform difficult perception and control tasks while at the same time achieving significant energy savings, the agency says. The goal is to develop systems capable of analyzing vast amounts of data from many sources in the blink of an eye, letting the military or civilian businesses make rapid decisions in time to have a significant impact on a given problem or situation.
According to DARPA, programmable machines are limited not only by their computational capacity, but also by an architecture requiring (human-derived) algorithms to both describe and process information from their environment. In contrast, biological neural systems such as human brains, autonomously process information in complex environments by automatically learning relevant and probabilistically stable features and associations, DARPA stated.
As compared to biological systems for example, today's programmable machines are less efficient by a factor of one million to one billion in complex, real-world environments. Many tasks that people and animals perform effortlessly, such as perception and pattern recognition, audio processing and motor control, are difficult for traditional computing architectures to do without consuming a lot of power. Biological systems consume much less energy than current computers attempting the same tasks, the researchers stated.
The new chip is just one of DARPA's programs that aims to more deeply into how computers can mimic a key portion of our brain.
Last Fall it issued a Request For information, on how it could develop systems that go beyond machine learning, Bayesian techniques, and graphical technology to solve "extraordinarily difficult recognition problems in real-time."
What DARPA said it was interested in is looking at mimicking a portion of the brain known as the neocortex which is utilized in higher brain functions such as sensory perception, motor commands, spatial reasoning, conscious thought and language. Specifically, DARPA said it is looking for information that provides new concepts and technologies for developing what it calls a "Cortical Processor" based on Hierarchical Temporal Memory.
"Although a thorough understanding of how the cortex works is beyond current state of the art, we are at a point where some basic algorithmic principles are being identified and merged into machine learning and neural network techniques. Algorithms inspired by neural models, in particular neocortex, can recognize complex spatial and temporal patterns and can adapt to changing environments. Consequently, these algorithms are a promising approach to data stream filtering and processing and have the potential for providing new levels of performance and capabilities for a range of data recognition problems," DARPA stated. "The cortical computational model should be fault tolerant to gaps in data, massively parallel, extremely power efficient, and highly scalable. It should also have minimal arithmetic precision requirements, and allow ultra-dense, low power implementations."
Follow Michael Cooney on Twitter: nwwlayer8 and on Facebook.
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St.Louis de Montforts Catholic Primary School in Aspendale was named as the 2014 recipient of the prestigious Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award for school garden excellence.
In addition to the considerable prestige, this award carries a prize value of $3000 which will no doubt be directed towards furthering the magnificent school garden program at St.Louis de Montforts.
Over 440 school children were witness to the Awards presentation at Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens, representing schools from all over Victoria who had successfully navigated through regional rounds of judging in the various categories.
Other major prizes presented were:
• Turf Victoria Award – Rowville Primary School
• Flemings Nurseries Mini Orchard Award – Clonard College
• State Awards
Strathewen Primary School
Huntly Primary School
Bentleigh West Primary School
Aitken College
• Plants Plus – Most habitat-friendly garden winners
Our Lady of Christians School
Frankston Special Development School
Glen Katherine Primary School
St.Michaels Grammar School
• Plants Plus – Most creative new garden using recycled materials
Nepean Primary School
Tooradin Primary School
Coatesville Primary School
Carrum Downs Secondary College
• Catholic Education Office – Most engaging student garden for teaching and play
Tawonga Primary School
Mildura Specialist School
The Patch Primary School
Cathedral College Wangaratta
• Maxicrop – Best Edible Garden
Toolangi Primary School
Tyabb Railway Station Primary School
Clayton North Primary School
Murrayville Community College
• Plants Plus – Most creative use of the school garden as a demonstration site for sustainable gardening in the community
Wooragee Primary School
Yarra Primary School
Templestowe Valley Primary School
Oxley Christian College
Judging was based upon student involvement, parental, teacher and community involvement, general appearance and use, special features, new developments and grounds facilities.
The total prize pool allocated to winners in the various categories was approx. $40 000.


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The chasm between what's going on inside us and what we project to the outside world is so vast (usually) that frankly, let's admit it, it's hard being us! Only some direct challenges can perhaps shake the totally believed-in 'self' that is simply a creation in the head.
I like to add articles of other spiritual bloggers and I do like this site, http://www.peacefulself.com, from where I have added the article below, called "Can You Hear the Universe Laughing?". The article speaks of no free will, a topic that, when I added a fair few words on this some time back some rancour was produced in the comments. It seems – understandably – that we human beings can't bear the thought of not taking the credit. We want the pats on our backs, we need the approval, we need to be seen to be doing well (whatever 'well' might be in our particular, conditioned world).
I can relate to this, since even as this me-story of my own was falling apart rapidly, I attended a local group to study the teachings of Gurdieff. In one session, though I can't remember the details now, the gist was that it was stated that we are essentially not individuals and individuality is lost for most of us after death. Now, I had a huge reaction to this concept. It went against all the new age stuff I had been following on and off prior to that which talked about evolution, a process and raising vibrations etc. My reaction was so great, that I never went back to the group again.
This was what needed to happen for me. The ego will rebel. It's a petulant child most of the time.
I know that some who visit here really get this stuff, but for others it's not real, but rather interesting concepts to ponder over. These people have not gained a distance from their ego, from the me-story running in their head. They cannot see that the voice in their head is even there. The glove (image) has become the hand and the hand (reality) forgotten. They are so identified with the person of free will they think they are, they could not possibly entertain the thought that they are not this powerful, in-control individual. The embeddedness in their story is almost total.
Thus, I say, courage is needed if one wants to understand these things. But let me just say, there is nothing better or more right in either way of being – dunked totally in the me-story concept or outside of it. There is however a difference, but even there, I will not say, it's all rosy when you detach from self, because it's not. Awakening is not a panacea for all suffering. In fact, due to an absence of denial and justification, emotions can be rather more intense. But what there is in terms of difference, is a raw aliveness, a relaxation and peacefulness. The quiet desperation of projecting a 'me' that meets with your approval, has quietened.
But it's a bitter pill to swallow when you wake up to the non-personal nature of life, the universe and everything. To the meaninglessness. To the absence of a personal 'doer'. To the illusory nature of what we thought was real. The personal stance is just something we brought into play, but we are not as important (as 'individuals') as we'd like to think. And this self-importance and self-consciousness are the doorway. It's the doorway that turns around everything on its head, hence the need for courage.
Osho said: "In this world the greatest courage is to drop the mind aside. The bravest man is who can see the world without the barrier of the mind, just as it is. It is tremendously different, utterly beautiful. There is nobody who is inferior and there is nobody who is superior — there are no distinctions."
It's so simple, isn't it? It isn't even about equality, because you can only talk of equality when there is inequality. Equality / Inequality are dualistic concepts. But the truth is that there is noone superior and noone inferior. The only place where this happens is the fictional place we call 'mind.' In our 'mind' we have trained ourselves (not consciously, but just by dint of how life goes as a human being) to believe in ourselves. The self we believe in is the person we think we are, and this person is always being justified, approved of, judged, put up on a pedestal, patted on the back, protected, blah blah and on and on. If we could dump the whole contents of our thoughts (mind) onto paper we would firstly be shocked by the narcissistic nature of its content and secondly by its repetitiveness. Probably the large majority of our thoughts are utterly useless and are desperate in nature. Desperate to maintain the image, at all costs. The alternative is to become a nothing if we no longer wish to maintain this idea of who we are. And that is exactly what we need to become in order to see our own reality: a nothing. For only in nothing can something be truly appreciated. And ultimately the nature of Reality is one of Nothingness in any case, and so, as our ego falls away in importance, we enter the Nothing domain, and there we find that it is far from nothing as we know it – we find for eg, respite, peace and realness. We find Truth. We find a Connectedeness that we have been longing for unconsciously. In
Meister Eckhart's words, we find 'God': "Keep this in mind: to be full of things is to be empty of God, while to be empty of things is to be full of God."
In non-dual circles they talk of self-enquiry. Ramana Maharshi talked of this concept too. I would not say that there is any method or process that will make you enlightened. But certainly self-enquiry as a 'positive habit' let's say, can make you 'less' attached to your ego-self (me-story) but that's about it. The mystical actuality of your me-story no longer having the same effect as before on your life and experiences, is not one that we can make happen by following a process or a teacher. On this point, take a good look! If there was a method that could engender enlightenment there would be noone wanting to be enlightened, they would all be so! I mean, after so many centuries of people searching, we should use our grey cells and realize that had there been a method for enlightenment it surely would have been found by now, given the many amazing spiritually awakened folk through history. That's the fallacy of spiritual teaching – there is no teaching for enlightenment, so the word 'spiritual teacher' itself is an oxymoron. (And all spiritual teachers morons?? haha. Just kidding. I like my play on words).
So we have to forget about wanting to awaken. Instead, look at the desperateness within you to maintain a defined 'you.' See the schizophrenic nature of this very process. If 'we' are providing a fertile ground for all the thoughts about a 'me' that we try to maintain according to the image we have decided for ourselves, then who is the 'we' that is trying to control this 'me'? Are we really two? It all gets very silly and complex when we dissect the me's, you's and we's. This silliness and complexity is what we take as 'natural' as we put ourselves through an inner desperation day in and day out, through what we allow ourselves to believe about ourselves. It's terribly energy-draining, unsettling and constantly so.
If you ask me – you (we) need a break from this incessant nonsense, because not only is it draining for you, but for others too upon whom we project this image of ourselves. Some things that help to have a break from all of this mental and emotional rigmarole are taking time out to be alone, or spending time outdoors in nature, or meditating. And indeed, these are all activities that are on the bottom of people's lists of things to do, because the 'me' loves to (has to) keep busy. And why? Because it is lonely within and can't bear to be alone….But aloneness is who you………………………………………………….And that is a related, but whole another topic!
Here is a video of ordinary people talking about awakening and is in fact called 'Ordinary Enlightenment'. (I also posted it a while back when this blog first started.)
Ordinary Enlightenment
Anyway, so that's what I have to say for today. It's been a couple of weeks since I blogged. My work situation is still being 'worked' upon, so it has been keeping me preoccupied. But it's good to get back to putting down such thoughts again, and I hope, all readers, that you're doing good!
Comments, as always, welcome.
Here is the article from Peaceful Self.
~~ Start ~~
Can You Hear the Universe Laughing?
The universe ordained that egocentrica mammalia exist as a unique species within the natural order. Long before the development of his egocentric identification, homo sapiens simply survived. He ate when hungry, drank when thirsty, copulated in season and died in ways similar to all other animal species. The unconscious drive to exist is the ultimate goal of existence in the universe and is pressed deep within the fatty gray matter of all sentient species.
Yet, unlike all other species, the universe also ordained that egocentrica mammalia live with full awareness of his future non-existence or "death."
One could easily imagine the very moment egocentric mammalia located a "self" in his head and proclaimed,"aha! It's me!" the next thought must've been, "but, I don't wanna die!"
Indeed, egocentric mammalia is the only species that is consciously aware of his eventual demise, which could happen at any time in his busy schedule. Hence, this results in a serious interior conflict subsequently magnifying the survival drive as a means of diminishing that conflict by short-circuiting the death drive. But, alas, to no avail….
Inheriting an instinct to survive, while knowing he could drop dead any moment, has not allowed egocentric mammalia a moment's peace since the very moment he discovered a "self" mulling about aimlessly in between his ears. All ego-centered brains were inadvertently cursed with centuries of unnecessary suffering simply because its egocentric ancestors, upon discovering a "self" flopping around in their heads, failed to inquire with "what the fook am 'I' doing in here?" Instead they became a chronically copulating tribe of selfish paranoid schizophrenics filling up their lives with abstract trivialities to avoid the brute fact of death.
Subsequently, modern egocentrica mammalians can do absolutely nothing to extinguish either one of these inherited circuits and both electrochemical currents reciprocally reinforce each other; survive-die, survive-die, etc, etc, etc, on and on, back and forth, ad nauseam.
This dualistic conflict has resulted in all sorts of mental and behavioral dysfunctions. Where in nature do you find "addictions," the problem of "obesity" or the symptoms of "neuroses"? Does a three-toed, tree sloth ever get "depressed"? Where in the natural order do we find a species that does not kill for food, but to terminate "non-believers"? Apparently, the 'die-survive' brain circuitry has resulted in egocentrics unconsciously rushing to their death by destroying the very habitat their existence requires, all the while believing it absolutely essential to do this to increase its chances of surviving. Die-survive, die-survive…
While the rest of the natural world simply lounges around, eating when hungry, drinking when thirsty, copulating in season, egocentrics scurry about engaging in the most spurious and meaningless activities to pack it all in before the reaper comes a knocking. Egocentrics even worry that they don't copulate enough and have numerous studies to prove it!
In addition, they've devised all manner of concepts for which to support their frightened hustle and bustle, all to give their brief and precarious existence "meaning." This serves to deny that everything that ends in death is meaningless simply because of that fact alone. Hence, the death instinct unconsciously motivates egocentrics simply because, if egocentric mammalia was forced to consider his finite brief existence every day, what would be the point of doing anything at all? What would be the point of pursuing happiness? Why not just lounge around, eat when hungry, drink when thirsty and copulate when the spirit moves you?
The chief role of egocentric mammalia in the natural order is to consume everything he can in the short time allotted; simply as a means to deny awareness that his allotted time is so obviously short. It seems apparent (except to egocentrics) that all the useless sheit they feel they must constantly do actually does little more than make their short time a total hell on earth. For instance, does nature worry about making constructive use of its time by implementing effective time management strategies?
Yet, it's easy to see how the alternating currents of death and survival (or what some call "life") must result in the invention of all sorts of symbolic meanings. Egocentrics demand that the "self," mulling around aimlessly in their heads, mean something to the universe, different from cats, dogs, chickens, goats, horses, tree sloths, etc, etc. As egocentrics see it, the natural world means nothing to the grand scheme of the universe, else why wouldn't the rest of nature not also have a "self" mulling around aimlessly in their heads, gritting and grinding over the lack of time to engage in useless activities that have no point?
Nevertheless, it does seem that these other species quite fully sense that they mean nothing to the universe, since they aren't running around obsessively copulating as a means to pursuing happiness. They aren't gnashing their teeth over the injustices of the universal order of things, demanding the "freedom" to make useless choices that only pile on more suffering. They aren't inventing vacuous empty concepts to give their lives meaning, simply because the universe has not provided them the grey matter for such tasks.
Egocentric mammalia has a billion meanings in his head, most of which tend to cancel out and contradict one another, resulting in a helter skelter hodgepodge of tenuous truths, supported by dubious justifications and easily smashed to smithereens with barely any effort at all. Nevertheless, this constant train crash of meanings makes the egocentric world look rather mad (except to an egocentric) in comparison with the rest of the universal order of things.
The rest of the natural world appears to have accepted the fact that it has no free-will, which seems to allow it a sense of peace and harmony with the natural order of things, even in the face of painful death and natural disasters. Egocentrics must anxiously grit and grind over the unending need to protect, at all costs, their highly symbolic, but hilariously brief, existence, because they believe they can control and direct the natural order.
So they invent concepts like God, karma, sin, morality, commandments, laws, rules, values, governments, compassion, peace, love, etc, etc, etc, to increase suffering by reinforcing, not only their choices, but their "God given right" to make choices by asserting their "God given free-will" from a universe that clearly does not give a rat's arse about what any individual egocentric wants or desires.
Nature has never experienced free-will. But the universe provided egocentric mammalians with a highly advanced nervous system for which to delude a "self," into allowing the continual invention of symbolic meanings that provides an illusion of free-will, causing egocentrics to actually believe they have "control" over the destiny that the universe provides simply by allowing egocentrics to exist in the first place.
As the ancient parable states, like a drop of water in an ocean, egocentric mammalia has lost awareness of the ocean and believes he has the free-will to direct his own individual course, while the ocean simply takes him wherever it will regardless of his delusion of having control.
Egocentrica mammalia proudly proclaims, "I did that!" in complete ignorance of his place in the natural order of things.
Can you hear the universe laughing?
Yet, we cannot forget that the free-will delusion of egocentric mammalia is universally ordained as well. Try this little experiment:
Allow the subjectivity of your identified egocentric "self" to become…
…an object.
Bet you can't do it.
But it does seem there are a few who can hear the universe laughing….
Artwork by Charnine – "Almost Time"
~~ End ~~
- How to achieve true peace of mind - Nov 09, 2022
- What is Self-realization? - Oct 27, 2022
- The Mystery of God in Human Form – Swami Krishnananda - Dec 24, 2021


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How To Select The Best eLearning Device For School Students?
Indian education technology (EdTech) sector has been going through an exciting evolution for quite some time now. The interest of investors and enormous business valuations of companies like Byju's, Vedantu, UnAcademy, Upgrade, and others is the testament of how well Indian students have received the tech-enabled education. Even before Covid19, the progress was tremendous. Byju's had 2.8 million paid students by the end of 2019, and Covid19 seems to have laid down a foundation to even brighter future for EdTech companies. By early August, 2020, Byju's had over 57 million registered users and 3.5 million paid students.
While the initial adoption of digital learning solutions came from the professional sector, usage of products for students was primarily limited to urban areas, given the costs involved. However, as Covid19 pushed the primary education sector online, adoption of technology in eduction grew in the economically-weaker sections and the rural regions as well, aided by the robust penetration of internet connectivity in the country. As the trends grows, so does the need to invest in smart devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Per Family Device Needs Have Gone Up
A typical urban Indian family with school-going children had one or two computers (including office laptops), and two smartphones. These devices were used by children for learning and entertainment purposes. Post-Covid19, work shifted to home, and the computers stayed occupied all day. As schools went online, considering a typical Indian family of four (parents and two kids), there is a shortage of two devices.
Initially, people shared devices, assuming the study-from-home situation would be temporary. However, as the pandemic continues, a lot of parents have had to seriously consider buying dedicated learning devices for children.
Going forward, there is also a great possibility of online education continuing in parallel to the in-person education, given the benefits that technology brings to the table. A lot of people have been able to experience how modern Learning Management Systems (LMS) make education more efficient, personalised and easy to monitor than before. For example, iGnite is an LMS for iPads which can be completely customised by schools to extend their own curriculum and teaching style to remote education. Emerging technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have given a new dimension to learning, and engage students in amazing new ways.
It means that families will continue to invest in capable devices that can ensure a comfortable, valuable and cost-effective learning for school children. Dr Rajesh Tandon, Founder President of PRIA (Participatory Research in India) says, "Investments in making personal devices available to all girls (and boys) in all households may well be an important investment in post-pandemic era."
Three Cs of Device Selection
The three factors that must be considered for choosing an appropriate device are Capabilities, Comfort and Cost. All the three can be better optimised when devices are procured and assigned to students by their schools. For individual students, let's evaluate the choices on these factors.
While laptops or desktop computers would undoubtedly provide maximum capability in general, the new generation of smartphones and tablets are not far behind. While the smartphone is again restricted by the small screen size for advanced functionalities, that is not the case with the tablets. A good tablet can comfortably support advanced educational apps, tools for creative design, shooting & editing videos, making music, and much more. Technologies like AR and VR have come of age, and powerful new apps have been designed to engage students meaningfully and creatively. Apple iPad, for example, has proved to be a very effective tool for education around the world, in conjunction with Apple's extensive ecosystem of learning tools, teaching resources and excellent educational content.
A good tablet has a stable, secure operating system and a good battery life. It has great connectivity and compatibility, which allows students to connect seamlessly with networks and other devices. This ensures that they can focus on applying their tablets to meaningful pursuits rather wasting their time fighting technology issues.
If we compare three form-factors without any context, smartphones will prove to be most convenient for most purposes. However, the smaller screen size is not the most appropriate option for learning activities, as it limits the functionality of most apps, besides putting unnecessary stress on children's eyes. A 10-inch tablet, on the other hand, will provide almost equivalent screen size as a laptop, and still be very easy to carry around for students. Even tablets with smaller screen sizes offer a much better learning experience than phones.
While laptops are theoretically portable, tablets are much more comfortable and functional for students. Modern tablets can easily be hooked with light, portable keyboards when typing is required.
A tablet can cost between Rs. 11,000 for an entry-level Android tablet to just under Rs. 30,000 for a 10.2" iPad Wifi to around Rs. 80,000 for the top end iPad Pro or Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 with cellular connectivity.
Though mid-end tablets can suffice for school-going children, more powerful devices allow them to build more creativity into their schoolwork. Thus it is preferable to invest in a quality device with good specifications. However, the top end tablets are designed for professionals and are seldom needed for educational purposes.
Balancing Act
While a lot depends on every household's economics, it is evident that tablets offer the best choice for students from a long-term perspective. A mid range tablet from a good brand like Apple is relatively cost-effective while offering equivalent capabilities as a laptop. Choosing a brand which also has a good ecosystem of educational apps and study resources is equally important. With the direction educational institutes, app developers and manufacturers are taking, where blended and technology-driven learning seems to be the new normal, it might be prudent to invest in a quality tablet for school-going students.


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Brides research, clip photos out of magazines, "pin" like crazy on pinterest, and scour stores near and far to pick the "perfect" wedding dress. Why do brides put so much pressure on themselves to find the "right" dress? I know that choosing your wedding dress is a big deal, but often times I think brides should take a step back and put the day into perspective. As someone who loves fashion and style as much as I do and who gasps at some of the dresses that are selected for brides on bridal reality T.V. shows; I still think that if you know your body, your shape, are in tune with your personality and style -- the "perfect" dress will find you. The hunt will be easy. You need to know what you want and go for it! Choosing your wedding dress should be a fun and exciting process.
Here are some tips for choosing the "perfect" wedding dress:
- Don't stray from your everyday style. Don't settle for something because you want to get this part of the wedding planning over. When shopping at bridal shops ask for customization options, what non-traditional dresses are available, and if they can't help you with what you are looking for perhaps they can recommend a bridal shop that fits more with the style and theme of your wedding.
- Try on a variety of dresses. Trust the sales associates. They are trained and know how the dresses fit. Be open to try something you didn't think would work. Sometimes the unexpected dress ends up being the "perfect" dress for you.
- Think comfort when choosing your dress. Keep it on for awhile in the store, sit-down, stand-up, walk around, dance a little, think about it, you could be in that dress for over 12 hours.
- Consider the venue and the style of your wedding. You need to consider your overall theme when choosing your wedding dress. For example, if you are having a beach or country wedding, a simple or vintage dress would be best.
- I know you probably want to bring your grandma, mom, best friend, mother-in-law, and who knows who else to help you choose the "perfect" dress, you also need to first and foremost listen to your gut & trust your own intuition. If you need to sleep on it -- do it!
- Don't get pressured by anyone to choose a certain dress. It's your day and you have to love what you are wearing. Also, only bring a few people when trying on dresses. Try to bring people that know you well and that you can trust their opinion. Don't let them to take over the appoitnment and sway you in one direction or the other.Simply put, if it doesn't feel right -- it probably isn't the "one."
- Once you choose your dress -- stop looking. This is important. Be happy and move on to the next task in the wedding planning process. Take pictures of yourself in the dress to remind yourself how awesome your dress is, so that when you happen to see something else you can have the confidence to know that you already have the "one."
- My last tip, when going for fittings wear the same undergarments as when you first tried the dress on -- better for consistency and ensuring a proper fit.
Goodluck dress shopping. Enjoy the process and don't make it a chore!


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Sylvia McNicoll
Sylvia McNicoll is the award-winning author of more than 30 novels for young people. Once a financial clerk earning her English degree at night from Concordia University in Montreal, Sylvia has since been a teacher and the editor of Today's Parent Toronto. Today Sylvia is a full-time writer who also gives her time to the Canadian Children's Book Centre and Access Copyright. Sylvia lives in Burlington, Ontario.


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Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Illustrator: Mary GrandPre
Fiction Series
For ages 12 and up
Scholastic Press, 1998 ISBN: 978-0590353403
Harry Potter's life is pretty dismal. He lives with his bony nosey Aunt Petunia, his large and loud Uncle Vernon and his horrible bullying cousin Dudley. When he isn't at school Harry spends his time in a closet under the stairs (his room) and that is pretty much it. Harry has never had a birthday party, he has never received real presents and he certainly has never been on the receiving end of any kindness or affection. He has always been told that his parents were killed in a car accident and that his aunt, his mother's sister, took him in out of the kindness of her heart.
Then, just when Harry is about to become ten years old a number of very odd things happen. The most astonishing thing is that Harry is sent a letter and when Uncle Vernon refuses to let Harry have the letter, more and more letters arrive. At first they arrive in the conventional manner, through the mail slot, but then owls start delivering them, they start to come down the chimney and through the windows and wherever Uncle Vernon takes his family and Harry to get away from the letters, the letters still find them.
Finally, on Harry's tenth birthday, his letter is hand-delivered by an enormous person and Harry learns the most astonishing thing - he is a wizard. Not only that but he is the son of a wizard and a witch who did not die in a car accident but who were murdered by a dark wizard called Voldemort. Harry is told by the unlikely messenger that it is now time for him to rejoin the wizarding world. The letter Uncle Vernon tried to keep from Harry says that Harry has been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It goes on to explains that the first day of school is September 1st and it gives him a list of all the supplies he will need.
In just a few short weeks Harry is plunged into the most wonderful world where wizards, witches, goblins, letter delivering owls and much more are commonplace. Hogwarts turns out to be the most astonishing and mostly wonderful place and at long last Harry feels at home. There is one thing though that puts a definite damper on his happiness - something secretive seems to be going on at Hogwarts and Harry and his new friends Hermione and Ron cannot seem to help themselves getting involved in the mystery. Little does Harry know that the mystery involves none other than the very person who killed his parents - Voldemort the dark wizard.
This first book in a series about the boy wizard Harry Potter is often funny, deliciously inventive and imaginative, highly addictive, and a joy to read. Readers are left wondering what is going to happen to Harry in his second year at Hogwarts and if he is going to have yet another encounter with Voldemort.


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People always celebrate it in a happy way
But you will celebrate your's with unparalleled joy.
I wish I could give you more than just a wish
But you have all perfect gifts from above.
Happy Birthday.
Whether far or near,
My desire for all to be well with you is true my dear.
As you advance in many-a-years
May God take away all that brings tears
And make disappear all your fears.
May you live in joy through out your year
And good news and testimonies of you shall all hear.
Happy Birthday, from the friend that cares.
Didn't know what to wish you so I ask God to help you get His will done in your life.
In addition I've asked for you an open cheque.
Write as much as you want for the rest of your life and so shall you have.
Happiest birthday friend. Enjoy it while it lasts.
It's a special occasion
With bundle of joy and jubilation
In perfect condition.
And now you're set in motion.
Please eat jollof and no concoction.
You shall not lose your dimple,
and your face shall no embrace a single pimple.
You shall be the head among many-a-people
and your joy will thrill you more than would ripple.
It's your day. Enjoy it more than apple.


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Last modified: 02/15/2022
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Yellow Velvet Underglaze is a bright lemon yellow that is vivid at cone 05. It is still bright, but less saturated at cone 05 and becomes pale at cone 10. A clear glaze over Yellow darkens the color slightly, but has less of an effect at higher temperatures.
If AMACO Velvets are used for food or drink, they must be covered by a dinnerware-safe clear glaze and fired properly.
Tableware producers must test all finished ware to establish dinnerware status, due to possible variations in firing temperature and contamination.
Price is per two-ounce bottle.


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[Siren Ménage Everlasting: Erotic Consensual BDSM Ménage a Quatre Romance, M/F/M/M, spanking, sex toys, HEA]
Sophie had no interest in the BDSM club down the road, but when the Copeland brothers walked into her small bakery, heat was rising from more than just the bread.
As the new owner of Viper's Dungeon, Alex Copeland is more than ready to find a full-time sub. Sophie Richards, with her delicious curves and warm smile, seems to be a perfect choice.
His brother, Adrian, wasn't quite ready to settle into domestic Dom-sub bliss but one glance at the beauty behind the counter makes him wonder. Maybe it only takes the right woman to make him want the same thing as his brother. As experienced Doms, sharing seems almost natural.
So what happens when they discover that Sophie not only misunderstands their way of life but divorced the head of security at Viper's Dungeon because of it?
Hell, everyone at Viper's knows Malcolm Richards still loves his ex-wife.
Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among siblings.
A Siren Erotic Romance
Abby Blake is a Siren-exclusive author.
5 STARS: "I have been enjoying the Viper's Dungeon series, and I also liked Sophie's Surrender. Malcolm has never stopped loving his ex-wife, Sophie, even though she divorced him once she knew of his BDSM proclivities. She has always associated the genre with slavery, and has never wanted to give up her independence and decision-making, that is part and parcel of her small business owner persona. When she meets Alex and Adrian, she is hooked on them before she finds out they own the local BDSM club. Then she high tails it in the opposite direction. The two brothers plus Malcolm decide to pursue her and teach her she can be whatever she wishes outside the bedroom as long as she takes on all three of them behind closed doors. We have a great heroine's journey here, plus three deliciously sexy men doing Sophie's every bidding, as long as she does theirs in the bedroom. I also liked the idea that the men tried valiantly to help the women in their club that obviously needed psychological help. Blake obviously knows the lifestyle intimately or else has done a lot of research. The books all stand alone, although many characters recur in each book. Either way, all the books are good reads for a snowy night or a day at the beach." -- Alberta, Manic Readers
4.5 STARS: "Sophie owns a small bakery down the road from Vipers Dungeon, the local BDSM club. Her ex-husband Malcolm works at Viper's and is still in love with Sophie. Alex Copeland is ready for a full time sub and is attracted to Sophie. Adrian Copeland is not ready to settle down but Sophie makes him think twice about it. Alex, Adrian and Malcolm all agree that sharing Sophie is the most logical choice. They only have to get Sophie to agree and to trust them. Sophie's Surrender is the fourth book in the Viper's Dungeon series by Ms. Blake. While this book is part of a series, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone, though it does help to have read the prior books since many of those characters make appearances. Sophie is a submissive that does not want to be one. She ran from her ex because he was a Dom. I enjoyed seeing Sophie try to explore the kinkier side of life. I enjoyed how Ms. Blake addressed the issue of communication without pushing it down your throat. Throughout the book, Sophie learns the importance of communicating with your Dom (or Doms). I liked that Alex, Adrian and Malcolm did not push a relationship on her, but let it grow slowly, allowing her time to adjust. The chemistry between Alex, Adrian, Malcolm and Sophie is blistering. The sex scenes were not just scorching but also inventive, and the scenes with all four of them together were easy to follow and understand. I liked that the book was not just about Alex, Adrian, Malcolm and Sophie...there was also the issue of Gina that kept popping up. I now wonder if the next book in the series will address Gina and her many issues. I am interested in what was causing her to act the way she did. Overall, I enjoyed Sophie's Surrender a lot. This is one of the few books I can see myself reading again in the future. " -- Arianna Bolger, Just Erotic Romance Reviews
4.5 HEARTS: "If you are looking for a hot erotic menage then this is the book for you. Sophie is a woman that left her husband five years ago because he went to work at the Viper's Dungeon and wanted to start bringing it to the bedroom. Sophie wasn't comfortable with that so she wanted a divorce. She thought that BDSM was something that you did all the time. It mean giving away your independence and doing whatever your Dom said for you to do. That wasn't something she was comfortable with. So she opened her own business. Five years down the road Viper's Dungeon has a new owner and when Alex and Adrian meet Sophie they know she is the woman for them. Sophie gives them one night and then she finds out who they are. With the help of these two brothers and some women, Sophie starts seeing that she was wrong. I enjoyed this book. I wondered what I would be getting myself into when I started reading this book. It was something that I couldn't have imagined in my wildest imagination. The author did a wonderful job showing Sophie's fears and what it took to get over them. I am so glad that these three men didn't fight over her and made a relationship work. The storyline was easy to follow and even though I didn't read the other three I never felt like I was missing out on anything. I will warn you that this is a M/F/M/M. There is no M/M. There is anal sex and toys with BDSM. I enjoyed this book and will read more by this author in the future." -- Crystal, Smile Somebody Loves You
Alex was suddenly really glad for his martial arts training and quick reflexes.
Malcolm Richards—employee, very large, highly trained Dom, and a man he thought of as a friend—looked ready to kill him. Alex held up his hands in supplication. Whatever the problem was they were both old enough to settle it without throwing punches…he hoped.
"What did you do to her?"
"Her?" Alex asked, his thoughts immediately turning back to Sophie and her fearful response when she'd learned he and Adrian owned Viper's Dungeon.
"Sophie," Malcolm practically growled. His tone of voice was a damn good reminder why he was the head of security here. "Sophie Richards."
Oh shit! Richards? Malcolm's sister? Cousin? Some kind of female relation? It was a fairly common family name and until this very moment Alex hadn't put two and two together.
"Adrian and I spent the night with her," he said, figuring that it was best to get the whole story out there as quickly as possible. "She's very special to both of us. We have no intention of hurting her."
"Too fucking late," Malcolm said, his fists clenching and unclenching as he tried to control his temper. For a man who was usually tightly controlled and very much in charge, it was an interesting thing to see him struggle with his rage like this. It was also a little unnerving to be the target of the man's wrath.
Alex wouldn't go down without a fight, but they could do each other a lot of physical damage if this conversation spiraled out of control.
"What happened?" Alex asked, trying to keep his voice calm. Considering that every muscle in his body was tensed for a fight, it took way more effort than usual. "Did Sophie call you?"
Malcolm closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths.
"No," he said, his fists still clenching and unclenching. "I called her and she accused me of setting her up."
"Why would she think that?" Alex asked, trying to relax his muscles as Malcolm's obvious attempt to calm down seemed to lessen the chances of a physical altercation.
"Because Viper's Dungeon is why she divorced me."
"She's your ex-wife?" This was bad, really, really bad. Every member of the club knew Malcolm was still in love with his ex-wife. The fact that it was Sophie somehow didn't surprise Alex. After only one night he wasn't willing to let her go either.
Malcolm took a step back and leaned against the wall. He folded his arms and shook his head, staring at the ground as he finally began to explain. "She hates the idea of being a submissive. She never even let me explain the lifestyle I wanted for us both. She just walked away."
"I'm sorry," Alex said. He wasn't apologizing for wanting Sophie. He was only sorry that Malcolm knew what it was like to love the woman and not have that feeling returned. "I doubt it helps, but she pretty much did the same when she learned about me and Adrian. The three of us had an amazing night together, the type of night we hoped might lead to something more permanent, and with a few words it was over."
"So you're walking away from her? You've had your fun?" Malcolm's anger was back full force and this time Alex didn't need an explanation why.
"No, we're not walking away. We're giving her space."
Malcolm shook his head, calming down a little. "It doesn't work. I've given her five years of 'space.'" He practically spat the word. "She thinks being submissive will make her a sex slave."
"She's too independent to be a slave," Alex said as confusion swirled through him. It had seemed obvious to both him and Adrian that Sophie would only ever submit in the bedroom. She was a strong-willed woman and she would never be happy being told what to do in her day-to-day life.
"I know," Malcolm said quietly. "But she's also stubborn enough to not listen."
"So where do we go from here?" Alex asked.
Malcolm shook his head. "I don't know."
"She's naturally submissive in the bedroom."
Malcolm glared at him angrily but nodded in agreement.
"If she's not going to listen, maybe it's time to show her what our lifestyle is about."
"Good luck with that," Malcolm said sarcastically. "You'll never get her to step foot in this place voluntarily and if you even think about forcing her, I won't even bother to try and stop myself from ripping you in half."
Alex smiled. He had no doubt that Malcolm meant every word, but it also proved that he was as protective of Sophie as he and Adrian felt. This wasn't a territorial "she was mine first" reaction. They were the words of a man who truly cared for his ex-wife.
"I was thinking more along the lines of introducing her to Emma and Maya, perhaps even Bianca if it's not too soon since the baby's birth. I think they'd be willing to help us all find the path to true love."
Malcolm grunted, but didn't say anything. It wasn't until that moment that Alex realized he was already thinking of Malcolm as part of the relationship with a woman he and Adrian both adored. Sophie had already accepted two men in her bed at one time.
Perhaps she would consider three.
"I need to make a few phone calls."
A trickle of cool water over her mound took her by surprise, her natural instinct to flinch away easily thwarted by her bonds. What she assumed was shaving gel felt a little warmer as Malcolm caressed it over her outer pussy lips.
Adrian and Alex took turns distracting her, alternating between kissing her breathless and licking her nipples. By the time Malcolm had scraped the razor over every quivering inch of her pussy, she was damn near ready to come.
But he wasn't finished. A quick adjustment of the table pulled her ass lower, her anus most likely exposed to his attentions. She could feel a blush steal over her entire body as he caressed shaving gel over and around her tiny bud. The gentle touch of the razor that close to so many nerve endings felt naughty and forbidden but somehow amazingly erotic at the same time.
"Well look at that," Malcolm said to the other two men in the room as he rinsed cool water over her pussy and ass. "She also has a very pretty virgin asshole."
Virgin asshole?
If she hadn't been breathless with excitement she might have blurted the question, but her thoughts scattered once more as he rinsed her thoroughly, patted her skin dry, and then reached for something on the medical tray. The cold touch of gel made her wonder if he'd missed a few hairs, but when his finger pushed into her ass, his meaning finally dawned on her.
Her virgin asshole wasn't likely to be virgin much longer.
Adrian and Alex continued to distract her, their hands, lips, and tongues touching every inch of her upper body as Malcolm slid his finger gently into and out of her ass. She nearly screamed when his warm tongue traveled over her newly denuded mound, licking and laving the incredibly sensitive skin.
She shook on the verge of orgasm, her body a riot of sensations she had no hope to control.
Adrian moved to lean over her, his face filling her field of vision as Malcolm shoved a second finger deep into her ass and sucked so hard on her clit her eyes couldn't focus.
"Come for us, little sub," Adrian ordered in a kind but bossy tone.
She could do nothing but comply, screaming as climax shook her immobilized body, the sensations somehow more intense when she realized she truly couldn't move. All three men continued to torment her, their intimate touches prolonging the feeling, her climax going on and on and on.
Finally she closed her eyes, sagging against the table as if she'd run a marathon at top speed. It took a few moments of semiconsciousness to finally realize that Malcolm still had two fingers buried deep in her ass.
He started to move then, his fingers sliding into her ass over and over, the nerve endings flaring to life again and again until she thought she'd go insane. When he pushed in a third finger, she gasped from the heated sting, her anal muscles pulsing rhythmically as her breathing faltered.
"It's okay, little sub," Alex said as he brushed a loose curl out of her eyes. "It's about to feel a whole lot better."
She whimpered at the loss as Malcolm pulled his fingers from her back passage and then watched nervously as he removed the gloves, reached for a condom, and then sheathed his hard cock. Holy fuck, she'd been so involved in her own pleasure she hadn't even noticed him take off the doctor's face mask or drop his trousers.
He held her gaze as he squeezed lubrication from a tube and then thoroughly coated his condom-clad erection. She held her breath at the first slippery touch of his cock against her throbbing asshole, but another hard pinch on her nipple had her gasping for air.
"Relax," Adrian ordered in a tone that was no longer indulgent. He was suddenly as dominating as Alex and Malcolm, his demeanor very serious as Malcolm slowly pushed the head of his cock into her anus. She gasped, trying to pull away from the horrible sting, her confinement a little bit frightening.
"It hurts," she whispered, blinking rapidly as tears threatened to fill her eyes.
"Are you using your safe word, little sub?" Adrian asked, once again blocking her field of vision as he leaned over her.
She shook her head, the awful pain stealing her voice.
"Give us a color, little sub. Red or yellow?"
She was about to scream the word "red" when something changed, the heated sting in her ass morphing into something far more appealing. She hesitated, staring into Adrian's eyes as pleasure began to take over. She moaned, wanting now to move closer, to demand Malcolm thrust deeper.
"Red or yellow, Sophie?" Adrian practically growled.
"Green?" she offered on yet another soft moan.
Adrian closed his eyes, his relief seeming to flow through her as well. "Does that mean you don't want to stop, little brat?"
"Sorry," she offered as Malcolm slid a little further into her ass. "I just…um…panicked for a moment."
"No, little sub," Adrian said with a slightly feral grin, "you forgot to trust your Doms. When Malcolm is finished fucking that beautiful ass, I'm going to smack it until it glows in the dark."
Malcolm groaned as her ass squeezed around him, her reaction to the thought of another spanking not at all what she'd been expecting.
Adrian shook his head and whispered one word.


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kr2,190 ISK
kr0 ISK
Dimma liquid soap
DIMMA autumn soap is made from natural oils which leave the skin feeling soft and nourished. The soap is made from greater than 97% naturally derived materials and contains seasonally inspired scents.
Dimma (Darkness) symbolizes the increasing darkness of the Icelandic autumn. The scent is powerful, spicy and redolent of fruit. It evokes memories of a walk in the autumn forest, brown leaves and wild berry picking. Dimma's refreshing scent is a combination of fruit, rich spices, conifer and wild berries.
Pine / Cinnamon / Citrus zestCedar /wild mure /RaspberryLichen / Fir balsam / Mousse
INGREDIENTS: Water (Aqua), Canola Oil (Brassica Napus Linnaeus), Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Capryl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Phytate, Parfum.
For external use only. Discontinue use if irritation or rash appears.
Þyngd / Weight: 200 ml / 6.7 oz
Made in Iceland


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High Shank ruler set with one straight and one curved ruler! Buy as a bundle and save!
The Stunning Straight Edge ruler is 9″ long by 2″ wide with a 45* handle for easy holding! No more sore hands holding rulers and quilting.
#10 Curved ruler s 10″ across and 1/4″ thick. See description below for detailed information.
Introducing the NEW stunning straight edge! I have modified the ruler to better work for all of your marking and quilting needs! the ruler is 9″ long by 2″ wide with a 45* handle for easy holding! No more sore hands holding rulers and quilting. I love this ruler because it makes it easy to follow quilting lines and designs with its blue tint that glows in the light… making it easy to follow the marking guides on light and dark fabrics. following the 1/4 inch guidelines is a snap! 1/4 and 1/2 inch horizontal markings so you can measure and mark right at your machine! no extra rulers needed! Check for how to use ruler videos on boldnotionquilting.com/tutorials then we also have multiple degrees for quilting angles, which are amazing when you don't want to mark so much and just want to quilt! we have a 30*, 45*, 60* and 75* angles to make angles and arrows a snap! The quilted Pineapple #10 curve is 10″ wide. This ruler is fantastic for blocks and varying border designs, and is incredibly helpful in stitching curves. great base for marking larger feather motifs and getting those feather spines and border swags stitched with ease!
The curved #10 ruler is 10″ wide and 1/4″ thick and can be used on Domestic or Lonagarm Machines. Rulers have the same degree curve along the top and bottom; what this means for you when quilting, is that you can easily switch directions while quilting without having to switch hands for holding. The etched 1/4″ registration marks won't wear off like printed on lines can features a green tinted acrylic which allows for better sight of ruler and registration markings on all colors of fabric, where as white lines may get lost when trying to see and line up registration marks on white and light fabrics) So many wonderful features you'll wonder why you didn't invest in these rulers sooner!
|.6875 lbs
|9 × 2 × 2 in


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Stay-up-to-date with the immoviewer blog - the place for news & events, product updates and the occasional musings from our team.
Before Seeing A Home In Person, 84% Want A VR Tour
It's not surprising to any of us here at immoviewer that a recent survey by Coldwell Banker revealed that, "62 percent of the more than 3,000 respondents to Coldwell Banker's survey say they'd choose a real estate agent who offers VR house tours as a service to their clients over…Read More
immoviewer Welcomes New North American CEO
Jeff Turner Named North American Chief Executive Officer For Immediate Release BERLIN, GERMANY – September 22, 2017 – immoviewer, the European market leader in 3-D virtual tour technology, has announced the appointment of Jeff Turner as their new North American CEO. Turner will assume part-time responsibilities on October 1,…Read More
immoviewer 3D Tours vs. Matterport 3D Tours
IMMOVIEWER VS MATTERPORT You already know that integrating 3D 360° tours & virtual reality into your real estate marketing mix will help boost your brand, save you time, generate more leads, and grow your business. But where do you start when finding a 3D tour provider? Well, chances are, you'll…Read More
Virtual Reality & 3D Tours: The Ultimate Buyer's Agent Tool
Traditionally, many think of Virtual Reality as a listing agent tool. VR is a powerful way to market property by truly showcasing the features, layout, and more. But the truth is, Virtual Reality and 3D Tours are a strong addition to any buyer agent's business. Here are 3 ways…Read More
[Infographic] Showcase Unique Property Features in 3D Virtual Tours
How to Use InfoPoints for an Excellent 3D Home Tour Here are four ways to improve your 360° tour with infopoints. SHOWCASE PROPERTY FEATURES 3D tours are a necessity in creating an immersive experience when viewing property. Use Infopoints to bring attention to the details a 3D tour may not…Read More
[Infographic] Virtual Reality in the Real Estate Industry
See how VR will impact your real estate biz in an immoviewer demo.Read More


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Sacred Geography: Why You Should Travel To Varanasi
In search of the luminous in India's City of Light.
We were afloat on a boat on the Ganga, our ride bobbing against others under the evening sky on a river spangled with candle-lit flower bowls. Our first day in the city of Varanasi was ending in direct view of one of Hinduism's most flamboyant and gorgeous dedications to the waters of life : the Ganga aarti on Dashashwamedh Ghat.
In an awe-inspiring choreographic spectacle, two separate groups of priests whirled humongous flaming lamps, billowed incense, clanged cymbals and blew conches on the city's main ghat (stairway to the river). It's one of the most recorded sights of Varanasi, and yet, as I was about to discover, the city delivers its stereotypes but with an unforgettable presence that transcends all the stories you have heard. I hadn't anticipated the gentle power of the Ganga – at once a goddess and a river – to mute out the clangour of the thronging banks; serenely rippling in the eye of chaos.
I almost missed this moment. In the tradition of all who head to Kashi – the Luminous, the City of Light – I nearly didn't make the trip. Ten hours before, I found out at the airport that I didn't have a seat as the airline had overbooked the flight. After running between counters for help I was about to give up, when I overheard another Varanasi-bound passenger complaining, and a bunch of us gravitated and lobbied until we were put onboard. I was being shaken out of my comfort zone. It fit in with one of the many stories that do the rounds of Varanasi, that visitors will be thwarted and challenged until finally rewarded for outlasting their trials by Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and the supreme consciousness in Shaivism; the fearsome yet benevolent patron deity of the city.
I was in Varanasi – bumping through narrow lanes in suicidal cycle rickshaws, passing hole-in-the-wall government-approved shops selling bhang (a form of cannabis associated with Shiva), shuttling between its daily festivities and unexpected oases of calm – to find potentially illuminating experiences for travellers. The United Nations had named 2015 as the Year of Light – more to do with science than spirituality – but still a good trigger to explore India's own city of light that has been a beacon for several millenial.
The city bristles with temples and symbolism – it is not unusual to wake up at an unearthly hour to the sound of chanting and bells ringing. Every resident of Kashi is said to be a form of Shiva, and every pebble in the City of Light is said to be a lingam, the phallic icon of Shiva. Kashi is said to rest on Shiva's trident, with the temples of Omkareshwar, Vishveshwar (Vishwanath) and Kedareshwar marking its prongs. Only in Varanasi (the city lying between River Varana and the Asi stream), does the River Ganga run from south to north – in Shiva's direction – its bend resembling the crescent moon on the god's forehead. Kashi is said to be laid out in concentric circles that are an archetype of the cosmos; walking its five spiral pilgrimage routes are said to reveal the cosmic order and rhythm, and to align the human with the divine. In fact, pilgrims are believed to gain the merits of all the Hindu pilgrimages across India just by visiting their representational shrines in the city.
Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world – one of its names is Avimukta (never forsaken) – but in typical paradox, its buildings are only a few centuries old because of the many kings who plundered the city and razed its shrines, only to inspire others to reconstruct them with as much accuracy as possible. "Kashi", its oldest moniker, means "concentration of cosmic light", from the legend that when the Hindu god of creation, Brahma, and the preserver god Vishnu were arguing about who was supreme, Shiva appeared in a pillar of light that pierced through the entire cosmos. Kashi is said to be the light that Brahma and Vishnu saw, and the Kashi Vishwanath temple represents one of the 12 jyotira (light-manifested) lingas that form a major pilgrimage route in India. The original site of the temple is debated given that it has shifted and been rebuilt four times, twice replaced by a mosque.
Gate number 4, said to be the best way to access the Kashi Vishwanath temple complex, is on the route that mourners carry their dead to Manikarnika Ghat, the bigger of Varanasi's two cremation grounds – though you'd never guess it by the aromatic food stalls and traditional handicraft shops lining the way. One of the city's names is "Mahasmashana" or "the great cremation ground", but the city of death is not a city of darkness because those who die here are said to escape the curse of Yama, the Hindu god of death, as Shiva whispers the mantra of liberation to the passing soul. The cremation grounds with their rising embers and breezes carrying ash and the chants of the mourners are a sobering and profound experience; we observed the glowing pyres of Manikarnika from a ledge above, and took a boat down the smaller Harishchandra Ghat, which also has an electric crematorium.
The sacred geography of Varanasi is the particular expertise of Rana P.B. Singh, professor at Banaras Hindu University and co-author of the highly recommended and excellently researched Benaras: A Spiritual And Cultural Guide. His three most illuminating experiences are not the usual. Lolarka Kund, a pre-Aryan fertility temple near Assi Ghat, is one of the two oldest sites mentioned in the Mahabharata. Lolarka means "trembling sun"; the temple is said to mark the spot where the sun god Surya trembled with delight at the sight of Kashi. Sent to Varanasi as an envoy of Shiva, the enchanted Surya found it impossible to return, and instead, split himself into 12 and set up residence at the 12 shrines that now form the path of the Aditya Yatra.
When we visited Lolarka Kund, a few discarded clothes lay on the steps – it is customary for devotees to return when their boon is granted, change into new clothes and leave the old behind. Pappu, a guide with Varanasi Old City Tours, told us that he remembered a time a few decades ago when people lined up for a few kilometers to dip in the pool. People may visit from far away to conceive a son, Pappu said, but it is a long-standing local joke that the most warrior-like woman of India's freedom fighters, Jhansi ki Rani, is a daughter of the same soil.
Singh also recommended the Kapileshwar temple at Kapiladhara, "the oldest site mentioned in the Mahabharata", and the Kardameshwar temple at Kandwa that has "the only temple complex which was saved from the [Mughal] destruction"; one of the few in north India "to have maintained its live tradition of rituals".
But Kashi is not just sacred to Hindus. It is the birthplace of three of the 24 Jain tirthankaras (teachers) – Chandraprabhu, Parshvanatha and Suparshvanatha. Mahavir, the 24th tirthankara and Buddha's contemporary, taught here. Medieval poet-saint Kabir of the Bhakti and Sufi movements, was brought up in Varanasi by a poor Muslim weaver family, and accepted as a disciple by Ramanand on the steps of Panchganga Ghat. Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, was influenced by the city's saints Kabit and Raidas, and is said to have visited and taught in the city.
One of the most peaceful spots I visited was in neighbouring Sarnath, at Dhamekh Stupa in Deer Park, where the Buddha first preached in 528 B.C., in the manner of the 1,000 Buddhas before him. Nearby is the Mahabodhi Society's Mulagandha Kuti Vihara temple, with luminous frescoes painted by Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu, and in whose vicinity is a bodhi tree, a descendant of the tree under which Buddha gained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya.
I returned with a pack full of memories from all the roads to the divine that wind through the holy city. A monk striding around the Buddhist temple complex, turning prayer wheels on Republic Day with an Indian flag in his hand. An ash-smeared Aghori sadhu whose penetrating gaze I caught as he stood immobile, anchored by a stick in a hurtling sea of people. The Ganga viewed from the house of Hindu saint Tulsidas, author of the seminal retelling of the Ramayana in Hindi and the initiator of Varanasi's legendary Ramlila theatrical performances. The large outdoor statue in Sarnath of Mahavir, left open to the elements just like the sky-clad monks of the Digambar Jain sect; simple, unadorned and yet stilling. My last boat ride that morning, we had set out at pre-dawn, the time associated with Brahma and meditation, and sailed down as the sun set fire to the earth, until we pulled in to the strains of a live classical music concert on Assi Ghat. I had been to a city drunk on the divine and yet full of all the chaos and excesses of humanity. It was an intoxicating blend; easy enough to see why the city has never been abandoned by gods in mythology or people in recorded history.
Written by Saumya Ancheri, Assistant Web Editor at National Geographic Traveller India. She loves places by the sea, and travels to shift her own boundaries.


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Funds raised will go to two programs at TCSC - The Thompson Cares Fundand The Fellowhip Center.
Con was at the Blackjack table and Bill Landry of The Heartland Series was the dealer.Can you say t-r-o-u-b-l-e?!
Bill was glad to be a part of this event for such a worthy cause.
Kaye has known Con for years, and was actually responsible for recruiting Con for this fun event.


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Janessa Brazil has it all hot tits, smoking ass, gorgeous face and pure sexuality. If you love Latina's and you are an even bigger fan of sexy ass women then you really must check this out.
Rating: 87.3
Categories: Solo Models, Latina, Softcore
Date Reviewed: 09/06/2010
Price: $19.95 / month


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Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto; Rococo Variations
Nemanja Radulovic
Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra; Sascha Goetzel conducting
Serbian violinist and violist Nemanja Radulovic performs Tchaikovky's Violin Concerto, the piece he has played most often during his career. He also plays viola in the Rococo Variations, originally for cello but arranged for viola and string ensemble. BELOW: an excerpt from the beginning of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto:
Last Leaf
Danish String Quartet
Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: violin, harmonium, piano, glockenspiel
Frederik Øland: violin
Asbjørn Nørgaard: viola
Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin: violoncello
Nordic folk music is the focus of this new album by the Danish String Quartet. For example, the piece "Fästan" takes off from an unusual Christmas hymn, "Now found is the fairest of roses," published in 1732 by Danish theologian and poet H.A. Brorson. The hymn is set to a mysterious, dark melody: Brorson had chosen an old Lutheran funeral choral to accompany his Christmas hymn, elegantly showing how life and death are always connected. "From here we embark on a travel through the rich fauna of Nordic folk melodies until returning to Brorson in the end," read the program notes. "It is a journey that could have been made in many different ways, but we believe that we returned with some nice souvenirs."
Bach Cello Suites
Richard Narroway, cello
After traveling for 30 days all over his home country Australia, playing the Bach Suites for students, Parkinson's sufferers, church-goers, shoppers and more, cellist Richard Narroway, 26, created this recording of all the suites. "Bachabout" became a term Narroway used to describe his journey, comparing it with the "walkabout," the Aboriginal rite of passage during which young indigenous Australians venture into the wilderness on a spiritual quest. BELOW: Scenes and sounds from that journey.
You might also like:
That guy goes to the same barber as Steven Isserlis.
That Danish String Quartet recording looks/sounds very interesting!
Paul, one could argue he doesn't have a barber.
Nemanja looks so tall, no wonder he can also play the viola...His violin looks like a ½ size in his hands :-)
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Hearthstone por Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard has put out many games over the course of its 20 year existence, but never one quite like Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. At its core, Hearthstone is a collectible card game that revolves around turn-based, online matches between two opponents; players earn a set of basic cards, and can eventually obtain more advanced "Expert" cards by purchasing card packs with gold earned in-game, or with real money. Players can also "disenchant" unwanted cards, destroying them in exchange for arcane dust (a resource that can be used to create new cards).
On a cultural level it was certainly a challenge for Blizzard to bring its card game to market, as Blizzard has notoriously high expectations internally for the games it releases – and Hearthstone was no exception. "If you walk through our patio, in the middle of our buildings there's a giant, 12-foot statue of an orc, and at the base of the orc is a bronze plate that says, 'Dedicated to creating the most epic entertainment experiences…ever.' We really think about that. With all of the games we're doing, they need to deliver an epic entertainment experience. Historically, that meant something awesome and huge and with a ton of spectacle."
"For this game, we knew we weren't going to be able to make big environments with tons of characters," continues Chayes. "Our approach instead was to re-imagine epic to really speak to craftsmanship. Could we make an incredibly physical game? When I'm interacting with the cards in the game, can they feel tangible? It was a challenge re-imagining epic so that it worked for a smaller team, and figuring out how we could hold true to what we think of when we think of a Blizzard game."
The game has been in development for several years, and was initially intended as a PC release. It's currently available on Mac, PC, and the iPad, and will be released on iOS phones and Android tablets and phones later this year. "When we first announced Hearthstone, not everyone knew what to make of it and we did get some raised eyebrows," says Chayes. "This was about a year ago, when we announced the game at PAX East 2013; some people heard about it and were like, 'Wow, that's not what I would have expected from Blizzard.'" It seemed, perhaps, less epic than expected.
For the team, figuring out a new approach – where it didn't have a massive team or lots of time to be able to deliver the game – meant a need to rethink what "epic" meant. A few months after the announcement, once Hearthstone made its way into people's hands, players really got a sense of what was cool and different about it. "Almost universally, every time a new group of players came into the game, we heard, 'Wow, that's awesome. I never would have expected that I'd love this type of a game. But I'm super into it and I can't wait to play more.'" It was a refrain the team heard throughout the beta, and the game's accessibility has already brought some 10 million players into the Hearthstone fold.
"This is a game where in five minutes, you can get in and start playing," says Chayes. "You don't have to know anything about collectible card games, but you'll be able to dive in and understand the rules of the game. You'll see some really cool spells and minions you can play. It's a new window into the Warcraft universe than what anyone has seen before."
The choice to develop the game using Unity came fairly early on, and helped ease the challenge of bringing it to multiple platforms. "We made the decision that Unity was the right tech base, the right engine for us to bring the PC version of Hearthstone out to the world," says Chayes. Later into development, the surge in popularity of games on mobile devices caught Blizzard's attention, on both a corporate and personal level. "A lot of the games we were playing on the team happened to be on tablets and other mobile devices, and we realized that Hearthstone could lend itself very well to this platform – both due to the touch interface working well for card interaction and also the shorter play sessions that run about 10 minutes at a time," says Chayes. "For all of those reasons, we thought that it would be a good thing for us to experiment and see if we could make the transition to tablets. After we did that evaluation, we made the decision to bring the game [into] the mobile space, and the fact that we used Unity made that an easier transition."
"In fact, one of the great benefits of using Unity was that we were able to make the transition over to the tablet version of the game relatively seamlessly," Chayes continues. "The game worked great for that because you're dragging cards around and you're flipping pages in the collection manager. It was a natural fit for mobile devices, so that actually worked really well. But the tech base really allowed us to get the prototypes up and running very quickly – I think that really spoke to how well Unity really helped us out with the project."
One of the team's major goals was to have the mobile version of Hearthstone differ as little as possible from the PC original, to maintain parity in terms of the experience. "If you were coming to play on an iPad and you had historically played on a PC, we didn't want you to have to re-learn a bunch of UI or understand new targeting mechanics to figure out which minions you want to hit with your spells," says Chayes. That said, there are some subtle ways that the versions differ. There's no notion of "right click" when you're playing on iPad, for instance, so operations that were reliant on that had to be remapped in different ways. Same with tool tips; when you're dragging your finger across the screen, there's no hover equivalent. On mobile, if you touch and hold on a card, it will display the tool tip after a short time.
The team was small by Blizzard's standards: about 15 people for a number of years. In terms of the folks tasked with bringing the game to mobile, that sits at around four or five. "One of the things that really made Unity a great solution for us, is that we really like to iterate here at Blizzard," says Chayes. "That's one of the things that's been core to our game development process in the past: we spend a lot of time going over the mechanics, multiple times, and working on them to make sure they're as polished and as awesome as they can be."
Because Hearthstone was a smaller game and had a shorter development timeframe than some of its other titles, the Blizzard team didn't have as much time to go through its traditional iteration cycles. "One of the great things about using Unity is the speed with which you can iterate allows us to learn things that are working and not working, very fast," says Chayes. "The fact that you can run the editor and it shows the same thing players are going to see in the game – and then stop it and go and identify bugs or polish things you want to tweak – really helped us learn faster about some of the things we thought we could be improved."