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Help gather critical information to protect leopards and monkeys under threat in South Africa.
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Study the perceptions and reality of human versus wildlife conflict in the mountains of South Africa while living side-by-side with leopards, monkeys, and other mammals under growing threat.
Across Africa, conflict between humans and animals is rising due to increased habitat fragmentation resulting from human activities. Nevertheless, the magnificent Soutpansberg Mountains of South Africa support one of the highest leopard densities in Africa. Although these beautiful cats remain elusive, their abundance brings them into contact and conflict with humans. Similarly, monkeys (which include baboons) thrive within the mountains, but their adaptable nature and willingness to exploit cultivated crops brings them into conflict with farmers.
Help researchers understand the ecology of these charismatic species, as well as the factors that drive and mitigate conflict between humans and wildlife. Despite the leopard's bad reputation, primates are often cited as a major pest species by many landowners. Since some of these primates are critical prey species for leopards, studying these animals at the same time is important for understanding how their populations interact with each other and with the human population.
Economic losses for farmers undermine local conservation efforts. Determining the extent of these conflicts and examining ways for farmers and these primates to coexist is essential for conserving both species diversity and local livelihoods in the area.
Help provide the data that will create new ways to address negative perceptions about these animals in the surrounding human communities.
With your help, Earthwatch researchers will improve relations between local human communities and the flagship wildlife of the region.
Mountainous environments are becoming increasingly important as conservation refuges for many mammalian species in South Africa, especially in the face of growing pressures from farming and other commercial activities. These and other changes in the use of mountainous lands, along with government land reforms, pose heightened risks to the conservation potential of these regions. In addition, farmers and ranchers tend to think of leopards and brown hyenas as major killers of their livestock, even though data from this project have shown that livestock rarely features in the diets of these carnivores. Landowners even more commonly cite baboons as a major pest species.
You'll assist scientists conducting research in three critical areas: investigating the presence and diversity of important species, assessing the extent of human–wildlife conflict and investigating possible mitigation strategies, and increasing environmental awareness in local communities.
Farmers tend to think of leopards as major killers of their livestock.
By helping monitor the region's predator populations, you can help the scientists ensure that human activities don't put these populations at risk, and provide data that will help create new ways to address negative perceptions about these animals in the surrounding communities.
The Lajuma Research Centre is high in the Soutpansberg Mountain Range. The climate is temperate, with cool, dry winters and warm-to-hot, humid summers. Lajuma sits within the Soutpansberg mist-belt zone where intense mists at some times of the year increase the rainfall.
The Research Centre area is famous for its breathtaking mountain vistas, pristine wilderness, and diversity of plants and animals. The area boasts tremendous plant diversity, including a large number of endemic and rare species. All five South African primate species (chacma baboon, vervet monkey, samango monkey, and two species of nocturnal bushbaby) occur in abundance, along with antelope, mongoose, honey badger, caracal, brown hyena, and leopard. Crowned and Vereaux's eagles occur in the region, and the rare bat eagle, nerina trogon, and lanner falcon may also be spotted. Lajuma also boasts a range of interesting archaeological sites.
This is a summary:
Get to know the African wilds as you help:
In the evenings, you may work with the data (for example, by downloading the information collected by leopard and primate radio collars). You will also have a chance to learn from the researchers about the history and background of their work, the fascinating species they focus on, and the general state of conservation and human-wildlife conflict in South Africa.
Volunteers make sure camera traps are up and running.
Join Dr. Hill in South Africa and help study the wildlife of Soutpansberg.
Earthwatch scientist Russell Hill explores human–wildlife interactions in South Africa, where he runs the Primate and Predator Project at the Lajuma Research Centre.
Teams stay in the Wilderness Camp at the Lajuma Research Station, which has comfortable thatched-roof huts with shared rooms and bathroom facilities. Bedding is provided (mosquito nets are not required). The camp has modern plumbing and gets electricity from a generator.
A resident cook will prepare most of your meals. You'll enjoy a mixture of international and local cuisine, including traditional South African meals such as poitjiekos (game stews) and braais (barbeques). The Soutpansberg Mountains are in a subtropical fruit area, so meals will also include lots of in-season fruit.
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Michael Bucek | Monday, August1, 2016
I spent part of July 2016 volunteering on Earthwatch's Primate and Predator Project. The outing exposed me to science, a part of the world I had never visited, like-minded people, and a chance to 'rough' it a bit. And this wasn't a wasted exercise. Earthwatch volunteers, with the help of professionals, assisted with collecting camera trap photos, removing snares, measuring vegetation plots and more. I experienced activities, science based, that most people are either unfamiliar with or don't fully understand. The Primate and Predator staff explained what needed to be done, and guided us through each task. I never felt overwhelmed, in fact an hour or two into each activity I felt competent enough to handle the job on my own. Yes, we worked but there was also pleasant company, rather leisurely dinners, and even a bit or down time to take pictures, take a short walk or in one case bird watch. Additionally, much university research languishes due to a lack of money and/or a lack of personnel. Much of this research, like the Primate and Predator Project, is important, and that is why Earthwatch's contribution is critical. Earthwatch supplies research teams with willing, competent; hard working volunteers. In return volunteers experience fieldwork, and spend time in an exotic corner of the Earth. I liked the Earthwatch experience enough to sign on to two trips, and will likely sign on the a third.
Vicky Kleinman | Monday, June13, 2016
Four of us went, ranging in age from 55 to 82, my daughter and me and two friends, from MN, DE and Austria. [Actually, our 9-member volunteer team's age range dipped to 24.] We never thought we'd spend time together washing leopard scat and removing rusty barbed wire fences from remote areas of South Africa. But here we were, in this gorgeous land, waking to find vervet monkeys, samango monkeys and baboons scrambling around outside our window.
We never did see the leopards in person, but the scat plus the many camera traps we set, recovered and organized testified to their presence. Monkeys abounded and bounded, as did assorted antelope and more other wondrous birds and beasts than this enfeebled memory can recall the names of. Wonderful people, purposeful activities and gorgeous surroundings. The research team leaders were warm knowledgeable and sharing; the student interns were helpful, fun and made me wish I could start all over again - from the beginning.
Malcolm Fenton | Monday, September 14, 2015
I completely endorse what my team-mates Jan and Pam write here about Lajuma and the outstanding researchers and staff who helped make our stay so meaningful and joyous. (We also had a great team!). I will add new commentary here, mainly about the general environment and camp.
Cliffs, forests and thickets predominate, with some lovely patches of grassland, clear, rushing streams, and, in places, prehistoric paintings under rock overhangs. It is glorious to walk freely in the African bush, occasionally looking out over the plains below, or up to the sky where eagles and vultures soar. Spending time with habituated primates is simply magical. In addition, you may see animals such as bushbuck and red duiker, and quite a few birds.
The Research Camp is glorious, perched on a ledge overlooking the plains below. It is comfortable, simple and serene. A communal living/eating/lecture area opens to a garden centered about a campfire. Sleeping accommodations exceeded my expectations, and there is some single-room availability.
Admire the mists drifting over the mountain ridges as you step out at dawn. Sneak up on the nearby rock hyrax colony as they soak up the morning rays. Feel a rush of connection as a baboon sits down to contemplate you as he drifts through the camp. Stuff yourself with delicious food. Enjoy great company. Learn a lot.
My thanks to all at Lajuma and to my fellow team-mates. If you can go, I recommend joining this wonderful Expedition.
Pam Roberts | Thursday, August 06, 2015
This was our first trip with Earthwatch. We plan to do many more given the outstanding nature of the first trip. The variety of research, quality of the scientists and interaction with students was great. The variety of work you assist with is amazing We walked/drove to camera traps to retrieve photo cards and then identified species captured on the pictures. We assisted students in vegetation surveys, washed and prepared scat samples, cleared away invasive species, removed snares and old fence, visited a school, and collected data on baboons and Samangos during their movements. In the evening, you learned about the research from the students and scientists at Lajuma. The hospitality accorded was outstanding, accommodations and food were fine (monkeys frequented our patio area). Katie and Sam are outstanding as your scientific hosts. We took a number of hikes with the group and learned a good deal about the fauna and flora of South Africa. Go on this trip if you have the chance. You will learn so much about the wildlife and how to help mitigate conflicts with man and what you can do to aid in this.
Jan Kleinman | Thursday, July 30, 2015
Having been a volunteer in campaigns, schools and other community settings, I know how one can feel useless if not deployed in meaningful work and/or without sufficient training. This Earthwatch expedition KNOWS HOW TO USE VOLUNTEERS EFFECTIVELY. The coordinators explained clearly both how and why to do each task. They engaged us in a variety of activities, each of which illuminated and contributed towards either biological knowledge or conservation. Moreover, they did so most of the time, so we had just enough (not too much, not too little) free time between tasks.
Biological tasks we did included camera trap maintenance, photo tagging, scat washing, and vegetation plot surveys. In most cases, we were offered a second chance to continue these activities if we liked them. For example, one camera trap was located rather farther away and in a hike-in only location. We were offered the choice to hike out and do more camera trap maintenance, or stay near camp and do more vegetation plot surveys. Once we knew how to do a task, the second time we felt more useful.
Conservation tasks we did included invasive plant removal, fence removal, and snare removal. The nightly lectures explained background information about animals, local people, and conservation efforts. We understood why we were asked to tramp through and around thorny bushes: to save leopards and native species.
The collaborative spirit of the researchers, their student assistants, and staff infected us.:)
Sarah Nichols | Saturday, July 19, 2014
The Lajuma Research Center is full of friendly, lovely people. You get such a sense of community and warmth when you meet everybody. They're incredibly willing to help you feel safe and at home, and they're all so knowledgeable about what they're researching.
I went with one of my best friends, and the two of us hadn't really traveled outside of the country prior to this trip. We went on a whim, and we both enjoyed the experience so much. The stories of what we went through and about the people we met are endless. Despite it being only two weeks, I actually felt a little bit sad to leave the staff remaining a Lajuma, as well as a few of the volunteers we had worked alongside for the whole trip.
The involvement they had us experience in preserving the animals was amazing. Although some of the tasks weren't always exciting, there was a sense of fulfillment in knowing that these were small stepping stones to helping the researchers help the animals, environment, and local community on a larger scale.
Not only do you work to help leopards and some of the native monkey species, you also do some tasks that can help brown hyenas and many other species of animals that they have on Lajuma.
I loved the trip. I felt like I learned so much about generally everything, and I feel much, much more enriched after having gone on this expedition. I would highly recommend it to people (seasoned travelers or new travelers like us). I will remember this experience forever. Thank you all!
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Explore interactions between people and chimpanzees and other primates in the rainforest of Uganda to improve human–primate relationships.
Join Earthwatch in South Africa to help protect the second largest colony of African penguins on the planet.
Can inventive livestock management bring balance between lions, other predators, and prey back to the Kenyan savanna?


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Fleur Vase by Astier de Villatte
With its simple country flower motif, this handmade vase makes a charming complement to any loose, seasonal arrangement.
To understand a little bit more just why we love everything that Astier de Villatte creates, please read our story below.
Please note: We are only able to sell this item over the phone or in our stores. If you wish to purchase, please click the button above to call or visit us in store where we would be very happy to help.
Due to the exquisite nature of this product, we recommend to hand wash only.
H: 22cm
Dia: 17cm


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By 2050, the world's population is expected to grow to nine billion people, a population increase which will require boosting global food production by 70%, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Office. And yet, according to a recent report by this same UN agency, 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year while nearly 900 million people around the world struggle each day with hunger.
In the U.S. alone, 40% of the food produced each year goes to waste. That's $165 billion worth of uneaten and wasted food, according to a report authored by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Many factors contribute to food waste, including portion sizes which have ballooned in a little more than a generation. For example, between 1982 and 2002, the average pizza slice almost doubled in calories and even our humble dinner plate has increased two inches in diameter since the 1970s, according to Dana Gunders, an NRDC staff scientist and food waste expert.
Food waste occurs not just in our homes but in grocery stores, restaurants and farms. In fact, more than half of all the fruits and vegetables grown in the U.S. never get eaten, and most of this produce never even gets to market since it it doesn't meet size or appearance specifications for retail sale.
Another culprit of food waste can be found in the use or sell by or "best before" dates stamped on practically any packaged food. As a new report co-authored by the NRDC and the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic makes clear, those dates are placed by the manufacturer to indicate a product's freshness, not its safety.
One survey found that the dates confuse whopping 90 percent of respondents to throw out foods past their expiration dates out of a mistaken belief that the items are no longer safe to eat. Moreover, there is no consistent, federal expiration date labeling system, which is why the expiration date listed on a box of granola bars, for example, is up to the manufacturer to determine, along with the choice of wording ('sell by' versus 'best before') and even where it is listed on the product. So the report's authors came up with suggestions to improve the current confusion over expiration dates, including the elimination of "sell by" dates or other dates which are designed to inform the retailer when to remove the product from the shelf.
Before producing this story, I confess to being a bit complacent in my own food shopping and dining habits. After all, if I didn't finish that meal or if that leafy, organic kale had been sitting in the fridge for a few weeks without being used, I could always compost it and buy more, right? Maybe, but what this attitude ignores is the unseen cost of food waste: namely, the enormous amount of resources utilized in growing, harvesting and bringing that produce and food to market. For example, 80 percent of our nation's freshwater, 50 percent of the land and 10 percent of the U.S. energy budget is spent on food production, which is why wasting food is tantamount to wasting environmental resources.
Also, "not all food waste is equal," according to the NRDC's Dana Gunders. When you throw out a hamburger, the amount of water that has been used to produce that hamburger is equal to taking a 90-minute shower, as she explained to me. While it would, of course, be great to curb all forms of food waste, knowing the amount of land, water, and energy it took to produce that Big Mac may help us at least begin to realize the environmental toll that dairy and meat products take when they go uneaten.
Today the fight against food waste has met the digital age through the use of social media and new websites that have sprung up to crowdsource surplus food at farms, grocery stores and businesses. Perhaps simply being aware of the hunger which afflicts millions of Americans can change how we view the food we eat, and more importantly, the food we allow to go to waste.
As Kathy Jackson, CEO of Second Harvest food bank in San Jose told me, "Twenty or thirty years from now, I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll have fewer hungry people in our country. And I really do believe that the only way we're going to get there from here is by dramatically reducing the amount of food waste in the United States."


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Review and Pictures of Versus Autumn Winter 2012 Milan Fashion Week Runway Show
2012 A/W Milan Fashion Week: Versus
2012 A/W Milan Fashion Week: Versus
For Versus Autumn/Winter 2012, Donatella Versace and Christopher Kane took it to the streets of London, more specifically to the Camden underground scene. Translation: it's all about the tough girl with a confident punk attitude and a penchant for grittier, trippier silhouettes. Between the bright tie-dye prints and rocker-chick lace-up minidresses, we could tell that Versus was honing in on its playful spirit and younger edge. While the collection offered a solid lineup of minis, over-the-knee leather boots, shredded-front tees, and general punk-appropriate attire, there were also some super-structured leather outerwear that struck us as totally wearable, no matter your personal style preference. Although Donatella and Christopher combined rougher elements — rock music, teenage angst, and more — the result can be easily transitioned into a sexier cocktail look. See more Versus details below.
- Trends: Bright tie-dye-meets-ikat prints, lace-up minis, strong leather silhouettes, and rounded shoulders.
- Colours: Fuchsia, turquoise, yellow, black, burgundy, and midnight blue.
- Key Piece: The punk-rock minidresses that featured sequins, psychedelic prints, or lace-up details.
- Accessories: Boxy purses, over-the-knee leather rocker boots, and tough biker boots with colorful piping.
- Who Would Wear It: Ladies who aren't afraid of showing a little skin with more than just a little attitude, like Heidi Klum, Diane Kruger, and Mila Kunis.


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This program, recommended by the Academic Senate at its meeting of December 1, 1988, received the concurrence of the President on December 7, 1988.
Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics Option in Mathematics Education
This option is for students preparing to teach mathematics at the secondary school level. Completion of this Option will meet all course requirements for the Single-Subject Waiver Program in Mathematics. Thirty units of post-baccalaureate coursework are also required for the Clear Single-Subject Teaching Credential in Mathematics (see Single Subject Teacher Education Program in the Graduate School of Education for more specific information about courses and other requirements.)
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics -- Option in Mathematics Education (code 2-6609)
Lower Division: MATH 122, 123, 224, 233, 247; one of the following: MATH 170, 174, 270, 278*; one of the following: ENGL 101, 300, 317; one of the sequences: PHYS 151, 152; PHIL 170, 270; or eight units of a foreign language; to a total of 30 to 32 lower-division units.
Upper Division: MATH 310, 341, 361A, 380, 444A; either MATH 350 or 355*; either MATH 364A* or 381; EDSS 300M; and a minimum of 6 units of upper-division Mathematics electives.
* - indicates preferred courses among choices
EFFECTIVE: Fall 1989.


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Somebody needs to create bodies for the people in this brain right now...
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It's shocking, but nobody wants to eat. (fatty must be asleep)
Sometimes you can only pick one someone.
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Oscar De La Hoya Admits He Was Addicted To Cocaine & Cheating On His Wife!
""In a riveting conversation, boxing world's "Golden Boy", Oscar de La Hoya reveals to "Aqui y Ahora's" Teresa Rodriguez how his addictions led him to loose his luster and almost his life. De La Hoya is one of the top names when discussing the greats of the boxing world. Bursting onto the amateur scene shortly after graduating high school, he won the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics"
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COVER- Over a barrel: As economy worsens, so do the scams
In 1934, during one of his bank robberies, Chicago gangster John Dillinger famously refused to take a one wad of cash because it was still in the hands of the customer. Now, a Virginia man wants the same respect.
The man, John M. Cheatwood, 52, says that a huge bank robbery has occurred at BB&T but that because all the money was yanked from his account in a wire transfer, he's the one stuck with the bill. It's quite a bill– nearly $329,000– and he's suing the alleged robber and the bank.
"I kept thinking the bank would figure it out and pay me back," says John M. Cheatwood of Warrenton. "But they're not helping; they're obfuscating."
The bank, however, doesn't see it that way. In a response filed in late July, BB&T blames Cheatwood's company for "its own acts and/or admissions."
"They think I compromised my information," says Cheatwood. "They think I wasn't careful with my password."
Denying that allegation, Cheatwood says he hired a retired FBI agent as a private investigator who cleared him and his employees of the errant transfer– even, Cheatwood claims– showing that none of the company computers were powered at the time of the costly incursion.
As many credit card users know, their bank may come calling for verification when someone attempts to make an unusually large transaction. Unfortunately for Cheatwood, that doesn't happen when your daily business is processing six-figure real estate deals.
According to the amended lawsuit complaint, filed in May in northern Virginia federal court, an illicit transfer swiped $328,540.79 on Janaury 8, 2007. The money didn't even belong to Cheatwood; it was entrusted to him by a would-be home-buyer and placed in an escrow account.
Amazingly, it could have been worse. A second mysterious transaction– this one more than $452,000– occurred 10 days later. That one, fortunately, was spotted instantly by Cheatwood and reversed.
With customers counting on him to safeguard their money, Cheatwood says he had to borrow money to keep his customers whole and let their home purchases go through. But the lost cash has been taking a toll on him, his wife, and their two sons. Paying that loan, he says, has dropped his net income to zero and two of his own properties have been forced into foreclosure.
Cheatwood, 52, says he knew in 2006 that the he wouldn't be able to maintain the expansion of Closing Connection– which had grown from one person in one office to 22 employees in nine offices during the real estate boom. He just never expected all to start crashing in a single day.
Since the debacle, the Closing Connection– whose Charlottesville office was located in the 600 block of East Jefferson Street– is back to a staff that consists of Cheatwood only, and his office is the car he uses to see clients all over the state.
Cheatwood says he's particularly incensed that his corporate undoing could happen on the watch of one of the nation's biggest banks. And he rues the fact that the FDIC, or Federal Depositors Insurance Corporation, which many people entrust to repay depositors up to $250,000, does nothing for him.
"The FDIC covers when the bank is unable to pay," explains Cheatwood. "Not when it's unwilling to pay."
Cheatwood says he's been so frustrated that he's thus far resisted the temptation to call 911 and report a bank robbery. He has, however, shared his story with tellers at various BB&T branches.
"We just want the bank to do the right thing," says his lawyer, Rand Gelber. "Someone hacked into the system; the system was vulnerable."
The lawsuit claims the money went into an account at the Fifth Third Bank in Michigan, remained there for less than a day, and then was transferred to Russia, a nation now so mired in lawlessness that hope has dimmed for ever retrieving the money.
As for the holder of the Detroit account, the suit blames Carter Advisors International, Inc., a company located at Suite 355 at 43173 Woodward Avenue, in what appears to be a strip shopping center in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a Detroit suburb.
Getting information from the company or its principal, Kevin Anthony Carter– also known, according to the suit, as Anthony Kevin Carter– isn't easy.
Cheatwood's attorney says Carter has thus far managed to elude service of the suit even though it was originally filed in January. A person answering the phone at Carter Advisors as "Angela" would tell a reporter only that she would pass messages along to Mr. Carter. Multiple messages, however, were not returned.
As for the bank, spokesperson Andrea C. McGraw declined to answer questions. And Cheatwood has dozens.
For starters, he wants to know how many other customers this has happened to. What was the IP address of the computer that accessed his account? Does BB&T encrypt data? How long does account info stay in a computer?
"By policy," says McGraw, "we don't comment on pending litigation."
Already, plaintiff Cheatwood has beaten back two motions to dismiss the suit against the bank. And with a pretrial conference slated for September 17, he yearns for his day in court.
"I paid everybody everything that I owed them," he says, "and I didn't go hide, so I feel I have a strong credibility factor.
One thing he hasn't lost is his sense of humor.
"With a name like Cheatwood," he says, "you gotta be honest."
Too good: Latest scam lures renters
Much like viruses, Internet scams are always mutating, and quite often they're from Nigeria.
The most recent variation to hit town spoofs the rental ads of legitimate agents on Craigslist, offering properties for rent at much lower rates.
For instance, a two bedroom on Elliott Avenue renting for $795 shows up in the scam version for $550 a month and needs to be rented quickly with no credit check.
Those who reply get an email purporting to be from Jason LeBlanc, a real person who handles 140 rental properties at Century 21. Only the email address is fake as well.
"This gentleman is taking my name," complains LeBlanc. "There's a long, elaborate story that he's had to move to West Africa, and to send the money anyway." He says he had at least 10 people who emailed the fake ads call him, and two of them filled out a lease.
Radhika Madana Mohan was looking for a place to live and inquired about the Elliott Avenue apartment. She'd already talked to the real LeBlanc, and when she called him, he told her the email with the cheap rent was a scam.
"I got a couple of emails from people using West Africa," says Madana Mohan, who advises others looking for rentals not give out personal information.
The telephone number on the fake LeBlanc email is Nigerian, and FYI, calls to Nigeria cost $5.95 a minute. The subscriber to the number on the email was not available and the Hook was advised to try its call again.
So far, LeBlanc isn't aware of anyone who actually sent money, but he does worry about identity theft– both his own and of the people who filled out the rental application.
He's also had to deal with callers accusing him of bait-and-switch and false advertising when they find out the rent is higher than what they saw on the bogus Craigslist ads.
Century 21 is not the only real estate agency recently spoofed.
"I reported several incidents we were aware of to Craigslist," says Candice Holleran at Real Property. "Luckily, I had a sample of what was being sent."
Since reporting the fakes, she isn't aware of any more targeting her company's rentals.
"It is terrifying," says Holleran. "They do have our actual information."
"Besides the fact that it's horrible, it takes a lot of time," says Ray Caddell, who owns several rental properties. When would-be renters lured by the low, low rent are unable to reach the alleged agent, they look up the owner on public property records– and then call Caddell.
"This is bad," he says. "This is really preying on people who really need that low rent."
Caddell repeats the warning your mama told you: "If it's too good to be true... "
Correction October 1– Radhika Madana Mohan's last name has been corrected, as was the statement that she recognized a phone number as being Nigerian.
Flyer, liar: Dealership's prize pitch deemed illegal
If you have a mailbox, you've almost certainly received one: a flyer flashily promoting a business, offering some kind of discount or incentive to lure you in. But a glossy four-page brochure sent out last month by Brown Toyota had some recipients actually believing they'd won $10,000, and sparked an investigation by the government agency that oversees car dealers.
"Match the winning number to see if you've won a $10,000 pre-loaded debit card," instructs the flyer Brown sent out in the middle of August announcing an August 18-22 promotion at the Pantops-area dealership. To the initial delight of some recipients, the number they scratched off matched "the official winning number for the grand prize recipient."
Told to "see inside for details," recipients who turned the page were greeted by an actual plastic debit card embossed with their name, and, once again, the "winning number"– which matched theirs. While most such offers are accompanied by an asterisk– a strong clue that there's a catch– no such asterisk was visible next to those words.
Even without an asterisk, most people are cynical enough to doubt such too-good-to-be-true ploys. However, this particular mailing was confusing even to certain well-educated consumers.
"It took me a couple of minutes to figure out how I hadn't won," says Michael Lichtenstein, an attorney who received a flyer at his Ridge Street neighborhood home. Lichtenstein, one of his legal colleagues, and his UVA physician wife, all examined the document with initial confusion, he says. Only buried in the almost microscopic fine print does the pot of gold begin losing some luster: "If the winning number on your invitation is posted at the dealership, you may choose which prize to redeem," it reads.
Among the prize choices: the $10,000 debit card, a $10,000 Sea-Doo watercraft, $100 cash, or a Virginia lottery ticket. According to the odds, also published in fine print, chances of winning either amount of money or the jet ski were one in 35,000.
"When it takes a long time to zero in on the one hitch, I just find it more misleading," Lichtenstein notes.
A Hook reporter, who also received the flyer, visited the dealership on the final day of the promotion to "claim" a prize– which turned out to be a $2 Virginia Lottery ticket, and a losing one at that. (The fine print notes that the chance of winning the lottery ticket was 34,998 in 35,000.)
While Brown is a locally owned dealership, it was staffed the day of the reporter's visit by employees of American Hole 'N One, a Georgia-based marketing firm that handles all aspects of dealership promotions across the country– from creating and mass-mailing flyers to providing staff to handle the influx of potential customers.
One American Hole 'N One staffer at Brown that day declined to give his name but defended the mailer and explained why the promotions are so appealing to dealerships. While thousands of the flyers are sent, the marketing firm's research, he said, shows that only four to six percent of recipients actually bring the flyer to the dealership to check their number against the winning number posted there.
That means there's approximately a 95 percent chance that the winning number will wind up in someone's trash. The dealership simply buys an insurance policy for the unlikely case a winner actually appears to claim the prize.
"We haven't seen a winner in six months," said the salesman, who travels the country and would be leaving Brown after that day.
"Don't people get angry when they realize they've driven to the dealership, and they haven't actually won?" this reporter asked.
"Sure," he said. "But they have won something. It's perfectly legal."
Except that it's not.
After reading a copy of the flyer, the Virginia Motor Vehicle Dealer Board, a government agency that regulates car dealerships, ruled the flyer violated Virginia law regulating advertising and consumer rights.
"For all intents and purposes, you think you've won," says Bruce Gould, executive director of the Virginia Motor Vehicle Dealer Board. "What you have in the ad and the disclaimer can't contradict each other," he says.
An American Hole 'N One salesman was asked to refer a reporter to an appropriate spokesperson, but his response provided more challenge than assistance. "I'm good at my job," he said, "and I'm sure you're good at yours. You can figure it out."
A media spokesperson for American Hole 'N One declined comment but promised to pass the message along to a superior. No one returned the call. Messages left with Brown management similarly went unreturned.
This isn't the first time a Brown Automotive affiliate has gotten embroiled in fairness questions over one of its promotions. Last year, a "free gas" offer turned out to require gobs of paperwork, an upfront participation fee, and no guarantee of free gasoline.
Despite that controversy, Gould says his agency has no previous complaints on file about Brown Toyota and therefore simply sent an "educational warning letter," sparing the dealership the maximum fine of $1,000 per occurrence.
"They will be fined if it happens again," he notes.
Lichtenstein hopes he won't receive any similar mailings from Brown in the future.
"It's an obnoxious tactic," says the lawyer. "I consider them to be a reputable local company, and this kind of sales gimmick doesn't really comport with their reputation."
8 comments
City Scam with a license: The City licenses vendors to pedal their wares door to door. This summer a group got a city license to let youth from out of town go door to door and sell magazines. Apparently not the kind of group you want checking out your house. One youth found an open door and stole a laptop.
The same group came to my house. They were rude and threatening as I sad no to buying. I won't give them the time of day.
My 18 year old son was almost a victim of the cheap apartment scam on craigslist. Fortunately when it came time to turn over the credit card number he became suspicious. He then goggled the email account and discovered this person had cheap apartments for rent on craigslist all over the nation.
"I'm good at my job," he said, "and I'm sure you're good at yours. You can figure it out."
absolutely brilliant!
Last year I had a similar run-in regarding a beautiful 3500 sq ft house in Ivy for rent for $1200...heated wood floors, italian tile, blah blah. The "reverend" wanted to share his good fortune with someone else in the area but had to leave rather quickly to go to South Africa on some mission. It was way too good to be true. And, well, one lesson learned in this word that if it looks too good to be true, it usually is.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Hmm.. I am quoted here. However, I think the reporter misquoted me.
I didn't not mention anything about a Nigerian phone number. In fact, I just said that the person who had emailed me said he was moving to West Africa he was using Jason Leblanc's name. And his place was vacant. Perhaps the phone number listed was a Nigerian phone number, I didn't contact it.
My incident was basically I had seen Jason's name. I already had prior conversations with the real Jason so I had his VA number already saved. And he informed me that there had been an apt available but it was $795 and someone was perhaps scamming.
And my last name is Madana Mohan.
Thank you.


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Does a religion require a belief in a supreme being? Is Buddhism, or Scientology a reDoes a religion require a belief in a supreme being? Is Buddhism, or Scientology a religion? The web site Dictionary.com defines Buddhism as a religion and Scientology as a non-denominational movement. Why aren't they calling Scientology a religion too? The definition of religion on dictionary.com seems vague. It appears that they don't know how to define religion, but know one when they see it which is why Buddhism counts as a religion but Scientology doesn't. Maybe it has to do with how long it's been around. The idea of Buddhism being an atheist religion seems like B/S to me.
Views: 475
There are different sects of Buddhism just like any other religion. Theravada Buddhism does not recognize a supreme being but others such as Mahayana recognize the Buddha himself as a deity.
Also, I would say that any belief system that deals with the question of life after death constitutes religion. In Buddhism, you have reincarnation. In Scientology, people are immortal beings.
Scientology is really bad Sci-fi passing itself off as a belief system, but then again, aren't they all?
That's funny and true at least for for the Islamic religions.
Whoops, I meant to write Abrahamic religions rather than Islamic religions.
Here is H.L. Mencken again.
We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.
It isn't coincidence that that banner went up in 1963. School prayer was banned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1963.
The U. S. Supreme Court issued two bans on prayer in public schools. The first ban came in 1962 and the second was issued in 1963. The bans were the result of a court case sponsored in part by Madalyn Murray O'Hair. She was but one of the litigants in the lawsuit, but her name became synonymous with the case and the promotion of atheism. The ban not only outlawed prayer in public schools but it also banned Bible reading in public schools.
The problem happens when he enters his wife in a beauty contest then becomes outraged that I didn't vote for her.
It's simple. Religion is the infection, and jesus is the cure. They're on "opposite spectrums"!
But really, even the wiki entry on religion doesn't help.
It's definitions like these that cause religious people to consider Atheism a religion.
Atheism isn't a religion, but maybe there is one about adherence to logic and the scientific method or even some system of morality also based on those that most atheists follow. But since we don't know the definition of religion, then again maybe there isn't.
In a nutshell, a religion is a philosophycal belief system.
Why should we take advice on sex from the pope? If he knows anything about it, he shouldn't!
George Bernard Shaw
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Islamic Architecture: Form, Function and Meaning
Edinburgh University Press, 1994 - 645 páginas
Winner of the American Publishers Association's Award for an outstanding Professional and Scholarly title and the Alice Davis Hitchcock Medallion 1996 from the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain.In a dazzling display of erudition, Robert Hillenbrand surveys the major building-types of the Islamic World: religious architecture (the mosque, the minaret, the madrasa), the mausoleum 'between Heaven and Earth', and the caravansarai and the palace representing the secular side.All the building-types are discussed in art-historical terms, with the interplay of form and function taken as the underlying theme of the analysis. All are comprehensively illustrated with a full range of colour and black-and-white photographs, analytical drawings, thumbnail comparative assemblies and ground plans.This major reference work, covering from Spain to Afghanistan and c. 700 to c. 1700, is a source of fascination for all seeking to appreciate the rich heritage of the Islamic World. Recurrent themes and patterns take on a wider significance - a persistent reminder that the Islamic faith and the particular type of society which it engendered makes light of vast gulfs of time and space.Features:*24 colour plates*300 black-and-white photographs*1246 line drawings*Section of composite drawings and ground plansAvailable in Hardback (originally published in 1994) and a revised paperback edition published in 2000.This new paperback edition includes a previously unpublished index, designed to make the book more user-friendly.
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Islamic architecture: form, function, and meaningProcura do Utilizador - Not Available - Book Verdict
Evidence of the growing interest in Islamic art is the almost simultaneous appearance of Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom's Art and Architecture of Islam, 1250-1800 (LJ 1/95) and Hillenbrand's ... Ler crítica na íntegra
Problems and Approaches
The Mosque
The Minaret
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Palavras e frases frequentes
12th century Abbasid al-Din Aleppo Alhambra Amir Anatolia Arab arcades arch architects Baghdad building type built Bukhara Bursa Cairo caliph caravan caravansarais central complex Cordoba courtyard cutaway three-dimensional view Damascus decoration Divrigi Diyarbakr domed chamber domed square earlier early Egypt elevation emphasis entrance example exterior facade Fatimid feature flanking Friday Mosque function funerary hall inscriptions interior Iran Iranian world Isfahan Islamic architecture Islamic world Istanbul itecture iwan Jerusalem Kayseri Khan khanqah kiosk Konya later layout madhhab madrasa Maghribi major Mamluk Mashhad Masjid Masjid-i mausolea mausoleum medieval Islamic mihrab Minar minaret minbar monuments Mshatta muqarnas Muslim niches octagonal ornament Ottoman palace pavilion perhaps period portal prayer Qa'it Bay Qairawan Qasr qibla Qur'an religious ribat Ribat-i role roof rooms royal Safavid Saljuq Samarqand Samarra sanctuary Saray Sasanian shrine side sketch three-dimensional view space storey structures Sultan surviving Syria tion tomb towers tradition Umayyad vaulted walls
Referęncias a este livro
Islam: An Historical Introduction
Gerhard Endress
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Check this out.
Bards can also lay down damage comparable to a fighter if they use a bow. I have never made bard using a two-handed weapon, but I am sure they won't do to badly.
|1 person marked this as a favorite.
Buffs. I seriously went through a game with a new player who asked us what to play, and the group decided he should play a bard to hang back from combat, provide buffs, and a little extra healing.
He saved the whole group more times then we could count. His buffs and bardic music made our two melee characters never miss and just add crazy damage over a whole fight. He had some choice heals during boss fights, and the game almost broke when he discovered shatter late game. The barbarian character cried when he shattered a big bad's greataxe until we realized the bad's only other weapon was a dagger. That was classic!
He also always got the bar wenches in town. The barb and rogue had always ended up having to pay.
Seriously, at the end of the campaign you'd thought he had been playing the game the longest.
I only recall the Bard builds I saw Treantmonk make ages ago.
Anyone have any ideas on how to optimize a Bard (or as the haters call it, cheesing) and what kind of roles could it fill in a party? And no, I do not want to hear it from people who have never optimized a Bard. I've heard the "traditional" builds a million times, and buffs can be done by a Cleric too.
Have any of you actually played bard or is this theoretical?
All in theory for me as I am the GM 90% of the time.
Here is a level 1 Gnome Sandman I built that I would love to try out.
Male Gnome Bard (Sandman) 1
CN Small Humanoid (Gnome)
Hero Points 1
Init +4; Senses Low-Light Vision; Perception +6
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11. . (+2 Dex, +1 size)
hp 10 (1d8+1)
Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +2
Spd 20 ft.
Special Attacks Bardic Performance (standard action) (7 rounds/day, Bardic Performance: Countersong, Bardic Performance: Distraction, Bardic Performance: Fascinate (DC 13)
Spell-Like Abilities Dancing Lights (1/day), Ghost Sound (1/day), Prestidigitation (1/day), Speak with Animals (1/day)
Bard (Sandman) Spells Known (CL 1, +0 melee touch, +3 ranged touch):
1 (2/day) Silent Image (DC 15), Disguise Self (DC 15)
0 (at will) Haunted Fey Aspect (DC 14), Lullaby (DC 13), Ghost Sound (DC 14), Dancing Lights
Str 8, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16
Base Atk +0; CMB -2; CMD 10
Feats Bard Weapon Proficiencies, Effortless Trickery
Traits Reactionary, Trickster
Skills Acrobatics +6, Bluff +8, Fly +4, Knowledge (Arcana) +7, Perception +6, Sleight of Hand +7, Spellcraft +5, Stealth +11
Languages Common, Draconic, Gnome, Sylvan
SQ Bardic Performance: Stealspell (DC 13) (Su), Eternal Hope (1/day), Gnome Magic, Hero Points (1), Illusion Resistance, Master of Deception +1 (Ex)
Bardic Performance (standard action) (7 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects.
Bardic Performance: Countersong (Su) Counter magical effects that depend on sound.
Bardic Performance: Distraction (Su) Counter magical effects that depend on sight.
Bardic Performance: Fascinate (DC 13) (Su) One or more creatures becomes fascinated with you.
Bardic Performance: Stealspell (DC 13) (Su) Touch attack while performing can steal the ability to cast chosen or random spells.
Dancing Lights (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Dancing Lights once per day.
Effortless Trickery Maintain concentration on 1 illusion spell per rd as a swift action.
Eternal Hope (1/day) +2 save vs. fear and despair. 1/day, reroll a 1 rolled on 1d20.
Ghost Sound (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Ghost Sound once per day.
Gnome Magic +1 to the save DC of all illusions spells you cast.
Hero Points (1) Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Illusion Resistance +2 racial bonus to saves against illusions.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Master of Deception +1 (Ex) You add half your bard level to Bluff, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks.
Prestidigitation (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Prestidigitation once per day.
Speak with Animals (1/day) (Sp) Speak with Animals 1/day.
Trickster +1 trait bon to CL for duration, range, and area of illusion spells.
|2 people marked this as a favorite.
That actually sounds alright. I played an illusionist in OSRIC(AD&D) and he could do some fun stuff. Ok second round of questions. What is the best archetype/build for a Bard?
Depends on what you want from the character. You can do just about anything except primary damage dealer (or focused healer) with a Bard, and a controller/spellcaster Magician Bard is goona look a lot different from an in-your-face melee Bard, which will lok a lot differentr from an archer Bard, which will look a lot different from a Rogue-replacement Archaeologist/Sandman Bard.
Bards, as a Class, are really just awesome in almost every way. They're pretty good combatants, pretty good conroller-spellcasters (though it behooves you to focus on one of those two things), the best party buffing characters in the game even sans spells (and vastly better at that with spells), and the single best class with regards to skills, especially Knowledge skills. By 14th level it's entirely possible for an Int 10 Bard to have 9 skills effectively maxed. If he's Int 12 aqnd human, make that 11.
And any of those that are Knowledge skills will have an extra +7 on top of all other bonuses, and he'll be able to take 10 on them all day, and get a free 20 on them several times a day.
The downside? There's really not one, beyond not being the biggest damage dealer ever, needing to stick to light armor, and having the limited spell-list all spontaneous casters deal with. That's really it in terms of down sides. Being a Bard is cool.
Conceptually, Bards (even the kinds who need Performance, which not all of the Archetypes do) do not need to be anything remotely silly. They can be everything from an aristocratic duelist with Perorm (Oratory) to a dervish dancing holy madman with Perform (Dance), to a nordic Skald singing war chants as he slaughters men with an axe and Perform (Sing), to a witty swashbuckler who insults his opponents with Perform (Comedy), to a hard bitten mercenary with a drill sergeant's attitude and a million war-stories with Perform (Oratory). Do any of those necessarily sound silly or less-than-cool? Maybe. Do all of them sound that way? I doubt it.
Bards are pretty awesome. They are wonderfully flexible and can always fill in when the party is in a tight spot. You can also go and specialize, becoming almost as dangerous in dealing damage as a martial class for example.
They have full caster level, so arcane blast, crafting etc. all works 100% as good as for wizards or others.
Bards have some archetypes with unique abilities, such as the magician (use your own caster level for wands! set the DCs on them with YOUR DC!), geisha (long lasting prebuff), sandman (steal/deny stuff), archaeologist (luck bonuses, quick trapfinding) etc.
They also offer a great basic frame to enter prestige classes like the dragon disciple or arcane archer without sacrificing a lot of BAB.
They cast in light armor, arcane duelist even in heavy armor, without ASF.
Their abilities make others better or opponents worse. Their spell-list allows you to be a good counterspeller (dispel magic), ...
Bards are really cool. I have played one in a campaign for 1.5 years, and all of the players repeatedly felt that
a) I could do everyting
b) I was the most powerful character
That party included a well-played paladin, wizard and battle sorcerer.
So this is from real experience :-)
Have any of you actually played bard or is this theoretical?
I played a vanilla Bard from 4th to 15th level in an Evil campaign (a LE Drow nobleman* with ambitions beyond his expected gender role, who eventually won himself a kingdom. Of Drow). Lots of fun mechanically and thematically. Buffing the Antipaladin resulted in so much ridiculous damage, as did the strategic use of Glitterdust at early levels. Ah, good times. Not an optimized character by any means (used Weapon Finesse with a Rapier before the agile weapon property existed), but both fun and effective nevertheless.
I've also played another Bard or two, though not for any real length of time. I have also seen Bards played a fair amount. Indeed, there's an Archaeologist Bard in the Pathfinder game I'm currently running.
*We weren't using the Drow Noble race, he was just a Drow from a rich aristocratic family.
I'm playing a base bard that is a bit more on the melee side. His Perform (Comedy) ends up being insult humor against the enemies. He's not silly but instead is this scathing warrior that plays the guitar to charm the ladies, but stabs things when he needs to. I took a lot of cues from Once Upon a Time in Mexico. I took Dodge and Arcane Strike as my feats and am using a shield and longsword (switching to buckler to cast more). It helps me stay alive and Arcane Strike + Bardic Performance helps you do comparable damage.
Re: Deadman and Sanga(btw I wanna make a Cool Runnings joke there.)
That sounds epic. I think I'd like more of a controller/spellcaster. Although I've never played rogue so Archaeologist would be interesting. Any other advice?
Beyond the obvious (ie: have a high casting stat, get good armor, etc)?
1. Have something to do when you aren't casting spells. Your spells can, if you focus on them, be close to as effective as a Wizard or Sorcerer's, but they aren't as numerous per day, nor do you have some neat Level 1 power to throw at people when you don't want to use one. So you need an actual weapon to use when it's not worth it to burn a spell slot. Exactly what it is is up to you, but have one and put at least a bit of effort (a stat belt, magic weapon, and a few Feats) into being decent with it.
2. Look at the various Archetpes. Many are good in different ways for the role or roles you're looking for. Examine carefully what you're giving up for the cool stuff in them. Inspire Courage and Versatile Performance are both really good, and both often removed. As is Bardic Knowledge if you wish to actually be a master of knowledge skills.
3. Check with your GM if he'll let you reasign skill points when you get a new Versatile Performance (something I'd highly reccomend, as does James Jacobs). If they won't (as in PFS), plan your skills very carefully, so as not to haveliterally wasted skill ranks. All assuming you have it, of course.
4. If you want to optimize, read Treantmonk's guide. It's corebook only, but the basic advice is still good. Indeed, I stole point #1 from him, more-or-less entirely.
|1 person marked this as a favorite.
Level 20 Bard and that is why you should play one.
My first PFSP character is a bard. I played a bard in my home game council of thieves game.
Bards can fill allot of roles if made well. Or none if you don't put some though in how to make one.
You do not need to do range to put out good damage. You do not even need a two handed weapon. Inspire courage will add more damage to the party then any other single ability or spell. Both of my bard where set up Dex base two weapon fighting. The reason to make a bard Dex base is not for your damage. It is to bump up your initiative mod. So you can put your self at the front of the initiative. And start your inspire courage, (and haste after level 7) before the other characters go.
Both bards I made to cover many positions in the party. Not as good as having some one of that class. They could fill the role when needed.
Divine Caster : Invest in some wands and your UMD.
Arcane Caster : You will not have the spell DC. For offensive spells but you have a tone of buffing, and utility spells.
Melee : You are not going to be a heavy hitter with two weapon fighting. With your inspire courage it's damage is added to both weapons. Two Handed weapons are good as well just not something I have done.
Range : With one feet you can make your self a switch hitter. Quick Draw will let you change weapons with out braking stride. A good composite short bow with a Star mod on it. And you will do fine.
Party Face : With the use of vestal performance at levels 2, and 6. Oratory (Diplomacy/Sense Motive), and Act (Bluff/Disguise). What more do you really need? Other then some patents in pouting points in to your preform skills to make them pay off later.
Rogue : Vagabond Child trait. Sorry rogue I now have disable device as a class skill.
Examine carefully what you're giving up for the cool stuff in them. Inspire Courage and Versatile Performance are both really good, and both often removed. As is Bardic Knowledge if you wish to actually be a master of knowledge skills.
+1 ^^
@Deadmanwalking: I am loving all your points, you have some awesome insight on Bards! :)
Overall, I started playing a Bard as a plot device, and have ended up loving it! I have been absolutely essential to our party in non-combat situations. Performing for free lodging, having random knowledge skills, cadging informations from NPC's, raising the party's overall reputation... all things a Bard excells at!
In combat, the buffs, while not unique to Bards, amp up the party and free up other spell casters for their more specialized roles. I've found that I can fill the role of darting around a combat, organizing tactics, throwing buffs or the odd healing spell, and then interpose myself between a baddie and our Wizard when necessary. It's a great situation to be able to size up how a combat is going, and then shore up whichever role needs support at that particular moment!
In terms of performances, I started with Oratory and an Instrument skill (for the +2 masterwork instrument bonus), but the advantage to Dance (or another physical-based skill) is that it allows Bardic Performance when silenced. Overall, the only reason to have a Bard who is a capering fool is if you want to play him/her that way!
Arcane strike affects all your weapons, so a bard can use thrown weapons better than most, due to full caster level and 3/4 BAB. Add buffs and quickdraw and you become a very flexible cleanup fighter, able to finish off wounded and hard to reach foes before they can flee, or intercept mobile monsters or hammer on weaknesses. A good spell selection will work wonders, and Ultimate Magic helps there.
Bards get some spells early, mostly charms and enchantments.
Silence + combat ability + skill points = mage killing assassin
|Elinor Knutsdottir
Bards are fun. They're not great if you want to contribute personally to a fight but they can certainly support the rest of the party. If your campaign is very combat intensive I think I'd discourage it, I played one in Rise of the Runelords and half way through the third module I changed to a fighter because (as it was being run) there was just no opportunity to use all my social skills. If your GM is talking/skill oriented then a bard is likely to be able to be a key player. The biggest problem with them is that they haven't got enough skill points. They have considerably more class skills than most other classes (including all the knowledges which even with Bardic knowledge you need to put points into, plus at least two perform skills) and have substantial stat-commitment so Int is likely to be moderate at best. I think I'd discourage taking Cure Light Wounds even though at first sight it looks snacky. If you take it, you'll be expected to use it and you don't get many spells as it is. Prestidigitation is a must as it ensures you look great all the time and can take advantage of your excellent charisma.
I've never looked very much at the Bard class, and most people I know and play with seem to look down upon it. Give me reasons to roll a bard. GO!
The Bard class is an extremely flexible type that requires a good deal of imagination to play effectively.
If you can't answer those questions for yourself, than perhaps it's not for you.
Kind of have to build for damage. If you get Arcane Strike and Power Attack, you can lay down the smack with a longsword two handedly. Add in Inspire Courage as well, which you can do without an instrument (ie Oratory, Dancing, etc), and you help not only yourself but your allies too. Just be careful since you would be a skirmisher, not a frontline brick.
My bard at level one has a 16 strength and Arcane Strike. With Inspire Courage on, that gets be about +8 damage to your attacks (+4 from two handing Longsword, 1 from Arcane Strike, Power attack, and Inspire Courage).
People who look down on it haven't seen the PF bard.
The PF bard is the best skill user in the game. Far better than the rogue if they even try a little bit.
They make everyone more awesome, increasing the powerlevel of the party as a whole.
They have a great spell list that can be "clutch", as the kids say these days. Really need that demon to die right now, but the paladin's smite evil attack missed? Gallant Inspiration. Now that you have +8 to hit, does the attack connect?
You can still deal some very nice damage. Just be high strength, and two-hand a weapon. Longswords work. No one said you had to be Froofy McDanceAroundAndBeUseless. That's the rogue's job.
Go high strength, 14 Cha. If you're supporting and buffing, you don't need those other things.
|Paladin of Baha-who?
They sing and dance and a generally gay.
I'm sold.
Bards are awesome and are a great dip class for anyone who needs skills but has a 2+INT class. Two levels of Bard gives you a ridiculous amount of effective skill points if you choose performance wisely, a handful of useful spells if your CHA is 11 or higher, a buff you can use that will stack with many other buffs, and only loses you one point of BAB if that. There are archetypes that work with almost any theme. If you're a spellcaster, taking the magical knack trait will keep you from losing caster level.
Re: Deadman and Sanga(btw I wanna make a Cool Runnings joke there.)
That sounds epic. I think I'd like more of a controller/spellcaster. Although I've never played rogue so Archaeologist would be interesting. Any other advice?
What kind of cool runnings joke? I have only been subject to a je about a supposed linkage to a certain similar named Indian town...;-P
About the idea of a controller/spellcaster and advice: What kind of controller do you want to be? Do you want to be
A) the type that controls the actions of other, or
B) the type that interfers with the plans of others, spoils their plan for the group?
Type A you could play with an archaeologist. He basically only focuses on himself with his performances and is thus one of the most "selfish" bard types. However, his spells for debuffing (calm emotions, dispel magic etc.) and controling others (grease, glitterdust etc.) are fully available. Even better would be court bard whose satire performance provides penalties to enemy attack and damage rolls. Or sandman to prevent others from casting spells.
The difficulty of such a kind of bard is that you have to work on getting the DCs on your spells as high as possible. You will have to specialize, possibly take spell focus and other feats to make sure it's difficult for others.
Type B is much easier to do and does not require high DCs. It basically is stacked with performances and spells that assist others: Remove conditions, has the means to basically immediately remove conditions, possibly on the spot. You would choose performances like inspire courage, spells like saving finale, dispel magic, (reach) invisibility to get others out of a tight spot, dimension door to get yourself and friends away when you have to, feather step to preserve 5ft-step ability in difficult terrain, break enchantment to save your buddy from really nasty effects, greater dispel magic, some cure spells (keep them going)...
Pretty much all archetypes an be used for this - be it vanilla, street performer, arcane duelist, animal speaker...
Generally I would advise to keep some flexibility, do not focus too much on the spellcasting. The physical combat prowess built into the bard gives you options when you cannot use spells effectively or hae run out of them :-)
|Ross Byers RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32
I'm looking to make a new character for a group. I DM this group but want a character I can play some times as well, also plan on letting another player DM sometimes. This character will also be an extra character when we have extra players for the night (we have a few players who could show up).
I don't want to be a damage dealer nor do I want it to be a healer. I want to help the other characters shine and have fun. I esp want to help the barbarian in the group who is playing for the first time and has sucky attack rolls so far. I want to help in combat, but I don't want to be the star (at least not obviously).
Right now we only have access to core and advanced players handbooks. Hopefully I can buy other books soon, but not viable for this character yet.
At this point the whip using tripper/controller has really stood out to me. But, it seems that any class can do the same thing with the whip. Bard class kind of feels added on to this character. What other skills, spells, feats, etc should I be looking at to make this character flow as a bard?
Also I love the spell grease, so that helps.
A good many people look down on Bards because they are a support class. They don't look at the fact that you make everyone else better at what they do, those types of people want the bard to be able to do everything is does and do lots of damage but that's not what the Bard was designed for. Your main job is not direct confrontation but to buff and support.
|Chris Kenney
The last bard who was in my party just stood around, flanked things, and used inspire courage. kinda helpful, but he never dealt any notable amount of damage.
And this is the attitude that keeps the Bard from getting the reputation it deserves.
Bards who don't do questionable things with the rules don't really get to (by design) swing entire encounters with one roll of the dice. There are a few exceptions, particularly in UM and UC (Saving Finale is one of the most awesome spells in the Bard's arsenal right now, and not the least because of its' level) but none of them really equate to blowing up an entire roomful of mooks with a fireball or Smiting a Balor straight back to Hell in one round.
However, I can almost guarantee you that, over time, Inspire Courage does way more damage than you think. They have all the best group buffs at about the time other casters get them, and after they've cast a few they can pick up a weapon and contribute a bit of damage directly.
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A good many people look down on Bards because they are a support class. They don't look at the fact that you make everyone else better at what they do, those types of people want the bard to be able to do everything is does and do lots of damage but that's not what the Bard was designed for. Your main job is not direct confrontation but to buff and support.
My bard above DOES a lot of damage.
Every round, he does 4 damage every time someone else hits an enemy. If there's 5 attacks coming from your side every round, you do 20 damage every round, on top of everything else you do. And 5 is a pretty conservative estimate. If there is a ranger with rapid/many shot, a dual-wielder, a shape-shifting druid with a companion, and so on, odds are that there are closer to 10 attacks coming from your side.
Not to mention access to some premium battlefield control spells like Confusion, Slow and Glitterdust, that can win a fight in the first few rounds.
|Chris Kenney
Every round, he does 4 damage every time someone else hits an enemy. If there's 5 attacks coming from your side every round, you do 20 damage every round, on top of everything else you do. And 5 is a pretty conservative estimate. If there is a ranger with rapid/many shot, a dual-wielder, a shape-shifting druid with a companion, and so on, odds are that there are closer to 10 attacks coming from your side.
His point is that, for a lot of people, none of that counts as "real" damage when considering the bard's capabilities. Which is the height of stupidity, IMO, but there's lots of Timmys* out there.
The last bard who was in my party just stood around, flanked things, and used inspire courage. kinda helpful, but he never dealt any notable amount of damage.
Did you count the extra damage the rest of the party did thanks to inspire courage? That flat bonus to damage came from the bard. Any attacks that would have missed without the to-hit bonus came from the bard.
|Sanakht Inaros
Have any of you actually played bard or is this theoretical?
I LOVE my bards. I play two. In PFS, my primary character is a Bard 8/Fighter 1/Chronicler 1. (Level dip fighter because of the level 12 cap.) No one calls him by name, but he is THE A--Hole. Usually sits backs and buffs, but when he absolutely, positively must get involved...he can end combats. If he feels particulary involved with the quest, he breaks mods. I've gotten players mad at me because I've cakewalked mods because I've ended combats before they even begin. He rarely draws a weapon.
In Carrion Crown, my bard has saved the party plenty of times. Everyone knows that if he's running, it's gone tragically awry. He's out summoned the summoner, out healed the cleric, and shut the door behind a paladin in a room full of flaming skeletons.
It all comes down to thinking outside of the box. My PFS bard doesn't do a lot of physical damage per se (he uses a whip). But the feats I took, allow the frontline fighters to make plenty of AoOs. So if you don't have combat reflexes...And nothing is more fun than taking a potion out of the hands of one of the bad guys and the look of surprise on the DM's face.


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Welcome to Wanaka Flightseeing
|Experience New Zealand Flightseeing at its best, with Wanaka Flightseeing! Enjoy uninterrupted viewing of the inspiring southern region of the South Island of New Zealand. Choose from our friendly exclusive flights to Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Mount Aspiring, Mount Cook and West Coast glaciers or private charter.
'Flights of discovery' take you to remote alpine wilderness regions accessible only by air with the emphasis on being personalised, informative and interactive. Experience the cascading waterfalls of Milford Sound, crystal clear alpine lakes, the towering snow capped peaks of Mount Aspiring or the ancient glaciers of Mount Cook and the West Coast. It took millions of years for nature to create the towering mountains and for the glaciers to carve its deep fjords. It will take you only a few hours to enjoy this magnificent scenery with one of our many flight options.
By joining a Wanaka Flightseeing scenic flight we guarantee a comfortable window seat from which you can marvel at the breathtaking scenery. Our two-way headsets allow your experienced pilot to share his intimate knowledge during the flight.
We have scheduled flights departing daily. Our most popular flight is the Fly/Cruise/Fly into Milford Sound that offers a relaxing cruise on the Fjord of Milford Sound. For those of you with only a little time, a fly-over of Milford Sound is the best option, taking about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Wanaka Flightseeing is a personalised aviation company and has been flying since 1999 from Wanaka. We have a wealth of knowledge about the region to share with you. We are proud to have a proven safety culture and excellent safety record.
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Mt Hutt
There's a mountain that rises out of the Canterbury Plains that the locals thought was so amazing they just had to ski it. It's high and it's wide and on a good day you can see right across the patchwork of pastureland below to the Pacific Ocean.
Today, Mount Hutt is Canterbury's own "big mountain" with runs to accommodate families on a fun day in the snow as well as the variety it takes to entice even the hottest skiers and snowboarders, attracting people from all over the world. Yet you can still sense the local pride. This is Canterbury's ski area.
The summit 6 seat high-speed chairlift takes you to the highest point of any ski area in the South Island. From feeling on top of the world, you can cruise down the legendary 'Broadway' or take on the chutes and steeps of "The Towers". Then you can relax with the real NZ flavour that's unmistakably the country town of Methven.
There's simply nowhere else quite like it.
- With the Kids4Free programme there really is no excuse not to have a winter holiday in the South Island. Free day lift passes for children aged 10 years & under
- Easy 35 min drive from Methven
- Dedicated learning facilities - suitable for all abilities
- All day supervised kids programmed for 3 months of age to 15 years old
- One of the largest and highest ski areas in the South Island
- Varied terrain for beginner through to expert
Scheduled season dates: 7 June - 13 October 2019
Read about purchasing lift passes
Visit the Mt Hutt website for more information
365 hectares (excluding Rakaia Saddle Chutes of 107 hectares)
1 high speed six seater
1 quad chair
1 triple chair
1 enclosed surface conveyor lift
International - 2km
Mt Hutt boasts three progressive terrain parks - a beginner 'Sky High' terrain park, a novice/intermediate park and the advanced-level park.
Licensed Brasserie
Huber's Hut and the Sky High Cafe
Guest Services & Ticketing
Snowsports School
Rental - skis and snowboards, boots and poles, ski & snowboard repairs, ski & snowboard storage
Retail outlet - ski accessories and clothing
First aid and emergency services
Licensed Early Learning Centre and all day dedicated children's programmes
Children aged 10 and under ski for free and youngsters aged three months to five years can be enrolled in the fully-licensed Early Learning Centre, while the older ones get to enjoy daily lessons in the Kea Club. Children ten and under enjoy free day lift passes every day of the season.
* Scheduled season dates are indicative only and dependant on weather and snow conditions.


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Conformational variation of proteins at room temperature is not dominated by radiation damage.Russi, S., Gonzalez, A., Kenner, L.R., Keedy, D.A., Fraser, J.S., van den Bedem, H.
(2017) J Synchrotron Radiat 24: 73-82
- PubMed: 28009548
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
- PubMed Abstract:
Protein crystallography data collection at synchrotrons is routinely carried out at cryogenic temperatures to mitigate radiation damage. Although damage still takes place at 100 K and below, the immobilization of free radicals increases the lifetime ...
Protein crystallography data collection at synchrotrons is routinely carried out at cryogenic temperatures to mitigate radiation damage. Although damage still takes place at 100 K and below, the immobilization of free radicals increases the lifetime of the crystals by approximately 100-fold. Recent studies have shown that flash-cooling decreases the heterogeneity of the conformational ensemble and can hide important functional mechanisms from observation. These discoveries have motivated increasing numbers of experiments to be carried out at room temperature. However, the trade-offs between increased risk of radiation damage and increased observation of alternative conformations at room temperature relative to cryogenic temperature have not been examined. A considerable amount of effort has previously been spent studying radiation damage at cryo-temperatures, but the relevance of these studies to room temperature diffraction is not well understood. Here, the effects of radiation damage on the conformational landscapes of three different proteins (T. danielli thaumatin, hen egg-white lysozyme and human cyclophilin A) at room (278 K) and cryogenic (100 K) temperatures are investigated. Increasingly damaged datasets were collected at each temperature, up to a maximum dose of the order of 107 Gy at 100 K and 105 Gy at 278 K. Although it was not possible to discern a clear trend between damage and multiple conformations at either temperature, it was observed that disorder, monitored by B-factor-dependent crystallographic order parameters, increased with higher absorbed dose for the three proteins at 100 K. At 278 K, however, the total increase in this disorder was only statistically significant for thaumatin. A correlation between specific radiation damage affecting side chains and the amount of disorder was not observed. This analysis suggests that elevated conformational heterogeneity in crystal structures at room temperature is observed despite radiation damage, and not as a result thereof.
Organizational Affiliation:
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.


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Andre Iguodala on future with Nuggets: 'Hopefully we come to an agreement'
It's halfway through the NBA season and it looks like things are crystallizing in Nuggets' guard Andre Iguodala's head concerning his opt-out decision at the end of the season.
Though he did not say it specifically it appears he's leaning toward staying with the Nuggets long term, but here's how: By opting out of his current contract, which would pay him roughly $16.2 million next season and signing a new, multiyear deal – even if the annual value of the contract comes out to be less than what he's making now and scheduled to make next season.
"A lot of players have done it where they've gave up a large bulk of their contract, say, giving up $16 million to get $60 million," said Iguodala, who turns 29 years old on Monday.
"In the grand scheme of things that makes sense. But if you give up $16 million and you get $20 million (it doesn't make sense). So it's all about playing your cards right and seeing where you're at. At the end of the day winning takes care of everything, so if we win here, then hopefully the organization and myself will come to an agreement and we'll continue to build on what we have here."
A player opting out of a lucrative final year isn't unprecedented. In fact, the Nuggets recently went through just such a scenario when Nene opted out of his following the 2011 season, forgoing a final year worth $12 million. Now, Nene was able to parlay his unrestricted free agent status into getting a contract worth $13 million per year, so it was a net gain for him.
It's unlikely Iguodala would make more annually than the $16.2 million he'd pass up, but his contract would probably not be anything smaller than Ty Lawson's contract extension, which starting next season pays him an average of $12 million annually. And the savings of a new contract worth less per year would help the Nuggets, who could be up against the luxury tax threshold next season and would need to find some economic breathing room.
Iguodala's contract status is one of the season's biggest storylines for the Nuggets, and it will spill over into the summer. But increasingly it looks like the Nuggets are taking center stage in his mind.
"It's not as hard as it seems," Iguodala said. "It's basically just weighing your options, seeing who has interest in you, or making a guesstimate on who has interest in you or what your value is at the current time. That's pretty much it."
Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at firstname.lastname@example.com


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I've been thinking a lot about the beetles, and about traps. This was the first year I saw beetles take hold in Va with a vengeance. With 2012 being the warmest year ever, it makes sense we had to deal with more beetles, especially after the warm winter we had. I do a LOT of cutouts and found them in every one, plus I would even find them huddled in swarms. Since cutouts are hard to make it through the winter, I got to see how the beetles did in freezing weather, and fortunately they die out too, but they seem to huddle in their own groups for warmth, just like the bees.
In looking at physical characteristics, I was wondering if we could create a gill net of sorts, based on their size and body segmentation. I'm still working through that and an entaglement option based on the type of leg hairs they have in opposition to the leg hair types and sizes of bees.
However, I believe it comes down to natural selection. As an adherent to a no-chemical approach, I like to breed my bees as survivors. I have a near neighbor beekeeper friend that purchases Verroa sensitive bees, so I'm picking up his genetics.
However if we are to take confidence in bees that like to actively clean each other for mite control, we may have to accept the other side of the coin for beetle control.
Here's the simplest article I could find to explain what I'm thinking: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/no...beetles-alive/
It may come down to a situation where we need to start resurrecting the bee varieties that over propolize their hives to protect themselves from beetles. We've bred the propolizing tendency out of the bees for years because it's a hassle for the beekeeper, but we may need to start bringing it back.
Any of you beekeepers out there with heavy propolizers- have you noticed any change in the way they handle the beetles? I had one hive that heavy propolized - they almost totally closed off their normal langstroth entrance. They had very specific little castle walls around the beetles they had trapped on the inner cover. Though all bees propolize, we may need one that propolizes fast- to trap the beetles between the times we open up the hive for inspection.


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The Wii U launches in under a week now in the US, with the Deluxe Set commanding a $349 retail price point ($299 for the white-colored basic version). While holiday shipments will surely sell out at these price points, next year could be another story, as Xbox 360 and PS3 continue to come down in cost. Ubisoft is the biggest third-party supporter of Wii U at launch, but even its CEO Yves Guillemot acknowledges that Nintendo may have to lower price.
he continues with "I'm never happy when the machines are expensive. What we have to do there is remember that compared to an iPad, it's cheap. With what it brings [to the gaming table] it's cheap. But I hope they'll be able to drop their price in time."
Sure people prefer cheaper consoles but Nitendo are already selling the Wii U at a loss, the price won't be going down just yet and personally I don't think it's too bad and I bought the £329 version
So sick and tired of these obsessed fanboys stinking up the WiiU articles.
I think its a great piece of hardware but for myself it doesnt have a compelling launch line up the only game i would want would be ZombiiU and later on Rayman legends. I bought a WII when Super mario galaxy 2 came out and for me that was the perfect price point at the time. Im glad i bought 1 other wise wouldve missed out on great games like Xenoblade chronicles and Skyward sword.
I will probably never buy a nintendo console at launch cause im a PC,playstation guy but the price point certainly isnt a problem for the wiiu compared to buying a playstation 3 or upgrading a PC.
I find it funny how people expected a console stronger than the PS3 and 360 to cost less than those systems. Actually if you adjust the price for inflation it's one of the cheapest consoles at launch, ever. And what's even better is they're selling it at a loss, so it could of been more. People want a machine to have all this power but still be affordable.
299 isn't that overpriced though. That was the price of the core pack for the 360 at launch with no storage space whatsoever included thus rendering the entire system virtually useless unless you buy a memory card or a 20GB HDD at the time, and (if I am not mistaken) only 100 more than the current entry-level 360. Plus it is way more powerful than a 360 so I think 299 is a good launch price for the console.


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Hello! Good night everybody.
I in the year 2016 bought the Purple Dino theme from the arcademug.
I would like to use this theme again.
I try to install the theme and it gives error in the license key, it says that the license key is not valid.
See the image of the email that I received from the arcademug when I bought the theme: https://ibb.co/ePc6V8
You can see that I bought the theme and this license key is the one that came when I bought the theme.
This license key is no longer working.
Could someone tell me how to cancel this license key so I can actually install the theme?
I await your feedback.
Thank you.


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