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Drinking with Men
Publisher's Summary
Rosie Schaap has always loved bars: the wood and brass and jukeboxes, the knowing bartenders, and especially the sometimes surprising but always comforting company of regulars. Starting with her misspent youth in the bar car of a regional railroad, where at age 15 she told commuters' fortunes in exchange for beer, and continuing today as she slings cocktails at a neighborhood joint in Brooklyn, Schaap has learned her way around both sides of a bar and come to realize how powerful the fellowship among bar patrons can be.
In Drinking with Men, Schaap shares her unending quest for the perfect local haunt that takes her from a dive outside L.A. to a Dublin pub full of poets, and from small-town New England taverns to a character-filled bar in Tribeca. Drinking alongside artists and expats, ironworkers and soccer fanatics, she finds that these places offer a safe haven, a respite, and a place to feel most like herself.
In rich, colorful prose, Schaap brings to life these seedy, warm, and wonderful rooms. Drinking with Men is a love letter to the bars, pubs, and taverns that have been Schaap's refuge, and a celebration of the uniquely civilizing source of community that is bar culture at its best.
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- Jeff
- 04-16-13
Ive always thought that there should be more books like this one on bar culture. For those who have never had the experience of being a regular at a pub or bar, this book does a pretty good job of relating that unique,fascinating and very misunderstood world. Bar culture is probably not at all what you think it is and this book will change the pre-conceived notions of what you imagine that world is all about.
If you consider yourself a people person or a serious investigative people watcher (an amateur sociologist) like myself then you owe it to yourself to peruse bars of all kinds. There is of course the great stigma that only alcoholics or singles looking for love or lust hang out in bars but thats not true. Most Bars are a place for those of a community to meet and socialize. Just like people, -bars come with their own very distinct personality that is created by the owners,patrons,location and theme of the bar,lounge or pub. Obviously if you live in a major city or a university town there will be a much greater diversity in the pubs or bars available....OPPS I think I just started to write a book instead of a review lol.
This book is an autobiography of the author and her integral relationships with various bars and their patrons over the years. I found the book fairly well written, narrated and interesting. I highly recommend this book to those who have not had this experience. Who knows once your pre-conceived notions are crushed, you may find yourself enmeshed in the social center that is your local pub.
2 people found this helpful
- Gary Regan
- 02-01-13
A Book About Life
Would you consider the audio edition of Drinking with Men to be better than the print version?
I loved hearing Roie's voice as I listened to this book. It felt as though we were in a cozy snug at the back of some Irish joint, sharing stoies and whiskey
Any additional comments?
This book is so beautifully written, and although it's about life in bars, it's also about life in general. Tears came to my eyes on more than a few occasions as I read Drinking with Men, and I got my fair share of chuckles from it, too.
When I reached the end, I not only felt as though I knew Rosie Schaap really well, I felt as though I loved her, too, just like I love many of the people I've hung out with at bars over the years--for their insights, for their honesty, and because they've been kindred spirits.
This is a book that I'll re-read over and over again. Sort of a bar-goers Bible if you will.
2 people found this helpful
- Mary
- 06-05-13
Rosie is your guide to being a bar regular
I loved this audio book. Rosie tells her life story in the framework of the bars she has been a regular in. It's a great device, telling us about her favorite bars, introducing us to her cities and towns and bar culture. The book was light and entertaining, but also interesting and obviously much of the material is deeply felt by the author. But I also liked how it was kind of like telling stories over drinks with a friend. Rosie presents many individual stories and anecdotes (my favorite is the one about the bikers and her knitted hat) which are woven together in the greater context of her life story and the bars she frequents. Definitely a fun listen and not overly long.


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Finally, visitors!!!Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
I know it's been a while since I have posted anything, but life is pretty hectic in the Cairns Unlimited household and the days go by without us even realising. This post has been long due, and here it goes.
After living in Australia for nearly two years, we finally had visitors from Spain visiting us. Well, we're not counting my friend Jorge Rabadan and his wife, who came to Cairns on holidays, and since we were here already, met up with them a couple of times. We also booked a few tours for them. They were pretty happy with our service, as you can see in our referencias page. Since he now lives in LA, USA is much closer to Australia, so Jorge, you are welcome any time.
This time we have my very good friend Amaya with her family: her husband Luis and their two gorgeous girls, Sara and Ainhoa. They are the living proof that life doesn't end when you become a parent. They are travelling around the world for a whole year. And since we threatened them that if they didn't include Cairns in their schedule we would never talk to them again, they didn't have any other option but visiting. They arrived on March 2nd!!!
Some of you may not think anything of it, but some of you will remember that we were looking for another home. And we found it, of course, but only two days before they got here. We packed everything as quickly as possible, rented UTE and moved houses ourselves. Gladly this time Steve didn't pretend he was suffering from back pain, like he did when we moved to Yorkeys Knob, and I had to do most of the move myself .
We worked like maniacs for a couple of days, assembling furniture, buying what we didn't have, which was actually many things, such a sofa, outside table or crockery but still had time to sit down and have a beer before going to the airport to pick them up.
I don't know how long for Amaya and myself hugged each other. It was unbelivable to see them all in Australia. They were going to stay with us for a couple of weeks, which at the time seemed like we would have time to do many things together, but it just went so quickly…
The girls were happy just playing in the swimming pool and we seemed to be happy just sitting around the table, chatting and drinking wine. Remember three out of the four adults were Spanish, so sipping wine and going to be late was common those days. The neighbours on both sides were champions and not once did they complain about the noise.
One of the days they were staying with us we all went to Fitzroy Island. We had never been to Fitzroy Island before so we thought it was the perfect opportunity for every one to discover one of the many tropical islands off the coast of Cairns. And off we went, loaded with our fantastic digital underwater cameras. We practically had Nudey Beach to ourselves, a couple of times we saw someone else walking around, but most of the time it was just us snorkelling, sunbathing or eating. It is a beautiful island, the water is crystal clear and great snorkel. Luis and the girls even saw two turtles and a mantaray. In the evening, just before boarding the ferry to go back to Cairns we went to the hotel in the island (now closed until further notice) and saw this beautiful swimming pool, with a couple of fountains, so we had a swimm there. Again we were the only ones, but we soon found out that it was only a fountain and not a swimming pool.
Another day we all went to the Atherton Tablelands for the day. Apart from visiting some of the Tropical Wineries that are found in the area. Amaya and myself had already tried some of them at the Cairns Nightmarkets and since we both liked them, we decided to get some from one of the wineries.
Next stop was the termite nests close to one of the coffee plantations near Mareeba. They are absolutely impressive. The girls weren't that impressed, though, so we thought they might like to see wild wallabies at Granite Gorge. We weren't very lucky, it was a rainy day and all the wallabies decided to stay under cover. Nevermind, we made our way to Atherton because Amaya and the girls were very interested in minerals and the sort. And what better place than the Crystal Caves? Steve and myself had been there before and thought it was a pretty decent display of minerals, fossils, etc. But since we were there, Rene, the owner, now display the biggest geode in Earth. It reaches two metres easily and it's very impressive. While amaya and the girls explored the museum, Luis, Steve and myself went for a coffee at a nearby cafeteria. That night they decided to make their way to Yungaburra and, with a bit of luck, see platypus. A shame we couldn't go with them, but we were busy that same night and had to give it a miss. They were lucky and spotted platypus, one of the rare native Australian animals.
Another day Luis and Amaya went to visit Cape Tribulation and Port Douglas on their own, as we had offered to look after Sara and Ainhoa while they had a second, and short, honeymoon. You won't believe how wonderfully behaved those two princesses are, it was actually a pleasure to have them with us. We took them to Toys RUS and when I offered to buy them a little present they refused. Later we took them to the Cairns Lagoon and not once I had to look for them, they were always where I told them to be.
Luis is a very keen diver and has dived all over the world. Since Steve is more of a dry man and I don't have too many chances of going diving, we both decided to leave our partners at home and go on a Cairns liveaboard. The trip to the reef was very rough and half the passengers were seasick, even ourselves. But once we got to the first stop and got ready to jump, we all forgot our pains and enjoyed ourselves. The visibility wasn't great during the whole trip, however, we still managed to see sharks, turtles and many different species of fish, including cute Nemo. It was also the first time I tried a night dive and even though I was a bit dissapointed I will try again, maybe the conditions will be better next time. It's funny how some of the bigger fish have learnt that divers point their torches to other fish, so they follow divers all the way and as soon as they point their torches, these big fish whizz passed you towards the light and surprise, the cute little fish that was there a second ago is gone.
The next morning we had to be up at 5.30am to go for our morning dive. Luis was too lazy to get up although he says that he didn't sleep at all that night. Haha. This time I went for a deep dive. It was supposed to be at 30 metres down and again, I was a bit dissapointed, we only went to 20 metres. Anyway, it was all beautiful, and it was one of the ones I enjoyed most. This time the instructor wanted to show us how at such great depth our senses are not so acute. We were given a blackboard with numbers from 1 to 20 mixed. We had to first touch our nose and then point to the numbers in a correlative order. It took us ages to do so. But the funniest bit was when the instructor tried to crack an egg open for us to play with it. Due to the pressure, the egg stays together. At least that's what we were told, there was a fish which managed to crack both eggs open and eat the inside before we could realise what was happening.
However, the best dive was the one we did nearly in the surface. We also managed to stay underwater much longer, about 90 minutes. Absolutely beautiful. But the highlight of our trip was when we got back to Cairns and Amaya and the girls were waiting for us at the finger.
The last night we all had a great time. They had bought a few presents for us, but instead of giving them to us, they hid them all over the place and we had to find them using "hot" and "cold" as directions. Steve got a barbie set, with a beautiful apron and I got lots of nice things for the house.
Those two weeks went extremely quickly and suddenly it was time for them to keep on travelling. Japan, Hong Kong, India, South Africa and many other places before they arrive back in Spain. I hope they come back to Australia again. But for the meantime, we keep in touch by email and phone calls. And I guess we will see them in Madrid in a few months. By the way, if you are interested in their travels, they have a very interesting website, in Spanish, with lots of photos, called "Our trip around the world".

subset: commoncrawl


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A good reason to perform this classic once again. Why, you ask? Well, this version is the only Torch Through Arm where the torch actually floats in mid-air and a dove is produced as a climax! Now THAT IS reason enough! Performer begins by placing a metallic tube over his arm. Taking a lit torch, it is passed through two holes within the tube, apparently through the arm as well. All of a sudden, the magician lets go of the torch and it stays afloat in mid-air! Unbelievable! The audience will never expect it. But wait ...it gets better! Taking the torch out of the tube, the magician blows out the flame, takes his arm out of the tube, and instantly, a live dove appears sitting atop the tube. DOUBLE WOW! Perform it for real people. Heck, perform it for magicians; you will fry everybody with this brand new approach to the classic effect!
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The Deceiver Lyrics
I've been misled into the grave. Loneliness is the shadow of a word I used to know. The weak and broken march on. They bring chaos. They bring war. I know I've been misled. Regret sleeps in my bed. Towers rise into the sky. All our words confused, no one knows how to love. I beg for change. Thorns cradle my own two feet. Loneliness whispers: embrace me.


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Check out B.o.B in Glamour magazine's May 2012 "Obsessed!" section!
"This lively hip-hop artist has his second album out (the first featured the catchy hit "Airplanes"), and cool kids everywhere are excited to bop around to his new beats. BOTTOM LINE: The perfect rap/pop crossover for your next dance party."
Follow B.o.B on Twitter: @bobatl


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I was not able to find if Fast Search is able to extract meta data from files. I'm not talking about meta data in the SharePoint document library, but meta data specific to file formats.
Especially :
- image files and Exif data
- Video files and meta data like copyrights, resolution, etc.
- MS office and Open office document.
I'm guessing it's the case, but I did not find the actual answer. I'm also guessing the answer is related to IFilters.


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text: My great-grandmother was Mary Ann Whitlock, born according to the census, in 1872. My father and I have both been searching for her birth in vain. We've also been searching for the birth registration of her twelve siblings. They appear on the census too, but not on the BMD. So where are they all? Looks … Continue reading


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Former Miss Delaware Amanda Longacre broke down in tears on NBC's "Today" show as she described her disappointment over being stripped of her crown because of her age.
"It's like they're trying to erase me in a way like it never happened," she said.
Longacre disputed Miss America pageant organizers claims that she violated the age rules for competition.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
"I am so, like really upset because I just found out Tuesday that I was stripped of my crown over an age clause that clearly the board of my state didn't even know about," Longacre said. "So I am left here wondering why I was put in this position to begin with."
First runner up Brittany Lewis, 24, was awarded Longacre's crown Thursday. But Longacre is not going out without a fight. She told the "Today" show that she is "discussing options" with a lawyer.
Attorney Mark Billion of Wilmington, Delaware, did not respond to a request for an interview at the time this was published. But he told The News Journal that he believes there is a "breach of contract."
"It really hurts because when your peers vote you for Miss Congeniality and you work so hard to get to this position," Longacre said after being overcome with emotion on "Today."
Pageant officials on Tuesday told Longacre that she would not be eligible to compete in the Miss America pageant in September because of her age, NBC10 reported. She said she was told that Miss America can't be older than 24 the year she is crowned.
Longacre will turn 25 on October 22, two months after the Miss America pageant. She explained on "Today" that she submitted all the proper paperwork to prove her age, and local pageant officials took no issue with it at the time she applied for a chance at the Miss Delaware crown.
"It's not fair because I won outright," she said. "And I deserve to represent my state and I want this chance still to go to Miss America."
The Miss America Organization on Thursday posted on Facebook a status wishing Longacre "well on her future endeavors." The post also included a headshot of Lewis that congratulated her on being crowned Miss Delaware 2014.
Longacre's winning photo from June 14 is still on the Miss America Facebook page as of Friday morning.
The Miss America Organization did not respond to a request for an interview at the time story was published.


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You, sir, did not only write a perfect review here. You saved my soul. I was alone, thinking I was the only person on the planet that did not enjoy this game. And I don't have to add anything, except: Thank you. It was fun to read.
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition Review
I'm about to admit to something that, in many reader's minds, will serve to discredit my reviews: I don't finish the vast majority of games that I critique. Further, there are some few games where I don't even make it to the half way point. The reasons for this are various and sundry but all boil down to one indisputable fact; almost every game can be judged with a high degree of accuracy in a matter of minutes if you have enough gaming experience. Call it the game reviewer's "blink" ability. I didn't finish Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition. I probably didn't even get half way into it. I'll explain why shortly, but rest assured, this game was easy to appraise, and not in a good way.
First let's get the obvious out of the way. If you don't own an Xbox 360 controller, don't buy this game; move along, there's nothing to see here. The mouse and keyboard controls are so ineptly implemented that I find it hard to believe that anyone at developer From Software even play-tested the damn thing. Needless to say, if you are porting a game from consoles and you can't even be bothered to perfect mouse and keyboard controls, it doesn't bode well for the rest of the experience.
After digging out my 360 controller from the box of "useless old console crap I never wanted to revisit" and re-learning how to use such an archaic and clumsy control system, I finally settled in for this self-styled hard-as-hell RPG. Character creation was pretty much the standard set up, letting you choose your sex, starting class and general look. The facial generation system is subpar, creating almost universally unappealing mugs, but fortunately (unfortunately?) that didn't matter much because, for some stupid reason, you play the game as a flesh-eaten zombie. Why? Well, that brings me to the next big complaint.
Dark Souls happens to be missing an important, if not central, component that all RPGs should have: context. This could include almost everything, from story, to dialogue, to continuity. Why am I a zombie instead of a human? Why am I tasked with ringing two distant bells? Who are these random people scattered around the environment? What the hell is going on and more important, why should I care? All of those questions, and many more, are either never answered, or answered cryptically with prophecy-talk nonsense. Context is what puts the "R" in Role Playing Game and in Dark Souls, you are most certainly not playing a role.
So then, what is this game? I thought long and hard on that question and I finally stumbled upon a decent, though not perfect, answer. Dark Souls is essentially a third-person, more complex version of Diablo (specifically the first game). What I mean by that is that it has almost no story, no meaningful dialogue and other than combat, leveling up and finding hidden loot, it has no real point. Once I realized this, the game became less conceptually frustrating, though no less boring. What remained infuriating was the combat and difficulty.
Depending on how you build your character, combat plays out in the usual melee/archery/magic trichotomy. I will give the game credit for one thing; the leveling system allows for a very elastic character building experience. You pick your class at the start, yes, but once you begin collecting souls (the game's universal system for both experience and currency), you can easily give your warrior some magic or your rogue a giant shield; nothing is off limits or disadvantageous. However, outside of your character sheet, it's entirely up to you to fight competently and, boy, does Dark Souls make that task hellish.
Most of the problem lies in the camera and targeting system. The camera is assigned to the right thumb stick (assuming you are using an Xbox controller) and since there is very little auto-tracking, you'll spend much of the game with both thumbs on the sticks. First off, coming from a mouse and keyboard background, it has never been more obvious how cumbersome and imprecise console controllers are. If nothing else, Dark Souls has made me love the fact that I'm a PC gamer all over again. Secondly, to fight effectively, you have to make use of the A, B, X and Y keys, which means forgoing camera controls while you drink potions or sprint, leaving you completely situationaly unaware. And for a game this merciless, not being able to quickly track swarms of enemies is unacceptable.
Speaking of mercilessness, let's discuss that in detail, shall we? This game's claim to fame is in its unforgiving, old school difficulty. At first glance, it's true, the game is really hard and doesn't hold your hand, especially during boss fights. But it's one big deception for a few reasons. If you took this exact game, made mouse and keyboard functional (thus making the combat fun, rather than frustrating), and *gasp* added a manual save function, this would be just another third person action RPG, with very little unique about it except for how half-assed the setting and story are.
The reason people think this game is hard is that when a boss cheap-kills them (because the boss's bounding box blocks the player into a corner of the level or stun-locks the player with unblockable flurry attacks), they have to run all the way back from the previous spawn point (bonfire), killing all the same enemies they just killed over again. Given that some bosses are very cheap and very far away from a bonfire, this adds up to some of the most wasteful playtime I've ever experienced in a game, especially since you may or may not be able to keep the souls (experience) of those in-between enemies you've repeatedly killed a thousand times. This game isn't hard at all, it's just ineptly designed. So while I may only be a third of the way in, my playtime is well past thirty hours.
Visually, the game is also pretty damn unimpressive. Everything is colored in dark, muted tones of gray, brown and black. The armor and weapons are adequately gleaming but the character models, both your own and those of the enemies, are bland and lifeless. Given that almost everything you fight is a zombie of one kind or another, maybe that's appropriate, but it sure isn't exciting to look at.
Finally, the multiplayer portion is a complete waste of time. At a bonfire, you can choose to spend a humanity point (a somewhat rare resource) to "reverse hollowing" (become human) and this opens the multiplayer portion of the game to you. The intention is that it's a double-edged sword, in that you get a higher loot drop rate and you can call on other players (and even some AI NPCs) to join your world to help you fight, while at the same time, other players can enter your world and hunt you down player-vs-player style.
Even just from that description, it's obvious that this is not true multiplayer. Instead, it's just a small taste of both co-op and pvp mulitplayer modes, given to you in a random, chaotic fashion. There's no microphone support and no keyboard chat box. You can either perform vague gestures (like cheering or pointing) or you can fight, that's it. So while the co-op, "help me kill a boss" option is pretty straightforward, the pvp is atrocious. When someone invades your world to fight you, all the doors fog over (meaning you are locked in a small area of the map) and you have to stop all forward progress and wait while some random dude loads into your game (it's not an instantaneous process). You then fight, for no reason, until one of you dies. Oh, and just to add insult to injury, the game doesn't care about level or gear, they just throw random battles together. So most times, the people who enjoy pvp gameplay (you know, immature douche bags that are super-leveled and decked out in the best gear) will sit in newbie areas and load in just to insta-kill you with one hit and then perform the laugh gesture. Yeah, good times.
When I see the sheer amount of positive reviews this game got from the console crowd, it just reinforces my elitist PC attitude. This Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition is not only the worst console port I've ever played (and I play most of them), it's also one of the worst designed. I mean literally, this game is one step above my character having "lives" and when I run out of those, I'm told to jam quarters into my PC to continue playing. If this is what constitutes a "good console RPG", then I'll sleep soundly at night with the knowledge that I'm not missing a damn thing by not owning a PlayStation 3. I guess I'm alone in understanding this, but supposed difficulty is not a substitute for intelligent design. Dark Souls proves that.
Reviewed By: Brian Mardiney
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Rating: 40%
This review is based on a digital copy of Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition for the PC provided by Namco Bandai.
20 Comments on "Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition Review"
I could say the same thing to you, sir. You are the first comment that isn't a total flame of my review, as evidenced here: http://www.game-over.com/reviews/pc/Dark_Souls:_Prepare_to_Die_Edition.html
I knew there was SOMEONE out there that had the reaction to this game that I did.
If it's say 2 out of a 1000 people that dislike it to this extent you should probably be questioning yourself, or better yet don't write a dumb review. Sadly it was included on metacritic. Sorry you suck.
What about games as a vision, and not a checklist of mandatory features? Why shouldn't the gamer adapt to a strict set of rules, instead of having the developper cater to the lowest common denominator? You see games as products, I see them as a medium.
That is just it. The game is a challenge to beat. You don't see that any more with the current regenerating health and $60 for a 8 hour campaign.
Yes, the controls flat out suck. There are however a couple of patches put out to help with the graphics and mouse, to make the game look much better and handle better.
For the game itself, you have dozens of armors and outfits, probably a dozen classes of weapons, all with different moves, tons of things to find, many multiples of different types of monsters. This has to be one of the most creative games I have ever played.
The game is like life. It does not forgive. There are consequences related to the risks you take. Stupid actions are brutally punished. There are no save and reloads where you can "look" for a best choice. Aggro a NPC and they will forever attack you until you pay to be forgiven. Kill them and their story line is gone. Overall with the way the game is in order to survive you become an expert at the different sections. I also am reminded of the quarters I used to pump into machines, to learn game patterns. That is what this game is.
When you beat this game you have accomplished something. True, that it is a meaningless accomplishment, but it is no more or less meaningless than playing or beating any other game.
sounds to me like the reviewer did not notice there was a lock-on button for combat lol
also the thing is, yes the combat is hard, but it takes practice, once you learn how each enemy attacks, its not so hard to walk through the map just parrying and countering everything humanoid for a one hit kill.
I'm a an elitist pc gamer too, but after applying the DSfix mod to set my resolution and get the framerate to 60fps I'm thoroughly enjoying this with 2 other friends in co-op.
Yeah its a horrible port, probably the worst I've ever seen – but DSfix mod fixes that and the game and its combat is very deep. I wouldn't consider it an RPG, but rather a fantasy survival horror game – it actually reminds me of resident evil 4 – but a fantasy version.
Port is awful. Game is unplayable on PC without being modded.
Use the DSfix and mouse fix available online and your experience will improve dramatically.
Out of the box, I'd rate Dark Souls a 2. Modded, it comes closer to 8. Still has some problems – treading over the same ground multiple times to get repeatedly hammered by a Boss repeatedly artificially adds game time. Navigating menus without game pausing the game in unsafe locations is not advisable – bad luck if you're inventory hiking. Exiting the game to navigate through main menu screens is just damned frustrating if you want to quit early. Plus there will be a good dozen other reasons why the game doesn't deserve higher scores.
On the other hand, context – as it concerns you – is not necessary. The best game in the world, Chess, has no narrative. Most good games don't. Video games by their definition should shine as games first – not modes for storytelling. If the game works without narrative, then does it need a story?
I guess for RPG's it's a different argument; but on this occasion I'm enjoying the light plot without too many burdonsome details, a universe with little explanation. Most people's lives are like that anyway. It's refreshing after the deep and involving narrative of something like The Witcher 2 – which did tend towards tedium and distracting from the game – that's what you get from a game based on conteporary literature, I guess.
There's room for both – and everything in between, as far as I am concerned, if the gameplay works. Here, though. It's definitely conditional. Mod the game. PC Master Race is still Master for good reason.
I was tempted to quit many times during my first 20 hours. What makes this game playable and actually a great experience on the PC, is manual save games. Yep, I "cheated" and would alt-tab to my save folder and create a copy after I made it through an area or before a boss. I didn't totally abuse this system, but I did use it to avoid the incredibly irksome cheap-death situations.
With the DSfix to run in 1080p, the graphics are actually amazing. The art design and world design is best in class. No joke. I do feel you were in error to not praise the wondrous creative of the bosses and environments.
So yeah, the game, as is, is annoying and frustrating, but with manual saves and the DSfix, the game is an extremely memorable and enjoyable experience. But the reviewer is right that the difficulty is really superficial. Once you learn the "tricks" and how to overcome the camera, you can steamroll the entire game on New Game Plus. Truly difficult games can never be mastered. Dark Souls is mastered after one playthrough (and with manual saving, eh eh eh).
not sure why you would need to do that – most areas of the game you are able to summon another two players or even NPCs to help you out with bosses are tough parts – and the game is very easy with 3 players.
Quite ironic that we either have to "cheat" by manual back-up or "cheat" by summoning more players, which totally ruins the strategic nature of boss battles. Here is another example of how unbalanced the game is. It goes from crazy hard solo to crazy easy coop. Ah well.
Using a game mechanic is not cheating (although the file swap is). There are risks (invasion) and rewards to that.
this site , is one of the worst reviewers ever , a masterpice like dark souls , is given a 40 ? u probably cant the game , or just die , die and die, ahahha u should shut this site down , ur reviews are awful !
Fail. One problem lies here: "Most of the problem lies in the camera and targeting system. The camera is assigned to the right thumb stick (assuming you are using an Xbox controller) and since there is very little auto-tracking, you'll spend much of the game with both thumbs on the sticks. "
Hmmm… Did you know that you could click in the right thumb stick to lock on to enemies, like it said in the tutorial?
"Dark Souls happens to be missing an important, if not central, component that all RPGs should have"
Just because a game doesn't have every single aspect of your favorite game, does not mean it is a bad game.
"Given that almost everything you fight is a zombie of one kind or another"
So, I guess you never got past Undead Parish, (THE SECOND AREA OF THE GAME) because that is the point in the game where the enemies aren't zombies anymore.
and the last one:
"No meaningful dialogue"
which directly contradicts an earlier statement:
"indisputable fact; almost every game can be judged with a high degree of accuracy in a matter of minutes if you have enough gaming experience"
Yes, some of the things you've stated ARE opinions, but you have no facts supporting them. Opinions with supporting facts is the WHOLE POINT of reviews.
This has been my meaningful review of your review.
Well said. This guy will stop reviewing games. Only true gamers understand that this game is a masterpiece. True gamers also don't half-ass their way through games and don't complete them.
I was literally about to burst of anger while reading this review and your reply covered my thoughts completely!
I have to agree that:
– the port is the worst on PC
– PC experience in general is better than consoles
But all the crap being mentioned about non sense repetition of enemies it made me so angry! This guy has either never played games in the past (he must be 14 years old or something) or he started playing games recently!
Dark Souls is a great game and such a crappy review won't ruin the game's flair! Hence the rating of this review!
I have to step in here. And give you a fury hell has not seen yet.
1. You complain that it's a horrible port.
Answer: Namco Bandai literally pushed them with the fans to make a port, that they themselves said they weren't adept in making, thus, making a bad port.
2.You complain that you aren't told anything, no context at all.
Answer: Maybe if you'd watched the intro, read the tutorials, spoken to people one or few times, You would've noticed this game has as much (if not more) content than your average old-styled Final Fantasy, with it's lore gaining fame because of the fact that nobody is spoon feeding you the history of what, how and why.
Maybe you, you know, should've delved into it, read the item descriptions, listened to people and used some brains of your own to read through them and connect the pieces?
3.You complain that the battle mechanics and camera is inadequate.
Answer: I didn't know you can see behind your back in real life, even as much as this one? The Dark Souls gaming style goes for realism on the physics. You can't really focus on a dozen of enemies in real life, and you never actually get swarmed in the game if you actually play it smart and patient like it's meant to. I can understand you "elitist PC gamers" who still feud over such matters as the console wars being snobby and thinking you can just run it through no sweat. Most of the PC gamers still use Cheat Engines and hacks to finish this. (I myself am also a PC gamer, not using hacks, also played on the Ps3 before it came out on the PC.)
4.You complain that armor and equipment is accessible to all levels
Answer: Sure, it may seem unfair at first. But those people still need stats for certain items and have to level up just like you to use them. They were simply better than you, got better equipment by fighting to get them, and spent time upgrading them.
5. You think the PvP is awful and unrewarding/pointless?
Answer: In case you didn't know. People invade you to gain humanity. The PvP isn't all deathmatch/arena (even though that's in the game now as well). Because it's made to be dynamic along with the enviroment. I think it has one of the best PVP systems that has ever been made, actually blending it with the game of it's own.
6.You think the visuals are not impressing?
Answer: It's a "post-apocalyptic" envireoment if you will. The name is DARK Souls. It tells of a world where fire and light is fading away. You expect for it to shit sunshines and rainbows on you? It has colorful areas in it. But since you weren't obviously exactly "paying attention" rather than trying to run it through, you probably missed the beautiful scenery they present to you (if you ever got that far)
Overall, I could keep on writing you to the size of a small book. You have absolutely no respect for the game, only due to your own simple lack of interest or effort in it. The game isn't really "difficult". If you were patient, gave it a try, tried out your own playstyle you might've actually gotten accustomed to it. It's not Skyrim. Skyrim forc-efed you it's lore like a bad cuisine, and I lost interest in it before hitting 60 hours on the game because I couldn't even freely level up my character.
I enjoy a lot of video games, and I'd review a lot of them myself. I have over 600 hours on Dark Souls, 400 on TF2, and 300 on Binding of Isaac. My list varies a lot. But you should really at least TRY to focus when playing this game. It's not supposed to force-feed you. The tutorials and the story is there, go, play it again, and actually focus on it this time.
git gud scrub. play D3 or GW2 instead
Brian, you went in to this game with a negative attitude, and your attitude colored and poisoned your time with the game.
You had many preconceptions, and did not keep your mind open to an experience unfamiliar to you. I disagree with effectively the entirety of the subjective elements of your review, aside for how the game runs on PC of which I have no experience. I personally feel that Dark Souls is a masterpiece, and stands at the zenith of the medium.
I also feel that to dismiss me, and others such as myself, would be lazy. You have become complacent and overly comfortable with your views in games, you've stopped intellectually questioning your own long held beliefs.
Why do consoles exist? What appeal does the console controller possess? Can I truly understand the whole of a game, the alpha to omega, without watching even the end credits?
I would be happy to go into greater detail as to why I hold Dark Souls in such high esteem, and I would be very pleased if you gave the game a second chance.
I'm not even sure how this can be considered an "official" review. It is akin to Joe schmo posting a piss poor review on his personal blog. Hopefully no one actually reads these pieces of garbage you call reviews. You haven't even freaking finished the game! I can name 20 people that would write better reviews solely based on the fact they actually play through the entire thing and have at least an ounce of discernment.
This was probably the most idiotic review I have ever read. The amount of incorrect statements is nearly unfathomable.
"If you took this exact game, made mouse and keyboard functional (thus making the combat fun, rather than frustrating), and *gasp* added a manual save function, this would be just another third person action RPG, with very little unique about it except for how half-assed the setting and story are.'
Just face palm. Please go back to playing mario kart on your wii.
"The reason people think this game is hard is that when a boss cheap-kills them (because the boss's bounding box blocks the player into a corner of the level or stun-locks the player with unblockable flurry attacks), they have to run all the way back from the previous spawn point (bonfire), killing all the same enemies they just killed over again. Given that some bosses are very cheap and very far away from a bonfire, this adds up to some of the most wasteful playtime I've ever experienced in a game, especially since you may or may not be able to keep the souls (experience) of those in-between enemies you've repeatedly killed a thousand times. This game isn't hard at all, it's just ineptly designed. So while I may only be a third of the way in, my playtime is well past thirty hours."
I can't even…
I could go through your entire review and contradict nearly everything you claimed, but instead, I'll keep it simple. You are a dumbass


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The Fens are home to 25% of Britain's rarest wildlife and 13 globally rare species, according to a new report.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia studied over one million records collected by scientists and amateur enthusiasts that date back to 1670.
The Fens Biodiversity Audit details evidence of 13,474 species of plants, insects, birds, fish and mammals.
The area covered 3,800 km sq, spanning the Fenlands of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.
Christopher Panter, an ecologist from the school of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia and one of the authors of the audit, commented: "One of the most surprising things was that, despite it being a very large area, most of the area was previously unrecorded."
Continued: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20225243


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Counseling Services
Available to all full-time undergraduates, counseling services are designed to assist students with social, emotional, academic and psychological issues so that they are able to remain in school and benefit from their educational opportunities to the fullest extent possible.
Services include short-term individual and group counseling, consultations with faculty and staff, referral services, special programs and crisis intervention. There are no fees for counseling services.
Mission of Counseling Services
The principal aim of Counseling Services is to address the developmental and mental health issues of students from educational, therapeutic and preventative perspective. These services not only support the traditions of the Sisters of Mercy, but also reflect the philosophy of acceptance, respect, compassion and dignity. Counseling Services provides a confidential environment that is conducive to discussion of any concern or problem. This confidentiality is in accordance with legal and professional guidelines and standards of the state of Rhode Island.


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Those types of records listed online as underused, besides land records, include:
- Church Records
- Black Records
- Kentucky Records
- Upper Canada Sundries
- Fraternal Organizations
- The Public Library
As an aside, suppose I am a beginning genealogist and go to my local Family History Center and use their computers to look up my family on Ancestry.com. Except for the public library, aren't I essentially using all of those types of records? Checking the Ancestry.com Card Catalog, the listing of all of their collections, I find every single one of those categories. So aren't the millions of Ancestry.com users daily using those "vastly underused" records?
I am not so naive as to fail to recognize what most of the "experts" mean when they classify some type of record as underused. The fundamental issue is not underuse but lack of awareness of the existence of the various types of records. When I was getting serious about genealogy, I read the instruction manuals including such classics as:
- Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co, 1990.
- Szucs, Loretto Dennis, and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking. The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy. Provo, UT: Ancestry, 2006.
- Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co, 2001.
Jacobus, Donald Lines. Genealogy As Pastime and Profession. New Haven, Conn: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Co, 1930
and dozens and dozens of others. I did not just purchase these books and pile them up or put them on shelves, I read and re-read them from cover to cover. I also spent five years taking distance learning courses from BYU and finished all of the courses except one I dropped because I didn't care for the instructor.
You wouldn't walk into a law office, with no experience or education and expect to practice law, would you? Or a doctors office? or any involved and complicated activity? If I gave you a hammer and a box of nails, could you frame a house? Install plumbing? Lay floor tile?
We all acknowledge that most complicated and specialized activities take some degree of education and experience before we have any ability at all. And yet we expect rank novices in genealogy to find their ancestors? We show catchy little videos that say you can do your genealogy in five minutes?
My point is that of course there are "underused" resources because there is a perception that you can do genealogy without any education or training or only with a minimal orientation in a Family History Center. Until we get over the common representation that genealogy is "easy" and our fixation with "beginners" there will always be underused records. How about handing a beginner Val Greenwood's book and saying "Read this and come back for questions when you finish?"


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Holliday given night off to insert Adams in lineup
PHILADELPHIA -- You can't have too many horses, says manager Mike Matheny, who didn't need any wild ones to drag Matt Holliday out of the lineup Sunday night so that Matt Adams, hitting .524 with three home runs and eight RBIs, could get his second start of the week.
"When I told [Holliday] his reply was, "I feel great, I want to play,'" Matheny said. "I said, 'Sit with me for a second and let's talk about this club. Tell me what you see.' He said, 'No, I get it.' I have always heard those words from every single [Cardinals regular], so I don't know if they all sat down together and said 'I get it' because they do."
Holliday has played 155 games or more in five of his eight full Major League seasons.
"Holliday loves the day-in, day-out grind of this game more than most guys," Matheny said. "He prepares himself physically as well as anyone in the game, and part of that is so that he can answer the call every day.
"He loves the challenge of that and I know this is hard for him. I have to figure it out. It can't just be Carlos [Beltran] getting the day off all the time when his body looks good, and it can't be Allen Craig [on Sunday night] when he is real close to getting on his stride. You just got to do what you got to do sometimes. It's not fair to let Matt Adams rot."


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Welcome to San Mateo Gymnastics
Nothing is More Important Than A Child's Self-Esteem. San Mateo Gymnastics has been teaching the sport of gymnastics to kids for over 35 years. With recreational classes and competitive classes that cater to a variety of age ranges, our kids thrive in multiple goal achievement areas. San Mateo Gymnastics has proudly been an integral part of the Belmont and greater peninsula community since 1977. Sign your child up today and start experiencing the SMG fun!read more


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Post any Bugs or problems with the game here:
Post any Bugs or problems with the game here:
I can't seem to play a match or anything else on the alpha testing,when I click play match, it lets me chose chaos or order the after that ,it returns to the lobby
It might be that my computer is simply too slow to handle a flash game of this size, but when I start a match and it enters the loading screen, it basically freezes and never actually begins the match. Also, are the campaign, tutorial, and practice features not available yet?
I appear to be having problems registering on the game. I've already made a game account, but when I try to log in, it says "Login Failed". Not sure what is causing the problem. Could be the slow internet that I've been experiencing recently.
So I upgraded my Castle Archers to the max, which should give me four, but in the end I only got three. I'd give you a screenshot of it, but the only way to put images up here is to link to a url. If you want I can email it to you, though.
Another problem: I can't select all units of a specific type by double-clicking on them.
EDIT: Hmm. It seems to be working. It could just be when there's a whole bunch of units of different types.
Last edited by Izandai; 09-29-2012 at 07:00 PM.
The game lags extremely , you can't seem to be able to choose anything on the main menu but the " play match button" , while you may have wanted to play campaign or ...
Overall , the graphics are very nice but the game play is weird as hell. The old game was simpler, better and easier
.. of course its just a test version , the newer one will hit the Net soon with some better fixes
Not to forget the Super long loading times mate :P
Crazy HAnk
I get this little bug sometimes: I select a unit, and the game tells me im controling it, but it doesnt move when I command, and the abilities window doesnt show. The problem is corrected easily by selecting the unit again though, so just reporting this little harmless glitch.
Last edited by Kapell; 09-29-2012 at 05:34 PM. Reason: forgot to type the word "get"
This is only a minor issue for me, but it appears that the game has incorrectly registered me as "missinglink32" when I entered "MissingLink" into the username field. I don't mind if it's kept like this, but I would like my username to be changed to what I want it to be.
This apparently is the reason behind the failed logins above. I thought my username was MissingLink, when it was registered as missinglink32.
EDIT: Okay, so I was not aware that when registering for the Alpha/Beta, that the username that I put in would be the ingame username that I would have. I'm fine with this, but I would greatly appreciate a username change. (I suspect that it's going to be as easy as changing a field in the database) So who ever is in charge of that, send me a PM or just reply here on the status of this.
Last edited by MissingLink; 10-01-2012 at 04:49 PM.
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The Grinch Costume
Rate this costume:
48 votes
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The Grinch who stole Christmas
Similar costumes: *
|Costume type:
|Costumes for Boys
This homemade costume for boys entered our 2011 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Tracey, the 'The Grinch' costume creator:
My 5 year old son is wearing the costume. He gave me the idea when I asked him who he wanted to be for halloween! Thank God he told me this in early September because there are no Grinch costumes you can purchase. I had to make this one with my own 2 hands! Please note, this is the FIRST time I have ever sewn anything....but I am happy with the results! So was my son. He got compliments everywhere we went and even had a handful of people ask for his picture. Did I mention he got TONS of extra candy for being so cute and original!
I made the costume by ordering 2 yeards of Long pile olive fur fabric online. Costs about 40.00. The I just grabbed an old pair of pants and cut the fabric the same size as the pants. I made it a jumpsuit, so I just grabbed a shirt to measure the legnth on how tall I should cut the fabric. I lefts hole for the arms since I knew the santa suit would cover his arms. I just used velcro at the top of the costume at the shoulders so he would be able to get in and out of the costume. The Santa suit was from Diaso store for only $5.00 and the hat was from the dollar store. The green face was just regular face paint from Target. We had a great night and I'm glad that I didnt give up when he said he wanted to be the Grinch. I think we will both remember this costume forever!
Similar costumes:


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Mazda Certified Pre-Owned Cars for Sale in Lincoln, NE
16 Matching Vehicles Found
MPG Disclaimer:
Based on model year EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
Price does not include tax, title, and license fees as well as a $199 documentation fee for vehicles purchased from Lincoln and Grand Island, NE locations or a $199 administration fee for vehicles purchased from St. Joseph, MO locations. All pricing and details are believed to be accurate, but we do not warrant or guarantee such accuracy. The prices shown above, may vary from region to region, as will incentives, and are subject to change. New vehicle pricing reflects rebates to dealer when financing through Ford. With approved credit. Not all will qualify. Vehicle information is based off standard equipment and may vary from vehicle to vehicle. Call or email for complete vehicle specific information.


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We knew it: Alec Baldwin is an evil alien. All of a sudden, his preternatural comic timing makes total sense. Check out the best ad of the Superbowl.
After sitting through the many trailers and Superbowl commercials, we're going to have to give the io9 gold star of excellence to Baldwin's Hulu ad. Sure astronauts and House Of Pain are fantastic combination, but nothing beats the Baldwin delivery — nothing. Plus it reveals his super evil plans to eat all of our brains and gives viewers a small tour of the underground Hulu lair beneath the Hollywood sign.
Please, Hulu — more Baldwin alien ads!


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If a monster earthquake struck off Alaska's coast, tsunami waves would rush toward California, swamping the nation's largest port complex and causing major economic damage.
That's according to a hypothetical scenario released Wednesday by the U.S. Geological Survey and others to help emergency planners prepare.
Tsunamis are a rare but real threat in California. After the 2011 Japan disaster, tsunami waves surged across the Pacific and damaged the Northern California commercial fishing village of Crescent City.
San Diego's coastline didn't see the damage suffered by Northern California. The high-range expectation here was 2.6 feet, but the actual surge was less than a foot.
A group of experts used the example of a 9.1 magnitude centered striking between Kodiak Island and the Shumagin Islands off the Pacific coast of the Alaska Peninsula in March 2014 and developed reports on damage and injury assessments.
The state's history with tsunami damage has been fortunate, the report suggests.
"There is strong reason to believe that California faces a tsunami threat that could realistically cause billions of dollars in losses and, although we have not discussed it here, substantial loss of life," the Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) tsunami scenario states.
In the scenario, it would take six hours for the initial waves to arrive to San Diego giving local authorities the ability to evacuate those living or working along the coastline.
The shape of the state's landscape means the tsunami hazard in the SAFRR scenario would be generally less in southern California than elsewhere along the California coast.
However, scientists say a closer offshore quake would create more havoc, flooding the ports of San Diego, Los Angeles and Long Beach and forcing coastal communities to evacuate and destroying boats and small craft.
Waves created by a quake of that magnitude in that location would damage or sink a third of the boats in marinas along the state's coastline and would damage or destroy more than half the docks.
Experts say fires would likely start at where fuel is stored in ports and marinas.
In addition to residents or employees who may be in zones considered at risk during the scenario, USGS estimates 260,000 tourists would need to be evacuated statewide – a number that could jump to more than a million in the busy summer tourist season.
The damage left behind would range from environmental (erosion of shorelines or contamination) to economical.
A shutdown of commerce in and out of major ports could last more than two days and result in billions of dollars in lost revenue the report suggests.
The tsunami scenario is similar to a quake exercise released several years ago designed to prepare for a big one on the San Andreas Fault.
USGS experts will participate in workshops scheduled with different cities and counties throughout the state including one scheduled Friday in San Diego.


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We have information, resources and advice for students interested in teaching as a career. This includes assistance with university transfer for advanced degrees as well as support to obtain elementary, secondary and CTE credentials.
Individuals interested in becoming K-12 or CTE teachers can receive advising, pathway and transfer support, resources and information on related activities including, mentoring, Future Teachers Club, field experience opportunities and specific course offerings for future teachers. SFSU courses offered at the CCSF campus in related areas are available, as are advisors and counselors.
Read the below and check out more information in the right panel of
this page. We invite you to call us at (415) 239-3890 or email Anne
Chan at email@example.com
Why Teach?
- It takes a special person to become a teacher: Teachers change the world, one child at a time.
- Teaching is more than a job - it is a promise: Teachers create the future.
- I want to make the dreams of others come true: I am a teacher.
Will I Like It?
Explore the teaching profession while you are at CCSF by:
- Explore
for information, resources and support for becoming a teacher in
- Earn a work/study grant, if financial - aid eligible, by working with children. Specific financial aid loan forgiveness, information and math & science teacher support can be viewed by reviewing the Teacher Loan Program.
- Enroll in a Child Development Field Experience course (CDEV 71 or 75) and Work Experience, and earn units while learning to work in K-12 classrooms with children and youth.
- Tutor or Mentor or engage a service learning at CCSF and earn work experience credit and gain valuable experience teaching others.
- Engage in paid or volunteer opportunities working with children at CCSF at our child development centers and at elementary, middle and high schools in SFUSD.
- Earn a work/study grant, if financial - aid eligible, by working with children.
- Enroll in a CDEV Fieldwork or Work Experience course. Visit
the Teacher Prep Center in MUB 247 for fieldwork and work experience
course information.
- Obtain a child development permit and work in the field while you are in school to gain experience and an understanding of how children learn and grow. Child development permits enable you to work in preschool and infant programs and in after school and summer programs that are licensed by Community Care Licensing. An important way to prepare for teaching is to gain experience working with children of any age! We can assist you in obtaining a permit, securing a child development job and planning a required course of study. Call (415) 452-5605.
- Enroll in SFSU classes offered at the City College Campus for a reduced fee! These upper division courses are available to CCSF students.
- Students interested in becoming Community College teachers at CCSF may be interested in applying for the Grow Your Own program. Students are required to obtain an MA or MS degree in their field before teaching at CCSF. A financial support program is available to assist promising students in this area.
- Students interested in receiving e-mail updates from the
Teacher Prep Center can join the e-mail list. As a member of Teacher
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about the issues and legislation that affect our schools and
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other future teachers here at CCSF.
- If you are interested in teaching or wish to receive messages from the Teacher Prep Center, subscribe yourself to this mailing list by sending an email to: email@example.com with the following command in the body of your email message: subscribe teacherprep.


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Yes done it myself, it happens to us all. No damage noticed but I won't go building it into a life support system.
so are you saying that I can carry on and use both without endangering anything ?
My board has the notch silkscreened on it, as well as the socket has a notch, as well as the chip having a notch.


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Last week, me and Mr Candy decided to make some tapes (VHS for you spring chickens) for Candy Grandad, who hasn't quite entered the DVD generation.
As a result we ended up going through our own childhood tape collections, and I found an old recording of a Chinese Variety show by TVB (the biggest TV channel in Hong Kong). I used to watch this thing all the time as a kid, its kind of the way I picked up Cantonese!
Not everyone may get this reference but I think a lot of 80s kids with an Asian background may!
Remember extreme nose contouring?
Back in the day, people didn't want cosmetic surgery, but they wanted smaller noses so the answer was dark brown powder shaded right up to the eye. Hilarious!
There is a reference to this in Shaolin Soccer, a Stephen Chow film (Stephen Chow is hilarious, and looks like a Chinese George Lamb I think:
If you want a laugh watch Kung Fu Hustle – its subtitled, you do not need to understand Chinese to find it funny!).
Anyway, in Shaolin Soccer, an ugly duckling gets an 80s style make over and ends up with this:
Think that's a bit extreme?
Well with many thanks to modern technology, I have a real 80s pic:
I love the way it joins up to her brows.
More pics:
Slight less dark but the idea is there. Why were the 80s so utterly hideous? I don't look back at the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50, 60s, 70s with such disdain!
One more:
You've got to love how a trend becomes so common that we can no longer see how extreme or how hideous it is. For example, remember poker straight flat lifeless hair from a few years back because we discovered GHD's?
I reckon in a few years we'll wonder how we let people get so damn orange without telling them they look like oompa loompas. You have been warned.
Do you have any funny beauty memories, or memories in the making?!?
Kung Fu Hustle:


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Imagine your servicemember dies. Imagine no one notifies you. Imagine you learn from his sister -- not from a uniformed pair at your doorstep. Imagine you get no honors as a widow of a fallen servicemember, no recognition, no folded flag and no death benefits.
Imagine that, and you imagine yourself in the shoes of war widow Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tracy Dice, a gay military spouse, married to Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Donna Johnson who was killed in Afghanistan Oct. 1.
As the original story on Army Times says (unavailable to link because it is available only to paid subscribers), the military believes Dice is the first widow of a gay spouse. That makes her the first gay spouse since the lifting of Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) more than a year ago to deal with ramifications of the Defense of Marriage Act on gay servicemembers.
The issue isn't a surprise, but it is a problem. Because of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, the DoD does not recognize gay marriage as a legal union and, therefore, does not give any benefits to gay spouses. That includes death benefits.
Watch the video and you'll see the heartbreak written on Dice's face. She is in mourning. And, although she clearly states in the story that she does view herself as one, she is the victim of a cruel double standard. Regardless of what you think about gay marriage, the double standard is obvious. With the lifting of DADT Dice and Johnson could live out in the open -- they can support each other, they can do everything that makes a military spouse a military spouse ... except receive support.
Isn't there something wrong with that?


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The Sailing Sheep
Fitted Cot sheet - Anemone
A little bit about me ...
Beautiful fitted cot sheet perfect for your nursery.
Limited quantity for each design.
What am I made from?
100% Cotton
How big am I?
Approx 70cmx132cmx19cm
How to take care of me?
Wash before first use. Cold gentle machine wash. May be tumble dried on cool/delicate setting. Do not bleach.
Ready to ship within 1-3 business days.


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The Journal is the Investment Institute's flagship annual publication. It features contributions from Investec Asset Management's investment specialists as well as highly regarded academics and external practitioners. In our fourth Journal, we explore how to generate resilient, long-term returns in an age of uncertainty: the current low-growth, low-yield and increasingly complex investment environment.
In The Investor's View, we talk to executives of some of the world's leading asset owners. They discuss their approach to long-term investing, where they see new opportunities and how they are facing up to the challenges of the current macroeconomic environment.
Read The Journal Volume 4, Chapter 3
Chapter 3, January 2016
Chapter 3 is our final instalment of Journal 4. Notwithstanding the significant disruptions taking place in our immediate political and investment landscape; we discuss the importance, now more than ever, of adopting a long-term mind set for both investment and sustainability practices.
Ten key themes for financing sustainable development
Aniket Shah, Financing Sustainable Development Initiative, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network
Renewable energy: Revolution or evolution?
Tom Nelson, Head of Commodities & Resources, Investec Asset Management
Graeme Baker, Analyst, Commodities & Resources, Investec Asset Management
The Investor's View
Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, Chief Executive Officer, Employees Provident Fund, Malaysia
Evolving in adversity: The underappreciated resilience of emerging market corporate debt
Victoria Harling, Strategy Leader, Emerging Markets Corporate, Investec Asset Management
Tammy Lloyd, Investment Specialist, Investec Asset Management
Chapter 2, October 2016
In chapter 2 of our fourth annual Journal, we continue to explore the theme of "building resilience" in the face of a low-growth, low return world. Our contributors weigh in on changing economic, regional and industry trends as well as the increasing focus on incorporating long termism and sustainability into mainstream investment practices.
The light at the end of the tunnel: the sun and renewable energy
Michael Power, Chief Strategist, Investec Asset Management
The Changing Dynamic of the Global Oil Markets
Tom Nelson, Head of Commodities & Resources, Investec Asset Management
Avoiding Long Term Value destruction: An Interview
Roger Urwin, Global Head of Investment Content & Investment Consultant at Willis Towers Watson and Ben Caldecott, Director of the Sustainable Finance Programme, University of Oxford's Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment
Investor's View: How Alberta is changing its portfolio strategy to meet the needs of its clients in a low return world
Dale MacMaster, Chief Investment Officer, Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo)
Using ESG to Drive Long-Term Returns
Therese Niklasson, Global Head of ESG, Investec Asset Management and Naasir Roomanay, ESG Analyst, Investec Asset Management
Chapter 1, July 2016
Chapter 1 focuses on the definition of resilience and the actions required to build portfolios in these challenging environments.
Retooling investors for an age of uncertainty
Hendrik du Toit, Chief Executive Officer, Investec Asset Management
Overcoming failures in long-term savings and investment: the lessons of the UK
Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development, Director of the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
Ashok Gupta, Chair of the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association Defined Benefits Taskforce
Adrian Orr, Chairman, International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds; Chief Executive Officer, New Zealand Superannuation Fund
Profiting from long-term value creation in the equity markets
Clyde Rossouw and Simon Brazier, Co-Heads of Quality, Investec Asset Management
Navigating negative rates for resilient returns
Russell Silberston, Head of Multi-Asset Absolute Return, Investec Asset ManagementReturn to Investment Institute


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By Thomas Peele/ San Jose Mercury News
Posted: 12/12/2012 01:02:21 AM PST
More details on the mental health bidding war can be found via Bloomberg News
After raking in half a million dollars for being "on call," California's top paid public employee of 2011 -- a prison psychiatrist from Newark -- has been suspended with pay for allegedly falsifying time records, officials said Tuesday.
Dr. Mohammad Safi, 54, was paid more than $803,000 last year as a supervising senior psychiatrist at a Department of State Hospitals facility within Salinas Valley State Prison in Monterey County, records show.
That amount included more than $503,000 for on-call pay -- in Safi's case being available to respond quickly to emergencies.
His suspension was first reported Dec. 5 by Bloomberg News, which published an extensive analysis of state government pay that ranked California tops in the nation. It showed Safi was paid more than twice as much as any state psychiatrist in the 12 states Bloomberg examined.
Efforts to reach Safi were unsuccessful Tuesday but his lawyer, Edward Caden, called his client "a scapegoat" for a staffing crisis created by the state.
As a manager, Safi was forced to volunteer for many on-call shifts when others refused, his attorney said, because the state failed to build a required housing unit for doctors to stay overnight at the facility in Soledad.
"He was on call for extended periods of time," said Caden, who said Safi often stayed at a motel near the facility.
At one point, Caden said, Safi was paid for either working or being on call around the clock for fours weeks straight -- 672 consecutive hours.
He is paid roughly $130 an hour, state payroll records show.
On-call duty is voluntary at Salinas Valley because the facility does not have sleeping quarters for doctors, said both Caden and Kathy Gaither, the state hospitals' chief deputy director.
"They are claiming he worked an extended period of time without authorization," Caden said. But, he added, "every time sheet he (submitted) has been signed by the (hospital department's) executive director."
Gaither confirmed that Safi "is being investigated for his use of time," but would not discuss details because the case remains under investigation. He was placed on leave with pay in July, and the investigation is expected to be "completed soon," she said.
An analysis of 2011 pay records by The Mercury News for the 370-bed psychiatric hospital within Salinas Valley State Prison where Safi worked, shows his pay far exceeded that of other doctors last year. The five people he supervised were paid an average of $313,348, records show -- about half a million dollars less then their boss.
Records also show that 21 doctors with Safi's title of supervising chief psychiatrist working for the hospitals department at other state prisons in 2011 averaged about $283,000.
Safi remains in good standing with the California Medical Board, where he is listed as a surgeon.
State Superior Court records show Safi was sued last year by a collections agency for an unspecified amount. Property records show that a five-bedroom Newark house he bought in 2007 for nearly $1 million is now valued at $730,000.
Caden said Safi's taking of on-call shifts had nothing to do with any financial difficulties he might have faced.
"He was the manager," Caden said. "He had to do it."
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
California's Top Paid Public Employee Psychiatrist Dr. Mohammad Safi Suspended
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Freeze Frame: Tennessee's Three-Point DefensePosted by Brian Joyce on December 20th, 2011
Tennessee lost 71-65 to a good College of Charleston team in Knoxville on December 14, but this loss was avoidable. The Volunteers looked lost on defense because of inconsistencies in effort and a lack of communication on perimeter screens. The Vols didn't body up to Charleston's shooters, allowing open looks all night. This is not a new problem for Cuonzo Martin's club. Tennessee has allowed opposing guards to light it up all season long. In each of its losses this year, Tennessee has been unable to lock down the opposition's star player:
- Duke: Seth Curry – 17 points, four assists
- Memphis: Will Barton – 25 points, one assist
- Oakland: Reggie Hamilton – 35 points, three assists
- Pittsburgh: Ashton Gibbs – 16 points, six assists
- Austin Peay: TyShwan Edmondson – 19 points, two assists
- College of Charleston: Antwaine Wiggins – 24 points, eight rebounds
College of Charleston came into this game making 34.9% of its three-point attempts. Against the Vols, the Cougars were 7-15 (46.7%). In this installment of Freeze Frame, we will examine UT's inability to close out on good shooters, which allowed CofC to win this game.
Play 1 (17 minutes remaining in the first half)
Antwaine Wiggins is the Cougars' most prolific scorer at 18.1 points per game. Cameron Tatum started out the game defending him, however, Tatum got tangled up on screens several times allowing Wiggins to get free. In the first play, Wiggins takes Tatum through two screens to find an open three point shot on the perimeter. Trent Weideman (#44) for CofC sets the first screen at the top of the key.


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Makeup Monday: Inspired by Adele
As I was flipping through last month's Teen Vogue (yes, I'm a subscriber, even though I'm 26), I came across this stunning photo of Adele:
I loved the use of purples in not just the shadow, but also the liner and mascara. Paired with a light, neutral lip and beautiful contouring, this went to the top of my list of looks I wanted to try on myself. I figured I would make it into a Makeup Monday and show you my own take on it! I'm saving the contour tutorial for a later date, so this look mostly focuses on the eyes, with some mild contouring using Estée Lauder's Bronze Goddess underneath and Smashbox Illusion highlighter on my cheekbones.
For what I used and step by step instructions, continue reading after the jump.
What I used on my eyes:
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Estée Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow in Crystal Sand
Psychedelic Sister eyeshadow Urban Decay Fun Palette
Estée Lauder Stay in Place Gel Eyeliner in Stay Violet
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Mascara Duo (also comes in green, blue and a more fuchsia-ish purple to coordinate with your eye color – and you can find these at most stores. I got mine at CVS)
What I used on my cheeks and lips:
Estée Lauder Soft Shimmer Bronzer (contour)
Smashbox Masquerade Baked Fusion Soft Lights Palette – ooh, it's on sale! (highlight)
Julie Hewett Bijou Collection Lipstick in Biba
Follow the steps below to recreate the eye look:
Finished Look:
That's it! Let me know if you have any questions or need product recommendations. Also, I would love to see pictures of any look you've recreated from my tutorials. Post them on my Facebook Page!


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Weightlifting records smashed - in pictures
London 2012 - Weightlifting drew to a close at London 2012 with an incredible 44 Olympic and world records broken. Lifters from Kazakhstan and DPR Korea challenged China's dominance in the competition - and the difference between gold and silver in the men's 85kg was said to be down to a chocolate bar. View images from an exhilarating contest.


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Zemmrate » Table setting » Napkin Folding - Megaphone.
Napkin Folding - Megaphone.
A method of folding napkins "Megaphone"
1. Napkin fold in half.
2. Re-fold the napkin in the same direction.
3. Both sides of a narrow rectangle symmetrically bend down.
4. Turn shape the face of myself and of all twist cones.
5. Cones connect with each other.
2. Re-fold the napkin in the same direction.
3. Both sides of a narrow rectangle symmetrically bend down.
4. Turn shape the face of myself and of all twist cones.
5. Cones connect with each other.
Look at the different ways of folding napkins:
It would be nice if you appreciated this article!
(голосов: 1)
Autor: zemm Date: 28-02-2014, 00:35 Views: 3344 Comments: - 0
Popular news Napkin Folding - Cardinal Hat. Napkin Folding - Jabot. Napkin Folding - Diagonal sachet. Napkin Folding - Star Fan. Napkin Folding - Basket for bread. Napkin Folding - Calla. Napkin Folding - Royal Robe. Napkin Folding - Hourglass. Napkin Folding - Flame. Napkin Folding - Tiered corners. Napkin Folding - Cap with lapel. Napkin Folding - Thong with flex. Napkin Folding - Tuxedo. Napkin Folding - Sasha Corners. Napkin Folding - Imperial bun.
Aaron Craze
Top 8 useful drinks.
Absolut Vodka
Snacks for beer.
How to cook lentils.
What is Rambutan?
Guide rouge de Michelin
Your news>> All articles
Macaroni dessert recipe
18-02-2014, 00:11
Cake dessert pasta should be the same size. How to achieve this , you can decide for yourself, using any method convenient for you. For example, you can draw on paper baking cups with the same diameter. Dosing protein- almond confectionery mass of the bag. Halves must cakes bake at 170 degrees for 10-12 minutes. ATTENTION! Do not open the oven while baking cakes! Wait until cool halves. After that, proceed to their connection, this will require you selected beforehand filling.
News>> All articles
Top 7 RECIPES butterbeer
We present our 7 butterbeer cooking options especially popular in recent years among young people. Cook, try and surprise your family and friends!
Homemade beer beetroot
Homemade beer beetroot. Not once did but really wanted to add this unique recipe to your collection. It's easy and delicious! Homemade beer beetroot very well quenches thirst and slightly intoxicating. All of us have the opportunity to purchase or beets themselves grow crops in the garden and try a
Ginger ale or ginger ale - a kind of non-alcoholic beer home. We present you a wonderful tonic that is easy to prepare at home. Ginger beer quenches thirst, tones the body and is very useful for digestion. Together we will try to prepare a ginger ale. Recipe for ginger beer (ale).


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Weather-alert radios are small (sometimes portable) units tuned to National Weather Service frequencies. They provide taped continuous broadcasts of weather information on request, but are normally kept in their silent mode. When a severe weather watch or warning is issued, the weather service sends a tone (much like a pager) to alert users of the situation, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is one of the fastest and most reliable methods to obtain urgent weather information. These radios are available from local electronic outlets at prices from $30.00 to $75.00. Current weather-alert radios have all seven radio frequencies used by the National Weather Service, so they will function anywhere in the United States that is served by a weather radio transmitter.
Newer, more expensive weather-alert radios have decoding ability to alert on a by-county basis, so the user need not hear alerts for every county in the transmitter's range. If you purchase one of these radios (indicated as having "S.A.M.E." decoding, (Specific Area Message Encoding), be sure to program it for your area and areas to the southwest to provide an extra measure of warning time. Counties are programmed using "FIPS" codes. Since these radios are activated by the weather service for watches and warnings, they can be left "on" 24 hours a day. This is the best way to receive severe weather warnings at night when other media resources are not in use. Weather- alert radios are tested by the National Weather Service weekly on Wednesdays at 11:00 AM. If your radio is not activated aurally or scroll a message for these Wednesday tests it needs repair or replacement.
You may have heard stories of tornado victims indicate that they "never heard a warning"….well, they obviously did not have a weather-alert radio! Get your own and be safe! That extra time provided to seek shelter can save your life! Weather-alert radios should be in every home, place of business, school, hospital, church, theater, community center, nursing home, public gathering point, etc. so that urgent weather information makes it into the hands of the public quickly and efficiently.
Weather-alert radios are desirable, but all need to have a severe weather plan in effect: and a pre-designated "safe area" where all in the family should report when a warning is issued. This area should have a flashlight, AM/FM radio, and be easily accessible as needed.
We do not know when or where the next major tornado will occur, and we cannot prevent them, but weather-alert radios and proper safety measures save lives! They are well worth the small investment.
Local area "FIPS" codes for programming into weather alert radios:
St. Louis County: 029189
St. Louis City: 029510
St. Charles County: 029183
Franklin County: 029071
Jefferson County: 029099


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On lunch break in Henderson, NC. Found this little guy snug and happy in an ivy draped gnome hole. There is something a little scary about them. You never know what you are going to find be it a snake, geocache or a pot of gold.
In the south and other areas in the east coast homesteads kept their most prized gold and monies in gnome holes and other secret spots in the woods. Especially during war time. There have been reports of found treasure... Yarrr.


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by title...
Five Figures of Modern Beauties
Gendai Bijin Fuzoku Gotai
Scholten Japanese Art is open Monday - Friday, and some Saturdays, 11am - 5pm, by appointment.
Contact Katherine Martin at
(212) 585-0474 or email
to schedule a visit.
site last updated
February 26, 2020
Scholten Japanese Art
145 West 58th Street, suite 6D
New York, New York 10019
ph: (212) 585-0474
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Trafficking in the Shadow of the Superbowl
Via Carolyn McCulley:
A.H. was trafficked to Dallas/Ft. Worth and forced into prostitution when she was just a teen. Like many other girls, she was beaten, raped, and enslaved not far from Dallas Cowboys stadium, where the 2011 Super Bowl will be held. To fight back against sex trafficking in Dallas and during major events like the Super Bowl, A.H. has written an open letter to the 2011 Super Bowl Host Committee and the NFL, asking them to endorse the I'm Not Buying It campaign.
Here's the opening of A.H.'s letter:
Dear Super Bowl Host Committee & National Football League,
My name is A.H. and I'm a survivor of sex trafficking. I'm not a big football fan, but I'll never forget my first trip to Dallas/Fort Worth several years ago. It was 2006 when I was dragged there against my will by a pimp. I was forced to dance, strip and sell sex (along with five other young girls) for over a month while he pocketed the cash ($1,000-$3,000/night from each girl) and planned our next gig. I was trapped in a life I never wanted without any hope of escape…
How the Gospel Helps Us Overcome Pornography
D.A. Carson, John Piper and Tim Keller discuss:
(via Justin Taylor)
Also Worth Reading
Church Ministry: A Phrase to Retire
An Actually Helpful Open Letter: An Open Letter to Ray Ortlund, Jr.
Free Stuff: ChristianAudio.com's free audiobook for February is Adopted for Life by Dr. Russell Moore.
In Case You Missed It
Here are a few of this week's notable posts:
J.C. Ryle: An Assured Hope is to Be Exceedingly Desired
My Memory Moleskine: Reciting Philippians 1:1-30 (and a Few Words on False Humility)
Joel Beeke: Cultivating Private Prayer as a Pastor
John Piper: The Greatest Gifts Can Become Deadly Substitutes for God
Preschooler Theology: "Why Do Monsters Scare Me?"


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Article from Publishers Weekly, week of Oct 29, 2012
Too Much Information
An author contemplates the role of research and when too much is just too much
by Andrew Rosenheim
An old adage says the role of literature is to delight and to instruct, but contemporary novels often seem more intent on instruction than pleasure. It's a confusion of veracity with authenticity, a reluctance to let a novelist's research stay where it belongs – in the background of the book, if it's in the book at all.
Of course American fiction has always had a keen eye for detail, often intellectually demanding – think of Saul Bellow's eponymous hero Herzog writing imaginary letters to Spinoza, or John Updike's Reverend Marshfield in A Month of Sundays, whose sermons split theological hairs with the likes of Karl Barth and Paul Tillich. But it's not intellectualism that's the problem; it's the recent tendency of writers to succumb to information overload.
It's hard to say where the rot set in. Some point as far back as Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, a fantastic compendium of erudition, full of parabolic trajectories and Poisson Distributions, which has even spawned two editions of A Gravity's Rainbow Companion. But it doesn't seem fair to blame Pynchon's masterpiece for a host of imitators, who seem to have soaked up their mentor's capacity for recondite explanations without any of his flair for language – or for memorable characters.
I blame Google instead, and its capacity for unearthing information in a nanosecond where once it would take days, if not months. Sebastian Faulks, author of the classic WWI novel Birdsong, has described how, when writing the novel, he would spend the morning deep in an archive of first-person accounts of life in the trenches, then hotfoot it home to write down what this had triggered in his imagination. The research was a springboard, not an end in itself.
Today there's no need to leave your study, when Google can reply to a query such as "tunnels and World War One" with 9.51 million hits. And the problems come when authors fall in love with the ease of this research and put the fruits of this amour, largely undigested, straight onto the page. This loses sight of a simple point: you don't teach people how to graft an apple sapling; you make them think they know instead.
Writers used to understand this, realizing that their priority was the emotional understanding they instilled in readers, not the points they added to their IQ. Take Hemingway: he loved to have his heroes doing things – from lighting a camp fire to catching a marlin – but actual technical detail is thin on the ground. It's a rhetorical trick exemplified by the famous opening of To Have and Have Not: "You know how it is there early in the morning in Havana with the bums still asleep against the walls of the buildings; before even the ice wagons come by with ice for the bars?"
Even those who've never got closer to Cuba than a Cubano sandwich read this and think, of course I do. But today a writer would give us the number of sleeping bums, the names of the streets, and the cubic capacity of the ice wagons.
The trend is even worse in historical fiction. Granted, obvious errors of fact shatter the illusion of reality that historical novels depend upon; as the novelist Ian McEwan says, there's always someone ready to point out that you've put the wrong beret on somebody's head on the beaches of Dunkirk. But the critical difference is between wanting to get the historical details right, and having too many details, right or not. The English spy writer Alan Judd remarks of Casino Royale, "Bond never simply lights a cigarette: he lights a Morland with the triple gold band." The casual dropping of the brand name tells us something – both about Bond's taste for the high life, and the author's evocation of the period. But note that Fleming doesn't tell us what brand anyone else is smoking.
The new fad for historical detail has become literature's equivalent of the Method in acting. For books, however, this immersion rarely works because it gets in the way of what it's trying to promote – a feeling of authenticity. The authenticity of a novel is inherently bogus – it's not called fiction for nothing – and the successful novelist understands that, unless transformed, reality is paradoxically less than credible in fiction. When we read Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall we don't feel we're in Tudor London because she's put the right kind of buttons on a servant's coat, but because we are so gripped by her story. The trend for what critic James Wood has scathingly labeled "the properly stamped sociological receipt" of imparted information is a new one, and not to be commended. In fiction, less isn't always more, but more is always too much.


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Pacific Mfg Spices Bedroom Sage Platform Bed Complete
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Mankind offers additional 26% OFF AESOP PARSLEY SEED ANTI OXIDANT SERUM 100ML for £33.75 with promo code "TOP". Free Shipping to Singapore is provided.
Mankind offers additional 26% OFF AESOP PARSLEY SEED ANTI OXIDANT SERUM 100ML for £33.75 with promo code "TOP". Free Shipping to Singapore is provided.
You have already waited 4 years for a 29 Feb. Why wait any longer for 2 sets of 2-piece Meal at only $10? That's 4 pieces of golden crispy chicken, 2 servings of regular Whipped Potato and Pepsi black at KFC. Mark your calendar for this 1-day only finger lickin' good deal on #LeapDay!
Treat yourself and your friend to a LiHO drink on weekdays! Enjoy 1-for-1 on all drinks at selected LiHO outlets from 2pm to 6pm on weekdays, while stocks last.
Indulge your love for all-you-can-eat Japanese nosh with more than 200 buffet items over 29 categories and more at NETT prices only! From 26 Feb to 31 Mar 2020, dine at Kiseki Japanese Buffet Restaurant from only $40 nett for 2 pax onwards! Mark your calendar and reserve your seats now!
Leap into great deals with 29% OFF all Club21 and Kids21 stores such as BAO BAO ISSEY MIYAKE PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE, Mulberry, CK Calvin Klein, and many more at Takashimaya Department Store! All Club21 members will get to enjoy this promotion from Fri 28 Feb to Sun 1 Mar 2020, while Takashimaya Cardholders will get to enjoy this promotion on Sat 29 Feb 2020! Visit them at Branded Boutiques and International Collection, Level 2, and Children's Department, Level 4 today. Terms & Conditions apply.
Take a break and enjoy Happy Hour with your loved ones, friends or colleagues! Enjoy 1-For-1 Main Course* when you dine-in on weekdays from 2.30pm to 5.30pm at Jack's Place.
Get 50% OFF cocktail/mocktail drinks when you order from their Happy Hour menu. So, what are you waiting for? You don't wanna miss this!
*13 main courses to choose from. T&Cs apply.