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"American Gothic" Captures Suspense and Creates Paranoia with Blackmagic Design
DP Sherry McCracken shoots with the Production Camera 4K while Colorist Pat Taylor heightens the intensity with DaVinci Resolve and the team uses Fusion for VFX
The lives of two convicts, Nick and Guy, are turned upside down when their prison transport crashes and they're able to make a run for it. Both think they're in luck when they find a remote farmhouse, but their fortunes quickly turn when the couple living there turns out to not be the victims they initially appear to be. While they had just escaped imprisonment, Nick and Guy soon find themselves fighting a different type of confinement as the horror indie film "American Gothic" unfolds.
"American Gothic" is the latest project for writer, director and producer Stuart Connelly, whose previous projects include "Natural Selection" (2016) starring Anthony Michael Hall and Katherine McNamara and "The Suspect" (2013) starring Mekhi Phifer and Sterling K. Brown.
Connelly and team followed a new filmmaking model for the film. "I'd seen firsthand where individual dollars pile up to big numbers even in modest budget pictures. And these days indie budgets just don't have the room for wasting a dime, not if they want to turn a profit," explains Connelly. "So for 'American Gothic' my plan was to eliminate all those opportunities for waste, allowing for a production that would have the same cinematic qualities as our other films but for a dramatically lower price tag. This wasn't DIY, it was a SAG production and followed all the rules, but we knew we could engineer out the elements that create excess spending so we could cover more ground with the budget we had available.
"It started with the script: few characters; a tight story timeline to keep them in the same wardrobe; a single 'super-location' that could not only cover all our story locations but also one that we could walk away from instead of wasting time with wrapouts," continues Connelly. That "super-location" turned out to be the Chester County farmhouse where Connelly and his wife / producing partner Mary Jo Barthmaier live with their twins, Wesley and Callie. "And most importantly, we needed the flexibility of owning the camera."
Connelly knew from experience how critical grabbing addition footage after wrap can be. "Having the camera would allow us to go back out and shoot b-roll, VFX plates, inserts and cutaways without the extra costs of additional rental days. That flexibility was crucial in the end, but here we were, with the smallest budget we'd ever worked with, and one of the line items is 'camera and lens purchase!'"
Gearing Up
Connelly and the film's DP Sherry McCracken selected a Blackmagic Production Camera 4K as their camera of choice.
"We knew the type of cinematic look we wanted going into shooting and we weren't willing to compromise that vision. We wanted to invest in a camera that we knew could deliver a high quality image and work well with post. It also had to fit into our budget. The price point for the quality of the Blackmagic Design camera was incredible, but what ultimately sold us was the previz we did," describes McCracken. "The previz shots captured the exact look we were going for."
"American Gothic" was the first film for McCracken, who's spent most of her career as a still photographer. After working as the still photographer and producer for "Natural Selection" and "The Suspect" alongside Connelly, McCracken decided to take the plunge and get behind the camera for "American Gothic."
"Whether working as a still photographer or as a DP, it's all about storytelling. The way you look at things is very different, but the end goal is still the same, so that's what I kept in mind as I dove into planning for 'American Gothic,'" explains McCracken. "Since it was my first film as a DP, I found it very helpful to use tools I was familiar with, which is why I was thankful to be able to interweave my Canon lenses alongside the productions' Rokinon primes. Actually, the Blackmagic Design camera allowed me to integrate many of my other rig components."
Getting Close
"A lot of the film is fast paced and involved run-and-gun style shooting," says McCracken. "We were shooting on location in a farmhouse so the spaces played a lot into how we framed our shots. We could be tucked inside a silo, crouched down behind the cell bars in a dark basement or working inside a confined tool shed. We shot one scene in a small powder room where I had to squeeze in behind a toilet with a 6-foot tall actor leaning over me frantically looking for an exit. We really wanted to have the audience feel the intensity of having this escaped prisoner towering over them. The Blackmagic Design camera was perfect for getting into those tight spaces-I don't think I could have shot it with a bigger setup."
Size Matters
"Being physically smaller than most DPs or camera operators, I struggle with getting weighed down with heavier camera gear. All rigged up, the Production Camera 4K was still very manageable for me. I am very much a 'hands on' DP and enjoy doing as many of the shots as I can. This camera gave me the freedom to not only frame the shot I wanted, but also allowed me to go for the run-and-gun shots that, with another rig, I might have needed to hand over to a stronger operator," explains McCracken.
Adding Intensity with DaVinci Resolve
"There's a frantic energy to 'American Gothic' and we really wanted to use color to add a heightened sense of chaos to those scenes," explains colorist Pat Taylor of ColourSky Films. Taylor used Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve to color grade the film.
"Having worked with Stuart before, I had the opportunity to become involved with the project early on, during the pre-production phase. This allowed us time to do some camera and looks tests before principal photography began. This process turned out to be paramount to establishing a final look for the film," says Taylor.
"After auditioning a handful of color treatments, we settled on a look for the film by desaturating the background and adding pops of color to certain items and to skin tones to add intensity, we took things scene by scene, with each having its own story and distinct mood. During the more tense scenes, we wanted the audience to be a little uncomfortable, just like the characters. To achieve this we increased the contrast and held back on the saturation of the skin tones a bit. We also added some blue to these scenes and paid special attention to the convict's blue jumpsuits. DaVinci Resolve's node-based structure was incredibly helpful in this regard, as it allowed me to have a high degree of control over separate elements in each scene.
"One of the best things about working with nodes in DaVinci Resolve is that I can create complex node chains with the Stills and Powergrade functions, which allows me to design tools that I can store and re-use on other scenes and even in other projects. In essence, I'm creating my own set of grading tools. I have a whole suite of them and I build on them with each project. They save me a ton of time when I'm grading," explains Taylor.
"Controlling the skin tones was very important with this project, especially since we went with a varying degree of desaturation of our environments. By using DaVinci Resolve's qualification and tracking tools I had the control I needed to isolate and adjust skin tones and other elements individually, according to the mood of the scene.
Ultimately, we were going for a moderately desaturated world with characters that stood out but were still a part of their environment, and the control that DaVinci Resolve's tool set offered us is what allowed us to get there," describes Taylor.
Amplifying Effects with Fusion
Along with directing the film, Connelly also got creative with the film's visual effects (VFX) using Blackmagic Design's Fusion.
"Our post budget was tiny and it didn't allow for bringing VFX people onboard," explains Connelly. "We knew that going in so we tried to make sure everything was practical and 'in-camera.' However, when the edit started coming together I realized there was an opportunity to deepen the tone we were going for: adding intense clouds in the background behind the house, an orange glow to the tip of a hot needle, mist and fog. There were also some little mistakes that slipped through the cracks with our intense shooting schedule.
"For example, one shot that is so innocuous in the film has two complicated effects you'd never notice: a rack-focus on a car moving toward camera had both the wrong state's license plate and the wrong year on the windshield's registration sticker. The plate had to be swapped out, while the sticker's date was overwritten, both in Fusion."
Connelly's favorite? "One of our actors looked at the dummy head that was going to represent his character on fire and he had no idea how we were going to 'sell' it because it didn't look much like him. I gave him the standard 'we'll fix it in post line,' but the truth was I had yet to figure out how. Using Fusion's particle system and tracking and displacement tools, I was able to graft his face over the dummy's and create a heat haze coming off it that looked totally natural. When the actor saw the result at a film festival for the first time, he was amazed at how real it looked.
"In the end, 'American Gothic' will more than hold its own against indie horror films costing ten, twenty times the money. There's no way I'd be in a position to say that without the breakthroughs in digital film, color technology and VFX at Blackmagic Design that were harnessed," concludes Connelly.
About The Film
"American Gothic" recently premiered at the Atlantic City Cinefest where it took home prizes in the horror category for Best Feature, Best Cinematography (Sherry McCracken) and Best Actor (Mark Barthmaier). The feature will be available in stores and on-demand in North American and on streaming platforms worldwide in 2017.
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Related Keywords:Stuart Connelly, indie film, Blackmagic Design, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Production Camera 4K, Blackmagic Design Fusion
Source:Digital Media Online. All Rights Reserved


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Why cabinets? Why racks?
A cabinet is an enclosure with a door (or doors); a rack is an open frame. There are several things you should consider when you're deciding whether you need an enclosed cabinet or a rack.
First, what equipment will you be putting in it? The extra stability of a cabinet might be important if you're installing large, heavy equipment like servers. But if you need frequent access to all sides of the equipment, an open rack might be more convenient. And if your equipment needs a lot of ventilation, you'll have to be more careful about the air supply if you enclose it in a cabinet.
Second, in what environment will you be installing it? If the environment is open or dusty, for example, you might need the extra protection of an enclosed cabinet. On the other hand, a rack might be perfectly adequate in a well-maintained data center.
Don't neglect aesthetics. Will customers or clients see your installation? A cabinet with a door looks much neater than an open rack. When you're trying to create a professional image, everything counts.
Finally, there's security. An enclosed cabinet can be locked with a simple lock and key.
On the other hand, there are advantages to open racks, too. It's easier to get at all sides of the equipment. But you'll have to take other steps to keep the equipment secure-keeping it in a locked room, for example.
Both cabinets and racks come in all sizes and in many different installation styles. Some are freestanding; some are designed to be mounted on a wall. Others sit on the floor but attach to the wall for more stability.
If you need to set up your installation in a hurry, you can order a preassembled cabinet. You're ready to load your equipment as soon as the cabinet arrives.
Choosing the right server cabinet.
Consider this quick checklist of features when choosing a server cabinet:
High-volume airflow. The requirements for additional airflow increase as more servers are mounted in a cabinet. Additionally, manufacturers are making servers narrower to increase available space. But with more servers in the same amount of space, heat buildup is frequently a problem.
Extra depth to accommodate newer, deeper servers.
Adjustable rails.
Rails with M6 square holes. Although 10-32 tapped and drilled holes are sometimes still required, newer hardware has M6 square holes. Know which type of mounting equipment you'll need.
Front and/or rear accessibility.
NEMA 12 certification.
The National Electrical Manufacturers' Association (NEMA) specifies guidelines for cabinet certifications. NEMA 12 cabinets are constructed for indoor use to provide protection against certain contaminants that might come in contact with the enclosed equipment. The NEMA 12 designation means a particular cabinet has met the guidelines, which include protection against falling dirt, circulating dust, lint, fibers, and dripping or splashing liquids. Protection against oil and coolant seepage is also a prerequisite for NEMA 12 certification.
Organizations with mission-critical equipment benefit from a NEMA 12 cabinet. Certain environments put equipment at a higher risk than others. For example, equipment in industrial plants is subject to varying degrees of extreme temperature. Even office buildings generate lots of dust and moisture, which is detrimental to equipment. NEMA 12 enclosures help to ensure that your operation suffers from as little downtime as possible.
Choosing the right rack.
Before you choose a rack, you have to determine what equipment you need to house. This list can include CPUs, monitors, keyboards, modems, servers, switches, hubs, routers, and UPSs. Consider the size and weight of all your equipment as well. The rack must be large and strong enough to hold everything you have now, and you'll also want to leave extra room for growth.
Most racks are designed to hold equipment that's 19" (48.3 cm) wide. But height and depth may vary from rack to rack. Common rack heights range from 39" (99.1 cm) to 87" (221 cm).
Another measurement you should know about is the rack unit. One rack unit, abbreviated as U, equals 1.75" (4.4 cm). A rack that is 20U, for example, has 20 rack spaces for equipment, or is 35" high (88.9 cm).
Understanding cabinet and rack measurements.
The main component of a cabinet or rack is a set of vertical rails with mounting holes to which you attach your equipment or shelves. When you consider the width or height of the rack, clarify whether they are inside or outside dimensions.
The first measurement you need to know is the width between the rails. The most common size is 19 inches with hole-to-hole centers measuring 18.3 inches. But there are also 23-inch and 24-inch cabinets and racks. Most rackmount equipment is made to fit 19-inch rails but can be adapted to fit wider rails.
After the width, the most important specification is the number of rack units, abbreviated "U." It's a measurement of vertical space available on the rails. Because the width is standard, the amount of vertical space is what determines how much equipment you can actually install. Remember that this measurement of usable vertical space is smaller than the external height of the cabinet or rack.
One rack unit (1U) is 1.75 inches of usable vertical space. So, for example, a rackmount device that's 2U high will take up 3.5 inches of rack space. A rack that's 20U high will have 35 inches of usable space.
Because both racks and the equipment that fit in them are usually measured in rack units, it's easy to figure out how much equipment you can fit in a given cabinet or rack.
Do you need a fan?
Even if your cabinet or rack is in a climate-controlled room, the equipment in it can generate a lot of heat. You may want to consider adding a fan to help keep your equipment from overheating. It's especially important to have adequate ventilation in an enclosed cabinet.
Getting power to your equipment.
Unless you want to live in a forest of extension cords, you'll need one or more power strips. Some cabinets come with power strips built in.
If you need to order a power strip, consider which kind will be best for your installation. Rackmount power strips come in versions that mount either vertically or horizontally. Some have outlets that are spaced widely to accommodate transformer blocks-a useful feature if your equipment uses bulky power transformers.
Surge protection is another important issue. Some power strips have built-in surge protection; some don't. With all the money you have invested in rackmount equipment, you'll certainly want to make sure it's protected.
Any mission-critical equipment should also be connected to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). A UPS keeps your equipment from crashing during a brief blackout or brownout and gives you enough time to shut down everything properly in an extended power outage. You can choose a rackmount UPS for the most critical equipment, or you can plug the whole rack into a standalone UPS.
Managing the cables.
Your equipment may look very tidy when it's neatly stacked in a cabinet. But you still have an opportunity to make a mess once you start connecting it all. Unless you're very careful with your cables, you can create a rat's nest you'll never be able to sort out.
There are many cabinet and rack accessories that can simplify cable organization. We have Cable Management Guides, Rackmount Cable Raceways, Horizontal Covered Organizers, Vertical Cable Organizers, Horizontal Wire Ring Panels, and Cable Manager Hangers-all designed to help you manage your cables more easily.
Plotting your connections in advance helps you to decide how to organize the cables. Knowing where the connectors are on your equipment tells you where it's most efficient to run cables horizontally and where it's better to run them vertically.
The important thing is to have a plan. Most network problems are in the cabling, so if you let your cables get away from you now, you're sure to pay for it down the road.
Asking for help.
When you're setting up a cabinet or rack, you have a lot of different factors to consider. Black Box Tech Support is always happy to help you figure out what you need and how to put it together. For cabinets and racks solutions, call our Connectivity Group at 724-746-5500, press 1, 2, 2.

subset: commoncrawl


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Can two girl tamagotchis have babies. I didn't think so but you never know. How much of a friend can they be to each other.
Tama Babies
Started by Sonicfan2002 , Oct 24 2004 07:37 AM
Started24 Oct 2004
Last Post25 Oct 2004
Posted 24 October 2004 - 08:07 AM ( #2 )
No they can't only a boy and a girl can fall in love
Posted 25 October 2004 - 08:00 AM ( #3 )
true... otherwise it'd be....just wrong .... really! Girls can only go as far as 'best friend' with each other. same for boys.... my mind has officially been tainted again. I think I'll go wash out my mind by watching some TV....
-Shadowed Suit
-Shadowed Suit
Posted 25 October 2004 - 12:14 PM ( #4 )
Wrong? How is two females (or males) falling in love wrong, exactly? ;]
true... otherwise it'd be....just wrong ....
I think it'd be nice if they could fall in love, just not have babies, obviously. Or maybe the makers of tamagotchis are hardcore conservatives? hah.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — The race for the White House is pretty much back where it started, after thousands of ads, billions of dollars in spending, two conventions and three presidential debates. Despite some detours, the emphasis is heavily on the nation's lukewarm economy and President Barack Obama's stewardship of it.
But if Tuesday's election does amount to a referendum on the Obama economy, the outcome likely won't shine a bright light on how to fix it. There's too much polarization in the nation's capital and in the country as a whole — regardless of who wins — to produce a clear consensus plan for averting a looming "fiscal cliff" of higher taxes and deep automatic cuts in military and domestic spending.
Last week's devastating East Coast storm, the campaign debates and controversy over the deadly terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, scrambled things a bit in the home stretch.
But as millions of Americans vote for president, Congress and thousands of state and local posts, the excruciatingly slow economic recovery and continued high joblessness were clearly weighing on their minds.
Obama's Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, doggedly tried to keep the focus on the economy. Its poor performance on Obama's watch has been his main theme. He cites his own business background in presenting himself as the person who can heal it and restore jobs.
Obama agrees that the economy remains challenged. But he points to a string of recent positive economic reports and a slow but steady drop in the unemployment rate as reasons not to switch leadership midstream.
If he wins a second term, Obama probably will be credited with keeping things from getting much worse and for policies like his auto-industry bailout, which helped pave the way for an eventual comeback.
Both campaigns are mindful that no president since Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s ran for re-election with a national jobless rate as high as it is now — 7.9 percent in October.
Romney has pointed out that the jobless rate is higher — by a tenth of a percentage point — than when Obama took office. Obama supporters note it's an improvement from the 10 percent reached in October 2009.
Republican consultant Rich Galen said that while Obama's handling of Superstorm Sandy did help the president some, any boost he got from that has subsided and the race "goes back to where it was a week ago" with the economy again the No. 1 issue.
Democratic pollster Doug Schoen, who worked for President Bill Clinton, said "ultimately, it's the economy" that will drive returns. "If Romney wins, it's the economy. And if Obama wins, it's because he's been able to blunt the impact of the economy."
Either way, Schoen predicts the country will be even more polarized after the election than it is now.
Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University, said the country remains closely divided, much as it was in the 2000 and 2004 presidential races.
"Both parties have consolidated their bases. There are really very few independents. They may not register their party affiliation. But they all lean in one direction or the other," Baker said.
Economic issues will shape the national post-election agenda no matter who wins as the nation hurtles toward a toxic brew of expiring Bush-era tax cuts and more than $1 trillion in automatic defense and domestic spending cuts that will begin to take effect in January unless Congress can strike a deficit-reduction deal to stop it.
Congress, as closely divided as the nation itself, so far has been unable to do so. Economists and many in the business community warn that going over the so-called fiscal cliff could plunge the nation back into recession.
Congress returns to work next week to deal with the fast-approaching economic crisis and other unfinished business.
But House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, campaigning for Romney in Ohio, said he isn't holding his breath waiting for a grand compromise and said a short-term temporary fix is probably "the best you can hope for."
It's seems doubtful the congressional mix after the election will be much more conducive to bipartisanship. Republicans are confident of keeping, even expanding, their majority in the House, while Democrats are increasingly hopeful of retaining control in the Senate.
Even if the economy is central to Tuesday's election, many economists say it's likely to get better under either Obama or Romney.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, a strong Obama supporter, agrees.
The U.S. economy is "inching ahead" and business will improve regardless, Buffett says, and "the economy will get better under either one of them."
EDITOR'S NOTE — Tom Raum covers politics and economics for The Associated Press.
Follow Tom Raum on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tomraum


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Hahahahaha. Ha.
It IS a new year, after all, and it's really amusing me how my fingers didn't even stumble when typing 2012.
but, it's time to Begin the Beguine…
Heh. Early A.M. here in the Windy and I'm getting ready to go on the road.
It's photoshoot time and looking out the window, I can see a nice little frosting of snow on my neighbors Mini. Thanks!
I need that, the snow that is.
Later this morning, I'll be driving to Michigan to scout some locations for some new pictures of some new styles and nothing is more ticklesome to me than to actually have snow for an actual winter shoot!
Although lots of stuff you see in the cloud is shot months (even a year) in advance, this is more of a real-time excursion. I'm done with the knitting and in a few hours, I'll be on my way to snag some images to go hand-in-hand with a new design.
This morning has been spent harvesting the elements from around the house to go on the road with me.
This proved to be harder than I thought, because a few weeks ago, the whole place was packed up for some re-mod work and, maybe this has happened to you: I could NOT remember where I put some Really Important Things.
Missing: camera battery chargers (2); camera flash unit; cool new blush makeup; memory card reader; and last, but not least, size 7 – 16″ circular needles (for hat WIP).
But what was the most important ingredient for this whole fou-fourh-Rah?
Yes! C.O.F.F.E.E. coffee and more coffee.
In this lovely beginning week of January, not only is it colder, but those pesky days are still not very long, and it's dark, and the Brain, it doesn't really want to fire on all synapses in any particular speedy order.
SO, faced with the possibility of being stuck out-in-the-woods without, let's say, my Lip Gloss, I will go to the greatest lengths to jump start the process.
I'm raising a Cuppa right at you right now!
And yes, I know it's a little pathetic to be wearing make up in the woods but as any Uptown Girl will tell you: (we) Don't Leave Home Without IT!


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Boston Ballet continues its 50th anniversary season with a stunner of a program.
The Boston Ballet continues its 50th anniversary season with a stunner of a program that offered as many surprises as satisfactions to an audience that roared its' appreciation throughout the Thursday opening performance.
Artistic director, Mikko Nissinen, who has just had his contract renewed for five more years, certainly has his eyes wide open for European hot-shot choreographers. In addition to introducing house choreographer, Jorma Elo, he has now enlisted Czech choreographer, Petr Zuska, and the Swedish born rebel, Alexander Ekman. The members of the Boston Ballet took to their works like race horses bolting from the gate.
But first, the dancers did themselves and Nissinen proud in the evening's curtain-raiser, "Etudes," a mid-20th century classic. Created by the Dane, Harald Lander, the fiendishly difficult work is set to the spiraling credenzas of Carl Czerny's music. It starts off sedately enough, although at a rapid tempo, with a corps of 12 women in black tutus at a trio of ballet barres positioned on an empty stage. The spotlight comes up on their feet, pointing in and out in classroom exercises, but that's only the warm-up. By the end, the women in black will be competing madly to out-do a line-up of women in white, enhanced by a male corps de ballet, and three male soloists, centered by the ballerina, Misa Kuranaga.
The entire ensemble of "Etudes" ups the ante in linked turns and space devouring leaps, to make a viewer gasp in admiration. The mood changes in the middle to a whiff of the 1840s Romantic Ballet, with Kuranaga, an illusion in a long, white, tutu, partnered by a courtly John Lam, before returning to more virtuosic demands. Isaac Akiba, stepping in for an ailing soloist, and the ever-spectacular, Jeffrey Cirio, supported Kuranaga, who delivered her turns as if racing the speed of light.
Fast forward to the 21st century: Zuzka's "D.M.J. 1953-1977" is a work in style and intention far different from the glittering "Etudes." The theme is love and loss; the stage is set with a tombstone-like box at stage right. Holding a single rose, the mourner, Lasha Khozashvili, steps slowly to the grave. Later the curtain rises on five couples on five more boxes which could be coffins, or perhaps a reminder of the box-car trains of the Holocaust. A single rose descends from above each of the couples as they mirror Khozashvili's emotions, mixing ballet steps with contemporary movement.
Khozashvili is joined by his partner, Lia Cirio, in a pas de deux of seeking, finding and loosing, to produce one of the most poignant pairings of the season. Cirio is unsurpassed as an actress-dancer, with a body as lithe and flexible as can be imagined. Later, when the dancers strip to flesh-colored briefs, the sense of vulnerability is more pronounced, capping a beautiful, if abstract, portrayal of sorrow. The title refers to the three famous Czech composers, Antonin Dvorak, Bohuslav Martinu, and Leos Janacek whose works were excerpted and combined in the score.
A 360 degree, change of pace came in the final work, Ekman's "Cacti," a ballet in bare feet, that might have been created by silent film comics, Buster Keaton and Harold Lang, if they had been choreographers now. Combining extreme physical movement, including every style of dance, body slaps, a pounding of the boxes the dancers are glued to (yes, boxes again), with ironic comments piped in pretentious art lingo, mingling in a score extracted from Haydn, Beethoven and others. Four musicians wandered on stage among the 16 dancers, as if anything goes. Jeffrey Cirio and Whitney Jensen were featured in a pas de deux set to their own voices in nonsensical conversation, while bright lights from a moving, overhead bar illuminated the scene. And then there were those huge cacti, carried on by the dancers, signifying nothing, in a nod to the Dada tradition. A special thumbs-up must be given to the Boston Ballet orchestra , directed by Jonathan McPhee, which kept track of and up with the dancers throughout the jolt-filled evening.


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A Leader in Graduate Education
Nationally and internationally known for their wide-ranging research and exceptional teaching, our award-winning graduate faculty are dedicated to mentoring graduate students in our program's supportive, welcoming environment. To support the success of our graduate students, our Graduate Studies program offers:
- Over $120,000 of funding in fellowships and scholarships at the doctoral and master's levels, and 70% of our graduate students hold graduate teaching and research assistantships which include full or partial tuition waivers and health insurance benefits
- Up to five years of funding for PhD students entering with an MA, three years for MFA students, and two years for MA students
- Professional development and community-building opportunities through the Grad Connections program
- Travel funding for graduate students at all levels
To find out more about graduate study in English at Iowa State, feel free to contact faculty members who share your interests via the degree programs links to the left, or contact the graduate program staff.
Bethany Gray
Director of Graduate Education
Stacy Tye-Williams
Associate Director and Grad Connections Coordinator
Teresa Smiley
Graduate Program Staff Assistant


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lankou wrote:Some people should be reminded that Fattis was not just all about conscious tunes or roots dancehall: his labels released lots of hardcore dancehall tunes -including a lot of minimalistic clunkers in the late 80's-early 90's, and a number of them hardly politically correct, to say the least (ask Ninjaman!). Lots of off the wall stormers as well, in a hardcore mode, and really not just stuff by Sizzla and Luciano. Also lots of romantic tunes. Fattis should be remembered for the whole spectrum of his productions, not just conscious" tunes. Sly at Fattis's, that's one of the last great winning tickets, really. If the whole output of Star Trail and XTM were to be compared, i'd say that the first one has a higher percentage of roots tunes than the latter. Of course, Fattis released more tunes than R Bell.
really and truly, ask me for 1 production from that era and I hardly could name one title. but ask me about the conscious era and I will line up the whole catalogue if needed! he changed the game with conscious productions together with Richard Bell who also had some funny sounding 80s tunes sameway Fattis did, but those tunes are not the good selling ones. There is maybe some expensive collectors stuff from the early era but only collectors are interested in those, but regular people would all tend to the conscious era. but there was some great stuff in the early era sameway tunes like "Dirts Man - Strive" or "Papa San - It Bun Dem" and Acid by Ninja or Super Cat - Chalice A Lick & Sandokan are crucial indeed but if you take Luciano "Good God" it would mash up the whole Exterminator era with a few lines from that 1 song, all Luciano xtm albums and the most of Sizzla early xtm stuff is like a milestone to whole reggae music, just as channel one and studio one and federal and all who made reggae reach 2000 without changing the content of it.


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The three men charged Wednesday in relation to the Boston Marathon bombing removed items from bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's dorm room on the day he was publicly identified as one of the suspects, according to a criminal complaint.
The three men charged Wednesday in relation to the Boston Marathon bombing removed items from bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's dorm room on the day he was publicly identified as one of the suspects, according to a criminal complaint.
According to the complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, Dias Kadyrbayev, Azamat Tazhayakov and Robel Phillipos entered Tsarnaev's room in Pine Dale Hall on the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus between 6 and 7 p.m. and removed a backpack containing approximately seven "red tubular fireworks, approximately 6 to 8 inches in length" that had been opened and emptied of powder.
According to the complaint, Kadyrbayev also decided to remove Tsarnaev's laptop "because he didn't want Tsarnaev's roommate to think he was stealing or behaving suspiciously by just taking the backpack."
Three people were killed and more than 260 injured on April 15 when two bombs exploded near the finish line of the marathon. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died after a gunfight with police days later. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured and lies in a prison hospital.
At about 5 p.m. on April 18, the images of Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were publicly released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Attorney's office.
The three men then returned to Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov's New Bedford apartment and, after watching news reports, collectively decided to throw the backpack and fireworks into the trash.
The complaint also reveals that Tsarnaev was in the area of Dartmouth and New Bedford until at least about 4 p.m. on April 18, the day that Tsarnaev and his brother were identified and later located in the Boston area, having given Tazhayakov a ride from campus to his apartment. It was about two to three hours later that the three friends arrived at the dorm room.
UMass Dartmouth officials released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying that both Phillipos and Kadyrbayev are not currently enrolled in the school. Tazhayakov has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
Kadyrbayev, 19, and Tazhayakov, 19, both of New Bedford, are each being charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. Phillipos, 19, of Cambridge, is being charged with making false statements to federal law enforcement investigators. All three suspects waived their bail hearings Wednesday afternoon. Phillipos is scheduled to appear in court Monday, while Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov will return on May 14.
Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and $250,000 fine. Phillipos potentially faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Both Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov are listed as being of Kazakhstan nationality, and they entered the country on student visas. The pair have been detained since April 20 on immigration violations.
The charges against Phillipos stem from allegations that, during an interview on April 19, he concealed the fact that the trio went to Tsarnaev's dorm room. During an interview the following day, he initially told investigators he did not remember going to the room. He then changed his story to say he and the two other men had gone to the room to see if the person identified as the bombing suspect was really Tsarnaev. At that time he denied removing any items from the room.
A fourth interview, conducted on April 26, resulted in Phillipos confessing that he had lied in previous interviews, he then allegedly admitted to entering the room with Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov, finding the backpack and removing it.
The dumping of the laptop and backpack resulted in the combing of a New Bedford landfill, where the backpack was found on April 26. Inside the backpack, agents recovered fireworks, a jar of Vaseline and a homework assignment sheet, which was determined to be from a class Tsarnaev was taking at UMass Dartmouth.
A search of Tsarnaev's room by investigators on April 21 resulted in the alleged finding of a "large pyrotechnic," BBs, and a white hat and black jacket similar to those wore in the photos of Tsarnaev on the day of the marathon bombing.
The complaint identifies all three men and Tsarnaev as friends who began attending UMass Dartmouth in 2011. Tsarnaev and Kadyrbayev had become close friends in spring 2012, with Kadyrbayev traveling to Tsarnaev's home and meeting his family.
According to the complaint, Kadyrbayev noted that two days after the bombing Tsarnaev had apparently given himself a short haircut. On the day the images of Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev were publicly released, Kadyrbayev texted Tsarnaev and told him he looked like one of the suspects. Tsarnaev responded with a "lol" text and "you better not text me" and "come to my room and take whatever you want." Both those messages, according to the complaint, were taken as jokes by Kadyrbayev.
It was later that day when the three men went to Tsarnaev's room and observed the emptied fireworks that Kadyrbayev knew Tsarnaev was involved, according to the complaint.
Tazhayakov told investigators that when he saw the text message to Kadyrbayev telling him to take whatever they wanted from the room that "he believed he would never see Tsarnaev again," according to the complaint.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Email Will Richmond at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Senate leaders say their version of the 2008 farm bill, which contains $10 billion above the Congressional Budget Office "baseline," should be the model for the legislation that must be passed by April 18 to keep farm programs from reverting to permanent law.
But the chairman of the House agriculture Committee said the Senate bill, although close to a proposal offered Thursday by House conference committee members, still requires more work before it can be adopted.
Senators Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairmen of the Senate agriculture and finance committees, announced the Senate conferees latest proposal Friday afternoon.
The proposal is based on a March 25 framework of $10 billion in additional spending for the farm bill, including funds for disaster assistance. The framework maintains the investments of the Senate-passed bill with strong farm income protection as well as investments in nutrition, conservation and renewable energy and a program to provide disaster assistance to farmers.
The senators said their two committees worked in tandem to develop the framework with the Senate Finance Committee identifying offsets that make the bill deficit neutral. The conferees were scheduled to reconvene today to discuss the proposal.
"The Senate farm bill is a strong bill and should be the model for the final farm bill that will become law," said Harkin, who also chairs the House-Senate conference committee on the farm bill.
"It addressed myriad national priorities and looked ahead to the future by strengthening farm income and disaster protection and filling the gaps in nutrition assistance, investing in farm-based renewable energy, helping farmers and ranchers conserve our natural resources, and devoting substantial new funding to initiatives for growers of fruits, vegetables and horticultural crops."
The framework in the proposal "maintains the investments of the Senate-passed bill and, thanks to the Senate Finance Committee, it is deficit neutral," Harkin added. "I urge House conferees to consider this framework and negotiate in good faith so that we can meet our April 18 deadline for the bill."
One of the major obstacles remaining to the passage of a new farm bill centers on the disaster assistance provisions in the Senate bill. The framework, which Harkin says was agreed to by House and Senate leaders, has $10 billion in additional farm spending, including $4 billion for disaster assistance.
"Farmers from Montana to Minnesota to both coasts have made clear how much they need this disaster assistance, and this proposal delivers for farm families in need," said Baucus, who has been fighting for a permanent disaster program because of the drought conditions in the Montana, Idaho and Oregon region.
"The Senate is showing a strong and appropriate commitment to nutrition programs and to our nation's agricultural producers, and I'm confident that House conferees will work with us to finalize a good farm bill. We'll just have to keep working together to come up with a final agreement that works for farmers and ranchers."
"The Senate's farm bill counter-offer affirms the House position on the core farm bill policies and shows how close we are to an agreement on those issues," said Collin Peterson, the Minnesota Democrat who chairs the House Agriculture Committee. "But it also demonstrates that there is still work to do on financing the bill and other extraneous issues."
He said the Senate's proposal only further "muddies the water" on funding for the farm bill by scrapping the offsets recommended by the House and failing to offer alternative funding sources that are acceptable.
Claiming the Senate bill is closer to $12.5 billion over baseline, Peterson said the Senate proposal also breaks the previous agreement to limit above baseline spending in the bill to no more than $10 billion. "When we can't agree on offsets for the core farm bill issues, adding $2.5 billion in tax giveaways that don't even belong in the farm bill is counterproductive."
During the first formal meeting of Senate and House conferees, Peterson tabled a proposal that was $5.5 billion above the baseline. The House proposal did not include a permanent disaster program or a number of tax extenders, both of which are included in the Senate proposal.


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Glass window car replacement - If you realize out that your car glass window has been damaged, you can go to a nearby auto shop and enquire if they have are placement in stock. If you are successful in your job search, then you can commence the process of replacing your car glass window. The first thing is to make certain that you have the correct tools for the task. You will usually desire a broad range of hands tools, a tarp, a repair manual and a vacuum. The next thing to do is to safely remove the door panel of your car door and when you've found a clear plastic sheet under the plank, you can slowly remove it. You will probably see the items of cup from your old car window; remove those safely using gloves and your carpet cleaner.
Putting in the glass
The next step is to match in the new home window through the two-inch large slot located on the top of the door panel. This step can confirm tricky because fitting in the glass may require that you unbolt some bolts on the door panel to provide more room for the fitting of the glass. Your repair manuals will be very helpful in this specific step.
The repair manual will also show you the placement of the group and clips that were bonded to the glass. The next phase is to be sure that the glass is aligned after you replace the bracket bolts and the weather-stripping on the door panel. After this, get the door panel back and lineup it to the windows crank lever and test your new car glass windows.
Doing repairs yourself can prove to be a tricky task, this is why repair manuals and a tiny amount of experience can come in helpful in minor repair jobs including the replacement of your car glass window.
Related Post :
GLASS WINDOW Car Replacement
4/ 5Oleh Maya Jasmine


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Zinnia F1 Tall Orange - Seeds
Description for Zinnia F1 Tall Orange
Zinnias have bright, solitary, daisy-like flower heads on a single, erect stem. The most common zinnia is "dahlia-flowered" and grows up to three feet. Other types are "cactus-flowered."
|Common name
|Flower colours
|Bloom time
|18 to 24 inches.
Planting and care
Zinnia leaves are opposite and usually stalkless (sessile), with a shape ranging from linear to ovate, and pale to middle green in color. The flowers have a range of appearances, from a single row of petals, to a dome shape, with the colors white, chartreuse, yellow, orange, red, purple, and lilac.
Zinnias seem especially favored by butterflies, and many gardeners add zinnias specifically to attract them.
|Full sun.
|Rich, well-drained soil.
|Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, for young plants. Mature zinnias require less watering, as grown flowers are somewhat drought tolerant.
|above 50 F. (10 C).
|A 5-10-5 fertilizer in mid season will help to keep zinnia plants growing strongly.
Caring for Zinnia F1 Tall Orange
- Zinnia care may also include watering in the early morning, which allows the foliage and flowers ample time to dry off before nightfall.
Typical uses of Zinnia F1 Tall Orange
Special features:
Ornamental use: Use in an annual or mixed border. Smaller zinnias are suitable for edging, window boxes or other containers. The narrow-leaf zinnia also works well in hanging baskets.
Zinnias are very popular for cut flowers.
- http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/zinnia/growing-zinnia-flowers.htm
What Customer says ?
Any query about zinnia f1 tall orange - seeds


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cbest needed a new t-shirt design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 55 designs submitted by 22 freelance designers.
Looking for a bold, sassy design to add to my collection of tee shirts made specifically for redheads.
Looking for a graphic tee with text that says "firecracker redhead". A secondary aspect of the design (tagline or similar) could have a warning about explosiveness (i.e. "contains explosive substance" or "highly flammable temper". Clever plays on words is welcome (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosives for ideas).
The design can be in any style you'd like, but I'm kind of leaning towards a retro look (not married to the idea, though), so use your own creativity!
You can use any colors you'd like if you put it on a white background, but if you use any colored background, limit the design to 4 colors or less. Need the files in PDF or Illustrator format, and if necessary, with separations for screenprinter.
A designer just asked if this is for men or women! Good question that I'm editing to include. I sell to both men and women, but 95% of my customers are women.
- Don't put it on a red or orange background, for obvious reasons (clashes with the red hair!)


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Barclays Rolls Out Its Revamp Plans
British Lender to Jettison 3,700 Jobs as It Tempers Previous CEO's Expansion; Scaling Back Abroad
LONDON—Barclays PLC wants to move on from Robert Diamond.
In its latest effort to break with the legacy of its former chief executive, the British bank Tuesday presented a three-year strategy that will see the scandal-plagued lender cut 3,700 jobs and rein in some of Mr. Diamond's boldest expansion plans.
"Barclays is changing…there...


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Can Buddhism, in the West, then be practised without the Western Culture?http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index. ... =86806&hl=" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Does anyone practice Zen without the Japanese cultural accutriments...?
I have heard many laments from some Westerners on how warped Buddhism has been with its 'Eastern' flavor, 'trapped' in a yesterday's fascination with all things East...quite similar to how when Christianity was first brought to the East, the Gospel was brought along with all the implications of it being 'western' by the early missionaries.
So, I asked in 3 ways:
Can 'Buddhism' then be without the same trappings of Western mentality and culture? Can the Dharma brethren in the West bring the same Buddha Dharma to the East without Western culture?
Is not the 'Buddhism' supra-culture?
What do you think?


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Discovery of a mutant gene involved in the regulation of longevity of a primitive worm, C. elegans, may provide a clue as to how humans age. Normal development and longevity in the worm C. elegans are regulated by the age-1 gene. Lack of age-1 activity in adult worms, due to mutations in the age-1 gene, results in a doubling of adult life span. The research team of Drs. Gary Ruvkun, Jason Morris, and Heidi Tissenbaum at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School isolated and determined the DNA sequence of the normal and four mutant forms of the C.elegans age-1 gene. Further analysis revealed that the normal age-1 gene encodes the worm homolog of the enzyme phosphotidyl-inositol-3-OH-kinase (PI(3)K), a key biological mediator of cellular communication and signal transduction. This study, published in the August 8, 1996 issue of Nature, was supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
Analysis of animals with several different mutations in the age-1 gene showed that the AGE-1 PI(3)K protein functions specifically in the longevity pathway in C. elegans. The authors speculate that lower levels of PI(3)K activity may trigger a biochemical program in the worm, ultimately leading to a decreased rate of aging and senescence. However, they caution that it is not yet known whether phosphotidylinositol-mediated control of longevity is confined to C.elegans or is more generally applicable to regulation of aging and longevity in mammalian species including humans.
Dr. Anna McCormick, Chief of the Biology Branch of the NIA Biology of Aging Program, is available to comment on the recent cloning of the age-1 gene and the relationship of age-1 to human aging and longevity. To schedule an interview with Dr. McCormick, contact the NIA Public Information Office at (301) 496-1752 or e-mail Claudia Feldman at email@example.com.
The NIA, National Institutes of Health, leads the Federal effort in the study of the biology of aging and the special needs of older people.
Public Release:


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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jay-Z is bringing the "Made in America" music festival back to Philadelphia.
The rapper posted a teaser video on his "Life and Times" website Monday that showed footage from last year. It says this year's festival will again take place on Labor Day weekend — Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.
The lineup will be revealed at noon Wednesday on the digital music streaming website Spotify.
Last year's festival was the first of its kind for the entrepreneurial Jay-Z, who is married to superstar Beyonce and owns a music management company, fashion line, nightclub and restaurant. He also has a stake in the Brooklyn Nets.
About 40,000 people attended each of the two days of the 2012 "Made in America" on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
More than two dozen acts performed on three stages, one of which was near the museum steps made famous in the film "Rocky." The eclectic lineup chosen by Jay-Z included Skrillex, D'Angelo, X, Janelle Monae, Calvin Harris, Pearl Jam, The Hives, Run DMC, Odd Future and Drake.
City officials said the festival generated at least $10 million in economic impact for the city and covered all municipal costs associated with the event.
The teaser video says "Made in America" will again be sponsored by Budweiser.
Made in America: http://www.lifeandtimes.com/made-in-america-2013


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Feb. 20, 2013
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 22 ranked Florida State women's swimming and diving team set its first school record on night one of the 2013 ACC Championships in Greensboro, N.C.
The team of sophomore Kaitlyn Dressel, junior Tiffany Oliver, junior Julia Henkel and sophomore Elizabeth Pepper swam a time of 7:08.84, taking down the old mark of 7:10.13 set in 2010.
"We're just excited," head coach Neil Harper said. "I think the rest of the team that got to cheer on the six girls today are ready to get in the pool. Those ladies demonstrated that we're swimming well and that we're competing hard."
In the second race of the evening, the 800 free relay was handed a tough task after the 200 medley relay was disqualified for a false start.
"To be called for a disqualification for a difference of one one-hundredth of a second after marking and NCAA A cut time, breaking a school record and taking second place was just heartbreaking," Harper said. "But those ladies handled adversity and showed that we could bounce back."
Leading off the race was Dressel, who posted a split of 1:47.11, putting the Seminoles in fourth place.
Oliver followed Dressel and gained ground on the leaders while swimming a leg of 1:46.47, just out of third.
Henkel split a 1:46.90 – the fastest in her career, moving the Seminoles into third place behind Virginia and North Carolina after out swimming the NC State swimmer by almost four seconds. Sophomore Elizabeth Pepper finished the anchor leg, splitting a 1:48.36, while touching with a final mark of 7:08.84.
Florida State initially finished third in the race, however due to a false start from North Carolina, the Seminoles moved up to take the silver. That swim marks the first relay to make an ACC podium since the 2011 Championships.
With just two events in the books, the Seminoles are in eighth with 34 points. Virginia leads with 70 points.
"It's a good sign that we're competing well," Harper said. "The rest of the team is ready for tomorrow's individual races and we're looking forward to prelims in the morning."
Tomorrow's prelim session will start at 11 a.m. with the 500 free. The 200 IM and 50 free will follow. The 200 free relay will be swum at finals. The women's 1-meter diving will take place tomorrow in addition to the men's 3-meter diving.
Live stats will run for both prelims and finals, while finals will be live streamed. For more information throughout the Championships, check back to Seminoles.com, Facebook and Twitter.
Wednesday, Feb. 20
200 Medley Relay – Disqualified
800 Free Relay – Second, 7:08.84 – New FSU Record
Thursday, Feb. 21
200 Free Relay
500 Free
50 Free
1-meter diving (women)
3-meter diving (men)
Friday, Feb. 22
400 Medley Relay
100 Fly
200 Free
100 Breast
100 Back
1-meter diving (men)
3-meter diving (women)
Saturday, Feb. 23
1650 Free
200 Back
100 Free
200 Breast
200 Fly
Platform Diving
400 Free Relay
Live Stats can be found here: http://theacc.co/13WSDlivestats (All Sessions)
Live Streaming can be found here: http://theacc.co/watchACC-SDchamp (Feb. 21-23, 7-9 p.m.)


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Top Reasons to Visit Hillview Haven Estate
- It's nestled on 40 hilly acres in Northumberland County, about one hour from Toronto; the nearby forest is crisscrossed by hiking and cross-country skiing trails.
- The hotel is just steps from Rice Lake, which has an extensive network of rivers and streams said to have some of the best fishing in Ontario.
- Ranked with a perfect five stars on TripAdvisor, guests enjoy the atmosphere; decorated to evoke exotic locales such as Africa and Asia, each themed room has a private jacuzzi tub and access to a covered veranda.
- You can practice your golf swing on the hotel's 300-yard driving range; there are nearly a dozen golf courses in the Northumberland area.
- A full English breakfast is served every morning. Guests also have access to a 24-hour coffee and snack bar.
- The gourmet dinner includes an appetizer, an entree that changes daily, and a bottle of wine.
Northumberland County, Ontario: Forests, Scenic Waterways, and Historic Towns
Located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, Northumberland County is something of a backyard playground for Toronto. It sits about an hour outside the city, and it's lined with waterways, beaches, and wide stretches of rolling countryside. You can do everything from hunting and hiking to snowmobiling at the Northumberland County Forest, and you might even see coyote, deer, and black bears there.
Most of the country is cut through by the Trent-Severn Waterway, a historic route linking two Great Lakes that was once used for lumber transport. Today, the passage is open from May to October for recreational use, including leisure cruises. One of the highlights of the waterway is its hydraulic lift lock. Something of a cross between an elevator and a giant bathtub, the lock ferries boats from one water level to another. The shores of the Trent-Severn are open year-round.
Northumberland County is full of charming, quiet rural towns. The biggest of them, Cobourg, still feels like a small town, thanks largely to its strong sense of heritage. It was originally settled in 1798; some of the city's oldest buildings can be found downtown, including the town hall, which now houses a gallery and concert hall alongside some town offices. Head to the Cobourg Museum Foundation to learn more about the local history. This limestone complex may have been used as a military barracks for the British in the War of 1812.


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Anakin Skywalker
Discovered as a slave on Tatooine by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker had the potential to become one of the most powerful Jedi ever, and was believed by some to be the prophesied Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. A hero of the Clone Wars, Anakin was caring and compassionate, but also had a fear of loss that would prove to be his downfall.
- Height: 1.88m ,
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Soundboard //
Along with his mother Shmi, Anakin Skywalker was a slave on Tatooine, owned by junk dealer Watto. When Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, a Gungan named Jar Jar Binks, and Naboo handmaiden Padmé came to Watto's shop looking for parts to repair their starship, Anakin befriended them. Unable to afford the parts they needed, Anakin devised a plan to help his new friends: he would enter the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace and give the winnings to Qui-Gon. While risky, Qui-Gon agreed, betting with Watto and adding higher stakes -- Anakin's freedom. Qui-Gon realized that Anakin was Force-sensitive, and upon his victory in the race, informed Anakin he was free and could train to become a Jedi. The boy was overjoyed, but afraid to leave his mother behind; indeed, Yoda sensed this when Anakin was brought before the Jedi Council, and it was this fear that led to Anakin being denied entry into the Order. Qui-Gon was shocked at the decision, but told Anakin to watch him and stay close in lieu of actual training. Eventually, Qui-Gon, his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé (now revealed to be Queen Amidala), Jar Jar, and Anakin went to Naboo, hoping to stop an invasion by the Trade Federation. There, Anakin unwittingly found himself in a Naboo starfighter, dogfighting with battle droids and destroying the Droid Control Ship. Qui-Gon fell in battle to the Sith Lord Darth Maul, and with his dying wish, asked Obi-Wan to train the boy. The Jedi Council agreed, and Anakin was accepted into the Order as Obi-Wan's apprentice. He also began a friendship with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who was quite impressed by the boy's Force abilities.
Ten years after the Battle of Naboo, the Jedi Council and Supreme Chancellor assigned Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to protect Senator Padmé Amidala after an assassination attempt on her life. Anakin was deeply attracted to her, and a love developed between the two. It was a dangerous path, as the Jedi Code forbade attachments and romantic relationships. At the same time, Anakin began to suffer from nightmares and visions that his mother was in pain, dying; despite Obi-Wan's orders to stay on Naboo with Padmé, he left for Tatooine to rescue Shmi, Padmé in tow. Upon arrival, he found that Shmi had been kidnapped by Sand People. Anakin eventually located their camp and found his mother, where she died in his arms; enraged, the Jedi unleashed an inner fury never before seen, and slaughtered every Tusken he found. He buried Shmi at her husband's homestead, and then left for Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan, who was being held by Separatists. There, he and Padmé were captured and sentenced to die, along with his Master. The three staved off the execution, rescued by Jedi and the Republic's new clone army, and pursued the Separatist leader, Count Dooku. Anakin and Obi-Wan dueled the former Jedi in a hangar, but were no match; Dooku defeated both and severed Anakin's arm. Yoda arrived just in time to prevent Dooku from delivering a final strike, but the Sith Lord eventually escaped. After recovering from his injuries, including the replacement of his severed arm with a mechanical one, Anakin retreated to Naboo with Padmé where they were secretly married.
Now that the Clone Wars had begun, Jedi became generals and commanders in the war against the Separatists. Aware of Anakin's shortcomings and his tendency to forge strong emotional attachments, Yoda assigned Anakin a Padawan learner: Ahsoka Tano. Yoda hoped that Skywalker would learn how to let go of his student as she grew, which was key for Anakin. While Anakin bristled at first to this appointment, a strong bond grew between teacher and student. They had many adventures together, and as Ahsoka matured, so did Anakin. But Ahsoka eventually became disillusioned and left the Jedi Order, an act which Anakin regretted.
The Clone Wars continued, and Anakin became a hero and grew vastly in power. Upon returning to Coruscant from a daring rescue of the Supreme Chancellor, the Jedi Knight found that Senator Padmé Amidala, his secret wife, was pregnant. Shortly thereafter, he began suffering visions that she would die in childbirth. Anakin was determined to prevent his dreams from coming true as they had with his mother; at the same time, the Jedi Council and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine had become distrustful of each other, with Anakin caught in the middle. As Anakin's confusion and anxiety grew, Palpatine told him a Sith legend that spoke of the ability to stop people from dying. Entranced, Anakin was desperate to learn this power. Palpatine revealed himself to be a Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, and promised to train him in the ways of the dark side.
Anakin eventually succumbed to this temptation, maiming former ally Mace Windu to save Sidious. The dark side Master claimed the mantle of Emperor, and Anakin led the Empire's eradication of the Jedi Order as Darth Vader, Sith Lord. Against his wishes, Padmé followed him to the lava planet Mustafar, where he had just ended the Clone War by destroying the Separatist leaders. She confronted Anakin about all he had done; the new Sith claimed that all his acts, no matter how terrible, were done so he would be strong enough with the dark side to save her. But having tasted this power, he now had greater ambitions: to overthrow the newly-minted Emperor and rule the galaxy with his wife. Padmé was repulsed, and with the appearance of Obi-Wan (who had stowed away on her ship), Anakin assumed his wife had betrayed him, and he Force choked her. Padmé was left unconscious, and Anakin and his former Master dueled. In the end, Anakin was dismembered and left with terrible burns, cursing his old friend and becoming a being of pure hate. Recovered on the banks of a lava river by the Emperor, Anakin was encased in sinister black armor that kept him alive, and he truly became Darth Vader. Padmé, having lost the will to live, died after giving birth to twins -- Luke and Leia -- and Anakin was left heartbroken and more machine than man.
As Darth Vader, Anakin spread fear throughout the galaxy and acted as the Emperor's dark enforcer. But Anakin Skywalker, the courageous hero, was not truly dead. After battling his son Luke Skywalker in the presence of the Emperor, the young Jedi's compassion for his father awakened the long-dormant good in the Sith Lord. Vader saved Luke from the Emperor and killed his evil Master, once again becoming Anakin Skywalker. But he suffered mortal wounds from the Emperor's Force lightning, and knew that his end was near. He shared a vital final moment with his son, removing his mask so he could see Luke with his own eyes, and slipped peacefully away into the Force. Back on Endor, Anakin reunited with old friends Yoda and Obi-Wan, watching over Luke and his friends as they celebrated the galaxy's new freedom.
Seeking answers on how to defeat Vader and his Inquisitors, Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, and Ahsoka Tano visited the Jedi Temple on Lothal. While Kanan and Ezra went deep into the Temple, Ahsoka remained in the atrium, waiting and meditating. Suddenly, she experienced a vision: Anakin, cold and angry, demanded to know why she left and betrayed him. "Do you know what I've become?" he demanded, before his image turned to that of his new self: the armor-clad Sith Lord, Darth Vader.
Related //
Padmé Amidala
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker was a Tatooine farmboy who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the greatest Jedi the galaxy has ever known. Along with his friends Princess Leia and Han Solo, Luke battled the evil Empire, discovered the truth of his parentage, and ended the tyranny of the Sith. A generation later, the location of the famed Jedi master was one of the galaxy's greatest mysteries. Haunted by Ben Solo's fall to evil and convinced the Jedi had to end, Luke sought exile on a distant world, ignoring the galaxy's pleas for help. But his solitude would be interrupted – and Luke Skywalker had one final, momentous role to play in the struggle between good and evil.
Leia Organa
Princess Leia Organa was one of the Rebel Alliance's greatest leaders, fearless on the battlefield and dedicated to ending the tyranny of the Empire. Daughter of Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, sister of Luke Skywalker, and with a soft spot for scoundrels, Leia ranks among the galaxy's great heroes. But life under the New Republic has not been easy for Leia. Sidelined by a new generation of political leaders, she struck out on her own to oppose the First Order as founder of the Resistance. These setbacks in her political career have been accompanied by more personal losses.
Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious
Scheming, powerful, and evil to the core, Darth Sidious restored the Sith and destroyed the Jedi Order. Living a double life, Sidious was in fact Palpatine, a Naboo Senator and phantom menace. He slowly manipulated the political system of the Galactic Republic until he was named Supreme Chancellor -- and eventually Emperor -- ruling the galaxy through fear and tyranny.
Qui-Gon Jinn
A venerable if maverick Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn was a student of the living Force. Qui-Gon lived for the moment, espousing a philosophy of "feel, don't think -- use your instincts." On Tatooine, Qui-Gon discovered a young slave boy named Anakin Skywalker who was strong in the Force. Sensing the boy's potential, Qui-Gon liberated Anakin from slavery. The Jedi Master presented Anakin to the Jedi Council, but they deemed the boy too old to begin training and dangerously full of fear and anger. They refused to allow Qui-Gon to train Anakin, but rescinded their decision to fulfill Qui-Gon's dying wish.
Shmi Skywalker Lars
The mother of Anakin Skywalker was also a brave and resilient woman who survived life as a slave to become a Tatooine moisture farmer. Shmi surrendered her son to the Jedi Order, putting him on a path to become one of the greatest Jedi. Her death at the hands of Tusken Raiders became a critical step on Anakin's journey to the dark side.
C-3PO (See-Threepio)
C-3PO is a droid programmed for etiquette and protocol, built by the heroic Jedi Anakin Skywalker, and a constant companion to astromech R2-D2. Over the years, he was involved in some of the galaxy's most defining moments and thrilling battles -- and is fluent in more than seven million forms of communication. In the years after the Empire's defeat C-3PO served Leia Organa, becoming the head of a Resistance spy ring aimed at undermining the First Order.
A resourceful astromech droid, R2-D2 served Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker in turn, showing great bravery in rescuing his masters and their friends from many perils. A skilled starship mechanic and fighter pilot's assistant, he formed an unlikely but enduring friendship with the fussy protocol droid C-3PO.
Clone Troopers
At the time of their introduction, the Republic clone troopers represented the future of galactic warfare. Far superior to battle droids, the clone troopers formed the backbone of the Republic's new military that waged war against the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. So symbolic were they of the times, the galaxy-wide conflict that saw their debut took its name from their ranks: the Clone Wars.


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The Seneca and Minooka football programs found new coaches while two track athletes claimed state championships and the Minooka girls bowling team just missed one.
Reade out, O'Boyle in at Seneca
The 2012 calendar year was a wild one for the Seneca football program, which underwent a change at the top and ended a string of losing seasons.
On Jan. 1, then-head coach Ryan Reade was arrested and charged with DUI. He eventually pleaded guilty to reckless driving, and by late February, the school announced he would not return as a teacher and coach for the 2012-13 school year.
Less than a month later, the school announced that Ted O'Boyle would be hired to teach physical education and coach the football team. O'Boyle had spent the prior 10 seasons as head football coach at Flanagan-Cornell-Woodland.
"He's a man of high integrity. He's a man of high expectations," Seneca athletic director Steve Haines said of O'Boyle at the time.
O'Boyle left a program with which he had made the playoffs nine times in 10 seasons for one which had not qualified since 2001. He made it clear that returning the Irish to the postseason was a top priority.
"Playoffs is going to be a goal every year," O'Boyle said in March. "Obviously with those four (Interstate Eight Conference) crossover games and a team that sits there like Wilmington, you've got your work cut out for you."
The first two crossover games the Irish played under O'Boyle put them in a hole in terms of their playoff hopes from which they were unable to recover. They lost their opener 26-19 to Sandwich and then allowed Peotone to score 20 unanswered fourth-quarter points in a 27-20 Week 2 loss.
Seneca went on to a 4-1 showing in I-8 Small Division play, and a thrilling, 10-8 win over Manteno to end the regular season gave the Irish a 5-4 record, but their 35 opponents' wins were not enough for them to qualify for the Class 3A playoff field.
Applebee, Knapp reach new heights
For one local athlete, the 2012 girls track and field state meet was the swan song to a three-sport career filled with wins, trophies and awards.
For another, the event might ultimately be viewed as a coming-out party — the beginning of an extended run of state success.
For both Alyssa Applebee of Seneca and Haleigh Knapp of Morris, the meet ended with them in the same place — atop the medal stand. Applebee defended her Class 1A title in the pole vault with a height of 11 feet, 9 inches. Knapp won her first championship in the Class 2A high jump with a distance of 5 feet, 7 inches.
It was Applebee's fourth straight year of competing at state in the pole vault. She finished sixth in 2009 and second in 2010 before winning the following two years. In addition, she qualified twice in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing fifth in 2011 and third in 2012, and once each in the triple jump and the 300-meter hurdles during her career.
In addition, Applebee was a three-time state qualifier in diving for the Morris swimming and diving co-op. She was Seneca's high scorer in girls basketball in 2011-12.
"To me, her legacy is what she is. She was one girl who had to work for all of her success. It didn't come natural," Seneca track and field head coach Kim Sedlock said of Applebee this summer. "Every athlete that comes into Seneca High School, that's what he or she should strive to be like is Alyssa Applebee."
Knapp was just a sophomore this spring, but she was no newcomer at state. As a freshman, Knapp placed eighth at the 2011 state meet. She added four inches to her height this year, allowing her to claim the championship.
"It literally means everything to me," Knapp said at the time. "It's what I've been working for the whole year through training and going to meets."
Indians finish 22 pins shy of a title
Twenty-two pins is virtually nothing in the context of a 12-game bowling tournament. The total equals about 17 ten-thousandths of Minooka's total at the 2012 girls state tournament.
But at that tournament, 22 pins meant the world to the Indians. It was the margin between them and state champion Andrew at the end of the second day.
No team other than Minooka finished within 125 pins of Andrew's 12,349 pins. The 12th-place team, Marengo, was 1,223 pins off the pace. But while the Indians averaged 205.5 pins per individual game over the course of the tournament, their score of 12,327 came up just a bit short. Even in the aftermath of the tournament, however, the Indians were able to focus on the positive.
"It's our best finish here," Minooka coach Frank Yudzentis said at the time. "That's quite an achievement."
The final several frames were particularly exciting, as the totals for Minooka and Andrew remained close.
"The last few games, it was nerve-wracking knowing we could have it in the palm of our hands, but knowing we could lose it in an instant," Minooka bowler Emily Koulis said. "It was just nerve-wracking and exciting all at the same time."
State was the culmination of a season during which the Indians won the Southwest Prairie Conference tournament and had the highest sectional score of any team in the state with a 6,182 at Joliet West. Minooka was no stranger to success, having finished ninth at state the prior year.
Things have not exactly been quiet for the Indians since then. In October, there was some controversy about the fact that the Indians call Town and Country Lanes in Joliet home instead of Channahon Lanes. They will continue to play at Town and Country through at least this season. The Indians have also made some noise in competition, as they won Plainfield North's Strikefest Invitational in early December
Forsythe named head coach
When 2012 began, Minooka knew it needed a new football coach. Bert Kooi, under whom the Indians had made three straight playoff appearances, stepped down last November.
By Jan. 19, Minooka had found its man — and it did not have to go far to do it. Paul Forsythe, who had already spent 10 years at the school and served as an assistant under Kooi, was named his replacement.
"I think he's gained the respect of our athletes with his work in the weight program," Athletic Director Bob Tyrell said at the time. "I think he's got the respect of the coaches, too."
Elevating Forsythe gave the Indians some continuity despite the loss of Kooi. They had more continuity through Forsythe keeping offensive coordinator Frank Yudzentis and defensive coordinator Chris Ferko in their roles.
"I've been coaching with these guys for years," Forsythe said late in the summer. "I couldn't ask for better guys to work with. Those guys are awesome."
The Indians outscored their opponents 191-168 in Forsythe's first season, but an 0-3 start helped doom them to a losing, playoffs-free season. The Indians lost 14-6 to Morris, 28-10 to Providence and 42-0 to Oswego to begin their season. Those teams went on to finish a combined 29-7 on the season.
Still, the Indians may well have qualified for the playoffs if not for a pair of close Southwest Prairie Conference losses later in the year. Minooka was defeated 14-10 at Plainfield South on Sept. 28, and a 28-20 loss at Plainfield North on Oct. 12 sealed its fate.
State runs, coaching turnover dominate local sports scene in 2012
The Seneca and Minooka football programs found new coaches while two track athletes claimed state championships and the Minooka girls bowling team just missed one.


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Pittsburgh, PA - After finishing the 2012 campaign at 10-7-5 the Geneva College men′s soccer team planned to hit the ground running for their season opener. The Golden Tornadoes went on the road to play a physical Mount Union team in the first game of the Carnegie Mellon Tournament on Friday night. What seemed to be a great start to the season ended in a 2-1 loss to Mt. Union Raiders.
Less than five minutes into the game Geneva senior forward, Garrett Masters, found the back of the net off a feed from junior midfielder, Jeremey Troutman. Unfortunately, not six minutes later the Mt. Union Raiders answered with a goal of their own from senior midfielder Chris Felker. For the next 20 minutes the Golden Tornadoes were able to possess around Mt. Union only to give up a second goal in the 30th minute on the Raiders′ second shot of the half.
A hard fought second half and an overall 18-6 advantage in shots was not enough to earn the Golden Tornadoes the win. The Geneva men′s soccer team will take the field again Saturday, August 31st at 4 p.m. when they play the Hiram College Terriers on day two of the Carnegie Mellon Tournament. The Golden Tornadoes welcome Franciscan University this Wednesday to open the home schedule at 7p.m.
Geneva College is a comprehensive Christian college of the arts, sciences and professional studies. Founded in the tradition of the Reformed Christian faith, Geneva prepares students to serve Christ in all areas of society: work, family and the church. Geneva College′s philosophy of education is based on the Foundational Concepts of Christian Higher Education. Geneva is a founding member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU).
© 2018 Geneva College | All rights reserved


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I forgot to say, I've been told to not put anything sugary, like syrup, on a pacifier. I think the milk idea was good though. Maybe just try a few more times?
I forgot to say, I've been told to not put anything sugary, like syrup, on a pacifier. I think the milk idea was good though. Maybe just try a few more times?
Mommy to Bradley, 8/2011, the love of my life
Could someone else drive and you sit with her. A lot of times I have had to stop the car, climb in the back seat and lean over the carseat to nurse my DD. She never took a pacifier either. It's like she was wondering where the milk was, lol. Good luck mamma.
I am a first time mommy to my beautiful Ayla born 7/28/11 8lbs and 8.5ozs.
She is now 5months and about 20lbs
I love and
My DH and I have never been more in love
I love this forum you are all my heroes
You awesome mammas' ROCK!!!
I've tried sitting back there with her it just seems to make her more mad because I am not picking her up. And I'm not well endowed enough to lean over and nurse her lol
Young SAHM of
Afton (A1) (1/24/09) and
Autumn (A2) (8/29/11)
Sealed in the SLC Temple
and and now CDing!
L used to love his pacifier and then one day it wasn't fun anymore. Until we bought a Wubbanub! He doesn't necessarily use the pacifier part, but he loves to chew on it and then cuddle with the animal part. We have another one, I think it's called a Paccinimal? The pacifier part actually comes off the stuffed animal and has converters for different types of pacifiers. The Wubbanub has a Soothie brand pacifier attached to it. Car rides are MUCH better now that he has one of these!
Ready to be again!
and and
My oldest screamed in the car seat, it was awful. Refused pacifiers, I found we had to stop to nurse him quite a few times. I think some of this was just normal, (he was a fussy baby anyway) also our pediatrician suggested it was car sickness and It did seem to be worse in stop and go traffic or surface streets with lights and better on the highway.
But then one day my husband noticed the shoulder straps on the car seat were fitted incorrectly (they were too low, so went around his shoulder instead of going into teh back of the seat just above them) and consequently baby was being squeezed down in the shoulders when strapped in. Once we fixed the straps, things were better.
I am sure you, unlike my husband and I, are not dumb enough to squeeze your poor baby in the car seat like we did, but I do always suggest that because it shows that sometimes it may be actual discomfort of some kind and not only baby wanting to be held or nursed.
I'll double check to make sure she's not being squished for sure! I am pretty sure she's not but those kind of things can creep up on you before you realize how much your baby has grown And that WubbaNub is cool! I have some Soothies I'll probably just attach one to her stuffed animal and that might placate her for at least the 5 minute drive to the grocery store or my parents place haha. She is kinda a high maintenance baby anyway ya know? We are seeing her Pedi again on tuesday to go over anything else that could be troubling her as she is a poor sleeper as well.
Young SAHM of
Afton (A1) (1/24/09) and
Autumn (A2) (8/29/11)
Sealed in the SLC Temple
and and now CDing!
Well, I just get stumbled across wubbanubs and think it is awesome product. I would be very excite to buy such good product for my baby. These wubbanubs really look very awesome and also very good for baby.
My Lo screams in the car too. And nowadays he doesnt like his paci too although he used to take one without problem. I used a white noise app on my iphone and blast really loud sounds of heavy rain near him (not so loud as to hurt his ears but must be louder than his cries). It works most of the time! He falls asleep to it within minutes!
I had the same problem that you did. I started offering the pacifier at 1 month old with no success I kept trying until he was about 2 months (I would try every day, my husband and my mother in law also tried to see if it was me) then I just gave up and stop offering. Then at 5 months he started teething and wanted to chew on something and I offered the pacifier again, this time he likes it although just for sleeping (which is great 'cause I didn't want him chewing on that all day). I must admit it is such a relief. So I guess my advice would be don't force it to him (I actually tried the karo honey and didn't matter, he refused at that time) but keep offering it from time to time and see how it goes... although there is no guarantee since I know some kids will never take it... good luck!


text: The Bottom Drive aeromechanical conveyor with bag dump station achieves high-throughput movement of semi-free-flowing powders such as talc and TiO2. The unit has a long-lasting cable and a drive end that is easy to maintain. With an excellent tensioning system, the unit can be built up to 25 ft long. Features include clean-in-place housings, independent tensioning, and flood feed inlets. The combination of fluidized and mechanically assisted conveying enables high transfer rates at low power levels. Aerocon, Belleville, NJ 800-405-2376 www.aeromechanical.com


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Barn fire kills dozens of award-winning goats
Barn fire kills dozens of award-winning goats
SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. —
Flames ripped through a Simpsonville barn Wednesday morning, leaving dozens of award-winning goats dead.
A person passing by noticed the blaze in the 6000 block of Fisherville Road around 4 a.m. and alerted the homeowners.
For decades, the family has been showing their award-winning milk goats at the state fair.
They kept 60 inside of the now-collapsed and charred barn and just 35 made it out.
Many of those that survived suffered burns and will likely have to be put down.
"It is sad, it just 25 but it could've been a lot worse if it was the house and lost everything we had," said owner Joann Shelburne.
The damages total about $100,000.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.


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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The family of Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro planned to claim his body Thursday as investigations sought to determine how a man who was perhaps Ohio's most notorious prisoner managed to hang himself with a bedsheet while in protective custody.
Castro was a month into his life sentence for holding three women captive in his home for a decade when he committed suicide Tuesday night.
Ohio prisons spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said two reviews ordered Wednesday by Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Gary Mohr were underway. One inquiry will look into the suicide itself, and the other is examining whether Castro received proper medical and mental health care leading up the suicide.
She said Castro's family members were claiming his body from the coroner's office Thursday.
Castro, 53, had been taken off suicide watch while in county jail and was in protective custody in prison, which involves checks every 30 minutes.
He had been sentenced Aug. 1 to life in prison plus 1,000 years after pleading guilty to 937 counts, including kidnapping and rape, in a deal to avoid the death penalty. "I'm not a monster. I'm sick," he told the judge at sentencing.
Castro's captives - Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight - disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20. They were rescued from Castro's run-down house May 6 when Berry broke through a screen door.
Elation over the women's rescue turned to shock as details emerged about their captivity. Castro fathered a child with Berry while she was being held. The girl was 6 when she was freed.
Investigators said the women were bound, repeatedly raped and deprived of food and bathroom facilities.
Berry's cousin Tina Miller said Thursday the suicide showed Castro was not as strong as the three women he kidnapped, raped and imprisoned.
"Killing yourself, that's not strength. Surviving it is strength, and that's what them girls did - they survived it for 11, 10 and 9 years," said Miller, of Lorain in northeast Ohio.
Tito DeJesus, who knew Castro for two decades and often played in bands with him, said he wasn't shocked by the suicide, especially given Castro's reference to taking his life in a 2004 note police found when they searched the house.
"It was either he killed himself or somebody was going to do it," DeJesus, 39, of Cleveland, said Thursday. "He wasn't going to last long in prison."
Tito DeJesus said he is not a direct relation to Gina DeJesus.
Associated Press writers Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus and Tom Sheeran in Cleveland contributed to this report.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Ohio reviewing Ariel Castro's prison cell suicide
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The family of Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro planned to claim his body Thursday as investigations sought to determine how a man who was perhaps Ohio's most notorious prisoner managed to hang himself with a bedsheet while in protective custody.


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wats_happenin Titan Casual Grind Thursday 15/11/2012, 05:36
Hi guys, so as you may have read...I hate the current ELO....alot. So I've decided to issue a challenge to those of you daring enough to be a man (or very strong woman) and step outside of your comfort zone.
My challenge is simple
Play in ELO with:
- No standard cards at all
- No cards that are considered definite staples
For instance my current deck is Montana/Fang pi
Now obviously 'definite staple' is very ambiguous...but I'll define it to 'no card that ever appears on the temp ban list'
Take All stars for example
Randy/Robb Cr/Saki are definite staples...Karen and Kang are not
Challenge Issued
xc is bad lul Guru E X C A L I B U R Wednesday 21/11/2012, 20:37
1300 is not a challenge to begin with
wats_happenin Titan Casual Grind Thursday 22/11/2012, 01:11
I never specified an ELO amount did I squirtroll. I just said play without staples...the goal is whatever you think is fit
Maybe for an Excalibur member like yourself the goal is 1500, for me it's 1300-1400 as I find that hard to get to with my deck
wasteroftime Titan Open Casket Thursday 22/11/2012, 01:39
Ive only put in one session into this so far....
i think people are under estimating the difference between the standard cards vs the older cards.
I am actually finding a massive difference between how good the cards are.
i would actually say that 1300 is a fairly difficult challenge this week --- if you doubt it, make a deck, try it out, then feel free to put in your informed 2 cents
the strength of the new cards allows your opponents to bully you around a bit too much... you will be an under dog most matches - and lose more than you would like to, a lot of your and wins have to be earned.
subclavianHoA Imperator Thursday 22/11/2012, 02:47
Note to merlin:
You want to know why excalibur has such a bad reputation? Look no further than this thread!
MobiusWyrm Titan Iron Lords Thursday 22/11/2012, 04:54
@Ghelas, sorry the clans I chose were "Standard" only.
Which ones do you think are staples?
ghelas Titan E X C A L I B U R Thursday 22/11/2012, 06:52
@MobiusWyrm: X-0DUS, Cyb Lhia, and Sprinter.
@Everyone who's come out to say that 1300 is easy:
I personally agree, but this was never intended to be some kind of competition. This is just a friendly challenge, taken on by a few guys who have no need to overcompensate for anything.
xc is bad lul Guru E X C A L I B U R Thursday 22/11/2012, 07:49
An unknown player with low 1400 thinks bad of Excalibur, ouch, whatever will we do to please all these nobodies :'(
wats_happenin Titan Casual Grind Thursday 22/11/2012, 09:53
Woh squirtroll I never said I think badly of Excalibur. I just said my realistic goal is 1300...maybe everyone elses is higher...that doesn't bother me
Frankly I'm going to push to get higher than low 1400's for ELO after all this
subclavianHoA Imperator Thursday 22/11/2012, 12:48
Oh, there's no need to please everybody But barging in on a discussion to badmouth everyone involved while gloating about your own accomplishments is generally considered bad behaviour in most civilized societies. If you can resist the urge to do so, it would not only make you a better player, but also a better human being
xc is bad lul Guru E X C A L I B U R Thursday 22/11/2012, 16:39
Not yoy wats, its another little nobody who wouldnt want to live in a wold where everyone lives to please him


text:
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Move over dogs: Cats join agility trend
January 19. 2013 8:41PM
DOVER - Next weekend's New Hampshire Feline Fanciers show will feature the latest craze to hit the cat show circuit: Feline agility.
Similar to dog agility competitions, the contest features a course of 10 obstacles such as hurdles, hoops, tunnels, stairs and weave poles.
The NHFF cat show will be held Saturday and Sunday at Dover Middle School, 16 Daley Drive.
More than 150 pedigreed and household pet cats and kittens will compete for top honors.
Cat owners may enter their favorite felines in the show and/or agility contest by submitting entries online at nhff.org. Entries must be received by Monday.
All cats 4 months and older may be entered, but animals must be current on inoculations and neutered or spayed if at least 8 months old and may not be declawed.
Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults; and $5 for seniors and children ages 6 to 14 (children under 5 will be admitted free with an adult).
More information and admission discount coupons are available at nhff.org.
Spectators who bring donations of cat food will be entered in a prize drawing.
For more information about cat agility, go to agility.cfa.org.


text:
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text:
Pictures Worth Thousands
By Jared Bowen
BOSTON — Photographer Ansel Adams once said, "You don't take a photograph, you make it." Some images also end up making history, such as those by Arthur Griffin that depict decades of baseball at Fenway, or the enormous donation of Adams, Sheeler and Weston photography just received by the Museum of Fine Art from its trustee Saundra Lane. Hear more about those and some shows currently on the stage.
Griffin Museum of Photography
Fenway Park: A 100th Anniversary Celebration
On view through June 3
The Griffin Museum presents a photographic celebration of the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park, as well as the 20th anniversary of the museum, where Boston baseball has been very much a part of its history. The Griffin Museum is the embodiment of founder Arthur Griffin's passion: to promote an appreciation of photographic art and a broader understanding of its visual, emotional and social impact. Arthur's goal was to share with visitors his enthusiasm for a medium that is diverse, imaginative and informative.
The Lonesome West
Presented by Tir Na at Davis Square Theater
Through June 3
In a small Irish town that's fast becoming the murder capital of the world, two brothers battle it out over a dead father, an inheritance and a packet of crisps. The Lonesome West is the third instalment in Martin McDonagh's award-winning Leenane trilogy. It tells the story of Coleman and Valene Connor, whose dysfunctional cohabitation plays out a hilariously dark vision of the human condition.
Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company
At the Calderwood Pavilion
Through June 9
Based on the cult film of the same name, which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, this riotous musical follows the efforts of a magical Greek muse who drops in on Venice Beach, California in 1980, disguised as an Australian, to help a struggling artist achieve his dream of opening a roller disco. Xanadu features a book by the ingenious Douglas Carter Beane and a score with those chart-topping tunes "Magic," "Suddenly" and "Evil Woman" by Jeff Lynne, of ELO fame, and John Farrar.
MFA trustee Saundra Lane has given the Museum of Fine Arts a gift "that will transform the museum's holdings," says director Malcolm Rogers. It's billed as one of the largest and most significant gifts in its history. The 6,000 photographs alone increase the museum's photography collection from 9,000 to 15,000 items, including works by Ansel Adams, Charles Sheeler and Edward Weston.
In addition to the 6,000 photographs, Lane's gift includes 25 paintings, among them works by Stuart Davis and Franz Kline, as well as works on paper by Georgia O'Keefe and Arthur G. Dove. Currently on view from the Lane collection are 40 of Weston's photographs in an exhibit called Edward Weston: Leaves of Grass, as well as Lunenburg, 1954, by Charles Sheeler, on view in the gallery of American modernism.
Meanwhile, fashion icon Iris Apfel has pledged to donate more than 600 fashion pieces to the Peabody Essex Museum. All the the items were featured in the Rare Bird of Fashion exhibition, first at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005 and then at PEM in 2009. Iris Apfel has been donating 80 to 90 additional pieces a year to PEM since her show closed; with the announcement of this newest gift, Apfel will have given almost 900 pieces to PEM.
Apfel, at age 90, shows no sign of slowing down. She has recently been the face/inspiration for a major M.A.C. cosmetics line, has launched a signature Iris Apfel jewelry and eyewear lines, and is a visiting professor for the University of Texas at Austin.
Jared Bowen is WGBH's Emmy Award-winning Executive Editor and Host for Arts.
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