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03.152011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament: SportsMeasures vs. the NCAA
I wonder if the NCAA Selection Committee knows something about estimating ability of athletic teams that I don't? Don't get me wrong, I'm not insulting the committee of men who gathered in a hotel conference room last weekend to select the 68 teams for this year's Men's Basketball Tournament. However, I am asserting my knowledge about objective, scientific measurement and how it is applied to rank ordering sports teams.
The Field of 68 has left me scratching my head for a few different reasons. Let's start with the most pressing issue that comes up each Sunday night after the field is announced: who barely got in and who was left on the outside looking in through a knot hole in the wooden fence.
In SportsMeasures' Field of 68, the last four teams in should have been New Mexico (21-12, No. 47), Colorado (21-13, No. 48), Penn St (19-14, No. 49), and Georgia (21-11, No. 50). These last four teams in would have been seeded twelfth in the new "First Four" format.
According to SportsMeasures the first four out should have been UCLA (22-10, #51), UAB (22-8, #52), Tennessee (19-14, #56) and USC (19-14, #61).
If you have visited SportsMeasures website, SportsMeasures.com, you will know that winning percentage is meaningless to our data analysis methodology. The actual game results drive the analysis. Whereas RPI (ratings percentage index) is 25% team winning percentage, 50% opponents' average winning percentage, and 25% opponents' opponents' average winning percentage and uses only their opponents and their opponents' opponents, SportsMeasures uses the whole data matrix to construct their rankings. RPI has a very limited degree of interaction between teams and is unreliable.
Using the NCAA's methodology, it is difficult to argue with the inclusion of UCLA and UAB, after all, they are only .40 points (SportsMeasures) behind Georgia for the last spot in the tourney. OK, so those two teams are out of the argument.
Even including Tennessee isn't too much of a stretch since only Washington State and Nebraska were both skipped over. So, I give the selection committee a pass on three of the teams they included. Isn't that nice of me?
After that though, I have a tough time thinking that even their methods would show that the other three teams merit inclusion in the tournament. Southern Cal (19-14, No. 61), UTEP (25-9, No. 72) and VCU (23-11, #76) are just too far afield to even consider. On top of this, the NCAA gave USC and VCU eleven seeds, Tennessee a nine and UCLA a seven! Was that in honor of John Wooden or something? In SportsMeasures' tournament (if they got in) UCLA would have had a thirteen seed.
OK, I think I made my point on that subject.
Next issue.
Before I dive into the next topic, I feel the need to re-assert that SportsMeasures does NOT care about won-loss record. Also, the measures, rankings, seeds, etc., are not the opinion of any person. The measures are a direct result of the games so, these rankings, since they are scientifically derived, are more "factual" than any other method available. I publish the error of measurement as an admission that these measures are NOT an absolute declaration of a teams' ability and any teams' chance to win any game are the reason the games are played (see Northern Iowa vs. Kansas in the 2010 tournament). If these measures were absolute and the game results were driven by these measures, there would be no point of playing the games. These measures show which team is better given how they have played the games on their schedule – nothing more, nothing less.
OK, that said…how would you like to be Wisconsin or Kansas St? Kansas St should be a seven seed and the NCAA gave them a five. They are playing a twelve seed in Utah St, which should be a four! Wisconsin is seeded properly, but they're playing Belmont, which the NCAA gave a thirteen seed and should be a five. I am very eager to watch these two games. I have already picked USU and Belmont to win their first round games. I have to believe that both teams will be rather irked at their seeds and will come out with collective chips on their shoulders.
Those two games are the two most grossly mis-seeded of the tourney. There are a few others that come to mind also. I already mentioned UCLA, the recipient of a gift seven seed, which shouldn't even be in the tournament!
Another game of particular interest is the Xavier (pronounced 'zavier' not x-zavier) -Marquette match-up. Xavier is mis-seeded higher by three spots and Marquette is also out of place, three spots lower. So, while the NCAA has this game as a six-eleven game, in reality it is a nine-eight game. Xavier is really a nine and Marquette, an eight.
Missouri is mis-seeded by four spots. They are an eleven and should be a seven. Mizzou is playing Cincinnati, which is seeded correctly at six. In SportsMeasures' rankings these two teams are only separated by five spots. This should be a very competitive game.
UNLV received a seed three spots lower than they should have and given how poorly (underachieved, given their vast talent pool) Illinois has played this year, UNLV should enjoy a 15-point victory.
Florida also received a late Christmas present with their two seed. They should be a five. Since they play a fifteen seed in the opening round it shouldn't matter at all, especially since they are playing UC-Santa Barbara.
Butler must've gotten the 'championship game appearance' exception by getting a seed four spots higher than it should have. So, instead of playing a five seed in the opening round, they will play Old Dominion, a nine seed. This, too, should be a nice game.
Vanderbilt and Richmond combine for a seeding difference of five spots. Vandy should be an eight and Richmond should be a ten. Instead the NCAA made this matchup a five-twelve game. It will be much more competitive than many games like those usually are. However, if my memory is any good, twelve seeds have had excellent success against five seeds in years past. Perhaps, it is the NCAA's method that is the root cause of this anomaly. A five seed is among the top 20 teams in the country and a twelve is among only the top 48 – a nice team, but hardly one that should have the success against a top 20 team at the rate the 12s have had over the years.
Michigan and Tennessee is an interesting game as well. Blue has been upgraded by the NCAA by three spots and Tennessee was given an unearned invitation – which would translate to approximately a 14-seed. So, overall, there is really only about three seed spots between them or 13 ranking positions according to SportsMeasures. This should still be a competitive game.
Washington and Georgia also have a combined difference of four spots. Instead of being a five-12 game (SportsMeasures), the NCAA made it a seven-ten game. Washington, playing very well of late, should win this game rather easily. Remember, Georgia should have been the last team in the tournament.
Those are all the games where the NCAA and SportsMeasures disagree the most. I encourage you to watch these games with particular interest. All other games and teams had discrepancies of only one or two seeds. That amount is surely within an allowable gray area of any measurement methodology.
Enjoy the games – I know I will!


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Family, passion for hockey bind Doan, Priceby Larry Wigge
The ranch, which doubles as a Christian camp for kids of all ages at which the youngsters come to ride horses, swim and do archery, is home to a famous -- some may say infamous -- athletic family.
For everyone following the NHL All-Star Game in Montreal this weekend, Shane Doan is the captain of the Phoenix Coyotes. He's had a pretty remarkable NHL career since he was a first-round draft choice of the Winnipeg Jets in the 1995 Entry Draft. He's played his entire career with the same organization. But there are those in Canada's old West that swear that even if Shane made it to the Hall of Fame some day, he still wouldn't be the most famous member of his own family.
After all, five other members of Doan's family are already in Halls of Fame, starting with his grandfather, Muff Doan, who was the bareback champion at the Calgary Stampede back in 1937 and steer-riding champion in 1944. Muff is followed by great uncles Jack Wade, Urban and Earl and uncle Phil Doan, all of whom are members of the Canadian Rodeo Hall of Fame.
But the feats of athleticism don't stop there. Shane's younger sister, Leighann, set an Alberta provincial record in the shot put and was a standout in the 100-meter dash before she turned her attention to basketball -- and led the French women's pro basketball league in scoring.
And that still doesn't even take into consideration the hockey threads that marvelously are intertwined between the extended family that include the Ellerbys and Prices.
That hockey history started with Shane's dad, Bernie, a defenseman who was picked in the sixth round of the 1971 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues, and also includes three first-rounders -- Shane by Winnipeg, Carey Price by Montreal in 2005 and Keaton Ellerby by Florida in 2007. Plus, Ellerby's dad, Cal, played for the Calgary Wranglers junior team. His uncle, Dallas Ellerby, skated for Calgary, Edmonton and Victoria in the Western Hockey League. And Price's dad, Jerry, was a Calgary junior goalie who was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Instead of calf-roping and bull-riding, the 6-2, 216-pound Doan chose to be an NHL power forward who crashes the net, bangs in the corners and hammers defensemen. In 2004, Shane made it to an All-Star Game for the first time. Now he's back, and Price, his second cousin, just happens to be on the other side, as Shane's Western Conference All-Stars meet Price's Eastern Conference stars.
Has Shane had already sent a warning shot out to Price?
"No I haven't warned him about wiring a high hard one at his head, if that's what you mean," Doan laughed.
"Nothing would surprise me with Shane," Price countered. "He's a great guy. I always looked up to him when I was growing up. But I really do expect him to pull something out of his hat that's a little different if he has a great scoring chance against me.
"Every year about this time, they show that All-Star Game highlight of Owen Nolan pointing at Dominik Hasek (from the 1997 game in San Jose) and then putting the puck right where he was pointing. I can see Shane trying something like that."
Not so, said Doan, adding, "I don't have those kinds of skills. I have to keep both hands on the stick at the same time."
Typical soft-peddling, added Price, saying, "Shane's got better hands than he's letting on."
Is that a little bit of trash-talking? Well, sort of.
Said Doan, "All I know is Carey is 2-0 against the Coyotes ... but I've got goals in both games.
"And in the game he won this year, I broke up his shutout bid in the third period, which kind of ticked him off a little."
The Doans, Ellerbys and Prices have a history of hard-working, hotly-competitive, argumentative parties over the years. It's not as fabled as the Hatfields and McCoys or as bloody as the McCartys and Lemieuxs, but ...
That plaque we spoke of earlier represents a series of hockey battles between the Doans and the Ellerbys.
"Every year on Boxing Day for about five or six years between 1988 and 1994, we'd have a family party that wound up on the ice," Doan recalled, with this vicious look on his face and lively memories to spare. "It would start out like a picnic. But then it would get pretty competitive when we took out our hostilities on the ice."
And that plaque?
"It shows that the Ellerbys won most of those games," Shane said, quite proudly.
Wait a minute, Shane. Don't you mean the Doans?
"No, back in 1988, I was only 12 and the Doans thought they were the greatest thing in hockey since Gordie Howe and Rocket Richard and they didn't want a kid on their team," Shane laughed. "The Ellerbys didn't have as many players as the Doans and my dad (whose wife is an Ellerby) said they would be glad to have me play for them.
"After a few years, the Doans wanted me to change sides and play for them. But I told them, 'No way. You had your chance.' "
Price was only four or five when he got his first taste of the family rivalry, but only as a fan of those games.
"I always thought that Shane was always the best player," Price added. "Those games were hotly competitive. I remember a couple of games were real bloodbaths.
"The men in our family are not known for having soft hands -- not when they all were a bunch of farmers and ranchers."
I wondered if Doan had ever thought about following in the footsteps of his uncles and becoming a rodeo star.
"Not me," he laughed. "They're all tougher than me. It takes a different breed to do that."
We'd all agree that Shane is a different breed as well -- great character, leader, hard to play against.
"I'd like to think that getting to this stage of my life that there is a correlation to family skills and genes and how they can help you if you are interested in a career in sports," Doan said. "Look at Carey. Look at Keaton. It seems like everyone in our family is either a cowboy or a hockey player."
For Doan, knowing who his family is, what it represents and all about the roots, makes him feel really, really proud. And sharing this weekend's All-Star memories with Price makes it more rewarding.

subset: commoncrawl


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The following morning, Cait was awakened by a desperate need to pee, and NO desire to crawl out of the warm nest of blankets and walk over to the main cabin where the bathrooms were. Peering at the clock, she realized that it was, indeed, almost temping time. After a shivery dash to the bathroom, she nudged Jen, who grabbed the thermometer from the corner of the bed and put it into her mouth. Cait stared, horrified, at the readout of 96.3, while Jen mumbled "prob'ly fine. think that hapnd before. mmmf." And promptly fell asleep. Cait's mind worked overtime as she dozed over the next hours. "How could she not have ovulated? Every cycle it's been the same. Positive OPK. Insem next day (or not on months that were just for charting purposes). Temp rise the day after that. Like clockwork. Why did it go down?"
By the time we reached full consciousness around 9:00, Cait had an idea.
"Is the thermometer cold?"
"Yeah, it's been sitting out all night."
"Is your head cold?"
"Yeah." (duh)
"Take your temperature again"
"Do you think maybe the frozen nature of the thermometer and the fact that your head has been cold and you've been breathing through your mouth because this place is basically your worst nightmare, allergy-wise, could have skewed your temp this morning?"
"Oh. Maybe."
Hands slap foreheads. Moderate sighs of relief are breathed by all (although not so much by Jen because she never gained enough consciousness to worry in the first place).
The rest of the day was as uneventful as a day with Jen's family gets. Which is to say that there was chaos when people were around, and then several blissful hours of quiet, while they all ventured out in the rain, scorning us for skipping out on a cold, wet, boat ride in favor of staying in a cozily heated house, with rocking chairs, our knitting, and cable TV. We knitted while alternately watching insanely bizarre B movies, staring at the lake, and (unfortunately for Cait) writing progress reports. And, of course, trying not to freak out about the lack of a temp rise and the presence of some lingering eggwhite.
Later that evening, we ventured out to the school for the first of the graduation events. Most of us stayed long enough to make dinner of the spread of hors d'oeuvres, and then skipped out on the speeches. We were told later by those that stayed that we had made a wise choice.
Graduation day started with SUNSHINE!!! Jen's temp was still low, but slightly higher since we had slept with the thermometer UNDER the covers with us. At least we were expecting it this time. By the time we got to the school, it was approaching WARM outside.
The graduation ceremony was long, so Jen entertained herself by taking a short video clip of H getting her diploma, and then repeatedly played it back, hitting rewind just as H reached out for her diploma. "Oh, so close, ooh, not quite, oh, oh, wait, she got it. Awww… she had to give it back." We were (shockingly) much more amused by this than the others we showed it to later.
During lunch, we were introduced to the drama teacher (insert link here). Jen grunted hello, but managed not to kill him right then and there, and then was ridiculed by her mother for giving him "the fisheye". Her retort? "Well, SOMEbody had to!" We celebrated the sunshine by getting ice cream and buying short-sleeved shirts.
After a relatively mellow afternoon of watching The Incredibles, and yes, more knitting, we had dinner. For most families, this image does not evoke strains of Beethoven's fifth, but those families have never dined with Jen's family. The conversation ranged from mocking vegetarianism (and promising to feed our future child meat against our wishes), to talking about how people in their late 20s and early 30s (namely us) are not NEARLY as grown up as they were in previous generations. Because we watch animated films. And laugh at them. Cait restrained herself from making bitter remarks and let Jen do the responding. The outcome was still the same. We are not grown ups, despite the fact that we own a house and a car, hold down solid jobs, and pay all of our bills on time. Oh, and would have a child by now if the stupid universe would let us.
But the REAL drama started when H proclaimed that she had to leave. Apparently she and her mother had AGREED THAT SHE COULD STAY AT THE DRAMA TEACHER'S HOUSE THAT NIGHT, and she was ready to do so. Jen's mom, while blasé about the lovers' tryst, was apoplectic at the idea that H might leave in the middle of dinner. Much clench-jawed glaring ensued. While they "negotiated" the rest of the details, the rest of us scurried to clear the table and dodge the bullets, and returned to our movie. Eventually, H took the car and left, while we rested our jaws on the floor in disbelief.
Thanks to the sunshine, the Sperm Shack was much warmer, and when we woke up far too early the next morning, Jen's temp was a whopping 97.4. So somewhere in there, ovulation took place. After saying our goodbyes, stopping to look at loons (no, not the family, the actual feathered ones) one last time, and having breakfast with friends, we returned the rental car and checked in for our flight. Our trip through security was much calmer with only the 2-inch-long needles of Cait's injections sans dry ice to get through.
We made it home in time to relax on the couch for a bit, and then get ready for the black-tie, uber fancy wedding THAT WOULD NOT END. But that, my friends, is a story for another day.


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This is the beginning of the end for BustedCheaters.com.
This is where as expose the nexus between Reputation firms and the Extortion Websites. These people enjoying making money out of your misery. They don't care about the pain and stress you are going through due to defamation and extortion. No, they are leeches that suck your blood. Do not be fooled, for these are the same people that share a cozy laugh with the Extortion Complaint Websites behind your back, and discuss how much you are worth to them. If it's a Reputation Firm, we'll challenge their own reputation online. If they are a law firm, we'll ensure that law takes it's own course and disbars them.
Here on this series of posts, you will find all information about this so-called Reputation Service and their actors, including –
- Their real names
- Their relation with any complaint website(s), if any
- Identities of all their staff members
- Their contact details, phone, address
- Their photos, documents and other business activities
- Identities of their family, friends and close associates
- Extortion Complaint websites working with this firm
- Forensic Evidence
- Their revenue model
- Their banking information
- Their Payment Gateway Details – most payment gateways do NOT allow pay-to-remove services
- Evidence of Extortion
- Guidelines on exact laws they have broken, with instructions on how to report them to authorities who are investigating them.
- Anonymous Tip on this service
Nothing and Nobody can remain anonymous on the internet. Everybody leaves a trail. With this investigation, we'll prove that these are nothing but associates of opportunist criminals who have left a series of trail. For a team of investigators with over 40 years of combined Cyber Investigation skills, this was a piece of cake. We'll release the information in stages, so that it can be useful for the legal process.


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Last update January 23 2017…
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Setting Planer and Jointer Knives
Forum Responses
From contributor B:
I set my knives on my jointer for many years with a short straight edge. Then I bought a used jointer and the seller threw in a knife setting jig that I really love. It has a foot that rests on the knife that causes a pointer in a little window to show how many thousandths of an inch the knife is high or low. For me, knowing in measurable terms exactly where the knife edge is in relation to the outfeed table is gold. I don't know where you can buy one as I got mine used, but mine was made by Inca.
From contributor C:
Powermatic made one like the Inca jig but it was not very accurate. A $15 indicator, 1/2 button tip and a block of wood is far better for jointer knives.
From contributor B:
To contributor C: Can you explain what you mean by that? What is a button tip? How is it used with a block of wood?
From contributor C:
A button tip is a larger size tip than is typically found on an indicator. I use a 1/2" (button) slightly convex, and the indicator could simply be mounted in front of a heavy block of wood that sits on the outfeed table. Bridgewood has some nice looking knife setting jigs. An indicator is a more accurate gauge than the Inca. I've used it.
From contributor B:
I can tell when my jointers are set well by the feel and also by jointing a couple long stiff pieces of wood and looking for light to shine through the two edges when they are held together. I check my 16" planer by measuring with calipers the thickness of boards run at various points along the knives while the planer is set to a single elevation. That's all it takes for me to get the performance I need for my work.
From contributor E:
You can use a tool called a Multi-Gauge. It is a piece of cast iron that has been precision ground on three sides for reference surfaces and the fourth has a clamp to hold a dial indicator. It is available from Garret Wade tool catalog and many other tool catalogs. It runs about $80 bucks.
From contributor F:
I use a straight edge for my jointer. Most important is the blades parallel to the outfeed table. For my planer I use a dial indicator with a magnetic base. I have a Powermatic 15" planer so I can set the knives from above. Its quick and I can get the knives well within .001".
The comments below were added after this Forum discussion was archived as a Knowledge Base article (add your comment).
Comment from contributor G:
Would you like to add information to this article?
Interested in writing or submitting an article?
Have a question about this article?
Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below?
|Home » Knowledge Base » Knowledge Base Article


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NELLY Bedspread
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- All Events are posted in Scheduled Events
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2016 Spring/Summer Choir Season
For updates: Scheduled Events / Choir Rehearsal
Newsletters / Publications
- Jun 20 - St. Anne's Church in Limehouse
- Aug 3 - One Canada Square Park
- Jul 20 - Canary Wharf Choir Concert Review
CrossRail Place Rooftop Terrace
"The tranquil and paradisical roof garden at Crossrail Place provided an apt venue for heavenly singing by the Canary Wharf Choir in their summer concert on Monday 20 July. Since I first saw them perform in a conference room at State Street a couple of years ago they have grown both in numbers, possessing now larger soprano, alto, tenor and bass teams which lend genuine balance to their sound, but also, under the guidance of their inspirational choir master, John Tripp, they have patently bloomed in confidence and technical prowess. Their songlist encompassed many styles, and they were able to mine the essential spirit of each, from the jaunty Italian opener, Viva Tutte, via contemplative numbers like For The Beauty of The Earth, to the expansive, flowing melodies of Nella Fantasia. The first half ended with a very enjoyable rendition of Skyfall, which captured the brooding opening and exciting, building climax. In a short intermission Emma Tripp delivered a spell-binding solo ballad. The shorter second half comprised a pair of songs from Hollywood - When You Wish Upon A Star and You've Got A Friend In Me, sandwiching a delightful and rousing reading of All You Need Is Love, in which they managed not only to fit all the melody, rhythm and sixties' swing of the original, but also to create a sound unique and fresh for today. Reminders of how much good there is in the world despite the flow of depressing news; and how sorely community choirs, which eshew auditions and exclusivity in favour of inclusivity, give a much-needed opportunity to members to be the best they can be, and in the process sprinkle stardust on our daily lives."
Michael Simms
Freelance teacher and writer
Mar 14 - Fun Sing 1 Flyer
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Do you like Egyptian theme in Minecraft map? If the answer is yes, Mirage Map 1.12 is perfect for you. Like the name implies, Mirage Map revolves around Egyptian theme in which you have chance to encounter various puzzles, traps and even a pharaoh's riches. That sounds extremely fantastic.
This map has medium difficulty with difficult parts. Besides that its unique gameplay promises to add more depth to the game.
For Minecraft from 1.10.2
Author: CHRIS


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Trading with Craig are a fresh young folk band based in London. They are a young, contemporary reflection of the folk scene whilst still keeping in touch with age old traditions.
The standard line up for Trading with Craig is as a six piece band without vocals, however you can also have a Three, Five, Six and Seven piece option.
All the dances are "Called" by the bands own expert caller. You simply can't be in better hands than with this superb young band of talented and friendly musicians.
Trading with Craig can travel all across the country (and world if needed).


text: On Wed, 19 May 2010, Seth Vidal wrote: > > > On Wed, 19 May 2010, Andre Robatino wrote: > >> Seth Vidal <skvidal <at> fedoraproject.org> writes: >> >>> I don't know where that plugin comes from,but the pkg appears to have been >>> resigned by a non-adobe key and I don't think anyone can speak to the >>> saftey of the binaries in the rpm. >> >> http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=205642 > > If you trust them, great. > And just to be clear - I'm not saying I do NOT trust leigh123linux - I'm just saying I don't know them and being the suspicious sort of person that I am, if I don't know you, I don't trust you. -sv


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Vikings follows the adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok the greatest hero of his age. The series tells the sagas of Ragnar's band of Viking brothers and his family, as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. As well as being a fearless warrior, Ragnar embodies the Norse traditions of devotion to the gods, legend has it that he was a direct descendant of Odin, the god of war and warriors.
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With the Apple LED Cinema Display, you can turn your MacBook into a desktop in three easy connections. The universal MagSafe connector charges your notebook. A Mini DisplayPort connector makes attaching an external display even easier and faster than before. And a USB connector provides access to three USB 2.0 ports. There's also a built-in iSight camera, microphone, and speaker system that provide a true desktop experience. Made of aluminum and glass, the LED Cinema Display is the perfect companion for the MacBook family.
Product DescriptionApple LED Cinema Display - LCD display - TFT - 27"Device TypeLCD display / TFT active matrix - LED backlightBuilt-in DevicesUSB HubDimensions (WxDxH)65 cm x 20.7 cm x 49.1 cmWeight10.7 kgLocalisationEnglish / United KingdomDiagonal Size27" - widescreenViewable Size27"Max Resolution2560 x 1440Colour Support16.7 million coloursImage Aspect Ratio16:9Response Time12 msImage Brightness375 cd/m2Image Contrast Ratio1000:1Audio OutputSpeakers with subwoofer - integratedSignal InputMini DisplayPortInput DeviceCameraPowerAC 120/230 V ( 50 - 60 Hz )Power Consumption Operational250 WattEnvironmental StandardsENERGY STAR Qualified , EPEAT GoldManufacturer Warranty1 year warranty
Display TypeLCD display / TFT active matrix - LED backlightBuilt-in DevicesUSB HubWidth65 cmDepth20.7 cmHeight49.1 cmWeight10.7 kgLocalisationEnglish / United KingdomDisplay
Diagonal Size27" - widescreenViewable Size27"Max Resolution2560 x 1440Colour Support16.7 million coloursResponse Time12 msSignal InputMini DisplayPortFeaturesGlossy, aluminum enclosureImage
Image Aspect Ratio16:9Image Brightness375 cd/m2Image Contrast Ratio1000:1Image Max H-View Angle178Image Max V-View Angle178Audio Output
TypeSpeakers with subwoofer - integratedInput Device
TypeCameraExpansion / Connectivity
Interfaces1 x DisplayPort - Apple mini-DisplayPort , 3 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 PIN USB Type AMiscellaneous
Cables Included1 x Mini DisplayPort / USB cableFeaturesSecurity lock slot (cable lock sold separately)Power
Voltage RequiredAC 120/230 V ( 50 - 60 Hz )Power Consumption Operational250 WattPower Consumption Stand by / Sleep1 WattEnvironmental Standards
EPEAT CompliantEPEAT GoldENERGY STAR QualifiedYesManufacturer Warranty
Service & Support1 year warrantyService & Support DetailsLimited warranty - 1 year , Technical support - phone consulting - 90 daysEnvironmental Parameters
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As a part of this engagement with Gujarat Lions led by Suresh Raina, all the players' jerseys will carry the brand TVS Tyres along with similar branding on their training kits. Additionally, one spectator stand at Rajkot/Kanpur will be branded 'TVS Tyres Stand'.
P. Vijayaraghavan, Director, TVS Srichakra Ltd. said, "This association is an exciting platform to reach out to our customers and we are confident of elevating our brand recall to a much larger audience."
"As both TVS Tyres and Intex have been associated with sports for brand recognition and engagement, the partnership will have fruitful outcome. We are sure that it will help both brands reach every nook and corner of the country with the IPL," said Keshav Bansal, Owner, Gujarat Lions & Director, Intex Technologies.
Gujarat Lions will play a total of 14 matches; out of which 7 matches will be played at two of their home venues, Rajkot and Kanpur.


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How to download only specific file extension?
- User Forums
- Offline Explorer Enterprise Edition
- How to download only specific file extension?
|07/14/2009 12:00 am
Can anyone please help me how to download only specific file extension. example, I want to download files with extension .zip .jpg from a particular site.
I tried to use the filter. But still it is downloading all the files,folder(like forum,articles) etc. which i dont want to download since it will take more time to download.
Thanks in advance.
|Oleg Chernavin
|07/14/2009 05:24 am
|I think, you need to use URL Filters - Filename section to specify some keywords - for the pages that contain links to .ZIP files (if necessary) and *.zip keyword.
If this doesn''t help, let me know more details on the site and I will assist you.
Best regards,
Oleg Chernavin
MP Staff


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This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Pennsylvania Plaza (Penn Plaza) is the office, entertainment and hotel complex occupying and near the site of Pennsylvania Station, between 31st and 34th streets and Seventh and Eighth avenues in New York City.
It includes the current Madison Square Garden and its Theater, opened in 1968; the current below-ground Pennsylvania Station; and the One Pennsylvania Plaza and Two Pennsylvania Plaza office buildings. (Eleven Penn is the headquarters of the MSG Network and Two Penn is the headquarters of Cumulus Media New York and their radio stations WABC, WNSH and WPLJ, the Association for Computing Machinery and Information Builders.)[citation needed]
Other buildings around the complex use the Pennsylvania Plaza name as an alternate address, such as the 5 Penn Plaza office building on Eighth Avenue, to the northwest; the Pennsylvania Building at 225 West 34th Street (14 Penn Plaza), north of the station; and the Hotel Pennsylvania at 401 Seventh Avenue (15 Penn Plaza), east of the station. The numbering of the Penn Plaza addresses around the area does not follow a consistent pattern.[1]
The Penn Plaza complex remains one of the most controversial in New York City history because it involved the destruction, beginning in 1963, of the original McKim, Mead and White-designed Penn Station (1910), a revered piece of New York architecture. Its replacements were what architects and civic purists regard as mediocre office and entertainment structures.[citation needed]
The demolition of the first Penn Station led to the city's landmarks preservation movement and helped save another landmark of railway architecture, Grand Central Terminal.[2]
With the sports arena and railroad station at its hub and 34th Street retailers (including Macy's) nearing the complex, Pennsylvania Plaza remains one of the busier transportation, business and retailing neighborhoods in Manhattan.[citation needed]
- AMC Networks
- Compuware [3]
- Cosentini Associates
- Fuse
- Macy's
- McGraw-Hill [4]
- MSG Networks
- Schoology
- Information Builders
- ^ Lyons, Richard D. (May 22, 1988). "How Builders Invent Vanity Addresses". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ^ Collins, Glenn (October 28, 2003). "40 Years After Wreckage, Bits of Old Penn Station; Ghosts of a New York Marvel Survive". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ^ "Compuware Around the World". Compuware. Archived from the original on 2010-01-04. Retrieved 2010-01-07.
- ^ "New York". McGraw-Hill. Archived from the original on 2010-02-26. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
External links
- 2 Pennsylvania Plaza - Prime Office Centers
Coordinates: 40°45′02″N 73°59′34″W / 40.750634°N 73.992703°W


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killed in a July 22, 1934, gun battle with a suspicious person at a
drug store. Another detective, W. Martin, was wounded in the
gun battle at Latimer Street and Main Street. The suspect admitted
killing Mitchell and said he had intended to rob the store.
The suspect died of wounds he received.
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Sweetspire Ranch is a charming 25-acre ranch situated in the middle of approximately 350 acres of undeveloped land at 4632 Ross Rd. in Batavia, Ohio. It has been our home for the last twenty-seven years where we have enjoyed our children, grandchildren, horses, dogs, cats and chickens. Everyone who visits our home enjoys the peace, tranquility and beauty of our place. The view of the pastures and the hillsides beyond is unequaled in the area. The time has come for us to share what our family and visitors have enjoyed these many years. As of May 2017, Sweetspire Ranch is now a full service Bed and Breakfast and Event Venue. For our bed and breakfast guests, the spacious 4700 sq. ft. house offers two large suites and two bedrooms . You will have full access to the rest of the house including several areas for privacy or, if you prefer, areas where you can mingle and get to know us and the other guests. If you prefer to spend time in the privacy of your suite or bedroom, you can choose a movie from our extensive collection in the library for viewing in your room. Each room is equipped with an hdtv, DirecTv, and DVD player. You will also have wifi access anywhere in the house. Each morning you will be served a delicious breakfast to begin your day.
The downstairs is ideal for events. The open floor plan allows for ease of movement. The large event/dining area is ideal for a multitude of events. This area can easily accommodate up to 50 people for seated dining and more for business meetings, showers, family reunions or small weddings and receptions. The large, fully-equipped kitchen is perfect for food preparation or catering operations. Larger weddings can be held outside taking full advantage of the large open expanse of lawn and the ambience of horses grazing close by, all with the backdrop of the beautiful hillsides. Ideally the upstairs suites can be included in the wedding package for the wedding party to dress for the ceremony. After the festivities, the rooms will be available for overnight wedding guests, or even the bride and groom. It would be hard to find a finer honeymoon suite than our Orchid Suite, which encompasses the entire back of the house with the most spectacular views.
With all of these luxuries to offer, Sweetspire Ranch is the ideal place for your special occasion or just a peaceful weekend getaway.


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Vincent van Gogh: Bedroom in Arles Diorama - Second StateTBK0011
Product Details
Vincent van Gogh: Bedroom in Arles
Imported from Japan.
We love this unique gift idea from Japan! Beautifully designed and printed in Japan, this great three-dimensional Vincent Van Gogh diorama kit comes flat packaged in A4 size. When completed, it makes a diorama measuring 4.72"H x 5.90"W x 3.74"D. Each kit has a playful secret and interesting details that make assembly fun. Beautifully designed for easy assembly, this do-it-yourself diorama is a wonderful decorative gift idea for any art lover.
Van Gogh created this second version "Bedroom", from the Yellow House in Arles, Framce, while he was in a mental asylum in St. Remy. His spiral towards mental illness was caused in part by his fractured friendship with roommate Gaugin dashing Van Gogh's hopes of the house becoming an artist colony. But don't let that scare you! This painting would become one of Vincent Van Gogh's most celebrated paintings. The striking colours, unusual perspective and familiar subject matter create a work that is not only among Van Gogh's most popular, but also one that he himself held as one of his own personal favorites. The bright and bold use of colour in Vincent's Bedroom in Arles is typical of the vibrant palette he began to use beginning late in his Paris period. Yellow was Van Gogh's favorite color throughout his Arles and Saint-Réą period, whether outdoors in wheat fields under the Provencal sun or indoor works such as the bedroom.
Tatebanko is the forgotten Japanese art of creating amazing dioramas and scenic perspectives from paper. Tatebanko was popular and widely admired from the 17th century (Edo period) to the early 20th century.
Dimensions: 4.72"H x 5.90"W x 3.74"D
Material: printed cardboard paper.
In stock & ready to ship!


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I enjoy getting into modern d&d. The rules are a little fiddly but its fun getting a heavy weapon, calling it bertha and making your own doors with it.
The game is intuitive, fun, high-power (something I love in my RPGs) and more important than all, dripping with flavour.
Everytime I read a class, ladder, archetype or lifepath i noticed something interesting or a fun interaction and i think this small, but effective rules package Chris Dias has written is well worth your money.
This book transformers D&D 5e into a proper shooter
Full of very lose and overpowered character options/rules.
Only if you feel like tweaking it for 4 hours you might make something with it.
As someone who has been a GM for a variety of genre of role playing groups (primarily 5e) the amount of content outside of swords and scorcery is few and far between. As per request I had looked into "Super Hero DND" concepts and had colaberated with some other homebrew content in attempt to create my own. Upon finding Apex I deleted all of those files. Apex allows for simple, fun and personal RPG experience for both new and experienced players. For newer players it is much easier to remember a list of personally selected abilities and powers vs a large kit of premade class ablities and features. The experienced player will find that very few character ideas are out of reach with the fun list of talents and combinations. If you are fan of Sci Fi or comic books pick this up!
This review originally appeared at: https://mephitjamesblog.wordpress.com/2016/08/30/ultramodern5/
He's done it again.
Chris Dias published a modern-fantasy setting called Amethyst eight years ago and it really impressed me.Growing out of that came the adaptation of the D&D 4e ruleset called Ultramodern4 which offered classes and rules for playing modern and futuristic characters with the Fourth Edition rules. The understanding of the system and the innovation of the rules were awesome and now Chris has repeated this accomplishment with Ultramodern5.
This book is aimed at providing game support for the 5e rules for "pre-modern settings, contemporary settings, and those that are far-flung, fantastic and futuristic." This is a tall order and other games and settings have tried but they don't always succeed.
One thing that Chris and his company, Dias Ex Machina, does really well is not to try to fit firearms and cybernetics into the D&D Player's Handbook. Settings like Dragonstar are awesome for the settings they are written for but they don't always expand well to new settings for enterprising GMs.
Instead, Dias Ex Machina approaches translations of rules by tearing them down to the studs and starting from there (also their approach to their many, many adaptations of Amethyst). They look at what the core rules from Fifth Edition are and builds out with a modern mind-set. This means the classes, feats, character creation… everything incorporates the book's purpose fundamentally.
New Rules
The list of new rules that Ultramodern5 adds to the D&D 5e core is surprisingly short. There are rules for autofire with automatic weapons, some new skills (Computer Use, Deomlitions, Engineering, and Sciences) and a new type of proficiency (vehicles).
There are also a few new feats: Exo-Armor Proficiency (mecha!), Crossfire (you'll get caught up in the…), Fidgety Fingers (tech crafting), and Firearm Expertise (better with reloads and damage).
Character Creation
One thing that's pretty nifty is the expanded rules for human characters. I always love to check out the different racial options in an RPG and it can be dull when everyone needs to be the same. Here there's a d20 table to randomly determine a genetic benefit instead of getting a stat boost or by taking a shortcoming.
There's also a great lifepath system (I've been in love with these ever since I started using the one in Transhuman) that starts with PHB-style backgrounds (tearing down to the studs, right?) and then has a series of tables to work through your background situation. This would be very useful for traditional D&D characters, by the way… In fact expect that in a future post.
This is a system that is optional (though every character should use it if anyone does) and it showed up in earlier Dias Ex Machina projects. Simply put, you gain a ladder ability at the levels you also get ability score boosts and you get smaller bonuses at 1st, 5th, 11th, and 17th level. These abilities are pretty cool and the system "accounts for the lack of magic in most non-fantasy settings."
For example, the Born Leader ladder starts off with the ability to sub Intelligence for Wisdom on Perception skills and a bonus to Charisma after a long rest until you attack or cast a spell (that fresh "ready to have you take on the day for me" lok). After that they get abilities that let them issue commands, focus your team, and (my favorite) take a long rest in the span of time you normally take short rests.
By contrast, the Survivor can swap Wisdom for Dex when making ranged attacks and Constitution for Dex when determining AC modifier. Later you can push down exhaustion, gain a benefit for pushing your limits, and gain resistance to damage types.
The big selling point for me, as with Ultramodern4 was the new classes. These work just like the fighter, druid, wizard, etc from the Player's Handbook, but they are meant to replace them. They could work side-by-side, I guess, if you had some situation with both SWAT teams and faeries (like, say, Amethyst) but these martial classes provide enough variety that I don't think your players will ever miss the missing classes.
The Face is a great social class with abilities to read NPCs, distract them in combat, improvise a proficiency bonus, and hustle people. I like that the class doesn't go out of its way to make a social character that "is just as effective in combat" but there are still lots of options for Face characters to fight.
The Grounder (not sure about the name) is the modern tank. They get special-ops-style abilities, "brotherhood abilities" to benefit their party, and up their shots-per-action. These guys are sort of meatheads but some people really want that, and there's definitely no denying that they do it well.
I don't think anyone will be surprised that the Gunslinger is all about firearms. They get "kata" abilities to make them outrageously good shots and take impressive numbers of shots with each action. Like the Face, you get a few chances as a Gunslinger to shine outside of your purview but the focus is on making you awesome at what you do best.
The Heavy fills some of the same role as the Grounder but is like a thundering bastion in the firefight. There's no special-ops training with these guys, only barroom brawls and obsessively watching Mr. T's scenes in the A-Team. They carry the biggest guns and they use them to shoot the biggest number of bullets.
Infiltrators are the sneaky spies of this line-up. They don't get sneak attack like rogues, but they do have lots of abilities to increase their critical range and double-up on their attack's effectiveness.
For the leaders of the group there is the Marshal which is like the marshal class from the 3e Heroes of Battle book or the 4e warlord. They boost their troops (or parties) and they lay down suppressive fire to cover their brilliant maneuvers. They're a great half-martial, half-social choice for people into that.
If you don't like guns, try the Martial Artist. You probably don't need a review of what this is all about but I will say that you get both a series of Combo Chain and a Martial Exploit abilities to custom-make your own martial arts style. For a class that seems like it would be the most uniform in the book, it's actually probably the most adaptable.
The Medic is the party healer, and I have to say I didn't expect to like it. Lots of games have "non-magical healers" that end up just having reskinned cleric abilities (I'm looking at you, warlord) but these guys aren't that. Their "medical applications" are actually mostly about buffs to saving throws and stabilizing dying creatures with only a few giving actual hit points (and even then on the order of 1d4). Kudos on this class, but the bottom line is you should really try to avoid getting shot at in Ultramodern5… And also real life, I guess.
The Sniper actually reminds me a lot of Iron Heroes classes. All the Ultramodern5 classes have pools of points to manage their abilities but the sniper is one who has abilities that can be stacked on a successful attack. When you hit someone you deal out "marksman points" to boost the damage or make it a crit or shock the creatures around your target.
Lastly, the Techie is just what is says on the tin: a class completely devoted to modding and boosting equipment. Interestingly, their biggest abilities are for their own equipment so they can make cool things for the party but mostly they create explosive rounds and pop-up eyepieces and rapid reloaders for themselves.
Sharp-eyed readers will note that I didn't mention anything about the archetypes for these classes. There's a simple reason for this: they don't have them.
In keeping with the create-exactly-what-you-want philosophy of Ultramodern5, there is one set of archetypes and they are shared by all the different classes. This reminds me of the Flavors in Cypher System Rulebook to create a particular genre's feel.
The Rest
With all of this, we're only halfway through the book. There are chapters of Equipment at various tech levels, a great smattering of Antagonists & Enemies, some sample Adventuring locales, and two adventures: the classic Biohazard and the creepy Invasion Proxy. The whole book ends up with a great collection of ready-to-run player characters.
Get this book.
If you want to play D&D with an emphasis on guns and tech, drop the fighter and use these classes. If you want a great and familiar system for your sci-fi campaign idea, hand out this book and get started right off the bat.
Even if you don't particularly want to change things up and have modern guns in your D&D campaign, this book has so many new ideas and mechanics that are just awesome so cut and paste at will to add whatever new mechanics you want to your game.
Thank you, Chris Dias, and keep 'em coming!
Ultramodern5 is a toolkit. It is not complete by no means. So why five stars? Because it does what it does so well. it allows You to play and run almost any type of modern or future game. It is missing rules for supers cyberpunk and starships. However we are assured they will appear in an expansion at a later date. The rules blend seamlessly with the 5th edition ruleset and there are some great additions in there. Everything seems well balanced. This product replaces d20 modern with a slicker faster ruleset. Go buy it!
Edit: I have been comparing this heavily with d20 modern /future to see how it holds up against some of the older classes. With neurospasta and apex adding to the rules I really cannot fault this product. It is every bit as versatile as 5e core books which it should be. Bear in mind there is no setting for these rules nor for apex. But there is for neurospasta. Unless you count amethyst which does not require this book anyway. This book easily replaces the d20 modern ruleset. So those old darkmatter books may get another airing yet.
I captured a full review of this awesome product on my blog. If you want to check it out here is the link. I will post some of it below as well: https://auricanslair.wordpress.com/2017/03/28/cyberpunk-your-dd5e-neurospasta-for-ultramodern-5-overview/
What is up with the goofy name that sounds like Mind Spaghetti? It is actually a Greek word for "Drawn by Strings" or aka a "Puppet". This fits in with the Dystopian Future setting of most Cyberpunk adventures. Puppets are referred to in regards to the people being oppressed by corporations (or government) or also by cyborgs or robots being controlled or also oppressed.
Neurospasta Rule Variants (in conjunction with UltraModern 5, which again is necessary)
New Races: Races in NeuroSpasta represent the general phenotypes available to a transhuman future. They do not represent distinct ethnicities, which are better represented non-mechanically or by the life-path rules presented in Ultramodern5.
These new races are:
Nugenic: These are genetically altered humans that have had their code tinkered in utero by their parents. Nugenics are still very much human, but many, including
themselves, believe them to be of superior stock.
Prosthetic: They are individuals who, through accident or choice, have lost most of all of their organic bodies save their brain. The flesh is replaced by advanced cybernetics, in this case a total body prosthesis. This is the path one must pick if they plan on heavy cyberization later.
True-born: The vast majority of the planet are still home-grown organic human beings born in the traditional way and not tinkered with by science. Someone rolled the dice and what emerged has all the normal virtues and flaws of anyone else born in the previous few million years of human evolution.
Virtuant: The rarest of individuals, virtuants have no organic components at all, and are entirely digital personalities. Their minds reside on remote servers, and they interact with the physical realm through prosthetic bodies or robots.
One New Class: The Freediver –"You are a soldier of the new age, a disciple of data. You refuse to associate yourself with the tired cliché of hacker cowboys and the prophetic but technologically improbable visions of 80's cyberpunk writers. There are no jacks. There is no "virtual realm" of cyberspace. You are only aware of a different layer of reality that cannot by articulated by sight or sound. That is the true internet. A space without space, where time and distance are the same. You are a master of a kingdom larger than any nation, yet could fit onto a needle's point. Although many outsiders still persist in calling you a hacker, you prefer something more graceful and elegant. You are simply an apostle of chaos. Nothing is fixed, no rule unbreakable. You can alter perception, memory, and even someone's personality. You are a simple freediver. You may not be an anarchist, but you do endorse the freedom of information and consider yourself a vigilante for the flow of knowledge. The more control they enforce, the more encouraged you feel to prove how futile such control is."
New Equipment: Armor and weapons abound in NeuroSpasta. Cybernetics and new gear offer additional enhancements although most cybernetics are only available to those with full body prosthesis. There are also an assortment of Mechanized units or Robots to use.
New Updated Skills and Proficiences:
Intelligence (Computer Use) – Computer Use specifically covers more advanced concepts like hardware modification, upgrade, and maintenance. This can be used for Investigation Checks (by way of searching the internet, web, matrix etc). It can also be used when create viruses or programs (which are like spells in a cyberpunk setting). You can also use this skill when "Diving" into an opponent or target system to try and implant a piece of information, alter a file, or simply download a document. Computer Use can also be employed to take over a system if the target is a server.
Intelligence (Engineering) – This is the broad skill dealing with all applications of
technology, allowing you to craft (reverse engineer), modify (disabling), and repair devices. These include electronics, general machines, exo-armor, modern armor, modern weapons, prosthetics, and vehicles.
My Thoughts
For starts, I love Cyberpunk things and have tried to play things in the form of Cyberpunk with a Tabletop RPG, mainly Shadowrun. I know most might hate to hear this, and I'm sorry, but I am not a fan of Shadowrun's rules , nor am I a fan of rolling a ton of D6's (blasphemy I know, but hear me out!). Don't get me wrong, the Shadowrun theme is great, but I could just as easily now convert a Dungeon's and Dragons game into that same theme, roll only a D20 for simplicity, and be able to pull Races or Monsters from D&D if needed to give it that same feel. I like this as I (being a Game Master) could easily convince my players to play their beloved D&D but using a fresh theme without having to teach an entirely new ruleset.
As for my thoughts on the rules and the Neurospasta module itself. I really like the way that everything is laid out for you. The new races, class, NPC's, cybernetics, weapons, and equipment, totally FEEL cyberpunk with the rules. I will say that for the provided "Setting", even though it is very detailed and seems cool, I would more likely just do my own thing in creating a dystopian future or running it just like a "Shadowrun-esque" themed campaign (see I do like Shadowrun afterall guys! lol) I would love to see this step out of the niche group that it seems to have following it because I really think people would have a lot of fun getting their D&D groups into these settings. So what are the Pro's and Con's?
Creating Characters is as simple as it is in D&D.
More expansive Backgrounds for your characters
Easy to find and interpret rules for "Free Diving or Hacking"
Rolling D20's in a Cyberpunk Game
An Extensive Pre-Built Setting to fully immerse your players into
It is very affordable (UM5 has a FREE OGL ruleset, and this module is only $12.99 PDF and printer friendly)
It's not Shadowrun (for you die hards)
It is not available in Print on Demand (YET, that is coming soon)
Black and White artwork (some artwork may not be up to standard for many)
From the launch of 5th I hoped a modern version of the rules would be released.
What ultramodern5 offers is so much more than just converted and reskined
D&D races, classes, and backgrounds.
The meat and potatoes of this product is the character build options, so I'll mostly be focused on that. I think anyone looking for a review will be wanting more details on those options.
There is a section for equipment, adventuring, and antagonists. There is also adventures included at the end of the product and even sample chapters.
Characters in Ultramodern5 are comprised of Race, Lifepath, Ladders, and Classes. This is why I find Ultramodern5 so special, it's sheer number of character options.
While everyone is assumed human there is still a system for benefits and shortcomings to add some diversity from character to character.
Lifepaths are a reworking of backgrounds, to include a way of life and social standings.
There are 11 backgrounds to choose from.
Ladders are how a character lives it's life. They are optional abilities characters can gain in the place of magic or other powers for non- fantasy settings. Any ladder can be mixed with any class. There are 7 total ladders. The ladders are born leader, juggernaut, runner, savant, survivor, veteran, and warrior.
Classes are about what you would expect, there are 10 classes. They are Face, Grounder, Gunslinger, Heavy, Infiltrator, Marshal, Martial artist, Medic, Sniper, and Techi.
Classes are then again defined further with 24 archetypes. Archetypes are not tied to specific class, if a character meets all the requirements they can take the archetype. The archetypes are anti-hero, authority, banner head, brawler, brother of blood, cleaner, country gunman, diplomat, driver, field machinist, field medic, grandmaster, gun dancer, infantry support specialist, machine of war, man at arms, militarist, pathfinder, pistolero, recon intelligence, ring fighter, sapper, selfless protector, skirmisher, and suave.
The sheer number of combinations is brilliant. For two players to end up with exactly the same character it has to be on purpose.
While I'm at it I would like to address a criticism I've seen for UM5. That some weapons, specifically guns don't do enough damage. I want to chime in here.
How UM5 handles guns is that training is what makes guns dangerous. Anyone can fire a sniper rifle, a trained sniper is always deadly with a good rifle. Not just do I appreciate this and find it to my taste I feel it's right for a class based system. Also it's right for a game based on D&D, anyone can use a dagger, but a rogue with a dagger is deadly. Class abilities build on core damage.
I was of two minds on this one. You see I don't really do super powers rpgs. But having loved Ultramodern 5 I thought let's see what it has to offer and I'm really glad I did. There are loads of options here when you look beyond the supers idea. You could easily create a mutant or alien species with weird abilities. It really adds to Ultramodern 5 in terms of what else can you create with the toolbox .which is what it boils down to .more tools to play with .more creations to build world's with . No regrets in purchasing this one. Now we just need to hope for those space opera tools..... World building. Ship construction etc. Then the toolbox will be complete. Thanks Chris Dias. Another corker.
I know that some below have complained about the product having gramatical and formatting issues or the Errata. But I give the developer of this product Five Stars just in regards to actually taking the time to fix the issues and fully update the product. Also, they even pulled the Print On Demand option so that they could go back and update the whole product before allowing it to be Printed again. (Unfortunately for me, my print copy is the old one, but thats ok as I still love my copy and can work around the updates and errata just like I do with any other RPG)
But I will say, you won't see Wizards of the Coast updating their PHB and re-releasing one that has the Errata pulled into it. So Kudos.
As for the product itself. I love the new rules and ideas of mixing and matching classes and archetypes. I also love the in depth character background creation. I myself have no complaints so far, and have had my copy since it came out. Again, the publisher has been great in listening to customers requests and updating the product as necessary. So I highly recommend picking up the PDF version, and possibly after it comes back to Print on Demand, grabbing the fully updated version and have a blast!
I like it. It is full of good ideas and for example the freediver class is very exciting.
I've started in on building some characters, and overall I am enjoying the time and effort that went into the mechanics.
The largest complaint I have is that the text itself is filled with gramatical errors and formatting issues. Some text blocks are cut off mid-sentence and although an educated guess can be made how they were going to end, the rules are
There is also a bit of sillyness that comes with parts of it, or at least that's how I felt when reading the Martial Artist class. Abilities with names like Spirit Bomb, Falcon Punch, and Limit Break just feel a bit out-of-place. Some ability names do not correspond to what is listed on the tables.
I look forward to running a game with this, and I anticipate that it will balance well with 5E monsters and classes.
My GM is planning to run Ultramodern5 after we finish our current D&D 5e campaign, so I purchased the PDF version of the book, read through it and then sat down to create a character. The review is therefore based upon significant consideration of the game, but I have not yet played it. I'm not going to go into detail on layout and editing (there are some issues) or artwork (it's generally not very good by pro standards); I'm going to focus on the substance.
Ultramodern5 is designed to support games using the D&D 5e rules in settings ranging from the 18th or 19th century to the far future. After an introduction to a couple of the company's own settings (purchased separately), the book offers two pages of "new rules." This section covers rules for autofire, new skills (computers, engineering, sciences, etc.) and four new feats. You might think it incredible that Ultramodern is porting 5e to modern and futuristic settings with only two pages of rules, and you would be right. There are a lot of "new rules" scattered throughout the book, from character creation to vehicles. I'm not sure why the company chose to begin the book with a section on "new rules" that describes only a fraction of the new rules.
Anyway, let's get into character creation. First up is your race. You're assumed to be (non-variant) human, but you can forego one or more of your +1 ability score increases for a choice or roll on the "Genetic Benefit Table." You can get things like an extra skill or tool proficiency, darkvision ("Night Eyes") or the hill dwarf bonus to maximum hit points ("Extreme Fortitude"). They're not at all balanced, and presumably aren't trying to be. Light Sleeper, for example, says you "…cannot be surprised by sleeping." I presume it means "while sleeping," but even so, it probably isn't as good as darkvision.
Next up is Lifepath: You pick a background; note that backgrounds offer one choice from two different skills, rather than the two skills in 5e, and you won't get a special ability. Then you choose or roll on tables to fill out the details of your life. You have to roll Life Episodes -- you can't choose them. You could get a tragedy (lose an eye, alcoholic, chronic and debilitating disease) or a windfall (favors, wealth, extra proficiencies or feats). Luck (good or bad) is limited by rule -- if you get a tragedy, you can't get another one until you get a windfall, and vice versa. You can roll for the number of Life Episodes, or choose a number between 5 and 10.
I'm not going to say a lot about this. I don't think 5e holds up very well to randomness in character creation, and there is opportunity here for a PC to start with multiple extra feats (though he'll also be a broke, one-eyed cancer patient on the run from the mob). The Lifepath system also forces me to develop a fairly in-depth character backstory from the start, while I might prefer to develop this stuff in play, and it slows down character creation. Necessarily, because the tables are more limited and less complex than real human lives, the output is too. But it's solid enough and will please those who like this kind of thing.
Now we'll get into the crunch of character creation. I went into this attempting to create Jason Bourne -- a former soldier trained in covert ops and assassination. Bourne is really well-rounded: He can handle himself in unarmed combat, melee combat, with handguns, submachine guns, assault rifles and sniper rifles. He knows a ton of tradecraft and is an expert driver. We'll see how that worked out.
You'll construct your character by choosing three mechanical frames: a ladder, a class and an archetype. The ladder is basically an ASI/feat chain. You get something at 1st level (this usually includes the chance to use a different ability modifier, such as Wisdom or Intelligence, for attacks, AC, etc.), then again at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th levels instead of your normal ASI. You don't have to choose your ladder ability at any of those levels, but when you do choose ladder abilities, you must choose them in order. As an aside, I assume multiclassing isn't allowed in UM5. While ASIs are normally tied to class level, the ladders link them to character level. Ladders would therefore offset one of the biggest checks or tradeoffs on multiclassing in 5e.
On the subject of classes, there are a lot of them that seem to cover most of the basic roles in a modern-future game. The design aesthetic of 5e is, in my opinion, nowhere to be found. I'm only superficially familiar with 4e, but I believe Ultramodern was originally created for that edition, and I wonder if some of that design approach is still present here, producing a rules set that feels converted rather than built from the ground up with 5e as the foundation. Many of the abilities are complex and fiddly in ways that don't seem a good fit with 5e.
For example, let's look at the grounder -- the fighter or soldier class. At 1st level, you get an ability called Fire Support. You have to choose a path -- Assault or Precision -- and there are five tiers in each path. It's not clear if this is a one-time choice or if you can take a combination of tiers in both paths. Anyway, you get a new tier at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level. The Assault Tier 1 ability is that when you make an autofire attack, you inflict extra damage equal to the amount by which your attack roll beat the target's AC, to a maximum of 5. Then, at higher tiers, you don't add to the damage maximum; no, you add to the value of the attack roll, but only for the purposes of calculating the extra damage.
I have two things to say about this. First, as I suggested above, it doesn't feel like 5e design. It's complex, fiddly and kludgy in execution. And second, it seems more appropriate for the Precision path: the more accurate your shot, the more damage you do. It seems like the Assault Fire Support path should give you bonuses to hit with autofire, maybe, or special features such as suppressing fire. (The grounder does get a "Covering Fire" ability, but it's an option in a completely different multiple-option menu ability.)
Okay, so to summarize, the classes don't feel like 5e design to me. Maybe they would feel like 4e design, or some hybrid of the two, if I was more familiar with 4e. Or maybe the design approach is nothing like 4e, either, and it's just something else entirely. In fairness, some abilities of some classes feel more 5e. The medic has "exploits" complete with slots that are spells in all but name. The sniper has "marksmanship points" and "talents" that are kind of like sorcery points and metamagic. So, yeah. I report, you decide.
Finally, you choose an archetype. Instead of each class having a number of subclasses, there are a number of subclasses you can combine with any class. This is a really cool and ambitious feature -- cool, because it provides a big boost to customization options, ambitious because the combinatory effects will make it hard to balance.
Archetypes provide benefits at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th and 18th level. There is a broad range of archetypes. The anti-hero gets a "dead pool" (yuk yuk) of damage dice he can add to attacks and replenish when he kills folks or there is otherwise mayhem inflicted on or around him. The authority is an expert who gains a lot of abilities to control skill checks -- manipulating dice results, spending Hit Dice for bonuses, etc. The militarist grants bonuses and special abilities to allies using Tactical Points. The pathfinder has a "dust pool" that gives him a limited ability to teleport. The pool starts at 20 feet at 3rd level and increases to 40 feet at 18th level. The pool replenishes 5 feet for every 10 feet you don't move on your turn.
Okay, so I'm trying to make Jason Bourne. I pick the Drifter background (there's another pun, if you recall the intro from Bourne Identity), which gets him a skill proficiency and a couple languages. I sacrifice one of my human ability increases for Stealth proficiency. I only figure out later what skill proficiencies I'll need to fill in, as we'll see shortly.
At first I think Bourne should take the infiltrator class, though even with this class I note the apparent absence of the kind of tradecraft Bourne knows. The problem, most broadly, is that the infiltrator -- especially considering that it is a class and not a subclass -- is super-specialized.
What do I mean by that? Well, his weapon proficiencies are very limited -- his only firearms proficiency is one-handed small arms. Bourne is an ex-soldier and should be able to use submachine guns, assault rifles and sniper rifles. But that's not really the problem -- weapon proficiencies are limited for many classes in 5e. The bigger problem is the class abilities: many of them only work with one-handed small arms or melee weapons. If you want Jason Bourne to use his infiltrator abilities with a sniper rifle or unarmed attacks, you're out of luck. Furthermore, the 5e rogue, in terms of combat, is really built around being sneaky, getting advantage or attacking targets engaged with his allies. The infiltrator is really built around getting advantage and getting in close and attacking with specific weapons.
I suppose this provides niche protection -- you don't want the infiltrator stepping on the toes of the sniper and/or the martial artist. But it speaks to how the infiltrator is super-specialized. He's not really a good fit for even a fledgling Jason Bourne. I looked at different combinations with ladders and archetypes, but couldn't make it work to my satisfaction.
To make a long story slightly shorter, I ended up choosing the Juggernaut ladder, the Grounder class and the Grandmaster archetype for Jason Bourne. Sounds just like him, right? Okay, not. But it was the best combination I found to create a character with Bourne's well-rounded combat skills. (He's never going to get the well-rounded tradecraft skills.) Juggernaut makes him harder to kill, which is helpful in pretty much any combat situation. It also makes him less Multiple Ability Dependent (MAD), since he can use his Strength modifier for all ranged attacks. The Runner ladder would have been a better thematic fit for Bourne. It allows him to use his Dexterity modifier on Athletics checks and attack and damage rolls with melee weapons. Problem is, per the 5e errata, unarmed strikes are melee weapon attacks but not melee weapons, so Bourne would still need Strength for unarmed combat if he chose this ladder.
Moving on, the grounder class gives Bourne weapon proficiencies, vehicle proficiencies (though he's not an expert driver and never will be), as well as firearms and tactical combat abilities. Grandmaster gives him Karate at 3rd level -- though he can only use it once per day for 5 minutes. Must make it hard to train. As he goes up in level, he'll learn to use his karate more often and can even learn to use other martial arts for five minutes once per day. Anyway, Karate is good because it gives Bourne an unarmed strike that's better than the default 1+Str modifier damage. Specifically, he can use his action to make a kick attack that does 1d10+Str modifier damage, +7 damage for each additional attack he could normally make. The grounder class effectively gets Extra Attack (up to 4 attacks at 14th level), so this seemed like a good choice. At 14th level, he could use his karate kick to attack with advantage for 1d10+26 damage.
In summary, there are a ton of customization options, but the design doesn't really feel like 5e, and the options are so specialized that the net result feels unexpectedly limiting.
After character creation, you get a lot of gear, from modern stuff to science fiction. And this brings me to the element I dislike the most about Ultramoder5. Warning: This is entirely subjective preference. A large-caliber semiautomatic handgun deals 1d6 piercing damage. Keep in mind, you're supposed to be able to combine UM5 with D&D 5e, so the Desert Eagle does hand crossbow damage. A direct hit from a rocket launcher appears to do 2d6+1 bludgeoning damage.
Now, the different classes and archetypes do have ways to increase damage, but in general, they seem more limited and super-specialized than those in the 5e core rules. For example, my grounder basically gets Brutal Critical (which isn't great in D&D, either) when he gains the second tier in the Precision path of the Fire Control ability at 9th level, but it only applies to "a non-autofire attack." Given that it's "Fire Control," I assume this means "a non-autofire attack with a firearm," but who knows. Maybe this Fire Control ability also works with melee and unarmed attacks, which would make it less limited. It's still Brutal Critical, and that's still not great, but whatever.
Regardless, the bottom line is this: ACs generally aren't very high, so targets are going to get "hit" a lot, and when they get hit by modern civilian and military weapons, they're not going to take all that much damage. This will have a dramatic effect on the feel of the game. In my preferred style of modern combat, training, surprise, maneuver, position, cover, tactics -- these things determine the results of a firefight. They determine who gets shot, and who doesn't, and that's it. If you get shot with a modern firearm (or rocket launcher), you're probably down, and often dead or dying. At 1st level, my grounder can take three average hits from a large-caliber handgun and keep coming. He can shrug off a direct hit from a rocket launcher and keep fighting. Of course, the GM can narrate the action such that those "hits" aren't really hits -- and then he or she just has to explain why the Medic is restoring those hit points with his medkit.
Now there are a lot of first-person shooter video games that play this way, and maybe that's the design goal. This is a game that has a medium human enemy NPC called the Big Boss with 207 hit points. He has a regeneration ability called "Health Bar." He has a reaction called "Second Phase" that he can use once: When he's reduced to 0 hit points, he regains 190 hit points and more legendary actions. Obviously, the influence here is not modern combat, or even Hollywood -- it's video games.
But here's the thing: I don't get immersed in my character in a FPS the way I want to get immersed in my character in an RPG. In an RPG, I don't want to be jumping around and circle-strafing through the streets of an urban combat zone, blazing away and taking hit after hit until I die and respawn. I want my character to be thinking about avoiding combat, because it's lethal, and if forced to fight, I want him to be thinking about how to make it as unfair as possible. I don't see how these rules are going to support that style of play, and I suspect they aren't meant to.
My other big gripe, and its entirely unfair, is that I just don't care for class and level systems in modern and future RPGs. I think "zero to hero" works fine in traditional fantasy (and the D&D genre, in particular), but I don't think it transfers well to most other genres. I also believe these games need either a robust skill system or a very freeform and flexible one -- "I'm an ex-soldier trained in covert ops, so I know spook tradecraft, dammit." The 5e system works fine for D&D, I think, but it's neither robust nor flexible.
So, for me, UM5 is a decidedly mixed bag. I love the idea, the ambition and the effort. But ultimately, the design doesn't feel like 5e, the abundant customization options are super-specialized and therefore unexpectedly inflexible and the rules support a style of play that is very much not my preference in this genre. If your preferences are different, you may find it's the perfect way to bring 5e into the modern age and beyond.
Pretty disappointed. Feels like the POD was rushed out. Updates coming out right after to the point that the Errata is pretty huge. It feels like that all should have been tighten up before the POD was offered. It feels like my physical book has so many changes that I wont even really have a book I will actually use at the table. I don't think I will be giving this very good reviews around the internets. A half done product is okay for PDFs but a killer on people who buy a physical copy. I wish I had of waited till it was done and being stuck in this position makes me leary of spending money on any Dias Ex Machina Games products in the future. And I am a huge collector of physical books. I have a massive 5e collection. Perhaps I will give a different review if I ever get a more finished physical copy. But at this point, meh.


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Montevideo, Uruguay: Relaxed and Sociable
By Dominic Degrazier
"Tranquila." In a little more than two weeks here in Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, I have heard this answer at least 50 times. Locals (without fail thus far) use it to describe their city of 1.7 million inhabitants.
And they are correct: this city is relaxed. It is much more sedated and safe than their cousins' metropolis of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Montevideo is a 2.5 hour's boat ride away from Argentina's capital to the west, and also shares its northern border with Brazil.
Sitting on the Rio De Plata's northern banks close to the river's mouth, the beach waters are a constantly changing mix of river and Atlantic Ocean water.
The geographical location lends to an extremely active port allowing cargo ships, along with passenger cruise ships, in and out of its perimeters 24 hours a day. The set-up makes for a distinctly beautiful sunset panorama.
Old Montevideo
It would be a vital error missing Ciudad Vieja (Old City) located near the center of town. Here buildings tell stories hundreds of years old via their grandiose architectural styles, their crumbling angles and edges not repaired, and uncountable numbers of balconies among other features.
Artisans sell their crafts along Peatonal Sarandi, which is the main walking street of the city. This pedestrian play-land flows heavily from Monday to Friday with the downtown's business life.
Men and women in business suits walk alongside tourists perhaps soaking in the magnificence of an aged church, or Mr. Payaso (clown) playing his flute and smiling at everyone.
Eating lunch or dinner outside alongside the peatonal is a must as well. Located next to the well lit and inviting Plaza Matríz, La Pasiva restaurant serves its famous mustard with their ponchos (hot dogs) and a plethora of other menu items.
Locals are still trying to figure out how this place makes their famous mustard – beer has been rumored to be involved in the concoction.
And if looking for a more upscale venue, next door is the Tavern La Corte serving top quality meats and more. Here is a beautiful opportunity to hear artisans play their music, watch tourists and locals pass by, and enjoy the climate and ambiance that Montevideo and Ciudad have to offer.
Calle 18 de Julio
This street, named for the country's Independence Day in 1830, is the city's artery to downtown. Spanning more than thirty blocks, it offers store after store selling shoes, furniture, food and much more.
These venues are mainly aimed at local people, so the prices are a bit lower than found in the Ciudad Vieja the further you are from downtown.
The busy avenue dumps itself into the main plaza of Montevideo: Plaza de Independencia. Uruguay's greatest national hero, José Gervasio Artigas, is commemorated here – and in no small way. Riding on his valiant fighting horse, Artigas's statue is larger than life… about 10 times larger than life.
Taking more than a few photos of this mammoth bronze casted figure is almost mandatory. Artigas's remains are actually housed underneath the plaza in a guarded mausoleum. Uruguay takes Artigas and his role in their history very seriously.
The Newer Side of the Uruguayan Peso
What value Ciudad Vieja holds in character and history, areas like Parque Rodo, Pocitos, Buceos and Carrasco match with hip restaurants, clean neighborhoods, shopping, and beach scenes complete with parks and an outdoor skating rink.
These areas are where the professionals and foreigners are known to live. Don't be surprised to feel very at home when eating or drinking in many of their establishments.
American music, such as Billy Joel or Jamiroqui, is commonly played and the themes of venues match those found in the States.
Oh yes, along with some of the prices as well!
If you are looking for shopping times, Punta Carretas will handily put you into a big-mall America atmosphere. This modern shopping center is actually built on a former prison site, but you would never know it by its appearances.
The layout, the gigantic size, and the offerings of this shoppers' Mecca will have you spinning…and spending most likely.
Strolling Around
Lining Montevideo is La Rambla – a very nicely constructed boardwalk stretching along the beaches and rocks of the area. Take a stroll in the early evening and you will be surrounded by runners, walkers, and many cyclists peddling past you on the street. Montevideo is an active community that enjoys spending time outside.
La Rambla is also one of the Montevidean's favorite locations to drink their tea-like mate. This is done out of small cups with a bombilla (metal straw with a filtered end).
Many people, upon first seeing this, think that the drinker is smoking marijuana or entertaining another illegal substance. Don't be fooled, as it's very similar to bitter green tea.
Mate clearly signifies something in this society – friends and strangers alike sit down with one another, sip from the same bombilla, and enjoy the tranquility that is so easily achieved.
Ask a local about their mate and you will most likely find yourself involved in a long conversation with an invitation to sit down for a session.
"Que Pase Bien"
This is the common phrase heard upon saying goodbye. It is said in wishing one another a good day – whether a customer is walking out of a store, or friends are saying their farewells.
One walks through and around Montevideo and a sense of "this place isn't finished yet" can arise. The city hosts beautiful weather year-round, has a succinct advantage in location within South America with its port, and is also surrounded and heavily influenced by two amazing cultures in Argentina and Brazil.
Yet it is still not overly congested and retains a sense of "town". It will continue to grow – hopefully not at the expense of its own atmosphere.
A Montevideo visit rendered sooner than later is advised. And make sure to say hello to Mr. Antonio the Payaso!
Best Restaurants For:
Beef (Carne)
Don Tiburon or El Pelenque restaurants are the most well known; best visited on Saturdays
Fish (Pescado)
El Italiano
located at the Port of Buceos; tel. # 6227930
Empanadas (meat, chicken, vegetable or cheese filled pastry: small, tasty and convenient))
La Taberna del Diablo
Parque Rodo
tel: 712.5506 – Pocitos, Ciudad Vieja (at the intersection of Calle Alzaibar and Peatonal Sarandi)
La Barca – Ciudad Vieja, Pocitos, Malvin
Accomodation around Plaza de Independencia:
Travel to and from Buenos Aires:
Dominic Degrazier is a freelance writer and photographer. Growing up in Southern California, he then moved east to Texas for university, and kept on moving east to London, Copenhagen, and San Sebastian after graduation. Hooked on the world, he then lived in Australia for a year, and travelled through parts of South America for another year. Visit his blog Moving Montevideo.
Read more GoNOMAD stories by Dominic Degrazier:
New Orleans Revisited: Something Different About Bourbon Street
Colombia: Hiking to the Lost City of Teyuna
Springfield, Illinois: Relearning the Legacy of Lincoln
CouchSurfing.com: Finding Friendship and Hospitality Around the World
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Isn't that cool? Isn't that just the most coolest thing ever? Because it is. It really is. I want to get deeper into this but really that's all there is to it. I'm going to make a video game, you'd better make a video game too. Who wouldn't want to make a video game? I can make a Video Game, you can make a video game, we'll all make video games and it'll be amazing. Truly amazing. Just think about how amazing that is. I'll tell you how amazing it is that so many people take part in making video games; it's the best. I spend a lot of time around people who know things about making video games. So I often forget how AWESOME it is, how UNIQUE that actually is. So just remember, you're making a video game, you're creating a video game, and not just any video game; your video game. and that's just about the best thing ever.
AND I'LL BE SEEING ALL OF YOU, YES YOU, ON THE 20th


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Dam removal and maintenance is a significant issue, as it enhances fishing, reduces infrastructure costs, and makes Michigan safer. "The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced its Dam Management Grant Program is now open for proposals. The fourth year of this grant opportunity will provide $350,000 in fiscal year 2016 to address Michigan's failing dam infrastructure […]Learn More >
Barbara Marczak, PE began her term as Chair of the Michigan Section of the American Water Works Association at its annual conference in September. Barbara has been an active member of AWWA-MI for years, serving on the Board of Trustees 2010–2013, as an officer since 2013, and as chair of the Membership Committee from 2001 through 2013. In her new role, […]Learn More >
On Friday, October 9, at 10am the City of East Grand Rapids is cutting the ribbon to officially open its new boardwalk on Reeds Lake Boulevard. The boardwalk spans the channel connecting Reeds Lake with Fisk Lake. It is directly adjacent to another P&N-designed project, a new bridge carrying Reeds Lake Boulevard over the channel. […]Learn More >


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Keil & Schaafhausen und Dr. Knoblauch Patentanwälte PartGmbB haved merged
We are delighted to announce that Keil & Schaafhausen has merged with the Frankfurt patent law firm Dr. Knoblauch Patentanwälte PartGmbB.
For years we have had a cooperative friendship with the law firm Dr. Knoblauch. Patent attorney Dr.-Ing. Andreas Knoblauch will join our team as a proven expert in the rapidly growing fields of electrical and mechanical engineering. Patent attorney Dr.-Ing. Dorothea Knoblauch will support you not only in trademark and design law but is also experienced in mediation.
Our common goal remains to advise our clients on a broad basis and with the highest quality standards. Our structure and our highly qualified staff ensure that we will support you even more flexibly and efficiently.
We are a partnership of lawyers and patent attorneys rich in tradition specializing in all aspects of intellectual property, antitrust and unfair competition law. Our clients are national and international companies of all sizes, public institutions and private individuals. We are acting as advisors and litigators for our clients, for quite a few of them already since decades. The basis for mutual success is for us the highest quality of our work, a sound understanding of the commercial interests of our clients and a consistent cooperation which is based on mutual trust.


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Westbrass 15/16 in. OD x 24 in. Coated Stainless Steel Gas Connector CG524D
Industry Standard Yellow Polymer Coatedë_?ʉÛ?ÛÒ Provides protection against accidental contact with common household cleaning products, ammonia, chlorine, solder flux, and muriatic acids. ë_It also protects against UV rays and salt spray. ë_This coated stainless steel connector isë_availableë_in severalë_lengthsë_with aë_varietyë_of end fittings.
- For furnaces and gas ranges
- 5/8 in. I.D. tube size
- 7/8 in. Flare x 3/4 in. MIP and 7/8 in. Flare x 3/4 in. FIP zinc plated steel adapters
- Tube Construction ?ʉÛ?ÛÒ Type 304 Stainless Steel (Annealed)
- Operating Temperatures with End Adapters: -40F to 150F
- 100% Factory Leak Tested
- CSA approvals stamped on flare nuts
- BTU Chart printed on product tag for easy reference


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The Hunger Games series has always had a pronounced sociopolitical subtext to its sci-fi dystopia storyline (some might say it's pretty much "text" rather than "subtext"), so it's appropriate that viral marketing for the upcoming Mockingjay - Part 1 has taken on the form of political propaganda churned out by The Capitol and President Snow (Donald Sutherland), as part of a larger effort to stop the rebellion spreading throughout the nation of Panem.
In a newly-released second viral teaser, however, the forces behind said revolution gain the upper-hand on Snow and manage to hijack his latest broadcast, in order to serve their own purposes instead. No doubt, fans of the Hunger Games franchise will immediately recognize Beetee (Jeffrey Wright), who made his onscreen debut in last year's installment, Catching Fire, as the representative for the resistance based in the mysterious District 13 - and thus, better appreciate his message of "The Mockingjay Lives."
Like in the first teaser, Snow is flanked by Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) - captured by the Capitol's forces at the end of the Quarter Quell in Catching Fire - but here, the pair are also joined by Peeta's fellow captive, Johanna Mason (Jena Malone). While Johanna is doing a better job of keeping her rage in check than the last time she was on Capitol TV, you can see the cracks starting to form in her facade, even in the short amount of time that she's onscreen here.
Catching Fire added several great characters (like Beetee and Johanna) brought to life by great actors to the mix, and the two Mockingjay films will up the ante even further, in that regard. Cast newcomers in the two-part Hunger Games finale include Oscar-nominee Julianne Moore as Alma Coin, along with Natalie Dormer and her Game of Thrones costar Gwendoline Christie, playing Cressida and Commander Lyme, respectively - key figures in the revolution against the Capitol, which our protagonist Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) gets swept up into.
Meanwhile, returning behind the camera is Catching Fire director Francis Lawrence; after delivering a Hunger Games movie that was a notable improvement on the original installment, the hope is that Lawrence will be able to complete this saga in top form. If all goes well, both Mockingjay movies could even wind up being better received than the source novel by Suzanne Collins (generally perceived as being the weakest in her Hunger Games book trilogy).
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 opens in U.S. theaters on November 21st, 2014.