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IntroductionDholak is a very popular folk drum of northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well. It is barrel shaped, at times a cylindrical drum, with skins on both sides. Dholak has one side which has a high pitch and another side which has a lower pitch and is very popular in folk music. Images of dhol players appear to be present in the bas relief carvings on Indian temple walls from the earliest times.
As one moves around North India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, there is considerable variation in the technique to play dholak. There is variation in use of hands, sticks, and various combinations of both. The most well known style is the bhangra style which uses sticks. The dhol in Punjab plays a very crucial part in the local culture and has emerged as an instrument that Punjabis use as a symbol of their ethnic identity. Such strong attachment is evident among the expatriate Punjabi communities dispersed across the earth.
The Bengali kanthi dhol is commonly used on many occasions and is used to accompany a variety of folk music and dance, such as Bengali folksongs and the "lathi" (bamboo) dance. Dholak is used to provide an environment for non-musical events such as the annual procession of Muharrom, boat races, marriages, and a variety of festive occasions. The dhol has much significant presence in the North Western state of Gujarat. It is the dance forms of raas and garba which are inextricably linked to the Gujarati sense of self identity, but the dhol is an important accompaniment to this dance. The dhol has a very limited presence in Southern India. This is because the social and musical role that it plays in the North is solidly occupied by other instruments; the most notable being the tavil.
The dhol is well represented in the music of the Indian tribals. Dholak has many variations in technique and construction that entire books could be written on the subject. Unfortunately there is no such single culture or single entity that can be defined as tribal India, for it is a collection of largely unrelated smaller cultures. Therefore, it is pointless to try and make any definitive statements about the use of the dhol in tribal societies. The most that we can say is that it is fairly common.
The Dholak made of wood. Size: length 16 inches, oneside-8 inches, other side-6 inches. It is handmade by wood craftsmen. The dholak is nothing more than the smaller, feminine version of the dhol. Dholak is usually approximately about 35 cm long, with its heads measuring 20 cm in diameter. It weighs about 11.02 pounds.
Musical Styles that use Dholak are Bhajans, Indian Light Classical Music, Film Songs, Folk Music, Geet, Qawalli, Kirtan Dhun and Shabad.
A dholak might either have a traditional lacing or turnbuckle tuning. While the Dholak has a simple membrane and a handle on its right side, its left-hand membrane has a special coating on the inner surface. This coating is made up of a mixture of sand, tar, and clay also popularly known as the dholak masala, which not only helps in lowering the pitch but also provides a fine tuned and well-defined pitch.
How to play a DholakA person playing dholak should sit cross-legged on the floor and place the dholak either in the lap or on the floor in front, whichever is more comfortable to reach the sides of the drum. Position the dholak so that the smaller side is on the right and the larger side is on the left if you are right-handed or vice versa if you are left-handed. Strike the larger end of the dholak closely to the middle with the flat of your middle and ring fingers. Strike quickly and do not leave your fingers on the drum which would produce a low bass note. Then later strike the larger side of dholak again, this time using the heel of your hand closer to the rim and this would produce a more muted bass note. Then after that quickly strike the smaller side of the dholak between the center of the drum and the rim with the tip of your middle finger. This produces a sharp, staccato note.
Care and CautionDholak should be kept out of moisture as it can degrade the skin of the heads. Avoid any sharp objects near the skins on the heads which could puncture/tear them. Cover your dholak when not in use. Place a cloth on floor and stand it upright with the base head down and treble head up. Put a piece of cloth on treble head and do not put anything on it. Always loosen the rope after playing otherwise the rope lace gets ruined by overstretching.
The Dholak is a very popular drum in northern India with double skins from Indian folk music. The dholak's difference in diameter of the high skin and the bass skin is relatively small. On the contrary to many other Indian drums, the Dholak has simple smooth skins on both sides and it makes playable not only by using the differentiating finger techniques common in India. Both skins of the dholak are tightened by a cotton cord that runs through movable metal rings. The Dholak has been built since about 1300 AD and has been used in folklore, opera, and kawoali, for simple songs and also in film music. For instance it is used in the Punjab villages that is well-known in India, in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in folksongs; in Bengal in the opera and in poetic songs. There are many different Dholaks on the Indian market.
Where to learn to play a DholakTARANG School for Classical Indian Dance and Music
Manager: Marie-Luise Siebenkaes
Johannisstrasse 14D-90763 Fuerth
Germany Telephone: +49-(0)911-6708040
Fax: +49 (0)1212-512616701 USt-IdNr.: DE228189973
Where to buy a DholakContact: Mr Ashish Shrivastava
Sathyadeep Musical Palace
Beside Vysya Bank
Post- Puttaparthy
Dist-- Anantapur
Andhra Pradesh Pin- 515134


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7:30pm, Saturday June 25th 2016
Main Hall, Assembly Roxy Edinburgh, 2 Roxburgh Place EH8 9SU
Tickets £7.00
The team behind Clown Cabaret Scratch Night gleefully present BOUFFON SCRATCHINGS, our first bouffon scratch night: a cabaret style den of iniquity and hilariously sharp moral musings from a variety of Scotland's finest up and coming performers.
Plutôt la Vie, CloWnStePPing and Melanie Jordan welcome you to a feast of dark delights as our hideously charming Bouffons invite you into a netherworld of insidious pleasure...
Featuring: Calum MacAskill, Lucy Amsden, Ruxy Cantir, Beth Frieden, Charlotte Hastings, Ronan McMahon, Sita Pieraccini, Dylan Read, Max Scratchmann, and Andrew Simpson.
You've enjoyed our clowns, now welcome to the dark side…
Bouffon Scratchings is directed and produced by Tim Licata, Artistic Director of Plutôt la Vie, Fringe First award winner Melanie Jordan and Sarás Feijoó, Creative Director of CloWnStePPinG. Bouffon Scratchings is self-funded with support from Plutôt la Vie and the Assembly Roxy.
Clown Cabaret Scratch Night has produced fiveextremely successful nights since 2014 and has been invited to participate in Conflux's Surge Festival in July 2016. CCSN Special Edition will be presented at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow on Sat. July 30th 2016 as part of Surge - Scotland's annual festival of street arts, physical theatre and circus produced by Conflux in partnership with Merchant City Festival in Glasgow.
What was the inspiration for this performance?
Sita Pieraccini and I (Ruxy Cantir) are collaborating on making a short bouffon piece entitled I am are ART. In it, an unearthly duo use a sorry homeless person as their subject matter for a new piece of live art for an eager, intellectually acute audience. I am are ART is a commentary on our inability as people to ever deal with the reality of our world in any capacity.
Sita and I were both interested in working with each other and when we started brainstorming about the things that make us laugh and tick, we naturally gravitated toward a common experience – volunteering at a festival. We both had stories that were fresh at the time, so we just went ahead with it, especially since the subject matter concerned us, as artists, as well.
How did you go about gathering the team for it?
Sita and I had talked about creating and performing something together before, and this seemed like the perfect performance opportunity – a scratch night during the summer in a form that we both enjoy.
How did you become interested in making performance?
You mean in creating and devising my own work? My first courses in physical theatre in London are responsible for that. I was a decent actor, but misfit lots of roles, especially as a woman who doesn't have a dewy-eyed sensitive demeanour. In my first Neutral Mask and Clown classes, all of a sudden, I could do the thing that was aching to get out and hadn't had an outlet in drama class before. This is, of course, a much longer story, but this is a nice and concise start to it.
Was your process typical of the way that you make a performance?
More or less, yah. We began with an image and the character duo, and went from there. The first rehearsal was creating a mask for the characters and try to get through what happens in the piece, in very large brush strokes, with bouts of improvisation.
And after that, lots of detail work-age and building the relationship between the two characters. The form of Bouffon allows space for directed improvisation, so we've allowed ourselves that, especially when we perform on June 25th – responding to each other and to the audience in time and space.
What do you hope that the audience will experience?
Laughter and mystery. That laughter that comes from an unknown place within you that bubbles out in a sound that is unfamiliar to you.
I mention Mystery because the Bouffon characters that we will bring to life are of a different world – a ferociously grotesque one that spawned terrible, yet intelligent entities. You wouldn't recognize this world, but you won't be able to take your eyes off because they remind you of something you used to know before.
What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?
Character development and relationship building, first of all. Secondly, we are playing a lot of with contradictions – pushing one side only to reveal the other.
Black is never far from white, and so we ride that thin line that is disturbingly delicious. We'll sing you a beautiful-sounding song but with disgusting lyrics, or we'll dedicate a graceful dance to the problem of homelessness right after stretching our legs on the homeless person lying right next to us. Or something else equally as terrible, but just as true.
Do you see your work within any particular tradition?
Well, I define myself as a physical theatre artist and actor-creator. I have trained and formed my perspective (which continues to evolve) in a physical theatre devising programme (Dell'Arte International) so I'd say I come from that tradition, for sure. This, of course, means very many different things for different people.
I normally try to clarify and say that when I say Physical Theatre, I mean using the body as a highly transformative instrument and in-dweller of the Other (character). And so, my work will include: physical comedy, eccentric characterization, Movement theatre, Mask work, among others.
With a series of stellar evenings under their belt, the Clown Cabaret Scratch Night team throws caution to the wind and takes another leap of faith to present Bouffon Scratchings, Scotland's first evening of Bouffon Cabaret.
Bouffon Scratchings offers an opportunity for emerging and established performers to explore the theatrical territory and tradition of Bouffon; a style of performance was explored and re-invigorated by Jacques Lecoq and Philippe Gaulier at Lecoq's famed theatre school in Paris.
Bouffons are the lowest of the low. They have nothing to lose, so are completely Free. Their Freedom is a huge power. Their weapons are their enormous laughter, intelligent eyes and biting parody.
Social misfits, soothsayers, outcasts, shunned and feared... Bouffons embrace their ugliness and bless their hideous form for saving them from the hypocrisy of 'God's beautiful children…'. Their performance is a vicious parody of our 'great and good' society. Remember... we're all in it together...!
Their only fear is to be killed before their parody has hit home…

subset: commoncrawl


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Sun, 22 June 2014
In today's episode, we find one of our co-hosts with some unusual plans for sequels to the Disney, Indiana podcast (there are no plans to end the current show). With all this sequel talk, it's inspired our hosts to look at some unmade sequels to Disney movies in this month's Idea Bag segment.
Direct download: Disney_Indiana_-_Episode_156.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00pm EDT


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Eggzamin Standard Kit
The Eggzamin kit provides everything you need to conduct unlimited Fecal Egg Counts. The specialized equipment and instructions will help you determine if deworming is necessary and if your dewormer is working.
Not all microscopes are created equal. The Eggzamin kit offers professional quality equipment, customized objective lenses.
Kit Contains: Monocular microscope; One eyepiece; 3 Achromatic Objective lens; Power cord (US and Canada standard); Dust cover; How-To Guide; Eggzamin Microscope Owners Guide; 1 McMasters slide; 1 Flotation solution bottle; 1 50ml beaker; 1 Suction transfer pipette; Gloves, Collection bags. [FREE SHIPPING]


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Olympic fashion rewind: and the final gold goes to ...
The term "Olympic athlete" doesn't necessarily coincide with being trendy or fashionable, but at this year's Summer Games, Team USA showed it has more than just fierce competitors on its squad--it also boasted trendsetters. I've awarded each of my favorite fashionable Olympians a medal for their attire choices.
Bronze: Russell Westbrook
Westbrook gets the bronze, in part due to his most famous accessory besides a basketball: his never ending supply of no-lens, no-nonsense glasses. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard often sported a red Wayfarer frame off the court during the 2011-2012 season, becoming fodder for Charles Barkley and other commentators during the playoffs. I can understand why they're poking fun, but I happen to love myself a good hipster-basketball star.
Much to my chagrin, the Olympics were no exception to the glasses trend. A slimmer, sleeker, black version of the favored red frames made a statement at the Olympic opening ceremonies on July 27. Coupled with the Ralph Lauren designed Team USA ensemble, including a blue beret, Westbrook looked straight out of a 1970?s military flick.
Westbrook was the only one from the basketball team to accessorize that night, unless you count tattoos as accessories, and stood out a little too much for my taste.
I would have ditched the glasses. They're totally acceptable in a post-game press conference, but when you're in the presence of the Queen of England, "dress to impress" should be the theme of the evening. That's where he lost the most points or else there may have been in a tie for silver.
Silver: Gabby Douglas
The runner up is gold-medal winning Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas. Her fashion splash didn't happen at the games; she made her waves when she got back to the States. One of her first stops on her press tour was the Late Show with David Letterman, where she strutted out in a vibrant printed halter-tunic, hot pink pencil mini and chunky platform sandals.
The look was definitely more on the adolescent side than her teammates' choices that night, but it's appropriate. She's a high school student and can get away with the pinks and pumps. She got her chance to spice it up this week at an Essence photo shoot, where she donned a gold J. Mendel body-hugging dress and Jimmy Choos among other fantastic selections for the spread. Look for her in the October and November issues on newsstands this fall.
16-year-old Douglas scores high in my book. She keeps it real (hair and all) and follows in Westbrook's footsteps by being original. She is a great role model for today's youth, not just in a leotard, but also in her everyday attire.
Gold: Ryan Lochte
And the gold goes to Lochte. The swimming phenom is presumptively the only medal winner to ever be told he must remove his Paul Wall-designed grills while on the podium. Maybe it was because the diamonds in his mouth sparkled more than the medal, but he won me over with that move.
The diamonds weren't the end, though. He flew to the top of my list when he took on mint green pants and a David Bowie screen printed tee during a night on the town. Sure, he sweated a decent amount as he danced at The Rose Club, but who cares? He even made a wallet chain look hot. Need I say more? I'm certainly looking forward to seeing more from the fashion-forward (or maybe backwards with Bowie, a wallet chain and grill) star.
The author is solely responsible for the content.


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Terra Lightfoot - 'Every Time My Mind Runs Wild' (album stream) (premiere)
Terra Lightfoot could be your new rock 'n' roll hero.
On the eve of its US release tomorrow, we have the premiere of Terra Lightfoot's new album, the stellar Every Time My Mind Runs Wild. Back in May, we said, "Love the Alabama Shakes and Brittany Howard? Then get ready to adore Terra Lightfoot, a roots rocker with a powerful voice and a badass Gibson SG that she plays with consummate ease. Yep, she could be your new rock 'n' roll hero. Drawing from rock, soul and blues, Lightfoot is a monster talent that will be gracing the world's largest festival stages in no time."
See for yourself, as Lightfoot honors her roots music influences -- Maybelle Carter, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Leadbelly, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding,Nina Simone and Billie Holiday -- with complete mastery while remaining very much her own artist, a true original with a long career ahead of her.


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Liberty L-4
The Liberty L-4 was a four-cylinder, water-cooled, inline engine for aircraft developed in the United States during World War I. Designed by Jesse G. Vincent and Elbert J. Hall, the Liberty L-4 was an experimental engine of 102 hp, built by the Hudson Motor Co. and intended primarily for use in training airplanes. Only two were produced since other types of engines were available and already in production. It is unknown if the L-4 was ever test-flown.


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The biggest challenge faced by people in today's time is the feeling that our lives are just spiraling out of control. The events the circumstances we are in all lead us to a road, a route that has no control over all the misfortunes and wrong doings that has brought us actually to this moment in life.
But do you think that our life can change on its own? The truth is that our life will not change unless and until we take the full responsibility for it. What matters is our ability to respond, take responsibility of the situation rather than accepting any form of blame of the situation we get into.
We have to realize that it's never the events of our lives, but the way respond to these events will shape-up our lives and create our life. We have to stop being the creatures of circumstances, and start responding to the situation in a way that we want, so that we can take our life where we desire.
It's high time that we stop blaming any and every thing that happens to us, it's time we understand that responsibility is not something you have to go out and search, it's within us. It's the power that calls on to us and makes us realize that it's we are to be blamed at to whatever happens to us and no one else. Most of us are conditioned to blame someone else, for all the parts of our life that don't work. No one else can make us happy or sad; it's our own self which will do that.
We need to get back behind the wheel of our life, take control and direct the life we choose to live. Do you really think that it's the conditions of our life that brings us to the state we are in? The answer is a big "NO ". It's not the conditions but rather the decisions as to what things mean to us and what are we going to do about it, creates the real conditions of our life.
If we keep on blaming someone or something else, we will always remain bound, because we would only rely on something or someone to be responsible for how we feel, for our state of mind and our life. Ultimately it would be that someone who would be running our life and not we!! Instead we should get behind the wheel, and drive our life the way we want to, take it where we need to go rather than going with the flow.
I believe that there are two choices in our life, the conscious and the other unconscious (no rocket science in it!!). You can go with the flow, sit back, relax and let the events and the circumstances lead the river of our life and take us where ever it wants to go or we can have both your hands on the steering wheel, control your life, we make the decision as to which way we would like to go.
I don t intend to say, by taking responsibility of things, we will be able to control our life completely or we start living in self pity or blame. Yes we won't be able to control all the events of our life, but we will definitely able to make a decision on which event is important to us, and how are we going to react to it to bring an outcome.
Taking responsibility is all about being in charge, calling out our own shots, create our own world. We need to take that shift in the thinking and behavior. To turn problems in to opportunities and that the key to turn the ordinary life to something called extraordinary.
We win some we lose some, hence winning and losing in life is an internal game, no one can take our responsibility or no one can give us responsibility. it's like an internal process ,a switch within us that only needs to either be turned on of turned off.
Life for sure is an amazing adventure, but only if you perceive it to be one, we are the ones who get to steer the ship of our life and direct the course. We won't be ever able to control the wind but what we can do is direct the sail.
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing – Helen Keller
What is it for you??


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Scrumptious Deli Opening Hours
Scrumptious Deli is situated on the main street of the beautiful market town of Kirkbymoorside.
We serve homemade delights such as:
- sandwiches
- pasties
- pies
- quiches
- salad boxes
- cakes
- tarts
- tray bakes
a large selection of store cupboard goods:
- Preserves
- Chutneys
- Flour
- Cheeses
- Fresh Bread
We have a large variety of Homemade Ready Meals, including a vegetarian, and gluten free selection and can take orders for filling your freezer as well as catering for your family gatherings or picnics.
We can also make meals in your own dishes so no one need know you hadn't made it – we promise not to tell!
Good old fashioned service with a genuine interest in customers and looking after their requirements is what our wonderful staff do best and that is as important as the great food!
Mon: 09:00-14:00
Tue: 09:00-16:30
Wed: 09:00-16:30
Thu: 09:00-14:00
Fri: 09:00-16:30
Sat: 09:00-14:00
Sun: CLOSED
Tue: 09:00-16:30
Wed: 09:00-16:30
Thu: 09:00-14:00
Fri: 09:00-16:30
Sat: 09:00-14:00
Sun: CLOSED


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Story: Link, an elf-boy with pointy ears, must rescue Princess Zelda, rid the world of darkness and confront an ancient evil. Again. This time the world of twilight is trying to invade the world of light. Link must track down the pieces of various ancient artifacts in order to unlock the path to an old enemy. Again. The twist is that sometimes Link is forced to take the form of a wolf. This is explained by an impenetrable back-story involving arrogant sorcerers and incompetent sages. Again.
Gameplay: The same as the previous three 3D Zelda games. If you haven't played Ocarina of Time, then go and download that from the Wii shop right now - it's one of the best games of all time. If you have, then Twilight Princess is just like it but with better graphics and not quite as good.
I guess, if you really want me to tell you, then LoZ:TP is a third-person action-adventure game. Explore towns, villages and countryside for quests, secrets and mini-games, then enter intricate dungeons full of puzzles and monsters. The ten-or-so dungeons are unlocked in turn as the story progresses and most contain a new piece of equipment, such as a bow or grappling hook, which opens up new areas.
Save System: You can save at any time. This keeps an exact record of your current equipment but only an approximation of your position and achievements. This is OK but can occasionally be frustrating if you have to quit half way through a complex series of obstacles.
Comments: OK, for fans of the series, here's what you need to know:
- It's better than the second half of The Wind Waker...
- ...but not as good as the first half.
- The graphics are quite nice.
- The Wii controls add nothing to the experience overall.
- The GameCube version is almost certainly just as good.
For everyone else:
- This is a great game.
- Go and buy it.
- Don't read the rest of the review because, although this is a great game, all I want to do is whinge about it.
Capcom did an amazing thing with Resident Evil 4. They took a successful series that had barely changed in years, ripped it to shreds, designed it afresh and created one of the top games of the last console generation. They could so easily not have bothered. They could have left everything alone and made Resident Evil 3.5. It would probably have been great. Taken in its own right, it might have been superb. Except it would have been impossible to take in its own right, impossible to ignore the umpteen previous installments and spin-offs - the game would have felt... tired.
Twilight Princess is Zelda 3.5.
A few niggles have been dealt with - it's now possible to save in dungeons (sort of), for instance - but very little has changed since Ocarina of Time which came out nearly ten years ago. Even then, where changes have been made, they aren't always for the better.
The sections where you play as a wolf are noticeably less fun than the other parts of the game. You can't use your equipment, the game mechanics are inconsistent and the graphics go grainy. It's a relief when Link finally gains the ability to change forms at will and you only need to change back into a mutt in order to solve the occasional puzzle.
The Wii controls handily make it possible to aim directly with weapons like the bow but most sword moves require shakes and prods of the wiimote or nunchuck. These are imprecise and cause far more frustration than immersion. The whole control set-up feels fiddly. I was longing for a GameCube pad on occasion.
The dungeons are the best in any Zelda game, expertly designed and full of the kind of puzzles which require a little bit of lateral thinking rather than endless block pulling. The exploration side of things, however, is less rewarding than normal. Much of the land seems barren apart from annoying, re-spawning monsters. The prizes for uncovering secrets and winning mini-games seem hardly worth the effort of bothering. It's only quite late in the game, with most of the specialist equipment available, that the exploration really opens up and becomes fun.
Maybe I'm being harsh. Most of these grievances (and a host of others) wouldn't have registered if I wasn't so familiar with the whole concept. Taken in its own right, LoZ:TP is a great game - its only real problem is in being a sequel that has chosen bigger over better.
Conclusion: A good game in a fantastic series. Possibly the best launch game ever. Challenging, absorbing and full of neat touches.
Er, but it's still a port of a GameCube game that's barely evolved from its nearly-ten-year-old predecessor on the N64. The next Zelda seriously needs some re-invention.
Graphics: Technically the best the GameCube(!) has to offer but the colours and design can seem drab.
Length: Very long.
Rating: 5/5.


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Viral marketing, viral advertising and marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networking services and other technologies to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives.
Cloverfield is a good example because it draws viral marketing to catch many people into the theaters by keeping its viewers in the dark and shrouding itself in mystery before its release or before anything . The marketing is in relation to transmedia as it brings the movie onto different platforms or other various media. For example, the Internet and manga, a Japanese graphic novel, are considered as well as fans or moviegoers that speculate when the pieces are present and come together.
The viral marketing about the monster movie made itself different from other types as it focused on the Slusho drink and its fictional makers, Tagruato than actual characters from the movie. This move had many to think they play an important role within the movie's story-line. The marketing ploy's beginnings started with a teaser trailer during the viewing of Transformers that did not say much about the movie. The trailer had some shaky cam footage of people partying and then to panicking as debris including a decapitated head of The Statue of Liberty starts flying and ended with a release date. There is also the official site called 1-18-08.com, which showed a collection of time coded pictures. These photos have characters from the movie, a sea incident and random Japanese people. It provides visitors to interact with them by moving the pictures and organizing them. New images have been updated to the site between 2007 and 2009 and up until early 2012 has the site have been removed.
The drink Slusho! contributed to this marketing campaign as well as the fictional Tagruato company, adding more to the movie's mythos. These two companies have also made cameos or referenced in J.J. Abrams other movie and TV works. Slusho had appeared in Abrams' produced show Alias, while Tagrauto was mentioned in a TV spot for his first Star Trek film. Slusho! has a colorful website that definitely contrasts with the rest of the pre-movie information by its tone and feel. The site is littered with anime/cartoonish characters, such as a boy and a girl with pigtails and various animals like a horse, a pig, and fishes in flash animation. They promote the company's drinks with both Japanese and English texts. There are pages for distribution opportunities which is in relation with the Tagruato company. One page tells the history of Slusho! where its secret ingredient is found at the bottom of the ocean. Other pages include customer feedback with a link to the creator's email, a store that is closed, downloads for website wallpapers, Happy Talk which has positive consumer comments, information about the flavors that you can mix and match in the form of robots, and a contest for Slusho! commercials.
There are viral videos in the form of news reports but in foreign languages, Spanish, German, American, and Italian about Tagruato, a Japanese drilling company that owns Slusho!, suffering from a huge setback because of some incident or attack at the drilling site, Chaui. The footage was recorded from a helicopter that had one of the workers there shows the rig collapsing in seconds. The eco-terrorists known as Tidowave, dressed in all black and wielding firearms, are shown in a raft with some who worked on the rigged, escaping the rig site. Then debris of the rig shoots out of the ocean and hitting the raft.
Here's the American video:
Other type of merchandise includes a prequel manga which is only found online and translated into English, Cloverfield/Kishin by Yoshiki Togawa and published by Kadokawa Shoten. The manga's story focuses on a Japanese high school student who has some kind of connection to the monster. This happens during the events of the Chaui station incident and the manga talks more about Tagruato and Slusho! companies, relating to most of the viral tie-ins than the actual movie. There are new tidbits about the nature and biology of the monster and involvement of a cult.
The viral marketing for Cloverfield gave fans much to speculate with as they connect the fictional companies, the eco-terrorists, and the monster. The result tells a prelude about how what ignited the events of the movie. It's this kind of marketing that made Cloverfield into a monster hit.


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|Entry Year
|Paper title (chapter)
|Tseng SJ, Lee YH, Chen ZH, Lin HH, Lin CY, and Tang SC. Integration of optical clearing and optical sectioning microscopy for three dimensional imaging of natural biomaterial scaffolds in thin sections. Journal of Biomedical Optics. 14(4), Article Number: 044004 (9 pages), 2009
|Name of author (Chinese)
|Shiue-Cheng (Tony) Tang
|Name of author (English)
|Shiue-Cheng (Tony) Tang


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Do you adore the sound of water flowing endlessly? Or perhaps that of beautiful birds singing and chirping in a lazy afternoon? Or maybe you love watching wildlife while dining at a luxurious cottage?
Then try Masai Lodge.
Located next to Nairobi National Park, about 7 Kilometres Ongata Rongai in Kajiado County, the lodge blends well into the environment of the narrow Mbagathi river gorges, creating an atmosphere of a quiet and beautiful African wilderness.
As you step at the reception, a magnificent zebra lounge meets your eye, while the Olpul restaurant, on your left, beckons! this eco-friendly lodge has been built with natural, traditional and environment-friendly materials.
Inside the cottage, there is a flag-stone terrace running the length of the house, bordered by well-trimmed garden plants, with an attractive place to sit and enjoy the sun. And as you take a leisurely walk down near the riverside, there are two swimming pools and a small green field where children can run around and play.
The place is a haven for wildlife and home to all sorts of creatures from buffalos, lions, rhinos; elephants to warthog, with a regular visit from cheetahs and giraffes- a really enchanting sight particularly morning hours.
The 40-year-old Lodge boasts of 31 exclusive self-contained modern cottages built in the traditional Masai Manyatta style, giving one a homely, spacious and luxurious feeling. It's an ideal location to get away from the bustles and hustles of the city.
Lavish bedrooms, stylish bathrooms, and spacious seating areas create a comfortable relaxing environment to make you feel at home. All the rooms boast views of Mbagathi River and the Nairobi National Park and they are all furnished to give maximum comfort with spacious, individually designed interiors and private terraces.
The cottage also offers a breathtaking view of the Ngong hills across a rough and rugged terrain guaranteed to awaken your senses as Mbagathi River water splashes against the rocks to calm your mind.
The lodge can either be accessed through Masai gate via Nairobi National Park or 6km off the main Nairobi-Magadi highway. At Masai Lodge, it is all about nature, authentic African food, ambience, accommodation, professional staff, and exceptional service.


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This rare pre-1985 original vintage print has been produced in strictly limited edition numbers from a series of transparencies that Newton considered his most provocative and important work through 1985. Perhaps the most remarkable work, at least for its sensationalist story, in the gallery's collection is this photograph of super-model Linda Morand posing as if she might be Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The two were well known for looking alike.
Newton's satirical reportage style shoot for Vogue Paris became an iconic Vogue spread. The notorious photographs emphasize the daring, vision of Helmut Newton's creativity, his provocative perspective stretching even to the doors of the White House.
As the story goes, Richard Avedon sent a telegram of congratulations on the series to Newton and letting him know that the former First Lady was getting ready to sue for defamation of image, but she never followed through. Madame Morand, who was the Viscountess Forquet de Dorne, was mentioned as a "Certain Client" and her name was printed in the Vogue series.
This photograph has appeared in Museums and Exhibitions. The collection of vintage prints was gifted to Newton's agent Norman Solomon, in recognition of the work he had carried out in promoting Newton's "Private Property" series of exhibitions in 1985. The print comes with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Norman Solomon. The ownership rights of this print are supported by an original agreement with Newton in 1984, and supplemented by a further agreement with The Helmut Newton Estate in 2012.
This vintage print has been stored in conservation condition.
When Linda Morand hit the fashion scene in 1966, Jackie objected to a model looking so much like her, She was certainly not pleased to be the dubbed the 'older and less pretty one' according to the articles. Diana Vreeland, a longtime family friend of the Bouvier sisters agreed that the likeness should not be promoted by Vogue.
Linda decided it was better to move to Paris and stay there rather than face the former First Lady's wrath. By early 1967 Jackie was a distant memory, not a tabloid superstar as she was in the United States.
A few years later, Jacqueline Kennedy, the revered Widow married Aristotle Onassis and became a big headliner in the tabloids again.
Now known as Jackie O, the former First Lady threatened to sue Newton, Vogue and Linda Morand for use of her image. Her attorneys advised her that she had no case.
The article plainly stated that the story was about Linda Morand as a person, the type of lady who wore couture herself with her own name printed in the article. She was universally mistaken for Jacqueline Onassis striding through the streets of Paris.
Perhaps the most remarkable work
EXCERPT FROM "Memoirs of an Accidental Countess" by Linda Morand
For years wherever I went, people would come up to me and say the same phrase: "Did anyone ever tell you, you look like Jackie Kennedy?" What was I supposed to say? "Yes, you idiot, everyone has told me! And it drives me crazy." As a descendant of the highland Scots, I am a fierce individual. I felt defensive when people pointed out the likeness. What is the use of being considered beautiful if you can't be original? I didn't want to be a carbon copy of anyone. Still, it beat being a tall skinny geek who couldn't get a date in high school.
The Collections in Paris were coming up and I wanted to go. The office was crowded as a few of the top models stopped in. Eileen liked when the girls came by. She treated them like daughters. Sunny Harnett told me that Eileen would like to speak to me.
Eileen was by the table where all the bookers sat. There were charts for all the models that slid back and forth. I had been moved from the Testing Board to the Junior Board. The phone was always ringing and the bookers chatted in several languages.
"I had a talk with Diana Vreeland. " Eileen said. She is not amused that you look so much like Jacqueline Kennedy. She doesn't want you in Vogue. I am afraid you have an enemy of sorts.
"Diana and Jacqueline are very good friends. She has known Jackie since she was a child. Their families have socialized throughout the years. Diana arranged for the Dior dress and hat the Jacqueline wore at the funeral to be flown over by courier within a day. I had a feeling this would happen." Eileen shuffled some composites on her desk, the girls who were chosen to be sent to Paris. I saw mine among them. "That is why I was reluctant to sign you at first, she said. "However, we will work around it, making sure you are styled as differently as possible. You are going to Vidal Sassoon. Let's see what they can do."


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Two independent alumni organizations support the American Swiss Foundation in its outreach to past participants of the Young Leaders Conference: the Young Leaders Alumni Council in the U.S. and the Young Leaders Alumni Foundation in Switzerland. Working closely together, they host and support educational and cultural events in both countries to give alumni an opportunity to stay up-to-date and learn more about the important Swiss-American relationship. All events are open to the public.
Every three years, beginning in 2012, the alumni organizations host "Building Bridges," a three-day leadership conference and alumni reunion. It brings together Young Leaders Conference alumni and senior leaders from the U.S. and Switzerland for intensive discussions of the most pressing issues of the day.


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Beats, Brick Squad, Grant, Remix, Waka Flocka Flame, XXYYXX
WAXED OUT has officially moved to live here. Thanks for the support, @Evan_Gabriel
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that almighty turn up
Woman, Women, Wife, Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Africa, East Africa, Beauty, Rights, Love, Self Worth, Humanity, We, United.


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Robert F. Cioffi
Board of Trustees, Chair's Report
February 3, 2012
Good morning and welcome. As always, we have a full agenda so I will attempt to keep my remarks as brief as possible. Let me start by noting what an important moment this is for this Board and for the University community. Choosing a President is perhaps the most critical task of a Board of Trustees, and the past two weeks spent engaging our final candidates can only be described as exceptionally positive for everyone involved. And having observed and participated in the entire process, I want to state for the record: We should all be very, very proud of The University of Vermont for who we are, where we are, and for all we have accomplished together.
There is nothing like external validation to help us see ourselves more clearly. We attracted a group of truly exceptional candidates to seek the presidency ... something I do not think we would have been able to do if we weren't in such a positive position as an institution. To a person, our final candidates extolled our virtues, values, and accomplishments, and reminded us what a special place this is. Our community showed its best features as well as its challenges, in a warm, respectful, positive way, and as Chair of the Search Committee I could not be more pleased and appreciative of how well the process has gone.
From the great press coverage we have received to the broad engagement of the Campus and Vermont communities to the feedback we have received from 98% of those who interviewed the candidates; this has been a spectacularly successful series of visits. When was the last time you heard of a 98% return rate on anything?? Remember that the next time you hear someone say that UVM is an apathetic place! My profound thanks to all those who have participated in this important effort, especially our very dedicated Search Committee, and the person who has looked after each and every detail with flawless precision and good humor, Gary Derr. I have every confidence that the fruits of our labors will be displayed soon in an exceptional new leader for UVM.
This is our first Board meeting of 2012. Take just a moment and think back one year to February, 2011. Who could have predicted the wild ride we were about to take, and the tumultuous period that lay ahead. I am not going to relive 2011 in detail, but I will tell you that our challenges commanded mine and this Board's full attention, and there were times that I didn't know how things would turn out.
Now, a year later, let's look at where we are. We are attracting amazing individuals who want to be our next leader. Relations with the administration in Montpelier have improved greatly. The Governor wants to invest more in UVM. Our enrollment picture remains strong. Faculty continue to receive national and international acclaim for their work. The talent, performance, and potential of our students is outstanding. Our hardworking staff keeps the place going forward. Our alumni support us and are proud of their University. We are working to make important strategic choices that will strengthen our future. In other words: Despite our challenges, we are in good condition.
Our ability to transcend the difficulties of the past year has been fueled by the members of this dynamic and engaged community, who continue to believe in the compelling, vigorous force for good that UVM represents, and its potential to be even better. We owe thanks to so many who have contributed to our current success - far too many to name here. But let me use the Chair's prerogative and name one: Our Interim President, John Bramley. John, without your leadership, relationships, and love for this place, John, we would not be in the enviably strong position we are in today. Your re-engagement with us has been our incredible good fortune. Thank you, John, for all you have done for us in these six short months, and all that you will continue to do before wrapping up this summer. (applause).
There is another person I want to mention, even though she is not here today and is enjoying some warmer climes. Karen Meyer has officially retired, effective just a few days ago, and I want to take a moment to recognize and thank her for her many accomplishments in her eight years as Vice President for Government Relations. Karen will continue to offer some part time assistance to us and to John in the important work of the committee appointed by the Governor that is examining UVM's relationship to Vermont. As you know, Karen is a former member of this Board, and has now accepted a position on the Board of the UVM Foundation for which we are most grateful. Please join me in thanking Karen Meyer for her many contributions to UVM. (applause).
In closing, I wish to note that the UVM Board will meet tomorrow to discuss candidates to welcome to the Board by March 1. Let me make a prediction: Lisa Ventriss will be among them. We also welcome today our new Student Trustee, Dennis Mahoney, who will be replacing our retiring student Trustee, Brian Sozansky. Welcome, Dennis.
And speaking of retiring Trustees, we will have an opportunity to honor them individually at dinner tonight, but I cannot let this moment pass without collectively recognizing them: Brian Sozansky, John Hilton, and my predecessor as Chair, Ian Boyce. Gentlemen: We salute you and thank you for your excellent and unselfish service to this Board. (applause).
This concludes my report.
Last modified September 21 2013 06:48 AM


text: This year's Cadence, the ASFA student literary magazine, is in the final stages of production; we're hoping to have it ready for public consumption by mid-May. Here's the cover — with thanks and much respect to ASFA Visual Arts senior Jessica Whidden, who provided the fantastic cover art. In addition to our usual fare of extraordinarily precocious literary art — courtesy of our inimitable ASFA-CW students — this year, Cadence also includes the first-place winners in our inaugural Aspiring Minds regional poetry contests. We couldn't be more excited and gratified to be bringing their work to more eyes and minds across the state.


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Dealing with the Past, Pt 4
The more I continue in the Christian life, the more I am convinced of how crucial it is to be balanced. In fact, to be balanced as a Christian we will make you seem at times as though you are contradicting yourself and talking 'out both sides of your mouth'. This is no less the case when it comes to dealing with your past in a biblical way. In the last post we saw that the scripture does not teach that we should totally forget our past sins once they have been forgiven. However, as contradictory as it may sound, the scripture teaches that we should forget the past. Huh?!?!?? See what I mean? It sounds contradictory. But it is not. It is all about perspective. The scripture teaches that from one perspective we are not to forget. It is a means to keep us humble and praise the glorious Christ who has saved us out of our mess. Yet, the scripture teaches us that from another perspective we are to forget it and leave it behind us. Read more
Dealing with the Past, Pt 3
Should we forget past sin once it is forgiven? It might seem it, especially in light of a verse like Hebrews 8:12, "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more" (NAS). That is one of the chief blessings of the New Covenant. When a sinner is brought to repentance and faith in Christ God forgives and forgets his sin. However, a verse like that is sometimes misunderstood. That New Covenant promise simply means that God does not remember our sins against us and treats us accordingly. It does not mean that He suffers from self-inflicted amnesia and is no longer conscious of our past sins. It is important that we recognize that because if we think that the former is the case, then it can lead to wrong applications to Christian experience. Perhaps you have heard it said, "God has forgotten my past, and therefore, so should I. From this moment on, I will never again reflect upon my past life of sin." Now that is commendable because it is an effort to express just how completely God has forgiven us, but it is not an accurate application. Ironically, it robs the Christian of blessing and motivation. Should we remember our past? Absolutely. Read more


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I had deluded myself into thinking that I would be once more liberated to navigate a New England spring on the bike. Previous years' efforts — skiing, marathon running, recovery — and a lack of urgency had delayed the start of my road seasons to sufficiently better weather conditions. Subcribed, as I had become, to my diligent plan of base preparation and acknowlegding that the required volume no longer permitted indoor training, there remained no choice but to get out there and ride.
And so I did.
At first, I marveled at the absurdity of me, on a bike, weather in the 30's. I was extreme in my haberdashery on the preliminary outings; subsequently underdressed thereafter until I upgrade and updated my wardrobe to include a new pair of Castelli winter cycling tights — a garment for which I had foolishly believed I would no longer have any need and had long since discarded. However windburn, cold thighs and dick freeze demanded recourse and the redress was maximally enjoyable. In the words of Ned Flanders, "it's like wearing nothing at all."


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Posted on April 10, 2019
This project is close to my heart. I was having a rough winter. Working through the feelings that come with loss, sickness, grief. I was feeling so low. I felt like God put on my heart to reach out to other women and to lift them up. To create a session where I could help them see how beautiful they are. How worthwhile they are. The song Beautiful, by Mercy Me, really fit with what I wanted to say and express. I reached out to my photography followers to ask if anyone would want to join me for this project. I had the perfect volunteers. Women who I love and respect and who I really enjoyed hanging out with for an evening of photography and gabbing and laughter. I love all of these ladies so much. Each one is making it through life in their own way. Each one has things they are excited for and looking forward to. Things they are working on. I hope you love this project to. I hope it speaks to your heart. You are beautiful, you are treasured, you are loved!
Category: Beautiful You Sessions, Uncategorized Tagged: beautiful hearts, beautiful inside and out, beautiful women, beautiful you, chewelah washington photographer, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Photographer, colville washington photographer, Deer Park Washington Photographer, healing, loon lake washington photographer, love, love & honey photography, sacred, self love, Spokane Washington Photographer, spokane wedding photographer, valley washington photographer, women


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My thanks to Glen of Filthie's Thunderbox for the latest news. It seems that a fellow blogger, Bob Wallace of Uncle Bob's Treehouse, has passed away unexpectedly and will be sorely missed by his readers.
Glen decided to honor Bob with First Ever Bob Wallace Memorial Campout, which I would have attended had I known about it, had a trailer similar to Bob's, and been able to get a valid passport in time. But I didn't, I don't, and I am unable.
The thing about establishing a presence on the Internet is that you attract more than your fair share of weasels, trolls, and x-wing nasties, a very few of whom mean business and pose credible threats. Bob didn't care much about this - just read a few of his posts and you'll understand why.
Most bloggers eventually run out of steam, posts become fewer and fewer until the most recent post is two years old. Eventually the blog makes its way to the electronic graveyard, the disk space is reclaimed, and the universe continues to create idiots.
At the end of it all, no one knows what happened. In many cases no one ever met the author personally or even knows the author's real name. And so, when he eventually dies, nothing much can be said about him except the usual recriminations - I wish I'd (fill in the blank). Bob was an irascible sort and a good writer. He made the blogosphere a slightly better place, and I'll miss him.
Here's a link to his obituary, such as it is:
Robert Wallace Jr. | 1956 - 2017 | Obituary
Bob worked at the Granite City warehouses and wrote his own blog, Uncle Bob's Treehouse.
Tonight at some point I'll hoist one for Bob. Maybe two.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Life is Tedious
I was grexing at myself because I haven't accomplished much lately. But over the last couple days I managed to open a checking / savings account at a local credit union, which has been an uphill struggle all the way. First they wanted some form of ID that I don't have, since my driver's license hasn't been changed over yet. When I finally got a utility bill that they'd accept, this brain damaged clerk kept me waiting in the lobby for 20 minutes before he'd condescend to begin the process, and the entire business took an hour and a half. This guy was a real ding-a-ling, but I finally got the accounts opened and money deposited.
Then I managed to find bags for both (upstairs and downstairs) vacuum cleaners and get the bags changed out - without creating a haz-mat spill on the living room floor.
Then, while I'm busy feeling sorry for myself, I learned that John Meilink's Significant Other, Cindy Zuccarell, is in the hospital due to broken bones and significant health problems. Cindy is a real nice person and really doesn't deserve this. I think that prayers for her would be appreciated.
We have T-Storms in Columbus, so between the T-Storms interfering with the TV reception and the stupid warnings running all over the picture, watching Gunsmoke reruns is out. T-Storm warnings? Really? All you have to do is look outside - look up, genius. See the dark clouds? That means rain. Those bright flashes are lighting, which is your cue to grab a ten foot metal pole and go play wave the pole at the astronauts in the rain.
I'm going to the bookstore, then to lunch.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Quality of Fiction
I enjoy reading Sarah A Hoyt's blog, and as a result I hooked up with the disreputable but friendly folks over at Bad Novelist. A long and somewhat perilous walk later, I found myself the recipient of a stack of free literature for my Kindle Keyboard and entered into an online raffle: Announcing the Wrongthink Sci-Fi Giveaway. Naturally I didn't win anything, but I didn't expect to win anything, so that's a wash.
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About // David Wishnia
David Wishnia | Cello
An active chamber musician, David Wishnia (cello) routinely concertizes with both the Circadian String Quartet and the Villa Piano Trio, and has taught at the Zephyr Point Chamber Music Camp and Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop. David has also appeared as a soloist with the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra and Villa Sinfonia. He is currently a member of the Marin Symphony, and has performed in numerous Bay Area ensembles, including the Berkeley Symphony, Modesto Symphony, Sacramento Symphony, Russian Chamber Orchestra, and Marin Oratorio, among others. David received his Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music, where he studied with Aldo Parisot. He also studied with Jerome Carrington and Maurice Gendron, and received coaching from Paul Tortelier, Janos Starker, and Pierre Pasquier.


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Chance the Rapper – Colouring Book
After 3 years of heavy anticipation, Chance the Rapper is back with the third installation of his mixtape and potentially the last solo project for a while. The highly acclaimed mixtape comes after his contributions to Kanye's The Life of Pablo and collaborative project Surf with alongside his band full of eclectic personalities, The Social Experiment. Colouring Book features guest vocals from the likes of Kanye West and Lil Wayne to Future, Justin Bieber and T-Pain. Sonically diverse and verging on sound breaking, Colouring Book does not stray far from Chance's own stories about his relationships with music, religion and his home life, whilst collaborating with experimental producers to creating arguably the most divergent atmosphere in one album in 2016.
Colouring Book opens with 'All We Got', a collaboration with Kanye West and the Chicago Children's Choir. Instantly introducing the platform that he has always stood by, Chance speaks on the importance of music providing hope to whoever needs it, such as children in the featured choir. Similarly to All We Got, Summer Friends has got the magical touch of Francis & The Light. Francis & The Light brings the choir vibe that echoes through the mixtape and metamorphosis's it into a futuristic sound by layering the same vocals over each other.
There is no doubt that religion has played a large role in Chance's life, yet this album sees him push this to the forefront. 'Blessings' is a profoundly personal track where Chance bows down to his God and thanks him for blessing him with the success that he has encountered through his music; not only in regards to the industry but also the birth of his daughter. He also touches on the hot topic of the "Black Lives Matter" campaign. 'How Great' has significant meaning to Chance, but is a notable song in the Christian community. He again continues the heavy religious theme, beginning with the hymn sung by his cousin and then rapping himself.
'Mixtape' is the 7th track on the mixtape and continues the theme of value and authenticity of music over the business side that is now the driving force of many artists. Mixtape suitably features Atlanta rappers Young Thug and relatively newcomer Lil Yachty. Both fit the songs sound very well as it is very Atlanta-trap music based, even through to the vocals of Chance. It is great to see how Chance alters his voice to all different style of rap and switches his flow to fit with his collaborators, yet still, sustain his authenticity. Another example of this is 'Smoke Break' featuring Future.
Moving swiftly to 'No Problem', a warning anthem to those who threaten to pose any threats to Chance's creative process in making his music. As he states, this was an issue with some artists that feature on his album as record labels interfered heavily. Nevertheless, 'You Don't Want No Problems With Me' will be the anthem of the all summer.
The colourful production by Sox and Lido on 'Angels' really brings together the vocals of Chance and Saba. Again, the choir feature can be heard here as well, in addition to steel pans and the aquatic-sounding beat, bringing us contemporary '90s RnB/Hip Hop vibes. Despite sounding like a sexual and sensual R.Kelly type song, 'Juke Jams' is actually speaking on the innocent aspects of a relationship. it is refreshing to hear a rapper speak on his lack of sexual game, rather than what we usually hear.
'All Night' is the one. And I mean the one. This juicy dance song is sure to get everyone moving. For some reason, I believe this is a track that the late Michael Jackson would have heavily endorsed. This song gives all types of summer bbq vibes, featuring an authentic 1980's Chicago style house music. With its infectious music and catchy and repetitive chorus sang by Knox Fortune, Chance is a little more playful in this. He takes a different more vibrant and colourful turn rapping about people taking advantage of his fame. The only negative aspect about this track is how short it is. The infectiousness of the track really could have been played out for longer with another verse by Chance or a breakdown of the trumpets, but alas… we settle with two minutes and twenty-two seconds to keep fuelling those summer vibes.
'Finish Line' concludes the overt religious theme and is truly a great gospel rap song. The split track, featuring actual gospel singers and the reappearance of the Chicago's Children's Choir, contains joyous uplifting moments and moments of prayer. It truly feeds into the authenticity of a gospel church and praise and worship music.
Colouring Book is a carefully crafted manifestation of Chance's personally influential experiences and life lessons, with a concluding theme running through it. Relatable, real and raw, Chance really has taken care to not create a masterpiece but to create a record that truly reflects his growth and showcase his greatest life moments. Not only is this admirable to hear the craftwork of this young Chicago rapper, but it is done in a way that shows the different styles that he can play with.


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Deus Ex: Mankind Divided's Latest Trailer Is A Perfect Introduction
Square Enix's Deus Ex: Mankind Divided has just gotten a very in-depth six minute trailer that deftly explains the backstory, gameplay, and world of the upcoming title.
Set in the year 2029 (not long now guys) we follow the exploits of gruff security expert Adam Jensen. The trailer tells of a dystopian sci-fi future in which cybernetically augmented humans are persecuted for being different, a-la Blade Runner.
As it happens, our Jensen has a few cybernetic enhancements himself. He fights terrorism as part of a team that don't entirely trust him, because… well because he has metal arms I guess. Or something.
It's not long before Jensen uncovers a conspiracy, and the trailer goes on to highlight all of the new abilities our hero has learned since 2011's Deus Ex: Human Revolution. You'll now be able customise your weapons, shoot explosives, and harness an awesome looking exoskeleton that serves as a shield.
Going in all guns blazing or sneaking through and avoiding fatalities can also play a part in how other characters react to you, so that should make for some interesting moments. Check out the trailer below.
On a separate note, Square Enix has revealed a few different special editions of the game, after cancelling its widely panned pre-order program.
If you didn't know, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided's "augmented pre-orders" scheme was a hot mess, a multi tiered convoluted catastrophe of an idea that no one really liked, much less understood. Take a look at it below.
But that's all in the past. We now have the standard Day One Edition for $59.99 (about £40). That comes with the game, along with a digital OST sampler, a few digital books, an extra in-game mission, and a Covert Agent Pack that includes various weapons, skins, and the like.
Then there's the Collector's Edition, for those of you with deeper pockets. It's $139.99 (about £96) and includes all Day One content as well as a nine-inch Adam Jensen figurine, a 48-page Titan art book, a steelbook (I love a good steelbook), and an exclusive black and gold prism box.
Feast your eyes on that below.
There's also a Digital Deluxe Edition for $89.99 (about £62) that includes the Day One Edition gear, along with a Season Pass.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided launches August 23 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Topics: News


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When you want the top massage in South Minneapolis, you just need the Zeel app. Order a massage for delivery from one of our great Zeel Massage Therapists in Minneapolis, and choose your massage therapy technique to cure neck pain and back pain: Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, prenatal massage, or sports massage.


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I see you have navigated straight to the Shameless TV Store. Lucky you! Here you will find direct links to new and upcoming TV Shows on DVD as you probably found in the "TV on DVD" page of this site. Well, I wish you happy shopping. Check out the direct links below or go straight to the Shameless TV Store and start shopping immediately.
Dexter, The Complete Second Season – August 19, 2008
Grey's Anatomy, The Complete 4th Season – September 9, 2008
Dirty Sexy Money, The complete 1st Season Exposed – September 16, 2008
Private Practice, the Complete 1st Season – September 16, 2008
Samantha Who? the Complete 1st Season – September 23, 2008


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Women's Classic Black Linen Western Shirt
$120.00Style No: 748-BLK-SML-XS
Only 1 left
When you wear linen think Casablanca...Ingrid Bergman does Bozeman. Nothing like 100% linen on a hot summer day. It feels cool, as do you in this Rockmount classic featuring signature Sawtooth pockets & vintage 3 point cuff. Rugged double needle construction, tapered fit with darts. Imported. Also available in other colors and for men.
Product Details
- Cool & comfortable 100% linen
- Sawtooth pockets
- 3 Point cuff
- Tapered fit with darts


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Tribe Members to Weigh in at WA Coal Plant Hearing
SPOKANE, Wash. - A packed house is expected Tuesday at the Spokane County Fairgrounds for a hearing about a coal terminal planned for western Washington, near Bellingham. Some concerned citizens coming to add their comments do not live anywhere near the terminal, or even in Washington, including members of Montana's Northern Cheyenne tribe. But they are concerned that making it easier to ship coal to China means more coal mines in their area, and the resulting negative effects on water, air and land.
Alexis Bonogofsky, manager of tribal partnerships for the National Wildlife Federation, says they believe every facet of coal production must be considered in order to get an accurate environmental assessment.
"What's really important for us is to show them that it's all connected, that these aren't just discrete impacts. The mines are connected to the ports and are connected to the rail lines - and they have to look at the impacts all the way from the mine to the port."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is holding the hearing to help determine what should be included in an environmental impact study of the coal terminal project. The Corps wants to hear about issues from air quality and public safety to the transportation impact of increased rail traffic.
The Northern Cheyenne land contains coal deposits, and some tribal members say they should be making money from a mining boom. But Bonogofsky points out that the tribe has already enacted some of the nation's strictest air- and water-quality standards, and other members are not willing to compromise them. She says they are just as concerned about other new ports being planned along the West Coast.
"If these ports get built, then southeastern Montana becomes a sacrifice area for an Asian coal export market. They don't want their cultural sites destroyed; they don't want their air quality and their water quality impacted."
She says some tribe members are also protesting a new rail line proposed for coal shipments that borders their reservation and parallels the Tongue River, linking mines in Wyoming and Montana.
The hearing starts at 4 p.m.; a rally and news conference precede it.


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The Ghost of the Mary Celeste (Compact Disc)
In 1872, the American merchant vessel Mary Celeste was discovered adrift off the coast of Spain. Her cargo was intact, but the crew was gone. They were never found. While on a voyage to Africa, an unproven young writer named Arthur Conan Doyle hears of the Mary Celeste and decides to write an outlandish story about what took place. This story causes quite a sensation back in the United States, particularly between sought-after Philadelphia spiritualist medium Violet Petra and a journalist named Phoebe Grant, who is seeking to expose Petra as a fraud. These three elements - a ship found sailing without a crew, a famous writer on the verge of enormous success, and the rise of an unorthodox and heretical religious fervor - converge in unexpected ways.
About the Author
Valerie Martin is the author of nine novels, including Trespass, Italian Fever, The Great Divorce, Mary Reilly, and the 2003 Orange Prize-winning Property and of three collections of short fiction. READER BIOSusie Berneis is a professional voiceover artist. She has a BA in English and theatre from the University of Michigan and 20 plus years of community theatre experience. Once a Jill-of-all-trades, she is now happily ensconced in the voiceover and audiobook world.


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Pure, direct democracy is an unfeasible and unattainable aim.
The people have proved they simply cannot be trusted with it.
Like a big fat baby gurgling lumpy phlegm they throw the right across the room like a rattle in a fit of tantrum, not realising that the vote actually means something, that the rattle is made of titanium and can crack the wall.
Of course, the people could be trusted with direct democracy if they were properly informed. Perhaps they could make educated and tempered decisions en masse; perhaps national conversations would be possible without resorting to slogans and clumsy statistics recited into oblivion until the breath that gives utterance to them forms a giant swirling vortex and all forms of intelligence and knowledge are sucked down into it and we forget what thinking even is. Perhaps we could have a population all on the same page as to the best path for humanity to take.
But who has the time to get properly informed, to gain a comprehensive and explorative understanding of any given issue, let alone all of them? You do not have the time. And nor should you be expected to make the time. The majority of us were not put on this earth to contemplate philosophical, ideological or pragmatic ramifications of policy. We elect representatives because they do have the time; it is literally their job to be properly informed, to cut behind the media's bullshit, behind misinformation and misunderstanding; to gain a broad and overarching view.
People want to enjoy their lives. They want to finish work and be allowed to zone out, to relish in their leisure time. They do not and, if the system was well, would not, be obligated to be as informed on matters of complex policy as politicians are so as to become de facto captains of our collective ship.
Of course, it could be that we enact ample media regulation, for instance, or campaign regulation, so that the people are well enough informed (because those informing them are prohibited under pain of penalty from misinforming them) so that they are theoretically capable of making the decisions required of them in a pure democracy – their personal prejudices notwithstanding (or made irrelevant through enlightenment).
The print media in the UK, for instance, is – you may be surprised to know (or not, having seen the bottom feeding content of the tabloids) – entirely self-regulating. It has established Independent Press Standards Commission of its own volition. The only sanction if a consumer complaint is deemed valid? That the paper publish the PCC's finding, and/or a fine.
But of course, regulation of the media is a slippery slope. Even when proposals seem wholly for good, one must always question the loopholes they may give rise to for the regulators and the regulators' influencers, and the motivations of those drawing up the laws. Perhaps statutory regulation would give rise to a maelstrom of complications.
So then, media regulation is without doubt a dire necessity. The abhorrent, despicable, retrograde, embarrassing, childish, stupid front-page reactions to the High Court Brexit litigation by the Daily Mail et al shows this. And so too is campaign regulation a necessity. The abomination of the £350 million lie, and how it went unchallenged until recently when a complaint was made to the Crown Prosecution Service under the Representation of the People Act 1983 (now it is too late) proves this. Although both are necessary, neither can be as comprehensive as each of us in our personal inclinations would perhaps wish them to be. Since thereafter bias has the potential to follow.
One may say the internet means that a universe of information has been opened up to us. We can draw one story from Breitbart, another from the Guardian, and yet another from Buzzfeed and we can be ensured that we are chewing on all sides of the fat. But unfortunately that just does not happen. The people cannot be trusted. They plop themselves in their echo chambers and scream and delight in hearing their intonations crash back to them a million times louder.
We must entrust policy and major decisions to representatives. But this comes with the crucial caveat that those representatives be accountable more so than they are now. To us. As it is meant to be. We decide the ideology we want our species to represent and we ensure that the policies of our governments are dictated within the boundaries of said ideology through the use and utilisation of proper laws, checks, balances and regulation.
Our representatives cannot, as a prerequisite, be allowed to be influenced by self-interested lobbyists or bloated financial or corporate interests.
MPs expenses, lobbying transparency and limitation, backroom trade deals like TTIP, MPs' employment before and after Parliament, and campaign funding are all particular flashpoints of the battle over this dearth of regulation. But there are many others, all in need of tightening and reforming as part of a bolstering of the girders of our great political and legal system.
A representative democracy – as would a pure democracy – also necessitates fostering a culture of intellectualism. It means bridging the gap between the academy and the builder, between scholars and scaffolders; thinks tanks and warehouse workers. I call bullshit on the claim that the British people are tired of experts. What the British people are tired of is condescension. What people everywhere are tired of is condescension. And if 2016 has taught us anything, it is that condescension breeds populism, which rises like the perennial serpent to bite us all in the ass.
So no, the people cannot be trusted with pure, direct democracy.
But this is not to despair. This is not to render you an impotent observer watching in conscious paralysis as your betters carve up your beating cadaver. For a representative democracy comes with a crucial benefit. It means that you may holler and scream in favour of the cause you promote through whatever medium you choose in the hope people flock to you and the government hears, and when they do, you are absolved of the responsibility of making it work. It is up to them. They are your representatives; they must represent your interests.
So, if you reject being detached from democracy like this, then there are routes in to the fray for those so inclined. You need not run for Parliament.
You could write, for instance. Write and disseminate your views.
That is how policy should and usually is made. First the people stir; then the intellectuals write about the opinions and examine them, validate them if they are deserved of validation; then the active sea change occurs within the ranks of the population and opinion shifts and then, finally, the politicians enact the people's will if it is sensible and has passed through the various filters and, fundamentally, they are pressured enough.
Take gay marriage for instance. The LGBTQ community owes no debt of gratitude to Cameron's government for legalising it. Nor are any of the companies now cynically promoting LGBTQ rights as if they did all along deserved of congratulation. All they did was rubberstamp something the people had already decided amongst themselves. That is one of the government's jobs. They are the final filter, the final legitimating force – legitimate themselves only because we trust that they will act as such.
Life is about balance. Populism belies that balance. Populism is a reaction to a detached political class and to gross inequality. But, though understandable – we are human after all – it is the wrong reaction. What is required is considered, informed, unified pressure on our representatives. This itself is dependent on a reformed system, which we can only achieve through revolution. A system built so that checks and balances are better placed. We cannot rid ourselves of representatives; they are what ensure our civilization.
Representative democracy also comes with a duty, because no checks and no balances are without corners around which psychopathic politicians can peer to find the boundless freedom of corruption beyond. This duty is eternal vigilance. It was said that every generation must have its revolution. This is the price we pay.
The necessity for representative democracy, as oppose to populism or direct rule by the many, is that if done properly, it makes ignorant reactionism impossible. Because policy is dictated by ideology arrived at by the process above mentioned, rather than ideology being an unfortunate concomitant of policies arrived at as knee jerk reactions by the majority, it means that a solid foundation is built from which to construct policy and sensible, informed decisions in response to contemporary issues.
Plato, after all, said that "Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty". Looking at the blonde-haired demagogue who got so popular so recently, and the state of discourse on our Emerald Isle after a vote, essentially, for isolationism, I would be inclined to agree with him.
Balance must be restored through understanding and being informed. Not despite being human, but exactly because we are human – the most intelligent and adaptable species we know of.
I urge you to get involved in one aspect or another, whether activism or contribution to the intellectual ether. And if you do not want to, then that is exactly why you cannot be trusted with direct democracy, and that is fine.


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A couple of weeks ago I popped into my local opticians for my regular two-yearly eye test. It was good news all round as my eyesight has not deteriorated over the last two years, so my prescription is still the same and I did not need to purchase any new reading glasses thus saving me a bit of money this month. This meant that I could spend some of it on doing something hobby related with. I decided to pick up a pair of close-work reading glasses with a focal length of about 25cms. These would take a week or so to make for me.
I picked up my new glasses at the beginning of this week and I have been trying them out. They certainly make up-close stuff more easy to focus on and I can now see my miniatures reasonably well. I have been busy working these last two days on my Gondorian army again; cutting minis from the sprues, glueing them together and generally re-thinking what I want to do with this army. I can also now focus quite well on the small details on my LotR minis when they are bare metal, undercoated black and when painted - a vast improvement on my normal vision and indeed over my reading glasses (which allow me to see the figures well at arms length but, alas, not close enough to see the detail well enough to paint). Proof is in the pudding as they say, so I will attempt to get some painting done later this week when I have finished with the modelling side of things.
First up though, I thought I would show off a few of the miniatures I cut off the sprues and cleaned up in readiness for undercoating (which may have to wait until the spring and the better weather it brings).
Here are some Warlord Games Pike & Shotte plastic horses that work well for putting metal mounted minis on without the usual leg breakage that occurs with the official Minas Tirith mounts. I got this idea from joe5mc's blog here at The Renaissance Troll.
The second problem I have come across (noticed this today) is the lack of variety of the horses in the new Knights of Minas Tirith set. It is wonderful that you get six unique left sides with the heads attached but only two right sides are available.
I have two sets of these to make up and slot in with the set I already glued and undercoated last year, so variety would be most useful. I will try some swapping around of parts, but I fear that some "silly" poses will come of this and as a result I would rather have duplicate poses than unrealistic ones. I will see what I can do later on today when I get onto them.
This is my first post back in rather a long time. The sudden death of my father really put the kibosh on my hobby and pretty much a lot of other things too for a while. Add to this a very busy contract up until the Christmas break and I have had little time for much more than the occasional trip to the pub with a few friends. I have, however, been posting on my other blog, The Taplow Horn, which logs my forays into pubs and ales of distinction.
I am hoping to get my hobby mojo back by actually doing something other than reading rule books and other peoples' blogs (good though they are). I am currently out of contract and looking for a new role, so in between looking for a new job and sorting out the kids for school I am hoping to get an hour or two per day to indulge in my hobby. So far I have de-sprued and glued up a stack of Gondorian troops in readiness for a Spring attack. Once these are all cleaned up, I will get back to the archers I left mid-painting last year. These will have a simple paint job so that they are tabletop ready and thus available as soon as possible to get a few games in.


text: Not even an hour after I posted how we finally have a nurse that we like picking up 2 days a week, I get a call from our agency saying that she can only do 1 day, and it is much shorter than we had planned. Ugh!!! I guess 1 short day is better then none, but so frustrating.