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A Western Winter Wonderland is a new holiday anthology due out in October from Harlequin Historicals. It has everything I love in a holiday anthology. Quick, heartwarming reads that leave me with a warm satisfying afterglow.
Cheryl St. John headlines with Christmas Day Family. Marvel Henley is an old maid. As in 33. Positively ancient for a never-married woman in 1886. When her father took ill, Marvel cared for him. When money started running out, she took in borders - which is what she's been doing ever since her father passed. She has a comfortable life. A good life. And even turns down a marriage proposal from an old (as in, old enough to be her father) family friend. Life is going smoothly, and then the new town doctor shows up. Marvel agreed to board Seth Paxton as a temporary arrangement. She certainly wasn't counting on him bringing two small children and a dog with him.
What I really enjoyed about this story was that Marvel is a very capable heroine. She's got a comfortable life, and is content. She just doesn't realize her life could be even better - and that's where Seth comes in. But Marvel is unsure. Seth is very handsome, and younger than she is. What would he want with an old maid? This is classic St. John. If you've liked her stories in the past, this one is going to work for you.
Fallen Angel by Jenna Kernan finds single mother Abby March hunting for a Christmas tree with her son, Daniel. Unfortunately they unwittingly stumble across a wanted man facing off with bounty hunter, Ford Statler. Daniel ends up saving Ford's life, but Abby is accidentally shot. Ford takes her back to town, puts her up in a fancy hotel room and nurses her back to health. Conflict arises from his haunted past and her disastrous relationship with Daniel's father.
I love "cabin" stories, where the couple finds themselves sharing close quarters. This one is great, because Abby has preconceived notions about Ford, and he shatters them at every turn. I also loved the way this one ended, with Abby taking matters into her own hands.
One Magic Eve by Pam Crooks features a heroine with an unusual occupation. Sonja Kaplan trains carrier pigeons for the U.S. Army. Unfortunately she's single, secretive about her work, and has numerous soldiers calling on her at her isolated cabin. I mean, what are the good townsfolk supposed to think? Young Beau Lattimer rescues an injured pup in the woods, and decides to take him to Sonja's. She's good with birds, maybe she's good with dogs too! That's where Chet Lattimer finds his son, and when his boy makes a connection with the mysterious Sonja, Chet decides that maybe spending more time getting to know the woman might not be the worst thing in the world.
Chet's a respected man drawn to Sonja, but unsure what to think when he finds her keeping company with Indian braves and military men. Once he learns the truth, he finds himself even more attracted to her, and is grateful for the help she gives him with his son. He didn't know Beau existed until after his mother died, and Chet's been a bit out of sorts ever since.
All of these were quick, heartwarming reads - perfect holiday fare. These are sweet reads, with no s-e-x to speak of, which frankly is a good thing because it fits within the context of all the stories. It's the kind of book you can give your grandmother or your 12-year-old daughter and not worry about having lengthy discussions on "the smut you're reading" or the "birds-and-bees." Basically this bad boy is my very definition of a comfort read. Buy it now and save it for Christmas Eve. Final Grade = B+


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Thunderbeam Development Access is live. Kickstarter backers check your email and spam filters for download keys and links. We'll be refreshing this site soon as well. http://thunderbeamgame.com.Wiley Wiggins, May 01, 2019
As we were working on the piece of code that randomly creates space cadets for Thunderbeam, it gradually started becoming funny enough that thought we'd share it with you to play with while we continue to chip away at the whole game. Right now you can flip through an infinite(ish) number of characters and share the ones you like, as we get closer to finishing the whole game you will be able to save characters you like and play as them in Thunderbeam. You can grab the cadet generator free on the App Store now! Unlike the full game, this will work on iPhones as well as iPads. Tweet us your favorite cadets! Adding a little well-placed, procedurally-generated content to Thunderbeam has been important to us from day one. Beyond just being frequently funny, it adds a splash of scale and chaos to the universe of the game. James has come back to the project this month after a hiatus and the first thing he did was create a cool prototype for the game's galaxy generator. This populates your navigation charts with random worlds off the beaten path of the game's story that can be explored. We're attempting to do this in a way that suggests a lot with just a little, and breaks the sometimes stifling linear plot-paths of classic adventure games. We'll be posting more details and images from the game in progress soon!
🍔🍔🍕🍅🍕🍔🍔🍕🍅🍕🍔🍕🍅🍕🍔🍔🍕🍅🍕🍔During the course of our work on Thunderbeam, James made a much smaller game as an iOS coding exercise. I paired him with our creature animator Stuart Holgate and The Octopus Project to put a little polish on it, and we ended up with a pretty cool little game in its own right: Frankenfoods. Frankenfoods is a turn-based strategy game, where you try to lure killer food into randomly placed booby-traps. It's 99 cents all this week, and any money we raise with it will help towards continued work on Thunderbeam. We love playing it during breaks in work and we're interested to see if anyone can beat our high scores!
🍔🍔🍕🍅🍕🍔🍔🍕🍅🍕🍔🍕🍅🍕🍔🍔🍕🍅🍕🍔It's been a difficult journey trying to juggle day jobs and our dream of making games full-time, and we've each gone through a lot in the process. Thanks again for your initial support, we wouldn't have been able to start this strange trip if you hadn't been there for us when the idea was born. You can always keep in touch with us on twitter at @karakasagames and at karakasagames.com Wiley Wiggins, August 13, 2015
When you are working on your first big game project- one that involves years of work and thousands of dollars to pull off, talking about the downsides of the work can be difficult. During hard times, it doesn't always feel right to talk about your troubles publicly. You don't want to give a negative impression of the project to folks who might be interested in it. But making games is a really painstaking process, and from the majority of other developers I've talked to, the bliss of game development is pretty much always punctuated by pain and difficulty. With that in mind, MAN, Novemeber, December and January have been really hard for our adventure game, Thunderbeam. While we were lucky enough to pull off a modest Kickstarter campaign (20k) back when the game was mostly just a glimmer in our collective eyes, it was obvious after about a year of work that we wouldn't ever finish with all of us splitting time between dayjobs and the game. We brought on a dedicated programmer, Paul, and Scott and I started paying him and artists out-of-pocket after our Kickstarter funds ran out. After a really productive month in October, Paul had to take a full time dayjob, I got cut from a dayjob that I had taken to pay contractors, and a team member suffered a serious family illness. The iOS market also got very weird for games, enough that we've had to work to ensure that we will be able to release on desktops as well as iOS in order to recoup our losses. Here's a look at the master branch of our code repo. You can see where things kind of fall off during winter and I started to do as much work as i could myself. During the last week we've had an incredibly generous helping hand from another developer named Eliot Lash. Things are starting to look up again. I just wanted to take a second and thank everyone who has continued to support the project and offered words of encouragement and suggestions. It's been especially helpful hearing from other developers talking about difficult first steps. It feels sometimes like the game is taking so long to finish, but it's not even old compared to a lot of longsuffering indie projects- and as Miyamoto said, "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad".Wiley Wiggins, February 03, 2015
courtesy Northway GamesWiley Wiggins, February 01, 2015
Tonight, starting at 6pm, James and I will be at Game On Austin, doing our first public playtesting of Frankenfoods, a little strategy game for iOS by James Curry, artist Stuart Holgate and I. Come check it out! The event is at Empire Control Room, $3 at the door, with proceeds going to the awesome Able Gamers charity.Wiley Wiggins, October 23, 2014
Thunderbeam comparison from Wiley Wiggins on Vimeo.We're working hard as always on our adventure game Thunderbeam. While last month was one of our most productive ever, we definitely didn't think that the project would take so long, and sometimes it's easy to feel a little discouraged. Today I was looking through some archives and I found an iPhone video of the very first bit of code that James built for the game, and I put it back to back with some footage of Thunderbeam today. I am feeling pretty good about how far we have come now! Expect to see more updates here and on our Twitter soon. Wiley Wiggins, October 03, 2014
Hey gang, I posted a sleepy/sneezy/grouchy/dopey Thunderbeam video over on Kickstarter that shows me poking around in the game and showing the basic engine working. Lot's more stuff to come though, we're working on getting randomized characters working, as well as character properties/stats and a lot of the bulk of the actual gameplay. It's been a long haul but we're creeping closer every day. Oh! Also, I made a teaser webpage for the game here- http://thunderbeamgame.com More stuff will materialize there as we get further along. P.S. James is going to take some time next month to finish our little mini game Frankenfoods, which we planned on using to test out app store submission etc before the main event. More news about that when it's ready!Wiley Wiggins, May 06, 2014
We've been very quiet, but we've also been very busy! Here's a sneak peak as we start to create levels for Thunderbeam, with background art by Dan Beaulieu and a custom Karakasa level editor built by Paul Slocum and Chevy Ray Johnston. The main observation deck of Pegasus III- More soon!Wiley Wiggins, September 11, 2013
Thanks to our friend Brett Chalupa, who is testing out his lovely new custom content management system on us, we decided to spiff up this website, and post a public update about how our iPad adventure game in the works, Thunderbeam, is doing.
We completed a successful Kickstarter campaign for the project a while back, which necessitated our going public with the project in order to attract backers. As anybody who has ever started from scratch on a game or a movie can tell you, it's not always the best scenario to have to announce your intentions with a project before it has even started, but we got a great response, and we've made great progress on the game so far. A couple of our recent milestones- First, an audio engine (programmed by Paul) that allows for responsive triggering of loops and live effects, that should really make the game's soundtrack, courtesy of The Octopus Project live and breathe. Also the basics of item handling, and the epistemology of where items are placed is working, which makes way to all sorts of cool objects, devices, powerups, and other stuff. We've also started work on a mini-game mechanic which may be the lynchpin that holds the whole game together, but it's too early to show anything. In the meantime, check out a little behind the scenes footage of me testing out audio debug mode. (Ignore the strange floating being in Tim's bedroom!)
If any of you are heading to GDC next month, look for me or Scott, (I might be wearing this shirt) and I'll show you the most current Karakasa game builds and goodies. This will be our first visit to the conference! James may even have his other, smaller game Frankenfoods done by then!
Also, if any of you are visiting South By Southwest here in Austin next month, first off- hi! Secondly, if you have a film badge, James and I are in a movie that is playing at SXSW Film called Computer Chess. It's crazy and great and we're really excited about it. Check it out if you can!Wiley Wiggins, February 24, 2013

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Although they have only recently begun to distribute in North America, 21st Century Ltd. are one of Europe's larger software developers and distributors. Started by Andrew Hewson, after the failure of Hewson Associates (an early games house developing for 8-bit machines), 21st Century's success has been built on the remarkable popularity of its pinball simulation games: "PINBALL DREAMS" and "PINBALL FANTASIES". Indeed, the casual observer familiar only with the PC market might be forgiven for regarding 21st Century as nothing more than a pinball simulations specialist. This, however, is some way from the truth as much of 21st Century's business is distribution and contract development work for other software houses. 21st Century also have a significant business developing and marketing in-circuit emulators for console cartridge development.
The interview with 21st Century was conducted at their main offices: a modest collection of pre-fabricated buildings tucked away in the picture- postcard village of Blewbury located in the rolling countryside 15 miles (25 km) south of Oxford. Needless to say, after the thirsty work of watching demos and a question and answer session, interviewer and interviewee repaired to the local pub to continue the discussion in `traditional' surroundings! Your intrepid correspondent can of course assure GameBytes readers that the conduct of the interview was in no way influenced by the consumption of "Brakspear's Ale". Many thanks to Paul Topping of 21st Century for putting up with (and answering!) a lot of questions and supplying some excellent Beer...
GB: Pinball simulations - it isn't exactly a mainstream games development activity! How did 21st Century become a specialist in this area, and how did you come to do so well out of such a seemingly small niche.
21st C: Well, when the company started up after the failure of Hewson Associates it began by looking for (Amiga) games to publish. The original pinball game (Pinball Dreams) looked good, so they decided to give it a go. From there on we never looked back - it sold like *crazy*. Better still, it continued to sell well. It is not unusual to have a game that sells well 2 or 3 months after launch. With enough marketing, any half respectable game will do that. The real trick is to still have a decent income 8, 12 or 18 months later. With Pinball Dreams we'd hit upon just such a format. In fact `Dreams' is still selling steadily - it is, for example, bundled in with Commodore's Amiga CD-32.
GB: So who was actually responsible for the coding of the original Amiga version of Pinball Dreams?
21st C: The main developers were a bunch of Swedish students. The main coder was a guy doing mechanical engineering who'd got into coding demo's and ended up doing a demo of ball-bearings rolling down slopes with some of his friends. The whole point about this demo was that they did it *properly*: modelling elasticity, surfaces, and so on. It was then that they thought of doing a really accurate pin-table simulation. This they sent to a variety of software houses, but apart from 21st Century the only interest was from a really small back-room operation. Needless to say, 21st Century got the contract.
GB: The original developers' background presumably explains why the ball simulation `feels' right in the games?
21st C: Yes, you'd be amazed how much effort went into the ball model. It really is impressively detailed. It is a lot more than just velocity and position. For a start it is very important to model the ball's spin. A lot of the skill in playing a real pinball lies in allowing for, or even exploiting, the ball's spin.
GB: Like saving a ball by catching it with the very tip of the flipper?
21st C: Yes, exactly. On top of that you have to take into account the different surfaces the ball is rolling on. In our games there are 8 different surface models that control the way in which the ball rolls and brushes against the pinball furniture: wood, plastic, metal, three different rubbers and so on.
GB: Modelling all this physics is presumably pretty processor intensive. It must have cost you some headaches when you ported the games to different platforms?
21st C: Well yes. You can see that from the CPU requirements for the PC version of Pinball Dreams - 386SX and upwards. What was really tricky, however, was getting the game to run on the 16 bit consoles. They're *really* short of processing power. We managed it in the end though.
GB: What about the follow-on game `Pinball Fantasies'? Did you develop that yourselves?
21st C: No, that was done in Sweden as well, but by a different group of people, friends of the original developers in fact. They did a another really excellent job. Fantasies actually has *lower* hardware requirements than Dreams on the PC. It will run quite happily on a relatively modest 286 machine. That's because, by that time, they'd figured out a way to do smooth scrolling without having to redraw the whole screen each time. You're not really supposed to be able to do that with the standard VGA hardware but with some really hacky tricks it is possible.
GB: One of the things that impressed me (and some of the pinball players I showed the game to) is the way the games handle scrolling around the ball. There seems to be some kind of clever look-ahead involved so that you get to see the bits of the table where the ball is heading for rather than just a fixed area around the ball. How is that handled?
21st C: Well it isn't quite look-ahead. What actually happens is that there is a kind of invisible margin around the display. Beyond that margin, the closer the ball is to the edge, the faster the game scrolls the screen to bring it back towards the middle. Simple but effective.
GB: Real pinball is a very tactile kind of a game. Talking to keen pinball players it seems that stuff like sound and classy artwork is very important. One of the comments I got about Dreams and Fantasies is that, in some respects, the music and sound is more reminiscent of previous generation pinball machines rather than the current state of the art. How would you respond to that?
21st C: Well yes that is partly true. However, it does depends on the sound-card you have. In Pinball Fantasies things do sound noticeably better if you have a good sound-card. You have to bear in mind modern pinball's have pretty fancy sound systems!
GB: So do you actually use the stereo and so forth in more advanced cards?
21st C: Absolutely. For example, we're quite unusual in providing proper support for the Gravis Ultrasound. That sounds really good. Another thing we're very proud of in Pinball Fantasies is the sound driver we developed for the ordinary PC speaker. If you use a lot of processing power, it turns out that you can use the little bit of capacitance in the speaker circuit to get more than just on/off control of the speaker driver.
GB: A kind of pulse-width modulation...?
21st C: Yes, something like that. Anyway, if you have a reasonably fast computer you can get quite tolerable sound effects and music. Also, another thing you have to bear in mind, is the sheer volume of sound-effects and music you need, even in our existing games. It isn't so much the main tunes and sound-effects but all the various `reward' special effects and tunes played when the appropriate pinball features are triggered: replays, multi- balls, bonuses, tilt, and so on. If you don't do something different for these things the players soon get pretty fed up. Multiply that by the four different tables simulated and you get some idea of the volume of work involved. One of the things that really irritated us with some of the reviews we got in the computer games press was the attitude that `it's only a pinball game - play it for half an hour and you've seen it all'. That couldn't be further from the truth! It is all the rare, hard-to-get features and the subtleties of the ball simulation that we feel make our games. Also, as with real pinball tables, table design is a big piece of work. You can't just do a pretty picture, stick on some pinball furniture and a ramp or two and expect to end up with a pinball worth playing. It took 6 months or more to work out the table designs in our games.
GB: Both Pinball Dreams and Pinball Fantasies, although new on the PC in the US, have been out for some time in Europe. What new products do you have in the pipeline?
21st C: Well, the thing that's closest to completion is a set of four new tables for Pinball Dreams. We're going to do this as an add-in disk and as a CD-ROM. The CD will include the 4 original tables, the 4 new ones, plus a professionally ray-traced intro, and a multimedia presentation on the history of pinball's. The artwork and sound we're developing for the new tables will obviously build on and improve what we've done for the original four. The add-in will also update Pinball Dreams with the new screen and sound drivers that we developed for Pinball Fantasies
GB: A multimedia history? That's quite an unusual component for an action/reflex game? Does it really fit with the kind of people buying your games?
21st C: Obviously, we think it does. You have to bear in mind that the people who buy our games aren't necessarily your typical teens / early twenties PC games players. Quite a lot of our buyers in the PC market are older, They buy games they can play casually to relax in a break at work, rather than something to spend hours over. We think the multi-media thing will actually have quite a lot of appeal to this type of person. Also we're very keen to exploit some of the potential of the CD format rather than just push out our old software on a different medium. We wanted to add some value rather than just churn out shovelware.
GB: What about things further away from release?
21st C: Well, we're already working on the third game in the Pinball series: Pinball Illusions. We're thinking very hard about how we can improve on our existing simulation and graphics engine for this. Stuff like using SVGA graphics, or a 3D perspective presentation rather than a 2D one. We're really pulling out all the stops on music and sound effects for this third game: with a good sound card wired to decent speakers it should be something really special to listen to!
GB: Presumably with SVGA you could display the whole of a pin-table at once without the need for scrolling...
21st C: Actually, that really isn't the case at all. The problem isn't resolution it is size. If you put the whole of a table on screen at once the ball becomes a tiny blob. In SVGA it simply becomes a higher resolution tiny blob! A real pin table is physically very large: you'd need to use an enormous monitor if you wanted to give a good simulation without scrolling. Once you've played a little, the scrolling actually becomes quite natural. It kind of mimics what your eyes would be doing anyway, following the ball on a real table. The only significant drawback is the extra difficulty involved in aiming shots at targets high up on the table. However, that too you soon get used to, and we design our simulated tables to minimise the problem.
GB: Speaking of real tables: although the themes of your simulated tables are very much in the style of popular pinball machines the sounds, artwork, layout, and so on are very much your own. Did you consider licensing artwork and so on from the manufacturers of real tables?
21st C: We certainly considered it. However, there are a lot of problems quite apart from the licensing issues. It turns out that simply copying the layout and features of a real table in a simulation really doesn't work at all well. Because of the different perspective playability suffers a lot. Things just don't work the same way when you've got a 2D top-down view rather than a 3D view. The Artwork is even worse: for it to look good on a PC it really has to be created with the limitations of low-resolution 256 color VGA graphics in mind. Obviously, that isn't the case with the original artwork of a pinball machine.
GB: You also mentioned moving to a 3D perspective view. That would presumably add quite a lot to the feeling of realism. I could imagine it being a quite a useful selling point...
21st C: Unfortunately, moving to a 3D perspective view isn't without its pitfalls either! We've experimented with this quite a bit and it turns out that it makes it much harder to aim shots. The problem is that without the depth information you'd get from two eyes in the real world it becomes much harder to judge angles and relative positions. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't a way around this problem or that we won't use it, but we certainly want to give it more thought. For example, we might consider providing a button that allows the player to switch between 2D and 3D views according to the situation. A lot depends on what we can get to work well.
GB: Are you considering diversifying away from Pinball? Are there any other non-pinball PC games under development?
21st C: We're thinking of doing a platform game for the PC. Although there is an abundance of this kind of thing on the consoles and on the Amiga, the PC has relatively few. Very few indeed, if you're looking for something high-quality. So that's what we're aiming to do: a really sophisticated platform game for the PC - loads of high-class artwork, really good music, a huge playing area, and so on. Beyond that, however, it really is far too early to say much. It will be a good while before there's anything concrete implemented and even then things could change quite a lot.
GB: A common thread in the type of games you develop seems to be extensive music and artwork. This kind of thing certainly can't be knocked up overnight by programmers working in their spare time. Where do you source this material from? Do you do it all in-house or do you hire in freelances?
21st C: What we do is keep a database of people who we can contact when we need something doing. For each person we record what their specialities are, what they've done before, etc. Then, when we start a project we try to choose people to fit the jobs we need doing. Quite a lot of the people in the database are there because they sent us an interesting demo or some other sample of their work. For example, some of the sound-tracks for the add-in disk were actually done by a 17-year old. A few years back, he sent us some music he'd done on his Amiga. We thought it was pretty impressive stuff and likely to be useful, so when we started work we got in touch and hired him to do the music for one of the new tables. However, I wouldn't want to give people the impression that getting this kind of work is easy: it is a pretty competitive business. A lot of professionals from TV and radio have discovered the games market and aren't averse to earning some money there. For example, another of the people we work with has done themes for one of the major UK commercial TV companies. This chap earns big league royalties, but he'll still quite happily work on music for a video game.
GB: You mentioned that the pinball games have proved remarkable durable, selling steadily if not spectacularly month after month. What do you think is behind this longevity?
21st C: As far as we know a good part of it is simply the appeal of pinball's themselves. Pinball is inherently pretty timeless: almost everyone knows what a pinball is and quite a few have had a go and enjoyed it. That isn't the case with more sophisticated things like role-playing games and flight simulators. Furthermore, pinball is something you can play casually - half an hour at lunchtime for example - rather than something that you really have to think about and spend hours on. As such, we reckon we reach a much broader class of customers than most games. Certainly, our registration returns for the PC versions suggest our buyers are typically rather older than the usual PC games buyer. We're guessing, but we think a good number are professional people buying our games to play on `work' machines. A slicker, more exciting, alternative to the games that are bundled in with Windows as it were. We're not alone in this assessment either: we've just set up a bundling deal with Word Perfect in Germany.
GB: You mean if you buy the latest version of Word Perfect in Germany you get a copy of Pinball Dreams thrown in `for free'?
21st C: Exactly. Another thing that helps a lot is the fact that our games run on pretty modest hardware. There are still a *lot* of PC's out there with 286's or slow 386SX's. There simply aren't that many well-presented games that run well on that kind of hardware any more. The same also applies for sound: very few games really make much effort to use the PC speaker. Yet, there are a heck of a lot of PC's out there without sound cards: machines in student labs, office machines, parents' machines, laptops, and so on.
GB: What about future games? Are you considering dropping support for 286 machines.
21st C: We aim to have our games run on at least 85% of the current installed base. However, that isn't such an easy thing to judge even if you do a lot of market research by wading through registration returns and so on. Whatever happens, we certainly won't be asking for fast 486 machines or anything remotely like that.
GB: What about the argument that if you program for state of the art hardware now, people will still by buying your games in 2 or 3 years time as they upgrade?
21st C: Well, personally, I just don't believe anyone in the industry actually aims to build games that will run only on the latest and greatest machines. It is simply that ambitious projects over-shoot and end up requiring rather more hardware than the programmers had originally intended. I bet most software houses would dearly like to have lower hardware requirements in their latest products. After all, what if a competitor were to release something almost as good that runs on twice as many machines? You can bet the people buying the more modest game won't upgrade to the slightly better, but much greedier, program when they upgrade their machine.
GB: Who do you see as your main competitors?
21st C: Well I guess Amtex, with their simulations of real tables, who spring to mind first as our main competition. The only other people are Epic with `SILVER BALL'. However, we think we've got a significant edge over both these companies because of our authentic ball model.
GB: How do you see the games market developing? You're involved in the consoles market as well as PC's: according to finance/business press gross margins are, apparently, noticeably higher in the consoles market. Could you see yourselves gradually drifting away from PC's?
21st C: No not all. First of all you have to bear in mind that the PC market is still growing very rapidly. The console market is more mature. Also, for software houses at least, profits on console cartridges really aren't *that* wonderful.
GB: What about SVGA and hi-color, or even true color? I would imagine your artists and programmers could be pretty keen to explore the possibilities opened up by more colors and higher resolution.
21st C: Well, at the moment there simply aren't nearly enough people ticking the SVGA box on our registration returns. A lot of people still only have ordinary VGA cards, and we don't want to exclude them from buying our games.
GB: What about the new super-consoles - do you see them becoming significant competitors for the PC?
21st C: We think is simply to early to tell. For example, our programmers are very impressed with the Atari Jaguar. We think it is the right kind of machine at the right kind of price to follow on from the current 16 bit consoles. The hardware is impressive, and they're aiming to sell it at around 200 pounds, with a CD drive for another 100 However, you have ask whether Atari have the financial clout and, given previous embarrassments, goodwill to launch it succesfully.Authors note: past experience suggests US street prices are roughly the same in dollars as UK prices in pounds.
GB: Apparently, you've only recently started selling in the US. How difficult did you find that? In the past it has been notoriously difficult for UK companies to start up in a market where there are invariably already large well-established US competitors.
21st C: Well it wasn't easy, but on the other hand it does really help when you can say to people: ``Last year we sold over a quarter of a million units in Europe''. Actually, I think we've reached the half million mark now, all told. Those kind of numbers tend to make people take you seriously.
GB: Thanks for the Interview!This interview is Copyright (C) 1994 by Andrew Stevens for Game Bytes Magazine. All rights reserved.


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text: »Music must never be comfortable. It does not belong in a museum. It needs to stir up the listener, reach him personally, provoke his thoughts.« said Helmut Rilling. The Internationale Bachakademie implements these guidelines and has been organizing numerous national and international concerts to this day. Helmuth Rilling claimed »Every concert has to be better than the best rehearsal«. And: »Music can only be appreciated if it's understood.« These ideas are being carried out by countless musicians. The music of Johann Sebastian Bach is at the heart of the Bachakademie, yet it is not limited only to his works. The Bachakademie also regularly presents the oratorios of the 18th, 19th and 20th century. Furthermore, groundbreaking commissioned works like »Requiem der Versöhnung« (1995), the four compositions of PASSION 2000 by Wolfgang Rihm, Sofia Gubaidulina, Osvaldo Golijov and Tan Dun or Krzysztof Penerecki's »Credo« have been premiered. The new artistic director Hans-Christoph Rademann is preserving and developing the ideas of Helmuth Rilling.


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Enactus Society Enactus Society
Enactus UEA are a community of students, dedicated to using entrepreneurial action to run commercial and social action projects that will make a difference to the lives of others and shape a better, more sustainable world. Enactus provides the opportunity to experience how to run a business and meet other students from various degree types. Unlike any other society, Enactus is a global organisation that spans 36 countries and 70,500 universities and connects business leaders with students. To find out more, speak to us at the Society Fair!


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Glen Haven Baptist Church
Stability Engineering designed the structural system for this 56 foot high (excluding steeple) and 38,500 square foot church sanctuary and administrative complex in McDonough, Georgia. The large open central area and radial design of the building prevented conventional design, so the structural steel frame was designed using advanced 3D modeling with special moment connections and bracing to resist wind and earthquake loads. A 108 foot long and 22 foot high custom truss, supporting six 95 foot custom trusses arrayed around the radius point of the building, supports the roof of the sanctuary.
Architect: Barker Cunningham Barrington: http://www.bcbarchitects.com


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Let Jan Pro give your Fitness Center our daily cleaning and disinfecting workout! We pride ourselves on doing a great job cleaning and disinfecting fitness centers and health clubs, in a friendly and respectful way. We always keep in communication with you about any of your needs. Here is how we keep your health club in tip top shape.
- We set goals. Our approach is to sit down with you and determine the specifics of your gym or health clubs cleaning and disinfecting.
- Our proposal becomes our action plan. Jan Pro management closely examines your facility and factors all its recommendations and costs into a detailed cleaning and disinfecting proposal, for your approval.
- Then we hit the cleaning and disinfecting circuit. An experienced Jan Pro team is assigned to your facility and intimately briefed on your specific gym cleaning and disinfecting. We take extra care to disinfect all high-touch areas such as training equipment, locker rooms, showers and change areas.
- Along the way we measure our results to ensure the continued proper cleaning and disinfecting of your fitness facility. Just as an athlete would, we regularly measure our actual performance fifty different ways using our exclusive, state-of-the-art measurement tools. Our field generals use I-Pad technology to ensure any requests are handled immediately and followed up on the next day.
- Train more to win more. All Jan Pro franchise owners undergo rigorous background checks and are given five weeks of intensive training, the most comprehensive in our industry. They always wear clearly identified uniforms with prominently displayed I/D badges for greater security.
- A fitter facility – that's our exclusive Guarantee! At Jan Pro we are so confident of our cleaning and disinfecting services that we are the only commercial cleaning and disinfecting company to guarantee your satisfaction with our exclusive Jan Pro Guarantee. Click here to see our Guarantee.
Keep your facility disinfected with JAN-PRO Cleaning.


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Sponsored Post – Whether you already love Italian wine or are just getting your feet wet, Santa Cristina is a highly acclaimed winery sitting high on a hill in Tuscany that you must try. Made in the region for over 65 years, Santa Cristina has become a benchmark Italian wine. Here are fun ways to feature their bottles.
A hearty winter dish of Lamb Ragu Pappardelle is a delicious taste of Tuscany to pair with an IGT wine, Santa Cristina Rosso 2016, which provides another taste of the land.
IGT wines are Italian bottles that recall the local terrior and family tradition. These wines are made almost exclusively with local grapes and are the best choice when you are looking for an excellent value wine. I'm glad to propose to you a great IGT wine: the Santa Cristina Rosso 2016. To honor the family roots of this wine, I paired it with a tasty lamb sauce pasta: a dish of the Tuscan tradition enriched with spinach and Tuscan Pecorino, delicious!
Opening a bottle of IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) means preparing to sip authentic local wine. Indeed, this classification indicates the wines produced using at least 85% of local grapes!
The IGT wines recall the family gatherings and the unlabeled amazing wines produced into the cellars by our grannies and fathers: I remember the long-term family competitions just to see who could make the best wine!
A couple of days ago I tried a nice IGT, the Santa Cristina Rosso 2016: even though I've been away from my country for many years, I felt at home! This wine is delicate and fruity, with a persistent aftertaste, but also well balanced in alcohol and body: a perfect and elegant everyday Tuscan wine!
To celebrate this fantastic wine, I decided to prepare a classic lamb ragu sauce enriched with spinach and Tuscan Pecorino: here the recipe step by step!
Click HERE for the recipe.


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Global Update: Celebrate International Women's Day March 8, 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, a global celebration of women's contributions to the world. Since its founding more than a decade ago, the UN Foundation has identified addressing the needs and concerns of women and girls as one of the keys to solving the world's most challenging problems. Empowerment is essential in the global drive to eliminate poverty, achieve social justice and stabilize … [Read more...]
Global Update: Celebrate International Women's Day – UN Foundation
March 8, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment
Filed Under: FEATURED EVENTS, WORLD EVENTS Tagged With: achieve social justice, American girls, by girls", Celebrate International Women's Day, children's rights, eliminate poverty, feed a child, Girl Up – a "for girls, Global Update, HUMAN RIGHTS, invest in women, Michelle Bachelet, non-governmental organizations, save a life, save a woman, stabilize the world's population, women in action, WOMEN of ACTION™, women take a stand, women's rights, UN Foundation


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Acetyl-Glutathione is a novel oral glutathione formulation that is stable in the stomach and gastrointestinal tract, well absorbed, and able to enter the cells directly and present to the cytosol for mitochondrial entry.
Suggested use:
As a dietary supplement, 1 tablet two times daily, or as directed by a healthcare professional.
Microcrystalline cellulose, proprietary fruit acid, rice-starch, silica, vegetable magnesium stearate.
Important - Please read before purchase
While we try to ensure that product information is correct, on occasion manufacturers may alter their ingredient lists. For additional information about a product, please Contact Us on 0800 252 875.
Content on this site is for reference purposes and is not intended to substitute for advice given by a medical practitioner, pharmacist, or other licensed health-care professional. Discontinue use and consult a doctor if adverse reactions occur.
Information stated regarding dietary supplements is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
Keep out of reach of children. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not use if seal under cap is broken or missing.
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[Image above: Penelope]
I didn't have to look far for these cute finds- they're ModCloth's newest canine additions. Sometimes Winston gets bored with us people sitting at our desks all day. So, he invited a few friends to come into the office:
Penelope is Emily's tri-color Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppy who is irresistibly cute and delightfully energetic. Her favorite things include other dogs, faces, and the Wii menu cursor.
Rad is Danielle's Jack Russell Terrier. He enjoys chasing Iggy, going to school with Penelope, and making people laugh. He has a major obsession with round objects and flashes of light. His favorite pastimes are sleeping in and watching his favorite movie, Road House.
Reese is my Pomeranian. She enjoys barking at the other office dogs (oh, the drama) and getting attention from each and every employee passing by my desk.
Tune in next Friday for three more adorable ModCloth pooches!


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What goes around, comes around.
That's the way Robert Long thinks about amphibious vehicles. A German Volkswagen factory produced around 15,000 of them in the early 1940s but these all-terrain, nautical autos are a rarity these days.
Long, an engineer from Kansas City, Mo., wants to change all that. He has modified the design of the original Schwimmwagen (swimming car) and come up with a concept for a modern version.
"This is an amphibious vehicle that seats four and can get you anywhere you want to go outdoors," he says. "It can cross rivers, lakes, muddy dirt roads, and sand dunes. The new Schwimmwagen replaces an ATV/UTV, boat, canoe, dune buggy and Jeep. It will enable you to push the limits of nature."
Schwimmwagen: Ultimate Go Anywhere Vehicle
The modern Schwimmwagen will have rugged construction, all-terrain tires and a simple steering system which controls the craft in and out of the water. This is possible because the two front wheels are designed to serve as rudders when the vehicle is in the water.
Powered by a 25 horsepower engine, it will be able to reach speeds of 50 mph on the road and 7 mph in the water. Two fuel tanks hold about 13 gallons of gasoline, enabling the Schwimmwagen to have a range of 325 miles.
The first step for Long is to find an original Schwimmwagen – there are still 160 working models around – and reconditioning it so it can be used as a demonstration model. This demo will be showcased at auto and engineering shows, with the goal of generating interest from investors and manufacturers.
An original Schwimmwagen in running condition is very expensive and there also significant costs involved with the trade show circuit. Long figures he'll need about $200,000 to purchase a vintage vehicle and take it around the country.
In order to raise this start-up capital, Long has launched an Indiegogo campaign, which can be viewed at www.indiegogo.com/projects/schwimmwagen-ultimate-go-anywhere-vehicle. It includes color photos of the design and the dual-purpose vehicle in action.
Donations of any amount are welcome. For a $250 donation, backers will receive a Schwimmwagen coffee mug. A $1,000 pledge gets you a Schwimmwagen T-shirt, and a 1/48 scale model of the vehicle.
For $50,000 you can own a Schwimmwagen from the first production run. There will only be 10 vehicles manufactured on the initial run.
Long wants to make everyone aware that the Schwimmwagen is being produced as an off-road vehicle. "These are very easy to make street legal, and might even come street legal as stock production in your state," he explains. "Please check with state and local laws before purchasing one."
For additional information, visit www.indiegogo.com/projects/schwimmwagen-ultimate-go-anywhere-vehicle or contact Long directly at firstname.lastname@example.com
Schwimmwagen: Ultimate Go Anywhere Vehicle – Water Tight!
Possibilities – Think of all the places you could go with a vehicle that can cross rivers, lakes, muddy dirt roads, and sand dunes!
Media Contact
Company Name: Schwimmwagen
Contact Person: Robert Long
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 888-527-0509
City: Kansas City
State: MO
Country: United States
Website: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/schwimmwagen-ultimate-go-anywhere-vehicle


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| SO YOU WANT to do social media, and why not; with a little time and imaginative content, social media can give you a great ROI in a short time frame. But there??™s a darker side that you may not have considered; what happens when good social media strategies go bad?It can happen to the best of us; a tweet sent through a company account that should have been personal, a direct message that wasn??™t so direct, misjudging popular reactions to what should have been a funny comment, or just coming up against your biggest hater. You have to be prepared, you have to know when to fight and when to back down and you have to accept that sometimes you??™re just not going to win.
So what is a brand to do? Well, don??™t let the risks scare you off. Develop a robust social media crisis plan before you start, and you??™ll be able to keep your head in any kind of crisis.
Here are three things you can prepare now to help you manage any potential social crisis.
1. Decide on your impartial strategy makerIf ...[more]
media overseer   customer service issue   media crisis   emotional way   crisis plan
|Posted on Friday 06 July 2012 - 17:29:22


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Have you seen the new lip crayons that are out there?!! It's insane! There are so much more to choose from. Suddenly these lip crayons are must-haves for spring. Who knew?
I think the first brand who made this an interesting must-have was Clinique, remember their chubby sticks? It was full on advertising if I remember it correctly. Unfortunately, I didn't jump in the bandwagon when that came about a year or 2 ago just because I felt it was very teeny-bopper kind of product and not to mention a little bit pricy for a lip balm - it currently sells at AU$35.
Then Revlon introduced their - Kissable Lip Balm Stain - for some reason, this was a hit in the YouTube beauty community more than the chubby sticks so I have to have it. I started with one shade - which is Honey then i just had to get other shades that are unique to my collection because I find that they were way better than the chubby sticks not to mention way more affordable.
And recently Covergirl released their Lip perfection jumbo gloss in Australia and before hand I've heard a lot of great things about it so I just had to get one shade to have a comparison between Revlon and Covergirl and see for myself!
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain
- I do have a love-hate relationship with this. I love that it stains your lips like no other and lasts all day (or days) and i also hate that it does because removing it is just one pain in behind.
- I am not a fan of the peppermint scent, i always expect it to have some kind of minty, tingly feel to it.
- As much as I love how it colours my lips, it is not the most hydrating lip products out there.
- It has that gloss that you want but I wish there is more
- Affordable especially when on sale
- There are heaps of colours to choose from
Covergirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss
- New to CG in Australia
- Selling for AU$12.95 and so far I only found this in Priceline
- This is much more hydrating than Revlon
- Glossier than Revlon
- It's softer, it feels like butter when you're applying it
- Doesn't have a scent to it
Final thoughts?
- I love these crayon types lippies just because they are easy to apply and pocket friendly
- It's that lip product that doesn't really require a mirror, you know when you're on the go.
- Because it's like a crayon, application is much more precise and you can stay within the lines of your lips
- Both are light on the lips and there is little to no transfer so it's kiss-friendly
- Both affordable
- Great for spring/summer when you're outdoors or at the beach
- Like any lip product, both don't look good on dry lips, it accentuate the dry skin on your lips. Make sure to exfoliate first.
|1 - Revlon's Smitten; 2 - Revlon's Rendevouz; 3 - Revlon in Honey; 4 - Covergirl's Coral Twist
I know Bourjois' version is soon to hit the Australian shores so more choices? I know in US there are far more brands to choose from and much cheaper. To be honest they are all very similar if not the same so it's up to you which is much preferred by your lips and your pockets.
Have you tried these lip crayons?
Until the next post, smile always!
As always this is not sponsored.


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by Dave Schmitt
Companies manufacturing or distributing products in California should already be aware that California Prop 65 requires warning labels be affixed to all products containing substances which the State has identified as potential carcinogens or which may cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.
As described in more detail in a previous blog post, in January, 2015 California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) published two notices of proposed rulemaking regarding the State's Proposition 65 warning regulations.
The first dealt with new content for "safe harbor clear and reasonable" warnings, as well as the responsibility for and methods of providing such warnings.
California also proposed a new regulation authorizing the agency to establish a website "to collect and provide information to the public concerning exposures to listed chemicals for which warnings are being provided." If finalized as currently written, the new website regulation will require a product manufacturer, producer, distributor, or importer subject to Proposition 65 warning requirements, to provide to OEHHA, upon request, specific information regarding any product, listed chemical, potential exposure, and "any other related information that the lead agency deems necessary" for which a warning is provided. In a silver lining however, OEHHA expressly states that the proposed website regulation "is not enforceable by private plaintiffs," in contrast to the warning regulations currently in effect and those being proposed.
After a series of public hearings, the State has now formally proposed the new content for Prop 65 warning labels. The proposed changes aren't dramatic, but will require new labels once they become effective. For instance, the "new" labels will require a new icon featuring an exclamation point inside of a colored triangle. In addition, the word WARNING will be larger and in boldface.
Perhaps most importantly, the labels will be required to identify the specific substance that triggers the labeling requirement. For example, a "new" label might read:
Anyone wishing to submit written comments on the proposed changes must do so by April 26, 2016. Comments should be sent by email to: firstname.lastname@example.com
The new rules are slated to be finalized in November, 2016 and will take effect two years later, near the end of 2018. This should provide ample time for the affected businesses and industries to review their products and revise their Prop 65 warning labels.
Cors & Bassett will continue to monitor this rulemaking and will provide updates on the status of OEHHA's proposed regulatory action. If you have any questions, please contact David Schmitt at 513-852-2587 or by email at email@example.com


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According to the Guardian, Florence remains the epicenter for true Italian culture and heritage. There are, however, a number of quiet towns and restaurants that blanket this popular and inspiring city. Florence also has a backdrop with breathtaking scenery, including stunning mountains, wineries and monasteries that rejuvenate both body and soul. These venues are located within a few hours of the city and truly make for great day trips. If planning to visit this historic city, there are a number of destinations that simply cannot be missed.
The Magic of Barga
If you want to avoid museums and crowds, Barga is truly the place to be. This medieval hilltop town features twisting lanes, cobbled streets, and spectacular floral arrangements. The town is primarily made up of artisans that effectively capture the allure and essence of Italian culture. From ceramic shops to small art galleries, Barga has everything you need to refresh the soul. Visitors can easily reach the town via train or car. There are also convenient and affordable guest houses for tourists and locals alike. Whether it is Villa Moorings or the Apuan Alps, Barga offers serenity at its finest with a touch of class.
Enjoy Certaldo Alta
Certaldo Alta is just a stone's throw from Florence. Known for its quiet old town bars and restaurants, this picturesque town is a haven for tourists and visitors. With mouthwatering cuisine and even cooking classes, you will truly enjoy the culinary excellence this amazing town offers. Certaldo Alta also showcases a summer arts and music festival. Whether you love jazz or modern hits, the old church offers tantalizing tunes that easily blend in with its scenic environment. If planning to stay the night, the Fattoria Bassetto will easily facilitate your needs and that of your loved ones. This former Benedictine convent is the best budget hotel and hostel in the area. If you want to experience a great Italian day trip, Certaldo Alta will meet all your needs within time and budget.
Experience San Gimignano
Located in the Tuscany region, San Gimignano is known for its captivating vineyards and olive groves. Surrounded by green hills and pastures, the town is a haven for fine wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs. Just an hour by road from Florence, San Gimignano is blanketed by ancient farm buildings, tranquil gardens, and aesthetically pleasing backdrops. Whether it is capturing the sunset or a quiet picnic for two, this lavish and elegant town offers true romance at its finest. The area is also perfect for hiking, biking, and especially nature walks. If you need a break from the daily grind, San Gimignano truly offers a day trip experience like no other.
You Will Love Lucca
Lucca is also the perfect getaway for those seeking true solace. As the birthplace of Puccini, this traditional yet vibrant town remains a true gem. From scrumptious food at Trattoria Buralli to its signature bricked tower at Guinigi, the town simply offers something for everyone. While vacations to Florence are still great, daytrips to neighboring towns seem to be soaring in global popularity. For more information on the best day trips to Florence, speak to your travel agent or simply check the web.
Submit your review
I visited the Food Tours with my wife, we were looking forward to this some time ago and I can state that this tour bring to us very interesting time and experience in spite of the fact that we departed from Milano by morning train at 5,50 am. Our guide was young man and we enjoyed all morning together talking not only about the parmazan, balsamic and parma ham. I really appreciate it. He was very communicate, his driving was safety, very polite. Parmazan farm - amazing, balsamic farm -
My boyfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed the Foodies Tour, which included stops at producers of cheese, balsamic vinegar and cured meat. Paolo was an amazing tour guide – he's extremely knowledgeable, kind and a great communicator. We learned so much! It was really nice to be in a smaller group and most of the producers we visited were small so we were able to get a close up view of the processes. We'd highly recommend Emilia Delizia as this tour was truly authentic and a highlight of our trip!
thank you for the kind review
The tour of the Parmesan Reggiano cheese dairy, Balsamic Vinegar farm, the Parma ham and lunch at the organic vineyard was thoroughly enjoyed by our family of 4. Paolo was a gracious and knowledgeable host for the day and provided us with insights to the production of the cheese and balsamic vinegar which was enhanced due to his chemistry background. We would thoroughly recommend this tour to those interested in the specialities produced in the Modena region.
We had a wonderful tour, best part about visiting the Modena region!
The tour was perfect. I think Paolo would be a splendid ambassador for Italy in the EU. He knows how excellent Italian food and eating together can solve many major problems, and can stop aggressive behavior. Not the hunt for more money, but the well being of family and friends counts. Paolo shows us the products of ages of civilization and he did this like an artist. So after the tour we really love Italia more and we'll come back. We will call you Paolo, Thanks!
Following two tours with your guides this week I would like to express my thanks for some wonderful experiences.
Monday we did the tour of cheese making, balsamic and Salami which was very good and the guide Paolo was very knowledgeable.
The truffle hunt tour today was absolutely amazing, the guide Stefano is pure gold and the tour was built with much thought. Our best experience so far, by far.
Looking forward to more tours and fun next time we are in Italy.
The group (and me) was VERY satisfied. We really enjoyed the Parmegiano Regiano which was interesting and we got to buy some delicate and cheap cheese, the same with the balsamico. The Ferrari driving was off course an experience for life. The Winery lunch felt very genuine and the people there was really welcoming and nice people. The genuine feeling there was however the big plus for us.
Paolo was excellent as our guide. He also felt very genuine. He did not talk just for the sake of talking, but when he had something to say he did it in a respectful and nice way. Everyone in the group really liked him.
Thank you!
Hi Gabriele:
I wanted to let you know what a great day we had this past Friday on our tour with Jacamo. (Probably not spelling it right) He was very nice and explained everything to us. It sure gives you a new appreciation when you are slicing cheese. 🙂 Our tour ended with him taking us to the vineyard for a tour and lunch and there, Paolo, the owner could not have been more nicer. It was a perfect ending.
Please let Jacamo know what a great job he did and how much we really appreciated it and his knowledge
The website is well structured and we received a prompt answer to all questions. Gabriele supported us with all information we needed and the organization before the trip was excellent.
We had an air conditioned van, which was very relaxing through the whole tour. The first stop was the parmigiano production, which was very impressive and interesting. We could learn and especially see all the different steps and even taste the various aged parmigiano. The second step was the balsamic vinegar tasting. Finally the meat part was interesting in the museum but we hoped that we also could see more about the production and their work, but the tasting was delicious. In overall we had a very informative and well accommodated half day with our guide
It was great experience! We visited Parmesan cheese production, Balsamic vinegar farm, Ham museum and Farmer's lunch. Our guide gave us a detailed explanation, we were very satisfied. An excellent tour for a reasonable price, highly recommended.


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Hey everyone,
It's been a while but I think it's time to close this chapter of my holiday in Hong Kong 🙂
Hey everyone,
It's been a while but I think it's time to close this chapter of my holiday in Hong Kong 🙂
Hey Hey Hey, I'm almost at the end of my holiday diary from Hong Kong.
Today will be about my last full day in Hong Kong.
Summer is really here now, and when you think of summer, you think of holiday so here is the rest of my travel diary from my first trip to Hong Kong.
Wanna travel back with me?
Hey everyone!
I'm back, sorry I just got caught with real life and was just too tired to post anything.
Anyway let's start slow, and let me reminisce about my last holiday. Let's go back to Hong Kong, shall we?
Hey hey hey everyone!
Hope you're having a great day wherever you are.
Ready to read on what I did on day 3? Come and read on!
Oh yes,
I'm starting a new kind of post! And I have a new tag for it : "Rinesoo Travel". Oh yeah, my own travel tag ☺
As promised last month, I'll be writing about my first trip to Hong Kong, you know those little islands somewhere close to South East Asia 🙂
If you're ready and want to see what I did during a week, well you must have seen already on my IG account, but if you want to read about it, here is the place!
Hey everyone,
It's the weekend and it's been a week since I got home.
As posted before, I will share my holiday to Hong Kong here and give you tips, based on my experience
Yes I know it's not beauty related, but it's good to have a break now and then.
So if you want to know more about the hotel I stayed in, come check this post out.
Hey guys,
If you were wondering where I was, I was on holiday in Hong Kong. You must have known if you stalk me on instagram 🙂
To change the content of my blog, I will post about my travel and what I did there, and if it's worth checking out! It was my first trip to Hong Kong so I really did not know what to expect…
I will of course post about beauty reviews, so do check out this space!
P.S. : do you like my new header? it's me with the giant buddha from Ngong Ping
Have a nice weekend everyone


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In mid-December, the Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty released a strategy for cutting the state's extreme poverty rate in half by 2015. Extreme poverty here means, as it usually does, living below 50% of the federal poverty line.
I find a couple of things about this strategy interesting.
One is the fact that it exists at all. Because it's not an agenda some nonprofit organization developed. The commission is an official entity established by the state legislature to do exactly what it's done.
Not only that, but established when the recession was well under way, by a unanimous vote in both the House and the Senate. This could provoke either hope or skepticism. Inclining to the former, I think it suggests that Republicans and Democrats alike felt the need for a road map.
And they've got one. A year-by-year plan, phasing in a total of 42 recommendations in seven major areas.
We who live in the District know that strategies don't necessarily guide policy decisions. Witness our strategy for ending homelessness by 2014.
Nevertheless, I think Illinois may be better off for having a holistic view of its poverty problem and how to address it — as indeed would the District and other jurisdictions.
A second interesting thing is how the commission approached its task. From the outset, it established three types of recommendations it would produce, each corresponding to a sector of the state's very poor population.
As we might expect, there are recommendations for working-age adults who need more education and training to get jobs that will pay enough to lift them and their families out of extreme poverty. There are recommendations for increasing access to public benefits for people who work but don't make enough — and in a couple of cases, for increasing the benefits.
But there are also recommendations aimed at ensuring that people who can't and aren't expected to work — seniors, children and individuals with severe disabilities — can live "in dignity."
Nothing radical about the recommendations themselves. The commission clearly felt constrained by the realities the government faces — a weakened safety net, a rising poverty rate, an immediate budget shortfall of at least $13 billion and a huge unfunded pension liability.
Yet the commission takes pains to make room for what's essentially the very old concept of the deserving poor. The big difference is that, in the commission's strategy, all poor are deserving.
Which bring me to the last and perhaps most interesting thing. The legislature charged the commission with addressing poverty in Illinois "consistent with international human rights standards." This influenced both the commission's process and its product.
It essentially justifies its proposals by citing and elaborating on the provision in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that "everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family."
This, the commission says, is based on our American tradition — a stretch I think, but probably needed to domesticate its vision.
We're accustomed these days to seeing anti-poverty strategies justified on economic grounds. Much about the long-term costs of child poverty, for example — drains on public benefits programs, costs due to criminal behavior, reduced national productivity, etc.
We need these arguments, especially for policymakers fixated on the bottom line. But it's good and important, I think, to reaffirm basic values — justice, compassion, the intrinsic worth of our fellow creatures.
That's where the commission comes from. It prefaces its proposals with the proposition that "every human being deserves to have access to adequate amenities to fulfill his or her potential."
In other words, the standard of living rights in the Universal Declaration — sufficient food, housing, medical care, social services and security when they can't earn a living — "should be guaranteed, protected and made available to all people just because they exist as people."
Imagine what would happen if our government officials and the majority of Americans who elect them felt this way.


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Two Time Olympic Gold Medalist, Freestyle Skiing
Canada's First Olympic Gold on Home Soil
Originally from Rosemère, Alexandre Bilodeau fell in love with freestyle skiing after having seen the spectacular performance of Quebecker Jean-Luc Brassard in Lillehammer in 1994. On the trail of his idol and at the age of 14, he became the best junior Canadian in three disciplines: jumps, moguls and dual moguls. He joined the national freestyle moguls ski team at 17 years old and participated in the Olympic Games in Turin in 2006, where he ended up in 11th place. That same year, he won his first competition at the World Cup and became the youngest Moguls freestyle skier to make it to the highest podium in this discipline. He ended the 2005-2006 season in second place in the final medal results.
Bilodeau's ascent continued in 2008-2009 when he won the World Championships in dual moguls and also came in first at the World Cup in freestyle dual moguls. He was vindicated in 2010 when he won the first gold medal on Canadian soil at the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Bilodeau started out the competition on Sunday, February 14th in favourable conditions. This was unlike the previous day for the women in which they skied in rain, sleet and generally slushy conditions. He finished the qualification run in 2nd place overall. In the final Bilodeau threw a back double full on the first jump and followed it with an iron cross on the second. Together with the second fastest run of the night he scored 26.75 points to win the gold.
In 2014, he became the first Canadian to ever win consecutive gold medals by winning in Sochi, Russia. He called this performance "the best" of his career.
Bilodeau wishes to pursue his studies back at home in Quebec and eventually work in the area of finance. He has a very positive, determined and persevering nature and he will charm you with his rich life experience.
Alexandre tells his inspiring story from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, where he was the first Canadian to win a Gold Medal. Even more impressively and against pundit predictions, he repeated this feat at Sochi 2014. It's one thing to achieve maximum success, but it's entirely another to remain consistent over an extended period of time.
At the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, Alexandre's skills impressed the whole country. His story inspired it. Hear about his relationship with his brother Frederic, who he dedicated his 2010 race to and famously celebrated with afterwards, as well as his other sources of strength and inspiration in his life.


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0191 222 1225
If you're currently in first year at Newcastle or Northumbria university and living in halls of residence, then you'll likely now be fully involved in halls living and hopefully loving every minute of your student experience! Friends that you make in your early university days can often end up being friends for life so it's a really exciting time getting to know so many new people, and enjoying all the fun that being at university in a great city like Newcastle offers!
With close friendships beginning to form your thoughts will be starting to turn to where you will live next year after halls and if you're enjoying halls life as a big group, how you can keep living nearby to your new circle of friends.
Generally our largest available property size is provided by our selection of 7 bedroom houses and flats – available in the city centre, Jesmond and Spital Tongues. Now these properties are perfect for a group of 7 but depending on your squad size if you've got a larger group number which you're trying to keep together then you might need to be a little more inventive and that's where we can help!
The ultimate solution is to take two adjacent or close by houses in the same street e.g. 2 x six bedroom properties or two or three apartments in the same purpose built student block eg. 3 x 6 bedroom apartments. Our current properties availability allows group sizes of 8 – 18 taking 2 or more properties.
Examples of our purpose built student blocks include:
Anolha House
This option can work really well if the group has roughly the same male and female ratio, or friends studying the same subject. It could be that there is one quiet house and a noisy house or take it in turn to host the parties!
If you would like to take a closer look at the student properties which we currently have available in Newcastle for next year then why not search our Find a Property Page - or ask our friendly office staff who will be more than happy to assist you in choosing the right properties for your group. Feel free to drop in to our offices or give us a ring on 0191 222 1225.
Happy House Hunting!
Posted in: About Roseworth


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Heavy snoring shouldn't be ignored. It can sometimes signal a more serious problem. Excessive nighttime snorts and grunts can be a sign of sleep apnea, especially when the snoring is paired with frequent interrupted breathing that may sound like gasping or choking.Not only can the condition disturb your sleep—as well as your partner's—but it can also lead to health complications such as heart trouble. So let your general practitioner know right away if you notice these symptoms.
Doctors often prescribe a therapy using a device called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for sleep apnea. The mask, which is worn while you sleep, blows air into the airways to keep them open so that breathing is uninterrupted and snoring is lessened.
Something that you can do in addition to wearing a CPAP mask is strengthen the muscles around the airways by doing mouth exercises. When practiced for 30 minutes a day, these simple exercises—which involve chewing and swallowing motions as well as specific movements of the tongue—have been found to reduce the severity of sleep apnea, improve sleep, and ease snoring. Even playing instruments that strengthen the airways, such as the didgeridoo, has been found to help treat sleep apnea.
If snoring or sleep apnea is interfering with your sleep, talk with your physician about your condition and whether oral exercises may be right for you, and get started with these mouth moves:


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Why Prophet Muhammad said that : "The most clever people is who most much remember about death". Why who most often remember about death is THE most clever people in the world??
Imagine in your mind. you always remember about death. You look at the tree, you imagine the tree is look like a grave stone. You look at the ground, suddenly you remember about corpse. So, you remember about death again. Afterwards You go nearby a river and you remember about crocodile. Dangerous animal. So, you remember again about death. You feel very afraid, anxious. Afraid about what? Anxious about corpse? Because the corpse will wake up , alive again but is not be human being, but corpse change to a Ghost and will suck your blood?? You run, escape, go away from there. Ghost and crocodile will kill you.
Now, you at your home. Still remember about corpse and dangerous river. These mind make you remember about your sin. And about how many good deed you had . Do God accept your good deed? Is mean do you get merit or gain or reward from God for your good deeds? Sometimes you do not honest but if you feel honest, may Allah [God] said that actually you are not honest. What you feel , only you emotion, not true honest. You think about whole of these, imagine in your mind. This cause you be very sad. Afterwards you cry and cry. Next, you pray and say to God, "Oh My God, Please forgive me. Please make my faith be more strong. PLEASE help me to obedient to you on whole matter. Please love me and please make me love you very MUCH. Amiin."
Next day, you be more cautious. Did not want to make anything illicit. You always alone to make anything which useful to you, useful for your hereafter life. You hate porn videos. You hate liquer. You hate prostitute. You hate adultery. You hate gambling. You hate waste the time with unuseful matter such entertainment [hear songs, music,…play any game etc] because Allah [GOD] create human being, not for play any game, not for play sex, not for eat and drink, not for sleep, not for rest, not for read something illicit, not for see anything illicit [such porn image], not for make joke , april fool, laught and laught like mad people, not for….and not for….. BUT ALLAH CREATE HUMAN BEING SO THAT THEY PERFORM RELIGIOUS OBLIGATIONS.
Next day more, you become more diligent to make good deeds like pray, solat, read al-Quran, study about hadith etc.
Suddenly, Your fat neighbour come . Meet you. His name , Charlie Chaplin. Charlie has high degree, phd. He is a professor. A famous scientist. He call you, stupid boy. Why? Because you always alone at your home. He treat you are robot. Because you have no emotion to play something, any game, have no want to marry, no emotion love, no want to get adventure or not adventurous. "Hi superstupid, you be like that because you have no degree. I have degree, so , I was one of most clever people in the world but you are one of most stupid people in the world!!"
One month later, a man who ride a very fast horse with flag come to your home. You at home. Now, a man , in front of you. "Asalamualaikum. I am death angel messenger. Take this flag and read what I wrote at the flag". Afterwards, he ride again his horse, go away from you and disappear. This is what he write:
"You may die tomorrow , at one post meridiem. You have four sin balance at your heart. Please try to clean these before I kill you. From IZRAIL, Death Angel". OOOOh my God. You feel very anxious. You cry and cry , non-stop. NO stop……………
One morning, you still at your room. You wake up. Direct you remember about death message. You direct pray and cry, " Oh God , please clean these four sin. Please accept my repent….." Suddenly, one man fly and go into your room through your room window. He pull out your soul, very carefully, very slow. And you dead with very sweet smile. You, now, in earth, under ground. You are a new corpse. You feel calm. You feel your grave is very wide. You feel cool. Suddenly, you see a very handsome man nearby you. "Who are you?", You ask him. "Relax, do not be afraid. I am your good deeds when you at world, now I become a handsome man to help you more calm. Mungkar & Nangkir will come immediate to ask you several question. Please answer with calmness. Afterwards, Mungkar & Nangkir come . Their face are very eeriness and their voice like thunder sound, also very eeriness. However you gave whole right answer by easy and calm. Afterwards, Mungkar & Nangkir go away from you and lost. Where they are? Your handsome man also lost! Suddenly, a white man come with his horse, with flag. "Congratulation! Allah give forgiveness to you. You have no any sin balance. So, you like a new baby born, 100% have no any sin, full cleanliness. You will go to heaven and meet prophet Muhammad s.a.w ." You said, "Alhamdulillah and thanks for your information. What about Charlie?". Last death messenger said, " Your neighbour is not clever people although he has high degree and be professor because he often careless in his life, always enjoy entertainment, game, ….and whole of these cause he always forget about his death date. So, he often lazy to pray , solat, to make any good deeds. He often waste his life time with enjoy like those things. So, he have many sin at his heart. Allah angry to him. So, Charlie get misfortune . One big lorry collide his car. Now, Charlie in his grave and Mungkar & Nangkir still torture him repeatedly because he cannot give right answer when Mungkar & Nangkir ask him about "Who is your GOD?" The conclusion of what incident happen is actually Charlie is stupid because his intelligence never help him from misfortune at his grave but you indeed most clever people because your mind about your death date cause you be good person and obedient to GOD. As a result, you now, happy at your grave, in your hereafter life!!""
If you are not muslim but afterwards you convert to ISLAM because you indeed believe that a true GOD , indeed ALLAH , ALLAH WILL DESTROY WHOLE OF YOUR SIN WHICH YOU MAKE BEFORE YOU BE A MUSLIM. SO, IF THIS HAPPEN, YOU ARE CLEAN FROM ANY SIN LIKE A NEW BABY BORN!!! THIS IS NOT MY OPINION BUT WHAT ISLAM SAID .


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Welcome to "Free-Rider Friday." Most of our shows are "topic" driven, where we dive deep into one subject. Free-Rider Fridays are designed to be "event" driven—whatever issues are in the news that we (or you) find worthy of commentary.
In economics, free riding means reaping the benefits from the actions of others and consequently refusing to bear the full costs of those actions. This means Ed and Ron will free ride off of the news, and each other, with no advanced knowledge of the events either will bring up.
You can also comment on Twitter at #ASKTSOE.
Our New Facebook Page
Like us on Facebook.
And Please leave a review of the show on iTunes.
Ed's Topics
Ed read an email from Jay, a listener in San Antonio. Jay asked Ron when he was introduced to the big libertarian thinkers, including Ludwig von Mises.
Jay also asked Ron about Edmund Burke and natural rights, and how long Ed has been a Libertarian.
Ed discussed the Tinder Plus App, and how it's priced.
Ed mentioned how Salesforce reacted to a proposed law in Indiana that allows businesses to discriminate against gay and lesbian couples, and also Audra McDonald's reaction to it.
Ron's Topics
Bob Cross, our guest on the March 13, 2015 show, told a story of how Marriott did a primitive form of Revenue Management in the 1950s. It turns out, so did my Dad in the barbershop, with respect to kids haircuts on Saturday's, the busiest day of the week.
An article in the January 19, 2015 issue of The Economist, "When the chips are down," about McDonald's sales being down 4.6% year-over-year as of November 2014.
In contrast, fast-casual restaurants such as Shake Shack, Nando's, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Panera Bread, are up 10.5%. Four reasons are cited:
- Fresh food
- High-level customization of your order
- Clever pricing, some dishes same price as fast food, but better at nudging to pricier dishes and extras, get an extra 40% out of each diner's wallet
- Each outlet offers a touch of distinctiveness (better before cheaper)
Other random topics
We discussed the concept of "Nudging," and the book by Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler, Nudge.
We also discussed an email question from listener Buyan:
Hi Ron,
I am an active listener on your books and podcasts. I currently lead an IT consulting company where we do custom development and CRM implementation projects. I have several questions on the business model which makes sense from your podcast.
- From a consulting company perspective, I am struggling with defining value for my customers. Most of our clients use our services for complex, integration needs of their business. Do you have some examples of how other professional service firms define value or create value ?
- I am now implementing the 3 price point approach which you had suggested instead of the previous one price which did not work for us. I would like to differentiate our firm with a zappos like service experience but our struggle is communicating that as a value to our clients. Are there any pointers on how that would work for an IT consulting company?
So please let me know.
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After suffering tough losses to UCLA and No. 8 UC-Santa Barbara last week that dropped it from No. 1 to No. 6 in the NCAA rankings, Stanford men's volleyball will look to reverse its struggles as it hits the road again to face No. 7 BYU and Cal Baptist.
The Cardinal now has an opportunity to prove that it can be successful on the road by bringing home two critical wins. Furthermore, Stanford is currently 0-2 in the MPSF and is still looking for its first conference win of the season.
The Cardinal, which started off very strong at the beginning of the season and quickly rose to the No. 1 spot, seemed out of its element and unlucky at times while on the road last week. The offense played consistently, but so did the offenses of both UCLA and UC-Santa Barbara. Certain plays could have gone either way — and did. Both five-set matches pushed Stanford to its limit and proved too much for the team's first road trip.
But the Cardinal will have another chance this weekend when Stanford (3-2, 0-2) will face No. 7 BYU (6-2, 4-0) in Provo, Utah, this Friday before heading back to California to face Cal Baptist (1-4, 1-3) in Riverside on Saturday.
After losing two matches early in the season, BYU is currently on a four-match winning streak. The Cougars beat No. 1 Long Beach State in four sets and won their last two matches on the road, meaning that they will be entering this game with confidence and positive momentum. Senior outside hitter Taylor Sander broke the BYU men's volleyball record for aces in a match last Saturday, hitting nine for the match. Sander will be difficult for Stanford to contain and the defense should look to limit his ability to make big plays in the match.
Because both teams are strong offensively and like to use their service game as an advantage against opponents, this match may prove to be a fight of which can out-serve the other and which defense can contain the opponent's hitting power more effectively.
Though Cal Baptist is currently unranked and coming off a loss in three sets at No. 7 UC-Irvine, Stanford did lose to the Lancers at the UC-Santa Barbara Invitational earlier this season. While the match did not count towards Stanford's record, Cal Baptist won 2-1 and showed the ability to limit Stanford's offensive advantage. Furthermore, Stanford's quick turnaround between matches that will involve a flight from Utah to Southern California could aid Cal Baptist's upset chances.
Overall, the Cardinal will face two strong opponents again on the road this week. This time, however, it will have the experience of last week's road losses to use as a lesson for what to work on and as experience in stressful environments.
Stanford plays BYU at 7 p.m. in Provo, Utah, on Friday and Cal Baptist at 7 p.m. Saturday in Riverside.
Contact Eliza Thompson at elizat 'at' stanford.edu.


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asked Jul 19 '16 at 23:09 by Miridyan (11)
Will there ever be the capability to export a certain scene? I know its not essential but it is a nice feature if you want to just export certain tests.
as a workaround, you can copy scenes and paste those in a new project (reminder: BWS can have multiple projects open at once - though only one has access to the audio engine). Beware it will not bring tracks along.
answered Jul 21 '16 at 11:36 by pakunoda (966)
edited Jul 21 '16 at 11:37
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Asked: Jul 19 '16 at 23:09
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Hey gorgeous girls, The Bridal Girl here! So, today's topic, the REGISTRY! So many modern brides have no idea what to register for, as so many brides these days live with their fiancés before they marry. So, they don't need the toasters, or the blenders, or the mixers. These brides need cash! While this seems … Continue reading Registry List for Smart Brides!
Bride on a Budget; Tips, Tricks, and Hacks for Gown Shopping!
Hello beautiful! Bridal on a budget. Most people don't think these two things go together. In fact, they can. I have planned a whole wedding in 12 hours and spent less than three hundred dollars for a friend of mine. It can be done ladies and gents! So, here are my tips, tricks, and hacks … Continue reading Bride on a Budget; Tips, Tricks, and Hacks for Gown Shopping!
2019 Bridal Lines Continued, Mori Lee
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Maggie Sottero Spring 2019 Favorites
The Great Color Debate
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The Do's and Don'ts of a Bridal Appointment
Everyone constantly asks me what they should do before they go to their first bridal appointment. Is there an etiquette? What is expected? How should I prepare? What should I wear? All of these questions and more I have heard a million times from my friends, my brides, and random people on the Interwebs. There are certain things … Continue reading The Do's and Don'ts of a Bridal Appointment
September 24th, 2018- Blog #1
Thanks for joining me! Welcome to my blog! I am the Bridal Girl. I spend my weekends and waking hours a bridal consultant and a college student, along with being the devoted girlfriend to a United States Marine. I have loved bridal since I was a little girl, and this blog will highlight all the … Continue reading September 24th, 2018- Blog #1