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Tags | alzner, backstrom, carlson, Chimera, green, Hamrlik, Holtby, Lundqvist, ovechkin, semin
Fast Start, Special Teams Propel Caps into Game 7
After losing game five in traumatic fashion and facing post season elimination, the Washington Capitals needed a fast start in game six on Wednesday night at the Verizon Center to stay alive in their best of seven series with the New York Rangers.
Boy did they get just what the doctor ordered.
All series I've been talking about the Capitals needing to use their speed to take advantage of a slooowww New York Rangers defense and right out of the gate the Caps did just that. Jason Chimera went flying by Anton Stralman and the Rangers d-man had to haul him down. Out trotted the Caps power play but instead of Alexander Ovechkin at the point, like he typically is, Coach Dale Hunter had Mike Green and Dennis Wideman manning the blue line with the Gr8 down low with Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. Talk about making the right move at the right time, Ovechkin alertly worked himself into the slot and found himself wide open. Super Swede #19 fed him beautifully and the Gr8 one timed it top right corner past Henrik Lundqvist only 88 seconds into the contest. Verizon Center erupted and Hunter said afterwards that every team plays better with a lead. He also talked about the changed power play configuration, which this team actually practiced before the playoffs began and have used a couple of times this post season, but not much, if at all, in this series.
"It's just one of those changes we make. We thought that Ovi, with his big shot, could get a shot off. On the play, one of their players fell and really left an opening and a shot from there by Ovi doesn't miss very often," said Hunter.
The goal was doubly important because it came on the power play and when you score first and carry the special teams battle, you normally win the hockey game. On this night Washington would go 1 for 3 with the man advantage while killing off all five Blueshirts power plays (10 minutes worth).
Another big key to victory was the play of the Backstrom-Chimera-Alex Semin line. That unit gave the Rangers fits all evening and it was the strong play on the boards of #'s 19 and 28 that allowed the Capitals to get their first two goal lead since game two. Backstrom started it behind the net and then Semin made a strong move off of the wall shedding his Ranger defender. #28 found an open John Carlson on the far boards, who blasted one towards the net. Backstrom had come out to position himself in the prime scoring position and the puck hit him and bounced right to Chimera, who deposited it in the empty cage.
The goal, just a second before the 11 minute mark, was crucial. After that Jeff Halpern, who replaced an injured Jay Beagle in the lineup, took a four minute high sticking penalty and Caps fans everywhere had to be thinking, following the Joel Ward infraction that cost Washington game five, "here we go again." But the Capitals penalty killing, which started with great goaltending from Braden Holtby (30 saves), was superb and New York lost momentum when the four minutes were up.
In the final frame, the Caps played sound defensively. They counterattacked and had opportunities to score with Ovechkin having two good chances and setting up Johansson for another, but King Henrik (21 saves) stood tall. New York had another late surge and scored with the goalie pulled after a Caps lost face-off with 50 seconds remaining. The Rangers don't quit, that is for sure, and that late game play is something Washington must improve on if they want to advance. Following that goal, though, the Capitals did win a few draws and Holtby didn't have to make any big stops until the final horn sounded.
So it all comes down to a pivotal game seven on Saturday night at 730pm. The #1 seeded Rangers playing on home ice have to be the favorites. However, as I said before game seven in Boston, there can be an advantage to being the road team. The home team has distractions with ticket requests and extra pressure being the favored club while the visitors just show up and play a hockey game. It is a nice position for Washington to be in, but don't get me wrong, there is pressure on this team to win this series as many players jobs are likely riding on it.
Historically, the Caps have stunk in game sevens (3-7), however, most of those (8 of the 10) have been on home ice. They won the last one in Boston on the road, but can they do it again and win on Broadway to finally make it to the Eastern Conference Finals?
We shall see, but it is vitally important that the core of this team, which is Ovechkin, Backstrom, Green, Semin, and Brooks Laich, find a way to break through in their fifth straight post-season.
Notes: Karl Alzner and Carlson did a great job against Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, and either Carl Hagelin or Ryan Callahan on their defensive shifts. Alzner told me playing against those guys is "a lot of fun." A battle on the boards ensues on every shift, it seems, and Alzner says that those guys are so skilled that you have to be sure you move the puck quickly or they can take it back fast…Matt Hendricks said that the Rangers like to come out of the cycle and get the puck into the slot. The Caps cut those attempts off most of the evening…Washington won the face-off battle 38-27 with Backstrom going 10-5…Richards, Callahan, and Gaborik all played over 22 minutes each…the Caps ice time distribution was much more balanced with Alzner leading the way with 23:13 and Carlson logging 22:00.


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В Естонії налічується близько 7000 річок та струмків, з них 423 довжиною більше кілометра, з них 10 довжиною більше 100 км.

Список річок

 Виханду (Võhandu) — 162 км
 Пярну (Pärnu) — 144 км
 Пилтсамаа (Põltsamaa) — 135 км
 Педья (Pedja) — 122 км
 Кейла (Keila) — 115 км
 Казарі (Kasari) — 113 км
 Піуза (Piusa) — 109 км
 Піріта (Pirita) — 105 км
 Емайигі (Emajõgi) — 100 км
 Педетсі (Pedetsi)
 Харьяпеа (Härjapea) — колишня річка в центрі Талліна

15 найбільших річок Естонії

Посилання
Estonica: The hydrographic network

Естонія

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home Reviews Gaming Reviews Battlefield 5 Review
Battlefield 5 Review
EA's best release when it finally finishes being released
Alan Copping
Battlefield 5 is the latest entry into EA's illustrious franchise, bringing things back to the franchise's roots in WW2. Amidst one of the worst ad campaigns in recent memory, is the end product actually worth a slot in the ration book?
Battlefield 5 has had a turbulent launch. After being pushed back to November, the title released in waves, with EA Access players getting early time, then Deluxe Edition owners getting nearly a week extra, followed by the general player base. Add the features that got pushed back, as well as the rest of the 'controversies' that I'd rather not burn 3 hours covering here and you've got yourself a bit of a marketing nightmare. It's a real shame because, at its core, Battlefield 5 is the best Battlefield title we've had since the landmark title, Battlefield 3.
The single most important feature within a Battlefield title is the gunplay, and Battlefield 5 has the best gunplay you'll find this side of 2011. Time-to-kill has been brought closer to titles of old, with faster kills allowing for skilled players to get the drop on players caught out of position, and clean up more than 1 or 2 kills before being noticed. A big issue in Battlefield 1 was that the time-to-kill simply didn't allow for these flanks, as players were forced to land so many shots that it was far easier for them to be turned on.
Now, this has been a topic of potential change following some players taking a disliking to the faster TTK. Sadly, a lot of this has stemmed from a current issue with the titles time-to-death. While this might seem to be identical features, the issue comes when there is a discrepancy between the two. Right now there is an issue where shots will register in one lump, also known as a one-frame death. A cause for this, a simple bug, that needs addressing, as well as EA's insistence on not launching new titles with 60hz servers. Thankfully, DICE has said that any changes will be tested with the community and focused on fixing the TTD, keeping the title's best feature alive.
While we're talking gameplay, Battlefield 5 implements vehicles into its gameplay in a fantastic way. Tanks are as fantastic as they were in the Beta, powerful in the right hands, but very much at risk when they're left alone, and infantry have more than enough firepower to pose a genuine threat to vehicles on the ground, and in the sky if you're after one of those "ONLY IN BATTLEFIELD" moments. The new system of limited ammunition works wonders for keeping tanks moving and needing to resupply, removing that age of problem of an Abrams camped on a hilltop. Tanks still have more than enough to defend themselves with, and the more skilled players will feel right at home here. There's some real variety with the land vehicles also, with both sides offering light, medium, and heavy tanks, field cars, and anti-air tanks all with their own lines of progression. You'll find what works for you here, with every option having its own strengths and weaknesses to keep them nicely balanced.
Thankfully, the woeful aircraft of the Beta is a thing of the past, With a complete overhaul to their handling now leaving the fighters feeling like the agile machines they truly are. As with the land vehicles, there's a nice variety here, with fighters, dive-bombers, and light bombers available for players, with additional seats in the latter 2 for gunners and players looking to drop into the action below. At the moment, bombers are a little broken, with their being a 3D reticle in 3rd-person flight allowing players to deliver their payload with incredible accuracy, at the start of a round. This means that a lot of rounds start with the almost immediate death of 12 players on each side. DICE has stated that they're working on a fix for this, thankfully.
Now for the game modes. You'll be finding no Battle Royale here because it's been delayed. Honestly, I wish they'd never announced it. I highly doubt the lack of it is a lost sale to many and stating its inclusion only serves to look bad for the title upon its delay. That's the thing, there's more than enough here for players to sink their teeth into already. Gone is the naff conquest system implemented in Battlefield 1, and instead the old, better system is here, but with one twist that kinda fucks it. Currently, the mode has a system that allows the side of the losing end to capture objectives faster, while the winning team has a bit of a harder time. The system works nicely to give teams a chance to bring back some of the tougher games to closer margins, but also allows a close game to be rapidly swept out of the winners' hands. In classic fashion, a fix for this is on the way.
The real let-down here is the Grand Operations mode. Voiced as Operations 2.0, we were expecting the standard operations experience but with some nice changes towards the objectives. Sadly, despite a promising introduction in the Beta, it hasn't really delivered. The real issue is some of the modes implemented within the mode. Conquest assault really doesn't work here and makes very little sense in the grand scheme of one team attacking while the other defends. What's worse, is that the only round that matters is the last one. While before, the defending side would win if they could stop the attacking forces, the maps progress regardless. This does mean you can play every map, but the 'attacker bonus' system does little to reward defenders that hold out for the first 2 rounds.
Sadly the story of Battlefield 5's multiplayer modes can be summed up with the phrase "it's on the way." There's a lot here already, with Breakthrough, a new mode that players will recognize from Battlefield 1's Operations mode, frontlines, and the more infantry focused modes all here and ready to be conquered. It feels a lot like EA and DICE screwed themselves by trying to do way too much. Sometimes, less is more, and simply not speaking about stuff you can't be sure you'll drop at launch might well be better. Especially considering the Tides of War, Battlefield 5's DLC replacement, is the perfect venue for dropping such things into the title. Surprise me, EA. Don't tease me and make me wait.
Despite these drawbacks and blunders, The multiplayer experience in Battlefield 5 is arguably the best in years. Weapon balance is solid off the bat, with SMG's and Pistols being the only real concern, which in true DICE fashion, is set to be addressed in an upcoming patch. The developers are listening to fans to make this the best title possible, and the communication of these changes has been clear and thorough. Multiplayer is full of those "only in Battlefield" moments and has enough variety to really get yourself engrossed in what's on offer.
As for customization within the Multiplayer, you can of course play as a female if you so wish, something which formed the basis of much of the controversy around the title. I'm just going to mention the female Russian snipers who were credited with hundreds of confirmed kills, and move on. You can customize the uniform of your Company, with vehicle customization coming in the near future. Why isn't it here? I wish I knew. There's a lot of skins for weapons also, which can be combined with all elements of the gun interchangeable in a really nice system that allows you to create some unique weapons in your own style.
The biggest disappointment within Battlefield 5 is the War Stories. After being introduced in Battlefield 1 as a fantastic addition with real depth and story, the ball has really been dropped this time around. There are currently 3 War Stories available with a fourth, you guessed it, coming soon. While interesting, they're far too short to really tell much of a story. Just as things get going, they're over. You can finish all three in 2-3 hours quite comfortably. It's a real shame because War Stories do offer a great insight into some of the lesser-known aspects of the war, yet they've really missed the mark when it comes to how much they cover and develop. You'll also notice a fair amount of copy and paste from Battlefield 1, with many weapons coming across into the single player. Some have also made their way into multiplayer, but all handle different and are at least correct to the start of the war.
Graphically Battlefield 5 is what you expect from DICE. Gorgeous. While it's not an improvement over the previous release, it's not unpleasant, and there are enough visual effects here to keep you engrossed and engaged. These also have an impact in the gameplay, with explosions creating enough dust and smoke to give you cover and give you a hard time finding where the tank went. It's a nice mechanic, and it's nice to play a game where the soldiers don't stand out from the world like a sore thumb. As always, the skyboxes are stunning, and weather effects have such an impact on the map that other titles would ship it as a separate map all in itself…
If you've played a Battlefield title from the past 5 years, you'll know what the menus are like, and they work just fine. This is probably their best implementation, without delays and bugs, just the occasional slow loading of character models that does affect their look but thankfully has no effect on their function. Frustratingly, the title does restrict some of these features between and during games forcing you to back out of a server to make certain changes. Thankfully DICE plans to address this in the future. Go figure.
Ultimately that's the story of Battlefield 5. What's there is incredible, and when it comes to stability, it's the best release in years. Unfortunately, a host of unfulfilled promises and dodgy EA rep have tainted the release, and while the content that's here is grand, unfulfilled promises of more have left a bit of a sour taste.
Performace
If you can overlook EA's shady practice and the rather disastrous marketing, Battlefield 5 is more than worth the money. The gunplay is solid and the overall gameplay feels fantastic. It's a shame that elements of the title are missing despite being promised, even if their absence is not particularly missed. Here's looking at you, Battle Royale.
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Alan is Both n3rdabl3's Editor and resident car guy. aSome say he only reviews racing games, but all we know is he doesn't sleep.
Apex Legends Anti-Cheat Plans Outlined
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Features Sekiro-Inspired Combat
EA CEO Admits Anthem "Isn't Working Very Well"
Developer: DICE
Reviewed Platform: Xbox One

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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imputeHist(breaks, use.mids) for imputation using random values with probabilities calculated using table or hist.
imputeLearner(learner, features = NULL) for imputations using the response of a classification or regression learner.
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Features to use in learner for prediction. Default is NULL which uses all available features except the target column of the original task.


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11 young people robbed in Crouch End park
Published: 2:13 PM March 24, 2009 Updated: 1:26 PM October 14, 2020
AT least 11 young people have been allegedly robbed by a large group of teenagers in a Crouch End park. Police are appealing for information and witnesses following a series of robberies in the vicinity of Priory Park on March 5 at approximately 4pm in th
AT least 11 young people have been allegedly robbed by a large group of teenagers in a Crouch End park.
Police are appealing for information and witnesses following a series of robberies in the vicinity of Priory Park on March 5 at approximately 4pm in the afternoon.
It is believed that a large group of youths, aged approximately 12 to 15-years-old robbed a number of young people aged between 12 and 14-years-old within the park.
A group of nine teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of robbery and have been bailed to return to a north London police station on April 4.
DC Kay Sekyere, of Haringey's Robbery Squad, said: "Phoning police immediately following a robbery is essential to enabling us to detain suspects at the earliest opportunity.
"In this case, the suspects were detained within minutes, and this is largely thanks to the victims calling police straight away, enabling our dedicated robbery team to respond rapidly."
Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Sekyere on 020 8345 0870 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


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MONSOON:: A film by Sturla Gunnarsson
MONSOON:: A film by Sturla Gunnarsson - World Premiere:: Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2014
I saw in the monsoon an awful, beautiful, unfathomable phenomenon and wanted to both experience and meditate on it. – Sturla Gunnarsson
Award-winning filmmaker Sturla Gunnarsson (Diplomatic Immunity, TIFF 1990; Gerri and Louise, 1997; Such A Long Journey, TIFF 1998; Rare Birds, TIFF 2001; Force of Nature, TIFF 2010) returns to TIFF 2014 with the World Premiere of MONSOON.
Part road movie, part spectacle, part human drama, MONSOON is a personal reflection on chaos, creation and faith in the land of believers.
MONSOON marks Sturla Gunnarsson's filmmaking return to India, following his multi-award winning adaptation of Rohinton Mistry's Such A Long Journey. This time the subject is monsoon, the incomparably vast seasonal weather system that permeates and unifies the immense and varied culture of India, shaping the conditions of existence for its billion inhabitants.
"Monsoon is my love letter to India, says Gunnarsson. I've been romanced by the idea of monsoon since I can remember. I've travelled often and extensively throughout India, I'm married into a big Indian family and have long dreamed of experiencing the monsoon. So, when producer Ina Fichman of Intuitive Pictures offered me the opportunity to make a film about it I jumped."
MONSOON was filmed over the course of the 2013 monsoon season across the Indian sub-continent from coastal areas like Kerala and Goa to drought stricken agricultural lands of Maharashtra, the teeming cities of Mumbai and Kolkata and Cherrapunji, the world's rainiest place in the State of Meghalaya, aka "Place of The Clouds" at the base of the Himalaya Range, where the monsoon ends its annual journey. Charting the huge system's path as it surges toward and gradually engulfs every region of the country, MONSOON introduces us to a remarkable array of individuals whose lives are in different ways entwined with the phenomenon. Like, Bishnu Shastri, the red-haired bookie who never seems to lose a weather bet; the desperate farmers whose land has been passed over by monsoon for years; Bollywood star Moushumi Chatterjee who performed and danced in monsoon rain with Amitabh Bachchan in "Manzil"; and 12-year-old Akhila Prasad, whose family risks losing everything to the annual rains."
Gunnarsson wanted to capture the epic scale of the monsoon on the breathtaking Indian landscape, while maintaining an intimate sense of the humanity affected by it. All decisions were governed by those two criteria – the epic and the human. There were many challenges in shooting mostly under extreme weather conditions but in order to achieve maximum cinematic effect, the filmmaker used Red Epic cameras which captured the images in ultra high definition 4K, which, in film terms, is roughly equivalent to 70mm. Gunnarsson felt that "the spirit of the monsoon danced in the clouds" and made extensive use of computer-controlled time-lapse photography.
MONSOON's score was composed by Monsoon Dub Orchestra's Andrew T. MacKay, based on the Malhar ragas, and featuring some of the top Indian players and vocalists in Bombay and London. The score also includes Bombay Dub's "Monsoon Malabar'. For more information, click HERE.
A cinematic journey into the terrain where nature, science, belief and wonder converge in one of the most astonishing and breathtaking landscapes on earth, MONSOON is a film that captures the timelessness and rich human drama of our engagement with the natural world.
About Sturla Gunnarsson
Sturla Gunnarsson is one of Canada's most prolific and eclectic filmmakers, whose work spans a broad range of genres, platforms and subject matter. His most recent documentary, Force Of Nature , won the 2010 TIFF Documentary Audience Award. Other non-fiction feature films include International Emmy Award-winning Gerrie & Louise and Academy Award nominated After The Axe. Fiction features include Beowulf & Grendel (Gerard Butler, Stellan Skarsgard), Rare Birds (William Hurt, Molly Parker) and Such A Long Journey (Roshan Seth, Om Puri). Gunnarsson's extensive television directing credits include drama series for all the major North American networks.
MONSOON (2014, Canada/France, 106 mins.) Written and directed by Sturla Gunnarsson. Produced by Ina Fichman. Co-Producer: Luc Martin-Gousset. Editor: Nick Hector Director of Photography: Van Royko Original Music: Andrew T. Mackay. An Intuitive Pictures/Point du jour production in association with CBC and ARTE with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Rogers Documentary Fund and the support of the CNC.
MONSOON is distributed in Canada by Kinosmith Inc., an independent Canadian film distribution & marketing company founded in February 2007 by distribution veteran Robin Smith. Kinosmith is also home to the Hot Docs Collection on DVD that releases award winning documentaries curated by the Hot Docs festival in Canada. Kinosmith recently announced that they will be teaming up with the Blue Ice Group to start a new, global distribution entity called Blue Ice Docs
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Home > Vol 10, No 10 (2020) >	Elimy
Land Use /Land Cover Change Detection Analysis for Eastern Nile Delta Fringes, Egypt
Enass A. Elimy, Ahmed A. Hassan, Maha A. Omar, Gamal .Abd EL Nasser, Peter H. Riad
Egypt has turned its attention to develop many new areas for agricultural development, such as the fringes of the Nile Valley, the eastern, western fringes of the Nile Delta, and also to the desert areas. In this research, integration of GIS and remote sensing (RS&GIS) were used in the South Eastern Nile delta region to follow the change in land use/cover and to assess the change in the agricultural lands in the desert areas. Three satellite images for years 1992, 2002, 2015 were used to produce the land use/cover maps using the maximum likelihood method by selecting five classes for land cover as (Agricultural, water, desert, and urban). The results of the accuracy assessment were evaluated as 85%, 86.2%, and 87.5% for the years 1992, 2002, and 2015. The change detection maps were produced between (1992-2002), (2002-2015) and (1992-2015). To follow up the increase in reclaimed areas that previously planned for reclamation by the National Water Resources Plans. More change detection statistics were performed. The results showed an increase in the area of agricultural lands within the desert regions, with values that are aligned with the areas proposed in the previous national water plans. The area of reclamation lands of the existing reclamation projects started before 1992 increased by 17527.6 (feddan) from the year 1992 to 2015 compared to 115436 feddan for the reclamation lands planned by the Land master plan from (1992 to 2017) for the same period of years. Finally, we can consider the integration between GIS and remote sensing data as an important and powerful tool for accurately detection land use/land cover changes over the study area. Also, these tools were considered very useful for the planning of sustainable management for water resource plans.
Keywords: Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), Land-use/ cover, change detection, the South Eastern Nile delta region.


President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Nigerian Senate regarding the spate of Fulani Herdsmen killings in Benue State, The Cable reports.
Buhari, in the letter, said it is wrong for the Senate to infer he has done nothing to stop the killings.
The president listed a number of steps he has taken to put an end to the killings, including meeting with the Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau and Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom.
I thank you for your letter referenced NASS/8S/R/01/33 dated 18th January 2018 and carefully studied the resolutions and comments there in. As I briefed you and the RT. Hon speaker when we met, several courses of action have been taken prior to the senate resolution," the letter read.
You may recall that I told you of the following steps taken as soon as the information came in to me about the Benue killings. One, on Thursday 4th January, I sent the minister of interior and the deputy inspector-general of police in charge of operations for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
Two, on Friday 5th January, the inspector-general of police briefed me verbally on the latest situation, calm had then been restored.
Three, on Monday 8th, the minister of interior met with the following, governors of Adamawa, Kaduna, Niger, Benue Taraba and Nasarawa together with the DG of the State Security Services, inspector-general of police, CG civil defence, minister of agriculture and rural development and police commissioner of the six aforementioned states.
After the meeting instructed the minister of interior to brief you on the information gathered so far and steps taken. On Tuesday, 9th of January, at a session with governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state during which in informed of police arrests of some suspects. In addition, I told him that have instructed to speed up trial of the suspects and give wide publicity of the police efforts.
At the instance of the governor, a meeting was held in the presidential villa on 15th with a wide cross-section of Benue personalities and frank and open discussions were held. Everybody appreciated the difficulties of this farmers-herders strife. I assured all of my commitment and assured justice would be done.
To infer therefore that nothing has been done, is incorrect. The police are strenuously working to apprehend the rest of the culprits of these heartless killings.
Furthermore, I have instructed the IGP to relocate to Benue state and redeploy forces to the most sensitive towns. The federal government is initiating measures to address these and other security challenges, alleviate the consequence of these attacks and forestall reoccurrence.
Governor Okorocha Describes Kidnap of Channels Television Correspondent as Blackmail-frolic media.


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VA's Brody recommends centralized approach to security
By William Jackson
Bruce Brody, CIO of the Veterans Affairs Department, had some advice today for agencies working to improve the security of their networks.
"Trust me, centralization is the only way to get it done," he said.
Brody offered his advice at the GOVSEC security conference in Washington while outlining his department's progress since he took on the task in March 2001. VA is the first cabinet-level department to establish central cybersecurity technology and operational controls at the department level, he said.
When he became associate deputy assistant secretary for cyber and information security, VA had been given an F in former Rep. Steve Horn's cybersecurity report card. The agency's widely distributed operations'163 medical centers, more than 800 clinics, 57 regional benefits offices and 206 outreach centers'had collected a hodge-podge of 30 networks, each independent and cobbled together.
"Lots of unauthorized connections to the Internet," Brody said. "A real mess. Implementing security in an environment like this was just not feasible."
Brody centralized security oversight and used the requirements of the Government Information Security Reform Act (now the Federal Information Security Management Act) as the framework for implementing security. This year, more than 200 gateways are being reduced to four, with centralized management of firewalls and other security. A Central Incident Response Capability has been launched that Brody called the best in government, and a network security operations center was opened this year in Martinsburg, W.Va. A second NSOC is scheduled to open next year in Chicago.
The VA CIRC, operated by a small business consortium called VAST (for VA Security Team) LLC, is the mandatory source for many security services for VA agencies. Multiple blanket procurement awards have been made to EDS Corp., IBM Corp., Maximus Inc. of Reston., Va., RS Information Systems Inc. of McLean, Va., and Science Applications International Corp. of San Diego as mandatory sources for other security services and products. A second round of BPAs is expected to be made late this summer.
The department also is making its security staff more professional, Brody said. There are more than 600 security practitioners "of uneven quality" in the department, he said. He has established qualifications and training programs and all will undergo certification testing next month. Certification will be a condition of employment and security employees will have to be recertified every three years. They also will have background checks done and receive at least secret level clearances.
The department's security is not perfect. Brody said he hopes to receive a C- in the next round of congressional report cards. The department is not as far along in the Office of Management and Budget's Federal IT Security Assessment Framework as it should be.
"We want to get to FITSAF Level 4," he said. "We are supposed to be there now. We hope to get there in the next year and a half."
VA is now at FITSAF Level 3, which Brody said is the primary reason for the department's failing grade from Congress. He said the reason for the low level is a lack of money, and laid the blame for that on Congress.
"We spent our appropriation," he said. "Give us more money, and we'll be at Level 4. What Congress could do to help would be appropriating more money for security. Part of that F belongs to them."
William Jackson is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
Feds score lower in use of travel IT
COIs included in all major Defense IT projects
Air Force turns to Raytheon for U-2 systems support
Avian flu could cripple telecom services, Internet
CMS to test feasibility of e-personal health records


Members of the Take Back Action Fund Board of Directors responded to a unanimous decision by the Federal Elections Commission that its proposed Facebook ads potentially advocating the defeat of Democratic candidates based on hypocrisy over disclosing political contributions involving Russia and other issues.
"I've been running hard-hitting political ads that play by the rules for years," said TBAF Board Member Charles Hellwig, who first worked with TBAF President John Pudner on Ollie North's run for US Senate in 1994. "However, if the FEC had deadlocked again on a Facebook matter it would have sent a clear signal that we were free to pay to run our attacks through Facebook without ever having to say Take Back Action Fund was the one paying for the ads. We are happy we made this point, and that every group now knows they can no longer assume the FEC will deadlock and be unable to enforce disclosure requirements if they try to use Facebook to circumvent disclosure requirements."
The FEC debate appeared to be heading to deadlock several times between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. December 14, before a breakthrough reported by USA Today.
The FEC decision was also cheered by Take Back Our Republic (TBOR), an IRS recognized 501c3 which set up TBAF (a 501c4), but is separately governed now has only one of its 10 TBOR voting Board Members (Randy Brooks) serving on the TBAF Board. Juleanna Glover, Hellwig, and Marty Connors serve on the Board of Take Back Our Republic, which as a 501c4, Take Back Action Fund is able and willing to take more hard-hitting stances on issues. The two groups are therefore related but run separately consistent with Internal Revenue laws.
In the business world, the term social media has turned into be an important factor which can help the businesses grow their sales. There are a lot of platforms that are mianly utilized by most of the brands such as twitter and facebook etc. The facebook ads management is becoming highly prevalent in order to gain leads.


The Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP) of Weston kicked off Red Ribbon Week on October 27 to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. ADAP youth group members greeted fellow students and provided breakfast. They also handed out red bracelets saying, Love Yourself, Be Drug Free.


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Study shows students hype up college rankings
Sydney Czyzon, News Reporter|October 24, 2017
Graphic by Sydney Czyzon
A study published this month by two Marquette professors and one University of Idaho professor said students place too much emphasis on college rankings when making application decisions.
The study found 18.5 percent of full-time, first-year students say rankings in national magazines are 'very important' in their decision of which college to attend.
With these statistics in mind, the professors sought to prove whether students process ranking information accurately.
The study focused on the U.S. News & World Report college rankings for national universities and national liberal arts colleges, which are released each fall. The professors studied how these rankings affect students' perceptions of educational institutions.
The two Marquette professors, Andrew G. Meyer and Andrew R. Hanson, from the economics department, and Daniel C. Hickman, economics professor from the University of Idaho, officially started working on the study in fall 2015, mostly collaborating over email and phone calls. The study took about two years to finish, which, Meyer said, is pretty quick for a given paper.
What the three professors found has implications for both students and educational institutions.
The findings suggest that there is a 2 to 6 percent decrease in applications when an institution's ranking moves from inside the top 50 to outside the top 50. Despite this drop in applications, the study found no corresponding drop in the quality of institutions immediately above or below the 50 threshold.
In other words, rather than a large change in quality between an institution ranked 50 and an institution ranked 51, Meyer said students' perceptions make the gap appear larger than it is.
"That tells us that students are focusing on the ranking as opposed to the information about quality that the ranking contains," Meyer said.
Nikko Galanopulos, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said he thought rankings were important as a high school student.
"When I was a senior in high school, that was what I kind of used," Galanopulos said. "But now that I'm here, it's less so the number and more so what I'm actually doing here that's going to get me a job."
Meyer said students' tendency to rely on these rankings is indicative of human decision-making behavior.
"There are places in economics research that are showing now that in many situations, people have limited attention spans," he said. "There's a lot of complex information that they have to try to process all at one time, so in these situations where people are faced with a lot of complex information, sometimes they look for simplifying rules of thumb."
However, students' emphasis on rankings could affect the quality of their college experience, Meyer said. Students who place too much importance on whether the schools they are applying for are in the top 25 or 50 might end up applying to schools in the 45 to 50 range and face higher competition, potentially causing them to receive less financial aid.
"By putting too much attention onto just that one ranking, they might not be getting the best match for themselves," Meyer said. "Students may end up finding a better match for themselves by looking on the other side of the threshold — on 26, 27, 28 or 51, 52, 53 or 101, 102, 103."
One reason students might place a lot of emphasis on the top 50 institutions could be due to the physical page break around that threshold in the U.S. News printed rankings. However, Meyer said the effect of the page break has decreased over time as technology use has increased, paving the way for future research.
"If you look at the online rankings, they don't have the same cutoffs at 50," he said. "But there might become other cutoffs that are important in the future, so you'd have to look at the rankings and see what are the natural breakpoints that come up when you look at the online rankings."
Meyer said students should look beyond rankings when considering college options. While he said employers and graduate programs may look at rankings, students should not solely rely on rankings when decision day rolls around.
Isaiah Gencuski, a junior in the College of Communication, said he focused on financial aid over rankings. "It was more so a matter of tuition," he said.
"I looked at the rankings of the program that I'm in, not Marquette's in general," Karis Yang, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said.
In the U.S. News 2018 ranking of national universities, Marquette ranked 90. In 2016 and 2017, Marquette ranked 86.
"What Marquette would want to think about directly related to this study is that small changes in ranking can actually be relatively important if it crosses over some subjective threshold," Meyer said. "Even though the ranking change might look really marginal — let's say from a 98 to a 101 … it still could be important in the eyes of students."
Dr Andrew Hanson
Dr Andrew Meyer
Dr Daniel Hickman
Isaiah Gencuski
Karis Yang
Marquette Ranking
National Liberal Arts Colleges
National Universities
Nikko Galanopulos
Published Study
U.S. News and World Report
One Response to "Study shows students hype up college rankings"
Annell Czyzon on October 26th, 2017 3:22 pm
This was an excellent article, Sydney. Very proud of the work you are doing at Marquette. Keep up the good work! Love you, Grams
MUPD cannot confirm shots on campus
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Straz fire alarm goes off
Robbery reported near 19th Street, Wisconsin Avenue
Shooter injures man near 9th Street and Wisconsin Avenue
University ahead of pace for enrollment goal for Class of 2024
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Counseling Center offers short-term therapy, refers students elsewhere
Joe Daniels named new College of Business Administration dean
Office of Community Engagement combines with Office of Corporate Engagement and Partnerships
President Lovell hands out free breakfast sandwiches at Sendiks Fresh2GO on the first day of classes
Marquette adopts new test-optional policy
First online bachelor program now taking applications
Government shutdown affects Les Aspin internship program
Sophomore housing assignment issues from last year leave freshmen concerned


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Child labour, forced marriages and modern day slavery increasing
10 Sep 2019, 22:24 GMT+10
Incidents of modern-day slavery are only likely to increase as a result of some of the biggest challenges facing the world today, a UN expert outlined in a report for the Huma ...
The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Urmila Bhoola, says over 40 million people are currently enslaved around the world, a quarter of them children. .
Due to problems of environmental degradation, migration and shifting demographics, the scourge of modern-day slavery is expected to grow.
GENEVA, Switzerland - Incidents of modern-day slavery are only likely to increase as a result of some of the biggest challenges facing the world today, a UN expert outlined in a report for the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.
The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Urmila Bhoola, says over 40 million people are currently enslaved around the world, a quarter of them children.
Over 60 percent of those in forced labour work in the private sector, Ms. Bhoola said, with women and girls disproportionately affected. Of the female victims involved in forced labour, an astonishing 98 percent have experienced sexual violence.
Global estimates from the International Labour Organization (ILO) indicate that 24.9 million people are in forced labour situations worldwide, and 15.4 million live in forced marriages.
This sort of trend, "must serve as a wakeup call," Ms. Bhoola said, highlighting that the astounding statistics come four years after countries set goals aimed at stamping out trafficking, ending violence against women, and eradicating modern slavery.
"In wake of climate change, people may lose their livelihoods, young people who don't have access to decent work may migrate through unsafe channels and changes in the world of work, such as automation, may push already vulnerable people out of their jobs," all of which could increase people's vulnerability to slavery, the expert explained.
Even for those who escape, life for survivors is often difficult. Investigations by Human Rights Watch, highlight how even victims who manage to extricate themselves, can return home to the same desperate circumstances that made them vulnerable to begin with, but now facing stigma or blame.
Beyond these tragic realities for individuals, "slavery leads to increased public health costs, productivity losses, negative environmental externalities and lost income," Bhoola added, urging countries and business to "act now."
"We cannot afford to stand by while more and people are driven into forced labour, servile marriage or child labour," she said.
Looking forward, the UN expert highlighted that for youth approaching working age, the situation is more dire - "By 2030, some 85 percent of the more than 25 million young people entering the labour force globally will be in developing and emerging countries," she noted. "Their perspectives to access jobs offering decent work will determine their level of vulnerability to exploitation, including slavery."
To prepare for this, "it is imperative" anti-slavery efforts are "systematic, scientific, strategic, sustainable, survivor-informed, and smart" she maintained.
Current efforts to end slavery are falling short and States and businesses "must take more decisive action to end slavery," Ms. Bhoola concluded. This must be done "by committing more resources to this effort and by adopting and implementing public policies which address contemporary forms of slavery effectively."
(Photo credit: Theirworld).
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Q: How can I view last installed package or program? Can user list last installed packages by apt-get in terminal?
I need to know which last package I installed on Ubuntu 12.04.

A: Rinzwind answered the question well above. If you want to use a GUI, open Synaptic by opening the Ubuntu Dash and typing "Synaptic". You will be prompted for your root password.
When Synaptic is open, go to File --> History. Then select the most recent month and day, and you will be presented with a list of installed, upgraded and removed packages on that day.

A: See /var/log/dpkg.log. Or do ...
less /var/log/dpkg.log

It will list all activity regarding packages.
More specific to installation:
grep installed /var/log/dpkg.log

It will list it like this:
2014-01-02 11:20:07 status half-installed libmodule-pluggable-perl 3.6-1
2014-01-02 11:20:07 status half-installed libemail-simple-perl 2.003-1
2014-01-02 11:20:07 status half-installed libemail-abstract-perl 2.134-1
2014-01-02 11:20:07 status half-installed libtime-piece-perl 1.11-2
2014-01-02 11:20:07 status half-installed libemail-date-perl 1.102-1
2014-01-02 11:20:07 status half-installed libmime-lite-perl 3.020-2ubuntu2
2014-01-02 11:20:08 status installed libmodule-pluggable-perl 3.6-1
2014-01-02 11:20:08 status installed libemail-simple-perl 2.003-1
2014-01-02 11:20:08 status installed libemail-abstract-perl 2.134-1
2014-01-02 11:20:08 status installed libtime-piece-perl 1.11-2
2014-01-02 11:20:08 status installed libemail-date-perl 1.102-1
2014-01-02 11:20:08 status installed libmime-lite-perl 3.020-2ubuntu2

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I offer a series of full-day workshops for writers of all levels, from beginning to advanced. I schedule them on request, so if you'd like to book or attend a workshop, email me at [email protected], and we'll work out a time and place based on your needs. If you prefer an online venue, please check out my online course page.
"Question Me a Novel" takes you from the spark of an idea to a completed draft.
"Polishing Silver and Panning for Gold: Revision for Writers" teaches a multi-layered approach to revision, from a broad, big-picture focus to the close-focus issues of sentence structure and word choice.
"Show, Don't Tell: Mastering Deep POV" covers point-of-view, from choosing the correct POV for your story to using deep point-of-view to create an immersive experience for your readers.
If you're looking for a shorter session, all of these can be adapted to fit your available time slot, and since I love to teach, I've been known to create workshops on request; so far, groups have asked for and received instruction on dialogue, scene structure, book structure and pacing, and traditional vs. self-publishing.
I also do half-day and one- to two-hour sessions on craft, business, and creativity. You can read more about those below.
Based on the assumption that you are the expert on your novel, the system leads you through a series of open-ended, non-prescriptive questions and exercises that can take you all the way from the seed of an idea to a finished book, or move you through a "stuck" spot in your story. Whatever your genre, whether you're a pantser or a plotter, this nuts & bolts workshop will give you practical, step-by-step strategies to take you from the initial idea to a completed first draft.
"I'm at Starbucks with no writer's block, thanks to you! I have a plan now! Sorry about all the exclamation points but I had been stuck for months and it's so nice to be un—-!" Jan L.
"Yesterday's workshop was so good. Every section was helpful….I attended [some other writing workshops] a few years ago, and they were perfectly fine, but compared to yours they're quite sketchy. My point is not to criticize them but to point out that you offer what fiction writers really need." – Lynette I.
The price of the workshop includes the course workbook but not lunch or lodging.
The first draft's finished, but it's not the shining gem it was in your head. Maybe the characters are flat, maybe the setting is a cipher, maybe the plot has all the structure of pudding. The book you envisioned is in there somewhere, but you just can't seem to find it. Sound familiar?
For most of us, that first draft is a promising mess; you can see glimmers of the book you wanted, but how to make it shine? Whether your draft is too thin or too fat, has structural flaws or tepid language, this workshop can help you strengthen story structure, deepen characters, sharpen dialogue, heighten tension, tighten and polish your prose, and just plain make your book better.
Point-of-view, or POV, is one of the most challenging things for writers. It's so easy to slip into from one character's head into another's without noticing that even the most experienced writers sometimes catch themselves doing it. In fact, in my workshops and coaching sessions, not to mention the contests I've judged, POV errors are among the most common.
We'll spend the first part of the day on choosing the right POV character and on how and why to avoid head-hopping, but the bulk of the workshop will focus on using deep point-of-view to develop character, create depth, and make your readers feel like they're living your story. With writing exercises and practical, step-by-step strategies for using POV effectively, the "Mastering POV" workshop gives you tools for becoming a better writer.
Price: $80 The price of the workshop includes the course workbook but not lunch or lodging.
Your book has been published in print or electronic form or both. What now? Where are all the readers? Are your sales everything you've dreamed they would be?
"Sell Your Books, Not Your Soul is a workshop on book marketing and promotion for authors who would rather do almost anything but sell.
Sure, it would be great to sit in your pajamas and write while your books fly off the shelves, but the reality is, no matter how good your book is, no one will buy it unless they know it exists. But how do you let them know? Do you need Twitter? How often should you tweet? What about Facebook? Is social media the key to publishing success? What about newsletters, giveaways, contests, swag?
It's easy to be overwhelmed by all the marketing advice out there. The truth is, the best marketing plan is the one you'll actually do–the one tailored to your strengths and interests. If you love marketing, and if promotion comes easily to you, this workshop is not for you, but if, like most of us, you struggle with that side of the writing life, the "Sell Your Books, Not Your Soul" workshop can help.
All fees are non-refundable. In the event of an emergency, you will be able to transfer your registration fee to another workshop.
In the unforeseen event that a workshop needs to be cancelled, it will be rescheduled, and you'll have the option to register for that event or transfer your registration fee to another workshop.
In the even less likely event that a workshop needs to be cancelled and cannot be rescheduled, all registration fees will be refunded.
This workshop is a step-by-step guide to getting ready to write. This session will help you take your book from the initial idea through the planning stage and into the starting gate. You'll create the scaffolding and foundation for your novel. Then you'll learn how to deepen and develop your story. At the end of the workshop, each student will receive a day-by-day guide to completing the novel.
Think of your favorite book. What brought it to life? Chances are, it was the characters. What is it that makes certain characters stay with us for days or even decades after we've turned the final page? This workshop focuses on turning paper people into complex, well-rounded individuals who will live on in your readers' minds.
Effective dialogue is more than just what people say. It reveals character, drives the plot, reveals subtext, and often evokes emotion. It's not speech. It's an illusion of speech. When done correctly, the mechanisms are invisible. This workshop will show you how to write clean, crisp dialogue that brings your characters to life and sounds more natural than the real thing.
You've written "the end," but are you really finished? How can you make that manuscript better? This workshop is a truncated version of the Question Me a Novel workshop listed above.
This workshop will teach you how to choose the right POV character, how and why to avoid head hopping, and how to use deep point-of-view to create an immersive experience for your reader. This is a truncated version of the Mastering POV workshop listed above.
Whether or not you believe in writer's block, whether or not you believe the Muse is a delicate beast, there's no denying that sometimes we need to recharge our creative batteries. This fun and inspirational infusion of creativity will revive your excitement and help you jumpstart your novel or short story. Guaranteed to awaken your inner storyteller.
Some people achieve their dreams with apparent ease, getting the job after the first interview, the promotion after a few months, the book contract within months of writing "the end," the movie deal a few weeks later. Those people are Secretariats, fast out of starting gate, first to the finish line. Most of us are not Secretariats. But remember this: Hidalgo also won his race. This session focuses on the power of perseverance—not just staying the course, but building and bettering ourselves as we travel it. Not just pounding on the door, but finding the keys to make it open.
"If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there?" This session will help you focus your dream, define your goals, and create a workable plan that will put you on a path toward accomplishment.
This is a truncated, "hit-the-high-points" version of the Planning Your Novel Half-Day Workshop.
This is a truncated, "hit-the-high-points" version of the Revision and Editing Half-Day Workshop.
This is a truncated, "hit-the-high-points" version of the Mastering Point-of-View Half-Day Workshop.
This is a truncated, "hit-the-high-points" version of the Crafting Characters Half-Day Workshop.
This is a truncated, "hit-the-high-points" version of the Dialogue Half-Day Workshop.
Author spotlights, book reviews, and cool stuff for readers: http://crimereaders.com.
Craft of writing, book marketing, and other cool stuff for writers: http://crimefictionwriters.com.


text:
Flexible offices in Singapore UOB Plaza 1 Centre
Singapore UOB Plaza 1 Centre
36th Floor, UOB Plaza 1, 80 Raffles Place, Singapore, Singapore, 048624
The UOB Plaza 1 Centre is strategically situated within Raffles Place, the financial and business hub of Singapore. It is located in a skyscraper occupying the largest waterfront site along the historical Singapore river of any commercial building in town. UOB Plaza One is 280 metres tall with 67 floors and was completed in 1992. It is the headquarters of a major bank and a number of other noted financial corporations and has a restaurant on the 60th floor. Designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, its architecture is inspired by the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles. This tower is linked to the 38-storey UOB Plaza Two building by a podium that houses the banking hall as well as two renowned sculptures, 'City Room' by Salvador Dali, and 'Bird' by Fernando Botero. Full height glass walls provide dramatic lighting and views of the Singapore River.
From SG$21.90 per day
From SG$2.00 per day
36th Floor, UOB Plaza 1, 80 Raffles Place
Singapore, 1 Raffles Place - Tower 2
Level 19 & 20, Tower 2
Singapore, One Raffles Place
1 Raffles Place
Singapore Samsung Hub
Singapore, Collyer Quay
Level 18, 20 & 21
Singapore, 137 Market Street
Levels 5, 6 & 15
Singapore, 18 Robinson Road
18 Robinson Road, Level 2
Singapore One Fullerton
1 Fullerton Road #02-01
Singapore, Clarke Quay
Spaces Clarke Quay
Singapore, MBFC Tower 3
17/F, 12 Marina Boulevard
Singapore, Robinson
Spaces Robinson
Singapore 77 Robinson Road
34 Floor
Singapore, Guoco Tower
1 Wallich Street


text:
Things you didnt know
The Trick to Not Looking Like a Moron at the Gas Station
By Aaron Miller Published On 11/28/2015
@aaron_m_miller
By Aaron Miller @aaron_m_miller Published On 11/28/2015
Wikimedia/BrokenSphere
Admit it, no matter how many years you've been driving your car, you still run through a half-second "wait, which side is my gas tank on?" scenario every time you pull into a 7-Eleven to fill up. And let's say you're driving someone else's car, or renting, and you want to do the courteous thing and top it off with fuel. How do you know where the fuel door is? You can try sticking your head halfway out the window for visual confirmation, or you can look like an idiot and turn the car around if you guess wrong.
There's one embarrassingly simple trick you probably don't know about that tells you which side of the pump to park on.
YouTube/Jukin Media
Don't be like this person
Maybe you're thinking, "Wait, do people actually have this problem?" A quick Google search for "gas station fail" will reveal that yes, yes they do.
But if you or someone you know suffers from this affliction, there is a solution.
All the Ways You're Driving Like a Dick and Don't Realize It
Wikimedia/Thomas Doerfer
The gas pump symbol tells you exactly where to stick it
Since the early 1980s, and quite possibly before that, the gas pump symbol on your fuel gauge has been staring you right in the face, performing two very important functions: a) telling you how much gas or diesel is in your car at the moment and b) literally pointing at the side of the car that has the fuel door.
So, please, don't make yourself a star of the next YouTube gas station video. And check out our dashboard signal cheat sheet to learn more about what your car's trying to tell you.
Want more of the world's best Cars delivered straight to your inbox? Click here to sign up for our daily email.
Aaron Miller is the Cars editor for Thrillist, and can be found on Twitter. He had no idea people didn't know about the arrow until he was asked about it a few weeks ago.


Earth Day Shoe Recycling Drive @ Gedney Recycling Yard and other locations.
Youth (14-21) Summer Employment applications available online. Deadline May 30th.
Funny Bunny Morning . Live Theater for Pre-K to 5th graders. WPPAC. Three shows, Tickets limited to WP residents/4 per family - Free. Call 914-422-1336 .
Farmers' Market Returns! Every Wed. until November. Court Street.
Cherry Blossom Festival . Turnure Park, 11:30 am - 5 pm. Free.
The City of White Plains Proposed 2019-20 Tax Budget has been submitted to the Common Council. For the schedule of public budget meetings and hearing, click here: Meeting Schedule.
In April, during National Volunteer Month, we recognize those who lend their time and skills to our community through volunteer work.
We thought what better time to highlight the numerous not-for-profit, community organizations right here in our city that contribute to making White Plains a great place to live. This is by no means an exhaustive list. For example, while we have not included religious organizations here, we know that many residents volunteer within their faith group.
The challenge facing many of these community-serving organizations these days is insufficient volunteers - particularly those who are willing to contribute some amount of time serving on a board - to help further the organization's mission. We all lead incredibly busy lives and we recognize that it is difficult to ask folks to give away more of their limited personal time. But, the reality is that without an influx of volunteers many of these community organizations will struggle to continue to fulfill their mission.
Please take a look at this list of 40 community organizations and see which interest you. Then reach out via the provided link. Good luck!
Our April issue question is very straightforward - How big in square miles is the City of White Plains? Winners will receive a FREE Business Improvement District Shop White Plains Discount Card and will be listed in next month's issue.
Email your answer to feedback@whiteplainsny.gov . Look for the answers, and a list of winners, in next month's newsletter.
Comments or story ideas for this newsletter? Please send them to us.


text:
Jiggeh's Blog
Category Archives: Game Design
Game Design, Thoughts on
Thoughts on CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW: MIRROR OF FATE, or "How not to do a METROID-style game"
December 6, 2020 jiggeh	Leave a comment
In what started as an arbitrary choice to dig up some Halloween-seasonally appropriate games from my back log – and what quickly turned into a series mini-marathon – I've been playing through the three CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOWS games. I had never thought or expected much of the games, not having much trust in reboots of Japanese game series outsourced to western developers in general, and perhaps even less trust in Konami's late-era output in particular.
The original LORDS OF SHADOW ended up… well, if not impressing me, at least exceeding my (admittedly low) expectations in some ways, while in other ways being even more mediocre than I would've thought. Still, at the end of the day I definitely came away from it more positive than I went in.
The same, however, can not be said for the 2D spin-off game CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW: MIRROR OF FATE.
Continue reading Thoughts on CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW: MIRROR OF FATE, or "How not to do a METROID-style game" →
CastlevaniaCastlevania: Lords of ShadowKonamiMercurySteamMetroid
Thoughts on STREETS OF RAGE 4: a brighter future for beat 'em ups?
July 14, 2020 jiggeh	1 Comment
It's not a secret that I was looking forward to STREETS OF RAGE 4 with some trepidation after its announcement in 2018. As a huge fan of the series since the first game, having dreamt up my own fantasy sequel(s) for the better part of the last 25 years, the announcement was of course a happy surprise. But on the flipside, between questionable artistic choices and my general lack of faith in reboots of old games, I felt there was a significant risk they'd screw things up.
After trying out a demo build at EGX 2019 I became significantly more optimistic. I did – and still do – have some misgivings about the artistic direction, but going hands-on with the game convinced me that the developers had the right idea where it truly matters: game mechanics, pacing, enemy design – ie "gameplay".
Now, having had a few months to think about and digest the final game, let me give you my full Thoughts On STREETS OF RAGE 4.
Continue reading Thoughts on STREETS OF RAGE 4: a brighter future for beat 'em ups? →
beat 'em upsDotEmuGame DesignGuard Crush GamesLizardCubeSEGAStreets of RageStreets of Rage 4
Game Design, Just Musin'
Pacing, tempo and tedious grinds (or: "Short games are good, actually")
March 23, 2020 jiggeh	Leave a comment
Although my tastes have evolved and my particular interests have changed over the years, I think it's fair to say I've always had more of an affinity for mechanically driven over narrative driven games. Of course, there have been plenty of story-heavy games which I have fallen in love with in large part due to the writing; THE SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND kickstarted my passion for point & click adventures as a kid, and in more recent years I have sunk hundreds of hours into the YAKUZA games. And I'd probably be lying if I said the narrative and storytelling of DEAD RISING wasn't a big reason I fell in love with that game, too.
Still, these examples all feel like outliers to me. If I were to attempt listing the aspects of a game that typically draw me in, I'd say it'd be kind of a toss-up between aesthetics, tone/atmosphere and game mechanics – if I enjoy the narrative it's still usually secondary to one or all of those. Most of my favourite games or series of games are things like STRIDER HIRYU, VIRTUA FIGHTER, PRINCE OF PERSIA, BAYONETTA, BARE KNUCKLE, etc, etc.
Long story short, I tend to favour short-form, mechanically focused (if not mechanically dense) action games. Games which more or less inherently invite repeated play by making the act of playing the game the goal in itself, as opposed to making it to the end of a journey. This all probably informs my long held hot take: more often than not, games are like, way too long, man.
Continue reading Pacing, tempo and tedious grinds (or: "Short games are good, actually") →
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Five things that can make any game better
October 24, 2018 jiggeh	1 Comment
There's no shortage of different types of games, and I think it goes without saying that there's no one recipe for how to put together a good game (much less a successful one!). Even on a personal, subjective level, I might have a general preference or tendency towards certain types of games – arcadey and action-focused games in my case – but there are always exceptions. Certain games manages to either overcome some inherent bias on my part, or just appeal in a different way, for totally different reasons.
There's no real central thread connecting what makes different types of games compelling, and as such, it would be sort of inane to suggest there are rules that any and every type of game should follow. Now, having said all that, throughout my years of obsessing over big and small details in games, there are a couple of things I've found can increase my enjoyment of a game – any game. So without further ado, presented in no particular order: Five things that can make any game better: Continue reading Five things that can make any game better →
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Additional thoughts on Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
October 13, 2018 jiggeh	Leave a comment
I finished YAIBA last night, and… well, I felt rather compelled to amend my previous post on the game.
I still largely stand by what I wrote – the game isn't AS bad as rumors make it out to be, the combat is pretty serviceable, the semi-automatic jumpy platformy bits are a fun palate cleanser, and the writing and story are atrocious. But what I can say with the benefit of hindsight, is that before writing the other post, I had happened to stop playing right before an absurd difficulty spike that served to highlight and exacerbate most of the game's biggest problems: Mission 5.
"Mission 5: Ryu Hayabusa" is essentially nothing but a boss fight. Having reached the point where I was mostly satisfied with what I'd seen and was kind of waiting for the game to wrap up, I was thrilled to see the level starting with you facing off against Hayabusa right off the bat, without the need to go through a long level. I didn't really talk about it last time, but up until that point, the boss fights had actually been decently fun. They had certainly exposed some of the weaknesses of the combat system; many combo attacks make cancelling into dodging or blocking inconsistent and thus completely unreliable – but figuring out how to work around that sort of became part of the puzzle, and coming out on top was just hard enough to make it a satisfying challenge to overcome.
Unfortunately, Hayabusa throws all that out the window. Continue reading Additional thoughts on Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z →
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Thoughts on YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z
So as part of my silly 1000 Follower special thing over on Twitch, I've been playing – among other things – YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z. This was one of countless games in my collection that I'd picked up at one point or another with no particular desire to necessarily play it, beyond a general sense of "eh, why the heck not". YAIBA I suppose has more reason for being in my collection than plenty of other games I've bought; it is (theoretically at any rate) part of a series I have traditionally enjoyed, but more importantly it's a game I'd been curious to try out since it has, er… a reputation. That is, a very, very bad reputation.
Anyone who is even somewhat familiar with my streaming/collecting/game playing habits may know that I have a soft spot for "bad" games. Obviously that's not to say I enjoy not enjoying something, but I'm often drawn to games with poor reputations because one way or another, less polished games seem to often have more personality, peculiarities or unique quirks than the kind of polished-to-a-sheen AAA games commonly agreed upon as "good". And sure, sometimes…. a lot of the time even, "bad" games are really bad. But I do find that more often than not, even the worst crap at the bottom of the barrel has something going for it – some kernel of fun, a good idea or something interesting and unique if you're just willing to look for it.
So, YAIBA. Now, there were many reasons to not question the narrative surrounding the game – it's an odd, western-developed off-shoot of a revered (if less so with each successive mainline entry) Japanese action game series, that neither seems to look or feel much like its source material, nor be something that anyone really asked for. On top of that, it's a god damned zombie game! So I gotta admit – I was pretty surprised to find that I… don't really hate it. Continue reading Thoughts on YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z →
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Collected thoughts on games, game design, art and whatnot.
Happy birthday, Cammy! January 6, 2021
Ten old games I really enjoyed playing for the first time in 2020 December 31, 2020
Thoughts on CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW: MIRROR OF FATE, or "How not to do a METROID-style game" December 6, 2020
Introducing the official Jiggeh Merch Store October 31, 2020
Introducing the Jiggeh.com gallery October 11, 2020
Game Art (1)
Just Musin' (7)
Reckless Speculation (2)
Thoughts on (14)
Batman: Arkham
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Guard Crush Games
Stream Projects
Xeno Crisis
yaiba: ninja gaiden z


Young up-and-coming Harvard law grad Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise) is being courted by major law firms across the country, including Chicago, New York & Los Angeles. When he decides on a small but prosperous firm in Memphis, TN, headed up by Oliver Lambert (Hal Holbrook) and Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman), Mitch and his wife Abigail (Jeanne Tripplehorn) are thrilled. But within weeks of joining the firm, 2 lawyers are savagely murdered when their boat blows up under suspicious circumstances. Mitch is soon approached by FBI agents and the U.S. Department of Justice who inform him that the law firm he works for is heavily involved in the criminal enterprises of a mob family in Chicago. In addition he is told that many young lawyers have been killed while employed by the firm. Mitch soon discovers that the firm has indeed been involved in corruption, racketeering, mail fraud, homicide, and grossly over-billing clients. Now, facing prosecution himself - or death from the firm security enforcers - Mitch & Abigail concoct a plan to hand over files exposing the criminal behavior of the firm to the DOJ and FBI. But the sinister security agents of the firm, headed by William Devasher (Wilford Brimley) are also in pursuit of McDeere, and they will stop at nothing to silence McDeere and protect their interests.
Mitch is a much sought after young graduate of law school. When he's made an excellent offer by a small law firm in Memphis, he and his wife Abby, are elated. Very soon Mitch becomes worried about "The Firm's" clients, and is approached by the FBI who are investigating their Mafia connections.


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Mangrove relays Black British struggles of the past
< Reviews
The first film in Steve McQueen's Small Axe collection dramatises the early 1970s street and court fights of the Mangrove Nine with taut and timely power.
By Alex Ramon
▶ Mangrove is available on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Amazon Prime in the US.
Speaking to Sight & Sound at the time of the release of Widows two years ago, Steve McQueen offered a refreshing challenge to the platitude that our current cultural moment is a TV golden age: "Some of this new TV is so rubbish because they try to squeeze every drop and keep it going, even when the narrative has finished," McQueen claimed. "Moviemaking is about craft, about storytelling… It's the best form because there is a beginning, a middle and an end. Rather than stretching it out."
With those remarks in mind, it may seem surprising to find McQueen turning to the small screen for his first post-Widows project. But Small Axe, a BBC and Amazon Studios-produced five-part anthology series exploring Black British experiences from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s, is about as far removed as can be imagined from the excesses of the kind of TV that McQueen criticises. The scorching first episode, Mangrove, suggests that the series as a whole represents a return to the kind of distilled, focused storytelling and socially relevant themes that distinguished BBC's Play for Today.
That comparison resonates, since Play for Today debuted the same year that the pivotal event dramatised in McQueen's film took place: the Mangrove March of August 1970. The focus is on the trial of the 'Mangrove Nine', a group of West Indian activists charged with incitement to riot and affray after their protest against police racism ended in violent clashes. The trial at the Old Bailey, where two of the group chose to represent themselves, became a cause célèbre, resulting in the first judicial acknowledgement of racism in the British police force.
Shaun Parks as Frank Crichlow and Letitia Wright as Altheia Jones
The subject matter (previously covered by a Horace Ové-produced, Franco Rosso-directed 1973 documentary) could scarcely be more timely. But like other recent films dealing with histories of community activism – Robin Campillo's widely praised BPM (2017), Mike Leigh's underrated Peterloo (2018) – Mangrove is all about immersing the viewer in its historical moment rather than hammering home aspects of contemporary relevance. In the case of McQueen's film, in particular, there's simply no need. Without any necessity to push, the film speaks directly to the context of Black Lives Matter – as well as referring the viewer back to one of the most polarising moments in Widows: the scene depicting the police shooting of a young biracial male character.
At over two hours, Mangrove is by far the longest of the episodes that make up Small Axe, and is very much a film of two halves.
The first half focuses on the Notting Hill community where the Trinidadian entrepreneur Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes) is opening his new Caribbean restaurant, the Mangrove, which becomes a focal point for the Black community and a target of frequent, racially motivated police raids. With 'Powell for PM' graffiti glimpsed on the streets, McQueen and cinematographer Shabier Kirchner immerse us in the community in heartfelt, sensuous ways. When the characters are out, partying on the street, the camera is right there with them, a joyful participant, fluid and tactile, the music perfectly complementing the images. The camera is right in there, too, in the painful scenes of the raids, and in the central protest sequence – after which the film narrows down from a community portrait to the courtroom drama of Frank and his associates' trial.
Malachi Kirby (standing) as Darcus Howe
The absence of several characters is felt in the second half but the courtroom scenes are handled with dexterity, bringing out the trial's intricacies clearly and dramatically, and with wily work from Alex Jennings as the judge, Samuel West as the prosecution counsel and Jack Lowden as the Nine's barrister. Though marred by moments of flat exposition, McQueen and Alastair Siddons's screenplay brings out the contrasting personalities of a group coming together in a shared cause.
Malachi Kirby brings vibrancy to Darcus Howe, whether weathering domestic strife or proving a theatrical presence in the courtroom as he quotes Shakespeare and ties Sam Spruell's rancid, scowling PC Pulley in knots. Moving from Marvel's Black Panther (2018) to real-life Black Panther, Letitia Wright conveys the intellectual precision and practical passion of Altheia Jones. At the centre, Shaun Parkes's piercing performance alerts us to every shade of frustration, anger, hope, and weariness that Frank feels.
Among the most important films of the year, and certainly one of its filmmaker's finest, Mangrove sets the bar high for the rest of Small Axe – a series which McQueen hopes to develop further to explore Black lives in other British cities. The possibilities of the project seem wonderfully wide. Both intimate and monumental, Mangrove itself ends on a deliberately low-key, contemplative note that makes memorable use of the Maytals' Pressure Drop and complicates any sense of triumph. Still, the film's urgent, intelligent portrait of collective activism and resistance lingers. Connecting us to the past, Mangrove enlightens and empowers us in the present.
"These are the untold stories that make up our nation": Steve McQueen on Small Axe
By David Olusoga
Mangrove gives voice to Black British Power
By Kehinde Andrews
Play for Today: the TV series at the heart of 1970s British filmmaking
By Robert Hanks
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Hey all! I'm looking for collaborators in this project, I'm planning on making an espresso machine for my venue (The Alibi). Since professional machines can cost over 5000 dollars, I would like to make one for under 150. I will compromise and allow us to move back to the 50's and have it be hand pressed, in fact, a steampunk espresso is exactly what I'm looking for. Huge levers and spinning gears are perfect. The only critical thing would be the water temperature (i hear it has to be =>199 & <=201.Any ideas?
For people who want a reasonably portable non-electric espresso-making solution that's also affordable, there are a few alternatives. A few examples: Pneumatic: https://www.instructables.com/id/Hand-held-Espresso-maker/ http://www.handpresso.com/ http://mypressi.com/ Brute force: http://unmodifiedpresso.blogspot.se/ Results are--of course--variable with all of these solutions. From what I've gathered, apart from issues with bad coffee, with grind setting/quality or with tamping, the major issues have to do with temperature and pressure. Then there're the issues of convenience/comfort. How would you like to address such issues? Re. temperature, there's the time-honoured method of preheating all the parts by rinsing with just-boiled water. I like the idea in principle but I'd like a way to ensure that the water used for extraction stays in the right temperature range for as long as possible. Possible solutions: 1. Phase change metals such as the ones used in Joulies: http://www.joulies.com/pages/frontpage (different temperature target of course; not DIY-friendly) 2. A large reservoir of hot water. Make the machine hollow so that it can hold a lot more hot water and ensure that this large volume can stay in contact with the extraction chamber. May make the machine more pleasant to hold and use :) a possibility may be to have a water container encircling the existing water chamber in the Presso. Or just pour a lot of near-boiling water in a tank from which only enough water for one or two shots is released into the extraction chamber. Eg. make the Presso's water-reservoir much larger but design it so that only enough for one or two shots is released when the handles are raised to the appropriate position. 3. Insulation. Design as a thermos in such a way that metal parts won't rapidly transfer heat away from the water. What're your ideas?
can I roast columbian coffee further in a popcorn popper?
My brother bought 8 O'clock coffee in the "columbian" variety. he bought it for my espresso machine. I really prefer dark roast for my coffee. is there a way to take the medium roast columbian coffee and roast it to full dark awesomeness?
The Italian Food Contest is starting on Monday, 4/29!
We want your best Italian recipes! We're looking for appetizers, meats, sauces, desserts, candies, pastas, beverages, or anything else that is both edible and Italian. It is important to note that we're looking for creative and traditional recipes - keep in mind that just because it has pasta it doesn't mean it's Italian. ;) We're giving away a Kindle Fire, Bialetti Espresso Makers and cannoil forms - check out the official contest page for more information. The contest will be open 4/29 - 5/13 so get to cooking - this one will be over before you know it!


I had a good blogging year in 2014, while I don't like making resolutions as I believe that if you want to make a change you will do so anytime and waiting for a new year is just silly. However, I do have a few blog goals that I wish to accomplish on 2015.
UPGRADE BLOGGING TOOLS. I NEED a new laptop and I WANT a new camera. I've narrowed down the ones I wanted, I am just waiting for them to go on sale as I am sure they will eventually. The Camera is not urgent so I am in no hurry to get it.
CREATE AND STICK WITH EDITORIAL CALENDAR. I have many series that I want to be more consistent with, so in 2015 I'm planning to build an editorial calendar and really sticking to it.
BUY LESS – CHOOSE WELL, this is not a blog goal but since I do a lot of outfit posts I figure it was appropriate. I improved a lot this year in that department but I know I can do better – much better.
SPEND BLOG INCOME WISELY. Money made from eBay and the blog always end up back in my closet and I think this is a bad habit, I need to save some of it and invest some back in the blog.
DO SOMETHING SCARY. I've always said that I would never do videos, I did one and did not die shocker! This year I want to take more risks and perhaps do more videos (any ideas on videos you would like to see).
HAVE FUN AND BE HAPPY. Blogging is first of all a hobby, I've learned to not take it so seriously and this year I want to continue on doing that. I think it makes me a better blogger when I do it with joy.
all quotes can be found here.
Great goals, doll! 🙂 I know what you mean about taking blog income and dumping it into the ol' closet… I share this habit!
lol such a bad one.
You are such a blogging inspiration. I always feel like you are organized, thoughtful, and on top of it. Way to go! I totally agree about the spending more wisely. I just used a good chunk of my Christmas money on a new camera lens instead of more clothes, and I am pretty excited about it.
You are a blogging inspiration to me as well, you are always so well put together and sweet. A new lens is the best investment I did that earlier this year and you will see the change in the quality of your pics. Happy New Year!
These are all great goals! I had a huge year financially because I also used to put all blog money back into my closet, which in a way is investing in your blog, but there are so many other ways to help with it too! I ALSO AM IN DIRE NEED OF A NEW LAPTOP! Any suggestions?! I have a really old HP right now and it is so slow lol. I love your blog, and your posts and wish you nothing but great success in 2015… Happy New Year Rachelle!
It was between that one and the mac book pro, but I decided that I didn't want my main computer to be mac. So I am just waiting for the lenovo yoga pro 3 to go on sale, it is pretty sweet. Happy New Year babe!
Thanks for your reply Rachelle! Yeah – I have been debating getting a mac book pro, but I agree I think I would rather have my main computer be a mac. This one looks super nice, thanks for the recommendation!
I love this! I try to put back money I make on the blog into the blog… but sometimes it just ends up at Nordstrom somehow haha! I really want a new laptop too, but it is such a big purchase it's kind of scary!
I know the struggle, in my mind it's fun money lol. Yea a new laptop purchase is a big deal.
These are great goals, and I 100% identify with them! I started using a new lens a few months ago and have seen such a big difference (I saw you mentioned that in a comment). My big goals are to post more often, and to increase my blog earnings and brand collaborations this year! I definitely want to reinvest in my blog and also take some risks. You are doing such a fantastic job and your posts are always so well done! Cheers to a great blogging year in 2015!
I think you are going great, you always look so chic and your pics are crisp and clear. Happy 2015 Jacy!
i need to get my bootie in gear!!! thank for the reminder!! happy 2015.
Great goals! You are one of my favorite bloggers. Your site is so well designed, your outfits are polished and chic, your pictures are so good (I show my photographers, and say "do it like this" ha ha), and you seem so organized. And you are so sweet to comment on all of my posts. I know that when I check my email in the morning, yours is the first one. What time do you get up?? Happy New Year!
Your pics are pretty nice so your photographer is doing good. I love your blog and outfits as well, wish you were still in Florida so we could meet. I have to be at work at 7 so I'm usually up at 5 to get ready and do a little blog work. Happy New Year!
These are great goals! You are so great at keeping up with your blog! I need help in that department! I actually wrote goals yesterday!
Thank you so much, just focus on what you can do and don't over stretch yourself.
Awesome blogging goals! I like to see what other bloggers are looking to do!
Such great blog goals! I find setting goals helps me stay focused. I need to work on some for 2015!
Great goals! I started an editorial calender last year and it really helps to keep organized. I just bought a new calender today! XOXO Happy New Year!
Happy New Yeat Desiree, I appreciate your support so much.
These all sound like great goals and yes do invest in a good camera. I did and it really helps, next step? A class! Happy New Year!


Wintzell's Oyster House Amusing local landmark. B-Bob's in Downtown Historic District. Gabriel's 55 S Joachim St. See all Mobile Restaurants. Mobile is the proud home to the original U. Vision's Twist Dauphin St.
Gabriel's 55 S Joachim St.
The parades and parties are filled with tradition, and rival anything New Orleans has to offer. Gabriel's 55 S Joachim St. Though Mobile has a small gay community, it is home to several well established bars. Restaurants to check out. Vision's Twist Dauphin St. Spot of Tea Making the most important meal tasty. Continue with Facebook Log In with Foursquare or.
Midtown Pub in Midtown. Though Mobile has a small gay community, it is home to several well established bars. Spot of Tea Making the most important meal tasty. Whether you call yourself guy, drag king, daddy, homosexual, transsexual, gal, curious, bisexual, alternative, questioning, gurl, gay, male, female, boy, leather, transgender, woman, boi, butch, bear, cross dresser, drag queen, fem, man, girl, lesbian, or simply human - where to find a fun place to meet or scene to free your life. Vision's Twist Dauphin St. Wintzell's Oyster House Amusing local landmark.


Although the entire basilica contains numerous, impressive works and structures from the Baroque—as well as the Renaissance—the apse in the rear of the Cathedral is perhaps the best representation of the Baroque.
Upon approaching the apse, one cannot help but be amazed by the sheer size of the space—and the entire building, for that matter. The high, domed ceiling is ornately decorated with painted stucco depictions of Christ, several saints, and numerous other heavenly hosts. Gilt trim borders each image and creates an awe-inspiring grandeur throughout the entire space. The use of grandiose designs and decorations is common throughout Baroque architecture; it facilitates the desired overwhelming effect felt by the viewer.
Numerous sculptures of saints are tucked into alcoves on either side of the main altar, but the primary piece in the room—and the one created by Bernini himself—is the Chair of St. Peter. This massive, bronze monument to the Church's founder is not simply the altarpiece for the apse, but it is also an extravagant encasement of an important relic: a chair that many believed to have been used by St. Peter. The original chair, in a state of disrepair during Bernini's time, is enclosed within this bronze throne.
The chair is backed by a gilded depiction of St. Peter receiving the keys to the church from Jesus. Behind and above the chair is a host of gilded cherubs and angels, as well as sculpted clouds and rays of light that are emanating from a central pane of stained glass window. In this pane is a dove holding an olive branch, a common representation of the Holy Spirit in the Christian tradition. With exterior light illuminating the pane, as well as the general glow of the gilded bronze, the entire sculpture radiates a heavenly aura, which is surely meant to enrapture and inspire the viewer.
The Chair is supported by sculptures of the Four Doctors of the Church: St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. Chrysostom, and St. Athanasius, all of whom were major reformers.8 These dynamic portrayals, which are detailed and life-like, give an otherwise stationary object—a throne—a sense of movement. Combined with the rays of sunlight that are bursting forth from behind the throne, this dynamism—a defining a feature of the Baroque6—creates the feeling that this enormous structure is somehow moving toward the viewer. This piece was meant to elicit emotion and to be a full experience for the audience; the entire structure carries with it the "dramatic theatricality"6 that Bernini strived for in his architectural works.
The four figures supporting the throne also serve as rhetorical figures, or guides, for the Christian viewer; Christians are meant to support the Church, and perhaps reform it when necessary. This can be seen as a subtle reference to the Counter-Reformation participants of the time.
With the combination of the lighting, the painted stucco ceiling, the architecture of the room, and the way the sculpture seems to have become a part of that architecture, the apse in St. Peter's Basilica is a fantastic example of a Baroque composto; it blends different art media into an awe-inspiring and coherent piece. The grandiosity created by the composto, and the dynamic nature of the Chair of St. Peter, generates a moving and dramatic experience for the viewer. This in turn conveys the Church's Counter-Reformation message of personal encounters with God.


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