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Ireland's 2020 General Elections: Who will be the first to break their promise?
Peter Dlhopolec
Current Affairs, News
Pedestrians walk past campaign posters featuring Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald and also Ireland's Prime Minister and leader of the Fine Gael party, Leo Varadkar, as they walk along a street in Dublin on February 7, 2020. Credit line: Ben STANSALL / AFP / Profimedia
Ireland voted for a change in the 2020 general elections. The change may not come if Sinn Féin fails to form a government.
A week or so after Irish voters dealt out the cards in the 2020 general elections, a picture of the future government in Ireland remains blurred.
On February 8, a total of 2,182,489 Irish citizens or 62.38% cast their votes in the elections. Prior to the vote, people and the media had been saying Ireland needed a change, but the electorate did not manage to send out a clear message via the elections.
Instead, most of 160 seats in the Dái Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament, got distributed among three major parties, which seem to keep on ruling out any form of cooperation for now.
The nationalist Sinn Féin (SF), which returned their best ever election results, consider two other major parties Fianna Fáil (FF) and Fine Gael (FG) as not "ideal partners"; Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald also said a FF-FG coalition would be "a slap in the face" to the electorate. The two parties claimed before elections they would not cooperate; today FG leads a minority government with Independents along with quiet support from FF, officially known as a confidence and supply arrangement.
A hard nut to crack
Sinn Féin, having the strongest fanbase on Facebook and Twitter of all political parties, rocked Ireland's political scene in the general elections following failures in last year's EP and local elections. A total of 24.54% or 535,573 people voted for SF in the 2020 general elections, which won 37 seats.
FF won 22.19%, which granted the party 38 seats in the Dáil, including the seat of returning ex-Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl. Fine Gael won 35 seats after it acquired 20.87% in Ireland's 2020 general elections. Differences among the three parties are thus marginal with no clear winner. Four other smaller parties, along with a number of Independents, also managed to win seats in the Dáil.
The 33rd Dáil meets on Thursday, February 20, for the first time, and 160 elected deputies (TDs) will choose its chair (Ceann Comhairle) and deputy chair. Following this, the leaving Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar, a FG party leader, should be replaced provided a new Taoiseach is nominated in the Dáil, supported by the majority of 80 votes and appointed by the President.
Ireland finds itself in a three-way tie but calls for a new and stable government to be formed as soon as possible will be growing as days go. The EU is soon to decide on its budget for the next seven years, including Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) payments to farmers. The EU will also negotiate a new trade deal with Britain, with fisheries being part of the deal. And these are matters of importance to Ireland.
What scenarios are in play?
Let's first look at post-election figures resulting from Ireland's 2020 general elections held on February 8:
The 2020 Ireland GE turnout
1. Sinn Féin and small parties
Given the gains of the parties in the 2020 general elections, Sinn Féin is forced to seek partners. The party aims to create a left-led government. SF needs 80 votes in the Dáil to form the government.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have both refused to form a government with Sinn Féin for its troubled past. SF itself is not fond of a coalition with any of the two parties: the party seeks a change and wants to replace FF and FG, which have ruled Ireland for decades. If FG or FF changed its standpoint towards SF, it would make way for easier formation of Ireland's new government. This is unlikely to happen at present, however.
This also means Sinn Féin would have to seek partners among smaller parties elected to the Dáil.
Having 37 TDs in the Dáil, Sinn Féin would thus have to persuade the Independents (19), Greens (12), Labour (6), and Social Democrats (6) to join SF in forming the government. Even if the party managed to get them aboard, the question is how stable this government could be.
2. Second election
If Sin Féin fails, Fianna Fáil will try to form a government as it came second in the elections. The party rejects to cooperate with both SF and FG. But Fianna Fáil supports today's minor government led by FG.
FF party leader Micheál Martin, moreover, told RTÉ News that a new election "could not be ruled out". His party could form a government with FG and some other parties, but there is no incentive to do so at this point on either of the political camps.
Hence, new general elections still seem to be a likely option as none of the parties want to break their pre-election promises on. Nevertheless, Business Post's latest Red C poll showed only 15% of voters wish for another election.
3. Minor government led by Fianna Fáil
The scenario of a minor government is not discussed much but given the current state of affairs – FF and FG cooperate in the Dáil on the confidence and supply arrangement – it could become a reality with a bit of a twist.
This means FF, not FG, would lead a future minor government with the Greens, which is the party deemed as a potential partner. The Greens rose from 1.9% in 2016 to 7.09% in 2020, owning now 12 seats. FF could, however, decide to cooperate with the Independents, who won more seats, instead.
Fine Gael could then serve as a quiet partner to the government, which is what Fianna Fáil does today. Also, FG members are not united as regards their potential involvement in the future government; some refuse to cooperate with FF, some would support FF-led government. The third scenario could thus be seen as a middle ground.
4. FF, FG, Greens (and maybe SocDems)
As there are a few European matters coming up, which are crucial for Ireland, the country will need a new strong government. Until it is formed, the country will be led by Fine Gael and its chair Varadkar.
Varadkar has said his party is ready to act as a strong opposition after the 2020 general elections. It is unknown if FG would quietly support the Fianna Fáil government while sitting on opposition benches. But if centre-right parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil want to avoid another election, minor government, or Sinn Féin-led government, it means promises will have to be broken.
""We are willing to consider participating in a government but only as a last resort, and only if we are wanted and needed." Varadkar told the press.
Both parties are to meet this week, but it is already rumoured a grand coalition of FF, FG, and the Greens seems to be a "mission complete". Provided one of the three parties gets a post of the chair of Dáil, which is a non-partisan function, parties would still have 84 seats in the Dáil.
The Extra.ie website wrote about a potential plan of the tree parties on February 16, claiming Fine Gael would insist on a rotating Taoiseach and obtaining six ministerial posts. Both parties would allow the Greens to take the role of a deputy prime minister (Tánaiste) and to hold three ministerial chairs.
Michael O'Regan wrote in The Irish Times that the three parties should take Social Democrats onboard as well. He supported his claim by saying the government would have a comfortable majority of 91TDs. Moreover, O'Regan said it would be "unwise" for the Greens to go into government on its own with FG and FF, taking into consideration its previous experience in government.
5. FF, Greens, Independents, SocDems & Labour
Ireland's governments have been formed by one or two parties over the years. Only a few times over the course of history three parties formed a coalition indeed.
Although the electorate voted for a change in terms of a new party, not FG and FF, leading the country, a change could come in another way – a number of parties forming a coalition.
Similarly to Sinn Féin's efforts, Varadkar suggested FF should try to form a government with the Greens, Independents, Social Democrats and Labour.
If such a government was formed, it would be a rare situation. The last time such a grand coalition was formed was back in 1948. The then government, led by Fine Gael, was made up of five diverse parties, which had one thing in common – a dislike of Fianna Fáil.
Conclusion: Unwanted FF and FG may form a coalition
A post-election analysis by RED C Research, published on February 11, revealed why Ireland considered shifting to Sinn Féin ahead of the 2020 general elections: 39% said it was time for real change and 39% said they did not want FF or FG to govern. Housing, pensions, and healthcare were only minor reasons.
If Sinn Féin fails to form the government, which seems quite probable, the electorate may eventually see no radical change, and FF and FG could form the government, most likely with help of one or two smaller parties. It will then be up to the parties to decide to what extent they will get "inspired" by the Sinn Féin manifesto to please the nationalist party's increased number of voters.
READ ALSO: The 2020 Irish General Elections: Everything you need to know
However, if the two major parties do not step away from their positions, a second election could happen.
The 1948 situation is also in the game provided a dislike of FF or FG in the case of Sinn Féin prevails at the negotiating table with small parties. The same applies to FF. If the party managed to get its dislike of Sinn Féin across to smaller parties, a government of five could be formed. How stable such governments could be is a matter of time.


On this first episode of the 2019 season of The High Road with Keith Warren, Keith heads to North Texas and meets up with Outlaw Outfitters to hunt down destructive feral hogs. Joining Keith, is his friend Matt Hampton from Pulsar Thermal Imaging who shows the latest technology available when it comes to thermal imagery. You'll see how infested Texas is with feral hogs and how goo old Texas boys help out the pig population.


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All items tagged with hi-res (5)
May 18, 2020 by audioXpress Staff
Black Shark Selects Knowles Balanced Armature Drivers for New, High Performance Wireless Gaming Earphones
Knowles Corporation, the global supplier of advanced micro-acoustic, audio processing, and precision device solutions, announced that Black Shark, a premium mobile gaming brand, has selected its balanced armature drivers for a new, dual driver wireless gaming headphone. The new Black Shark Ophidian combines a Knowles balanced armature driver for exceptionally clear vocals and treble with a dynamic speaker for powerful bass.
July 23, 2018 by audioXpress Staff
Chord Electronics New Hugo M Scaler Upscales 44.1kHz digital audio to 705.6kHz
While many in the audio industry still question the merits of recordings that are actually produced with native 24-bit at 96kHz or more, and defend the merits of the CD Red Book original specifications, Chord Electronics has just unveiled the Hugo M Scaler, a device that very few would have think they would even need. The new device uses powerful custom-coded FPGA to upscale 44.1kHz digital audio to 705.6kHz; or 16x CD's 44.1kHz native resolution!
Hi-Res Music Initiative Expands to Include Music Streaming Services
Music streaming is officially going high resolution. The industry's official logo mark for Hi-Res MUSIC – previously applicable primarily to high-quality digital download services – will soon be available for adoption by music streaming services as well, according to an announcement from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and its member companies Universal, Sony, and Warner, in cooperation with the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing, the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), and DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group.
TEAC New AI-301DA Hi-Res Audio Player With Bluetooth
TEAC introduced the AI-301DA Hi-Res Audio Player, a pre-main amplifier outfitted with Bluetooth, USB, support for Direct Stream Digital (DSD), and integrated Digital-to-Analog conversion. The new AI-301DA Hi-Res Audio Player delivers a dramatic sonic improvement over physical media such as vinyl, tapes, and CDs, as well as compressed audio formats.
November 13, 2013 by audioXpress Staff
High-Resolution Audio at the 2014 International CES
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announces an increased focus on next-generation high-resolution audio (HRA) technology in response to growing market demand. To address the topic, CEA has planned a new TechZone, the Hi-Res Audio Experience, and several conferences at the …

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Starting January 15th, customers calling into Kennebunk Savings' Customer Care Center will be offered the opportunity to opt-in to Voice ID. This technology enables the bank to identify customers by the unique characteristics of their voice. Kennebunk Savings partnered with Nuance Communications to deploy this exciting voice biometrics technology, which will ultimately allow customers to bank faster and more securely.
The convenience of Voice ID reduces, or in some cases eliminates, the need for security questions. Instead, when a customer calls in and chooses to use Voice ID, they will engage in a natural conversation with a bank representative. During that conversation, Voice ID will create a voiceprint that can be used to verify their identity each time they call in by analyzing their voice and comparing it to the voiceprint associated with their account.
Kennebunk Savings customers who opt-in to use Voice ID will experience faster and more secure interactions. With Voice ID, bank representatives are able to focus on providing service and customers are able to get right into the reason why they called instead of answering a number of security questions.


Vacances (pronounced "Vacancies") is a new band, but its members are not. Frontman Danny Lannon used to play in The Frail, vocalist Allen Davis was in Every Move A Picture, and Nic Gonzalez was the guitarist in The Restless Hearts. Think of them as a supergroup of sorts.
Now, these three gentlemen have united to bring us Vacances' debut single, "Runaway," a wave of 80's goodness that's perfect for dancing to on steamy summer nights. We shared some nice email correspondence with Danny to find out what's next.
Congratulations on the release "Runaway." Did you do anything special to celebrate?
Thanks! We're pretty excited about it! We got together to write some music and ended the night with a trip to our fav free pizza bar, Charleston on Bedford. I think we're still technically celebrating though, as we've been frequenting Rocka Rolla on Metropolitan Ave. The amount of "Low Lifes" (Miller High Life and Whiskey) we've ordered has been absolutely mental. Always a good time!
Is there something in particular you were looking to do with Vacances that you felt you couldn't do with your past band?
What was it like working with engineer Gus Oberg of The Strokes?
We went back and forth a little bit via an old bandmate but unfortunately never got to the final product. We're big fans of The Strokes and love what Gus Oberg did with their records. So we're hoping to work with him at some point down the line. We actually ended up working with my good friend and amazing producer Patrick Brown out of Different Fur Studios in San Francisco. He does amazing work and really brought these songs to a new level. We couldn't be happier with how it turned out and that we were able to work with Pat and Allen on it.
There are so many bands based in Brooklyn. Is it difficult for you to create music you feel is unique?
To be honest we're all new to Brooklyn, so for us its still a learning experience. We have a bunch of friends out here that we think are in amazing bands, like Rich Girls, High Waisted, Caveman, but like I said we're still learning what its like to live here. But when it comes to writing we just try to write what we like and enjoy playing. We try not to think too much about how it needs to push boundaries or be crazy different. I think if we just stay true to what we want to do creatively and to ourselves that we'll leave our stamp on whatever song we push out.
Who has the best pizza in the city?
Great question, I like Vinnie's pizza. Our friend's cousin works out of there and its down the street from Dan and I's apt in Greenpoint. But we're all for suggestions! Like we said before, you really can't beat that free pizza from the Charleston paired with a shot of tequila and a Tecate!
Your Facebook page lists bands like New Order and INXS as "Artists We Also Like". Can you recommend any new wave or 80s tracks that may be overlooked?
Let's see that's a tough one! But here we go! Fruits Of Passion – Love's Glory, The Bodines – Heard It All, The Wake – On Our Honeymoon to name a few. We also like Ultravox, Visage, The Cat Club, Bamboo Industry, The Wild Flowers, The Luxure.
Are there any other aspects of the 80s you wish were more popular? Shoulder pads? Cocaine?
I'm not sure if anyone misses shoulder pads…haha. However, we all remember growing up in the late 80's and 90's and loved the fact that the internet was only an emerging technology. We somewhat romanticize a world without smartphones, the internet, which felt more free and full of rich experiences. Don't get me wrong, we all love technology, but we long for a way to get back to simpler times.
We definitely have plans to tour. We're working on some East Coast routing right now but hope to be hitting the road early July through the rest of the summer. We're also looking at a West Coast tour in the fall. Getting a sweet base tan at the Rockaways is also on the agenda…goths at the beach?


Yuri Bezmenov Warned Us shared a post.
Yesterday I came across a movie I hadn't seen before. As connected as I am, I was surprised that I had never come across it before. But, boy was I blown away! It is a movie made during the Obama administration, sometime in 2012.


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NC5 Investigates
Quick links... Weather News NC5 Investigates Talk of the Town 5+ Contests How to Watch
I-24 Named One of Nation's Worst Traffic Hotspots
A transportation analytics company has named I-24 west between Smyrna and Briley Parkway one of the worst traffic hot spot in the country.
By: Sarah McCarthy
Posted at 5:49 PM, Oct 10, 2017
A transportation analytics company has named I-24 west between Smyrna and Briley Parkway one of the worst traffic hot spots in the country.
The company, INRIX, identified and ranked 108,000 traffic hotspots in the nation's 25 most congested cities. Cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Washington DC topped the list, with the I-24 corridor between Rutherford and Davidson counties coming in at number 17.
Tennessee Department of Transportation officials said thanks to money provided by the IMPROVE Act, the state plans to invest about $400,000 to specifically target congestion on I-24.
But that won't mean widening the interstate.
"We have a lot of non-recurring events causing delays, or in other words, there's crashes," said TDOT Chief Engineer Paul Degges. "We can put tools and equipment out there to quickly respond to crashes but also put together some intelligent communication infrastructure that tells drivers there's a crash 20 minutes up the road, if I can take another route maybe I can avoid some of the delays."
Degges said in addition to adding more smart signs and crash response tools, TDOT is exploring mass transit options between Rutherford and Davidson counties, including buses on the shoulder.
That means if traffic dips below a certain speed limit on the interstate, buses would have the authority to pass congestion on the shoulder.
Degges said widening the interstate is not a feasible or fiscally responsible solution. Buying the land to do so is expensive, and more lanes would only create a bigger bottleneck on both ends of the corridor.
Instead, he said TDOT will continue to explore innovative options, including working with employers to reduce the number of cars on the road during rush hour.
Ultimately, he said the goal is not to slash drive times, but to make commutes more predicatable.
"Hopefully we can make it less bad, but I don't think you're going to see it be open and free flowing during rush hour," he said. "And I don't think people expect that."


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Posina (cimbri Posen) és un municipi italià, dins de la província de Vicenza. Fou un dels municipis de la Federació de les Set Comunes, on hi vivien membres de la minoria alemanya dels cimbris, tot i que ja no parlen la seva llengua. L'any 2007 tenia 726 habitants. Limita amb els municipis d'Arsiero, Laghi, Schio, Terragnolo (TN), Trambileno (TN), Valli del Pasubio i Velo d'Astico.

Administració

Municipis de Vicenza

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Prof. Yann Garcia (Associate Editor, MERDJ) together with Prof. Gary J. Long and Prof. Fernande Granjean at GFSM 2018 (Bordeaux, France).
Prof. Gary J. Long delivered a long interview summarizing his outstanding career which is published in MERDJ 4104. Do not miss the chance to read it!


Marketing Director of Tales from the Lake blog and contributor of prose and poetry. A member of Arts on the Lake Writer's Workshop since 2013. A frequent and fervent open microphone presenter in Putnam County. Publications include an article for "BACK IN THE BRONX" a quarterly magazine.


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For most up to date offers check out Herbergers on Facebook and Twitter or contact Herbergers Support for any questions.


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Q: Word-Macro: Oracle DB Connection I need a Word Macro, that connects to an Oracle-Dateabase, gets some information and puts it into my Document.
Step one is to connect to the Database. I found the following code on http://dbaforums.org/oracle/index.php?showtopic=2071
'--------------------------------------
' create and open connection
'--------------------------------------
Dim oCn As New ADODB.Connection
oCn.Open "Driver={Microsoft ODBC for Oracle};" & _
"Server=myserver;" & _
"Uid=gh_pc;" & _
"Pwd=gh_pc"

'---------------------------------------
' open recordset
'---------------------------------------
Dim oRs As New ADODB.Recordset
Set oRs = oCn.Execute("SELECT * FROM pc_ficha_clinica")
While Not oRs.EOF
Debug.Print oRs.Fields(0).Value
oRs.MoveNext
Wend
'---------------------------------------
' cleanup
'---------------------------------------
oCn.Close
Set oRs = Nothing
Set oCn = Nothing

This is not working because it is missing the reference to ADOB.Connection. The following error appears (for me its German, I'm translating it here).
The User defined Type is not declared
I need to know how to Reference this OR how else to connect to the Database. If it is not possible to connect to an Oracle Database using a Word Makco I would like to know that as well.

EDIT Solution found by Dirk Vollmar and Wernfried Domscheit:
Tools - References - add Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects
Hint for those who can not click the Reference option: Go to Run->Reset and Try again

A: It seems that you still need to add a reference to the ADO library. You can do that via the Tools -> References... menu of the VBA editor.
Their you need to pick the Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects library in the version you want to use (and any dependent assemblies as well).

A: You have to reference the ADODB library.
Go to menu Tools -> References -> Select "Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects 2.7 Library" (or whatever version you like to use or have)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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A.T.'s Delight is an album by American drummer Art Taylor recorded and released in 1960, his only recording as a leader for Blue Note.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Steve Leggett awarded the album 4 stars and stated "A.T.'s Delight is a solid outing, with a wonderfully nervous but completely focused energy".

Track listing
 "Syeeda's Song Flute" (John Coltrane) – 6:35
 "Epistrophy" (Kenny Clarke, Thelonious Monk) – 6:52
 "Move" (Denzil Best) – 5:49
 "High Seas" (Kenny Dorham) – 6:49
 "Cookoo and Fungi" (Art Taylor) – 5:33
 "Blue Interlude" (Dorham) – 5:22

Personnel
Art Taylor – drums
Dave Burns – trumpet (tracks 1-4 & 6)
Stanley Turrentine – tenor saxophone
Wynton Kelly – piano (tracks 1-4 & 6)
Paul Chambers – bass
Carlos "Patato" Valdes – conga (tracks 2, 3 & 5)

References

Blue Note Records albums
Art Taylor albums
1960 albums
Albums recorded at Van Gelder Studio
Albums produced by Alfred Lion


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Tunis Grand Prix
For most people involved in historic racing, it is not their livelihood, they do it just for fun. And so, where would they be without the great love that some people hold for the sport - in French "un amateur". One of those people who have a great affection for historic racing is the Mayor of Tunis and he has applied all his power to reviving the former Grand Prix of Tunis as it was held between 1928 and 1955.
An invitation, showing as organisers the city of Tunis, the National Automobile Club of Tunis (the MSA for the FIA and a seat on the world council) and a Thierry Giovannoni Organisation (GTO) looked reasonably convincing especially as they have done it before. One imagines the city doing the track, the NACT the race organisation and GTO the travel package. And Tunis is a nice warm place at the end of October, beginning November. Thus all the ingredients for a nice end of season jolly.
Reality proved to be different. After paying the entry fee (less TOPS discount) nothing followed, until two weeks before the event when I received a leaflet of the hotel and a customs form with on its back some rudimentary information called "règlement". This was mainly stating what and when to pay, the date of departure and arrival in Marseille, as well as the possibility of a two day trip to the south of the country.
This absolute lack of information or organisation prevailed throughout the whole event. A couple of days before departure, I was still trying to find out where and when to be in Marseille. After being ordered on the dockside four hours before departure, half of the entrants appeared not to have been given their requested accommodation on board; and the meals for our group were better avoided. The organiser had apparently arranged a cheap package so we got wine that must have been cheaper than bottled water. Unloading in Tunis was a complete battlefield and only after lengthy queuing and paying some chappies who explained that they helped us, could we leave the port area. Only to find that we did not have any clue where to go and there was no one to give any direction. So with risk for our own lives, we followed a car whose owner seemed to have been there before. We safely arrived at the local sports stadium where little awnings had been placed and where we could unload on a good solid surface. Then it appeared that the cars were expected to appear on show in the main shopping street of Tunis. The HWM did not fancy that - and refused to start. The starter solenoid was on the blink. I bodged it by mounting a borrowed main switch. Fortunately the hotel (Sheraton Tunis Hotel & Towers) was, as we found out after arriving there, within walking distance and proved to be absolutely excellent.
The next morning back to the paddock not knowing what to expect, since there was still no information whatsoever on grids, timetables and so on. The first surprise was to find that the organisation and management of the racing part was not really in the hands of NACT as expected, but actually in the hands of the man responsible for the travel part (Thierry Giovannoni, who had already proven not to be capable of any strict organisation). I should have been a bit more wary.
The above mentioned "règlement" had stated that no race licenses or FIA/FIVA forms were required, since it was not a race but a "demonstration sportive". I have not been able to find out what difference was really intended. No requirement for car papers resulted in more than half of the grid being replicas or recreations. Most of them even very nice ones. And at the value of the "average" Bugatti, Blower Bentley or Mercedes SSK, I cannot blame the real "amateur" preferring to have a recreation than none at all. The fact that no license was required probably meant that most participants did not have one. But it also meant that there was no scrutineering at all; also resulting in people driving without overalls, helmets etc.
Loosely, four grids were assembled: pre-war, single seaters, and two grids of post war sports and GT. We were to go out on the circuit once in the morning and once after lunch for "free practice". Not everyone demonstrated an interest to going out with their own grid or even track discipline.
The track itself is, obviously, a street circuit. But not prepared as Monaco, Pau or Porto. Traffic signs, billboards and – as I found out - bus shelters - are marked, rather than protected, by a symbolic straw bale.
NACT had taken care of the marshals. Obviously one could not expect them to have the same level of experience as in the UK, but a bit more instruction would not go amiss. Chatting up one of the many lovely girls or chatting into their mobiles while the cars are out on the track does not seem appropriate. More worrying was the fact that they were looking most of the time to the oncoming cars, rather than being the "driver's eyes".
I did spend my first practise just to find my way around and trying not to fall out of the car on the bumpy downhill part. Then there was lunch in the hotel. After lunch looking into the fuel situation. That was nice. In a corner, with compliments of the organisation, two guys were filling jerry cans from a 200 litre barrel with 112 octane avgas. Apparently not too expensive locally, judging by the amount they spilled.
The second practice went already quite a lot better, although the fact that, during lunchtime, the chicane had been changed around without any warning to the drivers, made the first lap quite interesting. Also you had to keep an eye open for the odd dog, goat or cow crossing the track.
In the evening the group was invited by the Mayor for a formal dinner in the Town Hall, in the presence of Cabinet Ministers and the Ambassadors of most countries. Unfortunately, the bus that was to take the whole group down there was an hour and a half late, so we were slightly less than popular. The Town Hall, an old Palace, was really worth the visit and the food was excellent.
The next morning rain. Real rain and lots of it. But upon arriving at the circuit it stopped and we were grateful for the little eaze-up shelters. Out for timed practice/qualifying. Lack of organisation and licenses showed again. Some people feel happier to have more than one practise and just join in. No problem with overtaking under yellow behind the pace car. I am getting a bit more wary since the track is very slippery and some of the pre-war cars do loose oil. (A Darmont trike with a Matchless engine with full loss lubrication?). So I tell Joanna that if it is raining in the afternoon, I will not go out. But I qualified nevertheless on pole, (which in view of the other cars was not that much of an achievement.)
It is our travel manager, Giovannoni, who is now acting as Clerk of the Course. By way of Drivers' Briefing, he tells us that some of the Italians have to take an earlier ferry and thus grid 2 (mine) is starting first. Be ready to go out in fifteen minutes. And yes, by the way, we will have a rolling start. What that exactly means is not said.
So Giovannoni sends us out behind the pace car. No red/yellow flags. Afterwards the guy in the safety-car tells us that he was not sure whether he was only "opening the circuit" or actually starting. After almost a complete lap the safety-car peels off and we continue in the direction of the Start Line, where the starter is ready with the national, red (?) flag. Before even reaching the starting line I get entangled with a somewhat over-enthusiast number three on the grid and both cars go onto the pavement; sending the other guy sideways into the wall and I end up taking out the bus shelter. Not good for either car or driver. I end up in hospital for several weeks with what is referred to as "multiple injuries" and the HWM becomes a "winter project".
I could end the story here, but that would not be good.
If you have to have an accident, pray it is in Tunis (although the possibilities of getting one there are realistic). I was rushed into a private clinic and treated by consultants that were nearly all university professors in France. Possibly not having the latest technology, but very good quality, professional, jobs. But more impressive has been the attitude of the Tunisian people involved (not the organiser GTO, who, when asked for copies of the insurance appeared to have "forgotten" it)
I was only just out of my first (out of three) operations when a representative of the Mayor came by with flowers in order to see if I was looked after properly. We were assured that we were not to worry about anything. We had come as their guests and they felt it as their obligation that I should leave again safe and sound. The Mayor immediately put at Joanna's disposition his own car and driver. For the rest of our three week stay we had almost daily visits from either the president of NACT, the president of its historic section, the Minister of Sports, etc. The Mayor not only came himself but attached to me the Chief Medical Officer of the City of Tunis who was there at least once a day during all that time. Since I had to eat through a straw, the Chef of the Sheraton every day made some special soup and fruit drinks. At the end it was the City of Tunis that picked up the tab for all costs of my stay and treatment there. And when there was a sudden hiccough in my repatriation flight because the captain did not want to take the stretcher, the flight was grounded until such time as I was on board.
A cynical mind might say that they were feeling legally responsible, but I have become completely convinced that, some basic rules from the Koran as well the hospitality correct for the Tunisian people, have led them to look after us better than they would their own. So yes, I will return to Tunisia.
I still think that this event could be a lovely end of season event. It merits to be supported on the condition that GTO is taken out of the equation and that NACT can run it and be able to assume its full responsibility. Even though that would require some foreign assistance from organisers with a more extensive race, and safety, experience.
A.vd K
Event Report page


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The book that basically started it all, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain was first published in 1982 and is renowned as a classic amongst gamebook enthusiasts. But does it stand the test of time?
I started the book by rolling up my adventurer and getting SKILL 11, STAMINA 20 and LUCK 9. An above average character, so I should have a good chance of survivng.
It has been quite some time since I had played this particular book, and my memories of it were basically an exciting dungeon crawl with a frustrating labyrinth near the end of the book that I could never find my way through. So it was with some trepidition that I once again stepped into the tunnels beneath Firetop Mountain.
I was immediately struck by how the book is showing its age. The book is essentially a dungeon crawl, as I had remembered; but it was a product of the 1980s and things were different back then. Dungeons didn't have to make much sense; you went into them, killed everyone you found, and looted their bodies. The Warlock is one of those adventures. Nowadays more people demand that at least some thought be put into their dungeon crawls or for them to at least make a little bit of sense.
As an example, early on in the adventure you find a spell book that has been hidden by a mage who was scared of it 'falling into the wrong hands'. Why hide it beneath Firetop Mountain then? The domain of an evil warlock?
Maybe I am being nitpicky, as the book was aimed at those in their early teens. And, as stated, you could get away with those things in the 1980s when the gaming scene was still in its infancy.
Anyway, the adventure continued, and I was busy killing bad guys and taking their stuff. So far so good, I had barely been injured and had found a number of keys that I knew were needed to get to the Warlock's treasure. Then I entered the maze.
This thing is as annoying as I remembered. Several times I nearly gave up in disgust, much like I also remember doing when I was younger. But I perservered, and after much hair pulling and frustration, I found my way out of the maze to confront a dragon. Luckily I had the aforementioned spell book and was able to see the dragon off with minimal effort. Now to confront the Warlock himself.
I drunk a potion of invisibility that I had found and drew my sword. The Warlock is a tough customer to fight! With SKILL 11 and STAMINA 18, he was almost as good as me! Luckily, the potion made it harder for the Warlock and I was able to see him off, though he did get me down to 8 STAMINA remaining. Now for the treasure!
There were three locks on the chest, and I had found four keys. I had to try different combinations to open it. Right, first combination: dang. Lose 2 STAMINA. Okay, 6 left, no problem. Second combination: damnit! 4 STAMINA left. Did I have the right keys? Had I missed a vital one? Was it all for naught? Third combination: YAY! The chest opens and the treasure is mine! Victory!
Even now in the 21st century, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a fun romp through a monster filled dungeon. However, as I stated at the outset it is showing its age. If it were written today I would doubt it would trigger the same cult status it has recieved, but it is still enjoyable on a hack-and-slash level. It is not really a difficult book, as most of the monsters are easily defeated; however, finding the right combination of keys and your way through that damned maze are frustrating. It does add to the replayability of the book, but I would suggest making a map so as not to go bald through tearing your hear out.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who, like me, bought it the first time round and wants to buy this new edition purely for nostalgia.
However, if instead you're someone who's a fan of the series but never read this book, I suggest you save your money and perhaps borrow it from a friend. This is the first book of the Fighting Fantasy series and, without rose-tinted glasses, it shows.
Firstly there's no real plot. The objective is to slay a warlock and take his treasure. Except that it never tells you any "evil deeds" the warlock has done, or where the treasure came from. You aren't described as the hero or the villain of the adventure - you're just there to, err, win.
Secondly, a great number of references in the book comprise of the "classic" direction choice (i.e. do you wish to go North, South, East or West?) that I find quite boring. Later (better) books in the series don't use these kinds of references at all.
Thirdly the book is very thin and that's for a reason; it's not a very descriptive book at all.
Finally, while the illustrations are of a good quality, there's one thing that annoys me about them. In almost every case, the cave and room walls are not shaded, they're just drawn as outlines. This means that a large proportion of almost all the illustrations is just the white of the paper. Every time you get to a reference with an illustration it completely destroys your mental picture of being in a cave or even indoors.
When this book was first released in 1982, I was an avid reader of fantasy. Alan Garner - who remembers the fantastic The Weirdstone of Brisingamen? Tolkien obviously and Terry Brooks brilliant Shannara series are three of the main authors I was really into.
I was introduced to the Warlock of Firetop Mountain in mid 82 by a friend in school who knew about my liking for text adventures on the BBC computer in school and because I always seemed to be reading something.
Lending me his brand new copy, which he seemed very excited with, I took the book home and settled down to read it. The title alone at first sounded great and as for the books cover - what more can be said? As a 12-year-old, the idea that a book would allow you to venture into worlds similar to Middle Earth or that of the Four Lands sounded too good for words and as I turned page after page my world was totally changed forever.
As I read the rules, becoming totally enthralled, I realised that as impossible as it first seemed I would soon be venturing into a mountain to find an evil Warlock's treasure, hidden deep within a dungeon populated with a multitude of terrifying monsters. The idea that with several dice, a pencil and an eraser I would be able to go inside a mountain where they're dwelled a dragon and a warlock was my idea of heaven. The ability to fight and interact with foes on my quest, to slay the dragon and defeat a warlock ultimately ending with the discovery of his treasure made me even more excited.
The book itself is a simple quest compared to many of the more complex adventures later in the series and your main task as well as to find the three keys is to negotiate through the mountain, maze, across the river until your eventual task to slay and defeat Zagor. If you want to read a Fighting Fantasy adventure that pushes the boundaries of the format this is not it - but should it be? The warlock of Firetop Mountain has many memerable encounters and will take you into the first adventure of the Fighting Fantasy legacy. For a while at least it you realise why the book was the success. It's simple, easy to navigate, it's a dungeon (the most popular of all beginning adventures) and of course it has a dragon and we all love dragons. Its one of the main reasons I fell completely in love with fantasy in the first place.
Well, this book is a game and book in one. It's like a role-play game in book form where you choose the correct path in an effort to get to the end without being killed during your quest.
Although these books were around years ago, they started to publish them again a few years ago. People now around the age of 30 who read books in the 1980s as children may remember them and I do.
They were popular in the 1980s and 1990s and then stopped for a decade or more before they started coming out for a new generation of kids. They have changed things though by altering the order of the books and including some new ones that weren't in the original series like Bloodbones and Eye of the Dragon.
This book was written by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone who, according to the website, actually wrote half of the book each and then stuck it together. This probably explains the different styles in different parts of it.
In summary, this book is an adventure where your character is given the mission of entering the underground lair of a mad sorcerer and killing him to save the people of the surrounding land. Now, the evil wizard character lives in a huge mountain at the middle of a maze complex, surrounded by guards and creatures.
To win, you have to explore the mountain and the tunnels inside it and collect stuff along the way. You can't win unless you explore around and get certain objects, so it's quite hard and you'll fail some times before you get through to the end.
Now, the mountain's innards are separated by an underground river and I believe this is where the different authors started or stopped from. One author wrote the bit before the river and the other wrote the bit after the river and then combined them together into the finished book.
I think this is a good adventure as I was interested enough in it to keep playing and exploring the tunnels and caverns until I managed to finish it. The bit before the river isn't too hard, but the maze beyond it I found confusing and spent many hours just wandering around and fighting animals that lurk in the tunnels.
I think it's cleverly written to allow you to double-back and go around in circles without really realising it as the caves and tunnels eventually all look and feel the same. As a result, it's quite easy to get lost and this adds to the game I suppose.
The evil wizard enemy isn't too hard to beat but there's a clever twist at the end of the book that can deny you a victory even if you manage to get that far. If you play this game, you should really explore about and check out all the caves and rooms, but I won't say any more.
It's an enjoyable afternoon adventure that will give you fun to complete. I liked it and found the maze the best bit to adventure around. I suppose that this book and the others that are out there are aimed at the 10 year-old school boy market and I remember it well from my own childhood.
It's easy for FF fans to be generous when voting for WOFM, because it holds such a special place for people. However, dewy-eyed nostalgia aside, really it's just a standard sword-and-sorcery adventure, isn't it? To be honest, I played a few other books before this so I was a little disappointed at the lack of atmosphere but, looking back, it has its fair share of original ideas (the maze, the keys etc)so credit where it's due. It may be the granddaddy of them all but it still holds up surprisingly well even now.
As for so many others, WoFM was my first gamebook experience. I remember how every paragraph, every choice seemed laden with significance: East or west? Bash the door or not? (But of course!) I also remember being surprised that all of the book took place within the maze; I'd expected a Forest of Doom-like journey to get there, probably because that's how ordinary RPG quests were usually set up.
Replaying it now, the encounters seem a little like standard fare compared to later books. You get Orcs, Trolls, Giant Rats, Skeletons and Ghouls at face value, with only a few vaguely exotic exceptions. It didn't matter much at the time, though, since everything was happening for the first time in gamebook terms. Someone who's played later books but missed out on this may be disappointed by the relative simplicity of the traps and turns.
It's not really that difficult in terms of getting to the final confrontation. You only get to chew Provisions when you're told, but it's not that big a problem unless you have Skill 8 or something. Luck keeps regenerating as you win small victories, something that only happens on special occasions in later books, if at all. As an aside, the book also kicks off the tradition of letting you collect lots of gold, especially toward the end of the book, although there are very few ways to spend it. Almost as if the gold counter was included to meet some kind of basic fantasy criterion.
The difficulty instead rests with the fact that you can get to the very end and still have no idea whether you took the right path or not. It can even happen that you get everything you need, but choose wrongly in the end, die, and decide to pick another (incorrect) path on your next attempt. Since each game can take quite a while, with the maze and all, you'll need some luck and/or patience to finally win through.
All told, WoFM is something of a classic, suitable for beginners, quite charming in places, with a maze that can be infuriating if you don't cheat by mapping it (I truly believe you'll get the most out of a book if you don't map it until you've finished it successfully). Love the boathouse.
Plot Summary: You travel to Firetop Mountain, a dangerous place inhabited by Zagor the Warlock, in search of treasure and adventure.
This is a decent start to a good series, and it's easy to see how people were hooked on gamebooks after playing this. It's more or less plotless, but the dungeon environment it allows the reader to explore is pleasantly quirky and greatly enhanced by Russ Nicholson's remarkable artwork. I'm especially fond, for some mysterious reason, of the delightfully repulsive ghoul pictured near section 275.
Gameplay is fast and fun, though also rather flawed. My biggest complaint is the frequent use of a lazy pattern of game design. For example, say the reader can go either east or west. If the reader goes east, there's no turning back, but if the reader goes west, something important happens, and the reader is subsequently herded east anyway. This pattern shows up again and again in the book, and while it obviously made the writing process easier for the authors, it's often a source of frustration for the player -- there are times where it would be nice to turn back, but no such option is offered. Certainly, it would have been difficult to increase the player's freedom of movement without making the book overlong, but the linearity of this particular story structure could probably have been masked a little better.
A lesser complaint is that the game's inventory system is poorly thought-out. There's no inventory limit, but certain objects require you to drop an existing item before picking them up. This almost makes sense for a heavy shield (though not if you drop a light black glove to make room), but it's totally senseless when later in the adventure you are required to drop an item in order to pick up a key. Inventory is one place (though not the only place) where Lone Wolf undeniably had an edge over Fighting Fantasy.
A final feature of game design that I'm not sure whether to praise or complain about is the final segment, where you have to open a chest using keys gathered during earlier parts of the story. This is done using a fairly clever mechanic (adding key numbers together to yield a section which shows whether or not the keys fit), but it means that you can get within an inch of victory again and again without ever actually winning. This makes replay high, but it might be considered a bit cruel. Personally, I think it works well enough for this book since the adventure's challenge level is low overall, but it would be unspeakably nasty to place a similar twist in a tougher adventure.
Also, if I may be picky, I'd like to point out that the very first paragraph of the rules says that you start with a shield but that it subsequently seems that you don't (especially since you can find one at one point in the adventure). Probably just a little flaw missed in copy editing. Also, my early British printing of the book is missing the letter "e" in the word "grey" in the picture caption by section 122, though my more recent printing includes the letter.
Anyway, overall, I think this book deserves its classic status. It's challenging but not impossible, it has a number of memorable situations (aided greatly by good artwork), it's fun to map, and it has some unusual design elements (most notably the final key puzzle) despite being more or less the first of its kind. Of course, it can also be blamed for typecasting the whole genre of interactive books through its fantasy setting and its emphasis of mechanics over storyline. While these things are a shame, they can't really be used as direct criticisms of the book. Taken at face value, it's a good bit of fun and worth reading the four or five times it'll most likely take to emerge victorious.
If you are new to Fighting Fantasy or gamebooks in general, then there is really no better place to start than this book.
Unfortunately, if neither of those things apply to you, then there really isn't a hell of a lot here to recommend.
Still, the book is not too challenging and it plays through quickly, so it can be fun, with the exception of the maze, which I found pointless, frustrating and boring. Other people seem to love it though.
Good for beginners, but advanced users may wish to look elsewhere.
Living in the United States in the early 1980's, the only type of non-linear books was Choose Your Own Adventure. And even though I had not even reached my teenage years, I found these books to be juvenile, simple, and rather tedious.
But then, in 1982, a line of books was created that changed the method of reading forever. This line was known as Fighting Fantasy. And the beginning of this line was the Warlock of Firetop Mountain. The title alone was the reason for my purchase of this book. For this 12-year-old, the idea that I would be venturing into a mountain with a fiery top, inside of which dwelled a dragon and a warlock was compelling. Add to this sword-and-sorcery concocture that my quest was to slay a dragon, defeat a warlock, and obtain a treasure and I was more than eager to begin my journey into this rocky realm of high adventure.
But then, as I read the rules, I became even more enthralled. I determined my own skill, stamina, and luck? How would a low skill affect my adventure, I wondered. How much would a high stamina benefit me, I reflected. Would an average luck score be enough to complete this adventure, I contemplated.
And here I am, hacking and whacking away at creatures that have the audacity to cross my path, and I'm feeling pretty confident until... the river.
What is a river doing inside of a mountain?  And this river is no mere trickle of aquatic pleasure.  No, it is a deluge of torrential rage, containing crocodiles and pirhannas.  How do I get across?  A swim, perhaps?  Or, maybe I can traverse these subterranean terrors by traipsing on that rickety, broken-down bridge.   Better yet, I'll pay the ferry man.  What?  I thought the price was two gold pieces.  I'll not stand for that.  Oh, OK, don't get your hair out of place, I'll find some way to get across that river.
Exhausted from my travels thus far, surely, the end to my quest is near, right? What maze?  You mean I have to escape this maze?  Alas and alack, here I go amidst these pathways of puzzlement.  Shall I search for a secret passage?  What do you mean there is none and I have to fight a random creature?  What madness is this?  I am fatigued beyond belief, let me just open this door and rest inside of this room.  A minotaur?  And I have no red cape.  Yet another creature to decimate.  Perhaps it is the key for my success.
As the hours increase, so does my enervation.  Also, spending all this time within these catacombs of confusion has chilled my bones.  Ah, let me just warm myself against that fire up ahead.  A dragon?  It certainly has a spell on me.
Or should I say, I have a spell on it.  Well, look who's here but the Warlock himself.  It's too bad we can't see eye to eye.  And the treasure awaits. Confidently, I insert my keys into the locks and turn.  The treasure is mine, all mine.
What?  Only two of the keys turn?  But, I have no other keys.  I travelled inside of rocky pathways, crossed a river, traipsed through a maze, slayed a dragon, and defeated the warlock.  Where is my happy ending?  No, instead I am stuck here, penniless, inside of this mountain forever.
This adventure is just that, in the truest sense of the word.  Not only must you overcome all of the obstacles above, but if you do not have the correct three keys, you are doomed to spend your earthly existence trapped within this mountain.  Even at the age of 28, the novel is both compelling and enticing. Your missteps, mishaps, and mistakes are anything but few and far between.  The action is fast and furious.  And if you are not equally fast and furious, while still retaining a mite of logic and common sense, Firetop Mountain will not be your source of financial freedom, but rather a cavernous coffin.
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain was the first book in a successful series of game books offering simple rules for character generation, combat and making "saving rolls."
The book was written by Ian Livingston and Steve Jackson. I had always wondered about the "schizophrenic" nature of the adventure - one portion of the book allows you to "wander" around and retrace your steps... and another portion leads you on what is essentially a "forced march" (you can't retrace your steps), quite literally shoving you toward your appointment with destiny. Well, the reason behind the stylistic differences of the two parts is actually quite simple - each section was written by one of the authors! Ian Livingston wrote the "forced march" section and Steve Jackson wrote the "wander around" section!
Each section has its strengths and weaknesses - going on a forced march seems very constrictive and takes away from the reader/player's sense of being able to control his/her destiny by the choices he/she... but it does prevent you from walking around in circles around a maze and propels the "story" forward. Being able to "wander" around has the advantage of granting the reader/player a certain degree of freedom to retrace his/her path and fully explore the game's world... however, if you're terrible at making maps and/or notes or have a lousy memory, one could easily end up chasing one's own tail with the story being "stalled" as a result... with freedom comes choice and with choice comes responsibility. I guess there's a certain philosophical message in there somewhere.
The text of Warlock is rather brief and to the point; no unnecessary details to be found here! This makes the game very fast-paced and I imagine was designed to hold the attention of demanding younger readers. As with many gamebooks, there are some odd choices and encounters. For example, trying on boots in a Giant Spider's cave always struck me as a strange thing to do, and that whole "Eye of the Cyclops beats up the Warlock automatically" plotline has always baffled me. Despite Steve's re-writing of Ian's sections, Ian's gamebooks design style shines through, and is also apparent in his subsequent works. As mentioned by Demian, in the first half of the book, be prepared to be prevented from changing your mind. If you choose to go East instead of West, that may make all the difference between success or failure; there's no chance to alter your decision after 10 paces. There's no doubt that this is Ian's preferred style of gamebook design, rather linear. Steve's part, however, has quite a lot of chances to explore and return to areas you have already been to, specifically the Maze of Zagor sections. While Ian tends to go for the more "traditional", linear approach, Steve Jackson has always seemed to be pushing back boundaries and doing things differently. This means that his books can vary in quality more than Ian's. Unfortunately, the actual Maze part of Warlock is not so complex once drawn out as a map; it is Jackson's writing style that confuses matters. This part, I feel, is overlong and too boring. However, the sections he wrote before the Maze, with the zombies, or the skeleton boatyard, are very atmospheric and affecting. These two aspects balance out to make a good rather than great second half. Livingstone's steady first half lacks flair and has some dumb encounters, but is overall solid, making that good, too.
The illustrations and artwork by Russ Nicholson are part of the mythology of the book. When I first flicked through this book in my school library many years ago, the artwork for the Ghoul, the Skeleton Boatyard, the Warlock and the Iron Cyclops all etched themselves onto my memory. Nicholson is a good illustrator, and I am a fan of his work.
The gameplay is where the book is let down. Aside from the things mentioned by Demian, there is the disparity in statistics.A small snake (SK5, ST2) is hardly less powerful than an Orc (SK6, ST3) who is 10 times its size! This is a problem of quick'n'dirty gameplay, and is not one easily resolved; certainly, when role-playing in a fantasy world, giants are exceptionally more powerful than orcs. However, this must be balanced against the ease of the game: the rolls are simple and the rules easy to learn. Because the Fighting Fantasy rules were in place from here onwards, this disparity was rarely if ever successfully addressed, more emphasis being placed on the gameplay of the text than the mechanics of the rules. Joe Dever's Lone Wolf arguably has better rules and a better conceived system of mechanics, but it is apparent that he learned this from the problems inherent with Fighting Fantasy; in other words, without Warlock, there would have been no Lone Wolf.
It is a shame that the first part of Firetop Mountain is so linear. There is only one true way through this section, and failure to take it will mean failure to succeed in veating the Warlock's Treasure Chest. There are so many interesting locations in Firetop Mountain that it is impossible to visit and complete the book; the Giant Rats, the Mosaic Room, the Gas Trap room, the room with the two helmets... That said, Firetop mountains is full of places to visit and investigate, even along the correct path. That this was a new medium is telling, with the authors setting up events and encounters in a way which would be copied into parody in subsequent gamebooks. Nevertheless, this first Fighting Fantasy gamebook is fast-paced and fun, with a high replay value. Unlike Demian, I actually like the numbered keys sub-plot, and I think it added the "one-more-go" factor for the person who got right to the end, but with the wrong keys. It also set the standard for number puzzles in later adventures. It forced people to scour the mountain, searching out new places to explore and visit, hoping against hope of dropping on that correct key-combo.
Warlock is a fun gamebook to read, with a memorable location, cast and crew. Despite its problems, re-reading is more like visiting an old (predictable) acquaintance than a boring chore. I like it.
This is a very tough book to review, due not only to its seminal place in gamebook history but also because the styles of the two authors involved would come to influence the hobby in different ways. A lot has already been written about this book: at the time of this writing, there are 19 different reviews posted on the Internet, if one counts only those available at the FF Reviews Archive and Planète LDVELH. So why bother writing yet another one? One reason may be that there are several specific criticisms which are made by more than one reviewer, and while there is certainly some validity to them, it's surprising that so many seem to be missing the point. Before tackling the criticisms, a summary of the book is in order.
As others have already pointed out, the book's plot is very simple. You play a warrior who decides to venture into the subterranean den of a Warlock of great power, with the intent of defeating him in combat and keeping his vast treasure. The entirety of the adventure takes place inside the dungeon complex, and the player's task consists not only of finding the final room and confronting the Warlock, but also of finding the keys to the treasure chest, each of which is hidden in a different part of the dungeon. The first half of the dungeon, written by Ian Livingstone, is very characteristic of his style, with many corridors to choose from, each of which runs through a series of rooms in sequence. The challenge in this first part, as players will eventually find out, is to figure out a single correct route along which the items essential to the completion of the adventure lie hidden. As is also usual with Ian, once certain points in the dungeon are reached, the player is not given the option of turning back, so taking a single wrong turn will result in an eventual inability to complete the adventure successfully. The second part of the adventure, written by Steve Jackson, is very different, since most of it consists of navigating a maze where the player has complete freedom of movement, before the final battle with the Warlock himself.
The book's writing is very concise and has even been described as dry by some. This criticism probably arises from the fact that other gamebook writers (including some who wrote later books in the FF series) usually write better. However, since this is a work of entertainment and not art, and also since it succeeded at keeping engaged the children and young teenagers who were its target audience, I believe this conciseness is to be praised rather than criticized.
People have also complained about the fact that there is no way to figure out which of the many keys to be found in the dungeon are the correct ones, thus usually requiring the player to replay the adventure until the correct ones are found. For my part, I do find this appealing rather than off-putting, because if it weren't for the fact that one of the distinctive features of the branching-path book is not revealing its entire content in a single read, thus forcing the reader to take a different path each time, the genre wouldn't be different from the linear novel at all. Keeping vital information hidden from the character and encouraging the reader to learn it through subsequent plays does more for this type of book than scattering clues everywhere (which, by the way, would render further choice-making meaningless).
Another common criticism is the thinness of the plot, which I also have no problem with. Since reaching the Warlock's chamber is a difficult goal, and finding the correct keys is not exactly an easy feat (except if done by chance), most players are easily immersed in the challenge offered by the adventure, and this more than makes up for the scarcity of developed characters, storylines or dialogues. This emphasis on gameplay rather than plot contributed a lot to defining gamebooks as a distinct genre, and even later books which intended to balance the two owe a lot to it.
Other reviewers point out that the book is too derivative of Dungeons & Dragons, which is to a degree justifiable by the fact that one of its goals was to introduce young audiences to the role-playing hobby. Besides, Russ Nicholson's artwork does a lot to bring the creatures to life, so that the Dragon, the Ghoul, the Zombies, Goblins and Wizards all have a flavour which really sets them apart from depictions in other role-playing materials, and contributes to the unique identity of Titan as a setting. Furthermore, the portrayals of the Warlock in the illustrations are so good that I assume many of us felt more motivated to reach the final encounter just by looking at them.
Yet another complaint is that the dungeon seems illogical with its assortment of creatures and traps which seem to serve no other purpose other than wait around for adventurers to arrive. This criticism stems from a school of thought which holds that a fantasy adventure should be planned out like an ecosystem, and that every creature, object and event should have a logical raison d'etre within a larger context. In principle, I have no quarrel with this opinion, and I could even agree that this kind of effort could lead to interesting adventures, but I think this kind of "logic" is hardly a requirement. The fantasy genre, after all, allows for a great deal of free-wheeling creativity in characters and situations (authors like Lewis Carroll and Lyman Frank Baum come to mind as examples). Furthermore, a scientific explanation for the presence of wildly varying creatures living next to each other is more a requirement of science-fiction than it is of fantasy fiction. Finally, there are many genres of entertainment, besides the dungeon crawl, which have obvious incoherences and are still a lot of fun, so dismissing this book based on a "lack of logic" seems like extreme purism to me.
Before proceeding, a disclaimer must be made. My comment about the free-wheeling nature of fantasy on the previous paragraph should not be interpreted, as some people have done, as an advocacy of free association to the point where the limits of fantasy are crossed and one wanders into the realm of Surrealism. In my opinion, the thinly-plotted dungeon-crawl genre is still within the defining limits of fantasy because the elements relevant to that genre are prevalent in it. Moreover, the way those elements are assembled in the dungeon-crawl is also consistent with the themes of fantasy literature.
But let us proceed with the review of TWoFM. The inventory system, as Demian has pointed out, is poor, such as in the instance where the player can take a glove out of his / her backpack in order to be able to carry a shield on his / her hand. Fortunately later entries in the series adopted more logical systems or let go of inventory restrictions altogether.
Ian's part of the adventure, as mentioned before, sets the style which would become characteristic of his works in this series. Some reviewers have complained at the lack of flexibility, since at many points in the adventure, the author's whim prevents the player character from retracing her / his steps. As questionable as this design practice may be, the truth is it was very influential on the gamebook genre, to the point that it's far more common to find a gamebook where the character is always propelled forward - and must choose her / his way often at random -, rather than one where the player is allowed full freedom of movement. Steve's part, on the other hand, allows such freedom, and although some people claim it's boring - mostly due to the fact that there are rather few encounters in it - it should appeal to you if you like solving mazes. It's very easy to be transported from one point of the maze to another far away without warning, however, so mapping it will require a lot of patience. A nice touch in the second segment is the use of instructions which direct the player to a different paragraph if a specific location is visited more than once. This feature is so clever it was copied in many later gamebooks, both in this series and elsewhere.
The criticism that Ian's design makes it easy to miss items which are essential to the completion of the adventure should also be taken with a grain of salt, since this is true for one of those items at most.
In both parts, the encounters and traps are often designed in a very clever way, and often prove entertaining to solve (with the flexibility of the choices helping a lot). Who can forget the room with the star tiles, the dark room, the giant spider, the magic portraits, the river and the room with the vampire, to name only a few? Most traps are hardly fatal, but it's possible to weaken your character by reducing his / her SKILL or Attack Strength if you're not careful. Since completing the adventure will require at least two tough fights, a character with a low Skill will have a hard time prevailing in this book. This should pose no problem except if you're one of those dorks who don't dare to roll up several characters beforehand and settling for a powerful one. There are also some Skill-raising items which can be helpful. Zagor the Warlock is a very tough enemy if battled hand to hand, but there are at least three alternate strategies which will make the final battle easier, and the player is advised to pay attention to the clues available throughout the adventure in order to figure them out.
While this was not the first attempt to bring solitaire role-playing adventures to the public (Tunnels & Trolls did it before, and High Fantasy published standalone gamebooks which coincided with the early titles of the FF series), this book was indeed the first one to introduce a game system which, while far from perfect, was accessible to younger readers and as such introduced them painlessly to some basic concepts of the role-playing hobby. The immersiveness, complexity and atmosphere of the adventure make it a true classic, even if, like me, this was not your first full-system gamebook. Overall, an essential read which, for better of worse, defined what many people would come to understand as the basic features of the genre.
As with many other people, this was the first FF Gamebook that I read. The fact that I read it ten years after it was first released did nothing to lessen my enjoyment of it. Even now, almost ten years later, I can still look back at it and find it fresh and exciting.
The plot of the book isn't the most original in the world; an evil wizard lives in the mountain and you, as a guy with a sword, must go and kill him because... well, you're never really told, to be honest. Its presentation, though, is something else. Some of the most original characters and settings I've seen anywhere pop up in the strangest of places, and at times you have to remind yourself that you're still inside a mountain. This element of mystery is one of the books greatest strengths. The minor friends and enemies that you meet along the way never have their stories explained, you must merely accept the fact that they are there, and they are weird!
The book is none too difficult (my mother completed it on her second go), but the fact that there are so many odd people and places scattered around the dungeon will have you coming back for more, just to see what else the writers have cooked up.
Were it to have a greater storyline, a coherent theme running through it, this Gamebook may well have been perfect. But if it had, it just wouldn't have been The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. Minor flaws aside (why are all the monsters CAPITALISED?), it's a book that's impossible to hate.
In the early 1980s, Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone united to develop an intriguing new concept - the gamebook. Their gamebook line, Fighting Fantasy, was a combination of Dungeons & Dragons and the Choose Your Own Adventure series of children's books, yet the FF rules were simpler and easier to learn than D&D and the text was more mature than the childishness of CYOA.
The first book in the innovative series, "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain," co-written by Jackson and Livingstone, was published in 1982 and immediately became the benchmark for which all later gamebooks would be compared.
Twenty years after its original publication date, "Warlock" is still an engaging read. Jackson and Livingstone throw at the reader a wide variety of monsters to fight, from typical D&D fare (Orcs, goblins, dwarves, and an ogre) to the undead (skeletons, zombies, a Wight, and a vampire) to a dragon and the tile warlock himself.
All of these enemies are skillfully interwoven into the story, with each given an area of the mountain in which it dwells, allowing the reader to feel as if he/she is progressing through increasingly difficult encounters through the mountain. For the final two confrontations, the dragon and the warlock, Jackson and Livingstone allow for either swordplay combat or innovation on the player's part by using what the player has found/learned during the adventure.
While "Warlock" as a whole may not be as difficult as some of the later FF gamebooks, it isn't a pushover, either, giving an average character a fairly decent challenge. Defeating the dragon and warlock in back-to-back encounters via swordplay (if the reader so chooses) is no easy feat.
The maze, even if the reader is actively mapping the mountain, still presents a challenge in navigating through it. And, in what would become a Livingstone trademark, the reader will have needed to find certain numbered keys during the adventure. Only by adding the numerical values of the correct keys will the reader discover the passage number, which in turn will lead to the end of the adventure and the warlock's treasure.
While there may be a couple of gamebooks in the Fighting Fantasy series that are better, there is no denying the power, innovation, and importance of "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain." This is the original, and still one of the best, gamebooks ever published. Highly recommended.
Ah, the beginning of it all. Though not the first Fighting Fantasy book that I've read, this book is the one that pretty much started the whole phenomenon. I remembered being insanely difficult when I was 9 years old (or however old I was at the time I read it), but I didn't believe in making maps back then; I know better these days.
In this gamebook you are an adventurer trying to sneak into Firetop Mountain, kill the warlock who is master of the mountain, and make off with his treasure; a standard loot and pillage adventure. First, you go through what I refer to as the "first line of defense," which consists of the orc and goblin tunnels. The river marks the end of this line and the beginning of the "second line of defense," which consists of the area controlled by mostly undead creatures like skeletons and wights. This area lasts until you hit the Maze of Zagor, which is the "third line of defense," which culminates in your encounter with the warlock, assuming you make it that far. Getting through the first section isn't difficult, but there are some critical items that you need to find in this section in order to successfully complete your quest.
The second zone is somewhat more difficult, and as before, you need to find some specific items to gain the warlock's treasure. The third zone is a true maze, though not a very dangerous one, all things considered. If you make a good map of your progress, you will eventually stumble across the warlock. Unless you have some good items to help you, this is a very tough fight. But after you defeat the warlock you must still unlock his treasure chest. The first time through as I was reading for this review, I defeated the warlock (barely), but was unable to unlock the chest, so I failed. I did better the second time.
This book was enjoyable. It was challenging, but not maddeningly so, even though I really despise when gamebook authors put mazes in their books. Ack. But at least this one was solvable, unlike the one in Grailquest 6, which forces you to cheat. There are a number of worthless items you will encounter during your quest, though there are some truly wonderful things that will make your job much easier. The writing was pretty good for a Fighting Fantasy book, and there was not an excessive amount of fighting, like some of the books. There was some of the typical silly stuff where you encounter people who have seemingly lived for years stuck inside an evil mountain fortress with no ill effects on them, which never makes sense, but not as much as I was expecting. Overall, this book is very good, and is a good starting place for enjoying the Fighting Fantasy series.


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Retail Control Solutions Named RSPA Certified Retail Technology Partner
by vartuoso | posted in: Press Releases | 0
Needham, MA- March 29, 2011 – Retail Control Solutions, a leading provider of technology products for Restaurants, announced today that it has been named an RSPA Certified Retail Technology Provider. According to RSPA's industry standards, Retail Control Solutions received the certified technology provider status by demonstrating a commitment to excellence and an exceptional level of professionalism. As an RSPA Certified Retail Technology Provider, Retail Control Solutions is recognized as ethical and fair and stands behind the products and services they sell and support.
The Retail Solutions Providers Association, the only association dedicated to the retail technology industry, launched its industry Certification Program on July 13, 2009. The Certification Program is a new way to identify professionals in the retail technology industry and was developed to set and maintain the bar of professionalism for retail technology vendors and resellers.
Certification offers assurances to the public, including those who use the products and professional services that they are working with a company that is a distinguished solution provider. To learn more about RSPA's Certification program, visit GoRSPA.org/Certification.
"RSPA is very pleased to bring an industry association supported certification program to the Retail Technology marketplace," said Joe Finizio, RSPA President & CEO. "This program was developed to set and maintain the bar of professionalism for retail technology vendors and resellers. Retail Control Solutions has proved it's worthy of this certification by demonstrating superior products and customer service."
"It is an honor to be recognized as a RSPA Certified Retail Technology Partner," said Bob Schellenbach, President of Retail Control Solutions. "We have been providing superior technology products and customer service to Restaurants since our inception. Our status as a RSPA Certified Technology Partner and our alliance with the association will strengthen these endeavors going forward.
About RSPA (www.GoRSPA.org)
The Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) is the only association dedicated to the retail technology industry. RSPA members include resellers, hardware manufacturers, software developers, consultants, finance companies, and distributors bringing retail technology products and/or services to the marketplace. The RSPA provides education, industry advocacy, standards, services and benefits to assist member companies in expanding their businesses.
About Retail Control Solutions
Based in Needham, MA, Retail Control Solutions provides a complete suite of technology products for Table Service, Quick Service and Fast Casual Restaurants, Bars, Nightclubs and Hotels. Our product portfolio includes Point of Sale, Labor Management, Inventory, Kitchen Automation, Video Surveillance and Enterprise Solutions. For more information please visit our web site at www.rcs-usa.com .
Retail Control Solutions Retail Solutions Providers Association
Janet Teliszewski Nicole Taylor, Director of Communications & Marketing
janett@rcs-usa.com NTaylor@GoRSPA.org


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New school year brings new teachers
Liam Holland, Sports Editor|September 4, 2018
As the school welcomes the incoming freshman class to the school this September, new teachers also arrive. These teachers have left their previous positions to become generals and are excited to become part of the school community.
New teachers include art teacher Ms. Erin Burns and physics teacher Mr. Bill Chamblee who both left for one year, library assistant Jeannie Sklar from Gunston Middle School, HILT counselor Ms. Jessica Benitez, counselor Ms. Mariam Amarir, Assistant Principal Ms. Carmen De La Cruz Scales, and instructional assistant Ms. Jocelyn Boateng-Clarke.The school welcomes all of these teachers into the community. Here are some interviews with the other new teachers joining the school this year:
Mr. Kevin Healy is a Special Education teacher from Langley High School. He will be taking the role of Head Coach for the varsity baseball team. Mr. Healy coached baseball at Langley for 13 years and taught there for 12, six years as a special education teacher and six as a Social Studies teacher. Q: What differences do you expect between Langley and here? A: In terms of the day to day stuff it's a block schedule just like Langley, another thing I've noticed is that the paperwork always changes so there are six years of rules and regulations that I don't really know about yet. That's really the main thing, I'm teaching stuff that I have a background in so that won't be too different, but every year you have to learn the personalities of all the new kids kind of like coaching. Q: Why do you teach Special Education? A: When I first started coaching at Langley, I needed a job. My first year they brought me in as an instructional aid and I worked with students with autism. The next year, a full time job opened up so I took that and then I got my certification and stuff done. I call it a backdoor way of getting into teaching but I lucked out because I loved it. Q: What are you looking forward to and what are you nervous about? A: It's almost like my first day of high school too. I'm excited to learn some things about the baseball program and bring some stuff that I liked doing at Langley and mix it in. I guess I'm just a little nervous about getting into the rhythm of things and getting to know everybody that I need to know.
Stand-out holiday lights
School hosts annual SCA Olympics
Highlights from the March For Our Lives
Feelin' the Love
Homecoming Pep Rally: Sept. 15
Get out the vote: Casting ballots in an unprecedented election season
Turkey Trot takes place under COVID-19 guidelines
Visiting Scripps College
Seniors take the W at SCA Olympics
Spring play falls back in time
Poetry Out Loud school competition: Dec. 13
Gallery: Trump Protest In DC


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Four U-E Teachers Selected for Master Teachers Program
Monday, October 21 by Bill Moyer
THIS STORY WAS SUBMITTED BY THE UNION-ENDICOTT SCHOOL DISTRICT: Union-Endicott teachers Eric Bill, Kim McCabe, Aileen Zielewicz, and Meridith Jackson have been selected to participate in the 2019 New York State Master Teachers program -- among 228 educators selected to the program this year.... Read More.
UPDATE: Police Arrest 18-Year-Old In U-E High School Lock Down
Thursday, May 23 by Dave Radigan
On May 22, 2019, Endicott Police responded to a 911 report of a male entering Union-Endicott High School with a gun. The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of 18-year-old Derrick Abney, of Binghamton, for one count of Making a Terroristic Threat, a class... Read More.
Union-Endicott Resumes Normal Schedule after Mid-day Lockdown
Wednesday, May 22 by Bill Moyer
After-school activities resumed Wednesday afternoon at Union-Endicott High School after the building was locked down mid-day when two unauthorized individuals entered the school. Superintendent Suzanne McLeod said a lockdown was ordered at 12:20 p.m. due to what shae called "a potential threat." The lockdown... Read More.
BREAKING NEWS: Lock Down at Union-Endicott High School
Wednesday, May 22 by Dave Radigan
The Union-Endicott high school went into lock down this afternoon after an intruder entered the building. The school entered the emergency phase during the noon-hour. Dr. Suzanne McLeod is the school superintendent. She said that at 12:20 p.m., a lock down was ordered due... Read More.
U-E Softball's Taylor Mischler to Sign National Letter of Intent
Friday, November 30 by WEBO Radio
Union-Endicott softball player Taylor Mischler will be signing a National Letter of Intent to play softball for the Caldwell University Cougars. The signing ceremony is this Friday at 3:30PM in the UEHS library. In 2018, Taylor broke the school record for doubles and extra... Read More.
U-E Teacher Receives 2018 Yale Educator Award
Tuesday, September 11 by WEBO Radio
Union-Endicott mathematics teacher, Mrs. Elizabeth Waite, has been recognized by Yale University, as a recipient of the 2018 Yale Educator Award. Mrs. Waite was one of only 59 people to receive the... Read More.
Cassandra Davis Remembered
Wednesday, August 22 by WEBO Radio
The Union-Endicott Central School District has issued a statement regarding the tragic death of kindergarten teacher, Cassandra Cline, in South Carolina. Cassandra had been a teacher at Union-Endicott for the last sixteen... Read More.
Local Woman Victim of Hilton Head Alligator Attack
Tuesday, August 21 by WEBO Radio
The victim of a fatal alligator attack in Hilton Head, South Carolina, was a kindergarten teacher at the George F. Johnson Elementary School in the Union-Endicott School District. 45-year-old Cassandra Cline was... Read More.
U-E Coach Fran Angeline Has Passed Away
Wednesday, July 11 by Irene Radigan
A legendary Union-Endicott coach has died. Fran Angeline coached both football and boy's tennis. He coached football at U-E from 1960 to 1992. In 1979 he was named both New York State and National Coach of the year. He was 83. Calling hours will... Read More.
School Budgets Approved in Tuesday Vote
$46 million dollars. That's what it takes to run Tioga County's biggest school district, and that's what 510 voters approved Tuesday in the Owego-Apalachin School District. 209 voters were against the budget. The purchase of 5 new school buses were also approved, and two new board members... Read More.
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Ilia Mushayev is affiliated to University of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, DMI Technology Group, Israel. Currently he is working as a professor in the department of Oral and Maxillofacial. Ilia Mushayev is a recipient of many awards and grants for the valuable contributions and discoveries in major area of research. Ilia Mushayev research interests lie in endodontic, oral maxilla facial surgery.


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Hellblade is frustrating, confusing, and uncomfortable, but that's the point
Kirk McKeand
Hellblade's binaural 3D sound design aims to mimic the sensation of someone suffering psychosis: ghostly whispers, guttural screams, pitchy wails, and demonic growls feel like they originate from within your skull. The voices simultaneously encourage, mock, and chastise, all of them speaking over each other, interrupting and contradicting, causing you to doubt yourself. Having been fed Norse tales through her childhood – like Ragnarok, an apocalypse where even the gods expire – our hero Senua struggles with mental illness while attempting to parse reality from legend.
We tested how many deaths it would take to wipe our save game.
Senua sees faces in rocks and trees and notices symbols in shafts of light, all while that confusing chorus rattles in her mind. For the residents of her village, this isn't a mental illness – it's a curse. The game employs these audio tricks along with visual distortions and hallucinations, all backed up by the excellent mocap and voice acting of Melina Juergens, so you experience what Senua does.
When you're in control, you're either exploring the game's wonderfully-realised environments, solving puzzles – mostly by matching symbols with natural shapes – or fighting. The combat system in Hellblade is the simplest developers Ninja Theory have ever created, governed by blocks, parries, dodges, light attacks, heavy attacks, and guard breaks. Attacking straight after a dodge allows you to close the distance between you and your opponent with a second strike, repositioning Senua for her next volley in the process. Meanwhile, a special meter fills up during combat and allows you to briefly slow enemy movement to a crawl. Despite this simplicity, each fight – at least for the first two thirds of the game – feels meaningful.
Ninja Theory are certainly brave for tackling mental health in a game built around sword combat, but that's not the only plucky development decision the UK-based studio greenlit: Hellblade has the threat of permadeath. Yep, you heard right: this is an eight hour, plodding adventure game which threatens to send you back to the start, your progress erased, if you keep failing. How close you are to that happening is represented by an oily corruption that snakes up Senua's right arm. Each time you're killed, this manifestation of her 'curse' spreads. Should the inky tendrils of her perceived affliction reach her head – the seat of the soul – you're told Senua will give in to her anguish.
It plants the seed early on – after your first, unavoidable death – with the only fourth-wall breaking tutorial message in the game: if you die too often, your save will be erased. The awareness of your apparent mortality completely changes the stakes – you, like Senua, are afraid – though it's a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, every fight feels desperate – the fear of failure hangs over every encounter. Even in sections where the environment is the danger, you feel the panic as rooms fill with smoke and fire as you stumble to the exit. As Ninja Theory intend, the hallucinations and threats feel like real dangers.
It's a clever conceit, but it makes you feel cheated when you die. You see, the game sometimes breaks its own rules. For example, the first time I died, it's because I fell from a balancing beam. I'd crossed a few beams up to this point and none of them needed me to actually balance, only to push forward. This specific beam wanted me to keep Senua upright. A mix of both of these appear throughout the game.
Another example: Hellblade often uses light to signify where to go, but in one scenario running towards the light means instant death. You're also taught in your first fight that sometimes you're meant to fail. This pops up again much later, but every encounter that drags on leaves you wondering if you're meant to die. In making the game cinematic – with barely any UI and nothing in the way of tutorials – it's hard to tell if you're progressing in battle, particularly later on when enemies soak up more damage and keep spawning in as others are dispatched.
It's clearly all intentional on Ninja Theory's part, though. In embodying Senua, we also feel confused, unsure of what's real, unaware of which dangers can be fatal. Unfortunately, it only leads to real frustration when you're killed in a cheap way – and there's plenty of that later on when you're up against enemies you can't fight back against.
Hellblade does exactly what Ninja Theory set out to do: tells a story about psychosis in a respectable, engaging way, while taking us outside our comfort zones just like its protagonist. Cinematic games don't lend themselves well to repeat playthroughs, though, so Hellblade's threat of permadeath is more a fear of having to plod through scenes you've already witnessed. It works in harmony with the story's themes, but you're scared of something different to Senua.
The entire experience is built with one goal in mind: to put you in Senua's muddy boots. In that, it's not always successful, but it's easy to see what Ninja Theory were going for. It's a game that will still be whispering in your head long after completion, but it feels like an ordeal that you wouldn't want to experience again.
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A reader named Mark contacted me and asked for some more details, including sound quality of the Mobile Communications Kit in varying, less than ideal conditions. So, I decided to go for a short walk and get some outside background noise, and then also grab an equivalent memo indoors. It was very windy outside, so it was a great opportunity to test the microphone's abilities in the wind. In both cases, the in-ear audio remained superb (I listened to music). As for microphone quality? Listen and make up your own mind.
Here is a sample of an iPhone voice memo, recorded Indoors, with very little ambient noise.
Here is a sample of an iPhone voice memo, recorded Outside, with significant ambient wind noise.
Hope these help give you a better understanding of call quality during ambient and windy conditions!
This entry was posted in Music, Tech and tagged Music, Review, Tech.
A buddy of mine, Dave Carroll, was travelling via United Airlines to a concert in Nebraska. While they were loading his $3500 Taylor guitar into the baggage compartment, the baggage handlers threw it, breaking it. Here is the story.
He went through all the proper channels and United Airlines in all their glory, refused to do a thing to help, despite the complete lack of professionalism their baggage handlers showed.
So, in true singer/songwriter fashion, Dave Carroll promised them he was going to write and sing about their crappy service.
This entry was posted in Music, Rants and tagged Music, Rant, UnitedAirlinesSucks.
OK, this video is just too funny and kind of grows on you.
This entry was posted in Music and tagged Canada, Canadian, Music.
A 'Cymbal' of things to come?
Sabian buried 100 cymbals in a muddy hole in the ground eight months ago near their factory in Meductic, New Brunswick, and today they unearthed them.
After they were cleaned off, Sabian technician Nort Hargrove checked to see if the eight-month hibernation had made a difference.
"Absolutely," he said, noting a different sound in his playing.
That's supposed to provide a richer sound, especially for jazz.
The success of the experiment is good news for Sabian and for the drummers and collectors who've already put their orders in for buried cymbals.
All 100 are already spoken for — they retail for $800, about a third more than the regular price.
The company plans to donate some of the proceeds to the Children's Wish Foundation.
The article further stated that fans of Sabian cymbals include Phil Collins, Neil Peart of Rush and Keith Harris of the Black Eyed Peas.
This entry was posted in Music and tagged Music.