ACCESS is an EU FP7 funded project, under the 'Oceans of tomorrow' theme 'Quantification of climate change impacts on economic sectors in the Arctic'. It started in March 2011 to run until 2015.
The Arctic is engaged in a deep climatic evolution. This evolution is quite predictable at short (year) and longer scales (several decades), but it is the decadal intermediate scale that is the most difficult to predict. This is because the natural variability of the system is large and dominant at this scale, and the system is highly nonlinear due to positive and negative feedback between sea ice, the ocean and atmosphere.
Already today, due to the increase of the GHG concentration in the atmosphere and the amplification of global warming in the Arctic, the impacts of climate change in the region are apparent, e.g. in the reduction in sea ice, in changes in weather patterns and cyclones or in the melting of glaciers and permafrost. It is therefore not surprising that models clearly predict that Artic sea ice will disappear in summer within 20 or 30 years, yielding new opportunities and risks for human activities in the Arctic.
This climatic evolution is going to have strong impacts on both marine ecosystems and human activities in the Arctic. This in turn has large socio-economic implications for Europe. ACCESS will evaluate climatic impacts in the Arctic on marine transportation (including tourism), fisheries, marine mammals and the extraction of hydrocarbons for the next 20 years; with particular attention to environmental sensitivities and sustainability.
These meso-economic issues will be extended to the macro-economic scale in order to highlight trans-sectoral implications and provide an integrated assessment of the socio-economic impact of climate change. An important aspect of ACCESS, given the geostrategic implication of Arctic state changes, will be the consideration of Arctic governance issues, including the framework UNCLOS (United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea).
ACCESS dedicates a full work package to integrate Arctic climate changes, socioeconomic impacts and Arctic governance issues.
on how to set up efficient observational networks needed for better forecasts in Marine transportation and in oil and gas exploration activities. This work will contribute to WP1, 2 and 4.
In addition OASys provides Michael as the assistant co-ordinator of the project.


World Bank chief's girlfriend paid more than Condoleeza Rice, the US secretary of state.
Wolfowitz personally ordered the hefty pay rises given to his Libyan-born partner, Shaha Riza, according to a Financial Times report published on Thursday.
It cited two people who had seen a memo from Wolfowitz to the head of human resources spelling out the terms of the package.
Wolfowitz said: "This was not in any way to protect personal interests. My real regret was that I didn't more forcefully keep myself out it.
"I take full responsibility for the details of the agreement," he said, after explaining that he had followed advice given by the bank's ethics committee on the employment of Riza.
She was transferred from the World Bank's communications office to the US state department in line with bank regulations to avoid a conflict of interest after Wolfowitz's appointment in mid-2005.
While still on the World Bank payroll, she was rapidly promoted and ended up with a $200,000 package - more than Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state.
Wolfowitz acknowledged that the situation surrounding Riza "had the potential to harm this institution" and stressed that he had initially wanted no involvement in her employment terms.
Given his romantic involvement with her, he faced a "painful personal dilemma when I was new to the institution" but had made a "good-faith effort to promote my understanding of that advice" of the ethics committee.
The committee's advice had been to "promote and relocate" Riza out of the World Bank, he said, although that is disputed by some bank staff.


Robert and Laura Muertter of Switch Pros won a New Product Award for their SP8100 switch panel system in their first year of exhibiting at the Show.
New exhibitors don't need a large budget or what some may perceive as a "prime" booth location to succeed at the 2015 SEMA Show. Everyone has their own strategies for attracting buyers to their booths. Some utilize freebies or hire celebrities and models while others create an interesting visual backdrop imprinted with their name or have an interactive product display.
Stay focused on your best seller that you think will appeal to the sophisticated SEMA Show buyer, Muertter suggests. Don't muddy the water by bringing everything that you manufacture.
Prior to 2014, Rancho Santa Margarita, California-based Switch Pros had neither exhibited nor attended the SEMA Show. Muertter's husband Robert—the company's president and design engineer—had been working tirelessly on the SP8100 switch panel system, which he had planned to finish in time to bring to the 2014 SEMA Show. Because this particular project had been dragging on, the Muertters didn't commit to exhibit until early last summer.
Buyers tend to make the New Products Showcase their first stop, so entering at least one product (the first one is free) is an effective method for gaining their attention. Not only was the SP8100 ready for the Show, but it also won an award for Best Interior Accessory Product.
Switch Pros exhibits in the Trucks, Off-Road and SUV section in the Upper South Hall. In their rookie year, the manufacturer's booth assignment was a little off to the side near the bathrooms but, according to Muertter, they still got all the foot traffic they could handle, largely due to the New Product Award displayed in their booth. She said at times 20 people were standing in front of their booth listening to their presentation and viewing their products.
According to Muertter, the SP8100 has opened doors to grow the business because buyers now know more about the company and want to know what other products they manufacture. Switch Pros also landed a number of international retailers from China, Germany, Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada and Oman.
For more information about how to enter a product into the New Products Showcase, visit the SEMA Show website.


text:
Motorola introduces second-gen Moto 360: Sleeker, smarter, two sizes, multiple straps
After a string of rumours and speculation, Motorola has finally unveiled its second-gen Moto 360. This successor to the original Moto 360 launched last year will be made available in two sizes and multiple strap options.
tech2 News StaffSep 03, 2015 11:01:18 IST
The Moto 360 will also offer a Sports model dubbed Moto 360 Sport. The wearable maintains the circular case, but one will find several design changes such as the button has been shifted to the 2 o'clock position. One can expect metallic tones with gold, shiny chrome and metallic black finishes.
The straps are being made available in different options such as metal link bracelets and also leather, among others. The watches are now sleeker and the screen occupies 71.1 percent of the front area.
The Moto 360 2015 runs Android Wear and comes with exclusive Live Dials that let you quickly get access to apps directly from the watch face. The watch is WiFi-enabled and will keep you connected even if your phone is out of Bluetooth range.
"Get notifications and important info at a glance. Respond to messages with your voice. Start your car with the MyFord mobile app, then lock the front door with the Kevo app. Hail a cab to get to the airport with Lyft, then show your boarding pass at the gate with your Delta app. All without ever reaching for your phone," Motorola points out in a blogpost.
There are actually three variants of the Moto 360 2015 – men's version in two sizes (46mm, 42mm), women's variant (42mm) and the Sports variant. It will be coming to North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
The Moto 360 2015 is now available for pre-order in the US via Motorola.com as well as Best Buy and the Google Play Store at a price ranging from $299 to $499. The wearable will hit store selves later this month. The availability of the Moto 360 Sport variant will be announced in the next few months.
Moto 360 2015
Moto 360 Second Gen
Motorola Moto 360 (second gen) to launch in India on 1 December
New leak hints at Moto 360 successor with round metal design and thin bezels
Motorola Moto 360 Sport scheduled for 27 April launch in India
Motorola Moto 360 successor press renders surface online
Android Wear 2.0 will not arrive on the original Moto 360
Motorola Moto 360 (Gen 2) review: A premium smartwatch and a classy watch; but not without its flaws

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: SQL Server - How to sum duration based on few parameters from a table that will insert data for half an hour? Apologies me for the title as it might different than the actual issue
We are working for Contact Centers and our SQL Server tables will be capturing detailed information of Agent's going for Breaks, Login and Logout with Time, Duration and Reason.
When an agent going for Lunch @2PM and changing his state to Break @2:10Pm, then DB will update with Lunch Duration 600 Seconds. ie. After changing the state in Agent Screen, DB will insert the End Time and the duration occurred for that particular break reason.
If an event(Break) is continuing beyond 30 minutes, this table will put an entry for every 30 minutes until the agent changing his current state example below,
Table raw data:
Agent Name SkilltargetID Event  Date Time   ReasonText  Duration

Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 10:00    BioBreak    180 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 10:30    BioBreak    1800 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 11:00    BioBreak    1800 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 11:30    BioBreak    1800 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 11:42    BioBreak    720 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 12:01    Lunch   1140 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 12:30    Lunch   1740 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 12:32    Lunch   120 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 01:00    Bio Break   1680 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 01:29    Bio Break   1740 Seconds

We have a report that will show Date, Agent Name, Start Time, End Time, ReasonText(Break Reason) and Duration.
Expected Output:
Date    Agent Name SkillTargetID Event  Start Time  End Time    Reason  Duration

20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  9:57 AM 11:42 AM    Bio Break   6300
20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  12:01 AM    12:32 AM    Lunch   3000
20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  12:32 AM    1:29 PM Bio Break   3420

Actual Output:
Date    Agent Name SkillTargetID Event  Start Time  End Time    Reason  Duration

20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  9:57 AM 10:00 AM    Bio Break   180
20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  10:00 AM    11:30 AM    Bio Break   5400
20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  11:30 AM    11:42 AM    Bio Break   720
20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  11:42 AM    12:01 AM    Lunch   1140
20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  12:01 AM    12:30 AM    Lunch   1740
20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  12:30 AM    12:32 AM    Lunch   120
20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  12:32 AM    1:00 AM Bio Break   1680
20-08-2018  Sathiya 5000 3  1:00 AM 1:29 AM Bio Break   1740

We are trying to achieve using below query,
;WITH RCode ( ReasonCodeID, ReasonCode,ReasonText, Description )
AS (
  Select ReasonCodeID, ReasonCode,ReasonText, Description From Reason_Code
                Union All
                Select 9999,0,'Not Ready-Default', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,-1,'Agent reinitialized (used if peripheral restarts)', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,-2,'PG reset the agent, normally due to a PG failure', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,-3,'An administrator modified the agent''s extension while the agent was logged in', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,50002,'A CTI OS component failed, causing the agent to be logged out', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,50003,'Agent was logged out because the Unified CM reported the device out of service', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,50004,'Agent was logged out due to agent inactivity as configured in agent desk settings', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,50005,'The Agent will be set to not ready with this code while talking on a call on the Non ACD line', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,50020,'Agent was logged out when the agent''s skill group dynamically changed on the Administration & Data Server', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,50040,'Mobile agent was logged out because the call failed', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,50041,'Mobile agent state changed to Not Ready because the call fails when the mobile agent''s phone line rings busy.', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,50042,'Mobile agent was logged out because the phone line disconnected while using nailed connection mode', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
                Union All
                Select 9999,32767,'The agent''s state was changed to Not Ready because the agent did not answer a call and the call was redirected to a different agent or skill group', 'Not Ready-System Predefined'
),
CTE ( RowNum, SerialNum, DateTime, SkillTargetID, Event, Duration, ReasonCode)
AS (
  SELECT
                RowNum = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITIOn BY SkillTargetID ORDER BY DateTime, SkillTargetID),
    SerialNum = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY SkillTargetID, Event,Duration ORDER BY DateTime),
    DateTime, SkillTargetID, Event, Duration, ReasonCode
  FROM
                                (Select DateTime,SkillTargetID, Event,
                                CASE WHEN (Duration=899 OR Duration=898 OR Duration=901 OR Duration=900) THEN 900
                                                 WHEN (Duration=1799 OR Duration=1798 OR Duration=1801 OR Duration=1800) THEN 1800
                                                 ELSE Duration end as 'Duration',
                                ReasonCode,RecoveryKey From TABLEA Where
                                SkillTargetID IN (5259)
                                And (Convert(varchar(10),DateTime,110)>= '07-10-2018' and convert(varchar(10),DateTime,110) <= '07-10-2018') ) A
)

--select * from CTE
,
CTE2 AS (
                                Select [Activity], Convert(varchar(10), [Activity], 101) AS [Date],
                                                                Stuff(right(convert(varchar(30), [Activity], 109), 14), 9, 4, ' ') AS [End Time],
                                                                SkillTargetID, [Agent Name], Event,  [Duration], Z.ReasonCode [Reason Code], R.ReasonText [Reason], PrevDateTime,CTEDateTime, RowNum,SerialNum,PrevRow,CTENewRow From

                                (Select CTE.RowNum RowNum, CTE.SerialNum SerialNum, CTE.DateTime CTEDateTime, CTE.SkillTargetID,
                                                (Select B.LastName +', '+B.FirstName From Agent (nolock) Join Person B On Agent.PersonID = B.PersonID Where SkillTargetID=CTE.SkillTargetID) [Agent Name], prev.DateTime PrevDateTime, prev.RowNum PrevRow,((CTE.RowNum-CTE.SerialNum)+1) CTENewRow,
                                                Event = CASE WHEN CTE.Event = 1 THEN 'Sign-on' WHEN CTE.Event=2 THEN 'Sign-off'  WHEN CTE.Event=3 THEN 'Not-Ready' Else 'Unknown' END,
                                CTE.Duration, CTE.ReasonCode,
                                                [Activity] = CASE               WHEN (CTE.Event = 3 AND CTE.Duration=1800 and CTE.SerialNum=1) THEN CTE.DateTime
                                                                                WHEN (CTE.Event = 3 AND CTE.Duration=900 and CTE.SerialNum=1) THEN CTE.DateTime
                                                                                WHEN (CTE.Event = 3 AND CTE.Duration=1800 and CTE.SerialNum<>1) THEN prev.DateTime
                                                                                WHEN (CTE.Event = 3 AND CTE.Duration=900 and CTE.SerialNum<>1) THEN prev.DateTime
                                                                                ELSE CTE.DateTime
                                                                                END
                                                                FROM CTE
                                                                LEFT JOIN CTE prev ON prev.RowNum = (CTE.RowNum-CTE.SerialNum)+1 AND prev.SkillTargetID=CTE.SkillTargetID
                                )

                                Z LEFT JOIN RCode R ON R.ReasonCode = Z.ReasonCode
)
--Select * From CTE2 where [Reason Code]=107 ORDER BY  Activity, [Agent Name]

Select Activity, Date, Stuff(right(convert(varchar(30), DATEADD(second, -(Sum(Duration)),[Activity]), 109), 14), 9, 4, ' ') AS [Start Time],
[End Time], SkillTargetID, [Agent Name], Event, SUM(Duration) AS [Duration], [Reason Code], Reason From CTE2
Where [Reason Code]=107
GROUP BY [Activity], Date, [End Time], SkillTargetID, [Agent Name], Event, [Reason Code], Reason
Order By [Agent Name], Activity

Query Logic:
We are showing Event StartTime and EndTime from TABLEA table by considering Row Number and Serial Number,
RowNum = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY SkillTargetID ORDER BY DateTime, SkillTargetID),
SerialNum = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY SkillTargetID, Event,Duration ORDER BY DateTime),

From TABLEA.
After fetching the RowNum and SerialNum, we are selecting a field called Activity based on those RowNum and SerialNum values,
[Activity] = CASE  WHEN (CTE.Event = 3 AND CTE.Duration=1800 and CTE.SerialNum=1) THEN CTE.DateTime
                                                                                WHEN (CTE.Event = 3 AND CTE.Duration=900 and CTE.SerialNum=1) THEN CTE.DateTime
                                                                                WHEN (CTE.Event = 3 AND CTE.Duration=1800 and CTE.SerialNum<>1) THEN prev.DateTime
                                                                                WHEN (CTE.Event = 3 AND CTE.Duration=900 and CTE.SerialNum<>1) THEN prev.DateTime
                                                                                ELSE CTE.DateTime
                                                                                END
                                                                FROM CTE
                                                                LEFT JOIN CTE prev ON prev.RowNum = (CTE.RowNum-CTE.SerialNum)+1 AND prev.SkillTargetID=CTE.SkillTargetID

Start Time and End Time values are based on the above [Activity]. But it is showing incorrect data.
Reason for this issue:
If SerialNum is based on SkillTargetID, Event, Duration it is showing different values for same entry and showing 1 for different entries as expected and due to that if we have below scenario we are getting incorrect Start Time and End Time and in the report.
Agent Name SkillTargetID Event  Date Time   ReasonText  Duration

Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 10:00    BioBreak    150 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 10:30    BioBreak    1800 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 11:00    BioBreak    1800 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 11:30    BioBreak    1800 Seconds
Sathiya 5000 3  20-08-2018 11:42    BioBreak    720 Seconds

SerialNum value will show 1 for First Record as well as last record due to this query is thinking they are different events and not the same but actually all are same continues event that should show as in single row in the report.

A: As per what I have understood,if output is not ok then care to reexplain the requirement.
Sample data,
create table #temp (AgentName varchar(50), SkilltargetID int, Events int,  EventTimes datetime,   ReasonText varchar(50),  Duration int)
insert into #temp values
('Sathiya', 5000, 3,   '2018-08-20 10:00',     'BioBreak',    180 )
,('Sathiya', 5000, 3,  '2018-08-20 10:30',     'BioBreak',   1800 )
,('Sathiya', 5000, 3,  '2018-08-20 11:00',     'BioBreak',    1800 )
,('Sathiya', 5000, 3,  '2018-08-20 11:30',     'BioBreak',    1800 )
,('Sathiya', 5000, 3,  '2018-08-20 11:42',     'BioBreak',    720 )
,('Sathiya', 5000, 3,  '2018-08-20 12:01',     'Lunch',    1140 )
,('Sathiya', 5000, 3,  '2018-08-20 12:30',     'Lunch',    1740 )
,('Sathiya', 5000, 3,  '2018-08-20 12:32',     'Lunch',    120 )
,('Sathiya', 5000, 3,  '2018-08-20 01:00',     'BioBreak',   1680 )
,('Sathiya', 5000, 3,  '2018-08-20 01:29',     'BioBreak',   1740 )

Script,
;With CTE as
(
select AgentName,SkilltargetID,Events
,ReasonText ,Duration,EventTimes
,ROW_NUMBER()over( order by(select null))rn
from #temp
)
,CTE1 as
(
select AgentName,SkilltargetID,Events
,ReasonText ,Duration,EventTimes
,rn
,1 groupid
from cte
where rn=1

union all

select c.AgentName,c.SkilltargetID,c.Events
,c.ReasonText ,c.Duration,c.EventTimes
,c.rn
,case when c.ReasonText=c1.ReasonText then groupid else groupid+1 end
from cte c
inner join cte1 c1 on c.rn=c1.rn+1

)
,cte3  as
(
select AgentName,SkilltargetID,Events,ReasonText,groupid
,ROW_NUMBER()over(partition by groupid order by EventTimes desc)rownum
,EventTimes
from CTE1

)
,cte2  as
(
select groupid,sum(duration) Duration  from CTE1
group by groupid
)

select AgentName,SkilltargetID,Events,ReasonText
,convert(varchar,cast( dateadd(second,-c2.Duration,  c3.EventTimes) as time),100)StartTime
,convert(varchar,cast(c3.EventTimes as time),100) EndTime
,Duration
from cte3 c3
inner join cte2 c2
on c3.groupid=c2.groupid
where c3.rownum=1

drop table #temp

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Madrid, Spain, 19th March 2019 – Integrasys has hosted dyslexia charity, Madrid con la Dislexia, at its headquarters to provide an insight into working at a high-tech company for children with dyslexia.The guests were welcomed to the open day by Alvaro Sánchez, CEO of Integrasys and Marquess of Antella. With his new noble title, Alvaro is giving back to children who might need an extra push to become great satellite engineers in the future.
The open day focused on demonstrating the role of engineers within Integrasys. Children from the charity were invited to practice using software and watched Alvaro and Integrasys engineers demonstrate and explain equipment such as antennas, monitoring screens and VSATs used by Integrasys.
The children heard about the organisation and how Integrasys specialises in Satellite Spectrum Monitoring Systems in the telecommunications and broadcasting industries. Alvaro explained how the technology enables Integrasys to provide high quality and efficient products to the industry. Following a full day of interesting talks and demonstrations, the children were rewarded with a certificate and a small gift to celebrate the successful day. Alvaro Sanchez commented: "Having dyslexia myself, I understand and empathise with the hard work and effort children with dyslexia must put into their studies. It's important to me that we show children that their dyslexia does not need to hinder their education and careers.
I hope that our collaboration with Madrid con la Dislexia has inspired the children to believe that a career within the satellite industry is achievable and very rewarding. As the new Marquess of Antella, Alvaro is planning to do similar events in Spain and Italy to support children and motivate them to study.


text:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">

<title>TimeLabel (ScheduleView 0.1.0 API)</title>
<meta name="date" content="2017-01-12">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../../../stylesheet.css" title="Style">

您的浏览器已禁用 JavaScript。

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com.hnust.trumi.scheduleview

类 TimeLabel

java.lang.Object

com.hnust.trumi.scheduleview.TimeLabel

public class TimeLabel
extends java.lang.Object

Created by trumi on 16-12-26.

构造器概要

构造器

构造器和说明

TimeLabel()

方法概要

所有方法 实例方法 具体方法

限定符和类型
方法和说明

java.lang.String
getOrder()

java.lang.String
getTime()

void
setOrder(java.lang.String order)

void
setTime(java.lang.String time)

从类继承的方法 java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

构造器详细资料

TimeLabel

public TimeLabel()

方法详细资料

getOrder

public java.lang.String getOrder()

setOrder

public void setOrder(java.lang.String order)

getTime

public java.lang.String getTime()

setTime

public void setTime(java.lang.String time)

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Therapy and Growth in Art
An LGBT figure artist well known over the past 20 years for his whimsical and erotic depictions of young boys searching for love and identity, Rene Capone is re-entering the art world with his first show in nearly six years after battling a chronic HIV-related health condition. The show is a love letter to someone special in his life, and a hopeful divergence from his earlier works of longing and despair, though his signature mythic qualities are more vibrant than ever. What happens when an artist finds true love? Capone shows us his journey from bruised to still breathing, taking us on the wild ride of his imagination. The Pride L.A. spoke with Capone to find out:
Tell me a little bit about your upcoming art show? What does it represent to you?
Artist Rene Capone.
The show to me represents change. Artistic change and change of perspective on how I see the world. Change too me dose not feel gracefull rather more like overlapping patterns that crunch down on top of one another like boulders. This is why I called the show "Morié."
After change, you might actually be all the better for it, mentally speaking or show up at dinner parties with all your limbs & that's a wonderous thing. To me the shows say's, I may have fell down but I also got back up.
Why an art show now after six years?
It's the first time in six years that I have been physically able to really produce and show what I would consider to be a body artwprk worthy of being callled an "artshow." There is a theme and a thread that runs through all images. I simply was just too injured before to acomplish this. Although I tried my best to keep up. I was involved in group shows in SF and I happy to have been but this is different. I also have not put most of the artwork up online or really dicsused it at length with my fans, not even my freinds becaue I wanted to have weight to it. If your going to drop a brick you might as well make it a cinder block. So right before the show opening I will post video of the show and go in to the images indepth online.
How has your health/battle with HIV shaped as an artist these past several years?
I took a drug called Truvada and it destroyed my bones as a side affect. My femur bones snapped and I had to have both my hip replacements I was 36 years old. I had become a working artist around the age of 22, right out of art school so it most certainly re shaped my life. I certainly was not going to be standing while I was drawing. All the surgeries took about five years and while I was struggling to keep up with my life basically my life fell apart. The company that makes that drug will be court all next year and probably for the next five years as it is now well known that they knew of the dangerous side affects of their medication all while keeping doctors and even the FDA in the dark for well over ten years. I learned to speak lawyer and I made sure I was legally present and represented in the first class action suit filed this year at the LA County court house. So it shaped my life physically it shaped my life by breaking my sense of right & wrong, and then it shaped my life by asking me the question, what are you gonna do about it? I did not have a battle with HiV, I had a battle with a corrupt evil corporation who made huge amounts of profits of the sufferings of human beings. Being a victim of it doesn't bother me as much as having to grapple with the esistence of something so evil. There is a feeling of having the air taken out of ones lungs when you encounter malificent evil and it's terrifying.
"Four Red Squares," by Rene Capone
Is it reflected in your upcoming show?
My god yes! but hopefully for the greater good and for just some mental stability. One can take all the bad experiences they have in life and become bitter, angry and basiclly a big old Donna Downer that no one wants to be around. I just can't be that person. Perhaps I'm just overly optomistic. So I went in search of source material that would give me back some of the innocence I felt was unessesarily ripped from my body.
I ended up finding old photopraphs from the Wiemer Replic in Germamy and there I discovered the romance of being a "figure painter" again.
Tell me a little bit about your style?
I've always drawn characters that give off emotion that for better or worse really attach themselves to people. Because I am me, it's terrible hard to describe my style. There are tons of people who have done it for me, so it's only fair I attempt to do it myself. Mysterious, emotional and like being trapped in the vibratto of a Judy Garland high note. I'm making dreams for people to get lost in.
How has it evolved over the years?
The layers of emotion have become more grounded. I've learned much about symbols, history & physcology and those subjects greatly inform and place my characters in worlds that although are not real, feel more acurate for them … and more fun for me. Being able to place my characters somewhere in time helps convey their messages.
"Self-Esteem Balloons," by Rene Capone
What are some obstacles you find yourself overcoming as an artist of nearly two decades?
To not give up, to keep searching through the unknown. To be an artist is to keep a sense of wonder in the world around you and athough it may go unseen my most, it is most certainly is there. I myself an not amune to loosing that sense of discovery. So I have to search for it too. I have to lock myself in a room turn off all communication devices and do my job.
Why choose Long Beach for your art show?
Frankly. I just thought it looked lovely and it just so happened that I had made many artistic friends and commands down in Long Beach through The Out Loud LB festival who hinted there is something happening artistically here and I should check it out. It seemed to me to be a scene about to pop up out of it's own box. Artists have away of knowing these things.
What do you want patrons to get out of your show?
To find the mystery of your own life, embrace and follow it like a fairy tale. Even when it's hard it's usually better than giving up on life.
I know the the characters I create through the expressions of their faces or the hinted nature of their back stories do actually inspire a change in perspective in viewers and this is something I would like to keep doing because it feels authentic.
Any suggestions for people trying to pursue their dreams?
You will never know if you do not try. Amazing things happen when an object or thought is put into motion. Things have away of falling into place even when they seem impossible.
Ok now as far as following your dreams – of I followed my dreams I would be on space ships hanging out with aliens in some bizarre war at the edge of the universe. These are my dreams and they are usually terrifying. NIghtly I am chased in spaace by aliens. I'm not so sure I'm ready for that yet. Let's say follow your passions … or one of your reader might end up on Mars and I don't feel like being held responsible.
The art show, "Morié: Evolution Under Pressure," will have its opening reception on May 25th in Long Beach at the Hellada Gallery, from 6-9 p.m.
By Timothy Michael May 23, 2019
Tags: Art, FDA, gay, Hellada Gallery, HIV, LB, LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQIA, Long Beach, Morie, PReP, queer, Rene Capone, San Francisco, Truvada in A&E, AIDS, ARTS, BEST OF GAY LA, FEATURED, HEALTH, LOCAL, LONG BEACH
BOOKS, BUSINESS, LGBTQ+, LOCAL, WEST HOLLYWOOD
The City Council of the City of West Hollywood approved an item to submit a request to rename the West...
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The Los Angeles LGBT Center has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the S. Mark Taper Foundation to support the...
Photo by Chris Rodriguez
BUSINESS, COVID-19, LGBTQ+, LOCAL, NIGHTLIFE
Oil Can Harry's, the iconic and beloved gay country western line dancing bar, located in Studio City, is closed for...
COVID-19, HEALTH, LGBTQ+, LOCAL
The first of 400 doses received by the Center were dispensed by Dr. Ward Carpenter, co-director of health services at...
ARTS, LGBTQ+, LOCAL, WEST HOLLYWOOD
The City of West Hollywood has announced three $5,000 grant awards, totaling $15,000, for three resident artists for its 2021...
BUSINESS, COVID-19, LGBTQ+, LOCAL, NIGHTLIFE, SILVERLAKE
Saving Silver Lake Bar Akbar
Struggling to survive amid the Corona-virus pandemic, iconic LGBTQI+ hangout Akbar took to a fundraising page to ask for help....
ARTS, LGBTQ+, POETRY, VIDEO, WRITING
The "After the Music" video animates a poem written especially for the holiday season by West Hollywood City Poet Laureate...
ARTS, LGBTQ+, LOCAL, POETRY, WEST HOLLYWOOD, WRITING
Brian Sonia-Wallace has been named West Hollywood's 4th City Poet Laureate making him the youngest person to occupy the role. ...


text:
Duration 11 nights Ex-Sydney
Next tour June 2022
Booking reference S24231
Bikini Lagoon in the Marshall Islands is the final resting place of some of the finest and most famous WWII-era naval vessels. A huge assortment of types litter the lagoon floor, from mighty battleships and carriers to destroyers, submarines and smaller transports and landing craft.
Tour Leader Joey Pool & Lee Johnson
Strictly limited to 12 places
Fly Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines return ex-Sydney to Majuro via Honolulu
Australian departure taxes and applicable airline taxes
Return airport transfers
10 nights aboard MV Truk Master Liveaboard
1 night accommodation at Best Western Airport Hotel, Honolulu
Twin share accommodation
All meals while aboard the Truk Master
Drinking water, tea, coffee, juice & soft drinks
2-3 dives per day
12L single tanks, weights & dive guide services
Does not include:
Bikini dive permit $500 USD - payable on arrival
Departure taxes $15 USD - payable upon departure - Marshall Islands
In 1946, following the end of World War II, the United States gathered together a "mock" naval fleet in order to test the effects of atomic bomb blasts on a large naval fleet. They named it Operation Crossroads and designated Bikini Atoll to be one of the sites for the explosive tests.
More Operations followed suit; from land, on the reef, on the sea, from the air and underwater. Between 1946 and 1958, the United States tested a grand total of 67 nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands, of which 'Castle Bravo' on Bikini Lagoon in 1954 is the best-known. This 15-megaton TNT hydrogen atomic bomb was a thousand times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It left a crater in the lagoon of 2 kilometres wide and 76 metres deep. Bikini Atoll was opened for diving in 1996, allowing divers to experience some of the most historic and unparalleled wreck diving in the world.
Bikini Atoll is the final resting place of some of the most significant warships in history. The US aircraft carrier "Saratoga" heads this list together with the HIJMS Nagato, the flagship of the Japanese Navy. Along with other ships such as the Arkansas (battleship) and the Apagon ( submarine).
This area has been untouched for 40 years and has very prolific sea life including sharks, tuna, marlin, turtles and much more.
Recommended for Technical Divers Only
Due to the nature of the environment at Bikini Atoll the diving conditions are considered to be very advanced. Dive Adventures recommend that only divers with the appropriate training and skill levels and who are confident and experienced divers even consider going to Bikini. Depending on the needs of each group, there is a minimum of two deep dives per day. If time and nitrogen levels permit there could be diving later in the day on reefs at shallower depths. Diving on the Bikini wrecks is respectfully recommended for technical divers only with a minimum of PADI Tec 40 level or equivalent, with wreck experience, as the average depth of the wrecks is around 50 meters (150 ft).
To get the most out of your dives in Bikini Atoll, highly recommended are:
TDI – Advanced Nitrox & Deco Procedures
IANTD – Tech Nitrox
NAUI – Tech Nitrox & Deco Techniques
ANDI – Technical Nitrox and
PADI – Tec 50
Depth limits given by the Cruise Director must be followed and wreck penetration is not allowed without a dive guide.
Radiological Status
The US Department of Energy (DOE) and Lawrence Livermore Laboratories have carried out extensive research and monitoring of Bikini Atoll. Their reports state that in general the environment poses no radiological danger. However, there are some very low amounts of residual cesium deep in the soil that could be absorbed into plants with deep root systems, such as coconut trees. If these plants are consumed in large quantities, over a long periods of time, an unacceptable level of cesium may be absorbed by humans. "The potential dose [of radiation] to a person swimming in the Bikini Lagoon or diving on or around the sunken ships is so low … that it can be considered essentially zero."
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A ravishing choral sound in ecclesiastical latin. Moderately difficult a cappella or less difficult accompanied. It presents few rhythmical challenges and no extreme ranges or difficult skips but uses advanced key signatures (F#, 6 sharps, at one point). Length about 4 3/4 minutes accompanied, slightly less a cappella. Written to be sung and played by chamber orchestra in perfect tuning; piano reduction written to avoid conflict between equal tempered piano and just intonation chorus.
From whom to the world light is come.
And for us with Christ plead.


A wide choice of beds and cribs are waiting for you at Baby Bottega! We have every imaginable variation of beds for your children. Convertible cribs, junior beds, bunk beds, in a variety of finishes, colors and materials. Models designed to meet the needs of your space, low loft beds with, modular and trundle beds, perfect for small or shared rooms. Beds with chest of drawers to store toys, bedding and many other things.


When disaster strikes in the regional and suburban communities of Western Australia (WA) we rely heavily on volunteers to execute the emergency response plan. There are over 26,000 emergency service volunteers in WA, but agency supplied figures show average annual volunteer turnover is around 15 per cent across all volunteer services, and it has fluctuated between 12-18 per cent since 2006. In the State Emergency Service (SES), this turnover rate is even higher, with 24 per cent leaving each year.
Extensive training coupled with high turnover means there's a significant financial and time cost, potentially jeopardising the ongoing delivery of SES services.
The Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC's Dr Darja Kragt, a Research Fellow at the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Western Australia (UWA), will explore what improvements are needed to better recruit, train and retain volunteers in WA at AFAC18 powered by INTERSCHUTZ.
Dr Kragt's presentation, 'Lived Experiences of Emergency Services Volunteers In Western Australia' will reveal insights from interviews with volunteers in suburban and regional areas of WA, understanding how the 'meaning, identity and emotions shape volunteer experiences at the SES'.
"We focused on volunteers' expectations and stereotypes around SES volunteering prior to joining the service; the meaning that volunteers derive from being a part of a likeminded community; emotional experiences; issues surrounding volunteer recruitment, induction, and training. We find it interesting that volunteers perceive disaster response as a positive experience. But like many of us, they dislike bureaucracy and boring training.
"These insights provide real reasons why volunteers leave the SES and identify areas of the recruitment and the training process that could be improved," said Dr Kragt.
Karen Roberts, Human Resources Director, Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said state and national trends show a decrease in emergency services volunteering across Australia, which poses a challenge for hazard management agencies.
"We rely on volunteers to build more resilient communities. We train volunteers to be able to prevent, prepare for and respond to natural disasters and emergencies, providing training in first aid, navigation, administration, communications, marine rescue, community engagement, prevention and mitigation incident management, leadership, management and support.
"Since forming in November 2012, DFES has made considerable progress in identifying ways to improve how it recruits, prepares and supports its volunteers.
"These insights are vital to increasing retention across not only WA, but Australia and New Zealand," said Ms Roberts.
Leaders including Karen Roberts, Director Human Resources, DFES WA and Craig Spencer, Head of Community Engagement, Bankwest, will continue the discussion on volunteering in 'The State of Volunteering in Australia' panel on Friday 7 September. The panel will explore new and emerging factors influencing emergency management volunteerism.
Dr Kragt will present during AFAC18 powered by INTERSCHUTZ on Thursday 6 September, at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.


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Home/News/Hoi An 24h
Hội An experimented with selling sightseeing tickets to the old quarter by digitization
"Improving the method of selling sightseeing tickets by the form of digitized sightseeing tickets" is one of the solutions which brings high efficiency for the management of activities and contributes to limiting fare evasion to the ancient town of Hội An.
From 1995 up to now, Hội An city has served domestic and international visitors by issuing "Tickets to visit the ancient town of Hội An", now called "Tickets to visit world cultural heritage site - the ancient town of Hội An". The release of a package tour ticket for visitor has received the consensus of visitors and business community. Also, it has been assessed by UNESCO Asia - Pacific as "a typical model of taking relics to keep relics". Annual ticket sales increased; in 2013, it reached nearly VND 76.5 billion; in 2018, it reached more than VND 266 billion. From this revenue, Hội An focuses on renovating and embellishing architectural monuments.
However, the method of ticket sales, ticket control, financial payment for monuments in the sightseeing route is entirely implemented by manual methods, so there were many inadequacies. Currently, in many solutions to control the sightseeing tickets to create a funding source for the restoration of the ancient town and not to disturb the visitors; the most concerned and highly feasible solution is replacement of traditional sightseeing tickets for tourists by "Tourist Passport" - sightseeing card or digitized sightseeing ticket to the old town, issued by Hội An city.
Mr. Nguyễn Phương Đông, Deputy Director of the Center for Culture, Sports, Radio and Television of Hội An city, said: "The center has studied, consulted with specialized agencies and completed the project: Improving the method of selling sightseeing tickets by the form of digitized sightseeing tickets. The sale of digitized sightseeing tickets is one of the solutions which brings high efficiency for the management and contributes to limiting fare evasion in the past time."
With this project, instead of selling manual tickets as before, digitized sightseeing tickets "integrates" full of contents, including ticket fee prescribed by the City People's Committee for visitors, information about tourist attractions, services in the ancient town of Hội An. Tickets are issued in all packages with self-selected monuments, including 3 sights for Vietnamese and 5 sights for foreigners.
"From now until June 2020, there will be experiments at 4 ticket counters and 21 monuments; on January 2021, the project will be completed and handed over from equipment suppliers to officially put into operation with a total investment of nearly VND 5.8 billion." said Mr. Phương Đông.
Currently, Hội An city begins to invest in infrastructure and upgrade ticket counters. The current 11 ticket counters will be surveyed the location of equipment arrangement and proceeded to install trial operation at 4 ticket sales points which serve the delegations to buy digitized tickets at Sông Hoài Square, counter 8 Hoàng Diệu Street, 78 Lê Lợi Street and counter 62 Bạch Đằng Street. In phase 2, it will be continued to install at the remaining ticket counters and parking lots which are invested and put into official operation by the city. At the monument sites, the test equipment of digitized sightseeing tickets will be commissioned in parallel with the current manual tickets.
"The project Improving the method of selling sightseeing tickets to the ancient town of Hội An has been approved, towards the goal of ensuring the convenience, quickness, accuracy, science and professionalism. Besides, it creates fairness, ensures the rights of travelers, and contributes against the loss of revenue. At the same time, information technology will be applied in sightseeing activities and tourism management in Hội An.", said Mr. Nguyễn Văn Sơn - Vice Chairman of Hội An City People's Committee.
Key: the form, is one, of the, of activities, to the, ancient town, of hội, improving the, method of, selling sightseeing, tickets by, of digitized, sightseeing tickets, solutions which, brings high, efficiency for, the management, and contributes, to limiting, fare evasion
Total notes of this article: 0 in 0 rating
COVID-19 quarantined Romanian tourist thanks Vietnam for assistance (30/03/2020)
Zero-waste communities start to emerge in Hoi An (01/07/2020)
Hoi An's security cameras system (06/07/2020)
Recommendations for tourists in Covid-19 (20/03/2020)
Quang Nam provincial Chairman's gratefulness to visitors to Hoi An (19/03/2020)
Quang Nam proposes exempting tickets for major tourism sites (26/02/2020)
Hoi An closes ancient town over COVID-19 (16/03/2020)
Foreigners treated to 4-star quarantine resort in Hoi An (19/03/2020)
Hội An offers free medical masks to tourists to combat novel coronavirus (17/02/2020)
The Opening Ceremony of Korean Cultural Days in Quảng Nam, in 2019 (19/11/2019)
Vietnam tourism has been nominated for four prizes at World Travel Awards 2019 (14/10/2019)
Vietnam nominated in six categories of world travel awards (24/09/2019)
Archaic shuttle buses will be put into operation in Hội An ancient town (24/07/2019)
Google Doodles honor Hoi An as the most charming city (16/07/2019)
Hội An is one of world's best places to explore by bicycle (07/06/2019)
Hội An to host International Choir Competition (10/05/2019)
Hoi An wins prize at the 2019 National German Sustainability Award (17/12/2018)
Wastewater treatment station pumps into action in Hoi An (27/10/2018)
Hoi An aims to become bicycle-friendly city (27/10/2018)


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Wii Reviews U-Z
Ultimate Band
Publisher: Disney (2008)
Rating: 1 to 4 players
Musical Supports multiple players
If you can look past the cheesy title and juvenile box cover, you're in for a pleasant surprise. It's hard to believe, but Ultimate Band is what Wii Music should have been! This game does a fantastic job of mimicking guitar, bass, drums, and even the "front man" role using the Wii-mote and nun-chuck. This is one of the few third-party titles that properly harness the Wii's unique controls.
Each instrument has its own "track" with intuitive movement indicators moving across it. The guitar and bass have a "Guitar Hero light" flavor, as the nun-chuck acts as the neck of the guitar and you strum with the Wii-mote. The nun-chuck's buttons function as frets, and when using the bass you tilt the nun-chuck to adjust the pitch. The drums (my favorite) are an absolute blast, and it really does feel like you're playing drums! I love how you move your controllers sideways to effortlessly hit your cymbals.
As the front man, you don't sing (thank goodness) but instead position the controllers to mimic punches, claps, or poses. You clap by moving the controllers toward each other, and it's satisfying to hear a crisp clap sound emanate from the controller speaker. The controls are forgiving, but not too forgiving. My one beef is with the gratuitous "twirl" movements you're asked to perform every so often, as they tend to be hard on the arms.
Of course, a music game is only as good as its music, and I loved Ultimate Band's selection of upbeat pop tunes which include Whip It (Devo), Beverly Hills (Weezer), Fell In Love With a Girl (The White Stripes), I Want You to Want Me (Cheap Trick), Our Time Now (Plain White T's), and Just What I Needed (The Cars). The songs are short and fun to play along to, and I felt compelled to stand up while playing them. You can even work up a sweat at the higher levels. The songs are all covers, and although they are performed well, hearing a guy sing "Complicated" or "Let's Get This Party Started" doesn't seem right.
The graphics take a back seat to the audio, but I enjoyed the colorful venues which include a bar with a pirate's cove theme. Ultimate Band is aimed at the younger demographic, but I really enjoyed working my way through the story mode and jamming with friends. If you don't have the cash (or room) for a Rock Band set-up, Ultimate Band might just be a viable alternative. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.
Find Ultimate Band on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
Guitar Hero Live (Playstation 4), Guitar Hero 5 (Xbox 360),
AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack (Xbox 360), Guitar Hero 2 (Playstation 2)
Ultimate Shooting Collection
Publisher: UFO (2009)
Someone had a lot of gall to name this Ultimate Shooting Collection. It's a compilation of three sub-par vertical shooters, two originally released for the Dreamcast and another for the GameCube (Chaos Field). Even had this been called "Marginal Shooting Collection", it still would have struggled to live up to its name! Hey, I crave 2D shooters as much as the next guy, but it's hard to get excited about these clunkers, partly because they're so weird!
Karous tries to be artistic with its understated, cell-shaded visuals, but it comes off as bland and repetitive. The screen is cluttered with too many confusing gauges and indicators. You control a black bird that fires rapidly but is also armed with a close-range "sword" and a not-so-special attack. Bottom line: Karous is boring!
The next title, Radio Allergy (aka Radirgy) makes better use of cell-shaded graphics, with colorful, interesting stages that include lush parks and city streets. Its gameplay isn't much better than Karous, though. Of the three selectable weapons, only the "wide shot" is effective. Enemies are generic floating machines that leave tons of icons in their wake. These icons have random pictures on them like an ice cream cone, a banana, or a pair of flip-flops. I have no idea what that's all about. Whenever you shoot anything, little blue squares float over to the "Abuzo network gauge" on the lower left of the screen, and it's terribly distracting. I also dislike how you can shoot down most - but not all - incoming projectiles. It's a confusing mess.
Chaos Field is the last entry, and while it looks better (it consumes the entire screen), it's probably the worst of the bunch. This ill-conceived shooter combines two terrible concepts. The first is the idea of using a "sword" as a windshield wiper to "wipe away" incoming projectiles. Alternating between shooting and wiping is beyond tedious - it's painful! Worse yet, the game is nothing but one boss encounter after the next. Yes, I'm talking about those giant, boring bosses which stick around for 15 minutes while periodically dispersing ridiculous barrages of projectiles.
You'll have a perfectly miserable time wearing down each one. The options are minimal, but an option to adjust the display would have been nice so I could shift the screen down to see my score! Ultimate Shooting Collection is just plain bad, but its deceptive packaging (featuring two fighter jets) is the final straw. It just proves the old adage: three wrongs don't make a right! © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.
Find Ultimate Shooting Collection on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Chaos Field (GameCube),
Ikaruga (Japan) (Dreamcast), Karous/Crow (Japan) (Dreamcast),
Punch-Out!! (NES), Deadly Duck (Atari 2600)
Vacation Isle Beach Party
Seasonal summer fun Balance board support
The Wii library is so clogged with generic "party" games you have to be skeptical about Vacation Isle Beach Party. I do like how it supports the balance board, which I hadn't dusted off in a while. Having fond memories of Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo, 2009), I hoped Vacation Isle would follow in its footsteps.
The intro features the song "Vacation" by the Go-Gos, but the grainy video doesn't inspire confidence. Steel drum music plays over the menus and that always sounds good. There's a wide variety of events supporting up to four players each. The problem is, they all utilize the balance board so only one person can play at a time.
In the slalom event you lean from side to side to waterski around buoys. It's mildly enjoyable at first but drags on for too long. The same can be said for all the other events: ski jumping, wakeboarding, surfing, stand-up paddle, and stunt park. Offering a much-needed change of pace are two dance events: fire dancing and hula dancing. The idea is to roll your hips while moving your arms to the beat, but the movement detection is extremely loose.
Upon completing an event you'll hear canned applause that sounds lifted from an old movie (creepy!). The events are too easy and collecting sand dollars to buy "gear" is kind of pointless. High scores are saved but not with names or initials. Vacation Isle seems okay at first but you'll get tired of it really fast. © Copyright 2015 The Video Game Critic.
Find Vacation Isle Beach Party on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Nagano Winter Olympics 98 (Playstation),
Go Vacation (Wii), We Ski (Wii),
Wii Fit (Wii), T&C Surf Designs (NES)
Wario Ware Smooth Moves
Publisher: Nintendo (2006)
Smooth Moves mimics the formula of the insanely popular Wario Ware games for the Nintendo handheld systems, but isn't quite as much fun. As with all Wario Ware games, each stage begins with an animated introductory sequence. Depending on your personality (and attention span), these cartoons will either endear themselves to you or try your patience.
Once the action begins, you're presented with a quick succession of brief mini-games. And when I say brief - I mean brief - we're talking a few seconds each! Before each game you're advised on how to hold the Wii-mote. There are dozens of these "forms", including the umbrella (hold straight up), elephant (hold out from the nose), sword (hold by side), waiter (hold on palm), and discard (set flat on a table so it can be picked up). These forms are gradually introduced by a slow, mellow, deep male voice using hilarious wordy descriptions that almost sound suggestive in tone. That's the type of weird, offbeat sense of humor that pervades the entire game.
Half the fun of playing these rapid-fire mini-games is quickly figuring out what you need to do. Most involve simple movements, like shaving whiskers, sinking a pool ball, answering a phone, trimming fingernails, jumping rope, scrubbing a cow's butt, or shaking up a bottle of champagne. Sometimes you won't realize what you need to do until the game is over, and sometimes you'll accidentally win without knowing what's going on. Completing stages unlocks more challenges, and you can always replay old stages, which become tougher as you progress. A few "bonus" mini-games let you shoot targets, balance blocks, or hit a ball with a paddle, but it didn't find these to be any fun at all.
One big drawback of Smooth Moves is the fact that it's one-player only, although it can be fun to take turns and watch your friends make fools of themselves. Smooth Moves is tough to rate. I really appreciate its crazy humor and fantastic sense of imagination, but the game is only fun in short spurts, and I tired of it quickly. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.
Find Wario Ware Smooth Moves on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Wario Ware Touched (Nintendo DS),
Wario Ware Inc (Game Boy Advance), We Ski (Wii),
Wii Fit (Wii), Roc N Rope (Colecovision)
Warioland Shake It!
Suitable for children
Why did this game sit on my shelf for a year before I finally reviewed it? Could it be because Wario is such an ugly, conniving bastard? Let's face it, this guy is always going to be a side-show freak until he cleans up his act! As if his constant snickering and diabolical schemes aren't bad enough, he's picking his nose in the opening cutscene! Also hurting the game is the "Shake It" title which suggests a lot of mindless controller waving at the expense of real gameplay. But as unappealing as it may seem, this game packs some good old-fashioned 2D fun.
Shaking the controller does play a role, but it's not nearly as annoying as it could have been! The game's distinctive graphics look like something from an old Saturday morning cartoon show. The foreground is quite sharp and detailed, but the distant backgrounds have a softer appearance that sets them apart. The short stages take you through Aztec ruins, Egyptian pyramids, savannahs, volcanoes, and pirate ships. To reach the end of each stage you'll shoulder-charge enemies, leap between platforms, and use whiz-bang contraptions.
You get all the standard platform elements (spiked pits, breakable blocks, hidden switches), but Warioland has a few surprises up its sleeve. Each stage features a unique challenge like riding a unicycle on a tightrope, and there are some imaginative enemies like robots on stilts. There's even a rapid-fire submarine stage. When you shake the controller Wario performs a ground-pound move that will daze enemies, detonate bombs, and cause movable blocks to rise and fall. When in doubt about what to do next, shake the controller! When holding a sack of money, shaking will empty it, causing coins to rain out. While it might seem a little tedious, it's always satisfying to scoop up those coins. Tilting the Wii-mote lets you aim cannons and throw objects with precision.
Some stages can be a little tedious, and those pesky diving birds are a pain in the butt. Upon reaching the end of a stage you then must race back to the beginning as a clock counts down. It's not as bad as it sounds because short cuts tend to open up on your way back. In general the gameplay is pleasant and a jazzy musical score gives it a laid-back feel. Warioland Shake It isn't spectacular but it's not a bad way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon. But seriously Wario, you need to get your [expletive] together! © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.
Find Warioland Shake It! on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Wario Land (Virtual Boy),
Castlevania Judgement (Wii), Wario Master of Disguise (Nintendo DS),
Wario Ware Touched (Nintendo DS), Wario World (GameCube)
We Love Golf
Publisher: Capcom (2008)
Extreme disappointment
My Wii console has fallen victim to neglect in recent years, so when I spotted We Love Golf at a used game shop I jumped at an excuse to wipe off the dust and fire up that bad boy. What sport is better suited for motion control than golf? And since this game is published by Capcom, you know it has to be good! My imagination ran wild as I fantasized about playing a round as Mega Man, or maybe Ryu from Street Fighter, or perhaps Jill Valentine of Resident Evil fame! Sadly my hopes and dreams were dashed when I was greeted on the title screen by generic mii characters. Booooring!
Oh well, at least the courses look nice. Actually, they look freakin' gorgeous with rolling green fairways and lush vegetation under a deep blue sky. This is what a golf game should look like. The tranquil piano music is relaxing and there are practically no load times. I love the presentation, but when it comes to golf games good control is paramount, and that's where We Love Golf falters. Badly.
This game has the most ass-backwards, counter-intuitive controls I've ever experienced in my entire life! It's comical really! The curved swing meter is cluttered with so many markers and animated icons it's absolutely bewildering. Most Wii golf games encourage you to swing naturally, but not this one. No, the meter moves so slowly there's no freakin' way you can synchronize your swing with it. Swing naturally and the game tells you you're doing it wrong!
The good news is, this game is so forgiving that the ball usually goes straight no matter what the hell you do. Just swing away and ignore that animated Wiimote in the corner of the screen that goes flaccid because you hit a "bad" shot. You'd expect an option to switch over to a simple button-based control scheme, but nope! This game has only one control mode, and that's the one that doesn't work. We Love Golf is a real piece of [expletive]. It doesn't matter how much you love golf; you're going to hate this game. © Copyright 2017 The Video Game Critic.
Find We Love Golf on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Great American Golf 2 (Philips CD-i),
The Golf Club 2019 (Playstation 4), PGA Tour Golf (3DO),
Hot Shots Golf (Playstation), NES Open Tournament Golf (NES)
We Ski
Publisher: Namco (2008)
Seasonal winter fun Balance board support
At first I pegged We Ski as a cheap attempt to cash in on Nintendo's hugely popular balance board (sold with Wii Fit). The "Ski School" tutorial makes a lousy first impression. It doesn't seem aware of the balance board, and the complexity of the controls is excessive.
The skiing in Wii Fit required no explanation at all, so why does We Ski have an hour long tutorial? Do we really need to learn sidestepping or snow plowing to play this game? I had one hell of a time figuring out how to crouch (tuck). All you need to do is curl your wrists in, but the manual's misleading diagram suggests some type of crazy arm movement. The manual could also use a quick reference for "air tricks", because they are hard to remember.
After getting past the initial frustration however, I gradually began to appreciate We Ski. The friendly graphics, pleasant music, and support for Mii characters makes it feel like a close cousin of Wii Sports (Nintendo, 2006). After you get into the rhythm of the game, it's quite enjoyable. The sense of speed is decent, and leaning into turns using the balance board feels realistic. If you don't own the balance board, don't worry, because leaning by tilting the controllers works great too.
We Ski features one mountain with a wide variety of well-manicured slopes. The scenery is so bright and inviting that I even enjoyed sight-seeing while riding the lifts! Progressively difficult challenges become available as you progress, and while some are great fun (racing, slalom), others border on tedious (like the find-Waldo style people searches).
The bouncy soundtrack is sprinkled with classic game sounds, which really adds to the upbeat tone of the game. Also nice is the ability to night ski or play a four-player split-screen. It takes a while to warm up to, but I like how We Ski conveys the sensation of actual skiing while maintaining the spirit of a light-hearted arcade game. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.
Find We Ski on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: We Ski and Snowboard (Wii),
Wii Fit (Wii), Skate It (Wii),
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage (Wii), Super Monkey Ball: Step and Roll (Wii)
We Ski and Snowboard
The original We Ski was fun but limited in scope. This fine sequel expands the concept in a number of ways, beginning with the option of using a snowboard. The game was designed with the Wii Balance Board in mind, and I personally wouldn't want to play it any other way. As in the first game, the balance board is only used to steer - not control your speed.
We Ski and Snowboard effectively conveys the feeling of gliding down the slopes as you lean from side to side. When I'm in a groove and trying to avoid a group of slow skiers in my path, it feels just like the real thing! In snowboard mode you stand sideways on the board, and it's a little more conducive to performing tricks and grinds. The controls are probably more complicated than they really should be, and the "school mode" is really time-consuming. Why couldn't they just list the controls in the manual? But no, instead they include worthless diagrams showing where the A button is. Who can't figure that out? The tricks tutorial expects you to remember too much, but fortunately you don't need to know them all to enjoy the game.
The main mode places you in a realistic ski resort, complete with working chair lifts, lodges, and restaurants. With the muffled music and hundreds of skiers milling around, it's quite immersive. The graphics are simple but inviting with smooth powdery slopes and scenic backdrops. I enjoyed checking out the scenery while riding the lifts, and I kind of wish you could enter the lodge and restaurants. By speaking to people with bubbles over their heads you can enter challenges or run various errands - usually of the "deliver this" or "find that" variety. There's a ton of stuff to do, but with all the quests and trick-related challenges, it can be hard to find a normal race event.
Personally I found the game was most enjoyable when I was casually exploring the various trails. The runs are well designed with all sorts of interesting features like bridges, ramps, and caves. Although the main trails are clearly defined you're free to head off the beaten path and take shortcuts through the woods. The sound effects are crisp and clear, providing excellent audio feedback of slicing through soft powder or scraping ice. If you want to take a break from the crowds, a separate mode lets you explore a giant mountain with undisturbed natural scenery. This is where you can do some "extreme" skiing action, and you can even work up a sweat if you really get into it. We Ski and Snowboard is the ideal winter game, and probably the next best thing when you can't get out to the real slopes. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.
Find We Ski and Snowboard on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: We Ski (Wii),
Nagano Winter Olympics 98 (Playstation), Shaun White Snowboarding (Wii),
Winter Extreme Skiing and Snowboarding (Super Nintendo), Winter Sports 2008 (Playstation 2)
Publisher: Destineer (2009)
Christmas themes Supports multiple players Great music Good humor Suitable for children Motion controls
We Wish You a Merry Christmas puts the player in a cozy living room with a tree, fireplace, and all sorts of yule-tide activities. You can decorate the tree and play Christmas carols on the radio (which sound beautiful by the way). You can toss wood in the fire and roast marshmallows. Opening your advent calendar reveals bonus items like ornaments to hang on the tree.
Of course, the mini-game collection is the main attraction, each supporting up to four players. Deck the Halls plays like turn-based Dr. Mario (NES, 1990) as you strategically place toy soldiers, snowmen, and drums on a grid. While neat in concept, it's so easy it feels like it will never end. That's a recurring theme. Whether you're bouncing presents into the air, making hot chocolate, or tossing gifts off Santa's sled, the challenge just isn't there and often neither is the control.
Elf Bowling is the highlight. Ten little elves stand at attention as you wing a bowling ball down the icy lane, causing them to cover their faces in anticipation and shout with their high-pitched voices "get ready - here it comes!" and "hold on tight!" When they get slammed and their stiff bodies go flying all over, it's hard not to laugh at their little screams.
Elf Hunt is a find-Waldo style activity where you scour a colorful illustration for a lengthy list of hidden items. It sounds dumb but I was hooked! You can also send a Mad Libs-style letter to Santa. Mine was rather creative and I'm glad this game isn't online. We Wish You a Merry Christmas is shallow in terms of gameplay but exudes enough holiday spirit to earn a passing grade. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.
Find We Wish You a Merry Christmas on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Christmas Crisis (Philips CD-i),
Reindeer Rescue (Atari 2600), The Santa Clause 3 (Game Boy Advance),
Christmas Nights Into Dreams (Saturn), Daze Before Christmas (Europe) (Super Nintendo)
Balance board support
While Sony and Microsoft are trying to nickel-and-dime gamers on-line, Nintendo comes up with innovative concepts with universal appeal. Wii Fit is Nintendo's response to reports that everyone is getting too damn fat. Obesity is especially harmful to kids, and video games have become the scapegoat de jour. Wii Fit does the unthinkable - it makes exercising fun!
The included balance board controller has a surprising number of applications. It's extremely accurate at determining your body position and doubles as a scale. Wii Fit encourages exercise on a daily basis, and each session begins with a quick body test to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index). From there, you can select from a wide variety of yoga, strength training, aerobic, and balance game exercises. Yoga focuses on balance as you assume and hold a series of tricky poses like the half-moon, palm tree, and triangle.
Strength training incorporates more conventional exercises like push-ups, lunges, and squats. Aerobics features heart-pumping hula-hoop, boxing, and jogging exercises. The jogging is interesting because it doesn't use the board at all. You simply jog in place while holding the Wii-mote, and beautiful island scenery makes the time pass quickly. Last but not least, there are the balance games, which provide the most fun.
The slalom skiing game is so enjoyable it could practically stand on its own! I also had fun with the soccer heading, snowboarding, ski-jump, and table tilt games. Wii Fit may provide a less vigorous workout than weights or a treadmill, but the entertainment value makes it easier to stick to your regimen. I try to clock at least 30 minutes a day, and the minutes just fly by! Making it all the more addictive is the fact that you're scored after each exercise, and it's fun to top your personal best and unlock new exercises along the way.
If I had one reservation, it's the need to hold the Wii-mote in one hand the entire time, which can throw your balance off ever so slightly. I was skeptical of Wii Fit but now I'm hooked. It may not produce dramatic results, but anything that keeps gamers focused on their health has got to be a good thing. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.
Find Wii Fit on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
Wii Fit Plus (Wii), Skiing (Atari 2600),
Super Monkey Ball: Step and Roll (Wii), Othello (Atari 2600)
I might have been a little generous with the first Wii Fit game, which was fairly limited in terms of long-term replay value. Plus is an expansion pack of sorts that expands the scope of Wii Fit, helping it live up to its promise. First of all, Plus lets you set goals, which is a pretty big deal. When you see your line on the graph progressively moving toward the goal you set, it gives you an extra boost of incentive.
Wii Fit Plus evaluates you on more factors (including stillness and judgment), and keeps you updated on the number of calories you burn throughout your workout. Additional yoga and strength exercises have been added, but let's face it - it's the mini-games that people are truly interested in.
There are about 10 new entries that offer an excellent blend of exercise and fun. Rhythmic Kung Fu is my personal favorite, letting you mimic Miis on the screen as they bust out timed kicks and punches. Cycling is similar to running, except you pedal by stepping on the board. Marching Band is a great idea, but lasts too long and wears out its welcome.
The golf driving range isn't physically demanding, but I was impressed with its realism. You must stand on the balance board while swinging, but unfortunately the board's short length will force you to narrow your stance a bit. Still, when I used my natural golf swing I hit the ball well and the game recognized me as a golfer. The Segway game is interesting as you ride around a beach while popping balloons. Some of the more usual games let you fly by flapping your arms, or juggle while balancing on a ball!
The biggest disappointment is probably skateboarding, which tends to be awkward and frustrating. Plus also expands on some old favorites including the table tilt, bubble balance, and basic run. I'm not convinced Wii Fit Plus is intense enough to serve as a stand-alone exercise routine, but I think it's a fine supplement to a regular workout routine - if only to monitor your progress. You'll come for fitness but stay for the fun. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.
Find Wii Fit Plus on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Wii Fit (Wii),
Bubble Bobble (NES), Wii Sports (Wii),
Great American Golf 2 (Philips CD-i), Carnival Games Mini Golf (Wii)
Wii Music
Musical Supports multiple players Extreme disappointment May cause drowsiness
For those of you who think the VGC is on Nintendo's payroll, let me put your mind at ease by explaining how Wii Music absolutely sucks! Despite boasting the same friendly interface that made Wii Sports and Wii Fit so popular, Wii Music comes off as pointless and dull. The crux of the game involves "jamming" with friends or CPU-controlled characters. There are dozens of instruments to select from, but they all fall into four basic categories: guitar, percussion, horn, and violin. You hold each instrument similar to how you would in real life, and playing involves shaking or pressing buttons to the beat.
The actual notes are played automatically, so your control is limited. You can sometimes improvise by squeezing in some extra notes, but that usually sounds bad. Wii Music is an example of Wii motion controls at their worst. They are so loose and semi-automated that you never really feel as if you're playing an instrument. There's little satisfaction to be had, and the boredom sets in quickly. The "jam sessions" are pointless, and the three game variations are weak.
Mii Maestro lets you conduct an orchestra, but all you do is move the wand up and down. Handbell Harmony lets you ring bells to a melody, but unless you have a group of people to play with, it's pretty shallow. Perfect Pitch is a series of music puzzles that require you to arrange notes by pitch or determine which instrument is out of tune. It's about as enjoyable as a multiple-choice test.
The song selection isn't anything to write home about, and having to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star throughout the extended intro is absolute torture. Sure you get "Zelda" and some familiar classical tunes, but when "Do Re Mi" is one of the better songs, you're in some serious trouble. I was confounded by the fact that Wii Music offers so many options for replaying performances or saving them as "music videos". Sitting through them once is bad enough! After an impromptu jam session, I asked my friend Steve for his thoughts on Wii Music, and his response was simply "Burn it." © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.
Find Wii Music on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Guitar Hero 5 (Xbox 360),
Guitar Hero: Van Halen (Xbox 360), Guitar Hero Live (Playstation 4),
Wii Fit (Wii), Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 (Xbox 360)
Wii Play
Like Wii Sports, Wii Play offers a collection of quick, easy-to-play mini-games best enjoyed head-to-head. The first game, Shooting Range (C), is a dead ringer for Duck Hunt, but instead of ducks, you're blasting targets, UFOs, and tin cans. It's not great, but if nothing else it demonstrates how well the Wii could handle a light gun title.
In the next game, Find Mii (D), you locate faces in a crowd, but I didn't find its "find Waldo" style of play the least bit appealing. Table Tennis (C-) seems to have potential, but the limited, side-to-side movement of your paddle makes it feel like Pong with fancy graphics. In Pose Mii (D), you twist and contort your Mii into various positions to fit into floating shapes. It's shallow fun, but gets old in a hurry. Laser Hockey (C+) plays like air hockey, but its graphics are rendered in a neon light motif that makes it look a lot more compelling than it really is.
Billiards (A-) is my personal favorite, offering a modified version of 9-ball where you score based on the number of the balls that you sink. Whether playing solo or against a friend, the pinpoint controls and close-up "windows" make it a pleasure to run the table. You'd think Fishing (F) would be a real treat, but its execution is extremely poor. Not only does the game insist you sit very close to the TV (or else a message blocks your view), but the rod control doesn't feel natural at all.
"Charge" (C+) is hands-down the best cow racing game I've ever played. By tilting your controller you ram your charging bovine into scarecrows and leap over barriers. At first glance, Tanks (B-) resembles the classic "Tank Pong" variations of Combat (Atari 2600, 1977), but instead of shooting each other, the goal is to shoot more enemy tanks that your opponent. I was pretty psyched up about Tanks at first, but I think this game missed the mark. There is some enjoyment to be had with Wii Play, but the fun is fleeting. The most compelling aspect of this package is the free controller included with it. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.
Find Wii Play on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Marine Fishing (Dreamcast),
Bug Hunt (Atari XEGS), Duck Hunt (NES),
Tornado Baseball, Tennis, Hockey, and Handball (Bally Astrocade), Video Olympics (Atari 2600)
Wii Sports
Has there ever been a better pack-in game than Wii Sports? This phenomenal title appeals to kids, senior citizens, and everyone in between. Its five sports included are played by mimicking the natural movements you would perform while playing the actual sport. Whether you're pitching a baseball, swinging a golf club, and rolling a bowling ball, the controls are responsive and intuitive. It's not necessary to make large, exaggerated movements (a flick of the wrist will suffice), but it's usually more fun.
Wii Sport's graphics are extremely simplistic, with cartoonish characters that lack arms and legs. Still, the minimal visuals have a certain charm. Bowling (A) may be the most fully realized game in the package, with excellent controls and pins that bounce around realistically. The most challenging game is Golf (B+). Although there are only nine holes, they look gorgeous, and I love how I can use my actual golf swing to play this game! Putting can be problematic however, with controls that sometimes feel unresponsive.
A scaled down version of Baseball (C+) is the weakest entry of the package. Contests are limited to three-innings, and everything is CPU-controlled except pitching and batting. Swinging the bat feels terrific, but there are far too many foul balls. Boxing (B) can provide a genuine workout as you use the nun-chuck attachment to control both hands of your boxer. The semi-transparent fighters call to mind the Punch Out arcade game (1985). Although the animation rarely keeps up with your hands, the punches land with impact and the action is intense.
Tennis (A) is the highlight of Wii Sports. Your player moves automatically, but your ability to aim the ball and apply spin provides all the control you need. All five games offer tremendous replay value, but don't dismiss the training and fitness modes. The training mode amounts to a collection of awesome mini-games, which include hitting a golf ball onto a large bulls-eye, or bowling into a rack of 100 pins!
The fitness mode measures your physical skill much like Brain Age (Nintendo DS, 2006) measures your mental skill. A few option menus would have been nice (like the ability to turn off the instant replays), but overall Wii Sports packs a wallop. When playing solo, the games adjust to your skill level, and in terms of multiplayer action, this is the ultimate party starter. Load times are negligible and your progress is saved automatically. If you're thinking about buying a Wii, Wii Sports is all the reason you need. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.
Find Wii Sports on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Wii Sports Club (Wii U),
Wii Sports Resort (Wii), Carnival Games Mini Golf (Wii),
Brain Age (Nintendo DS), Sports Champions 2 (Playstation 3)
Wii Sports Resort
Supports multiple players Suitable for children Seasonal summer fun
As a worthy follow-up to Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort offers a variety of fun-in-the-sun mini-games. Not only are these fun to play with friends, but they also pack substantial replay value for the solo player. The first event is Swordplay (grade: B-), which is probably the most highly anticipated. Each player wields a sword with precision, and the B button is used to alternate between attack and defense poses. Playing a friend is undeniably fun, despite the fact that contests usually degenerate into mindless beat-downs.
Wakeboarding (B) offers simple fun as you steer your water-skier from side-to-side, jerking the controller to jump off the boat's wake. Tricks are performed in the air automatically, but you'll need to focus on the landing. In Frisbee (A+) you throw a disc to a dog on a beach while trying to hit a particular target. The smooth throwing controls work like magic, and the game is extremely fun. Frisbee golf is also an option, and it's equally outstanding.
Archery (A-) is another winner. The controls mimic the act of pulling a bow, and the accuracy of the Wii-Motion plus is quite evident. This compares very favorably to the time-consuming archery events in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega, 2007). Basketball (B) features a three-on-three pick-up game and a three-point shooting contest. The semi-automated pick-up game is confusing, but the three-point contest features excellent, natural shooting controls.
I've played Table Tennis (A) video games before, but none as simple or intuitive as this one. The manner in which you can apply spin is uncanny, and I love the short-but-sweet matches. Golf (C+) is reprised from the first Wii Sports, and it's a bit of a letdown. The controls are somewhat awkward and touchy, and only nine new holes are included. Bowling (A+) makes a triumphant return, and it's much more challenging this time. A new "spin challenge" mode places moving barriers in the lane, and the 100-pin rack is now available as a normal event.
Power Cruising (B+) offers jet-ski action similar to Wave Race Blue Storm (GameCube, 2001) except you're racing the clock as you weave through gates. I like how you hold the two controllers as if they were handlebars. Canoeing (C-) is one of the least fun events, and its repetitive, physical nature would probably be more appropriate for Wii Fit. Likewise, cycling (D) feels like a chore as you alternate the controllers up and down to simulate pedaling. Air Sports (B) offers several flying events, including one which lets you buzz the entire island in a plane while collecting icons and shooting balloons.
Overall, Wii Sports Resort offers amazing playability and competitive fun for all ages. Wii Sports was a landmark title, but this sequel surpasses it easily. NOTE: Wii Sports Resort includes one Wii-Motion Plus controller attachment, and this accessory is required to play. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.
Find Wii Sports Resort on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Sports Jam (Dreamcast),
Sports Champions (Playstation 3), Wii Sports (Wii),
Carnival Games Mini Golf (Wii), Wii Sports Club (Wii U)
Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure
May contain pirates May require use of brain
Most gamers don't know about Zack and Wiki, but those who do tend to crow about it. The star of this "point and click" adventure is a boy pirate named Zack, and Wiki is his obligatory cute animal sidekick (like we haven't seen that before!) Although rendered in a kiddie style, the colorful visuals are a lot of fun. I especially love the lush, overgrown Indiana Jones-style ruins. The musical score is also impressive, effectively adding a layer of drama and suspense.
Each of the small, self-contained stages contains a treasure chest which can only be reached by solving a series of interlocking puzzles. Normal objects like umbrellas are used in ingenious ways, and animals can be magically transformed into other useful tools like a saw or flute. A star-shaped pointer is used to move Zack to a spot or interact with an object. It's fun to grab items this way, but guiding Zack up steps and around obstacles can be pretty tedious.
Wii-mote motions are used to make the action more immersive. You'll shake the Wii-mote to ring a bell, make sawing movements to cut down a tree, and carefully rotate the controller to insert a puzzle piece into place. Zack and Wiki is at its best when the action is slow and deliberate, but when required to react quickly, the controls seem to lag a bit.
The cleverly-designed stages incorporate some ingenious concepts. For example, in one snow stage you shake a tree to dump snow and cover your tracks to keep the "Ice Keeper" off your tail. Sometimes you can trigger elaborate chain reactions that are fun to watch. Each stage is satisfying to complete, but the challenge ramps sharply, and the potential for frustration is high. Cerebral gamers will become obsessed with this game, but others will find themselves hitting brick walls. Trial and error is necessary at times, forcing you to repeat tedious tasks.
Another turn-off is the extended intro. Not only do you have to page through endless text, but there's usually only three or four words on the screen at a time! "No! [A button]They're shooting us! [A button] Uh-oh! [A button]" etc. It doesn't help that the high-pitched Japanese dialogue sounds like baby talk! The game has an auto-save feature, but I wish there was some kind of visible indicator on the screen. Zack and Wiki is a unique title for patient gamers looking for a thought-provoking challenge. If that describes you, bump up the score by one letter. Others should proceed with caution. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.
Find Zack and Wiki Quest for Barbaros' Treasure on eBay, Amazon, YouTube, Forums
If you like this game, try: Dark Mage (Atari 2600),
Elansar & Philia (Dreamcast), Treasure of the Caribbean (CD) (Neo Geo),
Super Scribblenauts (Nintendo DS), Myst (CD) (Jaguar)
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Screen shots courtesy of IGN.com, Family Friendly Video Games, MobyGames.com, Cheat Code Central


If the first mathematical results were obtained more than 30 years ago with the interpretation of the celebrated Hofstadter butterfly, more recent experiments in Bose-Einstein theory suggest new questions. I will start with a partial survey on old results of Helffer-Sjöstrand and Kerdelhue´ and then discuss more recent questions related to generalized butterflies (Dalibard and coauthors, Hou, Kerdelhue´--Royo-Letelier). These new questions are strongly related to Harper on triangular or hexagonal lattices (in connection with the now very popular graphene). Our historics is focused on the mathematical results.


The dynamic instrumental trio Russian Circles delivered a much anticipated set to the Echoplex crowd. The talented Chicago outfit consisting of Mike Sullivan, Dave Turncrantz, and Brian Cook didn't need vocals to communicate the stories they were telling. It was hypnotic and cathartic.
Supporting Russian Circles on this tour is King Woman.


text:
Why Do So Many Friendships End?
How to take steps to preserve friendships or know when to let go
By Gary M. SternMarch 29, 2018
By Gary M. Stern
Credit: Adobe Stock
A Brigham Young University report that covered 148 previous studies, which included more than 300,000 participants, concluded that people who had strong friendships survived 7.5 years longer than those with weak or few social ties. Friendship, it concluded, extends life.
Yet many friendships end. Why do so many friendships, even the long-term ones, go awry? Is it that people change? Their interests change? They relocate? Why do so many friendships break up, and most importantly, what can people do to mend friendships so they don't terminate?
When Marla Paul, author of The Friendship Crisis: Finding, Making and Keeping Friends When You're Not a Kid Anymore, researched her book, she discovered that having long-term friends was "emotionally and physically protective. People have healthier cardiovascular systems; they're less likely to die of a heart attack."
In fact, she said, people with solid friends "sleep better." Loneliness has a real physiological effect on one's emotional and physical being, Paul suggested.
Keeping a friendship pulsating, fresh and dynamic requires a concerted effort and an investment of time. "You can't take the friendship for granted. You have to show a friend you value him or her, make time for him or her, pay attention and be there when there's a crisis to show emotional support via a dinner or a note," Paul said.
"One thing people don't understand is you don't stop developing after you're a teenager," explained Tasha Howe, head of the psychology department at Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif. and author of the textbook Marriages and Families in the 21st Century. People grow and change, and since many people live into their 80s, they could be friends with someone for 50+ years.
The Stages of Friendship
Maintaining friendship, Howe noted, "is a lot to ask when you're constantly changing and developing new interests and habits. Sometimes you realize that person isn't just for the new version of you."
Long-term friendships depend on "open communication, an equal power level, where you each influence each other and one person doesn't dominate the other," Howe said.
Paul acknowledged that friendships undergo their ups and downs, their difficult stages and satisfying ones. Therefore, "it takes the ability to let some feelings roll off of you" to sustain [the friendship]," Paul explained. If friends look at the big picture, in most cases, they'll recognize that the positives outweigh the tough times. But if something is troubling you, you need to be able to talk it out with your friend.
Keeping the friendship alive and reinvigorated is critical. "You need to keep the friendship fresh, so it's not same old, same old. Finding fresh adventures or discovering new things together" injects a dose of energy and variety into the friendship, Paul said.
Feeling valued is another key to keeping a long-term friendship alive and well. And that can be demonstrated and displayed in a variety of ways: a telephone call, sending a Valentine's Day or birthday card to show you care, sending a text — anything to stay connected.
But friendships can lag and go through doldrums, so you may need to help them blossom. "If they add something to your life, if they make you grow as a person, then it's worth continuing," Howe said.
Is It Time to Call It Quits?
Nonetheless, in some cases, long-term friendships reach a logical ending and terminate. Sometimes the friendship takes an unpredictable turn. If you've lived in the same neighborhood for years and the friend moves away, it can lead to an eventual dissolution of the relationship. Or if you've worked in the same office for years and one retires, it can disrupt the relationship.
Alternatively, if a friend "does something that feels like a betrayal, such as not showing up to your father's funeral, or if [he or she] didn't show up when you were in the hospital with cancer," that friendship can take a nasty detour and end, observed Paul.
There are certain tell-tale signs that indicate the friendship is fading and it may be time to call it quits. When getting together feels like an obligation, you dread seeing someone or you walk away from dinner feeling angry, frustrated or dissatisfied, it may signal that the friendship is faltering and the end is near.
Sometimes, friendships end because circumstances change. If you make a friend in cancer recovery and you're healed but he or she is not, the balance of the friendship may change. Or if you are friends with a woman because your two married couples blend, but then you get divorced, the relationship may transform or you may feel like a third wheel. "Major life changes can affect a friendship," Paul said.
For example, Lili Garfinkel, who lives in New York, had a lifelong friend whom she met in college. As their relationship evolved, Garfinkel started to become exasperated with her. Since her friend lives in Arizona, most of their interactions were by phone, but they included an annual visit. Garfinkel increasingly saw her friend as self-deluded, narcissistic and out of touch with herself. When she started confronting her friend about this, her friend became agitated and defensive.
Garfinkel reached the conclusion that "I no longer valued our relationship. That simply sharing a history does not legitimize continuing a relationship that was not worth my time." Garfinkel valued her time too much to waste on a friend who was no longer simpatico.
Can the Friendship Be Repaired?
When a friendship is fraught and conflicted, you have to decide "if you want to keep it going," Paul said. Do you still value it? If so, you need to determine why it has lost its vigor,and whether there's something to be done to reinvigorate the friendship.
If your friendship has reached a difficult stage and could be ending, experts recommend these steps to determine whether to keep it going:
Howe suggests an honest face-to-face dialogue, explaining what you're feeling to your long-term friend. You might say something like: "I'm feeling as if things are changing. Are you? And what can we do to fix things?"
The main thing to avoid is blaming the other person. Instead of saying "You did this and you did that," speak about your feelings and why you're feeling distant from your old friend.
Diagnose the relationship. Why is it faltering? What could you do to put it back on target?
Most importantly, talk it out together. If you've been friends for so long, working out a conflict should be doable.
Gary M. Stern is a New York-based freelance writer who has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune.com, CNN/Money and Reuters. He collaborated on Minority Rules: Turn Your Ethnicity into a Competitive Edge (Harper Collins), a how-to guide for minorities and women to climb the corporate ladder.
This Is What Friendship Looks Like at 100
7 Hallmarks of a Manipulative Friend
When Close Friends Live Far Away
© Next Avenue - 2020. All rights reserved.


Best friends Matt and Cole grapple with their changing relationships during the summer after high school in this impactful, evocative story about growing up and moving on from a traumatic past.
Surviving was just the beginning.
Eleven years after a shooting rocked the small town of East Ridge, New Jersey and left eighteen first graders in their classroom dead, survivors and recent high school graduates Matt Simpson and Cole Hewitt are still navigating their guilt and trying to move beyond the shadow of their town's grief. Will Cole and Matt ever be able to truly leave the ghosts of East Ridge behind? Do they even want to?
As they grapple with changing relationships, falling in love, and growing apart, these two friends must face the question of how to move on—and truly begin living.
Joseph Moldover is a clinical psychologist who works with children, teenagers, and their families. He lives with his wife and their four children in Massachusetts. He has published a number of short stories, mostly under the name Joseph Sloan. Every Moment After is his debut novel.