text:
Equestria girl creator
My Little Pony: Story Creator
Go behind the camera and place your favorite MY LITTLE PONY characters in the center of the action in this app filled with exciting stories—created by YOU—and powered by the Magic of Friendship!
Create your own animated story starring over 90 characters from MY LITTLE PONY and EQUESTRIA GIRLS, including Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Princess Celestia. Choose your favorite characters, props, and locations in Equestria and then add your own voice to narrate the tale. Of course, it can't be a MY LITTLE PONY tele-tale without some drama and friendship problems to solve. This app also features key foes, including the mighty Tirek, the redeemed Discord, and "The Great and Powerful" Trixie.
Simple animation tools make it easy to turn your best ideas into pulsing MY LITTLE PONY fun:
Pick a pony!
Pick their co-star!
Pick a background and some props…
And you're ready to yell "ACTION!"
A robust cast of characters - over 90 of your favorite characters!
Numerous storytelling opportunities, as each pony comes with a set of specific backgrounds, props, and co-stars!
Character customization through resizing and rotating!
Beautiful art and magical music and sound effects that set the stage!
Record-your-own-voice narration!
EDUCATIONAL FEATURES:
Practice early literacy skills through guided and imaginative story telling
Before you download this experience, please consider that this app contains in-app purchases that cost money. Additional content cannot be unlocked without spending money.
ABOUT PLAYDATE DIGITAL
PlayDate Digital Inc. is an emergent publisher of high-quality, interactive, mobile educational software for children. PlayDate Digital's products nurture children's emerging literacy and creativity skills by turning digital screens into engaging experiences. PlayDate Digital content is built in partnership with some of the world's most trusted global brands for kids.
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My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
This article is about a Hasbro toy line. For the 2013 film, see My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (film). For the 2017 web series, see My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (web series). For other uses, see My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (disambiguation).
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, or simply known as Equestria Girls, is a product line of fashion dolls and media franchise launched in 2013 by American toy company Hasbro, as a spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of the My Little Pony franchise and its Friendship Is Magic television series. Equestria Girls features anthropomorphized versions of My Little Pony characters from that period. It includes various doll lines, media tie-ins and licensed merchandise.
In addition to the Hasbro toys, Allspark Animation (previously credited under Hasbro Studios), a subsidiary of Hasbro, have commissioned animated production tie-ins, including four films, eight television specials and several series of animated shorts.
The Equestria Girls setting is established as a parallel counterpart to the main world of Equestria in the 2010 incarnation of My Little Pony, populated with humanoid versions of the characters from the franchise; the Hasbro website described them as "full-time students and part-time magical pony girls".[1]
Development and release[edit]
This section is missing information about the franchise's background. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(September 2016)
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, while aimed at younger children, had gained a surprising number of older fans in their 20s and 30s, known as "bronies". Among fanworks produced by this older crowd included re-imagined art of the Friendship Is Magic cast as human equivalents. Hasbro saw this art and came up with the idea of developing the spin-off with a similar re-imagining.[2]
The earliest known official use of the "Equestria Girls" name occurred during 2011, when the American television channel The Hub (a joint venture between Discovery Communications and Hasbro; now known as Discovery Family) released a promotional trailer for Hasbro Studio's Friendship Is Magic television series which featured a modified version of Katy Perry's "California Gurls";[3] however, the trailer has nothing to do with the later-launched franchise.
In December 2012, Hasbro registered trademark for the name "Equestria Girls" at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.[4] The franchise was briefly mentioned in the media earlier in February and March 2013.[5][6] In an interview in the February/March 2013 issue of the Kidscreen magazine, Hasbro's senior vice president of international distribution and development, Finn Arnesen, called My Little Pony a "top-priority" brand for the company; the film was described as "a new companion series" that would "[send] the pony heroes on a mission to a new world where they take on human form".[5] Equestria Girls was announced in May 2013 with a film and other media strategy,[7] and it was included in Hasbro's licensing program for My Little Pony announced in June 2013,[8] which began at the 2013 Licensing International Expo along with the company's other properties.[9] The spin-off was to be a part of the 30th anniversary of the My Little Pony brand.[7]
Along with the toys, Hasbro planned to produce related merchandise and media including films, apparel, and accessories. Hasbro's chief marketing officer, John A. Frascotti, called the franchise a "major strategic initiative" for the company.[7] The human-based toys were developed to appeal to girls in their teens as a means to extend the My Little Pony brand.[10] In addition, Hasbro will continue its licensing deals with book publisher Little, Brown and Company and comic book publisher IDW Publishing to publish related works.[8]
In the audio commentary included in the Rainbow Rocks home media, Meghan McCarthy commented that Equestria Girls was initially not intended to become an ongoing franchise, and the thought of a sequel did not cross her mind.
Premise[edit]
Equestria Girls takes place in an alternate version of Equestria resembling modern-day Earth, whose population consists of humanoids with skins colored other than the usual human skin colors, with most being similar to their counterparts in the main My Little Pony TV series and toy line in terms of appearance and personality. Several locales in the parallel world serve as counterparts to the main cities and establishments in Equestria: for example, Canterlot High School, which corresponds to Canterlot in Equestria, is run by Principal Celestia and her sister, Vice Principal Luna, who are the equivalents of Princesses Celestia and Luna, the rulers of Equestria.
The entire franchise is primarily set in a fictional world parallel to the pony-inhabited fantasy setting of the 2010 incarnation of My Little Pony, accessible via a magic mirror. The toys and other series of media additionally feature alternate humanoid versions of pony characters in roles similar to the counterparts in Equestria; characters as depicted in the Friendship Is Magic television series who travel between worlds assume similar forms in the alternative setting.
Main characters[edit]
See also: List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters § Main characters
The main characters are collectively referred to in merchandise as the Equestria Girls. Beginning in Rainbow Rocks, they are also the members of a rock band called the Rainbooms. In Legend of Everfree they assume magical abilities that come from geodes they discover.
Twilight Sparkle (voiced by Tara Strong, singing voice by Rebecca Shoichet) – There have been two incarnations of Twilight Sparkle as appeared in Equestria Girls animations:
Princess Twilight Sparkle, the winged unicorn character as appeared in Friendship Is Magic, transformed into a humanoid teenager after traveling from Equestria. In Rainbow Rocks, she temporarily assumes a role of vocalist in the Rainbooms.
Twilight Sparkle (a.k.a.Sci-Twi), the alternate universe counterpart, made a brief appearance in a post-credits scene of Rainbow Rocks. The character formally debuted in Friendship Games as a former student at Crystal Prep Academy, who eventually transfers to Canterlot High School. She is the Rainbooms' backup vocalist, and has telekinetic powers.
Spike (voiced by Cathy Weseluck) – In the Equestria Girls series, Spike the dragon is depicted as a dog with the ability to speak. Similar to Twilight, the character's Friendship Is Magic incarnation appears in the first two lineups, masquerading as a speechless animal. His alternate universe counterpart included in the Friendship Games lineup is "Sci-Twi's" ordinary pet dog who gains the ability to speak from exposure to Equestrian magic.
Applejack (voiced by Ashleigh Ball) – A Canterlot High student who works on her family's farm. She is the Rainbooms' bass guitarist, and has super strength.
Rainbow Dash (voiced by Ashleigh Ball) – A student/star athlete at Canterlot High, stated to be the captain of every sports team the school has. She is the Rainbooms' electric guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter, and has super speed.
Pinkie Pie (voiced by Andrea Libman, singing voice by Shannon Chan-Kent) – An eccentric and friendly Canterlot High student. She is the Rainbooms' drummer, and can make small objects explosive.
Rarity (voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, singing voice by Kazumi Evans) – A Canterlot High student and a talented seamstress, much like her Friendship Is Magic counterpart. She is the Rainbooms' keytarist, and can create diamond-like force fields.
Fluttershy (voiced by Andrea Libman) – A Canterlot High student who is a volunteer worker at the local animal shelter. She is the Rainbooms' tambourinist, and can communicate with animals.
Sunset Shimmer (voiced by Rebecca Shoichet) – A unicorn from Equestria who resides in the alternative universe as a student at Canterlot High. In the films, the character is depicted to be a renegade student of Princess Celestia, who was once corrupted but is later reformed. She is the main antagonist of the first film, but gradually puts her past behind her and completes her redemption. She is now one of the protagonists and leader of the parallel universe counterparts of the main characters. In Friendship Games, she helps save Twilight Sparkle's parallel universe counterpart from magical corruption. She is the Rainbooms' rhythm guitarist, and can read peoples' minds by physically touching them.
Supporting characters[edit]
Recurring counterparts of Friendship Is Magic characters[edit]
Principal Celestia (voiced by Nicole Oliver) – The principal of Canterlot High.
Vice Principal Luna (voiced by Tabitha St. Germain) – The vice principal of Canterlot High, and Celestia's younger sister.
The Equestria Girls counterparts of the minor, supporting and background characters in Friendship Is Magic television series also make appearances in the films and shorts. Such characters include Cheerilee, the Cutie Mark Crusaders (Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle), DJ Pon-3, Lyra Heartstrings, Octavia Melody, Photo Finish, Sweetie Drops and Trixie.
Equestria Girls-only characters[edit]
Flash Sentry – Sunset Shimmer's ex-boyfriend, who takes a romantic interest in Twilight Sparkle. His Equestrian counterpart, a royal pegasus guard at the Crystal Empire, also appears in the first film and Forgotten Friendship, and has brief appearances in Friendship Is Magic. Both versions are voiced by Vincent Tong.
The Dazzlings – A trio of villainous sirens introduced in the Rainbow Rocks film. They are composed of the leader Adagio Dazzle (voiced by Kazumi Evans) and her two backup singers, the airheaded Sonata Dusk (voiced by Maryke Hendrikse, singing voice by Madeline Merlo) and abrasive Aria Blaze (voiced by Diana Kaarina, singing voice by Shylo Sharity). In Rainbow Rocks, the trio serves as the main antagonists, having been banished to the human world by Star Swirl and aiming to control the residents of the parallel world through their enchanted singing.
Principal Abacus Cinch – Cinch (voiced by Iris Quinn) appears in Friendship Games as the main antagonist. She is portrayed as the strict principal of Crystal Prep Academy, a prestigious school that rivals Canterlot High School, and is obsessed with maintaining her school's reputation by manipulating her prized student, the human counterpart of Twilight Sparkle.
The Shadowbolts – The Shadowbolts are Crystal Prep's sports team that opposes Canterlot High's Wondercolts team. Apart from the counterpart of Twilight Sparkle, the team includes the blunt Sugarcoat (voiced by Sienna Bohn), two-faced Sour Sweet (voiced by Sharon Alexander), hyper-competitive Indigo Zap (voiced by Kelly Sheridan), disdainful Sunny Flare (voiced by Britt Irvin), and rocker girl Lemon Zest (voiced by Shannon Chan-Kent).
Gloriosa Daisy – A counsellor at Camp Everfree, who eventually transforms into a creature named Gaea Everfree after exposure to Equestrian magic. She is introduced in Legend of Everfree as the main antagonist. Enid-Raye Adams voices the character, while Kelly Metzger provides her singing voice.
Timber Spruce – Timber Spruce is another counsellor at Camp Everfree. He is introduced in Legend of Everfree alongside Gloriosa Daisy. He is voiced by Brian Doe.
Juniper Montage – The main antagonist of the 2017 Equestria Girls specialsMovie Magic and Mirror Magic. In Movie Magic, she sabotages her uncle's movie production in the hopes of being cast as the lead actress. In Mirror Magic, she finds an enchanted mirror that corrupts her into a diva/celebrity-esque monster. She is voiced by Ali Liebert.
Wallflower Blush – The main antagonist of Forgotten Friendship. Ignored by the school population at large and jealous of Sunset's transformation from hated bully to beloved friend, she uses a mystical stone called the Memory Stone to erase Sunset's friends' good memories of her. She is voiced by Shannon Chan-Kent.
Vignette Valencia – The main antagonist of Rollercoaster of Friendship. She is the public relations director for the new Equestria Land amusement park and relies on social media to promote it. A wisp of Equestrian magic later enchants her smartphone, allowing her to create holograms. She is voiced by Tegan Moss.
PostCrush – A pop-rock duo introduced in Sunset's Backstage Pass as the main antagonists. The duo is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Kiwi Lollipop (K-Lo) (voiced by Lili Beaudoin, singing voice by Marie Hui), and drummer Supernova Zap (Su-Z) (voiced by Mariee Devereux, singing voice by Arielle Tuliao).
Toys and yearly line-ups[edit]
This section needs expansion with:
Themes of each (sub-)line-up
Details on toys. You can help by adding to it. (June 2021)
Fashion doll
Equestria Girls (2013): The first lineup to be released, it features humanized version of My Little Pony characters from the 2010 relaunch.
Rainbow Rocks (2014): The succeeding lineup named Rainbow Rocks, featuring music-themed toys and media, was first displayed at the 2014 American International Toy Fair.[12][13]
Friendship Games (2015): In January 2015, at that year's edition of The Toy Fair in London, some merchandise was unveiled labeled My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Friendship Games.[14] Some vectors for the merchandise include Applejack and Fluttershy in archery outfits, an alternative universe counterpart of Twilight Sparkle, and five new characters introduced with the lineup: Indigo Zap, Lemon Zest, Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat, and Sunny Flare.[15] Mentions on the supporting products, alongside the film, was included in Hasbro's investor presentation at the 2015 American International Toy Fair.[16]Wondercolts and Shadowbolts dolls were released in late 2015 in two varieties: "School Spirit" classic and "Sporty Style" deluxe. In the Sporty Style assortment, the Wondercolts' Fluttershy and Applejack and the Shadowbolts' Sour Sweet and Twilight Sparkle come with a bow and a quiver of arrows. The Wondercolts' Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer and the Shadowbolts' Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat come with motorcycle helmets and goggles. The Wondercolts' Pinkie Pie and Rarity and the Shadowbolts' Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare come with roller skates. A motocross bike was released in 2015.[17]
Equestria Girls Minis (2015): A lineup featuring caricatured Equestria Girls characters.
Legend of Everfree (2016): First mentioned in a Hasbro 2016 Entertainment Plan presentation in August 2015 along with the tie-in film of the same title, a tentative image was shown of new character whose name was not mentioned at the time.[18][unreliable source?] In February 2016, at the 2016 American International Toy Fair, some Legend of Everfree merchandise was revealed. Dolls unveiled were available in four styles — "Geometric Assortment", "Crystal Gala Assortment", "Crystal Wings Assortment", and "Boho Assortment". A new character by the name of Gloriosa Daisy was also revealed during the presentation.[19][unreliable source?] The toys were released in July 2016.
Equestria Girls: Better Together (2017–2020): An updated lineup featuring newly-re-styled caricatured Equestria Girls characters.
Media[edit]
Animated productions[edit]
Hasbro Studios/Allspark Animation productions[edit]
Main article: List of My Little Pony: Equestria Girls animations
Allspark Animation (previously credited under Hasbro Studios), a subsidiary of Hasbro, have commissioned the production of several animated films, specials and shorts (except Equestria Girls Minis shorts). Most of animated media were produced by DHX Studios Vancouver's 2D animation team in Canada, with the exception of Canterlot Shorts from 2017, which were produced by Boulder Media in the Republic of Ireland (a company acquired by Hasbro in 2016).
The following works were produced under this scope:
Equestria Girls Minis shorts[edit]
A media tie-in to promote the Equestria Girls Minis toy line, the animated shorts ranging from 15 to 30 seconds in length were showcased on various online outlets including the toy line's official website and official YouTube channel beginning in late 2015.
The animation studio which produced the shorts is yet to be identified.
^This version features dialogs spoken in English.
^This version does not feature any spoken dialog.
^This version features some slight graphic alterations on-screen compared to the initial release.
The following juvenile fictionchapter books are originally published by LB Kids imprint of Hachette Book Group USA. The Orchard Book's imprint of Hachette UK, as well as The Five Mile Press in Australia, also published the books. The dates listed are the American publish dates.
Equestria Girls: Through the Mirror G.M. Berrow October 1, 2013
Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks Perdita Finn April 8, 2014
Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks - The Mane Event Perdita Finn October 7, 2014
Equestria Girls: Sunset Shimmer's Time to Shine Perdita Finn May 5, 2015
Equestria Girls: Friendship Games Perdita Finn October 6, 2015
Equestria Girls: Twilight's Sparkly Sleepover Surprise Perdita Finn May 17, 2016
Equestria Girls: The Legend of Everfree Perdita Finn September 6, 2016
Equestria Girls: Magic, Magic Everywhere! Perdita Finn June 6, 2017
Equestria Girls: A Friendship to Remember Perdita Finn December 5, 2017
Other than the chapter books, the following books were also published by the LB Kids imprint.
Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree - Save Our Camp!
Louise Alexander September 6, 2016
Equestria Girls: Wondercolts Forever
Sadie Chesterfield January 3, 2017
Canterlot High Stories: Rainbow Dash Brings the Blitz
Arden Hayes April 3, 2018
Canterlot High Stories: Twilight Sparkle's Science Fair Sparks
Arden Hayes June 5, 2018
Canterlot High Stories: Pinkie Pie and the Cupcake Calamity
Arden Hayes October 2, 2018
Make Your Own Magic: The Starswirl Do-Over
Whitney Ralls February 5, 2019
Comics[edit]
See also: My Little Pony (IDW Publishing)
A special short story, featuring the origins of Sunset Shimmer, was published in the IDW My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic 2013 San Diego Comic Con comic variant in July 2013. It also included additional stories in a stand-alone issue, titled My Little Pony Annual 2013: Equestria Girls, released on October 30, 2013.[20][21]
An issue of IDW's Fiendship Is Magic features the sirens, the evil creatures that appeared in Rainbow Rocks.
United States release date
United States ISBN
My Little Pony: Annual 2013 October 30, 2013 1631405152
Stories take place before the first Equestria Girls film, including an 8-page story original published in the 2013 San Diego Comic Con variant of the main series, issue #9 (in July 2013), telling the origin of the character Sunset Shimmer. In the short, Sunset is shown as Princess Celestia's prized student in magic arts, whom Celestia hopes to groom into a princess. However, when Sunset becomes corrupted by images she sees in a magic mirror, Celestia realizes that Sunset may be too greedy and vain. Sunset goes against Celestia's wishes and breaks into the dark magic wing of the library, learning about the mirror's function and magic that can transform her into a winged unicorn. Celestia discovers this and expels Sunset as her student, but Sunset manages to escape and pass through the mirror, ending up in the parallel world.
In the main story, a prequel to the events of the film but told in flashback from a series of interviews, the five students, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash struggle as freshmen to Canterlot High. Pinkie cannot find a school club that makes her happy, while Rainbow Dash wants to be the star player of the Wondercolts soccer team despite her inability to play on the team. Meanwhile, Applejack is initially glad to see her cousins Babs Seed and Sunflower, but they ridicule her fashion while making friends with Rarity, the fashion expert. However, when Rarity asks Fluttershy, who has been worried about Sunflower's sick chihuahua dog but unable to speak up about it, to join them for lunch one day, Babs Seed and Sunflower refuse to allow her.
On the day of the first game, Pinkie has found her true calling, as leader of the school's glee club, and gets Fluttershy to help distribute cheering equipment to the crowd. When Babs and Sunflower refuse Fluttershy's help, both Applejack and Rarity decide to abandon the two and join Fluttershy. The crowd helps Rainbow Dash to remember the team spirit and foregoes her ego to help her team to win. The five become fast friends, though all this is detailed in the present by Sunset to be used for her own gains.
Ted Anderson, Katie Cook (story)
Tony Fleecs, Andy Price (art)
Heather Breckel, Lauren Perry (coloring)
Tom B. Long (lettering)
Bobby Curnow (editor)
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Holiday Special December 17, 2014 —
As the holidays approach at Canterlot High, Sunset is reminded that she is far distant from her family. Applejack hatches a plan with the rest of her friends to help cheer Sunset up with a series of slumber parties. During the first one, Applejack gets a call from Apple Bloom, who teasingly refers to her by an embarrassing childhood nickname. Applejack gladly explains its origins to the other girls, and Sunset writes to Twilight via her magic journal about the way her friends are helping to lift her spirits.
The next day, Applejack is shocked to discover that a social media user called "Anon-a-miss" has posted a message about the nickname and that everyone at school has read it and begun to tease her. The situation worsens after the next slumber party, held at Rarity's house when Anon-a-miss posts photos that the girls took of one another while trying on silly outfits. They begin to suspect Sunset, as she was the only person present at both events and the colors on Anon-a-miss' social media page now match the ones she favors. Soon, embarrassing secrets about other students begin to show up online, causing the student body as a whole to turn against Sunset.
When Sunset writes to Twilight for help, Twilight reminds her of the Windigos in Equestria, which feed on hatred and distrust between friends and reminds her of the importance of family. Sunset shows these messages to the other girls the next day and asks them if they honestly believe that she could be responsible for stirring up this trouble. The mention of family prompts Sunset to question Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity about the events leading up to their secrets being exposed. Their answers lead her to realize Anon-a-miss' identity, and she is proven right when Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle confess their involvement. Apple Bloom had created Anon-a-miss as a way to get back at Applejack for spending so much time with Sunset rather than her family, and the other two soon joined in, with other students feeding them fresh gossip. They delete the profile, and everyone gets back on good terms with one another in time for the final party at Sweet Apple Acres.
Ted Anderson (story)
Tony Fleecs (art)
Heather Breckel (coloring)
Neil Uyetake (lettering)
My Little Pony: Fiendship Is Magic Issue 3 April 15, 2015 1631403397
In ancient Equestria, the sirens - Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk - have been feeding off the emotions brewed by the discord created by their singing in smaller towns but have turned their attention to the populous Canterlot. They arrive at the height of a multi-day musical competition. Their first attempt to sing with their traditional song is cut short as their song is far outdated, and Adagio comes up with singing "pop music" at the next chance. Their new song quickly enraptures the audiences, except for the wizard, Star Swirl the Bearded. Recognizing that their singing is turning the ponies of Canterlot against each other, Star Swirl finds the only way to fight back is to counteract the sirens with his own music. The Sirens and Star Swirl begin to try to one-up each other over several days until Star Swirl finds he cannot hope to best the Sirens in musical ability. Remorsefully he uses the magic mirror to banish the sirens to a world without magic, hoping the trio will come to use their powers for good. In this new world, the sirens find themselves in the humanized forms, their magic weak but still strong enough to feed on with the power of their song.
Jeremy Whitley, Christina Rice, Ted Anderson, Heather Nuhfer, Katie Cook (story)
Brenda Hickey, Tony Fleecs, Agnes Garbowska, Andy Price (art)
Amy Mebberson, Sara Richard (cover artist)
My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Canterlot High: March Radness March 25, 2020 —
"Spring has sprung, and your favorite Equestria girls are back with three brand-new adventures! Celebrate March Radness with the Spring Athletic event, a visit by the famous A.K. Yearling herself, and… detention?! Return to Canterlot High, where mischief, fun, and friendship collide!"
Danny Djeljosevic, Christina Rice, and Toni Kuusisto (story)
Toni Kuusisto (art)
Megan Brown (editor)
Valeria Lopez (lettering)
Live-action music videos[edit]
Up until the Friendship Games lineup, Hasbro has been releasing a series of live-action music videos to promote the toy line. The videos feature the female dancers, dressed as the protagonists, dance to the renditions of the song "Equestria Girls", a number heard in the first Equestria Girls film.
With the first lineup, Hasbro released a live-action music video, titled Magic of Friendship, on Entertainment Weekly website on August 30, 2013, depicting seven teenage girls, as the six protagonists and Sunset Shimmer, doing a new dance routine called "The EG Stomp" in a school cafeteria to a shorter Toy Commercial version of the "Equestria Girls" song.[22]
On February 20, 2014, Hasbro released a new live-action music video on its official website to coincide with the Rainbow Rocks lineup, depicting the protagonists in a rock band. The music video, also titled Rainbow Rocks, uses a rock version of the "Equestria Girls" song and portrays the protagonists performing the "EG Stomp".[23] Through the Equestria Girls YouTube channel, another music video was released on August 4, 2014. It depicts four more teenage girls, each one dressed as the Dazzlings and DJ Pon-3 respectively.[24] In February 2015, another music video titled "Rainbooms Remix" was released.
On August 14, 2015, the same year the Friendship Games lineup was launched, Hasbro released a live-action music video on its website, depicting five of the six protagonists as well as Sunset Shimmer in a sporting competition against Crystal Prep's Twilight Sparkle.[25]
Video and website games[edit]
On October 15, 2013, Gameloft's My Little Pony mobile game was updated to include the Equestria Girls mini-game.[26][better source needed]
A Rainbow Rocks missile command-type mini-game was added to the Hasbro Arcade mobile app on April 8, 2014. On October 29, 2014, the mini-game was updated to include the Dazzlings with two songs from the movie and one song from one of the live-action music videos.[27][better source needed]
On June 7, 2014, a Rainbow Rocks game titled "Repeat the Beat" was released on Hasbro's Equestria Girls website;[28][better source needed] almost two months later, two more games have been released on July 31, 2014, one of them being "Equestria Girls: Battle of the Bands"[29][better source needed] and the other being "Equestria Girls: V.I.F. (Very Important Friend)".[30][better source needed]
On August 4, 2015, a Friendship Games game titled "Archery Game" was released on Hasbro's Equestria Girls website.[31][better source needed]
Other merchandise[edit]
Soundtracks[edit]
Main article: List of songs in Equestria Girls
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Soundtrack (2013)
Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks – Soundtrack (2014)
Equestria Girls: Friendship Games – Soundtrack (2015)
Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree – Soundtrack (2016)
The My Little Pony 2015 Convention Collection released for San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 contains select songs from the first two films: Equestria Girls and Rainbow Rocks.
There has been criticism over the anthropomorphism approach of the toy line, as well as the franchise overall. Prior to the Equestria Girls film's release, several mothers spoke to the New York Daily News stating concerns about the humanized characters, describing them as "too sexy", "anorexic", "going back to the original Barbie" or "looking like Bratz dolls", and several feared allowing their children to be influenced by the looks.[32] However, some considered it reasonable with other current media such as The Little Mermaid, with one parent stating she felt that it isn't "any worse than Ariel in a bikini top for two hours".[32]Slate's Amanda Marcotte considered that the characters' change to human form was to popularize Equestria Girls with the adult fanbase of Friendship Is Magic, who she claims "have expressed a strong interest in seeing the Ponies in sexy, humanized forms".[33] However, many of these adult fans expressed disappointment in the announcement of the franchise and the characters, considering Equestria Girls to be trying to pander to this older audience, and that the approach "goes against everything that Pony was trying to prove".[34]Craig McCracken, speaking for his wife Lauren Faust, Friendship Is Magic's creative showrunner for the first two seasons before stepping down, stated that McCracken felt she "wasn't the biggest fan" of Equestria Girls, opining that the approach of turning the pony characters into humans would have gone against the way she wanted to take the television series.[35]
Being largely a part of a toy line and media franchise from Hasbro, the criticism against commercialization was taken into account when reviewing the films and specials from the Equestria Girls series, whose reception has generally been mixed to positive for retaining the quality of the Friendship Is Magic television series. When reviewing the Friendship Games film, Mike Cahill of The Guardian gave the film two out of five stars, calling it "craven commercialism", but adding that "it's not unattractively designed, and its peppy collegiate spirit trumps the sappiness of Disney's Tinkerbell spin-offs".[36] Conversely, Adam Lemuz of Geekscape gave the same film a four out of five, praising its animation, music, directing and writing.[37]
^ "The Girls of Canterlot High Return to Discovery Family in Three New My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Specials to Air Throughout the Network's Annual "Summer Splash" Programming Event" (Press release). Miami, Florida: Discovery, Inc. May 26, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
^ "My Little Pony". The Toys That Made Us. Season 3. Episode 3. November 15, 2019. Event occurs at 39:00. Netflix.
^ Watercutter, Angela (June 9, 2011). "My Little Pony Corrals Unlikely Fanboys Known as 'Bronies'". Wired. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
^ "EQUESTRIA GIRLS - Trademark Details". Justia. December 18, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
^ ab Christie, Brendan (February–March 2013). "Hasbro Hits its Stride"(PDF). Kidscreen. pp. 33–34. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
^https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/business/hasbro-expands-transformers-brand-into-new-media.html
^ abc Schmidt, Gregory (May 12, 2013). "A New Direction for a Hasbro Stalwart". New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
^ ab "Hasbro Builds on MY LITTLE PONY Brand Growth Catering to Fans Worldwide" (Press release). Las Vegas, NV: Hasbro. Business Wire. June 19, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
^ "Hasbro Set to Drive Global Retail Programs with Strategic Licensing Supporting Company's Franchise Brands" (Press release). Pawtucket, RI: Hasbro. Business Wire. June 17, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
^ Chalker, Anne Marie (December 17, 2013). "Toy Makers Look to Extend the Run of Classic Girls' Characters". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 16, 2014. (subscription required)
^ "Hasbro Unveils Its Portfolio of Entertainment Brands and Innovative Must-Have Play Experiences at the 2014 American International Toy Fair" (Press release). New York, NY: Hasbro. Business Wire. February 15, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
^ "Hasbro Reveals My Little Pony Lineup At Toy Fair 2014". ToyBuzz.org. February 18, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
^ idlemichael (January 19, 2015). "Toy Fair 2015 – what did we see? Beware: Potential EG3 Spoilers!". UK of Equestria. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
^ Ilona (January 24, 2015). "Equestria Girls Friendship Games Dolls Listed on Amazon". MLP Merch. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
^ Hasbro (February 13, 2015). "2015 Investor Update at Toy Fair"(PDF). p. 63. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 3, 2016.
^ Hasbro. "my little pony Equestria girls 2015 product descriptions"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on November 4, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
^ Sethisto (August 4, 2015). "Equestria Girls: Legends of Everfree Highlighted in Hasbro's 2016 Entertainment Plan, Plus Season 6". Equestria Daily. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
^ Sethisto (February 12, 2016). "Legends of Everfree Dolls and Details - Character Names and Plot Revealed!". Equestria Daily. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
^ Johnson, Rich (July 11, 2013). "Samurai Jack Joins Doctor Who, Khan And My Little Pony As Locke & Key Comes To An End In IDW's October Solicitations For 2013". Bleeding Cool News. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
^ "My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks". ComicBookResources.com. April 2, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
^ "'Equestria Girls' : See a new music video - The Family Room - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
^ Equestria Girls™ Rainbow Rocks Part 1. YouTube. February 27, 2014. Archived from the original on October 4, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
^ Equestria Girls™ Rainbow Rocks Part 2. YouTube. August 4, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
^ "Friendship Games Brand Anthem". Hasbro. August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
^ "MY LITTLE PONY - Friendship is Magic". iTunes. October 1, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
^ "Hasbro Arcade". iTunes. April 8, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
^ "Equestria Girls: Repeat the Beat". Hasbro. June 7, 2014. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
^ "Equestria Girls: Battle of the Bands". Hasbro. Hasbro. July 31, 2014. Archived from the original on August 6, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
^ "Equestria Girls: V.I.F."Hasbro. Hasbro. July 31, 2014. Archived from the original on September 26, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
^ "Archery Game". Hasbro. August 4, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
^ ab Pesce, Nicole Lyn (June 12, 2013). "Gen X moms fear new 'My Little Pony' feature film horses are too hot to trot". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
^ Marcotte, Amanda (June 13, 2013). "Triumph of the Bronies: Hasbro Turning My Little Ponies Into Sexy Human Characters. Neigh.". Slate. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
^ Romano, Aja (May 15, 2013). "Why "My Little Pony" fandom is freaking out over "Equestria Girls"". Daily Dot. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
^ Ostroff, Joshua (October 22, 2013). "People Are Kids, Too". The Grid. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
^ Cahill, Mike (October 22, 2015). "My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Friendship Games review – rehoofed high jinks". The Guardian. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
^ Lumez, Adam (September 29, 2015). "Geekscape TV Reviews: 'Equestria Girls: Friendship Games' Spoiler Free". Geekscape. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
Sours: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Little_Pony:_Equestria_Girls
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Equestria Girls Creator
Play the game and create My Little Pony girl in the style of Equestria Girls Creator at our website Gamesmylittlepony.com. As other games, you can enjoy this game in your browser, your moble for free as well. Here you can create your My Little Pony character as you want. In the first game, you must create her body. You will choose body color and then you will change her style. Please choose the suitable color for her hair as well.
You know that there are six main My Little Pony characters such as Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. You can make one of six main My Little Pony characters. Because they are close with all audiences over the world.
Each character has a unique style and hairstyle. You can rely on the appearance of these six characters and create your unique My Little Pony charater. You will decide your character and choose hair style dress or shirt with pants, shoes, body color, eyes color, skin color and extras.
This is a simple game but it is very funny and interesting. I hope that you will like this game and come back here to play more game. We are here and getting ready to answer all your question about our game or our games systems. Beside this game, we have many other similar games such as Pony Creator, Classic Pony Creator, Human Pony Creator, Applejack's Wedding Cake Creator, My Little Pony Cutie Mark Creator. All games here are free and we update new game daily.
Here is our game video, you can use it to refer and play this game more easy.
You will use your mouse to create a unique My Little Pony character.
You will go to next step by step to make a nice pony.
You can make some characters if you like and have time.
Enjoy this game.
Tips and Tricks:
You will make My Little Pony character as you love.
Finish each task and next to other pages of game.
Please concentrate here and get score.
The strategies in this game are active and careful in the course of the game.
Tags: My Little Pony Equestria Girl Games, Pony games
Sours: https://gamesmylittlepony.com/play/Equestria-Girls-Creator.html
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls - Rainbow Rocks EXCLUSIVE Short - 'Player Piano'
Equestria Girls Character Generator
This is new game Equestria Girls Character Generator for free online at our website Gamesmylittlepony.com. You can play this game in your browser, your mobile and enjoy it for free as well. In this game, you will create a Myh little Pony Equestria girl. You will choose body, Hair, shirt, pants, shoes and extras for her. In the first game, you will choose body with body skin, face from and eyes color. Then you will choose hairstyle for her. You can take the hairstyle by following the main my little pony characters such as Rarity, Apple Jack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy or Twilight Sparkle. You will continue to choose the shirt and pants for her as well. Please don't forget to take some accessories such as bracelet, necklace or hat,..This is a simple game but it is very funny and interesting. I hope that you will like this game. Have fun!
Play this game with your mouse.
Tags: My Little Pony Equestria Girl Games, My Little Pony Equestria Girl Games Dress Up, My Little Pony Equestria Girls Games
Sours: https://gamesmylittlepony.com/play/Equestria-Girls-Character-Generator.html
Creator equestria girl
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Deceive my nipples, I moaned. She said to take off her panties, I slowly pulled off my panties, and he began to caress my virgin pussy, I was very pleased, I blissed out. He ran his fingers over it and fingered the clitoris, rarely sticking my finger inside. I moaned, then, I spread my legs, and he began to caress my pussy again, but with his cock. Denis slowly began to shove him inside, it hurt, I moaned, I felt my hymen tear, he also felt and began to fuck me deeper and harder, I moaned and screamed.
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Are you interested in purchasing a lift chair recliner in Goodyear, AZ? Read on as we'll educate you about lift seats, purchasing or renting one, and where to do so. We will teach you how much you can expect to pay as well as how much extras should cost. We'll also educate you on how a producer's warranty should be. This site finishes with information on where you can purchase lift seats locally, if you wish to not purchase one online.
Below is our recommended lift chairs. They come with no sales tax and free freight transport. Locally purchase recliners will have sales tax added to their cost.
There are three basic types of lift chairs: 2-position lift chairs, 3-position lift chairs, and infinite position lift chairs. 2 position lift chairs are able to go into the sitting position and a 15 degree recline. They only have these two pre-set positions and the back can not be moved independently from the ottoman. 3 position lift chairs can go into the sitting position, a 15 degree recline, and a 45 degree recline. The back can not move alone from the ottoman. Infinite position lift chairs can go into any position and footrest and the back can proceed independently. This is as a result of infinite position lift chairs having two motors. Some lift chairs can go into the Zero Gravity position, a position created by NASA to reduce join anxiety, the Zero Gravity position is excellent for individuals who experience joint pain. Some can go into the Trendelenburg position.
Two position lift chairs are limited in features and have no real savings. The typical price for a two position lift chair is $769 which is lower than the typical price for a three position lift chair but the lowest price 2 position lift seat costs more than the lowest price three position lift chair. We recommend you purchase a three position lift seat if you're thinking about buying a two position lift chair — there's no point in purchasing a two position lift chair.
An infinite position lift chair has a full range of motion. Because they have two motors, their ottomans can be transferred independently of their backs. Additionally they can lie completely flat for use as a bed. The typical cost for an unlimited position lift chair is $1,300, rather higher than the typical price 3-position lift seat but there are units as low as $700.
Should you purchase one or rent a lift seat? The lowest price for a lift chair rental is $85/month. The average price is $110/week. This doesn't include set up fees. The lowest cost for a lift chair recliner is $500. People on Medicare part B can qualify for a $250 lift chair rebate, making their lift chair cost as low as $250. Hence, it is better to purchase a low end lift chair than lease one. One can simply sell it later and pay much less than $85/month.
One can purchase used lift chair recliners on E-bay and craigslist.org but, is it worth it? Used lift chairs are typically around $250 or more. The lowest price 3-position lift chair is $500 so there's some savings if one doesn't qualify for Medicare's $250 compensation in buying an used lift seat. The savings can be amazing if one buys an used leather lift chair for $250. As guarantees are only good for the first owner other than that, it is uncertain. We recommend people buy a brand new entry level lift chair recliner if they can be contemplating an used elevator chair.
Medicare has a rebate of $250 to $300 for people who are on Medicare part B and satisfy Medicare's medical necessity condition. Those individuals can have the price of the lifting mechanism in their own lift chair recliner compensated by Medicare. Read about getting the Medicare lift chair recliner rebate here.
Below are the warranties for each company, in brief. Typically the frame, lifting and reclining mechanism is covered for a lifetime. Fabric is normally not covered at all. Everything gets at least a 1 year warranty. This generally only applies to the first owner and in residential use.
Lift Chairs can be purchased at the following local retailers besides being accessible at a variety of local stores such as Costco, Walgreens, Art Van Furniture, Franklin, Value City Furniture, Sam's Club, and Lazy Boy. Some also sell other mobility devices for example electric scooters, medical equipment lease mobility scooters, wheelchairs, stair lifts, bed lifts, elevator, and pool lifts. Craigslist is also a good area to find new and used lift seats. The vast majority of the things sold via these retailers are American furniture so you're certain to locate a quality merchandise.


text:
REMEMBERING ANTHOINE HUBERT AT SPA
Antoine Hubert
Pedro Piquet was a winner in F3
The Formula 2 and Formula 3 weekend at Spa-Francorchamps was overshadowed by the tragic death of F2 driver Anthoine Hubert following an incident during the first race.
Pirelli extends its condolences to all of Anthoine's family, friends and colleagues, and sends best wishes to his fellow driver Juan Manuel Correa, who was taken to hospital. Both Formula 2 races were cancelled following the incident, with a number of tributes to Anthoine taking place during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.
In Formula 3, Pedro Piquet – the son of three-time Formula 1 champion Nelson – won the opening race for Trident on Saturday ahead of the Prema drivers Robert Shwartzman and Jehan Daruvala: Piquet claimed the lead on the first lap before pulling away from his rivals, managing his medium tyres well in warm and sunny conditions at the demanding Spa circuit.
Sunday's second F3 race was held in much cooler conditions, and there was even a brief rain shower during a mid-race safety car period. Marcus Armstrong took the win for Prema in front of Yuki Tsunoda (Jenzer Motorsport) while Shwartzman scored another podium to increase his championship lead.
Pirelli's head of F1 and car racing Mario Isola: "Anthoine was loved and respected by all his racing colleagues, and it was a real pleasure for us last year in Abu Dhabi to present him with a scholarship award after he brilliantly won the GP3 Series, which helped him take the next step in his exceptionally promising career. Like the rest of the motorsport community, we are all still struggling to come to terms with what has happened. The thoughts of us at Pirelli are now with his family and many friends."
For further information about Pirelli, please contact Anthony Peacock on +44 (0)7765 896 930 or anthony.peacock.ex@pirelli.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
"Every year, about 2.7 million newborns die during the first month of life."
TB Determined
Good news in the fight to stop one of the world's oldest diseases
We've finally moved into the next phase of the fight against tuberculosis.
When you work in global health, you see a lot of sickness and tragedy. You never get used to it, but after years of visiting hospitals and clinics, I thought I knew generally what to expect.
Nothing could prepare me, though, for the drug resistant tuberculosis ward I visited in Durban, South Africa in 2009. Every bed was filled, and the waiting list for admission was more than 80 names long. The worst part was the floor that was just for children, including several infants. One baby had XDR-TB, the deadliest and most difficult to treat form of drug-resistant TB. It was truly awful to see.
Soon, however, TB hospitals in South Africa may look very different. Recent scientific breakthroughs mean that many of the wards that used to be full of patients may one day be filled with empty beds instead. That's a testament to the incredible efforts of TB researchers around the world. One of those amazing scientists is Dr. Andreas Diacon, who founded an organization called TASK.
Dr. Diacon started his career as a TB specialist in Switzerland, where he rarely treated more than five patients at once. TB kills more people than any other infectious disease, but few of them are in level 4 countries like Switzerland. Because he was able to spend so much time with each patient, he got to know the ins and outs of the disease better than most. He eventually ended up in Cape Town, overseeing a clinical trial for the first new TB drug in decades.
TB research stalled in the late 20th century, because existing drugs were seen as sufficient, and there was little financial incentive to create new ones. In 2005, Dr. Diacon created TASK to help accelerate the development pipeline for novel TB treatments. The organization started with a staff of five and has grown to 180 employees. They've overseen trials of multiple drugs that are now being used to cure patients, including some with drug-resistant TB.
Drug resistance develops when a TB patient takes an insufficient amount of drugs to cure the disease. If a patient doesn't finish a full course of medication, the bacteria that causes TB can mutate and become resistant to the most common forms of treatment. That mutated bacteria can then spread to other people. About one out of every 20 patients that Dr. Diacon sees has some form of drug resistance.
Even XDR-TB is curable, but not everyone responds to the treatment, and it is pretty brutal. The most common method requires daily injections for up to two years. Because those injections can only be done by a professional, patients who don't live near a clinic often have to remain hospitalized even after they're no longer contagious. The drugs can cause a whole range of terrible side effects, including nausea, fatigue, and even hearing loss.
Luckily, there appears to be a better way to treat XDR-TB. Researchers have identified a new three-drug cocktail that requires only six months of treatment. Instead of painful injections, patients take a fixed number of pills (the exact number depends on your weight and age) once a day.
The new course has fewer negative side effects than the injectable one, and there's no risk of causing deafness. It's also outpatient based, so people don't have to stay in the hospital while receiving treatment. Plus, it's cheaper than other treatments.
Some of these new drugs are already saving lives in South Africa. The country has the highest rate of drug-resistant TB infections per capita in the world, in large part because of the ongoing HIV epidemic (three out of every five TB patients in South Africa are also HIV-positive). With the old, injectable treatment, only 60 percent of those patients were still alive after 50 weeks of treatment. Today, with the new three-drug cocktail, 87 percent survive. That's a remarkable increase.
Tuberculosis has haunted humanity for millennia—it's even been found in Egyptian mummies. For most of that time, we had no clue how to stop it. Scientists finally found a cure in the mid-1900s, but it was imperfect, and innovation stalled for decades. Thanks to brilliant scientists in South Africa and around the world—including the team at TASK—we've finally moved into the next phase of the fight against tuberculosis.
Meet more of my heroes in the field


This guide was written by Emma Walton Hamilton, bestselling author of numerous books including "Raising Bookworms: Get Your Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment".
Emma is passionate about helping parents raise children who love to read and her strategies have been proven to work over and over again.
* WHY is it so important that we raise our kids to be readers?


text:
An alternate history world war that would make Harry Turtledove proud.
Platform(s): Playstation 3
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release Date: Nov. 13, 2006
Number of Players: 1-4, 2 player local co-op, 40 online MP
With Insomniac's first entry on the PS3 we were given a truly great launch title that introduced us to Nathan Hale and the beginning of man's fight against an enemy worse than the Nazis.
The Chimera, an extraterrestrial force with far more advanced technology spreads mysteriously across Russia and Europe like a plague converting humans into a hybrid of their culture destroying everything in its path. Because of this threat WWII never happens as nations of the world now have an outside threat to unite against. When we jump into the boots of Nathan Hale, an American Army Sgt., much of Europe is destroyed with Britain desperately trying to hold off the Chimera.
At first glance, Resistance looks like a standard FPS but once you get into the game and sample the imaginative weapons you realize that it's more innovator than imitator. The unique arsenal you have access to includes traditional human weapons and Chimeran hardware. Each weapon has an alternate fire that either increases its effectiveness or could help to defend you. A favorite was the Auger which not only allows you to see targets through walls but once activating its secondary feature provided an energy shield directly in front of you for a short time. Also included in the mix were several grenade types such as a standard frag, a hedgehog which sent out spikes as it detonated, and air fuel grenade that would stick to surfaces and release a gas that it could then ignite to incinerate anything in the area.
Resistance's visuals, while great for a PS3 launch title, were overshadowed by Gears of War which released around the same time for the 360. Like Gears, its color palette was on the dark side and gave the game a bit of a drab look. Where Resistance excelled was in animation and detailed flourishes to the weapons and their affects on the enemy. One of my favorite details was that if you were accurate enough, you could sever the tubes of the breathing apparatus on the Chimera backpack which would then flail about venting gas.
Most of Resistance's soundtrack feels like it belongs in the period and helps to sell the environment and the scenarios you find yourself in. Enemy grunts, growls, and weapons fire all shine in surround sound.
With its couch co-op and variety of online modes, Resistance has enough to bring you back for multiple sessions to stomp the Chimera or your buddies on the battlefield.
Resistance: Fall of Man is a game that every PS3 owner should play and own. Its unique story and weapons are among the best of the next generation of first-person shooters.
Posted by PanzerNinja at 11:20 PM
More: #resistance, #resistancefallofman, #reviews


text:
Tag Archives: Russia
Hybrid Warfare, Russia, Seminar, War Studies, Workshop
Annual Russia Seminar 2021
January 26, 2021 mikaelweissmann
Attending the 2021 Annual Russia Seminar organised by the Finland National Defence University 26 January and 2 February. The seminar discusses Russian military policy and the research development in that field.
Program: https://maanpuolustuskorkeakoulu.fi/en/russia-seminar/programme
Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PURKPOeskBk
ConferenceRussiaWorkshop
Edited Volume, Hybrid Warfare Research Group (HWRG), War Studies
BOOK: Hybrid Warfare: Security and Asymmetric Conflict in International Relations
December 12, 2020 mikaelweissmann
Niklas Nilsson, Björn Palmertz, Per Thunholm and my forthcoming book on "Hybrid Warfare: Security and Asymmetric Conflict in International Relations" is now available for pre-order for £17.99. Delivery in April. It will also be available free on-line.
Hybrid Warfare refers to a military strategy that blends conventional warfare, so-called 'irregular warfare' and cyber-attacks with other influencing methods, such as fake news, diplomacy and foreign political intervention. As Hybrid Warfare becomes increasingly commonplace, there is an imminent need for research bringing attention to how these challenges can be addressed in order to develop a comprehensive approach towards Hybrid Threats and Hybrid Warfare. This volume supports the development of such an approach by bringing together practitioners and scholarly perspectives on the topic and by covering the threats themselves, as well as the tools and means to counter them, together with a number of real-world case studies.
The book covers numerous aspects of current Hybrid Warfare discourses including a discussion of the perspectives of key western actors such as NATO, the US and the EU; an analysis of Russia and China's Hybrid Warfare capabilities; and the growing threat of cyberwarfare. A range of global case studies – featuring specific examples from the Baltics, Taiwan, Ukraine, Iran and Catalonia – are drawn upon to demonstrate the employment of Hybrid Warfare tactics and how they have been countered in practice. Finally, the editors propose a new method through which to understand the dynamics of Hybrid Threats, Warfare and their countermeasures, termed the 'Hybridity Blizzard Model'. With a focus on practitioner insight and practicable International Relations theory, this volume is an essential guide to identifying, analysing and countering Hybrid Threats and Warfare.
Foreword – Amb. Fredrik Löjdquist, Ambassador and Special Envoy for Countering Hybrid Threats, Sweden
1. Security Challenges in the Grey Zone: Hybrid Threats and Hybrid WarfareDr. Niklas Nilsson, Dr. Mikael Weissmann, Björn Palmertz, Per Thunholm, Henrik Häggström
2. NATO and Hybrid Warfare: Seeking a Concept to Describe the Challenge from Russia
Dr. G. Alexander Crowther, Research Professor, Florida International University, former Special Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and former researcher in the Strategic Studies Institute and the US National Defense University.
3. An American View: Hybrid Threats and Intelligence
Dr. Gregory F. Treverton, University of Southern California, former Chair of the US National Intelligence Council
4. A Perspective on EU Hybrid Threat Early Warning Efforts
Dr. Patrick Cullen, Senior Research Fellow, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) & member of the "Countering Hybrid Warfare" component of the Multinational Capability Development Campaign (MCDC)
5. Conceptualizing and Countering Hybrid Threats and Hybrid Warfare: The Role of the Military in the Grey-zone
Dr. Mikael Weissmann, Associate Professor, Head of Research at the Land Operations Section and Co-Convener of the Hybrid Warfare Research Group, Department of Military Studies, Swedish Defence University.
6. Understanding Russian Thinking on Gibridnaya Voyna
Dr. Markus Göransson, Assistant Professor and project leader of the Russia program, Swedish Defence University
7. China and its Hybrid Warfare Spectrum
Dr. Lora Saalman, Senior Fellow, EastWest Institute; Associate Senior Fellow, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
8. Influence Operations and the Modern Information Environment
Björn Palmertz, Senior Analyst, CATS, Swedish Defence University
9. Hybrid Threats and New Challenges for Multilateral Intelligence Cooperation
Henrik Häggström, Senior Analyst, Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies (CATS), Swedish Defence University
10. Cyberwarfare and the Internet: the Implications of a More Digitalized World
Anne-Marie Eklund-Löwinder, Head of Security, The Swedish Internet Foundation and Cryptographic Officer at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Anna Djup, Analyst, Information Assurance, Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies (CATS), Swedish Defence University
11. The US and Hybrid Challenges: Past, Present and Future
Jed Willard, Director of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Center for Global Engagement, Harvard University
12. China's Political Warfare in Taiwan: Strategies, Methods, and Global Implication
Dr Gulizar Haciyakupoglu, Research Fellow, the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
Dr Michael Raska, Assistant Professor, Coordinator of Military Transformations Programme, IDSS, RSIS, Singapore
13. Hybrid Warfare in the Baltics
Dr Dorthe Bach Nyemann, Associate Professor in International Relations, Institute for Strategy, Royal Danish Defence College
14. De-Hybridization and Conflict Narration: Ukraine's Defence against Russian Hybrid Warfare
Dr. Niklas Nilsson, Assistant Professor, Co-Convener of the Hybrid Warfare Research Group, Department of Military Studies, Swedish Defence University
15. Iran's Hybrid Warfare Capabilities
Dr. Rouzbeh Parsi, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Programme, Swedish Institute of International Affairs
16. Information Influencing in the Catalan Illegal Referendum and Beyond
Dr. Ruben Arcos, Rey Juan Carlos University
17. Moving out of the Blizzard: Towards a Comprehensive Approach to Hybrid Threats and Hybrid Warfare
Dr. Mikael Weissmann, Dr. Niklas Nilsson, Björn Palmertz
Asymmetric Warfaregrey areaGrey-ZoneHybridHybrid ThreatsHybrid warfareHybrid Warfare Research GroupIntelligence Studiesirregular warfareMilitary and PoliticsMilitary IntelligenceRussiaStrategy (Military Science)WarWar Studieswarfare
Hybrid Warfare, Publication, War Studies
Hybrid warfare and hybrid threats today and tomorrow: towards an analytical framework
August 7, 2019 mikaelweissmann
I just published a new article in Baltic Defence College's Journal on Baltic Security – HYBRID WARFARE AND HYBRID THREATS TODAY AND TOMORROW: TOWARDS AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK.
This article first traces the origin of hybrid warfare and the label game surrounding the concept, asking whether it is merely old wine in a new bottle, and if so, whether it is still a useful concept. It is found that while being old wine in new bottles, it is still a good wine well worth drinking. While there is not much new in the concept itself, it is a useful tool to think about past wars, today's wars and the wars of the future. Thereafter, this paper analyses how hybrid warfare and hybrid threats are to be understood in the context of peace, conflict and war. It is shown how hybrid warfare and threats fit into our traditional understanding of conflict dynamics.
Full text (OPEN ACCESS): https://doi.org/10.2478/jobs-2019-0002
Asymmetric Warfareconflict dynamicsgray zoneHybrid ThreatsHybrid warfareirregular warfarenew generation warfareRussiaSwedenwarfare
Georgia, Hybrid Warfare Research Group (HWRG), Lecture, Russia, Ukraine, War Studies
First spring seminar with the Hybrid Warfare Research Group
March 29, 2019 mikaelweissmann
On April 4th Dr Johan Engvall ot the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) will visit the Swedish Defence University's Hybrid Warfare Research Group. He will speak on his recent report "OSCE and Military Confidence Building: Lessons from Georgia and Ukraine" .
FOIGeorgiaHybridHybrid ThreatsHybrid warfareHybrid Warfare Research GroupJohan EngvallOSCEOSSERussiaSwedish Defence Research Agency (FOI)Swedish Defence UniversityUkraine
Belt and Road Initative, China, Europe-Asia relations, Power Shift, Publication
Will Trump make China great again? The belt and road initiative and international order
"Will Trump make China great again? The belt and road initiative and international order" – new article in Chatham House's International Affairs with Astrid H. M. Nordin) – full text on https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iix242
AIIBBelt and RoadBRICentral AsiaChinaNew Silk RoadOBOROne Belt One RoadRussiaRussia China RelationsSilk Road Economic Belt
Belt and Road Initative, China, Europe-Asia relations, Power Shift, Publication, Russia
Sweden's approach to China's Belt and Road Initiative: Still a glass half-empty
September 26, 2017 mikaelweissmann
New paper on Sweden and the Belt and Road Initiative just out: Sweden's approach to China's Belt and Road Initiative: Still a glass half-empty (UI Paper, No.1 2017 with Elin Rappe).
In 2013 China's President Xi Jinping launched the "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) initiative, later renamed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which involves China undertaking to make infrastructure investments worth billions of US dollars in the countries along the old Silk Road connecting China with Europe. While commonly seen as an infrastructure initiative aimed at strengthening the Chinese economy, it is also a political project with far-reaching strategic aims.
This UI Brief outlines how China has approached the BRI with Sweden, how Sweden has responded and the perceptions of major Swedish stakeholders. It finds that Swedish officials are often highly cautious, maintaining a wait-and see policy. While also cautious, members of the business community are cautiously optimistic and have been more actively following BRIrelated developments, seeking out avenues for potential business. The actual impact of BRI in Sweden, however, is so far very limited.
The Brief concludes that Sweden's approach to BRI has been too reactive and too passive. It argues that both the government and the business community need to engage more actively with the BRI in order to maximize its possible benefits. To this end, a national strategy is needed that includes the government and the business sector. Better coordination is also needed between government agencies and to link existing intra-governmental cooperation with the business community. Their importance cannot be overemphasized as the BRI is a political project, not an idealistic free-market endeavour.
AIIBBelt and RoadBRICentral AsiaChinaNew Silk RoadOBOROne Belt One RoadRussiaRussia China RelationsSilk Road Economic BeltSweden
China, Publication, Russia
China and Russia
June 15, 2015 mikaelweissmann
Do you want to understand the relations between China and Russia? Then you should have a look at this report I have co-written for the Swedish Defence Research Agency.
China and Russia – A Study on Cooperation, Competition and Distrust (with Märta Carlsson & Susanne Oxenstierna), Report no FOI-R- -4087-SE, Stockholm: Swedish Defence Research Agency, 2015, pp.100.
Arms TradeAsia Pacific RegionCentral AsiaChinaGreat Power PoliticsGreat PowersInternational Politics (Relationship between the great powers)Power BalancingRussiaRussia China RelationsStrategic PartnershipTechnology transferUkraineUnited States


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Looking for high-quality religious education resources for families, small groups or congregations? RE Express Plus from the UUA's Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) offers tools to create a complete Religious Education program for a small group, or to creatively expand a larger program. It's designed to be easy to implement, and is targeted to mixed-age groups of children, but can be adapted for different age levels.
Click here for a downloadable flyer highlighting this faith development curriculum, which is delivered monthly via email. There are sessions for each week, including opening and closing words, centering activities, discussion topics and more. This year, the Rev. Dr. Lynn Ungar will be writing about The Big Questions. Themes change annually.
The program is free to CLF members, or available to non-members for a $129 annual fee. Additional CLF resources for families are also available at the virtual congregation's website.


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Prithvi Shaw sustained an ankle injury during on the third day of India's warm-up clash against Cricket Australia XI.
India have suffered a big blow ahead of the first Test against Australia in Adelaide as opener Prithvi Shaw has been ruled out due to an injury on Friday.Shaw sustained an ankle injury on the third day of India's warm-up clash against Cricket Australia XI.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the star India opener won't be able to take part in the first Test which is scheduled to start on December 6.
"Opening batsman Prithvi Shaw suffered a left ankle injury while attempting a catch at the boundary ropes in the tour game against CA XI at The Sydney Cricket Ground," a BCCI statement read.
Not just for India but it was also a big blow for Shaw who seemed to be in good form Down Under. The 19-year-old hit a masterful half-century in the warm-up match on the second day which included 11 fours during his 69-ball stay at the crease.
Earlier, on his debut, Shaw scored an attacking 134 against West Indies and followed up with a 70 and unbeaten 33 in the second test against the Caribbean side.


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A Few More Reactions to the Tax Cut Agreement
By Mark Thoma on December 8, 2010
Update — More Reactions:
Paul Krugman:
So the tax deal is out. Obama extracted some concessions, with the big surprise being a payroll tax cut. How much better do these concessions make the thing? …[T]his raises GDP by 0.7 percent relative to otherwise; rule of thumb is that one point on GDP is half a point on unemployment, so add 0.35 points to the CBO numbers.
That's a two-year average; what about timing? Both the payroll tax break and the unemployment extension are for the first year only. So, a bigger boost next year, fading out in 2012. Since all the evidence says that elections depend on the rate of change of unemployment, not its level, this is actually bad news for Obama: he's setting himself up for an economic stall in the months leading into the 2012 election.
Oh, and he's overpromising again:
"It's not perfect, but this compromise is an essential step on the road to recovery," Mr. Obama said. "It will stop middle-class taxes from going up. It will spur our private sector to create millions of new jobs, and add momentum that our economy badly needs."
Millions of new jobs? Millions? Not by my arithmetic.
So, was this worth it? I'd still say no, although it's better than what I expected over the weekend. It still greatly increases the chances of the Bush tax cuts being made permanent — especially because the front-loading of the stimulative stuff actually worsens Obama's 2012 electoral prospects.
Overall, enough sweetener has been added to diminish, but not eliminate, the bitterness of the disappointment.
A further thought on the tax deal: didn't the administration repeat exactly the same mistake it made on the original stimulus? The stimulus was too small; but it also too short-lived, with the maximum impact on growth coming in the winter of 2009-2010, then turning negative just in time for the midterm election.
Now we have unemployment insurance and payroll tax cuts for 2011, going away in 2012 — just in time to put the administration in big trouble as the election looms.
This only makes sense if you believe we'll be in a self-sustaining, strong recovery by late 2011. Stranger things have happened, but …
And remember, mistaken forecasts of self-sustaining recovery taking hold were a big part of the original stimulus mistake.
Greg Mankiw:
I am generally pleased with the compromise over taxes the President and Republicans struck yesterday. (The President should be too, but he seemed dejected at his news conference. Buck up, Mr President! You don't want anyone to start thinking of the word "malaise.") …
As the policy was described yesterday, this payroll tax cut goes entirely to the worker. This increases work incentives, but the main motivation is probably to increase take-home pay, consumer spending, and aggregate demand. CEA chair Austan Goolsbee recently said, "We're not saying that our long-term recovery ought to be built on trying to increase consumer spending." Maybe not, but the plans for short-run recovery are very definitely consumption-based.
An alternative would have been to reduce the employer's share of the payroll tax, at least to some degree. Given a sticky wage, this policy would have reduced the cost of hiring and, to the extent labor demand curves slope downward, increased employment. It would also have increased business cash-flow and, to the extent that firms are cash-constrained, increased business investment.
I should note that, as part of the deal, the President also got his proposal to allow businesses to expense investment spending. As I have said previously, this is a good idea, but the impact is likely to be modest.
Lane Kenworthy:
On policy grounds, I'm not happy about President Obama's decision to go along with a two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts for those making over a million dollars a year and with a scaled-back estate tax. But there's an economic and political logic to it.
Economic: The most important thing our federal government can do at the moment is to help the economy. Fiscal policy options are limited; there's no chance of a second stimulus package. Extending the tax breaks for the richest will help — not a lot, since much of the money the rich get to keep will be saved rather than spent, but a little. More important, in exchange the administration got an extension of unemployment benefits for several million people and additional tax reductions for low- and middle-income Americans.
Political: The general line of commentary on the left suggests that compromising with Republicans on this issue hurts Obama politically. Comparisons to Jimmy Carter are becoming commonplace. But Bill Clinton got the same kind of flak. In the end, the key difference between the Carter and Clinton presidencies wasn't clarity of vision, a big idea, decisiveness, toughness, progressiveness, or partisanship. It was how the economy performed as each approached reelection. If our economy gets back on its feet, President Obama and his party are likely to fare well in the 2012 elections, and images of Obama as Carter redux will be a distant memory.
Ryan Avent:
…In this imperfect political world, the agreement to temporarily extend all of the Bush tax cuts, extend unemployment insurance, and temporarily reduce payroll tax rates and allow enhanced business expensing looks like a pretty good outcome for the American economy. The sharp criticisms levied at it by both the Democrat base and the country's real deficit hawks are both overstated. …
[End of update.]
Brad DeLong:
Most of this round of stimulus does look to be relatively low bang-for-buck, and it is not paid for over ten years, but it does look to me as though it is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
Dean Baker:
It is important to realize that most of the money in this package is maintaining tax cuts in place that were scheduled to expire. This will prevent tax increases from having a contractionary impact on the economy, however there is very little, if any, net stimulus in this package compared with current levels of taxation and spending.
Larry Mishel of the EPI:
Who got what out of the deal is clear. The Republicans got tax cuts for the best-off two percent and lower estate taxes for the very wealthiest families, neither of which will do much if anything to create jobs.
President Obama won policies that will put or keep money in the pockets of the families of the unemployed and middle and low-income families, which will increase spending and create jobs. That's what a payroll tax holiday for workers, unemployment benefits and the various tax credits will do: create customers for business and create jobs, which is our biggest need right now.
In two years, the American people will have a clear choice about who the tax code will favor. That debate will, I hope, highlight the hypocrisy of those wanting to deepen the deficit by extending tax cuts for the rich while simultaneously cutting health care, Social Security and domestic public investments in the name of deficit reduction.
Ezra Klein:
So is this a good deal? It's a lot better than I would've told you the White House was going to get if you'd asked me a week ago. There's some new stimulus in the form of the payroll-tax cut and the expensing proposals. The older stimulus programs that are getting extended — notably the unemployment insurance and the tax credits — probably would've expired outside of this deal. The tax cuts for income over $250,000 are a bad way to spend $100 billion or so, and the estate tax deal is really noxious.
It's bad news for the deficit, though the White House and Congress are right to make the deficit less of a priority than economic recovery. And speaking of that economic recovery? This isn't enough, and it's not well targeted. The … end result is between $200 and $300 billion more in tax breaks, tax credits and unemployment insurance than there would've been if not for this deal… That's better than nothing — or to be more specific, better than backsliding.
Most of the money just keeps programs that are currently in effect from expiring, so in some ways, it would be more accurate to say that this money is anti-contractionary rather than stimulative. It's important that the White House doesn't repeat the mistake it made in the original stimulus and overpromise how much this will do for the economy. …
And finally, it's something of a hopeful sign: The White House sat in a room with Republicans and Democrats and managed to negotiate an actual compromise. The final deal includes some things that Democrats will like and some things they won't like, and it includes some things Republicans will like and some things they won't like. But it's a deal, and … if you want to be optimistic, this process suggests that the next two years might be a bit more productive than some of us have been predicting.
Tom Bozzo:
Maynard at Creative Destruction has the optimist's take on the reported tax cut deal:
[T]he deal supposedly struck between Obama and the Republicans is not too bad and better than was to be expected. We give the rich about $60 billion a year, and in return get about as much economic stimulus, focused on low- and moderate-income people, as we could hope to get.
…I tend to agree. …
Felix Salmon:
The outlines of the tax-cut negotiations have finally come into focus: basically, it's a kitchen-sink approach where Republicans and Democrats all get the tax cuts they want. The Bush tax cuts get extended for people earning more than $250,000 a year — and unemployment insurance gets extended, along with various tax credits. On top of that, there's a 2% cut in payroll taxes, and the reintroduction of the estate tax at the Republicans' preferred level: 35% of estates over $5 million. There's even a nice new tax deduction for businesses making new investments. This is tax cutting, Oprah-style: you get a tax cut! And you get a tax cut! And you! And you! You all get a tax cut!
This is clearly a win for the Republicans, who get everything they want for the rich. … Meanwhile, all the Congressional opposition to this deal is going to come from Democrats, who are basically being asked to sign off on exactly the same bill that George W Bush would have asked for, with a spoonful of unemployment-benefit sugar to help the medicine go down. …
The estate tax and the extension of high end tax cuts are causing the most heated reactions, and the payroll tax cut is generally being applauded. But I see the payroll tax reduction as potentially troublesome as well. Though the revenue the Social Security system loses due to the tax cut will be backfilled from general revenues, the worry is that the tax cut will not expire as scheduled — temporary tax cuts have a way of turning permanent. That's especially true in this case since labor markets are very unlikely to recover within the next year and it will be easy to argue against the scheduled "tax increase" for workers. In fact, it will never be a good time to increase taxes on workers and if the tax cut is extended once, as it's likely to be, it will be hard to ever increase it back to where it was. That endangers Social Security funding — relying on general revenue transfers sets the system up for cuts down the road — and for that reason I would have preferred that this be enacted in a way that produces the same outcome, but has different political optics. That is, leave the payroll tax at 6% on the books and keep sending the money to Social Security, and fund a 2% tax "rebate" out of general revenues. The rebate would come, technically, as a payment from general revenues rather than through a cut in the payroll tax, but in the end the effect would be identical. But the technicality is important since it preserves the existing funding mechanism for Social Security even if the taxes are permanently extended.
Originally published at Economist's View and reproduced here with permission.
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A Few More Reactions to the Tax Cut Agreement added by Mark Thoma on December 8, 2010
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text:
Top VC says tech must start telling its positive story
Paul SmithTechnology Editor
Jul 1, 2019 — 4.31pm
By most metrics you could care to consider the Australian tech start-up ecosystem is in the rudest of health. It is well into an era of post-dotcom bust second coming, with company founders able to target a richer pool of external capital than ever before, yet Craig Blair is worried people don't seem happier about it.
The co-founder and partner at Airtree Ventures, one of the country's biggest backers of new tech empires, says he is concerned that angst about the negative impact of big tech companies on society is prejudicing politicians and citizens about the improvements being ushered in by entrepreneurial vision.
Airtree Ventures partner Craig Blair says embracing tech will increase productivity, jobs and wealth. AFR
As his fund toasts the first IPO success of its portfolio companies, in fintech lender Prospa, Blair says he wants more of Australia to understand the positive societal and financial impacts being driven by new industry players.
"You can't skip over the harmful effects that big tech is having on some aspects of life and society, but I think there's no question that, if you look at countries who've embraced technology, then productivity increases, jobs increase, wealth increases and fairness is improved," Blair says.
"In companies that we have backed we are seeing smart people tackling incredibly interesting societal problems, such as health, the environment, education and the future of work.
"As a sector it is driving wealth creation, with about 10 to 12 companies being created every year, that go on to be worth more than $100 million."
The local tech sector has had a rude awakening in terms of its standing among Australia's leaders in recent times. The reverence of Malcolm Turnbull's "Ideas Boom" has been replaced by something more closely resembling a cold shoulder during the past three years.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews recently pledged to hold clear-the-air talks with tech entrepreneurs, who felt the government was ignoring their concerns when it came to policies such as reducing R&D Incentives expenditure and introducing anti-encryption laws that harmed the potential for software exports.
Rather than allow an assumption that tech progress equates to automation and job losses, Blair says Australians should be educated on the creation of new industries and job roles that didn't exist when they left school, but which will appeal to their children.
"In recent years I think the government has had other agendas, but the tech sector needs to do better in helping to build a narrative that is more compelling for the politicians to sell related to progress," Blair says.
"I think one of the things we learned from the last election is that the ability to distil a message down to something where, Tracy from Parramatta can actually understand what it means for her and her family, is super- important.
"It's absolutely about showing people that they have an opportunity to improve their lives, and that while the future of work will look very different, that's mostly positive not negative, and there are many more jobs going to be created that we don't know exist yet."
As a fund manager Blair says Airtree investors know they need to have patience in expecting returns on investments.
He says start-up funds can have a 10- year cycle and investors need to hold their nerve as the companies that fail will happen earlier than the ones that go on to succeed dramatically.
Prospa's successful IPO, a year after it was initially delayed from listing by regulatory concerns, has helped show backers they are on to a good thing
"I think there's never been a better time to start up a tech company; the number of start-ups is increasing tenfold. But more importantly, the ambition of founders has now increased immeasurably," Blair says.
"If you're interested in solving long-term societal problems, and backing big ambitious founders, it's all about having a long-term view and patient capital ... The reality is that 'overnight successes' take eight years to mature."
Technology & democracy
Paul Smith leads the The Australian Financial Review's technology coverage and has been a leading writer on all areas of the sector for almost 20 years. He covers big tech, how businesses are using technology, fast growing start-ups, telecommunications and national innovation policy. Connect with Paul on Twitter. Email Paul at psmith@afr.com.au
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