I really like the puzzle. It's accessible enough for a Monday and the theme is interesting and multi-layered. That's not easy to do.
We have four theme entries and a revealer.
17a [Extremely inexpensive] is DIRT CHEAP. Earworm alert!
24a [Bottom-up, as a political movement] is GRASS-ROOTS.
45a [Amateurish] is BUSH LEAGUE.
57a [Bars that kids go to?] is the JUNGLE GYM.
And the revealer: 37a ["Now things are getting interesting" … or a hint to the first words of 17-, 24-, 45-, and 57-Across]: THE PLOT THICKENS. We go from DIRT to GRASS to BUSH to JUNGLE on the same PLOT of land. This gave me a satisfying "aha" moment on a Monday puzzle. Very nice. The fill is quite clean for a puzzle with this much theme material.
6d [___-de-lis] is FLEUR. I have also seen the last word spelled LYS. A Google N-gram tells me that LYS was more common in the 19th century; the two spellings have been used roughly equally since 1900, except for the 1940s when LYS pulled ahead again.
Thanks to Alex and Will for resisting the temptation to cross-reference ALOHA and KAUAI.
34d [Was a maverick] is WENT ROGUE. Ah, for the halcyon days of 2008, when we thought Sarah Palin was the worst thing that could happen to politics.
UANDI looks ridiculous. I got it from crossings. The clue is [We, on a candy heart], so it's actually U AND I. Not my favorite entry in the puzzle.
What I didn't know before I did this puzzle: that MT IDA was a sacred peak. I knew it was a Greek peak, but that was all.
ZB is back and she brings us a super-smooth Monday grid.
I didn't know what was going on until I hit the revealer at 60a [All the time, as well as a hint to the abbreviations hidden in the starred answers]: AM/PM. Each answer has that letter string hidden inside.
A nice themeset. I especially like the SWAMP MONSTER. STAMP MACHINE feels the most iffy; I'm not sure I've seen one in many a year, but they must still have them (mustn't they?). I generally prefer that there be a reason behind the puzzle—in this case, a reason why AMPM is hiding out inside our theme answers. But on a Monday, I'm a little more lenient on that front. And the given revealer is well-chosen.
The long fill is nice, as per ZB's usual: COUNT SHEEP and NOSY PARKER make for great pillars in the grid. And the sound effects almost had me feeling like I was reading a Batman comic: SMASH! CRACK! CHIRPS!
This is what you want in a Monday grid: a gettable theme, colorful long fill entries, clean supporting fill, and straightforward (but not boring) clues. This is why it's so tough to make good Monday puzzles, and yet Zhouqin makes it look so easy. 3.75 stars.
9D: TEA PARTY [Boston tax protest of 1773] – Thankfully, this wasn't clued with respect to the more recent political movement.
39D: LA LA LAND [2016 film wrongly announced as Best Picture] – You're really missing out if you haven't seen the real winner, "Moonlight".
I really liked this theme and it certainly did not DEPRESS me or give me the EHS! The last word of each themer can be paired with LINE to form a compound word or phrase: headline, streamline, party line, underline, land line. Not only are all the theme entries themselves very common and in-the-language, so are the -line words or phrases. And, the grid is mostly clean for such a theme-dense puzzle (though AANDE ERISA LIA ASO felt a bit dodgy). This might be one of my favorite LAT Monday puzzles in a while!
We have some nice female representation in the grid today with EVE, Kate WINSLET, STES, Mia HAMM, and DIONNE Warwick. Did you know that Warwick is "second only to Aretha Franklin as the most-charted female vocalist of all time, with 56 of her singles making the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998, and 80 singles making all Billboard charts combined"? Wow!
My only major ding of this puzzle: [Beachgoer's color] is only TAN for some people. Clues like this assume the subject and solver to be white, which only marginalizes people of color who might be solving.
Happy Monday, all! Let's get this bread solve this Patrick Berry New Yorker crossword!
I know my POP MUSIC pretty well, but Three Dog Night's "SHAMBALA" isn't on my radar (and won't get written up in Stereogum's ongoing Number Ones series, since it only peaked at #3 on the charts). What was on my radar, though, is that the BOSTON TERRIER is nicknamed "The American Gentleman". If my apartment building allowed pets, I'd already have one napping on my sofa.
There was a lot else to love in the grid on this one. Bolstering either side of BOSTON TERRIER were NOTHINGBURGER (a phrase I have only seen in crosswords and never heard spoken aloud) and BATTLEGROUNDS, and ACCIDENT REPORTS (clued as "Pile resulting from a pileup") did a great job of anchoring the down fill. I had somehow misremembered RENNET as the enzyme in cheese, not PEPSIN, and my brain couldn't remember that J. Press is PREPPY without a little help from some of the crossings.
"Like nineties hairstyling tips?" for FROSTED made me TITTLE titter while solving.
4.25/5 stars – solid fill and hilarious cluing.
19a [Israel's economic center] TEL AVIV-JAFFA–At first I was deterred by TEL AVIV's not having the right number of letters. I'd gotten T from 1d CLOT and V from 5d ALIVE . I then was aided by F's in 9d NERFS and 10d TGIF, which led to the thought "Well, it could be Tel Aviv-something F-F-A." Jaffa felt familiar somehow, and it fit.
36a [It operates after a running start] MANUAL TREADMILL–From 24d-26d, I got ILL (no pun intended), then guessed correctly at the rest. Very nice clue!
49a [Joint resolution proposal?] immediately put me in mind of marijuana and jail. PRISON REFORM came quickly after I tearfully wrote MERL in at 54d [He appeared alongside Will in "The Simpsons" episode "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words"] (RIP, Merl Reagle, 1950-2015).
58a [Like many an Internet purchase] TAX-FREE–In practice, yeah, and legally so until June of this year when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in South Dakota v. Wayfair, that somebody has to pay the sales tax–if the seller doesn't collect it and remit it to the appropriate state, then the state can go after the buyer. Caveat Cruciverbalist!
20d [Tough guy of film] JOHN RAMBO reminded me that Sylvester Stallone's iconic character did have a first name.
Other good ILSAs include PIGPENS, SEEDPOD, BEDROLL, and FOG ALARM, all adeptly clued.
4 stars. Quite entertaining! Another great effort by BEQ!
This entry was posted in Daily Puzzles and tagged Alex Eylar, Brendan Emmett Quigley, C.C. Burnikel, Frank Virzi, Patrick Berry, Zhouqin Burnikel. Bookmark the permalink.
NYT: I agree, Jenni. It's remarkably textured for a Monday. Well done!
I can't get Judge Vic's post of today's BEQ to load. It appears to be done. Any clues?
Thanks, Karen. How nice to know someone's looking for it!
New Yorker: I also had RENNET first at 9A. According to Wikepedia, rennet is a mix of enzymes obtained from the stomachs of ruminants (ewww) and is indeed used in cheesemaking. Pepsin is one of those enzymes, but it doesn't appear to be particularly important in the cheese biz. Chymosin is the one that actually curdles milk. Pepsin has some uses in the food industry (per Wikipedia, again) but cheesemaking is not one of them. It also has some technical uses in preparing other molecules used in various biomedical assays.
So the clue for PEPSIN seems a bit off to me, is what I'm saying. Very nice crossword, though not as esoteric as some New Yorker puzzles.
Ben, you weren't wrong. Rennet *is* an enzyme used to make cheese. According to Wikipedia, pepsin is one component of rennet. So, both of those are legit answers.
So a weird thing happened just now: I had edited the above post, and upon clicking Save, it returned to my original unedited post, 21 seconds left, and my name was "undefined", which also, was a link to an undefined page. I don't know how that happened, but I have had some strange experiences with Edge since my computer updated a couple of days ago.
To my post, I had added that although I had heard of pepsin, I had always associated it with Pepsi somehow, but they don't appear to be related. Not really important, just good to learn new stuff.
I enjoyed the theme of today's NYT. I have a nit, though: 31a [New Testament trio] MAGI. In Matthew 2 we're told of "wise men from the East" going to Jerusalem in search of "the child who has been born king of the Jews." King Herod sends them to Bethlehem, where they find Jesus. A tradition developed that there were three visitors–because Matthew named their gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. No mention is made in the Bible, however, as to how many travelers were in this group. Happy holidays!
TNY: I remember watching John Harwood on CNBC characterizing the contretemps involving Debbie Wasserman Schultz as a NOTHING BURGER which turned out to be true since she's chief of staff for President Hill—oh, wait.


John Gregor, ANM Group with Neil Wilson from HSBC.
Aberdeen & Northern Marts is pleased to announce HSBC Bank Plc as the new main event sponsor for this year's Scotland's premier farming winter event - the Aberdeen Christmas Classic.
The traditional two-day Christmas show, organised by Aberdeen & Northern Marts, a division of the ANM Group - in conjunction with the Aberdeen Fatstock Association - is celebrating its 23rd year and consists of a variety of livestock shows and sales.
The prestigious event to be held on Monday, November 30, and Tuesday, December 1, at ANM Group's agri-hub at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie will showcase classes including pedigree female sheep; the 'Rising Stars Exhibition Calf Show'; prime cattle and sheep; and pedigree beef bulls.
John Gregor, Executive Director of ANM Group said: "The Classic continues to be a major agricultural event after over 20 years - drawing in the best of exhibitors from all over the North and North-East of Scotland.


text:
Chandra Critchelow
Chandra Critchelow is an associate in Mayer Brown's Intellectual Property practice based in the Chicago office. Her practice focuses on pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices, biotechnology, and chemical patent matters. She uses a solution-based approach to handle a variety of matters including IP litigation, patent life cycle management, and transactions and diligence for US and multinational corporations.
Representative matters include obtaining a motion to transfer venue in a patent infringement case out of the Eastern District of Texas for a global manufacturer of medical devices and products, and obtaining the ceiling value for a client in a pharmaceutical patent license dispute over royalties.
Her diverse experiences in engineering, molecular biophysics, and biochemistry give her unique insight and understanding of scientific and technical issues that intersect with legal issues.
Accordingly, her work ranges from disputes stemming from technology related to the processing of chicken carcasses, to strategizing patent portfolios to protect against a biosimilar landscape, to wireless technology disputes. Chandra is also an Adjunct Professor at The John Marshall Law School.
The John Marshall Law School, JD, magna cum laude
Purdue University, PhD
Purdue University, BS
Admissions :
Stone Basket Innovations, LLC v. Cook Medical LLC (S.D. IN 2015) – Obtained a voluntary dismissal of a patent infringement case against defendant Cook Medical after successfully transferring the case out of the E.D. Tex. and convincing the PTAB to institute an IPR on the patent. IPR2016-00713.
Delaware Display Group LLC et al. v. LG. Electronics, Inc. et al. (D. Del. 2013) Part of the team representing LG Electronics, Inc. et al. in a patent infringement suit involving telecommunications products. IPR2015-00497.
Corning v. DSM Desotech, Inc. et al. (D. Del. 2014) – Part of the team that represented DSM Desotech, Inc. et al. in a declaratory judgment with a counter claim of patent infringement involving optical fibers and obtained a favorable outcome for DSM. IPR2013-00043, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53.
DSM Bio-Based Products & Services B.V. v. Lallemand (W.D. Wis.2016) Part of the team representing DSM regarding infringement involving biofuel production.
Blue Buffalo v. Nestle (2016) – Part of the team that secured a favorable settlement for Nestle regarding false advertisement claims on certain pet foods.
Part of the team representing a pharmaceutical company in an arbitration regarding unpaid royalties on patented biotechnology.
What types of cases Attorney Chandra Critchelow & Mayer Brown can handle?
Mayer Brown can handle cases related to laws concerning Litigation, Administrative, Health Care, Intellectual Property. We manually verify each attorney's practice areas before approving their profiles and reviews on our website.
Where is Mayer Brown located?
Mayer Brown is located at 71 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, USA. You can reach out to Mayer Brown using their phone line 312.701.8110. You can also check their website mayerbrown.com or email them at [email protected].
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South Wacker Drive 71
Health Care Lawyer
Paul Crimmins
Andrew Czaja

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


After saturdays JourneMan tournament and sundays duals monday started training camp with 100 wrestlers.
Together is over 20 national teams. What an experience for all young wrestlers. Training camp will end on friday and finnish team travel back to Finland on saturday.
PS: On sundays duals Artturi was in Worlds 2. team member, Eemeli in NY second team and Miko in Ohio team. All got 4 to 5 matches.


C'mon, let's go out and play!
Life is like a bed of red roses whenever it comes to the holiday season where I can let my hair down, travel and spend time with my family and friends! Not to also mention celebrating my favourite season of the year! The Christmas season! It's a season of giving and what better way than to celebrate this festive period by surprising your loved ones with flowers other than chocolates!
Coming to the end of the year, it is also a time to give thanks and show gratitude to especially those who helped you along in your life. It could be your parents, colleagues, friends or perhaps just anyone whom you want to express thanks to. A Christmas hamper that is filled with a bundle of yummy goodies or Christmas blooms with Christmas plants would add a little dose of joy or brighten up someone else's day.
At least, it does for me when I receive the Christmas garden from Hummings that comes with a snowman last evening!
You can have a snowman that doesn't melt in the garden.
I happen to love flowers a lot! It really adds life and vibrancy to your living space. I wish I could receive fresh flowers every day as it is such a pretty sight to be waking up to a vase of fresh blooms beside your bed.
It is so timely to be receiving flowers right after I had a major room transformation where I had my walls painted with a fresh coat of paint. This Christmas garden comes with a LED snowman ornamental which lights up in several colours! The floral arrangement consists of red roses, Alstroemeria, Sweet Williams and Hypericum.
Check out their Hummings Christmas collection of flowers and gifts for your loved ones this season by visiting their website. Here's an exclusive promo code for Free Delivery just for you readers!


by Rupert Sheldrake, Broadway Books, 2011.
Richard Wiseman started his career as a conjurer, and like Randi is a skilled illusionist. His has a Ph.D. in psychology and is an expert on the psychology of deception. He is a Fellow of CSICOP/CSI, one of Britain's best-known media skeptics, and is currently Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire.
When my experiments with Jaytee were first publicized in Britain in 1994, journalists sought out a skeptic to comment on them, and Richard Wiseman was an obvious choice. He put forward a number of points that I had already taken into account, suggesting that Jaytee was responding to routines, or car sounds or subtle cues. But rather than argue academically, I suggested that he carry out some experiments with Jaytee himself, and arranged for him to do so. I had already been doing videotaped experiments with this dog for months, and I lent him my videocamera. Pam Smart, Jaytee's owner, and her family kindly agreed to help him. With the help of his assistant, Matthew Smith, he did four experiments with Jaytee, two in June and two in December 1995, and in all of them Jaytee went to the window to wait for Pam when she was indeed on the way home.
As in my own experiments, he sometimes went to the window at other times, for example to bark at passing cats, but he was at the window far more when Pam was on her way home than when she was not. In the three experiments Wiseman did in Pam's parents' flat, Jaytee was at the window an average of 4 percent of the time during the main period of Pam's absence, and 78 percent of the time when she was on the way home. This difference was statistically significant. When Wiseman's data were plotted on graphs, they showed essentially the same pattern as my own (Figure 2.5). In other words Wiseman replicated my own results.
I was astonished to hear that in the summer of 1996 Wiseman went to a series of conferences, including the World Skeptics Congress, announcing that he had refuted the "psychic pet" phenomenon. He said Jaytee had failed his tests because he had gone to the window before Pam set off to come home. In September 1996, I met Wiseman and pointed out that his data showed the same pattern as my own, and that far from refuting the effect I had observed, his results confirmed it. I gave him copies of graphs showing may own data and the data from the experiments that he and Smith conducted with Jaytee. But he ignored these facts.
Wiseman reiterated his negative conclusions in a paper in the British Journal of Psychology, coauthored with Smith and Julie Milton, in August, 1998. This paper was announced in a press release entitled "Mystic dog fails to give scientists a lead," together with a quote from Wiseman: "A lot of people think their pet might have psychic abilities but when we put it to the test, what's going on is normal not paranormal." There was an avalanche of skeptical publicity, including newspaper reports with headlines like "Pets have no sixth sense, say scientists" (The Independent, August 21, 1998) and "Psychic pets are exposed as a myth" (The Daily Telegraph, Aug 22, 1998). Smith was quoted as saying, "We tried the best we could to capture this ability and we didn't find any evidence to support it." The wire services reported the story worldwide. Skepticism appeared to have triumphed.
Wiseman continued to appear on TV shows and in public lectures claiming he had refuted Jaytee's abilities. Unfortunately, his presentations were deliberately misleading. He made no mention of the fact that in his own tests, Jaytee waited by the window far more when Pam was on her way home than when she was not, nor did he refer to my own experiments. He gave the impression that my evidence is based on one experiment filmed by a TV company, rather than on more than two hundred tests, and he implied that he has done the only rigorous scientific tests of this dog's abilities.
Instead of plotting their data on graphs and looking at the overall pattern, Wiseman, Smith and Milton used a criterion of their own invention to judge Jaytee's "success" or "failure". They did not discuss this criterion with me, although I had been studying Jaytee's behaviour in detail for more than a year before I invited them to do their own tests, but instead based it on remarks about Jaytee's behaviour made by commentators on two British television programmes, who said that Jaytee went to the window every time that his owner was coming home. In fact, he did so on 86 per cent of the occasions. And one of these programmes said that Jaytee went to the window "when his owner Pam Smart starts her journey home." In fact Jaytee often went to the window a few minutes before Pam started her journey, while she was preparing to set off. Based on these TV commentaries, Wiseman et al. took Jaytee's "signal" to be the dog's first visit to the window for no apparent external reason. They later changed this criterion to a visit that lasted more than two minutes.
Wiseman and Smith found that Jaytee sometimes went to the window at Pam's parents' flat for no obvious reason before Pam set off at the randomly-selected time. Anytime this happened, they classified the test as a failure, despite the fact that he waited at the window for 78 percent of the time when Pam was on the way home, compared with only 4 percent when she was not. They simply ignored the dog's behaviour after the "signal" had been given. In addition to these experiments at Pam's parents' flat, they carried out a test at the house of Pam's sister, where Jaytee had to balance on the back of a sofa to look out of the window. The first time he visited the window for no apparent reason coincided exactly with Pam setting off, and her sister remarked at the time, on camera, that this was how Jaytee behaved when Pam was coming home. But Jaytee did not stay there for long because he was sick; he left the window and vomited. Because he did not meet the two-minute criterion, this experiment was deemed a failure.
On another British television programme called "Secrets of the Psychics", Wiseman said of Jaytee, "We filmed him continuously over a three hour period and at one point we had the owner randomly think about returning home from a remote location and yes, indeed, Jaytee was at the window at that point. What our videotape showed, though, was that Jaytee was visiting the window about once every 10 minutes and so under those conditions it is not surprising he was there when his owner was thinking of returning home." To support this statement, a series of video clips showed Jaytee going to the window over and over again, eight times in all. The times of these visits to the window can be read from the timecode. They were taken from the experiment on shown in Figure 2.5 (June 12). Two of these visits were the same clip shown twice, and three took place while Pam was actually on the way home, although they were misleadingly portrayed as random events unrelated to her return. Looking at the graph of the data from this test, it is obvious that Jaytee spent by far the most time at the window when Pam was on the way home: he was there 82 percent of the time. In the previous periods his visits were much shorter, if he visited the window at all.
Wiseman, Smith and Milton said that they were "appalled" by the way some of the newspaper reports portrayed Pam Smart. But although they helped initiate this media coverage, they considered themselves blameless: "We are not responsible for the way in which the media reported our paper and believe that these issues are best raised with the journalists involved." They also excused themselves for failing to mention my own research with Jaytee on the grounds that it had not yet been published when they submitted their paper to the British Journal of Psychology. They therefore created the appearance that they were the only people to have done proper scientific experiments with a return-anticipating dog. Also by publishing their paper before I could publish my own – I spent two years doing experiments, while they spent four days – they claimed priority in the scientific literature for this kind of research. To put it mildly, these were scientific bad manners.
Wiseman still tells the media, "I've found plenty of evidence of unscientific approaches to data, but have never come across a paranormal experiment that can be replicated." In an comprehensive analysis of Wiseman's approach, Christopher Carter has shown how he adopts a "heads I win, tails you lose" approach to psychic phenomena, viewing null results as evidence against psi while attempting to ensure that positive results do not count as evidence for it. Carter has documented a series of examples, including the Jaytee case, where Wiseman uses "tricks to ensure he gets the results he wants to present." He is, after all, an illusionist and an expert in the psychology of deception.


text:
Stanko Barac
Drafted #39 in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Pacers
Weight: 230 lbs (104 kg)
Hometown: Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Current Team: Milano
Win - Loss: 13 - 4
Blogging through the Copa del Rey (Part Three)
Jonathan Givony
Stanko Barac (#25 on rights held ranking) saw little to no playing time in the three Tau Vitoria games we got to take in at the Copa del Rey. His minutes are down from last year (12 per game in the ACB) and his FG% is very low at just 41%, as his jump-shot doesn't seem to be falling for him quite as well this season and he lacks the strength to operate effectively with his back to the basket. He is rebounding at a good rate, but his extremely high rate of fouls might make it difficult for him to stay on the floor even if he weren't stuck behind the likes of Tiago Splitter, Will McDonald, Mirza Teletovic and at times Pete Mickael when he moves to the PF position. He's playing slightly better in the Euroleague. Barac is likely a more skilled player than he's able to show at the moment, but considering his lack of athleticism and production in high-level Europe he'd have to show something special in summer league to earn a roster spot with the team that drafted him, the Indiana Pacers.
Scouting the NBA Rights-Held Players at the 2008 Copa del Rey
Luis Fernández
Not being very healthy, Barac could only play a couple of minutes that went completely unnoticed. It's a pity, because he had been delivering quite a consistent season, which actually comes as a bit of a surprise. Brought to Spain from the Balkans by Tau Vitoria, the Basque team always had the intention to loan him ever since signing him. The surprise came when Pamesa Valencia emerged as the final destination for the Croatian, as they are an upper-class team in the ACB League, not that far away from Tau itself.
Still, Barac soon worked his way into the team's rotation by delivering solid outings. Although quite limited in terms of athleticism and still in need of gaining strength (which will greatly help him to become a more dangerous player in the low post), Barac is really big and he's making a productive living off of his sweet touch from mid-range distances, while he shows nice understanding of the game. He's a guy to closely follow his development in the future.
Balkan Early Entrant Draft Prospects
Kristian Hohnjec
Barac can be considered one of the biggest sleepers in this draft if he opts to stay in, given the great size and promising skill-set he possesses. He had quite an impressive season playing for Siroki in the Adriatic league, ranking 2nd and 3rd in rebounds and blocked shots per game respectively.
What made him a serious prospect is the growth spurt he hit in the last couple of years. Stanko was first noticed playing in the Reebok Eurocamp back in 2004, where he was overshadowed by the likes of Pavel Podkolzine and Martynas Andriuskevicius. While being praised for his shooting ability and fundamentals, Barac was considered too slow and weak for NBA competition. Since then he grew 4 inches and gained some weight, even if he is still a heavy footed Center who lacks some fluidity in his motions, it is a lot easier to deal with his lack of footspeed and vertical explosiveness at 7-foot-2.
Barac is still by no means an outstanding prospect, especially when considering the direction the NBA is heading these days, with the emphasis being on quickness and versatility, but he did a good job turning himself into a someone the majority of teams will consider in the 2nd round.
Despite being high one of the top players in the Adriatic League as far as his defensive stats go, Barac still has a lot of learn on that end of the floor, even if there are definitely some positives besides his sheer size. Barac shows solid toughness, not being shy about physical contact and taking pride in protecting the rim close to the basket. Sometimes he struggles making timely rotations and gives up deep position on the block too easily, while his perimeter defense is almost non-existent.
Teams often try to lure him away from the basket, which promptly puts him in foul trouble being due to his inability to stop dribble penetrations. Stanko will surely have to work on his foot-speed, but his presence around the basket often intimidates shooters and forces them to take low percentage shots.
Offensively, Barac doesn't have great polish and is a bit mechanical in his movements, but he can do a little bit of everything and put up points on the board. At this point his most consistent weapon is his perimeter jump-shot, but unlike some other European big men, Barac doesn't overdo it and spends most of the time in the paint, where his size is a great asset on offensive glass.
Back to his shooting capabilities, Barac is an above average static shooter with range out to the international three-point line. He doesn't have the fast release of a Zydrunas Ilgauskas, but his mechanics are solid enough to get his shot off when given some space. If the defender plays him closely, Barac can take the ball to the basket thanks to the surprisingly good ball-handling skills he possesses as well as the long strides he makes.
In the low post he is not most skilled guy, but he can finish around the basket with both hands and shows good accuracy shooting the hook shot with his right hand. Barac has above average passing ability for a player his size, recognizing cuts and openings in the defense well.
Barac will be participating in the Reebok Eurocamp, and that could go a long way in determining where his stock lies, with an impressive showing there it is not out of question that Barac could get some looks in the late 1st round, even if the 2nd round is probably his most likely destination should he decide to stay in. If he decides to withdraw his name from the draft, Barac would give himself another year to work his way into the first round, which he certainly seems capable of doing.
Roundup: Balkan Intrigue
Barac is a very skilled center with deceptive athleticism. At first sight he looks like a slow and heavy-footed player, but then you see him taking his man off the dribble from the three-point line with surprising quickness (nice first step, long strides), and you have to reconsider your opinion on him. He lacks some reactiveness, that's true, while he's not a very active guy and shows questionable stamina. But once in motion, he's capable of decent athletic efforts, always considering he's 7 feet, one inches tall. In terms of strength, Barac displays a nice frame to work with. Actually, he's not your typical skinny international big, just a nicely-built guy who still needs to get stronger.
Skill-wise, Stanko displays the abilities of the two biggest frontcourt positions. As mentioned, he's a surprising slasher who shows very nice ball-handling skills and is capable of attacking his opponent with both hands. However, it's not the most common thing to see him do. When facing the basket from the perimeter, he usually settles for static jumpers. He's quite an orthodox shooter with three-point range (he credits a respectable 38.7% from behind the arc). Besides, he also enjoys a nice post game, showing very interesting footwork in the paint and the valuable ability to finish with both hands, sometimes with a jump-hook. Still not a great defender, Barac gets eventually pushed around by stronger opponents, showing average lateral quickness and not always being active enough from the weak side. But he's already a decent intimidator who is willing to use his nice wingspan and decent timing to block some shots.
We're growing optimistic about his draft chances in the future (most likely, the 2008 draft). He's big, he's skilled and he should become strong enough; considering the usual policy of NBA teams in the second round, it's hard to find a reason why he should be left out. But there's more: if Barac manages to take his game to a higher level next season (and he likely has the potential to do so), the first round is not out of question.
New Pearls in the Adriatic Sea Part Two
Stanko Barac was first noticed at the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso a couple of years ago, stringing together a very nice performance that was especially impressive in terms of his long range shooting. As a 6-foot-10 Center with slow feet, Barac was labeled at the time as strictly a Euroleague prospect, with the NBA probably being out of his reach.
He is still not and will never be first class talent, because his athleticism is really below average by NBA standards, but Barac's stock is definitely on the rise, and he could see his name called in the 2nd round of this or next year's draft.
Stanko is very big, a legit 7-foot-1 with a good wingspan and frame. He definitely plays stronger than he looks, showing the necessary toughness and grit under the rim. Barac is a dependable defender, using his big body to put opponents into uncomfortable situations. Despite not being able to get much lift off the ground, he blocks a good amount of shots thanks to his anticipation, positioning, and willingness to alter shots.
Offensively, Barac is a smart and skilled player, possessing a reliable jump-shot with range out to the international three-point line, as well as some effective, although unpolished post moves. He is a good passer out of double teams and shows an above average basketball IQ.
Although he doesn't ooze with potential like some others, Stanko is a hard working 7-footer who will most certainly find his niche on the basketball map. It's yet to be seen if he will be able to carve out a niche in the NBA, but we are most certainly talking about a desirable Center for Euroleague teams.
A Look Back At The U-20 European Championships (Part Two)
One of the few surprises in the tournament, this fundamentally sound 7-1 center emerged as a very consistent low post presence. Playing only 13 minutes per game, he led Croatia in scoring average with 11.2 points. Actually, it's rather surprising the little action he enjoyed given his reliability with his back to the basket. He uses his body quite well, showing remarkable footwork in the post, and the ability to finish with both hands even in semi-hook fashion. Given his size, it was very difficult for his rivals to stop. He can also put the ball on the floor and has a decent, albeit inconsistent shot. The biggest knock on him is his poor athleticism; as he shows heavy feet and poor reactiveness. He has a nice frame that he still needs to completely fill out, so strength won't be a problem. All in all, he has some nice potential, and an excellent chance next season to showcase his abilities in the Adriatic League with Siroki.
2004 Reebok Euro Big Man Camp
Pooh Jeter
One last name, a player that probably doesn't have great NBA potential. Not strong or athletic enough, but a player with great fundamentals. Had some extremely impressive shooting performances (20/25 from the FIBA 3pt line). Showed the ability to put the ball on the floor and most importantly, never forced any situation, always trying to do the easiest and most productive thing. He might not become a star, not even in Europe, but he'll probably have a very nice career.
01/29/2023 78 - 65 vs Trento
01/26/2023 88 - 101 at Monaco
01/22/2023 68 - 73 at Reggio Emilia
01/20/2023 73 - 79 vs ASVEL


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Great Escapes: Memorial Day Weekend
Michele Buttelman
Explore the rugged northern coastline of the Stornetta Public Lands. PHOTOS COURTESY VISIT CALIFORNIA
Road trips should be spontaneous and are best taken in a convertible with plenty of junk food stowed aboard and no schedules to keep.
While familiar haunts are favorite road trip destinations, the best road trips are to places you've never seen. You might need more than a three-day weekend to see some of these places, but that's part of the adventure.
California is a large and wondrous state, why not explore some of its hidden places and secret spaces?
Here are some ideas to truly "get away from it all" this Memorial Day.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
200 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, 92004
Miles from SCV: 180
Info: parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638
Borrego Springs, 90 miles northeast of San Diego, is one of the best spots for stargazing in California.
You haven't seen a night sky until you've seen it in the remote Anza-
Borrego Desert State Park. Surrounded by mountains and with a local focus on eliminating light pollution, this is the first International Dark Sky Community in California, making it a prime spot for stargazing.
The beautiful night sky at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
During daylight hours, explore the town of Borrego Springs and keep an eye out for the cool statues of other-worldly creatures made by metal sculptor Ricardo Breceda. One of Breceda's largest collections of work can be viewed in the city of Borrego Springs. As you drive through the roads in the area, you'll see sculptures of wild horses in a nearby field, sabretooth tigers in pursuit and desert tortoises that seem as if they're crawling through the brush. More than 130 metal sculptures are located in Borrego Springs. For more information, about the sculptures visit www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/ricardo-breceda-sculptures.
Gilroy Gardens
3050 Hecker Pass Highway, Gilroy, 95020
Miles from the SCV: 340
Info: www.gilroygardens.org
The park is open and they are taking reservations.
To find the craziest trees you've ever seen travel to Gilroy, 40 miles inland from Santa Cruz.
If you've heard of Gilroy at all, it is probably in relation to its world-
famous Garlic Festival, held annually in July. This year's festival will be held July 23-25 and July 30-August 1.
However, there is more to Gilroy than garlic. Take in the elaborately grafted trees at the Gilroy Gardens theme park. Watch the trees twist and contort in fanciful ways that you have to see for yourself.
The park, in California's Central Coast, combines a unique adventure in Mother Nature with amusement park rides. The family-friendly theme park features more than 40 rides, many with produce-inspired themes, such as the Mushroom Swing, the Artichoke Dip, the Garlic Twirl (a no-brainer in the Garlic Capital of the World) and a water park. However, the world-famous Circus Trees, are really the highlight of this road trip.
Murphys
Murphys, California 95247
Info: visitmurphys.com
What? Where? Under-the-radar wine-tasting in California's Gold Country can be found about 85 miles southeast of Sacramento.
California has no shortage of wine country tasting destinations. But if you're looking for a lesser-known locale for sipping, head to the quaint town of Murphys, where more than two dozen boutique wineries are open year-round. Murphys calls itself "The Queen of the Sierras."
Gold Country has a deep history (thanks to the prospectors) and impressive natural features.
The city also offers art galleries, antique stores and, on May 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. there is the Craft and Vendor Fair. Much to do.
Point Arena — Stornetta Public Lands
45500 Lighthouse Road, Point
Arena, 95468
Info: PointArenaLighthouse.com
This rugged northern coastline is perfect for whale-watching and enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Ocean.
Located about 140 miles north of San Francisco, the untouched beauty of Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands, contains 1,700 acres filled with dramatic seascapes.
View the rugged coastline from the top of Point Arena's 115-foot historic lighthouse, the tallest of its kind on the Pacific Coast. Depending on the time of year, you'll catch glimpses of humpback, blue or gray whales coming up for air as they migrate between Alaska and Mexico.
The lighthouse is open along with their six vacation cottages.
Sierra Vista Scenic Byway
Info: sierravistascenicbyway.com
This hidden treasure starts at North Fork, 45 miles from Fresno, and is in the geographic center of California.
If you're into granite domes, glaciated peaks and twisty scenic roads with barely any people around, drive this 100-mile stretch of road between Yosemite National Park and Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.
It is an epic alpine byway worth a road trip. You'll immediately get a feel for what California looked like a century ago, and you can embrace the time-machine theme with stops at the Jesse Ross Cabin from the 1860s and Jones' Store, which still doesn't have electricity (but does have great pie). There's lots to see and do, and if you dare, try a classic California rafting adventure.


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Game Review: Clean Road (Mobile – Free to Play)
26/04/2019 26/04/2019 Carl 'The Disc' Fisher Ads, Clean Road, Free To Play, Game, Game Review, Mobile, Video game
Barely qualifying as a game, Clean Road is one the most barren, repetitive and unrewarding free to play games we've had the misfortune of playing.
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Game Review: Crackdown 3 – Campaign (Xbox One X)
23/04/2019 21/04/2019 Carl 'The Disc' Fisher Agency, Agents, Campaign, Crackdown, Crackdown 3, Crackdown 3 - Campaign, Crackdown Series, Game, Game Review, Terra Nova, Video game, Xbox one, Xbox One X
Continuing the series that begun in 2007 and had its follow-up in 2010, Crackdown 3 fails to move the franchise forward in a meaningful or memorable way. Though that doesn't mean it isn't a load of fun to play.
Game Review: DayD: Through Time (Xbox One)
12/04/2019 12/04/2019 Carl 'The Disc' Fisher DayD, DayD: Through Time, Game, Game Review, Resource Management, Review, Video game, Xbox, Xbox one
DayD: Through Time takes the tried and tested formula of the Gnomes Garden series and copies it completely. Yet somehow makes it less fun.
Mobile - Pay Up Front Reviews
Game Review: Bring You Home (Mobile)
11/04/2019 05/04/2019 Carl 'The Disc' Fisher Bring You Home, Game, Game Review, Love You to Bits, Mobile, Mobile Review, Review, Video game
From the developers of Love You to Bits, one of our favourite mobile games ever, comes Bring You Home. A mobile game in the same vein but with a very clever puzzle mechanic that really makes it stand out on its own.
Game Review: I, Hope (Xbox One)
18/03/2019 18/03/2019 Carl 'The Disc' Fisher 3D Platformer, Cancer, Charity, Game, Game Review, Gamechanger, Hope, I, Video game, Xbox one
A flawed 3D platformer; I, Hope deserves you support for one very important reason. 100% of the proceeds through sales goes to the GameChanger Charity. An organisation that supports children fighting cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Game Review: Hell's Circle (Mobile – Free to Play)
05/03/2019 05/03/2019 Carl 'The Disc' Fisher Ads, Free To Play, Game, Game Review, Hell's Circle, Mobile, Mobile game, no ads, Review, Subscription, Video game
Hell's Circle is a free to play game by Ice Storm Studio that is both fun and addictive and with enough added content available to unlock in game (mostly) to keep attentions focused on it for a few hours at least.
Game Review: Tomba! (PS1)
03/03/2019 28/02/2019 Carl 'The Disc' Fisher 2D Platformer, Evil Pigs, Game, Game Review, Koma Pigs, Platform Game, ps1, Seven Evil Pigs, Tomba!, Tombi!, Video game, Whoopee Camp
Despite positive reviews from fans and critics alike, Tomba or Tombi as it was known in the EU/UK, did not see much commercial success. However, as the years have gone by the game has garnered something of a cult following and for good reason.
Game Review: Road Redemption (Xbox One)
28/01/2019 26/01/2019 Carl 'The Disc' Fisher Game, Game Review, Motorbike Combat, Road Rash, Road Redemption, Video game, Xbox one
Seen as the spiritual successor to the classic mayhem of the Road Rash series, Road Redemption was developed by Pixel Dash Studios and EQ Games.
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Horror Movie Review: We Are The Missing (2020)
Horror Movie Review: Wake Up (2019)
Album Review: Leviathan by Therion (Nuclear Blast)
Game Review: Pull Him Out (Mobile - Free to Play)
Horror Movie Review: The Night They Knocked (2020)
Horror Movie Review: What the Peeper Saw (1972)
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Former Liverpool & England legend Phil Neal arrived in Jakarta on 22 June as part of the British Chamber of Commerce's celebration of ten years of Giving Kids A Sporting Chance.
Phil remains the most decorated English footballer having won 23 Medals including four European winners' medals. Three days of events branded, Phil Neal-My Generation, included fun games with a couple of football clubs in Jakarta, a brunch table walk-about at Lyon at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, a car- free day fun walk with the Liverpool FC Big Reds supporters, coaching clinics with under-privileged children from 5 institutions and a fundraising meet-and-greet at the Hard Rock Cafe, Pacific Place.
Over the past 10 years, BritCham has provided sports-related personal development opportunities for more than 5,000 children.
Phil Neal was accompanied by his wife, Sue. "I am here in Jakarta for the second time and delighted to support BritCham's community efforts. The Indonesian people are always so welcoming and friendly. The kids appreciate the effort made to help them," he said.
Phil Neal walked on Car Free Day.
England's victory over Panama was particularly serendipitous. "I'm very proud" he told NOW! Jakarta. "I can never predict these things. England will have their chests out tonight. It has been a great game and it's great to see the youngsters, players like [Harry] Maguire come out of his shell." he said at half time during the event.
After the long weekend, Phil and Sue stayed on in Indonesia and celebrated their 47th anniversary in the country.


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It doesn't get much better than this 2017 Ford Focus SEL, which boasts a backup sensor, parking assistance, braking assist, dual climate control, hill start assist, stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, dual airbags, and side air bag system. This one scored a crash test rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Rocking a classic red exterior and a charcoal black interior, this car is a sight to see from the inside out. Interested? Call today and take it for a spin!


Home » Musicians » INFINITA SYM…INFINITA SYMPHONIA's Micioni: "I always choose musicians that I admire, who are such an inspiration...and it's always a big pleasure and honor to duet with them, it's probably one of the most exciting aspects of my work..."
INFINITA SYMPHONIA's Micioni: "I always choose musicians that I admire, who are such an inspiration...and it's always a big pleasure and honor to duet with them, it's probably one of the most exciting aspects of my work..."
The Italian progressive-powerhouse INFINITA SYMPHONIA return with eleven-tracks of symphonic goodness in "Liberation". This release and, only their third long-player lives up to the expectations already garnished from previous offerings. Frontman Luca Micioni took time out to give Metal Temple's Kevin Burke a further insight into the band, the writing process and where Metal is heading.
I would like to start by congratulating you and the rest of INFINITA SYMPHONIA on the release of "Liberation", Is the title of the album a statement of intent by the band? as you guys are following your own direction and not trying to fit Into a niche and carving your own sound?
Italy is a country steeped in metal bands, did INFINITA SYMPHONIA struggle to be heard early on in such a vast field of bands?
The tracks on "Liberarion" sound extremely well honed, did they become part of your live show before you entered the studio to record them?
How did the idea of guest musicians such as Blaze Bayley come about on Liberation? And was it difficult to put together?
I always choose musicians that I admire, who are such an inspiration (Blaze Bayley of course is one of them!) and it's always a big pleasure and honor to duet with them, it's probably one of the most exciting aspects of my work.
The song "Be Wise or Be Fool" is a personal favorite of mine, I especially love the opening, which comes first when constructing a track such as this? Are the lyrics built around the music or vice versa?
From your experience, what for metal bands is more important at present, power or melody? Or do you feel what INFINITA SYMPHONIA demonstrate in sound the direction of where Metal is heading?
OMG ! What a big question! I barely know where I am heading and you are asking about all Metal!? Seriously I think metal is a very vast World and I don't think it will go in a unique direction, and I hope so because I really love musicians and music very different from mine! Concerning to power and melody …what can I say if not : both of them!
Finally have INFINITA SYMPHONIA already started on new music for their next release?
Thank you very much for asking and…. fingers crossed!


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Blankenship's TU Thank You Letter
Tuesday, December 9th 2014, 10:30 PM CST
by John Holcomb
TULSA, Oklahoma - Not many fired coaches would bother to write a thank you letter to their previous place of employment, but not many coaches are Bill Blankenship.
The former Tulsa coach took to Twitter Tuesday night to publicly share a thank you letter with the TU football family.
In the letter, Blankenship expressed his gratitude for being able to lead the program for the last four years. He also detailed the recruiting plan. He called it the Tulsa profile, which is used to bring in uncommon young men. He believes the next staff will be able to reap the benefits of some of his staff's decisions.
Within the letter he said, "We look back on the 2012 season with great pride. The turnaround this season did not happen, and for that I accept full responsibility." Blankenship ended by stating, "Our fans and supporters deserve better [than the results the last two seasons]."He encouraged the players to "Stay side by side. Be TU BLUE... always and forever!"


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Virginia Senate considering censure for Amanda Chase over 'Stop The Steal' rally participation
What fiscal cliff? Beach politicians are raring to spend
By Kerry Dougherty
Another ambitious project from Virginia Beach visionaries. Another plan in the pupal phase that requires swift action.
With nothing more than round numbers and vague references to an unnamed professional sports team - which everyone believes to be the hapless Sacramento Kings - politicians at the Beach want state senators and delegates to march to Richmond and secure $150 million in state funds.
For a sports arena.
And they'd better be quick about it. The measure needs to be approved during the 2013 session, which begins in January.
Geez. Is it asking too much that the high-rolling developers who run the Resort City and their chums on the City Council take a breath before plunging the city - or the state - even more deeply into debt?
While the rest of the country frets about falling off a fiscal cliff, Resort City politicians are cooking up plans to spend hundreds of millions on a sports arena.
Another project that will pay for itself, they say.
Look, many of us adore sports. The notion of a pro team in our town is exciting. But it's a risky business. Too often cities that were seduced by the perfume of a professional team quickly find themselves sniveling at the feet of petulant team owners.
Earlier this week, Mayor Will Sessoms briefed the Council on the arena. All told, the public is expected to shell out $345 million for the 18,500-seat venue and moving a team here, while the outfit bringing the team to town will chip in a mere $35 million.
We're assured this is an excellent deal for taxpayers.
According to a letter from the city's economic development director to state officials, capital costs for the arena would amount to $300 million. Another $80 million would be needed to relocate the team.
Apparently we don't want the owners to suffer any sort of financial loss as they run out on their California fans.
In his missive, Warren D. Harris said the project won't happen without funds from Richmond, but he happily noted that in his contact with senators and delegates, he's "received favorable responses."
That's odd.
Public statements by several members of the delegation have been lukewarm at best.
Del. Bob Tata, a sports enthusiast, told The Pilot this week that the Beach is a "beer and pretzels" place that cannot support a pro sports team. When I talked to him Thursday, he said he doesn't know a single member of the Beach delegation who's on board with the arena.
If Tata's right, Virginia Beach has a big problem.
State Sen. Jeff McWaters, a businessman, said he needs to see a full business analysis before making a decision and questioned whether it can all happen in such a short time frame.
McWaters said that while public investments can be beneficial, localities should be wary of taking "a lot of risk with other people's money" - especially in the current climate.
"There's a feeling that many people are doing poorly," McWaters added.
Even Sen. Frank Wagner, who's agreed to take the enabling legislation to Richmond, made it clear on Thursday that carrying the bill isn't the same as supporting it.
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"If I have doubts about the plan, I won't hesitate, I'll be the first to pull it," he said flatly. "If I don't like what I see, I won't put my neighbors and my constituents at risk."
Virginia Beach has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into this project. Time for City Hall to present a detailed plan that reassures taxpayers - you know, the folks who are worried about college tuition and how they'll pay for Christmas this year - that a sports arena is a sound investment.
In the meantime, pass the beer and pretzels.
Kerry Dougherty, 757-446-2306,
kerry.dougherty@cox.net, PilotOnline.com/dougherty
Kerry Dougherty
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If you should be going to begin dating a mail-order bride or you already are in a relationship with one but have trouble with managing things well, you will need some advice.
Well, there clearly was great deal of stuff on the web, are not you content with it? Do you want to obtain a wider comprehension of dating a lady through the international? There was an answer compared to that – publications. You can start thinking about a few of the 'women's literature,' it is here some other method to realize females better if you don't through acquiring their thought processes?
Therefore listed below are 4 publications for those males who've difficulties with mail-order brides.
Kit Morgan informs a https://rose-brides.com fictional tale of Arlan Weaver, whom made a decision to develop a relationship with a mail-order bride . But once the relevant solution discovered a woman that she wasn't really into being a mail-order bride, neither she was good at handling farm life and dealing with Weaver's brothers for him, later it turned out.
This tale is very traditional and pertains to old-school matchmaking by mail-order bride solutions, nonetheless it anyhow they can be handy for individuals who wish to find out more about women's comprehension of life.
In the event that you have exhausted by reading feminine literary works, take to one thing away from therapy or life cheats. This guide is really a perfect choice if you wish to learn how to manage a long-distance relationship along with your mail-order bride.
As expected, dating someone through the overseas may be stressful: you certainly will face skyrocketing phone bills or bills for online dating sites services. You will miss routes and keep stressing. But whatever your troubles are, a relationship with real emotions will pay off later. This guide will help you be successful by simply making your interaction having a mail-order bride more efficient, establishing shared objectives along with her and so forth.
The writers for the guide – Sam Lawrence along with Ben Jackson and Christina Hobbs – claim it to become a complete guide to long-distance relationships. Compiled by a couple of who came across on line, this guide has one thing for all – main-stream distance relationships, online relationships, fly in fly relationships and also army people.
Here, you will find simple tips to protect your love and heat, communicate well regardless of the distance, introduce your bride that is mail-order to relatives and buddies.
There was a high possibility your mail-order bride will likely be of an alternative nationality and competition. Isn't it time for challenges that this kind of relationship might bring?
Fostering ties having a bride that is mail-order of mindset is something, however it could be much harder both for of you to definitely cope with culture's bias and prejudices. This guide shall enable you to over come your worries and coach you on just how to conform to your lover's social distinctions.


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Lucardo: The Prison (Manchester)
Orange really is the new black
You and your team of criminals are due to be checked into the Category A prison facility in Manchester after committing a series of crimes. As hardened criminals you have connections on the inside – they are staging a riot allowing you the opportunity to try and escape. Time will be limited. You will need to use deception, bribery and skill to attempt this escape. Get caught and you will never get to see the outside world again. – If you suffer with a disability or medical condition, please call prior to booking this game.
After successfully foiling the serial killer's next murder in Virginia House we found ourselves back on the other side of the law for our next game at Lucardo Manchester. This time we were to break out of a prison – nothing new in the life of an escape addict! The briefing for The Prison was slightly different, and required a more in-depth discussion of health and safety, as The Prison is different to the other games on offer here. Once we were clear on what was to come, our guard came to collect us.
We were led around the corner, and given prison garb. In Gem Runner and Virginia House, we were told to put our belongings in a specific location within the room. However, as prisoners, you are not permitted to bring in any personal possessions, and these were confiscated. (don't worry, you can get them back if you escape!) Suitably attired as convicts, and stripped of our possessions, we were put into our cell.
A prison break is a fairly common theme, but this game was immersive and realistic and on a completely different level to not only to other similarly themed games, but also everything else on offer at Lucardo.
I am a great fan of games that are not only immersive, but also force you to think outside the box to perform more situational based, realistic tasks, rather than relying on what I would think of as more traditional 'escape room style' puzzles and padlocks to bar your way. This game had those types of tasks in abundance; these were varied and clever, relying on observation, a bit of searching, and making some deductions about what you would need to do based on what you find.
Gord loves a padlock (or ten), but I prefer them when their placement is logical and makes sense. That was certainly the case here, and so even when we did come across padlocks that required a four-digit combo, they made perfect sense in context.
Puzzles were by no means easy, but did click with us. We did require some help, but as usual for us, this typically came down to a failure to search properly. In our attempt to be helpful by not tearing apart the room, we missed key pieces of information. Larger groups are unlikely to have this problem in the same way however; we just really need to learn to search properly.
IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN
From the moment we were collected by our guard, it was clear that this hour would be different from the others spent at Lucardo. We were not shown to the room by our GM; instead we were processed like criminals and shown to our cell. Clues were integrated, and the set was a believable replica of a prison (admittedly, my only 'real' experience with prisons are from The Rock and Orange is the New Black.
The game had an interesting journey, and flowed seamlessly from space to space, and puzzles were perfectly on theme. But the highlight for me was the added drama provided by a few moments with the guard. Remember, you will need to use 'deception, bribery, and skill' to make your escape, and don't get caught!
Game play was liner, and I would suggest enthusiasts play in smaller groups, if only to avoid too much thumb twiddling (and also because the space is rather tight, and one might find it a bit cramped playing in a group of six.)
GM/CLUE SYSTEM
Unlike the other games at Lucardo Manchester, there is no screen counting down your time, delivering clues. Help is available from your man (or woman) on the outside, should you need it, but you need to find something first (don't worry, it's not too hard to figure out). Once we had what we needed, we received help swiftly whenever we requested it. The clue system and timer are fully integrated with the game, without breaking the immersion, adding to the realism of the game.
Of the games we played at Lucardo, this was my favourite. As one of Lucardo's newest games, it clearly shows the direction the venue is moving in with game design, and I, for one, can't wait to see what they come up with next.
Success / Failure
GM/Clues
Team: Two Players
Address: Virginia House, 5-7 Great Ancoats Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 5AD
Website: https://lucardo.com
Lucardo: University of Magic: The Entrance Exam (Manchester)
Lucardo: Gem Runner (Manchester)
Lucardo: Virginia House (Manchester)
Lucardo: Espionage (Manchester)
13 August 2019 reviewed by Liz Tagged With: Manchester, Team of Two
The Panic Room: Defective Detective (Gravesend)


Beenleigh and Toombul have shown the competition that they're not around to fraternise with spiders in the A Grade cricket finals after both sides hit their straps at the right time of the season.
Beenleigh where brutal and brilliant in equal measure in their 95-93 win over Salisbury, showing they have the thirst to have a real shake when push comes to shove this finals series.
Meanwhile, in the main event, Toombul toppled the favourites Wynnum 74-62 in a result nobody saw coming except themselves.


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Golfing glory for foreign investors
A new trend is emerging in Europe, with an increasing number of property purchasers keen to buy second homes on golf courses.
Many people are increasingly attracted to the idea of spending money on a second home in a foreign country that is located on a golf course, but they're not necessarily interested in playing the sport. According to some investors, the main reason for purchasing a property on a golf course is not to have the opportunity to hit a ball around the course whenever they feel like it, but it is simply to enjoy some of the most beautiful landscaping work from the living room window.
Spain is renowned for some of the most impressive golf courses in the world, which are usually accompanied by sports and health complexes such as the famous La Manga resort a favourite for football stars during the summer months. The quality of such institutions is having an effect on buyers, who are increasingly keen to purchase homes on golf courses because of the breadth of services easily available to them.
And then there's the courses themselves. As David Spencer, director of Nakheel Golf, which is currently building a course in Dubai, people do not have to be interested in golf to appreciate the spectacular views a course can offer. People are "very pleased to have Greg Norman landscape their backyard", he told the International Herald Tribune, even if they would not be interested in taking on the Great White Shark on the fairway.
In some parts of the world golf courses are now becoming integrated into housing initiatives, so that beautiful landscapes are crafted as part of new housing estates. Spain can benefit from this trend, with its reputation in the golfing world dovetailing beautifully with its strong presence in the overseas property investment arena.
Regions such as the Costa del Sol have seen prices rise by as much as a quarter in the last five years, thanks to the increase in developments using golf courses as part of the attraction. It seems that property developers have caught on to the major potential in combining golf and housing developments in one programme and the fact that many Brits are keen to spend their money to play golf means that the Spanish property market is set to continue benefiting from the trend.
Source: Assetz
International Property Buying Guide
New York – Charming Tuscan villas lure with views of lush olive groves and ancient hill towns. Beachfront retreats in the Caribbean call like modern sirens. While traveling abroad, who among us hasn't been tempted to splurge on an exotic vacation home?
But international real estate is more than an impulse buy–or, it should be if you're smart.
Along with the appeal of owning a second (or third, or fourth) home, there are pragmatic reasons for buying abroad. It can be a way to diversify an investment portfolio or provide rental income. Buy in Dubai, and you automatically receive a visa that permits you to do business there. Some international purchases made a decade ago would be considered very wise today.
"It turns out investing in Europe has been a good idea, because the euro has increased in value to the dollar," says Delores Conway, director of the Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast at the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.
Of course, there are risks as well: Currencies can slide, taking with them the value of overseas investments; political changes can affect ownership laws; and the buying process can be complex and confusing. So while it may seem like a lark, international buyers should put even more care and thought into purchasing internationally than at home.
"You should make no assumptions whatsoever that the system is like your own," says Ian Payne, vice president and managing director for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific for Cendant Mobility, a global relocation firm that is part of Cendant (nyse: CD – news – people ). "Everything from how it's marketed to the tax system can be different."
There are some principles that should be followed when buying real estate anywhere. It is common sense to make sure that the person selling you your dream home–whether it's in Miami or Mexico–has full title to the property. Check that the company behind that new development in Thailand or Toronto has a rock-solid reputation.
Every country has different rules and conventions, which means prospective buyers need to take a number of issues into consideration, including ownership restrictions, tax ramifications, development regulations, currency issues and political climate–before they fall in love with a home.
There are no statistics available on the number of people who buy real estate abroad. But U.K.-based estate agent Knight Frank says international markets are burgeoning. Overseas home ownership by British households rose by 95% between 1993 and 2003, according to a report by the company. Buyers have been encouraged by increasing affluence, as well as by a travel industry that has made the world easier than ever to explore.
"I think it's safe to say that more people in this country are looking overseas," says Jim Gillespie, president and chief executive of Parsippany, N.J.-based Coldwell Banker Real Estate. "The world is smaller. There are more job opportunities overseas."
But before you jump into a deal, experts say it's smart to get to know a place in more than a passing fashion. Gillespie advises that prospective buyers take several trips to an area and rent a house instead of staying in a resort.
"Real estate is very local," Conway agrees. "You require enormous local information about the investment–it is not like simply buying into a mutual fund of overseas companies."
Check whether you are legally able to own property as a foreign national. Until a few years ago, foreigners could not own in Dubai, says Tony Layson of Elegant Properties Realty, which is marketing new developments there. Mexico's constitution bans foreigners from owning within 30 miles of the coastline or 60 miles of the U.S. border. So, until a dozen years ago, ownership was only permitted through a 28-year trust, says Chris Snell of Snell Real Estate in San Jose del Cabo. The regulations have been relaxed; though foreigners must still own through trusts, they now last for 50 years and can be extended indefinitely.
Once you ascertain that you are willing–and able–to buy, you may discover that there are differences in how properties are marketed.
"The multiple-listing system that you enjoy [in the U.S.] is not prevalent in Europe," Payne says. "You have to go from real estate agent office to real estate agent office and put together your own schedule of viewing." That's especially true in Spain, where many properties are offered privately and require local contacts to track down, he says.
Offers may also be made differently. In the U.K., when a buyer's offer is accepted, there is no deposit required, Payne says–but also no contract.
"Between that point and the point of any binding agreement, you have mortgage applications and inspections," Payne says. "You would end up spending money before you even have a binding agreement."
When buying internationally, it's important to consider currency risks as well as government controls.
"If I invest my U.S. dollars in Italy, does the seller take U.S. dollars, or do I need to convert them to lira to pay him?" says George Damianos, of Damianos Sotheby's International Realty in the Bahamas. "Once I sell my property, am I able to freely take out my money without being taxed by that country?"
In the Bahamas, he explains, you can obtain a verification from the government that you have invested in the country. If you sell and want to wire $1 million back home, you can easily exchange the money and send the cash from a commercial bank. That may not be true everywhere, however.
Tax and estate laws are another concern. Some countries have no taxes, other have very high taxes. Some levy taxes only on legal residents, others may tax foreigners at a higher rate. Will there be a huge capital gains hit if you sell for a profit? In some places, if a property owner dies, the government automatically divides the estate evenly among survivors, Payne points out.
"Also check with your tax person here in the U.S.," Gillespie says. "You can't escape paying taxes just by buying a house in France and saying you're living there."
And if concerns about historical restrictions (local laws may say that charming stone cottage can only be repaired using original materials), security (who will look after the place in the off-season?), transportation (Costa Rica is known for rutted and bone-jangling roads) and utilities (in some countries, a water connection isn't part of the real estate deal, Conway says) aren't exhausting enough, there are political issues to consider. Is a place safe? Is it stable? Does the government respect property rights?
Conway knows people who have bought in Shanghai, hoping to see dramatic appreciation in their investments. But they acknowledge, she says, that their ownership cannot be taken for granted.
She points out that–in addition to tax problems, historical restrictions, security concerns and possible devaluation–in some countries, the government can repossess your property. "It really is not for the faint of heart."
Wade through the challenges, and the rewards of owning property internationally can be endless. But choose the wrong place, and the hassles can be endless as well.
An open-armed approach to overseas buyers
South East Asia Property
Malaysian Property
Among the new property markets emerging in south-east Asia, the palm-fringed white beaches, lush inland tropical forests, majestic peaks and paradise islands of Malaysia are opening up perhaps a little faster than others.
The country is benefiting from the effects of an ambitious new scheme, called Malaysia My Second Home, which launched in 2002 with generous government backing and the aim to drive up numbers of long-term foreign visitors and private property prospectors.
The scheme has steadily been pulling in applicants territories including Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, the UK, France, Canada and South America, all lured by a package of incentives designed to speed the process of setting up home, or a second home, in the former British colony.
Mohmed Razip Hasan, director of Tourism Malaysia for the UK and Ireland, explains: "We want our friends from countries overseas to come and live in Malaysia. We offer so many attractions in terms of our standard of living, our forests and beaches, weather and political stability. Our education system and rule of law are both British, and we have excellent, modern medical facilities."
In the 12 months to August 2005, around 5,700 foreign nationals registered for the Malaysia My Second Home programme internationally, including 550 from Britain.
The qualifying criteria for the scheme, which is backed by the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism and the Immigration Department of Malaysia, are continually being revised. However, the main improvements made to welcome foreign nationals include the extension of visitor visas from five to 10 years, with the promise of relatively automatic renewal; increased flexibility over financial security (applicants must place a fixed deposit, fully refundable upon departure, of either M$100,000 (£15,000) if single or M$150,000 if a couple, with a Malaysian financial institute or they must prove they have a monthly income of at least M$7,000); and, in response to demand, the relaxation of the requirement for a full medical report (instead an applicant can just secure medical insurance once their application has been approved). The whole application process also now takes just one month to complete.
From there, househunters can explore the bustling capital Kuala Lumpur, areas near world-famous nature parks such as Taman Negara and the tropical forests and waterfalls of Pahang on the east coast, the fabulous beach communities of Penang and the numerous award-winning island resorts of Langkawi.
In all, they will find inexpensive property, available mostly on a long leasehold basis, with prices ranging from M$150,000 (less expensive homes are reserved for ethnic Malays) to about M$500,000. Foreigners can buy up to two residences and they are even eligible for a 60 per cent loan from selected financial institutions, subject to qualifications.
The Malay housing stock ranges from new luxury condos and mini-developments on the edge of golf courses to bungalows, semi-detached houses, terraced houses and traditional wooden beach-front kampung-style chalets found along the coastal areas of Langkawi, Penang and Malacca. Some of the most attractive residences are in tourism zones – on beaches, in jungles and near the country's national parks.
"People can buy a decent home for around M$250,000, while they can get a semi-detached house or bungalow for nearer M$400,000," says Hasan. "Pensioners tend to prefer the islands or beach areas, but some professionals like to stay in the more upmarket areas of Kuala Lumpur."
Langkawi, the legendary archipelago consisting of clusters of sun-drenched islands in the north west corner of Malaysia, is the most popular resort location in the country. Properties there range from M$100,000 for a single-storey sea bungalow up to M$500,000 for a luxury chalet. Other top destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca and Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, the two state capitals in Malaysian Borneo. Two-thirds of Malaysia is surrounded by water, so sea-view or seafront properties are plentiful.
Simon Naylor, a 46-year-old British telecoms worker, bought a detached four- bedroom house with a pool in KL three years ago after living in Asia for 16 years. "We had been renting places elsewhere, in Hong Kong and Singapore, and thought it was about time to invest in a property," he explains. "The Malaysian government is making it easy. The Second Home scheme was one of the reasons we bought here, combined with the decent price of houses, the excellent infrastructure, the weather and the friendliness. You pay half the price here for the same property in Singapore or Spain, and Malaysia's economy is developing so property is a good investment."
For expat buyers who eventually want to move on, there are no restrictions on property sales and they can keep every penny, or Malaysian ringgitt, they make on the transaction with no sneaky taxation imposed before they exit the country. Hasan says, given current market conditions, gains can easily be realised within five years.
There is only one thing that foreigners can't do under the Malaysia My Second Home scheme: get a local job. But then maybe that's not such a bad thing.
Source: FT
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Contact Property Frontiers from more info
Brits continue looking for place in Spanish sun
A new report has revealed that the massive interest in second homes abroad among British people is set to continue.
According to research carried out by Barclays, the number of British homeowners with properties abroad is set to double over the coming years, as people look to flee from the UK during the cold winter months.
Spain topped the poll by Barclays of the place that most people would want to purchase a property, with 30 per cent of the vote. France came in third, with 14 per cent of the vote, with both scoring highly because of their cheap housing prices compared to the UK at present.
The UK's continued price inflation may have started to slow, resulting in a significant cooling of the housing market, but prices have not fallen low enough for many people, resulting in millions preferring properties abroad over ones in the UK as ideal second home destinations.
Destinations such as France and Spain remain popular with those from the UK looking to invest in properties abroad, due to the fact that they see them as ideal destinations for winter breaks to get away for a short period to top up on some sun instead of the long dark nights of British winter. And with predictions that this winter could be the coldest for ten years, more people than ever are now interested in purchasing a second home abroad.
Barclays found that, while 2.2 million people currently own properties abroad, there are just as many people in the UK who are definitely intending to buy a second home in a foreign country in the future. That would raise the proportion of UK citizens owning a second home to ten per cent of the country's population.
But even that could dramatically rise in the years to come, as the survey also found a further 37 per cent of those polled are currently considering purchasing a property abroad. That would result in a mass exodus, with millions leaving these shores every year to invest in overseas properties, both as second homes and as property investments.
Many people are inspired by property programmes such as Channel 4's A Place in the Sun, which tracks people purchasing property in foreign climes, because of the investment opportunities explained in such programmes.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Barclays head of European business development Suzanne Clay said: "The trend towards owning property abroad shows no sign of abating and could go through the roof if people were more confident of a hassle-free purchase."
Number of Brits with overseas homes 'to double'
UK Overseas Property Trends
The number of Britons who plan to buy properties abroad is set to double, according to research released by today by Barclays.
Some 5% of people questioned by the bank already own a home abroad, while a further 5% said they would "definitely" buy a property overseas in the future.
In addition, 37% of respondents said they were "considering a purchase abroad".
But while people are attracted to the idea of buying overseas, the survey revealed there are some practical concerns they need to address.
Over half (58%) of those who are considering a purchase said they were concerned about local legal or tax issues; 17% were worried about the security of an empty property; and 8% feared they might be overcharged by the seller.
A further 14% were worried that they did not know the local language well enough to arrange the deal.
Among those questioned, Spain (including the Balearics and Canary Islands) was the most popular location for a second home, with 30% of potential buyers naming it as their preferred destination.
Perhaps surprisingly, the US was second on the list, favoured by 15% of Britons, while 14% said they wanted to buy in France.
Some 9% of those asked said they didn't yet know where they wanted to buy.
"The trend towards owning property abroad shows no sign of abating and could go through the roof if people were more confident of a hassle-free purchase," said Suzanne Clay, head of European business development at Barclays.
Speculating on reasons for the surge in interest in overseas property, Ms Clay said: "Many people buying a second home overseas are likely to use it for holiday purposes, but are not averse to letting the property out to help with mortgage repayments."
"They might also be looking at it as a place to retire to," she added. "To others, this may be a significant step towards moving overseas permanently."
The popularity of second homes abroad has risen in recent years, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics in June.
They revealed that between 2002-03 and 2003-04 the number of British families who owned a second property overseas increased by 20% to reach a quarter of a million.
Source: Guardian Unlimited
Property investments may not be the answer to pension funds
People should think very carefully before placing their incomes in retirement at the mercy of the buy-to-let property market, warns the Actuarial Profession.
The warning comes as product providers gear up to for changes to the rules for Self-Invested Personal Pension Plans (SIPPs). From 6 April 2006 SIPPs may, for the first time, invest directly in residential property. This may at first sight appear to offer an attractive income and capital tax shelter for buy-to-let properties inside a pensions wrapper.
But the Actuarial Profession cautioned that there are a number of reasons why residential property may not be suitable for many peoples' pension investments prior to retirement, or for a fund which is being drawn down in order to provide an income:
The initial outlay is likely to be substantial in relation to the existing savings. Existing property cannot be injected directly into a pension fund, and investors should consider the cost of rearranging existing pension investments, and the balance of their revised portfolio.
Savers are permitted to borrow part of the cost of the property, leading to an element of gearing which increases the overall level of risk, especially if interest rates were to rise
Most people need to draw their pensions as soon as they retire, and may have little discretion about when this happens. If the property market is not performing well at that time, a forced sale may be required at a relatively low price
Overseas property investments may be subject to local legislation that inhibits dealing with them, and in some circumstances they may prove extremely difficult to sell.
Residential property can be a volatile investment. Rental income (which cannot be guaranteed) represents a large part of the return, and letting voids and/or marketing costs can quickly erode estimates of rental returns. Properties come in relatively large units and cannot be subdivided; and the property cycle (the period over which values rise and fall) is very long; all one's eggs are in one basket.
Uncertainty over rental income is especially risky if the property is retained after retirement as part of a "draw down" arrangement, and the investor relies upon the income to fund his or her pension.
Only more financially-secure investors, such as those who already own a buy to let property and who wish to ensure that future rises in value are free from CGT, or those who have large existing pension funds and who perceive property to offer high returns for acceptable risk, should consider buy-to-let property.
Alan Goodman, Chairman of the Financial Consumer Support Committee of the Profession, commented: "There are just 150 days to go before the rules change and people may invest their pension funds in buy to let properties. We are sure some providers will be looking to cash in on this market with enterprising new investment vehicles.
"But people must not be seduced into buying them – even though house prices have rocketed and stock markets have slumped in the recent past. The value of houses, too, may fall as well as rise and the lack of liquidity that could arise from being a forced seller in a falling market could have very serious implications on an individual's ultimate income in retirement.
"We have identified important reasons why people should think twice about putting all their pension eggs in one property basket. There may be a place for property within a diversified portfolio, but this is best achieved using a property fund rather than investing directly in bricks and mortar.
"In our view the vast majority of people should invest in pooled funds, rather than much riskier individual properties. We therefore urge everyone to consider very carefully whether residential property is a suitable investment for their pension funds and if so, ensure they get good independent financial advice before they go ahead."
Source: Easier
Pooled pension funds make solid returns
Pension funds extended their gains to nine consecutive months in the second quarter of 2005, the longest unbroken period of gains since the mid-1990s, according to research company Russell/Mellon on Friday.
Funds classed in the pooled balanced category achieved a median positive return of 4.7 percent, led by strong performance in stock markets, it said.
Pooled pension funds hold assets on behalf of several pension portfolios and run them as a single pot.
"This recent run of positive performance also brings pension funds that bit closer to where they were before the bear run at the start of the decade," Daniel Hall, Russell/Mellon's publications and statistics manager, said in a note.
On one measure, a typical balanced fund — holding a mix of bonds, stocks, cash and other assets — would be worth about 98 percent of its asset value at the end of 1999, he said.
Positive returns were achieved across all major asset classes, with UK equities returning 5.0 percent and overseas stocks logging 6.7 percent gains. UK bonds recorded a return of 4.7 percent, and property returned. 4.5 percent.
Pension fund managers shifted out of domestic UK equities and bonds over the quarter, continuing a trend seen in recent years. UK equity weightings fell by 0.6 percent to 50.6 percent.
-Reuters
Scots lottery winners the most prudent
Scots lottery winners are the least likely to splurge after a big win, preferring instead to spend sensibly and invest the cash, a new survey has revealed.
The spend spend spend lifestyle is out, with most winners using the money to buy a new house or go on a nice holiday.
Almost a quarter of those surveyed said they would share their good luck with family and close friends, however 7% said they would not tell anyone about their big win.
The survey, for National Savings and Investments (NS&I), asked almost 1,500 Brits what they would spend a £1 million win on. Not one Scot said they would blow their win on flashy cars or designer clothes and jewellery, in fact 11% said they would not spend anything at all.
Half those surveyed said they would spend the money on a new house or car or a property abroad, while almost one in 10 said they would put it in secure savings and investments.
But while the Scots have a reputation for being tight-fisted they are more likely to give some of their win to charity than winners south of the border, with more than 80% saying they would give to a good cause.
Scotland has had a run of lottery luck in recent weeks. Last weekend Midlothian couple Alex and Sandra Fraser scooped the £8.5 million Lotto jackpot.
In keeping with the survey's findings the couple said that they would be spending their win on a nice house, a car – and a box at their beloved Hibernian FC.
Just the week before the Frasers' big win six distillery workers from Glasgow shared in a £15 million Lotto prize. The colleagues from Morrison Bowmore Distillers, each won a £2.5 million share of the jackpot.
But while the Frasers and the distillery workers went public with their big wins according to the NS&I survey most people (61%) would only tell family and close friends.
One in four winners would only tell their partner while 7% would not tell anyone at all, with men more likely than women to keep their good fortune a secret.
Enterprising Scots are also more likely to use some of the money to launch a business idea – with the majority naming their role model in terms of managing their money as billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson.
Just 4% of Scots said they would model their spending on the Beckhams, almost a quarter chose to follow Harry Potter author JK Rowling's example when it came to how to spend their riches
Shanghai builders' confidence plunges
The confidence of Shanghai property developers has plunged to its lowest level since 2000 amid a government blitz on rampant real-estate speculation in the city.
The Shanghai Real Estate Confidence Index of Entrepreneurs, compiled by the central government's National Bureau of Statistics, fell to 95.8 in the second quarter, a drop of 64 points, or 40 percent, from the first quarter.
A reading above 100 indicates positive sentiment, while a reading below 100 reflects negative sentiment.
The latest reading is 50.4 points below the second quarter of last year and the lowest since the first quarter of 2000.
The statistics bureau said most developers it surveyed expect the confidence index to drop further in the third quarter.
Governments at the national and municipal levels have piled on the hurt for property sellers this year in an effort to crimp speculation, which has been especially rife in Shanghai, though it is also a recognized problem in Beijing and Guangzhou. Residential prices in Shanghai rose 44 percent from 2000 to 2004, according to property consultants, Colliers International.
In May, the central government imposed a 5 percent tax on proceeds of home sales within two years of purchase. It also banned the transfer of titles for uncompleted units. Not long before, the Shanghai municipal government imposed a 5 percent capital gains tax on flats sold within a year of purchase.
The statistics bureau said finding money for projects has become the biggest problem for 58 percent of the developers it polled.
"A lot of developers, especially the smaller ones, are finding it very difficult to get further financing for their projects," said Wayne Zane, Shanghai-based associate director for research at Colliers.
Tenants in areas due for redevelopment were also digging in their heels and demanding better compensation from developers before agreeing to move out, he said.
Zane said a major factor in project delays in the center of Shanghai was the decision early last year to reduce plot ratios, which determine the size of new developments, inside the city's inner ring road.
"A lot of developers who bought land before 2004 are suffering because the buildable area of their projects has been significantly reduced," he said.
As a result, many developers, including Hong Kong's Kerry Properties, were still locked in arguments with government officials over plot ratios.
Some major mainland developers said they had slowed the pace of property investment in Shanghai in the second quarter of the year when property sales fell.
For example, China Overseas Land and Investment, a listed firm controlled by China's Construction Ministry, said it would focus on developments outside Shanghai because its expects prices in the commercial metropolis to fall by 20 percent this year.
Another state-run company, China Resources Land, said the number of property transactions in Beijing and Shanghai plummeted by more than 30 percent in May alone, though prices in Beijing had not been severely affected.
Beijing Capital Land, the property arm of the city's municipal government, which recently issued an interim profit warning, said the central government's austerity measures imposed last year, prior to this year's targeted anti-speculation measures, had delayed approval of three of its projects in the capital for nine months. As a result, "pre-sales" of uncompleted properties in all three were pushed back to this year from last year.
Christine Mui, a spokeswoman for Shui On Construction and Materials, said the company's Shui On Land unit had no plans to delay any of its Shanghai projects, though this could change according to the market's evolution.
Shui On chairman Vincent Lo said Monday the firm might adjust its sales strategy for upcoming launches, by offering fewer units for sale and more for rental, for example.
Source: The Standard
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Foreclosed Dubai Homes to go on Auction
A Dubai law firm has reported that the Dubai Land Department (DLD) will recommence property auctions from this month, including foreclosed properties. "Recent discussions with...
International Property News Beat – Spanish Property, Emmar & Real Estate Moguls


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