Today I will share a very popular non-vegetarian snack called Chicken Kabiraji Cutlet. My Bengali friends must be licking their lips after hearing this name. People who have been brought up in Kolkata are so familiar with street food and must be feeling nostalgic.
They may have many sweet old memory of enjoying this snack with their friends or family on the roadside of Kolkata. It's very common scene in Kolkata's college canteens that a group of friends chat for hours with only a cup of tea/coffee and a Kabiraji.
Chicken Kabiraji is another form of cutlets that is made of minced chicken mixed together with some spices and herbs. The dough is thinly spread out, dipped in egg and coated with breadcrumbs. Then it is fried with an abundance of eggs. To make an egg nest, a pinch of salt and an egg mixed with a teaspoon of water is dropped on top of the frying cutlet.
The word Kabiraji Cutlet has come from the Bengali pronunciation of a "Coverage or Cover with egg" Cutlet. Like other chop cutlets, this recipe too is the result of British influence on the Bengali cuisine.
1. Take a mixing bowl, add minced chicken, finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chillis, chopped cilantro, salt, black pepper and garam masala. Mix it well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for one hour.
3, In a big bowl, beat the eggs with salt, pepper, cornflour and water.
4. Now dip each cutlet into the beaten egg and then coat with breadcrumbs.
5. Deep fry the cutlet one by one into hot oil until the both sides are golden brown.
6. For the egg nest, when the cutlet is still in the oil, keep the flame high and carefully sprinkle the remaining egg batter until it covers the whole surface of the oil. Fold or wrap the fried cutlets in the egg nest.
7. Remove it from hot oil and place it on a paper towel to drain excess oil. serve hot with some ketchup and a salad ( sliced cucumber and onion) .
Though I have been cooking for some recipes in last few weeks and clicked pictures of my next three posts, just didn't get time to write and edit the post. First my entire family became sick due to seasonal flue and then got busy with some social activities. Since we have a nice friend circle here, every weekend is booked for a party at some friend's house.
Anyway, since I am back to routine now, promise that I will soon post three yummy recipes. Last week I made Fish Kofta curry in one potluck party and the dish was appreciated by everybody. So I thought of posting this recipe here to my readers. If I don't write it down soon after making the dish, I forget the details of the process. So it helps me too in future if I document it in the blog so that it becomes easier when I try the same recipe one year later.
The concept of Koftas were introduced to Indian cuisine many years back during the Muslim rules. Koftas are commonly made with meat and are very popular in Persian or Middle Eastern cuisine. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls that are made of minced or ground meat, mixed with spices and herbs. There are different variations of Kofta curry. Though it started with meat, later it was customized with fish and vegetables. As expected, Bengalis made the fish version popular.
In Fish Kofta curry, ground fish is spiced, rolled into ball shape and then either deep fried or baked or grilled. Then they are cooked in different kinds of sauces with spices and herbs. Even though the process looks bit complex, it is worth every minute you spend making it. When served with steamed rice or Pulao, it becomes a classic dish, elegant and rich enough to be savored at any occasions; be it a mingle of friends, a birthday celebration, an anniversary or a wedding.
1. Wash the fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Take a big microwave proof bowl, add the fish and cook it in the microwave, until it is cooked. If you don't want to use microwave, can use stove top. Add fish fillets in a big pan, add little water and let it cook, until it is done.
2. Once fish fillets are cooked, set it aside and let it come to the room temperature.
3. Mashed the fish fillets, add chopped onions, ginger paste, garlic paste, minced ginger, chopped green chili peppers and chopped cilantro. Add salt and the boiled potato. Mix it nicely and make a tight but smooth mixture. Divide it into 20 portions and roll them into balls.
5. Take a big thick bottomed pan, add the oil and heat it up. Add black cardamom, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp of sugar. Saute for a couple of minutes or until they get aromatic and the sugar melts and changes the color.
6. Add the fenugreek seeds, once they sizzle add ginger-garlic paste. Saute until the color gets brown and the raw smell goes off.
7. Add red chili powders and keep stirring till oil starts to separate from the spice. Add the tomato puree and salt. Cook the mixture over medium heat until it becomes thick and oil again starts separating from the all sides of the pan.
8. Add the cashew paste. Mix it well and add 1 cup of milk. Add kasoori methi and sugar. Add the fresh cream ( it is optional, if you want to avoid the cream, add milk) , mix it well. Cover the pan and simmer it over low flame for 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Add the Koftas in the sauce in a single layer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Fish Kofta Curry is ready to serve. Check seasoning, add salt or sugar if needed. Serve immediately with with steamed Rice or Pulav.
Last week was not so great time for Indian cricket lovers. First we lost in the semifinal and then the team we were supporting lost in the final. Only positive thing was that we had great party in one of our friend's house. I tried a completely different kind of sweet dish this time with some sincere effort. Even my husband was very impressed about how much effort I had to put to make this dish. So today I am going to share with you the recipe of Chhena jalebi/Chhanar jilipi.
While reading about its history, it was interesting to know that this sweet dish is originated from Odisha and not from Bengal. This eastern state of India is known for its desserts made of Chenna. Its popularity has spread beyond coastal Odisha and reached both parts of Bengal. The basic ingredient is cottage cheese or Chhena. Fresh chhena is fully kneaded and rolled up into shapes that make it look more like pretzels. Then they are deep fried and soaked in a sugary syrup. Chhena jalebis are served either hot or chilled.
Though the process of making Channa jalebi is very similar to regular jalebis and Amriti, the regular jalebis are little bigger in size and crunchy. On the other hand, Chhenar Jalebi is very soft and the texture is like melt in mouth. Chhena/Paneer adds an interesting flavour to this type of jalebis.
This is not so complex recipe but at the same time you need to be bit cautious while making, otherwise it may spoil the taste of this delectable sweet. The whole process takes longer than other common sweet dishes. It was really challenging to roll out the dough and shaping it as it gets cracked often. But it is doable and the final result was awesome. The taste of crispy jalebis oozing with syrup is just fabulous . Frying the jalebis is a also very important step to achieve the inner softness of these sweets. The temperature should be moderate, neither very hot nor very mild.
Lime juice - of a big lime and mix it with 1 tbsp water.
1. Boil the milk in a pan, stir continuously. Once the milk starts boiling, lower the flame.
2. Pour the lemon juice. Stir the milk. Once the milk starts curdling and changes into chhana (cottage cheese) and greenish water, remove the pan from heat.
3. Leave the chhana / cottage cheese in this condition for 5-7 minutes.
4. Put it over a soft cotton cloth / or a cheese cloth (if you have any). Let all the water drain away. Now put this cloth with the chhana under cold running water for 2-3 minutes.
5. This will help to remove the smell of lemon. Hang the chhana along with the cloth on the kitchen tap / faucet for 45 minutes to 1 hr.
6. Now once again, squeeze the cloth if there is any extra water. Try to get rid of as much water as possible but note that the chhana (cottage cheese) should not get too dry.
Mix the sugar and water and heat up till it comes to boiling state. Add the crushed cardamom, lower the gas and let it simmer.
1. Smash the Khoya on a flat surface till it becomes smooth. Smash the Chhana same way once it becomes very smooth and oily.
2. Add the baking powder, flour, cardamom powder and ghee (clarified butter) in the chhana and again knead it.
3. Add the smashed khoya and mix it together with the chhana. Knead it well with your palm till there would be no lump in it and it will become smooth and your palm is oily.
4. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 20 small lemon size balls. Place it on a flat surface and start rolling it with your palm. Try to keep the thickness same. Make a 3 inches long rope. Try to give it a jilipi shape. It gets cracked very often. Repair any breakage by pressing it. The end result should be a smooth round spiral. Repeat the same process for the rest balls. Set it aside.
5. Heat the oil, once it is ready turn off the gas for 1 minute. Turn on again and lower the flame. Fry them in very low temperature till they get dark brown color on both sides. Fry it in small batches.
6. Once it is fried, immediately transfer them into hot syrup and let it soak for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.


Bound by magical bonds then carved into ships by their demon captors, scourge stalkers transport the mighty demonic hordes across wide oceans of water as easily as they swam within the lava lakes of the fire plane. Coming within range of the flailing tentacles is a surefire way to end up consumed by a starving and murderous scourge squid.
The Scourge Stalker is a ship suited for fantasy RPG, pirate, or skirmish tabletop games. It is an alternate version of the Scourge Flyer and included is a small print version.
24 April 2018 – 1.1 Updated bottom of ship.
The small printer reference sheet is available in the zip file.


Last June, I made the best social media decision possible and de-activated my Facebook account, and my life has never been better. However, sometimes I do miss David Wingrove's Facebook updates. Luckily, his author page is public and there's some news hiding in the comments.
First, the reason for the delay of Chung Kuo Book 10: The Stone Within was a staffing change with Fragile Books. Evidently, Amazon would only deal with the contact on record, leading to confusion and delays.
Second, Book 11: Upon a Wheel of Fire is currently in production and is due this summer in print and Kindle versions. Hopefully there will be no delays this time around!
For those of you who have been patiently holding out for the long-delayed Kindle version of Chung Kuo Book 10: The Stone Within, you'll be pleased to know that it was released a couple weeks ago on February 17. Here are the links.
I'm afraid I have no news regarding publication dates for Book 11: Upon a Wheel of Fire. If anyone knows anything, feel free to drop me a line.
Like many of you, I'm also patiently waiting on the Kindle version of Chung Kuo Book 10: The Stone Within. In the meantime, I thought I'd share some details from another book: Transluminal: The Art of Jim Burns.
Jim Burns is widely known as one of the most prolific and influential science fiction book artists, and he has long been involved in the Chung Kuo series. If you're a reader or collector of the original books, you've certainly seen his cover art on several issues; if you're reading the new Fragile Books releases, you've seen the dragon ouroboros imagery that adorns each cover.
Transluminal is a great conversation-starter and coffee table book, and it's a nice glimpse in the history of classic Chung Kuo. It looks like there are plenty of copies floating around if you're interested in a companion to your CK novels.
The Stone Within, Book 10 of the Fragile Books re-publication of the Chung Kuo series, is finally published today… sort of.
Prior to today, it was not available for pre-order or even appearing on any bookstore's site in either the UK or the US, leaving some of us worried about the volume's fate. Currently, it's on the Amazon UK site (not the US, for those of us stateside), but it's showing as out of stock. A Kindle version is not yet available, either.
Hopefully this will change soon as Amazon receives copies and makes an e-book version available. More news as it comes.
Mr. Wingrove has announced a publication date for Chung Kuo book 10: The Stone Within on his social media: September 20, 2018. Just a little over a month away!
Book 10. Publication date: 20th September 2018!
It's not appearing yet for pre-order on Amazon USA or UK, but I suspect it will soon enough.
It seems as though many of you, based on the comments on the last post, are planning on waiting until all 20 are out before collecting a set. It's an understandable position – we've been burned by publishers a few times now. Personally, I think it's important to show support by picking up each book as it comes out; I don't think I have to spell out the logic of what could happen if everybody held off on buying.
More news as it comes in (if a day or two late…).
Just a quick reminder that Chung Kuo Book 9: Monsters of the Deep will be released by Fragile Books on October 19 – one month's time. David Wingrove will be signing copies that day at Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue from 6-7pm. That's in London, I think. I don't know, I live in Miami, where we get hurricanes. Anyhow, if anyone can send along a report or some pictures, that would be great!
David Wingrove was interviewed today on BBC Radio 4 program "Last Word" on the death of his friend and co-author, Brian Aldiss. Skip to 13:30 for the segment on Aldiss.
David also posted on Facebook earlier this week go about Aldiss's passing.
I've had Finches of Mars, one of his last books, next to my bed for several months now, one of many books in a pile I've wanted to get through. I'll have to make finishing it, and getting to others of his, a priority.
Mr. Wingrove has announced, via his Facebook page, that Chung Kuo book 9: Monsters of the Deep will be released on Thursday, October 19. He'll be signing autographs that day from 6-7pm at Forbidden Planet in London.
Unfortunately, it's an ocean away for me, so I won't be able to attend, but if someone can go and share some pics, that would be terrific.
Thanks to Jewell for beating me to this news via a comment!
Moments ago, a box containing the first eight books of the Chung Kuo re-re-launch arrived at my doorstep, courtesy of Fragile Media's Susan Oudot, each containing a kind inscription from the man himself. The books are beautiful — far nicer in person than in any picture. My wife, who is away at a work conference for the week, will likely be none too pleased to return and find that I've relocated a picture of the two of us to make room on the Chung Kuo bookshelf in our small library. Yes, the guy who runs the fan blog has a Chung Kuo bookshelf.
Seeing the books in print again, now with a renewed confidence that this time we'll be able to see things to their proper conclusion under the wing of Fragile Books, is a wonderful feeling.


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New Name in GOP Race For Governor: Former GOP Chairman John Munger
James King | October 2, 2009 | 10:37am
Despite the fact that the sitting governor's a Republican, the GOP list of Arizona gubernatorial candidates has gotten even longer.
John Munger, a Tucson lawyer and former Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's office this morning to run for the state's highest office.
After his GOP chairmanship in the 1980s, Munger was a member of the Arizona Board of Regents in the early 90s.
Munger joins rookie Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker, State Treasurer Dean Martin, and former Governor Fife Symington as a GOP gubernatorial hopeful.
Oh, and of course there's that sitting governor, Jan Brewer.
Brewer, who has expressed interest in seeking a full term, has managed to piss off a majority of her party, to the point that she is currently the least popular politician within a state GOP -- in the entire country.
A recent poll put her statewide approval rating at a feeble 22 percent.
With an interesting primary season on the horizon, GOP efforts may be futile. Whoever the GOP candidate turns out to be can probably look forward to getting stomped by Attorney General Terry Goddard, who polls place ahead of just anyone the GOP has to offer. So far.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Patriotism is the positive feeling towards a person's homeland or adoptive land. These feelings can develop for many reasons: cultural, historical or popular.
Patriotism is love of the country, and this is defined as the place to which a person feels they belong, whether it is their homeland or not; it is usually linked to the idea of country or nation. These feelings are usually encouraged through numerous symbols that arouse the union of the different inhabitants and their country. Examples of these symbols are the anthem, the national flag, or heroes or conquerors who have given the country prestige internationally.
The term, depending on the time and the people that adopted it, had one or another meaning. In ancient Greece, patriotism was loyalty to the institutions and traditions that made up the city-state. The barbarians, for example, were peoples with a high nomadic component, and they did not feel the attachment of other civilizations to their land of origin, since the conquest of new territories and the rise of new locations was very frequent.
The concept of patriotism is recovered during the French Revolution. The instigators of the revolution and the builders of the new nation encouraged patriotism and nationalism as fundamental pillars of the new national order. Instilling these values from the most elementary education meant the creation of citizens loyal to the republic, whose ideals –based on equality– would be assured.Therefore, we can affirm that patriotism is a fundamental element in the construction and consolidation of the nation states that we know today.
Characteristics of patriotism
Based on what has been described so far, they emanate a series of characteristics typical of patriotism.
Thus, among these, the following should be noted:
Love for the country.
Defense of national symbols (anthems and flags).
Admiration and loyalty to national heroes.
Defense and pride of all the characteristics that define the country. What is called national culture, which would encompass gastronomy, values, traditions, art and all kinds of customs.
Defense of the nation in all events that have to do with other nations, such as sporting events.
Tolerance and respect for the rest of the nations and immigrants that reside in our territory.
What is being a patriot?
The patriot is that person who identifies with patriotism, that is, one who shares the characteristics defined above and who loves his country. Patriotism is something very common, in Spain 85% of Spaniards feel proud or very proud of their country. This percentage is even higher in cases such as the United States and in Latin American countries.
Why is it that most people in a country have a great patriotic feeling?
Because our entire environment is created on the paradigm and national promotion. In other words, the language spoken is that of the nation; what we eat and what we get used to is the traditional dishes of the territory; in education we study the history of the nation, the geography of the nation, etc .; public infrastructures have highly visible national symbols; international competitions; war conflicts.
In other words, if from childhood we see everything from this paradigm, it is very normal that, later, we are proud of the community to which we belong. It is neither good nor bad, it is normal and expected behavior.
Difference between patriotism and nationalism
These terms are almost synonymous, but differ in some nuances.
Nationalism is constituted rather as an ideology, while patriotism is only a sentiment. Nationalism is blamed for clashes between countries, civil wars, racism, xenophobia, etc.
Patriotism and nationalism go hand in hand, despite the differences mentioned above. Some authors conceive it as degrees of the same idea, that is, both concepts defend the same essence but with different intensity.
Thus, patriotism would simply suppose the love and pride of the nation to which they belong, as well as its culture, traditions and peculiarities. Instead, nationalism would be the intense aspect of patriotism, defending in some cases the superiority of one's own nation as a justification for discrimination and warmongering between countries.
Criticism of patriotism
The criticism of patriotism has a double aspect. On the one hand, exclusive, the critics in this way argue that patriotism has an exclusive and discriminatory character, and that it can lead to radical nationalist behaviors that promote xenophobic practices against immigrants, and that even those who do not have a legal status can be discriminated against. national sentiment exacerbated.
On the other hand, the criticism is economic, tax evasion or the transfer of residence of those who extol the figure of the nation, has also been highly criticized. Accusing them of false patriotism or that their true homeland is money. Patriotism is also blamed for the emergence of right-wing populist movements, arguing unfeasible proposals in defense of the nation.
Tags: famous-phrases Spain economic-analysis
© Jonny team 2022 Patriotism - https://goka-finance.com


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Blog Tour | ARC Review: Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
August 20, 2020 August 19, 2020 MelodyLeave a comment
Title: Where Dreams Descend
Author: Janella Angeles
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Version: ebook – ARC
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Add To-Read on: GoodReads, StoryGraph
Notable Notables: Diverse cast of characters, vivid descriptions, dark romance
Recommended Readers: Magician enthusiasts and anyone else who's tired of all the bland, boring romances being put out there
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC and to Wednesday Books for asking me to participate in the Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review.
In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.
As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.
The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she's the best no matter the cost
The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told
The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide
Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles' debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.
It's been a hot minute since I've picked up a book and felt an instant connection on the first page—yes, the very first page. Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles is that book.
There's magic in the writing that Angeles produces, which is beyond appropriate because the book is about magic. It's about showmanship, ambition, and finding the place where you belong and the life you deserve for yourself.
I enjoyed all the main characters and loved the individual drives they all had. Kallia, I identified with pretty much on sight. She's the type of character full of sharp edges and compassion both that I gravitate to. She's bold, chases what she wants, and does it with uncompromising flair as a showgirl turned magician. I want to say she's also the first female POC character I've seen depicted like this who's also a main character, not a side one.
She has a lot of separate forces working against her, including the world's sexism against women performing as magicians. Unlike the last book I read, the portrayal of misogynistic views didn't drive me totally crazy or feel immature. Basic, sure, but it was baked into the story from the beginning, making it feel organic and truly meaningful to the world and its characters. It wasn't just a tack-on for the "yay! girl power!" feminist checkbox so many stories in YA want to mark off and then move on.
I also liked Daron Demarco, a judge of the magical competition who has already retired from being a magician after a tragic last act. He's broody but with a goal, and I can appreciate that. His backstory is largely tied to his family, and I am interested to find out the full truth of what happened to his sister Eva and him by proxy.
That being said, it's Jack, the master, who repeatedly stole the show—sorry, Kallia. From the second he was introduced, I knew I would be hooked on this story just for him. Everything else I liked was just a bonus. There's so much I could talk about with him—his magic powers, his aesthetic, his existence, his obsession with Kallia—but it could wade into spoiler territory too fast. Just know that he's my problematic fave, and I love him.
In fact, it's because of Jack that I did not subscribe to the romance between Daron and Kallia at all. It made Act III drag a bit because I just didn't feel any fire or real appeal between them. I was much more interested in Daron figuring out what had happened to his sister, which is sadly forgotten about once Kallia made his head turn. (He admits this to himself, though, and it's this self-awareness that makes him a tolerable love interest, unlike Mal in the Grishaverse books and other of his ilk.)
What also didn't help in their favor was how Jack usually made a follow-up appearance, and his interactions with Kallia sizzled in comparison to the lukewarm experience I had with any romantic overtures Kallia and Daron made to each other. Luckily, the romance isn't intolerable because, as I said, neither Daron or Kallia are; I just know who I'm rooting for, and it's the tall, formidable, dark-haired magician full of secrets, power, and desire. (I know it won't happen, and that's okay. Just the way it goes.) The more I learn about Jack, the more intrigued I get. I know my brand, and he is it!
Despite the fun I had with this book, it wasn't perfect, though still moderately strong for a debut. I will say: for anyone who's excited about the competition element of the book, don't be. None of the other competitors besides Kallia actually matter, so it's really less of a competition and more of Kallia learning to experiment with magic, spread her wings, and find her limits. You'll likely want to give the other competitors and judges a wedgie and shove them in a locker. Together.
Basically, don't expect this to be a Hunger Games situation or even a Night Circus situation. Kallia has no competitors—at least, not in this particular game. In fact, the summary pretty much gives you the short list of characters who truly matter to the story. To me, this is perfectly fine. Not every book should be like The Hunger Games or The Night Circus, no matter how easy it seems to compare them.
There's a nail-biting mystery going on the whole time, however. Angeles is artful in building suspense and timing all the creative ways the characters become unbalanced. Every time you're lulled into a false sense of security, something newly unnerving or alarming happens, with you and the characters left questioning their perceptions on reality. Given the type of illusion magic emphasized throughout the book, this was masterfully done.
As a result, the pacing overall was very enjoyable. With the exception of Act III, I felt that every time things seemed to slow down, something happened to speed things up or catch your full attention.
How compelling the mystery is made me all the more frustrated that I was yet to have any real answers by the book's end. The vague and terrifying forces behind Glorian, the terror and secrets behind the mirrors, the disappearances, the bizarre rituals, the reason Jack left it all behind—I have no idea what any of it means or what's going on. Obviously, all this and more will be answered in the next book, and I'm beyond eager to read it, but I can't help but feel like Where Dreams Descend relied a little too much on a romance I didn't believe in and a competition that had no real competitive element instead of this other incredible force happening behind the scenes. I just need more of it, and I'm impatient.
All I know for certain is that, until I can get my hands on the next book, I'm going to think twice before looking too long in the mirror and trusting the reflection I see there.
Buy Your Copy
Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound
JANELLA ANGELES is a Filipino-American author who got her start in writing through consuming glorious amounts of fanfiction at a young age—which eventually led to penning a few of her own, and later on, creating original stories from her imagination. A lifelong lover of books, she's lucky enough to be working in the business of publishing them on top of writing them. She currently resides in Massachusetts, where she's most likely to be found listening to musicals on repeat and daydreaming too much for her own good. Where Dreams Descend is her first book.
ARC review, blog tour, book review, fantasy, fiction, janella angeles, novel, wednesday books, where dreams descend, YA Lit, young adult
Blog Tour | ARC Review: Lobizona by Romina Garber
Book Review: The Unspoken Name


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Mark your calendars and get ready to pick-up the Nike x Transformers pack on November 3rd. After much delay, the pack is finally releasing featuring a pair of Air Trainer III, Air Max 90 Boot and the Air Trainer Huarache.
It seems that this pack will be releasing at select stores and not everywhere will carry it. Be sure to get it before the price sky rockets. Also Sneaker Bistro located in Patchogue, New York will receive shipments.
i need the air max boots and the huaraches!
there nice……but do u know where i can get them in orlando?
I need The huaraches ASAP.
um transformers need to remain in the toy section not on shoes.
what store in seattle is getting them?.
The only shoe that looks like a "true" Transformer is the Air Trainers. I think they all r wack, tho, except the Huaraches.
Incredible pack. I love the colorways on each pair(i'm not a Nike boot fan but i'll be coppin' these). This is way better than the Voltron pack Reebok recently released. If I have an affection for any of these, it's definitely the ATIII(hot as lava). Those are the hottest kicks in this pack(and the ones i'll rock the most). They could've put the Autobot's or Decept. logo on them but, then again why fu*@ up a good thing. They're already a busy looking shoe but, they're supposed to represent robots so the colorways are just right. I'll be diggin' in the stash for these(the whole pack!)… 4 ****'s outta' 5.
i love the nike air max transformer pack they are realy realy cool and i want them. Can some wan of you guys give me a email and can that person give a adress where i can buy them. thank you very much..
the reason that i can't buy them is that i live in holland so please give me a site or adress where i can buy them. thank you very much.


text:
Sponsorship proposal development with a touch of Magic
By Jacqui Gage-Brown, Mar 15 2018
When the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic netball team needed a new sponsorship proposal developed to attract new corporate partners, HGB worked their magic on creating winning material.
The background
Kiwis are united by sport. We come together for games, we celebrate wins, and we lament losses. Though sometimes we don't fully appreciate the mammoth effort that goes on behind the scenes to keep our favourite teams running.
Across all sports, teams rely on corporate sponsorship to enable them to train and compete. However, with so many teams and other groups vying for sponsorship, finding and securing funding can be a challenge.
The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic netball team approached HGB for help to develop a winning sponsorship proposal. The team had their sights set on some new corporate partnerships, and they wanted a polished design presentation to help them get it over the line (or in the net!)
Up until now, the team had written and designed their presentations in-house. This had served them well, but knowing how difficult it was becoming to make a connection with potential partners, sponsorship manager Grant Metcalfe decided it was time for a new approach.
By working with HGB, Grant had certainly picked the right people for his bench. HGB has helped other groups such as True Colours Children's Health Trust and the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust secure sponsorship from corporate partners.
From the moment the first whistle blew, HGB felt they were part of the Magic team, working with the team to create the sponsorship document. This team approach continued throughout the project.
HGB strategic director, Jacqui Gage-Brown worked with Grant and the team's CEO Rohan West to develop the content for the document. This involved digging deep to uncover the team's core purpose and values. The team knew what made them magic – HGB simply asked some different questions and shined a different light on their responses to help communicate it in a new way.
With content in hand, the proposal moved through to design. "We wanted the reader to form an emotional connection with the proposal and therefore the team," explains Jacqui. "We chose striking imagery of the players in action, and made this imagery the hero of the document. Infographics were used to break up the text and highlight key messages and stats."
Grant, Rohan and the Magic team were so happy with the finished document. After presenting the document to a potential sponsor, Rohan sent an email to HGB to express his thanks. In it he said:
"Thank you for your outstanding work on the proposal. It was very, very well received today, created a lot of talking points and left them impressed with us as a legitimate, professional potential partner.
"Today was a very positive first step, and it wouldn't have been nearly as good without your work.
"I showed the document to the team and they were blown away. 'The most professional sponsorship document we have ever produced' was one of the comments. We look forward to the next step in the process with prospective partners."


I have just talked to the skipper of the boat you have helped us with. I thought it would be only right to pass his feedback: He thought that your engineer was absolutely brilliant, efficient and acted in the most professional way! Thank you very much for your help once again.
Muchas gracias por tu ayuda y por la de Pau, que ha sido muy eficaz y amable. ¡Un placer conoceros!
Servicio y atención impecable.Siempre puedes contar con ellos. Pedido recibido con rapidez. Muy buen trabajo.


The Presbyterian Church has been known, since it was founded in the sixteenth century, for emphasizing education for all members. First Presbyterian has continued that tradition, assisted by the close proximity to Ball State University and other nearby universities.
We offer classes for children, youth and adults. For children there is also summer Vacation Bible School, for youth - various mission trips and special events - and for adults, a variety of educational and fellowship opportunities. The church also has a library with books for both children and adults.


text:
Q: PHP and MySQL: How to get all database entries form two tables? I have the following code which gets data from a table entry and displays some html for each entry. It works fine but i want it to display html for the entries in that table AND another table. I could just duplicate this code and change it a bit to get the entries in a different table but that creates another problem, all the entries from the second table would start at the end of the entree list from the first table. How can I display the entries from both table in the order of most relevant to what the user types in? Here is my code that just displays entries from the first table in order of when they were inserted into the table. Can someone tell me how to display all the entries from two different tables in order of relavace to a user search query? My code so far, I have not been able to get much further than this.
$pagesQuery  = mysql_query("SELECT count(id) FROM(`posts`) WHERE `title` LIKE '%{$terms}%' OR `descrip` LIKE '%{$terms}%'");
$pageNum = ceil(mysql_result($pagesQuery, 0)/5);
$start = (($page-1)*5);

$currentname = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `posts` WHERE `title` LIKE '%{$terms}%' OR `descrip` LIKE '%{$terms}%' LIMIT $start, 5");

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($currentname)) {
    //recieve relevant data.
    $title = $row[0];
    $desc = $row[13];
    $ID = $row[6];
    $views = $row[3];
    $user = $row[7];
    $type = $row[15];
    //fetch the last id from accounts table.
    $fetchlast1 = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM allaccounts WHERE id=(SELECT MAX(id) FROM allaccounts)");
    $lastrow1 = mysql_fetch_row($fetchlast1);
    $lastid1 = $lastrow1[6];
    //acquire the username of postee.
    for ($i1=1; $i1 <= $lastid1; $i1++) {
        $currentname1 = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM allaccounts WHERE id=$user");
        while ($row1 = mysql_fetch_array($currentname1)) {
            $username1 = $row1[0];
        }
    }

    //Format Title, description and view count.
    $title2 = rtrim($title);
    $donetitle = str_replace(" ", "-", $title2);
    $donetitle1 = str_replace(".", "", $donetitle);
    $donetitle2 = str_replace("-", "-", $donetitle1);
    $donetitle3 = str_replace(":", "-", $donetitle2);
    $url = "articles/".$ID."/".$donetitle3."";

    $donetitle = strlen($title) > 40 ? substr($title,0,40)."..." : $title;
    $donedesc = '';

    if(strlen($desc) > 150) {
        $donedesc = explode( "\n", wordwrap( $desc, 150));
        $donedesc1 = $donedesc[0] . '...';
    } else {
        $donedesc1 = $desc;
    }
    $SRCIMG = '';
    $finviews = number_format($views, 0, '.', ',');
    if($type == '1'){
        $SRCIMG = "img/icons/video.png";
    } else {
        $SRCIMG = "img/icons/article.png";
    }
    //Give  results

    if($row[10] == null){
        $SRC = "img/tempsmall.jpg";
    }else{
        $SRC ="generateThumbnailSmall.php?id=$ID";
    }
    echo "

             $donetitle

$username1

$donedesc1

             $finviews views

";
}

A: In this case you ought to use UNION to merge SELECT results from two or more tables.
So you query should look like this:
(SELECT *
FROM `posts`
WHERE `title` LIKE '%{$terms}%'
OR `descrip`  LIKE '%{$terms}%')
UNION
(SELECT *
FROM `posts2`
WHERE `title` LIKE '%{$terms}%'
OR `descrip` LIKE '%{$terms}%')
LIMIT $start, 5

Notice that number and names of columns in both SELECTS should be the same.

A: Why not try union ?
SELECT * FROM `posts` WHERE `title` LIKE '%{$terms}%' OR `descrip` LIKE '%  {$terms}%'
union
SELECT * FROM `otherposts table` WHERE `title` LIKE '%{$terms}%' OR `descrip` LIKE '%{$terms}%'
order by yourRelevanceField
LIMIT $start, 5"

A: Actually it just hit me, I should probably create a new table called SearchElements where I store data needed for a search result. I would create a SearchElement each time an entree is added to either table. still dont understand relevance  yet though.

A: Well you can go for UNION of two tables and try something like this
INSERT INTO table3
SELECT * FROM tabel1
UNION
SELECT * FROM tabel2

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Why use splat operator to create a Hash? I'm following the RubyMonk tutorial. There is a part that deals with the splat operator, and how you can use it with a Hash.
This is valid code:
puts Hash[4, 8]
puts Hash[ [[4, 8], [15, 16]] ]

But then it says that you can also use:
ary = [[4, 8], [15, 16], [23, 42]]
puts Hash[*ary.flatten]

Why would anyone use this last form of creating a Hash, with flatten, instead of just doing Hash[ary] directly?

A: There are a few ways you can initialize a hash. You can pass it array of pairs or just list the keys and values. Examples from documentation:
Hash["a", 100, "b", 200]             #=> {"a"=>100, "b"=>200}
Hash[ [ ["a", 100], ["b", 200] ] ]   #=> {"a"=>100, "b"=>200}

Note that there is no form that accepts a one-level array. It's either array of arrays or no array at all. The splat is needed to "expand" that flattened array into simple argument list (thus, making it behave like the first form in your example)
Depending on ruby version, this will either return an empty hash or raise an error.
RUBY_VERSION # => "2.1.5"
ary = [[4, 8], [15, 16], [23, 42]].flatten
ary # => [4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42]
Hash[ary] # => {} # !> this causes ArgumentError in the next release

It obviously doesn't make sense to do *ary.flatten (just use ary), but you might get this flat array from elsewhere. That's when you'll need to splat it.

A: One difference between Hash[ary] and Hash[*ary.flatten] is the behavior if the array can't be turned into a hash cleanly. Consider, for instance, this object:
# ary now contains an array with more than two values
ary = [[4, 8, 9], [15, 16], [23, 42]]

# Calling Hash[ary] will succeed by ignoring the invalid array
puts Hash[ary] # => {15=>16, 23=>42}

# Calling Hash[*ary.flatten] will return the expected error
puts Hash[*ary.flatten]
# => class: ArgumentError
# => message: odd number of arguments for Hash
# => backtrace: RubyMonk:4:in `[]'

If you're trying to understand what the splat is actually doing for you I strongly recommend this article (it's not very recent, but still very applicable).
https://endofline.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/the-strange-ruby-splat/


text:
Q: Is there a function to debug draw the SKPhysicsBody in Spritekit I'm trying to use SKPhysicsBody in a SpriteKit game for what would be my "ground/platform" node.
Even though I'm using:
ground01.physicsBody = SKPhysicsBody(texture: ground01.texture!, size: ground01.size)

It feels as if the limits of the physics body are a little bit lower than they should be.
Is there a way to debug draw the limits of the physics body just to make sure I'm not making any mistakes?
Thanks in advance!


Description: Learn From The Pros 2 Wire Splicing Methods Electrical Repair Learn From The Pros 2 Wire Splicing Methods Splicing Electrical Wire #6860 from the above 1200x1200 resolutions which is part of the "DIY Needed" directory. Download this image for free in HD resolution the choice "Save full resolution" below. If you do not find the exact resolution you are looking for, then go for a native or higher resolution.
Considered one of by far the most typical electrical wiring issues is regarding how to wire a change. Though making use of switches at your home is kind of effortless, wiring a single may not be that effortless for everyone. An ON-OFF switch is really quite simple to wire. There are actually various kinds of switches, but for this example, let us say you are setting up a single-pole toggle switch, a very frequent change (and also the easiest).
You will discover a few colors of wires in the normal single-pole toggle switch: black, white, and eco-friendly. Splice the black wire in two and hook up them to the terminal screws - one particular on top along with the other over the bottom screw of the swap. The white wire serves like a resource of uninterrupted electrical power and is also generally connected to the mild coloured terminal screw (e.g., silver). Connect the inexperienced wire for the ground screw of the change.
These techniques would generally be enough to produce an average switch do the job and not using a issue. On the other hand, for those who usually are not confident which you can carry out the task adequately and safely you much better permit the pros get it done alternatively. Following all, you can find a rationale why this endeavor is without doubt one of the commonest electrical wiring queries questioned by most of the people.
For many explanation, tips on how to wire a ceiling fan is likewise one of quite possibly the most typical electrical wiring issues. To simplify this activity, you should use just one switch for the single ceiling fan. To wire the lover, it is merely a make a difference of connecting the black wire with the ceiling fan on the black wire in the change. If there is a light, the blue wire should be linked into the black wire with the change too.
You will discover reasons why they are the most generally questioned electrical wiring queries. A person, quite a few consider it's easy to do, and two, these are the typical electrical tasks at home. But then you really mustn't put your safety in danger within your objective to save money. The stakes could even be much better should you make an effort to cut costs and do an electrical wiring job without sufficient expertise or encounter.


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Buy 2, 3, 4 BHK flats / apartments in Rajarhat, New Town, EM Bypass, VIP Road, North and South Kolkata.
We also help you to sell your property. You may fill up the form with the details of your property and send us. We will get in touch with you for further proceedings.


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Hello my lovelies! Long time no chat. Just as I was getting over my germs I slipped and twisted my knee.I'm also fighting aphids. And my sourdough starter is having a sulk because of the weather. But guess what? 4 weeks to Christmas! So much seasonal joy to be had. There are Christmas recipes coming your way. I have started making my tree decorations. And my snug bug's advent calendar. I really need to do some menu planning.
My germs are pretty much gone. Super double yay! Working from home is really paying dividends on that front. I went to my doctor to make sure I didn't have a secondary infection and a lot of people are taking a good month to get over this particular bug. So two weeks is a win. I guess. It was great to get back to class on Saturday. Now that my nerves are over I have a lot of fun. And then I slipped and fell. It's probably useful to know that I fall down more than the average person. It's probably a cosmic trade-off for the excellent fine-motor control. Thanks universe. One of my great super powers is saving myself from an even worse fall while in the act of falling. It's not going to save the world but it's better than nothing. In this particular instances I was moving too fast out the back and lost my footing. I didn't realise it at the time but when I woke up the next day my knee was not at it's best. Nothing serious. Don't panic. But I am shuffling around the house with it strapped up for the next couple of days. Better safe than sorry.
My god aphids are the worst! I'm pretty sure that now they are in the house I will never be able to get rid of them. My herb collection is in pots in my kitchen window. Every time I spray – with people-safe plant based stuff – I think I am winning. But I'm not. Sigh. In other news of first world problems – my sourdough starter is having a sulk. A starter gets used to the routine you give it. Mine is used to cooler weather and a 24 hour feeding cycle. And the last couple of weeks have been warm and humid and my baby is confused. It is interesting noticing how it has a different flavour at different times of the year. I noticed the same thing with the sourdough we make for class which uses a different starter.
On to the good news. FOUR WEEKS. So much Christmas joy. I am a little behind on this as well because of the germs. But it's so good to be getting into the fun stuff. My tree theme is origami. My collection paper cranes is growing. I tried to make a dragon. It looks awesome. But it took forever. Every year I make a fancy advent calendar for my snug bug. This year I found a fantastic printable template for mini noodle boxes online so I've been dutifully folding and stapling. They look great if you want to try them. I printed them onto light card so they're easier to cut out. When I'm finished there will definitely be Instagram pics. I have a few different recipes coming your way. Stollen. Lebkuchen. Mince pie variations. I love traditional bakes from different countries and Christmas is an excellent hunting ground. One thing I haven't done is plan what in earth I'm making for various get-togethers. "Your dinner is a selection of cookies" probably won't cut it.
Walk carefully. Deck the halls. Bake the cookies. Look after each other.


In our grants, loans, and investments, RSF partners with organizations and entrepreneurs focused on protecting the environment as central to both our economic and spiritual life. One of our Donor Advised Fund clients, Tamalpais Trust, has a strong and innovative agenda: supporting the capacity of indigenous-led organizations to promote culturally sensitive approaches to environmental stewardship through indigenous knowledge systems. Last year, Tamalpais Trust granted over $2.7 million through RSF to organizations working on these issues. Two in particular – Kivulini Heritage Trust in Northern Kenya and the Forever Sabah project of Land Empowerment Animals People in Malaysia – are helping build strong indigenous communities to lead environmental stewardship and sustainable development.
Kivulini Heritage Trust works with pastoralists, fisherfolk, and other minorities in Northern Kenya to preserve sacred sites, support local livelihoods, and promote environmental management centered on indigenous knowledge and institutions. Last year, Tamalpais Trust funded a project to link peace-building among different communities with development in the border region of Northern Kenya and Ethiopia. New development is poised to raise the standard of living for many, but it will also privatize land and limit access to traditional management techniques and sacred sites. Communities in this region are migratory along both sides of the border, so mapping migration routes and sacred sites is important for protecting their way of life. However, previous attempts at mapping by outside groups have raised fears of privatization and conflict among indigenous communities. To overcome this, Kivulini is working closely with locals on participatory mapping of routes and sacred sites while also encouraging inter-community peace-building to strengthen indigenous groups' understanding of the challenges of land development and their capacity to act together to control their own destiny.
Across the Indian Ocean, in Malaysia, the Forever Sabah project of Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP) is working closely with indigenous people to protect the Sabah region. Forever Sabah is a 25 year ($100M US) program designed to move away from an economy based on the exploitation of natural resources and toward a diversified, equitable, green economy. Over the past year, LEAP has facilitated community-led roundtables to develop a first wave of projects for the program. These include forest connectivity across the state, watersheds, and communities; renewable energy initiatives; sustainable food and agriculture projects; and a community-based ecotourism school. Native land rights are incorporated into all aspects of Forever Sabah. As just one example, LEAP is working to establish the first Watershed Conservation Area in Malaysia, which would be co-managed by local communities in the Telupid Forest Complex. The key distinction between current "protection areas" and this new "conservation area" is that the latter preserves native land rights and use.
These are just two examples of a place-based approach to ecological stewardship, which we value at RSF. By supporting indigenous capacity building, Tamalpais Trust is helping to transform ecosystems by empowering communities to take control of the future and that of the land they care for.


text:
Tag: Gruesome
What I thought about: Sweet Home
13th Jan 2021 9th Jan 2021 Alex3 Comments
If you want to see a slideshow of horrible things happening to undeserving people; of despair and violence and gore and destruction, you're in the right place. If not, run. Run far away from this show.
Monster or human? The answer is more complicated than you might think.
What's it about?
One night, an infection (or some say a curse) sweeps across South Korea. The first symptom is a torrential nosebleed, and those unable to fight the darkness often turn into powerful monsters with various 'abilities' that are said to relate to their deepest desires. The residents of the Green Home apartment complex find themselves barricaded inside. When someone tries to leave and is promptly skewered by a monster, they realise it's for their own good.
Essentially, it's an apocalypse survival series. Except it somehow manages to weave an insane amount of backstory and side plots into its 10-episode run. It's also ghastly and brutal. Bad things just keep on happening to the residents, relentlessly. The monsters, aided by some pretty impressive CGI (and some of whom are just plain human, if you catch my drift), keep coming.
What do I like about it?
I really can't tell if this is a great show or a terrible one. On the one hand, it is technically brilliant. It's gripping, the cliffhangers at the end of each episode are perfect, the acting is top notch and the audiovisual elements add so much depth to it (watching this with a 5.1 surround setup was a real treat).
The show also benefits from typical K-Drama quality. You become attached to the characters, all of whom, besides the usual background characters, have such unique personalities and qualities. This allows the show to deliver some side plots and flashbacks that add a surprising amount of depth to the crisis, even if I wished they would tie together a little more neatly.
What do I not like about it?
On the other hand, this show is absolutely awful. The monsters are really, really bad. You can't kill them unless you set them on fire. They are strong. People keep dying, all the time, in every episode. Whenever there is a shred of hope dangled in front of you, the show executes more characters all over the place.
There is so much violence and so much despair. Also, lots and lots of blood. This is not a show for the faint of heart. Blood pours out of infected people's noses and splatters onto people's faces. At one point, someone picks up a sword from his own severed hand in order to make one last attempt at stopping a monster from killing everyone else. It's fucking horrific.
Worth a watch?
I don't think I know anyone who would find this an enjoyable watch.
There is a setup for a second season but, considering the characters who are left standing, I'm not sure if it would be worth watching
I kid you not, Imagine Dragons' Warriors (a song they wrote for a League of Legends gaming tournament) is played at least 5 times during the show. Criticism of the show's soundtrack is warranted.
Posted in Horror, Netflix, Thriller, TV - Full Review, TV ReviewsTagged apocalyptic, despair, gorey, Gruesome, korean, monsters, violent
What I thought about: Ratched
8th Oct 2020 26th Sep 2020 AlexLeave a comment
Offering a look into the life of Mildred Ratched before she began her tyrannical reign as Head Nurse in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the excellent production values and superb acting went a long way to mask this show's otherwise quite disappointing plot.
Who knew Mildred Ratched had some compassion in her? Well, enough to protest against boiling someone alive I suppose
Have you read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest? Or seen the 1975 film adaptation? No, me neither. But you don't really have to, as this is advertised as a prequel / origin story. The season starts with Ratched talking herself into a role at a Californian mental hospital, headed up by Dr. Hannover, a Filipino pioneer of mental health treatment. Ratched is up to no good, and we soon discover why.
But we also discover so much more, as the show recalls of some of the most horrific 'treatments' given out at mental hospitals in the late 1940s including hydrotherapy (forcibly bathing someone in scaldingly hot water and then immediately dunking them into an ice bath) and, of course, the lobotomy. We also get a look at the period's views on homosexuality and the death penalty (oh how wild it is to see that we have advanced mental health care so much since then, and yet some states in the US are still so incredibly regressive in the use of state-sanctioned killing).
The visuals. The music. The acting. This is just such a delightful show to watch. Mildred drives a bright turquoise car in a sea of black ones. She has dark red hair and great fashion sense. Dr. Hannover is an eccentric maverick, yet underneath his often aggressive exterior lies a delicate man who genuinely wants to cure people of their mental ills. Every character is portrayed in a way that is ever so slightly over the top. Enough to create a sort of candied view of the story that somehow comforted me through what were some truly grisly scenes of murder, death, and suffering.
Sitting back and taking it all in after the first episode, I have to agree with what many professional critics have said about the show. The plot… is not great. Characters show up out of the blue in unconvincing ways and often with a dramatic effect on the story that just isn't believable. There are moments that are painfully slow, particularly as the show tries to provide some context to Ratched's life – her work and family history, and her struggle with sexuality. I'm not saying we shouldn't have seen those in the show – it is, after all, an origin story – but somehow the writing just didn't pan out.
It's still a yes from me. Especially if you can watch on a Dolby Vision-supported TV, because the cinematography is truly stunning. Watch the trailer first and be forewarned that the show contains some grisly scenes of violence.
Netflix ordered two seasons in one go, so Ratched will be back soon.
A cursory glance at the plot of the book reveals many an inspiration for the events occurring in this prequel story – just different characters at different times.
Posted in Drama, Horror, Netflix, TV - Full Review, TV ReviewsTagged colourful, good score, good visuals, Gruesome, period, poor ending, slow


Monster Abbey Bominable loves the cold weather and since she's going to enjoy her winter vacation in the mountains she plans to do it in style. While most of her her fiends are going to build their first snowman ever cute monster Abbey has other ideas: she's going to create an adorable snow monster… but she would need your precious helping hand, ladies! Step in getting this winter special Monster High game started to help cute Abbey create her playful monster. Decide on the shapes its legs should have and then use a shovel to put the snow in the silicon forms, then continue with the body, hands and its head. Great job, ladies! Choose a pair of eyes for Abbey's icy friend and some matching horns as well. You are almost done here, ladies… now you just need to dress up our stylish monsterista so she can enjoy the day in style with her newest friend. Have a blast!


Trai Anfield visits a wintry Bovisand Bay in South Devon in the company of Keith Hiscock, Associate Fellow of the Marine Biological Association.
They rummage amongst the storm strewn seaweed making up the strand line at the top of the beach. It is here that insects and crustaceans flourish in the food rich and clement micro world, in turn drawing in birds like wagtails and turn stones.
Down in the inter-tidal zone, along with finding a host of marine molluscs are the excitingly named volcano barnacles and beautifully coloured beadlet anenomies.


text:
package com.netflix.genie.common.util;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.type.TypeReference;
import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
import com.netflix.genie.common.exceptions.GenieException;
import com.netflix.genie.test.categories.UnitTest;
import org.hamcrest.Matchers;
import org.junit.Assert;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.experimental.categories.Category;

import java.util.List;

/**
 * Unit tests for the JsonUtils class.
 *
 * @author tgianos
 * @since 3.0.0
 */
@Category(UnitTest.class)
public class JsonUtilsUnitTests {

    /**
     * Test the constructor.
     */
    @Test
    public void canConstructInPackage() {
        final JsonUtils utils = new JsonUtils();
        Assert.assertThat(utils, Matchers.notNullValue());
    }

    /**
     * Test to make sure we can marshall an Object to a JSON string.
     *
     * @throws GenieException On marshalling error
     */
    @Test
    public void canMarshall() throws GenieException {
        final List<String> strings = Lists.newArrayList("one", "two", "three");
        Assert.assertThat(JsonUtils.marshall(strings), Matchers.is("[\"one\",\"two\",\"three\"]"));
    }

    /**
     * Test to make sure can successfully unmarshall a collection.
     *
     * @throws GenieException for any problems during the process
     */
    @Test
    public void canUnmarshall() throws GenieException {
        final String source = "[\"one\",\"two\",\"three\"]";
        final TypeReference<List<String>> list = new TypeReference<List<String>>() {
        };

        Assert.assertThat(JsonUtils.unmarshall(source, list), Matchers.is(Lists.newArrayList("one", "two", "three")));
        Assert.assertThat(JsonUtils.unmarshall(null, list), Matchers.is(Lists.newArrayList()));
    }
}


text:
The Gathering of Friends: Part 5 – Pitching to Toy Vault, Abacusspiele, Amigo and Mercury
Posted on April 29, 2012 by designerjay
The pitching continues! The Gathering had been very successful already, in terms of making new friends, getting connections, and generally just getting to know people from the publishing companies! Tuesday we had a meeting with Ed from Toy Vault. I had noticed on the Gathering forum a post from Ed stating that he was open to looking at designs. I emailed him and he replied with a time slot on Tuesday morning!
Rob and I tag teamed again showing multiple designs to Ed. Of our designs he seemed to like Hog the Remote, But Wait, There's More and Captionary. He also liked a design from GAC member, Al Leduc called A Game of Cat and Mouse. We played it and had a good time with it, but he didn't see it fitting with Toy Vault at this time. It was uncanny how Ed could know which place I was going to in the game every round!
He decided to take the prototype of Hog the Remote and But Wait, There's More and said we should find some people one night and play each of them. Cool! He was curious about Captionary and wanted to see that game played out before committing to taking that one. More on this in my next post!!
By this time it was lunch and we all decided to go out and get some Indian food. We bumped into Stefan from Asmodee and we all went out for lunch. It was a great lunch full of behind the scene stuff in the board game world. I told Stefan that Filosofia picked up EIEI-O. He was fine with that as it might mean he will distribute the game anyway. I'm not sure what kind of deal they have with Filosofia, but I do know that their offices are right next to each other! It was a great lunch (well the food was only OK and the restaurant we chose was pretty yucky – but the company was great!).
When I got back I managed to get some time with Matthias from Abacusspiele. I pitched Eat at Joes, Clunatics and others, but he was most interested in Eat at Joes. He took a sales sheet and that was that. Quick one!
Amigo and Mercury Games Wednesday morning Rob had set up a meeting with Christian Hildenbrand from Amigo. If you recall, Christian was how I got invited the Gathering in the first place – so I already really liked him!
We found out that Amigo is really focused on card games at the moment. He was also interested in looking at party games (which was good as we didn't have any card games!). We spent a couple hours pitching him various games and he really liked Eat at Joes and even wanted to take the prototype back with him. He also liked the idea for Hog the Remote, Clunatics and Captionary. He took a sales sheet for each of those. I told him that Pegasus Spiele is currently assessing Clunatics and he said he knew them, so he would call them when he got back to Germany to find out their thoughts on the game! It's a pretty small industry!
We were getting hungry so the three of us went to TGIF for lunch and had some great conversations about games and non-game things. It was just great to get to know him as a person instead of as a publisher. That's the big advantage the Gathering has over any other convention. It's a longer convention and it's pretty exclusive so everyone is more casual and relaxed.
Rob bumped into Kevin who used to work at Valley Games and was the person who Rob actually signed contracts with for his game Two by Two. Kevin has a new partner they are creating a new game company called Mercury games. They were looking for a game to be their launch game. Rob showed them his game Coffee and we played a game of that. Later on we played Iron Horse Bandits with them as well. At this point I was running out of games to show people! None of our games seemed to fit with what they were looking at as a launch game.
Next up – one more day of pitching to publishers and then a summary of my experiences!
Posted in Event, Misc.	| Tagged abacusspiele, alan moon, amigo, board games, but wait there's more, captionary, clunatics, eat at joe's, game of cat and mouse, games, gathering, gathering of friends, hog the remote, mercury games, pegasus spiele, toy vault	| Leave a reply
The Gathering of Friends: Part 4 – Pitching to Filosofia and Z-Man Games
I had a 10 A.M. meeting set up with Filosofia and Z-Man Games so I got there in and set up Akrotiri with time to spare. As some of our more faithful readers might recall, Z-Man has had Akrotiri for a while now, but with the acquisition of Z-Man by Filosofia, Sen and I felt they might need more time to figure things out. We had heard that they played it, liked it, and needed more time with it.
We played a 5 player game with Zev, Sophie, JF and Martin – all from Filosofia – plus Rob Bartel (one of our GAC colleagues). This wasn't a typical pitch because they knew the game as they had all played it; this was more of a confirmation of their desire to publish it or not. There were also a few new concepts and mechanics added to the game since some of them had played it last, so I wanted to highlight those changes for them first-hand.
Overall, the playthrough went well. We learned that there was too much downtime for a 5 player game so it will be a 2-4 player game if they do pick it up. We also learned that getting new goal cards was too expensive and added an unnecessary level of thinking to the game. We brainstormed some ideas on the spot and came up with a great solution – giving players free goal cards after finding their 2nd and 4th temple.
JF really seemed to like Akrotiri and proposed we play it again with fewer players to playtest this new rule and consider its effect on downtime. Zev and Sophie had another meeting to go to, so JF and I quickly set up a 2-player game. The new idea worked beautifully! The game took less than 45 minutes to complete and it was great to receive new goal cards throughout the game!
We packed up Akrotiri and moved on to EIEI-O. Now, here`s an interesting story about the power of social networking! Dylan Kirk (designer of Genji and fellow GAC member) is a friend of Joyce Lam – owner of the Chinese game publisher, Jolly Thinkers (which is also a gaming cafe). Dylan recommended that she check out Train of Thought as a possible import, as Jolly Thinkers specializes in educational games and he thought the game might have potential for ESL students. Since both Joyce and I went to Essen last year, we arranged to meet up while we were there. I showed her Train of Thought, which she enjoyed and took a copy back with her to China. She tested it there and found that it didn`t work as well as planned, unfortunately. No biggie.
Months later, Joyce emailed me and asked if we had a nice-looking prototype that we`d like to get professionally printed as she knew someone who was starting up a boardgame printing company that wanted to have a portfolio of some designs. Sen and I thought about it and decided to submit EIEI-O – our is a quick reaction game of making barnyard sounds and wacky animal actions. When the final product came off the presses, Joyce sent us a picture of the game in it's printed glory – it looked great! So, being proud of our brainchild, Sen and I posted the picture on Facebook – like any other loving parent would!
Here's where Filosofia comes in. Sophie is Facebook friends with Sen – he`s working on another game (Midnight Men) with Yves Tourigny that has been signed by Filosofia. So when she saw the photo, she commented that she would like to see the game sometime – pretty wild!
And now back to the Gathering.
Luckily, I received our nice, shiny copy of EIEI-O exactly one day prior to me leaving for the Gathering – talk about timing! JF was keen to play so we gathered a few other people to take it for a whirl. It was quick and fun. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. As we were finishing up, Sophie came back to the table so we played the game again! She brought Matthias from Abacuspiele with her to play.
After just one round of playing, Sophie said that she`d "like to do it". Double entendre aside, I still had to ask for clarification, querying if that meant we were moving towards a contract.
Not only that, but Matthias liked it as well. Sophie asked if he`d like to do the German version of the game. They asked for another prototype, but I only had the one! So she asked me to send her the files as they have access to a print-on demand service that can produce short runs. She said she`ll make a few more copies and send one to Matthias to assess.
Second day at the Gathering and we actually got a game signed! The only issue was that they want a different title for the game. Apparently, EIEI-O doesn't translate well in German! Sophie made a bet with me that whoever comes up with the title gets a free meal from the other person at the next Gathering! I jokingly pointed out that she has final say on the title so the contest seemed a bit fixed. She replied that she was trying to bamboozle me. It was a funny moment as she had only recently learned what "bamboozle" means!
Sophie then asked how the second game of Akrotiri went and JF was very enthusiastic about it. I asked Sophie what the next steps for Akrotiri would be. She said that she'd like to play it as a 2-player game one more time when she gets back to work and she'd let us know in 2 weeks. She asked if we'd be open to making this a 2-player only game. I said we were open to it, but it works perfectly well as a 2- to 4-player game. So, we'll see what she decides. We're hoping to keep it 2-4 players.
The Filosofia crew were evaluating a few other designs from an American designer, Chris Handy (who I went to see Cabin in the Woods the night before), and they asked if I could stick around to play his prototypes. Of course I could! Apparently, Z-Man has had one of Chris's designs for quite a while and were using the Gathering as an opportunity to come to a decision (much like they did with Akrotiri).
The first game, Heist, was a tactile game in which players reach into a bag to feel for specific shapes, depending on which room they entered. It was a fun idea, despite some challenges. When broke for lunch at TGIF, Chris, JF and I brainstormed about how to improve the game. We came up with some more ideas on how to speed up the game and make it more of a fun party game. One aspect this process reminded me of how rigid Sen and I were originally in regards to changing the scoring for Clunatics – Chris really wanted the card that determined which room each player wanted to enter to be revealed one at a time. Once we determined that the amount of strategy that process added didn't really fit well with the type of game Heist was shaping up to be, we decided a simultaneous reveal would be much better. A few more tweaks were added and we tried this new version of Heist – it was awesome! As we finished one round, we saw Zev walking around and got him to play a second one with us now that we tweaked the rules. The game couldn't have went any better! It was fun, engaging and tense.
In addition to Heist, we also worked on another game by Chris called Wild Wild West. We fiddled around with the rules on that one too and made some progress in the right direction (in my opinion at least!). I think it was good for JF and Sophie to see how collaborative I was during this whole process. I tried to ensure for my entire time at the Gathering that it wasn't all about our designs.
Afterwards, I showed them Junkyard and Eat at Joe's. JF liked Eat at Joe's and thought that it would be a better fit with a publisher like Gamewright. Then we played Junkyard. I informed them that Wiggles 3D had exclusivity until June 1st. JF expressed a lot of interest in Junkyard and asked a few times to let him know if Wiggles 3D passes on it. It's reassuring to have multiple options for our games!
Finally, I asked JF if he'd be interested in seeing a game of ours that is currently in Alpha state. I had brought Box Office (crappy title!) more to play with other designers to get some input on which direction we should take the game. I had played it earlier with Rob and got some great ideas about where to go next but I decided not to waste this opportunity with JF, because he's a movie nut like me. I showed him the concepts and some of the mechanics we came up with and JF was impressed. He said he would definitely want to see this game once we get it polished!
Wow – that was unexpected! To have a publisher want to look at a game that we haven't even finished yet? Coolsville!
We were hungry so we walked over to Canada to find something to eat. It was nice to get some fresh air, see Niagara Falls, and eat something that wasn't from TGIF! At dinner I got to hear the whole story from Chris Handy about how he got into game design. We realized that our passion for game design very similar. Later on, I invited him to join the Game Artisans of Canada. Even though he is American, he can join as a Friend and still get a benefit from the group.
Then, looking at the clock, I realized that the day was now over and I had spent the entire day with Filosofia – what a great day!
Posted in Event, Misc., Updates: Unpublished Games	| Tagged abacuspiele, akrotiri, board, board game, ei-ei-o, eieio, essen, filosofia, game, gathering, gathering of friends, heist, Jolly Thinkers, joyce lam, z-man, zev, zman	| Leave a reply
Dice Tower Award Nomination Logo
Posted on April 27, 2012 by designersen
I could n't get the original .png to load when I first posted about Train of Thought getting nominated for "Best Party Game" of 2011, so here it is – I had to take a screenshot of it 😀
~ Sen-Foong Lim
The Gathering of Friends: Part 3 – Pitching to Publishers
As I mentioned in a previous post, while pitching to publishers is by no means prohibited or even frowned upon at the Gathering, I knew that it's not what Alan wants the event to be about, so I tried hard to keep things light and casual as much as possible.
I didn't set up any appointments in advance at all – with the exception of a meeting with Canadian publishers, Filosofia. They already had our game, Akrotiri and had expressed interest to us regarding EIEI-O, so I emailed them to set up a time when we could play it together. We said we'd meet up sometime on Sunday. We found each other as planned and then set an actual time to playtest the games on Monday morning.
Otherwise, Rob Bartel and I would walk around and, every once in a while, we would bump into people with blue badges (meaning that they were with a publishing company). We'd engage in some small talk with them and they generally would be very warm and welcoming to us – possibly because we had red badges (i.e. be nice to the newbies!). Then we'd ask if they were looking at submissions while they were here. Most of them were actively seeking new designs. Sometimes, we'd immediately find a nearby table and start pitching while, other times, we'd set up a meeting that worked best for their schedules.
Sunday: Iello and Asmodee
Rob and I decided to play a game of Hungry Cities – a game from fellow GAC member, Roberta Taylor. As we were setting up, Stephan from Iello Games walked by our table and so we invited him to play. He agreed and ended up playing the full game with us! We chatted about the game afterwards and agreed to hook up later in the week so he could review other games from us.
I`m not sure how we bumped into Stefan from Asmodee, but we did and he was open to seeing some pitches. Rob and I grabbed our sales sheets (Step 14) and found a table. Rob did a great job of putting all his sales sheeting in a 3-holed binder, and then sorted them from light to heavy. This was an excellent idea as it allowed us to jump to whichever section was more interesting to each publisher. The 3-holed binder was perfect for pitching as well. I had used a folder, but that caused some of the pages to get crinkled or bent in the corners. The binder was used just for pitching. If the publisher liked a game, then Rob gave them a fresh sales sheet (without any holes) from the stacks he brought in a separate box.
We would start the pitch session by asking the publisher what they were specifically looking for, tailoring our pitches based on this information. If they were looking for light, family games then we wouldn`t pitch them any of our heavier Euro games, and vice-versa.
Rob and I have different styles of pitching – it was interesting to be present to witness how another person pitched. Rob has a more thorough approach of giving the publisher a full overview of the game, while my style gives more of a high level snapshot of the key points in the game (Step 16). Both approaches were effective depending on the game being pitched and the publisher we were pitching to.
Asmodee expressed interest in a number of our designs. We played EIEI-O and he liked it. We played Eat at Joes and he ended up taking the prototype of Eat at Joe's with him! In total, we spent around 3 hours with Stefan! We kept showing him more sales sheets and, if he expressed interest, then he would want to see the prototype and play a round or two. He expressed interest in Akrotiri and I let him know that it was currently with Filosofia. At that he said that was fine because if they pick it up then he would most likely do the foreign version of the game! Sweet!
He then wanted to see a game from GAC member, Graeme Jahns called Iron Horse Bandits. I had brought this one as I really liked the mechanics involved. The playtest went well, but we discovered a few aspects that need a bit more tweaking. It was interesting to hear him say that the theme would have to change a bit. Currently in the game, players are bandits and they are shooting at lawmen and stealing loot. He didn't think that theme would be appropriate for the family audiences that Asmodee would like to target. He wasn't concerned with it though as that was an easy change. With some tweaks to the game, he'd like to see it again.
I had been asked if I wanted to see Cabin in the Woods. Even though I had already seen it, I wanted to see it again. So, later that night, 5 of us drove out to see the movie. I ended up sitting next to Chris Handy and JF. We hit it off as we all had similar tastes in movies! Chris was a fellow designer who would end up playing an important role in the days ahead. JF, unbeknownst to me at the time, actually works for Filosofia and ended up being present at the meeting I had set up the next morning! How much of a coincidence is that?
The next few posts will review the following days of The Gathering and the various other publishers I met.
Posted in Event, Misc., Updates: Unpublished Games	| Tagged akrotiri, alan moon, asmodee, board game, filosophia, gathering, gathering of friends, hungry cities, iello, iron horse bandits, rob bartel	| 1 Reply
The Gathering of Friends: Part 2 – The Lay of the Land
When I got to the Gathering I got my name badge and a goodie bag full of freebies! The goodie bag had some card games (including a special Tichu deck with new pictures of people who have attended the Gathering in the past), some expansions to other games (like the expansion to fellow GAC member, Roberta Taylor's Octopus' Garden) and even the full box version of Two by Two from Valley Games (and designed by fellow GAC member, Rob Bartel!).
The name badge system was awesome as they were colour coded to help you identify people a lot easier. With this information it was easy to identify the publishers as you walked around.
Red Badge: First year attendee (so I had a red badge!). Generally speaking, red badge attendees are always welcomed by others and made to feel at home pretty quickly. People were constantly shaking my hand and welcoming me to the Gathering. It was very nice!
Grey Badge: Anyone who has been to the Gathering for the last 9 years
Black Badge: Anyone who has been to the Gathering for 10 years or more
Blue Badge: Publishers
After I got my badge, I surveyed the layout.
Basically there was a large convention room with tons of tables set up for open gaming. Off to one side were the prize tables! Everyone was encouraged to bring something for the prize table. If you contributed to the prize table, then you could participate in the prize draw at the end of the Gathering. Near the Prize tables was a table full of brochures for local restaurants and more freebies. I found an expansion to Valdora and another for Mondo there! Around the edges of the room were tables where people stored the games they brought.
Oh look, Pierre Poissant-Marquis (right), half of the design team of the game Quebec is playing Belfort!
Generally speaking, anyone could grab any game and start playing at any time, as long as they returned it when they were done with it. Outside of the convention room were a few open areas with more tables ready for open gaming. These tables were used for the poker tournament that happened on one night. Finally, down the hall there were a couple of rooms with a few more tables. During the day we found these to be a bit quieter and therefore made it a favourite spot for us to pitch to publishers. In the late evening one of these rooms were used for a large Werewolf tournament! There were always water stations all over the place to ensure you stayed hydrated throughout the event, so that was nice! On a whole, the hotel and its staff, while a bit gungy (the hotel, not the staff), were prepared and made us feel welcome.
I found Rob and saw that he had a spot along the tables around the edges of the room, so I added my prototypes to his pile. Once we were set up then we were free to either start our own game, or join another group that's about to start playing a game. It was always easy to find people to play a game of anything! Some of the times it would be a prototype and other times it would be a 'regular' game. There were a lot of designers there who, like Rob and I, were looking to get some feedback on their designs, as well as pitch to publishers. Friedemann Friese had a table dedicated to his games for the entire event. I wanted to check them out but never seemed to line up when the table was free. While the hotel offered a mini café in the latter half of the week, most of the meals were either at TGIF, which was in the same hotel, or a restaurant in the casino across the street. Sometimes people with cars would drive others to another local establishment nearby (Duff's Buffalo wings!) or a few times we walked to a nearby Indian restaurant.
Even though I stayed up late on some days (3am) and woke up early on other days (8am), there were always people playing games somewhere in the convention area! Sleep is for chumps!
There were quite a few tournaments throughout the week ranging from 7 Wonders and Tichu to Loopin' Louie and poker. The winners of each tournament got first choice of the prize table on Saturday night! Before the prize ceremony there was a flea market. Those that could travel with their assortment of games offered them up for sale to the rest of us. Since most people had to fly, it was a tough decision on what they could buy and what they could pack! I managed to pick up a copy of El Cabellero – a Wolfgang Kramer game that is out of print and one that I've been looking to get for a long time now!
[Sen: Really? That's the single game of my collection that I've ever sold, IIRC. Well, you know what they say about one man's treasure…]
The prize ceremony was really the only time we were all together as one group. The hotel removed all the gaming tables and set up chairs theatre-style to fit all 400 of us in the room. Alan took the microphone and reviewed some things about the next year (I'm already pre-registered!), and then showed off the high-end prizes that people brought for the prize table. Some of the highlights included:
a crokinole board made by fellow GAC member, Mike Kolross, (plus graphic design by another GAC member, Mark Klassen) in the shape of a record with the label being Alan Moon's Ticket to Ride,
handmade table covering with a Tichu mat on one side and a Can't Stop and Liar's Dice on the other – complete with all the dice and cups
a copy of the impossible-to-find game, Hotel
Big Boss from Wolfgang Kramer – another hard to find game
The Cookies of Catan – a fully playable and edible game of Settlers of Catan!
Line for Life for an upcoming game called D-Day Dice (designed by another fellow GAC member, Emmanuel Aquin). The Line for Life meant that the person would receive every expansion they ever make for this game for free!
I was called somewhere in the middle of the pack, but I managed to get the exact game I was hoping to pick up – Castles of Burgundy. It was a game I had wanted to pick up in Essen last year, but they sold out too quick!
Up next I'll get into the specifics of what it's like to pitch to publishers at the Gathering!
Posted in Event, Misc.	| Tagged 7 wonders, alan moon, badge, big boss, board games, castles of burgundy, convention, cookies of catan, crokinole, d-day dice, designer, el caballero, emmanuel aquin, friedemann, friese, gac, gathering, gathering of friends, hotel, kramer, loopin' louie, mike kolross, mondo, octopus' garden, prize table, publisher, rob bartel, roberta taylor, tichu, two by two, valdora, valley games, werewolf	| Leave a reply
Major Fun Award for Train of Thought
Train of Thought has been awarded the Major Fun award from Majorfun.com! You can read the full review of the game here.
Here is the criteria they have for awarding the Major Fun award:
clear and comprehensive rules that can be read in 5-15 minutes
played in under an hour
fun enough to play over and over again
suitable for a wide audience
uniquely fun
tend to make people laugh
deep enough to withstand a lot of changes
It's nice to see Train of Thought still being appreciated by new gamers!!
Posted in Updates: Published Games	| Tagged Award, major fun, review, train of thought	| Leave a reply
The Gathering of Friends: Part 1 – Overview
I just got back from the Gathering of Friends and have a lot of things to share with you! This is the first of many posts reviewing my experience at the Gathering of Friends.
First of all, what the heck is the Gathering of Friends, you ask? Well, Alan Moon – the prolific designer of such hit games like Ticket to Ride and Elfenland – decided 23 years ago to get some friends together to play games over the course of a week. Every year since then it has grown in attendance. For the first few years, only an invite directly from Alan himself could get you to the Gathering. Eventually, he noticed that there was clearly a desire of many others who would love to attend, but Alan still wanted to ensure only the right kind of people attended.
The new policy is that anyone who has been to the Gathering at least 2 years can nominate someone to attend, and then that person needs to be seconded by two other people who have also attended the Gathering for at least 2 years. So it's a pretty exclusive club. This year, and for the next three years, it takes place at the Sheraton on the US side of Niagara Falls.
Thanks to the Game Artisans of Canada, I found myself with an invite! Whaaa? Me? Yeah! Another member of the Game Artisans of Canada, Mike Kolross has been attending for about 5 years now – thanks to his ability to make components for the game, Descent that Alan greatly enjoyed. Last year, he and Rob Bartel, another member of GAC, made a portable/travel edition of Alan's Ticket to Ride out of wood (kind of like a fold up cribbage board) and it was a huge hit. Mike then made another one for Christian Hildenbrand from Amigo Games (for his wife actually) and through Christian and Mike I got my invite to the Gathering!
I didn't know exactly what to expect. I heard that Alan doesn't mind that designers are pitching games to publishers, but that he preferred to make the Gathering more about playing games with friends. So I didn't follow Step 20 and set up any meetings in advance with any publisher. That said, we did know which publishers were going to be there, thanks to email updates from Alan himself. This allowed Sen and I to prepare by assessing which games of ours would fit best with each publisher (Step 17). We could have done better at this – by making some solid notes about each.
Following Step 21, I packed up one bag full of prototypes. With so many prototypes to carry around, I've decided that the best way to do this is the large baggie system. I take all the components of a game and put them into one large baggie. Of course I put some components in smaller baggies and then into the larger baggie to make it easy to set up and play. Then I labeled each baggie with a sticker that had the logo of the game as well as my contact information. I heard a story from Frank DiLorenzo from R&R games where he had a prototype of a pretty good game, but it had no contact information on it whatsoever! Ouch! Sen and I pretty much like to have our contact information in as many places as possible – on the baggie, on the Sales Sheet (Step 14), on each page of the rules in the header, and even on some other component of the game – if it makes sense.
I print out the rules for all my games and put them all into one folder as they'd get wrinkled up if I put them into the baggie. If a publisher wanted a prototype, then I'd fish out the rules, fold them in half and stick it in the large baggie with the rest of the game. Prior to this trip we had many other Game Artisans who wanted me (and Rob Bartel, who also attended) to pitch their games to publishers on their behalf, since they were not invited. I didn't mind doing this for other Game Artisans, but the game had to be something I enjoyed and something I would feel comfortable pitching. So for the weeks leading up to the Gathering I was getting prototypes mailed to me from other chapters in hopes that I'd like their game and could pitch it to publishers. I liked three games of the ones I was sent and agreed to pitch them. This just meant that my backpack full of prototypes now had three more games stuffed in it! In my backpack I was carrying these prototypes:
Junkyard – even though this game has exclusivity with Wiggles 3D until June 1st, we wanted to show some other publishers, in case Wiggles ultimately decided to pass on it
Clunatics – this one is being assessed by Pegasus Spiele, but we wanted to bring it to show other publishers (and we were clear with new publishers that the game was currently being assessed by Pegasus)
Hog the Remote
Eat at Joe's
EIEI-O!
Swashbucklers – currently being signed by a publisher, but we wanted to test one last thing with the game
Belfort – plus the expansion prototype
An untitled prototype that is Alpha stage, currently called Box Office
Captionary
Bordeaux – prototype from GAC member, Matt Musselman
A Game of Cat and Mouse – prototype from GAC member, Al Leduc
Iron Horse Bandits – prototype from GAC member, Graeme Jahns
Yowza! That's a lot of prototypes! In the next post I'll review how the Gathering is laid out and then get into what it was like pitching to publishers at the Gathering, and finally share which of our games garnered interest from them as well.
Posted in Event, Misc.	| Tagged akrotiri, alan moon, Belfort, bordeaux, box office, but wait there's more, captionary, clunatics, eat at joe's, EIEI-O, Expansion, game of cat and mouse, gathering, gathering of friends, hog the remote, iron horse bandits, junkyard, Swashbucklers, ticket to ride	| 11 Replies
Totally Rad Show Reviews Belfort
The three amigos of the the Totally Rad Show give Belfort a playthrough and a positive review.
Enjoy the episode – I know I did!
Posted in Event, Updates: Published Games	| Tagged Belfort, review, Totally Rad Show, video	| Leave a reply
Belfort Still Getting Love
With the release of the 2nd Ed. forthcoming (sorry, no firm dates yet), it's great to see that people are still talking about the game and appreciating it.
Bruno Faidutti (prolific French designer of Citadels fame pictured above, in caricature form) writes a comparison between Belfort and Lords of Waterdeep, the new hotness, on his website. Both are quite similar games, mechanically – one laced with anachronistic medieval humour, the other with old-school D&Disms.
In his March 2012 Editorial, Bruno writes:
Both are well designed games, and cleverly manage to bring meeple placement into fantasy US-style gaming. In my opinion, however, Belfort is clearly the best game, mostly because gamers' interaction is more effective. In Belfort, all the players have the same goal, and these goals are clearly stated, so competition is fierce and sometimes nasty. Lords of Waterdeep is full of apparently nasty action cards, but there are both too many elements on the board and around it to take care of, and too many hidden cards in the players' hands, which means that these cards are often played more to get some immediate advantage than to hinder opponents.
Don't take me wrong. I didn't dislike Lords of Waterdeep. But, clearly, the game I'm going to keep and play again a few times is certainly Belfort. On the other hand, Lords of Waterdeep seems to be the rage on the Geek at the moment, while Belfort has good ratings but went largely unnoticed.
Posted in Updates: Published Games	| Tagged Belfort, Bruno Faidutti, Lords of Waterdeep	| Leave a reply
Train of Thought Up For Prestigious Award!
Just got word that Train of Thought is up for the Best Party Game of last year according to a group of 40 prominent podcasters and bloggers that has selected the best games and expansions released in the year 2011.
Watch the games being announced here:
and stay tuned as the winners will be announced during the Dice Tower Convention on July 6th, 2012.
Posted in Updates: Published Games	| Tagged Award, dice tower, Nominee, train of thought	| Leave a reply
RT @offthepagegames: Two days left to this contest. Win one of these games. gleam.io/c8pV1/contest-… 2 hours ago


Students who receive more than 50,000yen per month from other scholarship sources are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.
1 student will be recommended from Iwate University.
Submit all the required documents to the International Office by November 22nd 2018, 5 PM.


text:
John Rimmer (né le  à Ormskirk - mort le ) est un ancien athlète britannique.

Carrière

Palmarès

Jeux olympiques d'été
 Athlétisme aux Jeux olympiques de 1900 à Paris,
  Médaille d'or sur  m steeple
  Médaille d'or sur  m par équipes

Liens externes

Coureur de demi-fond britannique
Coureur de 3 000 mètres steeple
Coureur de 5 000 mètres
Champion olympique d'athlétisme
Athlète (homme) aux Jeux olympiques de 1900
Naissance en avril 1878
Décès en juin 1962
Champion olympique britannique
Décès à 84 ans

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia