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DnD 5e – Character Optimization
DnD 5e – Classes
DnD 5e – The Bard Handbook
DnD 5e – Bard Spell List Breakdown
RPGBOT April 20, 2021
The Bard's spell list borrows a lot from the Wizard and a few options from the Cleric, but with a distinct focus on support spells, illusions, and enchantments. While the Bard does get some healing options like Cure Wounds and Healing Word, they don't get the full range of non-hp healing options required to fully replace a cleric.
Bard Spells
1st-Level Spells
2nd-Level Spells
3rd-Level Spells
4th-Level Spells
RPGBOT uses the color coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder build handbooks, which is simple to understand and easy to read at a glance.
Red: Bad, useless options, or options which are extremely situational. Nearly never useful.
Orange: OK options, or useful options that only apply in rare circumstances. Useful sometimes.
Green: Good options. Useful often.
Blue: Fantastic options, often essential to the function of your character. Useful very frequently.
We will not include 3rd-party content, including content from DMs Guild, in handbooks for official content because we can't assume that your game will allow 3rd-party content or homebrew. We also won't cover Unearthed Arcana content because it's not finalized, and we can't guarantee that it will be available to you in your games.
The advice offered below is based on the current State of the Character Optimization Meta as of when the article was last updated. Keep in mind that the state of the meta periodically changes as new source materials are released and this article will be updating accordingly as time allows.
RPGBOT is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Optional spells are marked below with (Optional) following the spell's name. These spells are considered optional rules, as described in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Consult your DM before deciding to use these spells.
Blade WardPHB: The Dodge action makes this redundant.
Dancing LightsPHB: An amusing distraction, but you can usually accomplish the same thing using Mage Hand and a candle or torch.
FriendsPHB: This is hard to use. 1 minute is not a lot of time, and you generally need to put distance between yourself and the subject of the spell before they turn hostile. You could use this to intimidate a creature into fleeing, but in most cases you'll probably be using this quickly talk your way past a creature blocking your way like a guard at a gate. You generally won't need this; between high Charisma and a long list of skill proficiencies it's easy to cover all of the Face skills.
LightPHB: Disposable magic light is fantastic, but if you don't have room for the cantrip you'll do fine with torches.
Mage HandPHB: The ability to move objects at a safe distance is profoundly useful. Use it to pull levers, open doors, sort your laundry, and all manner of other important but potentially hazardous tasks where you wouldn't want to risk your own hands.
MendingPHB: Too situational. Short of Rust Monsters, nearly nothing in 5e deals damage to your equipment.
MessagePHB: Bards built for stealth can do a lot of sneaking around, which frequently involves being separated from your party. Use this to send messages without revealing your position. Of course, the spell requires Verbal components and it's not clear how loud verbal components are intended to be, so take precautions if possible.
Minor Illusion:PHB: Room for plenty of creative, deceptive uses. The 5-foot cube is easily enough to create something to hide behind, provided that your enemies don't see you create the illusion.
PrestidigitationPHB: Whenever you want to do something small and magical that's not covered by another spell, it's usually covered by prestidigitation. This spell is exceptionally versatile. For suggestions on how to use Prestidigitation to its fullest, see my Practical Guide to Prestidigitation.
ThunderclapEEPC / XGtE: Damaging every creature within 5 feet of you is great if you're in melee facing numerous enemies. Even with Extra Attack you will deal more damage with this against three or more foes than you could with a weapon. See my article on Melee Cantrips vs. Extra Attack for a breakdown of the math comparing melee cantrip spells to normal martial attacks.
True StrikePHB: Typically you'll get better results from attacking twice rather than using this then attacking once.
Vicious MockeryPHB: Easily the most iconic bard spell, Vicious Mockery is unique, flavorful, and mechanically fantastic. The damage is relatively small, but the debuff is absolutely worth the poor damage.
Animal FriendshipPHB: Arguably easier than proficiency in Animal Handling, but it will become obsolete once beasts disappear around CR 10.
BanePHB: I would only use this in encounters where you're vastly outnumbered, and even then it's typically better to use area damage or control spell spells to eliminate enemies rather than debuffing them.
Charm PersonPHB: If you can cast this on a target outside of combat without them noticing, this can be a great way to defuse a potentially hostile situation. However, the spell has some complications. Charm Person has no visual effect like a ball of fire, so there's no visual indication that the spell succeeded or failed. The target doesn't know that they've been targeted by the spell if they succeed on the saving throw, but you don't know if they succeeded or failed unless your DM decides to tell you (and they are under no obligation to do so). So generally your best bet is to cast this once or twice and hope for the best before presenting yourself to your target. Remember: charmed is not mind control/
Color sprayPHB (Optional): The effect is not powerful enough and the duration is not long enough to justify the spell slot.
CommandPHB (Optional): Enough effects to be useful in some situations, but it's a single-target spell so at low levels you can't afford to spend a spell slot on this. Consider picking this up a few levels into your career.
Comprehend LanguagesPHB: You can't learn every language in 5e. It's simply not possible. Eventually you will want to replace this with Tongues, but Comprehend Languages does fine until then.
Cure WoundsPHB: More healing than Healing Word, but the action economy is considerably worse. Save this for when you need hit points and you're either out of hit dice or don't have time to rest.
Detect MagicPHB: Someone needs to have it in every party.
Disguise SelfPHB: Learning a single spell is cheaper than proficiency in a Disguise Kit.
Distort ValueAI: If your DM allows you to trade magic items, this might be incredibly useful. However, your DM might also find this incredibly annoying and punish you for using it by having angry traders track you down after an unfair trade. Discuss this spell with your DM before you consider learning it.
Dissonant WhispersPHB: Surprisingly good crowd control. This only requires verbal components, so you can use it while grappled to force the creature grappling you to run away. The damage isn't spectacular, but honestly you don't need it to be.
Earth TremorEEPC / XGtE: Not nearly enough damage, and being prone isn't enough of a problem in 5e. The difficult terrain effect is the real draw. It only works on "loose earth or stone", but that covers nearly anything you'll stand on except wood, so it's an easy way to create difficult terrain. Unfortunately, it also effects you so be careful not to trap yourself among enemies.
Faerie FirePHB: The lowest-level option to deal with invisible creatures, and Advantage on attacks against creatures which fail their save means that this remains a powerful support option well into high levels, especially against bug bulky enemies with high AC but poor Dexterity saves. Hopefully you won't run into any invisible creatures at 1st level, but but it's important to have some way to deal with invisibility just in case.
Feather FallPHB: You don't need to get this at 1st level, but eventually you'll want it. You may only use it a couple times in your character's whole career, but when you do it will save someone's life.
Healing WordPHB: More important than Cure Wounds, especially at low levels. As a bonus action you can heal an unconscious ally enough to get them back into the fight, and you still have your action for Vicious Mockery.
HeroismPHB: At low levels where your tank might only have 12 hp and enemies are only doing something like 5 damage per turn, this is a big enough buff to win a fight for you. At higher levels it will be less appealing due to the Concentration requirement, but it will always remain a solid use of a 1st-level spell.
Compare Heroism to Cure Wounds: Cure Wounds will heal at most 11 hp (1d8+Cha with a +3 Charisma modifier). If you have 16 Charisma and can keep Heroism running for four rounds you can prevent up to 12 damage (remember that temporary hp doesn't stack, but the hit points refresh every round) and still have 6 rounds to enjoy the spell. When you use higher-level spell slots, Heroism continues to outpace Cure Wounds. At 2nd-level, Cure Wounds heals 2d8+Cha (maximum 19 with 16 Charisma), while Heroism can prevent 18 hit points of damage in just three rounds,
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. All that you need to make Heroism more effective than Cure Wounds is to know who is going to take damage for the next several rounds. Considering that most parties have one or two characters drawing the vast majority of attacks, that's usually easy to figure out.
IdentifyPHB: Too situational to justify on a class with a limited number of spells known.
Illusory ScriptPHB: Too situational to justify on a class with a limited number of spells known.
LongstriderPHB: Even with a hour-long duration, this isn't especially appealing. Movement in 5e is really easy, and you can use other options to get away from enemies or to get enemies away from you.
Silent ImagePHB: While not nearly so powerful as Major Image, if you just want an object or a visual effect, Silent Image does the job just as well. Throw up a fake wall, door, or portcullis to slow pursuers. Create a piece of furniture like a box or a chest, then hide inside it and stab people when they try to open it like a pointy jack in the box. Illusions are limited more by your creativity (and your DM's willingness to play along) than by the spell's text.
Silvery BarbsSCoC: Extremely powerful, but also very complicated. See my blog post on Silvery Barbs for details on the numerous abuse cases which the spell allows.
SleepPHB: At an average of 22.5 hp worth of creatures, you won't be able to affect many creatures while they're at full hit points, but you can wait to wear down their hit points before finishing them off with Sleep. Sleep notably doesn't require a saving throw, making it a powerful and reliable way to incapacitate enemies with relatively few hit points even at high levels.
Speak with AnimalsPHB: Situational, but sometimes the only witnesses are wild animals and you just need a clue from your local family of squirrels.
Tasha's Hideous LaughterPHB: Single-target save-or-suck. It won't work on unintelligent creatures, but otherwise you can easily compare this to Hold Monster. Both have the same duration, require Concentration, and allow Wisdom saving throws both to resist the initial effect and to end the effect at the end of the target's turn. Paralysis is a more lethal effect, but if you just need a creature to sit out of combat for a while they're functionally interchangeable. The only problems are that it can't be cast on unintelligent creatures and it can't be up-cast to affect multiple targets.
ThunderwavePHB: This is one of your very few options for pushing enemies away from you. It's especially appealing if you can push an enemy into an area control effect, but otherwise it's not a good go-to option for damage output in combat.
Unseen ServantPHB: This has very limited utility in combat or in dangerous situations, but that doesn't mean that it has none. With a 1-hour duration you can get a lot done with a single casting. Interacting with items can mean opening doors and chests, carrying items, using potions on allies, and other things which you might not have time or patience to do. 2 Strength isn't enough to carry anything heavy or to break down a door, but it's often enough to trigger traps.
AidPHB (Optional): With an 8-hour duration and three targets, this is a staple buff that's worth casting literally every day. Keep in mind that this actually increases the targets' hit point maximum, so temporary hit points can be added, too.
Aid's casting time allows it to be used in combat, which is unusual but offers an interesting option. With three targets and a 30-foot range, you can cast it to both buff and heal your allies during combat. Targets current hit points and hit point maximum both increase, so allies at 0 hit points are healed in addition to having their hit point maximum raised, thereby allowing Aid to serve a similar function to Mass Healing Word. However, since spells don't stack with themselves, it's hard to repeat this trick. You'll need to cast Aid again using higher-level spell slots, which can get expensive quickly, so Mass Healing Word is probably better if Aid is already running and if Mass Healing Word is an option for your party.
Animal MessengerPHB: Too situational to justify on a class with a limited number of spells known.
Blindness/DeafnessPHB: Blind is a great debuff, and a 1-minute duration is usually longer than an encounter. Targeting big melee enemies seems like an obvious use, but the best targets for this are actually enemies who rely on spellcasting. Many spells simply don't function if the caster can't see the target, and the Constitution save is more effective against relatively frail enemies like spellcasters.
Borrowed KnowledgeSCoC: Jack of All Trades makes this only half as effective as it is for other characters, and with more skills than most classes and Expertise, there's little benefit to taking Borrowed Knowledge with your limited number of spells known. Cast Enhance Ability instead.
Calm EmotionsPHB: Two situational but frequently useful effects. First, you can use this to temporarily suppress effects which charm or frighten your allies. Both effects are common, and many enemies can apply them to your whole party. Charm effects often include mind control effects, and suppressing them for a minute on a willing ally can easily buy you enough time to deal with whatever is trying to mind control your friends. Fear effects are often area effects, such as a dragon's Frightful Presence, so suppressing them for a minute can bring whichever portions of your party failed their saves back into the fray.
Second, you can use this to make enemies not be hostile toward you and your allies for one minute. That will at least pause most encounters for the spell's duration, which is enough time to either heal and buff the party or escape. I wouldn't try to negotiate a truce in one minute, especially since the targets can go right back to hostile the moment that the spell ends. Note that this effect intentionally uses the "Hostile/Indifferent/Friendly" scale referenced in the Social Interaction rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Cloud of DaggersPHB: It's hard to guarantee that this will deal damage unless you have a good way to keep an enemy in the area of effect. An ally who likes to grapple will work, but that's hard to guarantee, and it's an extra point of failure. The damage will roll reliably because it's spread over multiple small dice, but even then the damage won't be great unless you can hold a single target in the area for several rounds. If you want single-target damage, go for something with more damage up front. If you want area control, go for something with a bigger area.
Crown of MadnessPHB: This spell is borderline unusable. The creature must attack before it moves, so you may be able to make it attack an ally once immediately after the spell is cast, but it retains control over its movement so it's free to walk away from its allies. On top of that, you need to spend your own action to maintain the spell rather than simply concentrating, so you're eating your own turns for the remote chance that the target will wander up to another of its allies.
Detect ThoughtsPHB: Situational, but a clever player can use this to gather crucial information from enemies unwilling to share it. However, the checks to continue focusing on a single creature's throughts are Intelligence checks and bards rarely have enough Intelligence to succeed reliably at opposed Intelligence checks. If you can, have an ally cast buffs like Guidance or Enhance Ability (Intelligence) on you to give yourself an edge.
Enhance AbilityPHB: Fantastic and versatile. Eagle's Splendor on your party's Face make social interactions much easier, and Bull's Strength provides a huge edge while grappling. Enhance your spellcasting ability (or that of an ally) to get Advantage on the ability checks to counter spells and to dispel magic.
Enlarge/ReducePHB (Optional): A great option both as a buff for melee allies and as a utility option, though I would rarely try using this to shrink enemies. You can use this on a small ally to make them small enough to smuggle in a pocket, or you can use this on and ally to give them an edge against enemies that rely on grappling. The bonus damage for being enlarged is nice, but not really worth the spell slot unless the target is making a huge number of weapon attacks like a high-level fighter.
EnthrallPHB: Too situational, too limited, and the duration is too short. The best usage I can think of for this is to distract a bunch of creatures while your allies move past them or move into place to ambush them. But in most cases where you're resorting to violence you'll have better results with a different spell like Calm Emotions. In situations where you need to move past people, cast Invisibility.
Gift of GabAI: Another hilarious entry from Acquisitions Incorporated with dubious use in a typical game. The intent of having mechanics in place for social interactions is to detach your real-world social skills from your character's social skills. If you say something foolish in real life, your DM should generally be kind enough to filter that through your character into something that would make sense for them to say. But if they don't, this is a perfectly fine way to clean up a mistake. Keep in mind that it only resets six seconds of conversation, so a short sentence is all that you can cover. You can't spend an hour berating someone than say "Gift of Gab" and have everything forgotten.
Heat MetalPHB: Situational by design, but against nearly any humanoid in metal armor, this spell is a death sentence. The damage will be slow, but disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks makes martial characters (the ones typically in metal armor) basically useless. Upcasting the spell is surprisingly efficient since the additional damage applies every round, so if you're fortunate enough to encounter a suitable enemy, use this to its fullest. Unfortunately, since the Bard learns spells permanently, it may be hard to justify selecting this unless you know that your campaign will feature abundant suitable targets. It also monopolizes your Bonus Action, which can be hard for the Bard since you need your Bonus Action for Bardic Inspiration.
Hold PersonPHB: You can get most of the same benefits from Tasha's Hideous Laughter, and Tasha's Hideous Laughter isn't limited to humanoids. But Tasha's Hideous Laughter can't be up-cast to affect multiple targets.
InvisibilityPHB: An essential scouting and infiltration tool, and as you get higher-level spell slots you can affect more of your party.
Kinetic JauntSCoC: Bards don't get Misty Step, and Kinetic Jaunt is a great way to remove yourself from melee. However, it requires Concentration and doesn't remove you from grapples, so it's not a universally effective solution, especially with the Bard's limited number of spells known. It may be more effective to use offensive spells like to inhibit whatever is grappling you or to use Invisibility to avoid Opportunity Attacks.
KnockPHB: The primary reason to have proficiency with Thieves' Tools is to handle locks. Knock doesn't require a check. It just works. Make aggressive eye contact with your party's rogue while you cast this just to rub it in.
Lesser RestorationPHB: Situational, but a situation that comes up often. If you don't have a cleric in the party you may be the only one with access to this spell, so you'll want to take it at some point.
Locate Animals or PlantsPHB: Too situational to justify on a class with a limited number of spells known.
Locate ObjectPHB: Too situational, and too easy to counter. Anyone with any knowledge of magic that's trying to hide something will wrap it in lead.
Magic MouthPHB: Find a way to cast Thaumaturgy to raise your voice's volume, then cast this spell on a piece of paper and scream into it for as long as you are physically capable. Set the trigger to "when the paper is unfolded". Leave the paper for someone to find, or use mage hand to open it at a distance. Instant distraction. The material component is inexpensive by the time you can cast this, and the duration is "until dispelled", so you can carry about a big stack of pre-cast Magic Mouth spells for all sorts of shenanigans.
Mirror ImagePHB (Optional): A great defensive option, and it doesn't require Concentration so you can easily use it alongside other great options like Fly. However, since its usefulness diminishes quickly it works best against enemies making small numbers of attacks with high damage. Also, the 1-minute duration can be challenging when it's an Action to cast.
Nathair's MischiefFToD: Amusing, but unpredictable and unreliable. Since the effect and the save change every round, you can't choose the targets' weak saves, and even if targets do fail their save they might still be able to fight unhindered. Targets do need to save every round (unless your roll the molasses option), but the effects simply aren't powerful enough.
Phantasmal ForcePHB: Adventuring tends to involve running into a lot of things that aren't very smart. Beasts, ogres, etc. all have terrible Intelligence saves. This spell is a great counter to those creatures, and its flexible nature gives you a lot of room to really mess with the target. Unfortunately, it also requires that your DM be creative enough to simulate how a creature would respond to whatever nonsense you come up with. If your DM has trouble with illusions, this spell may not work out well for you.
PyrotechnicsPHB: Only situationally useful, slightly annoying to set up, and when it does work the effects aren't good enough. The flame doesn't need to be especially large, so a torch or even a candle will suffice. Drop a torch on the ground, run out of range, and cast the spell. The blinding effect isn't spectacular because it only lasts on round and it's on a Constitution save. The smoke cloud option is objectively worse than similar options like Fog Cloud or Darkness, but it doesn't require Concentration which allows you to more easily combine Pyrotechnics with other powerful spells.
See InvisibilityPHB: With a 1-hour duration and no concentration requirement, See Invisibility is a great way to handle invisible creatures.
ShatterPHB: The poor man's fireball. 3d8 damage in a 10-foot radius is enough to hit several targets and deal decent damage. However, the save is Consitution so many creatures will be able to resist easily. Disadvantage for creatures made of inorganic materials is really neat, but how often do you fight a group of animated armors or iron golems?
SilencePHB: Verbal components are extremely common in spells, including many that spellcasters frequently use to escape dangerous situations. If you can trap an enemy spellcaster in place (such as by having an ally grapple them) and drop Silence around them, they're usually trapped with no hope of escape.
SkywriteEEPC: Too situational to justify on a class with a limited number of spells known.
SuggestionPHB: Extremely versatile. You can use this to accomplish a lot of things. This is more effective, reliable, and immediate than Geas. However, the 8-hour duration requires Concentration, so if you want to use this while adventuring you're comitting a significant resource for a full day to get the full duration of the spell. This spell benefits greatly from your own creativity, so the more thought you put into its use the more effective it will be.
You may also need a patient, permissive DM, so try not to abuse this too much or your DM may grow tired of your shenanigans and instill some sort of consequences. Strangely, the spell doesn't state that the target knows that they were charmed, so much like a "Jedi Mind Trick", the target will carry out the specified action as though it made sense to do so even if they'll regret it later.
Warding WindEEPC / XGtE: A decent buff for melee bards. Making the area around you difficult terrain makes it hard for enemies to move toward or away from you, and disadvantage on ranged weapon attacks keeps enemies with ranged weapons from picking you off from afar while you're closing the distance.
Zone of TruthPHB: Too situational to justify on a class with a limited number of spells known.
Bestow CursePHB: The effects are versatile enough that you can easily bring this into play in a variety of situations, and the scaling mechanism works well enough that this remains a viable option for higher-level spell slots. Use the third option against big tanky enemies with poor Wisdom, or use the first option against enemies that like to grapple. If you're ever uncertain, use the third option. Robbing a creature of their turn on a failed saving throw is debilitating, and can take creatures almost completely out of a fight.
CatnapXGtE: A Short Rest is typically one hour. In most campaigns, that will be fine most of the time unless the DM is deliberately creating a time crunch which prevents resting or otherwise sitting about wasting time. In those cases you might be able to squeeze in a Catnap, but more than likely the 10 minute duration will still be problematic.
ClairvoyancePHB: With a 1-mile range and the ability to place the sensor in place you can't see, this is a fantastic way to safely scout dangerous places. If you have enough time to sit around and cast the spell repeatedly you can scout whole structures from the outside by gradually learning about more interior locations through previous castings.
Dispel MagicPHB: Essential. Someone in every party should always have this handy. Dispelling spells of a higher level than Dispel Magic requires an ability check, so you can cast Dispel Magic at a higher spell level if you absoutely need to end a spell effect, but you can also use Enhance Ability to boost your spellcasting ability to make the ability check more reliable.
Enemies AboundXGtE: Astoundingly few enemies have good Intelligence saves, especially big scary melee monsters. Throw this on something tanky and horrifying that's there to protect squishy enemies from you and your friends, and watch it freak out and kill its buddies for you. The duration is only a minute, and obviously this only works in an encounter with multiple enemies, but that doesn't make the spell less awesome.
Fast FriendsAI: A fantastic non-lethal option for handling single targets, but it has some limitations. The target needs to be able to understand you, so you likely need to share a language. The spell requires Concentration, so you don't want to maintain this during combat if you can avoid it. And of course, you don't want to try casting this during combat. Still, if you can isolate a single enemy outside of combat you may be able to ply them for information or send them on errands which will save you trouble later. Tragically, the spell only lasts an hour so just as you're getting really attached to your new best friend the effects end, and the targets knows that you charmed them. You may be able to cast this repeatedly or you may be able to negotiate the situation peacefully even after the spell ends, but many people don't take kindly to being charmed.
FearPHB: A great way to disable groups of opponents, but it fear immunity is common.
Feign DeathPHB: Too situational to justify on a class with a limited number of spells known.
Glyph of WardingPHB: I'm really glad WotC was smart enough to add a 200gp consumable material component to this spell. If they hadn't, I would solve far too many problems by delivering scrolls with a Glyph of Warding to hostile NPCs.
Hypnotic PatternPHB: AOE save or suck.
Intellect FortressTCoE (Optional): Technically situational, but an absolutely spectacular defense against enemies which rely on spells or common effects like charm and fear effects. Unlike racial traits like the Gnome's Cunning or the Satyr and Yuan-Ti Pureblood's Magic Resistance, this applies to all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws, providing broad and effective protection against many of the most dangeorus save-or-suck effects in the game. You also get resistance to psychic damage, which is nice if you're fighting mind flayers, aboleths, or bards who enjoy Vicious Mockery. With a 1-hour duration, the Concentration requirement can be problematic, but it also means that you can carry this through multiple encounters at low cost, so in situations where you need this it's not going to eat all of your spell slots.
Leomund's Tiny HutPHB: With an 8-hour duration and the ability to cast it as a ritual, Leomund's Tiny Hut is useful both as an option for resting, and as a surprising utility and combat option. The hemisphere (the effect is a hemisphere, but the flavor text confusingly describes it as a done) which it creatures is impenetrable and impassable like a wall of force, except for creatures which are inside the sphere when you cast the spell (your party, usually). Since it's opaque, most low-level teleport effects like Misty step can't be used to get inside it. Your allies can use it for cover, then dart in and out to attack or cast spells. You as the caster are stuck inside the hut since the spell ends if you leave, but that doesn't stop you from summoning something to go fight on your behalf.
Major ImagePHB: If you don't like to use illusions frequently, consider picking this up later when you can cast 6th-level spells so that you can create permanent illusions.
Mass Healing WordPHB (Optional): You never want to need this. It heals exactly as much as standard Healing Word at a much higher cost, but the ability to heal multiple targets means that you can bring mutiple allies back into the fight and you still have your Action that turn.
Motivational SpeechAI: This makes the Inspiring Leader somewhat obsolete. Inspiring Leader will provide considerably more temporary hit points, but this doesn't require a feat and takes one tenth the time.
NondetectionPHB: Good, but not totally essential. Divination spells include things like See Invisibility, so if you or your party relies on invisibility of any kind this protects from several maigcal countermeasures to both stealth and invisibility. However, most enemies aren't spellcasters and won't have access to those divination options, so you can't justify casting this every day. The spell also has an expensive material component specifically to deter you from casting this all the time. Still, with an 8-hour duration, if you need this spell it's going to do exactly what you need it to do.
Plant GrowthPHB: Situational. Outside of normal adventuring activities, the ability to enrich land to double crop yields is very useful. But DnD is a game primarily about adventuring, and the option to make an area of plants overgrown is the more important option for most adventurers. In most cases, Entangle will work fine if you just need to slow your enemies down, but Plant Growth doesn't expire, so those plants remain difficult to walk through until someone clears the plants (which may requires hours of chopping and/or burning). The spell also doesn't specify that the plants grow along the ground or sufaces, so RAW it can create a sphere of plants, creating super-difficult terrain extending 100 feet into the air, potentially engulfing flying enemies.
The math on Plant Growth's speed reduction is impressive. Since most creatures have a speed of around 30 feet, moving at 1/4 speed means that they can move one 5-foot square and be left with 10 feet of movement that won't get them anywhere (unless they dash or something). Jeremy Crawford has clarified that Plant Growth doesn't create difficult terrain, so it's possible that difficult terrain would stack with Plant Growth, but I personally think that's not how it's intended to work. Plant Growth specifies that "a creature moving through the area must spend 4 feet of movement for every 1 foot" while the difficult terrain rule specifies that "moving 1 foot in difficult terrain costs 2 feet of speed", and since those two statements conflict I think you're intended to use whichever effect is greater rather than stacking them or multiplying them or something.
While it's not discussed in the text of the spell, it seems likely that Plant Growth would also impede vision. If you turn a nicely-tended hedge into a 100-foot-radius hemisphere of super-difficult terrain, there's clearly enough stuff in the way that seeing through it is difficult. This would necessarily mean that creatures inside the area would likely be concealed to some degree, so don't expect to drop Plant Growth on and enemy and then spend the next several turns spraying them with cantrips until they fall down.
Plant Growth's problematic limitation is that it requires plants to be in the area. However, there doesn't seem to be any restriction on how many or how large these plants must be (just that they must be "normal", whatever that means), and where there's lack of clarity there's room for shenanigans. For example: you might carry around a potted plant and throw it into the area to provide the necessary plant life to support the spell. Plants like mint or clover can fit into a small pot, and when you make them grow you get a pretty and pleasant-smelling field of super-difficult terrain. If your DM scoffs at the idea of 100-foot-tall clover patches, consider carrying a bonsai tree or some other plant which would normally be very tall (though a bonsai might not qualify as "normal" since we don't know what that word means here).
SendingPHB: Not especially glamorous, but messaging over massive distances has a number of uses. Also, due to the wording of the spell, you can use it on creatures that don't understand your speech and they'll still understand your meaning, allowing you to use Sending in place of Tongues if you only need to convey brief messages.
SlowPHB (Optional): Slow is a great debuff, but it has to compete with other Wisdom save options at the same spell level. Compared to Hypnotic Pattern, Slow severely handicaps targets, but they can still fight back. Hypnotic Pattern's targets can't act at all until they're released from the effect, but it's also a Charm effect which some creatures are immune or resistant to.
Speak with DeadPHB: Too situational to justify on a class with a limited number of spells known. This is a spell of last resort. It is extremely limited, and if the dead creature didn't like you while it's alive it's unlikely to be helpful after you've killed it. Your best bet is to use this on an ally with information that you can't get otherwise. Cast Gentle Repose on the corse to keep it intact so that you can hit it with Speak with Dead again 10 days later.
Speak with PlantsPHB: Situational. If you encounter plant creatures, this may allow you to handle them nonviolently, but I don't think is useful enough to learn permanently on a class with a limited number of spells known.
Stinking CloudPHB: Constitution-based save or suck in an AOE. Hypnotic Pattern may be more reliable, but you can still attack the targets of Stinking Cloud without breaking the effect.
TonguesPHB: You are almost certainly your party's Face, and language can present a serious barrier. You may not want to pick this up when you first get access to 3rd-level spells, but consider picking it up later when using a 3rd-level spell on a utility option is less daunting.
Charm MonsterXGtE: A great nonlethal way to deal with enemies. It doesn't require that the target be able to understand you, but otherwise has the same complications which Charm Person does: the target is only friendly toward you, and when the spell ends they know that they were charmed.
CompulsionPHB: This is technically situational, but if you can get a group of enemies to all run one direction and bunch up against a wall or something, they're very easy to hit with a big AOE. You can't run them into something like a Wall of Fire, unfortunately.
ConfusionPHB: I've hated Confusion since 3rd edition. It's unpredictable, unreliable, and makes combat take twice as long as it would normally. It's great that it's an AOE, and you might be able to make creatures attack their allies, but there are too many points of failure for it to be a reliable option.
Dimension DoorPHB: Misty Step isn't on the Bard's spell list for whatever reason, and having a way to teleport out of a terrible situation (like ropes or a grapple) is extremely useful.
Freedom of MovementPHB: Nice, but situational. If you need to get yourself out of restraints or a grapple, cast Dimension Door.
Greater InvisibilityPHB: Invisibility in 5e is really good, and running around for a full minute being almost impossible to target is a huge advantage.
Hallucinatory TerrainPHB: Situational. Unless you specifically need the 24-hour duration and the massive area of effect, Major Image will suffice.
Locate CreaturePHB: More effective than mundane tracking, but the 1,000-foot range can be a problem if the target is actively fleeing from you. If you're going to use this, be sure that you're moving faster than your target.
Phantasmal KillerPHB (Optional): Despite how slowly it kills the target, this is a great single-target spell and the spell level scaling is absolutely spectacular. Against big burly foes which often have poor mental stats, the save will be hard to pass and Frightened will make their attacks and ability checks much less effective. How the Frightened condition works is somewhat confusing because there's no indication where the "illusory manifestation" appears, if it has a location at all. I think that the intent is that the target is Frightened, but their movement isn't hampered like it would normally be by the Frightened condition. Because casting Phantasmal Killer increases the damage by a d10 every time (rather than just the on the first damage roll like many spells), this remains an effective option well beyond its spell level.
PolymorphPHB: Fantastic and versatile, but also very complicated. See my Practical Guide to Polymorph for detailed advice on how to get the most out of Polymorph.
Raulothim's Psychic LanceFToD: Situational by design. The damage is low for a spell of this level, especially for one that's single-target, but the damage alone isn't why you're here. The save is Intelligence, and those tend to be among the lowest saves, even at very high levels, and the target is Incapacitated on a failed save, robbing them of a turn, so despite it being single-target with lackluster damage it's a powerful tool against single foes. Even better, if you know the target's name (often easy for named antagonists), you can cast this without line of sight, allowing you to hide behind walls, in areas of magical darkness, or somewhere else safe.
Animate ObjectsPHB: Provided that there is sufficient fodder for the spell, this can work in a variety of encounters. Tiny and Huge are notably the most lethal options, so generally you'll be animating one big thing or a bunch of tiny things. Suitable objects should be easy to find: even random debris should suffice. However, the duration is short is the animated objects are frail and don't get stronger as you gain levels, so you may want to retrain this after enjoying it for a few levels.
AwakenPHB: Neat, but extremely situational.
Dominate PersonPHB: If you don't face many humanoid enemies, this may not be worthwhile. But if you do, dominating an enemy and turning it into a temporary ally is very effective.
DreamPHB: While this spell on its own can be very powerful, it's only usable outside of combat, and there are a lot of limitations on its usage. If it were easier for the Bard to change their spells known this would be fine, but you get an extremely limited number of spells known and you want those options to be consistently useful. If you really want this, make sure that you have plenty of other spells known that can cover your needs in combat.
GeasPHB: This is too situational to spend a spell known. It's great for spellcasters like Clerics and Wizards, but it's usable too rarely to waste scant resources learning it in hopes that it will be useful someday.
Greater RestorationPHB: If you don't have a Cleric in the party, you need this.
Hold MonsterPHB: A great example of a "save or suck" spell. With the exception of undead, this works on any creature type, and paralysis takes a creature out of a fight almost as much as killing them. If you have an ally who fights in melee, send them to follow up with melee attacks. Automatic critical hits are too hard to pass up many melee allies. Keep in mind that targets get another save at the end of each of their turns, so you need to act quickly while targets are still affected.
Legend LorePHB: Too situational to justify on a class with a limited number of spells known.
Mass Cure WoundsPHB: You shouldn't need this. It doesn't do enough healing to justify the spell slot, so the best use case is to cast it when you have more than one ally at 0 hit points. If you reach that point, things have gone very seriously wrong. Healing Word is a much more efficient way to get people conscious, and considering how little healing you're getting out of Mass Cure Wounds your allies will probably go down again anyway if anything looks at them funny.
MisleadPHB: Situational. Not a great option in combat, but out of combat this provides a passably safe way to scout an area or to trick other creatures.
Modify MemoryPHB: The actual intent of the spell is very situational, but this spell is accidentally a really effective save-or-suck spell. Compare it to Hold Monster against a single target, which is the same level. Hold Monster allows additional saves every round, though admittedly Paralyzed is more lethal than Incapacitated. The target is unaware of its surroundings, so you can reasonably get Advantage on attack rolls against it, but as long as it isn't damage you could also fully restrain the target before the spell's duration expires. However, the target gets Advantage on their save if you're fighting it, so you need to hit them with this before fighting starts. That typically means before Initiative is rolled, but your DM may let you do it if the creature is Surprised.
If you need to incapacitate a creature in an encounter with multiple enemies, your enemies likely won't know how to break the effect (except by killing you), and once you've defeated everything else you can use Modify Memory to convince the target that the other creatures attacked them and you came to their rescue. Then you've won a fight, and earned the real treasure: the friends that you made along the way, and whatever their previous friends had in their pockets.
Planar BindingPHB: Extremely situational and very expensive. If you learn this, wait until you're high level, can easily afford the 1,000gp material cost, and can cast a spell of sufficiently high level to summon something extremely powerful.
For more help, see my Practical Guide to Summoning Spells.
Raise DeadPHB: This is an odd thing to find on the Bard spell list. Death is part of the game, so eventually you'll need this, but it's no fun to spend one of your limited spells known on a spell you might cast once or twice ever.
Rary's Telepathic bondPHB (Optional): If you have time to cast this, you should always have this running while you're somewhere dangerous. Speaking aloud is a great way to alert enemies to your presence and to give away clever plans. The fact that this has no range limit once it's in effect means that you can use it to communicate with allies while they scout around, potentially including beasts, familiars, and summoned creatures.
ScryingPHB: Technically situational, but it's a situation that comes up frequently. Any time that you want to know what the BBEG is up to, cast Scrying and take a look. The spell gets easier the more you know the target, and after one face-to-face encounter you could easily make off with something tying you to the target to penalize their saving throw.
SeemingPHB: Very situational. Most campaigns won't make this useful often enough for you to commit one of your limited spells known to this.
Skill EmpowermentXGtE: Expertise for everyone! You won't be throwing this on the Fighter for them to shove or grapple everything they meet (you have better combat buffs), but you can put this on a character before sneaking, before an important social situation, before investigating something important, or basically any other time that there's an important skill check to be made and you have time to buff yourselves beforehand.
Synaptic StaticXGtE: Start with fireball. Shave 30 feet off the range, change the damage type to psychic, and change the saving throw to Intelligence. Very few creatures are good at intelligence saves, so expect most creatures to fail the save. The 8d6 damage feels underwhelming at this spell level, but subtracting a d6 from from attack rolls and ability checks for a full minute is a significant debuff. This is a good option to start a fight with a large number of martial enemies because they'll be impacted most by debuff and most martial enemies have poor Intelligence saves.
Teleportation CirclePHB: Situational, but generally one of the safest long-distance teleportion options, especially since it doesn't have a cap on the number or size of creatures affected. However, how useful it is depends on the availability of convenient teleportation circles in your campaign. If your DM isn't going to make such teleportation circles available and useful, look elsewhere.
EyebitePHB: A fantastic use of a spell slot: spend one spell slot, and every round for a minute you get to pick a creature and put it to sleep.
Find the PathPHB: Situational, and often difficult to use, but still very interesting. The hardest part of using the spell is finding an object from the place you want to go. Once you've solved that problem, Find the Path merely gives you directions. It doesn't avoid hazards and it doesn't point out traps, so be wary of traps and ambushes along the way.
Guards and WardsPHB: Too situational to justify on a class with a limited number of spells known.
Heroes' FeastPHB (Optional): An absoutely amazing spell, but with a 1,000gp cost to cast it, it's not worth permanently learning.
Mass SuggestionPHB: Tell a potential fight to go take a pleasant stroll somewhere far away.
Otto's Irresistible DancePHB: The primary appeal of Otto's Irresistable Dance is that the target suffers the effects immediately, and doesn't get to make a save until they have spent an Action to make the save, and since they must spend all of their movement dancing, they effectively lose at least one turn after being targeted (they still get a Bonus Action). This is a great way to sneak past Legendary Resistances, and if you're positioned well in the initiative order your allies might get to spend their turns attacking the target with Advantage.
In many situations, Hold Monster will be just as effective, if not more so. Hold Monster can target multiple foes, and doesn't care if the target is immune to being charmed. Save Otto's Irresistible Dance for powerful single foes who might otherwise be difficult to target with save-or-suck spells.
Programmed IllusionPHB: Situational, but really abusable. It's permament and resets on its own, so you can do all sorts of hilarious things with it to mess with other creatures. The 25gp material component is nothing by this level, so you can throw up programmed illusions all over the place for a pittance. As far as I can tell, you can cast the spell with otherlapping areas, so you could cast it three times to make the illusions trigger each other and have a perpetual illusion running. Unfortunately, the spell's language restricts what you can depict to "an object, a creature, or some other visible phenomenon", so you probably couldn't create a room of illusory guards. Still, you could have a permanent illusory bard playing a 15-minute loop of songs.
True SeeingPHB: Situational, but largely unbeatable in situations where it applies.
Dream of the Blue VeilTCoE (Optional): This is more a plot point than a spell. Don't learn this unless your DM tells you to.
EtherealnessPHB: A profoundly effective scouting/escape option. Unless you're fighting ethereal enemies, you're untouchable. You can see and hear into the material plane (albeit at limited distance), allowing you to spy on other creatures in person without their knowledge. The spell lasts 8 hours, which is sufficient to do a lot of things potentially including a Long Rest.
ForcecagePHB: An absolutely amazing way to isolate either your party or your enemies. The duration is long enough to take a short rest, and there's no save for enemies to resist it. Have an ally drop an AOE damage over time spell like Hunger of Hadar, then drop a Force Cage on top of it and you're playing a magical game of "Will it Blend?".
Mirage ArcanePHB: This is a difficult spell. The affectable area is huge, the distance is Sight (go climb a mountain on a clear day), and the effects of the illusion are tangible enough that you can physically interact with them, including picking up sticks or stones. But it's unclear how far that goes: Can you burn the illusory wood to keep yourself warm? Can you smooth over difficult terrain in the same way that you can make smooth terrain difficult? Could you place stairs in the side of a clear cliff face? How far up and down does the effect stretch? The closest we have is these two tweets which indicate that you have a lot of leeway, and that the effects are real enough that a creature could drown in illusory water, brun in illusory lava, and climb illusory trees. Your DM will be the abiter of exactly what you can get away with, but the spell itself is a wildly versatile toolbox.
Mordenkainen's Magnificent MansionPHB: In the real world, learning to cast this spell would mean that you could comfortably retire. Each day you would walk out of the mansion, cast the spell again to recreate the house for 24 hours, then you would return to your invisibile extraplanar abode to enjoy another 24 hours of abundant food, comfort, and nearly-invisible servants. The size of the mansion amounts to 5000 square feet, which is plenty to accomodate a party of adventurers and a sizeable retinue. The suggested 100 banquet guests would each have 50 square feet (a 5×10 area) of space to themselves, but a cleverly layed out mansion could easily turn that space into a large common area for feasting and a collection of small rooms with bunk beds for sleeping off a magical 9-course meal. However, in purely mechanical terms this is a spell that the Bard can't afford to learn. There are many less costly options for solving the same problems, and you're strictly limited in the number of spells which you can learn.
Mordenkainen's SwordPHB: This is an objectively bad spell. Compare it to Bigby's Hand, and it's pretty clear. Bigby's Hand isn't on the Bard spell list unfortunately, but that's what Magical Secrets is for.
Prismatic SprayPHB (Optional): Unpredictable. The AOE is great, and effects 6, 7, and 8 are all great (any two rays would be spectacular), but the spell is unpredictable and I'm always reluctant to recommend unpredictable spells because unpredictable often means unreliable.
Project ImagePHB: Mislead with a longer duration and better range. The language used to describe the copy's capabilities is nearly identical. The extra range makes it a bit more versatile, but it's still fairly situational.
RegeneratePHB: Too situational to select as a spellcaster with a limited number of spells known. DnD doesn't have injury rules which lead to limb removal except in very specific circumstances, so it's not like characters are losing fingers and toes despite spending potentially years being sliced and diced by all manny of oponents.
ResurrectionPHB: If you learned Raise Dead you might replace it with Resurrection, but I don't think Resurrection is a meaningful improvement over Raise Dead.
SymbolPHB: While many of the effects are wonderful, the inability to move the symbol and the high casting cost are prohibitive.
TeleportPHB: With a 10-foot range and up to 8 targets you can easily teleport your entire party, and without the need to hold hands and form a circle you can often rescue the whole party in the midst of combat without too much trouble. However, Teleport has a complicated mechanic related to how familiar you are with the target destination and there's often a possibility of mishap. Be sure to borrow a souvenire from new places so that you can easily return if necessary without the risk of a mishap.
Antipathy/SympathyPHB (Optional): Difficult to use because it targets a single type of creature, but if you're facing a homogenous group of enemies you can greatly hinder them with either option. Even against single creatures, using Sympathy to force an enemy to approach one of your party members (sympathy on a paladin to attract a lich) can force enemies into a situation which will end in their death. Still, it's a situational spell that you can't guarantee will be useful, so it's hard to recommend for a class that permanently learns their spells.
Dominate MonsterPHB: Arguably the best save-or-suck spell in the game. You can do a lot with perfect control over a creature for such a long period of time. Using the target as a thrall in combat is obviously tempting, but the target gets to repeat their saving throw every time that they take damage, so be very cautious if you choose to do so.
FeeblemindPHB: Wisdom-based and Charisma-based casters are extremely vulnerable to Feeblemind. Even creatures who cast spells as a supplement to their other abilities can be seriously inhibited by suddenly being less intelligent than many animals.
Beyond limited spellcasting, I've always found this spell difficult to manage for other enemies. 1 Intelligence and 1 Charisma is obviously very poor, but what is the victim capable of? If they're a cleric, can they still cast spells? What are they smart enough to do in combat? There's a lot of room for the DM to interpret how this works and which abilities creatures can still use. While that could be fun and very effective, it also makes the spell's effect totally dependent on the DM and their interpretation of what an affected creature is mentally capable of doing.
GlibnessPHB: Charisma checks include skills like Persuasion, but they also include thing like the ability checks for Counterspell and Dispel Magic. Throw this up before going into a fight with an enemy spellcaster and enjoy countering everything that they cast with minimal effort.
Mind BlankPHB: Situational, but hilarious if you have a Berserker Barbarian in the party.
Power Word StunPHB: Gambling on a creature's current hit point total is hard, especially since you get so few spell slots at this level, but if you can time this to hit a wounded enemy (or an enemy with a low hit point maximum like many spellcasters) it can take them out of the encounter long enough for you to win largely unopposed.
ForesightPHB: This is, without a doubt, the best buff in the game. With an 8-hour duration you can throw it on the lucky recipient and watch them laugh their way through nearly any challenge for a full day worth of adventuring.
Mass PolymorphXGtE: You sacrifice the absolute power of True Polymorph for the ability to affect up to 10 creatures. The rules for handling creatures with no CR (your party) are written to make this really unappealing compared to True Polymorph. Compared to turning one ally into a CR 17+ dragon, turning up to 10 of your allies into Tyranosauruses (Tyranosaurs? Tyranosauri?) simply isn't as effective, even if the phrase "I turn us and our horses into tyranosauruses" is one of the coolect things I can think to say during a game. Tragically, the targets assume the beast's mental statistics, so turning your party of adventurers into toothy lizards may actually make them weaker.
You can use the spell offensively and the targets don't get saving throws beyond the first, so turn your enemies into slugs or something and pitch them into the plane of fire or somewhere equally unpleasant.
Power Word HealPHB: Full healing and removing a bunch of status conditions in one spell is really tempting, but preventing all of that damage and all of those conditions with Foresight will work much better.
Power Word KillPHB: 100 hit points is a very low cap, but it's hard to argue with how effective it is to outright slay a creature with no rolls involved. As an example, a 20th-level wizard with 12 Constitution will have 102 hit points (6+19*4+20), so basically nothing which is scary at this level will be immediately vulnerable, but if your allies can deal a bunch of damage quickly you may be able to use this in round 1 of a fight.
Prismatic WallPHB (Optional): The ultimate area control spell. 10-minute duration, you and your allies can pass through it unharmed, and if enemies move through it they can take up to 50d6 damage, be turned to stone, and be sent to another plane. The wall can be destroyed, but the process to do so is so laughably obnoxious that I doubt anyone would actually try it (it's a relic of early editions of DnD).
Psychic ScreamXGtE: Up to 10 creatures within 90 feet of you in any direction. Intelligence saves are the weakest save on average, even for high-CR monsters, so in many cases you can Stun enemies and keep them stunned for an incredibly long time. There's no duration on the stun effect, so enemies with poor Intelligence be permanently stunned. The damage is fine, but that's absolutely an after-thought compared to the stun effect.
True PolymorphPHB: Powerful, versatile, and it lasts an hour. This is a spell that really rewards thorough knowledge of 5e's monsters, so go sit down with the Monster Manual etc. and do some reading. You'll want a go-to combat form at CR 17, 18, 19, and 20 for when you need to turn yourself or an ally into a monster, but you should also look for a good CR 9 in case you need to polymorph an object into a pet.
Remember that the spell becomes permanent if you keep it running for an hour, so you can also use this to permanently turn yourself or someone else into a monster or a dragon or something. You'll lose all of your class stuff because you assume the creature's statistics, but honestly a CR 20 dragon is much more powerful anyway.
The spell's final option allows you to turn a creature into an object (which allows a Wisdom save). Turn them into a flower pot, then either drop them from high enough to deal maximum fall damage (the extra damage carries over to their regular hit points when they revert), throw them into a demiplane, plane shift them somewhere unpleasant, or dispose of them in some other permanent and irrevocable fashion like a bag of devouring.
For more, see our Practical Guide to True Polymorph and Shapechange.


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PGF
Collaboration, Industry News, Projects
PGF LAUNCHES NEW ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
PGF is excited to announce its new Artist-in-Residence program, which seeks to create a dialogue between underrepresented emerging and mid-career artists, and the daily operations of PGF. The PGF A-i-R program supports artists of color, LGBTQA artists, and women artists by providing a unique platform for their work and ideas to be seen and heard. The PGF AiR program encourages the development of innovative work that reaches beyond the typical scope of the AiR's practice, including the broadening of materials and processes and the exploration of new concepts within the factory setting. During their residency, artists are given access to PGF's space, tools, materials, resources, and guidance from PGF staff. Artists are able to realize fabric-based projects with assistance from PGF's team. The PGF AiR program encourages artists to explore the intersection between art, design, and manufacturing, and the ways in which the studio and the factory overlap.
PGF's pilot AiR is celebrated Portland artist, Malia Jensen. Please join us at PGF for the launch party and open studio with Malia on November 30, 2017 (5–7pm) to learn more about the program and experience the work she has made during her residency. Malia will give a short artist talk at 6pm.
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A Goofy Movie Though Goofy always means well, his amiable cluelessness and klutzy pratfalls regularly embarrass his awkward adolescent son, Max. When Max's lighthearted prank on his high-school principal finally gets his longtime crush, Roxanne, to notice him, he asks her on a date. Max's trouble at school convinces Goofy that he and the boy need to bond over a cross-country fishing trip ...
IMDB: 6.8/10 41,024 votes
Toy Story Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.
Die Hard: With a Vengeance New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he'd seen it all, until a genius named Simon engages McClane, his new "partner" -- and his beloved city -- in a deadly game ...
Die Hard: With a Vengeance
Ghost in the Shell In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, but this brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly-wanted hacker known as 'The Puppetmaster' begins involving them in politics, Section 9, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops, are called in to investigate and stop the ...
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie Power up with six incredible teens who out-maneuver and defeat evil everywhere as the Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, But this time the Power Rangers may have met their match, when they face off with the most sinister monster the galaxy has ever seen.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
The Quick and the Dead A mysterious woman comes to compete in a quick-draw elimination tournament, in a town taken over by a notorious gunman.
The Basketball Diaries Film adaptation of street tough Jim Carroll's epistle about his kaleidoscopic free fall into the harrowing world of drug addiction.
Pocahontas History comes gloriously to life in Disney's epic animated tale about love and adventure in the New World. Pocahontas is a Native American woman whose father has arranged for her to marry her village's best warrior. But a vision tells her change is coming, and soon she comes face to face with it in the form of Capt. John Smith.
Before Sunrise On his way to Vienna, American Jesse meets Céline, a student returning to Paris. After long conversations forge a surprising connection between them, Jesse convinces Celine to get off the train with him in Vienna. Since his flight to the U.S. departs the next morning and he has no money for lodging, they wander the city together, taking in the ...
Bad Boys Marcus Burnett is a hen-pecked family man. Mike Lowry is a foot-loose and fancy free ladies' man. Both are Miami policemen, and both have 72 hours to reclaim a consignment of drugs stolen from under their station's nose. To complicate matters, in order to get the assistance of the sole witness to a murder, they have to pretend to be ...
Jumanji When siblings Judy and Peter discover an enchanted board game that opens the door to a magical world, they unwittingly invite Alan -- an adult who's been trapped inside the game for 26 years -- into their living room. Alan's only hope for freedom is to finish the game, which proves risky as all three find themselves running from giant ...
The Usual Suspects Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story ...
Se7en Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Sommerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, ...
IMDB: 8.6/10 1,200,846 votes


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Changing the Conversation: April 2017 Recap
From left: Jessica Grounds, Alexa Scordato, Carolina Velasco, Brandon Atkinson
This week marks the 44th anniversary of our founding (originally as Careers for Women), and we celebrated the best way we knew how--by holding our fourth event in the Changing the Conversation: Empowering Women in Business series. Generously hosted by Stack Overflow (an online community for programmers), nearly 100 women of all ages and industries joined us for wine, cheese, and conversation.
We kicked off the event with a presentation courtesy of Project Mine the Gap. Kristin Haffert, Co-Founder of Project Mine the Gap, described the business case for a gender inclusive work environment.
Two key takeaways:
Studies show that including (even the presence of) one or more women raises a group's collective intelligence.
Among Fortune 500 Companies, the top quartile (ranked by # of female board members), outperformed those in the bottom quartile by 53% in return on equity (ROE), a 42% in return on sales (ROS), and 66% in return on invested capitol (ROIC).
Jessica Grounds takes questions from the audience
Following the presentation, Project Mine the Gap Co-Founder Jessica Grounds moderated an action-oriented discussion about why diversity and inclusion is important, and the steps we can take to create and build upon those initiatives.
"I'm deeply, deeply passionate about [diversity and inclusivity]. Until we get to a place where the people who are making the tools that serve the world and connect people and ideas actually reflect the end users, our work is not done." --Alexa Scordato, VP of Marketing, Stack Overflow
On bringing men into the conversation: "I looked for men in senior leadership, who actually believed that a woman belonged at the table. I asked very directly for what I needed, and they were generally very open to helping me. They were interested [in being a part of the conversation], but I learned they weren't going to reach out proactively." -- Carolina Velasco, Senior Nonprofit Relationship Manager and Team Lead, LinkedIn
"There's a mental tax of being the only woman on the team. It's hard to be your best authentic self when you're not comfortable. When you're the only one who looks like you, it's hard not to be conscious of that." --Brandon Atkinson, Chief People Officer, AppNexus
Our presenters and panelists (from left): Kristin Haffert, Brandon Atkinson, Carolina Velasco, Jessica Grounds, Alexa Scordato
So, how can we help drive change within our own organization?
Consider the language you use throughout your organization on a daily basis.
Create and better utilize affinity groups, or mini-coalitions.
Be intentional in including men in the conversation.
Develop policies and procedures that take into account up-to-date research on gender inequality.
Be explicit about your diversity and inclusion goals as a company--build them into your quarterly metrics.
Some of the feedback we've heard from attendees…
Another great event last night and I hope you're still buzzing with excitement. Last night was a reminder that diverse ideas + diverse perspectives = a more well-rounded team. The inspiration was well received!
Kudos for organizing such accomplished & inspirational panelists. I only regret having to run out so quickly afterward - just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the evening.
Thanks for a great and informative program last night. I really enjoyed and benefited from it. Good food for thought and some action points for myself going forward. Well done! I wish I had more time to remain after the program to chat with you all and network.
If you want to make sure you stay updated on our future events, fill out the form below:
Newer PostWhy You Should Intern at CFW Careers
Older PostPanelist Interview: Kristin Haffert, Project Mine the Gap


Irvine—Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP (JMBM) is pleased to welcome Jay T. Thompson as a corporate partner in the Firm's Orange County office. Previously of Freeman, Freeman & Smiley LLP, Thompson represents private companies, business owners, and investors in mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions and private securities offerings.
Thompson's clients have included a marketing company, a medical coding and compliance shareholder, multi-state restaurant groups, a gourmet food manufacturer, and a solar panel parts manufacturer.
"I look forward to working with the accomplished lawyers at JMBM and continuing to serve the Orange County business community," said Thompson. Thompson is a member of the Board of the Orange County Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth ("ACG").
Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP is a full-service law firm committed to providing clients with outstanding results. JMBM's Corporate Group represents large publicly traded corporations, emerging entrepreneurial businesses and growing middle-market companies in a full range of financing, transactional and operational issues. Our Orange County office serves clients in the areas of corporate law, litigation, real estate and land use, trusts and estates, intellectual property, bankruptcy and restructuring, and labor and employment . From our offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Orange County, we serve our clients' needs worldwide. For more information visit www.jmbm.com.


One World Media, now in its 28th year of celebrating journalistic excellence in international media coverage of the developing world, announced the winners of the annual One World Media Awards.
Hosted this year by Sky's Alex Crawford, the prestigious One World Media Awards took place at BAFTA and saw some of the world's finest journalists, reporters and filmmakers - past, present and future - gather to celebrate the industry's achievements.
Synopsis: The inside story of how and why the worst Ebola outbreak in history wasn't stopped before it was too late. Award-winning filmmaker Dan Edge traces the roots of the outbreak back to the jungles of Guinea and tracks down key witnesses and survivors responsible for its spread across West Africa. They include the father of Patient Zero, the child who was believed to be the first person to die in the outbreak, as well as a young woman considered to be among the first to bring Ebola across the border from Guinea to Sierra Leone. The film includes revelatory interviews and candid admissions of failure from key government officials and those responsible for the woeful international response to the disaster. From the jungles of Guinea to the slums of Monrovia, the film exposes tragic missteps in the response to the epidemic. It's a real-life disaster movie that sounds a warning: the world is not safe from future epidemics.
Synopsis: In a television first, Channel 4 was granted access by a rural Ethiopian tribe to capture their life as never seen before using fixed-rig cameras. Part of the 20,000-strong Hamar tribe living in the Omo region of Southern Ethiopia, one family, known to their friends and neighbours as the Ayke Mukos, have allowed Channel 4 to film their day to day life. The series presents an intimate and uniquely authentic portrayal of tribal family life.
Synopsis: Matina Stevis and Joe Parkinson secured exclusive access to Eritrean refugee camps in the Tigray region of Ethiopia where they interviewed more than a dozen refugees. This exclusive front page report and digital package offered a rare look inside one of the world's most secretive dictatorships. The article – reported over two months after a year's preparation – offered fresh evidence that conditions in Eritrea are not in fact improving. The story made a huge impact. Stevis has been called to testify as an expert witness in the case of an Eritrean refugee in the UK which will instruct UK immigration policy towards Eritrean asylum seekers.
Synopsis: Vicky was something of a visionary. Her's was a one-woman mission to open to tourism, one of the toughest places in South Africa. And unlikely as it might sound, she was succeeding. She opened a bed and breakfast in the impoverished township of Khayetlisha, but her dream died brutally in November 2012. She was stabbed to death in her own bedroom; a victim, her family believe, of her own success. Her husband was convicted of her killing and has never explained why he did it, but envy of his wife's achievements seems the likeliest motive. A truly shocking part of Vicky's story is that in South Africa, the murder of a woman by her husband or partner isn't shocking at all. It's routine. John Ray's extraordinary film was a collaboration between ITV in Assignment and independent filmmaker Paul Martin.
One World Media is a non-profit organisation that supports international journalism and promotes media coverage of global issues. For nearly three decades, they have been working with partners in the UK and internationally to enable media that informs and connects the world's people. One World Media's mission is to support strong vibrant and independent media that empowers citizens, promotes justice and contributes to international development.
This film follows a unit of the Afghan National Army over the course of their first year fighting in Helmand. Without a foreign soldier in sight and no narrative but their own, this is the war in Afghanistan through the eyes of the Afghans who live it.
The story of one Syrian family heading for Europe in search of a better life. Manveen Rana documents the twists and turns of their journey as refugees from Jordan to the EU in a series of reports for BBC Radio 4's The World at One.
Alex manages to document what every other journalist wanted to do but didn't – the highly dangerous and long boat trip to Europe, alongside the desperate people risking it all.
Linda Pressly explores the impact of Lidiane Leite's alleged graft on one small community in Bom Jardim. For the last five decades, its political landscape has been dominated by just one powerful family – the Sarneys.
Sune Engel Rasmussen lives in Kabul where he works as a freelance print and multimedia journalist. His work has appeared in a broad range of international media, including The Economist, The New Republic, the BBC, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, The Atlantic and Al Monitor.
This report follows the story of one woman's journey to success, which led to her being stabbed to death by her husband. A truly shocking part of Vicky's story is that in South Africa the murder of a woman by her husband or partner isn't shocking at all. It's routine.
In a television first, part of the 20,000-strong Hamar tribe living in the Omo region of Southern Ethiopia, one family, known to their friends and neighbours as the Ayke Mukos, have allowed Channel 4 to film their day to day life.
After two years' reporting on Isis, Financial Times Middle East correspondent Erika Solomon spent weeks interviewing former Isis fighters and officials. Her revelations provide the most comprehensive portrait of how the group manages to keep making money – from its oil revenue to its carefully managed system of tax and confiscation. Aged just 30, Solomon writes with the authority and insight of the most seasoned and respected correspondents.
The fate of 70 million people rests on what happens to the Mekong River. Guardian journalist John Vidal journeys down south-east Asia's vast waterway, where he meets people struggling to deal with the ecological havoc created by giant dams, deforestation, coastal erosion and fast-growing cities.
This exclusive front-page report and digital package offered a rare look inside one of the world's most secretive dictatorships. The story made a huge impact. Stevis has been called to testify as an expert witness in the case of an Eritrean refugee in the UK, which will instruct UK immigration policy towards Eritrean asylum seekers.
This article tells for the first time the full story of the handful of Syrian men and women who risked their lives to get a damning archive out of Syria. Borger was the first journalist allowed to go into the region and meet the chief Syrian investigator, whose identity remains a closely guarded secret.
This film hears from women who have fallen foul of El Salvador's punitive anti-abortion law and are either serving time or have completed a prison sentence. They describe the torment of life behind bars and reveal how their lives have been altered forever.
RBSS is an underground network of Syrian citizen journalists with the stated aim of exposing "…the atrocities committed by terrorist extremist group ISIS". From the rise of ISIS through to today, they have, at great personal risk, used their website and social media profile to report what life is like for ordinary Syrians surviving under the brutal regime of the Islamic State.


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Tag MC 400
Psion MC 400 Communications
April 5, 2012 April 5, 2012 Retrocosm 5 Comments
I'm still enjoying playing with my Psion MC 400. I wanted to find a reliable way of getting data into and out of the machine. I believe there was a portable FDD available which I would absolutely love to get hold of but I think the chances of finding one of those are very slim. As far as I'm aware there is no way of reading and writing to the SSDs in anything other than a Psion unit.
Psion Series 3/3A Serial Cable
My attention therefore turned to the RS232 interface. I was somewhat concerned when I first noticed that the Psion employed a 9 Pin mini DIN connection for the Rs232 port, this connector in the same configuration is found on the Epson PX16 and I've never managed to build a working cable for it.
However I discovered on this site that the serial cable that Psion sold for the Series 3/3A is compatible. The cable comes in two parts, a pod with hardwired cable with a special connector for the Series 3 and a second cable with a DB9 serial connector at one end and the required mini DIN at the other end which plugs into the pod. This second part of the cable is exactly what you need for serial transfers to and from the MC 400.
9 Pin Mini DIN
Psion link software is built into the MC 400 but I needed to download PsiWin for the PC end. I found various versions here and downloaded both version 1.1 and 2.3.3. I installed the former on my Windows 98 Wyse terminal and the latter on Windows XP running under Parallels on my Mac Pro.
After ensuring the Com port settings on the Win 98 box were correct and connecting up the cable I launched the Link application on the Psion and then PsiWin on the PC. The link was immediately established and I was soon able to drag and drop files between the machines. I was very impressed with the PsiWin software.
MC 400 RS 232 Port
Then using a USB to Serial converter cable I hooked the Psion up to my Mac Pro and launched PsiWin 2.3.3 under XP. Much to my surprise this also worked well. The only issue I have is that the PsiWin software is designed to convert the Psion format files to Windows friendly ones during the transfer process, however neither version of PsiWin seems to understand the files produced by the MC 400 and conversion therefore fails.
PsiWin 2.3.3
One other thing I wanted to try was to connect to my BBS using the built in Terminal application. Using a null modem adapter I was able to connect the Psion serial cable to my US Robotics modem. Modem options including Baud rate, frequency, pulse/tone dialling etc can be set within the terminal application. After a few aborted attempts I found the correct settings and successfully connected to my BBS. I made a short video of the process and another quick video of general MC 400 operations:-
March 29, 2012 April 7, 2012 Retrocosm 39 Comments
Probably in my top five of most wanted retro machines I've finally acquired a Psion MC 400 mobile computer. Originally released back in 1989 this ill-fated machine, described by Time Magazine in their All Time 100 Gadgets as one of five gadgets ahead of their time, was initially priced in the UK at £845.00 and according to some sources sold less than a thousand units.
Psion MC 400 Touchpad
It is therefore unsurprisingly quite rare. Way ahead of its time it featured the first touchpad, removable storage in the form of sold state disks (SSDs) and a claimed battery life from 8 AA alkaline batteries of 60 hours.
Lack of compatibility, proprietory interfaces and a high price no doubt all contributed to its lack of success but you have to admire the manner in which its designers and engineers pushed the boundaries to create a gorgeous product that is reminiscent of what Apple do so well.
Parallel & Serial Port Module
The Psion is powered by an Intel 80C86 processor and has 256 Kb of memory. For external connectivity there's a standard parallel port, a 9 pin mini DIN RS232 port and Psion's fast serial link, a precursor if you like to USB. The parallel and RS232 ports are contained within a removable module that slides into one of the two identical sockets found on the rear of the machine. Other modules including a modem were available, my MC 400 has a dummy module in the second socket.
Socket & SSD
There are four sockets for SSDs, two on either side of the machine and these are compatible with the SSDs used in the Series 3. The touchpad mimics the screen, so the position of your finger on the pad will correspond with the cursor position on the screen and the whole pad is clickable. In practise it doesn't work particularly well, needing a lot more pressure to move the cursor than we've grown accustomed to with modern machines and accuracy is poor. Fortunately, navigating the GUI with the keyboard is pretty efficient once you've learnt the required key combinations.
The screen is a non-backlit retardation film LCD with a 640 x 400 resolution. It's crisp but needs careful positioning of lighting for optimal viewing. The contrast can be adjusted by way of a dedicated function key found to the right side of the touchpad.
The MC400 runs the Psion developed EPOC graphical operating system, a preemptive multitasking OS which would in later years evolve into the Symbian OS adopted by Nokia for its early smartphones.
Battery Module
A suite of software applications are supplied on SSD, a text editor, diary, personal database, calculator, file manager, terminal emulator and word processor. Not a great deal of other software was available as far as I can tell although my MC 400 did come with an additional spreadsheet on SSD.
There were two NiCad battery packs available or you can use 8 standard AA type alkaline batteries which reportedly give an extraordinary 60 hours plus of usage. I'm currently using rechargeable Duracell AA's and will be interested to see how long they last.
The included Link software can be used in conjunction with Psion's PsiWin software (available here) and a suitable cable to transfer data backwards and forwards between the Psion and a PC via the RS232 interface. I was concerned it would be difficult to locate or build a suitable cable for the non-standard 9 pin mini DIN but discovered here that you can use a Series S3/S3A's lead.
I plan therefore to acquire one of these cables and see if I can get PsiWin working and also if I can hook up a modem. I'm also going to look at doing some programming with OPL, Psion's structured programming language.
Some useful resources:-
Excellent MC 400 info and screenshots
More general information
Old-Computers.com
Another good MC 400 resource
Useful hints and tips.


CALGARY, Alberta, May 3 (Reuters) - Alberta is racing to evacuate thousands of people as an uncontrolled wildfire burns near Fort McMurray, in the heart of Canada's oil sands region, forcing residents to flee north to safety on Tuesday.
Alberta appealed for help from other provinces and Ottawa to help fight the fire and airlift people from the city. Local authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order for all of Fort McMurray, which affects the city's 80,000 residents.
The 2,650-hectare (6,540-acre) fire, which was discovered on May 1, has closed off the main southern exit from the city, prompting residents to head north towards the oil sands camps.
"This is the biggest evacuation we have seen in the history of the province in terms of fire," Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said at a news conference.
"We need to find more camps, we have secured spaces for about 6,000 people, we know we need to find more and that work is underway," Notley said.
Suncor Energy said evacuees were welcome at its Firebag oil sands facility, while Canadian Natural Resources Ltd said it was working to ensure any affected CNRL workers and their families could use its camps.
Notley said there were no injuries or casualties in the fire, adding that oil sands operations were also unaffected.
A number of flights from Fort McMurray airport were canceled and the airport advised passengers to check with their airlines for updates.
The blaze, which started southwest of Fort McMurray, spread rapidly on Tuesday to the outskirts of the city, forcing the evacuation of the downtown area and almost every community in the lower town on the banks of the Clearwater and Athabasca rivers.
"There's lots of smoke, its quite bad and hanging over the city. Where there are trees in the distance you can see the fire," Fort McMurray resident Nick Sanders told Reuters as he was packing up to leave downtown.
Earlier, TV footage and photographs on Twitter showed flames and smoke billowing over the city and traffic heading north on the highway to safety, while CTV News reported a trailer park had been destroyed.
"My thoughts are with people affected by the fire in Fort McMurray tonight. Stay safe and remember to follow evacuation orders," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted.
By late afternoon, the fire had blocked off one major route out of town, closing Highway 63 south of downtown.
Some residents were evacuated to Noralta Lodge, an oil sands camp 21 kilometers (13 miles) north of Fort McMurray.
"Tomorrow is expected to be a more intense burning day than today is," said Bruce Mayer, assistant deputy minister of Alberta's Forestry Division.
Mayer said that nine air tankers, more than a dozen helicopters and more than 100 firefighters were battling the fire.
Earlier on Tuesday authorities said the wildfire jumped the Athabasca river and breached Highway 63, the main artery south from the isolated city, which is located around 430 km (267 miles) northeast of Alberta's capital, Edmonton.
Authorities are now expecting a cold front to reach Fort McMurray by Wednesday afternoon, bringing increased winds that will make tomorrow a more difficult fire-fighting day than today.
After a mild winter with lower-than-average snowfall and a warm spring, Alberta is much drier than normal for this time of year, raising the prospect of a long and expensive wildfire season.
Most oil sands facilities are to the north and east of the city, with the closest being Suncor Energy's base plant roughly 30 km (17 miles) away. A Suncor spokesman said there were no current impacts on operations.
Will Gibson, a spokesman for the Syncrude project, which has its facility around 40 km (25 miles) north of the city, said operations were unaffected.
A spokesman for pipeline company Enbridge Inc, which has crude and condensate pipelines in the region, said the company was monitoring the situation but there were no impacts so far.
This is the second major fire around the city in less than a year. Last May, wildfires in the area led to the evacuation of hundreds of workers from Canada's energy heartland, leading to a 9 percent cut in Alberta's oil sands output at the time.


Today's post is a continuation of our collaboration with Goodwill. All the pieces for this look were purchased at their awesome new Bay Street store in San Francisco, which we were all too happy to explore!
The theme for this post is a food truck date. San Francisco already had a strong foodie scene even before the food truck craze caught on, so naturally they have quickly become part of the Bay's gourmet culture. That also means they're the a great go-to destination for a casual date. Food truck events have plenty of options for food and conversation, plus the opportunity to wear a trendy but comfortable outfit!
Honestly, this look has a somewhat higher total price tag than we usually aim for, but for the right outfit, even thrifty thrifters will shell out. Plus, finding new-with-tags, unworn cowboy boots in your size has to be a sign, right? Any doubts I may have had quickly disappeared as I sipped a cocktail and basked in the bustle of Off the Grid's Presidio Picnic.
Compare to about $120-$150 for this look purchased new!


Here's a little peek at the early artwork for Bamba Toys. The series here show character sketches for each of the toy sets at various stages of design. Some of them eventually make the final cut.
Kids love toys! Let them design their own – from customizing the parts to designing the packaging. Let their creative juices run wild! Choose from dozens of parts and accessories – from wacky pirates to gung-ho cowgirls.
Singapore – Mezmedia is proud to announce today that the four Bamba Apps have been downloaded over a million times and to celebrate the occasion, Mezmedia is giving away an iPad mini via its Facebook page. Bamba Ice Cream, Bamba Pizza, Bamba Post Office and Bamba Burger have been cumulatively downloaded over one million times.
"It is really a proud moment for us. We have worked tirelessly on creating the best possible experience for kids and to hit a million downloads is a clear indication that parents and kids are loving the entire series of Bamba Apps. We are constantly innovating and such incredible feedback from the community keeps us going. We are constantly working and have great things planned for the weeks ahead." said John Ng, co-founder of Mezmedia.
Singapore – Mezmedia has announced the global release of Bamba Burger for the iPad. The latest creation from the Singapore-based interactive studio features exciting graphics, engaging interactivity and yummy entertainment for pre-schoolers. Bamba Burger gives kids the opportunity to learn through play and fires up their imagination and creativity.
Kids flip the patty, create their custom-made burger, fill their soda cup, slice the potatoes and make French fries. What's more, they get a mystery present with their meal.
As with Mezmedia's highly popular apps like Bamba Ice Cream or Bamba Pizza, there are a variety of crazy ingredients to choose from, such as Octopus, Donut, Toilet Paper and Sunflower. This interactive toy will have kids and their parents rolling around with laughter. Octopus Burger with Spider Soda anyone?
Our latest app for kids 2+ has been launched! In Bamba Post Office, kids can pick a present, wrap the parcel and deliver it to a wacky character. Pick nice gifts and see the characters jump for joy; or pick a smelly old boot and watch them go' Yuck'! Kids can also send gifts to their friends by choosing from their iPad's photo album too!


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Google to Extend Brazil – Uruguay Cable to Argentina
Google to Extend Brazil-Uruguay Subsea Cable to Argentina
By Telecompaper
Google Argentina announced that the Tannat trans-Atlantic undersea cable connecting Brazil and Uruguay will be extended from Maldonado in Uruguay to the nearby coastal city of Las Toninas in the Buenos Aires province. The new landing point is located at the mouth Rio de la Plata on the Atlantic Ocean and the extension will be rolled out jointly with Uruguayan operator Antel and Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN). Google added that the branch will be completed in August 2020 with a view to improving the connectivity and experience of all Argentine consumers and companies that use its products.
The 2,000 km cable has been operational since 2018 and is designed to complement the Monet system, connecting Santos in Brazil to Boca Raton in the US.
Kieran Clark2019-07-03T02:25:24-04:00July 3rd, 2019|Categories: Current Systems|Tags: Argentina, Brazil, Google, Tannat, Uruguay|
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'A Wrinkle in Time' Quotes
Great Lines from Movies and Television
Quotations For Holidays
Plays & Drama
Humanities › Literature
Madeleine L'Engle's Famous Novel
Square Fish/Macmillan
by Esther Lombardi
Esther Lombardi is a veteran journalist who has written about literature, education, and technology.
A Wrinkle in Time is a favorite fantasy classic, by Madeleine L'Engle. The novel was first published in 1962 after L'Engle's manuscript was rejected by more than two dozen publishers. She theorized that the book was too different for publishers to grasp, especially since it was a science fiction story with a female protagonist, almost unheard of at the time. It also includes a good deal of quantum physics, and it wasn't entirely clear at the time whether the book was written for children or adults.
The story focuses on Meg Murry and her brother Charles Wallace, their friend Calvin, and the whereabouts of the Murrys' father, a brilliant scientist. The three are transported through space by three supernatural creatures, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Which, via a tesseract, explained to Meg as a "wrinkle" in time. They're drawn into a battle against the evil creatures IT and the Black Thing.
The book is the first in a series about the Murry and O'Keefe families. Other books in the series include A Wind in the Door, Many Waters, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet.
Here are some key quotes from A Wrinkle in Time, with some context included.
"But you see, Meg, just because we don't understand doesn't mean that the explanation doesn't exist."
Meg's mother responding mysteriously to Meg's question about whether there is an explanation for everything.
"A straight line is not the shortest distance between two points..."
Mrs. Whatsit explaining the basic concept of the tesseract. This resonates for Meg, who is brilliant at solving math problems, but clashes with teachers when she doesn't arrive at the answers in the way they want her to. She believes early in the novel that finding a result is the important thing, not how you get there.
"Suddenly there was a great burst of light through the Darkness. The light spread out and where it touched the Darkness the Darkness disappeared. The light spread until the patch of Dark Thing had vanished, and there was only a gentle shining, and through the shining came the stars, clear and pure."
This describes the battle between goodness/light and darkness/evil, in an instance where light triumphs.
"As the skipping rope hit the pavement, so did the ball. As the rope curved over the head of the jumping child, the child with the ball caught the ball. Down came the ropes. Down came the balls. Over and over again. Up. Down. All in rhythm. All identical. Like the houses. Like the paths. Like the flowers."
This is a description of the evil planet of Camazotz, and how all of its citizens are controlled by the Black Thing to think and behave the same way. It's a glimpse of what life on Earth may come to be unless the Black Thing can be defeated.
"You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. What you say is completely up to you."
Mrs. Whatsit tries to explain the concept of free will to Meg, by comparing human life to a sonnet: The form is pre-determined, but your life is what you make of it.
"Love. That was what she had that IT did not have."
This is Meg's realization that she has the power to save Charles Wallace from IT and the Black Thing, because of her love for her brother.
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