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The Japanese Video Game Industry as Viewed from Japan, via 1UP.com
Posted on April 19, 2013	by defenderland
Since 1UP.com is shutting down, it does seem a bit cruel to critique one of their last articles here. So I'll largely stick to just quoting from it.
Although I have no idea where it started, apparently the entire English language gaming press has for some time been promoting the idea that Japanese video games are boring, repetitive, and no longer relevant and that the West has defeated Japan in this arena at least. Unsurprisingly Western gamers and developers seem to have taken to this idea easily, and it now seems to be an accepted fact among English speakers on in the internet.
1UP, to their credit, decided to try a novel thing (probably why they're closing down) and actually interview some Japanese developers about this. Well, actually, they basically wanted to ask them if there was any hope left for Japan's video game industry, taking for granted that Japanese people think Japanese developers are down in the dumps, but the interviewees answers revealed that this is often the first they ever heard about it. So, let's look at some excerpts. I've included the thoughts on the topic of every Japanese person 1UP interviewed for this piece.
First, Tsutomu Kouno of LocoRoco fame.
1UP: Do you think Western development has surpassed Japanese game development?
TK: I don't necessarily feel like we've been surpassed by Western development, but do I think America has a "Hollywood tradition," so to speak. So you see a lot of games that have large-scale production, a large-scale experience, and we're seeing multiple products being developed at the same time that offer these kinds of blockbuster visuals. I think that even more recently, with the current generation of hardware, we're seeing an even bigger gap there between those types of experiences and what we do in Japan. One other thing is that in the West, you see a lot of people who do storyboards and concept art for films joining the gaming industry. I think it's really impressive how they're able to leverage those resources with games as well.
…[1UP asks their next question at this point]
I just want to add a little bit on to the previous question, which is getting back to where Western developers have a slight advantage. The majority of new graphics technology and programming techniques all come out of the English-speaking community. So you go to conferences like CIGRE [International Council for Large Electric Systems], and all the presentations are in English — same with GDC [Game Deveoper?s Conference]. So, if you're an English speaker in the West and you want to go to those conferences, you can immediately take that knowledge and feed it back directly into your game. So I do think that's a scenario where Western developers have a slight advantage. That being said, here in Japan, we try to do the same thing, of course. We try to take all that knowledge the best that we can in whatever way possible and reflect it back into the games.
Next, Hiroyuki Kotani of Patapon fame.
1UP: What do you think of the current state of Japanese videogame development?
Hiroyuki Kotani: Keep in mind that I'm just a single game designer, so I'm going to speak from that viewpoint — but I think that, talking more about the market rather than the development situation right now, I think it's the market that has the biggest issue. Since the PlayStation was the main driving force back in the late '90s, we've been seeing a shift in the market in terms of what people are looking for, and Japan has done a great job of having a bunch of creative people who are constantly coming up with new ideas and pushing the envelope in terms of both technology and game concepts themselves. I think we've reached a point right now where we're a little bit unclear about what the market's looking for because of all these changes, so I think the biggest challenge for us right now is to look and see what the consumer wants and try to fulfill that need.
1UP: How do you think Western development, if at all, has surpassed Japanese game development?
HK: I'm really impressed always by Western developers' ability to create large-scale experiences. The kind of games that I tend to prefer are ones where I have complete control and complete knowledge of everything that's going on, and I can kind of micromanage everything. But then I look at a lot of these Western games, and it's like you have an entire city as a location for your game — and I think that that really goes back to where people were raised, and the fact that living in that environment has kind of created a desire to play games in that sort of setting.
1UP: What don't you like about Western development?
HK: I think it's similar to cuisine in some respects. It's all about what you want to eat, right? I understand that Western tastes may not have a lot of delicate flavors, but that's what people want to eat there. At the same time, I understand that a lot of Japanese games have very detailed, complicated stories that may not necessarily appeal to everybody. So it's not that one's good and one's bad — it's what kind of flavor do you prefer; what do you like to eat? At the same time, it's important to note that you can learn a lot from looking at other people's games — and this goes beyond saying, "OK, this is a Japanese game," or "This is a Western game." There are certainly a lot of games I look at and say, "Wow, that's cool!"
You've got to take those elements and try to work them in as well. But, then again, I've got parts of what I've made that I'm really proud of, and I hope that people would look at it and take into account when creating new experiences as well, so I think it's just important that we try to experience as much of each other's creations as possible. It's sad, because I used to be the kind of guy that would play every game that came out. I'd be the guy who said, "Yeah, I played that. I played that." But nowadays, there are so many games out there and so little time to play them that I'm really behind — even if I were to play games for the rest of my life, I probably couldn't finish them all! But I think it's a testament to the growth of our industry that something that's only 20 years old has been able to get big enough that it reaches this many people.
Next, Keiji Inafune, co-creator of Mega Man.
KI: Western development's definitely surpassed Japan. I believe that a single major difference between Japanese and Western development has played a huge role in this: In Japan, many game developers coexist within publishers as a single company, while many U.S. software groups are independent — they have the aspiration of making the "American dream" a reality.
On the other hand, Japan mostly has developers controlled by publishers. The developers' aspirations and innovations first have to be evaluated by the publishers. Unless the publishers accept the developers' ideas, they'll never have access to the players. In the U.S., there are free competitions between developers. These competitions result in better products, and publishers will buy them, invest in their promotion and marketing, and help drive sales. The development process involves endless possibilities and dreams of making a hit title.
That's not the case in Japan; the system doesn't create an environment to inspire such dreams among developers. Naturally, they don't try to explore or challenge themselves with new technologies or possibilities. They also indulge themselves in safe environments where the publishers protect them, and this also further whittles their aspirations away. The Japanese game industry developed around arcade games, and that still remains a norm — not allowing the developers to be independent. It's a residue of the legacy of Japanese videogame development itself.
1UP: What, in your opinion, is the most difficult part in designing a game for the Western markets? How much of a difference is there between the markets, and what kind of observations have you made about non-Japanese gamers tastes?
KI: I believe that what people find interesting is fundamentally the same. At the same time, there are certainly differences in taste. Aesthetic beauty is a good example. What Westerners find beautiful and what the Japanese find beautiful often do not correspond. What's important here is to try to see it from their point of view. When applied to gamemaking, we have to make an effort to accept other viewpoints and try to see why they find it interesting. It may not be clear-cut, but we have to keep at it. For instance, the Japanese game industry neglects first-person shooters. A majority of Japanese gamers don't even try to play them. I think if you play with a little more patience, you will soon find them fun. Without an effort to be open-minded, it's impossible to create a game that can appeal to Western gamers. "Why is sushi in the U.S. oddly shaped?" "Why do Americans use a mountain of wasabi?" These are questions for which the Japanese can never find answers. Yet, instead of easily dismissing differences as "non-Japanese," we should try to accept them and see things from their perspective. That attitude is the only key to fully grasping the Western ways of thinking. Otherwise, Japan can never create a hit for the West.
Jun Takeuchi of Capcom, with most of his experience in the Biohazard/Resident Evil franchise.
1UP: What do you think of the Japanese game market these days? People seem to ignore innovation and progressive games, and stick to the usual stuff. Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Pokemon, Sangoku Musou, and Monster Hunter are among the handful of reliable franchises in terms of sales.
JT: This question presents a very interesting view. From our point of view, the US market also focuses on a certain genre and titles, such as C.O.D., Halo, and G.T.A. It seems quite natural for titles popular in a particular region to sell. The Japanese game market is much smaller than the West, which makes million-seller games very unusual within our country. That said, titles popular in the US and Europe do have a possibility to also become popular in Japan.
Katsuaki Kato, Matsui Munetatsu, and Kouji Aizawa; editors for Famitsu (the biggest video game news source in Japan) who were all interviewed together.
1UP: How do you think that the Japanese videogame-development scene has transformed over the years and evolved? As arcades dwindled, so did Japanese dominance. It was kind of this middle ground in the 32-bit era, but once the Xbox hit, Western development really went on the rise because PC developers were crossing over to consoles.
Kouji Aizawa: First of all, I would like to say that the market here in Japan is still continuing to grow at a slow pace. The problem is that it's nowhere near the pace of growth that we see in the market overseas and in the world as a whole. In the past, you might have seen Japan as a third of the world market in terms of sales. And now, even though the market within Japan has grown slightly, it's only a sixth or a seventh of the total world market. So that is certainly something that the developers have to take into account.
1UP: How do you think that Western development, if at all, has surpassed Japanese game development?
KK: One advantage that we see with Western games is the very realistic graphics. From a technological standpoint, games like Gears of War and other first-person shooters really try to shoot for extreme realism in graphics. And it's not just the realism, but it's also the massive amount of art assets — it's really quite an accomplishment. We don't really have that much of a tradition of liking guns, using guns, knowing about war, and things like that here in Japan, so I think it's difficult for us to create the same kind of experience. We do have games like Metal Gear, which is almost like one man's artistic vision taken to an extreme — almost like a movie director taking his vision to the extreme — and we certainly do have things like that, but not quite to the extent that they do in the West. And I think that's certainly one big advantage that Western games have. Also, in the online arena, I think I see a parallel with the fighting games in Japan. We saw new graphics and new techniques and new technologies in the 1-on-1 fighting-game arena here in Japan for a long time, and I see kind of a parallel with first-person shooters and online features.
1UP: What do you think of the Japanese consumer these days? People seem to ignore innovation and more progressive games and stick to the typical stuff — Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Dynasty Warriors. All those seem to do well. But then a game like Okami comes out, which gets incredible reviews but sells very little. It must be discouraging for Japanese developers who want to break out and want to innovate and want to push the envelope when they can't even rely on their home market to support that kind of experimentation.
KK: At first, I think it's important to ask: What is innovation? That definition can change from person to person. I do think that a lot of what you say is correct. We also found Okami to be an amazing title. We gave it some of the highest praises of any title that year. We also have the Famitsu Awards, which are decided by votes from the readers, and Okami got a lot of votes and won awards there. But it didn't translate into huge sales. Back to the point, though — is there truly no innovation? I mean, obviously, it depends on the individual, but I think something like Wii Fit is very innovative in a completely new way. And the question is: Is this innovation that core game fans are going to be happy with? And I think that we're seeing that the Japanese games market is evolving and is innovating, but in a different direction. It's not in the hardcore gaming market — it's in a different direction that has to do with what Nintendo's doing and what the market, in general, is looking for. But I do think that Japanese gamers, now more than ever, are looking for new and innovative experiences. You look at a title like Yakuza — which, two and a half or three years ago, when the first one came out on the PS2, was the biggest-selling title of that year in Japan. That was a brand-new franchise, right? So I just think that goes to show that people are open to new experiences if they enjoy them and if they're done well. So now I think what we have to focus on is that there haven't been a whole lot of experiences like that on the next-generation platforms like PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. So I would hope as we look at the market that we're going to see [that] these titles are both innovative and great sellers on these platforms.
1UP: Western gamers seem to enjoy a certain level of customization much more than Japanese gamers. One exception would be something like Final Fantasy XI, which has a very large Japanese fan base. Western gamers like to tweak their characters and dress them up and customize them to reflect their accomplishment within a game, while Japanese gamers seem to be content playing the role of one specific, unchanging character. Do you think Japanese gamers will start to see the appeal in customizing yourself? That's obviously one of the big things about the success of Monster Hunter. I don't think it's necessarily the control — I think it's that you have all of these things to outfit yourself with. Where do you see that going?
MM: While you make some good points, it's not as though there haven't been any games in Japan where you can customize your character; I think those have existed for a long time. In the case of Final Fantasy, like you mention, I think it's very much the case that Japanese gamers want to experience the game and story through the eyes of that character — that they're emotionally invested in that character, and they don't want to see them change. They don't want to change them because that character is an individual that they then project themselves onto. Look at racing games: I think that Japanese racing games are some of the first where you could actually go in and change your car and things like that. And even older RPGs allowed you to pick a party and things like that, allowing you to adjust your characters. So I certainly think that both of those two paradigms will continue to exist.
Aizawa: I think that the main reason why the characters' visuals were not customizable in Final Fantasy X was because one of the big selling points of that type of game is the prerendered CG cut-scenes. In Metal Gear Solid 4, when everything's rendered in real time, you can change stuff and it'll show up in cut-scenes. But when you're dealing with prerendered cut-scenes, you can't change your characters' appearances, and I certainly think that has a lot to do with it as well.
And finally, Ryozo Tsujimoto of Monster Hunter fame.
1UP: What do you think of the Japanese game market these days? People seem to ignore innovation and progressive games and stick to the usual stuff. Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Pokémon, Dynasty Warriors, and Monster Hunter are among the handful of reliable franchises in terms of sales.
RT: Strong sales performance of game franchises is not a new trend. We often design a new intellectual property with the hope that it'll become a big franchise that will long be cherished by our fans. In other words, the success that comes from establishing a franchise series is the result of taking a risk in the first place.
However, I have to admit that lately, many new intellectual properties haven't made huge breakthroughs. Though the trend has been described as users moving away from videogames, I think it may be an indication of players becoming wiser consumers. They're more selective about buying a game because they have so many other entertainment goods that are being offered. Thus, it's even more important to create excitement in a game, even with a new franchise title. That effort can grab the user's attention and draw it back to videogames and eventually lead them to explore a new intellectual property.
I have very little to add. Despite 1UP's incredibly loaded questions, only Keiji Inafune would agree with them at all, and even he rather qualified it. To conclude, I'll add here the similarly loaded questions and similar denials given by the recently departed Kenji Eno, of D and D2 fame (this from a different 1UP article).
1UP: How do you feel about the current state of Japanese game development, because the last time you were actively involved in the game industry, arcades were still…well, they were relevant, but they were getting less important. But Sega was still doing arcade hardware, and that was where the cutting-edge graphics were. But now everything's changed; Western development's caught up with and passed Japanese development in many ways, so what are your opinions of the current state of Japanese game development?
KE: In Japan, we don't really have a big PC market, so Japan wasn't used to creating games that are up to date with the current technology. But in America, the high-end games are created on the PC, so American developers are used to creating the current type of games, like using full 3D, using A.I., and all that. So the jump up from the PlayStation to Xbox and the next-generation platforms was kind of difficult on Japanese developers because we weren't used to these kinds of systems, and we weren't used to creating these kinds of games. But Western developers buy their engines or their rendering tools from labs, from companies that specifically create those technologies. You guys like to buy those technologies and use them in developing games. But Japanese dev teams don't do that that much, so that's another thing that's probably making the difference in the current game scene, like making the difference between the various territories.
So Japanese developers are probably at a point where they're wondering what they should do. Like, they're in a spot where they don't know what to do. But then, the Wii and the DS are a huge success in Japan; so many developers are all currently working on DS and mobile games, where you don't have to have the most cutting-edge visuals for the games. So a lot of developers are creating games for the DS. And right now, that's probably OK, but we're not trying really hard to keep up with the high-end platforms because we have something to survive on. That might not be a good thing, but then there are developers like Kojima Productions that are very good at creating high-quality games. That's interesting, and it's a good point in Japanese game development. However, I think that Japan is a country of ideas, and Japan is not a country where first-person shooters will sell well. Japanese people look more for ideas instead of just action. So, you know, I'm seeing the character of every area, every country, getting stronger. Like, Japan is a country of ideas; America is a country of 3D and high-end technology. I view it as an interesting step.
What I think is that Japanese developers should think up the ideas, and then have U.S. development houses actually do the development. Then keep the online servers in Korea, and have the Italian companies cook! Because different people taking parts in the work, doing what they're good at, is probably something we should be doing in the future.
1UP: Do you think, as a game creator, that it's frustrating creating games in a country where innovation doesn't seem to be rewarded as much? I mean, of course, there are always exceptions, like Brain Age. But most gamers in Japan seem to save their money for the big sequels, like sequels to Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest or Monster Hunter. A game like Okami is beautiful, gets amazing reviews, sells like 4,000 copies. People aren't spending a lot of money on a lot of new intellectual properties. Do you find that frustrating?
KE: I don't feel frustration, because I truly think that the reason a game doesn't sell is because it doesn't have the ability to sell. And I also think that development people are very poor in marketing — like, you know, we don't have good marketing skills, so that's another reason that good games don't sell. It's like a guy saying, "I'm a very good person," but he doesn't have the ability to talk to girls, or communicate with people, or he doesn't have a clear vision of what he wants to do. Like, does he want to marry this girl, or what? So, because of that, he's not getting the right girl, and he's not getting what he wants. So that's exactly how it is.
OK, let's say you have some ability that can catch somebody's eye. But if you don't know how to present it, then, you know, it's not going to reach anybody. I think that's what people should be working on a little more. And the creators — like, Japanese creators — most of them aren't involved in management and don't know about management at all. And a lot of creators think that they just have to sit there and create games, and then they complain afterward that their game didn't sell because marketing didn't take good care of it. But that's not really the point, because the creators have to have the ability to market their product or at least deliver their product to the marketing, and control things in a way that the marketing will succeed. But looking at the current game scene, it seems like that's not happening at all, so that's probably one of the reasons that good games don't sell. It's so childish.
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April 2016 saw the global launch of our all-time favourite, super cute and a power packed show – The Powerpuff Girls on Cartoon Network after 11 long years. Blossoms, Buttercup and Bubbles enthralled the fans over the weekend with their charm to save the world before bedtime.
Juggling between their school and homework, The Powerpuff Girls flagged off the rally organized by Mumbai Fire Brigade with Mr. Prabhat Rahangdale – Chief Fire Officer, Mrs. Snehal Ambekar – Mayor of Mumbai and actor Randeep Hooda – Ambassador of Mumbai Fire Brigade at the Byculla Fire Station today. The rally was held from Byculla headquarters to Bandra Sea Link fire station.
Just like the fire fighters, The Powerpuff Girls who believe in saving the world before bed time were seen posing for the shutter bugs with/on the vintage fire engines.
Tune into Cartoon Network every weekend to watch The Powerpuff Girls at 9 a.m. IST.


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Sales tax election set for April 23
In less than a month, Hattiesburg voters will decide whether to institute an additional 1 percent sales tax on hotels, motels and restaurants to benefit parks and recreation projects around the city, as well as the improvement of Reed Green Coliseum.
During a special-called meeting Monday, Hattiesburg City Council members voted 5-0 to set April 23 as the date for a special election, during which 60 percent of voters must vote for the tax increase in order for it to pass. If passed, the additional tax – which is expected to bring approximately $4.2 million in new revenue – will begin to be collected on June 1 be in effect until June 30, 2022.
"For just over one year, we have been talking on this proposal and listening," Mayor Toby Barker said. "We have held over 40 town hall meetings in every part of our city, where we asked residents what ideas they had to improve quality of life.
"Neighborhood meetings, surveys, emails, social media – a year went into listening to our citizens to bring this proposal forward, because we wanted to get it right."
Half of the funds – an expected $1.2 million – would go to the city's Parks and Recreation Department for 17 projects around the city, including a Miracle League inclusion for children with special needs, drainage improvements to soccer fields at Tatum Park, an amphitheater at Chain Park and a splash pad at Sullivan Park. A full list of projects can be found at www.onefuturehattiesburg.com.
Barker said that share of the money would go to parks and recreation, rather than a venture like infrastructure improvement, because the Mississippi Legislature no longer approves of local option sales taxes going to special purposes other than tourism and parks and recreation.
"However, what this will allow us to do, is shift the approximately $500,000 that we currently spend of parks and recreation capital investment from our general revenue fund to this new revenue source, in addition to funding a lot of new projects," he said. "This will free up dollars in our general fund, both with deficit reduction as we make progress toward structure balance, and provide more recurring funding for infrastructure projects."
Any city share of revenue collected above $1.2 million each year would be invested into sidewalks, bike trails and multi-use paths. That endeavor would specifically focus on South 40th Avenue, Westover Drive, East 7th Street, Quinn Street, Edwards Street, North 31st Avenue and South 17th Avenue.
The other half of the revenue collected from the tax would go to the coliseum on the University of Southern Mississippi campus.
"Improving Reed Green is imperative – not only to bring it up to modern standards four sound and accommodation, but also because we're consistently passed up for entertainment opportunities because we do not have a legitimate venue that can hold more than about 1,000 people," Barker said. "We envision Reed Green being more than just a facility used for basketball and graduations 50 or 60 nights per year.
"We envision its use being expanded into more of a municipal arena, and I know their administration shares that same vision, because when more people visit our area for (entertainment), everyone benefits economically."
The city currently levies a 2 percent tax on hotels, motels and restaurants, which goes to the Hattiesburg Convention Commission to operate venues such as the Hattiesburg Zoo and Saenger Theater.
"Just so you know, you're getting a good return for that 2 percent tax," Barker said. "Our Hattiesburg Zoo had 100,000 more visitors than the Jackson Zoo had last year – we are the premier zoo in the state now, and that's where your 2 percent tax is going right now."
The proposed tax increase will have a "sunset," as the legislation that sets up the vote calls for it to be repealed on June 30, 2022. To extend the tax, both the city council and Mississippi Legislature would have to approve a four-year extension.
"My hope is that the effort is so successful, is so transparent, is so transformative, that our citizens will demand its extension for four more years," Barker said.
Voters will vote at their city precincts, rather than county precincts, and polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on election day. Residents who are unsure where to vote can call Hattiesburg City Hall at (601) 545-4522.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Column: Another Trump whirlwind week on immigration and the border
(NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
President confounds by issuing new citizenship rules, threatening to take private land, diverting disaster funds for border wall
By Michael SmolensColumnist
President Donald Trump has always been intensely focused on border and immigration matters, but this past week he went into overdrive.
The president moved to deny automatic citizenship to children born overseas to some U.S. parents who are in the military or government service.
He ordered the transfer of disaster relief funds to bolster border enforcement as Hurricane Dorian was barreling toward the southeastern United States.
He reportedly told aides to confiscate private property along the border needed to build the wall, promising to pardon any who were found to be breaking the law.
Trump's high-voltage approach on immigration and the border is nothing new. Still, these latest moves created some baffling optics.
The citizenship edict, surely to be challenged, almost seemed a distraction from his larger quest to stop illegal immigration and restrict legal immigration. The existing policy wasn't a troublesome matter and didn't seem to bother anybody.
That it specifically targets children of certain U.S. service members and government employees overseas is even more perplexing and sparked an immediate backlash. Administration officials say the number of people affected will be small, maybe even a handful each year. If that's the case, what's the point?
Children born to U.S. citizen parents in other countries were considered "residing in the United States" under the Immigration and Nationality Act's section 320 and given automatic citizenship, the same as if they were born in the United States. That apparently will remain the case in most instances.
There was a great deal of confusion over who the new policy would affect. San Diego immigration attorney Kathrin Mautino told the Union-Tribune's Kate Morrissey that it largely impacts immigrant members of the military who are serving overseas and who recently became naturalized citizens. They likely will face more hurdles if they want U.S. citizenship for their children born abroad.
Instead of their kids getting automatic citizenship, the parents would have to apply for it on behalf of their children, a process that will take time and money. Approval is not guaranteed.
Some critics questioned whether the administration had the authority to do this. The one thing that seems beyond dispute is that this will trigger another immigration fight.
It's a head-scratcher on a number of levels. Trump's relationship with military leaders has been spotty, to say the least (just ask former Defense Secretary James Mattis). This certainly won't improve the situation, but then Trump rarely seems to worry about ruffling feathers.
Diplomatic employees may or may not be sympathetic figures in the public eye, but U.S. service members — including immigrants — sure are. Just attend a sporting event where they are honored anywhere in the country, let alone the rousing admiration regularly displayed at Petco Park.
Meanwhile, the move to shift $271 million allocated for disaster aid efforts and other initiatives to immigrant detention centers and border enforcement is perhaps the least surprising of Trump's gyrations last week.
Still, the timing seemed odd as Hurricane Dorian was building strength and heading toward Florida. First, Dorian had threatened Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory whose leaders have been a regular target for Trump. The president thought they showed disrespect by complaining that the administration hadn't done enough to help the island recover from the deadly Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Trump seemed put out that Puerto Rico needs regular assistance following storm and hurricane damage.
"Wow! Yet another big storm heading to Puerto Rico. Will it ever end?" Trump said on Twitter. "Congress approved 92 Billion Dollars for Puerto Rico last year, an all time record of its kind for 'anywhere.'"
(A fact check by Axios says Congress approved $42.7 billion, while The Washington Post reported that $14 billion had reached Puerto Rico so far. Hurricane Maria caused an estimated $90 billion in damage on the island.)
As it turned out, the island received a glancing blow from Dorian.
Should Dorian hit Florida hard, rest assured plenty of assistance will be forthcoming. Potential damage to Trump's Mar-a-Lago compound in Palm Beach aside, the president will make sure a big recovery effort is launched in a state that has 29 electoral votes he likely needs next year to win re-election.
It wasn't the first time Trump has contemplated redirecting money for border security. In January, he talked about using disaster relief funds to help build his extended border wall. He has already ordered the transfer of billions of dollars in Pentagon funding for the project.
Trump has maneuvered mightily to get the wall built, but so far has been stymied by congressional Democrats. He seemingly took that effort to a new level by telling aides to take private property needed for the project, promising to pardon them for breaking the law.
After the report surfaced, Trump aides said the president was only joking. Critics said offering pardons in such circumstances could be a crime itself.
Trump promised during his 2016 campaign that the wall would be built, and he hasn't delivered. He seems ready to do whatever it takes to get the wall done, or at least well under way, by the 2020 election.
What all this means for his re-election chances is unclear. Pushing the wall and cracking down on illegal immigration is popular in some quarters. But stealing private property and taking citizenship rights away from children of some military personnel?
It's hard to fathom how even his base could get fired up by that.
Tweet of the Week
Goes to Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) of the Los Angeles Times, commenting on a Bloomberg article.
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Albuquerque, N.M. – Cal State Fullerton women's track and field wrapped up the Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational on Saturday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Mariah Stewart posted a 60-meter hurdles time won the qualifying round with a personal-best time of 8.96 and posted a time of 8.97 in the preliminaries. Stewart also ran the 60-meter sprint in 8.02.
CSF went 10-11-12 in the 60-meter dash qualifying round with Hailey Murdica clocking a time of 7.90, Kyra Anderson at 7.90 and Tatiana Bell at 7.92. Murdica was also the top Titan finisher on Friday night in the 200-meter sprint. Kiana Clay clocked a 400-meter time of 58.09 to take 12th place overall.
Jelani Minix earned a 13th-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 36-1.25 (11.00m.) Sinai Fatafehi's shot put toss of 37-3.25 (11.36m) was good for a top-20 finish.
Next up, the Titans head to Seattle for the UW Invitational on Jan. 25-26.


The 2017 International Mixed Age Trophy took place in France on Saturday. Fourteen teams from all over Europe took up the challenge. The gold medal went to the German team Munich Synergy, the silver was for Frost Fairies and the bronze for Olimpia Team.
The victory went to Munich Synergy who really improved since their 5th place last January in Salzburg. The German team received a total of 64.54 points in Besançon. This is their personal best.
The podium has been completed with two Italian teams. After their Frenchy program, Team Frost Fairies placed 2nd with 62.21 points and Olimpia Team did a score of 59.97 points.
The last season champion, Team Snowflakes from Switzerland, earned 58.07 points this year. Second at the last Mozart Cup, the Swiss took the 4th place. Team Jeanne D'Arc, representing France, finished 5th with a total of 55.64 points, 0.01 point ahead Etincelles (FRA) who did 55.63 points.
Team Starlight from the city of Zürich (SUI) received 54.44 points for their free. The French Salamandres took the 8th place with 52.04 points and their compatriots Atlantides also from France placed 9th (49.67 points).
Team Onyx and Team United Blades finished with very tight scores: respectively 48.96 and 48.15 points. The British Rocking Robins, Phoenix Gold and Team Temptation from Belgium completed the rankings.


GREENWOOD, Ind. (AP) - Former Indianapolis Colts' running back Zurlon Tipton Jr. was arrested early Christmas morning for allegedly firing a gun outside a suburban Indianapolis home, according to police.
The Indianapolis Star reports (https://indy.st/1kjFVTk ) that Tipton was charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon in connection with the incident, which occurred about 1 a.m. outside his girlfriend's home, according to a news release from the Greenwood Police Department.


ABC Flash cards for kids to learn the ABC alphabet with images and audio flash cards. Learn the ABC with fun interactive images and audio. Simple to use talking flash cards. Helps with phonics to listen to each letter. Dictated by a 3 year old.
The ABC app has the alphabet and is great for learning. Toddler love this fun and educational game. This is the first step into reading. Kids will have fun learning the ABC s. Has your child or kid learned the ABC yet. This is a simple Children's app in the form of flash cards.


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After years of searching for the cause of my problems, there was a suspicion that I suffer from a rare condition called occult tethered cord syndrome. Doctors in my country know very little about this condition, so we needed help to get the right diagnosis.
On the internet I found an email address of Dr. Veronesi and asked him does he treat international patients. A few days later, the answer was in my inbox: Of course I am treating, what is your problem, what needs to be fixed?
First he helped me to get a proper diagnosis, he sent me a document that describes a way to do a prone MRI, which helped me to do a prone MRI at the hospital in my country. He had no obligation to help, I live in another country. I knew immediately that he is an extraordinary man.
Then I went to first checkup in Italy, after some time surgery is scheduled in approximately one year after.
The surgery is fast and painless, and hospital stay is short. My recovery was amazing, my heath condition improved quickly after surgery: there was no back pain, pain in my legs was gone, urological condition started to get better and I was sleeping much better than before surgery. One year after surgery my condition is even better, only slight urological problems are still present.
It is important to note that I have 38 years, so I am a case of adult occult tethered cord syndrome, which was neglected for years because doctors in my country did not know how to help me. I did not know what to expect, is surgery going to be successful and effective.
Now my life is much better and easier, my problems are minor after surgery. This is the resposibility of Dr. Veronesi, he is truly remarkable, honest man in the not-so-good times. Also thanks to Dr. Sacco and all the staff of the hospital.
Italy should be proud of you!


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Academics, Features
Teacher by Day, Student by Night
By Sabrina McElyea
For English teacher Mr. James Lodl, when school ends, school begins.
He teaches English 11 and 12 at Delta High School. He is working on finishing his master's degree in English through Ball State University.
"I wanted to expand what I could teach and how I could teach it, so a master's degree in a subject that I already teach just made sense to me," he said.
His schooling began in summer of 2018 and he will graduate in May.
Mr. Lodl says, "I am really excited and happy to be done."
His wife, Mrs. Nicole Lodl, also teaches at Delta.
She says, "I think it's great that he is back in school and pursuing another degree. I think it's helping him be a better teacher."
Mr. Lodl went to Indiana State University in Terre Haute for his bachelor's degree and felt more connected to the campus at the time because his classes were on campus. When pursuing his bachelor's degree, he worked part time and treated school as his job.
It's different this time around.
"Now, teaching is my first priority, and I only take one class at a time."
The work that is required this time is much more difficult and requires more time.
After a long day of teaching English, Mr. James Lodl switches into student mode at home as he studies for his master's degree. (Photo provided)
Mr. Lodl says, "I'm reading about 100-150 pages of stuff a week and then responding to that. It's much more challenging than the first time."
For him, though, it hardly feels like work.
"I like reading and writing and decided that this would be an opportunity for me to get better at it, which would in turn help me be a better teacher."
Although, it's not a concern for him if he's not interested in the work.
"If I'm not interested then I have to power through it," he says."Not doing my work is not an option when each class costs $2,000. I think that enjoyment is a treat in education, like the dessert after dinner."
Lodl has found that the best part of his classes are the discussions that are held through Zoom.
Mr. Lodl has found that his biggest challenge is time management.
"I have a three-hour night class once per week and have to prepare by doing at least three or four hours a week of homework."
He has had to write a few 20-page papers that end up being roughly 60 percent of his grade. "There are no worksheets, quizzes, etc. My whole grade is riding on this one big paper at the end."
Even though he has gone through college once before, Mr. Lodl still finds himself becoming overwhelmed at times. "Especially around the end of classes, so November and April."
Around those times is when teachers realize that they are behind and begin to pile on the work. Mr. Lodl does his best to prepare for this load of work. "I try to set aside time to just do the readings so instead of stressing about it, I'm done with it."
This tactic was beneficial to him last semester. "I got my end project done early and got feedback from my professor early…it paid off because she had time to give me really detailed feedback on how to improve and get an A on my work."
Mr. James Lodl works at his desk in his room. He teaches six sections of English each day. (Photo by Sabrina McElyea)
Mr. Lodl has been able to use his experience from being back in school to relate to his current students.
"I can give them some pointers on how to manage their time more effectively to achieve the goal that they've been tasked with."
He understands that high school is different because while in college you get to choose your major so the required classes will be more enjoyable, in high school you don't get as much freedom when it comes to choosing classes. However, he believes that the same principles apply.
The ultimate deciding factor to going back to school was to become equal with his wife, Mrs. Lodl.
"I couldn't let Mrs. Lodl flex on me by having her master's degree but me not having one."
Obtaining a master's degree would make it easier for him to get a doctorate at some point in the future.
"I have no immediate plans to become Dr. Lodl. Although I do like the sound of that," he said.
When it comes to getting things done around the house Mr. and Mrs. Lodl have some interesting stories.
Mr. Lodl follows the advice that their priest gave them when they got married: "Marriage isn't 50-50, it's 100-100."
He says that they try to split things up, "I have stuff that I'm good at, like cleaning out the gutters and vacuuming the house. Mrs. Lodl cooks way better than I do, so she generally does that. I have burned pancakes so bad that the dog wouldn't even eat them."
Mrs. Lodl tends to be a picky eater and enjoys cooking so she typically cooks. She agrees with the statement that they try to split chores up but there's a catch. "Here is the thing about Mr. Lodl and chores. He has the attention span of a gnat when it comes to cleaning anything. He could be folding laundry, stop in the middle of it because he noticed a spot of dirt on the back porch, then end up hosing off the back porch and the laundry will not get folded. Grad school has not changed this, and I don't think it ever will."
Sabrina McElyea Sabrina McElyea is a senior at Delta and this is her first year taking newspaper. She has never taken a class like this before so she thinks it should be interesting. She is hoping to write stories on topics that are often overlooked. She wants to bring light to things and people that deserve it. She is the type of person that keeps to herself and isn't exactly comfortable with her work being public, so this is out of her comfort zone. Outside of school, she enjoys watching Netflix and spending time with friends and family. Her favorite shows are Friends and The Walking Dead. Her favorite type of food is Mexican. She has a dog named Dorothy, a cat named Luna, and a fish named Dexter.
From Younger Sister to Babysitter


One of the worst parts of being involved in baseball fandom and in a baseball writing community is slogging through trade season—both waves of it, in the doldrums of winter and in the dregs of midsummer. It's joyless and unfeeling, utterly uninterested in analysis or meaningful dissection. Lustful tweets and posts and comments litter our feeds. Suddenly your team's prospects become Willie Mays combined with Babe Ruth. Three-team deals, eight-for-one swaps, fire sale blockbusters, four-team deals, five-team deals. It's enough to make one swear off the stuff for life.
Yet, trade season comes. As surely as Willson Contreras making a rifle throw to first base on a dropped third strike, trade season comes. We at BP Wrigleyville analyze baseball, after all, and we're bound in our duty as peddlers of hot content to write about trades. It is in this spirit that I come to you, dear reader, with a plea: be measured in your takes; be generous in your analysis; and, with regards to the Chicago Cubs, keep in mind what I have to say to you now.
There are no doubts as to what the Cubs' front office seeks to bolster their World Series-champion club for another deep playoff run. They need starting pitching, both for this year and beyond, and they will inevitably part with some of the organization's ascendant young players to acquire it. Do not hug your prospects, for they will not hug you back. If they do, it might be in a Godfather-like embrace while donning the jersey of a rival.
Rarely do a club's short-, mid-, and long-term needs sync up, but the Cubs are in a serendipitous position in which one acquisition, or a series of acquisitions in the same vein, will fulfill those needs. With Brett Anderson hurt, Jake Arrieta struggling, and a questionable start to the season from John Lackey, there is pressure to find a solution to the team's starting pitching woes. After all, all three of those pitchers will be gone after 2017, regardless of performance. And so, fans have turned on the gas, even though the team isn't ready to ignite the pilot light.
Who might the Cubs target, and who might they trade? The former, I think, is all but unanswerable. They're going to go after a young-ish starter with top-end of the rotation talent, and with a few years left on his contract or a few years left before free agency. You can dream about Gerrit Cole or Chris Archer or Yu Darvish or whomever, I won't necessarily stop you (but I will tell you it's an exercise in abject futility). The kind of pitcher coveted by the Cubs is more important than the individual pitcher in this case. That's because I think that speculation on trade packages is essentially useless.
Speculation is useless because there are few things that analysts and fans can do to predict trade packages for starting pitchers. We see all kinds of weird, apparently lopsided trades for pitchers all the time: Swanson for Miller, Moncada et al for Sale, Drew Smyly and friends for David Price, Daniel Norris and friends for Davis Price, Céspedes for Lester, etc. All of these are radically different! Lone prospects or prospect packages or established major leaguers, trade deadline or offseason—they are all but incomparable.
That said, the Cubs should absolutely go after those kinds of pitchers. With Lester and Hendricks the only pitchers penciled in for 2018, the Cubs will need both a mid-to-top of the rotation starter and one or two back-end guys. With Lester advancing in age, the club will want to snag a top pitcher with longevity. If they do so at the trade deadline this season, or next offseason via trade or free agency, they will have solved 2018-2020's biggest roster problem, and set themselves up solidly for the years beyond. It's all but imperative, and that itself might drive up costs in terms of prospects or dollars. Teams know the Cubs need starters (but, so does everyone else, always).
The aforementioned trades' uneven distribution of talents, ages, contracts, team circumstances, and other factors renders the other half of the equation a mystery as well. Who will the Cubs trade for a starter? Who knows! It's generally much more useful to assess a trade target's usefulness to the club than to imagine what the other team might want going the other way. I don't know what the Rays or the Pirates or the Rangers think about Eloy Jimenez or Dylan Cease, and neither do you—unless you're Erik Neander. Welcome to our site, Erik.
What can be concluded, with a fair amount of confidence, is that the Cubs will trade either or both of Jimenez or Cease in a deal for pitching, should the Cubs find a match and complete one. Any trade in which the Cubs land a good starter will require a top prospect or two, and, considering his major-league success and ability to fill short- and long-term needs, they will be loath to deal Ian Happ.
The only analysis that makes sense at this point is a basic weighing of the benefits of keeping Jimenez and Cease against the benefits of acquiring a hypothetical starter. Cease is several years away from a major-league debut; he hasn't pitched a full season as a starter in the Cubs' system. He's at least as likely to become a major-league reliever as he is to become a major-league starter in any capacity. Don't hug him too tightly! A starter who rounds out the rotation for several years is what Cease is in his best-case scenario. Trading him right now for someone who can already fill that role is smart.
Jimenez is slightly closer to major-league ready, and he'll need less time to develop than Cease and other high-ceiling players in the organization. While his absolute value is high (he was Baseball Prospectus's number nine prospect this spring), his specific value to the club is contingent on the performance, health, and presence of the other Cubs' outfielders. Jimenez could be a key piece of the 2019 Cubs and beyond, but, again, his relative value is less than that of a starting pitcher who will help the team in 2018.
Exercise caution when speculating about Cubs trades over the next year or so.
Keep in mind that the relative value of a good, young starter to the Cubs is as high, or higher, than that of almost any other future piece of the major-league club.
Go forth, readers. Enjoy this brave, new world, free of trade speculation and angry folks on the internet. You deserve that peace of mind. And so does everyone you know.
Quit telling me what to do.


This course aims to provide knowledge and develop skills of design managers to lead the design team, manage stakeholders, consider time and cost constraints and deliver design documents, which ensure success of the project. The scope of the course shall cover the project life cycle, design phases, key considerations of design, project delivery approaches, concerns and expectation of stakeholders, standards and codes, legal liabilities as well as managing cost, time, cost and other risks.
This course is mainly for the design managers, architects, engineers, and representatives of employer, contractor and consultants.


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North Wales Football
A look at some of the clubs which enjoy a fervent following
Rhyl supporters during the 2006 Welsh Cup Final at Wrexham
They ardently support their favourite football teams every weekend come rain or shine (usually rain this season).
North Wales soccer fans are something else.
Over 29 years of reporting on matches in the region I have come across some pretty amazing groups of football followers.
Here, in no particular order, are some of the best and most entertaining armies of supporters I have witnessed.
RHYL
While attendances at the Corbett Sports Stadium have dipped in recent seasons the Rhyl diehards remain among the most vociferous around.
The encouragement they gave local lad Niall McGuinness in his first game as manager last weekend was both heartening and uplifting.
During the Welsh Premier peak years under John Hulse, the Lilywhites Army regularly brought the house down, both home and away.
The noise behind the goals at Belle Vue when Rhyl were on the attack could be deafening - and quite intimidating for opposition goalkeepers.
There were also a plethora of songs bawled out based around popular football melodies.
Perhaps the most memorable was the Glory Glory Sunny Rhyl operatic solo from "Elvis" followed by a passionate chorus in unison.
The Lilies fans were always fantastic on European away trips and who could forget the masses at Porthmadog when the 2003/04 WPL title was clinched.
Prestatyn Town fans in Croatia before the Seasiders 2013/14 Europa League tie against HNK Rijeka
Niall McGuinness and Laurie McGuinness are Rhyl FC's new management team
Prestatyn always attracted a lively and loyal group of followers as far back as I can remember, but things really took off after Dave Fuller became player-manager of the 2005/06 Welsh Alliance title-winning side.
After that came the leadership of Neil Gibson, whose popularity among the supporters helped ensure Bastion Gardens regularly produced a cacophony of sound.
Through the Cymru Alliance era and then seven highly rewarding seasons in the Welsh Premier, the partisan Prestatyn fans made a real name for themselves.
One day which always stands out was Town's 2006/07 NWCFA Challenge Cup win over local and then higher-placed rivals Rhyl.
The atmosphere at Bastion was electric and the sudden bursting into a rendition of Here We Go by an elderly Max Bygraves-type crooner will long live in the memory.
From that day on there was a feeling something special was developing at Prestatyn.
The Town fans' finest hour was probably the 2013 Welsh Cup Final at the Racecourse in Wrexham, where the Seasiders beat eight-time winners Bangor City 3-1.
City supporters were expected to outnumber the Prestatyn contingent considerably, yet the Town backers turned out in their hundreds and matched their opposite numbers in the sound stakes.
Gibbo's Red and White Army were also in brilliant form during the club's Europa League adventures of 2013/14.
Despite Town now being back in the Huws Gray Alliance, the fans remain fiercely faithful and still dish out many a good and humorous tune on match days.
Prestatyn Town are the penalty kings!
Bangor's match winner Chris Jones is mobbed by delighted fans after scoring a last gasp dramatic winner to beat TNS 1-0 in the 2012/13 Welsh Cup semi final at Rhyl
BANGOR CITY
Bangor's reputation for drawing amazing support goes back long before they became founder members of the Welsh Premier in 1992/93.
The famous Napoli matches in the 1962/63 European Cup Winners' Cup, where 12,000 packed out Farrar Road, are the stuff of legend, but slightly before my time.
Then came two occasions I fondly do recall: the 1984 FA Trophy Final at Wembley, where hoards of City fans made the journey to the English capital, and the ECWC ties of 1985/86 against Fredrikstad and Atletico Madrid, remembered almost as much for the huge attendances as the brilliant performances of the team.
In more recent times, Neville Powell's blue and white army lit up the three Welsh Cup Finals Bangor won in 2008, 2009 and 2010, while memories of Farrar Road's heyday were evoked when City beat The New Saints to lift the 2010/11 WPL title.
Then there was the last-ever match at the old stadium on December 27, 2011, which saw an official 2,593 (but probably a lot more) witness the hosts beat Prestatyn Town 5-3.
One game etched in my memory forever is the 2008/09 Welsh Cup clash at Farrar against strong favourites, league champions to be, and oldest rivals Rhyl.
A thrilling game ended 1-1 after extra time and so it went to a penalty shoot-out which City won.
During penalties, I remember the chanting of "City, City" by a few hundred fans behind the main entrance end goal sounding more like a few thousand - deafening.
Many traditionalists say City's new home Nantporth cannot - and perhaps never will - compete with Ffordd Farrar for atmosphere.
Nonetheless, despite their struggles of the past two seasons, Bangor continue to top the Welsh Premier's attendance charts.
The Citizens boast a thriving Supporters Association and an appreciation of history few clubs in Wales can match.
30 things you only know if you're an ardent Bangor City fan
Caernarfon Town fans celebrate a Word Cup victory over Bangor City with Nathan Craig
Anyone searching for an example of just how rousing Caernarfon Town fans can be only need look at footage of the 2012/13 FAW Trophy Final on You Tube.
The Canaries thrashed Kilvey Fords 6-0 at Latham Park, Newtown, thanks to a dominant performance graced by some of the best finishing imaginable.
However, the supporters also played a starring role. The decibel levels inside the ground resembled a Japanese fireworks display.
Then there was the 2014/15 Welsh Cup tie at The Oval against TNS.When Darren Thomas scored for the hosts to make it 2-0, the Cofi Army did not only make a racket which would rival a Led Zeppelin concert, they also brought a wall down inside the ground in their excitement.
While Caernarfon's NWCFA Challenge Cup Final win at Bangor City in 2014 may partly be remembered for the wrong reasons in regards to the conduct of some supporters, the travelling fans nonetheless created a stunning atmosphere inside the ground.
Like Bangor City and Rhyl, Caernarfon have a mightily impressive football history and the support they received in their 1986/87 FA Cup run will also never be forgotten.
Some clubs would like to see the Canaries back in the Welsh Premier just for the boost they would deliver their own home gate receipts.
Caernarfon Town chairman hopes to depart on a high
Porthmadog are cheered off the field after their relegation-saving win over Rhyl in 2007/08 (Image: Arwyn Roberts)
Whether their fortunes are good or not so clever Porthmadog have always maintained a great fan base.
The Traeth support was at its finest in the final game of the 2007/08 season when a large crowd saw Richard Hughes' goal clinch the 1-0 win over Rhyl which ensured Port stayed in the Welsh Premier League.
And the club is also renowned for being well represented by its fans at away matches.
I fondly remember a small but noisy band of followers walking around the perimeter of Belle Vue at half time of a game at Rhyl a few years back singing (to the theme of When The Saints Go Marching In): "Oh Porthmadog (oh Porthmadog), is wonderful (is wonderful), oh Porthmadog is wonderful, we've got a train and Cob Records, oh Porthmadog is wonderful".
In those heady days for the Lilywhites, travelling fans (apart from Bangor's) were never noticed at Belle Vue, but Port's certainly were on their many visits.
Porthmadog FC manager Craig Papirnyk believes club is shaping well for a Welsh Premier return
Holywell Town fans in joyous mood at the 2013/14 Welsh Cup semi final at Latham Park, Newtown
Holywell fans have had plenty to sing about in recent seasons - and sing they certainly have.
One of the best supporter performances in memory I've witnessed was at last season's FAW Trophy Final at Llandudno, where the Wellmen beat Penrhyndeudraeth 4-2 as part of a memorable treble.
The Town fans sang heartily from start to finish, offering some very inventive lyrics, and the players could not fail to be inspired.
The final saw the first appearance of Cecil, a green inflatable crocodile who became the first reptile to be sent off in a Welsh football match when referee Nick Pratt removed him from the field in the second half.
Cecil has now become a cult figure at Halkyn Road and indeed a mascot based on the rubbery rogue is established as a club figurehead.
With all the attention Cecil the Croc has gleaned, it is perhaps easy to forget how fervent the Holywell supporters are.
However, anyone who was at their famous Welsh Cup ties against Aberystwyth Town in recent times will surely remember the backing of the fans as much as the brilliance of the team's efforts.
Following many of the Wellmen's fans on social media, it soon becomes apparent they know their football too. A major asset to North Wales soccer.
Teams that rocked North Wales football: Holywell Town
Harbourmen fans celebrate as Dean Garmey (no11) scores the winning goal for Holyhead Hotspur against Bangor City in the 2015/16 Welsh Cup
Football in Holyhead has always been well supported and since Hotspur first emerged in 1990 they have steadily become the town's premier club.
The Harbourmen have a strong following which has often been most in evidence during the club's cup runs.
Hotspur certainly captured the imagination of the town during their Welsh Cup exploits this season which saw them defeat eight-time competition winners Bangor City at the New Stadium before going down at home to Welsh Premier high-flyers Bala Town.
Both matches were well supported despite the weather being at its unfriendliest.
Remembering back to Hotspur's rise through the ranks in the 1990s, turnouts were particularly good in their Welsh Alliance days with the away following especially impressive.
Fans also turned out in their droves during the 2011/12 season when Holyhead landed a treble, the run to the FAW Trophy Final being notably well-backed.
Top 10 shocks of the year in North Wales football
DENBIGH TOWN
One of the best giant-killing cup runs in North Wales football history was achieved by Denbigh Town this season.
Wins over Welsh Premier sides Rhyl, Airbus and gap Connah's Quay eventually led to an appearance in the Word Cup final against The New Saints, who beat the Huws Gray Alliance club 2-0 in Llandudno.
The stars of that final were the Denbigh fans, who turned out on a blustery evening at Maesdu Park in vast numbers.
Town have always had a great following.
I can remember as far back as 1991/92 when the club, then in Clwyd League Division One, famously knocked Northern Premier League Caernarfon Town out of the NWCFA Challenge Cup.
The attendance that day was immense and kickstarted a whole new interest in the club which stretched to them winning promotion to the Cymru Alliance a few years later and beyond
Chirk AAA manager Mark Holmes focusing on one game at a time in title race
CHIRK AAA
The community of Chirk really get behind their football team.
This was no more in evidence than at the 2013/14 FAW Trophy Final, where masses of Colliers fans gathered at Belle Vue, Rhyl, to see their heroes take on Llanrug United.
The result did not quite go Chirk's way that day, with Llanrug winning 3-2, but fans of the Wrexham area club had a great day out by the seaside.
Chirk have been one of the Welsh National League's strongest teams in recent years and they enjoy the backing of a fervent group of fans.
Wrexham-based Queens Park have an ever-growing collection of fans.
Whether Martin Ford's side are playing at Queensway Stadium or the adjoining Dunks field, a passionate group of supporters tend to follow.
As the success of the team flourishes so does the encouragement the players receive from the sidelines.
Meet the manager: FC Queens Park boss Martin Ford
Close on 300 spectators were at Queens' recent FAW Ttrophy quarter-final against Llandudno Junction.
The Park Army can create an intimidating atmosphere for any visiting side.
The previous Queens Park team which operated in Wrexham and reached the Cymru Alliance had a major following and now the successor club are experiencing the same.


Want to know why I got this entire Prodigal Band project started in 1962-1963? At the age or 9?
Click Here to find out what led me to begin this adventure!
Download the FREE PDF The Prodigal Band here. Or read the Prologue here.


When it comes to winter pickles, Gajar Gobhi Shalgam ka Achar is my favorite one. In winters you are getting Carrots, Turnips, and Cauliflower in abundance and the most delightful way of preserving them and enjoying these vegetables whole year is by making this hot and sweet Gajar Gobhi Shalgam ka Achar aka Carrot, Cauliflower and Turnip Pickle. The red Chilies, Garlic, Jaggery, and vegetables give this yummy Pickle a nice taste and texture that can compliment any Indian dish. It can be stored for about a year, but I am sure you are going to finish this within few months of preparation. Presenting below, my take on this superb Punjabi style Gajar Gobhi Shalgam ka Achar. Do try!
**Note: As this pickle requires all vegetables to be blanched and dried up in the open, you have to start preparing this pickle in the morning. As the process of blanching and drying will require about 5-6 hours.
1. Cut Cauliflowers(Gobhi) into large florets, clean and wash them thoroughly. Also, peel and clean Carrots (Gajar) and Turnips (Shalgam), slice them into medium pieces and wash them properly. You will have slices and florets of vegetables as shown in the picture below.
2. Take about 2.5 liters of Water in a large pan and bring it to boil. Add a teaspoon of Salt to it.
3. Add Carrot batons into the boiling water.
4. Immediately add Turnip batons into the water.
5. Wait for the water to again start boiling on a high flame.
6. Once it starts boiling, wait for 2 minutes and drain the water by pouring through a strainer.
7. In Parallel, take around 2 liters of Water, bring it to boil on a high flame, add a teaspoon of Salt and put Cauliflower florets into it.
8. Wait for the water to again start boiling on high flame. Once it starts boiling, let florets get cooked for about 2 minutes on high flame.
9. Drain the water from Cauliflower florets by pouring into a strainer. As I did not have any large Pan that can blanch/cook all the three vegetables together, I had to do this using two pans. However, if you have a very large Pan which can easily accommodate such large quantity, you can blanch Cauliflower florets, Carrot and Turnips batons together also.
10. Spread the Carrots and Turnips batons over a cotton cloth which is placed in an open area.
11. Spread Cauliflowers florets into the cloth also.
12. Allow them to get dry in open (if Sun rays are falling directly on them, cover it with a netted cloth). Ensure that direct Sunlight is not falling on the vegetable. Leave them to get dry for about 4-5 hours.
13. Once vegetables are dried, start working on pickling process by peeling, cleaning and grating Ginger(Adrak) and peeling and slicing each Garlic cloves into halves.
14. In a heated Pan on a low flame, put Brown Mustard seeds (Rai), Fennel (Saunf) seeds, Yellow Mustard (Peeli Sarson) seeds and Nigella seeds (Kalonji).
15. Mix all spices together and stir the mixture continuously on a low flame till they get roasted lightly and a nice fragrance of all the spices start coming out.
16. Switch off the heat and transfer the spice mixture into a grinder Jar. Coarsely grind the spice mixture so that all the things get mixed into each other. Do not grind it to make a smooth powder of the spices as it will impact the taste and texture of the Pickle.
17. Make small cubes of Jaggery.
18. Pour Mustard Oil in a heated pan.
19. Heat mustard oil in the flame on a high flame till light smoke starts coming out of oil, this will make the taste of oil less pungent impart a nice flavor to the pickle.
20. Add grated Ginger (Adrak) into the hot oil and mix it well for about 30 seconds on medium flame.
21. Then add sliced Garlic cloves into the oil and cook them on medium heat for about 30 seconds.
22. Add coarsely grind Masala (prepared in step 16) into the oil on low flame and give a quick mix.
24. Immediately add red Chili powder and mix it well.
25. After that add salt to the spicy oil mixture and mix it well.
26. Add Jaggery cubes into the Oil mixture on low flame.
27. Keep stirring the mixture on low flame till all the Jaggery(Gud) has melted down and blended in the oil mixture.
28. Add vinegar to the mixture on low flame.
29. Keep the mixture on low flame for 30 seconds and after that switch off the flame.
30. Now place all your dry vegetables in a large deep dish, which will be used for mixing vegetables and pickle masala.
31. Pour prepared pickle masala mix over the blanched and dried vegetables (Carrots, Cauliflower, and Turnips).
32. Gently mix all the things together such that vegetables do not get broken into pieces.
33. Pour prepared pickle into clean and sterilized glass Jar, make sure that vegetables are submerged in the oil mixture. Place the lid on Jar leave it as it is for a day. After a day, show Sunlight to Jar for 5 days for 5 to 6 hours.
After 5 days, your hot and sweet Gajar Gobhi Shalgam ka Achar or Pickle is ready to be enjoyed with any kind of meal.
Serve it with any kind of meal and it will enhance the flavor of that to the fullest. You can store it up to a year.


You may remember her as Aunt Becky from "Full House." Today she's known as Lori Loughlin and she is under investigation for bribing colleges to accept her daughters as students.
Loughlin allegedly bribed the University of Southern California to "recruit" her daughters onto their rowing team despite the two never having participated competitively. She reportedly gave USC $500,000.
Since then, Loughlin has been booted off all her upcoming Hallmark projects, her daughter Olivia has been removed from companies she has partnered with and neither of her daughters will be returning to USC.
Loughlin and her daughters deserve every bit of backlash they are receiving for this scandal.
There is always some sort of power difference between celebrities and regular people, and this is just another abuse of reputation and wealth.
As a student who has worked very hard to be at a university, financially and academically, it is disheartening to hear someone just want to "go to parties and have game nights" and be able to pay for it like it's nothing.
For myself, it was a dream to be able to go to college.
It's demoralizing that people can get their way with just money. Celebrities are almost always abusing their power in some way, rarely seeing the consequences.
What is heartening to hear is that USC is now taking action in other bribery scams by revoking some degrees and admissions. Education is far more important than merely getting the "full college experience," and it apparently is taken for granted far more frequently than we know.
Some of us would do anything to get into the spots of Lori Loughlin or Olivia.
Being a celebrity is way more rewarding than anything else.
The fact they abused admissions just to get a few normal college years in doesn't even compare to the everyday lives they live – easily working and making billions, getting invited to parties on end and having so many contacts you don't even need to introduce yourself.
If they really wanted to go to a university for all the right reasons, they should have applied to get accepted like everyone else.
Other celebrities have gone to college, but they went to actually learn.
Cole Sprouse got a degree in photography while still maintaining his role on television. James Franco took a quick hiatus in his career to major in English at UCLA. Emma Watson committed to five years of college while juggling the Harry Potter series.
It is not impossible to live a normal life while working in the limelight. When it's done the wrong way, it could be way more damaging, as mentioned.
For some celebrities, their education is almost as important as their career, not just "partying" when they could theoretically party every night.
What Loughlin did was wrong. While it may have been rightly intended, it is discouraging to those who want to learn to have their spots taken by two girls who don't even want to be there.
In contrast to students who work tirelessly to get where they want to be, Loughlin's daughters have no place at a university, nor do they deserve to be there.


Proud to say it was another successful season. Cheers to everyone who joined us for the ride. Especially the ones who were in from the beginning of the season.
63% Wins and +314 Units at 1u/pick. That doesn't even include the extra units won when we recommended 7 Max Bets fading Lebron on the last day of the regular season when we found out about a comment from Tyrone Lue well before the bookies did, about how Lebron would sit out the rest of game after he scored 10 points just so he could keep his double digit scoring record in tact in an otherwise meaningless game which had no impact on the Cavs seeding. Under Pts, Pts+Reb, Pts+ast, Pts+reb+ast….every Lebron prop that was offered was free money and we took full advantage of it.
We won atleast 55% of our picks every month. And once again, the playoffs was where we shined the brightest with a 69% win rate on 250 picks!
A $100 bettor had the potential to win $31,420 before fees. I know some of you go well beyond $100 per bet. Cheers again!
Its always sad to see the NBA season come to an end and the long break until NFL begin. But atleast It gives us a chance to relax and use some of the profits made towards enjoying ourselves during the break.
Thank you again for believing and trusting in our picks. I look forward to seeing you all next season and some of you even sooner when NFL gets underway.


Syria may have used chemical weapons against rebels, the White House has said.
US intelligence agencies believe "with varying degrees of confidence" that the nerve agent sarin had been deployed on a "small scale", and did not say where or when it had been used.
The White House has warned chemical weapons use would be a "red line" for possible intervention, but says this intelligence does not represent proof.
Republicans in Congress called on Thursday for a strong US response.
The assessment was made in letters to lawmakers on Thursday signed by Miguel Rodriguez, White House director of the office of legislative affairs.
"Our intelligence community does assess, with varying degrees of confidence, that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically, the chemical agent sarin," one of the letters said.
The phrase "varying degrees of confidence" is normally used to reflect differences in opinion within the intelligence community.
Speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters in Abu Dhabi that the use of sarin "violates every convention of warfare".
Secretary of State John Kerry said there had been two instances of chemical weapons use in Syria.
The UK Foreign Office echoed the US claims, saying it had "limited but persuasive information from various sources" of chemical weapons use in Syria.
"Material from inside Syria tested positive for sarin," a Foreign Office spokesman said.
Although there have been numerous accusations, there has so far not been any confirmation that chemical weapons have been used during Syria's two-year-old conflict.
President Barack Obama warned in December that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would face "consequences" if he used such weapons.
John McCain recommended arming the opposition, a step the White House has been reluctant to take. He also urged taking steps to ensure that Syria's chemical weapons did not fall into the wrong hands.
"It does not mean boots on the ground," the Arizona senator added.
Democrat Dianne Feinstein, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for international action to help secure Syria's stockpile of chemical arms.
Robert Menendez, the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said options included "an internationally recognized no-fly zone, providing lethal assistance to vetted opposition forces, and sanctioning the transfer of arms to the regime".
White House officials said the US would consult with allies and seek more evidence to confirm their intelligence.
On Tuesday, a senior Israeli military official accused Syrian forces of having used the nerve agent sarin against rebels several times. People can normally recover from small doses.
Speaking at a security conference in Jerusalem, Brigadier General Itai Brun cited photographs of victims foaming at the mouth and with constricted pupils and other unspecified symptoms.
Syria's government and rebels have accused each other of using chemical weapons. A UN team is trying to enter Syria to investigate.
Sarin is a colorless and highly toxic nerve agent that can cause convulsions, paralysis and death within minutes if it is absorbed through inhalation, ingestion, or contact with skin or eyes.


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Mithila Review is a journal of international science fiction and fantasy devoted to the best of speculative writing, arts, and culture. We welcome original submissions, reprints as well as translations from around the world. Please read the guidelines below to see if we're accepting submissions at the moment.
Along with original speculative fiction and poetry, we also publish reviews, interviews, discussions, and essays centered around stories, books, movies, television series, arts, comics, and other media, with speculative elements that explore the interstitial spaces of politics, identity, and culture and reflect the diverse (and often underrepresented) experiences, perspectives, and nuances of the world we live in today.
What is speculative writing, arts, and culture?
Speculative writing, arts, and culture encompass literary and artistic works in the broad genre with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements i.e. science fiction and fantasy (SFF), science fantasy, horror, alternative history, magic realism, fairytales, uncanny and weird. Learn more.
You're welcome to join our Science Fiction and Fantasy group on Facebook for reading recommendations, academic resources, call for submissions, and other SFF updates.
We are looking for excellent fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, from people all around the world, but we are especially committed to promoting and amplifying diversity in what we publish.
We particularly want to hear stories from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, particularly BIPOC creators, people identifying as LGBTQIA+, persons with disabilities, and voices from Dalit/ Bahujan/ Adivasi and other subaltern communities.
We've published both experienced and aspiring authors, and happily encourage first-time writers from anywhere in the world to submit.
Even if you're not sure if your work is a good fit within the "speculative" criteria, please send it to us regardless, instead of self-rejecting.
Mithila Review is CLOSED to poetry submissions. (Update: 18/09/21)
We welcome literary and speculative poetry from around the world. Please send us your best work. Our favorite poets include Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Amal El-Mohtar, Arundhathi Subramaniam, Gwendolyn Brooks, Kabir, Li-Young Lee, Shweta Narayan, Sofia Samatar, W.B. Yeats, among others.
Mithila Review is CLOSED to fiction submissions. (Update: 18/09/21)
We are looking for speculative fiction that explores the interstitial spaces of politics, identity, and culture and reflects the diverse (and often underrepresented) experiences.
We want well-written and nuanced works that challenge long-held beliefs, make us feel and think, imagine newer, positive futures or serve as cautionary warnings, experiment with form and genre, or take us on an enthralling ride to places we've dared not venture before.
We want stories that are brave and breathtaking, and they may be as lyrical or literary as you like, so long as they contain some speculative elements.
Mithila Review is OPEN to non-fiction submissions.
We are looking for reviews, essays, listicles, reaction pieces, and critical articles centered around SFF media and pop culture, particularly those that do not receive much mainstream attention.
Feel free to send us pitches with detailed outlines or completed articles at submissions@mithilareview.com
Please submit one story, one non-fiction piece or pitch, and/or up-to 3 poems in a single document at a time using the following form: http://bit.ly/MRSubmissions.
Formatting: We strongly prefer fiction submissions to be in the Standard Manuscript Format (both classic and modern). If you are unsure, please check this online template.
A cover letter, with a brief background and your pronouns, is preferred but optional.
Simultaneous submissions are fine, as long as you mention it in your cover letter, and let us know immediately if it is accepted elsewhere.
Multiple submissions: You may not submit more than ONE story and/or THREE poems until you hear back from us. You may submit multiple pitches/non-fiction articles separately.
We accept .doc and .docx formats.
Response Time: 2-8 weeks. Average: 2+ weeks.
Publication Frequency: 3-4 issues per year.
Payment: If/when our Patreon funds permit, we pay $10 for original poetry, essays, flash stories (under 2500 words), and reprints and $10-$50 for original stories between 4000-8000 words or longer. (Update: 10/24/16)
Rights: We need first-world electronic rights (text), and non-exclusive audio and anthology rights for our planned annual anthology.
Support Us: Mithila Review is underfunded and run by volunteers. If you can, please donate or support us on Patreon, and help us become a professional market for emerging and award-winning poets and authors, across the world
We seek to publish stories that birth creative thought and positive action. In 2015, Mithila Review began its critically significant publishing journey with a belief that SFF "could be a fluid and powerful language of protest in the new era of demagogues." We want to publish the best of speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, reviews, excerpts, and articles from award-winning and emerging writers around the world.
We are a bunch of writers, lawyers, academicians, students etc. who are first and foremost lovers of good stories. If you believe that the best of science fiction and fantasy is a balm to our wounded soul — our dream to reach the stars, become a caring and responsible star-faring civilization and if you believe in the work Mithila has been doing for the past five years, then join us!
We are looking for volunteer narrators, readers, editors, proofreaders, artists, translators, and reviewers. Reach out to us at editor@mithilareview.com and help us in telling stories.
CALL FOR NARRATORS
We are seeking aspiring and emerging voice actors to bring awesome science fiction and fantastic stories and poetry to life.If you're interested, we'd love to hear from you! Fill this form to apply with up to three reading samples: https://forms.gle/FWwhEan9Jj2barwg7
CALL FOR TRANSLATORS
Mithila Review is seeking aspiring and emerging voice actors to bring awesome science fiction and fantastic stories and poetry to life. If you're interested, fill this form to apply with up to three reading samples: https://forms.gle/De3AaeXmrHw9CSYu9
Mithila Review is looking for reviewers of science-fiction and fantasy novels, anthologies, stories and poetry. If you're interested, we'd love to hear from you! Fill this form to apply with a writing sample: https://forms.gle/A8XdXziqUiZ4nMEV7