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The Crandel Caravan in: Rage of the Rat King
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Topic: The Crandel Caravan in: Rage of the Rat King (Read 33834 times)
Space Raton
Permalink • July 05, 2015, 10:05:20 PM
Re: The Crandel Caravan in: Rage of the Rat King
The elves move in and quickly bind Pepe's wrists - not seeming to notice his hidden dagger.
The wererat is dragged to his feet. The elves remove his helmet and bind him as well. Some blood is trickling down from his forehead. "I'm uh, hurt pretty bad here..." "Yes," says the Eladrin, "Yes you are. That might help convince me the little gnome here isn't in league with you rodents."
The remaining bowmen put their weapons away and raise Tequila to her feet, quickly binding her wrists as well. The Eladrin, having not paid her much notice thus far, glances over to her - then does a small double-take and glances again. "And what of you, miss? How did you become wrapped up with lowlives and vermin like this?" She seems to have calmed down considerably since being dragged around be the wererats, and responds almost conversationally, "Oh, Pepe and I are part of a caravan journey. We just happened to get a little lost in the woods here. You seem very well-traveled in these woods - maybe you'll help us back to our camp, mister...?" The Eladrin grins. "Eupatorium. And yes, miss, I may help you - but I'm afraid I must still take you all with us to ask a few questions first. Be gentle with that one, Elves," he adds, addressing his companions, "Now let's return to Eggdrassil."
Bandit E glances nervously toward the path back into the woods. "Alright, party's over here - time for me to split!"
(Disengage check = 3)
The wererat turns to run away, but Rapsutin holds him in place with a single hand on the shoulder. The wererat turns back to face Rasputin, fear now obvious in his expression. He soon lets out a snarl, though, and attempts another bite. He again lunges with his sharp teeth, but sinks them only into Rasputin's shield, chipping a couple fangs slightly.
*THUD* "That's for taking Taqi!" as a pair of fists slam down on the Wererat's head. In the chaos following other bandits' departure and Pepe's flight, Pepito seems to have snuck up behind the enemy. The wererat is dropped to his knees by the force of the heavy blow, at which point the twins, having gained their feet, rush over. They produce short daggers from their boots and drive them into the bandit with excited shouts. "We did it!" "We have slain bandit!" "We have saved day!"
Jeb steps out from his spot behind a wagon. He surveys the campsite, now empty except for Rasputin, Pepito, the brothers, and three dead wererat bandits.
"...Welp."
[We're out of initiative, but since we're split up (interesting in this format) I'll be specific with prompts.]
As Ruth/Tanya/Phaedra and Pepe/Tequila proceed on different paths into the forest, what will Rasputin do? Also, does he have any orders for this motley crew of NPCs?
In west Goomba Village born and raised
"Jesus what in the hell is going on in there... Jeb! You got a plan or should I just wing it?" Rasputin wrangles the NPC babies trying to get them to finish celebrating "We better get after them but I dont thing you should be alone out here."
"Yep, I'll stay here and hold down the fort. Tesla, I'm countin' on you to make sure both Tequila and Alice come back safe. It's up to you which one you go after first, but ya better hurry! And yeah, make sure'n leave at least one pair of hands here."
"Aw shit... Pepperoni! Go save your girlfriend ya doofus! Pepe may need the help and besides you kinda beefed it while she was watching!" Rasputin wheels around and scans the area for dangers before starting in the direction Alice went in (wis 1d20+4 = 11 blargle)
"Keep a eye on Jeb dorfs! You keep him safe through this mess and I'll tell you a lead about some treasure I know of. (bluff cha 1d20+4 = 24 CRIT)" Rasputin gives a manly nod that speaks of the volumes of treasure filled adventures he has gone on. as he trundles after the squishy baby team his mustache appears to glint like gold from the lighting.
After he gets out of direct sight he starts wondering where the hell the others got off to
"What bothers me," Tanya says, "well, aside from the fact that we're delving into a forest that will be incredibly strange and dangerous if even half the legends about it are true, is um, Tequila getting kidnapped like that. I mean, when it comes to 'strange and dangerous', wererat bandits have got nothing on her."
There isn't much time to ponder this; Phaedra and Rasputin soon catch up, and the four of you proceed down the path. Soon you reach the two tall, orange mushrooms. The air becomes even more humid here, and takes on a punget aroma that seems strangely familiar.
Beyond the mushrooms, which form a sort of arch over the pathway, the forest opens up into an otherworldly sight. There is a wide bog. Aside from a few patches, the earth is submerged in a thick, orange sludge, which churns in slow currents throughout the area. Numerous smaller mushrooms are scattered around, all orange with white spots.
There's a signboard near one of the tall mushrooms on the path.
"YOU ENTER THE DEMENSE
OF THE RAT KING:
THE FEY'EL BOG."
There are a couple of average-sized rats crawling around on the patches of earth. A tall, rectangular stone stands in the center of the area; it's about eight feet tall, and five feet across on each side.
There are two paths out of this area, both framed by similar tall, arch-like mushrooms.
[Coming soon: The Adventures of Pepe]
« Last Edit: July 08, 2015, 04:27:07 PM by Mia Kris »
"The Rat King, huh? I wonder if it's a man who lords over rats, or a rat of royal heritage, or just a were rat who thinks very highly of himself." Phaedra says, while trying to remember if she has ever heard a story about a rat king.
(Int roll: 1d20+3 = 5.)
Phaedra's eyes brighten, "Oh my Kord! Could this be the famous king who slew the World Salamanca?!"
Tanya sighs and says, "That's the Raton Lord... they're completely different."
Phaedra frowns, "Oh... well then, maybe this marsh has a clue then."
Phaedra takes a few steps into the clearing and tries to spot anything interesting. (Wis: 1d20+1 = 13)
Permalink • July 09, 2015, 01:54:41 AM
Out of the corner of your eye, you think you see someone moving around near the tall stone. When you look in that direction again, you can't see anyone.
Spoiler for Pepe's Quest:
And so, you and Tequila are led deeper into the woods by Eupatorium and the five Elves. They are Elves - you confirm it when some of them venture to pull back their hoods, revealing distinctive pointed ears, but less fantastical features than the Eladrin himself.
The forest remains thick, lit by continually present fireflies as well as some unfamiliar luminescent lichens. As you proceed on, the Elves picking easy paths though the thick underbrush, the trees get bigger and bigger. Some of them seem several dozen feet tall, and wide enough to build a house in.
Eupatorium refrains from making much conversation during the hike, though you do notice him making frequent glances at Tequila - at least one of which she seems to have returned with a sly wink. Eventually, though, the Eladrin speaks up.
"We're almost back. Though our mission cannot be counted a success, I suppose you Elves didn't completely bungle things up - I might make good reports about some of you, if I end up remembering any of your names." Some of the elves glance uneasily at each other, but say nothing. Eupatorium continues, addressing you and Tequila, "As for you two - our honored guests," (a slight chuckle), "I should tell you that you're likely to be questioned by- Hold there, everyone!" He's stopped walking, and holds both hands up. Once all eyes are upon him, he lowers one hand to point directly at a particularly tall and wide tree. "That tree. That's the one!" One of the elves shuffles nervously. "...sir?" "I say that's the tree where that damned creature was living!" He walks somewhat manically over to the tree and gives it a swift kick. Most of the elves flinch. There's a bit of a hollow "thump" noise, but little else happens. "Gah! Nothing to do since it crawled into that hole." He points to a circular hole at the base of the tree, just a couple feet across. "If only there was some way to get in there and nab the bastard, I'd- wait."
Eupatorium turns to you.
"You there, Sir Gnome," he says, almost suppressing condescension, "Something very important was taken from me by a creature that lives in that tree - the entrance to which is only suited to someone of your, ah, unique stature. If you follow my instructions and retrieve my lost item, things may be simpler for you when you are brought to Eggdrassil. What say you, hm?"
Spoiler for peep:
"Well, gee, since you asked so nicely." Pepe spits out his reply, gnashing his teeth. " "But I won't be retrieving much of anything like this," he adds, motioning to his arms.
"What do you mean, you won't be retrieving much of anything like those? Why would I want you to retrieve tied-up arms?" One of the elves says, "Sir, I think he meant-" "QUIET! Of course I know what he meant. Sure, sure, untie him. Now look here," continues Eupatorium, "We'll be keeping watch over the tree - and the madame here - so it's not like you'll be able to pull any trickery, all right? Just get in that tree and find what was taken from me. It's just a little square wooden box, a few inches across. Don't concern yourself with opening it, it's locked anyway. As for dealing with whatever that thing is that took it, well... I'd love to provide you with a weapon, but you gnomes have all sorts of magic anyway, so I'm sure you'll be fine. Now go."
As you ready yourself to crawl into the narrow hole in the tree, Tequila walks over to you. The elves who have been leading her along look as nervous as ever, but don't actually do anything. She leans down and whispers to you, "I'll work on getting this guy to be a little nicer. Have fun in the tree there - but if you run into real trouble, just say my name and I'll be there..." As she rises to walk away, she blows a kiss, leaving a tingling feeling on your cheek that is almost certainly supernatural.
The hole leading inside the tree is a tight fit even for a halfling, but with some wriggling and crawling you manage to make it in. After going in for just a few feet, the hole opens up and reveals that the tree is almost entirely hollowed out.
(Grey space is outside thine vision)
There are two carved-out paths to the left and right, with a long wall in the center. Near the wall are a couple candles throwing flickering light around the interior of the tree, as well as a speckled egg. A small pile of bones sits to your left, and a hole leading deeper toward the roots is to your right.
You hear something rustling around on the other side of the wall.
Spoiler for Crandel Caravan 2: Pepe's Kong Quest:
Pepe briefly considers what kind of creature might have left an egg like that (Knowledge (Eggs): d20+1 = 4 ) before losing interest and wondering why he would have even cared to begin with. Getting back to the task at hand, Pepe quietly shuffles over to the left edge of the wall and peeks around the corner (Sneakin': d20+6 = 17), picking up a bone along the way.
You sneak a sneaky peek around the corner. Moving about near the back of the tree, sleek purple skin shimmering in the flickering candlelight, is a Salamanca. It walks on its hind legs, busying itself by picking something up from a stone table and dropping it into a simmering cauldron. There are two small, elegantly carved wooden chests in the other corner. Another hole in the floor is visible beyond the table.
Spoiler for Crandelvania 2: Pepe's Quest:
Are either of the two chests small enough to be the box the guy was talking about? Also: WHAT is a salamanca (Knowledge (Salamancas) d20+1 = 3).... is a question that will continue to haunt Pepe for the remainder of his days.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2015, 12:24:41 PM by Scrow Funk »
Quote from: Scrow Funk on July 11, 2015, 12:21:15 PM
Are either of the two chests small enough to be the box the guy was talking about?
Nope, he said "a couple inches", each of these chests are a couple feet across.
Spoiler for For Pepe's Eye's Only:
Pepe takes the bone he picked up and flings it towards the eastern wall, hoping to distract the mysterious Salamanca. (d20+6 = 14)


text:
Wednesday, Feb. 01, 2023 | Today's Paper | 72.86°
Nation and World News
COVID cases up almost 18% worldwide as omicron variants run rampant
By Kate Feldman New York Daily News | Friday, July 1, 2022, 12:05 a.m.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a 2021 file photo, at the WHO headquarters in Geneva. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)
While vaccinations have greatly cut down on hospitalizations and deaths, COVID-19 cases are on the rise again around the world.
More than 4.1 million cases were reported globally last week, up 18%, according to the World Health Organization.
"This pandemic is changing, but it's not over," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news conference Wednesday.
His concern, he said, is that countries have gotten lax on tracking cases and transmission, even as the most vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and health care workers, remain unvaccinated.
More than 1.2 billion COVID-19 vaccines have been administered around the world, officials said, but in poor countries, the average immunization rate is only about 13%.
"If rich countries are vaccinating children from as young as 6 months old and planning to do further rounds of vaccination, it is incomprehensible to suggest that lower-income countries should not vaccinate and boost their most at risk (people)," Tedros said Wednesday.
Cases in the U.S. are slightly up, with a rolling seven-day daily average of 108,505 new cases as of Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In New York, trends are the same, even after Mayor Eric Adams dropped the city's COVID alert level to "medium" last week.
"Day after day, New Yorkers are stepping up and doing their part, and because of our collective efforts we are winning the fight against COVID-19," he said at the time. "We're grateful to New Yorkers for their continued attention and vigilance as we've made our way through to the other side of this wave."
Those figures, though, don't include at-home positive test results, which the city does not track and are far more popular due to widespread availability and milder symptoms.
Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, which account for much of the global COVID-19 spread, are less rampant in New York City, accounting for about 45% of the cases, according to NYC Health.
Health officials are still urging people to stay masked indoors, test frequently, especially after travel or large gatherings, and stay home if you feel sick.
In June, the CDC approved vaccinations for children between 6 months and 5 years old, now covering all but the youngest population.
Most say nation on wrong track, including Dems: AP-NORC poll
NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I didn't see you at Pedro's party last night.
Pilot has unique musical abilities.
Skeeter should be there by noon.
Marco is flying to Boston next Monday.
Kristian didn't have anything else to do.
Pat and Clara usually speak French to each other.
Nobody was listening to what Oliver was saying.
We should ask Hurf which one he thinks we should buy.
I didn't think Tran would show up at Erwin's party.
Raif's working on a autobiography of his life and times.
What do they want with Teresa?
Sigurd is doing very well today.
Do you think Lewis was drunk?
I got to know Lana in January this year.
Darryl has made up his mind.
Maurice is at the door.
Duke and his wife tried to work out their problems.
Annard entered the conference room, carrying a clipboard.
There was a limousine waiting for Patty outside the hotel.
Manavendra and Mann argue a lot, but they still get along quite well together.
I doubt Suwandi is still there.
Son was wearing a brown suede coat.
I was surprised when Monty told me he loved me.


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text:
Canadian Pension Fund Fuels India's Largest Renewable Energy Deal
Earlier this month, ReNew Power Ventures Limited became India's largest renewable energy developer following the acquisition of another renewable energy developer. Canadian pension funds had a major role in this landmark transaction.
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) invested $247 million in ReNew Power to support the acquisition of Ostro Energy. This is the second investment made by CPPIB in ReNew Power. CPPIB had acquired an unknown equity share in the company with an investment of $144 million in January 2018.
Ostro Energy has a total capacity of over 1,100 megawatts and would increase ReNew's total portfolio to more than 5,600 megawatts. ReNew has expanded its presence across utility solar, rooftop solar and wind energy segments in India.
Becoming the largest renewable energy developer in a highly competitive market like India is no mean feat, especially for ReNew Power. The company was established in 2011 by Sumant Sinha, a former employee of wind energy giant Suzlon Energy. In this short period of time the company has been able to attract investments from Goldman Sachs, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Asian Development Bank and Global Environment Fund, and JERA.
The company has announced a commitment to have 6.5 gigawatts of solar and 5 gigawatts of wind energy capacity operational by around 2022. In order to achieve these ambitious opportunities the company is actively and aggressively participating in solar and wind energy auctions at the central as well as the state level in India.
Earlier this year, the company made a commitment to invest $2 billion in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh to set up 1 gigawatt capacity each of solar and wind energy capacity. It also pledged $2.15 billion investment in the state of Maharashtra to develop solar, wind, and waste-to-energy projects. The company also plans to invest $1.84 billion in the state of Uttar Pradesh to set up 1 gigawatt of solar power and 200 megawatts of waste-to-energy power plants.
In this article:India, India Renewable Energy, India Solar Power, India Wind Energy, Ostro Energy, ReNew Power Ventures
Written By Saurabh
An avid follower of latest developments in the Indian renewable energy sector.
Mahindra Launches Its First C-Segment Electric SUV, The XUV400, Starting At $19,500
After a very slow start, the Indian battery-electric car market is starting to get exciting. BYD is expanding its presence in the country, shifting...
Remeredzai Joseph KuhudzaiJanuary 17, 2023
Tata Harrier, Sierra, Avinya Concepts Promise To Light Up India's BEV Market
India's electric 2-wheeler market has been booming over the last few years. However, the electric car sector has been pretty slow. India's electric car...
Indian Company Breaks Ground At 1 Gigawatt Solar Power Park
Indian hydropower company SJVN has announced start of construction of a large solar power park in the northern state of Rajasthan. On January 3rd,...
SaurabhJanuary 9, 2023


Viacom18 Motion Pictures, KYTA Productions & VA Film Company announce the release of its upcoming espionage thriller, Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW) on 12th April 2019.
The film will be shot across three destinations in India over the span of 60 days.
The film is produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, KYTA Productions & VA Film Company. RAW, based on true incidents is written and directed by Robbie Grewal. The film stars John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff, Suchitra Krishnamoorthy and Sikandar Kher.
Manoj Bajpayee launches Budhia Singh – Born To Run anthem.


text:
Home Articles The Sun City unveils new historical markers
City unveils new historical markers
City-wide trail, complete with smartphone virtual tour, is in the works
by Elizabeth Izzo
City of Plattsburgh Mayor Colin Read last week unveiled five new historical markers along City Hall Place.
PLATTSBURGH | In the Lake City, history is everywhere.
With the unveiling of five new historical markers last Tuesday and plans for a city-wide trail of upwards of 50 signs, Mayor Colin Read wants to draw attention to that.
The first five markers are all located on or just off of City Hall Place: City Hall, the Macdonough Monument, Trinity Park, Trinity Episcopal Church and the former site of the "Ark" hotel at 38 City Hall Place.
"I'm incredibly excited about this project," Read said in a statement. "Our downtown and our city is replete with history, and dozens of downtown signs to celebrate it, educate us and fascinate visitors will be transformational for our city first, and on to the county as well."
The metal plaques, colored blue and yellow to match the aesthetics of the state's markers, were cast and installed by the Plattco Corporation with funding from the Clinton County Board of Legislators, according to a news release.
The signs offer descriptions in both English and French.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Read also spoke about plans for a new virtual self-guided tour for laptops and smartphones.
The tour and additional signs are expected to be installed in the coming months.
Colin Read History Plattsburgh MacDonough Monument The Burgh Sun Plattsburgh City Hall Place Plattsburgh City Hall Elizabeth Izzo "Ark" hotel The North Countryman Sun Trinity Park Trinity Episcopal Church New York Clinton County legislators Historic Markers Headline Story Plattco Corporation


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text:
TrueGroove.Info
True Groove Records: Up and coming record label or
VANITY PRESS?
Tomás Doncker: a charming, brilliant, talented, violent, psychpathic con-man? You decide. - Photo by Samuel Claiborne
Many people have seen Tomas Doncker's rage-a-holic behavior, but he kept it well hidden from me for a long, long time. When it finally burst forth, along with some very shady rip-offs of content I'd generated in good faith, direct lies to my face, and evidence of other unethical (and just plain self-destructive) business practices, I reflected for two days about my relationship, my stake in the company that I'd worked so hard for, that I knew he'd steal from me should I leave, and about my own future as an ethical being. After two days, I decided to call it quits. It was wrenching. The True Groove family was my family. Tomas had been my mentor. But now that the facade had slipped, I knew I had to leave. It was a long two days of meditation and prayer, and during that time I reached out to True Groove Vice-President Marla Mase with my concerns about Tomas' violent threats, to get her perspective on him, and on what I should do. Her answer shocked me: It was in the archetypal voice of a battered woman: "Sure, Sammy, there are times I've been utterly terrified of him but, he only acts like that with the people he really loves!" - Spoken like a true cult member...
Tomas' says all the right things about social justice, meanwhile, he steals from other artists and threatens and terrifies 'the people he really loves'. He's all peace and justice on the outside - hey, I bought it! But underneath is a vicious hustler, a bully, an abuser.
True Groove Records has the hype, and a roster of dedicated artists. I should know: I was one of them, and there is nothing I wouldn't have done for the label and its founder, Tomas Doncker.
But that was before some very troubling events led me to conclude that I could no longer support True Groove, or Tomas, who was a friend I've known since he was about the age of nine. Once that happened, a lot of things clicked into place, like the endless stream of 'former friends' of Tomas', people he praised one day, then cut off and called talent-less losers the next. The incredible turnover at True Groove, the sheer number of 'exiles' had always troubled me, but I'd always heard only Tomas' side, and given him the benefit of the doubt.
Now I am on the other side, and I've looked at the entire history of my involvement with True Groove, the situation I became slowly locked into as a True Groove artist, what was represented to me, both as an artist on the label, and later as a principle in the company (in charge of promotional materials and the True Groove and Tomas Doncker websites), and I realize I've been duped, through a subtle combination of flattery, suggestive allusions to impending fame and fortune, denigration of any work I've done and any musicians I've worked with outside of the confines of True Groove, and coercive browbeating. I was conned into enrolling myself into a kind of voluntary bondage. And I wasn't alone. But now, you could say, the scales have fallen from my eyes.
Make no mistake: Tomas Doncker is a good producer, and very good guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He helped me push past my self-imposed limitations and insecurities, patiently working with me to produce a very good album for True Groove, one that I am very proud of. It was a great help to my confidence, and I think Tomas has done this for other artists as well, and that is a good thing.
But the price is twofold: financial bondage, as detailed below, and psychological bondage: while your insecurities are assuaged as a True Groove artist, they are encouraged on another front: any independence, any thought of perhaps starting your own band or creating any music outside of True Groove is almost universally and vigorously denigrated and derided (this is not true of the True Groove side men - Tomas well knows they need to play with others to make their living - but it does apply to some, if not all, of the True Groove 'artists'), in fact, most anyone you work with outside of the "True Groove Family", and any music you've released outside of True Groove may be casually denigrated - which leads to an almost cult-like insularity and dependence at times. In fact, I would say that this, and other tactics that both cults and pimps utilize, like 'Love-Bombing' are part of vibe at True Groove, where you are actually applauded during rehearsals and praised extravagantly and often.
And of course in my case, Tomas also convinced me to become a 'principal' in True Groove. I worked for 2 years, unpaid, doing work that spanned myriad photo shoots, directing and creating a music video for Marla Mase, designing, creating, and running True Groove's websites, shepherding all of the True Groove artists' CDs through manufacture, designing all True Groove posters, and loads of other tasks from email blasts to CD package design. I even painstakingly digitally restored old, badly scanned photographs as part of a James Chance reissue that I also did all of the design work for. I have been a highly-paid graphics and IT consultant for over 30 years; Even at my 'family rate', this work would have cost True Groove well over $50,000. All I have to show for this is 20% ownership of the company on paper, a 20% I am sure I'll never see, especially if the company is ever worth anything.
Of course, what he got, what I got, is irrelevant; None of it alters the fundamental dynamics of the artist/label relationship. I was just so flattered to be asked to join the label that I refused to really examine those dynamics, refused to listen to all of the questions my inner voice was shouting at me. Once I'd become a principal in the company, I had even less motivation to look at it with anything resembling objectivity. After a series of revelations showed me that I could no longer work with Tomas or True Groove for ethical and professional reasons, as well as personal ones, I woke up and took stock with fresh eyes.
Look under the hood of True Groove, and you don't see a true record label, one that nurtures and grows and invests in its artists. What you see instead is a money-and-prestige generating engine for founder Tomas Doncker, a way for him to support himself while projecting the illusion that True Groove is a real record company, lending him legitimacy and prestige as both a CEO and producer. At True Groove, it's all about Perception=Reality, and the perception is built assiduously...
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with a vanity press. But True Groove doesn't represent itself as such to the world, or to its artists, and therein lies the ethical quicksand...
In some ways, True Groove actually exceeds the traditional vanity press model. Traditionally, you approach a vanity press to get self-published, but here, True Groove approaches you and offers to 'sign' you (oh those magic words!) You are told how picky the label is, how prestigious and dynamic it is, how special you are. It appeals to your vanity, and also your desire to belong, to be accepted.
This is not to say that True Groove artists are not talented - there's a lot of talent on the True Groove roster! But when you cut away all the jive, we all paid to play. We were all invited and flattered and cajoled into paying to play, and pay, and pay...
Let's take a look at the 'deal' that artists who are 'signed' to True Groove get.
You pay Tomas Doncker $5000.00 or more (sometimes a lot more) to produce your record.
Interestingly, he did not produce my entire record: I completely produced (with my friend Craig Hazen, who arranged and played the bass, which was the cornerstone of the song), the cover track 'Hurt', on my album, 'Love, Lust and Genocide'. I recorded all of that song except the drums at my own studio, and Tomas had zero production input on that song, and no input on another as well, The Heart is a Bomb, which James Dellatacoma and I effectively co-produced. James mixed them both, and mixed them brilliantly, as he always does.
Tomas, true to form, put Hurt down ("You know that's the weakest song on the album") - because anything the artist does outside his purview, his control, he always denigrates. But, although it was nervy and risky to do yet another remake of Hurt, the track subsequently got great reviews.
In terms of who produced my album, the truth is that Tomas, James and I did equally. I brought in several of the special guests, worked on horn and string arrangements as much as they did, and I was often the one who asked to come back in to change a vocal that Tomas was already happy with but I was not (I think Tomas' biggest weakness as a producer is that he does not take the time to get the best vocals out of some of his artists, myself included - he is always in a rush - as a result, I am happiest with the vocal tracks that I cut slowly and painstakingly at my own studio).
He gets full 'Produced By' credit, along with James Dellatacoma. The artist gets, at best 'Co-Produced by' credit. In terms of who produced my album, it was really a perfectly-balanced team effort between the three of us, and I pushed for equal billing, which Tomas absolutely refused to give me, so I buckled under, as he knew I would, because I wanted to be on the True Groove label.
Tomas demands 50/50 songwriting credits on ALL songs, even those he did not co-write. He made major contributions to four of the songs on my album, Love, Lust and Genocide, minor contributions on two others, and NO contributions whatsoever to two of the tracks - no chords, no lyrics, nothing. Yet there he is, credited as a co-writer on every song. Why did I put up with this? Because I was browbeaten into it. And because I wanted to belong... We all want to belong to the True Groove family so badly, and buy into the dream being peddled to us so completely, that we sell (or at least, lease) our autonomy, and any ability to see objectively.
You, not the label, pay for multi-talented co-producer/engineer James Dellatacoma's time
You, not the label, pay for each and every studio musician from the True Groove All-Stars in-house band who comes in to cut your tracks, and any other musicians who record on your project.
You, not the label, pay to have your music mastered.
You, not the label, pay for promotion, by their promoter, for at least a minimum of 3 months. Like everything else, this is non-negotiable.
You are required to produce at least one video on your own dime.
You, not the label, pay someone (that someone was often me, paid a very small amount, way below my normal market rate) to do the design of your CD packaging - unless you are Tomas Doncker, in which case, you take the artwork under false pretenses, then refuse to pay for it.
You, not the label, pay to have your CDs manufactured.
EVERY time you gig, you must gig with the True Groove All-Stars (an admittedly AMAZING band), and you, not the label, pay them too. This comes out to between $500.00 and $1000.00 per gig. In fact, sometimes it's worse than that: I recently performed with Tomas and Marla Mase on WHUS, the University of Connecticut's radio station. I played only TWO songs. When the gig was done I was informed I'd have to drop $500.00 to pay for the band (Tomas said that he and Marla also kicked in $500.00 apiece, although I have no way of knowing the truth of this statement). Imagine: $500.00 for TWO SONGS! That was the start of my 'awakening'.
You cannot form your own band, perhaps with friends who will play for free, for the pure joy of it, because, even though True Groove hasn't given you a dime, and hasn't paid for anything at all, you must 'represent' it with the caliber of musicians approved by Tomas Doncker, and, no surprise here, that means only his band, the True Groove All-Stars, who also happen to perform as The Tomas Doncker band. THIS is why True Groove artists gig so rarely: they can't afford it!
In short, True Groove gives you no money, and the deal you make requires you to pay for everything, requires you to use and pay for their producer, their engineer, their musicians, their promoter, their mastering facility. These people are all top notch, I would never say otherwise. But you pay for everything, and you assume all the risk. There is no label batting for you, there's only what you pay for, for as long as you can pay for it.
Interestingly, some of the folks I have spoken to have noted how their intimate and near-daily heart to heart phone talks and email conversations with Tomas (who is a brilliant and fascinating conversationalist) simply disappeared once they stopped booking gigs and making records - their seemingly super-intimate, super-deep friendship turning to vapor once they were no longer pumping money into True Groove's and Tomas' coffers. This is perhaps the most chilling aspect of the entire experience.
The only thing you don't pay for is studio time, which, apparently, True Groove doesn't pay for either.
So: Tomas Doncker gets another job, his entire crew get more work paid out of your pocket, he gets to share your royalties, whether he earned them or not, and he gets to represent True Groove as this larger-than-life label with a varied roster of artists.
The artists essentially volunteer themselves to be cash cows, profit centers, in exchange for a professionally done album released under what appears on the surface to be a traditional record 'label', but one that only 'signs' artists who pay for everything, soup to nuts. Then, one by one, the artists run out of cash and stop recording and performing for True Groove, and, like a cancer, it must spread, 'signing' new acts to keep the cash flowing. Is True Groove a legitimate record label, or something resembling the musical version of a literary vanity press? You decide.
Another Question of Honesty and Integrity:
The CD design and cover artwork for
Tomas Doncker's The Mess We Made
I created several CD packages, including cover art and, often, photography, for Tomas Doncker and never received payment for any of them. Yet every single cover/CD package job I did for ALL OTHER True Groove artists, I was paid for by those artists. And remember, I paid him for his production work. I never agreed to do this work for Tomas for free, and it was not part of my job description when I was a working principle at True Groove; He simply never paid me. And now he is manufacturing T-shirts, and, probably soon, posters, with my art on them, presumably for sale, and I haven't gotten a penny!
So, if you ever read an interview with Tomas Doncker where he talks of all the poor old blues men who were ripped off by their record companies, just remember that he is using my art promotionally on websites and posters, and on his CD, which he sells at gigs, getting ready to sell it on T-shirts and possibly other items, and I don't get a penny for it. Here is the cover image, which I created for his latest release, The Mess We Made, which was just one part of a simply gorgeous CD package I created, replete with Jim Crow era photographs, which took hundreds of hours to research and create, for which I was never paid at all. I hold the copyright for this collage artwork, entitled 'Where We're At', which he is now using without my permission:
Just a small, small sampling of the photography, artwork, graphic design and art direction I did for Tomás Doncker for which I am still owed money:
Liner notes/booklet for James Chance:
buy.itunes_booklet_indd_final.pdf
If you are curious about my work, please visit my website: samuelclaiborne.com
True Groove Records: Audio Vanity Press


The story of Mephibosheth is a testimony of overnight increase. It is a story of how you can be suffering and weeping today and tomorrow you are smiling and dancing for joy (Psalm 30:5). It is a story of how you can be living with someone today because you can't even afford to rent a place of your own, and tomorrow you are the owner of not just a house but a massive estate. It is a story to assure every believer that if you are truly a child of God and the King of glory is your father, your tomorrow will certainly be brighter and better than your today. The story of Mephibospeth is the kind of testimony God wants to give you and I.
Mephibosheth story is the kind of story that makes headlines – CRIPPLED MAN BECOMES MILLIONAIRE OVERNIGHT. Every newspaper and soft sell will want to carry the story. Talk show hosts would want to invite the crippled man that has had this kind of breakthrough to come and be a guest on their show. I can imagine Mephibospeth being asked on a talk show 'so please can you tell our viewers your story. How did it happen, what did you do to experience this kind of overnight increase?' And he would reply 'it's just the grace of God'. The host won't be satisfied with that answer. She will probably say 'I know it's the grace of God but what did you do as a person'? The host won't want his answer to end with it was the grace of God because most times when people say it's the grace of God it's assumed that they don't want to say the whole story or they are trying to be humble. Also, we don't believe that people get rich overnight. There must be something you must have done either that all your life you had this dream or vision that you would one day own an estate of your own or you have always been a very determined and hardworking person or you came from a very wealthy family. Yes, Mephibosheth came from a wealthy family being the son of Jonathan a onetime Prince of Israel and grandson to Saul, onetime king of Israel, but at the time this breakthrough came to him, all that wealth had gone. Both his father and grandfather were dead and everything they had had been taken when David the new king had come to power. Neither his father nor his grandfather left anything for him in their will for him to survive on. He had nothing whatsoever. In fact, things were so bad for him that he was living with someone because he didn't have money to rent or buy a place of his own.
What is grace? Grace is simply a gift from God. It is something you get from God which you didn't work for or you don't deserve (Ephesians 2:8-9). The moment you can point to something you did to get a particular, blessing, promotion or increase, grace has been completely removed from the picture. It's no longer by grace but by works.
GRACE CAN GIVE YOU WHAT YOU DIDN'T PRAY FOR AND MORE THAN WHAT YOU EVEN PRAYED FOR: Mephibosheth's turn around, his increase and enlargement was a pure gift of grace. He wasn't the one that asked for the estate and lands that were given him, he didn't pray for them. It was David that asked "is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness…" (2 Samuel 9:1). We see from Mephibosheth story that grace is what gives you more than you could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). If David had given him an opportunity to ask the king for something, anything at all, Mephibosheth wouldn't have even asked for what David gave him. I believe that the thing that would have been uppermost in his mind, the thing he would have asked for would have been 'now that you are the one in power and everyone knows my grandfather was your number one enemy, just allow me live in peace'.
Anytime a new government comes into power, a lot of people who occupied key positions in the former government usually go into hiding. Some seek asylum from other countries. The belief is that every new government has a witch-hunting agenda. They would want to deal or bring to justice everyone considered to be a threat to their administration or that caused problems when they were in power. It was this mindset that actually led to Mephibosheth becoming crippled and going to live in Lo Debar. When the news came that both Saul and Jonathan had been killed and David was now the one in power, his nurse picked him up as he was just a 5 year old boy at that time, and both ran for their dear lives. It was in the process of running for safety that Mephibosheth fell from his nurse' hands and became crippled (2 Samuel 4:4). This event happened many years before the day David decided to show him kindness. Now Mephibosheth was a grown man.
Can you imagine what would have been going through Mephibosheth mind when they came to tell him that David was looking for him and had given instructions that they should immediately bring him to the king. There would have been fear in his heart as he would have been thinking at last David has discovered where I'm staying and wants to take revenge on me for all the atrocities my grandfather committed when he was the one in power. If David had given him an opportunity to ask for something, he certainly wouldn't have said give me all my grandfather's estate and lands or from today let me start eating with you at the king's table. The grace of God gave Mephibosheth more than he could ever ask or imagine. David did for Mephibosheth something very strange by all human standards. Today you will receive a pure gift of grace from God which will be more than what you could ever ask or imagine.
GRACE GIVES YOU WHAT YOU DIDN'T WORK FOR: Apart from the fact that Mephibosheth didn't ask for the lands that were given to him. He didn't work for them. The Bible tells us that he was crippled in both feet (2 Samuel 9:13). When someone wants to develop a big estate, it's very unlikely that he will employ a crippled person to be the project manger or supervisor. Even if you want to be employed as an artisan to do menial and odd jobs on the construction site, it won't be that easy for people to employ you. The reason being that the perception of most people is that people with disabilities slow down the work, they can't be very effective. So even if Mephibosheth wanted to work to have the estate and lands that were given him, he wasn't in a position to do so because he was crippled. Those lands were given to him as a pure gift of grace something he didn't work for. Today God's grace will hand over to you a gift and blessing you didn't work for. God's grace will give you the kind of breakthrough you can't even work for.
NO STRUGGLES WHEN GRACE IS INVOLVED: The estate came to him with ease without any struggles. The estate was given to him effortlessly, the person that would manage the estate and those that would work there were given to him without his having to start placing adverts in the newspaper to employ people or going through one interview after the other to get the right staff (2 Samuel 9:9-10). In one day, grace handed over 26 staff to him with ease. You don't struggle to get what is given by grace. It's good to work, it's good to be hardworking I'm not advocating laziness here. But the reality of life is that you can labour all your life, struggle to make it and still not have anything tangible to show for all your struggling and hustling if the grace of God is not upon your life (Psalm 127:1-2). When God's grace comes in, struggling and hustling gives way. I pray the grace of God will come into our lives and all those years of struggling and hustling will come to an end in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen!
GRACE MAKES AN ORDINARY DAY A VERY SPECIAL DAY: Another important thing about God's gift of grace which we see in Mephibosheth's life is that God's grace can turn an ordinary day into a very special day. David just woke up one day and asked "is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake"? That day wasn't Christmas Day that we will say it was a season of giving, a season that people are encouraged to show love and kindness to other people especially those in need. It wasn't Easter, it wasn't David's birthday or anniversary that we can say he was in the mood to do something nice and kind. Nor was it Mephibosheth 40th, 50th or 60th birthday. It wasn't his golden or silver jubilee anniversary that we will say David wanted to give him something special to mark a special day in Mephibosheth life. It was just a day of grace. The grace of God turned an ordinary day into a very special day for Mephibosheth. Today may not be your birthday or anniversary, it may not be a special day or a special service, but because God has chosen to make today a day of grace for you, you are going to leave here with something very special, the grace of God will make today a very special day in your life.
The second thing we see in Mephibosheth's life is that increase, enlargement, a turn around comes when covenants are fulfilled.
In 1 Samuel 20:14-17, David entered into a covenant with Jonathan the father of Mephibosheth that for as long as David is alive he would show kindness to Jonathan and the kindness won't just end with Jonathan it would extend to Jonathan's family. So there was a covenant of kindness between David and Jonathan. It was this covenant of kindness which David made to Jonathan that he remembered many years later. It was the covenant of kindness that led to David giving Mephibosheth all the lands that belonged to Saul. Mephibosheth was increased, he experienced enlargement, his tomorrow became better than his today the day David fulfilled his covenant.
God too has entered into a covenant of loving kindness with us. In Hosea 2:18-20 NKJV, God here uses the strongest kind of covenant that can exist between two people – the covenant of marriage. He says we won't just be His children; we will be more than children to Him. We will be married to him and in that marriage, we will see and enjoy God's loving kindness. This promise is fulfilled through Jesus. We are the bride of Christ and because of Jesus the person that binds and unites us together with God, God has covenanted to show His loving kindness to us; the bride of Christ. David showed Mephibosheth kindness not because of anything Mephibosheth did but because of the love David had for Jonathan. God shows us His loving kindness because of the love He has for JESUS not because of anything we have or have done.
In Jeremiah 31:3NKJV, God says "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness". If you want a change in your life, what you need is God's covenant of loving kindness to be established in your life. God's covenant of loving kindness can make the save and forgive an ardent sinner, it can make the poor rich, the sick whole, the weak strong, the barren fruitful, the single married. It can change everything about you. It can give you all round increase and enlargement. David understood the loving kindness of God that was why in Psalm 40:11 NKJV he prayed a very serious prayer to God. He told God do not withhold your loving kindness from me. When he committed the sin of murder and adultery he cried to God "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving kindness" (Psalm 51:1). If you want increase, if you want enlargement, if you want a change in your life, if you want your tomorrow to be better than your today, your prayer and cry to God like David said to God in Psalm 25:6, should be O God, remember your covenant of loving kindness.
If David a mere human king could remember to fulfil his covenant of kindness, how won't our God, the King of kings not remember to fulfil His covenant of loving kindness. Those years that Mephibosheth was suffering in Lodebar it looked like God wasn't concerned, God wasn't doing anything about his situation, but God was watching. God was watching those days Mephibosheth said 'look at me, a son of a prince reduced to someone that can't even get a place of my own'. God was watching those nights when he cried and said to himself 'it is bad enough that I don't have money, look at me I can't even walk, to even get up and have my bath is a big struggle, is it not better for me to die at least I will go and rest in heaven. Those years of pain, weeping, shame and sorrow that Mephibosheth was going through, God was watching that was why God's covenant of kindness came to pass in his life. The day Hagar cried in the desert having run away from Sarah as the abuse and insults in the house were too much for her, God was watching. When God found Hagar in the desert and comforted and encouraged her to go back to her madam, she told God "You are the God who sees me" (Genesis 16:3-14). The God who has seen your years of pain, weeping, shame and sorrow will extend his loving kindness to you today and you will experience increase, enlargement and a turn around. He says in Jeremiah 9:24 that He is the Lord that exercises loving kindness.
From Mephibosheth's life, it is clear that increase, a turn around, a better tomorrow comes when you move from 'Lo Debar' to the king's table. 2 Samuel 17:27-29 makes us understand something about Lodebar. It is a desert land; a place with no pasture. Food is scare there. It's not an interesting place to be.
LEAVING LO DEBAR TO THE KING'S TABLE MEANS LEAVING A PLACE OF HIDING TO A PLACE OF SAFETY: For Mephibosheth moving from Lo Debar to the king's table meant his days of hiding were over. Mephibosheth had gone into hiding because of a new government that had come in. When David gave him an invitation to come and sit at the king's table, this meant he was now safe; there was nothing to fear anymore, nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hide from. Who and what are you hiding from? Are you like Adam hiding from God because of a sin you have committed and you are ashamed to come into His presence, ashamed to work for him (Genesis 3:8-10). Are you like David who at a time was hiding from his enemy? There was a time in David's life that he too went into hiding. In 1 Samuel 19:18 he ran to Samuel to report all what Saul had done to him and they both left for Naioth to hide from Saul. In 1 Samuel 20:24 he ran to another place, he ran to a field still because of Saul. In 1 Samuel 26:1 he was hiding in a hill at Hakilah because of Saul. For a great proportion of David's life he was hiding because his strong and hardened enemy was after him.
Are you hiding out of pain, out of shame or out of fear? Are you hiding because of sin, hiding from your enemies, hiding from people you owe money? Or is there a particular problem in your life that most times because of what you are going through, you just hide yourself in your house, you don't feel like talking or being with people. Today your days of hiding are coming to an end. God is moving you from Lo Debar that place of hiding to the King of Glory's table; a place of refuge, comfort and safety.
LEAVING LO DEBAR FOR THE KING'S TABLE MEANS LEAVING A PLACE OF SHAME TO A PLACE OF HONOUR: Mephibosheth left Lo debar a place of shame to the king's table; a place of honour. It was a thing of shame that the son of a onetime Prince of Israel was now living with someone in one of the dry, barren parts of Israel. It isn't everyone that can dine with the king or President. It's an honour just a few people enjoy. Mephibosheth left Lo Debar a place of shame to a place of honour. Today because God is extending His grace and loving kindness to you, He is removing everything from your life that has caused you shame, He is removing everything in your life that doesn't bring honour to His Holy name and God is setting you in a place of honour.
LEAVING LO DEBAR FOR THE KING'S TABLE MEANS LEAVING A PLACE YOU ARE NOT OPPORTUNE TO DISCUSS WITH THE KING TO A PLACE YOU CAN DISCUSS WITH THE KING AND GET SOME SPECIAL FAVOURS FROM THE KING: Being at the King's table means you are close to the king and you can ask him to do certain things for you. It was while Esther was at the kings table that she asked him to spare the life of the Jews and the king granted her request (Esther 8:1-6). Special requests are granted at the king's table. You have special favour when you are at the king's table. Moving from Lo Debar to the king's table means you are being given a special kind of favour to get the answer to your requests. Moving from Lo Debar to the King's table is an assurance that your requests will be met as requests that are discussed while at the king's table are usually met. The things Mephibosheth could never discuss with David when he was at Lo Debar he was now in a position to discuss. Today the Lord will move you from Lo Debar to the King's table; to a place where the King of glory will grant your requests, to a place that you will get some special favours from the King of kings that will lead to you're a turnaround in your life and a better tomorrow.
2 Samuel 17:27-29 makes us understand something about Lodebar. It is a desert land; a place with no pasture. Food is scare there. It's not an interesting place to be.
Are you hiding out of pain, out of shame or out of fear? Are you hiding because of sin, hiding from your enemies, hiding from people you owe money? Or is there a particular problem in your life that most times because of what you are going through, you just hide yourself in your house, you don't even feel like talking, being with people or going anywhere. Today your days of hiding are coming to an end. God is moving you from Lo Debar that place of hiding to the King of Glory's table; a place of refuge and safety.
LEAVING LO DEBAR FOR THE KING'S TABLE MEANS LEAVING A PLACE YOU ARE NOT OPPORTUNE TO DISCUSS WITH THE KING TO A PLACE YOU CAN DISCUSS WITH THE KING AND GET SOME SPECIAL FAVOURS FROM THE KING: Being at the King's table means you are close to the king and you can ask him to do certain things for you. It was while Esther was at the kings table that she asked him to spare the life of the Jews and the king granted her requests (Esther 8:1-6). Special requests are granted at the king's table. You have special favour when you are at the king's table. Moving from Lo Debar to the king's table means you are being given a special kind of favour to get the answer to your requests. Moving from Lo Debar to the King's table is an assurance that your requests will be met as requests that are discussed while at the king's table are usually met. Things Mephibosheth could never discuss with David when he was at Lo Debar he was now in a position to discuss. Today the Lord will move you from Lo Debar to the King's table; to a place where the King of glory will grant your requests, to a place that you will get some special favours from the King of kings that will lead to your increase and enlargement.
The third thing that brings increase and enlargement which we can see in Mephibosheth life is that increase comes when you move from 'Lo Debar' to the king's table. 2 Samuel 17:27-29 makes us understand something about Lodebar. It is a desert land; a place with no pasture. Food is scare there. It's not an interesting place to be.
LEAVING LO DEBAR FOR THE KING'S TABLE MEANS LEAVING A PLACE YOU ARE NOT OPPORTUNE TO DISCUSS WITH THE KING TO A PLACE YOU CAN DISCUSS WITH THE KING AND GET SOME SPECIAL FAVOURS FROM THE KING: Being at the King's table means you are close to the king and you can ask him to do certain things for you. It was while Esther was at the kings table that she asked him to spare the life of the Jews and the king granted her requests (Esther 8:1-6). Special requests are granted at the king's table. You have special favour when you are at the king's table. Moving from Lo Debar to the king's table means you are being given a special kind of favour to get the answer to your requests. Moving from Lo Debar to the King's table is an assurance that your requests will be met as requests that are discussed while at the king's table are usually met. Things Mephibosheth could never discuss with David when he was at Lo Debar he was now in a position to discuss. Today the Lord will move you from Lo Debar to the King's table; to a place where the King of glory will grant your requests, to a place that you will get some special favours from the King of kings that will lead to a better tomorrow for you.
LEAVING LO DEBAR TO THE KING'S TABLE MEANS LEAVING A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE FAR AWAY FROM THE KING TO A PLACE YOU CAN HAVE A VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE KING: If David a human king was not just concerned that Mephibosheth have lands – physical, material and financial increase but he also sit at the king's table so Mephibosheth could be close to him and they could converse together and have a better relationship, imagine how the King of glory feels when we aren't concerned about our relationship with Him, when we are more concerned with what we can get from God than our relationship with God. David wasn't just satisfied with giving physical blessings to Mephibosheth. He wanted more; He wanted a closer relationship with Mephibosheth. By agreeing to come to the king's table and for the rest of his life eat at the king's table (2 Samuel 9:13), Mephibosheth was committing himself to a life of walking closely with the King.
So what is the summary of Mephibosheth's story of overnight increase, of a better tomorrow? It is simply that when you agree to sit, eat, fellowship and walk closely with the king, a better tomorrow is guaranteed; the kind of testimony you can't even ask for or imagine will be given you. Leaving Lo Debar for the King's table means a commitment to a close relationship with the King of kings. For what would it profit a man to receive lands, money and all other physical blessings from the King of kings yet not have a relationship with the Everlasting King. Are you ready to commit yourself to a life of walking intimately with the King of Glory? The Lord is calling you to make that commitment today so you can have a better tomorrow.


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War of the Rebellion: Serial 008 Page 0166 OPERATIONS IN MO., ARK., KANS., AND IND. T. Chapter XVIII.
ments. Not being satisfied with their reports I repaired to the picket line in person, and was soon convinced that they were moving up, with pieces of artillery, in front of Fort Thompson. I immediately ordered the pickets strengthened; they already constituting one-fifth of my entire command. The enemy's picket line, numbering as much as the whole garrison of the fort, was pressed forward, and our pickets forced to retire a distance of 300 paces. Protected by a strong force of cavalry and infantry, as well as by the darkness of the night, the enemy succeeded in planting two batteries in front of the fort, 1 mile distant. This we could not prevent without bringing on a general engagement at night on the enemy's ground, which would have been disastrous to us beyond question.
About 2 o'clock I sent Captain Jordan to report to General Stewart the movements of the enemy, &c. Apprehending an attack not from the front (properly the rear, as the fort was intended to front the river), but from the flank down the river, which is the most vulnerable point of the fort, I directed Captain R. A. Stewart, commanding Artillery Corps, to send into the fort at once detachments to move a portion of the guns bearing both in front and on the left of the fort. I also went in person to 'Colonel Smith, of the Eleventh, and Colonel Cook, commanding the Twelfth, Arkansas Regiments, instructing them to hold their commands in readiness, a portion of which I desired to enter the fort and the residue the rifle pits below the fort. These dispositions were ordered about 2 a. m., March 13.
Just at day-dawn the enemy's batteries in front of the fort opened fire upon us. Our guns from the northern bastion of the fort responded promptly and with ammunition, and a brisk cannonading was kept up for half an hour.
The morning turned out to be dark and foggy, which, with the smoke from the guns, rendered it impossible to ascertain anything of the enemy's movements or to direct the firing from the fort with proper accuracy. I therefore directed a cessation of firing from our guns. The enemy kept up firing from their batteries, which seemed to be directed not at us, but at the transports in the river, the chimneys of which were visible above the fog. The smoke clearing off revealed to us the enemy's batteries, with four regiments of infantry more than half a mile from them, partly secreted from view by the timber in front of us. I ordered a fire from three of the fur guns from the northern bastion and the two 12-pounders on the curtain in front to be directed at the infantry, and from three of the 24-pounder guns in the northwestern bastion upon the enemy's batteries. This was done with such accuracy and effect that the infantry were forced to retire from view. I then directed the fire to be concentrated upon the battery in the feild to the left. This was kept up for nearly an hour. The smoke and fog again becoming dense, we were compelled to suspend firing. Observing that the fog was heavy over the gunboats, I directed our firing to be held until such times as they might be enabled to ascertain the locality of the enemy.
In the course of a half hour the fire of the gunboats, heretofore irregular and desultory, was opened warmly upon the battery on the left. This was kept up for some time, our fort in the mean time remaining silent.


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Sachin Bansal to Start a Holding Company for Investing in AgriTech and Fintech Ventures
By Suman Chaudhary Nov 27, 2018
Poster boy of Indian entrepreneurs, Sachin Bansal, post exiting Flipkart, which he co-founded back in 2007, is all set to start his second innings as an investor, mentor for startups and entrepreneurs and for same he has reportedly establishing a holding company through which he will run his new businesses and make investments as well.
A holding company is a company that owns other companies' outstanding stock and it usually does not produce goods or services itself instead its purpose is to own shares of other companies to form a corporate group. In few of advantages of a holding company are — to consolidate its compliance and financial risks, minimize its tax, and facilitate opportunities for growth.
According to a report by Madhav Chanchani, Economic Times, Sachin Bansal has roped in investment banke, as a partner and founding employee of the proposed holding firm.
Bansal, who exited Flipkart in May following Walmart's acquisition of a majority stake in it, will directly operate his new businesses as well as invest for large minority and majority stakes in the agri-tech and fintech segments, these people said.
Although the exact time as when will they both launch this proposed holding firm is not clear yet however the focus of the company will agri-tech and fintech segments as these are two of the most emerging technology segmemts in India. Bansal is expected to deploy a large chunk of his capital in these two sectors.
Agarwal was until recently was a director at Bank of America, where he worked on interest rate trading. Prior to that, he was employed with Deutsche Bank.
RELATED READING Flipkart 'Massively' Expands Pick-up Operations in 800 New Cities and Towns
Sachin Bansal, who sold his 5.5% stake in Flipkart for about $1 billion when Walmart acquired a 77% stake in the e-commerce firm, is expected to have pocket $750-760 million from the stake sale after deducting taxes.
Since then, Bansal has been busy evaluating investments in India's internet ventures and a number of reports and speculations are going around including his plan start venture capital fund of up to $1 billion for investing in startups as well as considering launching an artificial intelligence (AI) startup.
Before Flipkart got acquired by Walmart, both the co-founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, had quietly incorporated a new company called 'Sabin Advisors' in January this year. The company, which still exist, was reportedly for new businesses and was expected to include venture capital funding and insurance. But eventually Walmart came in to the scene and overtook everything and the Sabin Advisor plan didn't took off as expected.
Now in a dramatic and unpredictable sequence, Sachin Bansal has parted his ways with Binny Bansal professionally and is said to have partnered with Ankit Agarwal, who like Binny is too his colleague in his alma mater IIT-Delhi.
Last month it was also reported that Sachin may invest $100 million in homegrown cab hailing firm Ola in what would be called as biggest investment in personal capacity. Ola's founder Bhavish Aggarwal is said to be very close to Bansal and they both enjoys a good rapport with each other.
Earlier this month, it was also reported that Bansal is in talks to invest about $30 million in electric bike maker Ather Energy, in which he is a board member.
RELATED READING MilkBasket Raises $2.85 Mn in Debt Funding from Sachin Bansal's BAC Acquisitions
Notably, Bansal is already an investor in a fintech startup Sigtuple along with Flipkart cofounder Binny Bansal, who resigned fro Flipkart this month.
[Top Image – TimesNowNews.com]
Agritech Startups
Bangalore-based Social Enterprise Pollinate Energy Gets Backing from Australian University
Health Tech Startup Niramai Raises $7 Mn from Pi Ventures, Axilor, Binny Bansal & Others
Comm Ministry to Showcase Startup India Tableau at Republic Day Parade
Indian Startups in Aviation Sector to Pitch for Support at Singapore Airshow
DSCI, Telangana Govt's Cybersecurity CoE Invites Applications for Startup Incubation Program


Earlier this summer, BBVA Spain launched a new app on facebook, the 'BBVA Game'. In just over two months, it attracted over 37,000 users who tried to get hold of the 28 prizes (iPad, Samsung Galaxy, La Liga tickets…) given by the bank so far.
Gamification is one of the hottest topics in banking, insurance and financial services. In the last 18 months, over the world, banks like Rabobank in the Netherlands, Barclaycard in the US or Chase and CIMB in Asia started to experiment and find more entertaining and fun ways to engage with their banking customers, aiming to change their financial behaviours by transforming everyday tasks in games.
In a recent blog post, BBVA Spain annonced that their BBVA Game app on facebook has attracted a community of more than 37,000 players which already won 28 appealing prizes (iPad, Samsung Galaxy, La Liga tickets …), including two trips to New York to live and enjoy a direct match of the NBA.
BBVA is keen to build on its momentum and grow their community as quickly as possible: currently, they give away 300 points on registration and another 2,000 points for every friend you convinced to register.
BBVA Game is a simple game linking BBVA's transactional banking site -www.bbva.es – and providing a fun way to learn how to take advantage of all the services available. BBVA customers earn points by using the site and buy products or services. Those points can be redeemed for gifts (direct-download music and streaming of online movies) and also through sweepstakes.
We invite you to watch this video where Bernard talks us through the concept.
In your opinion, how valuable to a bank is such an initiative on facebook? Are you working on gamification projects at your financial institution?


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My Behance Portfolio
1976-1992. A very serious, semi-serious biography
This is my semi-serious biography, written in 1992 after two long days of interviews. It narrates my beginnings as a photographer, first as an amateur, then as a professional. It is mainly targeted to those young people about to embark in this harsh but beautiful profession…
To break through, they will have to overcome significant obstacles, because of the competitive nature of this field: nobody dreams of becoming a butcher or a pastry chef nowadays, but many want to become photographers. Just remember that, before them, we have all had our fair share of experiences, failures, sufferings, and blunders.
I just happen to be a photographer
By Alessandro Menegazzo
My mom owned a camera that I would often borrow. The brand was 'Pearl,' but it definitely was not a pearl of a camera. I soon yearned to own a serious camera, and so I spent all my savings on buying a Canon AE1. It was sturdy and reliable, with a prime lens: it was a knock-out. It was like graduating from a bike to a car: a gulf between them. I quickly shot my way through the first roll of film, then I ran to the nearest print shop and bugged the owner until he gave me back my printed photos. It was right then that I decided to become a photographer.
Easy to say, but that decision was a bit a short of a miracle for me. I reached age 23 with a few confused ideas about life, after realizing that a degree in mats was not for me, after a bit of politics and after much bullshitting. However, I had finally realized what I wanted to be, and that was all that mattered. After a month, the darkroom no longer held any secrets from me and, with an Agfa kit, I learned how to develop my positives that I would later print in Cibachrome. I now lived for photography, and I wanted to be reciprocated: I expected photography to put bread on my table.
June 1977. Roll N. 0014. My very first strip about dummies. I still didn't know that, many years later mannequin would become one of my more successful subjects. I loved Ilford films, but they told me that pros used the Kodak Tri X and…here it is… The featured image above: a transparency for a glamour shoot
@Roberto Bigano - [email protected]


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Brumunddal – stacja kolejowa w Brumunddal, w regionie Hedmark w Norwegii, jest oddalona od Oslo Sentralstasjon o 139,90 km. Jest położona na wysokości 134,0 m n.p.m.

Ruch pasażerski
Leży na linii Dovrebanen. Stacja obsługuje ruch lokalny do Oslo Sentralstasjon i Lillehammer; pociągi na tej trasie jeżdżą co dwie godziny w obie strony.

Stacja obsługuje 6 połączeń dziennie z Oslo S i Dombås oraz cztery z Trondheim S.

Obsługa pasażerów
Poczekalnia, kasa biletowa, automat biletowy, telefon publiczny, winda peronowa. parking na 40 miejsc, parking rowerowy, WC, ułatwienia dla niepełnosprawnych, przystanek autobusowy, postój taksówek.

Przypisy

Stacje i przystanki kolejowe w regionie Hedmark

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It's been another typical day in the world of Heather Mills.
She started her day by storming out of a radio interview with London's LBC station, and then turned up at Speaker's Corner, in a gas-guzzling black 4x4 Mercedes, to lecture the assembled crowds on ways of saving the planet.
As part of her extraordinary tirade at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park, Heather exhorted people to try drinking rat's milk instead of cow milk to help reduce global warming.
Once again, "The Simpsons" did it first. Sorry, Heather Mills, but Fat Tony was milking rats years ago.
If you're a partisan Republican, odds are you mock the very idea of global warming. If you're on the other side, chances are you've built a shrine to Al Gore, made out of compost, natch.
I'm not a scientist. I have no real interest in science. I'm aware of the issue, and I read a few articles here and there, but frankly I don't know whether man is destroying the planet. I tend to side with the majority of experts who say we are, but it appears there hasn't been enough serious debate to consider the matter closed.
Still, like most people, I'm inclined to do my share for the environment. Then I read about No Impact Man and I want to spend the rest of the day throwing shredded Styrofoam cups out my 8th floor window.
Isn't that strange? You click off family's electricity and make them go to bed at nine every night because it's too dark to do anything else. You ban them from the elevator so they have to walk up and down nine flights of stairs. You take away their fridge so they can't keep more than a day or two of food around the house.
Even more obnoxious are afffluent Hollywood liberals turned eco-lobbyists. I can see why they're attracted to the cause; unlike, say, working with the poor, environmental activism requires no personal contact with the grubby masses. Instead, you get to hang out with Leo DiCaprio and talk about how satisfying it is to be fully evolved. Oh yeah, and there's lecturing. Lots and lots of lecturing.
Because they have rich, connected husbands, Meyer and Bell got a face-to-face with Barbara Boxer, who shares their concern.
Well now I'm really worried.


The term 'SPS', 'Suffolk Preservation Society', 'us' or 'we' refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is Little Hall, Market Place, Lavenham, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 9QZ. Charity Registration: 1154806. The term 'you' refers to any user, visitors and viewers of our website.


APEGBC is hosting a Student and Industry Night on Wednesday, March 18 at SFU. This fun and casual evening provides a great opportunity for industry professionals to share their knowledge, career anecdotes and advice with engineering and geoscience students. It's also a great opportunity to socialize and network with fellow engineers and geoscientists. Free for all attendees.
We are pleased to have Dave Kachman, P.Eng. and Sherri Hodder M.Sc., P.Geo. as our speakers. Presentations will be followed by a casual networking mixer.


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home » JIS News » Coronavirus
GOJ Minute 1 January 19, 2022
GOJ News | Presented by: Anjuii James Sawyers
4h club to expand RYEEP
GOJ News | Presented by: Dontae Matthews
Contact tracing has not ceased – Dr. Tufton
Written by: Chris Patterson
Photo: Michael Sloley
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, addressing a digital press briefing on September 24.
COVID-19 safeguards will remain pivotal, even after vaccine is identified – PAHO Director
Persons 70 years and older must remain at home
Islandwide curfew extended to October 7
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says that contact tracing remains a critical part of the Ministry's response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
He said that the process has not ceased amid the community transmission phase of the virus.
"Contrary to reports… that contact tracing has ceased, that we no longer do contact tracing, we are still engaged in contact tracing and that, therefore, is a wrong impression to give," he noted.
Dr. Tufton, who was addressing the Ministry's weekly virtual COVID Conversations press briefing on Thursday (September 24), informed that the health authorities are following some 3,690 contacts throughout the country.
"This means that contact tracing is, in fact, taking place in a different way, perhaps not as a quarantine community but, certainly, there are contacts scattered across the country and that requires some level of tracing or investigating.
It's a lot of work, but it is happening and we will continue and change as appropriate," he said.
Dr. Tufton noted, as well, that the Ministry has been boosting the complement of the country's community health aides (CHA) to assist in the continued fight against COVID-19.
"That is why we had announced long ago, the engagement of additional staff in the field in the form of community health aides. We have gotten permission and have budgeted for 1,200 such personnel and… we have at least 700 or 800 deployed," he informed.
He said that the expansion of the programme is critical, as the workers will assist in providing information to citizens about their role in infection prevention and control.
Dr. Tufton also pointed out that 121 doctors have been deployed to bolster the numbers of front-line workers assisting with the fight against the virus.
He noted, too, that bed spaces, testing capacity, among other provisions, have been enhanced.
Dr. Tufton said that the Government and the Ministry are committed to ensuring that the response to the COVID pandemic is "adequate, thoughtful, deliberate and is acting in the best interest of the population".
"We are continuing to take COVID-19 and the response as a very important and absolute priority for the health and wellness of the population. The numbers are concerning and every positive case is a concern, every death is a tragedy and, each day, we deliberate over how to improve the process and the response," he said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based in the United States of America, contact tracing is part of the process of supporting patients with suspected or confirmed infection and warning contacts of exposure, in order to stop chains of transmission.
It is a key strategy for preventing further spread of COVID-19.
In contact tracing, public health staff work with a patient to help them recall everyone with whom they have had close contact during the time frame when they may have been infectious. Public health staff then warn these exposed individuals (contacts) of their potential exposure as rapidly and sensitively as possible.
Further, contacts are provided with education, information, and support to understand their risk, what they should do to separate themselves from others who are not exposed, monitor themselves for illness, and the possibility that they could spread the infection to others even if they themselves do not feel ill.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Baja Fever
By Greg Niemann
Baja Adventures
Guadalajara: Mexico's Second City
Guadalajara Cathedral
The trio of guitarists enthusiastically belted out the melodious "Gua-da-la-jara, "Gua-da-la-jaaaa-raaaa,," drowning out city noises and reminding the appreciative street side diners where they were – in Mexico's second largest city and the birthplace of the country's iconic music, mariachi.
With broad sombreros, tight pants and spangled jackets, mariachi groups are everywhere in the Guadalajara area, from fancy restaurants to small cafes with a few outside tables of local "Tapatios" (What a person from Guadalajara is called).
It had been 25 years since I'd been to the charming capital city of Jalisco, and while all the character and friendliness remained intact, much had changed – including a huge new Expo Convention Center, and the massive Millennium Arch 2000. At 52 meters (150 plus feet) the bright yellow landmark arch spans a busy roadway.
I was comforted with the familiar in the historic Centro area where broad shaded sidewalks face parks and plazas, cathedrals, classical buildings and monuments. Anchoring one plaza is the venerable Degollando Theater (1856) which continues to provide performances including the current Ballet Folklorico. The city center (Centro) (est. 1531) is also home to several museums, government buildings (Palacio de Gobierno, Palacio Municipal), and the Plaza de
The Market of Cures
Armas that recognizes important Tapatios. We reveled in the bustling central market (Mercado Libertad) where we were surprised to find the entire second floor was dedicated to homeopathic medicine, herbs, and witchcraft. The comprehensive market offers amulets, herbs, spices and concoctions for every possible ailment. Out favorite dining surprise came at a busy shop called Croissants Alfredo. We found the soft, doughy croissants so delicious we returned a few days later. Baked on premises, they are fresh and piping hot, many plain, others stuffed with chocolate, cream, pineapple or cajeta (caramel). (Croissants Alfredo is on Facebook).
We rode the public busses from our hotel to Centro and beyond, even to the villages of Tlaquepaque and Tonala. Most busses cost 6 pesos ($.50) even for the long one hour, 20 minute ride to Tonala. Some rides were direct; others we had to change busses but the drivers were very helpful, reminding us where to get off. From Centro one day we walked to Calle Independencia where we caught the Macrobus, which commands a special lane in the middle of the highway. We headed north, past the City Zoo, to the end of the line. The line ends there because the city ends there, at a huge chasm (the Barranca de Oblatos) with a muddy river (Rio Grande de Santiago) way, way down below, over 1,700 feet straight down. We hiked around lookouts and miradors, marveling at how abrupt the landscape changes from a busy city to a beautiful and pristine canyon.
One day we took the bus to the artist enclave of San Pedro Tlaquepaque where we saw our first gringos in three days. It was just a handful of non-Latinos at that, even though there were Mexican tourists.
Croissants Alfredo
Tlaquepaque has matured nicely, with fine art galleries (Gallery Sergio Bustamante, for example) and antique shops joining the more than 200 stores and factories that sell pewter, talavera, copper, leather, stonework, and wrought iron. A six block pedestrian street has been beautified with public art and bronze statues.
El Parian is a peaceful square dating from 1878 featuring outdoor dining. Street vendors are everywhere and a couple of guys played on the xylophone all afternoon.
The main plaza, Jardin Hidalgo, features a kiosk made of quarry stone topped with a talavera tile cupola, and faces the 200-plus year old Sanctuary of Our Lady of Solitude. Nearby is Plazoleta Juan Pablo II (Pope John Paul II Square) where a bronze statue of Latin America's papal favorite is revered.
We found one of our favorite meals in the bustling Mercado Municipal Benito Juarez where we squeezed in a bench seat among the locals at one of the numerous food stalls and enjoyed a delicious Pozole (a hominy based soup sans the tripe) lunch.
Jardin Hidalgo
Tlaquepaque is a suburb of Guadalajara on the southeast and you can also take a taxi from your hotel or join a tour where it is the most popular destination. Once in town you can join a Walking Tour where the highlights are pointed out.
Farther to the east at the edge of the Guadalajara metropolitan area is the artist and artisan village of Tonala, where almost every citizen is somehow involved in pottery or handicraft production marketing.
Shops were just opening as we walked from the bus stop to the city center, but it was quickly apparent that this town was an organized delight. Wedding dresses dominated the shops on one block, and pewter the next. Riots of colorful flowers were featured on one block, and children's dolls the next.
The picturesque plaza fronted the church and the market. As the expected rain began to fall we sought shelter in the public market and enjoyed lunch on outdoor tables covered by tarps overhead. Even so, more rustic mariachi groups strolled by between raindrops to assuage the local diners that they were still part of the Guadalajara experience.
We didn't realize until later that Thursdays and Sundays are market days when artisans convene upon the town with their pottery, stoneware and other handicrafts. We missed that by a day.
Guadalajara has two seasons, the wet one (June July and August), and the dry one the rest of the year. We were there in July, which might explain the dearth of tourists. Most of the rain came in the evening or at night when the skies would open up with booming thunder and a dazzling display of lightning. We just waited out the storm that day in Tonala.
There are a lot of retired Americans and Canadians living in the Guadalajara area, and most of those are in the communities of Lake Chapala and Ajijic about 40 kilometers south of town. The picturesque shallow lake there provides a restful backdrop to the artist and expatriate colonies. On our last visit we went down there to wander cobbled streets and note the walled enclaves of the gringos but were not in the mood to be among a bunch of English-speaking expats this time.
Outside of exploring Centro Guadalajara and the villages of Tonala and Tlaquepaque on your own like we did, there are several options available to make the most of this area.
Caladria Tour
Guadalajara City Tour – Perhaps the best value and comprehensive day trip is the Guadalajara City Tour where for 390 pesos (about $27.00) a walking tour of the historic Centro area is provided before an air-conditioned bus whisks you to both Tonala and Tlaquepaque (about 7 hours total). From hotel.
Tapatio Tour – An open deck bright red bus offers tourists a birds-eye view of the downtown area and Tonala and Tlaquepaque.
La Caladrias -- If you really like the open feeling hire a Caladria (horse and buggy) for an hour or so and clip-clop around the parks and plazas.
Tequila Express – The town of Tequila about 80 kilometers away is the heart of Mexico's tequila country. The Tequila Express tour ($100 US) is a full day outing into the Valle de Tequila (One of Mexico's Pueblo Magicos) which along with seeing how the fiery liquid is made, includes a fiesta with mariachis and folkloric show.
In the Guadalajara area there are numerous hotels, including the larger chains. The town of Tlaquepaque also offers several smaller inns and B&B's. Choose from the Casa de las Flores, the Casa de Rotoño, the Casa Campos, or the Villa de Ensueño, all a short stroll from the heart of town.
I enjoyed Guadalajara more this time around. The absence of in-your-face tourism was most appealing and we were able to meet many friendly Tapatios. While it is a big city (1.5 million) it is a pleasant contrast to burgeoning Mexico City (18 million). Plus they've got the world's best croissants.
Greg Niemann is the author of Baja Fever, Baja Legends, Palm Springs Legends, Big Brown: The Untold Story of UPS, and Las Vegas Legends. Visit: Greg's website.
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