text:
Small-town Slovakia – Trnava and Kosice
If you think Bratislava is small and perfectly formed, just wait till you see Trnava, just half an hour away by fast train (once or twice an hour). I've added it to the 'Beyond the City' chapter of the Bradt City Guide to Bratislava which I'm updating at the moment, as it's just too nice to miss. Just a short description, but I can go into a bit more detail here. A medieval market town (which owed much of its prosperity to the German settlers who moved here from the early thirteenth century), it was the seat of the Archbishop of Esztergom from 1541, when Hungary south of the Danube was occupied by the Ottoman Turks, until 1820, and of a Jesuit university, which played an influential rôle in the Counter-Reformation, from 1635 to 1777. Most of the city walls survive, as well as churches, synagogues and museums, and the town centre has recently been pedestrianised (the Slovaks do this very well) and is generally spick and span. Although the archbishop returned in 1977 and a new university opened in 1992, it's nowadays a quiet, largely pedestrianised town (although a PSA Peugeot Citroën car factory opened here in 2006 and FC Spartak Trnava did win the Slovak football championship in 2018).
The central crossroads is marked by the 16th-century town tower (containing the tourist office) and Slovakia's oldest theatre, opened in 1831; the basilica of St Nicholas (the original cathedral, dating from 1380-1421) is a few hundred metres to the east, with a heavy exterior and a dark interior due to having murals rather than windows on the north side of the choir. A block to the north, the University Church of St John the Baptist (consecrated in 1637, and now the cathedral) is a stunner, though, with a gorgeous Rococo interior of pale apricot, white and gold. The ceiling is spectacular ceiling, and the wooden altar (1640) is just huge, at 20.3m in height. Just south of the cathedral, the town's Orthodox synagogue now houses an attractive café (open 10.00-22.00 at least, every day); the grander Status Quo synagogue (1887) is now an art gallery.
There are lots of other churches (St Anna, St Jacob, St Joseph, the Assumption, Holy Trinity…), either built in the Baroque style or subsequently modernised into that style when the town was at its ecclesiastical peak, when it was known as 'Little Rome' or 'the Slovak Rome'. I amused to see that the cultural centre calls itself Little Berlin in hommage to Europe's cultural powerhouse. The church of St Helen, on the way towards the station, is an attractive little place that retains more Gothic features than most of the others. Monasteries and seminaries are also now used for cultural purposes, with the West Slovakian Museum in the Clarist convent (in use by 1239 and rebuilt in Baroque style in the seventeenth century) and its subsidiary branch, the Museum of Book Culture, in the Oláh Seminary (1561). There's also the Dom Hudby (House of Music, dedicated to the local composer Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský), in a Baroque town-house.
I can't say much about accommodation (it's within very easy reach of Bratislava, so there's no need to stay), but I did notice the Dream and Phoenix hotels which seem pleasant and affordable and are well located on Kapitulská, a largely traffic-free street between the basilica and the museum. There's certainly a great café and patisserie and a cocktail bar next to the Town Tower; for beer, you could try the Lokal Pub cellar bar at Hlavná 29 in the centre, but you could also head a little way north from the old town to the Sessler brewery.
At the other (eastern) end of the country, Košice is actually Slovakia's second-largest city, but it still feels like a small town, with almost everything of tourist interest clustered along one long street-cum-square. The cathedral and state theatre stand in the
centre of Hlavná námestie, which continues north for about 800 metres to the massive twin buildings of the East Slovak Museum, and its whole length is lined with Renaissance, Baroque and Secession townhouses and some fine churches – it's a spectacular sight.
In fact, very little of the two huge museum buildings are in use, and unless they have expansion plans I'd say they should move everything into the western one, which already houses the Košice Treasure, a hoard of coins probably buried in 1682 (when the city was seized by rebels) – they're mostly Hungarian (naturally) and Dutch, but there's also a Thracian stater of Lysimachos (323-281 BC, from Tomi, now Constanța in Romania) and a unique Edward IV coin from London. It may sound dull but is very well displayed, with interactive screens, and well worth the visit.
The East Slovak Gallery is also split between two buildings, and again it might make sense to for them to be brought together, although there's less sense of echoing empty halls. Founded in 1951, in 1979 it was moved to a Baroque townhouse at Alžbetina 22, but in 1985 a terrible fire destroyed 1,030 works of art. There's still a fine collection of over 700 paintings from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, housed since 1992 in the former County Hall (dating from 1779) at Hlavná námestie 27. Local artists were actually heavily involved in the plein-air landscape painting movement at the end of the nineteenth century, which grew out of the Nagybánya School in what is now Baia Mare, which I'm familiar with from writing the Rough Guide to Romania. Mainly influenced by Jules Bastien-Lepage, they combined impressionism and naturalism to create a luminist style (a term usually associated with the Hudson River School, who developed a similarly detailed and serene style of landscape painting). Art Nouveau (or Secessionism) was also important, and then in the 1920s Košice was a major centre of avantgarde art. The building at Alžbetina 22 now houses temporary shows, and is next door to the Löffler Museum, dedicated to the sculptor Vojtech Löffler (1906-90), as well as a collection of self-portraits by local artist and contemporary art shows.
The cutting-edge contemporary art scene is more in evidence at the Kasárne and Tabačka Kulturfabrik cultural complexes, both created for Košice's year as European Capital of Culture in 2013. There's also the Kunsthalle, a striking exhibition hall in a former swimming pool (opened in 1962) which was closed in 1992 (they drained the adjacent river to put a road there instead, and then the ground dried out and cracked the base of the pool) and reopened in July 2013 as an art centre. It reminded me of La Cité Miroir in Liège, built as a swimming pool in 1939 and reopened as an art centre in 2014.
For those of us with more traditional tastes, perhaps the prime cultural attraction might actually be the cathedral of St Elizabeth, the largest in Slovakia (it's routinely described as the most easterly Gothic cathedral in Europe, but that could only be true if Romania and Ukraine were not in Europe – there are fine Gothic cathedrals in Cluj, Sibiu, Alba-Iulia and Lviv, not to mention the Black Church in Brașov). It's a bit assymetrical outside, but is spectacular inside, with a nave and double aisles plus a transept of the same height and width as the nave, creating a huge central space. Immediately to the south is the slightly older church of St Michael, which served as a cemetery chapel, and to the north is the Urban Tower, rebuilt after the great fire of 1556 in Renaissance style, with a ground-level arcade around it. There are other fine churches along Hlavná (the Franciscan church has a fine Baroque façade), and also several synagogues, of which the large domed Neolog synagogue on Moyzesova, built in 1927, is now home to the city's orchestra.
One cultural treasure that the people of Košice are largely unaware of is the novelist Sándor Márai (1900-89), who was born here, studied in Germany then settled in Budapest, before fleeing communism to the United States; he translated stories by Franz Kafka for Košice's Hungarian-language newspapers as early as 1921. He wrote 46 books in Hungarian but was not translated into English until the 1990s, since when Embers (1942) in particular has become recognised as a fine nostalgic portrait of the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural late Habsburg Empire. It would be great if he could be properly commemorated in his native town.
As for eating and drinking, the Hostinec Pivovar is perhaps the oldest restaurant in Europe, opened in 1542; it is also now a brewpub, with a wide range of unpasteurised and unfiltered beers, including IPA and stout as well as Czech-style lagers. There's a fairly meaty menu, as well as pasta and gnocchi. You could also try the Žil Verne (Jules Verne) pub or the Schalkház café. There's also a Georgian restaurant, Gruzinák, which was closed on a Sunday evening when I went looking for khachapuri. All of these are on Hlavná námestie.
I also visited Pezinok and Modra, small wine-making towns just outside Bratislava – they're lovely places and already covered in the Bradt guide, but I'm adding a museum in each town.
Author adminPosted on April 21, 2019 April 21, 2019 Categories Košice and Trnava, Slovakia1 Comment on Small-town Slovakia – Trnava and Kosice
Dundee, Perth and around
Although there's plenty of culture and so on in Dundee (but see below for an update), we were actually there to cycle. First stop was Perth, which might have made a better base if only it had a backpacker's hostel (there's a hostel at Perth College which is only open from mid-June until the end of August). It seems a sort of Scottish Truro, with an old-money feel to it and a high-brow cultural profile – in particular at the Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre. I was especially struck by the line-up of performers in the Perth Piano Sundays series – the likes of Peter Donohoe, Jeremy Denk, Viktoria Postnikova – nae bad! Just a few days after getting home, a Radio 3 announcer praised the wood-panelled Perth Concert Hall as one of the great spaces for chamber music in the UK. Neither Perth nor Truro is forced by the presence of a university to be cool and relevant. You could argue that Dundee is to Perth as Glasgow is to Edinburgh – a brasher younger sibling that's trying to cast off an industrial past and become a cultural hub, largely through riverside regeneration – and it's doing fine, of course, but with a more street/youth profile.
The Perth Museum is fairly small but well presented, covering geology, natural history, prehistory and actual history. Perthshire has a rich store of prehistoric remains, with about 70 stone circles and later henges and hillforts. There's also the Carpow longboat, about 3000 years old, so not as ancient as the Ferriby Boats. I had no idea that the Romans had made it up here and even started building Rome's earliest frontier system (before the Antonine and Hadrian's Walls further south in Scotland, and also the Limes Danubianus past Bratislava) along the Gask Ridge southwest from Perth – I must try to retrace it some time.
Nor did I know that William the Conqueror (Billy the Conk, as he's known on The History of England podcast) came to Forteviot, near Perth, in 1072, when King Malcolm accepted him as his overlord – but he must have had his fingers crossed, because within a decade he was raiding England again. Perth became known as 'a capital' of Scotland, due to the royal court frequently staying here and the presence of Scone Abbey, where the King of Scots was crowned, just across the river; like Dundee, it became a Royal Burgh in the early 12th century. After this local history went a bit quiet until the nineteenth century, when the railway arrived and hotels started serving local drinks – Arthur Bell, John Dewar, and Matthew Gloag became known for their whiskies, and Sandemans imported port. In 1819 there were 44 distilleries here, the last closing in 2016. General Accident was founded here in 1885 and had its headquarters here for 113 years – it evolved into Aviva, which is based, inevitably, in London, but reintroduced the General Accident brand in 2013.
There's also a bit of art here, notably two sculpture rotundas and two big Lawrence portraits and a Raeburn of the fiddler Niel Gow. There was also a temporary show about Margaret Morris (1891-1980), who created modern dance (a la Isadora Duncan) in Britain – she married the Scottish Colourist painter John Duncan Fergusson, whose parents were from Perthshire and who regarded the Perthshire Highlands as his spiritual home – many of his works and also her archive are held at the Fergusson Gallery, a former watertower nearby at the corner of Tay St and Marshall Place – this apparently sees few visitors, so there's talk of relocating the collection.
Incidentally, we did have a scone in Scone, and a cuppa in Cupar.
I've been to St Andrews a couple of times before and didn't linger this time – but I couldn't help noticing that there are a lot of ruined churches, that the golf obsession is under control and largely confined to the west side of town near the Royal & Ancient, and that even though there are plenty of visitors there are quite a lot of cafés (and all the bike shops) which don't open on a Sunday. It has more museums than I remembered, but the nicely named MUSA (Museum of the University of St Andrews) is closed for a refurb. There also seemed to be rather a lot of visible lesbians around this time, which was definitely not the case in Dundee or Perth (and was news to my friends who studied there a couple of decades ago).
There's a pleasant cycle route up the coast northeast from Dundee (now that they've sorted out the section past the docks) to Broughty Ferry and on (between railway and golf links) to Carnoustie, where I stayed on my last visit. Broughty Ferry is a more salubrious suburb of Dundee, with decent pubs (see below) and cafés, including (since 1897) the excellent Goodfellow & Steven bakery and tea rooms. Broughty Ferry castle was closed for toilet refurbishment when we passed through, but houses a free museum; guarding the mouth of the Tay since 1496, it sticks out like a rotten tooth from far away.
Problematic pubs
A really good pub takes a bit of finding in Dundee, I'm sorry to say. The Dundonians do like a drink, and there are plenty of pubs in the centre that are always full and noisy, but the main problem is that they're not interested in live (real) ale – there are rows of gas-pressure dispensers promising IPAs and so on, as well as regular lagers, and frankly they taste much the same – pretty flat. The range of malt whiskies was fairly generic, too. Early in 2018 a real ale pub, the Copper Still, opened in the centre, but by the end of the year it had closed. As you'd expect, the university area, just west of the centre, has some more interesting options, notably the Speedwell, known mainly for its fabulous 1903 interior (there's an interesting partition with a swinging door between two bar areas) – it has just three well-hidden real ales among a forest of gas dispensers, but the Deuchars was fine and the company was cheery.
Tickety Boo's, at 51 Commercial St, has a fine interior too, with original stained glass, and is one of the nicest options in the centre, although it's a bit small and short of seating. Even more than elsewhere, many of the pubs in the centre of Dundee are former banks – there's the Bank Bar, a former TSB branch at 7 Union St (which usually has four real ales on tap as well as gins and food), not to be confused with the Old Bank Bar at 34 Reform St, The Trades House at 40 Nethergate (with wonderful stained glass and an engraved mirror) or The Counting House at 67 Reform St (once a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland, opened in 1856). The last is a Wetherspoons, run by a Europhobic nutter, but it's attractively restored and has decent enough (and cheap) beers, notably from Stewart's in Edinburgh. Wetherspoons also run Jolly's Hotel in Broughty Ferry and the Capital Asset in Perth (neither of which we sampled).
The best option in Broughty Ferry is the Fisherman's Tavern, which has been in the Good Beer Guide since 1975 (except for 2013, whoops) – like The Trades House, it's owned by Belhaven, which generally means a better than average pub.
In Perth, the Green Room (good for live music too), the Greyfriars Bar and the Kirkside Bar are the best real ale pubs, but actually the ideal would be to go a little way north to Moulin, a suburb of Pitlochry, where the Moulin Brewery has been building a great reputation since 1995 (Inveralmond isn't bad either, but they've only been going since 1997, so what would they know?). The multinational craft beer monster that is Brewdog (founded in Aberdeen) also has pubs (or 'bars') in Dundee and Perth, if that's your thing. I just noticed yesterday that Brewdog will be opening a pub here in Cambridge soon – good news, if you take the view that any new pub expands the market for real ale and good beer.
As promised at the start – an update on Dundee's cultural offering – the West Ward Works on Guthrie Street, where the Beano and Dandy annuals were printed, is to be redeveloped into a hub for designers, artists and other creative workers and companies, and will house a comic museum and spaces for live performances and exhibitions.
And it seems that an e-bike sharing scheme will open in July (2019) – presumably using charging stations rather than the dockless model that has become so popular recently for non-electric bike-sharing schemes.
Author adminPosted on April 21, 2019 April 21, 2019 Categories Perth, Scotland, United KingdomTags art, beer, cycling, Dundee, history, Perth. museums, pubs


rubber stair tread covers rubber stair treads vantage rubber stair tread and riser covers rubber stair tread caps.
rubber stair tread covers rubber stair tread covers non slip weather resistant step mats home depot stair tread mat rubber rubber back stair tread cover.
rubber stair tread covers rubber stair treads stair tread cover stair treads rubber indoor stair tread covers outdoor rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers rubber stair tread covers stair tread covers stair tread ideas amazing best carpet treads on removing rubber stair tread covers commercial rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers rubber stair covering outdoor rubber stair tread covers rubber stair tread covers rubber stair tread and riser covers.
rubber stair tread covers stair treads rubber rubber stair tread covers all county flooring supply product vinyl stair treads stair outdoor rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers vinyl stair tread cover rubber rubber stair tread and riser covers.
rubber stair tread covers rubber stair treads commercial rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers vinyl stair treads residential rubber stair tread caps.
rubber stair tread covers home depot stair nosing rubber stair treads home depot stair treads rubber stair treads indoor vinyl commercial rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers vinyl stair covering rubber stair treads rubber stair treads vinyl stair treads vinyl stair tread coverings vinyl stair covering rubber stair tread caps.
rubber stair tread covers outdoor rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers new rubber stair treads commercial rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers vinyl stair treads commercial rubber stair tread covers stair tread commercial rubber stair tread covers commercial exterior rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers stair riser covers stair covering options stair treads risers rubber stair tread and riser covers commercial rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers black rubber outdoor rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers rubber stair treads home depot stair nosing home depot wood flooring solid oak flush fit stair rubber stair treads rubber back stair tread cover.
rubber stair tread covers rubber stair mats outdoor non slip rubber stair tread mats pack of 5 durable outdoor staircase rubber stair commercial rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers ribbed commercial rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers deck stair treads exterior model collection outdoor rubber stair tread caps.
rubber stair tread covers exterior rubber stair tread covers.
rubber stair tread covers rubber stair tread cover rubber back stair tread cover.


text:
Q: Independence of stochastic processes Suppose that $(X_t)$ and $(Y_t)$ are stochastic processes defined on the same probability space whose sample paths belong to some Hilbert space $K$ (or more generally, to some function space). We may view these processes as $K$-valued random variables, hence we may talk about their independence as random variables.

Is the independence of stochastic processes $(X_t)$ and $(Y_t)$ equivalent to the independence of the corresponding $K$-valued random variables?

Apologies if this is trivial, but I am lost with indices.

A: I am not sure, if I understood this question correctly. The way I understood it, as we need a measure for independence, we first must think about the natural measure on $\Omega\times I$, where I is the index set of the processes corresponding to the domain of the function space. In my opinion, this would lead again to the finite dimensional distributions and thus to equivalence.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


In this charming children's tale, a magical little cloud who mistakenly believes her town has forgotten her birthday learns that it's always best to make good choices in life.
Copyright © 2018. Kimberly Dawn. All rights reserved.


text:
Olivier Martelly at PetroCaribe Meeting in Jamaica
This picture will stop all rumors about the son of President Michel Martelly, Olivier Martelly as several news sources has recently reported that he was in trouble with the American justice and consequently has been arrested.
Recently on September 5, 2015, Olivier Martelly, the son of Haitian President Michel Martelly was noticed arriving at Montigo Bay airport in Jamaica accompanying his father who came to attend PetroCaribe conference in the city. There were reports that he has been held in the U.S under house arrest in charges of money laundering, tax evasion and narcotic trafficking from Colombia via Haiti to the U.S. The picture of his arrival in Jamaica might put an end to the rumor of his arrest, but it will definitely generate more questions with his underworld connections and freedom.
Read more about michel martelly, jamaica, arrested, Olivier Martelly, Government
Charles Vorbe, also known as Ponpon
François Nicolas Duvalier Potential Candidate for President of...
Rafael L. Trujillo welcoming Paul Magloire in Santo Domingo
Former PNH Chief, Godson Orelus, arrested for illegal arm...
The Super Cabinet of Jean Claude Duvalier
Jean Renel Sanon, David Bazile and Pierre Richard Casimir
Joseph Nérette and Joseph Raoul Cédras
The problem of Illegal Electricity or Cumberland in Haiti

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Our Tesco Discount Vouchers allow you to shop easily but also give you some fantastic discounts from the comfort of your own home.
M S Bishopbriggs Seems to be in all stores, as some other folk have posted similar on here in last couple.75.
Then take advantage of click and collect.
First Order Discounts: If you're a new customer, you can benefit from a fantastic reduction on your first online order.Click through to the Tesco homepage with any of our offers or or Tesco Voucher Codes and we'll take the small earning we make from directing your purchase and donate it to our monthly charity.Find Food Inspiration: Stuck on how best to spend your Tesco Voucher Codes?Tesco Deals, persil Colour Fibre Care 25 washes.201655, tesco Deals.44 per litre.Found in Hucknall tesco.2520, tesco Deals, released just a few weeks ago - Limited Edition - Cinnamon Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.25L is now a firm favourite in our house, sadly not around for long, so am in the process of stock 717.0359.
To save more on your delivery, don't forget to look out for our Tesco Voucher Codes for Free Delivery. .Enjoy a pleasant experience as you sweep through your weekly grocery shop and always be certain you'll find exactly what you need on the virtual shelves when doing your food shop for less online.If you haven't registered for an account, you will have to do so now to find your home delivery address or local stores.Tesco Now Has Everything in One Place on the Web.Whether you're hosting a dinner party or want some new menu choices to make dinners more exciting.Take the control of when you receive your items kill ping discount code and where you collect them from, so if the store is more convenient on the way home from work or your partner would be able to pick up from their local store, click and collect can.Deal, take advantage of this offer and choose your mobile plan with a great reduction in price from this website.Also find products reduced down to just.Encona West Indian Original Hot Pepper Sauce Explore the taste of the Caribbean with Encona West Indian Orig 1250, asda Deals, ooh.
For all areas of their business we offer Tesco Discount Codes that are updated daily and are always available to use along with their top deals.


Milano, 31 January 2019 – The Head of Strategy and Scientific Affairs Maria Grazia Magro, the Head of Operations Patrick Vincent and the Head of President Office Cecilia Cattaneo will take office at Human Technopole – MIND Milano Innovation District.
The Head of Strategy and Scientific Affairs Maria Grazia Magro will support the Director Iain Mattaj in the operational and strategic activities, including the definition of Human Technopole scientific strategy and project development.
Maria Grazia Magro has a background in molecular cell biology. She holds a master's level Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Naples Federico II (Naples, Italy) and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the International Max Planck Research School for Biomedicine and Bioengineering and the TU Dresden (Dresden, Germany). Maria Grazia has more than ten years of experience in both basic research and science management at top-level international research institutions, mainly in Germany.
The Head of Operations Patrick Vincent will follow the development of the administrative structure at Human Technopole, in concert with the Director. Patrick holds several positions of Direction of Research and Development in multinational life sciences companies, mostly in Europe, USA and Asia. In particular, he was responsible, as Administrative Director, for setting up the Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology (OIST), the first truly international research centre in Japan.
The Head of President Office Cecilia Cattaneo has more than fifteen years of experience as executive assistant and office manager at top management levels in international research centres and multinational companies. At Human Technopole Cecilia will work with the President on the main governance issues.
The Human Technopole Foundation is pleased to announce this further step for the constitution of a world-class research center in the EXPO Milano area. The three managers will join the Director and the administrative officers already working in Palazzo Italia.


text:
UPDATED: Lord Of The Rings comes to London's West End – An musical version of the Lord Of The Rings is to premiere in London – costing more than £8 million!!
by theoneringMay 28, 2003Other News
An musical version of the Lord Of The Rings is to premiere in London – costing more than £8 million.
The adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy will open in the West End at the beginning of 2005.
It will be the most expensive production to date – costing £1.5 million more than Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the current biggest budget musical.
The musical will be directed by Matthew Warchus, who is in charge of the current hit Our House, and produced by Kevin Wallace.
It promises one of the most spectacular productions ever.
Wallace told the London Evening Standard. "I want it to be a landmark.
"When you put a piece of literature with such a worldwide profile on the stage you need to make something utterly extraordinary."
Already 18 months in development, the world premiere will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the publication of Tolkien's complete trilogy.
UPDATED – Press Release
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE FIRST STAGE MUSICAL ADAPTATION OF JRR TOLKIEN'S CLASSIC TRILOGY "THE LORD OF THE RINGS"
TO OPEN IN LONDON IN SPRING 2005
"THE LORD OF THE RINGS" PRODUCED BY KEVIN WALLACE AND SAUL ZAENTZ TO BE DIRECTED BY MATTHEW WARCHUS
"THE LORD OF THE RINGS", the first major stage musical adaptation of JRR Tolkien's classic trilogy, will receive its World Premiere when it opens in London in Spring 2005. This coincides with the 50th anniversary of the publication of the complete trilogy, "The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King".
The £8 million production has book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and music by Stephen Keeling and Bernd Stromberger. McKenna & Keeling were the team responsible for the critically acclaimed West End musical "Maddie".
Award-winning Matthew Warchus will direct. His recent credits include the London musicals "Tell Me On A Sunday" and "Our House", and the Yasmina Reza plays "Life x 3", "The Unexpected Man" and "Art". Award-winning Rob Howell will design. His recent West End credits include "Our House", "Simply Heavenly", "The Graduate", "The Caretaker" and "Sophie's Choice" at The Royal Opera House.
"THE LORD OF THE RINGS" will be produced by Kevin Wallace and Saul Zaentz. Kevin Wallace was in-house producer at The Really Useful Theatre Company from 1997-2001 when it produced the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals "Whistle Down the Wind", The Beautiful Game", "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Sunset Boulevard". In 2001 he received an International EMMY Award as executive producer of the film version of "Jesus Christ Superstar". His other London productions include the critically acclaimed "Gagarin Way" and "Eden". The legendary Saul Zaentz, whose film productions include the award-winning "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "Amadeus", "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and "The English Patient", was this year awarded the BAFTA 'Academy Fellowship'.
Peter Thompson Associates
12 Bourchier St
W1D 4HZ
mailto:info@ptassociates.co.uk
Middle-earth Map Wall Hanging The Lord of the Rings : The One Ring T-Shirt
← Prev: The Mithril Armoury - Official LOTR Armoury for THe One Ring Opens! Next: Advantures of Laramir, Pt. 4 (AU) - O Brother →
Found in Home 5 News 5 Other News 5 UPDATED: Lord Of The Rings comes to London's West End – An musical version of the Lord Of The Rings is to premiere in London – costing more than £8 million!!
Noel – J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lost" Christmas Poem
In 2016, a Christmas poem by Tolkien written in 1936 was discovered at a school in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK. Read and listen to it for the first time!
Lord of the Rings Stars on Quest to Buy Home of J.R.R. Tolkien
Lord of the Rings alumni are banding together on a quest to by the home of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Peter Jackson Involved With Star Wars Episode VIII?
If you watched the 6 minute video Peter Jackson released today, you may have caught a big of an "Easter Egg" while he's pulling out some artwork showing off Mirkwood.


text:
BJP's Karnataka executive adopts resolutions for laws against 'love jihad' and cow slaughter
Bengaluru: The BJP's Karnataka state executive on Saturday adopted resolutions for the passage and implementation of legislation against inter-faith marriages and cow slaughter in the state.
State BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel said the government would take necessary decisions in this regard, a release said.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi were among those present at the meeting held on Saturday at Belagavi.
Karnataka Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan has already indicated that the anti-cow slaughter bill will be introduced during the state legislative session starting from 7 December.
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said the state will have a law against "love jihad", and officials have been directed to gather information regarding an ordinance promulgated in Uttar Pradesh in this regard.
Uttar Pradesh had recently promulgated an ordinance against forcible or fraudulent religious conversions, which provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 50,000 under different categories.
"Love jihad" is a coinage used by right-wing activists to refer to the alleged campaign of Muslims forcing Hindu girls to convert in the guise of love.
The state executive of the BJP has also strategized at ensuring that a large number of BJP supported candidates win the upcoming Gram Panchayat polls.
According to sources, the party's election committee and the disciplinary committee were also constituted.
They said instructions have also been given to leaders and workers not to make statements on issues concerning the party or government in public or in front of the media, and to discuss them at the appropriate forums within the party.
This has come amid recent developments in the BJP, as the wait is on for expansion or reshuffle of the state cabinet, with some aspirants openly expressing their resentment about the possible induction of certain legislators.
According to reports, during the BJP's meeting in Belagavi views have been expressed about the need to discuss at party forums before taking certain decisions at the government level.
It is said that this was following Yediyurappa's move to recommend inclusion of the dominant Veerashaiva- Lingayat community under the central government's OBC list, which has been put on hold, and also certain appointments made to boards and corporations.
from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2LchvhX


Force Building Friday: THE HORDE!
Welcome to Force Building Friday where we look at building units for use in Classic Battletech and Alpha Strike!
Today, we'll piece together a Horde Lance from the new Combat Manual: Kurita!
THE DESIGN AND PLAY OF THIS UNIT MAY CAUSE CHALLENGES IN YOUR GROUP. REMEMBER, ABOVE ALL ELSE, RULE 1: HAVE FUN. IF PLAY OF THIS UNIT CREATES CONFLICT WITH RULE 1, CONSIDER A FORCE STRUCTURE REDESIGN.
One of the best things about the new Combat Manual series is the inclusion of faction-specific formations. In CM: Kurita, the Dragon brings some some impressive builds to the table that emphasize their faction-flavor including the melee-focused Berserker Lance, the uniform model Order Lance, and the uncountable Horde Lance. Based on the idea of Kurita forces swarming the enemy with innumerable light 'Mechs, the Horde Lance gives players the opportunity to field a small army of models in one lance and still be competitive.
The Horde Lance allows a player to take in a single lance no fewer than five and no more than ten light 'mechs, none of which with a damage value greater than 2 at any range or from any special ability. Provided all of these requirements are met and the formation is legal, it benefits from the Swarm bonus ability. With Swarm, when the opposing player targets a unit in this formation, the controlling player may switch the target to any other unit in the formation that is a legal target, in line of sight, and at the same range or less from the attacker. Players should note that the unit only needs to be a legal target (within line of sight) and at the same range or less--it doesn't have to be a unit with the same or less to-hit number.
As cool as the Swarm ability is, it is unreasonable to not expect to experience heavy casualties in this mode of play. To minimize this risk, it is important to treat the Horde Lance like any light lance. Players must make maximum use of movement, jump, cover, range, and rear attack to give the opponent the highest to-hit numbers possible while throwing down as much destruction as these little guys can each turn. Remember pilots, he can't hit what isn't there and it's a whole lot harder if what isn't there is still moving. Selecting the right combat command, one that grants bonuses of movement and attack, cause critical hits before armor is destroyed, and allow for greater movement will maximize the lethality and survivability of the Horde Lance.
All of the favorite combat commands of the DCMS appear in CM: Kurita. Each unit brings with it Special Command Abilities (SCA) much like the special abilities attributed to commands in the old Field Manual: Draconis Combine. Many of the combat commands are light weight with SCAs well suited to strengthen the Horde Lance.
What's more, the First Genyosha pays two fewer Faction Points (FP) for any unit they take, down to a minimum of zero. This means, where a player would normally need to pay 1FP for a duplicate model in the same lance, a First Genyosha player need pay 0FP for any duplicate model, effectively allowing a player to create a horde lance of 10x of the same model!
Senjiyutsu ("Tactics") The elite status of the Genyosha allows players to select three SCAs (as well as benefit from a force's average skill rating of 2). With Forcing the Initiative, Focus (Demoralizer), and Tactical Experts (Combined Fire), the player can play a carefully calculated game. Players should note that Forcing the Initiative generates an initiative bonus based on the difference between the number of enemy units destroyed in the previous turn and the number of friendly units destroyed in the same turn. In short, with a Horde Lance, Forcing the Initiative may make for some interesting circumstances. Players should also note that Focus (Demoralizer) can be granted to only one of every four units. For the Horde Lance, consider selecting some of the beefier and maneuverable light 'Mechs such as the JR7-F Jenner.
Flanking Maneuvers! Using both the available SCAs to allow units greater maneuverability (Off-Map Movement) and reduced to-hit numbers while concentrating fire (Combined Fire).
The Second Amphigean Light Assault Group also has access to a modified Panther, the PNT-9ALAG Panther. By removing the jump jets, this panther retains the same armor and damage profile of the PNT-9R but gains a ground speed of 10".
ALL THE 'MECHS! Also, the Amphigean regiments do not pay extra FPs for duplicate models if they are light 'Mechs on the Kurita or General lists, or the PNT-9ALAG. This effectively allows a player to create a horde lance of 10x of the same model!
In the Open The Second Galedon Regulars really benefit from the Environmental Specialization (Clear). This grants +2" of movement and a +1 to-hit bonus when in clear terrain, making the Second Galedon especially effective with a Horde Lance in the open.
Up Close and Personal With the Brawlers SCA, Second Legion of Vega units have a -1 to-hit at short range and a +2 to hit at medium range, fitting comfortably into the average light 'Mech's fighting zones.
Ain't No Mountain High Enough If maneuverability if more to a player's style, the wide variety of Environmental Specializations allow the Second Legion of Vega much more freedom on the board where other Horde Lances may be slowed down and destroyed.
It is important to remember from the start that a Horde Lance only generates 4 FPs. Thus, if a player wishes to include duplicate models, they will only be allowed to spend 4 FPs to do so (unless the lance is part of the Genyosha or Amphigean Light Assault Group).
Considering the likelihood of taking on much sturdier opposing forces with significantly more armor and structure, players want to select models that have considerable TMMs, preferably with jump, to compensate for their lack of armor and structure. If possible, take as many units with the ENE special to reduce the possibility of unfortunate ammo explosions.
Some units of note from the Succession Wars appear in the gallery below!
Make every effort to flank the enemy and make shots to the rear for the +1 DAM (notice how there are no Sword of Light regiments).
When an enemy targets a long distance sniper, like a Panther, switch the target to a closer-ranged, higher TMM piece like a Jenner.
Arm your Horde Lance with HT generating weapons in order to slow down your opponent's advance.
HAVE YOUR OWN HORDE LANCE OR SUGGESTIONS TO ADD TO THE LIGHT MECH PILOT'S HANDBOOK? ADD THEM IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
Welcome to the second installment in the Long Live! series. This series is designed to help players design multi-era lances for use with Battletech and Alpha Strike. Each entry will attempt to build a functional lance with faction-flavor for the Succession Wars, Clan Invasion, FedCom Civil War, and World of Blake Jihad. In some cases, an entry will have substitute options to add variety. If you have your own substitutions or suggestions post them below in the comments!
Build a FWLM lance that can be played across eras, from the Succession Wars through the Jihad.
THANKS FOR THE CATCH, JOHN SISK! SHOULD BE CORRECT NOW.
PV may be no more than 150.
Must be able to be a Fire Lance in each era (in addition to other formations).
Many of the units (Dervish, Cicada, Trebuchet, and Hermes II) in this build are available in the Introductory Boxed Set or a combination of the Alpha Strike Recon Lance and Fire Lance packs!
I don't paint "Leaguers" often. Going over my various galleries, I have only painted to this date two FWLM tanks, and a handful of battle armor--being torn apart by a Lyran Griffin.
Looking over the units available to the FWLM on the Battletech MUL, it seemed they have a love of long range missiles--I bet it's "Leaguers" who are responsible for lrmageddon. Secretly, I've always wanted to build an LRM-based unit, but that doesn't make me a "Leaguer."
While it's easy to build a wall of steel Fire Lance, I wanted one with a bit more maneuverability to adapt to a rapidly changing battlefield an a lower PV cost than what 400 tons of missile boats cost. This lance would use range and maneuverability to out flank the opposition. Using lighter PV forces will alse ensure that I have options to improve pilot skills, add Special Pilot Abilities, and maybe even a few Design Quirks--all essential to reduce the high to-hit numbers in the long-range style of play.
To qualify for a Fire Lance (Alpha Strike Companion, p. 152), three of the four units must be either missile boats or snipers. Pretty easy to fulfill, right? With a Fire Lance, , up to two units may receive the Sniper SPA at the beginning of each turn. With the focus on Missile Boats, this lance could also opt for the Fire Support Lance so long as at least three units possess Indirect Fire. Because of the Oblique Attacker SPA (Alpha Strike Companion, p. 52) that this formation benefits from, it works best when a player aims to make frequent use of Indirect Fire.
I chose to add a slightly non-FWLM 'Mech, the Dervish DV-6M. Usually associated with the Federated Suns, the Dervish DV-6M is a powerful, Succession War-era Missile Boat available to most powers in the Inner Sphere. Though this causes the lance to lose a bit of Free World League Flavor it's well worth the sacrifice to make a competitive Fire Lance.
No Succession Wars Fire Lance would be complete without the Catapult CPLT-C1.
Though Fire Lances work better with accompanying Recon Lances than alone, this build focuses only on one lance. To overcome this, I added a Cicada CDA-2A to act as a spotter. I added the Forward Observer SPA (Alpha Strike Companion, p. 52). This pilot receives a -2 to-hit modifier when spotting for indirect fire.
The Hermes II HER-2S is an acceptable substitute for the Cicada. It is 2" slower, also bringing with it a reduced TMM. With the reduced speed, however, the Hermes II also carries +2A and +0/0/1 damage. These gains come at a cost of +5 PV. This is a unit worth adding if for no other reasong than it will have some great variants in the coming ages to strengthen this formation.
If you want a more Marik feel, use an Orion ON1-K in place of the Dervish. You'll downgrade the IF to IF1, but gain an all around formidable unit.
The Free Worlds League often produces nifty toys, and the Clan Invasion era is no exception. From this point on, the FWLM gains some exceptional medium class missile boats like the Apollo and its many variants (post 3055) and an upgraded Trebuchet and Shadow Hawk.
Gaining a significant look and feel of a traditional FWLM force, the Apollo APL-2S (or any era-approved variant of the Apollo) replaces the ancient Dervish DV-6M. For what it loses in maneuverability, the Apollo makes up for in hitting power (+1/2/1), armor (+2A), and indirect fire ability (+1 IF). This comes at a PV cost, however, as the Apollo is seven points more expensive than the Dervish. To help overcome the speed difference, this unit could take the Speed Demon SPA (Alpha Strike Companion, p. 52) that will boost its ground sped to 10". This will, however, possibly create some game balance issues if the player applies other SPA to this unit or also takes the Forward Observer SPA with the spotter unit. Remember Rule #1 and use your best discretion to keep the game fun.
There are many variants of both the Apollo and the Trebuchet to choose from. If survivability is a concern, then keep the Trebuchet TBT-5J instead of adding the Trebuchet TBT-7M. The loss of two points of internal structure is a high price to pay for 1/0/1 damage increase. It also gains SNARC a useful special for a missile-based unit. With the fragile nature of the design, however, this may be a special ability used rarely.
This lance upgrades the Cicada to either a Cicada CDA-3F or Cicada CDA-3G. At an increased PV cost, these two modls also gain increased maneuverability with a 16" jump, +0/1/1 damage, and exchange one point of internal structure for two points of armor. If you're group describes your play style as "throw caution to the wind," then the reduced structure is good for you--it just means less chances to take critical damage, right? An added bonus if using expanded rules, the Cicada CDA-3G brings exceptional scouting abilities to the table gained by the probe and recon specials. It definetly takes the role of spotter to another level. To support it in the role of spotter, this model carried over the Forward Observer SPA.
The shining star of this upgraded lance, however, is the Shadow Hawk SHD-5M. This variant build the 6" jump to a full 10" to match the unit's ground speed. The -5M mounts slightly less staying power than the Catapult CPLT-C1 or the Shadow Hawk SHD-2H, with +1A and -2S. This is a negligable change, however, if used at range in its intended role as a missile boat. What's more, the upgraded damage profile of +0/1/1 of the -5M makes medium and long ranges its sweet spot. Though it has an identical damage profile to the Catapult, the increased maneuverability allows this machine to move into and out of foreign positions much more easily than the model it replaced.
This unit still functions as a dedicated Fire Lance.
It is also a viable option to substitute the Cicada with a Wraith TR2. A bit slower at 14", the Wraith keeps the +3 target movement modifier. It also gains more maneuverability with the additon of jump jets making the overall change from 16" of the Cicada CDA-2A to 14" with jump a well made switch. What's more, the Wraith packs quite a punch of 2/2/1 compared to the Cicada's 2/1/0. Finally, it gains three points of armor. Though it carries a higher PV at 29, just shy of twice the cost of the Cicada CDA-2A, the Wraith is an excellent unit to add to any lance in need of a switch hitter to spot for targets one turn and harass enemy units the next.
Some things to consider, however, when choosing between the Wraith and the upgraded Cicadas. Both Cicada models are cheaper and faster than the Wraith and carry the same damage profile. Both Cicada models also have -1 armor and -1 structure compared to the Wraith; their increased TMM, however, should balance this out. They both lack the over heat option of the Wraith, preventing both units from being able to really pour on the damage in tight situations. The Cicada CDA-3G, however, makes up for this with exceptional scouting abilities gained by the probe and recon specials.
In the Word of Blake Jihad a steady stream of new (and old) variants come into play. Ranging from the Royal Shadow Hawk and Hermes II to new Apollo configurations, a number of new toys lumber out of factories and onto the table. Coming from the previous eras, however, this unit's build remains competitive with little need for change.
The one I can strongly recommend is adding a Hermes II HER-5Sr. With the addition of ECM, this piece becomes an invaluable tool in combating C3 and C3i networks prevalent in this era of play. What's more, with the role switch to sniper, adding the Hermers I and keeping the Cicada will still allow a player to keep the Fire Lance bonus abilities. The Hermes II, in many variants, is a viable option for the FWL throughout their history.
By replacing the Trebuchet TBT-7M with the Hermes II HER-5Sr, the lance remains eligible to serve as a Fire Lance because of the sniper role it fulfills. Without the IF skill of the Trebuchet, however, the unit does lose the opportunity to serve as a Fire Support Lance. The two units are relatively similar in performance: same TMM on both though the Trebuchet can complicate matters by jumping, creating a TMM of 3. The Hermes II carries one more pip of internal structure, giving it a slight edge in survivability. It does, however, bring less damage potential to the board, -1/0/0 damage, compared to the Trebuchet.
Depending on whether the Cicada or the Hermes II will do the bulk of the spotting work will determine which of the two units will take the Forward Observer SPA.
Alternatively, swapping the Apollo for the Trebuchet allows a comander to field both the SNARC mobile missile boat with the ECM capable sniper. At a cost of the lance's overall damage potential and survivability, this change will make this a special feature rich and highly mobile force. If using the Speed Demon SPA on the Apollo, the groundspeed gained from the Trebuchet switch is negligable--this becomes a question of whether or not gaining the jump and specials is worth the swap or not.
Once again, we've trekked through centuries of war and across countless battlefields throughout the Inner Sphere with no more than six models! Not only did we cover the central eras of Battletech Alpha Strike history but we also made a lance that throughout that history maintains the requirements to serve as a missile-driven Fire Lance. It may require some careful planning and coordination to play in later eras, but the addition of many special attributes like SNARC, ECM, PRB, and RCN help to create an interesting game for both sides of the table. With this lance, players from n00b-ish neophyte to elite 'Mechwarrors will be able to experiment with and enjoy both playing a new lance and faction!
What's more, because of the style of play and specific models used, this lance can be played virtually out of the box! Print and use the cards from the Battletech MUL and play the Introductory Box Set Dervish as a later-period Apollo! Ned to find a stand-in for the Shaow Hawk? Try using a Dragon. Use whatever creative substitutes come to mind until you can make your way to Iron Wind Metals or your Friendly Local Game Store!
I'm still not a Leaguer.
Need to find units to build your own missile-toting lance? Use the Battletech MUL!
Inspired by pauper games in other systems, Fist Full of C-Bills seeks to break the "perfect force" construction and replace it with ad hoc "adapt or die" play! Game play formats like this depend on access to common playing pieces. Like rifling through the "commons" box at your friendly local game store, Fist Full o C-Bills restricts players to sourcing models from the same vendor and under a real-world dollar budget. With the scraps they find, they then pull record sheets and cards in an effort to put together a functional combat unit.
Similar to Escalation Leagues, Fist Full of C-Bills is also a great opportunity to start building a new force or trying out new tactics and 'Mechs while creating exciting (and often humorous) backstories!
These are completely arbitrary optional rules to get players out of their comfort zones and create opportunities to work with new units, formations, and factions. If you and your group have alternate rules for Fist Full of C-Bills, post them below in the comments!
Players agree on a common vendor of mini acquisition. Some examples include: BV Traders, E-Bay lot purchases, and "On Sale" bins at the FLGS or online. In this campaign, players are attempting to emphasizing the ad hoc aspects by not purchasing the latest, newest, and beefiest pieces.
Players agree to a real-world dollar limit for the purchase of forces. It's up to the players' discretion whether or not to include shipping in this cap. A good range that allows for some diversity of units is between $25.00 and $35.00. Any funds remaining in the real-world pot after purchase may be converted to 1 point per $1, rounded as normal, to be applied to Special Pilot Abilities (SPAs) or Design Quirks (Alpha Strike Companion, p. 52 & p. 62).
Players play the units as they arrive—paint schemes, missing and broken parts, and all! If parts are missing or damaged, it must be reflected on the record sheet. For example, if your Centurion is missing the autocannon arm, this unit's card must reflect a "Weapon Hit" critical at the start of play and suffers any related penalties. Pieces damaged in this way do not gain extra points to be applied to other Design Quirks or Special Pilot Abilities. If playing it as such would render it "dead" in game terms, such as broken legs or torso-hip separation, it may be repaired.
These adjustment may require some creativity. For example, if your Atlas is missing an arm, treat it as having a -1 physical attack damage. If your Spider is missing an arm, however, you may have to consider another option. Refer to Alpha Strike Companion, for "Negative Design Quirks" (p. 63) for inspiration.
After the initial game, make repairs (both to models and to the units in game) as normal. If you really want to go for the all-out feel of this style of game, don't repair the model unti you can pay for repairs in-game as well.
Up to one unit per lance with a particularly interesting paint scheme may select the Distracting positive design quirk. This reflects the thrown together nature of machines and personalities in the guns for hire trade. If a unit takes this optional rule, it must retain this scheme for the duration of this campaign to retain the Distracting quirk.
For this example build I used BV Traders with a purchase cap of $25.00. With BV Traders, $25.00 in used miniatures can acquire a relatively competitive Alpha Strike that will require some tactical accumen without relying on a 400 ton wall of steel. You can expect to pay as little as $6.00 for lights and mediums and up to $9.00 for heavies and assaults. Unseens and other rare miniatures can go as high as $15.00 to $20.00 per piece. Considering the nature of the rules set, this higher cost is reflective of the in-game rarity of some of these machines.
Coming in at $24.00, my lance consisted of an Enforcer III, Cobra, and Wolfhound. For the last piece, I was torn between a Commando and a Blitzkrieg. I ultimately chose the Blitzkrieg because of the increased speed (14" instead of 12"), hitting power (3/3/0 as oppossed to 2/2/0), and survivability (4A/2S over 2A/2S). While this did increase the PV of the unit (25 for the Blitzkrieg and 15 for the Commando), it did not increase the cost of the lance--both miniatures were $6.00 from BV Traders. With the addition of the Blitzkrieg, this unit took on a very Lyran appearance.
With the miniatures selected, it was time to pick actual variants. Wanting to limit the era a bit (on my own) to the Fed Com Civil War, I chose to use models current from the time. I wanted to base the unit off the Pursuit Lance for Alpha Strike, and focus on a bit of speed and hitting power (ultimately, being able to add the Blood Stalker SPA for the pursuit lance). I wasn't thrilled about the lack of jump for the models I could choose, but the speed curve of the Blitzkrieg and remaining movement profiles were similar to the other models in the Pursuit Lance.
Going in from the start with the intention to build a Pursuit Lance limited some of my choices--you don't see an Atlas or Annihilator floating around in here. This was, however, worth it considering the -2 to hit for the Blood Stalker SPA. With only three long-range units in the lance, I gave the Blood Stalker SPA to each of these.
Because of the paint scheme on the Cobra, this piece received the Distracting SPA.
With the remaining point cashed in from coming in under budget, I wanted to give something to the Blitzkrieg. Not satisfied with the already significant speed advantage it carried, I chose to give it even more with the Speed Demon SPA. This overdrove the move from 14" to 16", making this certainly a unit to not ignore as it can skim around the edges of the board and pop-up in the rear arc of the opposition.
This unit is designed to work with the Cobra as the anchor, the Blitzkrieg as the hammer, and the Wolfhound and Enforcer as the anvil. Using movement, cover, and adaptive fluidity, this unit will do best in open spaces with obstuctions to dart behind, especially when the iniatiative falls in the opponent's hands. It will need to, idealy, operate at long and medium ranges with ample cover because of the relatively low TMM of three of the four 'Mechs. The Blood Stalker SPA, however, will help overcome this to an extend.
With the upcoming publication of Combat Manual: Lyran Commonwealth coming in 2017, I'll return to this post and run a Lyran special lance formations update!
Had I chosen the Commando, along with the other three found on the Mercenary faction list, I could have used the recently published Combat Manual: Mercenaries for formations.
Random pulls from bitz boxes to make repairs resulting in game-legal redesigns. For example, that Centurion that lost an AC arm? Replace it with a Shadow Hawk autocannon. In game terms, treat this as a repair that removes the Weapon Hit pre-existing damage.
Putting a complete and painted unit of the board is one of the most satifsying parts of this--or any--table top game. If you can field a completed unit, your lance gains a benefit determined by you and your group. This may be bonus victory points or a +1 initiative bonus. This shouldn't be an advantage enough to unbalance the Alpha Strike system, but enough to encourage players to paint, model, and enjoy the hobby of Battletech Alpha Strike.
Have your own home brew or house rules to add to Fist Full of C-Bills? Post them below in the Comments!
Are you the player looking for a few indomitable models? Do you paint your miniatures in deep reds and blacks? Then throw your skin in with Clan Wolf! From Camospecs Online.
Somewhere on my workbench hides a small band of Black Templar Space Marines, standing silent vigil over my projects to protect from xenos threats. In my storage case, rests an Imperial Guard Commissar, awaiting the Emperor's call to sally forth once more into the breach. If you look carefully in my long lost Photobucket, you may even find a proud, battle-hardened Tallarn commander.
I'm probably not suppossed to admit this.
I probably shouldn't be typing this.
But what I'm about to say will label me as a heretic and a traitor.
As much as we line up on opposite sides of the game room and leer at each other across tables while checking line of sight, Battletech Alpha Strike and Warhammer 40K players have a lot more in common than we may admit. Both groups share a passion for science fiction wargaming, an interest in painting and modeling armies of miniatures as a cash-vacuum hobby, and the gratification of playing these games with a community. What's more, even though we may not admit it, we share players, too. Many of the most reknowned painters and artists in the Battletech community have painted or still do modify, paint, and play Warhammer 40K. With the development of Alpha Strike, even more players can begin to reach out across multi-universe battlefields and join hands for what we all really enjoy--making "PEW! PEW!" noises as "little, plastic army men" fight each other with dice!
Battletech Alpha Strike and Warhammer 40K seem to be far seperate systems with little in common-it's like comparing Orks and Atlases. Page after page of tables and book after book of recordsheets make Battletech seem more like math than a game. Book after book, codex after codex, edition after edition of rules always seeming in flux for Warhammer 40K give the impression its a lawyer's game.
Instead, its a game of tactics and strategy, movement, attack, and defense. Careful thought and research goes into the construction of a force, designed to meet a certain play style, mission objective, or artistic aesthetic. Players take turns creating and adapting to ever-changing battlefield situations seeking to dominate the opposition. Dice rolls represent resolutions of actions with modifiers to factor in the increased or decreased likelihood these actions will succeed. Ultimately, one player will earn the greater victory points and control the field!
This description, however, applies to both games. The general structure and play of Alpha Strike and Warhammer 40K are very similar.
Movement--players move units according to that model's characteristic, adjusting for environment and terrain modifiers.
Assault--players initiate charges and engage in hand-to-hand combat.
Resolution--players mark wounds and remove "dead" models from the table.
Initiative--players roll to determine who has the initiative for that turn.
Movement--players move units according to the initiative result and that model's characteristics, adjusting for environment and terrain modifiers.
Combat--players declare and resolve weapons and physical attacks in this phase against legal targets within firing arcs and line of sight, adjusting to hit numbers by various factors. There is only a roll to hit and, if successful, the appropriate damage is applied to the targeted unit.
End Phase--Players mark damage, remove "dead" models, and apply critical damage.
Like the in your face violence of the Assault Phase? Try Alpha Strike's Physical Combat for giant, stompy robot boot to the head action! From Camospecs Online.
EVEN THE NAMES OF THE TURN PHASES ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL!
The major differences are that in Alpha Strike are the roll of initiative and damage resolution. At the beginning of each turn, players roll for initiative instead of establishing a turn order at the start of the game. This does add a bit of time to play, but also allows for interesting and creative adaptions to the dynamics of play. To make up for this a bit, when units resolve damage, they only roll to hit. If a to hit roll is successful, then the targeted unit takes all of the appropriate damage. No to hit and to wound rolls.
Similar to Warhammer 40K, Alpha Strike as a core rule book, Alpha Strike, a book of optional rules, Alpha Strike Companion, and a series of army-specific guides known as Combat Manuals that serve a purpose similar to the Codexes. In addition to this, Alpha Strike players can use the Battletech Master Unit List (MUL) to access record sheets for nearly all published units available for free--you don't need to purchase a Combat Manual to build a force for play!
In addition to these, there is a wealth of Scenario Books and fiction to suplmement your play. If you'd like to build your own pilots and play them both inside and outside of a 'Mech, then check out the Battletech RPG.
The core Alpha Strike rule book is available in a simplified version for free!
Love the smell of burning adversaries in the morning? Try the heat-inducing, nuclear-based fire and flame weapons of Alpha Strike--especially good for clearing pesky infantry. From Camospecs Online.
Battletech has a reputation of requiring many volumes of data, databases of spreadsheets, and advanced degrees in calculus to complete. Fortunately, many of the rules related to these matters are optional. In the case of Alpha Strike, this is even more so. Overall, the sequence of play and rules for Alpha Strike lend it to short-to-moderate length games of 20 minutes to 2 hours or so. It is a quick to learn game that won't require exceptional investments of time or expanses of libraries to become a competitive player.
Love your leader? Like greens and tans? Use combined arms to out strategize your opponent? Then sign up with the armies of the Inner Shpere! From Camospecs Online.
If you're a player who prefers a particular flavor to their faction, there are many similarities between the forces of Alpha Strike and Warhammer 40K.
These are the no-nonsense, genetically modified, warrior societies. Bent on redeeming manking through superior breeding and firepower, the Warden Clans seek to restore the human race to a long lost golden era. The heroes of Mechwarrior 2 and Ghost Bear's Legacy, many recieved their firt introduction to Battletech through their initial experiences piloting Clan Wolf and Clan Ghost Bear 'Mechs.
Not as advanced, without the beefy men and machines of the Clans, the Great Houses of the Innersphere can hold their own against the onslaught of the Clans, Pirates, Word of Blake, and rival houses through their grit and tenacity. If you're familiar with Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries, Mechwarrior 3, Mechwarrior 4, or Mechwarrior Online, then you've tested your mettle with, and against, the armies of the Inner Sphere.
If you like to play a faction with a mysterious past and endless supply of advanced technology, the Comstar is the faction for you. Highly secretive masters of LosTech, Comstar is a quasi-religious faction responsible for preserving what remains of man's advancements made before and lost in the fires of the Succession Wars.
Want to be the zealot who seeks to liberate mankind in nuclear fire? Do you yearn to play the misunderstood good guy whom everyone else thinks is in the wrong? Then look no further than the Word of Blake for all of your chaotic alignment needs! From Camospecs Online.
On the outskirts of civilization, in the pleasure circuses of Circinus or lurking in the shadows of uncharted asteriod fields, Periphery and Pirate factions offer players a chance to create unique forces with scapped and cobbled-together aesthetics.
Both the Word of Blake and the Crusader Clans represent the default "bad guys" of Alpha Strike. In the names of their leaders and long-deceassed heroes, these groups have attempted to force their views upon the rest of the Inner Sphere through violence. If you're looking for the facton that does whatever it takes to win, doesn't mind installing cybernetic implants to improve combat performance at a loss of self, and generally want to be "that guy," then you will fit right in with the Word of Blake and Crusader Clans.
The range of possibilities for Alpha Strike armies is endless--from Succession Wars salvage look to new, pristine, and clean killing machines. Collecting, modifying, and painting a force for Alpha Strike is relatively easy. The Alpha Strike Lance Packs provide players with four plastic miniatures designed to work in conjunction as a unit. These Lance Packs also contain the stat cards for two varaints of each model to add some variety to your play experience! In addition to Lance Packs, Alpha Strike has a wide range of metal miniatures produced by Iron Wind Metals for both the Alpha Strike and Battletech lines.
One of the most important differences between Alpha Strike and Warhammer 40K is Alpha Strike does not use WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get"). In Alpha Strike, you are welcome to substitute miniatures and variants with other pieces--just exercise good sportsmanship and make sure your opponent is aware of the substitution from the start. Some of us have become accustomed to WYSIWYG, and have made great strides to create new, interesting, and dynamic Alpha Strike models.
Games of Alpha Strike normally pit players forces of one lance of 4 models to a company of 12 models against another with a PV between 100 and 450 points. The PV system, much like similar force-balancing systes in Warhammer 40K, is used to ensure some level of parity between forces, thereby making victory based on force design and tactics more than a question of "who has the best model?" Like in Warhammer 40K, you may come across an exceptional character or iconic machine; while these are definetly attention-getting pieces, they are not the single determining factor in the outcome of a battle.
Because of this design, it is possible to collect and paint a competitive and pleasing force for standard games in a relatively short period of time. What's more, using the Lance Packs and metal models from Iron Wind Metals, this means a player can purchase and field an average size force for less than $50.00!
A fan of ominous black armies? Do you need the highest tech rating? Want to be the anti-hero of the universe or just be the center of attention? Join up with Wolf's Dragoons! From Camospecs Online.
The best places to start for all things Alpha Strike is the Battletech website. This has primers on the universe, factions and armies, and a forum to meet other players.
When you're ready to build your force, use the tools available on the Battletech MUL to research, compare, and build and print unit cards for free!
The Catalyst Game Labs Shop has all your Alpha Strike rules, compendiums, and Lance Pack needs!
If you're looking to add some heavy metal to your force, check out Iron Wind Metals for a full line of Alpha Strike miniatures.
Camospecs Online is full of great modifications and fantastic paint schemes of miniatures from all factions and periods of the game. It is under construction at this time, so some features may not be active.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE HPG UPLINK (LINKS) PAGE FOR MORE GREAT RESOURCES!
ARE YOU A TRAITOR TO THE ARCHON? A HERETIC OF THE EMPIRE? POST YOUR EXPERIENCES CROSSING THROUGH THE WARP AND INTO THE CHAOS MARCH AND BACK IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!


text:
Project Green Light expands to McDonald's
By: Jane Park
Jon Campbell jokes his newest McDonald's is almost as quiet as a library these days.
The restaurant on Grand River Avenue near Lahser Road is one of the latest businesses to partner with the city's Project Green Light security initiative that uses high-resolution cameras and enhanced lighting to crack down on crime.
"It's been a complete change," Campbell described.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig and Mayor Mike Duggan announced Monday that McDonald's restaurants are leading the program expansion. Four McDonald's locations including Campbell's are already online.
Since Project Green Light launched in January, more than two dozen businesses have joined the program. Chief Craig noted that violent crime is down 52 percent at the first eight gas stations that joined the initiative.
Mayor Mike Duggan said over the next 90 days he will consult city council about drafting an ordinance that would implement Project Green Light city-wide.
"Every business in the city that's receiving customers after 10 p.m. either needs to be a green light business or have equivalent security onsite," Duggan said.
For now, Campbell said he is excited for how his investment in security will contribute to the growth of not only his restaurant, but also the surrounding neighborhood.
Scripps Only Content 2016


text:
"Gold Trigger" from Stansberry
What's being teased by Gold & Silver Investor?
By Travis Johnson, Stock Gumshoe, November 1, 2016
Several folks have been asking about the latest teaser pitch from Stansberry Gold & Silver Investor, and the header of that ad pretty much tells you why:
"Urgent 'Gold Trigger' Buy Alert From Stansberry Gold & Silver Investor:
"The last time this "Gold Trigger" alert appeared, it made investors 123% in a single day."
That's pretty much the dream of every trader, the daily double, so what is this "Gold Trigger?" Let's dig in and see if we can identify the trade for you.
The letter comes from an analyst at Stansberry named Bill McGilton, who I've not heard of before, but this gold investment offering was launched earlier in the year when gold stocks were just starting to go bonkers — that was back when it was just called Stansberry Gold Investor, before they added silver to the mix, and they were pitching it as a way to profit from the "Metropolitan Plan".
I expect all of the ideas they suggested then have probably done well, given the strong environment for gold and gold miners that we had for a few months following that launch… and most of the names we ID'd as being on their list are still up, despite falling back from their highs from earlier in the year (gold is up about 3% since early April, and the GDX ETF of large miners is still up about 20%).
Here's some more of the pitch from McGilton:
"I'm actually a corporate lawyer.
"I've worked on major cases for Fortune 500 companies, with some of the biggest law firms in the U.S.
"For the past 6 months our team has traveled all over the world… visiting dozens of companies, and meeting with CEOs from nearly every continent.
"All while looking for this one very specific type of opportunity…
"Something I call a 'Gold Trigger.'
"It's a very specific type of setup found in a small percentage of gold stocks."
He gives a few examples of when "Gold Triggers" would have hit with other companies — including Eldorado Gold (EGO) back in January, and Alacer Gold (ASR.TO) on March 31. Both companies were at catalyst points for either permitting or legal reasons at those times and did leap higher after those dates, at least for a little while. There are a half-dozen other examples as well, but then McGilton explains it a bit more:
"… any given time, there are a small handful of gold and silver stocks involved in ongoing issues — both big and small — with government officials.
"When these situations are finally resolved, these stocks can pop on the news.
"These issues can take any number of forms…
"For example, when Alacer Gold soared 53%, it was because it received a land use permit from Turkish authorities.
"When Eldorado Gold jumped 103%, it was because it received a development permit from the Greek government."
And he says this leads to gains even if the price of gold is not going up, though I imagine having a bull market in gold helps the market to better appreciate good legal or regulatory news — and, of course, gold was moving nicely higher and getting a lot of investor attention in both January and April of this year, which likely helped those stocks.
But anyway, that's the general idea — his "gold trigger" is stuff like permits, licenses, negotiations with governments, etc. Makes sense, those are commonly followed by mining investors… if you want to compare it to biotech firms, then the drilling results and assays are the clinical trial data, the permits and licenses are the FDA approval for drugs to either continue to move through the process or, in the end, to be manufactured and sold. Those are, broadly speaking, the two major catalysts for almost any miner: Finding and defining the deposit; and getting permission to explore and develop and build the mine.
More on this "gold trigger" strategy:
"… what's important to understand here is that these situations can weigh down a miner's stock for months, even years at a time… depending on the severity of the issue.
"And because it's often a government decision we're talking about here, you can usually expect a LONG waiting period.
"These situations often seem so hopeless that most investors — both small and institutional — stop following the company altogether….
"But this is precisely what makes these opportunities so incredibly lucrative, when our "Gold Trigger" buy alert appears…
"Nobody is paying attention to these events before they happen.
"They're forgotten opportunities, until these issues are resolved and the story breaks.
"At that point, investors pile into the stock, sending it soaring, rapidly…
"So I realized that if you could simply identify when these issues are about to be resolved… you could make a fortune, in a very short amount of time."
And he says this legal expertise helps him to judge when matters are likely to come to a head for mining companies…
"… that's precisely what we've designed our very own 'Gold Trigger' alert system to do…
"First, it digs deep… scanning the entire mining industry to find companies that are deadlocked on some critical issue with local or national government officials.
"That's how we pinpoint WHAT we recommend you buy.
"And then it determines the 'window of opportunity…' an estimated date that the issue should be resolved, with a high degree of confidence.
"This part of the system is where my corporate law background comes into play….
"The sort of stocks our 'Gold Trigger' system identifies puts the odds of success in your favor to make you huge amounts of money in what can often be a short amount of time.
"The only thing the 'Gold Trigger' DOESN'T indicate is how high the stock will jump on favorable news…
"But as we've seen, if you buy these stocks when the 'Gold Trigger' alerts you to make a move, you can make a ton of money… even more than 100% in a single day."
And, you'll be unsurprised to hear, the reason we're seeing this ad right now is that the "gold trigger" has signaled a buy for them. So what is the stock, and what's the timeframe?
These are the clues we get:
"Our 'Gold Trigger' System Just Alerted Us: Buy This Stock NOW!
"The 'Gold Trigger' opportunity our system alerted us about who is going to be receiving a critical permit from the U.S. government any day now.
"Without this permit, this company has absolutely no hope of constructing a mine.
"But this isn't your average up-and-coming miner story…
"This company is truly unique in the industry, both in size and scope.
"See, it owns half the rights to the largest untapped gold deposit of its kind on the planet.
"A 'mega deposit' of 39 million ounces of proven gold reserves, with another 6 million ounces expected to be found once they begin digging."
Well, it's true what the ad says at that point: this is indeed a rare, huge gold find. But, thankfully, that makes the Thinkolator's work pretty fast and easy this time around: This is NovaGold Resources (NG), which was also one of the stocks teased in Stansberry's earlier Metropolitan Club ad back in early April. The shares took a tumble in August, but have now recovered and are sitting right about where they were when Stansberry first hinted at this stock as a big buy about six months ago.
The mine being pitched here is the Donlin Gold mine in Alaska, which is a 50/50 joint venture of Novagold and Barrick Gold (ABX). He furthers the case by saying that the company is valued at a massive discount to the value of the gold in the ground at their mine, and that they haven't yet even explored the whole area and the mine could grow considerably from here. That's certainly true, but that's also true of every mine — usually, miners only explore a project enough to ensure that it is economically viable and can get financing, there's not a huge incentive to do expensive drilling and analysis once you've got enough justification that the mine will be worth building, so it's common to start production and get things rolling and then to gradually continue exploring as you think about expanding the mine plan. But this is, in fact, an exceptionally large and valuable mine, and it's remarkable that they've already explored it enough to identify huge enough reserves to forecast that the mine can operate at a world-class production level for 27 years. Partly that's because they've been exploring this property for 20 years now, and partly it's because the infrastructure investment is so massive that they really want the confidence that a huge, long-lived mine can be built to justify that up-front cost.
So yes, Donlin Gold is very big, it's a high grade open pit mine that can be pretty easily understood, and it's in a mining-friendly jurisdiction (I think only one mine has every been rejected in Alaska).
And it's also a huge infrastructure-building project in a pretty remote area of Alaska — beyond the "normal" costs of building a mine, like processing plants and tailing facilities and all the huge shovels and trucks, this mega-project will require building a cargo port, a big barging operation to move the ore, and a large gas-fired power plant — which will mean building a 315-mile underground natural gas pipeline to bring in fuel for that plant. The estimated capital costs in the last feasibility study were about $6.7 billion to get everything built, leading to a mine that can produce a million ounces of gold per year at an operating cost of something like $600 an ounce. That would make it one of the largest gold mines in the world, so that part isn't hyperbole.
So what's this "Trigger" point for Donlin Gold and Novagold? It's the environmental impact statement. Here's some more from the ad:
"The National Environmental Policy Act requires that all new mining projects in the U.S. receive what's called an "Environmental Impact Statement" (or EIS).
"To receive this approval, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers takes an in-depth look at the positive and negative impacts a mine will have on the mine's location….
"The rigorous study of this "mega deposit" mine began all the way back in mid-2012.
"… the final public comment period just ended in May. After this comes the final decision.
"As of this morning, the Army Corps of Engineers is still busy reviewing all the information…
"But, based on my research, I expect that they will be issuing the final Environmental Impact Statement any day now."
So apparently this is a bet both on the timing of this EIS approval, and on the fact that they expect gold prices to be strong when this EIS comes through, which will make the project more viable. As you can probably imagine, it's difficult to sink $7 billion into a mine when you can't be sure what the gold price will be in five years when the mine is operating… particularly if that up-front cost means you need to produce for many, many years to come close to break-even on the capital investment. Here's some more from the ad:
"last year, when the EIS first draft came out, gold was trading below $1,100 an ounce.
"At that price, even though the deposit is absolutely massive… the mine's progress was not economically feasible.
"At $1,110 an ounce, the mine wouldn't have been profitable quickly enough to justify the construction costs.
"But gold prices have rebounded…
"Meaning that we expect, as long as gold is trading about $1,200 an ounce or more, when the permitting process is complete, investors are going to go nuts over this news and pile into the stock.
"An official spokesman for this company confirmed my thinking here, admitting that, 'The more above $1,200 (per ounce of gold) the happier we are.'"
The Army Corps of Engineers is not promising to have an answer on the EIS by January 1 — the only official date I've seen is that the final EIS is estimated to be ready at the end of 2017, which is obviously a pretty long wait if you're counting on January 1. Maybe they'll finish before then, I have no idea — and maybe the Stansberry insight is that they are certain the EIS will come early because of their understanding of the permitting process or whatever, but I don't have that kind of insight to share with you. The Army Corps of Engineers has a website up for the project here if you'd like to look at the official reports. The quote about being happier with gold over $1,200 an ounce is from this article about the project, from about six weeks ago.
And with that I'll leave you to chew on the idea and share any thoughts you might have with your fellow Gumshoe readers — NovaGold is not a tiny company, with a market cap of $1.7 billion, but it's pretty small to be undertaking such a gigantic project (their partner, Barrick Gold, is a $20 billion company, though they obviously have other large projects as well). Over to you, dear readers…
Irregulars Quick Take
Paid members get a quick summary of the stocks teased and our thoughts here. Join as a Stock Gumshoe Irregular today (already a member? Log in)
Posted In Gold/Precious Metals & Mining
Maw toronto
Mwsnf over the counter usa
33 cents today
lots of gold in Finland
Just my opinion and I do own shares
hullevad
As usd is the best horse in the glue factory there is no doubt that the dollar will rise. When the dollar goes up in value and a december rate rise on top of that, gold is bound to drop in value. So investing in gold/stocks is a bit early in my opinion.
TOMT
Reply to hullevad
I think there is some doubt, but I also see the potential for a huge exodus from the Euro in mid Dec that would validate your forecast
on the dollar. (Italian vote). A correction in stocks is overdue, and if selling is severe, gold gets sold initially as well.
Its starting to look similar to last year for gold. A true 50% correction may still occur, though I personally believe the low is already in, the bull has awakened, and gold is unlikely to fall below ~1210 should another smash event occur. Its not hard to buy now and either by more or ignore it, since it won't be down for long.
euro gold gold
I also own Mawson from a mention by an irregular a few months ago. The Jr.Miner sector will go bonkers as gold goes to 5K-10K or more /oz. Best sleeper I know of is Explor Res. Lots of drilling with Teck, hot properties, inquiries re: possible take over yet only .05 cents / share USD. Expect to sell half of a position @ .40 cents. Definitely worth a look.


PRATO is waiting for YOU!!! If you are a Creative Curious Traveller, you'll love to explore the city of Prato and its surroundings (Tuscany, Italy) during TAI – Tuscan Art Industry 2018!! Submit your application by October 8th!
Who are the #CCTravellers? They are "Creative Curious Travellers" – writers, journalists, bloggers, photographers, instagramers, filmmakers, illustrators, artists, etc. but especially passionate people! – who love to explore the world and share beautiful eternal STORIES that we publish on our web guidezine: CCT-SeeCity.com! | To know more about, click here.
Are you a CCTzen? *	 YES, I am! :) NO, I am not. NO, I am not BUT I will consider the opportunity to become a CCTzen (and so to apply in the future). NOT YET but I've just applied to become a CCTzen! ;) NOT YET but I will apply to become a CCTzen as soon as I finish this! ;) NO, I am not BUT I've been a CCTraveller in 2016!
In addition to your story for our web guidezine (CCT-SeeCity), will you also publish a post about TAI 2018 and your experience as CCTraveller on your blog/website (if you have one)? *	 YES, I will. NO, I will not. NO, I can't because I haven't any blog/website.
This entry was posted in #CCTravellers, . Prato, Calls!, TAI - Tuscan Art Industry and tagged #TAI2018, . Italy, CCT, CCTravellers, Creative People, Italia, Prato, SeeCity, TAI, TAI - Tuscan Art Industry, TAI 2018, Toscana, travel, travel mag, travellers, tuscany, Visit Prato, Visit Tuscany. Bookmark the permalink.


Revere on the Move has two opportunities to get our community members active.
During the first week of March all schools in Revere will be inviting their students to take part in a Wellness Challenge. Elementary schools will be participating in the Jump Rope for Heart Program and the middle and high schools will also have various activities.
Parents, encourage your child to participate and take interest in their accomplishment to help them set up healthy habits for life. Additional School Wellness Challenge activities will be happening in the schools in April and June.
Walking to school does more than increase a child's rate of physical activity, it's a vital part of a child's growth that helps them develop strong judgment, social and concentration skills. Visit http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/02/kids-who-walk-or-bike-school-concentrate-better-study-shows/4585/ to learn more about how walking to school can improve your child's concentration.
Students that walk to school arrive ready to learn and are more able to participate and enjoy physical activities throughout the school day. Walking to school fosters a child's independence and increases their awareness of their surroundings. The Revere Walk to School program encourages Revere students and their families to walk to school daily. The program provides workshops in pedestrian safety training for our 2nd grade students, coordinates walk groups within schools and neighborhoods, and collaborates with the Revere Police Department and the Department of Public Works to address neighborhood traffic and safety concerns.
With the onset of spring, the Revere Walks to School program, a Revere on the Move initiative sponsored by WalkBoston and Massachusetts General Hospital will be supporting and encouraging more families and students to walk to school. Revere on the Move is committed to providing residents with a variety of opportunities to be healthy and active in our community.
The Revere CARES Coalition strengthens the health of Revere by: Addressing priorities established by community members; utilizing an environmental approach; advocating for evidence-based, culturally competent strategies, programs and services; and increasing connectedness among individuals and organizations. The goal of the coalition is to improve the well-being of Revere's residents by preventing substance abuse and promoting healthy eating, active living, and healthy relationships.


The remedies gathered here are generally considered effective ways to promote breast health, reverse in situ cancers, and moderate the side effects of orthodox cancer treatments.
• To maintain breast health, read Section One. If you've recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, read Section Two. To prevent recurrence, go back and read Section One. To help you take action on the remedies discussed in each section, most chapters conclude with a section of resources.
• The remedies are presented in the framework of the Wise Woman Tradition and the Six Steps of Healing.
The Wise Woman Tradition offers a view different from that of both alternative and orthodox medicine. In the Wise Woman Tradition, illness is viewed as an opportunity for greater health/wholeness. Death is seen as an initiation, a graduation, the last act, the climax. While death is acknowledged as the ultimate outcome of all lives, accepting this does not mean relinquishing the desire to stay alive. The Wise Woman Way offers us prevention and treatment options that benefit us and help maintain the health of our families, our communities, and the Earth.
• All Step 0 suggestions are interchangeable for all problems.
• Steps 0, 1, 2, and 3 can prevent and help you deal with breast cancer. Daily doses of deep relaxation (Step 0), varied intellectual and sensory information (Step 1), energetic engagement (Step 2), loving nourishment, and adequate exercise (both Step 3) are important parts of maintaining or reclaiming breast health.
• Remedies from Steps 0, 1, 2, and 3 are considered safe even if you are using orthodox treatments. When Step 4 and 5a remedies work well with orthodox treatments they are called complementary medicines. Seek expert advice before using Steps 5b or 6.
Global Approach: If you know you are going to use orthodox treatments such as surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy (Steps 5 and 6), use all six steps together: Surrender to the mysteries of life and death (Step 0), collect information (Step 1), explore energy work (Step 2), nourish all aspects of yourself (Step 3), stimulate your immune system (Step 4), and take supplements for a brief interval (Step 5a). Healing from surgery is amazingly rapid when the global approach is used. Side effects of chemotherapy and radiation are kept to a minimum with the global approach.
• Consult the Materia Medica for cautions, dosage range, botanical name, and other helpful information about the herbs mentioned most frequently in this book. Consult the Herbal Pharmacy for instructions on making specific preparations such as infusions and infused oils. Different preparations of herbs can produce very different effects. Unfamiliar word? Look in the glossary, page 327.
• The ' indicates remedies recommended by many women.
• Trust your own sense of what's right for you. Seek second and third opinions. Respect the uniqueness of your body, your intuitions, and your feelings.
May it be in beauty; may it be in a sacred way.


To my readers i must start by apologising for my lengthy absence. I guess i just ran out of steam because I really had not found a specific area I wanted to devote my writing to. I just knew i had a lot to write about but I just wasnt sure of the subject. But a few hours ago, before I woke up, I realised I have always known what I passionately what to write about, i just hadnt found the right word or classification for it. This right word is what i choose to call Social Investment. I dont know if this term exists or not but I figured it captures exactly what i want to write about.
As a term i subconsciously think i coined, Social Investment to me means putting or investing money or time or anything useful for that matter into certain individuals or communities or societies for the sake of giving and not accepting an monetary or material return as direct or an indirect benefit for the effort. This definition automatically rules out Social Responsibility that almost every company is engaged in nowadays because if the truth be told Social Responsibility, (i will devote a future post to this subject later on) is usually a marketing gimmick meant to generate "Publicity". Wikipedia defines "Publicity" as "the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject". So the indirect benefit here is managing the perception of a subject be it a company, product or service.
Unlike the goal of Capital Invsestment whose goal is profit, recognition, prestige etc the motive of Social Investment is simply PERSONAL FULFILMENT and nothing else. Unfortunately personal fulfillment is a feeling that only the person who feels it is aware of, it cannot be seen or be felt by anyone else. According to Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the fifth level which is Self-Actualisation is the level where personal fulfillment is attained.
One way in which real Social Investment is manifested in an organisation is investment in employees. I am not talking of being sent to school and being bonded to the firm for three years. Am talking of no strings attached giveaways like offering a bursary to an employee's child and allowing the child to join a company of choice. To me this is micro-social investment which embodies "charity begins at home". At the macro level you have individuals, companies or governments investing in building of schools, universities, hospitals or any social facility and not forcing beneficiaries to brand the facility.
In future i will write about a number of entrepreneurs who have been at the fore front of true Social Investment or what others call Philanthropy, the likes of Andrew Carnegie whom i consider the father of Social Investment, Bill Gates, Richard Branson etc.
Be blessed with more passion.
Macheso To Entertain McCain and Obama?


Eyes are one of the important organs. We have to use the mobile gadgets more than 8 hours everyday. Our eyes always feel tired, dry easily. To protect your eyes, you can try the following tips.
Is your facebook page like mine being spammed by our friend's travel posts? Everybody likes to go travelling during summer holiday!
Daddy is busy with work all day long. Other than work, he also takes care of the family and doesn't have time to take care of himself. Why not riding on this coming Father's day, prepare something nice and special to let him indulge himself from head to toe!
3 Steps to get ready for summer: slimming, whitening and sun care.


ConnectPlus' flagship ERM is Enterprise Relationship Management and so much more. ConnectPlus ties nearly every system that you currently use together. In addition to Sales Force Automation (SFA), it can handle contact management, project management, inventory control, project collaboration, customer service and communication, Business Process Optimization (BPO), and more.
ConnectPlus allows customers to define, track and refine all vital processes and use them to assign work to team members via a Ticketing system. The process engine allows for complete flexibility and customization. In addition to defining the steps of the process and a responsible party for each, extensive instructions can be added to ease training and onboarding of new employees.
What is most important to your organization?
3. Understanding the Projects, on which employees are working.
5. Technology and Data Risk.
6. Need for Improved Processes.
7. Productivity Lost from Employee Turnover.
8. Lack of Collaboration between Departments.
ConnectPlus allows all departments the ability to enter projects and populate them with Tickets that represent all of the items that need to completed to ensure success. The flexibility of the process management tools allows every department to get in on the action and lets each of these teams design their own process tailored to fit specific needs.
As users enter updates on Tickets related to Projects, the time they spend is captured. As a result, ConnectPlus has all the data necessary to provide advanced reporting on a project level. How much time is being spent on each step of a given process across all Tickets? How much time was spent by each team member on a new initiative? All this and more is at your fingertips with ConnectPlus.
How many times has a project which is vital, but not time sensitive, completely ground to a halt when a key team member goes on vacation? When using email and files saved locally this is sure to happen. ConnectPlus takes all of the collaboration out of each team member's personal silo and puts it in the cloud where everyone can see, ensuring that progress can continue to flow, even when an unexpected event occurs.
Using a Kanban process visualization tool, team members are able to easily view the progress for projects and communicate in a centralized area for cross departmental communication.


The ATMOS® for Flats & Apartments is designed to provide whole home ventilation and eradicate condensation from homes without a loft space. The unit introduces an almost imperceptible air supply throughout the living space to transform a stale atmosphere into a fresh and healthy environment.
Our professional installers position ATMOS® in your home.
ATMOS® draws air in and filters it before pushing it out into the home.