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VMware vCenter Log Insight 1.0 public beta program opened

VMware opened  a public beta program  of a soon to be released new product named vCenter Log Insight at June 11. The product was originally developed by Pattern Insight which sold their product Log Insight to VMware in August 2012.

VMware vCenter Log Insight delivers automated log management through log analytics, aggregation and search, extending VMware’s leadership in analytics to log data. With an integrated cloud operations management approach, it provides the operational intelligence and enterprise-wide visibility needed to proactively enable service levels and operational efficiency in dynamic hybrid cloud environments.

The growing popularity of cloud-based computing systems has had a knock-on effect in terms of how much data gets generated in the process. Products like Log Insight help companies monitor that data for problems in their data centers and in cloud environments. Current customers include Intel, Qualcomm, Tellabs and Motorola.

vCenter Log Insight is delivered as a virtual appliance .ova file.

The final release of vCenter Log Insight will be general available in Q3 2013.

A very comprehensive article on the product can be read at the VMware Office of the CTO blog.

Competing solutions are  Splunk,  Loggly , Papertrail and Sumo Logic.

Key Benefits:

  • Real-time, actionable operational intelligence and deep visibility across all tiers of your IT infrastructure and applications, without requiring you to know the data beforehand.
  • Intuitive, easy-to-use, graphical interface for simple interactive searches as well as deep analytical queries providing quick insights, enabling fast time to value and improved operational efficiency.
  • Built-in knowledge and native support for VMware vSphere®, making vCenter Log Insight the solution best suited for your VMware environment.

VMware vCenter Log Insight is licensed on a per operating system instance (OSI) basis, which is defined as any server, virtual or physical, with an IP address that generates logs, including network devices and storage arrays.

With Log Insight, you can analyze an unlimited amount of log data per OSI. The advantage of this is a simple and predictable pricing model that is based on the size of the infrastructure; it does not force you to buy additional licenses to cover the worst-case scenario and pay more for increased log volumes.

Given that systems and devices can generate huge amounts of log data during peak times, or while monitoring and troubleshooting for various IT issues, this is an important distinction.

Detailed pricing information will be announced when vCenter Log Insight is ready to ship in Q3 2013. Expected is a cost of $ 2o0 per OSI (data source)

Download of the beta and more information at the VMware site.
Log Insight Users guide 1.0 can be downloaded here.

Gigaom has more news here.

Maish Saidel-Keesing has blogged about VMware vCenter Log Insight

About Marcel van den Berg
I am a technical consultant with a strong focus on server virtualization, desktop virtualization, cloud computing and business continuity/disaster recovery.

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The Update

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Archive for the ‘News’ Category

News bits and commentaries!

Halo Wars Demo Coming Soon

Posted by haunt506e on January 24, 2009

Halo Wars

Just as I, and presumably thousands of other gamers, had hoped, a Halo Wars Demo has been announced, and will be avialable for download off of the Xbox Live Marketplace in less than two weeks.  I’ve done several other posts on the game, but, as far as gameplay goes, not many game sites have had the chance to play Halo Wars.  On February 5th, gamers around the world will be able to experience this revolutionary title for themselves.

The demo includes a “Beginner” Tutorial as well as an “Advanced” Tutorial, which will allows new players to get the hang of the game’s controls, which have been specifically designed for the 360’s controller.  When you’ve figured out the basics, Ensemble has also packaged the first two Campaign missions with the demo as well, so you can get a brief view of Halo War’s deep story, set 20 years before the events of the first Halo.  When you’re done playing the Campaign modes, the demo is also packaged with Chasms, one of Halo Wars’ 14 multiplayer maps.  However, the announcements were a little fuzzy on whether the demo would feature multiplayer over Xbox Live, like the real game will.  I do know that players can play against the A.I. as either the Covenants or the USNC Marines, so players will be able to check out both armies.

The game looks very promising, and the demo will either guarantee more sales or less, depending on how well the game plays.  For me, the only way that this game could get screwed up is if Ensemble’s control schemes were a little on the cumbersome side.  However, I’ve read in several magazines and on several news sites that, despite RTS Games generally failing on the 360, Halo Wars’ will hopefully break that mold.  Check out the Halo Wars demo this February 5th, and, if you can’t wait, you can check out the Halo Wars Video Documentary on Xbox Live in the Video Marketplace.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Resident Evil 5 Demo Infecting the U.S. on January 26th

Posted by haunt506e on January 15, 2009

Resident Evil 5Japanese players have had their hands on this demo for a long time, but the Resident Evil 5 demo is now making its way across the Pacific to the U.S., so we can finally check it out. The demo will be making its debute on the 360 on January 26th, the PS3 demo following a week later, on February 5th. There wasn’t any mention as to why the demo was made available only on the 360, but it really shouldn’t be considered a big deal. After all, in Japan, the only way to access the demo on the PS3 was with a bonus disc that came with the system.

What’s actually in the demo? Well, I’ve got details on that as well. Joystiq‘s report lists the demo as featuring two levels that can be played in solo mode or cooperatively, online or offline. I don’t know how long each of these levels will last, but I’m guessing that the entire demo will be completable in under an hour, so it shouldn’t take too long to finish the two playable levels. The cooperative aspect of the game will no doubt extend the replayability of it, and the game’s overal “experience,” but I’m not really sure it’ll make it a buy for me. I like the survival horror genre, but Resident Evil, at least the way these games are set up, has become more action horror than survival horror.  Or maybe it was always action horror. Either way, at this point in time, I’m unsure about myself purchasing this game.

Anyways, be sure to check out this demo when it becomes available at the end of January. In addition, be sure to check out the Resident Evil 5 TGS Trailer, that will be available on the Xbox Live Marketplace for a free download this January 16th, tomorrow.

Tips N4G

Posted in News, Playstation 3, Xbox 360 | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Lord of the Rings: Conquest Demo Now Available

Posted by haunt506e on January 4, 2009

ConquestSo after checking all my feeds and news sites for something to blog about, I happened upon word of a demo for LotR: Conquest being available on Xbox Live.  I figured it might be worthwhile to check out, as, if you’re a listener of the show, you’ll recall us discussing the game earlier on in.  So after the long download, I jumped into the training mission of the demo.

This segment was done pretty well actually, letting you know how to play while also putting you into the action from the start.  LotR: Conquest’s tutorial puts you into the first final battle with Sauron (don’t know what it’s called, I’m not a Lord of the Rings buff), and allows you to choose between four classes, which are focused on throughout the tutorial.  The warrior, my personal favorite class, is introduced first.  He can chain together some pretty cool combos and use a fire sword ability to dish out some major damage.  Unfortunately, it gets boring somewhat rapidly, and you’ll soon be stuck waiting for more goblins to spawn because you are killing them off too quickly.

Tree Ents are one of the many player-controlled vehicles of the game, and can only be taken down by executing a series of randomized button presses, akin to God of War.

The next class introduced is the archer, the basic ranged unit.  He can’t do too much, and has to attack from afar with his poison, fire, and multi-shot arrow attacks.  His only melee attack is a weak kick, serving only to push enemies backwards so you can kite them around.  Next up is the scout, a rogue-like class that can stealth himself and assassinate enemies.  He’s pretty fun in the tutorial, and also in the multiplayer, but, aside from his assassination attack, he seems a bit useless.  The mage, playable lastly, is a fireball throwing, shield conjuring, shockwave master.  In short, he sits back and cast spells, which may seem fun at first, but due to the clunky gameplay (to be explained later), even the mage’s otherworldly powers become dull fast.

Now, these classes may or may not seem fun, but what killed this game for me was the clunkiness of this game’s actual game play.  This clunkiness first makes its appearance to us in the menus, where in order to play a multiplayer match, you must register with EA.  I mean really, this is Xbox Live people, we shouldn’t have to register with a third-party company just to play a game.  And its even worse because EA only uses these accounts to spam out previews for all the sub-par sequels that they’re publishing.

Regarding actual game play, two battlefields will be available in the demo: Minas Tirith and The Shire.  These environments are pretty well constructed, and, while the level designs could have been better, they offer a nice balanced field of play.  When fighting with large amounts of players on the screen, the game gets clunky, and not in a frame-rate-dropping-sort-of-way.  When I mean it gets choppy, I mean that when characters attack, their combos are so “cinematic,” that you could be executing a lengthy 5 or 6 button combo when suddenly, mid-combo, your character gets knocked flat by some random arrow and must lay around on the ground, rolling around for a few seconds, before he can get back and restart his combo.  By that time, the person you were fighting will have either finished you off or will have fallen victim to the same sort of interruption.

The game is like trying to play a fighting game with 16 fighters instead of 2.  The combat is slow and clunky, and the combos take entirely too long to pull off, resulting in slow moving characters that have to stop for an unimaginably long amount of time just to swing their sword at an enemy.  With a game like Starwars: Battlefront under their belts, you’d think Pandemic would be able to not only make this game chaotic, but also fun to play and somewhat face-paced.  Lord of the Rings: Conquest is just chaotic.

I realize that this is only a demo and therefore I’d like to remind you that this is just a demo review/ game preview, and that no final opinions have been disclosed in the above text.

Tips N4G

Posted in News, Previews, Xbox 360 | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Left 4 Dead DLC Officially Announced

Posted by haunt506e on December 29, 2008

Left 4 Dead

Yes, it’s true,  DLC (Down-loadeable? Content) has been announced for my favorite game of 2008, Left 4 Dead.  The hit post-apocalyptic zombie shooter isn’t yet 2 months old and some new content has been announced for it.  A video podcast from Kotaku reveals an interview with Chet Faliszek, one of Valve’s writers.  In the interview, Faliszek hints at the announcement of specific DLC for both the 360 and PC versions, possibly the ability to play the other additional 2 campaigns (Dead Air and Death Toll) in versus mode.  If we’re lucky, we might even see a new campaign.

On an earlier post by 1UP (I’m sorry, don’t have the link), another Valve member hinted at a new weapon, the flame thrower, to be included soon in DLC.  This DLC was to be free on the PC version, but apparently Valve has had some difficulties with Microsoft’s allowing them to do the same on the Xbox 360.

There’s not a whole lot of information yet, but we’ve been told that the new DLC will be revealed “really soon,” so we’ll just have to wait until Valve unveals exactly what’s going to be made available to its customers.  Expect more news and blog posts on any future Left 4 Dead news and reports right here at The Update.

Posted in News, PC, Xbox 360 | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Xbox Live Updates

Posted by haunt506e on December 20, 2008

I’ll start off with a quick apology before getting into the actual blog post real fast.  Sorry that I haven’t been updating the blog with any new stories or posts recently, but it’s been pretty hectic for me this week with finals and things like that, things that add up.  But yeah, I’m back and have a quick story to cove, with some word on the podcast after the main post.  Here we go!

New Xbox Experience Updates

Alright so if you’re an Xbox 360 player who’s connected to Live or who has bought a 360 within like the last month or so, you’ll be playing your console using the newest dashboard update, nicknamed the “New Xbox Experience.”  You will have also created your Avatar, the little Mii-like figure that represents your online self.  Well, as promised, Microsoft has already released several new clothes packs for free to their customers, the first being an actual clothes pack that was released a couple weeks back, and the second a clothes pack featuring “fancy” clothes, including tuxedos for men and various dresses for women.

I don’t really want to focus too much on the clothes, because they’re there if you want to check them out and customize your avatar, but I’d rather like to talk about how Microsoft actually seems to be taking these characters seriously.  Nintendo released their little Mii guys with the standard clothes and sets of eyes, faces, etc., but to the best of my knowledge, I don’t think that Nintendo has released any additions (none free at least) to these Mii things.  Microsoft has not only added several new items (for free) to their Avatars, but they’ve also tossed a few freebies our way via the marketplace, taking the form of a free winter premium theme and a snowglobe.

The theme is pretty neat for being free.  The background is a small town filled with holiday lights and covered by snow, and it fits the season very well.  In addition, when you look at your friends list, you’ll notice present rappings and other seasonal items behind each of your friends or their parties.  It’s a nice touch, and its free, so check it out.  The snowglobe is kind of a waste, but its pretty much a virtual snowglobe…  That’s about all I have to say about that.

Holiday Snowglobe

The Snowglobe is... Cool...

My point is that Microsoft is actually updating and taking care of their consoles and their customers, and, while yes, the 360 still succumbs to the dreadful red ring of death fatal system error, it remains one of the best consoles on the market because of this kind of support.  Live is what makes the 360, and these updates are what make Live.  The NXE was a huge success, and Microsoft shows that they want to continue making it a success in the eyes of its customers.  Kudos to Microsoft for putting this kind of stuff out for free.

As for the Update This podcast, it’s still going, but we’ve been having difficulty scheduling times over the holidays, so it may be postponed until after the holidays.  Until then keep track of all the happenings around here by checking back on the site and following me on twitter (Haunt506e).

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Leave a Comment »

Halo Wars Gets a Delayed Release Date

Posted by haunt506e on December 8, 2008

Halo WarsHalo Wars, Ensemble Studio’s last project as Ensemble, takes the Halo franchise to the real-time strategy battlefield, where players assume control of hundreds of units, rather than just one single character.  If you haven’t heard of Ensemble studios, you’ll perhaps recognize them by their flagship franchise, Age of Empires.  While Age of Empires has lost its appeal and steam over the past few years, Halo Wars has done nothing but gather up its own layer of hype.  It always astounds me how the gaming community gets so excited for each successive Halo release, yet get pissed off at the developers when the game finally releases.  It doesn’t make much sense to me, but maybe gamers should just stop setting their hopes up so high.

Halo Wars Screenshot

Originally intended as an RTS, the Halo franchise finally makes its way into the strategy genre in Halo Wars.

Anyways, an earlier post here at The Update has outlined the game’s various release packages, the two of which are aimed at the casual gamers and hardcore collectors, respectively.  The game, while exclusive to the Xbox 360, is shaping up to be one hell of a purchase, for RTS fans or Halo fans alike.  For those interested, Halo Wars delves further into Halo’s rich lore (most of which has been developed over time in the Halo novels), and puts you in command of different units from the Halo universe, some of which are taken from the novels in addition to the games.

There have already been several videos posted up around the net on Halo Wars, as well as a few trailers posted up on the Xbox Live Marketplace.  If you’ve got the time, I encourage you to check them out, there’s several good ones in there, including a lengthy game play preview.

So yes, Halo Wars is coming out, but now, the reason for this blog post.  Halo Wars was originally slated for a release date near the end of February.  The U.S. release has now been delayed, however, and Halo Wars’ release has now turned into one of the only times I have seen the European players get the game before the U.S. players (in Xbox 360 releases that is).  For those interested, Halo Wars will debute on February 27th for European players, and on March 3rd for U.S. players.  The game is pretty high up on my list of games to buy for 2008, so I’ll have to see how well it turns out.

Posted in News, Previews, Xbox 360 | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Halo 3 Overtakes Gears of War 2

Posted by haunt506e on December 5, 2008

Halo 3For even as great a game as Gears of War 2 it appears that unseating the multiplayer king from its throne was just too difficult a task.  Or was it that great of a game?  According to a recent blog post by Gamecyte, it looks like Gears of War 2 was more on the mediocre side, at least in terms of online play time.

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU’s)
1    Halo 3
2    Gears of War 2
3    CoD: World at War
4    Call of Duty 4
5    GTA IV
6    Fable II
7    Left 4 Dead
8    Madden NFL 09
9    Fallout 3
10   FIFA 09

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions purchased)
1    Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
2    A Kingdom for Keflings
3    UNO
4    Castle Crashers
5    Worms
6    Portal: Still Alive
7    Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
8    Aegis Wing
9    Bomberman Live
10   Assault Heroes

The above arcade list is based on full versions purchased.

Original Xbox Top Live Titles (based on UU’s)
1    Halo 2
2    Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
3    Fable
4    Counter-Strike
5    Call of Duty 3
6    Battlefield 2: MC
7    Conker: Live Reloaded
8    Street Fighter Anniv.
9    Star Wars: Battlefront
10   Splinter Cell Chaos

These lists are based on global unique users connected to Xbox Live or in the case of Arcade, full versions purchased that week.

Judgement DayFor Call of Duty 4, it took several months of a constant back and forth battle before Master Chief could reassert his rule over the Xbox Live domain.  Grand Theft Auto IV was the only other game to knock Halo 3 off of the #1 position, but after a reported 3 updates, even GTAIV couldn’t stand up to Bungie’s creation.  Gears of War 2 had its chance to remain at the top after it briefly took the #1 spot, but EPIC threw away that chance by maintaining a laggy, slow, bug-filled multiplayer experience that was just a hastle to even think about playing.  After the smoke cleared, Halo 3 regained its title after less than a month of the whole Gears of War 2 ordeal.

Gears of War 2 now stands at #2, and by the looks of it, it’s dropping.  The only guys on my friends that I notice playing the game now are people that were huge fans of the original Gears, back when Gears 1 was the #1 most played game on Xbox Live.  I think what happened to Gears of War 2 is that players finished the single player campaign, played a few matches of multiplayer, got agitated by the whole mess, ejected the disc, and put in another game, most likely CoD5 or CoD4, which are now fighting each other for the #3 spot.

Chainsaw DuelSo what exactly happened to Gears of War 2?  We’ve established that the multiplayer sucks, but I will give it kudos in that its take on multiplayer is an improvement over the original Gears.  Improving on garbage isn’t difficult to do, but despite being garbage, the original Gears of War held its position at the top for several months, until Halo 3 came along.  It seems kind of strange that Gears 2, an improvement over Gears 1, couldn’t even hold #1 for even a month, and even more shocking, the game was overtaken by Halo 3, a game that’s not only been out for a year, but one that’s also been heavily criticized by the gaming community as being “overrated.”  (I don’t think Halo 3 deserves some of the punishment it has been getting, but I could talk about why all day long).

New multiplayer matchmaking systems have been layed down by games like Halo 3 and the two Call of Duty games.  While Halo 3 arguably “started it all,” and still maintains an incredible online community, CoD4 and 5 have both contributed to the development of matchmaking in their own way.  Gears of War 2, on the otherhand, seems to have taken a step in the opposite direction, and, because of this, has already suffered from obvious drops in its online play time.  For me and hundreds of thousands of other players, Gears 2 is singularly a single player experience, not because the multiplayer is a bad concept, but because the multiplayer was carried out horribly.

If you’re looking for a great multiplayer game, DON’T BUY GEARS OF WAR 2!  Halo 3 and CoD4 (or 5), despite both being over a year old, are still your best bets.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Mytheon, New Free-To-Play MMOG, Announced

Posted by haunt506e on December 2, 2008

Earlier today Petroglyph, makers of RTS games such as Star Wars: Empire at War and Universe at War: Earth Assault, announced their development of a brand new MMOG called “Mytheon.”  With a release date set during the third quarter of 2009, Petroglyph hopes to make this RTS/RPG/MMO hybrid game available for free, making their profits off of paid micro-transactions within the game.  A teaser site has a bit of info up, but not a whole lot, and I’ve only managed to find a few screenshots of the game, all of which are concept art, and I’m too lazy to post those up at this moment.

Players collect orbs in the game and use these orbs to do different things, carry out attacks, summon monsters, etc.  Using their game store, you will be able to purchase new orbs for cash, and can use these special orbs to bolster your collection and gain the edge on your opponents.  The game is slated to include all the basic forms of play that is common in most MMOs today, including PvP, Raids, Parties, Dungeons, and more.  There’s not a lot of information on it’s “hybrid” game play mechanics, but it sounds like it could be interesting and it definitely has potential.

We’re starting to see this micro-transaction market structure more and more often in free games, and Mytheos seems to be the first one developed in the U.S. using this strategy.  I kind of like it, in a way, but I don’t ever see myself actually paying for ingame items, and therefore it is doubtful that I’ll get into this game.  I know a lot of people like being able to buy items or equipment for real world money, but the way I see it, if I’m playing a game for “free,” I don’t want to be paying money for it, even if it’s almost a necessity to keep up with the rest of the game.

Sorry for the short post lacking pictures, but it’s late tonight and good pictures are almost impossible to find for the game at the moment.  In addition, I’d also like to apologize for not having a lot of posts up lately, but I’ve been a little busy setting up things for future additions to the blog, including The Update’s podcast, simply called “Update This,” which will be airing hopefully this Friday (we’ll record tomorrow).  Come back and check out the podcast when its up, and be sure to check back regularly for blog posts.  Thanks.

Posted in Bargain Bin, News, PC | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Other Consoles Still Trail Behind the Nintendo Wii in Sales

Posted by haunt506e on November 30, 2008

System Sales, November 2008Nintendo has recently reported selling just over 35 million Wii units since its inception in Fall 2006.  10 million units ahead of the 360 and 18 million ahead of the PS3, the Wii continues to outsell both consoles worldwide.  Even more interesting however is the console battle in Japan.  The PS3 has, since its launch, sold almost 3 million units to its home territory.  The Wii, on the otherhand, has sold almost 7 million units, doubling the PS3’s sales.  In Japan the Xbox 360 is still struggling, but GameDaily reports a 157.1% increase in 360 sales during the past 7 months.  Since its launch date in 2005, the Xbox 360 has sold only a measly 750,000 units to Japan, and, despite the 157.1% increase in sales, the Xbox 360 still trails behind the competition in Japan.

In Japan, console sales are as follows.  This quote has been taken from the original post on GameDaily.

Xbox 360: 748,992
PS3: 2,369,484
DS: 6,449,206
DS Lite: 17,080,747
Wii: 6,826,612
PSP: 10,181,888
PS2: 21,454,325

What makes the Wii so succesful is its huge market group.  The console is aimed at just about everybody except actual gamers (that’s why this is the first Wii post on this blog).  For real gamers and even the markets that the console is selling to, the console won’t last.  I’ve got a few friends with Wii’s, and, even when the Wii is the only console in the house, it still collects dust.  Its controllers are great at first, and prospective users are wowed by the simplicity of its design and gameplay, only to be disappointed when these great features are really only applied to a select few games (very select, very few).  One of my pals has bought a game for the PS2 rather than buy the same game for the Wii because of its unrealiable controls (unrealiable meaning the controls only work for less than 5% of the Wii’s games).

Xbox 360 sales and PS3 sales trail behind the Wii sales, but, if you take it from a longevity and gamer’s perspective, the 360 and the PS3 aren’t really doing that bad.  As far as software sales go (the games), the Wii is doing a little worse than the Xbox 360 but a little better than the PS3.  MyBroadband News reports the following.

The Xbox 360 has sold an average 6.6 games for each console that it has sold in the past 23 months. Nintendo’s Wii in comparison has sold 5.5, and the PS3 comes in last with 5.3 games sold per console.

While yes, the Xbox 360 has been around a bit longer than both the Wii and PS3, I seriously doubt the Wii’s games per console sales to pass up the 360’s.

Console WarsRight now at the current state of the console wars, the Xbox 360 seems to be doing reasonably well, outselling its predecessor and is dominating the “hardcore” gamer market.  In addition, the 360 is outselling the Wii and the PS3 as far as game sales go.  The Wii seems to be destroying the competition on console sales, but seems a bit behind the 360 on game sales, which is to be expected.  I doubt I will ever own a Wii, but, for the people that do own one, enjoy it now because it gets old pretty fast.  And the PS3, on the otherhand, is doing alright, holding its own in third (last) place.  I think the major problem with the PS3 is just that it got off to a bad start, keeping it from making headway early on, and the PS3 is now playing “catch up” with the rest of the consoles.  Now it’s got the games and the hardware, but Sony’s PS3 just hasn’t made as large of an impact as the Xbox 360 or the Wii.

In short, the Wii sells a lot, but, for actual gamers, fails as a console.  The Xbox 360 is still the best console for gamers, with the PS3 struggling (I wouldn’t say struggling, but I couldn’t think of the right word) to keep up.

Posted in News, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, Xbox 360 | Leave a Comment »

Recent Gears of War 2 Patch Supposedly Speeds Up Matchmaking

Posted by haunt506e on November 28, 2008

Gears of War 2Earlier today EPIC released the first patch for Gears of War 2, a patch focused almost entirely on fixing the game’s ridiculously slow matchmaking system.  I’ve gotten some time to test out the new patch, and, I’ve gotta say, it didn’t really change much.  The matchmaking is still riddled with those “wtf?” moments, long search times, and infinite search loops.  For my friends and I, getting into a Gears of War 2 match kind of goes like this…

  1. Matchmaking is started.
  2. After 2 minutes, matchmaking is restarted.
  3. After 2 minutes, matchmaking is switched to a different game type.
  4. After 2 seconds, a match is found.
  5. When the match is over and you’ve waited the useless 25 seconds in the post-game lobby (why?), repeat the process.

Gears of War 2 is a great game, better than the first even.  However, where it fails is not in some game mechanic or concept, but in its terrible truskill or whatever matchmaking system.  Truskill doesn’t work, every developer needs to get that into their heads.  Matchmaking is fine by me, but destroy the steaming pile of excrement that is truskill (I don’t know if that’s the correct spelling, but whatever).  I’ve been playing Left 4 Dead a lot the past couple of days, do you know how long, on average, it takes to find a match via matchmaking (without truskill thank god)?  Around 3 seconds.  No restarting the matchmaking, no switching playlists, all it takes is a simple select game type, difficulty, and level, and a match is found almost instantly.  Yeah, I know L4D uses dedicated servers, but that has nothing to do with the actual matchmaking (as in finding a game) part of the deal.

So really EPIC, fix your product, because for the time being, it is unplayable by myself and no doubt hundreds of thousands of others.  The game’s great, but right now I’d kinda like to continue the multiplayer experience, but unfortunately cannot because of the s*** servers.  I could forgive this poor quality on launch day and even a few days later when I was writing my review, but I can’t overlook the terrible performance 21 days after launch.

But I guess I must give credit where credit is due.  After all, the title update did do something.  Instead of having to restart matchmaking three times to get a match, now you only have to restart it twice…

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

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Basic Loan Requirement Criteria:

To qualify for an Accion loan, you'll need to:

  • Be no more than 30 days late on any bills, loans, credit cards, or any other payment. If you are late, the total late balance must be under $3,000 (and it's preferable that any debt you do have is attributed to emergency circumstances such as layoff or illness).
  • Not have any mortgage-rate adjustments due during the term of the loan.
  • Not have declared bankruptcy in the past 12 months.
  • Not have had any late rent or mortgage payments in the past 12 months.
  • Not have gone through foreclosure in the past 24 months.

Here are a few additional requirements for businesses that have less than six months of sales:

  • Your business must be located at home or in an incubator.
  • You must have less than $500 in past-due debt.
  • You must present your two most recent paystubs.
  • You should have a business plan with a 12-month cash-flow projection.
If you don’t meet these basic requirements, we encourage you to check back after you've had a chance to strengthen your application.

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Shipshewana RV Storage Units

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Indiana is a great place to rent vehicle self-storage and you will find that the most populated cities in IN, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville and South Bend, will provide you with the best selection. In these cities you will find sometimes hundreds of storage facilities within city limits. Rent vehicle storage for FREE at these facilities and get great service and savings.

Find Shipshewana vehicle storage near you. Compare Shipshewana car storage unit sizes, prices, amenities and discounts. View pictures, descriptions, and read customer reviews to assist you in making a selection, when looking for a location to store your automobile. Once you select a cheap vehicle storage space the in Shipshewana that best fits your needs, simply reserve online for FREE and lock in your car storage price, save money and time. If you prefer, you can call and speak to a friendly and professional customer service representative, who could answer all your questions and who could take a reservation over the phone for FREE. No credit card is required to reserve vehicle storage in Shipshewana online or by phone. A detailed confirmation e-mail will be automatically forwarded to your inbox. Your storage space will be available for you when you arrive at the self-storage facility on your move in date. Finding public storage for your vehicle in Shipshewana, or in nearby cities like Middlebury, White Pigeon, Topeka or Millersburg is that fast, easy and affordable.

FIRST MONTH FREE, $1 the first month, 50% off discounts for RV storage in Shipshewana, IN.

Public storage facilities in Shipshewana, IN offer a variety of discounts to their customers. When searching for extra space storage for your RV in Shipshewana, compare the price of the RV storage unit as well as the discount that storage facility is offering on that space. Some self-storage facilities in Shipshewana offer the same special on every RV storage unit they have in their inventory, while other facilities might offer different specials on select RV storage in their inventory.

Prices can vary based on storage sizes and it's amenities when renting Rv Storage in Shipshewana, IN.

Typically outside RV storage units are less expensive and are typically located around the outside area of the storage facilities. You will find that an enclosed RV storage unit will cost more than an uncovered RV storage parking space.

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For the love of running

Posted on September 8, 2014. Filed under: Uncategorized |

Any runner has their running journey; mine started as a young girl, supporting my Dad and Uncle as they ran in Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon each October.  Myself and my four and then later five siblings would sit bundled up on the sidelines with our box of crayons and posters creating signs to hold when we would see my Dad and Uncle run past.  It was such a fun experience and one that we would look forward to each year, particularly for the end of race bagels that my Dad would sneak us and what would become the annual post-race chilli party at my Uncle and Aunt’s place. Running became a family affair.

Since watching my dad fall in love with running (he didn’t start until his 40th Birthday), I too became addicted. Running became an integral part of my life. One that allowed my family to bond; especially when I trained for my first marathon with my Dad. I really enjoyed those runs with my dad through the country roads near our home in Ohio; finding fresh streams to drink out of, enjoying the sunsets during our runs and laughing as my Dad would inevitably “moo” at any and all cow pastures that we ran past. We would say prayers together on those runs, talk future plans–where I saw my career and life in the future, what him and my Mom were planning for their future, and how my siblings were doing. Running with my Dad became our “thing” and oftentimes my sisters and mom would join. Running became something that my family would bond over, something that still continues with family runs when I visit home.

Running has not only helped my family became closer, it has fostered some of the most fruitful relationships I could wish for throughout college and graduate school. It has also given me the opportunity to explore and see cities in a new way. It has provided me with a healthy heart, strong muscles and joints and has been a cathartic stress reliever.  It has provided me an avenue to continually challenge myself– can I push harder, faster?  Can I commit and persevere to accomplish 26.2 miles? Running has strengthened my will power and work ethic. Running has bolstered my positive outlook on life. Most importantly, running has made me a better person.

Since my Dad helped to instill in me a love of running; I have ran four full marathons, 2 half marathons, 4 olympic triathlons and 1 half ironman  and am currently training for my fifth full marathon– the October 19 Nationwide Children’s  Hospital Columbus Marathon. Yes, the same marathon that I watched my Dad and Uncle run when I was a little girl.

Running has given me so much for which to be grateful.

How could running benefit your life? Don’t wait to find out–get out there and run!

Live vigorously,

dad.marathon.2011.1 – My Dad an I after the Columbus Marathon in 2012. The year of my PR– 3:39.

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native ad economyMost, if not all, major platforms on the web — Google, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, and WordPress — have universally adopted “native” advertising formats, and billions of dollars are now being spent through Promoted Tweets on Twitter, Sponsored Stories on Facebook, Paid Discovery on StumbleUpon and Promoted Videos on WordPress blogs, among many others. And you’re already seeing companies like Spotify introducing branded playlists and Tumblr enabling brands to promote their posts.

The success of these companies hasn’t gone unnoticed by today’s entrepreneurs, whose starting point for monetization is now native. Imagine an entrepreneur telling a prospective investor that their monetization model is to slap display ads in the corners of their site – not going to happen!

The next generation of Internet elite are bypassing the display ad slog altogether and creating ad products that enable brands to engage natively with their audiences. And as they’re going out and raising money, the startups that can articulate a roadmap for building a native monetization model through ad products that fit uniquely within their sites will find a much more receptive audience … because the value of native monetization hasn’t been lost on the venture community.

What are the next opportunities for investors? What should they be looking for?

1) New “closed” native ad ecosystems

What the first wave of native ads had in common is that they happened within “closed” ecosystems, where the content creation and the promotion of that content happen within the same platforms. Examples include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Tumblr. Expect to see more of these soon from top players, with sites like Pinterest launching Promoted Pins, Google Plus launching promoted discovery ads, and Instagram/Facebook mobile introducing new mobile native ad strategies to the market.

As entrepreneurs pitch their ideas for the next generation of consumer mobile apps and web platforms, they will be greatly aided by having a well-designed strategy to integrate native ad products into their experiences. These types of ad products give brands a seamless way to reach audiences and strengthen the inherent value and unique identity of the site.

For example, if you were one of the many companies looking to become “The Instagram of Video,” now is the time to think about how to bring brands into the mix. Do brands create their own videos and promote them within the user stream? Do they trade the ability to use their intellectual property (i.e. music, film footage, fashion, etc) in user videos in return for free exposure? Whatever it is, it needs to be part of the experience, not just an interruption (i.e. a 15 second video ad you have to watch before watching your friend’s video) or a tiny display ad sitting at the bottom or top of your phone’s screen.

2) New enabling technology

One issue with unique ad opportunities is that they don’t always scale. Major brands need to be able to reach a national audience in their target demographic as efficiently as possible.

Over the past year, content publishers and independent technology companies have begun to introduce native ad experiences that reach beyond the closed platforms and provide scale. Native advertising on these “open” platforms is defined by the fact that brand content can live outside of the site and can be distributed across multiple platforms through native ad formats.

For example, companies like Outbrain and Disqus, which power recommended content widgets on publisher sites like Mashable and USA Today, are helping to answer the question of scale by enabling marketers to promote their content through native ads across the web. Companies like Tabool and my own Sharethrough do this for video, enabling marketers to buy native promoted videos across a wide range of publisher types like blogs, content discovery sites, social games, and premium editorial sites.  Other companies like Buzzfeed and Federated Media power native ad campaigns that promote branded content in the form of promoted articles, lists, and sponsored content.

3) Native ad product innovation

Talented engineers have not historically been drawn to online advertising because it was perceived as being disruptive to consumers and lacked exciting technical challenges. Times are changing, as the most exciting engineering companies in the world like Google, Facebook, and Twitter are all squarely focused on native advertising and re-imagining the way ads fit into their products. We are now at the beginning of what is likely to be an amazingly innovative time for native advertising.

Companies that are able to harness the new opportunities from HTML 5, huge new data sources like Facebook’s OpenGraph, and totally new mediums like augmented reality, will create native ad products that are unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. These types of creative technological breakthroughs are essential to the strategies of the major social platforms, particularly as they look for new ways to monetize their mobile experiences.

4) Advances in optimization and analytics

Native ad products provide a whole new set of metrics to be tracked and used for optimization. Dominant ad mediums such as display, search, and pre-roll drive little to no sharing or earned media, and therefore earned media analytics have had little role in optimizing these ad types. Because of their strong visual integration into the content experience of a publisher’s site, native ads provide a much stronger launchpad for sharing and engagement, and thus new analytics systems are being built from the ground up to track in-depth sharing and engagement originating from paid native media buys.

Sharing and earned media are hugely attractive to brands because they are ways to become part of culture and conversation while delivering a measurable ROI on a brand’s media spend.

Ad innovators that are able to process huge amounts of data to find meaningful correlations between brand content types, native ad formats, and true earned media stand to provide a significant amount of value to both brands and publishers in the future. Imagine the power of social listening platforms like Radian6, analytics tools like Google Analytics, user influence data like Klout, viral data channels like Facebook Insights, and paid media measurement like DoubleClick all wrapped into a unified platform to track and optimize native ads across the web.

It will happen and whoever does it best will be hugely rewarded.

Dan Greenberg, co-founder and CEO of Sharethrough and an authority on social advertising, native monetization, viral video, and how persuasion strategies and digital technology can drive consumer behavior. Ad Age named Dan one of its “Media Mavens” in 2010, and Forbes named Dan one of its “30 Under 30” in 2011.

[Top image credit: SeanPavonePhoto /]


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Food Delivery | Restaurants Delivery | Yelp Eat24 Order Online

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Vernon Hills Food Delivery is the best way to find restaurants that deliver in your area for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a late night snack. Read Yelp reviews, browse restaurants menus and most importantly, easily order online from any restaurant with no extra charge. Whether you are looking for Sushi in San Francisco, Pizza in Los Angeles, Indian food in Seattle, Thai food in Chicago or any cuisine your guts crave in your own city, you can find it by searching your address, or by clicking on one of the city links below.

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Sweet puff pastry cookies

20 servings, 10 min preparation, 20 min baking

These cookies are light and very easy to make. They will go perfectly well with your Sunday coffee and your kids will love them. If you don’t like almonds or you are allergic to nuts, don’t use them. You can replace the nuts with raisins if you prefer.

  • 300 g puff pastry (a sheet of 25 x 40)
  • 250 g ricotta
  • 50 g honey
  • 20 g cinnamon
  • 40 g flaked almonds (or any chopped nuts of your choice)
  • 10 g chia seeds
  • 1 egg

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C/ 390 degrees F. Spread the puff pastry sheet on a piece of clean foil or baking paper (this will help you roll the pastry). Mix the ricotta with the honey, cinnamon and chia seeds. If you prefer using sugar, it’s fine too. In my opinion honey gives this cookies more flavour.

Cover the puff pastry with the cheese mixture. Spread the nuts on top. Roll the pastry until you get a thin cylinder. You can use the baking paper to help you roll the dough. Cut rolls of about 1,5 cm and lay them on a baking tray, covered with a baking paper sheet.

Beat the egg and brush each roll. This will give your cookies a nice golden colour. Put the baking tray in the preheated oven. The cookies will be ready in about 20 min. It’s a challenge, but let the cookies cool before you try them. Enjoy!

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Caribbean sun – Tuna steak with mango salsa

2 portions; 10 min preparation; 20 min waiting; 5 min cooking.

It’s still quite cold outside, so I wanted something delicious to remind me about the Caribbean sun. I really wanted a light and fresh dinner, so I decided to improvise with what I had in the fridge. This dish is really light. Depending on the size of the tuna, you can eat it by itself or prepare it as an entry to your dinner. Either way, it will be great!

I always have mint in my fridge. I love the taste and smell of it and you can use it for so many dishes. Or if you don’t have any recipe in mind, just make fresh mint tea. It’s proven that mint is good for you – it stimulates the digestive and immune system and it contains one of the highest levels of antioxidants.

And let’s not forget about the healthy benefits of eating tuna. It’s rich of lean protein, helps against obesity, stimulate growth and has a positive effect on your immune system. Above that it decreases the chance of strokes and prevents cardiovascular conditions. It’s tasty and very healthy!

2 tuna steaks (about 350-400 g)
2 tbsp minced mint
2 tbsp chia seeds
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tbsp mild olive oil

For the salsa
1 tbsp minced mint
1 red chilli pepper, minced
1 lime (juice and zest)

Make the salsa first so that it has enough time to marinade. Remove the mango seed and chop the mango to even pieces. Take the zest of the lime and squeeze the juice. Remove the seeds of the chilli and mince fine. Mix everything together in a bowl and put in the fridge for 20 min to marinade. If you have more time, you can make the salsa in advance.

Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper to your taste. Mince the mint leaves fine. Make a mix of the chia seeds, mint and a little bit of mild olive oil. Rub the mix on both sides of the steak and leave aside for 20 min to marinade.

Heat the olive oil on a high heat. It’s better if you use a grill pan, then the tuna will have beautiful marks. It will take 1 1/2-2 min per side to be medium in the middle. Don’t overcook the tuna, it will dry out. Serve with the cooled salsa. Enjoy!

2 Comments Add yours

  1. oh this seems delicious (mouth waters)

  2. hocuspocus13 says:

    Reblogged this on hocuspocus13 and commented:

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Young russian ladies look for love

2015-05-07 00:00

Free Russian girls could become your source of inspiration, all you need is to be handsome and treat their attention in a right manner. A lot of young ladies are looking for love here, in order to provide you anything what you need, and they want just your attention, love and long term relationship orientation. Some of so-called free Russian girls want to become housewives; some of them want to make a career outside of Russia. Most of the girls need to meet someone like you, someone who could be their way to happiness, understanding and love.

How could a Russian girl find a man like you?

They are already here on the site, nice, tender and ready to look for their happiness, all you need to do is to find whom you would like to contact to. Enjoy conversation, try to find common ideas, common things and negotiate first dating. Free Russian girls actually are not free at all, you need to spend all your sparkling intelligence to attract her attention, be the best you can, enjoy her talk, walk and smile and try to just find what you need in her.

If you like her, look for another chance to meet and who knows, may be God will save your time and you will find a lady of your dream, your soul, your lifetime love. These ladies are very beautiful and they know how to introduce themselves, showing the best parts of the bodies and concealing the deficiencies.

Russian ladies have their own point of view which is based on good education, and thus its hard to reassure these girls in anything, don’t try to do this, you may loose the whole day with such disputes.

Marriage could be a solution for both of you!

Talk about something you like and understand very well, enjoy their laugh, try to be positive and free Russian girls may like you very much.

According to Russian traditions men should marry the lady he dates if they are together too long, don’t neglect the rule to offer your soul to her, cause she will think that you just take advantage of her beauties, young body and innocent soul. If you feel that you love her, marry her and may be you will find your happiness for an entire life, so help you God!

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Monthly Archives: January 2014

Finished business card

Here’s the final look of the card, front and back!  Lori Michelle, editor of Dark Moon Digest, did it for me.  Isn’t she fab?!  I can’t wait to pass these babies out!

Sleepless ramblings

It’s 3 a.m., and I’m rolling around in bed, allowing my sleep-deprived brain to wander through a myriad of lists, scenarios, and topics of nothing.  Through all of the mindless mess, I’m thinking of my writing.  I’m not happy with it.  There’s something missing.  And then it hits me.  I’m not content with my style.  My recent story Leftovers has too much dialogue and not enough emotion.  Yep.  That’s it.  There’s my problem.  I’m so glad that I figured out how to fix it now instead of writing story after crappy story.  So, I’ve come up with a few things:

1.  No more posting excerpts until I’m fully satisfied with the end result.  No sense in teasing you if you’re not going to be interested in crap.  🙂

2.  I’m going to make a serious effort to write every day.  Definitely something I’ve been lacking lately.  No more excuses.

3.  I have to keep my online time to a minimum.  I won’t be able to blog but maybe 2 times a week, which I think is adequate enough anyway.

4.  On a happier note, coming in February will officially become!  I’m so excited to have my own domain!

5.  I have got to get a sleep aid so I can stop waking up so early in the morning for no reason.

With that, I’m probably going to only blog on Mondays and Thursdays for now.  Once school is over, I’ll have the summer to B.S. as much as I want.  However, writing and school come first.

Now, please excuse me while I drag my tired butt into work.

Excerpt from Leftovers

As he finished his wine, she reached out her hand for his glass.

“Want some more?” she asked coyly.

“I don’t think so.  I’m starting….to feel a little….dizzy.”  Stephen’s head began to shift side to side, and his eyes began to droop.

“One more wouldn’t hurt.”  She studied his expression.  He tried looking around, but his head rocked back and forth.

“No.  I sh-sh-shouldn’t.”  She watched him moving in and out of reality.  Stephen’s eyesight went from dark to light to dark again.  He couldn’t fixate his gaze.

“What…is going…on?”

Melissa sat up straight and let out a sigh.

“It’s the rohypnol, darling.  I can’t have you awake.  Not for what I’m about to do to you.”  She brushed his dangling hair from his eyes and then gazed out into the living room with a dreamy-eyed smile.

“You were perfect.  No friends, just moved here, slowly moving up in the world.  A real catch.  I would’ve been crazy to let you get away from me.”  She looked over and noticed he was trying to say something.  She leaned in closer to his mouth, and he only had the strength to utter one word.

Stephen dropped the glass on the floor, and his grasp on reality was forever gone.  She leaned in and observed him to make sure he was completely out.

“Helloooo?  Anybody home?”  She snapped her fingers in front of his face.  Nothing.

She closed in and whispered in his ear.  “And I believe you…are…out.”

She gave him a small kiss on the cheek, picked up his glass, and went to the kitchen to clean up the leftovers.  Even through his unconsciousness, she carried on her conversation.

“I was really hesitant to invite you over so quickly, but you just had a humble air about you.  You had all the characteristics I look for.  Young, naïve, eager.  I knew you wouldn’t say no to me.  Most guys like you don’t.”

Idea for writers

I’m a fan of going to conventions, meeting new people and such, so instead of just verbally passing my name around I came up with the idea of making networking cards.  This way, people will remember me and, hopefully, get hooked up with my writing via social media.  Maybe this is a good idea for you fellow writers, too.  I’m getting them printed at Vista Print.  It’s super cheap, and they have really cool designs.  Even though I’m not published yet, I believe it’s never too early to network.  🙂

Feedback on the card would be great if you have any ideas.

What a friend I have!

As you know, Terry M. West is one of my major author influences, and he was so gracious to put a blurb of mine on the back of his newest horror creation, What Price Gory?  If you haven’t read Terry M. West, you’re seriously missing out on some brilliant horror.  His print edition just came out a few days ago on Amazon, so pick up a copy today!!!

Writer’s block

I have a really cool story idea for an anthology submission.  I’m one of those kinds of writers that likes to have the plot already laid out and then fill it in as I go along.  Right now, the idea is kickass, but the ending not so much.  I’ve read so many stories that are completely implausible; however, the writing is done with such finesse that you easily forgive whatever unlikely scenarios the author throws at you.  How I would love to get to that point!  I know, I know….it will take time.  Thankfully, the cut off date for submissions are May 1, so at least I have that going for me.  🙂

Authors Supporting Our Troops

Hey, fellow authors!! Let’s support our troops! Please read!

Armand with Joe McKinney

When you meet your idols sometimes they don’t live up to the hype. Sometimes they are grumpy and ornery and couldn’t care less about you. Such is definitely not the case when it comes to Joe McKinney. I met the man at World Horror Convention in New Orleans last year and he was even better in person than in my mind. Yes, I did the Fanboy thing at first but he ended up being a great guy with a genuine love of what he was doing and everything around him.

Why am I telling you this? Because when he asked me (and many other authors) to help him as he collected books from us to ship overseas to some of our troops, I jumped at the chance. And so did so many others. He was able to put quite a few books into the hands of our military overseas. I…

View original post 498 more words

What intimidates you in writing?

I honestly don’t think I have what it takes to write mysteries or sci-fi.  I’ve read some crazy stories in my past and think, “How did they come up with THAT?”  Some of the stories are so intertwined and confusing, yet make so much sense.  And I’m not talking about Nancy Drew here.  It makes me wonder if mystery writers have a streak of criminal in them.  Or that sci-fi writers are from another planet to come up with some of the stuff I’ve read/seen.  Well, I tip my hat to you, mystery and sci-fi folks.  You’ve officially blown my mind.

Little epiphanies in writing

I know a myriad of issues will arise when you’re writing stories, and I’ve come up with one just last night that hit me like a lightning bolt.  My idea of description and setting totally sucks.  I’m not ashamed to say this at all.  I think as someone who is trying to “perfect” a craft that will be sent out into the masses one day, it is vital for me to admit my faults up front and be honest.  So, that’s it.  My little epiphany today is that I need to learn how to write better description and setting.  I figured this out last night when I was editing my newest short story called “Leftovers.”  (It’s a nasty little tale.  I think you’ll like it when it’s done.)

One of my goals for 2014 was to get published with my first anthology, but maybe that should be put on the back burner for now.  I’m beginning to believe that I need to study my own style and work on my weaknesses.  Definitely not a bad goal.  As much as I had hoped that 2014 would be the year, I can still hope for 2015.  However, it is only January, and my skill could sky rocket just within a few months.  I just won’t press myself for a deadline and see where this year takes me.

The Author Extension Community

Great information for us writers! Take a look!

Shannon A Thompson

It’s a new year and so much has changed already. My publisher – AEC Stellar Publishing, Inc. – has cranked its gears and remodeled itself for the future. Instead of being a simple publisher, we are now an open and growing community of writers, cover artists, and editors supporting one another. You don’t have to be published by AEC or spend money to participate. The website is designed for everyone to connect in one place. This website is for you, and hopefully, by the end of this piece, you’ll want to check out The Author Extension Community and/or join it. It’s a great place for authors to support one another as well as readers to come and meet them. We simply need people to help us spread the word, and I’ll give you three, great reasons to do it:

1. The website has many places where you and your work…

View original post 195 more words


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The First Step

In Jeonju, South Korea, we visited a museum of traditional Korean wine and liquor making. The first step is very important! It is:

Statuette: person calming herself, with sign: calm down feelings
1. Calm down feelings
Perform ablutions and calm down feelings before making wine.

It is the right first step for any kind of productive activity, is it not?

There were fifteen steps, each illustrated by a statuette with a sign:

15 statuettes illustrating wine making steps
15 steps of Korean traditional wine making

The only other one I will comment on is this:

Statuette illustrating step 9: fermentation
9. Fermentation and maturation
Put the mixture in a liquor jar and forbid other people to enter there and ferment wine with devotion

Forbid other people entering the room! Because — we don’t want them drinking it up before it’s time?

We were in Jeonju to visit what I thought was going to be royal tombs, but it turned out to a place for preserving the portraits of kings. I actually liked the wine museum better than the royal portrait hall.

On the way out of the hall, though, we found this delightful bamboo grove:

Bamboo grove

A bamboo grove is an excellent place to calm down feelings.

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Bloss, William Professor

Dr. William P. Bloss is Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, College of Human Ecology, at East Carolina University.  His previous academic appointments were at The Citadel and University of Houston. He holds Ph.D., M.A., and B.S degrees in Criminal Justice.  His research focuses on transnational and comparative crime and terrorism, police practices, and privacy issues in criminal justice. Professor Bloss has written several books, articles, and other publications in addition to conducting international research, consulting with government agencies, and editorial advising with academic publications. Dr.  Bloss is a fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and has been named to Marquis Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who among America’s Teachers. Prior to entering academia, he served as a regional police academy director and law enforcement officer.

Research Interests

Transnational crime, international terrorism, comparative criminal justice, drug trafficking, law enforcement practices, homeland security, and privacy issues in criminal justice.

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Representative Spencer Frye

Office: State House (GA) - District 118, Democratic
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Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: 404-656-0265

Post Office Box 8101
Athens, GA 30603

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Steve Daines' Public Statements on Issue: Marriage, Family, and Children

Office: U.S. Senate (MT) - Jr, Republican
Date Title
May 26, 2017 Letter to Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia - Lift Adoption Ban that Has Left 200 American Families in Heartbreaking Situation
Jan. 22, 2017 Letter to the Honorable Steve Bullock, Governor of Montana, the Honorable Scott Sales, President of the Montana Senate, the Honorable Austin Knudsen, Speaker of the Montana House - We Need To Do More To Protect Vulnerable Children
Oct. 18, 2016 Daines' Bill to Support Native Children Signed into Law
Sept. 23, 2016 Letter to the Hon. Sylvia Matthews Burwell, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services - Regarding HHS Document "Compliance with Title X Requirements by Project Recipients in Selecting Subrecipients"
Oct. 1, 2015 Tribute to Sally Aschim
July 16, 2015 Daines, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Protect Students' Data
July 13, 2015 Every Child Achieves Act of 2015
June 26, 2015 Daines Statement on Supreme Court Ruling
June 12, 2015 NBC Montana: Girl Scouts in Bozemn Celebrate New Office
April 30, 2015 The Inter Lake: Montana Sen. Daines Honors Three Kalispell Students who were Heros of Recent Fire
Feb. 11, 2015 Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement act of 2015
July 24, 2014 Daines Works to Combat Human Trafficking
July 16, 2014 Letter to Barack Obama, President of the United States - Adoption Crisis in the DRC
April 18, 2014 Letter to Joseph Kabila Kabange, President, and Augustin Matata Ponyo, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo - End Delays in US Adoptions from Democratic Republic of Congo
May 24, 2013 Letter to Honorable Eric Holder, Attorney General - Asylum for the Romeike Family
April 25, 2013 Letter to President Obama - Repeal Plan B Decision
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Vox Populi

Vox Populi: A Public Sphere for Politics and Poetry

The Vegan Kitchen: Brazilian Orange and Black Bean Soup

We tend to think of brightly colored fruits and vegetables as our best source of phytonutrients, but recent research shows that black beans are actually a strong contender in phytonutrient benefits. This humble and inexpensive food is an outstanding source of anthocyanin flavonoids which create the rich black color. The bean is also an excellent source of protein and of resistant starches which keep your lower gut healthy.

Although purists prefer soaking dried beans for two hours or more before cooking, canned beans are a healthy option. Unlike canned vegetables, which have lost much of their nutritional value, there is little difference in the nutritional value between canned beans and those you cook yourself. In Brazil, black beans are such an important part of the diet that the official dietary guidelines recognize them as a separate food group which should be eaten every day.

In this recipe, the combination of black beans, oranges, and hot pepper creates a sweet savory dish which we serve with a hearty bread.

Preparation time: 1 hour. Makes 4 servings

2 cans black beans

1-2 TBSP olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 large carrots, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

½ bunch cilantro with stems, chopped

1 red or yellow bell pepper

1 tsp ground coriander

1 ½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp anise seed (optional)

3 cups vegetable stock

3 oranges, peeled, sectioned, seeded

¼ – ½ tsp red pepper flakes

fresh ground black pepper

juice of ½ lime or to taste

  • Sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil over medium heat until translucent
  • Add cilantro and bell pepper and cook for 3 more minutes
  • Add beans and vegetable stock and bring to a simmer
  • Add coriander, cumin, anise and red pepper flakes
  • Add the seeded and chopped oranges (remove all pith but don’t worry about the membranes) and simmer soup for 10 minutes over low heat
  • Puree soup in a blender
  • Return pureed soup to the pot
  • Add lime juice and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves sprinkled over the soup

For more about the nutritional benefits of black beans, see The World’s Healthiest Foods.

Copyright 2016 Michael Simms and Eva-Maria Simms.

black bean soup

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This entry was posted on February 17, 2016 by in Health and Nutrition, Note from the Editor and tagged , .
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2017 VViViD+ Matte Tiffany Blue

2017 VViViD+ Matte Tiffany Blue

  • $099

VVIVID+ is VViViD's new premium line of products. All of the VVIVID+ films come from their new factory line. Enhanced material, finish and adhesive.

Limited to 1qty / customer. These are sample rolls that we are offering the public for a first try.

This material will launch in gloss and matte in June 2017.

Product Description

  • Texture:  Matte
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  • Features: VViViD Natural Air release, Centerpoint Technology, VViViD Heat fuse, VViViD Resist.
  • Adhesive: Acrylic-based, reposition able, slideable
  • Expected durability: 5-7 years.
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Fuel Crisis, What Fuel Crisis? There isn’t One, Just Another Tory Blunder, or is it?

So the UK has run out of fuel at filling stations, well done Francis Maud & David (call me Dave) Cameron. It’s a little bit early for an April Fools joke, so why has this happened? It’s either crass stupidity from a bunch of people so out of touch with reality it’s embarrassing, or it was a deliberate attempt to kill the fallout of the proposed fuel tax increase.

francis maud and david cameronWhen was the last time anyone used the term jerry can anyway? They were designed in German in the 1930’s, and of course Jerry is a slang term for Germans. I wonder what Angela Merkel thinks about this?

  • Let’s look at the facts.
  • There is no strike by tanker drivers and it’s unlikely that there will be one before Easter, if at all.
  • Cabinet Office minister Francis Maud said “The greater the extent to which people have fuel in their vehicles, with maybe a little bit in the garage as well in a jerry can, the longer we will be able to keep things going.”
  • David Cameron advised people to fill up their tanks.
  • Fuel Stations all over the UK are running dry
  • Prices are rising as demand outstrips supply
  • Roads are becoming gridlocked as people follow government advice and queue for fuel.
  • One woman seriously injured as she fills up a fuel can in her kitchen

Well done boys, you make us all very proud. I’m just wondering what plans you have for the next looming financial crisis or the war with Iran!

Europe Has No Answer to Euro Crisis

Surprise, surprise Europe has no solutions to its Euro crisis. Portugal is
in a worse state that Greece; Greece faces an election which will fail to
elect a government and a health service in a state of absolute collapse; Spain
is back in recession with no job prospects for its over 50% young unemployed;
Ireland continues to be crushed under Troika imposed austerity as it prepares
for its referendum on the 31st of May.

European finance ministers will meet again on the 30th March. Bloomberg
has received a draft copy of the proposals they will “approve” at that meeting.
Nothing is changing. The situation bumbles its way along the bottom while it
waits for the next cliff edge, and rather than dealing with the problems, the
only solution European financial leaders can come up with is more bailout.

We are sitting in the eye of the storm. Everything seems calm. But not for long –
trying to fix debt by adding more debt is creating a new momentum to the
forward motion of the storm. Hold on to you hats, folks. The next few
months is going to get interesting.

Obama’s Records Are Missing, Sheriff Arpaio

Report by Infowars.com

Sheriff Joe Arpaio talks to Infowars about the media blackout surrounding the Obama birth certificate issue.

The Obama records which have not been released include; Passport records, Obama kindergarten records, Punahou School records, Occidental College records, Columbia University records, Columbia thesis, Harvard Law School records, Harvard Law Review articles, University of Chicago scholarly articles, Illinois State Bar Association records, Illinois State Senate records/schedules (said to be lost), Medical records, Obama/Dunham marriage license, Obama/Dunham divorce documents, Soetoro/Dunham marriage license, Adoption records and of course the long-form Certificate of Live Birth.

State Representative Carl Seel, who introduced the bill, was joined by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, State Senator Lori Klein, and others in support of the bill. Important new information was revealed during the news conference including a request by Sheriff Joe Arpaio to the current head of the Selective Service Board to investigate the criminal forgery committed in the case of Barack Obama’s Selective Service registration. In addtion, Carl Seel reveals some of the resistance that other Republicans are creating to stop the bill from even heading to a vote.

The bill will require Barack Obama, or any candidate seeking to be on the Arizona ballot, to certify eligibility for the office they are seeking. This will essentially require Barack Obama to certify his eligibility if he wants to be on the ballot this year in Arizona. This could potentially be a game-changing piece of legislation.

Watch the news conference below.

Don’t Panic Mr Cameron, Don’t Panic. UK Goes Crazy at Fuel Pumps.

You’ve got to love their style. As soon as the UK government say’s don’t panic about fuel shortages, but fill up your tank now, just in case,the world goes crazy. Like Lemmings they all rush out to grab as much petrol as they can.  Nice one David.

UK fuel is currently about £1.40 a litre. This includes the retail price of the fuel, fuel duty on top, and VAT at 20% on top of the lot.This is after you have already paid income tax, national insurance, and council tax. Later this year the government will put another 3p on this outrageous price, and they will get away with it.

How will they do this. Simple,  we are weak and stupid, that’s how, and they know it.

How about the people just for once getting together and saying NO!  Why don’t we go on strike against the criminal taxes, and globalist fuel companies who are deliberately inflating the price of crude oil for their own agenda. All we have to do is say we are not going to put up with this any more and simply stop buying petrol or diesel until they do what we tell them!

But of course that won’t happen because we are all too self centred to work together, and they know that. So we just put up with it and they win.

I’m not talking about a half hearted convoy around the M25, what I am saying here is the people standing up to these self righteous buffoons and saying “what the hell are you playing at”, this is our country, and it’s time you did what we tell you. That’s why you were voted into power,to serve us.

If we all said no at the same time and just refused to buy fuel until the price was lowered, you would be amazed at how quickly they would take notice.

Of course it would be painful, but with the way the world is going at the moment it would be nothing near as bad as what is to come..

Am I the only one who thinks it’s a bit of a coincidence that just after they announce the hike in fuel duty, this whole tanker drivers strike hit’s the headlines, a false demand is created, and no one cares how much it costs as long as they can get some. Not to mention the threat of using the military to take over if the drivers do strike. They get sent all over the world chasing made up weapons of mass destruction  , and used here to deliver fuel.

Oh how I wish I could get a government subsidy of £350,000 per year to have a wind farm in my garden (source Daily Mail 19/08/2011),but then my daughter isn’t married to the PM, or my ex-wife married to Viscount Astor.

Who cares if UK PM is a Political Prostitute.

The Tory party co-treasurer Peter Cruddas has resigned after it was revealed he was offering access to the prime minister and chancellor for up to £250,000. Cameron forced to reveal a series of private dinners and lunches in Downing Street hosting those who donated nearly £23m to party.

What I don’t understand is why did Cruddas resign? Are we seriously saying Cameron knew nothing about this. Let’s get real here and stop pretending we live in a free democracy.

Why is this even news? It’s always happened in one form or another. Still it makes a change from reporting more deaths in Afghanistan.

Disclaimer for anyone hard of thinking!   This is not a real auction site image, please don’t try to bid. eBeg.con.uk is a made up name and has no connection with any genuine auction site.


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Do Toddlers Find French Tougher than English?

Being a native Anglophone, my perspective on this question is necessarily biased. However, even my Franco husband has concurred lately that many French words are quite the mouthful for young kids, especially because they are much longer and often require articles and prepositions.

Teaching Petit-Homme to speak involves a lot of repetition. I am fairly committed in this endeavour though nothing like someone I read about who insists on speaking 40,000 words a day to her kid.

Having to pronounce the same words all day with perfect diction, careful enunciation and exaggerated enthusiasm has made me aware of what feels good, what feels easy, what fits the context, what I’d rather leave for Sesame Street to teach. Some examples of English triumphing over French:

  1. “Out” – Let’s go out! Get out of bed? Take out the light bulb from your mouth. Out, out, out! Monosyllabic, easy to repeat, rhythmic, fits a myriad of situations. Contrast: On va aller dehors. Tu vas sortir du lit? Enlève l’ampoule ..
  2. “Come” and “Go” – Come here! Nanny’s gonna come tomorrow. Versus viens Nanny va venir demain. The word changes completely depending on context and speaker. No need to get into vous venez and nous venons or je vais and ils iront (You’re coming, we’re coming, I go, they will go) but I have wondered on more than one occasion how French kids figure it all out!

Anyway, I suppose there are some exceptions where the reverse is true. Bicycle is so much mushier than the crisp vélo. Caresse, caresse, I implore, to prevent him from yanking the bejeebers out of Little Girl’s hair at Ikea. That just sounds so much better than stroke gently.

I wonder what it is about certain languages that make them infinitely more appealing than others. I reckon Chinese sounds abrupt because it’s a very context specific language that lacks just about everything (tenses, articles etc.). (Also, we tend to remember dramatic scenes of Chinese people yelling at each other, which reinforces the thought that Chinese is for hurling slimy fish in the marketplace. But watch some Zhang Yimou and the throaty Gong Li …) Dutch sounds coarse perhaps because there is very enthusiastic jaw and throat engagement leading to uncomfortable sounds of buzzing, rasping, some even call it hacking. And French is universally considered the sexiest language because those who speak it well purse their lips and pout a lot, which makes them look like they are about to engage in foreplay (or are currently doing so). Back to the notions of caresse – which everyone should indeed learn early.

First Attempt at Cupcakes

On our way ...

On our way …

From what I’ve observed, the “mommy thing” goes hand-in-hand with the “cupcake thing”, no matter how out of sync it may feel with your id. So, I finally baked something approximating said nomenclature. Yes, it required a bit of measuring (100ml milk – just used one of Petit-Homme’s milk bottles, no need to dig out the measuring jug) and yes, I learned a fundamental rule about cakes: eggs need to be at “room temperature”. Not quite sure why and how precise this rule is. After all, what if I like my rooms freezing cold? Determined as I was not to ruin this cake mix (how can they call it an instant cake mix if you still have to add butter, milk and eggs?) I allowed the eggs to bask on the counter for a few token minutes. Hoping all that lamplight warmed them up adequately, I threw in the other ingredients and approximated the butter. Seriously, does it really matter? Also, in a pinch, could I substitute infant formula for whole milk?

For the icing, I checked out a “recipe” for lemon icing online but reckoned I could free form this. Who on earth uses 3 cups of icing sugar? I cobbled together some lemon juice, about ¾ cup of icing sugar and some butter – when it looks like a thick sauce, you’re good to go.  Sorry Kitchen Magpie and you other superstar food bloggers, but my goal isn’t to have to run 20km the morning after (if only we had a morning after pill for this kind of night time lascivious debauchery). Plus, I didn’t have enough butter to meet the proper ratios for a gorgeous topping as I had already scraped most of it for the cake bit (see above). The meager ingredients I had on hand meant that the piping bag and tips (required to guarantee cupcake swirls, roses, flourishes etc.) got to continue hibernating in their pristine paper box.

Are you lonesome tonight?

Are you lonesome tonight?

Finally, I took the cakes out 5 minutes early as I usually prefer them moist. (In fact, I reckon lots of people prefer just eating the cake mix. Only public decency prevents them from admitting it.) Everything rose as it should. For someone who doesn’t really like cupcakes, I appreciate that there is [potential for] high aesthetic value and it can make even the most inept baker feel like opening a cupcake business. If you don’t believe me, try watching back to back episodes of 2 Broke Girls.

By the way, I did find them tasty – half a dozen somehow disappeared while watching The Interview (Kim Jong Un seems have that effect on food)- but much better with a generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Vaccinating Against Chicken Pox

I hope I never have to know what chicken pox feels like. At any rate, I’m doing my best to save Petit-Homme from having to experience this unnecessary malady. To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never had chicken pox despite my mother’s numerous attempts to expose me to the virus by hauling me to diseased relatives’ houses (she was a pioneer of the “pox party” before it became trendy.)

Today Petit-Homme watched the nurse stab him with the chicken pox vaccine with much curiosity but did not emit a single sound! He was rewarded with a Donald Duck plaster. Just FYI, the vaccination is not compulsory in the Netherlands (costs €55 if you insist on it). As the prescribing doctor explained it, the government conducted their cost-benefit analysis and figured that the “cost of vaccination would outweigh that of hospitalization”. Here, even measles vaccination is not mandatory and I have heard of some pitifully sick babies who went on to spread the love far and wide.

For myself, I had two options: (1) Undergo blood tests to see if I had already developed immunity to it – then return for a jab if the result was negative ; (2) Just get the vaccination. Since (1) would involve quite a few treks back and forth the clinic, only to possibly end up in the same boat, I opted for (2).

The Reams of Paper Needed to Process our Meds ...

The Reams of Paper Needed to Process our Meds …

Unfortunately, the provarivax gods were not cooperating and I was somehow unsurprised to learn that there was only one vaccine left in the entire international health clinic. (Sidebar – someone needs to do something about just-in-time delivery in NL: shops, grocery stores and pharmacies are always “out” of what you need! I’m not even kidding. Three days before our trip to Canada, Albert Heijn’s bakery was out of stroopwafel! That’s like Chinatown being out of soy sauce). I digress. I decided that Petit-Homme would get his today and I’d return later.

So, up to the second floor for the doctor’s prescription. Back down to the ground floor and a 20 minute wait for the vaccine to be dispensed. (see here for pharmacy grumbles). Then back up to the first floor for a nurse to stick it in.

Hopefully it will all go well. I’ll need to get mine ASAP as if PH does develop a mild case in 7-10 days (happens in 1-10% of people, how’s that for a vague statistic), he will be contagious and it would be unhumorously ironic if his immunization were to cause his mother to break out in spots. At any rate, I would thereafter be able to more graciously allow infested humans into my house – after having to deal with one awkward incident where a guest announced that she would be attending a party chez moi with her highly contagious baby ….

The Link Between Cooking and the Capacity to Love

Risotto and Salad A Perfect Family Meal

Risotto and Salad
A Perfect Family Meal

A wonderful New Year’s Day treat at the home of some friends in Toronto prompted me to think more deeply about the connectivity between food and love. Specifically, I have grown to believe that people who love to cook (not the same as people who just love to eat) have a huge appetite for life, fearlessness, and the ability to share. This translates for me into the capacity to love others.

On the 1st of January, we were scheduled to transit at Toronto Pearson for 9 hours. This potential nightmare of boredom and chain-espresso-drinking morphed into a most enjoyable gourmet experience when our friends offered to host us for the entire day. They whipped out prosecco & OJ, award-winning self-made wine, salmon, cheese, bagels, child-friendly squash risotto, walnut salad, crème brulee, berries, freshly ground coffee, etc., allowed us to camp in their divine guestroom, and breezed calmly through Petit-Homme’s frantic antics (involving the near breakage of a few priceless lamps).

I need me some of those fire guns ...

I need me some of those fire guns …

I started rehashing a theory I’d thought of years ago after watching my mother-in-law toil single-handedly to happily prepare feasts for huge extended families. The people I know who love to cook, love to entertain. They don’t expect anything in return (unlike some people who go to restaurants and say “this time it’s me, next time its you – or insist on splitting the check right down the middle each time), and the pleasure of your company is welcomed like a great privilege.  Many of them hold busy professional jobs but still deliberately seek out opportunities to learn and develop a craft in their kitchens. They get an immense thrill from seeing their guests/families demolish their plates, but may be secretly hurt if no appreciation is shown. Loving souls are sensitive souls. These people I know tend to welcome people with extremely open hearts and jump at the chance to share their good fortune with others, without any veneer of do-goodism. When someone says to me, “please come over for dinner”, I feel a rush of kindred emotion and admiration. Treating someone to dinner at a restaurant requires much less effort and openness (not that it is any less generous or kind, I hasten to emphasize). No messy kitchen to hide, no time crunch, no stress, no worrying about allergies or guests’ lack of teeth, no emergency run to the grocery store in an icy storm, no sweaty face and runny mascara from the steamed fish, no opening the door in your undergarments to early birdies.

I used to think I loved to cook. But when I observe true aficionados, I realize that my corner-cutting habits (crockpot, rice cooker only meals, take-out, not inviting anyone home) seemed to manifest themselves most strongly when I was feeling unable to share much of my time or headspace with anyone beyond my own little nucleus. Love-stingy days, perhaps they should be called.

So, my New Year’s Inspiration (resolution sounds too much like the old days when it was all about getting fitter, learning more languages, being abstractedly “kinder”, blah blah) is to cook up a labour of love every month (or two). I shall begin with cupcakes. You scoff at this meager goal, but I’d much rather run 10 km than bake. All that measuring, burning and deflating … I have all the gear waiting for me, piping tips, fancy ready mix. I must do this before January 31. Seriously.

Happy New Year.


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  • Warnimont's Hardware & Rental

    363 Georgetown Square Wood Dale, IL 60191
    Phone: (630) 595-5660 Fax: (630) 595-7606
    Store Hours:
    • Monday 8:00am - 8:30pm
    • Tuesday 8:00am - 8:30pm
    • Wednesday 8:00am - 8:30pm
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Contact Us

If you have questions, suggestions or concerns, please feel free to contact us anytime or stop by and visit with us. No inquiry is too small. We look forward to hearing from you.

Note: Dealers selling STIHL equipment are not authorized to accept orders for STIHL equipment, parts, or other items over the internet, by telephone or by mail for delivery to locations other than the location of their Dealership.

If you would like to speak with someone:

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Express Blues

Blues Competition 8-3-13 164
Jimy Graham at the Linda as part of the Capital Region’s Blues Challenge last year.
card and trying to catch a photo of suey 517
Jimy Graham in the solo competition sent by CRBN to Memphis. Here he is, at Orpheum Juke, on Beale Street.
Pat T scholarship gig 084
Jimy playing for the Pat Tiernan scholarship 2013.

Photos and article ‘for good measure’ by Wanda Callagy

On Saturday the crowd riding on the Cooperstown Blues Express will hear the electrified sound of Jimy Graham on his maiden voyage on the rails.  He brings with him some notable Capital Region talent.  A little about your ride ahead….

card and trying to catch a photo of suey 424
Jimy@the Rum Boogie Café in Memphis, playing the opening night of the International Blues Challenge at a fundraiser for Generation Blues.

The Blues Express has been in existence for over fourteen years, says organizer of the ” rides with blues”  Paul..  From celebrating springtime to  runs until autumn skies and the trips wind down for another season, music runs the tracks between Milford and Cooperstown.     In the dining car there is plenty of room to have a drink and snacks. Through the years ages of participants have ranged  between 21 and 90…and bands have had a boxcar full of dancers from many locations.  Tickets sell at the Milford station @6:30, and the train leaves @7PM.  The three hour blues party returns after its noted ‘moving experience’.

Jimy Graham brings along with his fine guitar slide skills James Alanson Kirk on bass, and Rocky Petrocelli on drums.  This trio will not only play originals but blues covers that will be enjoyed for miles. Graham is looking forward to the under the stars moving event, and speaks highly of both Kirk and Petrocelli.   Kirk can be seen most Monday nights playing at the blues jam in Pauly’s on Central Avenue, or recording a little jazz with Kevin Hendrick @North Albany Studios.  Petrocelli is noted for his love of years, playing alongside Ernie Williams and sharing his gifts through his music classes and studio.

Graham has been busy in the Capital Region area since his return from Memphis in February.  There, he took in Beale Street and made many new contacts along with meeting up with many international friends.  He played in NYC as well as looking ahead to summer festivals.  More information can be found on his website,

The only necessary thing about going, according to the spokesman Paul, is to ‘Enjoy, as we keep it simple.  We only require folks to bring a smile.’

blues express with Blue Hand Luke 001
A sweet ride.
blues express with Blue Hand Luke 377
Model community.

blues express with Blue Hand Luke 002
All Aboard!
blues express with Blue Hand Luke 227
The band “Blue Hand Luke” and a long list will play again this summer. This photo taken at their performance in 2013.
blues express with Blue Hand Luke 378
“Tickets, tickets.”

Also, for those train enthusiasts, the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society has a wonderful website about the details of restoration of the train which also attracts tourism to the Cooperstown area by not only encouraging the Blues Express, but has many excursions and runs to celebrate holidays or to just have a fun train robbery or Halloween party.

blues express with Blue Hand Luke 228
Singing along with the blues. Summer of 2013
blues express with Blue Hand Luke 229
Smiles in the isles
blues express with Blue Hand Luke 374
Last, not least.

Volunteers have spent hours restoring the equipment used on the 16 miles of track and the mission statement offers many educational goals and ideas as well as projects already in motion.

Feedback welcome!

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