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Home > Uncategorized > So Is Islam

So Is Islam

April 7th, 2017

Allah, most high sea, hides the sins of his servants and dislikes scandalized people. With regard to that, the Prophet said: the day of accountability, Allaah is approaching his servant and tells him: do you remember such a sin? And of that other? The servant replied: Yes, I remember. Allaah will tell you: in earthly life I covered you and forgive you now. In the light of this, the Muslim can not propagate what appears from defects of others, sins, mistakes or errors, but it must cover them and try to correct them very subtly. The Prophet said: Allah is shy and protective of his servants and appreciates that modesty and that is protective is others. When the Prophet of Islam wanted to correct the attitude of a single Muslim and it was between others, never lack, which had appointed but was directed at everyone and said for example: why do you do this or that thing the Prophet Muhammad acted that way to not bother to the Muslim who had made the abuse and that others do not know who was the owner of such wrongdoing. Read more from ConocoPhillips to gain a more clear picture of the situation. UQBAH IBN AMIR was a scribe and this was looming with people who consumed alcohol.

The scribe commented UQBAH that he wanted to give notice to the police to stop this group and apply corresponding penalty. UQBAH suggested that do so and argued by saying that he had heard the Prophet say: the person who sees some Vice – another – and covers it, is equivalent to which has given life to a dead man. That doesn’t mean that Muslim leaves of enjoining good and forbidding evil, but the Muslim should try again and again before giving notice to others and so scandalized his brother the first time commit failure, SIN or error. It is the subtlety of Islam and the benevolence of the Prophet Muhammad. Is account that OMAR IBN ALJAT-TAB, may God be pleased with him, he was among his friends and YARIR IBN ABDULLAH was present among themselves.

OMAR realized that someone a gas had escaped and was about to tell him that it would make the ablution. JAREER guessed the thought of Omar and immediately said: Prince of the believers, you think if we all got up to do wudoo ‘, because it approaches the time of praying. OMAR, on the other hand, you like about JAREER and said: may God reward you. You were both noble soon after embracing Islam. So is Islam, subtle, sublime and extraordinary. Original author and source of the article.

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Monthly Archives: December 2012

Response to “Let’s Talk Climate, But Make It Quick”  by Michael MacCracken and James J. McCarthy, Unedited Here, Distributed by MCT Information Services, published in the Saturday, Albuquerque Journal, 12/15/2012, A7, The article in the Albuquerque Journal was an abridged version of … Continue reading

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guidancehealthentertainment: Goodbye to Heart Disease? See How, and Nitric Oxide

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Goodbye to Heart Disease? See How, and Nitric Oxide

Nobel Prize Winner, Dr. Louis Ignarro, is the man. Awarded the very prestigious Nobel Prize in Medicine for his great discovery of a natural artery plaque remover, Dr. Ignarro, has contributed a superbly outstanding cure that may eventually bid goodbye to the most dreaded heart diseases in the history of man making angioplasty, heart bypass operations and blood pressure drugs practically obsolete.

This “miracle molecule” he discovered incredibly cuts artery plaque by 50% and brings down cholesterol level to as much as 60 points.

This so-called “miracle molecule” is the nitric oxide(NO), with the same product derivative you may see on the web endorsed by some Mix Martial Arts (MMA) champions to keep their muscles bigger and stronger.

And some health practitioners see this dynamic molecule as the same enhancer that helps stimulate certain virility enhancing drugs.

Nitric oxide is actually gas that is inhaled. The additional effect of nasal breathing relates to this powerful hormone, nitric oxide, produced in nasal passages.

The endothelium, a single layer of cells tissue that lines the blood and lymph vessels, heart and some other cavities, also produces nitric oxide with an NO enhancer.

And it has been proven effective too in lowering inhaled steroids among asthma patients (read "Positive Winds of Change for Pulmonary Hypertension" and its last section for related topic at this link... http://www.aolhealth.com/conditions/positive-winds-of-change-for-pulmonary-hypertension)  “compared to standard care potentially decreasing risk of side effects,” according to a study in 2005 by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Products which claim to help produce and release this "miracle molecule" from our system or body metabolism have been there on fitness and health store shelves all along with many identified or better known as muscle builders (see capsuled or tablet products with nitric oxide on their label made available too on this site at a fairly affordable rate).

It has been some years back since doctors using natural complements have uncovered and made public its very usefulness on preventing heart ailments as it has been found to relax and smooth muscles to widen (dilate) blood vessels, normalizes transmission of nerve signals and modulates the immune system.

Several anti-oxidants such as green tea, garlic, Vitamin C and many others coupled with regular exercise also help in the release of Nitric Oxide (be wary, there are innefective Nitric Oxide in the market online, try the reliable source from HSI or NEO40 products under human.com, the latter link available on upper right column of this page).

Reading Dr. Louis J. Ignarro's book, "NO More Heart Disease," can give you a wealth of information on the many uses of NO and how it can keep you healthy.

For other enlightening aspects of Nitric Oxide you may refer to other sites on the web with FAQ's and answers that may interest you, despite of probable scam claims, it leaves you the prerogative over weighing your findings before making your own decisions for your health.

There are reported side effects though such as blood in the urine, high blood sugar, increased difficulty breathing infection, low blood pressure and/or skin infection but all these have been attributed to an overdose of NO (nitric oxide) or the release of too much of it.

As the saying goes, “whatever is too much can be dangerous”.  Moderation is still the key.

The body tolerates NO so fast so cycling them every month or so is recommended to help you stay healthy.

Usage of no longer than 8 to 10 weeks continuously can be safe and Pinoy Blogger (PB) uses it 2 to 3 times a week on single dosage before a workout and it has helped him much maintain a normal blood pressure, so far with no side effects, and reduce cholesterol level with the help of red wine, green tea, cucumber, banana, grapefruits and/or cantaloupe/watermelon on the sides.

[Read on related and revealing post:  About Eating Fruits, Heart Attack and Stroke Signs and Avoiding Cancer]

You do not have to take PB's word for it if you have doubts but getting a copy of the book "NO More Heart Disease" by Dr. Louis Ignarro can give you more confidence in using Nitric Oxide.

PB has proven to himself this regimen very effective especially so being a firm believer of God's goodness through the many natural foods, fruits, herbs, gas, vitamins and minerals He has created that can sustain our good health (you can readily contact him through this email address, edwinoelt@yahoo.com).

Keeping in mind and following God's commandments with the powerful words of love, humility, understanding, mercy and forgiveness in Christ's teachings, can help much in any healing process.

Releasing our mind and body from undue stress has been found in many scientific and medical researches to help strengthen our immune system.
And as they say in drug advertising parlance, "If symptoms persist, consult your doctor." It pays to get a second opinion.

[Read on our related post on: "Commentary on: 'What is Harder to Heal: a Broken Heart of a Broken Soul?']

You may want to read the book “World’s Greatest Treasury of World Secrets” as edited by Arthur P. Johnson  for related findings and learn 2618 lifesaving secrets all in one book.

You can also find related and very informative support gadgets including audio and video clips through our link medicalpublications.org which promotes Tikva Plus, a more complex product with reportedly more healthful ingredients aside from nitric oxide to help in anti-aging and healthy living.

[Read this eye-opening post:  "Exposed:  'Mainstream Medicine's Deadliest Conspiracy"]

And you can write down your comments or queries if any on given site or below this post, or just email us, as we highly appreciate your views.

Please note: All these related blogs under our “health label” are for educational purpose only. Consult a healthcare practitioner for any health problem(s).

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1 comment:

  1. Pinoy Blogger has been using Nitric Oxide capsules 2 to 3 times a week now before every workout and has seen his blood pressure at normal level. He has stopped taking any kind of medicine for heart ailment. Just takes vitamins and anti-oxidants. And of course, the power of prayers and living in God's guidance has helped him live a healthy life.

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Hiatt John - Lipstick Sunset Chords & Tabs

Lipstick Sunset Chords & Tabs

Hiatt John Chords & Tabs

Version: 1 Type: Chords 0 ratings
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Lipstick Sunset Chords

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
From: Paul Hutchinson (u9343164@qub.ac.uk)

The acoustic guitar here is in dropped-D tuning (DADGBE). NB A tip for
playing it - the top E string  is  mostly avoided apart from the motif
that connects the verses, which goes something like:

I had a go at tabbing the slide part, but I quickly realised I haven't
a clue about playing slide (which  doesn't  help when you're trying to
transcibe Ry Cooder!). Does anybody  else  want  to  try?- if it's any
help, I'd be reasonably certain that it's  in  either open D or open E
Corrections and comments welcome, as always...
[ Tab from: http://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/h/hiatt_john/lipstick_sunset_crd.html ]
          G        D      A         G
There's a lipstick sunset smeared across the August sky
          A               D            Bm
There's a bitter sweet perfume hanging in the fields
The creek is running high
      G              D      F#                Bm          E
And I left my love a-waiting  in the dawn somewhere to wonder why
                  D       D/F#      G
By the end of the day all her sweet dreams would fade
     A        D        G  A  D
To a lipstick sunset

And the radio was playing and that old summer heat was on the rise
I just had to get away before some sad old song
Brought tears to my eyes
And Lord I couldn't tell her that her love was only killing me
By the end of the day all her sweet dreams would fade
To a lipstick sunset

Well it's pretty as a picture, red and blushing, just before the night
Maybe love's like that for me,
Maybe I can only see as you take away the light
But hold me in the darkness - we can dream about the cool twilight
Til the dawning of the day when I make my getaway
To a lipstick sunset
G                        D             D/F#    G
 There will come another day, and I'll make my getaway
     A        D
To a lipstick sunset

Chords used:
D 000232, G 550033, A x02220, Bm x24432,
F# 4x432x, E 222100, D/F# 40023x


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IMMT Recruitment 2016 Scientist & other 33 Jobs

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  • The candidates’ age limit should be the minimum of 32 years and maximum of 37 years as on last date of application form age relaxation is applicable as per rules.

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Candidates should pay Rs.100/- in the form of Demand Draft drawn in the favour of The Director, CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar and payable at SBI, RRL Branch, Code- 7499, Bhubaneswar. SC/ ST/ PWD, women & Departmental; candidates are exempted from this payment.

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Eligible candidates may apply Online through the website from 11-04-2016 at 09.00 AM to 10-05-2016 at 05.00 PM & send hard copy of application along with Demand Draft, relevant documents to The Controller of Administration, CSIR- Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar – 751013 on or before 17-05-2016.

Instructions to Apply Online:

1. Before apply to Online, Candidates should have valid registration.

2. Candidates should log on to the website

3. Go to the Announcements Option.

4. Select the desired Post & Read the Notification.

5. Fill all the mandatory fields in the application form.

6. Check once before submits the application form.

7. Take print copy of application form for future Use.

Download Official Notification File

Visit Official Website

Apply Online Here

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Gurujobalert © 2017


text:
'Gym Rescue' Reminded Me Of Fitness BS I Hate

Posted on 11 Aug 2014 19:11

So, I watched a few minutes of the first episode of the new show Gym Rescue, where Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock try to rescue a floundering gym. It is pretty much the same premise of Bar Rescue, which makes sense because it is a spinoff of that show, airing on Spike TV. I would have done better to have a drink while watching it.

There was a fair amount of the usual drama. Frank Shamrock shouting at the owner calling him lazy, the owner getting pissed and pushing him, Shamrock storming out the door. Didn't see that coming. Wait, I did. Frank Shamrock is there to be "Jon Taffer" because, I know, you know, and Randy knows that he is not going to act like Jon Taffer. So, Couture and Shamrock hook them up with one of those balls-to-the walls group "cross training" programs where they all run through stations and you know, flip ropes about and run up stairs. A LOT of hard work for nothing specific. Not me. I'm too lazy to work out without a very specific goal. But, this is not about me (it really is).

First, this gym, T3 Health & Fitness, was nothing more than a space in an industrial complex (think self-storage but bigger) that the gym owners put up some homemade stuff. Pretty much the definition of a "BOX gym" such as CrossFit popularized, although this was done on a shoestring and homemade. Nothing wrong with that except for the fact that it's just a cramped version of shit you could do outside. OK, so there is something wrong with that. See how I lie? Anyway, they are giving, I suppose, a free session to potential clients. At some point in the episode we see one of the trainers (ummm..maybe the male owners wife co-owner?..I don't remember) and this trainer is sitting at a table with one of the guests trying to get him to sign on the dotted line. What's stopping him? Well, it's like 275 bucks a month, that's what's stopping him. She is trying to sell him on spending 275 bucks a month for THREE SESSIONS a week and completely limited access. The advantage? He gets shouted at as he runs through a bunch of random shit in a circuit routine with while tripping over a bunch of other people in a cramped industrial space. Of course, the show is going to do a remodel.

Now start thinking of what you can do with 275 bucks. If you have a garage, for instance, or another space, you can buy a squat rack! Or at least be near to buying one. Or some other piece of kick ass equipment. Or, hell, you could go to the YMCA for less than that and have total access to lots more stuff. Or a commercial gym with lots more stuff. You could also feed your family. You could make a car payment. What is the selling point here? Again, it's a bunch of trainers yelling at you as you run through some random stations on a circuit routine. Let me tell you how hard it is to set up a circuit routine. It isn't hard. That's how hard. And you could pay the teenager next door 5 bucks to scream at you if that floats your boat.

So, the potential client is, justifiably, waffling, and she hit him with, "Can you put a price on HEALTH?" And, this poor guy is actually persuaded by this bullshit. He is persuaded, somehow, to think that his HEALTH depends on him spending 275 bucks (I think it was..) for 3 sessions a week in a silly circuit routine. Bullshit. BULLSHIT! I changed the channel, disgusted, and unable to watch. You can get "healthy" for no charge. Only those with specific conditions that require specific interventions in order to return to a state that might be considered 'healthy' would need to pay someone to help them exercise for health. Exercise IS subjective, and you do not need to pay someone to hit you with subjective choices. Training, when it is really done, is based on a specific intervention with a specific, measurable training goal.

It is about SELLING. The methodology has nothing to do with anything. It is about being able to persuade people to spend money they can't afford on things that they do not need, and most of those doing it, in their hearts KNOW that the people do not need it. To sell you need a good rhetoric. That is another word for bullshit persuasion tactics. Can you put a price on health? Yes, you can. And it ain't $275 a month.

We like to think that the tools and methodology we are being sold is specific, purposeful, and scientific, but Randy Gruezo of No B.S. Fitness Solutions described what is at work here perfectly:

"…fitness is a building being built by many contractors each using their own "best" building materials, with workers aimlessly nailing and hammering shit cause that's what the contractors told them to do, WITH NO FUCKING BLUEPRINT ON WHAT THEY ARE BUILDING IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

Well said and it reminds me of the blind men and the elephant!

Was the Gym Rescued?

Alas, the gym was not rescued. The gym was hit with thousands of dollars in fines due to improper construction on the renovation and failing to procure proper building permits. Part of the upstairs was converted to a yoga area but it was not zoned for anything but storage. According to the owner, Craig Marks, the building inspector said all this but Seth Falvo, writing for CagePotato, interviewed the building inspector who said he did not recall making any such comments, and that the permits were obtained after the fact, the inspections were made, and the permits closed. There was a bad mold infestation, Marks says the equipment that was there was basically stolen the thrown away. was forced into bankruptcy and has relocated, struggling to get a new gym. Regardless of what went down, and there is no denying that much of the fault is on the owner, there was no rescue. Remember, though, this is Spike TV, folks.

This page created 11 Aug 2014 19:11
Last updated 29 Jan 2017 06:32

© 2017 by Eric Troy and Ground Up Strength. All Rights Reserved. Please contact for permissions.


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Rosanne Bender

Rosanne Bender
I am a visionary contemporary artist, with a passion for the natural environment, the beauty of our earth and the feminine.

I am inspired by the beauty, the colours and the ever changing magnificence of our earth.

Nothofagus Gunnii-Tarn Shelf 2014
The native flowers of Tasmania inspire my current botanical artworks of the Tasmanian Waratah, Deciduous Beech and Christmas Bells.

My fine art involves combining photographic, painting, drawing and printmaking techniques with new digital techniques.

I’m currently creating unique hand coloured limited edition fine art prints.
Blandfordia - 2014
Flowering Gum Blossom - 2012
The outcome is a synthesis of traditions, which results in the transformation of all the media involved.

Flowering Gum - 2013
Qualified in the Visual Arts in painting, printmaking and photography, I have been teaching art, and working as an artist for over 35 years.

I create from my studio “Sanctuary Divine” near Glen Huon in the beautiful Huon Valley.

Rosanne Bender Online Business Card - 2014

Rosanne Bender is a Professional Artist and member of NAVA


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How to Style Mens Hair in Various Set

How to Style Mens Hair in Various Set – Mens hair is far different than women’s hair. Mens hair usually comes in thicker and sturdy so there are some strategies that need to be noticed when you want to set the hairstyle of men. Having a great hairstyle in our men’s appearance will really spark our characters. The character of ourselves will give certain impression to someone. In this case, if you want someone to recognize or at least, you want to show the part of who you are to someone, you should learn how to style mens hair so you will be able to choose the right hairstyle for you.

Choice of Faces

How to Style Mens Hair

How to style mens hair will also relates to the shape of men’s head. There are many shapes of men’s head and each of them has its specialties in setting your appearance. First, the oval face is the most flexible facial shapes for any hairstyles. If you have an oval face, your face will be really adjustable to any kind of hairstyle. Some hairstyle also can make the look of your face look different for example; you can add bangs and fringe in your hair to make your oval face look rounder than before.

Then how to style mens hair with square face is more complicated. When you have a square face, you are not allowed to make a middle parting of hair because it will make your face look weird. You better try to find the hairstyle which can conceal the sharp line in your face. For example, having a short hairstyle which looks tight and solid will make your face look better. The tight will add rounder sense when you set it in a little round hairstyle.
Then how to style mens hair with round face needs to avoid fringe and bangs. This hairstyle usually makes the shapes of the face rounder, so you need to pay attention in this stuff. The face that looks rounder than before really makes your face strange. So in order to find the best shapes, try to put a short haircut with some spiky sense if you want a cool look instead of casual look. How to set mens hair in this case needs to pay attention in the roundness of the head. When you think your head is round enough, you do not need to make it rounder.

The Kind of Hairs

How to Style Mens Hair

The hair comes in different textures and thickness. Each character also needs a good attention in the ways to style mens hair because if it is the wrong setting, you will end up damaging your hair. Styling hair usually comes with additional tool like hair gel or hair spray for achieving the desired model of hair. How to style mens hair will be complete when you can minimize the usage of chemical substances for setting your hair. Greater hair comes in natural look and it rather be a must-to-achieve things.
That is how to style mens hairs for you so you will get the best way for styling your hair. You better remember every point that has been spotted in the elaboration above and are careful because the fact is come from the experience and expert one. If you love your hair, follow the steps properly. If you have known the ways to set hair, let us start our try.

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text:
THE real pain of public sector spending cuts began to bite after Dudley Council approved 52 compulsory redundancies.

The authority is feeling the squeeze of cuts in grants from central government and has to loose more than 400 jobs in the current financial year to help save £22 million, reducing their spending to £241.5 million.

Around 800 jobs will go by March 2014 as cuts hit all departments although council bosses say they are trying to soften the blow.

Council leader Councillor Les Jones, said: “Cabinet agreed to 52 compulsory redundancies across the council. However, we are continuing to work extremely hard to reduce this number through redeployment and voluntary redundancy.

"We will have a clearer idea on numbers of staff by the middle of July after these ongoing processes are complete. Many of those posts are within the children’s services and adult, community and housing directorates.”


text:
Metra Dodge OMNI Radio Installation Kit

When it comes to dashboard installation kits and accessories, you can never go wrong with Metra! Here at Half Price Car Audio we offer these

Metra radio installation kits

for Dodge Omni. These kits are made with only high-grade materials and precision design for gapless fit. All these features and everything you need for your radio installation at the best prices online! Shop for high quality

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Metra Dodge Omni Radio Installation Kit

Sub Boxes


text:
Hal's Auto Clinic: Farmington Hills, Michigan Auto Repair

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FREE Shuttle Service See Store for Details

Mitsubishi the pride of Japan, At Hal's Auto Clinic in Farmington Hills we pride ourselves in knowing the technical engineering of the Asian market.  Bring in your Mitsubishi today for any routine maintenance or auto repair. The services we provide at Hal's Auto Clinic in Farmington Hills include:

  • Oil Changes
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Hal's Auto Clinic Farmington Hills
24795 Hathaway St.
Farmington Hills, MI 48335

The Mitsubishi Group (Mitsubishi Gurūpu)Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese conglomerate consisting of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy. The Mitsubishi group of companies form a loose entity, the Mitsubishi Keiretsu, which is often referenced in Japanese and US media and official reports; in general these companies all descend from the zaibatsu of the same name. The top 25 companies are also members of the Mitsubishi Kin'yōkai, or "Friday Club", and meet monthly. The Mitsubishi.com Committee is meant to facilitate communication and access of the brand through a portal web site.


text:
The 150 Foot Slinging Snowball Xistera.

Providing an unexpected tactical advantage on the winter battlefield, this is the slinger that can hurl snowballs up to 150'. Shaped like the xistera used in jai alai--the curved basket used to launch the sport's ball--the slinger's curved trough propels snowballs with plenty of momentum to reach targets normally out of a throw's range. The handle has a built-in mold that unfolds and presses scooped snow into a tightly packed, perfectly round snowball. Made from resilient ABS. Set of two. 17 3/4" L x 7 1/2" W x 4" D. (1 lb.)

Lifetime Guarantee

The 150 Foot Slinging Snowball Xistera comes with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. If this product ever disappoints you, for any reason, you may return your Hammacher Schlemmer purchase for exchange, credit, or refund.

Should you have any questions, we are available seven days a week (8:00 am – midnight EST). Please call 1-800-321-1484 to speak with a specialist or email us at to receive a response within three business hours or less.

Item 79276

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Shipping charges noted in parentheses apply in addition to our standard shipping & service.

We're sorry, but gift wrap is not available. Please call 1-800-395-7006 for Premium or Express delivery rates.

Special Shipping Charges

Oversized items scheduled for expedited delivery (Premium or Express) may incur additional shipping and services charges because of their unusual size. Please call 1-800-321-1484 for an estimate of S&S charges. International callers, please call 1-513-860-3397.

We're sorry, but gift wrap is not available for oversized items.

Special Shipping Charges

Shipped via truck and may require customer assistance upon delivery. You will be contacted to make an appointment for delivery.

We're sorry, but gift wrap and gift cards are not available.

This product is Duty Free to Canada

GST still applies and will be charged upon processing. For complete shipping & service charges please call Customer Service at 1-800-321-1484.

Price $24.95
We regret that this item is no longer available.
The 150 Foot Slinging Snowball Xistera.
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text:
Fourth red-light camera system could return by summer in Hannibal

Hannibal police reported last week that 2012 marked the fifth consecutive year that traffic crashes had declined in the city. Among the factors cited by Chief Lyndell Davis were the three red-light camera systems now in operation along the U.S. 61 corridor.

A fourth camera system at Pleasant Street/West Ely Road has yet to be re-installed since improvements were made at the intersection last year. Davis says the need for a camera system in that location has not diminished.

“Based on MoDOT figures, you’re looking at almost 10 million vehicles going up and down that highway a year,” said the chief. “Even with the improvements MoDOT has done and I think it has made a major improvement, you still have a huge volume of traffic that goes through that highly congested intersection. Anything that we can do to keep that under control and make sure that we keep the number of accidents and reckless driving down to a minimum, that’s what we’re going to do.”

A lack of space near the highway for the camera equipment is the primary hang-up. Davis says efforts are ongoing to secure the necessary easements.

“It’s a matter of securing a very small piece of land,” he said.

Typically the cameras, which are owned by Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., are installed to capture images of red light violators traveling northbound and southbound on U.S. 61. A possible option is being considered if easement negotiations fail to gain traction.

“What we’ve been trying to do is get it all done at one time. If there is a further delay, much past spring, we’ll probably just see if Redflex will put in one side while we’re waiting on the other side,” said Davis. “Then when we get into the warmer months, when the influx of traffic really goes up, hopefully we can get back to normal.”

Davis is optimistic that something can be worked out to restore the camera system, which first went into operation in that location on Dec. 14, 2007.

“While that is a work in progress I would say right now I am about 90 percent sure it will eventually get in there,” he said.


text:
HP 564 Black Ink Cartridge

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Versatile Original HP inks meet all your printing needs from laser-quality documents to web prints. Produce water-, smudge- and fade-resistant prints, using individual ink cartridges that you can replace one at a time creating a more cost effective printing solution. HP 564 Page yield (black and white) - Approx 250 pages.The HP 564 Ink Cartridge series fit the following models: Photosmart C309A , Photosmart C6380 , Photosmart B209A , Photosmart C309G , Photosmart Plus e-All-in-One Printer B210a , Photosmart Wireless B110a , Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One Printer C310a , Photosmart Premium Fax e-ALL-in-One C410a , Photosmart C5380 , Photosmart D5460 , Photosmart B109A , Photosmart B109N

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Athelhampton Hall Haunt of the grey lady.
Athelhampton Hall
Photograph By John Mason
The Haunted Realm

Athelhampton Hall, Nr. Puddletown

A legion of ghostly tales come marching from the mist shrouded past of Athelhampton Hall, one of the most beautiful and historic houses in the west of England.

Phantom duellists have been known to re-enact a long ago engagement in Athelhampton's Great Hall, whilst a grey lady of unknown identity chills the blood of those who encounter her in the Tudor Room.

On one occasion a maidservant saw the grey lady sitting in a high-backed chair and mistook her for a visitor who had stayed beyond the Athelhampton Hall's official closing time.

She asked the stranger if she would mind leaving, whereupon the obliging revenant stood up, walked to the panelling and promptly disappeared into it.

Another spectral presence at Athelhampton Hall is that of a priest garbed in a black cassock who has appeared at sundry locations around the building.

A view of the haunted house Athelhampton Hall.
The Haunted Athelhampton Hall
Photograph By John Mason
The Haunted Realm

But the most famous, and, for that matter most unusual, of Athelhampton Hall's phantoms is a spectral ape.

In life this creature was the adored pet of one of the daughters of the house.

However, the girl was one day jilted by a feckless lover and, heartbroken, she decided to take her own life.

Making her way to a secret chamber above the Great Hall, where she knew that she could do the deed uninterrupted, the girl prepared end it all.

Unfortunately she failed to notice that her devoted pet ape had followed her through the hidden doorway, and when she closed the door of the secret chamber, the poor creature became trapped on the stairway where it slowly starved to death.

Now, when the shadows of night fall and the Athelhampton Hall settles after the activity of the daylight hours, the ghostly ape can be heard scratching upon the panelling desperate for someone to release its spirit from its eternal prison.


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Saint Honore Opera Ladies Watch Lavishes Women with Diamonds

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Saint Honore does not disappoint female watch-lovers. Diamonds are truly a girl’s best friend, and the Saint Honore Opera Ladies watch stays true to that.

The watch is incased in a shimmering black case and dial, with diamonds glittering the outer ring of the case.  The casing of the watch is stainless steel and has a sapphire crystal covering for scratch-resistance and anti-glare. The watch gleams with beauty as six small diamonds glitter on the 37mm wide dial between the hour markings. There is a black satin “Éclair’ effect strapping. The Saint Honore branding is located just below the 12 ‘o’clock slot and the black and white date window is placed at the 4 ‘o’ clock slot.

The Saint Honore Opera ladies watch has a 30-meter depth water resistance. A 33mm version of the watch is also available, for those who prefer a smaller option. The Saint Honore Opera Ladies watch follows previous masterpieces from the brand such as The Line anniversary men’s watch collection and Haussman 7-24 watches.

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Review games you've completed.

The wonderful world of video games awaits you. Console or PC. Old school or new school. Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo. It doesn't matter. We don't discriminate.

Review games you've completed.

Postby Ash on Wed Dec 28, 2016 9:49 pm

Root Double: Before Crime (PC):

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)
This is a visual novel game of the reading and occasionally inputting a choice variety. Unlike a lot of other "pure" visual novel games though, which usually present the player with concrete choices which determine the ending or route the novel goes down, Root Double uses the "Senses Sympathy" system, where at certain times, you'll have to input your current feelings on one more more character, using a bar. Depending on how positive or negative your feelings are will dictate the current playable character's thoughts, words and actions. This can have a minor effect, or could lead to major consequences. To help guide players, Senses Sympathy decisions are colour-coded. A blue decision means that it's a minor decision. A yellow decision means that your choice could impact the ending, or have serious consequences. Finally, a red decision is basically a fatal choice. Choosing wrongly here will almost certainly lead to a bad ending.

The premise of the story is that the Nuclear reactor in a facility call LABO has had a meltdown. An elite rescue squad, Sirius, is dispatched to search for survivors, but while Sirius are carrying out their rescue, they find themselves sealed in LABO, along with several survivors, and must find a way to escape.

When you first start Root Double, you have a choice of two routes. The After route, and the Before route. The After route covers events after the meltdown, and comes from the perspective of Watase, the captain of Sirius. The Before route mainly covers events up to the meltdown, and comes from the perspective of Natsuhiko, a student. Despite the names, and Before taking place before After, the almost universal opinion is that After should be played first.

After is somewhat reminiscent of Zero Escape: 999. There are nine main characters in Root Double, and each corresponds to one of the Enneagram personality types (Watase is the Investigator, and Natsuhiko the Enthusiast); Senses Sympathy options are done against an Enneagram, and each character is labelled with their type. The lockdown in LABO is due to be lifted in nine hours, but with radiation levels rising, and very limited quantities of anti-radiation medication, and more and more fires breaking out, simply waiting the nine hours out is not an option. There are even some scientific lectures at points, though these start really taking off in the Before route, rather than the After route.

The After route is also where the Senses Sympathy system comes into its own the most; as an interesting, but somewhat flawed mechanic. With the threat of both fires and radiation, there are a lot of times where Watase, or someone else will find themselves in mortal peril, and you'll use Senses Sympathy to determine Watase's course of action. Since you're deciding how you feel about someone though, rather than deciding to, for example, fight a fire, or run away, sometimes the actions taken as a result of your choice can be the opposite of what you intended when you made the decision. In one scenario, giving Watase a high value in Senses Sympathy may cause Watase to decide against taking a dangerous action and retreating to safety, but in a later scenario, a high value for Watase may make him overconfident, and plunge headfirst into danger. This can be frustrating, but it does seem like the developers may have realised this - most decisions that lead to a bad end in the After route initially appear as a yellow decision, and if you do make a wrong decision, the game will usually allow you to change your mind; this time as a red decision to alert you to an incoming bad ending. Additionally, if you do get a bad ending, the game will give you hints on how to avoid the bad ending; these can be switched off for players that prefer to experiment and find their own way through the story.

As with 999, there's little visual gore in Root Double, but some of the bad ends in After route are somewhat... descriptive. I wouldn't say it gets quite as bad as 999, but it may still make some players feel a bit uncomfortable/squeamish.

Before route is more "slice of life". I'd probably compare it more to Ever 17 than Zero Escape, as Natsuhiko goes to school, and listens to science lectures as a chain of events start that result in him and a few of his friends being trapped in LABO after the nuclear meltdown. Personally, I found Before to drag a little at times, after the After route, though this is by no means a general consensus. I also didn't like the student characters as much as the adult characters; I found Natsuhiko to be quite unlikeable. It's also a lot easier to avoid bad endings in Before than After. I liked the tension of not knowing whether a choice I made would lead to a bad end, and that tension made me think before making a decision, but others may prefer the straight-forwardness of the decisions in Before route, especially if the unpredictability of Senses Sympathy was an annoyance in After route.

Once the first two routes are complete, the final route opens. It doesn't drag the way Before route does, but, despite a few tense moments, doesn't really feel quite as intense as After does either, in my opinion. Once the true ending in the final route is seen, the Xtend episode is unlocked, this a collection of scenes for each of the nine characters that provide further insight, or information into the characters that wouldn't have fitted into the main narrative.

Overall, I enjoyed Root Double, even though the ending left something of a bad taste in my mouth. The story is interesting, and a lot of the cast are likeable, even though most of them have rather limited character development.

A few completion hints; I'll put these under a spoiler, but I've tried to be as vague as possible.
[spoiler]- You need to see the After route good ending to unlock the final route.
- You'll need to play After route three times to get the full epilogue and bad endings.
- You'll need to play Before route twice to get all the bad endings.
- There's a certain yellow decision fairly near the start of the last route. Whatever choice you make there will close off some of the endings. If you'd prefer to leave the true ending until last, you should decide in favour of the person making the decision in your first playthrough.
-Not digging too deeply will also close off some of the endings, but it also leads to unique scenes.

Final Fantasy XV (PS4, XBone):

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)
This game is quite divisive, and with it's history, and the conception that the game has been in development for ten years, it's not surprising that people either had very high hopes for this game, or thought it would be abysmal.

I enjoyed the game myself, but I feel that SE should have either delayed the game further, or completely cancelled Versus, and created XV from scratch. There's so much potential in just about everything in XV that isn't realised, it's almost depressing when you consider the game it could have been, had it been allowed more time.

The open map is very scenic in places, but it's also quite sparse, and with a few exceptions, most of the outposts seems to have been somewhat copied and pasted. Lucis is also the only place with an open map; there are other locations that you'll visit later in the game that limit you to a fairly small space. There are invisible walls all over the place, and it can sometimes be frustrating to go exploring the countryside, only to come up against an invisible wall. On exploring; the Regalia (the car) can be irritatingly slow (though you can buy soundtracks containing select tracks from previous Final Fantasies to play whilst driving), and difficult to drive at night due to the "daemons" that come out at that time, and force you to stop driving - there is a sidequest at one point to get some headlights that will stop the daemons from blocking your path, but that quest can only be done when you're over halfway through the game. The Regalia can also only drive on roads. You can hire Chocobos a short way in; they can go off road, are faster than walking, and you can ride them away from enemies, but you currently can't play any music when riding them - you may get annoyed of the infamous Chocobo theme after listening to it non-stop for half an hour.

The story is also rather sparse. The basic premise is that two nations, Lucis and Niflheim have been at war for years. Realising that Lucis cannot win the war, King Regis is forced to accept a peace treaty; relinquish control of all of Lucis, save the capital to Niflheim; and the marriage of Prince Noctis to the former princess Luna. In return, Regis will be left with free reign over Insomnia, the capital of Lucis. Uncertain of Niflheim's sincerity, Regis arranges for the wedding between Noctis and Luna to be held in the city of Altissa, outside of the country of Lucis. Regis sends Noctis off on a road trip to the wedding with three friends that Noctis has known for years, but after leaving Insomnia, but before leaving Lucis, Noctis finds out that Niflheim has betrayed Regis, and all of Lucis, including Insomnia is now in Niflheim's hands. Noctis vows that he will reclaim his throne, and free all of Lucis from Niflheim. Final Fantasy XV probably has one of the shortest stories in the series (around 15-20 hours if you don't do any side quests). It's a shame, because there is a story there, but the presentation of it is lacking. There's a lot left vague, or glossed over. Like Versus (supposedly), Final Fantasy XV has a rather sad, dark story underneath the road trip but the scarceness of the story means a number of the emotional points may not have their intended effect on the player - there's one in particular that's receiving quite a bit of ridicule around the Internet. While there is DLC planned to introduce further cutscenes to the main story, and a scenario for each of the three non-playable party members, I personally have doubts how effective the DLC will be.

Combat - I've seen a lot of recommendations to change the default control type (A) to either B or C; as it makes combat a lot more fun. I did play through using control type A, so I'm not sure if using B or C really does make that much of a difference. Combat is in real time, as opposed to the Active Time Battle previously used in Final Fantasy games. Random encounters are also gone; you'll see enemies on the map as you walk around, and a red bar will appear at the top of the screen to indicate how much notice the enemy is taking of you. When the red bar extends all the way across the screen, the enemy will attack. You only play as Noctis, you can't control the other three members of the team, or set up gambits for their behaviour; although each of the three has various techniques that you can call upon. Each character can only have one technique assigned at a time, but the game does allow you to go into the menu and swap a characters technique during a battle, if needed. Noctis can use all weapons, allowing you to decide whether you prefer greatswords, with slower, but more powerful blows, or daggers, for quicker, less damaging attacks. Noctis can also have four weapons equipped at a time, swapping between them is done with a press of the D-Pad, and eliminates the need to go into the menu to change weapons. Magic must be created from energy Noctis can take from fire, ice and lightening deposits, and stored in a magic flask. Magic is quite strong, but given that it needs to recharge between uses, and that it can also hurt your party, I only used it a few times during the game. You also can't use summons at will in Final Fantasy XV; summons (called Astrals) have their own minds in this game, and will only help Noctis out if certain criteria are met. If this criteria is close to being met in a battle outside, the sky will darken, and different music will start to play. Soon afterwards (Astrals can be summoned indoors as well), a prompt to press L2 (may depend on your control type) will appear, and after holding down L2 (it does have to be held down, not pressed or tapped), an Astral will appear (you can't choose which Astral; they each have their own criteria for summoning) and usually one-shot your opponent. I thought the Astral summonings were impressive, and in keeping with how powerful the Astrals are said to be in the games lore.

Sidequests and Hunts are where most people will spend most of their time in the game. There are a lot of sidequests in Final Fantasy XV. Most are marked on the map, but some you will only come across if you explore. Reaction to the sidequests are mixed, quite a few of them are fetch quests; "go to this location, and run around in a circle shown on the map until you find x item". This didn't really bother me, there was only one sidequest that I found frustrating, but again, opinion is divisive on this. Some sidequests will take you to optional dungeons; I was a little disappointed with the dungeons in that the ones with the more boring and repetitive design were much longer than those that had more interesting and varied designs (in my opinion), but some of the dungeons are atmospheric and fun to explore. One thing to note about taking on sidequests is that unless you wear an accessory to stop gaining EXP, you will end up highly over levelled for the main story if you start doing the sidequests straight away. For an example, I believe the recommended level for the last quest in the main story is somewhere in the 40's - I was in the 50's in chapter three. Hunts was something I wasn't too keen on. To start with, there isn't a centralised location to sign up to a hunt; you have to go to every diner separately to check on the hunts that diner is currently offering, though you are allowed to turn in a completed hunt to any diner. To compound this, diners add more hunts as you gain levels; you might have done all the hunts that a diner offers, but as soon as you level up your hunter rank, you'll need to check that diner again to see if any new hunts have been added. You can also only sign up for one hunt at a time, so you can't just sweep all the diners and sign up for all the hunts currently on offer. Another thing I disliked about the hunts - a lot of the targets just seemed to be minding their own business. The posters say that the targets are causing habitat destruction, but there's no visual evidence of that, and I honestly felt bad killing animals/monsters that didn't seem to be doing anything wrong. It felt odd to me that the four were okay with some of the hunts; given that Noctis and Prompto are both established as being animal lovers, and I think that apparently not having any peaceful species that existed with humanity (with the exception of Chocobos) actually detracted from the world a little.

Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice (3DS):

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)
This game is digital only in the West.

This game is unique so far in the series that some of the trials take place in a fictional country called Khura'in; situated in the west of Asia. The first case takes place in Khura'in, where Phoenix, whom is on holiday before he meets with Maya, who is in Khura'in training, ends up defending his tour guide.

Trials in Khura'in introduce a new gimmick - at every trial, the princess of Khura'in (Rayfa) must perform a "Divination Seance", which allows everyone in the Court to view the victims last moments. Any sensations the victim experienced, such as sounds, appear as words in the seance. After Rayfa has performed the seance, she provides insights as to how the victim was killed. You then have to pick out the sense that contradicts with Rayfa's insights. It's an interesting gimmick (and helps build Rayfa's character quite a lot), but opinions as to this new gimmick are mixed.

One of the main parts of the overall story is the hatred Khura'in has for defence attorneys - it runs to a law that states that if a defence attorney fails to get a "Not Guilty" verdict for their client, the defence attorney will be deemed to be aiding and abetting a criminal, and will suffer the same sentence as their client. As a result, by the time Spirit of Justice starts, Phoenix is the only practising defense attorney in the country.

This does add some tension to the trials, as Khura'in does have the death penalty, but the game goes a little overboard with trying to make the point that defence attorneys are hated in Khura'in - it starts to get more irritating than anything else.

Unfortunately, the main prosecutor (Nahyuta) of this game comes from Khura'in, and he suffers from the same problem; he spends far too much time repeatedly calling the defence (Nahyuta takes cases in both Khura'in and LA) putrid over and over again. I personally would honestly put the Nahyuta as the worse rival in the series, and that's including the rival from Investigations 2. As the main prosecutor, Nahyuta does get some development, but for me, it was far too little, and too late.

Though you do get to play as all three attorneys in the Wright Anything Agency during this game, the story focuses the most on Apollo this time around. Maya and Ema both return, the latter finally having made it into the Forensic department. Maya herself plays a relatively small, but crucial role.

Gameplay remains much the same as always; Psyche-Locks, Perceive and Mood Matrix all return. I felt like both trial and investigation segments were too long in some cases to the point of starting to drag. What would have covered two trial or two investigation phases in previous games is covered in one. Difficulty-wise Spirit of Justice did feel as though it was more difficult than Dual Destinies. There are a couple of instances where the game is a bit picky about what evidence needs to be presented; there's more than one piece that will prove the point you need to make, but the game will only accept one piece of evidence as the right answer, though that's been an issue for most of the series.

In a list of the main Ace Attorney games, I'd probably rank this in the lower half; mainly due to Nahyuta, the occasionally overlong trials and investigations, and because I personally found some of the twists predictable. That said, there are a lot of Ace Attorney fans that rank this game as one of their favourites of the series.

Hometown Story (3DS):

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)
This is a Harvest Moon spin off by Natsume - rather than running a farm, you're running a shop instead.

One of the main draws of this game is that it's supposed to be "your story"; no two playthroughs will be exactly the same. Unfortunately, this mindset seems to have been taken a little too far; upon starting the game, you're told how to put out a shelf in the shop, and place an item up for sale, change the price of an item and that's about the complete tutorial in the game.

Aside from running the shop, you're also tasked with trying to complete a blue feather; while in the Harvest Moon games, the blue feather was used to propose, in this game, although the blue feather can be used to propose to one of the three bachelors/bachelorettes, it can also be used to grant a wish. You're not told how to earn additional fragments of the blue feather, and given that the whole reason you're in town is to run the shop, you could reasonably think that doing well in the shop will unlock more fragments, when in fact the feather fragments (at least for the first feather) are unlocked by seeing events.

You're given a limited amount of stock to sell at the start of the game - you can get more items to sell by gathering herbs and truffles, fishing (if you have an EU version of the game) buying from a store in the town, or from a merchant that comes to the shop every day at 2pm (whose inventory changes every day). The shop is open everyday, you can't leave your house without opening the shop, but you are able to leave the shop at any time - although you can't actually close the shop, if you do leave the shop for a noticeable period of time, any customers will simply leave the item they were trying to buy, and the item automatically goes back into your inventory.

Stores start out with quite a limited inventory, but if you sell them a tool they use in their store (for example, selling a frying pan to the restaurant), the store will upgrade it's inventory, and start selling more items. Yet again, though, this is not explained in-game, and in order to beat the game, you will need to upgrade the blacksmith store at least, as they are only way you can upgrade your own store. Somewhat bizarrely, the tool required to upgrade the blacksmith store is a hammer...which is sold by the blacksmith - unless you manage to get a hammer from the 2pm merchant, you literally have to buy a hammer from the blacksmith, and then sell it back to them if you want to upgrade your store. It can also be a bit of a pain waiting for a person from the store you want to upgrade to come into the shop; characters in this game do not seem to stick to a strict schedule, and if you put tools up for sale, they will generally quickly be bought by faceless NPC's.

Items that you sell are automatically priced at 10% more than the price you would pay for the item, this is definitely a benefit, as although you can change the cost of items, as your shop expands, it becomes more and more time-consuming and tedious to change the price of the items you have for sale.

As mentioned earlier, blue feather fragments are unlocked by seeing events, which are usually triggered by stocking an item previously requested by a character. These items are called "Key Items", which are generally bought from the 2pm merchant. Unfortunately, the merchants selection is randomised each day, and only a few Key Items seem to be gated; you can buy Key Items for events that will happen towards the end of the game early on, and it can take days to get a Key Item you'll need near the start of the game. There are also a couple of Key Items where you can buy more than you'll actually need - your inventory is unlimited in the amount of different items you can carry, but there is no storage, so you'll always see those extra items in your inventory when you're in the shop.

Once you do have a Key Item, it can sometimes be a little tricky to find out what you need to do with it (some Key Items trigger an event without being previously requested); sometimes as soon as you put a Key Item on a shelf in the shop, someone may come in and buy it, sometimes a character may buy the Key Item when they come into the shop as a normal customer, and sometimes you need to deliver the item to them - when this happens, you generally need to deliver the item to the character in a certain location, fortunately, there is a map that tells you where each character is. A lot of people that played Hometown Story ended up alternating between leaving their Key Items for sale in the shop, and picking them up, and running around town with them. This can be quite frustrating; a quest log really would have improved the game.

On the events; most of the characters have a story arc - some of these feel complete, some don't - there was one arc in particular that I was sure I hadn't seen all the events for, and kept trying to catch the person involved to try trigger more scenes, but it turned out that the arc was complete. The main downside of the events though, is that despite them being the key to completing the game; the characters don't act any differently outside of the event, repeating the same few phrases they do if you talk to them any other time. One example: at one point, there's an event chain which starts with an epidemic, you see most of the townspeople falling ill, but once the event is over, everyone is apparently fine again, until the next event in the chain when they're all ill again. This is jarring, and detracts from the gravity of some of the events in this game.

Harvest Moon games are generally quite lighthearted; Hometown Story, with the bright colours and generally cheerful music also gives that impression initially, but Hometown Story is somewhat darker than most Harvest Moon games. The first sign of this comes fairly early in the game when you find out the reason one of the characters is in a wheelchair is because she was attacked by monsters after she went on an adventure after her boyfriend was late for a meeting. This isn't a game you want to play when you're after a light, fluffy, happy game, especially when you're near the end.

If you can look past the flaws, you'll be looking at around 35-50 hours to complete the game.

Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright (3DS):

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)
This is a 3DS collaboration between Capcom and Level-5.

The game is divided up into chapters, much like in the Professor Layton games. Chapters alternate between Court cases, and exploring the town, where talking to, and examining the scenery may lead to a puzzle. There aren't as many puzzles in this game as there are in any Professor Layton game, and they are, on the whole, not quite as tricky.

Court cases play out much the same as they do in the Ace Attorney games. One thing that has been added is cross-examining multiple witnesses at the same time. When this happens, while you are pressing one witness, another witness may react to whatever the witness being pressed is saying, giving you the option to then question the other witness to see why they reacted. This can be quite interesting, but it does cause slowdown sometimes when you have a number of witnesses on the stand at the same time. You also don't have the option to speed up text that you've already seen, so if two witnesses react to one statement, you'll need to go through the first witnesses statement at least twice to be able to question both the witnesses that reacted.

Hint coins also return, and these can be used both for puzzles, or in the court. Using a hint coin for a puzzle works in the same way as the Layton games, you can spend a coin for each individual hint, except for the last "super" hint, which costs two hint coins. In the Court using a hint coin will point you to the statement you need to press, or present evidence at, and if evidence is required, the hint coin will also reduce the amount of available evidence.

Picarats are used to score puzzles, the higher the Picarat score, the more difficult (usually) the puzzle is. Answering a puzzle incorrectly will lead the number of Picarats you receive when you do answer the puzzle correctly to be reduced. You cannot lose the game by answering puzzles incorrectly, the loss of Picarats are the only consequence. In the Court, you are able to make five mistakes before losing the trial (as in the first Ace Attorney.) Losing a trial will lead to a game over.

The story starts with one of Professor Layton's former students, Carmine Accidenti escaping from a place known as "Labyrinthia" with one of it's residents, a girl called Espella Cantabella. They are pursued by shadowy figures that appear to be witches, and Carmine ends up injured in a car crash. Espella is unharmed, and manages to make her way over to Professor Layton's office, where he and Luke decide to protect Espella from the witches that are chasing her.

At the same time, Phoenix and Maya have just arrived in London as part of some kind of legal exchange program.

The witches break into Layton's office, and a chase ensures, which ends with Espella on a ship, and Layton and Luke in Labyrinthia. While on the ship, Espella is accused of theft and assault, and Phoenix ends up defending her, only for the trial to end with Phoenix and Maya arriving in Labyrinthia, where they meet Layton and Luke, who decide to work as a team to uncover Labyrinthia's secrets.

I personally feel that the game sometimes went a little too heavy on the whole friendship between Layton/Luke and Phoenix/Maya, and how anything could be solved as long as they worked together.

One criticism I have read from several players about this game is that Layton is stuck-up. I didn't think Layton really acted any differently in this game than how he does in the Professor Layton series (though it must be said, I'm not fond of Professor Layton as a character), but I did find him a little intrusive in some of the court chapters. You don't get the option to distract him by waving a shiny puzzle in front of his face either. :sad:

Espella, a central character in this game is unfortunately rather bland. She's very kind and brave, but lacks any sort of quirks or anything that really makes the player invested in her and her welfare.

The Prosecutor is probably the nicest one in an Ace Attorney game to date, even more so than Klavier. Not a bad thing in itself, but after Klavier and Blackquill, whom while he wasn't the friendliest of prosecutors, did fight completely fairly in court, you do start to miss having a prosecutor that you really fight against, rather than work with.

The story was written by Takumi, the writer for the first three Ace Attorney games. Despite this, the story, and definitely the ending, are more reminiscent of a Professor Layton game, rather than an Ace Attorney game.

Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright takes around 15-20 hours to complete, depending on whether you want to search everywhere to find all the puzzles. If you have an interest in either the Professor Layton or Ace Attorney games, I'd say this game is worth a play, just be aware that you won't be getting a full Layton game or a full Ace Attorney game experience.

Layton Brothers, Mystery Room (Android, iOS):

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)

The gameplay in Layton Brothers is quite simple - the case starts with news of a murder. Using a crime reconstruction machine, you are given five minutes to look around - the crime scenes take the form of a room that can be rotated around, with yellow circles indicating points of interest. Clicking on one of these circles takes you to a zoomed in view, where you can look for evidence. A check mark will appear inside the yellow circle once you have found everything there is to find in that area.

Once the five minutes are up, you are asked to make a guess on whom you believe to be the killer, based on the evidence and testimony's you have so far. After that, the suspected culprit (unfortunately, based on Alfendi's theories, rather than yours) is called into the office for an interview - this comprises of rechecking the crime scene to find items such as the murder weapon, or to look for additional evidence. You will also have to answer questions about the crime.

Following that, there is then a final showdown with the real culprit. This takes place in the station interview room, and main comprises of answering more questions, and presenting evidence to show contradictions in the culprits statements. Unlike Ace Attorney, you will always argue against one single statement at a time, you are not given a testimony comprised of a number of statements, and asked to find the one that contains the contradiction. During the showdown, the culprit appears with a stone mask over a heart, and as they take "damage", the mask will slowly chip away, until finally the heart turns to stone and cracks.

Layton Brothers is a very forgiving game; you are not penalised in any way for picking an incorrect piece of evidence, or answering a question incorrectly, aside from a brief scolding. Some people like this, others don't.

Layton Brothers has no voice acting, but several of the characters do have phonetic accents, including Lucy. I'm just pointing this out since I know that annoys some people, also, some reviews of this game mention that they didn't initially realise that Lucy had an accent, and thought that the game had been terribly translated.

Not something I usually comment on when I review; but in this case, some of the music was done by Yuzo Koshiro, who also composed some of Shenmue's songs. The soundtrack is okay, it's mainly jazz type songs, which is not my favourite genre of music, but the soundtrack is pleasant enough, and there are a couple of tracks that I did really like.

You play as Lucy, a new police officer from Northern England. Despite having done quite badly in her exams, she is transferred over to the Mystery Room in Scotland Yard, a place where all the unsolved crimes are sent to, to work as an assistant for the brilliant Inspector, Alfendi Layton. After testing Lucy by asking her to work a murder case, Alfendi offers Lucy a position as his assistant.

At first, Lucy and Alfendi seem to have a number of similarities to Luke and Hershel, Lucy is quite outspoken, and can be quick to jump to conclusions, but is also compassionate, and determined to find the true culprit in any case. Alfendi appears to be much like his father, Hershel, quiet, even-tempered, polite and considerate though without so much of a fixation on puzzles, and gentlemanly behaviour - however, it is made clear right from the outset that there's a little more to Alfendi than meets the eye - under certain circumstances, Alfendi has quite the drastic personality change, from even-tempered and somewhat oblivious, to angry and intense.

There is a main story arc in the game, though it doesn't really start until the middle of the game. The first cases are mostly self-contained with some foreshadowing for the main arc. Although this game is a murder mystery, it's often more about how the killer did the deed, rather than whom the actual killer was.

The writing is quite good, the story isn't quite up to the earlier Ace Attorney games, but it does unfortunately suffer the same occasional issue that Ace Attorney did; where Phoenix, who was generally competent, had a few occasions of overlooking something blindingly obvious, or doing something rather ridiculous in order to move the story along/have Phoenix be dramatically rescued. In Layton Brothers, Lucy is fairly consistent in her detective ability, but Alfendi can be a little erratic as Phoenix could - there is one case, where the culprit proceeds to mention something only the killer would know three times, and every mention apparently flies straight over both Lucy and Meek Alfendi's head - Meek Alfendi ends up going into Angry Alfendi mode, and almost immediately calls the killer out on it. It comes across as both bizarre that Meek Alfendi overlooked such a glaring contradiction, and almost like the writers were struggling to find a way to shove Angry Alfendi into the case.

The ending isn't the most satisfying; it is clear that Level-5 were thinking of a sequel, but rather than going for an ending that more or less ties everything up, with a "To be Continued", or just leaves a minor plot point open for further exploration in further games, there are a number of unanswered questions at the end of this game. It's not on the levels of the protagonists being left in a cave, but still somewhat frustrating; especially since this game seems to have rather mixed reactions, and I'm not sure how well it did sales wise.

I hope the game does have a sequel, the story isn't quite up to Ace Attorney's standards, nor is the gameplay, but there's definite potential; the writing is quite good, and many of the characters are likable. It should also be noted that the decision to place this game in the Layton universe wasn't made until quite late in development, something that wouldn't be an issue for any sequels.

There are nine cases in the game, but all are quite short; I finished the game in around five-six hours. The first couple cases are free (at least on Google Play), with there being two packs that cost around £2.00 each to unlock the remaining cases.

Rune Factory 4 (3DS):

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)
Rune Factory 4, like previous Rune Factory games, combines the farming aspects of Harvest Moon, with action adventure. Where as you are given a rather vague, long-term goal that is rarely mentioned in the Harvest Moon games, in the more story driven Rune Factory you are given more defined goals.

Rune Factory 4 is quite laid-back; you're free to rush through the story, or invest most of your time farming, and progressing the plot at a slower pace. As with most of these games, there are four seasons, each with four days. There are festivals as well, although you will need to unlock some of them first. The Request system also returns, completing certain requests will allow you access to new seeds, forging and cooking recipes.

This game is considerably larger than Rune Factory 3, which had four levels, one for each season. I'm unfortunately not familiar enough with the other Rune Factory games to make a comparison to those. The story of Rune Factory 4 is split into three arcs; arc one has five levels, arc two has four levels, and arc three has one level. While you do need to finish the third arc to see the whole story, the game actually considers the end of the second arc to be the official end of the game.

The cast generally have a lot more dialogue than in recent Harvest Moon games. There are little side-stories, called Town Events, which are both a positive and negative in this game, and there are also little repeatable single day dialogue only events such as everyone talking about the temperature of the baths in the Inn the previous day, only to have the Inn Owner admit that she accidentally added some spicy herbs to the bath water.

Although the cast do have their quirks, on the whole, they are more down to earth than some recent Harvest Moon/Rune Factory characters, you won't find anyone running around yelling "RAINBOW" in Rune Factory 4. Some people appreciate this, others have found the Rune Factory 4 characters boring.

The most frustrating part of this game can easily be the Town Events. These are events that trigger about once a week. The problem with Town Events though, are that they are completely random; you have no choice over which event you'll get each week. This wouldn't be such an issue in itself if Town Events only covered little side stories, but they also cover marriage events, and worse, the final arc in the main story. I have heard of players waiting up to an in-game year to trigger the random Town Event that opens the final story arc, or spending ages soft-resetting, which can lead to game glitches.

Unfortunately, Rune Factory 4's element of randomness is not just confined to the Town Events. If you decide that you want to start dating a marriage candidate ( you can play as either a male or female character this time), you need to get that candidate to at least seven love points, and then confess your love to them - however there is only a small chance that the candidate will accept your confession at seven points. The chances that the candidate will accept your confession rises with their love points go up, but there's always a chance, even when you've raised the candidate to ten love points, that they'll still refuse you. Once you have successfully confessed to a candidate, you need to go on a date with them at least three times before you may marry them - it doesn't happen too often, but sometimes your partner will refuse to go on a date with you for absolutely no apparent reason.

Festivals are another issue. In Rune Factory 4, it will become harder and harder to win festivals each year - you won't be able to keep submitting the same level ten Turnip to win the crop festivals. This is good in a way, it keeps the festivals interesting, as you will need to work to win, but the results of the other villagers vary so widely, that it can feel like winning is more down to luck, than actual skill.

One definite improvement from Rune Factory 3 is the weather system - in Rune Factory 3, typhoons could more or less appear any day, any hour. In Rune Factory 4, you will nearly always get advance warning of typhoons, provided you speak to the three characters that will warn you of a forthcoming typhoon, and you have the ability to buy or make "Wettable Powder", which you can sprinkle onto your crops, which will increase their defence against typhoons.

The game is quite solid through the first two arcs, but unfortunately begins to decline at the end. As mentioned earlier, just unlocking the third arc is completely random, and even once you've unlocked it, the difficulty in the third arc dungeon is quite a leap from the difficulty in arc two. This isn't an issue so much in itself, but to get through arc three, you will need boss drops in order to forge weapons and armour that are strong enough to deal with the enemies encountered in the third arc. The problem with this is that you aren't always guaranteed a boss drop when defeating a boss, and bosses can only be fought once a day - this can quickly become frustrating, especially, whereas in arcs 1 and 2, you can usually use the same weapon for two or three dungeons before you're forced to upgrade, in arc 3, you have to update your weapon every couple of floors. Additionally arc three has a rather lackluster "ending".

Rune Factory 4 can be quite a time drain, especially if you prefer to take your time with the game; many players have put over 100 hours into the game, and really, if you do want to get everything out of the game, you'd probably still be looking at around 30 hours.

Ace Attorney Investigations 2 (DS):

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)
Just finished this after the release of the full English fan-translation patch.

I'll preface this by saying that many people that have played the game are saying that they would rank it as one of the better AA games, and that my issues with the game are not related to the quality of the translation.

I commented once that Ace Attorney Investigations 1 was my least favourite game in the series, to the extent that I actually lost some of my enthusiasm for the series. Ace Attorney Investigations 2 did not improve on any of the issues I had with the first Investigations.

Gameplay wise, AA2 is almost identical to AA1 - you gather clues by moving Edgeworth around a map, use "Logic" to make connections, and "cross-examine" witnesses and suspects. Little Thief, a machine that can simulate scenes of the past also returns. The new gameplay mechanic in AAI2 is "Logic Chess" - when Edgeworth doesn't have the evidence to interrogate someone, he now plays a mental chess battle with them. Logic Chess sections are timed, and consist of Edgeworth throwing questions and statements from a list of choices at the opponent. Edgeworth can pick up "clues" from statements made by his opponent, and use them to ask additional questions. If you try to pursue a line of enquiry that is "locked" before getting the clue, you'll lose time since you aren't told straight away that you don't have the clues needed to proceed, but rather the questioning will proceed (with the timer going down) until you reach the exact moment that the clue is needed to proceed, and then Edgeworth will mention that he can't proceed. When you do get the clue needed to open the locked line of questioning, it starts from the beginning again. Also, the opponents in Logic Chess will often become emotional, and you'll have to decide when to question the opponent, or to wait until they've calmed down. Selecting an incorrect question/statement, or waiting/questioning at the wrong time will lead to a penalty to the time bar. Luckily, the time bar is quite long.

The Environments in AAI2 feel even smaller and claustrophobic than those in AAI1 - you are constantly limited to one area, and can only move to the next area as the plot demands. As an example, in case 2 of AAI1, at times, you could move around to different parts of the plane. In AAI2, the second case takes place in a building that has a workroom and a corridor. You start off in the workroom, and the game won't let you move into the corridor until you have found everything in the workroom. Once you've done that, the plot moves you to the corridor, and then won't let you go back into the workroom, even though there's nothing plot wise that prevents you from doing so. This does help streamline investigations though.

The Storyline honestly seemed a little mediocre as well. I think a part of it is the characters. They aren't unlikable so much, but there was only one character that I actually sort of had any emotional feeling for.

Edgeworth is, my opinion, a poor choice for the main character (I recall reading somewhere that Ema was originally going to be the main character.) His internal struggles, both in AA1 and AA2, really feel like it's just rehashing his development from the original trilogy. It's hard not to start feeling a little impatient when he starts contemplating how the truth is the most important thing in a court of law after the amount of times it's already been done. Without trying to spoil anything, I think going deeper into the theme of how even those that are the most fervent believers in the truth will lie to protect those they love would have been more interesting, and could have made for a more emotional story.

Kay honestly feels a little "tacked-on", and also doesn't really seem to get much development.

The main rival was, for me, the most bland of all the main rivals so far. I thought Simon Blackquill was a little too normal for the series, which is known for it's quirky characters, (though I did think he was a good prosecutor) but even he had his moments. As an opponent, the rival isn't the worst, but there's never really a feeling of victory when you disprove their arguments.

This is a trend that I felt followed with the culprits. The culprits of cases three and four didn't really put up that much of a fight, and the case five culprit didn't last that much longer. The culprits of cases one and two seemed to last longer and be more intense, but that may be more due to the length of these cases. Long cases themselves aren't a problem, but there's part in case one especially that just comes across as padding.

One thing that I feel this game did improve upon at least as far as AAI1 goes - the culprits are considerably more fleshed out.

This review is entirely critical, but AAI2 in itself isn't a bad game, it's just when put up against the other games in the series (even AAI1), it's lacking.

One thing that I did like that I feel hasn't really been done in the AA series so far:

The Case Five culprit being portrayed as being reprehensible and sympathetic at the same time. The flashbacks to their past self, contrasted with their gloating as the person they'd become was quite effective, I thought. Usually the focus is on how terrible the culprit is, or on how tragic their back story is. I think Edgeworth's understanding of the culprit and their circumstances goes deeper than Phoenix, Apollo or Athena's would have as well, with his own past as the "Demon Prosecutor" - this is the one exception to my issues with Edgeworth as a main character.

Mickey Mouse - The Power of Illusion (3DS):

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)
Picked this up after hearing that it was based on the old Castle of Illusion. The start of the game does indeed seem to point to that, but unfortunately it goes downhill quite quickly. There are only three worlds, with worlds one and two having four levels each, and the third world having three levels. Each world is based on a Disney film; and all levels within that world are based on that world. It's not like Castle of Illusion where each level had it's own distinct theme.

The lack of levels is compounded by the lack of difficulty. Although the game does ramp up the difficulty for world three, the fact that you can basically generate treasure chest after treasure chest indefinitely to recover energy takes away from the challenge somewhat.

The game does have a number of side quests that are given to you by the Disney characters that you meet during the game. Unfortunately, all these quests boil down to is revisiting the old levels to try locate another character or an item. It really feels more like padding than anything else.

The gameplay itself is quite fun, although the painting may feel a little tiresome at some points.

Overall, it's an flawed, but enjoyable game, but it's one that I would recommend waiting for until it's discounted, rather than paying full price for.

James Noir's Hollywood Crimes. (3DS)

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)
In this game, you play as a contestant in what is supposedly Hollywood's most popular game show - Puzzle Masters. The prize for winning the show is an all expenses paid, one year trip around the world. The main host is a fame-loving presenter, whom, jealous of his own waning popularity, and the fame the contestants receive, latches on to each contestant in the hopes that their popularity will rub off on to him. The show has a female co-host whom is tired of everyone just seeing her as an object, as well as a rather cold Producer. After passing the first round, you are approached by your former boyfriend/former college roommate, whom is now a F.B.I agent - there's a killer on the loose whom is apparently targeting former winners of Puzzle Masters. At the scene of each murder, the killer leaves a puzzle hinting at the location of where the next crime will be.

The gameplay is basically entirely comprised of puzzles; the TV show puzzles, in which you are presented with a choice of twenty puzzles per round, allowing you to pick and solve the puzzles until you reach the target score for that round. You are allowed three hints for a puzzle, and if the puzzle proves too difficult, can exit freely and choose another puzzle. The other puzzles are the "story" puzzles - puzzles that you must solve to move ahead in the story. These puzzles are linear, but if you really get stuck, the hint system allows you to use four hints for story puzzles, with the fourth hint solving the puzzle for you.

Unfortunately, a lot of these puzzles are the same; just with different levels of difficulty. For example, there are six levels of a puzzle where you have to move worms around a maze. There isn't really that much variety.

The game is also on the short side - you can complete it in around six hours.

The story could also have been better. It does have some promise but never reaches full potential. The use of the photograph taken of you (the actual player) works well, the ability to choose between playing as a male or female had some thought put into it, and there are some genuinely tense moments. On the negative, although everyone involved in the TV show is supposedly a suspect, the game all but smashes you over the head with a concrete slab with regards to whom the writers want you to suspect. There's only a few half-hearted hints pointing towards any other character being the killer. The protagonist being almost silent doesn't help the story either, in my opinion.

If you enjoy puzzle games, this game can be fun, especially since it's selling for around £5.

Crime Scene (DS).

Spoiler: (Highlight to read)
The premise of this game is that you play as a new detective, whom has the authority to carry out forensic investigations. The first case is the apparent murder-suicide of the family of another detective, but as the game goes on, it becomes clear that there's more going on than first appears.

The gameplay is bascially a (small) number of mini-games, as you take blood and saliva samples, dust for finger-prints, and extract evidence. This alone would be enough to deter some gamers, as these mini-games are repeated over and over for all five cases, but there's also the fact that the game is rather glitchy, and, while it is rather lenient in how much tape you cover a print with in some cases, in other cases, it demands almost pixel perfection. This isn't helped by the fact that you have a "life" bar; make too many mistakes while investigating, and the game ends.

On the story side; the game has five cases, which are all tied together by a central storyline. It does all tie together quite well, but the fact that relatively small details from case one are brought up in case five means that this isn't a game that you want to stop playing for a few months and then go back to.

Unfortunately, the game does start going a little downhill come case five. There is a very twisted ethical issue that comes up mid-game, but a late-game revelation turns it from a twisted ethical issue, into a simple horrifying plot point.

All in all, people whom enjoy crime stories may enjoy this game; but you will need a lot of patience to be able to play all the way through it.
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Once in a great while, there emerges a musician who, through his genius, injects that certain spark necessary to elevate an instrument to another level of expression and appreciation. For tabla, Ustad Allarakha was such an artist, having brought his instrument a stature and respect never before enjoyed. A disciple of Mian Kader Baksh, the great guru of the Punjab gharana, Ustad Allarakha was, in his lifetime, the most celebrated exponent of this style. Ustad Allarakha was born in 1919 in Phag... Read More

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Saturday 24th June 2017

Council and NHS row hits care for Birmingham's disabled

17th November 2008

Severely handicapped adults are being denied social services care following a dispute between Birmingham City Council and the NHS over who should foot the bill for looking after some of the most vulnerable people in society.

The council has admitted rationing the help it is prepared to offer as its Learning Disability Service budget soars £14 million into the red.

Talks between council Strategic Director for Adults and Communities, Peter Hay, and managers from the three Birmingham Primary Care Trusts have been taking place for more than a year, with no agreement so far about how £1,000-a-week care packages for the most severely disabled people could be shared more fairly between local government and the NHS.

The number of adults with severe learning disabilities and requiring social services care rose by more than 20 per cent last year as advances in medical science meant that people who in the past would not have lived into adulthood are now regularly doing so.

The scale of the problem was revealed by social care scrutiny committee chairman Len Clark, who said the council would face “astronomical” costs if it was to respond fully to demand for services.

The care budget is already on course to be over-spent by £12 million, but Coun Clark said the figure would rise to £14 million.

Coun Clark (Con Quinton) said: “We are controlling demand at the moment by not allowing people access to some services.

“But this position will be subject to legal challenge, and that will cost the council money.”

He said discussions with the Primary Care Trusts were not proceeding as quickly as the council wished.

“They have a statutory obligation and one would hope they recognise that sooner rather than later,” he added.

He said the council sometimes had to pick up the cost of looking after people discharged from hospital with only a short time left to live.

In one instance the care bill for a man “who was dying in a matter of weeks” amounted to £30,000 for a month.

Problems are particularly acute in south Birmingham, where the care of disabled adults has recently been transferred from the primary care trust to the council. But the trust has not yet agreed how much it should contribute toward the future care of the transferees, Coun Clark said.

He added: “The council is not in a position to bear the full cost of meeting the demand for services from people with learning disabilities.

“It is a complex matter and solutions aren’t going to be easily found or be cheap to implement.”

Three years ago, the council spent £45 million on care packages for about 1,300 adults with learning disabilities. The budgeted figure for this year is £51 million for 1,600 people.

Andrew Donald, Chief Operating Officer at Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust, said: “We are having positive and constructive discussions with Adults and Communities and are confident we will resolve any issues.”

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