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"Ill-informed, rose-tinted, repetitive, and lacking in tact, [the book] may have a few ideas and statements to astound, but by and large it does not come anywhere near the convincing argument, of humanity being social, that it declares."
E T A Hoffman – The Nutcracker And The Mouse-King
Category: Reviews Genres: 1810s, Fantasy, Translation
Sugar plums are not always fairies.
Pages: N/A
Age: Children's
ISBN: N/A (Book cover is Vintage Classics' edition)
First Published: 1816; 1853 in English
Date Reviewed: 12th December 2019
Rating: 5/5 (in its context)
Original language: German
Original title: Nussknacker und Mausekönig (Nutcracker And Mouseking)
Translated by (my edition): Mrs St Simon; Vintage Classics' translation by Joachim Neugroschel
On Christmas Eve, Maria and Frederic wait excitedly for the moment when their parents will let them into the room to see the presents brought to them by their godfather. When it happens, the children find dolls, and soldiers; Frederic has a horse as he hoped. But soon Maria's eye is drawn to a peculiar-looking figure that her godfather says is a nutcracker for all three of the siblings (there is an older sister, Louise), however as Maria particularly likes it she will be its keeper. When Frederic breaks the nutcracker's mouth, Maria decides to stay up longer in order to look after it. She plans to go to bed afterwards; the toys have other ideas – there are mice in the house and a battle awaits.
The Nutcracker And The Mouse-King is the original version of the story used for Tchaikovsky's ballet1. (The story used for the ballet is the revised, though not dissimilar, version by Alexandre Dumas.) Written in 1816, not too long after the concept of childhood was first formed, it is a particularly fantastical tale that, with Hoffman's fame at the time2, most likely inspired the stories that came after it.
The story is very simple; a lot of the pages are given over to descriptions. The translation I read was the first known English translation, from 1853 – if you're happy to read a scanned copy of the book I can recommend it because it has the added benefit of showing you the culture of the time.
Hoffman's approach to storytelling for children (he also wrote for adults and is said to have inspired Edgar Allan Poe) is wonderful. Whilst the book is pretty scary and violent in places – though less so than the works of Lewis Carroll – it's also written entirely to delight readers. You can see the idea of parents reading to their children being a likely component – Hoffman often talks directly to the reader, telling them when to listen carefully ('listen, children', added as a sentence clause) and writing in a way that they will relate to what's going on.
The concept of dreams and the use of a story within a story pad out the fantasy; Hoffman blurs the lines between dreams and reality and employs a flashback sort of tale to help draw the reader further into the story. Speaking as an adult, it doesn't quite hold its magic, but you can see where children would love it, and that's just as much the case now as it would have been then.
To go back to that showing of the culture of the time, depending on your reason for reading – study/adult enjoyment or to read to children – you may need to find a modern translation (potentially – I've not read them) or be ready to consider different phrasing on occasion. Whilst the idea of a biting mouse might be fairly easy to work around, the cultural differences in regards to race are not. The 'moors' in this book are cute but 'disturbed' people, some of the only human characters but nevertheless considered very simple compared to the toys who have come alive.
Back to the better parts – the book is unisex. Hoffman does refer, in his addresses to children, more to boys than to girls but then as the main character is a girl this makes sense – it was likely considered the best way of keeping boys' attention when the story is about a girl, and one younger than her brother at that.
For the adults, there are some great references to older literature and literary figures. There is a scaramouche, and the nutcracker invokes Shakespeare. There is also fun to be found in the names chosen for the characters – Stahlbaum, the family's surname, means 'steel tree', and the elders are definitely not believers in Maria's stories.
Interestingly, the majority of The Nutcracker And The Mouse-King takes place in the days after Christmas – a good few days after, if Mrs Simons' translation is correct – the magic in the story is mostly down to the confectionery landscape of the ending. Nevertheless its beginning, and that sense of magic, ensure the entirety works as a Christmas story. And, contextual issues aside, it's a lovely one at that.
1 Tchaikovsky hated the music he wrote for the ballet as he had been given incredibly strict instructions in regards to tempo and length; his story is essentially one of micromanagement before the word existed.
2 Hoffman was a composer and music critic as well as a novelist. He famously reviewed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which became a turning point – it set new standards. (He actually reviewed the music without hearing it, only having read the score. This was the usual method at the time.) Fun fact: Hoffman's initials were originally E T W – the W stood for Wilhelm. Due to his love of Mozart, he changed it to Amadeus.
Jane Austen – Mansfield Park
Category: Reviews Genres: 1810s, Domestic, Social
Controversially yours.
Publisher: N/A (but I'd wager Vintage's a good one)
ISBN: N/A (Vintage's is 978-0-099-51186-1)
Date Reviewed: 8th May 2014
Fanny moved to Mansfield to live with wealthy relations and now, at eighteen, she's very much settled and happy, despite being the family's errand girl and companion. When the Crawford siblings enter their society, Fanny is suspicious – they don't seem to be people her cousins should be associating with, and as the days continue she worries for her cousins' futures. Many say she's wrong about the Crawfords. Is she?
Mansfield Park is a lot quieter, so to speak, than Austen's other novels, and quite different overall.
The major difference is Fanny – she may prove a difficult heroine to like. Part of this is due to Austen not giving the reader (at least it seems so – maybe the little was enough in the day?) information as to the Crawfords' natures, instead letting Fanny's feelings do the talking. This isn't very successful as Fanny can, for the lack of information, seem over-the-top. Fanny is quiet and confident but she is often in the background and sometimes quite literally. And not at all in that theatrical way where the person at the back is the stronger person. Although Austen details her, it never really feels like she is the main character.
To the modern reader, Fanny may be difficult to relate to. Her scruples in regards to theatre seem silly and overboard today, and where Mary Crawford is slightly ahead of her time, Fanny is very much of her time.
Referring back to Austen's lack of detailing, in the case of Mary, the 'bad' traits are more obvious – Mary wants to marry someone of equal or more wealth than her, and she doesn't want to marry a clergyman. This is interesting to consider, given that wanting someone of equal wealth wasn't exactly uncommon at the time, nor seen as bad, and it's not particularly glaring today, either. It could be said that not wanting to marry a clergyman is simply personal taste.
It is more in the case of Mary's sudden shifts in affection that the bad traits lie. Austen's presentation of Henry leads you to realise that he likes women, with emphasis on the plural, but it can come across on occasion as the case of a boy who is happy in the presence of girls and to have the opportunity to have a preference, that he hasn't before been given the chance to really think about what and who he wants. Certainly Henry reads more the immature boy than the noticeably deceitful man, and Mary's opinion that he would change, well, there's the feeling that she could be right.
Despite Fanny and the somewhat dubious plot, there is a lot of laugher to be had in reading the book. There is a specific section during which you could consider Austen had realised there was a lack of joy in her story and decided that had to be remedied.
The ending of Mansfield Park is very quick and the author moves away from dialogue to give you a summary of events. The reader may feel short-changed by this, however Austen does say of a specific aspect that readers all consider timing differently and so you are left to decide on timing yourself.
Quieter, with a heroine who does little and with not much in the way of story, Mansfield Park is a very different Austen, but worth reading nonetheless. Certainly it is the novel most set in its time.
Jane Austen – Emma
Posted 4th November 2011
Category: Reviews Genres: 1810s, Comedy, Domestic, Social
Perhaps the best example of how wonderful Austen's ability to create characters was.
ISBN: N/A (Vintage's is 978-0-09951-1168)
Date Reviewed: 13th October 2011
Emma Woodhouse is rather well off, and intelligent and charismatic to boot. She wishes to add to this list a talent for matchmaking, and indeed already has introduced a widowed neighbour to her governess and they are a fine couple. Now she wants to enhance her new friend Harriet's position in society, and the man who wants Harriet's hand does not fit the proposed expectations. Emma doesn't want to marry herself, but will she able to carry on her initial success?
Emma is a fantastic examination of what happens when a person tries to involve themselves in other people's affairs, and what this means for that person's knowledge of their own feelings. The events in Emma are largely held in the same one place, in fact Emma herself never leaves her village, and yet Austen succeeds in being perhaps more witty and introducing a more detailed cast of characters than in any other of her books (Mansfield Park aside as this reviewer has yet to read that one).
It cannot be disputed that what makes Austen so readable is her cast of characters. In Emma every single person is very different to all the others so that it wouldn't be difficult to know who was speaking even if you stripped the manuscript of all names. If it seems that some characters are similar it is only because they are less talkative. Of the ones who speak often you can clearly discern the man of sense, the woman who talks too much, the joker who wants entertainment, the hypochondriac who tries to push his hypochondria onto others, and so on. There is a particular chapter in volume 2 of the book, chapter 11, that is simply sublime – hilarious, all show and no tell, and a prime example of how these very different characters interact. Surely Austen is one of very few authors from whom this reviewer would be happy to read all dialogue and no description.
"Did you ever see such dancing? – Was not it delightful? – Miss Woodhouse and Mr. Frank Churchill; I never saw any thing equal to it."
"Oh! very delightful indeed; I can say nothing less, for I suppose Miss Woodhouse and Mr. Frank Churchill are hearing every thing that passes."
Austen undoubtedly had a whale of a time writing this book. The discourses between Mr. Knightley and Emma are brilliant, Mr. Knightley being the one this time round who has a level head. And as usual Austen shows us that she was not only ahead of her time but would fit very well in society today.
Where Emma thinks wrongly, Austen is always ready to have a laugh and put her on the straight and narrow in the form of her Mr Knightley. As is the case with Northanger Abbey, bar the narration itself in that novel, Austen employs a male character to voice her feelings. In a way, the reader may wonder why Austen, a woman in a male-oriented society, would often want to make her male characters the ones with the most sense, but in doing so she opens up her work to a wider audience.
It is this continual discourse between Mr Knightley and Emma that sets the reader up with the knowledge of what is to happen. In the character of Emma we have Austen trying to test the boundaries of class and seeing what happens when people try to get around them, even if it is only for their own benefit and fun.
As a counsellor she was not wanted; but as an approver, (a much safer character,) she was truly welcome.
Emma herself is fun for being so intelligent yet so out of her depth when it comes to matchmaking, and for having the inept ability to choose entirely wrong people for her friends.
It may be possible to do without dancing entirely. Instances have been known of young people passing many, many months successively, without being at any ball of any description, and no material injury accrue either to body or mind…
The reader might say that the set up of matchmaker could have been continued longer, with more people involved, but what is included is so well thought out that it doesn't really matter. The way that Emma provokes her friends to follow her ideas and, as is once the case, literally follow her around, is worth a lot more than numerous matchmaking attempts.
Pride And Prejudice may be perhaps the most famous of Austen's novels, but Emma makes a good run for Elizabeth Bennett's money. Whether or not Emma would have chosen Mr Darcy for Elizabeth however cannot be speculated. The phrase that would conclude this review best is "read it".
Jane Austen – Northanger Abbey
Posted 20th April 2011
Category: Reviews Genres: 1810s, Books About Books, Domestic, Social
In which Austen plays narrator to devastatingly good effect.
Publisher: (Numerous, but I'd wager Vintage would be a good one)
ISBN: N/A
Date Reviewed: 27th March 2011
Catherine Morland loves Gothic books, in fact she loves them so much that they can overtake reality. That she's not well-versed in anything else is of no importance to her. As luck would have it, it may not be important to the hero either, at least in his choice of partner. But before she can meet this handsome fellow she must first travel to Bath, because that's where he is, and must, before they can become well-known to each other, embark on a few irritating friendships.
If my summary sounds strange, it is because I have endeavoured to provide a hint of the style of the book. Austen has no qualms about letting the reader know that this is just a story, and in fact she makes it so that the story is one of the easiest narratives written. She purposefully creates a heroine who is to have little trouble in meeting the hero (she reminds you often that they are the heroine and hero) and points out where she could have made the book stereotypical and chose not to. In essence, the book is far less eventful than many but still very good – but you have to know the style of writing to understand why the contents stop it from being boring.
The book centres on the relationships between three major factions, Catherine and her brother James, John and Isabella Thorpe, and Henry and Eleanor Tilney. All three factions impact each other in various ways, both directly and through the "use" of one another. As you might expect with an Austen novel, love plays its part, as does money, and overall personal situations.
On the whole, Catherine isn't a particularly interesting character, but Austen focuses on her quirks in order to make the story the success it is. Catherine is a sensationalist and some of the humour in the book inevitably arises from her love of Gothic novels and the value she places on the information in the real world. It's like the thought that often crosses the mind of an admirer of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe to investigate any old-fashioned wardrobes they come across; but unlike these more modern thoughts that are meant only in jest by all but children, Catherine's thoughts that stem from her novels become a reality to her, and the chastising she gives herself for it being a fantasy is only half-hearted. That her imagination is taken advantage of several times by Tilney is to create not only humour but also a situation in which Catherine can develop as a character, as well as to make Tilney himself not only a brilliant hero but to demonstrate Austen's own superb mind.
If Henry had been with them indeed! – but now she should not know what was picturesque when she saw it.
Catherine's development in regards to general knowledge, which includes general social knowledge, may not be particularly detailed, but it is fun to read about and good to be able to imagine where she might be in a few years time.
The other characters are almost equally compelling. Although not as passionate and impulsive as Catherine (in Northanger Abbey I found the spin-off, of sorts, that I would have loved to see of Charlotte Brontë's Villette, focusing on Ginerva Fanshawe) they each possess distinctly interesting qualities. Henry Tilney is sarcastic, intelligent, and, I would say, the way in which Austen divulges her thoughts to the characters; his sister is an obedient woman but unconvinced by general society. Their father is a matriarch and the Thorpe siblings hard to bear, an assuming, self-righteous, deceiving duo.
"Would he thank you, either on his own account or Miss. Thorpe's, for supposing that her affection, or at least her good-behaviour, is only to be secured by her seeing nothing of Captain Tilney? …Is her heart constant to him [Morland] only when unsolicited by anyone else?"
Something that marvels me about this book is Austen's detailed knowledge about relationships. I know that so many things about love and relationships only occurred to me after I had experienced them, together with the information from music, books, and movies, and here we have Austen, a woman in the Victorian era, when woman were suppressed, a woman who experienced love but not for a great length of time, discuss subjects so much better than many writers even today.
As to the theme of parental interference, Austen ends the novel leaving the reader to decide whether her work is in support of "parental tyranny" or "filial disobedience". It's a fitting way to end the book. That she had pointed out to the reader, several paragraphs before, that she knew that they knew how it would finish, just adds to the superior quality.
The best aspect of this book is the writing. The story is enjoyable but if it had been told in a more regular manner it would be nothing special, and that is it's selling point.
Northanger Abbey is one of a kind, especially where Austen's own work is concerned. If you are an admirer of her books but have not yet read it, I urge you to do so in haste.
Jane Austen – Sense And Sensibility
Category: Reviews Genres: 1810s, Romance, Social
Before she wrote as Jane Austen, one of England's most famous writers was entitled "A Lady".
Having now read Pride And Prejudice and Persuasion it was only right I continue on in my task to become well acquainted with each of Austen's works.
Elinor and Marianne are two very different sisters with very different tastes in men but neither of them realise that what seems to be is not always what is. When Elinor falls for Edward Ferrars and Marianne for Willoughby the future looks bright for both of them but they live in ignorance of the secrets of their lovers.
It is quite clear from the writing and plot development that this is the work of a person still coming to understand themselves as a writer. At 20 years of age and in a society where people tended to keep solely to their communities it's understandable that Austen's work would be less polished than many debut writers of today; however that's not to say it's awful, there may well be some awkward moments where better editing would have sufficed in bringing the story to a higher level, but the overall quality speaks of promise rather than imminent failure.
The issues to be addressed therefore are as follows: the storyline. It takes a good third or so of the book for the story to pick up and gain momentum and indeed any reasons for continuing. The story drags its feet behind the family on their various trips to and from their friends' abodes with no sign of being anything more than a look at a number of incredibly regular and boring existences. Austen should have combated this by inserting more points of interest, as she later did for Pride And Prejudice.
The other issue is confusion, and I have found this to be discussed in biographies so I know that my saying so is not completely in error. Austen seems not to know whether she likes Elinor or not. Elinor comes across as a sensible, kind soul and then suddenly turns round and tells her sister not to write to their mother because she is writing to their mother already. It may be that at the time Marianne was in the full throws of passion for Willoughby but the way in which Elinor communicates her response is downright nasty and by that very effect confusing. It comes without warning.
Something that Austen excels in, however, is in articulating rivalries and the eternal struggle women have had with each other when it comes to loving the same man. She tells us from the beginning when a character is perhaps not telling the full truth in order to be spiteful, and then proceeds to cleverly trick us into not believing her (Austen) before bringing it all together nicely, but without any hint of "I told you so".
Austen, as in her other novels, presents age-old issues between the relations of men and women. Her male characters are as dastardly as any character in a British soap opera (I'm thinking of Eastenders, since you ask) and as confusing to women as many men in real-life (and probably British soaps too).
There is not much time given to describing locale although in a way that's an asset because it lets you form your own imagination while concentrating on the action, or lack of it. Sense And Sensibility, perhaps more so than Austen's later novels, is character based. With fewer characters than some of her novels but at the same time with more issues presented, it all comes together, after that first dull third, to create a busy narrative.
There are some fantastic quotations to be had in this book:
The ivory, the gold, and the pearls, all received their appointment, and the gentleman having named the last day on which his existence could be continued without the possession of the toothpick case, drew on his gloves with leisurely care, and bestowing another glance on the Miss Dashwoods, but such a one as seemed rather to demand than express admiration, walked off with an happy air of real conceit and affected indifference.
But of the writing otherwise I'm afraid I have to revert back to the negative, at least for the most part. There are a few errors that could've done with a once over and throughout the book there seems a problem with was/were and gave/given. I can't say this for certain, because I know that the book is set mostly in the country and people quite possibly spoke very differently there at that time but it is difficult to read a book by someone held in esteem when they are delivering dialogue, of people with money, that reads like the spoken word of people nowadays who are considered lacking in education. To read sentences beginning with the like of "you was going to" and "I have gave him" makes for a distraction from an otherwise engaging story. So I would like to be able to trust that this is simply the cause of accents and not something that should have been vastly edited.
With Sense And Sensibility, Austen obtained on a big undertaking, to write her first full-length novel, and to fill the pages with a work that would stand equal in entertainment on shelves dominated by male authors. That she succeeded is far from debatable but that this is the best example of her writing is not. Sense And Sensibility is an average novel but one which proclaims the possibilities for later perfection – which as we all know, happened.


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This Is Why Australian Developers Head To PAX East
Mar 24, 2013, 11:15am
PAX Australia takes place in Melbourne from July 19 until the 21st, so I wondered why local developers like Tinman Games would head to PAX East, in Boston, when we had our own PAX at home in three or four months. I worked out the answer to my own stupid question pretty quickly, but I still thought it was worth asking all the Australian developers I spoke to during PAX East.
The answer is obvious, of course — different countries, different people, different audiences. Just because PAX is coming to Australia, it doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile for Australians to head to the US to pimp their wares.
For Tin Man Games, the US Audience is especially important.
"We make most of our sales in the states," explained Neil Rennison, Tin Man Games' Creative Director. "The states in massive when it comes to role playing games and that's kinda what we do. This is our third year, and there is a noticeable increase in sales when we comes to PAX East. It's not a massive spike, but the awareness grows from it as well."
The US market is a unique one, particularly for Tin Man Games, who specialise in modern game books for iOS. For Americans the work Tin Man Games does is actually quite unique. Neil finds that he has to really grab the attention of PAX attendees, but the second he explains what Game Books are and how they work, people get very excited indeed.
"We grew up with it, but Americans had Choose Your Own Adventure, which was a bit different. So when I stand here and talk to Americans and ask if they played Choose Your Own Adventure? They say yes, and then I ask if they like Dungeons and Dragons. When I tell them what we do brings those two things together, they lose their mind!
"So to the American audience what we do is really new, even though it's very old!"
diaglyph @diaglyph
What are Game Books? First time I've ever heard that term. But Choose your own adventure - I read plenty as a kid
mawmon @mawmon
Mar 24, 2013, 12:14pm
Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series are gamebooks.
Basically a choose your own adventure with dice.
brassafrax @brassafrax
Mar 24, 2013, 1:24pm
fighting fantasy?! did that have the talking sword? FUCK they were some awesome books
Banderdash @banderdash
jedikilla @jedikilla
I'm sick to death of IOS games made in Australia. GameBooks???? Really?? This is the best we can do? What a disgcrace. I want to see more Developer + Australia + Next Gen. But guess what? I'll never see that any time soon because Australia has gone to shit when it comes to non IOS/Droid games development. We need AAA titles back in Aus.
1nc0mp3t3nc3 @theaptpupil
yes, because Australia has such a huge gaming market. there is a reason why pretty much all of our AAA titles developers are nonexistant. Its not just because publishers killed them off but there isnt enough academic support, appropriate demographic and then theres our overpriced wholesale and retail markets that stifle the games markets from what I have seen. Why would people risk spending money on something thats proven to fall flat on its face in the past when you can release an app that has low demands, low overhead, and only one or two distributor charges(whether you decide to go outside of the apple market and expand into windows phone or even android). If I had the talent, I would go the cheaper and more profitable path myself. the gaming market is changing and not for the better, but you have to make sure you have some kind of income at the end of the day
I understand people have to make a living but we as Australians are so much better than lowering ourselves to simple IOS design. I want our talented game designers up there with the likes of Blizzard, Irrational Games, Square, Naughty Dog etc. It's frustrating to see what is happening because I know we are better than this.
rock_m @RocK_M
Chances are we have *TONS* of talent... and chances are most of them have all gone overseas.
The basic problem is just a lack of support. Design is one thing. Having the funding to create your concept is another. The reason why we're "stuck" on iOS (which IMHO isn't that bad) is becaus its cheap and easy to get done w/o having the need for a huge publisher/grant.
Until the day we actually get real support for the industry here then chances are talent will just shift to more "affordable" projects like Apps/IOS or they move off shore.
Cameron @moonhead
You're probably not going to be able to start a venture like that without any external backing, a AAA game takes years to make, and requires hundreds of people. The costs, in resources alone, are immense to say the least. Add in overheads and you can see how big the cheque that needs to be signed is.
Android/iOS games on the other hand are still much smaller scale in terms of time frames and resourcing requirements (although not always the case). It's a lot lower barrier for a studio to get formed and develop some games in this area, there's no certification process to speak of (other than paying your $100 per year to be an app developer), so there's no need to worry about studio backing (try and get a XBLA game made without a studio behind you!).
Yes, we most certainly should be in the AAA game space. But without funding, and major funding if that, it simply wont happen.
Maybe the Government will set up some funds like they do for films in the near future. But that's a big maybe.
senno @senno
Unfortunately, that kind of development is only possible with a massive development studio and a massive subsidy from the government, or a massive publisher. With Australia's dollar so strong, we're just not as worth investing in then a well established studio in U.S or Canada where they get all that, plus the experience. That said, what we do with what we have is still really excellent, and let us not forget one of the most expensive games ever is Australian - L.A Noire.
Glock @glock
To be fair, the Tinman game book apps are very well done and quite polished. I have one of them on Android and it is fairly fun (if a little light on replay value). So what if mobile games are not AAA PC/console titles, the success of them can lead to that (take a look at Madfinger games for instance).
I was aware of the Jackson/Livingstone books as a kid but never quite got into them, I think it was the dice and necessity of keeping stats written down that proved tiresome. However, I read a lot of Choose Your Own Adventure and loved the general concept, so playing the gamebooks in app form and having the annoying stuff taken care of automatically is refreshing!
DanMazkin @danmazkin
Mar 25, 2013, 9:02am
Turns out you need money to make a AAA game. Like, a lot of money. If Activision, EA and Ubisoft aren't willing to pony up several hundered thousand dollars to fund an Australian big budget game, then where do you expect the devs to get this kind of cash?
vaegrand @vaegrand
@jedikilla
*insert obligatory insult to start any internet argument here*
You sir are a tool, no seriously! Why do we need AAA games in Australia when the studios that normally pump them out either restructure all the time or go belly up. In our country there isn't the safety net of a giant local industry to help save you when it all goes to shit and the reality is that the kinds of things you want cost a tonne of money to even start R&D for which on mobile platforms is only half the battle.
If you want AAA titles for mobile to be produced in Australia maybe you should pull your head out of your ass and do it yourself.
lf1mtank @lf1mtank
While I think jedikilla's argument is absurd myself, I will give merit to the idea that Australian devs may be shoehorning themselves into the mobile dev space. Is there any wrong with mobile games? Absolutely nothing. However, at the same time, aspiring to be a small dev team from Australia should not mean being relegated to only mobile games development. What we've seen over the last couple of years is a critical shift from the "AAA" and big publisher funded titles to consumption of exceptionally crafted grass roots games (I'm avoiding the use of indie because that term is losing meaning fast), which is why I think his argument about Australia needing to develop AAA is bollocks. Instead, the argument that Australian devs should try and extend their vision beyond the mobile game space and into the ongoing paradigm shift in game development would have more credence, in my opinion.
*Derp*
effektd @effektd
U.S. Population of 319 million, or focus on Australia's 21 million. If they didn't go the the U.S. their product is going to have a bad time.
Let The Nvidia RTX 3080 And RTX 3070 Leaks Begin

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


From Series: "God's Got This"
One thing we could never do is throw God a surprise party. Nothing catches him off guard and nothing escapes his attention. With God at the helm of the universe, there is no such thing as luck or coincidence. Whatever is going on in our lives, we can take comfort in knowing that God's Got This! Join us starting February 17 for our journey through Esther, a book which displays the providence of God.


We are seeking submissions from Calgary-based artists only.
Age 17, a senior in the American prep/boarding school (Hillcrest) where his mother is Head of Admissions and his father is Head of the School, a high-achieving student, basketball player, applied to Yale.
*Rehearsals and performances are Tue – Sun with Monday being the day off. Rehearsals are 10am-6pm.
Auditions will be in Calgary on April 17 & 18, 2019.
Please email headshots and resumes to with the subject line CHARLIE Audition. Please include your availability on the audition dates (until 9pm) in the body of the email.
Deadline for submissions is end of day Mon April 8. Successful applicants will receive audition materials and further information on April 9.
While all adult roles have been cast, Theatre Calgary will be holding auditions for the Young Company roles at a later date. If you are interested in receiving more information on those auditions, please email with the subject line CHRISTMAS CAROL Young Company.
The deadline for submissions for our upcoming General Auditions as passed. All successsful candidates will be contacted.
Show-specific auditions for 2019-20 will be held later this year, please check back to this page regularly.
Artists who are members of the Canadian Actors Equity Association will be given audition priority. Non-Equity artists will be seen when and if spaces are available. Theatre Calgary is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, and operates within the jurisdiction of the Canadian Theatre Agreement. Artists cast in any production, regardless of CAEA standing, will be engaged under a CTA contract.


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Tag: Kathleen Jackson Allamby
Casual cruelty & family secrets in ferociously funny, devastatingly poignant August: Osage County
Marie Carriere Gleason (foreground), with Paul Cotton, Kelly-Marie Murtha, Melinda Jordan, Pearl Ho & Andrew Batten – photos by Bruce Peters
Alumnae Theatre Company cordially invites you to attend a family gathering at the home of Beverly and Violet Weston in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
Alumnae opened its production of Tracy Letts' August: Osage County on the mainstage last night. Directed by Victoria Shepherd and featuring a talented ensemble, this is family dysfunction at its grittiest, no holds barred best.
When the Weston family patriarch (Thomas Gough) goes missing, middle daughter Ivy (Andrea Lyons) – the only child who stayed in town – rallies the family around her ailing mother Violet (Marie Carriere Gleason). Violet's sister Mattie Fae (Carol McLennan) and husband Charlie (Rob Candy) are the first to arrive, and we get a sense of the estrangement that underpins the family dynamic. The Weston's oldest daughter Barbara (Kelly-Marie Murtha) is the most wanted – but least wanting – to be there; she arrives from Colorado with husband Bill (Paul Cotton) and 14-year-old daughter Jean (Melinda Jordan) in tow. Add to this mix youngest Weston girl Karen (Kathleen Jackson Allamby) and fiancé Steve (Chris Peterson), and cousin Little Charles (Neil Cameron), and the family circus is complete – occasionally witnessed from the outside by housekeeper/caregiver Johnna (Pearl Ho) and Sheriff Deon Gilbeau (Andrew Batten). The atmosphere becomes rife with nostalgia (for better or worse), secrets and schemes as things fall apart and come together only to fall apart again and again.
Marie Carriere Gleason & Andrea Lyons
Nice work all around from this large, engaging cast. The play runs two and a half hours, plus intermission, but doesn't feel like it. The Weston family women anchor this story – and the cast is particularly strong here. Gleason's Violet is a complex puzzle of illness, addiction and survivor; quick to offer unsolicited – and decidedly not feminist – advice to the women in her life, her brutal honesty is shockingly unforgiving. Moments of manipulation and Hollywood-calibre drama queen can turn (seemingly) into flashes of genuine tenderness. Lyons gives a lovely, multi-layered performance as the put-upon Ivy; a character that could easily become a one-dimensional family doormat, she pushes back with a sharp wit and dark sense of humour. She has a pure heart and the patience of a saint, but as the main butt of her mother's criticism, even she has her limits. Murtha's Barbara is the picture of a woman on the edge, struggling with a complex set of emotions as her whole world is crumbling around her. The family rock, she strives to keep things together even as she's falling apart herself – by turns angry, exasperated, protective and acerbically funny, putting out one fire as another appears. Allamby's Karen is a beautiful contradiction; a high-energy chatterbox, Karen strives for self-awareness and adulthood, but comes off as flakey and deluded, with a poignant, child-like quality to her rose-coloured family nostalgia, born of selective memory. McLennan's Mattie Fae, like her sister Violet, is a complex woman of contradiction – as cruel in her judgemental criticism (in her case, aimed at her son Little Charles) as she is fiercely protective of her family, including her son. And Jordan brings a precocious, wise child edge to Jean; a self-possessed young film buff coming into herself as she deals with her parents' relationship issues.
Pearl Ho & Thomas Gough
Other stand-outs include Gough's wry-witted, melancholy alcoholic Beverly; a lauded poet and academic at the end of his rope, we only see him at the top of the play, but his presence resonates and stays with us. Batten brings an understated, quiet and boyish bashfulness and sense of anticipation to the Sheriff, a former beau of Barbara's. And Peterson's Steve is both charming and skeevy; a smooth operator under that sweet, helpful exterior.
It's like watching a train wreck – and you can't look away. The high drama of this family gathering is tempered by sharp-edged, dark humour – which the family uses for both self-protection and sniper attacks – and occasional moments of genuine, loving connection. Nothing brings out a family's true colours like tragedy.
With shouts to set designer Alexis Chubb's minimalist, multi-level set, with its inventive and effective multiple playing areas and nooks for the various family vignettes. And to John Stuart Campbell for the sound design and original composition; his song "Can't Run Far Enough" features vocals by Vivien Shepherd and Ron Smith on harmonica – and haunting, wistful western sounds.
Casual cruelty and family secrets abound in Alumnae's ferociously funny, devastatingly poignant production of August: Osage County.
August: Osage County continues on the Alumnae mainstage until April 23; check here for ticket purchase/info. Performances include a pre-show chat with the design team at noon tomorrow (Sun, Apr 10); and a post-show talkback with the cast and crew on Sun, Apr 17.
Related trivia/info: Former Alumnae President (and damn fine actor) Dinah Watts is in a London Community Players' production of August: Osage County in London, ON right now. Lett's first play Killer Joe is in production at Coal Mine Theatre till April 24 (I'm seeing it on Tuesday). And founder/playwright at Cue6 Theatre Sarah Illiatovitch-Goldman (who was in Alumnae's production of Wit, and has play We Three running now at Tarragon) is on the Steppenwolf Theater Company's literary team for the world premiere of Letts' play Mary Page Marlowe.
Oh yeah, and here's the awesome trailer for the Alumnae production of August: Osage County (video by Nicholas Porteous):
Author life with more cowbellPosted on April 9, 2016 April 18, 2016 Categories TheatreTags Alexis Chubb, Alumnae Theatre Company, Andrea Lyons, Andrew Batten, August: Osage County, Bruce Peters, Carol McLennan, Chris Peterson, COAL MINE Theatre, Cue6 Theatre, dark comedy, Dinah Watts, family drama, John Stuart Campbell, Kathleen Jackson Allamby, Kelly-Marie Murtha, Killer Joe, London Community Players, Marie Carrière Gleason, Mary Page Marlowe, Melinda Jordan, Neil Cameron, Nicholas Porteous, Paul Cotton, Pearl Ho, Rob Candy, Ron Smith, Sarah Illiatovitch-Goldman, Steppenwolf Theater Company, Thomas Gough, Tracy Letts, Victoria Shepherd, Vivien Shepherd3 Comments on Casual cruelty & family secrets in ferociously funny, devastatingly poignant August: Osage County
Delightful comedy ensues as scandal & chaos erupt in a good English country home in Mr. Pim Passes By
Madeleine Kane & Steve Ness in Mr. Pim Passes By – photo by Jennifer Etches
Was out at the Village Playhouse last night to see the Village Players' production of Mr. Pim Passes By, by A.A. Milne (yep, the one who wrote the Winnie the Pooh stories), directed by Barbara Larose, assisted by Ellen Green.
In her director's notes, Larose describes the play as "a comic charmer filled with innocence and irony" – and she and a fine cast deliver on this assertion big time as the relative peace and quiet of George Marden's (Rob Candy) country home in Buckinghamshire is set at sixes and sevens after some disturbing news from a visitor. The visitor, Mr. Pim (Steve Ness), passes along some news that could have a disastrous impact on George and Olive's (Kathleen Jackson Allamby) marriage. Meanwhile, all George's niece and ward Dinah (Madeleine Kane) wants to do is marry socialist artist Brian Strange (Daniel Carter), but George forbids it on the grounds of their youth, as well as Brian's occupation and politics – and the young couple has joined forces with Olive to get George to reconsider.
Ness gives the unassuming Mr. Pim a nice befuddled and affable quality, not unlike Milne's most beloved character Pooh. Kane is an adorably precocious and energetic chatterbox as Dinah, and has a sweet, playful chemistry with Carter's charming and passionate abstract painter Brian. Candy's George is comically stubborn, proper and set in his ways – not a bad or particularly harsh man, just an old-fashioned patriarch struggling with progress. Jackson Allamby is lovely as the modern, forward-thinking and infinitely patient Olive, who is artful but not conniving in her dealings with George's obstinacy. And Barbara Salsberg's Lady Julia Marden is the perfect picture of an imperious older aunt, commanding both respect and familial fear, but essentially sensible and pragmatic in action.
Rob Candy & Kathleen Jackson Allamby in Mr. Pim Passes By – photo by Jennifer Etches
Add to that some good fun comic turns by the two maids – Shobha Hatte's prim, stern and all-seeing Anne, and ASM Laura Conway as the younger, cheeky maid – and you have an all-around good time.
With shouts to the design team for their work in creating this idyllic 1919 morning-room world in the English countryside: Steve Minnie (set), Theresa Arneaud (costumes), John Cabanela (lighting) and Rick Jones (sound), with the talents of Kyra Millan on piano. And, as always, to Margot "Mom" Devlin, the intrepid SM/lighting op who keeps it all together and running smoothly.
Delightful comedy ensues as scandal and chaos erupt in a good English country home in Mr. Pim Passes By.
Mr. Pim Passes By continues its run at the Village Playhouse until October 3 – check here for scheduling and tickets.
Author life with more cowbellPosted on September 13, 2015 September 13, 2015 Categories TheatreTags A.A. Milne, Barbara Larose, Barbara Salsberg, Daniel Carter, Ellen Green, Jennifer Etches, John Cabanela, Kathleen Jackson Allamby, Kyra Millan, Laura Conway, Madeleine Kane, Margot Devlin, Mr. Pim Passes By, Rick Jones, Rob Candy, Shobha Hatte, Steve Minnie, Steve Ness, The Village Players, The Village Playhouse, Theresa Arneaud, Winnie the PoohLeave a comment on Delightful comedy ensues as scandal & chaos erupt in a good English country home in Mr. Pim Passes By
A darkly funny & eerie look into the mind of Lizzie Borden in Blood Relations
So, first, a confession: I'd never read or seen Sharon Pollack's Blood Relations. Not until last night, that is, at Alumnae Theatre Company's opening night, directed by Barbara Larose, assisted by Ellen Green.
We are in the Borden home in Fall River, Massachusetts, 10 years after Lizzie Borden's acquittal of the brutal double murder of her stepmother and father. Ragtime music fills the theatre and, in the dim pre-show lighting onstage, you can make out the main floor of the home: dining room and parlour, separated by a dark wood finish staircase. Down stage right is a pigeon coop; down left is a garden with a stone bench.
The ever present question: "Did you, Lizzie? Lizzie, did you?" sets the scene for a memory game of storytelling, played by Lizzie (Marisa King) and her friend/lover The Actress (Andrea Brown), taking the audience back in time to the circumstances leading up to the murder and trial. Adding to the ghoulish fun and intrigue, The Actress plays Lizzie in the flashback scenes, with Lizzie taking on the role of Bridget, the family's maid.
We see Lizzie Borden as an unconventional woman out of place in a conventional household and society, her feelings of entrapment aptly illustrated – with shades of the macabre to come – by the empty red wire bird cage in the corner of the parlour. That trapped feeling comes to a boiling point for Lizzie when her stepmother's brother Harry (Rob Candy) arrives to bargain with her father (Thomas Gough) over the family farm, a move that would see the farm willed to stepmother Abigail (Sheila Russell). And Lizzie's older sister Emma (Kathleen Jackson Allamby) is more interested in absenting herself from the family strife than in saving their inheritance.
Larose has an excellent cast for this exploration of the famously accused and acquitted suspected murderess. King brings a quiet, slow burning intensity to Lizzie, and a sassy, firey mischief to the Irish maid Bridget. Brown is seductive and playfully dramatic as the beautiful extrovert Actress; and gives a sharp-witted, modern-thinking edge to her portrayal of the caged and frustrated Lizzie. Gough's Andrew Borden is a disturbing, paradoxical combination of serious patriarch and doting father, capable of both extreme kindness and cruelty. Russell's Abigail is a sturdy, practical and self-righteous housewife, but perhaps not above using her own family connections to gain power within her new family; and Candy brings a lovely ick factor to her snake-like brother Harry, a cunning man driven by avarice and giving no thought to his nieces' futures beyond marrying them off. Jackson Allamby gives us an Emma who struggles to keep the family peace, but is terribly worn down by constantly being caught in the middle – put upon and wanting out as much as Lizzie, but lacking the rage to rouse herself to action. And Steven Burley does a nice job with his dual roles as the Defense and Dr. Patrick, the latter a particular delight as Lizzie's charming and flirtatious friend and playmate, a married Irishman grappling with their complex relationship.
With shouts to the design and creative team: Margaret "The Costumator" Spence's gorgeous period costume design, featuring Lizzie in hunter green and the Actress in deep purple; Ed Rosing's magnificent set design, with its deep wood and sea foam green tones, and highlights of red throughout – realized by master carpenter Sandy Thorburn, with painting crew led by scenic artist Mark Cope – and lighting by Gabriel Cropley, especially effective in the carousel fantasy scene. With Razie Brownstone's props selection, everyday household items like a silver tea service becoming projectile weapons – the civilized trappings of society covering darker emotions that lie just beneath the surface. And, of course, the ax. Speaking of, who doesn't like a little Ragtime with their ax murder (thanks to Rick Jones' sound design)? And to SM Margot "Mom" Devlin, who ran the lighting board and kept things moving along smoothly.
Did she? Alumnae Theatre's Blood Relations is a sharply drawn, darkly funny and eerie look into the mind of Lizzie Borden – and the assumptions others have about her.
Blood Relations continues its run on the Alumnae mainstage until February 7. Alumnae usually does a talkback with the director, cast and creative team following the second matinée performance, so keep an eye out for that on Sunday, January 31. For ticket info and reservations, click here. Go see this.
Author life with more cowbellPosted on January 24, 2015 January 28, 2015 Categories Moments, TheatreTags Alumnae Theatre Company, Andrea Brown, Barbara Larose, Blood Relations, Ed Rosing, Ellen Green, Gabriel Cropley, Kathleen Jackson Allamby, Lizzie Borden, Margaret Spence, Margot Devlin, Marisa King, Mark Cope, Razie Brownstone, Rick Jones, Rob Candy, Sandy Thorburn, Sharon Pollack, Sheila Russell, Steven Burley, Thomas Gough2 Comments on A darkly funny & eerie look into the mind of Lizzie Borden in Blood Relations
Lisa Moore's February transformed for the stage in world premiere @ Alumnae Theatre
In semi-darkness, the stage is set with two platforms on either side – the floor panels later being flipped up to create walls. Up centre is a wooden tower from which chairs and various props pieces hang. And a digital clock that reads 2:59. The tower is neat. Clever and interesting – whimsical, even. And also malevolent and looming. The Ocean Ranger oil rig. As the house lights go down and the actors emerge from the wings, we hear the sounds of deep, steady breathing. A ventilator. Yoga exercise. Darth Vader. Breath echoing, as if coming from inside a chamber.
This is the audience's first glimpse of Lisa Moore's play February – adapted from her novel and directed for its world premiere on the Alumnae Theatre main stage by Michelle Alexander.
Helen is having a phone conversation with her adult son John, a corporate image consultant who travels the world. Life is good and things are great. And he may have gotten a Canadian woman pregnant in Iceland. He seems callous and detached, a Bluetooth-sporting yuppie douche, and Helen demands to know what he told the woman and what he means to do about the situation. The scene shifts to a phone call from years earlier – 1982, when Helen receives word that her husband Cal perished when a snow storm hit and sunk the Ocean Ranger. The play continues its time shift from past to present and we see Helen and Cal's courtship and marriage, and John's early entry into being the man of the house at the age of 10. An imaginative lad and a Star Wars fan, as handy as he is with a light sabre, John is not ready – and comes to fear both commitment and submersion in water.
Told with real, often raw, emotion, February is not all doom and gloom. Resilient and good-humoured, Helen struggles with her grief, a young widow suddenly thrust into single motherhood, coping with Cal's absence by continuing their relationship, conversing with his ghost. In middle age, she finds the courage to start making changes and she finds herself ready to bring light into her home via renovation – then, unsure but game, investigating online dating and considering the friendly contractor who is transforming her home. Meanwhile, John takes a job at a local oil company and is forced to confront his fears. It is a touching story – and, as in life, hard edges are softened with humour, with insight gained creating light in the darkness.
Director Alexander (who appeared in an Alumnae production of Private Lives several years ago), with assistant director Darwin Lyons, has done a fine job of staging Helen and John's parallel stories. Working with producer Tabitha Keast (who is also producing a baby, its opening night just a few weeks away), Alexander has assembled an excellent design team to evoke time, place and atmosphere – with set and props by Karen McMichael, lighting by Gabriel Cropley, sound by Megan Benjafield and costumes by Peter DeFreitas.
The outstanding cast features Kathleen Jackson Allamby, Trevor Cartlidge, Justin Skye Conley, John Fray, Victoria Fuller, Lavetta Griffin and Steve Switzman. Griffin (herself a Newfoundlander, who appeared in Our Eliza at New Ideas Festival 2012) is marvelous as Helen. From a spirited young woman in love to an overwhelmed widow in mourning, dealing with the stress of raising four young kids alone, to a middle-aged woman emerging from the darkness of past and ready for a brighter future – a lovely performance. Conley does a nice job of playing John's many layers, shifting from that scared little boy trying to be brave with his light sabre and blanket cape to a young man pretty much doing the same, minus the sabre and cape. Fray is sexy and fun as living Cal – and a supportive confidant to Helen as his ghost. Nice work from supporting cast members: Cartlidge, who juggles multiple roles, including Cal's father Dave, and Allamby as Helen's sister Louise, both offering good-humoured practical and emotional support to Helen in the aftermath of Cal's death; Fuller (also from Newfoundland) playing dual roles of John's pregnant, anxious lover Jane, as well as a good-natured, wry-witted waitress at a pub, giving Helen her ear in a scene that is both touching and funny; and Switzman is lovable, sweet and warm as Helen's contractor Barry. The Newfoundland flavour of the characterizations is strong, assisted by dialect coach John Fleming, who also provided the voiceover work for the production.
I haven't read the novel, but I did purchase a copy during the fabulous reception (organized by Joanne Nelson and Sandra Schneider) after the show last night. And I have it on good authority that it's been well-adapted from page to stage by author and first-time playwright Lisa Moore, who was very pleased with the results – as was the assembled audience.
February runs until Saturday, October 6 – with a Q&A talkback with Moore, Alexander et al after the matinée tomorrow (Sun, Sept 23). For info and reservations, visit the Alumnae website: http://www.alumnaetheatre.com/1213feb.html
Author life with more cowbellPosted on September 22, 2012 September 24, 2012 Categories TheatreTags Alumnae Theatre Company, February, John Fray, Justin Skye Conley, Kathleen Jackson Allamby, Lavetta Griffin, Lisa Moore, Michelle Alexander, Newfoundland, Ocean Ranger disaster, Steve Switzman, Trevor Cartlidge, Victoria Fuller5 Comments on Lisa Moore's February transformed for the stage in world premiere @ Alumnae Theatre


I have now, hopefully, re-labelled all my poems on this blog to appear under the 'Poem' tag. Further housekeeping will occur over the next week or so and some old posts may disappear. I may also consolidate some things into a separate web page.
A new story series will be posted imminently!
Approaching the cafe: a tall, slow amble.
A cup of tea ordered.
Sits, gazing out the window.
Old leather coat and woollen hat and gloves.
Went for a walk to Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor on New Year's Eve. This sketch was made a few days after I arrived back but doesn't really capture the twisted and weather beaten character of the trees in one of the countries highest oak woodlands. It was just a quick sketch one lunchtime to go with the following poem.
Sheep: colour washed with blue.
Anticipation of discovery drives me onward.
Where no man nor beast would roam.
Embedded on rain soaked branches.
Who seek its artistic inspiration.
One less intrusion just might be appreciated.
For the past couple of months I have been on quite a journey of exploration as regards the future of my blog. I have looked and tried a few alternative possibilities to the way I worked but, in the end, decided that it worked too well so there was no point in doing something different. So, now I am back again. This time I have linked the blog to matthewslater.org.uk in order to better utilise the domain name and it has had a few design tweaks.
My aim with the change was to continue to present many of the illustrations that I do as part of my personal sketching, but also to present more writing in the form of poems and short stories.
One of my first ideas was to create a newsletter that I could send out very few weeks. The plan was to start creating snippets of a few stories with a particular theme which I would introduce via the blog. However, my mind then switched into overdrive and decided that these ideas were much better consolidated into a book. So yes, I am now thinking about writing a book. A proper book. One that will take a time to research, accumulate, plan and write. I will share more when I am ready to do so. It looks an exciting project.
So, where am I going? Not too sure! I will use the blog to share some of my thoughts as the year progresses, but I will keep my main ideas under wrap and just provide occasional tantalising dips into the creative process.


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LLR Blenheim Palace Triathlon 2013: video highlights
Gregory S
Over the weekend of 8/9th June, 7000 people took to the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire to take part in the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Blenheim Palace Triathlon. I was lucky enough to be part of the team working on-site that weekend and it was an astounding success. Seeing first hand the scale of the event, the coverage we were acheiving, and the sheer amount of people taking part to support our charity was nothing less than awe-inspiring.
For me, the highlights video (below) sums up the weekend perfectly; inspiring stories, brave faces, and the beautiful surroundings of Blenheim Palace. A truly unstoppable weekend.
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Test-tube Racks: Improve the decor of your kitchen with sleek and easy to work with, test tube spice racks are the perfect spice storage area solution for a bachelor sleeping pad or a couple's kitchen, given that the test tubes have reasonably lesser space than the frequent spice jars. Magnetic Tart Racks: Intuitive and functional, the magnetic rack is actually a handy option with great aesthetical value to transform the regular kitchen into a very stylish cooking space without diminishing on the convenience and ease of usage. The magnetic shelves with wide mouth spice jars and clear covers can also be wall mounted to save lots of space at the kitchen kitchen counter. The magnetic spice pots can stick to the metal area for easy accessibility while baking.
Victoriajacksonshow - Hot tub ideas: 6 of our best designs for your pinterest boards. If you're a hot tub aficionado, no doubt you keep related idea boards on pinterest, or other such discovery, collection and storage sites to help you cut down on your searches, today we're offering 6 of our best designs as custom installers of both portable and in ground vinyl and concrete spas, long island hot [ ]. 25 awesome inground hot tub ideas that will drop your jaw. For your inspiration, here we have picked tons of beautiful inground hot tub ideas that will mesmerize you they are so worth to be the ultimate reference when you want to add an inground hot tub to your beloved house so, let's just keep scrolling to check out our best picks of inground hot tub ideas! best inground hot tub ideas deck and. 25 impressive inground hot tub and pool ideas for your. The hot tub is higher and separated from the inground small swimming pool spool next to it the raised fence beside the pool and hot tub ensures privacy and the chairs give the opportunity for relaxation the greeneries gives the surrounding a natural look 5 family hot tub this pool and hot tub combo is perfect for a family. 75 awesome backyard hot tub designs digsdigs. That's why today we'll tell you about garden hot tub ideas a hot tub may be organized as a part of a pond or a pool, it may be made natural looking with the help of big stones or plants there are many various styles from rustic to ancient greek; wood, concrete, metal and stones are the best materials. Gorgeous decks and patios with hot tubs diy. A covered patio adjacent to a lush garden offers ample seating options, including a z shaped bench centered around a stylish fire pit a few steps away, a large, relaxing hot tub is framed by yet another stylish wooden arbor with curtains that can be closed for privacy. Best 47 wooden hot tub ideas free pdf video download. Best 47 wooden hot tub ideas free pdf video downloadwooden hot tub ideas 31 awesome hot tub enclosure ideas: #22 is the coolest ever!is there anything more relaxing than enjoying a long soak in a hot tub at the end of a long day? 75 awesome backyard hot tub designs digsdigsthat's why today we'll tell you about garden hot tub ideas. Top 80 best hot tub deck ideas relaxing backyard designs. Top 80 best hot tub deck ideas relaxing backyard designs a hot tub is no doubt among the highest ranking luxuries one can procure for their home but for all its modish decadence, the true man of taste no doubt desires an elegant fa�ade in which to encase this luxurious implement, and the hot tub deck is designed with such discernment in. 10 diy hot tubs that are inexpensive to build the self. A diy hot tub is the perfect way to unwind and relax after a hard day and knowing how inexpensive the homemade hot tub was will enable you to relax even more enjoy the pleasure and warmth of a diy hot tub anywhere you may live by using one of these ideas to build your own wood burning model that won't break your budget. Hot tub images: inspiration gallery & backyard ideas. Inspiration ready to get inspired? explore our beautiful image gallery for jacuzzi � hot tub installation ideas and backyard designs explore our best selling hot tubs to find the right model for you learn more buying guide whether you've already decided to buy a hot tub or want to learn more about the benefits, you'll find answers. Best 25 backyard hot tubs ideas on pinterest houston. Find and save ideas about backyard hot tubs on pinterest see more ideas about houston swimming pool, houston pool builders and pool with lazy river.


Blue is the strongest color so I'd definitely include a good chunk of that. Green has some good evasion that could really take advantage of those Tormentor's Trident's in Howlgeist and wandering Wolf. I'd probably run a UG list and hope that the beats get there.
Per what Ryan said, U/G seems like it might be the best choice but U/W Fliers does seem like it has some power. The tappers and the Cloudshift to protect your guys and getting in with the beats might be good also.


text:
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This topic has 0 balasan, 1 suara, and was last updated 2 years, 12 months yang lalu by hongwei28.
22 Januari 2019 pada 13:26 #2861
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The Oakland Raiders have released former starting cornerback David Amerson in the first significant move since Jon Gruden took over as coach last month.
The Raiders announced the move to cut ties with Amerson on Monday before his $5.5 million salary for 2018 would have been fully guaranteed later this week.
Amerson was a revelation after being claimed off waivers from Washington by the Raiders early in the 2015 season. Amerson started 14 games for Oakland that year and set a franchise record with 26 passes defensed and added a career-high four interceptions.
That play earned Amerson a four-year contract extension the following summer worth up to $38 million [url=http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/eric-weddle-jersey-cheap]Eric Weddle Jersey[/url] , but he never played to the level of that deal.
Amerson's play regressed in 2016 and he struggled mightily this past season as part of a secondary that became the first to fail to record any interceptions in the first 10 games of the season in NFL history.
Amerson played only seven games before being sidelined by a foot injury for the rest of 2017. He allowed opponents to catch 23 of 31 passes thrown into his coverage area for 391 yards and four touchdowns. The 155.6 passer rating when targeting Amerson was the highest against any defender targeted at least 20 times, according to SportRadar.
Amerson was originally a second-round pick by Washington in 2013. He has eight interceptions and 63 passes defensed in 68 career games.
The Raiders still must make a decision on cornerback Sean Smith, who is owed $8.5 million for 2018 and might not be back. T.J. Carrie, who was the team's most effective cornerback this past season, is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent next month.
Oakland is counting on 2017 first-round pick Gareon Conley to be the starter next season at one cornerback spot. He played just two games as a rookie because of injuries.
Kyle Gibson recovered from a rough start to throw seven innings, and Max Kepler homered in his second straight game to lead Minnesota past Baltimore 5-4 on Saturday.
Bobby Wilson went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Twins, who won their third in a row.
Gibson (3-6) allowed three runs in the first inning – including a two-run homer by Chris Davis – but only gave up two hits after that while striking out nine. It was Gibson's highest strikeout total since fanning 10 batters on April 26 against the New York Yankees.
Kepler's solo shot off Kevin Gausman sparked a three-run fifth that tied it. Wilson's two-run double off Miguel Castro (2-5) in the sixth gave Minnesota the lead for good.
The team with baseball's worst record, meanwhile, lost its fifth in the row.
Trevor Hildenberger worked a scoreless eighth for the Twins. Jace Peterson's RBI double off Fernando Rodney pulled the Orioles to 5-4, but Rodney got Tim Beckham on a grounder to short to convert his 19th save in 24 chances.
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CHICAGO – Javier Baez homered and had four hits – including a game-tying infield single in the eighth – and Chicago rallied from a five-run deficit and over Cincinnati.
Anthony Rizzo's RBI groundout capped a four-run eighth inning for Chicago, which has come from behind in each of its last eight wins.
Eugenio Suarez homered and Billy Hamilton added three hits and three stolen bases for Cincinnati, which had its five-game winning streak against the Cubs snapped.
Randy Rosario (4-0) allowed two hits in 2 1/3 innings to get the win. Brandon Marrow worked the ninth for his 20th save.
Jared Hughes (2-3) took the loss, part of three Reds relievers who allowed five runs in 2 1/3 innings.
PHILLIES 3, PIRATES 2
PITTSBURGH – Nick Williams, Scott Kingery and Jorge Alfaro drove in runs on consecutive at-bats in the seventh inning to help Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh and extend the first-place Phillies' winning streak to six games.
Jake Arrieta (6-6) worked around six hits with the help of eight strikeouts to hold the Pirates to two runs over seven innings.
Pirates starter Jameson Taillon (5-7) was charged with all three runs. He had allowed just two singles coming into the seventh. He struck out eight and walked none.
Starling Marte singled and scored in the first and homered in the second as part of a three-hit afternoon to stake the Pirates to an early lead.
Victor Arano worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his second save.
CARDINALS 3, GIANTS 2
SAN FRANCISCO – Carlos Martinez pitched seven effective innings for his third consecutive win and St. Louis beat San Francisco.
Martinez (6-4) allowed one run on six hits with three strikeouts and did not walk a batter for the third time this season. The right-hander also drove in the Cardinals' first run with an RBI double in the third.
Jordan Hicks allowed a run in the eighth and Bud Norris retired three batters for his 17th save.
Brandon Belt had three hits and drove in both runs for the Giants. San Francisco has been held to two runs or fewer in five of its last six games.
Jeff Samardzija had an uneven outing in his first start since May 29. Activated off the disabled list before the game, Samardzija (1-5) gave up three runs in five innings and repeatedly pitched with runners on base.
BRAVES 5, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE – Anibal Sanchez pitched effectively into the seventh and Freddie Freeman added three hits, lifting slumping Atlanta over Milwaukee.
Sanchez (4-2) retired 19 in a row at one point to help snap Atlanta's season high four-game skid. He exited with two outs in the seventh after being hit by a liner on his right hip.
Atlanta got to Brewers spot starter Aaron Wilkerson (0-1) early to end Milwaukee's five-game winning streak. Wilkerson had taken the rotation turn of Brent Suter [url=http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/brandon-williams-jersey-cheap]Brandon Williams Jersey[/url] , who went on the 10-day disabled list with left forearm tightness on Friday.
Sanchez struck out six in a row at one point. But after two easy outs in the seventh, his day ended quickly following a walk to Hernan Perez.
TIGERS 7, RANGERS 2
DETROIT – Nicholas Castellanos homered as part of a seven-run first inning for Detroit, and the Tigers cruised past Texas.
Cole Hamels (4-8) retired only two batters for the Rangers in his shortest start since 2010, and Adrian Beltre had a home run taken away when Detroit's JaCoby Jones made a spectacular catch in left-center field.
Mike Fiers (6-5) allowed a run and five hits in six innings. He struck out six with one walk.
Rougned Odor hit a solo homer for Texas immediately after Beltre was robbed by Jones. Shin-Soo Choo doubled twice for the Rangers to extend his on-base streak to 46 games, tying Julio Franco's club record set in 1993.
Niko Goodrum had four hits for the Tigers.
YANKEES 8, BLUE JAYS 5
TORONTO – Luis Severino pitched five innings to earn his major league-leading 14th win, Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge each hit solo home runs, and New York beat Toronto.
Severino (14-2) won his fifth straight start, allowing three runs and five hits. Two of the hits were home runs [url=http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/morgan-cox-jersey-cheap]Morgan Cox Jersey[/url] , marking the first time this season that Severino has allowed more than one homer in a game. He has allowed three earned runs or less in 16 consecutive starts.
Jonathan Holder, David Robertson, Dellin Betances each worked one inning and Aroldis Chapman got the first out of the ninth before leaving with an apparent injury. Chasen Shreve finished for New York, giving up a solo homer to Aledmys Diaz.
J.A. Happ (10-5), a potential trade target for the Yankees, had a dreadful audi


We can read many articles about the pros and cons of Solid State Drives. We may also hear opinions about them – from supporters and opponents of this technology… and can listen to the informational din. We can also leave the technical issues aside and look at it from the perspective of a market. Let's just say this article won't provide any answers – it will only ask new questions.
There are two issues. The first one is that we have to take into account that any new technology will almost always cost more than it should. Sometimes it is the result of small demand, sometimes of top-down assumptions. In the second case, we can point to it as a kind of marketing strategy – one of market penetration. It is called "creaming" or the "prestige strategy". The idea is easy to understand – it consists of collecting maximum profits in the short term by setting the highest possible price for the new product. At the beginning it is offered to customers who do not treat a high price as a barrier to purchase – then the price is gradually reduced. Sounds like a conspiracy, doesn't it? But it is the art of marketing.
The second thing is much simpler and justifies the high price. The value of an SSD should be measured by cost-per-IO not cost-per-Gigabyte. If we look at it from this perspective, the price of SSDs may seem understandable.
The issue of durability is an excellent example how one fact can be interpreted in many ways. SSDs have no moving parts – this is true, the rest can be treated as a confabulation.
An SSD evangelist will say: "They are shock resistant and more robust than HDDs". Conservative HDD supporters will answer: "So what? SDDs have a limited number of write operations – they wear out when you write to them". So where's the truth? Well, one can say it is where rational thinking starts. Let's ask ourselves – what do we expect from an SSD? Praised strength is a good argument only in a few cases. Just think, even for notebook computers it is recommended to use an additional HDD (when write operations are often performed) – shock resistance is in decline. As you can see, the supposed advantage of SSDs may be treated in fact as a creation of new needs. SSD endurance is not as important as marketers are trying to persuade us.
On the other hand we have the issue of a limited number of write operations. To avoid accusations of a lack of impartiality, I will act now as the SSD advocate and ask: Do you know what "MTBF" means? It means "Mean Time Between Failures" – it is the predicted elapsed time between inherent failures of a system during operation. Did you know that modern enterprise class SSDs have a higher MTBF than some HDDs – I recommend the comparison of the Intel 710 SSD and the Ultrastar Hitachi A7K2000.
There is one more thing that affects a limited number of records. It gives the ability to predict a failure. If we know the limits of write operations, we can also monitor the drive life. We can say it is a kind of rationalization of a negative feature of SSDs but, on the other hand, is a very practical rationalization. Especially in the case of data centers, where continuity of a supply of services has the highest priority.
We cannot hide it – the high speed of SSDs is an undeniable fact. However, one issue (just for sheer curiosity) is worthy of note: the speed of a disk which is filled with data. The reasons for a decrease in operation speed are scatter/gather algorithms and wear leveling. To put the matter simply: the I/O performance will be high at the beginning but it will fall down when write operations must be preceded by an erase. Another thing is that SSDs "don't like" defragmentation, which does not help to maintain the initial high performance.
Of course, in this case, dips are really low. There are also algorithms that can help to avoid such a situation. Nevertheless, one should know that such a phenomenon exists (but almost nobody speaks about it out loud).
There is one more myth that should be mentioned here. It concerns the issue of a similarity of name. It is a big mistake to think about SSDs as one kind of technology. How can we understand it? Well, in the same way we know there are many kinds of HDD drives.
Why mention it? Consumers must watch out for producers who use the halo effect and put low-budget drives in the same class as enterprise-class SSDs. Various SSDs represent various purpose, performance and quality. Be careful what you pay for.
Yes, SSDs are silent – we cannot deny it. But in most cases, think, do annoying sounds come from your old HDD or from fans? And one more thing – what will be cheaper – an SSD drive or a sound-muting case? Indeed, there are very few cases where the purchase of an SSD to mute hardware will make any sense.
SSD is a new technology. It is still being developed, and is also still not free of drawbacks. However, have no doubt that in the next few years the price will drop very quickly to a tolerable level, and cheap and efficient SSDs will flood the market. If we take into account the troubles on the HDD drive market – associated with the floods in Thailand – it may happen sooner than we expect. Why? Take a look at your SSD – where it was produced. Surely, in most cases it will not be the capital of HDD drive production.
For desktops, there's a new crop of rbihyd hard drives than offer much higher cache and can preload common programs into a smaller SSD bank. Desktops have a much larger RAM capacity than laptops so the performance jump won't be an noticeable. Hybrid drives offer a good compromise between capacity and speed. They have them for laptops too btw, but you lose out on the power saving benefits of a full SSD.
Hi Roberto, yes they are more sensitive to ecaltricel damage than regular HDD. But no more than the rest of the computer. So if it will damage the SSD, most likely it will damage other parts of the computer as well.The real-world benefits for laptops far outweigh the disadvantages. Mainly because laptops and mobile computers are subject to physical shock more than ecaltricel surges.You're more likely to damage your laptop by using it while the disk is spinning, rather than a power spike.


Law And More: Watts' House Auctioned Off in April - Is It Haunted?
Watts' House Auctioned Off in April - Is It Haunted?
Those interested in the purchase have to submit bids on April 17th.
One wonders, though, how many bids there will be.
Some could perceive the property as haunted. Those believing in the paranormal have been known to have property "cleansed" by ghostbusting types to rid it of toxic forces.
It depends on the state what has to be disclosed. For example, in California, Alaska, and South Dakota even a non-violent death within a certain time period has to be made known. Usually, murders and suicides which took place on the property have to be disclosed to potential buyers.
If the house is very old, what deaths took place inside might not be known. After the purchase, there could be strange goings-on. The new owners might be advised to all in a ghost cleansing team.
It will be interesting to monitor how many bids, if any, are made for the house. Or, will the structure have to be torn down as was the school where the children were murdered in Sandy Hook, Connecticut?


text:
" Prevention is not only the responsibility of either the State or an institution, or even of the company or the worker. It is all these stakeholders that must be involved to better prevent occupational hazards".
Noël Alain Olivier MEKULU MVONDO AKAME, Directeur général
2021 Revised Compendium of Legal Instruments 2020 statistical yearbook Communiqués 2021
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The mission of the National Social Security Fund is to ensure, within the framework of the general policy of the Government, the service of various benefits provided for by social and family protection legislation. As such, it covers three branches of social security including:
Family Allowances (PF)
Old-age, Invalidity and Death Pension (PVID)
Occupational Risk (RP)
The social protection scheme of Cameroon is based on solidarity; those who work contribute for those eligible to claim their pension rights. Thus, the main source of funding of the NSIF is social contributions paid by employers monthly.
Moreover, in an unstable socio-economic environment, where the Institution must ensure its obligations towards future generations, the NSIF has resorted to undertake investments that are economically and financially promising. Real estate is the chosen option. Hence the acquisition in January 2010 of the Camair building in Paris, rehabilitation of the ministerial building No. 1 in Yaounde, etc., which contribute to this investment policy directed towards productive sectors and presenting the guarantees of security and financial sustainability.
The Institution also invests in the constant improvement of health care supplies, within the framework of its health and social action. Thus, the major renovation of technical platforms of its health facilities was possible, with the acquisition of equipment which standsat the cutting edge of current technology.
Indeed, several innovations have been made within the framework of the consolidation of reserves to guarantee long-term funding of social benefits, while maintening stability in the management of the Institution, as recommended by international standards of social security.
Since 3 November 2014, the NSIF has been providing social protection for self-employed persons, who can register under the voluntary insurance scheme. This process of extension of social coverage enables workers of the informal sector, liberal professions, independent workers and even students, to register in one of the 38 Social Insurance Centres of the Institution on a voluntarily base as from the age of 14, of course, with parental consent.
At the NSIF, It is a real concern to be able to support the present, while strengthening the future of insured persons, our real bosses.


I want small home based business selling books. any suggestions?
Can anyone recommend the most energy efficient, heat producing gas fire/stove for the home?
what do you do if you buy an office computer chair, one of the fittings breaks, and the receipt is discarded ?
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007: Error 1406 – HELP!?
How to get music from ipod touch to itunes of another computer?
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stormblood
Wisdom of Nym: Unpacking the story of Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker
Eliot Lefebvre - December 20, 2021 36
All right. So this column is going to contain spoilers for the plot of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker. You have probably gathered that from...
One Shots: The mysterious allure of fire
I've often been in awe of the simple power of a fireplace or bonfire in how it fascinates everyone who comes near it. We,...
Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker media tour: An interview with Naoki Yoshida
One of the things that I've always respected about Naoki Yoshida as a director and producer is that the man is clearly deeply involved...
Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker media tour: Previewing the Tower of Zot
So this is an interesting deviation from the usual set of dungeons that we see in the media tours. Normally, the dungeon that media...
Massively Overthinking: How long are you willing to wait in an MMO queue?
Bree Royce - October 7, 2021 24
New World has made headlines since the moment it launched for its excessive queues, but it's hardly the only MMO ever - or even...
One Shots: Personal space
Justin Olivetti - September 26, 2021 13
Part of being a starship captain in Star Trek Online is making shrewd decisions that outwit enemies. Part is being a momma or papa...
Wisdom of Nym: What will Final Fantasy XIV add to its healers in Endwalker?
Eliot Lefebvre - August 19, 2021 12
Here's an interesting facet to consider: Unlike most of the other entries in this Wisdom of Nym series about Endwalker speculation, this one isn't...
Global Chat: How New World and Star Wars Galaxies are linked
Justin Olivetti - August 7, 2021 17
New World and Star Wars Galaxies aren't often mentioned in the same sentence together, unless you're reading MMO blog Unidentified Signal Source. The author...
Wisdom of Nym: Guessing at the next jobs of Final Fantasy XIV beyond Endwalker
Eliot Lefebvre - July 26, 2021 9
So what are our next few jobs in Final Fantasy XIV? No, I don't mean for Endwalker, we already know what we're getting there....
Vague Patch Notes: Bugs are hard in MMOs
Eliot Lefebvre - June 17, 2021 7
So apparently it's been pretty hard to play Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis. I don't know from personal experience (fool me once, shame...
Why I Play: Finally completing Final Fantasy XIV's relic grind
Carlo Lacsina - February 25, 2021 9
When I started my relic grind in Final Fantasy XIV, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. But after finishing the first few...
Wisdom of Nym: What to expect from Final Fantasy XIV's announcement showcase Friday
Eliot Lefebvre - February 1, 2021 1
My original plan for this particular column was to just write the title "The Final Fantasy XIV announcement showcase is on Friday" over and...
Wisdom of Nym: Ishgard restoration round three in Final Fantasy XIV
Eliot Lefebvre - January 18, 2021 2
Before anyone feels the need to point it out, yes, I am aware that this is technically round four of restoration in Final Fantasy...
Final Fantasy XIV presents the man behind the design of the game's official websites
Eliot Lefebvre - December 31, 2020 0
A lot of members of the Final Fantasy XIV team are pretty well known at this point to the game's community, but there are...
Rumor: The next Final Fantasy XIV expansion is titled Forspoken
It's that time once more, when Final Fantasy XIV fans have scoured trademark registrations to discover the title of the next FFXIV expansion! After all, we...
Wisdom of Nym: What does Final Fantasy XIV's final 5.3 stinger imply?
Eliot Lefebvre - August 31, 2020 7
As above, so below, and as before, so again. Just to make it absolutely clear, even though we did it for last week's column...
Wisdom of Nym: Impressions of Final Fantasy XIV's Reflections in Crystal storylines
All right, let's make something very clear right off the bat: There will be spoilers in this column. If you have managed to not...
Wisdom of Nym: Just before patch 5.3 for Final Fantasy XIV
Is it too late to hope this patch ends with a bunch of NPCs from the First watching everyone walk back to the Source...
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So here's an interesting question with an answer that continually shifts: What content is optional in Final Fantasy XIV? If you're a big fan of...
One Shots: Stunning statuary
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Last week's call for MMO screenshots of in-game statues resulted in so many great pictures, I could have probably done two of these columns!...
Guild Wars 2 helps tide you over to the expansion with Lunar New Year 2022
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Perfect Ten: The best value MMOs at the start of 2022


It was (apparently) on this date in 1989 that Dr Thomas Hayes of the Royal Armaments Research and Development Establishment (RARDE) discovered amongst Lockerbie debris a fragment of circuit board embedded in a shirt collar. This became PT35(b) -- the notorious dodgy timer fragment. The story of the discovery and how it was recorded is narrated an article headed Page 51 and its Environs on Caustic Logic's blog The Lockerbie Divide. The dialogue between Caustic Logic and Rolfe in the comments following the blogpost is also a mine of information.
The photograph of the shirt collar with the timer fragment and other recovered items seems to date back to May 1989, unless there have been extraordinarily complicated shenanigans to falsify the provenance. While I can't say for sure that Dr. Hayes wasn't lying, my inclination is to believe him. He was into cherry-picking results and twisting his interpretations to suit the prosecution, not planting physical evidence. It's also very difficult to construct a scenario where the timer fragment was retrospectively added to the haul from the shirt collar, and end up with the notes in the condition and order they appear in.
On the other hand, the appearance and dating of the notes suggests quite compellingly that pages 50 and 51 were both later interpolations into the sequence (regardless of the renumbering, which may be unconnected). Reading these notes, the impression that nothing was examined on Friday 12th May and that the main sequence of examination was picked up again on Monday 15th is overwhelming.


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text:
Q: Accessing the Java call stack I would like to know if it's possible to access the call stack from within a method to see which method in which package called the one we are in now?
Or perhaps there is another way of doing this?
Thanks,
ExtremeCoder
P.S. This is all in Java

A: There is a way:
Thread.currentThread().getStackTrace()

But there should not be a reason to do this other than for debug purposes.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


YouthBank program is used to increase the level of understanding of fundamental human rights among YB members and to identify and reduce the major aspects of discriminatory behavior in their communities.
The YB members facilitate anti-discrimination workshops with focus on tolerance and the participation of the younger generation in establishing a society without discrimination, combined with viewing and discussing documentaries and talk shows on tolerance and anti-discrimination, produced by EPF. Following the methodology, YB supported small-scale youth-led projects, such a flash-mob in Goris, where T-shirts with equality mottos were hung in the center of the city, drawing attention to anti-discrimination issues that exist in society nowadays.
Ararat YB funded a basketball contest for people with disabilities. Another project was implemented in Ijevan, where in the central park a poster was prepared with information on human rights fighters, famous art and civic leaders who had been discriminated but became change-makers.


text:
package com.haibison.android.anhuu.utils.history;

/**
 * Listener of {@link History}
 *
 * @author Hai Bison
 * @since v4.0 beta
 */
public interface HistoryListener<A> {

    /**
     * Will be called after the history changed.
     *
     * @param history
     *            {@link History}
     */
    void onChanged(History<A> history);

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub