A Reflection on Call of the Conjurer.
“It is always fun to drop a bunch of people into a small room and see what happens.”
Call of the Conjurer was released nearly two years ago and went through a number of iterations to get it just right. I realise how much more fluid I have become as a writer; ,y later books have required less editing. I have received plenty of feedback since then; I know my problems and plus points; what people liked with Call of the Conjurer and what they disagreed with. Overall, hearing opinions about your own work is amazing. Today, I decided to put my thoughts down on how and why the book was written in the first place.
As I’ve said at the start of this blog, Bloodfest originated in the late 90’s as an amateur animated film about a bunch of soldiers fighting the Grim Reaper and his army of zombies for some reason. Back then it was just a bunch of eleven year olds spouting off funny lines (or what we thought were funny) and pushing a Lego coach into a crowd of plasticine zombies. The film couldn’t even be animated with a standard home camcorder. God knows I tried but recording 1/24 frames a second with only a pause button was impossible.
I might look back with disdain, but it was fun. I can still recall the smell of modelling clay and red acrylic paint.
The Bloodfest series stuck with me over the years as a collection of sequels, drawings and models, all improving over time. I had made (most of) an RPG based on the film and kept my mind afloat by coming up with short side stories. It might sound weird, but I wanted to hold on to this made-up world. Sometimes the real world doesn’t compare to the ones we imagine. You know what I mean?
About 2010, after one joyful day playing through the entirety of the Metal Slug series at a friend’s house, I wondered how Bloodfest would fare as an old school arcade shoot-em up game. Something really Contra-like; pixelated violence where every-goddamned-thing explodes. It would have totally worked, and as I considered a plot I began to think about the origins of the characters from Bloodfest, which I had never really considered before. What was the first mission for the veteran, magically enhanced soldiers Ace Mcdagger and Shimon Arkasone, with their respective shotgun and sword prowess? What did they do long before the rest of the Bloodfest team came along, long before they faced the Grim Reaper and his zombies?
For a game, Ace and Shimon would be players one and two, of course. And this origin story would have been how they met Tiffany Milich too. I needed a fourth character, and immediately pictured Captain Mason. The superior officer, someone who Ace would look up to. Mason was armed with a shotgun, to indicate the inevitable passing of the torch to ‘Shotgun’ Ace Mcdagger. Maybe Mason would have to be an unlockable, secret character. He would be too powerful, perhaps.
Characters in mind, I envisioned a straight forward plot to keep things simple: there are monsters, shoot them all. In my mind the enemies would have to be straight forward and instantly recognisable. They would be humanoid monsters; medieval ghouls, perhaps. Occasionally a skeletal ghost or an orge shows up.
I pictured the game clearly, and what would essentially become the second half of Call of the Conjurer. Video games in the 90’s usually started Level One with a hilly, grassy stage. Level Two is in the woods, or a misty mountain, or a factory for some reason. Level Three is the Water Stage and Level Four is the Volcano, obviously.
For my Level One I imagined a cave; and I instantly remembered visiting the Valkenburg Municipal Caves a school trip in 1998. A warm, inviting cavern of carvings and Christmas lights. In my head I filled that location with ghouls and stuck a giant, tree ghost as the end of stage boss. The Waldgeist; a step up from the regular foes but nothing too daunting.
Waldgeist sketch from 2010.
The end of the story (which in my non-existent arcade shooter is Level Six) takes place in a haunted castle. Everything is chaotic; a red storm scrolls past the windows, the enemies are leaping from the ceiling and floors. There’s a boss rush, right before the final encounter with the most evil of all; a person. An unexpected instigator – a young woman, a teenage girl, perhaps, going full blown sorcerer and about to end the world.
That was about all I had for the game for now. My brain shifted to focus on the actual story – because the first mission couldn’t be the start of things. Ace, Shimon and Tiffany needed training, and that was where Call of the Conjurer truly began.
I was out of work at the time, only ever taking up short Animation jobs or contracted labour roles. I knew I wanted to do something more, and my confidence had reached a stage where I decided to write a Bloodfest novel. Instead of re-writing the old films, I thought it best to introduce Bloodfest to the world by starting right at the beginning, and set about writing “Bloodfest 0”, also code named “Training Days”.
Old character sketches from around 2010.
Right from the beginning I wanted to invoke that feeling we get when we start in a new place. The first day of school, college, work; being in a room surrounded by unfamiliar faces. It’s a moment of potential. You look around and wonder who all these people are, who you’re going to get to know; maybe some of them will become your best friends, maybe you’ll meet a lifelong partner, or an enemy. Maybe you’ll get to know some people quickly, drift apart, and get to know the others even more.
Maybe you’ll stay distant and none of them will know you well, but it’s impossible not to learn a little bit about somebody new in a day, even in an hour.
I felt this was a good starting point for the characters. The audience knows nothing about who these people are except for what is given to them, and more details filter in over time. It was a perfect way to introduce the world of Bloodfest – the set up or magic soldiers, working for a secret organisation who rule the world.
We had always set the first Bloodfest film in the year 2012. Back when we made the home movie in 1996, that date seemed like a long way off – a time when futuristic technology might be readily available; when laser rifles and robots might be common place, but not so far into the future that everything is laser rifles and robots.
I worked out that Call of the Conjurer would have taken place in 2003. That was a lot to look back on. The world was different 13 years ago, although it doesn’t feel that way. Back then, tablet computers and iPhones were less prevalent. People still used CD players… at least I did. I wanted the characters in the story to be using ordinary, time relevant equipment. Although it is suggested that the Hidden Government possess advanced technology, I didn’t think that recruits would have access to the best stuff right away, and the training facility seemed more homely and familiar with ordinary, every day items. I didn’t want the place to be flashy and alien, so it was all conceived to be rustic and plain, like an average office or public school.
I did, at the same time, want to take the main two British characters away from home. I established the training base in America, because it seemed like the right place for it to exist. I also wanted to set it in a warm, welcoming location, somewhere that might feel like a holiday; a step up from the normal world, somewhere quite vibrant and well off. The east coast came to mind amd I eventually decided upon Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.
I kept the cast to a minimal. There were a few who I knew had to exist; such as Lieutenant Baker to act as Captain Mason’s counterpoint, and Gretel Salneth to help Ace show his humanity. My preference of character creation is to envision them and go with that initial concept – it goes back to my ‘first day of work’ ideology; the people you met are already there. I don’t want to build a world where it seems like everybody has been placed purposely (unless the story calls for a situation like that). I would rather populate my stories with natural people, maybe even ugly and broken ones, than a selection of checkboxes. I actually feel that with Call of the Conjurer you could remove or replace a lot of the characters and the ending would always be the same – it had to be, it was written as a prequel, after all – but that would only serve to reduce the overall story. It could have worked with just Ace, Shimon, Tiffany as the recruits and Mason showing them what to do, but it would have been a very short book. I wanted to involve more characters. It is always fun to drop a bunch of people into a small room and see what happens. I think that even the most minimal, one line characters need a bit of back story or a vivid description. The other recruits, soldiers and civilian characters all developed organically. Again, I just went with initial ideas and eventually everybody settled into place. I quite like how the character Cheng takes a long time to open up, and you only really get to know him right before the end.
Various concepts for cover art.
Call of the Conjurer for me is a collection of ideas. It is potential; it is the first day at work where the job is selling the Bloodfest series to the general public. I hope it holds up to that, even if the going has been very slow. Writing the book was a great learning experience, and now it exists.


Photography is so interesting. It can leave you in awe, it can make you smile, or think, and it can even make you very sad. All of that happened today when I scanned through my bookmarks, and I thought I’ll show you some things I found:
The.me is an interesting site for photographers anyway, and worth a bookmark as well. Today, they started with a series of articles, the first one being about the psychology of photography. I have to think about that myself very often – for instance during those lunch break walks with my colleague Arno, during which I almost always carry a camera. This speaks volumes about me, even when I very often return from those without having taken even a single picture. The light is awesome right now, but now I have to work instead of chasing the light. That will probably prevent me from seeing and taking a lot of interesting photo opportunities, but that also doesn’t matter too much. I’m not a pro, and have to support my family with my day job instead. But I digress. Make sure to watch that embedded Ted talk of Getty Images’ Jonathan Klein only if you’re prepared to see some strong content. Anyway: I can hardly wait to also read about the philosophy and the politics of photography – I welcome thoughts like those a lot.
Oh, since we’re at it: Kirk Tuck’s latest posts were not from today, but they point you to the best of the best, like Richard Avedon or Irving Penn. Kirk promised us his top 5, so I’m also very excited to see whom he will mention next. My guess? Well Kirk is a great portrait photographer, so my bet would be on Yousuf Karsh. But let’s see who Kirk comes up with. Nothing more worthwhile than to learn from the real masters, isn’t it?
Thanks for reading.


Green Mountain Davy Crocket Pellet Grill Reviews
Green Mountain Davy Crockett Model
Our Rating: [usr 4.5]
|WiFi Control of Burn|
|Natural Wood Pellets|
|Cooking Surface||225 sq/inch|
For those of you who don’t know, Green Mountain Grills are an extremely popular brand of grill in the States, where they have a brilliant reputation for quality.
I’ve been looking for a decent grill for ages, and although my budget doesn’t quite match up with the Jim Bowie or Daniel Boone models, it certainly can stretch to the Davy Crockett model at $350.
I’ve been giving the Davy Crockett grill a workout recently, taking it to the beach, on a camping trip in Cornwall, England and cooking out in my back yard.
Is the Davy Crockett a decent grill? Read on to find out.
One thing that does impress straight away, are the features available that you wouldn’t really expect on a sub $500 grill. It works on 110V or 12V, has the all-important open flame system that everyone wants, plus it comes with a pretty cool idea called “sense-mate” – a method for monitoring the grill temperature, allowing you to keep your grill just at the right level for cooking.
Whilst talking about the sense mate system, it works via a mobile phone app. I used my iPhone 6 with the review grill and it worked fine. You might have a little trouble setting it up but personally, it took about 10 – 15 minutes to get to grips with it. I loved the way you can control the temperature via the app and equally liked the hopper system that fed the grill gently, keeping the temperature just right.
In my view, that’s all you really need from a decent grill, yet so many just fail to keep everything flowing steadily – a thumbs up for Green Mountain!
Setting It Up
I must say, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with the Davy Crockett. Some manufacturers build their lower end models from such low-quality parts it really destroys the brand reputation. I bought a few camping stoves from Coleman and the like which suffer the same issue, never again!
With the Green Mountain Grill, there’s no such issue. The entire grill just smacks of quality, each fitment, bolt and adjustment is exactly what you would expect from a marque with a reputation for quality.
One of the cool features of the Davy Crockett, and one I look for in a grill, is a solid folding leg setup. I tend to take my grills everywhere, from camping out to nights by the beach, stability on a variety of surfaces being key. In this respect, the Davy Crocket doesn’t disappoint. It has a set of folding legs that run under the grill lengthways, these legs are skinny enough to sink into beach sand, and solid enough for use on grass or parkland.
Another plus for Mountain Grill, is that these legs are stainless steel and one continuous sealed unit. For those of you who have mild steel grills suffering from “salty beach feet”, you’ll know how life changing this is!
Pellets for the grill cost about $1.50 per pound (you’ll probably get them for less), and you’ll pretty much complete a full cook out with about 5 pounds. Compare that to traditional firewood or coal briquettes and you can easily see the savings – not to mention the fact pellets are easier to store. Pellet grills are a solid choice for camping, and the Davy Crocket is no different.
The grill really holds its temperature well. The temperature control app works well and it’s possible to keep the grill ticking along all day long. The grill area is quite large considering the price point the Davy Crockett sits in and for my needs it really works well.
To keep the grill smoking away, all you need to do is keep the hopper fed with new pellets. The hopper is simple to use and whilst you’re cooking that’s all the input you need.
The only real negative I can throw the Davy Crocketts way, is the fact the WiFi system and app take a little work to setup for complete tech novices. I can use it perfectly fine, yet it’s probably worth having your first cookout in your back garden so you can find answers to any questions (A Google search will help you so much, the user community is busy and helpful).
For my personal needs (small cookouts and camping/beach trips), the Davy Crockett is perfect; however, it’s obviously not the largest grill you can find out there. If you’re worried about grill size, it might be worth trying to see one in the flesh before making your order.
On one camping trip, I was stupid enough to let the hopper run dry on pellets. Unfortunately, the only way to get back to grilling again is to re-fill the hopper and go through the lighting phase. It’s not too much of a hassle but something to keep in mind; never leave the grill run empty!
The Davy Crockett grill weighs in at 57 pounds. That’s about standard for a small to medium grill so no real surprises here. What is cool though, is the fact the grill can fit into a car boot. Okay, you’re unlikely to cram this grill into something like a Kia Picanto or Ford Fiesta; however, you’ll easily get this bad boy into a Ford Focus or similar.
The folded leg setup also makes a pretty decent carry handle for the grill too. I’m not sure if this was a deliberate design choice by Green Mountain but they work well.
If you need a small to medium grill that’s cheap to operate, easy to carry and packing a steady cooking heat, you won’t find much better at this price point. The little Davy Crockett packs a good grill into a small space and for those of you who’ll be cooking out for small gatherings – it should keep up fine.
There are some issues, setting up the auto temperature control and WiFi app can be tricky, although your mileage will vary depending on how tech savvy you are. You might also out-grow this grill if your parties are more than about 7 or 8 people.
However, if you cook out for small groups and value portability rather than sheer size, you won’t go far wrong with the features and quality of Green Mountains entry level grill.
Pros: Green Mountain pack everything you need into a beautifully manufactured, small package.
Cons: Your grandparents and other technophobes will roll-eyes at the mobile phone temperature system. You might also find yourself outgrowing the grill with large family gatherings.


This humorous, simple costume wants only a pair items of costume props and a clean T-shirt. And, it’s really easy to make too, and you most likely have many of the objects for it at house already. Here are 12 homemade costumes that only use family items that show you don’t have to spend a lot to have enjoyable this Halloween. At almost each Halloween parade, a lot of people gown up in comedian star wars zombie costumes and are available out in groups to entertain the folks. Star films will also be was zombie costumes. And as all of us love star wars the options are numerous. This one has probably the most ideas because there are numerous Disney characters to choose from. With its cell shaded-fashion and quick-paced gameplay, Borderlands is a fun sport to play – and one character that’s ubiquitous with the game is the Psycho. This one is one in all the perfect concepts and is simple.
Whether you need to be an additional on The Walking Dead, impress everybody on the Halloween party, or just scare the shit out of your greatest buddy, you’re going to need some severe undead acting abilities. It’s not Halloween with out it! If you have any issues relating to the place and how to use baby zombie costume, you can get in touch with us at our own internet site. We even have Halloween costumes for infants and toddlers. Ah sure, however have you actually put any thought into the mannerisms of an effective zombie? Personally, I thought it was all ingenious and very entertaining, although I used to be expecting extra from the zombie facet of the mission. Being a zombie is about more than donning a creepy costume. And even higher you may rock this same costume as Beyonce whereas ballin’ on a budget! While the character has always been a joke in the eyes of Elizabeth, Smith infuses sufficient exaggeration to convey out his most beguiling qualities. But these weren’t Austen’s characters, and i couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to understand it correctly.
Dress up like this and you will definitely make the people consider that you guys are for positive the “made in hell” couple. If you want to be immediately recognisable, dress up as a well-known couple, whether or not it’s a historic couple, cartoon character couple or a pair from a fairy story or legend. Do you might have any dress which is torn up or worn out from the edges? This zombie makeup and zombie costume was such a Fun look to create and I’m loving how it turned out! This darling Mythical Unicorn Halloween Costume is each fairly and simple! Below you can see good info to get you ready for Halloween or a Zombie stroll or run. It could be good to do not forget that the surplus make up is the key of company zombie. It makes you look intense, scary, eerie, inhuman – all traits of an excellent zombie. Congrats on Lot D. I appreciated your finished costumes and videos — good job. Zombies are available loads of different forms and flavors, but some traits apply virtually across the board. Disney zombies are similar to superheroes zombies.
First, decide what character you will be. Choose any of your favourite character after which destroy them to make your self a zombie costume. How vital is your costume to have the ability to get into your character? You might have already eyed up a costume for yourself or your little ones, however what about the most important member of the household? Over at Spirit Halloween, Fortnite could have moved on to Chapter 2, but costumes from the popular battle royale shooter game will assist the U.S.-primarily based chain steer nicely clear of Chapter 7 or eleven bankruptcy. So imagine blood everywhere in the outfits. Blood is a necessity in each Zombie costume. And that in all honesty makes it creepy and that’s the only thing a zombie costume must be. So pairing up an already creepy thing with the zombie make up and accessories provides you the best zombie costume ever.
If you enjoyed this write-up and you would like to get additional information relating to zombie school girl costume kindly visit our own web page.


Niki Lauda’s (Daniel Brühl) racing balaclava and James Hunt’s (Chris Hemsworth) bloody racing glove from Ron Howard’s 2013 Formula 1 racing biopic, Rush.
Niki wore his balaclava at the devastating Nürburgring race that almost cost the legendary driver his life, while Hunt cut his glove and hand on a broken gear lever in his bid to battle the harsh conditions and win the final race of the season.
Made from cream polyester material, Lauda’s unsized hood has a single opening for the eyes and outward-facing stitching. The areas around the eyes have been adorned with black and pink makeup to simulate the burnt appearance of Lauda immediately following the crash. The red right-handed glove, manufactured by OMP from leather and fire-resistant aramid fibre, is dressed to appear dirty and bloodstained, with a tear to the palm. Both are presented on custom display stands.
Materials: Man-Made Woven Fibres, Plastic.
This item comes with a Prop Store Certificate of Authenticity.


This is one of those classic recipes that every home baker should keep in their back pocket for a cozy weekend brunch.
I've gotten picky recently about muffins (but refuse to acknowledge that I'm becoming a food snob), and these passed my texture test with flying colors. Don't skip the glaze, its tangy flavor is the perfect complement to the subtler lemon in the muffin.
Plus it's always fun to go all Jackson Pollock on your baked goods.
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours
Makes 12 muffins
2/3 cup granulated sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) butter, melted until browned and cooled
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar
For the glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar whisked together with 2 or 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12 mold, regular sized muffin tray with paper muffin liners, place the muffin pan on a baking sheet and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, rub the granulated sugar with the lemon zest until the sugar is lightly colored and scented with lemon. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk (or sour cream) vanilla extract, melted butter and lemon juice.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together. When almost thoroughly mixed, add the poppy seeds. Divide batter between muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with turbinado sugar.
4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.
5. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing. If you’re freezing the cupcakes for future eating, skip the glaze. It doesn’t freeze well.


***Update*** Oct. 13th 2010
I decided to open them up and see what is inside. The drivers are attached to the plate that unscrews, do not pull the plate, gently raise it off and take a gander at what is in there. There are foam dampeners resting right behind the Phiaton Logo on the backside of the earcup, they are not glued or anything, just pluck them out and screw everything back in place. The soundstage is now present. There is a hint of wideness and resonance actually takes place. Sound quality is not reduced or improved at all. This is just like the HD555 foam mod. Keep the foam in case you need to return or replace them. These foamies dont need to be there, its a closed back set and they are only limiting the resonance that needs to occur. Use this mod with the cotton earpad mod and enjoy perhaps the best portable set you can buy. I compared the stage of this set and the stage of the Hippo Epic Sparkle IEM as its all i have on hand right now. The hippo stage was always much higher than the ms400, meaning it went above your head, feeling much taller. After this mod, you can tell there is a difference in that the ms400s now are a bit taller sounding and wider.
The only reason I did this was because I am an audiophile and enjoy playing around with the innards of all my headphones.
Right off the bat I want to let everyone know that I spent over a full month hunting a set of these down here on head fi, ebay and other sites. I was unsuccessful in finding a single person willing to sell their set of Ms-400s to me. It took a lot of pestering and coaxing a certain member here on head fi to even consider it, but I eventually got very lucky with a seller on ebay who was much more local and willing to sell them to me
32ohm ( seems accurate )
just under 7 oz weight, like 165gs i think
The MS400s are very small, they are very much like the JVC Ha-S700 or bose set. They have a very small earcup design that will fit over your ears if you are a small person or if you shuffle them around the right way to allow your ears to sink into them, the earpad edges will stretch out a little and allow your ears to be fully enveloped.
Having said that, they are crazy comfortable. They could be the most comfortable portable set I've ever used. The earpads are very marshmallow like and offer almost no resistance at all, they give a lot. Some pleather pads and even velor are still stiff and feel hard and solid when you touch and squeeze them ( lol ). The headband itself is also soft and gives in a lot, but in my opinion they could have given it a bit more. Reminds me of the Audio Technica ES7 headband a lot.
**Also, the earpad hole is around 1.5 inches wide. It's very small.
Clamping is just right, I didn't have to use a stack of books to loosen them up when i first got them. And after a few days of usage, they continued to loosen up more and get even more comfy. Odds are good right out of the box anyone with a large head will not enjoy them as much as they hoped. They are a very small set, so be fore-warned that they are not really intended for you giants out there.
The cable and connectors seem typical, normal, nothing special. They dont seem weak at all though, they feel solid all around.
Going into this buy I was looking for something portable with as many requirements as I could fit into one set. This set was the only set in existence that fit my needs to around 90% of what I wanted in my "ideal set". The son of a gun is made of carbon fiber and metal, its not cheap feeling in the slightest. If feels and looks solid and my first impressions out of the box was "dang, this one wont break easy WOOOO"
I originally wanted all of the following
-easily driven low ohmage
-full sized over the ear cups but with a small profile design ( a'la jvc of bose )
-well built and sturdy feeling
-comfortable for long hours of use
-good sound quality and response
such a thing doesnt really exist, the closest I came was the ATH esw9, but it was out of my budget range and didnt have the comfort I wanted. Also, it didn't feel as sturdy as this Phiaton Ms400 feels.
Isolation is excellent on them, but only when music is playing, im going to say around 40% reduction in surrounding noise when music is on at a mid range volume. They are not nearly as great at isolating as other sets I can name, but they've almost no sound leakage at all. Using a sansa fuze, I had to turn the volume all the way to the max to be able to pick out audible lyrics and notes when it was clamped on my darth vader headphones stand lol. Sound leakage is minimal and better than most. Compared to something like the HD 25-ii or esw9, I'd say it has a lot less sound leakage. This is a great thing for me. Privacy in my music is always great.
One thing I noticed early on was the bass quality and quantity. It is not at all punchy. It's definitely on the thick side and not so airy. Having said that, it is very satisfying. I never get the feeling there isnt enough bass, its always strong and prominent. Some tracks like Gorillaz Super Fast Jellyfish or Some Robin Thick tunes are superb bass response. The only other set Ive ever witnessed with superior bass is the ultrasone pro 750 which has a very airy and powerful kick feel to it...and the ultrasones are like more than twice as big as the ms400 and not at all portable. My only gripe is that its just a little too thick for my tastes, but if you are a bass head i think you will really enjoy them.
The midrange and highs are clearly what this set is all about. Mids are prominent and full bodied. Definitely not as lush as the Sennheiser HD-25-ii. Tracks like Waves from the fusion guitarist Guthrie Govan sound epic. Classical is very enjoyable and more so than most other sets of similar price and style. The set responds well to nearly every type of genre i toss at it, but the sad part is it doesnt do any one genre on a grand scale. It does everything "pretty good". The highs can be harsh right off the bat, just like the Grado 225i. Piercing but not shrilling. Sibilance is typical, on very high and fast Ssssss sounding lyrics or words, as well as very high guitar guitar work and high hats, there is some slurrage going on, however in another 50 hours of use i think they will diminish to an unnoticeable level. Currently the ms400s have around 60 hours on them and they sound great right out of the box IMO.
Updated** That hiss is gone. After 100+ hours, I cant even tell where those notes were that I thought has some hiss in the loud Sssss lyrics. Clear as a bell audio quality. This actually could have been a result of my poor EQ setting which i tweaked. I think my high range was set way too high on foobar and didnt notice it. Toned that bad boy tone just a little and low and behold, audio bliss in the very high highs, immensely clear.
Soundstage is also a big problem for me, I hoped for a good stage, something more enveloping. I knew it wouldnt be grand or even great before i decided to buy it, but of course i was still unhappy with it. Its not very large sounding at all, and the m50 and shure 840 stage are way bigger. The Mx400 is boxed sounding, not so tall and not so wide, also not as forward as I wanted. Its a unique house sound. Its not bad, its just different. Its typical of closed back sets to have this type of sound, but I can name a few other sets that trump it in clarity and staging. However, not a single other one that I can name also have 90% of the other qualities that I wanted, or what someone looking for portability wants.
Edit: Also forgot to mention I used the NatureSpace demos, the full spectrum version. Sounds are lively and accurate but feel tight and closed compared to other sets I own like the 840, Hd485 ect ect which all feel like the sounds are spaced further. Ms400 does it ok, but definitely lacking in the separation and overall staging area.
Bass rumbling in the cups. If you are a bass head and turn the EQ bass up too high, you will get a shaking rumble feature in the cups, the GREAT thing is you dont hear a rumble or rattle, but you do feel some rumble action going on a'la playstation rumble pad controller. If bass is set to a more humane level, lol. You will be fine and wont experience this shaky feeling. Its to be expected in ANY set if the bass is too high. Moderate level of bass play perfectly with no signs of shaking. So, keep the bass toned down a bit and your eyes wont go bad from the constant "sitting on a washer or dyer" feeling.
The box is beautiful and HUGE. Good lord, its a monster box lol. It comes with an equally beautiful hard case and adapter. Just stunning if you ask me, I couldnt be happier. Got a little net inside to hold my fuze Love it. Feels rock solid and feels great
To sum things up. Phiaton is a beast of an audio company. Every single one of their sets is made of win and designed by listeners for listeners. The MS400s are not audiophile grade sound, but they have literally everything else. Great comfort and design, rock solid build quality. They are sex magnets, accept it. I understand why nobody wanted to sell them to me. They do everything "good" and clearly were meant to do just that, not really be great at one thing and lack everywhere else. All genres sound great, as its got a fantastic coloration. Its not nearly as colored as the Shure 750 dj for example, but its also not as neutral as the Sennheiser Hd 25-ii. Its just right. They are in my opinion the best portable set you can buy. I really liked the Senn HD25-ii, but the house sound of Phiaton is much more to my liking. I couldnt be happier and this IS THAT ONE PORTABLE SET IVE ALWAYS WANTED. *high fives Phiaton
liljoker, sir. You were correct, the MS400s are sex magnets. I walked around the mall 2 days ago with these on and got a lot of looks from the girls, one girl rocking the monster tours ( ya, i know she was wearing monster eww but she was hot ) asked what the hell they were and they looked so sexy. Snagged a date this friday thanks to the ms400s.
so, ty liljoker for swaying me further into buying them, and ty phiaton for the possible future wife of swbf2cheater
Edited by swbf2cheater - 10/28/10 at 5:34am


View Full Version : New show coming to the small screen
12-15-2011, 04:57 PM
Looks pretty dam interesting.
12-15-2011, 05:04 PM
Does look like a good one.
12-15-2011, 05:16 PM
Saw a preview fer that one tuther day. Does look purdy cool. :)
12-15-2011, 05:19 PM
Will have to watch this one.
12-15-2011, 08:09 PM
Saw this advertized the other day.
Reminds me when I was a kid we sould do the same thing with bows and pellet guns and live on robins, swamp rabbits, and squirrels for a couple of days. Only thing is we could walk the mile back to the house if we wanted to at any time. http://www.elitearchery.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif
12-15-2011, 09:44 PM
Love watching Chris and Casey on Backcountry Quest. This show should be awesome.
12-15-2011, 11:48 PM
Sign me up! I've spent a bit of time up there, but would love to have 28 days instead of the usual 8-10! : ) Sure wish I had that Channel!
12-16-2011, 10:16 AM
R those Strother bows?
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.2 Copyright © 2014 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.


I signed up for the Pattern Review Wardrobe contest and most people seem to prepare a Storyboard showing each of their items and patterns. I was getting a bit bogged down with mine. I've looked through every pattern and pattern mag, traced loads of patterns, fossicked through my fabrics, discovered I don't have 10 fabrics that go together (unless they are all black) - and got stuck at 8 of the 10 required items. Even then I keep changing my mind.
My Storyboard so far (subject to change as the mood strikes me) is:
My wardrobe isn't very varied as you will see. Not one but 2 biker jackets! And 4 pairs of pants! But I'm aiming at casual clothes that I'll wear while I am on long service leave and I should wear these.
So, finally, I've started my first garment which is a jacket from Burda Mag. 12/2009. I have to confess I traced off 3 patterns and made muslins for each before settling on the one to make.
First try - nah, too blouson.
In this fabric, which is a bit shimmery but not quite as shiny as the pic suggests.


Joined September 2021
Well hello there and thanks for stopping by. I have been writing for a while now and finally wanted to get off my hiatus of writers bock. So here I am spilling my art all over. Anything I have in mind I put it to the pen. Enjoy!


PermaJet’s DryLab Artist 230 is an inkjet paper compatible with Epson SureLab, FujiFilm Frontier and Noritsu DryLab printers. It has a subtle matt, canvas-like embossed texture, and a bright white surface that prints wonderful vibrant prints. It’s the perfect choice for creative photography and art reproductions.
DryLab Artist 230 has a high degree of water and fade resistance and runs through any DryLab printer with ease.
Key Features & Benefits
- Instant dry inkjet paper
- Canvas like matt surface
- 230gsm bright white base
- UV and water resistant
- Vibrant prints with pin-sharp results
- Compatible with Epson SureLab, FujiFilm Frontier & Noritsu DryLab printers


PURPOSE OF THIS SITE
The more frustrated I get with our current political climate, the more I wanted a place to vent that frustration and give others a chance to chime in. On larger blogs, Huffington Post, CNN, Politinews, and others, there are so many posts and comments that I felt I was wasting my time... who's going to read my comment anyway. This site allows me to post a comment and not end up on page 50.
I also enjoy reading product & movie reviews. I do post my product reviews on Amazon, and other sites, but thought it would be nice to review products & movies here ... and give RAVE reviews (Thumbs Up) or Thumbs Down for dud products.
This is a participation site, so feel free to share your views and opinions. We can all RANT and RAVE!
NOTE: Your first comments must be approved - there may be a delay before post appears. After that, future comments will be added without approval. (prevents spammers)
My wife and I watch quite a few movies. Besides being a computer geek, I am also a Home Theater Geek. We watch most new release DVDs. I will share my and my wife's opinion on movies we watch. Our tastes are somewhat different so you will get a male and female take.
Your opinions are welcome and appreciated. Let us know how YOU liked the movie.
I am constantly following some of the bargain sites such as DealNews, TechBargains, SlickDeals, Woot, Yugster, and others. Occasionally a really great deal comes up. I will try to post here when that happens. Unfortunately, some of the best deals only last hours, not days. As I get more subscribers, I will post good deals more frequently. (I do not make any money from sharing these deals.)


The hottest game on Steam has continued to show a lot of top selling players on the PC platform. Over the past week, CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 has had massive resurgence on Steam. In fact, that the games’ concurrent player count reached its highest point since February 2021. And while this might have just been seen as a surprise, the Top Sellers chart on Steam seems to suggest that Cyberpunk 2077 may be here to stay.
Up to now, Cyberpunk 2077 has gone up to the number two spot on the Steam Top Sellers list. The only game that’s likely to be in the stream is called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 which isn’t really surprising. If Cyberpunk 2077 will pass Modern Warfare 2, it will only likely pass that, however, with substantial sales at CD Project Red.
The biggest reason for the successful release of Cyberpunk 2077 is the release of a new anime series called Edgerunners. This is the new series that rebuted last week on Netflix. Although Cyberpunk was already a pretty well-known IP before the release of Edgerunners, this new show probably brought in an awful number of players who hadn’t played the video game yet.
Besides, you should note that Cyberpunk 2077 is likely to succeed on Steam at that time because the game is on sale. Since this game would like to retail for $59.99, the price of the game has increased by 50%. The price of this game is only $29.99. It would seem very easy to excuse Cyberpunk 2077’s newfound accomplishment. Nevertheless, it’s important to be very careful of the bottom half of the charts. With that, the game could’ve even more impressive, if it came to that #2 spot on the chart.
Are you surprised to see Cyberpunk 2077 become a hit on Steam once again? And how long did the sales of the game last?


The set of Paint Gel "Impressionism" consists of six gel paints. The color scheme used to create this set is bright: dark red with a small trimmer, scarlet, pastel coral, chestnut, metallic blue, burgundy-black. This set is ideal for rebellious natures who want to emphasize their independence and individuality.
The uniqueness of Paint Gel is that:
1. Allows you to draw the finest lines and patterns both BEFORE applying a transparent top gel (aquarium and flat designs), and ON TOP of a protective coating;
2. One layer is enough-Paint Gel has a DENSE highly pigmented texture, which significantly increases the speed of the master's work and reduces the cost of the procedure;
3. The glossy SHINE, as well as the JUICINESS and brightness of the color are preserved after the polymerization reaction;
4. Drawing lines on top of the protective gel create the EFFECT of" layering "and"relief". The pattern is so dense that it is tactile - the texture of the nail looks "alive" and voluminous


Wednesday June 24th 2020
The temperature crossed the century mark again today. Unlike yesterday the clouds and wind arrived too late in the day to keep the temperature down. Most of the day was blue sky and a very light breeze. A little after four the wind picked up and the clouds moved through the area. Once the sun was down the clouds and wind went away.
I spent a good portion of the day exploring travel options for the next couple of months. With the rise of Covid-19 cases I want to have options. While I don’t think states will close things down and reinstate a stay at home order, it remains a possibility. Far more likely is forced quarantine based on where you are coming from. Unfortunately my license plates indicate I’m from Florida the media labeled “new epicenter”. Never mind I haven’t been there in over a year. I have been in Arizona for the last four months which is also pretty bad for the virus. I’m closely monitoring the states along my travel route for changes in their Covid-19 response.
I’m looking forward to seeing some new territory. I will be traveling through eastern New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma. These are all new areas of travel. I just want to continue my rambling road trip under the radar. I don’t want to cross the arbitrary lines the public health and state governments impose. They have no way of knowing how isolated my Rambling Road Trip is as compared with a random family summer vacation.


Atlanta Braves at Pittsburgh PiratesBack to Tickets ›
08/21/2018: Atlanta Braves at Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh, PA
Baseball fans, get ready for a great evening at the ballpark! SeatGeek has your ticket to Atlanta Braves at Pittsburgh Pirates. SeatGeek is the best way to browse, find, and buy Pittsburgh Pirates tickets. By searching hundreds of other websites and listing the tickets in one place, SeatGeek does the comparison shopping work for you.
It’s always a treat for Pittsburgh Pirates fans when the Atlanta Braves come to town, and this game should be no different. Pittsburgh is one of the finest sports towns in the United States, and PNC Park is known as one of the best stadiums in baseball, if not all of sports. SeatGeek's "View from Seat" previews are a useful tool for those who have never been to PNC Park. This look at the sightlines from each seating section makes finding the perfect seat simple.
First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. for this evening game. For fans who want to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates players warm up, we recommend getting to the stadium about an hour early. Stadium doors will be open in advance so that fans can explore the venue, peruse the food options, and find their seats to be ready for the game.
Tickets to Pittsburgh Pirates games can vary in price based on a number of factors. If you see a price point you are comfortable with, we recommend making a purchase while those tickets are still available.
Seats closest to the field tend to be the priciest, but also offer the best view of the game and an experience that is truly special. Fans who want to save a bit of money can explore options in the middle and upper-level seating sections where tickets are typically priced a bit lower, but still offer very good views. Be sure to look at the listings on SeatGeek for all available tickets, and sort by price or our Deal Score feature to find the perfect seat.
Want to know when prices drop?
Atlanta Braves at Pittsburgh Pirates
Tue Aug 21 at 7:05pm
Thanks! We'll give you a heads up when prices change.


A productive weekend - got the batteries tidied up, sorted out some cabling (thanks Idontwanttopedal) and got the beast stirred up for a summer of riding!
Now the evenings are longer I can take it out after work -
BobC's new 68T and keeper plate is working wonders, the chain didn't come off at all during the whole session, the first time that's ever happened!
I only had enough time to half charge the pack to 45V but the extra speed is great - I'd say about 36-37mph, so you don't have to be WOT all the time. That being said, the real fun is going to be in the woods, not on the open road.
Lots of stops and starts generally - trying to get the bike to wheelie, I seem to be quite gentle on it. The motor got to 100F and the controller was cool. Cycle Analyst said I was drawing max 5KW power, so there's still alot of room to play with there - I could hear Matt's slipper clutch kicking in, so I can tighten that up for more acceleration / power draw / wheelies
Ordering some parts soon - rear spring can't handle the weight!
I'll be making some more videos soon...stay tuned


The first step in becoming a great mentalist is to learn how to detect lies. There are several physical cues that a person is lying. These cues can include a nervous or uneasy posture. When learning how to spot lies, you should observe the way a person speaks, their gaze, and their level of perspiration. Look for any other peculiar physical signs. If you notice any of these, you should try to uncover what’s really going on.
WATCH THIS AND THANK ME LATER
The second step is to learn how to use hypnosis. In this course, you will learn how to manipulate your mind and use it to perform tricks on other people. You will learn how to make someone believe you’re a medium. It may seem hard at first, but the process of performing a magic trick is not so hard as you think. You can learn how to manipulate people’s minds by reading their thoughts and emotions.
The final step in learning how to perform a mental trick is to become as sharp-eyed as possible. Developing this skill will help you catch lies and understand other people’s body language. In addition, you’ll learn to detect any changes in their behavior quickly and accurately. Eventually, you will be able to deceive your target and make them believe that you know what they’re thinking. If you have the right attitude and the determination, you can master this trick.
Practicing mentalism is a skill that requires years of study, practice, and discipline. However, it’s also a great career option if you want to perform tricks on the street. In India, you can learn how to do this through street magic and impress strangers. Many successful magicians began their careers doing it. This way, they can make their skills and talents known to the world. You can even get video recordings of yourself performing tricks and sharing them on YouTube to show your skills to the world.
While books are a great way to learn mentalism, you should also consider taking a course. The Master Mentalism course was co-authored by Derren Brown and Mr. X Las Vegas. While reading books is helpful, it’s best to take a course. This is a comprehensive course that covers street magic as well as hypnosis. It also covers other topics related to psyche, including acupressure, mind control, and other tricks.
During the course of a mentalism course, you will learn how to conduct various mind-reading tricks. You’ll learn how to deceive people and influence their behavior. The next step is to learn how to hypnotize. You can also learn how to do remote viewing. The last step in learning a mentalism course is to master a few tricks. These include spoon bending, card trickery, and illusions.


Friday 3rd Ladies Open Golf Proserpine. The fairway photo is meant to show all 4 balls in a line on the fairway. Still, shows the lovely weather.Rehab, Lorraine, Trudy & I nearly finished. I managed to come 4th and got the most accurate Drive – right on the line.
then on Sat we played mixed foursomes. Didn’t get placed – learnt a few more rules to this game – didn’t realise in pairs if you have 14 clubs between you you can share clubs – not sure how much use that is. Also, you can pick up and wipe your ball anywhere!!!! Lost a few balls in the various waters.!!!!
Sunday – no golf today – which is lucky as it is raining. Later take a walk when the sun came out.
Monday & Tuesday we are playing more vets in fact the start of the Wintersun 6 days championship.


Creative Budget Challenge with Abakhan FabricsMost of the links below are to blogposts I've written using products from Abakhan Fabrics who challenged me to sew a project for £15 (approx €18/$24) each month.
All ideas are my own and are items that I would sew and use, but Abakhan Fabrics provided the fabric and notions at no cost.
Any questions and comments are very welcome!
Mother & Daughter Swimsuits
Boy's Vest & Tie
Child-sized Garment Bag for an Occasion Dress
Matching Girl and doll Easter dresses and Bonnets
Mother & Daughter Vintage-Inspired Aprons, Bias-trimmed Tablemats
Girls Summer Dress, Bag and Hairband
Pin It Now!


The idea of photography can be daunting to those who have no experience in it. Many new photographers can be overwhelmed by all the resources out there. However, if you follow the techniques listed in this article, you will be taking stunning photographs in no time.
Choose carefully what will show in your photograph. A great picture will allow the viewer to see a particular aspect of the subject in the photograph. Don’t try to cram too much into a single photo. If you are wanting to show an overview of something, shoot a group of photos that can show the same scene from different vantage points.
Do not make your camera settings too complicated. Master one control at a time, such as the shutter speed or the aperture, before taking on the next. This will allow you to focus on capturing the picture, instead of spending all your time fiddling with the camera while your subject simply walks away.
Only select your very best photographs to display. Don’t show every picture you’ve ever shot, and don’t show too many photos with the same theme or subject. Your audience can become bored with repetitive images or too many of them. So keep it fresh while showing all your different photography skills.
Don’t neglect the foreground of a photo in favor of the background when taking a landscape shot as this is what will be noticed first. Add some interesting elements or colors to your foreground to create a better frame for your landscape.
Shoot photographs of things that capture your interest. These small details may seem unimportant at the time, but they will add color and completeness later, when reflecting back. They will bring back your good memories of the trip. Take a picture of the bus you took or the hotel lobby. Take pictures of the outside of a theater or your goofy doorman.
Take a lot of photos when you are trying to improve your skills, but buy a memory card with a large storage space. By increasing the size of the memory card that you use in your camera, you are increasing the number of photos that you can take before changing cards. A large card will also allow you to use RAW format so you can take advantage of the additional flexibility it offers.
Pre-focus your camera and proceed to move to the side a bit so as to offset the main subject from the center of the lens. A centered subject is the norm and most people will not find it interesting or artistic. Off-centering your photos makes them more interesting to those viewing them.
The ISO, aperture and shutter speed are an important part of photos so make sure you know the combination that works best for you. These are the elements that determine exposure when you are photographing subjects. You don’t want to overexpose or underexpose a picture, unless you are going for a certain look. With a little experimentation, you can strike the right balance between the 3 settings to deliver the results you want.
Take the time to make anyone who models for you comfortable, and this is especially true if they are not familiar with you. Many people tend to see someone taking photos as a threat. Be friendly and start a conversation, then kindly ask for permission to take photos. Help them understand that this is art, and not just a method of invading their privacy.
The tips and techniques that were provided in this article will help you become the best photographer around. Always try and remember these tips whenever you are taking pictures, as they are important in becoming a good photographer.


Friday, June 29, 2007
O-Pee-Chee's ability to make very simple, yet totally awesome cards was uncanny. I can't think of a single set from the company's first season in 68-69 to their 91-92 set that I don't like (I'll get to the 92-93 set in a later post). 89-90 was the end of O-Pee-Chee's monopoly on NHL hockey cards and they finished their reign with a simple, if unspectacular, set that still rules as hard as just about any set released since.
I think it is probably safe to assume that the same people involved with this set were involved with the other sets I've already covered on this blog (90-91 and 91-92), so you get the same problems that those sets faced: too many close-ups and not enough actions shots. I guess whoever was in charge of photography for O-Pee-Chee liked to get all his photographs out of the way during the warm-up so he could sit back and enjoy the games. As a result you get a lot of shots of guys standing around and unfortunately few shots of guys in action.
Like the other O-Pee-Chee sets before it, 89-90 O-Pee-Chee has a simple two-colour back (or does that count as three?) with each player's NHL (and, where applicable, WHA) stats. O-Pee-Chee didn't need to bother with holograms, extra pictures or even full colour backs; they knew they had the formula down, so why mess with it? As an extra courtesy, O-Pee-Chee crudely painted over the jerseys of some of the players who were traded or signed away from their teams in the off-season so you don't have imagine what they would look like in their new team's jersey.
Five of my favorites:
#17 - Patrick Roy - A classic.
#63 - Randy Cunneyworth - More from the collection of horribly painted jerseys. I guess Randy Moller was traded too late to get a paint job.
#299 - Buffalo Sabres - The Sabres team card features Dave Andreychuk tripping a Boston Bruin.
#51 - Glen Wesley - Wesley looks like a father you'd see yelling at his kids when you're at a fast food restaurant in some small town in the middle of nowhere.
#285 - Steve Weeks - When Steve Weeks wants to look back on his hockey career, all he has to do is pull out his O-Pee-Chee cards to see he spent a lot of time on the bench.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
I don't actually own this set yet. I took the photos from an ebay listing. This seems like such an amazing set that I can't help but write about it now. But first, a little background information:
The Vancouver Voodoo played in the RHI, which stands for Roller Hockey International, from 1993 to 1996. The RHI was, as far as I know, the world's first professional roller hockey league. The League was started by Dennis Murphy (the same man responsible for the American Basketball Association, World Hockey Association, and World Team Tennis) and Larry King (who was also involved in World Team Tennis). According to an article that the man who made this fine RHI website sent me, the two got the idea for the league when they were driving around discussing World Team Tennis. They saw some people playing roller hockey and decided right then to start the new league. Murphy's goal was to make roller hockey one of the top four sports in the world.
The RHI was made to appeal to the younger "extreme sports" generation. The RHI's rules were similar to the NHL with a few significant differences:
- only five players were on the playing surface
- minor penalties were 1.5 minutes, major penalties 4 minutes
- there were no blue lines, just a center line that was used for both offsides and icing calls
- the RHI used a 3.5 oz red plastic puck (compared to a 5.5oz black rubber puck in the NHL)
- game consisted of four-12 minute periods
- there was no overtime: tie games went straight to a shootout
The league was mainly stocked with career minor leaguers, US College players, and a few NHL has beens. Most notably, St. Louis Blues goaltender Manny Legace started his professional hockey career with the Toronto Planets in '93, while four time Stanley Cup Champion and Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier ended his professional career playing nine games for the Pittsburgh Phantoms in '94 scoring nine goals and adding thirteen assists. Other notable players include Dave 'Tiger' Williams who suited up for one game in '93 while he was the coach of the Vancouver Voodoo (he scored a goal and got an assist and took a minor penalty), former NHL tough guys Craig Coxe and Link Gaetz, and female goalie sensation Manon Rheaume, who played at least one game for three different teams over four seasons. Actors Alec Baldwin and Matthew Perry were both drafted in the tenth round of the '96 draft, unfortunately neither played a game in the league.
The league started off well with twelve teams competing in the inaugural season in which the Anaheim Bullfrogs would defeat the Oakland Skates to win the first Murphy Cup. The league doubled in size for its second year and things seemed to be taking off for the RHI with games televised on ESPN and celebrities and NHL'ers joining the league as coaches (like former Montreal Canadien Yvan Cournoyer) and owners (like Tony Danza who owned the Philadelphia Bulldogs). Although attendance increased to an average of 4292 fans per game in '94 (from 3768 in '93), seven teams would not return for the '95 season and another three would move cities. The number of teams continued to decrease for each of the next two seasons and in 1998 the RHI went on a hiatus. A new league, Major League Roller Hockey took the RHI's place for '98 season and the RHI's most successful team, the Anaheim Bullfrogs went on to win the first and only MLRH championship.
In 1999, the RHI returned as a single entity league, which means that the league owned all the teams rather than having individual owners in each city (this is similar to how the XFL operated). League commissioner Ralph Backstrom (the former Montreal Canadien who was, coincidentally, also the first person to patent in the in-line skate) blamed the league's former problems on rapid expansion combined with unstable ownership of many of the teams. Eight teams competed in the RHI's final season, with the St. Louis Vipers defeating the Anaheim Bullfrogs for the final Murphy Cup. The RHI officially folded in 2001.
Of the thirty-one franchises that would compete over the six years the league existed, seven would move at least once and eight would not last more than one season. While the RHI may not have left a very long or memorable legacy of great hockey, what they did leave was an amazing legacy of the worst logos, jerseys and team names in the history of professional hockey--and maybe in the history of organized sports altogether.
This is a tough list to make, but here's nine of my favorite RHI jerseys/logos:
#9 - Orlando Rollergators - This looks like a comic book character that a nerdy kid would draw in grade six.
#8 - Florida Hammerheads - It's a good thing they put rollerblades on it just in case you forgot what sport the shark was playing.
#7 - St. Louis Vipers - The final team to win the Murphy Cup is also the first team to use snakes to form the numbers on the back of their jerseys.
#6 - Las Vegas Flash - I guess since no one can really say how you are supposed to draw a flash, this barfy looking logo is as good as anything.
#5 - Toronto Planets - It takes guts to let a kindergarten class design your team's logo.
#4 - Phoenix Cobras - The logo is bad, the jersey colours are worse.
#3 - Vancouver Voodoo - I have one of these jerseys on the wall behind my bed. Every morning I look at it and think about a wonderful time when jerseys like this were still cool.
#2 - Portland Rage - Do you think the same guy designed most of these jerseys? Maybe it was a project for the remedial graphic design class.
#1 - New Jersey Rockin' Rollers - Look at that guy playing guitar on his hockey stick while rollerblading on a CD!!! It blows my mind!
And finally, getting back the cards... I only have pictures of four of them, so here they are:
#2 - Dave 'Tiger' Williams - If only I could get my hands on one of those Vancouver Voodoo ties.
#3 - James Jensen - All the tough years struggling through the minor pro leagues of North America paid off when Jensen tasted victory in back to back years with the Anaheim Bullfrogs in the MLRH, and then the St. Louis Vipers in the RHI.
#21 - Ryan Harrison - At least the all-star game jerseys were ugly too.
#1 - Checklist - Look at the cards in this set! There's a card for voodoo dolls, merchandise and their mascot!
While you're on your RHI kick, I suggest you check out these sites:
RHI Stats - I used this site heavily for information for this post. The guy who runs it, Gary Griffaw, even sent me and article on the league's founding fathers. You may want to skip right to the team logos and jerseys.
Hockeydb.com - Another site with most of the logos.
Anaheim Bullfrogs Commercial - There aren't many RHI videos around, but here's an awesome commercial I found on YouTube talking about the Anaheim Bullfrogs/LA Blades rivalry.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
1991-92 Ultimate Draft Picks
Ultimate's first and only draft set is one of the worst sets of hockey cards I've ever seen. If you bring players together specifically for a photo shoot, wouldn't you want to make sure that you actually get a good photo of each player instead of this?
With 90 cards, but only 53 players, there are lots of repeats and lots of poorly thought out cards such as their black and white portrait shots that only have the Ultimate logo on the back and can only be described as "gay". And I don't understand why all the players are wearing jerseys that say "Smokey's." Is that a restaurant?
As for the "investment quality" of this set (which was "extremely limited" to only 150,000 sets), I think it cost $5 back in '92, and now you can't even get a dollar for it on Ebay.
#39 - Frederick Lundquist - This guy was not at the regular photo shoot.
#58 - Pat Falloon - If all the cards in the set were like this one, it may have been okay.
#90 - Face the Future - Whose face is it? At least they remembered to put their company logo on the back again.
#89 - Overview - A company that makes a draft set shouldn't make mistakes like calling the QMJHL the "Quebec Montreal Junior Hockey League" on the back. It wouldn't take a lot of research to find out that the 'M' stands for 'Major'.
1990-91 7th Inning Sketch WHL
7th Inning Sketch released the most comprehensive junior sets ever made. In 91-92 they released a set for each of the three CHL hockey leagues with between 268 and 400 cards per set. Because their sets are so thorough you get cards of a lot of players who didn't make it in the NHL.
This set is definitely lower quality than most of the NHL sets (maybe not lower than Pro-Set), but they did a good job of keeping the design simple. Like Pro-Set 90-91, 7th Inning Sketch includes coach cards, and they even step it up a notch with a few arena cards. I don't want to speak to soon, but I'm pretty sure no other company has made cards for arenas. It's just dumb enough to be awesome.
I only have the first 99 cards of this set, so I can't really do my five favorite for the whole set, but here are a few of the best from the first third of the set:
#19 - Cory Schwab - Even in budget sets, horizontal goalies cards always rule.
#83 - Richard Matvichuk - It's the same photo that's on the card in Classic's draft set (see last post)! He does get a different photo for the back.
#57 - Joel Dyck - This guy is a good example of the kind of players you get in this set. Joel Dyck never made the NHL; he has spent most of his professional hockey career playing for the Nippon Paper Cranes in the Asia League. He also played for the Calgary Rad'z in the far too short lived RHI (Roller Hockey International).
#93 - Saskatchewan Place - This arena card has trivia on the back! The answer is 'a'.


Well, here I am again.
While I've neglected this blog for far too long, I've been fully engaged for many months now in building my vintage (1975 and earlier) Reds and Cubs - along with select vintage stars and other vintage cards I come across that I love. I'm much more at peace with my hobby direction since I zeroed in on the cards I truly love. That said, I do still pluck a few new Reds, Tigers and Cubs while at the shows.
I'm planning to share much more about where I'm going with the hobby (and actually include scans!) very soon. Hopefully I'll be able to ramp up trading too.
But for now (and I'm burying the lede here) I'm writing to see if anyone happens to have any Denny McLain (Tigers only) cards from his playing days. Anyone?
For one, I don't have any McLains. Secondly, he'll be attending a local card show in two weeks. While it's possible I'll be out of town when he's in town, I'd like to have a card handy just in case.
I'm looking for a sharp card or two. No creases or soft corners and so forth.
I'm not an auto-seeker normally other than the year I attended The National, when I picked up a few, but with him set to be five miles away, and the price low, I figured I might go for it if I can.
The literature states one auto per person - which means I probably cannot thank you by buying an auto for you too. I will, however, work to send you nice cards from your want lists and/or will work with you to understand what you're interested in.
The catch is I really need the McLain(s) right away.


In the previous article on watering to the core, we looked at the importance of maintaining moisture at the center of a plant’s root ball.
The soaker hose provided one method to efficiently water plants by concentrating water over the root system. This is essentially what drip irrigation does.
Drip irrigation is typically installed on the surface or slightly below. The water is delivered by pipe and/or tubing and then dispersed through various types of emitters. Often, drip irrigation zones are part of automatic systems with programmable controllers.
The basic, store-bought soaker hose we talked about in the last article can be installed as a simple and inexpensive drip-system.
The following pictures will help you visualize the process. Click on any of them to get a larger version.
Picture 1 shows a group of “Emerald Green” Arborvitae that were recently installed. The sandy soil and nearby maple tree has made it difficult to keep these new plants moist. A basic soaker hose will do a great job of watering very efficiently. Here’s how it’s done.
In picture 2 the mulch has been pulled back a comfortable distance of 2′ or so from the plants using a steel garden rake. The soaker hose will be installed on top of the bare soil directly over the root balls.
This particular soaker hose is 50′ long with a threaded coupling at each end (1 male, 1 female). This allows you to connect them for longer lengths if needed, but stay below 100′ for good operation.
For the 3 arborvitae the 50′ length is plenty. In picture 3 the hose is measured and divided into 3 equal lengths…one section per plant. Tape is used to mark the 2 points on the hose length to distinguish the 3 sections. Now you have visual indicators for how much hose you can dedicate to each plant.
Start with the plant furthest from the water faucet. Take the end of the soaker hose with the “male” threaded end and stake it to the ground just under the plant using a sod staple. (This male end should have a cap on it.) You’re really pushing the sod staple into the top of the root ball.
Now, as seen in picture 4, begin to circle the first plant with the soaker hose. Be conscious of the tape marking the first of the 3 sections. Remember, you want to dedicate a section per plant. 2 to 3 turns around each plant seemed to work well. Stay relatively close to the plant to ensure you’re right over the root ball.
Picture 5 shows the sod staples holding down the hose. Use your judgement with where you position them. Wherever the hose is loose and won’t stay in position, that’s where you need a staple.
If you’ve divided the hose evenly between the 3 plants, the last one will have a few turns around it before you come to the end with the female coupling (picture 6). Double check to make sure you have enough staples securing the soaker hose down.
Go ahead and connect a garden hose to the coupling so you can turn the water on and test the soaker hose. Many come with a disc-like washer with a small (1/8″) hole in the center. This is designed to reduce the house water pressure so the soaker hose operates correctly.
I find these disc washer pressure reducers (that’s a mouthful) annoying and prefer to remove them. You could purchase a pressure regulator that attaches to the faucet, but if you just turn the faucet on a quarter to one-half turn, that works fine too.
You want the water to “sweat” from the hose’s pores something like in picture 7. Adjust the faucet until you see it “sweating” adequately.
The mulch hides the hose and insulates the ground so it stays moist longer. If you need to test and see how the hose is performing, it’s easy to expose.
How much and how long to water?
The answer to this question is always “it depends”. There are numerous variables such as soil type, size of plant, time of year, etc. that will determine the watering amount and schedule. And, of course, the schedule will change with time.
These arborvitae were initially watered every other day for one hour each time. Arborvitae, by their nature, prefer moist conditions. The sandy soil and root competition from the maple tree also influenced a “generous” watering schedule to start.
After 10 days or so we changed the schedule to once every 3rd day. That’s where we’re at now and I’ll continue with that until this heat spell breaks.
Testing the soil moisture below ground is and always will be the best indicator for a plant’s water needs. I use a moisture meter all the time because it’s critical for me to know what’s going on down there.
Most people don’t have a moisture meter, so try pushing a metal rod or long screwdriver into the ground near the plant. When you pull the rod out look to see if the metal is moist or there’s moist soil on it – that’s a good sign. If the rod is wet and muddy, the soil is probably too wet. If the rod comes out dry, increase the watering amount and/or schedule. At the very least, pull the mulch back near the plant and check the soil beneath. See if it looks and feels moist.
Watering and irrigation is a huge topic and I’ll continue to present aspects that should be considered for healthy plants.
What experiences have you had with keeping plants properly watered? Have you lost plants from over-watering?


I am trying to connect an external momentary push button to my EVAL ADAU1452 Revb in order to be able to select different sources / entries but I am not sure about the wiring and hardware configuration :
Extract from my project :
1) First of all, I don't know if I have to choose GPIO 0, 1, 2 or 3..., and same for Interface 0, 1, 2 or 3. By default, I left it at 0, what is the rule .
2) I wired the MP12 pin on header J3 on position 4 and also wired the position 2 as the ground. Is it right ?
3) How do I configure the hardware configuration table ?
- Slave select channel : how do I know which channel to select ? I choosed "0".
- Debounce time : I tried with and without debounce time
- MP12 Pin Mode : I choosed "Input from PIN"
- MP12 Pin Function : I choosed "Multipurpose function"
If I replace the GPIO with a "push button" from the "source" menu, it works with my mouse.
If then I replace the "Push button" with the GPIO and plug the wires, it doesn't work.
Thanks for your help and nice easter,


Clint Harper, the inventor of the Dream Swing is available to answer any questions you might have about the Dream Swing. His goal is to help you play better golf, hit more good shots and have more fun on the course.
He will be happy to address your questions, comments and concerns.
451 W. Hwy. 24
Paul, ID 83347
Special Limited Time Offer: Choose between a FREE wedge and hybrid when you purchase the Dream Swing.


I have a recurring dream that starts as a nightmare but turns into something else altogether.
Imagine the stage of a monumental concert hall. The auditorium is packed, and as the audience notices you, thousands of conversations turn into a deep, imposing silence that sends a chill down your spine. Spotlights on a majestic grand piano. You take your seat, and the thought hits you – I don’t know how to play the piano!
Terrified, you look up again at the audience. They’re all still sitting there, thousands of them, surely expecting an awe-inspiring performance from a world-class musician. Your heart feels like ice water in your chest. You glance around, looking for an escape. But instead of running, you put your fingers down on the keyboard and press a few keys at random.
To your surprise, the piano produces a very pleasant and perfectly harmonic sound. Notes fill the air. Your heartbeat slows, and a crazy idea flashes in your head – What if I just stayed and tried to improvise something?
Flying feels natural in your dreams
I’ve heard that many people often dream about flying. They start by running down the street, extend their arms and then, all of a sudden, their feet leave the ground. Controlling the flight is purely instinctive. Something similar happens in my concert. My hands carelessly fly up and down the keyboard, improvising a melody as it forms in my head. I only need to focus on the flow of the music, the patterns, the strokes.
There’s something strange and magical about the experience. Sometimes it’s not clear whether I’m playing the piano, or it’s playing me, or we’re just one music-making entity. Then, as with all great dreams, everything slides away, and I wake up disappointed. I return to my keyboard and try to improvise in the same way, but it doesn’t work. The spell is broken. And then, one day, I heard about Leap Motion.
Harmony = musical theory + math
I wanted to build an instrument that worked like the magic piano, where you would just wave your hands up and down, and the music would just pour out of it, following your lead. It was immediately obvious that the instrument couldn’t rely on simply playing notes depending on the position of your fingers, like traditional instruments do. My instrument had to be intelligent – interpreting gestural input to define the underlying structure of the music.
Digging further, I determined that the timing of the note events, how loud they’re played and the overarching chord may be defined by the performer using some basic – almost instinctive – triggers. Typically, these would be finger motions and gestures, as well as velocity. However, the actual note to be played each time would be decided by the algorithm, depending on a number of parameters.
My project, the Motion Harp, is smart enough to understand the foundations of music theory and applies this knowledge to determine which notes will sound pleasant to the human ear when played together. This works because harmony, like many musical concepts, can be described mathematically. The Motion Harp traces your finger movements using the Leap Motion Controller and plays harmonic notes, trying to respect your input whenever possible (i.e. using your finger positions to determine the notes to be played), but correcting them when the notes to play are inconsistent with the current chord.
In this way, your music is well-sculpted, ensuring that the outcome is always going to sound pleasant and harmonic. The bottom line is that, regardless of what you do or how you play the Motion Harp, it’s always going to sound nice. In that sense, it works just like the magic piano of my dreams.
Becoming Freddie Mercury’s pianist
Perhaps the most fun way to start using the Motion Harp is in play-along mode. Also known as reverse karaoke, this lets you play the instrumental accompaniment of a famous song. In the featured video, you can see me playing the piano and strings together with an a capella version of Queen’s The Show Must Go On. (The effect is best achieved when you use an a capella, or vocals-only, version of a song. I’d love to see someone take a crack at Under Pressure.) Here’s an extended version of that video:
It’s absolutely thrilling to feel like Freddie Mercury’s pianist. This mode requires some previous preparation because the algorithm needs to know in advance the chords (and their timing) in the song. I can imagine that a more advanced future version might be able to detect this information in real time as the song is played. For instance, here’s the configuration file that I created in Motion Harp for The Show Must Go On:
#!/usr/bin/env python # # mp3 file of song vocals ripped from this video posted by Rhye cl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GGFdY3Sopc # songfile='queen.show.mp3' strictharmony_left=1.0 strictharmony_right=1.0 timedelay=1.0 # Time (seconds) to wait for the external song before chord sequence starts songvolume=0.8 bpm=60 #time1=30.97 # Chord 1, "Empty sp-aces" cambio a Amin #time2=3*60.+56.618 # Chord 74, "...on with the show"... cambio a Dmi5- (E min) #bpm=(74.-1.)*4./((time2-time1)/60.) #bartimes=[x*60./bpm*4. for x in range(len(chords2play))] tuneshift=2 # Shift all notes by this many half-tones chords2play= ['A min', 'A min', 'A min', 'F ', 'F ', 'D min7', 'D min7', 'E sus4', 'E ', 'D min', 'D min7', 'A min', 'A min', 'F ', 'F ', 'D min7', 'D min7', 'E sus4', 'E ', 'D min', 'A min', 'A min', 'F ', 'F ', 'D min7', 'D min7', 'E sus4', 'E ', 'D min', 'D min7', 'A min', 'A min', 'B min', 'B min', 'G ', 'G ', 'E min7', 'E min6', 'F#sus4', 'F#', 'E min', 'E min7', 'B min', 'B min', 'G ', 'G ', 'E min7', 'E min6', 'F#sus4', 'F#', 'E min', 'E min7', 'D min', 'A min', 'A min', 'F ', 'F ', 'D min7', 'D min7', 'E sus4', 'E ', 'D min', 'D min7', 'A min', 'A min', 'F ', 'F ', 'D min7', 'D min7', 'E sus4', 'E ', 'D min', 'D min7', 'D#', 'F ', 'D min', 'G min', 'D#', 'F ', 'D min', 'G min', 'G 9', 'C ', 'A min', 'A min', 'F ', 'F ', 'D min7', 'D min7', 'E sus4', 'E ', 'D min', 'A min', 'A min', 'F ', 'F ', 'D min7', 'D min7', 'E sus4', 'E ', 'D min', 'D min7', 'D min', 'A min', 'A min','A min', 'A min','A min','A min','A min','A min'] bartimes=[0.0,2.533916,5.259754,8.145974,11.074259,13.904522,15.305486,16.767951, 18.191854,19.613805,21.043787,22.39159,25.296849,28.1851,31.042223,33.899382, 35.40739,36.749832,38.452647,39.67957,42.38289,46.788196,48.158804,52.425072, 53.884473,56.173917,56.697277,58.222756,59.539141,60.981626,62.324943,65.357807, 68.082607,70.926903,73.718021,76.771667,79.47994,81.418602,82.415361,84.391472, 85.286992,87.269014,88.095119,90.853685,93.691893,96.580328,99.495682,100.914349, 102.355663,103.900849,105.393979,107.254566,109.367109,110.926674,115.22507, 116.726141,119.477252,122.370006,124.660673,125.326094,127.279175,128.218932, 130.08445,130.889897,133.746921,136.620955,140.065846,141.529712,143.097537, 145.837099,147.440506,148.735401,150.288588,151.69717,153.329244,154.572879, 155.825705,157.272017,158.693455,160.219647,161.675917,163.05136,164.529705, 165.892459,170.104829,174.441056,177.287831,180.174833,182.090808,183.024531, 184.830904,186.016432,188.748107,191.607597,194.37595,197.26714,200.136571, 201.674509,203.164508,204.704994,206.54176,208.752472,211.394736,214.151376, 217.067148,219.815456,221.204235,222.480935,222.918065,223.226339,223.495976, 223.788555]
Instant gratification and the future of music
The future of technology in music, and probably art in general, is to set us free from the tedious, repetitive work that it takes to become a skilled performer. It takes many years of dedication to learn the intricacies of the technique required to play an instrument or paint a picture. I believe that in the future, truly creative minds will be able to produce inspiring music even if they can’t play an instrument, as technology will let them translate their ideas into tangible artwork. The Motion Harp is a step in this direction. Unlike conventional music, it doesn’t take any formal training to play and it creates a rewarding experience from the very first moment.
Because of its instant gratification nature, Motion Harp is perfect for introducing small children to music. Since designing it, I’ve had children as young as three years old experiment with it and enjoy the experience. After a couple of hours, a four-year-old was able to understand the concepts of note and chord.
More recently, I learned that a music teacher who works with children with fine motor-skills disabilities found it a useful tool for her classroom. These children have severe difficulties, or are completely unable, to play a conventional instrument, but with Motion Harp they can now feel the joy of playing their own music. I’m very much looking forward to hearing more about their experience and sharing it with you!
Open source for everyone
I’m a strong believer in open source. My coding skills, just like my music knowledge, are rather limited. It would make me very happy to see this project grow and expand with the contributions of others who share my excitement about this concept. That’s why I’ve published the Motion Harp source code under GNU license on GitHub.
It still needs a proper UI – since all the configuration and run options are currently hardwired in the code, you need to manually edit the file to make changes. Everything is well-commented, and requirements and instructions are provided in the comments at the beginning of the code. I expect to have a GUI implemented in the next few weeks, and hopefully, that will be the first of many commits to come in the near future. Have fun and be creative!


This listing is for three (3) used books, in good-pristine condition. paperback.
“The Art of Soap Making” by Merilyn Mohr
Back cover: “Soapy Alchemy. Handmade soap is a living thing, the product of a kind of folk alchemy that has been lost to all but a small number of craftspeople and individualists in our society. Now, Merilyn Mohr has created a complete introduction to the art of home soapmaking – a craft that appeals both to our sense of economy (consider the mounting costs of hand soap, detergents, toothpaste and shampoos) and to our sense of simple aesthetics….”
Original price $9,95
“The Natural Soap Book: Making Herbal and Vegetable-Based Soaps” by Susan Miller Cavitch
Back cover: “It’s fun to make your own natural soaps at home! Susan takes the mystery out of soapmaking, sharing her advice and formulas for making high-quality soaps that are good for your skin – and free of synthetic additives. She offers readers in-depth information on selecting and using a wide variety of nourishing fats and oils and fragrant essential oils to create old favorites like oatmeal/honey, vitamin and avocado soaps. Susan also includes her own unique recipes for goat milk, borage, mixed nut, tropical shampoo bars, and others.”
Original price $12.95
“The Soapmaker’s Companion: A Comprehensive Guide with Recipes, Techniques & Know-How” by Susan Miller Cavitch
Back cover: “The most comprehensive guide to soapmaking ever! From the other of the best-selling The Natural Soap Book coomes this illustrated guide to making over 40 specialty soaps – from exquisite stained-glass, marbled, and layered soaps to soothing masseuse bars, hardworking laundry soap and practical liquid soaps. Through clear, step-by-step instructions, master soapmaker Susan leads you through every step of the soapmaking process…”
Original price $18.95
Rustic Escentuals Shea Butter Steephenson Melt & Pour Base. 2lbs. This can be purchased new here for $5.99 per 2lbs
What you see is what you get, only one available.
Hope you like this item! Let me know if you have any questions.


Beer Style: Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer (21B)
Recipe Type: partial mash
Yield: 5 US gallons
Well, everyone seems to be looking for holiday ales. Here's one I made last year that turned out well, I've started this year's batch.
My notes say the OG last year was 1.060 which seems awfully low, and is probably a mistake. This year I measured about 1.080. The low hopping rate gives a fairly sweet beer that lets the spices shine through, some may want to up this a bit.
Generic Ale yeast. I used Brewtek CL-170 last year, but was in a hurry and used Wyeast 1056 this year.
A lot of stuff, eh? Mashed the grains at 122 degrees for 30 minutes, at 152 degrees for 1 hour. Sparge, I collected about 3 1/2 gal and added the various other extracts for the boil. Spices, honey, and orange was added for last 15 minutes of the boil. After primary, add the rest of the grains to secondary, and let set for a week or two.
Source: Alan Folsom


MAke a metal remix outta this one O_O I have this song stuck in my head for about 2 weeks now!! O_O O_O FUCK U XENO CAUSE OF U I CANT STUDY lol XD
Seriously a request, make a metal remix outta this one!!
i really like this style.
song is good could be better
check out the song chiptek by she its similar to this style but allot smoother maybe you can take notz or sumthing. keep trying
I could picture this being put in so many games...
Nice, i like it.
Reminds me alot of Sonic in some parts. Really cool beat man, love to see it used ina fast pace fighter/shooter game or something.
shit's trippy with the spiral visualizer on...
this needs be a battle theme in some shitty NES game or something lol
Please contact me if you would like to use this in a project. We can discuss the details.


Tree H10 headset cap
Tree Bicycle Co. H10 headset cap in silver. Step keyed for 6mm and 1/4" allen keys. 7075 aluminum. Threads and top cap in great shape. FBM Chopper forks came w/ their own fork cap w/ different threading so I never ended up needing this. Works on the freestyle starnut, S&M (not the OG big bolt), Fit, and Standard forks. Ask any and all questions before hitting the buy now button.