An interaction that wasn’t – NYOOOZ
Posted: February 14, 2017 at 4:49 am
Summary: He did not indulge in a chat with the media persons who had assembled at the mess where a lunch and media interaction session, as the invite read, was being hosted by the Delhi Police. In the run up to the media interaction, there were verbal assurances from senior officers that the excercise meant the same and only the nomenclature had changed. Speculations put to restThis also put an end to speculations over whether the annual press conference, a trend followed for several years, will be held or not. Intially it was expected that after the change of guard, the press conference would be rescheduled. The supposed media interaction with Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik was anything but an interactive session as the recently appointed police chief hardly allocated any time for the journalists, save for the occasional exchange of plesantries.
The supposed media interaction with Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik was anything but an interactive session as the recently appointed police chief hardly allocated any time for the journalists, save for the occasional exchange of plesantries. In what was a strong indication of him staying away from the media and continuing the policy of his predecessor and current Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Verma, Mr. Patnaik, arrived and left soon after the session. He did not indulge in a chat with the media persons who had assembled at the mess where a lunch and media interaction session, as the invite read, was being hosted by the Delhi Police. Speculations put to rest This also put an end to speculations over whether the annual press conference, a trend followed for several years, will be held or not.
The annual press conference, which provided journalists across the city a chance to put forward their questions to the numero uno of Delhi Police, would not be held this year, said police officers. Past commissioners also made presentations on crime statistics while it would merely be the distribution of the annual report this year. Intially it was expected that after the change of guard, the press conference would be rescheduled. In the run up to the media interaction, there were verbal assurances from senior officers that the excercise meant the same and only the nomenclature had changed. The seven minutes that the journalists got to spend with the New Commissioner of Police on the day he took over was significantly more than the time allotted to them at Monday's event. Speaking to journalists later, some senior police officers reasoned that since Mr.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/An-interaction-that-wasn%E2%80%99t/article17298891.ece
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Beatles forgotten in poll war – Calcutta Telegraph
Posted: at 4:49 am
Lucknow, Feb. 13: For the first time in Rishikesh, the Beatles don't matter.
Nobody has yet demanded that the place where John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison had stayed in February 1968 be turned into a heritage site.
No political party has promised to preserve the fame that had travelled to this holy city in Uttarakhand with the British rock band.
The band doesn't figure anywhere on the 2017 Assembly poll canvas.
Back in 2012, the Beatles were on everybody's lips when most candidates had promised to develop Chaurasi Kutia - the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - as a tourist spot.
"They believed that there were a large number of youths who loved their association with the town because of the Beatles. But we are surprised that the politicians are forgetting this," a Beatles chronicler in India told this correspondent.
The chronicler, based in Dehradun, 45km north of Rishikesh, asked not to be named.
But it's true that politicians seem to have forgotten the band. Prem Chand Aggarwal, a sitting BJP MLA, had in 2012 promised to take good care of the portion of the ashram where the Beatles had stayed. This time, the ashram hasn't even figured in his campaign.
"This electoral war between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Harish Rawat (of the Congress) has unfortunately overshadowed other issues," said Ram Krishna Tiwari of Sarv Vikas Party, who is contesting from Rishikesh, which would vote on February 15 along with 68 other constituencies in the state.
Polling in one Assembly seat, Karnprayag, has been deferred after the death of the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate yesterday.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha election, Satpal Maharaj (Satpal Singh Rawat), a spiritual leader who was contesting from Pauri Garhwal as a Congress candidate, had made several promises regarding the ashram because he didn't want "the rich spirituality of the area to die".
Spread over 15 acres, the ashram borders Rishikesh in Dehradun, Yamkeshwar in Pauri and Narendra Nagar in Tehri.
Maharaj then remained dormant for four years before waking up again in 2013 - a year before the last parliamentary elections - with the promise of preserving the "glorious history of the Beatles".
Maharaj has since switched camps to the BJP, frustrated after being overlooked for chief minister in February 2014.
The group had visited Rishikesh to stay for three months and learn advance transcendental meditation. They returned early but not before triggering a rush of footfalls as thousands of British and American fans flocked to Rishikesh for a glimpse of the quartet.
The band is said to have composed more than 40 songs, including The Happy Rishikesh Song, in the ashram or just after leaving it.
If politicians have ignored the Beatles this time, consciously or unconsciously, the forest department has been counting the gains since the ashram - in the possession of the Maharishi's disciples till 2003 - was thrown open to the public on December 8, 2015.
"We counted the visit of about 10,000 tourists in the first 365 days of opening The Beatles ashram to the public. The number included 2,000 foreigners. This year we hope the number will multiply because now the entire world knows that it is open for all," Rajendra Nautiyal, a ranger of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, told this newspaper. The ashram falls under the reserve.
The entry fee for foreign tourists is Rs 600. Indians have to pay Rs 150 and students, Rs 50.
"We are planning to develop a nature centre in the ashram where students of nature can be trained," Nautiyal added. "There is also a plan to build a bird sanctuary on the ashram area. Let us hope it materialises soon."
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Ashram burgled, cash and ornaments stolen – Telangana Today
Posted: at 4:49 am
Miscreants decamp with Rs 4 lakh and ornaments at Chudi Bazaar under Shahinayathgunj police station limits.
Senior police inspecting the ashram where transgenders stay was burgled at Chudi Bazaar in Shahinayanthgunj in Hyderabad on Monday.
Hyderabad: Burglars struck an ashram in which members of the transgender community take shelter and decamped with Rs 4 lakh and gold ornaments at Chudi Bazaar under Shahinayathgunj police station limits on Monday afternoon.
Ashram in-charge Saber Baksh alias Jyothi Naik and others had gone out at around 10.30 am and returned to the ashram at around 12.30 pm only to find that the lock of the main door was broken. They then entered the ashram to find the entire place ransacked.
Intruders had broken open the almirah and made away with Rs 4 lakh and gold ornaments and other valuables. The number of ornaments stolen from the almirah and the worth is yet to be ascertained as the complainant Jyothi Naik is yet to furnish more details about the incident, Shahinayathgunj Detective Sub-Inspector C Venkatesh said.
Based on Jyothi Naiks complaint, the police have booked a case of theft and pressed into service Clues Team to collect fingerprints from the spot. A dog squad too also inspected the premise for evidence. We have some clues and are hopeful of cracking the case soon, Venkatesh said.
Jyothi Naik, along with four others, stays in the ashram where shelter is provided to transgenders. The ashram helps people who require financial assistance or medical aid.
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Music and massage the perfect remedy for the stresses of race training, study suggests – Horsetalk
Posted: February 13, 2017 at 2:47 pm
Easy-listening New Age stable music and relaxing daily equine massages are excellent antidotes to the pressures and strains of racehorse training, a study in Poland has shown.
Scientists from the University of Life Sciences in Lublin used 60 healthy purebred Arabian racehorses in their research, centred on Suewiec racecourse in Warsaw.
Witold Kdzierski, Iwona Janczarek, Anna Stachurska and Izabela Wilk set about comparing the effects of massages and easy-listening music on stress levels in the horses.
Racehorses, they noted, can come under stress from unfamiliar environments, transport, training routines and the challenges of stable living.
The study team said relaxing music and relaxing massage had been shown in previous research to calm horses, but it was less clear how much was needed for the desired result.
The 60 stabled three-year-old animals used in the study were divided into four experimental groups of 12 horses each, as well as a control group, for the six-month racing season. They were stabled across four buildings and were managed comparably.
The experimental groups were treated with various mixes of New Age music and massage. Different groups were exposed to the music at a sound level of 65 to 70 decibels for either one hour a day or three hours a day, always after their training sessions.
Two massage protocols were used across the different groups: they either received daily massages or only on the day before their races, which was every three weeks or so.
The same two masseurs were used throughout the study, both with the same horse physiotherapy qualifications. The 25 to 30-minute massages, designed to be relaxing rather than therapeutic, were given after the horses training sessions.
The study team checked heart rate and heart-rate variability, as well as salivary cortisol levels an indicator of stress before and after training sessions.
The measurements were taken three times during the study. The first was at the start of the season, before the horses had been exposed to the music or received any massages. They were taken again mid-season and just before the end of the season.
The researchers also examined the horses racing performances, relating their results back to their massage and musical exposure.
The most positive changes in the parameters under study were found in horses massaged every day, which shows that relaxing massages are beneficial for horses welfare and performance, Kdzierski and his colleagues reported in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science.
The massages given only once every three weeks or so (the day before racing) also provided some positive effects.
The findings showed that playing relaxing music for three hours a day had a more positive effect on the horses emotional state than for one hour.
A comparison of race performance showed that horses massaged every day achieved the best race results, whereas listening to music one hour a day had no significant effect on a horses race performance.
The practical goal of the study, they said, was to find the most optimal frequency of massages and how many hours of music are the most effective.
The results indicate that horses which had a relaxing massage every day were much more relaxed than those in other groups.
The results . . . indicate that having a relaxing massage every day is much more beneficial for the horses emotional excitability than a massage only given a day preceding the start in an official race, i.e. about once every three to four weeks.
It seemed that the more often a relaxing massage was given, the better the results, they said.
The study was supported by a grant from Polands National Centre for Research and Development.
Comparison of effects of different relaxing massage frequencies and different music hours on reducing stress level in race horses Witold Kdzierski, Iwona Janczarek, Anna Stachurska, Izabela Wilk. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2017.02.004
The abstract can be read here.
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Music and massage the perfect remedy for the stresses of race training, study suggests - Horsetalk
Google Play Music now integrated with Google Home – Android … – Android Community
Posted: at 2:47 pm
As Google Home continues to compete with Amazons own smart Bluetooth speakers Echo and Echo Tap, it only makes sense that it integrates more Google products to make it even more of a powerhouse. Music streaming service Google Play Music is now even more integrated into the speakers system to make it easier for you to play music, even when your hands are fully occupied, using a wide variety of voice commands to get the music just right.
Google Play Music not just gives you songs, albums and artists that you want to play on demand. It uses machine learning on all your past activity, as well as weather, activity, and location to create playlists for you that will be appropriate for whatever it is youre doing. You simply have to say Ok Google, play some music, and hopefully, it will be smart enough to get you the right kind of music. If you want to be more specific, you can say something like Ok Google, play music for cooking or Ok Google, play some relaxing music.
Google Assistant is of course integrated into Google Home as well, so you can also ask it some questions related to the song thats playing. You can say Ok Google, whos singing this song? or Ok Google, from what album is that song playing? You can also ask it to turn up or turn down the music and even give it a thumbs up. If you dont like the current song thats playing, you can ask Google Assistant to play something else.
If you buy a Google Home device now until February 27, youll get 6 months free Google Play Music subscription, only if youre a new user. And if you buy it together with a Chromecast, you get $15 off. To celebrate this integration, theyre throwing a block party in Los Angeles (February 11-12) and New York (February 24-26).
SOURCE: Google
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Google Play Music now integrated with Google Home - Android ... - Android Community
February 12: Let’s Celebrate ‘Grammy Awards’ Day – Uloop News
Posted: at 2:47 pm
Whos ready for The Weeknd?! Have you set aside plans yet to tune into the music-filled star fest Sunday evening? Is the homework load becoming a bit too overwhelming and you need a small dose of silly entertainment, lovely fashion outfits, and relaxing music all in one fun zone?
Here are some fun tips on how to gear up for musics most exciting night returning to CBS Television at 8 p.m. E.T./5 p.m. Pacific Time where there will be several winners of the Grammy Awards.
Just hours ago, the list of our favorite performers was released on Grammy.com. How Taylor-like Swift is that?!
Is your favorite performer on the list? If you currently havent watched last years awesome Carpool Karaoke episode featuring Justin Bieberto get you excited about enjoying the Sunday evening, then you are truly not prepared for this years performances!
Credits: http://www.pixabay.com
This years show is hosted by The Late Late Shows very own James Corden who wants the viewers to have loads of fun for a few hours this Sunday night! Are in you in to watch the televised ride?
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Chances are you still a bit overstuffed from Super Bowl weekends festivities and do not feel like having another round of vegetable dip for this weeks watch party menu. Perhaps you had one too many buffalo wings this past weekend and are not tempted by eating a dish that is too spicy. Here are a few nominees of refreshing recipes you might want to try out as you watch the Grammys with your favorite classmates.
What has a few dashes of spinach leaves and combines your favorite green veggies and cheeses? Thin crustMargherita pizza byPillsbury! This is not your average pizza folks, its the best alternative to detoxing while making your dish from pretty much scratch (aside from the crust you might be pressed for time and may need to buy it instead).
Credits: http://www.pexels.com
If youre a huge fan of pasta youll enjoy penne or pick your type of noodle (aka -ini)to prepare with your favorite jar of alfredo sauce. I would substitute the peas for more steamed veggies and herbs and extra cheeses if you are extra hungry. Check out this dish by our favorite bakery boy doll and customize it within minutes for your taste buds. Head on over herefor a simple version of chicken penne.
You just need Fiber One snacks and fruit smoothies to set out! Just look for fresh strawberries and more fruits like watermelons.
Credits: http://www.pexels.com
Time to put the headphones on. To check out the music and the pre-show festivities, check outDigsterfor the tunes.
Now that your party platter isset for the table, youroutfit must come to life. Check out US Magazinefor last years look and see if you can gather up an outfit with your friends and family! Who needs it to be Halloween to dress up as your favorite celebrity anyway the celebrity list is quite impressive and your outfit should be too.
Credits: http://www.pexels.com
Now that youre all set for the show, enjoy the behind the scenes footage, predict who will steal the red carpets best looks, and have fun this weekend while you can actually feel your face while you LOL at all the comedy, diva-licious looks, and remember that you dont have to write a report about this TV hit!
Cheers and whistles for The Grammys!
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February 12: Let's Celebrate 'Grammy Awards' Day - Uloop News
Booksmarts – Mount Airy News
Posted: at 2:47 pm
The following titles have been received at the library, and are available for checkout:
Skinny Taste, Fast and Slow by Gina Homolka, non-fiction
USAs National Parks by Christopher Pitts, non-fiction
Fodors 2016 Las Vegas, New York City, Walt Disney, non-fiction
Order to Kill by Vince Flynn, large print fiction
Reluctant Bride by Kathleen Fuller, large print fiction
The Midnight Bell by Jack Higgans, large print fiction
Dreamweaver Trail by Emily March, large print fiction
Truevine by Beth Macy, large print non-fiction
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Please continue to browse our new Friends of the Mount Airy Public Library used bookshop, Between the Covers, on Main Street. The shop is run by volunteers, and we depend on book donations for our stock. Your purchases benefit the library, so shop with a good cause in mind! The stores now has gift certificates for sale, and old record albums and 45s have been added to the stock. The phone number is 336-648-8176, if you have questions.
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The annual Northwestern Regional Library Photography Contest is under way again, and the deadline will be March 17 to submit entries. The theme for this years contest is Transformation. Brochures with guidelines and entry forms are available at the front desk of member libraries.
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The Magic Tree House Book Club for kids has begun meeting at the Mount Airy Public Library on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. with reading books and doing activities from the beloved series by Mary Pope Osborne. Please note, this is a change from the former Monday meeting time.
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Preschool story times are held on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. for 2- and 3-year-olds, and on Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m. for 4-and 5-year-olds.
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Baby Storytime, for babies from birth to 24 months, will meet on Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m.
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Wednesday at 4 p.m. we are here to help you get started using ancestry.com to track your genealogy. Stop by the front desk to ask for help in beginning your search.
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A Basic Spanish Class for adults will now be offered at the library on Monday afternoons at 5 p.m., led by instructor Maria Luisa Saldarriaga.
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Pajama Story time for kids takes place each Thursday night at 7 p.m. The kids are welcome to wear their pajamas, and bring their cuddle toys. Well hear a couple of stories, and do an activity that goes with the story.
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The library has an Adult Coloring Class on Thursday nights, at 6 p.m. till 8 p.m. The library supplies coloring sheets, colored pencils, and markers, but are are welcome to bring their own supplies as well. The library plays relaxing music, and those participating enjoy hot drinks for those whod like coffee or tea.
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Tai Chi is offered each Friday morning at 10 a.m. This class is for everyone, but especially for those with limited mobility, due to conditions such as arthritis.
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The Community Book Club meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month, at 1 p.m. New members are always welcome.
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Teens, aged 12-19 years old, are invited to a new club at the library, called Choices, where well discuss books, movies, music, art, whatever interests them. We will meet on the first Thursday of each month, at 4 p.m.
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Our Young Actors Workshops will take place on every Tuesday in January, at 4 p.m., for kids aged 7-19 years old. We will be rehearsing the play, Frozen Hearts, to be performed on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 11 a.m.
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Questions? Call the library at 336-789-5108. Find us on Facebook at Friends of the Mount Airy Public Library.
Go to our website to view our events and catalog online at nwrl.org.
Library hours:
Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. till 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. till 1 p.m.
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Nier Automata: That really crass, really odd, weird shit you expect is still there – VG247
Posted: at 2:47 pm
Monday, 13 February 2017 14:03 GMT By Alex Donaldson
Taro Yoko is a bit of a game design hero of mine. Hes a game design punk; he makes what he wants, and the end result is often weird and wonderful all at once. Hes best known for his work on weird, outlandish JRPG titles Drakengard and Nier, bizarre games that beneath their quirk usually have something real to say too.
Dont worry. That really crass, really odd, weird shit you expect from Nier is still in there. Were quite confident in creating content like that!
Hes made a reputation of his unique style. In public appearances, he dons a mask. When I sit down to interview him alongside Nier Automata producer Yosuke Saito and game designer Takahisa Taura, he seems all too gleefully happy to lean into that reputation.
I do want to reassure everyone, he chuckles when I ask if Automata will live up to his trademark style, Dont worry. That really crass, really odd, weird shit you expect from Nier is still in there. Were quite confident in creating content like that!
As I touched on in my previous hands-on its something of a shocker that Automata exists at all. The original Nier was the very definition of a low-selling cult hit, but Automata appears to be finding a new audience, especially in the wake of an impressive downloadable demo. Yoko puts this down to the addition of action aficionados Platinum Games as a development partner.
Weve got this real feeling coming out of Japan and seeing the markets overseas, Yoko says. Platinum Games has this great brand recognition; a great reputation abroad. Its really thanks to us partnering with them and them being involved with the project that weve got this recognition for Nier now, I think.
Putting Automatas sudden surge in interest down to Platinum fits in with a theme about Yoko; hes self-deprecating. Niers weirdness comes due to him not having the mainstream pressures of other games rather than him having a stand-out vision, he says. I thought well, its Nier, its not going to sell very well whatever, he laughs when asked about a specific decision.
The original Nier was in a sense the best six out of ten Ive ever given. The game was rough around the edges in a way that displayed its limited budget, but it was bursting with mad, subversive ideas and an ambition at the time not on display in even Squares big-budget efforts. The exciting thing about Nier Automata is that it pairs Yokos crazy vision with Platinum, a development house skilled at delivering tightly-wound experiences.
Or, as Automata producer Yosuke Saito puts it: I had a feeling that when I managed to finalise the contract for the partnership 99 percent of my work was out of the way!
I personally dont think its just down to Platinum Games, Platinum employee Takahisa Taura offers. I think what people are interested in is this sort of almost impossible to expect collaboration between Square Enix and Platinum, or Yoko Taro and Platinum. That really weird and quite great potential from that collaboration is what people are watching.
Before I go in for the interview I have some time to play an extended build of Nier Automata. It opens up with a bad ass segment that leads into the demo content and features well, theres a lot of stuff I cant talk about. Its a long bullet-point list and its easier to just say: look, its pretty good. Combat feels good. Its narrative intrigues, and though I have concerns about how repetitive certain content will be Im pumped to play the final thing.
In areas we can talk about, Automata seems an interesting mix of Platinum-brand action, Square brand RPG and Yoko-brand madness. At one point I end up in a wide open area, a city partially reclaimed by nature in the post-apocalypse. Here I have a surprising amount of freedom for an action-based game: I can take on side quests, I can buy items to tame a deer and ride it, I can dabble in combat or I can seamlessly walk into a town where beautiful and relaxing music swells as an indicator of your seamless transition into a safe zone free of potentially violent wildlife or definitely violent robots.
Thats something I really want people to experience Platinum arent just about the action, but their RPG stuff is really good, too.
When you die, you mysteriously leave behind a corpse like a Dark Souls bloodstain. When you reach it you can either retrieve some lost stuff from your fallen body or revive it to fight alongside you as an NPC. You can even leave bloodstain-style messages that curiously take on a haiku-style 5-7-5 syllable format alongside corpses, though Square, who arent yet talking about online features, wouldnt explain what for.
If you want you can take time out to go fishing, where in a cute touch your little robot pod buddy is also your tackle. If you buy the right stuff from a store, you can tame the local deer and ride them, or you can just kill them for resources. Basically: its a proper RPG as well as a Platinum game.
The guys at Platinum, they really love RPGs as well, Taro notes. They came up with loads of great ideas and elements for out-there character development growth systems and all kinds of really cool aspects for the game. They put a lot of effort into that. Thats something I really want people to experience Platinum arent just about the action, but their RPG stuff is really good, too.
Enter Takahisa Taura, game designer on Automata from the Platinum side. With the likes of Madworld and Metal Gear Rising on his resume, he clearly has the chops. Taro teases him throughout the interview by repeatedly telling me hell be the next Hideo Kojima, which Taura vehemently and humbly rejects, embarrassed. Taura Productions! Yoko gleefully yells out after the younger developer finishes an interview answer.
I think people will obviously expect the action from us and expect that everything will be completely action focused, but there are a lot of really cool other RPG elements in there too, Taura says, following on from Yoko.
Theres stuff like collecting money to upgrade your weapons, collecting materials, the ability to customise your characters those proper, classic RPG elements you expect. People may think thats not very us, that it doesnt reflect on what Platinum Games is known for, but we think that people will have a lot of fun with those elements, so I really hope people pay attention to those as well.
Platinum Games has this great brand recognition; a great reputation abroad. Its really thanks to us partnering with them and them being involved with the project that weve got this recognition for Nier now, I think.
One of the interesting facts about Automatas development partnership with Platinum is that the game is largely coming from a new, younger team within the studio. Its a team perhaps less shackled by past experiences, and as a result theyve been able to lean into the crass, weird shit Taro is known for and boasted of earlier all while retaining the tight feel of a Platinum action game.
The OS Chip item that fans found in the demo that when unequipped causes your character to instantly die without warning (how can an android survive without an operating system?) was, for instance, a Platinum pull that Yoko merely approved of.
Through this and other comments its clear that Platinum has fully embraced what made Taros vision of the original Nier so special, but theyre combining it with much more exciting gameplay mechanics. The hands-on drives this home too, with even a two hour slice bursting with ideas clearly inspired by a wide variety of Niers peers.
Broad as it may be, Nier still proudly clings to its niche credentials. The good thing about [more niche] games is that you kind of go deep, says Saito. You go deep and have a good core, loyal following rather than trying to spread out too widely.
The Nier series is unlikely to set the world ablaze and I remain curious in how its mechanics will hold up over 20-plus hours, but already Nier Automata looks like a cult classic in the making. Thats hard to complain about. Indeed, that focus on its niche might even be its greatest strength.
Nier Automata is out in Japan on February 23, while the game will be available in Europe and North America on March 7 for PS4. A PC version is coming, but that doesnt yet have a release date.
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Nier Automata: That really crass, really odd, weird shit you expect is still there - VG247
Colorado farmers increasingly going organic to meet rising demand – HPPR
Posted: at 2:46 pm
Even though transitioning from traditional to organic farming methods can be costly, Colorado farmers are increasingly doing so in order to meet rising demand for organic produce.
As The Denver Post reports, Colorados organic agricultural industry has more than doubled in sales from $66.2 million in 2012 to $155.2 million in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures annual Certified Organic Survey.
Organic farmland currently covers more than 155,000 acres statewide, up from 100,000 acres in 2011, according to the U.S.D.A.
Making the transition from conventional farming methods to organic ones can be costly and obtaining organic certification takes about three years and comes with its own expenses. These factors have given organic farming a reputation for being expensive, so many farmers transition slowly, but producers say that technological innovations have helped them grow and protect their crops more efficiently and less expensively than in previous years, even while using certified organic methods.
Produce that carries the U.S.D.A.s certified organic stickers goes a long way to ensuring financial success, said Becca Jablonski, an assistant professor and food systems extension economist at Colorado State University.
As more and more research is done, we can use products on the plant that arent chemical, said Kaylee Armstrong of Abundant Life Organic Farms in Hotchkiss, Colo. People complain about costs and say organic is so much more expensive. We actually increase our prices to meet with conventional growers.
Jordan Hungenberg, co-owner of the Hungenberg farm in Greeley, said market trends for organic produce isnt going anywhere.
People buy organic a lot, so we decided we were behind the eight ball and decided to try it, Hungenberg said.
Hungenberg Produce dedicated about 60 acres to growing carrots using organic farming methods last year and plans to triple its planting of organically grown carrots next season.
Jablonski said there are programs available to assist farmers with the costs involved in transitioning to certified organic methods.
According to the U.S.D.A., this includes a crop insurance option to allow producers to purchase insurance coverage that better reflects the products actual value.
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Colorado farmers increasingly going organic to meet rising demand - HPPR
Mindfulness Meditation Helps Quell Negative Thoughts, ‘Monkey Mind’ – Forbes
Posted: at 2:46 pm
Forbes | Mindfulness Meditation Helps Quell Negative Thoughts, 'Monkey Mind' Forbes Our brains do a lot of chattering without our permission. When left to its own devices, the mind tends to ad lib for extended periods, and the reality of this is that much of the chatter is negative, usually revolving around fear and worry-based ... |
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Mindfulness Meditation Helps Quell Negative Thoughts, 'Monkey Mind' - Forbes