Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Things Not to Do in Nioh


Nioh: 10 Things You NEED to KNOW

nioh can be dangerous world to traverse, for novices and veterans alike. In order to steer you clear of the many pitfalls that Nioh has in store for you, we"ve compiled a list of Things Not to Do in Nioh, as a small gathering of recommendations to save you a few headaches.

In Nioh, a player that dies leaves behind a grave site with the memory of everything that player had upon death. You can summon a Reverent of the player to fight, that matches their skill and abilities at time of death.

Even with he level of the player, it"s best to not summon Revenants far from a Shrine unless you are well prepared, they might be more than you can handle, and losing your progress in a mission because you got cocky can be a hard way to go.

A Yokai Realm is an area of grey smoky mist that can either be summoned by Yokai at will to regenerate their Ki - or is the sign of a powerful Yokai lying in wait. Dont run into a Yokai Realm - especially when surrounded, as Yokai will likely emerge from them to fight, and may cut off your escape route.

Speaking of Yokai Realms, do not let Yokai Realms pile up around you. Especially during boss fights or in small contained areas, the longer you let Yokai summon multiple realms, the harder it will be for you to get a grip on your Ki management.

Be quick to disperse them as they appear, and don"t be afraid to waste a swing just so you can set up for a Ki Pulse to start getting rid of their realms.

There"s a lot of weapons to try in Nioh, and a lot of skills to go with them. Dont spread your weapon skills to far, or you risk not being proficient in any one method of attack. Instead focus on 1 or 2 weapons at most, and perhaps either the Ninja or Onmyo Magic Skills as backup magic (but probably not both).

Dont waste a Summoners Candle. These rare items allow you to bring back your fallen Guardian Spirit and associated Amrita without having to make the trek to your grave site. Only use it if its guarded by enemies you doubt youre going to get past alive - and then only if you can"t bear to leave that Amrita behind.

Crafting, forging, and blacksmithing can be a confusing process in Nioh - especially with things like Soul Matching and Reforging. Dont Soul Match items without having a good material item to pass on.

If you have a great low level weapon with lots of good special effects, find a good high level weapon with a inheritable special effect - even if its not the same weapon type. By raising it to max familiarity and using it as material, your old weapon will become that much stronger and gain a new effect in the process.

Nioh is, as you might expect, a very Japanese game. Steeped in both Japanese lore and history, someone not familiar with the country or its history might be in for a ride. Dont be confused by item names. Lots of names in Nioh are in Japanese, and may be perplexing at first, but it only means you need to be diligent in finding out what an item does. Always stop to see what a Kayaku-dama or Magatama is - you may have stumbled on something worth equipping.

Dont forget to switch stances. Many of your skills and abilities are tied to different stances - and beyond giving you more options, switching up your stance mid fight can often be the key to victory when you can change combo attacks - or have the skill unlocked to increase Ki regeneration when changing stances during a Ki Pulse.

Dont use Spirit Stones when you find them - save them for when youve cleared a mission or are at a Shrine and have time to level up. You wouldnt want to gain all that Amrita and then lose it to the next enemy you fight.

Source: http://www.ign.com/wikis/nioh/Things_Not_to_Do_in_Nioh

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Genie Bouchard defeated in third round of Australian Open


Genie Bouchard Celebrates New Years In Brisbane | Photo Shoot

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Canadian Eugenie Bouchard was eliminated in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday, falling to Coco Vandeweghe 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

The American took the match in two hours 22 minutes and was the first player into the round of 16.

Vandeweghe converted her only break to take the first set but Bouchard, who reached the Australian Open and French Open semifinals and the Wimbledon final in 2014, levelled the match with two breaks in a dominant second set.

The Westmount, Que., native broke Vandeweghe"s serve to open the third set and appeared to be in control until the American rallied.

Vandeweghe broke Bouchard to even the score at 4-4 in the third set, helped in the process by bouchard"s fourth double fault. at 5-5, Vandeweghe kept her serve before disposing of the 47th-ranked Bouchard with a decisive break.

Vandeweghe, ranked 35th, held a 40-21 advantage on winners. She also smashed 11 aces to Bouchard"s four and took 85 per cent of first serve points.

Vandeweghe has reached the quarter-finals and the fourth round in the last two years at Wimbledon, but her run to the third round in Australia in 2016 was her best at any major not played on grass.

"It"s just another opponent on the way to achieving my goal," Vandeweghe said of an intense match against a player who was ranked as high as No. 5 in 2014 but hasn"t gone past the third round of a Grand Slam tournament since slipping and falling in the locker-room during the 2015 U.S. Open. "Anyway I could get it done -- I just wanted to get the result. Achieved my goal."

Vandeweghe will next play the winner of Friday"s later match between defending champion Angelique Kerber and Kristyna Pliskova, the twin sister of U.S. Open finalist Karolina Pliskova.

-- With files from The Associated Press

Source: http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/genie-bouchard-defeated-in-third-round-of-australian-open-1.3249243

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Jane the Virgin Star to Lead Hulu YA Series Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your a*s


Jane the Virgin losing her virginity

Hulus adaptation of Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale looks poised to earn plenty ofcritical buzz when it premieres in April, but its just one facet of Hulus aggressive approach to original content. From superheroes to real-life tragedies,Hulu is doing its damnedest to compete with the twin juggernauts of Netflix and Amazon.One smaller part of that strategy is an upcoming young adult series with the unforgettable title of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your a*s.

As reported by Deadline, Jane the VirginsGina Rodriguez will star in a series adaptation of the 2013 young adult novel by Meg Medina. The award-winning book tells the story of a diverse, vibrant Brooklyn community confronting bullying, racial tensions and questions of identity. Rodriguez will play Piddy Sanchez, a young girl trying to find her place in a new school. Unfortunately, her new lifehits a serious iceberg in the form of Yaqui Delgado, a bully whom Piddylearns plans to beat her up.Thats doubly troubling because Piddy and Yaqui havent actually met yet

Rodriguez has campaigned against bullying, sothe project will likely have a personal resonance that could fuel her performance in the role. Less clear isexactly how the narrative seemingly fairly contained will be stretched over the course of a season, or even multiple seasons.No matter how much Yaqui wants to kick Piddys a*s, eventually that confrontation either has to happen or the story has to spin off in other unexpected ways, otherwise this could be a serious case of anticlimax.

Yaqui Delgado will be written byDailyn Rodriguez, a TV veteran whose resume includes The Glades, Lie to Me, and NBCs The Night Shift.

Hulu has had some solid, interesting originals with The Path and 11.22.63, as well as its original comedies Casual and Difficult People.Much of Netflixs success hascome down to taking risks and greenlighting bold, diverse content. Time will tell if Hulu caneventually become serious competition for Netflixs award-winning original shows.

David WhartonDavid Wharton has been a freelance writer and editor for over 12 years, contributing to publications such a The Daily Dot, CinemaBlend, GiantFreakinRobot, Cinescape, and Creative Screenwriting. He lives in Texas with three children, four dogs, and his wife. Email him at davidwharton@streamingobserver.com. Latest posts by David Wharton (see all)

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNG5AaR5LqC63mY7udWYCrN5eZa2ZA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=O5eZWKioCsX43QGiyKHYAQ&url=https://www.streamingobserver.com/jane-the-virgin-star-to-lead-hulu-ya-series-yaqui-delgado-wants-to-kick-your-a*s/

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Michael Floyd leads list of Super Bowl LI inactives


Is there a problem with the Patriots taking Michael Floyd? | UNDISPUTED

HOUSTON -- Millions of humans around the globe will watch Super Bowl LI on Sunday.

Michael Floyd will be one of them.

The Patriots receiver was ruled inactive for New England"s title clash with the Atlanta Falcons. Floyd was also a healthy scratch for the team"s AFC Championship Game win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In his place, rookie Malcolm Mitchell will get a chance to make a difference against Atlanta"s less-than-stellar defense.

Released by the Cardinals in December, Floyd was quickly snatched up by the Patriots on waivers. He was impressive in a Week 17 win over the Dolphins, but has done little since to convince New England to re-sign him this offseason.

Also inactive for the Patriots: offensive lineman LaAdrian Waddle, running back D.J. Foster and defensive backs Jordan Richards, Cyrus Jones and Justin Coleman.

Atlanta listed seven inactives of their own: receiver Nick Williams, running back Terron Ward, cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson, safety Dashon Goldson, linebacker Josh Keyes, guard Wes Schweitzer and tight end D.J. Tialavea.

Enjoy the Super Bowl, everyone.

Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000783327/article/michael-floyd-leads-list-of-super-bowl-li-inactives

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Genie Bouchard out of Australian Open after 3-set loss


Coco Vandeweghe v Genie Bouchard highlights | Australian Open 2017

Canada"s Eugenie Bouchardis out of the Australian Open after losing her third-round match to American CoCoVandeweghe,6-4, 3-6, 7-5, Thursday in Melbourne (Friday local time.)

With the win, Vandeweghe is the first woman through to the fourth round.

Vandeweghe rallied from a break down in the third set and fought off four more break points at 4-all before closing out the match in twohours, 22 minutes. She reached the fourth round at the Australian Open for the first time.

"She started playing better and I got a little passive in my game plan and executing it I was able to turn it around thankfully," Vandeweghe said.

Vandeweghe"s new doubles partner, Martina Hingis, cheered her on throughout the match. Afterward, the American joked that Hingis might scold her for playing "too long to be fresh for the doubles."

The american is ranked higher than bouchard, but the Canadian has been playing well and aiming to get back to the fourth round at a major for the first time since 2015.

Still, she didn"t think the win to reach that level was particularly noteworthy.

"It was kind of expected, in my mind, to get the win and to get the victory and to move a step closer to achieving what I want to achieve for this year and also this tournament," she said.

"It"s just another opponent on the way to achieving my goal."

Federer breezes past Berdych

Roger Federer and Tomas Berdych continued their 12-year rivalry on the tennis court with a predictable result a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 victory for Federer.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner won for the 17th time in 23 matches against Berdych and handed the Czech player his sixth consecutive loss between the pair.

The 10th-seeded Berdych had beaten Federer twice previously at Grand Slams, and he was considered a big threat to the 17th-seeded Federer, whose ranking has dropped following six months off because of a left knee injury.

But Federer looked completely at ease and never faced a break point in the Rod Laver Arena match.

Federer will play Kei Nishikori in the fourth round.

Women"s defending champ advances

Angelique Kerber had a straight-sets win for the first time in her first Australian Open title defence, starting her 6-0, 6-4 third-round victory with an eight-game streak against Kristyna Pliskova.

Top-ranked Kerber beat the other Pliskova twin, Karolina, in the final of the last U.S. Open to capture her second career Grand Slam title. Her first was here at Melbourne Park 12 months ago.

Kerber marked her 29th birthday on Wednesday with a second-round win over fellow German Carina Witthoeft, but said she didn"t celebrate much between matches and hoped to do more at the end of the tournament.

She"ll next play 35th-rankedVandeweghe.

"It will be tough," Kerber said. "I"m ready. I"m feeling good. I"m loving to play on this court."

Wawrinka, Murray advance to 4th round

U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka has advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open, overcoming a slow start to beat Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7) at Rod Laver Arena.

Wawrinka, the 2014 champion at Melbourne Park, reached the round of 16 for the fifth consecutive year. It was his eighth win in a row over Troicki.

The fourth-seeded Wawrinka served for the match at 5-4 and again at 6-5, but was broken by Troicki.

Wawrinka will next play Andreas Seppi, who beat Steve Darcis earlier Friday.

Five-time finalist Andy Murray is through to the fourth roundfor the ninth straight year, beating Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

Murray didn"t appear to show any side effects from the right ankle injury he sustained during his last match.

At 4-4 in the first set, Murray broke Querrey"s serve, the final shot coming when the Scotsman lifted a lob over the head of the six-foot-sixQuerrey. The ball dropped well inside the baseline and Murray held serve in the next game to clinch the first set.

Murray, who will next play Mischa Zverev, has lost every final he has contested at Melbourne Park, four of them to Novak Djokovic. Djokovic lost in the second round on Thursday, leaving the opposite side of Murray"s draw wide open.

Scary incident

Australian Open organizers were briefed by Victoria state police over an incident in downtown Melbourne where a man deliberately drove into a street crowded with pedestrians, killing at least three people. Police said the incident, which occurred about three kilometresfrom Melbourne Park, had no links to terrorism.

Organizers said the police had contained the incident and an offender had been arrested.

"Be assured there is no threat to the precinct," a statement read.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/genie-bouchard-australian-open-loss-1.3943927

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Monday, February 6, 2017

Alfa Romeo runs off with the Super Bowl car ad crown


Official 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super Bowl Commercial | "Dear Predictable" | Extended Cut

OK, Tom Brady and Lady Gaga were the human standouts, but it was the once-iconic alfa romeo brand that broke through the clutter with its Super Bowl TV ads, while Lexus and Kia scored touchdowns with their ads for specific models.

So says a post-game analysis by Edmunds, the car shopping and information platform. Edmunds tracked traffic to brand and model pages to see which car ads were most successful in attracting eyeballs, compared to traffic on a normal day.

Using the Super Bowl to generate awareness for a new brand or product is a tried-and-true advertising tactic, and this year proved it still works, said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of industry analysis for Edmunds. If you think about what it takes for someone to look away from an exciting game or halftime show to go online and research something, odds are its because its something theyve never heard of and theyre compelled to find out more."

A commercial for the all-new 2018 Lexus LC 500 sport coupe, entitled "Man and Machine," was the most successful ad for a specific model. The spot features dancer Lil Buck defying gravity as he tumbles around the LC 500 to Sia"s"Move Your Body." A voiceover by actress Minnie Driver says, "Machines don"t have emotions, but a rare few can inspire them." At the end of the ad, Lexus introduces its new global tagline: "Experience Amazing."

After the commercial aired, there was a 1,710-percent increase in Lexus LC traffic on Edmunds, the analysts said.

Kia"s ad for its 2017 Niro featuredactress Melissa McCarthy who encounters various pitfalls as she tries to be an environmental hero. The tagline for the fuel-efficient Niro concludes: "It"s hard to be an eco-warrior, but it"s easy to drive like one."After the commercial aired, Kia Niro traffic on Edmunds spiked 869 percent.

Alfa Romeo ran three separate commercials trying to put some mystique and mystery into its Giulia sports car, returning to U.S. shores after an absence of 30 or so long years, enough time for an entire generation to grow up knowing nothing about the legendary brand, now part of Fiat Chrysler (FCA).

Perhaps the most dramatic, "Riding Dragons," amounts to a statement of the brand"s philosophy, which combines raw power with precise handling and awesome braking, while paying little lip service to such pedestrian matters as fuel economy and enviromental impact.

After the ads ran, there was an 802 percent increase in traffic for the Alfa Romeo Giulia on Edmunds.

Among all automakers that advertised during the Super Bowl broadcast, Alfa Romeo showed the greatest cumulative traffic lift, followed by Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Audi, and Land Rover. Those showing no cumulative lift included Nissan, Toyota, Acura, Buick, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, and Mazda.

Alfa Romeo heralded the 2017 Giulia sport sedan with a trio of Super Bowl commercials intended both to emphasize the return of the marque to the U.S. and to flaunt the ability and mystique of the Giulia.

The first, "Riding Dragons," celebrates Alfa"s return after a 20-year absence with a statement of the brand"s philosophy, interspersed with shots of the Giulia. The second, titled "Dear Predictable," shows the Giulia tearing through the countryside as a letter to car shoppers invites them to "Say good-bye to predictable." The third ad, "Mozzafiato" (Italian for "breathtaking"), features glamour shots of the Giulia with the tagline, "Some cars take your breath away. Only one gives it back."

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGhwc6D6zLPB8alZLUGhRT51FManA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779373109048&ei=f9uYWIDxBMX43QGiyKHYAQ&url=https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/alfa-romeo-runs-off-with-the-super-bowl-car-ad-crown-020617.html

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UN: Annual Afghan Child Casualties Rose By 24 Percent


24 HOUR TRAMPOLINE PARK FORT!
ISLAMABAD

The United Nations recorded an alarming 24 percent spike in conflict-related child casualties in Afghanistan and a three percent rise in total civilian casualties in 2016 compared to the year before.

The violence caused more than 11,400 civilian casualties, including around 3,500 deaths last year, according to the annual report by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, released in Kabul Monday.

Report blames Taliban for most civilian deaths

It attributed 61 percent of civilian deaths and injuries to anti-government elements, mainly the Taliban. UNAMA blamed pro-government forces for causing 24 percent of the casualties, saying it reflected a 46 percent increase compared to 2015.

The Taliban swiftly denied the allegations and blamed U.S.-led foreign forces as well as their local Afghan partners for causing most of the casualties in airstrikes against civilian areas.

The report could not ascertain responsibility for 10 percent of the casualties caused by the fighting, while the remaining five percent resulted mainly from explosive remnants of war.

Most child casualties ever recorded by UNAMA in one year

UNAMA recorded 3,512 child casualties (923 deaths and 2,589 injured), a 24 percent increase from 2015, and the highest number of child casualties recorded by UNAMA in a single year, it said.

UNAMA Chief, Tadamichi Yamamoto, while launching the report called on Afghan warring sides to take urgent steps to halt the preventable harm to civilians.

What they must do is clear; cease fighting in civilian populated areas, and stop using civilian space such as schools, hospitals and mosques for military objectives, emphasized Yamamoto.

Notwithstanding these efforts, parties to the conflict must demonstrate commitment and resolve to reach a politically negotiated solution to this needlessly protracted conflict that has destroyed lives, broken families, induced displacements, caused trauma and sufferings beyond imagination. lamented Yamamoto.

The disproportionate rise in child casualties across Afghanistan last year resulted mainly from a 66 percent increase in civilian casualties from explosive remnants of war, and most of those civilians were children, UNAMA explained.

The report noted an overall deterioration in civilian protection and the highest number of civilian casualties recorded since 2009, when UNAMA began its systematic documentation of civilian casualties.

Ground fighting caused most civilian casualties

Ground engagements between warring sides, particularly in areas populated or frequented by civilians, were the leading cause of civilian casualties, followed by improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, suicide and complex attacks and targeted and deliberate killings.

The intensification of efforts by Taliban and other anti-government element groups to seize or maintain territory led to a correlated increase in civilian casualties from ground engagements, said UNAMA.

It added that airstrikes carried out by Afghan and international forces also caused more civilian casualties than in 2015.

Civilian casualties caused by IS also increase

The report noted the number of civilian casualties caused by extremists linked to the so-called Islamic State in Afghanistan increased nearly ten times in 2016 compared to the previous year.

UNAMA documented 899 civilian casualties (209 deaths and 690 injured) in comparison to 82 civilian casualties (39 deaths and 43 injured) in 2015, according to the report.

It added that extremists linked to the Middle East-based terrorist group used suicide attacks and targeted killings as primary tactics against civilians, particularly targeting members of the Shia Muslim religious minority.

IS loyalists conducted extremist activities in Afghanistan under its local name, Islamic State Khorasan Province or ISKA. They are mostly operating in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar and in parts of neighboring Kunar province, both sharing a border with Pakistan.

The armed conflict in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of around 25,000 Afghan civilians and injured more than 45,000 since 2009, according to UNAMA.

Source: http://www.voanews.com/a/un-annual-afghan-child-casualties-rose-by-24-percent/3707626.html

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