The crux of Mr. Segal’s abilities can be exhumed with finality and elegance in the first five lines of the novel. He is a man of insightful, if not conniving, brilliance and a quiet loftiness that is not altogether uncommon in a humbling intellectuality overwhelmed with poise and reflection. A novella in its ulterior avatar, Love Story was a passionate debut for Harvard spittle Erich Segal; a radical phenomenon in its time, to be further adapted to a runaway marquee chartbuster, it still persists intractably to entice mellow, yielding minds with poignancy, charm and its own maverick zest of pizzazz, to let savor a subversive love that flouts social conventions and moreover, survives their prejudice. Notching itself a transcendent stead, one-up on all ‘Mills and Boons’ and ‘Danielle Steele’s dovetailed and multiplied, or being less contentious, in a league of its own, Love Story though has had strong, stalwart contenders, homely ever-favorites like ‘Thorn Birds’ and ‘Bridges of Madison County’, but the pure, uncorrupt dramatic stability of Love Story is unscathed, indisputable, invulnerable.

Love Story is, best phrased, a well-assorted ‘house of mirrors and illusions’. The characterization is poor, the character development is fantastic; the prose is slack and often, painful, but it succors to a surging climactic efflorescence; the dialogues are unconventional, but concomitantly, unconventionally good; the climax is actually an anti-climax, is grotesquely saddening, heart-rending, and all of it is damningly intelligently plotted.

From the prima facie, through the serial affair of dating, to the complex-made-concise conundrums and imbroglios of relationships, both platonic and affectionate, to the ultimate reconciliations, unlike most fiction that suffers and ails from the classical genital pitfalls and setbacks of plastic, cocky emotion, over-the-top kitsch and a biting tang of schmaltz, Love Story denies the reader of the usual satisfactions and narrates to him of a little yarn of love with a polite and non-descript-seeming remarkable realism that is the book’s forte and fountainhead of unrivaled rapture.

It is with switchblade-sharp cunning and elaborate professionalism that Segal pens the story of an influential, striking jock, Oliver Barret IV and a humdrum, run of the mill, middling Radcliffe beauty Jennifer Cavilleri. Oliver is of elitist roots: Jenny is a working-class girl; Oliver is the quintessential playboy: Jennifer is the quintessential romantic; Oliver is trying to escape the yokes of his background: Jenny tries savagely to mend them; Extremities in every measure and still in endearing love, seems to occupy the first fraction of the illusions where the reader believes in the strength of the bonding irrespective of the contingencies, he is coerced to reckon the single stale possibility of ‘love conquering all’.

The second mildly fathomable illusion lies in the fact of the base of the bonding. Throughout the novel, or the novella if you’d rather, the motive of the dialogues has been to establish a realm of informality and a novel and absolute form of loss of inhibition between the newly weds. This further corresponds to the aesthetic nature and deportment of the relationship, making it independent instead of volatile, and resolute instead of shabby and inchoate. As Rushdie explicated, “What is the freedom of expression? It cannot be defined without the freedom to offend.” The intercourses are so rare a breed, well ripened, and abide such an atypical sense of maturity that the reader is enticed by the simplicity and foundation of what the liaison represents. Usage of expletive, slandering, slurring lexis like ‘bitch’ for a wife and a similar manner of addressing a husband is a connotative verdict of closure, a logical sense of entirety in love that renders the common receptive policy of such meaningless things as petite, trifling and inconsequential.

The third and final illusion is of the method. The method conveys in every way, a mutiny; a mutiny that leaves them in a vital interdependence more indispensable than ever, and relays to the reader that the lovers are united in a segregation as outcasts from society, banished for to have provoked social norms and wreaked them futile, and it is to a reader’s unconscious realization, a happiness beleaguered by an impending pathos. Oliver Barret and Jenny Cavilleri wed against the caveat and admonishings of Oliver’s father, are ousted from or exiled of his fortune, live a low, destitute life at the infancy of their marriage, eschew the stock marital conventions of the mores and approach matrimony through a mode that suggests of nothing but the sanctity, chastity and virtue of such an alliance.

Segal composes this in the prime of his abilities, in the heydays of his fiction and the zenith of the ambit of his imagination; a compulsive string of bestsellers by Erich Segal were to ensue past Love Story, for instance, the inimitable ‘Doctors’, ‘Oliver’s Story’, ‘Acts of Faith’, ‘Man, woman and child’ etc. but none could complement the appeal and pulchritude of a novel unsullied by literary fireworks, a story that declared nothing more that the arrant scope of its moniker.

The essence of Love Story can perhaps also be credited to its brevity. Where longer, languishing novels needlessly drag on, blundering ungainly along the fringes of squeamish, unrealistic and despicable fiction hulking with tedium and ennui, Segal said it in a softer, gentler note, almost a whisper, with venerate consideration and reverence, square-rooted of the impertinence and callow naiveté. Segal insouciantly gainsaid his readers the contentment of a Herculean narrative (an arena in which he proved his keen prowess through the colossal seven-hundred pager ‘Doctors’), and instead conferred a frivolous assay at the flippantness and greenness of young love, its travails, predicaments, quandaries, and sublime moments of bliss and unsettling wonder, that surprise, enthrall, enthuse and agitate from the nimblest to the jaded minds.

Love Story remains, till date and hitherto, an unmatched endeavor, wooing sycophantically the young dreams of virgin vagrants in the valleys of tempestuous love, a redolent hallmark of the underpinnings of a generation past us and a famed font of a splendid ilk of non-religious divinity that men cannot escape and women cannot circumvent, and the world cannot help but let prosper.

Job interviews are not just limited to the typical face-to-face dialogue inside a conference room at an office. Thanks to the advancement of technology, virtual or online job fairs and video-conferences, phone, and chat kind of job interviews are now possible. These are identified as non-traditional job interviews-a highly technological and convenient system of communication between companies and job seekers.

If you want to be a survivor, just like in the reality show, follow these tips to outwit, outlast, and outplay phone, video and virtual job interviews:

Phone Interview

Remember to speak up in a phone interview. The interviewer can’t see your facial expression and body language. You will be assessed only on the way you verbalize your thoughts. Speak with confidence and enthusiasm; you will surely leave a lasting expression to the interviewer.

You need to minimize distractions. Once you get the call from the employer, make sure you’ll have a quiet and private spot for the job interview. If the employer hears earsplitting sounds from your stereo and TV or even from your pet, he or she will not be impressed.

Also, make sure your resume is within your reach during your phone interview. This can help you in remembering your work experience, skills, and accomplishments. You may tend to forget important info when you feel jittery.

Virtual Interview

Virtual interviews are gaining popularity. Second life, an online community, holds virtual job fairs to reach job seekers across the country. If you want to try this kind of job hunting stint, make sure to display professionalism.

Choose an appropriate avatar: Use the one that truly depicts your character. Using comical icons like vampires, space alien or animals might lead your potential employer think you’re not taking your job application seriously.

You signed up for this virtual job fair to get a JOB! So choose the appropriate icon and send messages with care. Avoid using cyber slang, emoticons, and IM environment to create a “professional” vibe even in cyberspace.

Video Conference

Even if the video conference is conducted at your home, wear a business attire outfit to exemplify professionalism and set you in the mood. Use the same wardrobe you will be using for an on-site interview.

Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse. As a form of rehearsal, do mock up interviews with your friends or family. From this recorded interview you can study areas you need to work on and also helps you ease your nerves since you’re in front of a camera. Focus on your posture, speech, and confidence.

In any case, whether you get hired or not, remember to send a thank-you note to your interviewers. This shows your strong work ethics and professionalism.

It seems that the TV Technology vogue for 2010 is going to be 3D technology. Films like James Cameron’s Avatar and Pixar’s Up have caught people’s imagination and studios and TV manufacturers alike are going to run with it. Obviously the goal is to drive technology and enhance the viewing experience. However the cynics among us including Mark Kermode believe 3D technology is just the latest technique to combat video piracy. To be honest he is probably right but if 3D technology can be pulled off it will be greeted with open arms by most of the viewing public.

Does this mean the death of 1080p Televisions? I very much doubt it. It will mean that the cost of getting a good full HD TV will further decrease which can only be a good thing. But for the majority of films having 1080p televisions is always going to best until the 3D technology has all the kinks ironed out. And of course the classics are not shot in 3D.

How the Technology works?

Like 1080p televisions each manufacturer will have its own patented technology for delivery of the 3d experience. And currently there are three main methods being employed.

Lenticular technology has been pioneered by Philips, and is available as of today. By utilizing a special lens these TV sets enable viewers to do away with the traditional glasses you will have seen in the cinema. The purpose of the lens is to send a different image to both your left and right eye. That is, your left eye will see a completely different image from your right eye, which will emulate your two eyes’ use of stereopsis (the process by which your eyes discern depth). The limitation of this technology is that in order to achieve the full effect you will need to sit directly in front of the TV set reducing the viewing angle. This could be limited in certain room setups.

Hyundai is developing passive glass technology this type of LCD monitor will allow both 2D and 3D images to be viewed. To watch the 3-D images, viewers will need to wear the traditional glasses in order to watch three dimensional media. This technology is essentially a smaller version of what you will have seen in the cinema. To achieve this TV has two overlapping images and the glasses have polarized lenses. Each lens is polarized so that it can see only one of the two overlapping images. Your brain will then do the rest.

The final technology is referred to as active glass similar in some respects to the passive glass system, except rather than the TV doing all work, the glasses do. The glasses synchronize with the refresh rate of the TV, and then they alternate the polarization of each lens, making the wearers of the glasses see 3-D images. With this technology, people could be watching a 2-D movie comfortably, and then at will switch the movie into 3-D. This type of monitor is being developed by Samsung and Mitsubishi. The downside to this is that the glasses that users will ware could be relatively expensive with predictions of around £50 could be limiting for some.

For the time being a better purchase would still be a good quality 1080p TV which will offer an exceptional viewing experience with a proven technology. However in a few years once the technology has matured 3D sets could feature in the majority of living rooms.

The sacred Tulja Bhavani Temple is home to Kulaswamini, Maharashtra’s patron deity.

Before delving into the significance of Tulja Bhavani, it must be mentioned that the temple’s MAHIMA (divine importance) increases manifold because of the legend of Tulja Bhavani herself gifting the sword to Shivaji, who worshipped her as ishta devta (interestingly, the word Devta is a feminine gender in Sanskrit!). With that sword Shivaji won every battle he participated in.

At the risk of sounding outright disdainful, this is a mere legend and this never happened. This form (Bhavani) of the goddess is rather ferocious. She vanquished Mahishasur (Mahish: Buffalo/Asur: Demon) and killed him. The temple now stands where the head of the demon is believed to have fallen. This is also a legend. But astha asthim mithyam na sarvate (when faith reigns supreme, falsehood is believed as truth).

Yet another legend associated with the place is that Shivaji’s arch rival Afzal Khan planned to destroy and desecrate the temple and mata’s idol. She came to the dream of the priest and advised him to shift her idol. So this rare ‘chala moorti’ (moving idol) is not fixed at one place.

Now comes philosophical interpretation of Tulja Bhavani and her raudra roop avtar (ferocious form). Hinduism, in its deity worship, believes that the god/goddess can serve all purposes and they’ve benevolent, benign as well as hard, harsh and harrowing forms. Hindu dharmshastra believes that as per the situation, the deity takes the avatar. Dushtaam nighranam devi asitu raudram (To defeat and punish the wayward, god/goddess takes a fearful avatar) and ‘Madhuram prrtyarthe devam asitu maardav’ (To bless the nice and good ones, god/goddesses becomes benign): In plain Hindi-Jaisa des/Vaisa bhes/Jaisa insaan/Vaisa Bhagwaan.

Tulja Bhavani is Maharashtra’s ishta devta. The historical accounts of the 3rd Battle of Panipat between Ahmadshah Abdali’s force and Marathas suggest that Maratha soldiers were invoking their battle goddess (Bhavani, esp. Tulja Bhavani). Alas, she didn’t come and Abdali’s marauding army just finished the Marathas. It was so one-sided that in Marathi, there’s still a derogatory phrase, ‘Panipat Jhala’ (Panipat happened) because almost every family from Maharashtra at that time, lost at least one male member in that battle that took place in 1761.

Tulja Bhavani somewhere has that image of Benevolent Ma Durga in the consciousness of Bengalis. When during Shaardiya Durgotsav, Ma Durga’s idol is made, she’s seen killing Mahishasur. But in Bengal, this raudra roop is juxtaposed with the daughter’s home-coming. There, she’s a daughter who comes home.

The religious legends, though always false, lend new and interesting dimensions. People with a religious bent of mind when visit Maharashtra, make it a point to visit Tulja Bhavani and seek her blessings. Tuljapur temple timings for visit are 4 am to 09:30 pm.

She’s also known as ‘warriors’ goddess’ (Veeranchi devi). Professor V S Sukhtankar, who edited Vedvyas’ original Mahabharat at Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona, opined that the phonetic sound of the very word BHAVANI evokes the images of something related to battle, war and battle-cry. It’s a combination of beatific and brute, benign and boisterous, bold and beautiful.

Sai Baba – 23 November 1926 – Life path 25/7

South Indian guru, religious leader and orator, described as a miracle worker, he is considered by his followers as an avatar (incarnation of a divine being) and the reincarnation of the Saint Sai Baba of Shirdi. The young ‘Sathyanarayana’ (Sathya), as he was called, was a vegetarian and was known for his aversion to animal cruelty and for his compassion for the poor, disabled and elderly.

Numerology

Chart:

3 – 6 – 9

22 – –

111- –

The 7 symbolizes Wisdom and Knowledge, Mysticism and Spirituality, through meditation and metaphysical study. Brilliant thinkers, they analyze, investigate and probe for hidden information as a matter of course. They seeks deeper truths in the world around them. As a result, they tend towards introspection and can appear aloof. They are also specialists and perfectionists. However, 7s can balance the pursuit of knowledge with compassion and human sensitivity. This combination inspires wisdom.

Sai Baba’s numerology also shows he is a ‘passive 7‘ which can mean being prone towards secrecy and emotional withdrawal, and even cunning.

He has two lines of strength:

The Line of the Intellect or Higher Self and The Line of the Planner. People with the first line can find creative solutions to problems, can organize their thoughts well, and inspire others with their insights about the universe around them. The second line means they demonstrate a good planning ability and are orderly, efficient and willing to cooperate to get things done.

The ’11’ in his birth date is a Master number and represents psychic ability and enhanced potential in terms of deeper truths. 11s can gain public attention and positions of influence where they can better pursue their visionary ideals. They can also be psychic healers, religious leaders, or be highly influential in sociological, political or ecological organizations.

Life Path 25/7: Primary issues for the 25/7 are trusting self and others, and discipline and focus. Most 25/7s have this clear-cut issue, which make sharing their feelings and revealing their vulnerability especially challenging. Due to subtle fears of being shamed or betrayed, they tend to draw back inside themselves emotionally or even physically. They may avoid intimate human relationships. Because of their world-class thinking abilities, 25/7s can find external success, but it is their inner processes that need their attention if they are to find happiness, rather than worldly pursuits.

Background

Sathyanarayana Raju was born to parents in a poor agrarian (farming) family in a remote village, Puttaparthi , located in Andhra Pradesh. An official four-volume biography, called a hagiography by the Daily Telegraph, written by Professor Narayana Kasturi, reported that his mother found herself pregnant after dreaming of the Hindu Lord Sathyanarayana Swamy, and after a huge sphere of blue light rolled in and made her faint. It is also believed that instruments played of their own accord in his household.

The young Sathya reportedly composed bhajans spontaneously (even as young as 8 years of age). A bhajan is a Hindu devotional song, often of ancient origin. Great importance is attributed to the singing of bhajans with Bhakti, i.e. loving devotion. (This is an act by which we feel closer to either our true self or to God).

Puttaparthi was originally a small village, but now houses an extensive University complex, a World Religions Museum that has won several international awards for design, a spiritual museum, a Planetarium, hill-view stadium, airport, railway station etc. Sathya Sai Baba resides much of the time in his main ashram, Prashanthi Nilayam (‘abode of highest peace’) at Puttaparthi. The daily program at Sai Baba’s ashrams usually begin with the chanting of ‘OM’ and a morning prayer (Suprabatham), followed by Veda Parayan (chanting of the Vedas), morning devotional songs and twice daily bhajans and darshans (appearance of Sai Baba to devotees).

Significantly, at darshans during October (the Dasara holidays) and November (his month of birth), Sai Baba walks among his followers and may interact with people, accept letters, materialize and distribute vibhuti (sacred ash) or call groups or individuals for interviews. Interviews are chosen solely by the guru’s discretion. Followers consider it a great privilege to get an interview and sometimes a single person, group or family will be invited for a private interview. People who receive such interviews may be startled by the materializations and the disclosures that Sathya Sai Baba as a clairvoyant reveals of their own lives.

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What’s your numerology like?

Who else’s numerology would you like to see?

More in the series:

– The Dalai Lama – see J.K. Rowling

– Uri Geller

– Kate Moss

– Jennifer Aniston

– Madonna

– Jeffrey Archer

– Margaret Thatcher

Email for a free numerology-astrology taster!

You can find out what really makes you tick with these ancient techniques that have been around for eons in the East but which have been buried, by science, in the West. Yet, they are more a science than just a mystical belief, being based on the teachings of the mathematician and philosopher, Pythagoras. It will tell you more about yourself than anything else you’ve ever known, and help in choosing the right path for you. Why live life without it?

“Start having the greatest love affair you ever had … with your Self”.

Many spiritual seekers have become acquainted with Mahavatar Babaji, and an artist’s conception of him, through Paramahansa Yogananda’s “Autobiography of a Yogi”. Some claim that this same Babaji was known as Hariakhan Baba, from the early 1800s till 1922, and that he reincarnated again in 1970, in a cave in northern India, looking much younger but changing dramatically over his fourteen year incarnation. Still others believe the real Maha Avatar Babaji is a different entity altogether; one who had a feminine body in his youth, which changed slowly into an image of a balding Willie Nelson, before he left his body in 1997. This Babaji claimed that both versions of Hariakhan Baba were disciples of him. So, who is the real Babaji? Or are they all just different manifestations of the one and only Babaji?

I personally have had a deep connection to old Hariakhan Babaji and young Haidakhan Babaji, as he came to be known. When my house burned down in 1987, a photo of old Hariakhan Babaji did not burn up. Then years later, when it was time to sell our rebuilt home due to divorce, I prayed deeply to young Babaji for his help, promising to come to his ashram in India, if the house sold. Banks would not finance our house, as it was off the grid with alternative energy, and that alone cut out over ninety -five percent of our potential buyer prospects. Miraculously, the house sold the next day and I was soon off to India, and to learn much more about Babaji.

As divine providence and karma would have it, I was given young Babaji’s favorite silver silk waist coat as my Christmas present, at his ashram in Haidakhan in 1994. This was a Christmas I would never forget in one of the holiest place on earth. Then I was given a reading by saint Shastraji, who lived with Babaji nearly every day for his fourteen year incarnation. He stated that Babaji had appeared to me three times already in this life and that I didn’t recognize him, but he would be coming again soon. I next attended the opening, full moon night of the 1995 Kumbha Mela festival at Allahabad, with ten million souls in attendance already! Here Babaji appeared to me as time stood still. He asked me in perfect English, “Are you having fun?” I couldn’t find my voice to answer back. Then he disappeared, leaving me totally blessed and bewildered. Yes, I was having fun! And now I felt like Babaji had totally blessed my trip to India and, in fact, my entire life, unbeknownst to me most of the time.

Years later, with the advent of our online cyberspace, I began researching everything I could find on Babaji. There is a lot out there and much seems contradictory and confusing. However, I’ve come to realize what Babaji stated, “I am no body and no thing.” Yogananda said, “Babaji is beyond human comprehension.” How true! I think the various forms of Babaji attract different kinds of disciples. To those who believe Babaji was a manifestation of Krishna and advocated Kriya yoga, he appears as the long haired image known as Kriya Babaji in Yogananda’s book. To those who believe Babaji is Lord Shiva incarnate, he appears as the two versions of Haidakhan Baba.I am still confused about the Willie Nelson version of Babaji and why nobody seems to know much about this incarnation. What little information there is, just doesn’t seem to add up, to me. However, I do feel that Babaji can manifest any form at will, including animals. It is his message that is important, not the body. This controversy will never be solved by any rational mind. To me, there is only One Living Eternal God in truth, simplicity and love. That is the Babaji and message that I feel, in my heart.

The number of people who regularly use online casinos is now at record levels. If you are interested in registering with a net based casino, there are a number of considerations and information you will need to be aware of and analyse. If you have never used such portals before, you may want to know what are live dealer casinos.

Live dealer casinos are now a big hit with online gamblers. In the past, if you were to play blackjack, poker, or bingo online, you would have been presented with the cards through an automated process. This took some of the enjoyment out of the activity. By opting for a live dealer casino, you can increase the excitement dramatically, as the various games will appear more realistic and lifelike.

Unlike the automated casinos, if the portal uses a live dealer you should be able to view them through a web cam. Being able to interact and speak with an actual dealer is of course a lot more desirable than always being left at the mercy of a computer program.

A dealer that is actually taking part and controlling the various games can pass on advice and interesting anecdotes that make the casino a lot more interesting to use. Also, you will have more confidence in the hands being dealt actually being random, when a computer program is involved you can never be sure whether the odds are unfairly stacked against you. A lot of gamblers make their bets and judgements based on the dealer. If you can see and speak with the man or woman that is spinning the wheel or dealing out the cards, you may stand a better chance of leaving the game with pockets full of cash.

Many casino portals have integrated new 3D avatar software, this is a step up from looking at a flat 2D board, but nevertheless still cannot match the feeling of interacting and viewing an actual human dealer. A live dealer casino is almost as realistic as attending a casino in person. It is believed that in the future, more casino portals while integrate live dealers into their games, as it seems that this is what most users prefer.

Before you register with any casino portal, check out what exactly is on offer. Apart from a real human dealer, it is also important to find a site that has desirable bonuses and special games.

We strongly recommend that you check the site is registered with a licensed gaming authority before making any deposit or registering your banking details.

When people think about Las Vegas, they visualize a bar with rich people with beautiful girls around them, gambling their money and partying all night. However, it is not only about that. No wonder fun is unlimited here, but also the crime rate here is quite high. A Las Vegas criminal defense attorney is thus a highly demanded individual. The job of a Las Vegas criminal defense lawyer is to help his client to get out of all the trouble. Court hearings are held and the judiciary decides whether the person is guilty or non guilty. However, before you enter the courtroom, you should be well aware with courtroom etiquette. After all, nothing can be more embarrassing than appearing as a manner less individual in front of the judge. Following are some guidelines that will help you to maintain good courtroom manners;

• Hygiene is the most primary of all manners. Of course, this must be something you would consider as the basic part, but this is as important as all the rest. Brush your teeth before the hearing, wear neat clothes and never smoke just a while before your session is to be held. Shave if you do not have a beard or a moustache.

• Dress up nicely. Your attire reflects your true personality. Although a suit and a tie would do, but is not necessary at all times. A crisp shirt, neatly tucked in would be a respectful avatar. Women should also dress up semi formal, just to denote respect to the court and the jury. Women should dress to stay modest and a little conservative, do not overdress or wear something that may be revealing.

• Respect the judge. Now this is not just limited to ‘all rise!’ You must never interrupt the judge. Let him/her speak and wait for your turn. The judge might interrupt you but for the sake of your impression on him/her you must not make that attempt. Also you should never argue with the judge. Remember, if he/she is saying something that is not in your favor, pleading and arguing will not move him.

• Always address the lawyers as “sir” and “ma’am”. As for the judge, never even think of addressing him/her without the title “your honor”. This is the only title you should address him/her with, “sir” or “ma’am” will not do.

• You must never speak unless you are asked to do so. Stay seated and quiet until you are called upon for the interrogation. Even though some people might interrupt the session to gain jury’s attention, this is not a sensible act.

• When you are being questioned, you should speak correctly and appropriately. Make use of courtesy words. Say thank you to the judge, but do not overdo it to make him/her annoyed. Use “yes” and “no”, instead of “yup” or “nope”. Also refer to lawyers with manners. For instance, use “Mr. Martin” instead of “Marty”.

• When you stand up for the judge, stand upright. Also you must not sit before the judge sits down.

• Turn off your cell phones or at least set them at silent mode when the hearing is about to be held. When you have to answer your phone, move out of the courtroom.

StarCraft 2 achievements are like the pokemons of this game. You gotta have them all! Although I’m not a big fan of those cartoons, this applies to me. Conquering all the achievements in SC 2 is my goal. However, some of them are extremely hard to get, so I’ve been working with a StarCraft 2 achievements guide.

Not many players give too much importance to these SC 2 feats of strength. To most, the multiplayer matches are rewarding enough. That’s why in this report I want to focus a little bit on the importance of achievements. I also have to admit, before I have started working with the StarCraft 2 achievements guide a friend recommended, I didn’t even see these aspects.

So, why are achievements important?

1. To get invited in elite teams.

StarCraft 2 achievements are like a resume. The more you have and the harder to obtain they are, the better the other players will look at you. If you’re going to search on various forums, you’ll see that there are team leaders that want to assemble elite teams but they require you to have certain achievements to join. If you have what it takes to join the pros, who knows? You might even win competitions and prizes.

2. To earn points.

Ok, currently SC 2 achievement points don’t purchase anything. So, why gather points if they’re, you know… pointless? Well, first of all, you never know when Blizzard is going to introduce something that can be purchased for those points. And secondly, the more points you have, the better for your battle.net profile.

3. To earn avatars and decals.

In WoW, you get titles that display in game, along with the title of your character by completing certain achievements. In StarCraft 2 it’s similar, but you don’t get in-game titles, you get avatars and decals. The avatars a icons that complete your name and battle.net profile. On the other hand, decals are emblems that will be shown in game, on various units or structures, which is pretty cool, if you ask me. And to be honest, I didn’t even know about the decals until I got the StarCraft 2 achievement guide I spoke about.

4. For your own self-esteem.

Although this might sound a little dumb, building your own self-esteem, at least as far as it concern this game, might just increase your chances of winning matches. If you start a game with the mentality of a winner, you’re already one step ahead your opponent, and one step in the direction of victory. Plus, it’s much better to get an achievement for a hard campaign, for example, then to get just nothing.

Now that you know how your SC 2 game experience will improve via achievements, you’d better get to work and… catch them all! If you get stuck on the tricky ones, consult a StarCraft 2 achievements guide. It helps.

So, are you stuck on SC 2 achievements?

What is Sneak Attack: Sneak Attack is a combo deck that utilizes the namesake card to cheaply bring out powerful creatures for a swing. Once the initial casting cost of 3R is paid, you can pay R to bring a creature card out of your hand with haste to swing at your opponent. However, the selected creature must be sacrificed at the end of turn. While this may sound like a downside, creature cards selected for this deck are either reshuffled, returned to hand, or even have benefits for being sacrificed. You may also win once a creature has successfully attacked.

To go for speed, or not to go for speed: Considering that Legacy has Force of Will, comboing as soon as possible is a huge risk of card disadvantage. General rule of thumb: “With big risks come big rewards”. If you sneak out the right creature early successfully, you can discard your opponent’s hand or kill them in one turn. If you fail, then you’ve spent your hand to lay down an enchantment and little or no land.

If you’re on the play and can combo out, by all means do so. Winning the game is enough of a risk to take with Force of Will being the only commonly played answer to a first-turn bull rush. However, once the opponent lays down his first land, you leave yourself open to Pithing Needle, Swords to Plowshares, or even Fog.

Delaying the Sneak Attack reduces the explosive power of the deck but increases the stability and vice-versa.

What are basic cards you should run:

Lands/Mana Accelerants:

• Ancient Tomb – The best, most stable option for two-colored lands in Sneak Attack unless you run Serra Avatar.
• City of Traitors – An alternative to Ancient Tomb, trading lessened stability for lack of damage repercussions.
• Crystal Vein – Versatile in that if you can go off early, you’ll have the two mana. If you can’t, then you have a stable source of a colorless mana.
• Dwarven Ruins – Like Crystal Vein, except producing R mana and entering the battlefield tapped.
• Sandstone Needle – ETBT (Enters the battlefield tapped). However, provides two R mana twice before being sacrificed.
• City of Brass – Taps for all colors at the cost of 1 life.
• Seething Song – Trade 3 mana for 5 mana.
• Rite of Flame – Accelerant that gets better as more copies enter the graveyard.
• Desperate Ritual – Trade 2 mana for 3 mana.
• Simian Spirit Guide – One-time R mana at the cost of RFGing this card from hand.
• Elvish Spirit Guide / Summoner’s Pact-Fetchable mana acceleration as well as minor deck thinning. Red is more vital than green however.
• Tinder Wall – Blocks + provides mana for when you’re sneaking.
• Dark Ritual – Trade 1 mana for 3 mana; however, it’s black.
• Cabal Ritual – Trade 2 mana for 3 mana (5 with threshold); again, black mana though.
• Pentad Prism – Accelerates/fixes mana, best used for 3+ color decks.
• Mox Diamond – Accelerates mana, but requires a land to go to the grave. Run it if you have plenty of lands to throw away (25 at least).
• Chrome Mox – Accelerates mana at the cost of 1 colored card in your hand.
• Ruby Medallion – Reduces the cost of R spells, meaning your rituals produce more R, your Sneak Attacks cost less, and you have more mana to Sneak Attack.

Color-Specific Utility Cards

• Stifle – Stops the EOT sacrifice trigger on Sneak Attack, keeping the creature in play.
• Trickbind – Same as Stifle except with split second.
• Magus of the Jar – Fetches more cards to use with Sneak Attack, but also does the same for the opponent.
• Rite of Consumption – Fling for B, plus provides some padding with life.
• Recurring Nightmare – Swaps creatures in play for creatures in the graveyard.
• Shallow Grave – Returns creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield for another swing.
• Fling – Deal direct damage with a creature you’re going to sacrifice EOT anyway.
• Blazing Shoal – Provide that last extra bit of oomph for the killing blow.
• Final Fortune – Couldn’t deal lethal damage this turn? Try again next turn.
• Gamble – Red tutor, while risky, provides a way to stick to mono-red in Sneak Attack.
• Through the Breach- One-time Sneak Attack.
• Weird Harvest – Search for creatures you want to sneak out.
• Kavu Lair – Get a one-time draw for sneaking out a powerful creature.
• Regrowth – Return a spent card to your hand.
• Berserk – Double the power of a creature for a fatal swing.
• Survival of the Fittest – Search for critters to sneak out.
• Living Wish – Allows you to run a creature toolbox.
• Xantid Swarm – Guarantees you to not get a Sneak Attack countered.
• Academy Rector – Search for a Sneak Attack enchantment.
• False Prophet – Clear the field of creatures when this card leaves play.
• Serum Powder – Increases the chances of getting a godly starting hand.

Bread and Butter Creatures

• Magus of the Jar – Refill your hand with more accelerants and creatures.
• Hoverguard Sweepers – Bounce up to two creatures to swing in again next turn, including itself.
• Sakashima the Imposter – Take a hint from Extended combos and use Sakashima to copy nonlegendary creatures.
• Body Double – Use this to copy a spent creature, or try copying a Phage the Untouchable in your graveyard for the win.
• Dragon Tyrant – Double-striking + firebreathing can boost this up to 20 damage.
• Crater Hellion – Clear the board of creature swarms
• Dragon Mage – Restock your hand and your opponents; considering your hand would be spent, this gives you an advantage
• Bogardan Hellkite – Deal 5 direct damage and
• Kilnmouth Dragon – With a handful of dragons, this has the potential to be a 20/20.
• Rorix Bladewing – Cheap dragon to sneak out as well as being able to be hardcast.
• Arc-Slogger – A backup win condition should the Sneak Attack attempts fail.
• Weatherseed Treefolk – Returns to hand after sneaking out.
• Genesis – Reuse spent creatures with this in your graveyard.
• Symbiotic Wurm – Swings for damage and leaves behind saprolings.
• Penumbra Wurm – Swings for damage and leaves behind a powerful creature.
• Thorn Elemental – Swings for full damage despite despite being blocked.
• Tornado Elemental – Like Thorn Elemental, except with one less P/T and a flyer-clearing ability.
• Woodfall Primus – Destroys two noncreature permanents with Sneak Attack courtesy of persist.
• Serra Avatar – One of the pioneers of the Sneak Attack deck, getting this out early enough kills your opponent.
• False Prophet – Clears the board once it leaves play. An alternative to Crater Hellion.
• Academy Rector – Tutors for Sneak Attack or Survival of the Fittest.
• Progenitus – Usually a guaranteed 10 damage.
• Nicol Bolas – Another pioneer of Sneak Attack, discards your opponent’s hand when it goes through.
• Angel of Despair – Blows up a permanent when it enters play.
• Darksteel Colossus – 11/11 trample that goes back in your library, nothing too special.
• Sundering Titan – While this may end up destroying your mountains, this will also hurt your opponents land base greatly should they run basics.

Some types of Sneak Attack decks to try:

Straight Mono-R Sneak Attack– No cute tricks, just accelerating into Sneak Attack to bring out creatures.

Mono-R Sneak Attacking Dragons – Amplify Kilnmouth Dragon as much as possible, and bring out a Dragon Tyrant should that not be enough.

Survival Sneak Breakfast – Use Survival to get a Phage the Untouchable in your graveyard, then Sneak Attack out a Body Double for the win. Academy Rector would work great here in addition to control elements.

Flinging Progenitus – Sneak attack out a Progenitus for 10 damage, then Fling it at your opponent for an additional 10.

Reanimating Sneak Attack – Use reanimation after sneaking monsters out for another round of beats.

Sneak Attack is the perfect deck for players who like to take high risks and win in the beginning rounds of a game.