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How To Read Someone's MindS
Impress your friends and terrify your enemies, by pretending to read anyone's mind. It's not as hard as it looks — there are some well-worn tricks that can make you appear telepathic. Screw magicians and their lame fire tricks — we're way more impressed with someone who can guess your favorite movie just by staring into your eyes.
We spoke with Las Vegas' resident Mentalist Gerry McCambridge and he broke down the basic steps to wowing people with your powers of telepathy.
McCambridge, who has spent the last 7 years at The Planet Hollywood reading throngs of tourists, doesn't just pull information from your brain — he'll also tell you exactly how he got there as well. So we asked him to break down his methods step by step.
Select the right subject.
You can't just grab any old victim for a good mind sucking off the street. Rather, you should select your prey delicately. McCambridge elaborates:
"Some people want to be the center of attention. So, if I'm asking for people to come up on stage a lot of times it's those type of people. And they tend not to be the best assistants because they want to have their 15 minutes of fame at my expense. So I'm looking for people who may not come up on stage at the drop of a hat, but aren't [so] overly shy that they're going to stay in the audience. The first thing I'm looking for is somebody who is smiling and laughing at the jokes that I'm putting out there. There you have someone who wants to interact. Then you have the over-responders and that's someone I don't want necessarily right away. That's what you look for first, the type person."
Mirror the subject (make them comfortable).
Once you've snared your subject, woo them into a sense of security, by mimicking their ways.
"Make sure you try something that they are comfortable with. Do you have any artistic abilities? Then you can do something where you using drawing. You feel them out based on what you're going to ask them to do. Then you use an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) technique called mirroring. Where you get them comfortable with you by mirroring the way that they're responding to you. People can pick up on that and they feel more relaxed around someone they feel is close to them. If they're a shy person and you're loud and obnoxious, they're not going to feel comfortable standing next to you. If they are a little shy and you back off and act a little timid yourself, introduce yourself nicely, it puts everybody at ease."
Know the statistics.
Know your stuff. In order to become and excellent Mind Reader, you need to up on the latest trends and tendencies of the mind. McCambridge has spent years documenting his shows, taking notes of the different ages of people in the audience, the cars parked in the parking lots, what kind of event it was. And he makes good use of all this statistical data.
"I know statistically how people are going to respond to certain situations. When I offer you a choice of 4 different objects I know 92% of the time you're going to choose the third one on your own. When you tell someone to think of a number between 1 and 10, statisically they are going to gravitate towards 7. If you ask someone to respond to a question very quickly, that changes the response. If I asked you to think of a color very quickly 1, 2, 3 — red is the statistical first choice. Blue is the second choice. If you ask for a color quickly, people go for red. If you ask for a color and you give someone a three or four second space, they will go for blue, because they will change their mind thinking red is the obvious choice."
Look for signs.
But you've got to be aware of basic responses!
"Look for reactions. For example [something I might try] is instruct the person to respond to what I say with the word no. No matter what I say, you respond with no. Then I'll say think of a number between 1 to 10, and I ask is it the number 1? No. The number 2? No. We go through the entire thing with No and I tell them that it's the number 6 because of the fact that they looked at me different when they were actually lying to me. They couldn't make eye contact [or something similar to that]."
Utilize the body.
Learn the art of muscle reading.
"Without the people realizing it, I'm touching them in a very relaxed way that they don't realize what I'm doing. Based on the questions that I'm asking them, I can tell what the answers are by feeling the difference in their muscles. You body echoes what your brain thinks. And I've learned how to pick up on the echoes. An example is I tell the person to think of a letter in the alphabet, and then the audience sing the Alphabet Song. By the time their finished I can tell what letter they have because the second the audience said their letter, their brain thinks to itself "that's it!" That changes the physiological response in your body and I can pick that up, it's different than the other 25 letters."
Don't be afraid to admit failure.
If you fall flat on your face, pick up and try again. The audience will love you even more for it.
"[If the trick doesn't work] I usually try it a second time. If it's an important part of the show I may send the person back to their seat and say, 'OK let's try something else.' There is no sure-fire way, things go wrong, it actually adds more credibility to the show when the audience sees that sometimes it fails. What a mentalist does, it doesn't always work, and that's OK. "
The easiest trick in the book.
We'll tell you the name of the trick after you do it, because it spoils the reveal!
• Pick a number between 1 and 10.
• Multiply it by 9.
• If it's a 2 digit number, add them together.
• Now subtract 5.
• Map the result to a letter of the alphabet, where A=1, B=2 and so on.
• Think of a country which begins with that letter.
• Take the second letter of the country and think of an animal which begins with that letter.
• Think of the color of that animal.
• Are you thinking of a grey elephant from Denmark?
Obviously this is titled the Grey Elephant from Denmark. We tried this on 3 people in the office and, one out of three guessed Grey Elephant. Our suggestion, do it in big group and the odds will be in your favor.
Here's a clip of Gerry in action. Check him out over at his Mentalist website or live at the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.
Top image via Notre Cinema.
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I'll preface this with I don't know if anyone else who's been programming as long as I have actually has this problem, but at the very least, the answer might help someone with less xp.
I just stared at this code for 5 minutes, thinking I was losing my mind that it didn't work:
var usedNames = new HashSet<string>();
Func<string, string> l = (s) =>
for (int i = 0; ; i++)
var next = (s + i).TrimEnd('0');
if (!usedNames.Contains(next))
return next;
Finally I noticed I forgot to add the used name to the hash set.
Similarly, I've spent minutes upon minutes over omitting context.SaveChanges().
I think I get so distracted by the details that I'm thinking about that some really small details become invisible to me - it's almost at the level of mental block.
Are there tactics to prevent this?
update: a side effect of asking this was fixing the error it would have for i > 9 (Thanks!)
var usedNames = new HashSet<string>();
Func<string, string> name = (s) =>
string result = s;
for (int i = 1; ; result = s + i++)
if (!usedNames.Contains(result))
return result;
share|improve this question
Why are you calling .TrimEnd('0')? What happens when you get up to 10? – SLaks Oct 31 '11 at 17:28
Kind of like asking: Is a way to prevent me from doing subtraction when I meant to do addition? – mikerobi Oct 31 '11 at 17:28
I find explaining the algorithm to someone else, will quickly make me realise where I've gone wrong. – Ray Oct 31 '11 at 17:31
@Slaks - good point - its so the first iteration doesn't doesn't append a number - it won't make it to 10 :) – Aaron Anodide Oct 31 '11 at 17:31
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migrated from stackoverflow.com Nov 25 '11 at 6:31
This question came from our site for professional and enthusiast programmers.
4 Answers
up vote 6 down vote accepted
A unit test likely would've / should've caught this omission.
Assert.AreEqual("NEXT", obj.GetNextName("NEXT"));
Assert.AreEqual("NEXT1", obj.GetNextName("NEXT"));
It would also catch the likely bug you'll have when i = 10.
Assert.AreEqual("NEXT9", obj.GetNextName("NEXT"));
/* your TrimEnd call could be a bug */
Assert.AreEqual("NEXT10", obj.GetNextName("NEXT"));
Test-driven development is proactive by its definition. In your example, you would immediately see that it wasn't working as designed and you would get feedback as to what it was returning.
share|improve this answer
add comment
You could ask someone else to look over your code.
share|improve this answer
add comment
Experience is the best defense here.
Over time, you should become more adept at spotting these omissions from the observed behavior.
(You should also become more adept at not making them in the first place)
Stepping through the code line-by-line in the debugger should also highlight what's missing.
share|improve this answer
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I personally find it helpful to describe my methods in comments before writing the implementation code. That way, if I forget something, or if someone else picks it up in two weeks time, they will know what was 'supposed' to happen and should be able to implement it themselves without needing to some and ask me!
MyMethod() {
//setup vars
//perform complex function
//set flag for something or other
//save changes
It won't prevent the 'I've made an error in the algorithm' type issues, unless you really go low level with the commenting, but it should prevent the 'forgotten to save changes' type errors.
share|improve this answer
its funny, i stopped doing that when i got wind that hip developers don't comment every line - but it's probably something that would help me to go back to – Aaron Anodide Oct 31 '11 at 17:49
There is a fine line between commenting things for the sake of it and adding useful annotation, but I try to think of it like a comment interface, if you will! That way when I satisfy my comment contracts I may remove them, but sometime they are useful for others to see what was going through my mind at the time! – dougajmcdonald Oct 31 '11 at 18:12
@Gabriel Also, nothing personal as I'm aware you're not making this statement. But from a personal perspective I resent the arrogance of certain developers who make comments like 'A good developer should just 'understand the code'' and the such like, in my opinion, anything which makes code easier to understand when you come back to it in say 2 years time, is worth adding in. It should save time/money in the long run. This is especially true in team environments when experience levels in certain areas may vary vastly. – dougajmcdonald Oct 31 '11 at 18:15
You picked up on the undercurrent of my comment - I jokingly think to myself that "EDD", ego driven development, will be the next big thing :) – Aaron Anodide Oct 31 '11 at 18:23
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Your Answer
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http://programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/121657/how-do-you-proactively-guard-against-errors-of-omission
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mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet
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Human Backbone?
Human back bone is a column consisting of 24 vertebrae and nine fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is separated by intervertebral discs and is located in the torso. It protects and houses the spinal cord in its spinal canal.
1 Additional Answer Answer for: what is a human backbone
Vertebral Column
The spinal cord links the brain to the body. Without it, the brain would not be able to receive sensory data or communicate commands to the body. More »
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It depends on how tall the person is. The spinal column varies widely depending on a person's height (specifically how long the person's torso is)
The vertebral column consists of 24 vertebrae. Regions of the column
Education. In other words, doing whatever is possible to provide large numbers of individuals with the tools to discover the truth about the world for themselves, thereby promoting
The spine is divided into four parts (going from the head to the low back) Cervical: 7 vertebrae Thoracic: 12 vertebrae Lumbar: 5 vertebrae Sacrum: 5 vertebrae, fused There are newer
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There are 33 vertebrae in the human backbone. These vertebrae are irregularly shaped bones. There are five categories of vertebrae in the backbone, divided by ...
The human spine, also known as backbone, is made up of components called vertebrae. The spine contains 33 of these components and is used as a messaging system ...
The human back bone, which is also known as the spine is strong as well as flexible, and it plays a major role as part of the human skeleton that protects the ...
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http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-a-human-backbone
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| 0.92994
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News your connection to The Boston Globe
The Most Authentic Restaurants
Indian, Greek, Mexican, Thai, Italian, and more
(Globe Staff Photo / Wendy Maeda)
With the city awash in ethnic eateries, we set out to discover who really cooks it up right - whose shepherd's pie tastes straight from an Irish farmhouse kitchen, whose shredded pork in garlic sauce captures the genuine flavors of Shanghai, whose salmon tagine mimics true Moroccan cooking, whose tomato sauce is spot-on Sardinian, whose brown bread and baked beans would make longtime New Englanders proud. Hit these 29 restaurants, and take a virtual trip around the world.
Italian, Northern and Southern
Purists argue there is no true northern or southern Italian cuisine, only regional cuisine. Still, some generalizations can be made: Fare from the north favors rich cream sauces; the south tends to tomato-based toppings. Mamma Maria in the North End eschews red sauce, so we're calling it our northern Italian pick. It excels in offering traditional dishes. The elegantly decorated dining rooms, including one with space for just one table, cover two floors of a brick row house. Standouts include a perfect plate of salumi (cured meats) topped with delicious bread salad, a traditionally Tuscan dish of rabbit and hand-cut pappardelle, and osso buco with Milanese-style saffron risotto. The chocolate torte with mint gelato is a transcendent finish. Don't shy away from the schlocky name; Mamma Maria is as close as you'll get to northern Italian cooking the way it's meant to be done.
A wonderful example of southern Italian cooking (really, southwestern, specifically Sardinian) can be found at Maurizio's, a North End restaurant with dining on two floors. You'll find ingredients native to Sardinia, like the pecorino Sardo, a sheep's milk cheese. Tilapia is served the Sardinian way, baked with Parmesan cheese on top. A pasta dish features a delicious combination of ground beef, lamb, and veal in a red-wine-and-tomato sauce with malloreddus - a small gnocchilike shell-shaped pasta made here with a saffron flavoring; the wonderful osso buco is served with lentils (saffron and lentils both are compliments of Sardinia's Arab invaders). The dolci list is short and honey-sweet, as it would be back on the sensible little island that inspired it.
Mamma Maria, 3 North Square, Boston, 617-523-0077,; Maurizio's, 364 Hanover Street, Boston, 617-367-1123
Indian, Northern and Southern
Indian cooking differs radically from region to region: Northern India is famous for its tandoori dishes, tomatoey curries, and flat-breads like nan and paratha; southern Indian food is mostly vegetarian, with creamy, often coconut-based sauces and condiments, and is usually served with some form of rice. Almost all of the Indian restaurants in the Boston area offer northern Indian food, with a few regional dishes thrown in. A great choice is Cafe of India in Harvard Square, where the tandoori chicken is succulent and done to a turn - no easy feat. Its saucy, mostly northern Indian curries are also quite good: the chicken tikka masala is tangy and complex, and the lamb dishes, like the rogan josh, are meltingly tender and flavorful.
In Billerica, Masalaa Boston offers vegetarian dishes from the entire subcontinent but has plenty of south Indian options. Everything we've tried at this unassuming eatery has been fabulous, and the banana leaf-lined plates are a charming touch. The south Indian fare includes silky vegetable chetti-nadu curry, masala dosas (crispy crepes made of rice and lentil flour, stuffed with chunks of spicy potatoes), and fried idly (steamed rice patties sauteed with onions and spices). Other clear winners are the palak paneer (verdant, smoky with cumin, and studded with chunks of farmers' cheese) and malai kofta curry (tender vegetable dumplings bathed in a rich cream-and-cashew sauce).
Cafe of India, 52A Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617-661-0683,; Masalaa Boston, 786 Boston Road/Route 3A, Billerica, 978-667-3443
New England
To qualify as offering the area's most authentic New England cuisine, a restaurant must use typical regional ingredients - cranberries, squash, maple syrup, corn - prepared in ways instantly recognizable as ours. The Fireplace, with owner and Brooklyn native Jim Solomon tending the hearth, is such a place. True, it's not a bastion of history like those other restaurants whose names are part of the city's culinary lore, but its menu is rife with New England classics. Here you can find squash bisque with leeks, grilled-chicken-and-corn chowder, roast turkey with mushroom bread pudding, maple-glazed pork ribs, and apple-cranberry crisp. Add a wood-burning fireplace in the dining room, with fire-roasted meats to boot, and that's good enough for us.
The Fireplace, 1634 Beacon Street, Brookline, 617-975-1900,
Tu y Yo outside Somerville's Davis Square is where transplants from Mexico come to get their fix. This colorful family-style restaurant, called a fonda in Mexico, is where you'll find such delicacies as cuitlacoche, the addictively earthy corn fungus sometimes described as a Mexican truffle. It's where you'll find a deep, rich, complex mole verde, proving that in true Mexican cooking, mole doesn't necessarily include chocolate. This is not where you'll find a burrito, a strictly-for-the-gringos invention. The entrees fall under the heading "Mom's Cuisine," and next to each dish is the name of the recipe author and year. The presence of cuitlacoche depends on the owners' sources in Mexico, so it's not always available, but when it is, a must-try is the pollo Yunkaax (the Aztec god of maize), chicken stuffed with the corn fungus and covered in spinach sauce.
Tu y Yo, 858 Broadway, Somerville, 617-623-5411,
As soon as you enter Tangierino, you feel transported. Gauzy curtains divide the restaurant into sections, with seating available on couches and chairs, lighting provided by candles and decidedly dim (which makes menu reading a challenge), and Moroccan music playing in the background (and sometimes the foreground). Complimentary homemade Moroccan bread - chewy and soft-crusted, seasoned with fennel seeds - whets your appetite, along with light, lemony hummus and an olive puree. Authentic appetizers include harira, a chickpea-and-lentil soup tangy with lemon, tomatoes, parsley, and cilantro; it's served with a carved wooden spoon "like my grandmother had," claims a Moroccan native who once dined with us. A characteristic of Moroccan food is a combination of sweet with savory, as in the b'stila, flaky phyllo pastry filled with ground chicken and almonds, spiced with cinnamon, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. There is a wide choice of tagines, named for the domed clay pots in which they're cooked. A salmon tagine is redolent of cilantro, preserved lemon, and olives. For dessert, the authentic option is limited to a pastry tray of three: a fig turnover, a biscot-tilike cookie called fekkas, and a rose-water-scented baklava (the best of the bunch).
Tangierino, 83 Main Street, Charlestown, 617-242-6009,
Agni Charalambous Thurner, our Greek Cypriot friend, was skeptical the first time we took her to Ithaki Mediterranean Cuisine. Many Greek restaurants adapt their specialties for an American audience. But this Ipswich eatery, housed in a low white building and decorated with sunny Mediterranean colors and grand floral arrangements, doesn't veer when it comes to the classics. The dolmadakia, rolled grape leaves stuffed with savory ground beef and rice, are served with an intense avgo-lemono, the traditional egg-lemon sauce. "This is thickened just with eggs," says Thurner, "and it isn't heavy." The cinnamon-scented moussaka, layered eggplant slices and ground lamb (miraculously not oily), with a rich bechamel topping, is crusty in its terra-cotta dish. A dessert called galaktoboureko, an eggy custard in phyllo pastry that is all air and richness, is hard to find well-made anywhere. Alas, about a third of the menu is centered on other Mediterranean cultures. Authenticity reigns at Ithaki if you decide to eat like Homer.
Ithaki Mediterranean Cuisine, 25 Hammatt Street, Ipswich, 978-356-0099,
Boston has a particularly egregious dearth of authentic Spanish restaurants, though that may soon change, as the new BarLola recently started serving tapas in the Back Bay and Ken Oringer's take on the cuisine, Toro, is set to open this fall in the South End. For now, Taberna de Haro in Brookline is as close as it gets. The airy little yellow-walled place radiates a Spanish spirit of conviviality and an infectiously energetic approach to food and wine that puts to shame what passes for tapas at other faux-Mediterranean restaurants. At Taberna de Haro, the menu draws a distinction between raciones, meant to serve three or four diners a bite or two each, and pinchos, traditionally a finger-sized portion for one but here a little bigger. The glory is in the flavors, from the fiery sauce draping the patatas bravas (potatoes), to the smoky-sweet chorizo braised in hard cider, to the tender pulpo a la gallega (octopus) with potatoes, olive oil, and pimenton. While the best-known Spanish restaurants in the area have barely changed their menus in years, Taberna de Haro introduces new items and specials regularly. That's perhaps the truest Spanish quality of all.
Taberna de Haro, 999 Beacon Street, Brookline, 617-277-8272
Sit at one of the well-worn tables (perhaps the one with an Emerald Isle expletive carved in it) at Matt Murphy's Pub in Brookline Village and just wait for one of the brisk waitresses to call you "luv." Have a midday meal of hearty oxtail soup or a plowman's lunch of spiced beef with pickles and brown soda bread. At dinner- time, consider one of these favorites: The shepherd's pie boasts tender lamb and a crisp potato crust, and the rabbit potpie is served with a crunchy rabbit leg and fruit chutney. It's food you would find in Irish farmhouse kitchens.
Matt Murphy's Pub, 14 Harvard Street, Brookline, 617-232-0188,
When we think of authentic food, we think of dishes made the same way for generations. But cuisine changes with the times. The monthly specials at Oga's Japanese Cuisine in Natick, one of the few sushi spots around that is actually Japanese-owned, showcase the ways that food is evolving in modern Japan. Sushi master Toru Oga creates miniature tableaus on the plate - one month it may be a checkerboard design of maguro (deep red tuna), yam, and seaweed dolloped with mullet roe. Kobe beef may show up as delicate and delectable carpaccio topped with pine nuts or as a hefty steak topped with amazingly fragrant Japanese mushrooms. Mushrooms might also pop up on skewers with scallops, shrimp, and zucchini, to be cooked by the diner on a hot stone. If only traditional sushi will do, Oga and his chefs do a stellar job of that, too, spinning out fantasies of sparkling fresh sashimi and elaborate maki rolls. Though the rest of the seating is comfortable, the best treat comes if you successfully angle for a spot along the bar to watch the chefs work. You could almost be in Toyko.
Oga's Japanese Cuisine, 915 Worcester Road, Natick, 508-653-4338,
If you're looking for something on the lighter side, keep right on walking past this Dorchester institution. But if it's stick-to-the-ribs braised or fried foods you crave, Chef Lee's II Soul Food is where it's at. The food is served with a generous hand and a warm smile, from smothered chicken livers to fried pork chops, from pig's feet to oxtails. The sides are what you'd expect for classic Southern fare - collards, black-eyed peas, beans and rice, candied yams, and more. Expect a long line at lunch, when the regulars patiently wait their turn at this cafeteria-style joint. (But while you're waiting, check out the impressive photo gallery of African-American luminaries like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Martin Luther King Jr.) Then grab a seat at one of the tables by the window, or get your grub to go. Either way, be prepared to have little room left for dessert but plenty of cash left in your wallet. It's good eats - and cheap.
Chef Lee's II Soul Food, 554 Columbia Road, Dorchester, 617-282-2243
Wonderfully authentic food can be found at Fasika Ethiopian Restaurant. Don't let the seen-better-days exterior deter you from entering. Inside, you can choose from two seating areas: The front of the restaurant offers standard tables and chairs, while the back features low-backed chairs and mesobs, woven wicker tables less than 2 feet in diameter. On the mesob, your server will place a platter of injera, a huge spongy pancake, atop of which sits the entrees your table has ordered. You'll also receive a side of more injera. Tear off a bit and use it to scoop up your dinner. Fasika makes its injera the authentic way with teff, a tiny grain in the millet family that is high in protein and has a slightly sourdough flavor. The pancake is a perfect foil to the spicy meat, bean, or vegetable stews, such as misir wet, red lentils seasoned with a chili mixture called berbere. An appetizer salad, timatim fitfit, is an Ethiopian version of a bread salad - torn bits of injera are tossed with tomato and lemon juice. If you're up for it, end your meal the traditional way: with coffee and kitfo, a spiced beef tartare.
Fasika Ethiopian Restaurant, 23 South Huntington Avenue, Jamaica Plain, 617-731-3833
Thailand-born Dan Tanabat - co-owner with three other Thais of Patou Thai in Belmont - spent years at a Texas country club (where he learned the customer was never wrong) while training in hospitality at a local college there, finished his schooling at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, and then opened this elegant restaurant. At first glance of the menu, you see all the curries you might find at any of a number of Thai places and, of course, pad Thai. But look closer. There is nothing ordinary here, and it's all wonderfully authentic. (The furthest Patou ventures from his country's classic cuisine is a pan-seared halibut in red curry sauce, made with typical ingredients but presented in a more stylish fashion than Tanabat sees at home.) Our favorites include a vinegary salad with shrimp topped with slender strands of crunchy green papaya that are addictively good. Garden rolls have such thin skins that you can see through them to the big flat leaves of Thai basil rolled up with rice vermicelli, chicken, and crunchy vegetables. The cooks in the kitchen make a wonderful creation for themselves - tiny pieces of halibut skin dropped into the deep-fat fryer until they curl and crunch - that Tanabat sends out to regular diners. This is a dish that fishermen's families ate, because after they sold the fish, the skin was all that remained. You can't get closer to authentic than that.
Patou Thai, 69 Leonard Street, Belmont, 617-489-6999
Kosher, Ashkenazic and Sephardic
In the world of kosher cuisine, two traditions have evolved: Ashkenazic, that is, European-style cooking, and Sephardic, the cuisine of Jews from primarily Middle Eastern and North African countries. For classic Ashkenazic food, head to Rubin's Kosher Restaurant Delicatessen in Brookline. The ambience is nothing special - with Formica tables and vinyl booths - but the menu is overwhelming. All the traditional items are offered, from chopped liver to chicken soup with kreplach (a dumpling filled with ground beef) to slow-cooked brisket. Best are the New York deli-style sandwiches (on rye or pumpernickel, of course) stuffed with lean corned beef, hot pastrami, tongue, or smoked turkey breast. And the nondairy "cheese" cake is surprisingly good.
Rami's, just a few blocks down the street from Rubin's, serves up terrific Sephardic Israeli kosher cuisine. The menu is small, but what the restaurant does it does very well: hummus, falafel, baba ganoush, and Israeli salad made with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled cabbage. The house specialty is shawarma, meat - in this case, marinated turkey - layered onto a spit and slow cooked with spices; it's sliced to order and finished on the grill. There's also kebab, oblongs of ground beef seasoned with garlic and parsley. Enjoy with a can of mango juice for a true kosher Israeli experience. You order at the counter, and there are a handful of tables.
Rubin's Kosher Restaurant Delicatessen, 500 Harvard Street, Brookline, 617-731- 8787,; Rami's, 324 Harvard Street, Brookline, 617-738-3577
No local place re-creates a little slice of France better than Craigie Street Bistrot, in a residential area just outside of Harvard Square. Perhaps it's the warm, restful, efficient atmosphere. It could be the friendly staff, which really know its French cuisine. It certainly is the fine wines and the food - from the ethereal green garlic nage in a coquillage of mussels, crab, and Maine shrimp to the velvety braised pig tails over Puy lentils to the succulent veal sweet-breads with black truffle shavings. Chef-owner Tony Maws exhibits exacting French cooking techniques and dedication to his fresh ingredients. The menu changes daily and reflects the best of the market. Maws's perfectionism recalls the legendary and exacting 17th-century French chef Vatel - and you almost shudder to think what might happen should the fish delivery not arrive.
Craigie Street Bistrot, 5 Craigie Circle, Cambridge, 617-497-5511,
The Monzer family from Beirut opened Reef Cafe almost two years ago, offering the cooking of Lebanon prepared by mother Mariam. The small restaurant boasts a large television turned to an Arabic station. The food, says son Salam, "is very homemade." Mariam makes the laban, a thick yogurtlike cream, from scratch, along with the traditional white garlic sauce, a potent mixture whipped from lots of garlic and oil. Her chicken-and-potato stew, barely seasoned so you reach for the garlicky sauce, is served with rice, slender spears of pink turnip pickles, and chopped salad. One of the most unusual items on the menu is a grassy bowl of soup made with lentils simmered in water with potatoes, onions, and celery and flecked with chopped hearty greens. You can imagine centuries of women stirring this simple, flavorful pot.
In a strip mall across from Randolph High School, Tony and Tammy Do run the year-old Pho So 1 Boston. He makes the soups (the famous Vietnamese pho) while she serves the customers or makes dishes like the crisp salads topped with shrimp or poultry and grilled meats served on glassy vermicelli or steamed rice. The sour ground-pork spring rolls have a gutsy and piquant filling of vinegary salad with a sausagey pork nugget. Like the rolls, other dishes have touches not often found at Vietnamese eateries. Chicken noodle pho is aromatic with gingerbread spices and deep brown from beef stock. Besides the traditional bun, a mound of rice noodles topped with shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, and grilled meats, Pho So 1 Boston offers "rice on a plate," a dozen variations of grilled succulent meats - such as honey-coated chicken thighs - on rice with crisp vegetables. Tony Do's parents, Huong and Thu, own a restaurant by the same name in Dorchester; when the family moved to Randolph and saw the large Asian community there, they decided to open another one. The only variation from the cooking of their homeland are a few Chinese dishes, which Tammy says they make for some customers who don't want to try real Vietnamese food.
Pho So 1 Boston, 51 Memorial Parkway, Randolph, 781-961-6500
Bacalhau, or salt cod, is the definitive food of Portugal, so much of a staple that it's sometimes referred to as "o fiel amigo," the faithful friend. At O'Cantinho in Cambridge, bacalhau is on the menu, to be sure. It appears baked with caramelized onions, fried as little cakes, and stuffed into sandwiches. But it's just the beginning of the definitively Portuguese dishes served here. Fava beans are stewed to tenderness and laced with slices of the garlicky sausage linguica. Soft white cheese is drizzled with a tangy red vinaigrette and set beside slices of spicy ham. And almost all of the entrees showcase the country's abundant seafood, like stews of shellfish or pork loin with clams. But what really makes it feel as if you're in Portugal is the warm atmosphere. The saffron-colored room is cozily small and decorated with blue-and-white pottery, the owner's children hang out here during the day, and the waitress won't let you take your leftover arroz de mariscos (seafood-studded saffron rice) home unless you promise to refrigerate it promptly. One of O'Cantinho's sister restaurants, Atasca on Broad- way, recently closed; to fill the void, O'Cantinho has added a wider-ranging dinner menu and a short but sweet selection of beer and Portuguese wines. What a faithful friend.
O'Cantinho, 1128 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, 617-354-3443
You know you're in Turkish heaven when the cooks prepare eggplant in dozens of ways, each more inventive and delicious than the next. At Family Restaurant Brookline, the purple-skinned fruits can be ordered, for example, pureed and creamy (for spreading on the homemade bread), cooked with tomatoes to make a cold salad, or stuffed with ground meat for a striking entree - all dishes with roots firmly in the Ottoman Empire. This modest Brookline Village eatery for many years was a dinerlike restaurant where hearty breakfasts and ordinary American fare reigned (hence the name). When Turkish owners took over, they kept the name and the breakfast and lunch menus, but added their kebabs and other specialties. So you don't know where you've landed until you taste the eggplant and Turkish dishes. The famous adana kebab, delectable ground lamb pressed onto skewers, comes with a pool of yogurt sauce mixed with croutons. Warm cheese pitas are housemade, spread with feta cheese and shaped into ovals so they look like golden boats with creamy tops. A peasant dish of green beans, simmered with tomatoes and lamb until the beans have practically melted, could only be served at a place without any pretense. The kind waitresses struggle with English, but they're patient and happy to explain their cuisine. Many dishes are garnished with a single hot pepper and whole tomato, both lightly charred. Turkish food is a delightful mixture of aromatics, rich meats, crisp salads, long-cooked vegetables, mild heat, and intense flavors. Sip a cold Turkish beer and huddle over the aromas as they're sent from the kitchen, and you could mistake this place for Istanbul.
Family Restaurant Brookline, 305 Washington Street, Brookline, 617-277-4466
In a Korean restaurant, one authenticity test is the panchan, or little side dishes that come with the meal. New Jang Su, in a nondescript strip mall in Burlington, passes this test, and others, beautifully. On a recent visit, the waitress set out six panchan, including fish cakes, pickled radishes, and two fiery kimchis (one cucumber, one cabbage). And then the barbecue bonanza began. She unrolled a thin strip of meat connected to a short rib, snipped it off, and placed it on the table's built-in grill, where it sizzled next to shaved beef. One noteworthy dish is the chap jae, with glassy noodles just sticky enough and brimming with bright vegetables. The restaurant is divided in two, one side with the built-in barbecue grills at the tables, and one without. The barbecue side is always packed, and with precious few exceptions, always with Koreans.
New Jang Su, 260 Cambridge Street, Burlington, 781-272-3787
Chinese, Shanghai and Sichuan
Restaurant lore may dictate that only grungy holes in the wall offer "real" ethnic food. So it must follow that CK Shanghai - with crisp white tablecloths, a decent wine list, and a handsomely appointed room, and in Wellesley to boot - could never qualify. Wrong. C.K. Sau, who owned New Shanghai in Chinatown for more than a decade, moved to the suburbs, and with him came the most delicate and delicious dishes possible from his native region in China. Cold appetizers like crisp, sweet, tangy cucumbers or vegetarian goose - tofu crisped to resemble the skin of the bird and then stuffed with a filling of crunchy bamboo shoots and mushrooms - tease the palate. Sea scallops in a startlingly addictive black pepper sauce, lobster in a winy sauce with tomatoes, shredded pork in a sweet-hot garlic sauce, a whole fish studded with pine nuts in a brightly flavored sweet-and-sour sauce - the dishes go on and on like a gourmet's hit parade.
Interested in Chinese fare from the Sichuan Province? Head to Medford. Zheng Hu, the proprietor of Chilli Garden, insists on importing her peppercorns from Sichuan, where she grew up. Not only that, they must be last year's crop. The chili powder is imported, too, and ground by hand. Spices such as star anise, cloves, cassia bark, and dried sand ginger are all shipped from China, and all are part of what makes her restaurant the most authentic Sichuan experience to be had in these parts. Bacon is smoked in the kitchen of the little restaurant, in a slice of shops off of Medford Center. The payoff is in eating Chilli Garden's food. Cold noodles look pale and modest until the fiery red chili sauce is twirled into them; then they take on a yin-yang quality, hot-bright against the tongue, cushioned by the gentle texture of the noodles. Whole fish in spicy sauce tingles at the back of the mouth as the fish melts on your palate. Wild boletus mushrooms with bits of green pepper are earthy, a taste of autumn. And for those who seek the exotic - at least to Western tastes - there are many dishes like pork tripe with garlic and cucumber, beef tongue with napa cabbage and chili powder, and duck feet with spicy soy sauce. Although the menu includes many Mandarin dishes, Hu and her staff try to steer the diner toward the Sichuan specialties. After all, what good is Chilli Garden's obsession with authenticity unless others can taste the results?
CK Shanghai, 15-17 Washington Street, Wellesley, 781-237-7500; Chilli Garden, 41 Riverside Avenue, Medford, 781-396-8488
Churrascarias, the buffet-style restaurants where skewers of meat are brought to you tableside, are all the rage in local Brazilian dining, but for an equally authentic (and cheaper) experience, check out Padaria Brasil Bakery. This no-frills store, with locations in Allston, Milford, and Framingham, lets you sample traditional fare that you won't find in most Brazilian restaurants. For a filling breakfast, a hearty slab of dense yucca-coconut bread hits the spot, but skip the coffee and wash it down with tangy caldo de cana (sugar-cane juice). Flaky chicken potpies and cheese rolls are tasty afternoon snacks, and you can take home a loaf of fresh bread for your dinner table. The selection can be overwhelming, but luckily the staff is happy to make recommendations.
Padaria Brasil Bakery, 125 Harvard Avenue, Allston, 617-202-6783; 173 Main Street, Milford, 508-422-9840; 165 Concord Street, Framingham, 508-872-8698; 63 Hollis Street, Framingham, 508-872-2677
In a Class by Themselves
A few gems stand alone - literally. Either they are the only game in town, or what little competition they have doesn't come close. Competition may make you stronger, but these four don't need to be pushed. They are superb all by themselves.
The Helmand has a unique edge on the few other restaurants serving Afghan fare: The owner is the older brother of Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai. But long before Karzai became president, the cozy spot in East Cambridge was renowned for its succulent kebabs, fragrant rices, and bread made in a wood-burning stove. Try the aushak, ravioli filled with leeks, on a sauce of yogurt, mint and garlic, and topped with ground beef.
The Helmand, 143 First Street, Cambridge, 617-492-4646
Born in Cambodia, Longteine de Monteiro, along with her family, brought her country's wide variety of culinary flavors to the area in 1991, and The Elephant Walk has been a local favorite ever since, spawning two more locations. Perennial favorites include s'gnao mouan, a wonderfully tangy chicken soup with lemongrass, lime juice, and Asian basil, and the deeply flavorful Alaskan black cod in a soy-garlic marinade, drizzled with ginger- coconut sauce.
The Elephant Walk, 900 Beacon Street, Boston, 617-247-1500; 2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, 617-492-6900; 663 Main Street, Waltham, 781-899-2244;
Chez Henri is making some of the best French- Cuban food around, using ingredients such as plantains, yucca, chayote, and mango. The food, while an inspired take on island cuisine, can't really be called authentic, but the Cuban sandwich on the bar menu is the tastiest this side of Miami. It's filled with rum-and-molasses marinated pork, ham, Gruyere cheese, and pickles and served with plantain chips.
Chez Henri, 1 Shepard Street, Cambridge, 617-354-8980,
At La Casa De Pedro, chef-owner Pedro Alarcon serves the food of his native Venezuela in a cheerful dining room decorated with paintings of tropical birds and flowers. He gives his late mother, Leda Rios, a lot of credit for his food, from the sopa de Mama (Mom's chicken soup) to Leda's pargo, a succulent, lightly fried whole red snapper tossed with onions and balsamic vinegar. For a real Latin experience, sit in the secluded back courtyard and sip sangria.
La Casa De Pedro, 51 Main Street, Watertown, 617-923-8025,
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Welcome to Gaia! ::
Black Death Goddess's avatar
Interesting Consumer
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Sooooo, no answer on the Halloween items in the gold shops then?
Daranigan's avatar
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When are you gonna put up some new games that don't rely so much on facebook? Seriously. I don't want to have to go to facebook to play a game on gaia.
Thinking about it.
Thinking about what? Adding the games? Making new games that don't rely on facebook? An actual answer? What is going on with this?
Aria T-Loak's avatar
Invisible Elder
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Lunatic Lace
What would be your weapon of choice during the zombie apocalypse?
They would use Zero in that time >_>;; I think..
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Fedelta Hellbond
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I know that feel bro. ;~;
; x; I've been begging for the black hair similar to gogh reed zero hair for weeks. not even a maybe. Sometimes I wonder why I bother buying gaia cash or even try to do anything on here anymore. Mods don't really care either. I have a friend who was scammed and all they do is ask for screenie shot screenie shot proof more proof even after she gives it to them. Who the hell takes screenies of a gifting anyway!!
D'aww don't say that I'm sure everyone on the Gaia staff truly cares for the members of Gaia. 3nodding
About the hacking I'm sure there are a lot of fraud claims of being hacked so they just want to make sure she is telling the truth. As for the hair maybe in the future they might make a black version of it. c:
Uncle Kenny
We've broken all ties with the store as they basically took all of our inventory, kept it, and just stopped paying us. The store itself is not accessible from our site anymore and any links should no longer lead anywhere but pages that are down. So long story short, we're not in the business of RL merch anymore. The artists do have a RedBubble account that they're selling a few items through though.
I don't know Cali law, but ain't that illegal?
@ Gaia Staff : Will Gaia Consider adding an opt out check box for flying giftboxes and the like??
@Gaians : Click to see petition.
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That's the first time I've heard of such a request, any reason as to why?
Calelith's avatar
Apocalyptic Abomination
I have a serious question. What are people like myself supposed to do on gaia? I joined a long time ago. I started in 2005 and I grew with gaia and I am sorry but gaia is refusing to grow with me. I am now over 18 years old and I know a lot of people that have also grown past the childhood years. I have dumped money into this site and I feel like gaia is saying, "oh your 18 now. well since you crossed that line we no longer care if you go or stay." I''m not saying I want to be able to c-y-b-e-r on the site or anything, but I am tired of watching my back because I am having a more mature conversation with my friends. There are many topics that do not involve any sexuallity that can go above a PG-13 level. I am mature. I am an adult. Is gaia ever gonna do anything to make the site more usable for it's members that grew up on gaia? Or are we just expected to quit something that has been such a big part of our lives for so long?
You do realize that Gaia is not PG-13 right?
"Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wagh’nagl fhtagn."
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What happened to Waffles?
Fedelta Hellbond
Aaaaaaand its over..thanks again of gaia admins for absolutely nothing..[whimpers and goes away giving up on all hope of gaia]
Pfffffft, you haven't given up all hope and you know it! KNOW IT! :0
If you have something pressing, feel free to pm me with the question/info biggrin
Sisky, I sent you a PM :3
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I have some questions that are sort of plot related, but I don't know if they're spoilers...
How exactly do vampires reproduce on Gaia? Is it just through sex? Can a person be embraced? Are both possible? Also, is embrace strictly a bite on the neck? Or is there some form of blood exchange between vampire and victim?
Kagami Noire's avatar
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Would any EI and REI ideas be accepted by the artists?
pleeeeease if you have ideas make one with flowing long straight black hair? ;x; [whimper]
Oh I have a Question biggrin
How do you feel about the pace of our Gaia-verse plot?
And do you care if people are invested in the story?
Recently, I've seen plenty of people bashing the storyline as a whole.
It's slightly saddening to think that these individuals don''t give two sh*ts about the "backstory" (I guess we can call it that) ,
to a site they seem pretty invested in monetarily and otherwise.
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In the playplus - Gaia relationship, does playplus do any of the development or is that pretty much a gaia thing? What is playplus in that respect. I.e does all development come from the gaia side of things?
Any clues on whats happening in soul crash dev world atm?
Any chance of getting a achievement granted to the top 10 pirates?
What happened to Waffles?
He got syrup'd.
Guin - Aoiichi's avatar
Hallowed Rogue
I dont know where i read this. BUT are you guys still takeing ideas for new Gaia games???
How bout a side scroller type game? ala Super mario bros? Where two players can compete against each other at once?
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March 13, 2014
Posts by char
Total # Posts: 16
I invested $25000 and received $1100 interest.what amount paid 3 percent and what amount received 5 percent for the $1100?
What are the vectors <1,0> and <0,1> called?
if it takes 2 cups of peanut butter for every 3 1/4 cups of flour how many cups of flour are needed for 5 cups of peanut butter
What is the Least Common Multiple of (31,180)
in the back stockroom at the wheel shop, the number of seats and horns equaled the number of wheels. the number of seats and handlebars equaled the number of horns. twice the number of wheels is equal to 3 times number of handlebars. Determine the relationship of horns to seat.
Blocks A (mass 2.50 kg) and B (mass 10.00 kg) move on a frictionless, horizontal surface. Initially, block B is at rest and block A is moving toward it at 5.00 m/s. The blocks are equipped with ideal spring bumpers. The collision is head-on, so all motion before and after the ...
Two cars collide at an intersection. Car A, with a mass of 2000kg, is going from west to east, while car B, of mass 1300kg, is going from north to south at 15.0m/s. As a result of this collision, the two cars become enmeshed and move as one afterwards. In your role as an exper...
If cos(t)=(-7/8) where pi<t<(3pi/2), find the values of the following trig functions. cos(2t)=? sin(2t)=? cos(t/2)=? sin(t/2)=?
Physics - please help!
Particles 1 and 2 of charge q1 = q2 = +3.20 x 10-19 C are on a y axis at distance d = 22.0 cm from the origin. Particle 3 of charge q3 = +9.60 x 10-19 C is moved gradually along the x axis from x = 0 to x = +5.0 m. At what value of x will the magnitude of the electrostatic for...
physics (SAT 2)
A horse is pulling a canal boat at 12 degrees to the rope. Tension of the rope it 1150 newtons. The canal is moving at a steady speed. Calculate the resistive forces opposing the boats forward motion.
An electron is a subatomic particle (m = 9.11 x 10-31 kg) that is subject to electric forces. An electron moving in the +x direction accelerates from an initial velocity of +7.93 x 105 m/s to a final velocity of 2.90 x 106 m/s while traveling a distance of 0.0904 m. The electr...
5th grade
what number is 10,000 less than 337,676?
What is the meaning of Controlled Variable? and Uncontrolled Variable?
the big idea of energy is where the particles collide to form a compound. Energy is stored in the form of magnesium then burnt. The energy changes state to light,heat and sound. Energy can't be created or changed,it changes form. When something burns, you aren't making energy, just c...
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The changing attitude about prepaid debit cards
Visa credit card in wallet
Tess Vigeland: Congratulations! You're becoming more responsible with your credit cards. The Federal Reserve reported this week that Americans continued to pay down their cards in August, marking two straight years of monthly declines.
So does that mean we've all turned to cash? Well, no. A new kind of card is gaining in popularity: prepaid debit cards.
Marketplace's Stacey Vanek Smith has more.
Stacey Vanek Smith: Wendi Rogers finally got her Ph.D in May, and, after six years of graduate school, she was strapped. So to help her out, Rogers' parents got her a prepaid card at the local grocery store and loaded it up with $30 every week.
Wendi Rogers: That way I knew I had money for food. From everything from milk to toilet paper, you've got $30 to spend, that's what you got.
Rogers loved the card, but says using it isn't always so comfortable.
Rogers: I've noticed that the clerks, once they see you're using a prepaid card, I don't want to say they wrinkle their nose, but there is that definite shift in perception.
Traditionally prepaid cards have been a kind of last resort for people whose credit wasn't good enough to get a checking account or a credit card.
Ron Shevlin analyses banking products for the Aite Group. He says the recession has changed our attitude toward credit and our attitude toward prepaid cards.
Ron Shevlin: With the result of the downturn of the economy, a lot more consumers have become a lot more disciplined about managing their finances and are looking for ways to help them plan their budgets and very importantly keep to their budgets.
Dr. Wendi Rogers recently landed a job and can buy her own groceries now, but she's held onto her prepaid card, loading it up herself every week. She says it's a good budgeting tool.
Rogers: It just removes the temptation to go to a coffee shop and get a cup of tea instead of groceries. It really does provide a structure that wasn't there.
The prepaid card industry is expected to top $360 billion next year. Some prepaid cards, like Wendi Rogers' grocery card, are linked to individual businesses like Office Depot or Target. They don't tend to charge any fees and they usually come with rewards. Those prepaid cards have some perks, but you can only use them in one place. People who want their prepaid debit cards to have more flexibility have to pay for it.
Commercial: It's the prepaid Visa RushCard. When you put money onto your Rush card, you have 24 hour access to your funds. Available in sleek black or stylish pink!
The RushCard was started by music mogul Russell Simmons in 2003. More than 2.5 million people now use it. Most directly deposit their paychecks onto the card. Simmons says originally, most of his customers were people who couldn't get credit.
Russell Simmons: America operates on plastic. If you don't have any kind of card, you're locked out of the American dream. You can't go to the Internet and buy nothing, you can't order nothing over the phone, you can't rent a hotel room.
Simmons says these days, a lot of his business is coming from people who are defecting from banks, angry about bailouts and discouraged by new restrictions and fees.
Simmons: Thirty percent of our new customers have a bank account and decided they like RushCard better.
The market for RushCard and others like it is growing roughly 20 percent a year. Not that those cards are free. The RushCard costs about $10 a month, plus extra if you want to check your balance, use an ATM more than twice a month or get a paper statement.
Robert Manning: You're going to have to read the fine print really, really carefully.
Robert Manning is the author of "Credit Card Nation." He points out that prepaid cards are sometimes called "fee harvesters" and can end up costing a lot. As prepaid debit cards get more popular, Manning predicts issuers will get more creative about getting people to use them.
Manning: We're going to see all kinds of approaches where cards now are going to help you become better stewards of your financial resources.
The RushCard offers to help people rebuild their credit score. If customers sign up to pay their bills with their RushCard, the card will report those on-time payments to credit reporting agencies. Of course if you want to pay your bills with the RushCard, you'll have to pay a fee.
I'm Stacey Vanek Smith for Marketplace Money.
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Many grocery stores in my area have a not-for-profit program whereby they sell a card worth $20 to a non-profit for $19.50. The non-profit sells the card to its member/donors for full price. My local grocery stores all have pharmacies and sell a number of household items like books and lawn furniture (oddly), so I have a broad range of choices for buying routine items. Check with your local grocery chains to see if they have these "gift card" programs for non-profits. You can also buy the cards at full price from the store itself as gifts (a good thing for stocking stuffers for people with basic needs).
When I was a kid, my grandparents owned a small grocery store out in the country. Everyone paid cash for everything. We are now a different society and cash isn't always the easiest way to pay (i.e. ordering over the Internet). Prepaid debit cards are a great way to keep that cash mentality while giving you the freedom to shop just about anywhere.
Melissa Tosetti
I heard this original story and thought it was a great idea to manage money for a relative trying to pay for prescriptions for a significant other. But I can't find anything like the grocery store card featured that only allows one to purchase at one store. All the ones I can find are general all-purpose prepaid cards. I know all about those, we already have them for teenagers in our home. But can anyone point me to a specific store prepaid card, please? Preferably a nation-wide pharmacy. Thanks.
I wholly agree with the commentator about the increasing fees banks, rental car companies, etc. are charging. It truly reflects a barbarian kind of greed that seems to have infected, like a virus our "democratic" system. It is a major factor in our continuing deminishment as strong, global economic force.
The main thing is that it is not really about whether prepaid credit cards work or not but rather how they can work for you - so there is definitely a growing awareness although in the UK, enhanced usage is still a bit further away even thought we sales rise via channels such as prepaid365 and moneysupermarket.
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Permalink for comment 343866
Member since:
Teach students skills not brand names.
The current aproach is to teach a brand name. Students don't learn computers and office programs, they learn Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office. This is like teaching all the shop kids to use a hammer but only if it's a B&D #4 hammer with B&D #4 nails.
Students come out of school and sit infront of a machine that isn't Office and they have a panic attack; "but this isn't Word, how can it possible write words?"
Stick them infront of anything but WindowsXP desktop and they can't even figure out how to reach out and touch the bloody mouse.
Teach students how to use word processors not Word. They should use two or three at least during the yer they do word processing, spreadsheets and basic databases (this was Grade10 around here). If a file format can not be opened in multiple word processors; it's not accepted within the schools; sort of like all those government offices deciding that documents to and from constituents should be accessible on more than just Windows/Office crippled systems.
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CSN Houston, Bankruptcy and Why the Rockets Aren't Just Innocent Victims
Don't expect the Rockets or Astros on your TV anytime soon
Odds are that if you've flown an airline in the past decade, you've flown on an airline going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This is the popular bankruptcy, the one that lets the airline stay in business and keep flying while attempting to come up with a profitable business plan. You're also probably well aware of the awful customer service from the employees who are worried about layoffs, furloughs, pay cuts and loss of pension benefits while the execs who caused the bankruptcy get golden parachutes.
The result is a generally crappy airline that you keep flying because you have no choice while hoping that the company that emerges from bankruptcy has better management, a better plan and happier employees. And that's where CSN Houston is right now. The employees are worried about jobs, original programming might get cut and the executives who made this all happen are figuring out how they can profit.
Looking back, it was easy to tell that the network was doomed. Comcast wasn't exactly popular in Houston. The partner with the biggest ownership interest (Astros) was fielding an awful product that had destroyed fan interest throughout the viewing region. The required viewing footprint for the Astros and Rockets was different (the Astros wanting five states, the Rockets stuck in a sliver of Texas). And the operating structure was set up so that all parties had to agree to any contract, meaning that the Rockets could work out a deal to get the network carried on Direct TV only to have the Astros kill the deal if they didn't think the terms were good enough.
Then Drayton McLane and Comcast allegedly oversold the value of the network to Jim Crane (thus resulting in the fraud suit filed against them by Crane), which was a big deal since the network accounted for a large part of Crane's cost to buy the Astros. At the same time the non-Comcast satellite and cable providers seemed intent on gutting the network as part of some stand against rising RSN carriage fees.
With no other carriage deals than the one with Comcast worked out, the network could not make money. With the Astros threatening to reclaim their media rights from the network due to the network's inability to pay the media rights fees, the network was pushed into bankruptcy court, where for several months the parties have been fighting with each other over whether the network would actually be declared bankrupt.
Throughout this process the Houston Rockets have generally been seen as the innocent party, working hard to make deals happen only to have them vetoed by the greedy Astros (for what it's worth, the Astros told the court that only one carriage deal had been presented for approval, and that was in April of 2013). And it's the Rockets who have taken the lead since November, doing everything possible to work out some kind of deal to get the Astros and Rockets on TV. But briefs filed late last week by the Astros and Comcast make the Rockets out to be anything but innocent victims.
My Voice Nation Help
Sterling Meeks
Sterling Meeks
Good ole greed. The pro sports industry continues to rip consumers off at the box office and on the TV screen.
Not surprising considering Les Alexanders high handed way he controls Toyota Center....hockey anyone? OK but only if Les gets all advertising on the dasher boards, concessions, parking, who knows what else. And concert fans enjoying all those concerts Les has brought to Toyota since the Aeros departure to Iowa. Quite frankly I think Les is really Drayton's brother separated at birth.
From the Vault
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Contributing User
Devshed Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
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Apr 2004
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Confused about processor speed.
I am going to buy a new computer and at the moment I have my eyes on two.
One of them has the following processor: AMD DUAL CORE X2 3600 , I googled it and apparently the processor speed is 1.9GHz
The other one has a INTEL CORE 2 DUAL e6320 and google says it is 1.86HGz.
My problem is that I don't think their clock speed could be so low specially the INTEL. My theory is that in fact if I buy INTEL CORE2DUAL E6320 I will get 2 processors with the speed of 1.86 - hence the name DUAL - which means that I will have about 3700GHz speed, am I right?
Last edited by amahmood; June 25th, 2007 at 02:01 PM.
2. #2
3. Just another guy
Devshed Frequenter (2500 - 2999 posts)
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Jun 2003
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No, you don't add the speeds together with a dual core processor.
A dual core processor consists of two processors on a single die, but both run at the same clock speed. The advantage is that when you are multi tasking, each core can run some of the applications independently and increase overall performance. The clock speeds don't combine though.
My hobby: collecting US coins
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Go with the intel. Yes it has a rather low clock speed but It's very efficient with the cpu cycles. I have an e6300 and I OC'd it to ~3.0GHz. They're excelent overclockers if your into that kind of stuff. even without the oc its faster. since I can't post URLs, check out Tom's Hardware. they have a great CPU comparison chart, and the e6320 beats the AMD X2 3600 in most if not all, even with the lower clock speed.
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Aurora Rocket Clock: Radioactive beautiful...arm melting
Most alarm clocks function under the mantra that you can sleep better when you don't need to worry about waking up. The Aurora Rocket Clock works under the mantra: you don't have to worry about waking up if you never go to sleep.
The 25cm clock can glow in 12 different, eye-opening colors that can be programmed to change on the hour or shift sequentially. If you really enjoy the Seinfeld episode when they open the Kenny Roger's Roaster outside of Kramer's room, this may be the clock for you. If you sleep butt-naked and would like to tan in your sleep, this might be the clock for you. And yes, the glow can be turned off completely, but then we don't have much to make fun of.
Product Page [via popgadget]
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Report Abuse
Review title
More than One Cut Above
Review excerpt
Service and thoughfulness are the hallmarks of the Cipriani. High-quality food and clean rooms are a given, so the distinguishing aspects of a stay at the Cipriani become the less-tangible factors. Every staff person seems not only well-trained (they know the procedure manual), but also apparently carefully screened prior to employment for the ability to be helpful and coureteus AS A WAY OF LIFE, and not just to hold into a job, as is usually the case in New York City hotels. That's what makes the Cipriani in a class by itself, akin to the Goring in London. The location doesn't hurt either. Kevin Cunningham Canton, Massachusetts
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Speeding Physician Gets Arrested for DUI
William C. Head
Case Conclusion Date:January 12, 2009
Practice Area:DUI / DWI
Outcome:Case Called for Trial, Pre-Trial Motions Conducted
Description:After dinner with another couple, a local physican and his spouse were driving back to their Buckhead area condominium when he was stopped for driving 59 in a 35 mph zone. The State trooper smelled alcohol and and asked him to "exit the vehicle". When field tests were started, the physician started talking about the fact that their condo was 300 yards away, and asked the trooper to let them go home. The trooper declined to allow that, and continued trying to conduct his roadside sobriety evaluations. A video showed the manner of administering the horizontal gaze nystagmus evaluation (eye test) to the suspect, and the evaluation was done incorrectly by the trooper. In addition, the wife tried to step out to see what was happening, because she could hear conversation between the two men and that the trooper was raising his voice to Mr. Head's Client. This "threat" of the wife becoming involved in this investigation led to the trooper calling for back-up, and another trooper soon arrived for purposes of controlling the wife's actions, if she became agitated or tried to interfere. This trooper left his blue lights on during the entire HGN (eye exam), likely affecting this evaluation's reliability. The video also captured the trooper threatening to arrest the physician who was asking questions about the tests being offered, and about his right to call an attorney. Soon, the cuffs were placed on the doctor's wrists and the arrest was made. The suppression motion just prior to trial focused on one issue: the sufficiency of evidence obtained by the trooper prior to making a custodial arrest for DUI. As part of the hearing, the prosecutor conceded that the field sobriety tests would have to be excluded due to the fact that the trooper's wording that threatened arrest constituted "custody" under the holding of a Georgia case, State v. O'Donnell from 1997. When such custody has already been "announced" or started, Georgia case law requires that no voluntary field tests can be administered UNLESS Miranda advisements are given (right to legal counsel, right to remain silent, etc.) Mr. Head only asked 6 questions of the trooper after that point in time before asking the judge to dismiss the entire DUI charge due to lack of sufficient evidence to support the arrest decision. Mr. Head cited several similar appellate cases from the Georgia Court of Appeals, including Handley v. State from 2008, Sanders v. State from 2005 and State v. Gray from 2004. The judge agreed, and granted the suppression motion. That ended the DUI prosecution the same as if the jury had acquitted Client. Then, Mr. Head agreed to enter a guilty plea to the speeding offense, except for a speed lower that the "cutoff" for the case being reported to the Department of Driver Services (no points and no record being posted). The Client paid $100 fine plus $35 in surcharges, which ended the case.
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When will regenerating health finally go away?
#1kupo1705Posted 2/27/2013 2:52:12 AM
First it was just shooters, then it went to other genres.
Now even some RPGs have it.
Shooters have been rather dull since it became popular, and now it's tainting other genres.
Why did it become so popular, and more importantly, when well it end?
I think Halo started it, even though it did it much better than most games today.
#2ramseanGoodbyePosted 2/27/2013 2:55:34 AM
Yeah gotta say i'm not a fan of it. It's so prevalent because it makes it easier for developers to balance the game. We're reaching a point where all games are kinda feeling the same. Which is great from a usability stand point, but bad if you want a new experience.
#3killakPosted 2/27/2013 3:00:39 AM
when enemy counts, AI and accuracy, drop.
#4AnthonM2Posted 2/27/2013 3:05:32 AM
Regenerating health is the best thing that happened to the industry, and pressing a button to lead you where to go next, like in Tomb Raider and RE6.
#5popping4itPosted 2/27/2013 3:11:10 AM
until hunting for medikits becomes fun.
whens mahvel?
#6darkness1018Posted 2/27/2013 3:15:43 AM
Its great since looking for health items can get a bit boring,
PSN: nightwing2099 (PS3 & PS Vita)
3DS XL FC: 1693-0734-3733
#7kupo1705(Topic Creator)Posted 2/27/2013 3:20:42 AM
popping4it posted...
until hunting for medikits becomes fun.
You mean having to carefully progress because the next few shots will kill you, until you come across a medkit by looking around the environment?
Sounds a lot more fun and intense than taking cover for a few seconds after getting shot.
#8Brocken_JrPosted 2/27/2013 3:21:21 AM
when people stop complainin about games bein to hard. f*** you bionic commando 2 and your jumping option
DmC's story mode in 8 seconds:
#9NovaKaneXPosted 2/27/2013 3:22:32 AM
Health Packs, WE OFF DAT!
Cot damn!
#10Willie_MakeitPosted 2/27/2013 3:27:19 AM
The day Capcom goes back to making real Resident Evil games.
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Question from wilber5150
Asked: 3 years ago
How does Spiderman break through walls?
I've tried jumping into the wall, kicking the wall, punching.
Submitted Answers
You need to use the black suit so that you can break trough walls,press "SELECT" to use the black suit then double tap the forward button so you can dash directly at the wall.
Rated: +0 / -0
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MUNCIE, Ind. -- Miami rallied from a double-point loss to take four singles victories, giving the RedHawks the 2013 MAC Tournament Championship, 4-3 over Bowling Green. The title is the third in the last five years for Miami, which had dropped 4-3 decisions in the finals in each of the last two championships.
The win was the eighth championship for Miami Athletics this year, a new all-time record for the department. In addition to regular-season and tournament titles in tennis, field hockey and soccer captured both regular- and postseason MAC titles, women's swimming won the MAC Championship and hockey won the final CCHA regular-season crown.
The action was eerily similar to the regular-season meeting between the top two seeds, when the outcome came down to the No. 1 match. That day, like Sunday, junior Nimisha Mohan rallied for the victory, earning tournament Most Valuable Player honors in the process.
Mohan trailed 5-4 in the first set, but broke serve and held for a 6-5 advantage. Bowling Green's Nikki Chiricosta forced the tiebreaker and won the first three points, but Mohan rallied. She won four in a row, then after losing the next point, ran off three more for a 7-4 win to take the first set. Mohan rode the momentum to cruise to a 6-0 victory in the second set.
Miami (13-12) dropped the doubles point, falling at Nos. 2 and 3, 8-3 and 8-4 respectively. Christine Guerrazzi and Ana Rajkovic were the RedHawks' winner, posting an 8-1 victory at No. 1.
Alix Thurman evened the match with a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 2, but Bowling Green surged back ahead by winning the No. 6 match 6-3, 6-0. Rajkovic earned a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 5 and Raymond finished off a 6-0, 6-3 decision at No. 3 to give Miami its first lead. The junior was named to the all-tournament team after completing the year 10-0 against MAC opponents.
Bowling Green tied the score at 3-3 when it earned a 6-4, 6-4 triumph at No. 4.
With the victory, Miami earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in two weeks. The RedHawks will learn the opponent and tournament site Tuesday night on the NCAA Selection Show.
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Tax Day Isn't Bad If You're Getting A Refund
The day that many dread is here: It's Tax Day. Of the 143 million federal tax returns filed last year, more than 80 percent qualified for a refund. Steve Inskeep talks to David Wessel, economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, about the economics of tax refunds.
OK, you're running out of time to pay your taxes. Normally the deadline is April 15, that was a Sunday. April 16 is Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia, so that was out. Now finally, Tuesday, April 17, you're final day to get your taxes in the mail. For a lot of people that means writing a check, but not quite everybody, in fact, not everybody at all.
Our friend David Wessel, economics editor of The Wall Street Journal has been tracking this.
Good morning, David.
DAVID WESSEL: Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: OK. So get some numbers for us here. How many people will pay with the tax return? How many people will be getting a refund?
WESSEL: Well, based on last year, there were 143 million tax returns filed with the IRS and more than 80 percent of them produced a refund. In fact, the IRS says that for every dollar it collects it returns about 25 cents in refunds. An awful lot of people get refunds either because they have too much money withheld from their paychecks during the year or because they qualify for something called the earned income tax credit. It was a cash bonus that the government gives to low wage workers to encourage them to work.
INSKEEP: Does any financial sense to be paying the government more than you owe through the year and then expecting a check back at the end?
WESSEL: Well, economists used to say it was complete lunacy. You're basically giving an interest-free loan to the government. Some people are on autopilot and they just don't pay attention. Other people would rather pay a little more rather than face the pain of paying a little - having to pay taxes on April 15th or April 17th this year. But it's, there's new evidence that an awful lot of people see this as a way to force themselves to save.
In fact, there was a survey the University of Michigan did of low income and moderate income people in Detroit and it found that a lot of them got refunds - usually around $2,000, which is a lot for people who say they have trouble making ends meet - and almost 80 percent of them told the researchers that they didn't want to change that. They would rather get a bigger refund than have more money during the year. They want to use the tax system to save - either so they have money to buy a refrigerator or a car or because it's the only way they can set aside money for emergency.
INSKEEP: Oh gosh. We had the IRS commissioner on the program yesterday and he was saying actually, we write checks to most people. People love us or should love us for that reason. We're misunderstood. It sounded like spin, but you're telling me well, actually, that's how people think.
WESSEL: People are never going to love the IRS.
INSKEEP: Maybe expecting a little too much. Turns out that saving though, is a bi-product of the tax system, is what you're saying.
WESSEL: Right. And in the past few years, people in the government and outside the government have begun to say the Tax Day could be a way to nudge people to save who don't tend to save very much money. Mark Iwry, who is the point person on this stuff at the Treasury, calls Tax Day a savable moment.
So the IRS, for instance, has begun telling you when you get a refund you can put some in your checking account but we'll make it easier for you to put some in a savings account or an individual retirement account, and about three-quarters of a million people last year - a small slice to be sure - actually did that.
INSKEEP: Do you need a bank account in order to do that?
WESSEL: Well, to do that you do. So now the IRS has been saying if you want you can buy saving bonds - good old fashion savings bonds with your tax refund. About 30,000 people bought $11.5 million worth of savings bonds last year. So far this year, sales are running 60 percent ahead of last year. And even though the IRS - I mean, even though Treasury has done away with the old fashioned paper savings bonds for everybody else - you have to buy them electronically...
INSKEEP: Mm-hmm.
WESSEL: If you buy them through the tax code, if you buy them through your refund, you can get the old paper kind.
INSKEEP: You getting a refund, David?
WESSEL: I am. And given that I would be getting much interest at today's ultra-low rates, I told the IRS to apply it to the taxes I expect to owe next April.
INSKEEP: Oh my gosh, paying ahead. David, thanks very much.
WESSEL: You're welcome.
INSKEEP: David Wessel is economics editor of The Wall Street Journal.
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A Stall Team (Peaked at #4 on UU Leaderboard)
Discussion in 'Past Gen Teams' started by Jubilee, Jul 30, 2010.
1. Jubilee
is a Contributor Alumnus
Jun 20, 2009
I began a few months ago to really get into the UU tier. It was just way more fun to me than the boring OU with every team being the same... After doing ok on the ladder, I faced a few stall teams, and I just lost to each one. So I decided to make my own stall team. This team by far is my most successful team, and it peaked at a CRE of 1706 as SUBAKI7134 and got me to #4 on the leaderboard last round.
Team Building Process
Team Building Process (open)
Every stall team needs a Pokemon to set up hazards. Omastar was perfect for this role because it has access to Stealth Rock AND Spikes, something not many UU / NU Pokemon can do. And, it has incredible physical bulk.
Every stall team also needs a special wall. What Pokemon is better than the sister of the biggest OU pink whore? Chansey has incredible special bulk and the ability to Wish pass.
I love Clefable. Its ability is just incredible. I needed a Pokemon who could absorb status / Leech Seed, and Clefable fits that role perfectly. Encore is very, very useful and stops any sweeper trying to set up on its tracks. I couldn't pass Clefable up.
Ok, looking at my team I had three Pokemon weak to Fighting, and had a physical sweeper weakness. I looked through UU and saw Weezing. It was perfect with its incredible Defense, and immunity to Ground and resistance to Fighting moves. I was also looking for a Pokemon to absorb Venusaur's Sleep Powders as well and I saw Weezing's RestTalk set. I had my fourth member chosen.
Now looking at my team, I noticed I needed a mixed wall. Milotic fits that role perfectly with its incredible bulk from both sides, and has access to Recover.
Now I needed a Rapid Spin blocker. Looking through the Ghosts of UU, I had to choose Spiritomb with its great Defenses (Why couldn't Game Freak give him better HP? :( ) Looking at my team I noticed how Ghosts like Rotom and Mismagius ran through my team, as Clefable and Chansey cant touch them behind Substitutes. I saw Spiritomb's Pursuit set and knew I had my spin blocker chosen.
The Hazard Lead
[IMG][IMG] Leftovers
Nature: Bold
Ability: Shell Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 Spe
1) Surf
2) Stealth Rock
3) Earth Power
4) Spikes
Description: Max HP / almost max Defense gives Omastar the most physical bulk it can have with 8 Speed EVs to outspeed opposing Omastar leads. Surf for STAB, Earth Power for Qwilfish, Cloyster, and Kabutops leads.
Stealth Rock and Spikes for entry hazards.
Omastar against Top 10 Leads
Uxie - I use Spikes first to see if it's a TrickScarf variant, but if it Grass Knots (fails to KO) then I switch to Clefable.
Ambipom - It Fake Outs, and then I Surf as it Taunts. I then Surf again as it U-turns and act accordingly to what comes in.
Mesprit - I switch to Clefable as it Grass Knots. I then Encore it as it uses Stealth Rock and then Trick whatever comes in.
Omastar - Earth Power and hope it runs the standard spread as I outspeed it for the 2HKO.
Spiritomb - I first Stealth Rock and take 50-60% from Shadow Ball / Hidden Power then switch to Chansey and Toxic it.
Alakazam - Go straight to Spiritomb and Pursuit it as Alakazam fails to do anything to Tomb.
Cloyster - I just keep Earth Powering until it's KOed. It usually gets three layers up... good thing I personally don't see too many.
Moltres - I go straight to Chansey as it uses HP Grass.
Hippopatos - Surf and then Surf again for the KO.
Qwilfish - Earth Power as it uses Taunt / Spikes so it can only get up a max layer of two Spikes.
The Encorer
[IMG][IMG] Flame Orb
Nature: Calm
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Def / 120 SpD / 12 Spe
1) Seismic Toss
2) Encore
3) Softboiled
4) Trick
Description: These are almost the standard EVs for Clefable, giving it the most bulk it can have from both sides. Except, I run 12 Speed EVs to outspeed ALL standard Clefable so I can easily beat them by Encoring and Seismic Tossing them first every time. I use Seismic Toss so I don't have to rely on Clefable's below average Attack stats and Encore for Pokemon trying to set up on me. I chose Flame Orb as I got tired of Pokemon like Rhyperior, Hitmonlee, and Donphan coming in on me to absorb the T-Wave. Afterward, I get to watch one of these so-called "counters" suffer from a burn. Softboiled is used to recover any damage done. Clefable is an extremely helpful member of this team protecting the team from SubSeeders, SubRoosters, Rest-Talkers, and most importantly it has Encore, which without my team would be swept by numerous Pokemon.
The Special Wall / Wish Passer
[IMG][IMG] Shed Shell / [IMG] Leftovers
Nature: Calm
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
1) Seismic Toss
2) Wish
3) Protect
4) Toxic
Description: This is the standard EV spread for a Wish passing Chansey. Toxic is used to stall out special attackers with Wish and Protect. Wish helps heal weakened team members, especially Spiritomb who has no way to recover HP on its own. I know you're thinking that Leftovers is the better option on Chansey, seeing its only use is for Dugtrio who isn't used much. I just couldn't stand being trapped by Dugtrio and being completely helpless against it, although I am considerign changing due to Dugtrio usage dropping. Chansey protects the team from powerful Special Attackers like Alakazam, Moltres, Houndoom, and much more that other members of the team can't handle.
The Mixed Wall / Hazer
[IMG][IMG] Leftovers
Nature: Bold
Ability: Marvel Scale
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
1) Surf
2) Ice Beam
3) Recover
4) Haze / Hidden Power [IMG]
Description: Max HP and 58 SpD EVs give Milotic a little special bulk with the rest in its Defenses. Surf for STAB, and Ice Beam for Grass-types who love to come in on it. At first I had HP Psychic over Haze for those stupid Toxicroaks trying to set up on me. But then, I later realized Haze was far better, as it helps me against DD / SD Feraligatr and CM mono attacking Spiritomb, as Spiritomb runs through this team if Clefable is gone. Recover is used to recover off any damage Milotic has taken. Milotic is the only thing keeping mixed sweepers like Blaziken from running through my team and it keeps alot of other dangerous sweepers at bay like Rhyperior, Altaria, and Drapion to name a few.
The Physical Wall / Status Absorber
[IMG][IMG] Leftovers
Nature: Bold
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 58 SpD
1) Sludge Bomb
2) Will-O-Wisp / Flamethrower
3) Rest
4) Sleep Talk
Description: 252 HP EVs for max HP, 200 Def EVs for physical bulk, and 58 SpD EVs to give it some special bulk to absorb hits from the versatile Venusaur. Sludge Bomb for STAB and I just didn't like using Thunderbolt / Flamethrower. And, the chance of poisoning is great. I love how Houndoom loves to come in on expecting a Will-O-Wisp or Flamethrower only to be hit by Sludge Bomb. Rest for recovery as I don't like Pain Split much and Sleep Talk so it's not a sitting duck when asleep and so it can absorb sleep moves. And finally Will-O-Wisp to cripple all physical attackers. Weezing is my go to Pokemon for all Fighting- type Pokemon and other strong physical attaclers that the other team members cant handle like Hitmonlee, SD Venusaur, and Heracross to name a few.
The Pursuit Trapper / Spin Blocker
[IMG][IMG] Leftovers
Nature: Sassy
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Attack / 252 SpD
1) Dark Pulse
2) Pursuit
3) Shadow Sneak
4) Will-O-Wisp
Description: These are the standard EVs for Spiritomb nowaday, 252 HP for bulk and 252 SpD to take as much special damage as possible. Dark Pulse for the incredibly annoying Will-O-Wisp Ghosts-, Pursuit for Ghost- and Psychic-types trying to escape, Shadow Sneak to hit Ghosts for quick super effective damage and, Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers like Drapion and Toxicroak who would otherwise take little damage from this set. Spiritomb is a very crucial member of this team protecting it from Substitute using Ghosts that would other wise run right through this team.
A Pokemon I'd love to fit on this team
[IMG][IMG] Leftovers
Nature: Impish
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Defense / 4 SpD
1) Close Combat
2) Rapid Spin
3) Foresight
4) Sucker Punch / Rest
Why?: Id love to fit a Hitmontop on this team because my team lacks a Rapid Spinner. And some Pokemon who fail to 2HKO my Pokemon will 2HKO them with enough hazards on my team which could lead to me being swept. It would also take care of my Aggron weakness. The problem is, I don't see anything I can replace it with... if someone could give me a good enough reason on why I should replace it with "X" Pokemon or why I shouldn't, that would be great.
Threat List (Sorry Eo but I jacked this from your RMT ;___;)
Red means this Pokemon is a big threat.
Blue means this Pokemon is a moderate threat.
Black means this Pokemon is easily handled.
UU Threats
Absol - Milotic and Weezing can take a +2 Attack, I just have to hope it doesn't crit either of them, and hopefully I have entry hazards up so it dies quickly from LO.
Aggron - This Pokemon is a MAJOR threat. I can't switch in anything on it, as it 2HKOes everything. If it comes in on Chansey / Clefable, I have to sacrifice them as I cant switch in Milotic and risk Aggron being Jolly and being 2HKOd. A smart player can keep switching it in and out until my special walls are gone.
Alakazam -Switch to Spiritomb, Pursuit it and it's KOed. Not a big threat at all. Chansey can take it on as well, even though a Specs Focus Blast is going to hurt. (Noob thund and your Zam nom :P <3)
Altaria - Clefable can Encore / Trick DD variants, Milotic can Haze / Ice Beam DD variants as well. Support variants are handled by Clefable easily; just Encore and Seismic Toss it until it's KOed.
Azumarill - Choice Band variants are easily handled by Milotic, Weezing, and Spiritomb. SubPunch variants can be Encored by Clefable and taken on by Weezing.
Blaziken - Milotic is my only hope against it, but luckily Milotic isn't 2HKOed by anything it can throw (bar SD variants but those aren't very common at all).
Chansey - Clefable can Encore it and keep Seismic Tossing, while it cant do much to Clefable and my own Chansey.
Claydol - Go to Tomb as it Rapid Spins, Pursuit it, and then it isn't a problem anymore.
Clefable - This is exactly why I run Speed EVs on my Clefable to outspeed the standard Clefable. Encore it on a Seismic Toss and then Seismic Toss it till it's KOed, and Softboiled when I'm on low health. Belly Drum variants are hard to wall as it outspeeds Milo for Haze, but hopefully it isn't carrying a Toxic Orb and I can burn it; also, good thing they're not common.
Cloyster - Cloyster is blue just because I hate him. It gets to set up 2-3 layers of Spikes on Omastar as Earth Power fails to 2HKO...
Donphan - Milotic can Surf for a OHKO. Go to Spiritomb for the spin block, switch to Milo as it EQs, and Surf / Recover depending on the situation and what my opponent's team is.
Drapion - Omastar can Earth Power for good damage, Milotic can take any attack at +2 and Surf, and so can Weezing with Flamethrower. Clefable can Encore / Trick it. Bulky SD variants with Taunt can be annoying though and do some damage to me.
Dugtrio - Weak dicks are weak. Milotic can OHKO it. Has no chance whatsoever against Weezing, and Tomb can Sucker Punch. It can come in on Clefable in low health and KO it though.
Feraligatr - Milotic can Haze and Surf it until it's KOed. Clefable can Encore / Trick it. Weezing can take a +2 Waterfall and Sludge Bomb.
Hariyama - Lead Hariyama is annoying, as I have to switch out Omastar and bring in Weezing. Other than lead Hariyama, it isn't very common.
Hitmonlee - Weezing can take anything it can throw at it and take it out with Sludge Bomb. I usually go to Tomb first as it uses Close Combat, and then Pursuit it for some damage.
Hitmontop - If Milotic / Omastar are in, I usually stay in and Surf as the spinner variants Foresight, then I go to Tomb and Will-O-Wisp it. Then I go to Weezing, but unfortunately it always gets to spin my entry hazards away. Luckily, I always try and keep Omastar in good health for putting them back up.
Houndoom - Good thing Spikes + Stealth Rock + Life Orb take a toll on it, as even Chansey is getting hurt by Fire Blast at +2. Milotic can take a Dark Pulse at +2 but, I try and keep Milotic healthy to wall some of the specific Pokemon only it can take on.
Kabutops - Lead variants are easily beat by Omastar, as it uses Earth Power first turn then Surf. SD variants are dangerous, because without Milo I have nothing to take it out, and even Milo can be OHKOed by a +2 LO Stone Edge.
Lanturn - Clefable can Trick and Seismic Toss it until it's KOed. Chansey can take anything it has and Toxic it.
Leafeon - Weezing can take anything it has at +2.
Ludicolo - Chansey can take all LO special sets easily. I usually go to Chansey as it Surfs, and then Toxic it. If it has Leech Seed I go to Clefable and Softboiled as Toxic takes its toll. SD variants are handled by Weezing, but if Waterfall flinches though it's GG >.<
Mesprit - Go to Clefable as lead variants Grass Knot, and then Encore as it SRs and Trick whatever comes in. Physical Scarf variants are easily handled by Tomb. CM variants are easily handled by Clefable and Chansey.
Milotic - Clefable can handle bulky variants, Encore it on a Surf, and keep Seismic Tossing until it's KOed. LO variants are handled by Chansey.
Miltank - Clefable can Trick any Miltank a Flame Orb which completely cripples it, and Curse variants are handled by Clefable's Encore and Milotic's Haze.
Mismagius - Spiritomb can take CM and Nasty Plot variants, because even at +2 Shadow Ball isn't OHKOing it at full health. The only reason Mismagius is red is because of its Bulky Ghost set. With Taunt / Will-O-Wisp / Shadow Ball / Pain Split it completely shuts down my entire team if Spiritomb is gone.
Moltres - Chansey can Toxic LO variants and Milotic can handle it as well. SubRoost variants are easily handled by Clefable.
Nidoking - Milotic cant really switch in on it, as Earth Power + Thunderbolt + SR is going to hurt too much and possibly KO. I usually have to predict around it and Spiritomb can Sucker Punch it to low health.
Omastar - I Earth Power and hope they run the standard spread which I outspeed.
Poliwrath - Clefable actually easily handles it. Switch it in as it Substitutes on Milotic / Tomb and Encore its Substitute as it tries to Focus Punch. Weezing can handle it as well.
Regirock - Milotic beats it down with Surf, and Clefable handles Curse variants with Encore / Trick.
Registeel - Again Clefable can Encore it as it uses Iron Head / Seismic Toss and Trick it and Seismic Toss it until it's KOed.
Rhyperior - Milo outspeeds and OHKOes all variants. I usually switch in Milo as it EQs / SEs and then Recover as it switches out. It comes in on Chansey / Clefable a lot only to be Toxiced or Tricked a Flame Orb. Without Milotic it runs through my whole team. My only hope is to Trick it a Flame Orb or stall out Stone Edge's PP with Weezing's Rest.
Rotom - Spiritomb can Shadow Sneak / Pursuit it, and Clefable can take on Will-O-Wisp / Charge Beam versions. Not much of a problem.
Sceptile - I usually switch to Weezing to find out what set it's running, as switching to Chansey to take the Leaf Storm can potentially be dangerous as it could be an SD set. Once I find out what set it's running I have each set covered. SD sets are easily handled by Weezing, Specs sets are easily handled by Chansey, and Leech Seed sets are handled by Clefable.
Scyther - Weezing can handle SD variants, even though a +2 Aerial Ace is going to do a lot. Spiritomb can Sucker Punch for the KO (at 50% or so). Milotic can Ice Beam it.
Slowbro - Clefable Encores CM variants, and easily handles bulky variants with Encore / Seismic Toss. Chansey can Toxic it as well.
Slowking - Same story as Slowbro...
Spiritomb - Clefable can Encore / Trick CM variants, and Milotic has Haze CM variants as well. Choice Band variants are handled by those two as well.
Steelix - Omastar and Milotic can OHKO with Surf.
Swellow - Omastar can easily take anything it has, and Weezing and Milotic can take it on as well, although both are 2HKOed by it... Spiritomb can Sucker Punch it as well.
Tangrowth - Weezing does A LOT of damage with Sludge Bomb and can absorb the Sleep Powder, and Clefable can take the Leech Seed and Trick it a Flame Orb.
Torterra - Weezing easily handles any set it has.
Toxicroak - Weezing can Flamethrower for the 2HKO as Toxicroak does shit damage at +2. I used to HP Psychic it with Milo but I changed HP Psychic to Haze. Nasty Plot variants with Focus Blast could be dangerous, but luckily they aren't common.
Uxie - I usually use Spikes and see if it Tricks Omastar. If it Grass Knots then I switch to Clefable. Isn't a threat at all.
Venusaur - I switch to Weezing to absorb the sleep, and Weezing can take on SD variants (Unless I get lucky with Sleep Talk and it hasd Return) and USUALLY can take on LO variants. Bulky variants are easily handled by Clefable.
Weezing - Clefable can handle anything it has, and so can Chansey.
NU Threats
Articuno - Chansey handles LO variants even though they are very, very uncommon, and Clefable easily handles the SubRoost variants.
Cradily - Clefable can Encore / Trick Curse variants, but I haven't seen any other Cradily then Curse ones.
Exeggutor - The only reason it's blue is because I hate it. I HATE Exeggutor. Usually I will sac something for the Sleep Powder and go to Chansey for the Leaf Storm, although I have to be careful for the potential Explosion.
Jynx - Usually I switch to Weezing for the Lovely Kiss, and then Tomb as it Subs. Chansey can handle it as well. Milotic can Haze it, and Clefable can Encore it.
Kangaskhan - Kangaskhan is bulky and hits hard as hell with Choice Band. It 2HKOs everything besides Omastar with Band Double-Edge. I just have to wear it down, but usually something is getting KOed.
Lapras - Special variants are easily handled by Chansey, I have never seen a DD variant but that would be handled by Haze from Milotic, and Trick / Encore from Clefable.
Manectric - SubCharge sets are handled by Chansey. I have to watch out for Switcheroo though.
Magmortar - Just like Nidoking I have to be careful with it. It's very dangerous if it carries Cross Chop, but luckily Spikes + SR + LO will wear it down. Spiritomb can Sucker Punch when it's low on health. Choice sets are easily handled by Chansey though.
Ninetales - Chansey can Toxic it, Clefable can Encore it, and Milotic can Haze and Surf it.
Pinsir - Uhh Mold Breaker is annoying... hitting Weezing hard with EQ. Milotic can take it out in low health with Surf, and Spiritomb can Sucker Punch / burn it. Luckily, it's not very common at all. The only ones I've seen are Scarfed which Weezing can handle with prediction and lead ones which fails to 2HKO Omastar with Earthquake.
Qwilfish - This is why Omastar has Earth Power, because it's annoying as hell. SD variants are very dangerous as it can 2HKO everything on my team and Explode. Just got to wear it down with SR + Spikes + LO.
Ursaring - Spiritomb laughs as it fails to hit it with Facade. Sucker Punch 2HKOs.
Special Thanks: Thanks to Aromaflora for helping me with the team, staying with me on shoddy for hours, and using her awesome grammar skills to check all my mistakes on this RMT! Thanks! <3
2. dws93rd
Jul 12, 2010
Well, from my time playing UU, albeit short, this team looks as though it covers almost every threat and looks like a very solid team.
The first thing I would suggest is to put WoW on Weezing as it will help your team with the Aggron problem since it cripples him and makes him next to useless. Also, I would highly suggest changing Weezing to the standard Weezing and making Milotic's set a variant of a RestTalk set. IMO, Milotic's natural bulk+Marvel Scale activated thanks to Rest, will make it a much better wall and user of RestTalk than Weezing as it will multiply Milotic's Defense by 1.5, allowing it to take hits from just about anything in UU.
I could see Hitmontop filling the spot of Clefable on your team with the set you listed, but with an Adamant nature and 252 Atk Evs, as that way you can always OHKO and Aggron, with or without Entry Hazards
Hitmontop @ leftovers
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
1) Close Combat
2) Rapid Spin
3) Foresight
4) Sucker Punch
Not to mention, this set can 2HKO any Mismagius, including the BUlky Ghost you have trouble with. Plus, he can OHKO Chansey(if it takes damage from Entry Hazards tehn its a sure OHKO) and can 2HKO the more defensive Clefables, while OHKO'ing the more offensive ones, such as the StallBreaker. Also, Intimidate softens those blows from physical attackers.
3. Jubilee
is a Contributor Alumnus
Jun 20, 2009
Thanks for the rate dws93rd, I will change Flamethrower to WoW on Weezing and will give it a test. Im going to have to keep Weezing as my Rest Talker though as he can actually stay in on Venusaur. Also I like having Milotic be able to reliably heal its HP with Recover.
I honestly dont like the idea of switching out Clefable for Hitmontop either, Clefables Encore's are very very valuable to this team. If I get more comments on that though I wil try it.
4. tawp64
Feb 8, 2010
If anything, this needs a grounded poison type. Toxic spikes can threaten this team greatly, and weezing can't stop it because he has levitate.
An option is to change softboiled on clefable for wish, and replace wish on chansey for aromatheropy/heal bell. That way, you're safe from toxic spikes.
Then again, Hitmontop helps with rapid spin if you want to replace something.
Or, you could just use the grounded poison like drapion, who provides toxic spikes itself. It's bulky and can stop many sweepers. But idk where to put it.
Anyways, congratualtions on the CRE!
5. NightShadow
Jun 3, 2010
i don't think clefable is very helpful and as dws93rd rightly said, hitmontop should replace it since it can spin away rocks, spikes and t-spikes.
however, you do not have a single pokemon which can set up t-spikes, which is ridiculous for a stall team. i would suggest changing spikes to t-spikes on omastar (if it can learn, i'm not sure =.=).
overall, GREAT team. very solid.
6. Jubilee
is a Contributor Alumnus
Jun 20, 2009
Clefable is very very helpful with Encore, Tricking Flame Orb, and its ability. Ive tried using Hitmontop and I honestly like having Clefable more. Numerous times when I switched out Clefable for Hitmontop id find myself trying to switch in Clefable and realizing "oh yeah took her out". Shes very useful to this team even if both her and Chansey are on it.
Toxic Spikes in my opinion are INCREDIBLY stupid in UU.
Venusaur is the #1 Pokemon in UU, absorbs them and makes those turns of setting them up pointless.
7. august
august its hard to miss you when you follow us around
is a Smogon IRC AOPis a Tutor Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnuswon the 5th Official Smogon Tournamentis a World Cup of Pokemon defending champion
Nov 25, 2007
Alright a few things quick:
Use Careful 252 HP / 252 SDef on Spiritomb or you'll have a ton of trouble with Sub LO Split Rotom and alot more Taunt NP Mismagius troubles. As it is right now, your Spiritomb isn't specially bulky enough to be considered a ghost counter (its nearly 2HKO'd by Scarf Rotom TBolt after SR, and gets nuked by Specs TBolt), and by running Careful you'll have more insurance against CM Zam too since it wrecks stall if Tomb is gone. Will O Wisp would be ideal on Tomb too, so Absol doesn't set up in your face. Speaking of Absol you have a pretty big Absol weak.
I really don't see merit in both Chansey AND Clefable, i'd go for one or the other so you can fit Top on the team and fix the massive weakness to CB Aggron / Absol / Taunt Swords Dance Drapion and a load of other stuff. You also really need a spinner because as it is right now, you lose pretty handily to other stall, seeing as Omastar sets up on Weezing and Spiritomb with no trouble, and Hitmontop laughs at your Spiritomb.
I also don't understand Wish on Chansey. If you use Rest on Spiritomb (which you should) then the only mon without recovery is Omastar. I'd much rather use Aromatherapy / Heal Bell Chansey so you atleast have a cleric, which helps Milo alot considering it has trouble countering Curse Registeel / CM Tomb and stuff like that if it gets Toxiced.
good luck beating other stall without toxic spikes
8. ShinyAzelf
is a Battle Server Moderatoris a Contributor Alumnus
Jan 18, 2010
Hey, fixing your Aggron problem, you could run 84 speed EVs on Milotic, so it can outspeed Jolly Aggron (you hit 219 speed, and Jolly Aggron hits 218 speed) so you can nail it with a Surf.
How about this set?
Milotic @ Leftovers
Nature: Bold
Ability: Marvel Scale
EVs: 244 HP/160 Def/20 Sp. Def/84 Spe
-Ice Beam
-Haze/HP Psychic
I'm not sure if HP Psychic lowers your Speed IV so you may have to run more speed EVs if so.
I know you say you won't change Shed Shell on Chansey, and I might not be able to convince you to change to Leftovers, but whenever someone traps me using Dugtrio while my Chansey is out, Life Orbed Earthquake from Jolly Dugtrio does around 55% which combined with Softboiled and leftovers in my case can stall it out (provided crits aren't present). In your case, you can stall out with Wish/Protect. Yes, I know there are Choice Banded Dugtrios which do 70% to you, so if thats the case, I get a Seismic Toss on him, and in your case, I'd finish him off with a Sucker Punch/Pursuit from Spiritomb, depending what your opponent will do.
Not much about the team. Its great and good luck. =)
9. franky
is a Team Rater Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Apr 12, 2009
Go for Psychic > Sucker Punch on Tomb to deal with Toxicroak - a problem that can beat your team quite easily given the multiple opportunities it has. To name a few though, it can hit Venu and Hariyama for super effective damage as well. Go for august idea with going 252/252 sassy nature on tomb as it maximizes on checking Missy, Zam, and Rotom (especially sublosplit). There is no need to pour in all of those attacks since most of these aforementioned threats are really frail on the physical end anyways.
Clefable needs to go - both Chansey and Clefable are redundant when they are placed on the same team. i have two propositions to make: go for the ev change for Weezing to a little more specially defensive to maximize on checking both sd, mix sceptile and venusaur variants. However, you'd need to add a physically defensive venusaur in exchange of Clefable! A physical venu will take care of not only leafeon (sd + double edge bypasses weezing), it also deals with Feraligatr and Azum since Milotic lacks hp grass. Additionally, venu gives you a much needed Milotic check because god knows one Milotic that will stay in on Chansey so it will be hard for it to induce Toxic. Go for Leaf Storm / Sludge Bomb / Synthesis / Roar with the evs 252 HP / 168 def / 16 spe / 72 spd with the bold nature. This spread optimizes on checking physical threats, surviving +2 lo shadow ball from missy (if the need arises), and outpaces adamant aggron! Roar is there over sleep powder to add more spikes damage and ultimately help you against enemy stall teams.
As for other options, go for a simple 252/252 bold spread on Milo. Cmon, Moltres is already put in check by the defensive juggernaut Chansey so there is no need to pour in all of that. overall gl!
10. Jubilee
is a Contributor Alumnus
Jun 20, 2009
Thanks for the rate August.
I changed Tomb to Careful 252/252 and I really like being able to take the hits from Ghosts alot better, the damage it does is quite poor though. But its better then him getting KOed and being swept by a ghost (He still 2HKO's Missy / Rotom with Shadow Sneak with the spread you listed).
I used Wish / Protect for Toxic stalling, I tried using Softboiled / Heal Bell with Rest Hitmontop and it worked pretty well.
Thanks for the rate franky.
I cant fit
Shadow Sneak / Pursuit / WoW / Rest / Dark Pulse / Psychic
Shadow Sneak / Pursuit are the two moves I'd deffinately and will keep.
So any opinion on what last two moves...?
Dakr Pulse will prove useful for those evil stall breaking Mismagius's, WoW is nice for things like Drapion and Toxicrok that can set up on this set, Psychic doesnt have much use besides Toxicroak and Hitmontop... Hitting Spinner Hitmontop super effectively looks really nice though lol.
On adding Saur I think I'd much rather add a Defensive Hitmontop then Defensive Venusaur.
I already have changed Milotic's EV's to 252/252, I just forgot to edit my post.
And about everyone commenting on Clefable AND Chansey.
Yea I know they both do almost the exact thing, but Chansey can take attacks Clefable cant, Like +2 LO Houndoom Fire Blast, Moltres, Alakazam (To an extent), and a few others I cant think of right now.
Clefable has Magic Guard and Encore. Two things that have been very important to this team (I cant stress how useful Encore is...), and have deffinately saved me more then once.
Ill give Leftovers a try on Chansey and see how it works.
The Speed EV's on Milo arent something id change though, thats sacrificing too much Defense imo. =/
And yes HP Psychic does lower your Speed IV. :x
11. Diesel
Aug 6, 2007
Lol I'm glad I clicked on this because I made a nearly identical team except I had Hitmontop over Chansey (and more specially defensive spreads on a few pokemon). All I can say is don't do that, because I really didn't have a lot of success and found I didn't have the switch-in ability to certain special attackers, especially if Spiritomb bit the dust early defending my Spikes, and tbh I really don't like Top much in general. Anyway, nice team and congrats on the success I didn't have.
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Network tap
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A network tap is a hardware device which provides a way to access the data flowing across a computer network. In many cases, it is desirable for a third party to monitor the traffic between two points in the network. If the network between points A and B consists of a physical cable, a "network tap" may be the best way to accomplish this monitoring. The network tap has (at least) three ports: an A port, a B port, and a monitor port. A tap inserted between A and B passes all traffic through unimpeded, but also copies that same data to its monitor port, enabling a third party to listen.
Network taps are commonly used for network intrusion detection systems, VoIP recording, network probes, RMON probes, packet sniffers, and other monitoring and collection devices and software that require access to a network segment. Taps are used in security applications because they are non-obtrusive, are not detectable on the network (having no physical or logical address), can deal with full-duplex and non-shared networks, and will usually pass through traffic even if the tap stops working or loses power.
The term network tap is analogous to phone tap or vampire tap. Some vendors have phrases for which tap is an acronym; however, those are most likely bacronyms.
The monitored traffic is sometimes referred to as the pass-through traffic, while the ports that are used for monitoring are the monitor ports. There may also be an aggregation port for full-duplex traffic, wherein the "A" traffic is aggregated with the "B" traffic, resulting in one stream of data /packets for monitoring the full-duplex communication. The packets must be aligned into a single stream using a time-of-arrival algorithm.
Vendors will tend to use terms in their marketing such as breakout, passive, aggregating, regeneration, inline power, and others. Common meanings will be discussed later. Unfortunately, vendors do not use such terms consistently. Before buying any product it is important to understand the available features, and check with vendors or read the product literature closely to figure out how marketing terms correspond to reality. All of the "vendor terms" are common within the industry and have real definitions and are valuable points of consideration when buying a tap device.
A distributed tap is a set of network taps which report to a centralized monitoring system or packet analyzer.
New filterable tap technology[edit]
A new type of tap, or network access point, is now[when?] available. This new type of tap is called a "filterable" tap. It is especially valuable in the 10 Gigabit environment because 10-Gigabit test equipment is very expensive. Some taps, like those from several vendors, offer the ability to utilize less expensive and more widely available 1-Gigabit monitoring and analysis tools with these 10 Gigabit networks. When used in this fashion, some form of load-balancing or port-bonding is recommended to avoid packet loss to the monitoring tools.
A filterable tap, that provides advanced filtering, can selectively pass data, based on application, VLAN ID, or other parameters, to the 1-Gigabit port for deep analysis and monitoring, including IDS requirements.
Filtered access is also the best way to focus on business-critical traffic, or other specific areas of your network. At higher speeds, network traffic analysis cannot be performed using the older "capture and decode everything" philosophy. In this type of environment, focused access is the best way to enable traffic analysis, and often is the only way.
Any filterable tap you consider must have a simple user interface for easy setup and management. Furthermore, it must be able to collect the Layer 1 and Layer 2 data, while still allowing for auto saving, and easy access to data by graphing programs. Such a tap can be part of a strategy to monitor for essential metrics, such as frame errors and corrupted frames in IPv6.
Advantages and features[edit]
Older network technologies tended to be shared. Connecting a monitoring device to a shared network segment (i.e., piece of a network) was very easy—just connect the monitoring device as you would any other host, and enable promiscuous mode. Modern network technologies tend to be switched, meaning that devices are connected using point-to-point links. If a monitoring device is connected to such a network, it will only see its own traffic. The network tap allows the monitoring device to view the contents of a point-to-point link.
Modern network technologies are often full-duplex, meaning that data can travel in both directions at the same time. If a network link allows 100 Mbit/s of data to flow in each direction at the same time, this means that the network really allows 200 Mbit/s of aggregate throughput. This can present a problem for monitoring technologies if they have only one monitor port. Therefore, network taps for full-duplex technologies usually have two monitor ports, one for each half of the connection. The listener must use channel bonding or link aggregation to merge the two connections into one aggregate interface to see both halves of the traffic. Other monitoring technologies do not deal well with the full-duplex problem.
Once a network tap is in place, the network can be monitored without interfering with the network itself. Other network monitoring solutions require in-band changes to network devices, which means that monitoring can impact the devices being monitored.
Once a tap is in place, a monitoring device can be connected to it as-needed without impacting the monitored network.
Some taps have multiple output ports, or multiple pairs of output ports for full-duplex, to allow more than one device to monitor the network at the tap point. These are often called regeneration taps.
A passive fiber optic tap.
Some taps, particularly fiber taps, can use no power and no electronics at all for the pass-through and monitor portion of the network traffic. This means that the tap should never suffer any kind of electronics failure or power failure that results in a loss of network connectivity. One way this can work, for fiber-based network technologies, is that the tap divides the incoming light using a simple physical apparatus into two outputs, one for the pass-through, one for the monitor. This can be called a passive tap. Other taps use no power or electronics for the pass-through, but do use power and electronics for the monitor port. These can also be referred to as passive. Fiber-based taps are of limited usage, non-orthogonal photon fiber network can not be taped at all.[1]
Some taps operate at the physical layer of the OSI model rather than the data link layer. For example, they work with multi-mode fiber rather than 1000BASE-SX. This means that they can work with most data link network technologies that use that physical media, such as ATM and some forms of Ethernet. Network taps that act as simple optical splitters, sometimes called passive taps (although that term is not used consistently) can have this property.
Some network taps offer both duplication of network traffic for monitoring devices and SNMP services. Most major network tap manufacturers offer taps with remote management through Telnet, HTTP, or SNMP interfaces. Such network tap hybrids can be helpful to network managers who wish to view baseline performance statistics without diverting existing tools. Alternatively, SNMP alarms generated by managed taps can alert network managers to link conditions that merit examination by analyzers to intrusion detection systems.
Some taps get some of their power (i.e., for the pass-through) or all of their power (i.e., for both pass-through and monitor) from the network itself. These can be referred to as having inline power.
Some taps can also reproduce low-level network errors, such as short frames, bad CRC or corrupted data.
Disadvantages and problems[edit]
Network taps require additional hardware, so are not as cheap as technologies that use capabilities that are built into the network. They are easier to manage and normally provide more data than some network devices though.
Network taps can require channel bonding on monitoring devices to get around the problem with full-duplex discussed above. Vendors usually refer to this as aggregation as well.
Putting a network tap into place will disrupt the network being monitored for a short time.[2] It's better than taking a network down multiple times to deploy a monitoring tool though. Establishing good guidelines for placement of network taps is recommended procedure.
Monitoring large networks using network taps can require a lot of monitoring devices. High end networking devices often allow ports to be enabled as mirror ports which is a software network tap. While any free port can be configured as a mirror port, software taps require configuration and place load on the network devices.
Even fully passive network taps introduce new points of failure into the network. There are several ways that taps can cause problems and this should be considered when creating a tap architecture. Consider non-powered taps for optical-only environments[citation needed] or throwing star network tap[3] for copper 100BT. This allows you to modify the intelligent aggregation taps that may be in use and avoids any complications when upgrading from 100 megabit to gigabit to 10 gigabit. Redundant power supplies are highly recommended.
Comparison to other monitoring technologies[edit]
Various monitoring approaches can be used, depending on the network technology and the monitoring objective:
The simplest type of monitoring is logging in to an interesting device and running programs or commands that show performance statistics and other data. This is the cheapest way to monitor a network, and is highly appropriate for small networks. However, it does not scale well to large networks. It can also impact the network being monitored; see observer effect.
Another way to monitor devices is to use a remote management protocol such as SNMP to ask devices about their performance. This scales well, but is not necessarily appropriate for all types of monitoring. The inherent problems with SNMP are the polling effect. Many vendors have alleviated this by using intelligent polling schedulers, but this may still affect the performance of the device being monitored. It also opens up a host of potential security problems.
Another method to monitor networks is by enable promiscuous mode on the monitoring host, and connecting it to a shared segment. This works well with older LAN technologies such as 10BASE-T Ethernet, FDDI, and token ring. On such networks, any host can automatically see what all other hosts were doing by enabling promiscuous mode. However, modern switched network technologies such as those used on modern Ethernets provide, in effect, point-to-point links between pairs of devices, so it is hard for other devices to see traffic.
Another method to monitor networks is to use port mirroring (called "SPAN", for Switched Port Analyzer, by Cisco, and given other names by some other vendors) on routers and switches. This is a low-cost alternative to network taps, and solves many of the same problems. However, not all routers and switches support port mirroring and, on those that do, using port mirroring can affect the performance of the router or switch. These technologies may also be subject to the problem with full-duplex described elsewhere in this article, and there are often limits for the router or switch on how many pass-through sessions can be monitored, or how many monitor ports (generally two) can monitor a given session.
Countermeasures for network taps include encryption and alarm systems. Encryption can make the stolen data unintelligible to the thief. However, encryption can be an expensive solution, and there are also concerns about network bandwidth when it is used.
Another counter-measure is to deploy a fiber-optic sensor into the existing raceway, conduit or armored cable. In this scenario, anyone attempting to physically access the data (copper or fiber infrastructure) is detected by the alarm system. A small number of alarm systems manufacturers provide a simple way to monitor the optical fiber for physical intrusion disturbances. There is also a proven solution that utilizes existing dark (unused) fiber in a multi-strand cable for the purpose of creating an alarm system.
In the alarmed cable scenario, the sensing mechanism uses optical interferometry in which modally dispersive coherent light traveling through the multi-mode fiber mixes at the fiber's terminus, resulting in a characteristic pattern of light and dark splotches called speckle. The laser speckle is stable as long as the fiber remains immobile, but flickers when the fiber is vibrated. A fiber-optic sensor works by measuring the time dependence of this speckle pattern and applying digital signal processing to the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of the temporal data.
The U.S. government has been concerned about the tapping threat for many years, and it also has a concern about other forms of intentional or accidental physical intrusion. In the context of classified information Department of Defense (DOD) networks, Protected Distribution Systems (PDS) is a set of military instructions and guidelines for network physical protection. PDS is defined a system of carriers (raceways, conduits, ducts, etc.) that are used to distribute Military and National Security Information (NSI) between two or more controlled areas or from a controlled area through an area of lesser classification (i.e., outside the SCIF or other similar area). National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems Security Instruction (NSTISSI) No. 7003, Protective Distribution Systems (PDS), provides guidance for the protection of SIPRNET wire line and optical fiber PDS to transmit unencrypted classified National Security Information (NSI).
See also[edit]
1. ^ Practical quantum key distribution over a 48-km optical fiber network Richard J. Hughes, George L. Morgan and C. Glen Peterson Physics Division Los Alamos National Laboratory, pdf
2. ^ "Sniffing Tutorial part 1 - Intercepting Network Traffic". NETRESEC Network Security Blog. 2011.
3. ^ [1] section 4
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<urn:uuid:c4e6d1c8-8a74-42a7-a00d-67c8a6d04113>
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_tap
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en
| 0.929935
| 0.080509
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mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet
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HK Flying mini-hunter model 403
An urban pacification tool, the mini-hunter 403 has a single purpose when released for autonomous operations. In order to do its job it is equipped with non lethal disencentive device dubbed “the pain” it is a focused microwave generator, and a backup Battle rifle, loaded with suppressive rounds when needed it’s unique sound when fired burns a permanent memory for future altercations. many civilians who have met one before run away immediately upon hearing the first burst of automatic fire. its primary use is when pacification is not an option. but has also been quite effectively used for nonlethal Doc wagon extractions.
it’s manueverability is unmatched and often enemy combatants will simply not provide a hostile target than risk being subjected to the paingiver. while deemed a nonlethal weapon it is connected to the overpowered generator of the drone and has the potential of melting secure barriers if concentrated upon a metahuman for too long it can permanently damage and even kill.
<> don’t think just because its a legal armament that the star doesn’t use them for impromtu interrogations in the field. that pain giver is a military grade version of the fichetti if I ever saw one.
<> Teamzero
<> The urban settings for the pilot default to not engaging any target that has not threatened and does not have a weapon. But this is the star we’re talking about, kill first then send in officers to plant evidence…I mean…assess the situation.
HK Flying mini-hunter model 403
Judas Kiss Djinni
|
<urn:uuid:f290d260-b5c2-417d-958f-39202e0332b3>
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https://judas-kiss.obsidianportal.com/items/hk-flying-mini-hunter-model-403
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en
| 0.917474
| 0.141467
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mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet
|
Musical Interlude
This came from one of those suffle meme things over on LJ. 10 songs, 10 little fics. I picked Jason/Spinelli. I know, what a shock, right? xD Ugh, they seem to alternate between fluffy-scmoopy things and tragic things, so, yeah. None are really higher than K+, though. Boys aren't mine. Enjoy!
Love Me Like The World Is Ending // Ben Lee
They're trapped in the burning mess that was once 122 Harbor View Towers. It's going down in flames, smoke is filling every inch of the building and there are only two people still trapped within the inferno. Jason Morgan and Damian Spinelli.
The elder is holding tight to his self proclaimed protégé. "I'll get you out of here." He coughs through the smoke filling his lungs. "Come on, Spinelli. You have to keep moving." Jason begs, shaking his younger comrade with everything he has.
He brushes the younger's hair from his face and presses a soft kiss to ash covered lips and then throws Spinelli over his shoulder in a fireman's lift.
"I'll get you out." He promises again, as he tries to kick out the door trapping them.
It doesn't budge.
Lie To Me // Stacy Wilde
Spinelli can't believe he's doing this. The lies come more fluidly and naturally than he thought possible. And just like that he's lying. Lying to Jason, to Maxie, to everyone. Believe it or not, lying to Jason hurts more. He tells his master that he's trying to change the way he looks to impress Maximista and the elder believes him without hesitation.
"I think that Maxie likes you for who you are and not how you look." Jason tells him, honestly.
It's better this way. Spinelli makes himself think. He can't drag Stone Cold Down with him in the FBI hunt. Jason is needed here and the Jackal is not. It's better if he runs solo. Better for everyone involved if he just disappears. If it's like he'd never been in Port Charles.
He raises a protest to Jason's comment and finds himself promptly cut off. "Look, we… we need to talk about something. Right now." Jason finally gets out, the words tense and desperate. Spinelli knows he's going to tell him about the plan to run together.
And before Jason can say anything to jeopardize Spinelli's plan, the younger man is making up some excuse about a rendezvous with Maximista. More lies that come so easily.
How Far We've Come // Matchbox 20
Can it really have been nearly three years since Stone Cold saved him from the clutches of Darth Alcazar?
It certainly doesn't feel like it, Spinelli muses, lounging quite sleepily on the bed in Jason's room. Their room, really. They've been together for several months now, and living together is something they've long since mastered. Working together, living together, and now just taking that one step further.
"You still awake?" Jason asks, falling into bed beside the younger man upon stripping down to his boxers.
"Affirmative. Just musing on how far we've come since you locked me in a closet so long ago."
Jason ducks his head with an awkward laugh. "That was a long time ago."
"Indeed. I suppose we're even. I did drag you out of one, anyway." He muses, and grins like lightning when lips press softly against his own.
I Wanna // The All American Rejects
How did he miss this?
He watches his young protégé with hawk eyes as he dances happily at the party. Spinelli keeps shooting him looks that Jason had been having trouble identifying up til just now.
"Go." Maxie pesters him, for what is not the first time, and now he gets it. How did she see this?
"Are you-?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Now go." She demands, shoving him rather ungracefully towards Spinelli.
His hand lands on Spinelli's shoulder, and the other man beams up at him when he realizes what's going on. "Wanna dance?" Jason asks awkwardly. And since when is he a nervous highschooler? What is this kid doing to him?
"Most definitely, Stone Cold." Spinelli answers, and suddenly they're touching and moving and Jason hopes Spinelli knows that he's trapped now. Never going anywhere.
Six Days // DJ Shadow Ft. Mos Def (Tokyo Drift)
It takes six days for everything to come crashing down in the town of Port Charles. Sonny and Jason have been in negotiations for weeks now over how they're going to go about working together again, combining Zacchara and Corinthos-Morgan territories. The day after they finally seem to agree on anything, Jason gets the news.
"Jason!" Maxie tells him. "Jason! Oh, God… You have to get to the hospital right now. Spinelli's been shot."
And he does. He's broken nearly every traffic law ever made in order to get there, and he's nearly too late.
It takes six hours for Spinelli to fade out of existence. Six hours of torture for Maxie and Jason, who can only watch on while the doctors try to keep him comfortable. Six hours in which Jason is planning revenge.
"It was Sonny." Maxie tells him, in between hoarse sobs. "Sonny did this."
"Okay." Jason agrees, and now he has a target in mind for that revenge. "Okay, don't worry. I'll make him pay."
It takes six minutes to find Sonny on the docks and six seconds more to end him.
How To Be Dead // Snow Patrol
"Stone Cold?" Spinelli calls hesitantly from the door of the Penthouse. It's dark, and until Jason speaks, he'd been convinced the older man wasn't home.
"Yeah?" Comes the reply from the man hidden in shadow on the sofa.
Spinelli snakes in the door, crossing the room to sit beside his master, the lights still out. "I, ugh, that is… The Jackal thought about the confession you made to him. Concerning your feelings, and, ugh, I reciprocate them, as it were."
Jason looks up in something between surprise and confusion. But the look on Spinelli's face tells him in sincerity that he means what he's said. "You're sure?"
"Indeed I am." He answers, and his hand lands on Jason's.
No Matter What // Stephen Gately & Ronan Keating
Neither of them cares what is made of their relationship. It's new and vulnerable and fragile and they are both willing to ignore the insults and attacks made against them because they don't want to hide.
Out of everyone, Sonny's been the worst, but that's hardly surprising. He's always hated Spinelli, so Jason giving him one more reason to do so was kind of an expected caveat. They've gotten to the point of restraining orders against him.
But, neither Jason or Spinelli are concerned enough to stop their normal activities. It's only fair that they should be able to act like a couple when they're in public. Spinelli's always touching him, and Jason usually has an arm thrown over Spinelli's shoulder's if nothing else.
Plus, they do have some people on their side. Robin and Patrick and Matt don't seem to care. Maxie, while still a little miffed at Jason for stealing Spinelli from her - through no intent of his own – is usually saying something about how cute they are.
Such remarks never go over well with Jason, though.
But no matter what, they're not letting anyone else affect their interactions in public because they're in love and no one is stopping them.
Starfish & Coffee (Live) // Matt Nathanson
Jason often comes home to Spinelli doing something strange or odd. This one takes the prize, though.
"If you asked her what she had for breakfast, this is what she'd say… Starfish and coffee, maple syrup and jam. Butterscotch clouds, a tangerine, and a side order of ham. And if you set your mind free, baby, maybe you'll understand. Starfish and coffee, maple syrup and jam…" Spinelli is singing a purely ridiculous song.
"What are you doing?" Jason asks, a wide smile on his face even as he questions the ostentatious music. It's also radiating from the stereo system, so clearly someone else is equally as unhinged.
Spinelli jumps at his voice, having been intently lining up a shot on the pool table. "Oh! Stone Cold! There you are."
The elder grabs his own pool cue and joins Spinelli at the game. "What are we listening to?"
"It is a cover of a Prince song. Catchy, wouldn't you agree?"
"It is… something. I'm not sure catchy is the word."
Spinelli laughs and changes the track to a more well-known song by the same artist. "Better?"
"Not really. It's stuck in my head." Jason responds, because the chorus is evidently now on permanent repeat in his head.
Spinelli nods and changes the song back. "I feel your pain, as it were."
One Night Love Affair // Bryan Adams
Spinelli wakes up alone in Jason's bed. And then it hits him that this wasn't what he'd wanted out of last night's rather drunken and desperate endeavor. "Stone Cold?" He calls out, just in case this isn't what he thinks it is.
No answer comes and he climbs out of bed, still naked and a little bit sticky. He pulls on his hurriedly discarded shorts and heads for the door, finding the penthouse deserted and quiet.
"Stone Cold?" He repeats, and by now he's wandered downstairs. The lights are off, but there's a note tapes to the front door.
Be back later. That's all it says, and Spinelli slides down the door to curl his arms around his knees. He resolves that if this is how Jason is going to handle the situation, like a one night stand kind of thing that doesn't matter at all, he'll do the same. Or… he'll try to anyway.
The door tries to open behind him and he quickly scrambles out of the way, frantically wiping at tears that he hadn't known had fallen.
"Spinelli?" Comes Jason's concerned voice. He has breakfast from Kelly's in one hand and his keys in the other. "What's wrong?"
"I… nothing." He answers quickly. "You went out to get breakfast?" He asks, taking in the bags.
"Cody called me about some trouble on the docks, I got the food on my way back." Jason explains. "I didn't think you'd be awake yet." He sets the bags down on the desk by the door and moves closer to Spinelli. "What's wrong?" He asks again.
Spinelli is almost smiling now. "I… I thought that… Last night…"
Jason cuts off such thoughts with a deep kiss.
Never Gonna Leave Your Side // Daniel Beddingfield
When Jason first sees Spinelli alive and okay and also slightly in trouble in LA, it feels as if a thousand pound weight has been lifted off his shoulders. That aforementioned trouble is dealt with quickly enough between himself, Sam, and - as much as he hates to include her - Agent Leeds. And, despite the fact that his actions are very much out of character, he pulls Spinelli into his arms. "you're never, ever doing anything like this again, got it?" He asks, and it is very much not a question.
Surprisingly, Spinelli relaxes against his hold and nods against his chest. "Affirmative, Stone Cold."
"Good." Jason says, and his arms reluctantly release his younger friend. "You're stuck with me."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Spinelli grins, and Jason can tell he's been missed as much as Jason's been missing him.
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<urn:uuid:1e6ccf3b-9982-4e71-bedc-e67fa7b5e1f0>
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https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4910626/1/Musical-Interlude
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en
| 0.979534
| 0.096136
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mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet
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DISCLAIMER: Frozen is owned by Disney.
It all happened so fast. Everything was normal one day, and then…
Elsa chided herself for not thinking much of Anna's absence at breakfast that morning. She had simply assumed that her sister was taking her morning walk a little earlier than usual; it was what she had always done the day after the first snowfall. It wasn't until she didn't show up at lunch that the queen began to worry, and all she did then was send some guards out to look for her. She should have known something was up when it started to feel warmer than usual.
She was in her room, looking over the inventories from the newest trade shipments, when the first sign appeared. One minute, the pot on her windowsill contained only a dormant rose. When Elsa chanced to look at it again, the petals were opened once more, and the rose was straining to keep from being overwhelmed by the horde of fauna crowding around it. Thin, snaky vines were slowly growing from the dirt and spilling out over the sides of the pot. All along them sprouted tiny flowers of a greenish-blue color - just the shade of Anna's eyes. The petals were numerous and spiky, and each was covered in dozens of tiny white dots.
Getting up, Elsa opened her door and looked across the hall. The doors of Anna's room were slowly beginning to warp and bend. "Stop it!" Anna was saying in a half-shout, half-whisper. "Please, just stop it…!"
"Anna?" Elsa asked, trying to open the door and finding it locked. "Anna, are you alright?"
The younger woman gasped. "Elsa! Don't worry, I'm fine, I'm just...I've got allergies! Lots and lots of allergies! And a cold! It's winter, you know!"
"Anna, open this door."
"No, no, it's probably contagious! I don't want you to…" She paused, then let out a fearful yelp. "Not again! Stop!" Several large cracks appeared in and around the doors, and more of the flowery vines stretched out from under it.
"Anna!" Elsa shouted, throwing herself against the doors. They creaked and pushed back as the wood bulged further. Seeing that the lock was beginning to twist out of place, Elsa stepped back, conjured up a ball of icy wind and sent it blasting at the doors. They flew apart and swung inward, letting her inside. As the ice particles cleared, Elsa's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. Her fear was joined by confusion and wonder. "What…?"
Her sister's room was transforming into a forest. The spotted flowers had sprung up from between the floorboards in droves of different colors. Vines covered the walls and wrapped around the fireplace. The floorboards were popping out of place and growing leafy branches, and the posts of the bed were trying to stretch out thick roots.
In the center of it all sat Anna, curled up in a tight little ball of fear. Her hair was disheveled, she still wore her nightgown and her eyes darted wildly around the room. When they settled on Elsa, she shrank back. "I-I don't get it, either…" As she spoke, she accidentally moved her hand, and a stream of pale green light shot from her palm. With a sound like wind chimes in a light breeze, it wrapped around a bedpost and dissolved into the wood, causing it to sprout flowers.
Elsa clapped a hand over her mouth, but only to hold back her surprised, somewhat happy laughter. Oh, Anna…
"It's not funny!"
"I'm sorry, it's just…wait here for a minute, okay?" She few back across the hall and pulled open all the drawers on her dresser. Where had she put them? Aha!
When she returned to Anna, she held a pair of old leather riding gloves. "All these years, I thought I was alone." Kneeling down, she slipped the gloves over her sister's hands. "Don't worry," she added when Anna looked up at her with a hurt expression. "You won't have to wear them for long, I promise you that. Now get dressed. Find your boots and cloak."
After shutting the door as best as they could, the sisters went down into the castle courtyard. "Kai!" Elsa called out.
The stout, somewhat balding servant hurried over to them. "Your Majesty?" he said with a bow.
"Bring us our horses at once," Elsa told him. "Tell any visitors that we won't be available for the next few days, a week at the least. And keep everyone out of my sister's room."
"Is there something wrong?"
"Not at all. She'll take care of it when we come back."
"Elsa, I don't think that's such a good idea…"
"Yes, it is. You'll see." As the horses arrived, she handed Anna her reins and jumped into her own saddle. "Now come on!"
They trotted out of the courtyard, over the bridge and through the town. "It's colder than I remember," Anna said, shivering.
"It'll be like that from now on."
"You mean like how you always get a headache when it's too warm?"
"I don't think you'll have that problem, but yes."
They picked up speed as they left the kingdom behind, flying through the forest and up towards the North Mountain. "Where are we going?" Anna asked as she struggled to keep up with her sister.
"Don't you recognize this?"
They galloped up a hill and onto a wide plain covered in deep snow. Above them, nestled in the side of the mountain, sat the still-glittering form of Elsa's ice palace.
"We're taking a little vacation," Elsa said as she dismounted. "Just the two of us. And we're going to figure out how to help you get those powers under control."
Marshmallow was absentmindedly playing with the pieces of the broken chandelier when they entered. He lit up at the sight of Elsa, but growled when he saw Anna. "Bad…"
"No, no! Good!" Elsa told him, healing his severed leg. "You are not to hurt her, understand?"
The snow giant looked a little confused, but he nodded nonetheless.
Anna gave him a shy smile. "So what do we do now?"
"We get started."
The steps of the staircase began to drip as Anna stepped on them, only to be frozen once more as Elsa followed. "Krystall and Eple probably want their supper, don't you think?"
"I don't wanna turn you into a carrot…!"
"Don't think about hurting anyone. You'll just end up slipping. Channel it. Concentrate."
They had reached the bottom of the stairs now. Holding her breath, Anna closed her eyes and took a hesitant step forward. When her foot touched the ground, the snow around it floated up and dissipated as her flowers sprang from the frozen earth. She took another step, and the greenery spread with her.
"Good!" Elsa said. "Now open your eyes."
Anna did so, keeping her gaze carefully focused on her handiwork as she began to walk in a large circle. The horses eagerly followed, chomping at the new plants.
Elsa nodded approvingly as she saw a tiny smile appear on her sister's face and grow into a grin. "Impressive. Don't be afraid to experiment a little...Anna, what are you…?"
Putting her arms out to her sides, Anna twirled around. Mist shot from her hands and feet, spontaneously melting a large patch of the snow and causing several trees to appear along with the flowers. Marshmallow, who had crept outside to see what was going on, jumped back with a shriek as most of the palace stairs dissolved.
Anna gasped. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Elsa waved her hand to make a flurry of snowflakes. "Best leave that part to me. And maybe try playing a little further from the palace."
"Okay, move your head to the left just a bit...perfect! Right there!"
"No, not yet. Just hold it a few more minutes. Are you always this impatient?"
Of all the things Elsa expected to find her sister doing, having Marshmallow hold a giant icicle over his head like a sword while she bent a block of marble like dough was not high on the list. "How are you doing that?" she asked, descending into the main hall of the palace.
"With my brain. I think. I'm not really sure, I was just staring at this big ugly rock and it started turning into marble, so I decided to see what else I could do with it! Okay, now you can look, Marshmallow!"
The snow golem bent down to examine her sculpture, then looked back at her with a quizzical expression and scratched his head. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"I don't think he knows what it's supposed to be."
"It's supposed to be him!" At this, Marshmallow recoiled and gave her a look that seemed to say "How could you do this to me?"
"If that's him," Elsa said as gently as she could, "then it looks a little bit like he's melting."
Anna turned her head sideways as she looked at her lumpy, misshapen, nigh-unrecognizable creation. "Do I get points for trying?"
"I think I get how it works now, Elsa!"
"Then show me."
Trying to stand on her toes, Anna swept her hand in a semicircle, just as she had once seen the dancers at the ballet do. The mist flowed forth freely, landing in a neat line and bringing up a rainbow of blossoms. As she began to waltz across the plateau, her magic stayed in a swirling, sparkling green fog around her feet and only moved away at a gesture from her. Until she tripped, anyway.
"I'm alright!" she told Elsa as she got up, failing to notice that the mist had flown into a nearby oak tree. "I think it was just a root or something." She paused, listening. "Is there a fire somewhere."
"No...why you do ask?"
"I hear crackling."
They turned around in unison as the wood of the tree began to twist and split. Two knotholes bunched into existence before opening up into black eyes. A horizontal crack below them split apart into a jagged mouth. The two thickest branches bent into arms and hands, and the roots ripped themselves up to become leg-like tentacles. When the creature saw the sisters, it roared and reached out to snatch at them with frightening speed.
They took off down the narrow mountain path as the tree stood up on its roots and came after them. Elsa tried shooting bolts of ice at it, but it dodged them with ease and swiped at her. It leapt over the snowdrifts and rocks they put in its way, getting closer with each huge step.
The girls finally had to skid to a stop once they reached the edge of a cliff. "Hold on," said Elsa. "I'll make a bridge…"
The tree's gnarled hand abruptly dropped down over them, scooping them both into its tight grip and bringing them up to its face. "Please don't hurt us!" Anna shouted as she struggled. "Please don't hurt us please don't hurt us please don't hurt us…"
The creature made a face at them, lifted up its other hand...and gently brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over Elsa's forehead. Humming with pleasure, it set them on their feet before sitting down in front of them as though waiting for a command.
"You could have just said something!" Anna told it. "Can't you talk?"
The creature opened its mouth and made a variety of throaty vocalizations before scratching out a word in the snow: NO.
"Oh. I'm sorry...I wasn't being careful. It was an accident. Not that you're an accident! Well...okay, you technically are, but you're a good accident, you know? You're like the first pancake that comes out all weird. Hey, that's not a bad name. Can you take us back to the palace, Pancake?"
Pancake laid his open hand out for her, and she eagerly stepped into it while dragging Elsa along with her. He carefully placed them both into his branches, then turned and walked back the way they had come. When he reached the base of the stairs, he set them down again and tried to bow, only to lose his balance and nearly fall on his face.
"What are we going to do with him?" Elsa asked. "We can't bring him back to Arendelle."
Anna thought for a moment, and then her face lit up. "Hey, Marshmallow! We've got a friend for you!"
"...I think you're ready, Anna."
Anna started at the words and turned from the starry sky to her sister. "You mean going back home ready? Are you sure?"
"Aren't you?"
She rested her head against Elsa's shoulder. "I'm worried about what they might think. Maybe I could just keep it secret…?"
"You won't always be able to hold it back." Elsa squeezed her hand. "Anna, I'm not letting you go through what I went through. I can't. I'll be right next to you the whole time. If any of them want to hurt you, they'll have to go through me first."
"I promise."
"...First thing in the morning?"
"First thing in the morning."
Anna smiled, stifled a yawn and curled up next to her sister. Elsa placed an arm around her and stroked her hair until she was fast asleep.
"Send out a message to the people!" Elsa shouted as she and Anna galloped back into the courtyard. "I want them to gather here in an hours' time."
Dismounting, the girls went into the castle to clean themselves up, Anna holding Elsa's hand all the way there. The messengers were promptly set out, and the townspeople began to stream into the courtyard almost immediately. When the hour was up, the queen and princess stepped out amongst them. Behind them came two servants, carrying a tub of dirt.
"Everyone," Elsa said as the dirt was set in front of Anna, "my sister has something she would like to show you. Go on," she whispered as she stepped aside
Carefully removing her gloves and handing them to her sister, Anna stretched her arm out and swept it over the dirt. The crowd gasped as the mist floated from her hand and brought up the flowers. For an agonizing moment, they were all silent.
Then a little girl began to clap. "More! More!"
Moving her hands, Anna conjured up a bouquet and handed it to her. "I'm glad you like it."
One by one, the rest of the people began to clap and cheer until all the kingdom was chanting her name. Elsa tossed the gloves aside and placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her with pride.
Anna threw her arms around her and practically lifted her off the ground. "Thank you! I mean, uh, I appreciate it…"
Elsa laughed. "However you want to say it."
For many years afterwards, the dignitaries of the surrounding kingdoms (especially the Duchy of Weselton) marveled at the unheard of amount of crops that Arendelle shipped to the rest of the world, and people came from all over to enjoy its gorgeous weather in the warm months. However did it come about?
The locals' answer was always the same; the Summer Princess.
Yeah, I know the movie isn't out yet. But the script is, so I'd say this is fair game.
I thought it would be cool if Anna had her own season-based powers. I'm planning to write a follow-up that details my headcanon concerning these powers, but that's gonna take a while. Try as I might, I cannot justify writing fanfiction for a movie that doesn't come out until next summer. :)
Hope you liked this! See ya!
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We’re 14 yrs late in developing cryogenic tech, says former ISRO head Narayan
S Sanandakumar, ET Bureau Jan 8, 2014, 05.00AM IST
(Father of Indian cryogenic…)
KOCHI: Nambi Narayanan, former head of Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) cryogenic division, is now focused more on his pursuit of justice than rocket propulsion even as the indigenous engine he started developing more than two decades ago finally lifted GSLV D5 from Sriharikota on Sunday.
Narayanan was framed in an infamous spy scandal in 1994, which turned out to be a fabricated case. He was kept in police custody for two months, tortured and his brilliant scientific career was destroyed.
Four years later, Supreme Court dismissed the case against him. The spy scandal afflicted the ISRO Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle project, too. Narayanan, who retired as director for advanced technologies and planning at ISRO, had set for himself a target to develop the cryogenic technology by 2000.
"We are late by 14 years," he says, adding that the indigenously built cryogenic engine could have become a reality years ago if only the country had not allowed "outside forces" to derail one of its strategic technology initiatives. Narayanan was in charge of the project to develop cryogenic engine.
The team had zeroed in on Russia for technology and the transfer of cryogenic technology was to be completed by 1997. Everything was going on smoothly when he was arrested in connection with the ISRO spy scandal that broke out in Kerala in 1994. He was accused of leaking vital information about the project to two Maldivian women. CBI later found that the case was fabricated and had also sought action against some police officers of Kerala, including the now-retired IPS officer Siby Mathews, for falsely implicating him in the case. Compensation and action against police officers are causes that Narayanan still pursues steadfastly, without much luck yet.
Narayanan, who developed liquidfuel rocket technology in the country, said the US was against the transfer of cryogenic technology to India and there was apprehension that it would interfere in the matter.
"The US raised objection to the transfer of cryogenic technology to India. We knew that the intervention by US could end the collaboration abruptly. So the entire programme wad speeded up," he said.
According to Narayanan, there was a general apprehension about the retaliatory measures by the US against those who collaborated with the project. "Our own national carrier was reluctant to carry the hardware.
The company was worried about the US sanctions," he said. It is for this reason that he believes that the spy scandal was the result of intervention by "outside forces", which could be other countries or agencies. An open letter in support of Nambi Narayanan written by Dr Satish Dhawan, Dr U R Rao, T N Sheshan, R Narasimha, S Chandrashekhar and Yashpal, too, had talked about the risk of "outside interferences" in the strategic initiatives of the country. The scandal demoralised ISRO scientists and delayed the project to a great extent.
Initially the USSR had decided to supply only three engines and their related hardware. "Later it was finalised that seven engines without related hardware were to be supplied," Narayanan said.
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I know this is none of my business, still, since Microsoft always tries to bump its competitors, i was wondering what current legal issues are going on between Ubuntu and Microsoft Corp., and is there anyway common ubuzens like me can help in those matters?
share|improve this question
Related: askubuntu.com/questions/88366/… – Rinzwind Jan 26 '12 at 10:02
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closed as not a real question by Bruno Pereira, Uri Herrera, fossfreedom, Rinzwind, bodhi.zazen Jan 26 '12 at 18:28
1 Answer
up vote 4 down vote accepted
I don't know of any legal issues between Ubuntu and Microsoft. Indeed, Microsoft is contributing to the development of several key technologies we use in Ubuntu -- most notably Linux and Samba4. They're not the same bad guy they used to be. There are other companies I would be more afraid of, with Apple being the primary bully.
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If we're in the subject... does buying some stuff from Ubuntu Shop helps its development, or these items are just a cool stuff? – Misery Jan 26 '12 at 12:18
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No horse-drawn carriage before the Royal Wedding. Was this a concession to animal rights activists? – Telegraph Blogs
Thursday 13 March 2014 | Blog Feed | All feeds
Pete Wedderburn
Eight horses draw the Queen's coach at the Golden Jubilee (Photo: Heathcliff O'Malley)
Immediately before the royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton, the usual horse-drawn Glass Coach for the trip to Westminster Abbey by the bride and groom has been replaced by a car. Is this a security issue, or could sensitivities about animal welfare have played a part in the decision?
It's an issue that has attracted attention elsewhere. Glee star Lea Michele has made a video with PETA, aiming to convince people to boycott horse-drawn carriages in New York City.
I’m sure that Lea Michele has a point. There are some aspects of the lives of the New York horses that are far from ideal. But if you scratch the surface, you’ll find that this is yet another example of two contrasting pro-animal stances being deliberately – and quite cynically – confused by PETA.
PETA supports the “animal rights” view, which is that humans should not be allowed to interfere at all with the free-living lives of animals. This is the real reason why PETA would like to ban the horse and carriage trade, but it’s a view that would only be supported by a tiny minority of the populace.
To draw more support for this campaign, as it does for its other campaigns, PETA appeals to “animal welfare” supporters. These represent the large majority of people who’d see themselves as animal lovers; they believe that it’s acceptable to use animals for human benefit, as long as due attention is paid to their quality of life.
“Animal rights” activists want a complete ban of all horse and carriage rides; in the long term, they’d also like to ban all farm animals and pets.
“Animal welfare” activists, on the other hand, argue that the human-animal relationship is a valuable part of our society, and that as long as regulations ensure that animals are given “lives worth living”, there’s nothing wrong with humans keeping working horses, farm animals or pets.
The New York City carriage horses are subject to strict licensing controls, under laws, updated as recently as 2010, that are enforced by the ASPCA, New York City Police Department, the Health Department, the Consumer Affairs Department, and the Parks Department. If there are welfare problems, the way forward is for these bodies to address the issue by ensuring that the welfare regulations fulfil the task that they’ve been designed to do.
Banning the horses would simply raise the question: what to ban next? What about the horse-drawn carriages in the thousands of other cities around the world where they’re kept busy entertaining tourists?
Or to move out of our Western bubble for a moment, what about the 100 million working horses, mules and donkeys in the world that are integral to rural transport and food production, distribution and security in developing countries? Would PETA like to ban those too?
If you want to get involved with a worthwhile campaign, forget the celebrity-driven PETA animal rights extremist approach. Instead, give your support to the Brooke, which is the world’s biggest welfare charity for working equines. The Brooke reaches over 800,000 working horses, donkeys and mules a year, with mobile teams and clinics treating sick and injured animals as well as educating owners about aspects of animal welfare.
And if you’re a celebrity, I’m sure that the Brooke would be very happy to hear from you. Then again, the Brooke may not give you the air-brushed glossy image and international platform that PETA promises, so why would you bother?
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18 year old, seeking advice!
• Hey guys!
I just signed up for this, because I feel like I need support! I have recently lost a lot of weight. I took a 'break' week in which I ate whatever I wanted and didn't worry about working out. I just weighed myself and I gained ten pounds, in 8 days. My mom is saying it's water weight. Of course this is a huge set back and really discouraging. Can you guys weigh tell me what you think? Thanks :)
• Hiya OneDayAtATime77,
Yep you are going to regain weight if you go back to old habits. Some of that will be water weight maybe due to taking in more sodium than you did while you were eating better.
Some of that weight however is because you ate crap for a whole week. What needs to happen now is that you practice moderation for your favorite foods. You will always regain the weight if you don't and many people regain even more than when they started.
Right now you have a chance to not go back to that place by turning it back around right now. Commit yourself to a LIFETIME of healthy weight by making good food and exercise choices every day.
Body for Life is great in that a "free day" is built in, the other six days a week are eating clean and exercising.
• OneDayAtATime77,
James is totally right. When you get started on the program, you will notice that on on your free day you will put on a little weight- like for me, it's about two pounds, but it goes away within 48 hours after eating clean and exercising (and then more throughout the week...). It is not surprising that you gained over a pound each day for you "free eating" over eight days. Yes, some of if may be salt retaining, but much of it is that old weight gained back.
Again, to reiterate Jame's point, the beauty of the program is the built-in free day, so you can let loose. When I first started the challenge, that free day was my goal every week, and I have never been more satisfied with any "diet."
If you can commit to it you will love the results. Good luck!
"The fruit of life is the joy of discipline"
-Katiebug C1 W10 D7
• Body for Life is just that ... for life. Now you know why. Get back on the wagon and this time work on making it more a lifestyle. Too many people confuse it with a diet. Diets don't last, lifestyles do.
10's in exercise and nutrition = 10's in life
• One day at a time,
How did you lose the weight? If you were not doing BFL, then the diet may have caused you to lose muscle mass, which is one of the reasons that when we go off a "diet" our metabolism is slower, and we can gain weight back quickly. Just get on BFL...eat BFL by the book (follow the original book for best results), and do BFL workouts. The key is to LIFT HEAVY!! Build those muscles so you become a fat burning machine!
But, yes...my bet is that some of the weight is water weight. Come on, you know your mom is always right...mine is! Also, congratulations on losing a bunch of weight. Good job!!
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1 [ground]
earth or soil: stony ground.
land having an indicated character: rising ground.
Fine Arts.
ground color ( def 2 ).
grounds, dregs or sediment: coffee grounds.
Electricity. a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body.
Music. ground bass.
Nautical. the bottom of a body of water.
the earth's solid or liquid surface; land or water.
pertaining to the ground.
Military. operating on land: ground forces.
verb (used with object)
to lay or set on the ground.
Electricity. to establish a ground for (a circuit, device, etc.).
Nautical. to cause (a vessel) to run aground.
Informal. to put out of action or make unable to participate: The quarterback was grounded by a knee injury.
Informal. to restrict the activities, especially the social activities, of: I can't go to the party—my parents have grounded me until my grades improve.
verb (used without object)
to come to or strike the ground.
to hit a ground ball.
to ground out.
Verb phrases
ground out, Baseball. to be put out at first base after hitting a ground ball to the infield.
break ground,
to plow.
to begin excavation for a construction project.
to begin upon or take preparatory measures for any undertaking.
cover ground,
to pass or travel over a certain area.
from the ground up,
gain ground,
to make progress; advance.
lose ground,
to retreat or be forced back.
to lose one's advantage; suffer a reverse.
off the ground, Informal. into action or well under way: The play never got off the ground.
shift ground, to change position in an argument or situation.
take the ground, Nautical. to become grounded at low water.
to ground,
before 900; (noun) Middle English grownd, grund, Old English grund; cognate with Dutch grond, German Grund; (v.) Middle English grundien, grownden to set on a foundation, establish, derivative of the noun
groundable, adjective
groundably, adverb
groundedly, adverb
groundedness, noun
groundward, groundwards, adverb, adjective
ungroundable, adjective
ground, grounds. Unabridged
2 [ground]
a simple past tense and past participle of grind.
reduced to fine particles or dust by grinding.
1755–65 for def 2; see ground1
verb (used with object), ground or (Rare) grinded; grinding.
to reduce to fine particles, as by pounding or crushing; bray, triturate, or pulverize.
to oppress, torment, or crush: to grind the poor.
to rub harshly or gratingly; grate together; grit: to grind one's teeth.
to operate by turning a crank: to grind a hand organ.
to produce by crushing or abrasion: to grind flour.
Slang. to annoy; irritate; irk: It really grinds me when he's late.
verb (used without object), ground or (Rare) grinded; grinding.
to perform the operation of reducing to fine particles.
to rub harshly; grate.
to be or become ground.
to be polished or sharpened by friction.
Informal. to work or study laboriously (often followed by away ): He was grinding away at his algebra.
Slang. (in a dance) to rotate the hips in a suggestive manner. Compare bump ( def 11 ).
the act of grinding.
a grinding sound.
a grade of particle fineness into which a substance is ground: The coffee is available in various grinds for different coffee makers.
laborious, usually uninteresting work: Copying all the footnotes was a grind.
Informal. an excessively diligent student.
Slang. a dance movement in which the hips are rotated in a suggestive or erotic manner. Compare bump ( def 20 ).
Verb phrases
grind out,
to produce in a routine or mechanical way: to grind out magazine stories.
to extinguish by rubbing the lighted end against a hard surface: to grind out a cigarette.
before 950; Middle English grinden, Old English grindan; akin to Gothic grinda-, Latin frendere
grindable, adjective
grindability, noun
grindingly, adverb
regrind, verb, reground, regrinding.
ungrindable, adjective
2. crush, powder, comminute, pound. 3. persecute, plague, afflict, trouble. 4. abrade. Unabridged
Cite This Source Link To ground
World English Dictionary
grind (ɡraɪnd)
vb (foll by out) (often foll by down) (foll by out) (foll by out) (often foll by into) , grinds, grinding, ground
1. to reduce or be reduced to small particles by pounding or abrading: to grind corn; to grind flour
2. (tr) to smooth, sharpen, or polish by friction or abrasion: to grind a knife
3. to scrape or grate together (two things, esp the teeth) with a harsh rasping sound or (of such objects) to be scraped together
4. to speak or say (something) in a rough voice
5. to hold down; oppress; tyrannize
6. (tr) to operate (a machine) by turning a handle
7. to produce in a routine or uninspired manner: he ground out his weekly article for the paper
8. to continue to play in a dull or insipid manner: the band only ground out old tunes all evening
9. to instil (facts, information, etc) by persistent effort: they ground into the recruits the need for vigilance
10. informal (intr) to study or work laboriously
11. chiefly (US) (intr) to dance erotically by rotating the pelvis (esp in the phrase bump and grind)
12. informal laborious or routine work or study
13. slang chiefly (US) a person, esp a student, who works excessively hard
14. a specific grade of pulverization, as of coffee beans: coarse grind
15. slang (Brit) the act of sexual intercourse
16. chiefly (US) a dance movement involving an erotic rotation of the pelvis
17. the act or sound of grinding
[Old English grindan; related to Latin frendere, Lithuanian gréndu I rub, Low German grand sand]
ground1 (ɡraʊnd)
1. the land surface
2. earth or soil: he dug into the ground outside his house
3. (plural) the land around a dwelling house or other building
4. (sometimes plural) an area of land given over to a purpose: football ground; burial grounds
5. land having a particular characteristic: level ground; high ground
6. matter for consideration or debate; field of research or inquiry: the lecture was familiar ground to him; the report covered a lot of ground
7. a position or viewpoint, as in an argument or controversy (esp in the phrases give ground, hold, stand,orshift one's ground)
9. (often plural) reason; justification: grounds for complaint
10. arts
b. the support of a painting
c. the background of a painting or main surface against which the other parts of a work of art appear superimposed
11. a. the first coat of paint applied to a surface
b. (as modifier): ground colour
12. the bottom of a river or the sea
13. (plural) sediment or dregs, esp from coffee
14. chiefly (Brit) the floor of a room
15. cricket
a. the area from the popping crease back past the stumps, in which a batsman may legally stand
b. ground staff
16. See ground bass
17. a mesh or network supporting the main pattern of a piece of lace
18. (US), (Canadian) electrical
a. a connection between an electrical circuit or device and the earth, which is at zero potential
b. Also called: earth a terminal to which this connection is made
19. above ground alive
20. below ground dead and buried
21. break new ground to do something that has not been done before
22. cut the ground from under someone's feet to anticipate someone's action or argument and thus make it irrelevant or meaningless
23. informal (Brit) to the ground, down to the ground completely; absolutely: it suited him down to the ground
24. informal get off the ground to make a beginning, esp one that is successful
25. go to ground to go into hiding
26. into the ground beyond what is requisite or can be endured; to exhaustion
27. meet someone on his own ground to meet someone according to terms he has laid down himself
28. the high ground, the moral high ground a position of moral or ethical superiority in a dispute
29. touch ground
a. (of a ship) to strike the sea bed
b. to arrive at something solid or stable after discussing or dealing with topics that are abstract or inconclusive
30. (modifier) situated on, living on, or used on the ground: ground frost; ground forces
31. (modifier) concerned with or operating on the ground, esp as distinct from in the air: ground crew; ground hostess
32. (modifier) (used in names of plants) low-growing and often trailing or spreading
33. (tr) to put or place on the ground
34. (tr) to instruct in fundamentals
35. (tr) to provide a basis or foundation for; establish
36. (tr) to confine (an aircraft, pilot, etc) to the ground
37. informal (tr) to confine (a child) to the house as a punishment
38. the usual US word for earth
39. (tr) nautical to run (a vessel) aground
40. (tr) to cover (a surface) with a preparatory coat of paint
41. (intr) to hit or reach the ground
[Old English grund; related to Old Norse grunn shallow, grunnr, grund plain, Old High German grunt]
ground2 (ɡraʊnd)
1. the past tense and past participle of grind
2. having the surface finished, thickness reduced, or an edge sharpened by grinding
3. reduced to fine particles by grinding
ground bass or ground (beɪs)
music a short melodic bass line that is repeated over and over again
ground or ground
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History
O.E. grindan, forgrindan "destroy by crushing" (class III strong verb; past tense grand, pp. grunden), from P.Gmc. *grindanan (cf. Du. grenden), related to ground, from PIE *ghrendh- "crushing" (cf. L. frendere "to gnash the teeth," Gk. khondros "corn, grain," Lith. grendu "to scrape, scratch"). The
noun sense "steady, hard work" first recorded 1851 in college student slang; the meaning "hard-working student" is Amer.Eng. slang from 1864. Grinder as a type of large sandwich is first recorded 1954. To keep one's nose to the grindstone was originally to get control of another and treat him harshly:
"This Text holdeth their noses so hard to the grindstone, that it clean disfigureth their Faces." [Frith, "Mirror to know Thyself," 1532]
The main modern (reflective) sense of "work hard" is from 1828.
O.E. grund "foundation, ground, surface of the earth," especially "bottom of the sea" (a sense preserved in run aground), from P.Gmc. *grundus, which seems to have meant "deep place" (cf. O.Fris. grund, Du. grond, Ger. Grund "ground, soil, bottom;" O.N. grunn "a shallow place, grund "field, plain," grunnr
"bottom"). No known cognates outside Gmc. Sense of "reason, motive" first attested c.1200; electrical sense is from 1870. Grounds "residue at the bottom of a liquid" (mid-14c.) is perhaps from past tense of grind (q.v.). Meaning "deny privileges" is 1940s, originally a punishment meted out to pilots (in which sense it is attested from 1931). Ground-hog is attested from 1784; Ground Hog Day first recorded 1871, Amer.Eng. Groundwork (c.1550) is originally "the solid base on which a structure is built;" fig. sense is from 1550s. Groundling "theater patron in the pit" is from c.1600, from the beginning emblematic of bad or unsophisticated taste.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
ground (ground) Pronunciation Key
1. A connection between an electrical conductor and the Earth. Grounds are used to establish a common zero-voltage reference for electric devices in order to prevent potentially dangerous voltages from arising between them and other objects. Also called earth.
2. The set of shared points in an electrical circuit at which the measured voltage is taken to be zero. The ground is usually connected directly to the power supply and acts as a common "sink" for current flowing through the components in the circuit.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
grind definition
1. in.
to sell drugs. : He told the cops he wasn't grinding, but they found his junk.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw-Hill Education.
Cite This Source
Bible Dictionary
Grind definition
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
In addition to the idioms beginning with ground, also see both feet on the ground; break ground; common ground; cover ground; cover the field (ground); cut the ground from under; down to the ground; ear to the ground; from the ground up; gain ground; get off the ground; give ground; happy hunting ground; hit the ground running; lose ground; on one's home ground; run into the ground; run to earth (ground); stamping ground; stand one's ground; worship the ground someone walks on.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Ground zero is no longer the depressing place it was a few years ago.
Fresh bread will soon be baking high above ground zero.
It can be used in manufacturing and to help bring up oil from the ground.
Oil has also washed up on a nearby island that seabirds and turtles use as a
nesting ground.
Image for ground
Copyright © 2014, LLC. All rights reserved.
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No Online Dating Site Can Match Up Your Inner Crazy
Online dating's said to be the future of relationships, now that we're all too busy to meet people in real life. But claims that websites can match you with your ideal partner using scientific algorithms are bull, according to a team of psychologists. Because not even fancy math can suss out our own unique brands of crazy.
In a report that's set to appear in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a team of psychologists has studied the ways in which websites attempt to match people up, and what the results mean for the singletons involved. Sadly, it's not great news.
The biggest problem is the promise of websites to match people up using fancy algorithms. Dating websites have a pretty limited pool of data to draw on, and it turns out that you can't really work out a relationship's long-term potential based on hair color, shared love of Chinese food, complementary tastes in mid-70s folk music or even a mutual love of Star Trek.
Instead, the researchers point out that the most important insights in predicting long-term romantic compatibility are things like a couple's interaction style and ability to navigate stressful circumstances. OK, so that is harder to assess, but it's not impossible. Some carefully designed questionnaires could help. Lead author Eli Finkel, Associate Professor of Social Psychology at Northwestern University, says:
So if you're using a dating website that claims to match you up with your dream guy or gal, well, you can pretty much ignore the claim. There is, after all, no way that a website knows about the weird way you shout at people about personal hygiene, the way you glare at people who say "less" when they mean "fewer" or the manner in which you interact with people when you're running late. And how a partner deals with that kind of thing is what really determines longevity.
Elsewhere, the researchers point out that dating websites can often paralyze users with choice, and as a result many people end up treating their quest for love more like a shopping trip. You can't buy love, though, guys. Some chaps in a little Biritsh band said something like that once, and it turns out they're right.
It's not all bad though: the researchers concede that dating websites do let people meet others more quickly than they might do in real life, and that chat and online messages are a good approximation to what it's really like to get a first impression of someone. So, go ahead, give online dating a shot. Just remember it can't take into account your inner crazy. [Psychological Science in the Public Interest via EurekAlert!; Image: Don Hankins]
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I've answered a Java question today. The answer was long and included a considerable amount of code. When I tried to post the answer, I got a cryptic error:
enter image description here
I've copied my text to an external editor, and tried posting parts using binary bisection. After some trial and error, the problem boiled down to a humoristic reference I made to LMGTFY.
It was very frustrating - I put some effort into an answer, and the error message didn't help me understand the problem, and wasn't even anywhere near the offending link (in this example, the link is at the top of the post, error message in the middle):
enter image description here
Could we change that to a meaningful error message, like:
Sorry, but "Let Me Google That For You" is not helpful and might be offensive. See why in our community discussion.
Update: Some comments suggest that we should not help rude users understand why they were rejected. I strongly disagree, for three reasons:
1. There are probably many users who post a LMGTFY link as a part of a good answer as a comic relief. They shouldn't be punished.
2. Users with tendency to rudeness can be schooled with a polite message that explains the reason behind blocking.
3. A frustrated hacked tries to take vengeance on the system. We can expect a lot of url shorteners and other tricks when a user finds out the blocking reasons after banging the head against the wall.
share|improve this question
Shouldn't that error message be a LMGTFY link about the state of LMGTFY on Stack Exchange? You know, to get the message across. – Time Traveling Bobby Feb 25 '13 at 13:18
Wow, that's brilliant. It would make the user smile, rather than grumble. Please suggest that as an answer. – Adam Matan Feb 25 '13 at 13:28
Why help those folks out? They're not helping other people out. – user7116 Feb 25 '13 at 13:50
@sixlettervariables: if someone writes a full answer and includes on LMGTFY link, they'll get that message. If they can't figure out what the problem is, they will probably not post the answer. That's not good. – Joachim Sauer Feb 25 '13 at 13:55
@JoachimSauer: I think the set of users who write good answers AND drop a LMGTFY link into it without knowing it is a problem is a very small set. We could probably live without those answers. – user7116 Feb 25 '13 at 14:20
I prefer "Direct links to lmgtfy.com are too obvious. Please use an url shortener that redirects to LMGTFY instead." – CodesInChaos Feb 25 '13 at 14:31
@sixlettervariables I've updated my answer to explain why. I spent ~10 minutes trying to figure out why an answer I put a lot of effort in was rejected. – Adam Matan Feb 25 '13 at 14:31
@AdamMatan: why on earth did you think LMGTFY would be appropriate in an answer on a professional site? – user7116 Feb 25 '13 at 15:01
@CodesInChaos: You. I like you. – BoltClock's a Unicorn Feb 25 '13 at 15:15
I can't think of an instance where someone would use LMGTFY unless knowingly being at best snarky or pejorative, so I think the thinking here was the issue should be pretty obvious. However, I do rather like the text you suggested, and I tend to favor "here's why you should not do that" (if the 'why' is available) over "don't do that". – Tim Post Feb 25 '13 at 15:25
@TimPost Well, one example that comes to mind is if there is already a post out there somewhere with a LMGTFY link in it and someone goes to edit it to improve some other unrelated problem, they'd get this error message and may not even realize that there's a LMGTFY link in there that ought to be edited out. Another case would be the link coming along for the ride in a copy/paste block making up a quote. – Servy Feb 25 '13 at 15:33
@Servy Yeah, making it more descriptive is good all around. – Tim Post Feb 25 '13 at 15:42
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1 Answer
The error message now shows which phrase is banned:
enter image description here
share|improve this answer
That's closer to CodesInChaos's suggestion than to the original one, though. Since you're presumably storing a list of these banned strings somewhere, wouldn't it be possible to improve the user interface by adding a "rejection message" column (or equivalent) to whatever table they're stored in? It could still default to "X cannot contain 'Y'." if not explicitly specified. – Ilmari Karonen Mar 5 '13 at 21:50
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Man Attacked by Alligator at Wekiwa Springs State Park
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David Bostwick and his 7 year old son were enjoying Friday at Wekiwa Springs State Park, located in central Florida. They had been canoeing and were getting into the water to go snorkeling. When Bostwick got in the water he was grabbed by an alligator, trapped in the gator's jaws. Bostwick managed to free himself, he and his son paddled to a nearby home. The residents helped get Bostwick to a fire station, and Bostwick was taken to the hospital.
He is now recovering at home. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued a permit for trappers to hunt the gator that attacked Bostwick. From The Miami Herald.
groovy mike's picture
what sort of dope would bring a child into that sort of danger ?
Thank God that the gator didn’t grab the seven year old instead of the adult. That could have been tragic.
It seems like alligator populations are on the rise nationwide and the hunting opportunities are increasing. They are so numerous that they seem to b just about everywhere in the state of Florida and the other gulf coats states today. Just looking at one I understand why the early settlers attempted to eradicate alligators and shot them on sight. In 2010 a new record alligator was taken on Lake Washington in the state of Florida. It measured at fourteen feet and three inches long. Just try to imagine that coming at you while you are in the water–I wouldn’t put your odds of survival very high unless you were pretty well armed. Even with a loaded shotgun or rifle in your hands, I'd only give you fifty - fifty odds! You just recognize at a glance that every one of them wants to kill and eat you and all of your children. I recognize the value of preserving the species, I am not arguing for the eradication of all alligators. But I don’t see many redeeming features in the alligator. Now – what was this guy thinking planning on going snorkeling in water where gators might be? Snorkeling anywhere in Florida is probably not a very smart move unless you are in the ocean surf. But what sort of dope would bring a child into that sort of danger either. Turns out that wasn’t exactly a bright move!
arrowflipper's picture
stupid question
This may be a stupid question, but how would hunters know which gator it was? Did Bostwick leave a description? Or is there only one gator in that lake?
I would agree that the gator needs to be hunted down and destroyed, but I sure don't know how people can tell the difference. If they get the wrong one, someone might cry about how an innocent gator was tried, convicted and killed for doing nothing but swimming around in the pool.
I would hope this was a rogue gator and the only one in the lake. Otherwise, wading in that lake wouldn't be something I'd do. That's kind of like walking around in flip-flops in prime rattlesnake territory. Somewhere along the line, people need to act prudently. BUT, if the gator was in an area not known to have them, I can see wading around.
I do hope the guy recovers and I hope the find the guilty gator.
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NAME Data::Password - Perl extension for assessing password quality. SYNOPSIS use Data::Password qw(IsBadPassword); print IsBadPassword("clearant"); # Bad password - contains the word 'clear', only lowercase use Data::Password qw(:all); $DICTIONARY = 0; $GROUPS = 0; print IsBadPassword("clearant"); DESCRIPTION This module checks potential passwords for crackability. It checks that the password is in the appropriate length, that it has enough character groups, that it does not contain the same characters repeatedly or ascending or descending characters, or charcters close to each other in the keyboard. It will also attempt to search the ispell word file for existance of whole words. The module's policies can be modified by changing its variables. (Check "VARIABLES"). For doing it, it is recommended to import the ':all' shortcut when requiring it: *use Data::Password qw(:all);* FUNCTIONS 1 IsBadPassword(password) Returns undef if the password is ok, or a textual description of the fault if any. 2 IsBadPasswordForUNIX(user, password) Performs two additional checks: compares the password against the login name and the "comment" (ie, real name) found on the user file. VARIABLES 1 $DICTIONARY Minimal length for dictionary words that are not allowed to appear in the password. Set to false to disable dictionary check. 2 $FOLLOWING Maximal length of characters in a row to allow if the same or following. If $FOLLOWING_KEYBOARD is true (default), the module will also check for alphabetical keys following, according to the English keyboard layout. Set $FOLLOWING to false to bypass this check. 3 $GROUPS Groups of characters are lowercase letters, uppercase letters, digits and the rest of the allowed characters. Set $GROUPS to the number of minimal character groups a password is required to have. Setting to false or to 1 will bypass the check. 4 $MINLEN $MAXLEN Minimum and maximum length of a password. Both can be set to false. 5 @DICTIONARIES Location where we are looking for dictionary files. You may want to set this variable if you are using not *NIX like operating system. FILES * /usr/dict/web2 * /usr/dict/words * /etc/passwd SEE ALSO See Data::Password::BasicCheck if you need only basic password checking. Other modules Data::Password::Common, Data::Password::Check, Data::Password::Meter, Data::Password::Entropy and String::Validator::Password AUTHOR Raz Information Systems, COPYRIGHT Copyright (c) 2001 - 2013 Raz Information Systems Ltd. This package is distributed under the same terms as Perl itself, see the Artistic License on Perl's home page.
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Hate crimes alleged at party
A Thibodaux resident robbed and punched people while yelling racial epithets at a party Saturday night, Thibodaux Police said.
Demond Johnson, 29, of 616 St. Charles St., was at a get-together about 10 p.m. in the 100 block of St. Patrick's Street when he stole someone's cellphone and began yelling racial slurs when the owner asked for it back, police spokesman David Melancon said. He then allegedly punched another person walking by, knocking him unconscious.
He also used racially charged language on the dance floor, allegedly asking other party-goers why they rented the facility from Caucasians.
He was charged with simple robbery, second-degree battery and hate crimes. He was taken to the Lafourche Parish jail and is being held on a $35,000 bond.
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MMO-Champion - Horde Pandaria Introduction, Pandaren Cutscene, Blue Posts, The Daily Blink
Jay Wilson on PvP and Legendaries, Inferno Booster Pack Giveaway, Guide for Crafting Chest Armor, and 1,000,000 Gold Witch Doctor Build
Horde Pandaria Introduction Updated
The latest patch brought some new models and actual sound into the introduction, but it doesn't look complete just yet. After you complete the introduction, you can return to Pandaria with a portal in the Pandaren area of Orgrimmar. The Alliance introduction is still a placeholder.
Pandaren Cutscene Added
The new character cutscene for Pandaren is now in game.
More Details on Mists of Pandaria Opening Cinematic World Premiere
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Don’t miss the world premiere of the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria opening cinematic at gamescom 2012! The latest creation from Blizzard’s cinematics team will be shown in both English and German on giant screens at our booth in Halle 6.1 (B21).
The opening cinematic will debut at 14:00 on Thursday, August 16, the first fully public day of gamescom. This much-anticipated unveiling will be accompanied by a performance from MANAO - Drums of China – the all-female Chinese drumming group that opened and closed the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. A signing session with Blizzard developers will immediately follow the premiere.
Remember that from August 15-19, our booth will also be showcasing World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, and Diablo III, as well as our famous dance and costume contests, and many other activities.
Visit our Activities page for details, and be sure to check back here soon for more on what we have in store for you at gamescom!
Beta Class Balance Analysis
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Death Knight (Forums)
269s of combat, ghoul cast 69 claws. At 40 energy per, that's 2760 total spent. figuring 10 regen per second, the expected number of claws in that time span with 0 haste scaling on Energy is 69.75. So i'd say the ghoul is not currently getting energy regen from haste. Is this intended?
In the current build you have, the Ghoul’s energy regen was indeed not benefitting from your haste. That’s fixed for the next build. This also applies to the Army of the Dead ghouls.
Also, reaping is not currently functioning as you described. DDDDUU when used on 4 blood boils becomes dbdfUU.
That fix didn’t make it into the build you currently have. It should be in the next build.
As I have said before, we're not yet in the stage of development where everyone makes sure all of their changes are in before we pull a build -- that would just require too much needless coordination and make it harder to get builds out. We tend to just pull builds -- for now -- and get what we get.
Paladin (Forums)
Is it intended that Sacred Shield not scale with haste while the other options on the tier do? It behaves (more or less) like a proactive HoT, so it'd make sense.
That's an easy fix.
Well, not really about ret, but prot, but does proof that Shield of the Righteous falling behind Judgement and Holy Wrath (against single targets) count? It almost feels like Glyph of the Alabaster Shield is going to be mandatory.
Well, you didn't exactly provide proof, but Judgment in particular does hit really hard for Prot, especially with Vengeance stacked. You have a lot of motivation to use SotR though, so I don't expect it will drop out of the rotation. If paladin damage was low compared to other tanks, that would be a problem (and SotR a potential place to buff it), but we're not seeing that.
(Editorial note: we removed several posts debating the merits of various tanks. Again, perfectly legit topic, but we have a whole forum for those discussions. This thread is about numbers and rotations.)
Warlock (Forums)
Maybe you don't have to actually debug the simulations, but take a look at this comment made by the warlock developer of simcraft.... Maybe you guys could just take a look at the actions lists for all 3 specs that he uses and see if maybe something could be learned from there:
One point of confusion seems to be about refreshing Corruption in Metamorphosis. There may currently be some bugs with that. The intended functionality (which we will double check) is that Touch of Chaos and Void Ray both extend Corruption by 6 sec, up to a maximum of 18 sec, and both cause the damage to be recomputed. We’re trying to evaluate further what differences there may be between our results and yours. Again, actual logs (e.g. World of Logs) would help us compare the most easily.
Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
PTR Build Number
The initial PTR build is identifying itself as version 5.0.3. That will increment up to 5.0.4 soon. As a result, we're referring to it as 5.0.4. We apologize for any confusion. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
25 Man Raid Testing
Cross-Realm Zones and Pet Battles on the PTR
Cross-realm should be enabled, pet battles are disabled on the PTR. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Pet Combat Log
We are in the process of moving the pet combat logging to its own, separate tab. Hopefully on the next build but no promises. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Mechanical Pandaren Dragonling Model
It's placeholder. An updated model/skin is in the next patch. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Request: New Macro Conditionals
A [petbattle] macro conditional will be in an upcoming beta build.
Thanks for the feedback! (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Some Non-Capture Pets Becoming Rare Quality
The list is missing the other Vanilla Collector's Edition Pets: Mini Diablo and Zergling
Whoops! This has been corrected. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Arena Pass 2012 Rewards - Mount/Title been given yet?
Finally, received my pet!
Indeed, it seems the pets and titles that were not initially sent are now being received. If you have not seen yours yet, then keep an eye on your mailbox as it should not be too long now. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Would You Accept Homogenization for Balance and Fun?
Would you prefer if every class was completely unique, but it often meant that some classes would be bottom of proverbial pile, imbalances were rife, things would polarise quite often (1 classes goes from best to worst) each patch and so on.
This extreme offers the most diverse play style, letting a player choose the class they enjoy and you can look at your character and say “That is class X”, which is pretty awesome being able to distinguish yourself like that. This can sometimes also create points where your class may sadly feel either too strong or weak which is something that is not enjoyed.
Classes were very very similar, with only a few distinctive abilities/signature abilities which separated each class from another, but the game was a lot more balanced, you could play the class you enjoyed and not have to worry about suddenly becoming much worse than any other class.
This offers you a less distinct play style with the class you are playing. While you may feel all of the classes are in good balance, which would be great, you would end up looking at two classes of the same role and think to yourself, “Well, what’s the difference?” This does not really feel like something that offers an enjoyable experience.
I can understand why for your discussion you have decided to choose these two extremes, so you can find where the opinions of everyone lie. But from this thread it can be seen that nice balance with the ability to distinguish your class is what most of you would like to see, why not swing the discussion more in this direction?
We hope that you keep up the constructive discussion and look forward to anything else you have to say. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
PvP vs Ganking
Some great thoughts here. On the topic of ganking though, it's a tough one to handle. Many players join a PvP server so that they can seek out and inflict revenge on members of the opposite faction. You see players wishing for more world PvP like the old Southshore/Tarren Mill conflicts, and maybe some of the things you suggest would harm those kind of battles.
I'll play devil's advocate here (in my PvP server days I was always the victim rather than the ganker).
If buffs are sustained through death, that takes away some of the challenge of finding the person very quickly once they ress. Mind you, buffs can often be applied very quickly.
A debuff to prevent you from killing someone multiple times is a bit of a party pooper, and could potentially be abused — you'd have a hostile that was invulnerable for a limited time.
I think any PvP-kills-only debuffs/changes to timers could potentially add confusing layers of complexity to the game. Also, 'PvP-kills-only' could be possibly be avoided by waiting until a mob was attacking the gankee, then allowing the mob to get the killing blow.
You'd also have to make sure all these buffs/timers didn't apply to PvP zones like Wintergrasp and battlegrounds, and that players can't enter the zones with anything like that active.
Didn't they also have dishonourable kills in those days?
Yes but I don't think it did a great job to discourage those who wanted to do it deliberately. You could also get a dishonourable kill by being in a group with someone who killed a lowbie, this happened to me when I was outside an instance with a group once, I was heartbroken.
Yes it is a real challange waiting for them to res and kill them again with such a low health level and being so low levelled they don't even hit you when they try.
Depends on the difference in levels. Obviously if someone is a lot lower than you then yeah, the 'challenge' argument doesn't apply.
Or they could be made worth no honour if killed in a short time like when you HS. Possibly even the unthinkable bring back diminishing returns on honour.
True, although it only helps if people are actually ganking for honor or just for the fun of finding enemies to kill. I suspect a large portion of people do it for the latter reason, seeing as BGs are a much better source of honor points.
Well given that you can already turn off certain thing in Arena and BGs, even making things only work in a certain way, and have this ability for a while, surely it can be done to this too.
Yeah sure, I was only mentioning it to point out that it wouldn't be that straight-forward to implement, and we always have to weigh up the urgency of changes like this against other things that demand developer time.
Use the PvE-Server-Mechanic
As Oldtrafford pointed out, the whole point is that it's a PvP server. The rules and mechanics should be different when it comes to PvP. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Content Consumption Speed and Difficulty
I'm not a hardcore player, nor do I find myself skilled. But rewarding those that put much less time and effort into something with the same rewards as a more dedicated player, is utterly demotivating.
Alright, let's put this in a different perspective to see if you (and other players) keep up with this argument about less time and effort being equally rewarded...
*This is a fictional example*
Let's imagine that developers decided that, from now on, every Heroic boss of an expansion is only available until one guild, just one guild in the world, defeats it. The moment that happens, the Heroic mode of that boss is unavailable for everyone else until the next expansion is released.
In your own reasoning, it's only fair; they're putting way more time and effort than everyone else (hence why they'd be killing it first in the world). I'm sure there'll be people out there that would scream "That is awesome!" at the idea of something like that.
In reality, what would happen, is that after 4-5-whatever amount of bosses they'd probably stop trying after realizing they just can't compete with that guild.
Would you be happy, in that context, with having to come one expansion later to kill those bosses when they're no longer relevant to your character? The answer is most likely: no.
However, that's exactly what has been suggested in this thread for those players that need the debuff to some degree to kill a boss much later than everyone else. They should basically contempt themselves with doing it when it's no longer relevant for them.
If the fictional case I've written before is not fair for you, doesn't that mean that what you're asking for is just as unfair? Think about it. Because both of them aim to the same: rewarding time and effort (just taken to the absolute extreme). And once you start arguing that *this time and effort* is okay, but this one is not, you're not being objective in your reasoning.
So, why do you want to force others to accept something you wouldn't in the first place? That is what you're asking for when you come up with this kind of arguments about why noone else should do something after you did it.
Please for the sake of sanity of everyone who is trying to get a point across here have some understanding of what we are trying to say. The tone of the posts given is very patronizing as if we were wrong to have an opinion that differs from what seems to be the 'design orientation' at the moment, or your personal opinion.
I understand what is being said, and that's why I'm asking those questions. When some posters say that it's not fair that someone comes in with the 30% debuff and kills Heroic Madness with less time and effort, they're failing to acknowledge that some of those guilds might actually have been raiding since the patch was released (which is hardly less time and effort).
That's the kind of thing to which I want to see an objective argument as to why it's terrible that someone that is been pursuing that objective for more than half a year at this point, shouldn't get those same rewards. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Beta More Helpful Than Harmful
You do bring up some good points Theremin. It cannot be denied that there are a lot of spoilers being leaked into the community during a beta, and I can totally understand why that is very frustrating for those who prefer the new content to remain a secret until release, so that the experience of something new and the thrill of discovery is fully preserved. I am sure you are right that some people who do play the beta will not be as excited as they otherwise could have been upon release.
That being said, the benefits of the beta far outweigh the drawbacks, and here is why:
An internal test can never be a proper substitute for a beta, simply because of the fact that a beta resembles the live environment much more accurately.
In a beta, there are always players who play the game in ways that were never imagined by the developers, and there are always players who are so creative or so skilled that they can approach or defeat content in ways that were never expected. There is an incredibly huge variation in play styles amongst the beta players, and just by playing(or trying to play), they unearth many glitches and bugs that would never have been found by the dedicated team of internal testers tasked with hunting for glitches and bugs.
Having a huge pool of players in the beta will also help the developers determine if the new content they are working on actually works as intended or not, if the new content is fun or not.
Also, betas are much better at testing both hardware and connections, which helps immensely in the preparations for the launch and the live environment.
What I am trying to say is that having a beta test before release is a better way to ensure a high standard of quality.
Really, you need to test hardware and connections for 4th expansion? Yeah right.
Very much so. Our hardware systems and architecture has changed significantly over the years with every expansion, and this one is no different... a lot of things are going on behind the scenes my friend. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
FEEDBACK: Scarlet Monastery (Challenge)
The Challenge mode for this dungeon is unlocked for this beta cycle.
A few relevant testing notes:
• Item level will be normalized to 463.
• Enemies in Challenge mode dungeons are 1 level higher than in Heroic versions, as a rule, such that bosses are now level 93.
FEEDBACK: Gate of the Setting Sun (Challenge)
A few relevant testing notes:
• Item level will be normalized to 463.
Warrior (Forums)
Warriors and a Barbarians Fury
I think there's a certain amount of rage/sec that make warriors feel good, lets call it X. Too much, and the mechanic stops working as a limitation. Too little, and you feel starved and it's no fun. The problem is that X isn't different to a maxed out warrior at the end of the expansion or a beging warrior in greens, but by tying it to gear progression you force either the too much end of the scale on the endexpo warrior or the starved feel on the questing warrior.
I agree with that, but here's the thing: we don't want warriors to scale linearly. What I mean by that is that as you increase gear, you'll be hitting harder and critting more often. Both of those are fun, don't get me wrong, but after you get over the thrill of BIG NUMBERS you start to see behind the curtain a little. Fundamentally, there isn't a huge difference between hitting a bad guy for 3000 or 30,000, especially when the bad guy's health has probably increased by ten as well.
What feels cooler is if you actually feel different with great gear. Instead of just hitting harder, you are hitting different buttons. For warriors, that means having enough rage to use Heroic Strike frequently instead of rarely. But that means we need to start warriors in quest greens at the "rarely" side of the dial, so that when you're in epics in the final tier, you're now at "frequently."
Historically, what has happened is that warriors start at "never" and then grow into "always." Rage scaling with gear was too good. It needs to scale, and a little bit of exponential scaling is ideal, but the end of the curve can't rocket up towards the sun. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Weekend Sale -- 25% Off Character Transfer
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
The Daily Blink - Legendaries for Everyone!
The Daily Blink grants a long standing request, a legendary for everyone!
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Beefy Boxes and Bandwidth Generously Provided by pair Networks Bob
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Re: Is there a better way to learn Tk?
by Marshall (Prior)
on May 08, 2009 at 15:33 UTC ( #762853=note: print w/ replies, xml ) Need Help??
in reply to Is there a better way to learn Tk?
The CPAN documentation seems plentiful but incomplete. For example, if there are parameters for Tk::MainLoop or any special methods for Tk::MainWindow it can't be discerned from the documentation.
I have the Perl/Tk Pocket Reference by Stephan Lidie. I counted 27 methods that can be called on a mainwindow in that chapter. Appendix A of Learning Perl/Tk has a table of common widget methods. But that book is out of print. I don't know about the Pocket Reference. But is very handy and has a lot more than the Appendix A table. This isn't a tutorial, it is a "cut to the chase", here is a widget and here are the methods. There aren't any examples.
Sorry wrong button duplicate...see below...
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When Grosse Pointe ingenue Lindsay Sloane sees starlets modeling tube tops and thongs in horndog monthlies like Maxim, she thinks that "it's not even a step up from Playboy," she tells TV Guide Online. Yet in the current issue of Stuff, there she is, wearing a blouse that's so sheer, she could catch pneumonia in Maui. What gives?
"I'll do anything to save our show," she explains, "and that's an audience that wouldn't know about it except if you do the men's magazines and they see you in revealing clothes."
Unfortunately, Sloane's desperate action is called for — these are desperate times for the stage-door Beverly Hills, 90210 parody that casts her in (essentially) the Tori Spelling role. Though critics reacted to the sitcom as orgasmically as Stuff subscribers do to the glossy's layouts, audiences avoided even the series's February season finale as if it was Shannen Doherty before she's had her morning latté.
"The whole show doesn't revolve around making a TV show, but that might've been why we were losing some viewers — it was too confusing," Sloane theorizes. "Now it's like the characters happen to be on a TV show... like on Melrose Place, they just happened to live in the same apartment complex."
In the end, whether Tuesday's announcement of the WB's fall line-up lets down Sloane, she won't regret using her pompoms to cheerlead for Grosse Pointe. She'd do it again — and more. "I wish you could talk to Nielsen [ratings] box owners directly," she sighs. "'Please, watch us! Even if you don't, just turn on the box and leave the room!'"
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What's involved in a car tune-up?
July 28, 2009 2:30 PM Subscribe
Car care: (1) How often, generally speaking, should I change my spark plugs and plug wires? (2) When a vehicle gets a "tune up," what, exactly, does this mean? What gets tuned? Thanks!
posted by jackypaper to Travel & Transportation (12 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
Depends on the age of the car.
On most recent cars original plugs are made to last 100,000 miles.
On older cars without fuel injection, a tuneup means replacing the plugs, and then points and condenser. And then adjusting the carburetion. But most cars in the past 15 or so years do not have those parts, nor do they have carburetors. So, "major maintenance" usually includes changing out the timing belt, and maybe changing transmission fluid, as well as the plugs and plug wires (or however the plugs are connected).
YMMV. . .
posted by Danf at 2:36 PM on July 28, 2009
FYI, replacing the plugs and wires yourself is a fairly easy task. They screw in/out without a problem.
Changing a timing belt or chain seems like a very labor intensive process (I've never done it, but I've read the manual to see what needs to be done).
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 2:41 PM on July 28, 2009
Speaking really generally, I'd say new plugs and wires approximately every 30-50 thousand miles. At Audi, all of our cars call for new plugs at 55k or before. There may be plugs that claim a 100k lifespan, but every manufacturer that I can think of calls for plug replacement before 60,000.
Plugs may be changed more frequently on an older (pre 1990) car.
It'd be really helpful to know what kind of car you're talking about. Your owner's manual will have a schedule in it.
"Tune up" is somewhat of an antique term. Old cars required adjustments in regards to ignition timing and fuel mixture. New cars run on non-adjustable computer control so a "tune up" these days will consist, generally, of new filters (fuel and air) new plugs and wires (unless it's coil-on-plug), maybe a fluid flush of sorts, and some places will clean the carbon out of the throttle body and even run a solvent through the fuel injectors. Nothing gets "tuned" on a new car, just refreshed or restored.
A timing belt is typically a major service all its own and a major "tune up" style service is performed a half the timing belt interval. For example, a 50k will be a major tune up and 100k will involve a timing belt and water pump replacement.
posted by Jon-o at 2:44 PM on July 28, 2009 [1 favorite]
Not always; the link also gives some info about the increased lifespan of modern spark plugs. Your owners manual will tell you what is recommended for your particular car or you can probably find the info on the internet.
posted by TedW at 2:51 PM on July 28, 2009
In addition to the above, nowadays a "tune-up" will usually include a "thorough 40 point inspection", many of which will include mundane things like looking at the tires, checking their pressure, making sure the headlights work, etc. All for the low low price of $399.00 (or some ridiculous price).
I'm not saying it's a waste to have your car checked by a professional, but a lot of what you get is really straightforward stuff.
When in doubt, your owner's manual will tell you appropriate intervals to change things like air filter (very easy), spark plugs (usually easy), oil (easy but messy), transmission fluid (not always easy, messy), timing belt (professional time for most people), etc. These can vary widely by vehicle and usage.
posted by Big_B at 2:53 PM on July 28, 2009
1) It depends, somewhat, on the age and condition of your vehicle. Late model cars with modern high voltage electronic ignitions, platinum spark plugs, and fuel injected engines, dynamically "tune" themselves, to a great degree, and the reduction of moving parts, and better materials mean you may only need to replace your plugs and spark plug wires every 60,000 or so miles. Older cars, from the 70s and early 80s, often had semi-mechanical ignitions and fuel metering systems, with a rotating spark distributor and mechanical ignition points, as well as a carburetor for mixing fuel and air, all of which needed much more frequent adjustment and/or replacement, perhaps as often as every 10,000 to 12,000 miles. Follow your owner's manual service recommendations, for the type of driving that you do.
2) Again, it depends on the age and condition of your vehicle. In a modern car, there will be recommendations for inspection and replacement of various ignition and fuel system components at 30,000, 60,000, and 90,000 mile intervals (and thereafter, at generally 30,000 mile intervals). Air filters and fuel filters should be changed on schedule, or as dirt found in inspection dictates. Spark plugs and wires will usually be replaced at 60,000 miles. On fuel injected cars, fuel pressure and flow are usually checked when the spark plugs are replaced. Spark timing may be checked with a timing light, but rarely needs to be adjusted. Oil and lubrication services are also generally done at "tune up" intervals, although they should also be done at recommended intervals in between. Engine accessory belts, hoses and vacuum lines, and valve timing belts are also generally checked and replaced as needed.
On older Detroit V8 cars, a 12,000 mile tuneup used to typically include replacement of air filter, oil filter, fuel filter, and an oil change, as needed. Then, spark plug replacement, inspection/replacement of ignition points and condenser, check of spark coil output voltage, test/replacement of spark plug wires, replacement of spark plugs, adjustment of ignition timing and dwell, cleaning and inspection of carburetor, adjustment of idle mixture, check of carburetor accelerator pump function, carburetor float valve level, and a check for vacuum leaks. Inspection of engine accessory belts and hoses. About every 24,000 miles, a cooling system service was also usually done.
posted by paulsc at 2:54 PM on July 28, 2009
A note about spark plugs - internet forums devoted to your car's model are a fantastic resource for this sort of thing. On some cars the coils mount just above or on the spark plugs, and you need to be careful not to damage them while you are working or you are going to start spending a lot more money. I've learned some very valuable tricks on reading forums and can chance the plugs on our 4-cylinder car in five minutes. I have yet to attempt this on my v6.
posted by Big_B at 2:56 PM on July 28, 2009
Wellll...sort of. Many modern cars have individual ignition coils on each plug. Some of them can be downright fragile to remove intact(*COUGH*vw*COUGH*) In other instances, some plugs are almost unreachable. The rear bank on my Maxima, for instance (my aching back!) But, yeah, in general, plugs can be pretty easy. Definitely something a first-time DIYer should have no problem tackling.
Timing belts should be done only by someone who really knows what they are doing. Serious damage can be had if done wrong. Timing chains rarely, if ever, need replaced. Our Maxima has over 300k on it and the timing chain has never been serviced.
Re: "Tune-ups"...A couple months ago, we took one of our cars to the local Midas (I know, I know) for brake work. While there, a woman came in and asked about getting a tune-up for her recent-vintage mini van. To my astonishment, the manager told the woman that, for modern computerized cars, there really was no such thing as a "tune-up" anymore. They would hook it up to the diagnostic equipment, see if there were any trouble codes, check the fluids and pads and that's about all there is, unless the computer finds a problem. I was simply amazed that he didn't just say "Sure, we can do a tune-up" and rob her for $300 or something. I was impressed with the honesty.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:17 PM on July 28, 2009
Generally the term for tune-up is inspection. There is usually a minor and a major, call your dealer and ask them what they do for each.
Here's a quick list of what is usually done for BMW Inspection I/II, I would expect similar for your car.
posted by wongcorgi at 7:26 PM on July 28, 2009
Agreed- no more such thing as a tune up.
My experience: I've had a couple of cars with the 100,000 mile plugs in them, and they did last 100,000 miles. The KEY point when using platinum plugs is to know whether your car uses a "waste spark" system. If it does, you MUST use double-platinum plugs. A dollar or two more a piece, but without that, the plugs eat themselves alive. Also, the spark plugs (in this sort of modern vehicle with the platinum plugs) usually aren't the cause of any problems. They just don't wear out they way they used to.
All cars need these days is maintenance.
-Oil according to the preferred schedule.
-Air filter should be checked often, and replaced when it's dirty. (This *can* make a huge difference.)
-If the manual suggests changing the timing belt, it is usually a good idea to do so when they suggest it. When they fail, they can cause a lot of problems.
If you start getting drivability issues, things to check are spark plug wires, oxygen sensor(s) and MAF/MAP sensors.
Other than that, pretty much just fix stuff when it breaks.
posted by gjc at 7:31 PM on July 28, 2009
If you have the owner's manual for your car, it will have this information in it, as well as the schedule for all other maintenance. Depending on the car, you may be able to find a .pdf of the owner's manual online.
Like other posters have said, modern cars don't really need to get "tuned" the way older cars with carburetors and points did.
posted by zombiedance at 10:34 PM on July 28, 2009
Even if your car calls for plugs only after 100,000 miles, I'd still jump the gun and replace them as early as 70k. Not because the plugs won't last, but because of the increasing difficulty and risk of extracting the plugs. Most new engines have aluminum cylinder heads and at high mileage, after being heat soaked for about 7 or 8 years, the steel threads of the spark plug aren't so willing to unscrew. In the past, I've had three spark plugs SNAP OFF AT THE NUT on high milage cars. A 4.3 Blazer, a 3.0 Ranger, and a 3800 Impala, each with about 100-120k on them. Also, if a spark plug wire goes untouched for 100k, it becomes practically welded in place and the amount of effort to remove them is totally unreasonable, especially on a front-wheel drive V6 like the 3800. The rear plugs and wires are subjected to so much un-dissipated heat. I have vivid and unpleasant memories of sitting on top of the engine in that Impala, struggling to my wits end to remove the spark plug wire in one piece, and the feeling totally sick in my stomach when the spark plug snapped of. Then, I spent the next several hours extracting the old plug, having to view the whole process through a mirror since I couldn't fit my head between the firewall and the cylinder head. I had to chip the old porcelain insulator out of the core and then clear the threads without allowing the metal into the combustion chamber. It sucked.
There is absolutely ZERO harm in changing your plugs early, but the longer you put it off, the more stubborn they become.
posted by Jon-o at 4:09 AM on July 29, 2009
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Manip, although you are correct, this has nothing to do with why the String object is immutable. If I append a few characters to a StringBuilder, the same move/copy/free thing is done, but the StringBuilder class is not immutable.
Let's take a look at an example with a method that both the StringBuilder and String classes have:
String x = "hello";
String y = x.Replace('e', 'u');
StringBuilder a = new StringBuilder("hello");
StringBuilder b = a.Replace('e', 'u');
Console.WriteLine("x: " + x);
Console.WriteLine("y: " + y);
Console.WriteLine("a: " + a.ToString());
Console.WriteLine("b: " + b.ToString());
What's the output of this program:
x: hello
y: hullo
a: hullo
b: hullo
As you can see, the Replace call did not change the String class instance, but it did change the StringBuilder instance (the only reason why StringBuilder.Replace also returns an instance is to make it possible to chain calls. In fact, it doesn't return a new instance, but the same one, so you'll find that Object.ReferenceEquals(a, b) == true).
Now as to why. I don't know all the reasons, but one of them is this. In .Net, String is a reference type, so it is never copied, but passed by reference. Compare this to the C++ std::string object (which is not immutable), which is passed by value. This means that if you want to use a String as a key in a Hashtable, you're fine in C++, because C++ will copy the string to store the key in the hashtable (actually std::hash_map, but still) for later comparison. So even if you later modify the std::string instance, you're fine.
But in .Net, when you use a String in a Hashtable, it will store a reference to that instance. Now assume for a moment that strings aren't immutable, and see what happens:
1. Somebody inserts a value x with key "hello" into a Hashtable.
2. The Hashtable computes the hash value for the String, and places a reference to the string and the value x in the appropriate bucket.
3. The user modifies the String instance to be "bye".
4. Now somebody wants the value in the hashtable associated with "hello". It ends up looking in the correct bucket, but when comparing the strings it says "bye"!="hello", so no value is returned.
5. Maybe somebody wants the value "bye"? "bye" probably has a different hash, so the hashtable would look in a different bucket. No "bye" keys in that bucket, so our entry still isn't found.
Making strings immutable means that step 3 is impossible. If somebody modifies the string he's creating a new string object, leaving the old one alone. Which means the key in the hashtable is still "hello", and thus still correct.
So, probably among other things, immutable strings are a way to enable strings that are passed by reference to be used as keys in a hashtable or similar dictionary object.
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Dirty Tackle
Norwegian lottery winner buys stake in footballer to help local club
Brooks Peck
Dirty Tackle
View photo
Fredrik Semb Berge on the ball. (Morten Tollefsen/odd.no)
The recipient of Norway's biggest ever lottery win has decided to invest a portion of his prize in a talented young footballer who plays for his local club. His windfall wasn't enough to make him the next Sheikh Mansour, but it was enough to allow him to make the most of football's third-party ownership rules (or lack thereof).
From Reuters:
Yngvar Borgesen, who recently won more than 102m Norwegian crowns (£11.5m) on the Eurojackpot lottery, put up 2.5m crowns (£282,000) so that Odd Grenland could keep their promising defender Fredrik Semb Berge, according to the newspaper Verdens Gang.
"I sat and thought about what I could do locally, and the answer was Odd. They have a good profile and mean a lot for the local community," Borgesen told the newspaper.
For his investment, Borgesen was given a 25 percent share of Semb Berge, which means he would get the same percentage of any transfer fee if/when Odd sell the 23-year-old defender. And it could prove to be a rather sweet investment since Semb Berge earned his first two senior caps for Norway earlier this year.
The player told Verdens Gang: "He's a very nice guy who thought it was good to help, so I think this is positive. It means that Odd can get more money for me and that they don't have to sell me at any price."
It also means that Semb Berge has to mow his lawn twice a month, but he apparently hasn't been informed of that yet.
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I am currently creating my own framework in C++ (MSVS 2008) which exports a dll with a bunch of functions for a user of my framework to use/call. In the beginning, when my project was still small, all worked fine. I compiled my project. A MyFramework.dll and MyFramework.lib were spit out. I pretended to be a user; put the MyFramework.dll file in my new VS project's Debug folder, put the MyFramework.lib and MyFramework.h file in my project folder, #include-d MyFramework.h in my code and voilá, I could call the (still simple) framework functions from within my new project.
But now I have expanded my framework. It now uses an external dll of its own (let me call it Graphics.dll) and included it in the same way (.dll in Debug folder, .lib/.h in project folder, #include Graphics.h in code).
The problem is that when I nów create MyFramework.dll/MyFramework.lib, include it in my new project and build, the linker complains about not being able to include Graphics.h, which obviously was included in MyFramework.dll somewhere.
So my question. I would like the user of MyFramework.dll to solely have to include the MyFramework.* files in their project and not have the need to copy/paste all external libraries I decide to use in MyFramework. How can I accomplish this? I took a look at this thread. It says something about adding an existing item and pressing the small arrow next to the "Add" button, but...the arrow is nonexistent in my version of MSVS...
Help is very much appreciated.
Kind regards W. Spek
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the linker complaining about an include file? no way! – stijn Oct 15 '09 at 10:20
You're right, it's the compiler. – Waldo Spek Oct 15 '09 at 10:42
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3 Answers
What is happening is the user is including one of your library's header files. This file is then including "graphics.h". If you don't want to require your users to have access to this file you must hide it from your libraries interface.
That is your library must have public api header files and private implementation header files. Your user only includes the public api header files, these do not include any 3rd party or private include files. When these files reference private types or 3rd party types, they can only use pointers or references, these are forward declared. This enables the private part of a class to use private library code and 3rd party types.
The chances are using the Pimpl Idiom will fix this for you.
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I think you might be right. Right now I am including Graphics.h in the MyFramework.h interface header file. This is wrong. I also spoke to my supervisor who told me the same. This is why the user's compiler is complaining about missing the Graphics.h file. I will have a look at the PIMPL pattern and see if I can fix my problem. Have to do it a bit later though. I will get back on the final solution. – Waldo Spek Oct 16 '09 at 8:08
I was trying to use an unmanaged library from a managed DLL using C++/CLI. Unfortunately my header was using an OpenCV header which meant it needed mixed-mode building, which wouldnt work. Using the Pimpl idiom was exactly what I needed – Fuzz Jan 13 '10 at 3:15
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Have you put the path to the header file? The compiler is reporting that the header file is not in the same directory as the cpp file being converted and its not listed in the additional include directories either.
Go to Project->Properties then select C/C++
The first option you'll see is "Additional Include Directories". You need to put the path to your header Graphics.h in there along with any other paths required all semi-colon seperated. The project I have open at the mo has, for example: "../AudioLibrary;../CoreLibrary;"
Edit: From your comments to Mark's post you say you want to embed the Graphics.DLL in your DLL. My answer is as follows:
If you don't have the source code to the Graphics.dll then you have a problem. What you are asking IS possible but VERY complex to do. Basically you can't use LoadLibrary. You will be forced to write your own for of LoadLibaray and GetProcAddress that will look at the embedded DLL and not try and find it on disk ... Its doable but you are going to need to do a lot of reading on the Portable Executable (PE) file structure.
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And that exactly pins down what I do not want to have to do. What can I do in my "MyFramework"-project, to not have to include external files in my new project which uses the MyFramework.dll? – Waldo Spek Oct 15 '09 at 10:44
Well you need to know what the function prototype looks like. Using GetProcAddress, as suggested by Mark, is all well and good but either you have to create a header file which has a copy of the stuff in Graphics.h or you have to include the original Graphics.h. Otherwise how can the compiler possibly know what parameters are needed? – Goz Oct 15 '09 at 11:17
I should also point out that if you are going to use GetProcAddress then you will need to create a bunch of correct function pointers with the relevant function prototype embedded in the pointer. – Goz Oct 15 '09 at 11:19
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If you don't want to require the user to have or include Graphics.h, one way around that is to use LoadLibrary to dynamically load Graphics.dll at runtime.
This will mean that the user will be able to compile against MyFramework without Graphics.dll being available, so it might be wise to do some kind of error reporting if LoadLibrary fails.
Once you have successfully called LoadLibrary on Graphics.dll, you'll need to manually import each function (and its signature) using GetProcAddress -- this will actually give you function pointers. How you store the function pointers is up to you; I generally prefer to have wrap a class around the imported functions but there's nothing stopping you from keeping the function pointers in the global scope.
As mentioned in the comments, if you don't want to distribute Graphics.dll at all, it will need to be a static library (i.e. "built in" to MyFramework.dll). If you do want to distribute Graphics.dll (so the user can use Graphics.dll without MyFramework.dll), then the above approach remains the better option. Really, the above approach assumes you are distributing Graphics.dll with MyFramework.dll, but that the user may not necessarily have Graphics.h available.
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But probably the user will still need a separate copy of Graphics.dll somewhere on his harddisk, right? That too is an unwanted situation. The user need not know about the existence of Grpahics.dll. He should only have to care about the MyFramework.* files... – Waldo Spek Oct 15 '09 at 11:12
Are you talking about embedding the DLL in the executable? If so .. use a static library not a dynamic library! – Goz Oct 15 '09 at 11:20
Yes, I am talking about embedding the Graphics.dll in the MyFramework.dll. So the suggestion is a static library? But what do you mean; make the MyFramework library static, or somehow include a static Graphics library in the MyFramework.dll. Please do note that I do not have source code for Graphics.dll, except for the Graphics.h. – Waldo Spek Oct 15 '09 at 12:04
I think although you include a static copy of Graphics.dll inside MyFramework, you still need to add the .h file in the Client Project. MyFramework.h includes Graphics.h and your Client Project cannot access that file. I'm having this problem right now and i'm not sure how can i solve it. To keep going, I added the Graphics.h folder to Client Project include folders. – HyLian Oct 15 '09 at 12:22
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Your Answer
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
Im trying to access the org.testng.reporters.XMLReporter from my Java code. I am writing code with eclipse plugin and I am new to testNG.
I have a simple class with a @BeforeSuite, @AfterSuite and 1 @Test (Just as a demo) I thought I could simply add Reporter.getOutput(); to my @AfterSuite method which looks like it returns a list but it is always null. I assume I need a listener but im not sure where or how to add it.
My end goal is to access the XML results that get generated in a file by default to write to my own test DB I have created I can parse the XML since its generated by default I would rather do it all in code.
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up vote 0 down vote accepted
I'm not sure what you're trying to do. If you want to access the generated XML, why not do this in a SuiteListener? Or even in a process that gets run after TestNG has finished?
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I guess thats my question I am not sure how to do this is a suite listener. – ducati1212 Aug 30 '11 at 20:43
The results in the generated XML file contain the exact info I want to store. I was starting to write a XML parser that got the results file from disk after a test ran and parsed it into my DB format. I would much rather be able to do that in my test code rather than reading the file. – ducati1212 Aug 30 '11 at 20:53
Either you parse the XML or you create your own SuiteListener (or better, IReporter) which will receive the result of the entire suite in Java. From there, you can do whatever you want. – Cedric Beust Sep 1 '11 at 16:17
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To add a suite listner you have to follow these step. 1. Create a class implementing ISuiteListner.
public class PlatformSuiteManager implements ISuiteListener {
1. Add the listener to the testng.xml or if you are running a through maven surefire add listner to the xml.
For TestNg.xml suite add following tag to indicate a listner
<listener class-name="com.example.PlatformSuiteManager" />
<listener class-name="com.example.MyMethodInterceptor" />
For sure fire add following under configuration tab
If you need to do a report listner you have to implement IReporter
public class PlatfornReportManager implements IReporter {
public void generateReport(List xmlSuites, List iSuites, String s) { //Implementaion }
I think this answers how to add suite listner and how to add report listner.
Note that report listner is called at the end of the suite.
Please make a sound if this is not clear to you
Please answer me to generate report using default listener. tell me default listeners of TestNG
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Belfast Telegraph
Thursday 13 March 2014
How Madonna inspired a little toilet humour in Hugh Cornwell's music
As he prepares to play the Out to Lunch Festival, former Stranglers singer Hugh Cornwell tells Edwin Gilson about almost meeting the pop superstar ... while queuing for the loo
Dinner date: Hugh Cornwell closes this year's Out To Lunch festival later this month
Go on, have a guess. How many years is it since Hugh Cornwell performed with The Stranglers? The answer is sure to make you feel old, for the Londoner, now 64, played his last show with the seminal rock band more than 23 years ago. He departed after the release of The Stranglers' 10th album in 1990, a risky move for many reasons, given that The Stranglers were the biggest-selling act to come out of the UK punk scene. At the time, he felt the band could go no further artistically. Today, the engaging singer's opinion on the matter doesn't seem to have shifted.
"I wanted to branch out and try new things," he reflects, speaking down the line from his sister's house in London where he spent the recent festive season. "That's why, when I play Stranglers' songs in my set nowadays, I change all the arrangements around. The Stranglers at the moment are sticking rigidly to the old formula, and good luck to them if that's what they want to do. But I couldn't do it. I don't want to be a parrot."
Cornwell is referring here to his solo career, which has yielded nine albums.
And he promises to draw on all of his material, Stranglers and solo, when he plays The Black Box in Belfast on January 26 to close the annual Out To Lunch arts festival.
It's been a decade since Cornwell was last in Northern Ireland, he recalls.
"I stayed up near the lovely park near the university before. It was a part of Belfast I didn't know existed, and I thought it was great."
Quite aside from favourable impressions of the Botanic Gardens, though, Cornwell remembers staying at the Europa hotel with The Stranglers at the height of the Troubles, a "dangerous place" with a "fortress mentality".
"We had to go through a sandbag blockade to get into the building. There were soldiers surrounding the place."
Cornwell admits he doesn't know "how dangerous Belfast is now" but reacts with surprise when I inform him of fellow music veteran Julian Cope's decision to cancel his Out to Lunch gig over security fears. Having survived, even thrived on, the raw violence of The Stranglers' early shows, the band's ex-singer is evidently not easily daunted. Indeed bassist/vocalist Jean-Jacques Burnel, who is still a member of The Stranglers, described in a recent interview how there'd be "blood every night" at gigs. While the aggression that defined the UK punk scene was evident in The Stranglers' stage presence, it soon became apparent that the band were an altogether more idiosyncratic proposition.
Cornwell, Burnel, drummer Jet Black and Swedish keyboardist Hans Warmling formed The Guildford Stranglers in 1974, taking their name from the Surrey town in which they met. Shortly, though, Dave Greenfield replaced Warmling, the band dropped the first half of their name, and began to experiment with a variety of sonic elements. That innovation, that desire to push the boundaries of rock, spawned three albums in just 13 months.
However, despite outselling both The Sex Pistols and The Clash and penning now classic songs like Peaches, No More Heroes and Something Better Change, the legacy of The Stranglers is arguably not as large as that of the two above bands, or even New York's New Wave act Blondie, who Cornwell's gang "used to hang around with". Cornwell is pragmatic on the matter.
"It's not really my place to make comments as to whether The Stranglers were, or are, underappreciated," he says.
"My task is to do what I do. It's the job of the critics to make calls like that. I'm very happy; my career's going very well. Legacy, and everything like that, all becomes clear as time moves on. I don't know ... that era's finished, you know?"
Cornwell has fond memories of the sense of community the punk scene offered, though: "We used to see members of The Clash and The Pistols all the time," he remembers.
"Even before The Clash, Joe (Strummer) was in a band called The 101ers, who we always found ourselves playing with at some college in Kent or somewhere.
"Joe and I always used to toss a coin to decide who would play first. We both wanted first spot so we could get back to London early to go out drinking!"
Cornwell doubts the potential for another punk movement anytime soon. "Would anyone take notice? If it's not on the internet, would anyone care? The youth of today are more likely to put stuff online than go out and play a gig. I'm not sure what they're capable of."
Clearly Cornwell is aware of the transformations occurring within the business, which makes his later diatribe about change all the more unexpected.
"I was thinking about writing a song called Nothing's Ever Changed, to follow on from The Stranglers' Something Better Change. Nothing ever changes really. We fool ourselves into thinking we change things, but in reality little does."
Much has changed in Cornwell's world since 1990 however, a fact reinforced by a recent gig the singer played in Cleveland, America, a million miles away from the raucous first Stranglers' shows.
"It was awful, the people seemed half asleep and unwilling to wake up," he laments. "Why would they even bother coming to the show? Generally, though, I get a communicative and responsive audience these days. It's a 50-50 split between the young and older generations."
Cornwell released his 2008 album Hooverdam for free. His 2012 effort, Totem And Taboo, sees him on aggressive form lyrically, ranting about commercialism (I Want One Of Those) The Daily Mail (Stuck In Daily Mail Land) and Madonna (The Face) over raw, jagged guitar lines.
"I find it dumbfounding when you can't hear what modern rock bands are singing," he says. "Maybe I'm just old-school, but my lyrics are at the forefront because I have something to say."
The Face is about a disorientating incident that occurred when Cornwell was invited to a party thrown by Madonna (left).
"I joined this queue, thinking it was for the toilet, and I was confused by how slow-moving it was," he explains. "Then someone explained: 'She's spending five or ten minutes with each person.' It was a queue to meet Madonna. I just wanted to go to the bathroom. So the full title of that song became The Face That Launched a Thousand S***s. I'm not a huge fan of Madonna, but I don't know if I could do what she had to do that night; greeting people. I thought it was very odd, but she probably thought she was carrying out a worthy service."
At the same bash Cornwell came to face to face with Paul Roberts, the then Stranglers' singer who was brought in after Cornwell's departure (and who has since left the band). The two apparently had "nothing to say to each other", a state of affairs echoed by Cornwell's now non-existent relationships with the other members of the band.
"I'm not in touch with them, no. If possible, they avoid talking about me. It's the easiest solution, really."
As Cornwell pauses to ponder the modern day Stranglers' incarnation, a hint of bitterness creeps into his voice.
"The band's new songs don't seem to be setting the world on fire; they're playing a lot of older songs, which is great for me. People flock to see them played, so it's testament to how good all those old songs that I wrote and co-wrote are."
Belfast this month is the place to be if you want to hear such classic rock songs. More than two decades after leaving the band, one gets the feeling Cornwell will always think of himself as a Strangler.
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Tracking Every Signing
Grading Biggest Deals
Blueprint for a Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl Run
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Blueprint for a Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl Run
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
Rebuilding an NFL team is a long and laborious process as much for the fans as it is for the team itself. Maybe in some ways worse because as a fan, you have zero control over anything.
Of course, you aren't the one sweating, bleeding, losing and winning, so it's all relative.
Some teams try to buy their way into a championship (this goes for any sport). The smarter ones build towards a championship. That doesn't mean they HAVE to take five or six years to make the playoffs or see the Super Bowl, just that they build carefully, one piece at a time.
They have a blueprint for success, and they follow it.
The following is what the Vikings' blueprint for a Super Bowl run looks like if I am new general manager Rick Spielman.
These are long term goals as well as short term ones. Whether they are immediate payoffs or pay dividends down the road, they will all have the net effect of winning this team the Super Bowl.
Mike Powell/Getty Images
It's said so often in these situations that it's almost trite, but it has the virtue of being true—a franchise needs to believe it can win any time they step on the field.
In so far as attitude and confidence, the Vikings aren't in a bad position. They sniffed a Super Bowl not long ago, after all.
However, last season was close to a disaster, and the sooner the team can start washing that out of their system the better. What that will take is wins—not just any wins, but significant ones.
I have long contended that the Vikings are going to be in a perfect spot to be spoilers for some NFC North team come the end of the season. Nothing strikes a better tone for the next season than sending one of your rivals home to watch the playoffs with their fans.
The Vikings are unlikely to make the playoffs this year, but they can still end the season on a positive note.
Then you build on that.
Of course, more than anything else, this needs to become an expectation—that if you come to Minnesota, you will go home with a loss.
The Patriots did this after struggling for years. The Packers did this. The Bengals are trying to do this, as are the Bills. The Lions are well on their way.
The Vikings need to make sure that the culture of winning is forever at the forefront of all their preparations, film study, practice and game planning.
Yes, they don't exactly slink into practice now like Eeyore in a purple jersey. But two bad years can become three really easy—more than anything else, if they want to be on the road to a Super Bowl in the next three to five years, they need to instead make winning the habit.
Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE
In this league—in this division—a team needs a good quarterback to win.
A great quarterback would be better, but a very good one will do.
Is Christian Ponder that guy?
They have to find out in the next year or so. It'd be great if they had more time, but they don't.
If they find out Ponder isn't the one, they have to retool and reboot. That takes time. They have a lot of pieces in place—we'll get to that as well as what still needs to be done—and there is no sense in wasting time hoping a guy will get better if he's not making strides forward.
Just ask the New York Jets. Mark Sanchez has been there for several years now and seemingly hasn't gotten any better—and if they need to dump him, they have some trouble brewing because they'll have to rethink everything.
That takes time and sets franchises back.
So they need to find out if he's "the guy." If not, it's back to the Draft—because we know what happens when you bring in retread quarterbacks, right Mr. McNabb?
If you want to give Ponder the best chance to succeed, well, you have to give him the right tools. So far, the Vikings have done an admirable job—adding Matt Kalil, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs through the draft and bringing in Jerome Simpson.
There is an element of risk to Simpson as well as John Carlson, but neither are so expensive that the risk is huge. Both have some upside though, and Simpson in particular could be a huge help to Ponder.
They need to continue adding pieces each year. They don't have to be lavish spenders in free agency—in fact, we know that isn't always a great way to go—but they should be aggressive and make sure that they get solid pieces which fit.
If they do that, Ponder will show us for sure if he's the future at quarterback.
Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE
I just mentioned Kalil, but along with him, the offensive line needs to continue to be built up.
Seeing Steve Hutchinson (and to a lesser extent Anthony Herrera) go might worry the Viking faithful, but long term, they needed to start rebuilding. Hutchinson was fading and Herrera was not that good.
Adding Kalil and Geoff Schwartz gets the line a bit younger, and the last three—Phil Loadholt, John Sullivan and Charlie Johnson—are all in their mid to late twenties.
So the line isn't terribly aged, though they can start thinking about what they could do to shore it up.
I would mostly address it through the Draft—high quality free agents can be hard to come by and usually require a big bid with all the suitors.
Slowly building up the line while you still have a good offensive line is also smart—having quality depth is never a bad idea as the Packers showed in 2010.
Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE
As much as I like the acquisition of Simpson, it's not enough. The depth behind Percy Harvin and him isn't great.
Which is why I also liked the drafting of Greg Childs and Jarius Wright, both of whom have the potential to be quality starters in this league.
Let's face facts—Adrian Peterson is a stud, but in the North alone, the team faces three teams which will throw the ball a lot and have varying degrees of high-powered offenses.
Ponder (or whomever throws the ball) needs a deep group of reliable weapons.
Look at the successful teams here: the Packers have Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson to start with James Jones, Randall Cobb and Donald Driver behind. The Lions have Calvin Johnson, with Nate Burleson, Titus Young and soon enough Ryan Broyles.
Even the Bears have finally started piecing a receiver corps together with Brandon Marshall, rookie Alshon Jeffery and Earl Bennett. They fall off after that and maybe that's their undoing, but it's a good start.
The Vikings also have a good start of it, with Harvin/Simpson and the rookies. They need to keep bringing guys on through the draft and get as deep as they can.
If there is one thing they need to emulate (and this is across the board) that the Packers do, it's create depth.
Nowhere will that be more critical than at wide receiver.
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
We'll have to see just how good Adrian Peterson is post-knee implosion, but so far he looks on schedule. Assuming he comes back at close to 80 percent AP (which I have said before is better than 99 percent of the backs in the league), he'll continue to be a guy who the team builds around.
Percy Harvin has made some noise about being unhappy—the why is unclear, but the fact is that he was underused last season (and in previous seasons) and is probably worried about his next contract.
Harvin has begun to show what he is capable of, and I wouldn't want another team to reap the benefits of the Vikings' patience with him, through all the migraines and such.
Find a way to make them both happy (Peterson seems the easier one on that score) and keep them in town. Build around them both.
Harvin is a huge asset to Christian Ponder, and while rookie Jarius Wright duplicates the broad skillset of Harvin, he lacks the pure upside.
If at all possible, keep your studs. Make sure they feel appreciated (some will require money, some a pat on the back in the press), and they will stick with you through the rebuild.
Keeping veterans like these guys, who make a difference with the ball in their hands, will keep you in games.
Adam Bettcher/Getty Images
How much do Jared Allen and Kevin Williams have left in the tank? Chad Greenway? That's the question the VIkings need to ask themselves.
The truth is that at least one of those guys is likely out before the Vikings get to a Super Bowl. The Vikings should prepare for that, and besides, as I said before, depth is good. You can never tell when someone might go down (Jasper Brinkley for example) and for how long.
The Vikings should be working towards building some significant depth and more than just warm bodies.
They have some likely prospects, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't keep looking for more.
Pressure is half of how you beat the likes of Green Bay, New Orleans and New England. A continual adding of talent will make sure they can always bring the heat—a necessity to win a Super Bowl.
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
Here's the other half of the way you bring down the top contenders—a good secondary.
While the unit is OK, it's not a shutdown group by any stretch. Adding Harrison Smith should make a big difference in the safeties, but the corners still need work.
The truth is that if they can put together a good group of defensive backs, they can bridge the gap with their pass rush. The Vikings have the tools for that—and they have what looks like a good enough secondary to compliment the front seven.
However, they need to keep adding pieces and improve the overall talent that they have.
They have some talent already—but not across the board and it's not deep.
Keep improving the secondary because any team fighting for a playoff berth, much less a Super Bowl, will test yours early and often.
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
So far the Minnesota Vikings look like that team. New GM Rick Spielman has been cautious for the most part, adding a piece here or there in free agency and making smart choices in his first NFL Draft as General Manager.
Vikings fans are hoping that keeps up.
While the goal every season is winning the Super Bowl, the blueprint I've put together is one which won't just serve to propel the Vikings to a championship once, but allow them to contend for a long time to come.
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In media appearances, Russell Crowe has all the charm and grace of a beached sperm whale. He stormed out of an interview with the BBC after the host suggested he gave English hero Robin Hood an Irish accent.
Here is the audio:
The interviewer asks:
Lawson: "The accent you've given him, there are hints to me of Irish but what were you thinking of in those terms?"
Crowe: "You've got dead ears mate. You've seriously got dead ears if you think that's an Irish accent."
Lawson: "Hints of—"
Crowe: "Bollocks. I'm a little dumbfounded you could possibly find any Irish in that character. That's kind of ridiculous. It's your show. Whatever."
Then Crowe says, "Fuck me," which is a good way to get people to see your new movie.
Anyway, we have no idea how to tell the difference between an Irish or an English accent. It all sounds like Captain Picard to us. We'll let the YouTube comments on a clip from Robin Hood speak for themselves:
Why Did Russell Crowe Give Robin Hood an Irish accent?S
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I'm setting up a new machine and am using 64-bit Python 2.6.6 on Windows 7. I installed a pre-compiled version of setuptools.
When I run setuptools from an administrator (or user) command shell, it spawns a new command window and then closes it after completing. I'm unable to see any output.
easy_install --help
Every time I've installed setuptools before has been on 32-bit Python and of course the behavior is as expected (output in the same command window).
There are two related questions already in stackoverflow. The first one appears identical to my problem. However, that question was incorrectly closed as a duplicate of this second question.
share|improve this question
It needs administrator privileges. The second question answers your question. – Rafe Kettler Apr 25 '11 at 4:14
No, that actually wasn't the solution (and it also didn't solve the problem of the first question). Running the command window as an administrator did not solve the problem. While the symptoms were the same, the issue appeared to be with the compiled binary I installed. – davenaff Apr 27 '11 at 16:35
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1 Answer
up vote 3 down vote accepted
I was ultimately able to resolve this. I believe it was the result of the compilation method used for the setuptools binary.
I had originally used the compiled binaries that were available here:
I just had to uninstall the setuptools binary and install one available here:
Presumably you'd also be able to compile your own version should you need a win64 binary. I had tried installing 32-bit Python and again used a binary from the first link, but had the same problem. Using the compiled 32-bit version on pypi (of course on 32-bit python) solved my issue.
share|improve this answer
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Your Answer
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http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5775093/how-can-i-make-easy-install-exe-not-open-in-a-separate-window/5797698
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main index
Topical Tropes
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TV Tropes Org
"Get Out of Jail Free" Card
Heel face turners and Anti Heroes are often fascinating characters. They can add a level of grey, be someone who understands villain motivations, or provide a good source of angst. In a series with Cardboard Prison tendencies, it's a lot more of an effective way of ending a threat.
However, the writers eventually have to explain, at least on a Hand Wave level, why this person isn't in jail or otherwise punished. The Morality Pet is a type of "Get Out of Jail Free" Card, as heroes wouldn't want to punish them as well. Sometimes it's explained that their service is a mandatory replacement to incarceration, or the condition of The Pardon. Other times, they're revealed to be one of The Chosen Ones.
The underlying logic to this trope is probably twofold: one, a character in prison isn't a potential cast member, and two, if the only reward for turning away from the path of evil and towards good is to be sent to prison and punished, then why would anyone ever abandon evil if they're going to be punished either way? In other words, being allowed to remain free- tormented or not- is almost like a karmic reward for the new hero's redemption, a second chance. That doesn't mean they necessarily feel good about it.
A subtrope of Saved by the Awesome. Contrast Karma Houdini, where no such explanation is given.
This is the opposite of the "Go to Hell, Go Directly to Hell, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200" Card.
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Anime and Manga
• Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha has the Time Space Administration Bureau justifiably arrest Fate Testarossa for her actions during the "Jewel Seed incident." However, seeing as Fate was a minor, acted on the orders of an abusive and insane parent, never personally committed a major crime, and had expressed remorse and a sincere desire to repent, sympathetic officers were more than willing to represent her at her trial and were able to get off with only community service (i.e. working for the Administration). Which she was more than willing to do. One of these officers later adopted her. Her familiar Arf received similar treatment.
• In the Oddly Named Sequel, the Wolkenritter get much the same treatment, as they were not responsible for the actions they were forced to undertake as slaves to an Artifact of Doom. They did get a much stiffer and longer sentence than Fate, though, because of their lengthy, unpleasant history with the Bureau, and their sheer power. It helped that they were now beholden to a moral little girl who was eager to join the Bureau. Oddly, in the third series their master Hayate would be blamed for the trouble caused by the "Book of Darkness," despite having been unwittingly and indirectly involved at most. Then again, the one doing the blaming was an unsympathetic General Ripper, who may or may not have simply disliked the fact that a "criminal" like Hayate was running a Mobile Unit and nosing around in his (illegal) affairs.
• It also helped that actually revealing the facts of the Book of Darkness incident would have revealed corruption and maverick behavior at the highest levels of the TSAB, so the whole thing got brushed under the rug.
• This escalating pattern of crime and consequence continues with the end of the third season, though it is no less tempered with mercy and love than the other occasions. Many of the younger Numbers Cyborgs who recognize their crimes and agree to seek rehabilitation are sent to a special ocean facility rather than prison, with Sein, Otto and Deed joining the Saint Church and Cinque, Nove, Dieci and Wendi joining the TSAB and being adopted by the Nakajima family. Agito gets a similar deal as Signum's new Unison Device, and only went to the rehabilitation facility to be with Lutecia.
• Then again, the TSAB seems understaffed (see A's sound stage 2), so skilled mages are always welcome.
• ViVid shows us one instance of a character who apparently refused the card; Lutecia is confined to what is probably the most luxurious Penal Colony in fiction, a bright and beautiful vacation world with no limits on communications, visitors, or delivered items. The only apparent restriction to her activities is that she's not allowed to leave the planet. Then again, Lutecia's circumstances were very similar to Fate's in the first season, having committed almost all of her crimes in the name of saving her mother and being told by a trusted adult that it was okay to do what she was doing.
• Ken, the ex-Digimon Kaiser/Emperor, falls under several of these. First, he was one of the Chosen Children. Second, he had a Morality Pet, Wormmon. Third, he was affected by a Dark Seed. Last, and most importantly, he became The Atoner afterwards, seeking absolution from the main characters and the world itself before he could become part of the True Companions. It does take a while for the rest to forgive him, though; particularly Iori, who distrusts him, and is wary of his ability to change for a long time... and takes much fandom hate for that.
• And also the fact that he never realized (at least in the dub) that the beings in the Digital World were real sapient creatures instead of just computer programs, he didn't know that he had actually been inflicting true harm instead of just playing a game.
• Who wouldn't be convicted of mass theft at the very least if their video game crimes were suddenly revealed to be real.
• In Spiral, Ayumu gains control of the tape with Rio confessing to murder, but Eyes threatens to tell the police about their criminal connections to his brother, Kiyotaka, if Ayumu tries to turn them in. Ayumu refuses, saying he'd prefer if it the entire world was after his brother so that he might actually, y'know, FIND him. Then Eyes points out that he might not mind, but isn't there someone else who would be deeply hurt by such a fiasco...? Not wanting to cause his sister-in-law any more pain, Ayumu reluctantly agrees.
• In the anime Trinity Blood, Leon Garcia (a convicted murderer) is let out of prison on a quite superficial Hand Wave, whereupon he joins the hero team.
• In the Manga and Novels, it's elaborated on, in that his sentence is ridiculously high, and he IS still in prison...but they let him out to carry out missions for him, and if he succeeds (read as survives, the missions are pretty dangerous), his sentence is reduced. When he's not doing stuff for them, he sits around in prison doing very little.
• In Mahou Sensei Negima!, Kotaro has what amounts to a get out of jail free card after his second appearance. He helps Negi save the girls from Wilhelm, is granted his freedom, and proceeds to transfer to Mahora. Ironically, he had escaped from jail before he did this, so it was more of a Stay Out Of Jail Free Card.
• In Fullmetal Alchemist, it is specifically stated when Scar has his Heel-Face Turn that he will not get one of these; they make him swear that he will turn himself in and face judgment after everything is over. He agrees, swearing on the only thing they know is truly important to him. It ends up being played straight as he is declared legally dead during the climax and returns to rebuild Ishval. It's pretty justified, though, as the vast majority of the cast are not exactly innocent themselves.
• The Chrono Crusade manga has Chrono, who—after flying into an Unstoppable Rage and charges after the Big Bad, tossing cable cars with people still inside at him, setting part of San Fransisco ablaze and actually killing some people in the process, is held captive by the Order for some time and actually ordered to be executed. He just barely manages to escape punishment because (1) he needs to help Rosette find her long-lost brother, (2) he's obviously repentant and (3) he's able to prove to Father Remington that he's learned to control his temper. However, Father Remington goes against orders to help him escape, and official records state that he was actually executed.
• Masao Kirishima, resident violent sociopath of Mars, can't be locked up for attempted murder in the end because he's still legally a minor and because he doesn't seem to have any memory of his victim.
• In the end of the second season of Ghost in the Shell:Stand Alone Complex Gouda thinks that he has one. Unfortunately, Aramaki does not accept it. And has the Major shoot him with a volley of exploding bullets from an assault rifle in the middle of a hallway.
• In Code Geass, Cornelia allows Villetta Nu to join the Black Knights since there are more important things to do than deal with her. It's never justified from the Black Knights' perspective, and seemingly the only reason she gets in is because she's hanging on Ohgi's arm.
• Lampshaded in Soul Eater with Crona. Sid suggested he/she shouldn't be exempted from the usual punishments for crimes just because his mother told him to do it. Lord Death's reply it pretty much "Yeah, I don't know, let's just put it off and let the kid join the academy in the meantime."
• The members of the Juppongatana who were captured during the Kyoto arc of Rurouni Kenshin were offered these in exchange for using their skills for the Meiji government. Most of them end up taking it.
• Averted in Argento Soma, where Soma doesn't get off with just a slap of the wrist, and actually receives a pretty hefty sentence. Though he's not stripped out of his rank and actually is promoted while behind bars, continuing his career in the epilogue.
• This happens a lot in the Queen's Blade franchise: Basically, any evil character who was defeated and manage to get this only gets a slap in the wrist. The three most notorious examples are Claudette after being defeated in Rebellion, since the card itself are the gods themselves. Werbellia, as the cards are her daughters, not to mention she was controlled against her will by the real Swamp Witch and Dogura in the Vanquished Queens OVAs, by Tomoe, despise all the crap he did, including destroying Hinomoto (Tomoe's homeland) and the only thing he got is being bitten in the ass by some wild squirrel at the end of the episode. The only exceptions to this rule are Delmore in the gamebook continuity and in the anime, Ramshel, Sushel and Weiss from the videogames and everyone from the Cult of Arunikuf from the Queen's Gate novels, and that's because all of them are killed, albeit Ramshel and Sushel came back from the dead in the sequel.
• The anime Psycho Pass has this in the "service as a mandatory replacement to incarceration" variety. The Enforcers are latent criminals whose Psycho Pass exceeds the permitted levels; they can either serve as Enforcers and help fight crime (with their every move being supervised by the Inspectors, who have the option of disciplining them at will), or to be put into "therapy".
Comic Books
• Subverted in Thunderbolts, about villains becoming heroes. MACH-1, previously the Beetle, learns that for the Thunderbolts to be allowed to continue functioning, he must go to jail for a murder he committed. He does so willingly, and even sabotages a break-out attempt that would have included him. He's eventually given expedited parole for helping save the world multiple times.
• Averted in the first run of Marvel Comics New Warriors. After Vance Astrovik, AKA Marvel Boy, is convicted of negligent homicide, he refuses to go along when his teammates try to break him out.
Vance: I killed my father. Whether I meant it or not — and I didn't — I'm still responsible for the act. You can quibble about the law all you want, but I believe in the system, so I'm going to abide by it.
• Gloriously used and subverted at the end of the Buck Godot Gallimaufry Cycle. Buck returns home and meets with someone to negotiate his 'tax duty', a type of community service (and, to make sure people are prompt, the longer you wait to check in, the exponentially worse the duty gets... and Buck's been gone a while.) Buck offers up a 'note', which turns out to be a message from the Prime Mover, the most powerful being in the galaxy. The note explains what Buck had been up to all this time - from finding a religious artifact to preventing multiple intergalactic jihads to stopping a civil war in the seat of galactic government to saving humanity itself from extinction, and would he please let Buck off the hook, thank you very much. Too bad it doesn't work.
• In All Fall Down, Siphon gets one of these in the form of a Presidential Pardon.
• In pre-Flashpoint Secret Six an actual "Get out of Hell Free" card played a key role in one storyline. Pretty much every member of the team and villains outside of the team wanted it because they knew they were damned. The trope is otherwise averted: the Six go back to being straight-up villains as the series draw to a close when they realize that the good they've done as a team of Antiheroes/antivillains can't save them from eternal damnation.
• The end of Serenity has The Operative taking Simon and River Tam off of the wanted list after fixing the Serenity, and letting the entire crew go after they had just committed everything from vandalism to treason, not to mention the fact that River was tortured and driven insane by the Alliance, who The Operative worked for, to be turned into a psychotic psychic assassin, which her brother had freed her from (getting them on the wanted list). So, less "GOFJF Card" and more Get Out Of Being Hunted card (as even The Operative couldn't kill River if she wanted him dead).
• At the end of Shooter, Swagger is set free by the Attorney General after the charge he was framed for, the assassination of an African archbishop, is proven false by the fact that the murder weapon could not have been used, thus he could not have fired it. This seems perfectly logical, but no one, not even the incognito Big Bad who was sitting right next to the war council, seems to address the fact that Swagger killed a number of men and caused untold amounts of property damage between the beginning of the film and now in his quest for vengeance.
• In the Star Trek film series, the crew commit numerous crimes to help resurrect Spock such as forcibly stealing the decommissioned USS Enterprise, sabotaging the USS Excelsior, later destroying the Enterprise. To that, the whole idea of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is to create an opportunity so spectacular for the crew to save Earth that they could get off easy for the above charges. As it is, the only punishment is a token one of Admiral Kirk being demoted to Captain again for insubordination, even as the authorities understand full well he preferred that lower rank.
• Clear and Present Danger: When Jack Ryan learns about Operation Reciprocity, an illegal war being fought in Columbia, he confronts Ritter with incriminating evidence. Ritter produces an "autographed get out of jail free card" in the form of written authorization from the President of the United States. The film treats this as applying to Ritter only, while the original novel states that this is for the CIA as a whole and anyone they recruited for said operation.
• Lord of War Yuri is let out because he has one from the US Government. However, his closing narration admits that just because they find him useful out of jail for now, doesn't mean they won't just let him rot the next time
• Gothika. Halle Berry's character wakes up in a mental hospital, with memory gaps, accused of murdering her husband. When we later find out that her husband had over the years abducted, raped and killed several young women from the area, and she murdered him upon finding out, she is set free. Despite having y'know, actually murdered her husband.
• Stripes: Even though John Winger and Russell Ziskey stole the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle on their own accord, they get heralded as heroes upon coming home since they demonstrated its effectiveness against the Soviets and rescued their comrades who went after them. In contrast, the officer who ordered said men to recover the stolen vehicle gets Reassigned to Antarctica for his trouble.
• In Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels, John Clark manages to get an actual "Get Out of Jail Free" Card when the president of the United States pardons him. The Teeth of the Tiger takes this to an extreme where before leaving office, Jack Ryan Sr. signs 100 blank Presidential Pardons for use by "The Campus".
• In the Honor Harrington series, Kevin Usher, head of Haven's FBI-equivalent, asks for and receives a presidential pardon for any crimes one of his agents commits in running a "black" investigation of possible treason by the Secretary of State who manipulated diplomatic correspondence to engineer a crisis that would weaken the President as a rival, but instead accidentally sent his country back to war against Manticore. He refuses to take one for himself, saying that if the black operation is blown, he will be the cutout and take the fall.
• In The Three Musketeers, Cardinal Richelieu gives one of these to Milady de Winter: "It is on my orders and for the good of France that the bearer of this letter has done what they have done." When the titular Musketeers kill Milady de Winter, they use that letter against Richelieu himself to keep from being punished for it.
Live Action TV
• Anyone who tried to punish Xena: Warrior Princess of her past warlord crimes were such fanatical Inspector Javerts that their technically true accusations were eclipsed. Or she saved everyone who wanted to punish her and they let her off. For a literal example of this, one episode had her tried for murder and sent to prison...only for it to be revealed that the specific person she had been convicted of killing was alive and well and running the prison she was in. Naturally, she was set free after all this was revealed.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer has several examples:
• Willow murdered two people, tried to kill several more (including Dawn, Buffy and Giles) and nearly destroyed the world. Her punishment essentially amounted to a summer vacation in England to learn to control her powers. The whole "magic addiction" thing and losing her girlfriend Tara in the most gut-wrenching way possible were probably considered to be "extenuating circumstances", though one wonders if she ever saw a psychologist throughout that summer, like, ever.
• In the early part of the series Faith committed crimes including murder... and eventually accepted the idea of going to jail, after trying to commit the Buffyverse equivalent of Suicide by Cop. At the end of the series, she escaped - which was admittedly justified since she had an attempt on her life made and had to join the team to save the world; there was no sign that she intended to go back to jail once the emergency was over, though and in the Season Eight comics she doesn't, and in fact her attempts to gain more permanent freedom outside the U.S. indicate she really did never plan to go back. This is partly justified, since she's still a Slayer, and therefore more useful to the world-saving forces of Good when on the outside, and owing to an ongoing redemption plot, but still...
• Andrew murders Jonathan and is accepted as a member of the group with no punishment (aside from spending a few days tied to a chair and being initially shunned), and is never turned in to the authorities - even once it becomes clear to the group that he has no useful information to offer them. He ends up remaining as a (often hopelessly useless) member of the team in Season Eight, though his role there seems to largely be to create Plucky Comic Relief... which, come to think of it, makes it all the more disturbing in a way.
• Spike after he was chipped counts as this. He couldn't physically hurt humans, but time and again he proved he was still dangerous. It got worse when he and Buffy got in a relationship, as stated above.
• Everyone in Buffy gets a pass from all the others, because there is really no one to cast the first stone. They've all done it. This is pointed out in "First Date," when The First, as Jonathan, is trying to get Andrew to turn back against Buffy:
The First: Really? Why? So you can earn a spot on her little pep squad? You think she'll ever let you in? You're a murderer.
Andrew: Confidentially, a lot of her people are murderers. Uh, Anya and Willow and Spike....
• Angel strikingly, and given the context of the series rather bravely, decisively rejects the idea that simply because someone turns good they should get a karmic reward. Faith of course literally does go to jail (for a while at least) and in a later season Angel and Spike admit to themselves they probably are still going to hell for their past misdeeds.
• In The 4400 April Skouris, the sister of main character Diana Skouris uses her abilities as a Living Lie Detector to blackmail people. True she helps bring down a big criminal conspiracy... but only out of revenge for the murder of her partner/boyfriend and fear for her own safety. Not only is she not punished for her blackmail, she is awarded a plum government job. And she is smug about it too.
• The Wire has a literal "get out of jail free card" given to stick-up man Omar Little in return for testifying against a murderer. He's warned, however, that the card has its limits. When Little is wrongly imprisoned, he uses his card and other contacts to help him beat the charge.
• The entire backstory of LOST's Kate is that she's on the run for murdering her stepfather (who was actually her father.) Yet in the flashforward to her trial, she ends up getting off with probation and time served, mostly due to Courtroom Antic. To those who like Kate, this was justified because her stepfather abused her mother and leered at Kate, and because Kate has Aaron to look after. To Kate's detractors, it was a Karma Houdini.
• Star Trek: Voyager: The end of the show didn't make any reference to whether Tom Paris and all the Maquis would be pardoned for their crimes after they got back to the Alpha quadrant - in the alternate future of the finale they clearly were though, or at least let off with a proverbial slap on the wrist.
• In Deep Space Nine:
• All the Maquis were pardoned at the start of the Dominion War. The people on Voyager learned this when they regained communications. They actually had it explicitly mentioned, along with mourning for the Maquis members that died.
• Tom Paris specifically was pardoned in exchange for going with Voyager and helping to search for the Maquis. Prior to that, he had already been convicted and sent to one of the Federation's (typically luxurious) prisons.
• Actually, Janeway only promises to put in a good word with him at his "outmate review" (presumably parole hearing). So he's not technically in the clear either.
• Averted in one episode, where Kassidy Yates (Sisko's lover) is revealed to be smuggling items (mostly organic materials, so food and medical supplies) to the Maquis, a terrorist group. When confronted by Sisko and the Defiant, she takes sole responsibility, leaving her crew with the Maquis and returning to the station alone, and she gets thrown in prison for nearly a season.
• Played with in Stargate SG-1 episode "Cor-Ai", where Teal'c is put on trial by one of the worlds he helped to victimize as Apophis' First Prime. General Hammond balks at the idea of forcing the people of that world to release Teal'c because he really did commit the crimes he was accused of. Same with Vala later as she goes on trial for continuing planetary slave labour after her Goa'uld was removed.
• For a series about a wrongly-accused man trying to clear his name, Renegade uses this pretty often. However, on one occasion, the lead helped a man accused of bombing a college lab, by finding the guy he supposedly killed. The end of the episode makes it clear that the falsely accused man has to do community service because he evaded arrest.
• Sylar in Heroes is constantly backstabbing his allies, slaughtering innocents, and getting captured, but everyone is always ready to give him another chance, try to ally with him, or get into his pants.
• 24
• Jack Bauer commits so many felonies every season that his name became synonymous with the torture of terrorist suspects during the 2008 American presidential election. Bauer escapes from punishment with the occasional slap on the wrist; but given how many times he's saved the country it makes sense. This is ultimately subverted in 24: Redemption, where it's revealed Bauer is being hunted by the US government so he can tried for his use of torture. Season 7 begins with him on trial for it. He is of course released from this by the end of the season, but the Senator who was prosecuting him is dead, and the new President has also come to appreciate everything Jack has done.
• Nina gets a "Get Out of Jail Free" Card from the President in Season 2 for her past crimes. Then she asks for another one...for the future crime of murdering Jack Bauer. Jack tells the president to do it.
• As does Mandy in Season 4.
• Parodized in Reaper with its "Get Out of Hell Free" card.
• Bartlet's final act as President in The West Wing was signing a pardon for Toby Ziegler.
• Every Power Ranger that started out evil, got one of these after their Heel-Face Turn. Normally the reason was they were under mind control (of one sort or another) and wouldn't have done the actions otherwise. The only exceptions to this have been when the ranger was lied to and believed they had a reason to hold a grudge against the heroes.
• A Law & Order episode has Lenny Briscoe bribe a reluctant informant with his business card - saying that he should show the cop that card the next time he gets pulled over for speeding.
• In the Monk episode "Mr. Monk Takes the Stand," with Monk pitted up against a Chewbacca Defense lawyer, there is a brief clip where said lawyer appears on a talk show and the hostess describes his business card as being the equivalent of a Get Out of Jail Free Card, rendering him a "Mr. Monopoly".
• Mentioned in the very first episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, when Benson and Stabler let the murderer go without any sentence at all.
Cragen: You just used your "Get Out of Jail Free" card on this case, Olivia. There's only one in the pack.
• Lex Luthor from Smallville practically walks around with this plastered on his forehead, since everyone can tell that he's up to something yet they rarely make the effort to stop him.
• In the Canadian crime series Intelligence (2006) no one would ever get arrested even when they fully expected to be. Usually Vancouver's Organized Crime Unit would beat the police in identifying and locating serious criminals, all who would typically ask, once cornered, to call their lawyers. "Well, that's one option," they would invariably be told. Of course, the other option was to activate the get out of jail free card by becoming a Confidential Informant. And not only would they escape jail, they were allowed to continue their criminal enterprise and even expand it.
• In the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "Willows in the Wind", while Catherine and Ted are on the run (not from the law - some assassins hired by an arms manufacturer are after the former) they "pay" a hooker who helps them out with Ted's business card (which can presumably be used this way). Later on, her pimp provides them with a gun and disposable cell phones and also gets one for his trouble.
Ted: This is a get-out-of-jail-free card. Don't abuse it.
Newspaper Comics
• Subverted in the comic strip Broom-Hilda, when Broom-Hilda was put on trial for her latest crime spree and found guilty. The complete idiot Irwin Troll, acting as Broom-Hilda's lawyer, tries to get her off by handing the judge a Get Out of Jail Free card. The trope is subverted when Irwin's ploy fails. Actually, the subversion is subverted, because this is just a dumb comic strip where no action has any real consequences ... so, in the next day's strip, Broom-Hilda is out of jail anyway.
Tabletop Games
• The trope namer is Monopoly, which features two actual "Get Out Of Jail Free" cards. Oddly enough, this trope namer ends up subverting the trope - Monopoly jail is a Cardboard Prison that only requires you to roll doubles, pay $50, or use said card to get out. Furthermore, since people in jail can still collect rent and trade properties without fear of paying rent to others, staying in jail as long as possible is a good late-game strategy. In fact, players are required to leave jail after three turns whether they want to or not, whether by rolling doubles, paying the $50 bail, or playing the card. (A common HouseRule is to disallow a player in jail collecting rent.)
• Back in the 70's, the Harvard Lampoon put out an issue that dealt with cheating. Included in this issue was an article with materials for cheating at Monopoly including a fake Chance card that sent you to Jail for Life. If things got too bad in the game you could palm this card and go to Jail, and since you still collected rents, you would eventually win, although it might take a long time.
Video Games
• Max Payne goes on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge in the first game of his series in which he guns down hundreds of assorted mafiosi and drug pushers. Not only does he not spend a single day in jail for any of this, but he's still on the NYPD payroll in the second game. It's implied that Alfred Woden and his "Inner Circle" pulled strings to keep Max a free man. Since Woden stands for Odin in the game's Norse mythology theme, it's no surprise that he's got the power to pull off such a feat. In the second game, Max is actually haunted by the fact that he escaped punishment.
• Subverted in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. When the player character becomes Sheogorath, prince of madness, it is impossible for him to be imprisoned within the Shivering Isles; the guards will instead escort you outside the city limits and leave you to go off adventuring until you can pay the fine (or not). This sometimes leads to the less then amusing glitch of having a fine considered by the game to be too large to be payed off with no option to serve your sentence (that is, your crimes being so heinous the only option is immediate attempted execution by the arresting guard or jail.) making walking through most towns feel reminiscent of any given level from Splinter Cell.
• In the first Baldur's Gate, having Shar-Teel in your party guarantees you a "Get out of Jail Free" Card from her father Angelo Dosan. You may be innocent.
• In Mass Effect 2, one method you can use to "solve" a hostage situation is killing the hostage yourself in plain view of the local law enforcement. They don't react at all. Granted, you're a (possibly former) Spectre, basically a covert agent reporting directly to the highest level of government, but you're out of favor with them, and you'd expect security to at least react.
• As for the person who attempted to assassinate the person and took him hostage when that went south, you can convince the security leader to put him to work helping homeless kids on the Citadel rather than pressing charges which would almost certainly lead to jail time.
• In the Spyro the Dragon reboot trilogy, Cynder was the Big Bad that had inflicted massive amounts of pain and suffering on everyone and very nearly unleashed the Ultimate Evil. Once she turns good, she's not punished due to the justified reason she was Brainwashed and Crazy the entire time. However, its inverted because, while the dragons forgave her, most of the other types of creatures sharing the land don't and she even has a hard time forgiving herself.
• Red Dead Redemption has pardon letters, which are a Get Out Of Paying A Buttload Of Money Card.
• You can get one of these in Grand Theft Auto II by scrapping a police car, which lets you keep your weapons the next time you get busted.
• Fallout: New Vegas has this as a plot point. Before you hit the main plot of the game, you can gleefully set about killing members of both primary factions (Legion and NCR), which will naturally make them want to kill you. As soon as you reach the Strip and talk to Benny, both factions immediately pardon you of any crimes because you're an asset they want on their side.
• But only once. If you proceed to laugh in their faces and continue the slaughter then they'll quickly become your enemy again, this time for good and locking off their endings permanently.
• Dark Seed has a very literal one, given to you by the local attorney. Its use is required to complete the game, as you need to put some items in the real world jail to access them in the Dark World jail, but can't waste a night in the cell without rendering the game Unwinnable.
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim allows you to become thane of all the holds in the region. This in turn allows you to commit a crime and demand to be let go because you are the thane, even if that crime is multiple murder.
• Averted in It's Walky!: at least two characters who could break out of any jail ever made with ease willingly submit to imprisonment for their anti-social actions.
• In Sinfest, Slick is gifted by Monique a "Get out of Hell free card" just before the Devil decides to take him. It actually gets him out of Hell, despite him having sold his soul to the prince of lies somewhere like 2,600 strips earlier.
• The Adventures of Dr. McNinja: Dr. McNinja made a deal with the state police because as a vigilante he has to do things prohibited by law. If he reaches his offices and declares "BASE!" he's immediately cleared of all charges.
• After Galatea make a brief but quite sincere attempt to conquer the planet Butane, Princess Voluptua pardons her (partly for helping to capture Riboflavin, and partly because Bob vouches for her) with the understanding that Bob will keep her out of further trouble.
• Referenced in this Order of the Stick strip.
• When former-assassin Tanica in The Dragon Doctors is returned to human form from being stuck as a tree for years, she fully expects Inspector Blue to arrest her on the spot. Blue does show up almost immediately, but only queries Sarin about how Tanica once went after her with a knife; all other possible charges are dropped, as none of Tanica's previous assassination missions have any sustainable evidence or outside testimony linking her to them (the signature style of her cabal was to use invisibility suits and knives for maximum stealth).
Web Original
• In Worm, standard procedure for villains who become heroes is for them to serve a probationary sentence on a superhero team, generally under house arrest in the heroes headquarters when not on deployment. The logic seems to be that, if they're the sort of villain who can become a superhero, they'll probably be more secure surrounded by superheroes and Cape Busters than in a medium-security prison.
Western Animation
• Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender : Several cards are considered after his Heel-Face Turn when he applies for Sixth Ranger. Toph plays the Freudian Excuse Card ("Considering his messed-up family and how he was raised, he could have turned out a lot worse."), Zuko plays the Pet the Dog card ("I've done some good things. I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free."), and Aang plays the Enemy Mine card from "The Blue Spirit". Katara, on the other hand, still doesn't trust him, because he has "struggled with doing the right thing in the past" and makes it clear that if he switches sides again, she'll put an end to his trips through the Face Heel Revolving Door by putting an end to him.
• A few weeks after the Heel-Face Turn he takes the Fire Nation throne, so anyone outside the Gaang or the White Lotus that might have a grudge against him could do precious little about it.
• Dumb and Dumber: Harry and Lloyd were about to be thrown at a volcano when Harry produced a "Get Out of Being Thrown At a Volcano Free" card. He was allowed to leave but Lloyd still needed rescuing.
• In a Family Guy episode, Brian held Mayor Adam West hostage after he outlaws gay marriage, and forced him to make it legal again. He succeeds, and he isn't even arrested. However the point of the episode was to show that gay marriages are right.
• Brian does get a nice big What the Hell, Hero?, though.
• Oddly enough, since he was dealing with Mayor West, he had to use a Get Out Of Jail Free...Key to a Volkswagen Scirocco.
• The alternative was letting Adam West get away with outlawing gay marriage in the first place just to distract the public from a budget scandal for which he was completely responsible. In fact, the reason West was so forgiving is precisely because Brian's actions provided a good distraction, rendering his initial one unnecessary.
• Averted in an episode of The Powerpuff Girls, in which Rainbow the Clown is accidentally bleached and becomes a mime who steals all the color and sound from the world. When the girls restore Townsville and convert him back to his happy self with a combination of The Power of Rock and Rule of Cool, they still take him down violently and ship him to prison. The episode left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans. But this ending was dictated by Executive Meddling and was not what creator Craig McCracken intended initially.
• Averted in another episode where the Powerpuff Girls were arrested for crimes committed by crooks wearing Powerpuff Girls disguises. They break out of prison and beat up the criminals, then get congratulations from the Mayor - right before he says that they're going back to prison for breaking out of prison.
Announcer: "So, once again, the day is saved - thanks to The Powerpuff Girls! See you on visiting day, girls!"
• This even goes back to the second pilot, "Crime 101." The girls are so believable at showing the Amoeba Boys how to commit a bank robbery that they're arrested for it. The judge hearing the case thinks it's a lie until the girls actually plead guilty (Blossom silently and tearfully repeats it when the judge's jaw drops). Just as the judge is about to pass sentence, the Amoeba Boys appear with the bank money. The girls are cleared.
• Wish Kid: Nick literally used that card to get out of jail. He used the card to reach a lock so he could open a door.
• An episode of Danger Rangers had an aversion- a group of people spilling chemicals into the lake were told by Scottland Yard would not get one of these for what they had done, along with illegally dumping household chemicals into trash bins.
Real Life
• This is an explicit power held by most Heads of State/Government. In the past, Kings and Emperors who held absolute powers (as opposed to the defanged constitutional monarchs of today) had as many "get out of jail free cards" as they wanted. Sort of Diplomatic Impunity in your own country. The general rules of various countries include:
• Neither the Swedish monarch nor the Prime Minister has the explicit power to issue a pardon, but the Swedish Cabinet as a whole does.
• In America, it is common for outgoing presidents to issue a hurricane of pardons to protect their various friends from whatever nefarious deeds they committed during the president's term.
• Richard Nixon received a pardon from President Ford to protect him from prosecution after his resignation. There was some uproar afterwards (and it remains a controversial move), but in general the action was done to simply move on and stabilize the government.
• Several staffers involved in the Iran-Contra affair got this treatment by George H.W. Bush upon his ascent to office, although they committed the crimes under Reagan. Reagan was implicated and then cleared, so either he wasn't in the mood for pardoning the people who almost screwed him over or he didn't want to look suspicious for being lenient, depending on how much he actually knew about the proceedings, which is still unclear.
• While nothing ever actually came of it, it was noted at the time that there was one person allegedly involved in Iran-Contra that George H.W. Bush didn't issue a pardon to: himself.
• In fact, a Presidential pardon actually has a great deal of power; it is stated under Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution which states that the President "shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment", which means a U.S. President can pardon or reduce the sentences of almost anyone he wants. Of course, most don't abuse this right with regards to important cases, and many pardons are granted posthumously. (One notable example was Jimmy Carter's unconditional pardon of all Americans who illegally evaded the draft during the Vietnam War, which was lucky for Bill Clinton.)
• Charles Manson once no-showed at a parole hearing, sending the actual Monopoly game card to the parole board instead. Everyone knows that he's never going to get paroled.
• If (in California at least) you are in jail and, included with your mail, you get a note saying something like "Game piece not permitted inside facility," it means that someone has tried to send you a Get Out Of Jail Free card.
• Apparently common in Ancient Greece. In the dialogue Crito, the title character points out that not only can he pay off the guard and let Socrates leave but that if he fails to do so people will consider him dishonorable for not rescuing his friend.
• Indulgences were a method in medieval Catholicism of skipping penance for confessed sins. They can thus be seen as "get out of purgatory free" cards. Particularly corrupt priests would not only sell these indulgences in exchange for cash donations, they'd falsely advertise them to their usually-illiterate parishioners as not just allowing them to skip penance for their sins, but as providing preemptive forgiveness for future sins. In other words, they claimed to sell "get out of hell free" cards. While this misuse of indulgences was never condoned by the church hierarchy, it was widely ignored by them, which was a major part of how Protestant Christianity came into existence.
Forgiven But Not ForgottenHeel Face IndexGo and Sin No More
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Leave it to an artist to create a piece of technology as morbid as it is meaningful. Revital Cohen, an artist exploring the relationship of man and machine in medical settings where devices like life support are in use, has created an object which feeds data on a patient's health to his or her family in real-time. Called the Telepresence Frame, the device gathers information generated by heart monitors and the like, and sends them to a display in the home of loved ones, so that they can constantly be kept aware of one's condition. If (or when) the patient dies, the box records up until the final moments, then plays back its collected information in a continuous loop. Cheery, right? Somehow, we don't see this one flying off store shelves anytime soon.
[Via we make money not art]
The Telepresence Frame beams your vital stats home
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- Linux - Software (
- - how can I put the CPU in sleep mode? (
asahlot 11-02-2006 08:51 AM
how can I put the CPU in sleep mode?
Hi all
I want to put CPU in sleep mode that is I want to execute only Idle process on CPU for continuous 5 Sec. So I think that if i use msleep (5000) in kernel version 2.6 then I can achieve my aim. ( I dont know if I am wrong). But as in kernel 2.4 we dont have msleep () function, how can we make CPU to execute Idle task for 5 secs.?
Do we have some way of scheduling IDLE task for some secs??
Please help me in this regard. its very very urgent for me.
Thanks in advance.
J.W. 11-03-2006 02:00 AM
Just use the sleep command in your script
man sleep
asahlot 11-03-2006 10:23 AM
@J.W. Thanks for the reply.
You are right. But I need to do that in my module and not in script.
Can you please tell me in that case.
Thanks in advance.
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http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/how-can-i-put-the-cpu-in-sleep-mode-497884-print/
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Documentation Center
• Trials
• Product Updates
Copy graphics objects and their descendants
new_handle = copyobj(h,p)
copyobj creates copies of graphics objects. The copies are identical to the original objects except the copies have different values for their Parent property and a new handle. The new parent must be appropriate for the copied object (e.g., you can copy a line object only to another axes object).
new_handle = copyobj(h,p) copies one or more graphics objects identified by h and returns the handle of the new object or a vector of handles to new objects. The new graphics objects are children of the graphics objects specified by p.
Copy a surface to a new axes within a different figure.
h = surf(peaks);
colormap hot
figure % Create a new figure
axes % Create an axes object in the figure
new_handle = copyobj(h,gca);
colormap hot
grid on
Note that while the surface is copied, the colormap (figure property), view, and grid (axes properties) are not copied.
More About
expand all
h and p can be scalars or vectors. When both are vectors, they must be the same length, and the output argument, new_handle, is a vector of the same length. In this case, new_handle(i) is a copy of h(i) with its Parent property set to p(i).
When h is a scalar and p is a vector, h is copied once to each of the parents in p. Each new_handle(i) is a copy of h with its Parent property set to p(i), and length(new_handle) equals length(p).
When h is a vector and p is a scalar, each new_handle(i) is a copy of h(i) with its Parent property set to p. The length of new_handle equals length(h).
When programming a GUI, do not call copyobj or textwrap (which calls copyobj) inside a CreateFcn. The act of copying the uicontrol object fires the CreateFcn repeatedly, which raises a series of error messages after exceeding the root object's RecursionLimit property.
See Also
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Hearts of Iron Image
Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critics What's this?
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Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings
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• Summary: Hearts of Iron is the first ever World War II PC game of true Grand Strategic scope. The game map spans the entire world and allows players to take the War to any new front of their choosing. Any nation in the world is playable, but the game focuses on the epic struggle between the great alliances of the new world orders Fascism, Communism and Democracy. Hearts of Iron is developed by the team behind the award-winning sales success Europa Universalis I and II and brings the same depth of gameplay and historical accuracy to a modern day gaming experience. Hearts of Iron aims to be no less than the definitive World War II strategic experience. [Strategy First] Expand
Score distribution:
1. Positive: 7 out of 13
2. Negative: 2 out of 13
1. A compelling WWII grand-scale sim. When I say "grand," I'm talking about a King Kong Burrito Supreme with extra sauce and tripple toppings. [Feb 2003, p.74]
2. 86
Had there not been a load of stability problems and random crashes, this game could have easily been of A quality. This baby is really an incredible war strategy otherwise.
3. 85
It's highly addictive and once you get over the learning curve (which is steepest in the wacky resource management part of the game), you'll find it deep and interesting.
4. The learning curve is a huge hump to get over.
5. Big, complex, and definitely not for a casual player seeking a little light entertainment.
6. A.I. nations will usually disintegrate, and you can conquer half the world without much trouble. [Feb 2003, p.94]
7. An ambitious mess, a noble mess, certainly a well-intentioned mess, but ultimately a mess nontheless. [Mar 2003, p.78]
See all 13 Critic Reviews
Score distribution:
1. Positive: 9 out of 10
2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
3. Negative: 1 out of 10
1. BrandonR.
May 1, 2003
This game is the best!!! I made Russia own the world and you can make anything happen.
2. A.K.
Dec 15, 2002
GOOD !!!!!!!!
3. jjpc
Apr 8, 2003
Gr8 game.
4. ShaneM.
Mar 10, 2003
Great way to change history or work it the way it was intended. Want Germany to develop the bomb? Done. A Russian navy? Done or the USA taking over the world? Done. Well done over all. Expand
5. IvanJ.
Apr 22, 2003
It's a good try, but not perfect. Howewer it's my favourite game today!
6. MartinS.
Jan 15, 2003
Fairly good when it comes to depth, but I found the resource management to be tedious. Playing a smaller country can ruin an otherwise happy day gaming. Above average for strategy, but average in all other aspects. Expand
7. NicholasD.
Mar 6, 2004
Simply awful. Riddled with bugs after four patches and with a fundamental flaw - major nations are too hard to manage (while you're trying to move hundreds of units, the enemy is quietly taking half your country) while minor ones can never have much impact on the game. Dull, buggy and overrated. Expand
See all 10 User Reviews
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The Nizkor Project: Remembering the Holocaust (Shoah)
Shofar FTP Archive File: orgs/american/freemen/duke-on-freemen
From Thu Jun 6 07:52:52 PDT 1996
Article: 41336 of alt.revisionism
From: (Rich Graves)
Newsgroups: alt.activism,alt.conspiracy,alt.politics.nationalism.white,alt.politics.white-power,,alt.revisionism,alt.skinheads
Subject: Michigan Militia, Bo Gritz, Charles Duke denouce Freemen as criminals and frauds (was Re: Warning to FBI)
Followup-To: misc.activism.militia
Date: 5 Jun 1996 14:27:03 -0700
Organization: Uncensored Internet,
Lines: 165
Sender: llurch@Networking.Stanford.EDU
Message-ID: <4p4u37$cfv@Networking.Stanford.EDU>
References: <4p29q7$>
Xref: alt.activism:51585 alt.conspiracy:56011 alt.politics.nationalism.white:21662 alt.politics.white-power:31147 alt.revisionism:41336 alt.skinheads:26657
Followups set to misc.activism.militia, which these trollers are avoiding
because everyone with a clue knows that the Freemen are nothing but a
bunch of crooks.
>From today's Los Angeles Times,, also carried in
the San Jose Mercury News, and "MERCURY" on
America Online:
FBI Lets 'Freemen' Talk Themselves Out of Allies
Standoff: Sympathy sours among right-wing groups after negotiations fail.
Federal agents reap the benefits.
By KIM MURPHY, Times Staff Writer
When Colorado state Sen. Charles Duke
first entered the "freemen" compound, it was
with the hope of preserving the rights of free
Americans to oppose their government, and of
ending the FBI standoff without bloodshed.
When he left five days later, Duke--a
longtime supporter of the patriot movement
with sympathies for right-wing groups across
the country--had had enough of this particular
brand of anti-government militancy.
The legislator was so mad that he could
be seen waving his arms in fury from a mile
away. He was yelling, he said, at Rodney
Skurdal, who had--along with the rest of the
freemen--reneged on the second of two
carefully crafted deals, this one to release
two young girls held at the compound.
"You aren't enough of a man to come face
me, get out of that car!" Duke shouted as
Skurdal climbed into an automobile. "I told
him, 'I'm going to go out of here and I'm
going to tell the American people what you're
doing here. You will not get support from the
patriot community, you will not get support
from the militia community and if you die,
nobody's going to avenge you.' "
"People in contact with them understand
now that what they were doing was fraud," said
Randy Trochmann, spokesman for the Militia of
Montana. "With the public, a good percentage
of them want the FBI just to leave, put a berm
around the house and let the state police
patrol it. And another percentage just want
them [the FBI] to go in and finish them off."
It is a position that has not been lost
on the right-wing community, some of whose
leaders have joined a chorus demanding that
the FBI up the ante against the militants.
Duke, who said he twice crafted deals
with the freemen for release of the girls,
ages 8 and 10, said he lost all confidence
when the FBI carefully agreed to the
conditions, only to see the freemen's demands
"Initially, we believed they were trying
to stand for constitutional principles and
were simply trying to do some of the same
techniques that are practiced on a daily basis
by the banks and the Federal Reserve system,"
said Duke, referring to the freemen's
declaration of the U.S. monetary system as
invalid and their subsequent issuance of their
own money orders, the subject of a federal
indictment against about a dozen of the 21
people still at the ranch.
"But the overall group there has very
little to do with the
patriot/constitutionalist movement. They're
trying to hide behind that as a way of
avoiding arrest, in my opinion," Duke said.
"They're just scam artists. And the fact that
they're willing to hide behind those two
little girls, I realized we're not dealing
with honorable people here."
One by one, all of those initially most
prepared to be sympathetic to the freemen and
to help them meet their demands for a public
forum against the federal government have
thrown up their hands in exasperation and
denounced the group as unreasonable.
Gritz, in obvious disgust, said he had
come close to working out a deal in which half
of those at the compound would have left
willingly. "But any time that happens, they
are immediately put down verbally by these
vitamin salesmen who would have to get a job
if this whole thing collapses," Gritz said of
the two to four most militant freemen leaders.
Brent McRae, who is heading the current
petition drive, said the new attitude comes in
part with a growing respect and sympathy in
Jordan for the FBI, which initially was
regarded with suspicion. For months, Jordan
residents have had the chance to shoot pool
and lift a beer with off-duty agents at the
Hell Creek Bar; they run into each other at
the hardware store and the supermarket. They
stop for a chat at the checkpoints on the way
out toward the freemen ranch, where bored but
cheerful agents are continually begging for
homemade cookies and coffee.
"It's humanized a government agency. We
found out FBI agents aren't like they're
portrayed on TV," McRae said. "It's been a
shock to everybody, myself included. The
people have had the opportunity to meet them,
and found them to be very courteous. But
they're frustrated. This isn't what they're
trained to do, to sit and watch. These people
that are here have the ability and the
expertise to bring this thing to a conclusion,
and feel they could do it without bloodshed if
they were given the ability and the go-ahead
to do it."
"At the beginning, it was all about,
'Here was this poor community in Montana that
was being descended on by the federal
government.' But it became very apparent very
quickly to the general public that this was
not a community rising up in opposition to the
federal government, that in fact some of them
had even asked the federal government for
help. To me, that's when the spin started to
unravel out of the right," Toole said.
On radio talk shows across the country,
Toole in recent weeks has said that he had
expected hate calls from right-wing
sympathizers. But instead, "everywhere what I
was getting is: 'The government is
mollycoddling those guys.' "
Toole said that people like Gritz, Duke
and the Militia of Montana's Trochmann
brothers found themselves facing a choice of
courting either mainstream political support
or the freemen. And it was an easy pick. "They
could come out and say, 'Those guys are
extremists, and we're the reasonable middle.'
They could say, 'Those guys don't want to pay
their bills, and they're acting like
2-year-olds.' "
Duke said his talks broke down because
the freemen refused to live up to the bargains
they'd made.
Today's New York Times:
"Long-Running Freemen Standoff No Longer Rattles Locals"
...and so on.
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Browsing named entities in Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10. (ed. Frank Moore). You can also browse the collection for Vallandigham or search for Vallandigham in all documents.
Your search returned 11 results in 1 document section:
ffectual putting down of this rebellion. Mr. Vallandigham declared he had moved his amendment to beorty-four members only voting for it, and Mr. Vallandigham's amendment was then rejected, only twentdeclared that Mr. Burnett, and especially Mr. Vallandigham, misapprehended the spirit of the countryhould be employed actively in the field. Mr. Vallandigham inquired if he was to understand that thevolunteers. The amendment was agreed to. Mr. Vallandigham moved to strike out the second section, T dare to desecrate it to such base uses. Mr. Vallandigham, of Ohio, moved to lay the bill on the ta table-yeas, forty-four; nays, sixty-one. Mr. Vallandigham demanded the yeas and nays on its passageussion should be confined to amendments. Mr. Vallandigham objected to that mode of proceeding. Mr.ounced the bill as an arbitrary measure. Mr. Vallandigham denounced the bill as a measure to abrogapotism. Mr. Bingham, of Ohio, replied to Mr. Vallandigham in a speech of great power. Mr. Voorhees[1 more...]
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Log in
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Article excerpt
Key Words: Al-rihla; Medieval Muslim Travelers (MMT); Hajj; Place and space; Positionality
The period between 750 and 1258 C.E. in Medieval Islamic history is characterized as the Golden Age of Muslim civilization during which four Islamic dynasties were established: the Umayyads (756-1031), who designated Damascus as their capital, the Abbasids (750-1258), who selected Baghdad as their capital, the separate Umayyad dynasty in Spain/Al-Andulus, who used Cordoba as their capital, and, finally, the Fatimid dynasty in Egypt and northwest Africa (909-1171) (Turner, 1995). The Caliphs in Baghdad and Damascus sponsored the translation of Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit manuscripts in philosophy, medicine, and other scientific works into Arabic (Turner, 1 995). Within two centuries, Turner asserted that the "major works of Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Archimedes, Hippocrates, Galen, Ptolemy, and many other" (p. 29) and were made available to Muslim scholars. As a result, great libraries were established and learning centers flourished including religious centers of scholarly learning in Baghdad, Cairo, Nishapur, Hijaz (Medina), and Fez. A science academy was established at both Cordoba in al-Andalus and at Toledo, and in the Nizamyya and Dar-al-Hikma universities in Baghdad. Advances in knowledge occurred in a myriad of fields, including philosophy, social sciences, physics, mathematics, medicine, alchemy, geometrical sciences, astronomy, religious science, optics, and metaphysics.
New educational theories and philosophies were developed at the instructional level by Medieval Muslim thinkers including theologians, philosophers, jurists, litterateurs, hadith scholars, and scientists (Günther, 2006). And as a result of the advancement in educational theories, philosophies, and applications of the concepts of talab al- 'Um and talib al- 'Um, the Medieval Muslim civilization became a global center of knowledge not only for Muslim scholars but also for scholars from all over the world. Thus, travel in search for knowledge became a phenomenon and a "normative feature of Medieval Muslim education" (Gellens, 1990, p. 55).
This study intends to analyze three selected Medieval Muslim travelers' accounts to answer two questions: 1) what do the three travelers report about their alrihla experiences? 2) what factors influenced the three travelers' experiences of al-rihla as Muslim travelers in search for knowledge?
Knowledge in Islam is of two kinds: fard ain and fard kifaya. …
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id,summary,reporter,owner,description,type,status,component,version,severity,resolution,keywords,cc,stage,has_patch,needs_docs,needs_tests,needs_better_patch,easy,ui_ux 5518,Capitalized verbose names for models,Petr Marhoun ,nobody,"There is a difference between models and forms, now the preferred format is: {{{ #!python class Contact(models.Model): email = models.CharField(verbose_name=_('email')) class ContactForm(forms.Form): email = forms.CharField(label=_('Email')) }}} Why is once 'email' and once 'Email'? I think it is quite inconsistent. But it is specially bad for translators. Example: I have a model with ten fields. I use form_for_model and form_for_instance. I realize that I need a form with seven fields from model and some new fields. So I have to translate the fields again - gettext doesn't know that 'email' is similar to 'Email'. I think it should be possible (not necessary) to use capitalized verbose names in models. It means to uncapitalized some words in admin - but it is possible, I do it in my personal branch. I thought that this kind of change should be sent to django-developers mailing list first. But there was no answer so there is a ticket. Ticket #5426 is precondition for it. I would like to create patch - if you think that it can be applied. ",Cleanup/optimization,new,Internationalization,newforms-admin,Normal,,"admin, verbose_name, nfa-someday i18n-nofix",djbenji@…,Accepted,0,0,0,0,0,0
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(Matthew 6.9-13; 7.7-11)
2So Jesus told them, “Pray in this way:
‘Father, help us
to honor your name.
Come and set up
your kingdom.
3Give us each day
4Forgive our sins,
as we forgive everyone
who has done wrong to us.
And keep us
from being tempted.’ ”
5Then Jesus went on to say:
Jesus and the Ruler of Demons
(Matthew 12.22-30; Mark 3.20-27)
14Jesus forced a demon out of a man who could not talk. And after the demon had gone out, the man started speaking, and the crowds were amazed. 15#Mt 9.34Mt 10.25 But some people said, “He forces out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons!”
16 # Mt 12.38Mt 16.1Mk 8.11 Others wanted to put Jesus to the test. So they asked him to show them a sign from God. 17Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said:
21When a strong man arms himself and guards his home, everything he owns is safe. 22But if a stronger man comes and defeats him, he will carry off the weapons in which the strong man trusted. Then he will divide with others what he has taken. 23#Mk 9.40 If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don't gather in the crop with me, you scatter it.
Return of an Evil Spirit
(Matthew 12.43-45)
24When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when it doesn't find a place, it says, “I will go back to the home I left.” 25When it gets there and finds the place clean and fixed up, 26it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and that person ends up in worse shape than before.
Being Really Blessed
28Jesus replied, “That's true, but the people who are really blessed are the ones who hear and obey God's message!”#11.28 That's true, but the people who are really blessed … message: Or “That's not true, the people who are blessed … message.”
A Sign from God
(Matthew 12.38-42; Mark 8.12)
29 # Mt 16.4Mk 8.12 As crowds were gathering around Jesus, he said:
You people of today are evil! You keep looking for a sign from God. But what happened to Jonah#11.29 what happened to Jonah: Jonah was in the stomach of a big fish for three days and nights (see Matthew 12.40). is the only sign you will be given. 30#Jon 3.4 Just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign to the people of today. 31#1 K 10.1-102 Ch 9.1-12 When the judgment comes, the Queen of the South#11.31 South: Sheba, probably a country in southern Arabia. will stand there with you and condemn you. She traveled a long way to hear Solomon's wisdom, and yet here is something far greater than Solomon. 32#Jon 3.5 The people of Nineveh will also stand there with you and condemn you. They turned to God when Jonah preached, and yet here is something far greater than Jonah.
(Matthew 5.15; 6.22,23)
33 # Mt 5.15Mk 4.21Lk 8.16 No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a clay pot. A lamp is put on a lampstand, so everyone who comes into the house can see the light. 34Your eyes are the lamp for your body. When your eyes are good, you have all the light you need. But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. 35So be sure your light isn't darkness. 36If you have light, and nothing is dark, then light will be everywhere, as when a lamp shines brightly on you.
Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law of Moses
43You Pharisees are in for trouble! You love the front seats in the synagogues, and you like to be greeted with honor in the market. 44But you are in for trouble! You are like unmarked graves#11.44 unmarked graves: Tombs were whitewashed to keep anyone from accidentally touching them. A person who touched a dead body or a tomb was considered unclean and could not worship with other Jewish people. that people walk on without even knowing it.
46Jesus replied:
49Because of your evil deeds, the Wisdom of God said, “I will send prophets and apostles to you. But you will murder some and mistreat others.” 50You people living today will be punished for all the prophets who have been murdered since the beginning of the world. 51#Gn 4.82 Ch 24.20-22 This includes every prophet from the time of Abel to the time of Zechariah,#11.51 from the time of Abel … Zechariah: Genesis is the first book in the Jewish Scriptures, and it tells that Abel was the first person to be murdered. Second Chronicles is the last book in the Jewish Scriptures, and the last murder that it tells about is that of Zechariah. who was murdered between the altar and the temple. You people will certainly be punished for all of this.
53Jesus was about to leave, but the teachers and the Pharisees wanted to get even with him. They tried to make him say what he thought about other things, 54so they could catch him saying something wrong.
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E/O Drabble Challenge, word: tilt.
Summary: Tag to 2.14, BUABS. There are things even a hunter can't fight – and it hurts to be a helpless witness.
AN: Happy birthday Mainegirlwrites – I hope you've had a glorious day, unlike Sam, I'm afraid. This might be a bit darker than what you've wished for, but blame it on my muse. Hope you enjoy anyway...
He heard Dean's skull hit the floor with a dull thud, watched bloody knuckles beat the crap out of his brother, felt the demon cheering all around him with satisfaction, but he couldn't talk his fists into relaxing, couldn't fight against the cold and insane darkness inside anymore, wasn't even sure how to separate his own self from the alien one and the burning sensation in his side only added to the searing pain he'd felt the last few days watching, hearing, witnessing without any control until finally it tilted his head and vanished... and he could let go consciousness.
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tech-net archive
Re: removing carp(4)
> In sum, I doubt that carp(4) provides enough utility to justify its
> maintenance cost. If there are arguments to the contrary, I am
> listening.
whatever difference that really makes) does involve a kernel element.
kernel device and interface is that you can attach config and
processes to a proper interface.
This behaves like an interface is expected to for all other purposes,
such as link state monitoring, routing daemons, bpf, ipfilter, passing
through to VM platforms (xen), etc etc. Adding and removing an
etherstub (tun/tap) to a bridge might not preserve the desired
semantics in a predictable fashion for these corner cases. A you've
already observed, it may work for ethernet but not so well on other
link types. It might not converge fast enough if there's some dynamic
bridge protocol (STP, TRILL) in use, either.
So, I think there's a case for at least some of it to remain in
Attachment: pgpqjkf_URWTO.pgp
Description: PGP signature
Home | Main Index | Thread Index | Old Index
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[an error occurred while processing this directive]
BBC News
watch One-Minute World News
Last Updated: Monday, 30 April 2007, 22:37 GMT 23:37 UK
Arctic melt faster than forecast
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website
Polar bear on ice. Image: SPL
Arctic summer ice has been shrinking by about 9% per decade
Arctic ice is melting faster than computer models of climate calculate, according to a group of US researchers.
Since 1979, the Arctic has been losing summer ice at about 9% per decade, but models on average produce a melting rate less than half that figure.
The scientists suggest forecasts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) may be too cautious.
The latest observations indicate that Arctic summers could be ice-free by the middle of the century.
"Somewhere in the second half of the century, it would happen," said Ted Scambos of the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado.
The fact that all models show ice loss over the observed period and all project large ice losses into the future is a very strong message
Marika Holland
"Some computer models show periods of great sensitivity where the Arctic ice system collapses suddenly, and that trend may occur a bit earlier; that's the best guess, but exactly when it's hard to say," he told the BBC News website.
Dr Scambos co-authored the latest study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, with other scientists from NSIDC and from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), also in Boulder, Colorado.
They also calculate that about half, if not more, of the warming observed since 1979 originates in humanity's emissions of greenhouse gases.
Model perfection
There are measurements dating back about a century on the extent of Arctic ice, but satellite observations from 1979 onwards are generally thought to provide the most accurate dataset.
The new research involved analysing two periods, 1953-2006 and 1979-2006.
Graph of sea ice decline
The real world looks to be changing faster than the models predict
Records show a shrinkage over the longer period of 7.8% per decade. When only the more recent period is analysed, the rate rises to 9.1% per decade.
For comparison, the researchers looked at a collection of 18 computer models used by the IPCC and other institutions for making projections of future climates.
Models are always verified against real-world data from the recent past to see how well their output mimics reality.
The collection scrutinised here calculated an average decline of only 2.5% per decade for 1953-2006, and 4.3% per decade since 1979 - both well short of the real-world observations.
"There are lessons here for the climate modelling community," acknowledged NCAR's Marika Holland.
"The rate of ice loss, and the location of ice loss - these are things that the models need to improve, and there are physical processes such as the release of methane from melting permafrost that the models don't include."
Constant picture
This is the third time in the last few months that studies have suggested the IPCC's latest major global climate analysis, the Fourth Assessment Report, is too conservative.
Graph of rising Arctic temperature. Source: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment
Air temperatures are rising with respect to the 1961-1990 average
In December, a German team published research suggesting that sea levels could rise by 50-140cm over the coming century. The IPCC, in February, gave a range of 28-43cm.
Then, also in February, came an analysis showing that temperature and sea level rises had been rising at or above the top end of IPCC projections since the panel's previous major assessment in 2001.
This is the opposite view from that put forward by many "climate sceptics", who view the whole field of computer modelling as deeply flawed, and the IPCC as an alarmist organisation.
Because of the way it works, the IPCC is bound to be conservative, as it assesses in considerable depth research already in the public domain. This process takes time, and means the panel's conclusions will always lag behind the latest publications.
Nevertheless, Marika Holland believes there is agreement on the major questions regarding Arctic ice; it is receding, and greenhouse gases of human origin are largely responsible.
"The fact that all models show ice loss over the observed period and all project large ice losses into the future is a very strong message," she said.
Arctic sea ice 'faces rapid melt'
12 Dec 06 | Science/Nature
'Drastic' shrinkage in Arctic ice
14 Sep 06 | Science/Nature
Greenland melt 'speeding up'
11 Aug 06 | Science/Nature
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Has China's housing bubble burst?
How the world's oldest clove tree defied an empire
Why Royal Ballet principal Sergei Polunin quit
Americas Africa Europe Middle East South Asia Asia Pacific
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How Can Los Angeles Adapt to Coming Climate Change?
Climate change can’t alter the blue skies or access to the beach and mountains, but it will pose four tangible threats: The summers will grow hotter, the air will be smoggier, there will be more fires, and there will be much less water
© / Janne Ahvo
Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from Matthew Kahn's book Climatopolis.
Los Angeles is a hedonist’s paradise. At night, you can cruise the Sunset Strip. Although The Doors no longer play there, you may run into Paris Hilton or Britney Spears before seeing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at a red-carpet event. During the winter, you might venture downtown to watch Kobe Bryant and the Lakers play. Every day of the year you can sit outside at Starbucks and try to identify professional basketball players looking for a latte in West Los Angeles. In spring 2009 I spotted Baron Davis of the Los Angeles Clippers at a Westwood Starbucks (but he didn’t seem to recognize me). In fall 2009 I spotted Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys as he strolled in Little Holmby Park (he didn’t give me a knowing nod or wink either). I saw Vin Diesel jog past my house not long ago (again, no seeming recognition on his part). Even the dignified former secretary of state, Warren Christopher, didn’t recognize me as he got out of his car while parking on my block. These cases suggest that I’m not a VIP, but a player such as you will have the option of ending the night at a party at the Playboy Mansion near UCLA.
During the day, LA also offers a variety of natural pleasures. The outdoors is an essential part of every Los Angeles resident’s day-to-day life. Almost every day you can jog along the Santa Monica and Venice paths near the Pacific Ocean. In the afternoon you can go for a mountain climb in Topanga Park in the Santa Monica Mountains. You can walk around in shorts in February, and in the summer there is rarely humidity or a heat wave. If you are depressed, the blue skies and the ocean breeze will cheer you up. Graduate students at UCLA drive me nuts because they surf in February rather than studying or grading exams. The city feels like an unending adult summer camp. Flowers bloom in late February, and you can e-mail your friends in the Northeast and mock them by singing Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” Although everyone is always talking on hands-free cell phones, nobody here actually works for “the man”; LA is not a company town. The largest corporate employers in Los Angeles County are Kaiser Permanente, with 32,000 employees; Northrop Grumman Corp., with 21,000 employees; and Boeing Co., with 15,000 employees. Of course Los Angeles is famous for Hollywood. The motion picture and television show production sector is responsible for roughly 250,000 jobs.1 In a county with 8 million people, this shows that most people are small wheeler dealers.
Almost everyone in Los Angeles was not born here. Many of us are transplants from cold Northeastern cities. Although we differ in heritage and ethnicity, we share a love for the sun and the good life. This city self-selects people who want to live well. With the exception of me, we are well-tanned, physically fit, attractive people. There is an abundance of plastic surgeons; service providers offering you whiter teeth; swimming pools; and life coaches to pluck, wax, and generally improve every part of your body and mind.
Outsiders mock Los Angeles as a city of plagues. They have heard about the car culture, the sprawl, traffic, the smog, O.J., the gangs, the earthquakes, the Malibu fires, the water shortages, and so on. But to residents of Los Angeles, traffic is the only constant menace. Los Angelenos’ average one-way commute time of twenty-nine minutes is a result of many people working at home (their zero-commute time balances out the long commutes). On the roads there are many fancy cars both because people can afford them and because people spend so much time stuck in traffic.
To a New Yorker (I lived in Manhattan for thirteen years and in the New York metro area for twenty-five), Los Angeles really is a strange city. Whereas most cities have a downtown featuring a vibrant employment and cultural center, Los Angeles’s downtown is not such a magnet. Yes, the Lakers play there, the University of Southern California is there, and Frank Gehry has built a funky Walt Disney Concert Hall there, but these three provide insufficient gravitational force to encourage the rest of Los Angeles to go downtown. My UCLA students tell me that they never go downtown and have no desire to.
I am a recent LA home buyer. I made the brilliant financial move of purchasing in May 2008. When we bought our house, we made an implicit bet that Los Angeles would remain a great place to live and work. I have my fingers crossed. Home prices in Los Angeles are more than double those in other major cities. In 2008 the average single-family home in Los Angeles County sold for $578,000, and 10 percent of the homes in the county sold for more than $1,000,000. There are more than 32,000 zip codes in the United States. Of the top 200 zip codes ranked by average housing price in the entire United States, 45 percent are in California, although only 20 percent of the nation’s population lives in California. Twenty of the top 200 most expensive U.S. zip codes are in Los Angeles County, including Beverly Hills 90210.
These high prices are not due to the inherent productivity of working in Los Angeles. In fact, my time spent outside in the sun while in Los Angeles has probably made me a worse economist. Economists at the University of Chicago claim that Chicago’s bad weather raises their productivity by eliminating the option of playing tennis. Los Angeles’s great quality of life is what drives up local home prices. The average buyer of a single-family house in Los Angeles County in 2008 paid $324 per square foot of interior space. If LA’s quality of life declines, my life savings will unravel.
Climate change can’t alter the blue skies or access to the beach and mountains, but it will pose four tangible threats: The summers will grow hotter, the air will be smoggier, there will be more fires, and there will be much less water. In other words, as we saw in chapter 3, climate change is going to shift the competitive landscape of cities, and LA is going to take a hit. And the poorest parts of LA are going to be hurt worst of all. But there’s a lot we can learn from an examination of LA’s probable future—especially the basic lesson that prices matter. Other cities take note. Our tour of LA will show us the key role that market prices of both electricity and water will play in determining this city’s fate. In addition, this case study will highlight how government policy (such as binding land use zoning and caps on water prices) can unintentionally hinder adaptation.
Will LA Lose Its Cool?
California’s cool summers and warm winters distinguish its cities from the rest of the nation. Southern cities are hot and humid in summer. Midwestern and Eastern cities are cold in the winter and humid in the summer. Nobody wants to be in Houston or Washington, D.C., in the middle of summer. In contrast, in Los Angeles today the average temperature in July is 74 degrees F, with little humidity.
Climate change will likely degrade LA’s ideal climate. Leading climate researchers have developed two different models that allow them to predict each U.S. county’s average temperature and rainfall by month for the years 2070 to 2099. Two computer models, with the catchy names CCSM Model and H3A1FI Model, bear bad news. Los Angeles County is predicted to be 13 degrees F warmer on average in July by 2070. The problem for current LA real estate owners (such as myself) is that a fair bit of the value of their assets (my home) rests on the fact that relatively few areas in the United States feature warm winters and cool summers. In the future LA’s climate will look like Jacksonville, Florida’s, climate today. This is bad news for my housing wealth.
You might try to soothe my spirits by reminding me that all cities will face hotter summers. Unfortunately for you, dear reader, I know the lost art of statistics. I have crunched the data to study the relationship between county home prices and county climate conditions. What jumps out from this analysis is that areas with cool summers and warm winters command a huge real estate price premium. There are relatively few such areas (mostly in California), and they are in high demand. Climate change is predicted to strip away much of California’s climate uniqueness, and therefore will strip away the housing price boost that comes with that climate. Mean July temperatures close to 90 degrees F by the late twenty-first century will force down relative real estate prices to reflect underlying changes in climate amenities.
Climate change will cause the most “amenity havoc” for cities in California. San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles are all expected to be big climate amenity losers. The one piece of good news is that California’s major cities are not expected to become much more humid. Climate experts do not believe that there are any plausible scenarios in which California becomes much more humid in summertime in general. After all, climate change is not going to change the fundamentally dry subtropical climate of this region in summer.
In contrast, cities in Florida will actually experience an improvement in their climate bundle as winter temperatures increase (an amenity) and summer average temperatures rise relatively little. Only three major U.S. metropolitan areas are expected to experience an improvement in their climate bundle due to climate change. These are Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. In the case of Las Vegas, its climate bundle will improve because of predicted increases in rainfall. A critic of these climate prediction models would be appalled that they predict an average temperature over an enormous land area such as Los Angeles County, which is more than 4,000 square miles. By definition, such an “average” prediction must mask huge variations. In areas of West Los Angeles such as Santa Monica and Malibu, the cool breeze off the Pacific Ocean will cool the expensive homes of the elite. But inland, in East Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, temperatures already soar into the 100s in summer and are likely to be much hotter in the face of climate change. This suggests that small pockets of West Los Angeles, such as expensive Santa Monica, Brentwood, and Westwood, could actually grow more valuable as the rest of Los Angeles becomes less inhabitable. Millions of people who live in expensive San Fernando Valley homes will suffer from home price declines as their climate amenity premium vanishes.
The poor and immigrants will bear the brunt of exposure to heat waves and midsummer extreme temperatures. As a point of comparison, consider the Chicago heat wave of 1995, which disproportionately killed members of elderly poor black households in the center city. They did not own air conditioners, and their fear of crime led them to not open their windows. The public health consequences of such heat waves depend on whether “victims” know that a heat wave is coming and have access to coping strategies. Not everyone can jump on a plane and head to Idaho for a week during the peak heat.
We count on public service announcements to alert people of an impending event, such as a smog alert (when ambient air pollution is expected to be above a critical threshold level that threatens public health) or a heat wave, or in Asia that a tsunami is brewing. But how do we inform groups that face language and cultural barriers? In inland Los Angeles, the population is mostly Hispanic. Many of the members of these households do not speak fluent English, and some are in the United States illegally. Such individuals are unlikely to be interested in or willing to follow information provided by government sources. These are exactly the people who are most at risk from the shock. Fortunately, community-based NGOs have stepped up to fill this void. In Eastern Los Angeles, one example is the Esperanza’s Community Health Programs, which has been involved in the community by providing access to health information. Such unheralded “little guys” help a diverse city prepare for heat wave challenges.
The Return of Smog?
Given its topography and climate patterns and the scale of economic activity in the metropolitan area, the Los Angeles Basin suffers from some of the highest levels of air pollution in the United States. During the 1970s, before the introduction of stringent new vehicle emissions regulation that began in California in 1972, LA was the smog capital. Millions of people were driving high-emitting vehicles. Polluting oil-refining activity in the Long Beach area contributed to the local smog problem. Old, dirty diesel trucks carrying goods from the Port of Long Beach to consumers around the United States helped to scale up deadly particulate matter concentrations.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, smog levels were awful in Los Angeles. Starting in the mid-1990s, ambient ozone declined sharply in Los Angeles County. Across eight monitoring stations that monitored ambient ozone in 1980 and in 2000, the average annual pollution daily excedence (when air pollution exceeds the Clean Air Act standard) count for these eight monitors declined from 103 days per year to 13 days per year.
These pollution gains are especially notable because between 1980 and 2000, the Los Angeles Basin’s population grew by 42 percent and total automobile mileage grew by 88 percent. Vehicle emissions control regulation deserves a lot of credit. New cars today are 95 percent cleaner than new cars built in the early 1970s. These emissions control improvements persist over time even as the vehicle ages. Put simply, emissions per mile of driving have decreased faster over time in Los Angeles than miles driven have increased.
Climate change could reverse some of this progress. The details of atmospheric chemistry concerning how volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen mix to form ozone are complicated, but it can be said that heat waves are likely to cook up more summertime smog. Smog problems will grow the most away from the ocean, in East Los Angeles. Relative to West Los Angeles, East LA’s communities are poorer and have more Hispanic residents. Due to this differential pollution exposure across demographic groups, climate change will bring environmental justice concerns to the forefront.
It is no surprise that wealthy, white households live in cool, clean West Los Angeles, while poorer Hispanics are more likely to live in the hot, smoggy eastern section of the city. For homes that sold in 2008, the average price of a home declined by 1.4 percent with each kilometer of distance from the beach. This housing price gradient guarantees that wealthy people will cluster closer to the high-amenity area. If climate change increases smog exposure for poor minorities, this would reverse twenty years of progress in achieving environmental justice goals due to effective Clean Air Act regulation. In earlier work, I documented that between 1980 and 2000, the average Hispanic household in Los Angeles was exposed to thirty fewer smoggy days a year because of disproportionate improvements in air quality in communities where Hispanics tend to live. Climate change may reverse this progress.
In Malibu, Barbra Streisand had access to clean air even in the early 1970s when the rest of the metropolitan area was terribly polluted. The Clean Air Act’s success at reducing smog over the last thirty years has had little effect on Malibu and other coastal communities. Instead, it helped to bring about convergence between inland areas and the cool, clean coast. Clean Air Act regulation has narrowed this air pollution exposure gap between the haves and the have-nots. This is another of the main lessons that LA can teach us: climate change is likely to affect the poor far worse than it does the rich. If Malibu did become unlivable for a few weeks a year, perhaps due to high heat or smoke from nearby fires, then Streisand and friends could retreat to a bucolic Montana cabin.
The Death of Green Grass?
When I lived in New York City, I had never heard of koi ponds. Having lived in Westwood for three years, I am now an expert on them. They abound in Los Angeles. Although it rains only 11 inches per year in Los Angeles, millions of its residents expect to be able to shower, flush their toilets, water their beautiful lawn’s grass, play golf on green fairways, and swim in Olympic-sized private pools. As incomes in this mega-city have grown, people have come up with new ways to consume water, including garden waterfalls that help block street noise.
Despite the fact that it rarely rains in Los Angeles, households in this desert area have no incentive to view water as a scarce commodity. They are charged less than one cent per gallon of water. Public water authorities refuse to engage in “price gouging,” which makes voters happy in the short run—we get to enjoy our swimming pools and ample green grass. But it means that a day of reckoning lurks in the notso- distant future. Low prices remove any incentive to get “lean and mean” and reduce one’s water use. This low pricing creates a culture of waste. When my family goes for a walk in our neighborhood near UCLA, we are amazed at the gallons of water being used for watering the lawns and, due to broken pipes and other mishaps, just flooding the roads. Los Angeles has created a “hot line” for reporting such water wastage. Like an Eastern European living under communism, I have reported my neighbors to this “Secret Water Police." Why? Although I dislike my neighbors, I especially dislike their wasting a scarce resource for no good reason. But nobody from City Hall has ever gotten in touch with me, and nobody has given me a medal.
One of the first lessons taught in an introductory economics course is that prices signal scarcity. Climate scientists are emphasizing that climate change will make water a much scarcer resource in the American West. In California, there is great concern about climate change causing the melting of the Sierra Mountains snowpack. This will reduce the state’s water supply. When a precious commodity becomes scarcer, the price should go up. When prices are allowed to fluctuate and reflect free-market supply and demand conditions, a low price means that a given commodity is plentiful. The irony is that California is already in drought, but prices are still very low. The reasons for cheap water pricing remain a mystery to me. (But I must confess that I also support Europeanstyle gas taxes; raise them to $2 per gallon, I say.)
A nonprofit called the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California sells the water to LA households. The agency is not interested in maximizing its profits, nor does it seem very concerned right now about preparing for climate change. Needless to say, the agency disagrees with my pricing strategies.
Let’s contrast the market for water with the market for high-quality coffee. Imagine if the mayor of Los Angeles seized control of all Starbucks located in his kingdom and ordered them to sell their products at a nickel per cup of coffee. Consumers would be happy for about a day as they received deep discounts on their triple lattes. But when the Starbucks shut down because the branches were losing money, the consumers would wish that the mayor would privatize this sector again and let prices rise. Because the Metropolitan Water District does not prioritize earning “profit” (revenue minus costs), the artificially low water prices can persist for a long time. These low prices lull California water consumers into a false sense that the water will continue to flow.
That attitude affects all (or nearly all; I’m exempt, but I’m an economist) Los Angelenos. Consider the case of Tony Villaragosa. Mr. Villaragosa is a successful UCLA graduate and is the mayor of Los Angeles. He is actively pursuing policies to make Los Angeles a “green city.” Yet this mayor used 386,716 gallons of water at his Mount Washington home in the year before he moved into the mayor’s mansion in October 2005. His water consumption was roughly double that of other households with similar-sized lots who live in his area. I would not call the mayor a hypocrite; I would say that he has responded to low water prices by not conserving. He is not alone. Of the 45,000 single-family homes in Los Angeles County that sold in 2008, 16 percent had swimming pools. In the subset of these homes that sold for more than $1 million, 35 percent had pools, and 46 percent of homes that sold for more than $5 million had pools. Presumably the founding fathers did not view private swimming pools as an inalienable right.
How Do We Allocate Scarce Water?
Growing Southern California faces a fundamental water challenge. If we are serious about getting ready to adapt to climate change, then we must allow the prices of water and electricity to reflect their true scarcity. By reducing the supply of available water, climate change will create an imperative, forcing reluctant governments to recognize that water prices must reflect the basic fundamentals of supply and demand. If demand is rising (due to income and population growth) and supply is declining (due to climate change), then the water authorities face a choice between allowing prices to rise or setting up a complex rationing scheme. Rationing makes economists nuts because it is the equivalent of handing a vegetarian a meat pizza to eat and telling the vegetarian that he or she cannot trade it to a meat lover. The authorities are struggling to cope with these expected imbalances in supply and demand caused by ongoing economic growth and climate change.
The irony here is that you can pick up the Los Angeles Times once a week and see an article bemoaning California’s “water shortage.” In response to this “crisis,” cities within the Los Angeles metro area such as the city of Long Beach have adopted serious water rationing policies, including limiting lawn watering to Monday, Thursday, and Saturday and placing time limits on the hours and timing when watering can take place. Any watering must be done between 6 P.M. and 7 A.M. and cannot last longer than ten minutes. People cannot wash down driveways, sidewalks, parking areas, patios, or other outdoor areas with water from a hose. Restaurants can only serve water upon request. Overwatering lawns to the point that there is runoff is illegal.
Starting June 1, 2009, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has proudly announced that it is using prices to address the water shortage. To protect lower-income consumers, the first tier’s prices remain unchanged, but the second pricing tier will increase by a whopping 44 percent. The message is clear: the DWP is doing something. But it’s not as impressive as it sounds.
In the case of water pricing in Los Angeles, something strange is hidden within the rate structure. People who live on larger properties pay less per gallon of water. Permit me to give you an example that strikes close to home. I live in the 90024 zip code. My home is within a half mile of Candy Spelling’s $150-million mansion. She is the widow of Aaron Spelling (the father of Charlie’s Angels and of Tori Spelling) and is seeking to sell her home.
Let’s compare our respective water pricing schedules. According to the DWP pricing schedules, to remain on the first tier (the low pricing of water), you must know the square footage of your lot size and how many people live in your house. During the dry months of June to Halloween, homes whose lots are 7,500 square feet or smaller face a first-tier limit during the winter and spring of 28 x 748 gallons (every two months), whereas those who live on properties with a lot size of 43,560 square feet and larger (like Candy Spelling) stay on the first tier until they consume 76 x 748 gallons.
A gallon of water is a gallon of water, and we should each pay the same price for using it. The state knows that it is in the middle of long-term drought. Leading researchers see a similarity between water conditions today and events during the twelfth century, when a particularly severe drought in Southern California was coupled with persistent low flows in the Sacramento and Colorado rivers, a situation that lasted about sixty years. Los Angeles has set up a system whereby rich people who own more grass actually pay a lower price per gallon of water consumed. In my “real world,” when Candy Spelling and I each show up at the Westwood Starbucks, we each get charged the same price for an espresso. Facing this price, we make a “take it or leave it” decision. Unlike this “fair” pricing, she pays a lower average price per gallon of water than I do, because she has a bigger house! She is getting a better deal than me because she owns more grass! Implicitly, I am paying for a lot of watering of her grass. I present this case study not merely to earn your sympathy. My goal is to call out government for the unintended consequences of its policies. Climate change adaptation will be more difficult in Los Angeles because of its current policies.
Many environmentalists assume that big business is the cause of our environmental problems and that wise regulating government is the only honorable agent that can force these bad guys to act in the public’s interest. But in this case it is government policies that are causing the adaptation challenge.
Economists love to talk about the consequences of bad incentives, but this borders on funny. There is serious drought in the West. Higher prices for water could encourage demand-side conservation. The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power is not doing its part to “solve” the problem. If the LADWP treated everyone equally and charged everyone the same price per gallon of water, or at least exposed everyone to the same tiered pricing schedule, this agency would either collect a lot more revenue from water sales to the rich with large lots, or owners of private “golf courses” (those with big swimming pools and lots of grass) would cut back on their water consumption.
Although they are wimping out on explicitly raising water prices to reflect “true scarcity,” the California water providers are trying alternative incentive approaches for reducing water consumption. California households are offered a variety of rebates for “green” appliances, including:
* high-efficiency clothes washers;
* high-efficiency toilets;
* weather-based irrigation controllers, or “smart” controllers;
* rotating sprinkler nozzles; and
* synthetic turf (limit one-half acre).
These rebates encourage replacement of old, inefficient durables with these water-conserving devices, but this well-meaning “green” subsidy may actually increase water consumption when people continue to face a low price per gallon of water. People may now do more wash (and hence use more water) because the price per wash has declined. To illustrate this point, consider a car that needs one gallon of gas to drive 1 mile. If the price of gasoline is $3 a gallon, then owners of this gas guzzler will pay $3 to travel 1 mile. If the household is given a vehicle that can travel 30 miles per gallon, the price per mile falls to 10 cents per mile. If this household responds to this large drop in the price per mile by driving much more, then its total gasoline consumption could increase because it purchased a more fuel-efficient vehicle! Although I doubt that this “boomerang” effect is large, this example highlights the consequences of pursuing indirect means of reducing household resource consumption rather than simply using prices.
The water utilities are trying to incentivize people to economize on water and electricity consumption, but they are tying one hand behind their backs by taking the best policy option (higher prices) off the table. My mother-in-law got a chuckle recently when she received a check from her California water provider. This money was a reward for “saving water.” According to her water bill, she had sharply reduced her water consumption relative to her baseline consumption. The water provider concluded this by comparing her recent water consumption with her previous water consumption (perhaps the previous year) over the same time period. What the water authority did not know was that she was in Italy for the entire billing cycle. She had not changed her day to day behavior; because she was out of the country, she was not using PGE water to flush the toilets, water the yard, or take a bath. But the water authority is not Big Brother. It does not know why her water consumption decreased (as determined by her Berkeley water meter falling to zero). Without knowing the true cause of her “conservation,” PGE sent her a check that she would say she doesn’t deserve.
Engineering Solutions to Water Shortage?
Rising water prices would trigger innovation that could take some odd turns. There are new water technologies that can effectively increase the supply of water. Today, water desalinization is quite expensive. Somehow water recycling has been tarred with the name “toilet to the tap”—which is actually an accurate description of the idea.14 Certainly anyone who doesn’t trust engineering techniques would wonder whether the water is contaminated with fecal matter, but those who do trust the technology would be happy to guzzle it. Despite the science behind water recycling, in the late 1990s the Los Angeles mayor scuttled a plan that would have used this technology and mitigated water “shortages” in the city, because he was worried about voter backlash from the grossout factor.
Today engineers continue to try to push support for projects such as the reuse of “gray water.” Light gray water is wastewater from the shower, bath, bathroom sink, and clothes washer. Heavy gray water is wastewater from the kitchen sink and dishwasher. Commercial technologies already exist for processing both light and heavy gray water on-site for nonpotable usage. Although the water produced is not clean enough to drink, such technologies effectively increase our supply of water for other basic uses. This is quite valuable in a world where water will become scarcer.
Engineering solutions to the challenges that Mother Nature poses are not always embraced. Consider putting fluoride in the water supply. This has helped to sharply reduce cavities and other tooth decay problems. Recently economic research has documented that people with more teeth earn higher wages. Differential access to fluoridated water during childhood offers a “natural experiment” for testing how this public health intervention affects long-term quality of life. One research team used adult wages as their key outcome measure and found that women who resided in communities with fluoridated water during childhood earn about 4 percent more than women who did not live in communities with fluoridated water.
Although this may not seem surprising to you, such research is necessary to help make the case that public health strategies such as putting fluoride in water improve our health and well-being. But controversy has arisen over this strategy. Some potentially valid concerns have arisen, such as that fluoride intake is not easily controlled and that children could be overdosed. Other objections make less sense. In the 1950s, it was argued that water fluoridation was part of a communist plot.
Climate change will force Californians to have a serious policy discussion about water priorities. As water supplies decline, and if people reject engineering solutions such as the “toilet to the tap,” what is to be done?
Will California’s Farmers Bail Out the City Slickers?
California farmers offer one possible source of supply. It is well known that 80 percent of the state’s water goes to agriculture and that 40 percent of the state’s water goes to growing four crops: cotton, rice, alfalfa, and pasturage (irrigated grazing land). These four crops account for only 1 percent of the state’s annual income. Urbanites generate California’s wealth, but historical property rights allocations have granted the increasingly scarce water to farming interests.
An economics 101 student would say, “Let me get this right. Farmers have the property rights to this water and are growing low-profit crops such as alfalfa and strawberries while thirsty urbanites are willing to pay more than ten times as much for this same water that the farmers are using? Let the farmers sell their water to the urbanites and then California’s cities will suffer less from climate change.”
Unfortunately, many remember the “Theft of Owens Valley.” Although these events took place in the 1920s, farmers have long memories. If water sellers today believe that past farmers did not receive a good deal from the first great water transfers, this will discourage trade today in water transfers.
The Owens Valley case continues to generate wide academic and popular attention. Consider the movie Chinatown. This Oscar-winning film helped Jack Nicholson pay for his Lakers front-row court seat and to perpetuate the myth that corrupt LA stole its life-sustaining water supply from unsuspecting Owens Valley farmers. Although leading economic historians have reevaluated and rejected this version of what happened, the “fact” remains that in the past city slickers outfoxed the rural farmers in a lopsided trade that led to the urbanites’ being enriched at the rural area’s expense. To quote The Who, “We won’t be fooled again.”
Today’s farmers are worried that history will repeat itself as they are suckered by the “big city” sophisticates into a deal that takes their water at too low a price. Climate change will make California’s urbanites more desperate to find sources of water, and the farmers will have property rights to California’s scarce water. A farmer who seeks to maximize profits would diversify his or her portfolio of assets and substitute growing less water-intensive crops and selling surplus water to the thirsty urbanites at a high price. Such privately beneficial actions by the farmer will help Southern California’s cities adapt to climate change.
Come on Baby, Light My Fire
When the Santa Ana winds pick up, you know it. These are surprisingly hot winds, with gusts of 40 miles per hour or higher. The streets of Los Angeles smell like a Boy Scout fire. The odor one smells is not S’mores cooking but rather Malibu homes ablaze. These fancy homes are located in fire zones. The rest of the country fixates on great television videos of multi-million-dollar Malibu celebrity homes burning down. Local media reports have reported that actors Matthew McConaughey and Minnie Driver were among those forced to evacuate in a recent fire, and Red Hot Chili Peppers bass guitarist Flea’s home was destroyed by the flames. A text message from the rock star said his US$10.5-million mansion had “burnt to a crisp.”
Today, climate modelers are uncertain whether climate change will increase fire risk. On the one hand, Los Angeles is predicted to receive 50 percent less rain than it does now, and the combination of less rain and more summer heat means a drier landscape that is more prone to fires. On the other hand, the frequency of Santa Ana winds is predicted to decline as the eastern deserts warm. Within Los Angeles, there is significant variation in the exposure to fire risk. People in the center city of Los Angeles or even Westwood face little risk from these fires, but in other areas such as Malibu, there could be significant fire risk posed by climate change.
There are several possible coping strategies to protect the city against future fire risk caused by climate change. The simplest would be to reduce new housing construction in fire zone regions by requiring homeowners there to pay significantly more for fire insurance. Alternatively, these households could be offered lower insurance premiums if they build their homes with fire-resistant materials and landscape their property so that their homes are less prone to fire risk. Although I hope that local political leaders would support such “safety first” policies, I am pessimistic that these policies could be adopted. Landowners would complain that these proposals represent a property “taking,” stripping them of their development rights and exposing them to the whims of price gouging insurance companies. They would argue that their 3,000-square-foot houses should have the same home insurance premiums as similar homes built elsewhere in Los Angeles. They would say that they are being discriminated against.
On some level, they are right. Different parcels of land face different risks from climate change’s new blows. Those who own land in areas that we now know are risky (due to climate change) are losers. I am not convinced that society owes them compensation for losing a bet. Similar to the developers of the St. Louis hotels located in a flood plain, these fire zone landowners want to flip a one-sided coin. They want access to cheap insurance that bails them out if a nasty fire occurs, but they also want the right to live there as if the area is not at elevated risk because of climate change. If we are serious about tackling climate change, we need to design credible incentives to push more economic activity (and multimillion- dollar homes) away from geographical areas that are increasingly at risk because of climate change.
Consider fire protection in California communities at the wildland/urban interface. The biggest danger is where suburban communities abut forest lands, in counties such as Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara. In areas such as the Sierra Nevada foothills and the interior areas in Southern California, the scenery is beautiful but at greater risk from fire as climate change raises temperatures and reduces rainfall. When forest fires occur, a large amount of damage to life and property can quickly take place. California budgets $519 million for fighting wildfires, with an emergency $182-million fund. The state fights the fires with prison inmates; 4,400 are trained each year to do the grunt work. Given California’s current large fiscal deficit, the governor has been planning to release prisoners earlier. An unintended consequence of this money-saving plan is a smaller firefighting force.
To my surprise, my California tax dollars are being used to pay for firefighting in this high-risk area. I naively assumed that people who live in these fire zones pay for their own extra fire protection services through local property taxes. But this is not the case. Climate change will increase both the size of these zones and the severity of risk that local residents face in them. Current state policy spreads the cost of this fire protection across all residents in the state. But consider a small change in state fire policy. If local governments in fire zones had to pay for the bulk of their own fire protection, they would change their zoning codes to allow less new development in these areas. This would immediately reduce the cost of climate change–induced forest fires.
Los Angeles Has a Subway?
Public transit is not used in Los Angeles. In the year 2000, only 6 percent of LA residents commuted using public transit. The Santa Monica Big Blue bus charges adults 75 cents and students 25 cents a ride, yet this isn’t enough of an incentive to lure mass ridership.
Although the car is cool, a more fundamental reason why people in Los Angeles do not walk, take the bus, or use the subway is that the city is so spread out. Urban researchers have documented that this city has at least sixteen different major employment centers, each with more than 100,000 jobs centered in it. Unlike nineteenth- and early twentieth-century cities, which had a single downtown employment center, the modern city has multiple employment centers. When people work in the suburbs, they are highly likely to commute by private vehicle.
The paradox is that the average Los Angeles resident lives in a neighborhood with 13,100 people per square mile, but few live a “new urbanist” lifestyle of walking and biking to places of work, shopping, and cultural activities. In recent years, the city and federal governments have invested billions of dollars in a subway and light rail system geared to getting people downtown. The Red Line is LA’s subway. It was opened in early 1993, with extensions through Hollywood opened later in the 1990s. The total cost of building this system has been roughly $6 billion, or $300 million per mile. Today, 150,000 people per day ride this subway. In contrast, 5 million per day ride the New York City subway.
Today, Los Angeles is considering building a “Subway to the Sea.” This east/west subway could take people from Hollywood, west through Beverly Hills, Westwood, Brentwood, and then finally to Santa Monica and the beach. My UCLA students tell me that they will take this subway (which will cost roughly $1 billion per mile) the 5 miles to the beach once it opens. If this subway does cost $5 billion to build, and if it attracts 200,000 riders per year, then after twenty-five years it will have attracted 5 million riders. The average fixed cost of providing this service would be $5 billion divided by 5 million, or $1,000 per rider. Critics would argue that a taxi, even a Beverly Hills taxi, would charge much less than $1,000 per ride.
Of course I am partially kidding. There are environmental and congestion benefits from building such a subway, and the subway would live on for years. But transit advocates must admit that in the absence of huge federal subsidies of up to 80 percent, there would be a serious public policy debate over whether subways are a good investment of scarce tax dollars. The case for building such a costly subway would be stronger if the federal government taxed gasoline to reflect its contribution to climate change. One leading economics study concluded that the tax on gasoline should be $1 a gallon higher than it is today. If the average household consumes 700 gallons of gasoline a year, this extra $700-a-year tax on gasoline expenditure would push some of them to switch from using their cars to taking public transit.
Could Public Transit Become Hip in Los Angeles?
Ridership of a new subway would increase if LA’s density increased to match a Manhattan-style density (via higher apartment buildings) on the west side of Los Angeles. Climate change will increase the demand to live closer to the temperate, low-smog coast. If in the near future the United States passes a carbon tax or cap and trade program for electricity consumption and fuel consumption, this will create incentives to live in high-density skyscrapers in West LA locations. In a nutshell, there will be incentives and infrastructure developed to make Los Angeles look more like Manhattan. Given that buildings can live for one hundred years, these changes to the city’s urban form will only gradually be noticeable. Manhattan is the densest county in the United States, with an average of 70,595 residents per square mile. If parts of Los Angeles could achieve a similar density, this would create a market demand for fast subways that would be used and pay for themselves. In comparing the carbon footprint of the nation’s major cities, New York City has a small footprint. This is due to its residents’ use of public transit and living in relatively small homes. Given its temperate climate, West Los Angeles could have an even smaller footprint if people there lived at Manhattan’s density.
Who might demand such new urbanist living? Crime in LA has been on the decline. In the past, suburbanization has been fueled by “flight from center city blight.” But this process could reverse. Amenity-seeking young people and empty nesters enjoy the high quality of life in the center city. Households with young children would be less likely to demand such dense apartment living.
If Los Angeles starts to resemble Manhattan’s urban form, it could help to reduce this city’s notorious traffic congestion. A dense coastal core of high-rise buildings would provide a political constituency who might vote in favor of congestion pricing on LA’s major highways.
Despite its well-known traffic congestion, Los Angeles has been slow to experiment with innovative solutions for this problem. In 2003 London implemented the Central London Congestion Charge. Commuters pay a fee of roughly $15 when they enter the center city during peak times. The road charge could vary over the course of the day. At 3:00 A.M., when the roads are empty, the road charge could be zero. Such incentives would help to spread out driving over the course of the day, reducing demand at the peak and increasing demand off-peak. This would increase traffic speeds during rush hour. The revenue collected from such a program could be used to improve public transit. This is the approach that London has adopted. By improving basic bus service (in its frequency and the quality of a ride), London has managed to lure middle-class people to commute using this mode. As public transit is no longer viewed as a poor person’s travel technology, any stigma effects vanish, and this further reinforces willingness to commute using public transit.
Outside of dense Northeastern cities such as New York City, Washington, D.C., and Boston, and environmentalist cities such as San Francisco, it is not a stretch to claim that the poor and lower middle class disproportionately commute using public transit. But this is not a constant. Improvement in the quality of public transit and densification would both reverse this long-term trend.
Hurdles: Local Growth Controls
To protect LA residents from climate change, we want to encourage more dense development near the water in coastal communities such as Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades. These communities are cooler and face less smog than East Los Angeles. The densification of West LA would offer global carbon mitigation benefits.
But wealthy, coastal communities are likely to block new apartment towers. Local cities control land use and permitting for new construction. At least up to this point, these communities have not encouraged such high-density land use. There is a certain irony here. The residents of these communities are pro-green Prius drivers, eagerly installing solar panels on their houses’ large roofs. On a day-to-day basis, they are living green and are proud of it. But Barbra Streisand and friends might not welcome thirty-story skyscrapers nearby. By giving their individual communities an implicit veto right on local development, Los Angeles as a metropolitan area loses access to a readily available adaptation strategy.
Consider Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, two beautiful cities located in West Los Angeles. Each has a population of roughly 90,000. Between 1990 and 2008, Beverly Hills averaged permitting 61 new total units per year, while Santa Monica issued new permits for 303 units per year. In this highly desirable community with roughly 30,000 housing units, this is a very small growth rate.
Some claim that the west side of Los Angeles has no land for development, but when I walk from Beverly Hills down Wilshire Avenue to UCLA, I see plenty of land parcels that could be converted from their current purposes into high density housing. In pristine Santa Monica, I see one-story auto repair shops that could be torn down and built up into six-story buildings. If such a building had twelve new units that each sold for $1 million, then the total revenue from this conversion would be $12 million. Could the auto repair shop’s present discounted value of its future profits really be close to $12 million? I don’t think so. This suggests that binding zoning regulation is inhibiting the conversion of scarce land to its highest value use. This grosses out the economist, and it should also upset environmentalists who are eager to see Los Angeles be nimble enough to adapt to changing climate conditions.
Sacrifice Golf to Save the People
West Los Angeles has other parcels of land that might be more desirable than converted commercial properties. Consider the private golf courses. These large green open spaces are reserved for wealthy golfers. I still like Tiger Woods, and I wish I was in as good physical condition as John Daly, but let’s think about what developers could build on the combined prime land at just two golf courses on the west side. Together the Riviera Country Club and the Los Angeles Country Club take up 377 acres (0.6 square mile) of prime West LA real estate. If the land were built up at Manhattan’s density of 70,595 people per square mile, it would yield housing for 0.6 x 70,595 = 42,357 people. If on average there are three people to an apartment unit, then 14,119 new housing units could be built there. If each sells for $1 million, the total new real estate would be worth roughly $14 billion. The increase in supply would cause the price of nearby housing to fall, but this negative supply effect is unlikely to be large. There are a number of people around the world eager to live the West LA lifestyle. Yes, there are tradeoffs. I am sacrificing golf for shrinking our per capita footprint and adapting to climate change. But such densification would create a virtuous cycle, as it would increase the demand and usage of a Wilshire subway. This “Manhattanization” of the west side would offer a variety of medium- and long-term environmental benefits. If West Los Angeles does become more amenable to high density development, there are also fundamental engineering challenges that will have to be addressed. As everyone knows, Los Angeles is prone to earthquakes. Building tall buildings in earthquake zones poses a set of engineering challenges that would have to be tackled.
Readers who love golf may now view me as the great Satan. I apologize for infringing on your constitutional right to play golf in paradise. My real goal here is to encourage a reconsideration of current land use regulations in Los Angeles. With such relatively small changes to status quo policies, this city can make a big push toward achieving a sustainable future in a hotter world.
Prices Matter
A major theme in this chapter has been the importance of getting prices right in our hotter future. I am not talking about Starbucks but rather about basic necessities such as electricity and water. Climate change will simultaneously increase the demand for them while restricting their supply. A consistent irony is that government policy is hindering urban adaptation to climate change. Up to this point, local and federal government policies have not helped our cities prepare for climate change. In both water pricing and electricity pricing, by placing a ceiling on prices and introducing strange implicit subsidies (such as the one directed toward Candy Spelling’s property), Los Angeles and other major cities are choosing not to expose urbanites to real scarcity signals. Los Angeles is risking its green future by its continued mispricing of scarce resources.
My city is not alone in this regard. Similar policies are in place in many U.S. cities. Capped prices matter because many of us need an explicit nudge to change our ways. Behavioral economists emphasize that like Homer Simpson, we are lazy procrastinators. But if we are serious about making a proactive push to adapt to climate change, we must face the truth about rising scarcity in our hotter world.
From Climatopolis: How Our Cities Will Thrive in the Hotter Future by Matthew Kahn. © 2010 Matthew Kahn. Reproduced by permission of Basic Books, New York, New York.
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Debian Weekly News - November 15th, 2005
Debian Weekly News
Debian Weekly News - November 15th, 2005
the Debian community. Members of the Debian-Edu sub-project have
[1]proposed codenames for the upcoming Skolelinux release such as
Terra, Tellus and Oslo. Adrian von Bidder was [2]looking for very old
Debian installation images. Many can still be found on
1. http://lists.debian.org/debian-edu/2005/10/msg00207.html
2. http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2005/10/msg00709.html
3. http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/historic-linux/distributions/debian/
Status of Big Endian ARM Port. Lennert Buytenhek [4]reported that the
big endian [5]ARM port has seen steady progress in the recent weeks.
The sarge distribution is nearly rebuilt and two build daemons are
working on the unstable distribution, both of which are available from
a separate [6]server.
4. http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2005/11/msg00006.html
5. http://www.debian.org/ports/arm/
6. http://armeb.debian.net/debian-armeb/
Travel Sponsorship for Debian Conference. Andreas Schuldei [7]offered
active Debian people limited travel sponsorship if they can't afford
the entire trip. In order to be able to plan the budget he asked those
to [8]register in time. A committee will later decide about the
sponsoring options.
7. http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2005/11/msg00004.html
8. https://www.debconf.org/comas/attendees/new
Oldenburg DevJam Meeting Report. Arnaud Vandyck [9]reported that
several Java people from different distributions have met at the
[10]DevJam for the first time. Developers from different distributions
and upstream packages have [11]discussed the state and development of
the free Java toolchain.
9. http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2005/11/msg00005.html
10. http://meeting.ffis.de/Oldenburg2005/java.html
11. http://lwn.net/Articles/152664/
Automatic Clam AntiVirus Database Updates. Marc Haber [12]announced
that a script checks every 30 minutes if new virus patterns have been
released and rebuilds the virus database for [13]Clam AntiVirus on the
[14]volatile host if necessary. If all tests are passed automatically
packages will be moved into the volatile archive. Older packages are
automatically removed.
12. http://lists.debian.org/debian-volatile-announce/debian-volatile-announce-2005/msg00003.html
13. http://packages.debian.org/clamav
14. http://volatile.debian.net/
Debian-Installer Etch Beta 1. Joey Hess [15]announced the first etch
beta release of the [16]debian-installer and explained why the release
took so long. The most time-consuming problem was chasing recently
introduced bugs in various packages the installer depends on. Daily
building installer images only rarely result in working images, which
needs to be improved.
15. http://lists.debian.org/debian-boot/2005/11/msg00605.html
Mozilla Public License 1.1. Fathi Boudra [17]sought cover for the
SugarCRM [18]license which is based on the [19]Mozilla Public License
1.1 (MPL). Matthew Garrett [20]reported that various people believe
that the MPL alone is non-free, however, Mozilla is being
[21]relicensed under the [22]GNU GPL and, hence, stays in the main
17. http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/11/msg00112.html
18. http://www.sugarforge.org/content/open-source/public-license.php
19. http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/MPL-1.1.html
20. http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/11/msg00113.html
21. http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/11/msg00121.html
22. http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
FOSDEM: Call for Talks. Wouter Verhelst [23]called for talks for the
Debian room at the upcoming [24]FOSDEM conference that will take place
on February 25th and 26th, 2006 in Brussels, Belgium. The talks should
cover a technical issue and aimed towards people familiar with the
Debian project.
23. http://lists.debian.org/debian-events-eu/2005/11/msg00022.html
24. http://www.fosdem.org/
License for Debian Conference Material. Francesco Poli [25]stated that
[26]DebConf speakers should be required to publish their paper under a
license compatible with the [27]DFSG. Anthony Towns [28]pointed out
that Debian already distributes lots of content that isn't DFSG-free,
such as mailing lists and bug reports.
25. http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/11/msg00064.html
26. http://www.debconf.org/
27. http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines
28. http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/11/msg00138.html
October Debian-Installer Meeting. Christian Perrier [29]published the
[30]minutes of the sixth [31]Debian-Installer team meeting held in
October. The progress on the GTK installer has been amazing and all
attendees agreed to make it available as soon as possible. Switching
to [32]udev became a major goal for the future.
29. http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2005/10/msg00770.html
30. http://people.debian.org/~bubulle/d-i/irc-meeting-20051019/minutes
31. http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/
32. http://packages.debian.org/udev
Development Package Dependencies. Gabor Gombas [33]noticed problems in
dependencies of development packages since linking statically and
dynamically requires different packages and because some packages
conflict with each other since they provide the same files. Russ
Allbery [34]explained that the include file path is part of the
programming interface of the Kerberos implementation.
33. http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2005/10/msg00772.html
34. http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2005/11/msg00000.html
Maintaining Basic Network Utilities. Noah Meyerhans [35]wondered how
to best continue maintaining the iputils package that provides basic
network utilities such as [36]ping since the pristine package is
Linux-specific and doesn't compile or work on the [37]Hurd or
[38]kFreeBSD port of Debian. An official fork may lead in the proper
direction but could [39]imply that new kernel features may not be
supported immediately.
35. http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2005/10/msg00799.html
36. http://packages.debian.org/iputils-ping
37. http://www.debian.org/ports/hurd
38. http://www.debian.org/ports/kfreebsd-gnu/
39. http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2005/10/msg00854.html
your systems if you have any of these packages installed.
* DSA 890: [40]libungif4 -- Several vulnerabilities.
* DSA 891: [41]gpsdrive -- Arbitrary code execution.
* DSA 892: [42]awstats -- Arbitrary command execution.
* DSA 893: [43]acidlab -- SQL injection.
* DSA 894: [44]abiword -- Arbitrary code execution.
* DSA 895: [45]uim -- Privilege escalation.
* DSA 896: [46]linux-ftpd-ssl -- Arbitrary code execution.
* DSA 897: [47]phpsysinfo -- Several vulnerabilities
40. http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-890
41. http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-891
42. http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-892
43. http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-893
44. http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-894
45. http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-895
46. http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-896
47. http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-897
New or Noteworthy Packages. The following packages were added to the
unstable Debian archive [48]recently or contain important updates.
48. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main
* [49]915resolution -- Resolution modify tool for Intel graphic
* [50]avscan -- GTK frontend for the Clam AntiVirus scanner.
* [51]bricolage -- Bricolage Content Management System.
* [52]flac123 -- Command-line flac player.
* [53]kannasaver -- Japanese character screensaver.
* [54]kommando -- KDE wheel-menu to quickly pick menu items with the
* [55]parrot -- Virtual machine to execute bytecode for interpreted
* [56]preload -- Adaptive read-ahead daemon.
* [57]pygmy -- PyGTK client for the Music Player Daemon (MPD).
* [58]rsibreak -- KDE utility which can help to prevent the RSI.
49. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/x11/915resolution
50. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/utils/avscan
51. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/web/bricolage
52. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/sound/flac123
53. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/kde/kannasaver
54. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/kde/kommando
55. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/interpreters/parrot
56. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/misc/preload
57. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/sound/pygmy
58. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/kde/rsibreak
to the previous maintainers who contributed to the Free Software
community. Please see the [59]WNPP pages for the full list, and please
take over a package.
59. http://www.debian.org/devel/wnpp/
* [60]euler -- Interactive mathematical program. ([61]Bug#338949)
60. http://packages.debian.org/unstable/math/euler
61. http://bugs.debian.org/338949
We still need more volunteer writers who watch the Debian community
and report about what is going on. Please see the [62]contributing
mail at [63]dwn@debian.org.
62. http://www.debian.org/News/weekly/contributing
63. mailto:dwn@debian.org
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YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollectionsCandidates
Carpetbaggers or specialists? Candidates vie for CD9
Los Angeles city elections 2013
February 18, 2013|By Robert Greene
• Curren Price Jr. answers a question during a candidate debate at the Maya Angelou Community School in South Los Angeles for a seat on the City Council. Other candidates participating included Mike Davis, left, Ron Gochez, second from left, Terry Hara, third from left, and David Roberts, right.
Curren Price Jr. answers a question during a candidate debate at the Maya… (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles…)
This post has been corrected, as indicated below.
If you’re a candidate for Los Angeles City Council and you walk into a roomful of prospective constituents, you’d better be prepared with an answer to this question: How long have you lived here?
That was the first question put to candidates for the 9th District at a forum Saturday at Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School in South Los Angeles. And most candidates were in fact prepared: They had already addressed the issue in their opening statements. And they kept returning to it during the program, and finally there was a more direct, more pointed query: Just when did you move here? The answers, even for those who profess long and strong ties to the community, were often surprising. Three years. A year and a half. Since last summer.
“To our candidates who just moved to District 9, welcome,” teacher Ron Gochez said to his counterparts in his opening remarks. He noted later that he has lived in the district three years.
ENDORSEMENTS: Los Angeles City Elections 2013
The short-timers generally follow up with descriptions of their long ties to the district. They were born here, or work here, or have parents who live here.
The issue has come up in other council races as well, and it’s no wonder. Politically active constituents are wary of candidates they brand as “carpetbaggers” -- candidates they believe just want an office, any office, who then shop around for a district to move into, just before the residence deadline. The democratic ideal, especially in a local race, is to have a candidate who grew up in the district, went to schools there, worked there and has a clear stake in the quality of life there. The assumption is that the homegrown candidate is more likely to understand the needs of the voters, and therefore the residents, and that the imported candidate is more likely to cater to the needs of moneyed interests from somewhere else -- contractors, developers, even labor leaders or human services advocates or anyone else who wants to get something from City Hall not directly and solely related to the quality of life in the district.
But at what point does that analysis become overly provincial and parochial, and that notion of the homegrown candidate become overly romantic? Is a candidate who was born in a hospital that happens to be in the district really more homegrown, and therefore more authentic, than one who moved in during high school? And if someone worked in the district for much of his or her career, but lived just over the line in another district, or even in another part of town, is that really such a big deal?
VIDEO: Interviews with L.A.'s mayoral candidates
There’s an entirely different way of looking at things. If a community needs an expert at economic development, a go-to guy for snagging a larger share of city services, a turnaround artist for fixing up streets -- isn’t it better to call in a specialist? It’s as though you were building a new room onto your house. Do you call the local architect to support the community, or do you get the one from out of town who does the best work?
When the Los Angeles Unified School District needed a superintendent, for example, was it better off when it selected Ruben Zacarias, who served in the district and worked his way up over three decades? Or Roy Romer, who had been the governor of Colorado and was a newcomer to the district, the city and even the state?
Of course, those were appointed officials, not elected ones. On representative bodies, such as the Assembly, there perhaps is something to be said for electing one of your own. After all, how can a representative represent if he or she is not,well, not representative? And so, in the 51st Assembly elections last year, supporters of local guy Luis Lopez contended that rival Jimmy Gomez was moved into the district by the California Nurses Assn., for whom Gomez worked and which poured money into the race to back him. Angry Lopez partisans said unions and other interest groups were stocking the Legislature with imported minions who would do their bidding, leaving it a body that represents not geographic communities but special interests.
JIM NEWTON: The L.A. mayor’s race
In that case, the carpetbagging charges didn’t work. Gomez was elected.
Is the City Council a different matter? Is it a job for a specialist, regardless of residence? Or is it the most fundamentally homegrown office with the most adamant need for a local man or woman?
In the 9th, candidate Curren Price Jr. served on the Inglewood City Council. How homegrown can a candidate be if he’s running for the City Council of one city when he was on the council of another?
Los Angeles Times Articles
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
It's an old argue on forums, still cant get it. What is the (real, that worth the money and time for ordering from abroad, in my case) difference, let's say between Five Ten FreeRider shoes and some kind of old school skate shoes (the fat ones, like these Etnies)?
P.S as far as I know most dirt BMXers are quite happy with regular skate shoes.
share|improve this question
Don't the rollers make it hard to keep your feet on the pedals? – Daniel R Hicks Jul 8 '13 at 21:17
@DanielRHicks From personal experience I can say that it is possible using some quite "rough" pedals. But it's everything else than convenient. – Benedikt Bauer Jul 9 '13 at 20:58
Are you mountain biking or BMX biking? – Jestep Jul 23 '13 at 21:43
Right now I ride MTB, rode BMX before. Anyway, after using skate shoes after a few months riding with MTB shoes I understood the difference myself. – J-unior Jul 24 '13 at 8:40
add comment
4 Answers
up vote 7 down vote accepted
I used to ride with skate shoes for a year and it was not good. I didn't know it.
Generally skate shoes:
• bend more than MTB shoes so they'll not transfer all of your energy on the pedals
• do not have sticky soles so riding on rough trails may be harder and more dangerous due to the feet constantly changing position on the pedals
Regarding non racing BMXers they don't usually care about pedaling efficiency nor grip on their feet.
share|improve this answer
add comment
Flat pedal specific shoes usually have a special rubber compound, such as Five Ten's sticky rubber or Shimano (and others) Vibram sole (used in hiking shoes as well). The goal of these special rubber compounds is to better stick to the pins of the pedals and are therefore usually softer so as to get a good grip on them.
My personal experience with skate shoes is that their soles are harder and meant for gripping skate boards (hence the name) and thus focus on gripping a flat surface, instead of a set of pins. They also get dangerously slippery when wet for some reason.
Flat pedal specific shoes may also have other bike-specific features such as crank arm ankle protection and stiffer soles.
share|improve this answer
add comment
Skate shoes are typically very flexible and this is terrible for cycling shoes! Pick up a typical skate shoe and then try to bend it in half. I have a pair that I can almost entirely bend in half. Now go to a local bike shop and try to bend a road shoe in half. You can't. All of that flex is just wasted energy. With a stiff sole your energy gets transferred directly to the pedal. While it may not make a big difference on a short ride, it definitely adds up over time.
share|improve this answer
And just as an aside, I own a pair of freeriders and they are awesome. Almost too good at their job as I need to pick up my feet to adjust my position on the pedal. They are the next best thing to going clipless and actually I prefer them to clipless in case of emergency. – LoganGoesPlaces Jul 9 '13 at 0:53
add comment
I own plenty skate shoes from Vans and ipath. I have tried riding in them and they don't feel any better than an average sneaker. I switched to riding flat pedals about over a year ago and tried my first pair of Five Ten's Free Rider!! Holy wow!!
They have a stealth rubber sole that is torsionally stiff giving you solid platform for an efficient downward pedal stroke while gripping the flat pedal pins like a damn magnet!! I now own 6 pairs of various Five ten shoes - Dirtbag Mid, Spitfire mid, free rider and freerunner!! They're the best shoe ever!! solid toe box and well cushioned heel cup give you all the protection you need!! I actually use my free riders when i go longboarding... damn things stick to the grip tape like rare earth magnets!!!
Caution: The spitfire mid's are a great shoe but almost so grippy that you may at times find it hard to adjust your foot position on the pedals - very rare case but is true!!
Definitely worth every penny!! And they look cool too so you can wear the out casually as well... that is - if that is your style!
Five Tens for life or until they stop making them!! I'm really considering the new Vxi's!!
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Assine Portuguese
Procure por qualquer palavra, como bae:
Cheating is actually having a SEXUAL relationship with anyone but the other in your relationship. That means oral, anal or vaginal sex. That means the girls cant do anything to guys but give them hand or boob jobs (without her mouth). If her mouth touches his dick, then its oral sex. If his dick enters her pussy or ass then its sex as well (vaginal and anal respectively). If he eats her out its still technically oral (cheating).
If they are close friends, they can however kiss, give hand jobs, eat each others "love juice", feel each other up and anything else that isn't sex.
As with everything, there are some exceptions. They include...
-If you aren't close friends (it is cheating)
-If you have an open relationship (then NOTHING is really cheating anymore)
-If you and your significant other have other exceptions made (such as partially open relationship that specifically make it fine to do what you are doing)
-If you and your significant other have decided that the cheating boundary is more strict (then you MUST follow the new guide lines)
How does this work you might ask? Well you obviously haven't heard of a "romantic friendship". To qualify you and the other person must know each other well, you two must trust each other and you two must enjoy spending the time together.
Romantic friendships are real. They are very uncommon today, but at one time they used to be everywhere.
Steven: "Alexa, I heard you were found making out with . your friend the other day. Is this true?"
Alexa: "Yes, we were."
Steven: "Why would you cheat on me?"
Alexa: "Oh, it isn't cheating. We have known each other . since grade 8 and we weren't having a sexual . relation"
Steven: "So what is it if it isn't cheating?"
Alexa: "Its called a romantic friendship."
Steven: "So its okay to do that sort of thing now?"
Alexa: "Yes, In fact it has been for a long time."
Steven: "Okay, that sounds good."
Alexa: "Just remember, you can't have sex in any form with . them!"
por Nobody 69 24 de Janeiro de 2010
6 14
What Russell Kelly says whenever you beat him at something that he can't beat you at.
That is so bullcrap, you must've been cheating to get that score/frag. Etc.
por Aaron K 30 de Maio de 2003
10 25
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Latin: capitulum, diminutive of caput, head
1. Main division or section of a book; especially used to denote the many divisions of the books of the Bible.
2. Short lesson or passage from Holy Scripture called the “little chapter,” read at Office.
3. A body of clerics instituted for observing greater solemnity of Divine worship, and, at cathedral churches, for assisting the bishop according to Church Law as his senate and council and governing the see during vacancy. The name arose from the custom of reading a chapter of the rules at a prescribed daily gathering of the members. In dioceses which have no cathedral chapters the board of diocesan consultors functions as the bishop‘s Senate. Chapters are of various kinds, e.g., cathedral, collegiate, secular, regular, and consist of dignities and canonicates. Some of the principal offices are those of canon theologian and canon penitentiary. The institute known as chapter is derived from the presbytery of the early centuries; it grew in importance during and after the 8th century and was thoroughly established in the 13th.
4. General meeting or assembly of delegated members of certain religious orders to consider ways and means of improving the formation of the religious, facilitating their labors, and amending the constitutions.
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Forgot your password?
Comment: Re:Ignorance... (Score 1) 388
by the_B0fh (#46470265) Attached to: Apple Demands $40 Per Samsung Phone For 5 Software Patents
Wow. Amazing. A post with facts gets modded down, and a post with opinions that do not correspond with reality gets modded +5 informative.
You should really just go talk to a patent attorney about your concept of FRAND and how these things work. Or take a legal class. Plenty of free ones around. Or heck, buy a legal text book on contracts and FRAND.
While I'm not an attorney, I do work with plenty of them, and your version of how things work do not reflect reality.
Comment: Re:I am not ok with this. (Score 1) 306
by the_B0fh (#46434659) Attached to: Mozilla Is Investigating Why Dell Is Charging To Install Firefox
Since copyright laws exist, and since Mozilla owns the copyright to Firefox, and the only terms they allow you to download or use Firefox is within the terms of the TOS, if you want to download or use it, you have to abide by it.
Are you really that stupid that you cannot understand that?
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I have a used 3TB SATA hard drive kicking around that I am planning to use as a replacement in a Win 7 box.
I don't need all this capacity so was I thinking if I format it to 1TB I would increase the reliability. My thinking behind this is based on the following thoughts:
• There would be more physical 'breathing space' between each sector/track.
• When bad sectors are found, there be a larger pool of unallocated sectors to bring into use.
Are my assumptions true?
If my assumptions are not true then what happens to all the unused space? Does the hard drive still format to the same physical dimensions; thus would my 1TB drive still be squeezing sectors onto the platter as if it were formatted to 3TB.
Many thanks!
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What do you mean by "formatting"? Are you referring to creating partitions? Why would you think that a partition stretches over unused space? Don't you suspect that would thwart someone's future plans to put the unused space to use? – Kaz Jun 11 '13 at 1:32
It you wanted increased reliability only against bad sectors, you could mirror one partition of the drive onto another partition on the drive. Performance would be terrible, though. – derobert Jun 12 '13 at 18:08
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4 Answers
up vote 29 down vote accepted
Your assumptions are wrong.
The drive has a fixed physical format that is made up of physical sectors, in your case totalling 3TB. By formatting the drive you are effectively clearing the data in those sectors but you are not rearranging them or changing their physical size or layout in any way whatsoever. By formatting at a lower capacity you would simply be wasting the extra space, it would exist but would simply not be being used for anything at all.
Formatting does not change the physical sector size nor space between tracks.
As to unallocated sectors, I believe that drives have a preset number of reserved sectors for reallocation and the drive has no way of telling whether sectors are used by the operating system. SSDs do have a feature called "trim" that can tell the drive the sectors are clear to be wiped but this is something slightly different, spinning platters lack any kind of similar feature. Un-formatted sectors would not be being used for bad sector reallocation.
By formatting a 3TB drive as 1TB you are simply preventing yourself from using 2TB of space and thus wasting 2/3rds of what you spent on the drive. Your 1TB partition would be sitting in front of 2TB of empty space.
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Thanks for the great answer, very helpful! – chazjn Jun 10 '13 at 20:29
Do you know if this holds for SSDs? I know they have more capacity than they tell operating systems because they use the leftover space to prevent wear, so would formatting an SSD cause the unformatted space to be used for the same purpose? – mowwwalker Jun 10 '13 at 22:07
@Walkerneo SSDs are different, due to the requirement for wear leveling they require more detailed knowledge of what blocks contain actual data and can be erased, hence the TRIM command. SSDs actually benefit from having unused space due to the way the wear leveller works. this does not need to be specifically "cordoned off" due to operating system support but it probably wouldn't hurt. All the SSD needs is OS support and some free disk space. Formatting the drive isn't necessary if using an OS with trim support such as Win7 or most other modern systems. – Mokubai Jun 10 '13 at 22:20
@Mokubai: If I'm not mistaken there are also SSD-specific utilities that allow you to modify the "cordoned off" area. – Karan Jun 11 '13 at 1:55
@Karan this is called over provisioning, and indeed I have seen some SSDs with the ability to change this (albeit with some vendor-specific tools as you mention). In general though, simply changing the partition size will probably not help this cause (solid-state drives use the entire drive for wear levelling), although using a lower partition size will ensure you don't (over) fill the drive... – Breakthrough Jun 13 '13 at 19:19
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The error correcting algorithms used by hard drives, like all other error correcting algorithms, do have a chance of failure. There is an extremely remote but existent risk that the hard drive may have written different data than you sent it. With capacities getting into the trillions of bytes, this chance statistically increases.
But you don't buy yourself extra protection from this by leaving space unused. You do obtain extra protection by storing redundant data, either by using a PAR/PAR2 tool or writing the data multiple times.
However, if you are worried about this, you might as well put the effort into copying the data into another physical drive which has additional benefits like protection of mechanical failure and such.
Not using space would give you extra chances in the event of the hard drive head scraping the surface due to it being struck. But think about it - unless you have a method to space your data evenly sparsely around the disk, assuming you are using this data, the head is likely going to be on or near tracks that contain your data. The days where the hard drive controllers would respond to a "park" command to "get out of the way" of data are long past.
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If you format the Hard Drive to its full 3TB capacity and never use more than 1TB, then yes you could potentially increase the lifespan of the Hard Drive. I say could potentially, and not definitely, b/c the Hard Drive could fail mechanically. There is not really anything you could do to prevent that from happening. However, as sectors on the platters start to get corrupted the Partition Table will remap to other sectors on the platters that are not corrupt and not being used. Using a Hard Drive to its full capacity prevents sectors from being remapped, thus allowing for loss of data. Hope this helps! :-)
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Only using 1TB of a 3TB drive would NO effect on the lifespan of a mechanical drive. – Ramhound Jul 31 '13 at 14:09
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I note also that you can increase the life and speed a little bit if you partition a large drive then do things based upon a life expectancy of a drive (like rotating car tires) you install operating system on one partition, possibly a very large virtual drive (cache) on one all by itself, and as suggested already the data on the 3rd [assuming you created 3 partitions]. Now if the warranty being 3 years you rotated each partition's use every year so they took turns being written to the most by cache and operating system w/caches and temporary files and such, you accomplish by deleting the virtual memory on 1 partition and installing fresh OS to it, the same as perfect defrag from scratch. You also do so when you copy data from one to the next you can reformat each one clean first, as all files are then copied to brand new drive so-to-speak they are not copied fragmented if you copy them all at once even when they are fragmented on the source partition. Biggest gain is spreading the disk writes across 3 partitions... there are a few significant writes of certain files because an existing filename is always written over the top of itself if it gets larger it adds to the end but all changes start from the beginning. I found weak spots in NDD running years ago trying to read/write over and over before finally writing. I wondered why I had some applications freeze sometimes and realizing NDD if it could write in 6 trys (DOS default attempts) it continued as if everything was ok (not telling me the weak spots) so I used ID app what was being tested clusters... used Norton's Disk Edit to ID what file(s) used that/those clusters... then renamed the physical file FILENAME.BAD. Now missing file(s) had to be reinstalled but guess what...? No more software freezes... technically what I did was manually mark spots on drive bad at dos level, and by renaming them I forced them to be written to a new (strong not weak) drive area. I found files written to multiple times during normal dos opereations were the areas that started failing first most of the time.
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UnNews:Proved: Japanese people "weird"
From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
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20 March 2009
Electric stimulus to face -test4 ( Daito Manabe 's friends )(03:43)
LONDON, England -- Top British university, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, is about to publish a report based on new findings proving what many of us have suspected for years - Japanese people are weird. The report was inspired by the latest craze to hit the peculiar nation - the same country that brought the world karaoke, hentai and schoolgirl's-underwear vending machines - Electronic Face Dancing, which may just be their strangest invention yet, including the Hello Kitty assault rifle and the square watermelon.
Professor U.N. Donne, head of Japanese Studies at the university, spoke to UnNews last night. "Konichiwa! My students and I spend a great deal of time monitoring the Japanese press," he told us. "So, during our studies, we see a lot of adverts for all manner of totally bizarre shit you can buy over there. There's everything from the famous Hello Kitty vibrator to the penis ice cream, not forgetting beauty products like the nose stretcher and other oddities such as the breast grabber amusement arcade prize game. Many of my students have asked why it is that their country has such an appetite for such bizarre things - I really had no idea. We started out by scanning their newspapers for any story that might enlighten us and found several unusual stories, such as one about a recent petition - signed by a thousand people - demanding that the government legalise marriage to cartoon characters. Then we began to look at a number of peculiar inventions and various odd stuff that can be bought in Japanese shops, where we found things like eyelash wigs, sausage tool kits, Pritt-Stick butter and, well, a whole load of stuff where we hadn't the faintest what the fuck was going on to be honest."
The professor and his team looked at a wide range of foods, including ice-cream noodles along with some sort of unpleasant-looking pink stuff in a pot and cakes shaped like breasts but to no avail - try as they might, they just could not explain the Japanese desire for such strange stuff.
"We were experimenting with cat-warmers in the laboratory one afternoon when I received an e-mail about the new face dancing craze," he continues, "I showed them the video and one exclaimed, "Well, if there's one thing I'm sure of it's that the Japanese are weird." Suddenly, it hit me - a real eureka moment, as I realised he was quite right - that is exactly why they're into all this stuff: they're weird!"
Only in japan
Permanent damage to the neocortex can be caused by viewing this picture... oh, shit... sorry.
It is hoped that the findings will usher in a new period of understanding and co-operation between Japan and the West when they're published next week (Title: The Japanese Are Weird, author: Prof. U.N. Donne, not available at any bookshops anywhere near you). Meanwhile, our fashion correspondent Gok Wan Ker says the new craze for electronic face dancing is sure to be massive on the European club scene this summer; so get yourself some electrodes, a 12 volt car battery and remember you heard about it here on UnNews first!
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Public Statements
Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act of 2010
Floor Speech
Location: Washington, DC
* Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5827, the Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act of 2010. This legislation will ensure that individuals' Second Amendment rights are secure when they enter into bankruptcy.
* In these challenging economic times, I have heard from families in Michigan's 15th Congressional District concerned they will lose their ability to protect themselves and their families should they enter into bankruptcy. As the Supreme Court recently ruled in Heller vs. the District of Columbia and confirmed in McDonald vs. Chicago, the Second Amendment affords individuals across the nation the right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self defense. Hardworking Americans who have lost their jobs due to the economic downturn should not fear that they will be stripped of those rights because they are trying to turn their lives around through bankruptcy proceedings.
* Most States, including Michigan, do not protect gun owners in bankruptcy because firearms are not listed among the ``household goods'' exempt from the claims of creditors. In 2005, amendments to the bankruptcy code made it even more unlikely firearms would be considered a ``household good.'' However, H.R. 5827 changes that. Specifically, it permits firearms--rifles, pistols and shotguns, up to an aggregate value of $3,000--held primarily for the personal, family or household use of the debtor to be exempt from the claims of creditors under federal exemption law.
* Enacting H.R. 5827 will allow the citizens of Michigan and across the United States the ease of knowing they can protect themselves and their families in good times and bad. This is an important bill and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for it.
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Carmel en Reclaiming a Coastal Garden <!--paging_filter--><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The ocean pulls us to its edge with a primeval force. Toes in the sand, face caressed by sea breezes, we worship the beach as the symbol of idleness and renewal. But as a habitat, the beach is no picnic. The sand we so blissfully let slip through our fingers is nutrient poor, doesn't hold water and is constantly shifting. Winds can be battering. And as anyone who has salted a driveway for snow and ice knows, salt can have a withering effect on plants.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </p> <p><a href="" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Ideas Beige Blue Bernard Trainor California Carmel Great Gardens succulent gardens Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:49:10 +0000 admin 87631 at
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Mental Health Blogs
My ADHD Meltdown
Ever get so busy that you forget a deadline or errand? How do you feel about yourself afterwards? I usually laugh to keep my spirits up, but yesterday I had a meltdown instead.
Too Many Things to Do
Ah, summer! That blessed time every year when I think, “The kids are out of school! I’ll have more time to work on my personal projects!” What a silly fool I am. You’d think I’d learn. Parenting doesn’t go on vacation with the end of the school year.
I haven’t been sleeping well lately and finally crashed around 6 am yesterday morning. Slept ’till 2pm. Woke up just in time to make my visiting daughter from college late for her doctor’s appointment. (What was I saying about wondering why my daughters put up with me?) Fortunately, the doctor’s office squeezed her in. Trouble was that I forgot my wallet.
Back home, I rushed to get it and back I rushed with the copay. Then I drove my daughter home, dealt with Li’l Miss Moody and her eleven year old sister, Miss Grumpy Pants, got distracted watching a British documentary on the isle of Thira as the probable location of Atlantis, then rushed my oldest daughter to the bus station so she could return to college, but arrived late, which forced her to wait for the next bus. Came home and organized cleaning and chores and dinner and ARGH!
When was I going to get my ‘me’ time? When was I going to be allowed to work? Right that second, bucko. I was out of patience. I headed out for a bike ride, but realized the plants hadn’t been watered so I grabbed the hose in a hurry, sprayed the plants, then heard, “Daddy, you’re watering your book bag.”
Hey, that’s OK. There’s only an iPad in there. I called myself all sorts of names then. Idiot. Moron. Feeble-minded, incompetent nincompoop… I also had an argument with my wife at the same time.
Finally, I was off to write, but had to stop at the store to buy underarm deodorant and a remote control battery, THEN start to ride. It was 9:30pm. By the time I arrived at my favorite biking spot, the sun had long set, there was no moon, and most of the roads were cordoned off because the river was running high. That’s when it occurred to me, “Wasn’t I supposed to post a blog today?”
Relax. ADHD Distractions, Disruptions Are the Norm
So much for writing in my novel. What a fiasco. You’d think that after having such a crabby, ADHD filled day, I’d be so angry with myself that I’d run off and bite a tree. Standing there in the dark, though, I was suddenly struck by the silliness of it all. Clearly the bike ride had helped me cool off a bit.
I was born with ADHD. Whether it was a genetic fluke passed on by vengeful ancestors or the result of a God with too much time on His hands and a twisted sense of humor, this was my life. I’m Felix in the Odd Couple with Oscar’s presence of mind. I can’t really do much about it except laugh at my comedy of errors. Getting angry just makes me the miserable main character of a tragically dull play. I forgot that lesson yesterday.
Yes, life would be easier without a brain on the fritz, but maybe it would be a whole lot more boring, too. Better to laugh than to grumble and scowl. It’s not my family’s fault that they need me. They’re children; I’m their parent. Also, it’s not their fault my brain is flakier than an apple turnover. So next time instead of melting down, I’ll go out for a ride or take a break in some way. Anything that can help me keep my perspective and sense of humor.
This entry was posted in Family, Frustration, Humor, Tips and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
2 Responses to My ADHD Meltdown
1. So much appreciation for this post. I’m married to an ADHD guy and raising one of our own. I’m working on a website/book project about ADHD relationships. Maybe we can collaborate!
2. Douglas Cootey says:
Appreciation? And here I just thought I was being a jerk. ;) Thank you.
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One Ritz-Carlton Drive, Dana Point, California 92629 USA
All Girls Surf Getaway
Why should guys have all the fun? Surfing is one of the most amazing sports on the planet. The connection with nature, the lifestyle surrounding it and the positive impact on your physical, emotional and spiritual being is amazing. It is also a sport that means traveling, colorful memories and lifelong friendships. Women are rocking the surfing world, pulling into bigger and bigger barrels, tow surfing, doing aerials and really pushing this sport to a whole new level. Didn't understand the previous sentence fully? Don't worry, meet with our instructor and you will.
• One 60-minute massage treatment in The Ritz-Carlton Spa
• Two hours of individual instruction for one guest from a professional surf instructor
• All wetsuits, surfboards, leashes, wax and equipment provided
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« News Home
Let the forest support itself
Published: Wed, April 4, 2012 @ 12:00 a.m.
Let the forest support itself
In response to the March 25 article on “easy money” to Poland Village for leasing mineral rights of the Poland Forest and the deed restrictions on the land given by Mrs. Grace Butler in 1934, I offer the following.
Going back, let’s suppose Mrs. Butler was land rich and short on cash. Giving the land, which was mostly bottom land and prone to flooding, would relieve her of the tax burden and still protect her. Adding the deed restriction “that the woods is to be used for park purposes only and kept and preserved in its natural state in so far as possible” would serve that purpose.
Since 1934 we have seen the construction of roads, including Interstate 680, high pressure gas transmission lines, sewer and water lines and a bridges over Yellow Creek. Additional property has been bought and given to the forest and land sold for commercial purposes. This involves many legal questions and lawyers have given their opinions, which can be contested in court at a cost to all.
The village needs the “easy money” to maintain the park and provide funds for the health, safety and welfare of its citizens. The people are taxed out and have defeated tax issues for storm water and schools. The “easy money” could be used for a new dump truck ($100,000) power leaf collection machine ($18,000) flooding problems and improvements to the park to include rest rooms.
The leasing of the mineral rights would not disturb the natural state of the park, nor would I consider it a commercial purpose. The present village budget does not allow for many of these items. The village code 1062.03 states that the forest by the cutting of trees should pay its own way and relieve the taxpayer of the burden and expense of the management of the forest.
Things have changed since 1934. Council should look at the full picture and consider that the “easy money” would benefit all.
F. Gene McCullough, Poland
How did we lose out?
Opportunity does not come often to the Mahoning Valley. How did Mahoning County miss the $900 million gas plant that is going to Hanoverton, Ohio?
Did we not know of it? Did our county officials even try to acquire it? It would have been a real windfall to have gotten this project.
Jim Eidel, Poland
1300(538 comments)posted 1 year, 11 months ago
Jim, logistically it wouldn't have made as much sense to locate it Mahoning county. You've got to look at where the natural gas is heading after the Kensington plant, which is South not North.
BTW, Poland's only about 30 mins or so from Hanoverton/Kensington. Someone qualified to work at it could easily live in Mahoning county and work down there.
Suggest removal:
2rliddle(7 comments)posted 1 year, 11 months ago
Nice Job Gene - it is good to read something with some common sense for a change!
Suggest removal:
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Shayirkul Adreshova is part of group of women farmers who supply medicinal herbs to European markets, thanks to WFP/GIZ project. Photo: WFP/Alima Nurgazieva
A WFP Project Empowers Women Farmers In Rural Kyrgyzstan
In a remote Kyrgyz village, Shayirkul Adreshova had the seemingly impossible dream of becoming a successful business woman whose products sell internationally. The dream turned into reality three years after she had joined a WFP food-for-assets project that assists vulnerable rural women. She is now part of a small group of women farmers who provide medicinal herbs to European markets, including valerian that is most often used to treat insomnia.
Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked low-income country in Central Asia dominated by the majestic Tian Shan snow-capped mountain range. A former Soviet Republic, the country gained independence in 1991. Although it has since made some economic progress, almost 38 percent of the people remain below the poverty line and an estimated 24 percent are food-insecure. One of the main reasons large parts of the population are locked in a cycle of poverty and hunger is that the country is frequently exposed to natural disasters shocks such as earthquakes, mudslides and floods combined with dilapidated infrastructure and a complex ethnic and political environment.
Подробная информация о деятельности ВПП ООН на русском языке здесь
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Romney ad advantage doesn't tell the whole story
Thursday - 10/18/2012, 12:16pm ET
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - Independent groups working to elect Republican Mitt Romney have helped him match or even exceed President Barack Obama's TV ad spending in dozens of media markets in battleground states. But the spending disparity doesn't tell the whole story, as Obama is still getting more value for his money with his ads.
An Associated Press analysis of presidential campaign advertising data from April through last week found that pro-Romney spending has exceeded pro-Obama ad spending by at least $65 million across the nine states expected to decide the election: Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa and Wisconsin.
Republican outside groups like American Crossroads and Americans for Prosperity have spent millions to complement Romney's campaign advertising, helping the GOP hopeful break even with or surpass Obama in places the president once dominated.
Obama has gotten a boost from Democratic-leaning groups like Priorities USA Action, a "super" political action committee supporting his re-election, but not enough to tamp out the GOP-leaning advantage.
Romney's allies have dropped millions of dollars in key swing state media markets. Without that assistance, pro-Obama spending would have outpaced pro-Romney spending in more than three dozen media markets.
Obama and groups supporting his re-election have spent more than $14.5 million on television ads in Las Vegas, about twice what Romney has spent. But GOP outside groups have dumped an extra $10 million into the market, allowing pro-Romney ads to outstrip pro-Obama TV spots there by $2.6 million.
In Washington, D.C., the main media market for voter-rich northern Virginia, Obama has had a $9 million advertising advantage over Romney. But an additional $13 million in outside ad spending, mainly from Crossroads GPS and Restore Our Future, put overall pro-Romney spending at a $29.6 million, besting the $25.9 million Obama has spent in that market.
Obama has more than doubled what Romney has spent on ads in Tampa, Fla. But $12 million in GOP outside money has poured into the market to help Romney, bringing pro-Romney spending to $19.7 million _ about the same as what Obama has spent there.
Yet despite the onslaught, Obama has retained an overall advertising advantage over Romney and Republican groups. Under federal law, television stations must offer presidential campaigns a discounted price _ it's known as the lowest unit rate _ to run their spots in the two months leading up to Election Day. Independent political groups aren't eligible for the discount, so their ads cost as much to run as do commercials for products like Pepsi or Tide.
The Obama team has taken full advantage of the lower ad rates available to them, having booked their fall advertising last July and August to ensure placement on key shows in top markets. The leading Republican independent groups, American Crossroads and its affiliate Crossroads GPS, also placed their fall ad buys in the summer, but they are paying far higher rates for the same time slots as the president.
For example, American Crossroads had to pay nearly double what Obama's campaign was charged _ $1,400 compared with $765 _ to run an ad during Tampa's morning news program on Fox affiliate WTVT, a review of station records showed. Crossroads bought about four spots (compared with Obama's three) during the 8 a.m. weekday slot.
The pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future did not make its bookings in the summer and is placing ad buys just days before the spots air, jacking up prices even more. In Norfolk, Va., last week, ROF paid $10,455 to air an ad on CBS station WTKR during the Tuesday prime-time, crime drama "NCIS" _ more than double the $4,705 the Obama campaign was charged for the same show.
The Obama campaign also retains an advantage over the Romney campaign when it comes to ad placement, even though both campaigns are entitled to the discounted rate.
Romney's campaign, like its independent ally Restore Our Future, places orders for its TV commercials just a few days before they are set to run. That means fewer ad slots are available to the campaign on a given day and in a given market, forcing the Romney team to pay more than the low rate it is eligible for if it wants to bounce another ad out of a time slot.
Romney's ad-buying pattern was on display again this week. On Monday, the campaign still had not placed ad buys in three swing states _ Nevada, New Hampshire and Ohio _ for spots that were supposed to start running on Wednesday.
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http://www.wtop.com/278/3083301/Romney-ad-advantage-doesnt-tell-the-whole-story
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mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet
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El Goonish Shive – Delta
By brokenhero
Author's note: All characters except members of the Cross family owned and copyrighted by Dan Shive. I do not have Dan's permission to write this. I write it for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. So enjoy!
Act One: "Introduction"
-Thursday night, 8:30 p.m.-
"Boys, dinner! Wash your hands!"
"C.J., c'mon," Casey Joel Cross' fourteen year old brother Jon said, pounding on his brother's closed and locked door. "Mom said its dinnertime!"
Inside the room, Casey (as he preferred to be called, even though his mother insisted on putting "C.J." on all the official records) stood at his one of his bookshelves, trying to pick reading material for the dinner table, assuming the 'rents gave him a chance. Jon's dog Aayla lay with her head on Casey's pillow, drooling.
Casey was about 5'9", not really tall enough to be considered tall, but tall enough for him. He had messy black hair, and almost never styled it, after the incident a few years back when he'd spiked it up, and was taken for questioning by police in Murphysboro in connection to gang activity. Casey's wardrobe consisted of cheap flannel shirts from places like the Salvation Army, in numerous colors and styles of plaid. His beaten-up trench coat hung on a peg on the wall. His mother had previously banned him from wearing it in the house.
He grabbed an old paperback Stephen King book and stashed it in one of the cargo pockets of his jeans. He went downstairs to the kitchen, and his mother, Jillian, stopped him at the door.
"I called you three times, C.J.," she said. Not waiting for a response, she issued commands. "Get the ketchup and mustard and the salad dressings. And ask your brother what he wants to drink with dinner."
"I've already got a cola," Jon said, from the next room.
"Fine," she said, and then turned to Casey. "Pour yourself a glass of milk. No, not the 2; why don't you have some skim, it's better for you."
Casey juggled the five bottles of condiment out to the dining room, where his brother sat with a comic book open to a fight scene between a scandalously-clad woman and a giant man with a sword. He was picking out chunks of cheddar cheese from the salad. "Make sure your brother isn't sniping the cheese!" she called.
Jon snickered. "Ha-ha, you fail," he said, and nibbled more cheese.
Casey went back into the kitchen and sneakily poured himself a glass of 2 milk, nearly being caught by his mom, who bustled in and told him to go fetch Dad. So Casey went downstairs to his dad's home office to try and get him upstairs. His dad, Jackson, a furniture salesman, said he'd be right up, but the phone rang again. Jon had finished the easily obtained cheese by the time Casey got back upstairs, and he got an earful of nagging from Mom about it while Jon smirked at him behind her back.
Casey's dad didn't get upstairs until the meatloaf had gone cold and the salad had started to brown. Jillian had excused herself a few minutes before, sneaking outside to the back porch for a badly hidden smoke. Casey pulled out his book, and Jon drooled over his comic. Jackson finally tore himself away from the phone and came upstairs, but he wouldn't let the boys start eating until Jillian got back in. Eventually, she did.
"What's on tap for school tomorrow, C.J.?" Jackson asked, grinding meatloaf in his teeth.
"In Science, we're doing some lab project with goo," Casey answered, softly.
"You had better do well on that goo lab," Jillian said, in between coughs. "Goo creation is very important to your future."
"Speaking of the future, have you put any thought into that tech school in Wisconsin?" Jackson asked.
"…" Casey didn't answer. He didn't want to talk about this again.
"I think you should seriously consider it," Jillian said. "It's only a two-year program, and it's nice and close to home! Isn't that nice? Only two hours away."
"We could visit all the time!" Jon said sarcastically.
"Could I be excused?" Casey asked. "I need to work on the pre-lab, and I still have a bunch of homework besides…"
"Sure, honey," Jillian said. "Just wait until your brother finishes, and you two can clear the table."
Jon was only half done with his meatloaf, even though he'd gone back for a second pop, a root beer this time. As soon as he finished, he took his plate to the kitchen counter and fled upstairs to talk to his girlfriend of the month online. Casey had to clean the dishes himself, and scrub down the cookware too. It was past ten p.m. when he finished. He hated how long dinner lasted at his house.
It took Casey two more hours to finish his daily grind homework, and then he started on the pre-lab for the Goo project. At 1:45 a.m. Casey decided it was good enough and went to bed, exhausted. Thursday mornings were Jazz band, and Intramural Hockey practice had lasted till 4:30. Casey slept uneasily, due to the presence of Jon's dog, who hogged the center of the bed.
Act Two – "Goo"
Casey zoned out most of the next day's classes. Finally, it was last period Science class. His usual lab partner, Liz, the school's resident Goth, had apparently cut 8th period, so the teacher put him with another group with two people. A guy named Elliot and …something named Tedd.
Elliot had a noble air to him. Casey knew he did some kind of martial art, and that some of the jocks had nicknames for him, like "demon", but didn't really know anything about him. Tedd was even more of an enigma, hiding behind thick glasses and a snarky grin.
Halfway through the assignment, the three reached a problem. They discussed it, and Tedd (who Casey had deduced was really male) raised his hand. "Um, Teach?" Tedd asked.
'Uh-oh,' the science teacher thought. "Yes, Tedd?" he asked.
"Our goo kinda came to life and slithered away…" Tedd said. "Is that bad?"
The teacher didn't react well to that. He let his head drop to his hands, and told them to go find it. Most teachers at Moperville North had that kind of reaction when Tedd told them strange things.
A few minutes later, Tedd, Elliot and Casey walked down the hallway, armed with butterfly nets from the Biology room.
"I can't believe we're hunting goo," Tedd said, peering down the deserted hallway.
"Well, it's your fault it's alive, so keep looking," Elliot said, watching the sideboards.
"There!" Casey spotted the goo oozing towards the athletics wing. Elliot rushed towards it and swung the net, but the goo defeated him.
"Hey! It oozed right through the net!" Elliot said, as the goo disappeared around a corner. "I suppose it was foolish to try and capture goo with nets…"
"Blasphemy! We just need bigger nets!" Tedd joked, and Casey laughed, a short barking sound, as if he wasn't used to it.
"We could try using one of the floor hockey nets, Tedd. That large enough for ya?" Casey suggested. Elliot and Tedd chuckled at that, and the three followed the goo around the corner. Elliot wandered down the left-hand hallway and Casey went right. Tedd stayed at the corner, peeking around. Elsewhere, the goo discovered and feasted upon the football team's steroid stash.
Elliot stopped and looked blankly into space. "I sense a disturbance in the goo…."
"I thought I found it, but it turned out to be a sponge," Tedd said, holding a dirty sponge up for Elliot's absent approval.
"Dude, I told you it was a sponge," Casey said.
"No, you thought it was the goo too!" Tedd fired back.
"Did not!" "Did too!"
"Guys, Focus!" Elliot yelled.
After a few more minutes of fruitless searching, Tedd sighed. "This sucks! Everyone else has already gone home."
"We should split up," Elliot suggested. "We'll find it faster that way." The other too looked at him skeptically.
"Dude, have you seen any horror movies in the past thirty years?" Casey asked, incredulously. "Every group that splits up ends up dead!" Tedd agreed.
"Split up? Are you mad?" Tedd exclaimed. "There's goo out there! Going alone is suicide!"
"Oh, c'mon," Elliot said. "It's goo! What are you afraid of?" Casey and Tedd looked at each other.
"Um, goo makes me puke…" Tedd said.
"My mom would get mad if I got killed by goo," Casey said. Elliot turned away, to go off on his own.
"Feh! It's goo! How dangerous could it possibly be?" He asked. Elsewhere, the goo had mutated further: it now had red eyes and a fanged mouth, with nasty teeth and big arms.
Casey told Tedd to wait a minute, and went to the athletic lockers. He dug through a bin of sports gear and pulled out a fiberglass hockey stick. Armed, Casey stalked through the halls searching for the goo himself. He encountered it eating garbage outside the cafeteria. The more it ate, the larger it grew.
"Hey, Goo!" Casey yelled. The monster stopped its feast and turned to glare menacingly at Casey. It reared up a bit to just over five feet tall. "Yeah, ya corpulent pus bag! You ain't' nothin'! My grandma could take you!" Casey's taunts were pissing the Goo off. Casey brandished the hockey stick and spun and flourished it.
The Goo shot an arm at Casey, but it misjudged Casey's speed. He dodged the tendril and sliced it off with a mighty hockey stick blow. The Goo growled angrily.
Meanwhile, Elliot was searching nearby. 'Where is this goo?!' he thought. 'I wonder if it dried up or something. Maybe it went in the cafeteria…' "Holy Crap!" Elliot said. He rounded the corner to see Casey drive the hockey stick deep into the creature's back, but it reacted too fast. As Casey tried to clear his stick from the Goo's sticky flesh, it battered him with a speedy arm. Casey slammed into the row of lockers on the opposite wall, and the Goo broke the hockey stick off in its arm.
"Um… Mr. Giant Goo Monster…" Elliot said, backing away. "Any chance of letting me just …leave safely?" The goo growled at him, moving away from the dazed, but slowly recovering Casey, towards Elliot. "Crud," he said, and then went into a martial arts stance. "Bring it on…" he said.
The Goo hissed and shot its right arm towards Elliot, who jumped out of the way in the last second. 'Damn, I barely dodged that!!!' Elliot thought. Then he noticed possible weapon lying on the ground. 'A fork that someone dropped earlier? Yes! Advantage? Elliot!' He snatched up the fork and threw it at the Goo, yelling "Togateiru Fohku Kohgeki!" (Pointy Fork Attack), but the fork passed through the Goo's head without hurting it. The Goo chuckled sinisterly.
"It didn't do anything to it…! How the hell do you harm Goo?" Elliot wondered. The Goo started for him again and roared, and Elliot took off. Fortunately, the Goo followed him and left Casey alone.
Soon, Elliot came across Tedd, who was wandering around aimlessly. "There you are, Tedd! Listen, I found the Goo, but—"
"No I was not in the girl's locker room!" Tedd yelled, interrupting him. Elliot looked confused.
"Um, what?"
"Ok, maybe I was, but it's not like anyone was in there!!!" Tedd said. Elliot scratched his head in confusion. "Oh, it's just you, Elliot. Sup? Where's Casey?" He asked. After a quick recap, Tedd said, "Hm, so it has become a giant monster… How did you escape?"
"Simple," Elliot said. "I told it a Hero from Dragon Warrior was right behind it and ran when its back was turned."
Tedd was amazed. "Of course," he said. "Any monster that's anything like a Slime would naturally fear a Dragon Warrior hero." Elliot looked around for signs of the goo.
"I don't think that will work twice, though," he said. "I bet it's pretty pissed off right about now. I hope Casey's ok." Tedd thought for a moment.
"Worry not, comrade, for I have a plan!" He said.
"That worries me…" Elliot said, deadpan.
Meanwhile, Casey had finally recovered from the hit and was wandering around cautiously, looking for Tedd and Elliot, not realizing the pair was no longer inside. He ended up back at the equipment lockers, and since it was open and his hockey stick was broken, he decided to upgrade. He tossed the broken stick aside and selected a nice titanium baseball bat. As he swung it around experimentally, he winced in brief pain from his new bruises on his shoulder. He eyed the equipment and had an idea.
Outside, Elliot borrowed a lighter from a good-natured, silent guy in a long wool coat and raced back to Tedd. "Ok, I got the lighter, now what?" He asked. Tedd looked at the freedom of outside, then back at the sinister school.
"Well, as long as we're outside, we might as well go home," he said.
"Home?" Elliot exclaimed. "We're not leaving! That Goo is in there!"
"It was just a suggestion," Tedd said defensively.
""Feh," Elliot scoffed. "So what are we going to do to it, burn it?"
"Actually, Elliot, just the opposite," Tedd said, crossing his arms.
"You mean the Goo's gonna burn us?" a sarcastic voice asked. "I'm not happy with this plan, Tedd."
"Casey! You made it!" Elliot said. "Did you see where it went?"
'What the hell are you wearing?" Tedd asked.
Casey had a catcher's mask on his face, a set of football shoulder pads over a catcher's vest, both of which were stuffed under his trench coat. He wore hockey gloves and catcher's greaves for his extremities, as well as a cup. "Hey, man, I tussled with that thing once and it kicked my ass," Casey said. "I wanted to be prepared for a rematch." He drew the baseball bat from behind him, where he'd slipped it up into a loop on his coat. "You guys want to come back in and get some stuff? The locker's open… now…"
Elliot shook his head. "We don't have time. Tedd, what's your plan?"
The three went inside and Casey quickly liberated a ladder from a janitor's closet. Elliot climbed up to the ceiling next to a sprinkler head. "The Goo is only able to maintain its current form due to a delicate balance of liquids and solids," Tedd explained. "It's absorbent, so if we drench it with water the balance should be undone and all we'd have to do is clean up a puddle.
"Of course, not every area of the school has sprinklers, so we should wait for it to come to us."
"Ok," Elliot said. "Just one question. Is that close enough for ya?" Tedd and Casey spun around and saw the Goo, now filling up the hallway. It roared, and the windows in the display cases rattled.
Casey hefted his bat. "I think we're gonna need a bigger boat…" he joked, softly.
"Now, Elliot, now! Use fire from the lighter to activate the sprinkler system!" Tedd yelled over the Goo's roar.
Casey charged the monster, but it swatted him away. The hit was blunted by his cobbled together armor, so Casey jumped back up and started whacking the Goo's flanks. It was so big, that it couldn't turn to grab him.
"It's not working!" Elliot shouted back. "Something's wrong with the sprinklers!"
The Goo managed to work one of its arms back to grab Casey. It tossed him towards Elliot and Tedd. "Frickin' ow…" Casey said. "I don't think I like this guy very much. Let's tell the principal on him…" He was a little dazed, but more annoyed. The Goo advanced towards them.
"Um, Elliot," Tedd said. "Any ideas?"
"Only one and I'd really hate to do it, but…" Elliot concentrated, and a crackling energy aura surrounded him.
"Um, you ok?" Tedd asked, timidly.
Elliot rushed the Goo with superhuman speed, yelling a wordless battle cry that stunned the monster. He punched through one of the Goo's red eyes and clicked the lighter on. He shoved the lighter into the hole he made and jumped away. The Goo's eye socket filled with flame, and Elliot fled. The monster screeched in pain as flames spread quickly throughout its body. Finally, it exploded, throwing Elliot towards Tedd and Casey.
"Ok," Tedd said. "I don't care if you did use the lighter to set it on fire. It blowing up is just ridiculous." Elliot thrust a gooey fist into the air.
"Yes!" he cried. "I am the man!"
Casey took off his catcher's mask. "Dude! That was the single coolest thing I've ever seen!"
"Except you didn't give any of your attacks pointless Japanese names," Tedd interrupted.
Elliot clapped a hand to his forehead. "Argh! God Dammit! Son of a— Can I get a do over?"
The fire department, police and reporters showed up to question the three, but Casey let Elliot and Tedd do most of the talking. He took off all his gear and stashed it in a spare athletic bag, which he attached to his bike before the authorities showed up. Eventually, everyone left, and the guys were free to go.
"Well, dude, thanks for your help," Elliot said, extending a goo-encrusted hand to Casey. "We probably couldn't have done it without you." Casey shook Elliot's hand.
"Are you gonna give that stuff back?" Tedd asked. Casey considered it for a moment.
"Nah," he said. "I don't think so. Half of it's mine anyway." Casey slung the bag over his back and unlocked his bike. "Besides, it could come in handy the next time the sewer revolts on us." They laughed. "What do you think happened today?"
"Eh, I don't know," Tedd said. He yawned. "I'm not gonna worry about it tonight. You still coming over for a while, Elliot?"
"Yeah, but I want to wash this crap off before it sets completely solid," Elliot said.
"Cool, well…" Casey climbed onto his bike. "I'll see you guys Monday, I guess. Later…." He started to pedal away, but Tedd stopped him.
"You want to come over to my house and play a game of Risk or something?" Tedd asked. "We haven't played it since Sarah stopped wanting to hang out at my house."
"Because you turned her into a cat-girl, Tedd," Elliot said. Casey cocked his head.
'Wait, what?' he wondered. Out loud, he said, "Are you guys sure? Uh, I don't want to seem like I'm inviting myself over or anything…"
"Nah, don't worry about it," Elliot said. "Tedd's dad is used to people just showing up and hanging out. Don't expect food, though. The Verres men are horrible cooks."
"Hey, you know I cook better when my dad's not home and I can 'let my hair down', so to speak," Tedd said. "Just say yes, C.J. It'll be fun!"
"It's Casey, actually…" Casey said quietly, but the others didn't hear him. They were bickering about something called a Transformation Gun. "Sure, I'll go, if you guys don't mind a sausage fest," he said.
Tedd grinned. "We could fix that easily enough…" he cackled.
Casey left his bike at school and rode to Tedd's house in Elliot's car. Casey unpacked the game board while Tedd hid his TF Gun at Elliot's suggestion. Elliot told Casey a little bit about his study of Anime-Style martial arts, and said a little about Nanase.
'I wonder if that's the same Nanase I used to know,' Casey thought, as they chose colors. Casey and Tedd eliminated Elliot rather quickly, and fought each other to a standstill. Eventually, Elliot had to leave, so Casey hitched a ride back to the school to get his bike. Elliot told him to call any time to hang out, and then left.
Casey rode around town for a bit, then went to his Sanctuary and dumped his bag of gear. He planned well enough that by the time he got back to his house, his parents had already gone to bed. Casey went to bed thinking about the interesting and dangerous day he'd had. 'At least I made some friends,' he thought. 'Finally…." He drifted off to sleep more contented than any time he could remember.
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<urn:uuid:7f2b7b23-f3a7-4cb3-9dad-9b145cf0ab1e>
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https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4124836/1/El-Goonish-Shive-Delta
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en
| 0.986254
| 0.11276
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mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet
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Research company x business model, game dev company
Job Description
1. A quick market analysis based on Porters five forces analysis.
2. A qiuck business model canvas, Not more than 1 A4.
3. I want to know, is there any money in this, can they earn money in the future? Do they have any impact on the market
I need someone how can do this good and fast. I will tell you which company it is once you're hired
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<urn:uuid:fd5321fc-9778-4ea1-9873-93a416a82701>
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https://www.odesk.com/o/jobs/job/_~016dfe57037205d189/
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en
| 0.960997
| 0.920287
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mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
Warning : totally noob question...
I just started using ubuntu at home, and i love it, but there are some basic stuff that i don't know how to do and is annoying me...
When I install a package using sudo apt-get install ... I don't even know where the installed package is. For some packages it doesn't really matter to me, but for some it does...
Example : I just installed vim, and I would like to create a shortcut to vim on my desktop. How would i do this ? How can i find the folder where it was installed and know which executable I need to shortcut ?...
Maybe coming from the world of Windows, I'm not even thinking like a linux user, so feel free to correct me... :)
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4 Answers
To extend on Ángel Araya's answer. You could run sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends gnome-panel then open gedit and type
[Desktop Entry]
Name=New launcher...
Exec=gnome-desktop-item-edit --create-new
Then save to the desktop as gnome-launcher.desktop. Finally you should have a button to make a launcher on your desktop.
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And welcome ;)
To extend nickanor's answer you can create a .desktop file to point to vim executable. Just open gEdit with root permissions
gksu gedit
and paste:
[Desktop Entry]
GenericName=Vim Editor
Then save the file to /usr/share/applications/ with name vim.desktop. Then you can see vim when you search it in the dash:
enter image description here
Another faster aproach is just to open the terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and write ´vim filename´ which will open the editor with specified file.
enter image description here
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if you wish to find the directory of the executable vim, use which command: which vim. It will display where the executable is located.
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vim is located in /usr/bin/vim. Most executables, that is, scripts that start a program are in /usr/bin or /sbin or /usr/sbin. You can find about anything with:
sudo updatedb
locate <whatever>
updatedb indexes a database and takes a few moments, so be patient.
I doubt you really want a shortcut to vim, however, since vim requires an argument; that is, a file to create or modify, for example:
vim newfile.txt
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Your Answer
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<urn:uuid:e6ba24e3-79f4-44ee-8012-c7d77d35c310>
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http://askubuntu.com/questions/229705/finding-an-apt-get-installation?answertab=active
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| 0.858913
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mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
Possible Duplicate:
Is there a language out there in which parameters are placed inside method name?
Does a language exist with such a syntax? If not, what are some of the limitations/disadvantages to this syntax in case I want to write a language that supported it?
Some examples:
sort(array, fromIndex, toIndex);
Method signature would like this:
sort(SomeType[] arr)from(int begin)to(int end){
Because there might be some confusion, I'd like to clarify... I meant this question as a general idea like this (not specific to sorting and possibly using keywords like from and to):
In JAVA(like language):
void myfancymethod(int arg1, String arg2){
myfancymethod(1, "foo");
In imaginary language:
void my(int arg1)fancy(String arg2)method{
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Downside: explosion of the number of keywords, complicated corner cases. Even VBA is less verbose than what you are proposing. SCIP authors believe that the number of reserved keywords should be no more than the number of toes and fingers. Upside: I cannot think of any. – Job Nov 18 '11 at 21:38
@Job: I do not understand what you mean about the keywords. – c_maker Nov 18 '11 at 21:46
That second one is horrible. I would hate having to code in that language. – Darren Young Nov 18 '11 at 21:50
This question has definitely been asked before on an SE site, but I can’t seem to find it. – Jon Purdy Nov 18 '11 at 22:04
@Job: Take a look at Agda, which handles it quite gracefully: if_then_else_ can be used as if x then y else z, and an infix 10 if_then_else_ declaration ensures that … else a + b is parsed as … else (a + b) and not (… else a) + b. Simple. – Jon Purdy Nov 18 '11 at 22:07
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marked as duplicate by c_maker, Jörg W Mittag, Jon Purdy, Winston Ewert, back2dos Nov 19 '11 at 21:32
6 Answers
up vote 18 down vote accepted
Smalltalk and derived languages (including Objective C) use a syntax like this for method calls.
In Objective C, for instance, one can work with an NSMutableArray container with something like:
id a = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithCapacity: 3]
[a insertObject: @"Bob" atIndex: 0]
[a insertObject: @"Fred" atIndex: 1]
[a insertObject: @"Mary" atIndex: 2]
[a replaceObjectAtIndex: 3 withObject: @"Hello, World!"]
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If you create a fluent interface, you can write it more or less like this:
But method overload resolution will give you simpler syntax:
array.Sort(fromIndex, toIndex);
...and if you name things sensibly, it's still self-describing.
If you still need the descriptive verbiage, some languages (like C# 4.0) allow you to specify the names for each method parameter:
array.Sort(from:= fromIndex, to:= toIndex);
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It seems you need to write a whole lot of code to make a fluent interface. – c_maker Nov 18 '11 at 22:23
All that's really required is return this in your method bodies (in languages such as C# and Java). – Robert Harvey Nov 18 '11 at 22:32
That means though that instead of a single method supporting the syntax mentioned in the post, you need an actual class, set all your parameters and call 'go'. – c_maker Nov 18 '11 at 22:36
The Sort() method is the "go" method. But you're right; in class-based languages, your method needs to go somewhere, even if it's in a static utility class. We could talk about lambda expressions, but that's probably beyond the scope of your question. – Robert Harvey Nov 18 '11 at 22:39
In Scheme or Lisp, it would simply be (sort array from to), or something similar. Of course, you still need to build up a function, but polymorphism works there as well, so you can still simply say (sort array) if you want to. As you can see, I favor a "functional" approach (your first example) over the fluent interface which you more or less described in your second example. – Robert Harvey Nov 18 '11 at 22:42
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In Agda an identifier containing underscores can be used infix. Consider the declaration of if:
if true then x else y = x
if false then x else y = y
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I'm not aware of any language with syntax quite like that, although QBasic and Visual Basic had some built-in statements with custom syntax, like "LINE (10,10)-(80,95)".
I like your idea as a general-purpose feature. I think "sort(array from index1 to index2)" would look slightly more attractive and be easier to type, and presumably you're talking about a single function call here, which is not as clear if several sets of parenthesis are required. Parsing might be challenging: "from" and "to" basically represent commas in the syntax I just suggested, but the parser wouldn't know that for certain until the function name is resolved. However, it could be parsed as a sequence of expressions: (array), (from), (index1), (to), (index2) where (from) and (to) are replaced with commas during semantic analysis.
Instead of defining "sort" in a special way, you could also envision this as a way of representing named parameters:
sort (SomeType[] arr, int from, int to) { ... } // declaration
sort (arr from: index1 to: index2); // possible call syntax 1
sort (arr, from index1, to index2); // possible call syntax 2
sort (arr from index1 to index2); // possible call syntax 3
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You could write your example in Tcl like this if you wrote your own sort function:
sort array from $index1 to $index2
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But it's more common to prefix the extra “keywords” with a minus and make them optional with sensible defaults (sort array -from $idx1 -to $idx2). Many built-in commands fit this model rather well (lsort and lsearch being the classic examples). – Donal Fellows Nov 19 '11 at 8:55
(Weirdly, there's no -from or -to option to lsort; guess nobody ever had a real requirement for it.) – Donal Fellows Nov 19 '11 at 8:56
yes, common, but not strictly necessary. – Bryan Oakley Nov 19 '11 at 14:17
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TeX has this kind of functionality: you can define for example:
\def\say #1 to #2.{#2 said: ``#1.''}
And use it:
\say Hello to Mike.
To get:
Mike said: ``Hello.''
This allows for some nice syntactic tricks.
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I am developing an add-on installer using Installshield 2011 and project type is Basic MSI. I got a requirement where i need to update app.config file; the mentioned app.config is not part of current installer; app.config will be available by installing the base product. And on top of this my add-on installer will update the app.config file.
I am using XML File Changes feature provided by Installshield, i have configured it in the following steps:
1. Import the updated app.config file under XML File changes view.
2. Create a new element and assign key and value to it.
3. Repeated 1 and 2 and added 7 to 8 new entries as per the requirement
During testing i am seeing that the app.config file has been updated but entries are in single line instead of one below the other. I cannot enable "Format XML after changes" because one of the service which is referenced to app.config is not working and when i revoke the option services runs perfectly.
Is there any workaround/option to tell/ask installshield insert xml tag one below the other not in sinlge line using XML File Changes?
Thanks, Chetan
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1 Answer
up vote 1 down vote accepted
If XML Changes isn't formatting the document in a way that's acceptable, you could consider using the Text File Changes which is just a simpler search and replace without understanding the schema of XML. Otherwise options are to check out Windows Installer XML ( you can use the XmlConfig elements found in the Util extension in a merge module and then use that merge module in InstallShield ) or to just write your own custom actions.
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Your Answer
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NAME Alien::MSYS - Tools required for automake scripts in Windows VERSION version 0.04 SYNOPSIS from Perl: use Alien::MSYS; # runs uname from MSYS my $uname = mysy { `uname` }; From Prompt/Makefile C:\> perl -MAlien::MSYS -e msys_run uname DESCRIPTION MSYS provides minimal shell and POSIX tools on Windows to enable autoconf scripts to run. This module aims to provide an interface for using MSYS on Windows and act as a no-op on Unix like operating systems which already have that capability. If you use this module, I recommend that you list this as a prerequisite only during MSWin32 installs. When installing, this distribution looks in the default location for an existing MSYS install, which is C:\MinGW\msys\1.0\bin, if it cannot find it there, then it will download and install MSYS in this distribution's share directory (via File::ShareDir). You can override this logic and specify your own location for MSYS using the PERL_ALIEN_MSYS_BIN environment variable. This should point to the directory containing the MSYS executables: C:\> set PERL_ALIEN_MSYS_BIN=D:\MinGW\msys\bin Keep in mind that this environment variable is consulted during both install and at run-time, so it is advisable to set this in the System Properties control panel. FUNCTIONS msys # get the uname from MSYS my $uname = msys { `uanem` }; # run with GNU make from MSYS instead of # dmake from Strawberry Perl msys { system 'make' }; This function takes a single argument, a code reference, and runs it with the correctly set environment so that calls to the system function or the qx quote like operator will use MSYS instead of the default environment. msys_run # pass command through @ARGV C:\> perl -MAlien::MSYS -e msys_run uname # pass command through @_ C:\> perl -MAlien::MSYS -e "msys_run 'make'; msys_run 'make install'" This function runs a command with the MSYS environment. It gets the command and arguments either as passed to it, or if none are passed the the command is expected to be in @ARGV. If the command fails then it will exit with a non-zero error code. This is useful, in the second example above if either make or make install fails, then the whole command will fail, also make install will not be attempted unless make succeeds. msys_path This function returns the full path to the MSYS bin directory. AUTHOR Graham Ollis COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE This software is copyright (c) 2013 by Graham Ollis. This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.
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Holiday Hair: The Best Celebrity Looks
The ubiquitous side-braid first turned heads on Alexander Wang's runway in 2009, and was Guido's brainchild. Since then, however, he's grown tired of the off-center plait. "Like every successful hairstyle, it's morphed into something that it didn't start out as," he says. "It began as this easy, sexy hairstyle—the braid was almost falling out—but now it tends to be tighter and polished. Braids should be more spontaneous; I like them to be romantically hippie-ish."
To breathe life back into a side-braid, Abergel suggests going Guido's original rough-texture route ("When you're done with the braid, break it up with your fingers to make it seem less done"). He's also a proponent of weaving multiple braids into the side-swept style, as Blake Lively did: "You can choose varying widths and textures, and maybe throw in a fishtail braid."
By Emily Hebert December 15, 2011
This Is A Developing Story
Don't Miss
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Nintendo is not dying and the Wii U is not doomed.
#11MixorzPosted 2/8/2013 11:31:31 PM
Nintendo is fine, if you think having no games until September is fine.
XBox Live GT: Mixorz
#12airfoemoePosted 2/8/2013 11:39:54 PM
Once Microsoft reveals the 720, the Wii U will get much less hate. They have no games franchises at Microsoft, it's pretty much confirmed they are bringing it with a sequel to Kinect, and Xbox Live is still going to cost money. You'd have to be a blind fanboy to buy that piece of crap.
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Box Office News
'John Carter's' Uphill Battle to Breaking Even
Mar 13, 2012 | 1:07pm EDT
ALTMega-budgeted blockbusters all face the same challenge: make back the money. Sure, profit is always helpful, but at a certain point, throwing the "event," impressing the audiences and earning back all the cash poured into the endeavor becomes the bigger priority.
Not an easy task, and no movie in theaters right now (or, quite possibly, in movie history) is starring up that mountainside like Disney's John Carter. The movie opened last weekend with a $30.6 million domestic gross, which wouldn't seem too shabby…if it weren't for the reported budget of $250 million (which may be closer to $400 million after marketing). The silver lining for the Taylor Kitsch-led adventure flick is that it was a hit overseas, bringing in another $40 million and finally crossing the $100 million worldwide line this week. That may sound like the path to breaking even, but the zen road to financial inner-peace is a bit trickier than it may seem.
The amount of money a movie grosses doesn't simply funnel directly into the pockets of the movie studio.'s Box Office Editor Paul Dergarabedian explains:
"[The studios] have to split theatrical with the exhibitors at about 50%, Disney might wind up with $175 M off the theatrical alone. Now there will still be ancillary sales, DVD, VOD, broadcast rights etc. so it will not be a total bust. However, anytime you spend this much on a movie it gets very tough to recoup your costs. They needed this to be $800 million to $1 billion movie worldwide at that budget to really make it worth their while. Remember too, that success at the theatrical level has a positive (or conversely) negative ripple effect on later sales. For John Carter, the lack of theatrical success hurts its long term prospects to make its money back."
March has become an increasingly profitable stretch of the year for studios—Disney tops them all, in fact, with their billion dollar hit Alice in Wonderland—but with middling buzz and less-accessible source material, John Carter was little chance of it matching that Alice's success. March movies in the vein of John Carter that took home $30 - $40 million in their first weekend, like Battle: Los Angeles or Scooby Doo 2 or Blade 2, all fizzled out at $80 million total, $200 worldwide—meaning only a $100 million final profit. To break even, John Carter needs almost eight times that. Probably not going to happen.
Here's the silver lining: the movie's great. Regardless of whatever the movie is able to amass dollar-wise, those who catch in theaters still win. So while the executives at Disney may be reworking their strategy moving forward, we can only hope that the quality continues.
More Box Office News
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"Catfish: The TV Show"
Credit: MTV.com
"Catfish: The TV Show"
by Jordan Armstrong / KVUE.com
Bio | Email | Follow: @majordyrules
Posted on December 7, 2012 at 4:09 PM
Updated Friday, Jan 18 at 11:45 AM
Have you seen "Catfish: The TV Show"?
First let me ask you, have you seen “Catfish” the documentary? It was on Netflix, and on a rainy Sunday afternoon it changed my life.
The documentary made by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman follows Schulman’s brother Nev as he becomes online friends with an entire family he has never met. He ends up falling in love with one member of the family, though he has talked to her only through Facebook and on the phone, etc.
Of course things start to become fishy, and a few facts about her and the others don't add up.
SPOILER ALERT: She isn’t real. The family isn't real. They were all made up by a sad, lonely woman.
Nev had his heart broken but learned a valuable lesson. He's since turned to MTV and created a show where he travels the country to help poor souls meet their online loves in person.
I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure calling MTV for help meeting my online boyfriend is red flag number one.
My friends and I are OBSESSED with this show. I’m always waiting for Chris Hansen to come out, ask someone if they want some iced tea and then tell them they're under arrest.
In the episodes which have aired since the show premiered, the person of interest hasn't been completely telling the truth. In each case the “victim” is led to believe they are in love with this person they never met. But Nev always comes to the rescue.
He and his crew usually find something strange or odd about the person within the first five minutes of being there. All it takes is a Google search and a few questions. Are people really that naïve?
Maybe it’s because I’m a journalist, but everything “detective” Nev does is what I do when I meet a cute boy on any given day.
If someone says they work at the "Chelsea Handler Show", Nev calls to confirm. If someone has privacy settings which exclude “real” photos of them, he checks on them from another Facebook account. If someone says they have two kids, he calls and asks them if they have two kids. It's common sense. It's that easy.
But some of the people on this show believe every word these people are telling them. They've even been in an online relationship with them for sometimes up to 10 years - without meeting them in person.
My generation or younger should know better. Since AOL chat rooms existed, we've been told to watch who we're talking to and NEVER meet an online friend in person. We hear stories about dangerous creeps all the time.
One would think in this day and age, people would "Google" someone before proposing.
For example, a girl in one episode was told by her online "model" boyfriend that his three sisters died tragically in a car accident. A simple search conducted by Nev immediately proved his sisters were alive and well.
It makes me think - with online dating sites and social media becoming more predominant, are we really more apt to fall in love with a computer screen than an actual person?
So far this show hasn’t ceased to amaze me (but it does air on MTV, so only time will tell). Nev is charming (and super good looking!) and seems to be a genuinely nice person. He's always searching for the truth and wants to help others find love - even if it's unconventional.
Am I the only one hoping the person on the other end will be Old Man Withers from "Wayne's World" when the person expects Rob Lowe?
That may sound harsh, but if someone is willing to fall in love with pixels without doing their homework, they run the risk of being shocked on national television.
So why is it called "Catfish" you ask? Here's an explanation from MTV.com:
Cat·fish [kat-fish] verb: To pretend to be someone you're not online by posting false information, such as someone else's pictures, on social media sites, usually with the intention of getting someone to fall in love with you.
You can catch "Catfish: The TV Show" on MTV Monday nights (and other times during the week, 'cause you know MTV repeats the heck out of its shows). Full episodes are also on MTV.com.
For a full understanding, the documentary is also a must-see.
Jordan Armstrong is a digital content producer at KVUE. She holds a degree in Radio, Television and Film from the University of North Texas. Her addiction to television and movies started when she was five years old and wouldn’t stop watching "The Cosby Show." She's a "Power Rangers" fan club card holder and owns every season of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" on DVD. Jordan’s opinions are not a reflection of the views of KVUE.com, KVUE TV, or its parent company Belo Corp. We actually don’t know why we’re letting her have a column.
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Friday 14 March 2014
Saudi delays execution of seven men
Executions jump in 2011, driven by ME: Amnesty
The number of executions carried out around the world jumped last year, largely due to a surge in use of the death penalty in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Amnesty International said on Tuesday. The rights gro
UN chief alarmed over Syria atrocities
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had received 'grisly reports' that Syrian government forces were arbitrarily executing, imprisoning and torturing people in the battle-scarred city of Homs after rebel fighters had fled. Ban
Russia appeals to Iraq to not execute Aziz
Russia called on Iraq on Wednesday not to carry out the death sentence on Tareq Aziz on humanitarian grounds, its foreign ministry said. The Vatican has also appealed against the sentence which was passed by Iraq's high tribunal on Tuesday
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Wednesdays 8:00 PM on CW
Arrow Review: The Billionaire, The Friend, The Hero
by at . Updated at .
All of the information we've been clamoring for was revealed on Arrow Season 2 Episode 9.
Oliver was plagued by stress-related hallucinations that gave viewers a lot of insight into his character and prepared us for the big reveal at the end.
The installment was the perfect setup for the second half of Arrow Season 2, and it was also yet another non-Christmas Christmas episode in what has turned out to be the "thing" this holiday season. It does make it easier, I suppose, for those who binge watch in the middle of summer, for example.
The theme of "Three Ghosts" was, of course, a nod to Dickens' A Christmas Carol. What Oliver didn't know was that all of his ghosts weren't in the past at all, and one was manipulating his present. Aha - a Christmas present!
Visions of Ghosts
While it certainly makes sense to give The Flash his own show, having Barry Allen around was a lot of fun and I'll miss his presence. He was the catalyst for change to the team and when someone can have a positive effect on a tight-knit group, they're always welcome.
Although Oliver was dying, he still didn't like Felicity making the decision to reveal his identity to Barry. He was pouty and petulant about it, feeling betrayed. Without Allen, not only would he have died, he wouldn't have gotten his new mask. You have to love the lines the writers gave Barry.
Not to tell you how to do your vigilante-ing but the grease paint thing is a poor identity concealer.
Really? Who knew? Now if only Oliver would cover that gorgeous jaw line which anyone would recognize a light year away.
As Cyrus Gold terrified Starling City, Oliver was seeing ghosts. The first was Shado, and unfortunately we have confirmation of her death. There's no coming back from a bullet to the head. Ivo did that when Oliver "chose" to save Sara by kneeling in front of her instead of Shado.
Her island scenes are over, unless he flashes back even further than the timeline he's in now. Shado's ghost wanted him to live and stop placing himself in jeopardy.
His second ghost was Slade, who accused him of being Arrow to atone for his own sins, such as allowing Shado and him to die. He didn't buy the BS about his father, and told him he belonged with him, wherever that was. Oliver really gets into his hallucinations. He even threw himself into a display case and broke the sucker. That's commitment.
Oliver's third ghost was Tommy, and it was the most surprising. For some reason, I didn't expect him even though there was every reason he should be at the top of the list. Since the first two were from the island, I expected the final visit to be from Robert Queen. Seeing Tommy give the heartfelt speech to his friend wrenched my heart just a bit.
The Internet went wild when Diggle was scouting Cyrus Gold and said "Solomon Grundy born on a Monday," and Oliver said he knew the poem, which symbolized the seven stages of death. It's a moniker that Gold adopts in the comics after he dies and comes back as the first comic zombie after being murdered and dumped in Slaughter Swamp.
Roy, Thea and Sin were still trying to find out about their friend, but it was all to get Sebastian Blood to give Roy Mirakuru. That's right. Little Roy just became a super soldier. He was out most of the time Arrow was saving his ass, so I'm not sure how much of that he'll remember, but if mayoral candidate Sebastian Blood get to him as I'm expecting (the red hoodie and all that), he's going to have a hell of a nemesis for the Arrow in his new soldier.
Roy is still angry at Arrow for shooting him, but he's now healed. The wound was fixed right up after the serum took effect. Thea is behind her guy in his desire to go it alone, which is a far cry from her stance a month earlier. With his new physical presence, her support and Blood's support, things are going to get interesting.
Blood was also getting intimate with Laurel, in one more horrible decision on her part. With Lance in the hospital because of Blood and Gold, she was accepting hugs of concern outside his room without knowing that he was the cause of it all. Someday she will, and it will undoubtedly crush her just a bit more as she searches for rock bottom before she can return as a new version of herself.
There were two big reveals at the end. I'm not sure which was bigger. One has a large impact on the show and one spins off into The Flash; we'll talk about the latter first.
Barry and Felicity had a few moments and he kind of admitted he had feelings for her she didn't return, and he thought she had feelings for Oliver. Once they got all of that out, he was in a hurry to get back to Central City to see the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator turned on. He was late, as usual.
Barry was standing in his office, the floor covered in water during a horrible electrical storm with rain pouring down, when he went over to the sky light to pull on some enormous chains. The accelerator exploded, he was struck by lightening and his face was lit up, kind of like Dorian's in Almost Human. There are nanites or something in Barry Allen now. A new superhero was born.
Both Barry and Roy were infused with powers tonight, but we won't get to see Barry until he either gets his own series or that falls through and he becomes a part of the Arrow-verse. I'm not sure which one I want more at this point.
The second revelation was the discovery of Blood's boss. As expected, a blood donor was at the bottom of the Mirakuru serum. Oliver's ghost was of the present, because Slade Wilson is alive and well, sans one eye, in Starling City. He woke just after receiving his injection on the island and immediately found Shado dead. Hell hath no fury like a super soldier scorned.
Slade told Blood Oliver is his friend, and I think he still considers him that, even though he believes he was betrayed. Time doesn't heal all wounds, it gives them time to fester and bring them to the boiling point. The pain between Slade and Oliver will be an ultimate fight. Will these men stray from the fates of their comic characters? Can they be redeemed?
With the recent mention of H.I.V.E. and the presence of Deathstroke, it will be interesting to see if they come together in the death of Diggle's brother. Slade may be beyond redemption. Given what they've all been through, are any of them beyond that point? I guess we'll find out.
I'm sure there are a hundred other things that happened or are worth discussion that I didn't touch upon. That's your job. Hit the comments and strike up a conversation. Let's get this ball rolling!
Editor Rating: 4.8 / 5.0
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Rating: 4.9 / 5.0 (147 Votes)
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This was such a great episode and I thought it ended the mid-season point on such a strong note. I love how they brought Slade into the present and laid out the revenge he plans on seeking against Oliver. I think knowing that - knowing he's behind the scene pulling strings to manipulate everyone - ups the tension for the viewer. I really want to know where Isabel fits into this. Is she Slade's "insider" at Queen Consolidated? Is that why she targeted the company? Is that why she seems to be poking into Oliver's relationship with Felicity? (Are you sleeping with her, is she just a friend, etc)
It would make sense to me, in a weird way, if it's Oliver/Felicity/Diggle in Team Arrow against Slade/Isabel/Blood on Team Baddie. Weird symmetry there, actually, now that I think about it.
I think almost all the characters are coming along nicely and I'm anxious to see what their fates will be the rest of the season -- Quentin, Felicity, Roy, Thea, Oliver, Diggle... all got me on the edge of my seat.
And yep, I enjoyed the Oliver/Felicity stuff as well. I find it cool that Arrow is having Felicity working to deny how much she's come to care for Oliver. What's Oliver think? How does he feel? When will he realize it? Looking forward to the show addressing that, too. I laughed when someone in a previous comment mentioned that Arrow doesn't really do "slow" in these areas but really... it's been building since season 1 and right now it's still (largely) unspoken. I mean... the two only just hugged. I've got a show I'm watching with a similar pair and after spending only a few minutes together on screen have kissed and I think they slept together this week. So Arrow with Oliver/Felicity? Actually moving at a pretty slow pace. Sometimes I think they could pick that up with Oliver/Felicity just a smidge. ;) And yes. Yes, I did just use the word "smidge." LOL!
So you guys remember the scene where Ivo makes Oliver choose between Shado and Sara and he inadvertently chooses Sara, thereby sealing Shado's fate. What if Slade will seek to recreate that in the season 2 finale? Like maybe he gets Laurel and Felicity side by side and does the exact same thing Ivo did to Ollie on the island. Forcing him to choose? Not saying I want Laurel to die per se but given the fact that she's playing more of a supporting role this season, that could be a viable option... Thoughts?
@ Fearless Diva
Laurel will be Black Canary in the future. So I doubt the creators will kill her off.
@ Fifty
As someone pointed out in one of the Arrow after shows for Laurel to become Canary something has to happen that she gets training. She can't just lose her sister and decide to be Canary. I agree. Perhaps canon won't be followed like Tommy.
@ isoron
It's something to keep in mind that, even though it doesn't come close to the training the other's have had, it's been noted many times Laurel has been training in the martial arts. She handily took down the fellows when she was kidnapped when David Anders guested. We've missed a lot of what she's been doing in the background.
Brother Blood has a boss! And the Boss is Slade!! Super Awesome!!! I guess Barry's pilot as Flash would be off the hook as well. Love to see Red Arrow being born. I agree the green and red won't see eye to eye at first but eventually they will partner up. Conveniently I won't say anything about Laurel except HOPE she would play that role better than the current one coz it sucks!!!
Finally I watched the episode and I really enjoy it. This series is getting better and better. Good storylines and action. Laurel was much better last season, this season she is like a supportive role only.
I like Oliver and Slade as friends but I know Slade is pissed off with Oliver as he believes Ollie is reponsible for Shado's death which is not true, but Ollie feels that guild inside of him that it is starting to eating him. I dont like the idea of Slade become a very lethal enemy to Oliver and harm everyone he cares about cause I knoe he will but I hope Oliver will get thru his senses and make him realize it was not his fault and they can work together as a team btu I believe it will take a bit time before that happens. Slade has this much anger towards Ollie. Poor him.
I hope Roy teams up with Oliver and do not go to the dark path and join Slade.
It's mostly boring.
@ fortyseven
And you are mostly a troll.
Great review!! So. Much. Happening!!!
I really enjoyed this episode. Stephen Amell was on point - the scene where he and Diggle were talking about their ghosts was so well done! Also, for someone playing Green Arrow, he sure has a killer Batman stare-down...
Roy Harper - even in the comics and the animated shows - has anger issues. This is an interesting way to explore them. I'm also REALLY looking forward to the return of Barry Allen.
I have to disagree with anyone who says Shado's death was lame. Oliver was forced to make a "Sophie's Choice" - that kind of choice defines a person and lives with them forever. I'm betting that this will be a turning point for Oliver; the kind of guilt that comes from this death is more than would come with any heroic sacrifice. It's also a much bigger catalyst for revenge for Slade - Oliver can't really argue that it wasn't his fault, and he'll never believe it wasn't.
On another note, I preferred when the Felicity/Oliver thing was a bit more subtle. A slow burn would have been nice. That being said, Arrow's doesn't really do slow, so part of me that is grateful for the pacing and not dragging stories out.
Laurel...oh Laurel. What a crap story this poor character's been given. Katie Cassidy - I'm sorry, but I don't think she's very good at playing the broken woman. She was WAY better last season when Laurel was driven, decisive and strong.
P.S. Among the five contributors, last week's Round Table predicted almost everything that happened in this episode!
PPS. Solomon Grundy!!! I love how great these writers are with throwing names for us comic fans!
@ Robin Harry
@Robin, in all honesty after reading so much of script playing, reviews and comments on my No.1 TV show i.e. of course Arrow, I feel Laurel would be ending up becoming up the Black Canary at the end of the Season 2. Caty Loitz aka the present Black Canary would be tracked down eventually by Nesa Al Ghul the half sister of Talia Al Ghul girl of Ra's Al Ghul. Roy should go through the normal transition i.e he must turn himself into Arsenal and then eventually become Red Arrow. Batman, Nightwing, and maybe who else will make a cameo in Arrow, only the producers and the best writers know. What say @Carissa? over to you. Arrow is undoubtedly the best superhero TV show ever made and surely the best right now running out there IMHO.
Could this show get any better? How well written,I'm impressed.
I loved every Barry scene and I was jumping on my couch as I saw his accident coming.
And I'm sorry, I don't like Laurel. I hope she becomes a super soldier too, with no emotion. She cries too much. I hate that she keeps bringing Tommy's dead. They were no longer dating.
Roy isn't going to be Arrow's nemesis, he is going to be his sidekick, Red Arrow.
@ justme
I don't think that going to be his first stop. He has some growing up to do before he partners with anybody. He thinks he can do it himself, and will even more now that he's supercharged.
Man! Olicity's chemistry was way off the charts in this episode!
@ Helena
Agreed. It was the best part.
@ Helena
What chemistry i don't see it but Oliver and Shado hell yes what a crying shame she is killed off
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The Gatekeeper
23. Darkness in the Depths
Of an Undead Dragon, a Shadowborn Wizard, and Storming a Tower
The dracolich struck the heroes hard, breathing forth a cloud of shadow that blew the vitality and strength from their bodies. Vayne had the sense to throw a protective black sigil over the creature, draining its strength even as it attacked. Thus the heroes weathered the attack well enough, but found that dark wraiths sprang up from the pieces of their souls burned off in the assault. Most of the wraiths looked like mere shadows, with two exceptions: Vayne’s wraith resembled her shadow self perfectly, and Tristan’s wraith looked like a gleaming silver-and-blue woman of unearthly beauty. It was, to him, a vision of his dead goddess, albeit with immortal hatred in her mad eyes.
Bakkonn moved to heal the heroes from the strike, but Brandis unexpectedly struck him a resounding blow. The dragon’s mighty will had bored into his mind, dominating him and turning him against his fellows. As the monk halted the heroes’s charge, the dragon gave a rattling laugh through its fleshless throat and took off, borne aloft by great bone wings. With Bakkonn’s magic, Brandis managed to fight off the dragon’s dominating will, but the creature instinctively probed at all of the heroes’ minds throughout the battle. It seized hold of Vayne and forced her to attack Ysabelle, but the shadar-kai’s love for the girl was strong enough that she resisted and foiled her own attack. Enraged at what the dragon had almost caused her to do, Vayne teleported up to the creature, shattered its mind with a strike of her swordmagic, then teleported back to the ground, landing in a crouch as the creature slammed into the stone behind her.
Downed and stunned, the creature took a moment to collect its wits again (while Brandis and Tristan tried to strike it effectively, then turned its dominating will upon the mortal that had dared smite it from the sky: Vayne. Ysabelle cried out in warning, but in the grip of its will Vayne dropped her defenses and did not resist as the dragon’s claws burrowed into her body and she spewed blood. Then the dragon hurled her into a previously unseen patch of what looked like liquid darkness on the ground. In her shadowed state, Vayne could see the darkness for what it was: a ravenous void that drained the life of creatures within it. The greedy blackness tore at her vitality, leaving her on the brink of death.
Fortunately, Bakkonn’s magic came to the rescue, healing Vayne before the dragon could finish her off. Bolstered by his power and Tristan’s divine mettle, the wounded shadar-kai managed to fight off the dragon’s will long enough to limp out of the void pool. No sooner had she done so, however, than a spell burst in their midst, knocking the heroes staggering. A new threat had emerged: a dark wizard sniping at the heroes from the cliff side where none could easily reach him. To make matters worse, the dragon renewed his breath weapon and loosed it on the group.
Tristan, Bakkonn, and Brandis focused on the dragon, leaving Ysabelle and Vayne to deal with the wizard. Tristan hit the beast with silver fire and Brandis continually struck it with his ki-charged fists and his cane. Among the three of them (and Vayne’s aegis magic), they managed to drive the creature off, then destroy it before it could escape. The dragon’s last words before it turned to dust were a promise that it would rise again. As the creature fell, Vayne cried out, drawing their attention to the other half of the battle.
Vayne and Ysabelle fared not nearly as well against the wizard. His magic and the lingering dracolich’s will kept Vayne paralyzed, and she could do nothing but watch as the wizard struck hard against Ysabelle. When the girl fell to her knees, Vayne could only rage against the magic imprisoning her. The wizard mostly laughed at Ysabelle’s attempts to strike him, parrying her magic with ease. Finally, when the wizard conjured a floating claw that ripped open Ysabelle’s midsection, and Vayne summoned enough fury to move. It was then that the dragon fell, distracting the wizard, who suddenly saw the battle turning against him. In his distraction, he let the imprisoning magic fade from Vayne, and she leaped up the cliff side, teleporting up to pursue him. The wizard retreated through a magical gate in the rock. Before he could close it—even as the words were on his lips—Vayne struck him with her silver sword, banishing him temporarily to a demiplane.
Her victory was short-lived, however, as the wizard’s two bodyguards—bodaks clad in black plate armor—surged through the gate and attacked. Vayne faced them, staring them down warily, then struck. She hit and disoriented one, but the second parried her. Then she teleported back off the cliff and rolled to her feet, joining the rest of the heroes below. The bodaks hurled themselves from the cliff and rushed the group, but the dragon had been dealt with and all five of the heroes could join forces against them. They handily dispatched the bodaks, but were then left with a dilemma: what to do about the wizard? Vayne recognized the man as Maren Black, a powerful wizard from Gloomwrought who had the ear of Prince Rolan, ruler of that city. No doubt he would not want the powerful church of the Raven Queen to know he wielded powers over undead, and Vayne said she wouldn’t put it past him to track them down to end their potential threat.
Ultimately, the heroes decided that instead of leaving a potentially deadly enemy at their back, they would treat with the wizard to see if a peaceful resolution could be reached and they could part without fighting one another. To this end, they followed the trail of the wizard’s power, up a rocky cliff covered with the bones of what could only have been previous enemies of the wizard. Two nightwalkers surprised the heroes on the cliff, but were handily dispatched through Bakkonn’s divine magic and some ferocious fighting on the part of the heroes.
Brandis continued to be reckless beyond measure, wandering into his second ambush of the day. The party attempted to convince him to exercise caution, but he scoffed at the suggestion, and immediately walked into a warding that paralyzed him temporarily. Vayne and Ysabelle were able to suppress the power of the wards long enough for the rest of the party to get through, but the tail end of the magic caught Ysabelle, rendering her helpless as a flopping fish. Triggered by the heroes’ proximity, a bone golem pulled itself together out of the surroundings and attacked. They dispatched the creature, though not without difficulty as Brandis and Ysabelle were still fighting off the paralysis.
After a long trek to get to the wizard’s holdfast, they recognize a symbol of death carved on the locked door, which would activate upon any who opened it without invitation. They addressed the doors, which took on the wizard’s semblance. For the destruction of his golems, Maren Black insisted the heroes owed him a great debt—50,000 gp to be precise. The party balked at this, saying that they were attacked first, and now he is charging them for defending themselves from his minions. He offered an alternative arrangement, which was to take one of their lives instead. Vayne attempted to negotiate with him, offering to perform a service out of their good faith, but the wizard refused the offer. He asked Vayne repeatedly who she was, but the swordmage said nothing of the issue (he might potentially have recognized her, though she’d been gone from Gloomwrought more than 20 years). Ysabelle attempted to intimidate the wizard, resulting only in him stating that it would be his mission in life to hunt her down and destroy her. This was too much for the heroes, who decided (for better or worse) that Maren Black would have to die. Ysabelle opened his doors with the Gatekeeper Staff, and the battle was on.
The heroes immediately found themselves attacked by four disintegration turrets, which nearly demolished Brandis. Working together (and with considerable help from Bakkonn’s healing magic), they were able to get inside and disable the turrets, only to find themselves confronted with a summoning circle that loosed dread wraiths upon them. They slew these creatures as well and deactivated the circle, confident in their ability to defeat any of Maren Black’s attempts to destroy them.
What awaits next?
22. A Traitor Revealed
Of Mind Flayers, Allies Slain and Gained, and a Last Parting
The battle was joined, with the heroes fighting desperately against the psychic superiority of the mind flayers. One illithid in particular proved very effective at asserting his will over the heroes, forcing his mind upon them whenever they managed to shake off his power. He kept Brandis at bay, holding his mind like a vice as the monk tried to wriggle free. The drow plunged his blades down at Brandis, but the monk managed to dodge around his strikes.
Meanwhile, Henri strolled up to Ysabelle and convinced her he was not one of the enemies, but only pretending to be a mindslave. She fell for his bluff, only to earn a blade in the stomach, from which blood leaked. Furious, Vayne used her magic to pulled Ysabelle away just in time to avoid Henri’s follow-up strike. Tristan strode forward and summoned his silver fire, which went wild and blasted not only all the foes, but also himself and Fiona’s cover, making the wall melt and crumble under its attack.
Vayne teleported across the battlefield, using the shadows to corral the enemies into one of the corridors where she could hold them at bay. This would have worked wonders, had not her mind been weakened by the constant barrage of voices she heard in her head—the whispers of someone long lost to her—which allowed one of the mind flayers to stun her. She fell to her knees, helpless before the drow’s poisoned blades and—far worse—the mind flayer’s tentacles, which began digging into her skull for her brain.
Matters grew worse: one of the mind flayers blasted into Fiona’s mind and made her strike herself with her fire magic, burning a hole through her midsection. As she stood stunned at the ferocity of the hellfire, Henri followed it up with a vicious thrust into her right lung. Fiona faltered, hovering on death’s door.
Fortunately, Brandis and Tristan came to the rescue from two sides, the monk thwarting Vayne’s would-be slayers with his impressive movement skills, and Tristan protecting Ysabelle and Fiona. Brandis knocked away the mind flayer that was feasting on his companion, allowing her to recover—only to face the Thoon Hulk, which tried to eat her as well. She had the wherewithal to escape this time, however, teleporting over to cut the lead mind flayer’s silver cord with her silver sword, banishing him to a nether realm while the fight progressed. The other mind flayer blasted her with another mind attack, and she fell back, dazed. The Hulk slunk off into the shadows.
A healing touch roused Fiona, who promptly blasted the drow to ash, but faced a dominated Tristan, who was operating at the beck and call of the mind flayer. He brought his axe down into her, putting her down once again. Hurting his ally gave him the angry strength to fight off the mind flayer’s influence, however, and when the Thoon Hulk came barreling out of the caves, it was a furious half-dragon, half-elf paladin he had to contend with, rather than a half-dead tiefling. The creature tried to knock him aside, but he smote it back and extended his divine power to help Vayne shake off the mind flayer’s assault. She stepped closer, encompassing the group in her protective warding.
The heroes fought their way into a tight group, repelling the attacks of their multitude of foes: the hulk, Henri, and a single mind flayer. Fiona thirsted for revenge against Henri, who had stabbed her nearly to death with his blades, but Brandis insisted the group not kill him.
Henri bluffed his way into striking Vayne, remarking that “there’s a shortage of perfect breasts in the world,” to which she replied “and you won’t be ruining these any time soon” and parried his attacks. He managed to jab her with a blade that came out of his boot, and blood seeped from the wound. Wracked in pain, Vayne jaunted into her shadow form and began talking to someone the others could not see, saying “I’m sorry,” and “I didn’t mean it. I couldn’t stop him!”
Unnerved even in the depths of his mindslavery, Henri hurried over to strike Ysabelle. Vayne shrieked in terror and screamed “Not again! I won’t lose her again!” When Henri struck out at Ysabelle’s throat, Vayne invoked a warding sigil around him and sent him across to attack the remaining mind flayer. The blow would have killed the creature, but it lashed out with its mind and turned Henri’s blade on himself. The halfling opened his own throat with a vicious strike, and his blood flew across the battlefield.
The mind flayer blasted everyone with an illusion of barbed tentacles, seemingly paralyzing them. Ysabelle lashed out at the creature, but it teleported away before her psychic attack could take root. Brandis fought off the illusion and rushed over to strike the mind flayer. As before, it pulled Henri into the blow, and Brandis sacrificed a sure strike for the sake of avoiding a deathblow. Vayne drew the mind flayer close, so that the heroes could attack it, but at that moment, a twist drew their attention: Fiona purposefully and maliciously burned Henri to death before Brandis’s eyes.
In the moment of shock, the mind flayer grasped Vayne’s face with its tentacles and sought to dig out her brain. Brandis watched as Henri fell, dead, and turned his wrath on Fiona. He shoved the mind flayer away (freeing Vayne in the process) and struck Fiona with his ki energy, knocking her senseless. Seizing upon Brandis’s rage, the mind flayer forced its mind into his, taking control of his body. Under its command, Brandis brought down his fist to crush Fiona’s skull, but—as fate would have it—missed when she rolled just wide. Tristan cut the mind flayer down with his axe, breaking the mind control, and the fight was over. The paladin also healed Fiona with a healing potion, and she sputtered back into wakefulness.
The party stood for a moment, staring at Brandis, who stared murderously at Fiona. Vayne drew upon her protective magic to wrap her aegis around Brandis and held out her hand toward him. “Don’t do it, Brandis,” she said. “Don’t—” But it was too late. The monk exploded into motion, first kicking Vayne in the chest to knock her aside, then twisting around Tristan to knock Ysabelle senseless with a gentle tap. The paladin lashed out with his axe, but Brandis eluded the blow and vanished. He reappeared standing over Fiona, and Vayne used her shadow infused protective magic to sap his strength so he could not kill her. Vayne pleaded with him to think about what he was doing—that he was declaring them all his enemies—but the monk would not listen to reason. His eyes burned with the need to avenge his former friend.
Tristan healed Fiona, then struck at Brandis, but his shadow cloak enveloped him and he came after Fiona again. This time, she could defend herself, and managed to strike him with her fire magic. Brandis staggered, and Vayne and Tristan barely managed to knock him down. They stood panting over his unconscious form, nearly sapped of all strength. Tristan immediately set to checking his wounds, confident the fight was over, but Vayne wiped blood from her face, turned to Fiona, and informed the tiefling that the time had come for her to leave. Fiona was startled, but Vayne explained that there was no way she could travel with Brandis anymore, and Vayne had sworn to protect her—something she could not do if she remained. Ysabelle, sick about what was going to happen next, fled into the caves, where Garal Kai tried to convince her to leave with him—to escape her clearly insane companions. The girl refused, and the genasi fled by himself.
Fiona challenged Vayne that cutting her loose in the lowerdark in her current state was as good as a death sentence, but Vayne remained adamant. She put her aegis over Fiona and warned her that if she took an offensive move, she and Tristan would not hesitate to cut her down. The tiefling paused, considering, then shook her head. They were forcing this choice upon her. She summoned her power to kill Brandis, but Vayne cut her down with two swift strikes of her silver katana. The tiefling crumpled to the ground, bleeding to death. Vayne gave Tristan a long, poignant look, and said “Do what you have to do.” Then she left to go find Ysabelle, who had hid and seemed catatonic. She saw Garal Kai briefly, but there were no words exchanged—none needed to be. Vayne found Ysabelle and reassured her that they hadn’t meant to scare her—they were making the best out of a bad situation. The girl managed to respond, and Vayne hugged her close and covered her ears so she would not hear what Tristan did next. He hauled away the unconscious Brandis and turned to blast Fiona as she lay dying, putting her out of her misery in a gout of lightning and frost.
As Vayne wept quietly, Ysabelle hugged her back.
The heroes regrouped shortly thereafter, and Brandis regained consciousness of his own accord to find Vayne leaning hurt against the wall, Tristan searching the bodies of the dead, and Ysabelle gazing at Fiona’s charred remains. The monk apologized for attacking them, saying that he could not let them do what they were doing. Vayne smiled crookedly and said, “Likewise, and for the same reason.” The monk frowned, not understanding. Vayne put a hand on his shoulder and said, “you are a good man, Brandis, but if you had murdered Fiona, then you would be something less than that.” Tristan and Ysabelle nodded their agreement. The monk nodded, touched that they thought so highly of him.
The aftermath of Fiona’s death was not without its own unsettling flair. Finally, her body burned away in purple flames, revealing the sigil of Cyric branded upon her chest. The heroes heard her crying out for mercy as the dark god claimed her soul, and they realized what had come to pass. In the previous days, when Fiona had seemingly lost her powers, it was because the God of Lies had slain her primordial patron and taken his place. He’d offered her a new pact: serve him as a spy on the Gatekeeper in return for her powers restored. Ultimately, they realized, Fiona would have taken the completed Gatekeeper Staff and used it to free Cyric from his prison. Whether Fiona meant it or not, when she had decided to fight them, that had been a noble choice, in a sense—sacrificing herself rather than going through with Cyric’s schemes. “So,” Tristan observed, “I suppose that turned out for the best.”
Any further rumination the heroes might have done was cut short, however, when cries of pain from the mind flayer prison caught their attention. Inside, they found a halfling bound upon a table, cut open and showing signs of having been experimented upon. The surgeries to enhance his limbs and skeleton appeared to have been in progress when the heroes attacked the mind flayers, leaving the halfling in considerable pain. They finally calmed him (with the pommel of Vayne’s sword) long enough that they could heal him, and when he came to, he was able to speak, he introduced himself as: “The name’s Bakkonn. ’Cuz I bring it home.” Wary of taking a new and clearly unstable companion, the heroes nevertheless welcomed Bakkonn into their number, as they couldn’t very well leave him in the lowerdark.
The heroes took stock of their situation: Fiona was dead, Garal Kai (their guide) was gone, and Bakkonn (new and crazed) had joined them. They were very weary after the battle with the mind flayers—particularly Tristan, who had spent so much of himself in the silver fire blasts—but they couldn’t very well rest in the illithids’ territory. Instead, they decided to go back the way they had come, through the area of shadowdark, and find shelter on the other side. The trek was grueling and caused both Ysabelle and Tristan to injure themselves in their weariness.
They had been traveling for some hours when Tristan heard a familiar voice say “all too easy.” The heroes turned to find Sunic among them. The elf had been following them since they initially entered the shadowdark, and had chosen just this moment to steal the Orb of Reality. In his arrogance, he paused to appraise us, and Tristan launched into a diatribe against him, which Sunic did not expect. The heroes revealed that they had bigger concerns—namely, Cyric was in the process of being freed, and he was going to come for that Orb when he had the chance. The heroes tried to convince Sunic to aid them, but he said instead that they would part ways and he would trouble them no more. Expressing genuine concern for his well-being (also a surprise to Sunic and everyone else), Vayne pleaded with him to reconsider, saying that if he took the Orb, she guaranteed it would be the death of him. Sunic considered this, then smiled slightly and said something that made her flinch: “See you in a moment, Vayne.” He was referring, of course, to her doppelganger, whom he had openly declared his ally. Then he vanished.
The heroes decided there was nothing they could do about Sunic just then, so they pressed on, hoping for shelter. What they found instead was a cave filled with poison gas and some sort of dark entity. They backtracked and rested just outside the cave, but inside the shadowdark. The gloom of the Shadowfell infused them, making Bakkonn jittery, Brandis recklessly confident, and Vayne sluggish and disinterested. Ysabelle and Tristan were also affected, but they hid their conditions far better.
The halfling and monk went on ahead, into the cave filled with poison mist. They found there a dracolich, which Brandis (in his Shadowfell addled state) could not help but insult with his bravado. Once again, when Vayne, Tristan, and Ysabelle rejoined their companions, it was into a battle.
21. Gloom of the Shadowdark
Of Guides Lost, Seeping Darkness, and Ancient Powers
The heroes pressed on, only to find themselves walking through increasingly oppressive gloom. Without knowing it, they had entered into the Shadowdark—the Shadowfell’s equivalent of the Underdark—and the darkness of the world of shadows seeped into their minds and souls. Brandis became paranoid and possessive while Vayne became quarrelsome and muttered to herself once again, as she had in the Lowerdark. Tristan spent most of his time in communion with Mystra, while Fiona clung to Morthos as though she would fall without his support. Garal Kai grew even more distrusting of the others, and Morthos himself grew angry—even wrathful. In short, the gloom heightened everyone’s insecurities and flaws of character. Only Ysabelle was unaffected by the gloom, and she grew extremely uneasy if, for once, she was the sane one.
This oppression led immediately to tragedy: Morthos stared menacingly at Garal Kai, looking to plant a dagger in his back. Morthos told Fiona that she was better than all of the heroes and she no longer needed them. When the tiefling argued that they were useful and even her friends, the drow cast her off to collapse to the ground. Brandis lightly pushed him away from Garal, and the drow immediately blasted him with his warlock powers. Before the rest of the party could intervene, the two were fighting. Brandis pushed Morthos off a nearby cliff but when he tried to catch him, he missed the grab. The enraged drow plummeted into the impenetrable darkness. Vayne shoved Brandis and almost knocked him off the cliff as well, but the monk caught himself on the stone. The two of them looked about to fight, but at that moment the rest of the party intervened and pulled them apart.
After Ysabelle’s plea for sanity, Vayne finally shook off her irrational temper and explained the Shadowfell’s effects to the heroes. She said that the shadar-kai fight against the gloom of the Shadowfell by committing themselves fully to their course of action. They staved off ennui through emotional extremes, pain, and violence. She urged everyone to throw themselves into battle whole-heartedly, and that way they could stave off the Shadowfell’s gloom. Afterward, she apologized to Brandis and told him she did not hold him responsible for pushing Morthos off the cliff. The monk nodded mutely, but it was clear he still blamed himself. Vayne gave him a reassuring hug.
Garal Kai had fled after what happened to Morthos, but the group quickly found him once more. He professed that he could not trust them, and they said that was his decision. At this point, if he accompanied them, it was his own choice and his own moral responsibility to rescue Henri or not. Tristan talked him into coming along, and the genasi reluctantly followed them once more. Also, before the next leg of the journey, Vayne proposed that the party pick a leader, upon whom the ultimate responsibility for decisions would rest. With her background as a pirate captain and leadership role with J’Div, she might have been expected to suggest herself, but she kept silent and passively accepted the party’s decision to place the mantle of leadership on Tristan. For now, at least, the paladin would be the leader of the group.
The heroes continued on through the Lowerdark, emerging from the Shadowdark into a place of glowing crystal. Ysabelle began experiencing terrible headaches, and Vayne offered to connect to her mind to try to protect her. This proved a failure: Vayne was hurt, and Ysabelle was not much improved. Finally, the source of her headaches was revealed: a chamber of crystal infused with psychic energy that enhanced her powers. Ysabelle told everyone they should leave immediately, but too late: mind flayers and umber hulk slaves ambushed them, and battle was joined. The heroes dispatched one mind flayer quickly enough, and the second fled while the hulks attacked. Finally, the heroes won the day, but the other illithid had not reappeared.
They took a moment for Garal Kai to commune with the crystals (as an earthsoul genasi), during which Brandis and Fiona scouted ahead stealthily. The two came upon a mind flayer and a thoon hulk, and ambushed the two before they could get away. These foes proved extremely capable, however, and the tide quickly turned on Brandis and Fiona: more so when the escaped mind flayer reappeared, with mind thralls in hot pursuit. The rest of the heroes caught up to them, only to see the mind flayer reinforcements arrive: a mind-reamed drow warrior and a certain half-starved halfling.
They had found Henri, and now he was going to kill them.
20. Sharpening Blades in the Lowerdark
Of Guides Found, a Rival Discovered, and a Nest of Hook Horrors
After defeating the matron mother and sealing the gate to the Demonweb Pits, the heroes turned to the last piece of business remaining in the drow stronghold: the warlock who had first fought them, then aided them in exchange for not being plunged in a vat of acid. The warlock—one Morthos by name, or at least so he claimed—suggested that his aid would be essential in escaping the fortress unharmed, and the heroes accepted this bargain.
Morthos proved a capable guide, and when the heroes returned to the relative safety of the Middledark, an offer was made: if he would agree to guide them through the perils of the Underdark, they would give him a share of the rewards they gained in their quest. The heroes bickered and argued telepathically about what bargain to offer, and finally Vayne stepped forward as the party spokesperson to make the deal. She revealed to Morthos their goal (the Well of Living Steel) and its general location (the Lowerdark). The drow balked at the concept of descending that far, but Vayne assured him that he could leave whenever he determined that the risk was no longer worth the potential gain. Morthos accepted this bargain, and the heroes continued on with a guide.
The drow warlock led the heroes to the fastest route to the Lowerdark he knew of (though he personally had not ventured down it): a great abyss filled at the bottom with what he called “deep horrors.” Along the way, Fiona traded notes with Morthos about arcane pacts, revealing her Elemental Pact to him as he told her of the Dark Pact to which he was sworn (apparently, his patron is some sort of “Great Cloaker”). She even offered some of her own lifeforce to power his spells—should the need become dire. Morthos was surprised by this and asked for clarification about her offer, to which Fiona cheerily returned, “well this way, if I happen to catch you in one of my fire spells, I won’t feel too badly about it.” Morthos: “Good to know.” Her casual promise of potential harm seemed to intrigue the drow, and he subsequently made more obvious overtures to her (including caresses in the heat of battle or when no one else appeared to be watching).
The heroes came to the great abyss Morthos had promised. Tristan plucked up Ysabelle to fly down, Morthos conjured a moving disk of force to carry himself and Fiona (once she cuddled up to him), while Brandis worked together with Vayne to make the long climb down into the pit. Briefly, Vayne lamented J’Div’s disappearance, as she would ordinarily rely on his strength for situations like this, but with his monk training Brandis proved an excellent climber, skittering down the walls and leaping to outcroppings with ease. There was never any danger, but the trip was grueling. When they got deeper, they began to hear echoing sounds as of metal scraping against stone as though to sharpen itself. It was not long before they found what awaited them: a hive of hook horrors.
Fiona and Morthos blasted away a group of the horrors to clear a path, but the creatures instinctively exuded clouds of inky, blinding darkness to cover their skittering escape. When clouds of darkness began creeping up the walls after Vayne and Brandis, a fight seemed inescapable. Steel was drawn and battle was joined: a blurry, disorienting battle fought primarily in the darkness the creatures exuded. Brandis was quickly surrounded with the creatures, though he could hold his own thanks to his great training. Vayne meant to guard him, but Ysabelle and Tristan landed to join the combat, and the shadar-kai had a new priority: protect Ysabelle from the charging creatures. Fiona and Morthos lingered on his disk of force, striking from safety fifty feet about the cavern floor.
The heroes fought a nearly endless onslaught of the beasts, somewhat hampered by the inability to see. Without their protective darkness, the hook horrors might have posed an insignificant threat, but their natural blindsight made them deadly combatants. To make matters worse, when injured, they roared with deafening, paralyzing force, and so the heroes often couldn’t hear as well as see. Brandis and Tristan were both badly hurt in the combat (the monk partly thanks to one of Fiona’s spells, an erupting volcano of flame that immolated three of the hook horrors) and Vayne was grievously hurt, fighting desperately to defend the others. Ysabelle narrowly avoided being impaled by a hook horror’s claw through use of the staff: with its power, she foresaw her own death and stepped differently, thus averting that awful second in time.
In what seemed an uncharacteristic display of self-sacrifice, Fiona conjured her hellgate between the relative safety of Morthos’s platform and the cavern floor, stepping down and allowing Ysabelle to teleport up to safety (though the warlock was considerably less pleased with her company than that of the alluring tiefling). Fiona revealed her true intentions on the ground, however, when she blasted a hook horror that charged her with repelling flames that killed it outright. Her fire powers were extremely useful in the battle.
At the height of the battle, Vayne began murmuring to herself, saying things like “No, it wasn’t my fault—I didn’t mean it!” When Ysabelle connected to her mind, she found it filled with horrible distress and a fleeting image of a small, pale, dark-haired girl surrounded in a dark corona of flames and staring menacingly at her. A chill of fear ran through Ysabelle at the sight, but before she could interact with the image, Vayne discorporated into her shadow self to carry on the fight, severing the mental connection and leaving Ysabelle with only a lingering chill of empty shadow. She sent an ardent surge into Vayne, giving her the strength to carry on in spite of her wounds, all the while a little bit nervous about the little girl she had seen. Was that Vayne’s image of her? Or something else entirely? In her shadow form, Vayne offered no insights through her mind or expression.
The heroes repelled the first wave of attackers, and looked for a way to get to the exit—across the cavern. The hook horrors appeared to be repelled by the scent of their own dead, so the heroes smeared themselves with the blood and guts of their kills and pressed on, with Fiona holding off the foes with fire at need. The hook horrors’ hesitation proved short-lived, however, particularly when the heroes stumbled across what appeared to be an overgrown hook horror at least twice the size of the others. Their cautious walk became a run, and soon enough every hook horror in the hive was after them. Tristan, who had spent so much of his vitality on the battle and on his own silver fire, would have fallen to a hook horror attack, but Vayne revealed a new swordmage power that allowed her to switch positions with him and parry the attack. They ran.
Outside the hook horror cavern, the heroes relied upon Morthos to guide them to a safe place to rest. The found a suitably defensible, out-of-the-way cave where they could hole up for the night. Tristan, who was wavering on his feet already, passed out on the spot, and it took Vayne and Brandis working together to take his armor off so he could rest effectively. The monk was skeptical of the whole process, but the shadar-kai reassured him that she had done this sort of thing often enough for J’Div, who similarly pushed himself with alarming regularity. Brandis cautiously asked if she wanted to talk about the genasi, but Vayne hardly seemed to be paying attention to him, being wrapped up in a conversation she seemed to be having with herself. He finally managed to rouse her, at which point she declared that she hardly felt like sleeping and would gladly take first watch.
As the heroes bedded down, Brandis and Ysabelle discussed Vayne and whether her recent erratic behavior was a result of the influence of Godsbane. Ysabelle asked Brandis if he wouldn’t mind taking the sword from her for the time being, to which he replied by showing her that he was carrying it in his pack—in an extradimensional space, no less. Vayne, who had been meditating, spoke up: “I know that look, Brandis—and no, it isn’t the sword. I’m just weary. That’s all.” Despite her claims, Ysabelle and Brandis kept a careful watch on her, and while she said no more aloud in waking, she murmured in her sleep, again apologizing to an unseen listener for some great sin.
In the morn, Brandis again discussed being a better person with Fiona, mostly in the context of choosing right and refusing to do wrong, whatever the consequences. Tristan was too exhausted to take part in the discussion, having dreamt of the prison of air the night before and been unable to rouse himself. Surprisingly, Morthos participated in the conversation (perhaps jumping to Fiona’s defense?). The drow was seemingly intrigued by surface world morality, which he thought incompatible with the basic truths of life in the Underdark. In particular, he did not understand why Brandis thought it was so important not to kill an “innocent” for the sake of his goals—“in the Underdark,” Morthos said, “there are no innocents.” The monk stubbornly held to his firm beliefs in right and wrong, and Vayne (who had not slept well) eventually snapped at him: “If you did not learn the error of your beliefs in the downfall of Funikashi, then nothing we can say will change your mind.” Brandis inquired as to what she meant, but Vayne refused to speak of it.
Shortly thereafter, the heroes came upon an earthsoul genasi wandering in the dark. After a moment of tension diffused by Vayne’s suggestion of food and drink for the lost delver, the genasi introduced himself as Garal Kai. It came out that he was the stonewhisperer guide for Henri and his expedition to the Well of Living Steel, and he revealed that the halfling had been taken by mind flayers in the deeps. Several of the heroes were at first relieved that their rival searcher was not beating them to the Well, but Vayne and Brandis immediately said: “We have to save him” at the same time, albeit for different reasons. For Brandis, saving Henri was a question of morality—he did not wish ill to the halfling, but if anything wanted to return him to the surface unharmed and empty-handed. Vayne had more pragmatic reasons: if Henri had been captured, it meant his compass had fallen into the hands of the mind flayers, and they would be a far worse enemy with the Well of Living Steel at their command. The heroes’ next move was clear: find the mind flayer band that had taken Henri, rescue him if possible, and recover the compass. The genasi agreed, being unwilling to leave anyone to such an awful fate.
Before they moved out, Fiona asked Brandis if he wasn’t willing to sacrifice Henri—not an innocent by any means—and the monk replied: “If he is to die, it will be at my hands.”
19. The Dark Portal
Of Mistakes Paid For, a Friend Vanished, and a Dark Elf’s Madness
No sooner had the battle ended than Tristan turned upon Fiona and dealt her a withering blow to the face with his axe’s haft. Before Vayne or J’Div could intervene—Brandis could have stopped it, but saw that the other party members were ambivalent about what to do so he stayed his hand—the paladin followed up the strike with a blow to the knee that shattered Fiona’s bone and tissue. She collapsed into agonized unconsciousness.
Vayne pounced on Tristan, stunning him briefly with her swordmagic, buying the group a moment. She was unsure if he had been attacked by some external entity that was guiding his actions, but Brandis said he understood what Tristan was doing, J’Div nodded silent approval, while Ysabelle refused to say anything. Vayne lodged her protest of condoning Tristan’s actions, but she relented that they would speak to him.
When the paladin came to, he explained that Fiona had undertaken a series of terrible decisions that had placed them in immense danger, including voluntarily using Cyric’s skull and—potentially—summoning his avatar into the Realms. Vayne countered that they didn’t know what had happened, but Tristan argued that he felt it in his bones and wasn’t going to let Fiona run around free until they were sure. Pointing out her shattered leg, J’Div observed that Fiona wasn’t likely to be running around anywhere for a while. Tristan immediately set to healing her at Vayne’s request, and the group repaired her wound as best they could. They continued on, taking Fiona along more as a prisoner than a companion.
The tiefling eventually woke up in a world of agony from her ruined leg, about which Tristan did not show any sympathy, nor did Brandis, J’Div, or even Ysabelle. Vayne made friendly overtures to Fiona, including soothing some obvious pain she was feeling. The tiefling adamantly refused to discuss her situation, stubbornly asserting that she was perfectly fine, despite an instance where her fire powers failed to function. She grew obviously alarmed but said soon after that she was all better and could work her magic with ease. The rest of the party earned her venomous tongue, particularly Ysabelle, whom Fiona accused of being a monster they were tolerating in their midst, while they (hypocritically) keep Fiona captive. Ysabelle was upset by Fiona’s accusation and withdrew from the party for a little bit. Vayne went after her and assured her that she had done the right thing—the only thing she could have done under the circumstances.
As they progressed through the Underdark, things continued as they had been, though at least Ysabelle was drawing no more awful sigils. Tristan kept having the dreams, and lost more and more sleep each night. Vayne took back the red-bladed Godsbane from J’Div and sought to learn more about it. The blade spoke to her, promising great power if she would only appease it by killing. It flattered her, suggesting she was the most worthy one to wield it, though she detected a hint of qualification in that department. She thought of Sunic, and the blade recognized the image: yes, Sunic, its former wielder, was more worthy than Vayne, and the shadar-kai knew that the blade would desert her for Sunic if it ever got the chance. Though it was difficult, she put the blade away, refusing to have anything to do with it.
Eventually, Vayne tried to convince Fiona to test her powers, even going so far as to threaten her with an attack against which she would have to defend herself, but ultimately it did not succeed. Fiona shut down and would not communicate with anyone. It was speculated that she might have violated her pact with her master (infernal? The group was unsure), and thus her powers were not working—or perhaps she was simply hiding them until the right time. Vayne returned to Fiona and apologized for her seeming threat—she promised the tiefling she would never let her come to harm, if she could help it. Fiona accepted this promise stoically.
That night Tristan attempted to draw them all into his dream, with mixed results. Ysabelle and Brandis realized that the man trapped in the prison of air was not Tristan, but rather Linn, Tristan’s father. Ysabelle had a severely negative reaction to the dream and lashed out, harming all of the sleeping companions, who awoke in psychic pain. When they woke, they found J’Div had vanished—the genasi had been on watch, and while his pack remained, he himself was gone as though he had run off to deal with a threat. The heroes immediately broke camp and searched for J’Div, only to find traces of genasi blood in one of the caverns (though not enough to be from a death) and a lingering melancholy that Vayne recognized as the influence of the Shadowfell.
It looked as though Sunic had taken J’Div—perhaps killed him.
In the days after, the grim reality set in. Not only were they days behind Henri and his guided party, but Fiona had seemingly betrayed them, they’d summoned an avatar of Cyric, J’Div was gone, and now Sunic seemingly knew where they were. Possibly, J’Div had sacrificed himself to stave off Sunic’s attack, and possibly he wasn’t dead, but there were meager rays of hope indeed.
Distraught, Vayne returned to meditating upon Godsbane. Brandis and Ysabelle watched her suspiciously, recognizing her psychological distress and fearing the sword was influencing her. One night, as she sat meditating, Vayne said (in dark tones): “Brandis.” The monk came over, a little hesitantly. “Do you want me to kill Fiona?” Vayne asked. Brandis was shocked, and Vayne continued: “The sword . . . it needs to feed. Just let me do this . . . The urge. It’s just . . . so . . . much . . . ugh!” Then she writhed on the ground, feigning demonic possession, and ultimately collapsed into laughing.
Ysabelle grinned, though Brandis hardly thought this was funny. Ultimately, Vayne smiled at him, reassured him she was just fine, and gave him Godsbane to carry for assurance. She claimed to be upset over J’Div’s uncertain fate, but she wasn’t about to do anything rash.
The mood was sufficiently lightened that Fiona felt comfortable coming forward to talk to everyone, and a discussion was had regarding their path forward. A truce was called—a fresh start, particularly to Fiona’s relationship with Tristan, and the group agreed that the only way to achieve their goals was to cooperate. Brandis adamantly insisted on a promise from Fiona to try to be a better person, which the tiefling avoided offering. She made it clear that while she acknowledged his concerns, there was no way she could promise not to do whatever was necessary—including the murder of innocents—to save her family. How well this newfound peace among them would stick, none could say.
Shortly thereafter, the heroes ended up in a drow ambush. They handily fought off the first wave of dark elves, whom it turns out had been sent to test their abilities. A drow warlock appeared and sent his pet umber hulk to grab Ysabelle—it appeared he had been after her specifically. Fiona remained in hiding and did not use her fire powers, whether they were available or not. The heroes defeated the drow and Tristan blasted the warlock with silver fire, rendering him incorporeal with no known duration.
The warlock recognized he was overmatched and instead invited the heroes to an audience with his mistress, Matron Mother Baen, at an outpost nearby. In return, he would grant the heroes information related to their quest. The heroes went with him, during which he continually badgered them with questions—particularly regarding Tristan’s worship of what he knew as a dead goddess, Mystra—until Vayne turned incorporeal and slapped him, demanding silence of the “lowly male.” The warlock suggested that with a different skin, she could be a matron mother herself.
They arrived at the outpost’s audience hall, filled with spiders and drow servitors, where they were greeted by the Matron Mother of whom the warlock had spoken. The drow woman promised an exchange of information if they were to perform a service for her: opening a certain set of double doors behind her throne. Apparently, it had been pre-ordained that Ysabelle would arrive and open the doors for the drow. The heroes bargained to learn what was behind the doors and to increase the information they would get, but the Matron Mother was a shrewd negotiator and they could not get her to budge. Ultimately, she wanted to know how Ysabelle would open the door, which the heroes did not want to tell her, as that would entail a battle as the drow sought the gatekeeper staff.
Finally, Ysabelle agreed to do it, provided everyone leave the room. She did so, and the doors ground a little bit ajar, loosing a cold, deadly wind. When the drow returned—very happy that the doors were open—they refused to let the heroes leave, provoking drawn steel. It might have come to a direct confrontation, but abruptly an awful half-drow, half-demon came through the doors to what appeared to be the Demonweb Pits. It started devouring drow guards and the battle was joined.
With her psionic abilities, Ysabelle immediately sent the matron mother to attack the creature, playing the two sides against each other. While Brandis covered the main entrance to the room—a bridge over a pit of acid—the rest of the heroes fought against the draegloth and the drow. The Matron Mother seized Vayne’s mind and sent her to attack Ysabelle, but Vayne fought through it with the power of her maternal feelings for the girl. Meanwhile, the drow warlock appeared and sent his umber hulk after Brandis. The wily monk, however, managed to knock it into the acid, enraging the warlock whose “pet” had just been destroyed. He proceeded to drain the life out of many drow guards as he powered up to fight Brandis. He summoned an infernal hand to hold the monk up in the air, kicking and flailing. Fiona’s powers seemed to have returned, and she spent the time blasting drow and spiders in the temple.
The draegloth finally tore the Matron Mother in half, then turned upon the heroes as fresh prey. Tristan struck it with silver fire, and he and Vayne managed to lock the creature in place for a time, the paladin hitting it with his axe and the swordmage deflecting its attacks with her spells. Slowly but surely, as Brandis struggled with the warlock, Vayne and Tristan managed to fight the draegloth back into the portal and close one of the doors. The creature had another trick yet to play, however: it seized both Vayne and Ysabelle with webs, and pulled them into the awful abyssal plane with him. Vayne kept fighting and cried out for Tristan to save Ysabelle and close the doors—on her if needed.
Brandis beat the drow warlock and convinced him—on threat of being dropped in the lava—to surrender. The drow, seeing his Matron Mother dead and his other potential allies fled, agreed. He invoked his powers to summon his infernal hand to hold one door shut while Tristan closed the other.
Ysabelle teleported to freedom, and Tristan began to shut the door . . . just in time for Vayne to shadow jaunt back into the chamber and use her last breath to invoke a spell to hold the doors shut. The ancient warding magic, rekindled by Vayne’s power, snapped back into being, and the Dark Portal was once again shut.
18. City of Ogremach and Cave 333
Of Tainted Dwarves, the Elder Elemental Eye, and an Insane God Freed
At last, the heroes came to the end of the plague cave through a spellplague waterfall, only to find the way forward guarded by a group of mysteriously malformed dwarves. These creatures seemed to have uncut precious stones growing out of their bodies: the older and more seasoned among them having more than others. Brandis and Fiona stole subtly upon the dwarves, keeping out of sight so as not to betray the group’s true power.
The dwarves were tight-lipped, particularly as none of the heroes spoke Dwarven. Vayne and J’Div were able to communicate with them in Primordial, and discovered that they were set to guard this place against incursion by the creatures of the plaguecave. The only way to ensure travelers do not carry a disease or incubating creatures was to hold them in quarantine. “If you survive seven days,” they said, “you may pass.” Indeed, they recently detained a group of delvers led by a suspiciously familiar halfling and guided by a “stoneshaper” (sp?) through—they just left not a day ago. Wanting to get after their rivals, who suddenly seemed so close (and yet so far) the heroes attempted to talk their way through and proved unsuccessful. They would have no choice but to wait, stewing in their drive to get after Henri.
Apparently, the dwarves were not jesting in their suggestion that the heroes would have to “survive” the quarantine. Shortly after they set camp, the heroes were beset by strange dreams and portents. Tristan began having night visions of being imprisoned in an extradimensional space—a prison of air—from which he could not escape and woke only through falling. Ysabelle’s activities grew even more disturbing: she began tracing a curling symbol in the stone with her bare finger. The heroes recognized this symbol and even the dwarves seemed to know it—or at least a version of it: the Chained God Tharizdun in his aspect as the Elemental Eye. The heroes tried various methods to help her—Tristan with healing, Brandis with meditation, Vayne with swordmagic hypnosis—but nothing seemed to work. Indeed, going into a meditative state seemed to make Ysabelle worse.
The heroes tried numerous times to get past the dwarves. First, Vayne, J’Div, and Tristan sparred to distract the dwarves while Brandis and Fiona attempted to sneak past. They made it past the dwarves but to no good end: they succeeded only in killing one of the sentries, purely by accident. His body merged with the stone upon his death. The next day, the heroes begged the dwarves for help with Ysabelle, who was beginning to frighten even them (they had called for reinforcements soon after the heroes arrived).
The dwarves’ leader Thrumm (a particularly mottled dwarf that seemed largely crystal) arrived to take Ysabelle into custody. The rest of the party (including Brandis, who had revealed himself, but not Fiona, who hadn’t) insisted on going along, and they were all of them taken as prisoners to a stone-warped outpost called (in the Common tongue) Mine 333. The tiefling followed subtly, always avoiding notice from the dwarf guards. When the group crossed a long bridge over a chasm of lava, she had to pause, uncertain how to get past, and as she hesitated, the bridge collapsed into the lava. Trapped on the other side, Fiona considered how to get across when the skull of Cyric began whispering to her, promising a way . . .
The heroes were imprisoned in cells sculpted of living stone—Brandis with J’Div, Vayne with Tristan—while Thrumm took Ysabelle to his main audience chamber. He explained that she was not a prisoner but indeed a chosen emissary of his god, the Elemental Eye. This outpost (translated to the Common tongue as Mine 333) was meant to delve into the earth and discover the last of the three-hundred and thirty-three precious gems required to free his bound deity from its captivity, and Thrumm believed that Ysabelle’s coming presaged the recovery of the gem. Ysabelle sought to persuade Thrumm to release her and her friends if they helped, but the dwarf would have none of it. He demanded that Ysabelle help and said that her traveling companions would be immediately executed. With no obvious choice and desperately overpowered, Ysabelle contacted the dark voice inside her and surrendered her body to the entity inside. All went black for her.
Ultimately, Fiona fell prey to the whispers of the skull and opened herself to its dark powers. The winds of Pandemonium swept through the chasm, filling all (except the tiefling) with temporary madness. Even the heroes, on their way to imprisonment, heard this sound, and Brandis and Tristan immediately suspected it was Fiona’s doing. The skull held true to its word, and teleported Fiona across to the opposite ledge. She hurried after the captive heroes, only to find them taken in opposite directions. She followed the main group far enough to see where they were going—to the prison—then stole back to Ysabelle only to see a horrific sight in the audience hall: Ysabelle floating amongst the dwarves, surrounded by an aura of warped and torn flesh that had once been her victims, including Thrumm and several other of the dwarves. Fiona turned to flee, then thought of the skull in her hand. If there was ever an opportunity to rid herself of it, she thought, this was it. She threw the skull at the aura, made to flee then thought better of it again, and watched what transpired. Her eyes widened.
The alarm rose and the heroes broke out of their cells. They fought off the guards, including a captain who chose the prudent path and ran, rather than died in combat against them. Fiona arrived to tell them what had transpired—though she didn’t mention having thrown the skull at Ysabelle, or what happened next.
Falling to the floor as her power drained away, Ysabelle awoke from her Blood Angel state to find the skull of Cyric absorbing her Far Realm-tainted magic. Purple flame erupted around the skull, forming a new body to go along with the head. She crawled away then fled as Cyric himself appeared—a new avatar loose in the Realms—and began crying out for “Ruha!” and “Gatekeeper!”
The heroes regrouped and fled that awful place, as the newly freed Cyric set about destroying everything and everyone in sight. They plunged into Mine 333 and ran blindly, coming ultimately to two potential paths, one of which (a black abyss) was the path Ysabelle felt like following. Perhaps it would lead to the 333rd gem? Even though time was of the essence, Vayne urged them to choose carefully, and she and Tristan flew down the abyss to see if it was safe. They found themselves choking and nearly dying as they descended, so they flew back up and barely made it: that way was blocked by odorless, invisible poison gas. Unable to go that way, they chose the other path.
This led at length to a massive pair of stone doors that Ysabelle opened with the gatekeeper staff. They swung just ajar. Before the rest of the party could pull them open all the way, Fiona (who’d been feeling suspicious stares from Brandis and Tristan) teleported through the crack, only to find herself flanked by two massive guardian golems that lurched to life around her. She blasted them with her intense fire magic, only to burn away the golems’ armor and reveal them as magma creatures—immune to her attacks!
The heroes made it through the doors and defeated the magma golems in a hard-fought battle. Finally, they stood in the darkness, finally able to catch their breath for the first time in hours.
Then treachery befell . . .
17. Walk through the Fire
Of Spellplague Fire, a Fallen Goddess’s Cry, and a Devouring Worm
Still suffering under the various maladies from the wasps and ropers, hounded by the plaguechanged hordes from behind, they had no choice but to press on through the grueling challenges to come.
The tunnel behind the plaguechanged wasp hive led to an unsettling underground forest, into which the heroes delved without hesitation. Pyres of blue flame rose up around them: active pockets of spellplague that burned with energies far darker and more dangerous than fire. Tristan felt his soul drawn to these bonfires, but was able to resist their lure. Just as they though they were safe among the trees, two of the hulking things rose up and attacked, raking at them with gnarled branches like fingers and gaping, fanged maws.
The battle was a quick and brutal one, in which Fiona’s fire-based powers were indispensible. The creatures spread their spellplague infection as a mere touch, and the heroes desperately tried to keep from being injured. The wounded Ysabelle at first hid from the creatures, as Vayne in particular directed her to do, but ultimately she could not let her friends suffer on her account. She struck a pivotal blow that dazed one of the creatures long enough to turn the tide. The heroes defeated the plaguechanged treants.
After the forest, the heroes found a sure sign that they’d taken the wrong course earlier: a field of blue fire greeted them, a seemingly impermeable barrier. Shielding their eyes from the blaze, they could just make out an opening in the field of flame—suggesting a path through. Unable to turn back, the heroes plunged into the spellplague fire, trusting to their luck and talents to find a path through.
As they picked their way through, Tristan felt the silver fire growing within him, drawn to the surrounding spellplague. The power built in him, and he felt a corresponding urge to release it. The power of Mystra’s demise called out to the power of the still living goddess inside him. They had to move faster through the already impossible barrier, and in their haste, they stumbled through tighter and tighter passages between the flames. Finally, the end lay in sight, but Tristan could take the pressure of the magic no more. As the heroes dove for cover, the paladin unleashed his silver fire, which rose from him in a column to tear into the ceiling and turn the stone to butter. Molten globules of stone rained down, but the heroes managed to escape both the flames and the liquid cave-in, diving to safety just as the rock dripped into the flames.
They found a bare cavern between an empty chasm and a moving wall, with seemingly no exit. One second viewing, however, they realized the walls were covered in millions of crawling spiders—a living sea of biting, clawing death. These spiders filled the chasm as well. They spotted a tiny opening across the chasm, leading to a deeper chamber, and made for it. Brandis picked up Ysabelle and danced across the spiders, like walking on water. Vayne took J’Div’s hand and shadow jaunted them across. Finally, Tristan spread his wings and flew across with Fiona.
Through the passage, they found a larger chamber with shallow depressions filled with hulking spiders. Rather than attack, the creatures held back as though waiting for something the heroes could not see. The ground trembled, and an awful stinger burst forth from the dirt to stab Vayne in the small of her back. A purple worm the size of a building broke through the ground below them and swallowed both J’Div and Vayne whole. Instantly, the spiders charged, and the battle was joined.
Tristan, Ysabelle, Brandis, and Fiona held their own against the creatures, but the spiders kept coming. The worm lashed out at them with its envenomed stinger, but they managed to hold the awful beast at bay. Meanwhile, the warlord and the swordmage found themselves in a horrific burning nightmare, locked in battle in separate parts of the worm’s stomach with spiders immune to the creature’s acidic juices. Crushed by the worm’s muscles and harried by the gut spiders, it was all they could do to survive.
Ultimately, Brandis dove into the purple’s worm’s gullet to find J’Div, who had just lost consciousness from the acid and spiders. He revived the genasi and teleported back out and cut through the spiders like a whirlwind. Now that J’Div was awake once more, he used his inspiring cries to spur Vayne in the fight. The shadar-kai teleported to his side and destroyed the gut spiders with her swordmagic while the genasi focused on the purple worm. He drew the rosy-bladed sword Vayne had stolen from Sunic, which stole vitality from the creature and kept J’Div alive. Together, they cut their way out of the worm, which Tristan was busy hewing from the outside. The six finally managed to slay the awful creature, and stood reunited—all of them wavering on the edge of collapse.
What danger loomed ahead?
16. The Plague Cave
Of Horrific Monstrosities, a Duel between Sisters, and Trying to Stay Alive
Insectoid creatures twisted by the Spellplague into horrific monsters descended upon the heroes in wave after wave of ravening hunger. They fought two massive creatures that might once have been carrion crawlers, as well as swarms of giant spiders that went down quickly but seemed to number in the hundreds. Brandis, J’Div, and Vayne-the-White took the lead against the creatures, while Ysabelle and Fiona hung back to strike from a distance and Tristan remained behind to defend them. J’Div and Vayne slew one of the creatures almost single-handedly, prompting Vayne to remark that it was “just like old times”—an ironic sentiment, since she and J’Div never had any old times, much as either of them might remember them.
The true danger of the assault had not yet emerged yet, however: a swarm of spell-warped grub creatures erupted from the ground beneath Ysabelle’s feet, instantly engulfing her in a storm of psionic and necrotic doom. They drew Tristan closer, and his axe proved useless against the creatures. When he breathed with the power of Mystra’s grace, however, his dragon breath dispersed the creatures, and Brandis and Fiona quickly went to Ysabelle’s aid to destroy the swarm. The damage had been done, however, and rot grubs were burrowing through Ysabelle and Tristan, eating them from the inside out. The heroes, worn thin by the battle, healed Tristan handily enough, but Ysabelle was so far gone they barely managed to stave off her death. They could not quite cure her of the infestation. Vayne the White demonstrated a complete lack of any attachment to the girl, unlike her mold, which seemed to care for Ysabelle almost like a daughter.
No monsters came to trouble them, as it seemed the carrion crawlers had carved out this area of the plaguecave for their own. They could rest briefly here, but they had only caught their breath before they saw a shadowy figure following the path they had tread. Tristan pulled out his piece of the Gatekeeper staff and sure enough, the next piece was coming their way. They instantly took up a guard, ready to attack.
The creature that appeared was vaguely woman-shaped but indistinct, as though more shadow than flesh—like a wraith. It carried a gleaming sword in one hand and a staff in the other. That hand burned with a deep black fire. It paused when they confronted it, and the heroes risked talking to it. “Vayne?” Brandis asked.
The wraith seemed disoriented and confused, but at the sound of their voices, it—she—was able to pull herself together with a concentration of will. The shadows coalesced into the original Vayne, who had left them to spy upon Sunic. She bore in one hand Sunic’s rosy sword and in the other, three pieces of the staff put together. The hand that gripped the staff looked stained by blackness, which they realized was emanating from Sunic’s shadow ring on her finger.
Brandis approached, but Vayne cringed back, refusing to give up either the sword or the rod. She was not, she explained, sure that they were who they seemed to be. This could be an illusion, or she could be mad. For a long time, she hadn’t been able to say what was real and what wasn’t. Ultimately, when Brandis put his hand over hers, she released the staff into his grasp and sank against his shoulder for support as though she’d loosed a heavy burden. Satisfied, the group made to welcome Vayne back amongst them.
“Oh, horse-shit!” Vayne-the-White exclaimed from the back of the group, seemingly unable to take it anymore. She strode forward and pointed an accusing finger at Vayne-the-Black. “Isn’t it obvious? Sunic sent her. She’s here to betray us!”
Vayne-the-White went on to question Vayne-the-Black’s convenient appearance, with everything they wanted . . . but still wearing the ring Sunic bound to her. That she had betrayed the party already, not once, but TWICE, and was just doing it again, and they were falling for it like morons. Her harsh tone did not win her any allies, but neither did it speed Vayne’s welcome back into the group. Brandis and J’Div both stood up for her, while Tristan, Fiona, and Ysabelle remained silent. (NOTE: Correct me on this. I don’t recall Tristan taking a particular side here!) Vayne-the-White asserted that what Vayne-the-Black was doing? This is what SHE would do if she wanted to betray the party. “That bitch,” Vayne the White said, “is going to lead you all to your deaths, and I refuse to take part in it.”
At that point, Brandis echoed the unanimous sentiments of the group and said, “Very well. Leave.” Vayne-the-White looked startled for a moment, which turned first into anger, then resolution. “No,” she said. “No, no, no! The stakes are too high—with the sphere, the staff, the sword, the godsdamned skull of Cyric? You’re handing Sunic these talismans on a platter. Too much rests on this for me to walk off and do nothing. So I’ll do this.” She pointed her golden sword at Vayne-the-Black and said: “Challenge.” Silence gripped the clearing a moment, before Vayne-the-Black nodded and said: “Challenge accepted.”
The two squared off for a swordmage duel, despite the protests of the assembled heroes—particularly Brandis. But both Vaynes asserted they had to meet the challenge as a matter of honor. By mutual agreement, they enacted a special ritual to prevent the sort of interference they’d come to expect from the group. Sure enough, Fiona immediately set to dispelling the dueling ward: at first, she could make little progress across their combined magic, and the ward caused her pain in reaction to her attempts. The two women circled, unhindered, and placed their respective aegis wards on one another.
Fiona finally managed to unravel one of the basic spells that made up the ward, causing both Vaynes intense pain. Vayne-the-Black was already weakened from her ordeal, so she faltered, granting Vayne-the-White the chance to send her staggering away with a fist of force. It was all Vayne-the-Black could do to fend her clone off.
During the battle, the various heroes reacted differently. J’Div pulled out the silver sword to try to throw it to Vayne (which one he intended to have it was unclear, as Vayne-the-Black could summon it), while Tristan stopped him from interfering. Ysabelle watched, unsure what to do. Brandis contemplated drawing out the orb of reality and using it to penetrate the dueling circle.
As the two shadar-kai fought, like mirror reflections of one another, Vayne-the-White leveled accusation after insult at her original. She said that the heroes expected her to betray them, when one of their number—Fiona—had indeed betrayed them, and yet they trusted her. At length, she said they thought she was some sort of Far Realm creature, when they had one of those—Ysabelle—in their group and it never seemed to cause a problem. J’Div is fine with sleeping with her (something Vayne should know about!), but he doesn’t trust her enough to give her the sword that she remembers fighting and bleeding for. Brandis sees fit to judge her “loose morals,” when he is the one on a vendetta against his former friends—apparently, sleeping with people is bad, but murder is perfectly fine by him. (Notably, she says nothing of Tristan, positive or negative.) Mostly, come to think of it, she thanks Vayne for giving her an excuse to leave this cadre of madmen and bitches—though she will take pleasure in killing her first.
With the last of her strength, Fiona finally managed to breach the dueling circle long enough for everyone to interact with the two. Part of her magic conjured a gate into which Vayne-the-White charged, rather than striking Vayne-the-Black with a fatal blow. The gate whisked her some distance away, parting the duelists, but with a glance at her allies, Vayne-the-Black followed through the gate and their dueling circle reappeared around them for the final strikes of their duel.
Vayne-the-White knocked Vayne-the-Black’s sword from her hand and stood over her, ready to kill her. She took the opportunity to accuse the original Vayne of being her true originator: that it was her mind, with its doubts and insecurities, that gave birth to her, not Ruthchek—a version of Vayne that wouldn’t have any feeling whatsoever about the shadows before and behind her. And look at the result: a perfect Vayne—Vayne-the-White—who would soon become the only Vayne.
Finally, Ysabelle intervened. Perhaps she saw the Vayne who was her friend about to die, or perhaps it was rage at Vayne-the-White—or perhaps it was both. In any case, she opened herself to the mysterious voice inside her mind, harnessing its power to shatter the dueling circle. The shock disrupted Vayne-the-White’s strike, and the blow that would have killed Vayne-the-Black instead bit into her abruptly raised hand. The ravening force ripped through Vayne-the-White, who recoiled with a cry of pain and horror as it shredded her exposed skin. The worst casualty was her face, which Ysabelle practically tore off. “You little bitch!” she cried. “My face! What have you done to my face?”
Brandis charged into the breach, having taken the Gatekeeper staff to use as a club. He swung it at the reeling Vayne, who managed to parry. The force of the monk’s strike sent her golden sword ringing from her hand. Before Brandis could strike her again, she plucked up the shadow ring—which she had cut from the original Vayne’s finger—and used it to teleport away, presumably to Sunic’s castle.
With Vayne-the-White gone, the heroes took a moment to collect themselves. They’d come out of this with more of the staff (4 pieces instead of 1) and the mysterious red sword Sunic had been carrying. Also, the original Vayne had returned to the group—her first action was to go hug Ysabelle, who was barely able to stand with the rot grub infestation and opening herself to her dark side. Creatures were noticing their presence and beginning to muster, so they pressed on through the plaguecave, seeking an exit.
They came to what looked like two ways out: a forest and a huge nest of swarming, spellscarred wasps. They chose the danger they could see rather than the shadowy threat they couldn’t, and attempted to sneak under the nest to the exit tunnel. Unfortunately, one of the rock formations turned out to be a cave roper, horribly transfigured by the spellplague, which attacked mercilessly. Most of the heroes were caught up in battle with the creature, and when Fiona tried to retreat behind cover, a second roper appeared and attacked. The resultant melee drew the attention of the wasps, which increasingly swarmed the combatants.
Tristan flew over to rescue Fiona, but was immediately caught up in the roper’s tentacles. J’Div charged over to attack the creature, but it crept up onto a ridge of rock, with the dragon-elf and the tiefling captive. Severely weakened, Ysabelle relied upon Vayne for defense while she sent her psionic energy at the creatures, while Brandis fended off the approaching wasps with graceful strikes and movements. Vayne, showing her stark contrast to her red-haired alter-ego, did not hesitate to leap into danger by drawing Fiona out of the creature’s grasp and putting herself there instead. The tiefling thanks her, surprised at her selflessness—having been more accustomed to Vayne-the-White’s sardonic disregard for her allies. Vayne charged up her sword with flame and struck, teleporting the roper down to the ground where J’Div could charge it. Tristan made his way down, and he and the warlord brought the roper death from two sides.
As the wasps kept swarming, the heroes fled through what they hoped was an exit tunnel toward an uncertain fate.
15. Journey into Darkness
Of Ancient Mistakes, Imprisoned Gods, and the Underdark
After Ellerin lay defeated, he began to reform, and the heroes knew they would have to act quickly. A search of the laboratory revealed little that had survived a great catastrophe, and it appeared their inquiry had reached a dead end. It occurred to Ysabelle, however, to use a spell to witness the last momentous events that had come to pass in that chamber, and immediately, her magic whisked her mind away a hundred years in the past. All the heroes could accompany her into the rift in time, and they watched a terrible sight.
Ellerin and a plain-clothed warrior Brandis identified as a monk were setting about to reassemble a broken tablet that contained an epic spell. In casting the spell, however, they were doomed to set off a chain reaction that would leave the laboratory in its current state of disrepair. Immediately, the spell caused chaos in the magic dimension, even if Ellerin and his companion could not feel it. The initial castings took time, however, allowing the heroes to look around.
In particular, not interested in seeing the grand display of arrogance that is the ritual spell, J’Div found just the book they were looking for, on Ellerin’s shelf: his journal of magical devices. Vayne saw where he was looking and went to reclaim the book, but they were as ghosts in the magic and could not affect anything in the physical world. A plan occurred to her, and much as the original Vayne would have done, she asked J’Div for the githyanki silver sword, then was surprised when he didn’t immediately give it to her to use. The two shared a tense moment, in which they argued over the true ownership of the blade, and Vayne interpreted J’Div’s hesitation as distrust, driving a wedge between them (just when they had been forging a relationship of their own). Ultimately, there was no time, as the ritual was drawing on quickly, so J’Div gave her the sword, which she used to cut a hole in reality to spare the book the coming cataclysm. Things wouldn’t be the same between them afterward.
Sure enough, Ellerin completed the spell, and the casting destroyed him and much of his lab. The heroes felt it even in the time-bridging magic, and it almost slew them in its ferocity. Ellerin’s monk companion dodged the initial deadly blasts, only to be subsumed in the magic. The full purpose of the spell was revealed in the casting: to bring back the mythical Gith, who would need a vessel. The time-scrying ended before the heroes saw the result of the spell, though, whisking them back to the ruined laboratory, this time with the book lying on the floor as though it had been there the whole time. They realized that their eyes gleamed with blue fire that allowed them to see magic—Brandis in particular wondered if they had left something of themselves behind as well.
Vayne picked up the book and flipped through it, while the rest of the party watched tensely, giving her a series of untrusting looks. She informed Fiona that she had but to ask for the book, and handed it over to the tiefling when she did. She has a conversation with the party in which she accused them of not trusting her without reason for suspicion—indeed, they have much less reason to trust Fiona the tiefling, who has actively betrayed them on at least one occasion. This predictably did not go well for Vayne, but of all the heroes, Tristan stepped up and asserted that he trusted her and welcomed her as part of the group. Vayne, who had been growing increasingly upset, was struck by this act of kindness, and immediately stopped all her barbs and witticisms against the paladin and has yet to renew them. After Tristan, J’Div expressed his genuine trust of Vayne, but she was either too upset to hear him or didn’t believe him.
The blueprints for the Orb of Reality’s containment apparatus were simple, and the heroes rebuilt the thing when they went back to the City of Brass. Their next stop was Faerun, where they returned to Cormyr and enclosed the Orb of Reality in the case where Tristan’s mother had been keeping it safe.
Meanwhile, Vayne confronted Brandis about his distrust of her, and inquired whether he disliked her because he genuinely thought she was a Far Realm aberration, or because he had feelings for “the real Vayne.” Because, as she asserted, “I’m not her and never will be.” The monk quickly denied such feelings existed, to which Vayne said she had no doubt at least the original Vayne felt that way, as were circumstances different, surely Vayne-the-White would have such feelings (though Brandis had made where things lay between them very clear). The monk asserted that he hoped when Vayne returned, she would not hold unreciprocated feelings for him, to which Vayne-the-White said “I’m sure that would never happen.” The conversation might have gone on longer, but Fiona returned with the Orb of Reality in tow, Tristan’s mother having refused to safeguard it any longer. The heroes took it with them on their next quest: to find the well of living steel.
To this end, they set out in the Chromium and flew to the great rift in the south, where the fortress Observer had once floated. With a bit of luck and the Gatekeeper staff, they found the ruined fortress, where Ysabelle experienced visions and memories suggesting that she was not simply the daughter of Ruha the witch, but IS Ruha in some way. Also, they found a set of symbols similar to those they had discovered in the Shrapnels—one symbol for each of the heroes, encircling a central symbol of Ruha herself—but one was added: a lich’s phylactery, possibly representing Fiona’s involvement. The discussion also led Vayne to the realization that Ysabelle was not the mere girl that she seemed, but mysteriously kept young as though by magic. The rest of the party was unnerved that she did not seem to have previously known this, and wondered about the gaps in her memory.
In the fortress, they found a glowing human skull that shed a purple nimbus of magic. The power of the object was immense, and they realized very quickly that it was a lens through which Cyric, god of deception and strife, was watching them. Tristan favored the evil deity with a rude gesture, while Fiona actively put the skull in a burlap sack. Vayne remarked that she was sure a god would have trouble seeing through cloth, but the tiefling ignored her. They left the skull there, wrapped in the sack, and explored the rest of the castle. They determined there might be treasure in the vault, but they couldn’t open it, at least with the resources they had currently. The heroes left Observer and delved into the Underdark of the rift to begin the search for the well of living steel.
The heroes had not seen the last of Cyric’s skull, however. The cursed object reappeared in Fiona’s bag, and kept reappearing despite her attempts to remove it. Worse, it promised great power if only someone would wield it to cast magic. Brandis was extremely upset by this development and went so far as to suggest that Fiona leave the group. Fiona and Tristan argued as to which of them had drawn the deity’s foul attention. J’Div stood up for Fiona’s value to the group, and did not doubt her when Brandis asked if she should continue with the party. The others watched the arguments from afar, Vayne in particular with great interest. Ultimately, the group remained together, certain they could do nothing about the skull immediately.
The trek through the Underdark was no less frustrating. With no map or guide, they spent days wandering through the tunnels until finally they came upon two mad-looking svirfneblin (deep gnomes) who warned them against progressing farther. An active pocket of spellplague dominated the next cavern, they said, which they were actually there to study. The lifecycle of the creatures there was so fast they were witnessing evolution day-by-day. Also, the gnomes confessed several of their fellows had been killed during the study, and they made a habit of eating spellscarred meat.
The heroes might have turned back at that point, but the gnomes also said that a group had come through recently—perhaps a week ago—led by a prodigiously fat halfling that matched the description of Henri, Brandis’s old friend and the heroes’ current employer. It was revealed that Henri carried a compass similar to the ones the heroes carried, pointing them toward the Well of Living Steel. Ultimately, Fiona confessed that she was the source of Henri’s compass. More discussion abounded, and while Brandis and Fiona were distracted with the gnomes, Vayne sneaked away with J’Div for a liaison of their own. This, she demonstrated, was necessary to keep the perpetually lustful Vayne 2.0 from jumping one of the gnomes. And as upset as Vayne was at J’Div at the time, he was still a far better choice than either of those unsettling creatures. The others came to find them, but Vayne had already gone by the time they found J’Div back in the tunnel, looking quite satisfied.
The decision was made to venture through the spellplague pocket despite the dangers. The heroes simply didn’t have the time, if Henri and his party had already come this far. They delved into the bizarre subterranean forest and managed to get only part of the way through before the native wildlife caught their scent and rushed to the attack.
14. Red-Haired Stranger
Of Friends New and Old, a Wrathful Elf, and a New Quest
After Vayne left the party to keep tabs directly on Sunic, the other Worldwalkers compared notes as to what to do.
After discussion, it was decided they would continue along their current path and look for an opportunity to lure Sunic into a trap. J’Div stepped in to act as the party’s ostensible leader, though decisions are still made with heavy input from each member of the group. The group collected several magic rituals, such as magic circle (to keep out fey and/or shadow creatures) as well as planar sending, to communicate with their plant inside Sunic’s castle. They made inquiries as to where to get to Ellerin’s laboratory in the Elemental Chaos, as well as tracking down Henri, one of Brandis’s old associates.
Meanwhile, Sunic returned from surveillance, extremely frustrated by the party’s attempts to provoke him into an attack. He confided in Vayne, who reassured him. She made a show of discovering that he had switched pieces of the rod and hence could no longer track Tristan’s piece (which she had known all along)—in the process, she touched Sunic’s piece of the rod and determined the next piece lay in the Abyss. She proposed an alternative plan: that they two go and find the rest of the rod on their own. Finally, she convinced him to promise her that if and when he went after the heroes, that he would take her along—of the two of them, she was more deserving of vengeance after what they had done to her.
The next day, Ysabelle dispatched a sending to Vayne, asking her how she meant to join back up with them, and she replied with the assertion that she would not be coming back and was instead staying with Sunic in order to distract him and cover their own efforts. Vayne promptly revealed this contact (though not the content) in order to win Sunic’s trust; she convinced him that they were hoping to turn her against Sunic, but that Vayne had chosen his side, rather than theirs. Sunic, infuriated, insisted they go attack the heroes on the instant, but she convinced him to wait—that perhaps she could work out a way to get back in their good graces and work against them for Sunic’s benefit.
Later that day, the heroes went to the Nook, a tavern in Sigil where Henri was supposed to frequent. Brandis’ goal was to get Henri to tell him where he might find the Dragon Tear sword, as well as the next member of the old gang. While they were searching for Henri at the tavern, a woman who looked much like Vayne (albeit dressed in white, with red hair and different tattoos, and wielding a gold greatsword) walked through the door. With an odd mixture of sweet talk and intimidation, this Vayne attempted to get information regarding a “creepy little girl” who had tampered with her memory. Her arrival and inquisition smoked out Henri, who was quickly confronted by Brandis. Despite Fiona’s attempts to diffuse the tension (as well as Vayne’s intercession with the mercykillers), the interview did not go well, and Brandis and J’Div ended up kicked out of Henri’s tavern (as he had Mercykiller thugs and the patrons of that place owed him their loyalty). Vayne ended up talking with Ysabelle, and confiding in her that her life seemed broken and she didn’t even know why. Ysabelle drank and started to hallucinate, which unnerved Vayne, who teleported them both out of the bar. Fiona slipped Henri a note before leaving—they would meet up again later.
Out in the street, the red-haired Vayne confronted the rest of the party, demanding they either fix her mind, or fight her. She vowed to wound as many of them as badly as she could before she killed them. Exposing frayed nerves, she collapsed in tears when Brandis called her a soulless automaton. The rest of the party conferred, and Ysabelle issued the command words that awoke Vayne to her former memories. This made an obvious improvement, making her more like her old self, but she still seemed a little off: she evinced none of the extreme protectiveness the old Vayne had for Ysabelle, nor did she demonstrate any capacity for leadership. She gladly let Brandis (whom she assumed was the leader) take charge, until he said that J’Div was really the leader. Vayne also seemed to find the rest of the heroes extremely attractive—in particular J’Div, Tristan, and Fiona—prompting some discomfiture on the part of her companions.
Back at their home base, the heroes reworked their plan in light of the new addition to the group. Brandis and Tristan discussed their next move, Ysabelle practiced her rituals, while Vayne and J’Div sparred. The bare-hand combat turned tense (involving a kiss between the two), though J’Div ultimately refused Vayne’s obvious advances and the shadar-kai left to bathe herself in the wake of the fight (J’Div turned down the implied invitation as well). On her way back, she encountered Fiona giving a pair of dimensional shackles to Tristan, which prompted Vayne to joke: “Sorry for interrupting—I’ll just be on my way.” The party decided to continue the quest for the Orb of Reality’s case, which would lead them into the Elemental Chaos.
They made camp inside their warding circle in the dojo, which was drawn around Vayne (as a shadow creature she couldn’t enter or leave it once the circle was drawn). Vayne spent some time in conversation with Fiona, who loudly voiced her disapproval of the former’s “whoring.” Vayne pointed out that it was nothing of the sort if both parties had feelings for the other, and that Fiona should really lighten up a little. At the same time, Vayne expressed an interest in learning more about her “tighter morality,” and the two managed to get on watch together. Fiona took the opportunity to leave the protective circle and abscond to parts unknown, and instead of alert the rest of the party, Vayne took the opportunity to awaken J’Div and seduce him more brazenly. This time, she was successful.
The rest of the party woke up and asked Vayne about Fiona: the swordmage said, truthfully, that Fiona was very stealthy and she couldn’t say exactly where she had gone. Brandis accused her of distracting herself by having sex with J’Div (which they all heard), but Vayne just shrugged it off and J’Div didn’t seem put out either. Vayne stated, very clearly, that she couldn’t have stopped Fiona if she’d wanted to, as she couldn’t cross the protective circle. Brandis was very upset about the situation, though he didn’t make it clear if he was angrier at Vayne or Fiona. The tiefling returned, saying she had made a deal with Henri for the location of Evelene (another of Brandis’s former partners), provided they do him a favor: involving the theft of a diamond in her possession. Though displeased by the arrangement, Brandis accepted the task, as no other option seemed to present itself.
Sunic returned to do surveillance on the camp. He left the rod in his castle in the Shadowfell (so the heroes couldn’t track him) but took along Vayne, who insisted he could hide her inside his shadow cloak (and she would make it worth his while). They arrived outside the warding circle, and Vayne made some noises to cover tipping off Ysabelle telepathically. This was the first time Sunic had seen the duplicate Vayne, and he was rather unnerved by it—the original Vayne said it was the product of some magic she didn’t fully understand, and she blamed Ruthchek, which Sunic seemed to accept.
The heroes confronted Sunic, who revealed himself as well as the original Vayne. Sunic called Tristan a coward for not attacking him, and heavily implied that he held the soul of Linn (Tristan’s father) prisoner. The pissing contest did not blow Vayne’s cover, and she acted in all particulars as though she were on Sunic’s side, all the while telling Ysabelle telepathically that this situation did not favor them and they should not attack. Finally, too upset by Tristan to think clearly, Sunic left the dojo with Vayne in tow—she tried to reassure him, using the opportunity to convince him of the need to attack them all at once. She couldn’t get much accomplished, however, before the party emerged from the dojo, as well as Matsumura. The duplicate Vayne did not come along, as she was trapped inside the bounds of the protective circle. Feeling overwhelmed, Sunic said that he would attend Tristan again soon—after Matsumura was dead. He and Vayne teleported away.
Unnerved, the party left Sigil the next day for the Elemental Chaos. They bought an elemental glider and followed the compass to Ellerin’s laboratory, which seemed to have been much damaged by the ambient chaos. Much of the lab’s contents had been destroyed over however long it had gone without proper wardings. They found their way inside, only to encounter the former wizard turned into a blob of elemental energy. Tristan pleaded with Ellerin to stand down, but the creature must have been driven totally mad by the magic that warped him, and he attacked the party with silver fire. The battle was harrowing and quick, but they ultimately defeated Ellerin.
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Reviews for Firetail
Mia1986 chapter 2 . 9/24/2011
will he escape
lilxmzxit chapter 11 . 7/12/2007
keep writing! i like it!
it's a great idea and very original!
Nafari chapter 11 . 3/23/2006
Really awesome story, congrats! I'll be waiting patiently for an update!
Janika chapter 11 . 1/17/2006
Well, now we know where she is, but you'd think that someone like Kazheo would be able to withstand the braziers' smoke. What sort of allegiance does he have to Kallana and Scyler anyway? He doesn't have to help them, yet he does. Strange. Perhaps he thinks they can help him get revenge on his own kind who cast him out. It woudl have been nicer if he'd been able to kill their leader, though.
Anyway, I thought it had been weeks or whatever since Kallana and Scyler set out, so when exactly did his father realize he was missing?
Janika chapter 8 . 1/4/2006
I'm kinda in a rush right now, but I'm loving it! I think maybe this Earthquaker will make an intersting antagonist, but the stalker is beginning to worry me. I'll try to read the other chapters next week when i get back to school. Stuff to do!
Janika chapter 6 . 6/18/2005
This is certainly a change in pace. Almost insubstancial beings that can transform into large cats, maybe? And this King...there is something that seems suspicious about someone who would order the extermination of anyone that knowingly or unknowingly trespasses on his land.
This Kazheo appears to be an honorable creature and possibly an ally to the main characters. But how is he to contact them? Surely those w/ him would prevent anything of the sort.
Oh, and I must ask before I forget: tell me if there is a prophecy involved here. Those seem to be the best motivations for new storylines and strange destinies.
Janika chapter 5 . 6/18/2005
Hippogriff? Those were MAP's supposed offspring of Lell and Illishar, are they not? Or are you using some creatures that you've only heard of, not based completely on the books? We shall see.
An adventuress aiming for the unknown? Intriguing. Perhaps she shall eventually grow to love our young hero, Scyler Firetail.
Janika chapter 4 . 6/18/2005
Ah, I see he WAS separated from the herd. Probably panicking, though it does strike me as odd that he would despise his own people so.
Surely that's not the end of Caroak. There's just something about him that makes him a really bad guy worth hating. Or was he working for someone even more evil/misguided?
Janika chapter 3 . 6/18/2005
That is amazing! Not even a wild mustang could keep running for more than a day, especially w/ darkness to hinder it. Surely Scyler wasn't running alone when the cry went out. Where are the others and how did he get separated?
Caroak? I recognize that name from someplace... Oh and "an inhuman howl" doesn't make much sense unless the person listening is human. Since I'm pretty sure Scyler isn't human, why would that reference make any sense to him from his point of view?
At least someone is coming to save him. Hopefully.
Janika chapter 2 . 6/18/2005
The warriors will have to assemble. If they just run, they will be hunted down w/o mercy. The Ring will prevent any land-based attack if the helpless unicorns are in the center. But perhaps I should find out what you have in store.
And I KNEW they were wolves! Not many creatures have golden eyes anyway. But there must be some sort of deviance in this pack, just as there was w/ Jan, Illishar, Sismoomnat and Pitipak.
Oh, and what of Lell and Illishar's descendants?
Janika chapter 1 . 6/18/2005
I like this one already. It's the first Firebringer fanfic that doesn't have something perverted in it. Hopefully. I'll just have to keep reading. But since I like to review every chapter, I guess I'll get started.
Ahem. Scyler seems to be very unorthodox. This golden-eyed "enemy" must be someone w/ a vendetta against either the unicorns or Jan's line in particular. I shall continue.
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Can a Good Thing Eventually Become Bad?
Aurelien Kruse's picture
Also available in: Español
Submitted by david seddon on
clearly both labour migration and the flow of remittances constitute 'a mixed blessing'. In the absence of a growing economy at home and more rapid creation of new economic opportunities including employment, people make difficult but rational decisions to go abroad. Certainly true that this has negative macro-eonomic implications (just as it has negative as well as positive micro economic implications and social repercussions) but one might as well put it the other way around. Promoting economic growth, creating new businesses and employment opportunities, particularly in import substitution and export domains would help reduce the need to go abroad and increase the balance of trade - but political stasis and no vision of or commitment to development has not helped...
dr david seddon
Submitted by Aurelien on
David. Thanks for your comments. The challenge, we think, comes from the fact that promoting growth and creating jobs (particularly in manufacturing) is harder given the magnitude of remittances (and their impact on the RER) than if Nepal were starting from a clean slate. Therefore what we need is growth policies that take into account - both leveraging their positive effects and mitigating their negative impact – massive inflows of private transfers. For instance it was illuminating that when the Rupee recently depreciated (following the Indian currency) the main worry in policy circles was how to prop up the value of the rupee (rather than how to leverage the competitiveness incentive).
I think anything that is done in excess can get to a point that it becomes bad, while I agree that Fiscal contraction to avoid overheating may work in other countries, I don't think it can work in Nepal because stocks there are short-lived, besides that, I think the country needs more of infrastructure at the moment and not fiscal contraction that could hurt the economy, Sterilization is also another thing I agree will not work in Nepal because of the nature of inflow, all in all, you've highlighted some very important points that is worth noting, Thanks for sharing
Submitted by Dhiraj Sharma on
Dear Aurelien and Chandan, thanks for this interesting piece. To me, the answer is improvement in investment climate. As Lucas observed years ago, capital from rich countries does not chase high returns in poor countries partly because of political risk. But here, capital is flowing from high and middle income countries to poor countries, only we call it remittance. That it is fueling import of consumption durables and creating bubbles as it seeks safe parking spot is undeniable but it does not have to be so. Given right incentives and legal protections for investment, there is no reason why the capital won't bite. We have an example of it in Nepal already: the Kathmandu to Hetauda tunnel project financed under "people, private, and public partnership (4P)" arrangement.
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Gnawa music
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Gnawa musicians performing in a street in Morocco
The word 'Gnawa', plur. of Gnawi, is taken to be derived from the Hausa-Fulani word "Kanawa" for the residents of Kano, the capital of the Hausa-Fulani Emirate, which was a close ally of Morocco for centuries, religiously, economically, and in matters of defence. (Opinion of Essaouira Gnawa Maalems, Maalem Sadiq, Abdallah Guinia, and many others). Moroccan language often replaces "K" with "G", which is how the Kanawa, or Hausa people, were called Gnawa in Morocco. The Gnawa's history is closely related to the famous Moroccan royal "Black Guard", which became today the Royal Guard of Morocco.
A short browsing of the Moroccan and Hausa contexts will suffice to show the connections between both cultures, religiously -as both are Malikite Moslems, with many Moroccan spiritual schools active in Hausaland- and artistically, with Gnawa music being the prime example of Hausa-sounding and typical Hausa articulation of music within Morocco, its local language, and traditions.
Gnawa music is one of the major musical currents in Morocco. Moroccans overwhelmingly love Gnawa music and Gnawas 'Maalems' are highly respected, and enjoy an aura of musical stardom.
In a Gnawa song, one phrase or a few lines are repeated over and over, so the song may last a long time. In fact, a song may last several hours non-stop. However, what seems to the uninitiated to be one long song is actually a series of chants, to do with describing the various spirits (in Arabic mlouk (sing. melk)), so what seems to be a 20-minute piece may be a whole series of pieces - a suite for Sidi Moussa, Sidi Hamou, Sidi Mimoun or the others. But because they are suited for adepts in a state of trance, they go on and on, and have the effect of provoking trance from different angles.
The melodic language of the stringed instrument is closely related to their vocal music and to their speech patterns, as is the case in much African music. It is a language that emphasizes on the tonic and fifth, with quavering pitch-play, especially pitch-flattening, around the third, the fifth, and sometimes the seventh. This is the language of the blues.
krakebs or Qraqab
Gnawa music is characterized by instrumentation. The large heavy iron castanets known as qraqab (or krakebs large iron castanets; Ar. قراقب) and a three -string lute known commonly as a hajhuj (or gimbri) are central to Gnawa music.[1] The rhythms of the Gnawa, like their instrumentations are distinctive. Particularly Gnawa is characterized by interplay between triple and duple meters. The "big bass drums" mentioned by Schuyler are not typically featured in a more traditional setting.[2]
Gnawa have venerable stringed-instrument traditions involving both bowed lutes like the gogo and plucked lutes like the gimbri (Ar. چنبري; also called hajhuj, Ar. هجهوج or "sentir" Ar. سنتير), a three-stringed bass instrument. The Gnawa also use large drums called tbel (Ar. طبل ) in their ritual music. The Gnawa hajhuj has strong historical and musical links to West African lutes like the Hausa halam, a direct ancestor of the banjo.
Gnawa hajhuj players use a technique which 19th century American minstrel banjo instruction manuals identify as "brushless drop-thumb frailing". The "brushless" part means the fingers do not brush several strings at once to make chords. Instead, the thumb drops repeatedly in a hypnotically rhythmic pattern against the freely-vibrating bass string producing a throbbing drone, while the first two or three fingers of the same (right) hand pick out, percussive patterns in a drum-like, almost telegraphic manner.
Gnawas perform a complex liturgy, called lila or derdeba. The ceremony recreates the first sacrifice and the genesis of the universe by the evocation of the seven main manifestations of the divine demiurgic activity. It calls the seven saints and supernatural entities (mluk, Arabic: ملوك) represented by seven colors, as a prismatic decomposition of the original light/energy. The derdeba is jointly animated by a maâlem (master musician) at the head of his troop and by moqadma or shuwafa (clairvoyante) who is in charge of the accessories and clothing necessary to the ritual.
During the ceremony, the clairvoyante determines the accessories and clothing as it becomes ritually necessary. Meanwhile, the maâlem, using the guembri and by burning incense, calls the saints and the supernatural entities to present themselves in order to take possession of the followers, who devote themselves to ecstatic dancing.
Inside the brotherhood, each group (zriba; Arabic: زريبة) gets together with an initiatory moqadma (Arabic: مقدمة), the priestess that leads the ecstatic dance called the jedba (Arabic: جذبة), and with the maâlem, who is accompanied by several players of krakebs.
Preceded by an animal sacrifice that assures the presence of the spirits, the all-night ritual begins with an opening that consecrates the space, the aâda ("habit" or traditional norm; Arabic: عادة), during which the musicians perform a swirling acrobatic dance, playing the krakebs.
The mluk (sing. melk) are abstract entities that gather a number of similar jinn (genie spirits). The participants enter a trance state (jedba) in which they may perform spectacular dances. By means of these dances, participants negotiate their relationships with the mluk either placating them if they have been offended or strengthening an existing relationship. The mluk are evoked by seven musical patterns, seven melodic and rhythmic cells, who set up the seven suites that form the repertoire of dance and music of the Gnawa ritual. During these seven suites, seven different types of incense are burned and the dancers are covered by veils of seven different colours.
Each of the seven families of mluk is populated by many "characters" identifiable by the music and by the footsteps of the dance. Each melk is accompanied by its specific colour, incense, rhythm and dance. These entities, treated like "presences" (called hadra, Arabic: حضرة) that the consciousness meets in ecstatic space and time, are related to mental complexes, human characters, and behaviors. The aim of the ritual is to reintegrate and to balance the main powers of the human body, made by the same energy that supports the perceptible phenomena and divine creative activity.
Later, the guembri opens the treq ("path," Arabic: طريق), the strictly encoded sequence of the ritual repertoire of music, dances, colors and incenses, that guide in the ecstatic trip across the realms of the seven mluk, until the renaissance in the common world, at the first lights of dawn.
Almost all Moroccan brotherhoods, such as the Issawa or the Hamadsha, relate their spiritual authority to a saint. The ceremonies begin by reciting that saint's written works or spiritual prescriptions (hizb, Arabic: حزب) in Arabic. In this way, they assert their role as spiritual descendants of the founder, giving themselves the authority to perform the ritual. Gnawa, whose ancestors were neither literate nor native speakers of Arabic, begin the lila by recalling through song and dance their origins, the experiences of their slave ancestors, and ultimately redemption.
Gnawa music today[edit]
During the last few decades, Gnawa music has been modernizing and thus becoming more profane. However, there are still many lilas organized privately, which conserves the music's sacred, spiritual status.
Within the framework of the Gnaoua World Music Festival of Essaouira ("Gnaoua and Musics of the World"), the Gnawa play in a profane context with slight religious or therapeutic dimensions. Instead, in this musical expression of their cultural art, they share stages with other musicians coming from the four corners of the world.
As a result, Gnawa music has taken a new direction by fusing its core spiritual music with similar genres like jazz, blues, reggae, and hip-hop. Every summer for four days in June, the Festival welcomes famous musicians that come to participate, exchange and mix their own music with Gnawa music, creating one of the largest public festivals in Morocco as well as one of the best jam sessions on the planet. Since its debut in 1998, the free concerts have drawn a festival audience that has grown from 20,000 visitors to over 200,000 in 2006 including 10,000 visitors from around the world.
Past participants have included Randy Weston, Adam Rudolph, The Wailers, Pharoah Sanders, Keziah Jones, Omar Sosa, Doudou N'Diaye Rose, and the Italian trumpet player Paolo Fresu.
There are also projects such as "The Sudani Project", a jazz/gnawa dialogue in collaboration between saxophonist/composer Patrick Brennan, Gnawi maâlem Najib Sudani, and drummer/percussionist/vocalist Nirankar Khalsa. Brennan has pointed out that the metal qraqeb and gut bass strings of the guembri parallel the cymbal and bass in jazz sound.
In the 1990s young musicians from various backgrounds and nationalities started to form modern Gnawa bands. Gnawa Impulse from Germany is an example. These groups offer a rich mix of musical and cultural backgrounds, fusing their individual influences into a collective sound. They have woven elements of rap, reggae, jazz and rai into a vibrant musical patchwork.
These projects incorporating Gnawa and Western musicians are essentially Gnawa fusions.
List of Gnawa maâlems[edit]
A 19th century Gnawa musician
• Mahmoud Guinia ("the King") or Gania (as spelled in passport) - He played with the likes of Pharaoh Sanders and Carlos Santana, to name but two. Contrary to popular myth, guitarist Jimi Hendrix did not spend a few months in his house to take some lessons. He is the son of the late Maâllem Boubker Gnaia, and his two brothers Abdelah and Mokhtar are also distinguished maâllemin (masters). The Gania family also includes Zaida Gania, a very popular medium and clairvoyant at the nights of trance (leelas) as well as the head of a group of female gnawas, The Haddarate of Essaouira.
• Hasna el Becharia - Born and resident in the town of Béchar in southern Algeria, she is a well-known Gnawa musician, having released the albums Djazair Johara and Smaa Smaa.
• Brahim Belkane ("The traditionalist") - He has played with Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, Adam Rudolph, Randy Weston, and Jimmy Page. He says: "There are many colours on earth: red, green, blue, yellow. You have to find these when you play, to be bright like the sun."
• Hamid El Kasri - He now lives in Rabat but his origins are in the northern town Ksar El Kbir, thus the nickname Kasri (i.e. the one from Ksar). He is one of the biggest stars on stage and is particularly renowned in Morocco for his great voice. In his youth Maâllem Hamid was much associated with the gnawa scene in Tangier and masters such as Abdelwahab "Stitou". He began his apprenticeship at the age of seven. He has the gift of being able to fuse the music of the north with that of the south: gharbaoui from Rabat, marsaoui from Essaouira and soussi or Berber from the south of Morocco.
• H'mida Boussou ("The grand master") - As a child H'mida immersed himself in Gnawi culture as taught to him by the Maâlem Ahmed Oueld Dijja, and became a Maâlem himself at the age of 16. He also worked with Maâlem Sam from 1962 to 1968. Maalem H'mida Boussou died on 17 February 2007, but his son, Maalem Hassan Boussou continues the gnaoua tradition and played a concert in homage to his late father at the 10th Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival in June 2007.
• Chérif Regragui ("The communicator") - He became a Maâlem by the age of 18. He worked with Tayeb Saddiki in theatre andhe was behind the group Taghada.
• Mahjoub Khalmous - His skills took him to many festivals in Europe. In 1993 he formed his own group and became a Maâlem. He has worked for several years with Professor Bertrand Hell, head of the anthropology department at Besançon University in France.
• Allal Soudani ("The dreamer")- His grandparents M'Barkou and Barkatou were brought from Sudan as slaves. "When I play I no longer feel my body, I empty myself. And when I reach the state of trance I become nothing more than a leaf on a tree blowing at the mercy of the wind," he says, describing his trance moments.
• Abdellah El Gourd - He learned Gnawa music as a young man, while working as a radio engineer in his hometown of Tangier. He has collaborated with jazz musicians Randy Weston and Archie Shepp and blues musician Johnny Copeland. With Weston, he co-produced The Splendid Master Gnawa Musicians of Morocco, which received a 1996 Grammy Award nomination for Best World Music Album.
• Omar Hayat ("The showman") - He was taught by Mahmoud Guinea and the late Maâllem Ahmed. He formed his own group in 1991. His style is particularly influenced by reggae, but Omar Hayat nonetheless plays true gnawa and is a great source of inspiration for the young gnaoui in Essaouira. He participated recently at the festival of Avignon and has also been working and touring with the German circus Afrika! Afrika!.
• Abelkebir Merchane (also known as Cheb) - He is from an Arab family, none of whom are gnawa. His style is a mixture of marsaoui (Essaouira) and Marrakchi (Marrakech). He was taught by Maâllem Layaachi Baqbou and he possibly has the greatest voice in Moroccan gnawa today. His son Hicham is also a gnawa master.
• Mokhtar Gania - Son of the great Maâlem Boubker. He is the younger brother of the legendary Mahmoud. He has played at the great Roskilde Festival in Denmark in 2003 sharing the stage with Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, Gigi, Sussan Deyhim and others. He is currently considered one of the hottest gimbri players around.
• Mohamed Daoui - He teaches the younger generation of future maâlems, for which he has a widespread reputation.
• Abdelkader Benthami - He owes his education to some of the greatest Maâlems, such as Zouitni. He lives in Casablanca, and showed his strength on albums such as Bill Laswell's Night Spirit Masters. His sons are both masters, and the youngest, Abderrahim, debuted in 2007 at the Festival d'Essaouira.
• Ahmed Bakbou - He has worked with some of the great Maâlems: Ba Ahmed Saasaa, El Hachimi Ould Mama, Homan Ould el Ataar, Si Mohamed Ould el Fernatchi. He is the first son of Maâllem Layaachi Baqbou, and he is known as "the talking gimbri", and even though he sings, he often plays the gimbri with close friends such as Abdelkebir Merchane or his brothers Moustapha and Aziz singing.
• Essaïd Bourki - His origins are in the south of Morocco. He performed with his group in Belgium in 1990. He is considered the secret master of Essaouira.
• Abdellah Guinea ("The Marley")- He became a Maâlem at the age of 16. His nickname is due to his dreadlocks and fondness of reggae. He is the middle son of Maâllem Boubker Gania. Today Abdelah is by many considered one of the greatest maâllemin in Essaouira.
• Mohamed Chaouki - Formerly a horse trainer once worked in the stud farms of Rabat. At the age of 19 he became a maâlem. He formed a group with his brother, sons and nephews with whom he has performed in Europe 18 times.
• Saïd Boulhimas - He is the youngest Gnawi to play at the 7th (2004) gnawa festival. Saïd was taught by Abdelah Gania and is almost considered the son of the maâllem. He won the Festival de Jeunes Talents (Festival of young talents) in 2006 and is also part of the French/Moroccan Band Of Gnawa with Louis Bertignac and Loy Erlich.
• Fath-Allah Cherquaoui (Fath-Allah Laghrizmi) - One of the youngest Masters of Gnawa music, Fath-ALLAH was born in 1984 into a well-known family in Marrakech, Morocco. His eyes were opened to the ceremonies of Gnawa music by his grandmother, lmqadma lhouaouia. As a Moqadma or Shuwafa (clairvoyant), she would organize the Gnawa ceremony, or derdeba, two or three times a year with a renowned Master named Lmansoum. Thus, the entire family, including young children, developed a deep appreciation and interest in this genre of spiritual music. By the age of 19, his elder cousin, Maallem Lahouaoui, became a Master and began to play in the ceremonies for their grandmother. At seven years old, Fath-Allah was able to sing nearly all of the ritual repertoire, and play the qraqeb (iron castanets). By the age of eleven, he decided to build his own version of the instrument known as the gembry, using a glow bin, a broom handle, and an electric cable for strings. Five years later, he and his younger brother purchased their first gembry, and he began learning and practicing finger placement, as well as how to distinguish the correct tones. Although his father advised him to spend more time on his schoolwork, and cautioned him against the dangers and hardships of the music industry, Fath-Allah remained dedicated to teaching himself the instruments and music of Gnawa. After some time, he was invited to join his cousin Maallem Lahouaoui’s band, playing the castanets, dancing and singing. But he dreamed of playing the gembry in a real derdeba. His chance finally came on a night when his cousin asked him to stand in for him and finish playing what was left of the ceremonial songs. It was the first time Fath-Allah had ever played in front of a crowd, and during an actual Gnawa ceremony. The audience was amazed at how the youngest member of the band could so easily replace the Master, and actually play as well as he and many other Masters. This was the beginning of the Maallem Fath-Allah. His favourite Masters include: Maallem Lahouaoui, Maallem Mustapha Baqbou, Maallem Hmida Boussou and Maallem Abd Elkader Amili.
1. ^ Schuyler, 2008
2. ^ Schaefer, 2005
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Re: [media] WAI guidelines yield the highest probability of true Web access
From: David Woolley <david@djwhome.demon.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 22:27:31 +0100 (BST)
Message-Id: <200010252127.WAA16201@djwhome.demon.co.uk>
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
> 1. [top-left cell] Site Name / URL / Company Name
> 2. [top-right cell] High-Level Links
> 3. [bottom-left cell] Lower-Level Links
> 4. [bottom-right cell] Page Content
> This works very well in the screen reader I use for testing, IBM Home Page
> Reader.
In my view this is the wrong order. The best order is generally
1, 4, 2, 3. That means that you can get to the meat of the article
quickly. More important for the authors, it means that search engines
include something sensible from the text as the summary in the search
results. Not all search engines use meta elements.
In normal textual academic papers, it is usual to include the references
at the end, not start with them (commercial documents rarely have
> >5. Create tables that transform gracefully. Tables for layout equals NO-NO.
I thought that tables were reccommended as the best pragmatic approach
to layout, or is this a newer draft than I've read. Table tables can
degrade gracefully if you include redundant <p>'s, spaces, etc. If you
accept my reading order, you can make tables used for layout degrade
gracefully by tricks with col and rowspan.
Received on Thursday, 26 October 2000 02:49:05 GMT
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« Marlins' asking price for Hanley Ramirez "is not ridiculous" | Main | Hanley Ramirez goes to the Dodgers »
With rumors swirling throughout baseball that the organization is not be done making moves before next week's trade deadline, the Marlins returned to work Tuesday saying the white flag of surrender hasn't been waved yet in their clubhouse.
"They've made two trades -- one to add [first baseman Carlos Lee] and the trade they made yesterday [sending second baseman Omar Infante and pitcher Anibal Sanchez to the Tigers for three prospects]. They traded for positions of depth, that's what I see," said left-hander Wade LeBlanc, who will get the start Saturday in place of Sanchez.
"To me, I don't really see it as selling as yet. I think they believe we can win and everybody in this clubhouse believes we can win."
Said Wednesday's Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco: "I don't think we're waving the white flag yet. It was a business decision. They got back what they wanted. Anibal is going into free agency after the year... I believe we can still win."
Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen echoed those sentiments Tuesday saying: "We still have a base. We still have people here to get this thing done." But at the same time, Guillen said, the players have no one to blame but themselves for being in this position. With a week before the trade deadline, the Marlins (45-51) are 7.5 games back in the National League Wild Card race and 11.5 games back of first-place Washington in the division.
"The people in Miami are used to blaming the front office because they broke up the team [after the 1997 World Series]," Guillen said. "If anybody wants to blame anybody, blame the people wearing this uniform. Don't blame the people wearing ties and sport coats. They do a great job. They did everything to keep this team together. They spent a lot of money, a lot of time.
"We didn't play good in this ballpark and we didn't play good on the road. We don't have an excuse. We played bad because we don't hit with men on base. We don't make the right pitches. We don't play good defense. You combine it all together, it's the players, it's me. You know me, I don't protect anybody from the front office. That's not my thing. But this was not a move like in the past after the championship. This is a move they made because we didn't play up to the potential."
> Guillen said Emilio Bonifacio will be the team's everyday second baseman moving forward. Justin Ruggiano, meanwhile, will replace Bonifacio in centerfield.
"Maybe once and a while we'll have an emergency and put [Donovan] Solano out there," Guillen said of second base. "It depends on how the outfield swings the bat, but I think most of the games Boni is going to be our second baseman... when a guy needs a rest [in the outfield Brian Petersen] will start."
Petersen and left-hander Dan Jennings were the two players the Marlins recalled Tuesday to fill the slots left by Infante and Sanchez.
With his name being thrown around in trade discussions, Hanley Ramirez said Tuesday he's simply focusing on what he does best -- play baseball.
"Unfortunately I can't control that," Ramirez said of the rumors. "The only thing I can control is going out there and in the end getting that W... I don't want to think about it. I just want to concentrate on what I do best -- hit."
Asked about his future with the Marlins, Ramirez said: "That was the reason I signed here. I've been here what seven years now? That was my hope. But like I said it's a business. Hopefully I can stay here. Otherwise, I just want to play and win. Even when you don't do good, you want to win."
Fidel Guillen says "we can still win enough to stay out of last place and be a spoiler for other teams". Boy that'll get me to the ballpark. Thanks Ozzie. I'm so happy your in Miami, we might be in last place if it wasn't for your brilliant managing.
I love these big mouths who come here to announce that their not going to the Marlins games, and act like that makes them superior to everybody else. I don't care if they don't eat pistachios and I don't care if they never go to a ball game, and neither does anybody else.
Hanley is so stupid. Who does that error?
Flav C
is there a stat that measures "runs allowed without a hit"? The Marlins should be leading it by a lot in the Major League.
tony in miami
this administration don't know anything about baseball..you can not play around with your central line( catcher, ss, 2nd. base and cf)and now without a real 2nd. base and mr. hot dog (hanley )in 3rd. they can eat their new stadium
Having Dobbs in right field just cost the Marlins a run, and it will probably be the winning run. And Dobbs isn't hitting.
Leo Orestes Barberie
CLARK, LISTEN TO ME!!!!!!!! Ramirez WAS offered to the Tigers as part of a BLOCKBUSTER!!!! That you guys don't know that and that a guy in South Carolina with connections does know it is pretty scary. Agreed????
Leo Orestes Barberie
Ask "someone" in charge if that is not true---and then look right in his eyes when he answers. Ramirez WAS offered!!!
Leo Orestes Barberie
The "Real" Alex and many others have said it, I'm farrrrrrrrrrrr!!! From the first, but a true Major League Baseball team can't have a first baseman playing left and a dh/ph playing right. The ball will find you. Of course a real MLB team would not have John Buck catching. Brantly, Hurry Up!!!!!
LOB and The Real Alex are the same person.
The Real Alex
Once again, OZZIE THE MORON sabotages the Marlins' Defense by putting Gregg Dobbs in Right Field!!! And of course Dobbs takes a horrible route on a fly ball to RF that becomes a TRIPLE and the Go Ahead run. This is at LEAST the 20th time this year (NO Exaggeration!) Ozzie Guillen has cost this team big time with his MORONIC LINE UPS. He's just PLAIN STUPID. He's a TERRIBLE MANAGER, and what makes him terrible is he KEEPS REPEATING THE SAME MISTAKES over and over again.
One night after accidentally putting a decent Line Up together with Solano batting second and getting 2 nice hit and run hits, OZZIE THE IDIOT sabotages BOTH the Marlins' Defense AND their Offense by putting Dobbs in the line up. And for what? He's a great Pinch Hitter, but all his hits are basically SINGLES. He's had 164 ABs and just TWO HRs and just 22 RBIs. He went 0-3 tonight. What the hell does Ozzie see in this guy to make him think he's an EVERYDAY PLAYER? There is a very good reason that he has been a PINCH HITTER most of his career - his DEFENSE SUCKS and he has NO POWER!
Too bad we can't trade Ozzie Guillen at the Trading Deadline. The only thing he has shown that he does well is PICKING HIS F-ing NOSE. Ozzie is a WORLD CLASS NOSE PICKER at the post game press conference, but as a manager he just plain SUCKS.
Leo Orestes Barberie
Yes and you and Che Gueverra are each other's nieces. You have constantly been a disgrace to all the extremely intelligent and witty Latinos in South Florida. Your syntax and commentary are better suited for the walls of a porta potty in use at a Miramar block party. The sad thing is that racists and bigots utilize your abject stupidity as an attack against all the Hispanics that are more well versed in English than many native born Americans.
The Real Alex
Ozzie has no clue how to manage in the NL, NONE AT ALL. It's bad enough that he INSISTS on playing washed up types like Dobbs & Kearns in the field, but it's downright IDIOTIC to leave guys like that in the game in the LATE INNINGS! This was a tie game, 3-3 in the 7th inning when Prado hit that "triple" that should have been an OUT. Scott Cousins should have been in RF by that time; Dobbs had already gotten his 0-3 out of the way, there was NO REASON for him to still be in Right Field.
I've watched Ozzie all year and he has no idea how to make situational substitutions. He lets guys like Buck run the bases in the 9th inning down by a run. He leaves guys in the field late in games that are defensive LIABILITIES. He is constantly getting out-maneuvered by other managers in pitching changes, leaving his lefty specialists to pitch to right hand hitters and vice versa.
I wish SOMEONE would name me ONE THING that Ozzie does well as a manager! Other than PICKING HIS NOSE at the post game PRESS CONFERENCE! Go ahead; name me ONE THING that Ozzie does swell as a manager. Besides picking his nose and dropping F bombs.
The Real Alex
Hey Lou, did you know that you and I are the SAME PERSON? How came you didn't take me with you to see the Nats when you came down here from Greenville? Seeing as we're the SAME PERSON, you should have been able to get me in FOR FREE! LMAO!
The Real Alex
But you are 100% right, of course, LOB, and I can't believe that this MORON of a manager has been doing the same stupid things all year long and is STILL doing them! I said it back in April, you cannot win in the Major Leagues with a jerry rigged outfield full of guys that ARE NOT OUTFIELDERS! But this CHEAP team has been doing that garbage for so long, that they have come to actually believe that it's ALRIGHT, that it's good baseball. They have absolutely no second thoughts about putting guys in the outfield that are completely UNSUITED for it. How many times has Lomo butchered routine plays in Left? And of course, Dobbs. And lets not forget Kearns, either. All of them have flat out EMBARRASSED themselves in the outfield, but it's really not their fault. They do what they are told to do; they try their best, but they are NOT outfielders.
I can't believe that I'm STILL typing about this stupidity in July; these clowns running this team continue to make the same mistakes they were making in April.
Leo Orestes Barberie
The Real Alex, I don't have the computer acumen to log off of Facebook and that's why I can't get those silly little things to the right to match up. If I could do that it would prove we are the same people. I knew the proverbial would hit the fan when I called almost every aspect of that trade. People don't like it when you demonstrate that you have inside knowledge and they rely upon Craig Minnervini. Since we are the same people I'm sure you and I will enjoy sitting right next to the Marlins bullpen in DC and verbally critiquing Heath Bell in a couple of weeks.
I really wish I could write out the exact details of the next one going down but I'm afraid they would use the old CIA trick of giving out details to one guy and seeing if that hits the Blog. With the Infante and Sanchez deal you had multiple sources in on it and no way to pin a leak. I'll try to give some clues but only if I know I won't cost someone his job.
Leo Orestes Barberie
The Real Alex, They DID offer Ramirez to the Tigers but only in a preliminary way to see if parameters could be set.
Leo Orestes Barberie
You would know far more about deep throats than your humble Blogger.
Leo Orestes Barberie
I find it amazing that some people want to get into a battle of wits and they are doing it half armed.
Of course you can't blame Dobbs and Morrison for the misplays. They are going where they are told. Now if this was Johns Hopkins and you had the Chief of Staff telling a gastroenterologist to cover in cardiology, at that point you would want the Gastro guy to say--"No Way. I might kill somebody", but the only person who will be killed in the Marlins situation is if Dobbs or SloMo blindsides Ruggiano.
Hanley to the A's for A.J. Cole and Sonny Gray.
JJ to the BlueJays for Adeiny Echavarria and Jake Marisnick.
See? I have connections too!! I have connections too !! A humble delivery boy from Coral Springs!
Clark, Clark! Call me, I can help you!
Leo Orestes Barberie
Dear Mark, Pretty snappy answer from a dead man who had been suffering from Alzheimer's. I think that should be self-grandioseD. Maybe the word "iconic" also should be slipped in somewhere.
Leo Orestes Barberie
Spider Webbed Icon, You couldn't be a delivery boy for Lehman Brothers. As far as connections, they would be limited to the life support system sustaining your existence long enough to allow all the relatives from Perrine to arrive.
Leo Orestes Barberie
I'm only doing this about 15 more minutes but you must show me more than the pap you have generated. GO!!!
Dwayne Marimon
LOL lil' LOB angry. Let me tell you this, Mr. "I have connections". Even before you came out with the "blockbuster" info on Anibal/Infante, the Detroit media was all over this trade already. The other ones were right: This Alex guy and you, if not the same person, are very much alike. It's all about "me, me, me", and " I,I,I".
Leo Orestes Barberie
Dear Dwayne, Give me the time and date when the Detroit News or any other paper mentioned Infante AND Sanchez for Brantly and Boesch and another prospect?? I had it on this Blog at 11:22 the night before. I missed BADLY on the Boesch portion. I'm assuming the marlins were WILLING to settle(foolishly I believe) after the Tigers thought Brendan had it back.
Just show the time in either paper when they called that deal, because I can easily show you where I had the Infante, Sanchez and Brantly parts right 18 hours before.
Good Night Eb. It was fun.
Why are there so many idiots commenting now? Hey Clark, you should make it so that you can only comment by signing in.
Dwayne Marimon
Bob, we idiots have "oh!" so much pleasure in entertaining idiots like you.
Leo Orestes Barberie
FINE!!!!!! Let's Sign in!!!! That would be great. How about requiring some curriculam vitaes as well. Then I won't hear I'm Alex. Heywood would be consigned to the cinderblock. There will be no reference to dildos(Is there an "e" on the end of that like "potatoe, I never utilized one} and this site can take on a feeling of class.
Leo Orestes Barberie
You Win!! Can't compete with that Hawkingesque acuity.
Stan III
LOB, National or American Lg?
Stan M
There was a time when this blog featured Baseball comments. Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?
Anyone know when Turner will make his first start. Prior to getting called up he pitched a complete game shutout. Should be interesting.
When you have a real baseball club instead of a comedy club, you'll get baseball comments....Joltin Joe has left and gone away...Hey.Hey,Hey....
Marlins to trade Hanley to Dodgers for Eiovaldi and a minor league relief pitcher. My sources are solid. You heard it hear first!
Here I mean...
Sorry. When you have access to so much inside information at all hours grammatical mistakes often occur.
Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
Hanley and Choate are going to the Dodgers for two young pitchers Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough. We talk to the O'Malley Group every day.
The Real Alex
Well Lou, I actually don't mind when these clowns say that me and you are the same guy. I consider it a COMPLIMENT. Now if I was accused of being Joe Frisaro, Idiot In Chief of the Marlins MLB website, THAT would suck. I finally figured out why Joe The Shill banned everyone that laughed at the STUPID crap he wrote before the season started, like how great the Heath Bell signing was and the moronic stuff he wrote about how Hanley would have a great year, etc. Could you imagine the ABUSE Frisaro would be taking right about now if I was still there? LMFAO!!!! Hey Frisaro! Write another "article" about how well those Marlins hats and T Shirts are selling! That's about all you're good for.
All the MORONS who were so completely wrong about this team before the season started are very glad certain guys aren't around to laugh at them and say "See? I TOLD YOU SO! Once again you clowns have proven that you know NOTHING about baseball!". I guess people don't LIKE a guy who rubs it in their faces that he was right and they were WRONG. Well, too bad. I never signed up to any website to be LIKED. As long as I continue to be RIGHT, you little kids can call me all the names you want!
The Real Alex
It was actually VERY EASY to predict that this team would suck; it just took some baseball knowledge and some COMMON SENSE.
1) Heath Bell was a 34 year old fat boy that his old team no longer wanted. They signed him because he was the CHEAPER option than a real closer like Papelbon. So that was an EASY call.
2) Reyes not being "The Answer" was also a very easy call. Even if Reyes had another batting championship season this year, he's a SINGLES HITTER. The Marlins clearly needed a SLUGGER, a guy to drive in runs. Reyes was signed because he was a Latin player that Loria was betting would put fans in the seats, not because signing him was the BEST BASEBALL move. So that was an easy call as well.
3) Hanley Ramirez not having a good year was also a very easy call to make. He showed us NOTHING since 2009 to make us think otherwise! If you believed Hanley would have a great year you were DELUSIONAL.
4) JJ not having a "JJ type of year" was another very EASY call. The guy was coming off an injury. Pitchers coming back after injuries usually don't regain their form until the SECOND year. This was a simple call as well.
5) Gaby, Lomo, & Coghlan not having good seasons was also easy to predict. NONE OF THOSE GUYS showed us last year that they were gonna BREAK OUT big time in 2012.
6) Finally, this team was STILL operating the CHEAP and STUPID way that they operated since 2006: they continued to JERRY-RIG their line up and play guys OUT OF POSITION. As soon as this season started what did we see? Outfields full of first basemen, infielders and washed up DH types like Dobbs and Kearns. That surprised me, as did their CHEAPNESS in decimating the middle relief portion of the bullpen, letting go of Hensley and Brian Sanches. Once I saw THAT, it was an easy call that the OUTFIELD DEFENSE and Middle Relief would SUCK.
So yeah, I was 100% CORRECT about this team before the season started, but in reality it was EASY! What was SHOCKING was all the clowns who actually THOUGHT THIS TEAM WOULD WIN!
The Real Alex
What did surprise me was just how BAD OF A MANAGER Ozzie Guillen is. I have to admit that was one thing I did NOT see coming. I never watched a lot of American League Central Division baseball, so I had no idea how much Ozzie SUCKED.
When we signed him, some Chicago fans came to the MLB board (before Joe Frisaro banned me, LOL!) and they were LAUGHING at us Marlins fans. They were saying that we would be sorry for hiring Ozzie. I didn't believe them. I thought they were just trolling. But now I realize that they were 100% CORRECT!
Hell, if I had known just how bad Ozzie was, it would have been even MORE EASY to predict this team's EPIC FAILURE!
The Real Alex
Rotting Fish
My favorite moment from the Tuesday night telecast: Beinfest's phone starts ringing during the interview segment in the 5th inning. First, didn't this guy have the brains to put it on silent during the interview? Second, do you think the Dodgers are the only team with Beinfest on speed-dial these days?
Call me a crazy newbie, but we ain't seen nothin' yet. By this time next week the team will be mostly gutted. Super SloMo and Gaby will have new homes, we'll finally be rid of John Buck75, and Heath H*ll will be placed in a new dungeon.
Marlin Fan
The front office makes it extremely difficult to be a Marlin fan . Yes , absolutely Ramirez had to go , but at least get SOMETHING in return for him .
The Real Alex
The Marlins trade both Hanley and Choate for a pitcher who is 1-6. But this isn't a fire sale, huh?
Marlin Fan
I guess with all the " prospects" in these trades , it allows the front office more time and excuses as to why the team won't win , as they're waiting for the development of the prospects .
One thing is for sure: We can stockpile these struggling young pitchers and know with confidence that a great pitching coach like Randy what's-his-name will turn them into superstars overnight.
Marlin Fan
Lol , St Claire , the master . Well IF they ever develop , right when they're ready to come into their own , we won't sign them and let other teams reap the rewards lol
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BBC News
watch One-Minute World News
Last Updated: Wednesday, 12 July 2006, 15:24 GMT 16:24 UK
Castrato superstar disinterred
Castrato singers such as Farinelli were adored by female fans (Picture courtesy of the Royal College of Music)
The body of the world's most famous castrato singer, Farinelli, has been exhumed to try to find out how his virtuoso voice developed.
Scholars in the northern Italian city of Bologna will measure his skull and bones and perform DNA tests.
Farinelli was among thousands of boys castrated to preserve their high-pitched voices as they grew up.
Castrati singers were popular in Europe from the 16th Century until 1870 when the operation was banned.
Scholars will try to find out more about the vocal mechanism
The castrato's voice was prized for its combination of pitch and power - an unbroken male voice able to reach the highest notes, delivered by the powerful lungs of a fully-grown man.
In 17th and 18th Century Italy, up to 4,000 boys a year, often from poor families, were castrated from the age of eight upwards.
They became opera singers and soloists in church choirs and royal palaces.
Very few actually went on to achieve success, but those who did became the pop stars of their day, and they behaved as such.
Training schedule
Farinelli, born Carlo Broschi in 1705, was the most famous castrato of all.
Notoriously temperamental, he was buried in Bologna in 1782 dressed as a knight from the days of chivalry.
His remains will be examined at Bologna University by scholars who will try to find out more about his vocal mechanism, and the effects of his intensive musical training schedule on the shape of his body.
The team of scientists includes an acoustics expert, who is expected to study remains of vocal cords and larynx to discover what gave castrati such vocal range and power.
DNA tests will be conducted to try to determine what he ate and what diseases he had.
The project has been organised by the Farinelli Study Centre in Bologna, a group of scholars hoping to raise awareness of the singer's achievements.
Singing in the pain
29 Mar 06 | Magazine
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
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How the world's oldest clove tree defied an empire
Why Royal Ballet principal Sergei Polunin quit
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September 24, 2001 2:15 PM PDT
New worm exploits terrorist attacks
Antivirus companies warned Monday that an e-mail message asking for peace between America and Islam actually carries an extremely malicious and destructive payload.
Known as W32.Vote and WTC.exe, the worm--if opened--wipes out the PC's system files and overwrites HTML files with the sinister-sounding message: "AmeRiCa ...Few Days WiLL Show You What We Can Do !!! It's Our Turn >>> ZaCkEr is So Sorry For You."
"It's pretty nasty," Susan Orbuch, spokeswoman for antivirus company Trend Micro, said of the worm. "I hope that no one gets it."
Already, several people apparently have. Security software makers Symantec and Network Associates reported a handful of reports of W32.Vote infections.
"It's real," said Vincent Gullotto, director of Network Associates' antivirus emergency response team. "We have a couple of samples in from the field. We are giving it a low risk."
Last week, the FBI warned the public that virus writers might start camouflaging their malicious programs by taking advantage of the interest in the recent terrorist attacks. W32.Vote is apparently the first such virus or worm to go into circulation.
W32.Vote appears to be a sympathetic piece of chain mail. The infected e-mail carries the subject line: "Fwd: Peace BeTween AmeriCa And IsLam !" The main body of the message states: "Hi! iS iT A waR Against AmeriCa Or IsLam! Let's Vote To Live in Peace!"
If a PC user opens the attachment "wtc.exe" on a computer using Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me or 2000, the worm executes.
When it activates, the worm first attempts to mail itself to every e-mail address stored in the Microsoft Outlook address book. Then the worm saves two Visual Basic program files onto the computer: MixDaLaL.vbs and ZaCker.vbs. The worm also tries to download and run a file that would install a backdoor to the PC for online intruders to exploit later.
The worm then executes MixDaLaL.vbs from the Windows System folder. MixDaLa scans every hard drive for files with .htm and .html extensions. When the files are found, the worm overwrites them with the aforementioned message.
The other component of the worm, ZaCker.vbs, runs after the computer is restarted. The script attempts to delete all files in the Windows directory and overwrite the file used to start up the computer with commands that attempt to format the main hard drive. Because the necessary system files are gone, the last attack fails, but the other attacks result in the PC being rendered unbootable.
Finally, before the last shutdown, the worm displays the message: "I promises We WiLL Rule The Wold Again...By The Way,You Are Captured By ZaCker !!!"
While the worm may require owners of infected PCs to reinstall their operating system, Network Associates' Gullotto said most companies should be safe.
"In the corporate space, most people block executable (programs)," he said. "You might see it in the home-user space. Everyone's emotions are pretty raw right now, so they may click on something like this."
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Score Strip
1. League: NBA
2. Houston vs. Chicago
42 HOU
50 CHI
3. Milwaukee vs. Atlanta
53 MIL
47 ATL
4. LA Lakers vs. Oklahoma City
9:30 PM
5. View All
Ball Don't Lie
Dwight Howard says he doesn’t care if Deron Williams is still his friend
Eric Freeman
Ball Don't Lie
View photo
Carlos Boozer sets up a Dwight Howard/Deron Williams playdate in 2009 (Melissa Majchrzak/ Getty).
About a year ago, back when it was assumed that Dwight Howard would leave the Orlando Magic as a free agent in the summer of 2012, the Brooklyn Nets were the odds-on favorite to land his services. Along with point guard Deron Williams, Howard would have given the Nets a championship-level two-star core. It didn't hurt that Howard and Williams were friends who had played together on the 2008 Team USA Olympic gold-medal winners in Beijing.
Then Howard and the Magic's long "will they or won't they?" process began, which made the Nets' choice to wait for Howard in perpetuity a difficult process. They moved on, added different players, and forged a different future. Unfortunately, that also spelled the end of the potential partnership between Howard and Williams. Would they remain friends? Could they, after such heartbreak?
Deron, for his part, says he's happy that things worked out well for Dwight with the Lakers. But Dwight says he doesn't care if Deron is mad at him. From Stefan Bondy for the New York Daily News (via SLAM):
"It's my life so if he's upset because I made a decision for me, so be it," Howard said. "If he doesn't want to be friends because I'm on another team, then so be it. There's no need to smooth things over." [...]
The game also represents a shot at redemption for Brook Lopez, who the Nets tried to trade for Howard all last season. Howard told reporters Sunday that he plans to "hit (Lopez) in the chest a couple times on the offensive end and that will tire him out."
But Lopez wasn't engaging in trash talk. "At least Dwight said what he's going to do," Lopez said on the team's website.
Ugh, this is classic Dwight. Deron isn't even mad, because he found Brook, who was really just right in front of his eyes the whole time, and I heard they already picked out their matching outfits for the winter formal. But now Dwight's acting like Deron isn't his friend anymore, which is so wrong, because Deron just wants Dwight to be happy. So now he's going to hit Brook in the chest to start a fight for no reason? He even unfriended everyone on Facebook! Give me a break!
Like, Dwight had his chance to be with Deron and he totally blew it. Why's he pretending like there's some big fight when both are so happy now? I saw Dwight out with Kobe Bryant at the mall the other night, and even though Kobe didn't look him in the eye once they were laughing and sharing their Sbarro and just having such a good time. They even went to the Kay Jewelers to look at commitment rings after "Breaking Dawn: Part 2" ended. (OMG can you believe the ending???!!!!) It's all plastic but it so looks like a diamond. I swear you can't even tell the difference.
People grow apart, you know? Soon they'll all graduate and go their separate ways, and maybe they'll see each other at the reunion in Rio in four years and act like friends again. So why drop this drama bomb now? We're not in middle school anymore, guys, come on.
I'm telling you right now if they ruin Kris Humphries's party this weekend I'm gonna flip out.
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I'm trying to find a way to hide the switch inside the standard overlay of the UIImagePickerController (the one at bottom right) because I want to force use to only take picture and not video. Is that possible to do it without creating a custom overlay?
Thanks Francesco
share|improve this question
add comment
1 Answer
up vote 1 down vote accepted
I think that you just limit the mediaType as per above
share|improve this answer
Thanks, that's work perfectly and do exactly what I want. Thats the actual code if someone have the same problem: mypickerController.mediaTypes = [[NSArray alloc] initWithObjects: (NSString *) kUTTypeImage, nil]; It also important to add an import for: #import <MobileCoreServices/UTCoreTypes.h> and add MobileCoreServices.framework in the project. Thanks Again – Punty Aug 4 '11 at 15:07
add comment
Your Answer
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I have had something looking like this with my Chinese Seagull clone TLR, the 645 mask was so badly machined that it was causing scratches on the negative and it would result in several black lines on prints and scans. Could be something inside the camera scratching the emulsion on the film?
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No recent wiki edits to this page.
Don't fall off!
You control a blob of mercury, guiding it through different puzzles and obstacles while trying to keep as much of the blob as possible from falling off the stage before reaching the finish. The different puzzles will have you splitting the mercury into smaller blobs, going through paint shops and mixing different colors into new colors to pass through gates. You will also need to change the consistency of the mercury by heating it up or cooling it down to be able to pass through certain obstacles. On some stages enemies will try and hunt you down and gobble down all your tasty liquid.
The main objective is to pass the level with as much mercury left as possible, but you are also scored on your time and by your ability to collect bonus items.
There are eight labs that are progressively unlocked by collecting enough mercury while completing each stage. Each lab consists of 16 normal stages, plus a bonus stage that can be unlocked.
One of the later and harder stages
1. Astro Lab
2. Bio Lab
3. Cryo Lab
4. Electro Lab
5. Geo Lab
6. Atom Lab
7. Aero Lab
8. Hydro Lab
Party games
There are also five party games that can be unlocked during normal gameplay.
Race party game
1. Rodeo
2. Race
3. Metrix
4. Shove
5. Paint
This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:
Comment and Save
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Freelance Cartooning
Everything you need to know about freelance cartooning.
By the MOTHER EARTH NEWS editors
January/February 1970
Freelance cartooning can be a real career if you approach it with a few tips in mind.
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Crafting laundry detergent saves time, money and lightens your environmental footprint. Plus it’s si...
Now look, gang, don't get us wrong: We're most certainly not suggesting that half the readers of MOTHER EARTH NEWS are gonna run out and become freelance cartoonists immediately after reading this article. A few, yes. The great majority, no. We've gone pretty deeply into the how of this particular work-at-home dodge, though, for several reasons:
1. It's a fascinating field.
2. It's part of the communications/persuasion industry which plays an increasingly important part in our lives.
3. Similar to writing, commercial art and various other skills and crafts, cartooning does offer a way out of the 9-to-5 rap for a certain number of talented and determined individuals.
4. It's mainly a mail-order operation which means it neatly sidesteps race, color, creed and most other excuses we all use for putting bad trips on each other.
5. Successful freelancing — whether as plumber, cartoonist, cake baker, baby sitter, candle maker or whatever — depends on a certain lifestyle all its own. The products (skill, drawings, pastry, mere presence, decorator items, etc.) may differ but the ground rules are always the same: You're either your own man, work when, where and at what you like and successfully exchange your output for what you need and want... or you go back to pumping gas on the corner.
So, even if you think you have no drawing ability and you couldn't care less about trying to sell funny pictures to magazines, come on along. You're going to learn how to get a highly specialized art — or other — education for very little money (maybe even free), you'll find a definite step-by-step drop-out-and-do-your-own-thing plan used by one successful cartoonist and Carl Kohler's section, in particular, should (a) turn you on to some immediate money-making angles if you are, or want to be, a cartoonist or (b) just generally turn you on if you're not a 'tooner but need some inspiration from a sassy, successful practitioner of an alternate lifestyle.
So you wanna be a cartoonist? Great! But why?
Why You Should Become a Freelance Cartoonist
If you're just looking for an easy way out, this probably isn't it. Cartooning, like most other endeavors, can be brutally hard work — and, like most other endeavors, it can be deliriously wonderful play that you just happen to get paid for. Let's stop and lay down some ground rules right in front: We presently live in a society that puts a price tag on virtually everything, right? Right. And that can be a real drag, right? Right. Because you always wind up having to put in your time on a job you hate just to get the necessities of life, right? Wrong!
It doesn't have to be that way. It's all in how you look at it. Remember, we said, "The society puts a price tag on virtually everything"? OK. There's no reason why you can't make that work for, rather than against, you. It's easy. First, decide what you really want to do; second, start doing it (as long as you're not putting a bad trip on someone or something else) and third, figure out some way to exchange what you do for what you want and need.
If you're hung up on horses and hate office work, in other words, you'd be damn foolish to work all week as a secretary just so you could pay the rent, put food on the table and — maybe — have enough left over to ride an hour or two each weekend at some expensive stable. Yet that's exactly what an awful lot of babes do. But not my clever little wife. She loves horses so she teaches riding, trains, shows and judges horses and, incidentally, makes twice what any desk job would pay her.
Rule No. 1 in successful living, then, goes something like this: Get yourself together, find out where the action is for you, go there and start making it happen. As Thoreau said, "Build your castles in the air... and then put foundations under them."
So, for the sake of argument, let's say that cartooning is your thing. You're fascinated by the idea of communicating with hand-drawn pictures, you dig the ego trip of being a successful artist or cartooning just appeals to some artsy craftsy element in your nature. It doesn't matter. Don't analyse it. All you have to know is that cartooning is your thing.
Fine. Now, how are you going to start? With 10 years of art school or an expensive home-study course and a fancy studio with all the trimmings? Not on your life — or, I should say, not with your life. You haven't got that much time. You're interested in beginning right here and now. And, just so you can walk away from that factory job (work) and start cartooning (play) any time you feel like it, you're gonna want to make it begin paying off just as soon as possible.
How to Begin a Freelance Career
Every field of endeavor, every sport, every industry, every special interest group — it seems — in the country has one or two or seven or 12 or more magazines, papers or newsletters published just for it. If the publication covers the field, it's called a trade journal. If it's put out by one company or subgroup within the field for "their own," it's called a house organ. Trade journals and house organs are what you look for whenever you want to get inside a field or a special interest group, quickly and easily. As a cartoonist, these publications should doubly interest you because a couple are going to teach you how and the others are going to buy a lot of your finished work.
Forget the shysters who exaggerate the opportunities in the field while selling you an overpriced art course or a truckload of fancy equipment. Forget the dilettantes who always flutter about the edges of the action. Go right to the heart of whatever field interests you by getting your hands on current copies of the working trade journals of that field.
There's no faster, easier, better way to pick up inside language, check out the economics, get filled in on the latest methods, spot developing trends and learn "who's who" in the particular establishment or power structure that interests you.
When I decided to break into cartooning back in the mid-50s, Don Ulsh's New York Cartoon News and George Hartman's Information Guide were the two "bibles" that showed me the way. Through them, I learned very quickly that, while my cartooning was less than professional, there was definitely a market for the gags I was writing. So I switched to writing for other cartoonists (often found listed in those books), and used the money I earned that way to finance the improvement of my drawing. Within six months (while I was still an ignorant 16-year-old Indiana farm boy) I had had gags, drawn by other artists, published in Collier's, true and lesser markets and I was selling cartoons of my own. I had never had (still haven't) an art lesson, I owned no expensive drawing equipment and I definitely wasn't a genius. I had just used the cartooning papers as a magic carpet to get me where I wanted to go.
I've since used my cartoon experience as a springboard into some nice public relations and writing jobs and I've kind of drifted away from the field. If I wanted to get back to the drawing board today (or if I was just starting out), however, my first move would be to get my name on the mailing list for a cartoon-related publication.
I'd also, maybe, invest in Careers in Cartooning by Lawrence Lariar and Jack Markow's Cartoonist's and Gag Writer's Handbook. That, plus the following articles by Kohler, would give me (and should give you) enough marketing information to make it.
Remember, whether you're trying to make it inside or outside the present establishment, the key to success is marketing. If you don't somehow swap what you have too much of (beans, fence posts, cartoons, ripe fruit or enthusiasm) for what you need (shoes, bananas and automobiles), you ain't gonna make it.
But what about drawing. Isn't that important too? Yes, but not as important as you may think. A poorly drawn cartoon with a strong gag that hits the readers of a particular magazine right between the eyes will always sell before the beautiful rendering that isn't really relevant. This is no excuse for lousy artwork, understand, but it does explain why, contrary to what most cartoon course peddlers tell you, you don't need to go to any art school or take any course on the market to become a cartoonist.
As a matter of fact, I feel very strongly that — unless you're really a lazy lout who needs to be pushed, and pushed hard, to start a gag or finish a drawing (and what are you doing in cartooning, in that case?) — you'll find most instruction in the field (and most other fields, too) vastly overpriced and largely irrelevant.
You don't really want all those pre-packaged assignments, penpal letters and a $500 diploma to hang on the wall, do you? Maybe so, maybe not. As for me, I was more interested in kicking the 9-to-5 job — and that meant selling cartoons.
If you're determined to squander your hard-earned loot on a cartoon or commercial — or even fine arts — course, I will give one company a left-handed recommendation: Any of the Famous Artists courses are bargains. I made the rounds, one week, with a Famous Schools salesman and I know about what everything from the salesmen's commission and district manager's override right through the triple-page ads in the glossy magazines costs the company. After all the hype, there isn't much left for art instruction. No worse than other firms in the field, you understand, but not a lot better either.
Besides, there's literally tens and tens of thousands of courses from that one company (and as many, if not more, from each of the others) gathering dust on bookshelves throughout this country. A two-line classified ad in any big city paper should get you a lot of answers and at least one course for $75 — which is what I paid for mine — or less.
A good course, used as a reference, can be valuable to you but it's only worth what you take out of it. The most important thing for you to do if you want to be a cartoonist, is to draw every chance you get. And don't take the lazy man's way out and only draw the things that are easy for you. You're only fooling yourself if you do. Draw, and keep on drawing — from life, from memory, from imagination.
You don't need fancy drawing pencils and pads either. Ordinary note books and regular pencils (whatever number you prefer) are plenty good enough. The really important thing is the developing coordination between your hand and eye.
And here's a fact that should surprise you: The best teachers in the world are all set to help you for free. That's right, the cartoonists who sell their work for the highest prices today are ready to teach you to draw.
All you have to do is leaf through any magazine or newspaper that prints cartoons. If you don't have any lying around, go out and ask the neighbors for back issues... or make a trip down to the nearest waste-paper firm. Get yourself a big stack of magazines with cartoons in them.
Then go through all the publications and clip out all the cartoons you find. Keep it up until you've got drawings by every artist whose work you can get your hands on. These cartoonists are the best teachers in the world. Why? Because these are the guys who are selling their work, right now, today.
Forget all the two-bit teachers who never sold a drawing in their life. Forget all the dated artwork in the cartoon courses. Study what the selling artists are doing. They're the ones who really know what cartooning is all about.
Notice how they place their characters. See how they vary the lines in their drawings. Study their methods of shading. Compare the different ways they draw people. Look at the way they sketch the backgrounds. Soak up every detail of every drawing you can get into your file.
Then try to draw that way yourself. Use every trick you can steal to make your drawings sparkle just like the professionals. Gradually, you'll pick up one idea from one artist, something else from a second and another wrinkle from a third. Pretty soon, you'll be cranking out clean cartoons in a style all your own.
If you don't think you can learn about drawing this way, let me tell you something: The pros do this all the time. It's the way it's done. So go to it.
Some skills, such as learning to draw perspective, you'll probably have to learn from regular art books because it is hard to acquire such knowledge merely by looking at finished art work. In the main, however, you will find that the best cartoon instruction in the world is only as far away as the nearest printed cartoon.
Necessary Tools for Cartooning
As for supplies needed to begin cartooning, here again you can forget the sharpsters who want to sell you everything from hand-engraved sketch pads to chromed drawing tables.
Essential, of course, is a pencil. Ordinary, everyday pencils are plenty good enough for a start. When you think you need something better, you will probably want a few real drawing pencils since you can specify their lead hardness much more exactly. They're graded from 7H (a very hard lead that makes a light line) through F (medium) to 7B (the softest, blackest lead). I usually wind up using a 2H and 4H most of the time. You may find other grades more suitable to your touch.
Paper is another primary must. Professional cartoonists use regular typing paper for the most part and there is no reason for you to buy anything any more expensive. For rough drawing and just doodling, use a cheap 16 pound paper. Inked cartoons that are submitted to editors should be done on a good grade of 20 or 24 pound, 25 percent rag content paper.
Only a few artists who regularly do complicated cartoons with tints and washes (colored or black ink mixed with water and used like water colors on a finished drawing) for the top-paying markets (Esquire, Playboy, etc.) ever use expensive drawing papers or illustration boards... and, then, only after submitting a rough idea on typing paper, usually.
Another essential tool (at least for me) is a good eraser. Again, you can start with pencil erasers. But sooner or later you'll want a good "Artgum"and a kneaded rubber eraser.
Cartoons used to always be done in ink, but that is changing rapidly now and it's not at all uncommon for a drawing done in black pencil and spray-fixed to be bought and reproduced in a middle or minor (or even major) magazine. Still, you should learn to handle ink, because you will be called on to produce an "inker" once in a while. As a matter of fact, while you're starting you'll make a much better impression on editors if you submit all your cartoons in ink. Later, when you're "in" with a few magazines, you can start sending in penciled roughs (rough drawings) or even typers (typed gags for an editor to read so that you only have to draw the particular cartoons he wants to buy). At any rate, black is the only color ink you'll need and most artists seem to prefer Higgins brand.
Some artists use only brushes, other like pens and still others prefer to use a combination of the two for inking. You'll just have to find what is best for you. I've heard of cartoonists using brushes from No. 00 to No. 7. A few popular pen points are Esterbrook 356 and 358 and Gillot's 290, 303 and 404. Gaining in favor are some of the new mechanical pens, particularly the Rapidograph, which are made in various sizes.
A drawing board is pretty much standard equipment. Here again, you can save a lot of money by using a standard bread board or a piece of plywood for a starter. Prop it up on a table and you're in business. Later, when you have the loot rolling in, you can buy a regular drawing table (there's some great bargains in used tables floating around) or make one from a flush door.
Fancy light boards (which make tracing finished cartoons from a penciled rough much easier) are expensive so I made my first one from an old window pane and some scrap lumber. A mimeograph stencil light board also works well for less bread.
A ruler, some paper clips, a few thumbtacks and a small piece of cloth for a pen wiper come in handy. For correcting ink mistakes, some opaque white is useful. Your local stationer's store probably has "Showcard" or "poster" white.
As you progress you can pick up all kinds of stuff such as paste, T squares, a compass, triangles, blotting paper, colored ink, etc. but paper, pencil, black ink, ruler, drawing surface and eraser are all you really need to start.
Remember, it's the finished cartoon you get paid for, not the equipment you used while drawing it.
Cartoon Brainstorming
Now that you're all set to draw, where will the ideas come from? Well, you can use one or more gag writers who will mail typed cartoon ideas to you. You then return the ones you don't like and draw up the others. When you sell one of the finished cartoons, you pay the gag writer 25 percent of the price you received for the drawing.
Let's save the gag writers for your first dry spell. Here's how you'll think up your own gags:
Start a morgue. All cartoonists have one and it's not as gruesome as it sounds. An artist's morgue is just a collection of pictures, cartoons, funny remarks, jokes, sketches and a hundred other things. A cartoonist generally keeps two morgues: One of cartoons and drawings to refer to whenever he needs help while drawing and a separate collection of jokes, gags, etc. to primp the pump when he's writing gags.
Organize your morgues any way you like: in old shoe boxes, cardboard cartons, filing cabinets, albums, notebooks or whatever. But do use a system so you can find what you want when you want it. Add new material constantly. Your morgue is your most valuable tool.
Whenever you need fresh material, you'll start digging in the morgue and letting your imagination wander as you filter various bits of material through your brain. Pretty soon you'll come up with a combination you think is funny. You'll even begin to surprise yourself by suddenly thinking of a situation entirely different from the original idea you used to prime your creative process.
This is just a variation on the way most writers work and the magic word is cram. Cram yourself full of life. Use it all as your gag writer. Watch TV (if you can stomach it), listen to the radio, go to the movies, read, read, read and keep your eyes open. Soak up every impression you can absorb.
Then, when you sit down to shape up some usuable gags, you will never have any trouble pulling ideas out of the air. Some of your best gems will pop out of your subconscious when you least expect it: While you're reading a good book or carrying out the ashes or just as you drift off to sleep.
Once you train your mind to think up humorous ideas, you'll turn out material faster than you can use it.
Selling Your Work
Carl Kohler's excellent pieces which follow this diatribe are really going to open your eyes to the marketing possibilities in cartooning. If you think you can only sell single panel gag cartoons to magazines, in other words, you're going to have your mind pleasantly stretched. Carl's underlying philosophy should prove quite valuable to anyone trying to make it outside the system with anything. Roughly translated, he's saying, "Life is just exactly what you make it."
Although I kinda started at the top and worked down (my gags were published in slick, national magazines first, I next began selling the middle markets and wound up doing local stuff last of all) most beginning cartoonists do best if they concentrate on digging the gold in their own backyard. Every top cartoonist in the country (the world, it seems) is trying to crack Playboy, for instance, but you are probably the only artist knocking on the door of your hometown newspaper.
Prepare a sample kit of your very best work. Make it neat and as attractive as you can. Make two or more sample kits, and you'll have one to show and others to leave with interested prospects.
Now visit local printers and stress the fast, customized nature of your work. There's a blue million "mat" and clip-art services but there's no way for them to customize their art the way you'll be able to.
Stop in at the local newspaper with some editorial or feature cartoons slanted especially for your town. Newspapers have access to more syndicated art work than they can use but most editors are always interested in something with a local flavor.
Offer to do an editorial cartoon or a sports feature about local athletes on a regular basis, of course. Maybe the paper is ripe for a feature reporting upcoming community projects. If you like to do caricatures or portraits, you might work up a regular weekly panel featuring an outstanding citizen: The mayor, industrail leaders, local celebrities.
Merchants can always use good eye-catching cartoons in their newspaper ads, posters, store windows, hand bills and all the stuff they give away such as blotters, mailing pieces, etc. You just have to be enough of a go-getter to sell them on using your stuff.
Do you know the comic strip, Tumbleweeds? It's drawn by a fellow named Tom Ryan. Tom lives in Muncie, Indiana and I've known him a long time. When he was a beginning cartoonist (and that was just a few years ago) he sold one newspaper in Muncie the idea of using a little cartoon character, Benny Beans. This little guy was featured in the paper all the time: When the United Fund was having a drive, Benny Beans would be shown holding a poster or a collection can. During the yearly Paint Up-Fix Up-Clean Up campaign, Benny Beans would be seen sweeping the streets with a broom and on and on and on.
Tom was too clever to stop with that. He sold a local hardware store the idea of having another cartoon character, Jiffy Jackson, in all their ads. And, eventually, Tom landed a syndicate for Tumbleweeds and graduated into the "Big Time," but his local cartoon work helped keep his family eating until he finally made it.
You might think that Tom had the cartoon business around Muncie all sewed up when he was doing the local work. Not so! A number of sign painters were doing the usual cartoons on trucks, billboards, buildings, etc. Another cartoonist occasionally contributed an editorial drawing for a second paper in town; I did some cartoons for WLBC-TV in Muncie; and a housewife successfully launched herself into a seasonal business decorating store windows with water color cartoons of Santa Claus and other Christmas scenes. I understand she still has a long list of regular customers for this service and she earns several hundred dollars every December this way.
We'll go into the working methods of this idea in more detail in a later issue if anyone is interested, but about all it involves is chalking the basic layout on the outside of the plate glass windows of a store and then going inside and doing the finish art work in show card colors. This is a little tricky because you're working backward, but, if you do the finish art on the outside of the window, rain and small boys will soon mess it up.
One of the best ways to sell your work in the beginning is to offer to take your pay out in trade from the merchants you do work for. They like the idea and will often use your stuff this way when they won't pay for it in cash.
George Hartman, publisher of Cartoon World, says he always had 1,000 cans in his pantry throughout the depression just because he took goods in trade in return for printing a small town "shopper"on a mimeograph machine. We'll give you a more complete report on that idea later, too.
Approach the chairmen of various clubs and offer to dress up their programs and announcements when they are planning special events. Maybe you can land a job designing a calender showing the year's important meetings for a club or lodge.
Richard Riley, writing in the August, 1969 Cartoon World says: "Our town has an annual rodeo each spring and since I do a great deal of rodeo-type cartoons I talked to the program manager of the Jaycees. After they had their dummy made up, they gave it to me and I did cartoons in the white spaces. The Jaycees told their customers about me as they sold the ads and I not only picked up a nice check from the Jaycees, but from the ads too. Also, my cartoon book, Lit' Wrangler, will be sold at the rodeo... and I got ten free tickets, too!"
Get a big pad of newsprint or drawing paper and teach yourself to give interesting chalk talks. A size of 2 by 3 feet is good for this and you'll find charcoal crayons handy to work with. One subject you can use is "How cartoonists think up gags and make their drawings." Clubs and other groups will use you as entertainment for 10 to 20 dollars a throw with, usually, a meal for good measure.
A lot of people will pay very good money for a custom mural done on play room or den walls. These are generally colorful scenes done in opaque water colors and varnished over when well dried. Better practice this one first! Banks and restaurants also go for these.
A well drawn replica of a new home will sell to the proud home owner. Merchants will pay for good drawings of their stores. They hang em on the walls and use 'em on letterheads and in advertising.
Most factories print a small paper or magazine for employees. Offer to do art work or a cartoon for them.
Teach yourself to do a nice job of lettering and learn to use transfer lettering. You'll find a lot more jobs coming your way.
Drop in to the local TV station with a portfolio. Local stations can always use locally-drawn "spots." Some cartoonists have even landed a cartoon TV program of their own.
Drawing Cartoons for Magazines
OK. We started telling you about magazine cartooning so it's about time we got back to the main subject.
There are thousands and thousands of specialized publications printed in this country. You know about Life and Newsweek and other national magazines... but have you ever heard of Boot and Shoe Recorder? Or Pure Milk News? Or Printing Impressions? Probably not, but all three use cartoons.
Go to the local library and look through the directories of business and trade magazines. One is Gebbie's and another is published by N.W. Ayres and Sons. They'll open your eyes and give you enough names and addresses to keep you busy for a long, long time. But you'll be submitting your work a little blindly if you only use such directories.
As I mentioned earlier, subscribe to the cartoonists' tip sheets. They'll keep you advised of buying action in the middle and minor magazines. So will Writer's Digest and Author and Journalist. They all list cartoon markets and, if you submit to the magazines listed, you should gradually build up a list of editors that will regularly buy your work, assuming it is of professional quality.
These little magazines are actually pretty easy to work with and, if your gag sense is sharp and you can slant ideas to the readers of a particular publication, your art work can actually be a little rough.
One word of caution: Stick to the fields you know. Because I lived on a farm when I was doing my heavy cartoon work, I drew mostly farm and dairy cartoons and had no trouble selling them to the smaller farm publications. I was also hung up on aviation and developed a secondary market around that interest.
No matter what magazine you decide to submit to, give the editor what he wants for his readers, not what you want them to have. This is called slanting your work. You send farm cartoons to farm magazines, girly cartoons to girly publications and supermarket cartoons to magazines for supermarket managers.
If you run across a new market and you don't know exactly what kind of cartoons it uses, get a copy of the magazine and study it. If you can't find a copy, write the editor, tell him you're a cartoonist, offer your services and ask for samples of his publication. If he's interested, he'll send you a few copies. If he's not interested, it's better to find out right in front.
Most editors are honest and hard working, but you'll find a few that won't return drawings or who use your stuff and never pay for it. Forget them. They don't last very long, anyway. There are more good markets than you can cover. Concentrate on the good ones.
Submitting Cartoons to Magazines
After you've drawn up a good batch of 10 or 12 cartoons (or five or six for a very specialized market), address a 9-by-12-inch manila envelope to yourself and a 9 1/2-by-12 1/2 inch envelope to the editor. Stamp both envelopes with sufficient postage, put the cartoons into the smaller one and put it into the big envelope. A cardboard stiffener is also a good idea. Seal the large envelope and mail. It's now becoming increasingly popular to make a very light fold across the center of the batch of drawings and use half-size envelopes. They seem to stand up a lot better in the mail.
You can seal cartoons, according to the post office regulations, and send them third class as long as you don't include a written note. If your local post office gives you a hard time on this, write to the Postmaster General in Washington, D.C.
Always include return postage and a return address on the envelope in your submission.
Sooner or later, you'll have to set up some kind of system so you can keep a record of the drawings you have in the mail, the ones that have already been to a particular editor, and the ones that haven't. You'll want to put your name and address on the back of each cartoon too. Editors sometimes get several batches mixed up together and this will help to keep everything straight.
Payment for a Beginner's Work
The usual rule for a beginning cartoonist is "Get as much as you can, but get the job!" As you start doing work for local business men and newspapers, you'll find, that many of them can't — or won't — pay a lot for the work they use.
Don't be discouraged. The experience acquired on these first jobs is worth a great deal to you. As you improve your work, you'll gradually slide up from, maybe, 5 dollars a drawing to 15 to 50 dollars or more. Some of the trade journals even pay more than 100 dollars to their regular contributors.
A good artist who keeps at least 10 batches of cartoons in the mail at all times should average 100 to 200 dollars a week. A part-timer with only a batch or two out at any one time can generally pick up 10 to 20 dollars of extra spending money each week. That's not great, but cartooning worked that way can be looked upon as a hobby that pays its way. I've seen a lot of times when that 10 dollars came in very, very handy.
Naturally, since you want to be a cartoonist, you're going to make every last drawing your very best, whether it's a paid-for-in-advance 100 dollar cartoon or a 5 dollar spot.
Cartooning is no bed of roses but it can be a very fun way of making a living and — if you make it to the top with a syndicated strip of your own or as a regular artist for, say, Playboy, you'll be in the big money, indeed.
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9/3/2007 9:33:41 PM
i was sitting helpless with my cartoon works in hand and lots of ideas in mind. now i am charged up and cant wait to mail my cartoons and start earning. please do help me. where and when should i send my cartoons ? visit my blogs , www.arindamart.blogspot.com and www.aritoons.blogspot.com i need it immediately and need your help.
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The High Plains of North Dakota.
MARLIN LEVISON, Star Tribune file
"Government may not burden a person's or a religious organization's religious liberty. The right to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief may not be burdened unless the government proves it has a compelling governmental interest in infringing the specific act or refusal to act and has used the least restrictive means to further that interest. A burden includes indirect burdens such as withholding benefits, assessing penalties, or exclusion from programs or access to facilities."
Editorial: A misleading push for religious liberty
• May 24, 2012 - 8:37 PM
North Dakotans should reject the misguided, misleadingly named "Religious Liberty Restoration" measure when they vote in their state primary early next month. Instead of protecting religious freedom, the proposed state constitutional amendment -- known as "Measure 3" -- would potentially allow one person's religious beliefs to infringe on others' rights.
If it passes, the religious right and Catholic bishop-affiliated organizations in Minnesota and elsewhere might push similar self-serving measures. A handful of states already have enacted similar laws. The North Dakota measure's main champions are the North Dakota Catholic Conference and the North Dakota Family Alliance, which has ties to Focus on the Family, an organization founded by controversial social-conservative leader James Dobson.
For more than two centuries, the First Amendment to the nation's Constitution has solidly safeguarded religious freedom in the United States. State measures, such as North Dakota's, aren't just unnecessary, they're un-American. Measure 3 is nothing less than a request for preferential treatment for religious people when their beliefs conflict with new or existing laws.
"That's a problem,'' said Steven R. Morrison, a University of North Dakota School of Law professor who has written a legal analysis of Measure 3. "Our country was founded on equality and fairness. It was founded on this notion that the rule of law applies to everybody equally."
North Dakota primary voters, who will also weigh in on abolishing property taxes and the University of North Dakota's "Fighting Sioux" nickname, might assume that Measure 3 simply safeguards against the Obama administration's controversial birth-control mandate from earlier this year.
Federal health officials declared birth control to be preventive health care, meaning that it's covered without a copay. Some Catholic organizations filed suit this week against the administration, claiming that the mandate violates their religious freedom by requiring Catholic hospitals and most other employers to provide birth-control coverage.
Measure 3's proponents began their push well before that controversial decision. The measure is also written in a "strikingly broad" fashion, according to Morrison, instead of narrowly focusing on birth control. If passed, it could give any employer the right to challenge birth control or medical procedures covered in employees' health insurance.
But the measure goes far beyond that, potentially allowing the beliefs of any religion to challenge or trump labor laws, antidiscrimination laws or zoning laws, just to name a few.
Former North Dakota District Judge James Vukelic worries that attorneys would try to use the law as a defense for criminal acts. "It's a Pandora's box,'' he said.
North Dakota is not a hotbed of religious repression. Measure 3 would not solve a problem but create problems. Peace Garden State voters need to use common sense and say no.
© 2014 Star Tribune
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