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Just showed Henne throwing a TD pass to put Miami up 24-3 over Buffalo. Is this his first career start? I hope there are many more to come.
Stats so far (6:51, 3rd Qtr)
13/21, 126 yds, 5.2 avg, 1 TD, 0 INT
Keep it up!
go henne go!
Ironically, his first NFL touchdown was to OSU's Brian Hartline, and it was Hartline's first NFL touchdown as well.
which is even more ironic, I would think.
I have always liked Chad. I think he has the makings of a decent pro QB. Hopefully he can keep it up!
I love seeing former M QB's have success in the NFL.
Go Blue!
...to improve their pass protection schemes or get some linemen that are better at executing pass protection schemes.
Henne's been sacked 6 times for -29 yards in this contest. This is against Buffalo, who has a middling pass rush at best.
If Miami intends Henne to be their franchise QB they need to step up and fix this fast because the current level of pass protection is putting his shoulder at serious risk, not to mention the elevated risk of concussion that comes with each sack.
Henne was a 2nd rounder, usually 2nd rounders dont get paid anywhere near the amount 1sts get. I think hes in the 2nd year of a 4 year deal.
Is what Henne signed. I believe it was for $3.5 million or in that neighborhood.
It's good to see Chad finally getting the chance to start some (even if it's only because of injury). Unfortunately he has 2 fumbles, but 0 lost fumbles, so at least he's not turning it over. I hope he can keep it going next week.
though i really don't know the quality of Dolphin receivers.
dolphins receivers pose very little downfield threat.
Henne representing the Maize and Blue brigade in the NFL! Gotta love it.
... nails.
Trent Edwards is really getting a raw deal, first they make him deal with TO then they can his OC (also a Stanford alum like him, incidentally). Buffalo continues to be the stepchild of the division.
Just when he was starting to develop as a pretty solid QB, everything just goes down hill for him.


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Lets' face it, when it comes to generating bad PR, the Orioles haven't needed any help for a long time; but whether deserved or not, with a helping hand from NBC, Steve Bisciotti, the Ravens and Roger Goodell, the O's are unfairly taking the brunt of the criticism for the fallout from Schedule-Gate 2013.
It's a topic that's been discussed ad nauseum for the better part of the last couple of weeks, and now that it's been resolved (or at least decided) I'm going to take one last lick at this dead horse before we put it to bed…until the beginning of September that is, when we're sure to dig it back up and beat it to death all over again.
For now, it's time for Ravens fans to let go of the "woe is us" and realize that this couldn't have worked out any better for the team.
In the Harbaugh era, and to some degree before it, there are two giant hammers that the Ravens have wielded consistently. The Ravens have been near impossible to beat at home, and are undefeated when they've had extra rest or opportunity to prepare for an opponent. There's no need to swing both of those hammers at the same time, and all Schedule-Gate has done is prevented the Ravens from having to.
I get that fans want to celebrate the team's Super Bowl win with the whole world watching; but what's best for the team? It's kind of laughable that those who consider themselves fans of the Ravens suddenly seem to be more interested in having center stage for themselves for one night in September, than they are in giving the Ravens their best opportunity at winning enough games to possibly make another Super Bowl run.
The Harbaugh era Ravens are 5-0 in opening games and 14-0 when having 10 or more days to prepare for an opponent (including openers). It's probably also worth mentioning that 4 of those 5 opening game wins have been at home (so much for the "NFL is out to get us" angle). Now that it's decided that the Ravens will open on the road, there are only 3 games that should be up for consideration for the NFL's showcase. Not coincidentally, those games happen to be the Ravens 3 toughest looking road games as well (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati or Denver). Since there's no avoiding having to play those games anyway, doing it in the first week of the season is ideal.
It's better to get Peyton Manning and Wes Welker in the first game of the year, when they're still trying to figure one another out, and probably more ideal to get in and out of Denver before the frost settles in. While it by no means insures the Ravens will win; it seems to give them their best chance to win. In fact, if we can get over our hurt feelings for long enough to think about the good of the team, ideally the Ravens would open in Denver, and then on the back of 10 days rest head to either Pittsburgh or Cincinnati, and then return to Baltimore for the home opener.
It's also worth mentioning that opening on Thursday night has not always precluded teams from having to play another Thursday game in the same season. Given that the Ravens are defending Super Bowl champions, it would seem likely that they'll get their maximum 5 prime time games, and that there's a real possibility that they'll have another Thursday game. Opening on Thursday, on the road would not only prevent the Ravens from having to be ready for Thursday night on 3 days rest, but would also virtually insure that if they did get a 2nd Thursday game it would be in Baltimore, with another (likely tough) opponent having to prepare and travel on short rest.
So if we're keeping score at home, the NFL played the role of bully on behalf of NBC, and tried to impose themselves on the Orioles. The Orioles held their ground and as a result are stuck with a September 5th game that is sure to be a dog attendance-wise because it's going up against the Ravens opener. The Ravens by opening on the road against a tough opponent will have a likely better chance to win a tough road game than they would otherwise, and may still get a Thursday home game with significant, inherent advantages built in. Someone remind me again why everyone is so mad at the Orioles over this. Oh yeah…it's because we miss out on the chance to scream "look at us" to the football world while pounding our chests, right?
Sign me up, 10 times out of 10, for the schedule formula that gives the Ravens the best shot at being a playoff team, or a division winner, or a home playoff game host, or a bye week possessor. Frankly I'm shocked that Ravens fans are having such trouble grasping this one. I thought better of most of you.
Lastly, if the locker room somehow sees this as a slight, as fans clearly have, then it facilitates the mentality that has seemed to serve them so well lately. It's Baltimore against the world as usual. If that works, so be it. But the Ravens are the winners in this mess; it's just that some folks' sensitivity won't allow them to see it.

subset: commoncrawl


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CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Mitt Romney's allies are hoping Super Tuesday's powerful imprint on the Republican presidential nomination will bring clarity, at long last, to the fractious contest and rouse Republicans behind their front-runner. But that's strictly up to voters across the nation, weighing in on the most consequential day of the campaign to date.
Romney and his chief rival, Rick Santorum, scrambled for any advantage they could find Monday in Ohio, the most-watched contest in the 10-state extravaganza stretching from Alaska to the southeast.
Speaking to supporters at a guardrail factory in Canton, Ohio, Romney tried to snap the subject back to the economy and away from social conservative issues — this, after a furor erupted from radio host Rush Limbaugh's caustic comments about a college student who testified to Congress about contraception.
"I look at this campaign right now and I see a lot of folks all talking about lots of things, but what we need to talk about to defeat Barack Obama is getting good jobs and scaling back the size of government, and that's what I do," Romney said. "Other people in this race have debated about the economy, they've read about the economy, they've talked about it in subcommittee meetings. But I've actually been in it."
Santorum told Ohioans the election must be earned, not "bought," in another swipe at Romney's wealth and superior campaign machine. "Look into what the candidates have overcome and what they offer to this country — not just what money they have," he told hundreds of students and supporters at Dayton Christian School, "but where's the soul, where's the conviction, where's the fight?
"Money's not going to buy this election."
The latest polls found Santorum slipping in Ohio, putting him in a near dead heat with Romney, and Gingrich looking strong but not invincible in his home state of Georgia, which he needs to win to have any hope of resurrecting his candidacy. Ron Paul, trailing the delegate count and the expectations game, hoped one or more of the three caucus states, Alaska, Idaho and North Dakota, would finally give him a victory.
Fully one-third of the delegates needed to clinch the nomination are at stake Tuesday, altogether a larger prize than all the previous primaries and caucuses combined. President Barack Obama picked Tuesday for his first news conference of the year, a chance to steal a bit of thunder from the Republicans on their big day and defend a record of economic stewardship that is under daily assault in the GOP campaign.
On the eve of Super Tuesday, the message coming from Republican establishment figures was clear: It's time, if not past time, to crystallize the competition and unite the party behind the effort to defeat Obama in the fall.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, one of the most conservative members of the Senate, were among the latest GOP luminaries to swing behind Romney. Conservative John Ashcroft, attorney general in the George W. Bush administration and a former Missouri senator, threw his support behind Romney on Monday.
Cantor told CNN "we're coalescing around Mitt Romney's plan to actually address the economic challenges," and "trying to find ways to work together and bring people together and set aside differences."
Whether Super Tuesday marks that sort of turning point remains to be seen. Romney has been the presumed long-haul favorite from the start but Santorum's surge unfolded as the latest in a line of surprises from a field now down to four candidates.
Gingrich, whose only victory was in the Jan. 21 South Carolina primary, has staked his campaign's future on winning Georgia, the state he represented in Congress for 20 years, and on building a stronghold in the conservative South.
Toward that end, Gingrich scheduled stops Monday in Tennessee, where he appears to be in a close race with Santorum and Romney. Gingrich also planned to visit Alabama on Tuesday for the state's March 13 primary before returning to Atlanta in the evening.
Santorum drew more on his personal biography than he has in recent days. He cast himself as a scrappy blue-collar fighter going up against Romney — a "country club Republican" in the words of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, a Santorum supporter.
"I come to the people of Ohio as a candidate who shouldn't be here," Santorum said. "Growing up in a steelworker town, growing up having to fight for everything you got, is exactly the kind of person that we need to have." The former Pennsylvania senator is acknowledging that to be successful over the long haul, he will need Gingrich to get out of the race.
While Romney has a significant advantage in northeastern states such as Vermont and Massachusetts — where he was governor — and Santorum is strong in conservative states such as Oklahoma, Ohio tops the list of hotly competitive and delegate-rich contests Tuesday. Both candidates focused on the state Monday after a weekend swing through the South.
Romney has been working to make the race about the economy and to avoid intensifying the debate over conservative social values, a strong suit for Santorum. That effort was not helped when Limbaugh called a Georgetown University law student a "slut" and a "prostitute" on his nationally syndicated radio program, later apologizing.
The woman had testified at a congressional hearing in favor of an Obama administration mandate that employee health plans include free contraceptive coverage.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, denounced Limbaugh's comments Monday, saying his remarks "should be condemned" by people across the political spectrum. The 2012 GOP candidates have dissociated themselves from Limbaugh's comments, though not as forcefully as McCain did on CBS' "This Morning."
Romney has won four consecutive contests, including Saturday's Washington caucuses. His broad, well-disciplined organization all but assures he'll collect more delegates than his opponents on Tuesday, in contrast with Santorum's looser group of supporters. Santorum and Gingrich did not collect enough signatures to qualify for the Virginia ballot, for example, and Santorum cannot win 18 of Ohio's 66 delegates for similar reasons.
All told, 419 delegates are at stake Tuesday. Romney leads with 203 delegates from previous contests, Santorum has 92, Gingrich has 33 and Paul, 25. It takes 1,144 delegates to win the nomination.
Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont in Johnson City, Tenn., contributed to this report.


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Sept. 22, 2000
Santa Barbara, Calif. -
Verizon Communications, the national communications company formed by the merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic, has teamed up with UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball program to create a literacy campaign for Santa Barbara youth titled "Verizon reads with the Gauchos."
"Verizon reads with the Gauchos" is an extension of Verizon's national literacy campaign and UCSB Basketball's community outreach program. Through the program, members of the UCSB Men's Basketball team will visit local schools and clubs to discuss the importance of reading. Team members will distribute "Verizon reads with the Gauchos" bookmarks to encourage kids to participate in the program for an opportunity to earn tickets to Gaucho Basketball games and other prizes.
Participating students who complete seven books earn a Gaucho Gift Pack, which includes UCSB Basketball tickets and Verizon prizes. Additionally, one participant will win tickets to a Los Angeles Lakers' game in the Verizon suite at the Staples Center. The program kicks off Sept. 23 at the Book and Author Festival at De La Guerra Plaza and runs through December. Participants can obtain a bookmark at UCSB Athletic events, local schools, Verizon dealers, or select Santa Barbara bookstores.
"This program will make a difference in the lives of our children and we are proud to be a part of this effort," said Timothy McCallion, Verizon's Pacific Regional President. "Literacy helps people develop the life skills and economic opportunities that can change their lives. And when literacy is improved, everybody wins."
Verizon Communications, the national telecommunications company formed through the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, is committed to promoting literacy efforts. To that end, the company has launched a presidential award-winning program, Verizon Reads - a comprehensive national initiative involving corporate philanthropy, community outreach, employee participation and collaboration with major literacy organizations. In support of the literacy initiative, the Verizon Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm, has made "e-literacy" a funding priority and plans to devote some $10 million annually in grants to promote basic and computer literacy. Verizon Reads supports a wide variety of literacy programs and works with a network of collaborative literacy partners to reach adults and children across America. In addition to working with the Gauchos, Verizon has partnered with the National Institute for Literacy, Literacy Volunteers of America, National Coalition for Literacy, National Alliance of Urban Literacy Coalitions, National Center for Family Literacy and Reading is Fundamental.
The University of California at Santa Barbara is recognized as one the nation's leading institutions of research and learning. The mission of the athletics program is to positively represent the University to a constituency of alumni, students, and community. The athletic program and its coaches and student-athletes are very active in local programs and charities and the `Verizon reads with the Gauchos' is another example of the University's role in the Santa Barbara community.
For additional information on the "Verizon reads with the Gauchos" program call 805-893-3451.


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Side of the Rhode: Who's Hot and Who's Not in RI Politics?
Friday, January 17, 2014
Martin Luther King Jr- In his last public speech, Dr. King recounted, "the first question that the priest asked, the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' 'But then the Good Samaritan came by, and he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to him this man, what will happen to him?"
Lincoln Chafee - "This budget helps us become more competitive. It invests in getting people back to work, and ensures our schools are properly funded." The Governor never became much of a player with the General Assembly, but Chafee ends with a positive vision for a strong state investment in education, the arts, and infrastructure. He even received a few favorable head nods from Treasurer Raimondo.
David Dooley (URI), Nancy Carriuolo (RIC), Ray Di Pasquale (CCRI) - Chafee's proposed budget includes a $10 million tuition freeze for all state higher education - URI, RIC, and CCRI. The University, however, could potentially be the biggest beneficiary, with the potential for a $175 million bond to expand and grow its engineering school.
Valerie Talmage/Preserve RI - Talmage has long advocated for "a robust program" of regulated historic tax credits to rehab and re-use historic structures throughout the state. Governor Chafee is proposing to expand the current historic tax credits to over $50 million. Governor Chafee argued, "According to a 2007 report commissioned by GrowSmartRI, the state historic tax credit program was estimated to leverage $5.35 million in economic output for each $1.0 million in state investment."
Randall Rosenbaum/Rhode Island State Council on the Arts - Early this week, the governor celebrated Rhode Island's "Creative and Cultural economy" - proposing a $35 million dollar bond to authorize new grants for artistic facilities, an additional $1 million line item toward arts funding, and a surprise new location for RISCA- in the RI Commerce Corporation. Connecticut similarly locates its "Office of the Arts" in their Economic and Community Development Department.
Dr. Joyce Stevos/Rhode Island Black Heritage Society - From the phenomenal life of 19th century singer Sissieretta Jones to the mix of politics and music at the Celebrity Club, RIBHS shares the often overlooked stories of the state's past to influence our present. RIBHS is gearing up toward a major fundraiser in February to help expand their public work: "We are driven by the pride and confidence instilled by cultural memory and manifested in initiative, risk-taking, and civic leadership...But we cannot hope to succeed without you by our sides."
Michael Yelnosky/Roger Williams University- "I look forward to helping us continue to design and implement innovative approaches to preparing our students for modern law practice while remaining true to our core values of teaching, scholarship, and community service," said Yelonsky, an employment and labor law expert, on his recent appointment as Dean of Roger Williams University School of Law. Yelnosky is well-regarded and has been active in good government initiatives, particularly judicial selection.
RI Coalition for Domestic Violence - Just over a week ago, a friend posted, "RIP Kathleen Salvi from Woonsocket who died from domestic violence." We are reminded of the importance of supporting the over 8,000 men and women who are victims of relationship violence each year in Rhode Island. The legislature needs to ensure fair funding for domestic violence Court Advocates - no more cuts.
Representative Jan Malik - The East Bay Representative's vision for a sales tax cut wasn't exactly embraced by the Governor. Chafee did propose reducing the sales tax to 6.5%, once internet sales are also taxed. Conservative blogger Justin Katz tweeted, "Umm, eliminating the state sales tax would "level the playing field" between brick-and-mortar and Internet, too." We'll see what the Speaker says.
The Procaccianti Group - "This is now the second time the Federal government is citing the Hotel for violating our rights. Why does it think it is above the law?" said Julian Bello, an employee at The Procaccianti Group 's Renaissance Hotel. The National Labor Board has issued a complaint and notice of hearing against the multi-billion dollar hotel management company, arguing TPG has restricted and intimidated the right of employees to organize. In October 2013, TPG was cited for OSHA violations, and paid an $8000 fine.
Jim Langevin - If the Congressman needs further reminders of the dangers of unchecked government surveillance, he should check out this documentary from the New York Times on domestic spying in our country by J Edgar Hoover's FBI. Martin Luther King, Jr was subject to surveillance and harassment.
Robert A DeRobbio/Urban League - The Urban League's quest for a multi-million dollar property transfer from the city has stalled. Mayor Taveras is wisely hiring a forensic auditor to review the Urban League's finances, Raymond Watson, executive director of the Mount Hope Neighborhood Association, staged a protest outside Urban League headquarters, and the organization's controversy reached the attention of the Boston-based Non-Profit Quarterly (NPQ). What is the League's vision for the future?
Acme Video Closing - Advise and Consent, Il Divo, Richard III, Waltz with Bashir, La Commune (Paris 1871), Mr. Conservative, Hands over the City - what great films, and too bad to have this independent store shuttered. Acme Video, of course, was a true Fox Point store, with characters and conversation. As Curtis Parvin wrote, "A virtual shopping cart is not the same thing as someone taking the time to physically walk down an isle, finding a film and say, "Watch this, it changed my life. I think you'll like it."
Poverty Wages - Maria Shriver, in a new report, uncovers some sobering facts- women are nearly two-thirds of minimum-wage workers in the country , and more than 70% of low wage workers get no paid sick days at all. One success story in Shriver's report was Rhode Islander Dee Saint Franc, who, with student loans and government assistance, was able to care for her daughter, earn her bachelor's degree and now is a CNA. As Shriver argues, "leave out women, and you don't have a full and robust economy. Lead with the women, and you do."
Steven Costantino/Health and Human Services - The Justice Department recently found the state practicing policies of segregation and violating the civil rights of adults with different developmental abilities. Following the crimes at Mt. Pleasant, what's the next step to ensure full and fair opportunities for all Rhode Islanders?
Related Slideshow: Pew Research: New England Employment Figures From FY2007 to FY2013
While unemployment figures receive more media attention, the employment rate is a preferred index for many economists because it provides a sharper picture of changes in the labor market. The unemployment rate, for example, fails to count workers who stopped looking for a job. By focusing on 25- to 54-year-olds, trends are less distorted by demographic effects such as older and younger workers' choices regarding retirement or full-time education.
Below are the employment rates in FY2007 and FY2013 for New England states as referenced by the Pew Charitable Trust's "Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis" Report, ranked from best to worst.


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The lights are on
I love the game, and I personally don't think it's that bad, but I've heard from various places that the story is broken, badly written, and the characters poorly developed or so.
Is this really the case with the game? What do you think? Is it because of the various plot holes? It would be a shame that the one developer, David Cage, who wants to make a unique game, is actually an untalented writer.
I ask you all whether the game is or not because I've yet to really determine what defines bad writing. I can identify terrible writing, but if this game truly is considered poorly written, then I'm not so sure what makes bad writing, let alone good writing.
Please let me know what you think. Is Heavy Rain's narrative just poorly crafted? If so, why? If not, why not?
Bad is a strong word. I'd say, poorly written. Mostly, it's the weird Voice acting that weighs it down... this is because Cage reused the French cast for the English dub and most weren't as good outside their native language.
Personally, I respect Heavy Rain far more as a technical and design accomplishment, than any kind of literary one.
But, if you want to see terrible writing... hoo boy, try David Cage's earlier game, Indigo Prohecy. Yes, Mr. Cage may be one of the worst writers ever.
Suda51 Group
I really liked Heavy Rain's story. While there are a few convoluted side plots, and questionable characterization in regards to a few characters, I have to say that those issues are in the minority when you weigh it as a whole. You've definitely got to experience the game for yourself if you truly want to have a solid opinion on it.
"Iba se ori egun Ìlà arun, Ìwò arun, ariwa arun, gusuu arun, egun orun, egun ayie, ase."
The Holy Trinity of GIO:
GIO Usage Guidelines, Newcomer Cheat Sheet, Site Feedback
Oh boy is this topic poorly timed. Let me just say Mr. Corbeil's work was great, and I'm sad he died.
I played the game, and I personally don't think it's that bad. I just want to know why someone would think otherwise.
Gameplay-wise I loved Heavy Rain. In my opinion it was very unique and innovative, and I had a lot of fun playing the game. That said, the story was rather weak and contained many plot holes and/or inconsistencies. It wasn't enough to make me not like the game however.
The story is somewhat unrealistic. You would have to be having a very bad day to be getting in the trouble all the characters get in to. The voice acting didn't help it either. The game was enjoyable overall, and I did feel something for a few of the characters. I think that the characters needed to be developed a little more, mainly the children. How could I feel anything for them when I didn't really do anything to learn about them. That's my gripes with the game.
"Jay-sun" That was a bit weird to hear during gameplay.
The story is somewhat unrealistic. You would have to be having a very bad day to be getting in the trouble all the characters get in to. The voice acting didn't help it either. The game was enjoyable overall, and I did feel something for a few of the characters.
I think that the characters needed to be developed a little more, mainly the children. How could I feel anything for them when I didn't really do anything to learn about them. That's my gripes with the game.
I wouldn't say Heavy Rain was badly written. I may not be a skilled writer to judge him, but by playing the game I say he has a great creative mind. To create the puzzles in the game, the non stop thrill and the drama in it, I'd say he's pretty talented. But just like I always say, everyone has their own opinion and I respect that... But I say he's a good writer.
Poorly written? I don't know how to answer that. The story, for the most part, was great. It was only when you hit the ending do you realize that everything you've been working towards was a lie. I'd say a rule of story writing is to never out right LIE to your audience with crutial plot related information.
(I just wish they would have explained why Sean's dad had the oragami figure in the rain in the begining. I get that it was a red herring but it's also illogical to the story.)
Poorly written, is somewhat of a loose term. As a writer, I can definitely attest to any "headaches" the game writers may have had when merging the player's many, and often various, in-game decisions. After writing so many branching dialogue paths, it can seem overwhelming, and not confronting the players with the ramifications of their in-game directives, can sometimes seem as though the writer was asleep at the wheel. Speaking strictly about the story, I think that Heavy Rain was cleverly written; it imbues a sense of thrill and mystery that many titles of that genre fail to do.
i wouldn't say that it was bad. but just poor in terms of other things besides the acting.
One of my favorite games on my top 10 for sure.. I would just say poor acting was the result of any negative reviews on the game itself. But there are alot of games out there with bad acting but still seem to keep my attention towards them. Sometimes you just got to look past the bad to see the good
I've played Heavy Rain; borrowed it from a friend because I was a little unsure about how good it would be. By the time I was done, I was glad I'd opted out of buying it.
The characterization of the two main characters and much of the minor cast is extremely weak, not just because of the robotic voice acting (I'm not blaming the French actors, but the decision to have them in the English dub was just idiotic), but because of how utterly unlikable at best and mind numbingly stupid they are at worse. How was I supposed to feel sorry for Jason at ALL when he repeatedly ran away from a father who WARNED him to stay close, decided to walk halfway across a mall, downstairs, and into a street during rush hour? Or better yet, why should I feel sorry for Ethan's wife, the woman who got HIS house and hates his guts for... the crime of trying and failing to save a brain dead child that wouldn't listen to his repeated shouts to stop?
And then there's Madison, the female protagonist whose first scene is almost an hour into the story, and consists of nothing but her taking a shower, then having a nightmare that results in her "death". You could say that it introduces her crippling insomnia, but when said insomnia NEVER reappears again, I'm inclined to insist that the scene could have been done away with without any negative impact on the story whatsoever. It's simply a plot device introduced to get her to check into a motel where Ethan is conveniently staying, where her next chapter consists of... treating an injured Ethan's wounds, because the only female character has to have a scene devoted to taking care of the male protagonist, naturally. Oh but wait, then she gets another scene where she does detective work!
...Detective work which results in her being tied to table by a mad doctor because she either accepted a drink from a strange, old ex-doctor with a reputation for selling drugs, or from sneaking around his house... while he's inside it. Next scene, she's yet again tending to Ethan. Scene after that. she's doing more detective work that ends up getting her forced to do a strip tease at gun point, next scene, trapped in an apartment that gives you the Indiana Jones fridge scene. Final scene, she contributes to the final battle by nearly getting choked, then running away until she's saved. Alternatively, she does an overly complicated motorcycle chase to... see Ethan.
Basically, Madison is probably the most shallow of all the characters. She's introduced in peril that fits the definition of "kinky peril" to a tee, conveniently meets the hero, goes off to get in more kinky peril, returns to suddenly fall in love with a hero she met once after saving him (because she knew where he was, for some reason), goes off to get in MORE PERIL, then makes it to the final scene to play a supporting role to the rest of the cast. Her insomnia is introduced and forgotten, and at the end of the game, she's either dead, married, single with allusions to more peril (likely kinky), or insane. Fantastic writing, natch. -_-
I'd go on about how the game's police force would have an investigation in less than a week for the blatantly obvious abuse of power that occurs daily, how the plot "twist" on who the villain really is impossible to take seriously due to the gameplay presented and a scene that hid nothing prior to its inclusion in the reveal, or how much I think David Cage is a hack writer, but that'd be an entirely different paragraph. This was just my take on the characters.
So in short, I didn't like Heavy Rain, and I think it had an extremely poor narrative, at least in regards to the characters that carry it.
As someone said, sometimes you need to look past the bad to see the good.
The way in which the narrative is told is fantastic (Some people think quick time events are a pain, but this game makes fantastic use of them). Some of the holes can probably be debunked. And it's especially emotionally resonant, something you'd expect from the highest works of art. I'm not dismissing some of the things you said, and you wouldn't think the game is art because of what you said, but you shouldn't let these things stop you. At least you can feel the characters' pain. And at least David Cage is trying to do something different.
I hear Beyond: Two Souls will be an improvement in terms of performances, and probably characterization. Hopefully it will be in the writing and narrative department as well.


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TRENTON — The EZ-Pass lane is not so easy for Mayor Tony F. Mack's administration.
Since Mack was sworn in on July 1, 2010, his office has racked up nine EZ-Pass violations, including five from the mayor's city-issued SUV, according to documents obtained by The Trentonian through an open records request.
With taxpayers footing the bill, the infractions total $292.25, with $250 of that amount coming from violation fees and the remaining $42.25 in tolls.
Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson said the city shouldn't be paying for the disregard of EZ-Pass tolls.
"If I do not pay EZ-Pass and I get a ticket, I pay it," the councilwoman said. "I think that should be the same for everybody whether they're in city government or whether they work for the city."
The city's vehicle use policy states fines for traffic violations shall be paid by the operator of the vehicle responsible for the infraction. It also prohibits fine reimbursement.
The mayor's office did not respond for comment.
Business Administrator Sam Hutchinson said Tuesday he would look into the ticket reimbursements.
"It is of concern to me for sure," Hutchinson said, adding he will review the city's vehicle use policy. "If it says no reimbursements and those reimbursements were made, then we probably want to collect them."
Hutchinson, who was acting mayor for a brief stint during an FBI probe which led to federal corruption charges against Mack, signed one request for a violation reimbursement for $27, according to the documents.
"If it's only $27, I probably wasn't that concerned," he said of the July 2012 Delaware offense issued to the mayor's SUV. "It's the policy that I'm more concerned about and adhering to the policy."
That fine from Delaware was questioned by local government watchdog Jim Carlucci at a September 2012 council meeting.
But it was not the only time the mayor's SUV was cited in the First State.
The black Ford Expedition also cruised through a Newark, Del. EZ-Pass lane without paying on Sept. 24, 2010 and March 20, 2011.
"The fact that the taxpaying public has yet to receive any explanation of the July 2012 EZ-Pass infraction coupled with these recent revelations demonstrates this administration has failed to conduct its business in an appropriate, fair and transparent manner," Carlucci said. "While the sum of money is not great in the grand scheme of things, it is another example of the mayor being a poor shepherd of the public trust."
When Carlucci exposed the Delaware violation at last year's council meeting, he said Mack's son was participating in a tournament in Delaware the weekend of June 29 through July 2. The violation occurred on Sunday, July 1, 2012.
If a city vehicle is used outside official hours, approval is needed from a department director, according to the vehicle use policy.
The remaining six violations all occurred within New Jersey.
Besides the mayor's SUV receiving five of the tickets, another vehicle was responsible for the other four citations. It is unknown who is the owner of that vehicle.
The city does provide some employees with EZ-Pass tags.
However, Councilman Zachary Chester said employees driving the vehicle should know if the EZ-Pass hasn't been recharged.
"If your EZ-Pass doesn't have money on it, then that means you got to pay the toll," he said. "The city needs to be reimbursed from the mayor's office or from the mayor if these are the vehicles that the mayor travelled in."
In addition to the EZ-Pass violations, Mack also stuck taxpayers with a towing bill for $150.
In July 2011, he parked his city-issued Expedition in a tow-away zone in Trenton and the vehicle was towed and impounded. At the time, Mack said he paid $150 to retrieve his vehicle and chalked up his experience as a lesson learned.
"The city needs to be reimbursed from the towing fee as well," Chester said.


text:
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Love Always
series: Katie Brown Workshop
air date: 2/14/13 5:30 AM
Forget about dime-a-dozen heart-shaped chocolate boxes and create tasty homemade gifts like Katie's truffles and pecan buddies. Projects: special wrapping ideas and a sparkly vase.
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text:
"Counting Breaths"
By Christopher Fox Graham
For Amanda Rae CoughlinYou count your days up, never down
as though your days stretch from birth to infinity
but you know better
You count your days up, never down
because it's easier to believe
if the numbers get bigger, never smaller
that you might make it to infinity somehow
but it's lonely at the end of universe
out there, the rules governing matter break down
and the atoms on the edge lose touch with each other
because there isn't enough gravity
to make holding on worth the weight
so all the living has to happen here
closer to the universe's center, closer to zero
the weight of matter pulls us back down to earth,
never up
but down to the embrace of each other
we give up infinity to be close to one another
but sometimes it means we have to let go
to people who've been so close
it feels like atoms being ripped from our orbits
|Amanda Rae Coughlin died March 16, 2012
because these bodies, born into fragile skeleton, come with an expiration date
governed by fate playing Russian roulette with magic bullet car crashes
or hearts bursting under the strain of beating us from footstep to footstep
or the body rebellion of cancer
But you still count your days up, never down
ever since your first day
when first breaths erupted into a cry announcing your arrival
into the arms of your mother
you count your breaths, too
but only the first ones and the last ones
because you don't think about the miracle of breath
until every breath itself becomes a miracle
like when you're drowning
underwater, you count how long it's been since you last breathed
but above the surface you don't count how long you have left
because no one counts breaths
and no one ever tells you the number you have left
until you're counting the last ones
always down, never up
by the time I finish this poem you will have inhaled and exhaled 45 times
since this time last year, you have swallowed 7.8 million lungfuls of the world
you hold each piece deep inside yourself to swim around the bloodstream
before pushing a piece of yourself back out
but one ever says,
"You have 500 million more breaths left"
"You only have 500"
where would you exhale
if you only had 10,000 liters of yourself
to pour back into the world?
on your first day,
you let loose a cry so the world knew you were here
but most of us will end within a whisper
but if you knew the method and the moment
when your breaths start their final countdown
would you live your life differently?
how would you spend your air?
would you sing more?
would you read stories to children?
would you curse the gods for starting the countdown in the first place?
would you just hold your breath?
would you stand on a mountaintop and scream one long unyielding note
for the beauty of it all?
we don't think about the miracle of breath
until every breath itself becomes a miracle
like when we're dying
cancer has a funny way of teaching us that
no one told Amanda she would only get 167 million breaths
Spent over 21 years 1 month 22 days
if she knew
how long would she have had held them
where else would she have spent them?
instead of just silent breathing
would she have squeezed more of them into vowels and consonants?
so we could hold on those pieces of her
people are like that too
some of us are held for just moments
some of us are held so deeply it's impossible to distinguish them from us
her lungs ceased their accordion compressions
when her last breath slipped out the open window
but 66 million liters of her
still swirl in the atmosphere of Northern Arizona
how many of her escaped breaths are swimming in this room
waiting for you to swallow them
and remember how she touched you?
the next time a breeze brushes your face
inhale deep
take her into your lungs like you used to take her into your arms
hold her deep for a moment
and when you exhale
do it for her
and now, always count her breaths up, never down
so she can make it to infinity
Amanda Rae Coughlin, a 21-year-old Northern Arizona University elementary education major and Sedona Red Rock High School alumna was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma on March 29, 2011. She died March 16, 2012.
Donations can be made to the Coughlin Family Benefit, Chase Bank No. 424055932 or to Love 4 Amanda


text:
|Episode Description
|Tuesday, Nov 20, 2012 - 8:30 AM
"St. Anthony's Feast/La Festa Di San Antonio"
Mary Ann travels to Boston, MA to enjoy one of the summer's premiere street celebrations; St. Anthony's Feast. She and feast chairman Joe DiGirolamo tour the jam-packed, food-filled streets to sample a cornucopia of Italian festival food. D
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Greenville, SC Extraordinary Women Conference 2013
Extraordinary Women Ministries
Friday, March 15, 2013 at 7:00 PM - Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 4:00 PM (CDT)
6:00pm: Doors Open
7:00 - 10:00pm: Conference
7:30am: Doors Open
8:30am - 12:00pm: Conference
Lunch Break
1:15 - 4:30pm: Conference
Extraordinary Women exists to help draw women closer to the heart of God… everyday. Extraordinary Women is not just a Christian women's event… it's a lifestyle. We are excited that women attend our conferences, but we want more than just a few days with you. We want to be a part of your life!
In order to purchase these tickets in installments, you'll need an Eventbrite account. Log in or sign up for a free account to continue.


text:
Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
From the Wires
Medecision Completes Acquisition of Cerecons
Connected and Coordinated Solutions for Productive and Profitable Accountable Care
By: Marketwired .
Jan. 29, 2013 09:15 AM
WAYNE, PA -- (Marketwire) -- 01/29/13 -- Medecision, the leader in connected care solutions, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of California-based Cerecons, a provider of SaaS care coordination, population management, and quality outcomes/reporting applications to Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and other risk-bearing organizations. The integration of the two organizations' capabilities will serve as the foundation for high-performance healthcare networks, in which risk-bearing organizations stand up efficient systems and processes in support of new care delivery and payment models that reward healthcare stakeholders for coordinated, high-quality accountable care. The acquisition results in a care management and coordination entity that supports more than 90 healthcare organizations nationally, helping more than 135,000 physicians and hospitals care for millions of consumers with a set of unparalleled information technology applications, guidance, and services.
For 25 years Medecision has executed against a strategy that standards-based, interoperable care management and coordination solutions are core to helping health plans and health delivery organizations effectively and profitably manage care. The Company has made significant investments in a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and web services platform that will enable a new era of great connectivity. Today, Medecision, through its Aerial solution, enables the exchange of data between disparate systems in near real time, connecting all stakeholders -- health plans, hospitals, independent physician groups, third party administrators, and consumers -- to liberate the highest quality and most cost-efficient health outcomes.
The acquisition of Cerecons is an extension of this strategy and positions Medecision to offer additional productivity and connectivity to all healthcare stakeholders. Cerecons has an excellent track record of serving progressive ACOs and other organizations with automated business processes and tools to facilitate coordinated care of high-risk populations. Its physician and consumer applications are rapidly implemented in care delivery settings, requiring minimum staff training and quickly delivering efficient population and panel management and quality outcomes reporting.
"It's no secret that our nation's fragmented healthcare system has inefficiencies which undermine accountability and quality," said Deborah M. Gage, president and CEO, Medecision. "Together, Medecision and Cerecons offer an unprecedented platform to power the level of complete information sharing and care coordination needed to transform today's medical management and care delivery silos into tomorrow's high-performing accountable care delivery systems."
"We're thrilled to work alongside such industry leaders and look forward to collectively setting the standard for coordinated accountable care," said Cerecons CEO Philip Paul, who has assumed a role of executive vice president at Medecision.
The complete solution portfolio will be demonstrated and launched at the upcoming HIMSS 2013 conference in New Orleans.
About Medecision
As more organizations transition to accountable care and delegated risk management, Medecision continually applies its 25 years of experience, its comprehensive technology platforms, significant investments in research and development, and the broadest implementation and clinical expertise to ensure consumers receive the best possible care. With Medecision as a business partner, health plans and care providers confidently manage through market changes, regulatory updates, and new populations, while improving quality and reducing costs.
About Cerecons
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A new online tool is designed to help parents, students, teachers and school leaders around Arizona see how newly proposed performance funding will benefit their schools.
Gov. Jan Brewer's office announced in a press release the launch of the online K-12 Performance Funding Calculator.
Officials said anyone can determine exactly how the performance-funding system will financially affect individual school districts and charter schools.
Users who visit the webpage will be prompted to enter the "A-F" score for their district or charter school, followed by a projected 2013 score.
The calculator will then determine based on the district's level of improvement and achievement the amount of supplemental, per pupil funding it could expect to receive for the next school year.


text:
Somsen sharp as Jacks win opener
BROOKINGS, S.D. — South Dakota State's Layne Somsen limited Fort Wayne to one run on two hits over eight innings, leading the Jackrabbits to a 6-2 victory in the opening game of a four-game Summit League baseball series Friday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.
SDSU improved to 26-17 overall and 11-6 in league play. The Mastodons dropped to 21-24 overall, 8-13 in The Summit League.
A senior right-hander from Yankton, Somsen struck out nine batters, walked two and hit a batter as he recorded his 10th consecutive quality start this season and lowered his earned run averaged to a paltry 1.49. He improved to 4-3 on the year.
The Jackrabbits took advantage of a Fort Wayne error to score twice in the bottom of the third inning. Eric Danforth led off with a base hit, moved to second on a sacrifice and took third on the first of two costly Mastodon miscues on the day. Paul Jacobson plated Danforth with the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly and Nick Andrews followed with a two-out single to score Scott Splett.
SDSU added a run in the fourth as Andrew Melton led off with a walk and scored on Aaron Machbitz's double to the left-center gap.
Somsen, who retired 10 consecutive batters in one stretch, gave up the lone run of his outing in the top of the fifth. Caleb Fenimore singled to lead off the frame, advanced to second on a fly ball and scored on Malcolm White's single to center field. The singles by Fenimore and White would be the only Mastodon hits on the afternoon.
The Jackrabbits tacked on three runs in the eighth. Danforth doubled in the first two runs of the inning before scoring on an error.
Fort Wayne scored a run against Jackrabbit closer J.D. Moore in the ninth without a hit. The first two batters walked, with Kristian Gayday scoring on a groundout.
Danforth and Daniel Marra each tallied two of the Jackrabbits' 11 hits. All nine players in the SDSU lineup notched a hit in the contest.
Jason Kalber, who shut out the Jackrabbits in an April 12 matchup, took the loss Friday despite allowing only one earned run in seven innings. He struck out four, walked one and gave up 10 hits.
The two squads are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday, starting at noon.
IPFW: Jason Kalber, Kyle Sorensen (8) and Caleb Fenimore. SDSU: Layne Somsen, J.D. Moore (9) and Reid Clary.
W-Somsen (4-3). L-J. Kalber (2-6). Save-none.
HR: none.


text:
What's more, researchers found blood pressure tests may not always be accurate among young people, or consistent from one reading to the next.
"At this point, the jury is out. We just don't know if this is worth doing or not," said Dr. Matthew Thompson, who led the new research at Oxford University in the UK.
"We desperately need research on how to diagnose kids with high blood pressure, which kids should be treated and what are the most effective treatments."
Thompson said although most U.S. children have their blood pressure measured at routine checkups, those readings are never taken on healthy kids in the UK.
His team reviewed the latest evidence on childhood blood pressure tests for the government-backed U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Thompson and his colleagues analyzed 34 studies covering diagnosis, treatment and long-term effects of high blood pressure in kids and teens. None of those answered the researchers' central question - whether screening can help prevent or delay cardiovascular disease in adults.
Accuracy of blood pressure readings from one measurement to the next was "modest at best," according to Thompson.
"The false positive rate… means that most children who screen positive won't actually have high blood pressure," he told Reuters Health.
Among studies that tracked children and teens over time, researchers found anywhere from 19 to 65 percent of youth with high blood pressure also had hypertension as adults.
Seven studies tested seven different drugs for kids with hypertension and found they typically weren't any better at lowering blood pressure than a drug-free placebo pill. But those studies lasted only a few weeks - and children with hypertension would likely take the drugs for years.
"That's really not good enough evidence to know if they're effective and safe for decades," Thompson said.
Programs aiming to change young people's lifestyle, such as by encouraging them to be more active or eat less salt, also didn't have a clear effect, the researchers wrote this week in Pediatrics.
Based on the findings, the Task Force concluded in a draft recommendation that there isn't enough evidence to balance the benefits and harms of screening young people to prevent future disease.
The draft is available online for public comment for the next month here: Task Force draft.
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends all children routinely get their blood pressure measured. But another recent review also concluded there isn't enough evidence to support blood pressure checks for kids, further stoking controversy on the issue.
Dr. Bonita Falkner, a pediatrician at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia who has studied hypertension, said she doesn't think the findings should change practice.
"It remains unknown how much hypertension in childhood contributes to (adult high blood pressure), but there is evidence it begins in childhood," Falkner, who wasn't involved in the review, told Reuters Health.
The researchers agreed there's a need for more studies to address the information gaps related to childhood blood pressure checks.
"It's been recommended for some time now that pediatricians measure blood pressure in children, starting at age three, as part of routine health assessments," she said. "It's pretty much become part of standard care."
Thompson said until more research is done, it's unclear what the right answer is on blood pressure checks for youth.
"To me, the evidence shows that it's not clear that screening or not screening is good or bad," he said.


text:
BATON ROUGE — U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy reintroduced legislation this week that could provide victims scammed out of money in investment schemes a quicker path to financial restitution.
BATON ROUGE — U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy reintroduced legislation this week that could provide victims scammed out of money in investment schemes a quicker path to financial restitution.
It is called the Improving Security for Investors and Providing Closure Act, or Improving SIPC Act.
Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, said it targets so-called Ponzi schemes, like those perpetrated by Bernie Madoff and R. Allen Stanford.
Such a scam usually unfolds as new investments become unable to cover the returns promised to earlier backers.
For example, Stanford was found guilty last year of fraud totaling $7 billion over a 20-year period. Certificates of deposits were sold, and the proceeds reinvested into dubious deals.
Cassidy has been seeking a resolution for Stanford victims, many of whom live in the 6th Congressional District, since his election in 2009, the same year the federal government seized Stanford's company.
"It has been four years since the Stanford Financial Group was placed in receivership and its victims learned their savings were gone," he said. "Yet there are still victims who have not been given financial restitution."
His legislation, co-sponsored by Rep. Ted Deutch, a Florida Democrat, would offer individual victims, like those led astray by Stanford, a one-time payment of up to $500,000 from an account overseen by the federal Securities Investor Protection Corporation.
For some, it would help them at least partially recoup their losses, Cassidy said.
The SIPC was created to shield certain investors from being harmed fiscally should their brokers or dealers go under.
The protection corporation made a settlement offer to the Securities and Exchange Commission last year to satisfy the claims of the Stanford victims, but existing federal law permitted the SEC to reject the offer.
Victims who accept the offer under the proposed legislation would consequently exclude themselves from any further claims against the SIPC fund.
He said Stanford victims who wish to continue their lawsuits against SIPC can bypass this option and continue their suits.
Deutch said the legislation allows both parties to settle on existing claims for a negotiated amount.
"Every victim of the despicable Ponzi scheme orchestrated by the Stanford Financial Group of course has the right to pursue any and all litigation in this case," said Deutch. "Yet those who cannot afford to continue this lengthy legal battle or simply want to move on with their lives deserve the opportunity to recoup some of their losses."
Additionally, since all settlements for victims would come from the SIPC account, no taxpayer money would be required to finance the legislation, Cassidy added, and no increase to the national debt would occur if enacted.
"These are working men and women who cannot wait for the conclusion of a long, drawn-out legal process," Cassidy said. "This bill allows them to quickly recoup some of their losses. This is a commonsense plan which should be enacted."
Jeremy Alford can be reached
at email@example.com


text:
If all goes to plan, this will publish while I'm out on the Madone, getting in some miles. How apropos.
It's basically been a year since I came to find that I'm a Celiac. I'm still not sure if I capitalize that or not.
I've learned a lot of things over the past year–some good, some bad.
- I've learned that I have a much higher tolerance for pain than I previously thought, and I've learned that you're really not in pain unless your whole body is in pain. Bad.
- I've learned that no matter what I do for diet or exercise, I'm currently frozen at 145-150 pounds. Bad?
- I've learned that I cannot progress with physical ability as rapidly as I'd like to, or as rapidly as I expect to. Bad.
- I've learned who my friends and family are. I've learned how amazing it is to have friends who are patient enough to not only put up with my whining about disease, but who deal with my bizarre dietary needs. Seriously. It's one thing to invite a friend over for dinner. It's completely another to do so knowing that you have to cook differently, not cross-contaminate dishes or cutlery, not make a simple mistake (like using butter as a cooking lubricant). It's amazing to see that people are willing to put up with the pain in the ass that is my eating. Good.
- I've learned that some people are not willing to put up with my peculiarities. Literally. As in, "if you want to come over, bring your own food." Or, in one case, as in, "we'd rather not eat, because it's too much of a problem to go somewhere that you can eat." I'm not sure whether that is good or bad. Probably good.
- I've learned just how sensitive the human body is at detecting substances that it doesn't like. Bad.
- I've learned that elimination diets are a slippery slope. I started by eliminating gluten. Then dairy. At present, I've also eliminated soda, alcohol and artificial sweeteners. Open a cupboard in your kitchen and pull out a product. Look to see if it has any form of gluten, or any form of dairy (liquid or powdered), or artificial sweeteners. It's a lonely world out there. Bad.
- I've learned that, even with all of the health crap going on, I'm still able to be a better, stronger cyclist by simply putting in the time. Perhaps more time than I'd like, and perhaps a slower reward curve, but it works. Slowly. Good.
- I've learned that I value an honest reward (a slow, but earned result) over a dishonest reward. I've looked the opportunity to dope, legally, in the face and turned it down. Good.
- I've learned that I cannot make it more than a day–maybe two–without the support of my wife. There are little roadbumps every day. She makes them easier. Good.
- I've learned how perceptive my daughter is. When she makes pretend food, she now offers me a bite, and tells me that it is 'gluten and dairy free.' While I am so very proud of how sensitive she is, I also worry about the long-term ramifications of living with a parent who has some very unique issues. Good. I think.
- I've learned to be more patient. Food is often served 2-3 times before a new restaurant gets the order right. Ordering takes longer. Finding something to eat in a gas station is a challenge. Good and bad.
- I've learned that, even with all of the dietary changes I've made and the incredibly healthy diet that I'm eating, I'm still reliant on supplements, vitamins, and related potions to maintain basic levels of good health. Without iron, I'm anemic, for example. That points at some deeper rooted absorption problem, but I don't know what it is as of yet. Bad.
- I've made huge changes in my personal and professional life that have had incredibly rewarding, positive outcomes. I've taken some risks–calculated risks–and thus far, things are going well. Those changes have had a positive health impact for me, as well. I'm pretty steadfastly convinced that, had I made those changes a few years ago, my blog would just be about cycling, and not about celiac's. But…I suppose we'll never know. Good.
- Completely unrelated to celiacs, eating, diets, etc., I've learned what an amazing group of friends I have. There are people that I didn't know 2 years ago, who I now count among my closest relationships. There are levels of trust that I didn't think were possible outside of family and marriage. Good.
- And on that same note, I've learned to accept other cyclists as an extension of my own senses. If I'm riding in a pace line and someone calls out an obstacle, a car, a pothole…whatever…I've learned to go with it, without having to see it first. I have the great benefit of riding with guys whose skill and goodwill can be implicitly trusted. It's pretty amazing, really–and it makes solo rides all the more intolerable. Good.
- I've learned not to try anything described as non-dairy cheese. Trust me. Good.
A little over a year ago, before I came to the conclusion that I have celiac's, one of my neighbor's children was dealing with pretty severe skin issues that were, at first, blamed on possible food allergies. My wife would tell me about the (seemingly crazy) things that their family had to do to accommodate a gluten free diet. Little did I know that I'd be pushing that same envelope, just a short time later. I've learned to be flexible in ways I didn't previously think possible. Much of that, again, is attributable to the support I get from my amazing wife, my great friends, and my amazing wife. (See what I did there?)
A year older. A year wiser. A year more patient. A year healthier? A year under 150 pounds. A year of learning.


text:
Anything But 'Free Bird'
Let me know in the comments, I will try and get to as many as I can.
18 comments:
- Norrin2 said...
I find old postcards fascinating. Or how about defunct or regional candy bar wrappers? Do you ever find anything like that?
I love your blog.
- November 10, 2009 at 12:00 PM
- unmoderated said...
no candy bar wrappers that I can think of. I have some random product packaging, soap, food, etc...
- November 10, 2009 at 12:48 PM
- Norrin2 said...
That'll work. Thanks.
- November 10, 2009 at 12:54 PM
- unmoderated said...
Norrin - here's the Ivory soap wrapper. According to my note, I found it in a 1944 Life Magazine.
- November 10, 2009 at 1:06 PM
- Heather and Ellie said...
I like interesting letters the best.
- November 10, 2009 at 1:35 PM
- Bookish said...
How about the strangest thing that you haven't shown yet?
- November 10, 2009 at 1:46 PM
- unmoderated said...
H & E - here's a letter I found in a amongst a bunch of Asimov paperbacks:
- November 10, 2009 at 2:07 PM
- unmoderated said...
Bookish - that's a good question. How about this Post Office Department decal? It's pretty big, six inches across. Still has the original wax paper on it:
- November 10, 2009 at 2:14 PM
- Bookish said...
That's neat! Do you know how old it is?
- November 10, 2009 at 2:19 PM
- unmoderated said...
I found it in a math textbook from the 80s, but based on the back of the sticker, I'd say 1960s or 1970s.
- November 10, 2009 at 2:21 PM
- MrCachet said...
Any old ephemera will do, but I', leaning toward trade cards or ink blotters. Wonderful litho images on a lot of them.
- November 10, 2009 at 3:30 PM
- Laurie said...
Love notes! They are the best!
- November 10, 2009 at 3:44 PM
- Moonshadow said...
What about lists. What was your most interesting list that you've found.
- November 10, 2009 at 3:46 PM
- Tricia said...
have you found any birds, free or otherwise? :^) [bird photos, postcards, advertising ephemera, etc]
interesting baseball trading cards?
- November 10, 2009 at 3:56 PM
- unmoderated said...
Ok, this is the last update for the day, as I'm due home and I'm hungry.
Sorry to say, no love notes in stock. They are probably my favorite, and I try to post them as soon as I find them.
Here's a trade card I found in with the Peterson's Magazine from 1865 I recently talked about on Twitter:
As for lists, this is closest I could come:
Found in "Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cookbook" from 1891.
Bird-related material? None that I could find. I came across a peacock feather once while sorting, but that was really before I was saving this stuff.
- November 10, 2009 at 4:16 PM
- bettyl said...
I think letters would be of interest--at least, to me!
- November 10, 2009 at 6:11 PM
- JamaGenie said...
Letters! Yes!
- November 10, 2009 at 7:55 PM
- unmoderated said...
OK, will get a letter up tomorrow.
- November 10, 2009 at 8:17 PM


text:
ATHENS, Ga.—Mississippi State used a 12-1 run late in the second half to lead it to a 72-61 win and deny Georgia a win in its SEC home opener.
Georgia (6-9, 0-2) was led by sophomore guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who scored 16 points. Caldwell-Pope has led Georgia in points in all but one game and has reached double-figures in every game this season.
Freshman Charles Mann also contributed 14 points. Junior forward Donte' Williams led Georgia on the boards with eight rebounds.
"That's a disappointing loss," said head coach Mark Fox. "I don't think we rebounded very well out of the gate, and then I felt like in the second half, they guarded our shooting guard (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), and we didn't guard theirs. We couldn't get Kentavious a good look at the basket, and their shooter got plenty, so that was the difference in the game. Our defense failed us. We've got to get somebody else that can score the ball when they take Kentavious away. We're having trouble doing that right now, so we have to give Mississippi State credit for really defending us well in the second half."
In the first half, Caldwell-Pope hit back-to-back threes and Brandon Morris had a steal and score to put Georgia up 28-23 with just over five minutes remaining. Mississippi State (7-7, 1-1) closed the half on a 13-5 run to take a 36-35 halftime lead.
Georgia led by three early in the second half, but was unable to overcome shooting 0-for-8 from three-point range and just 55 percent from the free throw stripe in the second half.
With nine minutes left in the game, sophomore forward Tim Dixon tied the game at 50-50, but Mississippi State went on a 12-1 run to open a commanding 62-51 lead. The hometown Bulldogs cut the lead to as few as seven, but Mississippi State shot 8-of-12 from the free throw line in the final three minutes to secure the win.
Jalen Steele paced Mississippi State with 21 points and seven rebounds.
Georgia will travel to Columbia, Mo. to play Missouri at 8:00 p.m on Wednesday. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.


text:
The U.S. trade deficit likely narrowed to $41.3 billion in November from $42.2 billion in October on declines in energy prices and volumes, among other factors, according to economists polled by MarketWatch. However, analysts caution that a West Coast longshoreman strike may have interfered with results. The U.S. Department of Commerce will deliver its monthly report on U.S. international trade at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.
Also Friday morning, economists expect government data to show that import prices for December rose 0.1% after declining 0.9% in November. The data will be issued by the U.S. Department of Labor at 8:30 a.m.
Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser meanwhile will deliver a speech on the economic outlook at 9:30 a.m. Plosser, one of the more hawkish voices at the central bank, isn\'t a voting member this year.
The Treasury Department will release the federal budget statement at 2 p.m. The U.S. government ran a budget deficit of $1 billion in December, the Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this week.


text:
TOKYO (AP) — Shares were mostly lower in Asia on Tuesday, tracking the lackluster trading on Wall Street following recent surges to record highs on major markets in the U.S. and Europe.
Positive economic data from China and Japan appeared to have little immediate impact on markets in the region.
Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index gained 1.4 percent to 15,366.51 after the central bank released a quarterly survey showing better-than-expected business sentiment in April-June. But South Korea's Kospi fell 0.3 percent to 1,997.22.
The Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.1 percent at 2,046.91 after a monthly survey of purchasing managers by HSBC showed manufacturing grew in June for the first time in six months, though the expansion was weak.
The rate of improvement was "only slight and weaker than the historical average," HSBC said.
Markets in Hong Kong were closed for a public holiday.
Shares in Taiwan and New Zealand rose, while shares in Australia, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia were lower.
On Wall Street, the Standard & Poor's 500 edged 0.1 percent lower to 1,960.23, just below its record 1,962.87 close set on June 20.
The Dow Jones industrial average 0.2 percent to 16,826.60, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite gained 0.2 percent to 4,408.18. It rose 5 percent in the quarter.
In Europe, Britain's FTSE closed down 0.2 percent at 6,743.94 after a report showed inflation in the eurozone was an anemic 0.5 percent. France's CAC 40 shed 0.3 percent to 4,422.84 while Germany's DAX added 0.2 percent to 9,833.07.
Trading was in a narrow range ahead of monthly U.S. employment figures due Thursday. The European Central Bank will also hold its monthly rate-setting meeting Thursday. It is expected to keep its policies unchanged following aggressive steps last month.
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude for August delivery was up 22 cents to $105.59 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 37 cents on Monday.
In currencies, the dollar rose to 101.52 yen from 101.32 yen late Monday. The euro slipped to $1.3689 from $1.3693.


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Today's featured article in Wikipedia is on Ubuntu. (If you read this too late to consult it on the front page, you can find the article here.)
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Linked by Kroc Camen on Thu 25th Feb 2010 10:18 UTC
BBC News reports "Mark your diaries for 4 March because in Denver the funeral arrangements are well underway for the planned passing that day of Internet Explorer 6". There's a phobia of being buried alive but I think in this case, it's the living that are all too quick to be shoveling the dirt over as IE6 doesn't officially die until 2014 when Microsoft pull the life-support.
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RE[4]: I like IE6, really
by deathshadow on Fri 26th Feb 2010 21:03 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: I like IE6, really"
Im talking about supporting svg, text shadows, rounded borders, all new css3 stuff which i CANNOT use.
... most of which shouldn't be using on production code given the CSS3 specification is not even out of DRAFT. That's what DRAFT MEANS!!!
Lemme weave you a tale of a browser called IE 5.x; IE 5 in all it's iterations were the most standards compliant browsers of their time because by the time of IE 5.5 they had implemented as 'usable' most of CSS2 and all of HTML 4 - when both specifications were still in DRAFT.
When the specification came out of draft things like the broken box model, improper float behaviors and a whole host of other things became apparent - but fixing it would have broken three years+ worth of people coding to the broken model based on the draft specification... This is why IE6 added the doctype 'standards mode' trigger in the first place. Even with that trigger there are still errors and problems we code around...
Draft means not for production code - end of story. GET USED TO IT. It's like the retards who bitch about beta's being buggy. SAME THING.
It's also what -moz and -webkit means; If it was ready for real use on websites, it would be called by it's real name and not prefixed.
Draft is for playing around with to see what might be possible someday, and for testing to make suggestions before it goes final - NOT for making production code!!!
Besides apart from SVG and text-shadow (which in most cases the latter just makes **** harder to read) there isn't a damned thing you mentioned that cannot be done in HTML4/CSS2 via techniques like sliding doors - hell, MOST of the time you'll still want sliding doors instead of the auto-rounding of corners if you want gradients, control over the aliasing, or anything fancier than 'ooh look, I cut one corner off'.
Though it's funny you mention SVG since IE had SVG support BEFORE any other browser thanks to an Adobe plugin - **** like that is what plugins are FOR!
It's just Adobe dropped it like a hot potato when nobody gave a flying fig about SVG for six years so they bought out the owner of it's competitor - Macromedia. Moment they owned Flash... SVG became a discontinued second class citizen.
ONLY reason we got a new version in Jan '09 was because of a security hole. Even the 2005 release was a bugfix and it hasn't seen a real update since 2001.
IE is able to support SVG, you just need to write a activeX plugin to handle it.
Edited 2010-02-26 21:07 UTC


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Profiling by law enforcement has become frowned upon with good reason because it's offensive and most American's deem it an unfair practice. In the unregulated world of annuity sales, another ugly form of profiling is used to sell annuities to the uninformed masses.
Even though there are over $200 billion of annuities sold in the country every year, the average annuity premium per policy is barely over $50,000. When I mention that statistic to most people, they are shocked that it is that low. The supposed leaders in the annuity industry will typically say that this number is a function of consumer education and that over time people will feel more comfortable with annuities and the dollar amounts will increase. They may be correct, but I think that there are other reasons behind these numbers.
Fly-over country prospecting
The bad chicken dinner seminar strategy for agents to sell annuities to hungry baby boomers took a big hit when the AARP started sending "spies" into these staged product events to help protect retirees from a one size fits all annuity message. Some state insurance departments employed the same undercover strategy, and now these plate licking events are few and far between. However, shutting down this sales platform just moved the unregulated sales pitch to another forum.
If you turn the volume off and just watch the images of the numerous unregulated annuity TV ads, you will see very high percentage numbers rolling across the screen along with fill in the blank catch phrases that would make anyone that yearns for yield to stop in their tracks to take a second look. Radio ads and Internet videos are even worse with false promises, and the primary product being pitch are indexed annuities because they are not classified as a security. Indexed annuities are categorized as a life-insurance product, which means that the SEC and Finra don't oversee those offerings — and more important, don't regulate the sales messages.
This major distinction allows unregulated sales messages to proliferate over the TV and radio airwaves in combination with the anything goes promotional atmosphere of the Internet. With indexed annuities not classified as a security, and these fixed annuities being regulated at the state level, it makes sense that annuity promoters have gone to where there is absolutely no oversight, repercussions, or consequences. An obvious question is why aren't the indexed annuity carriers doing anything to regulate these targeted ads? That's a question that a lot of us would like to know the answer to, but I've been told that it's because the advertisers never use a specific carrier name. To me, that is a weak reason and justification to not interrupt the money flowing into the carrier coffers.
Too many annuity salespeople want to sell to the financially un-saavy, and these annuity ads aggressively target that low information annuity buyer. Your local bank has now joined in on this sales profiling method by trying to convert trustworthy CD buyers and lifelong depositors into variable or indexed annuity buyers. Talk about an apples to oranges comparison! "If the bank is selling it, then it can't be that bad ... right?" Profile much?
Low bar sales qualifications
The biggest understatement ever is that the majority of annuity salespeople need more product education and that the bar definitely needs to be raised from a continuing qualification standpoint. Any time I comment on this glaring problem, the annuity industry comes out aggressively against me with myopic stats and a short-sided views on what's really happening in the wild west of annuity sales.
The untold and never uttered reality is that you can save your entire life to get to the point of retirement to make the biggest decision in your life on how to allocate your money for the future, but it only takes an agent between one to three weeks (depending on the state) to get licensed to sell you an indexed annuity. I'm waiting on someone within the annuity industry elite to clearly explain how this glaring disparity makes any sense and is pro consumer. I also think that this issue feeds into the prospect profiling that most annuity sales people employ. If the agent isn't financially fluent, then it makes sense that they are going to target a similar level of financial sophistication.
I'm not saying that someone with a securities license makes them perfect or better than someone who just sells indexed annuities, but at least that person has to prove some financial acumen to receive the proper credentials to make a recommendation. Because variable annuities are structured as a security, the SEC and Finra don't allow the same type of TV, radio, and Internet ads that indexed annuity promoters use to attract sales. If a SEC and Finra licensed agent ran the same ads that indexed annuity promoters do, it wouldn't be allowed under any circumstance and shut down immediately.
Annuity complexity explained with bullet points
The majority of annuities sold are variable and indexed, and I'm convinced that most agents and buyers don't truly understand the product. Both have been convinced of the validity of the strategy based on a series of positive product bullet points. The agent is sold by the distributor by bullet points, and the consumer is then sold by the agent with similar versions. Sophisticated and seasoned investors would never be swayed by this type of approach.
With any annuity, you are buying a contract between you and the issuing carrier. You aren't buying bullet points. We all know that Warren Buffett doesn't buy anything that he doesn't fully understand, and I go even deeper than that by saying if you can't explain the annuity you are considering to a 9-year-old, then don't buy it.
If you are one of the 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day, or someone just looking to guarantee a part of your portfolio using an annuity, don't allow yourself to be profiled by an agent. Don't become a low information annuity buyer, and always fully understand the product before moving forward.
How false optimism sells annuities
More on Annuities from The ReitreMentors >>


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Subject: Re: Ill gliders
Posted by Lea on September 09, 1999 at 21:24:22:
In Reply to: Ill gliders posted by Bourbon on September 09, 1999 at 03:02:10:
Is there any chance that the glider may of had a stroke? The symptoms of the vision loss, partial paraylsis and lethargy sound simular to the signs of a stroke. The other symptoms like the weight loss and dehydration could be secondary results of a stroke. I just thought I would ask if this could be a possibility since the glider was fine one day and not the next.
: There seems to be a problem with a glider here. He has all the symptoms of hind leg paraylsis, with one exception, he seems to be blind, only having one direction and that is forward, not stopping for obstacles in his path, when coming into a pillow, he continues to move his legs as if he is still running, he literally ran off the edge of the bed, right into my hand...The calcium treatments, high protein treatments seem to be working, it is a slow process. he has regained a partial use of his legs, he can hold his own head up now, he can even lick up food, There was some other things with this, SEVER dehydration, sever weight loss, his eyes lookes slanted and had no definition to them at all, almost sunken, lethargic, not eating or drinking, and his jaws he held clenched shut. His back feet clenched togeher holding each other, his front feet clenched into a ball curled inwards. It all seemed to happen very, very suddenly. he was fine one night up playing and eating, then the next morning on the bottom of the cage. The update I got tonight, said that he ate his first solid food, he actually opened his mouth and ate a green bean. so for that we are all grateful, this improvement is no guarentee that he will pull through this, But i wish to thank ALL of the wonderful people involved with him, that has been trying so despretly, to help find cause, and cure. The order of the names, are just cause I can't put everyone first, although we would love to..


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Panel starts review of Measure 90
Voters evaluate pros, cons of primary election change.
SALEM A citizen panel got down to business quickly Monday to ask questions about a ballot measure that would change Oregons primary elections.
The 20 panel members are Oregon voters chosen at random from willing participants to reflect a diverse cross-section. They are the latest participants in the Citizens Initiative Review, which has taken place in some form since 2010.
On Monday, panel members asked questions of supporters and opponents seated side by side at the Salem Convention Center about Measure 90.
Its a little more intense, says Tyrone Reitman, executive director of Healthy Democracy, the nonprofit that conducts the review process under the authority of a state commission.
In previous cycles, supporters and opponents presented their cases separately to the citizens panel. This time, although they sat side by side, panel members asked the questions.
Reitman says each panel will focus on three key questions: Why is the measure on the ballot? What does the measure do? What will happen as a result of the measure?
This process is really about evaluating claims coming from the campaigns and distilling their arguments, Reitman says.
Panels will draft statements of their findings and summarize the five top arguments for and against the selected measure.
Their statements will become part of the state voters pamphlet and online voters guide.
Oregon was the first state to institute such reviews for ballot measures, based on polling disclosing that 75 percent of voters found ballot measures too complicated or confusing to understand.
Arizona and Colorado will follow suit this year.
Following a test panel in 2008 and two pilot panels in 2010, Oregon lawmakers set up a review process under a state commission in 2011. Two measures each election cycle have been chosen for review.
The 2010 and 2012 panels had five days to do their work; this years panels will have three and a half days.
But Reitman says the shorter period has already undergone a test. Last spring, a similar panel conducted by Healthy Democracy evaluated a Jackson County ballot measure banning genetically modified organisms.
Measure 92, which would require labeling of GMOs in food processed or sold in Oregon, will be evaluated by a different panel later this week.
Measure 90 would change Oregons primary election law, which since 1904 allows registered Democrats to choose Democratic nominees and registered Republicans to choose Republican nominees for general elections. Measure 90 would allow the top two finishers in a primary, regardless of party, to advance to the general election.
It works reasonably well for certain parties, says Jim Kelly, the measures chief sponsor, an Eastern Oregon rancher and founder of the Portland store Rejuvenation Inc. But Kelly says the closed-primary system has shut out the growing number of voters who choose not to affiliate with a party and that is why Measure 90 is seen as a threat to the major parties.
They are concerned about anything that changes the existing system, Kelly says. But its not working for anybody who cares about the government functioning.
A similar measure was rejected by Oregon voters in 2008. But California and Washington now have top-two primaries.
People feel the demographics of the electorate has changed even more since then, as up to half of Oregon voters under 40 have declined to affiliate, says Barbara Dudley, senior policy adviser for the Working Families Party.
But Greg Leo, executive director of the Oregon Republican Party, says Measure 90 would make far-reaching changes that are not needed in Oregon.
Sara Logue, a Forest Grove teacher who will be the spokeswoman for the coalition against Measure 90, says passage will create more problems than it purports to solve.
In addition to Republican and Democratic parties, the opposition consists of labor unions and small political parties.
The one thing we share is that our system works reasonably well for the greatest number of people, Leo says.
[email protected]andTribune.com
(503) 385-4899


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Capcom released two Dungeons & Dragons brawlers in the mid-1990s, and they are now bringing them back as a collection called the Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara coming this June, the company announced at its panel at PAX East today.
The compilation, developed by Iron Galaxy, will include Tower of Doom from 1993 and Shadow Over Mystara form 1996, confirming a recent listing by the Korean ratings board. It will be available digitally for Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC for $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points).
The game, which will offer drop-in, drop-out play for up to four players, will be much the same as the original with classic arcade mode, but will add a new House Rules feature to customize the experience. On Wii U, players will also use the GamePad to enable touch-screen spell and item selection.
A new Character Visualizer will let players track which characters are used most often and "help create a more balanced multiplayer dungeon party," according to Capcom's press release. In addition, players will also be able utilize a challenge system that will earn coins to be spent on unlockables and in-game loot.
BOOM video 15010


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|« New Doctor
|A great meal in Singapore »
When bad things happen to good fridges
Well, I arrived home yesterday afternoon expecting to see a fridge somewhat less healthy than when I left, but still in good shape. After all, my husband is a great cook and before we moved in together, was quite healthy. Admittedly, he loves his wheat, but he used to cook some great meals for himself and we share the cooking duty 50/50 when I'm at home.
Let's just say, the fridge had seen better days. The only vegies it contained were ones that I'd bought before I'd left. Lettuce that was well past its prime, rockmelon (cantaloupe) that had grown new species of mould (thank goodness it was still in its wrapper), bananas that were completely black. It did though have two Pizza Hut boxes, some garlic bread, V drinks and RedBull. Basically a nightmare.
He hadn't eaten completely badly whilst I was away though, he had bought himself lunches each day (yet another wheat-fest of sandwiches), ate some food from the freezer like lamb chops and steak with frozen vegetables and cooked himself some sausages. Amazingly though, my B positive husband also managed to buy some chicken sausage rolls.
So, how's he feeling after this? In short, not great- upset tummy, bloated, not too much energy. You see, we're having a bit of a weight loss competition at the moment. We're both feeling a bit chunky so decided that we would set goals to reach by our birthdays in August. Needless to say, he's a little further from his goal at the moment and I think now is the time to capitalise and transition him more to the BTD.
He's now realising that what he eats does affect how he feels, especially as he's getting a bit older. I went out yesterday afternoon so that we now have fresh fruit and vegies, the fruit is chopped up in the fridge ready for him to have and after tomorrow there will be healthy snacks/meals on hand for him. I am wondering if I'll try him on the Genotype diet for a little while, but we'll see how it goes.
2 comments
Just one thing - don't you lose any more weight, or you'll fall down a drain if you turn sideways (as my mum says);->
Glad you got back safely. :->
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USA Basketball cancelled a scheduled trip to Senegal due to concerns over the deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa.
The team planned to visit Senegal before the FIBA World Cup later this month.
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told ESPN.com on Friday that the World Health Organization's declaration of a "public health emergency of international concern" in the region caused the team to cancel its plans.
"I speak for all at USA Basketball when I say we're extremely disappointed we will not be able to visitSenegal," Colangelo said. "Our entire traveling party was very much looking forward to the experience."
The team, including Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, was scheduled to visit Africa on Aug. 27 for basketball clinics, tours and receptions in the Senegalese capital of Dakar.
More than 1,000 deaths attributed to Ebola have been recorded since March in Liberia, Sierra Leone,Guinea and Nigeria. Two American aid workers infected with the virus while working in West Africa were sent to a containment unit in Atlanta's Center for Disease Control for treatment.
"The circumstances just don't allow us to go," Colangelo said.
The New York Times reported Friday that the State Department ordered family members of staffers at theU.S. Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to leave the country.
"Although the CDC does not yet suspect any (Ebola) cases in Senegal, the country's position as a neighboring country to Guinea and Dakar's role as a gateway to West Africa heightened our concern," Colangelo said.


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|2012-05-25, 10:41
|Link #26021
Master Grade Master
Join Date: Jul 2011
I got them all so far. Waiting for Age-2 Normal, Double Bullet, Age-3 Normal, Fortress, Orbital... Hoping for Woolf's 3 suits, but if the don't come I will get the HG's...
|2012-05-25, 11:30
|Link #26024
Seed seeder
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: The country of beer !
I just saw new pictures of the MG marasai. I'm quite dissapointed with it's surface detail. It's really plain....so not alot of pannelining to do. You could easily mistake it for a 1/100 HG.
Don't care about Age alot, give me MG Zaku Warrior
|2012-05-25, 11:37
|Link #26025
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Canada
Age: 33
|2012-05-25, 12:45
|Link #26026
Master Grade Master
Join Date: Jul 2011
Mobile Suit Gundam Age-3 - Vegan Gundams
Looks awfully similar to the designs for O Gundam (w/ hints of Wing Gundam) and 00 Qan[T] (with hints of Age-1 Normal)... o_O
|2012-05-25, 12:48
|Link #26027
Secret Society BLANKET
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 3 times the passion of the usual flamenco
Both are still quite the departure from the traditional Gundam designs though, bar the Turn-A Gundam.
|2012-05-25, 13:26
|Link #26028
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
|2012-05-25, 14:10
|Link #26029
Know who you are
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Resides within the depths of Ned infested Glasgow
Quite like them actually, 2nd one looks kinda like a Wing/F-91 hybrid, like that one quite abit.
Like the head on it, kinda knight like.
I think it would look pretty cool in Sinanju or Char red colour scheme might make it look pretty awesome.
|2012-05-25, 19:37
|Link #26031
Join Date: Oct 2004
Age: 38
They have done it with Ver 2 of the RX-78, Zaku II, Gouf and Gelgoog and those sold relativly well.
|2012-05-25, 20:06
|Link #26032
Black Steel Knight
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Indonesia
|2012-05-26, 02:34
|Link #26033
Seed seeder
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: The country of beer !
The rx-78 2.0 and the gouf 2.0 aree poor excuses for an MG, they rank in my personal list amoung bandai's greatest flops, no presentations what so ever compared to my OYW version. But that's a very personal opinion.
Marasai is from zeta gundam, so it should coinside with detail like the RX-178 MK II, which has great surface detailling in MG and even better is RG.
|2012-05-26, 03:26
|Link #26034
White Unicorn
Join Date: Jan 2012
How wrong can you be, Gundam 2.0 is still easily one of the 3 best kits bandai has ever produced. The style choice keeps the outer armor clean but that doesn't diminish it's quality as a kit.
There is a huge difference between bad/flop and not to your taste.
|2012-05-26, 03:44
|Link #26035
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
a model kit isnt always just about the looks. its also about articulation, balance and how you actually have to put it together.
you might not like the looks of it but that doesnt make it a terrible kit!
you are looking at it from an objective way only and completely ignore what lies under the relatively boring armor.
and when you look at it from a subjective way you will realize that the kit looks EXACTLY like the machine that appeared in one of the most iconic works of sci-fi ever. and lots of people love the kit because of that.
i mean, its not a coincidence that almost everyone recommends this kit as an absolute must have :P
|2012-05-26, 04:31
|Link #26036
Black Steel Knight
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Indonesia
|2012-05-26, 07:46
|Link #26037
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Bandai did start to cut back on panel line detail starting from the Zaku Ver.2.0, and then pretty completely from the GN-X. I think it was to maintain the selling price due to the rising cost of plastics. Perhaps, they also expected expert modelers to scribe panel lines themselves. It was nice to see panel lines return on the AGE and Duel Gundam though.
However, now the AGE-1 and Marasai don't even have an ABS frame.
If you want sculpt and detail, even the late 90s and early 2000s MGs would suffice. At that time articulation was not even a main consideration as they haven't quite discovered the need for it yet.
|2012-05-26, 08:49
|Link #26038
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Canada
Age: 33
Having worked in the plastic industry, I've learned a thing or two about hot injection molding. It's very hard to do things like panel lines on a mold and keep consistent flow throughout the mold process. You see this when bandai tries to make special colours, where you see the flow lines in the plastic. Lots of other issues as well, such as flash(heavy flow causing excess plastic on the parts). I've seen times working on a machine for hours to get one hour of good parts! Lots of factors contribute to it, such as the machine, the maintenance of said machine, the operator of the machine...
It's not as simple as putting details on a mold either. It's extremely expensive to engineer a mold. If it's a high shine part, it requires polished chrome plating. An even more expensive process.
The fact that bandai is able to produce what they do is impressive from my point of view, having worked many aspects of their production.
|2012-05-26, 09:04
|Link #26039
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
plus, when i compare it to other brands like revell then the quality of their models is even more impressive! the revell kits look like someone made the lining channels with a butterknife :P
and im not mad when a kit like the marasai looks a little less detailed. because i like models that look exactly like they did in the anime!
also, other new kits like the MG duel have an insane amount of details! so we are getting both and they are doing it appropriately.
the marasai is a kit from an old show so it gets less details while the duel is from a show that is just now being remastered in HD so it gets more details. makes sense to me!
kits with an oldschool look already worked out well for them with all the MG 2.0 kits, too.
|2012-05-26, 09:09
|Link #26040
Master Grade Master
Join Date: Jul 2011
HG Exia R2
HG Reborns Gundam
HG 1.5 Gundam
HG Avalanche Dash Exia
HG O Gundam (Type ACD)
HG O Gundam (Roll Out)
Those are the 6 HG kits I will be getting. Going to also get some Mr. Hobby acrylic paints and flat top coat cans. =)
Where can I get the paints the cheapest online? I live in the US.
|gundam, gunpla, model kit, toy
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