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Morning MarketBeat: Fed Spooks Investors; It Shouldn't
Pre-Market Brief:
MARKET SNAP: At 5:46 a.m. ET, S&P 500 futures down 0.2%. Treasury yields fall. Nymex down $1.44 at $93.78; gold higher 0.1% at $1565.43. In Europe, FTSE 100 down 1.4%, DAX down 1.5% and CAC 40 down 1.6%. In Asia, Nikkei 225 down 1.4% and Hang Seng down 1.7%.
Overnight action: Investigator in Pistorius case faces attempted-murder charge; BAE to buy back shares despite gloomy outlook; Euro-Zone downturn looks set to continue.
Watch for: Weekly jobless claims (8:30 a.m. Eastern Time): seen: 350,000; last: 341,000. January consumer price index (8:30): seen: +0.1%; last: unchanged; core seen: +0.2%; last: +0.1%. February Markit flash PMI (9:00): last: 55.8 (final January reading). January existing home sales (10:00): seen: -1.0%; last: -1.0%. February Philly Fed manufacturing survey (10:00): seen: +3.0; last: -5.8. January leading index (10:00): seen: +0.3%; last: +0.5%. EIA weekly natural gas storage report (10:30). EIA weekly petroleum status report (11:00).
Earnings: American International Group, Carlyle, Chesapeake Energy, Hewlett-Packard, Hormel, Marvell Tech, Newmont Mining, Nordstrom, PG&E, Safeway, Sanderson Farms, Wal-Mart
For more MarketBeat and other streaming markets coverage from The Wall Street Journal, point your mobile browser to wsj.com/marketspulse.
The Breakfast Briefing
Investors showed yesterday how concerned they are the Fed might pull the punch bowl sooner than expected.
Maybe they shouldn't worry so much.
Minutes from the central bank's January meeting showed growing unease over future Fed stimulus. Stocks suffered their worst day in more than three months, gold and oil sold off and the market's so-called fear gauge—the VIX—jumped 19%, its biggest one-day rise since November 2011.
Analysts took the Fed minutes in stride, cautioning that the markets may have overreacted a bit. "As we argued after a similar market reaction to the December minutes, we do not believe this amounts to a 'game changer' for QE3," Vassili Serebriakov, a currency strategist at BNP Paribas in New York, told clients.
That's because the dissent within the Fed ranks hardly comes as a shock. Fed officials, including Richard Fisher, Charles Plosser, Jeffrey Lacker and Esther George, have previously raised concerns about the Fed's easy-money policies. The minutes don't identify participants by name, or specify how many officials expressed a particular view, making it unclear if other more dovish members changed their tunes in the latest Fed meeting.
Besides, Chairman Ben Bernanke isn't likely to shift his thinking anytime soon.
"We view Mr. Bernanke as being firmly in charge of the committee, and very dovish indeed," said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomic Advisors. "We expect QE3 to continue at $85 billion per month all year."
Bernanke has made it clear that the Fed's bond-buying programs and easy-money policies won't change significantly until he's confident the economy is operating on healthier ground. The unemployment rate sits at 7.9%, growth contracted last quarter and Wal-Mart Store Inc.'s quarterly results—due later this morning—could offer a warning sign for the broader economic landscape.
Reports surfaced late last week that Wal-Mart's February sales were off to the worst monthly start in seven years, according to internal emails at the company. That weakness likely won't be reflected in the world's largest retailer's quarterly results, which encapsulate the three months ended Jan. 31. But it could put a dent in the company's forecasts.
"We don't think February's weak start should come as any surprise," Deborah Weinswig, retail analyst at Citigroup, wrote to clients. "The low-end consumer is facing significant headwinds, including higher payroll taxes, delayed tax refunds, higher healthcare contributions, rising gas prices, and poor weather."
In other words, that doesn't sound like an environment that should prompt the Fed to change course anytime soon.
Morning MarketBeat Daily Factoid: On this day in 1925, the first New Yorker magazine was published.
–Steven Russolillo[wsj-responsive-more-in tag="Morning MarketBeat" category="" ]
Stocks to Watch
Among the shares expected to see active trade in Thursday's session are those of Hewlett-Packard, Wal-Mart Stores, and American International Group.
Hewlett-Packard is expected to report first-quarter earnings of 71 cents a share, according to a consensus survey by FactSet.
"H-P is making strides in certain parts of its portfolio, but we believe it will be difficult to offset headwinds from PC market shrinkage, loss of services contracts and server margin pressure in hyperscale environments," ISI Group analyst Brian Marshall said in a preview.
Wal-Mart is projected to post fourth-quarter earnings of $1.57 a share. The stock fell sharply last week after the reported revelation of an internal memo that described February sales at the discounter as a "total disaster."
AIG is forecast to post a loss of 7 cents a share in the fourth quarter.
Must Reads
Fed Officials Feared Easy Money Could Jolt Markets: "Minutes of the Fed's latest policy meeting showed that officials worried the central bank's easy-money policies could lead to instability in financial markets."
Citigroup Chairman Not Pressing Breakup: "As a director, Michael E. O'Neill had urged Citigroup to consider splitting up. Now, as the bank's chairman, Mr. O'Neill doesn't believe a breakup should be among the company's top priorities."
Ahead of the Tape: Carlyle Investors Hear the Starting Gun: "Jaded investors have started believing in private equity again."
J.P. Morgan Urged to Split Role: "Investors are calling for J.P. Morgan Chase to split the chairman and CEO posts held by James Dimon, citing concerns over a trading fiasco that saddled the company with more than $6 billion in losses."
Gold Settles Below $1,600: "Gold slumped to a seven-month low, extending its earlier losses as details from the Fed's latest policy meeting outlined more debate about when to curtail the central bank's stimulus program."
Heard on the Street: A Fearful Time for Gold: "Do you feel lucky, punk? The problem for gold bulls is that too many punks are nodding their heads these days."
Office Stores' Merger News Jumped Gun: "For a merger that the market has long envisioned, the combination of Office Depot Inc. and OfficeMaz Inc. nevertheless came sooner than either planned."
Writing on the Wall: Insiders on Heinz Deal Have Company: "The SEC's investigation of suspicious options trading before Berkshire Hathaway announced its deal to buy H.J. Heinz Co. is long overdue."


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Anti-abortion groups learn from NRA
Even before Roe v. Wade, there was the National Right to Life Committee.
On this 40th anniversary of the landmark abortion decision, the NRLC remains the biggest anti-abortion group. But other groups have risen to claim the voice of the movement. Some, like Susan B. Anthony List, Americans United for Life and Concerned Women for America have brought on board a new generation of younger anti-abortion activists who are media-savvy, skilled at fundraising and able to extend the reach of the movement deep into statehouses and on ballots nationwide.
Story Continued Below
And even though the ultimate goal of outlawing abortion and overturning Roe v. Wade remains unrealized, this hodgepodge of groups can point to a continuous string of state-level laws across the nation restricting the procedure as evidence that they are winning partial victories along the way.
( Also on POLITICO: Poll: Keep Roe v. Wade)
In a divided Washington, new abortion-related bills are guaranteed to go nowhere. That doesn't diminish the scramble to raise money for the anti-abortion movement, and it hasn't slowed the growth of the disparate groups and their constant effort to keep up a 40-year-old fight. The groups have found niches from which they broaden their attack.
"There is a symmetry to the pro-life side," Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said. "Where one group ends another one begins. [SBA List doesn't] have a team of lawyers drafting legislation, we are happy for organizations like AUL [to do that] … We trust them to do their job, and then our job as the political arm is to advance those measures."
Even some of their pro-abortion rights adversaries see the division of labor as a sign of the movement's sophistication.
"The [pro-]choice women have always had this enormous array of different types of groups … we've had the lawyers, we've had the providers, we've had the electoral front, we've had the women's groups," said Frances Kissling, former head of the abortion rights group Catholics for Choice. "As any effective movement would do, [the anti-abortion groups] have come up with a multiplicity of strategies that they didn't have before."
Tactically, they've also learned from the political tactics of the NRA, said SBA List's Dannenfelser. "The most important thing that we've done is operate a little like the NRA does. … the 'votes have consequences' piece of the whole thing," she said in an interview. "There's a sense that they're always watching." Anti-abortion groups now similarly monitor lawmakers' abortion-related votes and make sure they get plenty of attention during campaign season.
( Also on POLITICO: W.H. gun plan: End run around NRA)
These groups have smaller budgets than the NRLC — which had a $9 million budget in 2011. But they've got big media presences and recognizable faces.

subset: commoncrawl


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So thats it...
The biggest IT cock up in rip off GB and we get an extended warranty. Too right the UK customers are going to get *really* pissed with this.
Where was the Reg Biting the Hand that Feed's it?
Asus today offered little solace for British Eee PC 900 buyers who've found that the machine packs a lower-capacity battery here than it does in some other countries. When Register Hardware reviewed the 900 last month - you can read our evaluation of the elfin PC here - we noted the 900 comes with a 4400mAh battery. We asked …
In most European countries the minimum warranty period for electrical goods is two years - so Asus cannot provide less and it appears they are off-setting this (forced) additional cost by providing a lower capacity battery.
In the UK I think that one year is the minimum warranty but it makes sense to have one product for the entire European market.
it seems that in Europe / rip off UK we get the option: choose Windows and 12GB or Linux and 20GB. However with the battery we were given NO choice - and indeed no advance warning. Mine was preordered before the full UK battery specs were released.
Please El-Reg - give them some more stick. this is an easy cop-out and it is an obvious one most people will try to wriggle from. it will also be interesting to see if all Europe really does get the 4400 or whether it is just UK?
Next time I will import from USA or wherever best deal comes from.
These extended warranties are pointless. I would expect an Asus Eee PC to last for at least 2 years anyway.
Guarantees are "in addition to", not "a replacement of" statutory rights and the PC must be of merchantable quality & "fit for the purpose it was made for". If the screen went or the speakers broke after a year through a major fault or inherent issue I could claim anyway. Accidental damage isn't covered so no benefit to me.
Give me the battery instead.
This is the same as Washing machines, where they offer 5 years warranty or 3 year coverage. I am covered anyway because any court is going to agree a washing machine should last more than 12 months. I suppose the question is why do computers have such short "accepted" lifespans for a very very expensive home item.
I was beginning to doubt El Reg's credentials but you have decided to bite rather than lick the hand that feeds IT.
One thing though: the US model comes with a 5800mAh battery, not 5200. Its capacity is almost a third more than the UK's.
I agree about the "caveat emptor" but Asus told me at least twice on the phone before I received mine that it would have a 5200 battery. I called them because the supplier (play.com) didn't have a clue, and suggested I talked to Asus.
European law REQUIRES that everything comes with a minimum 2 Years warranty. A fact that seems to be lost on most manufacturers.
We should also remember that warranties are IN ADDITTION to our statutory rights, which state that anything we 'buy' must be 1. Merchantable quality, 2. Fit for purpose and 3.Last a reasonable amount of time.
No amount of clever wording in your '12 month' warranty can take away from your statutory right for things to work for a 'reasonable amount' of time.
...as an optional extra?
Hardly ideal, but for an on-the-go laptomajobamajig, a spare battery isn't a bad thing, is it?
Better than [what appears to be] the kick in the teeth the EU buyers seem to be getting at the moment.
Steven R
Paris, because she prefers hicap batteries, but not for her EeePC...
According to http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/articles/view.php?id=2543&cid=14&pg=5 Asus are offering a battery replacement in Singapore as well.
So we have
Hong Kong - originally shipped 4400mAh, replacement programme for the 5800mAh
Singapore - originally shipped 4400mAh, replacement programme for the 5800mAh
US - originally shipped with 5800mAh
UK - shipped with 4400mAh, tough, deal with it.
Gee thanks Asus. now why didn't I wait till the MSI wind was released...
Well the creative boys in Hong Kong central , the ones that brought the touch screen to the 700 series have it seems created their own unique solution with two additional "Cartman style fat ass" power packs one has a claimed 6600maH and the other is a 10400maH monster along with the standard factory jobs or so it would seem , but with that shyster town who really knows ?
Like wow the beach babe is back , thank you very much !
Is this The Daily Wail? Let me see...so the more powerful and higher spec 900 offers almost as much battery life as the old 701 - I can see plucky British punters shaking their cloth caps in outrage in the streets and kicking their whippets in frustration.
Really, get over it, what a non-story! Tell me something significant and I my might raise an eyebrow at it. For example: what's the price comparison between an Eee PC 900 in the UK/USA/HK once taxes etc. are taken into account? If the disparity is less than for M$ Fistula or a Sony PS3 then I will remain underwhelmed. If not then I might become outraged about how much we have to pay for this very desirable bit of kit.
Please find something for us to be genuinely outraged about, I for one am not a Daily Wail reader and do not have a big red button on my back labelled "PRESS HERE FOR APOPLEXY"
excuse me if I'm wrong - but the other Eee PC's such as the 701 also come with the 2 year warranty - it's "standard" and I think it's standard on Most if not ALL Asus laptops sold in the UK / EU?
so how can something you get free anyway - be the reason for the "cheaper" battery?
come on Asus - why Mislead people with reviews and also info stating "2.5 to 3 hours battery life" - when on the 4400 you are very lucky to see 2 hours?
yes you never said it came with a 5800 battery - but theres no way on earth you can get 3 hours with out it...
The initial response from Asus was that the suppliers were at fault for ordering the wrong model and they offered a choice of batteries. That was soon de-bunked by any discussion with retailers who confirmed that they were given no choice.
The latest from Asus has been that Asus UK is reviewing the situation...
The real issue here is that the 4400 mAh battery for a UMPC is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Even with the screen dimmed and without Wifi activated the battery life is pretty pathetic - for word processing I think the longest I have had is 2 hours and frequently less. With Wifi on and doing anything more intensive then word processing it is even more limited.
No offence to you Tony but when many of us bought our 900s your review was not available and we had to go on reviews from abroad which all had the 5800 mAh battery.
Well from what ASUS have stated it to the Reg It would appear that the Battery is covered for two years as well as the laptop.
That's BRILLIANT :-)
Batteries are classed as a 'consumable item' under UK law so the two year warranty doesn't count against batteries.
90% of laptops sold in the UK only warranty the battery for SIX months (e.g. Toshiba) . Sony are even more evil in that their batterries are only covered for THREE months.
I'd much rather be able to get a battery which doesn't hold it's charge after two years replaced for free than a larger capacity battery which won't be replaced as it's out of warranty.
Come on people, Asus really arn't being playing nasty, I'd say they are playing downright fair.
Note to Reg. Can you confirm with Asus that the battery is covered for the two years rather than just the eee itself please?
Well guys, if you ordered before the specs were released then you have no reason to complain. It's a bit like me complaining that I ordered a new Ford Fiesta before the specs were released and then feel let down when it didn't come with a V8. After all, Ford never said it wouldn't.
Seriously, if the spec matters that much to you then read it before you spend your money. Otherwise, live with it.
I just bought Wacom Bamboo Fun and was disappointed to find out that it came with pen only - no mouse nor spare "nibs", both of which are supplied with same product sold in US. Separate purchase of these accessories set me back by ~50 euro (apparently available only from Wacom shop online). No mouse was explicitly promised in any of the marketing material I found in UK, but I assumed (wrongly, as it turns out) that product reviews written by American users would also apply to product sold in Europe. Mouse was just one obscure detail that I missed - as the vendor hoped I would. Maybe because I turned my attention to another, more visible difference between markets : black version is only available in US, but not in Europe. Which reminds me of leaks that Asus Eee 901 might be available in black. Exercise to the reader : watch our for other specification differences between "white" and "black" version.
Ian McNee - you should bother to read the article and engage whatever brain cells you have before flailing about with your foot in your mouth...
It's *not* an article complaining that the EEE 900 has a different capacity/life to the earlier 701, it's that the EEE 900 sold in the UK has a different (considerably lower) battery capacity than those sold in the US.
Given the increased competition for small, cure and useful PC's. You have to look at what the others have. They all do what the asus does and because it is no longer cheap and cheerful at £300+ you have to look at the specs a lote more. Tha means the battery life as well as wifi, SD cards and bluetooth etc.
So perhaps ther other alternatives can nip in here and steal it.
Though their reasoning sounds like why Vista costs twice as much instead of half price.
@Ian Mcnee, you need to live in the real world. Whippets, cloth caps... I live in Yorkshire and that doesn't happen here and that IS the most back to basics place. It's all hoodies and burberry now. Only the toffs of the dales still wear the caps.
That being said. As for the daily mail. Sadly most yocals round here read the sun, so probably can't understand battery as it has more than one syllabel. The sun readers coping with more than one is a rare treat.
The 900 has been on sale for over 3 weeks now and there are no official specs. Most retailers just quote what Asus produced for the 70x series Eee ie 2.8-3.5 hours battery life. Is it not reasonable to expect the new flagship model to have at least the same battery as previous top models? The 900 is more power hungry (bigger screen and faster operating processor) than the 8GB 701 yet comes with a smaller battery...
Plus some reviewers were supplied with a 5800 battery when the retail units were coming with 4400 batteries - that is dishonest or a mistake.
But the real point is about how can a laptop that is designed as a UMPC be expected to function with such a poor battery and why should we in the UK just roll over when it seems that everyone else is either getting a replacement battery or the 5800 from the start?
C'mon people let's not be side-tracked by the red herring of the warranty issue.
This is really about useability not specs or warranties.
Actually Nick I credited other readers here with the intelligence to spot that my point was that:
(i) in spite of having a battery with a lower capacity than the same model available in the US and elsewhere it still has a very usable battery life;
(ii) there are more significant things to get upset about.
I'll be happy to supply you with the Fisher-Price explanation of El Reg article comments in future :)
I like so many UK buyers scrambled to buy the eee900 as soon as it came out. I believe this shows commitment to Asus especially as many many 900 buyers were ex-700/701 owners!
None of us expected the UK only to be completely shafted over the 900's power requirements. It is an absolute disgrace that for some weird reason Asus thinks the 900 will take less power in the UK. I mean where do they get this information from? We pay more in the UK for the machine, yet have a laptop that now run's for less time than ANY other country's version! They state all sorts of rubbish about the battery issue to different complainants. The latest being 'European 900s come with both types of battery' yet Italy is the latest country to get 5800mAh from the start...
Come on Asus do the right thing. You may have our money for this 900, but unless you sort somethign out for the 'loyal' I am afraid not only will you lose our future trade, but also taint your previously good image. Doing this to the UK goes against your own company Mission Statement!
So the UK gets the inferior old Surf battery because ASUS have to comply with EU law? what a joke!
If their "excuse" about the warranty was actually true why are their reports on the forum at www.eeeuser.com of Italians buying EeePC900's in Italy from authorised stockists (ie. not grey imports) BUT SUPPLIED WITH THE PROPER 5800 mAh BATTERY? Or has Itely suddenly left the EU?
Come on ASUS, either do the right thing and upgrade the batteries of the early adopters, say, everyone who registered before 20th May, OR tell us you don't care about the UK market.
Maybe then we can vote with our wallets and move on to the products from a more ethical company.
I would like to add my voice to the dissent. I'm a prospective 900 buyer (was going to buy one this evening, but i knew there was an issue with the batteries -- little did I know how big it was until I read this thread).
ASUS need to do something, and fast - they are losing prospective buyers because of this one issue. It would be a real shame for the 900 not to fulfill its potential because of poor customer care.
The product is excellent -- sort it out ASUS!
I may be wrong but I think the EU require the warantee to be honoured in any EU country - although you might have to return it to the subsiderary you bought it from.
That's probably the main reason they all have uk/de/it/etc subsiderary companies to do the selling.
Buyers should also remember that the distance selling regs will allow you to return within 14 days. The law may even say a reasonable time...
Well it looks like the pace is picking up now that Engadget has jumped on this - about time! Asus seem to be taken quite unaware by this, which is absolutely bizarre. Do they not understand the anticipation about these items, and the fact that early adopters worldwide are comparing specs and running intensive tests? Jerry Shen has been receiving direct emails and passing them to Emily in the UK - lets hope she points out to Jerry that this won't just go away, and needs to be resolved immediately if Asus want to salvage their reputation.
well, well well...
after many complaints - least not from the great users at Eeeuser.com - we have it sorted...almost
Asus UK today has confirmed, that they are working on a rebate scheme whereby for approx £10 early purchasers will be supplied with a 5800 battery.
an official announcement will be made in due course but this won't be before they are able to secure enough 5800 batteries. At the moment they do not have enough. I couldn't get a timescale out of him but he said they are definitely going to do something.
they admitted that the 3 hour claim on ToysRUs POS material and the several hours in the manual was based on the higher capacity battery and also that we (UK) received the 4400 battery as there weren't enough 5800 batteries.
they agreed you cannot get 3 hours with the current battery even with his own tests.
so due to Asus qouting the same 3 hour battery life everywhere - even in places with the much smaller battery we get a result
so we pay £10 for a 5800 battery -and from what we can gather - we keep the tatty old 4400 as a spare..
lets hope an Official statement comes from Asus UK shortly..
I bought one of these systems and have so far been happy with it .. the fact that we are now offered a new battery for a small fee of a tenner is great .. There was obviously a mess up with the marketing and reviews etc but I feel Asus have addressed this .. The concerns I keep reading about online are that we are being ripped off in the UK .. Asus have taken note of us and said ok for a small admin fee we will give you a battery that costs £45 quid for £10 .. I feel they are being fair and not just brushing us under the carpet ..
I would still recommend an Eee Pc to friends and family as for its purpose and price tag is a great little gadget .. Battery life on the smaller battery is still superior to my partners laptop ..
All in all I am a very happy customer ..
Sabbie - do you work for Asus ;-)
Seriously, I am happy with the Eee except for the battery which is crippling it as a laptop - 1.5 hours is not acceptable in anyway.
Anyway there is a poll here which is producing some interesting results already:
The poll is on the right hand side under the ad.


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I had a discussion recently concerning sanctification. From that discussion came this question: Is sanctification a part of the gospel, and why? I won't tell you what my take was for fear of bias.
You perhaps know that one of the debates the Reformers had with the Roman Catholic Church, perhaps the debate after the authority of Scripture, was on the nature of the gospel. How is a person made right with God? The Catholic Church thought that the teaching of the Reformers that a sinner is justified, declared righteous in Jesus Christ alone by faith alone through grace alone, would lead to ungodliness! That is frequently how an emphasis on free and sovereign grace is seen. The fear is that if we come to Christ and have our sins removed by their being laid to Christ's account and we receive Christ's perfect righteousness accounted as our own righteousness (usually called "double imputation" or "Christ's active and passive obedience"), people will have no "incentive" to godly living. That charge has never disappeared either!
The solution the Catholic Church offered was to mix justification with sanctification, to merge the two parts of God's working. But, of course, we being sinful creatures ended up with a works-righteousness mixture, Christ saving us so that we might save ourselves. The Reformers, looking at Scripture, knew that this could never be. Paul wrote to the Galatians "yet we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified" (2:16). Here Paul protects us from the confusion or melding of justification and sanctification.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism is so helpful in this too:
Question 33: "What is justification?"
Answer: "Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone."
The sinner is established in Christ complete and without offering to God any of his own righteousness or obedience. If any of our efforts infiltrate our "gospel" it is the proverbial drop of poison in the cup, one drop of my efforts at self-salvation poisons the whole. So the Westminster divines were carefully to make this justification an act of God's grace, a decisive, complete act, sovereignly performed by a merciful God based on the merits and death of the Son of God alone.
But the Catechism also clearly defined sanctification:
Question 35: "What is sanctification?"
Answer: "Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness."
From an act to a work, from a declaration about a person to a work within a person, a work of renewal and transformation, is the distinction which the divines clearly saw.
What we can say, putting these together, is that the person who is truly justified through faith in Jesus Christ will also be sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the way Paul expressed it in Galatians 2:20. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Paul will go on in Galatians to show that the person who is not justified through faith in Christ Jesus will display the deeds of the flesh rather than the fruit of the Spirit (chapter 5). This is because the new birth is truly from above (John 3), a supernatural act of God's power making a spiritually dead sinner to live unto God, as Paul so powerfully sets out in Ephesians 2:1-10. Sanctification, the internal renewal and change of the sinner by the power of God, will and must take place; however, it is a fruit of the gospel rather than the gospel itself.
If we do not keep these things clear, we will drift into the confusion of the Roman Catholic Church. The gospel calls us to repent of our sins and to flee to the Son of God for both deliverance from the guilt and penalty and for new power against sin's mastery; however, we bring nothing to the transaction save a brokenness over sin's offense to God and "an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ" (Shorter Catechism Q. 87), but it is all ours, not because we have been made holy (the infused righteousness of Rome's version) but because the receiving and resting upon Christ alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel (Shorter Catechism Q. 86), means empty hands receiving forgiveness and righteousness by faith alone.
I hope this is helpful. If you have questions, please contact me.
"Questions and Answers" is a weekly feature of the OPC website. The answers come from individual ministers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expressing their own convictions and do not necessarily represent an "official" position of the Church, especially in areas where the Standards of the Church (the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms) are silent.
The questions come from individuals like yourself. If you have questions about biblical and theological matters, you are invited to send them by e-mail by using the "Pose a Question" link on the OPC home page or by clicking here.
At least one new question is posted each week, so there should always be something new here for you to read. (For those people who would like to look at previous questions and answers, they will continue to be available as well.)
The purpose of the OPC website's "Questions and Answers" is to respond to biblical and theological questions. Matters of church discipline, disputes, or debates go beyond the scope of our work. We recommend that you present your concerns in these areas to the appropriate judicatory. In most cases this will be to a local pastor, elder, or session. We do not want the website to replace personal involvement in, or commitment to, the local, visible church.
While we will respond to every serious questioner, we are not bound to give a substantive answer to every question, should we deem the question to be beyond the scope of our purpose or our own ability to answer.
You will receive an answer by e-mail. Please be patient as many of our respondents are busy pastors. The response to your question may take up to two (2) weeks. Some of the questions submitted will be chosen to be posted here, along with the corresponding answers.
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|Clifton, Va.
|High School:
|Paul VI Catholic
|House Affiliation:
Sophomore • 2010
Earned first win of the season with a victory over Fairfield March 28, striking out three and scattering two hits over three innings … Went five innings for the win against Holy Cross Apr. 6, allowing one run on four hits … Struck out a season-high six batters in four innings of work against Boston College Apr. 15 … Collected the win against Brown Apr. 19, starting and going four innings, holding the Bears to two runs on three hits … Pitched a complete game in a 7-1 victory over Dartmouth May 2, striking out four and allowing one run on five hits.
Freshman • 2009
Appeared in 15 games making two starts as a pitcher … had a 2.70 ERA … Gave up just nine earned runs … Struck out 17 batters … Pitched three scoreless innings and struck out three batters against Bryant March 26 … Picked up first win of the season in 10-3 win over Rhode Island April 2 after pitching three scoreless innings … Picked up save against Holy Cross April 23 after giving up just one hit in three scoreless innings.
Before Harvard
Four-year pitcher on the varsity softball team at Paul VI Catholic High ... Played varsity volleyball all four years at both outside and middle hitter ... Three-year captain of softball team and two-year captain of volleyball team ... 2008 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year ... First-team all-state senior year ... Three-year all-conference selection ... Team MVP junior and senior seasons ... Rookie of the Year ... Led team to a first-place regular-season finish in the conference and in the state senior year ... Led team to two conference runner-up finishes ... Squad finished third at the Grand Strand Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C., junior year ... Three-year member of the all-conference team in volleyball ... Member of the state championship team freshman year ... Four-year All-State Academic Athlete ...Four-year member of the Principal's Honor Roll ... Class of 2008 Spanish Honorable Mention Award ... Student Government Association Executive Board student representative to the Academic Council ... Participated in the Food For Others and the Study Buddies community programs.


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Does your non-profit organization qualify to receive $100,000?
The NBCUniversal Foundation is partnering with NBC Southern California to launch 21st Century Solutions, its third annual grant challenge for local non-profit organizations implementing new and innovative programs.
Now through August 8, we're looking for fresh ideas that are moving our community forward. The first place grant recipient will receive a $100,000 grant and two runners-up will each receive $50,000, totaling $200,000 in grants for Southern California.
The competitive grant program is open to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations that are implementing progressive programs that address emerging or ongoing community challenges in the areas of Civic Engagement, Education, Environment, Jobs and Economic Empowerment, Media Arts and Technology.
Please review the grant program's eligibility requirements to ensure your organization fall within the guidelines before completing the application.


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Featured Products
VIDEO: Dynablast Hydrovac Pumps & Accessories
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Dynablast: Effective Pressure Wash Cleaning Solutions for Canadian Industry
Trusted for over 30 years, Dynablast is an industry leader in cold water and hot water pressure washer manufacturing. As one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of industrial pressure wash equipment in Canada, we offer unparalleled value and selection for the country's industrial market cleaning demands.
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The Eddy-S4 Device Server Development Board features a socket for the Eddy-CPU-V2.5 AT91SAM9G20 (ARM9) CPU Module with 8MB Flash and 32MB SDRAM (module is not included). With two 10/100Mbps Ethernet ports and 4x RS232 or 4x RS422/485 ports, it provides a powerful platform for developing your serial device server application. The serial ports use RJ45 connectors, so you can use a standard Ethernet cable with an Ethernet-to-DB9 adapter to connect your serial devices. The Eddy-CPU module, Ethernet cable and DB9 adapters are available as optional accessories at the bottom of this page. The picture shows an Eddy-CPU module installed for illustration purposes only.
Two versions of this board are available:
We also offer the Eddy-S8 model, which offers 8x RS232 or 8x RS422/RS485 ports.
Using the optional plug-on Eddy-WiFi module you can easily add wireless capability to this board (the WiFi module plugs onto the CPU module, which also must be purchased separately).


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Xia Yeliang (夏業良), a professor in the economics department at Peking University, was recently dismissed from his job. Although Xia had reached a position of seniority in which a vote was no longer required to extend his tenure, the school authorities made an exception and initiated the procedure, which constitutes a procedural flaw. The university said that Xia had been reported for making "vicious attacks on the [Chinese Communist] Party [CCP] and the socialist system, mocking and distorting the Chinese dream."
This makes it clear that Peking University made its decision because of political pressure.
Xia is a prominent economics academic with many publications. He has won praise in academic circles and has promoted systemic reform and the implementation of a constitutional system in China.
Xia was a member of the first group of signatories to Charter 08 — a manifesto published on Dec. 10, 2008, urging democratic reform in China — and in 2009, he called then-CCP Central Propaganda Department head Liu Yunshan (劉雲山) an incompetent and ignorant man. These statements and actions led officials at Peking University to dismiss Xia.
A university is an open forum for exploring truth and sharing opinions, and academic freedom is the foundation for its existence. Suppressing that freedom by political means constitutes a major obstacle to exploring truth and destroys the spiritual cornerstone of a university — a university without academic freedom is no longer a university.
The history of academic development also includes incidents of political interference: There was the April 6, 1949, incident when military and police arrested 200 students at the student dormitory of the precursor to today's National Taiwan Normal University; the persecution of Yin Hai-kuang (殷海光), a philosopher considered one of the nation's pioneers of democracy; and the systematic purge of liberal members during the incident at National Taiwan University's (NTU) philosophy department between December 1972 and June 1975.
Democratization included the development of academic freedom, which involved the removal of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) symbols from schools, student strikes to protest against the white terror, the implementation of university autonomy and the removal of compulsory classes and military training offices.
Academic freedom did not come as a gift, but was the result of a struggle waged over many years by professors and students.
As a reflection of the universal nature of the university spirit and academic freedom, we solemnly make the following demands:
First, Peking University should immediately and unconditionally reinstate Xia and guarantee unrestricted academic freedom for all its lecturers and students.
Second, Academia Sinica president Wong Chi-huey (翁啟惠) and every university president should promptly write to Peking University president Wang Enge (王恩哥) making these demands and calling on Peking University to implement academic freedom.
Academic institutions in Taiwan have signed many memorandums of cooperation and exchange agreements with Peking University. Given this, the third demand is a call for every Taiwanese school to include demands for guarantees of academic and spiritual freedom in the guidelines for conducting exchanges with Chinese academic institutions.
These demands should include freedom of expression in the fields of academia and research, lecturing, authorship, publication, faith and art. All of these should be used as reference points when deciding whether to continue an exchange.


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Kitchen Equipment Dealers and Restaurant Equipment Supply Companies in Gold Creek, Montana.
With lots of restaurant equipment financing options available you can take delivery of the kitchen equipment you need right away. So whether you are a pizza joint, coffee house, neighborhood pub or a new fine dining experience with the next famous celebrity chef, your local restaurant equipment dealer is standing by ready to meet your needs.


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A change in how a person acts is called altered behavior. A change
may include:
Altered behavior can be caused by conditions or substances that may
affect the brain, such as:
Changes in behavior may be sudden, such as those caused by a stroke
or head injury. Or they may be gradual, such as those caused by a tumor or swelling in the
Last Revised:
September 1, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine & H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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What is a "digital insurer"? How can becoming one help carriers get closer to customers? These are questions many companies are asking themselves. In what seems like the blink of an eye, emerging technologies and social media have created major economic, societal and business shifts. Yet insurers are struggling to keep up. As digitally enabled technologies empower and connect individuals more easily and regularly with businesses and each other, a constrained realm of changes is not good enough anymore. Insurers have to act soon.
Today's uber-connected individuals seek 24/7 access and organizational transparency, as well as greater personal influence and participation. This is a trend not well understood in insurance: while 54 percent of C-Suite executives overall credit customers with direct influence on their business strategy, only 39 percent of insurance executives acknowledge this customer impact.
The culmination of these forces spawns disruption, and insurers, consequently, are not well prepared strategically: more than 60 percent of insurance CEOs told us they still lack both an integrated physical and mobile strategy, as well as a cohesive strategy for social business.
And yet, digital technologies ultimately will drive drastic changes in the economy: value chains will fragment, industries will converge and new ecosystems will emerge. Although in the insurance industry this will be tempered by regulations, privacy considerations and the fundamental nature of risk, insurers cannot escape the changing mechanics of value creation and allocation.
So, what will this future of continual digital disruption entail? How will new convergent technologies impact organizations and industries? What can organizations start doing today to prepare for a vastly different business environment? In particular, which investments, priorities and actions can set the stage for success during turbulent and ongoing change?
The 2013 IBM Digital Reinvention Study considers the answers to such questions. To better understand the deepening impact of digital technologies on today's organizations, the IBM Institute for Business Value surveyed approximately 1,100 business and government executives and 5,000 consumers. We also conducted in-depth interviews with 30 leading futurists in more than 10 countries. To gather new insights and capture ongoing trends from the insurance industry, we surveyed an additional 17,600 consumers in 24 countries about specific insurance matters.
Our analysis of study findings shows that as economic changes persist, the interactions between organizations and individuals also keep changing – and this change is rampant. In fact, the global economy was characterized as highly organization-centered for most of the Twentieth Century. Its current state – individual-centricity – emerged around 1990, but this will soon evolve toward an everyone-to-everyone (E2E) model of engagement. These E2E environments will be orchestrated, symbiotic, aware and cognitive.
To prepare for the challenges and opportunities of an E2E model, successful insurers will need to think disruptively, challenge established norms and blur organizational boundaries. They must open up to external influences, expand partnering and accelerate their digital investments. This executive report offers practical ways to prepare for that fast-approaching and radically different tomorrow.
Download the IBM Institute for Business Value executive report
Listen to the podcast
- Digital Reinvention podcast (English) (MP3, 00:06:39)
- Digital Reinvention podcast (German) (MP3, 00:10:09)
About the authors
Christian Bieck
Global Insurance Leader, IBM Institute for Business Value
Connect with Christian Bieck
Anthony Marshall
Global CEO Study Program Director
Connect with Anthony Marshall
Sandip Patel
Global Insurance Leader, IBM Global Business Services
Connect with Sandip Patel
Related links
- Powerful interaction points
Saying goodbye to the channel
- Insurers, intermediaries and interactions
From channels to networks
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Specific Lads Ghost Bell
ATTN: The countdown is just until the shirt is reprinted. It'll always be available
A wardrobe staple, this men's classic t-shirt in a relaxed fit will update any look. • Fitted • Solid colours: 100% cotton • Heather colours: 65% cotton, 35% polyester
Your order will be printed exclusively for you within a few days. If you are in the US, Canada or Europe, you will receive your order within 3-7 business days after printing is complete. For all other countries, please allow between 10-14 business days.


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Newest Version!
I've surprised a few people when I mentioned I plan on adding more content to GMOTA, so let's get this sorted out with a little roadmap so you guys can keep track of what I got planned in the future. I have no release dates on the coming updates but this is better than leaving people in the dark.
Two more heroes are planned along with a few other surprises and features. Work on the third hero, Kustam has already started and he'll feature a powerful long range rifle, a telescopic staff, a super charged kick, and some powerful tech hidden away!
(I'll add this here too, if you wanna support me I got a Patreon and a paypal.me. These updates are coming no matter what, but any support will keep me fed.)
Revamped gameplay for Blaz! Enjoy a smoother more properly melee oriented gameplay flow and bring down droves of monsters with powerful sword techniques!
Proper item progression! No more random drops for everything, ammo is where it should be, as are weapons and upgrades!
A complete monster roster! Do battle with proper arcadey monsters the whole way through
More music along with a shuffle button!
The Doomslayer! Rip and tear as the high speed Doomguy, complete with a full weapon set
the savior and defender of the land of Lothar, what this courageous knight lacks in ranged capability, subtlety, or stature; he makes up for it with expert swordsmanship, an amazing pitching arm, and raw strength. Blaz has been tasked by the Goddess of Light with rescuing her sister, the Goddess of Time captured by the forces of Ruceal, a mysterious demon that has imprisoned the Goddess and used her powers to build a massive tower in the middle of Lothar itself. The tower contains gateways and paths that leads to an untold number of time periods, realms, and dimensions, all of this in an attempt for Ruceal to further expand his forces for his own goals. Where Blaz and his friends wind up all depend on your choice of mapset!
Blaz specializes in close range combat with his magic sword, Zarach, as he slashes his foes, he can build up and store energy to power his weapon for increased damage, which also restores his life with each powered slash. Along with extra damaging melee strikes, his powered up sword can unleash unique elemental sword techniques depending on his currently equipped subweapon. He can also drag enemies up close and personal with his grapple chain, or keep them still with a shot from the Blazter, his magic arm cannon. The Blazter also has unique sub ammunition types offering rapid fire attacks, explosive rounds, long range accurate lasers and much more. He's also capable of hurling his sword for a crushing ranged attack, and is still dangerous in melee with a flurry of dizzying punches and a spinning lariat.
Blaz is best suited for those who want to stay focused on melee combat, though he relies on his subweapons and arm cannon to help make up for his weak ranged attacks and lackluster crowd control.
After destroying the mother of all demons, Doomguy had chosen to remain in hell for all eternity, endlessly fighting hellspawn to make sure they never threaten mankind again. After spending so much time kicking demon ass, the Doomguy had became hell's own boogeyman, being referred to as the Doomslayer. While his will remained unbreakable, his old gear did not. A chance meeting with an unknown entity has granted him a new suit of armor, repaired weaponry, and a really big sword. Fate itself seems to have brought the Doomslayer alongside Lord Blaz and his companions, but neither party is complaing, seeing as all of the heroes are all too happy to rip and tear until it's done.
The Doomslayer is the only hero that wields more than two weapons, giving him flexibility in a variety of scenarios, though his low ammo capacity will often force him to swap frequently, killing foes with his melee weaponry will cause ammunition to spill out, so don't be shy to hack them apart with his sword or saw gauntlet, he lacks finesse in melee but it's still more than enough to bring down most monsters with ease. His subweapons offer utility with his various bombs, and life regeneration with his throwing daggers. Don't be shy to use those, even when you don't have any special subweapon, you can still throw standard bombs and drain daggers an unlimited amount of times!
Doomslayer is best suited for those who want a slightly more traditional Doom approach to combat, think of him like a Julius mode for GMOTA, his high movespeed and large arsenal means he can pretty much handle any encounter with ease.
KNIGHT ARCHER: The disposable grunt forces of Ruceal's armies, alone they are stupid, weak, and pretty predictable. In groups they're stupid, weak, predictable, and have more arrows flying your way. Watch out for their elemental arrows, their ice shots will numb your body and slow you down, and their fire arrows hit harder and leave small lingering flames that burn your feet!
STEEL DUKE: Low ranking members of the void hood cult, these strange fighters mutter in a forgotten, incoherent language, be mindful of their magic maces as they're capable of slinging a shotgun blast of painful spiked mace balls, usually right into your face. They're also not shy about just clouting you upside the head with the mace itself.
BLACK VIPER GUNNER: Dangerously accurate machine gun toting cultists that are more than happy of riddling you full of bullet holes. Fortunately they are complete cowards and prone to running away if you get too close to them, unfortunately that means if they get enough distance from you, they'll shoot super sniper rounds.
IMP SKIRMISHER: The other common foot soldier type you'll commonly find, they'll gleefully throw an endlessly supply of maces at you at a distance, but they too are more than eager of jamming it into your head.
LIVING ARMOR: Not content with just recruiting humans and monsters alike, living armors were the result of needing a mass produced melee fighter, they have no special abilities other than swinging their large sword with ease, on the plus side it's nearly impossible to have a living armor sneak up on you, their footsteps are loud.
MAGEBANE THIEF: Silent, persistent, and downright fiendish, these sneaky bastards are capable of draining your ammunition and magical reserves with a single stab of their knife. Worse still, they're capable of throwing them.
SKUTTLE: These strange creatures are the very manifestation of confusion, have you ever went into a room and forgotten why you went in there? Take that and amplify it by a hundred and you have the Skuttle. They'll fly fowrard with reckless abandon and do their best to body slam you, another monster, their fellow Skuttle kin, or the wall. Be mindful of their eye rays too, it stings.
RED WYVERN: These subspecies of dragon will be the main reason why you check the skies, capable of spewing fireballs at you at long range or using a dangerous flamethrower at closer ranges, either keep them at bay or get up close and don't give them a chance to act.
BROOD SLIME: Disgusting winged slimes capable of filling rooms concerningly fast with their own young, their method of this involves firing a sticky wad of slime at you, classy. When hurt enough their wings will be clipped, but be careful, at this point they may create a clone of themselves out of desperation.
GRENADIER REVENANT: Distorted and altered skeletons possessed by the souls of greedy miners, these skeletons are constantly forming crystals within their chest cavities, which understandably leaves them incredibly agitated. Their choices of venting this anger is in the form of heavy crystal orbs launched from their shoulder cannon, coming in a fast flying sphere, an explosive arcing spike ball, or a seeking orb of pure malice.
Oh and they have a mean haymaker that will send you reeling.
BOMBER KNIGHT: Burly monsters that sling small bombs at you from a greater range, or larger bombs when you've gotten too close for their own liking. Thankfully the big bombs can be destroyed, just be mindful you don't get slashed down by their sharp claws when you're that close to them
HELLFOS: Elite skeletal soldiers packing an enchanted sword and shield, these fiendish warriors are capable of cleaving you apart in melee, slinging fireballs, or scattering a storm of sharp knives from their shields. Take care when engaging these guys in melee.
MAGE GUNNERS: Fast moving and high ranking members of the void hood cult, they carry enchanted rifles that fires bursts of magic bullets, though their weapon has a few extra tricks, capable of being charged and firing a powered up energy ball that can be reflected by attacking it, or a dangerous explosive magic missile.
PAVISE GUARD: Heavily armored, heavily armed, and just plain heavy. These stout monsters carry a triple shot cannon that can knock you around at a range, but be mindful of his rapid fire mini cannon attack when you get within smelling distance of them.
THE BONELORD: Taking the skeletal remains of a necromancer, giving them armor, and an arm cannon makes for a lethal combination, along with doing wonders in boosting their ego. Bonelords will fire skeletal rocket fists at you, because just punching you in the face isn't good enough for them. Be mindful of their bright white grasping bone hookshot hand, as it will quickly pull you in close, perfect for a follow up of briging that heavy arm cannon straight down onto your head. At longer ranges, they'll lock onto you and fire a devastating mortar shell with a skeletal payload, stay mobile!
If that wasn't bad enough, not only can they revive monsters, they are capable of self resurrection, either hit them hard to scatter them to begin with, or keep attacking their remains when they crumple to make sure they don't get back up.
THE EDGELORD: The acolytes of the void hood cult, these evil wizards specialize in hurling magically formed javelins and daggers at you, they're also capable of conjuring towering pillars that open up a dimensional rift of etheral crossbows constantly firing bolts in the direction it was cast. They're also capable of projecting a shadow of themselves that also sling javelins and daggers at you.
Despite their overly dark and menacing apperance and behavior, that facade can be easily broken if you focus on them down. Just don't leave them to their own devices for too long.
THE CYBERMANCER: The results of merging ancient technology with arcane magic and old demon remains, the Cybermancer is a hulking monstrosity that wields a magic arm cannon, firing not only enchanced blasts of unstable magical energy, but also heavy rockets, and it be overcharged to fire ceaseless storms of raw energy or a huge beam. Approach and fight these foes with caution.
There are a few other mysterious monsters that you will have to encounter and learn about yourself, good luck!
Zarach (Blaz's sword): model-ripped from hyperdimension Neptunia, Hitsparks for sword from TLOZ: ALttP, Final Fantasy 6, Seiken Denetsu 3, and Knights of the Round
Thrown Power sword sprites taken from Children of Mana
Earthshaker Bomb sprite taken from Metal Slug
Power gauntlet is an edit of Baratus' fist, and quite a few projectiles ripped from the Megaman 8-Bit deathmatch Megaman X single player mod.
Many HUD sprites ripped from Super Ghouls n Ghosts, magic sword, and super metroid
Gauntlet uppercut sprites made by Neoworm
Extra sprites ripped from Alcahest, Secret of Mana, LoZ: Minish Cap, Kirby Super Star, Bombjack,
Ganbare Goemon 3, Garou: Mark of the wolves, Darkstalkers 3
Custom subweapon sprites provided by NovaSilisko
Mike12's responsible for the sick ass gauntlet and arm cannon
Sgt. Shivers made those wonderful power up animations you see
Ice crystal fragments are from the crystal prison in Breath of Fire 2
Various fire effects for the firebrand sword taken from Demon's Crest, as well as the flame puffs monsters emit when killed by the fatal draw
ShatterBomb sprites are edits from Wham Bam rock in Kirby Super Star and the bomb item sprite
Widescreen friendly Blaz arms are a minor edit of the widescreen Baratus arm by Neoworm.
Doomslayer sprites are made of bits and pieces from the Marine skins pack,
made in conjunction with too many artists to list.
Rend's sprites are a combination of a sword from a Neptunia model pack found on Gmod, with the
hilt from another misceallanous weapon pack.
Sunder's sprites are an edit of the saw glove from Cyclones
The Mourning Star is a combination of the Firemace and rifle from the Doom alpha,
with extra help from Ryan Cordell in making it look cooler
The Thunderbuss are edits of the Doom prototype heavy rifle and the super shotgun,
along with some other parts from a machinegun Breadbagfly made.
The Hydra Repeater are edits from Breadbagfly's machinegun and pistol, along with
the HacX Uzi.
Sapphire bomb has been provided by Mor'ladim
Fire bomb sprite provided by Jasozz
Trine Volgue pickup sprite ripped from Final Fantasy 2: Dawn of souls, weapon sprites are
edits of the Shadow Staff by NeoWorm
a shitload from Capcom's Magic Sword, Super Ghouls n' Ghosts,
King of Dragons, demon's crest, Knights of the round, Zelda OoT,
Super Metroid, Hyper Zone, Soul Blazer, Duke Nukem 3D, Megaman X,
Hexen, Doom, Megaman Legends, super smash bros, Kirby Super Star,
Metal Slug, Mischief Makers, Super Street Fighter IV and D&D Shadows over Mystara
The musical stings of the Doomslayer's berserk rune are edits from
aubrey hodge's anniversary remaster of the Final Doom soundtrack.
The clips provided by Kinsie, thanks man.
Knight Archer sprites and scripting by Ravagefox, taken from Realm667
Steel Duke sprites and baseline code by idgamer, originally
submitted on Realm667 as the Crimson Disciple
Undead hunter Sprites and baseline code by Icytux, originally
submitted on Realm667
Imp Skirmisher is an edit of the Imp Warlord by Tormentor667,
originally submitted on Realm667, sprites by Espi
Chaos Revenant Sprites are from the Death incarnate
submitted on Realm667, sprites by Eriance
Black Viper Gunner sprites are from the Undead Hunter
submitted on Realm667, sprite edit by Icytux
Golden boner sprites are an edit of Doom 2's Revenant
Color edit by TerminusEst13
Living armor sprites are from the Evil Knight
Submitted on Realm667, sprites are by Bullfrog and raven software
Red Wyvern Sprites are an edit of Daggerfall's
Faery dragon
Pavise Guard is an edit of the Terminator from Realm667, submitted by Vader.
Further edited by Ryan Cordell (thanks dude). I also snagged the shield from the
Hell warrior, also submitted by Vader
Mage Gunner Sprites are an edit of the Shotgun Guy, done by Sgt Shivers
Bomber knight is an edit of Doom 2's hell knight, done by Sgt Shivers
Skuttle is ripped from Shadowcaster (which I then took from Reelism), slightly edited by me
The edgelord is a merging of the Hierophant and Avatar, both made by Eriance, though the avatar
is just an edit of the heresiarch by Raven Software.
If I forgot something or someone, and you're reading this, for the love of pete,
let me know so I can fix that.
Realm667 for being such an excellent resource for doom mods.
/vr/ for being helpful, offering feedback, and bearing with my stupid questions,
over the years you guys have shown support and patience with my inability to make
descisions, but you've all stuck through with it, I love you guys.
/agdg/ for offering feedback and criticism, you crazy assholes can be a lot of fun
and I hope to create games along with you in the future.
Silvan for drawing an amazing character portrait for Lord blaz, and being responsible
for his initial design
Blue_Shadow for a LOT of HUD help
Sgt Shivers for the assload of sprites, animations, and advice on how to do rips
iSpook for being like, one of the first people to make a gameplay video of my mod
Kyle873 for his constant ACS advice and code clips which I make good use of
Yholl and Marrub for extra DECORATE advice and helping me make shit work, especially the sword
boomerang attack! Yholl gets an extra thank you for the new weapon pickup system
Scroton for coding assitence and advice
FKER_Guy for additional weapon ideas
CaptainJ for providing projectile sprites for the Rocket Sword, you the man
Ryan Cordell for editing the Pavise Guard to give him those sick ass horns.
Kinsie for the sick as hell skeleton hand projectiles for the Bonelord. As well
as making some great sounds for the Hydra Repeater's mini missiles! (sadly
I'm no longer using the missiles, but they might come back!) He's also
responsible for the slick Doomslayer helmet. Lastly he also made the excellent
new titlemap for GMOTA, as well as the final touches for the Cybermancer!
Hege Cactus for making the laughter frames for the Bonelord, as well as an
extra sawing frame for Sunder, he also made the verticle sword sprites for the
Doomslayer's player sprites
An extra special thank you to Jimmy for creating the theme of Lord Blaz, I was
overwhelmed the first time I heard it, and it still makes me happy every time
I listen to it. He also ripped and made the custom fonts I'm using here!
Mor'ladim deserves an extra thank you for spriting advice and paying Jimmy
to make Blaz's theme, it wouldn't exist without him offering in the first place
Pillowblaster for making the excellent back mounted sword sprites which I made
good use of for the Doomslayer.
Nax for providing playesting and indepth feedback to help me improve my gameplay
Revae for making the amazing character select portrait for Blaz and Doomslayer!
Jasozz for playtesting, and creating the excellent map screen portrait for Doomslayer!
He also provided extra valuable feedback during the trailer's creation, as well as
an alternate SNES version of Blaz's theme!
DrPyspy for providing the excellent Cybermancer sprites! As well helping me
make the Doomslayer's reveal in the trailer snappier and far better
Nyss for the name suggestion for the Wrath Caster and the pickup sound for the
super burger
HyperUltra64 for so kindly providing the excellent trailer art.
Marty Kirra for providing feedback regarding the power gauntlet's sprites,
Making most of the frozen monster sprites, as well as making those amazing Blaz voicelines!
old Capcom for being responsible for some of my favorite childhood games, modern capcom can lick my crack. (please don't sue)
Thanks Terminusest13 for helping me clean up my ACS, making a few extra scripts,
getting the overheal/armor system working right, and generally just helping
me through this whole thing, for lighting a fire under my ass and encouraging me
to make my own mods, shit's been fun, and giving me steady feedback and supporting
me throughout this whole thing, I don't know where I'd be without you man, but
you're one of the best friends a guy could ask for.
and YOU for playing this mod, you're pretty great.
This might down to personal preference but players can pick up weapons regardless if they have full ammo or not
+slightly sped up the last hit of Blaz's sword combo
+fixed pickup messages printing for everyone in co-op (Whoops)
+Blaz can now pick up keys on high ledges like normal
+Cybermancer now has more HP, and less pain chance
+Cybermancer is more likely to use arm cannon at closer range
+Edgelord has more HP and less pain chance
+Bonelord has more HP and less pain chance
+Bonelord mortar shot now spawns mini skeletons after blowing up
+Mage gunners have more HP, slightly less pain chance, and their magic bullets travel faster and do more damage
+Buffed fatal draw attack, added a wave shot when swinging it
+fixed an issue with the 100 crack fist sound looping if Blaz dies while performing it
+buffed Heat Beam damage
+heat beam now fires slightly more to the center of the screen
+Macepellets and wrath rockets pass through friendlies properly
+fixed Sunder's saw loop sound playing after the Doomslayer shifts into rage mode
+buffed damage of Wrath Caster Missiles, both direct hit and splash damage
+slightly raised values of arcane gems for Doomslayer
+Edgelord arrow towers now have a limit to them so they don't go off into the sky forever and blow up the game
+Fixed Seven League boots not providing proper protection against hurt floors
+slight sped up the fire rate of the default Blazter primary attack
+Omen Warhammer's power attacks buffed, melee attack more effective and thrown attack now throws out smaller hammers rather than a bunch of rocks
+altered crush missiles to have one hit of self damage rather than multiple hits of self damage
+crush missiles now fire slightly closter to the center of the screen
+Made Blaz's sword attacks widescreen friendly!
+discarded food bones now have a different bounce sound
+added more oomph to Hydra Repeater firing sound
+added more oomph to Inferno Rifle
+buffed Wave buster's mid and max charge shots to compensate for overheat and ammo use
+buffed Wave buster's lowcharge shot fire rate
+buffed Torch subweapon, now drops small flames that burn monsters on hit, as well as throw out extra fireballs that also drop more flames on hit
+Bomberknights have slightly more HP, and now less prone to flinch
+made the radius of the warding shield bigger to make sure players can block those big sniper bullets fired by Black Viper Gunners
+Skuttles now have more HP, are more aggressive, and now move faster
=Doomslayer's player sprites slightly altered and updated by Turret49, nice work
=Swapped the command for the sword throw to holding primary fire
=Fixed an issue with the inferno rifle and wrath caster's particles being able to teleport
=Made Bonelord's laughter and voiceline mono in hopes of stopping OpenAL from exploding
=softened Blaz's WHOOPS
=The Blazter's subshots now build up a heat gauge, at full the gun locks down, curbing spam
=Added a_bossdeath to certain special deaths for some monsters, woops
=Blaz can now pick up spirit gems when at max to convert into Blazter Bullets and cool the weapon off faster
=renamed a few actors so it should play nice with the Hellbarde megaWAD now
-Reduced the amount of extra bombs you get on picking up duplicates for Doomslayer
-Nerfed Sapphire Beam Bomb, bounces less and the beams do slightly less damage
-Nerfed damage of wrath caster spirits
-nerfed radius of rocket sword, increased cooldown time
-Nerfed Blaz's fists, now only the last two punches of the combo have the AOE flinch
-When under the defense buff, the super punches Blaz throw now do less damage
-nerfed thunderbuss damage
-nerfed ammo gain from sword and sunder kills as the Doomslayer
-nerfed duration of Heavy Macer
-Wave buster now requires a bullet gem to use
-wave buster now builds up the heat gauge
-nerfed 100 crack fist damage slightly
-Hyper buster duration reduced
-Cybermancer is now immune to being stunned by the Blazter and Hyper Buster
+Fixed ammo not being picked up for the Doomslayer after picking up a few backpacks, thanks affandede for pointing that one out
!Massively overhauled Blaz gameplay, now has unique item pickups, new moves, and revamped power sword alt attacks!
!Introducing the Doomslayer! This rage driven high speed warrior tackles the forces of hell with a full arsenal of weapons inspired by Doom 2 and Doom 4, perfect for those who want a more vanilla-ish experience!
+Added a shuffle music button (Term actually added it)
+new title screen thanks to the help of Kinsie
+new menus!
+new font!
+Added new Revenant replacement, the Grenadier Revenant
+Added new Arcvhile, the Bonelord
+Added new Mancubus, the Pavise Guard
+Added new Spider Mastermind, the Edgelord
+Added new Wolfenstein SS, the mimic skeleton
+Bones now fly out when you eat meat
+The cyberdemon replacement now has a name and a new apperance, the Cybermancer is now ready!
+added the shade ring, this new blur sphere replacement turns you into a shade that makes physical projectiles phase through you!
+Cleaned up subweapon drop code, they also take longer to despawn now!
+Blaz finally has his voice, thanks to MartyKirra for lending his talents to give Blaz more character
+monsters now fly backwards when killed, looks cooler
+widescreen friendly fists have now been added, credits go to neoworm for those, thank you Neoworm!
+Hellfos and bomber knight height has been lowered, no longer gets stuck in ceilings
+Hellfos behavior altered slightly to be less annoying, faster now though
+Bomber knight overhauled to be less annoying, bombs can be destroyed harmlessly and no longer drops bombs on death
+Black Viper gunner behavior altered, slides around less, no longer has grenades, can snipe at long range
+Wyvern's close range flamethrower is now slower
+Broodslime tweaked, less spammy with broodlings, altered ground behavior
+grappler now produces an audible sound and emits a hitspark on grappling monsters
+Mage gunner bullets do less damage now
+Power sword attack speed raised, can swing rapidly now
+thrown shield now does more damage
+An additional 67 tracks have been added, bringing the total music for Blaz up to a whopping 107!
+added the Shatter bomb subweapon
+the boomerang subweapon has returned
+added the trine volgue subweapon
+added the heavy macer subshot
+added the heat beam subshot
+cluster missile is now the crush missile
+added the spike vulcan subshot
+retooled the armor amulet to be a temporary passive buff to defense
+new sprites for armor and food pickups
+added a fancy menu
+Blaz moves a little faster now
=Crash charges removed
=removed the utility and weapon action buttons, now back to using reload and zoom, seeing as Zandy has those buttons now!
=cleaned up melee combo code to remove those long and awkward combo ready states
=Removed the random item system, ammo now spawns ammo and health items now spawn health, weapons are now weapons
-subweapons no longer generate mana on hit
-blazter shots no longer charge energy for subshots
-grapple chain no longer pierces monsters while flying out
-removed POW ups
-removed the ring damage meters, powerups now last for the duration of the stage only
-removed boot damage meter, boots are now just a radsuit style item
-lowered Blaz's jump height
-reduced the damage Blaz's fists do slightly
-some of Blaz's subshots can hurt him now
-Blaz's unpowered sword no longer has a guaranteed gib effect
-nerfed power sword attack slightly, no longer has splash effect
+added sub equipment that passively boosts melee, ranged, movement, and defensive capabilities, these items replace the berserk pack, chainsaw, radsuit, and blurspheres respectively
+made sword attacks a little more weighty and added additional feedback
+increased sword range to compensate for the new sword speed
+increased grappler speed
+added some extra audio feedback for when you block projectiles with the shield
+fixed crash axes and earthshaker bombs breaking against boss monsters
+increased spread radius on the big spikeball's spike scatter
+buffed chicken drumsticks
+added the Omen Warhammer subweapon
+buffed the fourth attack in the sword's combo, now has a minor blast effect
+Fixed the charged dart attack, now little darts properly inherits direction and momentum from the big dart
+replaced shield sphere's sprites with sick ass invuln helmet from the Doom beta
+added the Brood slime pain elemental replacement, and Broodlings
+added the Skuttle lost soul replacement
+added the Hellfos Baron of Hell replacement
+added the bomber knight Hell Knight replacement
+increased Golden Boner HP, made him less likely to flinch too
+made the powered sword's cleave spray effect bounce on walls
+chaos revenant heads have less HP
+chaos revenant bone projectiles now have a hit sound
=Revamped losing POW, now all forms of damage hurt your POW status but it takes several hits to lose, POW recovers on their own over time, this same mechanic applies to sub-equipment
=Archer Knights now have 3 different shots, standard, fire arrows with boosted damage and leaving lingering flames, and the ice shot which slows you
=Black Vipers now drop grenades at close range that inflict severe push forces and damage you
=Made golden boners a little shorter, no effect to their hitbox though
=Healing attacks are now assigned to the powered sword and not the powered cannon
-Red Wyverns now have more HP
-sword combos are now slower
-mage gunners now have more HP
-mage gunners now fire two shots per standard shot with a random spread
-mage gunners are now less likely to use charge attacks
-chaos revenants throw more homing bones
-homing bones are now immune to floors
-removed the crash hammer subitem
-fixed an exploit allowing players to generate mana blocking their own grapplers using the shield
-slightly nerfed Blazter darts
-lowered crash hatchet's lifespan
-increased cluster missile mana cost
-Gave a countdown timer to the ball bearings
-nerfed the homing lightning damage
-shortened the lifespawn of POWfire balls and the super fire from the torch crash
-shortenedthrown sword lifespan
-nerfed charged buster shot splash radius and damge
-nerfed Blazter range
+Revamped dart mode to a powerful burst fire mode, can be charged for a special attack
+Item crashes no longer use mana, now feed off of Crash Charges which can only be found, crash expanders replace backpacks!
+drastically buffed and changed most item crashes
+altered Powered Cannon primary fire: Now it's a spiraling bola shot
+altered Powered cannon secondary attack: Now it's a heavy cannonball that has a delayed explosion with darts
+altered Power Sword attack: now inflicts as an AOE cleave spray on hit
+Buffed Hatchet and POW Hatchet damage and travel speed
+added new HUD icons for the sword, powered sword, and arm cannon
+changed POW lance behaviour, now quickly gains speed as it travels
+changed POW torch behaviour, now drops fireballs on direct hit that bounce around
+added new sword sprites for standard and powered forms, as well as the thrown sword
+added the Red Wyvern Cacodemon replacement
+added the Mage Gunner Arachnotron replacement
+added knife throwing tricks for the thief
+added homing bone attack for the Chaos Revenant
+added new visual effects for scatter shot, POW lance, and max charge shot
+added audio cue for subshot failures
+added audio and visual cues for when lifedrain is in effect with powered arm cannon
+edited how power sword throw behaves, doesn't start homing until after a set time limit
+added Xdeath for living armors
+Lowered the melee speed of Imp Skirmishers
+slightly raised Steel Duke spikeball damage
+doubled the length of arcane chicken and mystic wine buffs (will be replaced with a new effect in the future)
+slightly buffed dagger item crash
+Lowered damage of imp skirmisher projectiles
+lowered Steel Duke HP by 10
+buffed POW Lances
+slightly buffed scattershot damage
+added a chain clinking sound for the grappler, little more feedback now
=Shining Knight is no longer triggered with the zoom key in the powered sword mode, now is a usable item taken in the BFG slot, can now exit Shining Knight Mode at will by hitting the use item key again
=Lowered chaos revenant particle count
=Made POW status for Dagger shoot two daggers instead of one, it's essentially the same thing
=Made armor amulet and POW Giver an instant use item rather than an inventory based item
=Retooled the warding shield, no longer provides full invuln but instead properly blocks projectiles in front of you. DOES NOT BLOCK MELEE THOUGH. So better continue juking fools in melee. No longer hold to block anymore either, now tapping shield raises the shield up for a set time before lowering, tapping altfire again will cause you to throw it
=Changed out Cluster Missile and Scatter Shot sound effects for more appropriately retro sounds
=Made efforts to make Imp skirmisher bones fly a little more randomly
-lessened lifespan of thrown sword
-torch flames no longer rip bosses
-recalling the sword after throwing it costs more mana
-Raised eartshaker bomb mana cost by 20 points
-raised cluster missile mana cost by 10 points
-slightly nerfed max charge shot explosion radius
-Nerfed POW'd earthshaker bomb pull and explode radius
-nerfed earthshaker bomb radius
-Players now start with no subweapon, and no subshot. Better get hunting
-slightly lowered hatchet fire rate
-lowered torch fire rate
-nerfed hatchet bounce count
-removed porta chests and porta cubes (More items will be coming in the future to replace them)
-altered some ammo gem spawns, ammo should be slightly more scarce
-Lowered Golden Skeleton's pain chance
-Made Lord Blaz a little shorter
-removed ability to charge the sword, sword throwing is now the powered sword's zoom function, this makes standard sword combos a little more fluid
-raised standard spikeball mystic energy cost
+added the magebane thief, a spectre replacement that drains your mana with each stab
+added the chaos fist skeleton, a revenant replacement that has revels in madness
+added the living armor, a pinkie replacement, these hearty suits of armor are focused on slamming their sword into your face
+buffed torch direct hit damage
+buffed dagger damage
+added extra spark effects when striking the sword against walls and non bleeding actors
+added the POW-Giver sub item
+subweapon and subshot pickups now last longer before vanishing
+Power sword throw now behaves to how it was originally, but now it aims for enemies rather than flying around aimlessly
+tweaked enemy damage values, steel dukes shouldn't completely destroy players instantly now
+removed the flickwand and actually made the blazter shoot the hitscan puff (There Term, you nerd)
+gauntlet pellets now have extra visual and audio feedback to make them more satisfying
+buffed damage and knockback and mid-charge shot
+boomerang sword throw has increased range
+fixed sub-items resetting to 1 when entering new stages
+fists are now buffed and feel crunchier too
+lowered Black Viper firing rate
+made chests and spellcubes immune to being telestomped
-lowered how much loot the golden skeleton drops on death
-nerfed POW torch, drops only ONE flame on direct hit
-Nerfed rocket-lance damage, also now behaves differently to discourage using it at close range
-mid charge shots no longer give mana when shooting chests
+added an additional 14 music tracks for Blaz
+added usable inventory items, Blaz will start with a wand that fires hitscan puffs to flick switches!
+also added the crash hammer, armor amulet, and porta chest/cube items
+changed the charged boomerang throw to a one shot power attack, recall the sword back by hitting reload, please note this trick can be done with standard boomerang throws, allowing you to effectively duplicate your sword. This is incredibly silly.
+added the POW system, collect two of the same subweapon/subshot to upgrade your subweapon for the duration of the level, or if you pick a different subweapon up
+Lowered spawn locations for imp's maces and javelins
+buffed Black Viper dodge rate
+gave Black Vipers an extra 50 HP
+added a slight delay before Vipers shoot, also added an audio cue
+added a slight delay before Skirmishers throw maces and javelins
+restored hatchet's item crash blood shedding abilities, new blood system is far more efficient and can handle this
+Made chests immune to splash damage to avoid players accidentally blowing chests up and losing the loot inside
+slightly buffed mystic energy gain from pellet shots
+further buffed mystic energy gain from mid charge shots
+made charge shots feel more powerful, added extra knockback for more oomph
+added some extra audio feedback for some subweapons and subshots
-nerfed mystic energy gain from bolts by one point
-Removed the goddess bracelet, a rare weapon will replace it later.
=Lowered the height at which cluster missile bomblets fly upwards
+black vipers dodge less now
+raised Steel Duke's pain chance, lowered mace sphere damage
+new blood and gore!
+Added the Imp Skirmisher, watch yourself around those maces
-Nerfed damage values of individual scattershot pellets
+however, buffed power of the blowback at closer ranges
+New earthshaker bomb explosion sprites
+added the golden skeleton in treasure chests, drops new items
+New items added: Mystic Wine and Arcane chicken, eat and drink magically infused food for temporary infinite mana!
+replaced human monsters with projectile-based medieval foes
=retooled the scattershot to make it feel better
+Buffed the dagger again, removed its autofire capability for balance
+Added the option to disable the music randomizer
+replaced the scatter grapple with SHINING KNIGHT, drastically increase your physical abilities for a short time
+made power up/down animations cancellable with attacks
+buffed big spikeball damage, also now shoots spikes everywhere on death
+buffed standard spikeball damage, visuals, AND sounds
+replaced caltrops with the turret sphere, send out a few red spikey guardian angels to back you up!
+buffed cluster missile damage, bomblets now scatter bomblets too
+buffed scatter shot damage, bullets also now bounce off monsters
+added proper slashing sword combo, it's badass.
+added proper boomerang sword function, can be charged for more power
+buffed food a little more
+sped up weapon lowering and raising a little
+added player sprites for Blaz, gaze upon his glorious visage! (thanks shivers, you're the man, man)
+made subweapon pickups float, also both subweapon and subshot pickups now vanish differently, when they're gone, they're actually gone!
+new music for the music randomizer
+begun work on retooling the sword, adding beat em up style combos
+added early charge attack
+finally fixed invuln spheres, sorry guys!
+added new arm cannon utility
+minor buffs to arm cannon
+buffed food items, may buff more in the future
+chests now have less health and are generally easier to break
+Added three new subweapons, plus one secret one.
+added music randomizer
+added item crashes, subweapons get special attacks when using the power sword
+completely revamped Blaz's secondary weapon, the ruby wand has been replaced in favor of the powerful arm cannon, complete with a new utility function: A short range ball and chain attack
=Sword has been retooled, now only strikes once but harder
=changed how the grappler behaves, now it's a returning ripper projectile
-nerfed range of standard sword wave
-some subweapons now do less damage
-removed power sword's beam
-removed several of Blaz's spells and retooled the others, now only has three to choose from, all are pretty crunchy now
+added hatchet subweapon
+added fan of blades
+subweapons and spells are now independent pickups
+grappler and force wave are now zoom key utility functions
+tweaked staff's altfire slightly, now the projectile will destroy other projectiles (thanks Terminus)
+shortened lightning spell's windup, increased range
+added spells to chest drops for now
+swapped out ogg format for title theme in favor of smaller SPC
+renamed sword mana to arcane energy
+renamed wand mana to mystic energy
+subweapons now give small amounts of arcane energy when they hit monsters
+added Subweapons and item chests
+sped up sword's initial attack speed
+added kill and secrets counter to HUD
+Added subweapon bar to HUD
+reduced value of wand and mana crystals
+tweaked drop rates slightly
+new sprites for keys
+added title screen and intermission image
+new music for title screen and intermission
+added HUD
+character now jumps higher
+new primary attack for power sword, cleave
+added new pickups
+implemented powerups
+new sounds and sprites
+Merged the four weapons into two
+Access powered up states by hitting reload
+added the fourth weapon: The powered sword
+added new visual effects for projectiles and attacks
+you no longer pick up vanilla weapons and ammo
Added sword beams to basic sword, further refined ruby wand
GMOTA WIP4 Initial shared release