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Your Turn: Don't fear the beige box
October 02, 2008
Early in the year, companies like Intel, Microsoft and Dell joined together to form the PC Gaming Alliance.
Concerned that the humble beige box was being increasingly marginalised as consoles become more popular with both consumers and publishers, the alliance aims to highlight and promote the PC's gaming strengths to the public as well as analysts and the press.
It will also try to tackle some of the PC's biggest challenges, including piracy, cheating, security and the "consumer experience".
Today prolific Screen Play contributor James "DexX" Dominguez does his bit for the noble cause...
Don't fear the beige box
The attitude toward PC gaming in much of the gaming press these days puts me in mind of that great old Mark Twain quote: "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
Copy-protection insanity aside, Spore has caused a major splash on the PC scene, and the coming months will see a series of highly-publicised PC game releases, including Crysis: Warhead, Fallout 3, Civilization IV: Colonization, Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, Far Cry 2, Jumpgate Evolution, Rise of the Argonauts, and Saints Row 2.
Looking further into the future we also see Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, The Sims 3, and the Grand Theft Auto IV PC port. The big news about GTA IV is the list of new and improved features, exclusive to PC - including a replay editor (sorely missed from the console original), improved graphics, more realistic lighting, and smoother animation - meaning it will join such titles as Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect in having belated PC ports that substantially improve on their console originals. For those waiting with bated breath, GTA IV will be released on PC in November.
Despite these gaming goodies, however, many people are reluctant to get into PC gaming, or to return to it years after defecting to consoles. The two main culprits are complexity and expense.
Too many people remember the bad old days of hacking the autoexec.bat file to squeeze a few more kilobytes out of the 386's measly 640KB of core memory to get some DOS game or other to run. We have come a long way since then, but there is no doubt that PC gaming will never be quite as effortless as gaming on a console. That said, however, console gaming is no longer as simple as it once was either, with very PC-like firmware updates and game patches to download and variations in system hardware making development trickier.
But expense seems to be the big barrier for most people. Ask a console gamer what is wrong with PC gaming, and you will usually be told that they cost far too much money, and before you've gotten your money's worth out of them you have to spend more money to upgrade them again. As the owner of several gaming PCs, a PlayStation 3 and an Xbox 360 I can only say... yes, they are right. Gaming-capable PCs cost significantly more than consoles.
Nonetheless, I argue that PC gaming is not as expensive as you might think. One of the illusions that makes PCs look more expensive than they really are is that they are usually advertised as a complete package, including a monitor, speakers, case, keyboard, mouse, and so on. Try to imagine how expensive console gaming would be if you rolled a new TV and sound system into each purchase; it would inflate the cost significantly.
Beyond this, though, PC hardware has also increased in power and dropped in price by an amazing degree in recent years. There is a phenomenon that I like to call the Console-PC Leapfrog Effect, which works like this:
In order to compete with each other, console manufacturers tend to bring out their new systems close together (often with one having a head-start to try and cash in early). This represents a generational leap for the console hardware, and PCs of the time suddenly look very expensive and underpowered. However, modern game consoles want a lifespan of at least five years, and Sony aims for at least seven, so long before the next generation is launched, PC hardware has dropped in price and increased in power.
We are currently approaching the Xbox 360's third birthday and the PlayStation 3's second. Two to three years is a long time for PC hardware, and the bleeding edge technology of 2005 is ubiquitous in the budget boxes of 2008. At the same time, though, the raw power arms race that used to be the hallmark of PC hardware has cooled to a large degree, and manufacturers seem to be more interested in making modestly more powerful hardware for much lower costs. Intel and AMD no longer argue about clock speeds, but instead are trying to make their CPUs smaller, cheaper, and more energy efficient.
What this means is that gaming PCs are becoming obsolete more slowly than they used to, and powerful, up-to-date systems are getting cheaper. While you can still spend the cost of a very good used car on a bleeding edge system these days, the rewards for doing so are much less, and spending several hundred dollars more on a top of the line video card may only give you a few frames-per-second improvement. Chris Taylor - the brain behind such PC gaming classics as Total Annihilation, Dungeon Siege, and Supreme Commander - says something similar in this interview with Gamasutra.
So, to wrap up, how much will a reasonably future-proof gaming rig cost you these days? It depends very much on what you want to run, but as a benchmark let us look at some recent cross-platform titles - if nothing else, it will indicate how much a PC as powerful as a 360 or PS3 might cost. As everyone knows, minimum requirements are worthless, and what you want are recommended requirements.
For this example, I will price a gaming rig that will play the PC ports of Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, and BioShock as well as PC exclusives Spore and Crysis: Warhead at high detail, and should stay current for at least a couple of years. I ended up with the following:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 2.4GHz
Video: nVidia 9800 GTX or ATI 4870, both with 512MB RAM
As an upgrade to an existing PC, the above hardware, plus a new motherboard, could add up to less than $600 for a smart shopper. As a complete system, with a monitor and other hardware included, you could get it for around $1000, plus a little more if you get a nice big monitor and fancy peripherals. You could also throw in half a terabyte of hard drive storage for around $100 more.
Incidentally, this makes a mockery of the comments by Lucas Arts' Cameron Suey, who in May told VideoGamer.com that the reason The Force Unleashed is not coming to PC is because only a US$4000 rig would be able to give the same experience as the 360 or PS3 versions.
Such a system, in the current PC gaming arena, would last you at least three years before needing a significant upgrade, and possibly five or more, a lifespan similar to a gaming-specific console, as well as providing all the function and flexibility of a PC.
When you compare this to a current generation gaming console, priced between $400 and $700, it no longer seems so expensive, especially compared to those consoles' launch prices of only a few years ago.
As I said earlier, PC gaming is definitely more expensive than console gaming, but the price gap is closing, and with several years before the next big upgrade in console power, the PC is only going to look better and better as a serious platform for hardcore gamers.
- James "DexX" Dominguez
Screen Play readers can submit articles or ideas for consideration in Your Turn using the email address firstname.lastname@example.com. The best blog post each month as judged by Jason Hill will win a PlayStation 3 console from Sony Computer Entertainment worth $699. The next Your Turn prize winner will be announced on October 31. Only Australian residents are eligible and the judge's decision is final.
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Recent comments
- franco
- October 02, 2008
I find PC gaming a bore and something that was only popular in the 90s. They are only good for wasting your life on those WOW style games.
The consoles are the way of the future.
Move on people.
- Culture Warrior
- October 02, 2008
DexX, you make good points illustrating the benefits of PC gaming. I would like to diagree with you on a number of fronts though.
1) Games that will be made for the PS3 and 360 -say in 5 years time - will work with the current versions. In other words, no need to worry about upgrading your console.
That is where PC gaming is annoying. Your PC that could play Crysis last year, wont be able to handle Far Cry 2 unless you reduce stuff like resolution and all. And so the experience is watered down unless you make hundreds of dollars in upgrades.
2) Console gaming doesnt need product keys and all those other copy-protection hassles that are still mandatory in PC gaming.
3) Viruses and other malware could ruin your expensive PC. Where as its really rare to hear of cases were a console was hit with a virus or oter damaging intrusions from the internet.
Think about it, no one doubts that PC is the most superior gaming plartform for hardcore games. But with the global economy in a mess, most gamer really cant afford to be upgrading their PC periodically anymore.
Ironically DexX, games like Bioshock, both on PC and 360 ave really been maginally superior on the PC that PS3 and 360 owners really aint missing much interms of technical quality of the games. The differences in visuals are really not worth droolling over PC gaming.
Infact the 360 has been the lead platform for most games, whilst the PC has seen a lot of ports recently from 360 exclusives.
EA, are to soon stop making sports games for the PC. No Gears of War 2 for PC as well.
Fact is, with the success and horse power of both the 360 and PS3, a lot of devs can afford to sacrifise the PC platform and concentrate on the PS3 and 360.
- Mongey
- October 02, 2008
These days arnt cosoles computers anyway . They go online,get software updates , 1 (possibly 2 based on romuors) have internet browsers ,download content.
What exaclty about a desktop sepreates it from consoles . Upgradeability ? The ablity to store porn ? getting a virus ?
- Darryn
- October 02, 2008
Interesting DexX, but I will have to argue the point against your explaining away the costs of a full pc setup compared to a home-theatre.
It doesnt change the fact that a single video card can be the same price as a console, while a decent size pc monitor will now generally accept component,vga (obviously) & HDMI inputs. So a console setup at the same audio/visual quality as a PC is still a much cheaper prospect.
As for the games you list, some are either very niche, coming out on console anyway or just plain terrible (imo).
I think where consoles cant match PC as a gaming platform is in the free content / casual game perspective, where flash sites and alike can provide decent entertainment for $0.
PC's still have the complexity of needing a certification in networking & security to play a multiplayer game with friends (either LAN or net) and installation time can understandably tick people off.
I see more people flocking to Blizzard products as if it were the last bastion of hope for the fledgling PC platform, but realistically its more the case that other publishers / developers have had enough of trying to make returns on a platform that doesnt produce the sales of the alternatives.
Though I would strongly suggest if you want a gaming rig today, spend the money now so you wont have to later... the worst trap you can get caught in with PC purchases is going cheap on certain elements (ram / cpu) only to get caught out later by an architectural change in the standards the market is interested in selling.
Ive set myself a timeline of Q1 2009 to piece together a new machine, coincidently thats when the next Total War game is released ;)... purely coincidence... sure...
- singo the dingo
- October 02, 2008
Bless you DexX - this is a perfectly timed article, coming hot on the heels of my main box, Black Betty, deciding to shuffle off this tightly wound mortal coil.
I've been looking around at specs and new systems but deciding between one mobo or cpu or gpu and the next is doing my head in. I suspect I'll need a new power supply to run the funky new video cards but beyond that, your suggestions seem sound.
Modding, machinima and the extra levels available in the PC version of TF2 are also pulling me back to the possibilities of PC gaming. (Though I suspect that the passive-aggressive nagging 360voice will keep me honest in console world)
- krager
- October 02, 2008
Give me a shooter on the PC anyday. So much easier to control with the mouse and keyboard than the dual knobs on the PS3.
- Eddie
- October 02, 2008
I'm definitely interested in PC gaming after your blog post. I'm one of those people who things it is way to expensive and complicated.
I've had systems die on me and I've no time or inclination to muck around with them like I used to. Another great thing about not using PCs is that we no longer pirate stuff like we used to. True story, we got a DVD burner and copied like heaps of DVDs.
Now that thing is obsolete and we're all using macs just for non-gaming purposes we don't do that as a family anymore.
But -- it is something to consider. I like playing FPS on a PC more than a console.
I might have to print this out in the future to convince future wifey. Is Bio Shock coming out on PC?
- zebba
- October 02, 2008
Keyboard and mouse are still the kings of FPS control.
- fnord
- October 02, 2008
Is Bio Shock coming out on PC?
Posted by: Eddie on October 2, 2008 8:57 AM
Only a mac user...
- Regent
- October 02, 2008
Nicely articulated article. :P
I am an old school PC gamer and I cant see this ever changing. However, main pro's of a console -
1. is that 4 people can use the one machine to play multi-player. In PC terms, you need 4 times the equipment (x4 cost)
2. Portability. I can pack up a console and head to a mates house to play (and sink the odd brew) without having to take over a full rig.
On the whole though, my box is still going strong for the games I need it for. And were talking only a single 3200 AMD/256 GC and 1g RAM.
It IS time to upgrade... I hear Total war is out in January..well well..
- Lucas
- October 02, 2008
I rarely play pc games, much prefer consoles. Even if a game is out on both. I think the main reason for this is that i can relax and lie on the lounge while playing a console, where with a pc i have to hunch over a computer screen and don't feel so relaxed. Plus my tv much much bigger than my 19 inch monitor.
- Zoid
- October 02, 2008
Ahh... autoexec.bat and config.ini. Oh, the memories :-) I even still use DOSBox a fair bit these days, and wish it required some more tinkering like in the old days...
Yes, I'll also agree PC gaming is more expensive than console, but I still use both.
FPS games I play on both... a while back I would have said i preferred the mouse/gamepad combo, but after Gears/Bioshock etc the console controller works fine for me.
RTS is the only thing I can't really imagine working on a console. Too many input options to use on the limited buttons on a console controller.
Also, to be frank, it's been ages since I bought games for my PC. The latest ones were i think COD2, the Dawn of War Anthology etc (but not the last one). Given that, getting upgrades isn't an issue for me until I finish more of those games and feel more of a need to upgrade.
Also, I like using the PC for indie games, open source and game modding. Just last weekend I gave myself a geeky birthday present and finally installed an Ubuntu partition on my laptop so that, among other things, I can look into making my own games. As a hobby first, and then see how far it goes. :-)
Basically, I still love PC gaming, but I'll admit that all of my recent purchases have been for the 360/Wii, and won't feel the need to spend more on my PC until i complete my existing PC games.
I am looking at setting up a LinuxMCE box for the loungeroom, but that's a totally different story... :-D
- Anthony Murphy
- October 02, 2008
I'm going to touch on this in a submission to screenplay shortly. Just because the console becomes the preferred platform of the AAA developer it doesn't mean that the PC is going anywhere.
In fact it would probably make room for smaller developers who focus on games that are a good fit for the hardcore PC crowd.
- Darryn
- October 02, 2008
Theres no doubting that there exists games of certain genres that are preferenced on PC or plainly belong only on PC, however the issue is not what you feel fits best... but what developers / publishers feel fits best!
Your free to say you have a better time with example COD4 on PC using keyboard & mouse, but what were the comparative sales figures between the PC and next-gen console platforms?
Its all well and good that you enjoy games on PC, but if publishers were to stop releasing for PC then it means very little...
Note that Im not saying they WILL eventually abandon the PC, but rather dont think just because you feel certain games fit better means they will always be there.
Personally I dont like the sony controllers as an input for shooters, Resistance really irritated me... but I think the x360 pad is well suited for a good experience with a bit of a learning curve.
- Marttin
- October 02, 2008
Your last sentence is a little off DexX, any PC game aficionado knows that its true worth lies in casual games, I just read a Will Wright quote that he made Spore for those reprobates too.
Trolling aside, the PC as a games platform you are right is not dead, the built-in audience that cut their teeth on frankenstein'd machines to play the latest FPS's over the years will never leave.
The strategy being taken is a bad one though, it sounds like a Used Car Salesman or door-knocking Jevohah's Witness is telling me my PC can STILL be kinda okay for games.
Methinks the elephant in the room is all the consoles companies' insistence that they have to be PC's/George Foreman grills as well. The broader market doesn't (particularly) want to play their MP3 and blu-ray libraries through their current-gen consoles at this point, they want to (gasp) play some games. Sony actually want you to use your PS3 in the living room as the Everything Machine rathern than leave it in the bedroom where you play MGS4 at night like a leper.
When these non-game aspects of the consoles catch on, then PC gamers will need to start worrying I think.
- Pylades
- October 02, 2008
The PC will not die while RTS and FPS still exist. I don't give a damn how good a pad is, it will NEVER compare to how good a proper mouse is for those styles of games
- LoTIoN
- October 02, 2008
DexX you're a allllrrrrright!!
of course the PC is better - I've owned plenty of consoles and plenty of PC's.
My Solution to expensive upgrades is to upgrade early, I build a new PC every year, and I sell the old one for a decent price to either a family member/friend or even ebay you can find a good buyer - and if you build it yourself with the items you want then it's cheaper than the PC's the the shops build themselves.
I think too many people out go "hmmm need a PC" - so they head off to harvey norman to get ripped off - but I understand not everyone has the technical prowess that IT nerds have - but everyone knows a nerd somehow so getting advice isn't that hard. And I'll normally put one together for someone at the measly cost of a slab - make that premium slab.
Currently I own a PS3/Wii/DS but still can't get enough of the PC - to me the PC is the best multiplayer format out there - no fees, no weird connecting services like the wii or PS3. It's already stated above that mouse/keyboard is far more superior to the pathetic dual analogue.
Let's not forget console games are made with pc's.
- October 02, 2008
I must admit, I'm kinda weirded out by the fact that some people would buy a PC just for playing games.
From what I understand if you are just wanting to use a keyboard and mouse, you can get add ons for consoles now as well.
*shoaves PC flag into the opening of a console*
Consoles nowadays are still too rigid.
An Apple is a perfect example of a PC console. (you read it here first)
It has everything provided for you, but it is very difficult to get under the hood, to open up the box and tinker.
I agree, a console has its place, but there is no way that they will move away from being developed on the PC.
You can't experiment and mod with a console. You need a PC to program it, and that is where the the advancement is at the forefront.
- Mr Waffle
- October 02, 2008
"As an upgrade to an existing PC, the above hardware, plus a new motherboard, could add up to less than $600 for a smart shopper."
And a new power supply, and the time needed to reinstall the new OS, and the time needed to track down all the latest drivers... which still will NOT guarantee every game will work first go. Even the bleeding-edge of hardware means nothing if the game is poorly made (exactly what happened with my spiffy new 8800GTX setup and Neverwinter Nights 2, Crysis etc...).
- Karl
- October 02, 2008
I have my macs for work and my consoles for games.
I celebrate the divide.
You seem to have missed one obvious advantage of consoles over pcs. I know games will work, from the get go. No drivers, no upgrades, no worries. Whereas my memories of pc gaming is one of getting the latest drivers for my video card, and that was if i was lucky enough not to have to buy a new card. In this modern life I have little room for complications in my entertainment time. install times on the ps3 are bad enough.
- October 02, 2008
Mr Waffle - what a sham NWN2's requirements were. No way that game should have suffered the terrible frame rates people had to put up with. It single handidly killed off any endeavour I had to get back into Persistant Worlds, as I had a blast playing NWN online for over a year.
- crsdfr
- October 02, 2008
Fell out of favour with PC Gaming years ago, because I followed the games, and they led me to the consoles.
The scene might not be dead, but it 'aint nothing compared to the 90's
- Mr Ak
- October 02, 2008
A few years back I would have agreed with you, DexX. But nowdays I've bought myself a Mac for design stuff (book publishing/web) and a 360 for games and I'm loving it that way.
I'll probably still get a windows partition (or whatever - I'm not a technical guy, I'll need to speak to friends) for RTS games.
But in my experience, FPS are much more playable now on console than they were last generation and most other game formats have always been better on console.
Anyway, that's my two cents worth.
- James
- October 02, 2008
Interesting article, however it doesn't tell the whole story about PC gaming.
Sure these days we don't need to frig around with the autoexec.bat however now there are driver compatibility issues, and even more configuration needed compared to the 386 days.
Also the cost of the PC there is missing quite a few extras like the power supply that is mentioned before, as well as the operating system and software around that. And don't forget the premium cooling options that you need so that your PC sounds less like a jet and more like the PS3.
Playing FPS and RTS also requires a mouse and keyboard, so I guess you might have to pay some more for a decent mouse and keyboard set as well, unless you plan on using a low spec mouse on your high res set up.
Just to note as well, if you build the PC yourself, and something fails, it's up to you to follow it up with the manufacturer, as opposed to sending back a console for repair under warranty.
It's easier for someone who is into I.T. to set up a PC, however if there is a 10 year old who wants to play a game, it's not something I would recommend him to go ask his mum to build for him (assuming that his mum isn't in the I.T. field).
I know it might be sounding a little (or a lot) negative, but I just had to rant about the reasons why I would prefer console gaming, over PC gaming, even though I have several PC's and laptops scattered throughout my house.
Any constructive feedback I'd have though, would be to say that I would consider PC gaming to be a premium these days if you have the time and the money. It's a great experience, as the mouse and keyboard can be customised to your needs, the hardware can be customised and upgraded when necessary. However you should also be prepared to spend time sorting everything out and spend time to increase your knowledge around PC's in order to iron out the kinks which will happen in the future.
- Zoid
- October 02, 2008
Another 2c on RTS controls for console formats... well, kinda but for RPG's instead.
I found Oblivion a bit unwieldy on a console controller, particularly using the 8-direction D-pad for your 8 shortcut keys. Very easy to press the wrong one in the middle of a battle, then get hammered.
People who have played RTS etc on a console, what are the good/bad aspects of the controller? What would it need to improve?
- Mr Ak
- October 02, 2008
Of course, I might change my mind in the next few years, as you'll need to install special equipment in your TV to handle the ridiculously oversized breasts in fighting games.
I recently bought Soul Calibur IV. Not a bad game, but I'd like a costume for my female characters more substantial than Bong-Seon underwear, please.
And I miss being able to make all my characters speak in Japanese.
- Misty
- October 02, 2008
@ Zoid
I think that says more about the design of the 360 gamepad rather than the use of a controller for console games. I find that RPGs on the PS2 are still fun to play and easy to handle.
- DexX
- October 02, 2008
Thanks for the feedback everyone.
Just a quick note, a kind of blanket reply: my brand new PC cost me $1,600 complete, with a huge gorgeous 2ms monitor, wireless ergo kb and mouse, a super-fast dual core Intel CPU (no real point in the quads yet), a near top of the line Radeon 4870 card, 2GB RAM (going to stick in another 2GB very soon), a beautiful case that is damned near silent (including a huge power supply), 750GB HD, and a nice-but-not-great 5.1 speaker setup. Oh yes, that included the OS (Vista Home Premium). Everything in it is brand-name - no generic no-name rubbish.
It's so far played everything I've thrown at it silky smooth at full detail, 1680x1050, and apart from the RAM bump-up (small change - cheaper than a game) I expect it to last me unchanged for at least three years.
I upgraded my secondary PC myself, but the new megabeastie was built in the shop at no cost - they considered the build cost to be covered by the price I was paying for the parts. Because they set it up for me and installed all the latest drivers, I have had zero problems, except that a few old games won't run under Vista.
If I already had the setup and just needed the guts upgraded, I would have been looking at around $700 or so.
Yes, it's more expensive that console gaming, but it's not as much of a price difference as it used to be (back when PS2s were new, a serious gaming PC would set you back around $2,500 at least, and could easily top $3,000) and if you let someone else build and upgrade it for you you will have minimal setup problems.
I love my consoles (as mentioned in the article I have a PS3 and a 360) and I think different games work on different platforms. I also use my PC for graphics, publishing, communications, and I plan to do some music recording on it when I can find the time to learn the software.
I agree that PC gaming is more for "enthusiasts" - it takes a little more dedication, and keeping your PC running and up-to-date needs to be fun for you to be worthwhile, I think. Gamings PCs are hobbies, really... ongoing personal projects. PC gaming geeks invest a lot of personal identity in their rigs, like a skater and his board or a musician and his instruments. Consoles are less customisable, less able to be fiddled with, and therefore less personal, I think.
Okay, that wasn't as quick a note as I intended... :)
- James
- October 02, 2008
@Mr Ak
I agree, I am still waiting for the anatomy police to come around and sort out the disproportionate women in games.
Also how can they fight with so little armour, strange isn't it...
- Mr Waffle
- October 02, 2008
"And I miss being able to make all my characters speak in Japanese.
Posted by: Mr Ak on October 2, 2008 12:07 PM "
Have you looked in the options menu? 'cause it's right there... the only character who sounds better in English is Yoda.
And there are tons of non-slutty outfits, right from the start. You'll earn even more as you play the game.
- Joka
- October 02, 2008
I've had a good discussion with some people re: console vs pc. From what we all finally agreed on, the PC has the same level of upgrading as a console, yet the console is becoming more a popular choice.
@ Mr AK
I put a Windows partition on my Mac a few months ago. It meant I could finally relive some of those old classics, but running a game like looking forward to seeing how GTAIV will go on it.
- Bourkie
- October 02, 2008
The main difference right now is in online gaming - for both pros and cons:
1. With consoles you know the other players' hardware is the same (or close to the same!) as yours - not tweaked, less likely to be cheating, and they don't have some fancy weighted laser mouse which is faster + more accurate than yours!
2. The downside is that you can't get an edge over someone else by having a higher res. screen or better specced graphics cvard!
- InstinctSage
- October 02, 2008
Screw you all, I'll put up with occasional driver faults and a general inability to keep up with the technology curve so long as I have a sense of ownership over my machine and all its parts and innards.
I own a 360 and play it regularly and I don't have a gaming rig after my last one died and I still haven't replaced it. But my love for the PC never dies. Never on a console will you have the freedom you do on a PC.
Not while you have the Marketplace, the PSN Store, the Wii Shop Channel, all with their respective points. They've built a network they control, on top of a platform they've copyrights and patents on, and it's all channeled through their own systems.
I used to joke with my friends who called me for technical support. "Sorry, I fix PCs, you've got a Packard Bell."
Ironically, the inability to get into the case and change anything makes those machines a whole lot worse to deal with when something goes wrong.
But I guess, I don't want the simplicity. I don't want to be fenced in. And you can complain all you like about having to download drivers and fiddle with stuff to get it to work, but if it's the price I pay to BE ABLE to change my system and control it and do with it whatever I please, I'll take that in a heartbeat.
- Mr Ak
- October 02, 2008
@ Mr Waffle
Really? I looked for the Japanese briefly and didn't find it. I guess I'll look again.
I disagree about the outfits though. The majority are designed to show as much flesh as possible. Compare the character design of Setsuka or Sophitia from SCIII to SCIV. It's like they've both grown about three cup sizes but are still wearing the same size clothes. Or look at Taki - I'm surprised she can even stand up without falling over, let along fight.
Admittedly, the secondary costumes are generally less revealing, but still...
I'm also not really comfortable with the fact that you can create an underwear version of Amy. It's just icky.
- Anthony
- October 02, 2008
My PC is still my major gaming device, and as much as I enjoy the action based stuff on consoles, I just find them a clumsy way of playing RTS, FPS and the more complex RPGs. Those three things being the games I gravitate towards.
I must admit that my computer is my 'baby' though, so I actually get joy out of researching new pieces and the like to make it better and stronger.
One really big disservice PC part makers have done for themselves is the obscured numbering system for parts. This then gives dodgy sales people openings to hock things that sound better to those that don't have the time to research*. In turn the purchaser is left with a bitter taste, and will obviously turn to things they trust to function in at least predictable ways (I.E. consoles).
Given that Intel and MS are responsible for a lot of this FUD, I have little hope that the so called PC Games Alliance will produce anything more than some bitch fights.
At least the PC platform made it's peace with casual games way back at Win 3.11 (Minesweeper or Solitaire anyone?)
*There was a brilliant Dilbert animated cartoon of this in practice:
Dilberts mother: Hmm, the Gruntmaster 6000, not as featured as the 8000, but more featured than the 3000.
Dilbert: But we havent even designed what the first one does yet!?
- InstinctSage
- October 02, 2008
Namco makes both Soul Calibur and Tekken, and Tekken is the more mature of the two in that respect. I'm not saying it hasn't had its share of scantily clad women before, but compared to DOA or SC it can at least be called subtle.
Though T6 is going to succumb to the "dress up" game now too.
- Paul
- October 02, 2008
I switched to consoles when the original xbox came out (to save on hardware costs), but switched back to PC after experiencing the red rings of death on my 360, and am wandering why I ever went to consoles in the first place.
Most of us use PCs for more than games, and having upgraded my PC six months ago, I worked out the extra cost in turning it into a decent gaming rig was about $350 ($370 for a 9800GTX, minus the $70 or so I saved not getting a basic video card, plus around $50 for an extra 2GB of RAM).
Seems quite reasonable compared to console prices.
As for Lucas comments at 9:17am, I have a video extension cord running to my TV from the second video output jack, and a USB wireless receiver for Xbox 360 peripherals, so I can sit back on the couch and play all the latest games with my 360 controller. I even played through Crysis using the 360 controller I know the mouse/keyboard is better for FPS, but in single player its more relaxing not to be 'hunched over a desk' as Lucas said (just drop the difficulty slightly to compensate for the harder aiming). And some games such as Assassins Creed and Race Driver Grid are much easier to control using a console controller anyway.
But the big advantage of the PC is the mods/hacks you can do to your games, a level of freedom you never get on a console. I even re-purchased Oblivion on the PC (I had it on the 360 originally) so I could access the wealth of user generated content out there on the net.
Finally, as a fan of online distribution (particularly STEAM), around 75% of the games I play dont need any messing around with disks, I can switch between them with a few clicks of my wireless mouse without even having to get up off the couch.
- Lith
- October 02, 2008
I love my PC. The most use the PS3 gets is for watching DVDs, DivX files etc, as the screen is just larger.
I love the comment about only a $4000 rig being able to give the same Force Unleashed experience as the consoles. I started playing Crysis: Warhead yesterday on my 2-year-old hardware. Something odd about those claims.
@ InstinctSage
I totally agree. I like my PC, I like it to interact with all my other friends who have PCs. I like that I'm not locked into a proprietary network, running through third-party servers for everything that I want to do. I like that I have selected every component of my PC personally so that I know where it may bottleneck, how I can improve it, and the quality of the components.
I don't think the argument being espoused that "consoles are where the publishers think the money is, therefore the argument is moot" is a valid one. The best experience for developers and gamers should always be considered, even if that beige box may have fallen out of vogue.
In my opinion, the box will make a comeback. Realistically, the PS3 was $1,000 at launch. That was enough to buy a top of the line video card and a processor, with equal or greater power than the console. Now you can pick up nVidia's latest line for a remarkably low cost, and they are really second to none. (In that vein, DexX, I'm disappointed that you went with the competition - I don't like the Radeons too much)
@ Anthony
I love that Dilbert cartoon.
- James
- October 02, 2008
"...as I have a sense of ownership over my machine and all its parts and innards. "
"But I guess, I don't want the simplicity. I don't want to be fenced in."
I guess this goes in line with what Dexx metioned, about how PC gamers make it more of a hobby as opposed to just playing the games on the machine.
They also find maintaining the PC as enjoyable as playing the game. I would have to say it's a different feeling when you get the parts together and build a machine that works, compared to handing over $1000 for a PS3 and carrying it home.
I'm also impressed that Dexx has been able to put that rig together for $1,600 - as a number of years ago, something comparitively powerful would be much pricier. I hope the specs become obsolete later rather than sooner.
And Vista's SP1 fixed up a fair few niggles, so make sure you're up to date! :)
- DexX
- October 02, 2008
Lith, I was kicking myself a few weeks later when nVidia released drivers merging PhysX functionality into the GPU. I luuuurve physics. The Radeon unfortunately gave the best framerate-per-dollar at time of purchase. *sigh* Oh well. It's my first every ATI card - been nVidia all the way since 3Dfx went bust, starting with the Riva.
- Mario
- October 02, 2008
Give me a wii and wii sports any day over a word processor .... sorry PC.
- James
- October 02, 2008
On a somewhat related note, this article features an Apple Mac Pro with Vista on the monitor!
I know the author sometimes is off the mark in his previous articles, but this one tops the cake!
I bet you couldn't build that thing for $1,600 without running into a lot of problems ;)
- Pylades
- October 02, 2008
Mr Ak,
Underwear version of Amy? Just when I thought that Soul Calibur couldn't top Talim in the jailbait stakes...
I agree with you in one respect though, the costumes in SC seem to be shrinking as bust size increases. Ivy and Taki seem to be the main culprits, and from screen shots, it seems that all the females other than Talim fell victim to 18th century cosmetic surgery too this time around, and now that dirty part of my brain is wondering why the youngest female cast member hasn't been modified as such. Part of me wouldn't be suprised to find a sailor suit buried in there in the costume options =P.
Makes me kind of glad I use Astaroth and can thus avoid the *ahem* distractions.
- fntc
- October 02, 2008
@ Eddie: pc version of bioshock was released like a year ago :)
- DexX
- October 02, 2008
James, I doubt Asher chose the picture - it was probably just yanked out of stock by a subeditor.
Pretty weird mistake, though. I mean, TVs and computers always have a fake screen 'shopped in for catalogue shots, but I can't imagine how a Vista screen was mixed up with OS X. Pretty odd.
> I'm also impressed that Dexx has been able to put that rig together for $1,600
ePower on Lonsdale Street - I can't recommend them highly enough. Friendly, knowledgeable, great range, and good prices. MSY is cheaper byt too far away and their site is the ugliest on the whole internet. Scorpion are fantastic - have bought from them before - but not quite as good on price. I was surprised when I did my research, though, just how close the prices were between different shops.
I ended up going with ePower because they gave a competitive price with all name-brand parts. MSY was cheaper, but further to travel and some generic parts. Scorpion was about the same price, but they charged for assembly (ePower did it for free) and were a lot further for me to drive.
I started with their premium gaming box and upgraded components up to my budget. I think I went to about $1,650 when I asked for the wireless ergo keyboard and wireless laswer mouse...
- Anthony
- October 02, 2008
@James on October 2, 2008 2:39 PM
Given the officially sanctioned Boot Camp, that's actually not that strange.
Although that foul odour could just be combing the evils of Vista (I.E Mac OS X knockoff) with fixed Mac hardware to created the ultimate summoning portal for the dark lord himself!
As you can tell, I'm a great fan of the Cult of Steve Jobs (Apple) and of Win XP: The return of ME (Vista).
- Eddie
- October 02, 2008
People, like I said a Mac user. We don't know what games are :D
I think I'll stick with consoles. I got no money to build a sweet gaming rig.
- James
- October 02, 2008
Thanks for the heads up on ePower, i might check them out since I work in the Melbourne CBD area.
My last PC purchase was a laptop, which is nice to use in various places but doesn't have the grunt to play games at anywhere near a decent res and settings.
But having less time to play these days, the PSP comes really handy on the train.
- DexX
- October 02, 2008
I am ashamed to say it, but I love Vista. Once you turn off that MADDENING user account control "feature" and install all the latest updates, it's really smooth to use. Only problem is the handful of old games that don't work.
- LoTIoN
- October 02, 2008
@ Instinctsage and Anthony
agree totally
the mods to game thing really made me think if it wasn't for that then counter strike would probably never have been made - consoles will never let you make your own mod...ever.
- DexX
- October 02, 2008
> ...the PSP comes really handy on the train.
Mine too. Finished W40k: Squad Command today, damn it! After the extremely tough middle missions, the second last one was susprisingly easy, and the final one was a breeze. A bit disappointing, really... *sigh* Loved it to bits, though.
So, as of tonight's train ride, I'm back on Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror.
- InstinctSage
- October 02, 2008
@ LoTIoN
Exactly. I understand that, if you can develop for XBLA for example, your content gets streamed direct to a captive audience. Like Braid. Could have been just another "Hey, look at that, it's neat" PC downloadable, but instead it's made quite a sum.
Tower of Goo got picked up and now World of Goo is coming to Wii. That's a success story, sure.
But once its there, that's that. Nobody can take it and run with it. There'd be no Desert Combat, no Counter Strike, no Tower Defense or Gauntlet on Warcraft 3 (I'm assuming those were player created maps).
Instead you have Bungie charging you for map packs, which is fine, but they'd never get away with it on PC when you'd have a map making community that could produce twice the amount of quality maps (and about 15 times the crap). The good ones get picked up on servers, and everybody wins. Most of all the developers don't lose, because at the end of the day, you need their game to play any of it.
We lose that with consoles. We gain a few things, but we lose so much more.
- Ali
- October 02, 2008
I can't imagine life without my PC. Ofcourse I use it mainly for internet and media, the only PC games I play regularly atm are Sims 2 (lame, I know) and Phantasy Star.
I'm obviously not a hardcore PC gamer as implied by the article, but I still think the PC has some of the better qualities when it comes to gaming. For certain types of games, sims and RPGs in particular PC setup is definitely easier. Yes, there are a lot of issues with PCs (viruses and shoddy driver updates anyone?) but I don't think that will wipe it out as a platform. It's like arguing that the RROD negates all the decent software and good times to be had on the 360.
Ultimately PC gaming is different to console gaming. Nothing wrong with that. :)
I upgraded my box in May because poor Sauron II started booting up sounding like a helicopter (Dad tried life saving surgery, but power supply and motherboard went boom shortly after) and I have to admit I got geeky delight in researching all the available cases, processors, cards etc... and then matching it all up. PC gaming can be astoundingly cheap when you know where to look for parts. MSY have warehouse prices and I built my mid-range box for $800 - which isn't bad as it should last me wuite a few years and gets constant use. Good value in my opinion. :)
- Cannon
- October 03, 2008
The biggest thing I find with consoles is a level playing field online. Everyone has the same hardware (maybe some have a bigger TV than others).
I know that if I play multiplayer on Halo or COD4 that no one is hacking and if I get killed it's all down to skill of my opponents (or my own stupidity)....CS was so frustrating online when you would spawn for the round and than a hacker from the other team would knife you all in 5 seconds, then you would have to find another server if an Admin wasn't online.
I also feel the console is a little more comfortable, where you can kick back in a bean bag or couch as oppossed to the PC where you are hunched over in a chair.
PC will be always be the king platform for RTS, which is pretty much the only gaming i use mine for.
- death to nerds
- October 09, 2008
I hate PCs - still can't get FreeCol to work on Linux.
Bah! Humbug!
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You are hereHome › Motorcycle Safety › NHTSA investigates Harley-Davidson motorcycle brake failures ›
NHTSA investigates Harley-Davidson motorcycle brake failures
MILWAUKEE — The federal government is investigating complaints from Harley-Davidson owners who say their motorcycle brakes failed without warning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the investigation covers 430,000 motorcycles with model years from 2008 through 2011. The investigation stems from bikes with an anti-lock braking system, according to NHTSA.
Riders reported that the brakes on the hand lever and foot pedal did not work, causing one driver to crash into a garage door. Government regulators said they received 43 complaints, three reports of crashes and two reports of injuries.
Regulators said it is possible that some riders who experienced brake failure did not change the motorcycle's brake fluid every two years as recommended by Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Inc.
The investigation is not a motorcycle product safety recall. Harley-Davidson said it is aware of the investigation and is cooperating with regulators.
Harley-Davidson said it is cooperating with regulators in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into complaints by owners who say their motorcycle brakes failed without warning.
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text:
BEAUTY IN BREVITY: The art-nature nexus is an old one, for sure, but the arrow of inspiration has only ever pointed in one direction, or mostly. Nature serves as the inspiration for art. Done? Done. Flowers and trees and rivers and sunshine fill paintings and collages and films and watercolors, but paintings aren't found dotting the woods, typically. There are a few exception, however, where that arrow gets flipped, and points the other way, and the result tends to be quite dynamic. One of the best-known of these instances happens at The San Diego Museum of Art each spring, although "happens" doesn't seem to go quite far enough. Well over a hundred bouquets burst and bloom around the institution, paying homage to particular pieces and artworks through petal, leaf, and stem. It's Art Alive, and it's ready to blossom from Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13.
120 FLORAL DESIGNS: So the deal? Dozens of people who know how to arrange flowers in a vase or pot or other holder in an interesting and eye-popping way have been matched with a work inside the museum. The next step? Creating a flowery presentation that pays homage to the painting or piece through color, form, size, shape, or a bit of undefinable flair. The viewer might see hues that echo through the bouquet and the painting or sculpture it is saluting or other commonalities. It is, after all, art influencing nature, so the bounds of creativity and interpretation are, well, fairly boundless.
THE ROTUNDA: Be sure to spend time amongst the large-scale flower design in the rotunda -- Carlos Franco is this year's designer -- on your way to see the individual bouquet-artwork pairings. But don't dally; paintings may weather the centuries, but a clutch of lilies and roses? The shelf life is notably shorter.


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The numbers drawn for Kilmovee Shamrocks lotto were:
On Saturday March 11th 3, 11, 32, 36 and for Saturday March 18th 11, 18, 24, 30. There were no winners.
The jackpot now stands at €9700.
The monthly draw winners for March were €50 euro to Rita and Michael Flatley and €25 each to Caroline Flynn and Patricia Gordon.


text:
VCA North Coast Animal Hospital is seeking an experienced full-time Associate Veterinarian to join our AAHA-accredited, emergency and general practice in beautiful Encinitas, California'"located just north of San Diego.
Our hospital is a beach community that neighbors an affluent community. We serve the following nearby cities: Del Mar, Cardiff, Leucadia, Carlsbad and La Costa. We are looking for someone who will join our 5 - doctor practice with an amazing supportive team!
In this position you'll use your superior medical judgment combined with a high level of empathy, confidence and humility to build a loyal client base and heal pets. As a member of the VCA family, your passion for medicine and compassion for pets and people is matched with a commitment to your professional growth. Among the reasons to consider joining VCA are: '¢ Network of 4,500+ doctors, including more than 600 Specialists.'¢ Largest provider of Private Practice Internships and Residencies in the U.S.'¢ WOOF University, offering abundant CE for Doctors and Staff.'¢ Robust Clinical Studies program.'¢ Opportunities to give back through strong Shelter partnerships and VCA Charities. We offer competitive compensation and great benefits for eligible employees, including medical/dental, generous personal pet care discounts and more!


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Ethan Stone loves to ask your opinions about controversial topics in M/M romance. This one is REALLY touchy, although it's humorous. I know what I think but he's more interested in YOUR opinion. 🙂
Today I'm talking about realism versus romance regarding sex in books. I want to clarify up front this isn't about the m/m genre getting it wrong because the het romance books do the same thing. And it isn't about authors getting it wrong. We know sex in real life isn't always like it is in the books. And it certainly isn't about male writers doing it better than women writers.
Sex in books is always hard and rough fucking or sweet, romantic love making. The men spew like geysers and hardly need anytime at all to go at it again and again. It's not that guys can never have orgasms close together, but most can't do it every time. My ex-boyfriend was a rare exception, even at 46 he could still shoot multiple times in a night and do it again the next night and the next night. Unfortunately that's about the only good thing I can say about him.
In real life there are things that occur that are not romantic or sexy at all. Anal intercourse can be messy. Forrest Gump said it best 'Shit happens.' And it can happen before, during and after sex. Is this something readers want in books? Personally, it's not something I want but there are others who might like the more realistic approach.
In Dance with Me by Heidi Cullinan one of the MC's, Laurie, thinks about the messiness of anal sex including lube leaking out of his ass when his partner pulls out.
"This was the part he had resented, he remembered now. The mess. The slight squickiness of sex, the sometimes serious squickiness. The awkward part where everyone cleaned up, where he'd stand and find himself involuntarily expelling the air that had gone in with his partner's cock and then, inevitably, had to come back out. His first time with anal sex had seen him padding across the plush carpet of another dancer's bedroom floor, face flaming as he farted his way to the toilet. This was the messy part of sex, and it was, he admitted, the reason he'd worked to avoid it."
The mention of Laurie farting his way to the toilet grossed me out and took me out of the story but others raved about the realism of it. A reviewer at another well known review site liked it because it was "real, it's true, and it's a far cry from the romanticized, fantasy anal sex in m/m romance we usually see." The author said it was a nod to a friend who had that happen. "It always resonated with me, the realism of it. For whatever reason I was all over that for that book," she said.
Does that mean readers want to read what happens if a man isn't totally clean when he gets poked. I don't think so, but you never know.
When it comes to oral sex I like it when the characters aren't perfect at it. Because that is realistic. I've had guys who are brand new to the gay scene and are awesome at giving head and there are guys who have been having gay sex for years and years who can't do it well at all. It's all about the teeth, guys, watch the teeth.
But there are other things that can go wrong during oral sex. What happens when the blower zigs and the blowee zags. Years ago I had a friend who showed up with a black eye one time. She was hesitant to tell me what happened but I got it out of her. She was giving her boyfriend a blow job and he was going so fast that when he pulled back and then pushed forward he poked her in the eye.
Another friend was sucking his boyfriend and using a dildo on his ass when the boyfriend fell asleep. What a downer that would be.
Fuckus Interruptus is something that has happened to me a lot in real life, but is something you don't see too often in m/m. When I was married our kids seemed to know when we were going at it because that was when they needed something. Even nowadays it's right when I'm in the middle of my private time when my son decides he needs to tell me something very important—like he needs batteries for the remote control.
In het romantic novels the women never have yeast infections, wear granny underwear or have random rogue hairs near their nipples.
Real life sex involves spilled lube and leg cramps. In real life men have trouble coming or even staying hard. For me nerves play a huge part in sex whether it's with a long time boyfriend or a one night stand.
How often are these things seen in novels? Is this something readers want more of or not? Enquiring minds want to know.


text:
1949 Plymouth Business Coupe
Price: - Item location: Festus, Missouri, United States
- Condition: Used
- Make: Plymouth
- Model: Other
- Type: Coupe
- Trim: Business Coupe
- Year: 1949
- Mileage: 9,999,999
- Color: Red
- Engine size: 400 Big Block
- Number of cylinders: 8
- Transmission: Automatic
- Drive type: RWD
- Interior color: red/white
- Vehicle Title: Clear Want to buy? Contact seller!
1949 Plymouth Other1949 Plymouth Business coupe. Fresh 400 Chrysler big block: .030, forged flat top pistons, mild ported heads, Summit cam, block hugger stainless headers, Edelbrock intake, 780 Holley. fresh 727 trans, shift kit, 2500 stall, aluminum radiator, 4 wheel disc brakes, 8.8 Ford rear w/3:73 limited slip, new tires, rack & pinion steering, new glass, nice interior, dolphin gauges, good paint. Not a full blown frame off restoration but nice car and fun street cruiser.On Jul-23-16 at 05:41:51 PDT, seller added the following information:
|Front end info: Front end is original IFS fully rebuilt with new bushings and new springs. I added 3" Fatman's lowered spindles, relocated shocks, a late model Jeep swaybar, rack and pinion steering, and a GM style disc brake conversion. Car has four wheel disc brakes with a manual master cylinder under the floor.


text:
CHINA – The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) has granted protected status in China to the drinks category Champagne, making it officially illegal for copycat products to use the 'Champagne' name on their labels.
In a statement, AQSIQ said 'geographic mark protection' had been granted to Champagne, with clear criteria drawn up for the wines' origin, production and grape varieties.
This move will stop domestic sparkling wine producers as well as producers of other goods from using the name 'Champagne' on their products and marketing.
Wang Wei, Director of the Beijing-based Champagne Bureau in China, said, "This registration will enable the competent authorities to effectively act against the misuse which is not frequent but needs to be quickly detected and stopped."
China is currently the fastest-growing market for Champagne. In 2012 shipments exceeded 2 million bottles, an increase of 51.8% over 2011. China is now the fifth largest Champagne market outside the European Union and this growth is expected to continue.
Champagne authority the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) has welcomed the news, saying it "will provide Champagne wines with the optimal level of protection against misuse of the appellation as well as acknowledgement that origins matter."
"China's decision to register Champagne as a geographical indication is a major achievement for the champenois," commented Monsieur Charles Goemaere, Head of Comité Champagne's legal department. "It reaffirms that 'Champagne only comes from Champagne' in what is fast becoming one of Champagne's most promising markets while sending a strong message that origin matters."
China has previously granted similar protected geographical status to Cognac, Scotch whisky and wines from the Napa Valley. A geographical indication is a specific intellectual property right that designates a product from a specific region and whose characteristics result in both the natural conditions of its origin and the expertise of local producers.
For Champagne, it is in the Champagne vineyards, a region located 150 kilometres east of Paris, France, that Champagne houses and growers have been producing, for more than three centuries and under stringent regulations, the sparkling wine product.


text: So I'm going to be real. I had another post lined up, but then I realized that I had already recently posted black bean brownies. I swear to you, lately, if my head weren't firmly attached to my neck, I would misplace it! So instead, I come to you bearing one of my go-to meals: Kitchen Sink Burritos! This is the meal that comes out of a need to clean leftovers out of the fridge, but it is always good. Although completely customizable, click on through to follow how I made my burrito for this leftovers night! Continue reading "Kitchen Sink Burritos"


text:
Hi all,
I've been experiencing this BSOD and freezing screen since I bought my Asrock Z68 Extreme 4 around 2 months ago.
Then I follow other forums **Official** Asrock Z68 Extreme4 thread. Share your experiences, OCs & tech issues! which I update all my driver Plus I've updated new iGPU driver version version 220.127.116.11.2509 for 64-bit Windows 7 and seems to be working well even in safe mode setting from windows.
Previous experience with Freezing issue was due to Eltron USB3.0 driver that provided by Asrock which version 0.96. Since I've updated to version 1.101 as per xtremesystems forums suggestion, I don't have a problem anymore with freezing issue.
With BSOD problems, previously I always have BSOD problem after my system was in sleep mode or even after resuming from screen saver. I've been running some testing to wake up from sleep mode and resume screen saver with bios 1.70 and seems to be running normal. So far I've only tested for 2 days. My CPU is running at stock level, doesn't change much bios 1.70 setting other then change into AHCI mode and change the graphics setup as onboard.
FYI, I use my PC only for browsing, watching movie and leave my PC into sleep mode. Used to be causing BSOD with power saving mode, somehow within 2 days PC has been running smoothly. If you can advise me
For those who's still running BSOD or Freeze please ensure to update your driver as per below:
Broadcom BCM57781 LAN Driver v188.8.131.52
EtronTech EJ168A USB3 Driver v1.101 (There's new version v1.105 but a lot of problems)
Intel ME Driver v18.104.22.1688
Intel PCH Driver v184.108.40.2060
Intel HD Graphics Driver v188.8.131.52.2509 for 64-bit Windows 7
Lucidlogix VIRTU Driver v1.2.106
Marvell SATA3 Driver v126.96.36.1996
Intel RST v10.6.0.1022
My Specs:
i5-2500k (Not overclocking)
Asrock Z68 Extreme 4
GSkills Ripjaws X 1600 4x2GB
Seasonic M2 520 Watt (Forgot with the watt but i remember around 500 watt above)
Internal graphic card direct from Mobo
Please advise us which other driver are you using when you are running some testing. I found that Asrock website is not up to date with other driver such as Eltron USB Driver which causing freezing problem v0.96 and some driver is not up to date.
ATTENTION TO OTHER BSOD Fellow:
Can you please let me know how do you get BSOD normally, so I can check with my PC too.


text:
The company's net profit for 2015 fell 15.8 percent from the previous year to 1.52 trillion won ($1.3 billion).
SK Telecom has been staging a fierce subscription fee price war with two other major players -- KT and LG Uplus -- in the small, already crowded domestic market.
A fall in the earnings of SK Hynix -- a chipmaking affiliate in which SK Telecom has a 20-percent stake -- further cut into profits in 2015.
Revenue edged down 0.2 percent on-year as the company eliminated sign-up fees and offered subscription discounts for mobile services and network interconnections to secure customer share.
SK Telecom's subscribers grew 1.2 percent last year to 28.6 million, with 66.3 percent using ultra-fast services.
As of the end of November last year, South Korea had 43 million smartphone users among its 51.5 million population.


text: VeinSolutions is the only freestanding clinic solely dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of medical and cosmetic vein problems. The patient focused office is conveniently located at Gateway Centre. The comfortable office setting combines the expertise of a board certified vascular surgeon with a courteous and knowledgeable staff providing you with a satisfying experience.About Us


text:
Castle Rock is situated before Meelup Beach outside Dunsborough and is a serious contender as one of the most spectacular places on earth. Castle Rock is perfect for picnics with onsite free bbqs and amenities block. Not far by boat from Eagle Bay and Dunsborough. This photograph was shot early evening on a sweltering hot day. In summer make sure you take a head net to keep the flies off as their very friendly in this region. Castle Rock is also perfect for early morning walks and evening strolls or perhaps a romantic picnic among calm waters, weather permitting.
Consider This Picture In: Living Room, Entrance, Formal Dining Room, Office, Business, Beach House, Waiting Room, Office Foyer,
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Photographic Prints - Our photo papers have been carefully selected for their longevity and colour reproduction qualities. We print on High Definition Premium Papers, and Fine Art papers from from the world's best manufacturers all guaranteed to last in excess of 75 years.
Alumalux High Gloss Metal Prints - Our Alumalux (pronounced a-loo-ma-lux) is available in High Gloss. Your print is pressed directly into aluminium, which allows for a scratch resistant, light weight, water proof product. Your images will pack a punch with colour remaining vivid and details staying clear & crisp.
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Posted by Naomi Willis on 26th Feb 2017
I heard about you in the Photography Masterclass Magazine and fell in love with your photographs. Would love to see other states. Love your work.


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A couple of months ago I wrote about the amazing Kacie & Dani who were in heavy training to complete the 3,000 mile Race Across America. I'm pleased to say that the pair made it, and I was lucky enough to catch up with them again post race.
Q: Were you both nervous in the days leading up to big race? And did you feel like you'd trained enough?
Dani: I wasn't nervous. I tend to not get overly anxious before big races or nervous. I did feel overwhelmed in the days before we left Atlanta, I felt like I had a tremendous amount of things to do to get ready and packed and not enough time to do them in. I felt incredibly confident in my training and my physical state!
Kacie: I was nervous for sure! My husband, our crew chief, and I had to drive all of the gear across the country. It was almost 35 hours of driving, which is exhausting. It started to get intimidating thinking about the fact that we were riding our bikes back! I was not nervous about the training. I knew that I had worked as hard as I could possibly work and prepare as much I could have prepared. I was nervous about the unexpected–accidents, car trouble, and the unknowns.
Q: What was your hardest moment during the race?
Dani: I developed thrush, a yeast infection in my mouth. The inside of my mouth became sore, my tongue was swollen, throat was sore, I couldn't talk, and could barely swallow. I was having to eat rice by placing it on the back of my tongue and swallowing it with water like it was a pill. I stayed hungry, VERY hungry the last two days of the race. I felt like I was starving all the time. Eating was just too painful and I forced it to get the calories I needed, but it wasn't enough. That was by far the toughest part of the race!
Kacie: I got altitude sickness in the Rocky Mountains. I was throwing up everything I took in for quite a while. It was frustrating and very uncomfortable riding. I started feeling better right about when we hit a storm in Kansas. I am probably the only person in the race who loved riding in a nasty storm in Kansas! I was just so happy to get out of the altitude that I was giddy and literally singing on the race radio!
Q: Women Who Cycle followed you on social media and you made it look effortless, how hard was it really?
Dani: Physically, it was much easier than I expected it to be. I had worried about the sleep deprivation, which ended up not being as bad either. My crew kept asking me when I was going to start complaining, but I never did! I was so grateful to them and so happy to be out there. The hardest part was 11 crew people's personalities and not everyone getting along well.
Kacie: I think there were moments that were hard, and moments that were effortless. Dani is right about the personalities clashing being tough, but since I had done this race before, I think I was mentally prepared for that to happen. I think the hardest part was that we never stopped. Eventually, the constant forward motion can become exhausting! I started daydreaming about just being still somewhere for a while.
Q: How many support crew did you have?
11 and they deserve as much credit as we do! They worked incredibly hard and we are grateful for all of their effort!
Q: Do you feel a bit lost now you've accomplished such a huge goal? Are you still training as hard as you were before?
Dani: I don't feel lost at all! I've been able to catch up on things that have been on my to-do list for way too long. There is no pressure to get up at 5am to train, and I have been able to spend more time with family and friends. I am not training even remotely as much or as hard as I was before!
Kacie: I agree with Dani! I am so proud of what we have done that I don't feel lost, just grateful that everything worked out and we succeeded. In a race this long, anything can happen, but we each gave it our all (and so did our crew), and I am thrilled about that! I am not training hard right now either. What we did was long and intense, and I want to allow my body the time it needs to properly heal. I am enjoying some running, hiking, and climbing. I hope to hop out on a kayak soon, which is something I love. I am enjoying catching up with friends and family too!
Q: What time did you complete the race in? Did you meet your goals? Did you break a record for a female team?
Dani: We finished in 8 days, 2 hours, and 35 minutes. Our goal was to break the existing two person female team record and we did. We also became the youngest two person female team to finish RAAM.
Kacie: Woo Hoo! Yes we did!
Q: How much money did you raise for your charity – Camp Twin Lakes?
Just over $37,000 and we are still actively fundraising! www.raam2013.org
Q: Will you be entering the race again next year? What's your next big event?
Dani: I will be entering the race again, just not next year! I am really not sure what the next big event is for me.
Kacie: I have been at that race in the past two years, and that is enough for now. I also want to toe the line at RAAM again, but I am in no rush at all. I am not sure about my next event either, and I am not worried about hurrying into anything.


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Main Street, Dunboyne, Co. Meath, A86 PC78
We have Two Function Rooms to cater for all parties, FREE FINGER FOOD.
Read more about Slevin's Pub | View Map of Area | Photos


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Hi. I'm 49, and the size difference between my breasts has increased. One actually got bigger (woo hoo!), but the other stayed the same. One is bigger than a B, the other is less than a B…I think. I'm not sure of the exact sizes. I have a little spillover cleavage (a C cup would be too large) from my left one, and a huge gap on my left one, in my 36B bra.
I have a couple of things I'd like to ask. First, I need a new bathing suit. When I put on my old suit, the size difference looks horrific (my left breast barely fit in it at all, I had to tuck in my nipple and not move very much).. I was going by myself to an almost empty pool for an hour, so it did the job. Are there better places to buy swimsuits? Ones with side pockets? The only ones I find have the tiny hole in the front with a light, nipple pad you can barely get back into shape after washing. I definitely need the front pad too, so my nipples don't show, I'd just like to find ones that fit better..
I get very hot, very easily, always have. So I don't want to put anything too heavy in the bra part.
Speaking of hot.. I feel I need an underwire bra for the support.. I'm very saggy, and hate the way other bras look on me. They are also lightly lined. This makes for a very hot bra. They increase my body temperature by like 15 degrees in the summer, or if I'm simply moving around..walking.. It's horrible. Do you have any suggestions for a cooler, but supportive and concealing bra?
Thank you so much for your time!


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Join us in a 4-part webinar series with Cengage Learning Faculty Partner, Audrey Wick, an English professor at Blinn College, and Senior Marketing Manager, Kina Lara, also an English professor at San Jacinto College, where we will identify common problems English instructors (and their students) face and show you to how solve those problems with MindTap!
There's a MindAPP for That!
Fall 2016 English Webinar Series: Learn more about the JUST IN TIME module
- Are your Comp I and II students coming to class with varied skill levels?
- Do they lack basic, foundational knowledge and skills?
- Do you lack the class time necessary to get them up to speed?
If you answered "YES!" to any of the questions above, MindTap's new JUST IN TIME module could be the perfect solution for you and your students!
Based on our research, we know that Composition instructors like you are looking for products that give your students more practice in certain areas where they lack foundational skills—areas such as writing process, composing, critical reading and writing, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and spelling. We also know that busy instructors like you don't have time to create or grade these assignments, and you certainly don't want to use up any class time doing them.
Because of this, we have curated a folder in MindTap of additional practice exercises for those Comp I and II students who are struggling with foundational skills. These could be students in co-requisite Composition courses or any of your Composition students who need additional practice.
JUST IN TIME problem sets are located in one convenient location within MindTap. They are auto-graded to save you valuable time and provide detailed feedback for students to help improve their writing.
What skills are covered in the JUST IN TIME module?
|The Writing Process
|Introductions and Conclusions
|Subject/Verb Agreement
|Coherence and Organization
|The Subject
|Topic and Thesis Statements
|The Verb
|Supporting Ideas
|Basic Sentence Structure
|Quoting and summarizing
|Modifier Use
|Logical and Critical Thinking
|Conjunctions and Sentence Structure
|Word Usage
|Comma Usage
|Common Sentence Errors
|Sound alike/Look alike
Want to learn more?
» Join us by registering for Part 1 of our "There's a MindAPP for That!" Fall English Webinar Series.
Interested in a class test? Check out this "JUST IN TIME PLUS" flyer for more details. Ask your Cengage Learning consultant for more information on JUST IN TIME, and learn more about MindTap at www.cengage.com/mindtap.


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Solar Cost Garden Grove
With the reasonable amount of sunlight in southerly California, solar panels are a natural method to assist in Garden Grove residents lower the price of air conditioning and heating. Government rewards and city efforts make solar powers more desirable than ever before, and more budget friendly. Solare Power has economical solar panel solutions to assist house owners lessen energy expenses, as well as their carbon impact.
Solar panels utilize the abundant organic lighting below in Garden Grove to change sunlight into energy. Solar energy is supplied into the electrical device at the residence and really triggers the meter to run in reverse when it is producing much more electricity than the home owner requires. Property owners who have Solare Electricity solar panels set up in Garden Grove record they have decrease their power prices by as long as 80 %!
Garden Grove has actually launched a leading effort to reduce power requirements. All brand-new city facilities and leading building remodelling projects are needed to attain LEED Silver accreditation, a high criterion of eco-friendly building. New city buildings additionally must generate at the very least 10 % of the energy utilizing sustainable technologies, such as solar panels, in Garden Grove. In addition, solar powers will aid Garden Grove satisfy its Power Plan for a Lasting Future. The plan consists of an objective to minimize electricity usage 10 % by 2012, and improve the quantity of renewable energy made use of at city facilities by 2020.
Solare Power collaborates with California State agencies to identify and perform solar and energy performance job chances. Solare Electricity assists fund solar jobs via third-party solar Power Purchase Agreements.
Many customers believe solar setups are expensive, however the truth is that Solare Energy can mount solar powers in Garden Grove for a reasonable price. Actually, the upfront expenses are commonly paid back within 8 years, leaving you with cost-free electric power for many years.
Now, Solare Electricity supplies a pre-paid Buying power Contract that enables home owners to go solar for much less than ever before, with full 2 Decade surveillance and performance protection. The property owner pays in advance for the electrical power to be created by the solar device. The system is set up by Solare Energy and possessed by the financing firm. This is a wonderful way for property owners in the Garden Grove location who wish solar powers to obtain them set up at a reduced upfront expense.
Some highlights of the program:.
– Lesser price compared to buying system in cash given that the financing company can capitalize on the higher industrial government rewards.
– Leading performing, made in the US photovoltaic panels from Solar World.
– Monitoring, maintenance and efficiency ensured for 2 Decade.
– Pliable options at the end of the 2 contract to either have the funding firm take the system away at no cost, or purchase the system at reasonable market value [anticipated to be $1 at end of term] and keep saving for another 15-20 years.


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Low cost. Low price per photo. Fast. High-quality 4-by-6-inch output. Large LCD, particularly for the price.
Relatively big and heavy.
Bottom Line
The Epson PictureMate Dash delivers high quality 4-by-6 photos at fast speed and a low cost per photo.
Epson's PictureMate small-format photo printers have always stood out from the crowd, but the company has really outdone itself with its latest iteration, the PictureMate Dash ($99.99 direct). Although the Dash is the low-cost version of the newest generation of PictureMates, it offers features I'm used to seeing only on printers that cost far morefrom a surprisingly big 3.6-inch LCD screen to the ability to print from a wide range of sources. It's also the fastest small-format photo printer I've seen at any price.
Similar Products
Like previous generation PictureMates, the Dash looks like a large lunchboxliterally, a box with a handle on it. To transform it into a printer, you set it on a flat surface and rotate the handle to the back and out of the way. Opening the top cover reveals the controls and LCD panel underneath, and transforms the cover into the paper tray. The front cover opens to turn into the output tray.
Despite including a handle, the Dash is a little less portable than it might be. It weighs 5.3 pounds and measures a bulky 9.1 by 8.7 by 6.5 inches. Even so, a battery option ($49.99 direct) lets you print anywhere, even outdoors. Epson says a fully charged battery can print about 140 photos.
Setting up the Dash is easy. Slide the four-color ink cartridge into its slot in the back, load paper, connect the power cord, and you're ready to print from a memory card, PictBridge camera, or USB key. To print directly from a computer, simply run the automated installation program and connect by USB cable.
The front panel is notable not just for the tiltable 3.6-inch LCDwhich is huge for such an inexpensive photo printerbut also for the reasonably capable built-in editing commands that let you adjust brightness and color saturation, print color photos in black and white or sepia, remove red-eye, and add various frames and other graphics to photos. Although editing features are fairly common in photo printers, they're usually AWOL at this price. The Dash also includes an automatic photo fix feature that's on by default.
After timing the printer, I can only say that the Dash is well named. On our standard suite of 4-by-6 photos printed from a computer, it took a consistent 42 seconds per photo, which makes it the fastest photo printer I've ever tested. And it's not fast solely on our standard photo suite. I timed it at 38 to 46 seconds per photo whether printing from a CompactFlash memory card, a USB key, a computer using a range of other photos, or over a PictBridge connection using a Canon PowerShot S60 camera.
As a point of comparison, second place on our standard suite is a tie, at roughly 50 seconds, between the Olympus P-11, which costs about half again as much as the Dash, and the Sony Picture Station DPP-FP90 which costs twice as much.
Of course, high-speed performance is pointless if the photos don't look good. Fortunately, the Dash excels here as well. All of the photos I printed, regardless of source, qualify as true photo quality. They're one step down from what you might get at a professional photo lab or from a much more expensive printer, but easily a match for what you would expect from a local drugstore or photo shop.
Colors were well within the range of reasonable, and the only flaws I saw were things that you're not likely to notice without a frame of reference. One photo, for example, lost a little detail in a dark area when compared with the source. If you didn't already know it should have more detail, however, you wouldn't notice anything wrong. On another photo, thin white lettering on a black background filled in slightly, but again, if you didn't know what the original looked like, you wouldn't know there was a problem.
The photos are also long lived. Epson says its pictures will last 200 years in dark storage (as in an album) and 96 years framed behind glass. Testing for exposure to air is still underway as of this writing. Just as important, the photos are reasonably water resistant and scratch resistant, making them safe to pass around to other people without worrying that they'll come back ruined. Even after shuffling through the stack of photos multiple times, I didn't see any surface scratches. They'll show water stains if you leave drops to dry on them, but I held one under running water and rubbed it without any visible harm.
Also very much worth mentioning, and another strong point, is the cost per photo. At $37.99 (direct) for a print pack with enough ink and paper for 150 photos, the cost is just 25.3 centsthe lowest price per print for any dedicated small-format photo printer. The current range for the category is from 25.3 to 30 cents. If you prefer matte photos, the price is a little higher, at $32.29 (direct) for enough ink and paper for 100 photos, or 32.3 cents each.
My only complaint about the Dash is decidedly minor: Epson put the USB and PictBridge connectors in the back, which makes it a little cumbersome to plug in a PictBridge camera, a USB key, or a USB cable. Fortunately, that's one small design flaw in a superb printer. The Dash delivers a combination of features, speed, and output quality that until now has been unheard of at this price. In the process, it has redefined what you should demand in a low-cost, dedicated photo printer; raised the bar significantly for the competition, and become the latest PictureMate model to earn an Editors' Choice.
Check out the Epson PictureMate Dash's test scores.
More Photo Printer Reviews:
Polaroid Originals Polaroid Lab
HP Sprocket Studio
HP Sprocket Select
Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer
Lifeprint Harry Potter Magic Photo and Video Printer


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I was watching a BookTuber do reviews one day and was struck by something I've never thought of before. This came after February's IWSG (insecure writer's support group) question that asked: "How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?"
I admit I couldn't relate to the question. Sure, my reading went through a slump a couple of years ago when my writing did. And sure, writing has gotten me back to reading, and reading has gotten me back to writing many times. But I've always been a writer. And a reader.
When I was listening to this BookTuber rate a book she liked "2.75" stars (no joke) – I was like…do you round up on that or down? And I realized then what people were talking about when they said writing made them appreciate the work that goes into a book more. This BookTuber is not a writer. But a lot of readers aren't writers.
It's a perspective I don't think about, but I'm glad I'm thinking about it now because when you put your work out into the world, someone is going to pick at it. Fact. I'm not the kind of person who's going to run to Amazon or wherever and read every single review that rolls in, but I'll be reading some of the initial reviews, for sure.
I have to consider the fact that being a writer hasn't made me more sympathetic to other writers. I work hard. I expect other writers to do the same. It's a fact that some writers just don't care. And there was a time when I thought the same. "It's entertaining and it makes sense – that's what matters." And there's some truth in that to a degree. But to say readers don't care about well-constructed stories, that is not true.
Readers deserve a good reading experience. I have to remember that I'm a reader, too. And readers have a right to their opinions. They have a right to dislike something and even hate it. After all, it's established that while I love "Catching Fire" and have great respect for Suzanne Collins, I HATE "Mockingjay." And I hate THE mockingjay: Katniss "can't make up my mind and can't function without morphling" Everdeen-Mellark. (I do love Peeta a great deal though.)
I can't get upset because someone picks at my book. If I'm going to read the review and it's not glowing, I have two healthy options: I can appreciate the time they took and move on, or I can see if it's something I want to learn from. It doesn't do me any good to roll my eyes at it or belittle the person who wrote it to pacify my hurt feelings. There's just acceptance, because I can't control how people respond to it. I worked hard. That's all I can do.
I can't pretend like it's not a daily battle sometimes to wrestle my inner editor, self-doubt, fear, and other miscellaneous monsters into submission so I can write. But I can say that I do it so often, it's become a habit. Doubt rears up, and I just talk to it automatically. It appreciates the attention, we figure out why it's up and flailing, and then it hugs me, and I sit down to write. It's not always quick, but it is that simple.
I also can't say it's always easy to convince myself that I'm a good writer, especially since I finished something just last year that I consider crap. But I do have good taste, I do have a lot of experience, I have read a crap ton of books even if I haven't read so much the last couple of years, and I did set that story I was working on aside because I could tell it wasn't good. I have good instincts, and I'm a really good writer. That's a fact. Knowing it's a fact helps me when I'm thinking the opposite. And yes, it does make me feel weird to call myself a good writer sometimes. I don't believe it those days. Still true. 😛
Far too often, writer's are way too hard on themselves. We're afraid to announce that we're good, because someone may come along and say the opposite. Yeah, well, lemme tell ya, that person would be wrong. Just because my story isn't flawless, that doesn't mean I'm not really good. It means I'm not perfect. And maybe my books are too shallow. But I'm still growing, and I already know I'm not perfect.
That's a relief. Because it also means I don't have to strive for perfection. I can just focus on stories I'm excited about.
So when someone, maybe even that BookTuber, reviews my book one day and gives it 3.75 stars and rounds down, it won't change the fact that I like her or the fact that I'm a really good writer. It just means I'm not the best writer in the world. And again, I already know that.


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|Independence Day Observed
|July 4, 2018
|Labor Day
|September 3, 2018
|Veteran's Day
|November 12, 2018
|Thanksgiving Day
|November 22, 2018
|Admission Day Observed
|November 23, 2018
|Christmas Day Observed
|December 25, 2018
|Lincoln's Birthday Observed
|December 26, 2018
|Washington's Birthday Observed
|December 27, 2018
|Columbus Day Observed
|December 28, 2018
|Campus Closed
|December 31, 2018 *
|New Year's Day Observed
|January 1, 2019
|Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
|January 21, 2019
|Cesar Chavez Day
|April 1, 2019
|Memorial Day
|May 27, 2019
This holiday schedule follows the campus and is subject to change. Please also note that some locations may observe different holidays due to business need. If this is the case, you will be notified by your supervisor and will need to coordinate with payroll.
* Please note that December 31st is not a covered holiday. You may use vacation, or your Personal Holiday to cover this day.


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Chris Arreola lost his chance to fight Vitali Klitschko, and he lost it to Bermane Stiverne this past Saturday night.
To be honest, I expected Arreola to win, and win big. But instead, I saw a well paced and reserved Stiverne, fighting smart and calm. I never knew Bermane to be the fighter that showed up against Arreola, and as a matter of fact, I see him being a bigger threat to Vitali than Chris would have been.
The question is, will Vitali fight Stiverne sometime soon? Apparently being a mandatory means very little in boxing as far as time is concerned, with mandatory fights being postponed and pushed back all the time. Vitali is not the kind of fighter that tried to avoid a fight, and I believe if ordered, will face Stiverne sometime in September.
As far as the fight is concerned, while I don't think that Vitali will walk through Stiverne, I do believe he will walk away with a comfortable U.D. victory. Bermane is a bit too slow for Vitali, who constantly gives angles while moving about the ring.
This would be a good fight for Vitali to say farewell to boxing, although if Haye accepts to have a ridiculously small share of the profits, Vitali would probably pick him before retiring from boxing.
More @ http://cgboxing.blogspot.com/


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Sundays are usually straightforward, but yesterday was the most complicated day I've had in a long while. It started off well: I met my private 1-on-1 student on time and had a very informative conversation about civil law systems and common law systems, then went home to hang out for a bit.
Everything started to go wrong when I began to study my planned route to the hash in Sanxia. My co-worker was resolved to go, and since he intends to buy my scooter and I wanted practice before I make my way to Jiufen by scooter, I thought we'd scooter there together, especially since I feel much more settled and comfortable on a scooter when I have someone on the back. It seemed the national freeways didn't allow scooters, but I wasn't quite sure, so after consulting with him, we set off on the scooter. We made it to Banqiao without problem, but then I asked a person beside us at a stoplight if we could go on the 3. It was good I did, because my suspicions from earlier were true!
After getting some ridiculously complicated–or just in Chinese too advanced for me–directions at a 7-11, I decided we should just go to Banqiao Station and take the train like the run's organizers suggested. At this point, we would have been only a little bit late, and my hopes were still high, but once we got off the train in Yingge, we couldn't find a single taxi. We walked down toward the center of the town, and when we finally found a taxi and hopped in, he kicked us out because he didn't go where we were heading. A gas station attendant recommended a bus, which we caught pretty quickly, but it was after 3pm by this point. We quickly got a taxi, but we were supposed to follow flour from the freeway exit, and I couldn't make that clear to the driver. After trying to call a few people, we just had him take us back to Yingge, where we walked the pottery street and took a much needed break at a restaurant.
A bus brought us back to the MRT, and we parted ways as I went to pick up the scooter. I thought I was safe, but no. It had started raining while we were on the bus chatting about politics and such, so I got on my scooter a soggy mess. I set off and had a strange problem with the engine just sputtering out. Throttling up seemed to help, and so I proceeded until I mistakenly believed myself to be at the Sanchong bridge which would have taken me home the easy way. I had missed the turn, so I started a long loop through some side streets and alleys where my scooter died for real. An old man in front of a grocery store couldn't really help, so he directed me to a scooter repair shop, which, it being Sunday, was closed. I left it in a parking spot and trudged off to a bus stop.
The bright side? The bus home went by Longshan Temple and I got a lead on a Christmas gift for one of my brothers. Also, I saw a little bit of a traditional puppet show that was just puppets fighting each other to the clamor of cymbals and possibly live music. It was part of a festival, and I'm totally going back before it ends.
And that was Sunday.


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Spirulina Green Salad
4 cups organic spring mix
2 cups baby spinach
2 cups sunflower sprouts (or any other sprouts)
1 cup tomatoes
1 cup red peppers
¼ olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons oregano
2 garlic cloves
juice from half a lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons nuts (almonds or walnuts)
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds ( or sunflower )
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 tbsp Spirulina (or more)
To make the dressing, crush the garlic cloves and place them in a glass jar. Add the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and salt. Place the dressing in the refrigerator to marinate for a couple of hours.
Add your mixed greens, spinach, sunflower sprouts (or any other green of your choice) to a large bowl.
Chop the tomatoes and red peppers, and add them to the large bowl of greens.
Add your nuts and seeds.
Pour the olive oil dressing over your salad and mix well. Lastly sprinkle the Spirulina crunchies on top of your salad.