text:
|# ? Sep 20, 2019 20:25
Part 1: Wordy intros? We 32 bit now.
There's an ominous title screen if I've ever seen one.
We start with an introduction from a fairy who slaps some old wizard on the face.
: Fey, are you sure this is the one we are looking for?
: Yes, I think. I'm pretty sure this one can do the job.
: I hope you're right. There's much to be done. Forgive us child, I don't doubt your ability, but the fate of many lives hangs in the balance. Didn't Fey explain the situation to you?
: The search took so long, I... Well there wasn't enough time!
: No time to explain now either. However, I can allow you to name the three heroes as you wish.
We're walking in the footsteps of Shining Force 2, where the framing device is a nameless traveler who's being coerced into carrying out a magical stranger's mission.
Although he is honest and full of kindness, during times of physical conflict the fury of this man's soul burns hotter and hotter as he releases the savageness of a tiger:
Naturally, I will be writing �honest and full of kindness� as �has no manners and gives no fucks�.
A brilliant man with a never failing composure and iron will that can't be swayed by emotions. He fights like a dragon and slices through the battlefield like the wind.
Saying Medion has an iron will is a complete lie, as we'll come to find out eventually.
He rises above all others with his strong spirit, but carries with him a sorrow, a past full of sadness. Once released of his sorrow, his soul will soar as he becomes a wolf with sharp and virtuous fangs.
Julian is an okay guy, even if he's a JRPG protagonist we've seen a million times before.
: It's time for you to go now. Fare thee well, Synbios. Preparations have been made so you will know what to do.
Considering there was a fair amount of depth written in to the world and plot, this framing device makes no loving sense, but I'll let it slide for the first disc.
The game opens with an aerial view of the city of Saraband. The city-state is actually a giant steam powered ship that sails along the coast, and lives prosperously through trade
The game treats the audience to a long pan throughout the city's downtown. People are just going about their lives, and this nice looking fellow is buying some flowers.
He then changes his clothes in the middle of the street. Not weird at all, promise.
He then approaches this big mansion. This might be important in a few minutes.
Outside the mansion, a pair of girls are waiting. The cantaul is sitting on the steps while the elf is trying to peek through a window.
The elf's bright idea turns out to not be so bright.
Well isn't this guy just a bundle of cheers.
: Just because the peace conference with the Empire isn't going well is no reason to act like an ogre.
: Remember, Tybalt, they wouldn't have invaded Barrand if YOU had quashed the revolt of your people, instead of begging the Empire for aid.
: Do you think I don't know that?! The guilt for inviting them into the holy land will stay with me forever...
: Be that as it may, as the entrance to the holy land of Elbesem, Barrand is an important strategic point. Even without your troubles, how long would it have been before the Emperor turned his greedy eyes towards you?
For the record, I'm editing out every unnecessary ellipses. I've cleaned out nine already.
: That is a hard truth, Dantares. With the people in revolt, you had no other choice. There was no way to stop the invasion by the Empire.
: As our Republic has but recently separated from the Empire, our own people do not yet understand the benefits of standing on our own. The Empire has taken advantage of that fact.
: We have poured our lifeblood into this while others tear down everything we accomplish. It is unbearable.
: 'Others tear down everything'? Who are you talking about?
: What do you mean who? Have you forgotten? The rabble General Varlant mentioned.
: I have not forgotten, but there's no need to bring that subject up now.
: I haven't heard about this. Please continue.
: I see. You don't look as if you are.
: Ah, Lord Conrad. It is a shame his health would not permit him to come. It is at times like this we need him the most.
: Are you unsatisfied with Synbios? You would prefer General Varlant, perhaps? Is that what you were implying, Tybalt?
Benetram gives no shits and is a pretty cool king.
: We know Varlant wanted to be here, Tybalt, but you know as well as any of us what a bad idea that would be.
: We all know Varlant is a good man, but you know his temper. He is not suited for such delicate negotiations.
: Uhh...
: You enlisted Dantares. he wouldn't be here unless he thought Synbios could make a difference.
drat right they called in Dantares. He is going to fix every god drat problem. Oh yeah, I guess Synbios can come along too.
: Lord Synbios may still be young, but I see him carrying the future of the Republic on his back, someday.
: Enough about me. I want to hear more about these troublemakers.
: I believe you were telling an interesting story, weren't you, Brutus?
: Um... oh... you mean about... It's really not that big of a deal.
: Our soldiers stationed in Balsamo, have reported some strange people in the area.
: I see. �Strange people.� Could you be perhaps a bit more specific?
: He refers to the ones General Varlant mentioned, the monks of that bizarre religious sect, the ones with the masks.
: They don't sound like a concern to me.
: General Varlant reported a group of pagan monks taking up residence in Balsamo prior to the start of the peace conference.
: Masked pagan monks...
: I don't understand how a pagan cult can proliferate on this continent in the face of the holy word of Elbesem.
: The people have enough to worry about. They shouldn't have their minds filled with that pagan nonsense.
: With the recent unrest, they're gaining quite a following preaching about the coming "new order".
: These monks sound like a bunch of cranks. Is there something else about them that alarms you?
: These pagans... They claim they pray for peace, but what if their true aim is more sinister?
Now that's just crazy talk, Benetram. A religious group attempting to seize power during political turmoil? This isn't Ivalice.
: Benetram, this is of no immediate concern.
: This sort of doomsday preaching can be heard everywhere in Barrand. People are eating up these fantasies.
: Benetram, you're a pessimist. There are nuts everywhere. Worry about all of them, and you'll become one.
: If those monks are the ones I've heard about, well, I have reason to be pessimistic.
: Let's talk about this some other time, shall we? We came all this way to talk peace with the Empire.
: Anyway, we should discuss our strategies in today's conference with the Empire while we still have time.
Somebody knocks on the door.
: What is it?
: Pardon the intrusion, my Lords... A messenger from Saraband is here to see you.
: I thought we still had plenty of time before the conference.
: That's all right. Bring him in.
Now class, is there anything fishy about this picture?
: You're here a bit ahead of schedule, aren't you?
: Lord Garvin suggests that given the current difficulties in the peace negotiations, a new approach may help. Before the official conference begins, he invites both yourself and the Emperor to an informal council.
: We weren't informed of this.
: This "informal council" is obviously an excuse to get all the advisors out of the room.
: Perhaps that's not such a bad idea. Without the confusion of many voices, the two of us might make progress. All right, I shall go.
: Are you planning on going without a bodyguard?
: I shall ask Edmund to accompany me.
: But I am the aggrieved party in this conference!
: Your emotions may hinder our discussion. In light of this, I believe you should remain here. I would also like to ask Synbios to do something for me. Unlike us, you are not well known here. Go speak with the people of Saraband, and learn what you can.
: As you order, Benetram.
: Even though the Emperor Domaric and I meet today, I would not expect to resolve everything just like that. Besides, you are too serious, like your father. You could use some time relaxing among the people. I also need to tell Dantares something. I think an Imperial knight, Campbell, is here in Saraband accompanying the youngest prince, Medion.
: Campbell sounds familiar. I've heard tales of a brave knight.
They were talking about you, Dantares.
: A while ago, during a border skirmish, he fought brilliantly against us. You may find him somewhere in town. I am ready. Thank you for waiting, messenger.
: So, now what do we do?
: Nothing to do but wait. But you have a job to do, Synbios. You'd better go.
And just like that, we already have the best character in the game. No, I'm not kidding in any way, shape, or form. By the end of this scenario, we will have everyone in this thread addressing Dantares as �General Dantares�.
To quickly recap the plot, since this is a lot of information to dump all at once: Synbios is probably a general in the Aspinian Republic. His colleague, Lord Tybalt of Barrand couldn't quell some civil unrest, and called on the army of the Destonian Empire to supress it. As a result, the empire seized control of Barrand, and now Tybalt has come running to the rest of the republic to negotiate Barrand back into his hands. Also, the republic has a monarch for some reason.
: You might be able to discover something there.
Just in case we don't know where to go or don't want to waste out time milling about, Brutus tells us exactly where to go.
: You must fill the void this has created.
While Synbios is outright stated to be a rookie, his fellow generals and lords still treat him with the respect of an equal. It's an interesting dynamic that will meet some serious contrast in the beginning of Scenario 2.
As per RPG traditions, we can loot random shelves and boxes for stuff. There's not much of importance in Saraband for now, but I snatched these coins as an example.
Cabinets that don't have any loot in them can generate on of several amusing messages. This one is the one that stands out, and sadly this is not the last mention of underwear we will see in the game.
Before we can leave the mansion, we're stopped by the cantaul who was waiting outside.
: Ah, it is you, Grace. So, where is Masqurin?
: That little minx, she's afraid she'll be scolded and is curled up hiding somewhere.
: She got me in trouble. In the middle of the conference, she peeked through the window.
: Oh please, I bet you to forgive her. She regrets what she did.
: None of the other generals are watching. Let it slide, Dantares.
: Please don't ask that of me, my lord. If we let Masqurin off so easily, it would not be good for her. But since you insist, I'll let her off with a warning this time.
: You can come out now, Masqurin! Sir Dantares says he'll forgive you.
: Masqurin, what am I to do with you?
: The messenger gave them to me earlier. I'm presenting them as my way of saying I'm sorry for what happened.
Aww, isn't Masquirn jus- Wait, who did she say gave those to her?
: You think this qualifies as an apology?
: Would you like some too, Lord Synbios?
: Ahem! Masqurin! I'm not finished with you!
Before you ask, no these don't do anything.
: Yes, what were you saying?
: Oh, never mind. Due to King Benetram's generosity, we get to see the sights of Saraband. Let's not waste any more time.
And like that, we've got our first fighting team. And just as a note, I edited out over forty ellipses in this update alone. This game's script is going to end up killing me.
NEXT TIME: Calibrate the �OH gently caress IT'S DANTARES� counter!
|# ? May 7, 2013 17:32
The Shining Force: Part 1
�His father Conrad was a primary founder of the Republic. Synbios is a fervent defender of Republican ideology, but is realizing the difficulty of making it a reality."
Pros: Learns Spark, gets an early mithril weapon, good support skill
Cons: Mediocre stats all around, game over if he dies
Spells: Return, Spark
Support: Attack Up
Thoughts: Synbios, in addition to having the stupidest name on record, is the wimpiest protagonist in Shining Force history. Take Nick's weak offense with Bowie's mediocre defense, add the fact that he uses a weapon that's weak in the triangle, and you get this guy. His only saving grace is that you find a unique weapon suited for him fairly early in the game, saving his lame stat growths.
�Elite Republican knight. Conrad request he escort Synbios to the peace conference. Engaged in a rivalry with Sir Campbell.�
Pros: He's Guntz with 7 MOV
Cons: I'm not kidding
Support: Enemy Critical Down
Thoughts: As if to say they were sorry for all the mediocre knights in the previous Shining Force games, Camelot gives us this murder machine right off the bat. He starts with high base stats, has steady, high growths, and has advantage over sword wielders. His stats are so insane, by the endgame he'll be performing one hit KOs and struggling to find anyone who can scratch his HP bar. Sadly, this still doesn't put him in the top five most broken Shining Force characters of all time.
�Elvin mage who has served Synbios since childhood. Her personality is carefree and unrestrained, but she's a valuable asset to Synbios' army.�
Pros: Excellent spell set, excellent support
Cons: Fragile, capable of burning through mana quickly
Support: Magic Up
Spells: Blaze, Spark, Attack
Thoughts: The upgraded magic system is enough of a boon, but Camelot first gives us a mage that learns Spark (the new name for Bolt) AND Attack? With the way magic works in Shining Force 3, Masqurin's only real problem will be trying to decide between vomiting multitarget damage on the enemy or cranking a teammate's offense into the sky.
�Priest of the cantaul race. She and Masqurin have attended to Synbios from a young age. Befitting one who serves Elbesem, she has a calm and gentle personality.�
Pros: Healer
Cons: Healer
Support: Magic Defense Up, Luck Up
Spells: Heal, Antidote, Aura
Thoughts: Priests are in a weird space in Shining Force 3. They don't hit hard and don't gain quite as much experience as they did in Shining Force 2, but they generally have better and more flexible spell sets, along with being able to target weird enemy vulnerabilities. Regardless, we're going to want to keep Grace around, as she's our only source of multitarget healing, and all the other healers have very limited MP pools.
inthesto fucked around with this message at Jun 14, 2013 around 16:48
|# ? May 7, 2013 17:33
I remember this from when TotalBiscuit was doing his very high-quality, but unfortunately unfinished, LP. I never got around to playing much of it myself but I've always wanted to see it in its entirety, so thanks for starting this thread. You're presenting it well so far.
And yes, General Dantares is death, destroyer of worlds.
|# ? May 7, 2013 17:57
Black Balloon posted:
I remember this from when TotalBiscuit was doing his very high-quality, but unfortunately unfinished, LP.
Oh dear lord yes, I've been hoping someone would pick up the slack left from that. This is gonna be great.
|# ? May 7, 2013 21:10
At least this will have more for you to do than Battle for Wesnoth right? At any rate good luck and god speed
|# ? May 7, 2013 21:30
Part 2: Dantares only gets better, folks
We're finally treated to the ability to walk around and do things. Saraband is a pretty big city, consisting of four separate areas. There's a lot to explore, but much of it is redundant fluff. For now, take note of these soldier sprites, as we'll be seeing them a lot. The green ones are allied Republican soldiers, while the golds are neutral Saraband guards. Enemy Imperial soldiers will be colored blue.
: I'm surprised to see you attending the conference, and I'm deeply honored to meet you.
OH gently caress IT'S DANTARES (OFID) Counter: 1
Over to the side, we meet a guy tending to a coop of pigeons.
Guy with a portrait, which means we're eventually either recruiting him or murdering him. Also, as we'll find out, saying �poor village in the Republic� is going to be redundant.
: I liked it so much, I joined the Saraband Guard. However, I'm thinking about moving on again.
Behind the pigeon coop, we get potential ally/enemy #2. Apparently, the Saraband Guard employs a lot of archers.
If we say yes:
I hope you people are putting together the pieces by now. It's not really all that subtle. On the other hand, if we say no:
You should stop and spend some time admiring flowers, even during battle. It may prove useful!
Yeah, uh, last time I did that.
Thanks, but no thanks.
In all seriousness, this is the game's hint that searching for stuff during battle will yield you some nice items.
: When Emperor Domaric came to power, laws to divide nobility from the middle class were passed, and we're living with the results.
: We left the Empire, and became citizens of Saraband. Your father and other Republican pioneers fought impossible odds against Emperor Domaric's terrifying army, but succeeded in founding their own country.
: The Republic, which is based on equality, is plagued with budgetary hardships. So, Saraband is really the ideal nation.
This is more or less all the exposition that we need for now. There used to be a single empire ruled by Domaric, but twenty years ago a bunch of aristocrats banded together and revolted, separating and forming the Aspinian Republic. Most of the major Republican players in that war were in the introduction we just sat through, with the notable absence of Conrad, Synbios' father. While the republic seems nice and spouts principles of egalitarianism, the reality is that it still has an aristocratic class and most of the common people don't have enough food to eat.
Wandering outside, we happen upon this equestrian fellow in nice threads tending to his laundry.
We answer yes, because this will become important on the second disc.
I look forward to your answer after many more battles. Tell me again the next time we meet.
Well, he certainly was a cool fellow. I wonder which war made him a veteran. But where did that portrait come from?
Milling around, there's a bunch of stuff to pilfer in various houses, but there's only one thing I particularly care about right now.
Yep, mithrils are back and the game gives you way too many of them. They're not going to be useful until much later in the game, but it's handy to collect them when you can.
Heading over to the east, we wander into the district housing the Imperial army.
These guys don't exactly have a high opinion of us. If we wander too far into Imperial territory
: This is looking rather grim, Grace.
: What's so grim about it, Republican soldiers?
: I think we've come to a bad place. I think we should turn around now.
: Oh no, wait a second! You people must be spies! Do you think we'd let spies escape so easily?
To be fair, he is correct. Benetram's orders were more or less to gather intel in the city.
: You come to the Imperial district and think you can get away with it? I think we need to beat some sense into your thick skulls.
: Hey, I don't like your tone. Are you challenging us? You actually think you're worthy enough to fight us?
: Ha! You think you can fight us on our own turf? And still win?
: There's only one way to find out. Prepare to learn how hard it is to win a battle when you've lost an arm or two.
General Dantares don't gently caress around.
: Yes, I'm Medion.
: That gentleman over there is Sir Dantares. Some say he is even stronger than I.
OFID Counter: 2
: Even stronger than Sir Campbell? Boy, did we choose the wrong guy to pick a fight with.
: I won't try to stop you, but if I were you I wouldn't fight him. So, what will you do? It seems you have been quite rude to these people. I wonder if they will forgive you.
The Imperial mooks line up in file and exit one by one, saluting Campbell on their way out. Make note that they don't actually salute Medion.
OFID Counter: 7
Dantares' attitude here is wonderful. �Yeah, I would have ripped those guys limb from limb. Thanks for saving me the trouble."
: Don't mention it. I simply spared a few Imperial soldiers' lives.
: Sorry for stirring trouble, but I wasn't going to back down from those threats.
: It is we, the Imperial army, who should apologize to you for acting so rudely.
: It's our fault for wandering into your territory so indiscreetly.
: If we keep going on like this with the formalities, it'd take an eternity.
: I saw you fight in the battle at the border awhile back, Sir Dantares. I don't look forward to facing you on the battlefield anytime soon.
OFID Counter: 8
: I was about to say the same thing, Sir Campbell. Your repulation in battle preceeds you.
: Is the person next to you, by any chance, Lord Synbios? The son of Lord Conrad, the great general?
: That would be I, standing in place of my father.
: Your father is still considered a hero in the Empire. So, you are his son.
: Either way, it cannot be just a coincidence that we met like this in the Imperial district.
: Coincidence, possibly. To tell you the truth, we are investigating the masked monks.
: Masked monks?
Suddenly, explosions.
: I see now. those explosives were for this occasion.
: Well that much is obvious. However, for what reason?
: We don't know what these monks are after yet, but for the moment we should return to our respective camps and assess the damages.
: Lord Synbios, we must head back. The timing is unfortunate as I think we have much in common. Let us be sure to talk again.
: Likewise to you, Medion.
: Let's hurry back to our camp, too.
But first, let's check in with those rude dudes on our way out.
Just like we thought, Imperials are all cowards.
As soon as we leave the Imperial district and reenter the central district, some guy with a huge schnoz shows up.
: We detonated the explosive in time. He seems to have returned to his headquarters.
Oh, it's a mask. Funny, that outfit looks familiar if it didn't have the huge mask protruding from the hood.
: You're not Medion and his allies. You are swine from the Republic!
He doesn't like Imperials or Republicans? There's a third faction at play?
: It seems these are thee ones Medion was pursuing.
: Enough being talked down to. Take him out!
: Hah! Do you think you can fight me with that pitiful band? I'll cut you all to pieces!
And he summons a few identical buddies.
And here's our starting stat rollout. As you can see, Dantares is just plain better at everything than everyone else, and it's going to stay that way. In Shining Force 2 tradition, our hero is barely any better than our healer, but at least our mage is baller as hell.
The map reveals that we're fighting four against five, but the monks have pretty low stats, so it's not much to worry about. The one talky monk at the beginning does have two extra points of attack and one more hit point, making him a mini-boss of sorts, but he's just as easy to take down as the rest.
The easy way to deal with this fight is to just hide around the corner of the church and hang out until they come to you. With the monks in a single file line, it's easy to take down one or two in a single round before they get a chance to do any real damage.
Masqurin opens with Blaze 1, which does much more damage than previous incarnations. Recall that the monks only have 14 HP a piece. This spell which costs 2 MP is hitting them really drat hard, and given the way magic works in Shining Force 3, will continue to hit really drat hard for very little cost.
The exclamation point above the monk's head indicates weapon advantage. Shining Force 3 implemented a weapon triangle, copied straight out of Fire Emblem: Spears beat swords, swords beat axes, and axes beat spears. If you have advantage over an enemy, your critical chance and damage go up by a small but significant amount. If you attack an enemy when you have disadvantage (which has no icon associated, so you'd better be paying attention), the enemy gains an increased dodge and counter chance. Since the monks are all wielding swords and Dantares a lance... well, you can guess what this means.
I forgot to cap the damage number, but he deals 10 damage. I don't know exactly what the advantage bonus is, but running the numbers, Dantares would ordinarily do 8 damage, so he's getting a +2 bonus here.
On the other hand, when the monk attempts to attack Dantares on its turn, the weapon disadvantage rolls in our favor. Unilke previous games, counters deal full damage, and thus are pretty drat deadly. This results in a dead monk.
On the other hand, Synbios does pathetic damage without weapon advantage. He's only three points of attack below Dantaers, but he's doing six less damage. Ouch.
And just like Shining Force 2's gizmo fight, the first fight in this game gives you pathetic gold and experience. At least we're getting healing items for free.
In normal Shining Force fashion, the enemy AI is programmed to dogpile on the protagonist whenever possible. The normal monks hit Synbios for three damage each, but the big guy hits for five. It can get deadly pretty quickly, but that's why Grace is around.
Once again, healer experience scales on what percentage of your target's HP you restored. I've never known the actual formula and I'll probably never figure it out.
It's best to take out the beefier monk as soon as possible. He hits everyone but Dantares pretty drat hard, so we don't want him linger around, even if it means overkilling.
With the big guy dead, cleaning up the rest is trivial, since they only do significant damage to Masqurin, and the AI would rather try to scratch Synbios' armor.
Battle Report!
Level 2 1 HP/1 ATT/1 DEF/1 AGI
Level 2 1 HP/3 MP/1 ATT/1 DEF/1 AGI
Please do not point out how it's only possible to level up if you repeat this battle. I may or may not have let the big monk latch onto Synbios my first time around.
Not pictured: The rotting corpse of a faceless monk Synbios' army just slaughtered.
: These monks are obviously responsible for the explosions. In any case, let's get back to our headquarters.
NEXT TIME: Buy some colored contacts!
inthesto fucked around with this message at Apr 29, 2014 around 20:02
|# ? May 7, 2013 21:30
For the love of god, let me know what emulator you found that WORKS.
I've been trying to play SF3 for YEARS, I even own physical copies in japanese (but sadly lack a working Saturn because nobody SELLS working ones... bastards). Hell, I'm working on a game design degree just to try and revive the Strategy RPG genre, with the SF series as one of my main inspirations.
|# ? May 7, 2013 21:42
This looks interesting, and I'll follow it. How much am I missing out on by not being familiar with the previous two games?
|# ? May 7, 2013 21:54
Oh hey, it's that game I was always too lazy to LP!
I love this game - the characters are great, the plot is good, music is fantastic, the battle animations are fun to watch, and certain characters are complete loving beasts. There's a lot of depth and secrets. I even love how it ties into Shining the Holy Ark. (maybe I should LP that one) But somehow I never got around to putting the time into Scenarios 2 and 3 when they became available. So really looking forward to more.
(also you didn't ask for character names and I'm not suggesting, but last time I started a game I named them Robert, Rhaegar and Eddard. It almost works?)
ultrafilter posted:
This looks interesting, and I'll follow it. How much am I missing out on by not being familiar with the previous two games?
Pretty much nothing in this game comes from SF1 or 2, IIRC. There is some continuity from Shining the Holy Ark, but that's some way off and you can probably live without it.
It's a real shame Sega seems hell bent on burying this title's existence.
|# ? May 7, 2013 22:03
FireSight posted:
For the love of god, let me know what emulator you found that WORKS.
Poke around for the latest builds of SSF. I don't know if it's kosher to link emulators in here and it takes a bit of legwork to get things working (the translation patches actually have a few known crash points, so you have to do some clever disc swapping), but the game can be played reasonably well at this point.
ultrafilter posted:
This looks interesting, and I'll follow it. How much am I missing out on by not being familiar with the previous two games?
Not much. While the Shining Force games all take place in the same universe, the connections are generally very subtle. There's already been one that a veteran player who's not on the lookout might have missed. I'll be making in-universe references myself from time to time (as I already did with the flower joke), but I'll let the thread explain them if anyone has questions.
|# ? May 7, 2013 22:05
geri_khan posted:
I love this game - the characters are great, the plot is good, music is fantastic, the battle animations are fun to watch, and certain characters are complete loving beasts. There's a lot of depth and secrets. I even love how it ties into Shining the Holy Ark. (maybe I should LP that one) But somehow I never got around to putting the time into Scenarios 2 and 3 when they became available. So really looking forward to more.
Please do! I actually don't know anything about the dungeon crawler Shining titles (I always got lost in the very beginning of SitD), so I'd like to see the lore connections myself.
|# ? May 7, 2013 22:09
inthesto posted:
Poke around for the latest builds of SSF. I don't know if it's kosher to link emulators in here and it takes a bit of legwork to get things working (the translation patches actually have a few known crash points, so you have to do some clever disc swapping), but the game can be played reasonably well at this point.
SSF 12 beta worked for me, according to my notes I needed to use the JP version to get past the Fafhard cut scene and the fourth battle of Scenario II. I would recommend figuring out a way of hooking a gamepad up as well, it's pretty clunky with the keyboard.
Absolutely amazing game, you've already shown some stuff off I didn't know about so I'm looking forward to all of the little goodies you manage to find. And you should really try and refrain for using Escape, I've beaten all three scenarios on hard without using it until the veeery end of Scen III and it makes the game much more interesting. As Total Biscuit showed us, it doesn't take too many extra levels before you can just rush your guys forward and kill everything with counters.
|# ? May 7, 2013 22:47
inthesto posted:
Poke around for the latest builds of SSF. I don't know if it's kosher to link emulators in here and it takes a bit of legwork to get things working (the translation patches actually have a few known crash points, so you have to do some clever disc swapping), but the game can be played reasonably well at this point.
Huh, do you have any documentation on getting SSF to work? I've also been trying to figure out a way to play this game for years. Also excited to see this LP just in case I never do get to play it myself.
|# ? May 7, 2013 22:48
On the list of things that shining force 3 got wrong should be the absolutely horrific voices for the english version. I get the feeling that there's some kind of untold story of how the localization team could have hosed up *this* badly when casting voices: http://shiningforceacting.ytmnd.com/.
FireSight posted:
For the love of god, let me know what emulator you found that WORKS.
SSF is definitely the gold standard for me when it comes to Saturn emulation, it's pretty much flawless now for any Saturn game that you would want to play although it might be kind of finicky to get going. There's also Yabause that somewhat recently had a release (1/23/2013) but I haven't personally used it so I don't know how well it compares.
shining force central's site has a guide on setting up SSF that you can use as a starting point if it doesn't work right off the bat for you.
DeliciousCookie posted:
Huh, do you have any documentation on getting SSF to work? I've also been trying to figure out a way to play this game for years. Also excited to see this LP just in case I never do get to play it myself.
staplegun fucked around with this message at May 7, 2013 around 23:06
|# ? May 7, 2013 22:53
staplegun posted:
On the list of things that shining force 3 got wrong should be the absolutely horrific voices for the english version. I get the feeling that there's some kind of untold story of how the localization team could have hosed up *this* badly when casting voices: http://shiningforceacting.ytmnd.com/.
|# ? May 7, 2013 23:13
ultrafilter posted:
Yep, those are all actual lines from Shining Force 3. Luckily, none of the dialogue is voice acted, and that's just stuff from casting spells and the like. The game mercifully includes an option to turn off voices.
Chances are, the localization team just handed a few lines for the interns to read and recorded it all in one take.
|# ? May 7, 2013 23:19
ultrafilter posted:
Seriously. Pretty sure these are the talents of SEGA's janitorial staff.
I think SF3 was one of the last Saturn games to come to the west and I doubt Sega had much of a budget for localisation. The script is good in general (if wordy...) but the in-battle voices are dreadful.
That's not intended to be an excuse, just the only reason I can think of for how awful they are.
|# ? May 7, 2013 23:21
staplegun posted:
On the list of things that shining force 3 got wrong should be the absolutely horrific voices for the english version. I get the feeling that there's some kind of untold story of how the localization team could have hosed up *this* badly when casting voices: http://shiningforceacting.ytmnd.com/.
Did the developers hire whoever was on the other side of the speaker at a fast food drive-through? Those voices are just overflowing with character.
Otherwise, I'm really looking forward to following this LP. Like a few others, it was one of the games that I never had the chance to play.
|# ? May 7, 2013 23:31
|# ? May 7, 2013 23:34
That's why Penn is the best character in the game, he's the only one without voice acting.
That Dantares guy is pretty cool too, I guess.
|# ? May 8, 2013 00:09
inthesto posted:
I don't know if it's kosher to link emulators in here
It's fine, as long as you don't post links to any actual ROMZZZZ.
|# ? May 8, 2013 01:58
A SF3 LP! Alright!
Nothing will ever replace Total Biscut's LP of the game, but since it doesn't look like he'll be finishing his, I'll take what I can get.
Speaking of localization team fuckups;
inthesto: Are you going to be using the translation team's redo of the end of disk one? It's pretty different than what was on the US version of the disk.
|# ? May 8, 2013 02:49
I actually had no idea that they were different. Thankfully, through the magic of emulation, it'll be easy enough to show both.
|# ? May 8, 2013 09:30
Speaking of totalbiscuit's SF3 LP, apparently it got taken down from youtube. I don't think he's reuploaded it anywhere, either, so I guess it's just completely lost to the ether.
|# ? May 8, 2013 10:07
inthesto posted:
I actually had no idea that they were different. Thankfully, through the magic of emulation, it'll be easy enough to show both.
They had to be. The US/EU ending(That is, the 'after the credits') was changed to attempt to make it an ending, where the JP ending was very much a 'to be continued' moment). It failed horribly in this task due to lack of sense.
|# ? May 8, 2013 12:50
Part 3: This really couldn't be any more obvious
Now that we've brutally massacred some religious heretics, let's get back to HQ and sort this all out.
Okay, either this is some kind of Voltron tribute performance art, or something sinister is going on.
: King Benetram, by any chance is the person with you the Emperor Domaric?
: Indeed, I am Domaric. Are you not the knight, Dantares, who fought in the defeat of Campbell's army at the coast? That means this child next to you would be the son of Conrad.
: What is going on here? Please give me an answer, King Benetram!
Now the game isn't even bothering with subtlety anymore.
: Are you saying that you don't know of this infamous plan to return Barrand in exchange for my life? That no one knew of this? What a farce.
: Benetram, are you trying to sabotage the peace talks? Release the emperor now!
: Even if we release the Emperor now, it won't change a thing. The die is cast.
Well doesn't that just sound ominous.
: Please release Emperor Domaric! I, Dantares, upon my oath as a knight, can not allow even you to abduct the Emperor!
: Interesting... So you're saying you will cut me down if I try to leave with the Emperor?
I don't care if he's being sarcastic. That's going on the tally.
OFID Counter: 9
: What are you waiting for? Stop wasting my time! Hurry up and do it! Ah, so you've changed your mind. Then my business here is complete, and I'll be on my way!
Domaric, who the hell are you talking to?
: We can't just give up yet! King Benetram will be at the camp. We've got to try once more to talk some sense into him!
: Don't you think he was acting kind of strange? And why was the King with those monks? We must figure out the truth.
Grace currently gets the �Least Dumbass Team Member� award. Now let's get back to headquarters.
: What's wrong, Synbios? You look a little pale.
: What is the matter Synbios?
: Where's Emperor Domaric?
: Did you say Emperor Domaric?
Brutus charges on in. If there's one small touch I like about this game, it's how they play with the dialogue boxes to add emphasis to things.
: What are you talking about, Brutus?
: You have attacked Saraband! And on top of that... What have you done with the Emperor Domaric?!? The Governor General's office is up in arms!
: Masqurin also asked the same thing. What is going on with the Emperor?
: We all saw it. King Benetram abducted the Emperor Domaric and took him away to the camp!
: What? When did you see that?
: It was just a couple of minutes ago.
: Do you see, Benetram? There is a Republican witness. Do you still want to play innocent?
: But Benetram was here! He returned quite a while ago, saying that the Emperor did not show up.
: However, we really did see it. There's no doubt, it was King Benetram.
Except for the different colored eyes and the completely different speech pattern. Stick to impaling things, Dantares.
: So you saw. Are you sure that it was me?
: That's right! There is another witness to Benetram's doings! Edmund was with him as well.
: Indeed, I was with King Benetram. I was with him the whole time. He never left my sight. Benetram is telling the truth. Domaric did not show up at the conference room. He most certainly did not abduct him.
: Edmund is a man of few words, but he is a trustworthy general who would not lie. So what IS going on here?
: Then, perhaps Synbios saw both Benetram AND Edmund abducting the Emperor!
: Dantares, tell them.
: General Edmund was not there. Instead of him, the king was with a group of masked monks when he came out from the governor's mansion.
: Actually, during the chaos of the attack, we came across a group of those masked monks.
And, on Synbios' orders, killed them without a second thought.
: They attacked us but it was nothing we couldn't handle. They were quite vicious, epecially for monks.
: Are they by chance...
: We did not make the connection back then, but I believe they are the masked pagan worshipers of Balsamo.
: It begins to make sense.
Benetram is going to be mumbling to himself like this throughout the entire game. Apparently he figures everything out much faster than anyone else does, but never actually bothers explaining things until after it's over.
: Do you know something about this, Benetram? Now that I think about it, you were curious about these monks from the very beginning. What is going on?
: It's only speculation, but it seems the perpetrators want me and the Republic to take the blame for this crime.
Okay, it's not like he needed to really explain that one.
: Even while we try to clear ourselves, the Imperial army just might try to wipe us out altogether.
: Since this 'incident' happened in the neutral country of Saraband, their forces will also become our enemies.
: If we stay in Saraband, we are surrounded by enemies. If we go outside, the Imperial territories are filled with enemies. If we must fight, we should move forward and not look back.
: While you make your escape, I shall go to Governor Garvin, and tell him the truth.
: As you are on good terms with Garvin, your pleas might indeed be helpful.
: Trade with Saraband is vital to our country. We must persuade Governor Garvin of our innocence. Brutus. Can I rely on you?
: We'll have to forget about the Barrand peace negotiations for the time being. Still, it will not be easy to escape.
Of course, Tybalt is still a selfish jerk.
: We must not let the Imperial army all work together. We will only find a viable route if we split them up.
: I volunteer my forces to be used as a decoy. While my army creates a diversion for the Imperial army, you can leave Saraband with Synbios' forces, and return to Aspinia
: General Edmund, but that could be...
: Dantares is correct, Edmund. If you do that you will be throwing away your life.
: But if I do not, it won't be just me but ALL of us.
: Therefore, I will join my forces with yours! I cannot stand the Imperial army. If Edmund fights alongside me, I can get my revenge against Destonia!
: Tybalt... Edmund...
: I knew something like this would happen, so I was readty with a skiff. Let's go to the shore and start some trouble!
: Your lives are important... Please, try not to waste them.
Exeunt Tybalt and Edmund
: What are you doing, Benetram? You're under suspicion for all of this! You must get out of here quickly! Edmund and Tybalt's armies will be moving very shortly. Don't waste their sacrifice!
: Let us, too, get moving.
: I didn't bring you here for this, but... I know, this is a great responsibility with no warning. I'm relying on you, Synbios.
: I won't let you down, Benetram.
: I'll deal with things here. Take good care of Benetram.
There's not really anything left to do in Saraband. If we try to go anywhere other than outside, Dantares will interrupt us and tell us to go to the docking pier.
And here's our destination. Naturally, getting out isn't going to be as easy as we'd like.
They're perforated with arrows, despite the fact that none of the monks use bows.
Dantares sounds strangely disappointed that he won't have to trample over the local militia.
: By any reckoning, this is a sad state of affairs.
: If that's you, and you're here, then who is that other Benetram?
At least Hayward is smart enough to figure out that the Benetram with an entourage of Republican soldiers is the real one.
: We can't allow that. The affairs of Saraband will be resolved by Saraband's soldiers, even if it costs us our lives.
This line is amusing. Although I didn't cap it, if you talk to random townsfolk, you realize that Saraband doesn't place much cultural importance on the military, and as a result, its soldiers are second-rate.
: Heh, I see. You will regret disobeying King Benetram as I put you to death.
That doesn't look good.
Once again, who the hell are you whispering to, Domaric?
: I am surprised to hear the �Lord of Massacres� Emperor Domaric would be so compassionate. Well then, in defense of Emperor Domaric's wishes, we will make your end swift and merciful.
: Stop... Ugh... Run away, my brother! Run!
: You're still alive, Garosh!
: Ha! Regrettably, your advice comes a bit late.
Spinning text boxes are fun.
: No! My dear brother!
Oh please, he didn't have a portrait. He couldn't be that dear to you.
: How sadistic.
: My sources tell me the Republican army has escaped Saraband.
: The main Republican forces have deployed in the adjacent plains and the battle rages as we speak.
: Benetram is still alive. He used the bulk of his forces as a decoy. He's quite clever.
: It seems the mystery is beginning to unravel. That looks like King Benetram, but why are there no Republican guards with him? There's something wrong here.
Hayward joins Grace on the �Not Dumbasses� list.
: Please hurry ahead with Domaric. I'll catch up with you once we have things in hand here.
: They intend to kill the guard who overhead their plan and us along with him. That guard is the only witness who can prove my innocence. We must do everything we can to protect him.
There's actually two Saraband guards who can act as witnesses, and yet the we can't send the smarter one back to Garvin.
: If anything happens to you, my lord, our decoy forces will have risked their lives for nothing. Please leave this to us.
: I understand. I'll stay out of the way and wish you luck.
The battlefield this time is just a straight line down. Ignore the green blips at the bottom; those are just barrels and I have no idea why they show up on the map.
Two new enemies. Bats have high evasion and can poison, but are very easy to kill. The masked priest is a boss who's a fat stack of hit points and not much else.
One nice thing Shining Force 3 added was this little icon. It indicates the boss of the fight, meaning that if we kill him, everyone else goes down too.
Another cool thing Shining Force 3 does is give stats to characters who aren't even supposed to be in the fight. Obviously, we're not supposed to be loving around with the fake Benetram yet. Domaric, on the other hand, looks awfully wimpy for such a menacing title.
Finally, we have this guy whom we're supposed to rescue. His stats are god awful, and if we don't beeline for him immediately, he's going to die. I also forgot to cap Hayward's stats, but suffice it to say that he's better than Synbios despite being a level lower.
: I see, so that what's going on. So many hidden enemies. Both Benetram and even I, Domaric, are mere pawns in this twisted scheme.
At the start of the second turn, the impostor and Domaric take their leave. The map is big enough that nothing actually happens before then.
Because Garosh and Hayward start halfway up the map, a bunch of enemies start attacking them instantly. They both get hit for 3 damage each,but the AI prioritizes Garosh over Hayward. If you don't make it to Garosh by the end of turn 3, he will die.
And this is why we don't really need to be afraid of bats. Apparently Masqurin spent some time studying how to cook in Alterone.
On the third turn, Synbios will be just in range to move next to Garosh and talk to him. It doesn't matter which character you use, but because there's so little variance this early in the game, this is what happens every time.
: You are members of the real Republican army? To imperonate King Benetram and take the life of my brother... I shall make them pay for this! I'll go now to inform Govenor Garvin of this, and dispel all the lies about you. I'll catch up to you later.
There's no real reason why Garosh couldn't have just run off on his own. If you manage to save Garosh like this, he will join Medion's army in scenario 2. However, if we choose to let him die:
He won't show up in scenario 2, instead being replaced by another character. While both characters are decent enough, Garosh is more focused on being a glass cannon whereas his replacement can take a few hits. Also, his replacement has a unique class and a much cooler sprite. Either way, it has little effect on the plot. At the end of this update, please vote on whether we want to save Garosh or leave him to bite the dust.
On the other hand, there's another Saraband archer we can chat up:
: I see the famous Sir Dantares is with you. Does that mean you are the army of the great Lord Conrad?
OFID Counter: 10
: His son Synbios commands here. We are chasing those masked monks and their impostor.
: To pursue such a powerful enemy... you seem to be at an obvious disadvantage in strength.
: If you want to help, we can discuss payment after we're done fighting!
: Please, allow me to join your band! I've dreamed of fighting alongside a famous warrior like Sir Dantares.
OFID Counter: 11
And now we have the second best character in scenario 1. Camelot really is destroying all expectations.
Like I said, Hayward is already far, far better than Synbios.
Between being able to one-shot bats with Masqurin and not taking any damage from monks, this fight is fairly trivial. The only real challenge is saving Garosh and Hayward.
A lot of maps will have breakable barrels sitting around. They always die in one hit and always give you 5 experience. Sometimes they'll have items hidden in them. Naturally, it's always good to bust them open if you have the time, because why not? On this map, one of the barrels contains a medical herb, and that's it.
Nope, not really scared. Also remember that the boss has even less attack than the mooks.
Archers still get weapon advantage over flying enemies. I don't think it's a flat +25% damage bonus like it was in Shining Force 2, instead staying in line with all the other weapon advantages in the game.
Our first status effect! This is slightly annoying, because Grace hasn't learned antidote yet, so we either have to burn up an antidote herb or wait until after the fight and drag Hayward to a priest.
Another fun thing about Shining Force 3: Poison no longer does a flat 2 damage per turn. It either scales on the enemy that inflicted it or on your max HP. Not really sure which.
All that's left is to surround and pound the boss. Like I said, he's got a lot of HP but no damage. For the record, Synbios hits the boss for 7, while Hayward hits for 10. That's right, our hero is being outdone by the initial archer and it's going to stay that way.
The boss does pack Tornado (formerly known as Blast). It only deals 5 damage to a single target, and thus is not much of a threat. Unfortunately, I couldn't cap the animation, but we'll be seeing it plenty more anyway.
Masqurin, on the other hand, collects free and easy experience from the stragglers.
More new stuff in Shining Force 3! A non-healer using a healing item now grants more than 1 experience! Not much more, but it's something.
Let's just finish this with priest on priest violence, because Grace needs the experience anyway.
: In any case, Garosh is taking much too long. I wonder if he was able to clear our name.
: That's not our concern now. We need to hunt down those monks and end this abduction.
: If we waste any more time, they'll have too much of a head start. We must leave at once for Balsamo!
: I see. You're referring to the information we got from General Varlant about their base of operations. Let's go after them.
Wait, what information from Varlant? We haven't even met the guy yet.
On the other hand, if we failed to save Garosh, the dialogue is slightly different:
: We did our best, but he would have only had so much influence. Right now, we need to catch those monks instead.
: Indeed. Synbios, they must be headed for Balsamo. We must pursue them! If we hurry, we can still catch them.
: Let's be off before a search party from Saraband or the Empire can catch up to us.
Please remember to vote over whether we save Garosh or not.
|# ? May 8, 2013 21:52
All in the name of coolness.
|# ? May 8, 2013 22:06
I vote that we don't deal with Garosh's bugged HP and let him die. Also Egress from the next fight and go talk to the people hanging around the guard barracks.
|# ? May 8, 2013 22:07
Let Garrosh Die.
Also, don't you need to destroy one of the barrels on this map to get an item on one of the ships afterwards?
|# ? May 8, 2013 22:38
Garosh can bite the dust.
|# ? May 8, 2013 22:43
Let Garrosh Die.
|# ? May 8, 2013 23:00
I usually saved him out of principle, but honestly he never looked that interesting to me. So let him die and we'll see who we get instead.
|# ? May 9, 2013 00:27
Fraternal vengeance vs. cold, hard numbers. Eh, let him die. Kind of a stupid plot hook, anyway.
|# ? May 9, 2013 00:44
You guys are heartless.
True Heroes don't fail to save their allies, save Garosh
|# ? May 9, 2013 01:27
Bitchtits McGee posted:
Fraternal vengeance vs. cold, hard numbers. Eh, let him die. Kind of a stupid plot hook, anyway.
I think the cold hard numbers say he's better at hitting things than his replacement, he just turns into a spectacular glass cannon.
*edited because spoiles*
Ardeem fucked around with this message at May 9, 2013 around 02:23
|# ? May 9, 2013 02:06
TB's LP was what got me hooked on the forums back in the day. I've always wanted to see the entire thing to it's end.
EDIT: Ah, well, let the fucker die I guess.
|# ? May 9, 2013 02:18
Ardeem posted:
minor spoilers
I'd appreciate if you put some spoiler tags around that, or just changed it to "his replacement" instead.
Anyway, the variance between Garosh and his replacement isn't large. Scenario 2 gives you way too many characters of their class type anyway.
|# ? May 9, 2013 02:19
Always wanted to see someone LP this awesome game. Played Scenario 1 and felt completely cheated by not getting Scenarios 2 and 3. Also, for a Sakuraba Motoi OST, this is one of his few great ones. It seems that he can do brilliant work with every game that isn't Star Ocean or Tales. Baten Kaitos for that matter was awesome despite its myriad other problems.
Also Save Garosh.
|# ? May 9, 2013 04:31
|# ? Sep 20, 2019 20:25
I know I'm in the minority here, but valiance and honor demand that Garosh live to avenge his fallen (faceless) brother!
|# ? May 9, 2013 06:57


text:
Sign of the Times
After yesterday's tiger-blood fiasco, I thought it might be a good idea to bring things down a notch. Maybe light a campfire. Grab my trusty Uke.*
*That's slang for "Ukulele". Trust me. I'm a musician.**
** Never trust a musician.
Then I thought we'd play a little "Somewhere over the rainbow" and bask in the warm, fuzzy glow of some peace sign cakes. Can you dig it, man? Groovy.
Let's start by taking a nice deep breath. (Don't mind the smell; that's just my "glaucoma medication.") Deeper. Now... hold it in and look at this cake:
The one reminds us how beautiful incorrectly drawn peace symbols are - on the inside.
And we're breathing IN the good, and OUT the bad...
Oh. Never mind.

subset: commoncrawl


text: NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- The health of the mortgage market improved significantly in 2012, with nearly every risk indicator heading down, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in its quarterly National Delinquency Survey. The delinquency rate for one-to-four residential mortgages -- the percentage of loans that are at least one payment behind but not in foreclosure -- fell to a seasonally adjusted 7.09% of all loans outstanding at the end of the fourth quarter, the lowest level since 2008. The serious delinquency rate -- the share of loans at least 90 days behind or in foreclosure -- fell 95 basis points from a year earlier to 6.78%. The foreclosure inventory rate -- the percentage of loans in the foreclosure process -- was 3.74%, the lowest since the fourth quarter of 2008. "With fewer new delinquencies, the foreclosure start rate and foreclosure inventory rates continue to fall and are at their lowest levels since 2007 and 2008, respectively," said Jay Brinkmann, MBA's chief economist and senior vice president of research. An improving jobs market, rising home prices and the strong credit quality of recent originations are helping to lower the delinquency rate. The number of delinquent borrowers have also declined because they have, in effect, ceased to be borrowers. Banks are pursuing more short sales to resolve delinquent loans, thus reducing the number of delinquent borrowers without increasing the foreclosure pipeline, which in some states is only growing longer. The survey also highlighted the continuing disparity between states based on the way they process foreclosures. States that follow a judicial foreclosure process -- in which the bank needs to prove the borrower is in default in court before pursuing foreclosure action -- continue to show an elevated foreclosure rate, as long timelines have created a large and growing backlog of foreclosures. The average foreclosure rate in judicial states, which includes Florida, New York and New Jersey, among others, is at 6.2%, three times the 2.1% average of non-judicial states. "In those cases, the ultimate reduction in the number of loans in foreclosure will have less to do with the recovery of the economy and the housing market than with the return to reasonable foreclosure timelines," the report said. The economists also noted that the percentage of loans at least 90 days past due ticked up from the third quarter on a non-seasonally adjusted basis to 3.04%. That means foreclosure actions could rise in the coming months. While delinquency rates overall are heading in the right direction, they remain well above the normal rate of less than 1%. Mike Frantotoni, vice president of MBA, said in a conference call that we are still "two to three years away" from getting to the historically normal level of delinquency and that is "if the economy cooperates." Some measures, like the 30-day delinquency levels, were already at their lowest level since 2005, which is promising because it is a leading indicator. Other measures, such as the foreclosure inventory rate, might take longer to revert to normal, he said. -- Written by Shanthi Bharatwaj in New York >To contact the writer of this article, click here: Shanthi Bharatwaj. >To follow the writer on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/shavenk. >To submit a news tip, send an email to: email@example.com.


text:
The 26th Annual Cruisin' Nationals
Of all the shows and events I attend year in, year out, there are but a few that I anticipate as highly as one: Paso Robles, or more appropriately, West Coast Kustoms' Cruisin' Nationals. The reasoning is quite simple, really, but let me explain, as I'm sure many of you might share the same sentiments about a particular event as well.
Basically, I've been attending Paso for longer than I've been employed as a magazine editor; so roughly since 1991. I've watched the event grow enormously, but more importantly, I've witnessed the "presence" change over the years-today, many of the younger attendees weren't even licensed to drive when I cut my teeth in Paso. That's both good and bad, but I won't waste time digressing on the negative aspects.
What's kept me coming back year after year is, strangely enough, the people, not just the vehicles. In a way, Paso's sort of like an annual reunion, a place I get to see and hang out with good friends who, if not for the show, I'd probably rarely have the chance to be with. And because of that, I made the executive decision that this year, I'd be off the clock-for once, I was going to be an actual participant and enjoy myself! And let me tell you, I'm going to have a really hard time gettin' back in the swing of actually working an event, that's for sure.
Nevertheless, I knew that somehow, some way, I'd have to get my hands on photos from this year's show. Well, as fate would have it, a guy who's always come to my rescue when I needed it, Marc Gewertz, was kind enough to stand in for me and provide the necessary images. Thanks, Marc! Hopefully you all will enjoy his photos half as much as I enjoyed my much-needed time off.
While it's not a truck-specific event per se, WCK's Cruisin' Nats attracts a huge amount of pickups each and every year. For more information on past and future shows, check out www.westcoastcruise.com.


text:
That's a T. Good truck. I still have one.
I have mainly been rebuilding vintage losi and traxxas trucks,but I picked up an old rc10t on eBay today.
Since I just bought it today I of course do not have it yet,but I wanted to go ahead and get some parts on the way. Could you guys tell me if this is a 10t 10t2 10t3 etc? Any help would be awesome!
That's a T. Good truck. I still have one.
old is gold. Vintage trucks are more durable.
Well Brant, you said very well, vintage ones are more durable and can be more effective.
Looks like a RC10 ST built around 1992ish
|« Previous Thread | Next Thread »


text: You are viewing the Luffy wallpaper titled One Piece Chibi Luffy. This One Piece anime wallpaper has been viewed 90417 times. If Luffy is your favorite anime character, check out more Luffy wallpapers. To view your Luffy wallpaper as a full sized image, click on the screen resolution you want. Then just right click the full sized image and "Set as Desktop Background".


text:
The Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who performed a marathon 10 operations on Heidi Montag, then told her she was cut off, died in a car accident near Malibu.
Dr. Frank Ryan, 50, whose other clients included Gene Simmons, Vince Neil, Adrianne Curry and Shauna Sand, was killed Monday afternoon when his Jeep went off the side of the Pacific Coast Highway and smashed into boulders, according to TMZ.
Ryan suffered major head injuries and died at the scene. Just before the accident, Ryan had been hiking near Malibu with his Border Collie, Jill, and shared a photo on Twitter.
"After 25 years of driving by, I finally hiked to the top of the giant sand dune on the pch west of malibu," he wrote. "Much harder than it looks! Whew!"
Montag, whose dramatic transformation drew condemnation as an example of the wrecthed excess of Hollywood plastic surgery, tweeted after learning of Ryan's death.
"I am devastated to hear the news of Dr. Frank Ryan's death," the reality TV star wrote. "He was the most amazing person I have ever known. He was an angel and changed my life and the lives of everyone he met. He was the most brilliant talented surgeon who will ever exist. Dr. Frank Ryan changed the world."
Selected Reading: Popeater, TMZ, drfrankryan.com.


text:
|'); document.write(''); //-->
The draw for a show entitled Korean War in Color is obvious, and this visually pleasing but underproduced docu does make good on its promise of authentic Korean war action, wall-to-wall and in color.
The sources drawn from are combat camera and other newsreel-type footage. There are also home movies shot by soldiers. The ground combat gets the majority of the screen time; there's very little shown of the air war, unless you count the gunnery camera footage where rockets and tracers blast away at railroads and power plants.
Where Korean War in Color falls short is tying all this together. A slipshod narration script tries to tell the entire tale of the 3-year war, and has a hard time of it. There's so little setup, that after the initial attack by the North Koreans, it's easy to think this was just an American fight. When the UN is finally mentioned, we hear unhappy mistakes such as, "Meanwhile, back with the UN in Washington ..." The facts of the Inchon invasion are well-covered, as are the several military commanders and General MacArthur, but the docu gives us little insight on the war, preferring to stick to the basic facts. It's really a collection of stock footage, arranged with a narration to resemble a docu.
The show is arranged in fifteen modular chapters reminiscent of Reality Television's low-attention-span tendency to recap things every eight minutes or so. There's also an exploitative tone that cheapens the picture, especially at the beginning when we're treated to a mass execution of Northern infiltrators by the South. If the edited version in the show isn't gory enough, we can see it all in the disc's special features. In this context, the execution appears to be the pretext for the invasion. Laterm when we're shown a bombed-out bridge, the narrator is quick to assure us that hundreds of people perished when the span was blown up, as if apologizing for not having color footage of the event.
The Korean war was a terrible slaughter, with the same territory being fought over as many as 3 times as battle lines swept back and forth across the length of the country. This depressing futility, and the hardships suffered by the American soldiers, the docu conveys very well. Not helping much are the animated map graphics, which turn Korea into a meaningless jumble of mountain ranges (which maybe it is). Confidence isn't bolstered by one map that gives the same name to two cities (?) and another graphic in which two rivers are shown to cross each other.
Korean War in Color also has a problem shared by other dramatized war docus, in that there's a lot of unattributed footage used to illustrate specific campaigns. We have to take it on faith that shots aren't staged, or that battle footage isn't being used indiscriminately. After shots of troops in heavy winter clothing are shown huddling in the snow, we're told of a grueling winter advance. But the soldiers we're shown aren't wearing winter gear, and the weather doesn't look nearly as bad as it did a moment before.
Finally, the script tries to have it both ways politically. The basic conflict is presented without prejudice, but the language and descriptions laud the heroic and 'meaningful' sacrifice of the Allied forces while characterizing the North Koreans and Red Chinese as a faceless horde. No doubt that's how they appeared to the soldier on the ground, but we've heard that a million times before and Korean War in Color doesn't show us anything about the enemy, except some stock footage of Red Chinese troops on maneuvers, and their stubborn negotiators.
The best thing here is the raw footage of American soldiers on the ground - showing how they lived, what they wore and the equipment they used. But the simplified script hurts the show even when it's doing well. A segment on the MASH medical units would be good, if it didn't treat the audience like ninnies by repeatedly referring to the television show.
Goldhil's DVD of Korean War in Color is a bust as a documentary, but rather good as a resource for footage. The transfer and encoding of the diverse source film is reasonably good. Other production values don't measure up. The sound mix is poor. The music level often overwhelms the voiceover track, which is marred by frequent jumps in volume and EQ. A heavy echo is placed on the annoyingly false dramatic readings of 'soldier's letters from the front'. They pop up frequently, mimicking the miniseries The Civil War (said to be coming out this fall).
Adding to the resource value are a host of extra newsreel-based clips and montages. A compilation of aerial gunnery camera footage will appeal mostly to trigger-happy ordinance enthusiasts, but there's a hefty selection of clips of Marilyn Monroe's USO tour, some bonus newsreels with glaring headlines, short bios on Truman, MacArthur and Eisenhower, and a photo slide show. A portion of a television appearance by Senator Joe McCarthy is presented as well. These and a section of soldier's home movies are amateur in origin but fascinating in their 'found object' truthfulness. Of course, the majority of the extra newsreel footage is not in color.
The package text claiming 'never before seen Declassified Footage' might raise expectations of controversial or secret subject matter, that the DVD doesn't fulfill. But we're so used to claims like this, it's hardly worth mentioning.
On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor,
Review Staff | About DVD Talk | Newsletter Subscribe | Join DVD Talk Forum


text:
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 10/09/2015 04:51:13
Jan Wunderlich wrote:
Lately I felt it was neglected a bit and feared for its future and future compatibility.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 10/09/2015 11:11:59
Laurent SCHWARTZ wrote:Used on Linux Ubuntu 14.04, I just loaded the normaly 3.3.0 version but when started, it seems to be (About VUE) version 3.2.2 built May 223 2013 at 2146.
Is there something wrong on the server ?


text:
THUMBS DOWN to the bitter cold weather of the past few weeks but THUMBS UP to the people who worked around the clock to make our lives a little easier and better. Street and road crews for area municipalities and the state spread salt and kept an eye on road conditions when snow fell this week. They worked late, got little sleep, but managed to keep things clear for those of us who had to travel in it. There were many others: school officials, DOT workers, firemen and police who also had to monitor the roads. To those and the many more who served, we offer a big thanks.
THUMBS UP to the success of the Sylvan Community Health Center, which opened last June beside the Sylvan Elementary School. It serves as a resource for the school itself. �Families used to be so far from a facility,� Principal Gaye Sartin said. �Now we have parents coming in saying their kids have the best attendance they have ever had. That�s the kind of feedback that we are getting, which is why this happened in the first place.� Currently, 40 percent of the school children have enrolled at Sylvan CHC so that they can be seen if needed, according to Piedmont Health, and 50 percent of teachers and staff are patients.
THUMBS UP to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation which made a $3 million grant to the N.C. Partnership for Children, of which $15,500 will flow to the Alamance Partnership for Children. The money will expand Shape NC, an effort to improve the health of more than 1,000 young North Carolina children, through training, consultation and technical assistance. Excel Christian Academy at 734 Apple St., Burlington (part of Ebenezer United Church of Christ) is one of 19 North Carolina centers that receive funding.
THUMBS UP to the years of service attorney Charles Bateman has offered citizens and municipalities during his career. He has served as city or town attorney in one of Alamance County�s municipalities for the majority of the 49 years he�s practiced law and at age 76 is ready to take in his shingle and retire before the fall leaves turn color. He�s served in the military, was a Burlington policeman, attended Elon and Duke and opened the Bateman Law Firm in the mid-1960s. He played a key role in creating the Burlington-Alamance Airport Authority and most recently helped out to craft agreements to close the deal to get Project Swordfish, a Walmart distribution center, to come to the county. Quite resume and quite a career.
THUMBS UP to the Alamance Community College�s Adult High School program which helps adults who have been forced off the track get back on the road to education to take on new life projects. There are 2,000 to 3,000 people taking classes through the Academic and Career Readiness program. The program�s graduation rate has increased by more than 50 percent, with more than 550 students getting GEDs and diplomas, with success being measured as the acquisition of a job or education beyond a high-school diploma.
THUMBS UP to Jason Jones, former executive chef of B. Christopher�s, and his wife, Sarah. They will be opening Cutlery Steakhouse in the former B. Christopher�s restaurant space, with a majority of the original B. Christopher�s staff. When B. Christopher�s closed and announced its move to Greensboro, Jones and the staff decided to stick around. This means a business will continue to operate and keep people on the payroll, a win-win for the employees, clientele and community.
And THUMBS UP to Chief Gregory Grayson with the city of Greensboro Fire Department. Grayson, of Burlington, was appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory last week to the N.C. State Emergency Response Commission. Grayson will play a role in reviewing plans for preventing, preparing for and recovering from all sorts of hazards, reviewing homeland security grant applications and funding allocations, and encouraging teamwork among federal, state and local entities regarding hazard preparedness. The last few days have provided ups and downs for Grayson, who had four firefighters injured while battling a fire in downtown Greensboro on Thursday. Fortunately none suffered life-threatening wounds but it�s a reminder that first responders are in peril each day.


text:
Narrow Results Clear All
Approach to Improving Safety
Target Audience
Search results for "Biography"
1 - 1 of 1 results
- Biography
- Error Reporting
Download Selected Citations
Download Citation File:
- View: Basic | Expanded
- Sort: Best Match | Most Recent
Health care work environments, employee satisfaction, and patient safety: care provider perspectives.
Rathert C, May DR. Health Care Manage Rev. 2007;32:2-11.
The authors sought to measure the relationship between nurse perception of patient-centeredness in their unit and its effect on safety. They found that nurses in an patient-centered environment were more satisfied with their jobs and more comfortable discussing and reporting errors.


text:
Our Publications
- Aspen
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- The Hamptons
- Hawai'i
- Houston
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York
- Orange County
- Palm Beach
- Philadelphia
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- Scottsdale
- Silicon Valley
- Washington, D.C.
Home › Scene › Fully Booked! ›
Fully Booked!
THE PARTY A get-together to celebrate the publication of Nathan Turner's book, American Style: Classic Design and Effortless Entertaining THE PLAYERS Fellow designers Mary McDonald, Peter Dunham and Eric Hughes joined some of Turner's celebrity clients, like Marcia Cross, Lake Bell and Minnie Mortimer. THE SCENE The Pottery Barn in Beverly Hills morphed into a one-night literary salon, with stacks of the book on many tables, cocktails galore and guests plopped on almost all of the seating as they reviewed Turner's first tome, which includes his best design projects and entertaining ideas. Photos by Todd Seligman


text:
|March 31, 1998
|June 25, 1998
|Freedom of Speech -- Whether a law requiring the National Endowment for the Arts to consider "general standards of decency and respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the American public" before awarding grants to artistic projects is impermissibly viewpoint-based and unconstitutionally vague.
|8-1; No, the law does not violate the First Amendment.
In 1990, Congress amended the statute governing the National Endowment for the Arts to require that the NEA chairperson consider "general standards of respect and decency for the diverse beliefs and values of the American public" when awarding art grants. Four artists Karen Finley, John Fleck, Holly Hughes and Tim Miller, known collectively as the "NEA 4" sued in federal court, claiming the so-called "decency clause" violated the First Amendment and forced artists to engage in self-censorship in order to obtain NEA funding.
The trial judge ruled in favor of the "NEA 4," ruling that the decency clause was both unconstitutionally vague and overbroad. On appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit affirmed for "essentially the same reasons as the district court." The 9th Circuit determined the decency clause was void for vagueness and for violating the First Amendmentâs general prohibition against content- and viewpoint-based discrimination.
|Legal Principles at Issue:
|A bedrock principle of the First Amendment is that government may not prohibit speech just because it finds the speech offensive or disagreeable. Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989). Sexual expression which is indecent but not obscene is also protected by the First Amendment. Sable Communications of Cal., Inc. v. Sable, 492 U.S. 115 (1989). The First Amendment protects against viewpoint discrimination above other forms of content discrimination. Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of Univ. of Va., 515 U.S. 819 (1995). When the government promotes a particular program and defines the limit of a program, it can fund speech that promotes its goals, even to the detriment of other goals. Rust v. Sullivan, 500 U.S. 173 (1991). "There is a basic difference between direct state interference with a protected activity and state encouragement of an alternative activity consonant with legislative policy." Maher v. Roe, 432 U.S. 464 (1977).
|Legal Basis for Decision:
|The decency clause only requires the NEA to consider "general standards of decency and respect" rather than directly precluding certain categories of speech. The nature of arts funding requires a certain level of content-based judgment. Because the NEA 4 did not allege "discrimination in any particular funding decision," the Court determined that it had not been presented with a grant denial on the basis of viewpoint.
|This Case is Important Because:
|The Court did not express its usual heightened concern over viewpoint discrimination, because the statute only instructs the NEA to consider "decency and respect" rather than to make funding decisions based solely on those grounds. The decision seems to afford an opportunity for content- and even viewpoint-based laws to be ruled constitutional, as long as they do not directly target certain types of speech.
|"The terms of the provision are undeniably opaque, and if they appeared in a criminal statute or regulatory scheme, they could raise substantial vagueness concerns." (J. OâConnor)
"Finally, although the First Amendment certainly has application in the subsidy context, we note, that the government may allocate competitive funding to criteria that would be impermissible were direct regulation of speech or a criminal penalty at stake." (J. OâConnor)
"The decency and respect proviso mandates viewpoint-based decisions in the disbursement of government subsidies, and the government has wholly failed to explain why the statute should be afforded an exemption from the fundamental rule of the First Amendment that viewpoint discrimination in the exercise of public authority over expressive activity is unconstitutional." (J. Souter)
|Writing for the Majority:
|Justice O'Connor
|Justice Scalia
|Writing for the Dissent:
|Justice Souter


text:
• A daily summary of global reports on security issues.
China's acquiescence to international condemnation of North Korea for its recent rocket launch has been lauded, but Chinese leadership seemed to make it clear yesterday that North Korea could still count on its closest ally.
At a meeting in Beijing with a top official from North Korea's Workers' Party, Chinese President Hu Jintao reiterated his interest in maintaining close ties between the two countries. "We will carry on this tradition... boost strategic communication and coordination on key international issues and work for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," state television quoted him as saying, according to the BBC.
The day before, while speaking with Kim Yong-il, the Korean Workers' Party director of international affairs, Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo called the alliance between the two countries a "precious treasure" and said China wanted to take their "friendly cooperation to new heights," according to Reuters. Mr. Dai also said that he expected North Korea under Kim Jong-un to "constantly score new successes in building a strong and prosperous country."
Because of their close ties, China is considered the country with the most sway in North Korea, and it has made concerted calls for calm on the Korean Peninsula, but to little noticeable effect. Yesterday North Korea said it would "soon" take "unprecedented" action against the South Korean government and "reduce its target to ashes." It called for the death of the South Korean president at a rally last week, BBC reports.
But there is also concern in the international community, based on evidence that a Chinese company sold North Korea hardware used to transport missiles, that China is lax in its enforcement of sanctions intended to prevent North Korea from obtaining military and nuclear weapon equipment, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Videos from a recent North Korean military parade show missiles being transported on trucks built with what the US believes were some critical Chinese-made parts, such as a chassis, from the company Hubei Sanjiang. According to WSJ, the Obama administration does not believe the sale was made with permission from Beijing, but the US is concerned that China is unable to fully enforce the United Nations sanctions because of the large number of Chinese companies producing equipment that has both civilian and military uses.
The vehicle carrying the chassis raises concerns because its use implies that North Korea has "made progress" producing long-range ballistic missiles that can be transported – an outcome the US has long fretted about, because mobile weapons will be harder to deter, according to The New York Times.
China denied that any of its companies are in violation of the sanctions.
"We think this is poor Chinese performance in sanctions implementation, and not willful proliferation," a US official told The New York Times. "The Chinese system is so sprawling and poorly organized that they are not good at enforcing sanctions."
However elaborate the efforts to disguise the sale, analysts said, it vividly demonstrates China's continuing trouble in enforcing sanctions. The Chinese government, experts say, has little control over companies that have dealings with North Korea, particularly those with ties to the People's Liberation Army of China.
"It's so huge, there's so much corruption and state-owned companies have lots of autonomy," said Michael J. Green, a China policy adviser in the George W. Bush administration. "The Chinese are incapable of being transparent with us on this system because they don't understand it themselves."
A US official told Reuters that Washington does not think Hubei Sanjiang intentionally flouted the sanctions either. They believe that a front company may have been involved, and that the company thought the equipment was for civilian use.
He also said that Washington plans to use the issue as leverage to convince China to ratchet up its enforcement of sanctions on Pyongyang.
Get daily or weekly updates from CSMonitor.com delivered to your inbox. Sign up today.


text:
This guy walks into a bar with his golden retriever.
''Hey, can I get a drink on the house if my dog talks for you?''
''Dogs can't talk, pal. But if you can prove to me yours does, I'll give you a drink. If not, I get to kick your ass.''
''Okay,'' says the guy. He turns to his dog. ''Okay fella. Tell me -- what is on top of a house?''
''Roof!'' The man turns and smiles at the bartender.
''THAT ain't talking! Any dog can bark!''
''Okay boy. Tell me -- how does sandpaper feel?''
''What the hell you tryin' to pull mister?''
''Okay, okay," says the man. "One more question please. Okay buddy, tell me -- who is the greatest ball player who ever lived?''
The bartender beats the hell out of the guy and throws onto the sidewalk outside of the bar, then throws the dog out next to him. The dog stands up and looks at the guy.
"Geez. Maybe I shoulda said DiMaggio?"


text:
Costing about $1,000 and weighing 33 pounds, the Robo-Skateboard out of the Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo will shred pipes of the dream-based variety when it arrives in 2013.
The board operates much like the Segway: Learn forward, go forward; lean back, go backward. Four load sensors in the corners assist with maneuvering, which in turn will help when people walking alongside you need to pass because you're only going 6 m.p.h (top speed).
Also, no heavy or husky riders need apply—the board can only support about 176 pounds.
Fun idea, in theory, but until the speed, weight, price and battery life all see improvements, the only grinding this ambitious little project will be doing is in the lab. [Nikkei via CrunchGear]


text:
No Branding Selected
February 2018
Recent Releases
The Grave's a Fine and Private Place
Alan Bradley
12-year-old chemist and sleuth Flavia de Luce.
Series alert:
This 9th entry in a charming series set in 1950s England finds Flavia and her two older sisters at a crossroads even as Flavia once again sets out to solve a murder. Newcomer? Start with the 1st book,
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
You might also like:
For another mystery series with a village setting, eccentric characters, and an intelligent, likable detective (though one older than Flavia), try Louise Penny's Armand Gamache mysteries.
The Mitford Murders
Jessica Fellowes
Louisa Cannon, a down-on-her-luck young Londoner who finds work as a nursemaid to the (real-life) Mitford family.
What it's about:
When a r
etired military nurse is killed on a train,
Louisa, teenage Nancy Mitford, and a handsome railway cop investigate.
For fans of:
Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs mysteries, which are also set in the inter-war period and examine the upstairs-downstairs dynamic, or
Downton Abbey
(author Jessica Fellowes is the niece of its creator and has written several nonfiction books about the show).
Wild Chamber
Christopher Fowler
What it's about:
Arthur Bryant, John May, and the rest of
Peculiar Crimes Unit investigate the baffling case of a woman murdered in one of London's locked private parks.
Why you might like it:
You love quirky characters, locked-room mysteries, and English settings.
Series alert:
Originally published in the U.K. a few months ago, this 14th book in the consistently excellent Bryant and May series is now available in the U.S.
Dark Dawn Over Steep House
M.R.C. Kasasian
What it's about:
In the summer of 1884, someone is assaulting young women in London. When
the brilliant but rather disagreeable detective Sidney Gower is hired to find out who's attacking the women, his ward and goddaughter,
independent-minded March Middleton, assists him.
Is it for you?
This 5th in the Gower Street Detectives series is the darkest entry yet; like previous entries, it's intricately plotted, has a cast of eccentric characters, and doesn't shy away from violence and gruesome details.
The Widows of Malabar Hill
Sujata Massey
Perveen Mistry, Bombay's first woman solicitor and the daughter of a respected Zoroastrian family, who recently obtained her law degree from Oxford and joined her father's law firm.
What it's about:
In 1921,
Perveen discovers problems while executing the will of a wealthy Muslim who left three widows and several small children behind...and then someone close to them all is murdered. In a second storyline, it's 1916, and Perveen deals with sexism, falls in love, and faces danger from an unexpected source.
Why you might like it:
Toggling between the two timelines, this critically acclaimed 1st in a new series
provides an interesting mystery in an atmospheric setting and offers a poignant backstory for the appealing feminist heroine.
If You Like: Charles Finch
Charles Finch writes evocative, intricately plotted Victorian mystery stories starring Charles Lenox, a gentleman detective and, later, a Member of Parliament. With witty prose and fascinating details, Finch brings both characters and settings (usually London) to life. If you're new to the Charles Lenox mysteries, start with
A Beautiful Blue Death
. If you're waiting on the 11th in the series,
The Woman in the Water
, try one of the books below:
A Crimson Warning
Tasha Alexander
What it's about:
Lady Emily, who's fond of port and cigars, isn't exactly conventional. So when her husband, a sometime spy, investigates why someone's splashing red paint on London townhouses and then exposing surprising secrets about the inhabitants, Emily has to check things out, too...especially when a murder occurs.
Why you might like it:
With their atmospheric Victorian London settings, appealing characters, and delightful romantic couple, t
he Lady Emily Ashton mysteries should please fans of Charles Finch
The Cater Street Hangman
Anne Perry
What it is:
bestselling author Anne Perry's debut, the 1st in a series now numbering 32, and the richly detailed story of Inspector Thomas Pitt's investigation into a series of 1881 London killings of young women.
Is it for you?
If you like the leisurely pacing, Victorian England setting, and touch of romance in Charles Finch's books, try the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mysteries, though they have a slightly bleaker tone.
Don't miss:
Anne Perry's latest,
Twenty-One Days
, will be out this spring; it's the 1st in a new series starring Daniel Pitt, son of Thomas and Charlotte.
A Curious Beginning
Deanna Raybourn
Veronica Speedwell, a smart, unorthodox young woman who was orphaned as a child and raised by two spinster "aunts"; after almost being abducted, she partners with mysterious Revelstoke "Stoker" Templeton-Vane to sort out why.
Why you might like it:
You enjoy witty prose, intricate plots, romantic elements, and lush depictions of Victorian England.
Series alert
: This is the 1st of three books (so far) in the Veronica Speedwell series; Deanna Raybourn also writes the similarly pleasing Lady Julia Grey mysteries.
Whose Body? A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery
Dorothy L. Sayers
What it's about:
First published in 1923, this 1st in the classic Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries has Wimsey working with Inspector Charles Parker to sort out where a millionaire has disappeared to while also dealing with Inspector Sugg to uncover how and why another man's corpse was deposited in an architect's bathtub.
For fans of:
witty, charming aristocratic sleuths who clean up crime in a bygone England and find romance in unexpected places.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
No Branding Selected


text:
Who doesn't love having a sweet new recipe book?
While you mull that one over, let me introduce a totally sweet giveaway: one lucky reader will receive the gorgeously designed Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader: Recipes from Mitford Cooks, Favorite Tales from Mitford Books. In case you're not familiar, Jan Karon is the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mitford Series (35 million copies in print). But even more importantly, this book is filled with over 150 delicious Southern recipes, including Esther Bolick's delicious Orange Marmalade Cake, The Irish Lady Rhubarb Tart, and more! And, since we all love a good backstory, this four-color cookbook features Jan's personal reminiscences, dozens of beloved scenes from the Mitford books, jokes, cooking tips, and a story never before published in the novels.
How do you put your name in the hat? It's easy. Simply answer in the comments below telling me what your favorite Southern dish is (either sweet OR savory, I am feeling generous!).
Details: The giveaway is open to US entrants only, please--the giveaway will close at Midnight next Friday, October 15.
Update: the winner! The winner is Amy L., whose name was chosen at random and who just loves BISCUITS AND GRAVY! Congratulations!


text:
How to enroll or drop a class?
Please go to MySJSU homepage, then browse over to "Students", drop down menu will appear, then choose "Tutorials". Under My Academics category, you will find step by step instructions on how to enroll(add) a class, drop a class, register online as Open University student and many more.
Registration Resources


text:
Just enter your address below!
There's no timers or CAPTCHAs nor Miners; smoothy!
(This faucet requires your address to be linked to a FaucetHUB account)
If you found this usefull or want your own (totally for free), Please let me know! Message me!
Good Leveling!
For best result, run them all at once!


text:
Song saw Gervinho first
Brought to you by
Alex Song has revealed that he already knew Gervinho would be great for Arsenal, with the 24-year-old insisting he saw the striker starring in Ligue 1 before he made the move to the Emirates in the summer.
Gervinho was hot property for numerous Barclays Premier League clubs when the transfer window opened in June, but the Ivory Coast international chose to make the move to Arsenal for a reported fee of €12 million.
And Song said that he had seen Gervinho play a number of times for Lille, and had complete faith that when the star arrived in north London he would make an instant impact.
"I watch a lot of the French league at home so I knew when Gervinho arrived that he was a very good player," he told the Official Matchday Programme.
"I'm not surprised to see him doing well here and I think there's more to come. It's not easy to come to the English league, it's harder and stronger, but he's getting used to it and I'm really happy to see him making a difference in games.
"Gervinho is a very quiet guy, not one who talks too much, but I think it's normal that you look and listen when you arrive somewhere before saying a lot. I think he's now coming out of himself and you can see it on the pitch too."
The Arsenal squad have taken some time to get over the loss of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, as well as gelling with eight fresh faces. And as the Gunners get their season back on track and shoot up the Barclays Premier League table, Song said he can see the change within the squad as well as through their results.
"Our knowledge of one another is improving every day," he explained. "It hasn't been easy because Mikel [Arteta] only signed for us recently, but you can see what a good player he is and I'm really happy to be playing with him.
"Aaron [Ramsey]'s doing well too, and we're all still coming together and learning what works best. We're all trying to help each other and that's important.
"The more we communicate, the better we'll get – if we're constantly giving each other advice on the pitch then we can become a very good unit."
And while the fully fit are learning to play to each other's strengths, Song argued that as Arsenal get back their injured players they will only get stronger.
"Also we've still got Jack [Wilshere] and Abou [Diaby] to come back, which gives us a lot to look forward to in the midfield," he added.News Now - Sport News


text:
It looks like your browser is out of date.
To use all features of KLM.com safely, we recommend that you update your browser, or that you choose a different one. Continuing with this version may result in parts of the website not being displayed properly, if at all. Also, the security of your personal information is better safeguarded with an updated browser.
Live the life of the stars. Book flights to Los Angeles and go luxury shopping on Rodeo Drive or high-end dining in Beverly Hills, Hollywood or Santa Monica. LA is all about seeing and being seen, and luckily the weather always plays ball. Rent a car to enjoy views of the city and San Fernando Valley from Mulholland Drive, marvelling at the opulent villas of the rich and famous.
In Los Angeles life is a film set. Venice Beach looks exactly the same as on TV, while the names of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a visit to Universal Studios are proof you are at the heart of the movie industry. All this and more makes LA the perfect place for a city trip or as starting point for a longer holiday in California or the US. Be amazed: Book a flight to Los Angeles now!
Los Angeles is more than just movies, surf and sand. The 'City of Angels' has luxurious restaurants and shops on every corner. Melrose Avenue is ideal for vintage fashion fans. Do some of your lustful window-shopping on the glamorous Rodeo Drive. And did you know LA is famous for its chilidogs, a great snack while enjoying a day on the town. A trip to the Magic Kingdom, also known as Disneyland, is also easily made from the city.
Find a cheap flight to Los Angeles? With KLM your holiday begins the moment you step onboard. Your journey will fly by with your own entertainment set on intercontinental flights: Free films, games and music. Enjoy our selection of snacks or a tasty dinner and drinks. Add in our many handy extra services (some available for a supplement) and you'll be in the United States before you know it.
Read more
Read less


text:
Dallas, TX
The Epworth Center Family Garden Initiative is a volunteer-driven, community outreach nutrition program run by the Epworth Center. We serve low-maintenance, above-ground gardens to low-income families within the community. Epworth Center and community partners bring the initiative to the Glenwood Village Apartments in Bethesda on the afternoon of May 19, 2014. On that day, volunteers will work together to deliver 10-15 gardens to neighborhood families. These unique above ground garden systems allow families to grow, harvest and eat fresh, healthy, tasty vegetables and herbs.
The Epworth Center is a nonprofit organization affiliated with The United Methodist Church, working in rural Appalachia. Primary ministries include the SOWER Work Mission building repair program, Project Manna food pantry, partnership with group homes, prayer, medical, and more. Many of our ministries serve Belmont County and surrounding counties in Ohio. Project Manna serves the Union Local School District. The Epworth Center focuses on servanthood development and meeting the needs of the communities we serve. We also have an emphasis on community development, and poverty education and alleviation. Relationship building is integral to the ministries at Epworth Center, both in terms of person-to-person and person-with-God. We show the love of Christ through the work that we do. The Epworth Center is also home to Real Life Community of Faith UMC, which meets on Sundays. We host retreats, rentals and educational events. Our website has a lot of information about the work that we do –www.epworthcenter.org.
Questions can be directed to: Dawn Livingston, email@example.com, 740.484.4705
Family Garden Initiative is a s a volunteer-driven, community outreach nutrition program that empowers families to feed themselves by serving them low-maintenance, above-ground gardens. Our mission is to live the gospel of Jesus Christ by healing communities through serving gardens that yield freshly grown produce for families. We measure success in three areas: Gospel, Education and Nutrition.


text:
It's January 24—do you know where your New Year's resolutions are?
If one of your goals for 2013 is to get healthier, join the club—that's one of the most common resolutions made every year. But even by the end of January, motivation can begin to wane and working out in the cold wee hours of the morning can start to lose what little appeal it had.
Never fear, mobile apps are here. If you need some encouragement and accountability, check out these apps that can make fitness more fun.
Lose It! – free. If you're a numbers person and love small rewards, try Lose It! This app takes the information you enter for your weight and fitness goals and helps you create a food and exercise plan. Connect Lose It! with Facebook or other social networks and it will share your successes with your friends.
Eat This, Not That! – $4.99. A healthy diet is an important part of an effective fitness plan With the app Eat This, Not That!, you'll learn about foods you thought were health but aren't, plus get suggestions for healthy alternatives so you're not left hanging.
BodyFate – $1.99. Fun characters, like Mr. Good Karma, and inspirational quotes will keep you encouraged as work out with BodyFate. If you've longed for a personal trainer but don't want to spend the big bucks, try this app. It'll change up your workout every time you use it, plus it's informative, challenging and fun to use.
iMuscle – $1.99. With in-depth muscle analysis, workout descriptions and lifting techniques, this app can assist a casual user or fine tune an experienced lifter. By simply tapping on a body part, iMuscle shows you exercises that are focused on that area with a 3D model of how to perform each lift.
Fitocracy – free. This social networking app helps you track workouts, earn points (to promote you to different levels), "slay the laziness dragon" and follow other members (or compete with them) for motivation. Fitocracy was named an App of the Year in Men's Journal.
Nike Training Club – free. This women-specific app gives you access to more than 114 different workouts created by professional athletes and top trainers (like Rihanna's personal trainer).