text:
The Computer That Beat Two Million Humans at Fantasy Football
An AI program is already in the 99th percentile—now can it win?
Steven Cherry: Hi, this is Steven Cherry for IEEE Spectrum's "Techwise Conversations."
For decades, artificial intelligence was a field full of promise but little visible progress. For the past 15 years, though, AI researchers have been making steady—and quite visible—progress in computer vision, language translation, artificial speech, exoskeletons, and more.
The successes owe a lot to progress made playing games. The turning point, 15 years ago, was when IBM's Deep Blue beat the human chess champion. More recently, when Deep Blue's successor software beat the human "Jeopardy!" champion, it was a sign that the jobs of so-called knowledge workers weren't beyond the reach of computer automation. That software is being turned toward medical diagnosis.
Now, researchers in the U.K. and Greece are hard at work trying to create the best player in the world at fantasy football, a game that attracts millions of people worldwide. They expect it to reap benefits for what they say are surprisingly similar tasks, such as how best to dispatch emergency responders.
In fantasy football—in this case, football in the European sense, meaning soccer—people construct teams out of existing football league players, 15 to a side, no more than 3 from any one team, within a budget. A season lasts 38 weeks, and only a limited number of changes are allowed without penalties.
A software program is already better than 99 percent of the 2.5 million people who play in the Fantasy Premier League, or FPL, which is based on the English Premier League. Now the question is, can it beat the remaining 2500 best competitors in the world?
My guest today is Sarvapali Ramchurn of the University of Southampton. He and his coauthors, Tim Matthews, also at Southampton, and Georgios Chalkiadakis, who is at the Technical University of Crete, are presenting a paper at the 12th [26th] annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, or AAAI, in Toronto. The paper's title is "Competing with Humans at Fantasy Football: Team Formation in Large Partially Observable Domains."
Sarvapali, welcome to the podcast.
Sarvapali Ramchurn: Thank you, Steven.
Steven Cherry: Maybe you could explain what is hard about dispatching emergency responders and how fantasy football is similar to it?
Sarvapali Ramchurn: So, when we looked at the problem of dispatching emergency responders in very dynamic and uncertain domains in a previous project at the University of Southampton called Aladdin, we found that forming teams of emergency responders is a challenging task because it requires you to forecast what's going to happen in the environment and how the team is actually going to perform based on the composition of the team—so, based on the different abilities you have in the team and how they synergize to perform tasks better than possibly splitting them apart and distributing them over space. So team formation is a significantly challenging problem for existing emergency responders, and typically what they do is they train a lot, and they try and understand each other and try to understand what other capabilities they might need for different kinds of emergencies. But this is not entirely feasible unless you really analyze the statistics of how these emergency responders perform, both individually and as a team. So, that's the kind of domain we've sort of been studying and trying to apply our techniques to in order to help them. We also look at forming teams of humans and robots, where the robots here could be unmanned ground vehicles or unmanned aerial vehicles, and these have very different capabilities and operate in very different environments.
Steven Cherry: Yeah, so you take what's called a Bayesian approach. Maybe you could explain briefly what that means.
Sarvapali Ramchurn: A Bayesian approach basically means that you start with formulating a "prior" over what you believe the state of the world is and what's going to happen with respect to certain variables in the environment, and then you keep updating those based on what observations you get. And basically you update the probabilities that certain things will happen in the environment. So in the case of emergency response, you're trying to update what you think the emergency responders are going to do or how well they're going to do, so you keep updating it after time, and that also takes into account various dependencies you might have between various variables in the environment. So the performance of an emergency responder in one place might be dependent on the UAVs that it has in that area, and then multiplying all these probabilities out gives you a probability of how well the team will perform.
Steven Cherry: So in the case of fantasy football, you don't have observations, you have the actual performance of the actual player in an actual game.
Sarvapali Ramchurn: Yes, exactly. So the Bayesian approach also helps you look at what happens in a sequential team-formation problem, so when things keep happening and keep getting...and observations here are actual performances in the real world.
Steven Cherry: So, how does the software measure up right now? You say it's in the top 1 percent of all players—does it actually play in the league?
Sarvapali Ramchurn: So, basically what we've done is take data from the previous season—or one season before that—and played out our automated fantasy player against the rules of the game. So we looked at the match outcomes for every single week; we played the team that was suggested according to the automated player and scored its performance based on the real scores of the fantasy football league. So, basically if we had entered for real, if we had actually played it in 2010, the performance would actually have been what we got, and we're doing the same for the 2011–2012 league. So you can play things retrospectively in this case because it doesn't really matter whether you're playing it live—basically, if you get what I mean, it's just based on the number of points that every player gets for a specific match, and therefore you can play everything retrospectively. So we're planning to enter for real now, in the real league, and see whether we can actually show off how well the fantasy football player is playing against actual humans every week.
Steven Cherry: And you're planning, I gather, to add some human intelligence—for example, information about last-minute injuries and other bits of information?
Sarvapali Ramchurn: Yes. So what we think is going to be the winning formula, is combining the human intelligence with the machine intelligence—basically, the machine being able to foresee what's going to happen. So, using this Bayesian approach: being able to play out various futures and formulating probabilities of things happening in the future in a way that humans cannot do. And we saw an example of that today in Henry Kautz's lecture at AAAI, where he was talking about how Kasparov and the machine play better than Kasparov on his own or the machine on its own, and then when you have a team of players playing with the machine, then they play better than Kasparov and the machine. So we think the same thing will apply to fantasy football, just because humans have got a better understanding of players. There are already some sources of statistics about player injuries and statistics that are more detailed than what we have used so far, so we are planning to exploit those in order to improve what the machine can do but also get input from humans to basically formulate a better strategy about how to go about playing fantasy football: picking out the players, for example, that are sort of growing in terms of performance or picking those players that are likely to perform well against teams that they can attack the defense better, for example.
Steven Cherry: So, I mentioned the IBM Watson software which beat the human champion in "Jeopardy!" is being turned toward medical diagnosis right now. Is there any particular worldly problem that you think your software could be directed toward?
Sarvapali Ramchurn: So, in terms of real-world problems, I mentioned the idea of coordinating humans and UAVs, for example, in disaster response. That's one example of where we think sequential team formation is a significant challenge just because there are lots of uncertainties in the domains that these teams of humans and UAVs will operate in. And recently there was a piece by Nick Jennings on the BBC news talking about the Orchid Project, which is exactly about this domain where you might have human emergency responders sending out UAVs to take pictures of certain areas, but in the future you will have even more of these kinds of scenarios where humans and robots and even software will have to work together. So, we think this sort of teaming, this agile teaming of humans and agents and robots, will be more pervasive as we go into a future where robots become cheap, robots become more deployable and become used in more civil applications than how they have been used so far.
Steven Cherry: Fantasy football works at the level of individual players which are spread out among different teams. I'm just wondering: If you give the software just all and only the players on a single team and do that for two teams, you would have software that would try to predict who would win an actual football game. Have you thought about that?
Sarvapali Ramchurn: Yeah. So, we've been looking at analyzing the statistics to predict whether a certain team would win, and we do some of that already within the algorithm, but we don't go too deep into that because there are already lots of research being done on predicting football match outcomes. We're not trying to compete with that, but we're trying to reuse some of that to play better fantasy football. So lots of these statistics are already being used by betting companies, for example, to set odds and by people who just like to research football, so there are lots of papers on predicting match outcomes. So what matters in our case is the sequential nature of the problem—so, when you need to pick a team that needs to perform well over a long period of time, not just for the next game. So, what could be probably looking at is looking at the best prediction for the winner of a league rather than for the winner of a match. So, looking at how many points a team might acquire over multiple matches given the formation of players it chooses to buy at the beginning of the league. So that's the kind of thing we could do. So if you wanted to put a bet on the winner of a league, maybe our software could be used.
Steven Cherry: Or if you were the owner of a team and trying to figure out how to assemble the best players for next season. As we record this, you're presenting your paper this week, so good luck with your session, and thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us.
Sarvapali Ramchurn: Oh, thank you very much for inviting us to talk about the paper. We've really enjoyed all the publicity, both for our projects and for AAAI.
Steven Cherry: We've been speaking with Sarvapali Ramchurn of the University of Southampton, who has coauthored a paper that chronicles the remarkable progress he and his colleagues have made in artificial intelligence by playing fantasy football. For IEEE Spectrum's "Techwise Conversations," I'm Steven Cherry.
Announcer: "Techwise Conversations" is sponsored by National Instruments.
This interview was recorded 24 July 2012.
Audio engineer: Francesco Ferorelli
Read more Techwise Conversations or follow us on Twitter.
NOTE: Transcripts are created for the convenience of our readers and listeners and may not perfectly match their associated interviews and narratives. The authoritative record of IEEE Spectrum's audio programming is the audio version.


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Man shoots ex-wife, kills self
A Brook Park man took his own life after shooting his ex-wife last Wednesday night in rural Pine County. Around 9:15 p.m. December 5, the Pine County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) responded to a reported shooting at 29243 Sunny Hill Rd.
According to the PCSO press release, Dawn Christen, 55, texted a message to a neighbor that she had been shot by her ex-husband, Daniel Shilts, also 55, who was still present inside the house on Sunny Hill Road.
Upon arriving, Pine County Sheriff's Sgt. Thomas Meier made contact with Shilts, who briefly exited the house and stood on the front deck. Meier attempted to talk Shilts away from the house so deputies could go in and get Christen, but Shilts refused, fled back inside the dwelling and began turning off all the lights.
Several Pine and Chisago County Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) members, including Meier, made an exigent, high-risk entry into the house to rescue Christen. SWAT deputies located Christen in a bathroom; she had been shot in the chest and appeared to be in grave condition, the release states. As several members evacuated her to emergency medical services personnel outside, other SWAT deputies continued to search the house for Shilts.
The PCSO release says Shilts had fled to a living room couch and was discovered holding a pistol to his head threatening to kill himself. From a covered position by the living room entrance, SWAT deputies provided security, as a Pine County crisis negotiator talked with Shilts about safely resolving the situation. After approximately two hours of talks, Shilts shot himself. Deputies immediately began medical aid but Shilts died at the scene.
Investigators believe Shilts had forced entry into a rear door of the house before Christen arrived home, confronting her when she got home and shooting her in the chest. Christen fled to a bathroom and sent the text message. There were no active restraining or protection orders against Shilts, although Chief Deputy Steven Blackwell confirmed in a conversation Tuesday Christen was in the process of obtaining one.
Christen was transported to a Duluth hospital, were she was listed in serious condition but is now stable and expected to improve, according to Blackwell. The incident is currently under investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
"Leaving an abuser can sometimes escalate the violence," stated Lisa Lilja, executive director of WINDOW Victim Services based in Hinckley. She explained the most dangerous time for a victim is when a victim is considering getting away from an abuser and right after a victim leaves an abuser.
"It is difficult to understand why a victim keeps going back to an abuser because it can take 10 attempts for a victim to leave an abuser for good. It is important that a victim's friends and family stick with the friend or family member," Lilja said, explaining one of an abuser's tools for control and power over a victim is to isolate the victim.
"WINDOW provides options victims have, allows victims to make decisions on self-defined needs," Lilja said, "and provides resources to help a victim implement her plan."
Besides providing victims of domestic abuse important information, WINDOW supports victims of domestic violence with access to transportation to a safe house, assistance in filing orders for protection or restraining orders, accompanying victims to court and providing a 24-hour crisis line. Anyone experiencing domestic violence can call the crisis line at 1 (320) 384-7113 or 1 (800) 644-0003. More information on domestic violence and resources is available at http://www.windowhinckley.com/index.html.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Arlington Storage Company, LLC
First Revised Volume No. 1
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 11/08/2009, Docket: RP10-67-000, Status: Effective
Original Sheet No. 125 Original Sheet No. 125
(B) ASC shall provide notification of such recall to all affected Replacement Customers no later than
3:30 P.M. CCT on the Day that Intraday 2 Nominations are due.
For recall notification provided to ASC prior to the recall notification deadline specified above and
received between 7:00 A.M. CCT and 5:00 P.M. CCT, ASC shall provide notification to all affected
eplacement Customers no later than one hour after receipt of such recall notification. For recall
notification provided to ASC after 5:00 P.M. CCT and prior to 7:00 A.M. CCT, ASC shall provide
notification to all affected Replacement Customers no later than 8:00 A.M. CCT after receipt of such
recall notification.
ASC's notices of recalled capacity to all affected Replacement Customers shall be provided via the
Intern identified in the Replacement Customer's bid submitted pursuant to Section 4.6 of these
General Terms and Conditions. Such notices shall contain the information required to uniquely
identify the capacity being recalled, and shall indicate whether penalties will apply for the Day
for which quantities are reduced due to a capacity recall. Upon receipt of notification of the recall
from ASC, each affected Replacement Customer shall revise its nominations within the applicable
nomination cycle in order to implement the recall. Each affected Replacement Customer will be solely
responsible for adjusting its supply and transportation arrangements, which may be necessary as a result
of such recall. Replacement Customers involved in re-release transactions may receive notice slightly
after the first Replacement Customer receives notice. The recalling Releasing Customer may nominate
the recalled capacity consistent with the applicable nomination cycle, as defined in Section 8.2(f)
of these General Terms and Conditions.
(f) Partial Day Recall Quantity. The daily contractual entitlement that can be recalled
by a Releasing Customer for a partial Day recall is a quantity equal to the lesser of:
(1) The quantity specified in the Releasing Customer's notice to recall capacity; or
(2) The difference between the quantity released by the Releasing Customer and the Elapsed Prorata
In the recall notification provided to ASC by the Releasing Customer, the quantity to be recalled shall
be expressed in terms of the adjusted total released capacity entitlements based upon the Elapsed Prorata
Capacity. In the event of an intraday capacity recall, ASC shall determine the allocation of capacity
between the Releasing Customer and the Replacement Customer(s) based upon the Elapsed Prorata Capacity.


text:
I Bought an Offset and I Feel...
We asked three travelers to tell us what it's like to buy carbon offsets, which promise to compensate for the share of carbon dioxide that planes, trains, and automobiles spew out during a trip.
I bought an offset and I feel...
I had always assumed that it would be too expensive—and time-consuming—to buy a carbon offset for a trip. But when I bought my first offset through leading U.S. seller TerraPass (terrapass.com), the cost to cover a round-trip flight between Kansas City, Mo., and New York City was a piddling $6. And I was happily surprised to find that it took only about 10 minutes to complete.
Before I clicked to buy an offset, TerraPass provided a quick overview of where my money would go, with a reminder that it conducts annual third-party audits of the programs it funds. This information reassured me that my money would actually go toward a wind-power project as promised.
I never feel too guilty when I fly, but this time around, I did sleep better on the plane knowing I had offset some of its destructive fumes. Given how affordable offsets are, I'm sure I'll buy others. I also expect that my next purchase will be faster given that I have already done the hard work of setting up an account with TerraPass.
—JD Rinne
I bought an offset and I feel...
I gave $60 to myclimate (myclimate.org). Based on the simple drop-down menus, I learned that my nonstop flight from New York City to Oakland, Calif., was the equivalent of 1.833 tons of carbon dioxide. I was flying JetBlue, which has a young fleet compared with the industry average, and it bothered me that the myclimate calculator didn't seem to factor that in. I'm pretty sure newer models have better fuel efficiency. Shouldn't that reduce the emissions by a little bit? The whole process left me with more questions than answers.
But what bothered me most was the lack of transparency. I wanted to know how the money would be spent. What project would my money contribute to? What percentage of it would go to administration? The site didn't provide satisfactory answers to those questions.
When the final invoice arrived, it said: "Your contribution to carbon offsetting goes toward myclimate carbon offset projects in developing countries and emerging markets. All projects reduce emissions by replacing climate-impacting fossil fuels with renewable energy or energy-efficient technologies. For example, you support the local production, distribution, and use of solar cookers and efficient cookers in southwest Madagascar."
That's just way too vague for me, and I won't be purchasing a carbon offet again anytime soon—through this organization or any others that offer similar services.
—Amy Chen
I bought an offset and I feel...
Because of a confusing layout, it took a few moments for me to find the American version of JPMorgan ClimateCare (jpmorganclimatecare.com)—by clicking on a tiny U.S. flag icon—so that I could pay in U.S. dollars. I plugged in my travel info: one passenger flying nonstop between New York (JFK) and Rome (Fiumicino). The carbon calculator tallied 8,531 miles traveled, 1.92 metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted, and an offset cost of $24.74. That was less than I had expected to pay, especially considering that my airfare had cost $667.
On the next screen, the company promised to put my money toward greenhouse-gas reductions through an array of projects that meet international standards. It hadn't dawned on me until then that if my $24.74 went to one project exclusively and that project fell through, my offset would fall through with it. I was pleased by the notion that my money was being spread out among a variety of projects, which seemed a safer strategy.
I paid by credit card in U.S. dollars, and the confirmation—which immediately landed in my inbox—included two brief examples of the types of projects that might get my money. A second e-mail arrived with a certificate. I appreciated the company's enthusiasm, and the certificate made me smile a little sheepishly because the whole thing required so little effort—which didn't make me feel particularly certificate-worthy or deeply involved in improving the environment. I didn't understand, either, how the company had calculated the emissions of my trip. The print explanation didn't say much beyond "calculations are based on the best available information."
—Kate Appleton


text:
Concordia University is pleased to announce that alumni, parents, staff, faculty, and friends can now receive discounts at a variety of car rental agencies and hotel chains. Car rental discounts range from 10-25% at chains including Avis, Budget, Alamo, Hertz, National. The site also includes links to online reservation systems.
Simply visit www.alumnibenefits.org/concordia for more information.
To request a discount membership card to be mailed to you simply email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Concordia University Alumni are now eligible to access benefits and discounts listed at www.workingadvantage.com. Save $$$ on entertainment, travel, shopping, and much more.
Registering is easy. Simply go to the Working Advantage website and click on "Register." Using our Member ID, you may complete your one-time registration for free and create your own personal account with a password of your choice. Once you have registered, you can order online or by phone at 1-800-565-3712, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, or Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
To request Concordia's Member ID, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Andrew and I are pretty fond of bread. And of cheese. So cheese bread is the perfect marriage in our dairy-lovin' opinions.
Anyway, I came across this recipe at Epicurious and I'll tell you it lived up to every expectation I had. I did a couple things slightly different than what they called for and was highly satisfied with the results--a wonderfully chewy texture.
Epicurious called this "Georgian" cheese bread (not sure why as mozzarella cheese is hardly a Russian invention). I figured I should probably call it something else since this is slightly different from their recipe and "happy" pretty much sums up how I feel when I'm eating it.
1 cup warm water
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 lb mozzarella, grated
olive oil cooking spray
Put the water, flour, salt, eggs and yeast in the bucket of your bread machine in that order then set the machine to the "dough" cycle and let it run.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (yea you read that right, watch the eyebrows when you open the door).
Take the dough out and divide it into two equal sections. Press each section into a 7-inch circle on a greased cookie sheet. If the dough sticks to your hands run them under some water and your wet fingers will slip right off the dough.
Divide the grated cheese into two equal portions. Take each portion and squeeze the grated cheese into a ball--see picture to left. Set each ball of cheese on each circle of dough then gather the edges of each circle of dough up around the ball, making sure to seal the extra dough at the top.
The grated cheese ball is now encased in dough.
Press the ball dough cheese and dough flat with your hand--wetting your fingers as necessary to prevent them sticking to the dough. Press the ball down evenly so that the cheese gets mushed down in the center and you create a new circle of cheese-filled dough that's about 7 or 8 inches in diameter (you don't want to break it up so get it as flat as you can without tearing it up).
Once it's flattened, take a sharp knife and slash an "X" across the top of the dough so that the cheese gets exposed a big as you see in the picture on the right. Pop the breads into the oven to bake at 500 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Take them out of the oven and spray them with a bit of olive oil cooking spray then put them back in for another 3-5 minutes or until they're golden bubbly and nicely browned.
Cut the circles into wedges and enjoy--you're going to love them.
And here's something else that should make you happy--or at least make you chuckle:


text:
|Dwayne Carey
Boone County Sheriff
Boone County Sheriff's Department and Jail
2121 County Dr.
Columbia, MO 65201
Office (573) 875-1111
Fax (573) 874-8953
The Traffic Unit was started in the early 1990s. At that time the unit consisted of one deputy. In October of 2005 the Traffic Unit was expanded to 3 deputies due to grant funding from the Missouri Department of Transportation Division of Highway Safety. Today the traffic unit consists of 3 deputies and a sergeant.
The Traffic Unit is responsible for investigating crashes on county maintained roadways, traffic enforcement, providing educational programs for the public, providing traffic related training to the department on various traffic related topics, and planning and implementation of various special traffic enforcement events.


text:
Rewire Your TruckPosted in How To on June 5, 2003
Being the new guys, this particular job came to us. The boss stopped by and said that his boss was gonna take his '72 Bronco to Moab. "Cool," we said. The problem is that his Bronco is a fire hazard due to bad wiring. "So what?" we said. Well, the boss's boss is also going to take some CEO-type dude on the trails in Moab, and if the rig burns to the ground it may make everyone's job very expendable. So, the story goes that we have to make sure the boss's boss's Bronco won't burn to the ground in front of the boss's boss and the boss's boss's boss, or we're sleeping in a box down by the river. "No problem," we said.
The first step was easy: Get a wiring kit. Lucky for us, we had noticed our sister mag Faux Wheeler had done an article on the new Painless Wiring kit for '66-'77 Broncos. We called up the crew at Painless and told them our predicament, and sure enough, they had the kit to us in record time.
However, we needed some help putting this thing in and making sure everything else on the rig works before Moab. Here we have two choices: call our friends, who will just sit around and watch us work while drinking all our beer, or call a reputable shop where we can sit around and watch them work while we drink their "soda."
We called up Strictly Broncos, a shop here in Los Angeles, and scheduled the install. These guys are real pros, and most of the time they are taking old Ford Broncos that they have found behind barns and along back alleys and rebuilding them for their movie-star clientele. With the Painless kit in hand we all went to work (them mostly, but we got in their way a bit to help and take pictures), and after a few trips to the auto parts store for some special custom features we just had to add, we had a nonflammable Bronco ready for Moab. We're happy to say that the Bronco made the trip un-ignited for our boss's boss and his boss as well. As for us, we won't be moving out of our offices anytime soon. Hopefully.


text:
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon – UMK3 FAQ/Movelist
UMK3 FAQ/Movelist by OmegaMustard
Version: Final | Updated: 01/03/08
GAME: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 - MK Armageddon Premium Edition Bonus Feature
By: Kenneth Stubbs (Omegamustard)
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Information Help From UMK3 Arcade Bradygames Official Strategy Guide
If you want to use this on your website or such, email me and ask first.
This Document is copyrighted by me.
THE Ultimate MK3 FAQ is Copyright (C) Oct. 17, 2006 Kenneth Stubbs
If you liked the guide, click the recommend tab at
the top of the page if viewing this on GameFAQs.com. Thanks.
If viewing on Neoseeker.com - Rate the article in the upper left
corner, thanks.
If you would like to donate. I accept paypal.com donations.
Just type in my email email@example.com.
I appreciate all donations. Hope you enjoy the guide.
You have been chosen to represent the Earth in Mortal Kombat. Be
warned. for although your souls are safe from Shao Kahn's evil: Your
lives are not. I can no longer interfere as your Earth is now ruled by
the Outworld gods.
--These are the words of Raiden
I. The Plot
II. PS2 Button Translation
III. Fatalites (Rules and Regulations)
IV. Modes of Play
V. Characters
V-A. Kitana
V-B. Reptile
V-C. Sonya Blade
V-D. Jax (Major Jackson Briggs)
V-E. Nightwolf
V-F. Jade
V-G. Scorpion
V-H. Kano
V-I. Mileena
V-J. Ermac
V-K. Classic Sub-Zero
V-L. Sub-Zero
V-M. Sektor
V-N. Sindel
V-O. Stryker (Kurtis)
V-P. Cyrax
V-Q. Kung Lao
V-R. Kabal
V-S. Sheeva
V-T. Shang Tsung
V-U. Liu Kang
V-V. Robo Smoke
V-W. Human Smoke
V-X. Motaro
V-Y. Shao Khan
V-Z. Noob Saibot
V-AA. Rain
VI. Victory Screens
VII. Secrets
VIII. Closing Statements
*Number 1 Question I Get A Lot Is*
UMK3 is only available on the Premium Edition of MKA on the PS2. If
you have an Xbox, you must download the game on the Live Arcade.
There are not other ways to getting the game, it is not an unlockable.
It is found under the Extras Menu on the main menu.
I. The Plot
For centuries Earth has used Mortal Kombat to defend itself against
the Outworld's emperor, Shao Kahn. But Kahn grows frustrated by failed
attempts at taking Earth through tournament battle. He enacts a plan which
began 10,000 years ago.
During this time Shao Kahn had a queen. Her name was Sindel, and
her young death was unexpected. Kahn's shadow priests, led by Shang
Tsung, make it so Sindel's spirit would someday be reborn: not on the
Outworld, but on the Earth Realm itself.
This unholy act gives Shao Kahn the power to step through the
dimensional gates and reclaim his queen, thus enabling him to finally
seize the Earth Realm.
Upon breaching the portal into Earth, Shao Kahn slowly transforms
the planet into a part of the Outworld itself. Kahn strips the Earth of
all human life: claiming every soul as his own. But there are souls
which Kahn cannot take. These souls belong to the warriors chosen to
represent Earth in a new Mortal Kombat. The remaining humans are
scattered throughout the planet. Shao Khan sends an army of fierce
Outworld warriors to find and eliminate them.
II. PS2 Button Translation - Basic Controller Setting
High Punch (HP) - Square
Low Punch (LP) - X
High Kick (HK) - Triangle
Low Kick (LK) - O
Block (BL) - R1 or R2
Run (R) - L1 or L2
Uppercut (Down+HP) - Down+Square
Crouching Punch (Down+LP) - Down+X
Crouching Kick (Down+LK) - Down+O
Sweep (Back+LK) - Back+O
Roundhouse (Back+HK) - Back+Triangle
Diving Punch (Flip+Punch) - Up+Forward+Punch(HP or LP)
Diving Kick (Flip+Kick) - Up+Forward+Kick (HK or LK)
Hop Kick (Up+Kick) - Up+Kick (HK or LK)
Hop Punch (Up+Punch) - Up+Punch (HP or LP)
Down (D) - Down
Up (U) - Up
Back (B) - Back
Forward (F) - Forward
Move - D-Pad or Left Control Stick
Pause - Start
Ultimate Menu - Select
III. Fatalites (Rules and Regulations)
Basic finishing moves, every character has two of their own fatalities.
Is a way you can do one of two things, give your opponent another chance
or use it to perform an Animality.
To do a mercy: 1. Win on the third round.
2. Perform the following joystick/button movements:
Hold Run,then while holding Run, press Down, Down and release.
Animalities are finishing moves that let you turn into an animal and finish
your opponent off.
To do an Animality: 1. Perform a Mercy on the opponent.
2. Defeat them again.
3. Perform the proper joystick/button movements.
Stage Fatalities
Stage Fatalities are fatalities where you can finish your opponent off
in a death trap in the stage environment.
To do a Stage Fatality: 1.Defeat your opponent on one of the special stages.
2.Perform the proper button combinations.
Stages: The Pit III, The Subway, Scorpion's Lair, Shao Kahn Tower
Babalities are finishing moves where you can change your opponent
into a baby.
To perform a Babality: 1. Complete your winning round WITHOUT using Block.
2. Perform the proper button combinations.
Friendships are a way to show your opponent some love instead of killing them.
To perform Friendship 1.Complete your second winning round without using Block.
2.Perform the proper button combinations.
Brutalities are finishing moves that causes you to push a lot of buttons
to beat your opponent to death.
To perform a Brutality 1. Wait till it comes up to the Finish Him/Her Screen.
2. Perform the proper button combinations.
IV. Modes of Play
You are offered three modes of play, keeps things exciting.
Mode 1 is basic One On One
- This is basic Versus, if you don't have two players, you can play
the computer. The computer is pretty tough, so be prepared.
Mode 2 is Two On Two Endurance
- This is more exciting, it requires two players, Each player selects two
fighters, while playing, once the first fighter runs out of health,
the second fight joins fight.
Mode 3 is an Eight Player Tournament
- This mode requires eight players. The winner of this Tournament
gets to select a prize from Shao Khan's Treasure Vault and gets
bragging rights unless money is involved.
Arcade Mode - is playing the computer
- Novice
- Warrior
- First Master
- Second Master
V. Characters
V-A. Kitana
Kitana is accused of treason by the High Courts of Outworld after
murdering her evil twin, Mileena. Shao Kahn takes it upon himself to
appoint a group of warriors specifically to catch his daughter and bring
her back alive. But Kitana must find a way to reach the newly crowned
Queen Sindel first and warn her of their true past.
Fan Throw: F-F-HP+LP
Fan Lift: B-B-B-HP
Aerial Punch: D-B-HP
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Head Chop):B-D-F-F-HK(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Kiss of Death): RN-RN-BL-BL-LK(Close Range)
Babality: F-F-D-F-HK
Friendship(Blow Bubbles): D-B-F-F-LP
Stage Fatality: F-D-D-LK
Animality: Rabbit D,D,D,RN (one step)
4-hit(23%): HK, HK, LK, B+HK
4-hit(25%): HP, HP, B+LP, F+HP
V-B. Reptile
Always a reliable servant to Shao Kahn, Reptile is chosen to assist
Jade in the capture of Kitana. In contrast to Jade's instructions,
Reptile is ordered to stop the renegade Princess at all costs...even if
it means her death.
Acid Spit: F-F-HP
Slow Force Ball: B-B-HP+LP
Fast Force Ball: F-F-HP+LP
Rushing Elbow: B-F-LK
Invisibility: Hold BL(U-D-HK)
Slide: B+LP+BL+LK
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Snake Food): B-F-D-BL(Half Screen)
Fatality 2(Acid Puke): F-F-U-U-HK(Sweep)
Babality: F-F-B-D-LK
Friendship(Jack-in-a-Box): D-F-F-B-HK(Close Range)
Stage Fatality: BL-RN-BL-BL
Animality: Chimpanzee D,D,D,U,HK (close)
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, D+LP
3-hit(21%): HK, HK, B+HK
4-hit(24%): HP, HP, HK, B+HK
V-C Sonya Blade
Sonya disappears in the first tournament, but is later rescued from
the Outworld by Jax. After returning to Earth, she and Jax try to warn
the U.S. Government of the looming Outworld Menace. Lacking proof, they
watch helplessly as Shao Kahn begins his invasion.
Energy Rings: D-F-LP
Leg Grab: D+LP+BL
Flying Punch: F-B-HP
Bicycle Kick: B-B-D-HK
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Kiss of Death): B-F-D-D-RN(Anywhere)
Fatality 2(Purple Haze): Hold BL+RN(U-U-B-D)(Full Screen)
Babality: D-D-F-LK
Friendship(Flowers): B-F-B-D-RN
Stage Fatality: F-F-D-HP
Animality: Hawk hold LP B,F,D,F rel. LP (close)
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, U+LP
3-hit(19%): HK, HK, B+HK
4-hit(22%): HP, HP, LK, B+HP
5-hit(??%): HK, HK, HP, HP, U+LP
6-hit(31%): HK, HK, HP, HP, LP, B+HP
V-D Jax (Major Jackson Briggs)
After failing to convince his superiors of the coming Outworld
invasion, Jax begins to covertly prepare for future battle with Kahn's
minions. He fits both arms with indestructible bionic implants. This is
a war Jax is prepared to win.
Single Missile: B-F-HP
Double Missile: F-F-B-B-HP
Backbreaker: BL(in air)
Gotcha Grab: F-F-LP(tap LP repeatedly for additional hits)
Quad Slam: Throw(tap HP repeatedly for additional hits)
Ground Pound: Hold LK for a few seconds, then release
Dashing Punch: F-F-HK
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Arm Slice): Hold BL(U-D-F-U)(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Foot Stomp): RN-BL-RN-RN-LK(Half Screen)
Babality: D-D-D-LK
Friendship(Jump Rope): LK-RN-RN-LK
Stage Fatality: D-F-D-LP
Animality: Lion hold LP F,F,D,F rel. LP (close)
3-hit(19%): HK, HK, B+HK
4-hit(22%): HP, HP, BL, LP
5-hit(24%): HP, HP, BL, LP, B+HP
6-hit(31%): HK, HK, Hold D(HP-HP-BL-LP)
7-hit(33%): HK, HK, Hold D(HP-HP-BL-LP), B+HP
V-E Nightwolf
Works as a historian and preserver of his people's culture. When
Kahn's portal opens over North America, Nightwolf uses the magic of his
shamen to protect his tribe's sacred land. This area becomes a vital
threat to Kahn's invasion of the Earth.
Arrow: D-B-LP
Shield: B-B-B-HK
Green Dash: F-F-LK
Red Dash: B-B-F-HK
Hatchet Uppercut: D-F-HP
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Moon Beam): U-U-B-F-BL(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Lightning): B-B-D-HP(Half Screen)
Babality: F-B-F-B-LP
Friendship(Rayden Transform): RN-RN-RN-D
Stage Fatality: RN-RN-BL
Animality: Wolf F,F,D,D (close)
3-hit(19%): HK, HK, B+HK
4-hit(21%): HP, HP, LP, LP
4-hit(22%): HP, HP, LP, B+HK(alternatively use Hatchet Uppercut)
5-hit(27%): LK, HP, HP, LP, B+HK(alternatively use Hatchet Uppercut)
V-F Jade
When the renegade Princess Kitana makes her escape into the unknown
regions of Earth, Jade is appointed by Shao Kahn to bring his daughter
back alive. Once a close friend of the Princess, Jade is faced with the
task of betraying her friend or disobeying her Emperor.
High Boomerang: B-F-HP
Low Boomerang: B-F-LK
Straight Boomerang: B-F-LP
Returning Boomerang: B-B-F-LP
Glow Kick: D-F-LK
Invincibility: B-F-HK
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Crazy Shake): U-U-D-F-HP(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Staff Impale): RN-RN-RN-BL-RN(Close Range)
Babality: D-D-F-D-HK
Friendship(Pogo Stick): B-D-B-B-HK
Stage Fatality: B-F-D-RN
Animality: Kat F,D,F,F,LK (close)
4-hit(22%): HP, HP, D+LP, D+HP
4-hit(23%): HK, HK, LK, B+HK
7-hit(25%): HP, HP, D+LP, LK, HK, B+LK, B+HK
V-G Scorpion
When Shao Kahn makes a failed attempt at stealing the souls which
occupy Earth's hell, Scorpion is able to make his escape. Now free to
roam the Earth once more, Scorpion holds no allegiance to no one. He's a
wild card in the Earth's struggle against the Outworld.
Spear: B-B-LP
Teleport Punch: D-B-HP
Air Throw: BL in air
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Multiple Scorpions): F-F-D-U-RN(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Fire Breath): D-D-U-HK(Outside Sweep)
Babality: D-B-B-F-HP
Friendship(Skull-in-a-Box): B-F-F-B-LK(Close Range)
Stage Fatality: F-U-U-LP
Animality: Penguin F,U,U,HK (close)
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, U+LP
4-hit(23%): HK, HK, LK, LK
4-hit(24%): HP, HP, HK, B+HK
V-H Kano
Kano is thought to have been killed in the first tournament.
Instead, he is found alive in the Outworld where he again escapes capture
by Sonya. Before the actual Outworld invasion, Kano convinces Shao Kahn
to spare his soul. Kahn needs someone to teach his warriors how to use
Earth's weapons. Kano is the man to do it.
Knife Throw: D-B-HP
Knife Uppercut: D-F-HP
Strangle Hold: D-F-LP
Air Throw: BL in air
Cannonball: Hold LK for 3 seconds, release
Diagonal Cannonball: F-D-F-HK
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Skeleton Rip): Hold LP(F-D-D-F)(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Eye Laser): LP-BL-BL-HK(Sweep)
Babality: F-F-D-D-LK
Friendship(Bubble Gum): LK-RN-RN-HK
Stage Fatality: U-U-B-LK
Animality: Spider hold HP BL,BL,BL rel. HP (close)
2-hit(15%): LK, LP
3-hit(18%): LK, D+LP, D+HP -or- HP, HP, D+HP
4-hit(22%): HP, HP, D+LP, D+HP
4-hit(23%): HK, HK, LK, B+HK
5-hit(26%): HP, HP, HK, LK, B+HK
V-I Mileena
Murdered by her twin sister Kitana, Mileena finds herself
brought back to life by Shao Kahn himself. Her skills as a
vicious fighter will be needed to defeat Earth's chosen warriors.
Her ability to read the thoughts of her twin sister will enable
Kahn to stay on step ahead of time.
Sai Throw: Hold HP for 2 seconds, release
Teleport Kick: F-F-LK
Roll Attack: B-B-D-HK
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Man-Eater): D-F-D-F-LK(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Million Nails): B-B-B-F-LK(Far)
Babality: D-D-F-F-HP
Friendship(Unfriendly Mirror): D-D-B-F-HP
Stage Fatality: D-D-D-LP
Animality: Skunk F,D,D,F,HK (close)
3-hit(16%): HK, HK, D-F-LK
4-hit(22%): HP, HP, U+LP, D+HP
4-hit(23%): HK, HK, U+LK, D+HK
5-hit(24%): HP, HP, HK, HK, D-F-LK
6-hit(30%): HP, HP, HK, HK, U+LK, U+HK
V-J Ermac
An enigma to all who come into contact with him, Ermac's
past remains shrouded in mystery. It's believed that he exists
as a life force brought together by the souls of extinguished
Outworld warriors. Shao Kahn has managed to take possession
of these souls, and use them to fight of the side of tyranny.
Green Bolt: D-B-LP
Teleport Punch: D-B-HP
Telekenetic Slam: B-D-B-HK
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Head Decap): RN-BL-RN-RN-HK(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Multiple Slam): D-U-D-D-D-BL(Sweep)
Stage Fatality: RN-RN-RN-RN-LK
4-hit(19%): HP, HP, B+LP, D-F-LP
4-hit(23%): HK, HK, LK, B+HK
5-hit(24%): HP, HP, B+LP, HK, F+LK
V-K Classic Sub-Zero
Freeze: D-F-LP
Ground Freeze: D-B-LK
Ground Slide: B+LP+BL+LK
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Fade To Black): D-D-D-F-HP (Close Range)
Stage Fatality: F-D-F-F-HP
3-hit(19%): LK, B+HK, F+LK
4-hit(22%): HP, HP, D+LP, D+HP
5-hit(26%): HP, HP, LK, B+HK, F+LK
V-L Sub-Zero
The ninja returns unmasked. He was betrayed by his own clan,
the Lin Kuei. He broke sacred codes of honor by leaving his clan
and is marked for death. But, unlike the ninja, his persurors
come as machines. He must not only defend from the Outworld, but
he must elude his soulless assassins.
Ground Freeze: D-F-LP
Front Ice Shower: D-F-HP
Back Ice Shower: D-B-F-HP
Ice Clone: D-B-LP
Ground Slide: B+LP+LK+BL
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Ice Breath): B-B-D-B-RN(Sweep)
Fatality 2(Ice Breaker): BL-BL-RN-BL-RN(Close Range)
Babality: D-B-B-HK
Friendship(Snowman): LK-RN-RN-U
Stage Fatality: B-D-F-F-HK
Animality: Polar Bear F,U,U (close)
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, HK
3-hit(19%): HK, HK, B+HK
4-hit(22%): HP, HP, LP, B+HK
5-hit(26%): HP, HP, LK, HK, B+HK
6-hit(23%): HP, HP, LP, LK, HK, B+HK
V-M Sektor
Sektor is actually the code name for Unit LK-9T9. He was the
first of three prototype cybernetic ninjas built by the Lin Kuei.
Sektor was once a human assassin trained by the Lin Kuei. He
volunteered for automation because of his loyalty to the clan.
Sektor survives the Outworld invasion - He has no soul to take.
Teleport Uppercut: F-F-LK
Missile: F-F-LP
Homing Missle: D-B-HP
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Compactor): LP-RN-RN-BL(Sweep)
Fatality 2(Flamer): F-F-F-B-BL(Half Screen)
Babality: B-D-D-D-HK
Friendship(Winner): RN-RN-RN-RN-D(Half Screen)
Stage Fatality: RN-RN-RN-D
Animality: Bat F,F,D,U (close)
2-hit(15%): HK, HK
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, D+LP
4-hit(22%): HP, HP, HK, B+HK
5-hit(26%): HP, HP, HK, HK, B+HK
V-N Sindel
She once ruled the Outworld at Shao Kahn's side. Now, 10,000
years after her untimely death, she is reborn on Earth. Her evil
intent is every match for Shao Kahn's tyranny. She is the key to
his occupation of Earth.
Fireball: F-F-LP
Air Fireball: D-F-LK in air
Float: B-B-F-HK
Scream: F-F-F-HP
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Scream): RN-BL-BL-RN+BL(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Hair Spin): RN-RN-BL-RN-BL(Sweep)
Babality: RN-RN-RN-U
Friendship(Field Goal): RN-RN-RN-RN-RN-U
Stage Fatality: D-D-D-LP
Animality: Wasp F,F,U,HP (anywhere)
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, D+HP
3-hit(19%): HK, HK, B+HK
4-hit(25%): HP, HP, LP, B+HK
5-hit(33%): LK, HP, HP, LP, B+HK
V-O Stryker (Kurtis)
When the Outworld portal opens up over a large city in North
America, panic and chaos rage out of control. Kurtis Stryker was
the leader of the riot control brigade when Shao Kahn began taking
souls. He find himself the lone survivor of a city once populated
by millions.
High Grenade: D-B-HP
Low Grenade: D-B-LP
Baton Throw: F-F-HK
Baton Trip: F-B-LP
Machine Gun: B-F-HP
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Dynamite): D-F-D-F-BL(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Tazer): F-F-F-LK(Outside Half)
Babality: D-F-F-B-HP
Friendship(Cross Guard): LP-RN-RN-LP
Stage Fatality: F-U-U-HK
Animality: T-Rex RN,RN,RN,BL (sweep)
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, F+LP
3-hit(19%): LK, LK, B+HK
4-hit(21%): LK, LK, B+LP, B+HK
4-hit(23%): LK, HP, HP, F+LP
V-P Cyrax
Cyrax is Unit LK-4D4, the second of three prototype cybernetic
ninjas built by the Lin Kuei. Like his counterparts, his last
program command is the find and terminate the rouge ninja, Sub-Zero.
Without a soul, Cyrax goes undetected by Shao Kahn and becomes a
possible threat to his occupation of Earth.
Energy Net: B-B-LK
Long Range Bomb: Hold LK(F-F-HK), Release LK
Close Range Bomb: Hold LK(B-B-HK), Release LK
Teleport: F-D-BL
Air Throw: D-F-BL to fly, LP to Throw
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Self-Destruct): D-D-F-U-RN(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Helicopter): D-D-U-D-HP(Anywhere)
Babality: F-F-B-HP
Friendship(Charleston): RN-RN-RN-U
Stage Fatality: RN-BL-RN
Animality: Shark U,U,D,D (close)
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, LP
3-hit(19%): HK, HK, B+HK
6-hit(30%): HP, HP, HK, HP, HK, B+HK
V-Q Kung Lao
Kung Lao's plan to reform the White Lotus Society comes to
a halt when Shao Kahn's invasion takes the Earth by storm. As a
chosen warrior, Kung Lao myst use his greatest fighting skills
to bring down Shao Kahn's reign of terror.
Hat Throw: B-F-LP
Teleport: D-U
Dive Kick: D+HK in air
Spin: F-D-F-RN
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Hat Chop): F-F-B-D-HP(Inside Sweep)
Fatality 2(Super Spin): RN-BL-RN-BL-D(Half Screen)
Babality: D-F-F-HP
Friendship(Dog Fetch): RN-LP-RN-LK
Stage Fatality: D-D-F-F-LK
Animality: Cheetah RN,RN,RN,RN,BL (close)
3-hit(19%): LK, LK, B+HK
4-hit(22%): HP, LP, HP, LP
7-hit(34%): HP, LP, HP, LP, LK, LK, B+HK
V-R Kabal
As a chosen warrior, his identity is a mystery to all. It is
believed he is a survivor of an attack by Shao Kahn's extermination
squads. As a result, he's viciously scarred and kept alive only by
artificial resirators and a rage for ending Shao Kahn's conquest.
Eye Spark: B-B-HP
Air Eye Spark: B-B-HP
Ground Rush: B-F-LK
Ground Saw: B-B-B-RN
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Air Pump): D-D-B-F-BL(Outside Sweep)
Fatality 2(Soul Scare): RN-BL-BL-BL-HK(Close Range)
Babality: RN-RN-LK
Friendship(Marshmallow Roast): RN-LK-RN-RN-U
Stage Fatality: BL-BL-HK
Animality: Rhino hold HP F,F,D,F rel. HP (close)
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, D+HP -or- LK, LK, B+HK
4-hit(17%): HP, HP, D+LP, D+HP
4-hit(19%): HP, HP, HK, B+HK
4-hit(24%): LK, LK, HK, B+HK
5-hit(??%): LK, LK, HP, HP, D+HP
6-hit(17%): LK, LK, HP, HP, D+LP, D+HP
6-hit(18%): LK, LK, HP, HP, HK, B+HK
V-S Sheeva
She was hand picked by Shao Kahn to serve as Sindel's personal
protector. She became suspicious of Shao Kahn's loyalty towards her race
of Shokan when he places Motaro as the leader of his extermination
squads. On the Outworld Motaro's race of Centaurians are the natural
enemy of Shokan.
Fireball: D-F-HP
Ground Stomp: B-D-B-HK
Teleport Stomp: D-U
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Head Pound): F-D-D-F-LP(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Skin Rip): HK-B-F-F(Close Range)
Babality: D-D-D-B-HK
Friendship(Balancing): F-F-D-F-HP
Stage Fatality: D-F-D-F-LP
Animality(Scorpion): RN,BL,BL,BL,BL(Close Range)
2-hit(??%) Throw, Uppercut
7-hit(??%) HP,HP,LP,F+HP, Walk in HP,HP, Fireball
7-hit(??%) HP,HP,LP,HK,HK,LK,B+HK
V-T Shang Tsung
Tsung is Shao Kahn's lead sorcerer. He once fell out of favor with
his emperor after failing to win the Earth realm in tournament battle. But
the ever scheming Shang Tsung is instrumental in Kahn's conquest of Earth.
He has now been granted more power than ever.
Single Fireball: B-B-HP
Double Fireball: B-B-F-HP
Triple Fireball: B-B-F-F-HP
Hell Fireballs: F-B-B-LK
Classic Zub-Zero: BL-BL-RN-RN
Cyrax: BL-BL-BL
Ermac: D-D-U
Jade: F-F-D-D-BL
Jax: F-F-D-LP
Kabal: LP-BL-HK
Kano: B-F-BL
Kitana: F-D-F-RN
Kung Lao: RN-RN-BL-RN
Liu Kang: 360 degrees clockwise
Mileena: RN-BL-HK
Nightwolf: U-U-U
Reptile: RN-BL-BL-HK
Scorpion: D-D-F-LP
Sektor: D-F-B-RN
Sindel: B-D-B-LK
Sonya: D+LP+BL+RN
Stryker: F-F-F-HK
Sub-Zero: F-D-F-HP
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Spike Bed): Hold LP(D-F-F-D)(Close Range)
Fatality 2(Soul Steal): Hold LP(RN-BL-RN-BL)(Close Range)
Babality: RN-RN-RN-LK
Friendship(Joust): LK-RN-RN-D
Stage Fatality: U-U-B-LP
Animality: Snake hold HP RN,RN,RN rel. HP (sweep)
3-hit(19%): HK, HK, B+HK
4-hit(22%): HP, HP, LP, B+HK
5-hit(27%): LK, HP, HP, LP, B+HK
V-U Liu Kang
After the Outworld invasion, Liu Kang find himself the
prime target of Kahn's extermination squads. He is the Shaolin
champion and has thwarted Kahn's schemes in the past. Of all
the humans, Kang poses the greatest threat to Shao Kahn's rule.
High Fireball: F-F-HP
Low Fireball: F-F-LP
Air Fireball: U, F-F-HP
Flying Kick: F-F-HK
Bicycle Kick: Hold LK for five seconds, release
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Invisible Burn): F-F-D-D-LK(Anywhere)
Fatality 2(Arcade Drop): U-D-U-U-BL+RN
Babality: D-D-D-HK
Friendship(Dragon Film): RN-RN-RN-D+RN
Stage Fatality: RN-BL-BL-LK
Animality: Dragon D,D,U (close)
3-hit(13%): HP, HP, B+LP
4-hit(22%): LK, LK, HK, LK
5-hit(25%): HP, LK, LK, HK, LK
7-hit(29%): HP, HP, BL, LK, HK, LK, HK
V-V Robo Smoke
Hook: B-B-LP
Teleport Uppercut: F-F-LK
Invisibility: U-U-RN
Air Throw: BL in air
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(End of the World): U-U-F-D(Full Screen)
Fatality 2(Throat Bomb): Hold BL+RN(D-D-F-U)(Sweep)
Babality: D-D-B-B-HK
Friendship(Horn): RN-RN-RN-HK
Stage Fatality: F-F-D-LK
Animality: Bull D,F,F,BL (far)
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, LP -or- HP, HP, HK
3-hit(19%): HK, HK, LP
5-hit(26%): HP, HP, LK, HK, LP
V-W Human Smoke
Spear: B-B-LP
Teleport Punch: D-B-HP
Air Throw: BL in air
Finish Him/Her
Fatality 1(Head Decap): RN-BL-RN-RN-HK(Close Range)
Babality: D-B-B-F-HP
Stage Fatality: F-U-U-LP
2-hit(15%): LK, LP
3-hit(18%): HP, HP, U+LP
4-hit(23%): HK, HK, LK, LK
4-hit(24%): HP, HP, HK, B+HK
V-X Motaro
The Sub-Boss before Shao Khan, he is half Man, half horse.
V-Y Shao Khan
The Emporer of Outworld and Master of the Game.
V-Z Noob Saibot
Noob Saibot emerges from the darkest region of reality - A
region known as the Netherrealm. He belongs to a group called the
Brothers of the Shadow, and worships an evil and mysterious fallen
elder god. His mission is the spy the events taking place in the
batatle between the realms, and report back to his enigmatic leaders.
V-AA Rain
Born in Kitana's former world of Edenia, Rain was smuggled
away from the realm as a small child shortly after Shao Kahn's take
over. Thousands of years later he resurfaceed, his allegiance
belonging to Kahn. He chose to betray his homeland rather than
suffer at the hands of Kahn's extermination squads.
VI. Victory Screens
Cyrax is captured by Sub-Zero and reprogrammed with new orders:
to destroy Shao Kahn. With Kahn unable to detect his assassin's
soulless presence, Cyrax delivers a successful sneak attack.
However, after eliminating Kahn and saving Earth, Cyrax awaits
new orders from his Lin Kuei headquarters. The orders never
come and Cyrax malfunctions. He ends up stranded in the middle
of a vast desert, blindly heading towards his base.
Having been in hding since the first Mortal Kombat, neither
the Earth nor the Outworld has recognized this elusive ninja.
Ermac uses his victory in the tournament to prove his existence..
as well as a warning that he will return as an unstoppable force
in the fourth Mortal Kombat.
Jade makes the deicison to assist her long time friend, Kitana.
She thwarts an assassination attempt by Reptile against the
Princess and fends off their other Outworld enemies. This
clears the path for Kitana to turn Sindel against the Emperor
Shao Kahn. With Sindel removed as an enemy, Jade finds herself
facing the Emperor in combat. She defeats him and both Earth
and her formal homeland of Edenia are transformed to their
original states. Jade has earned herself a place alongside the
great heroes of Mortal Kombat.
Jax (Major Jackson Briggs)
The second time Jax battles the forces for Shao Kahn he comes
prepared. Thought to be the strongest man on Earth, he has no
problem proving it: First by beating Kahn's armies and then by
defeating the Emperor himself. When the world reverts back to
normal, Jax & Sonya start the Outworld Investigation Agency.
Jax runs the exploratory division which learns to open portals
through science rather than magic. He leads the first expedition
into a mysterious new realm.
After returning from near death, Kabal swears revenge against
his attackers. He fights alongside the other Earth warriors. When
he defeats Motaro and the mighty Shao Kahn he proves that he truly
is the chosen one. Before the invasion, Kabal lived a life of
crime. He was once a member of the Black Dragon alongside Kano.
Now Kabal devotes his life to fighting injustice. He will give
crime's inner circles a new reason to fear.
When Shao Kahn lets Kano live he fails to realize the
resourcefulness of the scheming human. Kano lures Kahn's armies
away on a false mission: then nukes them using a stolen weapon.
He fights the remaining warriors and finally defeats Kahn
himself. Kano's true intention is to take over the souls which
Kahn once possessed. But Kano is unable to control the spirits
as they escape and attack him. Rumored to have suffered a
violent death, Kano was ignorant of the fact that he saved the
world he tried to conquer.
Kitana evades the evil clutches of Shao Kahn and escapes into the
unknown regions of Earth. She survives an assassination attempt
by the vile creature Reptile and allies herself with her one time
comrade - Jade. Together with the help of Earth's warriors,
Kitana reaches Sindel and turns the queen against her Emperor.
With Shao Kahn defeated, the Earth is transformed back to its
original state as is Kitana's realm of Edenia. She will be
forever in debt to her friends on Earth as she rules the new
realm of Edenia at Queen Sindel's side.
Kung Lao
When Shao Kahn invades Earth, Kung Lao must scrap his plans of
reuniting the White Lotus Society. He instead must focus on the
new tournament. He seeks Liu Kang and together they battle Kahn's
minions fearlessly. Using the knowledge he obtained as a Shaolin
Monk he fights in the name of his great ancestor-the original
Kung Lao. He emerges victorious but suffers from injuries during
battle with Kahn. Believed to have passed away, Kung Lao joins
his ancestors in a new life.
Liu Kang
After thwarting Shao Kahn in the past, Liu Kang finds himself
the prime target of Shao Kahn's extermination squads. But Kang
is the reigning MK champion and proves it by easily defeating
Kahn's minions. But it's the apparent death of his friend Kung
Lao that enrages Kang and enables him to find the strength to
defeat Shao Kahn. Then, before the portal closes, Liu Kang is
greeted by Princess Kitana and thanks for saving the Earth and
the Outworld.
Winning the third tournament enables Mileena to reclaim her
role as the Outworld queen. With the help of Baraka she then
takes both Sindel and her daughter Kitana hostage. Together
they threaten Shao Kahn with their lives unless he lures the
Earth-born warriors into a fourth Mortal Kombat where Baraka
can return and regain his title as the ultimate Mortal Kombat
Nightwolf helps the other Earth warriors escape to his sacred
land. Once there, they regroup and plan a form of attack against
Shao Kahn's invasion. Nightwolf has trained hard for this battle.
Finally, he faces Shao Kahn and emerges victorious. When the
Earth returns to its normal state, Nightwolf peacefully regains
his land and his Native American people lost over many years.
They establish their own proud nation and soon become the great
leaders of Earth.
Reptile is ordered by Shao Kahn to find and kill Kitana. He is
successful in completing his task, but upon returning finds
himself shunned by the Emperor. Shao Kahn promised Reptile that
if he was successful that he would resurrect Reptile's race.
Shao Kahn never had any intention of fulfilling his promise.
Enraged, Reptile turns against his master and defeats him in
battle. But by killing his master, Reptile destroys the one
chance to ever know his true race.
Scorpion is inadvertantly released from his damnation in Hell
when Kahn's plan to overtake that realm goes wary. Free to
roam Earth, Scorpion is enlisted by the Emperor to aid him and
his quest to destroy the chosen warriors. But his alliance to
Shao Kahn faulterswhen he discovers one of the chosen warriors
to be Sub-Zero. Scorpion had vowed to protect the former ninja
as restitution for killing his brother. Shao Kahn finds himself
the victim of his own scheme as Scorpion is forced to turn
against him. He destroys the Emperor and the Earth is returned
to normal. Scorpion finds himself once again roaming the pits
of Hell, only to one day rise again.
After eventually terminating Sub-Zero, Sektor is attacked by
Shao Kahn's army. Unfamiliar with the Outworld warriors, Sektor
fights back. He targets Kahn and all Outworld beings as threats
to the Lin Kuei. Kahn's minions are no match for Sektor, who
fights his way into the fortress. Once inside, Sektor initiates
his self-destruct sequence. The resulting explosion is so
massive that it closes the portal and returns Earth back to
Shang Tsung
When Shao Kahn overtakes the Earth, he needs Shang Tsung to
help locate the surviving humans. Granted new powers, Tsung
soon dicovers his dark Emperor's true plan: as soon as the
remaining warriors are disposed of, Kahn will take Tsung's own
soul. After learning this, Tsung turns on his master. He
catches Mataro off guard and then defeats Shao Kahn. But
before the Earth can return to normal, Tsung takes all the
souls as his own. He will forever rules Earth with his own
brand of evil.
Sindel recieves visions of her true past and turns against
Shao Kahn. She discovers thats her true king was named Jerrod.
They once had a daughter named Kitana and ruled a realm called
Edenia, before Kahn took it away in their own Mortal Kombat. He
uses Sindel as a pawn in his quest for Earth and took Kitana
as his own daughter. But in defeating Shao Kahn, Sindel frees
the Earth. In doing so, she also liberates Edenia and assures
a reunion with her 10,000 year old daughter - Kitana.
Smoke was once a friend and ally of Sub-Zero when they both
tried to escape from being turned into machines by their ninja
clan. But Smoke is captured and transformed into a cyborg with
a mission to find and kill his old partner. But Smoke soon finds
himself being pursued by Shao Kahn's minions. He learns that he
still as a soul and his true mission is the destruction of the
Outworld invaders. He defeats Kahn and saves the world, but is
forever trapped in his artificial body.
Sonya defeats her arch-enemy Kano high atop a skyscraper near
Shao Kahn's fortress. She then comes face to face with the Emperor
himself. In an incredible display of courage, Sonya wins. When
the world returns to its normal state, Sonya has no trouble
convincing her superiors to form the Outworld Investigation
Agency, devoted to protecting the Earth against possible future
invaions from other realms.
Ignorant of why his soul was spared from the Outworld invasion,
Stryker recieves a vision from Raiden. He is instructed to
travel west. He eventually meets the rest of Earth's warriors
and learns the true meaning of his survival. He travels back to
the city he swore to protect. Kahn is unfamiliar with this new
kombatant and is caught off guard. Stryker defeats the warlord
and saves the entire planet. The chaos that consumed the city
in the hours before the invasion are gone.
In vicious battle, Sub-Zero faces Cyrax & Sektor: but not
alone. He finds his third Lin Kuei assassin-the elusive Smoke.
Before automation, Smoke and Sub-Zero were allies. Sub-Zero
helped Smoke recall his past and regains him as an ally once
again. Sub-Zero defeats his cyborg assassins with the help of
Smoke and finds it takes all of his own inner strengths to
defeat Kahn and his Outworld minions. The former ninja once
again disappears into the shadows, his legacy known only by
a select few.
VII. Secrets
Random Select -
Up+Start at Select Your Fighter screen
Varied Gameplay:
1/4 Energy Player 1: 707-000
1/4 Energy Player 2: 000-707
1/2 Energy Player 1: 033-000
1/2 Energy Player 2: 000-033
Randper Kombat: 444-444
Blocking Disabled: 020-020
Throwing Disabled: 100-100
Dark Fighting: 688-422
Unlimited Run: 466-466
Invisible Energy Bar: 987-123
Psycho Kombat: 985-125
Galaga: 642-468
Silent Kombat: 300-300
Sans Power (UNIKORIV REFERRI): 055-550
Fast Uppercut Recovery: 788-322
4 Player 2 on 2 Kombat:
Explosive Kombat: 227-227
Explosive Kombat/ Throwing Disabled: 022-220
Winner Of Round 1 Fights:
Shao Kahn: 033-564
Motaro: 969-141
Human Smoke: 205-205
Noob Saibot: 769-342
Kombat Zone:
The Pit 3: 820-028
Shao Kahn's Tower: 091-190
The Subway: 880-088
The Street: 079-035
The Graveyard: 666-333
The Temple: 600-040
The Bridge: 077-022
The Rooftop: 343-343
The Soul Chamber: 123-901
The Balcony: 880-220
Hell: 666-444
The Cavern: 004-700
The Desert: 330-033
The Waterfront: 002-003
Noob's Dorfen: 050-050
Portal Pit (SCISLAC BUSOREZ): 933-933
Text Messages:
There Is No Knowledge That Is Not Power: 123-926
No Fear=EB Button, Skydive, Max Countdown: 282-282
Hold Flippers During Casino Run: 987-666
Version Check: 999-999
Throwing Encouraged: 010-010
Go See The Mortal Kombat Live Tour!: 550-550
Don't Jump At Me: 448-844
Skunky!!: 122-221
Watcha Gun Do?: 004-400
Rain Can Be Found At The Graveyard: 717-313
Enable Mileena: 22264-22264
Enable Ermac: 12344-44321
Enable Classic Sub-Zero: 81835-81835
Select Cyber Ninja Smoke, then before any round begins,
press and hold the buttons until Human Smoke appears.
Player 1: hold Left+HP+HK+BL+RN
Player 2: hold Right+HP+HK+BL+RN
Shao Khan's Treasures:
1. Dragon - Tournament Outcome
2. MK - Game of Galaxian
3. Yin Yang - Battle against Ermac
4. Three - Battle against Noob Saibot
5. Question Mark - Random Selection
6. Lightning Bolt - Fatality Demonstration #1 (1st for old characters)
7. Goro - Fatality Demonstration #2 (2nd for old characters)
8. Raiden - Fatality Demonstration #3 (1 from each new character)
9. Shao Kahn - Endurance match against Noob Saibot and Ermac
10. Skull - Classic MK2 endurance against Classic Sub-Zero and Noob Saibot
11. Question Mark - Mega Endurance Kombat (Noob Saibot, Ermac,
Smoke, Classic Sub-Zero, Mileena)
12. Question Mark - Supreme Demonstration
VIII. Closing Statements
This guide is allowed on
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if you would like to use my Guide on your site, message me and let
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includes format.
You are not allowed to use my guide for any profit or personal gain.
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text:
I decided to click the link to here that is in several rebelscum member's signatures. Just from reading this topic I can see how different the community here must be compared to Rebelscum. I hope to stay here for a while.
P.S. Boy, Tom... You really let 'em have it over there at RS tonight, didn't ya'?! I wonder if Scott's started a new trend - Flash Thread Starting... Feel free to start a thread or two here as well!
I prefer to make "friends" with someone based on moral principles rather than one based on which figures we really like
I joined RS not long ago, and now I'm here thanks to JediMAC
Spamming: Refrain from posting the same thread over and over (even under slightly different names, or in different forums), from posting the same reply again and again, or even posting multiple times in a row on a thread.
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text:
|Of child molesters and hysteria
By Nicholas Stix
Apparently, a new child molester is roaming the Rockaway peninsula in Queens, New York – me! I say that, because on January 11, a girl of about 11 years of age walking on the other side of the street kept nervously looking over her shoulder at me. When I sought to comfort her with a kindly smile, and perhaps a nod, she became even more alarmed. At the PTA meeting that night at my son's school, a parent insisted to me, "If a child feels intimidated, then an incident occurred."
Salem witch trials, here we come!
But it gets worse. I wasn't some stranger cruising the neighborhood (didn't a man once have the right to walk any street in America?); I was walking the same route I walk at the same time, every weekday, to pick up my child from school. And then the girl crossed in front of me, to enter her house. Why, she was no stranger, either! Just a few days earlier, she had stood in front of her house as my son and I walked past, heading home, and flashed a brilliant smile at him. And that wasn't the first time. (He has that effect on females.)
So, what had I done to terrorize this poor child, you ask? When I got home, I told my wife what had happened. She showed me the following letter on school letterhead, which our son had brought home a few days earlier.
(I did not publish the name of the assistant principal or of the school, in order to protect my son. Thus do various guilty parties get off scot free.)
To recap, according to the NYPD and the school brass, there was an "incident" (read: crime) on January 6. A man was accused and convicted, in absentia, of first degree walking behind, smiling, and nodding at a ten or eleven-year-old girl. How many years is that good for? And what if he hadn't smiled and nodded at her? Would she have reported that he had an "intimidating hard look," or that he had looked away in a "suspicious" manner? As child abuse "experts" tell us, anything a "suspect" does, is proof of his guilt.
As my wife observed, the man was probably on his way to work. In any event, based on the child's own words, there was no incident, just an hysterical child. Lord knows, children get hysterical at times. But grownups are supposed to be … grown up. It is our job to calm hysteria, not encourage it. Unfortunately, the folks running my son's school were just as hysterical as the child.
The child who reacted to me with paranoia does not even attend my son's school. She gets out a half-hour earlier, presumably from a nearby Catholic school. It seems that some parents from my son's school not only drove their own kids nuts with the hysterical, irresponsible letter, but showed it to their neighbors who send their kids to the Catholic school, some of whom in turn made their kids crazy.
My theory is that the precinct notified the school, so the child wouldn't get in trouble for being late. So far, so good. The school brass then broadcast the commotion out of fear that otherwise a parent would find out about it, and sue them for being guilty of insufficient hysteria. No can do. But since in publicizing the child's name the school violated privacy regulations, the child's family is virtually guaranteed to sue it. As the mother of one of my son's classmates observed, the rest of us will have to pay for that lawsuit.
Hysteria never helps.
I tried to get the local newspaper, The Wave, interested in the story to no avail.
That same night, I brought up the matter at the local PTA meeting, but didn't get very far there, either. The PTA is run by a clique of school employees and perhaps a few parents, all of whom are fanatically supportive of the schools' bosses.
Early in the meeting, the assistant principal who had sent home the letter reported that the school works with children through role-playing, to teach alternate methods of conflict resolution. "The problem is not so much aggression as saying things like, 'You're not a member of our club.'"
Until the over 90-minute meeting was almost over, only administrators and "cliquies" whom the emcee called on by name for reports on their respective spheres of influence got to speak. Although the emcee was polite and eventually permitted me to speak (due to my furious note-taking, she may have thought I was a reporter from The Wave), a handful of the other 36 audience members clearly felt that I had no such right.
One such was a school employee who was angry at parents in general. She complained about parents who come to parent assemblies without "proper photo ID," "Don't put school staff members in a position" of having to vouch for your identity. (Why shouldn't a staffer be glad to vouch for the identity of a parent from the neighborhood whose children have attended the school for years? Staffers have turned an ID requirement meant to keep weirdoes from wandering school halls, into a pretext for harassing parents. As my mom always says, "A little power is a dangerous thing.") Then the staffer complained about parents who park their cars on one of the streets near the school, and walk their children into the school building. She called on parents to be more like taxi drivers, and stop in the school's vicinity, open the car door, and let their kids hop out. It didn't occur to me at the time, but she was complaining about my fellow pre-K parents (none of whom I saw there), who walk their four-year-olds into the building, to hand them off directly to their teacher – as well they must!
To recap, according to the clique, parents must react hysterically to baseless charges about imaginary incidents involving non-existent child molesters, while cavalierly neglecting their children's most fundamental safety needs.
The lead goon present said his name was Keith, and asked me to "step outside" into the hall. Keith, who claimed all sorts of grand titles, including PTA vice president, and apparently graduated from the Mike Tyson School of Rhetoric, did everything but bite my ear off. He kept putting his hands on me, sticking his face within two inches of mine, and yelling at me to let him talk, any time I disputed his loud, robotically repeated charge that the NYPD has a "mechanism" for reporting "incidents" that I'm not allowed to question, and that I only "feel" that the matter was mishandled. When an hysterical child "feels" something, all law goes out the window, but when I think something, it means nothing.
Keith (who is at least six inches taller than me) was so out of control that I had to grasp his shoulders and tell him, "Now, let's back up. If you don't stop putting your hands on me, I'm going to put my hands on you, and you're not going to like it."
The security guard working the meeting had accompanied us into the hall, but rather than being there to keep things civil, she saw her job as supporting Keith. After offering in vain several times, "How about we just agree to disagree?," I had to walk away from Keith and his bodyguard, back into the auditorium, in order to prevent a real incident from occurring.
There is no "mechanism." Indeed, the NYPD appears to have had nothing to do with the announcement. The security supervisor is an NYPD employee, and while he did notify the assistant principal of the "incident," it was the latter that had screwed up by publicizing the matter, and the child's name.
For me, the lesson of the meeting was, don't go to the PTA without a clique of your own to make the bullies mind their manners. And if some poor son-of-a-gun should suffer a false accusation, how much do you want to bet, that some of those PTA bullies will lead the lynch mob?
How does terrorizing innocent men protect children?
You'd never know it from the foregoing, but my son's school is head and shoulders above the region's other public schools, which are racist and ultraviolent.
Some people specialize in using children to spread hysteria and destroy the lives of grownups. During the 1980s, in high-profile cases around the country, children were coached by grownups (largely prosecutors, their investigators, and allied social workers) into making false accusations of satanic sexual abuse against, in particular, day-care and preschool personnel. Not one iota of physical evidence supported lurid charges of rape, sodomy, etc., against Virginia McMartin, Peggy McMartin Buckey, and Raymond Buckey; Violet, Cheryl, and Gerald Amirault; John Stoll; Margaret Kelly Michaels (and here); or Grant Snowden, yet the public was told by hysterical activists, parents, "experts" and prosecutors, "Listen to the children!" Some parents even wore "We Believe the Children" buttons.
Each of the above-named people spent years in prison without any crime having been committed … save for malicious prosecution.
When you encourage children to be hysterical towards all strange men, you do not "err on the side of caution." Rather, you confuse them into overreacting to non-threats, leaving them lost in the face of real ones. And legal protections of the accused, like the presumption of innocence, will always be the second casualties of such hysteria – after the truth.
And things have gotten worse since the 1980s. Back then, a child still had to accuse an adult of a real crime, before the latter could be persecuted. Now, apparently, all a child has to say is that a man makes her feel "intimidated." But it's all "for the children."
Some locals might seek to rationalize the hysterics, by noting that a man from Brooklyn was found cruising around the Rockaways in a car full of children's toys a few weeks ago. Police stopped the man. When they determined that he didn't know anyone around here, they had him remanded to a psych ward. But that little drama was no excuse for turning children into psychiatric patients at the sight of a smiling man on the street.
During the 1980s' mass hysteria, some observers noted that many parents felt guilty about handing over their children to strangers in day care centers. That guilt commingled with a related development, in which government increasingly aggrandized legal power over children. But children have not been served well by state "parenting." Instead, we have dead children as before, but now with the routine violation of adults' legal protections.
There's a darkly comical side to this story that the New York papers will never touch. The area (including the schools) where the little girl was walking, in Far Rockaway, is one of the most violent in America. She lives miles outside of the district where she attends school. As a mother who didn't come to the PTA meeting noted, the child would have to have received a variance to go to such a distant school, likely via No Child Left Behind. In the area where the girl suffered the non-incident, half the males above the age of eight are violent felons, and yet, the police are ready to arrest a man for walking behind a little girl and smiling at her?!
Indeed, I met my future wife around the corner from where that little girl ran for help. We both lived in "Far Rock" in those days. I used to hear gunfire on the street two or three nights a week; where my wife lived, she heard it every night.
I know someone who as a little girl grew up in a rough place, yet did not require hospitalization every time a strange man smiled at her. Then one day, when she was a teenager, a violent criminal tried to force himself on her younger sister. She punched the man in the face with all her might, and ran with her younger sibling to safety. Because she was not distracted and confused by imaginary demons, she could focus on real ones. That older sister is my hero; she's also my wife.
Nicholas Stix can be reached at
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text:
June 3, 2010
Thrifty Threads
7 comments:
Oh boy - MULTIPLE pet subjects!
(1) Over fifty health & well-being (2) thrifting and dressing well
(3) Your Money or Your Life and
(4) The Green Triangle - all-time favorite life-altering concept!
Great post, and I need to meet Cathy - she sounds just like me :)
- June 03, 2010
- Betty Jo said...
Awesome post. I'm enjoying my first visit to your blog and exploring the older posts.
- June 03, 2010
- Marie-Josée said...
Thanks Angela and Cathy for sharing.
- June 03, 2010
- Alea said...
Cathy is lovely and inspiring!
- June 04, 2010
- Angela said...
Scrybil- I know, some of my favorite topics as well! So glad you share them.
Betty Jo- So happy you like the post and the blog. Thanks for commenting.
Marie-Josee and Alea- I know, she really is lovely and inspiring and I am so happy she sent me a photo. She says she's a private person, but she got over it in this case because she enjoys the concept of Thrifty Threads so much.
Thanks for all your comments!
- June 06, 2010
- Paul & Carla said...
Thank you, Cathy, for showing us how we "Seniors" CAN stay slim and look great on a budget! Love your simple, classic, casual duds and your bright smile.
- June 07, 2010
Cathy, I love your beautiful hair! I don't color my hair (too cheap {whoops, I mean frugal!!} and no time since I'm a homeschooling mom) and at 43, it's about 20% gray. I had to quit going to my hair stylist because she pestered me about coloring it. Anyway, thanks for sharing your beautiful picture with us and Angela, thanks for another great post.
- June 18, 2010


text:
Happy Halloween! Learn about Witches' Potions in The Power of Poison main content.
by AMNH on
Three wicked witches—brewing a vile concoction—will greet you in upcoming exhibition The Power of Poison, opening Saturday, November 16.
Which witches are they? Here's a hint from the exhibition itself:
First, a stage direction:
A dark Cave. In the middle, a Caldron boiling. Thunder.
Then, a spell:
"…Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble....
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw."
The three witches from William Shakespeare's dark tragedy Macbeth sing these words.
Chanting a long list of gruesome ingredients, they drop them in the pot: "Eye of newt and toe of frog, / Wool of bat and tongue of dog, / … For a charm of powerful trouble, / Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."
The witches' potion contains several well-known poisons. But it is not for drinking—its magic summons spirits who reveal the future. These ghostly apparitions encourage Macbeth to pursue his treacherous climb to power.
Yes. Many written recipes exist for potions such as witches' flying ointments. They use ingredients including the poisonous plants hemlock, yew, and "tooth of wolf," or wolfsbane, all mentioned by Shakespeare as well. Touching wolfsbane can make the skin tingle, as if one is flying through the air. Swallowing it, though, can be fatal.
Hundreds of years ago, herbal mixtures were made for everything from love potions and baldness cures to flying ointments. Some mixtures were used to heal—and others to kill. These potions, whether poisonous or medicinal, were often thought to work by magic, and in Europe, many people were executed as witches for using them.
Learn more about witches' potions and much more in The Power of Poison, opening Saturday, November 16.


text:
Growing conditions for corn and soybeans are quite variable across Minnesota. In the southern quarter of the state most of the corn and soybeans were planted on a fairly timely basis, with some of the early planted corn now at 18-24 in. tall, but most corn being somewhat smaller. There are many portions of southwest and south-central Minnesota that have standing water in portions of fields from excessive rainfall amounts of 4-6 in. or more from June 13 to 19, with more heavy rains likely. Some replanting will be required in portions of fields, if fields dry out on a timely basis.
In central Minnesota, a considerable amount of corn and soybeans were planted in early June, and have just emerged, leaving the crop development well behind normal. There are also still some isolated areas where soybean planting has not yet been completed. This region has continued to receive some excessive rainfall, which has caused some minor flooding in portions of fields, and has delayed the completion of soybean planting in some locations. Close to maximum levels of stored soil moisture exist in most areas of southern and central Minnesota, so any major rainfall events can quickly result in large amount of standing water in crop fields.
As a whole, most of the corn and soybean crop across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa are probably only one week or less behind normal development; however, that increases to two-three weeks or more in most of central Minnesota. This slow pace of crop development is primarily due to much later-than-normal planting dates in many areas. At the University of Minnesota Research and Outreach Center at Waseca, the accumulated growing degree units (GDUs) from May 1 to June 17 was 605, which is just below the average GDU accumulation of 617 on June 17, and only about 3% lower than the GDU accumulation on June 17, 2010.
The GDU accumulation has made considerable improvement in recent weeks, following a rather cool start to the growing season. Most growers are hoping for both drier weather and continued warmer temperatures in the coming weeks to improve crop-growing conditions, and to allow for timely applications of postemergence herbicides for weed control.
Erratic Crop Prices
Corn and soybean prices have been quite erratic this spring, due to tight supplies, strong export demand and variable weather conditions across the country. Nearby corn futures prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) dropped nearly $1/bu. during the week of June 13-17, while nearby soybean futures prices dropped by nearly 60¢/bu. Local cash prices and new-crop prices at grain elevators and grain-processing plants dropped by similar amounts. Both the futures market and cash prices rose considerably during May and early June due to the tight grain supplies and major weather issues across the U.S. Crop conditions have improved in many areas in recent weeks, especially the major corn-growing states of Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska. There is also concern that the struggling U.S. and world economy could impact export demand in the coming months.
The current break in prices may be a signal for producers with 2010 corn and soybeans in storage that is not priced to sell the remaining grain inventories. Much of the 2010 grain that is now being delivered to grain elevators and processing plants was priced in 2010, or earlier this year, at well below the current price levels. Many producers are also taking advantage of the current strong grain prices to lock in a market price on a portion of their anticipated 2011 crop production. However, this becomes more difficult in areas with extreme planting delays and more questionable 2011 crop yields.
Editor's note: Kent Thiesse is a former University of Minnesota Extension educator and now is Vice President of MinnStar Bank, Lake Crystal, MN. You can contact him at 507-726-2137 or via e-mail at email@example.com.


text:
Member for 10 years 26 weeks
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Harvey County Commissioners addressed concerns from community members about a proposed pipeline project that would pass through Harvey County.
At a previous commission meeting, Dick Sears, director of land and right-of-way with Tallgrass Energy Partners, gave a presentation about the company's pipeline project.
The Tallgrass Pony Express Pipeline (formerly the Kinder Morgan Pony Express Pipeline) originally was built in the 1950s as an oil pipeline, and then was converted to a natural gas pipeline in 1996. The proposed project will convert the Pony Express Pipeline back to transporting oil and will expand the pipeline down through Kansas to Cushing, Okla.
The project involves converting 430 miles of existing pipeline from natural gas to oil, as well as constructing a 260-mile pipeline extension. The pipeline will have a volume of an estimated 230,000 to 320,000 barrels per day and will carry light, sweet crude.
During the citizens forum at Monday's commission meeting, a community member said he felt landowners had not been given enough information about the pipeline project and were not properly informed about their rights. He also felt commissioners had misrepresented voters on this issue.
Commissioner Chip Westfall said the commissioners have attempted to research answers to all the questions community members have asked.
Commission chair Marge Roberson said while voters may not always agree with commissioners' views on issues, the commissioners do care about what the public thinks and try to balance all sides. While the company will be paying county taxes, the issue is not just about potential revenue.
"We are always concerned about how it's going to affect our roads, how it's going to affect other things," she said.
John Waltner, county administrator, said the county has not yet released a specific figure estimating how much revenue the county could receive in taxes, because many factors remain in flux. He does not want to put out information that could later prove to be incorrect.
"There are all sorts of variables that are going to impact that number before this is complete," he said.
Construction on the pipeline is slated to begin in the summer of 2013, and it is expected to be in service by the summer of 2014. The pipeline will be monitored 24/7, and if there is a break in the pipeline, it can be shut down remotely.
Other business
Commissioners also heard an update on a proposed bicycle safety sign project.
At a previous meeting, the ReNewton Bicycling Initiative group requested signs promoting bicycle safety be placed on county roads. The group wanted to see about 70 traffic signs placed on county roads to remind motorists to look out for bicycles and that by law, motorists must give cyclists at least three feet of clearance when passing them on the road.
The group proposed to pay for the cost of the signs, about $1,000, if the county would take care of the cost of installation (posts, labor, etc.).
John Waltner, county administrator, said the signs have been delivered and are ready to be installed, but the county has to wait for the Kansas Department of Transportation to approve them.
Waltner anticipates the signs will be approved because they follow a design that has been used elsewhere in the United States.
Jim Meier, county Road and Bridge superintendent, said the signs aren't meant to encourage people to swerve out into oncoming traffic to pass a bicycle; drivers need to make sure to only pass when it is safe.


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Laars Ignition Control Assembly, Propane Esc - R0097900
Item No.38 Image Shown AboveR0097900 Laars ESC Series Two Ignition Control Assembly, LPG Used on Teledyne Laars / Jandy Pool HeatersTeledyne Laars is a common name in pool heater parts. A schematic diagram of heater parts, Jandy pool heater parts, Teledyne Laars heater parts and spares (spare heater parts) are listed. Always low prices and fast shipping. Discount Teledyne Laars / Jandy swimming pool heater parts and other swimming pool heater parts are always in stock and available.Back To Teledyne Laars / Jandy ESC Series Two Heater PartsPLEASE NOTE: SOME ELECTRONIC POOL HEATER PARTS ARE NON-RETURNABLE, PLEASE CONSULT OUR RETURNS PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RETURNING PRODUCTS .


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Gmail, free e-mail service offered by the American search engine company Google Inc. Google began offering Web-based e-mail accounts to select beta testers in 2004.
In 2004 Google began offering a free Web-based e-mail account to select "beta" testers (a beta product being a product not yet in its final form). The service, known as Gmail, was opened to the general public in 2007 while still officially in its…
Gmail was opened to the general public in 2007 and, when first launched, offered an unprecedented one gigabyte (one billion bytes) of free e-mail storage space, though users were also presented with advertisements based on keywords Google found in their messages. Google has regularly expanded the amount of free storage space given to users, which was in excess of seven gigabytes by 2008, and allows users to rent additional space. In 2007 Google acquired Postini, an e-mail security firm, for $625 million in order to improve Gmail's security, especially in Google's efforts to sign up businesses.
Since its founding, one of Gmail's most appealing features has been that it is Web-based, so users can access their e-mail from a computer, a smartphone, or any other Internet-enabled device. Also, Gmail gives users an e-mail address that is independent of any particular Internet service provider (ISP), which makes it easier to maintain a permanent address. Other features include conversation view, in which replies to the same message are displayed in a single group, and integrated text and video chat. In February 2010 Google incorporated a social networking application, called Buzz, into Gmail. Buzz allowed users to share updates and photos with contacts in their Gmail networks in a manner similar to Facebook or Twitter, but it was not restricted by the 140-character limit that defined Twitter. The service proved relatively unpopular, however, and was discontinued in late 2011.
In January 2010 Google announced that it had detected a series of sophisticated hacking attacks, originating in China, that were directed at the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists and foreign journalists working in China. In some cases the accounts had been reconfigured to forward all incoming and outgoing e-mail to unfamiliar addresses. Google's immediate response was to change Gmail's protocol from the Web standard HTTP to the encrypted HTTPS, a move that increased security at the expense of speed.