text:
His aim (at least as I understand it) was to create an FPS in paper-n-pencil RPG format. The system is heavily influenced by Brikwars, Shadowrun, and various other RPG titles, and includes elements of RAGE and Borderlands (I won't a post a link to the rules yet, since I dunno whether or not Birdman wants you guys to see it yet or not, but if I get the OK from him I will do so later on).
The opportunity came along the day after (I think) for me to help him playtest it, as I expressed my interest in the system and the setting. Permission granted, we set a date for the first session, and I set about making my character. I let a few concepts stew in my head for a little while, and then finally sat down and wrote him out in earnest during Math class. Here's what I ended up with, without all of the crunch:
Olly's First Carnage! Character wrote:A brief description: Sasha Khurev is a decently built bald man of average size, sporting a fairly nondescript face. His defining feature is the handgun at his side. In appearance, it's an unwieldy and top-heavy weapon, but he uses it with an unexpected ease and grace. The shots it fires bear similarities to shotgun rounds, and it seems to tear through most conventional armors like paper.
Some fluff (copy+paste'd from the e-mail containing my character): Born on the Belt to a grizzled adventurer and his wedlock wife, Sasha was quickly deemed "simple." His early years were spent completely oblivious to anything he was taught, much to the dismay of his parents. He was on the verge of being considered mentally incapable, outcast and left in the hands of the wilds, when he finally spoke his first word after 5 years of life: "gun." The father took this as a sign that there was some hope, and fought his wife over the issue. Eventually it was decided that the father would take custody of the child, and the woman would divorce him and forget that it had ever happened, thus "cleaning" herself of her supposedly incompetent child.
Sasha's father taught him a great many things, but most of what stuck with Sasha were the lessons on handling firearms. It became almost immediately apparent to the father that Sasha's reflexes and physique lent themselves well to the heat of combat. Lessons in mathematics, sciences, and linguistics all fell on deaf ears, and eventually the father gave up on these and simply focused solely on Sasha's combat capabilities. By the age of 14, Sasha was quite a formidable opponent.
One weapon in particular seemed to become the boy; an artifact of a gun that the father had found on one of his exploits, presumably lost Fabricator technology. The gun was a light pistol that seemed to shoot buckshot-esque rounds and was very good at chewing through armor. It became Sasha's favorite gun, and for lack of a better use, the father let his son keep it.
Eventually the father, beset by a fit of wanderlust, commandeered his ship and set out to continue his old ways. He took his son with him, and he proved to be quite beneficial to many of the various jobs the father took on from prospectors, pirates, and anyone else willing to pay for his services. This continued for number of years, eventually leading to the father's death, leaving a 17-year-old Sasha to fend for himself with his father's ship and an antique handgun.
In an attempt to continue his father's legacy (for lack of a better idea), he shipped off to Luna, where he knew his father had conducted much of his business. He now works as a freelancer, doing anything that pays.
What follows is the mostly complete log of the playtest, trimmed slightly. I tried to mesh multi-posts into a single block where it was appropriate to do so, and get rid of the excess chatter, or abbreviate it. Commentary is in red italics, DM speech is in bold. Artie's text (you'll meet him in a few minutes if you read down) will be in green.
The Carnage! Playtest Session #1 wrote:A fair amount of pre-game discussion, and then...
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: All right. Here we go.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Your time on Luna has been well-spent so far, and after completing a number of jobs freelancing, you find yourself in a pretty good position. You've got an apartment of your own, connections in the police force and a few minor gangs, and life is, in general, pleasant. However, expenses have begun to creep up again, and you've been forced to take what is apparently a larger job than normal as a favor from an old friend. However, the payout is larger than normal - which makes it worth it in your eyes. Your friend meets you in your apartment to fill you in on the details.
Duke, your aforementioned friend, is around forty years old, with grizzled features and a black goatee. He shaves his head in order to look tougher. You met on a job - he was on the other side. You managed to incapacitate him, and had a laugh about it when you saw him at your favorite bar the next day. Your friendship grew from there and now he occasionally slips jobs your way.
"Now, Sasha," he says, "This job is a little tricky. And trust me, I owe you one for taking it for me. I'll pay you back sometime. So listen, here's the deal. You gotta take these papers (here he pulls a sheaf of papers from a folder and hands them to you) to a guy who's gonna be waiting on the roof of the EnviCom building down on fifth. One thing he was very clear about - you gotta use the bridges to get there. He didn't want you seen on the street, for whatever reason. The payout's big, though. 20,000 Drachmas, all yours. Think you're up for it?"
[Brik] Olothontor: "It sounds odd, but that's a nice big number. What's the worst that can happen, right?"
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: "That's my boy, you've made my day. One thing I should mention - there's a couple of secondary objectives, but the guy didn't tell me what they were. Told me I should give you this (he hefts a small black box with a sling and an earpiece that you recognize as a Combat Coordinator, a pocket AI designed for the battlefield) to fill you in. One last thing - you should probably use some armor for this job. I know you don't have any laying around, so I brought one of my flak vests for you. Yeah, I know, it's not much, but it's better than nothing. Take care, man." With this, he hands you the combat coordinator and the flak vest and leaves.
-=- New item acquired: MiliTek Flak Vest: +1 AV bonus to Toughness while worn.
-=- New item acquired: Cybrine MKIII Combat Coordinator: Carries valuable information.
[Brik] Olothontor: Alright. I'll don the vest, but wait to put on the Combat Coordinator until I'm closer to the bridges.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Sounds good. You put on the vest - it's a little tight but you know it's good protection. You head on up to the roof of the building, a place you've never been before, and are immediately struck by how bright it is. Oh god, is it bright. The skyscrapers and cityscape of Luna are a nearly blinding white in color. The air is sweet and fresh. In the distance, you can hear birds singing, as well as the scream of a jet as it flies overhead. From further away, you can hear the distinctive 'whop-whop-whop' of a helicopter. It's a beautiful day, perfect conditions. You feel alive.
=== Informational Note: The 'bridges' of Luna are erected by squatting residents who live on the roofs of buildings. They are usually constructed of wood and span from one building to the next, allowing easy access. They're not very wide or safe, but on a good day they're passable.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S Directional Note: Your building is equipped with these bridges. Your objective is to the north, approximately ten blocks away.
[Brik] Olothontor: How many bridges (approximately) between here and the EnviCom building?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Assuming all bridges are intact and passable, 20.
[Brik] Olothontor: How much life is up here? Am I likely to encounter civvies or other innocents?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You are unsure, having never been up on the roofs before. You have a suspicion you might run into repairmen of some sort or employees on a smoke break, but you don't know.
[Brik] Olothontor: Alright. Before I set out I'll take a look at the papers. Anything of interest?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: They appear to be schematics of some sort. Make a Smarts roll.
[Brik] Olothontor: Pfft. 2-1 = 1
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You aren't sure what they're schematics of, you haven't seen anything like it before.
[Brik] Olothontor: All the pages are schematics, though?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Yes. There's a bit of text on one page, but it's in a language you can't read.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Hmmph." I'll put on the Communicator, draw Bessie, and set out towards the EnviCom tower.
[Brik] Olothontor: I'll stash the pages somewhere out of sight, as well.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You stick the papers in your kit bag, draw bessie, and sling the Coordinator around your neck before plugging in the earphone, upon which time you are assailed by an incredibly loud voice.
Hi there! I'm Artie, your Combat Coordinator! Hopefully you can take better care of me than my last owner. What can I assist you with?
[Brik] Olothontor: "Hmm. Are you aware of my situation, Artie?"
[Brik] Olothontor: (P.S. Have I used one of these before?)
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: No, but you've read about them and generally know how they work.
I sure am, USER-004! I have been apprised of your situation and have been instructed to inform you of addition objectives for your current mission! Your PRIMARY OBJECTIVE (you aren't sure how he can speak in caps, but you got that distinct impression) is to deliver confidential materials to the roof of the EnviCom building. Your SECONDARY OBJECTIVE is to perform reconaissance on a small gang, the 'Red Eyes' currently encamped on the roof of the Murata building, and, if possible, recover a stolen cache of grenades that they have illegally obtained. All caution and stealth is encouraged. Your TERTIARY OBJECTIVE is to perform a sweep of the Bursebo building and terminate any non-Bursebo personnel present there. Do you require directions, USER-004?
[Brik] Olothontor: "Uh. Yes. To all of those places... first, let's go to the Bursebo. Bessie likes the sound o' that one."
[Brik] Olothontor: "Also... call me Sasha, if you don't mind."
Right you are, Sasha! From your current position...(a whirring noise)...the Bursebo building is four blocks to the west. Recommended mode of transport: via helicopter.
You do have a helicopter, right?
[Brik] Olothontor: "Hah! I wish, Artie, I wish. Are the rooftop bridges part of your map, Artie?"
They are, although they are not the recommended mode of transport. (he sounds petulant)
[Brik] Olothontor: "Hey, I'm with you there. Listen, unless you can pull a helicopter out of your little black box, I'm strapped for other options. Can we get a move on?"
You're the boss, Sasha. Four blocks to the west.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: With that, you begin your trek over the roofs. You are stopped, however, two blocks from your starting position, when you are confronted by a missing bridge. The first two feet of it jut out from the side of the building, but the rest are nowhere to be found. In the building opposite the one you're on, a medium-sized crater is punched through a part of the top floor. You might be able to jump into it with a running start.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Any progress on that helicopter of yours, Artie? Hehe." I'll take a few paces back, and see if I can't leap across the gap.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Make a Brawn roll.
[Brik] Olothontor: 6+1=7
[Brik] Olothontor: Oh, wait
[Brik] Olothontor: 6's explode, yes?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: They do.
[Brik] Olothontor: alright, make that total 8, then
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Arms pumping, you sprint across the roof, onto the first bit of the bridge and make a titanic leap. You close your eyes so as to not see what is possibly your early end coming towards them at a fast clip, and your ears ring with Artie's...
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: After what felt like an eternity, your feet touch the ground. You crack open your eyes and see the inside of the crater. Artie says, sheepishly...
Oh, we're not dead. Good jump.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Have a little faith, Artie. You'll need it with me. Where to next? Same direction?"
I am unsure, as the plans of this building are proprietary information that I do not have access to, and it seems to be damaged by whatever caused this crater. You are in the top floor, however, and there should be stairs somewhere. I suggest we head towards them. 89% probability for cause of crater: Meteorite.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You survey the crater. It's not that big, maybe five feet cubed. No signs of a meteorite anywhere. It's torn up the room pretty bad, though, but as you look out into the hall, the building looks deserted. Maybe they just didn't notice.
[Brik] Olothontor: "I was under the impression we had some form of protection from this sort of thing. Very interesting."
[Brik] Olothontor: I'll head on down into the building and look for the stairwell as Artie speaks.
Every year, approximately three and a half meteors of various size get through the various defenses in place.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You head out into the hallway and are then required to make a Search check, which is a Smarts skill.
[Brik] Olothontor: 4-1 = 3
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: As you turn out into the hallway, you catch a glimpse of a dark object disappearing around the corner to the right. You couldn't really tell what it was, however.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Catch that, Art?" I'll proffer Bessie in both hands and follow it.
A warm object of some kind. No further data available.
[b][BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Are you making any special effort to be sneaky, or are you just rushing down the hall?
[Brik] Olothontor: aah, yes. That was in the objective description. I suppose I'll give it a shot, although I don't see it going well.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Never know. That calls for a Stealth check, a Quickness skill.
[Brik] Olothontor: Oooh! I was unaware that this was a Q! test
[Brik] Olothontor: alright, 4+3=7
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You tiptoe up the hallway and peek around the corner. You are confronted by the sight of an incredibly broad back. The owner of this back appears to be quite muscular and is wearing a long black cloak. He has a pistol in a holster on his hip and a short sword in his hand. I require two Smarts checks.
[Brik] Olothontor: #1: 3-1 = 2
[Brik] Olothontor: #2: 4-1 = 3
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Artie pipes up...
I have no information about that sword, but the handgun he's carrying is a Tachi. .45 caliber, unique for a handgun in that it has fully-automatic capability. Small magazine, though.
Further, while I am unsure as to whether this individual is actively hostile or not, he seems to be fairly well-armed and not part of the building staff, if there is any anymore. Make of that what you will.
[Brik] Olothontor: Nod to Artie, aim, and fire.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You sight down Bessie and fire. You are within optimum range. Roll to hit.
[Brik] Olothontor: Now, I need to rull UR, correct? Am I rolling Q! to beat it?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You are rolling your skill with Handguns vs. the UR.
[Brik] Olothontor: Ah, I see
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You are, as a matter of fact, guaranteed a hit, but you might roll a 1.
[Brik] Olothontor: 6+3 (explode) +3 (skill) = 12 total
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The UR is 4, you rolled a 12, and therefore will garner an 8-damage bonus to your damage roll.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Damage in this case will be 1d6+9.
[Brik] Olothontor: Damage = 4+1+8 = 13
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He is visibly staggered, but does not fall. He turns around to face you and lets out an inhuman roar, and you notice that he is even more muscular than you thought, his head bears a small pair of horns, he is covered in a thick crustacean-like shell, and his eyes glow with a malign red light. Roll Snap for initiative.
[Brik] Olothontor: 3+1 = 4
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You have won the initiative and may begin your turn.
[Brik] Olothontor: Teehee. Sucker.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Well, he did roll a zero.
[Brik] Olothontor: So, I get as many actions as I can spend Speed! on?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Yes. One point to move, two to fire, in your case two to reload.
[Brik] Olothontor: Austensibly, I could fire my gun 3 times?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: If you so desired, yes.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You could actually fire it 4 times, assuming you don't run out of ammo along the line somewhere.
[Brik] Olothontor: This is true
[Brik] Olothontor: Do you want my actions one at a time, or would you like an ass that we can run down?
Some debate follows, as I herpderp my way through the rules...
[Brik] Olothontor: Revision: fire twice, saving 5 Speed to reload if needed and/or Dodge! if necessary
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Gotcha. Make your to-hit rolls.
[Brik] Olothontor: #1 4+3 = 7
[Brik] Olothontor: #2: 2+3=5
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You hit him twice! Roll damage for the first one.
[Brik] Olothontor: 2+1 = 3
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Don't forget, we're adding the margin of success from your skill rolls on to damage. That's a 6, I believe, instead.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The buckshot pounds into his chest, but he refuses to go down. Also, the UR is 4.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Now for your second attack roll, you got a bonus of +1 to damage here.
[Brik] Olothontor: Alright. 5+3+1 = 9
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He is hit in the head and staggers back. He flops down against the wall and is still. The light in his eyes slowly goes out.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Any idea what the hell that thing was, Artie?"
It appeared to be a mutant. Horns, a carapace, and what I'm assuming was some sort of night vision capacity by the lighted eyes. From the level of mutation, it was likely Venusian.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Interesting." Now, in a fit of stereotypical RPG likeness... I loot the body!
[Brik] Olothontor: I probably leave his gun behind, but the sword is of some interest.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You find three Drachmas in a pocket. Artie chimes in...
Now that I have had more time to analyze it, this sword is likely monomolecular - its edge is one molecule wide, granting it an uncommon sharpness. Be careful with that thing. I hope you have a scabbard handy.
-=- New item acquired: Monomol Service Sword: Close Combat Weapon. Damage 1d6+2. Specialties: Armor-Piercing.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Hmm. Sticking it in my belt good enoguh, y'think?"
It is not recommended.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Hmph." No scabbard on the body? The mutant was just carrying it around?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: After further examination, he appeared to have carved a slot in his carapace and stowed the sword in there when not in use. You can't imagine how much that must have hurt.
[Brik] Olothontor: Yikes. Alright, for the time being I'll carry it in my off-hand and wield Bessie in the other.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Sounds good.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: After a while, you find a stairwell, and ascend to the roof. Your current objective is two buildings to the west.
[Brik] Olothontor: Excellent. Locate the correct bridge and continue onwards.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You carry on and reach the Bursebo building. Artie pipes up once you have arrived...
You have reached the Bursebo building. Your current objective: Sweep the roof and terminate any non-Bursebo personnel present.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Thanks. Any hints on the difference between employee and non-employee, by any chance?"
Perhaps the employees will be wearing uniforms and not carrying weapons. I am unsure.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You make your way around the roof. It appears to be completely deserted. You walk over to the edge, opposite the stairwell, and look down. You're suddenly engrossed in the tiny ants on the street below - you can't begin to imagine how many stories up you are. All of a sudden, the door to the stairwell bursts open.
[Brik] Olothontor: Lever Bessie on the door, but refrain from shooting until I know who/what it is.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You spin around and see a tall, darkish man in blue street clothes. He looks innocuous, but then you notice that he is carrying an assault rifle and a long sniper rifle is slung across his back. He takes one look at you and turns to run. I need two Smarts checks and a Snap check.
[Brik] Olothontor: Smarts! #1: 4-1 = 3
[Brik] Olothontor: Smarts #2: 6+3-1 = 8
[Brik] Olothontor: Snap!: 3+1 = 4
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Artie decides to chime in...
He for example, probably does not work for Bursebo (97%). Note the assault rifle - that's a HRV ZR36c. Pretty run-of-the-mill. 9mm rounds. But that sniper rifle is a piece of work. Buraku-Nigai Mosok41L, the sniper variant of the Mosok-Nigai MBR. Be a little difficult to use at close range like this, but it's superb at long.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Your superb Smarts roll has entitled you to a piece of knowledge on the sniper rifle. Select either UR, Range, Damage, or Specialties.
[Brik] Olothontor: Hmm. Gimme a Specialty, if you would please.
The Mosok41L is classified as Heavy, is Armor-Piercing, but suffers from the High Ammo Consumption fault.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Your Snap roll entitles you to two Speed in reaction to his appearance in the door.
[Brik] Olothontor: Hmm. I was going to reserve it for Dodge! on his round, but that's a little bit out-of-character. I fire a round.
[Brik] Olothontor: Rolling UR...
[Brik] Olothontor: 2+3 = 5
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He is hit. You garner a +1 bonus to your damage roll.
[Brik] Olothontor: Holy crap. 6+5+1+1 = 13
[Brik] Olothontor: I love exploding dice.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He is quite staggered and is knocked back a few steps before raking you with his assault rifle. I need one armor roll.
[Brik] Olothontor: Ack, rolled a 1.
[Brik] Olothontor: The total is 4, if it matters.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You feel the round like a punch to the gut, but unbelievably, it is stopped by your flak vest. You take no damage. His second shot in the burst misses, and he turns to run, disappearing into the building, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
[Brik] Olothontor: Damn. The chase is on!
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You pursue, then? Roll Snap for initiative.
[Brik] Olothontor: 2+1 = 3
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You rush down into the building, He is at the end of the hallway, aiming down his sniper rifle. He must have moved very quickly. It is your turn, you have 4 Speed left. He is about 8 squares away.
[Brik] Olothontor: I'm presuming the end of the hall is outside of Bessie's range of 10?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Actually, no, he is 8 squares away, the actual end of the hallway (in a wall) is 9.
[Brik] Olothontor: Alright, perfect.
[Brik] Olothontor: In that case I fire one round and then reserve the other two to Dodge! the incoming sniper round, if possible.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You may. Roll to hit.
[Brik] Olothontor: 2+3 = 5, once again.
[Brik] Olothontor: 2 appears to be my magic number.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: +1 to damage, you know the drill.
[Brik] Olothontor: 5+1+1 = 7
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He does not appear to be hurt. Artie speaks...
I recommend you find some sort of cover.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: But the sniper fires before you have a chance to. A round ricochets off the door behind you. You duck reflexively. He works the bolt and aims again, and fires. The bullet is coming straight at you! Roll to dodge.
[Brik] Olothontor: 6+5+1 = 12
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You get down just in time and the bullet flies past you. Grimacing, he works the bolt again and fires. The window to the office to your right shatters. You hear a surprised yell from within. It is now your turn.
A short debate on the method with which I should slay the man, and then...
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: All right, you run all the way up to him while he's frantically trying to draw a bead on your bobbing and weaving body and swing your Monomol sword in a mighty arc. Roll 3d6+5.
[Brik] Olothontor: 4+2+1+5 = 12
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He is, to put it delicately, cleft in twain. Artie speaks...
Hell of a swing, Sasha. I think you just completed that objective.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Good to know, Artie. We should leave before we have an audience." I'll shameleslly pilfer the sniper rifle and the sling he was using to keep it on his back.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The guy in the office peeks around the door with wide eyes, and then quickly darts back into his office. The door slams and locks.
-=- New Item Acquired: Buraku-Nigai Mosok41L. Ranged weapon. UR: 6. Range: 20. Damage: 2d6. Specialties: Heavy, High Ammo Consumption, Armor-Piercing.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Your next move?
[Brik] Olothontor: Head back out to the rooftop, and ask Artie which direction I'll need to head in for the nearest objective.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You head onto the rooftop. Artie makes that whirring noise again and replies...
The 'Red Eyes' camp is six buildings away to the south. Your main objective is approximately 13 buildings away to the northeast. I would recommend that you head towards the camp.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Camp it is." I head South, following the bridges.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: It's a fairly uneventful walk. You almost fell off one of the bridges but retained your balance just in time. Artie had a nice little chuckle at that, though. Within two buildings of the camp, you pause for a bit, as you can see moving figures far off in the camp. You can't make it out well enough on your own, though, maybe if you had some magnification you could tell what was happening.
[Brik] Olothontor: I whip out the sniper rifle and use the scope to gain a good view of the camp's inhabitants and the surroundings.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Through the sniper rifle, you can see a motley crew of what seem to be your average, run-of-the-mill gangers, six in total. Two sit alone around a campfire, while four huddle outside of their view behind a tent pitched in the middle of the roof. One at the campfire appears to be the leader by his extravagant clothing, while the one sitting with him has a thick coat of fur and four glowing eyes. As for the four off on their own, one of them has two heads and is talking very vehemently, or so it would appear, to the others. Another one has an extraordinarily thick throat. Artie speaks...
I would presume that the cache of grenades is hidden in the tent.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Thanks." What kind of weaponry are we looking at amongst the gang members?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The leader has a bullpup SMG of some sort, while the mutant sitting with him has a handgun in a holster. Out of the other four, three appear to have pistols and one has a longarm of some kind.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Four smarts checks, if you like.
[Brik] Olothontor: Haha. Sure, as long as I'm standing here considering the lot of them. I'm bound to make a few of those.
[Brik] Olothontor: #1: 1-1 = zip
[Brik] Olothontor: #2: 3-1 = 2
[Brik] Olothontor: #3 and #4: 4-1 = 3
[Brik] Olothontor: Maybe not, haha.
I'm not sure about the leader's SMG or that mutant's pistol, but the two-headed one over there has a Sanjuro MPN-45. It's a pistol, but that one he's got has a folding stock you probably can't see at this distance. It doesn't pack much of a punch, though. And that other guy's rifle is a Murata Supa7 shotgun.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Not a terribly complex bunch. I like 'em. Too bad I probably don't have a terribly good idea of how to use this rifle... never used one before."
Given that I don't have hands, I can't be sure, but I think you look through the scope, put the little dot on a target, and then pull that trigger thing. I dunno, though.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Thanks, smartass. Though, now that you point it out... what's the worst that can happen, eh?" I'll put a bead on the extravagantly dressed one and see if I can't put a round through his chest (bracing it first, of course).
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You gaze through the scope and are about to fire on the leader when, all of a sudden, the four behind the tent clasp hands, unlimber their weapons, and advance around the tent towards the two at the fire. The mutant sees them and pushes the leader down out of the way, then draws his pistol and fires at them, sending one with a handgun down. The others return fire, and the mutant and leader run and take cover behind what looks like an air conditioning unit.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Artie? What's happening here? Mutany?"
That is what appears to be happening. Current projection is 51% victory to the leader and his mate, given their superior weapons.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Just then, another ganger with a handgun goes down, dispatched by the SMG.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Very interesting. I suppose I'll play the janitor for this one. Clean up the leftovers."
That may be a good idea. However, the leader and his helper may look favorable upon an offer of assistance and provide monetary incentive or other items.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Hmm. Good point. don't have much time to consider, but if you're wrong, I can kill them all the same." I put my sight on the two-headed one and lay into him with a round.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Make a Rifles roll. That's Quickness -1, UR 6.
[Brik] Olothontor: (in other words, most likely will not work)
[Brik] Olothontor: ... Especially if I roll a 1 like I just did.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Artie chimes in with...
Perhaps the sniper you took that off of should have reloaded it. Do you require assistance with that?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You can reload and fire again if you wish, you've got enough Speed. As this happens, the one with the shotgun rushes the leader and shoots. The leader is knocked back and appears to be hurt, but the shotgunner is quickly dispatched by the mutant.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Running out of targets. They're good at what they do." I'll reload it and fire again.
[Brik] Olothontor: 4+3-1 = 6
[Brik] Olothontor: just made it
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Your bullet flies straight and true and strikes the ganger in the left head. Roll 2d6 for damage.
[Brik] Olothontor: 5+3= 8
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: His head explodes in a shower of gore and he falls back. His other head babbles senselessly and he begins to twitch. After a while, he becomes still. The mutant gazes wildly around for the location of the shot and finally sees you off in the distance. He makes a 'come-hither' gesture.
[Brik] Olothontor: "Well, that got their attention. I think I like this gun." I'll move down the other two buildings and into the camp.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: As you approach, the mutant eyes you cautiously before stating "That was a fine shot, stranger. Thanks for helping us."
[Brik] Olothontor: "I'll need to agree with you, there. Never shot a sniper rifle before. There's a first for everything, eh?"
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: "Indeed. It was good fortune you were around, otherwise we would have been overrun." He glances over at the leader, who is lying on the ground in a small puddle of blood. "Say, stranger, are you any good at medicine?"
[Brik] Olothontor: "Ah... afraid not." I'll tear off a bit of my shirt, though, and do my best to at least bandage the wound.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Make a medicine check.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The mutant stands anxiously over you, watching.
[Brik] Olothontor: Smarts! yeah?
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Yeah. -1 for untrained.
[Brik] Olothontor: Ooh, -2 total! Woohoo.
[Brik] Olothontor: Awesome. 6+4-2 = 8
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He immediately sits up, looks up at you, and says, "That was a hell of a bandage, son." The mutant lets out an audible sigh of relief.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The leader continues. "Now, I'm not sure what you're doing here or who you are, but you've got our debt. I'm Modesto 14X Goodyear, and he's Righty, because he's my right-hand man. Listen, I've gotta repay you for this. You probably saved my life. Righty ain't no good with medicine, and, well, I don't bet I could get into a hospital. Take your pick of those bastards' guns if you like, and there's a cache of grenades in the tent that's yours if you want it."
[Brik] Olothontor: "That sounds like a deal to me." I'll offer him my hand and help him off the ground. "Call me Sasha. Sasha Khurev. If you ever need anything else, come find me."
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: "Will do. Here's my card." He hands you a small ID card with his phone number on it. "Oh, and by the way...if you're interested, I could use a few good men for my...uh...posse. You see, those bastards over there couldn't be trusted. You, you're a different kind of guy. You want in, you got it. You could be...you could be Lefty!"
[Brik] Olothontor: "Hehe. I'll consider it and give you a call later. Right now, I've got a job to finish up. If you don't mind, gentlemen, I'll be on my way."
[Brik] Olothontor: I'll leave the guns, heft the crate, and head towards the EnviCom Tower with Artie's directions.
[Brik] Olothontor: I have enough of an arsenal already, haha.
[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Sounds good. And there is where we must unfortunately close for this evening.
Kudos to anybody who read all of that. I wasn't sure what the highlights of the session were, so I just posted the whole thing. Feel free to leave comments. More is on the way! We've scheduled a second session for next week at the same time, so next weekend I should be posting log #2. If you're interested, keep an eye out for that!


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Blueberry Grunt - SRC
Secret Recipe Club time, Dear Reader. The blog selected for me this month is Kudos Kitchen by Renee. Renee sells awesomely decorated painted glassware and tiles from her home-based business in Illinois. Renee also cooks and bakes. You'll have to check out this post to see some amazing painted cookies compared with the same design on ceramic. Renee provides oodles of delicious-looking non-cookie recipes as well!
Just like peaches are plentiful, blueberries have exploded into the farmer's market. I love blueberries! So much that I brought home 6 pints of the berries ... and I'm the only one in my household that even likes the stuff. So with all those berries needing to be used, like NOW, it made complete sense to search through Renee's recipes, hoping that she'd have at least one of the blueberry persuasion.
I quickly chose her recipe for blueberry grunt. Isn't that a cool name? A grunt is a biscuit-topped cobbler made on the stove instead of in it. As a result, the topping is steamed, rather than baked.
Because it's cooked over a flame, a grunt can be made at a campfire. But since the idea of sleeping in a tent in 100F temps and 150% humidity with mosquitoes buzzing about is not exactly my idea of fun, I might make this in the future on our gas grill out on the patio. I use the term might because the gas grill out on the patio needs a replacement part (one of those important ones that prevent gas from leaking ... again). So this batch was made on my stovetop in my air conditioned kitchen, which not only made it the perfect ending to the meal, it freed up my oven for the main course.
I used coconut milk instead of heavy cream because dinner was meat-based. Since a little fat is needed for a tender crust, avoid using a lighter product like soy, almond or rice milk. Parve non-dairy liquid creamer might work. If you try some, please comment below about your results.
Blueberry Grunt
Slightly adapted from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Yield: 8 - 10 servings
4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (no need to defrost)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
juice from 1/2 lemon (approx. 1 Tablespoon)
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 Tbl. baking powder
2 tsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbl. vegetable shortening
approx. 1/2 cup coconut milk
confectioners' sugar, for garnish
Rinse blueberries well; drain. In a medium or large skillet over medium-high heat, combine the first 5 filling ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
|Really, REALLY juicy!
Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to boil until the berries pop and the filling is nice and juicy.
While berries are simmering, mix together the corn starch and water in a small bowl or cup.
Add the starch mixture to the blueberries and stir over low heat until the mixture thickens slightly. It might look way too liquidy, but will thicken much more later as it cools (and thicken even much more so after leftovers are refrigerated). Turn off heat; stir in lemon juice. Let blueberry mixture remain on burner to keep warm.
In a medium bowl mix together the dry dumpling ingredients. Using 2 tableknives or a pastry blender, cut in the shortening. Adding the coconut milk by tablespoons until you reach the consistency of a soft, not crumbly, dough.
Drop dough by spoonfuls on top of the hot blueberries.
|Blueberry juice splattered a bit.
Cover tightly and cook over medium heat for approximately 15-20 minutes until the dumplings have cooked through. Avoid lifting the cover to prevent steam and heat from escaping.
Remove from heat; uncover to allow grunt to cool slightly. Serve warm with ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.
Disclaimer - because this recipe is part of an online cooking group, the linked recipes below might not be kosher.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Experience
THAI invites you on a journey smooth as silk in our elegant business class cabins inspired by the rich culture and heritage of Thailand.
On arrival, your host welcomes you with a refreshing beverage: sparkling champagne, tropical juices or our signature 'Violet Breeze', a blend of chilled lime juice and pressed Thai butterfly-pea blossoms. Recline in comfort, take advantage of thousands of audio and video selections on demand, or work in serene and relaxing surrounds as our cabin crew attend to all of your needs with gracious warmth.
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Wednesday, June 23, 2010
I was planning on doing the race for the last year, but actual plans did not come together until days before the race. Obligations and life were pulling hard at my "free" time. But the plan.. oh the plan.. it was just too good to NOT attempt. Luc Mehl's psyched factor helped lots with motivation. I owe it to him for pulling it all together at the last minute.
Anyway, bike around the Granite Mountains on ATV trails, then up the Delta river gravel bars, then bash and bike up the Black Rapids glacier. Switch to skis at snowline and tow the bikes in the inflated packrafts. Cross over into either the Susitna-Nenana, or all the way to the Yanert. Float out. 4ish days. beautiful & maybe even competitive. Unfortunately both mechanical woes and weather put a damper on things and we only made it to the Richardson highway.
Luc and I at the start are we missing any sports here? a kite maybe? paragliders? We got a lot of looks with the multi-sport approach and anti-light weight thinking.
But then mud bogged for a few hours. Chris, Bobby, Tyler, Chunk and others leap froged with us since we were slower with all the crap.
About 6 hours later we pulled away from every one on better, drier trails with some decent climbs.
Crossing Jarvis Creek... Luc is actually smiling here.
Covering ground on old moraine...
Route finding got tricky, we were on this roller coaster ATV trail that was taking up alot of our energy with the climbs. So we pondered other routes. During a really minor little brush crossing this happened:
Major Drag. Both single speed gear options did not work. The bike was toast, then it started raining... hard.. and did not stop for the next 10 hrs. We got soaked and ran the trails, then down to the pipeline, then all the way to Donnley and signed into the one and only checkpoint of the race. We were somehow still the first ones there, but it did not matter much.. I was not about to push my bike up and over the black rapids glacier and the weather was not inspiring. That about does it. Chunk and Tyler tried the BR route but turned around from a wall of rain that was engulfing the Alaska range. So I don't feel so bad. The PJ's and a guy from Fairbanks are still out there on the normal route. Probabaly totally killing it with nobody chasing them.
Over with before I knew it. Psyched for redemption next August...
7 comments:
- Dave said...
Fuckin A, eh!
Last night Jill and I decided that surely, you weren't bringing a bike and skis. Crazy-brilliant plan, man.
But all that shit and no spare hanger?
- Eric said...
I'm too used to running ss on these trips... and it survived last year's bushwack fest no problem so did not even think about it.
- Kid Riemer said...
Bummer Eric. At least you've got the right attitude for next year.
- Dave said...
The only time I broke a hanger I also broke the derailleur in half, so certainly not a foolproof piece of kit.
Freaking bikes.
- Paul Christensen said...
Wow! A broke 6/4 Ti hanger!! I've never seen that before.
Bent: sometimes. But broken?
Man, that should be all your bad luck for years used up at once.
- Eric said...
ahh.. it's an aluminum hanger.
- pramann13 said...
Eric, limited folks think I am adventurous but truth is I live vicariously thru you almost daily!
Great innovation cause how do we progress?


text:
Just in time for the national sports focus's shift to Wimbeldon, England's national team flunked out of Euro 2012. A 4-2 loss on penalties to Italy in last night's quarterfinal match in Kiev was, naturally, the top story of the day, so we decided to drop in various national British networks to see how they covered the moment Alessandro Diamanti's PK flew past English keeper Joe Hart.
There's no denying reaction video is compelling—that montage from the U.S. win over Algeria two years ago is pushing four million YouTube views—but given the English tradition of losing in penalties, it seems a bit sadistic to air live the English watching an elimination match that's come down to PKs. It's the sixth time since 1990 the Three Lions made their exit in such a manner; we're amazed there was enough optimism left for them to be disappointed at all.


text:
Doug O needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 164 designs submitted by 31 freelance designers.
We need a logo that represents a group within our investment banking firm that works with business owners in planning their exit from their business. This exit is typically achieved by selling the business to a 3rd party or transferring ownership to employees or family members. The services of this group (ABA) are advising our clients (business owners) on how to achieve maximum results when selling their business.
Allegiance Business Advisors
We need a logo for our website and our print materials (ie business cards, collateral, etc). We need to create a separate identity from our core business which is investment banking. Alegiance Business Advisors is a group that consults with owners of businesses who are interested in creating an exit plan which will allow them to achieve maximum value for their business and retain more of the proceeds from the sale through estate planning and smart tax planning.
- The acronym ABA should be more prominent than the name Allegiance Business Advisors but definitely use the full name as well
- Something that conveys trust, wealth, stability, foundation, goals achieved, retirement
- A clean look
- Institutional, long lasting, solid, expertise in exit planning and advisory services
- please produce this in Adobe photoshop or illustrator
- Ultra modern
- Super glossy
- Multi-colored schemes
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
1-2-3-4 Cake
En español | This 19th-century classic cake, adapted from Susan G. Purdy's A Piece of Cake (Collier Books 1989), can provide a foundation for many variations. It is easy to remember — 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs — and simple and good. Some of Purdy's recommended variations are basic yellow, coconut, orange, lemon, almond and spice topped with your favorite icing. For the lightest texture, Purdy recommends following the recipe as written, separating the eggs and beating the whites stiff. A simpler method, resulting in a slightly more compact texture, is to beat in whole eggs in place of the yolks, omitting the beaten whites. The cake can be made in advance, wrapped airtight and frozen. Thaw before frosting.
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, separated (see headnote)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread solid shortening all over bottom and sides of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans or one 13-by-9-by-1 3/4-inch sheet pan, Dust evenly with flour, tapping out excess.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft and smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and smooth. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters several times.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in the vanilla. At this point, add any personal flavoring choices (grated lemon zest, coconut, etc.).
In another bowl with a clean beater, beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Stir about 1/2 cup of whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining whites in several additions.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Smooth the batter level, then spread it slightly from the center toward the edges of the pan so it will rise evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes for layers, slightly longer for sheet or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake tops are lightly springy to the touch.
Cook the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Top with a wire rack to invert, and lift off pans. Completely cool layers on the rack before frosting. You can leave a sheet cake it its pan to cool, and frost and serve from the pan.
Coconut: Before adding the flour and milk to the basic 1-2-3-4 cake, stir in 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut and 3/4 teaspoon coconut extract. Frost cake with a coconut icing.
Orange: Stir in grated zest of 1 orange before adding flour and orange juice (replacing milk). Bake cake in a 10-inch tube pan, greased and floured. Use an orange-flavored frosting.
Almond: Add 1 teaspoon almond extract along with the vanilla. Use any icing but press sliced almonds into the icing around the sides.
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text: Tim Cox was born in 1957 in Arizona and grew up in the small farming and ranching community of Duncan, near the New Mexico state line. When only 5 years old, Tim Cox vowed he "was going to be a cowboy artist" when he grew up. He currently lives in northern New Mexico and is considered one of the great western artists of our time. U.S. Art's "Gallery owners survey" named Tim Cox one of the top two most popular Western print artists in 1999.While most of his time is consumed by painting, Tim Cox continues to raise cattle and train his horses. He also finds the time to coach young riders who compete in cutting competitions and other competitive horse events. Tim Cox combines the basic ingredients of color, value, perspective and pleasing design with his desire to be a perfectionist in portraying the real working cowboy. This attention to exactness is appreciated by most ranchers and cowboys as well as the recreation horse owners around the world.In 1999, Tim Cox was commissioned to paint Kentucky Derby winner "Silver Charm" and a leading racing quarter-horse sire, "First Down Dash". He was the featured artist at the annual Cattleman's Western Art Show in San Luis Obisbo and was recently invited to show at the prestigious Prix de West Show at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City this coming June. Tim Cox has won the Olaf Weighorst award twice at the Mountain Oyster Club Art Show in Tucson, Arizona. He is also featured in U.S. Art and Art of the West magazines. Toh-Atin is proud to offer you the outstanding work of award winning artist Tim Cox. Tim Cox was honored with one of the most prestigious awards in the world of western art June 14th at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. The National Academy of Western Art chose Cox's painting, "On to Better Pastures", for the coveted Prix de West Purchase Award. Cox's was the judge's favorite of the almost 300 paintings at the 2003 Prix de West Show, which featured the works of ninety-two highly acclaimed artists. The $20,000 oil was purchased by the hall to be part of the museum's permanent collection.


text:
Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer and the rest of their Astana team will use the next generation of Trek Bicycles' flagship Madone road bike in this year's Tour de France, the 6 Series.
According to Trek, the 6 Series Madone is 150g lighter than the previous version but also 10 percent stiffer at the bottom bracket, 17 percent more rigid in front triangle torsion, and more comfortable to boot.
Frame weight is down to 890g (100g lighter than the current version), the tapered E2 carbon fork drops 30g to 350g, and the new 140g seatmast cap loses another 20g.
Though those figures may not be terribly noteworthy compared to some of the Madone's competition, Trek are quick to point out that the 1,380g 'fuselage' figure (frame, fork, and seatmast cap) is more impressive when you consider the weight saved through the integrated bottom bracket bearing cups (-40g), the now round-profile no-cut mast (-60g) and the fork's built-in crown race (-10g).
True, even with the savings the new bike still isn't as light as bikes such as the Scott Addict and Cervélo R3-SL, but Trek feel the 6 Series Madone's more balanced portfolio of performance features makes up for the modest extra mass and the system weight is still well within the ballpark.
The additional stiffness and quicker reflexes comes courtesy of refined tubing shapes. The down tube is still nearly 80mm wide but takes on a more polygonal profile, the seat tube is far broader at the bottom bracket than last year's version and the asymmetrical chainstays have grown considerably. Moreover, the new aluminium rear dropouts have a deeper profile and more surface contact with the ends of the stays.
Even so, total surface area on the 6 Series Madone has actually gone down about three percent thanks to more efficient use of material. As Trek road product manager Tyler Pilger puts it: "The more accurate we can be, the less material we have to throw into the frame and the most consistent the ride quality as well."
An example of that would be Trek's 'Resin Right' moulding procedure, which yields a far smoother and more consistent finish with less excess material – the inner surface now looks as good as the outer surface – while a clever StepJoint bond interface geometry reduces the number of redundant carbon layers between frame sections.
Instead of just necking down one side to fit within another, each side now uses progressively fewer carbon layers, thus producing the distinctive stepped appearance. When bonded together and overwrapped, the joint has the same number of carbon layers and tube wall thickness as the surrounding area.
Pilger adds that uniform wall thickness lends a more consistent ride quality throughout the tube length while the revised tube profiles also have more fore-aft and vertical flex built in for a smoother ride.
Though much wider than before, the seat tube is also flatter front-to-back, the seatstays have decreased slightly in size and the 6 Series' novel asymmetrical steerer tube base uses bulged sides for surer cornering but scalloped front and rear surfaces to retain some movement over bumps.
The 6 Series Madone will also usher in a new level of component integration for Trek. In addition to the extant built-in bearing seats and seatmast, cable routing is now fully internal though easily convertible housing stops compatible with either conventional cable systems or Shimano's new Dura-Ace Di2 electronic drivetrains.
Rear brake routing is cleaner than ever with an entry point right in the front of the head tube and exit on top of the top tube – away from the rider's legs – and the trick bottom bracket cable guide can also double as a mounting point for the Di2 battery and cable harness. Dead-straight cable paths and the lack of internal guide liners cut down on friction, too.
Moreover, Trek has one-upped the SpeedTrap recessed wireless speed sensor pocket concept first used on its lower-end Madone forks with a new DuoTrap receptacle built into the non-driveside chainstay of the 6 Series Madone.
The dual-purpose transmitter picks up both speed and cadence signals and can then send it to either Trek's own Bontrager NODE computer head, or any number of ANT+-compatible devices, such as SRM's PowerControl VI or the Garmin Edge 705.
Trek will even use a new method for ordering and building the new bike, using the customisable Project One model for all 6 Series Madones – buyers will be able to mix and match from five no-cost colours, a range of drivetrains, any Bontrager wheelset (and 10 decal colours), a wealth of finishing kit, and even housing, brake hood and bar tape colour.
Of course, the usual options such as stem length and angle, bar width, crankarm length and gear ratios still apply. Special 'Signature Series' versions with more elaborate paint schemes and logo colours will also be available, in addition to Armstrong's trademark yellow-and-black 'Livestrong' theme if you're so inclined.
Trek say the new Madones are already in production and shipping imminently. Claimed lead time is less than seven business days "for 95 percent of orders" in the US and fewer than 30 for European markets. Final pricing is still to be determined.
A mix of new and old for other Madone lines
Last year's Madone carries on as the 5 Series (pictured below), all with Trek's mid-level OCLV Black carbon construction, but a new 4 Series lineup will join the Madone family for 2010.
Unlike the US-built 5 Series and 6 Series, the 4 Series will be built in Asia using Trek's TCT carbon technology and will use a conventional round seatpost and standard threaded bottom bracket shell. Trek claim a 15 percent bump in bottom bracket stiffness compared to the outgoing frame, however, and the non-driveside chainstay will also accept the new DuoTrap computer sensor.
Updated Bontrager wheels and cockpit components
The biggest news in Trek's Bontrager componentry arm is a move away from paired spoke patterns across the entire wheel line. According to Trek, paired lacing was necessary to avoid the 'snaking' that can afflict ultralight rims under high spoke tension but the latest generation's wider rim profiles – now used on all Bontrager road wheels – are now supposedly stiff enough to handle the load. In addition, the reduced point stresses resulting from having just one spoke at a section of rim instead of two allowed Bontrager's wheel engineers to lighten their carbon rims by 30g per pair.
Bontrager will also use their own hub designs for all of the 2010 road wheels save for the Race XXX Lite, which will carry on with carbon-shelled hubs made by DT Swiss. According to Bontrager, the 15mm-diameter alloy axles are stiffer and more durable, engagement speed has quickened from 20 to 15 degrees, and the new three-pawl driver mechanism has a higher load capacity. Spoke flanges have also been reshaped for better aerodynamics. In addition, the 2010 Race X Lite will feature a new scandium-enhanced aluminium rim that saves 40g per pair relative to last year.
Bontrager's popular Race XXX Lite carbon drop bar and Race XXX Lite carbon stem will also get substantial facelifts. The bar now uses slightly forward-swept tops to reduce forearm interference while in the drops, while the drops themselves extend further back to provide more room for your hands to grip. Claimed weight remains unchanged at 180g.
The new Race XXX Lite is now approved for both road and mountain use and features an HCM carbon fibre body, a pared-down alloy four-bolt faceplate and replaceable steerer clamp hardware. Even with the hardened steel hardware (Trek are averse to using titanium bolts), claimed weight is still a feathery 120g for a 110mm length.
Follow James Huang's Tour de France tech reports at BikeRadar, as the prologue sets off in Monaco on 4 July.


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Serinda Swan — Crush of the Day [PICTURES]
Our Crush of the Day is Emmy red carpet stunner Serinda Swan. She can make any man do a double take, but, it's her feet that seem to get much of the attention. Check out these Google search results.
The second most popular Serinda Swan search involves her feet. People are incredibly interested in what's going on in Serinda's bobo shoes. We're at a loss. Look at that gorgeous piece of Canadian bacon. There are about a thousand other parts of her body more attractive than her dogs. Is there something we are missing about the tootsies of this Lindsey Lohan/Megan Fox hybrid? (Does that make her a Mohan or a Lox?) Do her digits cure cancer? Does she have more than the required number of toes to be deemed uber-attractive? Is there a required number of toes on a hot chick? If Serinda had, for argument's sake, only 6 toes does that make her less attractive? We're not sure but there is one thing we are positive about: she's a Mohan. It just sounds better.
For those fans without a foot fetish, Serinda's entire body can be seen on the A&E show 'Breakout Kings' and in the forthcoming supernatural thriller 'Jinn.' If the acting career doesn't work out, there is always foot modeling.
The show she was most suited for would probably have been 'Six Feet Under.' Guess she'll have to wait for the eventual reboot. We've got a million foot jokes people, it all depends on how much time you've got.


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