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Published by Chaosium, Inc. after a very successful—although subsequently difficult—Kickstarter campaign, the very first thing that you notice about Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is that rules have been split into two books—the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook – A Core Game Book for Players and the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook. Of these two, the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook focuses upon everything that a player needs to play Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition—barring a clear and simple explanation of the rules—including investigator creation, skills, a wide array of investigator Occupations, and historical background. All that without being exposed to the secrets of the Mythos and its effects that are detailed in the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook. It is this book that is being reviewed here.
Just as with the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook, the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook is presented in full colour—here a soft blue as opposed to the sandy tan of the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook. The use of colour is not extensive, but the use of double page spreads at the start of each chapter gives the book a certain grandeur, whilst the use of pages torn from a notebook to hold sidebar text gives a sense of marginalia, of extra esoteric details added by an 'occult expert.
For the most part, much of the first fifth of the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook is the same as the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook, but there are differences enough to make reading one of these books after the other less of a repetitive experience. So whilst there are overviews and examples of play in both books, each is slightly different. What is noticeable by its absence in these opening pages is H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Call of Cthulhu'. Indeed there is no fiction present at all, that being left to the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook and its inclusion of 'The Dunwich Horror'. Now this is lamentable, but given the limitations of the space in the book and the amount of material that has to go into the book, it is at least understandable.
Instead of H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Call of Cthulhu', the chapter 'H.P. Lovecraft and the
Cthulhu Mythos' examines the author and his influences, the creation of the Cthulhu Mythos, the development of the Mythos before and after his death, and the Mythos itself. Others author covered include August Derleth, Robert Bloch, Ramsey Campbell, and more, but the focus is soundly on Lovecraft himself. That said, it does not deal with the more reprehensible aspects of Lovecraft's character and thus his fiction, but that is probably best left for another discussion. Notably what it does highlight are the decisions made by Sandy Petersen in designing the Mythos for Call of Cthulhu, essentially stripping out the 'war in heaven' concept that has the Great Old Ones battling the Elder Gods, the arbitrary division of these 'gods' into good and evil, and the association of the elements with certain Great Old Ones. The result was, and is, starker, more 'Lovecraftian', and more evocative of Cosmic Horror as well as being satisfyingly familiar.
The investigator creation rules in the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook are the same as those in the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook, but with a stripped down list of Occupations—less than thirty as opposed to the hundred or so in the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook. So whilst it is perfectly possible to create investigators using the rules found in the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook, the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook gives more options. Similarly, the list of skills is almost the same as in the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook, the additions being mostly more mechanical details for each skill—the effects of 'pushing' that skill and setting some opposing skill difficulties as guidelines for the Keeper.
At its most basic, Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is mechanically no different to previous editions of the game. It uses percentile dice to roll under a value—typically a skill, an investigator's Sanity, and so on. These values are joined in Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition by an investigator's attributes, now expressed as percentile values rather than between three and eighteen. The values have also been graded—Regular for under the full value, Hard for under half of the value, and Extreme for under a fifth of the value—for easy determination of the difficulty of any roll and the success of its outcome. This has also been supported by the new character sheet which has space for all three values for all of the game's attributes and skills.
The new rules encourage increased player agency. Prior to a skill roll, the player and Keeper can agree upon the possible outcome of a successful skill roll. If the skill roll is successful, the player can narrate the outcome, but if the roll is failed, then the Keeper narrates the outcome. This agency does not apply to every situation, and similarly, it does not always apply to the new type of roll in Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition. This is the capacity to 'Push a Roll'. This addresses the issue of failure in previous editions of the game wherein if a player failed a roll, there was no way around the problem and this could be an issue when the investigator was trying to find an important clue, such that the Keeper would have to find a way around this roadblock in order for the game to progress. In Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition a player can 'Push a Roll'. What this means is that if a player fails a roll, then he can roll again. He needs to explain what his investigator is doing differently to earn the right to Push a Roll and he also needs to negotiate with the Keeper what the consequences of failure are. This is not a rewind of events, but rather a second, desperate attempt.
For example, Sergeant Install is a bomb disposal officer working to deactivate a bomb that has been attached to the underside of the driver's seat of a nice Mercedes. Unfortunately, the car's owner, Mr. Alexander is sat in the car, unable to move lest the device detonate. Sergeant Install has Demolitions 70%, and because the bomb is in an awkward place to get at, the Keeper rules that the Difficulty of the task is Hard, or half the skill. So in Sergeant Install's case, this will be 35%. Unfortunately, his player fails the roll.
Sergeant Install's player decides to push the roll, explaining that the Sergeant will draw upon his previous experience with this type of device to determine the correct course of action. The Keeper accepts this and together they negotiate the terms of possible failure—the countdown will suddenly speed up. Fortunately, Sergeant Install's player makes the roll and both he and Mr. Alexander are safe.Even if the second 'Pushed Roll' fails, the investigator need not necessarily 'fail' at the intended action. Rather he can instead both succeed and suffer the consequences of his failure to 'Push a Roll'. In other words, he succeeds, but opens himself up to all of the horror that the Keeper can inflict upon him. In this, the designers are drawing upon the storytelling maxim of "Yes, but…" wherein a new element is added to a story by one storyteller and then accepted by a second storyteller who further embellishes the new element. In Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, the step from the 'yes' to the 'but' is not one step, but two dice rolls and some negotiation, but the result is that the infamous 'Clue Roadblock' of previous editions has been removed. If necessary an investigator is always going to get the clue he is looking for—if it is there, that is—but the consequences or embellishments of his failed rolls are invariably horrific and Sanity-sapping...
Combat rolls cannot be Pushed in this fashion, but like the right to narrate the outcome of successful skill rolls, 'Pushing a Roll' is another storytelling mechanic. Most obviously it is a means to get around the problem of failed rolls, but it has another effect—it makes the play of the game less black and white, giving a greater flexibility in the outcome of skill rolls and so moving Call of Cthulhu towards a slightly pulpier feel. Examples of Pushed rolls and the consequences of their failure are given for each skill in the skills list.
Lastly, 'Pushing a Roll' is not the only means included in Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition to counter failed rolls. There is also Luck. This is probably the most controversial new mechanic in Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition. In the new rules, it is a stat or attribute that is rolled just like the Luck roll was in previous editions of the game, but in Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, Luck is also a resource that can be expended to improve rolls, for example, from a failure to a Regular success, from a Regular to a Hard success, and so on. This does not include attempts to 'Push a Roll', on which Luck cannot be spent in this fashion. When Luck is spent, it is on a one-for-one point basis and once spent, the points are gone and the Luck stat is permanently reduced, although it can be recovered at the end of a scenario or campaign.
It should be made very clear that this expenditure of Luck is an option. Neither the Keeper nor his players have to use it in their game. What its use does though is move—much as 'Pushing a Roll' does—Call of Cthulhu towards a pulpier style of game in which there is a little more give in terms of investigator survival. In a sense, when spending Luck, an investigator is 'pushing his luck' and quite literally, his luck can 'run out'. In play Luck actually becomes a resource to be managed, the player judging when the time is right to 'push his luck', more judgement being used in an ongoing campaign game than in a one-shot or convention where he will throw caution to the wind and is unlikely to play that investigator again.
Just as Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition has made changes to the core mechanics and skills, so too have changes been made to combat. Whilst the DEX rank means of determining initiative has not changed, the first change is to fist and melee fights to avoid the 'back and forth series of attacks and dodges' of the previous editions. Now in a fist fight, the attacker and defender make opposed Fighting (Brawl) skill rolls with the better roll determining who is successful and can thus inflict damage. What a combatant cannot do is attack and parry—all of that is figured into the single roll. A combatant can also dodge and this again is handled with opposed Fighting (Brawl)/Dodge skill rolls. In a stand up fight, draws favour the attacker or the defender if he is dodging. This also applies to the use of melee weapons.
In a brawl, combatants effectively get two actions—once when they attack and then again when they defend. If a combatant has already tried to attack and then tries to dodge an attack, then he does so with a Penalty die. What this means is that fist fights and melees are faster—in terms of telling the story, if not necessarily mechanically—because investigators get to roll twice in a round, once as an attacker and once as a defender with possibility that an investigator might roll well and inflict damage in both instances.
Where melee combat consists of opposed skill rolls, ranged combat, including firearms, does not, primarily because combatants are not acting on the same initiative order or able to react with the same immediacy as in a fist fight. In fact the only reaction a combatant can have is to dodge—as he throws himself to the ground or ducks behind a wall—and that is all that he can do. The most obvious change to the rules for shootouts is for weapons that can be fired more than once in a round. They still can, but every shot after the first is with a Penalty die. The autofire mechanics receive the most attention and seem workable enough, though as with any set of autofire rules, they are bound not to satisfy everyone.
What comes across throughout is that combat and damage are deadlier than before. Primarily because characters can suffer major wounds—damage equal to, or greater than half of a character's Hit Points—which will knock them prone and possibly render them unconscious. Then because attacks made at Extreme level of success inflict maximum damage, including the Damage Bonus, if a blunt force trauma attack, but maximum damage, plus a damage roll, if an impaling attack such as a knife or a gunshot. Further, it takes a long time to recover from any damage—the First Aid skill only grants a single Hit Point back and the Medicine skill requires time and rest upon the part of the injured investigator.
Lastly, options are included for hit locations, knock-outs, spending Luck to remain conscious, suppressed fire, and more. Overall, the combat rules feel relatively simple and straightforward. Notably though, they are very nicely illustrated with some fully worked out and very helpful examples.
Inspired by 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth', the chase mechanics in Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition get their own chapter. This abstracts the route of the chase into a line of dots—or locations—along which the Keeper can track the progress of both the investigators and the NPCs. All of the participants in a chase get a minimum of one action or Move each round, but the faster of them will get more. These Moves can be used to move forward; to mount an attack—using the Fighting, Firearms, or Drive (Auto) skills; cast a spell; overcome hazards—traffic jam, patch of mud, a fence, or even two men with a pane of glass, and so forth. All of which use the game's main rules as normal. So far so good. The chase rules are a reasonable attempt to cover a common situation, but two problems arise. First, when a chase involves multiple participants or splits into more than one chase, they become more complex for the Keeper to keep track of. Second, when vehicles are used they use the same rules, but the only stat for vehicles that matter in a chase—when determining movement and the number of Moves available—is their Move stat. There is no stat that accounts for a vehicle's mechanical handling, that would make it better at performing maneuvres. Now Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is not Car Wars, but given the advances in technology and the differences in vehicles in both the 1920s and the modern eras, it seems an odd omission.
Naturally, Sanity is as important to Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition as it to previous editions of the game. Mechanically, the Sanity rules have not changed, but they have been rewritten for clarity. Primarily this has been done to make clear what an investigator's mental state is, whether that is suffering from temporary, indefinite, or permanent insanity and which phase of the reaction to a sanity depleting experience he is in—'A Bout of Madness' or 'Underlying Sanity'. If in the former phase, the player still passes control of his investigator to the Keeper as in previous editions and the investigator may come to later on to find himself in a perilous situation—as shown in some terrific examples. If the latter phase, then the investigator is more prone to suffering from delusions or the effects of an existing phobia or mania—thus making it easier to portray either under both normal and insane circumstances. The effects of insanity are also applied directly to an investigator and his backstory. Essentially exposure to the Mythos can alter aspects of an investigator's backstory—his physical appearance, ideology and beliefs, relationships with significant people, meaningful locations, treasured possessions, and personal traits. The exact Sanity warping or corrupting effect of exposure to the Mythos to these elements is a matter of negotiation between the player and the Keeper, but the Keeper is also free to add new elements to an investigator's backstory. Lastly, one of these elements—an investigator's key connection—can be relied upon for comfort and succor in times of mental stress. Perhaps a religious investigator goes on retreat or one who values his parents spends time at home. Either way, the investigator may regain lost Sanity this way—though woe betide an investigator who loses such a key connection. Fortunately, losing a key connection is fairly difficult and cannot be lost at the arbitrary whim of the Keeper, it must be played out within the game.
Over all, the Sanity rules feel little changed. They do however, feel better explained, more organised, and thus streamlined. Where they are definitely improved is in the number examples that show how they work and in showing how insanity directly affects an investigator through the elements of—or roleplaying hooks from—his backstory. Now this may feel familiar from other RPGs, perhaps even other RPGs of Lovecraftian investigative horror, but this does not mean that they are not needed or unwelcome in Call of Cthulhu.
The oddly named 'Playing the Game'—surely this chapter should have been called 'Running the Game' given that the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook is primarily for the Keeper?—is full of advice pitched along two different lines. The first is for those Keepers new to Call of Cthulhu, whilst the second is for those Keepers who are new to Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition. Thus the advice covers setting up a group, setting up a scenario, creating investigators and investigator groups, handling and portraying NPCs, making the most of an investigator's backstory, and even corrupting the investigator's backstory via the Mythos… It also goes over the mechanics—when to roll the dice, 'Pushing a Roll', 'Pushing a Perception Roll', and so on. In some ways it feels very basic, but that is born out of familiarity rather than contempt.
Nevertheless, it is in this chapter that the Idea Roll makes its appearance in Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition. No longer is it up front and part of the investigator creation process or on the investigator sheet. Here it has been relegated to a roll of last resort, when the players have been run out ideas and have no idea what to do and so want to hand the fate of their investigators to the Keeper. Importantly, whatever the roll, the investigators get the clue or spur that they need, but if the r0ll is failed, they are placing their fate in the hands of the Keeper. This is in keeping with the story driven outcomes of failed rolls for 'Pushing a Roll', suffering a 'Bout of Madness', and so on.
The 'Grimoire' of spells has been expanded to allow for 'deeper' versions of various spells. Such versions are typically known by insane wizards, but it is possible for an investigator to learn such versions when he too is insane—either temporarily or indefinitely. For example, Body Warping of Gorgoroth enables the caster to alter his shape and appearance, whether to that of an object or another person, but the 'deeper' version lets the caster change himself into a true replica of another person.In addition, the chapter also explores the idea that its many spells can be redesigned so that the Keeper can create one more suited to his game. The example development of Create Zombie into Graveyard Kiss, Grey Binding, and Create Zombi illustrates the flexibility of the idea. Nevertheless, the spells will be familiar from previous editions of Call of Cthulhu, as are the selections of Mythos Tomes, artefacts and alien devices, and monsters, beasts, and alien gods. There are changes here and there. For example, the Mythos Tomes can be read again and again to gain more understanding of the Mythos, but this takes longer and longer each time with diminishing returns each time up to a maximum amount that can be learned.
Another change echoes the efforts of Sandy Peterson, the original designer of Call of Cthulhu to declutter the Mythos away from the supposed 'Good/Bad' leanings of various Mythos entities and races, and that is the removal of the classifications for said entities and races. Thus in Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, they are no longer explicitly categorised as Independent Races, Lesser Servitors, Greater Servitors, Elder Gods, Outer Gods, Great Old Ones, and so on. This is primarily because H.P. Lovecraft was himself inconsistent about the application of such categories, particularly the Elder Gods, Outer Gods, and Great Old Ones. The effect is to free up how the Keeper both thinks about and uses these entities in his game, although for those not new to the game, the 'monster' classification of the older editions of Call of Cthulhu is discussed as an option.
The last major change to Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition over previous editions of Call of Cthulhu is to the scenarios. 'The Haunting', after three decades of very worthy service has been made freely available as part of the Call of Cthulhu Seventh Edition Quick-Start Rules PDF. Similarly 'The Madman', 'Dead Man Stomp', and 'Edge of Darkness' have been excised after decades of worthy service in favour of two new scenarios. The first of these is 'Amidst Ancient Trees', a standalone scenario that places an emphasis on physical rather than the more traditional investigative skills of the classic Call of Cthulhu scenario. Thus Tracking, Spot Hidden, Listen, Stealth, Fighting, and Firearms skills are more useful than say Library Use or Other Language (Latin). Set in Vermont in 1925, it opens with the news of a gunfight on the edge of Bennington between the police and the gang who kidnapped the daughter of a prominent businessman, Lucas Strong. The gang got away with the ransom money, but did not hand over his daughter, and now Mr. Strong is hiring men to form search parties to find her. The resulting tramp into the woods is a somewhat linear affair, but it is nicely staged and it makes solid use of an entity* that is usually confined to the English countryside. A nice touch is that there are notes on the negative outcomes of 'Pushing a Roll' in certain situations. Nor this need be a one-shot as Vermont is in New England and it is just over the state line from Lovecraft Country, so a Keeper could easily add this to an existing campaign set in either location.**
*At this point I wanted to write Great Old One, but such a term is optional under Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition.
**Anyone with access to The Primal State, the Miskatonic University Library Association Monograph available as a PDF should consider adding 'Amidst Ancient Trees' to that mini-campaign.
The second scenario, 'Crimson Letters,' takes place at Arkham's famed Miskatonic University and in Call of Cthulhu terms, is much more of a traditional investigative affair. The investigators are called in to look into the circumstances of the death of a young university professor who died under mysterious circumstances to ensure that there is no ensuing scandal. The scenario comes with various NPCs and locations and is more of a sandbox than the structured affair that is 'Amidst Ancient Trees'. What this means is that there is a lot more preparation required by the Keeper and this not helped by the sizeable cast of NPCs and motivations that he will have to handle. The scenario would also certainly have benefited from a jumping-off or starting point for the Keeper to work from and thus provide a hook for the investigators. Overall, as good as 'Crimson Letters' has the potential to be, it does feel a bit too much like a tool kit for the Keeper rather than an actual scenario.
Whilst there is nothing intrinsically wrong in changing the scenarios from one edition of Call of Cthulhu to another, neither scenario feels right for the Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition Rulebook. In the hands of an experienced Keeper both scenarios are perfectly fine, but for the inexperienced or neophyte Keeper both represent a challenge, especially 'Crimson Letters' which possesses a complexity that is arguably too much for a scenario in a core rulebook. The first problem essentially is that neither is really an introductory scenario—or just quite an intermediary scenario if the Keeper and his players have played 'The Haunting'. The second problem is that both scenarios are written with the experienced Keeper in mind, that is, the traditional audience who has been playing Call of Cthulhu for as much as thirty years or more, though more so in the case of 'Crimson Letters' than 'Amidst Ancient Trees'.
Arguably, these scenarios are the only real misstep in the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook. Their inclusion and the lack of scenarios designed to ease a Keeper—whether a Keeper new to Call of Cthulhu or just the new edition—into running Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is both disappointing and out of step with the effort made by the rest of both the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook and the Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition Rulebook to both teach and showcase the new rules. Rounding out the Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition Rulebook is a set of extensive appendices. These include a glossary, a a conversion guide from previous editions to Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, equipment lists, rules summaries, and more.
Physically, the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook suffers from the same organisational oddities as the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook. Where that volume has the 'Life As An Investigator' and 'Advice For Players' chapters separated by a chapter on 'The Roaring Twenties', here the chapter on Magic—covering the reading and study of Mythos Tomes and the learning and casting of spells—is separated from the subsequent chapters that detail the Tomes of Eldritch Lore and the Grimoire of spells by the chapter on running the game, itself oddly named 'Playing the Game'. So there is an odd bump in the narrative flow of reading and learning the game and again, a organisation that is not as logical as it should be. That said, the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook is physically well presented and comes with some decent artwork, although various pieces are somewhat scrappy and lack the assured atmosphere of the old pen and ink pieces of the previous editions of the game. Although the editing wavers towards the book's end a little, overall the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook is well written, the rules benefiting greatly from the efforts of the authors to explain the rules through copious examples—to the point where there are almost too many examples.
In coming to the end of any review it is usually a simple matter of drawing it to a close with a simple conclusion. This is not possible with what is a radically new and different take upon as venerable a game as Call of Cthulhu. Thus this review will draw not one conclusion, but several in pulling together my thoughts about Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition.
Most obviously, the biggest changes to Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition are its mechanics. Their effect is to move it towards the Pulp style and feel, but it is not a wholly Pulp style game. Certainly 'Pushing a Roll' does move the game towards the Pulp and arguably away from the uncaring nature of a Lovecraftian universe, as does the expenditure of Luck and various other optional rules, but apart from 'Pushing a Roll', all of these are optional rules. In other words, the Keeper and his players does not have to use them. It is at best, slightly pulpy, and should a Keeper want a more Purist style of game, then the best option would probably be to ignore the optional rules. On the other hand, combat is now deadlier than before and healing greatly slowed, so the survivability of an investigator does feel as if has been substantially reduced. Which certainly makes it feel more like a Purist game and may be seen as a counter to the slightly pulpy 'Pushing a Roll' mechanic.
Of the optional rules, being able to spend Luck to adjust dice rolls has the most noticeable effect upon how people play Call of Cthulhu. This is because Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition turns Luck into a valuable resource, one that can be spent to effectively push an investigator's luck and when low after having been spent, reflects the fact that an investigator's luck really has run out. Now in a convention game or one-shot, Luck is there to spent. After all, the scenario will be over in four hours and that investigator is never going to be played again, so a player can be more daring, perhaps devil may care, with the life of his investigator. Luck though exacerbates this feeling, whereas in a campaign, Luck becomes much more of a precious resource, with limited refreshes of it at the end of scenario or part of a campaign. So Luck is something to be hoarded rather than spent, a player saving it until the moment when his investigator really, really needs it. What this means is that in an one-shot game, Luck makes a scenario much more of a Pulp game than a Purist.
Another side effect of the publication of Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is that it fosters 'edition wars', that is, disagreements between one version of a game and another. It is perhaps more prevalent between versions of Dungeons & Dragons and of Old School Renaissance 'retroclones', but the differences between Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition and its previous iterations are enough to inflame one over your favourite version of Call of Cthulhu. Whatever you feel about Call of Cthulhu, the game has been in print—more or less—for over thirty years and in that time it has been very well supported with a lot of highly playable material. Of course the publication of the new edition will mean that those previous editions of the game will no longer be supported, but that it is less of a handicap than some might think.
Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is compatible with the previous editions and vice versa. If a Keeper and his players can handle simple arithmetic, then running any scenario for Call of Cthulhu under Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition will not be a challenge. The extra preparation required by the Keeper will not add much to the extra required to ready a scenario anyway and for the most part, a Keeper could run any almost any scenario published in the last thirty five years without any difficulty or even preparation, whether that is from The Asylum and Other Tales, The Stars Are Right, or Tales of the Sleepless City. It means that old material is still available and accessible and playable using Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition. It means that your library of Call of Cthulhu books, campaigns, and scenarios and the material contained in them are still valid and definitely have not made redundant purely because of the publication of a new edition.* Likewise, a Keeper can just as easily take a scenario for Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, for example, Cold Harvest or Dead Light, and run it using Call of Cthulhu, Sixth Edition, Call of Cthulhu, Fifth Edition, and so on.
*It is fair to say that there are exceptions. For example, The 1920's Investigator's Companion, Vol. 1, 1920's Investigator's Companion, Vol. 2, and The 1920's Investigator's Companion are all redundant with the publication on the Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition Investigator Book.
So at this point in the review, I want to step away from the analysis of the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook and talk about my emotional response to the new edition of the game after playing it several times. I was a play-tester—like many people—and I was a Kickstarter backer—again like so many people, and of the playtesting groups, we were the only ones to record those sessions. In playing both through the playtest sessions and various games since, at no time has it never felt like I was not playing Call of Cthulhu. True, it felt fiddly in places and the Investigator sheet looked fussy, but this never translated into play. Nor did any of the investigators I played feel less or more competent. In places the rules did feel slightly more complex, especially the Chase mechanics and whilst investigator creation looks more complex, the numbers are simple and the choices of Occupations excellent—especially if you have the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Book.
A more considered and thoughtful question arises when I come to review titles for Call of Cthulhu other than Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition. This is, "Can I run this using Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition?" Every time, whether the book is The Asylum & Other Tales, Green and Pleasant Land, or Tatters of the King, the answer is "Yes."
However, I do have strong feelings about the changes to the content of the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook. Simply, I am saddened by the omission of the short story 'The Call of Cthulhu' and the loss of the scenarios—'The Haunting', 'The Madman', 'Dead Man Stomp', and 'Edge of Darkness'. Of course, I still have them in previous editions of the game, but a Call of Cthulhu rulebook without them seems lacking.
Penultimately, in reviewing Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, there is the matter of the title of these reviews—'Call of Cthulhu II (Part the First)' and 'Call of Cthulhu II (Part the Second)'. It is the 'Call of Cthulhu II' that is important here, for although the reviews of both the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook and the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook, are together a review of Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, arguably they are not Seventh Edition at all. Rather they are Call of Cthulhu, Second Edition—the real Second Edition and not the one published in 1983. For all of the editions published between 1981 and 2005—from Call of Cthulhu to Call of Cthulhu, Sixth Edition, are really one game with just minor changes between editions, a contention only exacerbated by the number of minor editions released for the Fifth Edition. The publication of Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is a radical design in comparison to those previous editions, it is as a thorough a rethink of the way in which the game is played as it has ever received.* It is as thorough a reexamination of the rules and the issues of the rules as the RPG has ever had and indicates a major step in the game's evolution and history.
*Arguably several of the other RPGs of Lovecraftian investigative horror can also be seen as radical responses to decades of Call of Cthulhu. Take your pick as to which...
Ultimately, the question you have to answer is this… "Should Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition have been just another reprint with minor tweaks made to the rules and a new layout that pleased no one, or should the designers have actually addressed issues with the game that had arisen after thirty years of gaming?" The question hardly warrants an answer, because it cannot be denied that Call of Cthulhu needed an update, a redesign, a rethink—and not just because it was being funded via Kickstarter. The resulting Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition has been updated, redesigned, rethought, and the end result is a far more resilient, more nuanced game, but with options included to allow a Keeper to run the game how he wants. If the designers of Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition had to get one thing right it was addressing the issue of failed skill rolls and in the 'Pushing a Roll' mechanic, the designers absolutely have. The mechanic is simple, elegant, and in keeping with the designers' efforts to give the players greater agency during the game. This is balanced by the granting of agency back to the Keeper when 'Pushing a Roll' or an Idea roll are failed. The other mechanical changes evolve from previous editions of the game and are logical and standardised, making the game easier to learn and play. Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is also easier to learn because the rewriting of both the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook and the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook includes copious examples of the rules and play, and all together, Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is more accessible for Keeper and player alike.
The fact that it is an evolution of the previous rules, means that the thirty years of previous supplements, scenarios, and campaigns are still accessible and playable using Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, yet Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is also a great jumping on point for the game. Whilst Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition brings many changes to the venerable RPG of Lovecraftian investigative horror, this is without fundamentally changing what Call of Cthulhu was—and is, the preeminent RPG of Cosmic Horror.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
THE BARON AND THE MISTRESS By Karyn Gerrard
Release date: April 7th, 2015
Approx: 29,700 words
KG Publishing
ON SALE for 99 cents for a limited time at Amazon and All Romance!
Forget the horrors. Remember...me.
A shivering young woman leans against a lamppost in the most notorious street of ill repute in all London. For Asher Colborne, Baron of Wenlock, this is a haunting vision of beauty and wretchedness. Uncharacteristically halting his carriage, he is shocked to discover the thin, dressed-in-rags creature is none other than Chastity Armitage, a beautiful angel who captured his heart at a grand ball more than two years past. For Colborne, her circumstance is a mystery he feels honor bound to unravel.
Chastity and her siblings have been on the run for more than two years. Desperate for food and lodging money, she is forced to sell herself. She never expected a tall, handsome man to appear as if from mist and change her life forever. She is given a choice, continue down the path of never-ending poverty or become the baron's mistress.
Though they are both determined the arrangement remain an emotionless business transaction, the attraction between them is scorching. Many barriers and obstacles lay in Chastity and Ash's path. Can the baron and the mistress embrace true love?
Heat Level: Very Sensual
Excerpt: Chastity could not believe she allowed the well-dressed gentleman to
take her away in his carriage. They did not go far nor did they speak during
the short journey. They both sat in a private room at The Pig and Whistle tavern.
Her stomach rumbled. The man, who introduced himself as Ash and insisted she
call him by that name, ordered beef stew, ale, and extra bread and cheese.
Fifteen shillings? The obscene amount still rattled about in her bewildered
brain. With proper planning the money would keep her and her brother and sister
comfortable for some weeks. What in God's name did he wish to do with her? Or
to her? What perverse act would she be subjected to? His intense stare made her
uncomfortable. This Ash was too handsome by far. After removing his hat and
gloves, he ran his hand through his black-as-midnight hair. His eyes were the
color of a fine cognac and the gleam of lust that shone from them sent waves of
heat through her body. Ash removed his cloak. The silver lining appeared to be
the finest silk. His tall frame was perfectly proportioned and how well it
filled out the excellently tailored evening wear. A smartly tied silver cravat
about his neck completed the look and he did
look every inch the rake. Chastity caught a whiff of expensive cologne. The
scent of bergamot and lemon invaded her nostrils. Her stomach dipped
precipitously. Dear heaven, I find him
attractive? Not wise. Chastity's gaze darted about the small room trying to
find a quick escape route.
"What is your name, my sweet?"
His voice was deep, resonant, and cultured. A sensual baritone as rich
as melted dark chocolate. Should she give her name? What would it matter? "Chastity."
The man's eyes widened briefly as he shifted in his seat, but his
concentrated gaze did not waver. "Interesting choice of name for a prossie."
Fury boiled quick and hot in her veins. "It's my real name and I'm not
The corner of his mouth quirked in amusement. "Of course not, even though
you offered me a quick tup—for coin."
Chastity's cheeks burned in humiliation. Before she could answer, the
door burst open and the barmaid carried in a tray of foodstuffs. The
tantalizing aroma of beef, grilled onions, and fresh bread made her salivate.
For a meal such as this and fifteen
shillings, she would agree to anything. And she would bet this arrogant,
handsome man knew it.
AUTHOR INFO: Karyn lives in a small town in the western corner of Ontario, Canada. She whiles away her spare time writing and reading romance while drinking copious amounts of Earl Grey tea. Tortured heroes are a must. A multi-published author with a few bestsellers under her belt, Karyn loves to write historicals, particularly in the Victorian era. She also writes the occasional contemporary.
As long as she can avoid being hit by a runaway moose in her wilderness paradise she assumes everything is golden.
Karyn's been happily married for a long time to her own hero. His encouragement keeps her moving forward.
Karyn's Site/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Tsu/Amazon Page
Karyn's Site/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Tsu/Amazon Page


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Project Power is streaming on Netflix
Next to westerns, there's no other genre that has the flexibility that superheroes have in terms of storytelling. You might think that your options are limited to an MCU snarkfest or the Snyder cut of Justice League, truly an edgelord's delight. But there's more to superheroes than that. A hell of a lot more.
Consider Wild Cards. Originally a series of anthology novels, the premise focused on an alien virus released over the skies of New York City. 90 percent of those infected died. Nine percent lived and were known as Jokers, people afflicted with crippling physical abnormalities. The remaining one percent? Those are Aces, who receive astounding superpowers. Some of them do what you'd expect, throw together a costume and fight crime, whatever that means. Others have a far different approach.
Any anthology will have its weak points. Yet the genius of Wild Cards was its willingness to take a creative look at metahumans, and how they might bounce off of society. The Black Eagle is a former Tuskegee Airman who battles Nazis and is rejected by his countrymen due to his race. Fortunato runs an escort service and wields massive telekinetic power due to a connection to tantric sex magic. Father Squid is the head of an offshoot of Christianity that emphasizes physical suffering, persecution, and redemption by a disfigured Jesus.
A little creativity goes a long way, particularly in these times of timid, formula-driven blockbusters. It's bad enough when you see a film that doesn't even try. It's even worse when a film has a central premise that's incredibly strong with execution that's lacking. I wanted so much more from Project Power.
A man arrives in New Orleans looking to do a little business. His name is Biggie (Rodrigo Santoro), and he comes bearing a gift. His pill is called Power.* Theoretically, if you take it, it'll give you a random superpower for five minutes. I say "theoretically," as there's also a good chance that you'll simply explode. Biggie knows that the rewards outweigh the risks, and the drug dealers he's pitching to know it, too.
Six weeks pass. There's talk of a man who can outrun a car, another man who can lift a car over his head. They're all on Power, and Robin (Dominique Fishback) is a teenage dealer making a tidy sum. While the money is good, she doesn't particularly love her work. She loves music, loves rap, and if someone would give her a chance, her talent just might lift her up and out.
Until then, Robin continues to sling Power. One of her customers is Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a New Orleans cop with a gift for justification. He figures the police are outgunned, and the only sane response is for him to take Power himself and level the playing field. The good news is, he hasn't exploded just yet.
Then there's Art (Jamie Foxx), a mystery man who blows into town. He's got an appointment with Robin's cousin Newt (Colson Baker), an amateur dealer and professional idiot. Newt tries to be the alpha male with Art. When that doesn't work, he promptly pops a Power and gains the ability to be on fire without harm. Assuming he survives, we'll find out what Art wants, how he fits in with Robin and Frank, and where Power comes from. From there, things have the potential to get really bad.
Project Power isn't bad, per se. It's not a soulless piece of corporate product, nor is made from a place of incompetence or stupidity. Directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost do good work with their character moments, and there's a barn-burner of an action scene where Joseph Gordon-Levitt pursues a bank robber with the power of a chameleon. The problem is that the film feels like the first episode of a compelling TV show that was retrofitted to be a movie at the last minute. There's energy to spare, but it's rarely in service of anything. A script that dug deeper would have given Schulman and Joost room to really impress, and I have no doubt they'll do that in the future.
So does that mean that the script by Mattson Tomlin is bad? Not at all. I'll first point to an excellent scene between Foxx and Fishback. He's telling her America is designed to break people like her, people who aren't straight white men. He's telling her that the best way to fight back is to find something she can do better than anyone else and lean into it. The scene tells us a great deal about both characters and never wears out its welcome.
My issues are threefold. First, if you're going to set up a five-minute super pill, there needs to be rules to stick with. How often do people explode? If you take it repeatedly, will you always have the same powers, or will it be truly random? By setting up the rules, there would have been plenty of opportunities to pay off interesting or unexpected concepts.** Could you imagine Foxx having to constantly adjust his tactics in fights, or the enormously steep learning curve Gordon-Levitt would have had knowing he'll be able to do…something? Second, while Tomlin does good work setting up our heroes, the antagonists are barely given personalities, much less compelling motivations. There's lame dialogue about "the next stage of human evolution" and vague ideas about destabilizing countries. Do these folks have any kind of ideology, even if it's just about money? Third, how does all of this superpowered madness affect the world? What does it mean that a drug is being tested in an underserved community, and that a cop feels he needs to take the same drug in order to feel secure? The script raises fascinating questions and then blazes right past them.
That uneven script means we have an overqualified cast who do a lot with a little. Jamie Foxx is the steady center of the film, and as Art, his performance feels urgent. Art is after something, and it feels like he'll take any chance. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is solid as Frank, but I never felt he had a chance to be scared. Can you imagine how astonishingly scary it would be for a regular cop to go up against a powered criminal? Gordon-Levitt could absolutely pull that off, but he's never given a chance to do more than be a quick-thinking guy with a gun. Dominique Fishback is the linchpin between them, and I liked her nervy performance as Robin.***
A little escapism in August of 2020 feels necessary. However, a movie that's fun doesn't automatically have to be dumb. Project Power is a pretty good superhero movie, and the filmmakers certainly couldn't have known how urgently we'd need movies that allow us to get away. The real shame is that this movie had the responsibility not to squander its potential. After all, as a pretty smart guy once wrote, "With great power comes great responsibility."
*Maybe Biggie should have spent a little more money on marketing to come up with a better name for his superpower drug. I would have called them Stans.
**Though the part about the pistol shrimp is both accurate and awesome.
***She's even got a green and yellow coat, which was a nice touch.


text:
Operator: "Thank you for calling Pizza Hut. May I have your..."
Customer: "Hi, I'd like to order."
Operator: "May I have your SIN first, sir?"
Customer: "Um, yeah, hold on, eh, it's
Operator: "Thank you, Mr. Sheehan. I see you live at 1742 Meadowland
Drive, and the LTG's 494-2366. Your office number over at
Lincoln Insurance is 745-2302 and your cell number's 266-2566. Which
number are you calling from, sir?"
Customer: "Huh? I'm at home. Where d'ya get all this information?"
Operator: "We're wired into the system, sir."
Customer: (Sighs) "Oh, well, I'd like to order a couple of your All-Meat
Special pizzas..."
Operator: "I don't think that's a good idea, sir."
Customer: "Whaddya mean?"
Operator: "Sir, your medical records indicate that you've got very high
blood pressure and extremely high cholesterol. Your National Health Care
provider won't allow such an unhealthy choice."
Customer: "Dang . What do you recommend, then?"
Operator: "You might try our low-fat Soybean Yogurt Pizza. I'm sure
you'll like it."
Customer: "What makes you think I'd like something like that?"
Operator: "Well, you checked out 'Gourmet Soybean Recipes' from your
local library last week, sir. That's why I made the suggestion."
Customer: "All right, all right. Give me two family-sized ones, then.
What's the damage?"
Operator: "That should be plenty for you, your wife and your four kids,
sir. The 'damage,' as you put it, heh, heh, comes to 49:nuyen:."
Customer: "Lemme give you my credit authorization number."
Operator: "I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid you'll have to pay in cash.
Your credit card balance is over its limit."
Customer: "I'll run over to the ATM and get some cash before your driver
gets here."
Operator: "That won't work either, sir. Your checking account's
Customer: "Never mind. Just send the pizzas. I'll have the cash ready.
How long will it take?
Operator: "We're running a little behind, sir. It'll be about 45
minutes, sir. If you're in a hurry you might want to pick 'em up while
you're out getting the cash, but carrying pizzas on a motorcycle can be
a little awkward."
Customer: "How the heck do you know I'm riding a bike?"
Operator: "It says here you're in arrears on your car payments, so your
car got repo'ed. But your Harley's paid up, so I just assumed that you'd
be using it."
Customer: "@#%/$@&?#!"
Operator: "I'd advise watching your language, sir. You've already got a
July 2006 conviction for cussing out a cop."
Customer: (Speechless)
Operator: "Will there be anything else, sir?"
Customer: "No, nothing. Oh, yeah, don't forget the two free liters of
Coke your ad says I get with the pizzas."
Operator: "I'm sorry sir, but our ad's exclusionary clause prevents us
from offering free soda to diabetics."
*Not all of it fits for SR that well, but for the most part it's pretty appropriate.*


text:
First, it is an exact and complete definition of a term of standards.
With Young Living, "Seed to Seal Premium" Means
- There has been verification of the correct species when the seed was planted.
- The purity and manner of cultivation (no chemicals or nearby pollution, etc.).
- The proper time of harvest to optimize the (healthy) properties in the oil.
- The proper manner of distillation to capture all of the therapeutic compounds.
- The right chemical composition as determined by sophisticated laboratory tests.
- And the purity of the packaging--i.e. nothing added, nothing is taken away.
- Stored in light-protected containers (amber or blue bottles) of glass, ceramic, Teflon, or stainless steel.
- And kept in a suitable environment of appropriate temperatures.
All of this is taken into account with Young Living's definition of "Seed to Seal Premium." No other company maintains or can claim such a standard.
A Lot of Other Oils Can't Compare
For example, if an oil contains enough menthol, you can legally sell it as "peppermint" when, in fact, there may be no actual peppermint plant oil present whatsoever. Hence, an aromatic oil can be 80-100% synthetic and meet ISO* standards.
ISO only takes into account the end product by testing for the percents of a few compounds that account for flavor and/or aroma. These standards do not take into account the manner by which the oil was obtained nor whether any of the beneficial compounds are present.
In fact, the beneficial compounds can all be absent and an oil can still meet ISO standards, which may be adequate for perfumes and flavors, but totally ineffective for my purposes.
By contrast, Young Living's "Seed to Seal Premium" standard takes into account everything from planting the seed to marketing the oil.
Buyer Needs to Beware
I always say that a buyer of essential oils needs to beware. You could be buying essential oils that are not truly pure.
If you're new to using essential oils and would like to start out on the right path (avoiding unnecessary confusion), I highly recommend that you begin your journey with an Essential Oils Premium Starter Bundle. It's a TREMENDOUS VALUE for your money and takes the guesswork out. Look at these different Starter Bundles and see if one would be right for you.
Young Living offers you a convenient subscription program that makes it simple to get product refills and try new things.
Couple this with Loyalty Rewards, you can earn up to 25% back in reward points and exclusive gifts!
*Cancel anytime (be sure to use your points first).
I'd love to welcome you to the world of Young Living. Here, you will find much more than essential oils—you'll find a new lifestyle.
✅ I invite you to share your comments or ask me a question,
using the form at the bottom of this page.
*The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on 23 February 1947, the organization promotes worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial standards.
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text:
See more: Ruger Mark II/III
Polyester Composite Pearl Grips. If you don't see what you're looking for please refer to our Pearl Scales to see all of our 60+ color options.
Custom Ruger Mark II/III grips are also available. Please contact us via our Contact page if you have any questions or would like to place a custom order.


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Eric Church's 'Some of It' Shows His Introspective Side [Listen]
Eric Church's new single "Some of It" is a humble reflection on how we gather life's lessons.
It's a contrast to the rapid-fire, Southern-rock melody of "Desperate Man" — "Some of It" takes on a quieter tone as a somber Church thinks back on how he has learned lessons throughout his life. Sometimes it was the hard way, sometimes through the written word ... this star knows the struggle of absorbing valuable teachings.
"Some of it, you learn the hard of it / Some of it, you read on a page / Some of it comes from heartbreak / Most of it comes with age / And none of it ever comes easy," he sings gently. Church continues to express humility by claiming that he doesn't know everything yet, and even though you may not be able to use each piece of advice you're given, the most important ones will stick.
Jeff Hyde, Clint Daniels and Bobby Pinson helped Church pen this mid-tempo thinker. Sonically it connects to the blues-rock beat of "Desperate Man" but it's much more of a vocal and lyrical showcase than his album's lead single.
Did You Know?: Eric Church has five career No. 1 hits, the most recent being "Record Year" from Mr. Misunderstood.
Eric Church's Best Album Made This Best of the 2000s List!
Eric Church's "Some of It" Lyrics:
Beer don't keep / Love's not cheap and trucks don't wreck themselves / Mama ain't a shrink / Daddy ain't a bank and God ain't wishin' well / Money ain't rich / Everybody sins and nobody wins in a fight / And sometimes wrong is right.
Some of it you learn the hard way / Some of it you read on a page / Some of it comes from heartbreak / Most of it comes with age / And none of it ever comes easy / A bunch of it you maybe can't use / I know I don't probably know what I think I do / But there's somethin' to some of it.
Girls like to laugh / Tears don't last and scared's what praying's for / If it's close, swing the bat / Everybody's gotta pass and love's worth living for / When you dance, hold her close / 'Til it brakes go for broke / Be the first to reach for her hand / No you don't get to do some things again.
When you can take it slow / 'Cause time sure won't / What really makes you a man
Is being true to her until your glass runs out of sand.


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Tag Archives: Efficient Energy of Tennessee
Tennessee Renewable energy
Here are listed many of the designers, developers, installers and other companies and experts exploring and promoting renewable energy resources in Tennessee
Solar & Renewable Power Systems LLC – https://www.srps.com/ – Solar & Renewable Power Systems (SRPS), a division of Paradoxe Corporation, is headquartered in the hub city of Jackson, Tennessee. SRPS was one of the early providers of solar systems in Tennessee when the parent company diversified into the solar industry in 2008. Today, SRPS offers a wide range of products and services designed to offer solar energy solutions to direct customers and to support other solar installers. Knowledge is power and proper credentials are essential when working with solar. SRPS' professional team of solar experts, master electricians and project managers have the experience and proper credentials to ensure a successful project. The team is able to provide operational and maintenance support to ensure your system runs smoothly for years to come.
LightWave Solar LLC – https://lightwavesolar.com/ – Since 2006 LightWave Solar has completed over 1,000 solar projects for businesses, municipalities, and homeowners. The team has 7 North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Solar PV Professionals on staff. That's more than any other firm in the region! The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners is the most respected certification organization for U.S. solar professionals. LightWave builds custom residential, commercial and municipal systems, and provides turnkey solar EPC and O&M services for utilities and solar developers, specializing in solar installations up to 10MW.
Appalachian Renewable Resources LLC – https://arrtn.com/ – Appalachian Renewable Resources was started by Scott Noethen in early 2010. The vision, at the time, was to incorporate solar, hydro, and wind resources in addition to sustainable and efficient building techniques to provide freelance consultation to anyone interested in incorporating those ideas into their building design. Specializing in Energy Audits, Solar Photovoltaic, and Solar Thermal energy solutions for both Residential and Commercial customers, the reality of Appalachian Renewable Resources today is slightly different than the vision of those early years, but Scott has maintained the core principal of environmental stewardship and will continue to do so as the company evolves.
ENERGY SOURCE PARTNERS LLC – http://www.energysourcepartners.com/ – Energy Source Partners provides the necessary tools for the implementation of innovative, sustainable renewable energy solutions for municipalities, health care facilities and commercial, industrial and residential properties. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Energy Source Partners has designed and installed renewable energy systems across the state and owns and operates over 1 megawatt of solar energy capacity.
Distributive Solar LLC – http://www.distributivesolar.com/ – Distributive Solar will provide a preliminary review of your energy usage, utility rate structure and site analysis to determine if solar makes sense for your property. Distributive Solar employs only NABCEB Board Certified Installers to ensure you get a high quality installation and the absolute best value on your solar technology system. Drastically reduce your energy bill, Earn a great return on investment, Protect against rising energy costs, Increase your property value, Protect the environment and Utilize awesome tax incentives!
Greene Tech Renewable Energy LLC – https://greenetechenergy.com/ – With a Greene Tech Renewable Energy solar power system you can realize BIG SAVINGS or eliminate your monthly power bill, insulate yourself from utility rate increases and increase your property's value. Deionized pure water system solar panel cleanings can make all the difference when it comes to energy production. Have GTRE perform a thorough system inspection to ensure there are no issues with production or the integrity of the panels. A small wind turbine gives you the ability to turn wind into clean energy for your on or off-grid property. Hydropower is simple. With the PowerSpout turbine, you can power an energy-efficient home or business, or run multiple units at suitable sites for larger demands.


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Steel Storm is an old school top down arcade shooter with score oriented competitive gameplay, and is designed for people who like fast paced action and have limited amounts of time to play computer games.
The events take place in an alternative universe where you control an advanced hovertank, packed with the most advanced and sophisticated weapons. Your task is simple, but, nevertheless, is not trivial. In the fight with presumed extraterrestrial invaders, you must prevail!
File information
File name: steelstorm-beta-r1591.exe
File size: 252.39 MB
Mime type: application/x-dosexec; charset=binary
September 15, 2010 - 9:29am


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ActiveRain Success Stories
Robert Hammerstein -, Bergen County NJ Real Estate (Christie's International Real Estate )
said over 9 years ago,"We Love Active Rain! This is why we are here after all! Active Rain has become an integral part of our business plan since joining in October 2006'. The Winter Selling/Buying Season is here. the many sellers and buyers in the Winter market. Winter is one of my favorite times of the year. Inventory is still very low. The home sellers and buyers are gearing up for a very busy Winter season. The Heat is On! The Heat is also in the market here in NJ. There is an abundance of activity in our area. Inventory is still low but climbing. The Summer/Fall season had been very busy. We are excited about this years market. The weather has gotten much Cooler lately and activity is increasing along with the excitement of the even cooler temps to come. Bergen County is buzzing with activity. It has brought out many buyers now it seems. The market has heated up again for what we like to call the early beginnings of the second Spring Market here in NJ. The buyers are becoming more active as the season has been changing slowly to cooler temps here. Active Rain is helping us get out in front of our customers on a local basis. We are seeing many buyers coming out in this season here in the northeast. The first time homebuyer credit is long gone but the interests rates are still historically low and continue to stay historically low. The market is getting hotter. Localism is my playground and has brought me Google juice galore. It's so much more than just a Social Network or a place to go to find comfort from friends. This network offers all the news on the latest technology and ways to apply that technology to your business. We've found groups to join to share ideas with colleagues and that has been fun as well as extremely helpful. Active Rain is the first place we go to find agents across the country when we need referral contacts. The search engines love Active Rain and that really helps to boost us so the public can find us. It offers a platform for us to post market reports, local information about our area and tips for buyers and sellers. What did we do before Active Rain?! I guess we'll never know the answer to that one.... We love this place!" |
Robert Hammerstein, Bergen County NJ Real Estate (Christie's International Real Estate )
said over 9 years ago,"Let's hear it for the Winter Selling and Buying Season! Yay! Now that Fall is over and winter will is here, we look forward to the good times ahead. The Winter buying season has begun. Did I mention this is my favorite time of the year? The cooler temps are here but the market is not showing any slow down. There are many buyers are out and looking for houses now with a renewed fervor as new listings are coming on the market everyday. The inventory is still very low but has been climbing steadily as buyers realize that this is the time to buy. We need your listings. We have been showing many homes recently. Buyers are coming out in droves in search of bargains. Many new homes that are priced appropriately are moving quickly as well. Price is key in this market. The Pascack Valley and Bergen County areas are booming. It looks to be a better year in New Jersey for Real Estate. Interest rates are still historically very low and continue to stay very low. I have passed my fifth year anniversary here in the Rain and approaching my fifth year anniversary. I am gaining visibility in the search engines. This is priceless! This is why I love this place! I've had been here since February of 09 and am having the time of my life. This is the best Real Estate Community alive! I have been a member with my wife Lisa since October 2006 and have never delved into the blogging platform except to help out my wife with the HammersTeam Blog site. I have loved every minute here as I have learned so much since starting up my own blog. Since we have been involved with this site we have met so many incredibly talented people who are so nice and helpful. People that are willing to share knowledge and build this community to where it is now and continue it's progressive climb up. The Active Rain Community is so invigorating and helpful that I don't know what I would do without it now. This is the reason I have started up my own blog. I am so grateful to this site! Thanks Active Rain. Bob Hammerstein" |
Brady Howard, Managing Broker, The Cascade Team Gig Harbor (The Cascade Team Gig Harbor)
said over 9 years ago,"I have primarily used Active Rain for Referrals and have had great success. I have met some really great Realtors out there who are very active and forward thinking. I look forward to 2015 as my best year ever!" |
Jeff Haley (Haley Realty Group)
said over 9 years ago,"Active rain is a great tool to find agents to work with." |
Fern S. Hamberger, The Fern Hamberger Team (Corcoran)
said over 9 years ago,"Activerain helped one of my past clients reconnect with me. After my client left town a few years ago, i lost touch with her. But, one day, I got a call from her telling me: fern, I lost your contact information and i did not know where to go. I wanted to tell you that i am back in town after 5 years of being away. SO I googled you and guess what i found your contact information on Activerain. So we reconnected! Activerain, you rock!" |
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist, Probate Real Estate Services (KD Realty - 408.972.1822)
said over 9 years ago,"I connected with Eileen Burns, a member of the Active Rain Community seeking her help to work with my clients who were relocating to Fort Lauderdale, FL and needed to locate a rental property. |
Fred Hernden, CMI, Albuquerque area Master Inspector (Superior Home Inspections - Greater Albuquerque Area)
said over 9 years ago,"Being a member of Active Rain has allowed me to relocate my business almost seamlessly, I have made connection here that I was easily able to translate to my new area! Thank you Active Rain!!" |
Captain Wayne - Rowlett Real Estate School, Rowlett Real Estate School / Owner and Instructor (Rowlett Real Estate School)
said over 9 years ago,"We had a great turn out of students in Panama City Beach this month. Rowlett Real Estate School has really been blessed. Blogging in ActiveRain has increased traffic to our website which in turn, has brought more students to our classes. Our business has been so good that we have expanded our classroom pre sales associate classes to Pensacola Florida. |
Erin Gary, Procuring Properties for YOUR Purpose! (Palatine Parcels LLC)
said over 9 years ago,"I was hesitant at first...sure I am a writer at heart, but how could I blend personal and professional without giving away too much? After all I want advice but I want leads too!! |
Jim Paulson, Owner,Broker (Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info)
said over 9 years ago,"I have had several people contact me via my comments posted here in ActiveRain. I find it very encouraging that my profile has been viewed over 15,000 times. I enjoy reading the comments to see different sides of the same story and learning how real estate is handled differently in other areas of our country so I can better anticipate how to deal with people relocating from those areas." |
Doyle Davison, 30 years as your Concierge services listing broker (Hawaiian Beaches Hawaii - 714-968-6767)
said over 9 years ago,"I signed up years ago and never used active rain, I was like this is too much work. so this year I decided to give active rain a try again. I have received some valuable info and leads from brokers all over the U.S." |
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties, The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730 (Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070)
said over 9 years ago,"I am an active blogger through ActiveRain offering the public good information that will help them avoid pitfalls and focus on current market trends and information. All you have to do is subscribe to my blog so as to not miss any of the lastest in real estate tips and news from " The Real Debbie Reynolds of Clarksville TN". |
Debbie Laity, Your Real Estate Resource for Delta County (CinaJones Real Estate)
said over 9 years ago,"I love including pictures of my area in my blogs. One time I had some neat pictures of a great canyon that is just beautiful. This place is really off the beaten path, and not many people have heard of it. It's called Escalante Canyon. Within a few days of publishing that photo blog, I get an email from a gentleman that owns land in the area. He saw my blog and was impressed with my pictures and the information I included. He's thinking of selling the land, and wants to know if I'm interested in selling it if he does. Heck yes! What a beautiful place to have a listing. |
David Tipton, GRI, ePro, SRES, Real Estate Broker - Tampa (Grady David Tipton Brokerage)
said over 9 years ago,"ActiveRain has been an integral part of my over all personal marketing strategy. It became increasingly important when over a year ago I wrote a blog about bank foreclosures in the Tampa Florida area. That same day I received a call from a buyer who had just read my blog and recognized me as a local area expert with whom he wanted to do business. I received several other inquiries that week and still receive calls and e-mails from prospective clients over a year later from that blog. That sounds like success to me. Thanks ActiveRain for providing me with the knowledge and the opportunity. |
Gabe Sanders, Stuart Florida Real Estate (Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales)
said over 9 years ago,"I've been a member of Active Rain since 2006. In those years, there has been many changes in both the real estate market as well as the Active rain platform. One thing, however, remains constant. This forum is an immensely valuable resource for my business. It is a wonderful place for meeting other real estate professionals to exchange tips and ideas and a great platform for showcasing our listings and all things real estate. |
Steven Wessler, CMI, CCMI (SpyGlass Inspection Services)
said over 9 years ago,"The people I have been in contact with, are by far the most professional group of individuals that I have had the pleasure to deal with. I don't blog much, but I do read posts almost every day and have learned to look forward to and give the respect the comments deserve of the ActiveRain members." |
Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!, The best agent in Southern Utah! (Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374)
said over 9 years ago,"Motivational Monday: ActiveRain and Google are like glue. They're sticky! |
Margaret Woda, Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation (Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.)
said over 9 years ago,"A few days after I wrote my first post on ActiveRain, a consumer who found it in a Google search called to list her home with me. Then another consumer found me within a week of that and I got a 2nd listing. Needless to say, these results made a believer out of me. |
Peggy James, Woodbridge Virginia Area Real Estate Specialist (SAMSON PROPERTIES)
said over 9 years ago,"I joined Active Rain in June of 2008. At first I was scared, not knowing what to write about. It didn't take long for me to figure everything out. I committed myself to studying Active Rain daily starting at 6am to 7:30am and learning as much as I could each day. The information here is better than any Boot Camp or Training Course any real estate company can offer you. The sharing of knowledge and relationships that you can form here are beyond priceless. Active Rain is changing the real estate industry. |
DeAndrea "Dee Dee" Jones, DMVRealEstateChick (Samson Properties)
said almost 10 years ago,"AR referrals are the best. I have given and received many referrals that have turned into successful transactions. It has allowed me to network with some great agents around the country making my relocation base more powerful. |


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Design your own Custom T-shirt Online!
Since 2006, Ink Style has been the home of Australian custom t-shirt printing. Whether you have your own design ready, or want to have fun designing your own t-shirt, this is the place to be. At Ink Style we make t-shirt printing as fun, easy and affordable as can be!
Design your own t-shirt!
That's right, you can now design your own t-shirt using our exclusive online design lab. Its absolutely free to use! You can upload your own photos, drawings and pictures and add them to your own unique t-shirt. Personalise it even further with a heap of funky fonts and text effects. Everyone can now be their very own t-shirt designer. You're only limited by your own creativity! All you need to get started is your limitless creativity!
A t-shirt for everyone!
We have a wide selection of t-shirts for all members of the family! From basic round neck t-shirts for mens, womens and kids, we also have long sleeve tees for those colder days. Too hot? Then why not try personalising a womens scoop neck t-shirt, mens tank top or our new range of singlets for 2012. We have colours to suit all occasions and personalities. Stick to the staple white, black and grey or go funky with lime, blues and even pinks!
Full colour t-shirt printing! Custom t-shirts with no limits!
Yes, we print full colour onto any colour t-shirt. Say no to bland and boring one or two colour prints. Say YES to full digitally printed t-shirts! We use the latest in digital direct-to-garment printing to create your own custom tshirts. Don't mistake it with ugly heat transfers or iron-on's, this is NEW, Industrial grade digital printing used by the leading clothing manufacturers! It's now available in Australia rigt here with Ink Style.
No Minimum Orders or Setup Fees
Here at Ink Style we HATE limitations. So unlike most other t-shirt printers out there we've totally scrapped minimum order requirements and setup fees. Since we're online our prices are extremely competitive, each day is like a daily deals ! So if you only need one custom t-shirt, we can do it! If you need ten or ten thousand we can do it too. We also have savings on bulk orders. Order 2 or more and get savings upto 20% off your entire order.
T-Shirt Printing - Expressing Yourself Through Your Clothes
T-shirt printing is one of the best ways for you to express yourself and make your feelings known to the world. By showing the wild and wacky design imprinted on your t-shirt, you can let other people know how you feel or who you are as a person. Making customized t-shirts has become a popular hobby amongst the youngsters, especially teenagers. If you roam around college and university campuses, you can see a lot of students wearing shirts with designs that are not common. Apart from the youngsters, some of the older members of society are into making custom t-shirts as well.
Being able to design your own t-shirts is a great way for you to explore your more artistic side. Even if you are not that skilled in drawing, you can still come up with some great ideas that you can have imprinted in your very own custom tee. Another great thing about t-shirt printing is that you can even make some money out of it by opening up your own shirt printing business.
Looking for a t-shirt printer in Melbourne? Check out our friends at Tee Junction who offer local custom t-shirt printing in the Melbourne area. You can design online or visit to see the various t-shirt options.
Custom T-Shirts - Good for Business
If you have the skills, the equipment, and the manpower to start up your own t-shirt printing business, then you should waste no time in getting it started. With the way that the internet has become more accessible nowadays, promoting your online business is now easier than ever. Social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, are two great examples of how you can circulate your product with the use of social media. You might think that this could be a hopeless case at first, but you should remember that the two sites mentioned above each have hundreds of millions of members. So there is still that small glimmer of hope that your business will get noticed by at least 10 out of every 100 people on either site.
Another thing that you can do to help attract more and more potential customers is to allow them to come up with their own designs for their shirts and have you print them. Giving people the freedom to customize to their heart's content will help make their apparel look more personalized. Apart from giving them the freedom to create t-shirts, you can also expand your services to other apparel as well like pants, shorts, and hoodies.
Selling custom hoodies will allow your business to become more diverse and can definitely help in catching the attention of more and more customers.
Design Your Own T-Shirt - Practicing Your Craft
Being able to design your own t-shirt allows you to show people just how creative you can truly be, and it also lets you unleash the Da Vinci within you. The cool thing about making custom shirts is that there are no limits or boundaries as to what you can do. For example, you can design your shirt in a very macabre manner and still make it look cool. Remember that the keyword here is "personalized" and personalized shirts are neither bad or good because the designs that they have are chosen by the wearer himself.
Now for those of you who think that coming up with a design for a t-shirt is as easy as pie, you are dead wrong. It takes more than just some simple drawings being shoved into t-shirt printers to come up with a design that you can proudly show to the world. What I am trying to say is that whenever you make a design for your t-shirt, it should be a representation of who you are and what you feel.
I know that what I'm trying to say here might sound a bit mundane for some, but if you ever get the chance to design your own t-shirt, then you will know what it feels like and how difficult it can be at times to come up with a design that can echo your feelings and sentiments to the rest of the world.
T-Shirt Printing and It's Effects on an Individual
Now before you go asking how t-shirt printing can have an effect on a person, let me clear something out first. As we all know, human beings have this uncanny knack to always draw attention to themselves even through the most absurd ways. While some of you may deny it, there is always that little spark within you that is just practically saying "notice me please."
For one thing, wearing custom tees can make one feel good about himself, and why you ask? It is because by wearing customized t-shirts he gives himself a sort confidence boost. I can say that this is true because I have experienced this myself. Whenever you get complimented by your peers for having an awesome design on your shirt, the feeling that you get afterwards is pretty awesome to say the least. The same can be said for those who wear custom sweatshirts, jackets, and even trousers. The point is that anything that has your personal touch in it is something that you can be proud of. And the best part about wearing custom shirts is that it can definitely help you save more money. Compare buying a plain shirt and being able to put your own design on it and having to buy one from more expensive brands like Guess. It is clearly obvious which one is the better option.
A Final Say on T-Shirt Printing
So what more can be said about t-shirt printing that has not already been mentioned? It is fun, exciting, allows people to be more creative, and can even provide you with a good option should you one day decide to start your own custom t-shirt printing business. You do not need to have a background in professional embroidery in order to make your own t-shirt designs. All you need are an active imagination and a good set of drawing hands. And if you aren't that skilled of an artist, then you can ask a friend to do it for you.
As a business, shirt printing is not a one man show because it takes a lot of teamwork to get the job done and help your business improve. And as a hobby and personal interest, it is one of the most engaging things that a person can invest his/her time in and enjoy it to the fullest.
Narration: T-shirt printing has been recently catching a lot of attention, especially in the online community where there are dozens upon dozens of businesses that offer t-shirt customization services. As a business, it can offer you a very lucrative source of income, well this is provided that you have all the right tools and skills at your disposal. As a hobby, it gives the world's artists, both young and old alike, a chance to showcase their skills on a different platform. Instead of using the traditional canvas, they can put their designs on shirts made of cotton and polyester. So needless to say, t-shirt printing has made quite an impact in our society. If you want to know a little bit more about t-shirt printing and it's cultural significance, then read the article posted below.
Have you heard of Print On Demand t-shirt fulfilment? If you are interested or run an existing eCommerce store, you can now sell t-shirts without ever buying inventory upfront. Have your orders automatically fulfilled by a local Australian Print on Demand company like OGO Print on Demand . They offer Australia's first ever t-shirt drop ship service and have a free app available for Shopify eCommerce Store owners.


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Product Description
This unique round dimple handle side fork is available as a single item or set. Perfect for formal dining, restaurants or everyday use, the round dimple handle side fork is exquisite, easy to clean and perfectly weighted. Each piece is handcrafted from premium 304 stainless steel. This restaurant quality flatware is a joy to eat with and is sure to add a sparkle to your table! (One piece)
Backed by our 30 day exchange and return policy.
The finest Thai cutlery, tableware and flatware money can buy


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This is Part 1 of a two-part feature.
Nearly a century before laggard Europeans got around to their Age of Exploration, Chinese merchant vessels had been travelling at least as far as eastern Africa, returning with vast shiploads of treasure. The voyages ended abruptly in 1433, for reasons debated by historians, and rulers ordered a massive merchant fleet destroyed. That largely left the New World to Westerners, evidently not a policy China intends to repeat. Now the country plans the conquest of three new frontiers: "deep underground, deep sky and deep sea."
Such are the goals of Three Deep, a five-year plan announced last month by the country's Ministry of Land and Resources. China's funding R&D that would take mineral exploration deeper than ever on land and at sea, while exploring from outer space as well. But formidable as they are, the three frontiers aren't completely uncharted. The expansionist, resource-hungry regime will have competition.
By 2020 the country wants the ability to mine land-based deposits that begin two kilometres in depth, find minerals at three kilometres, and identify oil and gas at 6.5 to 10 kilometres, the South China Morning Post reported October 5. China intends to develop underground communities too, although those details were even more scarce.
China also plans technology for undersea mineral exploration and mining, working towards the ability to send a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to 11 kilometres' depth by 2020, the paper added. That's slightly beyond the deepest known point of any seabed. The country has already sent an ROV seven kilometres deep in the Pacific. In the Indian Ocean, Chinese have been studying seabed mining technology on a 10,000-square-kilometre area south of Madagascar, the SCMP stated.
Going from the depths to the heavens, China wants 27 satellites in orbit by 2020 to conduct surveys and research, partly on terrestrial mineral potential. The country also has expressed ambitions for moon and Mars landings, and for sending its citizens into space. A Chinese competitor to SpaceX, One Space Technology, plans its first commercial rocket launch in 2018.
SpaceX, of course, retains its Elon Musk confidence even after last month's Falcon 9 rocket blew up prior to take-off, destroying a $300-million communications satellite. Having received NASA contracts to ferry people and cargo to the International Space Station, Musk continues to talk about sending colonists to Mars. He's already sent some lithium stocks to the moon.
Probably among the more credible companies talking about mining the heavens are Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries. Both develop technology for NAFTA and both have signed MOUs with Luxembourg that would help finance mineral exploration and mining of near-Earth asteroids. The Grand Duchy, a global leader in satellite communications, has announced its willingness to invest in extra-terrestrial mining to become a world leader in other worlds. The country also plans to create a legal framework for its outer space endeavours, after the U.S. passed legislation giving Americans the right to keep any extra-terrestrial commodities they extract.
Deep Space says it will launch its Prospector X experimental asteroid explorer "in the near future." By the first half of the next decade, Planetary expects to begin small-scale extraction of asteroid water for its oxygen and hydrogen.
Already a nine-year veteran of the main asteroid belt, NASA's Dawn craft now orbits the dwarf planet Ceres after having studied the proto-planet Vesta. Last month the space agency's NASA OSIRIS-REx set off for the asteroid Bennu, with arrival expected in 2018 and return in 2023.
JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, has been to that neighbourhood and back after its Hayabusa craft delivered asteroid samples in 2010.
Last month the European Space Agency ended the 12-year, eight-billion-kilometre odyssey of its Rosetta craft, which spent the last two years studying a comet. In a joint project with Russia's Roscosmos, the ESA expects to land a capsule on Mars to search for signs of previous life.
Russia's moon exploration program sees potential for minerals delivered by asteroid impact. "In the next few years, all scheduled moon flights will focus on its southern polar region, where low-temperature reservoirs of rare earths, as well as unknown volatile substances, have been detected,"Industrial Minerals quoted Vladislav Shevchenko of Moscow State University. Given higher commodity prices, mining could be viable, he added.
Boeing NYSE:BA recently matched Musk's big talk as CEO Dennis Muilenburg spoke about sending holidayers to orbiting tourist traps prior to linking up with the Red Planet. "I'm convinced the first person to step foot on Mars will arrive there riding a Boeing rocket," Bloomberg quoted him last week. As a NASA contractor Boeing competes with SpaceX on its own and through the United Launch Alliance, a JV with Lockheed Martin NYSE:LMT.
Source: http://resourceclips.com/2016/10/11/ever-deeper-ever-higher/


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Gradually, the evidence is being gathered for this zero tolerance line. Most recent was this, reported in the Independent:
Even light drinking increases cancer riskNew study indicates that it's not just heavy drinkers who need to worry about the health implications of alcohol
Just one alcoholic drink a day may increase the risk of cancer, according to a new study, which estimates that light drinking is responsible for 34,000 deaths a year worldwide.
This is based on a study—or, more likely, a meta-analysis—the results of which have been extrapolated. The relative risks that the 34,000 figure have been extrapolated from are things like this...
One drink a day increased the risk of cancer of the oesophagus by almost a third, according to the study being reported in the Annals of Oncology, which analysed data from more than 200 research projects. Low alcohol intake increased the risk of oral cavity and pharynx cancer by 17 per cent, and breast cancer in women by 5 per cent.
Let's leave aside the unlikelihood of questionnaire-based epidemiology being able to identify one risk to two decimal points (until relatively recently, if you'd have told an epidemiologist that x increases risk by 5% (ie. a relative risk of 1.05), he would have laughed in your face).
Instead, and for the sake of argument, let's assume that these risks are accurate. What do they mean for the individual? I have not been able to find the mortality rate for oesophageal cancer, but there were 1,975 deaths from cancer of the oral cavity & pharynx in England & Wales in 2010. Since there were 493,242 deaths altogether, we can say as a rough but useable estimate that the risk of dying from those diseases is about 0.4%.
In the same year, 10,290 women died from breast cancer, out of a total of 255,326 female deaths. The chance of a British woman dying from breast cancer is therefore roughly 4%.
The absolute risk of mortality from the former, and possibly the latter, cancer will be somewhat lower for teetotallers, but we shall be conservative and stick with the figures above as being the baseline risks.
If having a drink a day raises the individual's risk of dying from oral cavity & pharynx by 17%, then the absolute lifetime risk rises from 0.40% to 0.47%. If having a drink a day increases the risk of breast cancer by 5%, then the absolute lifetime risk rises from 4% to 4.2%.
I wonder if this information—if given in relevant, rather than relative terms, as I have above—would make anyone think it was worth living a life of self-denial in order to reduce their risk by a fraction of one percent. Considering that the lifetime risk of dying from all cancers combined is somewhere between a quarter and a third, I doubt it would.
Risks of this order simply have no practical relevance to human beings. The relative risks are so tiny—even if we assume them to be real—that it is irrational to worry about them. The only way they can be made to sound scary is by doing what the authors of this study have done, ie...
(a) only give relative risk and hope the public mistakes it for absolute risk (a common error)
(b) extrapolate your numbers across the largest population you can think of. In this instance, they've gone for the nuclear option of using the population of the entire world—this should always ring alarm bells
If you do both of these things, you can then use the old line about the risks not being very high, but that "in terms of public health" they are of great significance. This get-out clause is often to be found in the text of epidemiological studies when the findings are of negligible significance for a person's health, and we see it again here:
"Alcohol increases the risk of cancer even at low doses," say the researchers. "Given the high proportion of light drinkers in the population, and the high prevalence of these tumours, especially of breast cancer, even small increases in cancer risk are of great public health relevance."
No matter how many times this line gets used, it never gains any meaning. A risk that has no practical significance to an individual should be of equally little significance to public health. The public, after all, is no more than a collection of individuals. Spouting variations of "many a mickle makes a muckle" does not alter that fact. If the public health industry considers risks which are of no significance to people to be of great importance to them, it only shows how irrelevant the public health industry is to the lives of normal men and women.
Professor Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK's chief clinician, said: "This study adds to the evidence linking alcohol consumption to several types of cancer, and confirms that even light drinkers have a small but definite increase in the risk, particularly for those parts of the body, such as the throat and oesophagus, that come into direct contact with alcohol.
"People who wish to minimise their risk of cancer can help by cutting down on their drinking."
This thinly-veiled plea for abstinence is not justified by the scientific evidence. Only this week we have seen the latest in a long line of epidemiological research concluding that moderate drinking is very good for health, and not just for rare diseases. As Crampton mentions, a study in the European Heart Journal found a statistically significant reduction in the risk of total mortality of 22 per cent and a 42 per cent reduction in mortality from heart disease. It also looked at the "sick quitter" hypothesis so beloved of Ben Goldacre and David Nutt and found that it did not explain the results. There is now masses of evidence that there is a U-shaped curve for drinking and mortality, and especially heart disease (which is the single biggest cause of death in the UK).
That study did not get reported in the Independent and we continue to wait for a study to be published showing how many people are being "killed" worldwide through teetotalism. Don't hold your breath.


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the second snow, a heavy one, likely covered the half night. on Sunday morning i saw the beautiful scene. i played pc games with baby till he left with his mom to join his delayed music lesson in the direction of center of Qiqihar. there r moments so precious i enjoyed with my Taiwan girl. baby witness&correct some of my misleading. i sent he&his mom to bus, then returned to QRRS dorms by bus. i soon on bed napped, till coldness woke me up for i only cover myself with a woolen sweater. the joy in my heart so full, that i had to roam outside, ate dinner early around 4pm. after these, i still feel need to thank God for the bliss, so i look out for the local church. i don't want to join the praying party in church, early to the meekly sermon, but i m in urgency to be with God sole&alone, so i intended to join Internet Cafe to kill some time, even i dislike Chinese Internet cafe very much for dirt in it&among the surfers. then i found the church open, &the priest there chatting. so i approached, discussed him with my oath with God, my free of duty to support the church this moment assured by Heaven. when they started praying, i left to dorm, rejoin the church 6:27pm. a woman offers preach, which not so strong, but described half faith in God like many trifle family wives do. in night i woke up to make water 3 times. the full moon so bright in dawn, that i photographic her beautiful face at once when half nuked after urinated. God, save my work online, bring me my Royal of China, my family in warm places. God, thx for ur bliss which makes my life so meaningful&rich of beauty. God, never let me fail my girls, or the reverse.
benzrad's recent photo blog:
From 2nd snow in 2010 winter, pure joy |
From 2nd snow in 2010 winter, pure joy |
From 2nd snow in 2010 winter, pure joy |
for google's picasaweb blocked within China mainland for years, here some digest hosted domestically.
QRRS front space in heavy snow.
late full moon rarely hangs above dawn sky of QRRS residential area.
Posted via email from be21zh.org, bring China abreast 21Century